15. Ryu vs. Sakura
"What's wrong, Sakura K?" Ken asked while walking up a mountain hill.
"Nothing. I'm just so excited about seeing Ryu again."
Only Ken and Sakura K. went up to Ryu's training grounds for the time being. The others said that they would catch up in 15 minutes, giving these two a chance to meet a long-time friend. It was pretty dark because of the multitude of trees littering the area, but sunlight broke through the leaves, helping the two see. Ken was wearing his trademark red karate gi, but Sakura was wearing normal street clothes and her headband. Since school was out for the summer (for Sakura, Hinata, and Darrell at the time), she didn't want to wear her school uniform at this moment.
"Hey, Sakura," Ken called for the girl's attention.
Sakura K. turned her head to Ken. "Yes?"
"I've been meaning to ask you ever since I saw you back in San Francisco. Why are there two of you? That has been bugging me for the longest time."
"I'll tell you when I see Ryu. I bet he'll be surprised at that."
After about another minute, the hill gave out to flat grass. Sakura K. and Ken were facing a wide open space with nothing in it but grass.
"This is the place that he said he'll be in," Ken said while looking around. "Yet."
"Shoryuken!!"
"There he is!" Sakura shouted out loud.
To their right was a Japanese man in a white gi and red handguards. He had just shoot up into the air with his fist up above him. He rose up and knocked down a high tree branch that held something like a red strap. He dropped back to the ground along with the branch and picked it up while untying the red cloth and placing it on his forehead.
"Hey, Ryu!" Ken called out, surprising the man.
He spun around to face the two newcomers but after a few seconds, he recognized who they were.
"I see that you have returned," Ryu greeted his friend as he walked up to him. They both raised their fists and tapped them together. That was their way of saying hello to one another. "How are things, Ken?"
Ken shrugged. "It has been pretty interesting lately. I found some kids who really know how to fight. They should be coming here in another 10 minutes. Sean is here also and. well. you know who this is."
Ken moved over to the side and let Ryu see Sakura K. She was wearing a huge smile, making Ryu sort of nervous.
"Uh. Sakura." Ryu shook his head and then tried again. "Hi, Sakura."
"Hi," she responded. "I've been looking for you, you know."
"For another battle?" Ryu guessed. "It wouldn't be a problem to fight you again."
Sakura nodded. "That is only for starters, Ryu. I've been meaning to tell you some weird things that have been happening to me lately."
"Oh, really? Just what could that possibly be?"
"Well. for one. I have someone who wants to meet you just as badly as I do."
Ryu and Ken just stared at Sakura as she turned around to the way that they just came. "Hey, sis! I know that you're here! Come on out, already!"
"Sis.?" Ryu mimicked. The last time Ryu checked, Sakura had only a little brother. {Who could this person be?}
Ryu got her answer as a voice shot out from the forest. "Oh.! I thought I could take a sneak at him! Why did you blow my cover, sis?"
{That voice. it is the same as Sakura's. Could she have a twin?}
A young teenage girl came out of the green and into the light. and Ryu's jaw almost dropped to the ground. She was an exact replica of Sakura. Correction: this WAS Sakura. only it was her Satsu form. Everything was there. The headband, the body feature, the identical clothing, the hair. Even the personality was pure Sakura.
"You have got to be kidding me."
As the new Sakura stood next to the original, Ryu just stared at both of them. {I don't believe it.}
"Ryu. this is my twin sis. or really, my dark side. Her name's Sakura Satsu, but everyone just calls her Sakura S."
Sakura S. smiled at the sight of Ryu. "It has been a long time, hasn't it, Ryu?"
Ryu didn't respond. He continued his staring as he was trying to put the pieces together. He finally turned his attention fully to the original Sakura.
"Sakura. how.?"
"Before you start, let me explain some things. Yes, she is my 'evil' side. No, she isn't a psychopath like Akuma. She split from my body about a few weeks ago-"
Sakura K. never finished her sentence as Ryu cut her off.
"How did you know about Akuma?" he asked.
Sakura S. put her hands on her hips. "He hasn't changed. He still is pretty simple-minded." she mumbled while rolling her eyes.
Sakura K. started to explain again. "Akuma came to my friends and me in some twisted dream about five days ago. He's the main reason why we're here. Ryu. he's coming after us."
Ryu nodded. "He must have been interested in the fact that your dark side isn't in your body anymore."
"He mentioned that he fought you once before."
"Yes. We fought many times. Each time he keeps trying to tell me to release my Evil Intent. He's persistent. No matter how many times I defeat him, he doesn't seem to let up. and he pops up at the most inconvenient times."
"What is his problem?" Sakura S. asked
"I don't know."
"So, anyway. I thought that I could fight you once more to see how ready I am," Sakura K. said politely. "I hope you remember our little agreement."
Ryu smiled. "Yes. and I have gotten much stronger than before. I hope you prepared for this day, Sakura."
Sakura K. nodded. "Of course, Ryu!" She got into her fighting stance and Ryu followed.
"Koi!"
Sakura charged in and started the battle. As usual, Ryu went on the defensive. Both Sakura and Ken knew that Ryu wasn't much of an offensive fighter. He likes to see his opponent make mistakes and capitalize on it. Sakura took that into consideration as she attacked with a few strong punches to Ryu's upper body. Each one Ryu blocked with ease. Sakura backed up suddenly and took off into the air. Ryu, expecting an aerial kick, went into his famous anti-air move.
"Shoryuken!!"
As Ryu shot into the air with his uppercut, Sakura telegraphed it. She seemed to hang in mid-air as a small aura surrounded her and she clasped her hands to her side.
"Hadouken!"
Sakura released a large blue ball of energy, catching Ryu by surprise and knocking him back down to earth. He landed on his back, but quickly rolled backwards as Sakura landed and started to approach him.
{That was unexpected. Sakura knows how to throw a Hadouken in mid-air. She definitely has been training.}
Ryu clasped his hands to his side and just like Sakura, a small blue aura surrounded him. Sakura knew what this was.
"Hadouken!" Ryu called as he launched his energy blast at Sakura. Sakura waited for Ryu's Hadouken to come within a few inches of her and sidestepped it and charged in.
"Shouoken!"
Ryu saw Sakura's variation of his Shoryuken coming and guarded it. As Sakura launched herself into the air, Ryu ducked down and knocked her away with a rising uppercut. Sakura recovered in air and was about to go onto the offensive again, but she didn't notice what Ryu was doing.
"Tatsumaki Senpu Kyaku!"
Sakura's face met Ryu's spinning kick three times before reeling backwards. She stopped herself, shook her head, and got back into her fighting stance.
{Hmm. Normally that would have knocked her to the ground on the first kick. This is very interesting.}
Sakura dashed in and Ryu went defensive. Sakura started to deliver another quick punch to Ryu's head, but at the last second she ducked down to a crouching position, catching Ryu off guard with a sweep kick. Ryu safe fell and delivered a swift kick to Sakura's side, but Sakura moved out the way in time.
{She has improved a lot. It looks as if I'll have to fight more seriously.}
Ryu stepped back from a short Shouoken and brought his fist over in a right hook. He hit Sakura right in the cheek, sending her reeling back. Sakura recovered and managed to block a kick aimed at her head and retaliated with a roundhouse kick. Ryu ducked and performed a short Shoryuken, almost hitting Sakura K.'s leg.
"Whoa!" Sakura K. yelped as she stumbled back a bit to recover her balance. While she was doing that, she couldn't notice Ryu charging up his energy in his hands. A light blue aura covered his body.
"Shinku."
Sakura finally recovered and looked at Ryu. and gasped. {He's using.}
"HADOUKEN!!"
Ryu unleashed his blue blast and unfortunately, because it was moving so fast, Sakura couldn't dodge it. She put her arms up in a blocking position as the Shinku Hadouken hit. She strained to keep her guard up. {It's so. powerful. Even more than I remember.}
Ryu's blast finally gave out and Sakura K. shook her arms.
"Big mistake, Sakura!" Ryu yelled out as he drove his fist right into her face. Sakura's nose started to bleed a little. but it was nothing compared to the next move he was about to do.
"SHIN!"
Ryu smashed Sakura in her stomach with an insanely strong punch with the right. She gasped loudly as it knocked the air right out of her. {Oh. no.}
Ryu followed with another wicked blow with the other hand, making his opponent wince in pain. then the finish.
"SHORYUKEN!!!"
Ryu shot into the air with a huge version of the Shoryuken, knocking Sakura sky high. She rose to about as high as the middle of some of the largest trees before she went plummeting back to earth. She landed with a big thud onto the ground, bounced off the grass, and finally settled. Ryu landed and stared at Sakura's fallen body, which wasn't moving.
"That's got to hurt." Ken commented.
"Sis.?" Sakura S. asked quietly. She could sense that her twin's vitality plummeted severely with Ryu's Shin Shoryuken and wouldn't be surprised if she didn't get up.
Ryu didn't say a word as he looked at the girl's body. {She had improved. I had to pull that one out the bag. She could have beaten me if I let her get comfortable.}
Suddenly, Sakura K. started to move. She was forcing her battered body to get up and continue with the match. At first she just managed to lift her head up. then it dropped back to the green grass. A few seconds passed and she brought her legs in to support herself. She sat up and slowly but surly, she got to her feet. At first it seemed as if Sakura recovered. but then her legs gave out under her a bit and she almost fell again. She tried to get back into stance, but instead she stumbled backwards, dizzy.
"It's like. Yun's You-Hou." she murmured weakly as she put a hand on her head to steady herself.
"I'm very impressed, Sakura," Ryu said. He was standing upright now. "I'll let you recover from that move and we'll continue."
"Uhhh.." She moaned before muttering, "Thanks. Ryu."
{Come on. What's taking so long? I can't get this dizzy feeling out of me. Why.? Wait. I think I got it.}
She finally shook her head and looked at her idol for a few seconds, blinking a bit more rapidly than normal.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
Sakura K. answered by nodding. Both went back into their stance, but neither moved. They were sizing each other up.
"Do you think Sakura can keep going after that?" Ken asked Sakura's dark twin. "You are her, right?"
Sakura S. didn't look up to Ken's face. "She has the determination. She'll be fine. Besides, she has regained some of her vitality. and she hasn't even used her stronger moves yet."
"I know. This will be pretty interesting."
Ken and Sakura S. spun around and saw Hinata, Darrell, and Sean stand right next to them. They were very interested in the fight that was about to resume.
"How long have you guys been here?" Sakura S. asked.
"About a few seconds," Sean answered. He had his arms crossed as he stared at Ryu. He's enjoying this. If he thinks that was good. then I can't wait to show him how good I got. Everyone here has been training very hard for the last six days. We all have new tricks up our sleeves.
"Ikuze!" Sakura yelled out at she sprung into the air and delivered a Shunpukyaku. Ryu knocked her out of it with another uppercut, but unlike most times, Sakura fell to the ground. It took her a few seconds to get up, but as soon as she got up, Ryu was all over her.
"Shinku. Tatsumaki Senpu Kyaku!"
Sakura K. was without defenses as she was sucked into a vortex of spinning kicks created by Ryu. The leaves in the area swayed towards Ryu's stationary hurricane kick. Sakura cried out multiple times as she was kicked 20 times before Ryu finally kicked her away.
Sakura K. went spiraling a good few feet across the grass and landed in a long skid. then finally stayed down.
"Sakura!" Hinata yelled out to her friend. She wasn't showing much signs of getting up.
"She. really took a beating." Sean mentioned. No matter how many times he saw that, he never gets tired of it.
Everyone could hear Sakura's groaning as she laid there. Ryu was convinced that he won, so he calmly walked over to the young warrior.
"Damn." Sakura K. let out weakly as Ryu stopped right above her.
"You've shown a lot of stamina." Ryu commented on Sakura's performance. He was pretty awed ever since the matched started. Sakura never took so much punishment before.
Strangely, Sakura K. giggled a bit.
"Huh?" Ryu gasped at her as her giggling grew louder.
"I'm not finished yet!" she yelled out at she quickly sprung off the ground and caught Ryu off guard with a strong punch to the head.
"Midare Zakura!!"
Sakura unleashed her onslaught on Ryu and just like her dark side when she fought Bison, she made every hit count. but she wasn't done there.
"I've been working on this one! Ichiyo.!"
Sakura did an entirely different move. She chained out of her Midare Zakura and went straight into the air with a long Shunpukyaku, taking Ryu with her.
"Hey!" Darrell yelled out. "How did she.?"
Sakura K. kicked Ryu up to the height of the trees then she performed a few attacks in mid-air. but suddenly a blue aura surrounded her and she stopped attacking. Both seemed to hang in the air.
"Take this, Ryu. Shinku."
"How can she do that?" Hinata asked in awe.
"HADOUKEN!!"
Before anyone knew it, Ryu was on the ground while Sakura K. was landing. Ryu was down, but he was trying to get back up again.
"Sakura. how did you. do all of that?" Ryu asked while raising his head to see Sakura.
Sakura giggled while pointing at Ryu. "I got you good! Midare Zakura to Haru Ichiban to Shinku Hadouken! I wish I should have seen it. That was awesome!"
All of a sudden she let out a yelp as her body gave out on her. She fell to her knees and realized that Ryu's powerful attacks really hurt her more than she thought.
"Are you okay?" Ken asked the two fighters.
"Yeah." Sakura said while turning her head to Ken.
"I'll be okay." Ryu answered.
Hinata exhaled heavily. "You had me worried Sakura. I thought you would have been knocked senseless long ago."
"I know. That's why. my sis and I. were working on for the past six days."
As Ryu got to his feet, Sakura S. felt something. weird. She looked behind her to the foliage, expecting someone. and saw nothing.
{Strange. I feel something. familiar. It's like I've felt it before.}
"So. now what?" Sean asked. "You two are done, aren't you?"
"Hmm. I guess you need something about Akuma." Ryu said.
Sakura S's eyes widened. {Wait a minute. That's IT!!}
"I'm sorry to interrupt.," Sakura S. broke in, ".but I think. he's already here!!"
End of Chapter 15
"What's wrong, Sakura K?" Ken asked while walking up a mountain hill.
"Nothing. I'm just so excited about seeing Ryu again."
Only Ken and Sakura K. went up to Ryu's training grounds for the time being. The others said that they would catch up in 15 minutes, giving these two a chance to meet a long-time friend. It was pretty dark because of the multitude of trees littering the area, but sunlight broke through the leaves, helping the two see. Ken was wearing his trademark red karate gi, but Sakura was wearing normal street clothes and her headband. Since school was out for the summer (for Sakura, Hinata, and Darrell at the time), she didn't want to wear her school uniform at this moment.
"Hey, Sakura," Ken called for the girl's attention.
Sakura K. turned her head to Ken. "Yes?"
"I've been meaning to ask you ever since I saw you back in San Francisco. Why are there two of you? That has been bugging me for the longest time."
"I'll tell you when I see Ryu. I bet he'll be surprised at that."
After about another minute, the hill gave out to flat grass. Sakura K. and Ken were facing a wide open space with nothing in it but grass.
"This is the place that he said he'll be in," Ken said while looking around. "Yet."
"Shoryuken!!"
"There he is!" Sakura shouted out loud.
To their right was a Japanese man in a white gi and red handguards. He had just shoot up into the air with his fist up above him. He rose up and knocked down a high tree branch that held something like a red strap. He dropped back to the ground along with the branch and picked it up while untying the red cloth and placing it on his forehead.
"Hey, Ryu!" Ken called out, surprising the man.
He spun around to face the two newcomers but after a few seconds, he recognized who they were.
"I see that you have returned," Ryu greeted his friend as he walked up to him. They both raised their fists and tapped them together. That was their way of saying hello to one another. "How are things, Ken?"
Ken shrugged. "It has been pretty interesting lately. I found some kids who really know how to fight. They should be coming here in another 10 minutes. Sean is here also and. well. you know who this is."
Ken moved over to the side and let Ryu see Sakura K. She was wearing a huge smile, making Ryu sort of nervous.
"Uh. Sakura." Ryu shook his head and then tried again. "Hi, Sakura."
"Hi," she responded. "I've been looking for you, you know."
"For another battle?" Ryu guessed. "It wouldn't be a problem to fight you again."
Sakura nodded. "That is only for starters, Ryu. I've been meaning to tell you some weird things that have been happening to me lately."
"Oh, really? Just what could that possibly be?"
"Well. for one. I have someone who wants to meet you just as badly as I do."
Ryu and Ken just stared at Sakura as she turned around to the way that they just came. "Hey, sis! I know that you're here! Come on out, already!"
"Sis.?" Ryu mimicked. The last time Ryu checked, Sakura had only a little brother. {Who could this person be?}
Ryu got her answer as a voice shot out from the forest. "Oh.! I thought I could take a sneak at him! Why did you blow my cover, sis?"
{That voice. it is the same as Sakura's. Could she have a twin?}
A young teenage girl came out of the green and into the light. and Ryu's jaw almost dropped to the ground. She was an exact replica of Sakura. Correction: this WAS Sakura. only it was her Satsu form. Everything was there. The headband, the body feature, the identical clothing, the hair. Even the personality was pure Sakura.
"You have got to be kidding me."
As the new Sakura stood next to the original, Ryu just stared at both of them. {I don't believe it.}
"Ryu. this is my twin sis. or really, my dark side. Her name's Sakura Satsu, but everyone just calls her Sakura S."
Sakura S. smiled at the sight of Ryu. "It has been a long time, hasn't it, Ryu?"
Ryu didn't respond. He continued his staring as he was trying to put the pieces together. He finally turned his attention fully to the original Sakura.
"Sakura. how.?"
"Before you start, let me explain some things. Yes, she is my 'evil' side. No, she isn't a psychopath like Akuma. She split from my body about a few weeks ago-"
Sakura K. never finished her sentence as Ryu cut her off.
"How did you know about Akuma?" he asked.
Sakura S. put her hands on her hips. "He hasn't changed. He still is pretty simple-minded." she mumbled while rolling her eyes.
Sakura K. started to explain again. "Akuma came to my friends and me in some twisted dream about five days ago. He's the main reason why we're here. Ryu. he's coming after us."
Ryu nodded. "He must have been interested in the fact that your dark side isn't in your body anymore."
"He mentioned that he fought you once before."
"Yes. We fought many times. Each time he keeps trying to tell me to release my Evil Intent. He's persistent. No matter how many times I defeat him, he doesn't seem to let up. and he pops up at the most inconvenient times."
"What is his problem?" Sakura S. asked
"I don't know."
"So, anyway. I thought that I could fight you once more to see how ready I am," Sakura K. said politely. "I hope you remember our little agreement."
Ryu smiled. "Yes. and I have gotten much stronger than before. I hope you prepared for this day, Sakura."
Sakura K. nodded. "Of course, Ryu!" She got into her fighting stance and Ryu followed.
"Koi!"
Sakura charged in and started the battle. As usual, Ryu went on the defensive. Both Sakura and Ken knew that Ryu wasn't much of an offensive fighter. He likes to see his opponent make mistakes and capitalize on it. Sakura took that into consideration as she attacked with a few strong punches to Ryu's upper body. Each one Ryu blocked with ease. Sakura backed up suddenly and took off into the air. Ryu, expecting an aerial kick, went into his famous anti-air move.
"Shoryuken!!"
As Ryu shot into the air with his uppercut, Sakura telegraphed it. She seemed to hang in mid-air as a small aura surrounded her and she clasped her hands to her side.
"Hadouken!"
Sakura released a large blue ball of energy, catching Ryu by surprise and knocking him back down to earth. He landed on his back, but quickly rolled backwards as Sakura landed and started to approach him.
{That was unexpected. Sakura knows how to throw a Hadouken in mid-air. She definitely has been training.}
Ryu clasped his hands to his side and just like Sakura, a small blue aura surrounded him. Sakura knew what this was.
"Hadouken!" Ryu called as he launched his energy blast at Sakura. Sakura waited for Ryu's Hadouken to come within a few inches of her and sidestepped it and charged in.
"Shouoken!"
Ryu saw Sakura's variation of his Shoryuken coming and guarded it. As Sakura launched herself into the air, Ryu ducked down and knocked her away with a rising uppercut. Sakura recovered in air and was about to go onto the offensive again, but she didn't notice what Ryu was doing.
"Tatsumaki Senpu Kyaku!"
Sakura's face met Ryu's spinning kick three times before reeling backwards. She stopped herself, shook her head, and got back into her fighting stance.
{Hmm. Normally that would have knocked her to the ground on the first kick. This is very interesting.}
Sakura dashed in and Ryu went defensive. Sakura started to deliver another quick punch to Ryu's head, but at the last second she ducked down to a crouching position, catching Ryu off guard with a sweep kick. Ryu safe fell and delivered a swift kick to Sakura's side, but Sakura moved out the way in time.
{She has improved a lot. It looks as if I'll have to fight more seriously.}
Ryu stepped back from a short Shouoken and brought his fist over in a right hook. He hit Sakura right in the cheek, sending her reeling back. Sakura recovered and managed to block a kick aimed at her head and retaliated with a roundhouse kick. Ryu ducked and performed a short Shoryuken, almost hitting Sakura K.'s leg.
"Whoa!" Sakura K. yelped as she stumbled back a bit to recover her balance. While she was doing that, she couldn't notice Ryu charging up his energy in his hands. A light blue aura covered his body.
"Shinku."
Sakura finally recovered and looked at Ryu. and gasped. {He's using.}
"HADOUKEN!!"
Ryu unleashed his blue blast and unfortunately, because it was moving so fast, Sakura couldn't dodge it. She put her arms up in a blocking position as the Shinku Hadouken hit. She strained to keep her guard up. {It's so. powerful. Even more than I remember.}
Ryu's blast finally gave out and Sakura K. shook her arms.
"Big mistake, Sakura!" Ryu yelled out as he drove his fist right into her face. Sakura's nose started to bleed a little. but it was nothing compared to the next move he was about to do.
"SHIN!"
Ryu smashed Sakura in her stomach with an insanely strong punch with the right. She gasped loudly as it knocked the air right out of her. {Oh. no.}
Ryu followed with another wicked blow with the other hand, making his opponent wince in pain. then the finish.
"SHORYUKEN!!!"
Ryu shot into the air with a huge version of the Shoryuken, knocking Sakura sky high. She rose to about as high as the middle of some of the largest trees before she went plummeting back to earth. She landed with a big thud onto the ground, bounced off the grass, and finally settled. Ryu landed and stared at Sakura's fallen body, which wasn't moving.
"That's got to hurt." Ken commented.
"Sis.?" Sakura S. asked quietly. She could sense that her twin's vitality plummeted severely with Ryu's Shin Shoryuken and wouldn't be surprised if she didn't get up.
Ryu didn't say a word as he looked at the girl's body. {She had improved. I had to pull that one out the bag. She could have beaten me if I let her get comfortable.}
Suddenly, Sakura K. started to move. She was forcing her battered body to get up and continue with the match. At first she just managed to lift her head up. then it dropped back to the green grass. A few seconds passed and she brought her legs in to support herself. She sat up and slowly but surly, she got to her feet. At first it seemed as if Sakura recovered. but then her legs gave out under her a bit and she almost fell again. She tried to get back into stance, but instead she stumbled backwards, dizzy.
"It's like. Yun's You-Hou." she murmured weakly as she put a hand on her head to steady herself.
"I'm very impressed, Sakura," Ryu said. He was standing upright now. "I'll let you recover from that move and we'll continue."
"Uhhh.." She moaned before muttering, "Thanks. Ryu."
{Come on. What's taking so long? I can't get this dizzy feeling out of me. Why.? Wait. I think I got it.}
She finally shook her head and looked at her idol for a few seconds, blinking a bit more rapidly than normal.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
Sakura K. answered by nodding. Both went back into their stance, but neither moved. They were sizing each other up.
"Do you think Sakura can keep going after that?" Ken asked Sakura's dark twin. "You are her, right?"
Sakura S. didn't look up to Ken's face. "She has the determination. She'll be fine. Besides, she has regained some of her vitality. and she hasn't even used her stronger moves yet."
"I know. This will be pretty interesting."
Ken and Sakura S. spun around and saw Hinata, Darrell, and Sean stand right next to them. They were very interested in the fight that was about to resume.
"How long have you guys been here?" Sakura S. asked.
"About a few seconds," Sean answered. He had his arms crossed as he stared at Ryu. He's enjoying this. If he thinks that was good. then I can't wait to show him how good I got. Everyone here has been training very hard for the last six days. We all have new tricks up our sleeves.
"Ikuze!" Sakura yelled out at she sprung into the air and delivered a Shunpukyaku. Ryu knocked her out of it with another uppercut, but unlike most times, Sakura fell to the ground. It took her a few seconds to get up, but as soon as she got up, Ryu was all over her.
"Shinku. Tatsumaki Senpu Kyaku!"
Sakura K. was without defenses as she was sucked into a vortex of spinning kicks created by Ryu. The leaves in the area swayed towards Ryu's stationary hurricane kick. Sakura cried out multiple times as she was kicked 20 times before Ryu finally kicked her away.
Sakura K. went spiraling a good few feet across the grass and landed in a long skid. then finally stayed down.
"Sakura!" Hinata yelled out to her friend. She wasn't showing much signs of getting up.
"She. really took a beating." Sean mentioned. No matter how many times he saw that, he never gets tired of it.
Everyone could hear Sakura's groaning as she laid there. Ryu was convinced that he won, so he calmly walked over to the young warrior.
"Damn." Sakura K. let out weakly as Ryu stopped right above her.
"You've shown a lot of stamina." Ryu commented on Sakura's performance. He was pretty awed ever since the matched started. Sakura never took so much punishment before.
Strangely, Sakura K. giggled a bit.
"Huh?" Ryu gasped at her as her giggling grew louder.
"I'm not finished yet!" she yelled out at she quickly sprung off the ground and caught Ryu off guard with a strong punch to the head.
"Midare Zakura!!"
Sakura unleashed her onslaught on Ryu and just like her dark side when she fought Bison, she made every hit count. but she wasn't done there.
"I've been working on this one! Ichiyo.!"
Sakura did an entirely different move. She chained out of her Midare Zakura and went straight into the air with a long Shunpukyaku, taking Ryu with her.
"Hey!" Darrell yelled out. "How did she.?"
Sakura K. kicked Ryu up to the height of the trees then she performed a few attacks in mid-air. but suddenly a blue aura surrounded her and she stopped attacking. Both seemed to hang in the air.
"Take this, Ryu. Shinku."
"How can she do that?" Hinata asked in awe.
"HADOUKEN!!"
Before anyone knew it, Ryu was on the ground while Sakura K. was landing. Ryu was down, but he was trying to get back up again.
"Sakura. how did you. do all of that?" Ryu asked while raising his head to see Sakura.
Sakura giggled while pointing at Ryu. "I got you good! Midare Zakura to Haru Ichiban to Shinku Hadouken! I wish I should have seen it. That was awesome!"
All of a sudden she let out a yelp as her body gave out on her. She fell to her knees and realized that Ryu's powerful attacks really hurt her more than she thought.
"Are you okay?" Ken asked the two fighters.
"Yeah." Sakura said while turning her head to Ken.
"I'll be okay." Ryu answered.
Hinata exhaled heavily. "You had me worried Sakura. I thought you would have been knocked senseless long ago."
"I know. That's why. my sis and I. were working on for the past six days."
As Ryu got to his feet, Sakura S. felt something. weird. She looked behind her to the foliage, expecting someone. and saw nothing.
{Strange. I feel something. familiar. It's like I've felt it before.}
"So. now what?" Sean asked. "You two are done, aren't you?"
"Hmm. I guess you need something about Akuma." Ryu said.
Sakura S's eyes widened. {Wait a minute. That's IT!!}
"I'm sorry to interrupt.," Sakura S. broke in, ".but I think. he's already here!!"
End of Chapter 15