Chapter 120.5: Asuka vs Crisdelin
A rumbling took place, and the reasoning behind it traced back to two femme fatales exchanging a mirroring blow. Two forearms filled with magic power collided, causing a shockwave and a gust of wind to push out at every direction. The audience's attention was garnered; everyone turning to the screen that showcased Asuka and Crisdelin. The shockwave graced the two women with some space, pushing the two away from each other, but that passing second wouldn't last too long…
{"You're here for the job? I'm Ethan by the way! It's nice to meet you, Asuka."
"I'm not a 'guild mage' or anything, but I can help you find their hideout. That's probably the best I can do for you."
"I'd love to join! Let's form a team, Asuka!" }
Echoes of Ethan's words played in her head as she could now only see the mangled body of her best friend and guild mate, overshadowing the smile of a young boy that made her day, daily — Asuka was in pure rage. Everyone in Black Phoenix shared the same emotion at this moment, but Asuka was dialed up beyond a ten. It caused her jaw to clench even tighter along with her fists, eyes seeing nothing but Ethan's assailant in front of her as she yelled. "CRISDELIIIIIIIN!"
The blonde on the other side however, only saw a potentially fun fight before her. After demolishing Ethan Star, how satisfying would it be to do the same to his revenger? The answer was very clear, and as she regained herself from the opening clash, Cris simply took in a deep breath before sliding into a fighting stance. "Lets not waste time, shall we?"
That pissed Asuka off even more, so she complied by showing up right at Crisdelin's doorstep with a right fist aimed for her jawline. It was too bad for her that even in her Rajin Tempo, the Council captain proved to be faster as her right fist was the one to connect, slamming directly into Asuka's jaw and sending her flying. The sound it made wasn't friendly either, but it indeed was familiar.
"Crush Magic." Leon spoke, causing the rest of Black Phoenix to look his way. "That sound is way too familiar. The ability literally crush anything on contact. Asuka may be in trouble.. maybe worse than Ethan, because at least he had armor like skin to protect him. Asuka doesn't…"
"Ugh…" Diamond didn't have much of an input. She could only turn back to watch the little spitfire in action as Asuka rose back from the rubble she fell through.
"Oh, that wasn't enough for you?" Crisdelin asked as Asuka teetered to a full stance. The council captain beckoned the young girl to return to close quarters combat, and of course the brash teenager obliged. This time, Asuka planned on staying on her feet, swinging that same right hook that caused Crisdelin to question the motive. The council hound, as she's known by, swung her body to the side, following with a powerful short uppercut to Asuka's rib cage. A powerful hit once again amplified by the Crush Magic — an ability to break whatever it touches— and Asuka's rib cage was now screaming for her to stop. But of course she wouldn't. In fact, she ignored the pain long enough to use the momentum of Cris's punch, flipping over and slamming an unexpected downward kick to the top of her head. The captain's head jolted downward, causing shock to run through her mind and body. The counter was so unexpected, but she didn't have time to dwell on it as Asuka crouched to the ground, rearing back another lightning infused kick — punter's style.
It was caught. Crisdelin caught the high voltage kick bared handed and squeezed, and everyone could hear the bone crunching momentum as her grip became tighter and tighter. Asuka screamed out in pain as she fell to the ground, writhing and squirming desperately in an attempt to get away. "What's wrong?!" Crisdelin taunted. "What happened to all that huffing and puffing from earlier!?" As she yelled, Crisdelin would hoist Asuka by her ankle, up above her. Yet, before she could slam her into the ground like she planned, four small pillars of rock formed around her, then collapsed upon the captain, causing her to let Asuka to go. Only her hand remained visible for the passing second, and Asuka wanted to follow up with the opening she created, but the second the young girl landed on that foot, the pain and lack of structure from the possibly shattered bone caused her to fall over to her seat, holding her foot in pain.
"It's probably broken." Leon pointed out. "She can't even stand."
"Dammit!" Alex shouted. "Where's Esme?! Asuka needs help!"
Seconds later, after the sound of fists echoing off of earth multiple times, the four pillars shattered into pieces and Cris walked out unfazed, stalking Asuka as her prey tried her best to stand on one leg. This time no words were exchanged as Crisdelin rushed forward. Asuka's eyes widened as she did, just able to dodge the incoming attack by leaping into the air. Not the height she wanted however, as Cris wasn't too far behind with a leap of her own. She closed in quickly, but Asuka countered by spinning with both arms outstretched. With that movement, the elemental mage created a barrier of water that shielded her from Crisdelin's powerful punch. Yet, the Council Hound's fist still broke through the liquid barrier, only to find that Asuka was no longer within it. In that second, Asuka used the shield as covering, appearing on the ground with a thud that caught Crisdelin's attention, but not in time for her to do anything as she sprung back up instantly with a lightning infused knee to her chin.
Blood spewed from her mouth as the crowd awed from such an open strike. Crisdelin tried to fix her visage to face the one who just pissed her off, but she was indeed rattled. Rattled enough to take another blow from Asuka. This time it was in rapid succession — multiple lightning punches to her stomach before a final haymaker to her head to send her to the ground.
"Follow her!" Alex shouted louder than anyone, instructing Asuka to chase after Crisdelin who just painfully hit the ground. She followed through with the orders, plummeting towards Crisdelin with both hands tied together and above her head. "Rajin Hammer!"
As she swung down, Crisdelin, who was on her hands and knees, crescendoed a frustrating groan into a full on ear piercing screech. She turned, and yelled directly in Asuka's dirextion. Visible sound waves slamming into Asuka's halting her momentum altogether as she could feel her eardrums nearly busting before being sent flying into a building across the street.
"Wh….What was that!?" One of the Black Phoenix members asked. "That…" Leon added. "I have no idea. It looks like she has some type of sound magic as well? That's…dangerous.."
"Shit…" Crisdelin wiped her chin as she stood back up wearily. "Stupid girl really rocked me. I was out of breath so I couldn't get all of that, but she's done for regardless. I'll go finish her off now."
Crisdelin started walking towards the newly created rubble, but the closer she got, she more powerful a rumbling in that direction came. Finally, she stopped walking, but the rumbling continued. "How is she still moving!?" Cris demanded an answer, and she would get one as the rubble shot to the sky. "Rajin Tempo: Infinity!"
"Asuka, wait!" Leon shouted in concern for the first time. Even Alex followed up. "Are you trying to kill yourself!? Ethan isn't dead! There's no need to go this far!"
Words fell on deaf ears. Instead, Asuka kept all senses on Crisdelin, raising a single finger towards her. A second passed and then…
Crisdelin's eyes widened as a single bolt of lightning struck her directly in the chest where the heart resides. Immediately she fell to her knees, clutching her chest as Asuka spoke. "Apologize for what you did to Ethan and I won't put you in an even worse condition than he is."
"HUH!?" Crisdelin felt like she was being mocked with such a request. "Are you kidding me, kid!?"
"I'm not!" Asuka fired back. "Apologize, then forfeit, and I won't hurt you."
A moment passed until Crisdelin rose to her feet. "If you think—"
Asuka wasn't going to give the hound a chance to spit on her demands. Instead, in less than an instant she was before Cris with a powerful kick to her left temple, sending her flying into the ground off to the side. She immediately sat up out of adrenaline and anger alone. "You bit-"
Again, Asuka was to her side, and another electrified kick to Crisdelin's side. Though she tumbled, the captain was able to roll into recovery, bracing herself as Asuka was on the move once again. "This isn't the form she fought that Evanee woman with..but it's just as fast.." She recollected the fight in her mind. "She's still inexperienced and weak, but lightning seems to be the speed inducer while earth is strength. Her two favorites."
All Crisdelin could do was put up faulty defenses as she cycled through her options, taking punches and kicks that sent her off her feet each time. Despite it all, the council captain was able to keep her senses and thoughts through the mayhem. "She used water once…and that was defense. She doesn't like defense. That just leaves her fire and air… that's the five elements. Does she have them? Has she not mastered them? Or is she just that afraid of me, that she wants to stay faster than me?"
Asuka slid to a kneeling Crisdelin, aiming a powerful uppercut for her chin, but this time after the countless strikes she just took, Crisdelin's eyes widened in positive surprise as she realized she could see this one coming. "Hm!?" She swayed to the side, dodging the attack completely. Instead of instantly following up, she checked Asuka's demeanor, and her face said it all. The elemental mage was reaching her limits in that form. Crisdelin knew it was too good to be true for the kid, and that opening caused a smirk to appear as she gained some distance to bait Asuka in. Asuka however was clenching her jawline, angered that she both missed a decisive blow, and that her body was giving out on her. It was like her lightning was recoiling against her own body, and the longer she stayed using infinity, the worse it became.
Crisdelin laughed as Asuka charged in again, both arms crossed over her body as she halted Asuka's punch. "Weak!" She shouted, and followed with a punch of her, embedded with Crush Magic, and slammed it into the bridge of Asuka's nose. Of course it was broken, and Asuka's head snapped back from the force. And no one could see it at this moment, but she was out cold on her feet. Eyes were pure white, and Asuka was unresponsive for that passing second. Crisdelin however wasn't finished. Instead, she grabbed Asuka by the collar and pulled her forward. "Let me help you look just like how I left your boyfriend!" Cris shouted, pulling Asuka into a punch to the jawline, and again to the skull, and another, and another, and another..
"ASUKA!" Alex shouted, coupled by the rest of Black Phoenix. Leon had a tight grip on the railing, until it broke in his hand. "Hey! Make a move! Please!" Alex's plea was on deaf ears, and as Asuka "stood" there, taking a beating, Crisdelin continued laughing as she continuously struck the girl, attempting to either reshape her skull, or shatter it and her brain completely; whichever came first.
"What lesson have we learned?" Cris asked the unresponsive and bloodied Asuka Ichiro. "Your want and will aren't pathways to victory. Only the stronger wins, and I'm the stronger between the two. Goodnight, kiddo. Tell that Leon guy I would love to tangle with him sometime. Maybe a real challenge instead of some hot headed kids too big for their britches."
Crisdelin let loose of Asuka's collar, rearing back for a powerful final blow..
But just before she could swing, Asuka snapped up, grabbing the hound by her temples with both hands and sending a powerful electric shock through her entire body. She was convulsing, unable to gather herself for a few seconds as Asuka desperately tried to knock her out with this technique. But of course finally, Crisdelin grabbed Asuka by the throat with a tight grip, inhaling until her lungs filled with maximum capacity. That telltale sign caused Asuka's eyes to widen before she slammed them shut, placing a finger in both of her ears as she had no other way to defend herself for what was coming next. A almighty, glass shattering shriek escaped Crisdelin's throat. The visible sound waves nearly pushing her skin off her body as the volume of the attack shattered every piece of glass like substance around them and even fissured some of the earth in the radius as well. This time, it went on for what felt like an eternity, dying down into nothingness afterwards.
Now, there was nothing but quiet as Asuka's arms dropped from her ears, and dangled by her side. Blood slowly dripped from both ears, and Cris grinned because of it. "Her eardrums are busted. Hell, that could be a brain leak. You almost had me kid but enjoy the rest of your life as a vegetable."
As Crisdelin released Asuka's throat, she expected her to fall, but out of nowhere, Asuka strike Cris directly in the nose to stun her. "W..How!?"
"Asuka!?" Alexa questioned in shock. The elemental girl looked up, battered, bloodied, bruised, and smirking. "That's not all blood in my ears. It's mostly water.."
"Water!?" Cris questioned, but the answer came to her immediately when she flashbacked to Asuka plugging her ears with her fingers. "She flooded water into her ear drums to protect herself!? That worked!?"
Asuka clenched her fist tightly, covering it in fire, earth, water, air and finally, lightning.
"She's doing it!?" Alex was so hyped, and even Diamond looked on with a hopeful expression as Asuka mastered all of her elements — even if just in this moment, and on one arm.
"Don't get ahead of yourself!" Crisdelin shouted, but as she moved forward in an attempt to beat Asuka to the punch, lightning recoiled around her, causing momentary paralysis. That moment was all Asuka needed as she reared that fist back. "And his name…was Ethan Star! Don't ever forget it!"
She swung, slamming that Omni-elemental fist directly on top of Crisdelin and sending her into the ground. On impact with the ground, an explosive mixture of all five elements occurred. And finally, once the smoke cleared….
"Ladies and Gentlemen.." Chapati began.
"Crisdelin and Asuka are both unable to continue! That's one point for the Council, putting them at ninety eight points, and ten points for Black Phoenix, bumping them up to fifty four points!
"She did it… their captain is gone!" Alex shouted. "That's a huge blow. Don't worry, Asuka, Esme and Chiara heard you loud and clear!"
"What a fight.." Tristan Gareth, Ace of Black Phoenix finally chimed in. "She's got a ways to go, but Asuka can definitely lead her generation.. good thing she's with us."
Asuka held up a thumb, unable to move any other part of her body as the medical crew came to her aid. She smiled, and then spoke aloud. "As a Phoenix, I'll die a thousand times of it meant protecting my family. I hope you were watching…
Ethan..!"
