"You sure you wanna do this?" A voice asked, reverberating a bit off the locker room's walls.
Sakura didn't answer immediately. Her focus was on the glove she was strapping on. Her eyes traced over the bright red leather covering, taking in the feeling of the new glove as she slid it over her hand. As she sat on the bench, she bounced her legs under her, keeping her heels off the ground as she did.
"I mean, we all used to be pretty cool with each other," the voice continued.
"Ibuki's right," a third person said. Sakura recognized this voice in the back of her mind as Akira Kazama, who'd arrived with Sakura due to being her ride to the dojo the three young women were in, "I don't know how you two let things get this far."
"I know how," Sakura said as she pulled on her other glove. She stood up, starting a stretching routine with her arms, "It's because she doesn't know how to shut her stupid mouth."
Akira shook her head at Sakura's words. "I really don't think that's the problem here, Sakura."
"For real," the ninja said, "This whole thing is really stupid. We shouldn't even be here to begin with."
"Calm down," Sakura said, stretching down to touch her toes, "we've got her dad's permission."
"That's not what I mean! I mean, we should all be hanging out and watching a movie! Eating dinner somewhere! Something not as stupid as this!"
"You just about ready, sis?"
Yuri rolled her eyes as she wrapped her brown belt around her waist.
"You asked me that ten seconds ago, Ryo."
This time, the older Sakazaki sibling reacted, sighing heavily enough that Yuri could hear him from outside the locker room she was using. In this instance, she was glad that this was happening at a time when the dojo was closed. She could barely stand to look at her former friend. There was no way in hell she was going to change into her gi in the same room as her.
"You told me you'd be ready ten seconds ago."
"Ryo, calm down," Yuri said, a bit of irritation in her voice, "You're not even the one fighting tonight. What're you so mad about?"
The elder Sakazaki sibling looked out to the main dojo floor, where he could see a red light slowly flashing on the far wall. He frowned at it, shifting his weight around a bit.
"Stupid cameras…"
"Oh, get over it!" Yuri practically shouted, clearly tired of her brother's attitude, "They're not even a big deal! They're on sticky pads! They'll come down easy enough!"
"I know, but I'm still worried about them leaving a mess."
"It'll be fine!"
Ryo smirked. "Why're you worried about that? Shouldn't you be thinking about what you're about to get into? Why you're here?"
Yuri sighed, feeling herself relax as she did. Her mind flashed back to several weeks ago, where this whole thing had started…
"Yeah right!"
Sakura called out as she flew through the air. She spun in the air, throwing a leg out as she did. Her foot slammed violently into the side of her attacker's face, drawing a quick shout of pain as it did. She landed, quickly transitioning into a leaping uppercut into his chin to send him flying back.
"No, seriously!" Yuri responded, dropping her head down to duck under another man's punch. She quickly grabbed him by the shirt, pulling him in close. With a smile on her face, and the feeling of Ki building up in her arm, she brought her open hand up to deliver a series of slaps and backhands faster than the human eye could see. She reared back, balling her hand into a fist and driving it into his chin. "At least I learned my stuff the right way!"
Sakura frowned as she threw another man over her shoulder in a hip toss. She followed the throw with a quick kick to his face, snapping his head back and knocking him out. "Hey, I'm trying, okay? At least I'm trying to learn my actual style, instead of taking my dad's version of Karate and making it look stupid!"
Yuri rolled along the ground, her foot buried in a fourth assailant's gut and tossing him over her. As he landed heavily on her back, she rolled through, springing herself into the air and landing on his midsection again, effectively putting him out of the fight. "Shut up! I just put my own little spin on it. It's still the same Kyokugen, but it works for me!"
"Whatever. It looks stupid, and so do you."
Yuri stormed up to Sakura, stomping over the guy the younger woman had chucked down as she did.
"Shut up! At least I'm a real martial artist, not some kid who thinks copying people she saw on TV is cool!"
"'Real martial artist'? Seriously? Just look at you! I may not like wearing gis, but at least I know how to wear one right! Purple tights? Belt knot on your hip? Hell, you're studying Karate, but you look like you're a fashion school reject!"
Yuri felt a wave of anger wash over her as the words left Sakura's mouth.
"Excuse me?! At least I'm wearing something that doesn't embarrass everyone around me! Didn't you graduate two years ago? Why are you still wearing that uniform? How about dressing like an adult for once?"
Sakura rolled her eyes. "You don't get to tell me to dress like an adult when you look like some five year old's Karate hero that doesn't know what a good outfit looks like."
"At least I'm trying to pull mine in to slee-"
A fist cracked Yuri in the jaw, sending her stumbling. She kept on her feet, though, and brought a hand up. She flexed her jaw a few times, tasting a bit of blood as she did, although she didn't feel as though anything was seriously injured. Yuri took a moment to process what had happened. When she did, she felt a wave of rage wash over her. She met her fellow fighter's gaze with her own, seeing that she shared an equally enraged state.
The two walked up to each other, a small trail of blood running from the corner of Yuri's lips. The two met one another up close, each glaring at the other. Neither woman spoke, instead each of them trying to bore a hole into the other's head. Moments passed in relative silence. Less than a minute before the staredown began, a loud impact could be heard in the area. Sakura was the one sent reeling this time, a vicious slap colliding with her cheek. The slap didn't have the same force behind it, but it did enough to cut Sakura in the same way Yuri had been.
Sakura took a step back as she wiped the blood away. She shot another harsh glare at Yuri.
"Tell you what," Sakura said after a few moments, relaxing the stiff posture she'd taken after the slap, "let's settle this the right way. We're both a little worn out from taking care of these idiots. How 'bout we pick another day, and we go at it then?"
Yuri's eyes softened ever-so-slightly, darting back and forth in thought. Eventually, she met Sakura's gaze again.
"Okay then, we'll do that. I can wait a little bit before kicking your ass. If we're gonna do this, though, then we're gonna do it right. We meet at my dad's dojo when we're ready for it."
"Alright. I'll let you know when I'm ready to whip your ass."
With that, the two women each spun on their heels, walking away from the scene with a sense of anticipation building between them.
It hadn't been long before word got out. Sakura needed someone to vent to about the situation, and it so happened that the first person who came to mind was Ibuki, a friend she'd made recently. Sakura had spent the better part of the next afternoon relaying the story to her, including the intention to settle their dispute one-on-one. Ibuki, after listening to Sakura for a while, tried her best to talk her down. She tried to tell Sakura that the whole thing was a bad idea, and that it wasn't worth potentially ruining a friendship over something as stupid as who could throw a punch better. Sakura wasn't having it, though, and not even an "intervention" of sorts could help. Ibuki had gotten two other people on the phone call to try and back her up. Akira was completely behind Ibuki.
Karin, on the other hand…
"No," Sakura said, giving the Kanzuki heiress a flat look. The restaurant, normally bustling, was quiet around them. Karin had seen to it that the two of them had the restaurant to themselves for the time being. A generous donation to the business owner helped convince them to let them have it.
"But think of the spectacle!" Karin said, throwing her arms into the air in a grandiose manner, "Imagine, two of the world's youngest up-and-coming martial artists, settling a grudge built between the two in front of an audience in the thousands! Spectators so engrossed in what they're witnessing that your names are chanted from beginning to end! Imagine the eruption of elation when the match ends, and one of you stands victorious over the other!"
"No," Sakura said, having finished taking a sip of the milkshake she'd ordered while Karin spoke, "We're not doing that."
"But why not?" Karin asked, bringing her arms back down, "I assume you two would like some evidence of how your clash concludes."
"Yeah, but we're not making a huge deal about this. I don't mind if you girls were there to watch, but we're not gonna treat this like a World Warrior match. We don't need a huge show for one fight."
"But don't you see?" Karin said, her voice now at a more normal speaking tone, "This is much bigger than you realize. You said it yourself; this match is the result of you and Ms. Sakazaki arguing about whose style is better. You two set the stage for this: an epic clash between Ansatsuken's Blossom and the Queen of Kyokugen!"
Sakura raised an eyebrow at that. "Where the heck did you get those titles from?"
Karin shrugged. "I commissioned a writer to develop them. I think they work nicely."
Sakura shook her head, sighing as she did. "Anyway, we're not doing a whole thing for this, alright?"
Karin sighed in response. "Have you no foresight, Ms. Kasugano? Do you not realize what a fight such as this can mean for the world of martial arts? The two of you coming to blows can shape the landscape of competitive combat!"
Sakura sat in silence for a few moments, trying to process everything her long-time rival said. It was technically true. Between Yuri and herself, the two of them had made a name for themselves in their respective tournaments. Sakura usually had a pretty good showing, her last three tournaments ending with her finishing in the top five. Yuri, despite the King of Fighters tournaments being a team format, also fared well. Most of the teams she was on also finished near the top, with Yuri herself scoring more knockouts than the other members.
Sakura took another sip of her shake, still mulling things over. It wasn't too much longer before she had a response.
"Fine. But it's not going to be a huge thing. No big crowd, no big stage. We're doing this at the Kyokugenryu Dojo, so there's not going to be a whole lot of room anyway."
"Very well," Karin said, smiling, "We'll keep it to a simple livestream. That way, there can be a proper record of what happened."
Sakura sighed again, unsure if she was going to regret her decision or not. She'd have to tell Yuri about it later. She might've been angry with her, but Sakura couldn't bring herself to slam the Sakazaki heiress with that kind of surprise.
Yeah, sure. Fine. I've kicked tons of butt on camera. I can add yours to the list.
Yeah, sure. Whatever.
Yuri scoffed, setting her phone down on the table she sat at. She nudged it away slightly.
'This isn't gonna ruin my meal.'
"Everything okay, sis?"
Yuri looked to the other side of the table, where her brother sat. Ryo had invited her out to lunch that same day, noting that she'd been particularly rough on the heavy bags in their family's dojo. They sat in a local restaurant that Yuri particularly enjoyed, the choice in location not lost on her. She took a second to look Ryo over, impressed at how well he could dress when he wasn't in his gi.
'Maybe he can get a girlfriend one day.'
Yuri shook her head a bit. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just got a text from the pain."
"What'd she say?"
"Kanzuki-chan's gonna be streaming the fight."
Ryo's eyes bugged at that. "Wait, really?"
Yuri nodded. "Yeah. And we know what that family's like."
Ryo shook his head. "Yeah, they're all nuts. So, you're gonna be on the internet for this?"
Yuri nodded. "Yeah. Not sure why, but this is gonna be a big thing for us."
"Yeah, sounds like a good chance to show people what Kyokugenryu's all about."
"That, and I get a chance to show that stupid wanna-be karate girl what fighting's really like."
"Uh, sis?" Ryo said, "You do remember that she's got just as much tourney success as you do, right? And that she does all of it on her own? I think she knows what fighting's like."
"Yeah, but I mean what real karate's like. All she knows is what she's seen on TV, and she's been really lucky to get as far as she has. I, on the other hand, helped with every team I've been on in KoF, and you know it."
"Yeah," Ryo said, smiling, "I've seen it. You've gotten a lot stronger since Dad started training you. Bet you would've kicked ass way back when."
"Heh, yeah. Probably. I know I'm gonna kick Kasugano's in a couple of days."
Ryo sighed. "Look, Yuri, I don't have a problem with this. Anything to help boost Kyokugenryu in the public eye is good for me. Dad and I have been looking for ways to help bring in new students, and this would really help."
There was a few seconds of silence between the two siblings. Yuri took a bite of the sandwich she'd ordered.
"But…?" she asked after finishing her bite.
"But, the streaming thing is bothering me."
Yuri gave Ryo a look of confusion. "Why? You just said you were okay with it."
"Because, I'm not a fan of having cameras in the dojo. Considering how big of a deal the Kanzuki family likes to make everything, she's probably gonna want to make sure people don't miss any of the action. Which means she's gonna put cameras around everywhere, which means a ton of holes in the walls. Everywhere. That's gonna be a pain in the ass to fix afterward. Gonna be even worse if you lose."
Yuri raised an eyebrow to that. "Really. Ryo? 'If I lose'? I thought you were confident in me."
Ryo held his hands up defensively. "Easy, sis! I do. You're a talented fighter, even with your own moves added in. You know as well as I do, though, that talking about fights doesn't resolve them. Fists do. We can talk all we want about how well you'd do in the fight, but they can talk like that, too. It's not settled until it's settled."
Yuri sighed, taking in her brother's words. He was right. Talk was one thing. Actually fighting was another. She took another bite, mulling what he said over. When she she finished, she shot Ryo a smile.
"Alright then. We've got some time. You and me, Ryo. We're gonna get some hard training in. I wanna make sure I'm the best I can be when I take her down."
"Yeah!" Ryo said, pumping his fist, "Maybe dad can work with you, too."
Yuri nodded, smiling, She felt her confidence building as she ate. She had an advantage that Sakura didn't: a family that'd help her with her training. She knew the young Kasugano had friends that could possibly help her, but their fighting styles were way too different to be too useful.
'Yeah, I got this.'
A week passed, allowing the women time to prepare themselves. Training was a huge aspect of their weeks. Each girl had their friends or family members help to sharpen their skills. Despite how little each thought of the other after their last run-in, they still held a level of respect for one another's skills.
That respect, however, didn't do much to curtail their feelings for one another. It certainly didn't help that the promotional team Karin had hired to help push the match created a buzz online for the fight. One of her crew members managed to track down some security camera footage of their last meeting from a nearby business and used that to help promote the match. Online spectators that watched the footage found whatever reasons they could find to back one fighter over the other. Some thought that Sakura had overreacted, while others speculated that Yuri had said something to push Sakura into her reaction.
But, as the women each changed into a plain black sports bra and trunks, all that mattered to them was what was set to happen in two days.
Karin grinned as she sat behind a table in the Kyokugenryu dojo, one of the members of her production crew by her side. The man watched the livestream that had been set up for this event, monitoring the views and comments coming in as thousands of people buzzed in excitement. She looked out at the main dojo floor, watching as two other crew members finished setting up the scale and backdrop for the short event.
Karin, seeing the potential of the mini-event, had managed, with some effort, to convince the two martial artists to take part in a weigh-in.
Are you serious, Karin?
Indeed I am, Sakura-chan. An event such as this needs
to be held as fairly as possible.
Okay, but why do we have to do this?
To build excitement, of course!
…you're having way too much fun with this, Kanzuki-san.
Perhaps, Sakazaki-san, but at the same time,
we are building interest in a one-time only event.
Fine, but she'd better not try anything.
I would not worry about that. There will be
security to ensure that everything goes without
a hitch.
Karin's grin grew slightly more sinister than before.
'With any luck, there will be a hitch.'
Before long, a man in a tuxedo stepped into camera view, standing in front of the camera.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he started, reading from a card he held, "On behalf of the Kanzuki Zaibatsu, we would like to thank you for joining us. Tonight, we will be solidifying our main event bout taking place in three days. Two of the martial arts world's top up-and-coming fighters will clash, as Kasugano Sakura takes on Sakazaki Yuri in a one-on-one grudge match. This weigh-in is to confirm that the two fighters will be competing in a fair match with no undue advantages. Without any further ado, we'll begin the weigh-ins."
The announcer stepped out of the way, standing to the side of the scale.
"We'll begin with our first competitor."
Karin tried not to put her face in her hand at that line.
"First off, she is a three-time Top 4 finisher in the World Warrior tournament. She specializes in a self-developed style of karate, and has taken the competitive world by storm. Ladies and gentlemen, Kasugano Sakura!"
A small wave of applause filled the dojo as Sakura entered the main dojo floor. Sakura took a deep breath, doing the best she could to ignore all of the video equipment in the room. The announcer made a motion with his hand, inviting her to step onto the scale. One more deep breath, and Sakura padded her way onto the scale. Flashes of light from photographers hidden behind the production setup filled Sakura's vision as she stepped up. The man who would serve as the referee for the fight walked up, taking a look at the scale's readout. He then went over to the announcer, relaying the measurement to him. Sakura's eyes danced around the room, not sure what to focus on. Her eyes settled on Karin behind her table, who was doing something she'd never expect from the heiress.
Karin was playfully flexing her arm, grinning at Sakura as she did. It took the brunette a moment to figure out what Karin was doing, but as soon as she did, she couldn't help but feel herself smile.
Sakura brought her arms up, flexing her biceps as she did. More flashes went off as the photographers jumped on the photo op. In her sports bra and trunks, Sakura was able to show off her toned body. While she'd never really dedicated time to pure strength training, Sakura's time spent teaching herself martial arts certainly gave her some definition she wouldn't have had otherwise. Her biceps were bigger than one might expect from someone her size, and her abdomen, while not quite sporting a six-pack, was certainly toned. Karin grinned as she saw the advertising in her head.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," the announcer said, "Kasugano-san weighs in tonight at an even fifty-three kilograms."
Sakura smiled at that announcement. At the announcer's direction, Sakura stepped off the scale and out of camera view. The announcer motioned for her to stand in a certain spot, not too far away from the scale. She could see that the promotional backing that hid the unused part of the dojo for this event extended to where she currently stood. Whether or not she could be seen over there, though, was a mystery to her.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce our second competitor. She's made a name for herself in the King of Fighters team tournaments, and gave an incredible showing in the King of Fighters: Heroines event. Ladies and gentlemen, Sakazaku Yuri!"
The Sakazaki Heiress walked into the dojo, a smile on her face. Despite the minimal amount of people in the room, she still felt an energy in the air. Again, the announcer motioned for Yuri to step onto the scale. As she did, she began to flex her arms, creating another wave of camera flashes. Karin's grin grew at the sight of Yuri showing off. Sakura had never really focused on strength in her training, more worried about getting moves right. Yuri, on the other hand, had a core with a six-pack more defined than words in a dictionary. While Sakura had started her martial arts journey as a self-taught warrior, it was clear that Yuri's training was much more focused. Yuri began training as a way to prevent being kidnapped ever again, but she'd soon found a passion for it, and put her all into her training. The result of that was the far more toned, muscular woman posing for the cameras than Sakura.
"Sakazaki-san weighs in tonight at an even fifty-three kilograms. Despite the height differences, this match will be contested on as-even a playing field as we can create. This contest will be set as a pure martial arts match. Neither competitor will be allowed to use any sort of special abilities. Only moves that rely on making physical contact with their opponent.
"It will also be contested under Last Fighter Standing rules. The match will continue until one competitor is ruled unable to continue, be it by knockout or injury. This match will take place in three days, and we hope that you will join us for this event."
With that, Karin gave the announcer a nod. Returning one of his own, he proceeded to direct the fighters around a bit, having them move around until they stood in a particular spot. He then had them take on poses that, for Sakura at least, made her feel like she was in a fighting game. The two women, as they posed for another wave of flashing cameras, stared harshly into one another's eyes. They could each feel a wave of anger building within them, memories of days previous coming back in a hurry. They inched closer together as the seconds passed. The photographers immediately took notice, and the cameras took pictures faster than before.
At one point, Yuri broke eye contact. She very briefly looked Sakura over, though her eyes lingered at Kasugano's midsection. Yuri noticed the difference between Sakura's abdomen and hers, and couldn't help but let out a bit of a giggle. Sakura's eyebrow shot up at the laugh.
"Something funny?"
Yuri grinned. "Just you thinking you can beat me. Can you even hit hard, what with you not having any muscles to put power into your moves?"
"Oh, I can hit pretty hard," Sakura growled, "If you want, I can show you right now."
"Do it! I'm pretty sure you couldn't knock out a fly! Those guys from the other day were just faking it!"
"Kinda like how you fake being a fighter? I get where I do on my own! I don't need other people to carry me!"
Yuri's anger flared that. "No, but you wish you could! You wish you could have that karate guy carry you all the way to–"
Yuri never got the chance to finish her taunt. Faster than anyone had anticipated, Sakura lunged at her, one hand grabbing at Yuri's throat while the other was pulled back, primed to be released as a punch. Yuri backed up, swiping Sakura's forward arm away and firing a punch of her own. Sakura just barely had enough time to duck under the strike, allowing her to continue her charge. It was then that the rest of the crew could act, with any free members rushing in to try and separate the two warriors. Voices quickly filled the air, with people shouting at one another, all trying to direct each other to pull the two women apart. Camera and light stands were knocked over in the fracas, and flashes from others captured as much of the melee as they could.
As she watched the event devolve into a brawl before her, Karin could do nothing but smile.
"Perfect."
Those last few days could not pass quickly enough for either woman. Both felt the pressure of the event looming over them, and they relished in it. The situation was nothing new, though Yuri had to admit there was a bit of an extra edge to it for her. Even in the Heroines tournament, she knew she had one or two other people behind her, ready to pick up where she left off if she couldn't go all the way.
This time, she was all on her own. If she couldn't finish the job, then it wasn't getting done at all.
Meanwhile, in the other locker room, Ibuki took a look at her phone. "Ready? It's almost time. Got, like, two minutes."
Sakura nodded, standing up and taking a second to tighten the black belt around her waist. She opted to wear the gi she'd bought some time ago, thinking it most appropriate for the situation. She took one more breath, settling the nerves that were building up inside her.
"It's weird," she said, drawing the other teens' attention, "you'd think I wouldn't be so nervous since I've been in, like, three World Warrior tournaments."
"Fighting is always something to be nervous about," Akira said, nodding, "Or, for me it is, at least."
Ibuki sighed. "Still not a fan of this. I feel like you guys are letting some stupid comments ruin a friendship."
Sakura started working through a series of stretches. "It wasn't just a comment, Ibuki. She trashed all the hard work I've put in over the last few years. She basically told me I've been wasting my time and I need to give up. And she called me a slut. At the very least, I owe her an ass-kicking for that."
Neither girl could really argue with that.
Two different aides working on the event appeared at each locker room at about the same time, though neither went in out of respect for the fighters. Each of them delivered a similar message to the two women:
"It's almost time. Get ready to go."
Both women, feeling sufficiently prepared for the upcoming match, made their way to the entrance of their locker room. There, the aides instructed them to wait until the show was properly under way.
In the main dojo, the same announcer that led the weigh-ins introduced the contest at hand. He worked through a prepared speech, reading over his cards as he sold the implications of the match.
"This match is more than just simply one on one. The mark this contest will leave on the fighters' legacies will last far longer than this one night. This contest will show the world just how far two young athletes, not yet in the primes of their careers, have come in their own respective manners of training. One comes from a legacy of martial artists. Fighters that have made their mark in the world, and stands as an institution of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. Today, the legacy continues with its two newest heirs, one of which adds a new chapter to that story as the first heiress of her line. She stands tonight at one hundred and sixty-seven centimeters, and weighed in at fifty-three kilograms! Fighting out of the red corner tonight, Sakazaki Yuri!"
Yuri walked into the dojo as her name was called. Normally, she'd have to fight to keep the cheers of a massive crowd out of her mind. Tonight, though, in the small dojo with only the production crew streaming the fight as in-person spectators, she felt more nervous than ever. She felt as if it was easier to focus when there was a bunch of noise to clear out. Now, though? Her mind was in a million places at once. About the only thing she felt even remotely comforting was the familiar feeling of the polished wood floor under her bare feet.
"Her opponent tonight has made a career out of sheer dedication. With no formal training of her own, she has proven time and again that hard work is just as much a factor in the world of martial arts as skill and talent. She's taught herself everything she knows, and has used what she's learned to propel herself to the top of the World Warrior tournaments, finishing in the Top Ten in her last three appearances. She stands tonight at one hundred and fifty-seven centimeters, and weighed in at fifty-three kilograms! Fighting out of the blue corner, tonight, Kasugano Sakura!"
Every feeling that Yuri had on her walkout, Sakura felt as well. As she stepped out into the dojo floor, she shook her fists as her side, both as a way to keep herself loose as well as an attempt to shake out some nerves. The smaller fighter also took deep breaths with each step.
From there, neither woman paid much attention to what was happening around them. Each simply glared at the other as the rest of the pre-match ceremony went on. Sakura flexed her fingers over and over, while Yuri curled her toes against the wood floor.
At last, the referee assigned to the match asked the fateful question:
"Are you ready?"
Each fighter was asked that question, neither one offering more than a quick nod.
"Alright then," the referee said, "fight on!"
The sound of a bell ringing filled the air, cueing the women to take their signature fighting stances. The two circled around one another for a few seconds, waiting to see if either could find an opening of some kind on the other. Eyes danced back and forth, up and down, looking for anything they could use.
Sakura started first, pushing herself forward and firing a quick jab to Yuri's jaw. The older woman parried the blow easily, pushing the incoming fist away. She responded with a knee strike aimed at Sakura's midsection. The self-taught fighter blocked the attack with her free hand, and the two fighters backed away in an instant.
Seconds passed again as Yuri and Sakura watched each other. Before long, Yuri initiated the action, moving in with a hard punch to her opponent's head. Sakura ducked down below the blow, sliding forward a bit to throw a hard straight punch to Yuri's midsection. The formally-trained karateka let out a small groan of pain as the fist slammed into her belly, though she managed to retaliate by driving the elbow of her punching arm down into Sakura's shoulder. She then tried to wrap her arm around Sakura's head, trying to lock her into place, though the younger fighter shoved her back.
Before her opponent had a chance to try and recover, Sakura brought her leg around in a vicious round kick to Yuri's side. Yuri just barely hopped over the incoming leg, rushing in as soon as her feet touched the ground to throw a knee into Sakura's back. The World Warrior cried out in pain, stumbling forward from the attack. Yuri then chased her down, trying to hook her foot around Sakura's ankle for a quick sweep. Sakura felt the foot wrap around her ankle, and soon found herself completely losing balance. She hit the ground, just managing to roll onto her back before Yuri moved in. She threw a leg up, catching the more experienced fighter in the gut and forcing her back.
Yuri let out a hard cough at the kick, staggering backwards for a couple of steps as she doubled over in pain. The grounded attack bought Sakura enough time to allow her to flip herself back to her feet. She pursued her opponent as quickly as she could, bringing a fist around in a vicious hook to the cheek. The fist slammed into Yuri, causing a small amount of spittle to go flying upon impact. Sakura kept her offensive string going, following up with another pair of punches before grabbing the Sakazaki heiress by the back of her head and driving her knee into Yuri's face. She then spun on the ball of one foot, swinging the other leg around in a wide arc and slamming iher foot down on Yuri's neck, nailing her signature Flower Kick.
The kick sent Yuri down to the ground in a heap, though instinct allowed her to keep her head from bouncing off the ground as she came down. The referee for the fight moved in, pushing Sakura back as he did.
"Sakazaki-san!" he said, crouching down to examine her as best he could, "are you okay? Do you want to keep going?"
Yuri didn't answer, instead raising her head and giving the referee a sharp glare. She pushed herself to her feet quickly, directing her glare at her now smirking opponent.
"That was easy," Sakura said, drawing a growl from Yuri.
"That was lucky," she answered back. Both women fell into their stances again, ready to start again. Yuri blinked a couple of times, as her vision began to swim a bit from the blows to the head from Sakura's combo. Sakura darted forward, hoping to take advantage of Yuri's distracted state to start another round of offense. She didn't expect, however, Yuri to drop down to the ground and swing a leg out. The sweep caught both of Sakura's ankles, forcing the self-taught fighter to lose her balance in a near instant. Yuri then launched herself into the air, fist extended in a move that would look familiar to anyone who'd watched the King of Fighters tournaments.
"Yuri Chou Upper!"
The fist landed squarely on Sakura's chin, launching her up and back into the air. Sakura dropped heavily onto the ground with a loud thud. Yuri landed lightly on her feet, watching to see if Sakura would get up after that. Less than three seconds passed before Yuri got her answer, as Sakura tucked her legs up to her chest, then threw them forward, springing herself to her feet in a smooth kip-up.
Yuri, wanting to give her opponent no chance to recover, moved in, launching a quick straight punch toward Sakura's head. Sakura blocked the strike, pushing away with her defending arm while her free fist snapped out in a quick hook to Yuri's jaw. The counter strike landed flush, dizzying the slightly older fighter for a brief moment. It was just long enough for Sakura to lash out with a knee to Yuri's midsection, causing her to stumble back for a step. The self-taught fighter, seeing her chance, delivered a vicious left hook to Yuri's cheek. She then turned with her punch, launching herself into the air and throwing her leg out. She rose in the air, and her foot slammed into Yuri's head multiple times.
"SHUNPYUKYAKU!"
The third, and last, kick sent Yuri into a spiral, giving her no chance to try and brace herself against hitting the ground. She landed in a heap on the ground, though she was able to get up to all fours in a fairly quick manner. She took a moment to shake her head out, trying to stop the room from tilting back and forth a little. The referee came in again to check on her, though she held a hand out to stop him.
Sakura, for her part, lost any and all mirth she had before, opting to not relax her stance as she watched her opponent rise to her feet. The referee held a hand out in front of Sakura, keeping her back while Yuri reset herself. Yuri, for her part, took a second to catch her breath before taking her stance again. Neither woman took real notice of the thin line of blood trickling down the Sakurazaki heiress' chin.
The instant the referee withdrew his hand, they clashed again. Yuri darted in quickly, and the two began to trade a fast and furious offense. Fists flew as both fighters fired hard punches to one another, with only a handful of the blows being defended against. Sakura managed to weave her head back away from a particularly vicious hook, though Yuri's elbow ended up striking Sakura's head as part of the punch's follow-through. Though, to an onlooker, the blow appeared to be glancing, the elbow opened up a cut just above Sakura's eye. The injury did nothing to slow her down, however, as she kept up with Yuri's furious pace.
Yuri, for her part, kept the pressure going as much as she could. Despite Sakura's ability to get in some blows of her own, she felt as though she had a speed advantage, getting more jabs and straights off than the less experienced fighter. This let her pepper Sakura with more strikes in the same amount of time, which softened the self-taught fighter's defenses more. Leather popped multiple times as her fists struck the younger teen, causing Yuri to drive through the pain of receiving a few hits of her own.
The breakneck pace proved to be too much for the two women, however, and their attacks began to slow down. Sakura noticed that both fighters were aiming for the head, so she'd decided to take a different direction. She shot a knee up quickly, slamming it hard into Yuri's abdomen. The quick attack caught Yuri off guard, forcing a harsh wheeze out of her and to stumble backwards.
Sakura, seeing Yuri reeling, stepped forward to try and keep her offense going. She brought her kicking leg down in pursuit, inadvertently stomping down on the Sakazaki's foot as she did. The stomp kept the older fighter from going back too far, allowing the Kasugano daughter to close the gap. Sakura leaned down, tensing her legs for her next attack. She threw her body forward, allowing her to slam her shoulder into Yuri's chest and create a bit of distance between their bodies. She then released the tension in her legs, pushing off of the ground and extending a fist upwards. The fist caught Yuri in the jaw, causing her teeth to click violently and rattle her skull as her body began to fly through the air. Sakura herself also sprang into the air, her fist acting as a guide to keep pushing Yuri up until the moment her strike pushed past the brown-belt's chin.
"SHOUOKEN!"
The cry filled the air, reverberating off the wooden dojo walls. A moment of silence passed before the sound of Sakura landing on the balls of her feet was drowned out by the heavy thud of fifty-three kilograms worth of martial artist dropping unceremoniously to the ground in a heap. The referee watched the whole sequence in amazement, standing still in shock for a moment before leaping into action.
Sakura, for her part, stared down at the fallen fighter, gasping for breath. Her mind, now that it was no longer focused on the fight, let her body finally speak for itself.
And it was hurting.
Pain covered every inch of her body, and she found herself having to wipe the small stream of blood that tried to flow into her eye. She was thankful that she had her sparring gloves on, at the very least, or else her hands would probably have been in much more agony than they were. She watched as the referee checked on her opponent, who had yet to budge since the Shouoken landed. Just as she sighed and began to relax her stance, though, her eyes sharpened and she locked herself in place.
Yuri, to the shock of both Sakura and the referee, began to push herself up from the ground. Slowly, and clearly in pain, but she was fighting to get to her feet.
Her body put up a tough fight, though. Just like Sakura, every inch of her was in agony. Her head swam as she tried to regain her balance, stumbling for a couple of steps after she had gotten up. She shook her head, trying to get the dizziness to pass, and her jaw was killing her. It wouldn't surprise her if it was cracked, or even broken after Sakura's assault.
"Sakazaki-san," the referee said, carefully putting a hand on her as he spoke, "we can stop the match now."
"No."
"Are you sure? You're pretty hurt. Let me call it here and we'll get you checked out."
"I said no," Yuri growled. She blinked hard, finally getting the room to stop spinning while the pain in her jaw flared up as she spoke, "I'm fine."
The referee took a breath, ready to argue, though he stopped himself as he watched Yuri silently take her stance once again. He sighed, stepping to his position between the two warriors as Sakura readied herself as well.
"Fight!"
Sakura darted forward at the referee's call, leveling an intense glare at Yuri as she launched a punch at Yuri's head. Despite the pain she was in, Yuri reacted as quickly as she could, dropping into a low crouch. She then threw a hard uppercut, catching Sakura in the chin as the younger fighter's attack missed. With a cry of focus, Yuri then drove her other fist into Sakura's abdomen, causing the short-haired brunette to take a step back, her breath catching in her throat as she felt the air rushing out of her lungs.
Seeing her chance, she took a quick step forward. She then leaped into the air, throwing herself at Sakura.
"Hien…"
She swung her legs forward, shouting as she threw a series of kicks at Sakura. The speed of the kicks was nearly imperceptible, her legs becoming blurs in the air as her feet slammed into Sakura's body over and over again. Her assault allowed her to climb Sakura's body with each impact, floating higher and higher and striking along the younger martial artist's body as she did.
"Houou…"
One last kick saw Yuri push off of Sakura's chest before she pulled her leg back, coiling it with as much power as she could before firing one final, vicious kick to the Kasugano teen's head.
"KYAKU!"
The kick combo peppered Sakura with harsh strikes, and the last kick to the head sent the self-taught fighter flying back, Yuri landing gracefully on her feet as she did. Sakura landed harshly on the ground several feet away from where she started, with her head slamming hard into the ground. Sakura's world went completely white as she hit the ground, and the rest of her body landed in a heap.
The referee wasted no time, running in to check on the younger fighter's condition. It only took a moment for him to confirm that she had lost consciousness, with the only movement coming from her being the steady rise and fall of her chest with each breath. The referee then waved his arms, calling off the fight and signaling for the waiting medical team to rush in and check on her.
Yuri relaxed herself as the call was made, though the last rush of adrenaline she'd felt from her final assault suppressed some of the pain that she'd felt before. A couple of the medics splintered off from the rest of the team to check on her. As they ran through several checks, Yuri looked over at Sakura as she was eased onto a portable stretcher.
"Come at me again when you learn to fight for real."
In the corner of the dojo where the streaming station was set up, Karin pursed her lips. A part of her was disappointed in seeing her friend lose the match. She felt excitement build up in her, however, as she watched, Yuri glaring at her fallen foe. Her lips stretched into a wicked grin as a thought came to her.
"This will not be the end of it. Perhaps next time, they should be allowed to use all of their talents."
