Lesson 2: Inner Strength
It's been a week since my match against Sakura. I've been thinking about how I attempted to use my new technique against Juri. It isn't just the fact that I was strained after the first strike. The real question is if she's been watching my secret training all this time?
"Are you finally ready to unveil that actual technique this time, Makoto?" Juri asked mockingly. She began to chuckle at the fact that Makoto was going to perform the exact same attack after its previous failure.
"Trust me it's going to actually damage you this time." Makoto retorted as Juri used a straight punch. As Makoto dodged the attack, she used a rising punch into Juri's gut. The strength of her attack made Juri's body rise 3 inches off the ground. Makoto then proceeds to strike Juri 3 more times raising her body up to 13 ft in the air. Makoto then quickly hopped into the air behind Juri and attempted to punch her in the spine.
"I see." Juri whispered as her left eye began to glow purple. She grabs Makoto's wrist and counters the attack by putting Makoto into a headlock as the fell. Makoto struggled to escape it, but Juri didn't allow her to as she laughed at her.
"I thought you were going to let me use the technique all the way." Makoto shouted angrily.
"The enemy will never just let you finish your attack. Neither will I." Juri explained. "Lesson of the day: Inner Strength. Right now, you're not strong enough to escape are you?" Makoto didn't answer as she continued to struggle. "However, what would happen if the stakes were higher? Let's say I attempted to break your neck." Juri said as she squeezed Makoto's neck harder.
At that moment, Makoto quickly escaped the Headlock, knocking Juri back. Juri smirked as she looked at Makoto. "That's correct. That's when the human body begins to unleash its full potential." However, Juri's smirk becomes a face of confusion as she spots Makoto's change. Makoto's aura becomes black and gold. Her skin becomes darker and a tattoo with the Kanji "Demon" appears on her forehead. "Makoto!" Juri shouted angrily. Makoto then returned to normal.
"I heard you Juri. So, if I were to treat myself as if I'm on the verge of death, I could unleash my full strength. Am I right?" Makoto spoke casually. Juri looked worriedly at Makoto.
"Look, don't pretend you're near death. Only use it's when necessary. We're done for the day." Juri said as she walked back into the clinic with a pitiful look on her face. Makoto was confused by Juri's sudden change of attitude. Suddenly, a Kunai appears near Makoto's foot. A small note was attached to it. She picked the kunai up and took off the note. She began to read its contents.
Meet me at your father's dojo.
"My father's dojo?" Makoto asked herself. The note was sudden and Makoto didn't know why her father's dojo was the meeting place. One thing she knew for sure was that it was from Ibuki.
As time passed, Makoto arrived on the street of her father's dojo. She looked around the entire area as she pondered on her previous fight against Akuma. This was where the battle took place. "I know what this is about now." A kunai heads towards Makoto's forehead, but she easily dodge's it. She spots Ibuki dashing in her direction. "You're not going to lecture me on how I plan my destiny." She shouted as she runs towards Ibuki.
"I can't allow you to continue this nonsense." Ibuki retorted.
Ibuki attempts to use roundhouse kick, but Makoto ducks and uses a sweep on Ibuki. Ibuki hops in the air dodging Makoto's attack and throws another Kunai in her direction. The Kunai pins Makoto's pants leg to the ground. Ibuki then returns to Makoto and uses a straight forward punch into her face causing her lip to bleed. Ibuki then uses a continuous amount of punches into Makoto body and face.
"If you can barely keep up with me, you don't need to continue this journey of yours. Do you really think you can beat Akuma like this?" Ibuki stopped punching Makoto and pulled the Kunai that pinned Makoto to the ground. She then performed a backflip kick into Makoto's chin, knocking her on her back 5 yards. "He killed his own master and mortally wounded his own brother worse than he mortally wounded you. His brother is a master fighter that even you can't stand toe-to-toe with. Don't be foolish." Ibuki shouted.
Makoto rose from the ground. She was slightly bruised and beaten after being attacked by Ibuki. She closed her eyes and began to focus her mind and ears on Ibuki. "That was the only thing I forgot about." She said.
"So, you've finally seen reason. It looks like I win this time." Ibuki spoke with relief.
"That's not what I meant, Ibuki." Makoto responded as she opened her eyes. "One thing nurse Juri taught me about was inner strength. When the human body is threaten, the heart increases the Muscle's power to extraordinary lengths. However, she forgot one other note."
"How foolish can you be?" Ibuki asked as she threw a kunai towards Makoto's hip. However, before the Kunai reaches her, Makoto vanishes out of thin air. Ibuki was surprised. "What's this?" She looked all over for Makoto and finally turned her back. She was then struck in the chin by a powerful uppercut from Makoto, causing her body to rise 3 feet.
"Adrenaline can also increase your body's strength passed its limits." She explained as the stressed her eyes on Ibuki. She then hop towards Ibuki and use a powerful clothesline punch against her. Before Ibuki's body reached the ground, Makoto used a rising kick to Ibuki's chest causing her to rise again. She kept repeating the steps over and over until finally, Ibuki's gut landed on Makoto's fist. "Secret Technique 2: Seishou no Senpuu (Adrenaline Whirlwind)!" Ibuki was struck very hard. She began to lose consciousness.
"Heh…you won again, Makoto." Ibuki dropped her head and passed out. Makoto took her body and laid it on a nearby bench.
"What can I say, I'm the best." Makoto then began to walk towards the entrance of her father's dojo. However, after a few steps, her body collapsed on her. She was still conscious, however, as the pain became overbearing. "Aaaaggghhh! What's going on?" Makoto began to slowly crawl after realizing that her use of the Seishou no Senpuu put a price on her legs. Her leg muscles were almost torn apart.
Somewhere on a nearby rooftop, Juri is looking over Makoto. "I knew she would do it. How foolish." Her hair style and attire was the exact same as her normal battle attire. She covered her left eye with her right hand. "Q, you're up. Force her into the Satsui no Hado (Surge of Murderous Intent). I'll handle it from there." Juri then moved her hand away from her eye as it glowed purple. Behind her were Sagat, Dee Jay, Dudley, and Q.
"Your obsession with this girl is mysterious. You still haven't explained thoroughly." Q commented.
"Your identity is even more mysterious. Last time I checked, you did a job for Bison once when I was still a child." Juri retorted. Q had no response to that, so he decided to hop off the building and landed near Makoto. The ground underneath him crumbled and causes a slight shockwave.
"Both Dee Jay and I worked for Bison long ago as well. Does that mean Dudley is the only one you actually trust?" Sagat asked Juri. Juri looked at Sagat coldly.
"I did you a favor that I didn't even give to Makoto. Don't push me, Sagat." Juri said.
"Of course she only trusts Dudley. Haven't you notice that he's the only 'Good Guy' of the group?" Dee Jay explained. "Plus, he's the only one who actually knows why we're after Makoto." Dudley didn't respond to Dee Jay.
"Actually, everyone knows except you and Q." Sagat said mockingly.
"W-Wait! You mean you know too? Why am I in the dark?" Dee Jay asked in a pitiful voice.
"We can't have anyone spilling our secrets when they become a poor loser." Dudley explained as he broke his silence. Both Juri and Sagat laughed half-heartedly at Dudley's response as Dee Jay prepared to attack him.
"Not right now Dee Jay, maybe some other time." Juri said as she returned her focus towards Q and Makoto. Dee Jay crossed his arms as the all redirected their focus on the secret agent.
Back at Makoto's position, Makoto looks up to Q as he stands before her. He raises his fist in the air as he prepares to strike her. The Kanji "Demon" began to form on her head as she watched his fist head towards her. However, a mysterious fighter intervened and grabbed the front of Q's hand. It was a shirtless Asian man who bore black warm-up pants. Far off, Juri was slightly anger by his presence.
"Hold it! Who the heck is this?!" she asked in shock.
"Ah, I remember that guy. He's an actor, but he has some serious fighting prowess." Sagat explained thoroughly. "His name is…er, something Long. I forgot what it was."
Long had focus his eyes towards Q and Makoto was amazed by his power.
End of Chapter 2
(Upcoming-Lesson 3: Attitude)