Before I go any further, I'd like to thank all my loyal readers/reviewers/followers. You guys brighten my world with your endless support. I'm grateful to each one of you. Enjoy this pulse-pounding conclusion!
Something about this day felt very off from the rest. It was probably just the gripping nerves and anxiety of knowing that Asuka Kazama's final moments could be coming up, right here on this chilly mountaintop. There was a certain complacency, a certain... comfort... that Asuka had developed from her time here; NOT because she was enjoying it, but because she knew what to expect with each new day. She would wake up, train, cook, train more, then do whatever would please Feng, and go to bed. There was no variables, aside from her usual ambitions of defeating Feng and escaping. There was nothing to look forward to... and no unknown outcome to fear.
But today, she could no longer revel in the comfort of monotony; today, for the first time in a while, actual stakes were on the line. It seemed Feng was finally tired of playing around. It was strange, yet somewhat predictable; all this time, he was only interested in facing Asuka again. Everything they had been through together... it meant nothing. It was all a setup: a precursor to this final encounter.
When she put it together, it started to make sense: belittling her, demeaning her, humiliating her... even training her... it was all to prepare for this moment. Feng relished in a fight to the death; to taste that thrill, he would go so far as to help ready the girl who swore revenge on him. What an odd duck he is... of course, now wasn't the time for such petty thoughts. Feng had already locked Lili and Asuka out of his room this morning without warning, leading the two girls to believe he was doing some serious meditating.
Currently, they were in the kitchen preparing a hearty breakfast. Asuka had to be full and focused for this... so they made just enough for her to eat and left none for her upcoming opponent.
"Are you nervous?" Lili asked, pouring the rice into the boiling pot and immediately applying a spoon.
"Hell yes I'm nervous. I'm fighting for our lives here!" Asuka replied. She was currently frying some eggs. Despite it being portrayed in popular boxing movies, she would NOT be consuming raw eggs anytime soon.
"True... but aren't you a little excited?"
Asuka's eyes widened as she turned to look at Lili's grinning face. "Are you out of your mind, girl?!"
"Oh cmon Asuka! We're finally getting off this mountain!"
Asuka scoffed. "Yeah, if he doesn't collect my skull! Look, I dunno what gave you the idea this is gonna be some kind of cakewalk. Feng's not fucking around this time. I've already lost to him twice, and this time he wants to KILL me! I'm seriously about to die! I... I'm gonna... he's... oh god."
The gut-wrenching realization that the end of her life was drawing near forced the contents of her gut all the way up to her mouth, forcing Asuka to immediately quit what food she was preparing and flee the stove.
"A-Asuka!"
Her devotion to Asuka stronger than her common sense, Lili also abandoned the hot stove to run after her, leaving the food just sitting there cooking without supervision.
"Asuka are you o...kay...?"
Lili made it outside just in time to see Asuka collapsed at the knees, head down, puking as the nerves and anxiety of this soon-approaching deathmatch with Feng made her nauseous. Being the dutiful partner she is, as well as a loving companion... she extended the sweet gesture of pulling her hair back.
"There there, Asuka... I have faith in you, you know. I've seen just how strong you've become. The way you were able to hurt Feng... you looked so much more powerful than the times you and I fought. I know you can do this!"
Asuka groaned a few times as she habitually spat after her upchuck. "Uggh... easy for you to say. You didn't get stomped by him twice before. Ahh Lili... is all this really riding on me? How am I supposed to be confident against...that? I mean, he's... he's fucking Feng Wei! He beat my whole dojo AND my father!"
Lili grabbed her head and pulled it close, resting it against her chest. "There, there... I'm here to support you all the way. You're not entirely alone. I'm here to provide moral support."
Asuka sighed. "If only you could substitute moral support for steroids or magic serum or... a fuckin miracle."
Lili giggled. "You won't need a miracle."
"If you say so..."
"Cmon, let's go back inside. You need a healthy, hearty meal! Let's eat it all and save none for Mr. Busy Brows."
Lili's attempt at humor managed to produce a smile as Asuka got back to her feet. "Fine. I guess if I'm gonna face certain death, I wanna face it on a full stomach."
That morning, Asuka ate. She ate and ate, and ate some more. She crammed as much breakfast down her gullet as humanly possible, to achieve maximum protein and carbs for energy. This was only the first step to achieving what would be the most astounding victory of her life. Lili was even generous enough to eat as little as possible to give Asuka a bigger helping. Since it was all riding on her, she might as well make some sacrifices to help Asuka out.
After breakfast, they did some stretches together to warm up their limbs and help digest. It was a little embarassing flashing their genitals in those stupid sexy dresses, but at least Feng wasn't there to see. Still, he remained locked in his room.
"Huff! Huff! Hyah!" Asuka grunted as she practiced moving her head and throwing strikes to thin air. She was getting nice and loose now; from Lili's pep talk and having a fulfilling meal, she was starting to feel a little better about things. Maybe she just needed to properly wake up.
"That's right, Asuka-chan!" Lili cheered. "You're fast! You're strong! You're smart! You're sexy! You're gonna beat Feng Wei and then we'll make sweet celebratory love~"
"...What was that last thing?"
"Uhh... I mean get off the mountain?"
"Right."
As the morning slowly subsided... there was still no sign of Feng. In fact, this was probably the longest they had ever gone without seeing him. He must have been doing some serious meditating... did he actually have doubts? Did the mighty Feng Wei, for once in his life, have a more realistic outlook on his opponent? Did he, in his long and illustrious career of slaying mofos, actually hold some semblance of respect for his opponent's strength and skill level?
"...What do you think is keeping him?" Lili asked. "Is he still alive in there?"
"Duh. Maybe he's just waiting to make some grand entrance." Asuka replied. "In any case, I don't mind waiting a little while longer."
"I do! I wanted to be done with this by morning so we can start our journey back down! Why don't we just make a run for it?"
"And waste everything I've trained for? Hell no! I'm not leaving until I fight him again. As long as it takes..."
And then it came: that arrogant, booming voice. A voice that immediately commanded the attention of those who heard it.
"You won't have to wait any longer!"
Those words echoed in the air as Asuka and Lili turned towards the house; the door was swung wide open, and there stood Feng Wei at long last. He looked exactly as he always did: clad in his Kenpo pants, muscles bulging, and a furious scowl on his face. It seemed that whatever mental preparations he was making in his bedroom were finally complete.
"There you are! Thought you wouldn't show." Asuka taunted.
"Hmph! Are you so eager for death?" Feng retorted.
Asuka kept her resolve hardened, not letting herself be threatened or intimidated by his words. Her response was only a stone face as she got into stance.
Feng actually grinned. "Hah! I see you've gotten your emotions in check. Or maybe... you're just struggling desperately to suppress that bloodlust you have deep inside. Let's see how you react when your life is on the line!"
With a booming war cry, Feng leaped high into the air and landed perfectly in a designated spot, just a few yards away from his opponent. The two had a nice, open terrain to do battle here, far enough away from the house that no obstacles could come between them.
"Here's the rules... we fight to the death. No holding back this time. Either I kill you, or you kill me. It's time to see just how much you've grown since your time here! Does that frighten you, woman?"
Asuka widened her stance. "You don't scare me, Feng. And I've got news for you... I'm sure as hell not dying today. It's time for you to get a taste of what you've been dishing out!"
Feng gave a nod of acknowledgement. "Very well then. FIGHT!"
Asuka looked over her shoulder. "Stand back, Lili. This is gonna get ugly."
Lili whimpered as her wobbly legs backpedaled towards the house. "A-Asuka... th-this is too sudden...!"
"Just go and get our stuff ready! We're getting off this mountain!"
Feng sneered. "You'll have to get past me first. I told you... no one leaves until you best me in combat."
"Then let's solve that problem right now! HYAAAAAAAH!"
As lengthy as the nerves and anxiety had grown inside her, the battle ironically seemed to start in a flash and she found herself not ready. Lili was right; this was happening so fast. Was she really prepared to defeat Feng for good...?
As she was lost in her doubt and indecisiveness, Feng was the first one to throw hands. He came out banging, letting loose a powerful 1-2 punch that impacted on her raised forearms but still pushed her backwards. He continued the onslaught with a roundhouse kick that went high and crashed into her shoulder. Asuka winced as the pain came flooding all too fast; being hit by a man of that size and power was going to hurt no matter what.
"SEEEIYAAH!" Feng finished his combo with a spinning kick to the midsection. Although it still hit Asuka's forearms, the speed and force of the kick still knocked her on her butt.
Asuka's brain was running 100 miles an hour. Feng wasn't giving her a second to breathe! She had to... had to get to her feet... or she's dead!
Feng didn't allow her the chance to get up as he leaped into the air and attempted to come down on her with a crashing fist. It was only through sheer agility and instinct that Asuka was able to roll out of the way and scramble to her feet. In a desperate attempt to regain control, she tackled Feng and tried to stifle his movements. But plowing into him was the equivalent of hitting a brick wall; he didn't budge an inch. Instead, he effortlessly got two hands underneath her armpits and unleashed a knee to her ribs. The rushing burn to her insides immediately produced tears as Asuka felt her body sapped of strength.
Feng was prepared to finish the fight right there; he draped one arm over the back of her neck and then snaked his other arm upwards, around her throat.
"Hnnnngh...!" Asuka tried to cry out in pain, but she felt Feng's arms immediately constrict the passage of blood and oxygen, making her voice just a pathetic wheeze.
He squeezed with all his might to break her neck right then, his strength lifting her off her feet. As Asuka went airborne, she quickly reverted to survival instincts; she quickly unleashed her legs and clamped them around Feng's waist, preventing him from lifting her any higher. Of course, this put extra strain on her neck, so Asuka quickly got to work trying to pry his arms loose.
The struggle lasted for a full minute before the two quickly realized they were at a stalemate. With that in mind, Feng decided an alternative; prying her legs loose, he lifted Asuka as high as possible and powerbombed her onto the ground.
Asuka felt immediately disoriented as her head went dizzy and the pain made itself know. But still, she had to fight to survive; taking advantage of the momentum, she used her hips to roll Feng over instead of allowing him to rest on top. This resulted in them doing a full barrel roll and Asuka actually gaining top position. Just like that, she had turned the tables.
"Good job, Asuka!" Lili cheered, jumping up and down. Instead of going back inside, she elected to stay here and provide support for her companion. It was the least she could do, since Asuka was fighting for their lives here.
Asuka rained down punches on Feng's face, but his arms were up to block them. Quickly realizing that she couldn't put him out this way, Asuka made a risky move by quickly transitioning and draping her legs over his torso. She seized his right arm and pulled it backwards, trapping him in an armbar with the intent of breaking his bone swiftly. Unfortunately, this allowed Feng the leeway to get back to his feet, and, just like last time... he was simply too physically strong as he lifted her and slammed her off of him.
Asuka rolled back to her feet just in time for Feng to rush in and throw a side kick to her stomach. Just as soon as she had regained her balance, she was immediately launched backwards once again from the clean hit.
"What's the matter, woman? Can't you stay on your feet? You're pathetic!" Feng taunted.
Asuka quickly shook the cobwebs. She had to find some way to jar him... stop him in his tracks... here he comes!
Feng arrogantly came charging in, fist raised... and this time Asuka made him pay for it.
"Ouuuf..?!" Feng wheezed out, surprised that he took an extended knee to his solar plexus, courtesy of a counterattack from his opponent. As he hunched over, Asuka grinned and followed up her combo by raining a tremendous hammer of an elbow downwards on the back of his head. The force of the blow knocked Feng facefirst on the ground, his massive body making a loud THUD!
"There you go, Asuka! Don't follow him to the ground! Reset!" Lili coached.
Asuka took that advice and quickly retreated, getting a comfortable distance between them so she could regain herself. However, this blew the opportunity of a downed Feng by allowing him to get back up. Whether this would be a costly mistake or not was yet to be seen.
"Hmmm... so you actually hit me. Very good. I guess I shouldn't have gotten so aggressive." Feng humbly stated. "I won't make that mistake again."
This time, they closed distance a lot slower than last time, as each one was wary of the other's movements. They both slowly circled, hands raised, each watching the other's feet.
And then, as if the bullet to start the race was fired... they both charged in.
Asuka threw a haymaker to the left side of Feng's face, but his hand swatted it away and he countered with a punch to her stomach. Asuka was hit, but she took the pain and didn't back down. Feng raised his forearm and brought it down to smash her crown, but Asuka swayed to the left and countered with a kick to the ribs. Feng was stunned and stumbled backwards, and Asuka tried to follow up with a spinning wheel kick. But Feng was too low; her foot whizzed over his head and he delivered a hard chop to her stationary shin that knocked her off her feet.
As she hit the ground, she immediately took measures to prevent Feng from capitalizing. As he approached, she used her hand to spring her feet upwards and backflip, her feet colliding with Feng's chin one after the other as it knocked him back enough for her to regain balance.
Feng was stunned, but he didn't give Asuka much time to breathe. He was on her again, with a hard fist to her stomach that hurt her. As Asuka winced in pain, Feng spun around and smacked her in the face with his forearm, immediately producing tears and a warm trickle as she began to smell blood. Feng followed up with a roundhouse kick to the head, but the misty-eyed Asuka still had enough instinct to duck it. As Feng's foot whizzed past, he allowed the momentum to spin his body all the way back around and he re-emerged with a double palm to her chest. She took the full force of his hands to her boobs and it sent her stumbling backwards on wobbly feet. It took all of her composure to not go down, and she actually managed to stay upright.
"Remember what I taught you, Asuka! He can't hit you!" Lili cheered.
Asuka wiped her eyes and flicked the blood from her nose. Lili was right... it was best to try and make Feng miss instead of attacking first. It was time to show off the dance moves Lili taught her.
"Okay... whew... I can do this..."
Feng approached again, a grin on his face. "You like the smell of your blood, woman?"
Asuka rolled her eyes and resumed her stance, causing Feng to actually... twitch a little. Believe it or not, he was getting the very slightest bothered by the fact that she was ignoring his taunts. In fact... it was making him a little angry.
"Hmph! Never mind then. I'll make sure you see a lot more of your blood!" he growled, charging forward.
"Right foot..."
Feng threw a soaring palm...but it hit nothing but air.
"Huh? UGH!"
The next thing Feng felt was a back elbow crashing into the outer ridge of his eye socket. A cut immediately opened up, as a crimson waterfall trickled into his eye and rendered his right eye blind.
"Left foot..."
Feng growled as he swung a wild backfist then doubled up with a knifehand strike... but again he missed. This time, his jaw was checked with a powerful right hook that snapped his head sideways and sent him back on baby deer legs.
"Wh-what is this madness?!" he spat, reaching a hand up to instinctively wipe his eye.
"YOU'RE DOING IT ASUKA!" Lili whooped.
Feng once again came charging in, this time with a flying kick.
"Right foot..."
The kick soared past Asuka and Feng landed on his feet, quickly spinning around and rushing Asuka from the other direction. As his fist closed in on her face, Asuka caught his wrist.
"SPIN!"
Asuka twirled her body, sending Feng stumbling forward from his weight being redirected. With a grin, Asuka stomped his back knee and buckled it, making him fall to one leg.
"Agh! Shit...!"
"HYAAAAAAAAAH!"
Asuka spun around, gathering as much speed and power as possible, and then unleashed the most devastating wheel kick on his temple. Like an executioner beheading the victim on his knees, Feng was dropped to the ground and his world was sent into disarray from Asuka's mighty punishing blow.
Asuka watched with a solemn confidence as Feng stumbled and somersaulted forwards, falling back down every time he tried to get to his feet. He was hurt BADLY.
"The tables have turned, Feng." Asuka boasted.
"YOU DID IT! YOU DID IT! WOOOOO!" Lili cheered, flailing her arms like she had invisible pom-poms.
Feng cursed and growled as he regained his footing slowly. He turned to face Asuka... and he had a look that she had never seen before. This was a look of pure MURDER. His face was the epitome of hatred and prejudice, vengeance and bloodlust.
And then, his venomous words spoke:
"This... is far... from over... JAPANESE SCUM!"
Asuka barely had time to get her hands up as Feng sprinted forwards with rage.
"TAAAAAH!" he cried out as he extended his elbow to Asuka's gut and sent her flying a few yards back. She hit the ground with a whimper, her breaths becoming coughs as the wind in her lungs burned. Okay... maybe not over yet.
Asuka leaped to her feet and Feng was already on her. He threw a left palm, which Asuka dodged. He threw a right palm, and it struck Asuka underneath the eye. He mixed it up with a body punch and then went high with a straight left, Asuka managed to catch his fist and counter with a palm to the face that sent him backwards a bit. She maintained distance by throwing a high front kick, which just grazed his chin. Feng continued to close in with a right hook, but Asuka quickly clinched with him to stop his aggression.
"You can do it, Asuka!" Lili encouraged. "Stay calm!"
Feng quickly pried her away and shoulder checked her in the face, a move that normally didn't hurt but was devastating from the much bigger man.
As Asuka shook away the dizziness, Feng led with the back of his fist and jabbed her in the nose, producing a bigger flow of blood and more tears. It was probably broken now...
Asuka decided to play it smart by going low and hitting him with an ankle-slicing sweep kick. This actually managed to succeed, as Feng was mid-swing with another punch and was unable to block it. She used her hands to continue to pivot her body as she came around with ANOTHER sweep kick, this time pushing forward and catching Feng's other ankle. This time, he went down.
Asuka acted fast. She quickly went down to the ground with him and seized a leg: the same leg she stomped at the knee earlier. At that moment, she threw everything else out the window; locking his leg within her thighs and seizing his ankle, she screamed and twisted with all her might. She didn't care if she blew her wad right now; this HAD to succeed.
And it did.
"AUUUGH! DAMN YOU!" Feng cried out in pain as he felt his kneecap pop out of place. Asuka could feel it too, and she had to stifle a laugh of triumph. She did it! She actually did it! This was exactly what she needed to win!
Feng desperately kicked her off of him and rolled backwards to a safe distance. Asuka took this opportunity to get the tears out of her eyes and wipe the blood from her nose. The tears were a mixture, not just of pain from her broken nose... but tears of joy as she reveled in her triumph. She breathed loudly from her mouth, not just from the expended energy... but from the thrill and excitement of knowing her redemption was near. She tried not to get excited, but she couldn't help it; Feng was all but done. The most difficult opponent she had ever faced, who defeated her twice before she got to this point... and he was almost there. Almost... there...
As Feng tried to get back up, the pain immediately caused him to collapse. He attempted several times... each one producing the same outcome.
"Just stay down, Feng. Concede! This fight is over!" Asuka declared.
"NEVER!" was his defiant response.
Finally, he did manage to get up... in a Crane stance. He hopped forward, trying desperately to mount some form of offense. Obviously, this wouldn't work; as soon as he put weight on that knee, his leg would give out.
"Feng... you're finished. I beat you." Asuka repeated her point.
"I'm still breathing, aren't I?!" Feng spat.
"Feng..."
"SHUT UP! PREPARE TO DIE!"
"Enough of this."
Asuka charged forward, sprinting towards the metaphorical finish line. This was it... one final attack! She was going to win! She was really going to do it!
Asuka intended to go high with a flying kick to the face... but she instead went low and took him out at the shin of his stationary leg. Feng landed on his knee... the same knee that was popped... and Asuka almost felt pity for the cry of pain he elicited.
As Feng collapsed on the ground, Asuka achieved a full mount and started going to town. She did not stop. Punch after punch. To the face, to the ribs... she blew out every last morsel of energy left in her body as she rained down hellfire on her opponent. As she punched, her never-ending scream of vengeance carried on in the clouds as she unleashed all the fury in her soul. This wasn't just payback... this was justice. Every punch that Feng took to the face was the cost of one transgression he had made in his evil life. Not just towards her and the Kazama clan... but all the innocents he had hurt and killed in his quest for power.
The punches rained... and rained... and rained... until they both went limp. Feng was no longer capable of moving his legs, or even lifting his arms. His face was a battered, bloody, swollen mess as blood trickled into his rapidly closing eye.
When it was finally over, Asuka collapsed to the ground next to him. They were both completely spent: the pain, injury, and energy usage all accumulating. Asuka's tears continued to flow from her eye, which was now swelling pretty badly underneath. Her nose was now completely pink, blood gathering on her upper lip and the excess drizzling down her chin.
They had both given it their all... but in the end, only one would rise back to her feet.
"Asuka!" Lili finally rushed over there to help her victorious partner up. As soon as she was upright, they embraced. And finally, Asuka allowed herself to let go and cry with victory. The conflict was, at long last, over. It was an overwhelming feeling for her, and she was grateful she had Lili there to hold her up.
"Oh Lili... *sniffle* it's over... I did it... I actually did it..." Asuka wailed.
"There there... let it all out." Lili whispered. "You deserve this. This is your moment."
"AHHHHH! I BEAT FENG! I BEAT FENG! HA! HAAAAAAAAAA!" she cried. She didn't care who saw her blubbering like a baby; victory was all that mattered, and it was all hers.
"Cmon, let's go inside and pack!"
The entire time they were inside, gathering things, Asuka insides welled up with warmth and excitement. She couldn't believe this was actually happening! This was a humbling experience: an experience that made one truly appreciate the life they take for granted. It was like being released from prison; she was finally free to rejoin society even stronger and more knowledgeable than before.
"ASUKA! LOOK WHAT I FOUND!"
Asuka turned around and saw Lili holding, in her hands... the most beautiful sight for sore eyes.
"Are these your undies?!"
Yes, that was exactly what they were; the same white cotton that she had she had arrived on the mountain with. And by its side... her blue outfit! Her tanktop, the blue zipper jumpsuit with short sleeves, her socks and shoes! It was all there!
"MY CLOTHES! HALLELUJAH!"
Asuka ran over and almost tackled her pair of underwear, hugging it against her like some tearful reunion. Without a moment's hesitation, she slipped them on and shed that stupid Chinese dress she had been subjected to this whole time.
"Hey, my white dress is here too! Wooohoo~"
They both this moment of celebration to shed their dresses and put back on their clothes. This was just one more box to check mark on the list of experiences to wash away. There was just one more thing...
"SAYONARA! HAHAHAHAHA!"
They both giggled and whooped as Asuka set fire to the dresses, burning that demonic garb to ash so they may never be used for enslaving waifus ever again. As the fully clothed girls admired the flame, they were going through Lili's recovered backpack and equipping the necessary gear to begin their expedition back down the mountain.
"Ahhh, I can't believe this is happening! Ah! I want to go eat a hamburger, watch some anime, play videogames, sleep in my own bed... ahh! I'm so anxious!"
"We have to survive the climb down the mountain first." Lili replied.
"Heh, that's kid stuff! Let's get the fuck out of here already!"
Finally, the girls were ready to depart. With a bag full of gear and bodies fully clothed and equipped with cold-resistant jackets and hats, they started to walk forward.
"...Wait. One more thing."
Lili stopped and watched as Asuka went back towards the house, towards... him.
"Asuka, what are you doing?"
Lili decided to follow, just in case. The two girls went back over there, where Feng had managed to crawl back to the house and lean against the foundation. As they approached, he looked at them with his one good eye and gave a sarcastic grin.
"Congratulations on your victory. Of course, you haven't won yet." he sneered.
"Uhhh, newsflash. I'm standing, and you're not." Asuka retorted.
"I said this fight was to the death. If you allow your opponent to live... you give him the chance to kill you later."
Asuka was unfazed. "You're not gonna kill me, Feng. Not now, or ever. You can live knowing that."
"...So you choose to spare my life?"
Asuka scoffed. "Yeah, I am gonna spare your life! Because I'm not a petty, simpleminded macho fool like you are!"
"Really? It seems like a foolish decision to me." Feng replied.
"Well it's not! You know why? Because you deserve justice. I'm not going to kill you... but when I get back to China, I'm getting Detective Wulong. I'm gonna make sure as soon as you get off of this mountain, you're in handcuffs. I said you were gonna pay for what you did to my dojo, and I meant it."
Feng had no sarcastic reply; he merely looked down. "...So that's what this is about?"
Asuka put her hands on her hips. "That's what this was always about, Feng. Everything! I may have forgotten that for a moment... but not again. My head is clear. I'm not like you, and I never will be. So enjoy a life behind bars!"
Asuka flicked her hair with sass as she turned around and stomped away. But before she could make Feng's house a distant memory, she turned around one last time.
"And you can expect a bill for all the damages, AND my dad's hospital bill!"
With that last remark, Lili put her arm around Asuka and the two finally left the mountaintop, the first step in putting this agonizing experience behind them. From here on, they were going to move forward and not look back. There was nothing to fear; Asuka had grown stronger in this short time than a lifetime of training. For what it's worth, maybe she had Feng Wei to thank for that.
Feng was left sitting there, broken, defeated... and with a bleak future. But he couldn't help but smile... for he had finally experienced a foe strong enough to beat him. And the only thing better than that... was living to fight her another day.
THE END