A/N: Hello guys, I'm back with the next update after taking a small break to get all my ducks in a row. Thanks to everyone who have been reading and leaving reviews. They give me encouragement to continue with the story and the give me an idea as to where to take the story next. So kudos to you all!
Disclaimer: I do not own the popular Namco fighting series Tekken or any of its characters. I do own the rights to this story since I am the sole creator of its plot and all original characters featured; so please, NO STEALING MY IDEAS. Please, and thank you.
"Asuka Kazama vs. Yoshimitsu"
Asuka stared intently at the punching bag hanging in front of her as her chest heaved with each breath she took. She was exhausted, having been training for nearly two hours now, but she wasn't ready to quit just yet. She launched towards the bag again and thrust her right palm forward, striking the bag's center hard enough to feel the sand shift and vibrate on the other side of the leather material before winding up her left arm and striking it with her left palm. She turned around, her left foot planted firmly on the floor, and kicked the bag with her free leg, hissing as the leather smacked against the bare skin of her leg, but she spun around again to kick with her left leg before going back to a palm thrust. After completing this combo successfully ten times, she stopped and leaned over, her hands resting on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. She could feel her hair hanging heavily over her sweaty brown and decided that she had done enough training for the day. She leaned upright and headed for her locker to grab her things when the sound of the door sliding open reached her ears.
Christie walked into the room slowly, her eyes heavy from a lack of sleep and her hair hanging loosely around her face. She stifled a yawn and waved at an on-looking Asuka before going to set her things in her locker.
"Good morning." She said, her voice raspy. "What happened to you and Xiaoyu last night? I couldn't find either of you when Steve and I went back to the table."
"Turns out the club scene just really isn't my thing." Asuka said with a shrug as she draped a towel around her neck and rolled her shoulders back. "Besides, Xiaoyu and I had a run-in with my long lost cousin and things got a little…tense. I don't know what the guy's problem is. I mean, it's obvious that he and Xiaoyu are close friends, yet he treats her like shit. Then I try to strike up a conversation and he gives me the most chilling look before leaving unannounced. I mean, who the hell does that prick think he is?"
"Family troubles huh?" Christie said, an amused smirk on her face.
"You don't even know the half of it." Asuka groaned as she finished dabbing the sweat from her face and tossed her towel into the dirty clothes bin nearby before taking hold of her bottled water. "Anyways, are you ready for your match today?"
Christie placed her hand to her chin as her brow furrowed. "I don't really know what to expect. This Raven guy is a new competitor and I'm not sure what to expect. I caught a glimpse of him in the lobby yesterday and he's really hard to read, especially with those sunglasses covering his face. That's the only thing I hate about new opponents is not even knowing where to begin when it comes to strategizing."
"Don't sweat it Christie, I'm sure you'll do fine."
Christie nodded, suddenly growing quiet as her face darkened. "I have to win this tournament and get that prize money. It's the only way I can afford for my grandpa to go through with his surgery. I wish I could just enjoy this tournament for the fun of it, but I have so much to accomplish."
Asuka rested a hand on the girl's shoulder, suddenly feeling sorry for her. She had no idea why Christie had entered the tournament and now, she felt bad. She squeezed her shoulder before dropping her hand and grabbing her things.
"My match starts in an hour. I had better get going."
Christie nodded, not bothering to look up as her friend left. Asuka sighed in relief as she exited the room and made her way to the elevators. When the doors slid open, she found Lei standing on the other side dressed in a button-up pink shirt, a blue tie, and shiny white pants with suspenders wrapped around his shoulders. He smiled as he stepped off, the door closing behind him.
"Well, it's nice to see you up and moving this morning. Did you and your friends have fun last night?"
Asuka shrugged. "It could have been better. I managed to meet my long lost cousin Jin. It wasn't the family reunion I was hoping for."
Lei's face grew serious. "You saw Kazama? What was he doing out at a night club. Better yet, what was he doing in town? I heard he wasn't staying in Kyoto during the tournament."
"He was using the ATM when Xiaoyu saw him and he was in a hurry to leave when I finally caught up to him. The guy is up to something, but I don't know what. Anyways, let's forget about that jerk. Did you manage to hear anything about Feng Wei?"
Lei nodded as he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. "He's checked in here at the hotel, but no one has seen him. I'm wondering if he's staying somewhere else because he knows I'm on his trail. We have to stay on our guard and be sure to stay focused on succeeding in this tournament. Feng Wei is an impeccable fighter and the only way to reach him in this tournament is to make our way past the competition."
"Do you mind explaining to me how this whole tournament works? I mean, when we're defeated in a match, are we automatically withdrawn from the tournament?"
"Not exactly. You see, you'll go through your placement match today and your fight will be recorded and ranked by the tournament officials. Your score determines who you will be put up against for your first match. If you win your match, you proceed to another match chosen based on your first match's rankings; but if you lose, you will have a chance to redeem yourself by fighting against another competitor who lost their first match. The cycle continues for weeks until one competitor is left standing. Then, they are sent off to fight the caller of the tournament who at this point, is still unknown."
Asuka seemed to linger on every word that left the man's mouth and Lei could tell how interested she was in the mechanics of the whole thing. Her eyes would light up and narrow as she took in the information and did her best to make sense of it all.
"So Lei, I know that you have participated in these Tekken tournaments ever since the second tournament was announced years ago. Have far have you managed to make it?"
Lei smiled. "I have never managed to make it past five rounds unfortunately. I hope that this year, I'll be able to beat my record and move up higher through the tournament."
Just then, a voice sounded over the intercom and echoed throughout the halls.
Attention all competitors in the King of Iron Fist Tournament Five. The placement matches will be beginning in half-an-hour. The time of your matches and the location of your fight are located at the front desk. Please meet in the main lobby downstairs in thirty minutes so you can be deployed to your appropriate stages.
Asuka and Lei exchanged a glance and smiled.
Asuka took a deep breath as she rode the elevator in silence. She could feel her heart pounding against her rib cage and her tongue twitching with excitement. She tugged at the tight body suit she was wearing over her sofie shorts and blue sports bra to air off her skin before stepping out of the now opened doors. The lobby was filled with competitors and she had to remind herself to say focused as she walked past them and up to the desk. Her eyes moved to the giant screen above the desk where the matches for the day were scheduled and she froze as she spied her match at the very top of the list- First Match: Yoshimitsu VS Asuka Kazama- Waterfall.
Asuka jumped as she felt a soft hand rest on her shoulder. She turned and smiled as Xiaoyu's soft face came into view.
"Are you ready for your match?" she asked, her voice like that of a songbird as she flashed a genuine smile.
Asuka smiled confidently and pumped her fist in the air. "I was born ready."
Xiaoyu nodded once as she dropped her hand from Asuka's shoulder. "Alright Asuka, just remember that Yoshimitsu is very sneaky and uses his ninjitsu skills to the best of his abilities. Don't let his sword psyche you out and should he happen to strike you with it, just focus on your adrenaline to move past the pain. Don't stay on top of him constantly because short-ranged attacks are the easiest for him to fend off."
Asuka nodded as she listened to Xiaoyu intently. Just then, she spied a man clad in a suit of golden armor with red and green accents approaching the desk. Her skin crawled as she spied the skull mask covering his face beneath a plate covering his forehead and a metallic, feathered headdress hanging off its back. He had a green-bladed sword hanging by his waist as he stepped across the floor, the skirt of his armor swinging with each step he took.
"Is that him?" Asuka asked, her face serious as she tried to assess the man.
"Yeah, that's him." Xiaoyu said. "His armor changes every year, but that sword of his always stays the same."
Can Asuka Kazama and Yoshimitsu please approach the back patio for departure? All other competitors who wish to watch the fight may remain in the lobby to view the fight on our mainframe via satellite.
"Good luck Asuka, and remember what I told you." Xiaoyu said as her new friend made her way out of the lobby and followed Yoshimitsu down a long back corridor.
Asuka shielded her eyes from the sun as they stepped outside and she gasped at the sight of an awaiting helicopter, its blades spinning as it waited for its passengers. Yoshimitsu grabbed the edge of the door before hoisting himself up and into the helicopter. He took the back seat while Asuka made her way inside and slammed the door shut following the pilot's instructions.
Kyoto looked so small from the chopper as they flew away from the city; and soon, all signs of civilization appeared as they made their way into a mountainous region with a beautiful forest below. Asuka's eyes widened as she caught sight of a small plateau where a majestic waterfall stood nearby, it's waters a mesmerizing blue as it fell into a large river that seemed to go on for miles. The pilot finally landed near the bottom of the plateau after an hour of flying and instructed for Asuka and Yoshimitsu to exit the chopper. Asuka shielded her eyes as she watched the helicopter take flight once more and leave the two of them behind. She smiled and turned to Yoshimitsu, only to find that the man had already began his trek up towards the top of the plateau.
"Hey, wait up!" she shouted before running to catch up with him.
The sound of the waterfall intensified the higher up they went and when they finally reached the plateau, Asuka once again found herself captivated by the beauty of the area. Little puddles of water had gathered all around the dirty plateau and a gate made of wooden planks and feathered rope marked the area they were restricted to. Asuka looked out over the edge of the plateau and smiled at the sight of endless trees and rock formations stretching out for miles.
Only when Yoshimitsu muttered something incoherent did she turn around and realize that a cameraman had appeared. She raised an eyebrow as the unfamiliar man smiled and raised the camera onto his shoulder to begin filming.
Asuka Kazama and Yoshimitsu, you have three rounds to complete during this match, all of which have an infinite amount of time to complete. The rules are simple- you are to defeat your opponent by any means, by under no circumstances are you to end their life. If you do manage to kill your opponent, you will immediately be withdrawn from the tournament. In order to win this match, you must defeat your opponent two out of the three rounds. Should your placement match result in a tie, an additional round will be added to ensure that a winner is chosen. Are you ready?
Asuka walked so that there was an even amount of space between her and the ninja and spread her legs evenly apart before raising her arms, evenly bent, outstretched from her chest with her fingers spread evenly apart in Kazama Stance while Yoshimitsu spread his legs, left foot in front with his arms raised up chest height. He held his sword in his left hand and began bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet, ready to begin their match.
A gust of wind blew by, causing Asuka's loose hair to tickle her cheeks. She smiled briefly at her opponent before putting on her game face.
"Let's get this over with." She said.
Round one, fight!
All the competitors who chose to watch the first match of the day huddled around the front counter in the hotel lobby and stared up a the large holographic screen overhead intently. Christie and Xiaoyu stood next to each other, their fists balled up near their chin as they anticipated for either Asuka or Yoshimitsu to make the first move.
"This should make for an interesting match." Hwoarang's voice reached their ears. Both girls turned around and rolled their eyes as the cocky red-head made his way over to them, swagger in his walk as he shoved his hands in his pocket. "I bet thirty bucks that Yoshimitsu is going to come out on top of this round."
"You don't know that." Xiaoyu said, getting defensive as she balled her fists at her sides. "You never know, Asuka may just surprise you."
Hwoarang smirked as he stood behind them. "If anyone's going to be surprised, it's her. She's never entered a tournament of this caliber before. She has no idea what she's up against."
"You know what Hwoarang, I have something to add to your little wager." Christie said as she propped her hip out to the side. "If Yoshimitsu wins, I'll give you your thirty bucks- but if Asuka wins, which I know she will, you owe me thirty bucks AND you have to promise to stop dogging her for the remainder of the tournament."
"Alright then Christie, I'll add your little wager to the bet. I hope you have thirty bucks on you, because I don't take checks."
Xiaoyu rolled her eyes as she turned her attention back to the screen. "You can do it Asuka."
Asuka and Yoshimitsu stood in position, neither of them moving as they waited for the other to start off their round. Asuka smirked and that was the incentive to get the ninja going. Yoshimitsu leaped high into the air and Asuka's eyes widened in surprise as he disappeared from her sight. Her eyes quickly moved around the area and she gasped as the skull-mask man reappeared and dropped his leg down with the intention of kicking her shoulder, but Asuka had moved away quickly avoiding his leg while still reeling over the fact that he had temporarily disappeared from her sight.
'I can't let him psyche me out.' She thought as she spied him running towards her for an elbow jab to the chest, but she slid forward, her right palm outstretched, striking him with enough force that Yoshimitsu was sent rolling away from her across the dirt covered ground. Deciding to try and get the upper hand, she ran towards him and spun around twice to prepare for a wheel kick, but Yoshimitsu wasn't going to let her knock him down again and counter attacked, kicking her in the throat as he stood up, and causing her to stumble back. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from verbally lashing out and ran towards him another time, but Yoshimitsu held his arms out to the side, his sword held upright in his right hand as he began to spin rather quickly on his toes. Asuka held her arms up to shield herself from the blade and she cried out as the blade pierced through her skin. She jumped back as Yoshimitsu brought his sword down for one single slice. He laughed as he looked up to meet her eyes from behind his mask. He said nothing before running towards her and dropping into a sitting position, his sword held upright in his lap before he spun around quickly and disappeared again. Asuka looked up at the sky frantically, hoping to see him coming down at her, but instead, she her shoulder was greeted by the ninja's blade as he reappeared behind her and sliced partially through the skin of her shoulder. Asuka hissed and pressed her hand to the bleeding wound before turning around and kicking Yoshimitsu with enough force to knock the wind out of him. She growled angrily as she balled up her fists at her sides and turned around to face him.
"You know what? I don't think it's fair that you can use a weapon you coward- but if you can't part ways with your precious blade, maybe I can force it off you!"
Asuka ran towards him and jumped up into the air before bringing her fist down. Yoshimitsu jumped away just in time, but he was shocked to see the ground burst open from the impact of Asuka's fist slamming onto the plateau. She looked up at him quickly and got back onto her feet before charging him like an enraged bull and tackling him to the ground. She sat on top of his chest and he held his sword in front of him to block her fists as she unleashed six good blows, only one missing the sword and striking his chest. Yoshimitsu kicked her away from him and jumped into the air as he began using his sword like the propellers of a helicopter to float towards her. He dropped to the ground and rolled forward before kicking both of his legs upward, striking Asuka and sending her summersaulting through the air. She landed on the ground a few feet away and skidded across the dirt before hitting her head off one of the beams marking off the area. She groaned as she heard the announcer declare Yoshimitsu as the winner of the first round before she raised a hand to the back of her head. That last fall had definitely left her with some bruises, and she could add a bleeding cut on the back of her head to her list of injuries she had already sustained.
Ignoring her altered vision and headache, Asuka stood to her feet and glared at the ninja standing cockily before her, his arms folded across his chest, his special sword still in hand.
That's right folks, Yoshimitsu is the winner of the first round. Only two rounds left for Asuka to redeem herself- and should she lose round two, Yoshimitsu will be named the winner of this ranking match. Asuka, Yoshimitsu, get ready for round two.
Yoshimitsu held his hands up again and began bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet as he had done earlier, but Asuka simply glared at him angrily. She had never had someone humiliate her like that before and what's worse, everyone who was back at the hotel and people worldwide had viewed her defeat. She couldn't allow herself to fail. She had to avenge her father and prove to everyone who had been doubting her since she arrived in Kyoto that she had what it took to win this tournament. Was she going to let this ninja from the forest psyche her out- hell no!
Asuka raised her arms in her Kazama stance and for some inexplicable reason, she suddenly felt lighter, almost as though she had received a power boost. She clenched her fists as the announcer announced the beginning of round two and rather than waiting in another stare-down, Asuka ran towards the ninja. Rather than striking Yoshimitsu, Asuka went into a back flip, kicking Yoshimitsu up into the air as she went around, before coming out of her technique and hitting him with a technique known as "Whiplash" before spinning around and elbowing him in the chest. She spied him coming at her once again with his spinning technique, but she fended him off easily this time raising her arms high enough that she was only struck by his clenched fists and not the blade of his sword. Yoshimitsu released a warrior's cry as he dropped down lower into a squatting position as he tried the same technique from a lower angle, but Asuka did another backflip and knocked him out of position, sending him skidding across the ground.
Asuka wasn't going to give him time to recover and instead charged towards him, sending a right hook to his face before dropping down into three even sweep kicks, or a "Jab Leg Cutter," before leaping into a "Thunder Fall Kick" which gave off the appearance of her doing a mid-air cartwheel before her feet stomped on top of Yoshimitsu. The ninja fell to the ground, dropping his sword as the back of his skull bounced off the ground. He laid there for a moment, groaning in pain and Asuka took a few calming breaths as the announcer named her as the winner of the second round. She watched the ninja take hold of his sword and stand to his feet as he took a few jagged breaths. Asuka couldn't assess the extent of his injuries from her attack since he was covered in armor, but she could only guess that she had done a good job based on how unnerved the guy looked.
Asuka is the winner of round two and may I just say, what a comeback she made! Unfortunately, winning one round isn't what matters here, it's winning two. Who will come out of this battle victoriously? Let's find out in the final round! Fighters, assume your positions.
Asuka raised her arms for the final round while Yoshimitsu did the same, and the announcer shouted for them to begin the final round. Yoshimitsu ran towards her and dived, giving off the appearance of a spiraling screw as he dove towards her and knocked her off her feet. Asuka landed on her back and gasped as she spied the green blade of his sword coming down with a vengeance. She rolled across the ground and onto her feet as the blade stabbed into the ground where she had been lying moments before. She took a few shaky breaths before looking up at the man in disbelief. He charged towards her and threw all of his weight into his left shoulder and upper back and rammed into her, causing her to fall once more. Asuka rolled into a puddle and cursed under her breath before standing up and running towards him. Without dropping into a kick this time, she pushed herself off the ground and brought a "Thunder Fall Kick" onto the ninja, but he blocked her technique this time around. As he prepared to strike with her sword, she miraculously caught the blade with a clap before forcing it out of his hands and tossing it across the ground. Yoshimitsu was prepared to run after it, but Asuka wasn't going to let him go and executed a "White Heron Dance" to strike him a few good times before initiating a spin kick to knock him down. She then dropped into a sweep kick to prevent him from getting back up, but she miscalculated her timing and was knocked off her feet by the ninja. She shook her head and growled angrily at the sight of him picking up his sword. As he began charging towards her to initiate a final blow, Asuka stood to her feet and took a deep breath before spinning towards him several times, gaining acceleration. Yoshimitsu could hardly believe his eyes as he spied a visible amount of blue energy sparking from the girl's core and moving into her leg. He tried to stop himself, but he had gained too much acceleration and reached her just as she spun out and kicked him with all her might using a "Spinning Heel Drop" before executing a "Demon Slayer" and using her elbows and strength to knock him up into the air. Yoshimitsu rolled across the ground and Asuka watched with a satisfied smirk as he collided with the stone wall near the plateau's edge. He did not get back up.
Ladies and gentleman, Asuka Kazama is the winner of this placement match!
Asuka smiled victoriously before collapsing on the ground. She could hear the footsteps of the cameraman running towards her, but she couldn't quite see or make sense of what was happening. She felt herself being scooped into someone's arms but she couldn't see their face. The last thing she saw before blacking out was Yoshimitsu lying on the ground a few feet away while a paramedic hovered over him.
When Asuka opened her eyes, she found herself back in her hotel suite lying in her bed. She went to move, but cried out in pain as her body began screaming in protest. Slowly, she sat up and assessed the damage in the light coming from her bedside table lamp. It appeared that her shoulder had been bandaged up and so had her head. She frowned as she reached a hand up to find only a few of her brown locks hanging down the back of her neck, the rest having been restrained by the bandages. She looked towards the window and gasped at the sight of the moon hanging in the sky and the lights of Kyoto's nightlife blazing like a wildfire as people traveled through the streets. It was seven in the morning during her flight to the waterfall and now it was dark. She had been out for quite some time from what she could tell.
Just as she prepared to get out of bed, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in." she said, wincing at how hoarse her voice sounded. The door opened quickly and Christie walked in, followed by Xiaoyu and Steve Fox.
"Oh good, you're awake." Christie said flashing her a bright smile.
"What the hell happened?" Asuka asked as she rolled her shoulders back to relieve them of their stiffness and pain.
"You won!" Xiaoyu explained. "You defeated Yoshimitsu during your match. Everyone's still talking about it. I have to admit, you had us all worried after that first match- but you came back with such a vengeance, such a fire. The minute you delivered that first blow during the second match, I knew you had the round in your hands."
Asuka nodded as she stared down at the sheets covering her numb legs. "He was fast, so very fast. Then there were moments where he would disappear into thin air and I had no idea how to comprehend what was going on. I was worried myself for a while. Anyways, how long have I been here?"
"Well, you've only been in your room for about an hour." Christie explained. "You were taken to the infirmary to have your wounds stitched up and the doctors kept you under observation for a while since you didn't regain consciousness after your fight. You've been out practically all day. It's going on eleven now."
"What?" Asuka shouted. "But, what about the other matches? I missed all of them, this is unbelievable. Now how am I supposed to know what kind of competition I'm in if I can't observe my opponents' matches? This sucks!"
"Hey, try not to worry about it Asuka." Steve said. "If you fight anything like you did today, you'll fair pretty well in this tournament."
Asuka nodded before looking up at her friends. "So, how did you guys do in your fights?"
Christie frowned. "I lost my match. If you thought Yoshimitsu's disappearing acts were great, you're going to love facing Raven during the tournament. Capoeira is a very skillful and fast fighting technique and this guy made me look like a turtle. He was unique to say the least."
"I lost my match too." Xiaoyu said as she folded her arms across her chest. "Can you believe they matched me against my grandfather? I mean, the guy is a martial arts master and my instructor. He taught me everything I know. It was so humiliating!"
Steve smiled as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I won my match against King, and being that I lost against him during the previous tournament, I take pride in my victory."
"Well, come on you guys. We'd better let Asuka get some rest." Christie said as they made their way towards the door. "We'll come and check on you in the morning."
As they prepared to leave, a thought crossed Asuka's mind for some strange reason and she called out to Christie to keep her from going. Christie told Steve and Xiaoyu to go on without her before turning back towards her friend.
"Don't ask any questions, but…did Hwoarang say anything about my match?"
Christie's eyes widened, she certainly wasn't expecting to hear that question. Her look of shock quickly wore off and she smiled. "He didn't say anything, but the look on his face when you wiped the floor with Yoshimitsu was priceless. It's almost like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. I haven't seen him since he won against Ganryu about three hours ago, but I'll let him know that you're alright now. Something tells me he has a lot of questions to ask you."
Asuka nodded and didn't say more, prompting Christie to leave. Asuka then turned her head back towards the large-faced window and the lights of Kyoto blazing on through the night.
A/N: And so ends another chapter. Fighting scenes are always my hardest scenes to write, but I am actually pleased with how this one turned out and I hope all of you are too. It can be very frustrating to relay what's actually happening. I mean, I play Tekken just about every day and I know all of Asuka's moves, just as I know all of Christie's, Xiaoyu's, Michelle, Lee, etc. It can be difficult to relay what seems so simple on a television screen into a word document. So, I hope you guys are okay with how it turned out.
Alright, now comes the time where you leave me a review and your thoughts on the chapter. I really hope you all enjoyed it. See you at the next update!
-KairiAngel13