ROUND 2 FIGHT #4: CHIZURU KAGURA VS HINAKO SHIJOU
Her telegraphed, showy technique of running headfirst, yelling, thrusting a series of palms, may have worked against an equally loudmouthed exhibitionist in May Lee... but Chizuru Kagura was on a level so much higher, it involved a calculator.
Miss. Miss. Miss. Hinako showed real heart, stepping forward and putting great power in all her slaps, but none of these would hit Chizuru even on the Yata Maiden's worst day.
Hinako took a step back, like a bull preparing its charge... she shot forward at once, to unleash a mighty charging Sumo headbutt.
Calm and collected, Chizuru timed her arrival... at the moment Hinako's body was to connect with hers, Chizuru twirled in place with a graceful pirouette; the next thing Hinako knew, she was stumbling past Chizuru, stopping and turning her confused head. Chizuru had perfectly "matador'd" her.
Feeling slightly discouraged, Hinako pressed the action, spinning around with a mid backhand, but Chizuru batted her hand away, and forced Hinako to continue the offensive by refusing to counter.
"Hyah hyah hyah hyah hyah hyah hyah hyah hyah hyah hyah!" Hinako barrelled forward, thrusting palms at a furious volley, convinced that she would have to hit the Kagura lady eventually.
Chizuru's reflexes were simply too sharp. She timed the pattern: left, right, left, right, and waited for another left... upon its arrival, she caught the hand and spun Hinako around, putting the arm behind her back and using her free hand to apply pressure to the back of the Sumo girl's head, leaving her looking like a suspect being detained against a patrol car.
Chizuru held her there for several seconds, looking only slightly exerted compared to Hinako's wriggling and flailing. She obviously didn't want to hurt the Sumo girl: just tire her out and possibly get a submission.
Hinako, though feeling utterly outmatched, demonstrated the furthest extent of her fighting spirit: with a sharp thrust of her backside (perhaps a move inspired by former opponent Yuri), she jarred Chizuru free of the hold, granting enough freedom to get distance and prepare her next attack.
"Here I come, Miss Kagura! DOSUKOIIIIII!" she bellowed, taking a giant stomp, rotating her head, and brandishing her palm.
Hinako gave a Sumo cry as she charged in to intercept her opponent, who was standing there calmly, one hand extended in her usual stance.
Hinako swung hard: Chizuru swatted her arm aside, stumbling her. She regained her footing and came back with another slap: Chizuru caught her wrist and flung the arm away. Hinako stepped in and threw... a roundhouse kick...?!
...Chizuru slightly moved her head back an inch, and Hinako slipped and fell.
Hinako leaped up, brushing herself off... at this point, her pants were loud and heavy. But she persisted one last time, pretty much THROWING herself at Chizuru to attempt a last-minute clinch.
This time, Chizuru went for the kill. She drew her hand back and charged in, matching Hinako's arrival with her own. Using the Sumo girl's own momentum against her, Chizuru pressed her hand against Hinako's face and easily took the girl off her feet, slamming her backwards to the ground.
Chizuru was able to easily hold her down with one hand, keeping it pressed against her face, as she lowered herself and mounted her, pressing a knee down on her stomach to hold her there.
Hinako wriggled, like a dying worm on a hook... but each passing second of resistance sapped her muscles more and more, until just breathing became a chore. Finally, she was forced to go dead weight... with a reluctant tap, the fight was over.
WINNER: CHIZURU KAGURA
"...Well I'll be damned. Pay up, Kingy." Mai muttered, amazed eyes still focused on the victorious Kagura.
"What? You were serious about that?!" King argued.
"Hey, you said she couldn't do it." Mai shrugged.
"You DID say that." Chizuru smirked, from where she sat beside her... strangely enough, she looked like she hadn't taken a single exerting breath. In fact, it looked like she had never left her seat...!
...The answer was revealed seconds later, as the Chizuru Kagura standing in the combat zone, slowly became transparent... the color continued to dissipate... until it vanished completely. Hinako got back up, looking around, confused as she ever was. With an embarrassed chuckle, she finally left for the locker room.
"Fine, here's your damn money Mai." King grumbled, tossing Mai 10 dollars. The kunoichi happily stowed it away in her cleavage.
"So two fights, zero hits taken. You must feel pretty good about yourself." King deadpanned to her teammate, hints of jealousy in her tone.
Chizuru's face surprisingly turned solemn. "There was no joy in that for me, King. I have to save my energy, for harder battles to come. I told Rose I wanted Shermie this round... but the hostess seems intent on making a statement by demonstrating her authority over me. So I have no choice but to keep winning, until I finally get who I want."
King sighed, slumping over against her fist. "Hmph. Must be amazing to fight with some higher sense of duty. My motivations stem as simple as money, and a little payback. I guess you'll win it all, Chiz, cuz you're the 'chosen one' to defeat evil and all that jazz. Hmpppphh..."
Chizuru sensed bitterness in King; rather than getting defensive, she instead brightened the situation... with a hug. King failed to see it coming, and the Frenchwoman was ill-prepared to return the gesture, meaning Chizuru had pretty much captured her in the embrace.
"I have no desire for the money, King. So how about this? If I win this tournament, you, Mai and Yuri can split it among yourselves. Deal?" she smiled, pressing her cheek against King's.
King was instantly reduced to a blushing mess. "Ahh... I... ahh... w-wow... uhh... n'a pas vu venir..."
"Awwwww CHIZ!" Mai glomped the Kagura lady from behind. "Wait until Yuri hears that! THANK YOU!"
Yuri, who was tending to her brother's lip, probably would have overwhelmed Chizuru with a third hug, but the force of two was enough for the Kagura lady, who was blushing madly.
"Hahahaha... okay, okay. You're both very welcome. If I can make you girls happy, then that's all the prize I need."
King, who was now feeling VERY guilty, looked away in embarrassment. "Th-thanks Chiz... you're good people."
From her VIP booth, Rose sat cross-legged, Rodem Jr. in her lap. As she stroked her pet tenderly, she exclaimed her utter delight:
"Ohohohohoho! Toying with your opponent like that... I didn't know you had such a dark side, Madame Kagura! But you'll have to beg my pardon... I can't afford to have you out so quickly, after all. You're much more valuable to the ratings in the later rounds. My gift to you~!"
ROUND 2 FIGHT #5: SIE KENSOU VS RYUJI YAMAZAKI
For two fighters on such opposite spectrums, their motivation was... surprisingly similar. It was no far stretch to claim money as a motivator, being 2 and a half million of the big ones, but for each of them, they desired it for their own reasons. Yamazaki's need for the money was to help finance the campaign to take over Southtown, with the end result hopefully being him on the throne of the iconic city. Of course, it was uncertain whether he was REALLY with Big on that, or if his desires spanned much higher... beyond the realm of humanity...
As for Kensou, his desire for the money had become a NEED. Though successful in his protection of Athena (to a degree), he was far from out of hot water: now Malin was demanding a ridiculous price from him, one that could only be achieved through victory. To add further issues, he had a nasty gash in his leg, and he could feel the pain every time he put pressure on it. Once everyone caught wind of the injury, his betting odds became ASTRONOMICALLY high for any further fights he'd be participating in. Suffice to say, the road to gold for Kensou was far and wide...
Yamazaki was the first in the combat zone. The man looked like he'd barely crawled out of bed that morning, as his nappy hair contained several cow licks. Furthermore, he had gone the epitome of casual, donning a black y-back tanktop instead of his usual form-fitting t-shirt. It was general knowledge that Yamazaki had a beefy upper half... but good lord, his arms were HUGE in their unobstructed glory. The only thing that could match the thickness of those slabs was the vivid cleavage of his bountiful pectorals. The thug was thicc.
"ALRIGHT RYUJI!" Big cheered for his colleague at ringside, along with the posse of four he had formed. "WIPE THIS GLUTTONOUS GNAT OFF THE MAP!"
Yamazaki turned to Big... then turned back to the combat zone and let out a huge yawn. In front of 75,000 people, he even went as far as to stick his hand down his pants and scratch... whatever it is he was scratching.
In the men's locker room, Kensou had at last finished dressing. For today's battle and the stakes involved, he wore his OG Psycho Soldier costume: a green Chinese fighting garb, with a red headband and red kung fu shoes. This attire filled him with power, with confidence... he felt like a true Dragon when he wore them. He would need all the advantages he could get, even a mere psychological one.
He stared long and deep in the mirror. "Gotta win today... I don't care who they put in front of me, I'll take em down!"
"...Well said, my boy."
Kensou spun around, noticing he was no longer alone: his master Chin Gentsai had entered the room, as well as his younger disciple Bao. A boy he shared a... strange connection with.
"M-Master!" he bowed. "I'm not sure you're allowed back here..."
"Bah." Chin dismissed. "I simply came back here to wish you good luck. And I wanted to make sure your mind was right. I know things have been... confusing... with Athena up to this point, but she's out now. There's nothing left for you but to win of your own accord."
Kensou bowed again. "Thank you, Master. And yeah... I'm not worried about Athena right now. I'm worried about... um, anyways, I'm not sure how far I'll get with this leg..."
"I can help with that!" Bao exclaimed.
"Bao?" Kensou questioned.
Chin nodded. "Kensou, my lad... you and Bao share a very special bond. One that goes even beyond my comprehension. Would that I could, I'd gladly bring the two of you to light on the origin of the Dragon Power that co-exists within you, but I simply cannot... perhaps some things can only be described as fate's design. However, from observing the two of you as long as I have, I've come to a theory... I believe the dragon vessel that infuses you both is a single entity, but bearing two heads, channeling power to both, but disrupting the balance whenever necessary. Whatever the truth is... just know that you two are forever entwined."
"Kensou-nii." Bao approached him. "This is for you. Please fight on."
Kensou was slightly startled, as Bao threw himself against the man's waist and hugged him tight. All at once, their bodies began to radiate energy, surrounded by a golden aura... it lasted for several seconds, before the two lights began to differ: Kensou's grew brighter, while Bao's dimmer.
Seconds later, the room once again dimmed, as the illumination flickered out.
"There..." Bao grumbled weakly. "I gave you... my... power... temporarily... use it to... win..."
The young boy collapsed backwards, into Chin's arms, unconscious.
"BAO!" Kensou yelled and tried to approach, only to be repelled by Chin.
"It's okay." the master explained. "Bao merely tipped the scales of the Dragon power between you. Yours is much greater now, and his is weaker. Eventually, it will balance itself back out, and the two of you will return to normal. For now, use his gift and go bring victory to the Psycho Soldiers!"
Kensou looked down at the boy, then at Chin, finally turning back to the mirror... and his fists clenched. Right now, standing on that leg, it felt better than it had felt the whole time in Germany! He had the power now... the power to carve his own legacy. This battle could mean MORE than just paying back Malin; winning this tournament meant rising from Athena's shadow! Too long had he been roped in as her "sidekick", her lesser. NO MORE! He was Sie Kensou! He held the Dragon Spirit in his veins! He could be equally as powerful... or GREATER than Athena ever was!
This was HIS time now; only he was left to claim victory for the Psycho Soldiers!
"Thank you Bao, Master Chin!" Kensou bowed one last time, and headed for the exit. "I'll win for us!"
There was a noticeable pop in the crowd when Kensou walked out, indicating the masses were very much on his side for this next bout. It worked wonders for his confidence, whereas Yamazaki couldn't have cared less.
In the fighter stands, Kensou also found many supporters.
"CMON KENSOU! YOU GOT THIS!" Mai cheered.
"Yes, for the love of god please beat that guy." King grunted.
"I'll second that one, sister." Shen Woo grinned. "Guy needs to be taught a lesson! Nobody beats me and gets away with it! E-except Athena, that is. That's a bad bitch."
"GO KENSOU! WE'LL CELEBRATE WITH LEBERKÄSE WHEN IT'S OVER!" Xiangfei supported her fellow Chinaman and lover of fine cuisine.
Also in the stands were... some more unusual supporters.
"DON'T YOU LOSE THIS, BUN BOY!" Malin's cheer was more like a demand. "I GOT PLANS FOR THAT COOL MIL YOU OWE ME! YOU LOSE, I'll SMACK YOU LIKE A BITCH!"
"Rooting against Yamazaki?" Jenet snickered. "I thought you liiiiiiiked him~"
"Hey, my intensely horny fantasies of Ryuji can wait. This is business, darling." Malin informed. "I'm trying to make some motherf***ing money. Now stow it, and send some positive vibes towards that rice-eating son of a..."
And of course... "she" was present as well. Regardless of their circumstances thus far in Germany together, whatever fate befell Kensou, would affect his partner as well. They were in this together, as was the case with anything and everything in life. Thus, Athena made an effort to let whatever smoldering remains of tension resided die down, and give her full support.
"I can't believe Kensou-nii made it further than you." Momoko, who sat beside her, spoke.
"Yeah..." Athena mumbled, sort of disconnected from the conversation.
"Hey uh... are you two okay?" Momoko innocenrtly asked.
Athena thought about it for a second: WERE they okay? He'd cheated on her behalf, without her consent, ignited Krauser's fury, severely violated the tournament rules and was lucky not to get them both canned... but it was all over now. She'd patched things up with Krauser. Her opponent, Ryo, defeated her soundly, so there was no speculation of alternate scenarios and "what could've been." She was healthy. She was content. So perhaps... perhaps she had Kensou to thank for that after all. Maybe his misguided chivalry set all these events in motion.
"Yeah... we're fine." Athena at last responded to Momoko, with a sweet smile.
"Oooh, here he comes~!" Momoko pointed.
Athena actually felt herself well up with excitement when Kensou charged into the combat zone, his leg appearing to not bother him at all. He looked so fierce, so... determined... it was almost like he was facing Krauser again.
"Kensou... do well." Athena whispered softly, her fists clenching.
"For the record, Mignon thinks its hilarious that Kensou made it further than Miss Perfect Panties! LA LA LA LA LAAAAA~!" Mignon made her presence ear-splittingly known, singing a taunt to her downed rival, who glared Psycho Daggers at her.
FIGHT!
The fight started... and predictably, Yamazaki made no effort to appear ready. Even as Kensou was in battle-ready stance, Yamazaki was standing there, hand in his pocket, hair still nappy, looking no more prepared than when he woke up that morning.
Kensou waited... waited... waited for the man to at least put his guard up. Yamazaki did nothing.
"Gonna be like that, eh? Alright, here I come."
Kensou rushed him, and went airborne; he demonstrated amazing agility, delivering a TRIPLE flying kick in midair, pumping out three kicks in succession before his feet touched the ground. Yamazaki took all three, and was stumbled back a fair distance... his body looked like it was going to fall backwards... but he eventually balanced himself out, and his hand stayed nestled in its pocket.
"WILL YOU STOP SCREWING AROUND, DUMMY? WE NEED THIS!" Big tried to jolt some energy into him.
Yamazaki cut his eyes slightly, before rolling them back into place. He focused on Kensou, who was coming forward again, and the Chinese kid started throwing. A left hand: Yamazaki shifted his right shoulder to absorb the hit. A cutting low kick: Yamazaki lifted his foot just enough for it to sail past, and Kensou spun around with the momentum... coming around with a high spinning hook kick! Yamazaki had to bring his hand up to block the foot, as the loud slap of impact resonated in the Stadium.
Yamazaki stumbled from the recoil, as Kensou frontflipped forward to keep meeting him. He pumped a double kick, left foot nailing Yamazaki's knee, before his right foot flew up in succession to try and crack his head. Ryuji took the knee hit, but he swayed his head back smoothly to avoid the more explosive second kick.
Kensou kept pushing: a spinning mid kick to the chest, doubling up with a leaping roundhouse after it. Yamazaki took the first hit and dodged the second, and his hand came up just in time to swat away the left palm strike that came after. Kensou followed up with a right, and Yamazaki swung his hand back the other way with a sloppier, backhanded parry.
At that moment, the dirty tricks came out. As Kensou was recoiling from the parry, Yamazaki sneakily cruised his foot across the dirt surface, kicking up a clump of grainy particles into Kensou's face.
"Agh!" Kensou yelped as his defenses fell, not mature enough in body and spirit to fight through such a distraction as loss of eyesight.
With a slasher smile, Yamazaki got a running start and PUNTED him in the stomach, folding the boy like a chair and dropping him to his knees.
"NOOO KENSOU!" Momoko wailed.
"Urrkh.. cough cough... cough!" Kensou struggled to regain lost air, as Yamazaki loomed over... he looked up, just in time for Yamazaki to snatch him by the hair and pull back.
"AGGGHHHHHH!"
His target held in place, Yamazaki lifted his knee, drew backwards... with a high-pitched cackle, the knee sailed forward and crashed into Kensou's jaw, felling the boy on the spot.
Dazed, desperate, the world spinning around him, Kensou saw nothing but the shadow creeping closer... seconds later, he felt a shoe plant into his stomach. A second shoe. A third shoe. The cackling of a madman...
"ATTACK THE LEG! THE LEG! YOU GOTTA PROBLEM WITH THAT?!" Big coached.
Yamazaki turned his head towards the stands... surprisingly, he lifted two eyebrows, as if Big had made a valid point. Returning to Kensou, he lifted his foot again... and brought it crashing down on the wounded leg of the boy.
The pain was officially back.
"AUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Kensou's agonized wail shivered the spine of the masses, fan and fighter alike. Athena particularly hated to see him hurt like that...
"GET BACK TO YOUR FEET, KENSOU! SPRING WITH YOUR HANDS!" she instructed.
Kensou's leg pain helped distract his spinning head, and he obeyed... but not before making a slight mistake. He instinctively launched a fireball to try and distance Yamazaki...
"CHO KYUU DA-"
SWOOP! Yamazaki's snake-like arm flew out in a blur and snatched the fireball out of mid-air. Strangely, he didn't return it yet... he just stood there with a cocky smile, wagging his finger in a "no-no" gesture, while the hand that did the deed remained at his side...
Kensou spring-kicked back to his feet... and THAT'S when the fireball came back at him: now reddish-black in color, glowing with an evil taint. Kensou didn't have time to dodge it, and the high-speed projectile exploded into his stomach and dropped him again.
"GET UP GET UP GET UUUUUP!' Mignon screamed loudly. "MIGNON WON'T ALLOW YOU TO LET THE FORCES OF EVIL WIN!"
Thankfully, Yamazaki didn't pursue him; the odd man simply allowed Kensou to get back up. As Kensou returned to his feet, he could already feel a searing pain jolt through his leg; it nearly gave out right then.
"His leg's in bad shape!" Momoko pointed.
"Yeah... it is..." Athena half-muttered. She seemed to not even acknowledge Momoko's words, as her eyes were... mysteriously focused on Kensou... on an abnormal level...
Kensou grimaced, his eyes closing... but they opened again, and his eyes looked different. They looked like...!
"I have the Dragon Spirit in me!" Kensou roared, as he glowed with a golden aura. "With this power, I WILL DESTROY EVIL!"
"Well, cmon then." Yamazaki casually beckoned.
Kensou took a step on the leg; it held up! With a confident smile, he charged forward and met Yamazaki with a tremendous flying kick to the face! Yamazaki seemed surprised, as he took it square in the mug, and was sent reeling backwards from the force. It's a miracle he didn't hit the ground...!
Hand still in his pocket, Yamazaki rushed in with a stomping mid kick: Kensou caught his leg, and countered with a palm to his stomach. He saw Ryuji's face grimace, as the man sucked in air... Kensou decided to send him down the rest of the way with a palm to the face.
As Yamazaki hit the ground, Kensou didn't let up: he went airborne into a front flip, his leg extended, and he brought the full weight crashing down on Yamazaki's stomach with a ground strike.
"Ghhgh..." Yamazaki puffed out air, as his stomach took the brunt of the kick, and he turtled up in pain. There was no chance of him punishing Kensou at this close range, as Kensou backflipped to safety.
"GO KENSOU GOOO!" Mignon cheered.
"YOU'RE DOING IT, YOU BEAUTIFUL BUN-SCARFER YOU!" Mignon exclaimed.
"YOU BETTER WIN! I WANT MY F***ING MONEY!" Malin... cheered?
Yamazaki got up slowly... he cut his eyes and could see Kensou trying to close in. With a hiss, he spun around and tried to swing on him: Kensou parried his arm, and came around with a back chop, drilling his lungs. As Yamazaki hunched over from the impact, Kensou brought his foot up high and kicked him square in the forehead, sending him backwards into an erratic stumble.
If Big had hair, this is where he'd be pulling it out. "RYUJI! FOCUS, DAMMIT, FOCUS! OUR PLAN! OUR VISION!"
Kensou stepped in deep, ramming a fist full-force into his stomach; Yamazaki reeled, and Kensou brought two monkey slaps upside his face, before spinning around with a backfist that cracked him clean on the nose. Yamazaki stumbled, stumbled... and Kensou leaped up, spinning around with a flying roundhouse to the jaw.
KAPOWWWWW! Yamazaki took it on the button... and the man fell.
The audience was going crazy. The fighters were out of their seats, clapping wild. Malin in particular was leaping so much, she lost balance and Jenet had to catch her. The Stadium shook with the ravenous cheers of the masses, as they heralded the Psycho Soldier's awesome performance against a man... not particularly well-liked.
"He did it! He actually did it~!" Momoko wailed. "ATHENA-NEE! KENSOU-NII DID IIIIIIT!"
But Athena... for some strange reason... didn't seem convinced. Her eyes were focused no longer on Kensou, but on the body of Ryuji himself. She sensed... a foul taste in the air. It wafted to her nostrils and settled on her tongue, to the point that her face curled.
Evil.
"Hhhheeeehehehehehehehehe...heeeheeheheheheheheheheheheheeheeheeee.."
Before Kensou could be declared the winner, signs of life showed from Yamazaki's body again... he was shaking with laughter?!
"Heeehee... AHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!"
Kensou remained on guard. "What the..."
Yamazaki kept cackling the entire time as he slowly helped himself up... his face, though busted, showed no signs of discomfort; in fact, he seemed happier than ever. But the most noticeable difference in the man was... his body, which glowed with a dark red hue surrounding him.
"HOOOOOO MAMA!" Yamazaki howled. "You sure know how to throw a punch, kid! I haven't been this excited during a fight for a long, long time. I might have to check my drawers when this is over!"
In a more isolated corner of the stands, a select few were watching this fight with great interest. Some wished fortune upon the homicidal maniac who had returned to the spotlight, some wishing the opposite outcome... or maybe, deep down, they all had conflicting emotions on the matter.
"Thought he was done for a moment." Mature stated.
"Don't be a fool, Mature." Vice returned. "Remember what they call him?"
"Yes, of course. Madness-"
"Unfiltered."
"Perhaps our God is smiling upon him."
"He's done nothing to earn such favor."
"Maybe this means our ambition is meant to prevail. Maybe we've been chosen to inherit the Earth, not those Heavenly Douchebags."
"Kukukukuku... don't be silly, Mature. We both know Yamazaki has no place in our world either. When this is all said and done, I'll personally rip his heart out and make a stew with it."
"Fufufufufufufu... sounds scrumptious. But for the time being, we might as well cheer for him. He's clearing out the excess gunk, after all."
"But if he loses?"
"That's fine too~"
"More fun for us, I suppose."
"The end result is the same, regardless."
"Our world."
"Nobody..."
"...Else's."
I never thought I'd have to cut another fight short, but here we freaking are LOL! Ah well, I'm pleased with the pace. I'll go ahead and dedicate next chapter to finishing Fight #5, and probably add in some more Freeman stuff. From here on, it's gonna have to be one fight per chapter. Chizuru had the last squash match of the round, so the stakes are real from here on.
NEXT CHAPTER: Yamazaki has gained a second win, but Kensou's not out of this yet! The Dragon Spirit still burns in him... and who knows? He might have ANOTHER ace in the hole, that he's not quite aware of. It's the conclusion to Kensou vs Yamazaki! TUNE IN AND SEE!