Chapter Forty
Wieliczka Salt Mine, Wieliczka, Poland
In the middle of a match, Siegfried Schtatuffen found himself fighting against Ukon - one of Yoshimitsu's allies who was accompanying him on his mission with the Chosen Ones. Ukon possessed two weapons - a dagger and a falchion sword, the latter he chose to use against Siegfried's much larger zweihänder sword.
Nearby, Hilde promptly blocked an incoming attack with her short sword against her katana-wielding opponent, Sakon - Ukon's tag team partner and brother. Sakon also had a dagger, but chose not to use it in the fight for the moment. In Hilde's other hand was a long spear, which also contained the two-pointed style flag of her kingdom, Wolfkrone, colored in black, red, and gold and contained the head of a roaring red wolf within a circle and a blue background.
The two teams found themselves fighting within the Wieliczka Salt Mine, which was excavated some time during Earthrealm's 13th century. The mine had continuously produced salt up until over a decade ago. Since then, it has served as a tourist destination like many other places chosen as a destined place for a match in the Shikoken Tournament. In the case of the mine, the four fighters were in a section known as the Saint Kinga's Chapel, which contained various religious artwork carved into the walls, and a handful of lit chandeliers that brightened the large room. The benches that were usually there were cleared out for the match.
At one point, Siegfried attempted an uppercut maneuver with the flat side of his sword, but Ukon jumped back from it. From there, Siegfried took a couple of steps forward as he swung his sword back down at his opponent, who took a few side steps to evade it. Siegfried then tried to move in to lift his foot for a forward kick, but Ukon jumped up and over it… right before he performed a snap kick that gave Siegfried no choice but to stagger back, though he remained on his feet regardless.
"Dammit…" Siegfried cursed under his breath as he shook off the pain.
Ukon briefly charged up some chi energy in his sword - the blade surrounded by an red-orange color aura - right before he swiftly moved in for another attack. When he was just a foot away from reaching his opponent, Ukon spun himself around right before he swiped his sword from one side to the other. In the process, he unleashed an energy wave from his sword - one in the same red-orange color as the aura around the weapon - that flew straight towards Siegfried. The Keiseian didn't have time to get out of the way before the energy wave smashed into his chest and hurled him away until his back hit the mine's rocky walls.
Siegfried clenched his teeth and ignored the pain in his back as he pushed himself off the wall and dashed quickly back towards Ukon. He didn't hesitate to swing his heavy sword from one side to the other, which made Ukon jump away from the attack. That gave Siegfried the chance to move in closer before he grabbed for Ukon's arm, pulled him forward, and performed two quick knees to the stomach. That, of course, forced Ukon to gasp and keel over. Siegfried then let him go as he took a step back, spun around, then crouched low as he used the flat side of his sword to trip Ukon, who proceeded to crash onto his back.
As Siegfried straightened himself back up, Ukon stared up at him from where he fell. "There's no way I'm gonna lose," he stated.
"Neither will I," Siegfried replied.
Meanwhile, Hilde found herself on offense as she spun her spear rapidly in one hand in a figure-eight motion at her opponent, Sakon. Sakon was forced to back away from the maneuver before Hilde jumped up, somersaulted forward, and attempted a downward hit with her spear. Sakon used his katana to block the attack.
The two pushed their weapons against each other for a brief second before Sakon used all of his strength to push his fellow Keiseian back. Hilde nearly lost her balance as she staggered away, but she used the flat side of her spear to maintain her footing. As she did, Sakon swiftly dashed forward and swung his katana diagonally, which forced his opponent to shift herself away. When he went in for another swing, she blocked the maneuver with her short sword.
The two went back and forth briefly with their respective weapons before Sakon found an opening. He lifted his foot and shoved it into Hilde's stomach. Though her armor protected her, the pressure still made her draw in a sharp breath as she slightly bent forward from the sudden hit.
As Hilde recovered from the attack, Sakon placed katana back in its scabbard at his belt before her perform a couple of backward handsprings in order to create some berth between them. He then took out his dagger, charged up a dark purple chi energy around the blade, and threw it forward.
Hilde gasped as soon as she noticed the dagger coming towards her, its chi energy trailing behind it. With quick thinking, the Wolfkrone Princess used both her short sword and spear to overlay them in an 'x' pose just as the dagger came close. The weapons managed to protect her from the dagger, which immediately dropped and bounced a couple of times on the ground before it stopped just near her feet.
"That was way too close…" Hilde uttered under her breath.
Hilde then noticed Sakon running towards her while he took out his katana from its sheath once more. Quickly, she placed the flat side of her spear into the ground and held onto it tightly as she jumped up and spun around it. She then aimed both feet and smashed them into Sakon's masked face. He yelled out in pain as he was knocked down hard on his back.
Hilde gazed down at Sakon after she landed on her feet and waited for him to get back up. "You fight well, but it is I who shall triumph in this battle," she said with confidence…
A few yards away, Siegfried's fight against Ukon continued as the former ducked under the latter's roundhouse kick. Ukon then attempted to swing his sword downward, but Siegfried blocked it with his own weapon. From there, the two men went back and forth with their respective swords, the sound of steel clashing against steel echoing through their surroundings.
After a few seconds of this, the two blades ultimately clashed and their two wielders pressed forward in order to overtake the other. However, Siegfried had the advantage of a bigger weapon and he was soon able to push Ukon's sword right out of his hand. While Ukon was distracted by what just happened, Siegfried took a step forward before he performed a high roundhouse kick to his opponent's face, which promptly knocked Ukon' samurai helmet right off his head, though his menpo mask still remained.
"Kuso!" Ukon cursed.
From there, Siegfried once more used the flat side of his sword to perform an uppercut that sent Ukon flying up into the air. While Ukon began to fall back down, a blue aura surrounded Siegfried's sword as he charged some chi into it. He then took a few steps back and waited until Ukon was just about to hit the ground… then swung his sword in an up-down motion. As soon as the tip of the blade embedded itself into the ground, the chi was unleashed like a bolt of lightning and went straight towards his opponent.
As soon as the chi hit him, Ukon was sent hurling across the salt mine until he smashed into the opposite wall yards away from where the match was set up. Without his helmet, Ukon hit the back of his head right before he fell face first onto the ground.
After a few moments, one of the drones soon made its announcements; "Knockout detected."
Siegfried unstrapped his large scabbard that was behind his back as he proceeded to place his sword back within it. "A shame. I expected better from a Manji Clan member…"
While this was going on, Hilde found herself using both her sword and spear as she fought weapon-to-weapon against Sakon. However at one point, Sakon used his free hand to grab for Hilde's spear just between the blade and where her home's flag was tied. He then used all of his strength to rip the spear from Hilde's hand before he tossed the long-range weapon across the room.
"Your attempts at disarming me will not sway my resolve," Hilde told her opponent in a matter of fact.
"I believe that," Sakon replied. "And I like to think you're prepared for any challenge."
Hilde paused at that for a moment before she responded. "Your words are admirable. Which makes what I'm about to do somewhat… cumbrous."
Before Sakon could ask what she meant by that, Hilde unleashed a battle cry as she dashed forward. She raised her sword, which made Sakon do the same in order to prepare himself to block her incoming attack. Unknown to him, it was exactly what Hilde wanted him to do before leapt up and forward. Once he realized what was happening, Sakon attempted to get out of the way… but it was too late.
Before Sakon knew it, Hilde was at his side and wrapped her legs around his shoulders and neck. She then slightly shifted forward before she threw herself back and to the side so that Sakon ended up landing face down against the ground. The landing itself was with full force, and even with his helmet on, it wasn't enough to keep Sakon from blacking out after the attack was complete.
"Forgive me," Hilde murmured once she released him and was back on her feet.
After a few seconds of checking Sakon over, one of the two drones called out, "Knockout detected. Siegfried Schtauffen and Hildegard von Krone win the match."
Siegfried sighed a little after the announcement. "I'm still trying to get used to those machines," he mentioned regarding the drones.
"I am, too," Hilde agreed. "I can only imagine what the rest of Keisei would think of these Earthrealm inventions."
"It wouldn't surprise me if they saw them as 'witchcraft,'" Siegfried deadpanned.
Hilde smirked slightly with some humor. "Very likely. I wonder if Earthrealm had the same problem with inventions like this."
Siegfried shrugged his shoulders. "To be honest, I'm more worried about the fact that we just beat two of Yoshimitsu's clan members, his top confidants to be precise. I hope he forgives us."
"I'm certain he will," Hilde said. "It is a tournament after all, not a real battle."
"Very true."
Forgotten Waterfall, Southern Alps Region, New Zealand
A few moments ago, Vega Fabio de Cerna and Anna Williams arrived at the place where their next tournament match would take place. In a field surrounded by hills, a waterfall running into a river, distant mountains, and clear blue skies, it was a serene sight with plenty of room for a two-on-two battle.
Neither Vega nor Anna said a word since their arrival at their destination. Both were prepared for the fight ahead and knew what to expect from the other. What they were not prepared for, however, were the duo who appeared a few feet away as soon as the portal opened for the second time. As soon as one of them stepped out, both Vega and Anna instantly recognized them…
"Welcome to an Unnamed Waterfall in the Southern Alps Region of New Zealand, Nina and Eddy. You may begin the match at any time."
It took all of Anna's energy to temporarily placate her anger before she turned to Vega. "Kazama set this match up on purpose!" she seethed.
"At least he's giving you the chance to face her, querido mía," Vega suggested.
"Perhaps, though I'm sure it's for Nina's benefit rather than my own," Anna guessed. She then gave Vega a seductive smile before she gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't bother waiting for me to tag you in, handsome." She gave the former matador a coy wink before she turned her head to face her older sister.
By then, Anna's face twisted into a hateful scowl. Nina gave her the same look, though it was less intense than the younger of the Williams sisters.
It was Nina who spoke first. "Feel free to sit this one out," she suggested with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
Anna huffed dryly at that. "What makes you think that I wouldn't miss another opportunity to crush your face in with my heel?" From there, the younger of the two sisters promptly got herself in a fighting stance. "Since we can't kill each other in this fight, the least you can do is make this fun."
"Hmph," Nina grunted before she, too, got into her own fighting stance. "I'd worry about yourself if I were you."
Then with a battle cry, Anna launched herself forward and promptly threw the first punch, which Nina blocked with her forearm easily. The older Williams was forced on defense as Anna delivered various punches and kicks from different directions with fast precision.
However, it didn't take long for Nina to grab Anna's right arm, pull her towards her, and twist her around so that Anna's back was against her front. Before Anna could react, Nina kicked the back of her leg and forced her younger sister onto one knee, which gave her the chance to lock her arm more than a second ago. Another slight twist and Nina could easily snap it in half…
But then to Nina's surprise, Anna pushed herself off the ground before she spun herself around Nina's legs and got herself behind the blonde. Not only did the maneuver free herself from the arm lock, but it gave her the upperhand. From there, Anna quickly straightened herself up, forced Nina to bend over, and promptly kneed her right in the face.
With a pained grunt, Nina's head snapped back as she was forced to straighten back up. Despite this, she managed to lift one leg and relied on her flexibility to kick Anna in the back of her head. The back of her heel connected, which caused Anna to scream out as she stumbled forward and was forced to let Nina go.
Nina didn't hesitate to cover the distance between them, but Anna was quick to turn right back around before she delivered a hand slap right across Nina's face. Anna followed with another slap before she jumped up for a double kick. However, Nina took a step back and bent slightly away before Anna's feet smashed into her face.
As Anna attempted to recover, Nina dashed towards her and delivered a backhand right under Anna's collarbone. As the younger of the two gasped for breath, the blonde assassin lifted her leg up for a snap kick that forced Anna's head back. As the brunette staggered, Nina attempted a spin kick, but Anna was able to jump and somersault back before it connected to her legs.
Right after she landed, Anna promptly pulled up six small kunais from a strap around her thigh and underneath her red dress. She held three in each hand right before she threw them forward all at once. She then watched with barely contained glee as Nina ducked, blocked, and dodged them… saved for the last that managed to leave a small gash on Nina's right shoulder. It left enough of a sting to make her hiss in pain.
Noting Nina's distraction, Anna moved in close and delivered a knee to Nina's stomach, which forced her to keel over in agony. Anna then followed with a flip kick - her heel smashing into Nina's face - before she landed on her feet, lifted her leg, and delivered an axe kick right on the recently-cut shoulder. Despite the force and additional pain, Nina still maintained her balance, though she did grab hold of her shoulder as she glared at her younger sister with disdain.
Anna gave Nina a sweet smile. "Is that all you've got, Nina? As far as I'm concerned, playtime's not over yet."
Meanwhile, the five-minute timer went off - and Eddy wasn't surprised when Vega quickly jumped right into the fray. The former matador flew up and forward until he was directly over Eddy's head. He then turned himself upside down and flew straight downward. Eddy just managed to flip back and away a couple of times before Vega's claw left a gash on him.
"Two-on-two battle initiated by Team Vega Fabio de Cerna and Anna Williams," announced one of the two drones monitoring the match.
The two men glared at each other as soon as Vega was on his feet. It was a split second later when Vega narrowed his eyes at Eddy. "The time has come for you to cower before my limitless beauty."
It took all of Eddy's energy to keep himself from laughing over that statement. "With that mask over your face, I doubt that." Eddy then lifted a hand and beckoned Vega over. "Come on!" he dared.
"You'll be seeing red by the time I'm done with you." With a battle cry, Vega leapt forward towards Eddy, his claw out in front of him. As soon as his opponent was close enough, Eddy swiftly spun around while making sure to avoid the claw. As soon as he was behind Vega, Eddy flipped onto his hands to perform a downward kick that knocked Vega face first into the ground. Eddy then attempted to let his leg drop on top of Vega's back, but the Outworld enforcer rolled away and forced Eddy's legs to hit the ground instead.
As Vega stood up, Eddy got himself in a crouch position before he attempted a sweep kick which Vega jumped from. The Capoeira fighter then extended himself up while performing an uppercut that Vega backed away from after he landed on his feet. From there, Eddy spun himself once more until his foot connected to the side of Vega's torso with enough strength to make him stagger a few feet.
"You pest…" Vega growled.
Eddy simply ignored his words and instead slid forward towards him. He then crouched low once more before he performed an upward kick that Vega backed away from. Eddy then spun on his hands before he hit Vega's chest with a backward kick. The force of the attack was enough to knock Vega off his feet and onto his back.
"Enough!" Vega shouted right after he performed a kip-up. "It's time that you learned your place!"
"Whatever," Eddy replied nonchalantly.
With a yell, Vega jumped off the ground and flew towards the nearby rock wall. He used the wall as leverage to push off and fly towards Eddy claw first. As expected, Eddy jumped sideways and out of the way. At the same time, Vega tucked himself in a ball, angled himself downward, and soon landed on his feet and came to a sliding stop.
After that, Vega didn't hesitate to sprint towards his opponent, who stood in his fighting stances and waited for him. Once within reach, Vega swiped his claw a few times at his opponent, who ducked and dodged from it with ease, at least until he crouched low and delivered a side kick to Vega's hip. As the former matadar stumbled a little, Eddy took the chance to spin himself, flip forward, and executed a somersault kick that landed on Vega's shoulder. With a pain growl, Vega nearly lost his foot, but only stumbled a little before he regained himself.
Just as Eddy landed on his feet, Vega swiftly moved in to grab him. Before Eddy could protest, Vega jumped and flipped upward into the air before he threw Eddy down as hard as possible into the ground. Eddy hit the ground hard enough to cause dirt to fly up and around him. He then happened to gaze up and saw Vega fall back down towards him. Eddy had no choice but to get out of the way, which he was able to do right before Vega landed and stabbed his claw into the ground.
Eddy flipped onto his hands, spun himself, and returned to his feet before he turned to face his opponent - only to realize that Vega was right upon him faster than he expected!
Vega shouted one more high-pitch battle cry right before he executed several backflips that gained enough momentum to hurl Eddy upwards. Once the two were in the air, Vega used his claw to lash over Eddy's back - enough to cut through the shirt he wore and leave behind a gash that soon started to bleed. To Eddy's credit, he only hissed and kept himself from screaming over the sudden pain.
"Adieu," Vega muttered right before he lifted a foot and smashed his heel into the back of Eddy's head. The force of the kick sent his opponent crashing back to the ground face first while the former matador himself landed gracefully on both of his feet.
As Vega expected, Eddy lost consciousness from the last hit…
While that was going on, Anna just landed a forward kick into Nina's stomach with enough force to knock the blonde onto her back. Anna then walked over to where her sister landed and lifted her foot to stomp her face in. However, Nina rolled out of the way and Anna was forced to smash her heel into the dirt instead.
Nina rolled back and returned to her feet just as Anna faced her once more. Neither sister hesitated to cover the space between them. Anna initially went in for a palm strike, but Nina - for the second time since the match began - grabbed her arm, locked it against her, and wrapped her free arm around Anna's neck to pin the younger woman against her.
"Damn you, Nina!" Anna growled with frustration.
Without another word, Nina flipped them both back and it wasn't long before the blonde assassin smashed Anna head first against the ground. Once that was done, Nina let her sister go and rolled back onto her feet before she promptly got herself in a fighting stance. She then waited a few seconds to see if Anna would continue the fight…
However… her younger sister didn't get up after those few seconds passed.
"'Til next time, sweet Anna," Nina murmured with a hint of sarcasm.
"Knockouts detected," a drone soon announced. "Only one fighter per team is left standing."
A split second later, Nina and Vega found themselves facing each other. Neither one said a word for the first few moments, at least until Nina narrowed her blue eyes at him. "My contract to take you out still stands," she warned him.
Vega huffed at that - it didn't surprise him at all to hear that. Two years ago, an unknown client of Nina's assigned her to assassinate Vega for his past crimes as one of the 'Four Kings' of Shadaloo. He was the one who actually led Nina to the ships that would take them to Outworld for the Blood Tournament.
Strangely enough, it was at that same tournament where he met Anna. The fact that she was Nina's younger sister was merely a coincidence.
Vega momentarily adjusted his porcelain mask before he returned to his fighting stance. "A shame I won't be able to give you a beautiful death. But at least I'll have the pleasure of drenching you in your own blood when I'm through with you."
Nina rolled her eyes at his words. "You actually think you can still get me with that claw? Please…"
"At least I have aim," Vega taunted.
Nina knew what he meant - she nearly succeeded in assassinating him at the very end of the Blood Tournament to where she thought him dead at that moment (though there was no time to fully check that day). However, the bullet that hit his shoulder missed the major artery that would've guaranteed a total bleed-out, so he ended up surviving. It was something, of course, Vega would never let her live down even after two years since it happened.
Without another word, Nina dashed towards Vega before she was close enough to perform a cartwheel kick, which Vega quickly jumped away from. Nina then performed a forward flip kick before she followed with a couple of palm strikes, all which Vega evaded with fast speed.
Vega then jumped up high in the air just as Nina attempted to deliver a forward kick. While still in the air, the former matador flipped himself so that he was upside down before he began to drop back down directly towards his opponent. Nina's eyes widened as he noted the fact that he was gaining speed and promptly moved out of the way. However, it wasn't fast enough…
"AAH!" Nina shouted as Vega's claw cut her left arm left behind a sharp, stinging sensation. She quickly backed away and looked at it momentarily. The cuts bled right away, but not to the point that it would be a concern. Still, there was a question as to whether it would leave a scar behind once it was healed.
Vega let out a high-pitched laugh as he stared delightly at the blood left behind on his three claws. "The smell of fresh blood in the air… ecstasy!"
What the hell does that minx see in this loon? Nina found herself thinking before she took a deep breath and returned to her fighting stance.
Vega smirked at her from underneath his mask before he, too, returned to his fighting stance. "As you please," he said - right before he rolled forward to cover the space between them, got down on one knee, and stabbed his claw forward. The maneuver forced Nina to jump back before his claw cut into her once more.
"Pathetic," Nina grumbled just before she took Vega's recovery time to her advantage. After dashing forward, Nina slapped Vega across the face - she knew it wouldn't hurt him much due to his mask, but there was at least enough force behind it to make his head snap sideways. Before he recovered from the hit, Nina followed with a snap kick underneath his chin before she went in with a double palm strike to his chest. The last hit hurled him backwards a few feet until he hit the dirt ground hard against his back.
Despite the pain in his body, Vega was still able to sit up and quickly roll forward to get himself back on his feet. "How dare you!" he growled right before he flipped forward to reach her again.
As soon as he was close enough, Vega lashed his claw sideways, and Nina had no choice but to fall back to evade it. She ended up using her hands to keep herself from completely falling onto the ground and her feet remained on the ground, forcing herself into a bridge pose. Noting this, Vega lifted his leg up and attempted an ax kick that aimed at his opponent's stomach. To his surprise, Nina pushed both of her legs up and, using her hands to balance herself, actually grabbed Vega's ankle with both of her feet. Before Vega could attempt to get out of the grip, Nina rolled to the side and took him with her. As soon as she let go, Vega spun across the grass a few feet before he came to a complete stop.
Nina swiftly rolled back before she jumped onto her feet. She ran towards Vega just as he kipped up and returned to his feet - but by that time, Nina jumped up, flipped upside down, and grabbed either side of his head. Before he knew it, Nina used all of her strength to somersault forward and throw Vega over her head before she let him go. She sent him flying across the small field before he crashed back first into the rocky hillside they were fighting next to.
Vega felt some dizziness come over him, but he still noticed Nina running towards him. He took a few steps forward to lash his claw at her, but Nina evaded it easily as she spun herself to get behind him. She then grabbed for the arm that contained his claw, got it in a lock, then pulled him close so that he couldn't escape. She then used her free hand to grab a good chunk of his hair at the back of his head.
Even with the significant height and weight difference between them, Nina maintained a good, vice-like grip on Vega.
"Sweet dreams," she whispered in his ear - right before she turned him so that he was facing the rocky wall and used all of her strength to smash his face right into it. Not surprisingly, his mask cracked and partially shattered upon impact, and it was no surprise when the former matador promptly fell back like a rag doll onto the ground with a loud thud.
The move, as Nina expected, caused Vega to lose consciousness…
"Knockout detected. Nina and Eddy win the match."
Nina adjusted her strands of blonde hair from her face before she stared down where both Vega and Anna had fallen. "What's done is done," she said simply. "Next time we face each other, it'll be, 'goodbye.'"
Franklin Horse Stable, Windham, Pennsylvania, USA
"This… is not the ideal place for a tournament match," Lee Chaolan grumbled as he gazed at his surroundings.
"Look on the bright side," his tag team partner Cyrax began. "At least they cleared out the manure."
"...True. But the smell is still left to be desired…"
"Benefits of built-in filters," Cyrax pointed out as he pointed at his own face.
"...I am jealous right about now."
As the two waited for their opponents to arrive, Lee and Cyrax found themselves on an open field with a horse farm not too far from them. The horses were off in the distance on one part of the field. They were fences separating them from where the fight would take place, so there would be no interference from either side.
Of course, as mentioned, the smell was left to be desired.
Soon, a portal opened and Lee and Cyrax's opponents stepped out. One of the two drones soon made the expected announcement. "Welcome to the Franklin Horse Stable in Windham, Pennsylvania, USA, Misty and Leif. You may begin the match at any time."
Misty, who's black and purple streaked hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, pulled out a short sword from her scabbard strapped to her utility belt and pointed it at her two opponents. "All right, I'm ready to go! I'll face whichever one of you happens to have a weapon on hand! Bonus points if it happens to be a sword!"
Lee and Cyrax momentarily gazed at each other before Cyrax nodded to Lee and turned his head to Misty. "That would be me." He then pressed a couple of commands on his arm panel, which unlocked a compartment on his left forearm. He then took out the silver hilt of his weapon before he pressed a single button. One end of the hilt opened and extended a rounded cybernetic blade that gave off a soft, blue glowing hue from within.
Leif huffed with amusement the second he saw Cyrax's blade. "What the heck are you? A wannabe Storm Trooper Transformer Jedi cosplay?"
"Haha, real funny," Cyrax grumbled. He had a feeling that his closest allies were going to give him a hard time over Leif's 'joke' once the match was over. He then got into his fighting stance. "Let's engage in combat already."
"You got it!" Misty shouted - right as she jumped forward to cover the space between herself and Cyrax. She swung her sword downward just as she was within reach, and the former Lin Kuei promptly blocked the attack.
For some time after, the two went back and forth with their respective weapons as they both attempted to get themselves on offense. Eventually, Misty was able to push the yellow cyborg back a little before she jumped up, spun around, and performed a flying roundhouse kick that knocked her opponent back first onto the grass.
Cyrax quickly sat up and pressed a button on his arm panel, which unleashed a green net from a compartment in his chest. Misty's brown eyes widened at sight and she attempted to get herself out of the way. However, she ended up being caught by the net at the same time her opponent kipped up, extended one leg out, and rapidly pivoted on the other. His foot soon hit Misty's torso hard enough to send her away a few feet before she crashed onto her side.
Not even a split second after she landed. Misty took her sword and swiftly cut through the net with ease and quickly freed herself.
"...I should've seen that coming," Cyrax admitted aloud.
It was then that Misty grabbed for something from another scabbard connected to her utility belt. It didn't take long for the cyborg to realize that she grabbed a handful of short arrows. Then, she pressed a button on the hilt of her short sword, which promptly shape-shifted into a smaller version of a bow before she aimed the arrows right at her opponent.
"Huh," Cyrax said as he tilted his head at her gear. "That's actually a very unique set of weapons you have there."
"Thanks!" Misty answered almost cheerfully - right before she started to aim the arrows in his direction and began to shoot them out rapidly.
"Crap!" Cyrax shouted right before the first arrow reached him. From there, he had no choice but to duck and dodge out of the way and do all he could to focus on not getting hit. At one point, he straightened himself up and just noticed the last arrow flying towards his face. Cyrax promptly reached a hand sideways and managed to grab for the arrow from the back of the small blade before it embedded itself in his face.
"What?! No way!" Misty shouted with shock.
Cyrax chuckled as he snapped the arrow he held in his hand in half before he dropped it to the ground. "Look at me. You think I'm just some ordinary fighter?"
"No, only because I initially took you as a cosplay of a bottle of mustard in steampunk fashion."
"...That's a… creative way to look at me. By the way, yellow or Dijon? Because that makes a huge difference."
Misty rolled her eyes. "Oh shut up!" she yelled right before she ran towards Cyrax, who simply waited until she was within reach once more.
Once more, they briefly clashed with their respective weapons, but it didn't take long before Cyrax crouched low as he ducked underneath Misty's swinging sword. He then shifted himself so that he could kick upward, his foot hitting underneath her chin and hurling her towards the sky. He then swiftly stood up, teleported to her level in mid-air, and grabbed her around the waist before he lifted her over his head and slammed her down as hard as he could in a diagonal angle. He then landed gracefully back on his feet just a few yards away.
"Dammit!" Misty screamed with anger as she slammed a fist against the grass with frustration. Despite the pain in her body, she forced herself on her feet.
At the same time, Cyrax unleashed a small bomb from his chest compartment. Of course it was fake, but it did do exactly what he intended - to make Misty nervous as she quickly backed away from it. That gave Cyrax the opportunity to teleport behind Misty before he landed two punches to the back. His opponent cried out with surprise as she stumbled away, though that didn't hesitate to step forward before he delivered a kick hard enough to send her
Then the bomb went off - which only unleashed a shockwave in Misty's direction and with enough force to send her hurling away quite a few yards. Her screams could be heard until she hit the nearby wooden fence that
Cyrax expected Misty to get up after at least a few seconds. However, the more time passed and the longer one of the drones monitored his opponent, the more he realized that she was definitely not getting up again for the rest of the match.
"Knockout detected," the drone soon called out.
From there, Misty's tag team partner, Leif - a lean-built man who wore a black bandana over his long black and red streaked hair - quickly shouted out a battle cry as he jumped in wielding a bo staff. Leif swung the staff sideways, which forced Cyrax to block with his pulse blade. Once more, Cyrax found himself going back and forth in a weapon battle against Leif as the two attempted to overcome the other.
"Hey Lee!" Cyrax shouted as he also focused on the fight he was in. "You want me to tag you in, or do you still need more time for data collecting?!"
Lee actually seemed to think it over for a few moments - which actually made Cyrax a little ticked as he preferred a quick answer while he was in the middle of a fight. Thankfully, Lee made the decision to extend his hand out towards his tag team partner. "All right. Tag me."
Upon hearing that, Cyrax battled with Leif for a few more seconds before the two found themselves leaning their weapons against each other. Cyrax then pushed as hard as he could to create a distance between himself and his opponent before he performed a few backward handsprings over to where Lee stood. As soon as was within reach, the yellow cyborg tagged his partner's outstretched hand.
"Have fun," Cyrax said.
"Always do," Lee replied as he sprinted towards Leif.
With another battle cry, Leif ran towards Lee to meet him halfway. As soon as they reached each other, Leif swung his staff sideways, which Lee quickly ducked under with each. The CEO then used that opportunity to shift closer to his opponent before he performed a sweep kick that knocked Leif off his feet. From there, Lee stood up, knee Leif's torso to keep him midair, then followed with a spinning ax kick that practically shoved Leif into the ground.
From there, Lee backed up a little in order to give Leif the chance to return to his feet. It didn't take Leif long to stand and face his opponent once more.
Lee promptly got in his fighting stance and beckoned his opponent over with a finger. "Come on," he encouraged.
With a growl, Leif dashed towards Lee before he threw his staff in a downward motion. Noting this, Lee swifty jumped back and slightly off to the side to evade the attack. Leif then didn't hesitate to continue swinging in various directions, which gave Lee no choice but to maneuver himself around the weapon.
At one point, Leif jabbed his staff towards Lee, who quickly caught the edge of the weapon with both of his hands. Before Leif could react, the CEO lifted Leif right off the ground with a yell and threw him overhead. Still, Leif had a good grip on his staff as he flew forward, and the weapon slipped from Lee's grasp.
As Leif began to stand again, Lee gave his opponent a bored gaze before he let out a fake yawn. "You're boring me. You need to fight with more class."
Leif bared his teeth at Lee as he lifted his staff above his head. "I'll show you!" he shouted right before he slammed one end of the staff hard against the ground. The ground slam quickly created a shockwave that could be seen with a slight red hue and started to slide quickly towards his opponent. This forced Lee to perform a handful of backward handsprings until the shockwave became too close for comfort. At the last second, Lee jumped as high as he could and somersaulted backwards as the shockwave slid underneath him. Moments later, he landed behind the wave by mere inches. From there, the shockwave continued on for a few more yards before it faded altogether.
"Whoa…" Cyrax uttered with amazement from the sideline.
Lee smirked as he straightened himself up and returned to his fighting stance. "Okay, now we're talking!"
"Don't act all high and mighty just yet, pretty boy!" Leif shouted.
Before Lee could retaliate, Leif let out a battle cry as he dashed towards his opponent once more. Lee simply waited until Leif swung his staff in a down-up motion. Lee moved himself to the side to evade the hit before he swiveled around in order to get himself behind his opponent.
"What the-!" Leif started to yell with confusion.
From there, Lee spun around to deliver a back kick to Leif's back, who shouted with pain from the hit. Lee then used the same foot to hook it around Leif's face before he pulled him back diagonally and with enough strength to slam his opponent hard on his back.
Leif immediately lost his grip on his staff and promptly tried to grab for it, but Lee quickly kicked the weapon away and out of Leif's reach. "Bastard!" Leif yelled with anger.
Lee clicked his tongue a couple of times as he wagged a finger at Leif. "You made the mistake of taking me too lightly," the CEO pointed out.
In response, Leif forced himself on his feet while Lee waited a few feet away to give his opponent that chance. Once he was ready, Leif unleashed a battle cry as he ran towards his opponent. As soon as he was within reach, he threw a forward punch, which Lee promptly blocked with his forearm before he shoved it sideways and left his opponent wide open.
"We're done," Lee warned him - right before he grabbed Leif's head, jumped towards the air, somersaulted forward, and finally slammed the upper half of his body hard into the ground and left behind a small dent within the grassy field they fought on.
Lee stood up once he was done, and it didn't take him long to notice that the last slam rendered Leif unconscious.
"Knockout detected. Lee Chaolan and Cyrax win the match."
Lee dusted himself off after that announcement. "That was slightly entertaining," he admitted as he walked back towards his tag team partner.
"And another tournament round is behind us," Cyrax mentioned.
"Hopefully my data system made the recordings I needed to inspire more ideas for my company project."
Cyrax shook his head a little. "I admit, I'm still trying to get used to you studying my tech."
Lee gave him a reassuring smile. "As I promised before, my friend, it is for the betterment of humanity's future." His smile then turned into one of amusement. "By the way, is the answer to your question, 'dijon'?"
"Damn right it is."
Deserted Temple, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
"Welcome to the Deserted Temple in Kyoto, Japan, Cody and Guy. Your opponents will arrive momentarily."
For a few seconds, neither Cody nor Guy said a word as they both took in their surroundings after their arrival. Aside from five tall statues of samurai warriors, the place was, well… as deserted as they came. The green tiled floors were cracked and broken, the columns - once a bright red - were faded to nearly brown, and the roof above them was long missing. The fighters were instead greeted to the bright and clear afternoon sky above them.
"This place has clearly seen better days," Cody said aloud.
"Clearly," Guy simply agreed.
"It makes my old jail cell look like the Ritz, to be honest." Cody's voice went low so that none of the two drones picked up on their conversation. "Mind if I ask you a question real quick before our opponents show up?"
"Go ahead," Guy encouraged.
"...How ya doin' today?"
Guy's eyebrows furrowed over that as something dawned on him. "You know… I get why you're asking me, but this is the first time you actually asked me that question."
"Maybe I'm just trying to be an actual pal for once given how much of a pain in the ass I was years back," Cody pointed out with a shrug of his shoulders. "But seriously…"
Guy took a deep breath before he replied. "You know… not too bad. No nightmares in the last couple of nights. You know me - I'm fully focused on the battle ahead."
"Yeah, you always did say that the battlefield felt like home. Or something weird like that."
"That was a general saying regarding warriors," Guy reminded him.
"Suuure, whatever you say," Cody joshed.
At that moment, a portal opened and two young women stepped out. Cody had to blink a couple of times to make sure he didn't just find himself in the middle of a circus… Both women fashioned their hair with two ponytails - one like two black horns on top of her head, and the other was messy, uneven, and half of it was dyed green. The one with the half green hair held a large, metal hula hoop in one hand, which was bladed on the outer side of it.
"Welcome to the Deserted Temple in Kyoto, Japan, Juri and Tira. You may begin the match at any time."
Guy immediately turned to Cody and murmured, "Isn't that Juri Han? One of the three criminals who's file the Mishima Zaibatsu pulled up from the Interpol database?"
"I think so," Cody replied. "And if she's with the Zaibatsu, like we suspect, I bet Miss Hula-Hoop over there is with them, too."
"That's a practical assumption," Guy agreed.
"Ah, such a shame!" Tira suddenly shouted from across the way as she noticed her surroundings. "Not being able to kill in a place like this is such a nuisance!"
"Yeah, well…" Juri responded as she gestured a hand towards the Metro City heroes. "At least these two look like they can tolerate a good beating."
"...Sooo," Cody started unsurely as he looked between the two opponents. "Which one would you like to take on, Guy? Miss Bull Horns, or Miss Hula-Hoop? Granted, they both clearly seem bat shit crazy, buuut…"
"Clearly…" Guy grumbled as he closed his eyes. "How about the one who's less insane?"
"Pfft, good luck figuring out which one."
"Hey!" Juri called out as she stepped forward a few feet. Her decision to go first left a scowl on Tira's face. Juri ignored her as she placed a hand on her waist, bent forward at the hip, and beckoned her opponents with her other hand. She then gave them both a sadistic grin. "Are either of you ready to fight, or do you want to finish flirting with each other first?"
Guy simply glared at Juri while Cody rolled his eyes at her comment. "Yeeeah, I'll take Miss Bull Horns," Cody announced as he stepped forward. Guy sighed and shook his head as he stepped back to give the fighters more room. He then kept an eye on Tira - he was absolutely certain that she was going to jump in as soon as the five-minute timer was up.
"All right, blondie," Juri began as she got herself in a fighting stance. "What do you want me to break first?"
"How about your face?" Cody deadpanned.
Juri narrowed her eyes at him. "Smart ass," she growled - right before she dashed forward and covered the space between herself and Cody. As she did, Juri charged up her Feng Shui engine, which made her left eye glow slightly in a magenta-colored hue and matching chi energy at her feet.
Once she was close enough, Juri performed an upward sweeping kick, which forced Cody to take a couple of steps back - and for Juri's foot to narrowly miss his chin. Right after, however, Juri promptly brought her leg back down and managed to land a kick on Cody's shoulder with the back of her heel. In response, Cody backed away and hissed in pain as he held his shoulder. In his mind, he admitted to himself that Juri's kick was a lot stronger than he expected, especially from someone as petite as she was.
Juri laughed as she noticed his reaction. "You want me to make it hurt more?" she mocked.
Cody took a second to shake off the pain before he straightened himself up and got himself in a fighting stance before he beckoned her over to him with his index finger. "Yeah, like I'm the type to just take a beating and do nothing about it. Now quit boring me and fight already!"
Juri grinned maniacally as she crouched low to the ground. "If you're gonna make that kind of demand, you better make this a fun fight!"
Once more, Juri launched towards her opponent before she performed a flip kick that Cody jumped away from. Juri then attempted a few more kicks and a couple of punches, but her opponent was able to block and dodge them with ease. This went on for a bit with Juri keeping herself on offense while Cody was forced on defense.
Eventually, Juri became slightly frustrated and quickly changed her strategy. With a yell, she jumped back slightly before she charged up some chi - which was colored light gray and black like two separate stripes - that went down her right leg and towards her ankle. She then quickly swung her leg around and unleashed a spinning disc-like projectile tha hurled towards her opponent.
After he noted the projectile, Cody nearly grinned with hubris as he threw a sidearm throwing motion. In the process, he created a swirling gust of wind that he hurled at Juri's projectile. As soon as the two projectiles crashed into each other, it created a small explosion and a shockwave that forced the two fights to slide back a few feet. Both nearly lost their balance, but it didn't take them long to regain their footing.
Once that was over, Cody noticed the odd look Juri gave him. He shrugged his shoulders. "What?" he started with indifference in his voice. "You think you're the only one who can throw spinning projectiles in a fight?"
"Heh, whatever," Juri replied. "It won't matter once I've had a chance to crush your face in."
Cody huffed with amusement. "Yeah, I'd like to see you try."
From there, the two closed the space between them to continue their fight. At the same time, the five-minute timer went off, which caught Guy's attention from the sidelines. He immediately turned his head where he last saw Tira - only to notice her already flying in mid-air as she jumped up and launched herself towards him. Just as Tira fell back down, she quickly swung her ring blade diagonally downward, which forced Guy to jump back before the blade cut into him.
"Two-on-two battle initiated by Team Juri and Tira," announced one of the drones.
From there, Tira lashed her blade at her opponent, which forced him to back up further. The young Keiseian then smiled with glee as she planted her ring blade into the ground, jumped on it like a surfboard, and slid forward. She then jumped and attempted to kick Guy's face, but the Bushin warrior performed a backward handspring before it connected. This forced Tira to fly over her opponent - who swiftly kicked the back of her head while he was in mid-flip. With a pained cry, Tira flew a few more feet before she crashed onto her side. Despite the attack, she managed to spring back to her feet and turned to face her opponent.
"That hurt!" she growled, even as her eyes danced with sadistic delight. She momentarily rubbed the back of her head to check the damage left behind. "Gloomy would not like that if you do it again!"
Guy ignored that last statement (he absolutely did not want to know what she meant by it) as slid towards Tira. He crouched down as Tira swung her weapon once more… just as he expected. The move left Tira wide open, and Guy saw his chance to move in close, straightened himself up, and jab his elbow just below Tira's collar bone. The move caused her to gasp as she stumbled back and nearly lost her grip on her ring blade. At the same time, Guy jumped up, somersaulted forward, and attempted to perform an elbow drop at the top of Tira's head, but she managed to notice the attack and ran out of the way before she was hit. Guy had no choice but to land back down on his feet - then jump back from another attack from his opponent's ring blade.
From there, Tira proceeded to swing her weapon from various directions. She expected that it wouldn't be long before her opponent tired out and she would have the chance to draw out at least some blood. But her Earthrealm opponent proved to possess high stamina and resilience. If she didn't know better judging by the look on his face, the Keiseian was certain that he was completely unfazed by her attacks.
With a frustrated yell, Tira jumped back to get herself some space. "Hold still so I can make you bleed!" she shouted through clenched teeth. "Seriously, you should be grateful that I can't kill you in this fight! It's such a shame I can't shred you to ribbons and watch your life drain from your face!"
"You boast about killing as though you take great joy in it," Guy pointed out calmly. "Why?"
"Because people are most beautiful right before they die!" Tira answered with delight. "Besides, anyone who dies by my hands deserves it!"
Hearing those words disturbed the Bushin warrior. He'd met crazy people before, but Tira was on a whole other level. He narrowed his eyes with disdain at her before he said, "You do not fully appreciate the depths of evil you inherent in your deeds! You are evidently a deranged psychopath who murders senselessly!"
"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" Tira screamed, her mannerism completely changed to one of hatred in an instant. With another shriek, she performed a pinwheel kick before she began to lash her weapon from side to side. To her dismay, her opponent evaded her attacks like she was nothing more than an annoying fly.
"I said HOLD STILL!" Tira screamed once more as she continued to lash her ring blade, this time in various directions at her opponent. To her frustration, her opponent seemed to duck and dodge from her attacks not only with ease, but seemingly able to match her speed.
After a few seconds of this, Guy found the chance to deliver a quick roundhouse kick that smashed into one of Tira's wrists. Tira cried out as she stumbled back a couple of feet and lost half of her grip on her blade, though she was able to keep hold of it with her other hand.
Still, it gave Guy the chance to run forward and jump into the air before he extended one leg out and spun himself rapidly. "Bushin Sepnukyaku!" he shouted in the process. Tira let out another scream as the kicks connected before the last one sent her flying back before she crashed back first into the tiled ground. As Guy dropped back down onto his feet, Tira rolled herself back to give herself some berth before she got herself in a defensive pose, her ring blade surrounding her like a hula-hoop.
"Damn you!" Tira seethed with disdain. "I'll paint you red before you know it!"
Guy simply stared at her with no emotion on his face as he stood in his fighting stance and waited for the Keiseian to make her next move…
A few yards away, Cody just barely ducked underneath another roundhouse kick from Juri. As he recovered, she spun back around to face him before she leapt forward and attempted two forward kicks - one after the other - both which Cody blocked with his hands. He then attempted a couple of punches while she was left open, but to his surprise, Juri leapt back from the attacks.
With some space between them, Juri took the chance to perform a pinwheel kick, the gray and black chi energy trailing behind her foot and forming into a circle not unlike her earlier projectile. Cody just barely pulled himself away before the move connected to his chin.
The miss left Juri wide open. Cody waited until she just barely landed on the ground before he lifted one leg to face level and performed a sliding kick. Juri saw the kick coming towards her and she had no choice but to fall back and land flat the ground in order to evade it.
From there, Juri rolled back and crouched low to the ground as Cody stopped his slide once he realized he missed. "This is the end for you!" she called out as her Feng Shui engine glowed. She then leapt forward and, before Cody had the chance to get out of the way, performed a barrage of vertical spinning kicks while rising up into the air. To her delight, she took Cody up with her along the way.
"SHIT!" Cody shouted while in mid-air. Just then, Juri shifted herself to perform an axe kick right at her opponent's mid-section and sent him hurling back downward. In the process, Juri returned to the ground, got herself under Cody, and straightened herself up just before she lifted her leg so that her foot was over her head. With this position, she managed to catch him, the arch of his back nearly jammed into her foot.
Cody hissed in pain, and he found that gravity was practically forcing his head upside down. He then noted movement next to him and he slightly turned his head, only to see that Juri was smiling and gazing at him in that playful manner he knew meant she had… devious ideas in her mind, to say the least. He then noticed how her hand started to reach up to caress his face…
"Touch me and I'll rip your fingers off with my teeth!" Cody warned, his voice hardened.
Juri grinned and chuckled at that before she replied. "Awww and I was just about to ask if that felt good. Didn't it?"
Cody narrowed his eyes on her. "It will once I win this match."
Juri laughed at his words. "I doubt that."
Suddenly, her coy gaze flashed into one of menace right before she performed another axe kick with the foot she held Cody up with. It was with such force and violence that upon being smashed into the ground, all of the tiles Cody landed up shattered into pieces, some of them into sand particles.
Shit, shit, SHIT! Cody screamed in his head as heavy dizziness took over. He also could hear one of the drones begin a countdown. If he wasn't on his feet within the next ten seconds, it would be a countout against him…
While that was all going on, the match between Guy and Tira continued. With some berth between them, Tira took a moment to charge up some chi that surrounded her body in a mix of purple and yellow aura. She then flew forward and performed a cartwheel kick that actually connected to Guy's chest and knocked him back a few feet. She then lashed his ring blade at him and though he did jump back, the blade actually caught his gi and barely sliced through it.
Tira grinned the second she saw the tear in her opponent's gi while he briefly checked over it for any further damage… but her face soon scowled when there was no blood in sight…
"Dammit!" Tira growled. "Close, but not close enough!"
Guy took a second to shake off the near-close call before he ran forward back to Tira, who began to meet him halfway. As soon as she was close, Tira jabbed her ring blade forward - only for Guy to jump over it before he landed right on top of the flat side of the weapon. Tira's eyes widened with surprise right before the Bushin warrior planted a foot just below her throat before he flipped back. His other foot hit Tira squarely in the face and sent her flying back into she crashed into the ground. At the same time, he landed gracefully on his feet before he got himself back in his fighting pose and waited for her to be ready.
Tira practically glared daggers at him as she forced herself to stand up. "Irritating pest!" she growled.
She then took her ring blade and slammed it into the ground enough so that it remained embedded as she grabbed for the inner portion of the weapon. She then swung forward with both feet out in front of her. At the same time, she removed the blade from the ground and held it just above her head and she flew first towards her opponent.
Despite the speed in which she performed the maneuver, Guy was still able to get out of the way before she was able to hit him. Tira was forced to flip forward and land back on the ground before she stood up and turned to face him.
To Tira's dismay, Guy was already upon her - and too close to defend herself.
Guy first landed an elbow to her face that made Tira scream out in agony before he followed with another elbow strike just below her collar bone. That made her gasp in pain just as the Bushin warrior performed two high roundhouse kicks - one that forced her to stumble back, and the other to be pushed up in the air. Tira ended up dropping her ring blade in the process.
From there, Guy planted his foot right at her stomach and used it as leverage as he flipped himself back for the second time - his other foot smashing underneath her chin and sending Tira high up into the air. As his opponent flew, Guy used his speed to bounce off the walls and pillars of their chosen match location before he launched towards her from behind and grabbed her around the waist. By then, Tira was disoriented from the maneuvers when Guy turned them both upside down and spun rapidly as they fell back down towards the ground. Before Tira knew it, the both of them crashed into the floor with her taking the brunt of it.
Tira loses consciousness immediately upon landing.
"Knockout detected," a drone finally called out.
For a few moments after he flipped back onto his feet, Guy stared down at Tira's unconscious form. It was only then did he sense the dark evil within her soul. Of course, that was to be expected given how much she seemed to enjoy having blood on her hands. But there was something else in Tira's aura - something truly sinister and unholy, the likes of which Guy never encountered before in his life.
What is that? The Bushin warrior thought with bewilderment. This evil is beyond even that of Bison's psycho powers. And if our assumption of her being with the Zaibatsu is true, then how could Jin ally with such an inhuman fiend?!
He was so focused on the evil aura that - even with all of his highly trained skills - he never noticed Juri's approach… at least not until she let out a battle cry right behind him. As soon as he heard her, Guy barely managed to turn around right before Juri kicked him in the face with such force that he actually flew in the air and spun in circles a couple of times.
Meanwhile, Cody was able to get on his feet just before the countdown timer ended. Though he felt a little dizzy and aching from the last attack, he was still able to see what was going on in front of him…
Cody's mouth went agaped after he witnessed Juri's sneak attack on Guy. After all, it was very unlike his old friend to not sense what was coming whenever someone snuck up on him the way Juri did.
"Oh fuck…." Cody mumbled just as Guy landed face down on the ground. He expected the Bushin warrior to at least attempt to get up from that, but then…
"Knockout detected," a drone announced a few seconds later. "Only one fighter per team is left standing."
"...Oh FUCK!" Cody shouted right after his eyes went wide over that announcement. He then forced himself to run towards a spot where he saw a bunch of broken tiles earlier. He swiftly grabbed a few before he threw them in Juri's direction with all of his strength.
Juri turned to him just in time to see the shattered tiles flying towards her. With quick precision, she kicked the tiles away with ease and off to the side before she posed in her stance with some boredom. "What the hell was that?!" she ended up asking. "Some kind of weird-ass desperation to win?"
"Nah," Cody responded nonchalantly. "Just being cheap. Just like you were with the way you snuck up on my friend there. That was a lucky shot, by the way."
"Ooo, let me guess," Juri started with a hint of sarcasm. "My 'luck' has just run out, am I right?"
"I'll let you figure that out for yourself, Creepshow," Cody answered with boredom.
Juri's left eye glowed for a split second before it returned to normal. She then pulled one fist back as she flashed a maniacal grin. "Then it's time to finish playing with you!"
With a battle cry, Juri threw her fist forward, but Cody dodged from it with ease and maneuvered himself so that he was at Juri's left side. He then lifted his right fist, spun around, and delivered a powerful hook that hurled Juri backwards until she hit her back against one of the old pillars. The impact immediately caused some loose particles on the ceiling to crumble and rain around the two fighters.
Juri shook off the pain in her back before she glared at Cody. "I can't wait to break you!" she shouted right before she launched herself towards her opponent. Cody stood in his fighting pose and simply waited until she was within reach.
Juri jumped up and delivered a few kicks as soon as she was close. Cody ducked and dodged from them until he blocked one by grabbing her ankle. He then pushed her back, which forced Juri to stumble and nearly lose her footing.
"Time for Final Destruction," Cody said aloud as he took a moment to crack his knuckles.
With a battle cry, Cody dashed towards Juri before she had the chance to regain her balance. Once he was close, Cody threw a spinning hook that forced his opponent to snap her head sideways. He then didn't hesitate to follow with a blow to the stomach, an uppercut, another punch to the jaw, and one last spinning punch to the face before he turned quickly and delivered a jumping uppercut that produced a white cyclone that launched Juri up and diagonally in the air.
"Jackpot," Cody said aloud… right before Juri smashed into another pillar in the building and slid down against it until she hit the ground hard on her back with enough force to create further damage to the old tiles.
Despite the massive dizziness that hit her in that moment, Juri still managed to give Cody a disdained glare from where she fell. "I'll have… my revenge…" Juri managed to say… just before darkness took over her vision.
"About damn time," Cody grumbled. "You were really starting to bore the crap outta me."
"Knockout detected," a drone soon announced. "Cody and Guy win the match."
Immediately after that, Cody ran to where Guy fell to check on him. He quickly got on his knees and began to shake his long time friend. "Guy!" Cody called out as he shook his tag team partner's shoulders. "Guy! Wake up, man! I'm not carrying your ass back to the casino! Guy!"
Thankfully, Guy was stirred awake. He looked up at Cody from where he laid, though it was clear to the blonde warrior that his friend's eyes were not quite focused yet. "Wha… " Guy started to say. His eyes shifted a bit as though trying to see where he was. He then seemed to remember as his eyes widened a bit. "We… lost the match, didn't we?"
"Nope, we actually won," Cody announced. "But you took one hell of a kick to the face back there. You good? How ya feelin'?"
Guy took a slow deep breath as he closed his eyes as though he was mildly embarrassed over what transpired. He then uttered two words low enough to where only Cody was able to hear him…
"Profound. Sadness."
A/N: May we all (hopefully) enjoy the bounty that is Street Fighter 6 this coming weekend!