"…You're really doing this, then? There's no way I can talk you out of it?"
"Sorry, Kei, but no. I've been searching Aoharu City for a while now, trying to find other fighters who can help me grow. Finally, I've got a strong fighter coming to me. It's exactly what I wanted."
"You're seriously crazy, Sakura. The Kanzuki's are so loaded with cash, I bet this girl has access to the best combat instructors and all the time in the world to spend training. What if she's way better than you?"
"Then I'll probably lose, but I'll also learn a lot from fighting such a powerful opponent. You see? It's actually a win-win. That's what's so valuable about competition like this. Even when you take a beating, you might realize what skills you're lacking in. That can be even more important than getting the win."
"That's… a shockingly mature outlook from you, Sakura."
"Oh, be quiet!"
Now that our final class for the day has ended, Kei and I walk the hallways toward the agreed upon meeting spot. I don't know what to expect from Karin, to be honest. She's my age, she's from Japan, and she doesn't have a size advantage on me… On the surface, we have a bunch in common. Kei has a point though – Being the heiress to a zaibatsu, her life must be completely different from mine. She's clearly passionate about fighting, but has she always been? What age did she start training? What type of fighting style does she use? There's still a lot I don't know about her…
"We're here, Sakura. You're spacing out again…"
"Ah, my bad… I'm just… strategizing, I guess."
"Alright, but you won't lose your focus in the fight, yeah? If you do, I'll be on the sidelines to shout some sense into you."
"Gee… thanks…"
"Just teasing, girl! I mean it, though. I'll be watching, cheering you on. Maybe my support will give you that extra boost to ensure you win?"
"I might just need it, Kei. Thanks for being here with me."
As I open the doors to the gymnasium, I'm surprised to see that there's no one inside except my opponent and her personal steward. I figured she'd make this into some big event, and let other students watch our battle.
"As expected, you have come. Welcome, Sakura Kasugano. I was hoping to avoid any peering eyes, but I will allow your friend to stay as Shibasaki will also be present."
"Yeah, what's up with that? No crowd? The students would get hyped up over something like this. And it'd be a chance for you to show the 'commoners' how much better you are than us, wouldn't it?"
"While an enticing thought, no, I've made sure our duel remains a private affair. This is not about showing off to the masses. There will be other opportunities for that in the future. I have challenged you, Sakura Kasugano, to test myself and to prove myself superior. That's all there is to it!"
Huh… Color me surprised, then. She's not here to make a name for herself or to humiliate me, she just genuinely wants to get stronger…
"I respect that! So, are we good to go, then? I'm itching to see what you've got!"
"Indeed, let's get down to business. Shibasaki, on your command…"
Her steward moves to stand between us, and, after a tense few moments, he raises his arm, and his usually reserved voice reverberates forcefully through the empty gym.
"BEGIN!"
I approach Karin first. With a few basic punches and kicks, I aim to test her defenses and see how she responds. I have to get a read on her. Find the weak spots in her abilities, and then I'll start to exploit them. I throw a heavy roundhouse kick to her side, but she counters with a firm block and a following upward palm strike to my chin. I'm knocked to the floor.
"Ordinary!... Come, Sakura Kasugano, you cannot expect me to fall to weak attacks like those! I have blocked stronger strikes in my sleep!
Y-Yeah… She was ready for that one… Fine, I'll try again! This time a heel roundhouse from the other side… but the result's the same.
"Hmph! What do you think, Sakura Kasugano? My stance cannot be broken thanks to my Yashagaeshi, a counterattack technique that has been passed down in the family through generations! I will take any attack of yours and convert it into my own!"
This pattern continues for a while. She just stands there, waiting for my next move, and she counters with little effort. She's toying with me, I can tell, but she's also giving me time to figure her out. Hmmm… If Karin is more than comfortable relying on her reactions… then I need to mix things up!
I jump toward her and land with a double axe handle chop to her head. She blocks in time, but definitely wasn't expecting that. Using both hands gives me more oomph, and it's enough to take her off balance. While she's reeling, I rush in close, grab her by the uniform, let myself fall onto my back, and I launch her through the air. A classic Tomoe Nage. A fall from that height has to do some damage.
"Nicely done, Sakura Kasugano. I was hoping you would adapt sooner, but at least you managed to do so at all. Regardless, I am not impressed. Show me more!"
Tch! She's so stuck-up! Well, whatever… I learned some good info from that exchange – She's used to attacks with proper form. As soon as I switched to something unusual, that overhead chop from the air, I caught her off guard. I'll have to keep experimenting.
A double-fisted hammer swing from below… A diving kick from above… I somersault forward and leap forward with a rising knee… This is working a lot better. I'm landing some hits, and she hasn't been able to counterattack at all. I've been so focused on perfecting my attacks, making sure they looked just like Ryu's… but maybe an unpolished style has merit too.
"Very good! I am beginning to see why you are the strongest among your peers! This is the fighter I hoped to encounter!"
"So, you learned about the sparring I do with my friends? I'm confused as to why you'd care about small fry like us, though. You really have the time to look into people like us?"
"Oh, Sakura Kasugano, you oblivious, little girl… When it comes to capable fighters, I follow all available leads, and I have the necessary resources to do so not only in Japan, but throughout the entire world. An unpolished diamond in the rough, such as you? You could not escape from my grasp for long."
"Stop looking down on me! I'm not a 'little girl', we're the same age, stupid! And stop using my full name. It's… weird…"
"…Oh? I treat you with dignity and proper respect, and you spit on my shoes, hmm? Have it your way, Sakura. Understand, however, that I won't allow this slight to go unchecked! You'd best be prepared!"
I guess by standing up for myself, I pissed her off. (She started it!) Now she's going on the offensive…
"Guren-Ken!"
A lunging palm strike to the chest… double palm strike… palm and then elbow… double elbow combo… sliding kick that knocks me off my feet… leaping, overhead, double palm strike… two rising high kicks to the head… a quick dash behind me and an elbow to the back… a brutal shoulder check right to the stomach… So many combinations, all mixed together to keep me guessing…
It's an assault from all directions! She's learned so many different ways to attack, and they seem designed to overwhelm me. I don't know how to guard against this! Even when I try to fight back, she's prepared with that pesky counterattack of hers. I've never seen a style like hers, even in videos… I'm battered and bruised, that's for sure, but I haven't lost yet. Now that her attacks have let up, I use the lull in the action to sate my curiosity.
"Hey, where did you learn to fight like that? All those attacks… I recognize some, but some I don't."
"Entranced by my techniques, are you? No need to feel coy, it's only natural to wonder. What you have just witnessed are the most complete, most finely tuned and perfected techniques that exist! – The Kanzuki-Style martial arts!"
"Kanzuki?... Your own family's fighting style?"
"Though it is named after the Kanzuki family, make no mistake - my ancestors are not responsible for this perfect creation… I am! By combining the strengths of many different styles such as Karate, Judo, Aikido, Sambo, Muay Thai, Taekwondo, Bajiquan, Shaolin Kung Fu, Tai Chi Chaun, Bagua-Zhang, Koppo, and many more, I have designed an art that is superior to all others! Magnificent, isn't it? Oooh-ho-ho-ho!"
Great… This is what my curiosity gets me. She turns a simple question into an opening for her to massage her ego. Man, she aggravates me! With her, it's not just a physical battle going on, but a verbal one! She's winning both too!... And ugh, really?... That laugh?... Just when I thought she couldn't be more insufferable… That's enough already!
"Well, that's cool and all, but your family arts aren't as perfect as you think! I'll prove it!"
"Excellent, Sakura! Show me that undying spirit of yours! Push me! Challenge me!"
We continue to clash… Things are a bit more even now. Maybe it's my 'undying spirit' as she calls it, or maybe it's just her taunting that has me fired up, I don't know… but I've got more power in my punches, more speed in my kicks… Those palm strikes of hers are so precise, so well-timed… I'm catching on to her tendencies, though. She likes to end her rushes of attacks with a strong finish (her sliding kick, that heavy shoulder, or an overhead attack), and right before that finish is where I see the gap.
She pelts me with a few palms again and goes for a slide, but I'm ready this time… I hop right over her attack with my (still a work in-progress!) Tatsumaki Kick. I can't float above the ground like Ryu does, so I settle for a small jump instead, but it's still pretty effective for going over low attacks like this. And it works just as I'd hoped! She eats a massive kick to the face and her body's sent skidding across the shiny gym floor… Heh, she doesn't have any words for me once she gets up this time.
Immediately, Karin jumps toward me. Normally, I'd brace myself to block high against an attack from above, but… she's not even close enough to hit me from where she's at. She didn't jump far enough, so… I decide to go for it! With an enormous step forward, I charge into a running Shoryuken with the hopes of sniping her out of the air! My fist is pointed toward the rafters, and the last things I see before I make contact are the shocked expression on her face and instant widening of those brown eyes that stared me down back in the classroom.
My Shoryuken hits her square in the jaw, and, boy, does it feel good! She's on the ground now, trying (but failing miserably) to compose herself… She's shaking like a leaf after that blow, but she still forces herself to her feet. The look on her face is one of complete confusion, though I'm not sure why… If she really did her research on me, she should know I use the Ansatsuken arts. She should know that using a reckless air attack like that is a huge risk against me. I have the perfect reversal, after all. With a rising temper, the spoiled brat speaks…
"Y-You! What kind of Shoryuken was that?! You completely disgraced that legendary technique with your bumbling incompetence!"
"Incompetence?! It worked, didn't it? Unless that hit gave you amnesia, you shouldn't have trouble remembering. Y'know, all that pain you're feeling right now? The reason why you can hardly stand right now? Yeah, my disgraceful technique did that!"
"That is not the proper technique! You took a lunge forward like some stumbling toddler, and that's the only reason why you had any chance of even touching me! You likely didn't realize this, you amateur, but that aerial maneuver was intended to trick you, to bait you into utilizing that very attack! I calculated the distance perfectly so that you would miss completely, but you… Your inability to perform your own attack correctly has foiled everything!... Are you listening, Sakura?! You succeeded due to pure chance!"
"You're making excuses, Karin. Martial arts aren't so rigid. So what if I didn't do an attack the 'proper' way? I saw what you were up to, and I altered my uppercut to suit the situation. Earlier, you said I adapted too slowly for your liking, right? Well, there you go… You happy now?"
To be honest, she's kinda right… I can't do a traditional Shoryuken like Ryu can. I have trouble keeping my form right, and I like to take a big step before I jump… but she doesn't need to know that, and it doesn't change what happened. She made a mistake, I took advantage of it, and now she's mad… End of story.
"You're very fortunate to have made it this far, Sakura. I should have never taken it easy on you, and that attack never should have hit me. So sorry, but I must end this duel at once."
She's actually gonna keep going? Look how unsteady she is! With all that pride she has, I shouldn't be shocked, I know, but still… this brat needs to learn when to quit. Guess I'll have to be the one to teach her.
"The final attack! Orochi!"
Another shoulder, huh? Too bad I've already seen that a few times. With how fatigued Karin is, it's no problem for me to sidestep it and retaliate. I pull her close and deliver a quick knee to the gut that leaves her hurting. In her pain, she backs away, trying to gain some distance. I almost feel bad for her now… I'd gladly end the fight here, but it's not up to me. Before I can ask, Shibasaki steps in for me.
"Miss Kanzuki, do you admit defeat?"
"N-Never! The worst I'll ever be is the best! I'm Karin Kanzuki!... This self-taught, amateur… She's a novice! I'm not supposed to lose to her!"
She's taken on a defensive stance again. Seems like relying on her counterattacks is all she can do at this point. I can't help but let out a pitying sigh. Fine, Karin. If I have to knock you out to get this over with, then I'll do it… I bring my hands together, relax my breathing, and focus on my inner strength…
"HADOKEN!"
It's my favorite technique, but my Hadoken isn't very powerful yet, sadly. It's light blue in color, a little bit brighter than Ryu's, though still very close in appearance. (That makes me super happy!) From the videos I've seen online, as well as what Master Hibiki has told me, ki manifests differently depending on the person and the method used. Ryu's Hadoken is blue, and Master's Gadoken is green. Ken Masters' Hadoken is also blue, and you can see the imprint of his hands within the ki while it's traveling. (Interesting, huh?) There are other fighters like Guile from America who throws a yellow 'Sonic Boom', and Sagat, the Muay Thai master from Thailand, who uses an orange 'Tiger Shot' ki attack.
But like I was saying, mine needs a lot of improvement… It's not very big in size and doesn't hit too hard, but it travels farther than Master's, at least. For as weak as mine is, I think it still packs a decent punch. It collides with the desperate and cornered Kanzuki heiress (There was no way she had enough energy left to dodge), and, despite her attempt to block it, she's knocked out for good this time… Gosh! Even though she gets on my nerves, I'll give her credit – Karin is pretty darn resilient! To her own detriment, sometimes… Shibasaki then runs over to Karin's unconscious body and looks her over. With a resolute nod, he lifts her into a bridal carry, and then turns to me.
"Expertly fought, Miss Kasugano. By my estimate, Miss Kanzuki has suffered several injuries, but nothing worth serious concern. I will take her back to the limousine and tend to her there. I recommend you first visit the nurse's office, and then, once you have gathered your belongings, please find us at the front of the building. We will offer you a ride home."
"Oh… A-Alright. Thank you, Mr. Shibasaki."
Carrying Karin, the steward exits the gym, leaving only Kei and I behind.
"Sakura! I can't believe you beat her! That was… nerve-wracking, but… way more exciting than I thought it would be."
"Yeah… I'm surprised too. She's one tough cookie. An infuriating one, mind you, but definitely tough."
"Sorry if this sounds bad, but… I never imagined you'd be so good at this street fighting thing. I figured you'd get a few black eyes and then quit when you realized how brutal it is, but… here you are, proving me wrong… You're amazing, Sakura."
"Awww, you're getting mushy on me again! You gotta stop that!... Seriously, though… Thanks, Kei. Having you there watching made all the difference. You know how anime likes to push that corny crap about 'the power of friendship' and all that? Well, I think it's real! You make me a better fighter just by being there for me."
"Hee hee! I don't know about all that, but I'll choose to believe you for now. Anyway, I'll see you later. If I linger any longer, my dad will worry himself into an early grave. You know how it goes. Great job, and enjoy your fancy limo ride!"
Oh, right… I gotta catch my ride home after I see the nurse… I really hope the brat stays unconscious the whole time. Alone in a limo with a furious Karin Kanzuki? And she's furious because I kicked her ass? To any gods or higher powers that are watching down on me right now… Please, please don't let that happen!