I had won my match. My parents cooked up a great, big dinner for me in celebration. It should have been the perfect end to a historic day in my life, but… I had a lot on my mind… I asked Mr. Hibiki if he wanted to join us. He declined, though… I said a lot of mean things to him… They felt like the right things to say in the moment, but the more I play our conversation back in my head the more I realize that I lost my cool. I probably could have handled it better. Even though we left it on a positive note, I had trouble sleeping that night. "Did I lose one of my best friends today?" That thought just wouldn't leave me…

Mr. Hibiki, however, had undergone a transformation that day. The next morning, I traveled to his dojo as soon as I'd woken up. I was desperate to clear the air between us for good. Being as direct as possible, I asked him some questions. "Are you mad at me? Did I go too far? Are you sure that you still want to be friends with me?" All the questions that had been on my mind the night before. As I said, though, my former master was no longer the same man. In his own words, "The old me likely would have held a grudge against you, Sakura. But I've left that petty coward of a martial artist behind me! I am Dan Hibiki, and I am no master. I am a simple fighter who has renewed his promise to become great! I'd lost my way before, but your words, however harsh you may deem them, have righted my course. Thanks for that, kid! You are a true friend."

Pretty cool, huh? Just when I think I screwed things up, he goes and surprises me in the best way possible. I can't believe I'm saying this, but Mr. Hibiki really showed me what maturity looks like. Funny… I quit being his student, but now I want to learn from him more than ever. No going back, though! The bond we share is stronger, better than it was. We spar for real now. He doesn't freak out about losing or care about looking like a fool anymore. He's giving it his all, finally, and he makes for great practice when gets serious! He's not the better fighter anymore, yet he challenges me with a desire to learn and a desire to grow, and that's a part of him I'm only now seeing for the first time. This new dynamic we share could be the catalyst for our fighting skills to shoot forward!

Those few days of practicing with each other were amazing, and I'm looking forward to learning alongside Mr. Hibiki even more in the future. Time doesn't stop though… A week after my third match concluded, I received information on my next… And the location? The Kanzuki Estate.


"Hmph. Sakura Kasungano. How perfect that we should meet in the World Warrior Tournament, is it not?"

"I guess so… This is what you wanted, right? You gave me all that travel money so that you'd have a shot at beating me here."

"Hah! Indeed, I did just that! And now here we are… A match against my rival, within the magnificence of my family's private estate, and only the victor may advance further in this legendary contest… I could not wish for more fitting circumstances."

"So you live here, then?"

"Correct. Please, have a moment to take it all in…"

Yeah, magnificent is a fine word for this place. Right in middle of Tokyo is where the Kanzuki Estate lies. It's so massive that I can hardly call it one 'place'. Supposedly, it encompasses so much land that even rivers and mountains are considered the Kanzuki's property. (But c'mon, who'd believe that?) For tonight's fight, we're duking out in the middle of a stuffy, posh party for rich people. Karin must have invited a bunch of her family's powerful and wealthy acquaintances here to watch her fight. There're dozens of important-looking people surrounding us, eating at fancy dinner tables, drinking wine, politely chatting amongst themselves. Everyone's wearing a sleek suit or a gorgeous, flowy dress… 'Cept for me. I definitely stick out like a sore thumb, but I don't see why I should care. I'm here to fight, not to mingle. I mean, I guess I could have worn something nicer… It's just that I've gotten so comfortable fighting in my school uniform, y'know? It's kind of my signature look at this point.

But, yeah, this is so not my vibe… At least it looks pretty. You can walk out of the luxurious, chandelier-filled ballroom right into an outdoor section that has beautiful cherry-blossom trees (those are supposed to be out of season!), a giant pond with a bridge, and an incredible view of the full moon and lofty mountains. On a crisp and clear night like this, I'm a little envious that Karin can train out here whenever she wants. The glitz and glamour of the party is something I can do without, but the scenery?

"It's beautiful, Karin. If I had access to an outdoor garden like this, I'd be out here practicing all the time."

"Tch! Fool… I offered this to you! I freely gave you the opportunity to train here every day for the rest of your life and so much more even beyond that! But no… you chose to continue living in a quaint, little shack in Aoharu."

Great… I figured this rant was coming… Best to just let her get this all out of her system.

"To this day, I cannot comprehend your decision. It baffles and enrages me. It is an insult upon my very character, Sakura Kasugano. Do you think I grant invitations of that nature regularly? That my wish was something flippant, something inconsequential? No, for me to welcome another into my home is a blessing of the highest honor. Yet you turned me away without a care in the world as if I were merely a child asking you to join me in playing dolls… A life-changing opportunity treated like a common inconvenience."

"That's not how it went down at all! I felt really bad for saying no, and I understand how kind you were being, I swear. Like I said back then, though, I have my reasons for declining. If… you agreed to some of my terms, maybe I could be convinced to change my mind."

"Oh? What accommodations need be made? What could the Kanzuki Estate possibly be lacking in?"

"It lacks my family, Karin. I told you that during the limo ride. If you let my parents and little brother live here too, that might change things."

"Absolutely not. Housing and providing for four when I am only interested in one? That would be a foolish waste. I have no business with your commoner family, only you, Sakura."

"Then I'm not taking your deal. End of story."

The Kanzuki heiress is full-on scowling now. She's always putting on that controlled front. She likes to act like an adult until things don't go her way. That's when the spoiled child hiding within shows herself.

"Y-You… Hmph! My gracious offer has long since been retracted besides! Even when you come crawling back to me one day, begging for me to accept you into the Zaibatsu, I'll send your ungrateful self away with no remorse! I no longer desire your company, you see."

sigh* "Fine, fine, guess this is how things are between us… but enough of that! I'm done arguing. Just talk to me when it's time to start throwing hands."

"As you wish… Understand, however, that you won't be stealing victory from me this time. Unlike before, I've advertised this bout to my numerous guests. As I'm sure you've noticed, they are watching us, waiting for our clash."

She's right… All eyes in this party are on us. It's not time for the official match to start yet, but with how loud we're being, I bet it looks like fists might start flying ahead of schedule.

"Tonight, I've promised them not only a simple brawl, but quality entertainment. 'Watch as Karin Kanzuki effortlessly defeats her second-rate challenger in the World Warrior Tournament!' That is what they anticipate, and I will ensure it comes to fruition. Yes, in the past I was not concerned with making an example out of you, but my goals and desires change just as our relationship has."

"You're angry with me, so you wanna beat me up in front of a crowd and make me look bad."

"I will humiliate you, Sakura Kasugano, and the world's elite are gathered here to witness it. Word of your pathetic showing will travel far and wide, I will make sure of that. Just imagine, if you will, high-definition footage of my complete victory being broadcast to news stations in every country… That will become our reality very, very soon. Oh-ho-ho-ho!"

Good lord… How high of a pedestal is she on right now? I can't fathom how she's still this overconfident after I humbled her last time. I figured a young talent like her would, at least, learn something of humility, but it seems like that won't be happening anytime soon. After Karin finishes doing that stupidly obnoxious laugh of hers, she keeps her trash talk going…

"And finally, once I've dealt with you and your bruised, battered self is laid out on the floor, I ask that you take a moment to gaze at the beauty of your surroundings one last time. Indeed, you will marvel at the absolute splendor of The Kanzuki Family Estate and lament the loss of what you stupidly gave up. All that you see around you, you could have shared with me, Sakura… Remember that after I crush you and send you back to your precious family!... Until then? Please, enjoy yourself."

Psh… So dramatic… I don't even bother responding to that childish tantrum. I'll answer her by socking her in the face later. She seems to respond better to pain than to words, anyhow.


After that heated conversation, I went back inside and found my father. Mr. Hibiki was busy visiting his sister today, so I asked Dad if he'd accompany me instead. "A fancy party with my darling daughter? At the Kanzuki's mega mansion? And I get to watch you fight again? I wouldn't miss it for the world, Sakura." Yeah, so that was nice of him. My Dad's a goof sometimes, but he's always been super proud of me. Even though this kind of party isn't normal for us, we've actually been having a lot of fun in our own ways. Between the two of us, we hit just about every pastry table, and we did some debating about which snack takes the crown. (Anything with chocolate is enough to win me over…) It's probably not very polite, but we also enjoyed staring at all the rich people and their over-the-top outfits. Dad would whisper stuff to me like "Oh, look at that crazy woman's get-up, Sakura. She'd make for a good villain in one of Mom's drama shows." Heh. He wasn't wrong either.

Eventually, he asked what was going on with me and Karin. Said that we were shouting so loud that he heard it from inside. Whoops… Curse me and my tunnel-vision mind. I never realize it when I'm making a big scene… Anyway, I just told him that we're disagreeing about some stuff, nothing important. Then he laughs and says "Ah, kids…" What does he mean by that?! Adults argue about stuff too! But whatever… As long as he's not asking for specifics, all is well. I don't need my parents getting involved in this dumb spat Karin's got me roped into.

Oh, and hey! We saw a few big-name fighters while we were walking around too! I got to take a few pictures with Biff Slamkovich and Victor Ortega, two famous (and extremely muscular) wrestlers. Dad also noticed this one guy and pointed him out to me. He says "Woah, Sakura… Look at that boxer seated over there. He's drinking tea with his gloves on!" And he sure was. I think I recognized him as England's boxing champion, but really? He couldn't take his boxing gloves off while at the dinner table? That seems a little silly…

The guest that caught my attention the most, though, was none other than Ken Masters. At first, I wasn't sure if it was him, but there's no mistaking that striking blonde hair of his. Since he's the son of some rich hotel tycoon, I suppose it makes sense for him to attend a stuffy party like this. I was excited to say hello and ask him some questions, (maybe even learn more about Ryu!) but… it didn't look like a good time to bother him. Him and his… wife? Girlfriend? Fiancé? Whoever she is… They were up on a balcony getting kinda… touchy-feely. The way they were gazing at each other with hearts in their eyes, I don't know if it was cute or just sappy, but regardless, I wasn't about to interrupt something so… intimate. (I've got decent manners, I'll have you know!)

I planned on waiting nearby for Mr. Masters to come down, but before I knew it, my old pal Shibasaki found me. With his usual politeness, he informed me that the time to face Ms. Kanzuki had arrived…


Now, all the guests have congregated outside. The weather is perfect. Shibasaki stands between us just as he did back in Tamagawa High's gymnasium. It's a tense scene, and my eyes are locked onto my opponent. She grins at me, and points to a photographer in the crowd who, with a bright flash, captures the moment.

"Don't worry, I'll send you a copy of that photo. I'm certain you will wish to reminisce on the blissful times before your life came crashing down and your social standing dropped to less than dirt. Of course, you are nothing but a run-of-the-mill commoner, so perhaps your reputation cannot fall any lower. Hmhm!"

More taunting. Not worth my time. I ignore her and turn to Shibasaki, hoping he'll start this thing already.

"You are prepared, Miss Kasugano?"

I nod. He looks to Karin.

"I am more than prepared, my dear Shibasaki. I have waited far too long for this day to arrive. My body is overflowing with excitement, so let us not waste a second more!"

"As you wish, Miss Kanzuki… Fighters, at the ready… and begin!"

Immediately, I can tell that things are gonna be different this time around. When I first fought Karin, she used an extremely defensive strategy, at least to begin with. She let me make mistakes, and she'd punish them in kind. That's why I'm taken aback when the first thing she does is lunge toward me.

"Guren-ken!"

Palm strikes come fast and furious. I guard against them as best I can, but she's relentless. Quick hits like this don't hurt much on their own, but they really add up. I can't let her just wail on me, so go back to what worked before – guessing when she'll go for a finisher and taking advantage of that small window. Sure enough, that chance appears. Karin crouches low, a sure sign that she's about to try a sliding kick, so I respond like I did in our first fight… with a Tatsumaki!

"Predictable!"

Ah, crap... Karin doesn't attack at all, actually. She knew I'd try to counter her like this, so she went low and simply waited. My Hurricane Kick sails over her head, and I miss my target completely. Karin then grabs me by the back, slings me over her shoulder, and slams me into the ground. Yikes…

"You utter fool… Do you think I've learned nothing from our last encounter? Since that day, when you embarrassed me and spat upon my goodwill, my mind has been dominated by only one thought – make Sakura Kasugano regret what she had done. I replayed our sad excuse for a duel back in my head time and time again, constantly thinking upon what I had done wrong. Now you see, I have made the proper corrections. You, on the other hand, genuinely believed that you could defeat me once more by using the same outdated tricks? For you to expect so little out of the heiress to the Kanzuki Zaibatsu... Hmph. You are woefully ignorant."

As I pick myself up off the ground, I just tune her out. I'm not gonna lower myself to her level. Let her talk all the trash she wants. I've gotta focus on how I'm gonna win this…

"You should just stay down, but I suppose that's wishful thinking. Ah, but it's better this way, isn't it? Yes, continue to struggle, Sakura Kasugano! If I'm to humiliate you in front of the entire world, I must not extinguish that fighting spirit just yet… Now then… Again!"

She pesters me with more palms and more mix-ups. She also starts adding in more of her repertoire. The double high kicks – her Mujinkyaku, the overhead double palms – the Rassenha, and her powerful shoulder strike – Orochi. Once more, I try waiting for an opening, but then she hits me with a finisher that I'd never seen from her before. Four quick hits, two palms, two elbows… I anticipate that she might try a counter or a sliding kick, but no, she does a quick front flip toward me. I reflexively bring my arms up to block, and that's when she grabs me by the head and plunges both her knees downward. With all of her weight working against me, her attack smashes me into the ground yet again. She gracefully rolls off my body, (with all the smug arrogance of hers that I've come to hate), and though she doesn't take the opportunity to sling more insults at me, I can hear her terribly grating laugh echo though the garden as I deal with the pain.

Dang… I'm fighting way too passively. I can't let her run her offense however she pleases. I'm afraid of her counterattacks, but maybe I can avoid them if I throw Karin off her game. I need to be unpredictable. I need to get weird… I get back up and face my foe. She's not doing the same, however. She's staring off into the crowd behind her, meeting the gaze of an imposing old man. Pretty sure that's her father, Daigenjuro Kanzuki, head of the Zaibatsu, and I'm guessing Karin's using this beatdown as an example to impress him or something.

Seeing that she's distracted, I try to attack as quickly as I can. I dash into my running Shoryuken, and Karin blocks it, but just barely. The force of the impact drives her backward. I can see anger starting to well up in her. Now she approaches… The heiress starts into a low lunging dash and comes back up with a rising palm aimed for my chin.

"Tenko!"

I parry the strike with a perfectly timed backfist. Then, as she's reeling, I go low. Instead of using the Ansatsuken Tatsumaki as it was designed, I've been messing around with new ways to use this spinning kick and broaden its range of application. One idea I'm proud of? Performing the spinning hop like usual, forgoing the midair kick, and using that momentum for a spinning hurricane sweep instead. That's exactly what I try against Karin, and it works wonderfully. She expects a hit to her midsection, but I fake her out, clip her left foot, and she's forced to catch herself before she kisses the ground. At that point, it's easy enough for me to deliver a boot to her face while she's vulnerable. Karin tumbles backward, and when she rises to her feet, I see that I've bestowed her a bloody nose. There we go! Feels good to mess up that smug, pretty face of hers!

"Frustrating pest… I intended for this to be a perfect victory, but you've gone and ruined it."

"Aww, boo hoo! Do you really think I'd feel sorry for you? Get real!"

We continue to fight. It's funny… She talked about how much studying she did and how much she learned from our previous battle, but from what I can tell? She still has the same glaring weakness -She struggles to deal with improper techniques, methods of attack that she hasn't seen and isn't expecting. So, I go overboard with all the strange tricks I can think of… An airborne Tatsumaki that sails over her head, crosses her up, and hits her from behind. Lots of overhead axe kicks and feints. I grab both of her arms and even give her a headbutt… She seemed more than a little disgusted with that one.

"You… are making a mockery of this sacred sport! You continue to misuse your own style's techniques. You bastardize them all to gain a slight edge over a clearly more practiced opponent. You should be ashamed of yourself!"

"Nah, I don't care about any of that. Want me to stop 'mocking' your sport? Come over here and make me!"

Heh! That pissed her off, alright! Her whole face is turning red. She charges at me like a bull, nothing but rage on her features. Good! I was hoping she'd take the bait. You know how I was saying earlier that I couldn't just let her wail on me the whole time? Well, I think I was wrong. In fact, I bet I can use her short temper to my advantage… So, I fall back into a defensive stance. Karin gets in close and initiates a furious assault of attacks. These aren't the disciplined palm strikes and elbows from before, though. These are wild haymakers born from anger and they lack any semblance of the proper form that she loves to preach about. Wow… Mr. Nash would have had a field day fighting her.

Karin's pitiful barrage of punches goes on for a while. I dodge most of them, smiling all the while and probably pissing her off even more. Eventually, my strategy bears fruit, and the Kanzuki heiress begins to lose steam. I mean, of course she would. She should know better than to use up all her energy, lose her cool, and go bananas like this… At last, she attempts a massive uppercut, (probably with the goal of ending me right there) and I slip by it with no trouble. That's the overextension I'm looking for, so I take it. After grabbing her arm, I swing her body backwards into the wall behind me, and now that I've got her cornered? It's party time.

I give the brat a taste of her own medicine. I start wailing on her just like she tried to do to me. Punch after punch finds the mark. One catches her in the jaw, another on the cheek, and I land plenty of shots to the gut. All these body blows will sap away what little strength she has left. I make an effort not to hurt her too bad, but… gosh, she makes it so difficult! If she wouldn't constantly talk down to me, it'd be way easier to feel any sympathy!

After I've connected with a good dozen or so attacks, Karin starts to panic. She knows that she's gotta find a way out of this situation or else it's over for her. She's either blocked against or gotten hit by every punch I've thrown, but finally she manages to duck one, and she uses this chance to get away from the wall. Doesn't get very far, though… I'm right in front of her when she turns back around, and she's in no condition to keep fighting, I can promise you that. Raspy and course breaths escape her. She tries to talk but no words come out, so I speak instead.

"Give up, Karin. You're seriously hurt. You look terrible."

"N-Nev… Never…"

Well, she certainly didn't learn when to quit, now did she? I decide it's time for my final trap. One that I'm positive will conclude this duel… I bring my hands together, position them behind me, and start concentrating on my ki. Karin sees this. I make it obvious that I'm charging up a Hadoken. She's familiar with the technique, I've used it against her, after all. This is why, in her sheer desperation to take back control of the match, she jumps. But that's obvious, right? She knows a projectile's coming, so she jumps over it. One plus one equals two. Easiest decision of her life!... That's what I want her to think, though… Sorry, Karin, but today? Today, one plus one equals three.

"Tengyo HADOKEN!"

As soon as my opponent's feet leave the ground, she understands her mistake. Now, I know this is unheard of. I'm really breaking the mold with this one, but I just had to do it to her… Yep, I launched my Hadoken up! Up in the air! I used it as an anti-air attack! Crazy, I know! (Seriously, why is no one else doing this? I've never seen Ryu do it, or Ken Masters, or Mr. Nash, or Mr. Hibiki, or… anyone, really! Why not?!) As I knew it would, my genius pays off in spades! My Tengyo Hadoken catches her in the air and blasts her even higher! She flies so far that she… Oh… Ouch… She landed right in the pond… That's not what I was going for, but… Wow, that was awesome!

As his defeated master is now swimming with the fishes, Mr. Shibasaki rushes to her aid and dives into the pond himself like some superhero lifeguard. Everyone present watches in disbelief as the family steward emerges from the waters with Karin in his arms, both of them drenched from head to toe. Her cute red uniform is sopping wet, and her meticulously curled, golden locks are soaked beyond saving. He carefully lets the girl down on solid land as she coughs, hacks, and spits up a bunch of water. Now the crowd just stares at her, waiting for what she'll do next. There's no way she'd keep fighting, right? I read her like a book and sent her to Davy Jones' Locker! You don't come back from something like that!

gasp * "Sh…" *cough* "Shiba… saki…"

"Y-Yes, Miss Kanzuki?! Are you certain that you are well enough to speak?"

The brat takes a few more shallow breaths, coughs sprinkled in here and there. After some time, she gets her voice back and speaks clearly…

"Please… assist me in returning to my quarters… if you would. I… need to lie down."

"…O-Of course, Miss Kanzuki. I will handle everything."

Without extra words or ceremony, Karin drapes her arm over the steward's shoulder. He supports her as they slowly walk inside, out of sight, and the one left standing is… me. I'm startled when I feel someone take my hand. Oh… It's that old guy, Karin's dad… With a twinkle in his eye, and a respectful nod of his balding head, he suddenly lifts my hand up in excitement. His booming voice sounds out…

"Ladies and gentlemen… My esteemed guests… I present to you… your winner!"

The crowd bursts into cheers.