Lili Rochefort
Backstory:
Emilie 'Lili' de Rochefort is the daughter and only child of a wealthy Monegasque oil magnate. Given her privileged background, Lili had a pampered upbringing. Four years prior to the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5, she was kidnapped and held captive for ransom. After a violent struggle, Lili broke free and engaged her abductor in combat. For Lili, defeating her kidnapper triggered passion for a new hobby.
Lili returned home, eager to pursue a career in martial arts. Yet her father disapproved of Lili's new interests; barred from attending the local savate studio, she had to settle for ballet and gymnastics... both of which figure prominently in her self-developed fighting system. She attended several street-fighting tournaments, under the pretense of going on vacation. During this period, Lili received an invitation to the 5th King of Iron Fist Tournament from an opponent she defeated in San Francisco. Lili realized that the host of the tournament was the Mishima Zaibatsu, a conglomerate causing trouble for her father's business. She decided to enter the tournament in hopes of putting an end to her father's business troubles.
Asuka Kazama defeated Lili at the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5, and Lili's father learned that she had been fighting against his wishes. Lili was banned from leaving home, leaving her unable to pursue a rematch with Asuka.
Soon after, Mr. Rochefort's oil fields were taken over by the Mishima Zaibatsu. His company fell into disarray, and he collapsed due to stress. Concerned for her father's well-being, Lili began formulating a plan to reclaim the oil fields from the Mishima Zaibatsu. As she was making her plans, the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6 was announced. Lili entered the tournament to enact her plans and help her father.
Powers and Abilities:
Superhuman Physical Characteristics,
Acrobatics,
Chi Manipulation (Can enhance the strength of her attacks),
Limited Fourth Wall Break (her eyes looks at the "Cameraman" when she was focused on the opponent earlier),
Skilled Martial Artist (great at street fighting, participated in tournaments and beat Forrest Law in a match),
Weaknesses: Overconfidence
Karin Kanzuki
Background:
Karin is the daughter of Daigenjuro Kanzuki and his wife Nadeshiko Kanzuki; their butler is Ishizaki, and Shibazaki is the family steward. Karin's father Daigenjuro is a rather strict man as he constantly pushes his daughter into becoming a better heir to the Kanzuki family fortune, as he wanted a son.
The wealthy Kanzuki family's mottos are "All you need is victory" (also interpreted as "Be the winner in everything") and, alternately, "The worst we'll ever be is the best" (a bonus short in the Street Fighter III: Ryu Final manga takes this further with "Victorious, therefore Supreme! Supreme, she is Karin Kanzuki!"). Her family's private estate covers 200 miles of land, and not only has its own geographical features but its own climate. The Kanzukis are even wealthier than the Masters, so rich that they have their own satellite called "Red Spider-Lily". Karin was given a son's upbringing because her father always wanted a male heir to his conglomerate.
Additionally, Karin was given several tests by her father to complete or else she would be disqualified from inheriting the family fortune. Her first test was when she was nine years old, where she was taken to the woods with meager food and water; she had to come home safely or else she'd be disowned (her father struggled two weeks to accomplish this when he was her age, but Karin polished the trial off in four days). Another test, based solely on her gender, was that if she didn't charm at minimum 5,000 of the world's gentlemen she cannot inherit the family fortune (she passed this test too, and her mother Nadeshiko is said to have charmed 50,046 gentlemen, including her husband, to see if Nadeshiko would qualify to be Daikenjuro's wife). Yet another test required her to stop a stampede of fifty wild bulls, single-handedly stopping a running of the bulls at age fourteen. Karin subdued fifty bulls in all, beating her father's record by one.
Powers and Abilities:
Superhuman Physical Characteristics,
Mastery of the Kanzuki-ryu Style,
Acrobatics,
Chi Manipulation (Via Guhren Ken and Tenha no Kata. Can release a glowing aura),
likely Extrasensory Perception (Should be able to sense chi, just like other expert chi users),
Genius Intelligence,
Vibration Manipulation (The "Ruler's Staying Hand" overwhelmes the opponents with the rythmic movement of its user's muscles),
minor Power Nullification (Her Fudo Sosho cancels out normal projectiles),
Damage Boost (Can perform enhanced versions of her Special Attacks),
Status Effect Inducement (By hitting the opponent repeteadly, without them being able to recover, she can cause them to enter the "Stun" status, which leaves them unable to react),
limited Resistance to Precognition (Reading the future of fighters such as him is difficult, because they always fight against it).
Weaknesses: She is short-tempered in some degree, and has a big ego.
Song: Royal Rumble
Karin, the illustrious head heiress of the prestigious Kanzuki Zaibatsu, strolled gracefully through the elegant halls of her family's estate. Her destination was the well-equipped training facility, where she intended to maintain her skills at the peak of excellence, as befitted a member of the esteemed Kanzuki Family.
As Karin calmly made her way through the corridors, her trusted butler Ishizaki appeared before her.
"Miss Karin. You have a visitor."
Despite the unexpected interruption, Karin maintained her composed demeanor, letting out a dramatic sigh before responding.
"Oh, who could possibly be bothering me now? Unless it's Sakura, kindly inform them that I am unavailable at the moment. If their business is truly important, they should consider making a proper appointment."
However, Ishizaki, her ever-faithful butler, persisted,
"Miss Karin, it's not an average individual or an ordinary affluent businessman. This person is none other than Miss Lili, representing the esteemed Rochefort family."
This caught Karin's attention, her intrigue piqued by the mention of Lili Rochefort. Though the Rocheforts were not quite on par with the wealth and influence of her own family, they were still reputable and respectable.
"Ah, Lili Rochefort. Very well, Ishizaki, arrange a light snack in the dining area next to the training facility. Just in case matters become... physical."
Soon, Karin and Lili were seated across from each other in the elegant dining area, served with traditional Japanese rice balls and accompanied by a steaming pot of tea. The gentle sunlight streamed in from the outside, casting a soft glow in the room as the delicate petals of the surrounding sakura trees swayed gracefully in the gentle breeze. Sitting poised and refined, Karin took a sip of her tea before posing a polite question to her fellow heiress,
"I'm curious, what brings you here, Lili? It's not everyday I have the pleasure of meeting another heir to a prestigious family like mine."
While maintaining her courteous demeanor, Lili promptly responded, gracefully cutting through the pleasantries and bluntly conveying her intentions.
"Let me be direct. As much as I love the atmosphere and pleasantries, I want to acquire your Kanzuki Zaibatsu and have it operate under the Rochefort family name. I hope we can discuss this matter seriously."
Despite her calm exterior, a brief but noticeable twitch of annoyance crossed Karin's brow, betraying her true feelings. She responded in her customary soft-spoken tone, her words laced with a hint of challenge.
"You're definitely audacious in your request, I'll give you that. However, why on Earth should I simply hand over everything I've worked relentlessly to achieve? Your demands are outlandish, and you lack the influence to back them up."
Lili nonchalantly waved her hand, as if dismissing the objection.
"Please, don't take it personally. I'm simply trying to make a power play to prove to my daddy that I possess the necessary qualities to lead the Rochefort name and take over his position someday."
A small smirk tugged at the corners of Karin's lips as she leaned forward, resting her chin atop her interlocking fingers.
"Ah, so you're a daddy's girl. Your father is indeed a competent businessman, but I have heard whispers about his rather... weak willed nature when it comes to parenting. Perhaps that's why he hasn't been able to rein you in."
A flicker of irritation crossed Lili's features as her composure faltered, and her body grew rigid at Karin's words.
"What was that?"
She demanded, her voice taking on a sharper edge. With a nonchalant air, Karin mirrored Lili's dismissive gesture with her hands. Her expression portrayed a lack of seriousness as she continued,
"I mean, what kind of father doesn't allow his daughter such unrestricted freedom when it comes to fighting? It seems like he values you more for your looks than your fighting ability. As for me, my father instilled excellence in me in all aspects, including combat. Not only is your family's status inferior to mine, but I surpass you in every way. Your name holds no significance compared to mine."
Anger flared within Lili as her pride as a Rochefort was insulted so blatantly. She took a deep breath in an attempt to regain her composure, then abruptly stood, kicking over the table. However, to her frustration, Karin demonstrated nimble agility and grace, effortlessly avoiding being hit by the overturned table. With remarkable swiftness, she simultaneously rescued the food and tea pot from being ruined.
"Don't you dare insult me or my father!"
Lili declared, assuming a fighting stance as she prepared to defend her honor and make her father proud by forcibly taking the Kanzuki Zaibatsu. Karin's only response was a soft chuckle, as she handed the rescued food and tea to the ever-present servants.
"A company takeover through forceful means? How utterly uncivilized,"
Karin observed as she also assumed her stance, preparing to defend her family's name, business, and to showcase the formidable techniques of the Kanzuki-Ryu martial arts. Lili initiated the brawl with a powerful punch, but Karin deftly blocked it, redirecting the blow and retaliating with a jarring shoulder strike to Lili's chest, sending her sprawling out of the dining room and onto the ground outside. As Karin calmly walked after her opponent, it was clear that the fight would now transpire on the Kanzuki heiress's terms.
The fight swiftly escalated as Karin attempted a straightforward kick to the rising Lili. Lili, in a remarkable display of quick thinking, snagged the incoming leg and followed up with a swift left jab, paired with a powerful back turning elbow strike. This was punctuated by a potent left kick delivered in a graceful arabesque pose, sending Karin crashing to the ground with a pained grunt.
As Lili attempted a front flip transitioning into an axe kick, Karin reacted swiftly, standing up and meeting the attack with a rising uppercut aimed at the knee of the foot Lili was attacking with. The force of the blow caused Lili to cry out in pain as she hopped back on her unscathed leg, wincing as she massaged her injured knee. Refusing to be kept back, Lili reengaged with a one-two punch combination, followed by a low kick. However, Karin displayed remarkable skill in her defense, neutralizing the punches with a precise palm strike and effectively countering the low kick with her own, resulting in a stalemate.
Lili unleashed another one-two punch combination, followed by her signature "piercing thorn" dropkick. However, Karin skillfully thwarted the punches with blocks, then seamlessly countered Lili's acrobatic attack with a well-timed roundhouse kick that deviated the dropkick, sending Lili crashing to the ground once more.
Lili swiftly rose to her feet, initiating a right jab followed by a low crouching kick. However, Karin deftly deflected the jab and adroitly hooked her foot under Lili's attacking leg, flipping her into the air. In a flowing combination reminiscent of Chun-Li's fighting style, Karin commenced a series of punishing kicks that landed squarely on the beleaguered Rochefort heiress. With a condescending smirk, Karin observed Lili's predictable fighting style.
"Yawn. Such a bore. Were you taught fighting or gymnastics? I don't suppose you trained in ballet, did you? Your techniques are no match for my abilities. Hohohoho!"
She taunted, concluding her remark with a mockingly aristocratic laugh. Capitalizing on Karin's complacency, Lili swiftly seized the opportunity, kneeing the Kanzuki heiress in the abdomen and forcefully stomping her foot, causing Karin to cry out and hop on her good foot. In her momentum, Lilly executed a turning back kick, followed by a single punch and a formidable left roundhouse kick. This combination was devastating, easily laying Karin flat on the ground.
"I don't know. This gymnastic ballerina can still kick butt when she needs to."
Lili retorted, as she got back to fighting position while Karin got back up again. Displaying an air of haughty nonchalance, Karin flipped her golden ojou-style locks with a flourish, confidently returning to her fighting stance.
"Oh, please. You only caught me off guard momentarily. I'll make sure to be less distracted henceforth."
Eager to regain the initiative, Karin launched an aggressive attack. Despite Lili's timely double palm strike to her midsection, Karin refused to be fazed, firmly holding onto her opponent's arms. She then swiftly brought one foot behind Lili's knee, forcing her to drop to her knees. Without mercy, Karin delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to Lili's face with her other foot, forcefully sending her crashing to the ground.
Regaining her footing, Lili attempted a spectacular twirling jumping high kick with both legs, but Karin outmaneuvered the move by swiftly pivoting on her feet and assuming a bagua-zhang stance. As Lili landed, Karin gracefully executed a low sweep, catching her off-balance and once more sending her crashing to the ground.
Undeterred by her repeated falls, Lili stubbornly pushed herself back to her feet, defying the odds. As Karin aimed a punch, Lili seized the moment, catching the blow and swiftly countering with a split kick that connected with a powerful strike under Karin's chin. Using the momentum, Lili concluded the move with a flawless standing 180-degree split, displaying her incredible flexibility.
Slightly rattled, Karin retreated upon noticing the trace of blood on her fighting glove. However, she attempted to play it cool with another haughty laugh, exclaiming,
"Hohohoho! A bit of my own blood? I can't decide whether to be impressed that you managed to draw it, or rather disappointed that it took you so long to do so."
Lili's frustration bubbled to the surface as she declared defiantly,
"I'll prove that I've earned that drop of blood!"
With a mix of determination and agility, Lili executed a graceful aerial cartwheel, launching a string of rapid attacks. Her right leg flicked out, swiftly followed by a left heel drop. Not satisfied, she added a powerful backflip kick, overwhelming Karin's defenses. The relentless onslaught sent the Kanzuki heiress crashing onto her back on the ground. Eager to maintain the upper hand, Lili pressed her advantage as Karin tried to regain her footing. Her attacks were quick and calculated, a right punch seamlessly flowing into a right backfist, before landing a left roundhouse kick that sent Karin sprawling back to the ground.
Backing away momentarily, Lili mustered her strength and unleashed a powerful dropkick aimed at Karin. However, the Kanzuki heiress, though crouching, swiftly raised her arms to defend against the impending blow, effectively blocking the attack. Rising to her feet, Karin attempted a direct kick, only to have Lili sidestep the attack with ease. In her swift retaliation, Lili launched a powerful side kick that connected, but the Kanzuki heiress refused to be deterred, retaliating with a forceful elbow swing that struck Lili in the face, causing her to stagger backwards.
Recovering from the jarring blow to her face, Lili displayed remarkable resilience, quickly executing a powerful flying right kick followed by a forceful left kick to the stomach. Despite Karin managing to block the vertical kick, the subsequent strike to her gut winded her, causing her to retreat, gasping for breath. As the battle reached its pinnacle, both fighters were showing signs of wear and tear: their bodies covered in bruises, and a few smears of blood evident. Just when it seemed like the end was in sight, Lili tapped into her HEAT mode, while Karin channeled her inner ki through the Kanzuki-Ryu Guren no Kata, unlocking the full potential of her family's fighting style.
With a burst of energy, Lili executed a series of acrobatic kicks while airborne, culminating in a powerful backflip kick that sent Karin crashing to the ground. However, the resilient Karin rose back up, delivering a forceful double palm strike to Lili's midsection, followed by a sharp right elbow strike. In a surprise move, Karin then ascended onto Lili's shoulders in a handstand, grabbing hold of her, only to launch a devastating double-knee strike straight into her face.
Desperation fueling her drive to secure victory, Lili executed a strategic kick to create distance between them. As she stood up, Lili unleashed her ultimate Heat Smash move: a low sweeping hand strike followed by a swift double cartwheel kick, before culminating in a powerful backward grand jeté kick that sent the Kanzuki heiress flying backward.
Karin groaned as she struggled to stand, her head spinning from the impact. Seizing the moment, Lili executed a cartwheel kick with confidence, aiming to end the fight. However, with incredible reflexes, Karin initiated a punishing combo, starting with a debilitating elbow strike that stopped the potential hit before it landed. Not done yet, she continued with a hard-hitting palm strike to Lili's midsection, then a sharp knee strike to her gut, adding to her growing discomfort.
In a fluid sequence, Karin seized Lili's wrist and spun herself beneath her arm, twirling her opponent around in a verticle helicopter fashion. Once the rotation was complete, Karin forcefully extended her arms to halt the motion, only to swiftly strike Lili with a powerful palm thrust to her midsection. The impact sent Lili flying backward with a yell, the force of the blow propelling her some distance away.
Tumbling roughly into the small room, Lili collided with a stand filled with samurai gear, causing the kabuto helmet to catapult into the air before landing perfectly on her head, knocking her out cold as she slumped in a sitting position. Confidently, Karin entered the room, her victory assured but her body still reeling from the battle's toll. In a seemingly nonchalant manner, she retrieved a paper fan and commenced fanning herself, her breaths slowly returning to normal as she basked in her well-earned triumph. With a dismissive wave, Karin addressed the unconscious Lili, gloating over her victory.
"Ha! You're quite strong, I give you that. But you ought to know this by now: there's no way you'll take over my family business. You'll have to go back to running to dear old Daddy now, with your tail tucked between your legs. Hohoho!"
Strength: Now, it's very difficult to tell how strong Lili herself is at her peak without questionable scaling. The best we get is that she's comparable to Asuka Kazama. Sure, but I don't really see her stacking up to others on Asuka's scaling, such as Jack bots, or any big bads that Asuka may have fought. But, supposedly if we take things at face value, Karin could be as strong as Chun-Li, who exerted 18.34 tons of force, while Lili could dish out 100 Megatons. This would make Lili 5.45 million times stronger. But again, that feels very generous for someone like Lili. Not that it would matter, as Tekken is very loose with how their characters scale in power, and any level where Lili is close to Karin's level, is too low to be of Asuka's level.
Speed: Now this is where this is much more even. Karin scales to characters like Chun-Li, who is scaled to speeds around Mach 5,633.59. But Lili, with more believable scaling here, could reasonably scale to Asuka, or Heihachi Mishima, who have reaction speeds at 4% the speed of light, or Mach 34,961.2. That puts Lili at 6.15X faster.
Skill: But despite lacking the physical stats, Karin holds everything else. Even if Lili is adept enough of a fighter to hold her own against professionally trained fighters like Asuka, she's still self-taught in combat, mainly just weaponizing gymnastics and ballet. Karin's Kanzuki-Ryu is a combination of the best martial arts in the world, and she can keep up with the 8 best world warriors when they're fighting casually. That certainly makes up for the bit of speed gap between them.
Experience: Karin has faced against more skilled fighters than Lili, and is even familiar with fighters that are self-taught, such as Sakura.
Powers: While Lili may have more ki control, she doesn't have anything that Karin wouldn't be able to overcome, such as negating incoming projectiles, matching ki attacks with her own, or prevent her moves from being read.
The winner is Karin Kanzuki
Next time:
"The ability to destroy a planet, is insignificant, next to the power of the Force."
"I ask of you, are you my Master?"
A/N: I'm going to be taking a pre-season finale break, so that I can get familiar with the Stay Night continuity of the Fate franchise. I don't know how long it'll take me before I get through the main stuff, but I look forward to experiencing what I heard is one of the most recognizable parts of the franchise. Let me know what you think of my versus matches up to this point.