[center][img]https://images-ext-2.discordapp.net/external/WOEUsAadHdyhHdBKNnqTsmWyQPOFs06sJKQB52X4-wE/https/i.imgur.com/oaRzgds.png?width=362&height=406[/img] [h3][color=fff79a]Kasugano Sakura[/color][/h3]
Level 1: 9/10
Location: Battling Ryu outside of Lumbridge
Word Count: 664
Points Gained: 1
New EXP Balance--- Level 1: 10/10[/center]

	At first, Sakura didn't realise the severity of the situation. As she felt her cross-up connect only against his block, she landed and quickly turned around to block his counter strike and once again begin her offence. But she missed. He was too fast. Her head jerked back twice as the impacts hit, and she braced herself to take whatever combo he was going to do next. Only he paused, and she managed to deflect the strikes, and she predicted that he was going to go down low.

	[color=fff79a][i]Oh, no! I get it! He's going to try and take the fight right now! In a few moments, he's going to chain a jumping strike into a devastating combo. I gotta block it, or else![/i][/color]

	Ryu jumped! Sakura prepared herself looking up to meet his strike, to deflect it away with her forearms and return the favor with a knee to his noggin. But nothing happened. She looked down through her own raised arms at her opponent who now could now paint his martial art on the stretched canvas of her midriff.

	What followed was a thorough pummel that saw Ryu work his way up her body, slam his foot into her head and rocket upward with a flaming uppercut. Hardly had a chance to feel it, her teeth her grit and her eyes were closed the entire time as he pummeled her like a punching bag. The fight was over, of course, and Sakura knew it. Unlike the previous time she had been thrown into the air by one of his moves, her limbs flailed wildly and she landed rough and unco-ordinated on the ground. Everything was topsy turvy and her vision was unfocused. [color=fff79a][i]"Aaah!"[/i] [/color] Someone cried out in pain and surprise, only for the young woman to realise it was her as she slammed into the ground. Getting beat was always discombobulating. True warriors don't get humiliated by or disrespect their opponents for losing their composure when getting dazed by strikes. That's how it should be, and Sakura has gotten used to this by now. On her quest to become better, losing happened just as much as winning.

	Breathing heavily, she opened one eye and stared up at the sky, one hand on her belly, the other digging into the dirt. 

	What could she have done better? Differently? It was an excellent fight, and already she felt better. Satisfied.

	At this point, though, describing Sakura's thoughts and internal monologue would be difficult. She wouldn't remember this moment, and there wasn't much thinking being done. At least not by her.

	Ryu had fought Sakura before. At this point, she would concede she had lost. Were two street fighters of such caliber to go at it until the bitter end, it would indeed end bitterly. Sakura knew it. A threshold had been crossed and Ryu had dealt the winning blow. Right about now, she should be excitedly giggling and gathering her composure on the ground. Indeed, it looked like she was about to do just that. But of course, Ryu knew different. Of course the Sakura he knew wasn't quite there. Not all the way. Her eyes were supposed to be brown, but no, they were red.

	So Sakura clambered to her feet, eyebrows slightly furrowed, sweat on her forehead, and continued the fight. Running at him full speed, when she was a few feet away she tossed dirt and grass into his face. When she was on the ground she had gathered it up with this intent. Lunging forward she gathered energy into her knuckles and threw a nasty sucker punch towards Ryu's neck, and prepared to drive her knee into his groin. Sakura always fought to win, but now, it seemed, she was fighting to [i]win.[/i] Permanently.