[center][img]https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/494317685505523714/974120501523931166/SFDuelSummerArt.jpg[/img] [color=f49ac2]Sakura Level 7: 67/70[/color] [color=fff200]Karin Level 2: 1/20[/color] Location: Kanzuki Beach Word Count: 1500~ Points Gained: 3 New EXP Balance--- S[color=f49ac2]akura Level 7: 70/70[/color] Level UP! [indent][color=fff200]Karin Level 2: 4/20[/color][/indent] Level UP![/center] The next round had begun, and Sakura was taking on Birdie once again. The two of them were impressive in equal but separate ways. Sakura was no slouch when it came to physical strength, able to hit and carry far about her weight class would suggest, as all street fighters can. But Birdie could throw his weight around and overpower just about anyone if he timed it right. And that chain gave him the reach advantage. But despite his longer limbs and greater height, in many cases it seemed like they were just about equal in range. Sakura was a master of step kicks and spin kicks, and they were faster than Birdie’s heavier limbs. But it couldn’t be said that Birdie had no tricks up his figurative sleeves. At some point, much to Karin’s delight, a banana peel ended up underneath Sakura’s heel and she slipped, arms flailing. And while he hit harder than her, she had more damage output. He brought his massive arms down on her but she sidestepped, and powerfully roundhouse kicked his whiffing arms in his elbows, knocking them so far to the side he almost had his back to her. She dove in and drove into his stomach with her knee, knocking him clean off his feet. Before he could even hit the ground, she struck him again with her uppercut, easily launching his massive figure even high into the air. “Wanker!” He swore. [color=f49ac2]”Wha-”[/color] Sakura stopped, baffled. [color=f49ac2]”What did you just call me?”[/color] Birdie rose to his feet, getting out a comb to straighten up his finely maintained blonde mohawk. “You’re messin’ up my hair!” [color=fff200]"Unsportsmanlike, Sakura. Minus points."[/color] Karin said, and Ishizaki wrote something down, barely suppressing a laugh. [color=f49ac2]”What! His hair’s fine!”[/color] Sakura protested. [color=f49ac2]”It looks the same!”[/color] She crossed her arms again, pouting, but also smiling a little at the same time. Like she just got the joke. [color=f49ac2]”Yeah. Yeah, okay. Ha ha. Real funny. Why do you have to give me such a hard time, Karin?”[/color] [color=fff200]"Because, you’ve lost my respect. I suggest you take this endeavor more seriously, Sakura. You’re fighting for our friendship, after all."[/color] Karin said with the casual nature of a coiled snake. Sakura tensed up and clenched her fists. A ray of sunlight passed over her eyes like the reflection of a blade being drawn from its sheath as she refocused on her current opponent, Birdie. To be honest, she had completely forgotten about her initial objective to free Karin from Galeem’s curse. She might as well be back on Earth- and her focus was all the better for it. Nothing in the world existed except winning these fights. Birdie froze up under Sakura’s glare, his hair mid combing. “Oi. Oi oi oi. Now why’d you have to go and say somethin’ like THAT, Kanzuki?” [color=fff200]"Because a Kanzuki is always honest!"[/color] “Didja have to be that honest?!” [color=f49ac2]”Look at me, Birdie-san!”[/color] Sakura said, and he did. [color=f49ac2]”I’m your opponent. Don’t hesitate, and don’t hold back. I have to know I’m strong enough.”[/color] “...Okay, girlie. Don’t power up on me too hard here, I’m just-” [color=f49ac2]”Come on! I’d do it if I were you!”[/color] Sakura slammed her fist into her palm. “Fine! Here we go then!” Birdie reached into his interminable back pocket and produced a whole chili pepper. He downed the whole thing in one bite. With a gleeful cackle, flames spouted out of his mouth. Sakura, though had the advantage of being cheered on by basically everyone on the beach except Karin. She gave a brief nod and a smile back to the newly arrived Cadet, before refocusing on the action. Birdie unfurled part of the chain around his arm with renewed vigor and power, and began swinging it with wild technique towards Sakura. She ducked under one swipe and cartwheeled backward over another. “Not bad!” Birdie brought it around again. It scraped off of Sakura’s raised fore arm with mighty impact. He brought it back around and wrapped it around her ankle, yanking her towards him feet first. [color=f49ac2][i]”Oops!”[/i][/color] He stomped on her chest, and was she put into the sand before bouncing out with a yellow flash of energy. As he raised his leg again, she met his foot with both of hers, pushing on the bottom of his shoes until he was clear in the air. He back flipped mid air and landed easily on his feet. Demonstrating impressive agility for his size and build, just as she demonstrated impressive strength for her size and build. As she popped up to her feet, a little breathless, she rushed forward only to slip and fall on a beer can that had rolled its way towards her. It, somehow, had rolled under the shallow water itself, making it nearly invisible to Sakura. Sakura growled out a laugh, and Birdie came storming towards her again, whipping out her chain towards her prone form. She rolled to the side of a vertical slash. With a whipping of his hands, the chain sliced through the surf to get at her, but Sakura, only her hands and toes touching the beach, pushed herself up into the air for a fraction of the second so the chain went underneath her. Landing smoothly on the beach she popped herself back onto her feet as she is so prone to do. Before the next chain attack could even begin, Sakura jumped fifteen feet into the air, front flipping towards Birdie. He swung nonetheless, catching nothing but the space she was just in. Wham, wham, wham, wham! Sakura executed her powerful combo as she had practiced tens of thousands of times before. The fight was an entirely bloodless affair. Of course, some of the attacks were winceworthy in their power and precision. They were trying to hurt each other of course, but there would be no injuries here. Both fighters would be just fine by the end of this bout. After a resounding combo, Birdie lumbered to his feet and swung again at Sakura, but before he knew it she was over his shoulders and stomping on the back of his head. Both fighters became separated by distance again from the pushback of the strike. Both fighters paused, turning to face each other. Birdie rubbed the back of his head, and Sakura bounced from antsy foot to foot. At that moment Sakura knew something that Birdie didn’t: she was about to win. Blue fire burst from her hands and she followed in its wake. Birdie swung his chain and knocked the fireball aside. He brought it around for another swing and she ducked cleanly underneath it, still advancing. He rolled another surprisingly tough beer can towards her feet through the water itself. But Sakura planted her foot in the ground and soccer ball kicked it to donk soundly in his forehead. She span and launched a precision fireball right into his knee, causing him to drop into a kneel. Grinning, she dove towards him, hopped up onto his raised knee. They made brief eye contact. [color=f49ac2]”This oughta finish you!”[/color] Balancing on his knee cap, Sakura exploded into a spinning blue razor blade, one foot extended outward. Birdie’s bearded chin snapped backwards again and again and again. [color=f49ac2][i]”UOOOOOOH! BUH-BYE!”[/i][/color] In a split second she shot her leg upward, her foot moving well past her head and hanging over her shoulder as she back flipped and landed on her feet. Birdie soared through the air. “Oh, bugger off!” He said, before face planting in the surf. Sakura laughed loudly and pumped her fists up and down repeatedly, before just jumping joyously in the air a few times. [color=f49ac2][i]”Did you see that?!”[/i][/color] She shouted to her friends on the beach. She glanced over at Birdie. [color=f49ac2]”Better luck next time, Birdie. You’re pretty good! Maybe you should-”[/color] Birdied waved off any further suggestions, still laying down. Sakura shrugged. Karin clapped her hands.[color=fff200]"Sakura wins! Congratulations."[/color] Sakura bowed. [color=fff200]"You lose, Birdie.”[/color] Karin said. Birdie, face down on the beach, grumbled. “Yeah, I noticed.” The idea of giving Birdie a Friend Heart slipped Sakura’s mind. She had too much momentum to stop now. She barely had the energy to acknowledge people on the beach, though she did notice Rika, Junior had joined the party again. Karin’s golden-red eyes were laser focused on Sakura. [color=fff200]"I suppose you’ll be wanting that rematch after I trounced you and you disgraced yourself."[/color] Sakura swallowed dryly, walking up onto the beach itself. [color=f49ac2]”Yep.”[/color] [color=fff200]"You have my permission to lose this fight. But not to disappoint me."[/color] Karin said, the implication clear. Sakura breached the trust of the fight. Repeating such an infraction would be unacceptable. Sakura nodded solemnly. Sakura glanced around to her friends on the beach. [color=f49ac2]”Just leave this to me guys. No matter what happens. Okay?”[/color] Hopefully they got the message. Sakura wanted to win. She had to beat Karin fair and square. Galeem’s influence or not. Karin narrowed her eyes, looking Sakura over. [color=fff200]"First to two rounds. Ishizaki-san, you shall be the referee.”[/color] Ishizaki punched his palm. “Yattaze! You got it, little lady! Best of two rounds! On my mark! You ready?” Sakura slapped the sides of her head. Karin brushed her coils of blonde hair over her shoulder. Birdie buggered off to find something to eat. “Steady..!” Sakura clenched her fists and put her best foot forward. Karin flattened out her palms, pointed one arm forward, one arm backwards, and kept her elbows close to her body. “Go for it, man!” And they did! Sakura was going to wrap this up in time for lunch! She wanted to catch up with her friends again, too.