Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Strawberry Fields – Denmark

The drones filming the match announced that they were in a place called Denmark. To tag team partners and Keisei natives Talim and Yun-seong, they weren't sure if that meant a city or a country. One thing was for sure... standing on a dirt road, the sight of growing green vines and bright red strawberries ready to be picked was all around them and as far as their eyes could see. The only other thing in their sights was a wooden-built windmill off in the distance. The weather was perfect with a cloudless sky and comfortable temperatures even this early in the morning.

It almost felt like home.

“The wind is really nice today,” Talim soon commented, breaking the silence.

That caused her tag team partner to roll his eyes. “Is that all you care about? The wind?” the young man groaned.

Talim simply smiled at Yun-seong. “That's because you don't understand the nature of the wind. Maybe if you actually listened to what you call my 'lectures,' you wouldn't think that way.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Yun-seong grumbled as he began to pace around the field while stretching his arms. He was definitely itching to get the match going. He hated waiting longer than he needed to. The passing time at the hotel was agonizing enough as it was.

At that moment, their two male opponents showed up and the drones announced them as Byrne and Conall. Blonde and brunette respectively, they both wore minimal silver-plated armor over black leather pants and shirt with matching gloves. They also each held a five-foot long halberd, the axe-like blades in different colors – Byrne's was gold and Conall's was blue.

“Ah, weapon users!” Yun-seong called out with a grin as he pulled out his beloved longsword named White Storm. “Now that's what I'm talking about.”

Without even discussing it first, Yun-seong walked halfway towards the pair. Talim could only sigh in defeat as she pulled out her two bladed tonfas, preparing herself for the battle ahead.

It was Conall who chose to go against Yun-seong. The brunette met the Keisei native halfway. He was starting to get into a fighting stance, but Yun-seong decided to get the fight started. With a yell, Yun-seong jumped forward and swung his longsword at Conall, who immediately blocked it with his halbred, their weapons clashing with a loud clang!

For what felt like a minute, the two went back and forth in an effort to try to overtake the other. Meanwhile, their respective tag team partners waited patiently for their chance to fight. In her mind, Talim wasn't sure whether Byrne would initiate their battle once the five-minute wait was over. Either way, she kept a good grip on her tonfas as a precaution while keeping an eye on both him and the fight in between them.

Eventually, Conall was able to push Yun-seong away just by a couple of feet. Conall then attempted to swing the hilt of his weapon at his opponent, but Yun-seong managed to duck underneath before it connected to his head. From there, Yun-seong moved forward and, once within reached, grabbed Conall, moved him to the side, then performed a roundhouse kick that sent Conall stumbling back. Yun-seong then attempted an upward kick, which his opponent backed away from. Still noting how that left Conall open, Yun-seong jumped forward in a somersault motion, his foot soon connecting to Conall's shoulder with enough force to knock him face first into the dirt.

Yun-seong chuckled after get himself upright again, realizing he had the upperhand in this fight. “Damn, I'm just way too good!”

Meanwhile, Talim kept her eyes on the fight. Though she was happy that her tag team partner seemed to be winning for them so far, she couldn't help but shake her head over his display of arrogance. The young man had a good heart, Talim always knew that, but she just wish that he didn't let his overconfidence get into his head so much.

Just as that thought left her, Talim suddenly heard footsteps to her right. She didn't have to turn around to see that Conall's partner, Byrne, was coming after her, the five-minute wait now over.

“Wind, guide me,” Talim whispered to herself as she got herself into her fighting stance. She stayed in her spot until Byrne was close enough to swing his halbred at her, which she immediately blocked with her bladed tonfas.

“ Two-on-two battle initiated by Team Byrne and Conall,” one of the drones informed.

Yun-seong hadn't heard that announcement. Instead, his focus was on his opponent, who was currently on his hands and knees and looking down towards the dirt road they were on. A pained sound emitted from Conall as he scrapped his nails over the dirt.

“What the...” Yun-seong uttered in disbelief. “You can't be hurting already, man! We barely got started!”

Then, a inhumane growl emitted from the back of Conall's throat. Yun-seong was just beginning to wonder what that was about when suddenly, Conall launched forward in fast speed. That was when Yun-seong saw Conall's face... it was no longer human, but instead the face of a wolf!

“WHOA!” Yun-seong shouted just as the changed Conall knocked him onto his back and losing his grip on his sword. The impact nearly knocked the wind out of Yun-seong, but it was nothing compared to the glaring of the wolf that was now on top of him. The wolf bared his teeth at him with a threatening growl, and Yun-seong was certain that the beast was going to rip his throat out at any second.

“Okay, I don't know if you can hear me in there, but this is awkward,” Yun-seong said to him. “I seem to recall a rule in this tournament that if you kill me, by accident or deliberate, you and your partner will get disqualified from the tournament altogether. Is that what you really want?”

Conall huffed at that through his nose, his breath smacking into the Keisei native's face.

“Also, you really need a breathe mint,” Yun-seong added right before he coughed.

That was when Conall moved off of Yun-seong. Relieved that he wasn't going to die, he quickly got himself back on his feet. “There,” the Keisei native said as he brushed the dirt off his arms. “I knew you'd come to your-”

Before Yun-seong could finish his sentence, he was suddenly knocked down again. This time, it was from a beam-like projectile that shot from Conall's wolf eyes.

“Hey!” Yun-seong yelled out as he sat back up. “That wasn't funny!”

“Who said it was?” Conall said. At this point, he was changing back into his human form. “I just wanted to see your reaction to my newly discovered abilities.”

Yun-seong immediately kipped up before reaching down to grab his sword. He then faced his opponent. “Yeah, well... I'm done wasting time! Are we gonna fight or not?”

Conall sighed at that, disappointed by his opponent's reaction. “Very well.”

With that, Conall jumped towards Yun-seong before once more swinging his halbred at him. Yun-seong was able to duck underneath the attack before he stepped closer and landed a punch into Conall's gut, the only part of his torso not covered by armor. The punch immediately caused him to keel over while gasping for breath.

“Ha!” Yun-seong yelled as he pulled back. From there, he jumped and performed two upward kicks, one following the other, both which connected to Conall's chest. He then crouched low and tripped Conall off his feet with his sweep before swiftly spinning himself and delivered a roundhouse that sent Conall flying sideways before crashing into the ground just inches from a strawberry patch.

Yun-seong spread his arms open, a scowl on his face.

For some reason, hearing that pissed off Conall. Getting back up, he ran towards Yun-seong with a roar and aimed his halbred at him. Once more, Yun-seong blocked the maneuver with his sword. They once more went back and forth, the sound of steel hitting against steel ringing in their ears. Then, with a quick spin kick, Yun-seong managed to knock his opponent's halbred out of his by kicking his wrist, causing it to twist to the near point of breaking.

“Argh!” Conall yelled as he held his wrist close to him.

Ignoring him, Yun-seong closed in on him before jumping up and landing two forward kicks to his face. The force of the kick sent Conall flipping back before landing headfirst into the dirt before falling completely. Once that was done, Yun-seong got back on his feet and remained in a fighting stance while a drone hoovered over where Conall fell...

A few moments passed before the drone declared, “Knockout detected.”

Yun-seong grinned upon that announcement. “These skills... it's all talent.”

Back nearby, Talim continued her own fight against Byrne, both aware that their respective partners' own battle was over. Talim could tell that Byrne was more determined to win just by how much more muscle he put into his attacks. Talim decided to use this to her advantage.

She ducked underneath Byrne's next attack before perform a low sweep in hopes of tripping him. However, Byrne backed away in time, but while he did, Talim quickly straightened back up and attempted to last her weapons in a criss-cross motion, which once again Byrne pulled away from. He then tried to lash out his own weapon at her, but then Talim jumped up and over his attack and managed to get herself behind him. Before Byrne could react, Talim kicked his back, thrusting him forward.

Even with the amount of stumbling he did after the hit Byrne was able to keep himself upright. He quickly turning to face his smaller opponent, who was already starting to close in on him. Talim jumped and performed a twisting somersault and attempted to land both feet on his chest, but Byrne backed away. Back on her feet, Talim twirled herself while kicking her feet, but it was once again avoid. Finally, she followed with a backhand

“Argh!” Byrne growled as he held his cheek after the backhand. He shook his head in order to get back into the fight. He then closed the space between him and his young opponent. Once again, the two went back and forth with their weapons, but it wasn't long before Byrne managed to push her back a bit. With that, he quickly turned and performed a back kick onto Talim's chest, thrusting her away.

Talim went flying back until she landed hard on her rear into a patch of strawberries. Some of the berries squashed under her weight and a couple of vines snapped. She was sure that some of the squashed berries stained her pants. Of course, she just happened to decide to wear white pants of all colors today...

“This... is embarrassing...” she uttered. Despite her feelings, Talim got herself back up before getting herself into a fighting stance, ready for more of her opponent's attacks.

“I admit, you're cute,” Byrne said to her. “But that doesn't meant I plan to let you win.”

Talim simply smiled at him. “I'll let the wind judge that.”

That statement confused Byrne. “The what?”

Suddenly, Talim shot out her palm towards her opponent's direction. “Wind!” she shouted as a gust of it suddenly knocked Byrne off his feet and forcing him to land in another patch of strawberries, the juice staining his armor and clothes as well as his blond hair.

Talim chuckled after that, especially considering that he hardly ever performed that move. “I should've told you before we started this fight... I am one with the wind.”

“I can see that now,” Byrne said as he held up his halbred. “But that doesn't change anything.”

Then with a yell, Byrne closed the the space between them and attempted to swing his weapon, but once more Talim blocked the maneuver with her bladed tonfas. She then pushed the halbred back along with her opponent, forcing him to stumble. From there, the Keisei native spun her weapons, using speed to build up the wing around her. She then swung them forward, forcing Byrne to use his weapon to block and knock the blades to different directions.

That distraction gave Talim the chance to close in on him. Hope I can do this... she thought to herself, feeling a little doubt. Once she was within reach, she turned and performed a back punch that landed on her opponent's face. The move stunning him, she then went for a roundhouse kick, using the power of the wind to guide the movement. That helped build strength within her kick, which gave enough force to send Bryne flying back before crashing onto his side with a hard thud.

I did it... Talim thought, feeling relieved.

Upon landing on his side, a loud crack! was heard. At first, Byrne thought a vine had snapped underneath him, but upon attempting to get up, a sharp agonizing pain shot through his arm and he was forced to fold it close to him on instinct while also removing the gauntlet that covered it. Looking down at it, he saw that a bone in his forearm was pushing up against his skin and muscles...

He knew with this injury that he wasn't going to go on with the fight.

“I... concede...” Byrne uttered in defeat as he held his broken arm close to his chest.

With that declaration, one of the drones said, “Concede announced. Talim and Hong Yun-seong win the match!”

Talim chose to approach Byrne once it was clear that the match was over. “Don't worry, you'll be okay,” she promised.

“What are you doing, Talim?” Yun-seong asked as he saw this, unsure if he should be annoyed or concern what she had in mind, especially since what she was about to do wasn't the first time he's witnessed this. In the past, it had some consequences...

Talim ignored her partner as she kneeled down next to Byrne. “Here, let me help you,” she offered as she placed a hand over his broken forearm.

In the next few moments, Yun-seong noticed an increase in the blowing wind, which threatened to rip off the green bandana that capped over his red hair. Sheathing his sword back in it's scabbard, he moved both hands to the top of his head in order to keep his bandana in place. He didn't even bother to watch what was going on.

Eventually, the wind died down and it wasn't long before Byrne smiled at Talim. “Thank you,” he uttered quietly to her.

Talim smiled in response. “You did your best,” she said to Byrne about their fight. “I respect that.”

~~~

Fighting Pit – United States

Amongst the chanting and yelling from the spectators surrounding what was definitely going to be a cage match, Forest Law spoke to Abel as he glared at his waiting opponents. “Strange names they have... Razor and Blade? Really?”

All Abel could respond with was a simple shrug of his shoulders as he also looked at their opponents – two young men around their age dressed in matching black and white baggy clothes and gold jewelry. One of them, Razor, leaned against a pole holding the black chain-link fence serving as a circular cage together, his arms crossover over his chest. The other, Blade, who chose to fight first, stood in the middle of the ring flicking a switchblade with his hand.

Eventually, Forest turned to his tag team partner. “So... wanna play 'rock, paper, scissors' to see who gets to go first?”

Abel raised an eyebrow at that. “Why do you want to do that?”

Forest shrugged. “I thought it make the choice faster than trying to decide all day.”

Now it was Abel's turn to shrug. “Well... all right then...”

They both put their right hands out and shook them three times before shaping out their hands... both scissors. They went at it again with Abel keeping 'scissors'... and Forest ending up with paper.

“Scissors cuts paper,” Abel reminded him.

“Damn!” Forest called out, which made Abel smile a little. “Guess I get to tango first.”

With that, Forest stepped into the arena, the chants still going around the cage they were in. He stopped once he was about five feet away from his opponent, Blade.

“So...” Forest started to say to this opponent. “Blade, huh? That nickname just something you came up because of your weapon of choice? Or do you just happen to be a fan of Wesley Snipes?”

Blade rolled his eyes. “How about you just shut your mouth and let yourself lose this fight, loser.”

Forest chuckled at that before he got into his fighting stance. “Sorry to break it to you pal... but winning doesn't come that easy.”

Suddenly, Blade jumped forward and began swinging his open switchblade at Forest, who was forced to duck and dodge away before the weapon cut into his skin. “Hey!” Forest yelled out. “Watch what you're doing with that thing!”

That only made Blade laugh mockingly. “What's wrong, loser? Can't handle a little cut?”

“Dammit, come on!” someone in the audience yelled out.

Then, to Blade's surprise, his switchblade was quickly kicked out of his hand and flew right over the cage and into the audience. Before Blade could react, Forest swiftly performed a forward kick, forcing Blade to stumble back. As Blade recovered, Forest stood on one leg with his other foot still in the air and he mocked Blade with a wag of his finger, a shake of his head, a clicking his tongue a couple of times.

“For shame,” Forest said in a mock tone. “Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with knives?”

This only made Blade even more pissed. With a yell, he reached his right hand into the short sleeve of his left arm before pulling what looked like another switchblade from the strap he wrapped his arm around. Hitting a button on the hilt, a miniature chainsaw emitted from it with the small buzzing sound echoing around the room.

“Huh... a literal trick up your sleeve,” Forest started, unimpressed as he put his foot back down. “Okay then...”

Blade tried to throw the mini-chainsaw at Forest in an attempt distract him. Instead of moving out of the way like he expected, Forest simply kicked it out of his path, managing to safely hit the hilt with his foot. The weapon just landed at the edge of the cage, but that didn't stop the audience in its path back up with a bit of nervousness while it was flying towards them.

With a yell, Forest swiftly landed a forward kick into Blade's chest, followed with two more kicks before punching at a downward angle that made Blade keel over. Still, Blade was able to stand on his feet during that.

From there, Forest grabbed his shoulders, kneed his opponent in the stomach, delivered an uppercut, then followed with a flip kick that sent Blade up into the air. Once Blade was falling back down, Forest punched his side and sent him flying until he it the cage wall. From there, Blade fell to the ground... he was stunned, but not out of the game just yet.

“Who's the loser now?” Forest questioned, once again mocking his opponent.

While this was going on, the five-minute wait ended and Blade's tag team partner, Razor, decided that he no longer wanted to wait for his partner to tag him in. He attempted to move at an angle he thought was Abel's blind spot, but even with all the noise surrounding them, Abel was still able to hear Razor's approach. As soon as Razor was close, Abel quickly turned around and performed a wheel kick. He then followed with an uppercut that sent Razor off his feet before a forward kick knocked Razor a few feet away, making him crash into the ground.

“Two-on-two battle initiated by Team Razor and Blade,” one of the two drones in the room announced.

Abel tightened his fighting gloves as he waited for Razor to get back up. “Well then... let's begin,” he declared.

Abel's response only served to make Razor growl in annoyance. With a yell, he quickly got back up and began throwing various punches and kicks at Abel, who dodged them with ease... at least until a hard kick to the face caused Abel's head to snap sideways as well as making him stumble until his back hit the cage that surrounded them. Abel attempted to move, but a bunched of hands suddenly grabbed his shoulders and arms and pinned him back

“Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!” the audience chanted.

That gave Razor, with a big grin on his face, the chance to go up to Abel and deliver a few punches to his face and torso. This went on for a few more seconds until, finally, the audience let Abel go. Feeling dizzy, Abel stumbled forward and onto one knee. From there, he attempted to force himself back into the match, rubbing his face with both hands in order to keep himself focused.

“What's the matter, Frenchie,” Razor began to mock with a laugh. “Didn't eat enough croissants today?”

That comment made Abel clench his teeth in anger. Of course guys likes these would do the typical thing and make fun of his French heritage. Then with a yell, Abel straightened himself up and closed in on Razor. Grabbing him by his shirt, he lifted Razor up and spun him around a couple of him before slamming him into the ground with enough force to make Razor bounce back up.

From there, Abel grabbed Razor again, turned him towards them, then proceeded to deliver various punches to his face and chest. He then grabbed Razor's arm, turned himself around, and jumped up in a forward somersault before slamming Razor back first into the concrete. From there, Abel rolled forward and got back on his two feet.

“That's what happens when you mock me,” Abel told his opponent in a matter of fact.

As he waited for Razor to get back up, Abel happened to look to his left just in time to see his tag team partner Forest 'charging,' his hands surrounded in a yellow chi. He then went in and dazed his opponent Blade with two punches, an uppercut that made him move back, a punch to the chest, and finally, a flip kick that caught Blade under the chin. Even though Blade was able to remain on his feet, the attacks had clearly left him both stunned and dizzy as he tried to keep his balance.

“Wow...” Abel uttered to himself in amazement, more so over Forest's 'charge.' “That's pretty neat. He then quickly got back into focus as he heard Razor running towards him again.

Seconds later and at the same time, both Abel and Forest performed their final maneuvers on their respective opponents. For Abel, noting that his opponent was up again, he grabbed Razor and lifted him onto his shoulders. He then began to spin around so fast and rapidly that he created a tornado around them. Eventually, Abel tossed Razor up into air and waited until he began to fall back towards the ground. From there, Abel jumped up, grabbed Razor again, and delivered his knee into Razor's stomach, causing his opponent to gasp for air. They then fell back towards the ground and Abel rolled them both a couple of times before finally letting go, letting Razor crash upside down and back first into the fenced cage.

For Forest, he simply just ran and delivered a flying kick to Blade's head, the maneuver sending him flying into the opposite side of the cage. Both Razor and Blade soon fell off the cage and fell into the concrete floor, losing consciousness beforehand.

“Knockouts detected!” a drone soon announced. “Abel and Forest Law win the match!”

The two men high-fived each other once their win was known to the watchers. Forest then turned to the two unconscious men and, even though he knew that they wouldn't hear, pointed at them. “You got nothing on us!” he called out.

~~~

Beach Resort – Australia

Being from Keisei, it was natural for Xianghua to suddenly become perplexed by her new surroundings. Oh, of course she realized that she was at a beach... the sands, water, and palm trees were a huge giveaway and that was a common thing Keisei had with this world she was in. What was different was everything else. The small buildings surrounding the area looked fresh compared to the ones back home using materials she couldn't recognize off-hand. The spectators watching the upcoming match wore what she was told earlier were called 'bathing suits' and they were either playing with their 'phones' or enjoying the drinks in their hands. Curiously, she noted one drink with a tiny pink parasol hanging off the glass... she wondered what that was about.

She still had a lot to learn about Earthrealm.

Xianghua's tag team partner Elena smiled as she looked around the area. “This is really beautiful,” she said cheerfully. “It almost makes me want to take a vacation.”

Before Xianghua could answer, their opponents showed up. The drones announced them as Kaliyan and Rachana, both dressed in yellow and orange sports bras respectively, black skin-tight leggings, and tennis shoes. They also wore black boxing gloves over their hands. Nothing their beautiful tans, Xianghua suddenly felt like a walking piece of paper considering how pale her own skin was compared to theirs and Elena's darker tone.

Disappointingly, none of the two women had weapons, so Xianghua would have to forgo her sword and rely on the dance-like fighting maneuvers she learned as a child. Of course, that wasn't a problem for Elena and, before arriving at the beach, it was decided that the Earthrealm native would go first. Elena stepped forward to the middle fighting area while Kaliyan chose to go first, meeting Elena halfway and stopping just five feet away. The whole time, Kaliyan said nothing and she simply glared at her opponent, a determined look on her face.

“Hi there,” Elena greeted enthusiastically as she got into her capoeria fighting stance, ready to go. She smiled at her opponent. “My name is Elena. I'll show you my dance. You ready?”

Kaliyan said nothing... instead, she quickly dashed forward and began swinging her fists. Prepared, Elena began to duck and dodge from the maneuvers. Keeping a rhythm in her head, she let herself dance around Kaliyan's attacks just long enough until her opponent began to get both frustrated and lacking focus because of the former.

Soon, Elena flipped herself back in order to give herself space between her and Kaliyan. Elena once again smiled at her. “You're losing focus. Try to feel the rhythm of the fight.”

In annoyance, Kaliyan growled and attempted a right hook. Swiftly, Elena ducked underneath the fist before pivoting on her left foot and swinging her right at her opponent's mid-section three times while moving forward. Elena missed on the first two swings as Kaliyan moved back, but the third swing caught Kaliyan's side, forcing her to stumble sideways. As Kaliyan regained her balance, Elena pulled away to give them room and she immediately got back into her capoeria stance, continuing to dance to the rhythm she developed in her mind.

Kaliyan then went in for another punch, but Elena flipped herself before she was hit. From there, Elena planted her hands on the ground before swinging her long legs around in a circular motion, pivoting on her hands. Kaliyan was able to get away before being hit. Seeing this, Elena straightened herself into a hand-stand before performed a downward-angled kick, the move hitting Kaliyan in the shoulder hard enough to knock her face first into the floor. Once that was done, Elena flipped back a couple of times before getting into her capoeria fighting stance again.

“Try to not think so seriously,” Elena tried to advice. “It'll do you good in this-”

“Shut UP!” Kaliyan screamed at her. “And stop being so damn cheerful! This is a match for crying out loud! Try to take it seriously, damn it!”

Elena clicked her tongue in disappointment. “Oh that's a shame... you hold too much anger. Try to relax and-”

With a shriek, Kaliyan went in with the intent to knock Elena out cold and keep her quiet for at least a couple of hours. However, Elena was ready for her by then and went in to perform what she dubbed the Spinning Beat. Elena waited until Rashana was close enough before jumping up and performed three flipping split-kicks in mid-air, bringing them both higher up with each kick. After the third one, Elena landed gracefully on her hands before slowly moving her feet downward to stand on them again. Meanwhile, Kaliyan crashed hard onto her back into the stoned pavement they were fighting on.

Afterwards, Elena walked over to where her opponent fall before leaning over to look down at her, resting her hands on her knees. “I hope I didn't hurt you too much. I still would like to be friends.”

All Kaliyan could do was groan in pain before unconsciousness took over.

“Knockout detected!” a nearby drone soon announced.

That was the cue for Kaliyan's tag team partner, Rachana, to step in. She attempted to go after Elena, but the young woman immediately flipped back until she was next to her waiting tag team partner.

“You ready, friend?” Elena asked Xianghua as she raised a hand up.

Xianghua's answer was to give Elena a high-five before stepping towards her opponent. Immediately, Rachana ran forward until she covered the space between her and Xianghua and quickly began throwing her fists at her. Keeping her focus, Xianghua

Finally, Xianghua saw an opening and ducked down for a low kick, which Rachana managed to jump over. As Rachana landed back on the ground, Xianghua straightened herself up and swiftly grabbed Rachana's arm before swinging it into a full circle, forcing Rachana to flip back into a somersault in order to avoid breaking her arm.

It also gave Rachana full control of the battle and she promptly nailed her elbow into Xianghua's face.

“OWE!” Xianghua cried out as she stumbled back while holding her nose in pain. Taking the opportunity, Rachana began swinging her fists into the young Keisei native in hopes of knocking her down... and eliminating her from the match.

“Come on, Xianghua!” Elena cheered on the sidelines. “You can do it! Remember how I told you to try to feel the rhythm of the Earth!”

Even though Xianghua still didn't quite grasp the meaning of Elena's last sentence, her encouragement was enough to make Xianghua snap herself back into it. Quickly, she raised her hand to block the next incoming punch from Rachana before swiftly following with a a spin kick to her opponent's side. That forced Rachana to stumble sideways.

Xianghua didn't let Rachana recover and, getting within reach, quickly delivered two kicks before spinning herself and delivering another roundhouse. However, Rachana was able to duck underneath the kick before she was hit. That left Xianghua wide open and Rachana took the opportunity to once again deliver more punches, the first hitting Xianghua right below the collarbone and pushing her back. Rachana then went in for a left hook, but Xianghua was able to move to the side, letting her opponent's fist go past her face.

Then Rachana went in for a right hook and that was when Xianghua grabbed on to her wrist – a trick Maxi taught her a while back during their travels through Keisei. She then pulled her opponent forward before she had time to react and, once close enough, Xianghua delivered a knee strike to Rachana's stomach, the force knocking the wind out of her and causing her to keel over in pain.

While Rachana was still keeled over, Xianghua jumped up and over her. Upon falling back towards the ground, Xianghua twisted herself in mid-air before delivering a kick to the back of Rachana's head.

“Gotcha!” Xianghua called out as Rachana went flying across the fighting arena, only stopping upon crashing into one of the empty plastic tables at the beach resort, the umbrella on the table coming loose and landing on its side right on Rachana's back.

Xianghua then waited until Rachana was ready, but it seemed as though the kick to the head did some damage. Rachana tried to get back up and found that she was struggling. Her dark eyes looked a bit crossed as well, clearly dizzy from the impact. Eventually, it was clear that Rachana was not going to recover from the last hit in time...

“I... concede...” Rachana groaned in defeat before collapsing completely.

Upon that, a drone announced, “Concede announced. Elena and Chai Xianghua win the match!”

Xianghua couldn't help but smile after their win. It still felt a little strange to fight without a sword, but it was still fun nevertheless even if this match was an easy win. Now if only she could understand more of Elena's wisdom...

~~~

Jyurakudai Villa – Kyoto, Japan

The Japanese villa Chun Li and Lei Wulong were brought to by the Mishima Portal was quite a sight. An imperial palace overlooked a large land of forest that, though the trees currently contained lush green leaves, would be a beauty to behold during the autumn and spring season with the changing colors and flowers respectively. Also in front of the palace was a large covered platform that clearly served as a training ground for those who visited here. Aside from the four people currently on the platform, all was quiet around them.

Their opponents were a Korean father/daughter team named Seok and Bora. Both dressed in a white traditional cheogori top. The girl wore a purple chima while her father wore a black paji. Both wore tight slippers that matched the colors of their lower attires.

“I can take on the girl while you fight her father,” Chun Li suggested to Lei. At the same time, the older man Seok made the decision to fight first and the gray-haired man began walking to the middle of the platform.

“Guess, I'm going first then,” Lei said. Before he moved however, he pulled an object out of his pocket and quickly twisted off the cap of what Chun Li suddenly realized was a flask. Before she could think to stop him, Lei took a long swig of what she was certain was alcohol.

Stunned, Chun Li glared at her husband. “Lei... now? At a time like this?” she asked in annoyance.

Lei twisted the cap back on the flask before handing it to his wife with a wink. “I know what I'm doing. Trust me.”

All Chun Li could do was shake her head as he walked – no – stumbled to the middle of the ring. She also didn't miss how his opponent Seok gazed at Lei with confusion at first before a big grin appeared on his face. He was definitely thinking how easy it was going to be fighting a drunk man.

Still annoyed, Chun Li untwisted the flask in order to sniff the content within. Mainly she wanted to try to figure out how strong the alcohol he was drinking was, especially considering how he seemed pretty quiet and composed during their wait back at the hotel. Upon sniffing the flask, Chun Li's eyes widened in surprise when she realized what the drink was...

It was apple juice.

In that second, it took all of her strength to suppress the smile that attempted to appear on her face. She felt awful for doubting Lei. He definitely knew what he was doing.

Once Lei met his opponent halfway, Seok took a step forward, closing the space between them and attempted a right hook to Lei's face. However, he ended up missing as Lei pulled his head back, stumbling a little as he did. Seok then went in for a jab to the stomach, but once more Lei moved away before he was hit.

Lucky guess on his part, Seok thought to himself. From there, he tried to aim more punches and hand chops at his opponent, but even in his supposedly drunken stupor, Lei seemed to have the luck to stumble and swerve from the maneuvers.

What is with this guy?! The older man yelled out in frustration in his head.

Suddenly, Lei fell back and landed on his side. Seok was just thinking how his opponent finally passed out when Lei sat-up halfway on his side before

“I know you're a drunk, but are you going to take any of this seriously?!” Seok yelled out in annoyance as he walked over to where Lei was.

Suddenly, the moment Seok was within reach, Lei quickly propped himself into a hand-stand before delivering a kick to Seok's chest, sending the older man back a few feet. Once he regained his footing, Seok glared at his opponent and noted how focused Lei's expression was... that was when Seok realized that Lei tricked him.

“More serious than you realize,” Lei responded with a grin as he flipped himself to a standing position.

“Enough games already!” Seok shouted. Suddenly, he threw one arm forward and unleashed a red, arrow-shaped projectile at his opponent. With the close distance between them, Lei didn't have time to move before the projectile hit him square in the chest with enough force to knock him onto his back, the landing nearly knocking the wind out of him.

“Lei!” Chun Li called out in worry after that, but remained where she stood.

Despite the pain in his chest, Lei pushed off the ground and kipped up, getting on his two feet again. By then, Seok was practically on him and began throwing punches that seemed to come in different directions with Lei being forced to defend himself. He blocked and dodged the moves, keeping himself patient until he could find an opening.

Finally, Lei moved away from an attempted back-fist from Seok, which left the older man wide open. Flipping himself back, Lei's foot hit under Seok's chin, causing his head to snap back. Lei then let himself drop onto his back. By then, Seok recovered and tried to move in. However, Seok was met with low kicks, both he was able to jump away from. However, Seok was not prepared for Lei to move himself into a hand-stand again before delivering a spin kick. The kick sent Seok flying to the side before landing hard on the ground. From there, Lei flipped himself again, soon standing on his two feet.

By then, Seok was back on his feet as well and didn't hesitate to throw another projectile at him. This time, Lei was prepared and he simply stepped to the side, letting the projectile fly off the platform and out towards the field near the villa. Seok then tried to approach again, but was only met with a snap kick under the chin while Lei stood in a crane pose. As Seok stumbled, Lei then moved in and and performed two hand strikes that landed on Seok's shoulder and chest before crouching down for a sweep kick, knocking his opponent back down again.

Now angrier than before, Seok kipped up before he ran towards Lei again with a yell. Once more, he closed to the space between them and threw more punches and kick, which the detective blocked and avoided with ease. And once more, Lei remained as patient as a saint.

Finally, Seok attempted a kick, which Lei side-stepped from. Lei then followed with two punches to Seok's mid-section from the side, then an uppercut that sent Seok stumbling away. As he recovered, he looked at Lei, who stood in a crane stance. Well... at least before bringing his hands to each side of his head, twisted his face into what kids today would call 'derpy,' then motioned his hands up and down as though he was saying, 'Na na na na naaa na!'

“Why you-!” Seok shouted, feeling insulted, as he took a step forward... then was suddenly headbutted in the face by Lei. The force of the hit sent the older man flying away before hitting the ground hard. Seok tried to move after, but hardly could before he let himself lay down completely.

Seok didn't get up after that.

“Knockout detected,” a drone announced.

That was Chun Li's cue to jumped into the fray and, seeing this, Lei chose to return to the sidelines to recover, especially after his last attack. Chun Li's opponent, Seok's daughter Bora, did the same, but before they even met halfway, Bora suddenly swung both of her arms forward and, like her father earlier, let loose a lavender colored arrow-shaped projectile towards the direction of the Interpol detective.

Chun Li did the same as she collected chi into her hands. “Kikoken!” she shouted as a blue, ball-shaped projectile shot out from her palms. Within moments, both projectiles collided, creating a small explosion between the two women.

Soon, Chun Li and Bora closed the distance between them and began to throw various punches and kicks at each other while also keeping themselves on defense when needed. Eventually though, Bora broke through Chun Li's blocks and landed a hand chop to her opponent's shoulder. As Chun Li stumbled from the hit, Bora went in and delivered a side kick to Chun Li's stomach, causing her to keel over in pain. From there, Bora performed an uppercut under Chun Li's chin, sending her up in the air before the detective crashed onto her back.

On the ground, Chun Li took a moment to catch her breath, but quickly moved into a hand-stand as soon as Bora attempted to close in on her. Chun Li then pushed her hands off the ground before propelling herself forward, spinning herself around like a helicopter, her legs split with one in front of her and the other behind her.

“Spinning Bird Kick!” Chun Li called out as her foot connected to Bora's face. The force of the impact hurled Bora sideways before hitting a nearby pole on her back. From there, she fell face first.

“Owe,” Lei said aloud from the sidelines. “That's surely gonna leave a mark.”

Flipping back onto her feet, Chun Li positioned herself in a fighting stance and waited until Bora stood up again. That took a bit of time, but Bora was able to stand soon enough. Then with a growl, the young woman dashed toward the Interpol detective.

Chun Li sidestepped out of the way as Bora went in for a punch, causing the latter to miss. Now with her opponent left open, Chun Li jumped in with two punches to the face, followed by a kick to the chest, pushing Bora back a couple of feet. Before Bora regained her footing, Chun Li quickly went in and kicked the younger woman further back, sending her stumbling before falling on her back.

Once more, Chun Li waited for Bora, who got back on her feet a little faster this time. “It's a wonder you can move as fast as you do,” Bora started as she wiped her face with her hand. She then looked Chun Li up and down before saying, “Especially with how chunky those legs of yours are.”

Chun Li huffed at that. It wasn't the first time in her life someone said she had fat legs. Apparently, some people couldn't tell the difference between well-toned legs and actual fat ones. As far as Chun Li was concerned at this point, her next move was definitely one Bora was asking for.

Chun Li moved in for a punch, which Bora sidestepped from... that the detective was hoping for. Getting herself behind Bora, Chun Li lifted one left and quickly began kicking her back in various spots. The more she kicked, the faster her movements which soon turned her left into nearly a blur. Bora yelped and screamed with each hit as she tried to move away. Finally, Chun Li stopped and Bora stumbled forward in pain. With one more swift move, Chun Li kicked in an upward motion, hitting Bora under her chin with her foot and sending her flying up into the air. Soon she came back down and landed hard on her back not too far from where her father still laid unconscious.

“What do you think of my 'chunky' legs now?” Chun Li asked her despite knowing Bora was no longer awake.

“Knockout detected,” a drone said. “Chun Li and Lei Wulong win the match!”

Today's fight came easy to Chun Li, but she knew that the further she and Lei advanced through the tournament, the more challenging the fights will get. Once today's fight was over, Chun Li met with Lei at the sideline before bringing up the flask she had left on the sidelines prior to her part of the match. She then handed it to Lei, who promptly placed it back in his pocket.

“Sorry I doubted you before,” she said to him, feeling a bit guilty by her previous thoughts.

Lei gave her a quick kiss before he pulled back, took a quick sip of his apple juice from the flask, and grinned again. “Don't worry about it, sweetheart. Now that we won the first round though, I think we should go back to the hotel and celebrate with some sake.”

Chun Li rolled her eyes at that, but at the same time she couldn't help but smile.

To Chapter Twenty-One --->