WMAT B2 Asuna vs. Sakura Kasugano

WMAT B2 Asuna vs. Sakura Kasugano
Date of Scene:	10 July 2014
Location:	WMAT Arena - Spinach Wastes
Synopsis:	Asuna and Sakura Kasugano face off in an epic fists versus blade both with magic showdown in their second round in the B Bracket!
Cast of Characters:	9, 183, 374

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Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki comes in loooud and prooud over the speakers and the radio alike. "SAL~U~TATIONS again, friends from all corners of this rather sizeable slice of Creation! I, Mizuki, have just finished healing my throat enough to commentate on this, yet another match of the grand and gruelling Wooorld Martial Arts Tournament~! That's WMAT for short, but I believe more people know the acronym than the actual name! But I digress. TODAY, we will bear witness as the prodigal street fighter, Sakura Kasugano, dances to the near death - metaphorically speaking, most likely - with the brutally serene WHITE FLASH, Asuna~! Who will win~? Who will lose~? How will I continually find original ways to ask that same question as this tournament continues?? ALL of these curiosities and more will be answered if you join us in the questionably beautiful Spinach Wastes or radio channel 900.6~!"

Sakura Kasugano (374) has posed:
It's been a while since the last round, and Sakura's thankfully had enough time to heal up. It's a good thing too, considering that her opponent is from the same world, meaning the possibility for the same kind of wounds she took against Kirito in this round. At least the environment is nice and calming, green hills surrounding the entire arena as they wait for the fight to start up.

Kasugano herself tries to keep her nerves down, her peppy j-pop theme playing her out to the arena floor as she does a few warm up punches into the air. Swallowing down a lump in her throat as the towel upon her head sways a bit with the breeze, the young street fighter climbs up, making her way to one side of the arena floor and waiting. She gives a few rubs on her arms and her sides as she remembers the sword wounds from her last fight, hoping she can be a little more...nimble this round.

Asuna (9) has posed:
Asuna doesn't relaly walk down into the Spinach Wastelands - instead, she takes advantage of the beautiful way of the Northern WIlderness to fly in, her blue faery wings fluttering behind her as she sinks down to nearby Sakura. She lifts a hand to Mizuki in thanks for commentating, before she turns to Sakura, bowing slightly, a mark of honor from one fighter to another.

"Greetings! Let's give it our best!" She says, simply.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "And here comes Miss Kasugano now, accompanied by a song! My, would I be right in assuming that is her personal -theme-? If so, then I must say, she has some class~! And certainly, she has the zeal to match its rhythm - just look at her, punching the air! There is probably no magic involved in those strikes, my friends, but if you concentrate hard enough you just might be able to feel their ~sheer force~ reach your cheeks all the way from the field."

"But oh... ooohh~! It would appear Sakura's challenger is not far behind! Asuna soooars in, baffling us all before the fighting can even commence! Is that -magic-? Does she have invisible -wings-? Or is she simply flying on the force of her cool beauty alone? One can only guess wildly, my friends, and as your commentator that is preee~cisely what I am paid to do! But let us see... who will be the first to strike? Who will be the one to press the proverbial button that will make the metaphorical sparks fly~??"

Sakura Kasugano (374) has posed:
Smoothing her skirt out as she waits, Kasugano looks back over to the entrance door, watching for her opponent's arrival....at least until she realizes that Asuna isn't walking in, but rather FLYING in. "Ehn?!" Sure, she knows the physics here are kind of wonky, but it's still weird to see her opponent fly in. She doesn't remember Kirito doing the same...guess Asuna might have a lot more tricks that the Ansatsuken fighter will need to worry about.

She tries to push down her worries though...she survived the first fight, so she can't be as rusty as she keeps assuming. Bending at the waist with her hands folded in front of her, she returns the bow to Asuna. "Greetings. Good luck to you as well," she says to the swordswoman, before she settles back on her heels. Trying to get herself comfortable, she finally puts up her classic Ansatsuken stance, one fist hanging down to her waist and another held at chin level, bouncing upon the balls of her feet.

Asuna (9) has posed:
Sakura gets comfortable, and Asuna reaches across herself, pulling out Lambent Light, the blue blade glinting in the sun as she takes a lightly poised perch. Her blue wings are flared out behind her, ready as she ever is, although she makes no move-

The Flash is watching her, her blue eyes narrowed with focus.

Sakura Kasugano (374) has posed:
Settling in and getting more comfortable in her stance, Sakura waits on both Asuna to get settled into her own ready position as well as some kind of sign for them to start fighting. After all, most fighting tournaments like this have some kind of start signal, right?

Thankfully, Kasugano doesn't have to wait too long before she finally hears a signal, a long beep announcing the start of their match. Quickly, the street fighter rushes in, just like she did before against Kirito. However, rather than try to get straight in Asuna's face, she gives a great running leap, trying to sail over the swordswoman's head. Vaulting overhead, her hands are clasped together, aiming to double hammerfist Asuna in the back as she flies over.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "A buzz to sting our ears and deafen us all washes over the field! And that means the fight... has COMMENCED! Without a moment's hesitation, Miss Kasugano -leaps- into action... literally! Would you look at this in~credible acrobatic feet, dear viewers?? Her legs have the might of a flea's! And do you have ~any idea~ how powerful the legs of a flea /are/ my friends? Most likely not, but take ~ my ~ word for it: that similarities are incredible!" A gentle voice interrupts briefly to add, 'Mistress, I don't believe comparing the fighters to fleas is the best idea.' "... erm. FINE! -Not- a flea! She is a veritable LION on the HUNT as she soars over her enemy and delivers a swift hit to her back!" Mizuki quietly adds, 'Are you satisfied now?' and the other voice soon replies, 'Of course, mistress~.' "

Asuna (9) has posed:
Asuna vaguely heres something - there's the beep! She can tell when her opponent starts moving. However, Sakura is tricky, and Asuna doesn't seem to expect the sudden leap, darting forward with a quick blade flip, which brings her just over enough for Sakura to bring her fists down on her back, sending the breath out of her chest and knocking her down to her feet for a few seconds. Asuna wheezes after a second as things pop back into go - like more air in her lungs.

Asuna turns around on her knees, lifting a hand in her air as golden Cyrilic-styled letters suddenly burn in the air around her, before something akin to alarge ice spear forms in front of her, which she flicks at Sakura with a simple hand motion. As it flies, she reaches for her blade and attempts to make it back to her feet.

Sakura Kasugano (374) has posed:
The tricky opening vault with her Sailor Shoot is successful enough to give Sakura some confidence in the start of the fight. Especially with the range disadvantage she'll be facing, she needs to use the element of surprise as well as her quickness in arm's length to keep it up. Unfortunately, the strike wasn't going to be debilitating at all and was meant mostly to keep Asuna off balance. The assumptiong being a strike with the sword....which gets turned on its head when Sakura turns around and sees an Ice Spear being formed and sent toward her instead. "EEP!" she squeals out before the spear strikes out, managing to cut along her side as she finds herself too slow to dodge it.

A stumble and a grasp at her side shows how much it hurt her, but she's not daunted yet, brushing the gash off as she runs up to Asuna again, this time trying to get right in her face and do what she does best: rapid chained attacks. A jab, a low kick, then a following roundhouse to the ribs are snapped out, hoping to be a little quicker than Asuna's guard can handle.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "Miss Asuna clatters to the ground! But... but... she doesn't even have to get back up off of the ground to return Sakura's strike with one of her own! Upon the rich parchment of the ~air itself~, the Whiiiite Flash draws lovely foreign letters? Is this some form of magical summoning ritual? It... it -IS-! From nowhere visible to me, a massive spear of -ice- emerges! With but a wave of her hand, the swordswoman sends the daunting weapon in the direction of her foe! And... it hits her -head- -on-! Such precision! Such mystical dexterity~! But now all eyes turn to Sakura, awaiting her answer to Asuna's blasts..."

"And naturally, she doesn't keep us waiting long! Not backing down even as the spear cuts a wide gash in her side, Sakura rushes up to Asuna and delivers a classical combination of the techniques this competition is known for: martial ARTS~! A hit, a kick, a roundhouse~! She is -RELENTLESS-, my audience! A monster in disguise! And yet, those strikes still manage to be as majestic as a dance, somehow...~"

Asuna (9) has posed:
Asuna unfortunately has range thrice over on Sakura. From her wings, to her blade, and to her magic. Sakura moves in faster than Asuna can follow, causing her to gasp as she takes a series of jabs and a low kick. The roundhouse Asuna gets scraped by as she sucks her gut in and throws her weight backwards, still bruised enough to gasp as she backs away from Sakura.

She holds her arms out again, Lambent Light pointing, as she chants again. The letters this time get a bit of a translation effect - it's something like...

'Rain of hail, come from water!'

She holds her arms out then in an forward thrust, a circle of spell magic appearing in front of her as hail-like needles suddenly erupt from it towards Sakura.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "But Asuna... takes it! Cringing for but a moment, she soon finds her bearings, wisely putting some distance between her and her more distance-limited opponent! Then, once she finds the opportunity, she calls upon another spell! You can hear her as clearly as I can courtesy of the convenient local physics, can't you, my friends? Hail! Water~! It looks like we're about to see more... oh~! Yes, indeed! Needles of ice emerge everywhere! There's a veritable forest of them, all of them threatening Sakura! They dash in at once, several of them scraping across Sakura...! Oh, that looks -horribly- painful..."

Sakura Kasugano (374) has posed:
Sakura Kasugano tries to keep up the pressure, seeing her quick close-up combos gain dividends. Unfortunately, her roundhouse only barely scrapes by, allowing Asuna to pull away out of the street fighter's operative range. Wincing as she still feels the wound at her side sting at her, she tries to follow up and pressure Asuna before she can try another spell. Unfortunately, the spell comes before Sakura can get in, the hail of ice needles striking her, one barely scratching her cheek, but the others striking into her shoulders and causing her to reel.

Thankfully, the needles don't quite stick into her, even if the wounds remain. That makes it a little easier for her to push in. Slowing however, she has to settle for being in kicking range, dropping down to sweep her foot at Asuna's ankles and try to take the magic swordswoman off her feet.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "Though even with shards of ice falling on her as if the ~sky ITSELF~ was falling down on top of her, Sakura preserves! From the chaos she comes, fists and feet at the ready! In another impressive dash, she closes the distance yet again, swinging her foot around the moment she's close enough in an attempt to put Asuna back on the ground! But will it...? -CAN- it...? YES! Miiiissss Kasugano's foot comes at Asuna as if it were a claw reaching from the UNDER~world~! This girl must not understand the concept of personal space! Or perhaps she does, and that understanding is part of what is making this impressive display possible? Who can -SAY-, ladies and gentlemen~? Not I~!"

Asuna (9) has posed:
Asuna takes the hit, stumbles a few steps, then goes down face first, Lambent Light flying a few feet away from her into the grass. Asuna let's out a little shriek as she hits the ground face first with a muffled 'whoomph!', lying there with a slight groan for a few seconds.

Unseen to everyone else, her eyes flick to the bars that only she can see- her HP read out and her mana points.

Asuna rolls over on the ground, drawing her knees up to her rear end as her wings flicker out of existance. She lifts her arms, crossing them on top of her knees, chanting again. The magic takes form, before whirling up into the sky, the golden words spinning brighter and more together, before--

ka*CRACK!*

'By the clouds in the sky, thunder and rain!'

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "Rolling out of the way and still fighting to keep her distance, Asuna begins to summon yet another Earth-shattering spell! What will it be this time, my friends? An inferno? A tornado? Perhaps an ~EARTHquake~? No, none of those! It's... it's...! My GOODNESS! Look to the skies, dear viewers! A gathering of terrifying clouds, black as night! Does this mean what I think it does? Because my Authorial Sense is telling me that Asuna has called upon the staggering power of --! LIGHTNING! A bolt of electricity ~crashes~ to Earth! But... where is Miss Kasugano? Don't tell me that strike -VAPORIZED- her? It couldn't! It wouldn't! It -- oh, heavens alive! There she is! It would appear that she was able to get out of the way in time to avoid most of the strike! Unfortunately, though, there was one horrid casualty all the same: just -look- at the poor woman's -hair-! The frizz! It's ~GHASTLY~!"

Sakura Kasugano (374) has posed:
Taking Asuna off her feet with that sweep, Kasugano tries to keep up the pressure, not wanting to give up the advantage she's got now. Even as she stumbles a bit with her side still giving her trouble, she doesn't stop running after the magic swordswoman. Even the lightning crackle doesn't daunt her, the bolt striking behind her and just catching her heel. The shock to her foot is more surprising than anything, but it does keep her from simply charging in wildly after Asuna, leaving a good few meters between her and Asuna.

Rethinking her line of attack now that she's been brought to a standstill, she instead jumps in the air, high as she can, toward Asuna. Tucking her legs in, she thrusts them outward in a point, arms out for balance as she sails toward Asuna feet first...and then drops right in front of Asuna, trying to fake her out enough to drive a hard right cross toward her opponent's face.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "From the eye storm emerges Miss SAKURA yet again, not even flinching as LIGHTNING crashes down behind her! In spite of any pain she may be facing and the condition of her hair, she struggles onward! Yet again, she capitalizes upon the opportunity to come in close, but this time she proves that Asuna is not the ~ONLY~ one in this arena capable of flight! Sakura rockets into the sky, a leg held out! Is she trying to kick her? Will she...? NO! No, she lands -DIRECTLY- in front of her opponent, close enough for the their eyes to meet, and their burning souls to share their HEAT! But Asuna proves that she has reflexes on par with the SUPERNATURAL! She somehow manages to duck out of the way of Miss Kasugano's palm before it makes contact with her face! But where will things go from here...??"

Asuna (9) has posed:
Asuna misses with the lightning bolt. She considers. Didn't she also miss Gough with that as well? Maybe she might need to ditch that for the rest of the WMAT if she gets out of here. Sakura jumps into the air, and seeing her come down in that dive, Asuna frowns then thrusts herself in a diagonal backwards and towards her blade. The feint nearly works if it wasn't for the burst of speed - Sakura's palm brushes past her ear and onto her shoulder.

Asuna winces. For mostly dodging that, she sure packs a powerful punch.

Finally, though, she grabs for her blade, and whirls around, settling into a pose. Asuna's blade glows a bright golden for a few second, before she runs straight at Sakura in with her rapier out - not aiming to stab at her, but aiming to slice past her at a extraordinary speed.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "It looks like Asuna is done running! After swivelling her head out of the way of her opponents punch, she rushes right back at her! Her sword glows gold, and...!" There's a brief pause. "My, is that a rapier? I do love rapiers. And the golden coloration she's given it really adds to its allure. I say, she really does have good taste, doesn't sh --" The voice from before speaks up gently. 'Mistress. The fight~.' Then, as if emerging from a daze, "A-Ah. Yes. Her blade is beautiful, but more importantly, observe the elegance as Asuna speeds past her foe! Her sword skates across another of Sakura's sides and Asuna ends on the opposite side of her. My, how exciting...~!"

Sakura Kasugano (374) has posed:
The big right cross Sakura tried unfortunately only brushes on Asuna as the swordswoman jumps back. Clearly trying for a big single strike probably wans't as good as a follow up as it could've been. And with her body committed to that big strike, she finds herself off balance enough that Asuna's able to line her up, and do a rushing stab across the street fighter's side, sending her back as both her sides have been gouged and slashed open now. "HIIIghhhh!"

Reeling back, Sakura finds herself not really able to muster up her earlier speed, and with her opponent some distance away now, that means she might be at the mercy of both sword and magic now. She's really only got so many options from this point now....and unfortunately, predictable as it might be, she has to lean on one at this point, hands cupped at her side. "Haaa...." Gathering up a small ball of blue energy between her hands, she doesn't let it grow too big before thrusting her hands forward, a small softball sized sphere of blue chi racing toward Asuna at a quick clip. "-DOUKEN!"

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "But with those two massive wounds on either of her sides, Miss Sakura will be hard pressed to close the distance now? But still, that's what she -- wait a moment, wait a moment! What is this madness?? What is she saying? Is that some sort of magical incantation too?? I swear, everyone and their relatives -- BWAH!" Pause. "I... my friends, I don't quite understand what just transpired! Was that -magic- that Miss Kasugano just used? Or was that pulsing blue mass sheer, concentrated WILLPOWER? Possibly both? Emotions are frequently called magic, after all! But the sphere of whatever-it-is bursts forth at a breakneck pace! There's no way that Asuna can dodge this, is there...?? Ah! If there was, she didn't capitalize on it! The Haaaa-do-ken ball connects with Asuna, bringing another considerable helping of agony...!"

Asuna (9) has posed:
Asuna's a gamer. She understands the concept of hadoken, because magic, willpower, it's all very familiar to her. Therefore, when Sakura reels back, she watches Sakura gather that energy, and her own blue eyes grow wide as she suddenly flails at a control, her wings bursting into sight and taking to the air - seconds too late as the hadoken takes her in the chest, sending her reeling backwards, skidding to a stop in her metal booted feet.

"Hrmph."

Asuna flips Lambent Light out again, the blade pointing at the ground in a diagonal angle. she takes a series of swift steps, almost like she's flash stepping as she approaches Sakura. She then darks to the left - but then really feints right, stabbing in a series of swift thrusts at her chest before she sweeps back downwards at her legs.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "Even after taking that wicked blue ball to the chest, however, Asuna will not be swayed! She uses the ground to bring herself to a skidding halt, before gripping her blade once more! She step, step, steps up to her opponent in some sort of bizarre walking pattern that would surely be enough throw off yours truly... before she -THROWS- her whole body to the right, delivering a flurry of strikes to her opponent! And yet... and yet...! Somehow, Sakura -AGAIN- manages to move out of the way of most of the strikes! Thankfully for Asuna, several hits -do- connect, but will it be enough to keep Miss Kasugano from retaliating...?"

Sakura Kasugano (374) has posed:
It might have been a good thing Sakura used her smallest practical Hadouken, the faster ball of energy managing to catch Asuna just as the swordswoman tried to fly out of the fireball's path. That gives Sakura an opening to push in, moving in at a much slower pace than she did earlier thanks to those big slashes on her side, not to mention the needling she got earlier making her bleed even more uncomfortably now.

With her slower advance, she's forced to be a little more aware of what her opponent does, since she can't simply try and attack first and interrupt. That does help a little thankfully when Asuna tries her own charge in. Tensing up, Sakura holds back, watching the feint but managing to recognize which way Asuna's true attack is coming from. Reeling away from the thrusts, a few of them manging to slice up her arms a bit, she's able to leap above the finishing sweeping slash at her legs, immediately retaliating with a spin out of her leg. The rapid rotation of her body with her foot extended outward, she tries to batter the Swordswoman repeatedly through the entire arc of her jump. "SHUNPUKYAKU!"

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "Evidently not! Sakura comes at Asuna like some sort of human helicopter! 'Shunpukyaku', she shouts as her legs whirl around, delivering punishing kick after punishing kick! And all but one of the strikes connect painfully well! But Asuna isn't done for the count yet, not even close my friends! You truly have to commend her for her endurance -- she may appear delicate, but she must be a veritable BULWARK to withstand so many assaults from the savage street fighter...!"

Asuna (9) has posed:
Shunpukyaku?

That sounds painful.

Then Asuna is hit with it, and it is painful. After a few seconds, the series of leaps and the spin out of the jump batters her repeatedly, before it finally results in Asuna being sent back onto her butt again, wings fluttering behind her as it helps her keep her balance. Badly bruised, although not bleeding (due to the more concussive rather than slicing or stabbing nature of Sakura), she stumbles to her feet, the magic swirling around her again as she gasps for breath, leaning on her blade.

Then she lifts up a hand, and... well, you know those giant laser cannons? It's like this. Only it's a giant *water* cannon - aimed directly at Sakura.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "Sakura just isn't going to let Asuna make it back into the air! But when fighting up close gets to be too much to handle, the White Flash always has her fallback -- magic! Yes, I can only assume that's what those flickering, beauteous lights around her mean! They swish, they sway... only ceasing to respond to the raised hand of their user! And then, it all gather together, to -- my GOODNESS. Certainly, this plume of water shall prove once and for all that the fists of the martial artist that stands in opposition to her are not the only things that can bruise! For so, too, can this angry force of nature! This..." Deep, dramatic breath. "WATER CANNON~!"

Sakura Kasugano (374) has posed:
Kasugano's version of the classic Hurricane Kick does its job, thankfully, knocking Asuna away and leaving Sakura on her feet as she lands, but just barely as the collected sword wounds still frustrate her a little and make it hard to keep steady. As such, when the water cannon suddenly sprouts up, Sakura just isn't quite able to pivot away. She doesn't take it full out, but it hits her side on enough that she ends up knocked back to the ground, spinning all the while and rolling across the plain with a groan. Pushing herself up a little shakily, she looks up to Asuna from her crouch. The distance is a problem now, and those spells are even more problematic this far away.

Cupping her hands together, Sakura seems to charge up and prepare another Hadouken, just like last time. "Haaaaa...." There's a telltale crackle of blue energy....before it suddenly disappates, the street fighter suddenly turning and seemingly sliding forth on one leg, the other sent out in a rapid side kick she learned from a certain mech pilot. "SAKURA KIICK!!"

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "But Asuna's small tsunami was not yet able to knock the sailing ship of of Sakura's determination off course! She lands, preparing another of those magical spheres! She charges it up, and... releases! Er... wait a moment. That didn't just... fizzle out, did it? You've got to be kidding me! Is she too tired to - oh! Oh, gracious! My viewers, that wasn't a failure on Sakura's part at all! Rather, it was a FAKE OUT! In one beautiful, fluid motion, Miss Kasugano slides toward her opponent and delivers a bone shattering kick with a... ahem. Fairly curious name! But alas, her now officially trademarked ~Sakura Kick~ does its job in earnest, connecting to leave the already worn down Asuna with yet another bruise!"

Asuna (9) has posed:
The distance. Asuna wants to keep her distance, even if it's only a foot or so. Any more, great, any less, oh god no. She hauls herself to her feet, still shaking slightly as she tries to watch Sakura coming. THe kick - she then dives to the side, delicately going onto one foot. The kick connects - and it sends her spinning, which she quickly regains control out of with her other foot and wings.

"Haiii!"

It's the closest thing to a war cry Asuna has as she dives in with the most simplest, but dangerous attacks: A single trio of flicks.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki syas, "With that kick, Asuna goes spiralling out of control! But she swoops! She spins! And eventually, she is able to right herself! No sooner has she got her bearings than has she... released an uncharacteristically loud screech! A... battle call of some variety? It certainly appears to be, as it precedes yet another impressive dive! Her wings outstretched, Asuna falls from the sky as a comet crashes from the heavens to deliver another swift blow to Sakura! And this time, it connects! Not just one, not just two, but THREE swift strikes, my dear audience~! They land solid hits, giving Miss Sakura even more cuts to contend with as she fights on...!"

Sakura Kasugano (374) has posed:
The Sakura Kick hits, but not as solidly as hoped, leaving Sakura plenty open for retaliation when Asuna pivots from the attack and starts lashing out with her thin blade. Arching as her back is carved up by the trio of flicks, Sakura cries out as she's covered in gashes again.

Squeezing her eyes shut as she tries to block out the pain, she turns over to Asuna. Her moves are clearly getting sluggish at this point (with little wonder considering how many cuts opened up on her body at this rate). But she's thankfully close enough to keep up the attack now and hopefully finish this before she gets into any further trouble.

A short dash toward Asuna comes, right fist tightened as she ducks in, then rises up, that clenched fist thrust into the air and trying to uppercut Asuna straight into the air with her. "SHOUHOUKEN!!"

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "But with grit to match her opponent at least, Sakura takes the slashes! She stands strong as her body bleeds crimson~! Can any of you imagine the stinging? The throbbing? The immense -pain- that both of these warriors must be in? And yet, they fight on! For glory! For the joy of battle! And for -YOU- dear audience, and. For. You! Let them hear your cries of joy! Let them know how much you love them, appreciate their eternal struggle for strength...!" There is a sudden rise in the crowd's cheers, becoming just loud enough to make a rather bizarre buzzing sound happen over the radio. "-That- is the -SPIRIT-~! Now, Sakura CHARGES her opponent, fists CLENCHING, eyes narrowing in visible expression of willpower we can hardly CONCEIVE OF! She throws her fist out with another noble shout, and it knocks Asuna into the air...!"

Asuna (9) has posed:
Asuna is happy Sakura is getting sluggish. that's mean, but it means it might be easier to watch her telegraph. However, it's still not enough to help when they're within short range distance of anything. Shouhouken? Such strange words - but they hit, and she takes an uppercut, going flying into the air and backwards a bit, her wings automatically flaring out to stabilize her as the wind gets knocked out of her.

The fairy swordswoman is wheezing by now, her chest a bevy of hurts especially considering how much she's faceplanted, been knocked around, and lost her wind today. However, she doesn't give up. She summons the last of her strength, running her hand down the length of the blade, where it starts glowing that same shade of white/gold again as she strikes a pose.

Then Asuna dives back in, faster than she ever used before, using the last of her enegy to activate a extreme Sword Skill, but this series of five consecutive thrusts in a star shape against Sakura - they're not just the rapier. Instead, each thrust is also sparked with the light of holy fire itself, the element of the sun, and of life, bound into her blade, to create a neutron of life for an attack.

Asuna (9) has posed:
Asuna drops to her knees after the Sword Skill stops processing. When she sees that Sakura is still sanding strong, she lays Lambent Light over her knees and sighs heavily.

"I yield."

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "Asuna does a FLIP in the air in response to Sakura's strike, but even now she's able to right herself! Panting, wheezing, battered, and bruised, she stares down her opponent and runs her hand along her sword! It... isn't having any immediate effects, dear viewers! Will its effect be delayed...? I suppose we will just have to wait ~ and ~ see! Asuna dashes in again, slashing and thrusting in what appears to be -some- variety of significant pattern! If my Authorial Sense is right - and it always is, of course! - this attack is going to be something BIG! Yes... YES! Her sword FLARES with the indignation of HEAVEN, the purifying, righteous flames of Gods pulse across Asuna's cold steel...! All of the strikes come together to create some sort of... bizarre anomaly that I can scarcely PERCEIVE, let alone COMPREHEND! Truly, if this is to be Asuna's final strike, it is wonderful...!"

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki pauses for a time... before speaking again. Her tone is detectably more somber than it has been. "... but alas, dear audience, it was not to be. Asuna's final attack is charged with the essence of her soul, and it shows in every ray of light and fire that we in the audience had the privilege of seeing. And yet, just once more, Sakura has the deft reflexes to avoid the brunt of the blast. And... it would appear that, with that, Asuna has had enough. Resting her sword arm, she yields honorably to Miss Kasugano. This means that Sakura is the victor, but let none here tonight forget how awe-inspiring each competitor was here this night. For every time Sakura was able to come hit Asuna with her fists of steel, Asuna stood strong. And for every martial arts technique, there was likewise a blade of ice or a deft strike in return. Truly, congratulations to both of you. And to Sakura, good luck as you proceed to the next round~!"

Sakura Kasugano (374) has posed:
The Shououken hits home, knocking Asuna for a loop, but at the same time, leaving Sakura to worry about the drop back down. Falling into a crouch, the jarring landing reminds her of just how much she's been cut up right now, a sharp gasp of pain as she forces herself back up to her feet. At this point, instinct is taking over, and it's all she can do to keep focused on Asuna when that rapier starts to glow.

The pentagram shaped thrusts pressure Sakura, but despite her wounds, she manages to find a way to deflect the fierce strikes with the backs of her gloves, holy fire meeting chi as Sakura's instinct manages to push her energy to her fists enough to deflect most of the blows, the holy fire still managing to since her arms as she blocks. When the assault is over, Sakura backs off, huffing for air and looking desperate. She doesn't know how damaged Asuna really is, much the same way Kirito didn't quite show his damage....but before Sakura has to rack her brain for a response, Asuna...concedes?

Sakura looks a little dumbstruck when she hears Asuna yield, eyes widening and her stance slackening, as if not sure if she heard it right. However, when the official signal is heard, Sakura ends up falling back on her butt, gasping for air and in relief. "That was....too close..." she says to Asuna, straining to push herself off her bum and extend a friendly hand to the swordswoman.

Asuna (9) has posed:
Asuna concedes. She doesn't want to be knocked out.

"That it was. Neuron's tricky to land too - even if the blade connects, the magical power is... tricky. I'm not exactly used to it, so it can be really epic, or, as you saw tonight, it can be a bust." Asuna says, taking the hand and shaking it. "Thank you for the fight."