"Okay. It's been four years since your last tournament." Yukue started rubbing her arms. "It's still just as intense... worse, actually." The tournament was being dominated by four superhuman teenagers.
One of which is Akane Tendo, current leader of the women's division's right wing—for a while—. No one could match her strength without risking flight. And she was, respectfully, a bit of a monster among humans. Breaking bricks for breakfast, and fighting hordes every morning.
And Yukue Fumei, a very nervous, competitively retired martial artist was about face Furinkan's fighting queen.
That very queen ducked under her opponents punch and quickly swept the girl's legs from beneath her, catching her by the arm and tossing her out of the ring with a shoulder throw.
"Great match" Akane said automatically.
The girl scoffed, "Go easy like the others would ya?"
Akane didn't hear the comment, already focusing on her next opponent.
Akane was on a roll, her adrenaline pumped harder than it needed to and she was knocking opponents out left and right with five blows at most. She was thankful the Mebukis asked her to represent their shop and offered a share of the prize since Ranma wouldn't help her set up a shop and ran off with Shampoo instead...
"Just marry her already." Akane muttered.
Ranma's stunt didn't not get on her nerves, it was insulting that Ranma thought working with cologne and dealing with shampoo was better than helping her. But that wasn't what bothered her, "As if it would," she scoffed. "Ranma can marry whoever he wants."
What really bothered her was the fact that he ran off to help anyone else bring back money that would be helpful to her family.
"Who gave him a home by the way!" she thought to no one in particular.
Yep, not helping out when needed. That's what it was. "Needed is too much credit."
What ever the real reason was, this tournament was a great stress reliever for it and bit of an epiphany. Dealing with an organized group of skilled women was vaguely similar the sloppy horde of boys who'd make her late every morning. Though one was clearly better.
Dragging her attention back to the arena when she detected—heard her next opponent approaching.
Akane wasn't sure what she was hearing. It sounded rope was ready to snap while being slammed into a wall.
Akane pumped her fist. "Clearly a bow-wielding mountain lady is standing right behind me." she thought, turning to face the lady who definitely towered over her by... half an inch.
And she was as big as... Akane herself.
They were the same age too.
But why was she stomping toward her and flexing intensely?
The girl wore a navy blue Gi with yellow accents bordering her cuffs. Akane remembered her face—when it wasn't in between furious and furiously focused—It was Ringo's "rival" or so they say.
Akane bowed hesitantly, concerned she might get punched like Ringo did. "I am Akane Tendo." she introduced. "You're Yukue right?"
Yukue stopped flexing her entire body—with some effort—and snapped into a steeper bow revealing the white stitching along her back made the embroidered "Fumei Tailoring" pop. "Yes... Yukue Fumei." she nervously returned.
With introductions out of the way, Yukue quickly rose into her own stance, taking on a more composed look. Her stance was forward and sturdy, ready to launch at a moment's notice
Akane shifted into her own stance, a tight defense waiting to see what Yukue could do.
A silence took over the whole tournament for a moment.
Then...
Yukue launched forward, her speed surprising Akane enough to close the distance.
Akane raised a simple guard, believing her strength would be enough to handle an attack. But Yukue slipped her fist around the guard and toward Akane's ribs.
Akane rolled to avoid the attack, her spinning elbow was ducked under. Yukue rose back up with a knee and Akane back stepped the knee and weaved under the ensuing high kick.
Akane took another step back to rest. "You're pretty good" Akane said, switching to a more aggressive stance.
Yukue put more focus into her sturdy stance "Thank you."
Akane goes on the offensive with a straight punch, left hook, and a charging punch. Yukue barely blocked the first punch and evaded hook. but Yukue's fist flew forward, her body chose to meet the charging punch with a counterattack.
Both fists crossed over each other, starting a short game of chicken between the two fighters. But Akane stopped short, diverting the punch into a heel kick and driving it into Yukue's gut.
Yukue nearly curled over from the pain, stomping her foot to stop herself. "So that's how it feels..." she thought, glancing at Ringo.
He was bickering with Ranma while fighting, but found the time to quietly laugh at her.
"Here I come!" said Akane, snatching Yukue's attention back to the fight and a flying kick. Yukue dodged with a hasty sidestep but Akane continued the assault with a spinning heel kick aimed at the stomach and a barrage of punches.
Yukue barely managed to block and dodge the flurry of blows, her blocks were blown open and her body kept trying to punch when she needed to dodge.
She couldn't help but blame her last teacher for the reflex he called the greatest defense. But this "greatest" defense, was just blind offense and it was apparently her own fault since "the way a body seeks heat is different."
"What am I doing ranting in the middle of a fight?!" Yukue realized her attention was not where it should be, and she wasn't being hit for some reason.
Did Akane stop attacking?
Her arm was fully cocked back and she looked frustrated. So, no.
If the earlier gut check hurt like it did when Akane was calm, then this punch would hit her, hurt her for months, and break something.
Yukue needed to move, block—do something! But of course, her body flung her fist forward, no aim, just forward.
pak~
"It's over..." she thought. best she could do was close her eyes and wait a strangely long amount of time to be hit.
Akane clicked her teeth, and went for another punch.
Pak
She tossed Yukue's hand out of the way but a kick whisked past her face, stopping her next attack. It was irritating, the slightest movement and Yukue was putting a fist in her way. Akane pressed her foot to the floor and charged.
She snapped a kick high and brought it back down as an axe kick, but Yukue ducked under the first kick and stepped to the side of the second.
Akane pressed on, preparing to unleash a punch to the body but Yukue's fist flew faster, forcing Akane to block and sweep the leg.
Yukue quickly rolled back to her feet, taking a moment to look at her hands.
"What was that?" Akane asked, pausing to catch her breath. "I have to get around her wild punches and corner her." Akane thought, a smirk growing on her face. "I can do this!"
"I don't know... I just moved." Yukue blinked, looking back at her hands for an answer. "The greatest defense... really was offense. The master was right!?" Yukue pumped her fist in the air and brought it back down in front of her. "I just have to work with it. Simple!"
Yukue dropped down into a new stance, a charging stance that put any conscious thought of defense beyond the bare minimum to the side.
Akane palmed her fist and hopped into a new stance as well, lighter on her feet, capable of moving in and out quickly.
Yukue didn't know if she could reach Akane's level or win and Akane didn't know how far Yukue could go, but they knew one thing at least...
It would be a great challenge!
-Their fight will continue-