SF: A Warrior's Path Ch. 16 - The Power Within
By Gouki

Ryu took time to observe the enigmatic woman, who was now his opponent, due to the willingness and slight bewilderment in the acceptance of her challenge. Her stance didn't seem to belong to any pacific style, either that or Ryu hadn't encountered the fighting style as of yet. He wondered just how anyone with attire such as hers could fight effectively, but he had been taught long ago not to underestimate an opponent, and he wasn't about to start now.

Ryu embraced his stance, his left arm leading out in front and ready to parry away a slew of assaults from any angle, and clenched in a loose fist was his right hand, held close to his face and which could attack or defend at a moment's notice. He decided on using a defensive strategy, hoping to learn about this woman's style of fighting in order to create swift, powerful counter blows to her attacks. This strategy had gone in his favour many times, and perhaps it would serve to his advantage in this match.

With a flash of her captivating violet coloured eyes in seriousness, though it wasn't much of a change, she leapt forward, her elbow soaring to meet with Ryu's midsection. Ryu parried the initial strike and just managed to absorb the hidden palm strike that followed using his forearms. The last strike had forced the Shotokan warrior to take a step back in order to regain his balance, and Rose quickly closed in.

Rose went into a jab, only her fist was swarmed with violet electrical chi as it struck the vulnerable Ryu in the chin and whipping his head back in the process. Ryu's head snapped to the side as Rose's fist struck in a left hook and the tiny assault was ended with a uppercut, Rose using her shawl to aid her in this as it added damage to the young warrior. However, Rose wasn't finished just yet.

Grabbing one end of her shawl, it began to swirl around her body as Rose's hand took control of the item's movement. Snapping her hand towards Ryu in a swift motion, the garment immediately straightened itself out and it pointed toward Rose's opponent, a small surge of energy flowing along it and to its end.

"Soul Spark!" was Rose's cry as it was emitted simultaneously to the energy's outburst. An irregular shaped form of chi energy erupted from the yellow item of clothing, leaving a trail of ionised air behind it as it reached Ryu. The Shotokan warrior, having detected the sense of chi was just able to block the attack, feeling a burning sensation as the energy blast met his right forearm. As if to retaliate to Rose's attack Ryu summoned forth a Hadoken, the azure coloured attack sailing to the mysterious woman, who gave a tiny smile, too small for Ryu to notice.

Withdrawing what was perhaps her most favoured item of her strange attire, the shawl again was slave to the command of Rose's hand. Embracing an almost crouching position, Rose created a circular motion with the yellow garment, just as the blast of Ryu's chi neared her slender frame. Chi met cloth as the Hadoken collided with the shawl, but Ryu blinked in surprise as the blue energy surge immediately became nothing more than a tiny orb, which soon dissipated into the atmosphere, the weakest stage of Rose's "Soul Reflect" having clearly done its job.

Wiping a small trickle of blood from his mouth, a result of Rose's recent assault, Ryu re-tightened his white headband and gloves, impressed by the display of Rose's technique. Switching to his offensive stance, Ryu leapt forward, immediately closing the gap between him and his opponent, who quickly prepared for what the Shotokan warrior would release.

Guy's hypothesis on Sodom's defensive strategy had worked out as he thought. Sodom was slow on the defensive field, and was being greatly shown by the many, many swift and powerful attacks that had easily connected with his body. The Kabuki master snarled, as his defence was broken yet again by Guy's attack known as the Hozantu, and as he got up, saw the Bushin successor distancing the gap between them once again, this time from the air. Sodom's head tilted upward, and with his vision still hazy saw his adversary closing in, slowly dropping into range towards him in a attack. Instantly, Sodom prepared for what he knew could not fail him.

Guy's leg snaked through the air, rushing to meet Sodom's face, the initial stage of what Guy has planned for his opponent. Guy knew that he had to attack whilst his flying roundhouse stunned Sodom for as much as a split-second, slightly enough time for the Bushin Ninja to unleash his viscous assault before the self-proclaimed Japanese fighter could recover in time to defend against. As the heel of his foot cut toward Sodom, it was then that Guy noticed his foe was smiling.

Sodom's eyes and body flashed into action, bringing his arms outward and wrapping his hands around Guy's extended leg. Redirecting Guy's momentum, Sodom threw Guy to the side with great force, sending the surprised Ninja to the ground. Placing one hand on the rough gravel, Guy avoided the impact Sodom expected and used his hand as leverage to somersault into his stance. However, Guy would soon learn that allowing himself to hit the ground would've been a safer option, for Sodom was now descending down at Guy, at a incredible speed too fast for Guy to avoid in time.

Sodom struck out at the Bushin warrior as soon as he had regained his composure, clearly leaving him with no time to defend with the sole of his boot. Guy staggered back from impact, and Sodom placed a kick to the gut before a more powerful standing side-kick struck the same area. Now doubled over in pain, Guy became the victim of Sodom's final attack.

Enclosing his arms around Guy's hunched frame, Sodom leapt high, using his jittes to keep Guy held in the same foetal position as he did previously. Upon reaching the peak of his ascension, the Kabuki master gathered the desired momentum and as Sodom drove back down to earth, simultaneous to his feet touching the ground he slammed the clutched Guy forcefully into the uneven asphalt to which the grip was released. Guy's back had the misfortune of colliding with the pavement and the impact took him off ground by a few feet before it met the rough terrain a second time and he lay still. Sodom twirled one of his weapons with a small arrogant grin, pleased with the effects of the move he dubbed as the "Butsumetsu Buster".

After some time, Guy slowly dragged himself off the ground and returned to his usual defensive posture. That was an unexpected move, and powerful too, Guy noted. "He has improved…" he said mentally and narrowed his eyes slightly, trying to find a weakness to exploit. For now, he needed to discover Sodom's fighting pattern and strategy, if he had one and use it to his own accordance when he counterattacked.

"Like I said…" Sodom began, with his usual arrogant essence. "I am much more powerful than the warrior you fought before. You have no chance of winning against me now" his weapons again glinted in the light with a nice "ching" effect, the pointed edges facing Guy's throat. Both warriors stood unmoving, each taking the available time to recuperate before they would attack.

A left hook raced its way to the side of Rose's head, forcing her to bring up her guard to block the attack. Just before the initial attack would connect, Ryu halted and before Rose could detect the sudden change in time, slammed his right fist deep into her gut. The wind knocked out of her, Ryu continued with another blow, this time to the midsection and after cocking his hands back, Ryu quickly sent forward a quick burst of chi.

"Hadoken!" he boomed as the fireball bore into Rose's abdomen and dissipated upon contact, with enough force to send the mysterious woman crashing hard against the ground, the orange spiritual flames of his technique burning away into the ionised air from Rose's body as she slowly picked herself up. Rose looked towards her opponent, in time to see Ryu closing in from above, and at an amazing speed. Rose widened her eyes in surprise, but reacted almost instinctively as she vaulted her slender build above ground to meet her descending opponent. Ryu quickly drew his leg back to force Rose back to the road with a kick to the chest, but Rose was more than prepared.

Reaching out with one hand, Rose caught her opponent with an unexpected clutch to the throat and instantly halting Ryu's aerial move. Ryu gasped in reflex at the sudden deprivation of air, and failed to notice Rose's other hand that had successfully grabbed the top part of his gi. The Shotokan warrior's eyes widened, now aware of what would happen and no sooner had realisation reached Ryu's mind, Rose spun around and sent him soaring back to the hard gravel in her "Soul Throw" move. The martial artist's body crashed hard into the ground and it rose up from impact to strike it for a second time. Jerking his body back onto its feet, Ryu embraced his offensive posture again, not even bothering to wipe the trickle of crimson from his chin just as the heels of Rose's shoes gracefully touched the ground.

For a second time Ryu leapt towards Rose in an offensive strike as he feinted what would've been a jab and went into a low shin kick in an attempt to draw out Rose's guard. The first two stages successfully complete, Ryu quickly spun into a roundhouse kick. Unfortunately for him, Rose had anticipated the move.

Ryu's leg cut through only air as his opponent ducked under the attack and struck out with an elbow that cleanly struck with Ryu's jaw, causing him to stagger back from force. Rose leapt after her stunned opponent, placing two more blows to the gut and chest and launched an uppercut towards Ryu's chin. Just as her fist neared Ryu, mere milliseconds from impact, he saw the attack in time and managed to absorb the move with both forearms. Firing off a confident grin, he unleashed his own retaliation at the visually surprised Rose.

A crimson coloured-gloved fist smashed into Rose's right cheek, followed by another but this time to the left side. The now vulnerable Rose felt the force of a lunging palm strike to her abdomen, and the uppercut she attempted to use on him he returned in kind with his own, causing her head to whip back from impact. Not completely finished with his offensive assail, Ryu drew his arm back and a surge of chi collected into his enclosed fist before it was sent forward.

"Shoryuken!!" thundered Ryu as he drove his fist into Rose's torso. Rose's feet left the ground slightly from the crushing blow, the wind knocked out of her and Ryu flew up, taking his opponent's body with him with a second strike. Landing on her back, Rose almost instinctively rolled back into her stance, her lungs wheezing as it gathered as much oxygen as it needed and the young warrior landed lightly on his feet. Ryu was sure at least one of his ribs had broken from the power of Rose's blows, but knew that Rose's physical progress had now decreased from it's full natural peak, due to the damage of his attacks. Her spiritual energies, was another matter.

"His power… I've never experienced such energy from a young fighter and yet…there is more. More than he has yet to realise."

Ryu's eyes and body flashed into preparation as Rose burst toward him in a great blur of speed. As the mystical woman neared her opponent, her body began to emit a faint purple hue, causing her slender, but athletic form to become somewhat of a blur. Ryu's eyes widened slightly, which was unnoticed by his opponent as Rose sped closer and closer.

The blurry images of Rose now became more defined, taking on the form of identical entities, their locations and the akin sources of energy having a bewildered effect on the Shotokan warrior as to which was his true opponent. His eyes leapt from one illusion to the next, in the hopes of discovering some sort of indication that would aid him but to no avail. Drawing his chi energies into himself, Ryu took his body off the ground, and rotated his frame into a spinning strike.

"Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!!" Ryu cried, whipping out his outstretched into a rush of powerful revolving kicks. His leg sliced through the air, homing in towards the image on the far right, only to make impact with the air as Ryu's prediction resulted in being false. Unable to stop the momentum of his rotational movement, Ryu spun twice more and landed onto his feet, embracing himself for the attack from his opponent that almost immediately came.

Snapping his head upwards, he was greeted with the sight of his opponent as the true Rose descended upon the young fighter, an outstretched leg striking swiftly with his chest. Although the speed was too great for Ryu to stop in time, it was merely a fragment of the subsequent onslaught Rose released. Splitting downward through the air with a shin kick, Rose sent forth a small, but brutal raid of blows, each one striking with sharp precision and an amazing speed. Grasping the shawl for a third time, Rose brought her arm up, bringing it down in a swift downward swipe, causing the energy infested yellow garment to collide with Ryu with enough force to send the Shotokan fighter reeling.

Keeping the momentum of her previous strike, Rose's shawl lashed out in Ryu's direction alongside the cry of "Soul Spark!" The blast caught Ryu in its fiery azure clutches, forcing him upward and immersed in flames before gravity brought him down again. The flames of Rose's fighting spirit dispersed from Ryu's battered body, as it crashed onto the unfriendly pavement, still and unmoving. Long raspy breaths flew in and out of the young warrior's body, his gi charred and shredded in various areas, with bloodied scratches and scrapes elsewhere as Ryu laid, barely conscious. His body was in immense pain, but something within pushed at him, forced him to continue the battle. He suddenly felt a slow, warm surge of energy pulse from deep within his being, a surge of energy unlike what he had been wielding so far…

Rose stood a few feet from the nearly comatose Ryu, deep laboured breaths heaving through her tired lungs, her use of her illusionary duplicates in addition to her previous gambit leaving her considerably drained. Her seemingly favoured garment hung from a soft, slender hand, and a small sphere-like form of energy continuously trailed up and down the folds of the yellow object, as Rose glanced over to the young Ryu, the source of her initial presence in his path of destiny.

"Perhaps he wasn't the one I envisioned…" the metaphysical woman thought. "But then again, the tarots are never wrong. It must be…" Rose stopped in mid-sentence at what she saw.

Dark, powerful ebony waves of energy radiated from the seemingly unconscious form that belonged to Ryu, causing the scars, bruises and any other form of physical damage to fade as if they hadn't existed during this battle. The eyes of the Shotokan warrior opened, revealing eyes of a pure white luminosity, from the emanation of his fighting spirit as he kicked himself up and into his stance. Although his eyes were currently pupil-less, Rose knew that his gaze was fixated on her, an ominous grin surfacing upon his face. The dark aura of spiritual energy pulsated violently and rapidly, and Ryu quickly leapt forward…