The Imperial Open Semifinals Round - Lottus VS Striker

Her ultimate technique would not be enough this time. Even as she struck true, smashing into his armor and back out to repeat the cycle ad nauseum, Striker could tell something was off with the way she bounced off him. He was bulking up to take the blow, ready for the onslaught. She might have pulled the move out too soon, or maybe he was just anticipating such an attack and gathered energy without her knowing it. This made her push harder into the technique.

"HYAH!"
She couldn't get the apex of her attack out before the vortex was dampened by Lottus's own energy, withdrawing and sliding back out of her balled form as she watched him fall. She doubts without the full brunt of her combo she could put him down, and she was right. The saiyans were harder, he was practically laughing at her with that grin. For a moment that gold aura faltered. The sparks of her natural force disappeared. She spent herself here, at least for the moment.

"No kidding..."
Well, it wouldn't be Striker if she didn't want a show for the crowd. She smiled and straightened up, throwing her hands up. "Sure, I'll hold you to a drink. Now, show us all what you've got big guy." Her taunting would be soon met with the gross realization he was holding back the prior engagements. By like, a lot. Sweat, unnoticed through the golden aura, beaded on her brow as she tried pulling herself together for this one attack. Blades of ki, not unlike the crimson beams and waves he threw at her earlier, covered his arms.

For the first time in a while, she was blindsided by someone else's speed. It wasn't often she was immediately backpedaling and taking a second sure strike. Before she could throw up a guard, one of those hands cut a gash over her head. Cutting some of her hair and knocking loose that hair tie. Blood over her skull was the first she'd seen in this form.

"JEEZ-"
The fauxbian's determined eyes turned nervous as she looked up at that manic expression. Trying to not let it throw off her groove. But it was surely a factor, she felt sluggish. A few more would get past her, catching her ducking or trying to jump over another. It would get her a few pretty gashes along those small arms, legs, and around her face. before she knew it, she was being pushed back to the furthest reach of ringside. Not much could be done if the girl couldn't get away from him.

She needed to think, and quickly.

"Got it- G-hh!"
A gasp of surprise as she was caught in this thought. Lottus' forward jab would connect with the small creature's small torso. Tearing a mighty gash into her chest and forcing air from her. Inexperienced as she was, there was little she could do but stagger in place. Her speed had faltered, and she found herself shoved back towards the edge of the platform. Crimson poured where he made that final hole. Striker felt her knees buckle to the sudden weight her body put on her. Falling to her knees, feet almost hanging off the ring's edge.

That golden aura she touted before? It seemed to slip. Wanng and revealing those green hairs and fur once again. Her power is sporadic, yet noticeably still around. If the ragged breathing and panting were anything to go by, she was having it rough. Knelt on the floor. She's never felt this pain before, and it scared her to death. She hides that fear well by hanging her head. Loose hairs covering most of her face.

"Hah... Gah..."
It should have been set match right there, but something else started to glow gold underneath. Lottus would see if he tried chasing his target to this edge. Her hands. And something on her chest... it was what now carried the golden energy that powered her. Locked at first into nebulous blobs and eventually forming into blades of energy not unlike what he had just used on her. if there was one thing Jinx taught her, it was to get creative. Copy the form if you must.

"I'm not..."
The green fauxbian struggled to stand, but lifted herself up by the grit of her teeth and double fists into the tiled floor. The sharp energy she had over them tore holes into the platform she stood. "Done... Yet." And when she straightened up, that bleeding hole that should be killing her? A similar gold blaze poured out of it, like a heart of flame. Ignited by the attempt to nearly kill her on the spot. She looked her bladed hands over for a moment before staring up at him. Returning a bloody grin.

"You better hope you have another one of those in you... You're going to need it!"
The crowd was deafening with the cheering, her defiant stand giving her that adrenaline she needed to push past all rational reason to sit down and rest. That spark of green came lightning back to her limbs as she hopped at Lottus with a speed rivaling her previous form. Emblazoned with the energy now just fueling her survival. She was going for a great torso slash, horizontal along the chest to return the favor!

---

Lottus wasn't letting up. Even after her great slash, she found herself at his side with little than less progress made on him. He was about as restless as they came, owed by possibly being a dead man. That golden aura surrounding her hands vanish, only to leave a trace amount of yellow around that burning hole in her chest. Her blue eyes struggled to focus, yet she let the baser motions of the fight take over. Lottus wanted more? He'd get it.

"Let's give the crowd one... last performance!"
She'd turn and meet the Saiyan. Still bursting with energy despite her severe wounds. She had caught up, maneuvering around his attacks again, before finally throwing in some low punches of her own. Despite her loss of that super warrior energy, that burning heart seemed to give her enough strength to still punch upwards. Literally, she tried turning this away from the edge of the ring and right up into his chin to force him back.

"I'm the experience, the worlds cheer for me!"
She let out a sonorous cry, landing from the uppercut only to try tucking into a ball again and launch herself. Aiming for a spinning gut shot with the intent to fling him further away still.

---

Lottus wasn't giving up, smashing a crimson hand into her balled form as she rolled up at him. Narrowly avoiding gut-punching him into infinity, but forcing more and more of that grit out of him with each hit. Every shot she took that wore him down meant she was that much closer to hearing the crowd one last time. Even as her super form struggled to spit out enough energy to keep her up to par with Lottus. Had it not been for the energy field weighing them down the difference would be known.

"We'll see how much longer you hold onto that power of yours."
Striker landed back at his side. Already anticipating some sort of wild retaliation from the man's furious crimson ki. The ki hands came again, still sluggish compared to the energy her form exerted on her body. The very hairs of her head seem to stand on end as more current courses through the flaming wound at her chest.

"All I need is one more good hit."
Rather than directly engage with his onslaught of attacks, the fauxbian leaped back. Crouching low on her feet in a sprinter's ready. Aiming herself right at the Saiyan. She wouldn't waste time seeing what he did on the follow-up, she started revving up in place. Her legs became a blur of motion as she seemed to run in place. "And you need several. But you're getting slow!"

---

"Heh..."
Striker looked up from her focused draw up to the Saiyan's face. Surprising that he took the moment to step back and let her build up a charge. Either he was doubting her own ability to let her do this or his own enjoyment wasn't removed by the inevitable. Most would call that being a masochist before calling it a warrior's mindset, but Striker wouldn't know how most of them acted. She only knew one well enough to consider a friend anyways.

"Let's see if you can keep up with this!"
In a sudden flash, she dashed from her stuck position on foot. Starting with a run-up at the Saiyan. usually, she opted to start these with her balled form, but today was a special day. First, she'd try to sideline him with a quick low blow. Aiming to knock him off balance with a good punch at his gut as she sped by. She'd turn on a dime and slide to his side, tucking into a ball there and catapulting herself far into the air. Further than what she needed to clear a heat shot at least.

She wasn't going for just a ball smash though. Suspended in the air, she'd untuck and reappear with a foot extended outwards. A kick that was now primed and aimed to fly down at Lottus from above. That gold energy that surrounded her open wound had moved over this leading leg, becomign the last part of her body empowered by this farse of gold.

"HYAAAAAAAH!"
Her goal was to hit him with all she had then, for real this time. be it a knockout or ring-out, she didn't rightly care. Her momentum would make her land at the edge of the ring with him regardless, that golden energy and the spark of electricity leaving her the moment she touched the ground. Exhausted, she falls to her knees and cries out in the sudden pain rushing back to her from that open wound.

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161 + 437 = 598