Kasumi's perspective:
Kasumi's eyes widened as she saw the body hook closing in. It was lucky as hell, that she managed to swing her body in time to block it, the shock of the impact jarring her arms.
"If that had hit, I would be a goner..." She thought.
As soon as she blocked the body hook, Hitomi unleashed another punch at her head.
She managed to block that punch too.
'Ahh...'
Her right arm began to tingle from the heavy impact.
Hitomi was starting to pour on the attacks, alternating between high and low attacks. Kasumi could not keep this up, already her body is lagging behind.
Kasumi was hunched over, wheezing. It was hard to maintain her defences when she couldn't breathe, her stomach was burning with agony from all the hits she received; all she wanted to do was curl up to alleviate the pain. She couldn't keep this up forever; the pain was starting to get worse with all the twisting and turning. Only her will was keeping her going..
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After a body hook and a straight left combo, Hitomi quickly follows up with a roundhouse kick, designed to break through Kasumi's guard.
Kasumi did managed to withstand the kick though, just barely. Kasumi wasn't going absorb the high kick for nothing. Immediately after she blocked the kick, she fired back with her own low kick, which was blocked by Hitomi.
It had become intense: both sides are now countering and attacking.
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Hitomi's perspective:
Somehow Kasumi had gotten back her wind. She was blocking and countering as hard as fast as she could. This would not do. No.
"Not gonna happen, Kasumi. You will not win this!" She thought.
She would bait her time. Once Kasumi commits to an attack, chances are that she will leave herself open to a counter attack. And she promised herself that the counter will be punishing.
She knew what strikes to use. And she knows where to aim it.
Kasumi's perspective:
A short opening was all Kasumi needed. She spotted a hole in Hitomi's defense, and drove in a finger jab through her guard. The finger jab connected with Hitomi's nose, snapping her head backwards.
Inside, Kasumi felt elated.
"I finally got her!" She thought.
Time to capitalise on it. Pivoting her waist, she slipped forward, prepared to unleash another elbow once she was in range. But something felt wrong.
Whether through luck or not, she saw a twitch in Hitomi's foot, grinding down into the snow.
"She's going to kick!"
Hastily, Kasumi aborted her advance, raising her arms in a high guard to prevent another head kick.
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Hitomi's perspective:
Her head snapped backwards, pain exploding from her nose, strong enough to bring tears to her eyes.
"Ahhh, that hurts!" She cried.
But from the corner of her eye, she saw that Kasumi had overcommitted, leaving herself open. It was time.
Immediately after the finger jab by Kasumi, Hitomi rallied with a counter kick. Kasumi, noticing her legs rising, reacted quickly with a double handed block.
However, Hitomi had known that Kasumi would expect a high kick from the previous one she had thrown, and so at the last moment spun her knee inwards, changing the direction of the kick towards her upper belly. Her upper shin, leading the kick, swung in like a baseball bat, slammed into Kasumi hard. It went in really, really deep.
Hitomi liked what she felt, and saw.
At this point, Hitomi noticed the first inkling of pain registering on Kasumi's face. She had felt her kick go deep in, sending shockwaves through nerve endings.
Hitomi had been successful in targeting her core throughout the fight, and instinctively she knew this was the one that really hurt Kasumi.
Kasumi's perspective:
With her guard raised in preparation for the kick, she was shocked when it suddenly changed trajectory. She looked on in horror as it rocketed towards her upper belly, her body watching, but unable to react.
Kasumi had expected the kick to go high, and thus did not brace for the assault to her middle. Hitomi's shin slammed into her, hitting the centre of the nerve endings, just below the centre between her breasts, and proceeded to burrow in deeper. Her abs were not flexed and did not provide much resistance against the sharp part of Hitomi's shin. Her belly was already tender from the previous abuse she received and she had no way to contain the sickening pain that is now rushing through her.
As the kick retracted back, it caused even more pain as her insides rushed to occupy the space it vacated. As she started to go down, she knew she was going to suffer very badly from it.
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Her knees buckled and she crumbles to the ground, retching.
The effects of the kick were violent. One moment she was dry heaving, right arm gripped tightly around her middle, drawing her knees in towards herself as much as she could. The next, throbbing in her stomach turned into violent churning, and she felt viscous liquid pooling at the back of her throat. Before she could control herself, Kasumi threw up. At the back of her mind, she heard a thin, reedy moan. It turned out to be her own voice.
"
Urghhhnnnnrk......"
Retching, she made a huge effort to get up. She only got up to one foot before the immense pain at the pit of her stomach flared up again, and she immediately regretted her attempt. She crumpled back down to the ground, curled up tight into a ball. The icy cold snow numbed her pain a little, somehow making the pain bearable. Barely.
"My....stomach... Hurts... It hurts..."
Vaguely, she felt Hitomi turning a back and walking away.
"
I can't let it end like this!" She thought.
Despair set in. Her body was screaming at her, but her mind couldn't bare the shame that she would fall to a body kick. Slowly, but surely, she fought to get her breathing under control, slowly uncurling her body. Cradling her belly with her right arm, she got a foot under her. Then the next. Gritting her teeth, she pushed off with her legs, and stood, bent at the middle.
Her voice hoarse from all the retching, she cried out, "I....it's not over yet!"
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Hitomi's perspective:
"
It's finally over." Hitomi thought. She turned and headed for the snow truck to get her belongings. It had been a tough fight, but she had finally broken down the ninja princess to win the match. Her feet slushed into the snow, and again she is reminded of the fact that wearing a tank top in this conditions aren't exactly appropriate for the weather conditions.
"I..It's not over yet..!" A cry sounded behind her. She turned back to face Kasumi, incredulous.
Kasumi was painfully making it back to her feet. She was clearly still suffering from the final kick to the body, but somehow, she was not giving up. As much as she celebrated the spirit of the warrior, this was not a match to get seriously injured for.
"It's over," she said. "You can barely stand, and if we were to continue, it is just going to get worse for you. Let's fight again when you have recovered."
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Kasumi's perspective:
"....fight again when you have recovered."
Kasumi swayed on her feet. Yes, it was true that she could barely stand. Her legs felt like rubber, the throbbing pain in her belly spreading out from her core, sapping the energy out of her. Every breath sent a fresh wave of pain coursing through her. But she was not done yet. She still have the reserves for one last push. And her pride wouldn't allow her to go out without giving her all.
"I.... can still fight.." Her voice breathy and thin, but her intent carried her words across.
Slowly, but determined, she got back into her stance.
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