The Dragon and the Countess: Tianhuo [D] vs. Countess Dante

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Tianhuo: Whatever dirty trick you have up your sleeve, I will not fall for it. I suggest you leave, before I resort to finishing you off..

[CaptainL]

"Huh..!?" Isabella's plan was foolproof. With one hand, she would conceal her next move - she had one fist drawn back, the fingers curled inward with the knuckles protruding so that if she struck at her opponent, she could throw her attack with stabbing force. It would deliver even more power to her blow, especially if she struck at the throat or the eyes or another weak point. Sure, that was frowned upon, but Isabella didn't care. The idea of what was "fair" or "sporting" meant nothing in a real fight, and she believed that the goal of any bout was to win by whatever means were necessary, no matter what those pesky referees said. Her other hand was raised to cover that fist, which would both keep it under the radar of any interfering officials and ensure she could hit Tianhuo before the monk had a chance to see what was coming. At least, that was how she saw things. But somehow, Tianhuo could already see through her tricks!

The girl's eyes went wide, and her jaw dropped in a gasp as she stood up a little straighter, shaking herself out. It was impossible! Tianhuo had never even faced her before - there was no way she could have anticipated the deadly fighting arts that Isabella had devoted her life to mastering! But in that instant, the element of surprise was lost - and with that came a blow to the Countess's pride!

"H-How..!?" she muttered, before she looked back up toward Tianhuo with a glare as she stamped her foot against the mat. Whatever - it didn't matter! Far more important than that was the fact that Tianhuo was mocking her, once again! Not content with merely making a fool of Isabella, now she was giving her an ultimatum, daring her to turn tail and flee. To Isabella, that was a grave insult - Tianhuo was telling her she wouldn't stand a chance, and that her defeat was inevitable. Such an assumption was one that cast shame over her entire view of herself as an unbeatable master, and on her life's pursuits. But she wouldn't let an insult like that slide!

"Nngh...shut up!!" Isabella stomped her foot on the ground, glaring at Tianhuo with her teeth locked in a grimace. "The CROWN PRINCESS OF DEATH is not going anywhere, thank you very much! If you have a problem with that, be that way! But I can take whatever you have in you!" She puffed out her chest, remaining firmly in place. Whatever Tianhuo would throw at her next, Isabella was convinced she'd be ready!

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Tiaihou: Very well.. do not say I didn’t warn you. (She closes her eyes before slowly opening them) Prepare to be engulfed by the Flames of Foshan!! (She throws out a flurry of punches at the Countess before striking her head with a spinning hook kick)

[CaptainL]

Isabella was sure that Tianhuo was going to hit hard. Deep down, there was a part of herself that was maybe just a little bit afraid of what lay in store. The look of sheer determination in her eyes as she opened them slowly was enough to make Isabella flinch, just for a short moment. Whatever followed was sure to be powerful indeed. But of course, she would never admit she was afraid! She had already pledged to take her next move head-on, and she was committed to living up to that promise - after all, she'd done so as a means to demonstrate that nothing Tianhuo was capable of doing could possibly intimidate her, and that she was capable of countering and overcoming anything! If she showed even the slightest hint of fear, it would call all of that into question! So she took a step forward, puffing out her chest and looking her opponent dead in the eye...and was met immediately with a lightning-fast punch!

The blow ripped through the air, landing with a crack against the Countess's ribs! Isabella's face contorted into a wince as her teeth clenched from the impact, and she began to shrink back. Tianhuo had struck so quickly that she hadn't been able to get her guard up in time! And now, there were still more punches coming! Everywhere Dante looked, Tianhuo had another punch aimed for her, coming in this way and that and from all different angles. She whipped her body around to try and meet each one, her fists raised to parry and block, but she could hardly keep up! Every time Dante thought she was able to block one punch, the next one came from another direction, and by the time Isabella moved into place, the next blow had already landed! With each punch, her body reeled backward, jostled to and fro but never being let to linger long enough to fall - and soon it would all come to its climax, as Tianhuo swung a kick for the side of Isabella's head!

A moment ago, everything was flying by too quickly for Isabella to keep track of. Now, the world felt like it had fallen into slow motion. Tianhuo's foot slammed into Isabella's temple with the sound of a crack, and her head spun to the side, propelled by the momentum. In that instant, her whole body went slack. Her limbs lurched along behind her as she pivoted in place on her heel, and her jaw dropped open as a low groan came up from her lungs. Then, at last, her body gave way - her balance could no longer support her. Isabella dropped straight down, collapsing in a heap on the mat with her limbs splayed out around her!

Seeing she was down, the referee moved in to start the count. "One! Two! Three!" All around the ring, photographers, crew members and fans at ringside leaned in closer, awaiting the verdict. No one would have been surprised if this proved to be it for the Countess, who barely even moved a muscle! Her chest rose and fell with shallow breaths, and every so often she'd let out a groan - but those were the only signs of life she could manage!

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Tianhuo: Hmpt, serves you right.. you are not worthy of being my pupil.

[CaptainL]

All Isabella could do was stare up at the lights, panting. At first, she could barely focus on anything around her. When she was dazed by the assault that Tianhuo had unleashed on her, everything had fallen into a blur, and the world was spinning. Her muscles twitched as she tried to pick herself up, even just lifting a finger - but every time she tried, she just as quickly fell back down flat, panting and groaning. She simply didn't have the energy left in her to right herself. No matter how determined she was to stand up to Tianhuo, and to prove the rightful supremacy of her Black Dragon Fighting Society, she couldn't keep up. Every muscle was too sore.

"Four! Five! Six!"

Eventually, she did begin to come around - and when she did, she heard the count of the referee, growing higher and higher as she grew closer to being counted out once and for all. That shook a few cobwebs out of her head - but what really got her attention came when she heard Tianhuo's comments. At once, Isabella's jaw dropped in a gasp. She propped herself up on her elbows, enough to shoot a glare back at Tianhuo. She still wouldn't have enough left in her to get up - but she did want to make it known that she wouldn't tolerate this sort of disrespect!

"What..!? Hmph! I don't CARE what you think! I never even wanted to train under you anyway! What good would that be when I already know everything there is to know?! You'd only hold me back-!" The Countess was cut off mid-speech by an ill-timed string of coughs, but nevertheless, she clenched her teeth, snarling back at her opponent. "You just got lucky, is all! This isn't a fair fight! I was...I was underestimating you because I've never seen you before!"

Isabella's half-hearted rise wouldn't be enough to stop the ref from counting, and neither would her excuses. "Seven! Eight!" But for now, at least, Isabella seemed more concerned with making sure she got in the last word!

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Tianhuo: Let this be a lesson to you, that those who do not learn from history.. are doomed to repeat it!!

[CaptainL]

"I...I..."

Isabella's teeth contorted in a snarl, and her fingers squeezed tighter around the mats beneath her. Her entire body trembled with a pent-up rage, one that she could barely keep inside of her. She knew that Tianhuo was mocking her, now. It had only been by a stroke of luck that the monk would even have been able to stand on her level, and yet, she dared to show her such disrespect, such scorn and mockery? Isabella couldn't let this stand. She hurt; her whole body felt numb, and her joints quivered like jelly whenever she tried to move. But she had to get back up. She could still turn this all around. She could still win! She hadn't been counted out yet! All she needed was to get to her feet in time; then she could show Tianhuo the true fury of Dim Mak. Then, she could show her the folly of mocking her. She could still set everything right! She had to, for the sake of her own dignity!

"Nine!"

And with that, every muscle in Isabella's body went tense. Pushing against the mat, she summoned all the strength she had in one last-ditch effort to shove herself to her feet, trying to spring back up and finish the fight! But she had barely gotten an inch off the ground when that same strength failed her - and every muscle went slack as she flopped back onto her back.

"Ten!!"

Isabella lay there, panting. But it was too late. The bell had rung. The match was over. And Tianhuo was the winner!

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Tianhuo: Like I said, you are not worthy of being my pupil.. (She starts to leave the ring, leaving the countess flat on her back)

Winner by Knockout: Tianhuo!