Nakoruru Protects Nature From Death Battle!

This bio was commissioned by avoidthisaccount.

Nakoruru

Nickname: Mother Nature’s Guardian
Age: 16 (Samurai Shodown 2019), 17 (Samurai Shodown), 18 (Samurai Shodown II), 20 (Samurai Shodown Sen)
Height: 5’1
Weight: Unknown
Occupation: Ainu Priestess, Protector of Nature
First Appearance: Samurai Shodown (July 7, 1993)
Themes:

Feats:
General
-Is one of the mascots for SNK’s Nakoruru & Terry Club, a program designed to bring awareness to nature and inspire children for a better, more imaginative future
-Became popular enough to get her own spinoff game and OVA

Samurai Shodown
-Began traveling through Japan to search for her father after he had mysteriously disappeared
-During her travels, her skills managed to gain the attention of Gaoh, a power-hungry Daimou who wanted to rule the world
-Defeated Yumeji Kurokouchi, Gaoh’s second in command, after rejecting her offer to join Gaoh’s forces
-Fought Gaoh to a standstill, then defeated him after he transformed into Demon Gaoh
-After defeating Gaoh, she was contacted by the Ainu deity Kamui, who informed her of her father’s death
-Agreed to become Kamui’s successor, inheriting her powers and the position of nature’s protector
-After sensing a growing darkness spreading through Japan, she began traveling the world to stop its source and restore balance to nature
-Defeated Jubei Yagyu, Ukyo Tachibana, Tam Tam, Hanzo Hattori, Darli Dagger, Shiki, Yoshitora Tokugawa, and Galford
-Defeated Shizuka Gozan, a vengeful ghost that was responsible for the darkness spreading across Japan
-Helped purify Shizuka’s soul, allowing her to move on to the afterlife and ridding Japan of her influence
-Defeated Shiro Tokisada Amakusa, a sorcerer that had been resurrected by the dark god Ambrosia
-Defeated Zankuro Minazuki, a bloodthirsty swordsman who had been responsible for slaughtering entire villages
-After discovering Amakusa had been resurrected, she began traveling Japan to find him
-Defeated Amakusa
-Defeated Zankuro, unintentionally killing him in the process
-Defeated Genjuro Kibigama, a samurai who believed she had dishonored Zankuro by killing him
-Defeated Mizuki Rashojin, a corrupt priestess who had formed a pact with Ambrosia
-Sacrificed herself to undo Mizuki’s damage and restore balance to nature, allowing her soul to become one with the spirit of nature
    –Samurai Shodown 64 later retconned this by altering the aftermath of her sacrifice, instead having her transported to Kamui Kotan’s forest and going into a deep sleep from expending too much energy
-Was awakened from her slumber to fight Yuga the Destroyer, a sorcerer from the demon world of Makai
-Defeated Gandara, Deku, Dekuina, and Yuga
-Defeated Yuga after it was reincarnated
-Began traveling Japan to search for her sister, Rimurimu, after she’d suddenly disappeared
-Defeated Draco and Golba
-Eventually transcended her humanity and melded her soul with Gaia, becoming a divine spirit of nature
-Began traveling through time and space to prevent disasters from occurring across the planet
-Informed Haohmaru of the threat Oboro posed and began working with him to free Rimurimu from her prison
-Worked with Rimurimu to seal Oboro and his weapons after he was defeated

Samurai Shodown VI (Noncanon)
-Fought and defeated Rimurimu after she refused to return to their home
-Defeated Galford in a sparring match
-Defeated Gaoh twice, with the second time being while he was in his Demon Gaoh form
-Sacrificed her powers to restore balance to nature

Shinsetsu Samurai Spirits: Bushidō Retsuden
-Traveled into the forest to search for her father after he had disappeared
-Fought off an armored bear that had attacked her father
-At her father’s final request, sought out the legendary swordsman Jubei to help her vanquish the evil force that was threatening nature
-Worked with two of the series’ other cast members to destroy the Devil Stone and retrieve a pass to Fuji Hill, where Jubei was staying at the time
-Helped Jubei explore the cave in Fuji Hill and kill Sankadoshi of the devil priests
-Worked with Jubei to defeat Ushiwakahime, Amakusa’s assistant who had been creating earthquakes across Edo
-Helped a father buy a dress for his daughter
-Defeated Gokaidoshi, the second member of the devil priests
-Had a rematch with Ushiwakahime, where she defeated her again
-Defeated Genan Shoranui, a serial killer who had invaded Amakusa’s church
-Defeated Shichikaidoshi, the third member of the devil priests
-Defeated and killed Ushiwakahime and Amakusa

Samurai Shodown!
-Defeated Amakusa

Samurai Shodown! 2
-Defeated Yuga the Destroyer

Nakoruru: Ano Hito kara no Okurimono / Nakoruru ADV
-Adopted Mikato, a 7 year-old who can sense abnormalities and spirits
-Began training Mikato to serve as her successor
-Merged with Rera, a specter that represented her subconscious desires
-While mortally wounded, managed to fight off and kill Mizuki
-Passed on her role to Mikato before dying

Samurai Shodown: The Motion Picture
-Was a member of the seven Holy Swordsmen assigned to keep Ambrosia’s seal from being broken
-After being killed by Amakusa, she was reincarnated a century later and began searching for the other members
-Combined her powers with the rest of the Swordsmen’s to break the barrier surrounding Amakusa’s castle

Samurai Spirits 2: Asura-Zanmaden (OVA)
-Convinced Haohmaru not to kill Shiki after he’d defeated her
-Helped nurse Shiki back to health after discovering her injured body in a forest
-Fought Asura and held him off long enough for Shiki to retreat, but was nearly killed in the process
-After a discussion with Purple Nakoruru, a more violent version of herself, she had a rematch with Asura and defeated him with a single attack
-After the battle with Asura, she made peace with Purple Nakoruru and left Kamui Kotan to discover Shiki’s whereabouts

Nakoruru ~Ano hito kara no okurimono~ (OVA)
-While on a journey to another country, she was the only survivor of a massive war
-After the war ended, she managed to walk through a blizzard and back to Kamui Kotan despite suffering from massive amounts of blood loss
-Saved a deer from a rock slide

Strength:
-Small Country Level, as she’s shown on multiple occasions that she can kill Mizuki, who was able to create a storm that enveloped the entire world
-Traded blows with Yumeji, Gaoh, Demon Gaoh, Jubei, Ukyo, Tam Tam, Hanzo, Darli, Shiki, Yoshitora, Galford, Shizuka, Amakusa, Zankuro, Gandara, Deku, Dekuina, Yuga, Draco, Golba, and Rimurimu
-Was able to kill Shizuka, who covered Japan in darkness and could obliterate a forest and affect the weather just by appearing
-Has overpowered Amakusa, who could single-handedly destroy Nagasaki
-Killed Mizuki, who was able to create a storm that could cover the world
-Can casually slice straw dolls, bamboo sticks, doors, and gold statues in half
-Her regular slashes can amputate limbs, slice people in half, and even decapitate them
    -She can do this even when fighting giants like Tam Tam, who is 9’4, and Kusaregedo, who is 14’9
Bushidō Retsuden:
-Harmed an armored bear
-Is able to harm the Devil Stone, a giant tombstone-esque monster
-Overpowered each of the devil priests
-Traded blows with Genan
-Traded blows with and eventually killed Ushiwakahime
Nakoruru ADV:
-Managed to fight off and eventually kill Mizuki despite being depowered and weakened from her injuries
Samurai Shodown: The Motion Picture:
-Managed to push back against Amakusa’s energy blast for a few seconds before being overpowered
Samurai Spirits 2:
-Grabbed Shiki and pulled her away from Asura’s attack
-Could leap out of Asura’s range while carrying Shiki
-Blocked a slash from Asura and held her ground with no trouble
-Created a massive explosion of energy when her Kamui Mutsube collided with one of Asura’s slashes, which left him heavily injured

Speed:
-Hypersonic due to being comparable to Earthquake, who can move fast enough to ablate his body
-Has shown the ability to keep up in battle with Amakusa, who can move at blinding speeds
-Kept up with Yumeji, Gaoh, Demon Gaoh, Jubei, Ukyo, Tam Tam, Hanzo, Darli, Shiki, Yoshitora, Galford, Shizuka, Zankuro, Gandara, Deku, Dekuina, Yuga, Draco, Golba, and Rimurimu
Bushidō Retsuden:
-Escaped an underground city before it collapsed
-Escaped Amakusa’s Sky Castle before it collapsed
Samurai Shodown: The Motion Picture:
-Managed to dodge and leap out of the way of Haohmaru’s slashes
-Leapt out of the way before an energy blast could hit her
-Blocked a slash from Amakusa, followed by an energy blast seconds later
Samurai Spirits 2:
-Dodged a spike that Asura had summoned next to her, then leapt away from several other spikes
-Grabbed her cloak and performed a Kamui Rimuse before 3 arrows could hit her
-Dodged a slash from Asura’s scythe
-Grabbed Shiki and pulled her out of the way before Asura could slice at her
-Leapt away from Asura seconds before he hit the ground
-Jumped out of the way before Asura could cut her
-Jumped away before Asura’s chains could wrap around her

Durability:
-Small Country Level by scaling to her strength
-Has taken hits from Yumeji, Gaoh, Demon Gaoh, Jubei, Ukyo, Tam Tam, Hanzo, Darli, Shiki, Yoshitora, Galford, Shizuka, Zankuro, Gandara, Deku, Dekuina, Yuga, Draco, Golba, and Rimurimu
-Withstood attacks from Amakusa, who can reduce his opponents to massive bloodstains and destroy the land around him
-Can survive hits from the likes of Tam Tam and Kusaregedo, who tower over her
-While exhausted, she survived being frozen solid by Konril
Bushidō Retsuden:
-Survived attacks from an armored bear that had previously left her father near death
-Took hits from Devil Stone, the devil priests, Genan, and Ushiwakahime
Nakoruru ADV:
-Survived an attack from Mizuki that was meant to kill Mikato, though it left her near-death
Samurai Shodown: The Motion Picture:
-Was unharmed after Amakusa set her on fire
-Withstood Ambrosia hitting her with a blast of energy
Samurai Spirits 2:
-Recovered seconds after being knocked back by a gust of wind
-Survived a slash from Asura’s scythe that cleaved through a portion of the forest they were in
-Withstood being strangled by Asura’s chains during his Sata Nasu attack
-Was in the epicenter of an explosion created from her Kamui Mutsube colliding with Asura’s sword, and emerged with only a few bruises on her face and arm
Nakoruru OVA:
-Remained mostly unaffected while walking through a blizzard and bleeding out from cuts on her left arm and back
-Survived being caught in a rockslide, though it knocked her out

Stamina:
Nakoruru ADV:
-Kept fighting Mizuki despite being exhausted due to the toll her wounds were taking on her body
Nakoruru OVA:
-Managed to walk through a battlefield in the middle of a blizzard while bleeding out from her injuries

Intelligence:
-Thanks to her intuition with nature, Nakoruru can speak to and understand the languages of other animals

Skills:

Expert Swordsmanship:
-Has been able to match and defeat samurai and other warriors who have been training for most of their lives
-Her skill with Chichi-Ushi has been shown to impress Gaoh, an accomplished general, and Zankuro, a swordsman so skilled in battle he was believed to be a demon

Personality:
-A calm, gentle girl who is often shy around other people
-Is firmly dedicated to protecting the weak, fearful, and innocent
-Originally, she was extremely sad and stoic, but over time she began to develop a more cheerful demeanor
-Is extremely pacifistic and optimistic, believing that nature can be protected without killing others
-Will always try to find nonviolent solutions to problems, even in combat
-Often explores forests and trees during her free time
-Despite her dedication to her mission, she secretly wants to be a normal girl with selfish desires

Weapons and Equipment:

Chichi-Ushi:

-A kodachi that is one of Nakoruru’s most prized possessions
-Its name translates to “Father Bull”

Mamahaha:
-Nakoruru’s pet hawk that aids her in combat
-Is extremely loyal and faithful to Nakoruru
-Can create tornadoes by flapping her wings
-Can be mounted by Nakoruru, allowing her to fly higher or get thrown at opponents to attack them

Shikuru:
-A pet wolf that occasionally aids Nakoruru in combat
-Is colder and more ruthless compared to Mamahaha, but is loyal to Nakoruru’s cause
-By riding him, Nakoruru gains the ability to run faster and jump longer distances
-Is able to counter opponent’s attacks by charging into them, which will end with him launching Nakoruru for increased damage

Cloak:
-A white and red cloak that can be used as an impromptu weapon and to reflect projectiles

Powers:

 

Extrasensory Perception:
-Is able to hear and sense the voice of nature
-Can sense the spirits of people and nature
-Was able to sense Shizuki’s presence throughout Japan
-Could sense Amakusa’s presence after he was resurrected
-In the Nakoruru OVA, she can use her abilities to tell the weather

Ki Manipulation:
-Can infuse Chichi-ushi with ki to enhance its strength

Healing:
-Can heal herself and others with the power of nature

The following is exclusive to the Nakoruru OVA:

Precognition:

-Foresaw the deaths in a nearby village
-Not usable in combat

Moveset:

Rage Gauge:

-An energy that builds up over time as Nakoruru takes damage
-The amount of rage received is equal to the damage she takes
-When completely filled, Nakoruru enters a state called Max Rage, which temporarily boosts her strength, enhances the damage of her special attacks, and lets her use her Weapon Flipping Technique

Rage Build:
-Nakoruru takes an upright stance with both arms firmly at her side as an aura emanates from her feet, causing her hair and clothes to billow through the air
-Causes the Rage Gauge to build up without needing to be attacked

Rage Explosion:
-A state that Nakoruru can access at any time she has rage
-Can be activated at any time and lasts longer the more the rage meter is filled
-When activated, it creates an explosion that knocks Nakoruru’s enemies back, gives her access to Weapon Flipping Techniques and Lightning Blade, and causes time to stand still
-Can only be used once per fight

Concentration One:
-Also called Circumstance of Nothing, State of Nothingness, or Way of Nothingness
-Nakoruru begins to meditate, slowing her perception of time for a few seconds and giving her the opportunity to deliver attacks or combos
-While active, each of her attacks leave the opponent stunned and unable to guard, and knocking them in the air allows her to juggle them
-Will deactivate when Nakoruru is hit by an attack
-Can only be used once per fight and prevents her from using the Rage Gauge for the rest of the round

Dodge:
-Nakoruru leans back, allowing her to avoid attacks

Sword Stun:
-Also called Just Defense
-Nakoruru blocks against an attack and deflects it by pushing back, leaving her enemy vulnerable to a counterattack

Stance Break:
-A follow-up to Just Defense where Nakoruru sends her opponent flying with a double palm strike

Counter:
-Nakoruru counters an opponent’s attack with an upward slash, knocking their weapons from their hands

Blade Catch:
-If Nakoruru is disarmed during battle, she can catch her opponent’s blade and sends them flying with a double palm strike that disarms them

Annu Mutsube:
-Nakoruru charges forward and delivers a ki-enhanced slash
-Can be used as a counter against blocked or missed attacks and in the middle of combos

Rera Mutsube:
-A version of Annu Mutsube where Nakouru leaps through the air at a diagonal angle and delivers a ki-enhanced slash

Kamui Rimuse:
-Nakoruru swings her cloak through the air
-Can be done multiple times
-Is able to reflect projectiles
-Can be followed up with Kamui Rimuse Return

Kamui Rimuse Return:
-A follow-up to Kamui Rimurse where Nakoruru delivers an upward swing to knock the opponent back

Chitenzan:
-Nakoruru spins through the air with her blade outstretched like a buzzsaw

Amube Yatoro:
-Nakoruru directs Mamahaha to dive toward her opponent
-In Samurai Shodown 2019, Mamahaha will fly back to Nakoruru after hitting her target
-Has three versions: a light attack where Mamahaha hits just in front of Nakoruru, a medium version that travels up to half the stage, and a heavy version that travels across almost the entire stage
-While charging, Mamahaha will cancel out projectiles, but she won’t be able to attack while returning to Nakoruru
-Can be followed up with Rerashu, Shichikapu Etu, and Shichikapu Am

Rerashu:
-Mamahaha fires a tornado at a downward, diagonal angle toward Nakoruru’s opponent

Shichikapu Etu:
-Mamahaha dives toward her opponent, knocking them down

Shichikapu Am:
-A version of the above where Mamahaha grabs the opponent and drops them to the ground

Mamahaha Flight:
-Nakoruru grabs onto Mamahaha’s talons and takes to the air
-While clinging to Mamahaha, Nakoruru can briefly hover, deliver slash attacks, allow herself to drop, or follow up with attacks like Kamuyhum Kesupu and Kamui Mutsube

Taka Kara Oriru:
-Nakoruru lets go of Mamahaha and falls to the ground

Yatoro Poku:
-Nakoruru releases her grip on Mamahaha and performs a spinning slash

Kamuyhum Kesupu:
-Nakoruru drops from Mamahaha and performs a spin kick

Kamui Mutsube:
-Nakoruru lets go of Mamahaha and dives down at a diagonal angle, hitting her opponent with a ki-enhanced slash

Oogami ni Matagura:
-Nakoruru leaps onto Shikuru, giving her access to additional attacks

Shikuru Kara Oriru:
-Nakoruru jumps off of Shikuru

Myu Shikite:
-Shikuru rushes forward with a headbutt that can travel across half the stage

Kanto Shikite:
-Shikuru launches himself through the air at a diagonal angle

Imel Shikite:
-Shikuru leaps into the air before diving toward the opponent

Reuke Shikite:
-Shikuru charges toward the opponent muzzle-first
-Can be performed up to 3 consecutive times

Epunkine Shikite:
-Nakoruru sends Shikuru to smash into the opponent

Maiden’s Prayer:
-Allows Nakoruru to heal herself
-Has 3 levels, with the first restoring 80 HP, the second healing 200 HP, and the third healing the entire party for 200 HP

Weapon Flipping Technique:

[0:08 to 0:14]

Elelyu Kamui Rimuse:

-A move that has several different versions
-In some games, Nakoruru will begin this attack by leaping onto Mamahaha before using Kamui Mutsube and delivering three Kamui Rimuses before unleashing an upward swing. Other games will have it consist solely of the four attacks with the cloak, and sometimes this move will end by having Nakoruru command Mamahaha to charge into the opponent
-After using this move, her opponent will be disarmed of their weapon
-Is only usable once per fight

Lightning Blade:

[0:08 to 0:14]

Issen:
-Nakoruru lunges forward and slashes through her opponent. After appearing on the opposite side, she flicks her sword through the air as blood gushes from her enemy’s chest and they fall to the ground
-Only usable after activating Rage Explosion

Super Moves:

[6:37 to 6:43]

Irusuka-Ikashima-Wanpe-Chuie:
-Nakoruru charges her blade with ki and unleashes a barrage of slashes

Apefuchi Kamui Risse:
-Nakoruru performs several rapid Kamui Risses as her cloak glows yellow

[1:09 to 1:16]

Irusuka Yatoro Risse:
-Nakoruru glows with the energy of nature as Mamahaha dives toward the opponent. Upon hitting them, multiple energy-enhanced falcons will strike the opponent, with Mamahaha delivering the final hit as they explode

[2:56 to 3:00]

Nubeki Kamui Shikite:
-Nakoruru leaps onto Shikuru, who rushes toward the opponent. Upon colliding, Nakoruru delivers a rising slash that takes both of them into the air before sending them back to the ground with a Kamui Rimuse

[7:35 to 7:46]

Ar Retar Kamuyhum Makiri:
-Nakoruru dashes toward the opponent. Should she hit them, she’ll kick off of their body and up to Mamahaha, who builds up speed before throwing Nakoruru blade-first toward the opponent. Nakoruru then impales them, spilling blood onto her body as she apologizes and removes her sword

Fatalities:

[6:30 to 6:36]

Samurai Shodown IV:
-Nakoruru runs toward the opponent and kicks off of their body, causing them to cough up blood. She then rushes toward them and delivers a slash that knocks them off their feet
-Alternatively, she can leap through the air, taking the opponent with her by delivering a swift slash that cuts them in half at the waist

[7:19 to 7:34]

Samurai Shodown V:

-Nakoruru rushes toward her enemy, grabs them, and throws them into the air. She then leaps after them, slams them into the ground, and sits on their body as she stabs them through the chest

Samurai Shodown Sen:
-Nakoruru delivers a swift slash to her opponent’s head, arm, or chest. If she targets their head, it will fall to the ground as their body collapses. Targeting the right arm will amputate it, causing the victim to clutch the stump and roll around for several seconds before going limp. Targeting the chest will cause blood to spray out as her enemy clutches as their chest before falling backwards

Weaknesses:
-Somewhat naive
-Suffers from weak attacks and low defense
-Is extremely reluctant to kill her opponents, though she will do so if she feels there’s no other choice
-If she gets disarmed, she won’t be able to use her more lethal attacks until she retrieves her sword
-Shikuru needs to be within range for her to mount him, and she’s briefly vulnerable while doing so
Nakoruru ADV:
-Will lose her powers if she becomes selfish
Nakoruru OVA:
-Precognition isn’t combat applicable, as it only happened once at random

(“On behalf of Mother Nature herself, I shall punish anyone who dares to defile the beauty of this land!”)

Death Battle: Mai Shiranui vs Kasumi

 

Prelude here: https://brendansversus.wordpress.com/2020/06/11/prelude-mai-shiranui-vs-kasumi/

Alright, the combatants are set. Let’s end this debate once and for all! It’s time for a Death Battle!

——————————————————

A massive building was currently laying in the middle of New York City. It stood at 600 feet by 500 feet and sported a frame crafted from a combination of oak and various metals. Its inside consisted of a grandstand that surrounded a massive fighting ring. The ring in question was blank white and almost featureless, save for the massive logo that lay in the middle: a red circle containing the letters DOATEC written in black.

Indeed, this massive building had been constructed by DOATEC’s employees to serve as the battlefield for the company’s latest Dead or Alive tournament. And given the numbers they were pulling in- both in terms of contestants and in terms of spectators- they seemed to be doing extremely well! Hundreds of fighters from across the world had chosen to participate in the tournament, and the stadium’s seats were filled to the brim. Thousands of people were occupying the seats, and while all of them were of differing backgrounds and ages, they had all gathered here for one reason: to watch the world’s greatest fighters duke it out to decide which one was the best!

To say that the audience was extremely hyped was an understatement. Even as they approached the finals, everyone in the stadium was cheering or screaming, and all of them were clamoring for the next match. They wouldn’t have to wait much longer, however, as the announcer suddenly made his grand entrance onto the stage, keeping a firm grip on his microphone. A wide grin appeared on his face as he took in the applause, and then he began speaking.

”LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!” He shouted excitedly, his voice echoing throughout the entire stadium. “WE’RE NOW ENTERING THE FINAL ROUND OF THE SEVENTH ANNUAL DEAD OR ALIVE TOURNAMENT!”

The crowd erupted into cheers, but these cheers would soon be silenced as the announcer directed their attention to the left corner.

“IN THIS CORNER, WE HAVE THE FAMOUS HEIRESS OF THE SHIRANUI CLAN AND ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE KING OF FIGHTERS’ WOMAN’S TEAM, MAI SHIRANUI!”

A platform suddenly rose from beneath the stage, slowly ascending until it had met the ring’s height. Upon coming to a complete stop, its lone occupant stepped forward. She was a fair skinned woman with dark brown hair that had been done up in a waist-length ponytail. Her clothing consisted of a red, sleeveless, side-tie dress with white ropes around its shoulders. Her waist was covered by a black sash that contained gold lining and an intricate pattern. A pair of fingerless red gloves covered her hands, and her feet were concealed by black two-toed shoes with red lining.

As she made her way to the middle of the ring, Mai struck a pose, causing the audience to erupt into cheers and shouts. Once these screams had died down, the announcer continued.

”AND IN THIS CORNER, WE HAVE THE LEGENDARY NINJA AND CHAMPION OF THE VERY FIRST DEAD OR ALIVE TOURNAMENT, KASUMI!” 

No sooner than these words had left his mouth, another platform rose through the air, revealing the next combatant. She was a slender, petite woman with copper hair that was done up in a back-length ponytail. Her outfit consisted of a side-tie dress, much like Mai’s, but there were some noticeable differences. The first was its color, as its fabric was a rich shade of blue, contrasting with Mai’s red. Additionally, its top contained short, puffy sleeves and white trim. Stitched on its back in gold was her name, written in Japanese. Her skirt was adorned with a white phoenix, while her legs were covered by a pair of thigh-length stockings. Low heeled sandals obscured her feet, and her arms and legs were covered by a set of blue-and-white guards. A pair of pockets lay near her waist, and a wakizashi was currently strapped to her side.

After walking down the pathway and toward the ring, Kasumi stopped directly in the middle of the arena and looked directly at Mai. The two kunoichi then bowed in respect. As they rose back up, Kasumi was first to speak.

”I wish you the best of luck, Shiranui-san.” She said as she lowered herself into a fighting stance.

“Same here, Kasumi-san.” Mai responded as she pulled a paper fan out of her cleavage and followed suit.

“IT SEEMS BOTH COMBATANTS ARE READY TO GIVE IT THEIR ALL! WHO’S GOING TO TAKE THE CHAMPIONSHIP? WILL KASUMI SUCCEED IN ADDING ANOTHER VICTORY TO HER TOURNAMENT RECORD, OR WILL MAI OBTAIN THE TITLE SHE’S BEEN FIGHTING SO HARD FOR? LET’S FIND OUT!”

While the announcer was giving out this message, both Kasumi and Mai felt their legs tense up in preparation. They stared each other dead in the eye, waiting to see who was going to make the first move. Everyone in the arena would soon find the answer when the announcer gave a single command:

The moment this word had escaped the announcer’s lips, Mai rushed forward, closing the distance between herself and Kasumi almost immediately. Then, before Kasumi had a chance to register her sudden appearance, Mai threw out a hard punch to the stomach, forcing the nukenin to lurch over. Refusing to let up, Mai delivered two swift punches to the chest before sending Kasumi into the air with a high kick to the face. Kasumi ascended for a brief moment, and just as she began descending through the air-

“Ryuuenbu!” Mai declared as she spun in place, her outfit’s tassels catching fire as they slammed into Kasumi’s face. The Dead or Alive champion felt a small burn form on her face as she was launched several feet away, but she proved quick to recover by backflipping through the air. As she skid to a halt, Kasumi looked back up just in time to see Mai flipping toward her.

“Hissatsu Shinobi-Bachi!” Mai shouted as she approached the shinobi, wreathing herself in flames as she came down on Kasumi with a powerful elbow strike! The moment the strike made contact, however, her target’s body suddenly faded away, replaced by a flurry of cherry blossom petals. Mai’s confident expression morphed into one of surprise, which would only grow as her opponent’s voice rang out from behind her.

”I see that!” Kasumi declared as she reappeared, emphasizing her words with a swift elbow strike to Mai’s nape. Her opponent stumbled forward, the strike having caught her off guard, and Kasumi was more than willing to capitalize on it! With blinding speed, she delivered two punches to the upper back before throwing out a third to her lower back, striking hard enough that Mai cried out as she involuntarily bent over backward. Kasumi then followed up with a roundhouse kick to Mai’s exposed face, and just as quickly threw out a donkey kick that sent the heiress rolling across the arena. Rather than let this inconvenience her, however, Mai placed her hand on the ground and used her momentum to spin back onto her feet. Then, using her speed to her advantage, she lunged forward with a sudden knee strike to Kasumi’s chin. The force behind it sent Kasumi stumbling back, and with her guard momentarily down, Mai proved quick to take her revenge!

She started by throwing out a lunging elbow strike to the stomach and followed with a hard-hitting uppercut that caused Kasumi’s head to snap back. Unfurling her fan, Mai then delivered two quick, diagonal swings, creating an X-shaped slash across Kasumi’s dress. Bringing her arm back, Mai began channeling flames through the fan before following through with a third strike, this time backhanding Kasumi across the face. Despite its seemingly ineffective appearance, the strike slammed into Kasumi with enough force to break her concentration, forcing her to stagger back once again. With her opponent’s concentration broken, Mai charged into her, hitting Kasumi with another powerful elbow strike. The strength behind it was enough to make Kasumi’s knees buckle, but she stubbornly forced herself to remain upright. Unfortunately, it seemed that Mai was counting on this, something Kasumi would learn only a second later.

“Hishou Ryuuenjin!” Kasumi heard just as a flaming somersault kick slammed into her jaw, sending her into the air. Leaping after her, Mai appeared above Kasumi in a matter of seconds, a slight smirk on her face as she dropped down with a cry of “Yume Zakura!”

Mai’s knees buried themselves in Kasumi’s stomach, with their combined weight sending the two kunoichi hurtling back toward the ground at breakneck speeds. Just when they were milliseconds away from making impact, however, Kasumi suddenly disappeared into a pink flash once again. Mai’s eyes widened in shock, but before she could regain her bearings, Kasumi just as quickly reappeared, emphasizing it with a diving elbow attack that seemed to phase through Mai. Despite this, the strike had clearly hit its mark, as the Shiranui clan’s heiress was now flying toward Kasumi at a diagonal angle.

Turning to face her, Kasumi stopped Mai’s aerial descent with a flip kick to the head, slamming her into the ground hard enough that she actually bounced back into the air. Willing to exploit this to her advantage, Kasumi lunged forward with an elbow to the stomach, followed up with two knee strikes to the chin, and sent Mai flying with a dropkick to the chest. Despite her pain, Mai was still able to make out the image of her opponent disappearing once again, and this time she had a good idea where she was planning to strike!

Kasumi reappeared behind Mai some distance away, already preparing to continue her combo. Unfortunately, she would soon find herself in for a rude awakening as she watched her supposed target suddenly flip through the air, shooting her a pointed glare.

“Houou no Mai!” Mai announced as she cartwheeled through the air, her legs wreathing themselves in fire. Now forced to play on the defensive, Kasumi put her arms up to block the rapid flurry of kicks. While she proved successful on this front, this combo was still having an effect on her. With each kick, another burn was added onto Kasumi’s skin, and it was quickly eating away at her defenses. Realizing this, she began analyzing her opponent’s fighting style. Given Mai’s focus on speed, this meant her attacks weren’t as powerful as they could’ve been. This meant all Kasumi had to do was find the right opening to exploit. Such as one right… there!

To finish her combo, Mai threw out a final kick, but this attack was cut short as Kasumi caught it mid-strike. Before Shiranui had a chance to fight against her opponent’s grip, Kasumi stepped to the side and slammed her into the ground. The heiress bounced through the air once again, and Kasumi lunged forward to exploit this!

Once she was close enough, the nukenin threw out two straight punches, a jump kick to the trapezius, and followed this up by kicking off of her back. This last action had struck hard enough to send Mai hurtling across the arena, but Kasumi knew better than to just leave it at that. Using her teleportation, she appeared in front of Mai once again and stopped her trip with a cartwheel kick to the head. Mai slammed into the ground face-first, but she quickly recovered, a grimace on her face as she looked back up. She noticed Kasumi preparing another attack, but unfortunately for her, Mai proved quicker on the draw!

Just as Kasumi was about to throw out a second kick, Mai countered it with a sweeping kick that knocked her off her feet. As Kasumi was about to tumble to the ground, Mai followed up with a somersault kick to her jaw, reversing her momentum and briefly sending her airborne. While this was occurring, Mai brought both arms up to her chest, clasping one hand over the other and raising her index fingers.

“Kagerou no Mai!” She shouted, causing two spiraling columns of flame to erupt around her body. They slammed into Kasumi, creating several noticeable burns and sending her flying through the air. Rather than letting it end at this, however, Mai opted to continue her attack! Using her speed to her advantage, the kunoichi threw out three body blows, a flip kick that nailed Kasumi in the jaw, and briefly sent her airborne with an upward dropkick.

“Hanaarashii!” Shiranui declared as she spun through the air, stretching her arms out to ensure that she’d hit her adversary. This precaution proved successful, as both Mai and Kasumi were dragged further through the air, with the latter repeatedly being battered by the former. As they reached the height of their ascension, Mai immediately dropped down, slamming into Kasumi with an airborne-

“Hissatsu Shinobi-Bachi!”

The moment it slammed into her chest, Kasumi’s body suddenly burst into flames, causing her to let out a scream as she rocketed back toward the ring. With no control over her flight path, Kasumi could do nothing as she slammed into the arena, hitting the floor hard enough that it cratered beneath her!

[Stop music]

As the pain of her landing flared through her mind, Kasumi involuntarily opened her mouth, coughing up several flecks of blood. With a pained groan, she began pushing herself up, slowly rising back to her feet as Mai called out to her.

[If rooting for Mai]

[If rooting for Kasumi]

“You’re pretty strong, Kasumi.” She admitted before rushing forward. In response, Kasumi reached into her pouch and threw out five kunai. The airborne blades flew toward Mai at supersonic speeds, but with an almost casual air, the heiress managed to leap past them, and upon reaching the height of her ascension she immediately dove toward Kasumi. Expecting some sort of attack, Mugen Tenshin practitioner brought her arms up to block it, only to become confused as Mai seemed to phase right through her.

Keeping her guard up, Kasumi looked around the area, only to notice the shinobi out of the corner of her eye. She whipped around to defend against her attack, but it was too late. Before she had even fully turned around, Mai suddenly kicked her through the air. Then, using her speed to her advantage, the heiress began attacking from all angles. Diagonal, horizontal, vertical, it didn’t matter. Mai kept slamming into Kasumi’s body, and each hit would send the unfortunate kunoichi further into the air.

“But strength alone…” Shiranui paused as she wrapped her legs around Kasumi’s neck. As they began descending toward the arena, Mai began spinning around, intent on disorienting Kasumi to prevent what had occurred last time. This plan proved successful, as despite her best efforts, Kasumi couldn’t focus enough to properly teleport. Most of her vision had been obscured by Mai’s thighs, and the small portion that wasn’t was moving too quickly for her to tell what she was looking at. Just looking at her surroundings made her dizzy, but these would prove to be the least of her worries as they drew closer to the ring.

”Can’t compare to the speed and precision of Shiranui style ninjutsu!” Mai finished as she slammed Kasumi into the ground headfirst.

THOOM!

 

[Stop music]

The moment they made contact, a massive ball of fire erupted underneath the two ninjas. The ball exploded outward, quickly extending until it was 20 feet from all sides, and Kasumi was caught directly in its epicenter! As the explosion appeared beneath her, Kasumi found herself launched across the arena. A pained scream emerged from her throat, but it was quickly silenced as she hit the ground back-first. She rolled across the ring for several feet, but eventually came to a halt.

As she placed her hand against the ground, trying to push herself back up, Kasumi felt her body flare with pain. The explosion had covered her face and torso with burns of varying degrees, her skin had several bruises from Mai’s attacks, and her muscles felt like they were on fire. But even with this pain wracking her mind, Kasumi still attempted to push herself back up. Seeing this, Mai responded with a smirk as she slowly strutted forward.

“I’m impressed you’re still able to stand up, but don’t you think it’s time to give up?” She asked, stopping as she put her hands on her hips.

”Give up?” Kasumi repeated as she pushed herself back to her feet. “I don’t give up so easily! You said that my power can’t match your style’s speed and precision, right? Well, let me show you something that not even the Shiranui style can counter!”

Kasumi paused for a brief moment as she cupped her hands to the side. A pink ball of ki began charging up between her palms, and as it grew, she continued speaking.

”The ultimate technique of Mugen Tenshin!”

As her ki continued to grow in strength, Kasumi began preparing herself as her ultimate technique continued to grow in power. After roughly three seconds of charging, she decided that now was the time!

“TORN SKY BLAST!”

As those words left her lips, the Kunoichi of Destiny thrust her hands forward, firing off the gathered ki in the form of a massive pink laser. As she witnessed the legendary Mugen Tenshin technique rapidly approach her, Mai’s smirk only grew.

”Is that so?” Shiranui asked as she slammed her fist into her open palm, with the latter’s index finger being raised. “Then let’s see how your ultimate technique holds up against this!” She taunted.

“SHIRANUI SUPER…”

While these words left her lips, a spiral of flames began to gather around Mai’s body. Each of these flames were contributing to a fiery aura that began surrounding her body, and it was growing hotter with each passing millisecond. But this aura wasn’t the only thing Mai was building up. She was also busy focusing these flames into another part of her body: her hands. Her palms and fingers were quickly building up fire for her next attack. By this point, the Torn Sky Blast had made its way halfway across the ring, and it was then that the red-clad kunoichi decided to strike. As her aura spiked in intensity, Mai thrust her arms forward and gave a shout of

“BURNING MAI!”

Upon doing so, a torrent of fire erupted from her palms, rushing through the air at speeds rivaling the Torn Sky Blast. The two waves met in the middle of the ring, creating a shockwave that produced a massive tremor throughout the entire stadium. Both women could feel themselves being pushed back by the force, but they merely dug their feet further into the ground, refusing to let themselves be overpowered. Gritting their teeth, the two ninjas began putting more power into their techniques, causing both attacks to grow in size and strength with each passing millisecond until finally…

KRA-THOOOM!

 

[Stop music]

Their respective waves exploded outward, creating a flash of light that blinded the spectators. As their vision grew clearer, they looked back at the ring, only to find that it was now covered in thick smoke. While they were unable to see what was happening, they weren’t the only ones suffering this problem.

“Where’d she go?” Mai muttered between coughs as she cautiously advanced to the middle of the stage. With each step she took, the heiress would look around the area, searching for any sign of Kasumi’s presence. Unfortunately, the thick layer of smoke had made it impossible for there to be any chance of that happening. Instead, she was left to stumble through the dark, with nothing to do but… wait-

Mai cut herself off as she heard something fly through the air, seemingly heading toward her. Instinctively, she backflipped through the air, allowing her to narrowly avoid being impaled by several kunai. To retaliate, she quickly threw out several flame-wreathed fans, all of them aimed at a diagonal angle, but they ultimately hit thin air. Landing on her feet, Mai continued scanning the area in an attempt to find the source. Eventually, she managed to find it! Although she could barely make it out, Mai could see a vague shadow running across the arena some distance away. Eager to get the drop on it, Mai cartwheeled toward the blurry image.

”Hissatsu Shinobi-Bachi!” She shouted as she performed the attack a third time, once again hitting her opponent dead-on!

…Or at least that’s what she expected would happen.

Just when it seemed the Hissatsu Shinobi-Bachi was about to make contact, Kasumi cartwheeled back, causing Mai’s attack to whiff. Refusing to let her recover, Kasumi teleported above Mai and immediately punished her mistake with a powerful dropkick to the face. Mai staggered back from the pain, and it was then that Kasumi chose to strike!

Rushing forward at top speed, she slammed into Mai with an elbow strike before following up with two straight punches to the gut, causing the heiress to grunt in pain. Another elbow struck her face, followed by a roundhouse kick that briefly sent her through the air. A second roundhouse kick struck her jaw immediately after, sending the King of Fighters competitor sailing across the stage. Gritting her teeth, Mai quickly backflipped through the air, allowing her to regain balance and skid to a halt. While getting back to her feet, she noticed a familiar pink flash out of the corner of her eye.

Remembering what had occurred every other time this happened, Mai waited, keeping her ears peeled for any suspicious sounds. Unfortunately, this attempt at preparing herself would prove moot, as Kasumi inaudibly reappeared behind her before beginning her attack. She started by throwing out two quick straight punches, a hook to the right shoulder blade, and ended the combo with a powerful roundhouse that sent Mai flying several feet away. Just when it seemed that she was about to hit the ground, Mai placed her hands against the ring and used her momentum to cartwheel back to her feet. Once she’d recovered, Mai found herself attacked once again, this time by a hook to her lumbar, a roundhouse to the left shoulder blade, and a donkey kick to her thoracic. Yet again, the heiress found herself flying through the air, but she quickly righted herself in midair and landed on her feet.

Before she could even attempt to think of a way to counter Kasumi’s newfound approach, Mai suddenly felt a dropkick smash into her face. As she attempted to recover from the sudden attack, Kasumi teleported away once again, but rather than continue her assault, she instead rematerialized some distance away. Kneeling down, the nukenin let out an exhale as an aura of gold ki began to surround her body. The moment it appeared, the burns and injuries she’d previously suffered at Mai’s hands began to mend themselves back together. Three seconds later, Kasumi pushed herself back up, now back to peak condition. As she rose to her feet, the first thing she noticed was the slowly disappearing smokescreen, which she decided to make the most of.

Meanwhile, Mai was still scanning the area for Kasumi, keeping a firm grip on her fan and keeping her ears peeled for any suspicious sounds. She had come to the same realization as Kasumi, and she suspected that the opposing kunoichi was attempting to exploit it. This suspicion would ultimately prove true, as the nigh-inaudible sound of sandals slowly treading across the ground came to her. Turning toward its direction, she noticed a familiar looking shadow and chucked her fan as hard as she could.

Realizing she’d been spotted, Kasumi ducked underneath the fan and picked up the pace, gripping her wakizashi as she drew closer. She soon emerged from the smoke, unsheathing her blade just as Mai leapt into the air. The wakizashi hit thin air, and its wielder soon found herself struggling for freedom as Mai wrapped her legs around her neck. Then, with the greatest of ease, Mai tossed her into the air!

Kasumi soared through the air, unable to stop as her body continued to gain more altitude. All she could do now was watch as the ring beneath her rapidly shrank in size, leaving her with a bird’s-eye view of the entire arena. As her mind raced with questions on how she’d obtain a safe landing from this point, Kasumi noticed something rapidly approaching her. For a split-second, she caught a glimpse of a familiar red-and-brown blur flying after her, followed by a massive shadow suddenly appearing above her.

Instinctively, Kasumi looked up, bringing both arms in front of herself just in time to feel a powerful axe kick to slam into her. Despite blocking the brunt of the attack, Kasumi could feel the wind rushing behind her as her body accelerated toward the ground. With a slightly pained grunt, she flipped through the air, repositioning herself seconds before hitting the ground beneath her. Her impact was accompanied by an audible CLANG as she hit the scaffolding feet-first, causing the audience to look up in surprise as they realized they could finally see both combatants.

[Stop music]

While this was occurring, Kasumi looked up to find her opponent descending on her with another Houou no Mai and quickly leapt back. The moment her feet hit the ground with an audible CLANG, Mai immediately realized she had missed, but before she could attempt to regain her initial advantage, Kasumi went on the attack! Reaching into her pouch once again, Kasumi threw out a rapid flurry of kunai, but Mai proved quick to react.

“Ryuuenbu!” Mai declared as she spun around, her tassels catching fire yet again. The kunai flew toward her at supersonic speeds, but the fire-infused fabric quickly deflected each one, leaving them to fall to the ground. Once she’d stopped spinning, Mai quickly pulled out another fan and threw it hard as she could before leaping through the air. Kasumi sliced the projectile in half with Shrouded Moon, only to realize that Mai was about to come down on her once again.

The red-clad kunoichi threw out an axe kick, but it was quickly blocked as Kasumi put her arms up. Noticing this, Mai proved quick to kick off of the nukenin’s chest, spinning across the ground upon landing, and went back in with a roundhouse. As if by instinct, Kasumi immediately brought up her arm, using it to grab the outstretched leg mid-strike. Then, using it as leverage, she leapt over it and countered with a roundhouse of her own. Mai was sent flying and slammed into the ground several feet away, but a swift cartwheel sent her back to her feet. As she looked back up, Mai’s expression shifted into one of surprise as she found that Kasumi had closed the distance faster than she’d expected. In fact, the Dead or Alive champion was now coated in an aura of pink ki as she rushed toward Mai, her right hand maintaining a firm grip on Shrouded Moon.

Once she was close enough, Kasumi unsheathed the wakizashi and delivered a lightning-fast horizontal slash, moving so quickly that she seemed to phase through Mai’s body! Rather than ending it at that, however, Kasumi turned back around and delivered an overhead slash to the back. Mai cried out as the lacerations appeared on her body, but this pain was only beginning. Shrouded Moon had only begun to dip toward the ground, but before it could scrape against the scaffolding, Kasumi reversed its momentum to deliver an underhanded upward slash. The force of the slash pushed the Shiranui heiress forward, leaving her defenseless as Kasumi performed a front-flip, spinning her blade as she delivered three slashes. Each slash ran across Mai’s back, creating a new cut and spraying blood onto the floor. The moment her feet hit the ground, Kasumi finished her combo with a powerful outward slash to the thoracic spine, launching Mai across the scaffolding.

A pained scream escaped Mai’s lips as she was sent flying through the air, but it quickly died down as she felt the wind brush against her back. Under most circumstances, this would’ve caused someone with Mai’s injuries to feel a coarse, stinging pain, but this feeling only seemed to piss her off.

With a frustrated growl, Mai backflipped through the air, recovering in seconds as she forced herself to grind to a halt. Then, in a sudden burst of energy, the red-clad kunoichi leapt through the air, closing the distance between them so quickly that Kasumi wasn’t able to react until-

WHAM!

A powerful axe kick nailed her in the head, forcing a grunt out of her as she doubled over. Not willing to end it there, however, Mai followed up with a powerful right hook, then a left that caused Kasumi to stagger back. She barely even had a chance to register the pain before Mai sent her flying with a hook kick to the chin. As she spiraled through the air uncontrollably, Kasumi attempted to recover by righting herself in midair, but she’d soon find herself interrupted as Mai suddenly appeared in front of her, nailing her in the face with a dropkick!

Kasumi stifled a cry of pain as she felt Mai’s feet smash into her face, the impact creating a CRUNCH as she felt her nose break. Unable to stop herself, the bleeding nukenin slammed into the steel beam at full force, creating an audible groan as her impact dented the metal. Involuntarily, Kasumi opened her mouth, coughing up several flecks of blood as she watched Mai dive toward her. The red-clad warrior had crossed both arms in front of herself, forming an X-shape that grew larger with each millisecond that passed.

As the distance between the two continued to shrink, time seemed to slow down for Kasumi. The drops of blood she spat out were decreasing in speed, to the point where they were barely moving, and Mai’s descent seemed to have drastically slowed down.

Gritting her teeth, Kasumi clenched her fist as she felt a surge of adrenaline flow through her. Then, after placing both hands against the beam beneath her, she sprang up, performing a backwards cartwheel as she flew through the air. Reaching out, the blue-clad shinobi grabbed hold of Shrouded Moon and pulled it into her sheathe as she gracefully landed on the ground, immediately falling onto one knee. 

In the time it had taken all of this to transpire, Mai had slammed into the ground, her hands stopping just inches away from chopping through the steel beam that currently supported her weight. Her eyes widened in shock at Kasumi’s speed, and as she looked up to see where Kasumi had gone, it was at that moment the Eternal Heroine chose to strike!

Gripping Shrouded Moon, Kasumi suddenly lunged forward, smashing the wakizashi’s hilt directly into Mai’s stomach. The suddenness of the attack caused Mai’s pupils to shrink as she felt the wind get knocked out of her. Then, with a fluidity that rivaled the calmest river, Kasumi unsheathed her sword and swung in an upward arc, sending Mai airborne yet again!

A scream of pain and worry escaped Mai’s lips as she flew through the air, now sporting a massive gash that ran from her stomach to just below her chest. This scream would last for a few seconds before suddenly dying down as she noticed a familiar shadow above her. Pain morphed into confusion as Mai looked up, and just as she had, Kasumi’s thighs suddenly wrapped themselves around her neck.

”MMPH?” Mai’s question was muffled as Kasumi began spinning through the air, rotating her body once, twice, three times, four times. With each nanosecond that passed, Kasumi would continue spinning, dragging her opponent with her as they continued their descent. By now, they were moving so quickly that Mai couldn’t even make out her surroundings. Like Mai had done earlier, Kasumi had wrapped both of legs tightly around her opponent’s neck, replacing most of Mai’s vision with a close view her thighs. The little that Mai could see was moving too quickly for her to register, and with their speed rapidly growing, so too were the effects. Mai could only watch as both the arena and its spectators were turned into an indistinguishable, multi-colored blob. The only thing she could register at this point was the ring, a white blob that she and Kasumi were quickly approaching! The two kunoichi were a few inches away from making impact, and just when they were a split-second away from doing so, Kasumi suddenly released her grip. Planting one foot against Mai’s back, she quickly kicked off, using the heiress’ body as a springboard and slamming her into the ring!

KRACKT!

 

[Stop music]

Mai crashed into the ring headfirst, landing hard enough that she cratered the floor upon impact! At the same time, Kasumi backflipped through the air, gracefully landing on her feet. As she rose to full height, Kasumi instantly spotted Mai’s body laying a few feet away and rushed over.

Kneeling down, Kasumi quickly turned Mai over, allowing her to see the damages in full. The heiress’ eyes were closed, a result of the impact instantly knocking her out. Blood was spilling from where she’d hit her head, no doubt the result of the impact cracking her skull, and the lacerations on her body weren’t helping matters.

Concerned by this, Kasumi took a brief moment to place her open palm against Mai’s chest. A golden aura then surrounded both women, similar to what had happened with Kasumi earlier, though this time both were the recipient. As Kasumi’s nose repaired itself, Mai’s lacerations stitched themselves back up almost instantly, her bruises disappeared from sight, and her skull mended itself back together in no time at all. But even with her healing abilities, Kasumi could tell that it would still be some time before Mai regained consciousness. She wasn’t the only one to realize this, either, as the announcer took note of the unconscious ninja and briefly cleared his throat before continuing.

”AND MAI SHIRANUI IS DOWN! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT LOOKS LIKE THE WINNER OF THE SEVENTH DEAD OR ALIVE TOURNAMENT IS KASUMI!” Upon hearing this, the entire crowd erupted into cheers and applause, all of its members showering the tournament’s champion with praise. In response, Kasumi gave a polite bow before making her way toward the arena’s exit.

 

 

—

Now that’s what I call a fight between ninjas! And even better, the fight didn’t extend to 2 parts this time! Anyway, let’s move on to why Kasumi won this.

In terms of strength, Mai would be Large Island Level due to scaling from Verse, who created a storm above a stadium. Mai scales to this since her team is perfectly capable of fighting Verse more efficiently than Antonov, who was able to survive an attack from him. By comparison, Kasumi would scale to Ryu Hayabusa, who was able to defeat the Demon Statue, which could destroy entire countries. Additionally, Ryu has shown that he can use the Art of the Piercing Void to produce a black hole, which has been calculated to be Large Planet Level. While the two have never fought directly, Kasumi’s been able to defeat opponents who have either been able to directly challenge him or have been acknowledged by Ryu himself as a worthy rival (such as Jann Lee). Additionally, Kasumi was able to defeat Alpha-152, who could perfectly mimic Ryu, and has defeated the same opponents as Ryu in Ninja Gaiden 3. Among these opponents are an evil clone of Ryu, which further justifies this scaling.

When it comes to speed, Mai would scale to Takuma Sakazaki, who casually stopped a laser that traveled from a satellite to the surface in less than a second. This comes out as 11.3% the speed of light, and Mai would scale to this since she’s been able to fight against various characters who are superior to Takuma, such as Kukri. Kasumi, on the other hand, would once again scale to Ryu Hayabusa, who has multiple Massively Hypersonic feats.

And in case you’re wondering, no, Mai’s appearances in Dead or Alive wouldn’t really change that much for the verdict. Mai never really interacts with the cast in any meaningful way, and even if she did, her appearances are likely noncanon. Even if these appearances were considered canon, this would only make Mai and Kasumi equal in the stat trinity. There’d still be the other, non-physical stats to consider.

For example, Kasumi easily had better experience, as she’s been shown to fight other threats such as the Lords of Alchemy, while Mai’s only experience in fighting comes from participating in the King of Fighters tournaments… which she never actually wins. For intelligence, it’s a bit harder to decide. Both are fairly skilled in terms of their respective martial arts skills, but Kasumi’s also shown expertise in swordsmanship and stealth, whereas Mai lacks either of those things.

There’s also their mindsets to consider. Mai’s often shown to be extremely cocky, arrogant, and ditzy, which isn’t a good combination against the comparatively more level-headed and calm Kasumi. When combining this with Mugen Tenshin’s focus on defense and evasive maneuvers, Mai’s fight would become even harder since her fighting style focuses more on offense and speed. Even if Mai did start to overwhelm her, Kasumi could just switch tactics and begin wearing her down with stealth.

In fact, one of the things that really gave Kasumi the edge in this fight was her arsenal. Mai’s got an unlimited supply of fans, and that’s it. Sure, she could add power to them with her pyrokinesis, but even then Kasumi still took this aspect in terms of quality. She has Shrouded Moon, which gives her an edge in close quarters, and her kunai grant her better long-range options compared to Mai’s Kachousen. And since Mai’s outfit is designed to expose her body to the entire world, Kasumi’s bladed weapons would prove extremely effective against her.

Now let’s talk about their powers. Mai’s pyrokinesis could augment her attacks, which would make it harder to fight up close, and she could imbue her fans with fire for extra damage. Additionally, her hammerspace, as stated above, gave her an unlimited supply of fans. By contrast, Kasumi’s teleportation grants better mobility around the battlefield, she could heal herself with ki manipulation, and the Torn Sky Blast provided her with better long-range options and a massive AOE that Mai likely wouldn’t be able to avoid.

To summarize, Mai was easily the faster of the two, and her pyrokinesis would make it harder for Kasumi in close quarters, but Kasumi’s greater strength, durability, experience, arsenal, powers, and more level-headed nature gave her the win.

In the end, Mai’s chances of victory were a bust.

 

The winner is Kasumi.

 

Kasumi (Winner)
+ Stronger
+ More durable
+ More intelligent and strategic
+ More experienced
+ Larger arsenal
+ Better mobility
+ Mugen Tenshin Ninjutsu gave her a perfect counter to Mai’s more offense based fighting style
+ Better in terms of stealth
     – Though this wouldn’t matter since she doesn’t use it in combat
+ Bladed weaponry would prove effective against Mai’s mostly bare skin
+ Calm and level-headed nature meant she could exploit Mai’s arrogance to her advantage
+ Superior long-range options
+ Ki Manipulation could let her heal off any damage Mai inflicted
– Slower
– Mai’s pyrokinesis could make close quarters combat difficult

 

Mai Shiranui (Loser)
+ Faster
+ Pyrokinesis would give Kasumi trouble in close quarters
+ Hammerspace gave her an unlimited supply of fans
     – Though Kasumi’s arsenal was larger and more effective
– Weaker
– Less durable
– Less intelligent
– Less experienced
– Lacked any options for mobility
– Inferior when it came to stealth
– Lack of armor meant that Kasumi’s bladed weaponry would prove extremely effective
– Arrogance could hinder her throughout the fight
– Kasumi’s more defensive fighting style countered hers completely
– Inferior long-range options
– Kasumi’s Ki Manipulation would allow her to heal off whatever damage Mai inflicted

Prelude: Mai Shiranui vs Kasumi

 

Kunoichi, a term used to describe the female practitioners of ninjutsu. Throughout fiction, there have been countless examples of this archetype, but none are quite as big- or as bouncy– as these two.

Mai Shiranui, Heiress of the Shiranui Clan.

And Kasumi, the Kunoichi of Destiny.

I’m Br3ndan5, and it’s my job to analyze their weapons, armor, and skills to find out who would win a DEATH BATTLE!

Thanks to Strunton for the Kasumi bio.

 

 

Mai Shiranui
Title: The Alluring Ninja Girl
Age: 19 (Fatal Fury 2), 20 (KOF‘94), 21 (Fatal Fury 3, KOF‘95), 23 (Real Bout Special), 24 (Real Bout Special Dominated Mind)
Height: 5’5
Weight: 106 lbs
Occupation: Ninja, Heiress of the Shiranui Clan
First Appearance: Fatal Fury 2 (December 10, 1992)
Theme:

Feats:
General
-Was trained in the ways of ninjutsu by her grandfather Hanzo and his rival/old friend Jubei Yamada
-Is a regular in the King of Fighters tournaments
-Is somehow able to always find Andy no matter where he goes

Fatal Fury
-Defeated Wolfgang Krauser
-Defeated Jin Chonshu and Jin Chonrei

King of Fighters
-Formed the Woman’s Team alongside King and Yuri Sakazaki
-Alongside King and Yuri, defeated Rugal Bernstein
-With help from King and Yuri, defeated Omega Rugal
-Defeated Chizuru Kagura and Goenitz with help from Kasumi and King
-Alongside Chizuru and King, defeated Orochi

King of Fighters: Maximum Impact:
-Defeated Duke

King of Fighters: Maximum Impact 2:
-Defeated Luise Meyrink and Jivatma

Fatal Fury 2: The New Battle
-Tricked Andy into taking her on a shopping spree
-Fought Laurence Blood, though she was ultimately defeated

Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture
-Fought Hauer, a servant of Laocorn, but ultimately lost
-Defeated Panni, another of Laocorn’s servants
-Participated in the final battle against Laocorn

King of Fighters: Destiny
-Alongside Yuri Sakazaki and King, defeated a group of thugs
-Formed the Queens Team with Yuri and King
-While corrupted by the Black Crystals, fought and defeated Andy
-With help from Athena, Yuri, and Benimaru Nikaido, distracted Rugal Bernstein long enough for Kyo to recover

King of Fighters: Maximum Impact (manga):
-Fought Lien Neville, a top ranked assassin
    -Though she lost
-Interrupted Lien’s attempt to snap Athena’s neck

 

Strength:
-Can lift and throw enemies far heavier than her
-Her elbow strikes are strong enough to break through enemy defenses
-Knocked Laurence flat on his face with a Ryuuenbu, burning him in the process
-Knocked Hauer down a flight of stairs with a Ryuuenbu
-Judo-flipped Panni
-Knocked out Panni with a Hissatsu Shinobi-Bachi
-Can throw her Kachousen (See “Weapons and Equipment” below) with enough force to knock out a fully grown man
    -She’s also been shown to throw it hard enough to knock Andy off his feet
-Her punches and kicks are strong enough to harm Andy
-Traded blows with Luise and Jivatma
-Used her ninjutsu training to blow back Lien, who was in the middle of choking her out
-Traded blows with Lien
-Sent Lien flying with a strike from her Kachousen

Agility:
-Regularly performs flips and backflips while airborne
-Can leap across stone pillars with ease
-Can walk on water
-Leapt up a flight of stairs to avoid a wind attack from Hauer
-Avoided a stone-shattering kick from Lien by backflipping

​
Speed:
-Can change into another pair of clothes within one second
-Can move fast enough to leave afterimages
-Outran Black Noah’s explosion
-Escaped a NESTS base that was seconds from exploding
-Avoided a rapid series of sword swipes from Laurence
-Can move fast enough that she appears as a blur
-Avoided an electrified chain being hurled at her
-Can outspeed Andy
-Kept up with Jivatma
-Intercepted a punch from Lien, who can move fast enough to leave afterimages
-Interrupted Lien’s attempt to snap Athena’s neck by throwing a fire-infused Kachousen at the assassin’s wrist
-Backflipped to avoid a kick from Lien that destroyed multiple stone tiles
-Dodged multiple attacks from Lien

Durability:
-Traded blows with Andy, whose punches can break ribs
-Unharmed after being knocked into a freezing lake by Andy’s Hishouken
-Withstood wind attacks from Hauer, whose aerokinesis is powerful enough to slice through steel
-Was fine after Laocorn kicked her into the stone floor of the temple they were fighting in, though she lost consciousness soon after
-Took multiple hits from Jivatma
-Remained conscious after Lien attempted to choke her out
-Took a knee strike to the stomach from Lien
-Continued fighting Lien even after being hit hard enough that she was left coughing up blood

Skills:

Master of Disguise:

-Thanks to her training in Hensōjutsu, Mai can flawlessly disguise herself to resemble other people and even mimic their voices

Master of Stealth:
-Her training in Shinobi-iri has made her adept in sticking to the shadows
-Has yet to show this onscreen, however

Personality:
-Extremely cheerful and temperamental
-Somewhat airheaded
-Admires any kind of beauty or attractiveness
-Compares boys who flirt with her or acknowledge her beauty to Andy, but says they aren’t as cute as him
-Dreams of getting married to Andy Bogard and will go to lengths that can even creep him out
-Is extremely defensive of her attire
    -Should it be criticized, Mai will either attempt to explain that it is traditional garb for the women of the Shiranui Clan, or she will become insulted and confrontational
-Somewhat arrogant, often boasting herself to be number 1
-During battle, she tends to be somewhat cocky, often taunting her opponent whenever she gains the upper hand
    -That said, she knows when to get serious, especially if Andy’s life is on the line
-Can become extremely crass and vulgar when angered

Weapons and Equipment:

 

Kachousen:
-Also called the Butterfly Fan or folding fan
-Has a seemingly infinite amount of them
-Mai uses them for both long range and close range attacks (See “Techniques” below)
-Can infuse them with fire for greater power (See “Powers” below)

Powers:

Pyrokinesis:
-Allows Mai to generate flames and control them
-Can use this to infuse her attacks with fire
-Can channel fire through her clothes, weapons, or anything she touches
–Makes her resistant to fire

Hammerspace:
-Can pull out a seemingly infinite number of weapons and items from nowhere
-As seen above, she can pull out an entirely different outfit from an umbrella and instantly change into it

Surface Scaling:
-Thanks to her training in Shinobi-iri, Mai is capable of climbing any surface

Fighting Style:

 

 

Shiranui-Ryuu Style:
-Mai’s fighting style
-It consists of 18 disciplines:
    -Seishinteki kyōyō – spiritual refinement
    -Taijutsu – unarmed combat
    -Kenjutsu – sword techniques
    -Bōjutsu – stick and staff techniques
    -Sōjutsu – spear techniques
    -Naginatajutsu – naginata techniques
    -Kusarigamajutsu – kusarigama techniques
    -Shurikenjutsu – throwing weapons techniques
    -Kayakujutsu – pyrotechnics
    -Hensōjutsu – disguise and impersonation
    -Shinobi-iri – stealth and entering methods
    -Bajutsu – horsemanship
    -Sui-ren – water training
    -Bōryaku – tactics
    -Chōhō – espionage
    -Intonjutsu – escaping and concealment
    -Tenmon – meteorology
    -Chi-mon – geography
-She generally focuses on Taijutsu, Kayakujutsu, Hensōjutsu, and Shurikenjutsu
-Allows her to latch onto walls

Moveset:

 

Kachousen:
-Mai throws one of her fans at her opponent
-Can infuse it with fire for added damage

Hissatsu Shinobi-Bachi:
-Mai performs a cartwheel kick before following up with an elbow strike
-Has an enhanced version where Mai covers herself in fire to deal more damage

Fuusha Kuzushi:
-Mai grabs the opponent with her legs, flips them over, and slams them into the ground


Yume-Zakura:
-Mai grabs an aerial opponent and knee drops them, landing far away


Sayo Chidori:
-Mai performs a heavy swing with her fans
-Can be used to negate projectiles

Ryuenbu:
-Mai imbues her kimono’s tassels with flames and spins around, striking the opponent
-Can be used to negate projectiles or inflict major burns on anyone that gets close to her

Hishou Ryuuenjin:
-Mai performs a fire-infused front flip kick

Musasabi no Mai:
-Mai leaps into the air and dives toward the opponent

Shiranui Kyuukyoku Ougi:
-A more powerful version of the Musasabi no Mai

Burning Mai:
-Mai unleashes a torrent of flame that sends her opponent flying back

Swallow Saturnalia:
-Mai performs a flipping blade kick

Dragon Flame Romp:
-Mai spins through the air, repeatedly striking her opponent with fire-infused Kachousen

Blossom Storm:
-Mai begins spinning rapidly, producing a miniature hurricane
-Can only be used in water

Hakuro no Mai:
-Mai performs a quick dance move where she hits the opponent with her fans



Sui Chou no Mai:
-Mai throws out three consecutive Kachousen
-Can infuse them with fire for extra power

Houou no Mai:
-Mai leaps into the air and performs a fiery cartwheel, battering her opponent repeatedly before kicking them away


Kagerou no Mai:
-Mai surrounds herself in a spiral of flames, dealing massive damage to nearby opponents
-Has a variant where she creates two clones made of fire

Hanaarashi:
-Mai rushes toward the opponent and repeatedly strikes them with her fans as they rise through the sky

Shiranui-Ryuu Kyuubi no Kitsune:
-Mai pounces on the enemy and blitzes them while covering them in flames
-Once this move is completed, the flames explode

Shiranui Ryuu Kunoichi no Mai:
-Mai strikes the enemy into the air and repeatedly dashes past them, creating flames in the shape of the 女 kanji. Afterwards, she strikes a pose, causing the flames to explode
-An alternate version has her use her speed to blitz the opponent before grabbing them with her legs and slamming them into the ground

Weaknesses:
-Has yet to win a King of Fighters tournament
-More used to fighting on a team
-Favors speed over power
-Can be somewhat ditzy at times
-Her cocky attitude during battle will often lead to her prolonging the fight
    -Though she has also shown that she knows when to drop it and get serious
-Pyrokinesis only extends to the flames she creates, and it doesn’t protect her from other types of fire
-Her win/loss record is pathetic
–Way too obsessed with Andy

(“With a body and strength like this, you thought you had a chance?”)

——————————————————

 

Kasumi
AKA: The Kunoichi of Destiny, Female Ninja in Captivity, A Kunoichi’s Destiny, Super Hot Ninja
Age: 19
Height: 5′ 2
Weight: 106 lbs
First Appearance: Dead or Alive (November 26, 1996)
Theme:

Feats:
-With the help of Christie, escaped the Mugen Tenshin Village
-Fought and defeated her rival, Ayane, multiple times
-Won the first Dead or Alive tournament
-Defeated Bayman, Gen Fu, Bass, Zack, Lei Fang, Tina, and Jann Lee
-Killed Raidou and avenged her brother
-Defeated Kasumi α, a clone of Kasumi
-Defeated Helena and Kokoro
-Defeated her brother, Hayate
-Defeated Christie and Rig
-Defeated Alpha-152, another clone of Kasumi, twice
–Defeated the building sized Obaba
-Can defeat enemies and bosses that challenge Ryu Hayabusa, including Evil Ryu

Born the daughter of Shiden and Ayame, Kasumi was born into the Mugen Tenshin’s head family, making her second-in-line to the title of clan leader, after her older brother Hayate. Things were looking pretty good, until the day the rouge ninja, Raidou, returned to the village and obtained a powerful ninpo spell. Raidou left Hayate in a death-like coma, which caused Kasumi to leave her village, causing her to become a nukenin in the process, and enter the first Dead or Alive Tournament to take down Raidou.

 

Strength:
-Can grab and toss Bass Armstrong, who weighs 346 lbs
-Can launch Tengu, who weighs 496 lbs, nearly 7 feet into the air in less than a second
-Sent Ayane flying back with a single strike
-Can slice through armored men, metals, and monsters like butter
-Overpowered Regent of the Mask
-Slams people into the ground with enough force to make their upper torso explode
-Scales to Ryu Hayabusa, who can do the following:
    -Defeat the possessed Statue of Liberty
    –Block a massive sword swung by a building-sized goddess
    -Defeat the Tengu of Destruction, who dispersed a large amount of clouds
    -Defeat the Demon Statue in his NES game which was considered a planetary threat, capable of destroying an entire country and above using nuclear weaponry on

Speed:
-Incredibly nimble and agile
-Can run along walls
-Dodged Ayane’s kunai tossed at her
-Dodged Ayane’s Torn Sky Blast Technique
-Can outpace other shinobi
-Can leave behind afterimages
–Dodged a RPG-7 missile in midair
-Can block and evade automatic gunfire at point blank range
-Scales to Ryu Hayabusa, who can react to and dodge lightning

Durability:
-Survived a series of explosions that spanned a large room
-DOA characters can keep fighting after being electrocuted
-Can survive falls from hundreds of feet with no issues
-Endured hits from Jann Lee, who could destroy a tree with a single strike
-Can endure being rammed into by a charging dinosaur
-Can tank hits from Evil Ryu
-Scales to Ryu Hayabusa, who survived being at ground zero of an explosion that consumed most of Mt. Fuji

Weapons and Equipment:

Shrouded Moon: 
-Kasumi’s main weapon 
-An elegant wakizashi, imbued with the mystical powers of the words “mist” and “moon”

Kunai:
-Versatile combat knives
-Forms six kunai to create a Windmill Shuriken

Skills and Abilities:

Fighting Style: 
-Mainly uses Mugen Tenshin Ninjutsu
-Focuses on evasion and defense
-Utilizes grapples and tackles
-Defeated Alpha-152, a clone that could use Kasumi’s, Ayane’s, Hayate’s, and Ryu Hayabusa’s fighting styles

Expert Swordsman:
-Skilled enough to take down hordes of armed men by herself
-Has held her own against enemies that can challenge Ryu Hayabusa
-Defeated an evil clone of Ryu Hayabusa

Stealth Expert:
-Trained in the art of stealth and espionage
–Can mask her presence in smoke-filled areas 
-Hardly uses this in combat, however

Teleportation: 
-Teleports short distances 
-Accompanied by sakura pedals

Ki Manipulation:

Spiritual Regeneration: 
-Uses ki to heal herself
-Can do this until her ki runs out

Torn Sky Blast Technique:
-Also known as the Art of Rending Wind
–A powerful Mugen Tenshin technique that releases ki through an open palm

Weaknesses:
-Has been defeated by the likes of Hayate
-Has a finite amount of ki
–Dislikes violence and will only kill if necessary 
-Was tricked into going to Zack Island… twice

(“I can’t avoid this fight!”)

King Gives Death Battle Everything She’s Got!

King
Title: The Beautiful Kick’s Illusion
Age: 22 (AOF2), 23 (KOF‘94), 24 (KOF‘95)
Height: 5’9
Weight: 128 lbs (AOF2, KOF‘94-2001), 130 lbs (KOF2003-XIII)
Occupation: Bartender of Illusion Bar, Bouncer for Mr. Big (former)
First Appearance: Art of Fighting (September 24, 1992)
Theme:

Feats:
Art of Fighting
-Defeated a famous Muay Thai champion
-Successfully disguised herself as a man for years without anyone realizing she was a woman the entire time
-Helped Ryo Sakazaki and Robert Garcia take down her boss, Mr. Big
-Defeated Geese Howard
-Succeeded in getting money for her brother Jan’s surgery

King of Fighters
-Formed the Woman’s Team alongside Mai Shiranui and Yuri Sakazaki
-Successfully opened up her own bar, the “Illusion”
-Alongside Mai and Yuri, defeated Rugal Bernstein
-With help from Mai and Yuri, defeated Omega Rugal
-Alongside Kasumi and Mai, defeated Chizuru Kagura and Goenitz
-Alongside Chizuru and Mai, defeated Orochi
-Proved her worth to Robert via an extensive kicking contest
-With help from Mai and Blue Mary, defeated Magaki

King of Fighters: Destiny
-Began working as a bodyguard for Mr. Big
-Guarded Yuri after she’d been kidnapped
-Fought Ryo, but was defeated
-Entered the King of Fighters tournament to get money for Jan’s surgery
-Alongside Yuri and Mai, defeated a group of thugs
-Formed the Queens Team alongside Mai and Yuri
-While corrupted by the Black Crystals, fought and defeated Terry Bogard

Strength:
-Small Country Level, as her team is capable of fighting Verse more efficiently than Antonov, who was able to survive an attack from him
    -Verse was able to create a storm above a stadium and contains the souls of several dead characters from the King of Fighters and Samurai Shodown series. This includes Orochi, whose power can manipulate the weather and create lava, and Mizuki Rashojin, who created a storm that enveloped the entire world
-Knocked out a man with a kick
-Her kicks are strong enough to shatter concrete and crack metal
-Threw a rose with enough force that it pierced through the center of a dartboard
-Kicked Ryo with enough force that he destroyed a metal door upon impact
-Traded blows with Ryo
-Kicked Robert hard enough to send him flying several feet through the air
-Kicked a thug, tripped him with a sweep kick, and sent him flying with a flip kick
   -While working with Yuri, kicked this same thug into another gang member hard enough to knock both out
-Sent a gang leader into a wall with a combo of kicks
-Kicked the gang leader hard enough to knock him out, knock two of his teeth, and send him flying through the air
-Kicked Terry through a wall
–Kicked Terry with enough force to send him airborne
-Knocked the wind out of Terry with a punch to the stomach and knocked him out with a chop to the neck

Speed:
–Relativistic due to being superior to fighters like Takuma, who could intercept and reflect the Zero Cannon’s beam
-Can move fast enough to leave afterimages
-Could keep up with Ryo and Robert
-Can deliver a rapid series of kicks within the span of a second
-Outran Black Noah’s explosion
-Escaped a NESTS base that was seconds from exploding
-Ducked beneath a punch from Ryo
-Blocked and ducked under several punches from a gang leader
-Ducked beneath a kick from Terry, followed by blocking a punch from him
-Dodged Terry’s Power Dunk
-Blocked Terry’s Rising Tackle
-Intercepted Terry mid-strike

Durability:
-By scaling to her strength, Large Island Level, possibly Small Country
-Took multiple hits from Ryo
-Took a Haoh Shoukou Ken to the stomach
-Unfazed after being hit by Terry’s Power Wave
-Unharmed after being in the epicenter of an explosion caused by Joe’s Hurricane Upper and Terry’s Power Wave

Personality:
-Kind and trustworthy, but violent
-Unquestionably loyal to her friends, but relentlessly unforgiving toward enemies
-Has an affinity for fine wine
-Tends to obsess over money in order to pay Jan’s medical bills
-Acts masculine most of the time, only occasionally displaying signs of femininity

Moveset:


Venom Strike:
-King delivers a kick that fires a long-range projectile

Air Venom Strike:
-King performs a Venom Strike in midair

Double Strike:
-2 Venom Strikes performed in quick succession

Top Venom:
-An airborne Venom Strike launched at the opponent’s head

Under Venom:
-A Venom Strike launched at the opponent’s legs

Mirage Kick:
-A rushing 4 kick combo

Tornado Kick:
-An ascending, spinning kick attack

Trap Shot:
-King performs a crescent kick. Should it connect she will follow up with a series of thrusting kicks

Surprise Rose:
-A rising knee strike followed by several downward kicks

Silent Flash:

-King delivers 2 high backflip kicks, with the second one launching her opponent into the air

Phantom Strike:
-King delivers 8 Venom Strikes in quick succession at different levels

Illusion Dance:
-King leaps backwards before taking a forward leap. Should it connect, she will unleash a flurry of kicks before finishing with a flash kick and a tornado kick that sends her opponent flying through the air

Venom Shot:
-King jumps into the air and delivers a kick, spraying out multiple projectiles that proceed to burst like bubbles

Weaknesses:
-Has yet to win a King of Fighters tournament
-More used to fighting on a team
-Most of her moves focus on speed over power

(“In battle, one’s sex means nothing. Who’s left standing is what matters.”)

Yuri Sakazaki Shows Kyokugenryu to Death Battle!

Yuri Sakazaki
Title: Wild Flying Swallow
Age: 17 (AOF), 18 (AOF2-AOF3), 19 (KOF’94), 20 (KOF’95)
Height: 5’6
Weight: 110 lbs (AOF2-KOF’94-’98), 119 lbs (KOF’99-2002), 117 lbs (KOF2003-XIV)
Occupation: Student
First Appearance: Art of Fighting (September 24, 1992)
Theme:

Feats:
Art of Fighting
-Was taught Kyokugenryu Karate by her father, Takuma
-Arranged her style of Kyokugenryu to better fit her physique
-Defeated Geese Howard

King of Fighters
-Entered the King of Fighters tournament against her brother Ryo’s wishes
-Formed the Woman’s Team alongside Mai Shiranui and King
-Alongside Mai and King, defeated Rugal Bernstein
-With help from Mai and King, defeated Omega Rugal
-Alongside Ryo and Robert, defeated Chizuru Kagura and Goenitz
-Defeated Orochi with help from Ryo and Robert
-Entered the 2001 KoF Tournament with her boyfriend Robert in order to win the prize money and help out his family business
-With help from Ryo and Robert, defeated Magaki

King of Fighters: Maximum Impact
-Defeated Duke

King of Fighters: Maximum Impact 2
-Defeated Luise Meyrink and Jivatma

King of Fighters: Destiny
-Ran away from her home to participate in the King of Fighters tournament
-Convinced King to join the King of Fighters
-Alongside Mai and King, defeated a group of thugs
-Formed the Queens Team alongside Mai and King
-While corrupted by the Black Crystals, fought and defeated Joe Higashi, a Muay Thai champion
-With help from Athena, Mai, and Benimaru Nikaido, distracted Rugal Bernstein long enough for Kyo to recover

Strength:
–Large Island Level, possibly Small Country, as her team is capable of fighting Verse more efficiently than Antonov, who was able to survive an attack from him
    -Verse was able to create a storm above a stadium and contains the souls of several dead characters from the King of Fighters and Samurai Shodown series. This includes Orochi, whose power can manipulate the weather and create lava, and Mizuki Rashojin, who created a storm that enveloped the entire world
-Brought Ryo to his knees with a Ko-Ou Ken
-Traded blows with Luise
-Traded blows with Jivatma
-Threw an apple at a gang leader
-Kicked a thug hard enough to send him into a wall several feet away
    -Later performed her Hyakuretsu Binta and knocked him into another gang member
-While working with King, knocked out the above-mentioned thug by slamming into him with her ass
-Stepped on a chain hard enough to prevent it from being pulled away by a muscular gang leader
-Knocked the gang leader back with her Hien Hou’ou Kyaku and sent him flying several feet with her Ko-Ou Ken
-Wore down and eventually broke Joe’s guard with her Chou Mawashi-Geri
    -Did the same seconds later with her Hien Hou’ou Kyaku, which also knocked him back
-Traded blows with (and eventually knocked out) Joe

Speed:
-Relativistic due to being superior to fighters like Takuma, who could intercept and reflect the Zero Cannon’s beam
-Can move fast enough to leave afterimages
-Can rapidly slap people with her Hyakuretsu Binta
-Outran Black Noah’s explosion
-Escaped a NESTS base that was seconds from exploding
-Avoided an electrified chain being hurled at her
-Dodged attacks from Joe
-Dodged attacks from Luise
-Kept up with Jivatma

Durability:
-By scaling to her strength, Large Island Level, possibly Small Country
-Took hits from Luise
-Shrugged off attacks from Jivatma
-Tanked multiple hits from Joe
-Unharmed after being hit by Joe’s Hurricane Upper
-Unharmed after being in the epicenter of an explosion caused by Joe’s Hurricane Upper and Terry’s Power Wave

Personality:
-Is extremely friendly toward others
-Constantly finds ways to improve herself through change
-Often argues with her father and Ryo over matters regarding her independence

Moveset:


Ko-Ou Ken:
-Yuri focuses chi into her hands before releasing it in the form of a pink fireball

Chou Upper:
-Yuri slides forward before performing a jumping uppercut
-Can be easily spammed, as shown during her fight with Joe

Double Chou Upper:
-Self-explanatory


Chou Knuckle:
-Yuri charges forward with her arm extended


Chou Mawashi-Geri:
-Yuri jumps and, while in the air, rotates her legs, kicking her opponent 7 times

Hyakuretsu Binta:
-Yuri rapidly slaps her opponent

Raiouken:
-Yuri jumps into the air and fires a projectile from her fists


Saiha:
-Yuri brings her arms forward, creating an energy barrier that nullifies projectiles
-Can be used at close range to knock back nearby opponents

En’yoku:
-Yuri charges at her opponent rear-first, slamming into them

Haoh Shoukou Ken:
-A faster, more powerful version of the Ko-Ou Ken

Hien Hou’ou Kyaku:
-Yuri runs at the opponent, then climbs their body by kicking them repeatedly before finishing by knocking them to the ground

Yuri Chou Reppa:
-A combo of several Chou Uppers performed in rapid succession

Chou Saiha:
-A Saiha that does massive damage when used at close range. Once finished, the Saiha explodes, knocking both Yuri and her opponent back


Shin Chou Upper:
-Yuri does two hard punches followed by a powerful Chou Upper


Yuri Chou Enbu:
-Yuri runs toward the opponent. If she makes contact, the screen goes black as she does several unseen attacks, then the screen returns to show the victim at Yuri’s feet while she displays a double V-sign


Denjin Haoh Shoukou Ken:
-An unblockable fireball that can be charged for more damage
-Renders the opponent dizzy after dissipating


Houyoku:
-Yuri performs a quick forward somersault. Upon becoming airborne, she can follow up with four different options
    -Hien Souha, an overhead attack
    -Yuri Raijin Kyaku, a dive kick
    -Tsubame Otoshi, an air throw
    -An aerial variant of the Raiou Ken

 

Haoh Raiou Ken:
-A more powerful variant of the Raiou Ken that explodes upon contact


Chou Ryuuko Ranbu:
-Yuri delivers a rapid combo consisting of two punches (one to the stomach and one to the face), flashes a peace sign, delivers a kick and uppercut, slaps her butt twice, delivers a knee strike, follows up with a Double Axe Handle, performs an En’yoku, another uppercut, then winds up her arm before finishing with a Chou Upper. As her opponent falls to the ground, Yuri gives her signature thumbs-up pose

Weaknesses:
-Has yet to win a King of Fighters tournament
-More used to fighting on a team
-Was trained with only the low-level of Kyokugenryu, meaning her moves are basic and not as powerful as they could be
-Rather lacking in stamina

 

(“I am the grandmaster of Kyokugen style. You didn’t stand a chance against me!”)

Mai Shiranui is Death Battle’s Number 1!

Mai Shiranui
Title: The Alluring Ninja Girl
Age: 19 (Fatal Fury 2), 20 (KOF‘94), 21 (Fatal Fury 3, KOF‘95), 23 (Real Bout Special), 24 (Real Bout Special Dominated Mind)
Height: 5’5
Weight: 106 lbs
Occupation: Ninja, Heiress of the Shiranui Clan
First Appearance: Fatal Fury 2 (December 10, 1992)
Theme:

Feats:
General
-Was trained in the ways of ninjutsu by her grandfather Hanzo and his rival/old friend Jubei Yamada
-Is a regular in the King of Fighters tournaments
-Is somehow able to always find Andy no matter where he goes

Fatal Fury
-Defeated Wolfgang Krauser
-Defeated Jin Chonshu and Jin Chonrei

King of Fighters
-Formed the Woman’s Team alongside King and Yuri Sakazaki
-Alongside King and Yuri, defeated Rugal Bernstein
-With help from King and Yuri, defeated Omega Rugal
-Defeated Chizuru Kagura and Goenitz with help from Kasumi and King
-Alongside Chizuru and King, defeated Orochi

King of Fighters: Maximum Impact:
-Defeated Duke

King of Fighters: Maximum Impact 2:
-Defeated Luise Meyrink and Jivatma

Fatal Fury 2: The New Battle
-Tricked Andy into taking her on a shopping spree
-Fought Laurence Blood, though she was ultimately defeated

Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture
-Fought Hauer, a servant of Laocorn, but ultimately lost
-Defeated Panni, another of Laocorn’s servants
-Participated in the final battle against Laocorn

King of Fighters: Destiny
–Alongside Yuri Sakazaki and King, defeated a group of thugs
-Formed the Queens Team with Yuri and King
-While corrupted by the Black Crystals, fought and defeated Andy
-With help from Athena, Yuri, and Benimaru Nikaido, distracted Rugal Bernstein long enough for Kyo to recover

King of Fighters: Maximum Impact (manga):
-Fought Lien Neville, a top ranked assassin
    -Though she lost
-Interrupted Lien’s attempt to snap Athena’s neck

 

Strength:
–Large Island Level, possibly Small Country, as her team is capable of fighting Verse more efficiently than Antonov, who was able to survive an attack from him
     -Verse was able to create a storm above a stadium and contains the souls of several dead characters from the King of Fighters and Samurai Shodown series. This includes Orochi, whose power can manipulate the weather and create lava, and Mizuki Rashojin, who created a storm that enveloped the entire world
-Can lift and throw enemies far heavier than her
-Her elbow strikes are strong enough to break through enemy defenses
-Knocked Laurence flat on his face with a Ryuuenbu, burning him in the process
-Knocked Hauer down a flight of stairs with a Ryuuenbu
-Judo-flipped Panni
-Knocked out Panni with a Hissatsu Shinobi-Bachi
-Can throw her Kachousen (See “Weapons and Equipment” below) with enough force to knock out a fully grown man
     -She’s also been shown to throw it hard enough to knock Andy off his feet
-Her punches and kicks are strong enough to harm Andy
-Traded blows with Luise and Jivatma
-Elbowed a thug, kicked him in the face, and sent him back with a flip kick
-Staggered a second thug by throwing her Kachousen at him
-Kicked a thug that was trying to sneak-attack her
-While restrained, kicked one of the thugs hard enough to send him back several feet
-Kicked her Kachousen hard enough to send it flying into a gang leader’s face
-Kicked the gang leader in the stomach
-Slapped the gang leader hard enough to stagger him before doing the same with her Hissatsu Shinobi-Bachi
-Knocked Ryo out of the KOF ring with a Houou no Mai
-Sent Andy flying with a Hissatsu Shinobi-Bachi
-Used her ninjutsu training to blow back Lien, who was in the middle of choking her out
-Traded blows with Lien
-Sent Lien flying with a strike from her Kachousen

Agility:
-Regularly performs flips and backflips while airborne
-Can leap across stone pillars with ease
-Can walk on water
-Leapt up a flight of stairs to avoid a wind attack from Hauer
-Balanced herself on top of an extended chain and leapt off of it
-Cartwheeled away from a punch
-Avoided a stone-shattering kick from Lien by backflipping

​
Speed:
-Relativistic due to being superior to fighters like Takuma, who could intercept and reflect the Zero Cannon’s beam
-Can change into another pair of clothes within one second
-Can move fast enough to leave afterimages
-Outran Black Noah’s explosion
-Escaped a NESTS base that was seconds from exploding
-Avoided a rapid series of sword swipes from Laurence
-Can move fast enough that she appears as a blur
-Kept up with Jivatma
-Parried a thug that was trying to hit her
-Blocked a punch from the above-mentioned thug, ducked under a second punch, kicked a second thug that was trying to sneak-attack her, and ducked beneath a third punch from the former while he was behind her
-Pushed Yuri out of the way of an electrified chain
-Blocked a hit from a gang leader then deflecting two punches from him
-Can outspeed Andy
-Intercepted a punch from Lien, who can move fast enough to leave afterimages
-Interrupted Lien’s attempt to snap Athena’s neck by throwing a fire-infused Kachousen at the assassin’s wrist
-Backflipped to avoid a kick from Lien that destroyed multiple stone tiles
-Dodged multiple attacks from Lien

Durability:
-Small Country Level via scaling to her strength
-Traded blows with Andy, whose punches can break ribs
-Unharmed after being knocked into a freezing lake by Andy’s Hishouken
-Withstood wind attacks from Hauer, whose aerokinesis is powerful enough to slice through steel
-Was fine after Laocorn kicked her into the stone floor of the temple they were fighting in, though she lost consciousness soon after
-Took multiple hits from Jivatma
-Remained conscious after Lien attempted to choke her out
-Took a knee strike to the stomach from Lien
-Continued fighting Lien even after being hit hard enough that she was left coughing up blood

 

Intelligence:
-Could tell that Lucky Glauber’s leg had been broken from Goro Daimon’s kick

Skills:

 

Adept Marksmanship:
-Threw one of her Kachousen at a thug at enough of an angle that it bounced off and hit his partner in the face
-Hit a gang leader in the head with her Kachousen while airborne

Master of Disguise:

-Thanks to her training in Hensōjutsu, Mai can flawlessly disguise herself to resemble other people and even mimic their voices

Master of Stealth:
-Her training in Shinobi-iri has made her adept in sticking to the shadows
-Has yet to show this onscreen, however

 

Personality:
-Extremely cheerful and temperamental
-Somewhat airheaded
-Admires any kind of beauty or attractiveness
-Compares boys who flirt with her or acknowledge her beauty to Andy, but says they aren’t as cute as him
-Dreams of getting married to Andy Bogard and will go to lengths that can even creep him out
-Is extremely defensive of her attire
     -Should it be criticized, Mai will either attempt to explain that it is traditional garb for the women of the Shiranui Clan, or she will become insulted and confrontational
-Somewhat arrogant, often boasting herself to be number 1
-During battle, she tends to be somewhat cocky, often taunting her opponent whenever she gains the upper hand
     -That said, she knows when to get serious, especially if Andy’s life is on the line
-Can become extremely crass and vulgar when angered

Weapons and Equipment:

 

Kachousen:
-Also called the Butterfly Fan or folding fan
-Has a seemingly infinite amount of them
-Mai uses them for both long range and close range attacks (See “Techniques” below)
-Can infuse them with fire for greater power (See “Powers” below)

Powers:

Pyrokinesis:
-Allows Mai to generate flames and control them
-Can use this to infuse her attacks with fire
-Can channel fire through her clothes, weapons, or anything she touches
–Makes her resistant to fire

Hammerspace:
-Can pull out a seemingly infinite number of weapons and items from nowhere
-As seen above, she can pull out an entirely different outfit from an umbrella and instantly change into it

Surface Scaling:
-Thanks to her training in Shinobi-iri, Mai is capable of climbing any surface

Fighting Style:

 

Shiranui-Ryuu Style:
-Mai’s fighting style
-It consists of 18 disciplines:
    -Seishinteki kyōyō – spiritual refinement
    -Taijutsu – unarmed combat
    -Kenjutsu – sword techniques
    -Bōjutsu – stick and staff techniques
    -Sōjutsu – spear techniques
    -Naginatajutsu – naginata techniques
    -Kusarigamajutsu – kusarigama techniques
    -Shurikenjutsu – throwing weapons techniques
    -Kayakujutsu – pyrotechnics
    -Hensōjutsu – disguise and impersonation
    -Shinobi-iri – stealth and entering methods
    -Bajutsu – horsemanship
    -Sui-ren – water training
    -Bōryaku – tactics
    -Chōhō – espionage
    -Intonjutsu – escaping and concealment
    -Tenmon – meteorology
    -Chi-mon – geography
-She generally focuses on Taijutsu, Kayakujutsu, Hensōjutsu, and Shurikenjutsu
-Allows her to latch onto walls

 

Moveset:

 

Kachousen:
-Mai throws one of her fans at her opponent
-Can infuse it with fire for added damage

Hissatsu Shinobi-Bachi:
-Mai performs a cartwheel kick before following up with an elbow strike
-Has an enhanced version where Mai covers herself in fire to deal more damage

 

Fuusha Kuzushi:
-Mai grabs the opponent with her legs, flips them over, and slams them into the ground


Yume-Zakura:
-Mai grabs an aerial opponent and knee drops them, landing far away


Sayo Chidori:
-Mai performs a heavy swing with her fans
-Can be used to negate projectiles

Ryuenbu:
-Mai imbues her kimono’s tassels with flames and spins around, striking the opponent
-Can be used to negate projectiles or inflict major burns on anyone that gets close to her

Hishou Ryuuenjin:
-Mai performs a fire-infused front flip kick

Musasabi no Mai:
-Mai leaps into the air and dives toward the opponent

Shiranui Kyuukyoku Ougi:
-A more powerful version of the Musasabi no Mai

Burning Mai:
-Mai unleashes a torrent of flame that sends her opponent flying back

Swallow Saturnalia:
-Mai performs a flipping blade kick

Dragon Flame Romp:
-Mai spins through the air, repeatedly striking her opponent with fire-infused Kachousen

Blossom Storm:
-Mai begins spinning rapidly, producing a miniature hurricane
-Can only be used in water

Hakuro no Mai:
-Mai performs a quick dance move where she hits the opponent with her fans



Sui Chou no Mai:
-Mai throws out three consecutive Kachousen
-Can infuse them with fire for extra power

Houou no Mai:
-Mai leaps into the air and performs a fiery cartwheel, battering her opponent repeatedly before kicking them away


Kagerou no Mai:
-Mai surrounds herself in a spiral of flames, dealing massive damage to nearby opponents
-Has a variant where she creates two clones made of fire

Hanaarashi:
-Mai rushes toward the opponent and repeatedly strikes them with her fans as they rise through the sky

Shiranui-Ryuu Kyuubi no Kitsune:
-Mai pounces on the enemy and blitzes them while covering them in flames
-Once this move is completed, the flames explode

Shiranui Ryuu Kunoichi no Mai:
-Mai strikes the enemy into the air and repeatedly dashes past them, creating flames in the shape of the 女 kanji. Afterwards, she strikes a pose, causing the flames to explode
-An alternate version has her use her speed to blitz the opponent before grabbing them with her legs and slamming them into the ground

Weaknesses:
-Has yet to win a King of Fighters tournament
-More used to fighting on a team
-Favors speed over power
-Can be somewhat ditzy at times
-Her cocky attitude during battle will often lead to her prolonging the fight
     -Though she has also shown that she knows when to drop it and get serious
-Pyrokinesis only extends to the flames she creates, and it doesn’t protect her from other types of fire
-Her win/loss record is pathetic
–Way too obsessed with Andy

(“With a body and strength like this, you thought you had a chance?”)