Lili walked slowly forward, her bare feet closing the distance between them. A sharp, elegant smile played on her lips.
"I was expecting you to start off with those quick kicks of yours again," Lili stated softly, narrowing her eyes as she paused to look him over from head to toe. "But to switch right into the Kazama style… Hmm, don't let me down."
"…"
"So… what are you waiting, come."
"Ladies first."
"Merci." Lili offered him a slow, mischievous wink, her eyes narrowing as her posture shifted.
In an instant, she rushed forward, lifting her leg high into a vertical overhead kick aimed straight down at Kaido's collarbone.
WHAM!
He raised his left forearm to block, and shot out his right hand to grab her leg.
Seeing his fingers closing in, Lili arched her spine and flipped her entire torso backward. Planting her palms firmly onto the canvas, she snapped her legs upward in a violent, vertical kick right beneath Kaido's chin.
WHOOSH!
The strike forced Kaido to jerk his head back to dodge, losing his grip before his fingers could lock around her ankle. Lili completed her acrobatic flip gracefully with smile.
"Pas si vite, mon chéri."[1]
"Hm…"
" You may hold me later... if you earn it." Lili winked again.
"I'd rather catch you by surprise," Kaido replied before lunging forward, refusing to give her breathing room.
He drove a straight punch toward her face. Using an open palm—PAK!—Lili slapped the side of his fist, redirecting the punch over her shoulder. Taking advantage of the close distance, Lili swung her left hand around in a swift backhand slap aimed straight at his cheek.
But Kaido anticipated the attack. Lowering his torso, he ducked beneath the swing, letting her fingers slice through his hair.
SWISH!
With her upper body exposed, he dug his back foot and drove a direct punch straight into her abdomen.
THUMP!
The fist connected, but Lili barely flinched. She tightened her core, absorbing the impact as she looked down at him with a teasing gaze.
"Come now, chéri... surely you can hit harder than that," Lili purred. "I can take it."
Kaido had already pulled his arm back while she was speaking and immediately threw another punch at her, this time with more force.
"Oh?" Lili's eyes widened slightly.
WHOOSH!
She hopped quickly to the side, spinning her body to let the punch pass right by her. Landing smoothly on her feet, she immediately reset her stance.
"Heh… Of course, I never said I would stand still."
From his low posture, Kaido pivoted and whipped a sharp, sweeping kick toward her. Lili leapt over the low strike, planting both hands firmly onto his extended leg. Balancing her weight in a brief handstand, she snapped a direct kick toward his head.
THAK!
Kaido raised both forearms just in time, blocking the impact. Shoving hard with his leg, he threw her back, and Lili flipped through the air— TAP.—landing cleanly on her feet a few paces away.
Both moved forward at the same time, but Lili was the first to strike, forcing Kaido to stop his advance. He parried her first two punches with his palms, tilting his head slightly to let the third graze his ear.
Taking advantage of his head tilt, Lili spun into a low sweep, aiming for his ankles. Kaido hopped over her leg, immediately dropping his weight back down to drive a heavy elbow toward her collarbone.
Lili rolled her shoulder back, letting the elbow slide off her skin, and responded with a swift palm strike to his ribs. Kaido caught her wrist with his left hand, twisted his hips, and threw a short punch with his right. Lili snapped her free forearm up, blocking the fist centimeters from her face.
"Yaaawn... Pas mal," Eliza muttered, rubbing one of her eyes. " He's managing to hold his ground, but still—he is no match for my Lili."
"He's moving well, but his Kazama style is still sloppy. Lili is going to turn this around any second." Asuka agreed, but her fists were clenched.
- - -
For nearly another minute, they continued exchanging blows without either managing to seize the advantage.
Until Lili finally evaded one of Kaido attack, retreating with two quick back handsprings to gain some distance. She looked across at him, her playful expression vanishing into deep annoyance as she crossed her arms.
"Is this it?" Lili asked, her voice dripping with disappointment. "Honestly, I expected more from you. It was definitely a mistake to even compare you to Asuka. You are just... Haa... just pale."
"..."
"Très bien...let's end this now," Lili stated, her voice hardening.
She began walking slowly, then accelerated into a full-on sprint. Kaido lowered his weight, dropping back into his Kazama stance to brace her.
As she approached, Kaido launched a fist strike to intercept her.
WHOOSH!
But Lili bounded into the air, planting both hands firmly on top of his head. She yanked him backward with intense force, sending him crashing hard onto his back.
THUD!
Lili landed gracefully back on her feet, looking down disappointed. She placed her hands behind her back and turned away.
"See? A little fool who thinks a new stance makes him a fighter..."
Unaware of the Kaido's face, she began walking slowly around him. He had a satisfied smile—that unmistakable grin. Asuka saw it and narrowed her eyes.
Baka... what are you up to?
He tried to watch Lili walk around him, but his eyes met Asuka's. She rolled her eyes at him in annoyance.
Hehe... at this rate, I really am going to be a punching bag.
Time to get serious.
Kaido suddenly exploded into motion, throwing his legs upward executing a swift kip-up straight back onto his feet. The movement was perfect—almost inaudible—Lili began to turn toward him without realizing what was happening.
FWOOOSH!
"You should just stay down—"
A sharp gust of wind cut through the air. Lili's words caught in her throat while her eyes widened in absolute shock.
Kaido's leg was fully extended in a high side kick. His foot was hanging in the air, perfectly still, just a mere millimeter away from the side of her face. The sheer speed of the kick had generated a draft that sent her blonde bangs flying across her eyes.
Slowly, Lili turned her head sideways. She looked directly at his foot hovering right next to her temple. Her heart was pounding from the surprise, and she raised a hand over her chest.
Mon dieu!
Huh? That was really fast... and dangereux.
Lili looked back at him and studied his posture—his outstretched leg, his relaxed yet firm stance. There was no tremor in his leg.
… a little to the side—no! He missed on purpose.
J'aime bien.
Lili gently pushed Kaido's leg away, brushing her hair back with her other hand. A passionate look lit up her face. Kaido lowered his leg, getting ready to fight again.
"Come on, princess—the warm-up's over!"
[1] Not so fast, honey.