Riku vs the Ji Cousins

"Hello, Madam Huang! We've come to fight Riku in the war!"

Madam Huang looked over Iris, Thyme and Basil, then nodded. "Come in, come in!"

Then she called, "Riku! Your friends are here to play with you!"

"We're not playing! It's serious!" Iris said seriously.

"We're going to beat him down!" Basil exclaimed.

"Do it in the drill yard, please. Try not to break anything."

"Yes, Madam Huang." The three of them chorused.

***

They arrived in time to see Riku sparring with Jin. They stopped when the Ji cousins appeared, then came over to confront them.

"What do you want?" Jin asked.

"SHE is here to beat Riku up." Thyme announced. "For rejecting her in front of her dad! Me and Basil, we're here to make sure he doesn't run away!"

"And to make sure you don't help him!" Basil announced.

"That too!" Thyme agreed.

"It should be 'Basil and I', not 'Me and Basil'."

"That's only if we're being polite. Right now, we're acting Thug." Thyme folded his arms.

"Thug!" Basil folded his arms and leaned against Thyme back to back, both of them looking at Jin at the side.

Jin's face soured. "Riku! Us too! We can't let them act so cool on OUR turf!"

Riku shook his head. "Forget it. Let's just fight."

Iris pounced on him, clawing at his face.

Riku activated Stone Skin immediately, full Granite version, but left it at that. Iris scraped her fingernails against his hardened face, chipped one, and fell back, scowling.

[Cat's Claw Technique Observed; 5%]

[Feline Prowl Footwork Technique Observed; 3%]

She switched techniques, suddenly sweeping low with a footsweep. Riku braced, Firm Mountain Stance. Her foot slammed into his ankle with a painful jolt.

Painful for her, that is. Riku didn't feel a thing. [Willow Kicks Technique Observed; 4%]

"Ouch…" Jin commented, wincing.

Iris hobbled back, holding her foot, yellow light gleaming in her palm as she held it. [Budding Sprout Regeneration Healing Technique Observed; 1%]

Riku stood there, fascinated, as Iris slammed a palm into his chest.

[Bamboo Palm Technique Observed; 4%]

She hammered at him with her fists, chopped at his neck with the edge of her palm, kicked and kicked and kicked at him.

[Bamboo Breaker Fist Technique Observed; 2%... 4%... 6%... 8%...]

[Chicken Chop Hand Technique Observed; 5%...]

[Willow Kicks Technique Observed; 8%... 12%... 16%... 20%...]

Riku didn't even move. He just remained still and Observed her techniques. Iris, at that point, had quit trying to maintain her footwork and pretty much just stood there kicking at him in frustration.

[Willow Kicks Technique Observed; 24%... 28%... 32%... 36%... 40%...]

Then she started slapping him. Riku Observed, but there was no notices popping up, no technique learned. That was just a plain slap.

Even that didn't seem to help. Iris finally stepped back, holding her hurting hand, rubbing her aching feet, then started healing herself with that yellow light. [Budding Sprout Regeneration Healing Technique Observed; 2%... 3%... 4%... 5%... 6%...]

"Switch! My turn!" Basil lunged at Riku.

[Falling Tree Tackle Technique Observed; 4%...]

BANG! Basil stood still for a moment, as if leaning against Riku.

"Not another one…" Riku could already guess what happened.

"Urg…" Basil slowly tilted over backwards and collapsed flat out on the floor with a groan.

"Then I shall do it! For the honor of my cousin-sister!" Thyme leapt up, a Stage 2 Adept challenging a Novice just to beat the dickens out of him.

"Whoa!" Riku scrambled away. This guy was a fighter on Ruyi's level, a whole level higher than Jin. Riku decided not to mess around anymore and yelled at the Earth for help.

The land responded. Dirt and dust, mud and soil, tiny bits of litho from all across the drill yard and the Magistrate garden flew at Riku from all sides. They gathered, piling up over him, covering him up to his neck in dirt an inch thick… two inches… three…

"I won't let you!" Thyme charged. [River Reeds Footwork Technique Observed; 2%...]

He punched out, slamming his fist into Riku's shoulder. Riku actually stumbled back, dirt spraying from the impact. He actually felt that one. "Oof!"

[Bamboo Breaker Fist Technique Observed; 12%...]

Riku's stance was broken. In mid-stumble, before he could regain his footing, Thyme already lashed out with his foot.

It connected solidly with his stomach. Dirt splattered. Riku went flying back. "Oomph!"

[Willow Kicks Technique Observed; 50%...]

Before Riku's feet even returned to the ground, Thyme charged forward with a roar. His shoulder caught Riku under ribs, and then violently slammed him into the yard. BAM!

[Falling Tree Tackle Technique Observed; 14%...]

"Ooh! That's GOTTA hurt!" Jin exclaimed.

Riku groaned. [System… I need an attack technique.]

[You don't have any. None of attack techniques you have observed are fully comprehended. None of them have even been fully observed. All you have are the Life Force Cultivation, the Firm Mountain Footwork, the Feather Light Footwork, and Stone Skin. You haven't learned any attack techniques.]

[Can't you just give me one or figure something out from everything I've observed?!]

[Not unless they have been properly theorized. That means, Observed, Analyzed and Adapted fully.]

Riku got up painfully, aching in his bones and muscles, and hardened his fist with Iron Skin. With that, he threw a punch at Thyme…

Thyme slapped it aside with his hand almost disdainfully, then countered with the wrist of that same hand driving into Riku's chin.

[Whipping Bamboo Hands Technique Observed; 4%...]

Riku gave up on trying to establish a firm stance. He turned to mobility, shifting his feet, angling for evasion, using what little he knew of Huo's Feather Light Footwork.

It was enough to steer clear of Thyme, at least. Riku managed to glean a few inches of space…

Thyme whipped his foot up, nearly slamming it into Riku's face. Riku barely dodged aside in time.

[Willow Kicks Technique Observed; 60%...]

Before he could counter, or withdraw, the front kick changed into an axe kick and the foot that went up came down on Riku's shoulder, hard.

[Willow Kicks Technique Observed; 70%...]

Riku's knees buckled. His legs shook. At this rate…

Riku gave up dodging and decided to just grab it. He lifted the foot, then tugged at Thyme.

Thyme happily let him supply the leverage as his other foot left the ground. Using Riku's tug, as well as the launching of that other foot…

POW! Riku saw black before he knew what happened.