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Description
A week after their fight, Yu Takeyama was invited by Tifa Lockhart to dinner
as an apology for the rib-breaking blow she had given her at the end of their match.
Accompanied by their cornermen, Shinji Nishiyama and Cloud Strife,
the four wen out to a restaurant where they spent the whole evening talking
about a variety of topics.
Of course, their match from the previous week came up in the discussion,
and Lockhart explained how she and Strife had watched videos of Yu’s previous fights
to prepare for her. In particular, her fight against Rumi Usagiyama, a.k.a. Mirko.
Even though Yu had lost to Mirko, Lockhart had been impressed and,
between Yu’s performance against Mirko and in her fight against Lockhart,
the bartender believed that Yu should challenge the rabbit hero to a rematch.
Yu shifted uncomfortably at that, admitting that she didn’t feel ready.
She had been hoping to score the “big win” first;
earning a victory against a very strong opponent to help boost her reputation.
She had been hoping her fight with Lockhart would be that big win,
but things hadn’t played out that way.
Strife pointed out how it might take a while to get her big win given how many losses
she had endured in her career,
earning him an appalled expression from Lockhart and a stern glare from Shinji.
Strife wasn’t trying to be mean, but Yu’s only win had been against Usagi Tsukino.
While that did help, it hadn’t been big enough to change anything,
at least no by itself.
Strife suggested that, instead of waiting for the “big win” to happen,
Yu should focus smaller. He said he noticed that her losing streak started
with her loss to Momo Yaoyorozu who had dominated Yu in a one-sided beatdown,
suggesting that the experience had weighed her down and mentally
held her back from getting a proper win.
Yu didn’t like to be reminded of that fight, but she couldn’t deny the correlation.
She had been wanting to challenge the younger lady to a rematch,
but like with Usagiyama, she hadn’t felt ready yet.
However, if this loss had been what’s holding her back this whole time,
then what choice did she have?

Yu issued the rematch the next day,
and a couple of days later she was in the ring facing Yaoyorozu.
The young hero had been hot off from a victory against newcomer Itsuka Kendo.
She had worn a new set of red and yellow boxing attire for that fight,
but here she was wearing an older white and red outfit she hadn’t worn often:
white tank top, red trunks with white trimmings, white boots with red laces,
and red gloves with white trimming. Did this mean something?
Was she trying to tell Mt. Lady she wasn’t worth the new look?
But why this and not the other red and white outfit she had worn in most of her fights
including their original fight together?
The one with the red top and red boots with white trimming.
If she wanted to get in her head, shouldn’t she be wearing that?
Aside from a few alterations afterwards,
Yu’s own outfit had remained relatively unchanged, so why hadn’t Yayorozu...
Dammit, Yu thought. The match hasn’t even started and I’m getting worked up
over her choice of clothing!
The referee ushered the fighters forward to touch gloves.
The two stared at one another for a moment.
Even their height difference was irritating Yu,
seeing how Yaoyorozu stood four inches taller than her.
Yu was tempted to chastise her opponent, but within the days leading up to this event,
Shinji, Lockhart, and Strife all helped prepare her,
and one of the things they drilled into her was to be professional.
Yaoyorozu wasn’t the type to be thrown off by insults.
So instead, she simply said, “Been a while.”
“It has,” Yaoyorozu responded.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how much you’ve improved since our last fight.”
Yu couldn’t tell if she was mocking her.
The young lady had been responsible for the biggest defeat in Yu’s boxing career.
She hadn’t been afraid to talk smack during their original fight.
Has she changed since then? It didn’t matter.
The two touched gloves and waited at their corners for the fight to start.

Within the past couple of days leading up to this,
Lockhart and Strife both offered to help Yu and Shinji with her training,
including giving her advice.
Yu was the stronger and more durable of the two, but Yaoyorozu had better technique.
In terms of speed, they were even for the most part.
Yu could tank more hits, but Yaoyorozu could whittle her down if she wasn’t careful.
So for the first round, Yu spent her time getting a feel for her opponent’s movement.
Yu didn’t do too bad having been able to land a few hits,
but Yaoyorozu had managed to get more on her.
Aside from that, not an impressive start for either fighter,
but Yu was at least getting hits unlike last time. Still, she was only getting started.
In round two, Yu found an opening right off the bat and took it.
A solid punch to Yaoyorozu’s stomach. Following the advice she was given,
Yu capitalized on the moment and delivered a flurry of blows onto the young hero.
She had to keep her from thinking and coming up with a counter.
She had to keep her off her game. For two minutes,
Yu knocked her around the ring, eventually striking her down to the canvas.
She couldn’t believe it! Especially when the ref began counting.

Momo had sighed when she received the challenge for a rematch from Mt. Lady.
She had been expecting this for a long while,
only being surprised that it hadn’t come sooner.
She had entered the match with confidence, yet coupled it with caution
as she figured the pro hero wouldn't have asked for this rematch if she wasn't prepared.
Turns out she was prepared...
The ref started counting: "One...Two..."
Did…did she just knock me down? In the second round?
Momo tried to make sense of what just happened as she got up.
Mt. Lady was dominating her. Completely reversing the tables from last time.
But Momo fought back.
The second round ended shortly after, but the next ten rounds became a total slugfest.
They knocked each other down multiple times with neither fighter going hungry
after being fed a steady diet of red and purple leather.
By the twelfth round, the two found themselves staggering in the center of the ring.
Both were a bloody mess, their eyes puffed up and covered in bruises.
Jirou and Kamui Woods had done their best to keep them awake and fighting up to this point,
but the two fighters were at their limit in the final round.
After exchanging several more hits,
the two found a momentary bit of respite as they circled each other.
Mt. Lady spoke: "I trained myself as hard as I could without neglecting my hero duties,
but even now, I can't beat you." She huffed a bit before continuing.
“With heroes like you, there is a future."
It had surprised Momo. Throughout the fight,
Mt. Lady had shown very little if any poor sportsmanship;
no insults or snide remarks.
Momo knew she had been serious about winning this rematch,
especially with what a loss against Yaoyorozu would do to her reputation
after suffering from so many other losses,
but she seemed like a completely different person than the last time they had fought.
Momo had every intention of winning too, but after that last exchange of blows,
Momo had lowered her gloves. She was finished but refused to go down.
"Thanks,” she said to Mt. Lady.
“You have become so much stronger…but today I won't win, and that's okay.
No shame in losing to an opponent that is better…this time..."
Momo tried to wink with her puffed up eye which was a bad idea as she found out at once.
Mt. Lady smiled, and the blonde boxer ended the match with a right hook
that put Momo out cold on the mat.

After the match, Yu was in the locker room contemplating her victory.
It still seemed surreal, having heard the crowds cheer for her after the knockout.
Shinji had been so happy with her, and Lockhart and Strife had congratulated her as well.
Now she was alone…until she heard a voice.
“Hello, Miss Takeyama.” Yu stood up and turned around to find Yaoyorozu,
her injuries having been mostly healed by Recovery Girl, same as her’s.
“Congratulations on your victory. You fought well.”
“Uh, thanks.” Yu couldn’t help but feel a little suspicious. “You too.”
Yaoyorozu must have read her suspicion since she smiled.
“The thing is, I’m actually here to apologize for how I acted in our first fight.
I behaved in a way and said some things that were…unbecoming of a hero,
to say the least. While that was in response to your own attitude before the fight,
I’m still ashamed of how I reacted.
I had wanted to apologize before our match today,
but I was afraid you would read that as me trying to get into your head
or that I had some intention to throw the match.
Despite my shame, I had aimed to win as much as you did,
but you managed to surprise even me.”
Yu felt her eye twitch at that.
So she hadn’t been trying to play mind games with me after all, she thought.
However, she responded, “Well…to be fair, I did act like a jerk.
Can’t say I won’t be like that ever again.
I like getting under my opponent’s skin and push the wrong buttons to throw them off.
But from what I’ve been told,
it tends to push the buttons that are wrong for me more often than not and…well,
maybe I deserved what I got. I’m sorry too.”
“Then let us take this time to start fresh,” Yaoyorozu said. “For both of us.”
She held her hand out to Yu, and the Pro Hero shook it.
“Sure,” she said with a smile. “By the way, why that outfit and not your new one?”
“It was…a symbolic gesture. More for myself than anything else.
Since I was facing myself in a way for how I had been before,
I figured an older outfit would be more appropriate for the occasion.
Out with the old, in with new, you know? Plus, I hadn’t worn it often enough.”
Yu nodded. “Yeah. I get it.”
Mt. Lady had finally got her back, but there had been no resentment. Only respect...

Story by TheCrimsonDuke

This art was made by the amazing and talented josuegnr1993

Description
A week after their fight, Yu Takeyama was invited by Tifa Lockhart to dinner
as an apology for the rib-breaking blow she had given her at the end of their match.
Accompanied by their cornermen, Shinji Nishiyama and Cloud Strife,
the four wen out to a restaurant where they spent the whole evening talking
about a variety of topics.
Of course, their match from the previous week came up in the discussion,
and Lockhart explained how she and Strife had watched videos of Yu’s previous fights
to prepare for her. In particular, her fight against Rumi Usagiyama, a.k.a. Mirko.
Even though Yu had lost to Mirko, Lockhart had been impressed and,
between Yu’s performance against Mirko and in her fight against Lockhart,
the bartender believed that Yu should challenge the rabbit hero to a rematch.
Yu shifted uncomfortably at that, admitting that she didn’t feel ready.
She had been hoping to score the “big win” first;
earning a victory against a very strong opponent to help boost her reputation.
She had been hoping her fight with Lockhart would be that big win,
but things hadn’t played out that way.
Strife pointed out how it might take a while to get her big win given how many losses
she had endured in her career,
earning him an appalled expression from Lockhart and a stern glare from Shinji.
Strife wasn’t trying to be mean, but Yu’s only win had been against Usagi Tsukino.
While that did help, it hadn’t been big enough to change anything,
at least no by itself.
Strife suggested that, instead of waiting for the “big win” to happen,
Yu should focus smaller. He said he noticed that her losing streak started
with her loss to Momo Yaoyorozu who had dominated Yu in a one-sided beatdown,
suggesting that the experience had weighed her down and mentally
held her back from getting a proper win.
Yu didn’t like to be reminded of that fight, but she couldn’t deny the correlation.
She had been wanting to challenge the younger lady to a rematch,
but like with Usagiyama, she hadn’t felt ready yet.
However, if this loss had been what’s holding her back this whole time,
then what choice did she have?

Yu issued the rematch the next day,
and a couple of days later she was in the ring facing Yaoyorozu.
The young hero had been hot off from a victory against newcomer Itsuka Kendo.
She had worn a new set of red and yellow boxing attire for that fight,
but here she was wearing an older white and red outfit she hadn’t worn often:
white tank top, red trunks with white trimmings, white boots with red laces,
and red gloves with white trimming. Did this mean something?
Was she trying to tell Mt. Lady she wasn’t worth the new look?
But why this and not the other red and white outfit she had worn in most of her fights
including their original fight together?
The one with the red top and red boots with white trimming.
If she wanted to get in her head, shouldn’t she be wearing that?
Aside from a few alterations afterwards,
Yu’s own outfit had remained relatively unchanged, so why hadn’t Yayorozu...
Dammit, Yu thought. The match hasn’t even started and I’m getting worked up
over her choice of clothing!
The referee ushered the fighters forward to touch gloves.
The two stared at one another for a moment.
Even their height difference was irritating Yu,
seeing how Yaoyorozu stood four inches taller than her.
Yu was tempted to chastise her opponent, but within the days leading up to this event,
Shinji, Lockhart, and Strife all helped prepare her,
and one of the things they drilled into her was to be professional.
Yaoyorozu wasn’t the type to be thrown off by insults.
So instead, she simply said, “Been a while.”
“It has,” Yaoyorozu responded.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how much you’ve improved since our last fight.”
Yu couldn’t tell if she was mocking her.
The young lady had been responsible for the biggest defeat in Yu’s boxing career.
She hadn’t been afraid to talk smack during their original fight.
Has she changed since then? It didn’t matter.
The two touched gloves and waited at their corners for the fight to start.

Within the past couple of days leading up to this,
Lockhart and Strife both offered to help Yu and Shinji with her training,
including giving her advice.
Yu was the stronger and more durable of the two, but Yaoyorozu had better technique.
In terms of speed, they were even for the most part.
Yu could tank more hits, but Yaoyorozu could whittle her down if she wasn’t careful.
So for the first round, Yu spent her time getting a feel for her opponent’s movement.
Yu didn’t do too bad having been able to land a few hits,
but Yaoyorozu had managed to get more on her.
Aside from that, not an impressive start for either fighter,
but Yu was at least getting hits unlike last time. Still, she was only getting started.
In round two, Yu found an opening right off the bat and took it.
A solid punch to Yaoyorozu’s stomach. Following the advice she was given,
Yu capitalized on the moment and delivered a flurry of blows onto the young hero.
She had to keep her from thinking and coming up with a counter.
She had to keep her off her game. For two minutes,
Yu knocked her around the ring, eventually striking her down to the canvas.
She couldn’t believe it! Especially when the ref began counting.

Momo had sighed when she received the challenge for a rematch from Mt. Lady.
She had been expecting this for a long while,
only being surprised that it hadn’t come sooner.
She had entered the match with confidence, yet coupled it with caution
as she figured the pro hero wouldn't have asked for this rematch if she wasn't prepared.
Turns out she was prepared...
The ref started counting: "One...Two..."
Did…did she just knock me down? In the second round?
Momo tried to make sense of what just happened as she got up.
Mt. Lady was dominating her. Completely reversing the tables from last time.
But Momo fought back.
The second round ended shortly after, but the next ten rounds became a total slugfest.
They knocked each other down multiple times with neither fighter going hungry
after being fed a steady diet of red and purple leather.
By the twelfth round, the two found themselves staggering in the center of the ring.
Both were a bloody mess, their eyes puffed up and covered in bruises.
Jirou and Kamui Woods had done their best to keep them awake and fighting up to this point,
but the two fighters were at their limit in the final round.
After exchanging several more hits,
the two found a momentary bit of respite as they circled each other.
Mt. Lady spoke: "I trained myself as hard as I could without neglecting my hero duties,
but even now, I can't beat you." She huffed a bit before continuing.
“With heroes like you, there is a future."
It had surprised Momo. Throughout the fight,
Mt. Lady had shown very little if any poor sportsmanship;
no insults or snide remarks.
Momo knew she had been serious about winning this rematch,
especially with what a loss against Yaoyorozu would do to her reputation
after suffering from so many other losses,
but she seemed like a completely different person than the last time they had fought.
Momo had every intention of winning too, but after that last exchange of blows,
Momo had lowered her gloves. She was finished but refused to go down.
"Thanks,” she said to Mt. Lady.
“You have become so much stronger…but today I won't win, and that's okay.
No shame in losing to an opponent that is better…this time..."
Momo tried to wink with her puffed up eye which was a bad idea as she found out at once.
Mt. Lady smiled, and the blonde boxer ended the match with a right hook
that put Momo out cold on the mat.

After the match, Yu was in the locker room contemplating her victory.
It still seemed surreal, having heard the crowds cheer for her after the knockout.
Shinji had been so happy with her, and Lockhart and Strife had congratulated her as well.
Now she was alone…until she heard a voice.
“Hello, Miss Takeyama.” Yu stood up and turned around to find Yaoyorozu,
her injuries having been mostly healed by Recovery Girl, same as her’s.
“Congratulations on your victory. You fought well.”
“Uh, thanks.” Yu couldn’t help but feel a little suspicious. “You too.”
Yaoyorozu must have read her suspicion since she smiled.
“The thing is, I’m actually here to apologize for how I acted in our first fight.
I behaved in a way and said some things that were…unbecoming of a hero,
to say the least. While that was in response to your own attitude before the fight,
I’m still ashamed of how I reacted.
I had wanted to apologize before our match today,
but I was afraid you would read that as me trying to get into your head
or that I had some intention to throw the match.
Despite my shame, I had aimed to win as much as you did,
but you managed to surprise even me.”
Yu felt her eye twitch at that.
So she hadn’t been trying to play mind games with me after all, she thought.
However, she responded, “Well…to be fair, I did act like a jerk.
Can’t say I won’t be like that ever again.
I like getting under my opponent’s skin and push the wrong buttons to throw them off.
But from what I’ve been told,
it tends to push the buttons that are wrong for me more often than not and…well,
maybe I deserved what I got. I’m sorry too.”
“Then let us take this time to start fresh,” Yaoyorozu said. “For both of us.”
She held her hand out to Yu, and the Pro Hero shook it.
“Sure,” she said with a smile. “By the way, why that outfit and not your new one?”
“It was…a symbolic gesture. More for myself than anything else.
Since I was facing myself in a way for how I had been before,
I figured an older outfit would be more appropriate for the occasion.
Out with the old, in with new, you know? Plus, I hadn’t worn it often enough.”
Yu nodded. “Yeah. I get it.”
Mt. Lady had finally got her back, but there had been no resentment. Only respect...

Story by TheCrimsonDuke

This art was made by the amazing and talented josuegnr1993