[Steel Cage Match] Charlotte Ravel' vs Grace Kenning - Locked in here together (Apex Match)

[Fairy Dragon]

The top of the cage was in sight, her hands only inches from it and once she was there she might be able to pull herself up and avenge her own losses. VIP had worked to strip her of her dignity in the qualifying rounds, the only match Grace needed and it ended with a brutal and humiliating loss. She felt driven to go and avenge that loss by winning Apex and proving she had it, she let the previous match slip away when she had Vanessa beat and wouldn't do the same if she had Charlotte where she wanted her. If she pulled this off Charlotte wouldn't stop her and when her hands finally reached the top she smiled and started to pull herself up. She didn't realize how close Charlotte was until she was pulling on her leg and jumping up to catch her, she didn't even know she had found her footing yet. What she did know was that the Sand Lizard slithered onto her back and soon found arms pulling on her head and trapping her neck!

"Ullp!" Grace gasped before her windpipe was tightened. The rear naked choke squeezing down on Grace's throat and quickly draining her of air. Her hands were struggling to hold onto the cage, Once again feeling the life leaving her eyes as she endured another chokehold and this time her hands were occupied. To try and fight the hold she'd have to let go and that would send them both falling down anyway...Which she suddenly found her air deprived mind preferring over her current situation, if this kept up she'd be put to sleep. If she tried something else it would improve her chances even if it nearly destroyed both of them. Before reason could return, Grace kicked off the cage and let go at the same time to send them both falling back to the cage...but Charlotte would be going first.

[skip-stop]

What Charlotte had done was more like madness than anything else. Considering her condition, she was lucky that she didn't lose her balance the moment she put her feet on the top rope. However, she didn't care. She wanted to win. She wanted to prove that she was worthy of calling herself a real fighter. She wanted to earn the right to become the first openweight champion. And so she was ready to accept any consequences of her decisions, because the most important thing was that she was going to fight to the very end.

When she squeezed Grace's neck and waist, she heard a strangled, but certainly surprised sound that her rival made. Like Charlotte at the very beginning of the match, the American woman apparently did not expect such a turn of events. She was close to winning. She had every right to think so, because she really beat Charlotte hard.

However, the Frenchwoman's strong grip showed that, like her opponent, she was not going to lose. The Sand Lizard tried to do everything possible to take all the oxygen from Grace, because this time her opponent could not use her arms for strikes. Of course, Charlotte understood that when Grace lost consciousness, they would both fall down. But if it brought her victory, then she will pay this price.

When the Sand Lizard felt that Grace was weakening, she tried to tighten her muscles even more. This was her chance. And she didn't want to miss it. Having put so much effort into being here, she wanted to prove that it wasn't an accident. Emotions began to seep into her mind. And in order not to start screaming, Charlotte was forced to grit her teeth. A few more moments. A few more moments and Grace will lose consciousness.

"What?" Sounded in her head.

A cool stream of wind began to tickle the back of her head. The pink-haired woman's heart began to beat faster. She was overcome by an unusual feeling that could not be confused with anything. It was a feeling of free fall. And it was absolutely not what Charlotte expected. Yes, they started to fall, but not because Grace lost consciousness.

Demonstrating tremendous willpower and determination, the American woman pushed off from the cage. Even in such a hopeless situation, she did everything in her power to stay in the game. Yes, she was a real fighter. A fighter to whom Charlotte was ready to give all her respect. She didn't have time to even try to change her position or group up. Too late. Just too late.

Louder than the sound with which Charlotte's body crashed into the mat, there were only the screams of the audience. At that moment, it seemed to the Sand Lizard that every bone in her was broken. Her eyes were wide open, but she was as if paralyzed. Although at that moment, even without convulsions, one could read endless agony in her eyes. Even her chest rose and fell barely noticeably as the pain literally squeezed her from all sides, not giving her the opportunity to move.

[Fairy Dragon]

Madness was contagious. If Charlotte could risk everything to keep herself in the match, she would be met with an opponent like Grace who found the willpower to do the same even at great risk to her well being. If it made her champion Grace would dive off greater heights than this to do it. She saw her life flashing before her eyes while she fell, time slowing down to process everything when it became clear how reckless Grace was being for once. Whether it was Charlotte or the match that was bringing this out of her Grace knew that something changed and Grace as she knew it was a different person now. All of these thoughts came to an end right when she felt Charlotte's body come to a halt behind her and the back of her head slammed into the mat next to Charlotte's head while her back was pressed against her chest and stomach.

Grace blacked out, the last thing she heard was the sound of them hitting the mat. If she screamed at all, the fall drowned it out and Grace would slide off Charlotte's battered body to curl against itself after the most horrific collision anyone had ever been through. The human body wasn't meant to handle falls like that and now with both fighters writhing on the mat the ref looked between both to see if they needed to end this match. Grace wasn't able to tell how Charlotte was doing, all she knew was that once things started to show up again she was still on her side and could only bring her hand up to slowly try to get back up, or at least get on her arms and knees to prove she was still able to move.

[skip-stop]

Yes, the human body was definitely not meant to handle something like this. That's why Charlotte seemed frozen in time and space. It was hardly a loss of consciousness, but at that moment her mind really turned off. Body and mind always go in tandem. And when her body took such a colossal damage, her mind just couldn't cope with it.

However, after a few moments and after she blinked several times, her mind began to give impulses again. At the same moment, the pink-haired woman let out a long groan, turning on her left side. Once she made an unforgivable mistake during her studies at the monastery. The punishment was cruel. She was beaten with sticks literally until she lost consciousness. And now the Sand Lizard felt about the same. It seemed to her that she felt pain in absolutely every cell of her body.

"Kha... pha!!!" After trying to take a deep breath, she coughed.

A few drops of blood flew out of her mouth. It seems that after this match she will have a very, very long recovery period. And although every match on her way to this day was damn hard, she had never felt so broken, even after the match with Aira, even after the match with Amy.

Yet, even despite her condition, Charlotte did not forget that if she remains lying on the mat, the referee will start counting to ten. This thought made her clench her teeth and put her palms near her head. At the same moment, she heard movements somewhere from the side. Grace seemed to remember that, too.

Holding her breath to somehow calm the pain in her body, the Sand Lizard got up on all fours. Her arms and legs were shaking so much that it looked like she was going to fall again. However, she was able to force herself to overcome it. Instead, she turned to the side. Her movements were slow, sluggish, but she turned to Grace.

Only now she saw that this fall did not leave her rival without consequences either. Even though Grace fell on Charlotte, and not directly on the mat, the American woman looked no better than the martial arts master. When their gazes crossed, Charlotte seemed to exchange emotions with her rival. They were both exhausted. But they still intended to surpass each other.

The corner of Charlotte's lips lifted slightly, and then she crawled to Grace. She didn't have the strength to get to her feet right now. But this would not prevent her from starting a new confrontation. With her left hand, she intended to grab the American woman by the back of the head, but only to immediately send a right forearm smash to Grace's jaw. Definitely not the toughest one because of her condition, but still hard enough to let Grace know she's not going to give up!

[Fairy Dragon]

When they died, scientists might be curious enough to look at Grace and Charlotte's bodies to see what the hell made them so durable. After a fall like that while colliding with each other both of them should be in so much pain that moving would be unbearable for either of them. Grace honestly had no idea how Charlotte wasn't paste on the mat when they separated since she took the worst of the fall, she could only get up herself while reaching for the back of her head and feeling something wet when she pulled it back. The back of her head was busted, she didn't need to ask how bad it was seeing the fresh color that covered her hand in specks. If it wasn't noticeable the blood would tell anyone who saw it, and if Charlotte knew she had an open wound to target behind her...She had to end this match now. Defying all common sense simply to push herself to all fours to try and fight off the count, even as ever limb ached and she felt the muscles straining to support any movement at all. Grace looked up to see Charlotte on her, despite her battered look she had a fire in her belly that refused to be snuffed out and would grab Grace to smash her with a forearm.

"Ugggh!" Grace screamed, flying back until her bodies limits stopped her as she hung there still on her knees. Grace groaned and stayed in place but soon remembered the feeling of Charlotte's hand on the back of her head...she'd notice the blood soon if Grace couldn't respond, and then it would all be over. Grace sucked in her core and willed herself to push forward and raise her arm facing Charlotte and giving the Sand Lizard one more forearm to the face for good measure.

[skip-stop]

As soon as Charlotte's fingers were on the back of her rival's head, she immediately felt something wet. It didn't take her long to realize that it was blood. Apparently, the hard fall brought them different injuries. Charlotte had managed without open wounds, but there was no doubt that her body had taken no less damage than Grace's.

However, this was not the end. It will only end when one of them can no longer continue. And so far this moment has not yet come. Gathering her strength, the Sand Lizard sent a strike straight into her opponent's face. With a cry of pain, the American woman leaned back and maybe if Charlotte hadn't held her by the back of the head, she would have completely fallen on the mat.

Seeing how the women were trying to go beyond in the pursuit of victory, the audience looked at them with their eyes wide open. Yes, a fighter always strives for victory. But it's not every day you can see how a fighter is ready to literally sacrifice their body for this. That's exactly what Grace did. Despite the pain and blood, she not only straightened up, but also sent her own strike into the Frenchwoman's face.

"KHAA!!!" Escaped from Charlotte's lips.

Her head jerked to the side and several drops of sweat mixed with blood flew off her face. In addition, a cut appeared near her eyebrow, from which a fresh scarlet liquid began to flow down her face. Charlotte's head was followed by her entire body, which forced her to release the back of Grace's head and put her palms on the mat so as not to fall.

"Ghmm..." she groaned with pain in her voice.

Even through the haze in her eyes, she saw blood dripping from her face onto the mat. After Grace's strike, a dizzying noise stuck in her ears. Because of this, the pink-haired woman clenched her teeth. The pain was trying to make her give up. And there was nothing to hide here, the temptation to end this agony was very great. But no. No. No!

She has become stronger since the beginning of the Apex. And she wanted to prove it. Therefore, instead of succumbing to the pain, Charlotte pushed off the mat with her palms, turning back to her opponent. Overcoming the pain, she even got up on one knee, thereby gradually starting to get to her feet. The most important thing was that she clenched her right fist again.

Using the momentum from the turning of her torso, she wanted to make a wide swing, and then send a right uppercut into the naked belly of the American woman in order to take at least some oxygen from her and thereby possibly gain a slight advantage in their tough confrontation!

[Fairy Dragon]

There was plenty to offer this fight, with Grace prepared to commit herself to every move and hit Charlotte harder and harder to win. With the head wound exposed she had little options but to face her directly and prevent her from getting a shot at the back of her head. The forearm smashed into her face and she watched Charlotte stumble, but not fall down like Grace wanted. She'd need more than that, even if it was giving her fresh bruises to show that Grace was serious. Then as Grace was prepared to strike again, the redhead was matching her speed with an uppercut while Grace's attempt at another punch ended up failing once that fist struck Grace's hurting belly.

"Ouuughh.." Grace groaned. Her body jerked in a completely stunned motion as the fist pushed through her abs and set in while she leaned in and weakly coughed. She fought for air that was struggling to come and a hand came up to press on Charlotte for support before her other hand balled into a fist and soon a big right was aiming for Charlotte's own belly, wanting to give as much as she could and knowing she still had the power to do it.

[skip-stop]

Under each blow, the audience let out a deafening scream, supporting both of them. Only a blind man would not have seen that the women were trying to overcome each other with their last strength. It was difficult to fully realize how much damage they brought to each other in this match. But although their bodies were damn battered, their determination remained strong.

Charlotte's fist crashed into her opponent's abs, causing Grace to make a painful groan, with which a certain amount of air came out of her lungs. She leaned forward involuntarily, resting her hand on Charlotte's shoulder. This made the Frenchwoman clench her teeth, because now she was not in a condition to be a support for her rival.

Barely finding the strength to breathe, the Sand Lizard intended to send another blow to her opponent's stomach. However, Grace did it first. Because of the tears in her eyes, Charlotte did not even notice how Grace's fist crashed into her own abs.

"GUAH!!!"

The pink-haired woman's eyes widened in pain, while a lump rose in her throat. Mirroring the actions of her rival, she leaned forward, as a result of their bodies pressed against each other. Even through all the pain, she could feel Grace's heavy breathing. How much strength does this woman have left? A question that Charlotte didn't have an answer to. Just like she didn't have an answer to the question, how much strength did she have left herself?

"Ph... ph... ph..." she breathed through clenched teeth.

She felt a tingling sensation in her fingertips. Her reserves are almost completely depleted. She trained long and hard in order to improve her endurance. However, no amount of training could prepare her for the amount of damage her body took in this match. Charlotte knew that a little more and she simply would not be able to force herself to continue fighting. And yet...

"Gghhhrrr!!!!!" A growl escaped her lips at the moment when she strained her body.

She was a fighter. And if she has to lose this match, then so be it. But before that happened, she intended to make sure that she would give Grace every last drop. Therefore, Charlotte intended to get up from one knee to her feet. If she has to lose, then this time she will do it like a real fighter. Standing on her feet face to face with her rival.

With cold fury in her eyes, she clenched her left fist and bent her arm at the elbow. Because of the fog and tears in her eyes, she could only see the silhouette of her rival, but even that would not prevent her from sending a left elbow strike to the jaw of the American woman in an attempt to emerge victorious from this battle of the Titans!

[Fairy Dragon]

Grace had thrown another blow to Charlotte's abs, and as strong as the Sand Lizard was, Grace had enough power to destroy those battered abs. The sound of her fist striking her belly was loud, and was sickening enough that Charlotte looked ready to pass out. She staggered as her fist pushed into her body, and for a moment it looked like the only reason Charlotte was standing was because of her fist still being there. Grace would like for that to be the case, but she already knew that whatever motivated Charlotte wouldn't be done in by a single punch unless that punch made her explode next. Grace was preparing to go again when Charlotte acted fast, moving like she knew Grace was about to move in for the kill and responded with a counter so quick Grace had little time to prepare before Charlotte's elbow struck her face.

"Uggghk!" Grace screamed, her head bobbing back as she nearly fell down. Charlotte's elbow felt more like a club, the bone and muscles hardened by years of hard work turned it into an almost inhuman weapon that had Grace rattled and scatter brained. In fact to her shame her next move was more instinct than planning, despite her head still being out of sorts Grace felt panicked by the sudden reversal of fortune and knowing that Charlotte would come at her for more, with little time to evaluate herself she attacked, throwing an uppercut to Charlotte's face and trying to send her chin up to the heavens.

[skip-stop]

When Charlotte's elbow smashed into her opponent's jaw, she was literally ready to start praying that Grace would fall. But although the American woman backed away, the Sand Lizard did not check whether her last strike was enough. Holding her breath, she took a step forward, chasing her rival. Another strike. Experience and intuition told her that just one more strike and Grace would fall.

But Charlotte didn't even have time to throw that strike. The heavyweight beat her to it. She not only didn't fall, she first straightened up and then sent the uppercut to Charlotte's chin. The pink-haired woman began to bring her hands together in order to block it, but her speed was not as high as at the beginning of the match. Nothing prevented Grace's fist from reaching the target.

When the knuckles smashed into the martial arts master's chin, it felt like her head exploded. Not only her head, but her entire upper body fell back. A few drops of blood mixed with saliva flew out of her mouth. Needles ran through Charlotte's skin from the top of her head to her toes. Her arms went limp and began to slide down. Her legs buckled. And she was only one second away from falling backwards.

"Fight... fight! Fight!!!" Endlessly was repeating in her head.

But the body refused to obey the orders of the mind. She took too much damage. She was too tired. Her strength was not enough again. Even after all those tough trainings. Even after the wounds on her knuckles reappeared, which she hid with bandages. By improving her endurance, she was able to defeat Angela, an outstanding heavyweight. But Grace was even stronger. Perhaps their strengths were about equal, but Charlotte was again half a step behind.

"Are you going to look for excuses again?"

It wasn't her voice. It was a voice that Charlotte had been trying to forget for more than six years. It was the voice of her sister, who always blamed Charlotte for wanting to live the way she wanted, and not the way their parents wanted. Elizabeth has always strived to be the perfect daughter, unquestioningly fulfilling the will of their parents. Charlotte was different in those days. At that time, Charlotte did not know that she had the right to independently manage her fate. In those days, she was just looking for all sorts of excuses not to do what she was told.

But everything has changed. She has changed. She has changed the day she was kicked out of the family. The day she chose her own path. The day she decided that she would become a fighter whose name would resound through generations. She wanted to be an example for those who decided to devote themselves to martial arts. For this purpose, she promised herself that every day she would strive to become stronger than she was yesterday.

Gritting her teeth, the pink-haired woman moved her left leg back, while simultaneously throwing her left hand forward and up in order to grab her opponent's wrist. In this way, she intended to stop her falling and stay on her feet. Taking as deep a breath as possible, she was going to bend her left arm at the elbow in order to straighten up to her full height and pull Grace to her at least half a step.

Perhaps many would find this action absolutely useless, because as a result, the distance between women would become minimal and the ability to strike would almost completely disappear. Especially for Charlotte, who always needed free space in order to make strong strikes. Yes, in most cases, such an action on her part would be really useless. However...

"Stronger than yesterday..." she would have muttered when she found herself face to face with her rival.

She did it for a reason. She closed the distance in order to deprive Grace of the opportunity to strike her again. And if someone wondered how Charlotte herself was going to hit from such a distance, then the answer to this question was very close, it was only necessary to lower the eyes slightly. As soon as the Sand Lizard shortened the distance, she straightened her right palm and touched Grace's solar plexus with the tip of her index finger.

It gave her the opportunity to get a win in her previous match against another heavyweight. Despite all the skill of the Frenchwoman, even she could not always do it perfectly. That's why she didn't use it in every match. But today she was sure she could. There was too much at stake today. She had no right to make a mistake today. And she was confident in her abilities today.

Her fingers began to bend into a fist. Her forearm and shoulder moved forward in sync. Fully straightening her legs as if she wanted to jump, Charlotte intended to turn her torso slightly to the left. Perfect synchronization of all body parts for just one punch. Few people had the willpower to master it. Charlotte beat a wooden board for six months, peeling the skin off her knuckles every day.

But she mastered it. And now she intended to demonstrate the result. Clenching her fist completely, Charlotte intended to hit Grace right in the solar plexus, and then immediately pull her hand back in order to complete the punch, into which she put all the strength of her body. The punch that personified her striving for the top! The punch with which she intended to send her opponent to the ropes behind her and make her bounce off them! The one-inch punch!

One inch punch