Yuki Kazikura vs. Satsuki Hayano - POW Match

[FreestylePoet]

Where Yuki was tense in her efforts to steel herself, Satsuki was the opposite: Ready and eager to jump back into the fray. She had to be, given that she was offering herself on a silver platter for Yuki's next move. She would survive, of course, and in the process learn more about Yuki's style. Mental and physical warfare were one now, and here she sought to gain an edge in both. A twitch of a muscle here, a wince of the face there. Like a poker player taking stock of an opponent's tells, every moment brought new insights that she'd no doubt use to take Yuki Kazikura down.

Inviting Yuki to take the offensive served that purpose, though it also excited Satsuki to no end. As the seconds ticked by, her muscles started to coil, and her heart began to quicken. How couldn't they? After all, she was about to experience the talent of one of LAW's finest firsthand! In but a few moments, her mettle would be tested like never before.

The battle cry was like a starting pistol, and Satsuki twitched to life, sprinting to match her foe! Yuki's speed was the first thing she noticed. To this point in her career, Satsuki had never actually fought another lightweight. Yuki didn't betray the promise of their division, bounding off the ropes to come at her with speed!

The arm was next to rear its head. Flying at her with deadly intent, it promised more than a modicum of power to go with all that agility. And it also posed quite a risk. Her eyes flickered towards the oncoming blow. High. Low. Low. High. Where would it go, and where should she dodge? The whole exchange, from charge to pass to first contact, and she ruminated on this read for just a beat too long.

"GAAH!" As a result, Yuki's arm crashed into her, releasing all that built-up energy with a powerful strike! Enough to floor most anyone, surely, and certainly enough to take Satsuki's wind. She flew back! Limbs akimbo as she spun ass-over-teakettle. The Queen of Clubs bounced off the small of her back, forcing a second yelp.

But then, like a freerunner after a bad fall, she rolled with the impact. Satsuki continued to fall back, letting herself flip upon the canvas until she could catch herself on two feet. A pained, shaky hand completed the three-point landing, and Satsuki pushed herself up in an instant. Pink hair whipped into a frenzy as she searched for Yuki between the tresses. Her smile was blended into a pained grimace, though that manic row of teeth never fully vanished. After all, there was more battle to be had here -- if Yuki would take it.

[CaptainL]

It wasn't just in terms of their entrances and presentation that Yuki and Satsuki stood in contrast to one another. It was in their styles and strategies; their attitude as to how they approached this match. Yuki was a calm, collected tactician who spent most of her time on the defensive - watching her opponents, analyzing their moves, and determining when, where, and how to strike to achieve the optimal effect. Her thoughts were always running with mental calculations, assessing how everything her opponent might do could set up a situation she might be able to take advantage of, and she was more likely to let them strike first so that she could counter than she was to go in guns blazing. It was the same philosophy that had led to her success in the past, and she saw no reason to change it now. If anything, Yuki felt more cautious now than ever before; after a series of devastating losses, neither her body nor her pride could handle any risks.

Satsuki, though...if Satsuki had a plan, it was one that threw caution to the wind. She was more than willing to take risks and to put herself in the line of fire; for her, that was part of the excitement of it all. She knew she was going up against a woman who had once been the #1 contender for the Lightweight Championship - and even if Yuki might have become notorious for her propensity for injury in recent times, it was Yuki's victories, not her defeats, that made Satsuki so interested in this match, whether or not the Dynamite Schoolgirl suspected otherwise.

It was, perhaps, because of that that when Yuki came charging straight toward her opponent with the momentum of the ropes behind her, Satsuki wasn't so quick to get out of the way. She glanced back and forth, but the raven-haired girl was getting closer and closer, up until she rammed into her with a thud! Yuki grit her teeth, bracing herself from the impact of body against body, as Satsuki was sent toppling to the floor. Shaking out her arm, she turned around to look back at her foe. A smile began to come to her face, knowing she had scored a blow against her opponent - but Yuki knew she couldn't rest assured yet. Satsuki might have been down, but she wasn't out.

Indeed, it didn't take her long at all to roll into place, and from there to push herself back to her feet. Yuki bit at her lip - she recognized what Satsuki was getting at. She was using the momentum of the blow to push her along, turning even a successful hit on her into something she could use to her advantage! It was then that Yuki was gripped by the chilling realization that whatever she could do, Satsuki was thinking a step ahead. Anything she thought could work, Satsuki would have already considered. She sucked in a breath, trying to slow her escalating heart rate, and her fist clenched at her side.

But Yuki couldn't loose her cool, she told herself. That was how she lost matches, and she was out to prove she was better than that. After all, the match had just begun, and she still had a chance! Sucking in a breath, she hopped backward, getting onto the middle rope this time as Satsuki was still getting her bearings. As soon as she had straightened herself, Yuki would throw herself toward the Queen of Clubs, extending her legs to grab her head and take her down with a hurricanrana!

[FreestylePoet]

Perhaps Yuki and Satsuki weren't so different after all. In a fight, Satsuki fashioned herself as an eager learner. After all, information was key to any victory. Strengths, weaknesses, preferences, tells. All were obscured behind the fog of war until an enterprising competitor sought them out.

But where Yuki preferred to stand back and observe, Satsuki's classroom was the front lines. Even in a game, quid pro quo was the law of the land. Satsuki knew she had to give to get -- to spend some resource in exchange for another step towards her win. In poker, it was her chips, spent to see the next card or pass the action to another player. In the ring, it was her very body. Slammed and thrown and struck, secured only by the tenuous hope that she may slam or throw or strike soon after.

That was the foundation of her risk-taking ways. That, and the sheer thrill of having the consequences of her actions hanging over her like the Sword of Damocles. Necessity -- both rational and compulsive -- drove her. Still, she knew nothing about Yuki going in. That was by design; what fun was starting to play before even meeting her opponent?

Now, though, the game was afoot. If she wasn't on the offensive, then Satsuki would throw herself into the fray to learn the way of Yuki's fist. The clothesline, while simple, was an adequate first lesson. It proved that her opponent was nimble, tricky, and deceptively strong. But she needed more. More of Yuki's skill. More of Yuki's danger. Both to turn against her later, as well as to simply experience the blasts of the Dynamite Schoolgirl.

Satsuki spun on a dime, peering through the wild pink foliage of her hair in search of her quarry. Her swimming vision, spun both by Yuki's clothesline as well as her own roll, didn't help matters. It was just too late when she finally spotted Yuki, perched upon the middle rope! With bared teeth, she made to lunge, but the Dynamite Schoolgirl was already in the air! Satsuki's arms flew up in a desperate defense, but it was in vain. Two slender legs locked around her head, and once more she was upended.

If the clothesline failed to floor her, this next move certainly did the trick. Satsuki's instinctual defense had put her arms in a poor spot. By the time she was flung aside, the pinkette had no hope of breaking her own fall! Her back and neck hit the ground with a resounding thud, and crowd and canvas alike groaned with the impact. She swiped at air, perhaps still battling the ghost of where Yuki had just been, before those limbs flopped limply besides. Those wild pink locks fell simply upon her face, obscuring everything but two stunned, wide eyes.

[CaptainL]

The thoughts going through each of the two combatant's heads painted a very different picture of how they saw the match they found themselves in. To Yuki, she was a struggling underdog trying to prove that she was still capable of the glories she had once known so well, and she was facing the ultimate test in going up against a wild card like Satsuki - an opponent she could barely begin to understand, only to know that she was a dangerous foe indeed, and one who would test every limit of her skill. To Satsuki, on the other hand, it was Yuki who was the proven, seasoned veteran, who she needed to learn from on the fly if she wanted to stand a chance against, who she could experience the thrill of danger from facing, and who she would cement herself as a capable threat to LAW by not just defeating, but by claiming the very life and freedom of.

But no matter what she, or what Satsuki, thought, Yuki was still going to do her best. She wouldn't let anyone or anything scare her into backing down any more. And as she reminded herself of that, her eyes narrowed in focus, locking in on her opponent. She threw herself from the ropes - and on the way down, she slung her legs around Satsuki's head, latching on tight as she slammed her to the mat!

As the two girls dropped to their backs, the canvas shook with the sound of a thud, and the crowd let out a cheer at the sight of Yuki's triumph. She smiled just a little bit, knowing that she had come out on top, and especially that she had their support. They believed in her! But, as she lowered her head and clenched her teeth, Yuki reminded herself that she couldn't stop now. She couldn't let her excitement trick her into letting down her guard - now she had Satsuki under control, and she needed to hold the pressure on her while she still could.

With one hand, Yuki reached to grab for one of Satsuki's arms, pulling it toward her and between her legs. She kicked her legs into the air, getting them into position - one bent at the knee as it circled the gambler's throat and arm, the other held out straight over her shoulder to anchor it in place. As she clenched her teeth, Yuki secured a rear triangle choke! It was something immediately recognizable as an unorthodox move for Yuki, who had historically struggled with submissions. But she wanted to show how much she had grown in all her time training for this moment. And more to the point, she knew Satsuki was too risky to be let loose.

Spoiler

[FreestylePoet]

All of Satsuki's senses were dulled by the sudden trip to the mat. All, that is, except for her sense of time. Even as her vision swam, Satsuki couldn't help but realize that Yuki did not immediately press her advantage. Where was the other shoe? Surely it would drop soon.

Soon enough, however, that expected attack came in the form of a tug at her arm. A coil wrapped around the sides of her neck, robbing her brain of its life-giving connection to her carotids. Just the same, her windpipe collapsed in on itself, all but crushed by Yuki's femur. This wicked triangle was both blood choke and air choke. "Haaack..." An involuntary wheeze wriggled its way from her throat. The first time this night that she had lost control of her body. If she couldn't escape from this hold, Satsuki noted, it would not be the last. Such was the nature of this bout.

Still, she reared her head, bending it back to spare an upside-down glance at Kazikura. The move bared her neck, pressing it several deadly millimeters further into Yuki's choke. Even so, Satsuki would continue to show her fangs in this moment, would promise that this fight was far from over. She would fix her opponent with a violent glare, even as the very light threatened to flicker from her eyes. She would growl her dissent, even as all she could produce was a pathetic, strangled whine.

And when the time was right, she would strike! Like lightning, her free hand whipped across her body, corralling Yuki's bracing left leg by the toes. She pulled that foot towards her, pinning its heel heel against Satsuki's own left side! While the upper half of Yuki's boot stuck up, unbraced against Satsuki's body, she continued to yank! It was a hasty, makeshift attack, somewhere between a toe hold and an ankle lock!

To those who were well-trained in traditional martial arts, it was a move reviled for its risk to defenders' ankles, and even their knees, if they writhed about carelessly. Of course, Satsuki's disadvantageous position made it much weaker than it ordinarily would be. But all she needed was to catch Yuki off-guard with the pull, and the inherent deviousness would be apparent: It would not be a difficult task for Yuki to escape the hold that compressed her heel and hyperextended her foot. But to do so -- without tearing her own knee in two, anyway -- would require her to pull her leg away from the position that she needed to keep the triangle choke locked in!

This move was dangerous for Satsuki, as all good ones were. It twisted her body subtly as she reached, cranking at her shoulderblades and pressing herself further upon Yuki's shin besides. "Grrk... Ghhk...!" Still, Satsuki figured she could hold out for a few seconds longer, while the tension spiked in Yuki's heel. She continued to scowl at the upside-down image of Yuki, her face contorting with asphyxiated pain.

Her throat, her back, her record, her freedom. All were staked against the Achilles tendon of Yuki Kazikura. A desperate, high-stakes moment that could influence the outcome of the match.

Just how she liked it.

[CaptainL]

After many months of training, honing her skills and expanding the boundaries of what she was capable of, it was finally time for Yuki to put her newfound knowledge to the test - and she didn't intend to disappoint. Sucking in a breath, she lay down behind her opponent and pulled her arm between her legs to lock in the hold. Yuki had never been much of a submission user, but she had been practicing for just this very moment. She'd been through countless drills applying holds like these to her sparring partners, and learning how to work her body into the right position to secure her grasp. But this would be the first time Yuki had used a move like this in a real match. A part of her was anxious - but, at the same time, she knew that if there was ever a time to show to the world how much stronger she had become, it was right here and now.

For a moment, Yuki glanced down toward her opponent. The angry glower on Satsuki's face seemed to be an unspoken threat, and Yuki shuddered at the notion that this woman was out for her blood. Her submission skills were yet unproven, and if this didn't work - which might very well happen - the raven-haired girl knew that she would be facing a merciless foe. But she squeezed her fist tighter, reminding herself that if she was stoking Satsuki's rage, then what she was doing had to be effective enough for the concern to cross her mind. The thought that the Queen of Clubs herself had found herself in danger at her hands was something Yuki could hold onto, to give her hope!

Squeezing her thighs tighter, Yuki lifted her hips up from the mat to apply more leverage to her hold, in the process letting her skirt fall toward her stomach to leave the contours of her groin uncovered as they strained against the fabric of her leotard. But Yuki couldn't be concerned about that - she knew that, if she wanted to hold onto her chances, she needed to cling to Satsuki as though her life depended on it.

But just then, Satsuki struck. Before Yuki could even tell what her opponent was doing, she swung her hand up, grabbing her by the foot. As she craned back on the girl's toes, Yuki's teeth clenced in a grimace as she tried to bear herself through the pain. When Satsuki yanked her leg down against her side, pinning it in place as she stretched her foot further at the toes, Yuki couldn't hold it in any more. She threw her head back, a cry of pain ripped from her lungs. When Satsuki further tightened the pressure on her embrace, Yuki's back arched even higher - but this time, it was from her spine contorting in agony as her body trembled and she let out another scream!

Yuki Kazikura had her pride, but she knew her limits, too. Here, she was forced to concede to one of her other weaknesses - namely, her low tolerance for pain. Even the simplest of joint manipulations could leave her howling, and here, Satsuki was doing just that. She hated to relinquish a position like this so soon, when she seemed to have her opponent right where she needed her - but here, she had no choice.

Yuki let go with her right leg, attempting to roll off of Satsuki to get some distance from her before she lifted herself to her hands and knees. Still wincing from the pain, she nevertheless tossed her head from side to side to shake out her hair, taking a few pants to refill her lungs in preparation for their next clash.

[FreestylePoet]

Satsuki pulled and pulled, wrenching Yuki's delicate ankle with violent intent! Her own strangled efforts for breath were swiftly matched by Yuki's pained shrieks! This was good, she thought. Her wager had paid off -- and finally, she cashed out by rolling to freedom. "Gaaah... gyehh..." She caught her shuddering breath, rubbing at her neck as if she expected ligature marks to appear. Satsuki and Yuki mirrored each other now, both on all fours as they steadied themselves for their next pass.

Eventually, Satsuki rose to her feet. A quick shake of her hair revealed that her coughing had turn to dark giggling. She had the measure of Yuki now, thanks to her body language. Gritting her teeth, clenching her fist. Even the way she squeezed the life out of Satsuki -- far tighter than was necessary, really -- rather than rely on her mechanics. Each was an attempt to keep some emotion or another in check as it threatened to leak through her guard.

What that emotion was? Up for debate. Still, she could use that. Goad her into extending her guard, maybe.

Satsuki waited for Yuki to attempt to rise. At the first sign of motion, she would strike! She quickly stepped around Yuki, drawing a small arc about her foe. Then once more, her leg flashed out, kicking Yuki's left foot out from under her! The crowd lamented the blatant targeting of Yuki's newly-strained ankle, and they were quickly given more to groan about as Satsuki stepped confidently upon the fan-favorite's back.

Her foot wasn't planted with enough force to do much beyond push Yuki down to the canvas. Nonetheless, the message was clear: This pose was one typically reserved for after a hard-fought victory, and even then, it was disrespectful. Satsuki knew this, yet passed up a chance to follow up with more offense in favor of preening to the crowd. Once more, the knives in the stands were unsheathed.

Satsuki licked her lips. Their boos were so sweet. Were they sweet to Yuki as well? Like a sports drink meant to fuel you onward? Or were they bitter, like a paralytic poison? She hoped for the former.

With one more disdainful push of her leg, Satsuki let her opponent be. She walked away, setting up a meter or so away from the far corner of the ring. Once more, she waved Yuki forward. This time, though, she kept herself loose and ready to strike. Gone was her rigid acceptance of Yuki's anticipated offense. The moment for scouting was over. Now was the time to turn planning to action.

"Let's see if you can do that again, Schoolgirl."

[CaptainL]

The aches and pains in Yuki's leg had yet to subside, and even as she crawled out on all fours to put some distance between herself and her opponent, she let out a hiss as her teeth clenched and a shiver went through her body. But she knew she couldn't stop now. This match wasn't over, and if she wanted to prove that she was stronger than she'd been before, Yuki couldn't afford to let anything hold her back. No matter how much it hurt, she needed to get back up and fight her way through it. Losing wasn't an option.

Sucking in a breath, the dark-haired girl got her hands and knees underneath her, pushing herself back up. But before she could reach her full height, Satsuki's kick rang out and clipped her in the back of the leg, causing her to fall forward! Yuki let out a gasp as her footing gave out from underneath her, and she dropped onto her face with an unceremonious thud. And if that wasn't bad enough, Satsuki took one step forward, planting her weight against Yuki's back as her ankle dug into her spine.

She could feel the ache in her back as her spine buckled against the weight of Satsuki's body, but this time, Yuki didn't want to give her the satisfaction of making her cry out in pain. Raising her head off the mat, her teeth were locked in a grimace, and her fingers coiled around a handful of canvas as she tried to drag herself forward, hoping she could pull herself out of her predicament, or failing that, pull herself to the ropes. The fans were booing Satsuki for her cruel treatment of her opponent, and Yuki knew her intentions just as well. It was no mistake she had struck the pose she had - it was a taunt to Yuki, letting her know just how far beneath her Satsuki thought she was. The thought of it made Yuki's brow furrow in frustration, but it also emboldened her to fight back. Whatever she thought, it was just one more thing she had to prove her foe wrong for.

Before Yuki could make any progress, though, Satsuki let her go. The last push she made with her foot caused her face to fall against the mat, her groan muffled against the canvas, but Yuki soon picked herself up, slowly rising to her feet to see Satsuki take her place at the opposite end of the ring. She clenched her fists and got down into a stance, huffing under her breath at the sound of her foe's taunts - but, at the same time, Yuki had doubts in the back of her mind. She saw the change in Satsuki's stance, and how loose and mobile she was. Any direction Yuki came at her, she could easily turn her body to ready herself for it, and she had no idea which way to make her attack. There was no obvious weak spot to target - something that, no doubt, was just part of Satsuki's plan. Did she pick up on how analytical Yuki was, and adjust her tactics accordingly?

Yuki put that thought out of her head. Even if she didn't know the right direction to attack from, she'd make up for that by hitting as hard as she could, so that even if Satsuki tried to counter she'd likely still take a bit of damage. Besides, it was what Satsuki wanted her to do - and one way or the other, Yuki wanted to prove she wasn't going to back down.

"If that's what you want...then fine-!" Leaning down toward Satsuki, Yuki took off in a charge toward the corner, lowering her shoulder to ram into her opponent as she got close. If she moved quick enough, she hoped, Satsuki wouldn't even be able to dodge!

[FreestylePoet]

In truth, Satsuki held no ill will towards Yuki. Really, she quite appreciated the girl's spirit. It might not have looked like that, given everything that they'd done to one another tonight, but it was true. Even so, this was a contest. Victory and defeat were both meant to be total, and Satsuki would leave no stone unturned in her turn to bring Yuki to heel. That was why, at every turn, she taunted, goaded, and insulted Yuki. Not out of malice, but of a pure desire to win.

Also, Yuki was supremely easy to provoke. Every grimace, every grunt, every clench of a jaw or fist was a sign of her mounting frustration. And all it took was a bit of poor positioning on Satsuki's part to draw that ire out. Yuki charged, lining her up for a simple shoulder check! Despite her confidence in her own control of the situation, Satsuki couldn't help but raise her eyebrows at the oncoming threat. Thanks to her position mere feet from the turnbuckles, Satsuki had quite literally cornered herself. Unfortunately, for her opponent, that was exactly the point. Yuki was right: Satsuki couldn't dodge. But who said she needed to?

The Queen of Clubs stepped forward. Once more, her right leg flared out and swung towards Yuki. A savvy viewer might have recognized the motion from Satsuki's opening roundhouse. But this was more than a retread of a successful attack; it was yet another gambit, which Satsuki was all too eager to take. If she couldn't avoid the hit, it seemed, Satsuki was going to attempt to head it off, even if it meant throwing away any hope of defense! Even after their joust which had ended in Yuki's clothesline. Even after Satsuki's risky escape attempt from the brutal triangle choke. Surely yet another risky duel would occur!

But it didn't.

Instead, that foot stayed on the canvas, sliding across towards the raven-haired girl. With a quick diagonal step, Satsuki's leg turned from a roundhouse aimed at Yuki's side into a sweep aimed at their feet! She hoped to take Yuki's legs out from under her -- and send her spilling face-first into the turnbuckle pads!

[CaptainL]

Yuki's greatest strength, perhaps even more than her swiftness, her high-flying moves, or her analytical thinking, was her determination. Even when the odds seemed stacked against her - even if she was coming off injuries and a few high-profile losses, putting her very freedom on the line against an opponent who seemed like the portrait of confidence, Yuki refused to give up or back down. But that could just as easily be one of her greatest weaknesses. She could be stubborn if her mind was set to something; if she was confident things would work out for her, it was hard to get her to stop, especially once she'd gotten things in motion. And when Yuki had Satsuki in the corner, and was closing in on her with nowhere in sight for the gambler to run or hide, it seemed as though her shoulder charge would do the trick. It wasn't the flashiest of moves, but what Yuki wanted was for it to be effective, and when she was trying to keep the pressure on Satsuki so she could maintain control over the match, she needed results quickly.

Steadily, Yuki was closing in. Her dark hair trailed behind her as she careened toward Satsuki. She saw her foe raise her leg, and for a moment she sucked in a breath, her fingers balling into a fist as her muscles went rigid and her jaw pulled tightly shut. Yuki was fighting a race against time, now - Satsuki was readying her attack, and she was moving too quickly to slow down now; there would be no time to avoid it. Her only hope was to have faith in her speed, and count on crashing into Satsuki before she could hit!

But Yuki wasn't even getting that. Satsuki did somethng else entirely - at the last minute she stepped to the side, throwing a kick at Yuki's ankle that swept her footing aside! The young joshi was moving too fast to stop her strides, and she carried that same momentum into her fall as her feet left the canvas. She felt herself falling forward, plummeting toward the corner post, and her jaw fell open in a gasp as a yelp left her throat. But it was only seconds later that her head made contact with the turnbuckles. A thud rang out, and Yuki dropped onto her knees, leaving her slumped in the corner!