Yuki Kazikura vs. Satsuki Hayano - POW Match

[FreestylePoet]

It all happened so fast. Not a second had passed since Satsuki jumped out for her Splash the Pot, but already there was a whirlwind of commotion. When the bewildered pinkette scanned the area for her suddenly-missing quarry, she found only a blur of yellow and black! Yuki was already in action, her boot tracing a wide arc as it rocketed towards Satsuki!

The kick landed square on Satsuki's cheek, sending a spray of sweat onto the mats below! She fell to a palm and two knees, her remaining hand rubbing at the newest sore spot. Satsuki growled. Though the rapidly-reddening mark quickly seared into her nerves, her body willed itself forward once more, and she restarted her lunge!

But Yuki was already whirling towards her once more! The Schoolgirl's momentum took her into a full spiral, until she faced Satsuki once more, this time equipped with a lunging chop! Satsuki reached up in an attempt to intercept the blow, meeting Yuki's battle cry with one of her own! A second yawned into eternity, as the world looked on: Two hands reaching towards one, a desperate defense in the face of what may have been a death knell, until...

"Ghhk... tch...!"

Silence filled Korakuen Hall as the LAW faithful took in the sight before them. The chop had landed. Satsuki's neck was compressed like a bobblehead, and her posture was all sorts of crooked. And yet she still knelt, her trembling form and shuttered eyes the only sign of the damage dealt.

Her hands were clasped around the sides of Yuki's one. She was just too late, it seemed, to stop Yuki's chop... but still quick enough to catch it before she could withdraw. The audience surely expected some rapid counter or another, waiting with bated breath for that other shoe to drop. Instead Satsuki stood. She slowly shifted her feet out from under her with a series of stuttered grunts, her legs wavering and uneasy. With all the blows she'd taken, especially to the head, it was no wonder that Satsuki was having difficulty standing. Eventually, though, she rose to meet Yuki's level. Only then did she open her eyes.

And it was like a whole new woman stood before her. Yuki was still held in the chop position, her arm still outstretched and her wild black locks just now settling behind her. Her face was firm and resolute, still screwed in effort from the combination blows. Her body language was the real giveaway. It was natural, almost as if she was comfortable despite the unspoken threat of a counter. She was loose not just with confidence, but with freedom. This was not merely Yuki being undaunted. This was her being unshackled.

She understood now. Yuki hadn't been wearing the mask of a fighter. No, the coward was the veneer – forced upon her, no doubt, by the slings and arrows of life as a fighter. She'd finally shrugged them off and now moved with a newly recovered pride. Satsuki's eyes flickered to life once more. Energized rather than manic. Eager rather than rabid.

The Queen of Clubs and the Dynamite Schoolgirl would be the players. Korakuen Hall would be the stage. And this one final standoff would be the performance of a lifetime. It was a finish that both Satsuki and Yuki could finally, finally be proud of, because...

"...It's you."

The real Yuki Kazikura had arrived.

[CaptainL]

No more running away. No more hiding. It was time for Yuki to get serious. The switch had been flipped, and now, it was time for Satsuki to get a taste of Yuki's true power - all the potential, the strength, and the willpower that she had suppressed for so long was finally bubbling back to the surface. The crowd cheered at the sight of the girl's defiant retaliation. This was the Yuki they'd all come to see, the Yuki that Satsuki hoped to face, and the Yuki that Yuki herself had missed so dearly for so long. She could feel the pounding of her heart as her excitement soared, and when she heard the roar of the crowd a tingle ran through her whole body. There it was. There was the way they used to cheer for her; the sort of moment she hadn't been able to recapture in longer than she could remember. And now, it was here.

Yet, no matter how much Yuki was excited, and no matter how much she felt a chill in her spine with the awakening of feelings long buried, her expression remained still and unchanging. Her eyes were narrowed, her mouth was a flat line. She had brought all of her unwavering focus onto this one moment, onto Satsuki, onto the clash of their bodies, and she couldn't let anything distract her from what was at hand. She'd worked too hard for this to let it slip now.

For a brief moment, the action had gone still, as Satsuki caught Yuki's hand. Like a clash of blades, two well-honed, focused movements had met at the exact same moment, and everything had halted. The only motion was the rise and fall of Yuki's shoulders as she took in breaths, and the only sound was Satsuki's voice as she whispered a few things to Yuki. In that moment, they both realized they were up against an opponent who was on the exact same level, who matched them in every respect. And it was something they both wanted. After a few more seconds, their bodies moved again, ever so slightly. This time, it was Yuki nodding her head to Satsuki, confirming what she'd said. It was true. This was her. And now, it was time Satsuki got her match.

Moments later, Yuki sprung back to action! Her hand stayed in Satsuki's clutches, but now, letting out another roar, she would instead strike out with her knee, raising it with a blow aimed for the gambler's sternum! This was it, this was her chance, and she wasn't going to hold back!

[FreestylePoet]

Yuki's nod was small, almost imperceptible. But it spoke volumes about her intent. Satsuki's heart took a thrilled thrum, and a familiar sensation washed through her being. While her opponent might have drawn power from the familiarity of the crowd, their noise fell away into a vacuum. Soundless, except for the beating of their hearts, the heaving of their lungs, and the twitches of their muscles. The moment was all Satsuki needed.

She only had time to flash a wide, welcoming grin at Yuki before both wrestlers sprung into action!

In an instant, Yuki's knee rose like a phoenix from the ashes. It was aimed straight at her body, and there was no stopping it. Ordinarily, Satsuki would find a way to dodge the blow, or to otherwise roll with the impact. But the battle had taken its toll on her. Even augmented by the nitrous in her veins, the fumes in Satsuki's tank couldn't fuel such a move.

Instead, she threw herself into the fire, pulling Yuki in closer! "Gaakh-!" The knee collided, the motion only burying it deeper into Satsuki's chest. The pain was inconsequential; this match would be decided by its final minute. Now, however, she was in position to make a move of her own!

With Yuki's arm still in tow, she pulled it down and hopped up, latching her legs around Yuki's head! Then she released the Dynamite Schoolgirl's wrist and let herself fly, hoping to fling Yuki down to the canvas with a Tilt-a-Whirl Headscissor Takedown!

Spoiler

[CaptainL]

Yuki could feel the thump of her knee burying into Satsuki's chest, and the shift of their bodies that came as the gambler bent backward against the brunt of the blow. Her muscles were stiffened by the rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins with every pump of her heart, as it pounded in her chest with the force of a hammer blow. She knew she had scored a hit against Satsuki, and yet, she couldn't be satisifed with her efforts - not yet. Not a single muscle on her face moved; her expression was as rigid and focused as ever. This wasn't over - she already knew it would take more than that to bring Satsuki down. She couldn't get lost in her excitement when there was still so much work to be done. But she was ready for that.

The two fighters moved with mechanical precision; every motion each of them made was mirrored by one in turn from their opponent. For every action, a reaction; for every move, a counter. Satsuki reeled from the knee strike, but even as she pulled backward, she kept her grip on Yuki's arm, bringing the raven-haired girl along with her. Yuki went stumbling forward - and then, Satsuki's legs kicked into the air, latching around Yuki's head!

Yuki could feel the full weight of her opponent's body come down around her shoulders. Her knees buckled beneath her, struggling to stay up. At last, as Satsuki rolled her body up over Yuki's shoulders, her feet were lifted off the mat, whipping her in an arc through the air. She knew she had to think fast; with precious seconds to spare, this move could mean the end of the match if Yuki wasn't careful! But she had come too far to just lose again!

As her body came plummeting back toward the mat, the unthinkable happened. Yuki kicked out with her legs - and caught herself on her feet, just before she could come crashing down! She was bent over backward, her back parallel to the canvas, with only her feet on the mat to keep her up. But she had landed!

The crowd was cheering wildly now for the fast-paced rhythm of the match, and the acrobatic feats the two girls were performing even this late in the game, when by all means their stamina should have been ground down to dust. But none of it reached Yuki's ears. Lost in the intensity of the battle, she knew what she needed to do. She had to bring Satsuki down! Using all her strength to shove herself back upright, She leaned over forward, doubling over at the waist, and using the momentum of Satsuki's swing to reverse her own move back on her - she ducked down to catapult Satsuki over her back instead, slamming her against the mat!

[FreestylePoet]

Satsuki swung around Yuki's neck, drawing oohs and aahs from the enthralled audience. This was what they came to see: Two fighters, digging deep and showing the full extent of their skills to put the other down once and for all! The Queen of Clubs felt her weight shift and knew that Yuki was on her way down. She powered through with her legs, putting all her force into what she hoped would be a decisive takedown!

But it was not to be. Satsuki heard a resounding thud and felt her progress halt. Flicking her gaze to the side, Satsuki gasped when she saw that Yuki had caught herself on both feet! The Dynamite Schoolgirl was essentially bridging now, and it wasn't long until she pulled every ounce of core strength to stand upright! "What are you- GAAAH!" Her opponent stood up, quickly leaning forward to all but dump Satsuki into the mat!

Her back crashed into the canvas, sending crackles of pain up and down her spine! Then she went ass-over-teakettle, the slam's momentum sending her into a spiral about her head. Somehow, that flip was fortuitous; rather than simply lay and stare up at the lights, Satsuki was able to catch herself on a hand and two feet.

This wasn't like before, though. Not at all like when she rolled with Yuki's blows, lessening their impact and turning them into fuel for a rapid counter. Satsuki was just as quick to right herself, but there was much less conscious design in the motion. Her face was screwed into a gnarling wince, and her three-point stance was unsteady.

But she had to shake off that pain and jump back into the fray. "Hrr!" With a growl, Satsuki lunged forward once more! She took one crawl towards Yuki before rolling forward. As she repositioned, an agile diagonal spin turned into a tornado of activity; when Satsuki stood on her hands and shoulders, she became a whirling dervish! She twirled on the canvas like a breakdancer, sending a wild flurry of kicks towards Yuki's head and upper body!

Spoiler

[CaptainL]

All hesitation and any reservations had gone out the window. Now, both women wanted nothing else but to throw themselves into the thick of the fight with every bit of effort they could wring out of their bodies, and they were willing to do whatever they could to win, no matter what it took. And now that both of them were fully engaged and immersed in the intensity, that desire was showing through crystal clear. It was like clockwork - every motion Yuki made, Satsuki mirrored with a counter that was perfectly timed, and perfectly designed to match the force with which the dark-haired girl met her. But Yuki, in turn, was adapting quickly to the pace Satsuki set, countering every counter! Each move they made was building the tension up more and more - now, it was only a matter of who would slip up first, and who would send the whole tower toppling down. One wrong move could be enough to end the whole match, but neither Yuki nor Satsuki wanted to do it!

With the balance and grace of an acrobat, Yuki flipped herself through the air, twirling off the same momentum that Satsuki had used to lift her. The crowd gasped in awe as her feet came down against the canvas, catching herself just in time - and as she ducked forward, swinging Satsuki to the ground! Yuki straightened her back, panting a few times to try to catch her breath. Her skin glistened with sweat in the lights, and her shoulders slumped against the weight of fatigue. But Satsuki wasn't going to give her a chance to do that, and almost as soon as she hit the ground, she had righted herself!

Yuki gasped as she saw Satsuki crawling closer. She wasn't even sure if her foe would have it in her - but Satsuki clearly had energy to spare; no one could deny that when they saw her roll herself onto her hands, lifting her body up into the air with her legs twirling like the blades of a helicopter! Her survival instincts sent a shock through her body, and at the nick of time, Yuki bent over backward, her back held parallel to the canvas. If she was a second off, she would have surely taken the blow head-on. But now, Satsuki's legs passed by overhead, just milimeters way from grazing her nose. The crowd cheered Satsuki for such a brilliant move - but they were also cheering Yuki for dodging it! And now that she had dodged, Yuki already knew she had to set up a counter of her own!

But then, she already knew what to do. Her expression hardened, her eyes narrowed into a focused glare. She dug her heels into the mat; then, with only her footing to keep her anchored in place, she reached upward, moving to grab Satsuki by the ankle as her leg passed just overhead! If she could steady the motion of her whirlwind, Yuki would then lift her hips up into the air and kick her feet off the ground, trying to get her own legs laced around Satsuki's thigh - and if that worked, she would let out a roar as she threw her weight over to the side, looking to bowl Satsuki to the ground with her leg caught in a kneebar!

[FreestylePoet]

An impressive dance move became an improvised attack as Satsuki whirled towards her opponent! If the audience thought the match was at a fever pitch before, then they were absolutely enraptured by this latest development. One after another, Satsuki's kicks spun out at blistering pace, each one skating ever closer to Yuki's face.

Just when she thought her boot might find purchase, Satsuki felt her momentum suddenly stop! She looked over, only to see Yuki once again ducking Matrix-like underneath her most recent blow. Not only that, but she had caught Satsuki's leg in between her own! Before Satsuki could growl her disdain, she was flung onto her back.

"Ghhk-!" Tendons stretched and twisted at Yuki's command. It took all of Satsuki's will not to scream at the sudden joint lock, an effort that spilled out onto her forehead in the form of slick sweat. The crowd crescendoed as the Queen of Clubs found herself in what looked like an unescapable position! Once, twice, thrice her free foot stomped on the canvas in frustration.

But this couldn't be the end. Two steadying breaths puffed from her cheeks to her lips. The leg that had been the conduit for her rage just seconds ago slid over like a snake in the grass. It slipped between Yuki's legs, hooking around the front of one. Satsuki pried it out with all her might, hoping that it would be thrown back as soon as could no longer brace against Satsuki's thigh.

With Yuki's stance akimbo, now was the time to strike! Satsuki lashed out, hoping to clamber atop Yuki's back and lock in a rear naked choke! Her tired, battered body couldn't bother rolling onto her side or back, and so she merely flopped atop her foe. But when she did? Every ounce of energy would go into constricting Yuki's airways.

"You feel it, right?" she asked, sweat dripping from every pore. "Your heart? My heart? This moment, both our backs against the wall..." She tightened her grip to punctuate the message. "It was almost worth the wait."

[CaptainL]

No slowing down, no stopping, no turning back. All those thoughts were racing through Yuki's head as she let herself sink into the action of the match, every move and every motion being made at speeds too fast for either of them to stop and think about it. Everything was built off of instinct, and yet every blow was thrown with purpose, as though they both knew without even thinking what they needed to do. Satsuki threw her leg in an arc at Yuki, swinging it with brutal force - yet Yuki was able to duck under it, bending over backwards to swerve away from the kick. If she was only a milisecond off, it would have hit. And yet, when both girls were lost in the thrill of the match and the determination to succeed, their minds worked in perfect synch. Their actions couldn't have been more impeccably paired if they were choreographed.

Before Satsuki's leg had even returned to the ground, Yuki grabbed her by the ankle. And then she kicked her legs off the ground to follow suit, locking them into place around her opponent's thigh! Her entire weight was dangling from Satsuki's leg, as she moved into position for a dragon screw, throwing herself over to the side to bowl the gambler off her feet. But she didn't stop there - now she had Satsuki's leg in her clutches, and as her teeth clenched in focus her grip pulled even tighter, tightening into a kneebar as she stretched Satsuki's leg as far as it could go! The Queen of Clubs pounded at the mat with her leg, and each time it came down Yuki could feel the aftershocks, threatening to shake her position as she wavered against the ripples that ran through the mat. But she didn't let go. It only made Yuki's fingers squeeze tighter, her knuckles blanching under the pressure as she refused to let herself slip.

But Satsuki, too, would adjust her tactics. Emboldened by Yuki's example, she locked her own leg around one of her foe's, and began to pull! Feeling the pressure forcing her leg over to the side, Yuki's eyes widened in shock, the color draining from her cheeks. She tried to pull it back, desperate to resist, but the fatigue was building in her even through all of her enthusiasm to turn things around, and before long, she had no choice. Her leg gave way, and Satsuki was able to slip around her, throwing her arm tight around her throat!

Against the pressure, Yuki coughed and wheezed. Sweat ran down her brow, and when she looked back over her shoulder all she could see was Satsuki's face hovering above hers. She could feel the warmth radiating off her pores, and the heat and moisture of each breath she took. They were only inches apart - and that meant that even now, even when she was being pushed to the brink of passing out, Yuki could still see the fire flash in Satsuki's eyes. She knew it was the same fire behind her own - that now, the two were joined as one, their thoughts and hearts the same. Every beat of Yuki's heart was echoed by one of Satsuki's own. And every feeling, every emotion, that passed through one girl's head, they both knew the other felt it too!

Even through hoarse, weak pants, struggling to keep the air in her lungs, Yuki could still look back at Satsuki, and she could still recognize what she was saying. Even before Satsuki said anything, though, she knew. The competition had finally brought that drive, that will to succeed, out of Yuki. Now, she wasn't holding back. It couldn't have come at a better time.

"Oh, yeah..." she said, the corners of her lips turning up into a smile. "I feel it, all right. I feel it. It's what...I've been waiting for this whole time. It's all thanks to you..."

There were no hard feelings between them, and there was no anger in Yuki's voice. She had been struggling all this time to make something of her career, to overcome her anxieties, to be doing something right again. And Satsuki, in goading her and taunting her and dragging that will out of her, had been what finally pushed her over the edge. If anything...she was thankful for it.

But that wasn't going to make her pull her punches. Yuki was still here to win, and she would do whatever she needed to. With her body held down against Satsuki's, the air draining away from her lungs, there wasn't much more she could do...but she did see her chance. She knew just what could tip the odds back in her favor. It was a risk, it was a daring move, but she had to make it. And just then...she threw her head backward, attempting to slam her skull against Satsuki's own with all her might!

[FreestylePoet]

Satsuki grinned. Even in the jaws of Satsuki's choke, Yuki got it. And of course she did; how could she not? The staccatos of their hearts were arrhythmically in sync. A paradox, just like this moment. Theirs was a shared understanding of what tore them apart in this ring. Both wanted to come out on top. Both would tear that victory from the other when it came to it. And both would throw themselves into the fire to make it happen.

The headbutt was that competitive spirit made flesh! It cracked into Satsuki's nosebridge, flash-searing the front of her face! She crumpled off of her foe, clutching herself with a muffled moan. Her brain screamed a million options: Kip up, helicopter kicks, armbar, anything to retake the advantage. But her body, leaden in some parts and aflame in others, refused to comply. Instead, she felt it continue to flop and roll, creating distance between herself and Yuki.

That retreat became a full-on withdrawal: First she was next to Yuki, then farther from her, then at the ropes, then underneath and on the apron. Finally she came to a stop on the other side of the ropes. Satsuki made to rise but found herself stumbling instead. Before a fall onto one knee could become a collapse onto the mat, she clutched the ropes.

On the second attempt, she made it to her feet. The toll their battle had taken on her was clear. One eyelid was closed, the wince made permanent by a dull throb that would surely become a bruise later. Her free arm hovered inches from the bend in her hip, refusing to land on the sore spot but nonetheless proving her momentary weakness. Even as her muscles tensed to take her back into the fight, they did so slowly and deliberately.

Satsuki nodded to herself, taking a deep gulp of air. This respite would be her last, and whatever happened after would end this match in short order. "One more, Yuki," she breathed out. "One more. For all the marbles. You game?"

[CaptainL]

At this stage in the match, every move the two combatants had made had effortlessly flowed into the next. Their bodies had been in constant motion, never giving each other a break to recuperate or to counter - they had to hold down the pressure at every moment, just to keep control from slipping out of their fingers. Every time one of them struck, the other was quick to block, or get out of the way, or use that momentum to counter into another move. But now, at long last, the action had finally ground to a halt. Now, with Yuki's headbutt landing against Satsuki's face with the sound of a loud crack, the gambler had been thrown off her perch, going rolling across the canvas. And for the first time in what seemed like ages, everyone - Yuki, Satsuki, and everyone who had been glued to the action for fear of missing a second if they looked away - had time to breathe.

At last, with Satsuki thrown from her position on top of her, Yuki began to rise. Planting her hands against the mat, she pushed herself up into a seated position, her shoulders rising and falling with each labored breath she took. Her head hung low to the mat, her hair dangling below and slicking off the sweat that ran from her brow. The break in the action gave Yuki a moment to catch her breath, but it also gave her time to think - and time to remember the strain she had been forcing her body through, all in the name of proving herself to her opponent. An ache ran down her back as she twitched and shuddered, and her teeth clenched in a pained groan. Yuki knew this match was approaching its conclusion, and she wouldn't have much left in her much longer. But Satsuki knew that, too. And as Yuki finally pushed herself the rest of the way up, lifting herself onto her feet and rolling out her stiff shoulders, the two looked at each other from across the ring, sharing a knowing look, and nodding their heads. This was it. This was the moment that would decide not just the match, but the participants' freedom. It was all up to who took control now - and both wanted it to be them.

Yuki's heart was pounding in her chest, and she clenched her fists tighter to steel her nerves, but she made her way toward Satsuki, taking a step forward with one foot and then the other. She brought her arm up to wipe off her brow, but then she held her fists out in front of her, balled and ready to strike, as she met Satsuki's eyes with a narrowed and determined look. More than any other time, in this match or any other, Yuki wanted her next move to land just right. There was too much depending on it for failure to even be a possibility.

"Oh, yes," she said, steadily closing in on her foe. "I'm ready. I've waited a long time for this moment, right now..."