*Boom Boom Boom* Three loud sounds played through the speakers of the arena just as Yuki's victory was announced. There had been no fanfare to announce her arrival. No blaring music. No video package. And yet there stood the self-proclaimed Queen of the Lightweights, Rose Gold. She'd given three claps with the mic in her hands, the source of the jarring sounds. Spoiler
She was present in all of her liliputian glory. She made no descent towards the ring and was not dressed for a fight. She wore jeans and a grey sleeveless sweater that made her pale skin seem even more radiant. Her perfect cheekbones were pulled high in a grimly amused smile as she brought the mic up to her lips. "Ganbare. Yuki."
*Boom* The mic hit the ground with an audible crash that was promptly followed by feedback as the Brutal Blonde turned and walked back behind the curtain. It was enough for Yuki to know that she'd been there. That she'd seen her. That she was noticed. For better, or more likely, for worse.
Yuki had won the match. She was rejoicing in her victory, and as hard-fought a victory as it was, it brought her a great sense of relief to finally have come through in the end. It had cost Yuki nearly all of her strength to try and keep her indomitable opponent down, but in the end, her determination had all paid off. Yuki might normally have been a stoic girl, but she couldn't help but let her emotions run high as a grin came to her face. As far as Yuki was concerned, she had earned it.
It was just then, however, that Yuki heard the booms come over the microphone, and her triumphant expression turned to one of confusion. She turned back to the source of the noise - and there, she froze. Her eyes widened and she stood stock-still as she took in what she saw before her.
Rose Gold. The same woman who had shown Yuki a crippling defeat at We Are LAW 2020, a defeat that the girl was still trying to build herself back up from. She had gone into this match looking to prove that the loss wouldn't keep her down, and, as she delivered the final blow to Sally, Yuki thought she had proven herself as worthy a competitor as she had ever been. But Rose, on the other hand, was making sure to keep that defeat in everyone's mind, taunting her with the very words she had used to mock her all the while. The sound of them made Yuki tense, all the pain and humiliation she had faced flooding back to her.
Biting her lip as her brows narrowed, Yuki ran to the edge of the ring, grabbing onto the ropes and leaning over them. The fatigue in her body no longer mattered - she felt a second wind come over her as she was reinvigorated by the anger she felt toward the blonde. For the betrayal she had felt that night, and for what she faced even now, as Rose wouldn't let her have even the pride of a victory to her name. "You-!" Yuki called. "What are you doing here?! What...what do you want-!?"
Yuki tried her best to sound defiant. She'd just won the match, and that was a current of courage and valor she could draw on. Yet now, faced with Rose, even that was failing her. Her voice wavered and her eyes twitched, and as much as she tried to take in a breath and stand steady she couldn't stop herself from trembling. Ever since that encounter, Yuki had been afraid to engage Rose Gold again - and now, the blonde would remind everyone of that.
"ROSE! What do you want-!?" she called again. But Rose said nothing, slipping back behind the curtains. For what felt like an eternity, Yuki stood there, staring back toward the entrance. She held out hope that Rose would show up again; that she would at least have answers. She hoped, if that happened, that she would be ready for it. But there was nothing. Rose was gone.
Yuki bowed her head in a sigh, realizing that their story wasn't over. For now, all she could do was make her way out of the ring. She climbed over the ropes and headed back up the ramp, staring down at the floor beneath her. She might have won the match - but had she won the war?
