[Standard Match] Hidesato Itone vs Izumi Tachibana (D) - The dance of wind and ice

[skip-stop]

It took a lot of effort, but Itone did it. The Japanese woman's pale skin glistened with sweat, and her heavy breathing betrayed how tired she was. However, if the second heiress of the Hidesato family had not been ready for this, she would never have come here. She came here to become the best, no matter how much effort she needs to put into it.

Forcing her body to work to the maximum, the White Swan kicked Izumi in the head with such force that the blue-haired woman's body literally spun on the spot. This gave her time to bounce off the ropes a second time. Having reached probably the maximum possible speed that she was capable of, Itone made a jump and grabbed her opponent's head.

Transferring all the momentum to the Azure Dragoness, Itone slammed the blue-haired woman's head into the mat. The collision was so violent that Izumi's body literally turned over, as a result of which she found herself face up with her arms and legs spread wide.

"Pha... pha..."

Ignoring the treacherous thoughts of respite, the White Swan turned over on her stomach and got up on all fours. After a quick glance at her opponent, she was convinced that the only sign of life on Izumi's part was her breathing. Therefore, the second heiress of the Hidesato family hurried to do what she hoped would bring her victory.

Pressing her chest against her opponent's, she grabbed Izumi's far leg under her knee and pulled it up. The referee acted quickly and after a moment the striped shirt first lay down next to the fighters, and then, accompanied by the cheers of the audience, slapped the mat with her palm.

"ONE!" Echoed through the arena.

[Bare]

Stars. That was all that Izumi could see at the moment after taking that rather brutal ddt from Itone, leaving her completely and utterly stunned on the mat following the blow. 'Ugh... damn... that was.. I don't even have a word for it...' Izumi thought to herself, trying to push herself up after it only to fall back down on the mat, totally rocked.

Really though she should have expected nothing less. Itone alone was a very skilled fighter, everything up until this point screamed it to her. The way she moved, the way she threw her fists and kicks, it was terribly impressive. Normally Izumi would have been delighted and overjoyed at such a strong opponent for her debut match. Unfortunately it was overshadowed by the sheer pain she was feeling from such a brutal combination.

Likewise she'd have something far greater to worry about in a matter of moments as she felt herself rolled over by the White Swan before a weight dropped on top of her chest along with her leg being pulled up for a pin fall!

'No.. I can't.. I can't let this end here!' Izumi thought to herself, hearing the ref count "ONE!" and then "TWO!!" and then finally... "TH- No!" Just before the ref could bring their hand down for the final count Izumi would thrust her leg with all she could muster before twisting to the side with the momentum, using everything to kick out at the last moment!

[skip-stop]

While her sister ignored the rules of their family with her whole being, Itone tried to follow the traditions all her life. Her composure made her literally cold, but thanks to this, the White Swan was able to think soberly in almost any situation. However, things were different now. When the referee slapped the mat for the second time, the white-haired woman's heart began to beat at breakneck speed. The reason was simple. She passionately wanted to win and now she was closer than ever to victory, which was extremely important for her because this was her first solo match.

The moment when expectations meet reality can shock anyone. And so when at the very last moment Izumi jerked her leg forward with incredible force, simultaneously turning to the side, Itone's already white face turned even whiter. She could have sworn she heard the referee slam the mat for the third time. But when she looked up and saw that the striped shirt was sticking out only two fingers, she realized that the match was still not over.

Having come here, the second heiress of the Hidesato family did not expect an easy victory. An easy victory is not what she wanted. Such a victory was worth absolutely nothing to her. But although you never know exactly how much effort you will have to spend to win, now Itone felt bitterness in her mouth because it seemed to her that she had put in enough effort this time. Nevertheless, her opponent was still determined. So the white-haired woman simply has no other choice but to respond in kind.

"Junbi shi ro..." she muttered.

Hoping that Izumi had used her last strength to break the pin, the White Swan reached for her opponent's head in order to grab it. She intended to wrap her left arm around Izumi's neck and get to her feet, thereby closing the blue-haired woman in an inverted facelock hold. Wanting to end all this here and now, Itone was going to hit the front of Izumi's neck with a downward elbow strike, at the same time pushing her left knee forward to drop the back of the Azure Dragoness's neck on it! Her signature move wasn't enough to win, but Itone was confident that she could finish off Izumi with her finisher. The White Swan art: elegance!

[Bare]

Izumi was hurting really badly right now after getting dropped particularly hard with Itone's last move, and her subsequent pin fall attempt required a majority of her remaining energy in order to kick out of. Something that left her feeling breathless and drained. Of course this match was not over just yet given that a winner had yet to be declared and Itone certainly wouldn't let things end in a draw. As such she was quick to get back on the attack, grabbing Izumi and hefting her up until she was almost to a vertical base. If not for the arms wrapped around her head presently and keeping her bent over.

Now despite her tiredness and pain coursing through her system Izumi wasn't about to just hand over the win to Itone, granted she didn't have much energy left. As such she'd put everything she had left into one last gamble, if it worked than she was sure it could get her victory.. if it failed though she was as good as done. Forced to look upwards at her opponent as she was bent back in the inverted face lock Izumi would look up, time seeming to slow down as her opponent's hand sailing down, aiming for her neck, the death knell if it hit.

Twisting her hips sharply while bringing her palm up Izumi looked to slap Itone's arm away while trying to break out of Itone's grip so that if all had gone as intended the White Swan would be in front of Izumi with the blue haired woman facing her opponent's back. Perfect for Izumi to reach up, grabbing her foe's shoulders before leaping back and pulling her knees in, bracing them against Itone's back as she fell to hit a backstabber on the woman!

Of course if the move landed successfully than Izumi would use her legs to push Itone up and over her onto her stomach before rolling onto the woman's back, locking her hands over Itone's face and pulling back to complete her submission finisher, the Seiryu Seal!

Spoiler

[skip-stop]

At such moments, the idea of slowing down and taking some rest is always trying to seduce you. Even through her composure, Itone felt this desire. But at the same time, the second heiress of the Hidesato family knew for sure that if she overcame this, that if she made one more effort, she would leave here with a victory. So she sent the fatigue and pain in her body to the devil.

Lifting her opponent to her feet, the white-haired woman took a deep breath, gathered her strength, and then directed all her available strength into her right arm, intending to end it all with the last blow. Her heart was beating with frantic speed at that moment, because this was supposed to be the moment of her triumph, the moment of her victory in the first solo match. But unfortunately, it wasn't her moment of triumph, it was her moment of fiasco.

At the same moment that the White Swan was preparing to use her elbow, Izumi slapped her arm sharply, thereby forcing her to take a step forward. Itone's first reaction was a real shock because it was hard for her to believe that her opponent could find the strength so quickly. And although after a second she realized that the blue-haired woman was right behind her and that she should turn around as soon as possible, it was already too late.

Itone felt hands on her shoulders, and then her body was pulled back and down. The eyes of the second heiress of the Hidesato family widened, and then pain came. Her already severely injured back slammed into the knees of the Azure Dragoness, causing Itone's face to freeze in agony while a strangled scream came out of her mouth.

"GHUAK!"

It's hard to say if she would have stayed lying on Izumi's knees or if she would have just fallen on the mat, but the blue-haired woman deftly threw the White Swan into the air, simultaneously turning her over, as a result of which the second heiress of the Hidesato family ended up face down on the mat. Groaning softly through her teeth, she felt as if her body was chained up because of the terrible pain in her back. But, as is usually the case, the worst was yet to come.

Even before Itone even tried to get up, Izumi joined her hands right on her face, and then began to pull her upper body back. It was a whole bunch of hellish sensations. It was as if someone was trying to rip the skin off her face. And, of course, her spine. After everything her back had been through in this match, the pain seemed unbearable now.

"Shimatta... itai..." sounded in her head.

Itone clung to her opponent's hands in an attempt to loosen her grip, but she was so weak that she could not put enough strength into it. The only thing worse than physical pain was mental pain. She couldn't let her family down. But, what was even more important to her, she couldn't let her sister down. If Yaone had been here, she would have saved her, she would have covered her back like they had done for each other all their lives. But now that Yaone wasn't around, she was completely helpless. This thought made Itone want to cry. But she swore a long time ago that no one would see her tears. And to prevent this from happening, she had only one way out. She tapped on the mat.

[Bare]

Itone was such a strong opponent it was hard for Izumi to believe she was primarily a tag competitor, to the point that Izumi felt that if this were a tag match between herself and another wrestler against Itone and her sister than she believed she would surely lose.

But this wasn't a tag match, it was a singles, Izumi's FIRST singles match in LAW, the company her sister had been a champion in, and she couldn't shame her by losing in her first bout. It was positively out of the question in her mind. That was why even if it hurt, even if she was exhausted, she would do whatever it took to beat Itone and come out the victor.

It was this perhaps more than anything else that fueled Izumi after her desperate pin fall break at the last moment. After all that had taken nearly everything she had left in her reserves to accomplish, and what she was about to do next was even more desperate, but it had managed to work. Escaping from Itone's finisher at the last moment and proceeding to nail the woman spine first with a backstabber followed by an stf, Izumi's own finisher of a submission variety!

Catching the White Swan with it full force and pulling back Izumi had made sure to lock a tight S grip over the woman's face, pulling with everything she had to bend her face and neck back as much as possible, dealing as much pain as she could. For a moment as she felt Itone pull on her hands Izumi worried that it was for naught, that her desperation gamble had failed and that she would be left drained and helpless before the White Swan if she managed to break out...

Thankfully however that wouldn't be the case. Before her strength gave out on her Izumi heard the tell tale signs of tapping on the mat, which meant that Izumi's will and stamina had won out and Itone couldn't take the pain of the submission, tapping out as a result.

Hearing the bell to confirm this Izumi would immediately undo her hands from her opponent's face and collapse backwards, laying on top of the heiress's back for a moment and just breathing, allowing her to relax and let her adrenaline levels come down.

After a moment she would sit up, panting softly as she was helped to her feet by the ref with her hand being raised as a result. Smiling at this Izumi would pose for the fans for a moment before looking down at her opponent and stepping towards Itone, dropping down to one knee and extending a hand out to the girl in a offer to help her up to her feet.

[skip-stop]

The ringing of the bell echoed through the arena, announcing the end of the match and the failure of the second heiress of the Hidesato family. Even when the grip on her face disappeared and her upper body fell onto the mat, she did not stop feeling the pain. Not on her face, but in her soul. A lump formed in the throat of the Japanese woman, which made it almost impossible for her to breathe. Her first solo match ended in defeat and it literally tore her apart.

"Kuso... kuso... kuso!" She was repeating it in her head.

She still felt the fire on her face after the submission hold, but it was nothing compared to the disappointment that gripped her. Even despite the strict traditions of her family, no one would deny that there are matches that you can lose. But there are matches that you have no right to lose. The first solo match was one of them. And so she let her family down, she let her sister down, and most of all she let herself down.

When Izumi got off her back, the second heiress of the Hidesato family slowly took a sitting position, but was in no hurry to get to her feet. Touching her face with her fingertips, she had to suppress the urge to hiss. The top layer of the skin was on fire as if after a hard sandpaper. Turning her head to the side, the White Swan looked at her opponent, who posed with her hand raised above her head, basking in the applause of the audience. This is the right of the winner. The loser has a different right. Leave the ring and hide behind the curtains.

Itone intended to use this right and even put her left palm on her knee, preparing to use it as a support. But before she could get to her feet, the blue-haired woman came up to her and held out her hand. Because of this, the White Swan felt even worse. The fact that she lost is only her fault. Izumi did not use dirty tactics or any tricks. Her victory was crystal clear because she was stronger, faster, more resilient and more skilled. It is impossible to argue with the facts. But by accepting this hand she will have to admit it openly...

Not wanting to disgrace her name and the name of her family even more, Itone swallowed this lump. The White Swan felt terrible because of being disappointed in herself, but she wanted to at least keep the remnants of her honor. Taking Izumi's hand, the white-haired woman rose to her feet. It was not difficult to read all that she felt on her face, which was covered with red spots due to the submission hold. Nevertheless, Itone folded her palms at hip level and bowed to her opponent, acknowledging her success.

"Congratulations..." she said, straightening up to her full height. "Good match..."

Unable to find any other words, the second heiress of the Hidesato family turned around and left the ring, rolling under the bottom rope. When she landed, she fully felt how tired she was. Her body seemed to turn to stone, which was a clear sign that she had put in a lot of effort. On the other hand, it didn't matter anymore, because it wasn't enough. Trying not to pay attention to the audience, who warmly welcomed their winner, Itone hurried up the ramp and disappeared behind the curtains.

[Bare]

winner via submission: Izumi Tachibana