Lyra Heartfield vs. Yukino Fuyumi: A True Taste of Real Darkness

[Pegasus]

Lyra had pretty much taken advantage of her intimidation status and rules the referee’s decisions invalid in this contest. It was much less a contest and rather a beatdown of a weak foe. Lyra supposed she could cheat and do whatever she wanted as the referee was powerless to stop it and the crowd members up front pounded the guardrail with frustration that Yukino was being robbed unfairly! Lyra low-blowed her which meant Yukino should’ve been declared the winner and while it wouldn’t have been a big victory as a pinfall or submission would’ve felt like, it still would’ve proven that Yukino had the confidence to stand on her own and at least outlast against a dangerous foe of The Selection.

Lyra then rolled out of the ring and went searching underneath the ring apron bringing out a sledgehammer. She looked at her weapon and gleefully glared at Yukino before grabbing her legs trying to bring the ice idol out to slam her on the mats! Lyra eyed the steel steps as the referee didn’t bother counting out both wrestlers fearing Lyra would bring chaos against her. The fortune teller dragged Yukino by her legs over to the steps flipping the upper half off and placed Yukino’s right leg on the exposed steel. She picked up the top half and rested it on top of Yukino’s right leg to hopefully keep her in place. Lyra then lifted the sledgehammer and smiled mischievously for the first time in this match lifting her weapon to bring it down on the top half of the stairs to vibrate pain into Yukino’s leg!

[CaptainL]

It had drawn no shortage of boos when Lyra intimidated the referee into backing away. Not only had she deprived the official a chance to carry out justice and to grant Yukino the victory she was owed, this also meant that the Winter Idol had all but been abandoned to the wolves - she had nothing to protect herself from whatever depravities Lyra had in store for her next, and if what she'd been through already was any indication, things were far from over for her. Even if the outcry from the fans might have told Yukino that everyone here was on her side, it gave her little comfort. She still knew that Lyra was going to take advantage of her newfound liberties. And the thought of that made her gulp, her face going pale as a shudder ran through her body.

It would only prove all the more terrifying for Yukino when Lyra stepped out of the ring, only to return with a sledgehammer in her hands! At the sight of it, her jaw dropped in a gasp. She wanted to scream, but then, any noise she could have made had died in her throat, leaving her with only a hoarse and wordless wheeze. She could only imagine what lay in store for her when Lyra had her cornered with such a brutal weapon. At that point in time, Yukino wanted to run away. Every impulse in her body was telling her she needed to, just to save herself. But she couldn't even bring herself to budge. When she needed to make a getaway more than ever before, she was paralyzed - her fear had rooted her to the mat, right where she lay!

She couldn't stop Lyra from grabbing her by the legs and hauling her out through the ropes, leaving her to spill onto the floor below. Her heart was pounding in her chest as her opponent dragged her over to the steps, setting her leg down in between the top and bottom halves. At least this meant she wasn't going to attack her with the sledgehammer directly, but that knowledge did little to ease Yukino's nerves! When she looked up with wide eyes to see her opponent hauling the sledgehammer higher into the air, Yukino's breaths quickened into frantic pants, and she shook her head in a hopeless plea for mercy. "NO!!!" she cried - but it was hopeless. Lyra brought the hammer down, smashing Yukino's leg between both halves of the steel steps!

A loud *CLANG* rang out through the arena, leaving a few fans wincing and averting their gazes. And with it, Yukino threw back her head, screaming in agony! Her back twisted in an arc and her hips lifted off the ground as her wails echoed through the room. A throbbing pain shot through her leg, leaving the whole side of her body numb. And as far as she knew...Lyra wasn't even done!

[Pegasus]

The sledgehammer smashed the top half which vibrated the impact on Yukino’s leg and shocked a little pain through her veins. Lyra threw her head back in evil laughter getting booed by some audible fans nearby, but she tossed the top half off grabbing Yukino to drag her off the steps. She grabbed Yukino up by her hair as the referee really wanted to step in and do her job. Yukino was hurt and she just thought to end the match here, but Lyra’s repercussions on her would be dire. Anything for LAW, anything for order, anything for the wrestlers. The referee got out of the ring and separated both women as she pleaded to Lyra.

“It’s over! The match is over! You can have this win!” The referee tried compromising, but Lyra just hit the referee in the gut as the official failed to stop the match for the second time. Now, there wasn’t even an official to call the match so it was anything goes.

However, this moment from the referee gave Yukino a chance to get back up and make an escape to think over her options.

[CaptainL]

By the time Yukino fell back, her voice was ragged and her throat was sore from how hard she'd screamed. She wasn't sure if she had ever been in this much pain in her life. Her whole leg felt as though she could hardly move it, and the rest of her body was still tense. She stared up at the lights with glazed-over eyes, and her chest rose and fell as she panted for breath. A part of her was almost convinced she had to have broken something, but before she could dwell on that thought for long, her thoughts fell away, and she was once again lost in the haze of pain and fear she felt.

Soon, though, Yukino would be returned to the waking world - quite against her will! When Lyra grabbed a handful of her hair, she shot back up with a yelp, all too keenly reminded that her opponent was still on the loose, and that anything she wanted to do to her she could very well do. She clenched her teeth tightly, squeezing her eyes shut so that she wouldn't have to look into the face of what was, for her, impending doom. Those fans that were still brave enough to take a stand against what Lyra was doing booed her, but it barely seemed to slow her down. And even when the referee had been intimidated into silence a moment before, it was becoming clear that Lyra's actions were crossing a line. Something had to be done, before Yukino got seriously hurt!

At the sound of the official's voice, Yukino's eyes opened and she turned toward the noise. For a moment, a hopeful smile flashed across her face. Maybe, she thought, she'd be saved after all. But even that proved too great a hope, as Lyra shot out a kick that slammed into the ref's gut, forcing her to double over before she dropped to her knees! Yukino let out a gasp at the sight. The implications, to her, were all too clear. Now, Lyra had free reign to do whatever she pleased. And when she had already shown her intentions...Yukino was in grave danger.

But then, the Winter Idol had another thought. As she panted for breath, she grabbed onto the ropes to pull herself up a little higher. In dealing with the referee, Lyra had turned her back on Yukino, which meant she was lined up to strike back! To take Lyra on would surely be a daunting task. But, as Yukino told herself, if Lyra's cruelties had only grown more and more brutal...then there was even more of a need for someone to stand against them! The whole arena was counting on her to be the one who would stand in her way, and put an end to this reign of terror! She clenched her fists, her muscles firming up with a sense of purpose. If LAW needed her now more than ever, she would have to rise to the challenge!

She panted and groaned as she straightened herself to her feet, teetering from side to side. She had to rub at her temples to dull a lingering ache. But when she saw Lyra still had her back turned, she knew what needed to be done! Suddenly, Yukino charged toward the fortune teller, where she would aim a knee strike at her back to try and stun her! If that worked, she would circle around to the front to grab Lyra and guide her head onto her shoulder - setting up a facelock, which she would then use to run forward and kick her feet off the ground so that she would bring Lyra down face-first into the floor for a cutter, still outside the ring!

[Pegasus]

Lyra smirked as the referee kneeled before her, but that brief moment of freedom would soon turn to concern for her plans as Yukino launched a knee strike into her back! From behind, the Winter Idol managed to fight through the pain and get back into the game to help free LAW from impending darkness. Yukino went around front locking Lyra in a tight facelock and Lyra was prevented from seeing anything just groaning as she looked at the mats below her. Yukino would hit a Cutter as Lyra’s face impacted the mat hard forcing air out of her lungs. Lyra wheezed and heaved on the mat dropping her weapon as Yukino had officially taken back control!

[CaptainL]

Yukino had been pushed around for too long. She'd let Lyra take control of her, practically flaunting her disregard for the rules in how she dominated Yukino at ever turn, and not even the referee was brave enough to stop her. Her leg still shuddered as she bore weight on it, causing her to clench her teeth as her body locked up - but that wouldn't matter any more. She could bear through the pain as long as she could do what she had set out to do - to put a stop to the Selection once and for all, and to tell the people of LAW that things weren't as hopeless as they looked. That there would always be good people willing to step up to stop such treachery! Yukino had to be one of those people. And when she reminded herself of that, it gave her the strength she needed to pull through - delivering Lyra face-first into the cold, hard floor with a cutter!

As the fortune teller landed with a thud, the crowd burst into cheers. At last, Yukino was fighting back - and when she had Lyra powerless beneath her, it seemed as though she wasn't quite as daunting of a foe after all! The white-haired girl looked up toward them with a smile and a nod, thanking them for believing in her. But she was ready to deliver justice, all the same! With Lyra splayed out and face-down, she was in a position for Yukino to capitalize on the opportunity. She bent lower over Lyra, grabbing her chin, and pulling her head back to twist her back in a camel clutch!

At the same time, the two of them were still outside the ring. The referee gulped as she weighed her options - she could start counting them out, but given that Lyra had stopped her from enforcing the rules earlier, she was all too aware that it might not go so well for her if she spoke up. But then again, it would technically be to Lyra's benefit if Yukino had a time limit on what she could do, and she had enough on her conscience when it came to enforcing the rules as it was. With a gulp, the ref stepped up to the ropes, beginning the count. "One! Two!"

Yukino glanced back over her shoulder at this development, but it wouldn't slow her down. She clenched her teeth, tightening her grip on Lyra's head even more as she gave her chin a yank backward. It didn't matter to her how much time she had in this position, she wanted to use it for all it was worth! It was about time Lyra got a taste of her own medicine!

[Pegasus]

Lyra felt the winter idol mount the back and slowly put her hands together to reach back wrenching the chin for a camel clutch! Lyra was in no danger of losing the match since the submission would have to count in the ring, but Yukino was more intent on hurting Lyra further so she could be weakened for a possible finish. The referee sheepishly started counting out the women and Lyra had an idea growing in her mind. She sent a glare at the referee, but also slowly nodded at the referee to keep counting. It seems like another mind trick as the referee gulped and started counting faster out of fear.

“Yeep! 3! 4! 5! 6! Get in here, Yukino! NOW!” The referee screamed at the winter idol.

Maybe some outside intervention could coax the winter idol off her and give her back full control.

[CaptainL]

Yukino didn't even know it. She had gotten lost in the thrill of actually turning things around, and making the stand against Lyra - and the Selection - that everyone had been waiting for long beyond this match. The fact that she had Lyra in the camel clutch was a victory in and of itself, and it seemed like she was one step closer to something even greater. As Yukino pulled back harder at Lyra's chin, she could feel her heart beating faster and faster with excitement, and she could hear the fans cheering louder and louder for her, drumming their feet against the floor to encourage her. Against the promise of actually stopping the Selection in their tracks, everything else was lost in the background noise.

But when the referee called back to Yukino to get back in the ring, that shook her out of the trance she'd fallen into - and reminded herself that she was in danger of being counted out! Letting out a gasp, the white-haired girl looked back over her shoulder. "What..!?" She was so caught up in the excitement of beating the Selection that she had forgotten that not only was she about to get disqualified, the camel clutch wouldn't even do her any good outside the ring when any submissions wouldn't be counted there! But now, all of that hit her. Her face went red and her eyes wide - she was embarrassed that she'd made such a mistake, but all the more, she was terrified by the thought she would let everyone down. And that froze her in her tracks. Even when the referee was calling for Yukino to get back in the ring, the idol was so stricken that she neglected to move from where she sat. All that happened was that her grip on Lyra eased. And when her attention was elsewhere, it also meant that Lyra would have a moment to turn things around!

[Pegasus]

Lyra’s plan had worked in getting the referee to count out Yukino in her favor and the winter idol was frozen in fear. Yukino released her grip on Lyra as the fortune teller looked back up seeing the fear in Yukino’s eyes. The fear of failure. It was something that plagued little sheep like this snow princess and it gave the audience the overwhelming sensation that The Selection could turn even the brightest of comebacks into the greatest of nightmares. Lyra simply bucked Yukino off her as she turned back to her opponent stomping towards her hoping she was coming off as menacing.

Lyra picked up the sledgehammer and held it in her hands like a slasher villain brandishing their chosen melee in order to kill their victims. Only those were in the movies, this was real life. While Lyra had no plans of murder, she still intended to inflict pain as she put a foot to Yukino’s chest putting her on her back. Lyra then sent a stomp into Yukino’s chest hoping to cast the first stone of her revenge!

[CaptainL]

Lyra had done a lot to Yukino in this match. She had struck terror into her heart, she had issued a brutal beatdown, and she had practically broken her leg between the ring steps. But for all the horrors she'd inflicted, what struck Yukino just as hard was the threat of being disqualified. Just when she felt she was on the verge of triumph, everything ground to a halt. The voice of the referee was all it took to remind Yukino she had made a grave mistake. She'd gotten caught up in the thrill of dominating Lyra, so much so that she never gave a thought as to if what she was doing would even work. Now, she realized she was only wasting her time, and that she faced the possibility of getting kicked out of the match. And perhaps worst of all...that would mean Yukino's best efforts to push back the dominance of the Selection hadn't worked. That she had let everyone down.

Even when the ref was calling for her to get back in the ring, Yukino's body locked up. A chill took hold of her whole body. The color drained away from her face, and her eyes went wide as her muscles began to go slack, in the process easing up on her hold on Lyra. That left her open just long enough for Lyra to shove her off, sending the Winter Idol sprawling across the floor. As Yukino panted for breath and sat back up, she looked up to see Lyra storming toward her, the sledgehammer in her hand. A gasp left her mouth. The fortune teller was in just as much danger of being counted out as she was, but it seemed she didn't even care. She just wanted Yukino in her place!

Realizing she need to make her move, that she needed to defend herself, Yukino began to raise her hands - but it was too late. Lyra was already upon her, and she sent a stomp straight into her chest, knocking Yukino flat on her back! She let out a squeal as she fell back against the floor, wincing from the aches and pains that rippled through her body. But what was worse was that she looked up to see Lyra staring down at her. Her gaze made her shudder; she had never felt more vulnerable than when she thought of what might befall her next. This wasn't her comeback any more; it wasn't even an even match. Lyra was a monster, a demon, a force of pure terror. And Yukino was the helpless victim.

"Seven! Eight! Nine!!"

But the voice of the referee reminded Yukino of one more thing. The count was still going on, and by this point, she was almost out of the match! She gasped, shocked back to her senses. But she knew she couldn't let that happen! She had just one last-ditch effort at her disposal, but she was determined not to succumb to Lyra - not yet! She reached out to grab the blonde by the ankle, trying to hold onto the same foot she used to stomp her. If she could get a good grip, Yukino would try to twist Lyra's leg over to pull her footing out from under her - and if she did, she would jump for the ropes, trying to scramble back in underneath them!