Unmasked Demon (Reiko and Yuki)

[dlamp]

Reiko locked the door behind them the moment they reached a private room. Rage bubbled in her throat. Calm down. She bit down hard, her breath slowing down and growing more steady. Calm. Down. Slowly, Reiko relaxed the hold on Yuki's shirt, her body no longer in a fury of twitched motion.

And then, Yuki shouted at her, and Reiko's glare turned venomous.

My problem... She looked into Yuki's eyes, clenching her shirt tight and pulling her in closer, ready to spit her own words back at her in a hateful retort.

"... ... ..." And she couldn't shout back.

Her early roar turned her voice hoarse. All that came out was a scratchy whine. And Reiko's face went red from the fury and the embarrassment of it. Fuck! Fucking piece of shit, why now?! She let go of Yuki's shirt. Really, she more so threw it aside and stomped toward the door, blocking the exit. Like hell she was going to let Yuki walk away yet.

"A-Ah..." Oh, and apparently her voice was starting to come back. She could talk, just not at a high volume. Annoying, but at least she could say something back. "My problem with you..." She started, her voice hoarse. "... ..." There was just no way to talk about this without sounding like an ass, but she had already gone this far. If she was going to do this, she might as well talk about everything. "You're like... like one of those big shot high school girls." She finally said. "You walk around like you've got everything under control, you've got daddy's money and mommy's connections to get you places, you've got a scholarship at some fancy college and a bunch of popular friends that cheer you on." She explained. "And when you see someone that had to scrape and claw to get to half place you are, you just turn your nose and ignore them." She paused for a moment, finally looking Yuki in the eyes with a neutral expression. "What was your first match in LAW, Kazikura-san? The first one worth remembering?"

[CaptainL]

Time seemed to flow in slow motion; every second was an eternity. Yuki could feel her heart pound, and the blood rushing beneath her ears, as she stood staring at Reiko - it might have only taken a few short seconds, but for Yuki it could have been hours. She could feel every muscle in Reiko's body from where she held her - she could feel the rigidity in her, and she could feel it too as Reiko let that tension out and settled once they had gone into a private room. But then, as soon as Yuki had spoken up, she felt it all start up again, as Reiko dragged her in closer. She grit her teeth, her face contorting into a wince as she was reeled in. Yuki awaited whatever Reiko would have to throw back at her - but nothing came out.

An awkward silence was shared by the two of them, Yuki anticipating Reiko's next outburst, only for it to never come. At last, Reiko jerked her back. As soon as the tenson let up on Yuki's shirt, the girl staggered backward, her balance tested. With a shudder, Yuki lifted herself back to her feet, facing the door, only for Reiko to block it. That didn't matter, though. She already knew that things were nowhere near over between them.

Yuki looked on as Reiko explained herself, and as her speech went on, she fell into a shocked silence. Yes, she realized, everything the gi-clad girl said was true.

Yuki had made a name for herself before she had even graduated high school, becoming famous on the independent scene at the age of 16. She wasn't one to brag, but it didn't take long for the news to spread. Her friends and classmates started coming to her matches; others recognized her from the press. Her status would only grow as she entered her first year in LAW, a new league bigger than anything she had been part of before. When she told the news to her friends, they had been moved to tears in congratulating her, and when she first challenged for the Lightweight Championship, she recognized a fair few members of her class in the front row, cheering her on every step of the way. People asked her about her career in the halls, and how she was preparing for her next bout. More than a few anonymous love notes turned up in her lockers. By the time she had graduated not even a full year ago, there was no question that Yuki was already one of the proudest alumni her school could boast of.

She'd never thought of it that way, though. In her mind, she was just Yuki Kazikura, an ordinary high school girl who happened to have committed herself to becoming a wrestler. It was in the ring that she truly felt at home, throwing herself into her training. Her schedule was a strenuous one, trying to balance her schoolwork with her athletic career, but she pushed through it because of what it meant to her. She wanted to succeed. She wanted to be the one everyone could count on, but she also wanted to prove to herself that she could do it. She had to set aside her social life for it, and she struggled to make ends meet, but she was sure it was all worth it in the end.

When Yuki heard the cheers, she always figured it was because she was genuine. That she was down-to-earth, an ordinary person with struggles anyone could relate to. She was the girl next door, the people's champion. The one everyone wanted to see succeed because if she could, it meant they could too.

But she'd never given any thought to how there were just as many people who could never hope to be her. She'd only been able to take things this far because her family and friends supported her, and she had a network in place to catch her if she fell. How many people did she represent? Yuki thought it was hard having to run to the train station as soon as class got out just to make sure she could get to the arena in time. But to others, struggle was having to feed themselves, or find shelter. Yuki was already made for those things, but others couldn't attain the comfort and security she enjoyed. And, from the sounds of it, Reiko was one of them.

It was a while before Yuki spoke again, the words lingering in her mind. Once she had found the response, she sighed, looking back up toward Reiko ever so slightly. "I...I'm sorry," she said softly. "I didn't realize how...you were going through all this-"

But then, Reiko cut her off with another interjection, and Yuki fell silent. "Huh? I mean..." Looking back up at Reiko, Yuki thought through her memories. "Well, there was my first match against Maria di Valentina...but I'd say facing Haleigh Hisashi in the main event was when things truly picked up. Then it was the championship match against Fukiwara-san, and-" She paused in mid-sentence. Yuki had seen herself as the person anyone could look up to - yet her list of accomplishments was a respectable one for any wrestler. Was she...truly as genuine as she thought she was?

[dlamp]

"Ahahaha..." Reiko let out a raspy laugh. Yuki's apology stung a bit more than Reiko was ready for. To hear it come out so genuine... it honestly pissed her off further, she couldn't help but laugh. Even more so after hearing about her lineup of matches. Some prominent names in that small list she gave. Even more so was the shot championship. Reiko herself didn't pay too much attention to the league until Rose Gold started getting her name thrown around, but to hear Yuki even was a contender for the Lightweight belt was almost painful to hear. And was even more annoying to hear then that was Yuki's own realization of how it looked to Reiko.

"Hahaha..." This was almost funny. It seemed what Reiko said hit some cords with Yuki. She actually looked self-reflective at the moment, likely looking back on her life and how she was view. Had Reiko been more malicious she might play into that a little more to mess with Yuki's head. Hell, she wanted to do that too, if only to finally get this deadpanned girl to show some emotion other than mild annoyance, but... "Okay, okay..." Reiko stood up straight, giving a quick clap to snap Yuki out of it. Oh hey, my voice is coming back. "Not asking for you to get all introspective and sentimental. I just wanted to know..." She was quiet for a moment after that.

"Wanna' know what one of my first matches was like?" She continued regardless. "It a hardcore match with 10-count knockout rule against another lightweight, a foreigner that went by Himiko." She thought back on it, giving a wry smile. "It pretty brutal. Stomping, punching, threatening to break fingers and stuff, breaking each other's noses. I broke her nose, she broke mine right back, we were screaming insults and slugging each other for a bit until our clothes were red and I was knocked out. Took forever to wash the blood off my kimono." She looked back to Yuki. "Then I had a few hentai matches scheduled that never got past the planning stage, then some other stuff happened... then I fought you." She finally looked at Yuki, truly looked at her. "Anyway..." She stood up straighter, clearing her throat.

[CaptainL]

In the middle of her speech, Yuki had paused, her gaze drifting off as she lost herself in thought. She was soon jolted back into reality, however, by the sound of a loud clap ringing out. Reiko stirred her back to her senses, and after a brief jolt she shook herself, turning her attention back to Reiko. Yuki stared silently at the girl, not knowing what she was getting at. But even without an answer, Reiko continued nonetheless, describing the start of her career.

And what a start it was.

Yuki's eyes went wider as she listened intently to Reiko's description. She found herself drifting closer, out of morbid curiosity. She didn't know why she felt this. The match Amano described seemed so brutal and so gruesome she didn't even want to think about it; she even shuddered when she brought up the part about breaking noses. Yuki had been in some harsh and grueling matches before, but nothing quite like this. Even her defeat against Rose Gold - the match she didn't bring up out of shame for how crushing a defeat it was - didn't approach this level. And yet, she couldn't look away either. It was like watching a train wreck; Yuki knew she didn't want to think about it, but she had no choice.

At last, there was a break in the conversation, as Reiko straightened herself and cleared her throat. Yuki huffed, squaring up her shoulders as she leaned back in toward her. "Yeah, fine, you're tough, I get it. What's your point? Why bring up all this stuff now, are you trying to scare me? I've beaten you before, and I can beat you again!" She shivered a little as she remembered she would be facing Reiko in a humiliation match, something she was less confident about, but she clenched her fist tighter, not wanting her confidence to give out now - or at least, the outward appearance of it. "I wouldn't have gotten number-one contender status if I couldn't handle it. I was...I was almost the champion-!"

[dlamp]

Reiko held back the smirk. Yuki seemed pretty invested in how one of her first fights went. Granted, it was a fight Amano still lost, but the curious, fretful gaze in Yuki's eyes was something to savor. She was tempted to pull out her phone and show her the highlights later, but... no. It wasn't like they were friends or anything.

And Yuki's retort wasn't exactly something Reiko wanted to hear.

She expected it, to some extent anyway. Yuki had a point, her record was league ahead of Reiko's, and whatever condition Yuki walked out of the ring in, it didn't change the fact that she had beat Reiko once already. "Tch," But hearing it shot back at her with that high and mighty tone was too damn annoying.

"Y'know, I actually don't have a comeback for that one." She admitted, leaning forward toward Yuki, bumping foreheads with her. "But that's why I hate you, Kazikura-san" Reiko pushed her forehead against hers, glaring. "But you got a point, maybe I should push you harder than just humiliating you in the ring an-" She paused, thinking it over. "Actually..." She pulled back.

"Wanna' go all the way then?"

[CaptainL]

Listening to Reiko's voice, the tension within Yuki was tightening with each passing second. Her eyelid twitched ever so slightly; her muscles stiffened, and her hand balled into a quivering fist at her side. Reiko's words might have been casual, but the emotion behind them was anything but. This confrontation had gone beyond a simple rematch - this was personal. Reiko wouldn't let her leave this room without getting even, but how that would happen, Yuki wasn't sure. Even outside the ring, she proved a difficult book to read - and that just made Yuki even more anxious around her, not knowing what to expect from her at any given moment. Yuki was someone who wanted to be in control - but Reiko made that hard.

Her workout had barely begun, and yet Yuki's breaths were already labored and raspy, her chest rising and falling as Reiko leaned in closer and touched her forehead to Yuki's own. "Nngh..." she hissed, the feeling of Reiko's body so close to hers sending a chill down her spine. She bit her lip as she listened to Reiko's words. But she couldn't show any hesitation, or any regret. This was a battle of wills, and she wouldn't surrender.

"You know what-!?" Yuki straightened her back, staring Reiko down. "Push me as hard as you want! I'll show you what I can do! Do your worst! I got into this business through my refusal to give up or back down, and I'll prove it here!"

Yuki shivered, just barely. She hoped Reiko wouldn't see. She was only half convinced that she could do it. But there was no turning back now.

[dlamp]

"... ... ..." Reiko took a step back, eyes raised in shock. That was a much bigger reaction than she was ready for. Yuki was mad, legitimately mad at her now. It wasn't much different than Reiko's meltdown early. The heavy breaths, the twitchy movements of her chest and body, barely held hisses and growls. Yuki's scream alone had Reiko in a cold sweat at first, the first bit of honest anger and aggression Yuki gave her. It... kind of felt intimate in a way. And for an instant, Reiko was speechless. She knew this kind of desperation well, the defiant declaration of someone desperate to prove herself, to prove her naysayers wrong, and willing to get violent if need be. Wanting to get violent.

Reiko felt a bit of respect for that, and she'd answer in kind.

"I will!!" She shot back, getting right into Yuki face with all the anger and vitriol she had left in the tank. She'd meet Yuki's anger with her own, match her fury. This was personal now. Reiko had the duty to knock this girl off her high horse and send her crashing down as broken as she could manage."You want my worst, you got it!" She shouted. "Forget humiliating you, I want to destroy you, Kazikura!" Reiko her in the eyes with a flash of both excitement and fury.

"Fight me." She hissed. "You and me. Alone. No audience. No fans. No distractions. No mercy. A death match, barbed wires and all." She reached to grab Yuki's shirt again and slam their heads together. "I. Want. Your. BLOOD ON MY KIMONO!"

[CaptainL]

Yuki wasn't used to hearing such an outburst, even coming from herself. In most instances, she would restrain that sort of emotion in her, out of both politeness and her own desires to keep her emotions under control until she needed them most. This, though...this was different. Reiko had shown her no mercy, and she had no intentions of doing things any different any time soon. There was no good reason for Yuki to hold back.

Her heart was beating so hard in her chest, it felt as though it was going to burst. But there was no time to calm herself down. Time was flying by, and any moment wasted was ground lost. Meeting Reiko's glare, Yuki straightened her back, leaning in even closer as their eyes locked on one anothers' in an unbreakable stare. Her teeth clenched just a little tighter as she listened to the fury in Reiko's words. Her eye twitched. The fury with which Reiko spoke alone was enough to give her pause, let alone the threats she made of going all out in a barbed wire deathmatch. Never in her career had Yuki done anything of the sort...

But if there was one thing she believed in, it was in herself. In her determination to prove herself no matter the challenge; no matter the situation. She couldn't back down now. She was out to prove herself, and there was no better way to prove herself than this.

As Reiko pulled her closer, Yuki likewise grasped at the front of her gi, the two of them meeting forehead to forehead. "That's what you want!? That's what you really want!?" she barked. "FINE, then! That's what you'll get! No matter how much you hurt me, no matter how much you make me bleed...I will fight you! And I. Will. Win!!"

Yuki wasn't sure if she had ever spoken so loudly in her life. But if there was ever a time that called for it...it was now.

[dlamp]

Reiko felt a chill down her spine. This was the first time she was this hostile toward someone out of the ring. She couldn't remember the last time she lost control of herself like this in public, to just let her emotions completely control her words and actions like this. And Yuki... feeling her forehead against hers, her angry breath, her furious glare, her enrage declaration...

It was exciting.

Reiko was left panting, gasping for breath as the emotional fatigue caught up to her, but she still kept hold of Yuki's shirt, still kept their heads rammed against each other. "Haah... haah..." She felt weak at the knees from all the yelling, even her arm felt like it was losing its grip a little. But even so Reiko kept her gaze onto Yuki, pulling the girl closer against her forehead, as if trying to force her skull out. A wicked grin laid on her face. This was exciting. This was way too exciting to end here. She might hate Yuki, she might want to rip her open, but she loved seeing this girl angry. "Kehehe... Hahahaha!"

"Good!" She hissed out, her lips ever closer to Yuki's. "Fight me like you wanna' kill me, Kazikura! My fists have a lot of hate to give you." She finally pulled away from Yuki, sucking in fresher oxygen now. "Ahahaha... hahaha..."

[CaptainL]

Yuki's breaths, too, were coming in harsh, hoarse pants. It wasn't just the fact that she had raised her voice beyond what she typically managed. It was that the very confrontation itself, the very presence of the two of them in such close quarters, their emotions raging even in the contained environment of a private conversation, was draining her. This challenge alone was proving just as grueling as any match, and Yuki could feel the adrenaline run through her veins, the same familiar sensation she felt every time she got in the ring.

With how close they stood to one another, locked in a staredown, both girls could feel each others' breaths against their faces. Yuki hissed, her teeth clenching in a wince as Reiko pushed herself even closer, their heads rubbing together in the scant few milimeters that separated their bodies. Just being this close to Reiko was sending her blood boiling inside her. Yuki might have gone to the gym to prepare for her coming match, only interested in what she could get out of it for herself, but now there was no going back - Reiko had made it personal by targeting her this way, and now all she could think of was how she had to prove herself to her.

"You know what?" Yuki snapped back. "By the end of this, you'll be sorry you ever DARED to challenge me! You'll think twice before you ever go into the ring again!" Her fingers coiling tighter around Reiko's shoulders at the same time she pulled away, Yuki gave her a hard shove to push her toward the wall. This was a fire in Yuki she wasn't used to - and yet, she couldn't deny it felt intoxicating.