Mikazuki Hayase vs Blair Dame - Run, Rabbit, Run!

[Null Spell]

Shame on him for thinking she'd take things lying down. Mikazuki was a little worried by her lack of resistance as his heel dug into her shoulder. The glare focused on him proved that she wasn't done yet. Scary! So he could get under his skin after all.

“Careful.” Didn't want her getting up too fast and collapsing. Mikazuki was feeling rather smug. It laced his tone and was clear in the grin he sported. Blair was anything but frail despite his words. Still, he questioned the threat she posed after looking so dazed. He'd love to be proven wrong after his challenge for her to keep going.

There was a slight tenseness and pull of his muscles as his leg was hoisted up. His foe's full standing height made the position all the more awkward. Mikazuki could still work with it. Bouncing on his heels, her hold gave him the perfect setup for an enzuigiri. His plans were put on hold by the fist thrown at his face. The position left him open to retaliation. He knew what Blair planned the moment she pulled her arm back.

Nothing he couldn't handle. He'd copy her again, lean into the punch. Possibly stifling the force of it was only an afterthought. Mikazuki knew he could take it. And he did, just not well.

Oh. Mikazuki's head craned back from the force of her fist. Recoiling, he hopped once more on his foot, fighting to keep from tipping over while she still had his leg caught. He found an unstable balance by grabbing onto the front of her attire. Blinking did nothing to stop the slight sway in his vision.

Mikazuki threw a punch of his own right below her ribs, spurred on by an impulse to match up to her, to show he'd taken her attack far better than he actually had. The regret came immediately. It felt like he might as well have tried punching a wall. He might actually inflict more damage doing that. Mikazuki's smile had long since faded as he looked up to meet Blair's eyes again.

[BlackAkuma]

Oh, yes, Mikuzaki was undoubtedly under Blair’s skin. She wasn’t sure he realized what an accomplishment that was, either. Blair prided herself on self-control in all things, a quality that had brought her victory many times, not giving into the stereotype of the towering, raging brute. Her wrath was a rare thing to see.

And yet, Mikuzaki had succeeded in bringing that about, in record time. She supposed he could be proud of that, but she more suspected he would regret it. Dearly.

She suspected he was trying to get an enziguiri going, but being bashed in the face ended those plans. Truthfully, he took the blow better than she had expected - while Blair’s legs were her best feature, her arms were nothing to be sneezed at, and the blow she gave him had floored men before. It clearly threw him for a loop, but he remained lucid, enough so that he was able to return fire, though his results were less impressive.

A shot to the ribs. Blair winced at it, felt the pain, but gave away no other reaction other than narrowing her eyes with a simmering glare. If that was the way he wished to be…

Blair let go of his leg for a moment, only so she could lower it and wrap her arms around it from above, tucking it tight under her shoulder. She moved it close and reached in his arm, grabbing his back and pulling their bodies together in a tight embrace. He might enjoy the feel of their body’s pressed together, he might not, but either way, he shouldn’t get used to it.

Blair lifted him up, took a few steps forward, then lifted Mikuzaki off the canvas, arched her back with a violent jerk, and sent him flying overhead with an Exploder Suplex, a move that would have him crashing upside down into the turnbuckle.

[Null Spell]

Mikazuki wasn't scared by any means. Never was in the ring. Letting yourself be intimidated by a foe was the surest way to a loss. With that being said, trading blows with her guaranteed an even quicker defeat, and he very much disliked the thought of her raining more punches into his face. Against someone closer to his size? Sure. He wouldn't mind going at it until both their noses were bloody. Someone with Blair's power probably had something more painful in mind than that.

There was a minute bit of relief as he was pulled into her, from having something to lean into while he was dazed, and to avoid another strike by being too close. Mikazuki knew it to only be a moment of reprieve before Blair tried ending him. An exaggeration for sure, but he honestly wasn't too sure with how she'd looked at him. Having her chest pressed so closely near his face wouldn't be a bad way to go, however. The chance to cherish the warmth was quickly ripped away from him.

He was flying again and not by his own volition. Mikazuki landed roughly on his shoulders and neck, a weak cry escaping him from the abrupt stop against the turnbuckles. His body slumped against it, legs hanging above his head. The unflattering position was the least of his concerns.

Blair would take advantage of how painfully open he was, Mikazuki was vaguely aware of that after the disorientation his landing brought. His body wasn't in any rush to move. Sluggish, he'd tried to kick his legs out to correct his position and get up on his knees.

[BlackAkuma]

Blair Dame did enjoy tossing around the smaller men. While strikes were typically her wheelhouse, there was something infinitely satisfying about hurling them away like this, using her raw strength to send them flying. She had not done much of it in her youth, back when her form was more slender and fragile, but now that she had the muscle, it felt as if she were making up for lost time.

It was even more satisfying when the recipients of this treatment. While Blair would not call herself a sadist in the strictest sense of the term, she did have some pleasure in hearing Mikazuki’s body crashing against the turnbuckle, as well as seeing the look of anguish upon his face when she looked over her shoulder.

Most unpleasant, she was sure, and his suffering was far from over.

Blair stood up again and dusted herself off as Mikazuki corrected himself, making his way up to his knees. It was tempting to hit the ropes for another attempt at the Meteora, but she had learned her lesson from that and was content to keep him close from this point. After his exploits from earlier, she had something more fitting in mind, anyway.

Before he could get all the way up, Blair moved in, gripped the ropes, raised his foot, and rammed her heels against his side of face - one, twice, three times, dragging her boot along his features. To cap it off, she bolted away from him, hit the ropes, came rushing back and brought her leg up for a Running Big Boot, crashing him clean on the jaw.

[Null Spell]

Mikazuki righted himself so he wasn't propped up on his shoulders. He reached an arm behind himself in a useless attempt to soothe the spot where his back collided with the pads. The bottom rope was the only source of stability keeping him up. His hands weren't exactly free to stop the heel digging into his cheek. The initial push jostled his already spinning head. Painful for sure, but a great deal less than getting tossed into the turnbuckles.

Good on her. Truly! Disrespecting an opponent was as good a tactic as any. He’d already tried the same to Blair. With that being said, it was only okay when he was the one taunting! Mikazuki kept his eyes shut for a different reason than pain, shying his head away as he endured the jabbing at his cheek and the indignity of it. Fair play. It didn't bother him. Not at all. Honest. It was only something he’d keep in mind for when he knocked Blair on her ass again!

“Was it… the handshake?” The comment didn't reflect just how ruffled he was by her insult. It was a good thing to hide. Getting an opponent worked up was a decent way to force them into making mistakes. Mikazuki would guess that he succeeded. Why else would Blair waste time playing with him instead of kicking his head off? He just couldn't be sure what might’ve ticked her…

Whatever it was, he could clearly feel the annoyance in the boot that smashed into the side of his face. Mikazuki saw it coming. Heard the heavy footfall. In his daze, he was too slow to evade the attack. Before it rocked him, there was the passing thought of slipping out of the ring through the ropes. An automatic, embarrassing signal from his mind to protect himself. It’d be ignored entirely. He had no other intentions than to meet his opponent head-on.

Mikazuki found himself outside the ring anyway. The kick forced his body out between the ropes head first. He was sure he blacked out temporarily because he didn't remember what surely was the harsh landing of his body falling out of the rink. Could feel it though. Must’ve faceplanted from every nerve in his face aching. Or had Blair booted him that hard? Face pressed against the floor as he lay limply, he couldn't muster the strength to lift his head even with his eagerness to fight Blair burning even fiercer.

[BlackAkuma]

A small part of Blair - a small, withering, distant part in the back of her mind - felt sorry for Mikuzaki and his current predicament. He was young. She was young once, as well, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. It could be easy to let one’s passions get the better of them and fall into the moment, to let respect fall by the wayside. He was hardly the first wrestler who needed to have respect beaten into them, nor would he be the last.

A shame. Some lessons were truly painful. Hopefully, he would take it to heart and learn that this was where such actions got you in their profession - down in a corner with a boot in your face.

She suspected he would only truly comprehend that lesson later, after the match, when he had regained some of his senses. At the moment, he was far too busy getting the taste of her heel out of his mouth, as her boot sent him sliding out of the ring, practically melting onto the floor below, as the audience looked on and winced. Blair, for her part, took a moment to collect herself as the referee began her count, fanning her face to deal with the mounting heat.

After two counts passed, Blair decided she wouldn’t be letting Mikazuki rest - he was either going to make it back in or stay out there and get counted out, and neither outcome appealed. She dropped down, rolled out of the ring, and landed beside him, towering over her fallen foe, her lip curled in disdain.

After a moment of consideration, she reached down, grabbed him by the head, and roughly pulled him into a front facelock, squeezing his skull in her biceps. She draped his arm over her shoulder, then lifted him up and attempted to slam his back onto the apron with a vertical suplex, bringing him down on his spine. From there, it would be easy enough to roll him back into the ring and continue the match properly.

Easy for her, anyway.

[Null Spell]

Mikazuki was awoken from his tactical power nap by what he could only assume was an attempt from Blair to give him chronic back issues. He'd prefer to avoid being as rickety as her.

Downplaying her toughness aside, he was in danger. Of the very serious sort. Obviously, it was more fun that way, a real good back and forth. Only, he'd lost all momentum. His fault admittedly. Mikazuki was used to getting beaten down a bit just not so hard.

His back bouncing off against the appron drew a low groan from him, his arm hanging loosely due to one of his shoulders failing to meet the canvas. Mikazuki swung it over him, movement sluggish as he rolled the agonizing inches in took slip into the ring, relying on the ropes to keep Blair from immediately grabbing him again.

Mikazuki knew he'd be easy prey while he was down. Getting up though? The pain running up his back made him shudder at the thought. He'd be too dizzy to stand anyway. Regardless of his state, he couldn't let Blair keep freely battering him about. He couldn't hurt her, not seriously in his state. Mikazuki would delay her. Try to anyway. Until he was able to regain some footing.

Going still on his side, he gave no sign of being responsive. Mikazuki listened carefully. Specifically, for when the giant tried getting back into the ring. If she slid in after him, he'd swing his leg outward and try to nail her. Pay her back for the boots to the face. Her legs were a decent target as well to knock her off balance. That was if she went in through the middle rope.

Too many ifs for his liking, but he was limited in options. So, he kept still and readied his trap, aiming to surprise her.

[BlackAkuma]

Mm. That was greatly satisfying, yes. Hefting his body up, bringing it down, the inevitable crash, the impact reverberating from the ring. She had to admit, for all his annoyances, there was something oddly satisfying about knocking Mikuzaki around. Almost therapeutic.

Fun as it was, she sensed he was near the point where he could be put down for a three-count. While he was no doubt talented, he didn’t seem all that hardy, and she was willing to bet either of her finishing moves would put him down, if not, knock him out clean. She was eager to experiment, too, and that was her main aim as she ascended the apron and stepped through the ropes.

A little too slow, unfortunately. She had just started to slip through when Mikazuki lashed out, clipping her leg with a wild kick. While he might not have been all that strong, his legs were not unimpressive, and he had enough force to knock her off balance at this crucial juncture. There was nowhere to go but down, and down she went.

Blair crashed on her back onto the apron, then flopped over to the floor below, landing on her hands and knees. A bad way to come down, but she shook it off and rose again shortly after, hoping she hadn't left a window for Minuzaki to work with.

[Null Spell]

Mikazuki's eyes cracked open the moment he heard Blair's boots scuff the ring apron. There was only a small gap of time for him to work out where to aim his kick. On his side, he swept his leg outward underneath the bottom rope to hook her heel and knock her off balance.

Watching her fall wasn't the same as booting her in the face, but it was probably more amusing. There wasn't time to waste by laughing at the cheap trick. It wouldn't buy him much. And he certainly wasn't going to waste what time he had by taking a breather.

He couldn't let Blair gather herself again even if he was worn out. Keeping her outside felt more advantageous than being trapped in the ring with her. More space to work with that way. Assuming he could create an opening to take advantage of it.

“Strong.” He used the ropes to get to his feet. Voice a bit strained because of his back, it was the first thing he'd said that wasn't meant to tick her off. Compliments were due for her keeping up with him. Mikazuki moved before he’d even solidified a plan of action, pulling back on the top rope to lift himself up onto it before flinging himself at Blair headlong. “You're fun!”

Wise? Probably not, but it was brazen. Catching her unprepared was the only way he could think of to get back into the fight. Mikazuki brought his knees up right before he'd collide with her, depending on his momentum again to try and drag her down to the floor with a meteora.

[BlackAkuma]

On the floor. Again.

The actual fall hadn't been that bad. While Blair was far from her prime, she still wasn’t so old that she had to worry about breaking her hip from a minor fall. She was more aggravated than anything - once again, her efforts to put this man down in a permanent fashion were falling short.

Gritting her teeth, she pushed her way back up, trying to get her bearings straight and lock onto Mikuzaki once more. The crowd’s uproar drew her attention - a good indication that something was about to come her way, and it gave her urgency to her search. He had to be close, but…

Her answer came when she heard Mikuzaki’s exclamation and looked up to see the man careering her way, flying at her with knees up. She raised her arms to try and block him, but it was too late - too fast, too much momentum, and gravity was on his side. His knees crashed into her shoulders and she went back down once again, hitting the floor with him on top, an undignified position.

More frustrated than ever, all she could do was shove him off and roll to her chest, eyes screwed tight from pain all the while.