The Second Step: Aizen Yuzuriha vs WYVERN II

[BlackAkuma]

Match Type
Last Person Standing
Victory Conditions
The wrestler who cannot rise to their feet before the referee issues a ten-count is declared the loser.

***

Aizen wasn’t a man who got excited about anything, really. Not even his fights, which might’ve seemed like a strange statement to make considering how often he found himself in one. But they were routine for him, day in and day out. Not that he didn’t like fighting, he could always get himself hyped up enough when the match started, but the lead up was typically just waiting for him. There was rarely anything special, almost never a fight that he actively looked forward to and anticipated.

That wasn’t the case with Wyvern, though. Not for this fight. With her, he’d been looking forward to this match for weeks, eager to take her on again after their short but intense match at his debut. Though it couldn't have lasted more than five or so minutes, it had still managed to be one of the more intense affairs he could remember, with her showing so much skill and power throughout. Her strength had taken him off guard, her intelligence had confounded him, and she’d forced him to think on his feet in a way that few could. The best part was that she did it all without saying a word - no fluff, no gimmicks, just a hard, clean fight, the kind he craved. The fight was truly on its way to being something special.

And then it just stopped.

It wasn’t the first time he’d won a match out of nowhere, but he couldn't recall the last time he’d felt so hollow after a win. It would’ve stuck with him for months, a thorn in his side, and thankfully Wyvern felt the same way.

So here he was. Back in the ring, while his theme music died down, ready to do this once more.

Aizen

He stood in the ring and waited in his corner, doing warm-ups, the same as before, while his theme music died down. From outward appearances, you wouldn’t have been able to tell much of change, but a keen eye would catch the little thins.

More bounce in his jump.

Sharper punches, slicing through the shadows.

Maybe, even, the barest hint of a smile, sneaking in without his notice.

His mind was racing with all the important details. What should he open with this time? She would have a good handle on his style, but there were still a lot of moves he hadn't used. Maybe focus on speedier attacks, mix in some lucha to throw her off, then switch to the ground game before she could adapt? If he tried the same move he won with last time, would she have a counter ready?

Just about every other time, a rematch would be a disappointment, with his opponent just wanting to vent steam and bringing nothing new to the table. With her, he knew it would be different, and he couldn't wait to see how.

[Hills]

Wyvern, on the whole, is not an egotistical person. Confident? Frequently. Few would argue that she hadn't earned the right to have faith in her skills as a fighter, at least when it came to striking. Prideful? Certainly. Despite her expressed contempt for the concept, Wyvern is ultimately bound quite heavily by her own sense of dignity and fear over the way the (very) few people she cares about will perceive her. But when her own failures looked her in the eye, she did not deny them, or look away. Rattled by past experiences and crushed by her utter, and unsatisfying, defeat to Aizen, she had done the only thing she could.

Asked for help.

It had taken all that she had to reach out, between her pride, her fear of rejection, and feelings of inadequacy. But to not take that risk would have been to give up her only chance of truly improving. She could have taken satisfaction with what she had, stayed as a strong striker, and abandoning the idea of being a better wrestler. But that wasn't who she was. Wyvern had never been one to back down from a challenge, and while this one had been painful and intimidating in ways different from any other she had faced, she had done so. Now, it was time to see if that had all been worth it. As per usual, Wyvern enters the gorilla position only after hearing Aizen's music, unwilling to see her opponent before the start of the match. Moving straight to the exit to the stage, she glances over at a tech who nods permission before striding out. The opening of her entrance theme begins to pulse in her ears.

Spoiler

While she had begun taking her entrances more slowly in the past, mostly at the insistence of LAW's eternally nagging marketing department, tonight she had no time for that. Even before the lights return from the darkness accompanying her entrances, Wyvern is already at the top of the ramp down to the ring. She forces herself not to run; this contest would require everything she had if she wanted to have any chance of winning. She had an edge in strength, but Aizen held many advantages over her in skill and experience. In a real fight like this one, those were more valuable. All that remained to be seen was how much she had managed to close the gap.

Reaching the ring, Wyvern takes the time to climb up the steps at one of the ring posts, moving in under the top rope with controlled precision. As soon as she fully enters, her gaze locks with Aizen's. An intense person even at the best of times, Wyvern's acute focus is on a completely different level compared to her last match with the Dojo Breaker. At the same time, though, someone with his level of skill can detect a hesitation that wasn't there before. Wyvern is determined to win, but she cannot entirely hold back her doubts.

Loosening herself up by rolling her shoulders and neck, she gives a slight nod of respect to Aizen.

[BlackAkuma]

Something had changed in Wyvern since they last fought. He could tell that from the first instant he saw her.

It was hard to put a finger on what clued him in, exactly. There was no one, single tell, nothing that would’ve stood out to a casual observer. You had to take in the totality of her movements, note the differences in the way she walked, the hurried pace with which she approached the ring. You had to be in the ring to see the focus of gaze when she came in through the ropes and took position, looking his way with iron sights. She hadn't been lax the last time they met, but the woman he fought before wasn’t at this level of refined determination, wasn’t as driven as the fighter he faced today. There was some trepidation there, but also anticipation, as if she knew something he didn’t.

Wyvern was a canny, intelligent opponent. She wouldn’t try the same thing and expect a different result. She had a new weapon to work with.

It would be up to him to figure out what that weapon was and neutralize it in time. As her music died down, he returned the nod and slid into his stance. No more need be said.

The referee looked between them, called for the bell, and Aizen was in motion before the ring’s echo had even finish reverberating. They’d started slow last time, feeling each other out, and there wasn’t anything wrong with that, but this time he wanted to start fast and see how well she handled the change. He moved into range and came at her with the same combination she’d come at him with when they first met - a jab, swift and sharp, aimed at her face, while a low kick swung at the side of her leg to disrupt the balance.

His special way of saying ‘hello, again’.

[Hills]

Wyvern assumes her stance as the referee confirms both fighters are ready to start, never taking her gaze off of Aizen. She starts off with her weight forward, making no effort to hide her intention to launch into the offense as soon as the match starts. With Aizen taking the same approach, the two close with each other before the audience can even fully grasp the start of the match, beginning their first exchange so quickly even the referee can barely keep up with them. With equally matched speeds, Aizen is the one able to strike first by virtue of experience and reach.

Recognizing the incoming jab, Wyvern keeps pushing forward and tries to slam her forehead into Aizen's fist. The counter, as unconventional and risky as most of Wyvern's uses of her head, will increase the damage taken by both combatants if it lands correctly. Having obsessively watched the recordings of their last match, Wyvern anticipates the follow-up kick as a mirror of her opening from their previous clash. Rather than trying to dodge or counter, she instead sets her stance as stably as possible, painfully absorbing the kick but keeping on her feet. As she does so, she draws one fist back, low against her abdomen, before rotating her body into a fast, powerful punch aimed at Aizen's stomach.

For now, doubt has flown from her mind.

[BlackAkuma]

The opening bell might as well have been a starter’s pistol.

Aizen came out hot and Wyvern moved to meet him, with the two meeting at the center and not giving an inch. He expected her to be aggressive right from the start - even ignoring the strategy of it, that last match had left her unsatisfied, and she would be looking to correct the error. What he hadn't expected was her to not only taken his punch, but to lean into it. An unorthodox move, but not ineffective. He winced as his wrist folded up thanks to her advance, pushed to angle it was never designed to go, twisting the tendons inside.

The kick was his next hope, and for an instant, it seemed like that would do the trick. It landed clean and flush, couldn't have done better, and he could feel the impact flow through him. He knew that had to hurt, it had to, and he was expecting her to retreat and give him the opening.

She did not.

Instead, Aizen was the one driven back when she planted a piledriving fist into his stomach, one that hit with enough force to briefly knock him off his feet. He stumbled back towards the ropes, clutching his gut as he backpedaled,and nearly hit them before he stopped his momentum and brought his guard up, anticipating the followup. He was good, still able to fight, but she’d come out ahead in that exchange and there was no hiding it.

[Hills]

Taking direct hits this early into a grueling type of match like Last One Standing was generally considered far from good strategy, but Wyvern's actions are calculated; the damaging strike to her leg enables her to deliver an even stronger blow to her opponent. The headbutt had also hurt Aizen's wrist, but Wyvern can already feel the tell-tale signs of a headache growing from it. Her skull was thick, but not impervious, and too many concussions would end her career, if not her life. She couldn't afford to continue being this reckless if she wanted to win. And she wanted that more than anything else.

As soon as Aizen is forced back, the Irish wrestler surges forward to follow up. She briefly considers a clothesline, but discards the notion immediately. Aizen would certainly be skilled enough to roll over the ropes to minimize the damage, and worst case might even be able to turn it into a rope-hung arm bar. Instead, Wyvern keeps to her usual stance and moves in, throwing a quick combination of left and right punches as a screen before aiming a powerful elbow strike at Aizen's temple. The execution isn't flawless, however, and a short gap is left before this final swing begins...

[BlackAkuma]

Aizen was taken off guard by Wyvern’s preternatural power the last time they fought, and he thought he would be more ready for it this time, that his body would be prepared for the kind of damage she could do with simple blows. While the sheer surprise was gone, however, he found he wasn’t able to absorb her hits any better now than he’d done the last time they tangled - she was just that strong. Differences in height, weight, and sex mattered little here, with Wyvern defying them all.

He was forced back, and she moved to close that gap straight away, laying into him with a battering barrage that had him stumbling back. Blow after blow rammed into his defensive walls, but he held fast, knowing the real damage would be coming through the screen. Somewhere, somewhere…

When it came, it came hard, as Wyvern cut clear through his guard and rattled his skull with a heavy elbow. Spittle flew and his bandana whipped about as he spun around, the momentum forcing him into an about-face.

The strike had rattled him, but not so much that he forgot his position, who he was fighting, and the potential danger of leaving his back open to her. Knowing he needed some offense to push her back, Aizen threw himself forward, planted his hands on the ground, and shot his legs out behind him, attempting to plant both feet into Wyvern’s chest with a mule kick and send her flying.

[BlackAkuma]

Aizen was taken off guard by Wyvern’s preternatural power the last time they fought, and he thought he would be more ready for it this time, that his body would be prepared for the kind of damage she could do with simple blows. While the sheer surprise was gone, however, he found he wasn’t able to absorb her hits any better now than he’d done the last time they tangled - she was just that strong. Differences in height, weight, and sex mattered little here, with Wyvern defying them all.

He was forced back, and she moved to close that gap straight away, laying into him with a battering barrage that had him stumbling back. Blow after blow rammed into his defensive walls, but he held fast, knowing the real damage would be coming through the screen. Somewhere, somewhere…

When it came, it came hard, as Wyvern cut clear through his guard and rattled his skull with a heavy elbow. Spittle flew and his bandana whipped about as he spun around, the momentum forcing him into an about-face.

The strike had rattled him, but not so much that he forgot his position, who he was fighting, and the potential danger of leaving his back open to her. Knowing he needed some offense to push her back, Aizen threw himself forward, planted his hands on the ground, and shot his legs out behind him, attempting to plant both feet into Wyvern’s chest with a mule kick and send her flying.

[Hills]

Wyvern's overpowering strength has always been her main advantage, but her time in LAW has been one long lesson in how that's not enough to win at the top tiers. Aizen himself had dealt out the most painful instruction of the lot, and she wasn't going to let that happen again. Thus, she doesn't immediately pursue after spinning Aizen around with her elbow strike; although the situation certainly favored her, it was desperate for him and she didn't doubt he'd be able to respond on instinct when she tried to take advantage.

The Irish wrestler's predictions prove exactly correct as Aizen is able to throw himself off of his feet, a maneuver she certainly hadn't anticipated and that would have foiled any of her theorized approaches to him. The mule kick is equally unexpected. She certainly never expected to see a move like that in an actual fight, but once again Aizen had proven that enough skill could allow almost any attack to be effective as long as it's used correctly. His feet impact directly against her stomach, and it's only the distance she had kept by staying back that prevents her from being knocked off of her feet entirely by the powerful strike.

Staggering backwards, Wyvern grits her teeth and forces her arms back up into her fighting stance, the pain in her belly insistent but ignorable with sufficient willpower. Taking any time to lick her wounds was something she knew she couldn't afford. Still recovering, she maintains a defensive posture and waits to see what Aizen's follow-up will be.

[BlackAkuma]

The mule kick might’ve seemed like a wild choice, but it wasn’t the sort of thing he threw out carelessly. Wyvern had power on her side, but he figured that versatility was firmly an advantage he enjoyed. Being able to attack from any angle, any time, in any way, meant that he could respond to a variety of situations. No matter what she put him he’d be ready

That sort of philosophy came to his aid now, as his kick accomplished its task and sent her back, creating some space for him to recover. It wasn’t enough to send her flying, but that was fine - it gave him the cover he needs to roll forward, spin around and rise up with his fists raised, anticipating her followup.

A follow up that wasn’t coming. Wyvern was holding back. Interesting.

Maybe it was imagination, but he was already starting to see some of the difference. The woman he faced last time would’ve been caught by that kick, full on. This one knew enough to stay back and play it safer. A cannier opponent, shrewder and more thoughtful? Perhaps. She hadn't been an idiot before by any means, but still…

It was something to stay mindful of, as he moved in once again, bringing the fight back to her. He came at her head on again, looking like he might try another striking exchange, only to rush in at the last second and duck down to her side, trying to get behind her with a burst of movement and capture her from behind in a controlling waist lock. He had the germ of a plan brewing, but first he wanted to see how she could handle some more traditional grappling.