Yuki Kazikura vs. Amano Jaku II - Hardcore Barbed Wire Match

[CaptainL]

Author's Note

I'm from the future. To those reading this thread after the fact, please note that this is probably the bloodiest match I've ever written, and I'm willing to bet it's among the bloodiest on the site as of the time of this writing. If you don't like that sort of thing, this is your chance to turn away.

Match Type: Hardcore Barbed Wire Match
Rules: Victory by pinfall, submission, or knockout. Participants cannot be disqualified for any reason. The ring ropes are replaced by barbed wire.

----

This was it. Standing back in the locker room, Yuki was left to face what was, quite possibly, to be the most grueling match of her life.

It was far from the first time she'd said that, of course. There was her match against then-Lightweight Champion Aoi Fukiwara, where Yuki faced some of the greatest stakes ever before faced in her career. There was her mercy match against Rose Gold at We Are LAW that year, where Yuki had made her first appearance on a LAW pay-per-view event, let alone their flagship show. But even though those matches might have been defining moments in her career, the emotions Yuki felt in the leadup to them didn't come close to what she was dealing with now.

Her initial victory against Amano Jaku, the self-proclaimed Rascal Demon, had gone well enough, ending in a pinfall victory without much trouble from Yuki. She thought things would end there - but little did she know they were just beginning. After the dust had cleared, Amano challenged Yuki to a humiliation match - a match type that Yuki had less than a perfect track record with, and even more hesitations when it came to starting another. Nevertheless, she had to agree. The alternative was backing down and admitting her surrender, and that was something Yuki wouldn't dare. After her crushing defeat against Rose, she had been building herself back up as a capable contender - and a capable contender did not run away from such a challenge.

But then, the two had ran into each other at a LAW gym, and though Yuki had only been minding her own business, she managed to attract her rival's ire regardless. The tensions between them escalated more and more, and in Yuki's refusal to back down, she had insisted on proving herself through whatever means necessary. Reiko had decided that a humiliation match wasn't good enough. If she was to truly test the limits of Yuki's resolve, she would need to put her through hell itself, facing off against the Rascal Demon in a hardcore barbed wire match.

It was a challenge like none other Yuki had faced before. She was always one to uphold good conduct and stand by the code of honor that defined her as a sportswoman, keeping a cool head both in the ring and out and always following the rules; even in desperation the thought of cheating never came to her. While she had gone after the Lightweight Championship, she did so more to prove her own potential and to show her convictions in rising to the challenge; the status of champion came secondary to her personal goals. To Yuki, wrestling was about rising to the challenge, and proving you could be the best.

But this match? This wasn't an athletic contest. This was a fight. By the end of it, Yuki knew, she would hurt, she would bleed, and she would have experienced sensations she never envisioned in her worst nightmares.

And yet, she was still determined to do it. If she said no, that would already be conceding defeat. It would prove to Amano that she couldn't live up to the proud image she'd set for herself, and that when push came to shove she would crumble. Yuki couldn't let that happen - not for her, and not for what she believed in.

Yuki had looked at her cell phone just before she stashed it away in her bag. She'd received a text from her closest friend, Haruka, urging her to call the match off; that it wasn't worth the danger. It wasn't the first of such messages Haruka had sent her over the last few days. But the response, as always, was the same. Yuki wasn't doing this because she wanted to. She was doing this because she had to.

At last, a LAW employee walked into the locker room, her soft voice telling Yuki that it was time to go on. She held herself straight, her arms folded. Her body was tense; she knew that she was sending Yuki into the most dangerous challenge she'd faced yet. But she knew just as much as Yuki herself that there was no stopping her - and Yuki responded with nothing more than a nod of her head, proceeding to the ramp.

Spoiler

This time, there was no announcer to call for her, and no flashy lights or music to herald her entrance. There weren't even any fans in attendance - the match would be taking place after the arena had closed to allow it to run unsanctioned - and the camera crew, referee, and timekeeper were only present for the sake of formalities. It would be only Yuki and Amano, and the match wouldn't end until one of them had emerged triumphant.

Yuki made her strides to the ring with purpose, her head down and her fists balled at her sides. Every second sent her heart pounding with the thought of the challenge that awaited her, but she had long since accepted its inevitability. She stopped as she reached the ring, looking up at the wicked-looking barbed wire that had replaced the ropes. Yuki winced at the thought of meeting it, but, sucking in a breath, she at last crawled in underneath, picking herself up to her feet. Brushing her hair out of her eyes, she came to her corner, watching and waiting for when her opponent would arrive.

[dlamp]

"... ... ..." I thought I'd be way more on edge about this. Of course, there could be a lot of reasons why Amano wasn't feeling worried. This wasn't Amano's first time in a hardcore match. This wouldn't be the first time Amano bled in a match either, and far from the first time she got seriously hurt in a fight. This wasn't even her first match against Yuki. For intent and purpose, this was just another fight she'd be in with some high stakes and high risk. It made sense that Amano didn't feel much worry or fear about this. But... she didn't feel much of anything. Not even excitement at the thought of duking it out with a hated rival. In most cases, this would had been a dream match for Amano, fighting one-on-one with no distractions against someone she wanted to crush and bully. To slug it out like gangsters where they put their bodies on the line in the ultimate match.

But Amano felt nothing. And that was just odd for her.

Only a few days ago she screamed her lungs out in the gym, shouted a slew of swears, insults, and declarations at Yuki that still echoed in her eyes, said every dark and hostile threat she could had thought of at the time, and was just short of ripping the girl's throat out in the locker rooms right there. After all that hate and vitriol she spewed out Amano figured this match would have her on edge, or angry, or eager to shed blood, or even scared.

But... she just felt empty. As if the match wasn't even happening.

She had no squeamishness about what she was going to do to Yuki. No squeamishness about what Yuki was going to do to her. They were going to fight in a deathmatch, break each other down to their souls, and not stop until someone was left a bloody pile. She was ready for that, she could feel the fire inside her stirring with that resolution to put it all on the line. But... that fire only stirred. It wasn't blazing, it wasn't burning. It just... existed.

She pulled out her phone, staring blankly at it before typing out a message:

Hey. Anyone ever have a big match come up and not feel anything? Like... just a big empty space in your head? Got a big fight ahead but I actually feel super light right now. That normal?

She stared at the message, staring as if that alone would hit send. But she did publish the message. Maybe a wrestling senpai could give her some advice, or at least confirm this weird emptiness in her. Maybe-

Soon, an attendant told her it was time to go out. There was no time to wait for a reply, so she typed up another quick message.

Nevermind, fight time's coming up. I'll say how it went later. Unless I break my hand or something... actually, that might really happen soooo... guess you'll hear about it later.

She left her phone in her locker and walked out.

There was no music or crowds around. No fanfare to Amano's entrance, and Amano didn't bother with her usual flaunting and taunting. No, she walked down with a focused gaze, eyes locked onto the ring. She could feel it now, her heartbeat, her adrenaline, her rage. The moment she saw Yuki that stirring flame blazed into a roaring inferno. Her eyes narrowed into slits, and her fists twitched at the sight of her hated rival in her corner.

For her attire, Amano was in a pure white kimono top, her legs bare and showing as usual. But the white kimono wasn't on her out of any desire to be seen as pure. No, it was so she could see every last drop of blood and sweat her and Yuki poured onto each other as they fought. She told the girl she wanted a red kimono after this fight and she was going to get one, one way or another

And as Amano crawled under the ropes and into the ring, she looked at Yuki with an almost blank stare. She could feel the flames of her rage start to burn just looking at her. Her fists clenched at the sight of her. Running up to punch her right now would be fitting, but... Amano just stared, remaining in her corner. This might be a fight, but it would at least start on equal footing.

[CaptainL]

To most wrestlers, those short few moments before a match began were a time to ready oneself, to build up the hype and to anticipate throwing oneself into the heat of battle. It was an exciting time, a time to prepare for the action that was to come. But in this case, Yuki wasn't dancing around the ring, or playing to the crowd. She simply stood perfectly still in her corner, her head down and her body motionless, as Amano entered the ring. When the Rascal Demon had gotten back to her feet, Yuki raised her head slowly, locking eyes with her opponent. Her fingers clenched into a fist, but her expression betrayed no feeling or emotion. Only a cold, calculated focus.

Inside, things were different. Yuki's heart was racing. She could hardly imagine what sort of ordeal she'd have to go through in a match like this, one that was completely outside of her comfort zone. She knew it was going to hurt - perhaps even more so than anything Yuki had experienced in her life up to this point. A part of her was anxious, fearing what lay in her future. But she also knew this was inevitable. From the moment she first faced off against Amano, her life was leading up to this point. The Demon wouldn't back down, forcing Yuki to have to prove how dedicated she really was, that she would be willing to put everything on the line just to hold to her word that she would never surrender.

It was a daunting challenge. But it was one Yuki had to be ready for.

"So. You're here," Yuki said quietly, looking up at Amano. "I hope you're ready. I know that I am. For better or worse...it all ends here. It's too late to back down now...and I made a promise I would never surrender."

Deep in Yuki's heart, there was one part of her that wished it wasn't too late, and that there was still a chance she wouldn't have to put herself through this. But there was another part of her that knew she would have to face her destiny.

[dlamp]

"... ... ..." She still had those damn, cold eyes. Yuki still looked at Amano like an obstacle instead of an actual threat, like an annoyance and not an opponent. That emotionless, expressionless stare that cared little for anything unless it was for some title or award. Even in this situation, surrounded by barbed wire and no audience to play to, it felt like Yuki was just treating this like most playground scrap instead of the death match it was going to be, that Amano wanted it to be. And as she spoke, as she made her declaration to never surrender, to never give up, as if she was some kind of savior of the empty arena... "Tch," She's talking to herself. Those words weren't some threat or announcement for Amano to heed, they were a self pep talk in the guise of a speech. The kind of speech made more for one's own sake than the other person.

As if Amano was just a thing.

"This won't end. Not until you break me."

It was more a snarl than actual words. Like hell I'm gonna' listen to you talk to me like I'm air. The black feeling in her heart grew further as the two stood apart. This was irritating now. She was not going to hear any more of this nonsense. "Hey, Yuki-chan." She took a step forward. "You wanna' know why I went with Amanojaku for my name? Why I'm a demon?" Her eyes locked onto Yuki's, the black hatred turning her gaze vacant. "Amanojaku are demons that drag people to their lowest and make them do evil. Knock sheltered princesses like you off their high horse and into the dirt." She loosened her kimono, letting the collar drip down to her shoulders to show of her neck and back more.

"I told you, didn't I? Come at me like you wanna' kill me. That's the only way you'll even walk out of here." She took a shaky breath, moving one more step forward to reach the center of the ring. "Now," She looked at Yuki with all the fury she could muster in her glare, bellowing out her demand.

"COME AT ME!!"

[CaptainL]

Yuki sucked in a breath, letting it hang there in her throat. Her eyes locked onto Amano with an unwavering stare; she knew, instinctively, that to take her eyes off her opponent for even a second would spell doom. Not because Amano was going to strike her while her guard was down, though she didn't doubt that - but because breaking the staredown would be admitting defeat, letting her opponent secure the satisfaction of knowing she had broken her composure. Above all else, perhaps even above her will to win the match, Yuki was determined to not let Amano think she had knocked her off her pedestal. Even when she might have been nervous or tense, she couldn't let that show.

"I'm aware," Yuki muttered, taking a step closer to her foe. She didn't let her eyes fall from Amano, and her back was held straight and stiff. "But I'm ready. I'll do whatever I have to..." Her words were one part aimed at instilling her conviction in Amano, one part convincing herself that she really meant everything she was saying. She took deep breaths, trying to keep herself calm, even against the knowledge she was facing one of her most decisive battles yet.

Amano, too, took a step forward, further narrowing the distance that existed between herself and Yuki. The dark-haired girl looked up toward her, taking in a breath silently - but as she listened to what Amano had to say, her eyes narrowed into a glare, her teeth clenching in a snarl. She could tell Amano aimed at getting in her head now, but for better or worse it was working. She wanted, more than ever, to prove wrong everything she said.

"I agreed to this match for a reason," Yuki said, her tone soft and measured despite the tempestuous foundations her words sat on. "I'm here to prove to you that I'm no sheltered princess. I'm just as much a warrior as you are...and by the end of this match, you'll know. You'll know!" The anger rose in her voice as she let that last word fall from her lips. Already, that will to fight was building in her!

As soon as Amano issued the challenge, Yuki was ready to throw herself into it. Not only was she out to open this match as strong as she could, and to secure an upper hand for herself, she also wanted to prove to Amano that she was perfectly capable of meeting her on even ground. Letting out a battle cry, she drew back her arm, going to swing out with a chop straight to Amano's throat to try and open the match as impactfully as possible!

[dlamp]

No bell was need. No call from the referee. Yuki's war cry was enough to show it was time to fight, and Amano shifted into her stance. Rather than her typical aikido stance that was geared toward catching attacks, this was stance with an outright offensive stance, hands to her face, lose, but nearly in fists. A karate stances. And as Yuki charged forward, her arm back for what looked like a lariat or a chop, Amano slide one foot forward, lowering her body as she thrust her fist out in a single, smooth motion.

A sharp straight punch aimed right at Yuki's liver. Just like Yuki, Amano wanted to make a statement with her first move. This wasn't a duel between wrestlers trying to show their guts. It wasn't a battle to settle a disagree of two opinions, or even a brawl between hated rivals wanting to end a feud. No, this was fight. A fight where Amano was going to hurt, bruise, and batter Yuki until she couldn't stand. And she wanted Yuki to feel that intent.

[CaptainL]

As soon as she had thrown the chop, Yuki bit her lip, her brow furrowing in thought. Had that been the right option? Or was she only leaving Amano with an easy opening to capitalize on, allowing her to grab her by the arm and counter? She held that thought in her mind for little more than a few seconds before she shook her head. No, there was no time to think now. In a match like this, every ounce of Yuki's concentration had to be aimed at her opponent. She could never take Amano out of her sights or out of her thoughts; every move she made would be targeted for the purpose of hurting her. There was no room for hesitation - after all, that would just prove to Amano that Yuki couldn't live up to her demands. She wanted an opponent who was ruthless and showed no mercy, and that was what Yuki intended to give her.

In the end, Yuki's second thoughts would prove accurate, as Amano slipped underneath her chop, her head darting just beneath the blow. And, at the same time, she threw her fist forward, striking Yuki cleanly in the center of her body. This close to Amano, the dark-haired girl had nowhere to go to dodge or get away, and she had no choice but to take it. As the blow landed with a thump, Yuki doubled over forward. She cried out in pain, the ache radiating through her body from the site of the impact, as her long hair whipped through the air behind her.

For a few seconds, she stared back up at her opponent. She coughed a few times, her hand on her sternum. Her chest burned. But the grimace of pain that painted her face soon turned to one of rage! Yuki wouldn't let herself be put down like this. In some matches, a liver blow might have put her out of action for a while - but in this match, there was too much at stake to care about that! Glaring daggers at Amano, Yuki whipped herself back up to her feet. Her elbow shot out in front of her, looking to slam it right into Amano's chest! Not only was she out to hurt her opponent, she wanted to prove to her that she could fight a real fight!

[dlamp]

Amano made sure to dig her fist as deep as she could manage, getting a feel for Yuki's body before pulling back in a quick motion, as if locking her arm back in its chamber. "Osu," Rarely did she use karate and fist-based strikes in a match. For a few reasons, the biggest being she had a good chance of breaking her knuckles when hitting a bones or hardened muscle. The second was a lack of sparring gloves, which she rarely wore due to her mostly practicing aikido. Palm strikes gave her a little bit more safety to herself and her opponent... but this was different.

Amano look at Yuki, holding back the smirk she wanted to give. Seeing the girl writhe, turning her war cry into one of pain, and seeing her stare back at Amano with vengeful rage stirred the little demon's heart. This was just the beginning too. There would be more blows to take and give throughout the fight. And seeing Yuki's rage sharpened Amano's eyes.

"Get up!" She spat out.

And Yuki did rise, shooting out her elbow into Amano's chest. "Guh!" Amano staggered a step, but gritted her teeth and immediately moved to latch onto Yuki's arm before she could pull away and keep her in place.

[CaptainL]

With her blow landing, Yuki could feel her heart beating faster in her chest. Her eyes were narrowed into a glare, her teeth clenched in a silent growl. While she might have been feeling the pain of the liver blow just a few moments prior, now Yuki could barely feel anything; the sensation had been drowned out under the rush of adrenaline. It was born on from the intensity of the match she had thrown herself into as well as the danger she faced, knowing full well that this match, more than any she'd ever been in, could end in disaster. And yet, Yuki couldn't let that hold her back. She had to give it her best shot, just to prove that she could if nothing else!

As she rose, throwing her elbow into Amano's chest, Yuki swung closer to her opponent. The momentum of her strike moved fluidly into her foe, the blow knocking her back. She watched as Amano reeled, but she watched also as she grabbed a hold of her arm, trying to still Yuki and prevent her from moving any further. But when Yuki looked back up at her, the two meeting eyes, Amano wouldn't see a look of passive, hopeless despair. She saw the burning glare of a warrior, one who refused to be silenced by such a move!

Hissing through her teeth at Amano, Yuki turned her body, throwing her weight to the side. She attempted to throw the Rascal Demon off her feet, twisting her arm around to take her to the ground - if Amano would try to turn her elbow strike into an armlock, Yuki would turn that into an arm drag!

[dlamp]

Yuki wasn't going to just let Amano have her arm, that was clear from the moment they met eyes and glared. Amano answered Yuki's hiss with the savage snarl of a bloodthirsty animal, bearing her teeth as she selfishly pulled at her rival's arm. But Yuki was fighting on, throwing her whole body in a twist to try and pull the Demon off and to the ground, and Amano couldn't fight back against all the weight and momentum thrown against her. But that was fine.

And if Yuki wanted a ground fight, Amano would give her one.

There was just enough time to react. As Yuki was pulling at her arm Amano almost immediately stopped fighting after the first tug, rather than be dragged, Amano skipped ahead in front of Yuki. If Aikido had taught her anything, it was to never fight against the flow of someone else and use it her advantage instead. And if Amano move one of her hands from Yuki's arm to her shoulder as she went down she'd have Yuki in a good armlock from the ground, not too different from match with match with Xiuying.