Main Event: Rose Gold (c) vs Amano Jaku - MMA style Beach Match for the LAW Lightweight Championship

[dlamp]

"Urg!" Amano's halted a literal foot before reaching Rose. Her upper body jerked forward, the Demon coughing out saliva from the harsh combination of her own momentum and Rose's blow hitting home. It was like a stake drove itself into her stomach. Her fist didn't reach Rose's face, much less the rest of her. "Graah..." It hurt. Yeah, the blow shook her a little, and Rose's fury was as clear in her eyes as it was in her strike.

But it didn't hurt as bad as she thought.

Whatever Hangaku's three shots did, that blow felt like the first strike of the match. It wasn't something could brush off easily, but it could shoved in the back of her mind for now. She only had 30 seconds. Every move counted. And with that in mind she latched an arm around Rose's leg, looking her dead in the eye with feral furious. She wasn't going to let go, not yet.

"Raaaah!" Then, raising an arm up high, she immediately brought it down for another sharp chop to her Rose's leg and to give her painful repeat and reminder of the last round.

[SuckerPunch]

Amano's belly yielded to her kick. And unlike the last time, the little bitch winced! Whatever had gotten into her last round, this wasn't it. She'd been right about Amano's shackles. They were still intact, holding her back from who she had the potential to be!

"GRAH!" She was awoken from her own internal back-patting with a scream of pain! Her other leg seared straight to the bone from Amano's knife-like chop! But unlike last time, she didn't fall to her knees! Not because it was less effective. But because she would rather -die- than kneel before the Demon another time.

Her toes hit the sand and the ache in her thigh warned her not to put any weight down upon the freshly battered appendage. Slavering, she glared contemptuously at Amano. She saw right through her, like a death row inmate meeting the eyes of an audience who thought they were concealed behind two-way glass.

"I thought you were going to kill me Demon-chan!?" She barked as she lifted her chin. "Come on then! My throat's right here!"

Her coaxing came with a right that lashed out like a whip made of thorns. Cracking across Amano's cheek. Not a fist, but a condescending slap! A red right hand that would sting her spirit as much as her body. She could see the collar about Amano's neck. Her lead was only so long. And when it ran out of length, she'd be jerked back to earth like the junkyard dog she was!

"COME ON DEMON-CHAN! SHOW ME EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!"

Amano was either going to kill her... Or die tired.

[dlamp]

Rose screamed, jolted a little even from the chop, but she didn't go down. Instead meeting Amano's wild gaze with sharp clarity. "Grrk!"And the Demon only snarled, staring at Rose's open through like a meal, baring her teeth as if she was truly about to bite at her jugular and rip open the meat. And just as Amano opened her mouth to bite back at Rose's taunt-

"-!!!"

Pain. A sharp and stinging pain across her face. Her face went blank for only a split second before contorting in rage. You fucking- Amano's eye glared daggers at Rose. The taunt was obvious, but she wasn't going to back out. If Rose wanted everything, she give her everything. "Fine!" She dropped Rose's leg, twisting her hips, torso and arm back in a quick, fluid motion, a fist clenched tight. In most cases, Amano stuck with palm strikes. Partly for the martial arts flair, partly to protect her bare knuckles, but screw it. This woman needed to die.

"I'LL BURY YOU!" And she swung forward, putting every bit of her soul into her punch.

[SuckerPunch]

The look in Amano's eyes put a grin on Rose Gold's lips. Proof that she'd struck more than her cheek, she'd struck her soul!

"What a good look you're giving me!" She hissed chidingly as her leg was dropped. Freedom.

She watched the torque travel through Amano's body. From the planting of her foot, to the twisting of her hip, to the arcing of her punch! She could see it all! But she didn't move. She knew the state of her body. She'd never make it.

*CRACK!*

Her world flashed white and her head snapped to the side! Her eyes rolled back and her mouth gaped as a spray of saliva splashed across the sand. She'd seen Amano's punch. The stars looked lovely. Millions of celestial bodies looking down on them. Watching Rose Gold as she went horizontal!

Her back foot planted itself in the sand, sliding backwards but somehow, some way, not going down! She rose, as if some deity pulled her upright on marionette strings!

"RAAGH!" She let out a visceral war cry!

Her right foot lashed out, damage be damned! Her shin aimed to crack right off the side of Amano's face!

[dlamp]

Even as Amano's fist connect with Rose's jaw she still moved forward. So much momentum was put into that strike she had to catch herself to keep from falling over. "Haaah... haaah..." Amano's fist was still clenched tight, her knuckles hot with rage and fury. She watched as Rose staggered, as the saliva flew out and the lights went out for just a moment, but she didn't go down. As if possessed, Rose stayed on her feet and immediately struck back. The kick coming was obvious, it was coming right for her face with a hateful fury.

"Gra-!" And she took the kick in full, her whole body staggering back for only a moment. The world swirled for a second as her consciousness dipped out for a moment, the world flickering.

"Hrgh!" But the Demon remained standing! She let out an ugly gasp, forcing out a snarl to replace before locking enraged eyes with Rose again. She wasn't down. She wasn't going down. If Rose wasn't going to completely buckle, then neither way Amano!

"Hraaaagh!" And the Demon roared right back at Rose, her face a visage of rage and hunger. Fuck it. No more strategy. No more planning. She didn't have much time left. She wanted this to be a slaughter, and it was damn well going to. And so, she threw her weight forward, her fist moving hard and fast for a heavy overhanded punch to Rose's face.

[SuckerPunch]

Amano's rebuttle to her headkick turned her inside out! The Lightweight Champion found herself in a position that few had seen her in... Caught in another woman's rhythym. She was squaring up with her opponent, and rather than participating in a game of physical chess and mental manipulation, she was engaged in a phone booth fight!

It seemed clear to the crowd that the two women were in the closing moments of this fight. Both of them having thrown caution to the wind. Both of them unsteady and on a knife's edge!

Rose barely had any strength left. Her face was swollen. Her senses were dulled. She knew the match would be decided the moment she hit the sand...

"Agh!"Another spray of saliva hit the sand behind Rose as her head was nearly spun off her shoulders!

Her body followed that momentum, spinning and hobbling. Her bikini clad form staggering towards thd cage until her legs gave out and her level dropped!

But her senses returned just before she hit the sand!

She sprang back up, turning midway through and arcing a heel towards Amano's crown. It wasn't graceful. It wasn't calculated. It was desperate. And it was violent.

"NGH! Just die!!"

[dlamp]

All Amano could register was her fist hitting Rose. Her eyes were locked at Rose's feet, seeing them scrambling back. She could see a bit of liquid hit the sand as well. Sweat or saliva, it didn't matter. Her blow hit its mark, but Rose only reeled back further. And all Amano could process was seeing blood in the water now.

Her mind only focused combat. No stopping to think. No pausing to plan a next move. Just. Keep. Hitting. Until this woman was knocked out. She dragged herself up, as if on strings, as if possessed, her eyes forcing focus on Rose's desperate face just as she saw the wild kick come-

"Grgh!" It was only a second, but the world flashed for what felt like an hour.

It wasn't the calculated strike of a fellow martial artist, but the desperate blow of an animal on limp legs. Not that Amano was any better. Her eyes blanked a moment before coming back into focus, her head snapping in Rose's direct. No thoughts. Only action. "YOU FIRST!" Amano shot her leg up, throwing herself forward with all her weight of a harsh and desperate front kick at Rose's midsection, right for her liver. Die already!

[SuckerPunch]

Amano and Rose were embattled. Locked in an exchange of strikes that seemed to be timed by a metronome. Each of blow taking something out of them, whether it was given or received. However, it was Amano who pushed forward, and Rose Gold who found herself driven ever backwards.

"BGH!" Amano's kick sank into Rose's torso, her ankle slicing into her body just under her ribs. A liver blow. Immediately she felt it. The shock of having her internal organ crushed! Her cheeks bloated and her eyes bulged! Her sweat-sheened body curled up on itself as her legs gave out! She turned, giving Amano her back as her body became piloted by reflex and instinct. A demand to protect what was injured overrode her fight intellect.

Her knee hit the sand as her hands clutched her torso. Her breathing hastened and was accompanied by pained moans. Her eyes knit tightly as tears gathered at their corners.

Her forehead hit the cage, keeping her from going down completely, as her eyes flickered in and out of reality. She wasn't contending with consciousness... But arguing with her own body. Her nervous system went into red alert, overwhelmed by pain and refusing all other signals.

'Move! Move damnit! She's right behind you!' She panicked and urged herself to move... But all that generated was trembling and moaning.

She was well and truly stunned... Wide open for Amano's coup d' grace.

[dlamp]

It took a lot to just not drop after the kick. Amano's body was heaving was she gasped in heavy breaths, but that last kick had all but pinned Rose to the wall. "Haah... haah... haah..." Everything... felt so numb now. The world was blurring in and out. The mere act of breathing was painful. The only thing the Demon could feel were her clenched fists. The only sounds she could register were her breaths and the groans Rose was giving her. But even with all that she could see her target ahead, stuck against the cage and as desperate to move as Amano was. Gotta'... finish this.

There was no retaliation from Rose this time, no strike back in pattern like at the start of the round. It was now or never. "Hrrrgh..." She took a heavy step forward, a fist raised for one more punch. She couldn't do any flashy to finish this, there was barely anything left. She just had to get in one solid punch at her skull with the last of her everything. Then... then it could end.

She took another step, her body reeling back for the final blow to at last end thei-

"... ..."

...

...

She couldn't move.

Her fist was still raised, her body was still in position to strike, but her legs didn't move. Her body didn't move. As if her mind and body separated themselves, Amano was stuck mid-punch, only able to grit her teeth and glare. Sh-Shit... Then her vision blurred.

And then it all came at once.

Pain. Indescribable pain. It started at her stomach and chest, the welds and bruises across them finally forcing Amano to recognize what she put her body through. Then her face, forcing tears down her face in reaction to the intense strikes she took just recently. And from there her vision only got worse, flickering black and blurring the world in a mix of white sand and blue ocean. "A-Aah..." She had to stay standing. Staying up was the only thing keeping her from completely crumpling. She had to move forward. She had to keep moving to give Rose that final punch. She was just a few inches away.

She was so close... why now?

[SuckerPunch]

The mechanisms in her body began to rattle and clink and whir. Her hand was the first to move. The first place she felt something other than the fire in her liver. The gears finally started to spin and her weight began to shift. Her head was next. It turned slowly, like the final girl in a horror movie, just in time to catch the monster behind her. And she met Amano's eyes. Her fist closed. Her toes curled in the sand. The muscles in her legs flexed.

Too slow. She thought. The Demon was already upon her. She grit her teeth and braced for impact. If she was going to die... Then she'd die fighting at least!

"AAAAGH!" She screamed! She couldn't find words. Not any that would do! Willing herself to move! To escape. But there was nowhere. The cage was in front. And Amano could strike from either side.

There was only one direction... Up.

It was foolhardy. She'd never be able to dodge an overhand strike by jumping. She's simply put herself in harms way. Make it easier to push the top of her head into her shoulders. Or worse, give Amano another shot at her liver.

But the blow never came.

Her toes hooked into the braiding on the cage as she landed upon it. She didn't have the strength to hold on, and so her hands never touched it. Her weight bent her knees. And with another scream. "AMANO!!!" She vaulted off. There was no other way to escape the corner...

Her body flipped backwards, turning in the air. A beautiful arcing crescent. She didn't have the strength to make it over Amano... Hell, she didn't even have enough for a full rotation. It was a botch.

Until her right knee was fired like a shot from a cannon! Spiking downwards at the top of Amano's skull! She had improvised the fencing on the cage as a support to execute one of her signature techniques. A moonsault knee-strike not unlike a pele kick!

The Crown of Gold.