Yuki Kazikura vs. Skylar Jones - No DQ Match

[CaptainL]

Match Type: No-Disqualification Match
Rules: Victory by pinfall, submission, or knockout. No disqualifications or standard rules apply.

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Yuki Kazikura knew she was standing at a crossroads. She had been on a string of ill-fated matches as of late, but her shocking defeat in the first round of the Lightweight Classic tournament had been a wake-up call.

It wasn't that she had been squashed - in fact, she came very close to victory. She had her opponent in place for her Kazikura Destroyer up until the last minute - where it had been due to an intrusion by Rose Gold, the Lightweight Champion who Yuki had seen turn ruthless in her pursuit of the title firsthand, that she lost her cool and allowed her foe to take advantage of her.

The defeat had been a demoralizing one. Yuki had come closer than she had in over a year to even being in consideration for the championship, and she had let it slip through her fingers. Her loss had left her battling with anxieties and fears of where she was going to go next, and if she was really cut out to pursue the main event scene in her division. If she couldn't even deal with a rival taunting her, or being reminded of a match that had been long ago, where could she go?

Eventually, Yuki came to a conclusion. Either she could stay where she was and deny that she ever needed to change...or she could learn and adapt. If she was going to lift herself to Rose's level, it wouldn't do to let herself get bullied into submission every time she came up. Yuki wanted to be a champion - and to be a champion, she would need to be stronger than that. The challenge was set for her, and now she needed to rise to it.

She knew it was going to be rough. She knew she'd face her fair share of growing pains. But it was the only way she could hope to stand up to Rose. She was going to revitalize herself in a trial by fire, jumping headlong into things she never would have dreamed of putting herself through before. Her last few losses had been proof enough that if Yuki wanted to improve, she'd need to harden her mind as much as her body.

Which was what led her to now, as she stood facing the curtain, her head bowed so that her forehead rested against the fabric. She knew she was up against a daunting task, in volunteering herself for a no-DQ match - a fight without rules, where anything could happen and she had no guarantees of saving herself. Yuki knew that there was a nonzero chance of her being injured, perhaps badly injured, if this match went poorly. For that matter, she had no idea who she'd be up against, or what she could expect them to do to her.

And yet, she was going to do it. She knew she needed to. If not, she could never hope to achieve her true dreams.

"Coming first to the ring, from Yokohama, Japan! At 5'4, weighing 118 pounds, YUKIIIII KAZIKURA!!"

Spoiler

A few cheers broke through the arena as Yuki stepped out onto the ramp. She took point just out of the gate, turning her head to the sky and looking toward the ring as she pressed one fist against her hip to greet the cheers of her fans. One thing was for sure, as Yuki walked toward the ring with purpose and determination and climbed inside - Yuki was here to prove herself, and she wouldn't let anything stand in her way.

[Deskfan45]

Skylar Jones stood in the locker room, pretending to choke someone. Her grin widened as her hand slowly tightened around the imaginary throat, draining the air from her victim. "Heheheh." She was excited for this match. After pulling some strings, she'd scored a match with Yuki Kazikura, and just her luck, it was a No DQ match! Typically Sky wouldn't come after someone like Yuki, but there were some special circumstances here. One of Yuki's biggest rivals, Amano Jaku, just happened to be a friend of Skylar's, and she just happened to leave a large scar on Amano's forehead in their last match. The bout in particular was a blood bath, and that scar was only the most noteworthy of the demon's wounds. Now that Sky had Yuki in her grasp, she intended to give her an even bigger scar.

Music

Skylar

"And her opponent, coming to the ring from Perry, Iowa, weighing in at 162 pounds, the Brawling Puppet, SKYLARRR JOOONES!!!"

Skylar came down the ramp to a mix of cheers and jeers from the crowd. She swung finger guns around, almost dancing to her entrance music. A manic grin spread across her face as she flipped into the ring. "EYYYYYYY!" She greeted, smiling at Yuki before going to her corner and taking a relaxed stance. "Heh, Yuki Kazikura... Been wantin' to get my hands on you. Hope you're ready, cause you're gonna fuckin' pay." She said, her smile having a certain coldness to it.

[CaptainL]

Yuki was standing in the ring, taking in a few deep breaths to try and calm herself as her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides. Just breathe, she told herself; as long as she stayed calm, she could do this. The last few high-profile matches she had lost had been due to her losing her focus, the very attribute that allowed her to achieve success in the first place. She had gone into this match in the hope of desenstizing herself and being able to shrug off her nerves in the future; she could only hope that would work here.

That being said...when Skylar's music began playing, Yuki sucked in a breath and held it there. She stood straighter and stiffer, her body rigid as her eyes stared back at the ramp. She could only imagine what might greet her...

Which meant it came as even more of a surprise when Skylar descended to the ring, in good spirits and playfully gesturing to the crowd. Yuki's face formed a frown, and she blinked curiously a few times. Was...this the woman everyone was afraid of? That she had been so concerned about, for that matter?

It was only a second later, however, that Yuki was reminded of just who she was dealing with. When Skylar finally addressed her, her usual upbeat energy was gone, replaced with cold, bitter spite. As Yuki locked eyes with her opponent, her heart rate began to slow, and a shudder went down her spine. The words Skylar were using weren't those of any other opponent. This was personal, to her. But why? Yuki had never shared a ring with her before...

"...Pay?" she said softly, still puzzling over the words. "Pay, for what? I've never done anything to wrong you." Her body trembled ever so slightly, and she bit her lip. "What do you want..?"

[Deskfan45]

Skylar chuckled at how nervous Yuki got. "Awww, look at you tremble!" She mocked. "Why're you assuming this is about me? You actually hurt a good friend o' mine." Despite how confrontational her words were, Sky's mannerisms were laid back, relaxed, as if joking around with Yuki. "Lemme give ya a little hint." She pointed her index fingers in the air, and put her hands to the sides of her head, imitating the horns of a devil, or a demon.

This was literally the best ref I could find, okay!? Don't judge me! >:T

[CaptainL]

Yuki could not say that she knew Skylar Jones. She knew of her, certainly; the brunette's name was on many minds in the business, for better or worse. But Yuki had never interacted with her face to face, and she had no reason to believe anything might be personal between them. That was...until now. In one gesture, Skylar explained everything. And in that moment, Yuki went silent and wide-eyed, her blood running cold in her veins. While Sky's gesture might have seemed silly to some, to Yuki, it threw everything into stark and unmistakable context.

Her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open in a gasp. "No..." In that moment, she was thrown back to her fateful confrontation against the Rascal Demon, Amano Jaku, in a barbed wire match that left both of them nursing wounds both physical and psychological. Yuki had been pushed to levels of violence and brutality unknown to her in her desperate struggle to stand up against her foe, and by the time the dust cleared, she was terrified by the mere thought she had even been capable of such things. Now, she was back there again. Her breaths began to quicken, her body shaking. A burning sensation came along her back, her scalp, her arms and feet and groin, all places where she'd been attacked. Even if it had been months ago, one moment here was enough to make the pain feel fresh.

"A-Amano...sent you?" Yuki's voice came soft in between haggard pants, and she clenched and unclenched her fists, trying to calm her nerves in the face of panic bubbling just under the surface. "W-Why..?" Her eyes glassy and her face pale, Yuki was lost in the moment, so much so that she didn't even hear it when the bell rang.

*DING DING DING*

A few of the fans called out to her, urging her to act. Just then, Yuki snapped out of it, shaking her head. Quickly grounding herself in the present, she raised her fists and dug her ankles against the mat to ready herself, as she bent at the knees and lowered her body into a stance. But would it be enough to save her now?

[Deskfan45]

The look of terror in Yuki's eyes was enough to make Skylar giddy. She loved how she trembled. How afraid she was. Sky loved making people afraid. "What? No! She doesn't even know I'm doin' this!" Sky laughed, before suddenly snarling. "And the fact you think she'd do that PISSES ME OFF!" The brunette roared.

DING DING DING!!!

As she heard the bell, the smile returned to Sky's face. Now she could have all the fun she wanted. She lunged towards Yuki, and swung a backhand slap across the little bitch's face.

[CaptainL]

"H-Huh..!?" Yuki's heart skipped a beat just listening to the fury in Skylar's voice. While this girl might have seemed casual and energetic on her entrance to the ring, that was far from the case now. Now...Yuki wasn't even sure what she could expect from the brunette. The fury in her voice, and the way her tone seemed to shift on a dime, all told Yuki this wasn't any ordinary opponent she was up against. This was...a woman who was deeply unhinged, unleashed in an environment with nothing to reign her in. And Yuki was caught up in the middle of it. She watched with wide eyes, fearfully anticipating what she was in for.

It was the sound of the bell that brought Yuki down to the present, reminding her that now was not the time to sit idly by and ponder her situation - giving Skylar any leeway to make her move could prove disastrous! She tried to ready herself - but she wouldn't be able to catch herself quickly enough to block Skylar's swift strike, as the brunette's hand flung outward with a vicious slap!

"Kyaah-!!" Yuki cried out as the crack of Skylar's hand landing against her cheek rang out through the arena. She turned on her heel, the sheer force of the blow causing her to spin around in place as her dark hair trailed behind her. But Yuki soon caught herself, planting her feet on the ground to hold herself steady before she glanced back up at Sky. There, she would try to hit her back, swinging her leg upward to deliver a kick to her jaw!

[Deskfan45]

Skylar's grin widened as she heard the satisfying SNAP of the back of her hand slamming into Yuki's cheek, causing the smaller girl to spin around in place from the sheer force of the hit! "Heh." She chuckled with satisfaction, before her head whipped to the side from Yuki's kick.

"Gh-!" She grunted, spitting our a little blood. And then, she turned to Yuki, grinning. "That all you got?" Eager to show off her strength, Sky grabbed Yuki by the arm, and attempted to throw her across the ring with an Irish Whip!

[CaptainL]

When Yuki rang out with a kick, she grit her teeth and tightened her fists. She could tell she was in danger, going up against such a ruthless foe - but at least she had gotten a strike in edgewise. At least she had been able to stand up to her opponent, and inflict some damage! When Yuki's foot dropped back down, she quickly bent at the knees to sink into a stance and raised her fists before turning her gaze upward to lock onto Skylar. Now that she had proven Sky wasn't so invincible, she knew she'd be ready for whatever came next!

At least...that was what Yuki thought. Instead, after receiving a blow that seemed devastating, and even proved enough to draw blood, Skylar shook herself back out like it was nothing! When she settled eyes on the joshi wrestler again, it was with a smile that seemed incongruous with what had just happened to her. Yet, Yuki couldn't deny that what she was dealing with was very real. Now, just when she thought she had things under control, she'd been thrust into a situation where they were anything but.

Her confidence and bravado began to melt away then and there. Yuki's eyelid twitched and her stance warbled; she began to lower her fists as she took a step back. "B-But...how..?" she gasped. The words left her mouth mere moments before Skylar grabbed her arm, whipping her right across the ring!

Yuki stumbled, one foot in front of the other, off of Skylar's motion; before she knew what was happening to her, her legs were already carrying her across the ring. She soon struck the ropes across from her, letting out a gasp as her body sank against the cables, and her arms folded over the ropes. She panted and groaned, trying to push herself back to her feet as she shook her head from side to side. She needed to get it together!

[Deskfan45]

Skylar grabbed Yuki by the arm, and with all her strength, swung the smaller girl from one side of the ring to the other. Many in the audience winced as the sound of her victim's back slamming into the steel turn buckle rang throughout the arena, bringing a venomous grin to the brawler's face. Wearing a mocking grin, Sky put her hands in her pockets, strolling towards the stunned schoolgirl. "Y'know Yuki, you left a damn big scar on ol' Reiko's forehead." She said, her casual tone completely clashing with the situation. "Hear she looked a lot worse at first too. Stitches and shit everywhere... I'll see what I can do to make you look even worse!" She growled, sending a sharp kick right into Yuki's solar plexus. If the hit connects, she'll follow up with a DDT!