Yuki Kazikura vs. Angelina Tarrant

[CaptainL]

Yuki had wasted too much time letting Angelina outsmart her and catch her off her guard. Now, it was time to step up her game! Biting at the inside of her cheek, she summoned the strength she needed to pull off her counter - and as soon as she felt the soles of her feet touch the canvas, she was ready to strike. When Angelina realized she had landed on her feet, she froze, contemplating the mistakes she had made to lead her this far. That left the pressure off of Yuki for a few short seconds - and that was all the time she would need to swing her arms lower, grabbing the redhead's waist and catapulting her over her shoulder to slam her head-first into the mat!

The crowd burst into cheers and applause at Yuki's reversal, not only for the expertise with which the move had been executed, but also at the sight of her fighting back against the woman who had tormented her so persistently up to this point. For a moment, she looked in their direction and nodded - but Yuki couldn't be done there. She knew that Angelina might have been down, but she wasn't out. Yet, anyway. Which meant it was Yuki's job to see things through that she was!

Walking over to where Angelina lay folded over on her knees, Yuki grabbed her by the arm to drag her back up to her feet, then threw her back against the ropes to keep her upright if her legs wouldn't do that for her. Then, she would draw back a chop, preparing to nail Angelina clean across the collarbone with it!

[Monsy]

Being on the receiving end was a whole different monster. Arrogance often worked like caffeine. You strode high before crashing down, and Angelina was acceptant of that. Lived for it. She embraced everything she did and said to that point, acknowledged what it could lead to, and was perhaps a little aroused by the prospect. But when it happened so soon, she was nothing but ghost-white, with her body spiking the canvas and feeling the fleeting but long seconds drip from the tap as she flopped face-down. The crowd’s noise hit like the rain within the storm. Having her wrist grabbed made her head pop up from and look upward through a non-focused glance like she was just ripped from sleep. Both feet scrambled, not as limbs, but as these wooden pillars that tilted and torqued to find an awkward footing, then tossed her back that forced her to dance on her heels.

She hit the ropes back-first, which outran her legs that almost stretched out. Her arms hooked over the top rope, and her upper-half bounced as she inhaled sharply, and glanced around to find Yuki. The crowd’s cheer was like a spike being driven in her ears. She wasn’t about to lose anything she’d gained. But as she stood on her heels and looked at Yuki with a finally clear expression, their hand primed to chop, Angelina propped up one thing: a defiance. Her hand intercepted their strike, with a snapping hand to seize their wrist. She heaved, dipped her chin down slightly and grinned, “Sorry bitch…” She weaved underneath that arm and hooked it over her neck, crouched, placed a hand underneath their thigh, one on their back, then tried to straighten up, and lift them into the air and drop back for a back suplex!

[CaptainL]

Yuki was through with being pushed around. Now, it was her turn to start taking back the momentum for herself, and she was going to hit the ground running, hauling her opponent up and tossing her into the ropes. She was sure she had her stunned, and now it was her chance to start putting the pressure on her to ensure she'd stay down. No sooner had Yuki let go of Angelina that she was beginning to move in toward her, preparing her next strike. She had her arm drawn back, looking to crack it like a whip across her opponent's collarbone.

But as soon as her hand had nearly crossed Angelina's chest, the red-haired girl reached out and caught it in mid-swing, halting Yuki's blow! She let out a gasp, her eyes going wide as she found herself caught in place - and from there, Angelina circled around her, bringing her head underneath her arm. Yuki knew what was about to happen to her, but in that moment she had frozen in her tracks, unable to get out of the way in time. That gave Angelina the right opportunity to hoist her off her feet, and slam her back into the canvas!

"Gaah-!" Yuki sputtered and coughed as she landed against the mat, the impact knocking the air out of her lungs. For a moment, she lay panting for air - but she would soon collect her thoughts, knowing she needed to get away before Angelina followed up. Using the momentum of her landing to her advantage, Yuki kicked up with her legs, using them to roll herself over to guide herself toward the ropes. If she could get some distance from Angelina, it would let her catch her breath while she used the ropes to pull her back to her feet.

[Monsy]

Angelina’s senses were thrown into disarray.
All so sudden and violent was the turnaround that it left her body delaying for a proper response. She just ragdolled, and the pain didn’t truly bite until she was face-down. But being torn back up and tossed back, the ringing in her ears seemed to subside. The ferocity had ripped her back into the moment, with her body dangling against the ropes, and an opponent primed to continue their momentum. This wasn’t just an opponent anymore, but a fun subject for her marauding desires. It made grabbing their wrist almost thrill-inducing. To steal their momentum and take it for herself, use it, and deliver a suplex that delivered them both to the canvas.

But Angelina wasn’t so quick to pursue. Much of that rush that drove her to counteract had fizzled into a mud that she needed to trudge through. She first slumped onto her hands and knees, relaxing at the shoulders with her head dipped down, and a curtain of hair draping around like a hood that she flipped back, gazing upon them with an increasing smile and slight pant. As she climbed to one knee, she framed them with her index and thumb, propping out her tongue and shutting an eye. Thumbs up. Picture perfect.

She knew exactly what they were going for. The likelihood they’d make it now was almost certain. But still. What if? That simple question begged her to take the chance; see if she can snub their hope early in this bout with a swift, sudden and violent end. So she erupted into a short sprint, trying to beat them before they could stand. Once she dialled in, Angelina whipped her leg, the tip of her boot formed a hammer that tried to bludgeon against Yuki’s temple. Folks who knew her set-up could already predict it - this was Angelina’s patent finish attempt, the punk kick - Call of the Unconscious!

[CaptainL]

Yuki thought that Angelina was out of it. She was sure that after the force she had unleashed on her, there was no way she was going to get back up any time soon - and that she was free to push the advantage with the redhead backed up against the ropes. She certainly seemed like she was stunned, her head lolling limply against her shoulder as her body lay draped heavily against the cables, and she would have no defense for when Yuki unleashed a few well-placed strikes to soften her up in preparation for the finish. But Angelina surprised her - just as she was about to strike, the girl reached out and grabbed her wrist, halting her in mid-swing! Yuki barely had enough time to let the gasp out of her lungs before Angelina had gotten behind her, slamming her against the ground with the motion of her back suplex!

Both competitors needed some time to catch their breath before they felt ready to get back up. Angelina took her time in rising, but so too did Yuki roll on her side, clutching at her aching head as she tried to roll herself toward the ropes. But Angelina was the quicker of the two when it came to righting herself - and, as Yuki rolled to her other side, she looked up with wide eyes to see Angelina right in front of her, her foot swinging straight for her head!

Yuki's jaw dropped as a shock ran through her body, and she quivered at the thought of the force with which her opponent was coming toward her. But she couldn't let it stop her now. If there was one thing that had defined this match so far, it was the constant back-and-forth of the two women countering each other at every turn, trying to outwit each other as they passed the momentum back and forth like a hot potato. Yuki was emboldened by what she'd done, and she saw no reason to stop now! Just as Angelina came close, she reached out to catch her leg before it could strike her - and, if she could get her hands around her ankle, Yuki would roll to the side, looking to use Angelina's own momentum to throw her into the ropes with a dragon screw!

If that worked, Yuki would execute the next phase of her plan, taking advantage of the situation she'd set up for herself. She rolled through Angelina's legs to get on the other side of her, then slowly rose to her feet, pushing herself to her knees, then off the ground. She closed in on Angelina from behind and threw her arm around her head - then bent backward to lift her feet off the mat, pointing her straight up and down before she dropped to perform a brainbuster!

[Monsy]

The woman’s drive was teeth and rusty nails.
Being driven into the canvas once wasn’t about to leave herself too pain-drunk to carry on through whatever gale of battery they sought to do next. And through the glint of her peeping hues, she saw that hand and struck like the viper. It was so fulfilling when they dropped, and Angelina bought herself a few seconds to wallow. But she wasn’t about to afford them the same luxury. They’d need to earn it. What better way to punish failing to match and rise to Angelina’s stance than to deliver a rubber spear into their temple, backed by a splendour of blunt bone and swelling muscle.

Then they were caught. There was no time to register her fuck up. Her ankle just pinched and her upper-half hurled forward. The knee bit like someone just drove a needle into the bone, and pinched up through her thigh. Her chest smacked into the middle-rope and squeezed her wind into a raisin.“Fak!” She coughed, swiped an arm over her chest and heaved. The leg that swung for her finish was first to plant, but the modicum of weight she pressed onto it made her whine as a pain-flare spiked her limb. Her face scrunched up. That enveloping arm took her by the strings of her heart. Both arms curled up to claw at the limb. And as both feet planted the canvas and she was arching, she started to stomp, and writhe like a fish.

Then she went up. Quivers started to flood her swaying legs that folded at the knees to make like a scorpion’s tail. And while she could hardly see. Everything was felt. The gravity and blood-rush in her head was a sombre kiss that kept her eyes close to the impending fall. It had her panting before she was even exhausted. But really, the pain was just an instant flick. It was a snap of the skull, a throb, the sting inside your neck as the weight piles down, a bite, and the rest of your body corpse to the canvas, a burn; over within a second as she felt fuzzy head-to-toe after a short yelp. Yuki might as well have dropped a wet towel. With Angelina’s arms sprawling out shoulder-height, palms up, fingers lazily curled, with legs parted just slightly, the slow-expansions in her chest and stomach, flicker of her right eye, the left having clamped shut, a close-knit mouth that cooed out her groans and whines, you’d think her body was sowed to the mat.

[CaptainL]

Her timing was impeccable out of necessity - Yuki knew that if she waited even a second longer, she would only be offering herself up to Angelina on a silver platter. But when her instincts kicked in, and her body moved with purpose, she was capable of turning things around, knowing it was either that or certain defeat! She rolled her body over to the side, flinging Angelina against the ropes. The redhead landed there stunned, giving Yuki the chance to strike back. She knew she couldn't tarry. She looked up, seeing where Angelina had stalled, and she was grasped by a burst of adrenaline, knowing she had triumphed up to this point and wanting to follow the dream even further! So far, she'd been successful enough at repelling her opponent's advances and countering her moves. But now, she had her cornered, and now, it was time to strike!

It was with a courage born of her success that Yuki swerved behind Angelina. Without skipping a beat, she threw her arm around her head, bending back at the knees and hoisting her up. She turned her so that her head was pointed straight down - and then, she fell backward, spiking the girl head-first into the canvas!

The crowd erupted in cheers for Yuki's success as Angelina came crashing down, the canvas caving in and the ring shaking from the impact of her skull. Yuki rolled over onto all fours, brushing some stray hairs away from her eyes as she looked up to see where her opponent had fallen. But when she did, a confident smile crossed her face. Now, she knew she had stood up to Angelina. Now, she had no doubt that she still had the potential in her to succeed! This was her chance - and Yuki threw herself forward, looking to land on top of Angelina, where she would hook her leg and pull it skyward to go for the pin!

"ONE!!"

[Monsy]

So many plans are undone by split-second fuck ups. Thus far she’s been there to match every blow for her own. No inch taken that wasn’t earned. It took this long to accept all those fuck-ups were a blameless game, not so much a bad dice roll than two forces colliding. One takes it all, the other is robbed. And it would be her first hesitance, with the inability to bite back her pain, sacrifice the knee and stand up that she’d be torqued back, driven and made the spear that dropped on its tip. It would be a lie to say it didn’t feel disheartening, deep within that mental mildew as the delayed sense of pain started sinking its jaws into her skull. Were her horns shattered? Was she paralyzed?

Well…
When Yuki flopping over her, coaxing the breath out her mouth in a forced huff - that she’d feel like both could be true. Ringing crowd voices nagged on her ears. Her eyes scrunched until folds lapped on the eyelids, and her jaw tightened into its opposite. And her leg whipped up until her boot sole was pointing at the lights. One was counted easy.

“TWO!!!”

Not an inch spasmed from the downed Marauder. Her eyes yet to open until the last flicker of time remained.

“THR-!” Then she shot. Her arm ripped from a cannon barrel into the air with her leg exploding against its captor. It was a moment of strength as Angelina’s fuzzed stare finally peeped, and she turned onto her side, limbs clambering on top of the other as the power used to save this match fizzled out like a cheap high, now left with its sluggish aftermath. For now, all she’d do is breathe.

[CaptainL]

The fans all looked to the action in the ring, wide-eyed and rapt with attention. Angelina had hit the mat hard, coming down straight onto her head with full force. She showed no signs of responsiveness as Yuki fell on top of her to hook her leg, and the ref started counting. Now it seemed as though anything could happen. They were still early into the match, and Angelina hadn't taken a lot of offense. If she had anything left in her, it was still possible she might be able to turn it around. But if she did, it would be a sign of incredible endurance and durability on her part! The brainbuster was a move that could cripple wrestlers much larger than Angelina was, and she had taken it head-on! And yet, as far as anyone knew, there was still a possibility that she just might be made of tough enough stuff to pull it off!

For Yuki, that wasn't a question she was willing to entertain. The dark-haired girl bit at the inside of her cheek, leaning her weight forward to keep Angelina's shoulders held down as the ref kept counting. Her heart was pounding in her chest; in the back of her mind, she was praying for it all to work out. Each count the referee made made the tension grow greater and greater. With each one, she was one step closer to the victory. One step closer to taking the place she deserved among the winners! As the two came, her breaths began to come faster and harder. Just one more second now, she thought. She could do this!

But right then, the impossible happened! Angelina shot her arm up in the air, kicking out of the pin with the last of her strength! Half the crowd erupted into boos from her upset, but the other half had to cheer her for such an indomitable fighting spirit! Wrested off of the top position, Yuki fell onto her side while Angelina rolled away. For a moment, she lay there, staring back at Angelina and panting for breath. With wide eyes, she looked straight through her in disbelief. Yuki could have sworn what she had done had to be enough to put Angelina down for good - but this wasn't over! What else was it going to take?!

Soon, though, she collected herself, sucking in a breath. Waiting around wouldn't do her any good; all it would do was leave her an easy target for Angelina's wrath. Yuki rolled up to her hands and knees, starting to pick herself back up. Indeed, it wasn't over. Which meant she had to keep going! She panted under her breath, her eyes narrowing in a cold focus as she watched her opponent closely.

[Monsy]

To give up when your body begs for it; is unforgivable. Angelina might as well have had stew for brains when she was lying there. Connecting thoughts together, even one plus one, took focus and precious seconds. And she didn’t have many after her crash. Her body was doused with this heavy weight, call it exhaustion or just the pain telling her to quit. Maybe it was a worry that she truly injured herself. That something would break, not from the impact, but by continuing to fight, right in this moment like she knew she had to. To hell with those concerns.

Angelina thrashed using a vapour of strength. And the mixed reaction was perhaps the music of what many perceived as a comeback from death. A revival. But as vapours dissipated within the second, Angelina was a lumbering ragdoll, moved by the joints of her elbows lifting, and dragging her dead hands across the canvas until the palms were down, then her knees. And she pushed up. The rattle of her arms and legs was visible. Her face tightened up and reddened as sweat lined her creases, a droplet on her nose and a slight creak brewing at her hairline, beginning to trail down. When she came to all fours, she released a deep breath and panted afterward. A hand nursed her skull, hissing quietly to herself. It took some time for her to inch back on her legs, sit on her calves. Her shoulders slumped, and her head dipped, then rolled back - like some hinge without any strength to stand on its own. Her cheek rolled to one shoulder, and she looked around, lost for a few seconds, blinking - but when she realised that no hand was raised, the crowd was roaring, jeering and a cocktail of the likes, and Yuki was still around to stalk her, Angelina knew. It was far from done.

But as Angelina resigned to shuffling her knee, trying to bring it out to plant a boot, she hardly made it move at all. Almost everything was used to stop herself from falling over. She was seeing a triple. The ringing still burned her scrambled brain. But she still had her teeth to bare and hiss through laboured breaths, her eyes to sharp a glower that crystallised her defiance. And after a second, when her feat finally sunk in, she started to smile lopsidedly, then lifted one of her limp arms and flipped them the bird.