A I R A vs Cecilia Lombard - Apex Qualifiers

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Aira knew that her opponent was good. She had to make sure she got to strike when the window opens... But such chance rarely presents itself. And when the chance opened, it quickly closed down. It frustrated her, her frustration was visible in her expression as she realized she was too slow for just a slight bit. She really wanted to prove she's capable to win, but to think she can't put up a decent offense so far. It just made her to think to strike and force that window open!

Watching Cecilia smirk as she turned around after unhooking her leg from the ropes. Aira don't look too fazed until she saw Cecilia motioning for a powerful roundhouse kick. She ducked at the last second and weaved under the leg and gets behind her opponent. Aira quickly wrapped her arm around Cecilia's waists and held it tightly to prevent her from getting away. Prime position for a suplex. Aira roared out as she then leaned her body back and lifts Cecilia up and over her! Attempting to drive Cecilia's head down to the canvas with a german suplex!

[CaptainL]

Aira's eyes were locked on Cecilia as she charged back into the fray. But Cecilia wasn't going to afford her the chance to do so. From the moment she went into this match she had her sights set on victory, and she wasn't about to settle for anything less! She swung out her leg, kicking it into a sweeping arc that was aimed straight at Aira's head. The Indonesian might have had the momentum of her charge behind her, but as far as Cecilia was concerned, that would just deliver her straight into an oncoming blow!

But Cecilia's kick didn't hit its target. Instead, it whiffed by, stopping suspended in midair! Cecilia's eyes widened in shock as she felt her body grind to a halt, leaving her teetering on one foot. That meant she was off balance - and that was something Aira could take advantage of, as she grabbed her by the waist to swing her overhead into a German suplex! Cecilia let out a gasp as her feet left the mat, sending her flying over Aira's shoulders and down to the mat with a thud that left her head bouncing into the air!

For a moment, Cecilia lay there groaning. But she remembered the promises she'd made to herself - she knew from the beginning she wouldn't accept anything short of success! Not one to let Aira hold the advantage for long, she kicked upward with her legs and hips, looking to roll away from her opponent!

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Aira could tell that whenever her offense get going, the crowd would cheer for her. She was at home advantage with the crowd rooting for her. Not wanting to let the crowd down, she'll try her best on delivering them home with a satisfaction of a girl of their nation winning. Which was her whole drive to fight back despite the painful way Cecilia hurted her before.

As soon as Aira landed the suplex. Aira let go of Cecilia and planted her hands on the canvas before doing a kip up back to her feet. She quickly goes back to the ropes and turned around only to see Cecilia already rolled away. No matter, Aira just have to keep up with her offense. She leaned her back against the ropes and took a step back. Bouncing away from the ropes and using the momentum to start running towards Cecilia. As she draws herself near, Aira leaps forward and raise her knee up! Intending for a big blow with a jumping knee strike straight to Cecilia's face!

[CaptainL]

Aira's display of athleticism and coordination as she sprung back to her feet won her a few cheers - but of course, what was a far more pressing matter on everyone's minds was the fact that she was standing up to a fearsome opponent in Cecilia Lombard, and despite her relative inexperience she was still giving it her all! This was no exception - Cecilia had rolled back, hoping to get some more distance between herself and Aira, but the Indonesian girl was already charging straight toward her, using the momentum of the ropes to bounce herself back toward her foe just as she was rising to her knees!

Cecilia's eyes went wider as she saw Aira coming her way, but if her opponent was going to try and catch her off-guard with quick reactions, so could she! Before Aira's knee would make contact, Cecilia went to throw herself to her side and roll away once again, hoping that Aira would miss her mark and wipe out on the mat if she missed her blow! While she was on the ground, she might as well make use of it, rather than trying to get back up just yet.

[LowDefinition]

Aira ran towards Cecilia full of intent to knee her to her face! But with Cecilia dodging at the last moment... Aira goes straight past her with quite the speed and momentum. Definitely going to wipe out! That is as she gets near the ropes once again. Aira tried to not slip, she gripped the top rope and with the momentum she had, her body collided with the ropes before she flipped over the ropes.

Aira found herself paying the price of going reckless as she hangs with her hands on the top rope. "Tch..." She clicked her tongue as she then scramble her foot around to find a footing on the apron. She started to recover and turned around the ropes when she found her footing. Taking her time, it gave Cecilia more than enough time to get back up.

[CaptainL]

In throwing herself into the ropes, Aira was building force behind her next strike. When the slingshot effect of the ropes carried her forward, all of that momentum would be directed behind her blow, and straight down into Cecilia! The fans began cheering her louder; as the ropes were pulled back against her body, so too was the hype growing for her to shoot herself into her target and take control! But it was a double-edged sword. In building up her next attack, Aira was also giving her opponent more time with which to collect herself and ready a counter - something she would put into practice as she rolled aside just as Aira sprung toward her, leaving the Indonesian to crash into the ropes across the ring with enough force to swing her over them in an arc!

Cecilia picked herself back up, dusting herself off - and when she looked up at where Aira had landed, a wicked grin split her face. She chuckled under her breath; it was hard to contain her enthusiasm, lest she give away the whole plan, but everything seemed to be laid out for her - and she knew exactly how she could take advantage! While Aira was dangling from the ropes, she slowly began to saunter closer, conserving her energy. She was confident that while Aira tried to right herself, she would be able to walk up to her - and when she did, her foe would still be powerless against what she would do next.

As she caught up to Aira, Cecilia would swing a kick through the ropes, attempting to knock Aira's feet off the apron! Hopefully, though, it would still leave her hands where they were - because Cecilia needed her hanging off the rope for what she had up her sleeve next. She looked down at Aira with a smirk before she grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled upward, attempting to drag her back up enough to hook her chin under the top rope, and then used her free hand to pull back at the top rope to dig it into Aira's throat, strangling her!

"One! Two!" The referee began counting for Cecilia to let go, both for using her opponent's hair for leverage and for ignoring the rope break. But Cecilia was content to let this last as long as she could! As she shot a mocking smirk at the judges, it was clear that she felt that she'd do enough damage in the span of four seconds to make it all worthwhile!

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Aira had turned herself and stood at the apron, fully recovered just as Cecilia approached her. And without any time to respond. Aira was made to slip by a low kick from Cecilia that swiped her footings away. Grunting as she fell once again, she kept hold on the rope only to find Cecilia pulled a rather underhanded trick at her. "Ghhiii!!!" Aira yelped out as her eyes widen when her hair was pulled up.

The crowd spontaneously booed at the display of such dirty trick. Aira struggled to fight back and then find her windpipe crushed against the hard and tense rope. "Ghhkkhhh! HHhhhkkkhaaaa..." Aira choked out, her legs flailing around as her hands tried her best to push the top rope away from her neck but with how Cecilia hold her she couldn't really do so. The ref immediately tries to break Cecilia off Aira but was shrugged away. They started to count for her to let go.

The 4 second almost felt like forever. Aira's eyes started to lose it as she was almost choked out by Cecilia in that span of four seconds. And as Cecilia was forced to let go due to the count, Aira then fell down on the ringside apron with a thud. Her body drags down off the apron and fell out of the ring. Laying face first as Aira weakly held onto her chest. Her neck felt so sore and painful as she coughed out. The damage of the rope strangling was quite effective...

The crowd then started a rhythmic chanting calling for her name and claps to get her back up... But with how much damage she took, it might be a while...

[CaptainL]

If the crowd was already booing Cecilia for her cruel punishment of a fan-favorite like Aira, now they were practically calling for her head. She had Aira pressed between the ropes, grabbing her by the hair to rip at her follicles and force her scalp to sustain the weight of her entire body, and the cable was choking her, leaving her gagging and sputtering for breath! It was a devastating two-pronged assault, and perhaps worst of all, even when the referee was trying to get Cecilia to back off, she didn't even care. All she did was stand there, with Aira dangling from her grip and a smug, satisfied grin on her face. She knew she was breaking the rules, but to her, that didn't matter. The only things that mattered to her were winning, and proving that she had what it took to challenge for the Openweight Championship. She wouldn't let anything get in the way of that - the boos wouldn't slow her down, and the referee was only giving her a timer with which to work around!

Cecilia was going to keep Aira in place for as long as she could get away with it. But, eventually, the time would come that she was forced to release her, and at the count of four, she let go, releasing Aira and stepping away from the ropes. As she watched the Indonesian's slow and torturous descent from the ropes, she could only grin wider. She had thought that a manuever like this would have done some serious damage to her foe - but from the rough shape she looked to be in, she didn't even know if she was going to get back up at all. She had outdone herself this time!

Aira lay crumpled against the floor below, with the fans chanting for her to get up. Cecilia, though, just shook her head. All they were were a bunch of fools who didn't know true victory when they saw it. Aira was done for, and no amount of believing in her was going to change that fact. She looked back at the referee with a knowing grin - the same rules that had forced her to let Aira go would now spell her opponent's doom. All she had to do was wait for the count to run out - and by the looks of it, it would only be a matter of time.

After a hesitant pause, the referee began to count. "One! Two! Three!" Meanwhile, Cecilia casually climbed up the rope, going to sit down on the top rope with her chin in her hands to watch Aira from above. She looked down on her with a mocking grin, one that showed that she had no faith in the girl to turn it around. And that grin was aimed at Aira's fans just as much as it was at Aira herself.

[LowDefinition]

Aira laid down outside the ring, holding onto her chest as she coughs and took some deep breaths. She could hear the crowd chanting her name and clapping along to encourage her to get back up. She shouldn't let her home crowd go home disappointed, and for that alone... Aira started to grasp onto the floor and pushes herself up. Along with the referee and the ringside announcer counting together for a countout.

The Indonesian struggled to get herself back onto her footing as she stumbled to the side, the lack of oxygen and holding out the pain accumulated had here lose a bit of balance as she stumbled over towards the barricade. Gripping the top to stop herself from falling. Aira looked over to the crowd.

"Four... Five... Six..."

The count continued, the crowd rooted for her to get back into the ring. One in the front even screamed at her to "GET THAT BITCH!". Aira glanced over to the judges, wondering if they were impressed with the display so far. Before looking up to Cecilia who... Showed a rather mocking grin. "Tai anjing..." She cursed out in her native language, narrowing her eyes as that mockery riled her up.

"Seven... Eight... Nine..."

She still took her time with recovering, it seemed wise for her to recover even more before getting back into the fight. And as the referee counted reaches nine... She bolted off the barricade and steps forward back into the ring.

"Te----"

Before the ref count reaches ten, Aira entered back into the ring by diving up the apron and slid her body under the bottom rope! As she gets into the ring, she quickly pushes herself up and back into a stand, glaring towards Cecilia as the crowd applaused at Aira for finally coming back into the ring.

[CaptainL]

Cecilia grinned to herself. Aira was out of the ring, and the clock was ticking. The crowd was booing her for her cruel treatment of the fan-favorite, and the dirty tricks she used in the process, but that didn't matter. She was sure it would only be a matter of time until Aira was counted out - and, at the rate things were going, with Aira stumbling and needing to brace herself on the way up, Cecilia had no doubt that she was done for. And now, sitting on the ropes, she had front-row seats to what was sure to be Aira's downfall.

Even when the girl straightened herself back to her feet, it didn't matter. Cecilia stared her opponent dead in the eye, leaning her weight down further to let the rope sink lower beneath her. The intent was clear - if Aira dared to make a move, Cecilia was in the perfect position to spring herself off the ropes and come crashing into her. She wasn't afraid of her retaliation one bit. Everything seemed to be lined up perfectly - she had already won.

Or so she thought.

Aira wasn't the least bit intimidated - not even as the referee was about to count her out! She had calculated the risk, but she was sure she'd be able to make up for it all the same! Just then, she bounded off the barricade and shot herself back toward the ring, moving too quickly for Cecilia to keep track of, let alone to intercept! When she threw herself underneath the bottom rope and back into the ring, Cecilia could only look on with a gasp. She was too dumbstruck by the very idea that Aira even had this much left in her to do anything about it!

The next thing she knew, Aira was behind her, straightening herself to her feet. And, as the surprise wore off, the look of shock on Cecilia's face turned to a narrowed glare of frustration. Still, her opponent was already weakened from what she'd endured. It wouldn't take much more to take her down!

Throwing her body backward in an arc, Cecilia flipped off the rope, landing on her feet to turn back to face Aira. There, she moved in closer, taking a measured pace but keeping her eyes trained on the Indonesian woman. As she got close, Cecilia would reach out to grab for one of Aira's wrists, attempting to keep her locked down and her motions controlled as she pulled her closer, into the path of a rising knee strike aimed at her chest!