Sanae Saitou vs. Alizeh Midori II: Submission Match

[CaptainL]

The match had just begun, and when she was fired up for what was sure to be an important night, Sanae had energy to spare. Even if Alizeh had brought her down, she was quick to try and make a comeback, pushing herself even through the daze to claw her way away from her opponent and find safety. But Alizeh was ahead of her - and, as she caught her from behind, she soon sent Sanae flying overhead, sending her down in a German suplex!

With her head and shoulders slamming into the mat like a meteor, Sanae let out a groan, sinking against the canvas. The air seemed to be let out of her body like she was a balloon; she buckled in lower against the mat and her legs dangled above her head and chest like the blow itself had folded her in half. But Alizeh wasn't done. The next thing Sanae knew, she was being picked up once again, right into the path of another hard-hitting suplex!

This time, when Sanae came down hard, she let out a scream as the ring shook from her impact. Whether it was anything Alizeh was truly doing differently, or just the shock of taking two such slams back to back, this one seemed to hurt even worse than the last! When Alizeh picked her up one last time, the aspiring idol's head was swimming. Everything seemed to go by in a blur, and everything hurt; her temples were throbbing. But nonetheless, Alizeh whipped her around one last time, and when she let her go, Sanae went flying - she tumbled backward across the mat toward the corner, before she finally came to a rest, flopping on her back with her arms and legs splayed around her as she let out a long, low groan.

Every eye in the crowd had turned to Sanae, watching the girl for what she would do next - if she even had the strength left in her to get up. Her face was red, and her hair was splayed out around her head in a tangle. The judges gave her a particularly long and lingering look - if Sanae was taken out so quickly, it wouldn't do well for her chances, even if Alizeh was such a strong opponent.

But then...Sanae lifted her hand, reaching up to grab onto the ropes above her! Her fingers coiled tightly around the cable, clutching it with defiance. Even if Sanae couldn't get back up, her chest heaving with each pant for breath, she still wanted to send a message that she wasn't going to go down without a fight!

[Bare]

Alizeh had busted out a big move on Sanae right off the bat, throwing the girl around the ring with a brutal series of tres suplexes before finally releasing her and sending the girl flying. Getting back up easily from the suplexes Alizeh looked over and saw the disheveled Sanae seemingly lost and dazed on the mat near the ropes.

"San- Ngh..." Biting her lips to keep herself from saying anything out of habit Alizeh knew she needed to keep her focus. This wasn't like their first match where Alizeh had encouraged and intentionally motivated Sanae, quite the opposite in fact. This was a serious bout, one where both had to give it their all, even if it meant making the other look bad.

'Sorry Sanae.' Alizeh thought to herself, already knowing the judges would be more critical of her than others. As she approached the downed idol prospect though Alizeh saw the green haired girl reach up, grabbing the bottom rope, showing she was still in the match. 'Atta girl.' Alizeh thought to herself with a small smile despite herself and her intentions.

But the brief burst of pride wouldn't stop Alizeh from what she had in mind. Stepping even closer to Sanae the older green haired girl would bend down, grabbing at Sanae's ankles and pulling her back, away from the ropes and to the center of the ring. If she were successful than Alizeh would drop down, wrapping her legs around one of Sanae's and squeezing for a tight leg bar on Sanae!

[CaptainL]

Sanae's chest rose and fell, and she heaved for breath, her teeth clenched in a grimace and her eyes locked onto the lights overhead even if she stared up at them through a blur. She had found the strength in her to get her hand up and grab the rope, but after taking three hard-hitting German suplexes right in a row, she didn't know how much more she was capable of right now. But to Sanae, that wasn't what was important. What she was out to do was to show that she wasn't going to let herself be taken down so easily - and she was going to fight with everything she had in her to prove she could win this!

Sure enough, Alizeh would soon close in on the lightweight to take her by the leg. Sanae held tightly to the ropes to try and anchor herself in place, but it was no use - Alizeh was able to pull her free, and she flopped onto her back as her grip gave out, still gasping for air while Alizeh hauled her across the ring. From there, she ducked in lower to wrap her legs around Sanae's own - and, as she yanked on the joint, she put torque on the girl's leg, causing her to cry out in pain!

Sanae tried to twist and turn against the hold, but when she was as dazed as she was, all she would accomplish was burning herself out further. As her stamina dwindled, she fell back on her side, gasping - and the force she put on her own ligaments in trying to resist only made the pain worse, as her teeth clenched in a grimace. At this point in time, there was only so much Sanae could do. For now, she was going to have to wait, steadily catching her breath and building up her strength while she tried to last out the pain of Alizeh's move. She wrapped her fingers around Alizeh's ankle, trying to ground herself, but if there was one thing Sanae knew, it was that she wasn't going to surrender!

[Bare]

Alizeh was successful in taking the lead early on in this second bout in Sanae, much like how their first had played out. Unlike that first match though Alizeh was in no mood to give Sanae a chance to catch her breath or prove her fight. No this bout was a honest and willful contest between two wrestlers. Tag partners or not, friends or not, they both had to give it their all, and in Alizeh's case, that meant not hesitating to lock Sanae in a vicious leg bar right off the bat!

Growling softly as she held onto the grip Alizeh repressed her urge to feel pride at Sanae's resistance. "Come on Sanae! This early and you're already caught?!" Alizeh demanded in an authoritative tone she rarely broke out, especially with Sanae. But Alizeh wasn't taking this lightly, so this is how she would be. "I know I taught you better than that!" Alizeh said as she attempted to turn on her side, forcefully rolling Sanae over if she was successful so that both of them would end up with their stomachs to the mat.

If Alizeh was successful in doing this she would shift her arms grip on Sanae's leg before undoing her own all together. As she did so Alizeh would sit back, looking to plop her ass down on Sanae's lower back. "Now then... this is a idol classic!" Alizeh said as she pulled back on both of Sanae's legs, hauling both under her arm pits while leaning backwards, aiming to stretch the girl into a painful boston crab submission! "So Sanae? What are you gonna do?!" Alizeh challenged once more, unable to keep the competitive spark out of her words as she pulled back on the hold!

[CaptainL]

Alizeh truly wasn't holding back. It was a lesson she had learned in her last match with Sanae - when the aspiring idol was backed up against a wall by a relentless opponent, she was going to fire on all cylinders in the name of fighting back. Alizeh had managed to draw great things out of Sanae before, and now - with both having had time to learn and expand, and with both being on an even greater stage, with more eyes than ever watching them - she could only hope to inspire her to heights even greater than she'd reached before. When she had Sanae in the legbar, she had her under a lot of pressure, targeting her joints and threatening to hamper her mobility - something that meant everything to a high-flyer like her. But even still, Sanae wasn't giving up! She tried pulling back at Alizeh's leg, fighting her with everything she had!

Still, no matter how much Sanae was trying, it wasn't quite enough. As Alizeh was quick to remember, she had let herself grow complacent with trying to last out Alizeh's moves and countering them before they could do too much damage. That was a good start - but, as everyone knew from their last match, Sanae was capable of so much more. If she was really going to shine in this match, she needed to step up her game, and take the fight to her opponent. And Alizeh was going to bring that out of her, one way or another!

Alizeh let go of her legbar, but only insofar as to take Sanae by both legs, yanking back on them to bend her into an arc with a brutal Boston Crab! Now the full weight of Alizeh's body was bearing down on her spine, and when she was being folded over in half, the pressure was even greater. Sanae threw her head back, her face contorting in pain as she let out a scream, while her groin pointed out toward the crowd as she twisted her hips fruitlessly from side to side. Sweat trickled down along her brow as her face went red from the strain, and some fans in the crowd were already wincing at the thought of how much pain Sanae had to be in. Certainly, the possibility of tapping out existed. A different Sanae might have been tempted. But the Sanae here in the ring tonight knew she couldn't - everyone knew she was better than that! She knew it, Alizeh knew it, and tonight, she was going to prove that!

As she clenched her teeth in defiance, Sanae reached out and grasped at the mat, her fingers digging into the canvas. There, as she tried to stabilize herself, she would lean forward, a little at a time. "I'm going...to do this-!!" she snapped in defiance. Sanae hoped that if she rolled her center of balance far enough forward, she could bowl Alizeh over, toppling her onto her head! She would put her back under a fair amount of strain in the process - but she had to prove herself to Alizeh!

[Bare]

No mercy. Thats what both Alizeh and Sanae had agreed to in this match. To go easy on each other at this point would mean to utterly disrespect the other and neither was willing to do that to one another. So without remorse Alizeh began to transition holds seamlessly, the same as how Risako taught her, and what she had taught Sanae, but now was no training session. Rather she was going right from a already brutal leg bar into a equally brutal boston crab submission. Both moves that would gradually but surely damage Sanae's legs. An intentional tactic on Alizeh's part to not only halt Sanae's high flying tactics and offense which she knew made up a majority of her offense, likewise it would soften Sanae's limbs up for Alizeh's finisher the emerald twilight.

However even in spite of herself Alizeh couldn't help but demand more from Sanae. She had helped teach the girl after all, and even if she wanted to win this match she still wanted a fight from Sanae. It was a match both had been looking forward to for over a year now, and she refused to be disappointed. Not now.. Not ever. Luckily Sanae wouldn't start now. Despite the utter agony she must have been the Sanae that Alizeh had come to know recently refused to give in so easily and wouldn't back down from a mere boston crab. Granted Alizeh's call for her to do more may have played a factor, but the girl soon put Alizeh's training to use, leaning herself forward more and more until she managed to slip all the way free from Alizeh's boston crab!

"Ngh!" Gasping slightly in surprise from the move Alizeh was forcefully rolled back herself a good foot or two away. "Not bad." Alizeh said softly to herself as she got her knees under her once more and sat up to stare Sanae down, knowing the girl wasn't done yet, but she must have certainly been hurting. 'No holding back.' Alizeh reminded herself since previously, she would have likely been inclined to let Sanae get back up before attacking.

This time Alizeh would approach Sanae herself, bending down to grab onto the girl by the shoulders in a effort to try and pull the aspiring idol up onto her feet in a standing position. "Take this!" Alizeh shouted as she pulled her arm back before letting it rip by sending a hard and powerful chop aimed right at Sanae's chest for a devastating impact, the echo of which if it connected would certainly reach out into the nosebleed sections of the audience!

[CaptainL]

The more Alizeh stretched at her legs and back, the more Sanae felt like she was growing closer and closer to the breaking point. She clenched her teeth, sucking in a breath, as she balled her fists tightly, her nails digging into the palms of her hands to try and keep her head in the game. Every part of her body was exploding in pain, and she felt as though her body could snap if she was pushed just a little further. In other circumstances, Sanae might have been tempted to submit. But in a match like this, she knew that doing so was simply unacceptable. This was her shot at Apex. This was her chance to prove herself the best, to Minami and to the world. And Alizeh wanted her to give it all she had, to surpass even the breathtaking display of athleticism, strength, and raw determination that had been their previous match. This match deserved every ounce of her potential, and she was willing to put it all to the test!

The strain Sanae put on her own back was growing greater the further and further she leaned forward. Her back creaked and shuddered, sinking lower against Alizeh's weight. Her brow furrowed in focus, sweat dripping from every pore, and she clenched her teeth even as she began to whimper and pant with the growing pain. But no matter how much it hurt, she couldn't give up. She had come this close to upending Alizeh and countering the Boston Crab. With that, she would be free. With that, she would prove she couldn't be tamed so easily. She had to keep at it! At last, with one more push, one more white-knuckled grasp of the mats, Sanae tipped herself a little bit forward - and Alizeh came toppling off of her!

The moment the middleweight touched down on the canvas, Sanae crumpled to the ground. Her body dropped down against the mat, laid out flat on her stomach; her legs fell like lead bars. For a few seconds, she lay there gasping for air, her eyes half-lidded and glazed over with fatigue. But all the same, Sanae got a hand on the mat at her side, and she slowly began to lift herself back up, even as her arm trembled and shook against her own weight and she looked out on the scene before her through eyes that were narrowed into a pained squint. She had done it, and this match wasn't finished yet! The crowd exploded into cheers at the sight of Sanae's tenacity - but it was Alizeh's praise that meant the most to her, and she smiled back to her with a nod.

Sanae still needed some more time to collect herself before she was ready to get up, but that was time Alizeh wouldn't afford her. She pulled her back onto her feet herself, and there Sanae wavered back and forth on an uneasy footing, her legs still not having fully recovered - it looked as though a stiff breeze could have knocked her over.

Or rather, a strike from Alizeh - who swung out now with a hard chop straight to the aspiring idol's sternum! Sanae's head swung backward in an arc as she let out a scream, the force of the blow causing her body to bend back and her arms to fly into the air. One foot left the ground, and she knew the other was soon to follow. Sanae already knew there was no way she could take this on her feet - so she was just going to have to manage instead! Thinking quickly, she grabbed onto Alizeh's arm with both hands, pulling hard on it to try and take her down with an arm drag in mid-fall!

[Bare]

Alizeh was fighting Sanae with everything she could, not showing any mercy and as a result, now allowing Sanae any chance of offense in the bout between the two. 'Gotta keep up the pressure.' Alizeh thought to herself as she lifted Sanae off the mat, knowing her legs were hurting and she hadn't had the chance to recover yet, meaning she would be nearly defenseless for whatever Alizeh did next. Namely a chop to the chest as Alizeh unloaded furiously into her sizable chest with a chop that sent the girl reeling.

In a way it was almost comical, the way in which Sanae was tilting back, one leg off the mat, the other soon to follow, it was as if it was happening in slow motion for Alizeh. Up until Sanae's arms moved. Those came in as if on fast forward, snatching Alizeh's hand with both of her own. 'Shit!' Alizeh thought to herself, surprise written all over her face as she was suddenly brought down and over Sanae, brought clear over the girl and slammed into the mat, the momentum of Sanae's fall at Alizeh's hand actually being turned around on Alizeh as it was now used to slam Alizeh down hard on the mat.

"Gah!" Alizeh groaned out from the impact, trying to sit up immediately from the move. "Alright... not bad Sanae..." Alizeh said softly as she got up onto her knees, attempting to reverse the grip on Sanae's hand to pull the girl up into a seated position. "Bad idea giving me you're hand though.." Alizeh said, as she attempted to slide her legs under her before bringing them up in an attempt to wrap them around Sanae's arm, no doubt for a arm bar. But between the time it took for Alizeh to get her legs in position and lift Sanae into the correct one herself.. it took longer than Alizeh thought.. Meaning Sanae may have a opportunity if the girl could react in time.

[CaptainL]

Sanae barely had a leg to stand on; the pain she'd endured under the pressure of Alizeh's brutal holds had left her aching and sore, and she could hardly keep her balance. Alizeh's strike was sure to take her down. But if Sanae had to go down, she could at least do the next best thing, and drag her opponent down with her! Reaching out for Alizeh's arm, Sanae gave it as hard a tug as she could manage in an attempt to pull her off balance. And, sure enough, she could use the momentum of her own fall to her advantage, throwing Alizeh across the ring as she dragged her down against the mat!

Both girls went flat against the canvas, though Sanae, being the more fatigued of the two, was slower to get back up. As Alizeh rose to her knees, the aspiring idol took a moment to sprawl out on her back, staring up at the lights through half-lidded eyes as she panted for breath. But her arm was still in her opponent's clutches - and Alizeh was soon able to take control, pulling Sanae back up! She gasped as she suddenly found herself seated in the middle of the ring, realizing that she was under Alizeh's control - and, knowing Alizeh's skills when it came to her submissions, she was at her mercy!

This was a pivotal point in the match, Sanae soon realized. The outcome could hinge on whether or not she was capable of taking control in these precious few seconds she had to make her move. She had to prove she could do it, and she had to make Alizeh proud, showing the whole world she had learned and grown stronger from their last encounter. In fact, she realized that Sanae had taught her a thing or two about grappling, and she could use it against her now!

While Alizeh had her legs thrown around Sanae's arm, the lightweight would suddenly roll to the side, attempting to throw her free arm up to grab onto her other wrist and wrap her arms around Alizeh's leg! If that worked, she would roll a little bit further to turn the two of them over and get on top, countering Alizeh's armbar into a kneebar used against her instead! Sanae was definitely the smaller of the two, and she would need enough force to roll Alizeh in order to reverse their positions - but if she could just use the momentum to her advantage, she could take back control!

[Bare]

Alizeh was already a few submissions in against Sanae, using whatever she could lock in against her at any given moment to pull Sanae into tight submission after tight submission, looking to wear her down and target her limbs right off the bat for later. That was what you had to do in a submission match to try and win. Use everything you could to take an advantage and break a specific part of the body down until it was so weak that by the time you locked in a truly devastating submission to said limb, it wouldn't matter who you were you'd tap.

That's what Alizeh's intention was to Sanae's legs. Knowing the aspiring idol would need them for the majority of her bigger aerial moves and Alizeh wanted to take that out of her now. Although that being said it also didn't hurt to target other limbs with submissions to further damage Sanae and leave her weakened all together, especially if the set up would be relatively easy.

That was the point Alizeh found herself in now. Despite the fact that Sanae had taken Alizeh for a loop with that unexpected arm drag it meant their arms were connected even if briefly. But Alizeh intended to make that connection last longer by trying to throw her legs up in a effort to trap the girl up in a arm bar. But first came dragging her friend away from the ropes and towards the middle of the ring. Something that took a bit of time, so Alizeh knew she had to be careful. But as she dropped her guard momentarily... and that's all Sanae needed to take advantage.

Before she could do anything Alizeh found Sanae suddenly throwing her other arm up, wrapping it around her leg before the two were suddenly brought rolling to the side! "Whoa!" Gasping in surprise Alizeh was unable to do anything as suddenly she found their situations reversed quite literally as now Sanae was pulling on Alizeh's leg in a brutal knee bar! "Aghhh!" yelling in pain from the submission Alizeh punched the mat before turning and trying to kick her free leg out at Sanae, trying to force the girl into letting her go!