The First Step: Aizen Yuzuriha vs. WYVERN

[BlackAkuma]

Match Type
Standard
Victory Conditions
Pinfall, Count-Out, Submission, or KO

***

As Aizen Yuzuriha sat in the gorilla position, legs crossed and eyes closed in meditation while he waited for his match to begin, he found himself saddled with an unfamiliar sensation - doubt.

That doubt didn’t come from within. He was confident in his abilities, certain that he could handle whatever was coming his way next. This was his first match in LAW, but far from his first fight at all - he’d been throwing fists for over a decade, and God, did it feel like much longer. There was hardly a street in Ueno that he hadn't shed blood in, not a cage he hadn't stepped into, not a fighter he hadn't crossed paths with - the ones worth anyone’s time, anyway.

He’d won. He’d run through them all. He didn’t think he was the best, but if there were better out there, he was having a tough time finding them.

That was why he was here, to spread his net out as far as possible. That was where the doubt came in.

The sound of childish giggling was enough to break him out of his rest, and he opened one eye to check the source, gazing out from the shadow of his bandana. Two women were walking by, chatting about something in a language he didn’t recognize - German, maybe. He didn’t much care what they were talking about, but what did strike his attention was their attire. They were both dressed in skimpy red and black thongs, with long high heels that seemed better suited for a stripper’s stage than any ring. He didn’t have anything against that sort of attire - a small part of him that he rarely indulged even liked the look. But he would never consider anyone that dressed like that to be a fighter.

But that was the gamble with LAW. His opponent today could’ve been one of the strongest, tough opponents in the world, or they could’ve been some small, lightweight schoolgirl that he could take out with a single punch. For his own sake, he hoped it was closer to the former than the latter - not that he cared much what people thought of him, but even he didn’t want to garner a reputation for beating up women half his size.

Aizen finished off the water bottle at his side and closed his one eye, but it didn’t stay that way for long. Less than ten seconds passed before he heard footsteps approaching, followed by the voice of a stagehand who’d been directing him earlier, the same one who’d left him here to wait until his match started.

“Ah, Mr. Yuzuriha? Zen?" He'd never much cared for that nickname, but it was catchy enough for a wrestler, he supposed. "Why are you sitting on the floor, we have chairs…”

The answer to that question was ‘because I feel like it’, and Aizen communicated it with the blank stare he shot at the woman.

“Okay, then.” She had a fake cough and used it as an excuse to look away from him. “Your match, it’s about to start. You’re ready?”

He was.

Hi Izuru Style by Force of Nature feat. SUIKEN & S-Word

Zen

Aizen made his way down to the ring a few minutes later, head straight down the ramp, while his theme music played overhead. The crowd didn’t know what to make of him at first, giving him a mixed reaction - some cheers, some boos, more apathetic than anything. From what he understood, men tended to lose these intergender matches far more often than not, so they most likely saw his defeat as a foregone conclusion, nothing to get excited about. None of them even held out their hands for a high-five. Not that he wanted one, but he’d expected it, and…no, no, they didn’t seem to care.

Entertainment had never been his strongest suit, anyway. He shrugged, made his way up the steps, dusting his foot off on the apron and stepped in through the ropes, coming out on the other side with a quick hop. He nodded to the referee as he passed, then made his way over to his corner and proceeded to warm up. Bouncing from heel to heel, throwing out a few light punches. Standard practice to make sure everything was in working order.

Just like every fight, Aizen wanted to make sure his entire arsenal would be at his full disposal. He just hoped his opponent was good enough to make all that necessary.

[Hills]

15 Minutes Ago

Wyvern was not, as a general rule, prone to introspection before a match. She spent plenty of time with her own thoughts away from the stadiums and rings where she did her work, but distractions like that generally melted away when the time came for her to do her job. Her prematch preparations had grown to be an almost meditative practice for her. Sitting still had never come easily to her, but having something to occupy her hands allowed her to empty her mind for a bit. This time, however, thoughts continued to swirl through her mind even as she wrapped her hands for protection.

It had been just over four months since she came Japan. Just under that since she'd had her first match. In many ways, she still felt very much out of place, both in the country and the company. She'd never been good at making friends or fitting in, and moving halfway across the world certainly didn't change that. Her time in LAW had been many things: educational, painful, and satisfying in a way that had only left her more hungry. She still had so much to learn, but now she was an opponent for a debut match, serving the role for this "Aizen Yuzuriha" that Alizeh Midori had once served for her. Moreover, she had somehow been chosen for the main card of the upcoming Fight the LAW pay-per-view. Clearly she was doing something right.

She just wished it felt that way.

Now

Wyvern leans against a wall with her arms folded, just outside of the entrance to the gorilla position. The Irishwoman hated seeing opponents before the start of a match. What was she supposed to do? Acknowledge them? Greet them? Exchange pleasantries? There was no consistency in how people responded to an upcoming opponent, and that rendered social interaction nearly impossible for Wyvern. Generally, this hadn't been an issue for her. In almost all of her previous matches, she had entered first. Closed eyes and equally closed body language had prevented anyone from harassing her before a match. Waiting outside the room was a necessary compromise. She waits to enter until a few seconds after Aizen's music has started. Taking up her place in front of the exit to the stage, she waits for her own to begin.

Wyvern's Entrance Music

As Aizen settles into place in the ring, all lights in the arena cut to black. Four times, the opening notes of the song are accompanied by letters spelling out skewed renditions of the name "Wyvern" on the titantron. As the drums kick in, strobe lights fire up in the arena and the screens cut through a few brief flashes of Wyvern violently striking opponents from previous matches before settling on a silhouette image of a red sky behind black mountains. Her name glitches into existence in time with the music, swelling with the beat.

As the lyrics begin, Wyvern emerges from the entrance, the simple purpose in her stride at odds with the flashy presentation accompanying her. The audience reaction isn't much different from Aizen's. A mixture of cheers, boos and apathy only a bit louder than his own. Considering the fact that Wyvern's own debut had been nearly silent, this was still a vast improvement. Making her way down the ramp, Wyvern passes the crowd without looking at them, fixing her eyes on Aizen almost immediately.

Aizen Yuzuriha. Debut match. No prior wrestling history. Good stance and striking form. Martial arts experience likely.

Going over her usual prematch analysis as she comes to the ring apron, Wyvern decides that her opponent looks like he at least knows what he's doing. Hopefully, this would be a good fight. Taking the steps up to the opposite corner from Aizen, she slides between the ropes before taking a loose stance, her arms relaxed against her sides. The only preparations she makes before the bell rings are to roll her shoulders and neck, quietly releasing a series of pops. As the match formally begins, Wyvern makes no immediate motions, choosing to see how Aizen reacts.

[BlackAkuma]

Aizen winced as his opponent’s music started up, not caring all that much for the electric guitar and the shrieking vocals. He wasn’t much of a music aficionado, but he knew what he liked, and his tastes tended towards the lower keys. Good beat, something to work out to, fast vocals and smart lyrics. All the lights and the strobing didn’t do wonders for his vision, either, and the headband came in handy - he gave it a slight tug down, giving him some added protection until all the flashing was over.

It was a bit much. Aizen could appreciate theatrics, he got the point, but still…a bit much. This was sound and fury, and it didn’t build any confidence in the sort of person who would come out to it in the first place.

Expectations were meant to be shattered, though, and whatever impression he had from the music suffered that fate. He’d expected some edgy, overhyped, screaming banshee of an opponent to come bursting from the curtain, the kind of bombastic personality you’d expect from a wrestling ring. What he got, instead, was about as opposite as he could’ve hoped for.

”Hm.”

He pushed off his corner and made his way towards the center of the ring, wanting to get a better look at his approaching opponent, coming down to the ring with a calm walk that wasn’t too far off from his own. His eyes locked with hers, and stayed on point as she made her way into the ring, even as he backed off to give her some space. It wasn’t wise to judge a book wholly by its cover, but that didn’t mean you couldn't make some small judgments, and so far things looked promising. A good, strong body, one that had obviously been through its paces. Focused face, no nonsense, and he knew that look in her eyes. She was scanning him, thinking, picking him apart as he did the same back her way.

And she didn't say anything, either. He wouldn’t have complained about trashtalk, but he was glad to skip it. They were fighters in a ring, no need to drag it out with a dialogue.

He wasn’t the only one picking up on the intensity, as the referee gave wary looks between the corners. He waited for the music to fade all the way, then threw his hand forward and called for the bell, taking a quick step out of the way before it could sound. “Wrestle!”

Aizen stepped out as soon as the gong sounded, making his way towards the center of the ring and raising his arms as he went. One fist forward, the other back on defense, front leg out, knees bent, on the balls of his feet. As orthodox of a stance as you could get, not wanting to give too much away until he had a better idea of what he was dealing with. He moved around the ring, staying light on his feet in case she made a charge, and closed the distance with each step. Closer, closer, closer, wanting to see if she’d bite first.

[Hills]

Seeing Aizen lock eyes with her, Wyvern immediately recognizes a similar quality in his gaze to hers. Her estimation of the match's potential to be a good one continues to climb. From all appearances, he had the skills and attitude to be a strong opponent. The fact that he apparently didn't feel the need to engage in banter was also a welcome change from the norm. While Wyvern had no issues throwing back trash talk, and regularly taunted opponents who she felt weren't trying hard enough, it was already clear she wouldn't need that here. He would give his all, she would give hers, the better fighter would win. No frills, no additional concerns, no distractions.

In every meaningful way, the match had already started long before the bell rang. As soon as the two had laid eyes on one another, they had begun sizing each other up, determining strategy, and making ready for the actual physical contest to come. When the match itself starts, however, neither figher makes any immediate move to strike. Once it's clear that Aizen won't attempt to take advantage of her apparent laxness, Wyvern shifts her body into a combat stance and begins slowly moving forward. Unlike Aizen, she allows characteristics of her fighting style to become immediately apparent. Her stance is also orthodox, but to a specific martial arts practice: southeast Asian kickboxing. Her arms are placed near her face to protect it and keep her elbows readily available for strikes, and her weight is shifted onto her back foot to allow for quick kicks at a moment's notice.

Wyvern mirrors Aizen's approach, gradually circling in closer to the taller wrestler. When it becomes clear that he won't make the first move, she has no trouble doing so instead. While Wyvern tended towards caution this early on, that was more to learn than out of necessity. Seeing the opponent unwilling to strike first was part of the process. Waiting had served its purpose. A lightning-fast shift of the weight in Wyvern's stance to the front foot is the only warning Aizen gets before her lead fist flashes out with a jab. Nearly simultaneously, she swings her back leg forward in a low arc, aiming a kick at Aizen's left calf.

[BlackAkuma]

The temptation to rush in from the outset wasn’t a weak one, and there was a real part of Aizen who wanted to go for it. It didn’t happen too often, but every once in a while he’d come across an opponent who made the mistake of not having their guard up once the gong sounded, and he knew just how to make them pay 99% of the time it was a free hit waiting to happen, and he had no qualms taking it.

This felt more like the 1%, though. Something about Wyvern’s demeanor told him that she wasn’t nearly as defenseless or unprepared as she seemed, and that holding back was the smarter choice.

That suspicion was verified as he moved in, and she was quick to shift stance into something more serious. Kickboxing stance, reminded him of muy thai - strong guard up, legs meant for kicking. He gave her a quick scan over, searching for a flaw, seeing if anything was off, and he couldn't find any. She was scientific with her position.

She moved in along with him, closer and closer and closer still. Height was his advantage here, so she’d have to get into his range before she threw anything her way. Almost there. And…

Jab.

He read the movement, small arm moved in place, taking the strike clean forearm, hitting with enough impact to make him wince. Good power, great speed, sharp with the follow through. It was setup, though, and not for her other arm, which meant the real threat was coming his way below. That one was trickier - he started to raise his leg up, trying to move out of the way, but the best he could manage was turning his shin into it to mitigate the damage. Not ideal.

But he was in good range now, as much as that sucked down there, he was still good to go up top. He moved in instead of retreating, brought his arm low and swung with an uppercut aimed at her midsection, trying to sneak it in under her guard. Successful or not, he’d pull back halfway before firing again, trying to land both in quick succession, looking to deal some early damage to the ribs.

[Hills]

Aizen's read is a good one. Wyvern's ability to move from a neutral stance to a strike has been refined to an art form through her martial arts training, and the apparent opening was little more than a test to make sure this wasn't a waste of her time. Satisfied when he refused to take the bait, she squares up and begins to move in with equal caution. In the seconds before the two close into striking range, Wyvern noticeably slows her already methodical pace. Aizen's height advantage, slight though it was, would give him the opportunity to strike first, and she had no intention of simply walking into his reach before she was fully prepared. Before making her move she confirms that he intends to stick with his defenses and allow her to go first. There were advantages and disadvantages to both, but ultimately it matters little to the Irish wrestler. If he was unwilling to act, she would be more than willing to do so in his stead.

The first jab is easily blocked, but that doesn't matter. The fact that he's able to respond in time to her following kick is more surprising. Few of her opponents in LAW had been able to read that combination at all, let alone well enough to mitigate the attack, and Wyvern suppresses a wince as her shin collides painfully with Aizen's own. Seeing Aizen recover quickly and launch his own attack, Wyvern calculates her options. At this range, she would be able to dodge back far enough to escape his reach and it was too late to properly block the blow. Instead, in a complete violation of common sense, Wyvern steps into the punch, using the even closer range to try and drive a rising elbow into his xiphoid process. Aizen's strike lands heavily, but Wyvern has enough preparation to avoid having the wind knocked out of her and forces herself to continue through the pain. When Aizen winds up for the second punch, Wyvern continues to push in further. Her other elbow drives down, attempting to strike his wrist and force the attack off course. At the same time, she drives her head forward, attempting to crush Aizen's nose with her skull.

[BlackAkuma]

Getting put against a no-nonsense, no-fluff, apparently skilled and tough fighter on his first match in LAW? Aizen had been under the impression that matchups in this company were more or less random, but this was making him question that notion. Out of the hundred, perhaps thousands, of wrestlers he could’ve been put against, they reached into a hat and found someone that complimented him well, at least as far as he could tell from the first minute. Either someone had done their homework in booking or he would have to reconsider his opinions about a higher power.

Wyvern continued to shred away at his doubts, as she moved into his punches instead of taking what would seem like the smarter route. He would’ve had a push kick waiting for her if she backed off, but coming in close ruined that plan, and took away some of the edge from his punch. Not only that, but she gave him an elbow for his trouble, hitting the soft spot in his sternum - precise, this one.

It hurt, but not enough to make him back off, and definitely not enough to keep him from another punch, determined to capitalize at this distance and control the range. The second upper would’ve driven in harder than the first, but Wyvern was just a shade quicker, and that was all it took for her to deflect it with an elbow. Slick, but it left her open for a flash, and that was all he needed to-

BAM.

The move came out of nowhere, so fast and unexpected that Aizen hadn't even realized what had happened until he’d staggered back two steps. A headbutt? He hadn't expected to take something like that in LAW at all, much less his first match, and results had him stumbling. Stunned as he was, his reflexes took over and raised his defenses. Guard up, nice and tight, feet planted, hoping to weather whatever Wyvern was looking to follow up with.

[Hills]

Wyvern feels a rush of grim satisfaction as her headbutt slams home. The first exchange had been hers from the moment Aizen allowed her to get past the outer edges of his striking zone. Conventional wisdom gave the advantage in a fight to the one with longer reach, but Wyvern excels at extreme close quarters striking, allowing her to function at ranges that should be too close for her to operate, let alone her taller opponent. Her lack of concern for her own body also enables tactics that would be unavailable to most combatants. Now that Aizen had seen her unique fighting style, he would no doubt account for it, but Wyvern has never faced an opponent who truly predicted just how much of a threat she could be at such close ranges, and the early damage would be an advantage for the rest of the fight.

Still, she respects the skill displayed by her opponent. Nobody could ever win every exchange, get every read correct. Someone used to winning without effort would falter as soon as they ran into a real opponent. Someone without skill would never recover once momentum was taken away from them. Aizen had read and at least mitigated all but the most unlikely of her strikes, and even when put on the back foot had recovered his guard through pure instinct. That took experience, and not just with controlled martial arts practices. Whoever he was, he had been in real fights before. And given the choice, Wyvern wouldn't have it any other way.

Eager to keep the pressure on, Wyvern steps through to follow up against Aizen, likely already in position to strike by the time he regains his bearings. Trying to avoid becoming predictable, this time she launches a Brazilian feint kick, seemingly aiming her attack at his side before rapidly shifting into a descending strike aimed his neck and shoulder.

[BlackAkuma]

Here she comes.

Aizen’s vision was still watery and his brain was filled with static, but he wasn’t so out of it that he couldn't register the ball of focused fighting fury that was heading straight towards him. From what he knew of wrestling, it wouldn’t have been uncommon for his opponent to take this moment to showboat, build up hype, and play to the crowd, giving him more than enough time to recover. Wyvern wasn’t suffering from that weakness - he would have to be on his toes from bell to bell.

It was a good thing his guard was up as she moved in, because he didn’t doubt she would’ve floored him otherwise. Instead, she made an attempt to work around his defenses, coming low with a quick kick that pulled back at the last second. A feint, and he jerked in response to it, putting him on the bad foot. The other kick, the real one, was coming now, on a collision course with his face, and he didn’t have the time to move back enough to avoid it.

So, instead, he moved forward, taking a snippet out of her own book. One arm came up, catching her leg by the thigh, while the other arm wrapped around her shoulder and pulled in tight, pressing them together. From there, he planted his feet, arched his back, and attempted to send her flying overhead with a Capture Suplex, aiming her towards the nearest corner.

[Hills]

Very unused to opponents trying to get in so close to her, Wyvern is taken off guard by Aizen's counter to her attack. The maneuver is eerily similar to several that she herself has used in the past, but the rarity of her fighting style means that she has never considered comparable tactics being employed against her. This arrogance costs her dearly as Aizen locks his arms around her leg and shoulder, and Wyvern already knows what's about to happen well before her feet leave the ground.

This will not be pleasant.

The dry thought is all she has time for before Aizen hurls her overhead, releasing her midway through to increase the distance traveled. While Wyvern's successful efforts to push him back at the start of the fight had been advantageous then, this is quickly turned around on her as she crashes into the turnbuckles. Lacking much in the way of acrobatic or aerial skill, the Irish wrestler impacts heavily, then falls to the ground in a heap. A last minute curl helps her avoid landing directly on her head, but the entire experience is still both undignified and leaves her in a tremendously awkward position for trying to regain control of the fight.

Immediately trying to return to her feet, Wyvern takes a few moments to untangle herself and get her bearings back. Of course, it's unlikely Aizen will simply give her the chance to recover without interference...