A I R A vs Cecilia Lombard - Apex Qualifiers

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Aira soldiered through the pain. The grip on her gut was so strong, her breathing was heavy, her legs kicking away defiantly slowly lighten down as her futile attempt to pry it off didn't reward anything. She was brought to her limits and it was shown, she couldn't really put up much of a fight anymore but she doesn't want to let her crowd down. She just refuses to be beaten into submission. Part of it was her belief that a miracle would happen and it would turn things around, part of it was her stubbornness. Her tears are welling up in her eyes as she held on through that painful squeeze.

Even the crowd could see that she was this helpless, their worries grown more as the boos died down into dead silence. Aira's cries and painful attempt on fighting back echoed through the arena. And when that grip was let go, Aira gasps out and took a deep breath before rising up. Only to receive a sharp chop across her face! The impact echoed through the arena as her head rocked to the side, her tears and spittle thrown out and splattered on the canvas as she fell once again... Laying down sideways. Her eyes seemingly unaware of where she is due to her vision rocked heavily into a blur.

The blue haired Indonesian was laid down, unable to fully fight back. Her eyes gazing out to the front row crowd that she sees in a blur. She truly felt she let the crowd down... Her hand weakly gestured a response as she slowly balled her hand into a fist. Trying her damnedest to fight back but the crowd already realized this... She can't really fight anymore... It was as if they're waiting for the inevitable outcome.

[CaptainL]

If nothing else, Aira was proving to be a tenacious opponent. The fact that she was putting up this much of a fight, even against a foe who would show her no mercy, was only helping to endear her to the fans, who cheered on their hero even harder when they saw her going up against incredible odds and not even thinking twice about pushing herself onward. But that same tenacity was making Cecilia grow more and more frustrated with her. She was here to put an end to an overhyped and overrated nobody in front of her compatriots and supporters, just to prove how hopeless she really was. And when Aira kept holding firm no matter how hard she wrenched her in her holds, or how hard she struck at and slammed her, Cecilia's nerves were beginning to wear thin. How much more was it going to take?!

However, now things were starting to look up. Aira had all but crumbled into a sobbing, writhing heap when Cecilia held down the iron claw against her midsection, and now that she'd taken a swift chop across the face, she had been knocked to her back - where, at last, she finally seemed to be settling down. She was still trying to fight back - Cecilia could see her threaten her when she balled a fist tighter, a sight that caused her to growl through clenched teeth - but now, when Aira was panting, groaning, and twitching on the mat, she had no doubts that it was only a futile gesture. It would only be a matter of time before she was out of the match - and Cecilia wanted to make sure that moment was worth all her trouble.

Picking herself back up to her feet, Cecilia stared Aira down through narrowed eyes, folding her arms over her chest. "Too bad, bitch...I've won," she hissed, whispering low under her breath. Now that she was sure that Aira was in no shape to resist, Cecilia was ready to move in for the kill.

And when it was against such a celebrated opponent, on her home turf, before so many adoring fans, Cecilia knew there was only one way to finish her off - only one way that could truly show to the world she reigned supreme. She leaned over forward, locking her eyes onto Aira's from above as she flashed a sinister grin. But then she grabbed the Indonesian girl by the legs, hoisting her upward to hold her upside down and facing the crowd, with her head locked between Cecilia's thighs, her legs twisted back over Cecilia's shoulders and her arms held out in the crooks of Cecilia's legs, for the Public Execution!

This, but with Aira facing out

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Aira felt a buzzing pain inside her head. Her whole body aching as she breathed in and out heavily. Weakly moving her arms, trying to plant her hands onto the canvas and attempt to push herself up. But she really couldn't do so. The crowd watched silently, praying that Aira in one way or another find a way to turn this around... Even if realistically they knew she was done for.

While Aira was making a futile attempt to recover, Cecilia was already moving forward for the finish. The Indonesian could feel her ankles hoisted up. Groaning and gasping as she was helplessly lifted upside down. It was dizzying as all her blood flowing inside and moved towards her head. There were no resistance at all as Cecilia locked Aira into the Public Execution hold!

"GHkkhhhhhh---aa--hh...!!" Aira's eyes widened. Gasping as her legs painfully twisted wide and forcefully bended into a painful hold. Her arms unable to move much with how it was held up. She wanted to shake her head but couldn't. The crowd gasping as they watched their hometown hero in such peril. They knew that this is it for her.

Aira however, tried to soldier through the pain as much as she could. The referee checked on her and asked her "Aira! Do you give!?" They asked. Aira grunted out, her eyes gazed towards the referee. Her hand pointed a finger to the ref. She really wanted to hold off as much as she could and wag that finger. Yet she couldn't. "Aaahhhkkhhh---haaa..." She groaned out, her eyelids slowly lowering as at this point she's almost choked out of her consciousness.

And finally, as she closes her eyes... Her finger weakly nodded towards the referee. The referee quickly signals for the bell.

DING! DING! DING!

There were basically little to no response coming from Aira after that, as does the crowd... They couldn't believe that their hometown hero have fallen.

[CaptainL]

The fans had been holding out hope, in the leadup to this moment, that just maybe Aira would be able to find it in her to turn things around - that there was still a chance she could win. But all such hopes had been crushed now. The Public Execution was a display of the utmost finality. Aira had been trapped in a prison she was hopeless to escape from, with her arms, legs, back, and head all being targeted simultaneously. She was being held upside down, leaving the blood to drain away from her body toward her head. And the whole time this was happening, she was being proudly displayed, her helplessness and her shame shown to the world. Everyone in the arena, performing to a sold-out crowd in the heart of Jakarta, could see that Aira had nothing left she could use to break free of her predicament. They knew she had lost.

And Cecilia had chosen this finish to the match precisely for that purpose. No matter how hard she tried, no matter how viciously she beat and tortured Aira and no matter how little faith she had in her opponent to ever stand up to her, the crowd still cheered every single move Aira made, as though they were trying to will a victory into existence for her. Cecilia was fed up with it. She never cared about what the fans had to say about her, but if all these people were stupid enough to still think Aira had a chance, they clearly deserved to be taught a lesson. Cecilia hadn't struck the final blow against just Aira, but against everyone in the arena. And the whole time, as she looked down from above, her face fixed into a smug smile. She knew exactly what she had done.

Even after the bell chimed, Cecilia didn't let Aira go, not just yet. She wanted to relish in the moment. She only grinned wider as she bent backward, stretching the Indonesian girl's arms against her legs and twisting at her back, and she turned to the ringside photographer in order to make sure her triumph was captured for the ages, the shot perfectly framed and posed for the press. Only then did she finally let Aira drop to the floor - and when she did, she crossed her arms, swinging a kick into her side and aiming to knock her out of the ring. "Get out of my sight."

At first, the arena was silent, witnessing a defeat they never thought - or hoped - they'd see. Taken by surprise, they were all struck speechless. Then, when the realization began to set in - that they really had beheld such cruelty and disrespect against their beloved fan-favorite, their peoples' champion - the boos started coming down, bombarding Cecilia with jeers and threats. And yet, Cecilia didn't care. She straightened herself back out, dismissing every insult and every bit of garbage thrown in her way with a haughty flip of her hair back over her shoulder before she turned to exit the ring.

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Even after the bell ringed that ended the match. Aira wasn't let go of the hold at all. The crowd silently watches as Aira was held firmly for the camera crew to picture it. Her limbs bent in such manner that shows how helpless she was. Her eyes closed, her hand fell down, dangling there lifelessly as she was barely clinging onto her consciousness. Flashes of white from the camera shone and dazed her as she was then dropped from the hold.

Groaning out weakly, the Indonesian then was kicked on her back and forced to roll out under the ropes and fell down with a resounding thud. Laying there just outside the ring. Quickly, the Young Lioness crew on standby walked towards her with an ice bag on their hand and hoisted her off the padded floor. Resting Aira's arm over their shoulders as she weakly glanced up to see the crowd throws out jeers and boos along with garbage towards the ring. Showing their hatred towards how cruel and disrespectful Cecilia was towards their hometown hero.

However for Aira, tears just flowed down her cheeks as she sobbed. Tugging her arm in to move her hand to cover her face. She just... Cried, feeling that she let her nation down. The crew that carried her looked towards her in sympathy and just tried to soothe her while still compressing the back of her neck and her lower back with the ice bag. She already brought her all and soldiered through such spiteful tactics as much as she could. Even with her being in her home field. She really wants to send the crowd back home happy that their representative triumphed. But, it appears she have succumbed to it.

It was a heartbreaking moment for Aira, even though she could barely hear it. The crowd that seated along the line the crew escorting her out watches her and just showed her that even if she failed this time. They're still rooting for her as they applaused for her along with sending out words of encouragement that she can't really catch what was said due to the arena erupting towards Cecilia. She thought to herself... If she couldn't win it even with showing her best... Then what will it take for her to reach that height...?

[CaptainL]

The match was over. Aira had lost. The crowd had cheered her on the whole way through, determined to see her emerge victorious in the name of giving them a victor they could believe in, who could carry their country all the way to Apex - but that hadn't been enough. In the end, through Cecilia's brutality and deviousness, she managed to get the upper hand on the hometown hero, and now, Aira was left to be escorted out of the arena, sobbing.

The fans had been worked up near to the point of rioting when they saw Cecilia win. But now, when they saw Aira in tears over her defeat, a silence once again fell over the stands. This clearly weighed heavily on her shoulders - in her own eyes, she had let down not only herself, but her entire country. And Aira's sorrows were felt in the hearts of everyone present. Once more, the arena was speechless.

It was a moment before a voice spoke up - this one coming from the judges' table, as the officials tasked with determining if this match was worthy of qualifying the participants for Apex turned to each other in debate. It didn't take long for them to reach a consensus.

"I say it passes."

"For sure. Aira had to fight hard, and she lasted a long time. That should qualify her."

"Yeah, she went the distance."

Consensus, that was, except for one voice - that of Eiji Matsumoto.

"Now, hold up! Hold up here!" he shouted. "I'm sorry, she might've started out strong, but by the end of the match, she was just taking a beatdown! You're going to tell me that you can spend most of a match getting your ass handed to you on a silver platter, and it should still count because it took that much longer?"

"Please calm down, Bapak Eiji. It's a well-known concept in sports."

Spoiler

"Bapak" is the Indonesian honorific for addressing an older man. Indonesian honorifics go before a person's given name.

"Even if Aira was well below Cecilia's level, she lasted longer than expected. That proves she could stand a chance against her. Perhaps, in a rematch, she could win. And that willingness to fight despite the odds could make her a champion."

"Yeah, true! Besides, did you see that neck chop?"

"For that matter, Cecilia had leverage on her with the ropes and her hair for quite a w-"

Despite the pleas of several of Indonesia's top combat sports analysts, Eiji wouldn't listen. In the midst of their speech, he rose from his seat, slamming a stack of papers against the table. "Okay, that's it, fuck this! I know what you're all about! You just want to go easy on her because you really want an Indonesian wrestler to qualify in Jakarta! I'm sorry, but that's not how the fuck it works! You wanted her to win? Get her some better fucking training!"

"Sir, please, this isn't the time-"

"I'll tell ya what I think - I didn't get picked for this job to listen to a bunch of crooked judges give out participation trophies and be told to be fine with that! If this is what being an Apex judge is all about, I quit!"

"Sir-!" But it was too late. Throwing his microphone to the floor with a metallic hiss, Eiji rose from his seat and stormed out of the arena, even as the other judges tried to pull him back.

"You can go rig the odds all you want! But this is the last match I judge!" Under the cover of even louder boos, Eiji proceeded to the exit, slamming the door shut behind him.

Winner by Submission: Cecilia Lombard