Trial by Fire: Hikari Nakano vs Sanae Saitou

[Bare]

Hikari had been handled in humiliating fashion, especially after how dominant a start she had against Sanae earlier on in the match. Now though was her time to make up for it, to prove to Sanae that she was truly out matched, and as her mentor had instructed, her best chance to possibly make Sanae damaged goods. After all a quick glance at the timer told Hikari that the two were quickly approaching the minimum time for the qualifier to count. Though that in and of itself was a source for disappointment for Hikari since she had hoped to beat Sanae before that, and possibly take her out of the running for Apex all together.

Although, as far as just as good went, what she was doing currently was pretty much it. Driving her knees repeatedly into Sanae's chest till she had the girl practically beaten senseless, that at least felt cathartic. Now though... now was gonna be time for the big finale. The move that would take Sanae out of Apex before she even really got started. Pulling the wanna be idol out of the ring all together and onto the apron Hikari would have her head between her legs, pulling up, readying for a devastating move that could well and truly end Sanae's career all together with a piledriver onto the floor!

However there was one problem to that plan. That being Hikari's own body, more specifically her leg given the attention Sanae had given the limb earlier in the match, that damage had built up and wasn't helped by Hikari using it heavily to deal some of her offense in against Sanae. So acclimating to have the weight took its time, time that Hikari evidently didn't have with Sanae as by the time she had Sanae upside down, the girl was ready to counter...

Feeling a familiar pair of legs wrap around her head Hikari's eyes would widen in shock as she was suddenly pulled, right off her feet and through the air! "No!" Hikari cried out in frustration and fear, coming through the air at high speed, tucking her head in just before she made impact with the floor, crashing into it head and back first, all but bouncing off of it and skidding across the floor as well. "Ugh... Ah..." She groaned out, trying to sit up, only to collapse back against the floor, a half lidded, glazed look in her eyes.

[CaptainL]

Even Sanae herself could hardly believe it. Just when Hikari was about to land the decisive blow, she managed to turn everything around, using the very move her opponent had set to take her out! At the crest of her motion, she was able to flip herself around, ensuring that Hikari would be the first to make contact with the cold, unforgiving floor below. And when she struck, the sound of a thud echoed through the arena, causing a fair few in the crowd to wince. Had Sanae been a second off, had Hikari's leg not stalled just long enough for her to set up a counter, she surely would have already lost the match by now. But everything lined up in her favor to let her pull off a one-in-a-million reversal!

"One! Two!"

With both girls out of the ring, the referee began to count. Sanae rose up to her knees, still panting for breath. She didn't know how lucky she had to be to pull that off - but she did it. At first, all she could do was reflect on her amazing fortune, staring off into space. But when the fans saw her rise back up, undeterred by the odds or the challenges she had faced up to this point, they rang out with a cheer! Sanae was still sore from all the strikes Hikari had landed on her. She was still dizzy from being flung through the air. But suddenly, none of that mattered. Now, she knew everyone had seen her defy what should have been a sure defeat, and they were cheering her on! She had their support, and that gave her all the strength she needed to keep on fighting!

"Three! Four!"

A grin crossed her face. Suddenly, in a burst of vigor, Sanae pushed her way to her feet. She stood with her back straight and puffed out her chest, her hands planted proudly on her hips. She knew now that everyone wanted to see her triumph once and for all over an opponent who had tested her limits, and she wasn't going to let them down! Hikari had taken the brunt of the impact, which meant that she was every bit as vulnerable for a follow-up as Sanae would have been had she taken the blow herself. If that was the case, Sanae knew what she had to do.

First, she bent down to scoop Hikari up, sucking in a breath to steel herself as she hoisted her off the ground even as her back shuddered against the strain. She would roll her in under the ropes to put her back in the ring - and then, Sanae would take hold of the ropes and start climbing them, coming to the top rope. There, she called out a battle cry, holding her fists in the air to rally the crowd behind her, before she jumped off, flipping through the air to come down on Hikari with a shooting star press!

Spoiler

[Bare]

The plan was for Hikari to lay into Sanae with a series of knee strikes to stun the girl, leave her susceptible to get pulled outside onto the apron along with her. All as set up for Hikari to land a potentially career ending move onto Sanae with a pile driver to the outside mat. But as they say, not all things go according to plan. In Hikari's case her bad leg which still ached from Sanae's leg based submissions spiked up, causing her to hesitate and delay in getting Sanae in position. In turn giving Sanae all the time she needed to wrap her legs around Hikari's head and turn the tables completely, pulling Hikari off her feet and through the air!

"NGH!" Hikari yelled out in pain as she hit the floor head first, everything immediately going blurry as she sat up for a moment afterwards before falling down to the floor completely, near unconsciousness from the dramatic impact her skull had with the floor. Unfortunately for Hikari though Sanae wasn't done just yet. After all, the impact of Sanae's body was significantly less than Hikari's own, and with Hikari down and out, it was only natural for the up and coming star to want to make the most of the opportunity. Defenseless Hikari would be pulled up off her feet easily and rolled back into the ring without any resistance.

"Ugh..." Hikari groaned out weakly, unable to do anything but try and lift her head up listlessly before falling back to the mat. Barely aware of what was happening around her, not the crowd's cheering for Sanae, not Minami's disapproving glare, and certainly not Sanae rising up the ring post, ascending higher and higher up before leaping off, taking to the sky and coming down like a meteor, right on top of Hikari's body! "AGH!" Hikari cried out, her torso and legs shooting up before falling on the mat, no doubt out of the match now... Only question was how the girl would seek to end this bout.

[CaptainL]

It was a stroke of incredible luck that Sanae had been able to reverse Hikari's piledriver just before it hit. By all means, it shouldn't have happened. She was wide open, she was dazed from all the strikes Hikari had bodied her with, and all she could do was watch as her opponent prepared to bring everything down into a crashing end to the match. But Hikari had tired herself out trying to whittle down at Sanae's stamina, and the effects of the holds the green-haired girl had put her in caught up with her - long enough for her to falter just long enough for Sanae to be struck with a flash of inspiration. Suddenly, she knew what to do. She knew how she could take control. And she wouldn't waste such an opportunity, as she flipped back in the air to send Hikari down hard!

The aspiring idol needed to catch her breath as she righted herself outside the ring. She was still sore from all the times Hikari had hit her, and her body displayed the welts and bruises to match. But when she realized she had pulled off a million-to-one counter, the adrenaline flooded through her veins. That gave her all the strength she needed to get back on her feet, throwing Hikari back into the ring - and then, leaping off the top rope to slam into her with the shooting star press!

With Sanae's body slamming down against Hikari's own, a rumble shook the ring. The arena burst into cheers, seeing the fan-favorite Sanae pull victory from the jaws of defeat. As she caught her breath, Sanae propped herself back up on her elbows, looking over at the fans with a smile - never before had she felt more accomplished, or more excited, and her heart was racing as she thought on her next move. If she wanted to pin Hikari here and now, it surely would've worked - the brunette was practically motionless beneath her. But then, as she scanned the ring, Sanae's eyes settled on Minami. There, her gaze narrowed, and her expression grew serious. She knew what she had to do - and a pin certainly wouldn't do.

Ordinarily, Sanae wouldn't have been so spiteful. But when she had gotten lost in the intensity of the match, all she could think about was Minami, and how little she thought of her - how much she scorned her and looked down on her. She had put her up against her student, trying to engineer a scenario Sanae couldn't possibly win - and yet, she still managed to beat the odds. When she saw the look of shock on the veteran's face, it reminded her of all the times she had mocked her very reason for being in the ring - and it was enough to make her body grow tense with rage. Minami, she knew, had started this. She was the one who Sanae was really up against, not Hikari. And even if she wasn't an active participant in this match, she needed to get the last word in to her, just to prove she wouldn't be laid low by Minami's threats.

She knew exactly how she was going to do that. First, Sanae rolled Hikari over onto her stomach. Then, laying across her back, she grabbed Hikari's arms, pulling each back behind her before locking them together in the crook of her arm with a double Fujiwara armbar, to which she leaned back to crank on the pressure - applying Minami's own finisher, the Venus de Milo! Sanae had studied Minami's matches in the leadup to Apex, knowing that she would have to prepare for her well in advance. She had familiarized herself with her style and her moves, and she had trained for any situation she might encounter. But with how quick a learner Sanae was, it also meant that she had figured out how to use the move herself. And now, as she locked it into place, the green-haired girl stared straight back into Minami's eyes with a cold, steely glare. It was time she really knew she was no one to be trifled with!

[Bare]

To say that Minami was... dissatisfied with the course of this match so far would be an understatement. Part of her reasoning for even arranging this bout was to see Sanae take a humiliating loss personally, one that could see her confidence rocked and possibly injured. Not for Hikari's lack of trying mind you. The entire last few minutes where she had been laying into Sanae was the most engaged Minami had been in the match, wanting Hikari to do more.. But she recognized the signs of were and tear on the girl's knee and knew that Sanae was only going to be able to take advantage of it.

Sure enough she was correct and where Hikari had been in a dominant position she was now all but defeated. Spiked head first on the floor outside and then brought back into the ring only to take a highflying finisher from Sanae. It was clear to all watching that the match would be over as soon as Sanae went for the pin... Which is why it surprised many when she didn't.

Instead Sanae rolled Hikari over onto her stomach, gathering the girl's arms... In an all too familiar submission to Minami that made her immediately tense while glaring up at Sanae as if silently saying 'don't you dare.' But Sanae did dare. Before long the aspiring idol had locked in the Venus Di Milo on Hikari, waking Minami's apprentice up just enough to react to the painful stretch she was now subjected too! "AGHHHHHH!" Hikari yelled out in pain, kicking her legs futilely against the mat before she starting to frantically tap out, patting Sanae's head repeatedly to signal her submission to the hold and causing the bell to ring!

[CaptainL]

Hikari was already out. The damage her leg had taken alone would be enough to hold her back; when her entire style depended on her ability to make quick, strong strikes, she would be all but crippled by such an injury. When Sanae had reversed her piledriver onto the floor, that had knocked her into a daze she had no hope of bouncing back from. And when the green-haired girl jumped off the ropes to hit her with the shooting star press - one of her finishers, and a move she had trained in to make the most of her greatest talents in the ring - it seemed as though that would be the finishing touch on what had been a stunning turn-around of a victory, one the fans were already cheering on. There was no doubt that Sanae could have won with a simple pin if she wanted to...but then, that wouldn't be enough. She knew Minami was behind this. She knew the veteran had engineered this situation with the express purpose of making Sanae look like a fool, and cutting short her efforts at propelling herself into the spotlight at Apex. Now, it was time for Sanae to turn that right back around on her!

Rolling Hikari over, and stretching back at her arms, Sanae executed the Venus de Milo with enough skill to shock even the judges! Submissions had never been her strong suit, but she was learning from Alizeh, and when she was face to face with Minami, knowing all she had done to show her up, Sanae had the perfect motivation to push herself even further past her limits. Soon, she was looking Minami dead in the eye, locking her student in her own finisher. Even as Hikari twisted and turned in her best efforts to fight it, Sanae wouldn't budge - she had to make sure her message got across to Minami. Soon enough, Hikari tapped out - but that didn't even matter to Sanae all that much. What managed so much more was that Minami knew Sanae had her eyes on her.

At Hikari's submission, the green-haired girl let her go, straightening herself to her feet. She was still tired, shaken, and sore; her head was spinning and her body was bruised, thanks to all the strikes Hikari had gotten off against her. But she could still stand tall, planting her hands on her hips and turning to the stands with a grin on her face. And yet, even for a natural-born crowd-pleaser like Sanae, that wasn't what was important. After she'd had her fill of the attention, her expression grew serious, and she strode over to the judges' table and leaned over the top ropes, looking Minami dead in the eye.

"Now. Does this change your mind at all?"

[Bare]

Minami's glare would eradicate the ring, Sanae and Hikari all at once if she could with how much hateful intensity was coming from her. Hikari, her own student losing to Sanae was bad enough, but to submit to her own finisher? The aforementioned move being used by a cretin like Sanae was bad enough, but effectively to the point that Hikari tapped? That was down right mortifying. Worst of all though was that clearly, Sanae's ego had gone on a trip from the victory and the girl was now up on the ropes, mocking her.

Refusing to let this stand Hikari would stand up, glaring at Sanae and walking around the table, approaching the ring and even jumping onto the apron so that she and Sanae were eye to eye, and nose to nose, glaring at one another. "Not. At. All." She growled out hatefully before shoving Sanae to the side so that Minami could enter the ring, not to attack Sanae, but to seemingly check on her student, kneeling down at her side and turning Hikari over silently to check on her.

Hikari, for her part was still dazed but she could recognize the face of her mentor looking down on her, and immediately the shame of what had happened hit her doubledly so. "M-M-Minami S-Sensei, I'm S-Sorry." She stuttered out weakly, unable to even think of what the woman would say as Minami just exhaled. "I know." She said softly, her expression going steely despite the word. "I'm not though." The Venus of Submissions said, confusing Hikari before Minami would suddenly raise Hikari's arm up, wrapping a leg around it quickly before dropping to the side at an angle, slamming the limb at awkward angle that definitely made something pop or tear!

"AGHHHHHHHHHH!" Naturally Hikari screamed in utter agony while the crowd released a collective gasp of shock at the betrayal while Minami stood up, unbothered by the screams from her now former apprentice as the wrestle angel turned to focus on Sanae. "That. Will be you come Apex. You better prepare yourself." Minami said coldly to Sanae while pointing down to Hikari body as she was eased out of the ring by the ref and trainer, both looking to get her backstage asap to get tended too.

[CaptainL]

Sanae had done it. The odds were incredibly stacked against her, and she had been fighting on the back foot from the moment this match began, only able to secure the advantage on a last-second stroke of luck. But she had done it. At last, the grueling, intense match that had left both Sanae and all of her fans watching every second intently with the knowledge that one wrong move could change anything was over. And Sanae had won.

The burst of cheers that went up at the sight of the beloved idol's seemingly unthinkable come-from-behind victory brought a smile to Sanae's face, but that smile was short-lived. When she turned her attention to Minami, she knew there were bigger things at stake. This had been so much more than a victory, even an incredible upset of one. This time, Sanae was making her case for herself. The fact that she could defeat Hikari, and with her master's own hold, was a statement - a statement that she could hold her own against Minami. And that was a statement she didn't want the veteran to forget. When she went to the ropes, staring Minami dead in the eye with a cold glare, Sanae wanted to make just one thing known - whatever Minami wanted to throw at her, she would be ready.

And Minami...didn't even flinch.

"...What..!?" For just a moment, Sanae's composure broke. She knew that admitting even a moment of weakness against such a skilled and ruthless foe would be suicide, but she couldn't help herself. She had stood up against a relentless assault, she had even used one of Minami's own moves and won the match with it...and Minami wasn't even intimidated! The green-haired girl drew back, her teeth clenched and her eyelid twitching. For just a moment, fearful thoughts ran through her head. If this hadn't been enough to change Minami's mind about her...then what would?

She stepped aside as Minami entered the ring, facing her defeated student. When Sanae heard the weakness in Hikari's voice, she hugged her arm a little closer to herself; for just a moment, she felt guilty about what she'd done. But when Minami grabbed her own student's arm and snapped it to the side, she gasped! She couldn't believe that someone as respected as Minami would do such a thing to her own trainee. Did she really have such little regard for the people she was supposed to be helping find their way?

Her brow furrowed in rage, Sanae took a step closer to Minami, clenching her fists and stomping her foot against the mat. She might have been afraid of what Minami could do to her, but now, she knew, Minami had crossed a line, and something needed to be done! "HEY!! Who do you think you are, doing that to your own student-!?" But before Sanae could say any more, the look Minami sent back at her was enough to silence her. Her blood froze in her veins, and she stood stiff, listening to Minami's threat. Her eyes went wide, and her face grew pale; even as the two women left the ring, Sanae stood right where she was. Minami was ruthless enough to carry out such punishments on her own students, even when they could barely stand...and now, Sanae would have to face her.

Winner by Submission: Sanae Saitou