Sanae Saitou vs. Toshimi Minami - Submisson Match

[CaptainL]

Right now, Sanae's arms and back were faring more or less equally in terms of the strain. Her spine was forced to bear the brunt of the pressure, with her entire body weight pulling her down in either direction as she was folded over into a C shape. And with Minami pulling down on her arms, the tendons and ligaments in her limbs were being stretched as far as they could go, with each painful inch causing her to whine in pain. She clenched her teeth, and her face began to grow red from the strain as an agonized whine left her throat. Already, she felt like she could break - and Minami wasn't even done with her. Sanae knew that just as much as her opponent did!

But there was one other thing that Sanae knew - and that was that no matter what, no matter how insurmountable the odds seemed, no matter how much it would hurt her in the process, she needed to fight back. The fact she had made it this far at all was an act of defiance; she was out to show Minami that she wouldn't let herself be shamed and belittled, and that she could take on any challenge in her way. The need to succeed was greater now than ever when she was actually confronting the veteran face to face, at Apex no less. Now that she had more attention on her than ever before, going into her biggest and most anticipated match yet, it was all the more important she strive to the fullest to win. This had to be the match where she showed the world what she could really do. If she was going to be a star, this was the match where she was going to prove it, to leave no questions that she belonged here! And with that in mind...losing simply wasn't an option! She had to keep fighting on with whatever she had, until she couldn't go any more!

Sanae didn't know if she had enough left in her to escape the hold this way. It would be a difficult manuever, and one that would test her. But she had to, just to prove she could! Sucking in a breath, she leaned down to arch her back just a little further, even as she groaned against the pain rippling through her spine. She kicked her legs into the air to throw herself over in an arc. And then, she flipped straight over Minami, landing on her feet behind her! At the sight of such an acrobatic display, the fans gasped, and many began to clap and cheer at Sanae's efforts. And no one, perhaps, was more surprised than Minami herself, who was so blindsided by such a move she was shocked into silence!

Minami quickly caught her bearings, letting go of Sanae and rolling aside. But the green-haired girl remained where she was. The ache in her back caught up to her, and she winced; she hugged her arm closer to herself, and her weary legs began to drift apart, causing her center of gravity to sink lower toward the mat. She panted for breath, trying to clear the cobwebs out of her head after such a narrow escape. She was going to need more time to collect herself. But all the same, she turned her head up to look toward Minami with a defiant glare. She wasn't afraid of the Venus of Submissions, and this had proven it!

[Bare]

Sanae was not someone Minami considered even worthy of being in a ring with her. After all, she was a proud wrestle angels veteran, the venus of submissions, one of the most renowned and famous wrestlers in the past decade to step into a ring and she treated the sport with all the seriousness she could. It was why she hated fragile little idols worming their way into this sport and trying to carve out spots that should go to much more deserving people in her eyes. Just the thought honestly made her angry...

Yet despite all her words, all the hell and punishment Minami made Sanae go through just to get to this moment, Sanae was disproving every single notion Minami had made towards the girl and others like her. Sanae showed the toughness to take submissions, the creativity to adapt to changing tactics and styles, and the resolve to keep fighting even against an insurmountable foe such as her. And Minami hated all of it, because if there was one thing she hated more than people not respecting this sport as much as herself, it was being wrong. Thus far, as much as this match had shown, Sanae had totally and completely proven Minami wrong, not only by surviving for so long, but by even pushing her to the brink of this battle so far and exposing her greatest weakness.

Now the two stood face to face, Minami was certainly the better off between the two, but not by much, rather just barely, her own legs buckling every few moments from the strain Sanae had put them through, likewise her chest and back hurting from Sanae's other offense. Really as far as anyone could tell it was anyone's contest, but the crowd was firmly on Sanae's side through and through with near deafening cheers for the girl to pull this upset victory.

'Like hell I'll allow that.' Minami thought to herself as she took a breath and squared her shoulders, suddenly daring towards Sanae, not a word exchanged as she reared her arm back and sent it forward for what seemed like a chop to her chest! However this would only be a feint. Rather what Minami wanted was to try and get Sanae's guard up so that she would have a chance to grasp the girl's wrist. After all Minami had worked the girl's arms over fairly well thus far, if she could manage to pull Sanae down to the mat by her arm and lean back... She knew she could lock in the Venus Di Milo and win!

Likewise however Minami wasn't sure just what else she'd be able to do to keep Sanae down long enough to lock the hold in more safely... So she would have to rely on brute forcing her way through this to get Sanae down and locked into the hold of holds!

[CaptainL]

Sanae wasn't the first idol to take to the wrestling ring, and she wasn't the last, either. But there was something that set her apart from the image everyone had come to associate with the washed-up singer jumping to wrestling in an attempt to revitalize their career, using their name to carry themselves even when their grappling skills lagged behind. While Sanae was always hoping for stardom, her idol career hadn't truly taken off until she'd proven herself in the ring - it was her breathtaking offense, her athletic achievements, and her infectious, optimistic can-do attitude that endeared her to the world, and her fans had been eager to support her in everything she did. Because of that, it was her wrestling that carried her idol career, rather than the other way around - and when she had used wrestling as a vehicle to get her name out there, she had to be good at it. There was no room for making excuses or riding on any pre-established fame; if Sanae was going to go places, she had to put every effort into making sure she excelled at what she did. That was something she accepted, something that drove her - and no one could deny she was living up to that promise.

Yet for all of Sanae's matches up to this point - all of which had garnered considerable attention and praise - never before was her dedication on greater display than it was tonight, against Minami! The green-haired girl knew that all eyes were on her. If she was going to prove she could be a real wrestler, that she was worthy of respect, it would be now - in her biggest match yet, with the biggest prize of all on the line. And yet, the title didn't matter to Sanae nearly as much as whether or not she could prove herself to her greatest doubter of all.

Sanae was still weary. She wobbled back and forth on her feet; when she sucked in a breath, it made a shudder run down her back as she felt the aches in her spine. Her head was throbbing from where she'd been suspended upside down. And yet, when Sanae looked back at Minami, her hands clenched tightly into fists, and she stood taller! She knew that Minami was dangerous, and that any move she made was more than capable of spelling disaster for her chances. But she would be ready for her. She had to be ready for anything! She couldn't let anyone think she was afraid, especially not Minami herself!

As she came closer, Minami looked as though she was going to throw a chop. Seeing the incoming blow, Sanae rose her hands to protect her chest. But barely a moment later, Minami grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her arm toward her! The aspiring idol let out a gasp - not only had she fallen for one of Minami's tricks, it also meant she was wide open for her foe to take advantage of the position, something that could only spell disaster. But as Sanae realized that, she clenched her teeth, and her eyes narrowed in a glare. She wouldn't go down without a fight - the worst thing she could do was to let Minami take control, and she'd fight with everything she could to deny her the chances!

Suddenly, Sanae went to duck backward, throwing her weight in an arc to try and counteract the force with which Minami was pulling her, as well as dragging the veteran closer to her. She hoped that not only would this keep her out of trouble, it would also draw Minami into range - enough for her to swing her leg up to deliver a kick aimed at her knee!

[Bare]

Crunch time was where Minami excelled, when chips were down and things were starting to look dire, when stress became greater, that was where Minami shined and produced her best results. It was just a damn shame to her that Sanae had been the one to manage to bring her here to begin with. A slight that the Venus of Submissions would see to fixing post haste as she managed to feint a chop only to instead reach in, going for a grab at Sanae's wrists in a effort to pull the girl down to the mat and lock in a hold that would surely end her for good if she could lock it in in time!

Unfortunately Sanae had recognized the danger she was in and was quick to worm her way out of it by leaning back, stopping Minami's backwards momentum and stopping her in her tracks, leaving Sanae with the opportunity to counter attack with a kick aimed at Minami's leg! "Ngh!" The Venus hissed out before glaring at Sanae with all of the distaste and disrespect she had for the girl, in that instant time almost seemed to slow down as Minami's footing got weaker. She could do the smart thing, go in the direction her body was moving which was backwards, release Sanae's hand and roll backwards to regain some distance and plan out her next move of attack.

But doing so would be the same as running from her opponent. Something she considered unworthy of sharing the ring with her, and it would be the straw of disrespect that would break the camel's back for her. Something she refused to let happen under any circumstances. So instead Minami would take the more bull headed approach, and instead tightened the grip she had on Sanae's hand, bracing her feet on the mat and pushing herself forward, towards Sanae and swinging her arm around to try and deliver an uncharacteristic forearm strike into Sanae's chest!

[CaptainL]

In one moment, Minami had taken control of the situation - she grabbed Sanae by the wrist, pulling the green-haired girl closer. It was all too apparent to Sanae what her intentions were - she was surely setting her up for an even more devastating hold, and if Sanae let her, all hopes she had of winning the match were already over! Her knowledge of submissions, and her expertise in the ins and outs of every hold, allowed her to see any opportunity to spring punishment on her hapless opponents. But although Sanae might not have been quite as versed in submission wrestling as her foe, she recognized danger when she saw it. She was just as insightful - as though she already knew, instinctively, what to do, she jerked back on Minami's arm, trying to reel her in before she even had a chance to attack! Minami might have caught her by the arm, but it was Sanae who was going to take control!

She pulled Minami right into the path of her kick, which landed with the sound of a crack! The impact of the blow echoed through the room, felt by more than a few of the fans, who groaned along with Minami - even those who supported Sanae knew how much it had to hurt. But Minami wouldn't let herself be outdone. Just as quickly and as furiously as Sanae had struck her, she swung her own arm around, slamming her forearm against the idol's sternum!

Now it was Sanae's turn to cry out in pain. Her hair swung back in a blur of green, while her chest heaved from the impact as her spine bent into an arc. The pain rippled up through her body, leaving her muscles tense and sore from the blow. But though she drew in a few pants, when she looked back up at Minami, the look on her face hadn't changed - she still stared dead into her eyes with a glare of pure determination. No matter how much it hurt, Sanae was willing to fight through anything she needed to to prove herself to Minami!

Letting out a battle cry, Sanae would only return Minami's blow. She threw herself closer to the veteran, swinging out with her own arm to trade back a forearm of her own! Now, with their arms locked, the two women had turned this match into a frantic flurry of blows, exchanging each strike they took for one they dealt out!

[Bare]

Minami growled softly at Sanae as she struck the girl across the chest with a brutal forearm smash. Hands locked together, the two were in a battle of wills and endurance. Sanae first with her kick and then Minami with her retaliation which was met by another smash from Sanae that made Minami wince in pain from the force of it as it hit. In mere moments thought that pain would be replaced with a growl of anger before looking up to meet Sanae with a rae expression that matched the girls own. One of pure determination that oddly enough mae Minami look almost the same as Sanae in this current moment as she balled her fist up and swung it up to bash a revenge strike into Sanae's sternum!

In return another strike would meet her, making Minami wince again at the pain but she pushed through it. Sanae was an idol, a wanna be wrestler, she couldn't possibly beat her, she refused to believe that the possibility was remotely possible, and showing the world this was her motivation here, to protect wrestler as she viewed it! This motivation in mind is what pushed Minami to swing around again for another forearm strike herself that was once again met in return full force by Sanae!

Continuing this trend the two lightweights would take turns exchanging forearm strikes for what felt like hours but was in fact just under a minute. "Ugh!" Finally with a yell of pain after yet another strike from Sanae Minami would gasp out weakly before falling down onto her knees, still holing onto her opponent's hand, but barely, and not being able to do much as she gasped in breathes of air, too stunned and hurt to think about the fact that Sanae ha just out lasted her, and worst yet that she now had a major advantage over her...

[CaptainL]

The two wrestlers had exchanged strikes, and now, that exchange had grown into a frantic back-and-forth of blow after blow. Each time Minami swung at Sanae, no matter how much the impact stung, knocking her to the side and causing her to wince and hiss through clenched teeth, the green-haired girl would only glare back at Minami, pulling herself forward and whipping her arm in an arc to strike right back! Neither gave any thought to dodging or blocking. The only defense they had was to lash back out with an even greater offense, trying to match each other blow for blow! Sanae's eyes began to water, and the edges of her eyelids began to twitch from the pain. But she wasn't going to stop. She had to see this through to the end! In one part, it was a show of the two women's endurance - they wanted to take as much damage as they could to prove a point; Minami to show Sanae just how hopeless she was against her, and Sanae to prove she could fight through more punishment than her foe had bargained for. But just as much it was a competition that raged just as strongly as the match as a whole. Subconsciously, both Sanae and Minami knew that to avoid a blow was an admission of weakness, and a surrender - it would mean they felt they couldn't take what the other was dishing out. When both of them were so determined to outcompete each other, that was simply not an option!

With their other arms locked together in an embrace, Sanae and Minami weren't giving each other any room to move; it was as though the two were chained together! The only way one was going to move was when they simply couldn't take it any more! And eventually...it was Minami who proved she was going to go down first! As the veteran dropped to her knees, the fans burst out in cheers at the sight of the aspiring idol claiming the advantage. Sanae, too, looked out toward them with a grin, proud of the strides she was making. Her heart was pounding with excitement - she had actually gotten Toshimi Minami herself to bend the knee! That alone was an incredible accomplishment, one that told Sanae she had what it took to go up against the pillars of the wrestling world. But she wasn't just going to stop there - that wouldn't be good enough! Sanae knew she had victory in her grasp, and she was going to take it!

Keeping her hold on Minami's wrist with one arm, and grabbing for the other with her free hand, Sanae went to circle behind her foe, twisting both her arms behind her back! She dropped to her knees, sliding into place to exert the pressure against her opponent's spine as she pinned her wrists between her shoulder blades with a double hammerlock! Then, Sanae clenched her teeth, throwing herself backward to arch her back and put even more force against the hold. She needed to push Minami to her breaking point!

[Bare]

Minami and Sanae hated each other, that much could be said well before the match between them had even started. Neither liked each other, and to say there was no respect, at least from Minami to Sanae was an understatement. Now that the two were locked together by the hands, practically chained together by their refusal to go down, the one trait that they seemed to share, it was down to a battle of endurance with neither woman backing down in the slightest. In the end though, the frantic series of repeated strikes seemed to take its toll on Minami more than Sanae, the woman dropping down to a knee while still holding onto Sanae's hand, immediately prompted the girl to reach for Minami's other hand, pulling both her arms up n preparation for something that could possibly end this...

That if, if Minami hadn't pushed herself forward, flinging her knee forward into Sanae's stomach while the girl was still in front of her! If the knee had connected successfully Minami would smirk down at Sanae, revealing that Minami had played possum to create an opening for herself! Now with both their hands locked together it was no surprise to any in the audience what would come next. Kicking the back of Sanae's knee Minami would pull Sanae's arms back before dropping her weight down onto the girl's back to force her down on her stomach and should she manage it successfully Minami would then shift her hands lower on Sanae's arms to her elbows, looking to pull back and finally lock in the Venus Di Milo!

[CaptainL]

Sanae's heart was pounding - both with excitement and with fear. She knew this was a turning point in the match. If she could hold onto the momentum, and keep Minami under control in this hold...then she could well win it all. At long last, she could put this long and grueling feud behind her, and prove that she deserved to be taken seriously no matter what anyone else might say. It would be the culmination of everything she had worked so hard for in LAW, and it was sure to put her on the map. But at the back of her mind, Sanae knew she was in danger. With each move that the green-haired girl escaped from, and each hold she found herself locked into, Minami's rage was surely building more and more. She had already proven herself to be a formidable foe - if she stopped holding back, and channeled all her fury into punishing Sanae, it could well spell doom for the aspiring idol. The best Sanae could do was to hope she could end this match soon. A hammerlock like this was unlikely to take Minami out, but she at least hoped it would slow her down long enough to turn the tides. As she locked the veteran's arm into place behind her shoulder blades, Sanae lowered her head in a silent prayer, imploring the universe to let this work...

But it was then that Minami struck. She kicked up her knee into Sanae's stomach - and, as it hit, the girl's body buckled, causing her jaw to drop open in a gasp as she stared down at Minami with wide eyes! And that had left her distracted just long enough for Minami to scramble around her - where she kicked at her knee, causing her to drop down to one foot, before she was pulled down the rest of the way by her opponent's weight. When she sank down lower, pushed onto her face, Sanae's face contorted in a grimace - she knew that with Minami controling her body's motion, nothing good would follow. And at last, the Wrestle Angels alum gave one final yank back on Sanae's arms - putting her at last into her finishing move!

At once, Sanae threw her head back, letting out a scream. And it was a scream that was echoed by more than one voice in the crowd. The pain of the hold was undeniable, bending back Sanae's arms and forcing her spine to twist around the fulcrum of Minami's knee in the process. Every second she was kept locked in position shot waves of pain through her spine, leaving her groaning and panting. But what was truly terrifying wasn't the hold itself, but what it meant. This was Minami's finisher, in the match where it meant most of all - she wouldn't give it anything less than full strength! Sanae's face grew pale, and for the first time in this match...she froze in terror. So far, she was faring far better than anyone would have expected. But it would still take a miracle for her to get out of this one!

[Bare]

Minami for the first time in this match had a true smile on her face. It was a vicious one, filled with sadistic glee at finally catching Sanae in her best submission hold, but it was a smile none the less. But it wasn't a pleasant experience for Sanae in any way though. Pulling and bending on the arms of the aspiring Idol Minami would make the hold as painful as possible while leaning back in order to keep it secured. "Tap now fool. Because you know I won't hesitate to snap these twig arms of yours." Missed out, and as if to add insult to injury would even raise one of her legs up, shooting it forward to send a light kick to the back of Sanae's head, mocking her in her powerless state at the moment, practically gloating now that she had Sanae trapped in what she saw as a unescapable situation!