Crimson Emeralds: Ruby vs Alizeh

[Tiamat]

Christ, Ruby was running on empty at this point. All that was keeping her going was the will to win and that competitive drive. Doing miracles for Ruby at this point but it was only a matter of time before the tank is actually empty. Now while Ruby honestly didn’t have the energy to figure out some well thought out plan to go from here. What Ruby did know is that if she is this tapped out. Alizeh has to be close if not closer to clocking out. So bearing down on all the pain she was feeling, Ruby was going to brawl it out. Really because thats all she had left.

Landing a clean uppercut to Alizeh’s chin, Ruby’s a pretty good striker, but as tapped out as she is. The power was not nearly a knockout punch. Still enough to have Alizeh reeling. Still Alizeh had some guts of her own and came back at Ruby with a forearm smash to Ruby’s face AGH! Ruby let out as she staggered backwards. Staying on her feet, Ruby kept a hold on Alizeh’s hair. This way no one was going anywhere. Ruby would swing back with another straight punch to Alizeh’s face!

[Bare]

Despite taking the worst of the offense in the last few minutes of the match Alizeh knew that she had dished out some heavy hits to Ruby earlier, and the girl was surely feeling the effects of it even worse now that she forced so much extra exertion on herself. All this was now was a battle of attrition, and while Ruby may have been faster than her, Alizeh knew for a fact her endurance exceeded Ruby's so all she had to do was keeping rolling with the punches and sending them Ruby's way!

Watching as the girl stumbled from the forearm smash to the face Alizeh wasn't shocked when the girl managed to catch herself and come back at Alizeh with a punch right to her jaw! "Ngh!" Alizeh cried out, head turning to the side from the impact, but unlike before she didn't stumble, she kept her footing and would fire back with a punch of her own aimed right at Ruby's face back in retaliation!

[Tiamat]

The audience were all up on their feet for this part. There were no cool tricks, not even submissions or crowd pleasing antics. Instead it was just a good ole fashion brawl. While hurting, Ruby was thankful it was just that. Not like she had the energy to do anything crazy. But having someone like Yang as your sister is enough to give you an advantage during these situations.

Eating Ruby’s punch was bad enough but Alizeh was keeping up with Ruby in this brawl. Retaliating with her own punch at Ruby’s face. NGH! Ruby would let out in a loud grunt, this time trying to contain the pain somehow. Steeling herself, just like Alizeh, Ruby did not buckle. She did not run away. No she was going to beat Alizeh here and now.

Ruby would first pull Alizeh’s hair back and by proxy her head. Following that Ruby reel her fist back and get in close, aiming for another uppercut. Instead though aiming it at Alizeh’s stomach. If this move lands hopefully Alizeh would double over. If this was the case Ruby would pull back, releasing Alizeh’s hair and throwing her whole body forward for this hit. Hoping to nail Alizeh right in the middle of her face and blow her head back with this hit!

[Bare]

Left stunned and reeling from the sudden offense of her opponent Alizeh would find herself lifted up onto her feet by her hair and forced into an all knuckle brawl with the girl, trading punches with each other like champs much to the crowd's approval! Sticking with this route until she could stun Ruby and create an opening Alizeh had made one major error in judgement. Or rather two.

The first being that Ruby still had a grip on her hair and would force her head head back making her wince in pain, the second being that she expected Ruby to trade the same strike with her on loop, something that Ruby would prove her wrong about with a sudden uppercut to the gut! "Guah!" Alizeh groaned out in pain as the fist sank into her abs and knocked the air out of her before a second fist crashed into her face!

"AGHHH!" Yelling loudly in pain from the blow and sent reeling Alizeh would stumble back into the ropes, leaning against them in a daze, clearly rocked by the punch. This along with the come from behind dominance Ruby had shown in the last few minutes had the crowd whipped into a frenzy, wondering if Ruby was about to end things here and now!

[Tiamat]

Ruby never thought that she would be in a bare knuckle brawl. At least a pseudo one in this case, thats something her sister was more likely to do. Yet this is all Ruby had left, anything else and she’d just fall flat on her face from exhaustion. Still Ruby stuck it out and knew she was going to win this brawl. She had to.

Thankfully Ruby already have a brawling advantage thanks to her sister Yang. It also doesn’t hurt to have some type of control over her opponent. Creating her own opening to knock the wind out of Alizeh, this let Ruby follow up with her own knockout punch to Alizeh’s face! Still though that wasn’t enough, Alizeh was standing, even if she was assisted by the ropes.

The crowd rallied behind Ruby at this display. She won the brawl and Alizeh was easy pickings. So with the empty gas tank, Ruby still found droplets of gas to help her with this final move. Going up to Alizeh, Ruby set up a novice yet albeit completely foundational stance. Ruby swung her body around and brought her leg up. This setup was for Ruby’s finisher Knockout Rose. Ruby was going to crack her foot across Alizeh’s face like a whip and end this match!

Knockout Rose

[Bare]

Alizeh had absolutely looked better before. Strung up on the ropes, hair a mess, sweat glistening over her body, gasping and breathing labored by exertion Alizeh was definitely hurting, but she wasn't done yet. Granted Alizeh wouldn't have expected a smaller, speedy type like Ruby to hit as hard as she did or be as gritty but color Alizeh impressed once again, even if it left her gasping for air and lowing the brawl that had spawned between them, though admittedly the grip on her hair definitely helped Ruby there..

But that wasn't what was important right now. What was important was the look on Ruby's face, the way her shoulders sagged with each breath, how slowly she was moving as she started to walk towards her. It was clear that she was on her last legs, the moves she had used taking a big toll on her body and likely burning through her stamina on top of all the damage she had soaked in earlier in the match at Alizeh's hands. Granted Alizeh wasn't much better since the moves Ruby did manage to land were high damage yielding moves, but she was no longer reacting based on instinct, now she was watching, waiting, planning as Ruby came closer and closer, entering a stance that made it clear she was preparing a kick.

'Alright I only got one chance at this, so lets do this.' Alizeh thought to herself, watching as Ruby came in, swinging her leg up for what would surely be a killer kick! But seeing it coming Alizeh would dive forward, rolling under the kick and attempting to pop up behind Ruby, just after she would pull her leg back and be busy trying to regain her balance and most importantly, with her back to Alizeh. If successful Alizeh would leap up, bringing her legs up and bracing them against Ruby's back while grabbing her shoulder and falling back to perform a backstabber on Ruby and send her over Alizeh! If successful than Alizeh would shift to rest on top of Ruby's body while moving her hands to lock in front of Ruby's face before pulling back for a crossface submission!

Spoiler

[Tiamat]

Ruby was going for the kill this time. Yes she had victory right in front of her. Looking at Alizeh what else did she have to give. Ruby thought the answer was nothing or something close to that. Either way it would be enough for Ruby, not like she had much to gamble anyways. Ruby suprised anyone and everyone watching. Surely the people guessed that this was going to be another Alizeh showcase match, but it was anything but that. Ruby was showing her worth and proving she could stand with the big leagues. Even pass them.

Now all that was left was to knock Alizeh’s lights out and pin her, the bare minimum is put her body over Alizeh’s. The match was showcasing all of Ruby’s strengths and flaws. But for what they were the upstart still showed out. As Ruby spun to get her momentum Alizeh was going to be sent to the E.R right now. There was one issue though. Alizeh wasn’t going out without a fight.

Springing forward, Alizeh ducked under Ruby’s kick and got behind Ruby. Easy enough since Ruby spun with her kick. With one swift motion Alizeh used Ruby’s back as a brace for a backstabber! AGH! Ruby let out in immense pain, but it’d be a blessing if Alizeh was just done there. Getting flipped over, Alizeh used that to get on Ruby’s body. Using her arms to lock in a cross face submission! AGHHG. AGHHH. AHHHHHRuby would let out in frantic screams as she scrambled to get out of the hold. Flaling around trying to find some avenue of freedom. But the sad truth was kicking in and this pain was enough.
Tap
Tap
Tap
I’M DONE I’M DONE!!

[Bare]

Pushed to the brink, at her very limits, and back to the wall was where Alizeh strived. Its what she actively seeked to push past her limits and become even greater than when she entered a match. It was why, even now after losing the impromptu boxing match and eating so much offense from Ruby, Alizeh was far from done yet and in fact had just the plan necessary to finally end this.

Dodging Ruby's kick and using her own momentum against the girl to get behind her Alizeh would manage to catch Ruby with just the move she needed in order to bring the girl over herself before flipping over her and finally locking in a hold that could fully end this! Pulling and torquing on the girl's neck as much as possibly to finally make Ruby give in!

It took a second, and Alizeh's muscles were screaming in exertion, but like a pit bull that locked its jaw upon sinking its teeth in, Alizeh would was refusing to let go under any circumstance. Finally her efforts would bear fruit though and Ruby would give in, both by tapping and even screaming she had enough! "Pagh!" Letting out a deflated groan of effort Alizeh would undo her grip over Ruby's face, falling back and laying across Ruby's back, panting tiredly and sweating all over a small grin would cross over Alizeh's face.

Sitting up and looking over her shoulder at Ruby's body Alizeh would smile softly and reach back, affectionately rubbing Ruby's hair before getting her feet under her and standing up with a groan before offering her hand to the ref, letting them lift her arm while the crowd roared around them in approval for the winner of such a surprisingly close and heated bout!

winner by submission: Alizeh Midori