Ambre Brault vs Astrid Ostberg

[Bearhug Goddess]

The ring shook and the ropes shook harder than usual as Astrid performed her Stavanger Buster. A long moan and sigh of pain was heard from the French woman who was half out of breath because of this powerful slam. Her back, her shoulders... Her whole body hurt and her eyes couldn't even open. Outside, everyone thought that the Black Pearl had fallen, that she had just been knocked out and that she was going to lose her match... But inside, Ambre continued to fight.

Everything seemed silent around her but the Frenchwoman was forcing her muscles to move again, she was trying to move despite the pain and fatigue and continued to fight. Her mind not only had to impact her opponent but also her own body, she had to influence herself. But that was easier said than done! Despite much internal debate, not even her little finger moved following the powerful slam she had just received.

The first and second seconds of the pinfall had just fallen... Almost all hope had just fallen. Ambre had to... No, she has to get up now! The match was not over, she had to win this match... Whether for her goal, her progress but also for herself! If Astrid had managed to escape from her pinfall a few minutes before it was thanks to her status... So Ambre will do the same! Black Pearl was the challenger tonight, although it was not a title match, both wrestlers took the match as seriously as if it were the title, and as challenger Black Pearl did not have the right to finish this match without having defeated her opponent.

"Hmm-NO!..."

As the referee prepared to slam her hand against the mat a third and final time, Ambre finally opened her eyes and stood up to lift her shoulders off the mat, pushing her legs forward to push Astrid back with the little force that remained for her. The referee, who had already started, ended up sliding to the ground so that her elbow slammed the mast, avoiding counting this third second!

"Not...Over..."

The match was not over.

Even though the match was not over, Ambre was terribly tired and had one eye half closed. Her body gleamed under the spotlight from her sweating and her chest inflated and deflated rapidly. Fatigue, shortness of breath, pain... Ambre had to quickly regain as much strength as possible to get up and resume... No, finish this match! The Black Pearl was still a little stunned and was staring at her opponent in front of her, not even noticing all the noise the spectators were making.

[CaptainL]

Even when she settled her weight down on top of Ambre, covering her for the pin, Astrid winced. The aches of all the trials and tribulations she had put herself through to get this far hadn't left her; her body was stiff, and once she settled into position she wasn't sure how easy it was going to be to move. Ambre had truly proved herself to be a worthy contender to Astrid, and in every respect the two women were neck and neck with each other, countering each others' moves at every turn and throwing greater and greater offense at one another that kept them on their toes. The Black Pearl had demanded no small amount of effort from Astrid to keep down, and the blonde had used almost all the strength she had in her to try and stand up to her. Now, she could only hope that this worked - she wasn't sure how much else she could do, if Ambre somehow managed to break out of this. Could she even break out of this? After taking the full brunt of the Stavanger Buster, it would be no small feat to do so...and yet, after the determination she had seen on display from her opponent tonight, Astrid wasn't going to put it past her.

And sure enough, Ambre did indeed have it in her! Just as the referee was about to bring down the three-count, just as the match seemed like it was about to end, Ambre found the strenght in her to push off the mat - and brought her shoulders up with enough force to push Astrid backward! A few fans gasped at the sight of Ambre finding such willpower in her - but many realized that, after all the effort she had put forth so far, it was well within her capacities to power through even the Stavanger Buster. It was going to take something even greater to bring Ambre down for good!

Astrid rose back onto her hands and knees. With every breath, her shoulders sagged up and down, her whole body moving with a heavy pant. Her muscles felt numb and locked up. The next phase of this match, no doubt, was going to be even harder on Astrid than anything that came before - she would have to surpass her own limits while at the same time putting up with the fatigue in her own body. But if it was what Ambre wanted...Astrid would be happy to bring it to her.

She looked up to lock eyes on Ambre, and a smile came to her face. Despite all the aches and pains, despite the drain on her stamina, Astrid couldn't be more proud of Ambre for rising to such a challenge, and giving her such a fight! She nodded her head wearily to Ambre, but she still nodded - Ambre deserved the recognition for all her hard work!

"Let's...keep going, then..."

With that, Astrid let out a huff, holding herself as straight as she could. She extended her arms toward Ambre, inviting the Frenchwoman to let her grab onto her. She hissed through her teeth as she bent her back - she knew she was going to need to lean on Ambre for support if she was going to get back up from her knees. But Astrid knew how much Ambre valued this match, and she knew she could count on her to play along with it.

[Bearhug Goddess]

THE MATCH. WAS NOT. OVER.

Commentators and the public were embellished by this news. The two powerful wrestlers were going to resume their matches any second... Or rather any minute given their condition. The match was spectacular for the public, extremely tiring for the two wrestlers who couldn't even get up. The Black Pearl lay on her back for several seconds with only her torso moving with each gasp she took.

“Haaahhhh…”

After a long second, Ambre finally found the strength to stand up and sit on the mast. She looked around, seeing Astrid in a similar state to hers. She was slightly dazed but knew what she had to do, defeat Astrid and win this match! But to follow up now with a pinfall would be insulting after everything that happened in this match and even if Ambre played with her limits, she couldn't do much... Unless...

"Astrid...!"

Ambre stood up on her knees, walking towards Astrid to get closer to her opponent by grabbing her hands. The Frenchwoman wasn't sure if she would see her Astrid again after this match, whether she won or lost, but she wanted to share her feelings.

"Thank you for this amazing match... I will be forever grateful..."

She let go of the Norsewoman's hands and took her in her arms, helping her opponent to get up so that the two wrestlers found themselves at their feet while whispering something in Astrid's ear while she got up with her opponent. The Black Pearl's legs were shaking slightly, her strength and energy was barely enough for her to stand on her legs but she didn't show it to Astrid. She had to continue to be strong if she wanted to win this match, she absolutely must not show her weak points!

"Let's finish this match... With a bearhug..."

[CaptainL]

In her current state, Astrid could only lift herself to her knees - and even that presented no small amount of strain; as she straightened her back, a searing shock ran through her nerves, causing her to throw back her head and gnash her teeth to try and withstand the pain. Her eye twitched and her body shuddered as she looked back at Ambre. By all accounts, neither of the two should have still been going at this point. Both of them had withstood some of their hardest-hitting finishers, and yet, the consequences of this match were so great that neither was going to let that fact stop them. They had to keep going - they owed it to themselves, and to their opponents! Ambre was just as weary as Astrid, and she too struggled to lift herself back up. And yet, the look on her face was of nothing short of encouragement. Astrid had put Ambre through the wringer, practically breaking her body multiple times over - but Ambre still looked on at Astrid with respect, awe, and admiration, not in spite of what Astrid had done to her, but precisely because of it. Astrid was proving to be an opponent capable of testing the furthest limits of Ambre's skills - and that was exactly what she wanted out of her.

Astrid, too, was proud to live up to Ambre's expectations! As the Frenchwoman drew near, a grin broke across Astrid's face. For just a few fleeting seconds, she hurt a little bit less, knowing that Ambre was so happy to be in this match with her. Because Ambre, too, had lived up to her expectations. Astrid was out to test Ambre; to see if her lofty goals of surpassing every Heavyweight Champion and hopeful before her were founded on anything. But if Ambre was capable of sticking around through some of the moves Astrid had put her through...there was no doubt she had good reason to make the claims she did!

Of course, the match wasn't over! It was far from over! Astrid couldn't say that she had truly put Ambre to the test until one of them had exhausted every bit of strength they had left in them - and if the bell hadn't rung, there was still plenty they needed to prove! Both Astrid and Ambre could barely stand - they would need each others' help just to keep themselves upright. But if that was what it would take to do this match justice, they were going to do it!

Panting under her breath, Astrid nodded her head to Ambre all the same. She had done what she'd set out for - she had set the spark of inspiration in the next generation of wrestlers, and by all accounts, she had guided them to greatness, if Ambre was any indication! If this was to be her legacy, she couldn't be more proud! "It's...ah, the least I could do..." she muttered. She draped her arms around Ambre and lifted herself to her feet, her legs quaking and her muscles trembling beneath her. Yet, slowly but surely, they still rose - and Ambre then issued a challenge of her own.

"A...bear hug?" Astrid muttered. It certainly wouldn't be the first time in this match that the two had traded bear hugs. Yet, this time, Astrid knew, it would be different - by this point, the two heavyweights were on their last legs. They didn't know how much longer they could go on for - their own bodies were as much of an opponent as their actual opponents were. They knew they needed to finish things soon. And the best way to do that, they realized, was to put each other to a test of stamina and endurance, to see how long they could last, one more time! To that...Astrid was more than eager to help!

Nodding her head, she brought her arms further around Ambre's back, locking them into place. She leaned in closer, her chest rubbing into the Frenchwoman's own as the gap between them grew narrower and narrower. "Very well...after all you've shown me...I'd do anything for you!" With that, Astrid grit her teeth - and clamped down as hard as she could around Ambre's ribs! She was putting forth all the power she could draw out of her body at this point - the only question that remained was whether or not Ambre could take it!

[Bearhug Goddess]

Ambre had difficulty standing up on her own because of the fatigue and pain all over her body but despite this, she helped her opponent to get up so that they could continue this match in good condition. It was a way for the French woman to be fair and show her respect for Astrid for everything she had just given her. Whether on a physical, technical or mental level, the Norsewoman had just guided Ambre towards perfection. The Black Pearl felt stronger than last year when she joined LAW thanks to her training but especially thanks to this match.

She managed to get the giantess up with a little difficulty, grabbing her in her arms while waiting for a response from her about the proposal she had just asked and fortunately, Astrid accepted. This was the best possible ending to this match because it was likely that the first to hit the other would win this match and they were too tired and slow to execute a submission hold or a powermove. But the most important thing was that the bearhug was one of Astrid's iconic moves, defeating her on this move would be a great feat... Moreover, there had already been two bearhugs in this match, the first won by Astrid and the second by Ambre, it was the perfect moment to decide between them once and for all.

“Thank you... May the best one win!..”

Ambre sighed to empty her lungs one last time before sucking in as much air as possible. She puffed out her chest and pumped her muscles as hard as she could and looked her opponent in the eyes. She exchanged one last smile before taking on a slightly more serious look, the countdown began in their heads and after a brief exchange of glances the last bearhug of this match began! The Black Pearl gathered all her strength in her arms, pressing Astrid against her with all her strength, although it was weaker than her usual strength and feeling her own pressure hurt. But the pain did not stop her, the Frenchwoman continued to look her opponent in the eyes with a determined and suffering look but showing no sign of giving up.

"Mnnnghhhhhhh !!..."

[CaptainL]

"I'll do...my very best-!"

Following Ambre's lead, Astrid gulped down as much air as she could; her teeth locked in a grimace to try and hold it inside of her. She knew full well she would need as much as she could get! But she looked back at the Frenchwoman with an approving nod, committing that no matter what happened, she was going to live up to what her opponent wanted out of her. And what Ambre wanted, without a doubt, was for Astrid to show her the absolute fullest of her potential! They both knew there was only so much energy they had left in them before they would crumble where they stood. And in agreeing to one final duel of bear hugs, they were going to test once and for all who could last the longest, and who could summon the most force against their foe! It would be the ultimate test of the potential these two women had - and both of them knew they needed to live up to that potential. It was what everything had been building up toward!

Astrid's body pressed tightly against Ambre's. Her hefty breasts mashed into the Frenchwoman's own, and their abs ground together beneath, their hips and shoulders jostling into one another in a joust for domination. To Astrid, it felt like every inch of her body was in a pitched competition to outdo Ambre - and only moments later, that would be forgotten, as they threw arms around one another and squeezed with all their might! No matter how heated their body-to-body struggle might have been, it paled in comparison to their dueling bear hugs!Astrid threw her head back, her face contorted in a grimace of pain. Her eyes were squeezed shut, her face red, and her teeth bared in a snarl. Ambre was squeezing her so hard, it felt like the walls were closing in around her, too firm to possibly be moved! The air in her lungs grew hot and stifled; she couldn't move a breath through her even an inch.

Yet, Astrid knew she couldn't give up now - there was just too much that hung in the balance! She had promised to show Ambre what she was capable of, and she was going to make good on that promise one way or another. If she gave any less than everything, that would be a betrayal of her promise! Gnashing her teeth, the Norsewoman ground her heels into the mat, trying to root herself firmly in place. Her back bent into an arc to steady herself, and her arms squeezed at Ambre's sides, as stiff and unmoving as she could make them. For every ounce of pressure Ambre put on her, Astrid was going to pay her back! She could only hope that Ambre would give out before she did!

[Bearhug Goddess]

Despite the fatigue and pain, Ambre and Astrid agreed on a final duel to decide between them and end this match. They support each other to get up before hugging each other, exchanging a last friendly and respectful smile before hugging each other in a bearhug!

The Black Pearl was still small compared to Astrid but that meant the difference in size didn't impress her. She knew that she was as powerful, if not stronger than her opponent and that she did not have to back down from her. All she had to do was press Astrid against her with all her strength until she was knocked out from exhaustion and pain.

It was supposed to be easy, said like that... But it wasn't!

“Nghhhh..”

Her chest, hips, stomach and back hurt. The Black Pearl was also having trouble breathing and this was preventing her from using all her strength, at least the rest of her strength! It also seemed to be the case for Astrid and for this reason, Ambre should not give up! She could win, she could overcome this pain and continue to press Astrid against her with all her strength to exhaust her even more!

It was a neck-and-neck duel that would come down to endurance. The two wrestlers continued to press against each other despite the fatigue and pain that continued to accumulate. The Frenchwoman quickly found herself in difficulty after about fifteen seconds, finding herself sweating and having great difficulty breathing. Her hair was also messy, covering a good part of her face which could give her a little wild side... But Ambre had already exceeded her limits many times in her match and had perhaps just crossed it once too many...

"Gnnnh...! It's not... Finished..."

She placed her forehead against Astrid's shoulder to hide her suffering and her strength was starting to leave her. Her teeth gritted slightly and her vision began to become blurry, although she only saw Astrid's chest and their legs, forcing her eyes to close little by little. Due to the lack of strength, its grip became less and less powerful after about thirty seconds... But the Black Pearl had not yet lost and abandoned! As long as she was standing and her arms were wrapped around Astrid's waist, anything could happen! She could still win... She sincerely believed in it...

[CaptainL]

No matter how tight the pressure got, or how painful the strain on her ribs became, Astrid knew just one thing - she couldn't stop now! Ambre had set the terms for this clash, and Astrid wasn't going to back down from them for anything! No one was walking away from this duel without a winner and a loser having been proclaimed, and if one of them backed away before someone passed out, that would be tantamount to surrender - something that Astrid had no intentions of doing! Her eye twitched and she panted and snarled under the strain, which was only growing greater and greater by the moment. She let out a hoarse, choked whine under the sheer force that was bearing in on her ribs. But she owed it to Ambre - she couldn't let go!

Shoving her chest and shoulders inward, Astrid attempted to bash her body up against the Frenchwoman's own, the two of them dueling for control. But whatever happened, the upper hand could only come to whoever won the contest of bear hugs! Astrid's teeth clenched in a snarl as she tried to summon up the strength from the deepest reserves she had. Her fingers dug deep into Ambre's back to steady herself as her muscles went rigid, clamping down with all the force she could muster. Her arms burned from the strain she demanded out of them - but she couldn't afford anything less!

To Ambre's comments, Astrid could only wearily nod her head. "No...no, it's not-!" She shuddered as the world around her seemed to spin, fading in and out of focus, and she clenched her teeth to try and steady herself. She could feel the strength draining away from Ambre as her body began to grow limp and weak in her hands - and that made her heart beat faster in her chest with excitement. She was making progress! If she just kept this up, she thought, she just might be able to outlast Ambre - she might be able to win! A tremble went through her back and her legs as her strength, too, threatened to give way - but she had come this far and achieved this much! She couldn't stop now!

[Bearhug Goddess]

The duel was intense, with both wrestlers using the rest of their strength to defeat the other in a bearhug contest. Endurance, strength, pain tolerance and psychological pressure... Ambre and Astrid competed in all categories at the same time while they pressed against each other.

Mentally, the two were tied. Both wrestlers had a clear goal in this match and were still determined to win, despite the difficulty.

It was the same for pain and strength, the fight fight was long and exhausting for both women. The Black Pearl and the Norsewoman exchanged several blows, several slams, several submission holds... But neither managed to conclude this match, even with their finishers!

But the bearhug would mainly play on this last area, endurance. Stamina was essential for any female wrestler and Ambre learned that soon enough when she joined LAW. She was not at all durable, she was powerful but used her strength like a nag, quickly exhausting herself and finding herself unable to fight back in certain matches. The Frenchwoman trained a lot and improved a lot in a year but especially in the last six months, adjusting her techniques, learning to trust her strength but also greatly improving her endurance to be able to last more than one ten minutes against Astrid Ostberg.

Despite this, she was the first to slightly let go of this bearhug. She knew it, she didn't have much longer and had no idea if that was the case for Astrid. Her body became so heavy that she almost no longer felt the pain, she also began to feel dizzy but even at the bottom of the hole, the Black Pearl did not give up! As long as her arms were around Astrid she had a chance of winning, right? Even if she pressed Astrid with one percent of her strength, if Astrid released her then she would have won !

"Ahhh... Impre...ssive..."

This way of thinking motivated the Frenchwoman to continue hugging the Norsewoman until she was exhausted. Her legs and arms immediately gave out and the Black Pearl dropped her arms. Her back doubled over Astrid's arms, causing the French girl's head to tilt back. Everyone could see the French woman's body motionless, ready to fall to the ground, and her face with her eyes closed.

It was the end, Ambre became tired and was no longer strong enough to stay conscious.

[CaptainL]

It was all down to this - and Astrid knew it. If not even their respective finishing moves would be enough to end this match, it was going to be a matter of how long their bodies were capable of holding out when pushed to their utmost limits. Astrid considered her endurance to be one of her strongest points, and if Ambre had lasted this long against her offensive, weathering so many blows and managing to keep time with everything Astrid threw at her, she was surely just as tough and strong-willed. It was obvious, then, that if one of them was going to break, it was going to have to be once everything else had been exhausted, and when they simply didn't have it in them to keep fighting any more. It was all a matter of what could possibly bring them to that point - and their bear hug contest was going to answer that. They had exchanged bear hugs more than once in this match, and as far as such clashes went, they were tied for the top position! This wouldn't just answer the question of whose endurance was greater; it would answer who had the better bear hug once and for all - and at this rate, both women knew it would also decide the match!

The longer this went on, the more unbearable it seemed! Astrid's face had gone red under the pressure, and the veins in her forehead were bulging as she tried to bring every last ounce of strength out of her body. She hissed and gnashed her teeth, fighting against all odds just to keep herself on her feet just as much as she was fighting against the pressure Ambre was exerting. Her lungs couldn't move an inch, and every breath she took in was hot, hoarse, and stifled. Not only was she trying to withstand the incredible force, though, Astrid was also fighting hard to deal out just as much punishment on Ambre - even when her body could barely keep up with the demands she was putting on it! Her arms had gone numb from the sheer strain, and her stance had begun to waver; she teetered back and forth, threatening to give way. But Astrid wasn't going to let go until Ambre did. And, in the end...it seemed that was just what would happen.

Finally, the last vestiges of strength left Ambre. At once, her arms dropped at her sides, and immediately, Astrid could feel the rush of air come to her; her lungs could actually expand again! She had grown so used to the heat and intensity of their clash that when it happened, she almost didn't realize what was going on - but, as she panted and heaved to draw more air into her lungs, it hit her what this meant. Ambre had given up. She'd relinquished her bear hug - and with how much this meant to her, Astrid already knew that could only mean she couldn't hold on any longer. That meant she was out. That meant Astrid had won!

The Norsewoman's arms fell away from Ambre, dropping her to the mat. Her body fell against the canvas with a loud thump, and that was echoed just a moment later, when Astrid's feet gave way and she fell onto her knees. Her whole body trembled; she felt hot and sore from head to toe, and her chest heaved in and out as she desperately gasped for air. She needed to lean over on her hands and knees just to brace herself. But when she looked up...she could see that Ambre wasn't moving. She could only look at her through a wall of sweat and loose hair and fatigue as she panted for breath, but Ambre wouldn't budge. And if that was the case...

The referee, seeing Ambre was out, went down to pick up her hand. She lifted it once, and then again; it fell limp to the mat each time. Then, Ambre's arm was lifted a third time...and fell flat! It was official - Ambre was out!

The bell rang, and as the arena burst out into cheers, the referee walked over to lift one of Astrid's arms, leaving the Norwegian sagging in her grasp. "Here is your winner, by way of knockout - ASTRID OSTBERG!!" When Astrid looked up, it was with a sigh of relief - after all, the referee was one of the only things keeping her from falling over at this point. But she also knew that Ambre had given it her all. And if that was what she was capable of...the girl had a bright future ahead of her!