Heart and Gold Junior Heavyweight Championship Tournament Qualifier: Sanae Saitou vs. Chris Yukine

[CaptainL]

Despite her small and nimble frame, Sanae still knew a thing or two about power moves, and she was hoping those skills would help her get the leg up on Chris as the two of them came together for a test of strength. But power meant nothing when Chris had momentum on her side - and she was out to use that to her advantage when she tossed Sanae over her shoulders in a picture-perfect monkey flip! Whipped into the air, the green-haired girl touched down with a canvas-shaking thud, and the impact had left her dazed for a moment. But she wouldn't let it stop her for long - as would be demonstrated when she rolled over to the side just as Chris was about to follow up with a knee drop, leaving her opponent to come crashing into the canvas!

Now, Sanae was convinced she had left Chris stunned and managed to buy some more time for herself to make a comeback. Rolling to her back, she began to lift herself to her feet...but Chris, too, was proving to be making a faster recovery than Sanae had counted on! As she was halfway up, Chris grabbed hold of her hair and pulled her head underneath her arm! Now realizing she was at Chris's mercy, Sanae let out a yelp, desperate to take back control for herself; she reached for her arm to try and pull it away. But it was no use. Chris jumped up into the air before sending Sanae's head hurtling to the mat - and this time, the idol hit the mat hard, crying out in pain as her head struck the canvas! Her arms and legs kicked up into the air as her body reeled from the impact, only to drop limp a moment later. Now, Sanae was laid out flat, her limbs splayed around her as she panted out a few ragged gasps for air. Her head felt heavy, and the world around her was spinning. This time, it seemed, she'd be staying down a little longer.

[GolemGuardian]

From the beginning of this grueling match up, Chris and Sanae had been in near constant motion. A string of counters and narrow dodges, white and green flowing as they ran and attempted many times to land big moves. As if in some high tempo song, the two musicians fought and energized the crowd into a frenzy, cheering for their respective singer.

And now, for the first time in their match, the back and forth ended. The palpable atmosphere finally reached its apex. With a perfect satellite DDT, Sanae was brought down with no sign of getting back up. Chris let out a sigh of relief after, not sure about what she would have done if the greenette hadn't stayed down. Chris wouldn't dwell on it too long, else that mysterious what if would come to pass.

The rocker kipped back up, giving the roaring crowd a pair of devil horns, before turning her attention back to the downed idol. With how much energy they'd spent with their exchange, she might have been able to get the first fall of the match with another move. 'But just to be safe,' Chris thought as she grabbed each of the greenette's arms and pulled them upwards until her torso was just off the mats. Just to make sure a split second moment wouldn't whiff a second time.

Immediately her foot came down, stomping again and again down against Sanae's spine and down into the mats. An aggressive show, definitely, and more than earned her a few boos from the Sanae stans. But Chris didn't want to take chances. This was her third chance at a championship, and even if she slightly respected the green haired Young Lioness, the rocker couldn't let the chance slip out of her grasp a third time.

After she felt her opponent had had enough, Chris helped Sanae back up to her feet, facing away from her. Not a second later, the rock star leapt and pulled the idol back, into her knees for a backstabber. But that wouldn't be the end, as she then tied Sanae's legs together while kneeling on her back, grabbed her by the chin, and rolling back. If it all worked unimpeded, Chris would have gotten Sanae into her Arthemis Draw. Whether it actually ended this first round or not, it would at least serve to hurt Sanae's back a bit for later.

[CaptainL]

When Sanae's head was driven against the mat, both she and Chris fell to the canvas. And, perhaps for the first time since the start of this match, the action had come to a pause. The tension between the two girls had been riding high as the two of them kept moving, dodging and countering every move, but now, the fans had a chance to breathe when Sanae went down and didn't immediately roll away. One thing was for sure - both Chris and Sanae were quick on their feet, and neither of them was content to let themselves be outdone!

However, just because Chris had finally brought Sanae down didn't mean she was done. In fact, she was all the more eager to press the advantage when she had fought so hard for it! With her head still in a daze, Sanae could hardly adjust to the world spinning in circles around her, and she barely noticed what Chris was doing as she hauled up on her arms. But she definitely did feel it when, a moment later, Chris began to rain down powerful stomps all up and down the length of Sanae's spine, causing her to gasp and cry out in pain as her body lurched up and down!

By the time Chris was finished, Sanae felt like her back was burning. Her teeth were clenched in a wince, and her eyelid twitched nervously as she looked back at her opponent out of the corner of her eye. She maintained a steady gaze on the rocker as she hauled her back up to her feet. Sanae yanked at her arms, trying to pull herself free of Chris's grasp, but when her back was still sore, it wouldn't do much to save her. It certainly didn't help when Chris hauled back on her arms as she fell back, causing Sanae to drop down onto Chris's raised knees!

The green-haired girl gasped as she found herself in free-fall - and when that was broken a moment later by the impact of her opponent's knees, it felt like a thunderclap went off through Sanae's body. She threw her head back in a scream, her body spasming against the impact. Moments later, she crumbled against Chris, her body sagging against hers as she panted for breath, her chest lurching in and out with every gasp. When Chris pushed her off to roll her onto her stomach, she flopped over limply onto her front, her limbs slapping the mat as they fell slack and lifeless. She wasn't putting up any fight to get up - and she was wide open as Chris got on top of her to lock in the Arthemis Draw!

Now, the idol found her head and legs pulled up at the same time, folding her back in half in the middle - and with Chris bearing her weight down from on top, all that pressure was amplified against her already aching spine! It would've hurt in any circumstance, but when Sanae's back had already been softened up, the pain was nearly unbearable, like a spike was being shoved straight through her spine. She could feel her vertebrae pop and crackle with every inch she was yanked - and at last, she realized, she simply couldn't take it any longer. This was only the first fall, she thought. She could still win this!

"S-Stop!! I give!" she cried, shaking her head as best she could while Chris was hanging onto it.

[GolemGuardian]

Chris took as much advantage in the lull she created as she could. From curb stomping up and down along Sanae's spine, to the backstabber, to her bow and arrow signature. The two musicians had an epic, and exhausting, back and forth, evading and countering in order to be the one building an offensive. She was sure if the idol were in her position, she'd also press her advantage.

Despite some struggling, weakened likely from the spinal targeting, the idol soon voiced her submission. The bell rang, signaling the first point went to the rock star. Chris let go of the greenette, letting her roll off of her legs, and kipped up to her feet. The snow haired woman went to the closest corner, up to the middle rope and threw a pair of devil horns up to a roaring crowd. "Rock hard!" She yelled as if a chant, the crowd replying in the second half of her phrase.

"FIGHT HARDER!!"

The rock star smiled wide as they cheered. She was halfway there. Just one more fall, bring down the Young Lioness once more, and she'd be qualified for the Junior Heavyweight tournament. With how much damage she had done to the girl's back, and how quickly she seemed to submit, she was confident she could outpace her. There wouldn't be another exchange like what had passed moments ago.

Jumping down, the rocker would turn back towards her opponent. Waiting until the idol was back on her feet, so their match to continue.

[CaptainL]

At last, the first fall had come to a close, and it had been an explosive, fast-paced bout from beginning to end. Sanae and Chris were both celebrated for their exciting, flashy, high-speed fighting styles, and in this match they had certainly delivered on every expectation. If this was only the first of three falls between the two, how could things possibly escalate from here? How could they possibly top what they'd already done? Only one thing was certain - it would be quite a sight to behold!

When Chris let Sanae go, the green-haired girl needed a moment to catch her breath. She fell back to her knees, wincing from the pain in her back; she needed to reach behind her and rub at her sore muscles. Chris was still riding high off the excitement of the fans, who were eager to back her up. But just because she had lost the first fall didn't mean Sanae was going to give up hope now! She knew her supporters wanted to see her rise to this challenge, and she didn't want to disappoint!

Sucking in a deep breath, Sanae found herself reenergized by a wave of adrenaline, and she hopped back to her feet, pumping her fist in the air! She couldn't slow down now! "Alright, let's win this thing!" she cheered - and that cheer was echoed by another burst of applause from the stands! No one could deny that Sanae was being put to the test, but everyone wanted to believe in her when she put herself up to the challenge. And it was that hope that everyone had that made Sanae all the more determined to live up to it, giving her the second wind she needed!

As her eyes narrowed in on Chris, Sanae balled a fist and planted it against her palm, showing her determination for the challenge ahead of her! The bell rang for the second round, and Sanae quickly dropped into a stance, raising her hands and bending at the knees. She started to move closer to Chris with slow and careful strides, ready to lock onto her - but at the same time, she knew she had to stay ready for anything!

[GolemGuardian]

Chris smiled at the crowd after they're response to her cry. This was only the first round, and already they were electrified. 'How would the white and green haired wrestlers top this opening,' they were surely wondering. As someone who always tried to give the crowd a show, whether in the ring or on stage, the rocker couldn't ask for a better turn out.

It only got better, as when she dropped down and turned she saw Sanae kip back up. Letting out her own rallying cheer, echoing alongside all the cheers for the Young Lioness. The rock star hadn't expected the idol to rise back up so soon, given how quickly she tapped out, but that didn't mean she wasn't pleasantly surprised. The crowd and famous stadium would no doubt be disappointed if the show was nearly over so soon.

"Nice to see you're not finished yet," Chris quipped as the bell rang to begin the second round. Sanae seemed to take a more cautious stance, rather than the high octane start she gave their match. The idol likely wouldn't fall for another collar and elbow tie up, or any other trick right now. That meant she only had one option.

Chris kick shot out towards Sanae's gut, expecting it to be caught by the cautious greenette. It was bait, to move her guard elsewhere. The rocker's free leg would lash out, jumping as she used the caught leg as a pivot. If all went well, she should have landed an Enzugiri to Sanae's head and send her back down.

[CaptainL]

As she rose to her feet, Sanae took a moment to stretch. Yes, she had tapped out quickly - but Sanae couldn't forget that this was only the first fall. She would still have a chance to pull through and win this. For now, it was better for her to conserve her stamina for what was to come - because if what Chris had shown her so far was any indication, she was definitely going to need it! The white-haired girl had pushed her to her limits, forcing her to think on her feet through the chain of lightning-fast counters she had dealt out. Sanae was sure now that no matter who would win in the end, it would be a hard-fought battle from start to finish, testing all of their skills!

But then...she was ready for that! Sanae knew that her fans were counting on her, and she wasn't going to let them down. And she knew that this match could well hold the ticket to greatness far beyond anything she'd enjoyed to date, if she could carry it through to the end and win a title for her efforts! She sucked in a deep breath, nodding her head to Chris. "Of course I'm not," she muttered. Yes, it was far from over!

Right from the start of the second fall, Chris was firing on all cylinders! Her leg shot forward, aimed right for Sanae's stomach. The green-haired girl only had a split-second to make her move - but then, she'd seen enough from Chris to know to expect that. Just in the nick of time, she brought her hand up to catch Chris by the ankle. Of course, that was only the first part of Chris's plan...but Sanae was ready for that too!

As the rocker hopped up in the air, Sanae would go to duck down and slip underneath the path of her leg! With Chris taking both feet off the ground, Sanae knew her balance was compromised. She would attempt to turn to the side to make sure she fell onto her back, still keeping her leg in her clutches. If that worked, she'd crank back at the joint hard to put her foe in an ankle lock!

[GolemGuardian]

Chris felt her blood pumping with excitement, a grin stretched across her face. One third of the match was done, and already the tension was highly palpable. The crowd had been in uproar, thankful for the brief pause as the two got back up. It wouldn't be much longer until they'd likely start losing their voices once more.

Soon as the bell rang, Chris sprung into action. Maybe it was a high on getting the first fall, perhaps the rocker merely being overconfident from Sanae's quick tap out, or maybe the fact this was Chris third chance to achieve gold. Whatever it was, the rocker thought an explosive start would lead to her achieving the second fall for a two-to-zero score. It was greedy, sure, but great moments weren't made from being frugal.

The idol, as it turned out, was in a much better state than the rocker anticipated. Her kick, meant as a distraction, failed and her following Enzugiri was read like a children's book. Chris ended up falling front first to the mat, her leg locked in an ankle lock. "Kkgg..." She groaned from the pain in her ankle once more. Rather than try kicking aimlessly at the greenette for a more immediate release, Chris would try to reach for the ropes, crawling if she had to, to force a break.

[CaptainL]

Going into the second round, Chris was riding high off of her victory. She was still feeling the rush of having forced Sanae to submit, and she was going to put all that energy and momentum behind her as she launched herself back into her hard-fought offensive - she was ready to make lightning strike twice! Sanae, though, had also been moved by what had happened in the last fall. While Chris had been driven to keep going at it even harder than before, Sanae realized she needed to learn from her mistakes - to keep up her guard, and prepare herself for the worst. She couldn't be too cautious around Chris, considering she struck like lightning. Any seconds wasted could decide the course of this match! This time, when Chris charged, Sanae was ready to counter - and just as the rocker sprung up with a kick aimed at the back of her head, Sanae pulled her down, wrenching at her joints with an ankle lock!

At the sight of Sanae's well-executed counter, the crowd let out a cheer. She grinned wider, holding her back straight as she felt the rush of adrenaline that came with taking back control and showing everyone she wasn't done just yet. Chris was starting to drag herself toward the ropes, but Sanae wasn't about to let her get that far. Now that she had the lead, she wasn't about to relinquish it so easily. In fact, Sanae knew that Chris's leg would already be weakened from the ankle lock - and if she could keep targeting that limb, she could make things even worse for her!

"Not so fast!!" Still holding onto Chris's leg, Sanae would pull it back, placing her own foot forward and twisting Chris's knee around her own. Once that was in place, she dropped to her back - going to put even more pressure on her opponent with a figure four leglock, targeting the joints all up and down her leg!

[GolemGuardian]

Perhaps she had been blinded by hubris, taking control and quickly causing Sanae to tap out. She had figured the Young Lioness was near the end of her ropes. Chris had been sorely mistaken, eager to quickly finish the second round with a score of two-nill, and Sanae was ready. She caught the rocker's leg and dodged the enzugiri, bringing them to the ground for an ankle lock.

The rocker felt some regret from her decision, along with the pain in her ankle from being twisted once more. Chris had made a mistake, underestimating the state of her opponent. Now she knew better, and once she got her hands on thd ropes to force a break she'd keep that in mind.

Only Sanae didn't want to let the rocker go. She quickly grabbed Chris's other leg, rolling them both onto their backs, and locked in a figure four leglock. Chris groaned as the pain spread from her ankle to her entire leg. If she was in this hold much longer, she'd be much slower and less able to fight back. The less fight she put up, the lower a chance she'd have to go for the WFPW belt.

And with two chances at a belt already lost, the rocker was not keen on letting a third pass by.

With little other choice at escape, Chris tried rolling to the side. If she could their positions flipped, she could send the pressure right back at Sanae before she freed herself. Although, because of how the rocker had to roll, Sanae could easily try and halt her momentum by twisting the opposite direction. The only way the smaller lightweight was getting out would be to anticipate when the idol moved opposite to her.

If she got it on the first try, great. If not, then Chris would try and try again until she succeeded. The longer she took, the longer her leg would be put under stress. She had to try and get them back on their stomachs, as quickly as possible. If she eventually succeeded, the rocker would flex her legs and hopefully deal some damage to Sanae's own legs before letting go and freeing herself. Chris' only thought was of escape, not what she would do if and when she was freed. That would come to her if she successfully got away.