A Comeback for the Ages: Raiken Kibao VS. Bengal (No DQ)

[BengalTheBlazeTiger]

"HEY!" The harsh, commanding tone of that voice made Bengal freeze up. For a moment, she felt like she was a child again, being scolded by her mother for playing too roughly. The unwanted memory left her distracted at a critical point in the match. She only hesitated for a moment - but that was all Raiken needed. Surging forward, the Japanese woman quickly hoisted her into a spinebuster, slamming her into the canvas with such ease of motion that it hardly seemed like she was lifting any weight at all. Bengal managed to knee her opponent in the ribs a few times while she was being lifted into position, but it wasn't clear if her resistance had done any real damage.

The Tiger landed like a meteor plummeting from the heavens, shaking the entire ring and racking her vertebrae. She clenched her jaw to stop herself from screaming as she rolled over onto her side - yet a second later, the searing pain subsided. Was this a surge of adrenaline, giving her a second wind? Or was her body just so far gone at this point that she'd stopped caring?

The Tiger didn't have time to ponder those questions now. Instead, she centered her attention on Raiken. As her enemy loomed over her, no doubt looking to land the finishing blow, Bengal suddenly sprang into action. She kipped up on her hands like a breakdancer, extending her body and legs into the air. Then her ankles snapped together, closing around the older wrestlers corded neck, as she attempted to spike the other woman down with a surprise Huracanrana!

Huracanrana

[TrixVii011]

The spinebuster had landed cleanly. Raiken could see just how much her opponent had been affected by it, and so she allowed herself to savor the moment a bit. Her next move was clear: a series of stomps to keep Bengal down, wear her out, and control the pace of the fight.

As she approached, Raiken was suddenly caught off guard by an unexpected grab. Her eyes widened, she hadn’t anticipated this. There was no way Bengal should’ve been able to recover so quickly. Either she was incredibly good at faking body language, or she had simply learned to block out the pain and switch into autopilot.

Whatever the case, the reality was that Raiken now found herself in the middle of the air, her body crashing violently against the mat with a loud, resounding crash. The impact had been brutal, but she forced herself to get back up as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, her body betrayed her, she stumbled to the right, her weight collapsing to that side. The move had clearly left its mark.

Down on one knee, Raiken lifted her gaze, bracing herself for whatever her opponent had planned next.

[BengalTheBlazeTiger]

Bengal smirked as Raiken keeled over to the side, unable to rise fully after taking the Huracanrana. "Heeelp! I've fallen, and I can't get up!" the Tiger wailed, doing a cruel impression of an ailing senior. The other woman had managed to push herself onto one knee by that point, but Bengal was still taking every opportunity she could to harp on about her age. Was it possible that the Tiger had some kind of grudge against this older generation of wrestlers? And if so, why?

Whatever the answer was, Bengal wasn't telling. She stalked toward her opponent, rubbing her palms together in anticipation. Then, without warning, pain flared through her back, almost causing her to fall as well as she staggered and gasped. Whatever pain resistance her surge of adrenaline had given her was fading, and the damage from the spinebuster was setting in.

She followed through with her original plan regardless, launching a running knee strike at Raiken's jaw. But as she dashed forward, her gait was faltering, and her aim was off-target. This Kamigoye wasn't up to the Tiger's usual standards, and both fighters knew it.

[TrixVii011]

Raiken listened closely to Bengal’s verbal taunt. Rather than giving her rival the satisfaction of her attention, she was analyzing her intentions. Suddenly, the next move came, a knee strike aimed at her face. Under different circumstances, that would’ve called for a quick block or a last-minute dodge. But Bengal had slacked on the execution. The knee was so poorly aimed that Raiken barely needed to move to avoid it… but that wasn’t her style. If her opponent made a mistake, she’d make sure they paid for it.

With the knee already in the air and Bengal within reach, Raiken crouched and, using her full momentum, swung her arm into Bengal’s supporting leg in a sharp, powerful sweep, aiming to slam her opponent’s head hard against the mat.

-Careful, don’t bite your tongue-Raiken mocked.

[BengalTheBlazeTiger]

The veteran fighter countered Bengal's errant knee strike easily, sweeping the Tiger's other leg out from under her. She spun comically into the air, like a cartoon character slipping on a banana peel, but the resulting fall was much less humorous. WHAM! The Indian woman's head bounced off the mat with a dull thud. Her vision blurred momentarily, making the red and black stripes on Raiken's singlet seem to swim together, as her opponent loomed over her, leering. When the Japanese woman spoke, her voice sounded oddly distant, and it took Bengal a moment to register her words. "Don't bite your tongue..."

Her imperious tone enraged the Tiger. Who was Raiken, anyway, to give her such condescending advice? Her opponent might be older than her, but that didn't mean she could treat Bengal like a child! The Tiger's temper flared, and she coiled her legs as her head finally began to clear. "Thanks for the tip," she fired back. "How about I bite you instead?" As Raiken approached, Bengal thrust out one leg, aiming to cave in Raiken's abdominals with a savage snap kick! Ironically, the Tiger's new posture on the mat gave her more stability, and the kick came out straighter and stronger than her last move - but would that be enough to make a difference?

[TrixVii011]

Raiken stood her ground, waiting for her opponent to rise. The response to her patience came swiftly, Bengal lunged at her with explosive energy. With just a few sharp words, Raiken could already tell that this fighter had an enormous ego and a razor-sharp tongue backed by real power.

She barely had time to brace herself, raising her arms to block the blow. Most of the impact was absorbed, but the force of the kick still sent her stumbling backward, nearly throwing her off balance. Once she regained her footing, she locked eyes with Bengal, instinctively shaking out her arms to push through the pain surging through them.

Raiken remained calm, calculating. If Bengal pressed forward with another reckless charge, she was ready to counter with a surprise dropkick. And if she hesitated, Raiken would close the distance herself, carefully, like a predator sizing up her prey, searching the opportunity to reach for Bengal legs so she could throw her off balance and search for an ankle lock.

[BengalTheBlazeTiger]

Bengal's snap kick proved effective, and she watched Raiken stagger back. Seeing an opening, the Tiger got to her feet, locking eyes with her opponent. The veteran fighter had blocked the blow, but Bengal noticed the way she was shaking out her arms, clearly dealing with some pain in the aftermath. This was her chance to make that pain even worse.

"Careful...don't break your hip!" the Tiger sneered, mocking Raiken's earlier words. She pounced at the older woman - only to suddenly flip backwards through the air, as if she'd been launched by a hidden catapult! Her opponent had countered her charge with a surprise dropkick, putting Bengal on her back once more. This time, the Tiger didn't recover into a defensive posture. She sprawled limply on the canvas, her tongue lolling from her mouth. But was it a serious injury, or was she just playing possum again? Raiken's success in this match depended on her answer to that question...

[TrixVii011]

Raiken had successfully landed her counteroffensive, sending her opponent crashing hard onto the mat after a dramatic mid-air spin. Still, the way Bengal lay there seemed far too convenient. The impact had been solid, no doubt, but that overly theatrical fall screamed of a potential trap. Bengal was crafty, and Raiken couldn’t afford to underestimate the psychological games her rival loved to play. She needed to act fast.

No hesitation, no second guesses. Raiken took off in a sprint toward her downed opponent, fully committed to whatever came next. If Bengal wanted to play games, then Raiken was more than ready to match her move for move.

-You better get up!- Raiken shouted, closing spaces with her opponent.

With fierce precision, she aimed a devastating legdrop straight at Bengal’s neck, putting her full weight behind the motion.

-I’ll give you a real reason to stick that tongue out!- she barked mid-flight, ready to make a statement with every ounce of impact.

[BengalTheBlazeTiger]

Bengal had been hoping to lull Raiken into a false sense of security, but the cagey fighter clearly had her suspicions. Rather than moving in slowly, she sprinted forward, launching herself into a leg drop! The Tiger rolled out of the way just in time, right as her opponent's heavy limb came crashing down like the blade of a guillotine. It was such a close call, she could actually feel the rush of air from Raiken's leg as it brushed against the back of her neck.

Now, both fighters were in a seated position, side by side on the mat. Raiken had urged Bengal to "get up", but the Tiger had a different idea. Before the older fighter could rise, Bengal began to twist her legs together, folding Raiken's ankle over her opposite shin. Sticking her own leg into the gap she'd created, she began squeezing with the back of her thigh. If everything worked, the veteran would be trapped in a Figure 4 Leg Lock, threatening to tear apart her joints!

"Stick my tongue out, huh?" Bengal taunted, as she struggled to lock in the submission. "If you say so!" She made a lewd gesture at her opponent, running her tongue between a gap in her fingers. Then she blew a raspberry at the older woman, spraying her face with spit. The crowd booed, disgusted by the Tiger's poor hygiene, and her even worse sportsmanship. But for Raiken, there were more immediate problems. The pressure on her legs was becoming unbearable. She needed to find a way out soon, before Bengal could bridge into a Figure 8, and make the hold even more painful!

Figure 4 Leg Lock

[TrixVii011]

Raiken had fallen into the trap. But she didn’t feel frustration, she knew that in a real fight, suffering is part of the deal. Facing your opponent on equal terms meant taking damage too. All that was left was to own her mistake... and fight his way out of the hold, a Figure Four that was tightening with every second.

She tried to keep a straight face, but the pain was undeniable, and Bengal knew it. She twisted harder with every heartbeat, savoring the strain on her joints. Every attempt to slip free failed, until she spat in her face.

That was the last straw.

Raiken froze. No words. No rage. Just a burning stare... and then a violent outburst as he began smashing her knee with hammer like blows. Raw, merciless strikes to weaken her grip, to break her focus, to force a wait out through turning around and slipping away.

If she succeeded, she’d pounce on Bengal with no hesitation, slamming a fierce elbow into her face as revenge before rising back to her feet.