Aya Al-Amari vs. Angela Belti - My Generation

[BlackAkuma]

‘Dream match’. Aya Al-Amari vs. Angela Belti. Two legendary wrestlers who’d never crossed paths before, ships slipping away in the night, a match that many had clamoured for but few ever thought they would see. The Gilded Glamour vs. The Perfect Woman. The clash of the titans.

Dizzy could not give less of shit about this sort of thing. It was not physically within her.

It meant a lot to her Mom, of course, and she could’ve told that from the way she was stretching and bouncing and limbering up as they waited in the gorilla position. She had heard Aya Al-Amari’s name mentioned quite a few times through her life, as she traveled the world with her mother. While she’d never met the woman, her Mom spoke of her as someone she wanted to lock horns with, but never had the chance. They were always in different parts of the world, always doing different things, the stars never aligned.

Until now. Angela was in LAW, so was Aya, so management was quick to put them together as a ratings boost. Her mother had been psyched out all week about it, and Dizzy had tried to reflect her energy, but it was getting harder by the minute. Maybe it was just her status as a more hentai-focused wrestler, but she could only get so hyped about two middle-aged women beating each other up.

”You know, you don’t have to come down there if you don’t want to, Dizzy.”

Dizzy had been focusing on her phone when her mother’s voice cut through her focus like a knife, making her jump a little and nearly drop it. She’d been so into it that she hadn't noticed the towering woman had stopped, stretched, and was looking down on her with those big, brown eyes of hers. Just about the only feature the two of them shared. ”I appreciate you trying to pretend like you’re into this, but if you’d rather just hang around in catering, get a few snacks…”

”What? No. Mom, no.” She waved it off and hopped off the stool she’d been dangling on. ”This is a big day for you, right? I should be there, I’ll be there.”

Her mother looked a bit uncertain at that, and she couldn't blame her. The two of them weren’t on the same page, but they were in the same book these days, with their relationship drastically improving after the match with Alicia. She doubted they would ever really ‘get’ each other, whatever that meant, but her Mom was getting better at accepting the person she was going to be. Her mother would support her, as much as you could ever expect a mother to support her daughter getting into sex-fighting.

So if she was going to support Dizzy, Dizzy was going to support her. Only fair. Her mother didn’t seem wholly convinced, but she had no time to make an argument of it - in that next moment, one of the stagehands came from behind the curtain and gave them the signal. Commercial break over, time to hit the ramp.

A few moments later and the two of them were making the long walk down the ramp, with Dizzy skipping along in her mother’s long shadow, idly bobbing her head along to the

. The two of them parted ways at the bottom, with her the great, powerful, towering

storming up the steps and bringing long legs over the top rope to enter.

For her part, Dizzy was happy to just make her way around the ring and find a nice spot on the barricade to lean on. She hung there, hands in pockets, and waited for her mother’s music to die down, with her gaze focused on the curtains. She’d never seen Aya before, and she was curious to know if she matched the picture she’d made up in her head for years.

[Delalily]

Aya stood backstage, her back straight and head held high, fists clenched—not out of nervousness, but with the raw confidence forged from years of experience in the ring. Her heart pounded, not with anxiety, but with the electric thrill of anticipation — she was about to step into yet another battle, and she relished the thought of proving herself once again. Behind her, her two adopted daughters, Kimi and Kuni, stood in stark contrast. Kimi, ever the bubbly extrovert, was practically bouncing on her heels, her hands flailing as she rambled on about the match. Kuni, quieter and sharper, leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, her piercing gaze taking in every detail of the scene.

Aya turned her head slightly, her lips curling into a smirk as she glanced back at them. “Relax, girls,” she said, her voice dripping with cocky assurance. “This is just another day at the office for me. Angela’s got nothing I haven’t seen before.”

Kimi let out an excited giggle, while Kuni raised an eyebrow, her expression unreadable but tinged with subtle amusement. “Just don’t get too full of yourself out there,” Kuni said dryly, her tone laced with sarcasm.

Aya chuckled, the sound low and self-assured. “Full of myself? Please. I’ve earned every bit of confidence I’ve got. And tonight?” She turned back toward the curtain, rolling her shoulders as she squared up. “Tonight, I’m gonna remind everyone why they still talk about Aya Al-Amari.”

Her daughters exchanged another glance, Kimi grinning while Kuni shook her head, though the faintest trace of a smile tugged at her lips. Aya didn’t need their approval—she knew her own worth. But having them there, watching her step into the ring once again, was just another victory in itself. Tonight, she’d prove it once and for all: she was still the best, and she wasn’t about to let anyone forget it.

“You’re really going all out for this one, huh?” Kimi said, grinning ear to ear. “Angela’s like, a big deal. You’re not nervous, are you?”

Aya chuckled, shaking her head. “Nervous? No. Excited, yes. This is a long time coming. And I want you both to be there. To see me take her down.” She glanced at Kuni, who gave a small nod of acknowledgment.

Kimi clapped her hands together. “Oh, we’re totally there. Right, Kuni?”

“Yeah,” Kuni replied softly, her gaze darting to the curtain. “We’ll be there.”

Aya smiled, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. “Good. This match—this moment—it means something. And I want you two to be a part of it.”

As the stagehand signaled her cue, Aya took a deep breath, Lady Gaga's "Money Honey" blasting through the arena. She stepped through the curtain, her stride confident, her presence commanding. Kimi and Kuni followed behind, their contrasting personalities evident even in their walk—Kimi bounced with every step, while Kuni moved with deliberate precision.

Aya's Entrance Music

When they reached the ring, Aya climbed the steps, her focus entirely on the squared circle. Meanwhile, Kimi and Kuni eyed Dizzy, who was lounging against the barricade on the opposite side.

“That’s Angela’s kid, huh?” Kimi muttered, her voice carrying a hint of curiosity.

“Yep,” Kuni replied, her tone neutral. “Looks like she’s not too thrilled to be here.”

Kimi smirked. “Guess she’s not as hyped as we are. Come on, let’s go around.”

The two sisters made their way to the other side of the ring, positioning themselves where they could observe both the match and Dizzy with ease. As Aya entered the ring, her daughters stood ready, their attention split between their mother and the curious girl across the way.

Aya Al-Amari

[BlackAkuma]

Dizzy’s eyes locked onto Aya Al-Amari the moment she came out. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, really, but she supposed it didn't matter much - whatever the case, she was impressed.

The woman came striding down in a proud, golden ensemble that didn’t leave much for the imagination and stayed true to her name. She had to be around her mother’s age, if not older, but - and no offense to her mother - Aya was sliding into her elder years better, still looking firm and fit and fulsome all over. That tanned skin, those curving hips, those glittering eyes-

”Dizzy.”

Dizzy snapped out of her focus once again and whipped her head about to see her mother looking at her with a flat expression. Her best ‘Really?’ face. At that, she managed a sheepish laugh, waved, and turned back to the ramp. She hoped the lights were hiding her blush.

Aya wasn’t coming alone, either. Dizzy managed to take her focus away from the older woman long enough to see the two women coming up behind her. At first she assumed they were her daughters, but then she got a better look at them and saw they were distinctly Japanese. Not a lick of family resemblance, there. Bodyguards? Entourage?

Cute as hell, though, both of them. And twins? Hello, hello, hello. Time to be friendly.

After a quick shrug to her mother, Dizzy made her way around the ring with a leisurely stroll, peeked around the corner, and waved to the ladies. ”Ciao.” She put on her best shy face as she took a step forward, both to entice and for protection. The last thing she wanted to do was come off aggressive when she was outnumbered. ”Desdemona Belti, call me Dizzy. Mind if I join you on this side?”

From inside the ring, Angela side-eyed the little sideshow and let out a quick sigh, letting it go and trying to focus on the task at hand. ‘She’s your daughter. Let her be her. Let her grow’. It was all easy enough to say in her head, and she could abide by it in concept, but it was markedly harder to do when Dizzy was right there. She had to admit, though, that she was curious about who those two young ladies were, so she made a note to ask her daughter once the match was over. Assuming she stopped flirting with them long enough to even ascertain that much information.

Those thoughts were promptly moved to the back of her mind, and there they would stay. No, her concerns needed to lie with the woman in front of her. As well they should, because Aya Al-Amari cut an impressive figure.

Honestly? She was a tad jealous. Angela didn’t think she was aging poorly, but it was genuinely hard for her to believe they were close in age. Aya could’ve passed for younger, maybe a decade if she were being generous. Her body looked strong. Not overly muscled, no, but fast and quick and dangerous. Those might’ve seemed like silly things for someone her sized to worry about, but Angela knew better. She’d been beaten by smaller women.

Not often, though. And not today.

The audience was humming, suitably hyped up, and the referee was ready to kick things off. Angela was a sucker for formalities, though, so she needed to get a thing or two out of the way. She stepped forward to meet Aya in the center of the ring, extended her hand, and offered a handshake. A strong handshake. ”Signora Al-Amari.” She nodded her head. ”A pleasure to finally meet.”

[Delalily]

Kimi noticed Dizzy approaching and subtly straightened, her expression brightening as she slipped into an easy, sociable demeanor. Her eyes lit up with a practiced warmth, a grin spreading across her face as she leaned forward with an excited bounce. “Hey there! You’re Angela’s daughter, right? Cool to meet you!” Her enthusiasm came off as effortless, and she gestured for Dizzy to join them with a friendly wave. “Come on over! We’re just hanging out, watching the show.”

Kuni, on the other hand, remained stoic, her arms crossed as she assessed the newcomer with a slightly wary gaze. She didn’t say anything outright, but the subtle narrowing of her eyes betrayed her cautious nature. Still, Aya had raised them to be polite, and Kuni wasn’t about to cause a scene. “Sure,” she said quietly, her tone neutral but not unfriendly. “Just… stay out of the way.”

Kimi giggled, leaning closer to Angela as if sharing a secret, though her voice was loud enough for everyone nearby to hear. “Oh, don’t mind Kuni,” she said, shooting her sister a teasing glance. “She’s just shy. You know, the whole 'strong, silent type' thing. She’s not mean, just… reserved. Like a cat. Or a really grumpy teddy bear.” She nudged Kuni playfully, who rolled her eyes but didn’t otherwise react, her arms still crossed tightly over her chest.

Kimi’s grin widened as she continued, clearly enjoying herself. “She’s actually super sweet once you get to know her. Just… uh, don’t try too hard or she’ll hiss at you.” She mimicked a clawing motion with her hands, earning another flat look from Kuni, who muttered something under her breath in Japanese. Kimi laughed, clearly unfazed. “See? Total cat vibes.”

Meanwhile, inside the ring, Aya stepped forward to meet Angela’s outstretched hand with her own. Her grip was firm, her handshake steady and assured, a reflection of her years of experience in the business. Her lips curled into a confident smirk as she met Angela’s gaze head-on. “Angela Belti,” she said, her voice smooth and measured. “I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s about time we finally crossed paths.” She released the handshake, rolling her shoulders as she took a step back, her posture radiating self-assurance. “Let’s make this a good one, shall we?”

Kimi nudged Kuni playfully, her grin never fading. “See? Mom’s got this,” she murmured, her voice just loud enough for the two girls to hear. Kuni didn’t respond, but her eyes stayed locked on the ring, her expression unreadable but attentive. For now, they’d let Dizzy join their little group, but Kuni’s guard remained up. After all, Aya had taught them to be cautious, even when letting someone in.

[BlackAkuma]

They spoke English, which was good. Fluent, too. She probably should’ve checked before saying hello, but oh well. . Dizzy was getting good at her Japanese, but when it came to making friends - or other, more intimate relationships - English was better. Italian would’ve been best, but that was asking too much out of life. ”Good guess.” She snapped a finger at the twin in white. ”Crazy family resemblance, right?”

Dizzy took a liking to the one in white right away, vibing well with her energy. Bubbly, active, playful, exactly the sort of person Dizzy fit with like a puzzle piece. Kuni, on the other, was playing hardball from the jump, coming off all serious and stoic and intimidating. A tough nut to crack, though those sorts of people could often be the most rewarding. It was fun to solve a riddle sometimes.

For now, she kept her distance and heeded the warning. ”Don’t worry.” She threw a quick wave at the taller sister. ”I’m really good at staying out of the way. Would need a stool to block your view, anyway.” Dizzy settled in beside the pair and shared the view, taking the occasional break to steal glances at the pair’s tattoos.

Angela, for her part, did her best to turn off Mom Mode and focus on the task at hand, but some things were too instinctual to suppress. She couldn't help a couple of quick glances as Dizzy sauntered over to the twins. While her daughter had shown some real improvement at technical wrestling in the past few months, enough that she wouldn’t worry too much about her if there had only been one of them, taking on two wrestlers at once was a tall order for anyone, let alone someone with so few matches that they could count them all on their hands and toes.

She was ready to intervene if necessary, but hopefully it wouldn’t come to that. Dizzy was nothing if not personable, and while her daughter was a trouble magnet, it usually took a little while for that to take effect.

Usually.

Eyes forward, focused, deep breath, all in. ”Let’s.”

Angela backed away as the bell ring and the audience cheered, and began to stalk the ring, keeping Aya at a fair distance. She moved slow, but not nearly as slow as she had to, wanting to conserve energy to start things off with. There was a plan, a blueprint for how she wanted this match to go. She just needed to stick to it.

After a couple of steps, she came rushing in all at once, arms up, trying to lock horns with Aya and force her into a collar-and-elbow tie-up. A position that would favor her, naturally.

A good start, but Dizzy was a little too taken aback by something Kimi said. ”Mom?” She blurted the word out with a healthy amount of skepticism, as she looked between the twins, Aya, and back again. Granted, she wasn’t exactly an expert at genetics, but she had been paying some attention when her Mom schooled her on DNA.

”So, uh, I…don’t know if it’s rude or not, but…” Like you care, just ask. ”You two are adopted?”

[Delalily]

Kimi's grin didn't waver, but her eyes sharpened just slightly as she studied Dizzy. This one's got an agenda, she thought, though her bubbly demeanor never faltered."Yep! Adopted, but she's still our mom in every way that counts," she chirped, watching Dizzy's reactions closely.

She nudged Kuni subtly with her elbow—a silent signal—before continuing with practiced cheerfulness. "She found us when we were just starting out, took us under her wing, trained us—everything." Kimi gestured toward the ring where Aya was locked in battle, but her attention stayed firmly on Dizzy. What's your play here, Belti girl?

Outwardly, she kept her tone light, playful. "We wouldn't be here without her. She's the best." But beneath the surface, her instincts were humming. Whether Dizzy was scouting, flirting, or just making small talk, Kimi wasn't about to let her guard down. Not when Aya was in the ring.

Kuni, ever perceptive, caught the shift in her sister's energy and tensed almost imperceptibly beside her. The two of them had been trained to read situations—and people. And right now, Dizzy was one big question mark.

Kuni, though still reserved, gave a small nod of agreement, her eyes flicking to Aya before returning to Dizzy. “She’s tough,” she added quietly. “But fair. And she never gives up.”

Inside the ring, Aya felt the sheer force of Angela’s strength bearing down on her, the taller woman’s height and weight advantage immediately evident. The pressure of Angela’s arms locking around her neck and shoulder was formidable, like being caught in the grip of a bear—but Aya had spent years outmaneuvering bigger opponents, and she wasn’t about to let raw power dictate this match. She could already hear the crowd murmuring, sensing the tension as the two mothers clashed for the first time.

As Angela leaned into the collar-and-elbow tie-up, Aya shifted her stance subtly, her body low and coiled, letting Angela’s momentum work against her. She could feel the taller woman’s breath hot against her ear, the faintest grunt of exertion as Angela tried to force her down. Not today. Aya’s muscles burned with the effort of resisting, but she knew patience would pay off. This wasn’t her first rodeo—she’d tangled with giants before, and she knew exactly how to make them regret underestimating her.

With a sharp pivot, Aya ducked under Angela’s arm, twisting her torso like a viper slipping free of a hunter’s grasp. The sudden shift in balance made Angela lurch forward, her grip loosening just enough for Aya to exploit. In one fluid motion, she wrapped an arm around Angela’s waist and yanked hard, using the taller woman’s own forward pressure against her.

[BlackAkuma]

Dizzy wasn’t adopted, but she’d been assumed to be so many times she often felt like it. There’d been times, when she was small…smaller, that she’d wished it was actually true. It would explain why she didn’t look a thing like her Mom, why she wasn’t growing as fast as she should, why she didn’t seem to get any of the gifts that the weightlifting gods had bestowed on her. She hadn't felt that way in a long while, but she still held a sort of fascination for it.

She had heard some horror stories about adoption - orphans being taken into homes they didn’t fit, not fitting in with natural born children, being rejected like bad products. These two seemed to get off lucky, though, if the way they spoke about Aya was anything to talk about. There was love there, of course, but respect, too. A lot of respect, in a way that Dizzy honestly couldn't quite muster for her own Mom. Try as they might, they were too different for either of them ever to be on that kind of wavelength.

But these two seemed almost…reverent? She wasn’t big on religious words, but that was the one that came to mind.

She nodded along, and the talk brought out a genuine smile from her before she even realized it. That last bit intrigued her the most though. ”Wow, wow, she sounds impressive. Guess Mom wasn’t exaggerating, then. But ‘never gives up’?” She had a quick chuckle and brought some of her attention back to the ring. ”We might be here awhile.” She started shuffling around in her pants pockets. "How'd she find you two in the first place?"

Dizzy brought out a pack of strawberry gum, pulled herself a strip, and offered it to the other two women, as their mother clashed within the ropes. The two met in a tie-up, one of her mother’s favorite ways to start a match. Oldschool, classic, but great for her style of wrestling. There were few female wrestlers who could overpower her like this, even in her old age. Aya wasn’t one of them.

But Aya seemed to know that, too. Instead of locking horns and letting herself get overthrown, she stood her ground exactly as long as she needed to, and not a second long. Moving inwards, she used Angela’s own moment against - one second, she had her feet planted and was established control, the next she was flying ass-over-teakettle.

Angela was going down, gravity and momentum demanded as much, but that didn’t mean she had to stay down long enough for it to be a problem. She still had enough agility in her to manage a roll, and she did that as she tucked forward, tumbled over her shoulder, popped up and spun back around to face her foe.

Not wanting to give Aya any breathing room, she rushed in again, this time raising her arm and swinging it hard as she approached, looking to clobber her opponent with a clubbering lariat.

[Delalily]

Despite her suspicion, Kimi’s eyes lit up at the sight of the gum, her grin widening as she reached for it. “Oh, strawberry? My favorite!” she said eagerly, but her hand paused mid-air. Training kicked in—conditioning from years of caution drilled into her by the Mafia. She picked up the pack, inspecting it carefully but subtly, her movements casual enough not to offend. After inspecting it, and noting that gum was safe, Kimi spoke. “Thanks!” she finally chirped, unwrapping a piece and popping it into her mouth.

Kuni, however, shook her head, her expression stoic. “No thanks. Not a fan of gum,” she said flatly, her arms still crossed tightly over her chest.

Kimi chewed thoughtfully for a moment before launching into their story, her tone light but her words carrying weight. “So, uh, we used to be… let’s say, ‘young girls in the Mafia,’” she began, her voice lowering just a touch. “Not exactly the glamorous life, you know? Then Aya found us. She saw something in us—potential, I guess—and took us in. Taught us how to wrestle, how to fight for real.” She glanced at Kuni, who gave a small nod of confirmation. “She’s… unconventional, sure. But she’s our mom. Always has been.”

Kimi’s eyes sparkled as she slowly tried to relax. “Aya’s not your typical mom, that’s for sure. She’s more like… a badass mentor who happens to care a lot.” She chuckled, popping her gum. “When she first took us in, it was rough. She didn't even want to be our mother, she wanted to train us. Also like, we were teenagers, and she was this huge wrestling star, but she had no clue how to handle two moody, traumatized kids who’d been through the wringer.”

Kuni nodded, her arms still crossed. “She tried. A lot. But it wasn’t easy for her. Or us.” Her tone softened, a rare vulnerability peeking through. “She’d yell when she was frustrated, and we’d just shut down. It was… messy.”

Kimi continued, “Aya’s motherhood wasn’t always doom and gloom, though—sometimes it was just… chaotic in the most well-meaning way. There was this one time she decided she wanted to do something ‘normal’ and take us shopping herself—no chauffeur, no maids, just her. She walked into this high-end boutique like she owned the place, which, honestly, she probably could have. But she’d never shopped for kids before, so she just started grabbing random stuff off the racks—like, sequined everything. We were like, ‘Mom, we’re not going to a gala,’ and she just shrugged and said, ‘You never know!’”

Kimi laughed, shaking her head. “She ended up buying half the store, and most of it sat in our closets untouched. But she kept trying. Even when it was hard. Eventually, she figured out she didn’t need to do it all herself—she just needed to be there.”

Kuni snorted softly beside her, a rare hint of amusement breaking through her usual stoicism. “She also tried to teach us how to cook once,” Kuni added dryly. “She said it was an ‘essential life skill.’ But she’d never cooked a day in her life—she’s always had her maids handle that. So, she marched into the kitchen, fired the staff for the evening, and proceeded to set off every smoke alarm in the house. She stood there in her silk robe, holding a ruined pan, looking genuinely perplexed. Like, ‘How is this so hard?’”

Kimi giggled, nodding along. “She ended up ordering takeout that night and pretended it was all part of the plan. But, you know, she kept trying. Even when it was obvious she had no idea what she was doing. That’s Aya for you—she’s not perfect (even if she pretends she is), but she’ll never stop trying.”

Kuni glanced toward the ring, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “And that’s why she’s our mom.”

“So yeah,” Kimi said, her voice brightening again. “She’s unconventional, but she’s our unconventional. And honestly? We wouldn’t have it any other way.” She tossed her gum wrapper into a nearby trash can, her gaze flicking back to the ring where Aya was.

Meanwhile, in the ring, Aya’s sharp eyes caught Angela’s lariat coming in like a freight train. Instead of trying to match power, Aya ducked low, her smaller frame slipping effortlessly under Angela’s swinging arm. As Angela’s momentum carried her forward, Aya dropped to the mat, her legs sweeping out in a swift, precise motion aimed at tripping Angela up. The move was calculated, a reminder that Aya’s speed and agility could match even the most devastating strength.

[BlackAkuma]

Some wrestlers liked to pore over tapes before a match. Thanks to the internet and the growing availability of streaming, that was so much easier than it had been in Angela’s day. With only the press of a button, she could find, more or less, any match she had ever had. Even the ones she thought weren’t being filmed turned out to actually be available - some catching her from the nosebleeds with their iPhone and putting it on their channel. Angela had stumbled across matches she could not, for the life of her, remember taking part in.

Angela would sometimes do that, looking up matches for research against her opponent, but she didn’t like to get too lost in the data. Wrestling wasn’t like football, where you came up with complex plays and executed them, fallbacks, and strategies. It was easy to watch and analyze, but when the bell rang, so much of what she needed came from instinct. In wrestling, if you were thinking, you were losing. Your opponent would always be one step ahead.

Being a tank, she could afford that mistake sometimes. She could already tell, however, that would not be the case today.

She tsked at the missed lariat - it was hard not to be disappointed by the feeling of her arm catching nothing but air, even if she’d suspected that would happen. There was no time given to worry about it, however, before her foe’s leg sliced out like a scythe, cutting her at the ankles.

Even in her best days, Angela was always a wee bit top-heavy, and that hadn't improved with time. The blow was enough to make her stumble, and she might’ve fallen over completely if not a quick grab of the ropes to right herself.

It was enough to make Dizzy clench her teeth at the sidelines and shift her attention back to the ring, even though the twins were throwing a calvalcade of extremely interesting facts her way about their lives. In particular, she was curious about the mafia stuff, and maybe a little nervous that she was apparently standing next to Yakuza princesses. It also made her curious what Aya Al-Amari had been doing in her life that she got mixed up with organized crime, but an Italian knew better than to ask such things in public.

”That’s…a lot.” She replied simply for the moment, content to chew on her gum and process that for the moment, as her mother went back on the attack.

Emboldened, and maybe a touch aggravated, Angela went back on the attack, closing the distance on Aya with a powerful stride. She lashed out again, this time with a pair of swings - hooks, left and right, trying to cut off her opponent’s options of retreat. Speed was on the smaller woman’s side, but she was willing to play the long game with this - she only needed one good hit, and the floodgates would open.

[Delalily]

Aya smirked as her leg swept Angela off balance, her smaller frame leveraging every ounce of speed and precision she had. As the crowd cheered, Aya didn’t linger on the moment—she pushed herself up quickly, ready to capitalize on Angela’s stumble. Her momentum carried her forward as she lunged, aiming to trap Angela in a headlock or maybe transition into a quick suplex.

But Angela wasn’t down for long. The taller woman’s grip on the ropes stabilized her far faster than Aya had anticipated, and before she could fully commit to her follow-up, Angela was already turning back toward her, eyes blazing with determination. Aya’s smirk faltered, just for a moment, as she realized she was about to be on the defensive again.

Angela’s fists came in like wrecking balls—left, right, left—each swing carrying the weight of her towering frame. Aya ducked and weaved, but she knew she couldn’t keep dodging forever. Her hands came up to block a particularly heavy hook, the impact rattling through her arms, as she tightened her muscles.

She’s stronger than I thought, Aya admitted to herself, her mind racing as she danced out of range of another swing. She couldn’t afford to underestimate Angela’s raw power, but she also knew she couldn’t let herself be overwhelmed. Aya had faced opponents like this before—women who relied on sheer strength to dominate. She just needed to find her opening, her moment to strike back without overextending herself, lest she be on the receiving end of the one of those monstrous hooks.

Meanwhile, at ringside, Kimi responded to Dizzy’s comment with a casual shrug and a playful grin. “Well, you know, the past is in the past,” she said, her tone light but carrying an underlying seriousness. “No point dwelling on it. We’re here now, and we’re better for it. Besides,” she added with a wink, “it makes for a killer backstory.”

Kuni glanced at her sister, her expression still unreadable but her quiet nod of agreement spoke volumes. For all the chaos and uncertainty of their early lives, they’d found stability—and a mother—in Aya. And that was worth more than anything.