Bats, Blades, and Bushido (Hakune vs. Saya)

[dlamp]

Hakune could see it, the light going out in Saya's eyes. The hold was doing its work and in just a few more second Saya would be left unconscious for the pin. It wasn't exactly a pretty way to get a victory, but she'd take it. "Yaaaah!" She put all her remaining effort into the headscissor, tightening her legs even further to make the suffering as quick as she could manage. With luck Saya might actually tap instead and not endure the humiliation of being unconscious. And with that hope the Samurai practically shoved her legs against Saya's neck with the hope of a quick victory.

And that was a fatal move.

"Itaaaaaaaai!" Pain. The agonizing sharp pain of something fiercely pinching and gnawing at her legs. Hakune's legs quickly dropped, the Samurai in a panic as she clawed at the mat, desperately trying to pull her legs away from Saya's grip, much to the confusion of the referee and the crowd.

[UnusuallyTallJawa]

Saya was losing soundly. She was in dire need of an escape or the threat of falling unconscious or just tapping out was a real thing. However, it looked like Hakune’s scissors were tightly locked around the woman’s neck and Saya’s strength was starting to falter. Under her perspective there was no way she could be a villain no matter what she did, and rules could be not broken, but bent in a way that would work on her favor. That is why she went for the biting without any regret. After all she had to do anything in order not to look weak in front of a crowd.

The biting had some immediate effect as a distressed Hakune cried in pain and her legs lost all strength. Taking advantage of this Saya got on all fours and crawled in a pretty pathetic way out of Hakune’s reach. Confusion was rampant in the arena as no one knew exactly what broke the hold, not even the ref, but seeing Hakune’s plight a big part off the people sitting in the stands understood and began booing Saya.

At that point Saya had already broken the rules and she needed some levarage to get the match her way and leave an impression. After getting some mouthfuls of needed air she crawled to her corner of the ring and went below the mat in search for something. Here it was, her trustworthy bat. Saya returned to the ring with her bat. The referee rushed towards her ordering Saya to put the bat back out of the ring, but she would dismiss her with a growl of fury and ran towards her rival in between the boos of the crowd to strike with a downwards swing. That would show Hakune, that would show everyone.

[dlamp]

"Aaaaaah!" Even as the immediate pain left her leg, the soreness in Hakune's leg remain. Her hands quickly went to the sore spot, desperately trying to rub and soothe the pain away as she inched herself toward the ropes. Hakune was just as confused as the crowd at first, but she knew what happened. Saya got desperate and went for a cheap shot. That sharp pain her leg and the teeth marks along her was prove of a frantic gamble to free herself from submission or outright suffocation, the sign of wanting to be a villain than a warrior that went out honorably.

"Teme..." She was just nearing the ropes, just about to use them to prop herself up when she heard the crowd really go into a frenzy. She blinked, looking back before growing wide-eyed. "N-Nani?" How... How did Saya get that bat? She knew Saya tossed it aside, but... did she actually...

Her thoughts were quickly pushed aside as Saya came in charging for a swing as the Samurai. There was no time to think or appeal to Saya's fading morals. She had to move, and the only way to dodge out to roll. Just as the bat was about to slam into Hakune's skull she rolled out of the way, falling out of the ring and onto the mats bellow with an almost pathetic flop. "Ag-!" The impact stung, but it was a comfort compared to the possible pain that would had followed otherwise.

[UnusuallyTallJawa]

In her despair and fear of getting defeated Saya had resorted to some foul play like biting her rival to force an escape, and it had worked. The batting woman was now completely out of herself in a rage as she doubled down getting her trustworthy bat. Running towards a downed Hakune who was still reeling in pain while writhing on the mat Saya thought that would be an easy to hit mark with a downwards swing of the bat, but in the last second the Samurai managed to avoid what would have been a pretty powerful blow (and most likely would have earned Saya disqualification).

With wrathful eyes Saya scanned in search for Hakune. Just where was that idiot Samurai? In her haste to escape it looked like Hakune had slipped out of the ring and it took Saya some instants to proccess the fact that her deadly blow had missed the mark and that Hakune was actually out of the arena. “Come here you coward!” Saya threatened to the air while the referee still tried to talk her in order to get her to let the bat go, without much success.

[dlamp]

"G-Gh..." Pushing herself up from the ground, Hakune slowly got her bearing together. That... was a close one. Falling to the mats bellow was a painful blunder, but a second longer and her would have more than just a sore body. Saya... was very serious about proving her point in breaking Hakune down to her barest person. She had swung that bat to bruise body and bone alike, and given her angry taunt she was far from done.

"... ... ..." And it couldn't go unanswered. Hakune clenched a fist, looking to her side to find a rather familiar prop. "Ah-" What luck that she fell on this side of the ring. "... ..." Okay then. It was time to give Saya the intense battle she yearned for.

"A coward is the one that brings a weapon to a wrestling match, Saya-san!" Hakune shouted, pushing herself up and poking her head out toward the woman, an act that got a small pop from the crowd. "I had intended to face you with my fists alone, but..." She started climbing back into the ring, at first getting a small cheer from the crowd, but quickly followed by a short chorus of surprised gasps and wide-eyed stares they saw the sheathed blade in her hand, the same blade she had placed down at the beginning of the match.

Honestly, it was just a prop, a plastic replica blade for the purpose of looking more like a samurai. But now... now it might be the one equalizer for her fight. "I'll gladly meet your steel with mine if that's what you wish!" With that, she unsheathed the blade in on pull, tossing the container aside and holding the blade in front of her face.

[UnusuallyTallJawa]

Saya had gone from so close to tapping out and losing the match to now having her rival cowered in fear out of the ring. Her outburst added to the use of her bat made that effect, because Saya could be small and cute but she would snap when wielding her bat and cornered. But something happened that wasn’t on Saya’s plans: not only Hakune managed to dodge her swing in the last moment, rolling out of the ring and avoiding being hit, but she would get back calling Saya a coward and wielding her stupid toy sword!

It annoyed Saya beyond reason thinking that her plan to humiliate Hakune had ended with her earning the support and respect from the crowd! The batting woman could feel her face turning red in rage. In the end her mind didn’t respond, but her body did. As Hakune got back to the ring with her plastic sword Saya would run towards her bat wielded with both hands. “Raaaaaaargh!!" There was no humiliating quip coming from her or any interesting challenge, just pure rage at that rival who was mocking her. Saya discharged all that frustration in a downwards swing aimed at her rival’s upper half.

[dlamp]

Saya charged in with blind, furious rage. The scream alone had the crowd holding their breath and Hakune stared wide-eyed, her legs frozen in place at the sight of her fury. As she got closer and closer she Hakune's body moved before her mind did, lifting her plastic blade horizontal to her face just as the bat started to come down. A last-minute reaction to defend herself before the true damage of Saya's weapon could do true damage.

The clang of metal meeting hard plastic sent waves through Hakune's arms. The impact snapping her mind to the reality of the situation, staring directly at Saya's fuming and furious face as her hands started to numb. She could feel it, her grip on her blade start to slip. Oh no-! "Yaaaah!" But she held firm, letting out a loud and fervent roar to focus her mind and pushed against Saya's blade. "I won't... give... up!" The crowd started chanting Hakune's name at the declaration, fueling her push further. "Hiyaa!" And with that extra surge of energy, Hakune lifted on foot up, shooting it forward to try and push Saya back from their clash and recollect herself.

[UnusuallyTallJawa]

Just when Saya knew for sure that she was going to hit Hakune the unexpected happened. With a swift move that looked more like an instinct one than a well thought strategy the Samurai used her plastic replica sword to block the batting woman’s attack. Her swing was strong and she never expected that thing that looked like a toy to resist, but against all odds it did.

With a great amount of resolve and strength Hakune was managing to push Saya back. Hearing the crowd cheering and chanting the Samurai’s name was the last straw. The action Saya had intended to humiliate her rival had been turned against her and was now a way for Hakune to get more love from the crowd! That was when Saya knew that no matter what she did it wasn’t enough. When she was pushed back by Hakune burst of strength Saya looked at her rival with glassy eyes, the fight out of her as she was barely wielding the bat, looking weakened, defeated and open for whatever was coming.

[dlamp]

By some miracle Hakune had pushed Saya back, but she quickly readied herself for another strike. Given the fire her enemy had shown she wasn't going to make this an easy fight. And now with weapons in play Hakune was certain this woman would stop at nothing to make sure the Samurai had a bruise and medic trip to remember her by. She could barely even keep a good grip on her sword thanks to the numbness in her hands, but she rose the weapon all the same, waiting for the next move to try and parry.

But... it never came.

Hakune's eyes remained sharp, but as the crowd was chanting her name, as the referee started to come between the two... Saya looked completely crushed in spirit. The crowd cheering the Samurai's name, wanting her to finish off her foe now that she looked remorseful and broken. And... it was tempting, as if putting down a rabid dog that finally knew it was about to be put out to pasture. And given Saya's state that'd be an easy task to accomplish.

But... Hakune lowered her sword.

Her hands were still numb and shaking from the initial hit, she could barely keep it raised anyway. But more than, Saya didn't need a final blow from her weapon. She... needed something stronger. So, the Samurai took slow steps forward toward Saya, the crowd in quiet anticipation over what her finishing blow would be. "... ... ..." Hakune walked right until she was an inch from Saya's face, dropping her sword there and raising both hands as the crowd awed in suspense.

Then, she smacked Saya hard on both cheek, her eyes glaring.

"IS THIS YOUR TRUE SELF, SAYA-SAN?!"

[UnusuallyTallJawa]

It was all over for Saya. All the fight in her body and the light of her eyes had gone out and the batting woman looked so small, so fragile while on her knees on the ring. It was all too much. She had tried her best to make a good show and she had failed. Her spirit was broken as it was the second time she had given her all in her quest for some recognition and had fell short against a rival that either looked weaker than her or was just a living gimmick. And despite all that Saya had failed to make her statement and show what she got, maybe she didn’t got much. Anyhow, Saya’s spirit was broken as she was waiting for the finishing blow. Hakune got closer to her and prepared to finish things while Saya closed her eyes and then…

Just when Saya was expecting some high impact move that would kill her prospects and would send her to the mat for a count Hakune went with something unexpected as she slapped Saya in the face, and strong, while she scolded the batting woman for not giving her all. At first Saya couldn’t believe it, then her face turned red from the slap and the humiliation. How could Hakune go that way? “WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?”, yelled Saya not understanding what was going on as she got up, caressing her face with one hand while breaking some distance from her rival.