Law of the Jungle! Bast vs. Hiro and Senji Takijima

[BlackAkuma]

It was honestly hard to believe this match was as young as it was, probably no more than five or six minutes. Bast felt like she’d been battling the brothers for at least half an hour, and it wasn’t solely due to their annoyances drawing things out longer than she would’ve liked. No, the simple toll of taking on two opponents at once was making her body work overtime, and while she was far above the average human, she was still human. Sweat was slickening her skin, her side was aching, breathing was growing labored…

Never again. She was never wrestling two at once again, or at least not this year, and she was going to put her foot down on that.

But, irritated as she was, she was driven to win this match now, still wanting a controlling, decisive win. She was confident that she could score that with her strike to his leg, expecting him to buckle from the attack and let her get in on top. She was even moving in after she landed, going in ready to take advantage.

As it turned out, things wouldn’t be that easy. He buckled with the knee, but he didn’t break, and he had the resolve to lash out. Bast took a kick to the side, hitting the same area that Hiro had struck just a moment before, and the impact was enough to make her lurch forward and retch. That wasn’t an accident, either - he was targeting spots. He had a plan. Smart plan. It wasn’t going to work in the end, but she would give him credit for trying.

Bast lowered her arm, protecting her side as she moved in again, keeping the problem area safe as she closed in again. She brought her leg up for the beginning of a kick on the left side, only to switch up at the last second and come at his knee again, slamming into the same spot with an even stronger version of the kick from before, targeting the joints and destroying his base. If he couldn't stand, he couldn't fight, after all.

[TheLoneWanderer]

Both Senji and Hiroyuki harbored a similar sentiment. They would not be going against Bast again after this. At least, not until the gap was closer between her and them. This was insane. It was like going against a UFC Heavyweight with the mentality of combat greats like Mike Tyson. When backed into a corner and alone, a fighter would be reduced to the level of their training. And judging by the overall incompatibility between Bast, Senji, and Hiroyuki as fighters in the ring....the two Patriarchs of Takijima were not ready.

Speaking of Senji, he had managed to put himself a short distance away from the turnbuckle Bast had slammed him into. He was aware that it was a little spotty in his left eye. That, and there was a dull ache. At least it had not been enough to blind him. Taking it easy for some time after this match would allow a more or less smooth recovery. That was more appropriate for later, however.

Hiroyuki kept his eyes on the swivel...watching for what Bast had planned next. His gaze kept his eyes directed downward as he saw the hips turn into the ending of her first kick, successfully reading that she was going for the legs. However, Hiro wasn't fast enough to brace fully for the lower leg slamming into the spot she'd actually gone for. Due to injury, Hiro's seers widened at this buckling of him into a lower position out of temporary weakness. His eyes came to his remaining leg, gaining an idea.

["She is going for feints multiple times? I'll have to predict her movements more."], Hiro mentally reminded himself.

Midsection or legs? Targeting her middle might catch her by surprise but not off guard. She'd used something similar against Senji before the powerbomb from what he saw. Persuaded by a gambit, Hiroyuki let his injured knee weaken to put him further down. Then, he bent his good leg, the one on the left, and used it to spring from the canvas to gain acceleration. Given his hesitation because of the gassed-out knee alongside his decision, Bast's retraction couldn't be used to his advantage. Hiroyuki had sprung for a takedown by slamming into her thighs via wrapping his arms together once he'd managed to hopefully encircle the two components. He needed to sacrifice caution for speed.

The final action consisted of Hiro going to leer over Bast from the top position after a quick scramble up her body using the legs and palms but not quite enough to pass guard due to the awkwardness of the takedown itself. His left elbow then raised high above Bast, aiming to slam his forearm into her head and repeat the action in a sequence for the opposite arm. If he got his bearings, these would be an aggravation to deal with.

[BlackAkuma]

”Keep on him! Don’t let up!”

Cersei found herself clutching the ring apron as she watched the match continue, grinding her teeth out of worry. Not over the idea that Bast would lose - she was certain that her sister could handle these two. They were perfectly acceptable wrestlers, she could even see them excelling with the right training, but neither of them were on her sister’s level, and she’d well proved that they couldn't stand against her. This was theirs to win.

But there was winning and then there was winning, and this felt more like the former than the latter for her tastes. This was their golden chance to start their days in LAW with a rocket strapped, and if either of these idiots messed that up, she would have Bast rip them to shreds. She might even get involved herself, just to ease the stress.

Calm down, calm down. It hadn't reached that point yet.

Bast was back on the offensive now, wearing at Hiro’s leg with another punishing kick, a stiff blow designed to break bones and shatter wills. And it worked, bringing him down to a knee with some real damage. She took a step in to capitalize, and that was when he played his hand, launching forward and throwing his full weight into her knees.

It was enough, just enough to bring her down, putting the two of them in a familiar position, with him scrambling for position on top of her. Unlike last time, however, she had something ready for him.

As he raised his forearm for a strike, she pushed up with arms open wide. One arm went under his shoulder, while the other went around his neck on the opposite side, with the two hands meeting and locking behind his back.

Bast pulled him back down, securing an arm triangle, once more attempting to choke him out.

[TheLoneWanderer]

The good doc's gamble had worked up to a certain point. For Hiroyuki, this is where matters grew complicated. An arm threaded under his shoulder and came past his nape while his elbowing of the lovely head was stopped expeditiously. A well-maintained arm went to support its sister limb, firmly locking in the constriction. Nearly immediately, he found his winded movements starting to slow even further as her arm curled further into his neck. If nothing else, maybe he could hinder her for longer. He'd prefer to win but he wasn't in peak condition to have an easier time. The seconds ticked on regardless of their ground-based battle.

The next actions depended on what Bast did next. Hiroyuki tried to progress towards an escape attempt. He aimed to pull his legs. The left one intended to rise and move parallel to the front of Samira's hip. His intention here was to enter a Full Mount Position after getting his right leg over the front of her hip. If she knew how to stop it then he'd be in a worse position. The next and penultimate stage involved him succeeding in the full mount if that was successful. Hiro's tried to slide his right leg across her belly as to keep the knee on her abs. The plan, now in action should his defense succeed, was to pull his head away to alleviate the pressure as well as press into her stomach using his kneecap and upper shin.

On the younger brother's side, he heard Cersei goad her sister on and turned his gaze off to look at her worried features. Senji kept his half-closed eyes on the competition between his ally and Samira after Cersei was done. He took note of the techniques there, considering them in the back of his mind since he favored chokeholds quite a lot. His vision was clearing up now and the aching was just barely ebbing. He still couldn't fight properly yet though. If he had any percentage of conquering the Hammer, it'd be through technique. Or circumstances could harm his ability to do what he did best.

["Hiroyuki. Come on, you can...you can conquer her."], He tiredly egged his elder brother on mentally. A long nap would be preferable after this match. He was not looking forward to an earful from Lei if she saw this and measured ill of it.

[BlackAkuma]

”Just. Tap. Out.”

Bast issued her demand again, and once more it was ignored, with Hiro coming to display that determination and stubbornness that she was coming to expect from the man, whether she liked it or not. She was honestly curious to see him in another match. Was he this tenacious when he fought alone? If so, he’d be more than a match for most women on the roster, she would gather. A shame that the men didn’t have a title to aspire to, she would put him as a strong contestant for it.

Now wasn’t his time, though, and she was sure he was on the fast track to drifting off, as she secured the hold and powered down. While this move wasn’t a finisher for her, she’d used it a such a handful of times in fights, all with positive results. He wouldn’t be any different.

Only he was. He was struggling with it, mounting her, and…

”You…” She gritted her teeth as his knee dug into her stomach, clamping down even harder on the hold in response. But, try as she might, she couldn't lock him down. He was powering his way up to escape, and it was only a matter of time before he succeeded.

So be it. He wanted to get up, she’d help him.

Instead of pulling against him, she pushed forward and rose up with Hiro, bringing them both to their feet. She unclasped her hands as they rose, but that didn’t mean he was off the hook. Far from it, in fact.

With her arm still draped over his far shoulder, Bast gripped him by the side, lifted him up, and brought him crashing down hard on his back, sending him into the canvas with a ura nage.

[TheLoneWanderer]

Yeah, it was a shame. Places akin to LAW were available to employing men but well..it was a niche industry for an audience who loved what they put out. Therefore meaning, it was a female-dominated sport. Not that it was necessarily a bad thing. It allotted people from all walks of life to find a calling in combat, for better or worse. Even someone as troubled as Senji could find his peace right here. Hiroyuki desired to help others, and fought out of necessity. There was a specific reason he was wasting so much time with Bast while attempting to overwhelm her at the same time.

Samira may have been able to finish it if she kept working at it. She chose a fluctuating strategy though.

The irate auditory stimulus washed over the ear in the dominating accent. It was only one word as she tried so desperately to keep Hiro within her control. Having more trouble there than she wanted? He recognized the movements as she kept him in motion. A judo based hold? She really was a jack of all trades! He quickly accepted that he was going to fall. He had to break it to reduce damage to the back!

Hiroyuki felt the wind across his body. The air speeds past him while Bast drags him through it. Since the throw was rear sacrifice-based, she probably ends up on her back at his rear. Hiroyuki tried to curl up at land on his left side so that his spine wouldn't tank all of that impact. When all was done it left him lightly coughing out of delirium, thanks to Arm Triangle from the bottom, but able to react to the common moves that came after. Using his feet, Hiroyuki attempted a steady but not as fast go at keeping his lower body away from her legs. Spine and head. Those were saved.

He reflected in the previous exchanges, noting a curiosity about her style. ["Senji and I break her holds or force her to release us but then she transitions-"]

[BlackAkuma]

”There we are!” Cersei clapped, giving her sister a healthy round of applause as she drilled Hiro into the mat. ”Finally!”

This was more like the dominance that Cersei wanted out of her sister, showing her raw strength to plant her opponent into the ground. The crowd was clearly wowed by the display, and rightly so - power like this didn't come around LAW all the time, certainly not paired with this brutality. There wasn’t a move Bast couldn't power her way out of, not an attack she couldn't use to devastating effect. Even that move, a relatively common staple in the wrestling toolkit, looked like it could leave a man broken. Hiro’s current state was a strong support for that.

The move had a hellish impact, so much so that it forced Bast to fall back after planting it, dropping down to one knee. She hadn't landed it perfectly, he’d come down on his side instead, but it fell into the realm of ‘good enough’. He wasn’t getting back up all that fast, that was the important thing. In fact…

Seeing something of an opening, Bast decided it was about time to attempt a killshot, something that would put him out fast. She had a few moves that could pull that off on most opponents, but there was one she considered to be the most humane. Just some quick brain trauma, and it would be over.

She rose to her feet, pushing off her knee to stand, and made her way over to Hiro’s side. She slipped into her stance, waiting for him to start making his way up, and that was when she’d go into action.

Nothing fancy, nothing flashy. She stepped in, swung her leg wide, and attempted to hit him in the head with a heavy roundhouse kick, one that had all her weight and momentum behind it. A single, powerful shot - Decapitation as Cersei liked to call it.

[TheLoneWanderer]

So what did Bast do when she found an opportunity? She went for the head.

Senji was too busy recovering to warn him. Even if he did, it'd be difficult to make the call fast enough. On the side of the older sibling, Hiroyuki found that it was taking longer for her to capitalize on the vulnerable side of his back and quickly elected to get up by flipping over to his belly. Right into her claws it came off as. His foot, originating from the injured leg, came up. He heard something peculiar before he saw it in full. A tensed foot appeared in the peripheral of his vision. Hiro's arms came up to defend yet it was not enough. The special move pierced the safety of a haphazardly placed block and drove into his face.


The entirety of the side of his exterior took the brunt of it. Better than just the jaw, no doubt. His brain grazed on the skull...and it was sufficient. Hiroyuki, unresponsive, slumped over and found darkness consuming his vision before he even fell. Then, a slumber embraced the tired-out warrior. He'd mainly been forced to exert himself more. It could be compared to an all out, constant sprint as opposed to the usual marathon that was BJJ or an average match. That, and Bast's capabilities exceeded the two overall despite her preference for staying on her feet.

The constant battering reached the only path.

The Elder Takijima retired into an unconscious state.

Senji stared at the display with conflicted feelings on it. None it had to do with happiness. The right eye widened while the other could only so in a tiny way. Senji bent his knee further in so that he could push off using his elbow and catch himself. Soon enough, Senji stood upright. The only hitch to note formed as a wheeze. Decently recuperating to his own credit! He gaped at the downed form of his brother.

"Hiroyuki...", Senji muttered. The younger one looked up at Bast thereafter. He considered what to say. He wasn't infuriated on a extremely high level. If he was, it'd be if it was a personal fight with far higher stakes on the line. That presented itself in the form of a "Justice vs Evil" battle of accelerated proportions - years ago. That was not the case in a simple match. Hiroyuki's unwound body breathed in and out, marks from the battle on his face with some specifically because of Decapitation. EMTs would no doubt bring him to get medical attention, probably on a stretcher. In a determined but slowed tone, speaking to his habit of thinking before he spoke, his question went as follows. It didn't lack strength in vocals contrary to the youthful mentality and physicality.

"Do you 'want' to fight too?"

What Senji did next depended on her answer. He was not asking Cersei. Not Hiro. Not the crowd. But he was requesting one from the Panther of their jungle.

[BlackAkuma]

Someone screamed.

The entire audience fell into a rare hush as Bast’s kick connected with a force that almost made it live up to its name. He had made an effort to block the move, but he might as well have tried to stop a bullet with wet tissue paper. The blow connected dead on, dropping him into a heap, and she knew right away that he wasn’t getting back up. She could sense the follow through on his skull, knew the potential that sort of impact it carried. There wasn’t even any need to go for the pin. It was over.

Half over.

”And one falls.” Cersei folded her arms and smiled as the referee came over to check on Hiro, giving him a quick look before calling for the bell and signaling his elimination. ”With one to go.”

Cersei seemed happy with the performance, but Bast was just glad that he wasn’t getting back up. Hiro had been just strong enough to be a real threat, cunning and tenacious to a fault. If he hadn't been knocked out, he would’ve kept coming, and she would’ve had to break something serious. As it was, he might have a concussion to some degree. Not a fun injury to work through, but he would survive and his career would be fine.

She breathed a long, drawn out sigh, then turned to Senji, watching as he made his way up. While he wasn’t the threat his brother was, he wasn’t a non-factor, either. She’d take him hard, finish him fast, hopefully with just a pinfall. Bast slapped her fists together stepped forward, ready to take him on.

And then he spoke.

Bast paused in mid-step. His question was a poignant one, but not one that she hadn't considered before. She’d asked that question of herself a hundred times, so many that she had the answer memorized, and didn’t even need to think before it came out.

”Kid,” She shook her head. ”It doesn’t matter what I want.”

And with that brief intermission over, Bast step forward, planted her foot on the mat, and leaped forward with a bold pounce, shooting her knee towards his chest for a lunging strike.

[TheLoneWanderer]

'It doesn't matter what I want.'

It sealed the deal. Senji got an answer. He didn't have a choice in committing her mind elsewhere though. It reminded of a quotation that the fair-skinned, intimidating man dressed in all black said. It went, from Senji's recollection, "Boy. Your personal desires would not mean anything to the ones I serve."

The strongest assassin, from Senji's view, that he had beat by the skin of his teeth. And now, the strongest woman who outpaced most in her career. The preceded statement, in hindsight, meant multiple things. Things he'd only started to realize later. But he wouldn't---no, he could not forgive what his former senior did partly out of principle. Bast chose to stick to her preexisting ideals similarly regardless of personal feelings. Senji was forced to respect her current outlook despite being open towards if she took another option. Back on the terms of their fight, Senji's eyes flickered to her legs. Based on previous experience, a full power showing was at hand. He came to be aware before she even moved off the ground.

["She's coming! I need to aim for...-"]

Senji snapped into his trained stance and stepped to the left of her knee to allow the strike to pass by him due to reading it. At the same time, Senji threw his inside arm - the left - forward because it would give him more power and allow more speed to be gained due to distance. Since the arm was durable enough, the blowback would not be drastic. His fist went to crash against her exposed side...digging into the skin, past the muscle, penetrating her defenses to strike the liver once more. Why? A mistake had been identified by the lad. He found that she left herself open during the knee, leaving it hard to defend a blow she would walk into. So, Senji dodged at the ending moments to take advantage and use a boxing technique for when he was going all-out within the confines of a match. For his sake, it best work out.

His strike was thrown at all the power his body could muster. If he did not do his best, she would destroy---break him, God forbid. At best case, it'd be enough to reverse her flow of motion and push her in the opposing direction a wanton distance. As things stood, Senji was not heavy or strong enough to launch her like she had done to him; this barred a throw or takedown. If she was floored by the circumstantial stance, Senji lacked the motivation to follow up. He had a limited amount of stamina to work with as is. Senji went to back off from the corner so he could situate himself behind her by circling. Say, several feet from the middle.

Hiroyuki had successfully stalled the hardened vixen too. She wasn't fresh anymore due to the spirited exchanges. Still, Bast chose to fight on and the younger combatant rose to clash against her nigh-unbreakable will. Deep down in his emotions, Senji was scared of going on the ground with her...