Sanae Saitou vs. Toshimi Minami - Submisson Match

[CaptainL]

A tense standoff had taken shape in the middle of the ring. Sanae rolled aside, looking to get a safe distance away from Minami. There, she propped herself back up on her hands and knees, panting for breath. After the strain she had put herself through in this match, her face was red, and her hair was plastered to her brow with sweat. Her chest rose and fell slowly each time she drew in a heavy pant, her whole body lurching. And yet, for as weary as Sanae was, she still kept a watchful eye on her opponent; her body was tense, with her fingers grasping the canvas and her knee pushed against the mat, ready to burst into action at a moment's notice. With as much of a threat as Minami had proven herself to be, Sanae knew that to let her guard down would be putting herself in danger. Doubtlessly, Minami was about to come back swinging, and she had to be ready for that.

But, to Sanae's surprise...Minami wasn't coming back swinging. Not right now, at least. She remained where she was, rising up to a seated position and trying to rub the soreness out of her legs. Sanae's eyes went wide - she almost couldn't believe what she was seeing. Was the great Toshimi Minami, the Venus of Submissions, the Wrestle Angels icon who had spent all this time taunting her and making her feel small and hopeless in her shadow...brought low by her efforts?

Even when Sanae had been taunting Minami a while ago, it still sent a shiver down her spine to think that she was truly capable of such heights. But it didn't take long for her to shake that thought out of her head - there were more important things to focus on here. If she could do this to Minami...then she was strong. She was capable. She had a chance of winning this all!

Sucking in a breath, Sanae pushed herself back up to her feet. Even if her legs shook beneath her, she remembered the fact that she was doing so well so far, and that gave her all the encouragement she needed! She puffed out her chest, and she focused a determined glare on Minami. If she had the veteran down, it was time for her to take advantage of that! She took off running toward Minami as quickly as she could - if she could close into range, she would jump up to try and leap onto her shoulder with one foot, while her other leg swung around in an arc to kick her in the back of the head with an enziguiri!

[Bare]

Minami groaned and hissed in pain as she nursed the area between her legs, trying to restore her damaged legs, as well as her hurt pride somewhat after the humiliating position she was stuck in by Sanae. 'Damn it... this is the worst. How could I let that brat do this to me?!' The veteran thought to herself with a growl as she tried to sit up again, this time at least managing to keep herself up right for the moment.

Unfortunately though, with all the time it took her just to get up to a seated position, Sanae had more than enough time to get up and plan her own attack once more. Looking up Minami's eyes would widen seeing Sanae coming in hot, leaping up the girl placed a foot on Minami's shoulder, very nearly knocking the Venus over, only for the green haired wrestlers other leg to come in fast, smacking into Minami's face hard and knocking the woman backwards from the force! "Gah!" Minami yelled out as she was sent backwards, landing on the mat with a shocked look on her face, stunned from the impact!

[CaptainL]

The sound of a crack rang through the air as Sanae's leg smashed into the back of Minami's head, and the crowd sent out a cheer! The green-haired girl landed on hands and knees, falling to a three-point stance as soon as Minami began to teeter back in a daze. When her footing at last gave way and she dropped to her back, another bout of cheering rang out from the stands, hot off the heels of the first. The aspiring idol had garnered her fair share of hype behind her, going into what seemed like a hopeless mismatch against such a storied veteran and still managing not only to hold her own, but to keep Minami on the ropes. Now, every blow that landed against the Venus of Submissions was a victory, and it was one that Sanae's fans were eager to celebrate!

Sanae pushed herself back up to her feet and dusted herself off, but she knew things were far from over now. Her strikes were good, but it was still a submission match, and she wasn't going to win it unless she could get Minami to tap out. It would be a challenge, that was for sure - she didn't have a fraction of the know-how her opponent did when it came to holds. But when she had gotten Minami all but paralyzed when she put her in the banana split, suddenly Sanae was sure she had a chance! She had found an area she could exploit. And she was going to do whatever she needed to prove she could succeed!

Moving closer to Minami, Sanae took hold of one of her legs, looking to roll her over on her stomach. There, she would drag her toward the center of the ring, away from the ropes, and take her other leg, before bending back to bear the pressure down on her spine, folding Minami's legs over her with a Boston Crab! Gritting her teeth and sucking in a breath, she bent her own back into an arc, trying to pull Minami's legs as far as she could. Sanae didn't have much hope this would finish Minami off - it was, after all, one of the most basic and widely-used submissions, and Minami surely knew all about it. But maybe it could whittle down her stamina that much more. And maybe, just maybe, the thought of being in danger from an opponent she so underestimated, using such a simple manuever, would be an embarrassment in and of itself!

[Bare]

As the sound of Sanae's leg hitting the back of Minami's skull rang out through the arena, making the crowd wince in collective reaction to the impact before Minami fell down to the mat, seemingly stunned from the impact. Naturally this was sending the fans into a frenzy, the total surprise of Sanae coming back and pushing Minami so hard being something hardly anyone expected, but very few opposed. Especially after Minami's dominant start, it seemed like Sanae's hopes in this match were slim at best, but now she seemed to be poised to take it all!

Now however Minami was left dazed and totally vulnerable for Sanae to further press her advantage. Unable to do anything as Sanae reached down to grab her legs and turn Minami over, bending her back into a vicious Boston Crab submission hold! "Aghhh!" Minami yelled out in pain, the shock of it waking her up a bit after the kick dazed her, forcing her to grip her own hair tightly to try and focus herself. 'Dammit...' Minami thought to herself, utterly ashamed at herself for allowing Sanae to secure such a hold on her to begin with.

'Focus Minami... this is a basic submission... Childs play for you.' Minami thought to herself, knowing that she could find out of this if she could just concentrate on pulling herself out of this. Gritting her teeth and trying to force the last feelings of embarrassment from the leg split out Minami would push her hands flat on the mat, trying to push up while twisting her hips, attempting to force Sanae to step over her and get onto her back. If she managed to do this successfully than Minami would try and pull her legs in before pushing out in an attempt to kick Sanae away from her and break the Boston Crab submission!

[CaptainL]

In the back of her mind, Sanae reminded herself not to get too excited. This was one of the first submissions a wrestler learned, and one of the first they learned to escape from. When Minami was a well-renowned master of her field, there was no question that she was already familiar with the Boston Crab inside and out. Right now, Sanae was only trying to keep her momentum going to ensure the strain built on her opponent's back - it was inevitable that Minami would break out, and she would have to be ready for that. And yet, no one could deny that the aspiring idol had continually defied the odds, in this match and in all the qualifiers that came before it. When she looked behind her shoulder, she could see Minami struggling against the pressure on her back, clenching her teeth and grabbing her hair in frustration. It was enough to make Sanae crack a smile with growing confidence - maybe, just maybe, she thought, she could make a miracle happen after all.

But sure enough, Minami had a way out. She braced herself against the canvas, stabilizing herself just enough to buck up her hips. As she rocked from side to side, Sanae hissed in frustration, fighting to stay on - she tried yanking at Minami's legs in either direction, hoping to hold onto the submission as long as she could. But eventually, she was forced to let go - and when she did, Minami could roll to her back underneath her, taking back control of her legs, and lashing out with a kick straight back at Sanae!

The blow landed square in her chest, and with a yelp, Sanae was thrown back from Minami. She tumbled back in an impromptu sommersault, rolling across the ring. But when she got to the ropes, Sanae reached out to catch them, where she pushed herself up to her knees, panting for breath. Her eyes settled on Minami, and they narrowed in a piercing glare. Even if she had to hug her arm around her chest to dull the pain, she knew she couldn't let this take her out. She needed to send a message to Minami that nothing could keep her down - and, as she sucked the air back into her lungs, she got back on her feet!

Belting out a battle cry, Sanae took off running right back at Minami as soon as she was up - if her opponent was still on the ground, she would kick off her feet to try and fall on top of her with an elbow drop; otherwise, she'd simply ram her shoulder against her with the momentum of her charge. Either way, she wouldn't let her have a chance to catch her breath!

[Bare]

Minami was being put through the ringer at this point. Sanae's bombardment of offense keeping her on the defensive and preventing her from doing much. Especially with how the banana split had dropped her guard so heavily and exposed her biggest weakness. Really the only thing that kept her in at this point was ironically Sanae's own growing confidence that enabled Minami the chance to give herself even a brief opening after Sanae had rather arrogantly decided to lock her in a boston crab, the easiest submission for her to break out of, even if the girl had fought tooth and nail to try and keep it on locked tight against her.

Luckily though Minami was able to fight out of it and kick Sanae away, ending up in a kneeling position after getting her legs under her. "Hagh... Hagh..." Minami panted out, the toll of Sanae's offense clearly showing its effects on her before she would look up at Sanae.. and glare hatefully with a wild, almost desperate look akin to a caged wolf about to snap and bite at whoever had done so.

As such when charged forward towards her, no doubt to continue her offense Minami would stay in her position as long as possible, waitin for an opportunity, one that would come the moment Sanae had taken to the air. 'There!' Minami though to herself before suddenly pushing off, dashing at Sanae and leaping up to meet her midair, and as she did so she would turn and grab Sanae's head midair, turning as she did so to try and bring Sanae down to the mat with a sudden slingblade!

Spoiler

If this move worked than Minami knew she would have to follow it up right away. She couldn't afford not too, not with how fast and aggressive Sanae had been shown to be in this match. So given that Minami would end up behind Sanae from the slingblade the Venus of submissions would lean forward, aiming to seize Sanae's shoulders and force her up into a seated position. If successful than Minami would then grab Sanae's arms and force them back before bringing her legs up and over the girl's arms, locking her feet behind Sanae's head for a lotus lock!

Spoiler

[CaptainL]

It was as much a taunt as it was an attack. Sanae knew the Boston Crab would wear down at Minami's legs and spine - and if those were weak, it would only hinder her when she had to withstand later and greater holds. That would work just as well toward the aspiring idol's purposes, but what made it all the more special was how much she knew Minami was going to be frustrated that she had found herself in this predicament. Not just that she was having such difficulty against a rookie wrestler who she had underestimated from the moment she lay eyes on her, but also that she was struggling this much in one of the most basic holds in all of wrestling, despite how much experience she had on Sanae in the discipline of submissions alone. Minami had done nothing but lord over Sanae, holding herself as being so high and mighty and looking down on the girl for even thinking she had a chance of being in the same promotion as she was - and now, Sanae was eager to make her eat her words.

Even after Minami inevitably shook her off, and even when she winced and huffed, wracked by the aches going through her body, Sanae still smirked when she lifted her head to see the storied Wrestle Angels veteran, now doubled over and panting like a dog. Her composure had been broken, and her comeuppance was at hand. But Sanae couldn't underestimate what Minami could and would do to her, either. She was no less dangerous when she was this winded as she was at full strength - and Sanae needed to keep it up if she wanted her to stay down.

She belted straight toward Minami, prepared to hit her while she was down. Her heart only beat faster with a surge of adrenaline when she looked up to see that the veteran had hardly budged - it seemed she was rooted right where she had fallen, with no choice but take the blow head-on. But her confidence was misplaced. Minami was waiting for just the right moment - and that came as soon as Sanae's boots left the mat. The green-haired girl threw herself forward, extending her leg to drop it across Minami's chest. But just as her battle cry reached a crescendo, it turned to a scream of panic - Minami had grabbed her by the head, throwing her to her back! In those few fateful seconds, her fortunes had reversed!

Sanae landed with a thud, hitting the mat hard enough to send her legs kicking up in the air. She grabbed at her head, trying to rub the aches out of it, and she rolled to her side. But she was still in a daze, and as long as she was, Minami would be able to do what she did best. Suddenly, she got behind Sanae and grabbed her by the shoulders. The green-haired girl let out a gasp when she found herself dragged upward. It hit her, suddenly, that Minami now had all the motivation in the world to drag out her suffering. And when she realized that, she was reminded of how terrified she truly was.

Sure enough, Minami's submission expertise would shine here. Her legs kicked up, hooking over Sanae's arms, and when she locked her ankles together, Sanae could suddenly feel the pressure bearing down against her back and shoulders! She threw her head back with a scream, tears of pain forming in her eyes as she began to hopelessly wriggle back and forth in order to try and pull free. But she could hardly budge, and any movements she made only caused another wave of pain to shoot through her spine, causing her to sink back with a moan. As Sanae was about to find out, Minami had more than earned her reputation!

[Bare]

The match had gone far longer and far worse than Minami ever wanted or expected. Sanae getting so much offense against her, humiliating her, using her own moves against her. It was beyond infuriating, and the wrestle angels veteran would be damn sure to make Sanae pay for it all with interest. First though she had to remind her young opponent, as well as this audience of buffoons just who the hell she was and why she was to be feared and respected.

Starting off by countering Sanae's offense and bringing her down with a slingblade Minami was in excellent position to do just that as she expertly bent and forced Sanae into a brutal lotus lock! Wrenching on Sanae's shoulders it took no genius to figure out what Minami's game plan was, targeting Sanae's arms and damaging them, no doubt as set up for Venus Di Milo, and it was true because Minami had something else planned to further weaken Sanae's arms.

Reaching up and grabbing the girl's wrists Minami would remove her feet from behind Sanae's neck and there by undoing the lotus lock. However that wouldn't mean freedom for Sanae. Instead Minami would plant her feet square between Sanae's shoulder blades. As she did so Minami would roll further onto her back, moving her legs up and extending them, aiming to lift Sanae's body off the mat to the full height her legs could reach, dangling the aspiring idol's body while holding her arms back to stretch them out as much as possible in a elevated surfboard stretch!

Spoiler

[CaptainL]

The success Sanae had shown against Minami had been nothing short of incredible. She was a young rookie up against a master; someone who was less versed in submissions up against one of the top experts in the business, and in a match that specifically targeted those discrepancies. And yet, she had actually managed to stand up to her foe! Sanae knew she was defying the odds, and the feeling that gave her was intoxicating. It told her that all her belief in herself, and her faith in her abilities, was holding true, even when it was tested by an opponent who could rattle that confidence to its core. However, Sanae's luck couldn't last forever.

Minami had managed to ground the green-haired girl with a slingblade - and anyone who knew anything about Toshimi Minami was well aware that to be on the ground around her meant trouble. With Sanae dazed and defenseless, with nowhere to run to, she was wide open to a plethora of devastating submissions that Minami was well prepared to unleash. And she didn't disappoint from the first on that list - when she locked her legs around Sanae's arms, pulling them back to stretch out her back with the lotus lock!

Sanae could feel every vertebrae along her spine popping and creaking as the muscles in her back were stretched taut, her arms being yanked to the point where she felt they could pop out of their sockets. She had tried to stay defiant in the face of danger and to hold onto the hope that she could win, but even she couldn't help but scream at the sensation of her limbs being ripped asunder. But what was perhaps worse was that Sanae knew Minami wouldn't stop here. She had studied her finisher, the Venus di Milo, and she had already gotten enough sense of its ins and outs to finish off Minami's own student, Hikari Nakano, with it in her last qualifier. If Minami was going to target Sanae's arms, it was all too apparent that she was trying to set up her finisher as soon as possible. Sanae grit her teeth, her brow budding with a cold sweat. Every second she had to stay in the hold was one less she would last in the Venus di Milo - and the mere thought of being subjected to that hold was terrifying!

Sure enough, Minami let Sanae go, letting the aspiring idol drop to a seated position on the mat. Her head was still spinning from the torment she'd endured, and she panted for breath. She was in no position to get back up and escape her predicament - and even when everything around her felt like a blur, Sanae was keenly aware of the fact that meant danger for her. Sanae bit her lip, her body going tense at the thought of what lay in her future. But Minami didn't put Sanae in the Venus di Milo. She went for another hold instead - one that was just as agonizing!

Minami grabbed for Sanae's arms and planted her foot against her back, dragging her up into the air as she hoisted off the mat - where her foot became a fulcrum to exert all the force against the girl's spine! Sanae barely had any time to gasp before she found herself high above the canvas, teetering back and forth on Minami's foot. And then, an even louder scream split the air as her back began to fold inward in a painful arc. The lotus lock had already strained Sanae's arms and back - now that Minami was targeting them with even greater force, everything was amplified tenfold, and she didn't know how much she could take!

Sanae tried to escape, wriggling from side to side and struggling to jerk her arms free. She kicked her legs in the air, but nothing could get Minami to budge. The longer this went on, the more her options grew thin, and a panic set into Sanae's mind as she realized just how hopeless she felt. Was this going to be it? Was she going to tap out now, before she had even endured the worst of what Minami could throw at her? It would be a betrayal of all she had set out to do, and all she hoped to accomplish in putting herself through Apex. And yet, Sanae feared she had no choice. Squeezing her eyes shut so as not to have to confront reality, her teeth clenched into a grimace...

But then, Sanae stopped. A thought came to her. Even when her body was wracked with pain, one moment of clarity broke through. One realization hit her, and it was enough to tell her she still had a chance! Minami had her arms caught, and her back was pinned in place. But Sanae still had her legs. If she stood any chance of escaping this hold, she'd have to rely on that fact. But she had an idea!

Sucking in a deep breath, Sanae kicked again with her legs - this time harder than before. She knew it would hurt, with all the strain on her back, but she had to push through - it was the one chance she had! She bucked up her back, hoping she could gather enough momentum to swing herself through the air - where she could throw herself backward in an arc, off of Minami's foot, to land behind her!

[Bare]

Minami was utterly humiliated by Sanae just minutes ago, made to look like a joke, laughed and looked at indecently, and now Minami was going to get her revenge. Starting by tearing at and damaging the girl's arm as much as possible within the time she had control over the girl. Then when Minami was done, she would finish the brat off with her Venus Di Milo, just to make sure the bitch couldn't use her arms for a while.. Hell fi she was lucky Sanae wouldn't be able to use her arms ever again and would have to announce her retirement...

In order to follow through with this ideal Hikari was doing as much damage as possible to the girl's arms with whatever hold she could lock in that targeted the limbs. Right now Minami had Sanae in a elevated surfboard, holding the girl's body aloft with nothing but her legs, showing Sanae's dangling form for the audience while pulling out her arms as viciously as possible while giving small tugs on the girl's arm just to make the pain all the worse. In truth Minami was preparing to drop Sanae down and prepare for her next hold, maybe even transition directly into her finisher Venus Di Milo given the amount of punishment she had already put Sanae's arms through.

Before Minami was able to follow up with this idea though, she was instead met with surprise from the woman instead as Hikari would throw her legs up, lifting herself over Minami's legs in one fluid motion! 'She still had the energy for that?!' Minami thought to herself in shock as Sanae landed behind Minami, the woman still holding onto Sanae's wrists as well from the move! 'Shit!' Minami thought, aiming to let go of Sanae's wrists and sitting up, attempting to dive forward and roll away from her opponent before shooting up to a vertical base a few feet away, ready for whatever Sanae may try to bring!