Nikki Lane vs. Mizuki Sakura: Debut Against a Jobber

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Nikki had actually managed to put herself into a sticky spot when she applied an abdominal stretch. The abdominal stretch is a move that leaves the attacker with a free hand, and Nikki wasn't quite sure what to do with it. She couldn't do nothing with it, because that could raise suspicion. She didn't want to grope Mizuki either, so she ended up targeting Mizuki abs further with a couple of loud smacks that seemed stronger than they were before attempting to transition to something else.

Nikki would release the hold, then attempt to grab Mizuki by her thigh and her back. Then she would simply lift her up over her head and parade Mizuki around the ring in a show of strength and dominance.

[CaptainL]

Whether or not Nikki had done anything with her free hand, Mizuki was having a hard time enough as it were when it came to the abdominal stretch. Her upper body has bent to the side, almost parallel to the mat now, and her back trembled under the strain. She clenched her teeth, shuddering as she tried to ride it out. It could've been a lot worse, she reminded herself. Nikki could have actually been trying to hurt her. And at least she would help make the move look even more impactful - something Mizuki was keen to play up, as she clenched her teeth and moaned as though in pain.

But Nikki was going to find a way to use that hand nonetheless. The first time Nikki threw a slap at her stomach, it caught Mizuki off guard; she was too focused on the abdominal stretch to see it coming, and she yelped at the sensation of the palm against her midsection. The surprise made it worse than it actually was, though - Nikki had been careful to pull her punches to make sure they wouldn't hurt too badly. But the fact she had cried out made it look even more as though it had actually landed, and when the next strike came, Mizuki knew to give it her best effort. She coughed and gagged, doubling over forward as best she could; it was as though Nikki's slaps were enough to leave her gasping for air!

But then, she was let go. Mizuki went stumbling off on shaky legs, still bent over forward and clutching her gut, when Nikki came up on her from behind, lifting her over her head! A few members of the crowd gasped, and others cheered; it wasn't a sight often seen coming from a lightweight like Nikki, but Mizuki had made it possible. Mizuki, however, let out a scream as she was swept off her feet. She flailed with her arms, her mouth hanging open in a gasp and her eyes wide. "W-Whoah! Hey! Where are you taking me!?" she exclaimed. This was Mizuki's first time being this high up, and that part intimidated her, but she also wanted to make this moment all the more memorable!

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Nikki knew that this match had about run it's course and it was time to end things. More and more of the crowd was calling for a finisher, and Mizuki was really looking to be on her last legs even with Nikki holding back. Nikki planned to throw Mizuki into ropes and have her rebound off back towards her through the air. Nikki would then stomp Mizuki out of the air onto the ground. Then Nikki would drag Mizuki to the center of the ring before making her submit with the Dragon's Coil.

But first, Nikki had to run this by Mizuki as she held her aloft, "I'm going to end it now, submit to my next hold. Don't tap out immediately though." Nikki waited for confirmation from Mizuki, then began the end.

[CaptainL]

Mizuki had been giving her opponent a chance to shine in allowing the match to be continued, and that had certainly worked out well for Nikki. With Mizuki putting her fate in her hands, the blonde had the opportunity to build herself up with even more impressive moves, and now the stage was set for her to end it with a bang! Mizuki trusted Nikki to not be too rough with her, but as she could hear the crowd clamboring for her to end the match, she sucked in a breath and balled her fists tighter at her sides. She could only hope she'd be ready for that...

"Okay...okay. Just...try not to hit too hard..." Even still, there was only so much Mizuki could do to prepare herself for being hurled into the ropes. She let out a yelp as she went bouncing off the ropes, only to land on her face, her legs kicking up at the knees behind her as she lay out flat. As Nikki stomped on her back, she coughed and sputtered, a tremor going through her body as she bucked off the mat. Mizuki was already groaning and sore by the time Nikki was dragging her over to the center of the ring - but there she only had a moment to catch her breath and adjust to the new position before Nikki hauled back on her neck to drag her off the mat before throwing her legs around her waist for the bodyscissor!

"G-GAAAHH!!" Mizuki's eyes went wide, the cameras capturing the look of terror on her face that was mostly by design. She twisted and turned a few times, but Nikki held firm. She wasn't getting out of this any time soon!

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Nikki's Dragon's Coil, which was a Dragon Sleeper modified with a bodyscissor, was one of her most deadly submissions. She locked in the scissor around Mizuki's body and wrapped her armpit around her face, or so it seemed. As always the scissor wasn't as tight as it looked and Nikki made sure to leave a bit of a pocket for Mizuki to breathe.

However, there was a reason Nikki told Mizuki not to immediately tap, because she wanted to ask her something first. "Hey Mizuki, do you want to end it with me going 100% on this hold, and see how long you can hold out before tapping? If you don't, just tap out now. If you're okay with it, don't tap. It's all your choice." Nikki wasn't expecting Mizuki to do it, but she was curious to see if Mizuki had something.

[CaptainL]

Mizuki was thankful that Nikki didn't hold down her finisher as tightly as she could have, but she was still being bent into an unnatural position. She groaned and whined a few times, struggling as though to try and free herself, but it didn't do her much good - Nikki had her locked in tight, and Mizuki, winded from the blows she had taken leading up to this moment, couldn't summon her full strength behind her to get her to so much as budge. Of course, that would just make Nikki's hold look even more devastating - and indeed, the cheers of the crowd showed they were eating things up!

Then, however, Mizuki heard something whispered in her ear, and it was enough to give her pause. Nikki might have been going easy on her up to this point, but now she faced a challenge - to face Nikki at her true power head-on. She gulped at the thought; she had gone into this thinking it would be an easy paycheck and she wouldn't have to worry about anything hurting. Why, then, would she ever agree to taking a real hold if she wouldn't have to? And for that matter, she had no idea what Nikki could do to her. The blonde had left her sore enough as it was; she could only imagine how it could feel when she was really trying.

But...Nikki believed in her, and that stuck with Mizuki. She wouldn't be making this offer if she didn't think Mizuki could make it. The brunette felt something swell in her heart. She couldn't help but feel lackluster compared to Nikki - she was prettier, more popular, and more skilled than she could ever hope to be. That wasn't surprising, given that it was Mizuki's job to make other people look better by comparison - but she was left with a desire to prove herself in Nikki's eyes all the same, to show that she could measure up. If she could last against Nikki's hold at its full power, maybe she could prove she was worthy of her praise!

"Yeah...I'm game," she told Nikki, making up her mind. "S-Show me what...you've really got!" Her voice wavered, but she sucked in a breath to brace herself. She was ready to face the challenge head-on!

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Hearing that, Nikki squeezed with everything she had. She wasn't tired at all, so she was able to truly squeeze at full force. Nikki's thighs bore down on Mizuki's ribcage and her arms tightened like a nutcracker around her skull as her armpit completely smothered Mizuki's nose and mouth. Nikki roared in effort as she continued to pour power into her limbs. She said 100% power, so she was gonna give 100% power.

[CaptainL]

Mizuki didn't know what she expected. She knew that Nikki believed in her, and that she wanted to impress the blonde with a display of endurance worthy of a wrestler more skilled than she was. But when Nikki responded to the challenge...things went about as well as anyone could have anticipated. At once, Mizuki felt her legs crushing her sides, while Nikki hauled back on her head with a spine-bending yank and held off on her airways at the same time! Her eyes went wide, and her screams were muffled into Nikki's armpit as panic took over. Out of pure survival instinct, Mizuki started to throw herself back and forth in place, trying to shake Nikki's hold, but it was hopeless. She was in too good!

Only a few seconds after Nikki had applied the pressure, Mizuki's hand slapped the mat in a panic. She didn't care about looking tough at this point, she just wanted out!

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Nikki felt Mizuki scream and writhe in her grip for what couldn't have been more than five seconds before she started tapping out in a panic. Nikki immediately let Mizuki go as the ref came to pull Nikki off. Nikki waved and celebrated to the crowd a little before coming back to check on Mizuki.

"Are you alright?" Nikki asks as she offers a hand to Mizuki.

[CaptainL]

Even after Nikki had let go, Mizuki could still feel the ache. Her spine and sides felt like they were on fire. The moment she didn't have Nikki's grasp to support her, Mizuki fell flat on her face, coughing and gasping as she flopped on the ring like a dead fish. She tried to draw the air back into her lungs, one hand rubbing at her ribs for a few short seconds before she had to stop as a wince took over her face. It hurt to even move too much.

The physical pain wasn't the worst of it, though. A moment later, as Mizuki looked up, she saw Nikki waving to the crowd that was cheering her name. Mizuki had done everything Nikki needed her to do, and had left her looking strong, capable, and able to take on anyone. But all the same, she let out a sigh as she stared down at the mat below her. Even now, Mizuki couldn't be happy.

The work she had done in helping to build Nikki up had been eclipsed by how painfully aware she was of how few seconds she'd lasted in the Dragon's Coil. She'd only agreed to take it on at full power because she wanted to impress Nikki. She wanted to last to prove to her that she was worthy of her consideration. But she had tapped out almost immediately after it had begun. Even when she'd agreed to throw the match, she was still a failure...

As Nikki came closer to her, Mizuki turned her head up to look at her extended hand, but she let out a sigh and looked back down again. "I'm...sorry," she whispered. "I really thought I could have lasted longer...you're probably ashamed to be in the ring with me now..." She sniffled, averting her gaze. What if Nikki hated her? Mizuki was too afraid to even look her in the eye, should that have been the case.