L.A.W. - League of Anime Wrestling

The "tablet" that Sylva threw Bengal into might not have been made of actual stone, but it was no featherbed. She felt splinters dig into her back, as the wooden surface broke clean in half with an earsplitting crack. Lying in the wreckage, the Tiger felt as if she'd been broken in half too. Here, outside of the pool, the Huntress was able to use her full repertoire of devastating power moves, with no water to cushion her target's landing.

The larger woman seemed to be aware of this, immediately transitioning into her Final Rites finisher. The jungle dissolved into a blur of green and black, as Bengal was lifted onto her opponent's shoulders, then spun dizzyingly in circles. Sylva's long, brown hair streamed out behind her like the tail of a galloping horse, as she turned again and again. The Tiger landed a few palm strikes to the other fighter's head as she struggled, attempting to disrupt her concentration. But the constant rotation made it difficult for her to aim, and her blows glanced right off; she wondered if the Huntress had even felt them. She didn't have time to wonder for long, however, as her opponent slammed her down, racking her spine against the trunk of a fallen tree! Like the tablet, it also snapped in half, with a thunderous report that echoed through the darkened arena.

Bengal lay spread-eagled on her back, eyes half-lidded, pain coursing through her spine like electricity through a live wire. She tried to reach a hand behind herself, to check for any damages, but her limbs were no longer responding to her commands. Suddenly, the shadowy outlines of the trees overhead were blocked out, eclipsed by the larger, darker shadow of Sylva, as the Huntress mounted her quarry for the pin. The referee came crashing clumsily through the brush behind them. Snagged by a patch of vines, it took the official a couple seconds to get into position for the count. A hand slapped down right next to Bengal's head, sending a splash of mud across the Tiger's cheek - yet still, she didn't stir. "One!"

The Indian woman let her eyes drift closed, while the sounds of the jungle washed around her: soft hoots and trills of unknown creatures, moving through the undergrowth. Of course, this wasn't an actual jungle, and everything she was hearing was being piped in through carefully hidden speakers, but it was still soothing nevertheless. It was so tempting to just surrender, to fall asleep, to let this natural lullaby carry her off somewhere else, where the agony in her back and the jeering of the crowd couldn't bother her anymore. The referee's hand came down again. "Two!" Perhaps she'd been foolish, to think that a Tiger could beat a Huntress in the first place. After all, in the conflict between humans and nature, humanity was always destined to win.

But was that really true? Suddenly, Bengal thought back to her childhood, remembering the trips to Sundarbans National Park that she'd always looked forward to. That had been a real forest, not a simulacrum like this, and it was the first place she'd glimpsed wild tigers. She remembered the thrill that had raced through her when their guide pointed out the massive cat, standing on a rise overlooking the mangroves. It had looked so proud, so confident, so absolutely secure in its domain. Even from her faraway vantage point, she could see the fire blazing in its amber eyes. A fire that burned away all doubt and fear, leaving room only for action. If she wanted to prevail against the Huntress, she had to follow that same killer instinct. This wasn't just a wrestling match anymore - it was a primal struggle for survival.

Bengal's eyes sprang open, and a sound halfway between a scream and a roar erupted from her spit-flecked lips. Her whole body seemed to leap upward at once, like water droplets in a hot skillet, breaking the pin at the last possible instant. "No Fall! Two-count!" the referee declared. Privately, the official wondered if they'd been too slow to start the count, but there was no time to worry about that now. The Tiger had already kipped to her feet, moving with an agility that was unbelievable after the impact she'd just taken. She crouched low, bracing her heel against a half-buried tree stump, then launched herself toward Sylva with a Spear, aiming to knock the Huntress off her feet!

Sylva was close to winning the match. All that was needed was for the referee to count to three and....

Sylva found herself bouncing up a bit as Bengal managed to break the hold. She was so close to winning and getting back at this witch for daring to bite her and claw and her; therefore drawing blood.

Now, she was starting to feel faint after that sudden shake and as she tried to get back up, she was immediately hit with the spear that Bengal executed. Sylva was slammed into the ground. She attempted to get back up, but she was feeling dizzy...which was weird because normally she wouldn't get like that so soon...unless...the blood she was losing.

Bengal felt her shoulder collide with Sylva’s midsection, as her spear took the Huntress down. Propelled by the same rush of adrenaline that had helped her break the pin, she immediately leaped up to her feet. She let out another ear-shattering roar, so loud that the leaves on the surrounding trees seemed to shake with the reverberation.

Glancing down, she could see her opponent trying to rise alongside her. But the brunette’s head lolled dizzily, and she quickly collapsed back to the floor, leaving behind a crimson streak from the wounds on her neck and back. Bengal quickly put two and two together. Sylva was losing blood, leaving her slowed and disoriented. This was her chance to do some serious damage.

“Awww, what’s the matter, Hunt-Less? Feeling a bit lightheaded?” Bengal crooned, bending down to grab the other woman’s wrists. “Here…let me help you with that!” She yanked Sylva toward her, at the same moment that she thrust her knee up, smashing the Huntress across the jaw with a Kamigoye! If the knee strike was successful, it would put the larger woman in a perfect position for her Blaze Barrage finisher - but with an opponent as strong and agile as the Huntress, Bengal knew that she couldn’t take anything for granted.

Kamigoye

Sylva was so dazed and dizzy that she was getting slobby in her reactions. This meant that she was unable to respond to Bengal; and not even able to make any retorts. She could only feel Bengal yank her her up and smash her back down with a Kamigoye. The strike was successful and Sylva was left lying on the ground, being very unresponsive.

She could barely move. There was some more blood that came out from her as she laid down, at the mercy of whatever Bengal's upcoming finisher move.

The Kamigoye connected, sending a jolt through Bengal's leg, and leaving another bloodstain splattered across her striped kneepad. Looking down at her fallen opponent, she could see that Sylva was teetering on the verge of unconsciousness. But the Tiger didn't go for a pin yet. Instead, she yanked the other woman up by her wrists yet again, then threw her roughly against the trunk of a standing tree, slamming the Huntress' back into the bark.

"You wanted to see my claws earlier, right?" Bengal leered, holding up both hands in mock surrender. "But I don't think you saw everything...let me give you another look!" Sylva had already begun to tip forward as she spoke, unsteady on her feet. But the Tiger suddenly slashed her across the chest, knocking her back. It was the opening blow of her infamous Blaze Barrage! A rapid-fire salvo of claw swipes, palm strikes, and punches followed, keeping her opponent pinned against the trunk with their furious momentum. Leaves rained down from overhead, as the tree trunk shook from the repeated impacts.

The unfortunate Huntress was suffering damage from every angle at once. Bengal's sharpened nails ripped at her leather bodice and scratched her vulnerable face, while the rough bark of the tree tore at her already-wounded back. The Tiger finished her lethal striking combination with a kick to Sylva’s gut, so hard that it fractured the trunk of the tree behind her. With a low groan, the forest giant keeled backward, toppling to the arena floor with an earthshaking thud. The Huntress collapsed alongside it, dropping limply to the ground at Bengal’s feet.

The Tiger could hear gasps and shouts from the stands. The large tree falling had knocked down several others, creating a clearing where the fans could get a better view of the action. Bengal smirked, reveling in their shock and disappointment, as she turned Sylva over with the toe of her boot. Then she stomped down on the Huntress’ chest, grinding her heel deep between her opponent’s breasts, smearing dirt into her many cuts and scratches. The fans were outright booing now, but Bengal let out another mighty roar to drown them out. She didn’t even hear the referee begin to count: “ONE!”

Spoiler

At this point, Sylva could do little to react. In fact, it might have hard to say if she was even aware now of what was going on, as she had been slashed by Bengal's "Blaze Barrage". From getting slashed to a gut wrenching kick that knocked her flat out and all she could feel was the rumbling of the 'trees' falling around her. She laid there, motionless on the ground (and unable to hear much of the outside world) as Bengal claimed her prize and the referee began to count.

"ONE!"

.....

"TWO!"

.....

"THREE!"

The bell soon rang, signalling the end of the match and declaring Bengal as the winner.

DING-DING! The match might have begun with a roar, but it ended with the standard ringing of the bell, perhaps to signal a return to normalcy. After all, this "jungle" was just a painstakingly-decorated arena, and all the unique features Bengal had taken advantage of would be removed before the next LAW event, as if they'd never existed. Even now, the overhead lights were being raised back up, and the long shadows under the transplanted trees were disappearing.

Despite that, Bengal knew that she'd scored a major victory here tonight. The "LAW of the Jungle" stipulation might be temporary, but the pride of besting a strong opponent like Sylva was something that would never fade. She wanted to leave the same kind of indelible mark on the other woman. Bending down, she seized the Huntress by her long ponytail, yanked her into a sitting position, then squatted on top of her, whispering viciously into her ear:

"I'm not gonna say, The Hunter becomes the hunted...that's cliché as hell. And besides, you never had a chance of bringing me down," she hissed, a maniacal grin spreading across her dirt-stained face. "This is just to remind everyone who's at the top of the food chain!"

Still no response from Sylva. Bengal tried for one last barb, just to twist the knife. "You know what's really sad? The only reason I accepted this match? I mistook you for your sister. Now, that would have been a real hunt...too bad I got you instead!" She released her grip, letting her opponent fall back onto the muddy floor with a wet splat.

None of what she'd just said was true, of course. Bengal had known perfectly well who she was facing in tonight's contest, and she'd been pushed to her absolute limits during the fight. She simply wanted to humble the Huntress, to break her pride. And if her words were enough to provoke a subsequent appearance from Candice "Fang" Lewis? Well, like any wildcat, the Tiger was always on the lookout for her next meal...

Winner by Pinfall: Bengal