L.A.W. - League of Anime Wrestling

Why was it her? Why was it now? Out of all the possible outcomes...why was this what everything had led to? Ami questioned herself for what felt like ages during this never-ending moment of slow motion as Bengal narrowly dodged her poorly executed jab, that one mistake of hesitating for such a stupid reason. And yet, Ami couldn't stop her heart from wavering when it counted most. Going from despising this woman to then being paranoid of hitting her in the face? She hated this feeling and what it was doing to her...despite being the better, more experienced fighter in this scenario, she fell victim to the whims of her heart, and now she was paying to price for such a decision, a debt not so easily forgiven...

During that split-second mishap, Bengal managed to push forward where Ami hesitated, slipping past her opponent's stray, misfired jab and leaping toward her for a finishing blow! The Prima Donna's eyes widened in response. She knew what was coming, but she had no answer for it. Time seemingly slowed down, but it was a cruel fate to be left in, as there was nothing that she could do about it.

After one terrible mistake, this match's outcome was sealed for her. Before she knew it, a rush of agonizing pain shot through her jaw as her vision filled with flashes of black and white before everything went completely dark for a moment. Her body shut down for a couple of seconds, a wave of numbness washed over her, before her back hit the cold steel of the cage wall. In that moment, she snapped back to reality as the impact brought her back, but she couldn't move. She could barely even hold her gloves up in front of her as her body was no longer responding to her. Bengal knee strike connected perfectly, leaving the Prima Donna Darling in a dazed trance, unable to stop what came next as her caramel-coffee brown eyes glazed over, her hands slipping lower, her legs wobbling, and her feet unsteady. Her body heaved up and down, trying and failing to draw breath back into her lungs...she was a deer in headlights, and nothing was stopping the Tiger in front of her from finally taking the opportunity to devour its newfound prey.

As Bengal’s knee smashed into Ami’s jaw, the mood of the crowd turned on a dime. Their laughter and taunts were suddenly replaced with shocked gasps and sighs of disappointment. The savage strike had left the Prima Donna out on her feet, and everyone in the arena knew it.

Bengal knew it too. She could tell from her opponent’s glazed eyes and quavering legs that the Prima Donna was no longer a threat. But to the Tiger, the “on her feet” part was all that mattered. As far as she was concerned, as long as Ami remained standing, she was fair game. Besides, she was still craving that headline-worthy finish - and this was her final chance to get it.

As Ami rebounded off the cage and began to teeter forward, Bengal hit her again, swatting the Prima Donna’s chin with a palm strike. The smaller fighter’s head snapped to the side, as a cloud of spittle erupted from her slack-jawed mouth. The impact threw her limp body back, and she sprang off the chain link once again.

This time, the Tiger lashed out with a snap kick, hitting Ami between the legs so hard that her pink and white skirt billowed upward, like the undulating bell of a jellyfish. Next came an elbow to the chest, a knee to the gut - anything Bengal could think of. At this point, with her opponent’s guard shattered, which move she chose wasn’t actually important. What mattered was keeping up the pace, hitting the Prima Donna with so many strikes that she wasn’t even able to fall.

As each blow struck home, the soft grunts and whimpers escaping from Ami were drowned out by the increasingly outraged boos from the stands. Bengal ignored both in equal measure. Apart from the satisfaction of victory, which she’d expected, she also was beginning to enjoy the challenge of maintaining this volley. Somehow, she’d found just the right rhythm to keep the Prima Donna rebounding off the cage wall, without simply knocking her over. It reminded her of playing squash at the snooty sports clubs her parents used to force her to attend, in the vain hope that these other athletic contests would distract her from wrestling. If they’d let me do something like this in squash, I might not have hated it so much, she reflected to herself, smiling as she smacked Ami with another palm strike.

But all good things must come to an end, just like Bengal’s ill-fated squash career. As she drew back her arm once more, the referee rushed in between them, frantically waving their hands. The Tiger’s rhythm was interrupted, and Ami collapsed to the canvas in a heap as the bell rang out. DING-DING!

Bengal threw up her arms triumphantly, fanning her hands toward her face, as if the angry noise from the stands was a delicious aroma wafting into her nose. “WHO’S ____ED UP NOW, HUH?” she bellowed, jerking her thumb over her shoulder towards the fallen Ami. “YOU HEAR ME? WHO’S ____ED UP NOW?!? WHO - ”

But her victorious roar died in her throat as she turned around, getting her first good look at her opponent’s prone body. For the first time, she realized how profound the size difference between them really was. Standing proud with her fists raised, Ami had somehow looked much taller. Now, with her petite body lying crumpled against the cage, it was clear who the underdog in this fight had really been. Bengal suddenly felt extremely self-conscious, remembering her own experiences fighting above her weight class. Despite her smaller size, the Prima Donna had pushed her to the absolute limit. Could she say the same about her own matches against heavyweights? Some, like Ashley Morgan, had beaten her pretty handily - as much as she loathed to admit it.

Yet it wasn’t just the size disadvantage that set Bengal on edge. She was filled with the same guilt she’d felt ten years ago, as she watched the flame from her lighter start to curl and blacken the edges of her family portrait. What is wrong with me? Why do I always have to destroy beautiful things? She’d come into this match wanting to make history. But now, she felt like tonight’s fight would be better off forgotten. She barely even reacted as the referee lifted her arm into the air and declared her the winner by knockout. As soon as the official let go of her wrist, Bengal clambered over the chain link and quickly exited the arena, trying her best not to look at Ami.

Winner by Knockout: Bengal