L.A.W. - League of Anime Wrestling

Alizeh wouldn't be the only one surprised by how well Sanae was doing. The fans were just as shocked to see a rookie like her, and one who had never been the strongest with submissions, putting an expert like Alizeh in her place, seemingly with ease. And so too was Sanae herself. With every gasp and groan she took as she tried to fill her lungs back up with air, even as her arms felt sore and her whole body tingled with the aches of her effort, the aspiring idol could only look on at her handiwork with wide eyes. She had been nervous, going into this match. She didn't know if she had it in her to succeed. But no matter what she was up against, no matter how daunting the task...Sanae was at least going to try, and when she tried, she tried her best! She wanted everyone to know that she was here to stay, and to make a lasting impresson with each match she entered. And now, when she had been challenged to Apex - to aim for even a chance of proving herself as the number-one competitor in all of LAW, and all the fame and fortune that could bring - Sanae was given the extra push she needed to succeed. Nothing could go wrong now - she wouldn't let it, not when there was this much on the line!

Now, Sanae stood on the middle rope, pressing down on it with her feet and causing the cable to bend beneath her weight. With her face red and her brow damp with sweat, she bent over the top rope, gasping for air. Her shoulders shuddered from bearing Alizeh's full weight on them; even breathing too hard caused her to let out a soft yelp as the motion of her muscles moving in and out sent a jolt down her spine. But when she looked down and saw Alizeh motionless in the ring, she knew she couldn't let things stop there. Alizeh was down, and she was on the ropes, ready to line up her next move. Sanae had all but been handed the opportunity she needed on a silver platter, and all she needed now was to reach out and take it. And for Sanae...if she was going to do that, she had to be sure it landed with a bang!

Suddenly, Sanae forced herself back up straight, pointing her head to the sky. Her body shook and her back creaked as she lifted herself higher, but fueled by the adrenaline rush she could only get from a success like this, she wouldn't let anything stop her! She belted out a battle cry - a roar of excitement, of defiance, of a refusal to bow to the odds, and one that was mirrored with a cheer from all the fans who rallied at her side! With that, Sanae sprung off the ropes once again, this time going to crash down on Alizeh with a diving crossbody, as she moved to drive her side down against the middleweight's chest!

That wasn't going to be the end for Sanae, though. Even as she lay on top of Alizeh, panting for breath, she still knew she needed to make a move. This wasn't just any match, this was a submission match - and she was still going to need to take a shot at forcing Alizeh to submit if she wanted to win! Her thoughts flashed back to all the compromising positions Alizeh had put her in, leaving the cameras focused in on the intimate parts of her body. A blush came to her face at the thought. She knew, of course, that a friend like Alizeh wouldn't do that to her maliciously, and that she was only trying to bring Sanae's true potential to the forefront. But if Sanae wanted to prove that she could rise to that challenge...she would take the fight to Alizeh!

Sanae began to push herself back up, taking a few breaths as her shoulders rose off the mat. But then she kicked out with her legs, scissoring them around one of Alizeh's legs - and taking the other with her arms! It was similar to her previous setup with the banana split - but then, she would roll over, attempting to pull Alizeh's legs over her body to perform a spladle! If it worked, Alizeh would be left folded over, her groin pointed to the air and her lungs compressed by her own body weight for a hold as crushing as it was humiliating!

Spoiler

Alizeh groaned in pain softly as she laid on the mat after the surprising toss off of Sanae's shoulders whilst on the top rope. Combining that with the pain that she was already in from the match as a whole and it all compounded into one debilitating lump that made it hard for her to focus, let alone get up and find some way to counter whatever Sanae had in mind next. Speaking of which... Alizeh wouldn't exactly have the time to worry much about it since in a matter of moments the girl would release a battle cry that even roused Alizeh from her daze as she focused on Sanae and her roar. Surprise was written all over Alizeh's pain etched face before a soft smile of pride stretched across her face at seeing the effort and dedication Sanae was showing...

Though it would soon be forgotten about once Sanae actually leaped off the corner, taking flight through the air as Alizeh realized almost immediately there would be nothing she could do as Sanae came crashing down on her body with a massive crossbody that drove all the air she had left in her lungs! "Gahhhh!" Alizeh cried out in pain as her legs shot up from the impact before dropping down to the mat in pain, her body falling as well as Alizeh started to dry heave from the total lock of air and crushing force that had laid into her and was still pressing down on her sternum.

After a moment or two Sanae's body would at least leave Alizeh's own, leaving her to cough and sputter after having at least a marginal form of relief happen for her but it wouldn't last long. Feeling her legs grabbed between Sanae's own and her hands Alizeh's immediate thought was that Sanae was going to go for another banana split hold. 'But why when I already broke out of that once? Let alone its not like Sanae to try repeating moves.' The older green haired girl thought to herself, racking her brain as to why Sanae would go for such a move when Alizeh was so vulnerable that she could undoubtedly lock in an entirely knew and possibly more complicated one instead.

But Alizeh would soon get her answer once Sanae went into action. Rather than force her legs apart in a more traditional split, the girl rolled backwards, forcing Alizeh's body to curl up painfully, especially in her current state. Worse yet thought was the position Alizeh would be left in when the hold was complete, with her ass hanging right up in the air along with her groin sticking out quite nicely for the fans to whoop and cheer over rather ecstatically at seeing the tanned girl in such a position. "NGHHH!"Alizeh yelled out muffled by her own legs! Grunting and groaning Alizeh would close her eyes, focusing on how she could escape her current predicament rather than worry about the humiliation factor, though it most certainly was a factor. Either way Alizeh had to think quick, lest she let Sanae have her way with her all together. 'Not happening.' Alizeh thought to herself, refusing to bend so easily. As luck would have it thought Alizeh at least had one advantage, that being that her arms were free, and granted both didn't exactly have a lot of mobility with the position Sanae had her in but there was at least one thing Alizeh would be able to do.

Forcing one of her arms up by pressing her palm against the mat Alizeh would grunt and groan in pain as she forced it closer to her and where Sanae was, until finally Alizeh's fingers brushed against Sanae's hair. 'There!' Alizeh thought to herself as like a cobra Alizeh aimed to have her arm snap around the girl's throat to lock in as close as she could get to a dragon sleeper! Alizeh would deal with the pain and shame of this hold, if nothing else for as long as it took to choke Sanae out!

When it had been announced that Sanae would be taking on Alizeh Midori in a submission match, the aspiring idol had only had so much time to prepare. She knew that to even come close to Alizeh's level with submissions should have, by all means, required a considerable amount of time training, and that was time she simply didn't have at her disposal. But when she couldn't train...Sanae would improvise. She couldn't risk falling behind now, and not just losing her chance to succeed, to show the world how far she had come and how much more was on the horizon, but showing anyone who doubted her exactly what they wanted to see in the process. She had to be better than that!

With a thump, Sanae came down across Alizeh, the ring shaking beneath her impact as her body struck her foe's. That knocked Alizeh against the mat, keeping her rattled for just a few seconds longer, and those were a few seconds the aspiring idol could use to her advantage. Sanae had already seen that the banana split she'd used against Alizeh had been effective - but still, it hadn't been quite enough to take the middleweight out of action. If that was the case, Sanae just had to take what had worked and go a step beyond, setting up the same position, but rolling over Alizeh to fold her over her own body instead!

Now, Sanae was basking in the adulation of the crowd as they cheered and snapped photos. Her grin spread wider and wider over her face, thinking of how many people were watching her, and how many people were counting on her! This was exactly what she had wanted, all this time, and what she strove toward with her pursuit of a career in wrestling. She could feel Alizeh writhing underneath her, but she could never quite get as far as unseating her position. Each time she bucked up her hips, it would only cause her thighs and ass to shake as Sanae squeezed her legs tighter to hold her still. The clock was ticking, and Alizeh wasn't getting any looser than she was before. Now Sanae's heart quickened in her chest - she just might be that much closer to winning the match!

But if there was one thing Alizeh knew, it was how to set up a submission at just about any position on the mat. Sanae had convinced herself that it was hopeless for the middleweight to ever escape from her predicament. But a technical expert like Alizeh had plenty of tricks up her sleeve, and even when she was literally folded in half, she knew there was a way she could take control! Lost in her excitement, Sanae had no idea what Alizeh was planning up until she felt her fingers brush through her hair. At that point, she began to glance back out of the corner of her eye, confused - right before Alizeh's arm swung into place across her throat, catching her in a dragon sleeper!

Sanae's eyes went wide with shock, and her jaw dropped into a gasp that was quickly stifled by the pressure coming down around her trachea. She gagged and hissed, trying desperately to shake her head in some gesture of defiance, but even with Alizeh in as awkward a position as she was, she was holding on tight! More than that, though, Sanae's shock wasn't just at having her airways clamped off, but at the fact that Alizeh was even capable of this to begin with! Truly, she was made of tougher stuff than Sanae was used to dealing with. And even as she tried her best to hang on, out of sheer desperation, the more Alizeh held down on her throat, the more her vision began to swim and blur, and the more her body felt heavy. Though she grit her teeth, trying to hold firm, her grasp began to slip accordingly, and Alizeh would feel the pressure ease.

Going into this match Alizeh had absolutely zero hesitation about what it meant for both her and Sanae. Not just this being their rematch after their first intense bout, but this being an Apex qualifier and impacting their standing as potential contenders.. it was a definite influence going into it. As a result Alizeh wasn't going easy on Sanae. No helpful tips or tricks, no whispered words of encouragement, nothing short of the pride that came with seeing Sanae do as well as she had so far and then some. Honestly given the match type being submissions only Alizeh almost would have expected this to be easy, had it been anyone but Sanae at least, but obviously that wasn't to be the case here.

Despite a early lead in the match Sanae came back with a vengeance, and rather than just do the simple holds that Alizeh knew Sanae was capable of, the aspiring idol had even taken it a step further to perform moves that Alizeh had on Sanae earlier! Not only showing her resiliency but how quick she was at picking things up in bouts such as these. As such Alizeh found herself twisted and torqued in more ways than one, and very few of them being the ways she had expected to be when going into this match.

But that just spoke to how deep Sanae's well of talent went and how capable she could be when push came to shove. Thanks to that insane resiliency and stamina of Sanae the girl found herself not only weathering the Emerald Storm, but taking the older and more experienced woman for a ride. So far what would undoubtedly go down as a highlight of the match would be Sanae lifting Alizeh up on her shoulders, climbing the outside of the corner and then tossing Alizeh back in the ring in a heap before topping it all of with a flying crossbody. All after being tortured in a tarantula hold on top of it all no less. It was an incredible display and comeback for Sanae that had definitely impressed the judges and fans alike.

Though what some would like even more than the comeback was how Sanae chose to press the advantage. Not just by locking Alizhe in another submission, but a rather... showing one that accentuated and made Alizeh groin and ass stick out before the fans much to the cheers and whoops of them all at the sight before them. But Alizeh was far from done, nor would she allow this to be her last moments in this match, despite how impossible it may have seemed for her to break out. Cause if anyone could find a way to do so, it would be Alizeh as she reached up, curling an arm around Sanae's neck, pulling back and choking the girl in Alizeh's best effort at locking in a dragon sleeper from her current cumbersome predicament!

Luckily the low key retaliation seemed to be doing its job rather well, choking Sanae out and making it all the more difficult for the girl to focus, let alone on maintaining the submission she had on Alizeh and slowly but surely Alizeh was feeling Sanae's grip loosen by the second. 'Yes there we go!' Alizeh thought to herself, starting to shift and shimmy more, which in turn caused her ass and thighs to jiggle more, but she wasn't one to care. 'That it... there!' With another quick squeeze of Sanae's neck to cause a jerk in the younger green haired girl Alizeh would aim to directly follow it up by kicking her legs out with as much force as she possibly could to break free of Sanae's hold! If she was successful in her endeavor than Alizeh wouldn't maintain the dragon sleeper, rather Alizeh would roll away from Sanae, determined to give herself a moment to rest and recuperate, time she knew, and secretly hoped, Sanae must have needed as well..

Even if she had never been the best when it came to submissions, Sanae was willing to push herself to her limits and beyond if it meant making her impact on the world, and if it meant getting the extra push she needed to succeed in her career. If this match called for her to master technical wrestling on the fly, then she would do it. And even if she was only making her moves off of instinct, letting her impulses guide her in deciding how one hold would flow into the next and how to keep Alizeh under control at every turn, it was still working; the middleweight, who seemed to go into this match with an undeniable advantage, seemed to be on even ground with Sanae, and she had even ended up in trouble more than once!

But for all Sanae was proving herself to be capable of pulling a miracle out of her pocket when she needed it most, when she had to go head to head with a well-practiced master of the game like Alizeh, sooner or later, Alizeh's experience was going to give her the edge. Sanae thought she had her opponent contained, but Alizeh was able to shift her position enough to lock in a dragon sleeper, even if she was practically bent in half in doing so! It shocked her that she even had the strength in her to do so, but she didn't have much time to ponder that. Now, as Alizeh had her arm thrown around Sanae's throat, and as she held down the pressure to slowly squeeze the air out of her lungs, the aspiring idol had no choice but to change course. The more Alizeh held on, the more Sanae's body grew slack and heavy, until at last Alizeh had enough room to kick out from under her, rolling aside!

Without Alizeh's body to keep her weight braced, Sanae fell flat onto her face. The fatigue had all caught up to her, and she dropped to the canvas with her arms and legs splayed in all directions, like a marionette that had had its strings cut. She slowly began to take deep breaths, her ribs expanding and contracting as she drew air back into her lungs. As her strength returned to her, she braced herself with one hand against the mat to prop her up, while the other hand reached behind her to rub at the aches and pains in her back that sprung back to life. Now that the action had stopped, she had time to think - and time to remember how much she was forcing her body past its limits just to stand up to Alizeh. She'd taken quite a bit of punishment, some of which had been at her own hands. But even if it hurt...she still needed to keep fighting, if it meant making it onto Apex!

Slowly but surely, Sanae managed to get her feet underneath her. The soles of her boots pressed against the mat; then, on wobbly legs, she forced herself back up inch by inch. Her teeth were clenched in a grimace as she tried to withstand the pain - but even then, she took one step forward, and then another, bringing each foot ahead of the other one by one. The crowd let out a cheer at the sight of it - Sanae was back in action! She wasn't going to do anything too rash right away, and she needed time to recuperate - but even while she caught her breath and let the aches die down, she was still making a statement with everything she did, holding her arms up to offer Alizeh a test of strength!

Alizeh panted tiredly as she rubbed some of the feeling back into her legs, the limbs having gone numb due to the length of time she had been locked in that leg targeting submission of Sanae's. 'Damn it.' Alizeh thought to herself as she sucked some air in through her teeth before gritting them and reaching up to grab hold of the rope. Despite this not going quite as long as their first bout it almost didn't need too. Both Alizeh and Sanae had improved dramatically since then, iron sharpens iron as the saying went, as a result there was far less room for breathing or recovery, and with the condition of this bout being submissions only, it meant both would be burning through stamina faster than normal.

In the end however, that just meant that they were getting to a point in the match where things would boil down to who made the first mistake, who could get control and keep it long enough to apply pressure. Alizeh's experience and greater technical knowledge could very well allow her to do this. On the other hand however Sanae's sheer tenacity and drive to win was in a rare instance greater than Alizeh's own and could very well overwhelm Alizeh if she wasn't careful. These were the factors at play and Alizeh had to weigh each and every one of them as she used the ropes to haul herself up to her feet until she was back into a standing position.

Turning to face Sanae the tanned woman would see Sanae had also just managed to get back to her feet as well, and seemed to be in a state quite similar to Alizeh's own. Despite the haggard appearance of both women and the overall lull in action to this point however the fans were still very much invested in the match. In fact many were already on their feet or at least on the edge of their seat, cheering and chanting for who they wanted to win, a statistic do divided that the sounds all merged together into what seemed like a single continuous battle cry for both the wrestlers in the ring right now.

A battle cry that only deepened when Sanae raised her arms in a invitation that didn't need any explanation behind. "Heh..." Smirking softly as she saw the test of strength behind offered by her opponent Alizeh would start to walk forward, gingerly at first given the state her legs were in, but steady and continuously until she was face to face with Sanae. "Guess it only makes sense to start the last act like this." Alizeh said jokingly as she reached up, grabbing a tight hold of one of Sanae's hands before doing the same with Sanae's other. "Ready..." Alizeh said as she slowly tensed her muscles preparing for this. "Set..." A single look into Sanae's eyes was all the rest Alizeh offered before.. "Go!" With that Alizeh pushed forward, mashing her and Sanae's chests together as she pushed against the girl in the test of strength!

Alizeh moved stiffly, still trying to work the aches out of her legs after the pain had set in. Sanae did, too. As she put one foot down in front of the other, she sucked in a breath through clenched teeth, the veins in her neck bulging as she braced herself against the shudder going up her spine. When both women were this determined to win, and both were willing to bring forth the utmost of their submission skills for this match, the back and forth of the action had taken its toll on both their bodies. And yet, Sanae wouldn't let that hold her back. As the pain died down, she still looked up, locking her eyes on Alizeh, as her brows narrowed into a determined glare.

There was no running away, she told herself, and no holding back. Even if she and Alizeh were friends...she needed to do whatever she could to win this match, even if it meant going hard on her. There was no other option she'd accept. If she lost, there would still be opportunities for her to make it to Apex - but that meant nothing to her here and now. She had to win this match, just by virtue of it being her second match against Alizeh, and a testament to how far the two of them had come since they last faced each other. If she couldn't do her best, if she couldn't surpass her friend now, then she would all but prove she had no hope of pursuing a triumphant future. She couldn't accept that!

At last, Alizeh and Sanae were eye to eye. Sanae panted, her shoulders heaving up and down, but she still kept her attention focused in on her opponent. Both of them knew that with the state they were in, the match couldn't possibly go on much longer. But both of them were prepared to bring such a battle to a conclusion that could only suit the epic war it had been, and prove every bit of their strength in doing so. Sanae nodded her head, accepting the challenge. And, in between haggard breaths, she said a few words of her own. "Then...it's all down to this, huh? So may the best woman win..."

With each word Alizeh called out, Sanae could feel her heart thumping faster. At the first, she raised her hands, moving them closer. At the second, she bent at the knees. And, at the third, she threw herself forward, shoving herself in Alizeh's direction with all her might! Her fingers laced tightly around Alizeh's own, holding on as though for dear life, as she rammed her chest and shoulders against the middleweight's as forcefully as she could to close the distance further. Her eyes squeezed shut and her teeth clenched as her knuckles went white from the force of her grip. Alizeh had the obvious size advantage in this contest - but Sanae wasn't going to let that hold her back, and she wanted to demonstrate that to everyone watching!

Alizeh knew that with the damage and strain both she and Sanae had taken over the course of the match that both were near their limits. A test of strength at this point in time would mean that whoever got the advantage could very well take the rest of this match. It would all come down to how each woman played things going forward. Locking hands and meeting gazes neither green haired girl was even close to backing down, nor discrediting how important this moment in the bout was, each knowing this was the turning point in their match.

Hearing Sanae's words before they started though Alizeh would offer a small, imperceptible grin to the girl. "Yeah I'm sure she will." Alizeh said with a nod before both women began pushing, muscles straining, sweat glistened bodies doubling down and seizing up. The shine and glisten across their bodies adding to the overall atmosphere and image of the two clashing beauties as they pushed and jockeyed against one another, doing everything in their power to turn the conflict in their favor.

"Grrr gah!" Grunting and groaning as she pushed and jockeyed against the smaller girl Alizeh was doing her best to cement her position against Sanae, trying to do make use of her greater height to pull this off. But no matter how hard she pushed or loomed over the aspiring idol nothing seemed to do the trick as far as overwhelming Sanae. Worse yet, constantly pushing down on Sanae at an angle was definitely starting to get to her, especially considering the damage she had take to her legs and chest, her breathing quickly getting hitched and leaving her while pushing down on Sanae while her legs started to buckle.

Eventually Alizeh's groaning would get deeper and deeper before she couldn't loom over Sanae as much anymore, even finding herself forced back, eventually even having to step backwards. One step, then another, the muscles in her legs and arms visibly shaking from the strain of what she was putting herself through. The result of this contest of strength seemingly getting more and more obvious as Sanae began to press Alizeh further and further, the aspiring idol seemingly being in position to take this advantage if she could push Alizeh over the edge!

When Alizeh and Sanae went head to head in a test of strength, no one could have expected that it would be Sanae who would take control. She was smaller, lighter, shorter, and less experienced; even her cheerful disposition and winning smile stood in contrast to Alizeh's firmer and more competitive demeanor, and when placed side by side looked out of place in the ring. But what Sanae had on her side was determination. She knew what she was fighting for - this was her chance to secure her own good name, and ensure that she could stand proud among the ranks of LAW's finest, with a chance to win the Openweight Title! And when a prize so great was on the line, Sanae didn't care about the fact she was outmatched. In fact, being outmatched meant nothing to her! She wanted to show the world she belonged in Apex, and she would use every move she made as a means of doing so!

Gritting her teeth, she began to lean in closer against Alizeh, forcing her back little by little. She bent further at the waist, her shoulders pressing into Alizeh's as her chest mushroomed against the middleweght's own. Pressed in as close as they were, they could feel every breath they took against each other's skin. Sweat was running down Sanae's brow, and every so often a shudder ran through her body, sending her muscles twitching and trembling, as she was reminded of the aches in her back thanks to how she had lifted her larger opponent onto her shoulders. But she couldn't stop now. She knew she was this close - and, as Sanae saw Alizeh's knees buckle and her feet go stumbling back, her eyes went wider, and she sucked in a gasp of surprise. But it was a gasp that soon turned to a beaming grin, when she thought about what it meant. This shouldn't have happened. And yet, Sanae was beating the odds! That was proof enough!

The crowd started to cheer even louder at Sanae's comeback, which seemed all the more thrilling when they knew what she was up against! At the sound of their praise, the aspiring idol's heart beat faster, and she stood a little straighter. She was all the more emboldened to do it for them - but more to the point, the fact that she was able to steer Alizeh backward was proof that the middleweight wasn't invincible. Sanae had found an advantage - and if she'd done this much already, then maybe she could do even more!

Sanae never would have even considered it possible otherwise. But in a match like this, when the limits of what she thought possible were being tested, she saw no reason not to try! With a determined look on her face, she took a step forward, closing in on Alizeh as she stumbled back. Then, she leaned in close to throw her arms around Alizeh's waist - and attempted to scoop her feet off the ground, lifting her up into a bear hug as her arms squeezed tight around hr sides! Once again, everyone gasped. The fact that Sanae could put out such power moves against someone larger than she was felt absurd, and yet, that was exactly what was happening!

Alizeh knew she was in trouble the moment she started to get pushed backwards by Sanae. Despite Sanae's sweet appearance and personality, the girl knew when a opportunity was present and how to act on it... partially because Alizeh had hammered such behavior into her. Only a fool would let an opportunity of any kind slip away from them when in such a desperate situation as the one Sanae and Alizeh were in right now. If the shoes were reversed Alizhe absolutely wouldn't hesitate to act on a opening like a shark would to blood in the water.

Which is why she didn't take it personally Sanae snatched Alizeh up with a tight bear hug that quickly and severely damaged her already sore sides and torso with the crushing force of Sanae's surprisingly strong arms! 'Damn... I can't stay like... this for long!' Alizeh thought to herself with pain etched on her face, teeth gritting with effort as she was progressively squeezed with more and more force by Sanae. Luckily, with the way that Sanae had locked this hold in it left Alizeh's arms free, meaning escape wouldn't be too difficult. All she would have to do is manage the pain she was in, something Alizeh could do in her sleep.

"Grah!" Roaring in a mix of pain and determination Alizeh would swing her arm around, aiming to bash her elbow into the back of Sanae's head. Something that she would continue to do over and over and over again, trying to force Sanae to let go with the elbows! Should this work and Sanae dropped Alizeh then the older green haired girl knew she would have to act fast. Right now, both she and Sanae were sharks, whoever struck first and true would win this bout, but Sanae needed to be softened up more before she went for the kill.

So assuming she managed to get free of Sanae's crushing bearhug Alizeh would aim to grab hold of Sanae by the arm before turning and pivoting her hips, attempting to send Sanae running at the ropes! Should this work Alizeh would wait for Sanae to rebound off the ropes before dashing to meet Sanae halfway, looking to catch the girl mid run and leap back, trying to use Sanae's momentum to land a high velocity spanish fly on her!