Mikoto Kusanagi vs. Suzumi Ishikawa: Friendly Foes!

This was it, Suzumi had an official rematch against her former best friend Mikoto. She was dressed in her usual ring attire, and pacing nervously in the back. Mikoto had urged caution and Suzumi initially thought that Mikoto just wanted to see Suzumi retire to get her out of the way so to speak. After an encounter with Chris Morgan of all women Suzumi realized that Mikoto may have just been concerned. Still, Suzumi felt like she still had to prove to everyone that she was still the woman to beat, that she had totally recovered back to her old form.

Tonight was the night she proved it to Mikoto as well. As her music hit the speakers Suzumi came bounding out, blowing kisses to the crowd as they cheered her arrival. Suzumi had been resurgent as of late, with a few wins under her belt since her spar against Mikoto. Suzumi walked around the center of the ring, posing for everyone and playfully shaking her backside as she swayed her hips in an exaggerated manner during her strut about the ring.

She appeared laid back, playful and her usual self but on the inside she was nervous. What if Mikoto was right? What if she simply let Suzumi win before and her comeback was really a farce? Suzumi tried to edge the doubts out of her mind as she awaited Mikoto's arrival.

Ever since their monumental meltdown at the end of what was meant to be a harmless training spar, neither of the fractured friends had attempted to communicate with the other. The former Wrestle Angels maintaining an unsettling radio silence until the day of their fated rematch was finally upon them both.

The second the guitar riffs of her theme blared through the speakers, Miko would confidently stride out from behind the curtains with nary the amount of unbridled enthusiasm as Suzu. In fact it was a stark contrast to her friend's entrance. The priestess remained intensely focused on the ring ahead of her with a nearly unwavering gaze, offering only fleeting glimpses and a seemingly apathetic reaction to the cheering fans at her side. Of course she was always inwardly appreciative of her dedicated fanbase, but at the moment she needed to be intensely focused on the task at hand.

Stepping through the ropes and parting one of her bangs from her vision, Miko took a deep breath and approached the middle of the ring. She was already feeling mixed emotions about seeing her best friend again after such a long time, having so much to say, but opting to keep matters as simple as possible. "...Hi...Suzu. I...see you've become better acquainted with Chris ever since your match with Risako. I...never thought Risako would do...what she did. There was a time I wanted to be just like her..." Miko looked down towards the canvas with a saddened expression before tilting her head back up towards Suzu. "But then again...I never thought you could have taken her to the limit like that. Congratulations on your win, Suzu. I hope you know I mean that... " Miko tersely stated with a sincere tone, folding her arms across her chest and putting up as strong a front as she could muster to hide her own nervousness.

For once, Suzumi was at a loss for words. Mikoto was being her usual self, and didn't seem like she wanted Suzumi to leave the ring for good. "Like thanks. I ah, well... I totally didn't see it coming either, the attack or the win honestly. I guess sometimes people can surprise each other and not in a good way." Suzumi said. Mikoto doubting her surprised her and after meeting up with Chris, Suzumi knew she probably surprised a few people for the worse since her time began in Friction.

"Like, don't hold back this time. If I won before just because ya let me its time to prove that tonight." Suzumi said as she hopped up and down in place. As the bell rang Suzumi bounced forward, reaching out to try to engage Mikoto in a grapple! Suzumi was feeling good and was confident in herself. She had been doing well and wanted to ride that momentum to a victory yet again!

"Yes...I know. You deserve me at my very best, Suzu. But...please try not to be too upset when you finally find the answer you've been looking for." Miko confidently responded before backpedaling into her own corner. The cold truth of the matter being that Miko had indeed held back during their first encounter out of genuine concern for reigniting her friend's leg injury. A judgement that Miko would sorely come to regret since then, the priestess recognizing that her show of pity may have been the cause of what's been festering in Suzu's mind this entire time. Her decision only wounded Suzu's pride and fractured their friendship, so Miko knew the absolute worst thing she could do in this match was repeat her mistake...

After taking a few calming breaths and limbering up her arms, Miko would steadily approach Suzu with her arms extended in the same manner. The priestess seemingly willing to lockup in the hold before ducking to the side before they were within arms reach, using her natural swiftness to end up behind the Tsunami with her arms clenched around Suzu's abs in a waistlock. Bearing down on the waistlock with as much strength she could muster, Miko would attempt to dramatically hoist Suzu a scant few inches off the canvas and twist to her side to hopefully bring Suzu down to her hands and knees with Miko still hugging her tightly.

Suzumi was taken by surprise as Mikoto moved in then got behind her! Before she could react, Suzumi was lift up and brought down landing hard on her hands and knees! Mikoto still had a hold of her and tbis did not bode well to, say the least! Suzumi tried to twist and reach back to grab onto one of Mikoto's legs!

Suzumi knew it wouldn't do much, but she was taken by surprise to the point where teying to limit Mikoto's movement was the best she could try to do!

In the front row of the crowd of this match was Chuang Lingxian, he'd gotten out of work early today. Normally he'd be at his side job, but this was an exception. Why? Because Mikoto was wrestling tonight, so as her boyfriend the young Chinese man wanted to be right there and root her on. He was dressed in a white shirt and blue jeans, a red hoodie and black shoes with a bunch of flowers on his lap. Said flowers had been quickly bought on the way to the arena, with Chuang having bolted full speed to get in on time.

The Priestess had been a very positive influence on the young man, this was shown visibly with his hair having grown into a small ponytail. Miko's legendary hair had been just one of the many things that Chuang found awesome about Ms Kusanagi, her maternal and caring nature had really helped reign in Mr Lingxian when he acted immature rather than put his energy to more constructive things. He'd helped around at the shrine where she lived at the holidays last year when the snow appeared, Chuang had managed to do a snow angel just like in the cartoons too! Sure his time spent in the ring hadn't actually been all that good so far, but Chuang didn't care when he was having such a good time!

Now tonight it seemed Mikoto was fighting Suzumi, Chuang knew the woman. They met at the beach and Chuang had narrowly avoided being put in some fancy hold that Suzu had and no doubt it would have been nasty. He saw the body language between the two, Chuang though simply smiled. He knew that his girlfriend was going to bring her A game tonight, that again was something Chuang loved about her. Though he wondered how Miko was mentally speaking in this match, in spite of his optimism Chuang knew one thing. That going against a friend could be hard to do, but that thought was pushed aside. He knew that she'd be fine, thanks again to that aforementioned nature of his.

"Come on Mikoto! Go for it babe!" the Chinese warrior shouted with his cupped hands, displaying his clear support for his significant other as she battled.

Heaving Suzu up and off of her feet was no small task for the priestess, Mikoto certainly not accustomed to hoisting anyone around like that and groaning in exertion from pulling off the feat. But she hoped that the unorthodox tactics may earn her an edge against someone she's wrestled and trained against countless times. Plus the sooner she could start applying some mat based judo submissions, the sooner she would have Suzu on the ropes.

And her hopes were rewarded when she spotted Suzu reaching behind her to clasp onto her leg, the priestess swiftly abandoning her waistlock to grasp onto the Tsunami's flailing appendage by her wrist. By shifting herself over to seat her backside on Suzu's shoulder and tuck her opponent's head in between her thigh and calf muscle, Miko would attempt to apply a seated fujiwara armbar by yanking her arm upward in the dreaded submission. The priestess fervently hoping to apply it correctly before Suzu could wriggle herself free...

This was not the start Suzumi envisioned at all! She felt Mikoto quickly abandon one hold and catch her in another! Suzumi flopped down on the mat, and was completely locked into the armbar! "AHHHHHH!" Suzumi's scream echoed through the arena as she kicked her legs agains the mat! She couldn't power her way out of this, and her feet were nowhere near the ropes.

Suzumi didn't want to believe she won simply because of pity before. If she lost tonight it would prove that Mikoto was right. Suzumi grit her teeth and did her best to twist to one side, then jerk to the other as hard as she could, forcing the women to roll over and end up much closer to the ropes!

The vast majority of the people in attendance clearly taken aback by the priestess' swiftness and methodical tactics when it came to wrestling Suzu down to the canvas and having her horridly wail in pain from unnaturally contorting her arm. Yet despite all the rumblings at ringside, Miko could still overhear her most ardent fan, Chuang, show his support by continuing to be her most vocal supporter. She offered him a passing glance with a slight blush on her cheeks before tucking her head downward and resuming her armbar submission. She was certainly appreciative to have such a caring boyfriend at her side, but for now her focus needed to be centered on Suzu, and only on her...

Eventually the pair was shuffled right along the canvas until Miko noticed they were within arm's reach of the ropes. Once she noticed out the corner of her eye that a rope break was only a matter of time, Miko would promptly unseat herself from Suzu's shoulder and proceed to climb back to her feet, though with Suzu's tortured arm still in her hands.

"Come on Suzu, I'm only giving you what you wanted..." Miko coldly stated while guiding the Tsunami upward, proceeding to then take them both several steps away from the ropes. Miko intending to curtail any further rope breaks or make Suzu endure the ardous journey back towards them all over again. Once they were mid-ring once more, Miko would turn in place and drape Suzu's arm over her shoulder before tugging her arm forward and feeling Suzu's soft chest rubbing against her back. Attempting to hurl the heftier Tsunami overhead in a fluid over the shoulder judo hip throw would be no easy feat, but by bending her knees and straightening her back with a sharp tugging motion, Miko hoped it would be easier than it looked.

Suzumi was still in pain as Mikoto kept hold of her arm! "The only thing I wanted was to not be washed up and then doubted by the people I trusted..." Suzumi hissed back, quickly followed by a gasp of surprise as well as a shriek of pain as she was tossed over Mikoto's shoulder, landing hard on the mat!

Suzumi writhed on the mat, trying to get back up to her feet. she knew this wasn't going to be easy but Mikoto kicked things off by making her look downright awful. Once she was able Suzumi would move in again and grab Mikoto, trying to grapple with her! She had to show Mikoto that she wouldn't be beaten at her own game!