Debut! Masuyo Ai vs Valley Doll

From her downed state, Masuyo managed to make Valley’s figure out from the corner of her eye. She noticed her stopping to take a breath against the mat. Honestly, she was glad to see that. It gave her a little confidence If she managed a counter, it wouldn't be in vain. She was still in this match. Her victory was in plain sight. All she had to do was reach out and grab it.

As she climbed up to the ropes, Masuyo remained kept laying still on the ground. She was just managing to get used to the pain. Her glassy eyes trailed over to the champion as they both prepared to make their moves. It was difficult to tell exactly what the woman was intending. Was she going to climb through and pin her? Jump off the ropes again? Slide under and kick Masuyo away towards the center?

She was close. So close. Possibility after possibility raced through her mind. Her chest heaved up and down arduously. Her body tensed and her heart pounded against the anticipation. All she could do was ponder and ponder. What can I do? What can I do?

Her mind settled on what was best. Just muddle through, worry about the rest later.

When she saw her opponent leap, she made the gambit. Slamming her feet down, she made one hard, strenuous effort to roll herself backwards over and onto her belly. If her timing was good enough, and she didn’t underestimate Valley’s nimbleness, she’d be able to get out of harm’s way.

This was always Valley's favorite and least favorite moment of the match, those times when she found herself flying forward and caution was thrown to the wind. A thrill ran through her body as she soared, flying free towards her opponent, turning her body into a living projectile. It was a beautiful, wondrous thing.

But she never forgot the danger. In the split second where she twisted her body, there was no way of knowing if opponent had moved or not, no way of telling if she was about to jump into a pool without any water. That was the gamble,the chance she willingly took, and though Valley tended to have a better success rate than most high-flyers, she never forgot the inevitability of the odds.

What was it that Qui-Gon had said? ’Whenever you gamble, my friend, eventually you lose.’

This was that time, as Valley came down hard on the canvas, hitting a relatively harder surface that Masuyo’s body. She cried out and immediately sat upright, arching her back as the pain ran through her spine. With a hiss, she flopped to the side and reached behind her, vainly caressing her aching bones and hoping against hope that Masuyo would be slow to take advantage.

She heard the impact. Felt it in the vibrations along the ground. An elated smile grew across her face as she looked up off the ground to see Valley arcing herself away from the ground in pain. She’d just narrowly escaped a near-death experience. The high-flyer had lost whatever momentum she was building, and Masuyo was content with that. Then she saw her moving to her side.

Her back was presented to her. This was her chance. That light at the end of the tunnel was getting even brighter. Slamming her fist into the ground, she pulled herself up to her knees before jerking her head upwards, letting out a desperate howl towards the ceiling. It was agony. Strong echoes of her yell pulsed and rang throughout the arena as she rose from the ground. Like a wolf on the prowl, her eyes snapped to Valley as she pounced towards her, latching a hand onto her thigh and neck, trying to hold her down as her arms bulged and flared beneath the skin. Her eyes flooded with bloodlust as she moved to exploit her opponent’s vulnerable state. A tired grin made its way onto her face.

“Hah...hah...you seriously...had me. Those weren't bad moves. Still...you’ll need more than...a good circus act...to put me down. But you...here’s a move...I think a champion like you can appreciate. The Demonic Pull!”

With great effort, she’d attempt to dig her knees into Valley’s back, and try to hoist her up. Trying to balance her above her, she'd move to hook the champion’s throat and legs with her muscled arms, trapping her opponent in a Bow and Arrow hold. Her core was set ablaze and her abdominals pronounced themselves against the effort. Clenching her teeth, she would bare down on her opponent as she tried to establish the hold.

At the very least, she was hoping to more scare Valley into her submission than actually force her into one. She hadn't forgotten how badly they'd torn into each other. Her body was on fire, and trying to use her finisher to its full strength would ultimately backfire on her. She couldn’t keep up the hold with confidence. All it would do was crumble and send Valley falling onto her. The display would be as painful as it was embarrassing. Not the way her debut should end.

Instead, Masuyo would chance the finisher now and let Valley give on her own. The easy way out for both of them. More for the champ, though.

”Ah, crap.” Valley sat ramrod straight, as the impact continued to run its course through her bones. ”Crapcrapcrap.”

No matter how many times it happened or how much she tried to mitigate by finding ways to roll through and dampen the impact, Valley never got used to crashing and burning off a missed move. It was the sudden, unexpected stop that made it hurt worse, the way that she couldn’t prepare her body for it, that the pain wound up surging through her body unabated. And, as usual with this sort of thing, there was the knowledge that her opponent was almost guaranteed to make it worse.

And...did Masuyo just howl?

She couldn’t look behind her at the moment to make sure of it, but that was sure what it sounded like. Certainly not a good sign, though Valley did respect the theatricality. Going by typical wrestling logic, that meant her opponent was setting up for something. Something big.

Sure enough, Masuyo came and yanked her, holding her down by the neck and thigh. Valley was savvy enough to know what that probably meant for her body, but she wasn’t in any position to stop it at the moment, even as her opponent segued into the move with a miniature speech.

‘The Demonic Pull’. A bit of a fancy name for what was really a Bow and Arrow hold, but Valley was in no position to judge. She was helpless as Masuyo pulled her over into the classic hold and went about the process of bending her spine. Valley struggled, of course, but that was the problem with this hold: it had limited options once it was locked in. Unlike other holds, you couldn’t drag yourself to the ropes, and it immobilized you even though it kept your arms free. She’d used it herself quite a few times, and she often wondered why newer wrestlers didn’t bust it out more often.

She was willing to bet Masuyo’s thinking was similar, hence the reason she turned it into a finisher. It’s effectiveness showed, as Valley cringed and groaned and shook her head with the pain...but she didn’t give up. Not just yet.

This was a gamble. A serious gamble for her.

Normally she’d extend the hold, really pushing the limits on her opponent’s body. It took a lot of practice for her to perfect this move in anticipation for her wrestling career. It was a shame she couldn’t use it to it fruition on today of all days. She’d underestimated the champion’s strength one time too many. Now her body was hurting too much in just the right spots at the wrong time. Ah, well. It would just make it all the more surprising the next time she broke it out. Still, it might be more than enough. The woman was made of strong stuff, for sure, but she was also hurting.

She was thinking of just holding her here until she saw Valley shake her head. Her willpower was clearly the strongest thing about her. It was one of many things that deeply impressed Masuyo. It was inspiring, but also annoying.

Maybe just one. Just one little push would be enough. Sorry, Val.

Uncurling her knees slightly, Masuyo would attempt to dig further into Valley’s back with her feet. Bolstering her efforts, she’d tighten her grip and pull down harder and harder onto the trapped champion’s neck and legs, increasing the pressure on her spine as she pulled down.

“Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on.”

Plea after plea, she cranked harder and harder. She didn’t want to injure the blonde aerialist, but her indestructible dedication was forcing her hand. Masuyo’s body was set aflame against the strain. It was risky, very risky pushing both herself and Valley like this, but if she could force a submission from her, maybe her mind could find ease with that.

Overhead Double Toed Leglock Bow and Arrow.

Quite a mouthful of a name for a wrestling move so simple any first-year rookie could do it well. That was probably the reason so many of her colleagues overlooked it, now that Valley had the time to really consider the move. There were flashier holds, ones with fancy names and more steps and transitions.

Masuyo had chosen well. It was just one more reason that she could respect this woman and what she was trying to do here. If she kept up like this, she’d have a nice, long career in the AFW, with plenty of solid wins.

But Valley didn’t plan on being one of them. At least not the first.

Still resisting, still fighting, still surviving, she preserved as Masuyo cranked the hold, putting more and more energy into it. She could see the referee looking on, likely considering that she might have to end this prematurely for Valley’s own well being. The Slamazon had no intention of letting it get that far, though. She had an idea. Not the world’s best idea, but an idea.

As Masuyo continued to pull down on her neck, Valley suddenly reached up and grabbed her hand in a frantic, frenetic attempt to pull it off and get her throat free. It was a wild chance, but if she could just do that much, she could roll over onto Masuyo’s chest, hook her leg, and press her to the mat with a surprise pin - hopefully, the final one of the match, because she wasn’t sure she had any more left after that.

Masuyo was somewhat surprised that the referee wasn't calling it at this point. The angle she was bending the champion was approaching reckless at this point. Was there something she wasn't accounting for? Maybe she was just underestimating how far these wrestlers could go.

Suddenly, she noticed Valley grab for her arm. Normally, she wouldn't be worried, but her arm was shaking at this point. The hold wasn't fully extended, and so she wasn't safe from a break. Her palm was sweating, the woman's neck was sweating, and they were both aching. Not a great combination. Slowly but surely, she felt her hand slip from its grasp.

Whatever, she'll shove her off, take a few breaths and be back in this in a few seconds. All she had to do was kick and...what were her legs doing? What was Valley doing? She was suddenly on top of her, pressing her back against her chest, her legs hooked above her. Why wasn't she getting away? Isn't she hurt at all? What in the hell is she-

ONE!

It wasn't some time after the first call that Masuyo even realized she was being pinned. She assumed Valley was going for a hold, trying it wear her out some more. Maybe try for a submission. Nope, this woman was full of surprises. No matter, she'd been pinned twice now and gotten out of it, by moves more complex and more surprising. Masuyo reeled back, getting her lower body and core ready for a leap, and with one determined effort...

...nothing changed. Her body tensed, then relaxed, refusing to push any further.

TWO!

Oh no.

This was a well-executed surprise attack. The timing couldn't have been better. Her body was pushing itself further and further to gain a submission, now it was suddenly working to prevent one. That spent energy was just that, spent. Now she was demanding more from a reservoir that no longer existed. That was unexpected. Very unexpected for the Demon of Shibuya. She'd been in street fights that lasted longer than this and still found plenty of energy to spare.

Valley, however, was no common fighter. Her moves worked Masuyo over better than any fighter she’d come across. Those holds and high-flying acts worked like a scalpel, cutting out her energy bit by bit. And, clearly, Masuyo needed better lessons in moderation. Her arms were tired, her legs were bound, her core was crying out from the strain. This was a bad spot, and she had realised it too late.

Her mind was still dealing with the shock when the ref raised her hand for the third count. It seemed like nothing short of a miracle would force Valley off her. Nevertheless, she fought as hard she could, pushing and jerking her drained body as far as she could take it to prevent the harrowing toll of the bell.

As deceptively lethal as the Bow and Arrow was, that was the obvious weakness to it - it almost completely rested on a wrestler’s ability to hold the body in two tenuous spots, and they weren’t the easiest things to execute even around the start of a match. When you were dealing with two tired, wet bodies? Much less so.

So that was working in Valley’s favor. That and gravity.  She slid off and came down right on Masuyo’s chest, pressing into her with what little weight she had to bear. The leg hold helped her leverage, but she was under no delusions on how far that would go. After the referee hit the mat once, she could feel the surge in this woman’s magnificent body, sense the upswell of raw power, and…

Nothing.

Another hit, and Valley realized what was happening. Masuyo was tapped. They both were, but it seemed she was running dryer than the Slamazon had realized, pouring too much in that ‘Demonic Pull’. She was fighting to get out, and if she had, oh, five seconds to recover, she probably would’ve done it without a problem. But she didn’t have five. She had three. And that wasn’t enough.

Valley tensed, turned her body into stone, pulled the leg in and pressed against Masuyo’s chest with all the force her body could muster.

”3…!”

And that was that.

The crowd roared, giving both the warrior women a rousing, raucous round of applause. Valley would’ve normally shot to her feet to accept it with arms wide open and smiles all around, but instead, she just let go of Masuyo’s leg and laid flat on her chest, breathing heavy into the canvas.

After a moment, she craned her neck over enough to meet Masuyo’s eyes, a weak smile on her face. ”Good.”. In. Out. Huff. Puff. ”Match.”

That was it. It was over. The bell had tolled and her debut had ended in failure.

Masuyo laid there, sprawled out on the ground, letting legs hit the mat with a thud. Her mind was drawing blanks for a while as she tried to figure out how to react. She'd taken losses before, but this one was...different. The battle was hard fought up to this point. It was fun, too. That's why it was so odd. It was all so sudden. Over in a flash. And on her debut. It felt weird. Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked up at the stage lights, unsure of what to do, what to feel.

That was, until Valley gave her approval and they locked eyes. Masuyo felt her cheeks redden slightly and her lips curl into a warm smile at the compliment. It always made her feel happy when she was acknowledged by a stronger adversary. And for someone like her, those moments were few and far between. She found the answer to her dilemma in the woman’s smile. The shared joy after a hard match.

“Just...good...huh?” She let out a slight chuckle between breaths.

She turned her head back to the stage lights for a moment, covering her eyes a bit with her arm. Soaking in the cheers, the atmosphere, and the fatigue, her smile never faded. Gin was going to give her one hell of a hounding after this. But, first things first.

With a small breath, she pushed herself up and moved away and turned towards Valley. Resting her knees apart on the canvas, she'd plant both her fists against her thighs before lowering herself forward, bowing her head towards the victor.

Her eyes were closed in a moment of resolute calm with a subtle smile adorning her face. It was a stark contrast from the roaring audience, whom stifled their cheers for a mere second at the gesture, before returning in strength. No longer shaking or panting, it was as though the fatigue had suddenly vanished from her being all at once. Of course those feelings would come back in droves once the gesture ended, as Masuyo expelled a hefty breath. Her eyes opened again, slightly this time as she looked back on to Valley. Tradition ran strong within the Ai bloodline, and respect for those deserving of it was one of their highest tenets.

“You really are a strong fighter, Valley. I'm glad we had this match and I could learn so much. Sorry about....that, uh...'almost breaking your spine in half' thing. I hope….you can...can-"

She fell forward, back in the same spot, but on her belly now, nearly gasping for air. Christ, she really was a chatterbox. Talking herself to death. That would have been plenty embarrassing. A laugh almost escaped her. Almost. Better to conserve a bit of air from now on. Well...a rational person would conserve air. Masuyo, however...

“Man! You gave me...a hell of a workout, Val. To think...I was going to challenge Northman after this. You complicated...a lot of things...Ms. World-Class.”

Masuyo was content to lay there, taking in the spoils of respite with her opponent until she could find the strength to stand again.

Valley’s neck ached. Her back ached. Her legs ached. Her teeth ached, and she wasn’t even sure what that was about. She was having a hard time finding anything on her body that wasn’t aching, or at least wasn’t adjacent to some part that clearly was. On top of  that, she hadn’t drank nearly enough water today since she hadn’t been expecting to compete, so she was coming perilously close to dehydration. It was a good this match had been short and brutal, because a longer bout would’ve certainly favored the newcomer.

Despite all that, though, she felt great. Mentally. Masuyo was just another reminder of how great the incoming talent was these, how secure the sport was. Her, Alicia, Haley, Julia, Alaina - strong women who would’ve knocked her senseless if she’d met them when she was there age. It made her feel great for being able to keep up with the younger girls, and made her want to see what they’d be like when they hit their primes, too.

”Yeah. Good.” She gave Masuyo a smile and wink as she made her way up, using the ropes for support as she rose and somehow not stumbling along the way. ”Can’t let you get a bigger head than you already have, can I?”

She meant well enough, and it seemed like Masuyo took it well enough, because she went and did something that Valley didn’t expect. Well, she’d done quite a few things Valley hadn’t expected tonight, but this was the first post match.

She bowed.

It was a sign of respect that you didn’t often see in the ring, especially from two women who’d gone at it so fiercely. Valley was gobsmacked for a moment, not sure what to do, before the obvious occurred to her: she bowed back, showing mutual respect between the two warrior women, as the crowd applauded. In this industry, it was the sort of display that wasn't seen nearly enough.

”No harm done. Well…” She winced and rubbed her neck, showing how inaccurate that statement was. ”You get what I mean. All part of the game.”

When Masuyo collapsed, Valley just chuckled and kneeled down beside her, offering a hand out to her, willing to help her get back on her feet. ”All right, enough of that. Let’s get you standing, Ms. Demon.”