Manami Kuroda vs. Yuki Onna - Snow and Wolf

Standard Match
Victory Conditions: Gained by either pin, KO, or submission from the opponent.
Normal rules apply.

It had been a few months already since that match, and Yuki Onna felt more confident now, considering that she had been training herself since then. She even learned a few submission holds, though the basic ones, in order to cover her weaknesses. While she might be a relative novice when it's about holds, she knew that she's at least more competent than the last time she had a match in the ring.

After a while of waiting, her music was played, and she steeled her resolve and expression before she stepped out into the stage, greeted by a modest cheer from the crowd. This time, she seemed more rigid and cold than usual, and she walked down the ramp in a collected, calm manner. She only acknowledged the crowd with a slight nod as she headed over to the ring, where she would be facing her opponent, a relative newbie named Manami Kuroda.

Yuki Onna:

Once she arrived at the ring, she calmly ascended the metal steps before slipping into the ring. She held up her arm, once again acknowledging the crowd before she removed her giant sleeves so that she could use her arms freely during the fight. She handed them to the ringside crew.

Rolling her shoulders, she would then head over to her corner and lean against it. She would focus on the entrance where her opponent would show herself, and she wanted to see what kind of person this Manami was. Still, no matter who that person was, she would work hard in order to be victorious and bring her name up the cards. She had enough being mediocre and dealing with losses this time.

One more lamb to the slaughter.

Manami Kuroda:

Manami grew an eerily contented smile as she finished stretching on her wristbands. Something about this match had piqued her curiosity. Her opponent for the evening didn’t have a particularly significant reputation. The Wolf Girl simply took it at as management throwing more fodder at her to keep her busy. Then she wouldn’t be tempted to find her own entertainment.

Still, this one looked a bit different. She stayed focused no matter the situation. Not phased in the slightest as the match went on. A cool character. It made her interested.

She could appreciate an opponent that took her matches seriously. One that understood the consequences one endured between a hard loss and a decisive victory. And yet, she lacked something. She had the presence, but it was hollow. As if nothing exceptional lied beneath that focused, determined exterior. Was there more to her than met the eye?

Who better than the Wolf Girl to tear it open and find out? A quick stride down the hall and she had made her way to the arena. Her entrance music came in loud and she made a quick walk down the ramp and towards the ring. Climbing up the ropes, she quickly vaulted over and landed firmly on her feet before capturing her opponent in her gaze. Tilting her head to the side only slightly, she sauntered over to the blue-haired woman, looking her over before the wolf placed an innocent hand against her own cheek, taking in her features.

“My. Aren’t you a cute one? Lovely hair. Great fashion sense. You certainly shine in the ring like no other.” The wolf took a few steps closer, growing a wicked smirk on her face as her eyes narrowed on her opponent. “Do you think any of that will save you from me? How sad. I see right through you. You’re attempting to overcompensate for a lack of skill. Trying to hide the fact that you don’t actually belong in the squared circle. Well, there's no helping it now. I’ll show you the cold hard truth, Yuki-san.”

The referee had a mind to stick a hand between them. Manami didn’t pay her any attention, however. The red-eyed fighter before her had her full attention at the moment.

Yuki watched her opponent, Manami Kuroda making her entrance, nothing her rather simple wrestling outfit, which consisted of tight sports bra and bottoms with matching green and white colors. Yuki acknowledged that this Manami person was attractive despite the simplicity of her getup, but she couldn't help but feel uneasy as she continued observing the woman making her way towards the ring. There was something dangerous, something feral about her, but she couldn't quite place it. But, she kept her calm as she watched Manami enter the ring.

Then, Manami walked closer to her, looking at her with a gaze that sent chills down her spine. Still, she quickly regained her wit as she hardened her gaze, keeping her stoic face. She was aware that Manami was playing a mind game, a game that Yuki had no intention of playing along, because her intention in the ring at the moment was to emerge victorious and improve her standing in AFW. If she couldn't keep her cool just because someone was taunting her, then she had no right to pave her way to the top. After suffering a few losses, she had to work hard and persevere. Faltering would mean that being in the squared circle wasn't meant for her, after all.

As she kept her calm, Yuki then listened to Manami's words. At first, she maintained her composure, not showing any sign of losing control over herself as Manami complimented her looks in a rather backhanded way. And then, Manami started taunting her, and the more she listened to her, the more she was reminded of her own shortcomings as well as her own humiliating defeat at the hands of Gwendolyn DuPont Bettencourt a few months ago. Her resolve started to falter, and despite her best attempt to hide it, someone with sharp eyes like Manami would be able to see her fear.

Yuki tried to protest, tried to deny what Manami had said, but she simply couldn't do it. It was because of despite how scathing Manami's words were, they were the truth. Yuki might be relatively skilled as a wrestler, thanks to her martial arts background, but if compared to other wrestlers, she was nothing but an average, mediocre one. Manami's words were quite a huge blow to her already low self-esteem. Still, now that she was in the ring, standing before her opponent, Yuki would not allow herself to show her own weaknesses just because of her many flaws.

She realized that she had clenched her fists, digging her nails into her palms. She also realized that those hands of hers were trembling. Not wanting to show any more signs of her shortcomings, she took a few seconds to calm herself down, closing her eyes as she controlled her breath. Being a martial artist, meditations had been helping her to overcome her fear, and after putting herself under control, she reopened her eyes and looked straight into Manami's own eyes, her crimson pupils filled with determination.

"Do not make assumption, Kuroda-san..." Yuki finally spoke with a calm and even tone. "Your words are as baseless as they are senseless. Try to prove whatever you thought of me with your actions rather than words," she challenged, stepping forth and stood mere inches away from the self-proclaimed wolf before her. Due to her being shorter than Manami, Yuki had to look up in order to stare into her eyes. This was her first time ever since her debut being this aggressive, which was something that the people among the crowd noted. Sensing the hostility between two wrestlers, the referee would try to separate the two so that the match could begin.

Now things were getting interesting.

Manami hadn’t been expecting much of anything from this woman when she first laid eyes on her. Her temperament hadn’t changed in the slightest as the Wolf Girl approached her. Stoic, relaxed for the most part, determined to come out on top. Just like every other opponent she’d crossed paths with.

And yet, Yuki had managed to pique her interest, if only slightly. Her adversary’s red eyes remained strong and defiant as she held her ground against the wolf. Yet, she wasn’t as composed as she her facade would have one believe. She saw the subtle signs. The clenched fists, the unfocused gaze, the fire flaring in her eyes for a but an instant before she caught herself. A chord was struck. Yes, this woman was lacking in integrity it seemed. Deep down, she realized the truth. The Wolf Girl now saw it as her task to drag it kicking and screaming out of her. The revelation of just how weak she truly was.

Manami gave a smile at her strong words.

“With pleasure. You look like a savory meal. Although, I’m not the only one with something to prove here, am I?” Manami crouched low, awaiting the ring of the bell and ready to pounce. “Just don’t disappoint me. Otherwise, adding another loss to your record will be the least of your worries.”

This would prove to be a sporting hunt, indeed. Yuki wasn’t just some wide-eyed newcomer, bewildered by her own actions and of those around her. She was hardened. Refusing to be swayed this way or that by a few errant threats or an intimidating foe.  Manami had only seen a few talents like this before. Someone like the blue-haired martial artists wouldn’t be brought down easy. She had to be completely and utterly destroyed, until nothing but her bones and tears remained.

The wolf’s mouth began to water.

Yuki had to suppress a flinch when Manami taunted her, reminding her of her shortcomings in AFW due to her losses. She hardened herself, not allowing herself to be cowed by the wolf girl before her. She said nothing else as she kept her hard gaze on Manami while the referee made sure that both of them were prepared for their match. Once she was certain that the two were ready for their clash, the referee would then call for the bell, and the match would begin.

Being someone who favored quick, rapid strikes, the moment the bell was rung, Yuki would quickly go for an attack, planning to catch Manami off-guard with her sudden movement. Aiming for the side of Manami's head, Yuki would attempt to deliver a forearm smash, hitting as hard as she could in order to stun the wolf girl so that she could try draping her arm over Manami's chest and using her leg to execute a legsweep, hoping that her attempt to stun Manami would allow her to use O-Soto-Gari, or STO, on her, taking the wolf girl down onto the mat with the combination of lariat and legsweep.

Manami could tell that Yuki was going to attack first. That much was certain. Her opponent had too much riding on this match to simply stand back and wait for her the wolf to come to her. If she was looking to prove herself tonight, it had to be with her own two hands. She had to demonstrate the resolve that burned within her eyes with action. It wouldn’t take long for her to come out swinging.

What she didn’t expect was just how fast this girl was. Her blue locks fluttered behind her in a flash as she sped towards Manami, catching her hard in a lariat. Losing the initiative from the outset was bad in itself. What made it even worse was the judo throw that Yuki followed it up with. The movement was so fluid, Manami forgot to brace when she went over her opponent's shoulder.

“Gah!” She hit the mat hard, looking up at the stage lights with wide eyes. For the moment, she was dazed.

Perhaps she underestimated this girl’s drive to win. She could admit that. It wouldn’t change anything, however, as Manami resolved to get back up in the next moment. The fire flared in her eyes as she pictured the crushing blow she would deliver to this spirited girl.

Yuki Onna successfully brought Manami down with a perfect O-Soto-Gari, using her leg to sweep at her opponent's own leg to make her lose her balance while she pushed her down with a lariat. Now that Manami was on the mat, looking up at the lights above, it's time for Yuki to press on, taking advantage of her momentum. Without stopping, Yuki would then try to seize one of the wolf girl's arm so that she could pull her up as she would then get back on her feet, yanking Manami up forcefully so that she would also stand on her own feet as well.

Eyes filled with determination, Yuki would look into Manami's eyes as she would proceed to whip her towards the ropes with an Irish whip. In her attempt to send Manami running towards the ropes, she was planning to deliver a dropkick right onto her face and chest as soon as she bounced back to her from the ropes.

Yuki was planning to win this match, no matter what. She needed to get enough wins in order to improve her standing in AFW and to prove that she belonged in the squared circle. She would not allow anyone to say otherwise. Not Manami. Not a certain arrogant blonde heiress. No one.

Manami was still in a bit of a daze when Yuki scooped her up from off the ground. Even so, she could still catch the glimmer of determination and burning resolve within her opponent’s eyes. She wanted to win. It was more than hunger. It was more than a simple necessity for her. It was as though fate itself were pushing her forward. The Wolf Girl could appreciate that level of dedication.

She could appreciate it even more when she was thrown into the ropes, bouncing back off them in an instant. The wolf barely had time to open her eyes before she was met with a drop kick, a foot colliding with both her face and chest, causing her to hit the ground hard. She gagged and sputtered for a moment, trying to catch her breath before rolling away to the ropes. Not a bad hit. This girl had some prowess.

But Manami had no intention of letting this girl build any real momentum.

A slight grin made its way onto her face as she began to recover from the kick. She was only beginning to get a sense for just what exactly Yuki was capable of, but it was already enough to tell just what kind of strength she had tucked away in that small body. It was an impressive amount of power for someone of her size, certainly. But enough to put the Wolf Girl down? Not in her wildest dreams.

Oh right. Her dreams. She had to shatter those too.

Yuki just watched as Manami rolled to the ropes and started recovering. Quickly picking herself up, she considered her next move. Seeing the smile on her opponent's face, she had a feeling that Manami might have something in store for her, but she braced herself, telling herself that she could take whatever the Wolf Girl would throw at her way.

The crowd were rooting for Yuki, and she was glad that some people had faith in her. Knowing that losing would end up disappointing not only herself, but also others, she hardened her resolve as she would sprint towards Manami the moment she stepped away from the ropes, giving herself a running start for her next attack.

When she was getting closer, the azure-haired girl would launch her attack, using her momentum to power herself as she would attempt to deliver a step-up enzuigiri right to the side of Manami's head. She was mostly certain that if the enzuigiri managed to hit her opponent, she would be able to stun her and continue her momentum. While it's still possible for Manami to counter her move, Yuki had no time to ponder about it because she wanted to focus on keeping herself in motion.

More. She needed to see more.

Manami had only taken one step away from the ropes before Yuki came charging right back at her with another offensive. Not a hint of hesitance in her movements as she did so either. She appeared certain of every step she took and every action she made against her opponent. This girl still had more to prove clearly.

Manami went to brace herself, but her guard hadn’t come up nearly quick enough for the move that her blue-haired adversary had in mind. The kick connected harshly with her head, rattling her skull and swaying her brown-hair violently to the side as she took a full step back. That was the only step she would take before falling back first onto the canvas. Leg strength. This girl had impressive leg strength as well. That was something to look out for in the near future.

For now, she simply laid still on the ground, looking over with the grin still plastered about her face. Beyond it all, she could hear the crowd gathering in applause for the underdog. A number of cheers and joyful claps echoed past the ring and made its away around the sea of onlookers. The little waif must have procured quite the fan club in her absence. How pathetic. Not that Manami was in any position to judge for the time being. That would come later.

What now Yuki? What will you do now?