SS 19 Entropy Championship - Manami Kuroda (c) vs. Pyrena Alexandria Nikos

Pyrena knew that she had to throw everything, and the kitchen sink to put her down. Lesser fighters were taken out with far less, especially with someone who packs as much power as the Greek Titan does. However, Manami is by far no lesser fighter. She was exceptional; the Wolf Girl got up after from all the punches, kicks, knees and slams the Red Amazon delt on her. That isn't to say that she hasn't thought about going for the pinfall just there and then. It probably would make sense after the many impacts Manami took. Pyrena didn't need to go any further. But something kept screaming at her to finish her off for good. Make sure that she has felt the wrath of the gods till any chances of a kick out were non-existent. The nervousness that she could have done all this work and yet deciding to play it safe. You can't play safe with a wolf. Lest you get caught by its jaws.

So this meant making sure Pyrena absolutely demolished her, leaver her in a state that she couldn't move her lips, let alone her body. Just so she wouldn't hear her spout such nonsense that kicked off this dark period for the history of the Entropy Title. With each slam, the crowd cheered on at the destruction, bringing down the hammer of the justice they cling to, seeing that Manami's comeuppance has come much sooner than later. The third sealed the deal, and the jury could be content with that. But there was one more judgement, one more count to add to the sentencing. And Pyrena was undoubtedly ready to bring down the hammer alright. A flaming hot one that burned with passion.

The Red Amazon stood tall, with the so-called champion hoisted on her shoulders, and the Los Angeles crowd awaited the final moment. The brief moment was brushed aside in her mind, despite a brief second where fatigue caught up with her, the Greek Spartan has all the energy built up inside for a great fall. Her face spoke determination and pride as all that what she stood for would be validated tremendously.

A leg wrapped around her throat quickly changed things.

Her throat suddenly felt a pressure clamping down, oxygen was harder to obtain once Manami clutched her throat tightly. A few moments later, both Pyrena and Manami fell, but not in the way that either the Red Amazon or the fans have anticipated. The Greek crumpled onto the floor, the rough landing would be bad enough, had it not been for the Wolf Girl clamping her arm and leg around her neck. Instinctively, her hands gripped on the limbs, all to alleviate the pressure that was building around it. Her heart was beating through her chest, thumping greatly as a brief moment of panic was shown before she tried to fight the fate that befell her. This can't end like this. It can't be.

Not like this.

To the entire world it would have seemed like Pyrena had failed. Quite the contrary, she’d achieved the exact result she was looking for. Her ruthless assault had smashed the life clean out of Manami. Nearly every inch of her conscious mind was thoroughly shattered beneath the crashing torrents of shock and raw power.

But what Manami had just done was far from a conscious effort. Her leg moved, it seized Pyrena’s throat. Her stomach felt the shift in her equilibrium, it groaned out in agony. Her body felt itself being eaten, it lashed back with all its might. Bred and honed reflexes spurred her onward. Instincts sharpened to predatory fangs that sprung her into action, beating a wild rhythm in her heart. Her eyes shot wide, bloodshot between heavy breaths from her lungs and cold sweat trickling down her face. That faint awareness of the world returned with the gift of her conscience. Already her arms were moving, going to lock in underneath Pyrena’s chin as she tucked in closer and wrenched back.

In the Apex Predator, she felt the bone and sinew yield to her grip. Her hands felt the desperation in the Amazon’s breathing and the panicked beat of her heat so close to her jugular. It would have been easy to put her out like this normally, but she needed a few moments to fully recover her strength to finally put down this formidable foe.

It felt odd to concede that point. Manami’s bestial gaze narrowed. Even now, she could see that flickering resolve in her final moments, as if there was still a chance. As if this truly meant something.

For what? She tightened her grip.

“Aesop once wrote of a wolf that pondered its own shadow as the sun shined down on him. The wolf’s shadow was so large and daunting, it thought itself as mighty as a bear. And it continued believing that vain delusion until the moment it was torn apart and its guts and liver were splayed across the ground.” Manami shuffled and leaned in to loom her face over the fallen titan, locking gazes and watching that light dim away in her eyes as she stared hopeless infinity through her wilting soul.

“I embrace reality, Pyrena. No matter how cruel or unfair those inevitabilities. You on the other hand?” Her scowl turned dark, marred with rising anger.

“You’re no warrior. You’re no arbiter of justice. You’re a weak, pathetic girl that never realized from the instant she started allowing those ill-conceived ideas to fester in her mind like a plague, she became destined for failure. Training, fighting, and falling for a future that will never come to pass. And because of that ceaseless pursuit towards insanity, your life - the happiness, the frustration, the tears, and anguish - all you accomplished to make it here. It meant nothing.”

She wrenched her arms further back and dug deeper into her opponent’s neck. She sacrificed every inch of compassion, every fleeting thought of resistance in wringing the life free from the redhead’s battered body. The title and the match were beyond distant in her thoughts, stranded on some far shore for dead and forgotten things. They were meaningless at this moment. This was a dance of the oldest kind. Of life and death.

Hunter and prey.

It is incredible how much the mind could think of the moment you found yourself in danger. So much information, so many thoughts raced through the Greek’s mind that she couldn’t find one to dwell in at a time. Pyrena was sure that she had her, the damage dealt was calculated, not a single strike was thrown without a plan to bring Manaami’s downfall. Her slams, while numerous, wasn’t lacking in power that could paralyze anyone, even the strongest of fighters. She had gotten lucky even when she managed to find the chair. It seemed as if everything was set for her glory.

Until one move. One fucking move.

Her oxygen-starved brain was mostly thinking of the regrets that that clouded it. She could have moved to finish quickly. Maybe she shouldn’t have gone for the third powerbomb. Or perhaps she could have gone for something else. One of the many that taunted Pyrena’s psyche, the crowd, watching in horror as what was a sure victory is ripped away. Initially, the Red Amazon was in near shock, not because she’s choked out, but due to the surprise of it all. The brain is always sure that you’re getting murdered and does not approve once getting choked out. It’s not a specific case; some of the most common people to panic/instant tap to chokes are lifelong wrestlers. They can ragdoll you from the top but the second something starts to choke them, they tap. And it can take forever to get over it. It would quite possibly be misconstrued as panic by the Wolf Girl, but the expression changed somewhat due to Manami telling one of Aesop’s tales. As if to pour salt on the wounds.

Years of experience has conditioned her that this is not what is happening. Pyrena knew she wasn’t going to die. Eventually, she became comfortable riding the very edge of unconsciousness while she worked to escape a locked-in the choke. But with how the Greek Titan is right now, that wasn’t happening. Not unless another miracle would come her way. And Manami is too smart to let that chance slip by her yet again.

“Do you know the ultimate code of a spartan, i kóri mou?”

“They do not return home if you lose a battle.”

“Yes. Considered the highest shame, even your citizenship would be stripped away. It is unthinkable.”

“I hope that I don’t lose, papa. I don’t’ want to leave home.”

“But eventually, you will have to flock away from the nest when you grow up. You can’t be a big bird and never learned to fly.”

“I know.”

“Good. Now listen, i kóri mou. On the battlefield, honour is what’s most important to us. Never lose it. Κατανοώ?

“Yes, papa. I hope to be a great warrior and make you proud!”

“That’s my little girl. Θυμηθείτε ότι σε αγαπώ, Πύρενα.”


Pyrena knew in her mind, and she wasn’t going to tap. She wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of that. She’ll go out in her terms. Pyrena wasn’t even paying attention to what Manami had to say. No doubt celebrating and trying to put her down. Her ears did get the last sentence when she did manage to stave off unconsciousness. She wondered if Manami believed what she was saying. Weak? Not. Pathetic? Far from that. Have a setback and fail? You try again. Then again, she comes to expect that there are things that she will never admit, lest that damages her pride and show weakness. Either way, Pyrena was beaten. There was no other way to think about it. Darkness was enveloping her slowly, the grip she had on Manami’s leg loosened, and her eyelids fluttered. She had been through this process many times. It still stings, she still hated the fact that she lost. Especially to her. But even on the battlefield, one must know when you are defeated. Pyrena would go out, knowing she did everything she could. The glory was not hers.

“Don’t…for….get…that…s……tory……….wolf…….”

Her body went slack in Manami’s grip, her arms hit the coarse canvas with a defeated thump, remaining unmoving. At the very least, Pyrena wanted to go out like a warrior. So she at least has gotten that.

And that was that.

The light faded from Pyrena’s eyes and the fight flickered from her body with a few idle twitches of that powerful body. Everything thereafter passed through like a fog. The bell ringing out, the referee pulling them apart, the crowd roaring all around them, that toga clad bitch strutting back in with her belt over her shoulder.

Through it all Manami sat at the Greek’s side, her legs untangled from around her neck as she looked down at that fair face overcome in solemn resignation. Her arm draped over one knee and her lungs expelled heavy breaths from her lungs betwixt battered ribs and bruised flesh. She should feel overcome with pain and fatigue, she should be making the struggle to stand and walk her way out of this ring. But those focused eyes honed and glowing like a beast in the night told of something different. What was there to be content about?

“It’s not your fault.” Her hand pushed down on Pyrena’s chest as she stood herself up to two feet. Her eyes however remained low, glaring at the body beneath her feet riddled with sand and blood.

“Congratulations, Ms. Kuroda!” She held the mic to Manami’s face. She didn’t turn to meet her. “Care to say a few words to-”

“Shut the fuck up!” Her words echoed out over the fist that cracked dead center into the woman’s face. The woman fell to the floor in a crash and buried her hands into her face. Manami wrung her fist out as she stepped forward and put her boot to the woman’s neck. Those hands immediately went from the rivers of red streaming down on her face to Manami’s heel, desperate for air. “I’m sick of you.”

She reached down and slipped her belt from underneath the announcer, slinging the shining gold onto her shoulder as those solemn eyes turned to the arena. Never had she seen a more disgusting sight. “This fucking ring. All of you think you can just dream.” She removed her foot from the woman’s neck, seeing security begin to crowd their way around the top of the ramp with stretchers in tow. A certain tall flash of blonde sporting a similar outfit to her own stood with her arms crossed between them. She had a few seconds at best. Prompt as always. “My fangs will tear each and everyone of you apart. I don’t care how much blood soaks your little paradise.”

The wolf stepped away and slipped out of the ring. Yuki glanced over her shoulder once before she stepped away, allowing security past in a giant wave that parted for the champion’s ascent, masked still in the blood and sand that she carried with her into the back.