[Standard Match] Astrid Arvidsson (D) vs Mari Fuuma - The Girls Of Steel

Only now she began to remember. Now the Norwegian girl without remorse could call herself a professional. She always knew what she was capable of, and therefore she was never afraid of anything. But it was not so always. When she first started her training, she lost sparring after sparring, she lost fight after fight. Despite the fact that she trained on her own for a long time, Astrid started professional training too late. After each defeat, she trained harder and harder, but it almost did not change anything. Defeats followed her heels and at the end of each fight she was defeated.

At a certain point, the Golden Dragon spread her wings and since then she has not lost again. She found that very line, crossing which she became stronger than ever before. And from that moment on, she almost forgot the taste of defeat. Many times she balanced on the edge of a knife, only one step separated her from defeat, but she always had enough strength to find balance and emerge victorious. Only now she began to remember. Now, as she lay on the canvas, when her body was badly beaten, when pain was the only sensation available, only now she remembered the taste of defeat. It tasted awful. She hated this taste.

The Norwegian girl did not even find the strength to open her eyes when she heard her rival stirring. As Mari shifted her position in order to press Astrid, the girl's face contorted with pain. Every touch now was unimaginably painful for her. Due to the pain after the devastating powerbomb, the girl's sensitivity was at the limit. Even the drop of blood that was now running down her face caused terrible burning discomfort. However, this was not the worst thing. The worst part was what she heard a few moments later.

- ONE! - the referee's clap was heard near her ear, but at the same time she heard the voices of the audience, who echoed this count.

When she began her pro-wrestling training, Astrid immediately realized that what she loved most about wrestling was a pin moment. During a submission hold, it is not always possible to continue the match, sometimes the risk of severe injury is not worth trying to continue. But a pin is a different matter entirely. Only when you press your opponent and hear the count of three, you realize that you have pushed your opponent to the limit. Because of you, the opponent has lost so much strength that he is not even able to raise his shoulder in order to break the pin. And now Astrid was convinced of this, because she felt that she did not have the strength to continue this match. Her rival turned out to be the very obstacle that Astrid always wanted.

- TWO!!!!! - a clap was almost inaudible because of the cries of the audience, who will finally get what they came here for.

The Golden Dragon has always been stubborn. She could quickly master any fighting technique, but sometimes she simply could not understand the things that were being told to her. So at the beginning of her training, she could not understand her father, who was her coach. He constantly talked about how we become stronger only at the very last moment, only at the very last second. He said you could spend countless hours in the gym working on your muscles and learning martial arts. But it means nothing. Only when a person stumbles and hangs on a cliff, holding himself with only one hand, he  you become stronger. Astrid didn't understand these words. She kept on losing. Again and again she lay in a pool of her own blood, unable to continue the match. Just like now. Only one second separated her from defeat. One last second. The very last moment.

Her life changed the moment she found the meaning of these words. After receiving a hard uppercut, she fell backwards while the referee started counting. The soffits on the ceiling interfered with her, it was painful for her to look at this bright light. Her body refused to move and each new count brought her defeat closer. Understanding can come to anyone. And you will never guess when you finally understand the meaning of what you could never understand before. We become stronger only when we find the strength to do the impossible. Only when one last second separates us from the end. Only at the moment, when everything has already been decided, but you still find the strength to break this barrier. A truly person can become stronger only if he is ready to find the strength in himself to do the impossible.

- THR!!!!....

Astrid's eyes opened. She clenched her right fist and her hand flew up. A burning pain passed through her body from head to heels, the body refused to move, but the strength of the spirit that she possessed pushed the girl forward. One last second. The very last moment. At that last moment, she was going to punch Mari right in the face in order to throw her off her, lie on her left side and break that damn pin! Astrid was going to get stronger right here, right now. The Norwegian girl did not remember the last time she went beyond her own limits. But today was that very day. Today the Golden Dragon will do the impossible! Because that's the only way people become really strong!

Astrid lay on her side. Her eyes were open, she saw that her rival was lying next to her, arms and legs spread wide. But the long-haired blonde seemed to hear nothing. But in reality it was real silence. Astrid realized this only when the referee raised her hand up and showed two fingers, announcing that the pin was broken. Astrid only realized this when the audience in the hall screamed like a maddened crowd. What happened in the ring defied any explanation. The Golden Dragon smiled through the pain, finally fully realizing that she had managed to break Mari's plans to win.

- One! Two!

It seems that after all that happened, the referee girl did not intend to drag out the time of this match any more. Finding that both fighters were lying on the mat and not going to get to their feet, the referee began to count. Astrid closed her eyes and clenched her jaw. Damn it. She stayed in the match, but every inch of her body was filled with pain. Even an ordinary sigh was difficult and painful for her. The muscles became like a solid piece of metal and refused to fulfill their intended function.

- Three!!!

With a painful groan, the girl rolled onto her stomach. The pain in the body was so unbearable that the former MMA fighter was forced to devote all her strength to not fainting. Only the desire to win made her put her palms on the ring. When she tensed her hands, they shook. Astrid clenched her jaw so hard that she heard her teeth grinding. She had to. She had to do it. Her naughty thick hair had long looked like an unnatural bloody rag, but now she was glad that this rag was covering her face. Because of the wild pain, there were tears in her eyes that she could not contain.

- Four!!!

"Come on... come on... pull yourself together ... you are the Golden Dragon!" she mentally commanded herself.

With one jerk, she forced herself to kneel down. The long-haired blonde felt a fit of nausea, her body refusing to continue moving, using up its last resources. Due to fatigue and tears in her eyes, she saw almost nothing around, but still she was able to distinguish the silhouette of her rival. This silver-haired girl was pretty damn strong. She exceeded all Astrid's wildest expectations. The Norwegian girl always went forward, no matter what. But this path did not make her stronger. Her rivals like Mari made her stronger.

- FIVE!!!!

With this thought, she got up on one knee, one of her hand was still on the canvas, and she put the other hand on her thigh. The girl greedily gulped air, suppressing the terrible exhaustion that seized her body. She couldn't remember the last time she felt something like this. And she knew that no matter how this match ended, she would remember it for the rest of her life. But she also knew that as long as her spirit was strong, she would move on. Until she loses faith in herself, she will continue to do the impossible!

- SIX!!!!! SEVEN!!!!!

Only willpower supported her now, only the thought that she had to win. The Golden Dragon tried to lift her knee off the mat and stand to her feet, but a terrible spasm of pain caused her to fall back down on one knee again as a few drops of blood flew out of her mouth. It looks like the powerbomb her rival gave her will leave its mark. And again. Only a few seconds separate her from defeat. This harmful thought made the girl smile. And not only this. Concentrating too much on counting, the girl did not hear anything else. Only now a deafening scream came to her ears. In the hall, they shouted her name and the name of her rival. Maybe the Civil War was still far away, but only half of the audience wanted her victory, the other half longed to see Mari the one who hand would be raised. Astrid's eyes turned red for a moment, but no one saw it.

- EIGHT!!!!!!

“Get up… get up. Get up! GET UP!!!” sounded in her head.

The Golden Dragon bit her lower lip with such force that a thin trickle of blood began to flow down her chin. Taking a deep breath, she slammed her fist into the ring and slowly, staggering, but began to straighten up. Her body really looked like a piece of metal. Sweat ran down her body, all her clothes were already wet through and through.

- NINE!!!!!!

At that last moment, the pain was stronger than ever before. The body resisted any movement Astrid wanted to make. She was simply unable to continue this match, her body was too exhausted by such a long and intense confrontation.

"RRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!" the girl screamed like a wounded animal.

Her thirst for victory and her desire to surpass herself were stronger than any pain. You can lift any kind of heavy weight in the gym. You can learn all the fighting techniques in the world. But what makes a person really strong is his fortitude! And the fire that burns in Astrid's soul will illuminate her path even through the most terrible pain! The Golden Dragon straightened to her full height, proving that she can still stand! Proving that her spirit is much stronger than her body! She threw her head back, brushing her hair back from her face. The Golden Dragon enjoyed in the screams of the audience, who cheered her and her efforts to do the impossible!

Now it seemed to her that if she lost her concentration for even one second, then she would fall. No, she will not just fall, she will fall first through the ring, then through a layer of concrete, and then through the ground too. Her body was so heavy that Astrid had to make incredible efforts in order to simply keep herself on her feet. And only now she realized that she was not the only girl who was able to get her ass up of the ring before the ten count. She had to breathe through her mouth, because her breathing was knocked down and even knowing that it was wrong, the Golden Dragon was forced to use the most banal way to restore oxygen in the blood. The girl's eyes were blurred due to fatigue and almost complete lack of strength, now she saw three staggering silhouettes of Mari at once. And yet the long-haired blonde found the strength to smile.

She knew that these were the last moments of this match, it could not be otherwise. Astrid was confident that the next few moments would determine the outcome. Two exhausted girls stood opposite each other, ready to collapse. But they stood and none of them wanted to lose. Astrid knew that she had finally reached her limit. And she had no doubt that the silver-haired girl who is now standing opposite had also reached her limit. The Golden Dragon believed in fate and now she could not call it otherwise. It was fate that gave her such a staunch rival today. If she had an extra drop of strength, she would happily laugh again, but she couldn't. Instead, Astrid focused her energies on normalizing her vision. And she did this just in time to clearly see that Mari was moving towards her.

"So it's time to figure it out..." Astrid thought.

She, too, took a step forward. The pain that pervaded her body made it difficult to move, but Astrid's step was firm. They have only one unanswered question left. Each of them has reached the limit. Each of them forced herself to move forward despite the pain, exhaustion and trauma. But the question of who will be the one who is not just ready, but who will do the impossible has not yet been resolved. One hit. One collision. Last moment. It should end. Now.

Astrid took the second step at the same time as the Japanese girl and their heads collided with an eerie, even frightening sound. The wound on Astrid's head not only opened again, but became much wider. A quick stream of thick red blood ran down her face. The stream flowed between her eyes, then along her nose, right down to her lips and chin. Already without this, the girl's red and wet clothes absorbed that part of the scarlet liquid that did not fall on the floor. The Golden Dragon's eyes rolled back as her head tilted back. Her back began to arch backward. Everything was like in slow motion. And each new frame brought closer the fall of the Golden Dragon.

An unprecedented lightness spread through her body, as if from an infinitely heavy stone her body had turned into the lightest fluff. She finally remembered it. This happened to her only a few times in her entire life. A person can step over himself and thereby push himself to the last frontier. But how strong does a person have to be to take the last step? A step that will allow you to cross this milestone. Are there such strong people? Or... is it completely independent of such a thing as strength? Exactly... that's what she remembered at that moment. A fighter is not made strong by muscles and endurance, not fame and money. Only unbending willpower. This is something that cannot be stolen. This is something that cannot be beaten. This is something that cannot be destroyed. And it was at that moment the Golden Dragon remembered why she had gone so far. This was her life. It was her choice. Someone could possibly break her body. But no one and no one will be able to break her spirit! "Remember, Astrid, the end goal is not always important..." The words of her father sounded in her head.

“But the path you follow is always important!” blonde mentally finished the credo, which she followed all her life.

The Golden Dragon put her left leg back, straining her back in order to stop her fall. The slow motion ended, now the frame seemed to have stopped, but only for one tiny moment, which was enough for the viewers' eyes to widen to such an extent that they were ready to roll out of their eye sockets. Astrid's right fist clenched, and her hand tightened to the point where the veins were ready to crawl out from under the skin. No, it was not the Golden Dragon that spread its wings again, giving the girl strength. It was Astrid. An ordinary girl, whose body was ready to just die, but whose fortitude helped her take the last step. The step beyond that very line. The last step that allowed her to do the impossible and go beyond the last frontier. The long-haired blonde straightened to her full height, bringing her right hand back. It seemed that even the air around them became empty, as if a vacuum was created in the hall, which absorbed all sounds and all energy, concentrating all this in the fist of the girl who refused to accept defeat. The last and this time a very real step forward.

"PLUS ULTRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Astrid roared, not holding back her emotions.

PLUS ULTRAAAAAAAAAAAAAA:

With the last step, her right hand rushed forward. She put all the determination she had into this punch. Past, present, future... everything that has ever happened and everything that will ever happen. The unshakable willpower possessed by the Norwegian girl gave her the opportunity for the blow that has personified her entire life. If there's a wall in her way, she will knock it down! If there isn't a path, she will break one herself! The magma of her soul burns with a mighty flame! Just who in the hell do you think she is?! Her name is Astrid Arvidsson! And right now, her punch, filled with the unbridled energy of the impossible, was aimed directly at Mari Fuuma's face!

There was a hard and almost heartbreaking thunderclap as Astrid's fist hit Mari's cheek. And even though the Japanese girl tried to stop it with her own blow, it didn't save her. The Norwegian girl's lavender eyes watched the light leave the silver-haired girl's eyes. There was almost no emotion on Astrid's face as her rival fell to her knees and her exhausted hand, which had never reached its goal, fell after her. Only the fact that the Golden Dragon was on her feet prevented her rival from falling to the canvas. Astrid's hand finally relaxed and sank down. Like her head. The girl took short breaths, feeling that she was ready to lose consciousness at any second, her body could no longer physically continue to move.

And only now the former MMA fighter realized that she did not hear anything. There was absolute silence in her ears, despite the fact that now the screams of the audience in the hall, most likely, were heard all over Tokyo. It was the end. The girl's gaze was clouded, and her heart was about to jump out of her chest. The blood continued to flow down her face, but now large drops did not fall on the mat, now they fell directly on Mari's silver hair. She has to pin this girl. She has to push her forward and then pin her in order to end this match. To end this hellish challenge. Astrid slowly leaned forward, placing her hands on Mari's shoulders.

But then one simple thought struck the Golden Dragon like lightning. Due to her hearing loss, she did not even hear her words, but she still said:

"Don't get up, Mari..."

Astrid's hands slipped off the Japanese girl's shoulders and she leaned over her, wrapping the arms around Mari's waist. One simple thought struck her like lightning. If she now pinned Mari and this girl, who was the strongest person in Astrid's life today, could break that pin, that would be the end. After what the former MMA fighter went through today, she simply would not continue the match, it would be her defeat. Even if the chance for it was one in a million, she could not allow it.

The long-haired blonde took a deep breath with her mouth, and then pulled Mari up, turning her over and placing her on the shoulders. Sweat, blood and tears mingled on Astrid's face, and her exhausted legs trembled under the weight of the two girls. The cramp barely allowed her to control her hands, but she closed her palms in a lock around the silver-haired girl's thighs. Eyes wide open, the Golden Dragon leaned forward and directed her opponent's body downward, smashing her against the mat with a powerbomb!

The whole ring shook from the collision of the mat and Mari's body! If the Norwegian girl could now see what is happening around, then she would see that the audience and even commentators began to tear their hair out. It seems that they were no longer able to adequately perceive what was happening in the ring. Even the girl-referee covered her mouth with her hands, watching what was happening. But no one seemed to even notice that Astrid was still holding her rival, keeping her legs on the shoulders. The girl's eyes turned red, this time not because of the play of light, but because her blood vessels could not withstand the stress. Saliva flew out of her mouth as she straightened again, lifting her rival back into the air. Astrid didn't know if the gods would hear her, but she knew for sure that the heavens would shake today! Because right now she was about to throw Mari down with another powerbomb!

Her hands were shaking and her head began to spin. There was a lump in her throat that prevented her from breathing. For literally one second, she was sure that she would fall down. The Norwegian girl looked into Mari's tortured face and for some unknown reason it gave her strength. With a wild roar, Astrid began to straighten up a third time. Her spine was ready to break and now the girl was on her feet only thanks to her willpower. She threw back her head and the spotlights blinded her. For an instant, it seemed to her that her spirit was headed straight for Valhalla. Finally. Astrid was going to lean forward, throwing her opponent down with a powerbomb for the third time! It was her dragon rage! This was the last thing Astrid could do today!

The long-haired blonde's gaze was covered with darkness. She finally parted her palms and her hands dropped lifelessly. No. Not only hands. Astrid dropped right on top of her rival. Their juicy tits were pressed into each other, and their heads were next to each other. The only difference was that Astrid's face looked down and Mari's face up. The spectators were speechless and even the referee did not understand what was happening. After all that happened today, would she have to start counting to ten again, since both fighters were unable to continue the match?

But then Astrid's trembling hand went up. If only anyone could imagine how painful it was... but the girl clenched her fist and then straightened her index finger, showing the number one! The crowd started stomping, clapping and shouting, and the referee finally got out of the stupor, realizing that the Golden Dragon was still conscious and that at the moment she had pinned her rival! The striped shirt finally fell down next to the girls and slammed the mat for the first time!

- ONE! - each spectator in the hall repeated for the referee.

Astrid didn't have a single thought in her mind. She didn't even know if she was conscious now or not. But that didn't matter. Perhaps her body was acting on its own. Or perhaps her willpower manifested itself even after she was no longer able to move on her own. But the Golden Dragon raised her middle finger after her index finger, showing the number two!

- TWO!! - perhaps now the screams in this hall were heard not only by the whole of Tokyo, but by the whole of Japan.

Astrid held out her ring finger, showing the final number three, which should finally end this wild and unbridled confrontation. The Norwegian girl, before whose eyes there was nothing but darkness, was afraid to even try to open her eyes. And then she heard it. The last clap. Together with this cotton, it seemed to her that her heart stopped. Was it really true? The whole world fell into silence. And then…

Ding-Ding-Ding.

Along with the ringing of the bell, real madness began in the hall. The commentators tried to shout down the people who, as one, jumped up from their seats, applauding to the winner of this match. No, not only to the winner. They applauded to both girls who showed a real battle of the titans. It was not just a match, it was not always possible to see this even during a title match. There was not only a battle of bodies, there was a real battle of spirits. Both Mari and Astrid showed that there are no limits for a real fighter. That a true fighter always goes to the end, no matter what. A true fighter will never admit defeat as long as there is even the slightest opportunity to continue the fight. The Golden Dragon's hand finally fell lifelessly down. She won.

Barely holding back a groan of pain, the long-haired blonde rolled off Mari's body and lay down on her back next to her rival. She barely clung to consciousness, balancing on the very edge. Her body was emaciated to the absolute limit. Now The Golden Dragon had no idea how she would get to the locker room. She definitely needs a minute. And maybe a little more. Through the endless screams of the audience, she tried to distinguish the words of the referee. The girl persistently asked if they needed medical attention. Oh... why can't she just shut up. This voice was too intrusive, Astrid was ready to fall asleep, just not to hear it.

Overcoming the pain and her own impotence, she turned her head to the side. The girl opened her eyes. Her gaze was clouded, but she could see all the outlines of her rival. She had to blink several times in order to slightly clear her vision. Now she clearly saw Mari's bloody face and her battered body. She could not even express in words all the feelings that she experienced today. This girl was the strongest to date of those with whom Astrid had to fight.

She really couldn't get up, but Astrid hoped she had the strength to do it. The long-haired blonde brought her hand to Mari's and then joined their palms together. Taking a deep breath, she lifted their hands up. Astrid's tired face wore a happy smile. Yes, she was the winner today. But they both deserve their place in the sun. Right now, there was no person on this planet that the Golden Dragon respected more than the girl with bloody silver hair lying next to her. Viewers and commentators were amazed at Astrid's gesture, it seems that it even touched them to some extent.

"You are also a winner for me…" she said barely audibly.

Her head was so heavy... her heart was beating so slowly... her body was so full of pain... Astrid's eyelids began to drop slowly. This match was too grueling. Even her willpower could no longer keep her here. The sounds began to subside, and consciousness began to slip away from her. The Golden Dragon's hand relaxed and both of the girls' hands fell down. The blonde who had done the impossible today fell asleep. Two girls who beat each other until they lost consciousness. Two warriors whose fiery hearts led them to their limits. Two fighters, who respected each other and now lying next to each other after the most difficult fight in their life. Their palms were still joined together. And it was beautiful.