Summer Splash 2020: Entropy Title: Manami Kuroda(c) vs Hazumi Hazama: Submission Match

Actually, this would be fine.

Manami had ruminated for some time whether Harumi was actually deserving of this match or not. True, as the contender, she reserved the right to set the stage for the match as she pleased, but Manami nevertheless maintained the champion’s final say; whether this fight happened or not was at her behest. It would have been so easy to swipe this insect aside and try for more wanting prey, few and far between as they’d become since her ascension. But it didn’t matter how hard they attempted to hide their cowering tails, Manami could find them with enough diligence and the better part of a week’s time. This wasn’t entirely their federation anymore, after all…

But for all her revoltingly noble ambitions, Harumi was a woman with a status that even she hadn’t seemed entirely aware of. More than a few tickets had been sold on the back of their event alone. The little rookie had made quite a name for herself on the back of little more than extraneous effort and a compelling personality. Given the proper tools, she had the makings of a champion to be remembered in AFW’s ‘proud’ history.

That made her the ideal budding rose. The perfect prey to tear apart from the seams in front of the entire world and snap those fanciful ambitions in two. She was hoping to use Eka for that very purpose, but with hindsight, this would work out far better in the end. It would be much more fulfilling for herself and her goals. So much more challenging, so much more rewarding.

So much fun.

Howling In The Night:

The howling of wolves heralded to the baying audience what they already knew would be coming for minutes now, minutes that seemed to stretch on for hours as the building anticipation for a crucial title bout thickened the atmosphere enough to be cut with a serrated knife. For this wasn’t simply a high-energy bout, this was a Manami Kuroda match. She had expectations to live to, and the Wolf Mother fully intended to keep the bar high above any of them. This was what true strength looked like.

The Wolf Of Satsuma:

The champion emerged from the swell of flashing green light, her belt close to her shoulder with predatory eyes that scanned the audience from one end to the other. Her reception was as mixed as ever; displeasure and appraisal that was impossible to gauge who held the majority. But what was key was the volume. It grew louder each time, more voices accompanying her descent as she took one powerful step down towards the ring after another. A far cry from her days as a stranger to these ropes, when the only reaction to her style of wrestling was shock and horror. Now who were the ones that vied for it? Who held their breath and sung silent prayers for her victory?

Violence was so intoxicating, wasn't it?

At the bottom of the ramp, Manami stepped up to the ring and climbed the edge to slip between the ropes onto the canvas. With a simple walk to her corner, she leaned with her back to the ropes, watching the top of the same grandiose walkway she’d just entered from. Her mind kept trying to picture the last time she saw the woman’s face; hardened, furious, at the edge of it all. The corners of Manami’s lips stretched further the longer she reminisced. She was nobody, nothing, beneath consideration. Yet Harumi managed to excite her like few could in this accursed arena.

The Wolf Girl sincerely hoped she didn’t regret that. Not even a little.

The day had finally come. The long, terrible dream Harumi had felt she had been walking through for weeks would finally be over within a few hours. It was such a strange feeling, unlike she had ever experienced before. The desire for the fight to be over almost overtook any concern the judoka had for her opponent or the damage she could do. Harumi had been training nonstop in preparation for this match. She’d spent sleepless nights using Eka’s laptop to study Manami’s blood matches, her style and ferocity on full display. Hours burned in the gym practicing her strikes and kicks, honing them to their peak like a warrior would sharpen their blade. Building as much muscle and stamina as possible in order to be properly equipped to take on the predator that stalked the federation’s halls. But the waiting...that was the hardest part.

There was such a swirl of emotions running through Harumi, she honestly couldn’t tell what she was feeling at the moment. There was excitement that this conflict would finally be over, and she could prove herself to the world! But there was also the possibility of losing, and the fear that came with it. Manami was unlike anything she had faced in the federation so far. Indeed, she was an opponent unlike any Harumi had ever fought before. The possibility that she might lose was always there, but the judoka couldn’t help but feel as though that no matter what happened tonight, win or lose, it would cost her dearly.

The faint knock on the door was her signal. It was Harumi’s turn, and they were ready for her. No more waiting, no more bad dreams.

Just her and Manami now.
--

Ring of Fortune:

The gentle tone of Harumi’s theme was almost soothing compared to her opponent’s powerful and bombastic theme. The slow melody, the gentle tone of the singer, and the light instruments built an air of beauty and calm. However, as the theme continued, the music began to grow more rapid! Faster, but never losing it’s elegance as the music's strength continued to grow! As the beat grew to its climax, cherry blossom petals began to fall from the air. The light pink flakes showered the audience as a figure dressed in a teal colored cape and hood appeared, as though from the cherry blossom petals. The hood covered most of the strangers face, but she was clearly the Wolf Mother’s opponent. The long, furred cape covered her body as she slowly descended the ramp, her movements sharp and practiced. It was as though her movement itself was a piece of art. Not a motion wasted, a scene that would be captured by some of the audience members and cherished by its simple beauty. The pink petals almost seemed to follow her, as if drawn to her in some mysterious way.

The audience’s reaction was very much like Manami’s, torn between cheers and threats being thrown her way. The hooded woman didn’t seem to register any of it. She was always facing forward with her measured stride. Only one person would see the determined emerald green gaze that pierced through the hood, and that was Manami Kuroda.

As the cloaked figure made her way to the ring, she stopped just outside. She stood there, seemingly peering at the ropes for a short moment before crouching down low, the cape hiding her movement in a teal curtain before the figure sprung up into the air! For a moment, it appeared as though the cape was flying by itself, floating for just a second before clearing the ropes and falling silently to the ring’s canvas. It took the audience a few moments to realize the person was still inside the cape, as she straightened up at the apex of her music!

A hand would finally emerge from underneath the cloak, gripping the shoulder of the fabric before removing the entire thing with practiced flourish! The beautiful petals swirled around the figure in a vortex! A dramatic and beautiful reveal that couldn’t have been recreated if it was practiced a hundred times!


Her eyes held the same conviction they had when she first stood against Manami. The events that occurred in that gym flashing across Harumi’s strong gaze, the raw emotions that burned in her heart hidden behind her cold, expressionless mask as she readied herself in a stance. The cheers of the ground growing louder for just a solitary moment, the challenger ready to face the monster standing across from her...

Ghosts often found their way to the battlefield, drawn by nefarious forces of awe and disdain concentrated to one single point in time. From every era, harboring every fear and every bitter resentment towards their slayers, they would seek out those very same impulses until the fires of hatred finally faded from men’s hearts, and their bloodshot eyes gleaming wrath shut forever.

Manami couldn’t recall the last time she’d felt that familiar chill tickle her spine from behind. On the tip of her nose she could smell the danger coming for her, on her skin she could feel slight aggravation from the pain yet to come but so near, looming around just the next unseen corner. Harumi’s animosity made manifest seemed to trickle through the air before she even appeared before a single pair of the thousands of eyes around them. Her skin clung close with a simmering warmth just beneath the surface.

It was almost a surprise to see little more than a cloak coming out to greet her with her opponent’s entrance. Billowing in the wind with cherry blossoms all around, she cut a picturesque wandering warrior if nothing else.

When the samurai finally appeared with a long draw of her cloak, it was with all the glory and coolness that Manami had expected. Her malice was something unique. Each of the wolf’s former contenders had been determined beyond belief. There was always something pushing them in the back of their minds, whether it was for the sake of their pride, their honor, some inane sense of respect. But with Harumi, there was something more, a chilling edge to the stoic glare in her eye, the slight folds of frustration over her brow and firm posture exuding an ineffable calm. For a heartbeat, Manami was convinced that the samurai could cleave her in two with those eyes alone.

Her smile stretched from ear to ear, growing voracious and fanged as her namesake as she stepped away from her corner to meet Harumi at the center of the ring. Flashes of pulsing, primal energy channeled through her veins, infecting every inch of muscle that twitched irrevocably. Tensing and untensing her fingers. The official looked between them once, twice, then coughed into her microphone.

“The following contest is a Submission Match for the Entropy Championship! The contestant to make their adversary cry out their defeat will either win or retain the coveted Entropy title belt! Introducing first, from Kagoshima Prefecture, is AFW’s fearsome beast in a fierce third defense of her title! Standing at one hundred and sixty-eight centimeters and weighing in at one hundred and forty pounds, she is your current Entropy champion, Manami - The Wolf Girl - Kurodaaaaaaaaaaa!”

Manami handed off the belt for the official to raise. She had no pomp or glamour to give for the baying sheep all around her. Nothing she cared for at the least.

Her eyes seemed to relax, leaving Harumi only for the faintest moment for the sight of the crowd off to her side rallying behind their rightful leader. Even as annoyed as it made her, she could faintly remember the reception from that night a year back, when she’d stood eye to eye with Valley Doll in the same way. The roar was noticeably larger, gaining more than half of its favor. Strength spoke on its own. She raised a nonchalant hand with a shrug of her shoulders, not caring to hide the self-satisfied smile on her lips as her eyes directed a single question back at Harumi.

How dare you stand before me?

A competition? This was no such thing. Anyone who looked at the two women in the ring…really looked would know that was not what this fight was about. The announcers could dress it up all they like, but the Wolf Mother had made her point abundantly clear time and time again inside that squared arena. What was about to happen was nothing short of a war. A battle of wills, with the unfortunate lamb to the slaughter being the still relatively new Harumi Hazama. Few audience members would recognize her from her previous matches, most only interested in the cruel or the sex-crazed fighters of the roster. Many of those in the audience came specifically for Manami, the reigning empress of Entropy whose signature was violence and cruelty to those that stood against her. A terrifying Titan that left her mark wherever she went, and god help those that dared to enter her territory. To those cheering, Manami was a force too strong to break, a beast with an indomitable will! Challenging her to a submission math was suicide, but one that would not go unappreciated. It had been a long time since Manami’s fan’s had seen her truly break an opponent. The only concern for Manami’s followers was that she might just get the girl in teal to scream too early, ending the fun.

The audience was in the palm of her hand, as well as the Entropy Belt. Who was Harumi to stand against her? What right had she to even think she could topple Manami’s reign over the federation? No one in the audience took her seriously, not even after the grand entrance she had made. Only a few dared to prefer her over the Wolf Mother, but their lack of numbers kept them quiet and concealed. All of this was the sight that Manami Kuroda would drink in with her single glance. Her strength had crushed the sheep’s morals and qualms, their desire to see her power overriding any humanity in them. Even after she had been announced, the adulation for the Wolf Mother rang out for several more seconds.

But the sight Manami would find back inside the ring was completely different. Like looking at a window, the moment the champion’s eyes returned to Harumi’s, it was as though the audience was gone. Silence clung to the air as the steel gaze of the Silent Samurai before her continued to dig into Manami’s glare. In the ring the audience didn’t matter. The smug smile on the Wolf’s maw crashed against Harumi’s stony defenses, those emerald eyes peering at Manami with a look of silent disdain. The announcer’s double glance seemed justified at that moment. It wasn’t clear who exactly would tear into who.

“And her opponent! Coming front the Saitama Prefecture and standing one hundred and sixty seven centimeters and weighing one hundred and thirty eight pounds! The Silent Samurai of the AFW, Harumi Hazamaaaaa!”

A few polite laps and cheers came from that announcement. What few people did genuinely wish the samurai luck were shut down by the baleful glares of Manami’s fans. Harumi didn’t seem to mind. She wasn’t here for the fans, or to give a show that everyone would enjoy.

She wanted to plant Manami into the ground and bury her. To ensure this predator never again dared to stand in her doorstep and threaten those she cared for. The fight ahead would be hell, and the chances of blood loss were uncomfortably high. Harumi had steeled her resolve, knowing the risks going into this fight. She had to win this one. She absolutely had to! Manami’s predictions would never come true, not so long as she drew breath and had the will to fight.

The Wolf’s teeth were sharp...but the Samurai’s strikes were her blade, and those were just as deadly.

Manami could picture herself atop a throne in this moment, the apex of every vestige of life in this pathetic little arena. To think only two years ago this was a place stricken with hapless vagabonds fancying little more than visions of valor and wealth. Far and wide AFW was proclaimed as the domain of the strong, a haven for the brightest. Under her guidance, the Wolf Mother had finally begun to see a ray of light from that vision of the near future. The abrogation of this moronic status quo was inevitable.

The smile upon the Wolf Girl’s lips should have faded with the call of Harumi’s name over the loudspeaker. The idiotic nickname, the typical applause, it never failed to make her feel disgusted. But tonight felt...different, and not completely unpleasant. The rallying cry behind the Silent Samurai could hardly be described as such. A whimper in a dark forest surrounded by a million eyes circling to and fro, glazed over with an insatiable hunger. There was no greater testament to her status than in that moment of half-hearted sincerity field in endless fear. It was as if everyone could sense what Manami was thinking, the absolute disdain for her opponent and the countless methods she’d employ to ensure it was thoroughly satisfied. As it should have been. Her reign was just beginning.

The official raised the belt high into the air, its gold surface gleaming across the faces of the mutually hateful adversaries standing at either side of its heavy laces. Even as its brilliant light proved the flawless crystalline aesthetic of its surface, Manami’s eyes hadn’t batted an inch. Her pupils remained sharp and fixed upon the resolute steel of her foe’s, only half-convinced that she was staring at a statue for all the movement Harumi offered in return. That was acceptable. She could play to her moniker a while longer. That jaw would slacken in due time.

Only a moment after the official handed the belt away to be taken to the announcer’s table. Her attention turned back to the wrestlers at either end and, for an instant, she was hesitant to raise her hand. Neither of them seemed to have moved an inch since they’d met at the center. Lost in their own little pocket of subspace. Slowly, daring to break the borders of that world, she raised her hand and threw it down for the bell to chime.

Manami’s face relaxed back into its natural state, a confident and cool smirk upon her lips as she straightened herself upright with a hand at her hip. The wolf circled the girl slowly, keeping her at an arm’s length as she walked a perfect line, eyeing her off to the side like a bloody piece of meat. The slight glint of her wolven pupils betrayed something beyond human in her anticipation. Now...how should I break you?

She opted for something straight and narrow. In a snap motion, the Wolf Girl lunged forward and leaped into the air, spinning herself into a full circle as her leg kicked out, shooting straight at Harumi’s face from the higher angle with a tornado kick. For the first move of the match, there would be plenty of force behind it, enough to send the samurai at least back a couple of steps before she landed.

It wasn’t the kind of strike she’d ever made clear was in her repertoire and that wasn’t the point. The speed was the point. The power. The grace flush with brutality.

A show of force.

Finally, the bell rang.

The knot in Harumi’s stomach didn’t disappear. It hardly budged as the time for combat came and lingered about, the acute echoes still bouncing off and dying in the large arena. The judoka hadn’t expected all the emotions she had been lugging around to suddenly disappear after hearing the bell, but she thought it would at least help put her in a separate mindset. Something more focused, less chaotic. The anger, stress, and subtle fear all twisted and churned in her guts, quietly taking up a small portion of her attention. Even with the subject of her anguish standing in front of her, Harumi held back. She prepared herself for a fight, getting into a standard chance as the Wolf began to circle her. She followed her opponent's lead, watching her carefully but thinking all the while. As stoic as she was, her mind was going a mile a minute! Jumping from the memories of that day in the gym, to the nightmares that had haunted her the past few weeks, then finally the morals she had grown up with her entire life.




...Fighting to protect the one I love!

...Violence with Violence is a worthless solution…

Movement knocked Harumi out of her thoughts. The bottom of a boot was coming in fast! Too fast! The Judoka quickly pushed off her feet, looking to make a hasty retreat and minimize what damage she could with what few milliseconds she had! Of course, that wasn’t enough to avoid the sudden and unexpected attack. Manami’s kick landed flush against Harumi’s right cheek instantly creating a reverberating smack that could be heard in the first few rows of the audience. The force of the blow aided in Harumi’s swift retreat. Her decision to fall back likely being the only reason her head was still attached to her neck, thankfully diminishing Manami’s kick if only just a bit.

Just as the Wolf Mother had predicted, her opponent was sent stumbling backwards a few steps. Only barely keeping her balance, Harumi managed to keep her footing. A large, red foot shaped mark already crawling across the samurai’s pale cheek. It was easily seen through her fingers, which moved to assess the damage before returning back to a comparative stance. The fight had started, and already the Wolf was showing its fangs.

At least it brought Harumi back to the battle.

Manami had made a show of force. Something to shake her opponent's confidence and will to fight. To make them easy prey, like a wolf's howl could paralyze the weak of heart. Harumi wanted to repay Manami’s transgression, taking a single step forward…

Before launching at Manami! Like an arrow let loose from a bow, any distance between the two was quickly evaporated! The Samurai’s arm came down and sliced the air in two! Harumi was quick, and her limb was almost invisible! A chop, with the power and speed of a sword descended towards Manami. The intent was to crack against her opponent’s chest, an equally impressive show of force as if to prove to Manami that Harumi would not be so easily bullied.

The element of surprise was an integral aspect of Manami’s skillset, one that she cherished and honed to a razor-sharp point. It served so many purposes. It kept her opponents guessing, it kept others fearful of her approach, it made executing her strategies a thousand times easier when she stayed unpredictable. And above all of those boons, she loved the thrill that rushed through her veins with an attack thoroughly executed. The sound and bated breaths and look of shock on her victim’s face when the decisive strike tore through them.

Quakes and tremors traveled in a wave across the canvas with the shorter woman’s body at its epicenter. The second her shot connected with the flesh of Harumi’s cheek, that complacent smile across Manami’s face seemed to stretch another inch with practically dripping satisfaction. It was everything to shock some life into that stoic face.

If she was going to tear this woman apart, there may as well have been some excitement in the spectacle. The ‘Silent Samurai’ wouldn’t stay that way for long.

The Wolf Girl came down on one foot and a low crouch with the primal elegance befitting her namesake. Her rise was a slow one as she watched Harumi stumble, assessing the weaknesses with predatory eyes. She examined every detail she could find with hyper precision; the dominant foot she used to recover her posture, which arms she lead with when reasserting her guard, where her eyes went when they found Manami again. Harumi was a nobody, insignificant even by a lackey’s standards, but the champion felt no inclination to make things easy for her. Nothing would get by her.

Nothing she could see. Harumi came in so fast it may very well have been a bolt of lightning that struck Manami across the chest. That would certainly explain the thunder thereafter that carried across the stadium in a sudden clap. Manami’s breath stalled before hacking an expelled cough from her lungs before finding herself stumbling back. Her hand came up to grip her chest and found a searing red mark there, perfectly vertical and delivered with the swiftness of a blade. It wasn’t just fast. It was too fast. Her gaze returned to Harumi and found a determined warrior waiting for her, the same she’d left behind in the gym that day.

Her heart quickened again. That stark white, menacing sneer made itself known again before Manami charged forward again. One hand reached out to Harumi’s closest arm while the other sought a grip at her shoulder. It would be the beginning of a lock-up. The champion was confident she was the stronger woman between them. Once she pinned her down, she could focus on making her helpless.

The thunderous smack came so fast that hardly anyone in the audience had a chance to see it! To them the only thing that was visible was Harumi’s sudden dash towards Manami, and the champion taking a sudden step back. Only a few could see the surprised, pained look on the champion’s face. It was a shocking sight to see, with few ever even thinking that the Wolf mother could be taken by surprise. Manami had given off such an aura of authority and an air of smug apathy that no one thought of her opponent capable of delivering such an impressive feat! After all, she was the infamous Entropy Champion! Harumi was supposed to be nobody!

But now the audience was watching for more than just violence. Few had ever managed to surprise the Wolf mother before, and while it was true fewer that did so still had the ability to walk afterwards at the very least it was an unexpected feat that was accomplished. Harumi wasn’t going to just lie down and be devoured by Manami’s might! Rather, it seemed she might actually fight tooth and nail to best the infamous fighter. That determination that radiated off the newbie alone got a few more eyes interested in the fight ahead.

Meanwhile, the Judoka seemed satisfied with her opening strike! She had successfully paid Manami back for the boot print on her cheek by giving the Wolf a large mark across her chest! The blow even had the added effect of making Manami retreat a few paces. Harumi silently stewed and hoped that put a slight dent in Manami’s over inflated ego for even just a second. The way she glared at the Judoka and bared her fangs in a display of irritation seemed to confirm Harumi’s hopes, a smirk slipping past the Samurai’s stoic mask just long enough for her opponent to notice.

Without warning, Manami decided to rush towards her opponent! Her powerful claws outstretched and ready to clamp down around her intended prey with a murderous aura following her like a bad stench! Manami gave off the appearance of a mad dog, Harumi’s emerald eyes narrowing in disgust as her foe ripped the distance between them away! The swift, gentle feeling of the air gently brushing against the Judoka’s arms was not an unfamiliar one, as Manami moved to entrap her prey in a lock-up! Harumi had been in this position before...

“Tsk!”

Harumi moved in quickly! Manami’s arm moved and gripped her shoulder and opposite arm! Harumi reciprocated the lock up, but rather than grabbing Manami’s shoulder, she instead grabbed the collar of her top! As the Champion began to assert herself and push Harumi, the newer wrestler took advantage of the hold. Harumi tugged Manami towards her, forcefully twisting her body to the side while kicking her foot against her opponent's leg in an attempt to throw Manami with a Hiza Guruma! If she managed to succeed, then not only would Manami hit the floor with some force, but Harumi would have an excellent chance to start the submission battle early with a Standing Armbar.

Who was the stronger one between the two of them? Manami unfortunately couldn’t tell from a simple glance. Their heights and builds were roughly of equal proportion, bulked with muscle meant for throwing and handling larger prey. Though where Harumi preferred strength in the upper body for the sake of her technique, the Wolf Girl focused more into her lower body and legs for pure power and range. Her body was a machine built for killing and fighting. Harumi’s was a tempered blade with a singular purpose.

Choosing to grapple with someone so insufferably proud of that kind of marital heritage was either foolish, bold, or some mix of the two. Manami liked to think of it as an opportunity to test the girl’s abilities. Once she sunk her teeth in, it would be sink or swim. She was certain she could overpower Harumi; a matter of 'when', not 'if'.

And maybe that was obvious to Harumi too. Too tempting bait to bite. Manami didn’t figure her for a particularly stupid girl, but even so, she played her cards masterfully.

Before her hand could even grace Harumi’s shoulder, Manami stepped right into a feint so quick she hadn’t realized she’d been caught until she was flying over the heiress’s shoulder. Her side hit the floor hard but that was only second to the tension she felt building in her arm which she immediately fought to keep from getting worse with a clench of her first and pull away from her adversary. She bit back an involuntary yelp when her nerves set alight from the sudden torque Harumi applied at her joint. Instead, a cocksure smirk on one side of her face would be there to meet the samurai’s gaze. Manami couldn’t fault the woman for her skill, even for the slightest taste she was receiving of it. If she swung her leg over and gave that arm a solid twist, that would be enough to dislocate it and leave her with plenty of swelling to deal with for the next week or two. That would be inconvenient, wouldn’t it?

The Wolf Mother quickly reached up and grabbed her own wrist, fighting the armbar as best as she was able before Harumi could fully lock the limb down. If Harumi wanted to fight it, that would be in her best interest to not let a snared wolf simply wander free. But the more she fought, Manami would muster more of her strength to force the judoka to lean further in, closer and closer in her desperate struggle. The instant she was close enough, Manami would go to kick up off the floor and throw her left leg overhead in a swift crescent, slamming her shin upside the judo girl’s head.