AV 20 Alaina Sanders vs Charlotte Ravel

Blinking several times, Charlotte realized what position she was in. The mind was clear, she saw almost everything that was in front of her eyes. She could even hear the screams of the audience. But at the same time, the Frenchwoman understood that the body no longer obeys her commands. The pain didn't just hold her. The pain literally subdued her. And now, when Charlotte tried to at least simply move her hand to the side, she seemed to stumble upon an invisible barrier. Pain. Pain. Pain. That was all that mattered now.

However, she was the only one who could not bring herself to move now. The audience started clapping at the same time, taking short pauses. It could only mean one thing, and after a moment the Sand Lizard was convinced of this. She didn't even moan as her rival's hands grabbed her hair. How much she hated it when someone touched her hair during a match... but that didn't change anything. The young woman's body looked like a regular piece of meat that was going to be softened with a hammer before being sent on the fire.

Charlotte's gaze was directed downward as her head was pressed between Alaina's sweaty thighs. She watched helplessly as blood dripped from her nose onto the mat. This has happened before, the young woman already knew what Alaina was preparing for her. She closed her eyes and found herself standing in the middle of nothing. And in front of her was a huge translucent wall.

Alaina put Charlotte on her shoulders in one movement, under the loud cries of the audience. Charlotte wanted to go through this wall, she did not know why, but she was sure that on the other side she would be saved. She hit the wall with her fist, but all she achieved was pain, not a single scratch remained on the wall. The Sand Lizard heard the wind whistling in her ears at the moment when her body went down. She barely even felt anything. Blood spurted out of the pink-haired woman's mouth, and then there was silence. Now that the bloody and beaten Charlotte lay with her arms outstretched, she was nothing more than nothing. She hardly even breathed, only a very attentive person could replace the weak movements of her chest.

"ONE!"

Where did this sound come from? The Frenchwoman, still standing in front of the wall, looked around. It was a very strange feeling. As if she had forgotten everything. Standing in the middle of the darkness, she knew that only this wall in front of her mattered. Charlotte didn't even know why it was so important. But now she only felt one desire. She had to be on the other side. The young woman put her palms on the wall and began to press on it. And the harder she pressed, the more pain she felt. Unable to take it any longer, she dropped her arms and took a step back. Falling to her knees, she threw back her head and began to scream in anger and helplessness.

"TWO!!"

"SHUT UP!!!!!" she screamed into the void.

Charlotte knew that if she heard the third count, it would be over for her. The wall will remain in her path. But what else could she do? She no longer had the strength. And every attempt to break this wall led only to pain. And the worst thing was that she didn't even know what was waiting for her on the other side? What if she breaks that wall and there is more despair on the other side? What if all the efforts she put in didn't pay off. What's the point of even trying to do something if in the end nothing awaits you but long years of obscurity?

The woman looked at the wall. Why did she want to be on the other side so badly? Why was it so important to her? So many questions. And so few answers. But why did she then feel that it was so important? Charlotte's fists clenched. Wiping the tears from her face, she rose to her feet. As she took a step forward, she seemed to hear a whisper that smugly tried to stop her. The wall seemed to tell her not to move. Snorting in annoyance, Sand Lizard placed her palms on the wall and began to press down on it again.

"I won't give up..." she said to herself, "I'll get to the other side!"

Jaws clenched, the Frenchwoman strained her arms, increasing the pressure on the wall. The pain increased exponentially. Charlotte was willing to swear that she felt her muscles are ripping. But she didn't stop. She began to press even harder. Now she began to feel pain in the chest, it became difficult for her to breathe. The young woman began to moan in pain. Her entire body began to shake, but she did not release the pressure. A bit more. She was sure of it. Blood began to flow from her mouth and nose. But at that very moment, cracks appeared in the places where she pressed on the wall.

"I'll get to the other side!!!!!" she screamed.

Through the unbearable pain, Charlotte pulled together all the willpower she had and tried to take a step forward, giving all her strength to the pressure. Her body seemed to begin to tear apart. Charlotte began to scream like a wounded animal. The cracks have become larger. The whole body of the Frenchwoman was in blood, she was ready to die. There was a soft click, and then the sound of breaking glass filled the entire space in the darkness. The wall collapsed.

Spoiler:

She didn't even notice how she started screaming for real. Raising her hands shaking with pain, the Sand Lizard jerked to the side, pushing Alaina away from her before the referee's palm dropped to the mat for the third time. Charlotte would have remained on her right side after that, eyes wide. The martial artist tried to comprehend everything she had just experienced. It took no more than a few seconds for everyone. But for her, the confrontation with the wall lasted almost an eternity. But she won in this confrontation. She was still here. No... she was on the other side. And even if Charlotte did not receive answers to all questions about the future, it was at this moment that she was glad. The future always seemed to her inevitably bleak. But right now she saw the light. And right now that was enough. It was beautiful.

Even after all that happened, Alaina quickly got to her feet, receiving applause from the audience at the same time. The same could not be said of Charlotte, who was left lying below. Trying to find again the least painful rhythm of breathing that would not cause too much pain to her injured ribs, she simply tried to regain at least a little strength. She was not naive and perfectly understood that these few seconds would not be enough, but even if she managed to get a few reserve interest, it would already be good. The only thing she did was run her hand over her face, removing the blood, although in fact she simply smeared the scarlet liquid over a larger area.

Through the wall of unbearable pain, she was able to break the pin, but that was not enough. The feeling that had visited her earlier returned to her again. A strange and inexplicable feeling that everything she does is useless. What's the point in trying for the moment, knowing that nothing awaits you? Many would agree with this statement. And perhaps, deep down, even Charlotte was ready to agree with this. But today she went too far just to dutifully lie down below. So even if it was all really useless, she decided that only today she would not stop until the wall in front of her was too strong.

The pain from her body did not disappear anywhere. Everything she went through in this match provided her pain in every cell of her body. And although she did not even try to resist at the moment when Alaina grabbed her in order to raise the Frenchwoman to her feet, she still groaned in pain. The martial arts master understood that this time she would have to go to the end, the second such attack from her rival, she simply would not survive. And so she had to act as if her life depended on every movement. The Sand Lizard was not going to repulse or even somehow interact with the Amazon until the moment when she realizes what the American woman was up to.

And this became clear when the beaten Charlotte was again raised to her feet. Alaina gave her an acceleration and sent her to the ropes. It was impossible to foresee all the options, but as far as Charlotte could have guessed, one of the Amazon's two favorite attacks awaited her ahead. Or a dropkick or a clothesline. However, Charlotte did not hear footsteps behind her, which could only mean that Alaina was not chasing her. Unable to stop herself, Charlotte was forced to turn around and fall onto the ropes, which pushed her away, giving her even more acceleration.

"You have to focus..." she mentally ordered herself.

It was disastrously difficult to do, because in order to concentrate, she usually found spiritual balance. But the wild pain throughout her body distracted her. Seeing the outstretched hand of her rival, Charlotte realized what awaited her. The martial artist held her breath. She hadn't used this fighting style in ages, but now she had no choice. Wushu was a wonderful and unusual weapon in skilled hands, but in order to use it, she had to focus.

"Drop doubts... drop pain... drop the future... feel the energy around... focus..."

Her heartbeat slowed down a bit. One instant before colliding with Alaina's outstretched arm, Charlotte threw her own arms forward and up. With her right hand, she intended to grab the left shoulder of her rival, while with her left hand she wanted to grab the forearm of Alaina's right hand. The impulse she got from the ropes was supposed to help her now, because instead of bumping into the Amazon's hand, the pink-haired woman was about to jump, shifting her center of gravity back to do a backflip over Alaina while still holding her arm and shoulder.

Perhaps, if they were with fresh forces, Charlotte's chances of bringing Alaina down would be much lower. Knowing that her rival can resist pain well, Charlotte most likely would not have dared to take such a step. But now she hoped that her masterful movement would make the Amazon sink down, while the Sand Lizard would get the twisted arm of her rival. This unusual movement was difficult to name, but most likely it was something like a modified standing fujiwara armbar.

Spoiler:

If she succeeded, she would be able to put unprecedented pressure on Alaina's hand, which she did, leaning back. While she wasn't about to break that arm, Charlotte wasn't about to give Alaina even the slightest opportunity. If it were any other match, she would continue to just try to get the Amazon to submit. But considering everything Alaina gave her in this match, only one hand was not enough for Charlotte. An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. And pain for pain. The Frenchwoman was about to let go of Alaina's left shoulder, now she needed a free hand. To increase the pressure on the Amazon's captured hand? No. Charlotte was intent on clenching her right fist and then start to send punch after punch to her opponent's head. She didn't even care where exactly she was aiming. Eye. Nose. Temple. Lips. Cheek. The main thing for her was to make Alaina lose no less blood than she lost.

Noise filled the hall as the pink-haired woman went from defense to attack, and in a very unusual way. Charlotte could understand the audience's reaction. Wushu was considered a very mediocre martial art, which was more suitable for films than for real combat. Perhaps in most cases it was so. However, it was not in vain that she traveled all over the world, studying martial arts from real masters. And she didn't call herself a martial artist for nothing. The Sand Lizard knew that there were many women in the AFW with unusual fighting styles, but she was willing to swear that no one possessed the same arsenal of movements as hers.

Alaina's painful moans did not stop her. Charlotte was well aware that now her rival's hand was in a dangerous position and any wrong movement would only aggravate everything. However, the Frenchwoman shouldn't have let the Amazon find a way to escape. Her fist clenched, and then that fist collided with the face of the American woman. Blood spurted from her lips. One more blow. Blood spurted from her nose. Another blow. Alaina's eye is swollen. Charlotte's hand was trembling, she had to act, literally ignoring the fatigue. And each new blow was given to her with incredible difficulty. But it was worth it.

Knowing how much the woman she held was eager to win, the Sand Lizard simply could not help but respond in kind. This match has already shown that Alaina will stop at nothing in an effort to defeat her. A broken nose and cracked ribs spoke of this better than anything else. Charlotte remembered very well who some people thought she was. Perhaps there weren't many, but as long as at least one person believes that not only veterans have the right to shine on the podium, she won't stop. At least today.

Trying to breathe with the pace of the blows, Charlotte was going to continue the onslaught, because she managed to make Alaina sink even lower, literally pressing her upper body against the mat. Despite fatigue and pain throughout her body, it seemed to her that a few more blows and Alaina would no longer be able to remain conscious. However, then a lot more pain came into Charlotte's hand than before. And she discovered that Alaina was using her free hand to somehow protect her face. The pink-haired woman clenched her jaw and stabbed a few more blows directly into Alaina's hand, hoping that even this would have some effect.

However, this could not continue, given her deplorable condition, she did not want to break and her knuckles too, continuing to beat the Amazon's bone. Breathing heavily, Charlotte tried to put her left knee on her opponent's head, intending to press her to the mat even more securely. The Sand Lizard could have tried to bypass Alaina's defenses to continue punching her face, however, with her current strength, she wanted to move as little as possible. In addition, she had a second target, which would be much more difficult for her opponent to defend than her face.

Now Charlotte intended to take Alaina's captured arm with her other hand too. She was going not only to increase the angle of pressure on her rival's arm, but also to twist it, continuing to press her knee on the head of the Amazon. She hadn’t had to be so cruel in ages. However, Charlotte understood one simple truth. Alaina was definitely not soft with her in this match. The Amazon dedicated every second so that the Frenchwoman would no longer rise to her feet. And even though Charlotte never held back, now she was ready to admit that Alaina pushed her to show everything that she hid inside before. Usually she tried to win without unnecessary cruelty, so she kept the most painful and dangerous movements to herself. But not today.

"Give up... or I'll break your arm!" she would say in a hoarse voice.

Charlotte snorted a little in annoyance when she heard her rival's reply. Not because she was annoyed by the stubbornness of the American woman, but because her efforts were still not enough to force the Amazon to submit. Somewhere on a subconscious level it began to seem to her that no matter how much she trained and no matter how much she invested in her desire to surpass her idol, this woman always remained many steps ahead. The pink-haired woman shook her head, trying to put these thoughts aside, at least for a while.

Despite her words, she still had no intention of breaking her rival's arm. But she could not leave it just like that. The Sand Lizard slightly changed the pressure angle so that in the worst case, Alaina would get a dislocation, not a fracture. She did not want to do this at all, but even more she did not want to remain a mediocre fighter in the shadow of her rival for the next decade. Charlotte began to press on Alaina's shoulder joint with the maximum force available to her.

She heard Alaina's moans and screams under this pressure, and she felt the American woman straining her hand to at least slightly weaken the influence of the Sand Lizard. The Frenchwoman snuffled, trying not to let Alaina's wild power save her and at first it seemed that she was making progress. But then she felt Alaina's second arm wrapped around her. At first it didn't seem like a big problem to her, but then something almost incredible began. The Amazon began to rise to her feet to loud cheers from the crowd, lifting Charlotte with her.

“Tu te moqués de moi...” she thought.

Perhaps she would try to step back in order to then attack in another way. But now Alaina clung to her with a stranglehold, not giving her such an opportunity. Given this, she had no choice, the Frenchwoman continued to press on the shoulder of her rival even at the moment when the Amazon began to move back. The Sand Lizard was well aware of what the American woman wanted to do, but she was not going to just let her return to the game, that would mean the end. The pink-haired woman's eyes widened as her back crashed into the corner, and Alaina's weight pressed her in front.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!" she screamed in agony.

Without any chance, she let go of her rival's hand, and as soon as Alaina's weight ceased to press on her, Charlotte collapsed onto the mat, again clasping her chest. She began to cough, unable to cope with this insane pain in her ribs. Every time the cough came from her mouth, a small amount of blood dripped onto the mat. The Frenchwoman's eyes filled with tears again. Still so far. Turning her head to the side, she looked at Alaina, who was holding onto the ropes with her hand. Because of the tears in her eyes, it was difficult for her to say for sure, but it seemed to her that the other hand of her rival was absolutely no movement. Perhaps in some way she managed to smooth the situation. If she again received more damage from her own attack, it could have morally kill her.

She couldn't even express how much she didn't want to get up now. It wasn't even because the pain that caused spasms throughout her body, or the bruises that made her muscles stone. Realizing that the cracks in her ribs could turn into real fractures, the martial artist understood the risks. Gripping her jaws so that her moans were not so loud, she lifted a shaking hand and grabbed the middle rope. She knew that her endurance was already at zero. Now she could only move thanks to her willpower. But the question of how long this willpower would last for her remained open.

Rising to her feet, Charlotte fell to one knee again, her legs almost unable to hold her. The young woman wiped the tears from her eyes and rose to her feet again. Now almost everyone could see her staggering and her legs trembling. Even though she could see clearly enough, from time to time the silhouettes around her blurred. Her time was drawing to a close. Charlotte took a step forward, raising her fists. She didn't know if she could get up next time. But that was not a reason to stop. Her pink hair now looked like muddy pieces of wool stuck together. Sweat and blood turned into a kind of glue, she had no idea how unnatural she looked now. The Sand Lizard lowered her left hand slightly, trying to distract attention in this way, making Alaina think that now she should expect a punch. But instead, Charlotte was going to try to take her step forward, raising her left knee in order to send a knee strike to her opponent's stomach.

If this was the very beginning of the match, Charlotte's blow would hardly have had such an effect. But now both women were almost emaciated to the limit and almost every hit now had a lot more effectiveness if successful. If the Frenchwoman had the strength, she would have tried to send several such blows to the stomach of her rival, but the pain in her whole body did not allow her to move so much. In addition, her knee proved to be so effective that the tired Alaina even took to the air for a moment before falling to her knees in front of the Sand Lizard.

“Don't stop…” thought the young woman.

That was all she could think of now. Even though her body was just about to break, she shouldn't have stopped. The martial artist clenched her right fist, intending to punch the Amazon in the face. And just at that moment, her rival straightened up and the fist crashed into the Sand Lizard's stomach. The pink-haired woman made a squelching sound like the croaking of a frog. Feeling a rush of gagging, her legs gave way and she fell to her knees.

Her body involuntarily leaned forward, and her arms rose higher. Charlotte put her palms on the shoulders of her rival, while her voluminous breasts pressed against Alaina's even more voluminous breasts. Charlotte's head was to the left of her rival's head, she was breathing heavily, unable to withstand the pain in her body. For some, it all even looked like hugs. However, in fact, if Alaina's body were not in front of Charlotte, she would have simply collapsed down like a sack of potatoes. And now she was using her rival only as support.

“Damn you…” she whispered.

Not as an insult, but rather as a tribute to this American woman's tenacity. Victoria always told her that her war was lost initially. One person cannot change the system. And no matter how hard Charlotte tries, her attempt to prove that no newcomer, no matter how promising, can make everyone believe that someone can dislodge veterans from the glare of the spotlights. Charlotte found this position quite controversial. Victoria believed that the Frenchwoman could win, but did not believe that this would change anything.

Remembering this, Charlotte clenched her jaw and removed her left hand from Alaina's shoulder. Clenching the fist, she pulled her hand back and then directed a hard left uppercut straight into her opponent's solar plexus. The thought that despite all the efforts she would have to live at the bottom of the rating, madly annoyed her. Her dark past haunted her every day and until recently, the Frenchwoman had absolutely no idea what to do with it. Sintharia helped her find the answer. Instead of wandering aimlessly around the bush, Charlotte decided to set a goal for herself. She had no idea what she would have to go through to achieve this goal, but she hoped that everything she went through in this match would be at least a microstep on the way towards that goal. Or not. This she will have to find out later.