Best inventions come at twilight - Akiko Hoshi vs (D) Amber Addison

Since both contestants barely knew what their rival could do it looked like the fighters had reached some kind of unwritten agreement in which they would test each other’s skills and strengths in an exchange of blows that would serve as opening for their combat. But after assessing Akiko’s raw strength which wasn’t bad, at least on par with Amber’s, the Inventor had decided to stop the ninja on her tracks before she could even start her strike.

It turned out to work really well. Taken by surprise by how Amber used her bent down position to rush at her and attempt a takedown, Akiko couldn’t do anything to prevent the Inventor from splashing her on the mat. Of course that one was a small impact move and it would only get some minor damage, but it proved to be useful to prevent the shinobi from starting some sucession of strikes now that Amber knew that her rival was really quick.

From where she was at the moment, Amber knew that she had a chance to follow-up, testing how resilient Akiko was and also starting to work on softening the ninja in order to make her weaker with the end of the match in mind. That was why the Inventor would keep going with her offensive by jumping to execute a legdrop aimed at Akiko’s midsection.

Being capable of properly executing the legdrop she attempted so soon in the match gave Amber some more than valuable information. The most important piece of it was significant because it implied that no matter how quick of reflexed Akiko could be, the Inventor still had it in her to actually surprise a ninja. The excitement of thinking that almost made Amber lose her focus, but she managed to stay in the match.

Unluckily for Amber, the legdrop wasn’t a high impact move and no matter how damage she could have done Akiko also showed how resilient she could be by brushing the move off as if it was nothing. With a quick move the ninja shoved Amber aside just before the woman could think in the follow up. That showed how eager Akiko was to make a statement, and she would have the chance as Amber was taken by surprise and her recovery would be slow as she crawled back on her feet.

In the end Akiko wouldn’t only recover really quick from Amber’s legdrop, but she would also make use of how long the Inventor took to regain her footing so as soon as Amber stood back on her feet a move she hadn’t experienced hit her right in the temple! It was a palm strike and at first it seemed strange that Akiko went for that and not for some elbow or forearm strike, but Amber couldn’t think like a ninja and she was just going to learn that the hard way.

The strike wasn’t that painful. For someone whose job was to get dropkicked in the chest and slammed from the third rope that palm strike was only below-average in terms of pain, but just after it landed on Amber’s temple and as the Inventor tried to take a step her head felt hazy. “W-what?” The next thing Amber knew was that she was unable to maintain her balance, falling on her knees while cupping her head, trying to get a hold on herself without even realizing how open she was at that time.

Amber had fallen for a move that felt unconventional but effective. Instead of getting some damage done, Akiko’s palm strike didn’t feel that painful at all, but after taking it it had some disorienting effect that got her on her knees. Were those the skills and moves of a true ninja, or was Amber just seeing things where they weren’t?

Anyway, the Inventor was dazed and on her knees in a position that left her at her rival’s mercy, and it didn’t look like Akiko was willing to just sit and have some chat while letting Amber recover. The Inventor wouldn’t have liked that though since she wanted a true challenge and for the moment it looked like she had one in defeating the shinobi. Seeing her rival charging a chop strike and with nowhere to go from her current position Amber would clench her teeth as she tried her best to endure the hit on the top of her head. From there, she would try to get a hold on her rival’s arm as it was just above her and use the leverage to try and take Akiko down on the mat.

Amber had managed to endure the hits Akiko had in store for her in a way a powerhouse would have and then take the woman to the mat. It felt like a great milestone for Amber for two different reasons: the first one being putting a halt to Akiko’s streak of successful attacks and the second being something so out of Amber’s book to powerhouse a move that it surprised her, but it wasn’t that common for her to find smaller opponents either, so it was a new addition and a surprising one.

From their current position, both women were on her knees. That wasn’t the best option for Amber, who didn’t consider herself that great at grappling, prefering the rush of high flying moves and the energy of strikes.. However, trying to regain her footing would allow Akiko to get a free shot at the Inventor’s legs and take her down, so it looked like there was no actual solution to that dilemma other that heading in first so she could take her rival by surprise. Rushing in, Amber would try to tackle her rival with her shoulder while getting a grab at her waist so she could take Akiko down, but grappling wasn’t the best of Amber’s set of skills and it showed in how rushed the move looked. A decent grappler would definitely be able of dodging that and using that momentum to their advantage.