SS21 World championship - Alaina Sanders (c) vs Charlotte Ravel

Just one minute. At least one. That's all Charlotte was thinking after she fell to the mat after hitting her opponent's head with DDT. She had never been overly enduring and now the pink-haired woman was greedily gulping air. Despite the fact that she tried to maintain leadership, every movement was given to her with great effort. She literally had to force her body to move as the pain and fatigue during this time tried to do everything possible to get her to stop fighting.

But there could be no question of any rest. Every second of delay means a voluntary abandonment of an advantage that was obtained with great difficulty. Wiping sweat from her brow and spitting blood from her mouth, the Frenchwoman rolled over onto her stomach and got up on all fours. She wasn't sure if she could lift her opponent for another shot. But it soon became clear that she would not have to do it. Alaina has already begun to rise to her feet. Charlotte hissed tiredly through her teeth.

"How much more can she take?" she thought.

Even now, she found time to seemingly endlessly marvel at her rival's stamina. Indeed, the American woman has always found a way to show Charlotte that they are not equal, that there has always been a difference in experience, skill and fortitude between them. And it always made Charlotte wonder how it would end. But today it was too late to think about it. It will be over today anyway. And she wanted to write her name in history, becoming the one who not only surpassed the veteran, but the one who did it in the world title match.

Not wanting to let Alaina find a way to get back into the game again, Charlotte pulled herself together and rose to her feet. Now she did not have the strength to make a quick throw, she knew that. There was too little oxygen in her blood and now she did not have a chance to end it all with one powerful movement. But this did not mean that she had no other options. She will no longer allow anyone to doubt her skills and strength of spirit. The young woman was going to win this match and become the champion, which you didn’t cost her.

She wanted to get ahead of the champion and not let her get to her feet. To do this, Charlotte was going to close her palms behind the back of the American woman's head. Yes, she did not have the strength for one powerful movement, but she had the strength to try to knock out everything that was left there from Alaina's head. Charlotte was intent on tilting her opponent's head forward and then repeatedly lifting her right knee, sending quick knee strikes to the champion's forehead and temple! She will not leave this ring without a victory. She would only leave this ring if someone pulled her lifeless body out of here, but she was determined to prevent that. Instead, she was going to lift the golden belt over her head today.

"Get down, get down, get down!" repeated Charlotte in her head, mentally addressing her rival.

Due to fatigue, her mind was unable to keep track of certain details. The young woman could not determine the force with which she was sending the blows. She simply continued to attack, raising her knee over and over again, hoping that her strength would be enough for the champion to fall down faster than the last reserves of the Frenchwoman would come to an end. She had nothing more to count on, Charlotte knew her body and she was not an idiot, she knew that she had almost nothing left.

Her knee slammed into Alaina's head, throwing her hair back. Charlotte tightened her grip on the back of her rival's head, not wanting her head to move far to the side, preventing the second strike. The young woman's knee hit the champion's head for the second time. If she can do this a few more times, then maybe she will have a chance...

"Allez au diable!" Charlotte cursed inwardly.

Alaina pushed her back, forcing Charlotte not only to let her go, but also to stagger. Perhaps in another situation she would not have lost her balance so easily, but now it was hard for her to stand confidently on her feet. The pink-haired woman staggered, taking a step back. In order not to fall, she pushed her left leg back. And this leg touched something. Charlotte glanced quickly over her shoulder. A folded ladder lay directly behind her.

And at that moment the champion rushed forward. Charlotte's heartbeat was so fast that she could feel the throb throbbing. She saw it in the eyes of her rival, Alaina wanted to end it all with one quick and heavy move. And Charlotte knew that everything would be so if she did not manage to defend herself.

"Focus..." she thought to herself.

She still has not mastered this technique completely, because she only recently learned about this possibility. Among the team that Victoria put together was one very unusual Englishwoman. Victoria brought them all together before the Summer Splash began. And in addition to joint entertainment, they managed to exchange experiences. And that unusual brunette told her about a breathing technique that can help gather strength for one attack. Charlotte didn't have enough time to master it fully, but...

Having completely relaxed her lungs, the pink-haired woman took the fastest and deepest possible breath, inhaling the air through her mouth and nose at the same time. The moment she held her breath, it seemed to her that her head would explode in a moment. This was the effect caused by the rapid oxygenation. Lily said that such a trick can be safely done only two or three times, and the consequences of such a technique can be very serious. But now Charlotte was ready to pay any price in order to defeat Alaina.

Time seemed to slow down for her and she took a step forward, towards the attack of her rival. It would be madness to respond with a mirror attack to the champion's attack, Charlotte has already passed this stage, remembering perfectly well that no double lariat ended good for her. But now she was not going to check who had more stamina and endurance. Instead, Charlotte was about to bend down at the last moment so that Alaina's outstretched hand would pass above her head.

Charlotte was grateful to Victoria for the opportunity, because it was thanks to the manager that the Frenchwoman got the chance to learn from Lily's unique experience. And now the pink-haired woman was about to straighten up to her full height, while raising her right hand up. The young woman intended to grab the back of the champion's head with her right hand, and then lean back as quickly and abruptly as possible in order to first pull the champion along with her, and then smash her head on the lying ladder with the help of her signature move, which she called the sly lizard!

The moment Charlotte finally exhaled, a white mist blocked her vision. Now she fully understood what Lily meant when she said that this breathing technique was very dangerous. This really made it possible to gather strength for the attack, but then the body paid for it in threefold proportion. The young woman tried to take several even breaths in order to regain her sight. But there still was a faint smile on her face. She still hasn't lost. She was still in the game. And she still has a chance to pick up the coveted belt.

But there was no time to waste. Ignoring the fatigue, she turned on her stomach and put her hands on the mat. With a groan, Charlotte rose to her feet. She staggered like a lonely tree in a storm. Her body was emaciated, but her fighting spirit was still striving for victory. She glanced briefly at her rival, who certainly did not expect the pink-haired woman to dodge her attack. Perhaps Charlotte should have hit Alaina again. So easy... she could just take a step and start kicking her head.

This is how many recent champions have received this belt, right? Charlotte watched the chronicle. The last three champions before Alaina did not disdain any means in order to raise the gold over their heads. And now no one could accuse the Frenchwoman of breaking the rules, because in this match everything was allowed. The only person who would turn away from her after that is she herself. No, she didn't want to get the title that way. She is above that. She doesn't need to kick the head of a lying opponent for the sake of the belt, she was able to do it without it. And now is the time to prove it.

In any case, she did not have enough strength to lift the Amazon and then throw her, she felt it. And so the path of the Frenchwoman seemed obvious. She staggered toward the ladder. She wearily grabbed the racks and adjusted the structure slightly so that nothing prevented her from reaching the belt, which glittered in the spotlights.

“I can do it, I can. I can overcome her,” Charlotte repeated the mantra in her head, trying to cheer herself up.

Thousands of spectators were watching her now. And among them were those who supported her throughout her journey. This match was the last one for today. She watched with admiration for the aspirations of the other women from their team, whose matches for today were already over. And she couldn't lose. To hell the fatigue. To hell the pain. She must climb this ladder and take this belt. For all who believe in her. It was with these thoughts that the Frenchwoman began to climb the ladder. Each step was given to her with great difficulty, but she did not stop, rising higher and higher with every second.

She had neither the strength nor the desire to follow what was happening around. It took a lot of effort for Charlotte to keep her eyes focused. And now she was looking only at the belt. Each movement was like trying to roll a huge stone, because her body was very heavy. Even the sounds around were muffled. She heard only her own thoughts and her heartbeat. Step. One more step. Higher and higher. That was all that mattered now.

A few more efforts and she can finally touch her belt. A few more steps and the goal to which she went, the goal for which she worked, the goal for which she strove to become better, will be achieved. A few more steps and... what is it? Charlotte jerked her leg, but after a moment she realized that something was holding her. Of course, it couldn't have been someone else...

Alaina grabbed the Frenchwoman's ankle, doing her best to upset her balance. But that was not the only thing. Words. These words. These words echoed in the head of the pink-haired woman. Was it really true? Was this path really passed just to show that, unlike the Amazon, she is not worthy of the title? That all the efforts she made to get here would turn to dust? She couldn't believe it, it just couldn't be true.

"C'est vrai, soeur," sounded in her head.

The young woman lost her balance and her other foot slipped off the step. It was only by a miracle that she did not lose her orientation in space and managed to lower her legs down in order not to fall on the mat, but to land on her feet. A resonance went through the body of the Frenchwoman. The impulse that went through her legs was not a pleasant thing, quite the opposite. Charlotte's face twisted in pain, but that was just the beginning.

Already in an instant after her landing, the champion's forearm crashed into her chest. Charlotte screamed as she staggered back. She covered her chest with her hands, involuntarily trying to calm the burning pain. The head was spinning so much due to fatigue that she was ready to fall on the mat even after such an attack. But she didn't fall, instead she dropped to one knee. Long pink hair covered her face, but even that didn’t mean to see how heavy her breathing was.

"Maybe now is the time to remember what lives inside you, sister?"

Her sister's voice spoke of the anger that lives inside Charlotte. And after Alaina's words, she really wanted to free it all. Give in to rage, forget about all the rules, forget about honor and dignity, forget about all moral principles. Why should she continue to be a noble fighter if she's treated as an intermediate stage in someone's career? Feelings of anger and resentment overwhelmed her. The young woman's breathing quickened.

"You know what, sister?" thought Charlotte. "Kiss my ass! Because I will defeat her myself!"

Fists clenched, Charlotte drew herself up to her full height, taking a step forward. Throwing her hair back, she intended to wave her left hand in order to hit the champion's jaw with a left elbow strike. She is not an intermediate stage in Alaina's career. This is what she was trying to prove all this time. And if the American woman still thinks so, then Charlotte was determined to knock it out of the champion's head. Because if her strike was successful, she would have immediately tried to send a right elbow strike to the other side of her opponent's head. She will not have another chance to prove that the champion is wrong. And therefore, she was not going to miss the opportunity to make it clear to Alaina that their rivalry would end today. And that today she will take this belt.

"How hard to move..." thought Charlotte.

But the will to win was stronger than fatigue. Almost every muscle in her body responded with a painful impulse with every movement. But the young woman was determined to move forward. For the sake of victory, for the sake of the future. After being kicked out of the family, martial arts became everything to her. Training, meditation, new techniques. Continuous self-improvement. She knew no other life. And she didn't want to know. All that mattered to her was the way forward. The way to the top. And today she was closer to that than ever before.

Her elbow slammed into Alaina's head, making her stagger. White spots appeared in front of the French woman's eyes every now and then. Damn fatigue threw her to the limit. Everyone has a limit and she felt that she was getting close to it. The young woman clenched her jaw and took another step forward, sending another elbow to her rival's head.

This made Alaina drop to one knee while Charlotte tried not to faint from fatigue. Each breath seemed to her a test, the oxygen that she needed seemed to her like a poison that burned her lungs. But now was not the time to think about it. Attack. Attack. Attack. Attack until Alaina can no longer get to her feet. The young woman took a step forward, clenching her fists.

And then her eyes widened. With amazing speed, her rival rushed forward. Perhaps if the pink-haired woman had fresh strength, she could again dodge such a direct attack. But now her body refused to move quickly. And before she even tried to do anything, the champion's arm slammed into her chest, kicking the ground out from under Charlotte's feet.

"UUuughhhhh..." Charlotte groaned tightly.

Involuntarily, she covered her chest with her hands, trying to calm the pain. The champion literally refused to lose. Charlotte was ready to start hitting the mat because of the sense of despair that was in her. Whatever she did, her rival found a way to return. She wanted to scream, but she just didn't have the strength. Every time Alaina fought back, it undermined the Frenchwoman's faith in victory. Does it really have to end like this?

She was exhausted not only physically, but also mentally. The fact that her strength was not enough to finally surpass Alaina was destroying her. Thoughts penetrated into Charlotte's head like a knife through butter. She didn't want to lose. She worked all this time not for this. The young woman jerked abruptly to the side, placing her right hand on the mat in order to use it as a support. She was about to swing her left leg in order to hit the back of the champion's kneecap with a roundhouse kick from the ground.

Charlotte almost never lied. Only sometimes did she allow herself not to tell the whole truth. But she was always honest about the fact that she admired her rival and wanted to surpass her. But if this also meant that she would get and lose title shots for years, then she refused to repeat the path of the American woman. Perseverance deserves respect. The fact that her rival has finally reached the world title proves this. But Charlotte refused to believe that it would also take her all her life to get the belt that was now hanging over the ring.

She hoped that her sudden kick would make the Amazon at least kneel down. Thoughts gave her strength and, if successful, she was going to rise to her feet. She could not move quickly and actively after the powerful clothesline, but now she did not need it. Because the only thing she was going to do was wrap her right arm around the champion's neck from the back and fix the classic chokehold with her left hand. She had almost nothing left, but the few forces that she retained, the contender for the world title was going to put into her hands, squeezing Alaina's neck. Charlotte tried to lean back to maximize the pressure.

"Gggrrrrrraaaaaa!!!!" not holding back her emotions, she screamed, trying to force her rival to pass out.