Our Legacy

"The latest news is quite intriguing, isn't it?" Victoria asked, adjusting her glasses.

Astrid grinned. Yes, the Englishwoman was right. The decisions that the management has recently made have turned many people's heads. Not only to the fighters, but also to the audience. It was visible even now, when Astrid and Victoria were standing in the waiting room. Another match was over and now the audience was looking forward to finding out what the Hardcore champion was going to tell them.

In fact, Astrid was not a supporter of the opinion that any changes are always for the better. However, in this case, she had no reason to have anything against what was going to happen soon. The blonde ran her hand over the gold belt at her waist, and then turned her head to Victoria.

"Isn't that why we're here?" she answered the question with a question.

The corners of the manager's lips lifted. Victoria had expected from the very beginning that Astrid would find the latest news exciting. She fully supported the goals and aspirations of the Norwegian woman. She had to make a lot of efforts over the years to give decent opportunities to every girl and woman in her team. But it was Astrid who became the first who managed to get a gold belt. By her own efforts, the descendant of the great Vikings got the opportunity to realize one of her goals. To write her name into history.

"It's time," Victoria said.
"No doubt, huh!" Astrid replied confidently.

Entrance Music:

Her music began. A few seconds of increasing tempo, and then loud chords shook the walls of the arena. To the applause and cheers of the audience, Astrid came out from behind the curtains. The Hardcore champion has arrived. The blonde smiled broadly at the cheering crowd, and then, as always when she was in the arena, raised her hands above her head, folding her palms in the manner of a crown.

Astrid Arvidsson:

Today she was dressed in casual clothes. But the golden belt symbolizing her right to call herself the toughest AFW woman was with her. The Hardcore title encircled the blonde's waist, giving her a truly majestic look. This wasn't the first time the Golden Dragon was going to make a statement in front of fans and viewers. And, like last time, she wasn't going to take up too much of their time. Therefore, the descendant of the great Vikings headed to the ring.

Although she had to stop several times, because the most loyal fans wanted to get both a few selfies and a few autographs on posters. Unlike her best friend, Astrid quickly got used to the popularity she received. It didn't turn her head, but she was glad to feel their support. She had to spend a lot of effort in order to earn her reputation. But now the Golden Dragon occupied a significant place in the hearts of the audience.

Stopping at the commentators' table, she picked up the microphone, and then confidently walked up the metal steps. Slipping between the middle and top ropes, Astrid found herself in the ring. At the same moment, the Norwegian woman experienced an incredible feeling, which was difficult to explain to anyone who was not personally familiar with this feeling. It was in the ring that she felt the best. This was her place. She was born to fight. Stepping into the center of the ring, the Golden Dragon pointed at herself with the thumb of her right hand, smiling broadly at the audience greeting her.

"Heeeeello AFW!!!" she said loudly into the microphone after her music ended.

Astrid once again couldn't help but smile when the noise increased many times. She was pleased to see each of them. She knew they didn't come here just to watch the fighters kick the shit out of each other. Only in the AFW ring they can see truly strong-willed women who are ready to do anything for the right to call themselves the best.

"I don't want to bore you with long speeches, but..." the blonde confessed, after which she theatrically made a thoughtful look, "maybe someone will remind me what awaits us next month?"

"Summer Splash! Summer Splash!! Summer Splash!!!"

It seemed that the walls of the arena began to shake because of these screams filled with enthusiasm. This is exactly what the Hardcore champion expected. They were really looking forward to it no less than she was. One of the two biggest AFW events. That's where things reach their maximum boiling point. It is there that the fighters get the opportunity to show what they are really capable of.

"That's damn right!" Astrid said with equal enthusiasm. "And, I confess to you honestly, this Summer Surge has a special significance for me!" The blonde ran her hand over the gold belt at her waist. "Last summer, as far as you know, I was supposed to fight for this title, but the match was canceled at the very last moment." Astrid smiled ironically. "But we're not going to let our expectations of the biggest event of the year be overshadowed again, right?"

The hall was filled with cheers. Of course, Astrid was not one of those for whom the cancellation of the match is a disaster. Plus she got her title shot later. And, following her moral compass, her first defense was against the woman she was supposed to face in the match last summer. However, these are things of the past, they need to think about the future.

"I thought so, huh!" She said. "But as far as you know, this Summer Splash will be special not only for me, but for all of us." The blonde again ran her hand over the gold belt. "Something ends, something begins, I believe that this is exactly what is moving forward." Astrid began to get to the essence of what she wanted to talk to the audience about today. "I paid with my own blood in order to get the right to call myself the Hardcore champion, this title symbolizes all my life aspirations, because I'm a warrior, I was born to find the most difficult obstacles, to find and overcome them!"

Astrid was an infinitely proud woman, but there was no narcissism in her words. She just wanted to emphasize the importance of the belt that now adorned her waist. This was necessary in order to convey to each viewer the seriousness of what is going to happen next month.

"The story of the Hardcore title is coming to an end." Said the Golden Dragon. "Many women have fought in this ring to the last drop of sweat in order to get it." Astrid didn't have much respect for most of the women who had held the title before her, but she respected their strength and their fortitude. "We made the story of this title, we wrote this story in blood, I'm sure I don't need to remind you about it, because you've been with us all this time!"

Astrid talked about it before her first defense. Every page of the Hardcore title was indeed written in blood. And the Golden Dragon made a promise that she would do everything possible to protect the legacy of this gold belt. She believed that it was the duty of every champion.

"The story of the Hardcore title is coming to an end." She repeated. "But a new story will begin on Summer Splash!" Already at this point, the audience began to shout again. "On Summer Splash, the story of the Hardcore 24/7 title will begin!"

BOOM. It couldn't be called anything else. The reaction of the audience exceeded all the expectations of the Norwegian woman. They understood how important this event was and what this event would bring with it. Hardcore title and 24/7 title cease to exist. But there will be a new, Hardcore 24/7 title. And whoever earns the right to possess it will have to write the first pages of a new, even more exciting story. Astrid raised her hand to calm the raging spectators a little.

"I'm honored to be the first candidate for a new title." She said with a smile. "And I promise you that I will fight until my last breath in order to meet your expectations!" They knew it was true. "But I'm sure you remember my words that I told you last time, right?" Cheers received a nod from the blonde. "One fighter is not enough to write new pages in the story of the title, for that any fighter needs a worthy opponent!"

Finally. The noise of applause was so loud that she even shook her head slightly in surprise. Yes, that's what she was here for. She was here to announce that she has a worthy candidate for the new Hardcore 24/7 title. And she was sure that the audience would approve her choice. Although before offering this woman a match, the Golden Dragon had a few questions for her. But the moment that everyone was waiting for has come.

"You know her well!" The blonde said, keeping the intrigue a little longer. "She has shown more than once what she is capable of in fights with the strongest women of the federation, I watched her and her confident steps forward!" Astrid could see the anticipation in the eyes of the audience. "And I'm sure you remember perfectly well that not so long ago she fought for the right to call herself a world champion!" At this moment, everyone understood who Astrid was talking about, the hall was filled with deafening noise, which caused a smile from the descendant of the great Vikings. "Panther Risako!!!" She said, turning towards the ramp. "Come to this ring and meet me face to face! I have something to ask you!"

New music started. Almost immediately, the corners of the Norwegian woman's lips lifted. The audience, as expected, warmly welcomed Risako. It deserved special attention that the purple-haired woman was dressed in her wrestling attire, as if she was going to fight right here and right now. Was it a hint? This development of events was not in Astrid's plans. However, if this woman turns out to be even more belligerent than the descendant of the great Vikings thought, then she does not mind sending a fist or two in the face of the one who called herself the Queen of Queens.

Astrid waited patiently for Risako to climb into the ring. And the Japanese woman met all her expectations, because the first thing she did after rolling under the bottom rope was to stand one step away from the Golden Dragon. Oh, the moment the women stared at each other, everyone in the hall could feel the tension. Astrid's lavender eyes fixed on Risako's eyes. And Astrid felt that there was no fear in the soul of this woman, which in itself was a quality that deserved respect.

It was not difficult to notice the unusual contrast that women created when standing in front of each other. Astrid was younger than Risako and at the same time surpassed her in both height and weight. But even despite the musculature that the Norwegian woman possessed, hardly anyone could say that the slimmer Queen of Queens looked worse against Astrid's background. Now that they were face to face, Astrid felt that she had made the right choice when she decided to choose Risako for this conversation.

However, the Golden Dragon was not frivolous. The belt on her waist is not just a piece of gold. Astrid wasn't going to be a champion whose name is just written on the board. Her ancestors did really great things. It is thanks to this that they are still remembered, even after many centuries. Astrid was going to make sure that her name was not forgotten. Hardcore is not an empty sound. Risako's physical form alone was not enough to allow her to become a part of this story. That's why Astrid wanted to find out what is really in the soul of this woman. And it seems Risako was ready to give an answer to this question. Astrid smirked before putting the microphone to her mouth.

"Straight to the point, huh?" Astrid chuckled slightly in her usual manner. "I like it."

It was no secret that Astrid preferred to speak in the language of the fists. From the very first day, the Golden Dragon made it clear that she was here to fight, not to talk. However, the status of champion gave her a little more responsibility, especially in front of the audience. They deserved good matches, but no less they deserved to know what exactly women are fighting for in this ring.

"I've been following you for a long time and I won't hide that I liked everything I saw, I think everyone in this hall will agree with me." Astrid gave a few seconds for the audience to confirm her words. "And I'm sure it wasn't difficult for you to guess why you're here today."

It really wasn't the most difficult task, considering all the circumstances. Any champion needs a worthy opponent. However, if everything were so simple, then Astrid could have saved everyone from waiting and challenged Risako at the very beginning of this promo. However, this did not happen. And there was a reason for that.

"But I wanted to look you in the eye to see how honest your answer would be." She continued, and then put her left hand on the golden belt at her waist. "As I said, this title has a story, this title has a legacy, after Summer Splash, the story of this title will come to the end and the story of the Hardcore 24/7 title will begin."

Astrid's lavender eyes sparkled and she took a step forward, closing the distance between them even more. This was not a deliberate attempt to intimidate the Japanese woman. However, Astrid wanted to convey to Risako in all its glory that she was extremely serious about every word she said.

"The legacy of the Hardcore title should not be forgotten." Astrid said. "Therefore, the match, when the audience will see this belt for the last time, should go down in history." The truthfulness of the blonde's words was confirmed by cheers from the audience. "So tell me, are you ready to make this our legacy?" Lightning flashed through the lavender eyes again. "Not do or die. Die but do! That's what I believe when it comes to hardcore! Unlike many others, I don't use hardcore as a means to justify this or that baseness during a match. Hardcore is a way to see what a fighter is capable of in the harshest conditions. Hardcore is what shows who we are and what we are really worth. You won't get a poke in the eye from me, you won't get a low blow from me. But instead, from me you will get blood and pain, which you have never experienced before, because I am a hardcore champion and I swore that this title would never go into oblivion." Now Astrid was ready to ask the questions she wanted to hear the answers to. "You justly deserved your world title shot, this is enough proof that you are one of the best. But are you ready to fight for the Hardcore 24/7 title as if your life depends on it? Are you ready to suffer and bleed? Are you ready to show all the willpower that you have in order to call yourself truly the strongest? Are you ready, Panther Risako, to step into Hell in a Cell on this Summer Splash? And, most importantly. Are you ready for a match where we'll beat the shit out of each other until one of us can't move anymore?! Because, damn it, this is what both I and the audience, who deserve to see real fighters at the main event of this summer, want!”

Oh. Astrid would be lying if she said she didn't like it. Of course, she wasn't going to play cheap games, trying to intimidate the Japanese woman. However, the Golden Dragon wanted to check what Risako was made of. They say that the eyes are the mirror of the soul. It was for this reason that Astrid wanted to look into the eyes of the woman she had chosen for the title match.

Not a muscle twitched on the purple-haired woman's face during the speech of the descendant of the great Vikings. Someone might have thought that this is pompous self-confidence in order to simply create an image of steadfastness. Astrid really wasn't someone who had the ability to see through a person. But she knew exactly what the eyes of a real fighter looked like. And she had no doubt that Risako remained cool because of her fortitude, and not because of something else.

Astrid grinned when Risako took the floor. To hear her own alias from the mouth of a worthy rival was in some way an honor. This was quite a rare occurrence. And what the Japanese woman said after that seemed more familiar to Astrid. It wasn't the first time she had heard something like this. As ironic as it may be, few people cared about her at all until she became the hardcore champion. Well, Risako was not the first and hardly the last to make such a mistake. Many of those who have been in the federation for quite a long time periodically forget that you need to look not only at those who are already at the top, but also at those who are diligently striving for the top.

And then the purple-haired woman moved on to the answer Astrid demanded of her. Names. Many names. Astrid knew each of them. The Norwegian woman has already admitted that she saw every match of the Queen of Queens, so what she heard was not something new for her. However, Risako had every right to emphasize the challenges she went through. Yes, this woman was tough. That's why she was here today. Astrid didn't need a weakling for the title match.

Someone might not have been able to believe it, because in recent years, viewers were forced to see quite a lot of not the most worthy things on the title board. A world title match for a debutant? A world title match for a wrestler with only one match behind their back? All this rightly suggested that champions are not always eager to work for the prestige of the title and fans who deserve a real epic story when it comes to a gold belt. Astrid was different. She would rather go through a thousand defeats than allow herself to challenge an unworthy opponent for the title match.

Risako made her last move. Almost as close as possible to Astrid, she almost mirrored what Astrid herself had done a few moments ago. She wanted to make the hardcore champion understand the seriousness of her intentions. When the Japanese woman accepted the challenge and promised the Golden Dragon a match that she would not forget, a fire ran through her lavender eyes, and the smile on her face became wider. That was exactly the answer she was counting on. And that was the answer the audience was counting on, who were making so much noise that it seemed that the walls of the arena began to shake. Astrid stood still for a few seconds, looking her now official rival in the eyes, and then brought the microphone to her mouth.

"Then I'll see you in Hell," she said, after which the noise in the hall increased even more.

With that, she held out her right hand, offering the Queen of Queens to seal their deal with a handshake. On Summer Splash 2022, the story of the Hardcore Title will come to an end. And on Summer Splash 2022, the story of the Hardcore 24/7 Title will begin. And they will fight for it. They will fight for the right to leave the last trace in the legacy of the outgoing title. And they will fight for the right to create a legacy of the new title. Match to the last drop of blood and sweat. Astrid's soul was trembling now. Because that was exactly what she wanted. She was born to seek out the most difficult challenges and overcome them. And she had reason to believe that Risako would be the most hard challenge of her life. She wanted it with all her heart.