SS22 Hardcore 24/7 Championship - Astrid Arvidsson (c) vs. Panther Risako

Hardcore is a very interesting thing. Every time you think it won't get any worse. But every time it turns out it always can get worse. Now, lying on her back, Astrid couldn't remember the last time she felt so bad. The only thing that came to her mind for comparison was her match with exploding barbed wire. This was her first attempt to become a hardcore champion, at that time she and River were literally trying to tear each other apart and the sharp wire was a great help for this.

The blood was flowing from her face so much that a red puddle began to form under her head. Her hair was no longer golden as the scarlet liquid had dyed most of her curls. The pain in every part of her body was so great that the Norwegian woman had to make efforts even to stay conscious because her brain literally could not bear this agony.

It was a pernicious situation for the descendant of the great Vikings and her rival understood it perfectly. Despite the fact that a few moments ago they seemed to be in the same state, now the leadership was in Risako's hands. And the purple-haired woman hastened to take advantage of it. The Queen of Queens crawled up to Astrid and lay across her, pressing her lush breasts against the blonde's.

"Uumhhh..." the Golden Dragon groaned in a strangled voice due to the fact that now any touch to her body seemed to her a real torture.

The referee, who was next to the women, quickly fell to the concrete floor. Even for the striped shirt, who was used to the toughest matches, everything that was happening seemed unthinkable. Therefore, she hurried to raise her hand, and then quickly drop it down, because the sooner she did her job, the less injuries Astrid and Risako would inflict on each other. A loud clap sounded.

"ONE!" echoed through the arena thanks to the loud shout of the audience.

Astrid greeted her teeth and tried to strain her body, but the only thing it led to was a new wave of pain. Because of this, the Norwegian woman let out a growl of despair. She had received too much damage, this was the most important reason why her body refused to obey her and continue resisting.

"TWO!!" the audience shouted after the second clap so loudly that it seemed that the walls of the arena shook.

Was this really her limit? Would the pain really be the reason why she would lose this match? Her strength was draining away along with the blood running down her face, she knew it. And she knew it was a good match. Maybe Astrid knew deep down that even if she lost, she would still be a worthy descendant of her great ancestors. Yes, deep down she really knew that.

But she wasn't ready to accept that. She came here with only one purpose. She joined this federation with only one purpose. She has gone through many hellish matches with only one purpose. She wanted to prove that when she got to Valhalla, her ancestors would meet her as the greatest warrior of modern times. And she couldn't stop now. Not in a match that could fulfill her lifelong dream.

"GRAAAAA!!!" she roared at the moment when the referee's hand began to descend for the third time.

Gathering her will into a fist, the Golden Dragon jerked to the right side, lifting her shoulder above the concrete floor and at the same time straightening her hooked leg in order to break the pin. Once on her right side, Astrid began to gulp air with her mouth, trying to calm the agony in her body. But that wasn't what mattered. What really mattered was that the referee raised her hand above her head and showed only two fingers to the deafening shouts and applause of the audience. No, this match is not over yet. She hadn't given her rival everything she had yet. And she won't accept defeat before she does.

Astrid wasn't trying to trick anyone. Yes, she really found the strength to break the pin. However, her condition was still terrible. Bones ached, and blood was still running down her face. But the most important thing was that she refused to lose, she was still there.

And, apparently, her rival was not very happy about it. This was clearly indicated by the sound of a fist colliding with the concrete floor. Risako's emotions could be understood, because she expected to get a victory after her destructive move. And while she was trying to collect her thoughts, the blonde tried to regain at least some strength.

Although, of course, her rest lasted only a few seconds. The purple-haired woman wasn't going to stop. Astrid had already realized that if Risako has an opportunity, she will always use it as if the match had just begun. The Golden Dragon tried to predict what exactly her opponent would try to do. But she couldn't even imagine that the Queen of Queens would try to strangle her again.

But that's exactly what she tried to do. For the second time during the match, Risako forced Astrid to take a sitting position, and then wrapped her arms around her neck. The instincts of the Norwegian woman worked even despite the agony of her body. She threw both hands up and grabbed Risako's arm, trying to loosen her grip. But, just like last time, she was too weakened to just remove her opponent's arm.

"Ggmmh..." she groaned in response to the Queen of Queens' words. "Ne.. ghhh... ver..."

Astrid felt a pulse in her own temples, which clearly indicated a lack of oxygen. It was a very dangerous situation. The blonde understood that if she lost consciousness now, her body would not cope with it. She needed to get out of this hold, but how? Last time she outwitted her rival, but she didn't believe that it would work again.

"Pffff..." Astrid was puffing so hard that tears involuntarily poured out of her eyes.

It was almost impossible to notice because of the blood, but her face was very red. Gritting her teeth, Astrid took one of her hands away from Risako's arm. She knew what had to be done. Gathering her strength, the Golden Dragon jerked sharply to the side. But not to try to break out of the grip of her rival. In this way, she only wanted to get closer to the cell wall. Throwing her free hand forward, she grabbed the metal mesh.

"I haven't lost yet..." she thought.

Exhausted from pain and fatigue, she directed the force into her arm, and then pulled herself up. She was able to lift herself up a little, but it was clearly not enough. It was at this moment that darkness blanketed her eyes for a second. She was on the verge of losing consciousness again. Which means she needs to take a desperate step. The Golden Dragon removed her other hand from the Queen of Queens' arm. Instead of trying to loosen Risako's grip, she grabbed the cell net with both hands.

Amid the shouts and applause of the audience, Astrid began to pull herself up. Higher and higher. She couldn't breathe anymore. There is very little oxygen left in her lungs. Risako's weight was pulling her down, but she continued to climb. It was her choice. She had no right to lose today. She was deprived of the title she earned with blood and sweat. Risako was a worthy opponent. But in order to hear the praise of her ancestors in Valhalla, she intended to defeat this woman.

"Mmmaahhhh!!!" she groaned, making another upward jerk.

She got to her feet. By that time, the picture in her eyes was so blurry that she literally couldn't see anything. However, she didn't need her eyesight right now. Why? Because she knew that right behind them was lying a half-broken chair in an unfolded state. The same chair she used to smash Risako's head in. The same chair that almost brought the Queen of Queens victory a few moments ago. Grabbing the legs of Risako, who was hanging on her, the Golden Dragon intended to jump up and lean back in order to use her own weight and provide Risako's back a storm of sensations at the moment of landing on the metal chair!

It was hard to say which was louder, Risako's collision with the chair or the wild screams of the audience. But the most important thing was that the Golden Dragon got her freedom. Having managed to get to her feet, she not only got rid of the grip on her neck, but also caused damage to her opponent's back. She felt the Queen of Queens twitching under her due to the painful impulses passing through Risako's spine.

However, this success did not save the blonde from the consequences. As soon as the grip on her neck disappeared, she started coughing violently. The Norwegian woman rolled off the Risako, getting on all fours. She was coughing so hard that it looked like she was going to spit out her lungs. And it wasn't far from the truth. Her lungs felt like they were on fire at that moment. She had been without oxygen for too long.

"Kha! Khuuuaa... khhaa! Kha!"

Astrid raised her right hand to remove some of the blood from her face and the tears that had accumulated in her eyes. Only then her vision partially returned to her. Although even so, the picture was still not clear. It wasn't the tears, it was the fatigue. She was very tough, but this match was too hard. The descendant of the great Vikings has never felt so tired and beaten.

Trying to calm her breathing somehow, the Golden Dragon looked at Risako lying next to her. If Astrid had doubted this woman's strength, she would never have chosen her as a rival for this match. But she could not even think that the Queen of Queens has such a huge strength of spirit and such a high level of skill.

In most cases, the favorite can be determined in the match. Even if at the beginning of the match the fighters seem to be equal, sooner or later one of them will get ahead. But not today. It was difficult to calculate the amount of damage on their bodies, but it was definitely possible to say that they were both worth each other. Perhaps Astrid was better in terms of pure physical strength, but Risako compensated for this with other qualities. They were equal. This was a fact. And that raised a simple question. If two fighters are equal, who will be the winner in the end?

Astrid rose to her knees, simultaneously joining her palms in a lock. In order to get a chance to win, she must further inflame the situation. She must use all available means in order to defeat the Queen of Queens. Before that, she has to force Risako to stay in place, she has to deprive her rival of her strength.

Therefore, the Golden Dragon raised her joined palms above her head, and then with a furious cry sent them down. It wasn't very humane, of course, but it was necessary. She intended to use the strength of her arms to bring down a real hammer on the purple-haired woman's stomach. She wanted to literally squeeze all the air out of Risako and make her writhe in pain with this double axe handle strike!

Astrid got what she wanted. When her locked hands fell on Risako's stomach, the Japanese woman let out a wild, painful scream. The pain made her turn over on her side, she wrapped her arms around her belly, but she was not unable to restrain convulsions due to waves of pain. Gasping for air, the Golden Dragon removed the bloody strands of hair from her face.

She got some time. She desperately wanted to take a break for at least a few seconds, but she knew that she should use it for preparation, not for rest. Her bruised and wounded body exuded agony. After the second chokehold, she could barely control her breathing. Every breath seemed to burn her lungs.

Turning her head to the side, Astrid looked blearily at the audience. Some of them, being impressed by this amazing match, tried to overcome metal barricades in order to get closer to the cell in which the women were. She could still hear both her name and Risako's name. It was a real battle of the Titans. And everyone wanted to know who would be able to walk this path to the end.

Gritting her teeth, Astrid got to her feet. Her face was pained. She felt a very painful prick somewhere inside. It was impossible to exclude the possibility that some of the internal organs were damaged. And she wouldn't be surprised if she found out that it really is. The Norwegian woman staggered, but managed to find her balance, leaving her right leg a step back.

Most of Astrid's body and clothes were covered in blood, mostly her own, although some of it belonged to Risako. Now it was possible to say without remorse that even her first title match had faded far into the background compared to this match. Astrid has been through a lot. But she has never been in such a bad condition as now. Trying not to stagger from side to side, the Golden Dragon approached the ring. Grabbing the edge with her right hand, she bent down and grabbed the hem of the fabric skirt. Lifting up the fabric, she immediately saw what she wanted to find. Although the thing she needed was under other unnecessary junk.

"By the gods..." Astrid grumbled.

She grabbed a metal trash can and threw it towards the cell. A metal lid followed in the same direction. Then some kendo sticks. Then a baseball bat. Then some metal chairs. Barely restraining her irritation, Astrid took a folded wooden table out from under the ring. And only after that she finally got to what she needed.

To the accompaniment of excited shouts and applause, the Golden Dragon took out a metal ladder. Grabbing it with both hands, she lifted it off the floor. And judging by the expression on her face, few people had any doubts about how heavy this thing was. However, it was necessary. Astrid intended to take a step to the side and forcefully ram the bottom of the ladder into the cell. What for? Because after that, the legs of the ladder would get stuck in the metal mesh for sure. After that, Astrid would be able to put the top of the ladder on the edge of the ring, thereby creating a platform bridge between the ring and the cell, which she intended to use in order to finish this match.

Was it madness? Yes, it probably was. Astrid couldn't say that she had a clear plan for the bridge she was busy with. However, she was sure that if she managed to combine one of her most destructive moves and this metal construction, then even the Queen of Queens would not stand against it.

While she was trying to finish the job, she remembered her every hardcore title match. Exploding barbed wire. Metal chain. Fluorescent lamps. Yes, she had to go through a lot in order to earn the right to call herself a champion. But the most interesting thing was that in fact she and Risako brought each other to the current moment using only their own bodies. Yes, a metal chair played a certain role in this, but it was not even close to the improvised means that Astrid and her rivals used in past matches.

And as soon as the Golden Dragon thought about it, she heard Risako's voice. The Japanese woman shouted Astrid's name. At that moment, she realized that she had left her rival without attention for too long. Clenching her fist, the Norwegian woman spun around in an attempt to hit Risako, who was behind her. However, she didn't have a chance.

"MMMAAAGGGGGUUUAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

Pain. A pain that was unlike anything Astrid had felt before. The Queen of Queens hit her with a kendo stick. Yes, perhaps Astrid should have been grateful that Risako did not hit her in the head, because as a result of this, the blonde's face would probably have turned into a bloody mess. However, the target that the purple-haired woman chose was no less painful.

The kendo stick crashed right into Astrid's most precious treasure. For a moment, she thought her breasts had burst, because that's where Risako had hit. The Golden Dragon wrapped her arms around her breasts and fell to one knee in agony, leaning forward. Her eyes filled with tears again. Even though she gritted her teeth, she kept groaning. It was like a lash, only several times worse, considering that the breast is one of the most sensitive parts of the female body.

"Bitch..." Astrid hissed with pain in her voice, rather not insulting Risako, but meaning the whole situation.

Perhaps it was not the most noble move, but Astrid had enough conscience to refrain from making any accusations towards Risako. If the Japanese woman wanted to, she would have hit the blonde in a much lower place without warning her at the same time. So...

Astrid raised her head with pain and rage to look at the Queen of Queens. Well, if they were going to play like this now, then this purple-haired woman should get ready. Why? Because Astrid wasn't going to leave it just like that. She intended to grab the metal trash can by the handles, and then get to her feet, immediately taking a step forward.

Trying not to think about the pain in her chest, she swung the trash can with a roar, making an arc. Maybe it wasn't as elegant as it was in Risako's case, but right now she didn't really care. She intended to use the strength of her arms in order to make sure that her opponent in all its glory would feel and understand the fact that Astrid also knows how to use weapons. The Norwegian woman intended to hit the left side of the upper body of the Queen of Queens with this metal can!