World Title Semi Final: Michael Northman Vs. Zero Kotobuki

Michael was quite light headed and he had lost most of his senses at the moment, that burning will of fire was now an ember thanks to Zero's, but he still had to find away to continue, but he still felt so weak at the moment, any second now he might pass out completely, but something happened, he was released from the hold, and was rolled of Zero, Michael groaned out a little as he tried to get back into the game, but Zero had really done a number on him in that hold, her could hear the screams of the crowd and felt like he had to continue fighting, but he was just so tired from that hold, and felt quite dizzy as well.

He shut his eyes softly and took a few deep breaths, feeling the rumbling on the mat as Zero made her steeps, each step sending vibrations through the ring, soft ones that you wouldn't normally feel, but in the state that Michael was in, that was all he could feel, but finally they stopped, Michael's eyes opened to as he looked onto the crowd, seeing a lot of gestures that seemed to imply a direction, as if they wanted him to roll away, his hands went down against the mat and he pushed of and to the side, rolling away from his position and lucky enough from him, he evaded a devastating move from Zero.

The Moon Meteor attack was Zero's only high flying move in her arsenal. Zero was mostly a down and dirty kind of fighter, but the potential devastation of this move made it one she often dished out in her ring matches. If it hit Michale, it had the potential to end this match, but to her dismay her opponant would roll way just in the knick of time, leaving her to crash to the mat on her knees.

Zero winced in pain but was otherwise unharmed, and soon sprung back to her feet. Missing the modified moonsault wasn't as painful as it could have been if she had landed on her front. And her kneepads did their job of absorbing most of the impact, leaving Zero relatively unharmed by her unsucessful manuever.

Zero's cold yellow eyes narrowed on Michael where he lay. If she couldn't finish him with that move she could live with it. After all, she had many more at her disposal. This next one would be particularily deadly. Moving on Michael while he was still down she would move to mount his back. She would then twist one of his arms behind his back with a hammerlock, setting up for her finisher.

Michael was glad to have dodged that, but he wasn't exactly sure of what he had dodged, just that he head a loud thump and felt the vibrations of the mat as Zero impacted, Michael began to come to little by little and he knew very well that he needed to give more than he had in him, he had to get back into the game, his will was starting to blow on the embers of his fighting spirit, trying to ignite a flame again, but was it too late, had he been beaten too much, had too much fight been taken out of the young Northman.

Michael was still trying, pressing his hands against the mat, as if she tried to get up, he could still feel the vibrations, again they had started up and Zero was walking towards him, he didn't know what to do exactly, he just had to trust his instincts and move according to how his heart and his body told him to, soon enough Zero stopped and was about to make her was onto Michael, but the flame of courage had to act before it was to late, as he let out a slight roar, " Aah!" Michael shouted out as he pushed off the ground and turned over, in the turn he slung his leg up and aimed it towards Zero's knee, trying to hit her with a hard kick that would hopefully bring her down a little, and if that was so, then Michael would pull back his foot and attempt to hit Zero's straight in the face with a strong kick.

Zero was sure that after subjecting Michael to that prolongued sleeperhold that he might have a little more docile for her attacks, but he was still strong enough to avoid her Moon Meteor attack, albeit with a little help from the crowd. Still she was confident that that she could set him up for her finisher with the time she had given herself. She could tell Michael was slowing down, but Zero herself was starting to get weary. She could only hope that her will outweighed his.

When Zerowent to mount his back, Michael would surprise the woman when he suddenly turned around on her, nailing her in the back of her knee. "UGH!" Zero grunted, falling to one knee before him, making her more vulnerable to a second kick he would throw, this one coming at her face.

But in the moment before the hit would strike Zero her hands would fly up to catch his boot, then hold tightly to it before he could get away. Her yellow eyes narrowed, now seeing the perfect way to end this fight. In a flash she would use the grip she had on Michael's leg to turn him back over onto his stomach, and then sit herself down on his back, pulling the captured leg back in a single-legged boston crab.

Michael was fighting for neck and limb at the moment, he was trying to get as much air in and to get his blood flowing more and more to his head, he had to just keep going and keep himself in the match, and it seemed like he was able to fight back as his kick was a sure strike and hit the back of Zero's knee as she fell down to one knee, Michael glanced back at Zero as he tried to throw his second kick at Zero and soon he would probably have her knocked out for a second or two after that kick...but disaster struck Michael Northman as Zero grabbed onto his leg in mid kick.

Michael was just not doing to well, he wasn't as fast as he was as he was still recovering from the sleeper hold, but that didn't seem to matter to Zero as she seemed to be dead set on trying to win over him, but Michael knew he couldn't give up even as Zero forced him to turn around and roll over onto his stomach, Michael gritted his teeth as he felt Zero pull him into a single legged boston crab hold, and began to pull back on his leg, " Agh!..Aaaagh!" Michael let out as he was being put through Zero's skill fully locked in submission hold.

Michael soon enough began to pund the ground a little, before he would try and send a few elbows back against Zero's side, the back of the side that he had been striking while he was in the submission hold, he was trying to make the count so he was trying to sort of hit her at her ribs from time to time as well, Zero was really quite a deadly first opponent and while she was probably his biggest challenge yet, he had to admit that she was really fun to wrestle.

In a single fluid motion Zero had countered Michael's attmepted kick and now had him secured in a painful submission hold, cranking his leg back with practiced skill. While not as powerful as a full boston crab it was enough to keep Michael uncomfortable and a good way to wear him down. "UGH!" Zero started grunting as once again Michael's elbow started slamming into her side, the same side he had targeted before when she had him trapped in the sleeper.

Fortunately she wasn't commited to her single-legged crab. She merely used it to turn Michael back onto his stomach, and to keep him down. After only a few seconds of keeping the boston crab she would release his leg and would swiftly turn around on his back to face his head. Then she would grab the arm that was elbowing her and twist it behind his back into a hammerlock. If she managed that Zero would hold the arm there while planting both her feet on the mat, then lean forward with her free arm to wrap her arm around Michael's neck.

Once all was set up, Zero would pull backwards, hauling Michael's head and upperbody upwards with a kind of dragon sleeper/camel clutch, which Zero named the Dragon 's Bite. If locked in properly, Michael would experience tremendous pain on his back as well as her arm tightly choking him. In other words putting him through absolute hell.

Michael was trying his best to keep up the fight and to get out of Zero's painful submission hold, soon enough her heard her let out a few grunts as he elbowed her again and again, and soon he found that he let go of her leg, which caused Michael to let out a little sigh of relief as he thought that he was gonna try and get out now, but it didn't seemed like Zero was willing to let him of the hook yet, as he felt her try and shift around the hold, Michale wasn't sure of what to do really but he tried to in Zero's mid shift around, to press his hand down onto the mat and his knees as well to try and for himself up a little to try and buck Zero of her, letting out a scream as he fought through fatigue and pain by doing this, hoping that it would get Zero of him.

If it did, Michael would quickly try and roll back and get quite a bit of distance between him and Zero so he could get up to his feet, and even try and get far enough back to reach the ropes, hoping that he would be able to get some breathing room from Zero and maybe try and get back into the match for now, as it was he was starting to get a bit more clear headed, but he was still tired and now he was in even more pain than before.

Zero yelped in surprise when Michael suddenly found the strength to buck her off him. She fell off him onto the mat, and on instinct rolled with the fall to come to a crouched position on the mat. Zero galred at Michael from where she tried to recover, her gloved fist clenching tightly in subconscious frustration. Michael refused to stay down, and while it was admirable at first, was quickly becoming irritating. It seemed that if she wanted to breing Michael down she was going to have to pull out all the stops, unleash her most devastating techniques, and stop worrying about personal safety,

Raising back to her feet slowly Zero would bring her fists at the ready again, now prepared to take Michael on for another round.

Michael look on at Zero as he to the to safety of the ropes for now, he was kinda getting the feeling that he had to get back into the game and use his speed a lot better now if he wanted to be able to fight back and take Zero down, he would maybe had to be a bit more careful when it came to high flying moves and try to hit her with a few more kicks or something like that, because she was really good, and he just had to show her that he wasn't a push over, also he just had to give it his all to win this match and go on to get to that finals match to get the belt, if he could do that then he would surely have proven to every one that he was good and fit in here.

Michael used the ropes to help himself up to his feet as he would look over at Zero, keeping his eyes that were once again lit with the fire of battle and courage within his heart, he was ready to get back into this match and try to take Zero down with all his might, he could feel his heart racing within his chest as he looked on at her, Zero was attractive, but deadly, she was strong and skilled, but at least the two second aspect applied to Michael as well.

" You ready ?!" Michael called out to Zero as he moved away from the ropes and readied himself in a fighting stance.

Zero was more than ready to finish this fight. Michael was standing between her and her chance for the title belt at the finals. Anyone who stood between her and that was going to lose, no matter how skilled they were. Michael was one of those obstacles that would be cast aside on her road to be champion. Her fists clenched at the ready, and she nodded at Michael as he readied himself as well.

Zero would be the one to come out first, opening up her salvo with a a few punches aimed at Michael's face. Whether these hit or not didn't matter, they were more to keep him off balance. Her real attack would come when after the last punch she would throw a heavy kick straight into Michael's side, hoping to damage his ribs a bit.