anotherguttersnipe
Ryonani Teamster
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2011
Dotenbori, Osaka. 9:45 PM
Amongst the scattering of people walking the main waterway tonight, a lone Gaijin looks out at a light display that could put Vegas to shame. James Thurstons takes a long drag of his cigarette, and exhales an even longer puff of smoke. The man is dressed for the town, sporting a charcoal blazer and pants combo, a black shirt unbuttoned two notches from the collar, and white dress shoes. His hair, normally well trimmed and combed was allowed to grow out alittle, so as to be styled alittle rough and wild. His sharp face, normally clean shaven sported a 5 o'clock stubble. And finally he sported a pair of black-rimmed aviators finished with a slight red tint. Just some gaijin tourist with more dollars than sense, and totally NOT a CIA agent.
Despite the playboy veneer, it was agency business that brought James out to Osaka tonight. A powerful Yakuza clan under the name of the 'Sanada Alliance' had made contact, requesting the CIA's aid in neutralizing their rivals to ensure their dominance. Of course, the agency does not do favours for free, and there were things they wanted from The Sanada Alliance to ensure their assistance. James had come out tonight to discuss terms with the Alliance's spokesperson.
So it wasn't on accident that James waited on this walkway, keeping his ears open despite the hustle and bustle of the city's nightlife. There were specific instructions to follow to ensure the meeting went unnoticed. At was at this point, he was approached by a rough looking homeless man in a faded green hoodie. The man moved slowly, with a clear limp in his left leg, as if it took a considerable effort to drag it behind him.
"Excuse me sir, could you spare me some change?" The man spoke in Japanese.
James turned around to acknowledge the man, as he reached into his pocket. Recovering exactly ¥20000. "It's a shame such decent folk as yourself have fallen on hard times." He responded in kind.
The man gave him a warm grin. "You are too kind, sir. Please accept this as a token of my appreciation."
He handed James what appeared to be a business card. A clean silver, outlined in blue. In romanji, the card read: 'Esteemed guest of the Sanada Alliance. You are cordially invited to attend the Dotenbori Kumite!', along with street directions to what appeared to be a laundromat. The homeless guy had wandered off to parts unknown. But this didn't matter to James: Contact had been made.
From here, it was half an hour walk from the bright lights of the main riverside, to a barely lit alleyway. The noise of the city proper bled through as little more than a distant murmour. Despite being entirely alone down here, James couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched. This came as no concern to him. Although lacking his side arm, 10 years worth of agency experience made him more than a match for any Yakuza thug. And even then, he was confident that their handlers would keep them on tight leashes, regardless of them belonging to the Sanada Alliance, or a rival clan. Should anything unprovoked happen to him, the CIA would see the clan responsible disappear overnight. Finally, he came to a lit side store to his right. The banner above the windows reading: Tetsuo's Laundromat. Inside looked as riveting as one would expect any laundromat to look. There were exactly two opposing rows of front loaders, 10 per row, and none of them in use. At the front counter, sat a pudgy middle aged man dressed in an off-white collared uniform. James approached the man.
"I have pickup order for Kai." James spoke to him, again in Japanese.
"hm..... this way." The man barely acknowledged him with a grunt, leading him to the back of the building.
James was lead through a small room lined with hangers holding various articles of clothing. The entered a door at the end of the building, which lead to a flight of stairs heading down the basement. Once through the door, the man retrieved what appeared to be an old japanese pager. This had instantly piqued James' interest. To his knowledge, the last paging service had shut down almost 5 years ago. It made perfect sense to still use them on private networks, they'd be the last thing people would look for.
"Oh, you won't need to speak Japanese from this point forward." The man suddenly spoke in english, clearly understood despite his accent.
"I have no problems speaking your language. If you're having me as a guest, I owe it to you to at least use your tongue." James responded in kind.
"That patronizing shit might fly on the surface, but not down here." The man huffed. "Do us and yourself a favour. Don't be a fucking smartass."
"Noted......" James sighed, as they reached the end of the stairs.
"Through here." The man instructed, pointing towards yet another door. "They're waiting for you."
James barely acknowledged the pudgy national as he entered, feeling slightly scorned by his attitude. As was in for a shock as he entered the next room. Flanked by 4 Yakuza heavy hitters with a slender national, sporting a dark blue suit, completed with a silk white shirt, and a speckled crimson tie. The man's black hair was neatly combed into a side-swept fringe, his straight locks hung over his left eye. The emo cut looked out of place against the man's slightly aged facial features. He would have been quite the j-pop charmer in his younger years, but lacked the desire to let the past go with his age just yet. Despite this, the man wore a comforting, yet excitable expression which seemed to add alittle youth back. This, was Toru Sanada, head patriarch and 8th chairman of the Sanada alliance, here in the flesh.
"... And you must be our Friend sent from across the Atlantic! Did you find the place alright?" Toru greeted, extending out a greeting hand.
"I was expecting to be meeting a representative, not the patriarch himself." James replied, keeping his agent's composure as he accepted the handshake.
"Well, when it comes to doing business with Uncle Sam, I'd prefer not to leave that to lackeys. Now, this way if you would." Toru replied, leading the entourage to an elevator door at the far end of the room. As everyone entered, one of his lackeys punched in a few buttons, the elevator whirred to life, and slowly descended even further. James considered his situation for a moment as they descended. He was well aware that the Sanada alliance had multiple rivals looking to take them out, and powerful ones at that. Meanwhile attempts on Sanada's life happen on an almost weekly basis, so James could appreciate, and even relate to the paranoia that comes with his position. But even James felt like this was excessive. Could a boardroom meeting not have sufficed? Surely the presence of a gaijin would have stayed their hand.
"I apologize, Agent Thurstons. All of this must seem excessive for a mere business negotiation, but this is the only way to ensure our conversation stays completely confidential. What I'm possibly committing is an act of escalation, and if I'm caught by my rivals talking to American intelligence agencies, the consequences could be disasterous." Toru explained calmly.
"I understand the need for caution, but we've long since stopped relying on underground bunkers in the states. When you hide in plain site, bunkers just become a waste of taxpayer money." James replied.
"Hah! That is the most un-american thing I've ever heard an American say!" Toru laughed, getting no reaction from James. He'd heard so many slants against his country that he became desensitized to it. "Besides, where we're going, is not exactly a bunker." Toru continued as the elevator slowed to a halt. "Come, agent Thurstons. The Kumite awaits!"
When the elevator doors opened, the words, 'not exactly a bunker' did not do the room any justice. What he walked into was a busy room the size of a gymnasium. A quick scan of the room's composition told James that he had walked into an underground fighting arena of some kind. There was a wrestling ring surrounded by a circular barricade, cut off at what seemed to be the main curtain. Said curtain was a steel girded structure bearing a massive titantron at the top. Behind the barricades were at least 3 rows of patrons, all dressed in their finest, and then beyond that, the floor was elevated, featuring several dining tables overlooking the ring, complete with a drinks bar at each side of the room. The overall aethetic resembled a basic pro-wrestling event rather than a dingy underground arena. And all of this several floors underneath the surface. Toru lead James to an unoccupied table, where they both sat aside from the ring where they could turn and watch. As they sat, a waiter had already offloaded two tall glasses of beer to the table.
"Well, you weren't kidding about this place not being a bunker!" James spoke up above the murmouring crowd. "I must admit, this looks incredibly clean for an underground fight club."
"Technically, it IS infact a bunker." Toru corrected him. "It was built as a bomb shelter for air raids during the second world war, but since acquiring the land, we've retro-fitted it for other purposes. Given the nature of the discussion we're about to have, there is no location more secure."
"But we have a whole night for that, Agent Thurstons." Toru finished, raising his glass to take a sip of beer. "The first round's about to start!"
Suddenly, the lights dimmed to loud throbbing metal music as smoke jetted out around the curtain. What emerged from the smoke to the chorus of cheers was an absolute monster of a man......
The man was clad in basic wrestling attire. His trunks, boots, wristbands, and kneepads were all black. The only thing not black, was the trim on his mask. It wasn't the attire that drew eyes, but his hulking physique. His musculature made him look like he was carved straight out of bronze, with barely any layers of fat separating skin from muscle. It was hard to put a nationality on the man, as all one could see were manic eyes staring out from the mask. He slipped through the ring, and exploded into a sprint, bouncing from left to right ropes, and finally finishing on the third rope, shaking it with a guttural howl to the cheers of the gathered crowd.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! YOUR KUMITE MASTER FOR THIS EVENING! COMING TO YOU FROM PARTS UNKNOWN, GIVE IT UP FOR, EL DIABLO, CENICIENTOOOOO!!!!!!"
El Diablo took his corner, waiting for his opponent. The smoke machine triggered again, revealing another figure emerging from the curtains. A female figure.
She sauntered down the entranceway with a determined look on her face. While grossly paling in comparison to the specimen that emerged before her, the woman's physique was impressive in its own right, appearing more athletic over muscular. Yet despite this, she packed some sizeable glands that sat snugly within a white leotard that hugged her hips. With her short white boots, they contrasted well against black elbow and kneepads. He wasn't bronzed up like El Diablo, but not sickly pale either. Her skin boasted a healthy peach colour. The loudest colour on her getup, was her long seaweed green hair, tied back in a high ponytail. Long parted bangs hid her fair eurasian features. As she gracefully slipped into the ring, James looked up to the titantron displaying her stats.
Name: Tae-yeong-Park
Age: 25
Hometown: Daejeon, South Korea
Height: 170 cm
Weight: 71 kg
Kumite Fights: 6
Longest time elapsed: 22:15
James scratched his head at the last stat. He couldn't work out why round time was being displayed instead of wins and losses. As Tae-yeong took her corner, the most obvious thought had now occurred to James. "Mr. Sanada, she she seriously?" He looked over to the Patriarch, who payed him no attention as he looked intently towards the ring.
"....AND YOUR FIRST BRAVE CHALLENGER FOR THIS EVENING. MAKING HER 7TH APPEARANCE IN THE KUMITE RING, FROM DAEJEON KOREA, PLEASE GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO, TAE! YEONG! PARK!"
The young woman gave an acknowledging wave to the audience, before turning to El Diablo, bowing in his direction before settling back in her corner. The masked monster bounced on the balls of his toes, giving her a menacing smile in response. A man in a blue shirt approached the center of the ring, holding both his hands out to either side. Doubtlessly this man was the referee. At the same time, about 5 drones hovered around and above the ring, looking to broadcast angles simply unavailable from anyone's vantage point. The ref looked to Tae-yeong, and got a quick nod. Then, to El Diablo, who slapped his chest and sneered in response.
"BEGIN!"
With a ring of the bell, El Diablo exploded from his corner, charging towards Tae-yeong, who took up a quick fighting stance. He extended his right arm, looking to take the Korean woman's head off with a lariat! She rolled under as he swung. She couldn't capitalize however, there was too much distance between them, and Diablo spun 180, and quickly charged again with another lariat. This time, Tae-yeong countered, sweeping out her leg to trip Diablo forward! He crashed to the mat, but quickly picked himself up to face Tae-yeong again. This time he didn't charge, but instead, approached slowly. Tae-yeong for her part didn't back off, keeping her stance solid as she shifted her feet slightly. The masked monster had gotten to within a foot when she acted. She launched two right kicks at the man. Both were checked, before she stepped in, and launched a straight back kick with her left into his sternum, pushing him back a step. Not letting up, Tae-yeong launched a right kick at Diablo's head-only to be effortlessly blocked with the forearm. This time, Diablo attacks, firing a right hookfist at the Korean fighter. However, Tae-yeong fires yet another right kick, but this time intended to intercept Diablo's fist! He pulls it back from the impact, barely getting time to shake it off before she hits yet another back kick at the sternum! Finally, she spins in the opposite direction, seaweed hair whipping about as she takes some air, and delivers a reverse roundhouse with the left, driving her heel into the monster's jaw! And yet despite the impact, he reacts as though he were merely slapped in the face, rubbing his jaw, as his eyes glance sideways at Tae-yeong.
"All those flashy moves, and all you end up doing is gassing yourself for the fun stuff." He advises mockingly. "You could learn something from the Irish girl I'll be playing with after you."
Although she maintained her stance, her chest heaved in and out slightly. While far from being 'gassed', that short exchange of kicks took some considerable effort. With a frustrated huff, Tae-yeong charges in, switching stances to confuse the big man. But with a grin, he fires a left kick on a stance switch, tagging Tae-yeong's inner left thigh! With a gasp, she buckles, falling to a knee! Diablo doesn't waste any time, raising his fists above his head, to slam down an axe handle on the kneeling Korean fighter! Tae-yeong sees the attack coming, but can't move. She raises her hands, and blocks the attack on the full with her forearms! Despite shielding herself, the combined force of downwards momentum and muscle-mass still does some damage, causing Tae-yeong to audibly huff as she grits her teeth. But from here, Diablo grabs her hands, and locks his fingers with hers. But with a sudden burst of strength, Tae-yeong pushes herself back to her feet. It's not a good position she finds herself in however, locked in test of strength against a bigger, stronger opponent with nowhere to go. There's no panic in her face however. Only determination as she looks up to the smiling beast.
"I might have something to learn from that Irish bitch....... when she beats my round time........." Tae-yeong sneered back at him, huffing and grunting as her arms trembled from El Diablo's pressure. ".....Try me big man....... You'll see why I'm stronger than her......"
The masked monster's grin widens, as his grip on Tae-yeong's hands tighten. He twists them left and right, earning whimpers from the Korean woman as she gives everything she has into resisting him. Her arms and legs tremble and shake, and her breaths become more laboured. And still she looks up at him with gritted determination.
"I'll be the judge of that!" is his only response, before pulling her towards him, disengaging the hands to lock in a side headlock! Tae-yeong grips at his forearm and slaps at his back, while the big man wrenches the head several times. Despite the woman's struggling, he takes time to gesture to the crowd with a fist in the air, earning a quick cheer, before returning to wrench the hold once again. Clearly unable to slip out of the hold, Tae-yeong resorts to relaxing her breathing, and waiting for a shift in his movements to slip out. The shift comes, but not in a way that she can stop. Keeping the headlock in place, he rolls her over his side with a headlock takeover! Now she was on the ground, with 350 pounds of muscle squeezing her head. Tae-yeon's hips bucked as her feet kicked against the mat. Without a way to get to his forearm, she tried to control her breathing again, groaning as her arm griped onto Diablo's massive bicep. Still she looked up at the monster with determination. She wasn't the type to fall apart from a simple headlock. They don't get invited to take part in kumite. And this would be her 7th bout. She would show this monster why she belongs here. Gritting her teeth, she bucks her hips up on more time, hoping to bring one of her legs up under his chin. She rolls up, and manages to thread the appendage. Diablo however, understands the threat, and rolls with the momentum. There's a flurry of movement, as Diablo attempts to scoot around to her side, while Tae-yeong rolls away into a crouch. Diablo stops his pursuit, looking down at the Korean woman drawing deep breaths, now that her head is free.
"C'mon! On your feet! Give the crowd what they came to see!" Diablo taunted, waiting eagerly for Tae-yeong to pick herself up.
Shaking her head free of cobwebs, Tae-yeong bounces back into action! She launches yet another right kick at Diablo's midsection. This time he tanks the kick to his side, but moves in to grapple her at the shoulder and waist! He forcefully moves her around him, her boots squeaking in protest, as she finds herself only a few steps away from the ropes! He releases her, only to deliver an open hand slap across the face with enough force to turn her around reeling into the ropes. She catches herself, and feels the monster approachin., She instinctively delivers a back kick his sternum, using the ropes as leverage to keep her up and turn her around. It lands, but it only buys her seconds, as the big man closes the distance. He presses his entire body into her, sandwiching her between him and the ropes. Skin rubs and grinds against skin as Tae-yeong helplessly writhes against Diablo's immovable form. She can't kick her way out-he's far too close for that now. As her hands slide around his shoulders trying to look for some angle to push against, she turns her face away from him. The sensation of full and prolonged body contact causes her cheeks to redden, while she bites her lip to stifle a moan. The referee rushes to the ropes to initiate a rope break, and it's at this point that Diablo hammers in a close range fist to her unprotected side, earning a sharp gasp from the Korean fighter.
"ONE....." The ref starts counting.
Like conventional wrestling, one can get themselves disqualified for holding an opponent against the ropes for a 5 count. But unlike conventional wrestling, the referees count that 5 count very slowly in Kumite. Diablo gets in two more stabs of the fist before the ref counts 'TWO'. At this point, Tae-yeong could only hold onto the man to help brace for each punch. She eats another 3 punches close range. "THREE!" And then another series of punches! By the count of "FOUR", Tae-yeong had eaten up to 9 punches to the midsection. El Diablo finally relented, whipping Tae-yeong out from the ropes by the back of the neck. She got three steps out before collapsing on all fours, coughing and gasping for air as she held her tenderized side. El Diablo for his part, approached slowly, riling up the crowd as he did so. Eventually Tae-yeong picked herself to her feet, and faced her assailant. She looked alittle worse for wear now, with her seeweed hair slightly dishevelled and her skin shining with a thin layer of sweat. And still she faced him with determination in her eyes. Gritting her teeth, she stepped in, and threw and over-arching punch to try and get his face. Diablo caught this easily, threw her forward into an extended knee, flipping her over his thigh to land seated with a soft thud. He turned around, grabbing both her wrists, and pulling her upper back into his waiting knee, locking in a seated surfboard stretch!
"Do you submit?!" The ref asked, approaching quickly to inspect the hold.
Seaweed hair whips about as she shakes her head in refusal. The monster behind her growls out a chuckle, as he slowly wrenches Tae-yeong's arms back, grinding his knee further between her shoulder blades. The Korean fighter winces, hissing laboured breaths through gritted teeth, broken by a yelp of pain from a hard wrench of her arms! The referee asks for her submission again. Another shake of the head, as she stamps her boots in frustration. She manages to get her feet planted, using them as leverage to slide her back up Diablo's knee. He rises with her, relieving the pressure off her back, but now she finds herself at an awkward angle. She's bent over backwards, looking up at the grinning monster who still has her wrists! Her entire body shakes as she cries out in exertion, giving everything she's got just to stay on her feet somehow. She shuffles one of her feet back, attempting to twist her torso so she can face him. Diablo is one step ahead of her however. He lets go of one of her wrists, and pulls the other outwards, tripping her forward to arm drag her facedown on the mat! He lays parallel with her, pulling her still captured arm up, while slowly slicing his forearm into her shoulder joint. The shoulderlock forces Tae-yeong's upper torso to lay at a 45 degree angle, with her left boob being squished into the mat. Though this was nothing compared to the pressure being focused entirely on her left shoulder now.
"C'mon! What do you say? Do you submit?!" The ref asked a third time.
Tae-yeon pounded her fist against the mat in frustration, as she audibly cries out, "NO!" glaring at the ref through a pained expression as though he insulted her. Her fist opened, and she pushed against the mat trying helplessly to push herself back up. But with 350 pounds of muscle grinding at her shoulder, the only way she was getting out is if he got tired of it. Eventually, he did, rolling to reposition directly infront of her. The pressure on the shoulder was gone, but now replaced with a front facelock! Diablo rose to his feet, forcing Tae-yeong to follow him through his tight grip. He wrenches back on the head a few times, earning groans of pain from the Korean woman each time. Finally, The monster cupped her waist, and hoisted her up on his shoulders with her feet in the air. Tae-yeong braced herself for what was about to happen, and sure enough, Diablo flung himself backwards, landing a basic but effective suplex to the cheers of the crowd! Her back bounced of the mat, causing her to sit up briefly, before flopping back down, staring up at the lights.
El Diablo took a moment to gesture to the crowd, giving Tae-yeong some much needed reprieve to recollect herself. Wincing in pain, she rolled to her side, looking around at the masked brute playing the audience, and then the referee, watching her intently. In Kumite, there are no count outs, or pinfalls. There are only two ways a fight ends. Either somebody submits, or the referee has to declare them unable to continue. And the only way for the latter to happen is if either something breaks, or a fighter is unresponsive. Tae-yeon was exhausted, and aching all over, and yet far from being unable to continue. She tries to get to her knees, seeing Diablo return his attention to her. Too late. He rolls her onto her back with his foot, before trapping one or her ankles beneath his foot. He then plucks the other foot, raising it up in the air, where he slowly begins twisting the ankle. Tae-yeong tried to sit up, wincing as she looks up at the manic grin of her assailant. The referee asks for another submission, getting another shake of the head as she yelps in pain from a slight twist at her ankle!
"Can't move much, can you?" Diablo asks, looking down at his victim. "You know it won't take much to pop an ankle. I could do both at the same time!" He taunts, grinding his foot against the other ankle trapped underneath.
"..... you're bluffing!" Tae-yeong barked back.
"Am I?" He spoke slowly, leering down as he licked his lips in anticipation. Tae-yeong takes in a deep breath, tensing up and waiting on that match ending 'pop'. But the pop never came, and Tae-yeong flops back on the mat, groaning out from the pain shooting through her ankles. But in the midst of those groans, she gives off a laboured chuckle.
"..... been in here enough times to know....... you fuckers are the same....... something breaks........ playtime's over........" She looks up at Diablo, managing something of a grin despite the situation.
"Called my bluff, huh? You're right. I'm not going to break your ankles." Diablo confirms, releasing his foot from her ankle, before stomping it HARD over her abdomen, blasting the air from Tae-yeong's lungs with a loud gasp.
"I'm going to make you WISH I broke your ankles!" He throws the other leg down, allowing Tae-yeong to curl up coughing! Diablo bends down to clutch both her ponytail, and wrist, forcing the Korean fighter to stand on shaky legs. Still nursing her stomach, the only resistance she offers, is a defiant glare through deep laboured breaths. He moves around her, entangling her in his grasp to lock in an Abdominal stretch! Tae-yeong cries out in pain as the hold takes immediate effect. Diablo's thigh pressed down hard on her own, bringing the protruding foot to the ground, and spreading her legs further. The ref rushes around to ask for a submission once more, and once more she shakes her head, although now she's doing little to suppress her cries. With her torso bent and twisted, AND the downward pressure being exerted onto her ankles, the pain is immense, and the best she can do is push her free hand against her knee to keep some leverage as her body quivers under Diablo's overwhelming presence. Throughout all of this, she's keenly aware of his freehand resting gently on her hip, just above the hemline of her leotard. Her cheeks redden at the touch, despite all the pain her body was being put through, it was this one thing that was challenging her willpower. But suddenly, he raises his hand to the air with a triumphant roar, and the crowd responds in kind. Tae-yeong hazards a look up at the monster, catching his crazed smile bearing down on her.
"Hey, asshole....... I-I haven't tapped yet! Why are you-?!"
Her words were cut off when Diablo brought his hand down, to claw at her midsection! His fingers dig in deep as first she gasps. Then she screams louder than she's done this entire match. His hand twists left and right, pulling at both skin and muscle alike as he makes her 'sing'. The referee asks for yet another submission. This time Tae-yeong doesn't shake her head, and instead raises her free hand in the air, considering throwing in the towel for the first time in the match. She looks up at El Diablo again, as tears begin to form in the corners of her eyes. She clamps them shut, and the hand comes down...... to claw at his thigh, attempting to dig her own fingers into his flesh! The hold continues, as her screams echo throughout the arena. But now there's frustration laced within that pain. She tries even harder to squeeze on his thigh, but there's just too much muscle to even make a dent. Meanwhile it feels like he's rearranging her insides with his stomach claw. Surprisingly, Diablo relaxes the claw, much Tae-yeon's relief. Compared to that, the abstretch on it's own was manageable, albeit still painful. Suddenly, she's scooped up in Diablo's arms, before he skips, and plants her back HARD over his knee with a backbreaker straight from the stretch! With another shriek of pain, she hangs over Diablo's knee, gasping as she looks up at the ref with blurred vision. She blinks it off, and lightly wriggles her foot, indicating that despite the unbelievable pain shooting through her entire spine, she's not paralyzed, and very much still 'in the fight'.
Grabbing the ponytail again, Diablo pulls her off of his knee, holding her up to face him, as she can't stand on her own power. Her breaths are shaky, with slight whimpers escaping through her lips. And yet, with that winced expression, he still looks at him with defiance, weakly placing a hand on his wrist. He can't help but laugh heartily at the gesture, before letting go, and delivering a brutal uppercut into Tae-yeong's stomach once again with enough power to lift her off her feet! She doubles over, coughing and wheezing she doubles over on her knees, as the masked bully turns around to raise his hands, soaking in the ovation from a hungering crowd. The sensation of dominating a defiant beauty to an audience that appreciates his art is what he lived for. No other sensation could ever compare. He turned back to the Korean, taking her waist, and pulling her into powerbomb position. With a huff, he pulls her up onto his shoulders, allowing her to sit there for a few seconds, before launching her off into a sit-down powerbomb! The impact echoed throughout the arena, as the mat shakes violently beneath them with a cry of pain from Tae-yeong that was equally as loud! with her legs folded over her, she blinks a few times, looking around to find the ref rushing towards them to assess the damage. And despite the condition she was in, she glares at the ref. With a pained glare, she gives him a silent scream of 'don't you DARE call this fight!'. Even now, she was still 'in this'.
"You've been a fun first bout, but I think it's time we wrap this up." Diablo speaks, as he takes one of Tae-yeong's legs with him as he rises with zero resistance. He's back down again, trapping her leg between his thighs and trapping her toe in his armpit, securing a toe hold! He hyper-extends and twists that leg to another chorus of screams from Tae-yeong's lungs. She shields her eyes, hiding her tears as she hears the ref scuttle towards her again to ask for a submission. She looks across to Diablo, who now seems to be genuinely trying to twist her leg from her hip, and back to the referee. With another long pained moan, she raises her hand, but something catches her eye. Suddenly she grits her teeth, and desperately boots the monster with her free leg again and again! And even though he weathers the blows, she doesn't let up, using her second wind to get Diablo off her leg and buy her some more time! Eventually it's too much for him to focus the hold, and he's forced to relent. Only for mere seconds, as he's straight back on her, picking up on her level of urgency. He's on the same leg again, but this time he turns her on her side before folding her leg around his neck and shoulders for a stretch muffler! He presses her calf hard against the back of his neck, and digs his fingers into her thigh. Her screams have lost all sense of defiance as the tears flow freely. She buries her head in the mat, and raises a shaky hand one last time. Even now it still takes a moment, but finally the dam breaks, and she's slapping the mat, begging the monster to just stop! The bell rings, and yet he still keeps the hold locked! Sobbing openly now, Tae-yeong looks up at the titantron through teary eyes. Round time: 23:40.
"AND THAT'S THE END OF THE FIRST BOUT! TAE-YEONG HOLDS OUT PAST THE TWENTY-THREE MINUTE MARK AND BEATS HER PERSONAL BEST! WHAT A HELL OF A FIRST ROUND! AND WE'VE STILL GOT FIVE LEFT! BUT RIGHT NOW, GIVE IT UP FOR TAE-YEONG AND EL DIABLO, CENICIENTOOOOO!!!!!!"
The masked monster raises a fist in the air to yet another eruption of cheers and applause, while still holding that stretch muffler on a broken Tae-yeong for photograpy purposes. It would be another full minute before he finally drops the hold, leaving Tae-yeong curled up in a fetal position, sobbing like a widow, but with a new personal best in her kumite career.....
(...to be continued)
Amongst the scattering of people walking the main waterway tonight, a lone Gaijin looks out at a light display that could put Vegas to shame. James Thurstons takes a long drag of his cigarette, and exhales an even longer puff of smoke. The man is dressed for the town, sporting a charcoal blazer and pants combo, a black shirt unbuttoned two notches from the collar, and white dress shoes. His hair, normally well trimmed and combed was allowed to grow out alittle, so as to be styled alittle rough and wild. His sharp face, normally clean shaven sported a 5 o'clock stubble. And finally he sported a pair of black-rimmed aviators finished with a slight red tint. Just some gaijin tourist with more dollars than sense, and totally NOT a CIA agent.
Despite the playboy veneer, it was agency business that brought James out to Osaka tonight. A powerful Yakuza clan under the name of the 'Sanada Alliance' had made contact, requesting the CIA's aid in neutralizing their rivals to ensure their dominance. Of course, the agency does not do favours for free, and there were things they wanted from The Sanada Alliance to ensure their assistance. James had come out tonight to discuss terms with the Alliance's spokesperson.
So it wasn't on accident that James waited on this walkway, keeping his ears open despite the hustle and bustle of the city's nightlife. There were specific instructions to follow to ensure the meeting went unnoticed. At was at this point, he was approached by a rough looking homeless man in a faded green hoodie. The man moved slowly, with a clear limp in his left leg, as if it took a considerable effort to drag it behind him.
"Excuse me sir, could you spare me some change?" The man spoke in Japanese.
James turned around to acknowledge the man, as he reached into his pocket. Recovering exactly ¥20000. "It's a shame such decent folk as yourself have fallen on hard times." He responded in kind.
The man gave him a warm grin. "You are too kind, sir. Please accept this as a token of my appreciation."
He handed James what appeared to be a business card. A clean silver, outlined in blue. In romanji, the card read: 'Esteemed guest of the Sanada Alliance. You are cordially invited to attend the Dotenbori Kumite!', along with street directions to what appeared to be a laundromat. The homeless guy had wandered off to parts unknown. But this didn't matter to James: Contact had been made.
From here, it was half an hour walk from the bright lights of the main riverside, to a barely lit alleyway. The noise of the city proper bled through as little more than a distant murmour. Despite being entirely alone down here, James couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched. This came as no concern to him. Although lacking his side arm, 10 years worth of agency experience made him more than a match for any Yakuza thug. And even then, he was confident that their handlers would keep them on tight leashes, regardless of them belonging to the Sanada Alliance, or a rival clan. Should anything unprovoked happen to him, the CIA would see the clan responsible disappear overnight. Finally, he came to a lit side store to his right. The banner above the windows reading: Tetsuo's Laundromat. Inside looked as riveting as one would expect any laundromat to look. There were exactly two opposing rows of front loaders, 10 per row, and none of them in use. At the front counter, sat a pudgy middle aged man dressed in an off-white collared uniform. James approached the man.
"I have pickup order for Kai." James spoke to him, again in Japanese.
"hm..... this way." The man barely acknowledged him with a grunt, leading him to the back of the building.
James was lead through a small room lined with hangers holding various articles of clothing. The entered a door at the end of the building, which lead to a flight of stairs heading down the basement. Once through the door, the man retrieved what appeared to be an old japanese pager. This had instantly piqued James' interest. To his knowledge, the last paging service had shut down almost 5 years ago. It made perfect sense to still use them on private networks, they'd be the last thing people would look for.
"Oh, you won't need to speak Japanese from this point forward." The man suddenly spoke in english, clearly understood despite his accent.
"I have no problems speaking your language. If you're having me as a guest, I owe it to you to at least use your tongue." James responded in kind.
"That patronizing shit might fly on the surface, but not down here." The man huffed. "Do us and yourself a favour. Don't be a fucking smartass."
"Noted......" James sighed, as they reached the end of the stairs.
"Through here." The man instructed, pointing towards yet another door. "They're waiting for you."
James barely acknowledged the pudgy national as he entered, feeling slightly scorned by his attitude. As was in for a shock as he entered the next room. Flanked by 4 Yakuza heavy hitters with a slender national, sporting a dark blue suit, completed with a silk white shirt, and a speckled crimson tie. The man's black hair was neatly combed into a side-swept fringe, his straight locks hung over his left eye. The emo cut looked out of place against the man's slightly aged facial features. He would have been quite the j-pop charmer in his younger years, but lacked the desire to let the past go with his age just yet. Despite this, the man wore a comforting, yet excitable expression which seemed to add alittle youth back. This, was Toru Sanada, head patriarch and 8th chairman of the Sanada alliance, here in the flesh.
"... And you must be our Friend sent from across the Atlantic! Did you find the place alright?" Toru greeted, extending out a greeting hand.
"I was expecting to be meeting a representative, not the patriarch himself." James replied, keeping his agent's composure as he accepted the handshake.
"Well, when it comes to doing business with Uncle Sam, I'd prefer not to leave that to lackeys. Now, this way if you would." Toru replied, leading the entourage to an elevator door at the far end of the room. As everyone entered, one of his lackeys punched in a few buttons, the elevator whirred to life, and slowly descended even further. James considered his situation for a moment as they descended. He was well aware that the Sanada alliance had multiple rivals looking to take them out, and powerful ones at that. Meanwhile attempts on Sanada's life happen on an almost weekly basis, so James could appreciate, and even relate to the paranoia that comes with his position. But even James felt like this was excessive. Could a boardroom meeting not have sufficed? Surely the presence of a gaijin would have stayed their hand.
"I apologize, Agent Thurstons. All of this must seem excessive for a mere business negotiation, but this is the only way to ensure our conversation stays completely confidential. What I'm possibly committing is an act of escalation, and if I'm caught by my rivals talking to American intelligence agencies, the consequences could be disasterous." Toru explained calmly.
"I understand the need for caution, but we've long since stopped relying on underground bunkers in the states. When you hide in plain site, bunkers just become a waste of taxpayer money." James replied.
"Hah! That is the most un-american thing I've ever heard an American say!" Toru laughed, getting no reaction from James. He'd heard so many slants against his country that he became desensitized to it. "Besides, where we're going, is not exactly a bunker." Toru continued as the elevator slowed to a halt. "Come, agent Thurstons. The Kumite awaits!"
When the elevator doors opened, the words, 'not exactly a bunker' did not do the room any justice. What he walked into was a busy room the size of a gymnasium. A quick scan of the room's composition told James that he had walked into an underground fighting arena of some kind. There was a wrestling ring surrounded by a circular barricade, cut off at what seemed to be the main curtain. Said curtain was a steel girded structure bearing a massive titantron at the top. Behind the barricades were at least 3 rows of patrons, all dressed in their finest, and then beyond that, the floor was elevated, featuring several dining tables overlooking the ring, complete with a drinks bar at each side of the room. The overall aethetic resembled a basic pro-wrestling event rather than a dingy underground arena. And all of this several floors underneath the surface. Toru lead James to an unoccupied table, where they both sat aside from the ring where they could turn and watch. As they sat, a waiter had already offloaded two tall glasses of beer to the table.
"Well, you weren't kidding about this place not being a bunker!" James spoke up above the murmouring crowd. "I must admit, this looks incredibly clean for an underground fight club."
"Technically, it IS infact a bunker." Toru corrected him. "It was built as a bomb shelter for air raids during the second world war, but since acquiring the land, we've retro-fitted it for other purposes. Given the nature of the discussion we're about to have, there is no location more secure."
"But we have a whole night for that, Agent Thurstons." Toru finished, raising his glass to take a sip of beer. "The first round's about to start!"
Suddenly, the lights dimmed to loud throbbing metal music as smoke jetted out around the curtain. What emerged from the smoke to the chorus of cheers was an absolute monster of a man......
The man was clad in basic wrestling attire. His trunks, boots, wristbands, and kneepads were all black. The only thing not black, was the trim on his mask. It wasn't the attire that drew eyes, but his hulking physique. His musculature made him look like he was carved straight out of bronze, with barely any layers of fat separating skin from muscle. It was hard to put a nationality on the man, as all one could see were manic eyes staring out from the mask. He slipped through the ring, and exploded into a sprint, bouncing from left to right ropes, and finally finishing on the third rope, shaking it with a guttural howl to the cheers of the gathered crowd.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! YOUR KUMITE MASTER FOR THIS EVENING! COMING TO YOU FROM PARTS UNKNOWN, GIVE IT UP FOR, EL DIABLO, CENICIENTOOOOO!!!!!!"
El Diablo took his corner, waiting for his opponent. The smoke machine triggered again, revealing another figure emerging from the curtains. A female figure.
She sauntered down the entranceway with a determined look on her face. While grossly paling in comparison to the specimen that emerged before her, the woman's physique was impressive in its own right, appearing more athletic over muscular. Yet despite this, she packed some sizeable glands that sat snugly within a white leotard that hugged her hips. With her short white boots, they contrasted well against black elbow and kneepads. He wasn't bronzed up like El Diablo, but not sickly pale either. Her skin boasted a healthy peach colour. The loudest colour on her getup, was her long seaweed green hair, tied back in a high ponytail. Long parted bangs hid her fair eurasian features. As she gracefully slipped into the ring, James looked up to the titantron displaying her stats.
Name: Tae-yeong-Park
Age: 25
Hometown: Daejeon, South Korea
Height: 170 cm
Weight: 71 kg
Kumite Fights: 6
Longest time elapsed: 22:15
James scratched his head at the last stat. He couldn't work out why round time was being displayed instead of wins and losses. As Tae-yeong took her corner, the most obvious thought had now occurred to James. "Mr. Sanada, she she seriously?" He looked over to the Patriarch, who payed him no attention as he looked intently towards the ring.
"....AND YOUR FIRST BRAVE CHALLENGER FOR THIS EVENING. MAKING HER 7TH APPEARANCE IN THE KUMITE RING, FROM DAEJEON KOREA, PLEASE GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO, TAE! YEONG! PARK!"
The young woman gave an acknowledging wave to the audience, before turning to El Diablo, bowing in his direction before settling back in her corner. The masked monster bounced on the balls of his toes, giving her a menacing smile in response. A man in a blue shirt approached the center of the ring, holding both his hands out to either side. Doubtlessly this man was the referee. At the same time, about 5 drones hovered around and above the ring, looking to broadcast angles simply unavailable from anyone's vantage point. The ref looked to Tae-yeong, and got a quick nod. Then, to El Diablo, who slapped his chest and sneered in response.
"BEGIN!"
With a ring of the bell, El Diablo exploded from his corner, charging towards Tae-yeong, who took up a quick fighting stance. He extended his right arm, looking to take the Korean woman's head off with a lariat! She rolled under as he swung. She couldn't capitalize however, there was too much distance between them, and Diablo spun 180, and quickly charged again with another lariat. This time, Tae-yeong countered, sweeping out her leg to trip Diablo forward! He crashed to the mat, but quickly picked himself up to face Tae-yeong again. This time he didn't charge, but instead, approached slowly. Tae-yeong for her part didn't back off, keeping her stance solid as she shifted her feet slightly. The masked monster had gotten to within a foot when she acted. She launched two right kicks at the man. Both were checked, before she stepped in, and launched a straight back kick with her left into his sternum, pushing him back a step. Not letting up, Tae-yeong launched a right kick at Diablo's head-only to be effortlessly blocked with the forearm. This time, Diablo attacks, firing a right hookfist at the Korean fighter. However, Tae-yeong fires yet another right kick, but this time intended to intercept Diablo's fist! He pulls it back from the impact, barely getting time to shake it off before she hits yet another back kick at the sternum! Finally, she spins in the opposite direction, seaweed hair whipping about as she takes some air, and delivers a reverse roundhouse with the left, driving her heel into the monster's jaw! And yet despite the impact, he reacts as though he were merely slapped in the face, rubbing his jaw, as his eyes glance sideways at Tae-yeong.
"All those flashy moves, and all you end up doing is gassing yourself for the fun stuff." He advises mockingly. "You could learn something from the Irish girl I'll be playing with after you."
Although she maintained her stance, her chest heaved in and out slightly. While far from being 'gassed', that short exchange of kicks took some considerable effort. With a frustrated huff, Tae-yeong charges in, switching stances to confuse the big man. But with a grin, he fires a left kick on a stance switch, tagging Tae-yeong's inner left thigh! With a gasp, she buckles, falling to a knee! Diablo doesn't waste any time, raising his fists above his head, to slam down an axe handle on the kneeling Korean fighter! Tae-yeong sees the attack coming, but can't move. She raises her hands, and blocks the attack on the full with her forearms! Despite shielding herself, the combined force of downwards momentum and muscle-mass still does some damage, causing Tae-yeong to audibly huff as she grits her teeth. But from here, Diablo grabs her hands, and locks his fingers with hers. But with a sudden burst of strength, Tae-yeong pushes herself back to her feet. It's not a good position she finds herself in however, locked in test of strength against a bigger, stronger opponent with nowhere to go. There's no panic in her face however. Only determination as she looks up to the smiling beast.
"I might have something to learn from that Irish bitch....... when she beats my round time........." Tae-yeong sneered back at him, huffing and grunting as her arms trembled from El Diablo's pressure. ".....Try me big man....... You'll see why I'm stronger than her......"
The masked monster's grin widens, as his grip on Tae-yeong's hands tighten. He twists them left and right, earning whimpers from the Korean woman as she gives everything she has into resisting him. Her arms and legs tremble and shake, and her breaths become more laboured. And still she looks up at him with gritted determination.
"I'll be the judge of that!" is his only response, before pulling her towards him, disengaging the hands to lock in a side headlock! Tae-yeong grips at his forearm and slaps at his back, while the big man wrenches the head several times. Despite the woman's struggling, he takes time to gesture to the crowd with a fist in the air, earning a quick cheer, before returning to wrench the hold once again. Clearly unable to slip out of the hold, Tae-yeong resorts to relaxing her breathing, and waiting for a shift in his movements to slip out. The shift comes, but not in a way that she can stop. Keeping the headlock in place, he rolls her over his side with a headlock takeover! Now she was on the ground, with 350 pounds of muscle squeezing her head. Tae-yeon's hips bucked as her feet kicked against the mat. Without a way to get to his forearm, she tried to control her breathing again, groaning as her arm griped onto Diablo's massive bicep. Still she looked up at the monster with determination. She wasn't the type to fall apart from a simple headlock. They don't get invited to take part in kumite. And this would be her 7th bout. She would show this monster why she belongs here. Gritting her teeth, she bucks her hips up on more time, hoping to bring one of her legs up under his chin. She rolls up, and manages to thread the appendage. Diablo however, understands the threat, and rolls with the momentum. There's a flurry of movement, as Diablo attempts to scoot around to her side, while Tae-yeong rolls away into a crouch. Diablo stops his pursuit, looking down at the Korean woman drawing deep breaths, now that her head is free.
"C'mon! On your feet! Give the crowd what they came to see!" Diablo taunted, waiting eagerly for Tae-yeong to pick herself up.
Shaking her head free of cobwebs, Tae-yeong bounces back into action! She launches yet another right kick at Diablo's midsection. This time he tanks the kick to his side, but moves in to grapple her at the shoulder and waist! He forcefully moves her around him, her boots squeaking in protest, as she finds herself only a few steps away from the ropes! He releases her, only to deliver an open hand slap across the face with enough force to turn her around reeling into the ropes. She catches herself, and feels the monster approachin., She instinctively delivers a back kick his sternum, using the ropes as leverage to keep her up and turn her around. It lands, but it only buys her seconds, as the big man closes the distance. He presses his entire body into her, sandwiching her between him and the ropes. Skin rubs and grinds against skin as Tae-yeong helplessly writhes against Diablo's immovable form. She can't kick her way out-he's far too close for that now. As her hands slide around his shoulders trying to look for some angle to push against, she turns her face away from him. The sensation of full and prolonged body contact causes her cheeks to redden, while she bites her lip to stifle a moan. The referee rushes to the ropes to initiate a rope break, and it's at this point that Diablo hammers in a close range fist to her unprotected side, earning a sharp gasp from the Korean fighter.
"ONE....." The ref starts counting.
Like conventional wrestling, one can get themselves disqualified for holding an opponent against the ropes for a 5 count. But unlike conventional wrestling, the referees count that 5 count very slowly in Kumite. Diablo gets in two more stabs of the fist before the ref counts 'TWO'. At this point, Tae-yeong could only hold onto the man to help brace for each punch. She eats another 3 punches close range. "THREE!" And then another series of punches! By the count of "FOUR", Tae-yeong had eaten up to 9 punches to the midsection. El Diablo finally relented, whipping Tae-yeong out from the ropes by the back of the neck. She got three steps out before collapsing on all fours, coughing and gasping for air as she held her tenderized side. El Diablo for his part, approached slowly, riling up the crowd as he did so. Eventually Tae-yeong picked herself to her feet, and faced her assailant. She looked alittle worse for wear now, with her seeweed hair slightly dishevelled and her skin shining with a thin layer of sweat. And still she faced him with determination in her eyes. Gritting her teeth, she stepped in, and threw and over-arching punch to try and get his face. Diablo caught this easily, threw her forward into an extended knee, flipping her over his thigh to land seated with a soft thud. He turned around, grabbing both her wrists, and pulling her upper back into his waiting knee, locking in a seated surfboard stretch!
"Do you submit?!" The ref asked, approaching quickly to inspect the hold.
Seaweed hair whips about as she shakes her head in refusal. The monster behind her growls out a chuckle, as he slowly wrenches Tae-yeong's arms back, grinding his knee further between her shoulder blades. The Korean fighter winces, hissing laboured breaths through gritted teeth, broken by a yelp of pain from a hard wrench of her arms! The referee asks for her submission again. Another shake of the head, as she stamps her boots in frustration. She manages to get her feet planted, using them as leverage to slide her back up Diablo's knee. He rises with her, relieving the pressure off her back, but now she finds herself at an awkward angle. She's bent over backwards, looking up at the grinning monster who still has her wrists! Her entire body shakes as she cries out in exertion, giving everything she's got just to stay on her feet somehow. She shuffles one of her feet back, attempting to twist her torso so she can face him. Diablo is one step ahead of her however. He lets go of one of her wrists, and pulls the other outwards, tripping her forward to arm drag her facedown on the mat! He lays parallel with her, pulling her still captured arm up, while slowly slicing his forearm into her shoulder joint. The shoulderlock forces Tae-yeong's upper torso to lay at a 45 degree angle, with her left boob being squished into the mat. Though this was nothing compared to the pressure being focused entirely on her left shoulder now.
"C'mon! What do you say? Do you submit?!" The ref asked a third time.
Tae-yeon pounded her fist against the mat in frustration, as she audibly cries out, "NO!" glaring at the ref through a pained expression as though he insulted her. Her fist opened, and she pushed against the mat trying helplessly to push herself back up. But with 350 pounds of muscle grinding at her shoulder, the only way she was getting out is if he got tired of it. Eventually, he did, rolling to reposition directly infront of her. The pressure on the shoulder was gone, but now replaced with a front facelock! Diablo rose to his feet, forcing Tae-yeong to follow him through his tight grip. He wrenches back on the head a few times, earning groans of pain from the Korean woman each time. Finally, The monster cupped her waist, and hoisted her up on his shoulders with her feet in the air. Tae-yeong braced herself for what was about to happen, and sure enough, Diablo flung himself backwards, landing a basic but effective suplex to the cheers of the crowd! Her back bounced of the mat, causing her to sit up briefly, before flopping back down, staring up at the lights.
El Diablo took a moment to gesture to the crowd, giving Tae-yeong some much needed reprieve to recollect herself. Wincing in pain, she rolled to her side, looking around at the masked brute playing the audience, and then the referee, watching her intently. In Kumite, there are no count outs, or pinfalls. There are only two ways a fight ends. Either somebody submits, or the referee has to declare them unable to continue. And the only way for the latter to happen is if either something breaks, or a fighter is unresponsive. Tae-yeon was exhausted, and aching all over, and yet far from being unable to continue. She tries to get to her knees, seeing Diablo return his attention to her. Too late. He rolls her onto her back with his foot, before trapping one or her ankles beneath his foot. He then plucks the other foot, raising it up in the air, where he slowly begins twisting the ankle. Tae-yeong tried to sit up, wincing as she looks up at the manic grin of her assailant. The referee asks for another submission, getting another shake of the head as she yelps in pain from a slight twist at her ankle!
"Can't move much, can you?" Diablo asks, looking down at his victim. "You know it won't take much to pop an ankle. I could do both at the same time!" He taunts, grinding his foot against the other ankle trapped underneath.
"..... you're bluffing!" Tae-yeong barked back.
"Am I?" He spoke slowly, leering down as he licked his lips in anticipation. Tae-yeong takes in a deep breath, tensing up and waiting on that match ending 'pop'. But the pop never came, and Tae-yeong flops back on the mat, groaning out from the pain shooting through her ankles. But in the midst of those groans, she gives off a laboured chuckle.
"..... been in here enough times to know....... you fuckers are the same....... something breaks........ playtime's over........" She looks up at Diablo, managing something of a grin despite the situation.
"Called my bluff, huh? You're right. I'm not going to break your ankles." Diablo confirms, releasing his foot from her ankle, before stomping it HARD over her abdomen, blasting the air from Tae-yeong's lungs with a loud gasp.
"I'm going to make you WISH I broke your ankles!" He throws the other leg down, allowing Tae-yeong to curl up coughing! Diablo bends down to clutch both her ponytail, and wrist, forcing the Korean fighter to stand on shaky legs. Still nursing her stomach, the only resistance she offers, is a defiant glare through deep laboured breaths. He moves around her, entangling her in his grasp to lock in an Abdominal stretch! Tae-yeong cries out in pain as the hold takes immediate effect. Diablo's thigh pressed down hard on her own, bringing the protruding foot to the ground, and spreading her legs further. The ref rushes around to ask for a submission once more, and once more she shakes her head, although now she's doing little to suppress her cries. With her torso bent and twisted, AND the downward pressure being exerted onto her ankles, the pain is immense, and the best she can do is push her free hand against her knee to keep some leverage as her body quivers under Diablo's overwhelming presence. Throughout all of this, she's keenly aware of his freehand resting gently on her hip, just above the hemline of her leotard. Her cheeks redden at the touch, despite all the pain her body was being put through, it was this one thing that was challenging her willpower. But suddenly, he raises his hand to the air with a triumphant roar, and the crowd responds in kind. Tae-yeong hazards a look up at the monster, catching his crazed smile bearing down on her.
"Hey, asshole....... I-I haven't tapped yet! Why are you-?!"
Her words were cut off when Diablo brought his hand down, to claw at her midsection! His fingers dig in deep as first she gasps. Then she screams louder than she's done this entire match. His hand twists left and right, pulling at both skin and muscle alike as he makes her 'sing'. The referee asks for yet another submission. This time Tae-yeong doesn't shake her head, and instead raises her free hand in the air, considering throwing in the towel for the first time in the match. She looks up at El Diablo again, as tears begin to form in the corners of her eyes. She clamps them shut, and the hand comes down...... to claw at his thigh, attempting to dig her own fingers into his flesh! The hold continues, as her screams echo throughout the arena. But now there's frustration laced within that pain. She tries even harder to squeeze on his thigh, but there's just too much muscle to even make a dent. Meanwhile it feels like he's rearranging her insides with his stomach claw. Surprisingly, Diablo relaxes the claw, much Tae-yeon's relief. Compared to that, the abstretch on it's own was manageable, albeit still painful. Suddenly, she's scooped up in Diablo's arms, before he skips, and plants her back HARD over his knee with a backbreaker straight from the stretch! With another shriek of pain, she hangs over Diablo's knee, gasping as she looks up at the ref with blurred vision. She blinks it off, and lightly wriggles her foot, indicating that despite the unbelievable pain shooting through her entire spine, she's not paralyzed, and very much still 'in the fight'.
Grabbing the ponytail again, Diablo pulls her off of his knee, holding her up to face him, as she can't stand on her own power. Her breaths are shaky, with slight whimpers escaping through her lips. And yet, with that winced expression, he still looks at him with defiance, weakly placing a hand on his wrist. He can't help but laugh heartily at the gesture, before letting go, and delivering a brutal uppercut into Tae-yeong's stomach once again with enough power to lift her off her feet! She doubles over, coughing and wheezing she doubles over on her knees, as the masked bully turns around to raise his hands, soaking in the ovation from a hungering crowd. The sensation of dominating a defiant beauty to an audience that appreciates his art is what he lived for. No other sensation could ever compare. He turned back to the Korean, taking her waist, and pulling her into powerbomb position. With a huff, he pulls her up onto his shoulders, allowing her to sit there for a few seconds, before launching her off into a sit-down powerbomb! The impact echoed throughout the arena, as the mat shakes violently beneath them with a cry of pain from Tae-yeong that was equally as loud! with her legs folded over her, she blinks a few times, looking around to find the ref rushing towards them to assess the damage. And despite the condition she was in, she glares at the ref. With a pained glare, she gives him a silent scream of 'don't you DARE call this fight!'. Even now, she was still 'in this'.
"You've been a fun first bout, but I think it's time we wrap this up." Diablo speaks, as he takes one of Tae-yeong's legs with him as he rises with zero resistance. He's back down again, trapping her leg between his thighs and trapping her toe in his armpit, securing a toe hold! He hyper-extends and twists that leg to another chorus of screams from Tae-yeong's lungs. She shields her eyes, hiding her tears as she hears the ref scuttle towards her again to ask for a submission. She looks across to Diablo, who now seems to be genuinely trying to twist her leg from her hip, and back to the referee. With another long pained moan, she raises her hand, but something catches her eye. Suddenly she grits her teeth, and desperately boots the monster with her free leg again and again! And even though he weathers the blows, she doesn't let up, using her second wind to get Diablo off her leg and buy her some more time! Eventually it's too much for him to focus the hold, and he's forced to relent. Only for mere seconds, as he's straight back on her, picking up on her level of urgency. He's on the same leg again, but this time he turns her on her side before folding her leg around his neck and shoulders for a stretch muffler! He presses her calf hard against the back of his neck, and digs his fingers into her thigh. Her screams have lost all sense of defiance as the tears flow freely. She buries her head in the mat, and raises a shaky hand one last time. Even now it still takes a moment, but finally the dam breaks, and she's slapping the mat, begging the monster to just stop! The bell rings, and yet he still keeps the hold locked! Sobbing openly now, Tae-yeong looks up at the titantron through teary eyes. Round time: 23:40.
"AND THAT'S THE END OF THE FIRST BOUT! TAE-YEONG HOLDS OUT PAST THE TWENTY-THREE MINUTE MARK AND BEATS HER PERSONAL BEST! WHAT A HELL OF A FIRST ROUND! AND WE'VE STILL GOT FIVE LEFT! BUT RIGHT NOW, GIVE IT UP FOR TAE-YEONG AND EL DIABLO, CENICIENTOOOOO!!!!!!"
The masked monster raises a fist in the air to yet another eruption of cheers and applause, while still holding that stretch muffler on a broken Tae-yeong for photograpy purposes. It would be another full minute before he finally drops the hold, leaving Tae-yeong curled up in a fetal position, sobbing like a widow, but with a new personal best in her kumite career.....
(...to be continued)
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