THREE STAGES OF HELL: Kanako Akiyama vs. Lydia Lethbridge

The fans in FAWN Arena mull about as the lights dim and the music video hyping the next match plays on the FAWN Tron, minus the dueling promos from the match’s participants. As the video finishes and the lights come back up, the fans are buzzing in anticipation, fully ready for the epic war that’s about to take place.

“The following match…” the ring announcer bellows finally, “is a THREE STAGES OF HELL MATCH!” The crowd roars its approval, and the announcer patiently waits for the noise to die down before continuing. “This match is a best two out of three falls match, with each fall having its own stipulation.” he explains. “The first fall will be a STREET FIGHT, where there will be no disqualifications, no countouts, and falls count anywhere in the building! The second fall, a TABLES MATCH, where the only way to win is to put your opponent through a table. And the third and final fall, should it be necessary, will be SUBMISSIONS ONLY, contested inside a STEEL CAGE!” The crowd’s raucous applause would rise with each announced stipulation. Once the announcer is finished explaining the match, the lights in FAWN Arena go out, and again the crowd buzzes in anticipation.

That buzz turns into a roar as air raid sirens blare through the Arena’s PA system and a pair of red searchlights scan the crowd. The excitement gives way to concern as the sirens blare for longer than normal. Could the Modern Day Ronin have actually no-showed the biggest match of her fledgling FAWN career? Could Kanako have actually turned tail and ran from her hated foe?
Then the lights go out again, and concerned calls from the FAWNatics increase.

Then, music starts playing, with a crash of cymbals and a single guitar chord. Accompanied by a flash of blue light from the stage. The song is not “Warriors of the World”, Kanako’s usual entrance theme, but rather Coheed and Cambria’s “Justice in Murder”, which becomes clear as Claudio Sanchez’s high-pitched voice soars through the speakers.

JUSTICE IN MURDER: www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ4yRLMS_qs

Is this the way I want them seeing me?
Please leave your memories at the door
Why has the world gone off and deserted me?
Why, there’s just no room inside these walls...Oh, Oh!

Smoke fills the stage as a bamboo screen rises from the floor, behind which is a kneeling silhouette. The lights turn from blue to red as the bridge begins.

You want it all, but did you want it tonight?
You don’t remember as you wait by the light
Oh, can’t you see what you’ve been asking of me?
With the turn of this knife, know I will take your life
This ain’t no crime, no, I’m calling for mercy
Oh, now it’s time for you to pray for me
Oh...oh...ohhhhhhhh!

With that, the silhouette, springs to life, and with a single fluid motion, the bamboo screen is cut in half. As it falls over to the floor, the lights come up, and the crowd again roars as we see that it is indeed Kanako Akiyama, wielding a katana, and dressed in a traditional kabuki outfit, complete with face mask, a nod to both her Japanese heritage as well as her past life as an actress. She begins her march to the ring as the chorus starts.

“Introducing first...From Los Angeles, California...She stands five feet two inches tall, and weighs in tonight at one hundred twelve pounds….She is the Modern Day Ronin, this is...KANAKO AKIYAMA!!”

KANAKO AKIYAMA


There will be justice in murder
There will be justice in murder
Now you’ve been for me what no other could be
Will I now grow old to forget all those
Blow off sorrow, goodbye tomorrow

As she turns at the end of the ramp to head over to the ring steps, she sees two women amongst the throng, cheering her on. Right there in thee front row, on their feet like everyone else, is Yoona Park and Camille Cosworth.

YOONA PARK


CAMILLE COSWORTH


After a tilt of her head and a brief pause, Kanako slowly removes the kabuki mask and sets it on the corner of the ring apron, revealing that her face is painted to look exactly like the mask itself. She looks at her friends with a conflicted expression. On one hand, she wants to maintain her focus and hold onto her hatred for her opponent as tightly as she can. On the other hand, she would love nothing more than to have an emotional catharsis by sharing a moment with her friends before she puts herself through hell. In the end, the latter wins out as Kanako goes over to the pair and pulls them close, touching her forehead to theirs, mimicking what the two lovers often do with one another before their matches, in a silent message to the pair that she’s okay. A lie, but a comforting one.

“.....Fucking kill her, Kanako.” Yoona finally speaks up, causing Cam to look over at her with an exasperated expression.

“Figuratively kill her,” Cam quickly interjects, “I can’t emphasize that enough.” Yoona’s only response is to roll her eyes as Kanako pulls back and bows her head to the two of them, finally turning around to ascend the ring steps and climb into the ring. After doing a lap around the ring, sword raised high as she plays to the crowd, shouting a wordless war cry, she removes her kimono to reveal a black halter top with purple trim with matching boy cut shorts and black fishnet stockings. Her signature black mma-style fingerless gloves and red wrestling shoes complete the outfit. She then takes up a spot in the center of the ring, kneeling, with her blade in hand one hand and the scabbard in the other, the tip pointed down, touching the canvas.

“Hey, Kanako,” Merle calls to her as he tentatively approaches the Modern Day Ronin, “I, uh...I guess you’re still mad at me, huh?” After a few uncomfortable moments - for Merle, anyway - of silence from the Japanese beauty, he stammers and continues, “I...I’m really sorry...for everything. I just wanted you to know that before this whole thing begins.” Kanako still doesn’t answer him, or even acknowledge his presence, her focus singularly on the entrance ramp, waiting for her hated rival. With a sigh, he says to himself, “Alright then, Merle...Time to do your job, I guess.” Gathering his courage he then holds out a hand to the Tokyo Tiger, and says with as stern a voice as he can muster, “Give me the sword, Kanako.”

This actually does get Kanako’s attention, and she slowly turns her gaze to the oft-put-upon referee, her eyes both quizzing and wrathful. Much to everyone’s surprise, including Merle himself, he stands his ground, though. “I know the first fall is a street fight, but I’m not going to let you use a goddamned sword! Now hand it over!” Kanako ponders Merle for a moment, and then in one fluid motion, she slides the katana back into its scabbard and holds it out to him, palms upward. Seeing Kanako’s palms reveals another bit of artwork. In this case, that artwork takes the form of blood splatters all over Kanako’s hands and wrists. Merle breathes a sigh of relief and unclenches as he takes the sword from her and hands it to the ring attendant. He then hangs back in one of the corners, looking at Kanako with concern over what’s about to go down. As Kanako’s music fades out, so do the lights. Then, after a very pregnant pause:

I want it all
I want it all
I want it all
And I want it NOW!

I WANT IT ALL: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWIvvEJ0--s

As the first chord to Queen’s “I Want It All” is struck, FAWN Arena is bathed in a blinding white light. As Brian May’s towering solo that begins the song begins, Lady Lydia Lethbridge struts out onto the stage, her arms raised in a demonstrative “V”.

LADY LYDIA LETHBRIDGE


“And her opponent...She hails from London, England...She stands five feet two inches tall, and weighs in tonight at one hundred eighteen pounds...This is...LADY LYDIA LETHBRIDGE!!”

Her Ladyship is attired in her usual ring gear of a corset that barely keeps her considerable assets decent, bottoms, gloves, stockings and ankle boots. The main difference is that, rather than her trademark crimson red color scheme, her outfit is head to toe white with gold trim. The irony of the honorable and virtuous Akiyama wearing black, while mega-bitch Lethbridge is donned in white is not lost on the FAWNatics, who shower Her Ladyship with a raucous round of boos. As usual, Lydia pays them no mind, instead turning to face the hard camera there on the stage.

“This is it, Akiyama,” she barks at the camera. If Kanako’s startling transformation had intimidated the British Blue Blood, it wasn’t showing. “Tonight, I put you in my rear view, once and for all. Tonight, I prove without a shadow of a doubt that I am the better wrestler, the better fighter, the better woman. Tonight, I send you packing to Bangor, where you belong while I move on with my career and earn myself the title shots that are rightfully mine. Why? Because I’m a Lethbridge, and I want it!” With that, she struts her way down to the ring, doing a lap around the outside to retrieve a microphone from the announcer before climbing into the ring. For her part, Kanako has risen to her feet, but she has remained in her spot, dead center in the ring, as Lydia lifts the microphone to her lips.

“Oh, look!” She begins with a lilting laugh in her voice, “If it isn’t the Three Little Sluts!” She points to Cam and Yoona to make it clear who she was talking about, draping her arms over the top rope as she addresses the lovers. “Got yourselves a front row seat to watch your bestie get broken for good, did you? Don’t worry though, girls. You’ll have some time to visit with her still. Visiting hours at the hospital are ten till eight.” She chuckles at her own quip, as Cam glares at the Black Sheep. Yoona’s response is to roll her eyes and begin fellating a corn dog she’d just bought from a roaming vendor, making a point to moan lewdly. Lydia, in turn, rolls her eyes at Yoona. “Once a slut, always a slut,” she chides before turning away from the pair.

“I HOPE YOU DIE OF PENIS CANCER!” Park shouts at Lethbridge from behind, causing Lydia to suddenly wheel about with a snarl.

For her part, Yoona is already back to casually pantomiming oral sex with her corn dog, and she points an accusing finger at her girlfriend while mumbling through a mouthful of breaded weiner, “She said it.”

Camille looks mortified, stammering and stuttering incomprehensibly as she’s caught in-between a denial and an apology for Yoona’s words. Either way, it doesn’t matter to Lydia. Despite the protestations of her screaming ego, she knows it would be a fool’s errand to try to trade verbal barbs with Park, especially considering the task at hand. She plasters a cool, unflappable look on her face and turns away once more, this time making a mental note to tune out anything else that might come out of Yoona’s mouth.

“And look, Akiyama! It’s your favorite referee to oversee the proceedings! Or, rather, should that be your opponents’ favorite referee?” She laughs derisively as Merle blenches at being reminded of his past mistakes during Kanako’s matches, while the Modern Day Ronin herself offers no response at all, simply staring at the British brunette, her head tilted. “And what’s all this, then?” she mockingly asks, her British accent becoming more pronounced as she gestures to Kanako’s facepaint. “I think you’re a bit early, darling. Halloween comes in October.” Another mocking laugh, and more stony silence from her target. “And that there, on your hands...I suppose that’s meant to be my blood, is it?” This actually prompts an answer from the Tokyo Tiger, the first words that have escaped her lips this evening, her tone of voice low, with an undertone of deadly seriousness.

“.....Not yet…..”

This response actually manages to break Lydia’s veneer of calm indifference. Her jaw drops, and she takes a step back, dropping the microphone, which lands with a thump to the mat. She quickly recovers, her shock giving way to anger. “You there!” she barks at Merle, a snarl curling her lips, “Are you gonna do your job and start this match, or what?” After instructing both women to opposite corners, to which they surprisingly comply, he gives the signal to the timekeeper to ring the bell to signal the beginning of the match.

The crowd rumbles with excitement as Lydia pushes out of her corner, while Kanako shambles out of hers, almost zombie-like in her demeanor. Lydia circles the Modern Day Ronin, while Kanako stays on a fixed spot in the middle of the ring, turning in place so that she is always facing the British Blue Blood. Finally, Lydia makes her move, lunging for her bitter rival for an initial grapple, only for the Modern Day Ronin to easily sidestep her foe. The Londoner stumbles, but quickly recovers and spins around to face Akiyama, who has returned to her spot in the center of the ring, her expression unchanging, continuing to look at her opponent curiously, almost as if she doesn’t recognize her. Lethbridge snarls and tries again, only to find the same result, this time leading to the arrogant Brit stumbling and falling to her knees, drawing a chorus of laughter from the crowd. A now livid Lethbridge scrambles to her feet to find her rival in the exact same spot as before. Another lunge, another dodge, sending the Black Sheep stumbling into the ring ropes. Now a buzz of discontent rose among the FAWN faithful. Fun’s fun, but this was starting to get boring, and the fans had no qualms with letting the combatants know it.

“RRRRGH!!” Lydia finally roars in frustration, “Goddamn you, FIGHT ME!!” With those words, Kanako looks straight at her, her expression changing from zombie-like to steely fury.

“...Okay…” is her only reply. With that, as if a switch had flipped within her, she was on top of Lydia in a flash, peppering the busty brunette with a flurry of punches all over her body before she could even process what was happening. The crowd likewise comes alive, cheering on the fan favorite as she pummels the despised Brit. A backhanded slap splits Lydia’s lip and spins her around, sending her chest-first into the corner. Kanako doesn’t give her a moment’s peace, though, coming up behind her, and pulling her head back by the hair as she delivers a pair of kidney punches to stun her. “Is this what you had in mind, bitch?” she growls into the gasping brunette’s ear before burying a hard knee right between her legs. Lydia howls as she slumps down into the corner, resting her head on the middle turnbuckle. Kanako’s continues to yank Lydia’s hair roughly as she groans in agony, “Are we having fun yet?” With that she slams the side of her head into the middle turnbuckle and retreats to the opposite corner. Lydia’s reprieve only lasts scant seconds, though, as Kanako breaks into a sprint across the ring, leveling the Black Sheep with a double knee strike to her back.

RUNNING DOUBLE KNEE STRIKE: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TF-pfLLgK8

Her Ladyship yells out in pain and sinks to the mat and instinctively rolls to the outside, holding her back while trying to recover on the concrete floor. But the Tokyo Tiger is relentless, following after her quarry and dragging her to her feet roughly by the hair. She then launches her into the steel guardrail with an Irish whip. Lydia grunts and arches her already aching back as it hits the steel. As Kanako stalks towards her, Lydia comes to a realization; If she wanted to survive this onslaught, she had to get away from this madwoman until she could recover and launch her counterattack. With that in mind, she quickly scrambled over the guardrail and into the crowd.

Unfortunately for the British Blue Blood, this did not deter the Modern Day Ronin at all. Rather, she grinned like a Cheshire Cat, looking all the more ominous with her face paint. “Why, that sounds like a fabulous idea!” She then hopped onto the guardrail in an impressive display of agility and balance and launched herself at hr retreating adversary with a flying clothesline to the back of the head, wiping the British brunette out on the floor as the surrounding fans scrambled to get out of the way. While Lydia splatters to the floor with Kanako crashing on top of her, she still desperately tries to escape, rolling to her side to get Kanako off of her, then crawling away on her hands and knees. Unfortunately for her, Kanako gets to her feet in short order, and follows after her, delivering a heavy stomp to the small of her back when she had finally caught up with her. She then grabs a handful of the brunette’s hair in one hand and the back of her corset in the other, and launches her headfirst into a section of now-empty chairs, which all crash and tumble along with Lydia, burying her under them. Lydia sprawls out on the floor as she tries to kick the chairs away as Kanako continues stalking after her.

Slowly, Lydia begins crawling away from the wreckage, scrabbling at the nearby wall to pull herself up to a standing position. As if on cue, though, just as Her Ladyship gets to her feet, her foe is upon her, hammering the back of her skull with a series of vicious rabbit punches, her prey defenseless against the relentless assault. Kanako then spins Lethbridge around and sinks a pair of heavy fists into her midsection, doubling her over. She coughs, struggling for breath as Kanako shoves her back to an upright position, making sure to bounce the back of her head off the wall as she does so. Once Lydia’s back in position, the Tokyo Tiger brings down an open palm sharp and hard across the British Blue Blood’s massive chest once, twice, thrice. Then, Kanako makes a show of licking the palm of her hand before laying in a fourth and final vicious overhand chop, causing Lydia to scream out in agony and stumble away, clutching her chest, cross-armed, as she tries desperately to escape the clutches of her bitter rival.

Through the double doors, Lydia Lethbridge crashes, bringing her into the backstage area. “OUT OF MY WAY, ASSHOLES!!” she screams in a panic at the production hands mulling about backstage, who in turn scatter like cockroaches, wanting no part of what’s coming their way. She then looks behind her, a look of terror on her face, just in time to see the doors being kicked open, and Kanako strides through.

“Going somewhere, Princess?” the Modern Day Ronin growls.

“FUCK OFF, YOU BLOODY CUNT!!” Lydia replies with a defiant scream. She then lunges at her adversary, looking like she’s moving in slow motion. Kanako easily dodges her clumsy attempt to strike back at her, and responds by slamming her face-first into a nearby table, bouncing her head a few times down the length of it. Kanako then drags the near-limp Brit along by her hair, stopping at random intervals to visit more abuse on Lydia, be it with foot, fist, or anything in the general vicinity that’s not nailed down. For their part, the assembled crowd is now watching the events unfold on the FAWNTron, and while they do cheer for the Japanese favorite when she gets a bit of offense in on the hated Brit, they are mostly transfixed on the scene with rapt silence. Just like their penthouse match in July, Kanako and Lydia have made this match something unique. Whereas the penthouse match was unique for its sheer brutality (and the fans expect more of the same tonight), so far tonight, save for a smattering of one-liners, the combatants have remained mostly silent. No trash talk, no banter, just cries of pain, grunts, and heavy breathing and other sounds that come from the sort of physical exertion the two women are putting themselves through. Before long the two combatants make their way to the Arena’s loading dock, where Kanako hauls Lydia up by the collar (or what passes for a collar on a corset) and just stares at her, nose to nose, both women silently communicating just how much they hate each other. After long moments of this intense staredown, Kanako spits in Lydia’s face and hurls her into a stack of wooden pallets. It is then that Kanako’s up till now laser-like focus is broken by a nearby bubbly enthusiastic voice,

“WOO! Get her, Kanako!”

Kanako v-e-r-y slowly turns her head towards the sound of the voice, her face a mask of incredulous anger. Merle was quick to intercept Bianca Simpson, who had just gotten out of a grey sedan and was cheering the Japanese fighter on, giving her a smile and a thumbs up, completely oblivious to the danger she just walked into.

BIANCA SIMPSON



“Bianca!” Merle shouts as he runs over to the car, “Get the hell out of here! You don’t bel-”

“YEEEEAAARRGH!!!”

Merle’s admonishment is cut short as an anguished scream from Kanako echoes throughout the dock. A few moments. That few moments of distraction was all Lydia needed to make her move, and as Kanako was picking Lydia up to visit more abuse on the British brunette, Lydia throws a hard forearm right between the Tokyo Tiger’s legs, felling her bitter rival almost immediately. Lydia remains on all fours, taking in heaving, gasping breaths to try and recover as Kanako rolls around on the floor, cradling her now throbbing womanhood.

When Lydia finally gets to her feet, she looks over to her still downed opponent and snarls at her with disdain. “Fucking bitch.” she spits venom as she grabs Kanako by the hair, which is finally long enough to grab again. “You wanna bludgeon me, you bitch?” She returns Kanako’s earlier disrespect by spitting in the Tokyo Tiger’s face. “Let’s see how you like it, tough girl!” With that, she takes a running start, holding tightly onto Kanako’s hair, and finally hurling her against one of the metal garage-style doors, the door making a loud CLANG as flesh meets steel. Kanako’s body shudders as she slumps to the floor, but Lydia doesn’t give Kanako any room to breathe. In a flash, Lydia is on top of her, and she grabs the Japanese girl’s head, and begins slamming it into the door. “YOU LIKE THAT, AKIYAMA?! HUH?! YOU FUCKING WANKER?!” she berates her foe as she uses her head as a battering ram against the door. After the third time, the Black Sheep backpedals, taking several steps back as Kanako groans in anguish. Getting a running start, Her Ladyship levels Kanako with a brutal Knee Trembler, sandwiching the poor girl’s head between her knee and the door.

KNEE TREMBLER: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqsgdfPIeGo

She stands over the fallen Tokyo Tiger, taking a moment to catch her breath further before hauling her up to her feet and applying a side headlock. “Let’s go for a walk, darling.” She then walks the dazed Modern Day Ronin back through the backstage area when she stops, noticing a plate-glass window, propped up against the wall, and a light goes on in the cruel Londoner’s head. She releases the headlock, so they can be face-to-face once more, and she cups Kanako’s chin threateningly, a murderous look coming over her face. “Payback time for that mirror, slut!” And with that, Lydia sends Kanao crashing headfirst through the window, the glass shattering into hundreds of pieces, her head also slamming against the wall! Kanako may have scored first blood with the backhanded slap earlier, splitting Lydia’s lip, but the British Blue Blood evens the score and then some, as Kanako screams in agony as the glass cuts her face and shoulders and hands to ribbons. Lydia takes a moment to admire her handiwork, the smug smirk back on her face as blood pools around the Japanese fighter as she struggles to get to her feet.

Lydia saves her the trouble of exerting herself, pulling her up and re-applying the side headlock, the blood flowing from the numerous cuts on Kanako’s body staining Lydia’s white outfit. “Up we go,” she condescends, “Pinfalls count anywhere in this match, so I could just finish you here and now. But I think beating you at your own damn game, and doing it right in the middle of the ring would serve you just right. Come on, then, off we go!” With that, Her Ladyship resumes her return trip to the ring, Kanako leaving a trail of blood behind them. Finally, she makes her way from backstage, back through the crowd, security making sure to keep the normally raucous FAWNatics back, not that the stunned masses wanted any part of this. To be fair, though a few of Kanako’s younger, braver fans did take the opportunity to pelt the Black Sheep with debris as they passed by.

Presently, Lydia dumps Kanako unceremoniously over the guardrail and back into the ringside area. As the busty Brit climbs over the guardrail herself, Kanako manages to get to her feet, albeit with the aid of the ring itself, with her leaning heavily against the ring apron. Face to face once again with her hated foe, Lydia grabs a handful of the Tokyo Tiger’s hair. “Nap time, you fucking whore.” Lydia hisses before thrusting Kanako’s head between her thighs, wrapping her arms around the Japanese girl’s waist. She then lifts her up, flipping her over her head and bringing her crashing down against the ring apron with bone-rattling force!

APRON POWERBOMB: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOIzGWU3uTg

Kanako splatters to the floor, unable to even muster a pained cry. She’s not on the floor long, though, as Lydia picks her up and rolls her into the ring. Once she joins her there, Lydia plants a triumphant boot on Kanako’s chest and Merle scrambles to count the academic pinfall.

ONE!
TWO!
THRE-NOOO!!

The crowd springs to life as Kanako shoots her shoulder up off the mat at the last possible moment, cheering the fan favorite on. Lydia looks down at her opponent with a mix of surprise and derision. “Hmmph!” she snorts, “Still have some fight left in you, eh, Akiyama?” She then climbs out through the ropes and back down to the floor. “Well, let’s see what we can do to snuff that out!” She then lifts the ring apron up and searches under the ring. Finally finding what she’d been looking for, she pulls out a large piece of plywood that’s lined with barbed wire. She slides the barbed wire board into the ring and then climbs back into the ring as well. Once again, the Black Sheep prepares Kanako for another rough ride. “One more time.” she chuckles sadistically before delivering another powerbomb, this time dropping the poor girl onto the barbed wire board!

Now, Kanako finds her voice again, as her screams can be heard above the shocked buzz of the crowd. She struggles to free herself from the barbed wire, as it tears into her flesh, exacerbating her already serious wounds. Lydia actually helps her off the board, not wanting to pin her while she was stuck on it. This time, Lydia actually offers a proper pin, even hooking the near leg as Merle drops to his knees to count the pin, hoping that this will be it.

ONE!
TWO!
TH-NOOO!!

Amazingly, Kanako kicks out even more emphatically than the first time. Lydia stares at her rival, wide-eyed as her mind races, wondering just what it will take to finish her off. Getting an idea, she hurriedly rolls out of the ring and retrieves a couple of chairs from the timekeeper’s area and tosses them into the ring before going under the ring again and pulling out a trash can and tossing that into the ring, too. She rummages through the trash can once she gets back into the ring, and pulls out a pair of wire cutters. Taking care not to cut herself on the barbs, she cuts a couple strands off of the board and twists them together. It becomes clear what the British Blue Blood has in mind very quickly as she approaches her prone opponent, who has turned over onto her stomach. Without a word, Lydia raises the intertwined wires and brings them down across Kanako’s back, over and over, whipping her mercilessly.

Lydia punctuates each lash of her makeshift whip, taunting her foe, “WHY! WON’T! YOU! JUST! DIE!!” She carelessly tosses the barbed wire aside and kneels down, cupping her chin and forcing eye contact. “Why won’t you just roll over and die like the dog you are?!” she hisses, the venom in her voice practically dripping from her lips.

Kanako snarls at her tormentor, hatred and contempt for Lydia plain in her eyes. “You want me to die, bitch?” she finally says, her blood-covered face making for a striking visual that the Gladiatrix photographers don’t miss out on. “Why don’t…” she spits some blood onto the mat, “...you put me down?! But you can’t, can you? You’re not woman enough to take me out!” Kanako offers a knowing smirk, daring the Brit to do her worst.

Kanako’s continued defiance pushes Lydia over the edge. With murder in her eyes, she lays in a brutal pair of slaps to the Japanese girl before getting up to retrieve one of the steel chairs. “FUCK YOU, AKIYAMA! HOW’S THIS FOR WOMAN ENOUGH?!!” and with that she begins wailing on Kanako, waffling her with chair shot after brutal chair shot. Each blow makes a loud CRACK as the FAWNatics look on uncomfortably. After four brutal shots to the head that open up even more wounds in the poor girl’s forehead, Kanako flops to the ground and Lydia slams the chair down. “COUNT. HER. OUT!!” she barks at Merle, pointing to Kanako for emphasis before backing into a nearby corner.

Merle kneels down to check on Kanako, lifting her arm by the wrist. “Come on, Kanako.” he pleads, “Please be okay.” He lets go of her wrist, and her arm falls like a stone. Merle closes his eyes, shaking his head as he gets to his feet. “Dammit…” and with that, the count begins…

ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
FOUR!

Lydia offers a self-satisfied smirk as she turns to taunt the crowd. “That’s right! I beat your precious little thug at her own fucking game!”

FIVE!
SIX!

Suddenly, Kanako begins to stir and push herself up to all fours, causing the crowd to roar their encouragement.

SEVEN!

Having the self-awareness to realize that the unwashed masses couldn’t possibly be cheering for her, Lydia slowly turns to see the bloody Kanako slowly rising, looking for all the world like some sort of horror movie monster. “No...NO!! NOOOOO!!”

EIGHT!

Lydia grabs Merle by his collar, shaking him as she yells at him in a panic, “How? HOW!!? HOW IS SHE DOING THIS??!!”

“Fuck you, that’s how.” Kanako growls, her voice low, with a strength that should not be present after everything she just went through. Lydia can only stare at her, her eyes betraying the fear that’s overcome her, in spite of the defiant snarl that curls her lips. “As I was saying,” Kanako says with an almost sadistic grin, “you’re not woman enough to put me down. Now...it’s my turn.” Lydia’s only response is to roar in defiance and charge the girl, hoping to catch her off guard. No such luck, as Kanako leaps into the air, twisting around to deliver the newest weapon in her arsenal; A flipping bicycle knee strike that she calls Turning Suicide.

TURNING SUICIDE (closest I can find): www.youtube.com/watch?v=byh5Kev2ugg

Her knee nails Lydia flush on the bridge of her nose, shattering it instantly. Lydia screams as blood pours from her nasal cavity as Kanako hauls her up and backs her into the nearest corner before Irish whipping her into the opposite corner and delivering the trifecta of corner moves that she calls the Triple Play.

RUNNING CORNER DROPKICK: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZEEdV4aLb
RUNNING KNEE INTO THE CORNER (@ 1:28): www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVKZqlFNHDM&t=88s
CANNONBALL: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYjZwv7TqY4

Lydia groans as she slumps to the mat. Kanako begins to pull her glove tight, signalling that she’s preparing to uncork her devastating Uraken spinning back fist. But then...she stops. She looks at the downed Brit, and she looks around at all the debris in the ring. And then she sees the intertwined strands of barbed wire that Lydia had used to whip her. Nodding, more to herself than anything, she picks them up and forces Lydia to a kneeling position. “Here’s your crown, Princess.” she hisses as she wraps the barbed wire around Lydia’s head.

“No...no, no, no...Please, don’t do this.” Lydia meekly pleads. Kanako gives no answer, save to pick up the chair that she had bludgeoned her with earlier. With a look of hatred in her eyes, she raises the chair and brings it down as hard as she can over the Blue Blood’s head, the chair simultaneously bludgeoning Lethbrige and pressing the barbs into her skin, like hammer to nail. Lydia screams as blood seeps from the puncture wounds, and Kanako levels her with a brutal buzzsaw kick that puts her on her back once again.

BUZZSAW KICK: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JXZ0FjghTk

Kanako then ascends to the top turnbuckle, causing the crowd to buzz in anticipation. After a moment’s pause to steady herself, she delivers a picture perfect example of her beautiful yet brutal Run Her Through finisher.

RUN HER THROUGH: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXngOM-Lp7g

Lydia gasps as the air rushes from her lungs when foot meets belly. But, rather than pin the Black Sheep, Kanako scrambles to her feet and clambers to the top rope again, Running Her Through once more. She pauses to bask in the cheers of the crowd as they chant “ONE MORE TIME! ONE MORE TIME!” A wicked grin flashes across Kanako’s lips, and she nods to the FAWNatics. Once more, she ascends to the top, and once more, she Runs Lydia Through, finally covering her for the pin.

ONE!
TWO!
THREE!!

Kanako rolls off of Lydia and onto her back as ringside physicians slide into the ring to tend to both women. “Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of the Street Fight...KANAKO AKIYAMA!!” the ring announcer bellows to the crowd’s roaring approval. “Up next will be the TABLES MATCH, after a three minute rest period.”

The FAWN faithfull buzz in anticipation as they watch the doctors attend to the two fighters as the rest period begins. After cleaning the admittedly significant amount of blood from Kanako’s face, the Modern Day Ronin shoves the ringside physician aside and rolls to the outside, flipping the ring apron up to search under the ring. The crowd cheers in approval as Kanako finally finds what she was looking for, pulling a table out and sliding it into the ring. She then rolls back inside and sets about setting it up about a foot away from the nearest corner. Once her task is complete, she settles back against the corner, her eyes locked on the one woman she hates in all the world.

For her part, Lady Lydia is much worse for wear. A single Run Her Through can be brutal, three of them, fans and the live FAWN announce team alike speculate, could very well cause serious internal damage, which is borne out as we see the British Blue Blood coughing up blood as the other ringside physician cleans up her own serious bloodletting. Indeed there is speculation that Her Ladyship will have to forfeit the match, unable to continue due to the ravaging she received at the hands (and feet) of the Modern Day Ronin.

“LETHBRIDGE, YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!” Yoona screams at her from the front row. “QUIT CONTAMINATING THE RING WITH YOUR AIDS! I STILL HAVE TO GET IN THERE LATER!”

Camille sighs wearily, squeezes her eyes shut, and pinches the bridge of her nose. The urge to point out that AIDS is the disease and HIV is the pathogen is nearly irresistible, but somehow, she manages.

“What do you say, doc?” Merle finally steps in with less than a minute to go in the rest period. “Can she still go?” The doctor begins to open his mouth to reply, but he is cut off by Lydia shoving him roughly aside, almost sending him outside the ring entirely.

“Sod off, you rotters!” Lady Lydia barks as she struggles to get to her feet, using the corner for assistance. “I’m not giving that mongrel the satisfaction. What was it you said, dearie?” She shouted across the ring to a stone-faced Akiyama. “You want me to die, why don’t you put me down?! Well COME ON THEN, YOU WORTHLESS CUNT!!” She motions with both hands for Kanako to bring it, her shaky posture betraying her bravado. As the clock ticks to zero, Merle motions to the timekeeper to ring the bell to begin the second fall of this brutal match. Kanako immediately obliges the Londoner’s request, moving around the table she set up and making a beeline to her rival, grabbing her by the hair and pummeling her already bruised and bloodied face with heavy rights that buckle the busty brunette’s knees. Kanako won’t let her fall, though, holding her up by her hair, her grip so tight it seemingly threatens to rip the hair from its roots. She drags the British Blue Blood over to the corner she just came out of, and thrusts Lydia’s head between her thighs. The FAWN Faithful roar in approval, as they are picking up what the Tokyo Tiger is putting down, seemingly signalling that she’s about to end the second fall minutes after the bell, and put an end to this already brutal match. Indeed, Kanako quickly wraps her arms around Lydia’s bent-over waist and flips her up into powerbomb position, only to shake her head and set Lydia down. She then quickly throws Lydia’s arm over her head. Grabbing a handful of Lydia’s tights for leverage, the Modern Day Ronin lifts her foe up into a vertical suplex position and in a remarkable show of strength, especially given the hell she’s been through up to this point, she carries Lydia over to the opposite corner and unceremoniously dumps her onto the barbed wire board in a earth-shaking X-Plex!

X-PLEX: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsUBfJQh4ek

Much like Kanako had a short time ago, Lydia screams and writhes as the barbs poke and tear into her back and arms and legs. Kanako leans over, getting nose to nose with her hated rival, the malice radiating from her as she snarls, “I’m not letting you off that easy.” With that, she draaaaags Lydia off the board by her hair as Her Ladyship shrieks and wails in agony. Kanako picks her up and sets her into the corner and begins teeing off on the brunette with a series of vicious bitch slaps, smacking her sharply with the palm of her hand, followed quickly by a backhanded slap. Lydia can do nothing to protect herself, only groan and grunt with each hit. A slightly sadistic grin crosses Kanako’s lips when she notices tears welling up in Lydia’s eyes after the third volley. A open-handed thrust to Lydia’s throat leaves the Black Sheep gasping for air and clutching at her windpipe as she drops to her knees.

“You seem to have went to a lot of trouble to gather some toys for us...or rather, you...to play with. Be a shame for all that effort to go to waste.” Kanako taunts Lydia as she backs away, her gaze turning to the trash can, still half-full with plunder. “Let’s see what we have here…” she begins rummaging through the can when a wickedly wide grin crosses her face. “Ohhhhh, this will do just fine.” With that, she lifts a bundle of three fluorescent light tubes taped together, drawing a rumble of “WHOA”s from the crowd. Lydia hardly has any time to realize what’s coming, when Akiyama smashes the tubes over her head. The glass explodes in a cloud of mercury dust. The Blue Blood screams as the dust burns her skin, particularly where she’s been cut, which is even more of her body, thanks to the glass. Kanako wastes no time to soak up the shocked cheers of the crowd, instead going back to the trash can and retrieving another single light tube. Lydia is still rolling around on the mat in agony when she feels the sting of another light tube being broke, this time over her back.

Unfortunately for Lady Lydia, Kanako’s not done. She soon finds herself forced into a seated position by the Japanese girl. Kanako then stares at the piece of the tube that broke off in her hand when she smashed it across Lydia’s back, then she gives the crowd a knowing look. She then brings the jagged glass down on Lydia’s forehead. Holding the tube with her left hand, she then brings her right hand down on the end of the tube, seemingly trying to pierce the Black Sheep’s skull with it. Not finished showing her sadistic side, the Tokyo Tiger then draaaaags the jagged glass across Lydia’s forehead, causing her to kick and scream in anguish.

While energized by the Modern Day Ronin’s victory in the first fall, the crowd has been once again stunned into silence by the sheer brutality on display in this match. Kanako goes around to Lydia’s front to face her, the now bloody piece of broken light tube still in her hand. She looks down at the dazed Brit, blood now pouring over her face, as it had been on Kanako’s earlier, and it’s clear by looking at the Japanese girl that she doesn’t consider the job done. Eyes bulging with rage, she jams the jagged glass down again, this time into the British Blue Blood’s massive bosom. This wakes Lydia up, albeit quite rudely, as her eyes grow big as plates at the shock of the sheer level of pain she’s experiencing. She flails and struggles as Kanako commences to carving her tits up, leaving bloody trails all across her chest. Her bloodlust finally satisfied, she drops the broken tube and cups Lydia’s chin. “Your suffering is just beginning, you miserable bitch.” she growls lowly.

“It...doesn’t...matter.” Lydia manages to weakly reply.

Kanako frowns, her grip on her rival’s face tightening. “Excuse you?”

Lady Lydia replies by spitting blood in her assailant’s face. “You can brutalize me all you want, Akiyama. None of it matters. You’ve proven that you’re exactly what I’ve been saying all along. A violent thug who resorts to brutality when your meager skills can’t get the job done. You’re not suited for a wrestling ring, you belong in cage fights.” she stops her diatribe to chuckle, “Heh. Fitting for an animal like yourself. Tell me something, dearie…” she finally looks Kanako in the eye, that smug smirk of hers on her blood-soaked lips, “...you think mommy and daddy are proud of what their little thespian has become?”

If a person could overload on rage, Kanako Akiyama would have, in that moment, and it shows in the expression on her face. She looks at her rival with a look of incredulous anger before delivering a trifecta of brutal headbutts that knock Lady Lydia back down to the mat. She grabs the straps of her corset to bring her back nose to nose. “I had this all planned out.” Kanako begins, pointing to the table in the corner. “I was gonna put myself through that table and make it look like you did it. All so I can get you inside that cage and really start torturing you. That’s how badly I want to destroy you. But you know what? I think I’ve just decided that I’m okay with winning this thing two-nil.” She lets go of Lydia’s bloodied corset, letting her flop back down to the mat, and she rolls out of the ring to again search under the ring. Finally finding what she was looking for, she rolls back into the ring, brandishing a small black cloth bag, from which she produces a can of lighter fluid! The Tokyo Tiger empties the contents of the can onto the table, and then reaches into the bag for the other item therein: a stick lighter! The crowd comes alive as Kanako flicks the lighter on and touches it to the table, setting it ablaze! She then turns around to retrieve her prey, only for Lydia to surge forward, grabbing Kanako and lifting her up in an adrenaline-fueled act of desperation and self-preservation. She then slams Kanako down through the flaming table, the Japanese girl engulfed by the flames temporarily. Kanako rolls around on the mat, screaming in in agony as Merle scrambles to put the fire out, both on Kanako and what’s left of the table, as the bell rings.

“Ladies and gentlemen…” the ring announcer shouts, “the winner of the Tables Match is LADY LYDIA LETHBRIDGE!! The third and final fall, a Submissions Only Match inside the steel cage, will begin after another three-minute rest period.”

Upon delivering her pseudo-spinebuster to win the fall, Lydia immediately flops back onto the mat on her back, seemingly spent, as the ringside physicians again scramble to get into the ring and tend to the two combatants. Lydia had lost a lot of blood over the course of the second fall, combined with the injuries she suffered in the first. Because of this, Gordy and Joanna speculated to the audience watching worldwide that Her Ladyship would be easy pickings for the Modern Day Ronin. Kanako, meanwhile, was still writhing and groaning from the burns left on her back as Merle looked on with worry while the doctor tended to her. As it turned out, the FAWN commentary team’s speculation turned out to be wrong, for as soon as the steel cage finally comes down, Lydia pushes the doctor aside and clambers to her feet. Completely ignoring the rest period and Merle’s protests, the British Blue Blood, seemingly re-energized by pure spite, goes to work on Kanako, putting the boots to her, stomping her legs and midsection repeatedly as the physicians scramble for the cage door.

Once they had cleared out and the door had been closed and locked, the bell rings and the third fall of this war officially begins. Lydia drags Kanako up by her hair and, taking a running start, hurls the diminutive Japanese girl into the cage. She repeats the process for each side of the cage, adding a cruel face grind against the cage after the final side. Kanako grunts and growls, but defiantly refuses to cry out. Lydia scoffs and carelessly tosses Kanako to the mat, letting her lie there while she goes back to the trash can. Now it’s her turn to flash a wicked grin as she pulls out yet another fluorescent light tube. Kanako is sitting back on her haunches as Lydia approaches, twirling the tube in her hand and licking her lips in anticipation. Kanako looks up at the Black Sheep, fatigue obviously beginning to take hold, but hatred continuing to spur her on. She flips her off with one hand and beckons her with the other, daring the Londoner to do her worst. She doesn’t have to wait long for Lydia to oblige her. With murder in her eyes, she brings the light tube down over Kanako’s head, leading to Kanako finally giving Lydia the pained screams she longed to hear, as the mercury dust burned Kanako’s back even worse than it had burned Lydia, because of the still-fresh burns from the flames. However, the fact that she was still on her knees galled her, so she retrieved one of the chairs she’d strewn along the mat and levelled the Tokyo Tiger with a home run swing to her back.

The chair shot adds to the agony piled onto Kanako’s back, as she cries out and rolls about on the mat, kicking her legs as she does so. A couple more stomps to Kanako’s midsection serve to still her, after which Lydia sets her foe’s ankle inside the folding chair. A discontented rumble rises among the FAWN faithful, as it quickly becomes clear what Her Ladyship has planned. She backs up several steps to get a running start, preparing to deliver a diving stomp onto the chair in a maneuver commonly known as “Pillmanizing”.

PILLMANIZED (@3:40): www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPusp3-Tt_A&t=229s

The crowd breathes a collective sigh of relief as Kanako manages to kick the chair off her leg and roll away at the last moment. Unfortunately for her, she doesn’t roll away far enough, as another stomp to the small of the Californian’s back keeps her from getting to her feet. Lady Lydia then hops onto Kanako’s back and locks in the dreaded Camel Clutch. Merle is quick to move in with the microphone that was passed to him when the bell rang to start the fall. However, he doesn’t get the opportunity to even ask if Kanako gives up, as Lydia is struck by inspiration. She throws Kanako’s arms free, and makes sure to slam her face down into the mat as she gets up. She then goes over to find the barbed wire strands that had been used twice already in this match. A sadistic grin curls Lydia’s lips as she picks the wire up and returns to her prey, re-applying the camel clutch, this time with the barbed wire pulled across Kanako’s face!

CAMEL CLUTCH WITH CHAIN (couldn’t find one with barbed wire, @10:10): www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8Z_6OY1bv4

Roars of outrage, coupled with chants of “YOU SICK FUCK! YOU SICK FUCK!” drown out Kanako’s anguished wailing as the barbed wire tears at the corners of her mouth and her cheeks.

“What do you say, Kanako? Do you give up?” Merle asks, lowering the microphone to the Tokyo Tiger’s face. All she can do in reply is waggle her finger to indicate she doesn’t, due to the barbed wire across her mouth, though her chilling screams do fill the Arena’s PA system briefly, until Merle pulls the microphone away. Lydia cackles above her, reveling in Kanako’s torture, and she leans down to rub her face in it some more.

“I made sure the language on the contract was quite clear, Akiyama.” she purrs. “Your banishment to Bangor doesn’t begin until you’ve had your first match there, so any injury will prolong your stay there.” As she taunts Kanako, Lydia fails to truly notice, or perhaps she doesn’t care, that Kanako has begun to use her superior strength to drag the two of them across the ring. “So, please,” she continues, “do remain stubborn, and let me break your back, rather than submit. Unlike in the penthouse, I have no qualms whatsoever with snapping a body part no-wait...what are you doing?” Lydia finally realizes that Kanako was dragging the two of them over to the ropes. “You bloody idiot! Have you forgotten there’s no DQ in a cage match?”

“She’s right,” Merle chimes in, ”no disqualification means no rope break.” Kanako simply ignores both of them and continues on her plan, first grabbing the bottom rope, then walking her hands up to grasp the middle rope. Using her improved leverage, combined with her powerful legs, Kanako manages to shake Lydia off of her. Lydia yelps in surprise as she’s thrown from her victim’s back. Unfortunately, the effort expended to find relief from the sadistic hold leaves the Modern Day Ronin exhausted and open to further abuse, an opportunity that Lady Lydia does not pass up. Seeing Kanako on her hands and knees, struggling to get to her feet, Lydia seizes on the opening provided and stomps viciously on her rival’s ankles, eliciting cries of pain from her target as she rolls around in anguish. Lady Lydia puts a stop to that by grabbing Kanako’s left leg and straddles her right. Spinning around, and then dropping to her back, Her Ladyship completes the incredibly painful Figure Four Leg Lock.

FIGURE FOUR LEG LOCK: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQeC_uEiJgA

Kanako screams and thrashes about as Lydia pours on the pressure on her legs and ankles. Lydia, for her part, after an initial sneer of disdain, settles into the hold with mocking laughter. “Oh, yes! I just love that sound! What a shame that you chose for this fall to be inside a steel cage. Imagine the fun I’d have if I could use the ringpost to apply the figure four! HAHAHAHA!!!” With that, Lydia arches her back, increasing the pressure and magnifying the pain, causing Kanako to scream louder and thrash about some more. Unfortunately for the British Blue Blood, that sharp surge of pain, and the ensuing thrashing from Kanako, allows the Tokyo Tiger to turn over onto her stomach, thus reversing the pressure. And now it’s Lydia’s turn to scream and flail to the joyous roars of the FAWN faithful. Still relatively close to the ropes, Lydia scratches and claws to reach them. When she finally gets a hand on the bottom rope, she barks at Merle, “I’m in the ropes! Untie us, you idiot!”

Merle just stands there, his arm crossed across his chest. “There’s still no rope break, Lydia.” he deadpans. “You’re welcome to try and free yourself, like Kanako did. If you can.”

“FUUUUCK!!” She screams in anguish and frustration at the chump referee stymieing her. She abandons her grip on the rope to claw at her own face and pull her own hair to take her mind off the overwhelming pain she’s in.

“Just untie us, Merle.” Kanako finally speaks up. “We’re wasting time, and this isn’t how I want to finish this cunt off.”

“You sure?” Merle asks, to which Kanako nods slowly. The zebra shrugs and goes about untangling the two women. In spite of being the last one to take some damage, Lydia is the first to get up, shaking her legs out, while Kanako is still massaging her legs to get the feeling back into them.

“Finish me?” She shouts at her indignantly. “FINISH ME?!” Another pair of stomps to each of Kanako’s ankles, another series of pained yelps. “Worry about yourself, bitch! This is OVER!!” And with that, Her Ladyship steps through Kanako’s legs and crosses her ankles. Lying back down to the mat, she slides the flat of her left forearm in between the ankles, then places her right arm over the ankles. Using her left arm as a fulcrum, she presses down with her right, applying her signature finishing hold, the Lethbridge Lock!

LETHBRIDGE LOCK: www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM-rDRSPNbQ

Kanako screams in abject agony as the busty Brit wrenches down on the Japanese girl’s ankles, snarling and barking at her to give it up. For his part, Merle has to work hard to not look away, seeing the Modern Day Ronin writhing in misery as Lethbridge threatens to snap her ankles like twigs. “Come on, Kanako!” he finally speaks up. “No win is worth this. Please…” his voice trails off, knowing Kanako would rather die than submit to Lydia, no matter what happens to her. He sighs and brings the microphone to Kanako’s face. “Kanako! Do you submit?” he says, his voice tinged with sadness, already knowing the answer.

“AAAAAAAGGGHHH!!” Kanako wails into the microphone, causing a good many of the FAWNatics to cringe. “N-nuh...HELL NOOOOOO!!!” she finally screamed, drawing a loud cheer from the fans, trying to rally the Japanese beauty with their support, as well as a humorless chuckle from the Black Sheep.

“Is it truly that your pride won’t allow you to submit, Akiyama?” Lydia asks her victim earnestly, though her tone of voice is mocking. “Or is it that you’re, at the end of the day, a masochist, deep down. Hmm? Is it that you just like being tortured like this?” Kanako’s only response is to flip Lady Lydia off amidst her howls of pain. Another mocking laugh, and a twinkle can be seen in Lydia’s eyes, as her twisted, cruel mind thinks of another taunt. “You know...As much fun as this is…” she begins, “...perhaps it’ll be even better if I break your spirit as well as your body! Maybe, I should strip you bare, in front of all these people, and have my way with you, as I did in the penthouse. Would you like that, you little slut?” Lydia’s lilting, mocking laughter follows, but it’s clear she’s not paying attention, for if she were, her demeanor would be very different.

Kanako’s eyes grow wide in shock and outrage and her pupils dilate. Amazingly, Lydia doesn’t notice that the screaming has stopped, replaced with guttural growls as Kanako plants her hands on the mat, having taken her pain and made it a distant memory. Using her arms as a springboard, she pushes her torso forward to punch the still-cackling Lydia right in her stupid mouth. Not giving Her Ladyship a moment’s rest to process what’s going on, Kanako quickly follows up the jaw-jacking punch, which has already drawn blood as well as loosened a tooth or two, by grasping the back of Lydia’s skull with both hands and headbutting her right in the face full force once...twice...three times. A fourth headbutt forces Lydia to release her grip on Kanako’s legs with a groan. Now having all four of her limbs back, she wastes no time using them as weapons, swinging her left leg up to catch Lydia in the mouth with her knee before rolling away to get to her feet.

Lydia sits, stunned, her head down, blood pouring from her mouth as that knee strike did the trick of knocking two teeth loose. She doesn’t stay there long, for as soon as Kanako’s to her feet, she grabs Lydia by the hair and yanks her to her feet roughly, eliciting a yelp of pain. Paying the Black Sheep back for her rough treatment at the beginning of the fall, getting a running start and hurling the Brit by her hair, face-first, into the steel cage with rattling force. No side of the cage is left undisturbed, as Kanako rams her face into each side over and over, never letting go of the tight grip on Lydia’s hair. Satisfied that the cage (not Lydia, mind you) has seen enough abuse, the Tokyo Tiger hurls the Blue Blood aside, and Lady Lydia tumbles to the mat, rolling to the opposite corner. Kanako makes a play of blowing from her hand what hair she did manage to pull from her bitter rival’s head, before returning to stalking her prey once more.

“N-no...please...stay away!” Lydia begs off as she backs into the corner, recognizing the extreme danger she’s in. Kanako offers no answer, save her continued march towards her. Looking her predator in the eyes, Lydia can see that this is no mere adrenaline rush; she realizes her words ignited a brand new fire within the Modern Day Ronin, one that now threatens to engulf her completely. Unable to think of any other options, she quickly turns to Merle and screams at the top of her lungs, “I QUIT!!! I SUBMIT!!!”

But Merle is unmoved. “You know better than that, Lydia. I can’t accept a submission unless you’re in a submission hold.” Lydia bites her lower lip in desperation as she looks for an escape, but finding none.

“Just shut up and take your medicine, you pampered, privileged whore.” Kanako growls as she closes the gap between them. And with that, she unleashes a vicious knife-edge chop to Lydia’s mutilated bosom, causing it to shake with the impact. Her Ladyship shrieks with pain and does her best to cover up, only for the Tokyo Tiger to begin teeing off on her with brutal bitch slaps, one after another. Lydia cries out with each stinging slap, doing her best to not actually start crying at the brutal assault.

“Kanako…please...please stop…” Lydia begs during a brief respite. No such luck as the Modern Day Ronin yanks her head up and back by her hair, opening up her midsection wide. Kanako then rears back and begins laying in brutal straight right hands to the busty Brit’s belly. Lydia groans and coughs, gasping for air with each fist Kanako buries into her stomach. After no fewer than a dozen gut punches, Kanako snap mares Lydia down to the mat, where she just lies there, groaning and barely moving.

“Now this,” Kanako licks her lips in anticipation as she approaches her again, “this is what I’ve been waiting for.” She grabs one leg and begins to apply a hold when she looks up and barks at the referee. “MERLE!!” she shouts, “Put that fucking microphone down! If you ask her if she gives up before I tell you to, I swear to god, I will break every limb on this miserable bitch's body!" Knowing that the Modern Day Ronin doesn’t make idle threats, Merle nods and quickly sets the mic down on the mat. Kanako then nods, satisfied, and commences to dismantling Lady Lydia. She steps through Lydia’s legs, crossing hers over her own, and then she steps through, turning Lydia over onto her now very reddened stomach. When Kanako sits back onto Lydia’s back, she finishes applying the dreaded Sharpshooter.

SHARPSHOOTER: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku2HtEMkaG4

Lydia cries out, her voice growing hoarse as she claws at the mat, tapping furiously. A shake of the head from Kanako warns Merle to not ask her, and he complies. After about a minute in the painful hold she stands up, but she still hangs on to one of Lady Lydia’s legs, turning to face her and dropping to the mat herself, wrapping her own legs around Lydia’s. Wrapping her arms both above and below the knee, Kanako wrenches down with an agonizing knee bar.

KNEE BAR (minus the rolling aspect): www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7kz_jvBbOU

Nearly all of Lydia’s strength and energy are completely spent now. Languidly clawing at the mat, she barely has any energy anymore to even cry out. “Kanako...please...I’m sorry...I’m sorry.” she repeats over and over, her voice only loud enough for Kanako herself to hear at this point.

“A little too late for that now, isn’t it?” Kanako replies pithily, venom dripping from her voice. She releases the knee bar and turns Lydia over once again, the British brunette offering no resistance whatsoever. The Modern Day Ronin then grabs her left leg and sits back in another back-punishing submission, the single-leg Boston Crab.

SINGLE-LEG BOSTON CRAB: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLYyhztzq-8

By now, the screaming, and even the pained cries, have stopped. Lydia can only moan softly in torment, her face down on the mat. After another minute of torture, Kanako walks the ladder up, getting off of Lydia’s back once more, but taking Lydia’s leg and holding it behind her neck while planting a knee at the back of Lydia’s neck, applying the Stretch Muffler hold.

STRETCH MUFFLER: www.youtube.com/watch?v=DP_KFS7i_Tk

And now, Lydia can hold it back no longer, and begins sobbing loudly, no longer able to take the pain. The crowd, likewise, while happy to see the spoiled rich girl get what’s coming to her, are becoming a little uneasy at this excessive display of torture by their beloved warrior. It’s clear that Lady Lydia is one hundred percent done, and that Kanako can end this any time she wants.Mercifully, it looks like Kanako is ready to end the submission holds clinic and do just that. She throws Lydia’s leg down as hard as she can and strides over to Merle with purpose.

“So, here’s how this is going to go down,” she says, pointing a finger in his face, then pointing that finger at the writhing Black Sheep. “I’m about to end this bitch. BUT! When she taps, I’m not letting go. For everything she’s done, and not just to me either, she is going to suffer for as long as humanly possible. To that end, Merle, you are going to give me the slowest 5-count in history to let her go. After everything you’ve done, you OWE me that much, Merle. Are we clear?” Merle begins to open his mouth to reply, but instead, after a moment’s consideration, he meekly nods. Kanako nods in kind, managing to offer him a faint smile to try and reassure him before returning to the wreckage that is Lady Lydia Lethbridge. “Two months, Lethbridge.” she growls, the malice back in her voice, “I’ve had two months to devise your demise, you rotten bitch. I just hope that it’s everything I imagined it would be.” With that, she wastes no time flipping Lydia onto her back and applying a variation of the figure-four leglock that Lydia had used on her earlier, this one from a standing position.

STANDING FIGURE FOUR: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUjRVlnRRZQ

From there, after soaking in Lydia’s anguished cries for a bit (apparently the brief respite allowed her to find her voice again), she turns around, forcing Lydia onto her stomach once more. She then, with the leglock still applied, arches and bends backward to clasp her hands under Lydia’s chin and pull back, a move that’s commonly referred to as the Muta Lock.

MUTA LOCK: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHmSs-rswbc

As if that weren’t enough, Kanako then walks her hands up from Lady Lydia’s chin to tear at the corners of her mouth with two fingers, applying a cruel double fish hook. Once Kanako begins pulling hard on the hold, jerking Lydia’s body up and down like a rag doll, Merle is quick to grab the microphone and shove it into Lydia’s face. “Lydia!! What do you say? Do you submit?”

To her credit, Her Ladyship holds on for a little bit longer before finally giving in. “YESSSS!! FOR GOD’S SAKE, YES, I SUBMIT!!” Merle is already calling for the bell as the words leave her lips, and the crowd explodes in jubilant applause for their conquering hero.

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!” the ring announcer has to practically scream to be heard above the roars of the crowd. “THE WINNER OF THE THIRD FALL, AND OF THE THREE STAGES OF HELL MATCH...KANAKOOOO AKIYAMAAAA!!!”

Even as her music starts up, Kanako proves to be a woman of her word, her brutal hybrid hold still firmly locked in. She and Merle make eye contact and she mouths “Slowest. Count. Ever.” as a reminder. Merle closes his eyes to steel himself before going through the paces.

“Come on, Kanako, the match is over.” He begins, his tone of voice flat. “Come on, you already won, don’t do this. Kanako, if you don’t release the hold, I will reverse the decision and disqualify you….ONE!......TWO!......THREE!.....FOUR!...”

And indeed, Kanako releases Lydia at four and a half of what would normally be almost a twenty-count. She sits on her haunches, a hand planted on the small of the broken Blue Blood’s back, holding her other hand out. “Microphone. NOW!” she barks, and Merle quickly complies.

“Not so fast, Lethbridge.” she begins menacingly, positioning herself between her legs, “I’m not done with you yet.”

Lydia groans mournfully before she replies, “You hateful bitch...What more could you wa-AAAIIIIYYYEEE!!” Her Ladyship is cut off as Kanako lays in a hard knee into her crotch.

“Where you’re concerned? You’re goddamned right I am.” Kanako growls. “I’ve decided that we’re going to have a little post-match interview. What I did just now? That’s what’s going to happen any time you mouth off or give me the wrong answer. So, here we go. First off, I want you to tell all these people who it is that beat you tonight.”

“W-what? What kind of question is that? Obviously you did - AAAARRRRGH!!!”

“Not good enough.” Kanako answers after pulling her knee back from Lydia’s womanhood. “I have a name, and by god, you are gonna fucking say it. Now...SAY MY NAME, YOU BITCH!!” She lays in another knee, as she screams at the top of her lungs, “SAY IT!!!!”

“AAAAAAHHHH, GAWWWD...K-KANAKO!! Kanako Akiyama beat me!!” she finally answers as tears stream down her face.

“Good. And who made you cry like a little bitch?”


“Kanako Akiyama.” comes her blubbering answer.

“That’s right. Last question, Lethbridge, then I’ll let you go. Whose bitch are you?”

Lydia bristles at that, and he lets a snarl slip, but she is quick to swallow it and answer meekly, “I’m...Kanako Akiyama’s bitch.”

“And don’t you ever fucking forget it.” she answers with a smack to the back of Lydia’s head. “Now...I want to leave you with a little piece of advice. After we’re done here, and I’ve been to the infirmary,and I’ve showered and changed, and I leave FAWN Arena tonight...I’m going to forget you even exist, Lydia. If you’re smart, I suggest you do the same. Because, if you come back looking for a receipt for what went down tonight? I'm going to get you. And, as God as my witness...It won't be in a ring, it won't be in a penthouse, no cameras will be rolling at all. Maybe it'll be in the parking lot after a show...Maybe it'll be at your gym...Or maybe I'll just look you up in that fancy high rise apartment of yours. No matter what, you won't know where, and you won't know when, and when I'm done...I'll gladly do the jail time that comes from what I'll do to you."

With her chilling warning, declaring their bitter feud finally over, Kanako gets to her feet, walks over to Merle and hands him the microphone. “We’re done.” She says flatly, “Now, get that piece of trash out of my ring.” Merle needs little prodding, as he’s already called for the EMTs to bring a stretcher. For all the damage Kanako did to the British Blue Blood, there was no way she was leaving the ring on her own power. Indeed, the EMTs don’t even wait for the cage to come up to get in the ring to strap Lydia onto the stretcher. Once they get her out the cage door and onto the gurney, they wheel the broken Blue Blood out to the back, and to a waiting ambulance, with the crowd serenading her with a chorus of “NA NA NA NA...NA NA NA NA...HEY HEY HEY...GOODBYE!”

Meanwhile, Akiyama stands steady and stone-faced only for as long as it takes for the EMTs to cart Lethbridge through the curtains. As soon as Lydia is out of sight, Kanako’s shoulders slump and she drunkenly staggers to one side, her exhaustion and litany of injuries catching up to her all at once. She turns around towards Yoona and Camille to give them a reassuring nod, and the last thing she sees before her vision is the concern etched onto their faces.

Kanako blindly reaches out as her knees go weak, trying to catches herself against the top ropes or perhaps the wall of the cage, but her hands come up empty and a loud gasp comes from the assembled crowd when she crumbles. Stiff as a board, she pitches backwards in slow motion, falling…

...and falling…

...and falling…

...and falling…

...before the FAWNatics explode into cheers and she’s gently caught by a pair of arms cradled under her shoulders and back.

“...thanks, Merle…” Kanako slurs, her bleary eyes half-lidded and her lips drawn back in a faint smile. “...you know, you’re kinda cute…”

“I’m not Merle, but I’m TOTALLY cute.”

Akiyama’s eyes snap open, and rather than FAWN’s junior referee, she finds herself face-to-face with the Girl of Tomorrow. Her addled brain still can’t quite comprehend what’s happening, and Kanako looks from Camille...

...to the twelve foot cage wall...

...back to Camille...

...back to the the cage...

...to Camille’s now empty seat on the other side of the cage

...back to Camille…

...to Yoona, frozen in her seat, wide-eyed, and with bits of partially chewed corn dog visible in her gaping mouth…

...back to the cage...

...and finally back to Camille.

“How the HELL did you --”

“She… ah… she used the stairs,” Merle helpfully answers, giving Cosworth a conspiratorial wink before kneeling down next to the pair of wrestlers. “So… ummmm… do you really think --”

“Yes-I-think-Cam-is-cute,” Akiyama immediately blurts out, then she immediately plays dead, rolling her eyes in the back of her head and feigning a melodramatic death rattle to laughter from Camille and a disheartened grumble from Merle.

Kanako’s cheeks don’t stop blushing until well after the medical team have taken her to the infirmary.