Disclaimer: WEP owns Voltron and all its characters. How sad for me.
Beta: Dawn - Can't thank her enough!
This is the second installment in my "Chivalry" arc. 1. Chivalry, 2. Lion House Restored
Rating/Setting: Rating is T. Setting is DotU in flavor but is AU in some ways.
Chapter 22
Not good. So not good. Keith thought as he lay on his back. The tight grip of his legs around Wesley's torso kept the larger man in a full guard position. However, Wesley still managed a number of strikes before Keith was able to snake an arm around his opponent's neck and pull him in close, limiting Wesley's striking ability. Keith could already feel his left eye swelling and knew he would be in a great deal of pain tonight at Lion House. He figured he had less than a minute to hold on and then the gong would sound ending the round. Until Wesley took him down, they were pretty even. The takedown and subsequent hits had racked up a lot of points for Wesley, and Keith knew he'd probably have to knock him out or submit him in order to win. Gritting his teeth as Wesley landed a blow to his bruised ribs, he listened for the gong.
When it sounded, he drew a deep breath as Wesley's weight was finally off his chest. Walking to the side to get a drink of water, he was fully aware of the murmuring crowd. He had been so dominant in his other matches, that they had expected a quick battle. He, on the other hand, had known that it wouldn't be an easy fight. But even he had to admit, he hadn't expected to end up on the receiving end of a ground and pound. His thoughts turned to how he could win the match.
As the gong sounded and the two men faced off for another ten minute bout, the cries of the crowd became deafening. Everyone knew that Akira needed to win the match to stay even or pull ahead of Wesley. If he didn't win, the sword competition would become even more critical.
Knowing that Wesley didn't use kicks, he decided to focus on them to start this round. Most likely, if he and his House didn't use kicks, then he probably wouldn't be able to defend against them very well. Keith traded a few punches with Wesley and threw a few mid-body leg kicks. One of the leg kicks landed, but the other missed and Keith noted that Wesley immediately stepped forward to throw a punch. This provided Keith with the idea of a trap. He traded a few more strikes and barely avoided another takedown by Wesley. The time was right to bait and spring the trap. Keith threw a mid-body roundhouse kick with his right leg that he knew would miss Wesley. Knowing that Wesley would most likely step forward to deliver a strike, Keith immediate delivered a back kick with his left foot driving into Wesley's abdomen. Wesley quickly started backing up holding his midsection as Keith rushed him and took him to the ground. Immediately putting his right arm around Wesley's neck, he pushed Wesley's right arm up and across the body. This placed Wesley's shoulder between them. Keith locked his right hand around his own left bicep and put his left hand on Wesley's head. Using his feet and legs to push his body weight forward, the chokehold tightened on his opponent. The pressure from Keith's arm and Wesley's own shoulder soon caused him to black out. Caught up in the exhilaration of the fight, Keith didn't realize that Wesley had lost consciousness until the officials were pulling him off.
As he stood in a daze, realizing that his trap had worked and that he had won, he was rushed by a group of Lion House members who quickly raised him on their shoulders. Laughing at his friends, he looked around and saw the excitement that was in the crowd. It was only a moment before they began shouting his name… "Akira! Akira! Akira!" He knew that tomorrow would be the realization of his final vision. Tomorrow was the key.