Chapter 104 (XAW Singles)
*Willow Powell vs Sakura Hagiwara*
Flashly lights filled the stage and Willow Powell showed herself wearing a pink boa and black sunglasses. She was surrounded by a team of photographers who followed and snapped pictures of her on her way to the ring. Once she entered, she gave her effects to the ringside crew and made her usual threats. She brushed her beautiful hair and waited.
Coming up next was Sakura Hagiwara. This wrestling pop idol waved to her loving crowd before shooting daggers from her eyes right to Willow. The actress didn't seem fazed and actually beckoned for Sakura to enter the ring with her. The Sweet Diva star didn't disappoint. She entered the ring and stared intensely at the woman who started her nine-month humiliation streak.
"Oh, my god. This is a rematch we've all been waiting for. Representing Xtrema, we have the scarring star of Apocalypse Ring, Willow Powell! She may be an actress, but she's a lot tougher than she looks. And her opponent, from Berserk, it's the Sweet Diva idol and wrestler, Sakura Hagiwara! Ms. Rogue, care to comment on this rivalry?"
"Gladly. Months ago, Willow Powell, a fellow star turned wrestler, made Sakura Hagiwara submit with the Boston crab. Worse than that, she publically announced that anyone can make her submit with the Boston crab. Since then, every wrestler went and got their submission from the Sweet Diva for what looked like forever at the time, but she eventually broke out of that. But even after all that, everyone still wanted a rematch to happen, especially the two combatants in the ring right now. Who will win? Let's see!"
DING-DING!
Willow and Sakura wasted no time locking up at the center of the ring. Though the two of them were strong, they weren't able to make each other budge. Willow decided to break the stalemate with a kneeshot to the pop star's stomach. Sakura gasped, but didn't let go. She then delivered her own knee strike to Willow's stomach making a much better impact. Willow broke her hold leaving her open for a DDT from Sakura. She then rolled for an early pin.
Sakura knew this wasn't the end of the match, so she wasn't surprised when Willow kicked out before even the count of one. She kept her advantage coming up with a strategy. She picked Willow up by her head ready to Irish whip her to the ropes. However, before Willow could even be brought to her feet, she furiously shot her fist up hitting Sakura between her legs. The crowd wasn't pleased at that, and the ref wasn't either. She scolded Willow while Sakura fell to her knees with her sore lower parts.
"You can't do that!"
"What? I hit her in ze stomach." Willow lied. "It isn't my fault she's being a baby about it."
The referee scowled. "You know the rules. One more time, and you're disqualified!"
Willow mocked a salute before turning back to Sakura. The pop star was pushing herself up, but Willow brought her back down by sitting on her back. She then pulled Sakura back in a brutal-looking camel clutch. She pulled back at Sakura's head by her chin hearing her cries of pain.
"Just like I thought. A crybaby." Willow mocked. "Always have been. Always will be. Your so-called 'victories' change nothing. I am going to put you back in your place once and for all."
Sakura opened her mouth, but she struggled not to scream. She shook her head trying to escape, but Willow held on tight. So Sakura got her hands on the mat and used them to drag herself and Willow forward. The movie star pulled Sakura's head further backward to keep her in place, but it was too late. Sakura managed to reach out and grab the ropes.
"Rope break!" the referee yelled out.
Reluctantly, Willow let go of Sakura. She grabbed her by her legs and dragged her back to the center of the ring. But instead of another submission hold, Willow furiously stomped on Sakura's prone body over and over again. She mostly stomped on Sakura's legs, but she gave some shots to her head too.
Eventually, Willow gave one stomp too many as Sakura grabbed her by her ankle and kept her in place. She picked herself up while still holding Willow's foot. She was just about ready to use it to her advantage when Willow surprised her with an instant slap. Sakura gasped feeling the sting in her cheek as she let go of Willow. The actress then grabbed Sakura from behind with a full nelson.
Sakura felt paralyzed in the hold. The more Willow tightened the hold, the more easier it seemed to just give up. But Sakura knew that if she did, she'd be proving Willow right. So with that focus, she kept trying to think of a way out. Just then, she flashed back to her very first private sparring match with Misaki. With that in mind, she used her leg to deliver a strong kick to Willow's shin. It got her enough to let go of Sakura, who then delivered her own slap that spun Willow around. She then grabbed her from behind and threw her in a German suplex.
After that, Sakura picked Willow up and proceeded with her maneuver she planned earlier. First, she Irish whipped Willow to the ropes. She bounced off and ran back. However, Sakura didn't attack. Using her athletic skills, she instead jumped over Willow letting her bounce off the other ropes. Once again, Sakura jumped over Willow when she ran by. One rebound later, and Sakura made her move. She delivered a high kick that struck the fast-running Willow in the face. Sakura went for the pin after that.
1… 2…
Willow kicked out and she was furious. She rolled over and got on one knee near the ropes. She could already feel both sore and exhausted. "Crap! Zere's no way I'm letting zis putain get ze best of moi! I'm taking her down once and for all!"
Sakura ran to the far side of the ring and bounced off. She ran back at Willow for a sliding kick. However, Willow turned the tables by dodging and raising the apron curtain up. Sakura ended up sliding out of the ring trapped in the apron curtain. Willow quickly took advantage of the opportunity. She ran to the ring ropes and bounced back for a sliding kick like Sakura did. Only this time, it worked. Sakura was kicked off the apron with the curtain ripping off with her.
After the kick sent her to the ground over the laid-out apron, Sakura was picked up by Willow who then propped her against the barricade. The actress then Irish whipped Sakura to the corner where a set of steel steps waited for her to crash into. Sakura struggled to get back up, but Willow grabbed her and bashed her head to the steel steps three times. That was when the referee reached her seven count.
Willow threw Sakura back in the ring and quickly followed her. She was tired from the relentless motion of attacks and decided to end it. She grabbed Sakura's hair and forced her up to her feet.
"You wanna be ze strongest in ze world, huh?" Willow asked. "Pathetic dreams for a pathetic girl. Adieu, perdante."
Willow took a couple steps back before shooting her leg up. This was her finishing move, the Action Shot, and it connected. Her foot made direct impact with Sakura's face, which all her fans feared. But then, something surprised everyone, including Willow. Though the foot gave its strongest strike to Sakura, she didn't go down. Instead, she clenched her fists, held her ground, and gritted her teeth.
In surprise, Willow retracted her foot and took a step back. She was so in shock, that Sakura took this last chance she had. She leaned down with her signature pose before leaping upward. She shot up both her kicks hitting Willow in the head twice sending her backward. Sakura fell flat on the ground too exhausted and sore. She crawled over to Willow and placed her arm across her chest waiting for the referee.
1… 2… 3!
DING-DING!
"She did it! After so many months, Sakura Hagiwara got her revenge and outlasted Willow Powell by a large gap!"
"I wouldn't say large." Sayuri said. "I mean, they were both pretty worn out. Still, Sakura really proved her endurance and toughness. So if she really is going to be the strongest in the world, I'd really like to see that."
Sakura's Berserk fans entered the ring from backstage and helps carry Sakura out. Willow, however, just crawled out of the ring. When her personnel offered to help her, she yelled at them making them go away.
*Kyoko Natsumi vs Makoto*
After the ring apron was repaired, Kyoko Natsumi made her way to the stage. Wearing her kimono and face paint, Kyoko headed to the ring and walked right through the ropes. She removed her robe revealing her black leotard and flexed her muscular arms and legs. She posed for the crowd while her opponent made her entrance.
Makoto was a Japanese teen with short, black hair. She walked past the crowd bearfoot with only her white gi, black belt, and yellow scarf. She headed to the ring and got into a karate-ready stance facing Kyoko.
"Coming up next is a standard rules match, but the only way to win is to knock your opponent out! Representing Berserk, we have the Kabuki Queen, Kyoko Natsumi. And her visiting opponent, we have a spunky girl named only as Makoto! Ms. Rogue, do you have any insight on our opponent?"
"Sure thing." Sayuri said. "You see, Makoto is the owner of her family's Rindokan karate dojo. They've fallen on hard times recently, so she's hoping this would help draw in potential members. Similarly, Kyoko Natsumi joined the pro wrestling circuit to help her family's theater, so the both of them have family legacies to protect. Let's see where this goes."
DING-DING!
"Get ready!" Makoto cried out before taking a frantic rush toward Kyoko. Once she was close enough, she thrusted a powerful punch which Kyoko blocked with her forearm. The kabuki then countered with a punch to the teen. Makoto blocked it, but she still staggered back not taking into account how strong the punch really was. But now that she was aware, she wasn't about to make the same mistake
Kyoko charged next with a spinkick at Makoto, but she blocked it. Though it was still a strong kick, Makoto kept her composure and actually managed to bring Kyoko down with a leg trip. If it was any other wrestler, she would take the time to apply a submission hold. But since this is a KO match, Makoto figured she just had to wait for Kyoko to come back to her feet.
Kyoko stood back up and faced Makoto again. The teen put on a confident smirk, but Kyoko looked determined. The two of them clashed again, but this time, they gave a fast exchange of martial arts attacks to wear each other down. That all ended when Kyoko got behind Makoto and applied a sleeper hold. Makoto gasped feeling the rock-hard bicep coil around her throat.
"H-Hey." He rasped. "What are you doing?"
"A submission hold." Kyoko replied. "This is a wrestling match, you know."
"But… this is… a KO match."
"Yes, but this isn't to make you tap out. A sleeper hold will knock you out in a just a minute."
Makoto felt stupid. She didn't think that submission holds could be used to knock someone out. She immediately shot her elbow back into Kyoko's stomach. The kabuki grunted feeling the strike and released Makoto, who then turned and shot several straight punches to her stomach at lightning speed. She then ended it with a strong kick sending Kyoko backward.
Makoto roared out with pride while Kyoko started to get up on her feet. She didn't get the chance to however when Makoto grabbed her in a choke hold. Like her opponent was before, Kyoko felt the grip tighten nearly cutting off her air supply.
"Quick learner." Kyoko commented quietly. Suddenly, she reached back and grabbed Makoto by her head. With so much of her might, she launched her arms forward throwing Makoto to her front. Makoto turned around right when Kyoko ran up to her and kneed her in the stomach. She then raised her fists before striking down at her back with a double ax handle.
Kyoko turned Makoto over and wrapped her legs around her head. She squeezed her thighs hard making her gag out harder than ever. Makoto struggled to escape, but it was all in vain. After a minute, her struggling stopped and her limbs laid on the mat. The referee went to check on her. She raised Makoto's hand up before letting go and letting it fall to the floor. She raised it again and let it drop a second time. She raised it one more time before letting go. However, it didn't land on the mat. It stayed up surprising everyone, including Kyoko, who dropped her guard just enough for Makoto to slip out, roll over to the corner, and catch her breath.
Not wanting to waste the opportunity, Kyoko Natsumi ran up to Makoto for a strong kick. However, the teenager sidestepped and countered with a double palm strike to Kyoko's stomach. The kabuki staggered back and held onto her middle area feeling the impact still hit her. As that happened, Makoto ran right past her and jumped landing both her bare feet on the top rope. She slingshotted right off flying like a rocket toward Kyoko. Makoto spun herself landing a spin kick on Kyoko three times without touching the ground. After the final kick, Kyoko collapsed and Makoto landed back on her feet.
The referee checked on Kyoko raising her hand up. It dropped down to the ground. She raised it again and let it fall. She raised Kyoko's hand up while Makoto turned to the crowd and proudly raised her fist up. However, it proved to be premature. Kyoko's hand didn't hit the ground. Instead, she gripped it and started to stand back up.
Makoto turned and saw Kyoko stand back up to her feet. She gritted her teeth angrily and charged right at her. She gave one last kick, but Kyoko raised her hand to block it. With determination in her eyes stunning Makoto, Kyoko punched her backwards before running at her. Makoto didn't have time to dodge the Kabukick that struck her down to the ground. It was to hard, that Makoto collapsed without any signs of getting up. This time, the referee knew the kick had done the job and signalled for the bell.
DING-DING!
"Whoa! I've never seen such a powerful display of martial arts. Kyoko Natsumi managed to put on a masterful performance that helped her win the match. Ms. Rogue, how was this possible?"
"It's quite simple really. If this was a standard karate match, the match could have gone either way. But this was a wrestling match, which required a bit more than what Makoto has prepared for. Still, she put up one hell of a fight, so I see big things for her future. I don't know abou the rest of the fans, but I think there's room in Xtrema for Rindokan karate."
*Diana Diaz vs Lady Kai II*
The crowd was very mixed when Diana Diaz arrived. Some of the Xtrema fans loved Diana's hardcore methods while others hated her for taking things too far, especially what happened to the original Lady Kai. The giantess marched into the ring with fury in her eyes. She then awaited her opponent.
After Diana settled in, Lady Kai II suddenly appeared from an explosion of smoke at the stage, just like the original Lady Kai. Her appearance was almost similar to the original too, with the same black, sleeveless ninja outfit, ninja mask that covered the lower half of her face, and gloves. The only difference was that she wore black stockings over her legs and her hair was short and dark-red. She also wore a bandana with the Roman numeral for 2 on it. Lady Kai II jumped to the barricade and sprinted across it before jumped up from it and landing back in the ring. She gave a hateful look at Diaz who didn't seem intimidated at all.
"Here we are! Our heavyweight monstrosity, Diana Diaz, is going against the ninja newcomer, Lady Kai II. Ms. Rogue, a little background if you don't mind?"
"I don't. You see, Lady Kai II claims to be the most loyal follower of the original Lady Kai. Tragic befell on the original kunoichi the night she faced Diana Diaz, where our very own giant powerhouse broke her neck, effectively forcing her into retirement. So now, Lady Kai II has vowed to avenge her predecessor and carry on her legacy."
DING-DING!
Diana began with a charge to grab her opponent. However, Lady Kai II ducked under the grab attempt and shot both her legs to Diana's gut. The amazon took it and picked Kai up from the ground. She Irish whipped her to the ropes, but Kai returned with a front fipped followed by a dropkick.
Before the kick could connect, Diaz realized that this was just like how her match against the original Lady Kai began. She figured that the dropkick would go for her chest, so she focused her attention toward defending it. That proved to be a mistake. Lady Kai II didn't aim for Diaz's face. Instead, she impacted at her face. She jumped off of her head and landed behind her while the aggressive amazon stumbled backwards. Lady Kai II followed with a leg sweep that sent Diana Diaz falling to the mat.
Lady Kai II climbed up the nearest corner and took aim to Diaz's prone body. She jumped off and attempted an elbow drop. However, Diaz rolled away letting Kai crash to the ground. She clenched her elbow which stung royally. Diana Diaz then proceeded to stomp on the ninja's body over and over aggressively stepping on each body part. When she was done, she grabbed Lady Kai II by her red hair and forced her up. "You're just as aggravating as the first one. But don't worry. I'll make sure you end up just like her." Diaz gripped both her hands on Kai's throat and lifted her up. She then slammed her down to the mat harshly stunning her. She placed her foot on Lady Kai II and flexed both her arms for the crowd. The referee took the chance to count.
1… 2…
Lady Kai shot her shoulder up before the final count. Diana Diaz picked Kai up and put her in a bowing position in front of her. She then sent several knee shots to the ninja's face to further hurt her. She shot one last knee strike making her stand straight up. Diaz then tackled Lady Kai II crashing her to the corner.
Diana wrapped her large hand on her opponent's shoulder and kept her up while shooting punches down at her. Each strike felt like they could shatter bricks, which was not good for Lady Kai II. The referee stopped the onslaught, but Diaz wasn't done just yet. She raised Kai up and rested her on top of the turnbuckle before climbing up to join her. She then set her up before falling straight back in the ring with a suplex crashing them both down. Kai got the worst of it, which was why Diaz then hooked her leg for the pin.
1… 2…
Surprisingly, Lady Kai II kicked out. Getting closer and closer to rage, Diana Diaz picked her up and threw her to the ropes. She ran behind her ready to give her a monster clothesline, but she stopped when Lady Kai II leaped up and springboarded off the top rope. She flew high up until she landed on Diaz's shoulders where she proceeded to wrap her legs around her head.
Diaz was surprised, but her shock turned to pain when Kai shot a barrage of elbows to the top of her head. Diaz walked back until she got to the ring ropes where Kai hung over with her legs still wrapped around the amazon's neck. The referee counted to three before Lady Kai II let go. Diaz took a moment to cough out some air while the ninja stood on the apron.
Right when Diaz turned back to her opponent, Lady Kai II ran over to the corner and springboarded from the turnbuckles back into the ring. As she flew back in, she swung her knee that struck Diaz like a wrecking ball. Diaz groaned as she fell to the ground much to everyone's surprise.
It was at this point that Lady Kai II was exhausted. She was sore, tired, and pooped. She felt such relief when Diana Diaz laid on the ground motionless, so she decided to go for the pin. She was still sore, so she had to limp towards her prone opponent. But when she got close enough, Diana Diaz dropped her act and rushed back up. She caught Lady Kai II by surprise by wrapping her arms around her body and crushing it, almost immediately hearing the crack of her spine.
Lady Kai II widened her eyes feeling the numbness in an instant. She struggled to escape, but the more the fought, the tighter Diaz held on. She tried to strike at Diaz's head, but that only made the amazon angrier. There was no way she was going to escape, especially when Diaz dragged them both to the center of the ring just out of the rope's reach.
"You think I'm just going to let you humiliate me? Make me look stupid and weak?" Diaz asked angrily. "Your stupid name has no bearing over mine, and I will prove it to everyone! First you! Then my bitch of an ex-partner! Then that whore Rogue! Right until I finally get the victory which I'll actually enjoy and even love, the conquest of Queen Bee! But first things first! I'm going to break you in every way imaginable! Welcome to the world of wrestling! Here's your severance package!"
Diaz raised Lady Kai II up before slamming her down to the mat. She then mounted her and rained down several punches making Lady Kai II more and more bruised. She repositioned herself and raised one knee up. She picked Kai's head up and rested it on the knee. She raised one elbow up ready to slam it down and break her opponent's neck. Everyone gasped when she threw it down.
Thankfully, the elbow didn't connect. At the very last second, Lady Kai II grabbed the arm that almost broke her before wrapping her legs around Diaz's neck again. This time, Diaz fumed and threw Kai around harder than ever. Lady Kai II let go and leaned on the ropes.
Diana Diaz was seeing red now. She turned beck to Lady Kai II and fumed like a bull fighting a matador. She charged at full speed with the intent to kill. But that was when Lady Kai II made her move. With the ropes as leverage, she shot both her legs up before throwing them back down when Diaz got close enough. The first foot stopped Diaz in her tracks after impacting the top of her head. The second foot delivered the blow that sent Diana Diaz crashing to the mat face-first. The attack shocked everyone in the audience when Lady Kai II rolled Diana Diaz for the pin.
1… 2… 3!
DING-DING!
"IT'S OVER! AND WHAT A MATCH! After so much, Lady Kai II has avenged her hero! Never before have I… Wait, what's going on?"
Lady Kai II stood to pose for the crowd. But while she did that, Diana Diaz slowly returned to her feet. She grabbed Lady Kai II from behind and surprised her with a German suplex. Diaz then stomped hard on the victor cursing at her with every swear word in the dictionary. She then picked Lady Kai II up and readied to land the Diaz Drop right on the corner post of the ring.
Thankfully, Lady Kai II was saved of any further torment. Sayuri Rogue ran into the ring and dropkicked Diaz from behind making her release the ninja. Sayuri then raised Diaz up with a certain set up before landing a Downfall on her. After that, she picked up a microphone while towering over Diana Diaz.
"That's your final strike, Diaz! You've been nothing but a loose cannon ever since you joined Xtrema! You injured a wrestler who wasn't even contracted with us! You put some of my own wrestlers in critical condition! And now, you wanted to sully us on a big event like this! I've tolerated your arrogance for a long time, but no more! YOU'RE… FIRED!"
Diana protested after Sayuri pushed her out of the ring. She got violent which called up the backstage security. It took a whole army of people to force Diana Diaz out. After recovering, Lady Kai II watched with satisfaction as Diana Diaz was dragged out without any dignity left.
*Xtrema Shorts*
Monica Everly appeared in her Chibi form. She took a sip of cold water as she walked up to the stage. She greeted the crowd with kisses blown through the air. She sat next to a Chibi version of Amazon Aqua.
"Welcome to Xtrema Shorts! I'm Monica Everly, and man, was this a chapter! We've got an announcement coming up later, but for now, let's welcome back the mighty Queen of the Seas, Amazon Aqua! Thanks for being here, Aqua."
"Glad to be here, Monica."
"So, Ms. Aqua. I assume you're aware of how our Q&A works, but I'll just go over again for all the newcomers. I'll start with asking you a set of standard questions. Next, I'll ask questions that come from our readers. All you have to do is answer. You ready?"
"Ready."
"Good. First question… Who was your debut opponent when you first joined Xtrema?
"Well, like I said before, it was Calypso. You can imagine my surprise after learning that my new roommate was my debut wrestler. It was quite a challenge, but it was exciting. And I know she feels the same."
"What's it like facing Kaito?"
"Well, at first, it wouldn't be a fair fight. It's like putting a clownfish against an orca. But he has been improving lately, so who knows?"
"What do you think of Sayuri Rogue?"
"She's actually pretty fun to have as a boss. I really like how she keeps coming up with new events for us to wrestle in. They're pretty creative."
"Who's the easiest opponent you've ever faced other than Kaito?"
"Well, I'd say it'd be one of the Team Spirit girls. I mean, sure, together, they're a very formidable team, but individually and against my strength, I can easily beat either one of them."
"And now, we're asking the personal questions. Awesome ax10 asks… Who provokes you into Shark Mode the most?"
"Eris, of course. That woman makes it really hard to keep calm. I actually let my Shark Mode loose to see if it would break Eris' undefeated streak. But no. She turned the tables on me."
"What can you tell us about living with Calypso and what antics you two end up in?"
"Oh, believe it or not, she's a lot of fun. She's entertaining, she tells great stories, and she has great taste in music. Sometimes, we go out into the town to take in the sights, usually the lakes, sea, and dance clubs. We even stop by the gym to work out. Though, I focus primarily on my muscle mass and he works on keeping her dancer figure. But I digress."
"Have you ever thought about inventing your own type of match in the sea?"
"I do have an idea for an aquatic match actually. I call it a water cage match. Two or more wrestlers face off on a platform in the middle of the water. The rim of the platform would have those holes which shoot up blasts of water like a hose set to jet. It would look like a cage with bars made of water. The winner would be whoever's left standing after pinning, submitting, or throwing their opponents off the platform. It's still a work in progress, but I hope for it to be included in the next Summer Special."
"Thank you, Amazon Aqua. And funny you should mention the Summer Special." Chibi Monica turned to the readers. "First of all, I hope you enjoyed this Q&A. If you've got any questions for any of our wrestlers, just ask in the comments or PMs. Second of all, we've got an announcement regarding this year's Summer Special. Epiclot214 sincerely apologizes for the wait in between recent chapters. At this rate, getting through Xtrema Against the World is going to take longer than we planned. We're not canceling the Summer Special, mind you. No, quite the opposite, in fact. We're going to start it right now.
"In our next chapter, we will announce our Summer Special matches. There will be nine in total starting with one that will have standard rules. After that, our matches will have special rules to fit into the summer theme. Some will be familiar. Some will be new. We may even use some ideas from our friend, Awesome ax10, if they will allow it.
"Right now, we are currently trying to come up with a match card, so if anyone has any ideas for what to use, go ahead and suggest. We are also looking for a guest wrestler to join us if anyone has any ideas. For our first Summer Special, we had Bunny Bomber from Wrestle Angels. For our second, we had Mio Kusakai from Keijo. Who will this next guest be? But one of the biggest differences to this Summer Special will be this. In the first two, we had them on tropical beaches. This year, it will take place on a cruise.
"We apologize for this sudden break from XAW, but we want to get this Summer Special done
before the summer ends. We hope you understand and we hope you enjoy the Summer Special. Any and all comments are welcome."