Ouka Shumisen vs Cicilia De'Reighnhart

Ouka had flopped back to the mat several times in her attempts to get up, her arms slipping out from underneath her as she was slowly beginning to realize that the count to ten was drawing ever closer as she dug down deep, pushing into her arms to lock them as hard as she could to keep them from slipping out again! On her hands and knees, she took another deep breath, her body almost giving out on her again. But she wasn't going to, she wasn't going to give up, she needed to win against someone this stubborn!

Stubborn like her!

With a burst of adrenaline, Ouka managed to push herself up to her knees and scrambled up to her feet, stomping around the ring to keep herself upright as she reached out for anything that could keep her up as the referee threw her hands up!

"10!"

10!

"...N...No...!" Cicilia growled as her strength rallied to her just a second too late... She was still on one knee as the ref counted "ten", Ouka somehow managing to rise before her just in time! As if realizing that it had failed, the German's strength completely fled her, causing the boxer to fall back on her butt, supported only by her arms that pushed against the canvas behind her.

"Damn... So CLOSE!" She cursed, frustrated... She could've won that... DAMN IT, SHE COULD'VE WON! It was so damn close, she just couldn't get her strength to work for her! Hell... It was fun though. Cicilia couldn't help but smile as she took in breath after breath, laying back to recover... Yeah, it sucked that she lost but it was a good fight... She put up a damn good fight and Ouka was a very worthy opponent. She really put her through the wringer and didn't cheat to do it. She had to say... that was something she was starting to not take for granted anymore. AFW was a dangerous place full of psychos and assholes who would sooner shove your head in a locker and slam the door on your head than give you a fair fight and this was was nothing if not fair.

She respected Ouka Shimusen.

"Hey..." She gasped. "Good fight... Really... did a number on me..."

Ouka managed to get to her feet, barely in time as the referee signal for the bell and deemed Cicilia unable to continue and declared Ouka as victor! Immediately after hearing the bell ring, Ouka collapsed onto her knees as she fell onto her side, gasping out for air as she soon rolled onto her back coincidentally landing right next to Cicilia as she was too tired and battered to move and actually celebrate.

"Ha...ha...I did a number on you? Please....it didn't even look like that...I was wondering if you were ever going to stop..." she gasped out as she tried to move her hand up, slowly, to Cicilia's head to ruffle the work of the Juggernaut. "Keep it up kid...just a little more...and it would've been tough even for me to beat yo."

Cicilia fell back just as Ouka did, the two of them landing on their backs, too tired to move themselves properly... She couldn't tell if Ouka was just trying to be humble or what but the red-head seemed to put down her own victory!

"N...nonsense..." Cicilia argued, a faint smirk on her lips. "That was one of the hardest fight's I've ever fought... It was so close... You earned that victory, Ouka. Believe that." In response, the red-headed woman merely raised a hand atop the boxer's head, much to her confusion, ruffling her already displaced hair!

"Heh..." Cicilia smirked, turning her gaze up into the blazing overhead lights of the stadium. Even though she lost, the German was happy... Especially with how it ended... A true battle of the beasts right up until the end, every inch of ground gained earned honestly though brutal battle. Ouka's compliments... her encouragement... It seemed to tickle a gap in the boxer's heart that she didn't know was there... Now that she did... Cicilia seemed to understand what she'd been missing for so long.

Cicilia's fighting career was driven purely on negative motivations such as anger and revenge, spitting in the faces of her parents and sister to spite them for how they raised her. She grew up with her only encouragement being membership in the family, her existence always hanging by a thread. She couldn't remember a time where she heard words of praise or given a gift from them, a time where they seemed to show any affection for her... Hearing these things from Ouka... they filled that gap a little bit... Positive reinforcement.

...It felt... good...

"...Thanks..." She sighed, already medics from backstage rushing on to attend to them! Cicilia looked over at them through the rope-slits and she scowled, displeased that she would even need them... She didn't WANT their help... but she couldn't deny that if she tried to stand up now... she might just lose her lunch.

"...Hey." She called over to Ouka, raising her own hand up, just high enough for her to take. "...I want to fight you again..."

Ouka was always boisterous of her own talents, even to the point of undermining other's achievements with her own. But it was hard to do to Cicilia when the woman was capable and succeeded in smacking the fuck out of her head and knocking her silly throughout this match. Ouka continued to lay on the mat as more officials and ringside hands got into the ring to help the two up, but Ouka refused. She didn't need their help!

She wasn't going to let her victory have an asterisk next to it with being helped out of the ring, she was going to walk out of her on her own power! Just like how Cicilia was, there was no what Ouka was going to let her strong rival put her to shame that much!

Fighting up to her feet, Ouka staggered as she gasped out a large breath of air before raising her hand, showing her fans that she was the victor to finally bask in their admiration! She would look over to Cicilia who expressed a rematch in the near future as Ouka gave her a big smile, a challenging one. "Any time you want, I'll beat you again!" she proudly proclaimed!

Seeing Ouka attempt to force herself back up to her feet was nothing less than inspiring for the Juggernaut... While Cicilia was ANGRY that she was probably going to have to be carried out, her red-headed rival outright REFUSED that damn help and tried to push herself up! Well... FUCK THE HELP! She could do that too and she wasn't going to let herself look weak next to Ouka by getting carried away by mere medical staff!

God, it was a struggle... Cicilia almost felt like she was going to pass out on the way but taking on Ouka's example, Cicilia PUSHED herself up to her feet, forcing herself upright with every last ounce of strength that she had! She would've flipped the bird at the medics coming her way... but she didn't have the energy to be that much of a dick... Instead, she settled for an exhausted smirk to spread across her face, proud that she managed to get up without vomiting... God, this headache, though...

Ouka moved to raise her arm... but she would feel a hand just below her own as well, Cicilia helping lift it to show she acknowledged the red-head as her rival... for now, the damn brute! When she stated that she wanted another fight, Ouka flashed her the widest, toothiest grin the boxer had ever seen, her grin practically dripping with challenge! Ah, she could see that she wanted that rematch as much as Cicilia did!

Good... because she probably wouldn't leave her alone until she got one.

"Heh. Yeah... no. I'm going to kick your ass next time, Ouka. Count on that..." Flashing her rival one last smile, Cicilia would stumble towards the ropes, very NEARLY falling flat on her face... only to be caught by the medical staff...

WELL! She tried... even Cicilia had her limits... and they went only as far as to not struggle as she was carried backstage.