Kazuya Ono vs Makie Akamatsu

And that was two.

The ring shook as Makie crashed down hard against Kazuya, causing her fans to erupt into cheers as she nailed her male opponent with yet another impressive aerial slam. Rebounding off of Kazuya, she took a brief second to catch her breath, and take stock of the situation. Kazuya was now on his front, barely moving after taking the full force of that moonsault. It would have been so easy to pin him, here and now, and end this match. But Makie had already decided she was going to go for a third moonsault, for the following reasons:

Firstly, because her finisher, Hurricane Makie, involved three consecutive moonsaults in a row. It was her signature finisher, an absolutely decisive match-winner that she pulled out against her hardest opponents, and if nothing else, Makie liked to stick to style when it counted.

And secondly, because Kazuya was a jerk, and deserved nothing less.

Huffing, Makie clambered up to the corner post again. "ONE MORE TIME!" she shouted to her fans, causing them to cheer her on. And then, with a deep breath, she launched herself backwards again, describing a graceful arc in the air as she came down at Kazuya for, hopefully, a final, devastating moonsault!

Kazuya got the distinct sensation that Makie was going for a trifecta of moonsaults moreso out of vengeful malice than out of adhering to any semblance of showmanship or tradition. Just call it a hunch of his. Especially given that the rebellious street punk appeared as if he was primed and readied to be pinned after having his midsection pulverized twice in a row to frenetic applause and adulation from those less inclined to witness Kazuya walk out of this ring the winner tonight. As to whether he could have kicked out of a pin attempt at this point in the game, well even with his own manful pride he was willing to admit that may have been an unlikely prospect.

"...Dya, hell..." Kazuya muttered underneath his own haggard breath after overhearing Makie's bellowed intentions to tack on further aerial torment, the Bad Boy most definitely being the only one in the audience who would have voted against a third moonsault. What didn't help matters was that he was splayed out like an "X" which made for a seamless targeting reticle for Makie. An exhausted Kazuya seemingly glued to the ring canvas as his pectorals heaved with each gasping breath and an infrequent bobbing of his head off the floor, paralyzed and defenseless as an easy notch in her win column...were it not for Kazu's tucked in knees at the very last second!!!

The fans were clapping. Her heart was racing. This was it, Makie knew. The finale. The moment to decide this match once and for all. The moment to finish Kazuya off once and for all, and to win this match in grande style.

Taking a deep breath, Makie leapt backwards. Time seemed to slow as she described a slow, graceful arc downwwards, descending towards the prone Kazuya....

...and saw, in that slow motion, that her male opponent was bringing his knees up.

"Fuu--- was all Makie managed to say, in the scant half a second before Kazuya's knees spiked up into her vulnerable midsection.

The impact caused her to violently jacknife off of Kazuya's knees and go crumpling to her side. "AUUUUGH!" came her ragged scream as she toppled to the match, clutching her midsection as she curled up into a ball. Her breathing became ragged and hoarse as she was left winded by the blow, one eye screwed shut as unbelievable pain flooded her abdomen.

Around them, the crowd went wild, unable to believe just how many twists and turns this match had had so far.

Kazuya may have never gone hunting a day in his adult life, but the backalley brawler has been in enough street fights to know the merits of playing dead and biding one's time until the opportunity was right. A strategy he may have never thought to utilize if Makie hadn't spent so much time hyping up her fanbase and making a trilogy out of her moonsaults when one or two may have done the trick. Kazuya instinctively recognizing the patterns and audio cues to tuck in his legs right when Makie was already airborne and incapable of doing much about it except getting freakin' rekt upon splashdown.

"...Tch..." Kazuya himself swiveling around onto his front side, hunched over with his legs tucked in. Kazu gritting his teeth from the pulsating aches in his legs since Makie's moonsault still didn't lose any of its meteoric impact regardless of where it landed. A beastial instinct taking over as he punched his fist into the canvas before he latched himself onto his writhing adversary. Situating her neck underneath his armpit with both of his tightened legs snatched around her midsection in his Sit Down, Be Humble finisher. Intertwining their sweat-soaked physiques and making breathing that much more laborious for Makie...

Makie was panting hard for breath now as she lay on her side, cradling her midsection after it felt like a boulder had slammed into it. Which, all things considered, wasn't entirely inaccurate as she had propelled herself from a great height straight onto Kazuya's knees. Her legs kicked weakly at the mat as she tried to muster up the strength to stand, to get back into this fight and not let this jerk take the upper hand again. The sheer, overwhelming pain flooding her body right now, though, was giving her a very definitive no.

Despite Makie's ironclad determination and despite the fans cheering and chanting her name, it was Kazuya who got up first, pulling a barely moving Makie up onto her butt in a seated position. A second later, Makie's short-haired head was tucked under Kazuya's arm, her neck squeezed as the side of her head was mashed against his sweaty abs...before Kazuya's legs clamed around her already sore midsection, and squeezed. Makie tried to scream as sharp pain shot through the whole of her lower torso, but it came out as a strangled rasp as Kazuya's arm cut off her air circulation.

The crowd was going wild now, many screaming for Makie to escape. The ref girl was instantly in front of Makie, asking if she wanted to quit. Makie weakly shook her head, droplets of water flying from her damp hair as she pried weakly at Kazuya's arms, At this point, the two wrestlers were perspiring from this right match, their sweat starting to comingle in this close, almost sensuous embrace. Makie might have found it hot, admittedly, if she wasn't on the verge of passing out.

Pain and a lack of air began to overwhelm her, and slowly but surely, her vision began to go dark as her limbs began to feel leaden...