Neo League 0001 - NL#0034: The Main Man Hunter Grand vs Hotaru

Description: Her first trip to America has Hotaru Futaba facing off against the infamous The Main Man Hunter Grand. Able to pressure the veteran wrestler for a little while, eventually the cheap tricks come out and the ignominious heel secures his win. With a gift shirt left in his departure, Hotaru is starting to build up a strange collection of clothing based loss reminders! ( Winner: Grand )





Every now and then, the Neo League borrows the World Famous SlamMasters Arena to host its events, bringing publicity to the popular wrestling federations as well as saving themselves a big bill on building a new arena every time they want to host a match! This evening's event in the heart of Metro City is one of those times. Only an arena of this magnitude can contain the phenomenon that is The Main Man Hunter Grand. Only a crowd this huge can enjoy his presence. Only a ring with this rich history is deserving of his touch.

At least, that's what Hotaru Futaba, tonight's challenger, has been told by members of the officiating organization before the match. Given her new track record as a fighter, the young rookie has no place fighting someone with The Superior Star's fame and reputation. After his recent press announcement, there has been a lot of buzz about the egomaniacal infamous wrestler. With an already established track record as a successful wrestler, many fight fans were eager to see how he would make the transition into the more varied world professional fighting against non-wrestlers as well.

While wrestlers were known to be a focus to be reckoned with, there were also fighters who practiced other disciplines that seemed to make them legitimate threats. Karate, Kung Fu, Muay Thai, the list goes on. And then there were even some that didn't even seem to have a style at all beyond innate berserking violence. How would The Main Man hold up there?

For some reason, the Neo League officials have set him up with what should be a fairly simple test of his potential in the world of mixed martial arts. Hotaru Futaba, a young fighter with potential, dreams, and a whole lot of 'not winning' on her track record thus far. Compared to The Main Man, she is a relative nobody. Word is that she practices some kind of Kung Fu, looks strong enough to maybe outwrestle a mouse, and definitely seems to be finding her way along the difficult road of a professional fighter one step at a time.

A fight against someone so inexperienced might be beneath The Main Man, but League officials have arranged it for some reason. Maybe they want to feel him out. Judging how he does against the rookie fighter will give them a better sense of what more fitting matches he should be offered for in the future in order to garner maximum audience excitement. And if it just means some hopeful nobody out of Southtown gets crushed a little along the way, then there isn't much lost in the test, is there?

Per custom, the opponent considered the challenger enters the arena first, arriving from the tunnel doors on the south side and striding along the runway to the ring itself. One look at Hotaru will tell a lot about how she must fight. Lithe, petite, she probably isn't good at getting hit, which means, for her sake, she must have some speed on her side? She is dressed up in an adorable Chinese styled blue vest with white short puffy sleeves over her shoulders along with white trousers. The vest itself is made of expensive material including gold embrodery and an embroderied floral print in the fabric. Her medium lengthed black hair is tied off into a pair of pig-tails with large red ribbons on each side.

The announcers present her as an orphan from Southtown out to prove herself against the known wrestler, but given the quality of her fighting attire, she is either sponsored or not doing too poorly herself in spite her supposed orphened state. She clambors up into the ring, vaulting over the top rope to land on the springy surface. Sucking in her breath, she looks around with wide azure eyes at the full arena crowd. Just what has she gotten herself into /this/ time?

The arena falls into a cloak of darkness. Grand-O-Vision kicks in on the Wall of Grand, showing the Sunset Strip Skyline in all of its neon glory. A pair of hands looks to be lifting up the city of Las Vegas as Ladies & Gentlemen by Saliva starts pouring through the PA system: http://youtu.be/2xvshX3vAz0

One after another, gold hued spotlights swirl around, before collecting on the stage at the top of the ramp. It is there that a huge set of red, crushed velvet curtains have been erected. Flanking the curtain set up are six incredibly scantily clad females of the busty persuasion, three on each side. The seventh girl takes her sweet time with pulling the curtains open to reveal God's Grandest Gift: Hunter Grand decked out in his wrestling attire and wearing his shimmering gemstoned Robe of Grandeur and some slick shades. When he makes his presence known, the Wall of Grand starts flipping through various highlights of Hunter Grand in action, inside or outside of the ring.

Hunter takes his excruciating slow steps from within the curtains, his hands going up and out to present himself to the crowd. At a first glance it might make him look as though he's showing off the women, but they are there to make him look even better, not the other way around. He takes a few steps towards the ramp, before stopping and waiting for the spotlights to hit him center. During this stop, a pair of girls rushes to the front of him and sets down a huge roll of red carpet, which Hunter kicks and it rolls down the ramp and towards the stage. Now, it is safe for the The Grand One to make his walk.

His walk is almost too slow as he walks to the beat of his music, taking his time and making sure that his interactions with the fans look as though he is beloved by them. Which may or may not be the case. He grabs someone's drink and poses for a picture with it, before pouring it out on them and throwing the empty cup to the floor. He then goes for a high five with someone else, though it quickly turns into a slap upside the head. Knowing he's protected by the girls surrounding him and the barricade, he enjoys every moment of ruining the fans day as he wanders through and to the ring.

Once at the ring, he holds his arms out and one of his girls peels the Robe of Grandeur off him and the others climb up onto the apron. He takes the robe from the girl and gifts her with a kiss on the cheek before laying out on the floor in front of him. It is then that she drops down onto it, on all fours. Hunter reaches up to grab the outstretched hands of two of his women and they pull him up towards the apron, as he uses the kneeling girl as a "step" to get to the apron. As he turns around to raise his hands to the crowd, the girls bend to open the ropes, allowing His Royal Grandness to climb through them and heads to the center of the ring. One after another, the girls duck through the ropes after him, coming up on both sides of him. The final girl crawls in, wearing the Robe of Grandeur, and she kneels in front of him, facing out to the crowd.

The Grand Entrance Music fades and Hunter Grand is given a microphone by some useless stage hand. His harem begins to disperse as he looks out at the crowd and brings the microphone up to his lips. The boos are growing louder and louder but Hunter Grand stands his ground. "Yes, yes. I know. I know you can hardly believe your eyes. I know that your hearts are a flutter with emotion right now. But I can assure you that what you're seeing is real. I am here. I am standing right here in what will henceforth be known as the GrandMasters Arena." Yeah, the boo-ing reaches a level of volume that can't even be registered. "Yes, that's right. The Main Man Hunter Grand has arrived! And in a few brief moments, I will be proving that, once again, I am the End All and Be All of Sports and Fighting Entertainment." With those words, Hunter offers a quick glance over to his opponent and then he's turning back to the crowd with a huge smile on his face.

%"You're Welcome."

And with that, Hunter tosses the microphone out of the ring. It's time.

COMBATSYS: Grand has started a fight here.

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Grand            0/-------/-------|




Focusing on controlling her breathing and thinking about how to look as unnervous as possible, the young Kung Fu artist from Southtown is suddenly treated to the most ostentatious, pretentious fighter introduction she has ever seen in person. The highlights footage is nothing too unusual. She's seen plenty of that kind of staging on the streams on fightvids.com, especially when an arena hosted a regionally known presence. And the loud music is nothing too different from the exciting intros demonstrated at SLAMFEST 2014.

But the six women escorting her opponent all the way to the ring? /That/ is extravagant, to say the least. The young Asian fighter sucks in her breath, feeling immediately defensive at the sight of seven curvaceous beauty queens accompanying her opponent. Given her petite figure, it's hard to blame the young fighter for suddenly feeling a touch self-conscious about the whole affair.

The red carpet, the feminine step ladder, the way Hunter Grand enters the ring not only like he owns the place but that everyone here in attendance owes him one just for letting them be here in the first place. The magnitude and flamboyance of it all is almost dizzying for the school student from across the sea and it would only take a quick glance in her direction to detect that she was definitely feeling in over her head and not terribly sure of herself. Just who is this guy? He must be the most incredible fighter ever! Why is she fighting him?!

And then he's got a mic in his hand and starts giving a spiel and the pig-tailed girl swallows nervously. A speech? No one told her she needed to have a speech prepared. Why did no one tell her this! Fortunately for sake of that brief panic attack, the mic is tossed away and it looks like no one in the entire building is expecting the young fighter to give them a rousing speech. Mostly because right now everyone is raging furiously at The Main Man. Good heavens, what kind of train wreck is this?! As this is her first time in the ol' US of A, she had expected the crowd to be cheering for her Western opponent, not wishing for his demise!

Trying to get her nerves back under control, Hotaru lifts her hands to fiddle with her right hair ribbon, giving the beribboned bow a nice tug to make sure it's taut. It helps take her mind off the insanity of this setup for a moment. Sucking in her breath, closing her eyes, the girl presses her hands together, hand over fist, and bows her head toward The Main Attraction. Her mouth moves to say something, but it's literally impossible to hear the polite greeting offered by the martial artist.

It's obvious that she's ready though, lifting her hands up, left hand held out defensively, right hand cocked back for striking. The bell rings to start the match but it goes unheard for several seconds, so loud are the jeers from the crowd, so Hotaru just keeps standing there in her ready pose, wondering what's going on.

Finally, she glances to the side to notice the official outside the ring waving at her and Grand frantically trying to get the match started and Hotaru sucks in her breath, whirling forward to face Hunter. Okay. Fighting. That she knows. At least she thinks she does?

She takes off like a speeding bullet from her side of the ring, her target the seemingly infamous wrestler. The cry of the crowd gets even louder, the entire stadium rumbling now that the match has begun. Weaving in close, the girl's hands would shoot to try and get a grip on the tall man's arms. From someone as short as her, it might seem a non-threat, but if she DOES get that hold, she will immediately use his arms as levers by which to pull herself up into a series of rapid stomping kicks right up the front of His Grandness culminating with a backflip delivered by kicking off of his Smug Mug!

If he escapes her attack, the girl will simply be left grasping for air, leaning too farward forward into her eager early blitz which might cost her on timely defense.

COMBATSYS: Hotaru has joined the fight here.

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Hotaru           0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0            Grand


COMBATSYS: Grand fails to counter Shinjou Tai from Hotaru with That Escalated Quickly.

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Hotaru           0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0            Grand


His Royal Grandness is completely and utterly ready for anything and everything when he's in the ring. He's focused on what is exactly the most important right now and that's... his cell phone? No, seriously, The Main Man Hunter Grand is standing in the middle of the ring and he's sending out a couple of texts. You see, it probably is in his best interest to not be too worried about a little girl that's in the same league as him. Or supposedly. No, The Grand One has an entire Grand Wagon that he needs to keep in touch with. Even while he's performing.

@HunterGrand: Another Victory Coming Soon.
@HunterGrand: Don't Be Yourself. Be Grand.
@HunterGrand: Annie sucked.

The tweets roll in with practiced ease before Hunter realizes that things are afoot. And he drops his cell phone to slide it out of the ring. Not that he's worried about it being broken or anything. He's rich. He can get a new one with incredible ease. No, he's just moving it out of the way so that he can get to what he needs to get to and that's Victory.

As Hotaru closes in on him, The Grand One rolls his eyes and smirks. He lets her get in close and reaches out to grab her and throw her up into the air. Normally, this would go off without a hitch and he would make sure she ate a bunch of ring canvas with her face, but fate seems to have other plans. His hands slip off their grip and before he even understands what is happening, he's getting rapidly kicked all up in his chest, stumbling him backwards. There's a final kick that sends him down to the mat and his opponent away from him, as he crumples from the dual impact.

His body bounces twice before he flips over onto his stomach and scrambles haphazardly for the ropes. He grabs at them and pulls himself up into a half-seated arrangement, leaning and hanging on the ropes as he stares in his opponent's direction. In disbelief. What... what just happened?!?!



"Ya, ya, ya!" Hotaru's cries are drown out by the cacophony of excitement surging throughout the arena. This is what people pay to see. This is what it's all about. The Grandstandingest of All getting a facefull of foot from the young unassuming Kung Fu artist. It's justice, the American Way, right here in the Slammasters Arena for all to see. At least, that's about the best anyone can make of it with how riled up the crowd are and how thunderingly loud the cheers get over his fall to the mat.

The young fighter lands closer to the center of the ring following her successful attack, arms out at her sides, feet apart in a low, ready stance. That was close. She almost got caught. Maybe reckless charges into the face of danger AREN'T the best call here? On the other hand, she's still standing and her opponent just took a fall then pulled himself up by the ropes. It's all the spark of hope the young pig-tailed fighter needed. She can do this, she tells herself. She can fight on this man's level even if he is over a foot taller and twice her weight in muscle mass, she has a chance here. Maybe this will be her big break?!

But then her eye glances down toward the side of the ring where a small device sits just on the edge of falling off the apron. Is that a phone? Was he on a phone when she attacked? Wait, maybe she misread the look from the official? Azure eyes widen as the girl glances to the side to look at the announcer but he isn't signalling for her to stop, so... maybe she isn't in trouble yet? She'd really hate to blow it in front of a huge audience like this!

Okay. Then she is going to continue. Sucking in her breath, Hotaru looks back toward Hunter with resolve in her eyes. He might be here to remind everyone why he is The Main Man they all need to know about, but she is here to prove that she can be a contender, that she should be taken seriously!

Another charge at him... maybe she should let him recover fully? But that would mean laying off the pressure and she isn't about to do that. When she gets within her limited range, the girl weaves low, then slides up, attempting to slam both of her palms into Hunter Grand's stomach. Given their height differnce, his steely abs are probably the best target the smaller fighter has. She may not look like much, but the girl seems to know how to throw a punch, with all her leg, torso, and arm muscles acting in perfect unison to drive the heels of her hands into him. "HAA!"

COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Grand with Strong Punch.
Grazing Hit

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Hotaru           0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0            Grand


Maybe trying to use the ropes as some kind of defensive tactic? Not the best idea. Because The Main Man Hunter Grand attempts to get himself out of the way of what looks to be a very strong placement of hands coming in his direction. His body movements are slower than he likes because one of his arms has gotten caught between the ropes and when he tries to get out of the way, all he does is get tangled up even more. His gut is slammed into and he goes toppling over and through the ropes and down to the arena floor.

The crowd is going absolutely nuts for Hotaru. No, seriously, they are loud as hell. Take a second to bask in the glory of whooping up on The Main Man.

The Superior Star, however, is not going to just let himself be embarrassed like that. He groans as he flips over to get back up to his feet. While kneeling, he slams his fist into the floor and then winces because it hurt like hell. With a growl that turns into a sinister smirk, The Main Man Hunter Grand reaches out and underneath the ring.

Suddenly, The Grand One is back on his feet and sliding into the ring with an epic level of quickness. The moment his body is inside, he's popping to his feet and giving a mighty swing at Hotaru's skull with something in his hands. Something that looks a little bit like...

IS THAT A FOLDING CHAIR?!?!

COMBATSYS: Hotaru blocks Grand's Random Weapon.

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Hotaru           0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0            Grand




It's easy to get caught up in all the excitement. This is literally the most enthusiasm any crowd has ever had for the young fighter. Sure, she is cute in her own adorable little way, but compared to the stunningly gorgeous fighters out there, there's not a lot she has to go on with regards to looks. And she is nice and polite and has a generally agreeable personality. Because of course she does. But what she isn't is a martial arts power house. Her fights have generally been losses, and even her rare victories are nail bitingly close. To have the American crowd suddenly so excited about every step she makes is... definitely an overwhelming experience for the rookie!

She isn't sure she really got a solid hit on The Main Man Hunter Grand. There was definitely some contact of skin against skin, but there wasn't that resistance to it that a clean strike should have had. If it wasn't for the ropes at his back, he might have escaped her assault cleanly all together. Still, she did /something/, and for that she can feel proud, taking a step back to look out over the packed seats with eyes wide with awe at the spectacle of it all.

But the girl knows better than to let her guard down, turning back to where she saw Grand flip out of the- wait, he's already back in, and he's charging! She was in time to not be caught completely off guard, but she's also not going to have enough time to escape the incoming attack. Arms raise up into the path of the illegal instrument. Or, at least, it would be illegal if this was using regulation wrestling rules. Which is isn't!

Heihachi Mishima's brand of mayhem for the Neo League is... very light on the rules, really.

A painful crack of metal against bone echoes out. He may not have got her clean in the head, but he still got her hard enough to send the girl stumbling down hard into a seated position on her rear, the wince on her face and the clenched teeth hiss of pain escaping her lips making it clear the small fighter is really feeling that one.

She isn't counting on Grand being gracious and letting her stand, however, which is why she launches herself back up with a press of hands and feet against the mat, rising in his direction in hopes of getting so close he can't swing that chair at her again. Because that /hurt/!

"I question your fighting ethics!" the girl squeaks as she reaches for Grand's arm, attempting to hook her own hand in and force him to drop the chair to respond. If she gets a tight enough hold, she would lock her arm in his then kick off with her feet, attempting to pull his arm harshly behind his back. Either it could end up twisting it at a painful angle, or he might need to let her twist him to the ground to avoid the worst of the damage as the Japanese Kung Fu artist attempts to out grapple the man in the ring!

COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Grand with Medium Throw.

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Hotaru           0/-------/---====|======-\-------\0            Grand


The Grand One was not expecting there to be such retaliation so easily. He was pretty sure that the chair shot would be the equalization he needed to put this girl away. Instead, the next thing he knows, he's without the chair and his arm is getting twisted up behind him in some serious pain. He winces and attempts to fight through the pain but the girl is pretty strong. He would be impressed if he was the type to be impressed by anyone but himself.

He's not, by the way.

Hunter narrows his eyes as he clenches his teeth. "I must say that I find your methods lacking." How he manages to continue his superior tone of voice while biting through the pain of his arm being wrenched like so is a mind boggling phenomenon. "I mean, surely, you wouldn't stoop so low as to try and attack me while I was on the phone? Hmm? You wouldn't do such a thing and then have the gall to question The Superior Star's Code of Ethics?" Yes, Hunter Grand is attempting to see if he can't attack this girl's psyche enough so that he can get a little leverage to pry his arm free.

If he manages to pull this off, the only movement left will be a spinning of his heels to get behind her and the immediate application of a sleeper hold.

COMBATSYS: Hotaru dodges Grand's Choke Hold.

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Hotaru           0/-------/---====|======-\-------\0            Grand




Trying to twist him to the ground by way of his arm is only partially successful but that's to be expected given the difference in stature here. It doesn't mean she doesn't get a solid wrenching of the held limb in though, and at the very least, she's gotten him to drop the chair to the ring floor. She /really/ doesn't want to take another thwack from that!

But at the same time, he's turned her own accusation back around on her. Oh. Right, there was that incident with the phone. It's easy to see by the way she releases his arm and takes a step back that it's had at least some impact, Hotaru's hands raised defensively as if protesting the accusation, "I apologize, I didn't notice at the time!" She would probably explain further if he wasn't so swift to take advantage of her hesitation but getting a grip on the tiny fighter proves more difficult than expected as she darts forward with a lean, ducking under his powerful arms.

Whirling around to raise her arms back to the defensive, the girl looks at least somewhat less likely to accuse him of bad ethics now that her own potential oversight at the start of the match has been so kindly pointed out. In fact, it seems to be making her hesitate all around. But wait- isn't this like how Roland fought her? Constantly shifting accusations back on her until she was so confused she couldn't even think straight?

Hotaru grits her teeth, raising her hands to the defensive position again, reminding herself to keep her head in the game. Just from feeling the power behind that chair strike, she knows full well that Hunter Grand's physical prowess is no joke. And she is really dreading him getting his hands on her. But she is, at heart, a melee fighter, and thus must engage again.

Sucking in her breath, the girl charges for The Main Man again. Only this time she takes to the air in a forward flip, slamming her right foot down, aiming to jam her heel against the top of his head and using it as a spring board to flip away to the other side of him in her ongoing effort to engage in hit and run tactics on the much more physically built fighter in the ring!

COMBATSYS: Grand dodges Hotaru's Koushuu Da.

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Hotaru           0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0            Grand


The Main Man Hunter Grand is not as quick as his opponent. That much is very obvious. He does, however, possess a ring awareness that probably gives him just a little bit of an edge. In all actuality, it probably evens things up a bit. She's small and quick. He's somewhat powerful and perhaps more well suited for the environment in which they are having their momentous combat occasion. And, well, if you ask Hunter, he's light years beyond her in experience and skill.

He's the Grandest of All Time. Haven'y you heard?

Recovering from his horrible attempt at choking the life out of this girl, he spins around just in time to see that she's headed in his direction, once again. An eyebrow is raised and he watches her as she comes towards him. He ponders going for another movement as before but realizes that might be a bad idea. Instead, when she goes into the air for her flip, he rolls on his heels and out of the way.

No words or snarky banter as he keeps his eyes on Hotaru. Instead of putting space between himself and his opponent, he presses his offense for a moment. Taking a couple of steps towards her projected landing trajectory and he leaps into the air. Both feet come up and he aims those booted heels right for where her face should be. This should give him the opportunity to turn the tide in what has become something of a harder battle than he initially realized.

COMBATSYS: Grand successfully hits Hotaru with GTFO.
-+- CALCULATED HIT -+-

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Hotaru           0/-------/<<<<<<<|=======\-------\0            Grand




Exchange after exchange, it seemed like the smaller fighter was slowly squeaking out an edge over the man who managed to draw nothing but ire from the audience with his initial Grandstandingest Entrance and monologue. The crowd was getting what they wanted - an intense fight, a heel getting shown whatfor, and a mixture of close quarters melee combat and high flying acrobatic stunts.

From Hotaru's perspective, she's managed to narrowly avoid and barely connect against the larger fighter, but this is normal for her hit and run style of engagement. So far, it seems to be working. Airborn, she slams her heel down for top of The Main Man's head in an attempt to use his skull as a launch point to spring further away. But at last, Hunter Grand draws upon his instincts and escapes the strike, leaving the girl to land hard where he had been an instant before.

Initially she doesn't think she has to worry about having missed him. After all, he spends so much time showboating after each attack or defense that she probably has plenty of time to recover balance, restore her ready stance, and even plan her next course of action before he'll ever swing back... right?

Apparently not! Rising up to standing, the young Kung Fu artist's eyes widen as a tremendous drop kick from the over six foot tall wrestler comes hurtling her way. A desperate raise of her arms to try and not get crushed proves completely futile as his heels collide directly on with the smaller fighter's head. The impact is enough to send her flying against the ropes before flopping forward to the mat with a light bounce before coming to rest.

One can hear the collective gasp from the packed stadium. A hit like that... did she just get knocked right the hell out? The Southtown Hopeful's own view on the matter is only slightly different but not significantly better. She's definitely not knocked out. That would hurt less! Hands press against the mat as she shifts her knees beneath her. She needs to get backup, she tells herself. She didn't come all this way just to get taken out in one solid, devestating hit!

She's on her feet within seconds though looking a bit less steady for a moment. Blood trickles from her mouth where a small bump confirms where she had taken the hit. Lifting her arm to wipe across her lips, she exhales, eyes locked on The Main Man. "You are a lot more dangerous when not making a scene," she allows hesitantly. She can't allow herself to get intimidated. Not now.

Sucking in her breath, she sprints forward again. Another leap forward, hands leading the way, as she attempts to land on the much taller fighter's shoulders in a perfectly balanced handstand.

If she succeeds, he would only have a moment to respond to the curious attack before the girl would flip around and drop down behind him, attempting to wrap her arms around HIS neck as she falls, feet aiming for his lower back, as she tries to pull him backward hard with a solid locked on hold around the strong wrestler's neck. If he were a smaller man, it might even be enough to pull him into a backward fall... but that's unlikely to happen here with their size disparity, right?

COMBATSYS: Grand dodges Hotaru's Ten Rankutou.

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Hotaru           0/-------/<<<<<<<|=======\-------\0            Grand


There's a smile on Hunter's face the moment he feels those heels of his boots connect with the face of the girl that has been giving him so much trouble. Honestly, she really has been a pain in his ass. And now that he's managed to slow her down with a well placed and perfectly timed dropkick, The Grand One feels as though there will be some turning of the tide. Or, well, at least that's part of the plan.

Recovering from hitting the mat himself, The Superior Star rises back to his feet almost as quickly as he hit the mat. His legs immediately wheeling him backwards to put some space between himself and his opponent. He watches her get back to her feet, his eyes narrowed in an insidiously stalking manner. He appears to be looking to press the attack. It's almost like he's a shark that is starting to smell blood. He looks primed and poised to strike at any moment.

"Wrong." The Grand One finally decides that this opponent is worth a response. "The Grand One makes a scene... dangerous."

With his corrective speech implemented, The Main Man catches sight of the girl going airborne once again. This time he chooses to duck completely underneath her attempts to land on him. He jogs right under those legs and off in the direction of those ropes. Smiling as he turns to bounce onto them, he uses the added push to send him off in the girl's direction. Now this is where his ring awareness comes into play. As his body nears her in a rebounding jog, he takes to the air and soars towards her, one arm extended to try and catch her around the head, as he attempts to swing around her body and bring her down, head first, right onto that steel chair that had given her so much trouble a few moments before.

COMBATSYS: Hotaru attempts to interrupt Crushing Throw from Grand with Tenshin Shou EX.

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Hotaru           1/-------/<<<<<<<|=======\-------\0            Grand




Now that Hotaru has truly seen The Superior Star's footwork, she understands he is far faster than she took him for at first. His distracted nature and his failed attempts to use the ropes to his advantage had left her unsure as to his full potential. But after he avoided her heel stomp, she had a better idea of it and prepared herself for the possibility that he would escape her attempted grappling as well.

When he moves, she completes her forward flip, landing on her feet instead of the handstand she was aiming for at first. She whirls around, hands raised, feet braced, ready to respond to another instant attack like the dreaded drop kick that nearly took her out. The throb of that impact is still a constant ache in her face, but she's determined to suppress the pain long enough to see this through. There will be plenty of time to mope about facial bruises later, right? Nothing a little makeup can't hide!

But this time he doesn't charge immediately, instead chosing to respond to her observation with words that imply both threat and clarification. Sapphire blue eyes narrow back at him, her arms raised and ready. She'll show him danger! Or get painfully slammed against the dropped chair, possibly, if things don't go her way.

Rather than run, the girl decides to take the larger fighter head on. Bending her knees, she tenses up, waiting for him to close in with his airborn attack. Throwing it all on the line, the Futaba girl springs upward, coming uncoiled with a single, desperate leap into his chest. Her attack takes the form of a crushing, rising shoulder slam that might knock him right back the way he came?

COMBATSYS: Grand reverses Tenshin Shou EX from Hotaru with Down Syndrome.

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Hotaru           1/----===/=======|=======\-------\0            Grand


This is getting intense. If it wasn't obvious from the way things were going back and forth between The Grand One and his opponent, the constant cheering and booing from the crowd was becoming louder by the second. Although, none of the cheering ever seemed to be for His Royal Grandness. Not that he seemed to mind in the least.

The Grand One, however, doesn't particularly account for the fact that this girl is as quick and spry as she is. His attempt to take her down into the chair for some re-introduction is met with her slamming into his chest in some twisted attempt to take him out before he can get a good grip on her.

His eyes almost go wide as her ascent approaches and he does the only thing he can think of to do: Catch Her. While still in the air, he compensates for her drive into his chest and slings an arm behind her head as her shoulder comes to push into him. He lets both her force and gravity do the rest as he just falls backwards, his arm aiming to put some pressure on the drop, as he still aims to bring that skull of hers right down onto that chair that started this mess in the first place.

If there's one thing that The Grand One can count on, it is the elusive and variable nature of the DDT.



She's got him now. Airborn, descending, her timing is perfect. She'll slam upward into him, maybe making him land gasping, putting an end to those smug comments of his. Of course, she'd let him recover his breath even if she did. The girl is a determined but by no means ruthless competator-

Her surprise at getting caught out of the air is beyond overwhelming. Normally she'd find a way to try and wiggle free, or twist out of his grip to improve her odds at the last moment. Maybe if she saw it coming, she could have corrected in time to avoid getting caught by that hooking arm. But as the two fighters meet in the air, the breadth of experience The Main Man has at aerial tactics shines through and the smaller fighter's trajectory comes to an abrupt and utter stop.

There's nothing she can do to brace, no chance to save herself, her entire body driven down with their combined weight. At least the mat is springy- The sound of denting metal is enough to elicit a cringe from just about anyone in attendance as the back of the poor girl's head hits it with all the downward force the experienced wrestler brought to bear!

All she can see is stars and flashes of pain as she lays sprawled out on the mat, the back of her head still pressed against the nefarious metal chair. Eyes closed, body limp, it looks like the little contender might be out cold at last, scoring The Main Man his victory...

But the stubborn Kung Fu artist seems resolved not to quit yet. Groaning, she rolls onto her side, right hand moving to rest against the back of her head. She realizes then her mistake. She had not done anything about the chair after getting him to drop it. A more savy fighter might have thought to kick it out of the arena so that it could not be turned against them. A painful lesson... learned now, perhaps to help later.

Pushing up to her feet, she turns around until facing Hunter Grand again. Squinting her eyes to try and clear her vision, she sucks in her breath. She might only have one attack left in her. She needs to make it count. No holding back, nothing saved for later. She has to get him /now/!

A spiteful kick to the dented chair sends it sliding over and beyond the apron of the ring, her mouth curled into a faint frown. She wants to scold him for using a chair on her like that; wants to say it wasn't fair. But she can't forget the horrible but educational experience she had against Roland Brown. This is a battlefield and there's no point in being a whiner abotu tactics!

Lowering her hand from the back of her head, she grits her teeth. "I guess," she forces herself to say, "I guess that's how it is." It's the best the poor addled girl can do in her condition.

More dangerous than her lack of witty rejoinders, however, is her counter attack. Mind made up, the girl blitzes toward the man, sliding into a low stance from a meter out, arms out at her sides. "Tenshou...!"

An explosion of sapphire chi sends the girl flying upward into a crushingly strong rising backflip. Her muscle power alone would not be the sort topple a man as strong as Hunter Grand, but the magnitude of brilliant energy the girl has summoned to augment her attack just might do the trick!

COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Grand with Tenshou Ranki.

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Hotaru           0/-------/-------|=======\=====--\1            Grand




Maybe her striking power is fueled by righteous indignation. Maybe she can only use chi in sudden, explosive bursts of determination. Whatever the case, the kick that explodes into The Main Man is beyond anything she had delivered thus far this fight. It's enough power to topple even the large Hunter Grand as the lithe fighter goes airborn. "Ranki!"

A forward flip into a dive has her colliding back into him, tackling him to the mat, the two sliding to a stop with the Kung Fu fighter mounted on top of him, her knees in his chest, her hands pressed against his sternum, teeth grit as a sudden swell of additional chi bubbles up around the girl into a large hemisphere of azure power.

"aaaaaaaaAAAAAAH!"

When she builds it to the limits she can muster, the girl allows the energy to crash back down into her, her arms serving as conduits, her palms pressed against Hunter Grand's sternum the focal points of a point blank, huge chi explosion. It's enough that the ring beneath the two of them caves a little, its surface bowed in by the incredible concussive force The Main Man finds himself burried under for an instant.

The aftermath has Hotaru exhaling in exhaustion. She poured all her energy into that assault and is already starting to push up from off his chest in hopes of backing away before he can retaliate. Maybe he's finished after that? She can hope. But if not, she doesn't want to be caught recovering before he's back in action!

Silence.

It is strange for the entire arena to fall into silence. There are still some lingering sounds from people but for the most part silence has become the order of the moment. The reasons for this silence vary from person to person. Some are silent because of the nature of what just happened. Some are silent because of the true power of Hotaru being realized and shown. Some are silent because while they want to see Hunter Grand get his just desserts, they don't want to see him dead. And still, there are others, who are just damn speechless. It's all very real and very complicated.

The Main Man Hunter Grand is caught full on by the powerful chi-boosted attack of Hotaru. His body is not ready for such an explosion of skill and power. Caught and taken down to the mat with power and ease, Hunter's seeing stars before the rest of the pain kicks in. He can't move, even as he watches Hotaru summon forth such an incredible amount of power. And the resulting explosion of it into his chest and body does nothing but burn him right through to his core and soul. Righteous indignation, indeed. His body convulses and writhes from the chi that has been forced into his body and there may even be smoke coming from him as it takes a few moments for that body to actually calm itself down. This, of course, is a long moment after the ring itself manages to still remain standing. Barely.

The Grand One doesn't even notice when Hotaru is no longer on top of him. His eyes are closed. His body is bruised. His breathing is ragged. He is in some seriously bad shape. But if there's one thing that The Grand One knows how to do, it's how to play possum. And doesn't move. Not for a long moment. He just waits. He listens and waits until it seems as though his opponent is in the right position. He listens to those feet, making sure she's backed away and listens for the slightest 'turn' of them. And that's when he springs. Like a bear trap.

Fueled by vengeful adrenaline, The Superior Star's body rolls towards Hotaru and rises right up. As he rises, he turns his body around, reaching backwards in an attempt to grab Hotaru's by the arm and the head. His movements aiming to grab her in the classic neckbreaker position. However, instead of dropping, he turns quickly to the side, attempting to pull Hotaru's head off his shoulder and down towards the sudden raised knee that The Grand One has extended for the sole purpose of smashing and breaking Hotaru's face.

COMBATSYS: Grand successfully hits Hotaru with Grand Finale.

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Hotaru           1/------=/=======|==-----\-------\0            Grand




On her feet again, the young fighter is caught in that uncertain gap of time where it becomes unclear if she has already won or if there is still a victory to put everything on the line for. Staggering back away from the prone Main Sensation, she gasps for breath, right hand lifting to rest fingers just below the base of her neck, her pig-tails draped against her shoulders. Her head hurts furiously, but she would suffer that pain again to enjoy the prospects of victory this night. It is all just one more agonizing step along this difficult road she has chosen.

Hunter Grand isn't moving though and the moments are ticking by. This isn't a wrestling match. The girl doesn't have to go for a pin or secure a ten count to be declared winner. Like any Neo League battle, the fights last until there is a clear, undisputed victor and there is no room left for doubt or ambiguity between the two. Either one of them will be taken out, or they both will. There is no other possible outcome.

Breathless with exhaustion and anticipation, she watches the infamous wrestler as the seconds pass. How long will be long enough, she wonders. How long before the officials declare it her win, her first victory among the challenging Neo League circuits?

Uncertain, the young, less experienced fighter makes a critical mistake. She turns around to look toward the event administrators running tonight's venue, a questioning look in her eyes naive eyes. Many in the audience are calling out for the visitor from across the sea to pay attention to Grand, noticing the man is suddenly on the move. Even the official is waiving his arms at the girl, trying to get her to stop waiting on him to call the match and pay attention!

Unfortunately, understanding clicks too late. Eyes widen, the young fighter attempting to turn back toward where she last saw The Main Man lying, but she's too late. His arm snakes around her neck and under her shoulder, the smaller fighter pulled clean off her feet by his superior height. Her free arm flails, fingers trying to pry herself free. Already, she realizes that she might just have lost the fight if she can't extricate herself from the choking hold around her throat.

It looks grim for the Southtown sweetheart as her face begins to turn red, feet kicking at Hunter Grand's mighty back. The audience can only watch the dislay of violence from the stronger wrestler.

But just when it looks like it can't get any worse, he twists her around his shoulder, dropping the petite challenger downward, her face impacting his solid knee. A collective gasp echoes out from the stands as the diminuitive contender bounces off his knee, blood pouring from what is undoubtedly a very broken nose as she flops flat against the mat, arms out at her sides, eyes already closed.

Unlike The Main Man's Main Plan, it becomes abundantly clear that the limp Hotaru Futaba is out cold.

There will be no choice but for the officials to call the match, begrudgingly or otherwise, for Hunter Grand. And at least they know, without a doubt at this point, he can definitely draw a crowd. In this business, there's no such thing as bad publicity, right?

COMBATSYS: Hotaru takes no action.

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Grand            0/-------/-----==|


COMBATSYS: Hotaru can no longer fight.

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Grand            0/-------/-----==|


There's a lot of things that happen in the moment of impact of Hotaru's face to The Grand One's knee. The crowd is devastated. The Superior Star is delighted. And blood is everywhere. It is really a pretty (gross) sight.

The Main Man stumbles backwards after the impact, still dizzy and wobbly from getting served just moments before. He actually has to lean against the ropes to keep himself up. He watches closely as Hotaru doesn't seem to be moving. It isn't until the officials ring the bell does The Grand One pull himself all the way back up to his feet. He wobbles even then, but his hands go up in victory!

One by one his harem climbs into the ring, either to help him stay standing or to hand him something. One of which is a Hunter Grand t-shirt which gets the classic 'You're Welcome' autograph message scrawled onto it. With that done, The Superior Star drops the shirt on Hotaru's body.

Dizzy, His Royal Grandness is led to the ropes by some of his women and eventually he manages to climb out of them, with their assistance. His music is cued up and The Grand One makes haste for backstage.

Somewhere in the ring, it may be eventually noticed that there's something metal lying there, not too far from Hotaru. A small metal plate. One that would fit inside of, oh who knows, a knee pad maybe? Weird.

COMBATSYS: Grand has ended the fight here.

Log created on 00:44:13 01/01/2015 by Hotaru, and last modified on 18:35:59 01/02/2015.