Tension in Ueno: 24/7 Championship Match- Carmen Rodriguez (c) vs Akino Sanada

It wasn’t easy to hold onto Akino when she started thrashing around like a live wire, going spastic as she had to deal with the sand in her eyes. But it was worthwhile. It worked, exactly like she expected it to. Maybe even better, since Akino stumbled up while she was flailing about, which made her the perfect target for...well, anything.

Carmen decided she’d go with a punch, focusing on her strongest suit. But not just any punch.

The 24/7 Champion stood up, keeping her eyes trained on her opponent. Waiting for the right moment…

She dashed forward the second an opportunity presented itself and lashed out with her best punch - the overhand right, dropping her weight right on top of Akino’s skull and getting some momentum to go behind it.

One hand wiped away at her eye to try to get the sand out of it, which seemed to be helping one second only to make things worse the next, while the other hand swung out in front of the maid while she stumbled around. She was trying to get a feel for just about anything. Carmen, something to lean on, virtually anything that might help her situation.

But before she could find anything like that, Akino suddenly felt a crushing impact right on the top of her skull. Carmen’s punch blasted her with full force as if a bowling ball had been dropped from several feet above right onto her head. One second her legs had been struggling to find their balance, but were still functional. But once that punch hit Akino’s legs, along with the rest of her body, seemed to shut down, and the blind maiden collapsed in a motionless heap on the ground.

There was an audible gasp from the onlooking fans, many of whom cringed, covered their mouths, averted their gazes, or some combination of those, but there was no cheering or applause for the huge strike Carmen landed. After that strike, there was just stunned silence everywhere around them, including from Akino herself, who had been knocked out cold.

Carmen dropped Akino flat, laying her out with one, solid punch. She raised her arms in triumph, stepped back, and the crowd went...quiet?

It was the weirdest thing. Carmen had gotten used to their beinng a loud roar from the crowd whenever she knocked someone out and won a match. She’d hit them, they’d go down and cheer or boo if they’d lost money betting against her, fairly routine. Even with her 24/7 matches, she could usually hear some lookie-loo giving her some fanfare.

Not today. Not over this. The crowd looked on, the people inside were just mumbling. Even the referee just stood there in stunned silence, as if she’d never seen an unconscious person before.

Carmen let a few awkward seconds pass, before shrugged it off, dropped down across Akino’s chest, and went for the pin. The referee dropped and started to count it off, but it was really just a formality at this point. ”1…!”

A weight settled over Akino’s chest, but there was no sign from her that she even knew it was there. Every inch of her body remained still, offering not even the slightest resistance as the ref counted the pin.

“2...! 3!!!”

Back in the small arena the bell rang, though it couldn’t be heard out here in the park. A small handful of fans gave a bit of what seemed like obligatory applause for the victor, but the vast majority initially continued to remain quiet. And already medics were rushing over with a stretcher so the could haul Akino back to the trainer’s room.

As for the defeated maid, even well after the pin she was still out like a light. It wasn’t until the medics put her onto the stretcher and strapped her down that she noticeably began to stir. While she was lifted up and carried off, people watched on in hopes of getting a thumbs up to reassure everyone that she was alright. Her right hand finally began to weakly raise up. But instead of offering the sign everyone seemed to be hoping for, it just moved to rest over her eye, where it stayed through the rest of the journey to the trainer’s room.

And just like that, it was over.

Carmen backed away and let the paramedics tend to Akino, working her over and making sure she was all right. She needed a little attention herself. That match had taken a bit out of her, particularly towards the end, and she was acutely aware of the pain still going down her spine from that fall on the unyielding pavement. As usual, she'd need an X-ray after this PPV match.

These 24/7 bouts were going to shorten her career.

She took the belt and let it lay on her shoulders as Akino was carted off, and she watched with some mounting concern. Not just for Akino’s wellbeing - AFW had good staff, they’d take care of. No, a big chunk of her concern came from their relationship. Things had gotten heated near the end, seemed to get personal, and Carmen wasn’t sure if her lover understood why she did what she did.

She’d explain it to her. Carmen could make her see. She’d let Akino rest, get healed up, they’d talk and everything would be smoothed over.

Yeah.