SS22 Hardcore 24/7 Championship - Astrid Arvidsson (c) vs. Panther Risako

"It's cold..." barely moving her lips, Astrid said.

It was as if she was in the middle of an endless void. Every breath she took created a trickle of steam. She was really cold. It was cold and painful. There was absolutely nothing around her but darkness. Trying to find at least something, the blonde began to walk forward. Her footsteps made no sound. She crossed her arms and began rubbing her skin in an attempt to keep warm, but nothing helped.

She saw something in the distance. Having no other option, Astrid started walking in the direction of this unknown something. Every step was like torture. This pain could not be described in words. But she knew that if she stopped, something would happen for which she would not forgive herself.

This unknown something turned out to be a small tongue of flame. So tiny that Astrid didn't understand why it hadn't gone out yet. She knelt down and moved her hands to the flame. However, she didn't feel any warmth. Then she formed a circle with her hands, as if trying to protect the flame from a non-existent wind. Feeling that she was literally dying of cold and pain, Astrid blew on the flame with the last of her strength.

Just for a moment, but she felt as if she was relieved. Astrid blew on the flame again. It didn't get bigger and yet it seemed to get a little brighter. But something else was important. Astrid blew on the flame one more time. She didn't feel that the pain or the cold was gone. But she no longer felt that her strength was leaving her.

"What is this flame?" She asked herself.

"You know the answer..." a deep voice sounded.

Turning her head to the side, Astrid saw the huge golden dragon staring at her. Exactly. This monster has always lived inside her. The flame of this dragon always helped her in the most desperate situations.

"So this is your flame?" She asked, unable to remember.

"My flame?" There was laughter in the dragon's voice. "My flame is never so weak."

"Then give me your flame so I can save this one!" Astrid said.

This was far from their first meeting. But each time Astrid seemed to lose part of her memory. Each of their new meetings for her was like deja vu, covered in fog. The dragon exhaled fiery sparks from its nostrils before giving an answer.

"You've already used my flame," the monster said. "And now it won't help you."

"Then what will help me?"

She didn't get an answer. Astrid took another look at the small flame. If it's not a dragon flame, then what kind of flame is it? Her eyes widened. Could it be? Astrid gently blew on the flame and felt as if everything inside her was filled with warmth.

"My soul..." she said. "This is my soul."

The dragon blinked and she could have sworn she saw some semblance of a smile before this huge monster disappeared into the darkness. Everything was clear to her now. The dragon flame wouldn't help her because now everything depended on her alone. Astrid closed her eyes and blew on the flame one last time.

Opening her eyes, Astrid coughed up blood. She involuntarily turned on her left side in order to spit out all the scarlet liquid that had accumulated in her airways. She looked like shit and she felt even worse. Bruises, wounds, blood... her body looked like she had accidentally ended up in a slaughterhouse.

"FIVE!!!"

It seemed to pierce Astrid's head through. Even though she regained consciousness, she could barely breathe, let alone move actively. But when she heard that, she realized that a little more and the match would end. She had no idea where Risako was at that moment. But it didn't matter. Even if Risako was lying around somewhere and drooling, the Golden Dragon would still lose if the referee reached the count of ten.

"SIX!!!"

She moved her right leg forward and rolled onto her stomach. She placed her right palm on the concrete floor. She placed her left palm on the concrete floor. At that moment, when she strained the muscles of her arms and legs, it seemed to her that an electric current was passed through her. Forcing herself to move, it was as if she was torturing herself.

"UUUMMMMM!!!!" Astrid groaned unintelligibly because of her broken nose.

The Norwegian woman got up on all fours. Not a single white spot remained on her face. Everything was covered with blood, both fresh and dried. It was hard to tell if this match was still pro wrestling. Because judging by Astrid's condition, it turned into a real fight to the death.

"SEVEN!!!!"

She wouldn't be able to get to her feet on her own. She knew it. She couldn't even see much because of the blood and fatigue. White spots appeared and disappeared before her eyes. However, even through this, she was able to see the ring. Bleeding, the Golden Dragon crawled there. She knew it was her only chance.

"EIGHT!!!!"

Throwing her right hand up, the Golden Dragon grabbed the fabric that was hiding the space under the ring. Panting, she forced herself to pull herself up. Thanks to this, she was able to grab the edge of the ring with her left hand. What was driving her at that moment? Banal stubbornness? No. It was more than that.

"NINE!!!!!"

Astrid squeezed her eyes shut. It seemed to her that she would die if she made another sharp movement. The pain was unbearable. There was no strength left in her body. She didn't know why she was conscious at all. She had never been so beaten up in her life. Then why... then why is she still on her feet?

"GGGGHHHRRRRR!!!!" A groan of pain, despair and fatigue escaped from her lips.

Making a jerk, Astrid pulled herself up once more and got to her feet. Almost at the same second, she leaned forward, laying her upper body on the ring apron. However, it was enough. She managed to get to her feet. When the referee spread her arms to the sides, the walls of the arena shook due to the roar of the audience. But for Astrid, it was quieter than a whisper. She was exhausted, her senses dulled. But she didn't lose. Yet.

"Shit... shit..." Astrid was repeating in her head.

Yes, she was able to get to her feet. But after she put her upper body on the edge of the ring, she didn't find the strength for anything more. Covered in blood from head to toe, she looked more like a piece of meat that had been prepared for frying on coals. The Golden Dragon was desperately trying to force herself to gather her strength. But her rival did it earlier.

The blonde did not even notice that Risako rushed to her. But she in all its glory felt the knee, which crashed into her bare stomach. In another situation, she would have handled it. Her steel abs were capable of handling such a strike. But she didn't have a chance to flex her muscles.

"Gmmm..." came out of her mouth.

Astrid recoiled from the ring, involuntarily leaning forward due to the pain in her stomach. Blood dripped from her face directly onto the concrete floor. The Golden Dragon was trying to see where her opponent was. But before her eyes there was nothing but tears and fog.

Because of this, there was no way she could stop the Queen of Queens from grabbing her head. Throwing her hands up, the descendant of the great Vikings grabbed Risako's wrists. But because of her broken nose there was so little oxygen in her blood that she couldn't even find the strength to squeeze those wrists.

In the next second, the Japanese woman drived the Golden Dragon's face in the wooden surface of the table. Astrid fell to her knees. A pool of blood formed under her head. Her body convulsed several times, but after that she stopped moving. The only sign of life was that she was making barely audible painful groans.

The audience knew that they had come here for hardcore. But no one expected that these women would literally fight as if their lives depended on it. Looking at what was happening, the audience could not believe their eyes. After all, right now Astrid was closer than ever to find herself in Valhalla.

Lying face down on the wooden surface of the table, Astrid wasn't sure if she was conscious. Her mind was racing between dream and reality. And only the pain kept her from forgetting that she was still there, still at the arena, still in the match. However, this was the only thing that the Norwegian woman felt quite clearly.

Everything else was inconsequential to her. Abstract. And even when Risako, who in some unimaginable way was still able to move, grabbed her, it was not something concrete for the Golden Dragon. The best description she could give of it was that Risako was doing some kind of manipulation with her body. But the fact was that Astrid didn't even realize right away that the Queen of Queens had put her face up on the table.

At that moment, it was best seen how little this Astrid looks like the Astrid she was at the beginning of the match. From the top of her head to her toes, she was covered with bruises and wounds, and the amount of blood was so great that her hair stopped being golden, giving way to a scarlet color. And for those who were true wrestling fans, it clearly reflected the full scale of this match. After all, even in the match against Galina, where they had unlimited access to fluorescent lamps, she did not receive such terrible wounds.

"Ghmm..." she groaned softly because of pain.

She had to make an effort even to slightly open her eyes. The glare of the floodlights blinded her for a moment, and then she felt her left arm hanging down. Only after that, the descendant of the great Vikings realized that she was lying on the table. And if she's lying on the table...

"No..." she thought. "No... no... no..."

She understood what was going on. This was confirmed at the moment when her hearing returned and she heard the growing screams of the audience. Turning her head to the side, she saw Risako's silhouette even through the fog in her eyes. Her opponent was on the edge of the ring and was slowly but surely climbing to the top turnbuckle. It could only mean one thing. Risako was determined to finish Astrid once and for all.

And even if Astrid couldn't say it out loud at that moment, deep down she agreed that Risako would have been a great first hardcore 24/7 champion. This woman gave the Golden Dragon the hardest match of her life. And for the first time since Astrid joined AFW, she felt that she simply had no chance to win. This purple-haired woman was truly amazing. And Astrid was sure that even though she lost, her great ancestors would be proud of her for this match. Therefore, when Risako reached the top turnbuckle, Astrid closed her eyes, as if accepting everything that was going to happen...

"To the last drop of sweat and blood!" Sounded in her head.

Yes, that's right. It was a promise Astrid made to herself before every match. She hated losing. But at the same time, she knew perfectly well that she was not invincible. No one was. Everyone sooner or later reaches the limit. Therefore, Astrid was ready to lose.

But she wasn't ready to lose, knowing that she still had at least one drop of strength left that she could use to continue the match. Every time she made a promise to herself that she would fight until she could not move even one finger. And for all the time that she fought in this ring, she never broke that promise. And was she really ready to break that promise today? No.

Astrid opened her eyes at the very moment when Risako jumped from the top turnbuckle. And although the descendant of the great Vikings was not going to give up, her body was in such a terrible state that she wasn't able to force herself to jerk to the side and roll off the table. However, this was not the only option. There was one more. And perhaps, no matter how crazy it may sound, this option was most suitable for the Norwegian woman who, far more than once during her career, proved that she never looks for easy ways.

She gripped the edges of the table on either side of her with her hands. And then happened something that caused the audience to let out such a loud scream that the walls of the arena trembled. The Golden Dragon pulled her knees up to her chest with agony on her face, creating an obstacle in the way of her rival. Yes, Risako will fall on her anyway. Yes, the table under her will break anyway. Yes, she will still receive a colossal amount of damage. But she was going to do it. Even if it's the last thing she'll do. Even if she still loses after that. Doesn't matter. The only important thing is that even if this is the end, then Astrid will know that she gave her rival everything to the last. Just as she promised.

The audience literally gasped in surprise at the moment when Astrid raised her knees. Considering the state she was in, almost everyone was sure that this was the end of her. Hardly anyone could remember the last time as much blood was shed in a match as was shed today. Yes, each of them certainly kept their promise. They both fought like it was the last match of their lives.

That was the reason Astrid couldn't give up and accept defeat. To the last drop of sweat. That was her promise. And even despite the noise in her ears, the Golden Dragon heard her rival's words. It seems the Japanese woman was sure that after everything they had been through, she had finally reached the moment of her triumph. But instead, she got something else. They both got.

The purple-haired woman's chest crashed into Astrid's knees, and then the arena was filled with the eerie sound of wood cracking. There was not a single chance that the wooden table would withstand something like this. Splinters flew in different directions and in a moment the Golden Dragon and the Queen of Queens were lying among the wreckage of the table.

If up to this point in the arena it was possible to find those who stubbornly sat in their seats, now absolutely every spectator was on their feet. Popularity is a capricious lady, today you are famous, and tomorrow you are nobody. But it was simply impossible to argue with one thing. This match will definitely go down in history.

"FIGHT FOREVER! FIGHT FOREVER!! FIGHT FOREVER!!!"

Needless to say, Astrid didn't hear any of this. Consciousness slipped away from her at the same moment when her body broke through the table and collapsed on the concrete floor. The agony that went through her body was something that even she couldn't handle. The blonde's bloody body just lay among the piles of wooden fragments of the table.

"ONE!"

What was that? Did she really hear something? As soon as the Norwegian woman tried to gain her thoughts together, she immediately felt such a wild pain that it was difficult to compare it with anything. But at least the fact that she was still in pain meant that she hadn't completely fallen asleep yet.

"TWO!"

The blonde's eyelids twitched a few times, and then she slowly opened her eyes. White fog. And nothing else. After blinking a few times, she began to see a little more colors than just white. But her brain still wasn't fine. And she couldn't process the information correctly, as if her mind and her body were completely unrelated things.

"THREE!!"

"GGGUUUMMMHH..."

Can anyone imagine that such a simple action as turning on your side can cause terrible pain? No? Because when Astrid did it, she just couldn't hold back a groan of agony. She felt like if every bone in her body was broken. But at least she was able to do it. And thanks to this, she finally understood the situation in which she found herself.

Risako was very close. Literally at arm's length. They were still lying on the floor among the wreckage of the table. And that was the very reason the referee was standing next to them. Being sure that it was simply impossible to get to feet after this, the striped shirt began to count.

"FOUR!!"

"No..." said Astrid, barely moving her lips, dry as a desert.

No. This is wrong. It can't end like this. Not after everything they put each other through today. Neither Astrid nor Risako deserved to hear the tenth count, because it would be a defeat for both of them. The Golden Dragon couldn't forgive herself if she let this happen.

Therefore, with a low growl, full of fatigue and despair, she forced herself to get up on all fours. At that moment, she realized that she definitely wouldn't be able to get to her feet on her own. However, even with tears in her eyes, she could see the outline of the cell wall just a meter away from her. That's where she went. Slowly, but surely.

"FIVE!!!"

Throwing her right hand forward, the blonde grabbed the metal mesh. Her whole body was trembling and it seemed to her that every movement without exaggeration was bringing her closer to death. However, even this, in her understanding, was better than losing due to the fact that she could not get to her feet. So she strained her right arm and pulled herself up, after which she threw her left hand to the mesh, too.

"SIX!!!"

"GGGGHRRAAA!!!!!"

The pain that Astrid felt escaped in the form of a long groan of agony. But with another upward jerk, she was able to get to her feet. The blonde staggered so much that it looked like she was going to fall on the concrete floor again. Instead, she forced her knees together and gripped the cell wall harder. And even though she looked like a butcher's victim at that moment, it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was that she was able to maintain an upright position. She hasn't lost yet.

Even though she was clinging to the metal mesh with a death grip, Astrid could barely stand on her feet. Drops of sweat and blood rolled off her face, falling directly onto the concrete floor under her feet. She was breathing heavily through her mouth, but no matter how hard she tried, she didn't feel that it was restoring her strength. White spots appeared before her eyes every now and then. The Golden Dragon felt that if she relaxed even for a second, she would simply lose consciousness.

Nevertheless, hearing the scrape of wood on concrete, the descendant of the great Vikings turned her head to the side. And even through the fog and tears in her eyes, she could see Risako's silhouette. The Queen of Queens, struggling with pain and fatigue, tried to get to her feet even though she was far behind in this from the Golden Dragon.

"SEVEN!!!!"

When her opponent got up on one knee, Astrid was faced with a choice. She got to her feet before the Japanese woman and so she could take a chance and just do nothing in the hope that Risako would not be able to cope with it until the tenth count. Considering the pain in her body, it was the easiest option. But if she wanted to become a worthy champion, then she just couldn't let the pain stop her. No, she intended to leave the arena with the golden belt around her waist. And so, when Risako began to straighten up to her full height, a flame appeared in the Golden Dragon's eyes.

Gritting her teeth, she pushed off with her hand from the wall of the cell, thereby taking a step towards her opponent. Her body was so battered that any movement was like self-flagellation. However, she came here in order to go beyond her capabilities. She came here to give away one title and get another. She came here to defeat the great woman standing in front of her. And she didn't go through all this Hell to stop now.

Shifting her weight to her right leg, Astrid intended to throw her left leg, bent at the knee, up. The fact that she had gotten to her feet faster than Risako had given her an advantage, and now she was going to use it. Hoping to catch the Queen of Queens off guard, the Golden Dragon intended to straighten her left leg and hit the purple-haired woman right in the face with a heavy superkick!

If she succeeded, the referee would immediately stop counting because according to the rules, the countout continues only until the fighters attack each other. However, it wouldn't matter to the Golden Dragon. She wasn't going to win by countout. No. If she is destined to take the golden belt today, then she will do it properly. And therefore, if she managed to knock out the remnants of her strength from Risako, she would grab her by the head, plunging her fingers into the purple hair.

Resisting the spasms in her muscles, the descendant of the great Vikings intended to pull Risako to her, and then place the Japanese woman's head between her sweaty thighs. Astrid's breathing was ragged, but that didn't stop her from hearing the audience shout their names. They supported both women equally because there simply can't be a favorite in such a match. But at that moment, the Golden Dragon didn't care about her rival's name. At that moment, she only heard her own name. At that moment, she only heard the voices of those who supported her. And she couldn't let them down.

Leaning down, the Golden Dragon intended to wrap her arms around Risako's waist. At that moment, the walls of the arena would not have shuddered because of the wave of noise. The audience knew what she was up to. They only saw it once, but they remembered it for the rest of their lives. It was this that brought her triumph in her debut match. And now she wanted them to see it again.

Every muscle in her body tensed. Unable to contain it, Astrid let out an agonized groan at the moment when she began to pull Risako up. It seemed to her that her joints were ready to fall apart, but even so, she was going to lift her rival over the concrete floor in order to turn her over and then put the Queen of Queens on her shoulders.

As expected, the Golden Dragon's legs began to tremble like an aspen leaf in the wind. This woman had truly outstanding strength and endurance, but now there was no trace of it. Many wondered how she stood on her feet at all. However, the truth was that the descendant of the great Vikings always considered her weapon not strength or endurance, but her willpower. That's what helped her to be here today. She longed to make history. She longed to be worthy of her great ancestors. And therefore, even after all the wounds that Risako inflicted on her today, she did not fall under the weight of her rival.

The audience was sure that all that remained for the Golden Dragon to do was to send the Queen of Queens down, right on the concrete floor. They even started to build up the noise in anticipation, but then something happened that no one expected. Instead of throwing Risako down, Astrid turned around. And then the arena seemed to explode. If in the first act there is a loaded gun hanging on the wall, then in the last act it should fire. For Astrid, this gun was a ladder, which she placed between the ring and the wall of the cell.

"GRRAAAAA!!!!"

With a wild roar, the Golden Dragon intended to throw the Queen of Queens down, right into the center of the ladder, using the most classic, but at the same time truly devastating powerbomb! If Risako's body had really crashed into the ladder, then surely a screech of metal would have rolled through the arena, while the ladder itself certainly bent under the pressure of Risako's weight and Astrid's strength.

"UUUUGGHHHAAAAA!!!!!!!!"

There was nothing but pain in Astrid's voice. Through her scream, everyone could understand how much she gave to her opponent in this match. But even that wasn't the end. Because, still holding the thighs of the Queen of Queens, the blonde intended to straighten up to her full height and put Risako on her shoulders again. Right. Only to send her down again at the same second and drive her into the bent ladder with another powerbomb!

"HOLLY SHIT! HOLLY SHIT!! HOLLY SHIT!!!"

Surely after that, bolts and nuts would fly out of the ladder in different directions, not to mention the fact that the ladder itself would probably bend in an arc. And while the audience was enthusiastically chanting, Astrid almost fainted. The white spots in front of her eyes turned black. She felt an unpleasant stabbing wave that went through her entire body. She was standing on her feet only because of her willpower, but now even that wasn't enough.

"I... am... Astrid... Arvidsson... and I'm not... going to lose..." it seemed that with every word her voice became quieter, but then... "NEITHER TO YOU, NOR TO MYSELF!!!!!"

All her desires and aspirations became the last drop of fuel that she intended to use in order to finish this match. Her muscles tensed for the last time and she straightened to her full height, putting Risako on her shoulders. Some viewers grabbed their hair, unable to believe what was happening in front of their eyes. But the fact remained. Astrid Arvidsson intended to become the first 24/7 Hardcore champion!

Under the heart-rending screams of the audience, the Golden Dragon dropped Risako down for the third time with a powerbomb! And if the body of the Queen of Queens crashed into the metal, then this time the ladder would definitely not stand. The metal would have cracked and bent so that this time the purple-haired woman's fall would have ended not on the ladder, but on the concrete floor. Fafnir's Revenge. That's what she called it. She used it to defeat Mari, one of the greatest women she had ever known. And now she was going to use it to defeat Risako, the greatest woman she had ever known!