Chapter 117 - 116: Footings

Chapter 117: Chapter 116: Footings

Time had passed after their spar, AJ sat in the middle of the ring, panting from exhaustion while Caesar leaned against the turnbuckle.

"Not bad. Gotta say you really gave me some work." Caesar said to AJ.

"Uhm... Thanks?" AJ replied as he turned his sight towards Caesar, "In the end, you did far better than me."

"Sure, I did. And you want to know why?" Caesar asked, "Because you were somewhat passive and predictable.

Rather than fighting proactively, you were fighting reactively and it allowed me to dictate the flow of the spar.

Plus you were too hesitant."

"Not to mention, you never went for an ero-point." Caesar continued as she tilted her head.

"Well,that-that was because I didn’t get the opportunity to." AJ replied.

"Nah. You just chose not to." Caesar said, "In our spar earlier, when I laid invertedly on you to take an ero-capture, I deliberately put my sissy close to your face to confirm my suspicion and it turned out to be true."

AJ nervously grinned.

"Oh... Well uhm... Your m-method was uh-"

AJ halted in his words as he saw Caesar staring at him with an arched brow, leading his grin to grow more.

After a while of staring in silence, Caesar sighed and walked down his direction.

"Alright. What’s wrong?" Caesar asked as she sat beside him.

"Uhm... N-nothing. N-nothing is wrong. Why would t-there be anything wrong?" AJ asked.

"Yeah, something is clearly wrong. What is it?" Caesar asked, "Why didn’t you go for an ero-point?

Come to think of it, I noticed the same thing you did with Sol last week. She took two ero-points and you never made any effort to get one, knowing fully that if she had chosen to go for the third rather than a pin then it would have been a wrap.

So what’s going on?"

AJ tilted his head down and slightly clenched his fists.

"I... Can’t." AJ said, "I just can’t.

I know it might sound stupid but after the whole Magoi thing, I’ve been trying to put myself together but it’s not working.

I..."

AJ closed his eyes and exhaled.

"I-I’ve been having panic attacks." AJ continued, "On the road, in my house... I-Every time I take a hit from someone, I see her face.

I’m used to feeling small... After all, I-I have been feeling like that all my life but when I was in that unsanctioned match with her, I was so terrified.

I wanted to stop fighting... I-I-I wanted to run away... But yet for some reason, my stupid self kept going.

I even opted out to using ero-points as my only means to win against her but with how she took hers so easily and top of everything..."

"I-I know this doesn’t sound like a good excuse to make for avoiding ero-points... A-and I know that I have no right to t-talk like this especially since I was given the a-advice of quitting by you... But I..."

"Dude, the match was last month... Two weeks ago. Telling you that you shouldn’t feel anything after a near death experience is bullshit." Caesar said.

Hearing her words, AJ turned to Caesar in shock.

"Huh?"

"What? You surprised?" Caesar asked, "Yeah, I did tell you to quit and you chose to stay for the sake of your family but I’m not gonna act like a near death experience is something to get over like that.

I myself have experienced a couple near death situations so I understand what it’s like."

"Wait... You have?" AJ asked in disbelief.

"Yep. But back to you." Caesar said, "They booked a rookie... Someone who is still trying to find his footing in the ring against a seven-five monster like her in an unsanctioned match... A match where anything goes and whatever happens, the authorities ’washes’ their hands.

The fact you even survived Magoi is even a huge testament.

Even if the loan shark was barely putting in efforts, you beating her is still one hell of a thing, but it would be impossible to say you should get ’get over’ a terrifying experience like that."

"So it’s understandable." Caesar continued as she turned her face forward, "Anyone that casually says get over a near death experience has either never had one or has had way too many.

Let’s not talk about that creepy ass talk from her days after the match about her finding something so mesmerizing about hurting you both physically and ’erotically’ and the fact that she’s going to wait for you to get stronger and have more experience so that she’ll fight you again... Comparing it to seasoning a food... Yeah, I’d have more mental issues than I already have."

After speaking, the duo turned their faces away and stayed silent for a moment until Caesar slightly parted her lips.

" ’But’... That should not stop you. It is understandable what you are going through but from what I saw on the net... What Morgan did to Billy and the other two, you’re going to need everything to face her including ero-points whether you’re uncomfortable with it or not."

"I know." AJ replied as he brought his head down, "In ero-wrestling, the three basic means of winning are pinfalls, submissions and ero-points.

I’m just... Nevermind. I-I’ll try to put efforts in it next time."

The duo stayed quiet again until Caesar spoke out.

"Quick question: Have you ever gone for a marking point?"

Hearing that question, AJ slightly stiffened.

"Uh... No. No I have never gone for it." AJ answered.

"Well, you might as well start going for it." Caesar said, "Don’t just stick to ero-captures and turn their bodies against them, use your own body as well.

As much as I find the ero aspects disgusting, I prefer marking my opponents more than getting a capture but I still go for the capture regardless."

"I-I will." AJ reluctantly replied.

"Oh and don’t forget to add a little groin attacks too." Caesar said.

"Huh?!" AJ said in disbelief as he turned his gaze towards Caesar, "B-but, isn’t that going a bit too far?!"

"Nope. Just a little." Caesar answered, "After all, groin trauma is way too common in EBW.

I mean in the average match, an ero-wrestler is expected be struck down there about three to four times in minimum, correct?"

"Yeah, b-but, it’s too dirty." AJ replied.

"Dirty?" Caesar asked with an arched brow as she turned her sight to AJ, "The ’ero-points’ we do to each other are dirty so I don’t think exploiting a loophole matters much in the ero-ring especially when your opponents won’t hesitate to do it to you.

You’ve been in the ring longer than I have even though we are both rookies, so you definitely know and have experienced that more."

"Yeah, but-"

"Just saying." Caesar interjected as she shrugged her shoulders, "A little ugliness and dirt wouldn’t hurt.

I fight ugly because the world is ugly, and likewise the ring, too."

"So when we go at it again in our spar, don’t think of it as hurting a friend, be more proactive than reactive and don’t hesitate to go for an ero-point especially a marking point." Caesar continued as she pointed her finger at AJ’s region, "After all, Cedric did teach that that spot is both a tool liability in the ero-ring.

If we don’t use it, it’s going to be used more against us... Which has been happening to you a lot."

AJ stared down at Caesar’s finger in silence and narrowed his eyes.

"Okay, so up. Let’s go one more round." Caesar said as she stood on her feet.

AJ stared at Caesar for a time before he sighed and stood on his feet.

The two took their distance from each other in the ring and locked eyes, AJ reluctanly nodded his head.

Caesar took her stance and AJ followed suite.

After staring at themselves for a while, carefully observing each others stance, AJ darted towards Caesar and threw a punch at her face.

Caesar evaded the attack and quickly parried another punch thrown by AJ.

Caesar retaliated by swinging her leg towards his ankle to disrupt his balance but AJ lifted his leg to block the attack.

Caesar hurled her fist at his face but AJ caught her wrist and whipped her to the ropes only for Caesar to reverse his move, sending him running towards the ropes instead.

AJ rebounded off the ropes and evaded Caesar clothesline attempt by sliding under her arm, leaving her to stumble forward.

At the moment Caesar turned, AJ landed a kick across her face that snapped her head sideways, drawing out spittle from her mouth.

AJ followed up his attack with a kick to the midsection but Caesar caught his leg with both arms.

Without reluctance, Caesar lunged and tackled AJ, bringing him down to the canvas and immediately mounted on top of him.

AJ swiftly pushed her off before she could make any moves and used this chance to scurry on all fours.

AJ and Caesar locked eyes with one another and slowly rose up to their feet.

While staring, Caesar nodded her head as a sign of approval and the two took their stance again.

Elsewhere, Akari Mizukai sat in her well furnished office, sipping tea while staring at a blue holographic screen that showed a video of Caesar and AJ sparring in the gym.

"My, my, my. How entertaining." Akari said with a smile, "Yes. Very-"

"Entertaining." Akari continued as her irises glowed.