Disclaimer: I do not own Kyo Kara Ore Wa or any of its characters. This story is purely a work of fan-fiction. No profit is being made from it.
Author's Note: This story includes parodies of various WWE wrestlers. I mean no offence to wrestling fans. This story is meant purely as harmless fun and should not be taken seriously.
Ito sighed deeply as he picked up the phone and started dialling. Under normal circumstances he would be filled with eager anticipation at the prospect of hearing his girlfriend's lovely voice. However these were not normal circumstances. He had bad news to impart and he hated the thought of disappointing her. After just a few rings the phone was picked up.
"Hello?"
"Hello Kyoko-chan" he said, trying not to sound negative.
"Ito-san!" Kyoko exclaimed happily. "What a nice surprise!"
He winced as he tried not to think about how she would react to what he was about to say. "Kyoko-chan… I'm afraid I have some bad news."
"Oh, what is it?"
"My cousin Wakato Keiichi has an important wrestling match tomorrow. He asked me if I'd come to give him moral support." He hesitated for a second before continuing, "I know we have a date tomorrow but this is really important to him…"
"It's okay Ito-san, I understand" said Kyoko.
"Thank you Kyoko-chan" he said. "I'm really sorry but I…"
"Oh wait, I have an idea" she said, her tone brightening. "Why don't I come too? That way we can have our date and support your cousin."
"That's a great idea" Ito replied delightedly. Then he frowned in puzzlement. "But you're not a fan of wrestling, are you?"
"I'm not" she replied. "But I'm always happy to spend time with you Ito-san" she added tenderly.
"Kyoko-chan" he said warmly.
The following evening Ito and Kyoko arrived at the arena owned by Titan Wrestling, the company Keiichi was signed with. The doorman recognised Ito and directed them to the office of Keiichi's manager. Once they got there he knocked on it.
"Come in" said someone on the other side.
Ito opened the door and they stepped in. The room had plain wooden walls and a blue-grey carpet. On one wall was a shelf filled with trophies.
Keiichi was talking with his manager who sat behind a desk. His features closely resembled Ito and his hair was also black. Unlike his cousin however it was closely cropped. He was tall and well-muscled, wearing white shorts and a matching vest.
Keiichi smiled in delight when he saw them. "Hey cousin! Thanks for coming."
"I wouldn't have missed it for the world" Ito replied. "Keiichi, this is my girlfriend Kyoko."
"Nice to meet you Wakato-san" she said politely.
"My pleasure" he replied. "Wow, Ito told me his girlfriend was beautiful but I didn't realise just how right he was."
She giggled softly. "Thanks."
"No thank you for coming. I appreciate the support. Oh sorry, this is my manager, Hiroshi."
"Pleased to meet you" said Hiroshi, a kindly-looking man in his late forties. "You kids had better get to your seats. The match will be starting soon."
Even as Ito and his cousin talked neither of them suspected that at that moment, down in the dressing rooms, someone was carefully picking the lock of Keiichi's locker.
He opened the door, took out a water bottle and replaced it with another.
"There you go. I hope you like my special blend" he whispered.
Kyoko was looking around with an expression of curiosity as they took their seats. "Wow, this is nothing like what I expected Ito-san" she said.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"I thought there'd just be a lot of thugs howling for blood, but this audience is mainly families with children. Yes, there's a lot of excitement and screaming, but there's no sense of wanting to see anyone get hurt" she replied.
"A lot of that's due to Keiichi" Ito said proudly. "Before he and some others started cleaning things up, Titan Wrestling was dominated by Major Disaster, the meanest, nastiest stable in the business."
"Stable?"
"Oh sorry, a stable is a group of wrestlers."
She nodded and he went on. "They're a bunch of no-good lowlife brutes with no respect for sportsmanship or fair play. My cousin has worked hard to get rid of those guys and make this company one that promotes wrestling as an honest sport."
Kyoko smiled. "You must be very proud of him."
"I am. His opponent is the leader of Major Disaster. He stipulated that the loser of this match must give up wrestling and leave the company. That's why this match is so important."
Before she could reply the announcer raised his microphone and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the main event! Fighting for not only the championship belt but also for their futures here at Titan Wrestling, I present the meanest, nastiest fighter in the history of wrestling, the Gravedigger!"
The audience began jeering and booing as a tall, burly man appeared at the wrestlers entrance and slowly began to walk to the ring. He wore black spandex trousers, black boots, fingerless black gloves, a flexible leather vest and two large shoulder pads to which a black cape was fastened. He had long black hair with a prominent widow's peak and a double-spiked goatee. His face seemed to be fixed into a permanent glare.
Without a word he entered the ring and went to his corner. He removed his cape and vest to show he was wearing a black tank top underneath. A demonic goat head emblem was stencilled on it.
The announcer went on, "and his opponent, a true sportsman who believes in fair play, Keiichi the Crusader!"
The audience cheered, especially Ito and Kyoko, as Keiichi came through the entrance dressed in a white outfit with gold trim. Ito's cheering dimmed as he noticed his cousin was pale and walking unsteadily.
"What's wrong Ito-san?" Kyoko asked.
"Something's wrong with Keiichi. He looks sick."
She looked closer and noticed it too. "Oh my. I hope he's just nervous."
"Me too."
The bell rang and the match began. At once it was clear that something was wrong as Keiichi's movements were oddly sluggish and uncoordinated. Gravedigger landed a mighty haymaker that spun him around in a complete circle. He then seized Keiichi by the back of his head and smashed his face down onto the corner post three times. Keiichi stumbled away, woozy from the blows but Gravedigger didn't let up. He lifted his dazed foe and then slammed him into the mat with an earth-shaking brain-buster suplex!
The majority of the audience could only watch in horror as Keiichi was mercilessly pummelled. The few remaining lowlifes that had come in hopes of watching Gravedigger crush the heroic Crusader by contrast were ecstatic.
"Yeah! Kick his ass, Gravedigger!"
"Beat down, loser!"
"You're going down, pretty-boy!"
After five agonising minutes Gravedigger dropped Keiichi to the mat and pinned him. The thugs in the audience cheered wildly amidst the aghast silence from everyone else.
Ito and Kyoko were out of their seats and running down to ringside as two orderlies loaded Keiichi onto a stretcher.
"Keiichi! Are you okay?" Ito asked frantically.
"Ugh… water bottle… made me feel sick" he groaned.
Ito put two and two together and scowled. He leaped into the ring and snatched the microphone from the announcer.
"You drugged Keiichi!" Ito yelled at Gravedigger. "You knew you couldn't beat my cousin so you put something in his water bottle. You're a coward and a loser!"
Another announcer came up to the wrestler. "That's a pretty serious charge Gravedigger. Do you have anything to say?"
"Yes" he replied, his voice hard as granite. "Let's settle this in the ring. If this punk thinks I'm a loser then lets see if he's willing to prove it. I propose we re-start the match with this punk filling in for his weak cousin. Same terms as before; if he wins I leave Titan Wrestling. If I win, Keiichi leaves."
"I accept" said Ito firmly.
"Ito-san!" Kyoko exclaimed in dismay.
He handed the microphone back to the announcer and got out of the ring to talk to her. "I'm sorry Kyoko-chan but I can't let him get away with this. I can't let my cousin's career be ruined like this."
She sighed. "I understand."
"Don't worry. If he had to cheat then he can't be that good."
"Just be careful" she said.
"I will."
A few moments later Kyoko was back in her seat, watching as Ito and Gravedigger faced each other in the ring. The bell rang.
Gravedigger immediately launched himself at Ito with a huge swing that he easily dodged. Ito's pleased grin disappeared as the punch continued an hit the referee right in the face, knocking him out cold.
Damn it, he wanted me to dodge Ito thought angrily. He wanted to knock out the ref while making it look like an accident.
Just then two men came through the wrestlers entrance and ran up to the ring. The first was a tall, square-jawed, heavily muscled man with brown hair in a crew cut. He wore light tan jean shorts, black wristbands and black trainers. His face was twisted into a look of maniacal rage.
The other man was even taller and more muscular. He wore a red singlet, red fingerless gloves and heavy black boots. A black hood covered his head save for two holes through which cold eyes glared.
"Look out Ito-san!" Kyoko cried
"Uh oh, it's Joe Mean and Payne, the other two members of Major Disaster" said the announcer. "Looks like the challenger is in trouble."
Joe Mean climbed into the ring while Payne waited outside it. With a roar he ran right at his opponent. Ito sidestepped and threw a punch but Joe ducked under it and kept on running. He hit the ropes and bounced off of them, using the added momentum to charge right into Ito with a shoulder ram.
Ito was knocked off his feet and hit the mat. He recovered quickly though, rolling away and getting back up. He came at the wrestler with a charging punch but again Joe ducked it. As he did so he grabbed Ito's thighs with one arm and his extended wrist with the other. He rose to his full height, lifting Ito with ease, and then threw him over his shoulders while dropping down to his knees so that Ito slammed down onto the mat on his back!
"A spectacular fireman's carry takeover by Joe Mean" the announcer yelled.
Ito lay dazed from the impact. Before he could recover Joe turned him onto his side and used his foot to push him out of the ring.
"He's all yours Payne!" Joe said with an evil grin.
The masked wrestler grunted in acknowledgement as he strode up to Ito and pulled him up to his feet. To the audience's surprise Ito snapped out of his daze and landed two punches to his gut.
I'm not letting you lowlifes beat me he thought.
The audience started to cheer but were cut off as Payne merely grunted, dragged him over to the steel steps and smashed his face into them! People screamed in horror as Ito's face was mercilessly slammed into the steps four times before Payne threw him under the ropes and back into the ring.
Dizzy and stunned, his head hurting and his ears ringing from the blows, Ito tried desperately to clear his wits but before he could Gravedigger hauled him to his feet and trapped him in a full nelson. Joe Mean began gleefully pummelling him with punches and kicks as Payne climbed back into the ring.
"I'm afraid this looks like the end for the challenger" said the announcer. "How much more punishment can this young man take? He… wait a minute, someone else has entered the ring. A girl!"
Sure enough Kyoko had gotten into the ring and now stood brandishing a metal folding chair. Her eyes blazed with fury.
"Leave him alone!" she yelled.
Without hesitation Kyoko ran forwards and swung the chair, hitting Joe Mean right in the jaw! He fell to the mat, out cold.
Payne tried to attack but she was too quick. She swung the chair again, hitting the side of his head and dropping him to his knees. She raised her weapon and brought it down on his head! He also was knocked out.
Gravedigger could only stare in disbelief. His grip slackened and Ito broke free. He drove an elbow into Gravedigger's solar plexus, doubling him up. Ito then hit him with a flurry of punches that sent him reeling back.
Seeing that the ref was starting to come to, Kyoko dropped the chair and helped him up.
"Ugh… what's going on?" he groaned.
"Gravedigger punched you" she told him. "But it's okay. The match is about to end."
Ito lifted Gravedigger over his head and slammed him down on the mat. As he lay winded Ito pinned him and the ref counted it.
"And it's over! The winner is the challenger, Shinji Ito!" the announcer yelled.
The crowd went wild, cheers filling the arena. Kyoko helped support Ito as he wearily accepted the championship belt.
"This is for you Keiichi" he said, holding the belt over his head.
A few days later Ito and Kyoko were on a date at the ice cream parlour when a teenage girl came up to them.
"Excuse me" she said shyly. "Are you the guy who won the wrestling championship?"
"Yes that's me" said Ito with more than a hint of pride in his voice.
The girl beamed joyfully and turned to Kyoko. "Can I have your autograph?"
"Me?" she asked in puzzlement.
"Sure. It was amazing how you took down those brutes like that. I was so inspired" the girl said.
"Sure" Kyoko said as she wrote her name down on a notepad and handed it over. Her fan stared at it with a look of wonder.
"Thank you so much" she said with a huge grin.
As the girl left Kyoko smiled wryly at Ito-san. "You're not jealous are you Ito-san?"
He chuckled. "Of course not Kyoko-chan. I'm very proud of how brave you were and I'm glad when other people get to see you the way I do."
"Ito-san" she said warmly.
They held hands and smiled lovingly at each other.