This was it. After three days of waiting, everyone was ready for the match between Venipede and Gallador to begin. And needless to say, Machop's friends wanted to see the centipede come out on top, though Machop was less certain. After all, while Venipede was a great friend, Gallador was family.

"Alright, the combatants are set!" Yuki exclaimed, "So without further ado, let us begin!"

Once the bell was rung, Venipede stood his ground while Gallador raced toward him. Once he was close enough, he leapt toward the centipede with his arms spread out.

Venipede saw this coming as he tucked himself into a ball and rolled behind Gallador. After that, he retracted to a more normal state while pushing himself up with his top arms. Gallador's eyes widened as the centipede pointed the feelers on his rear end toward him and jabbed them into his back.

The Hungarian crowd went wild as Rinko squealed, "YEAH! YOU RULE, VENIPEDE!" as Vigoroth blinked and uttered, "Wow. This is the first time I've ever seen him use those for combat. I was starting to think he couldn't."

Gallador, however, tried his best to ignore the pain only for Venipede to use his arms to leap off of the mat and latch his legs around his neck, forcing his head forward. The white boy's eyes widened as the centipede latched onto his ankles and used all his might to propel himself high into the air. He then flipped himself one-hundred-and-eighty degrees while the Hungarian and Tokyo fans cheered even louder.

But just as it looked like the back of Gallador's neck would hit the canvas, he started to force his head backwards. It caused him a great deal of strain, but he ultimately pulled it off as the spike atop his skull hit the mat instead, the area going silent.

"Not bad," Gallador said before taking hold of Venipede's wrists, "But it'll take a lot more than that to take me down."

The French fans cheered wildly as the white boy pulled hard enough to force Venipede to release his hold on him. Thus he wound up falling on his belly as Gallador wasted no time climbing onto his back and latching onto his neck with his arms while using his ankles to trap one of his legs in place.

"Venipede had a good start, but Gallador is showing that great strategic thinking that helped him defeat Gyarados!" Yuki stated as Nori added, "Yes. While Venipede has shown great strides, Gallador's pretty amazing too."

Rinko frowned and snapped, "Come on, Venipede! You can resist this! Try using your other arms!" the others turning to her as Kelani asked, "How's he gonna do that?"

However, it seemed the centipede had something in mind as he took a deep breath and grunted, "Right," before using his middle and lower arms to push himself up. Gallador's eyes widened as Venipede managed to propel himself upright, falling backwards and slamming the white boy's back against the canvas.

The Hungarian fans went wild as Gallador released his hold, soon taking in an elbow to the face and another two to his midsection. And of course, Venipede took full advantage of this opportunity and flipped him onto his belly, shouting, "CENTIPEDE BACKBREAKER!" pulling on his chin with his top arms while binding his torso with the rest of them and his legs.

More cheers could be heard as Vigoroth said, "Impressive. Having so many arms is certainly helpful," Meloetta nodding and replying, "Yeah, I'd love to have an extra set of arms. It would really help out when I'm doing chores."

Rinko, on the other hand, seemed to have something else in mind as Eiko noticed her staring off into space and asked, "What's up?" the brunette's cheeks bright pink as she uttered, "Nothing."

Machop, meanwhile, smiled lightly but did not go beyond that. After all, considering who was fighting right now, she would have much rather not taken sides, much like the first two matches of the first round. It was like deciding which friend was her favourite, and most people could not honestly do that.

Gallador groaned from the pain he was feeling as Nori said, "Using his other arms, Venipede has managed to get the advantage back, now trapping Gallador in a submission hold of his own. Let's see what Gallador can do about this."

It seemed the boy had something in mind as Venipede had made a fatal error. Currently, his upper and middle arms were pressed up against the white boy's arms, and it would soon be made clear why this was a bad idea when he started to shift those very parts, the blades starting to turn.

Seeing this, Lairon and Garchomp both gasped as Rinko snapped, "HEY, VENIPEDE, LET GO OF HIM!" the centipede not even stopping to question this as he released his hold on Gallador and leapt off of him.

"Your girlfriend's smart," Gallador said with a grin as he propelled himself up onto his feet, the crowd's excitement rising as Venipede took many deep breaths, thinking, 'Right. I need to be more careful with this guy. I don't wanna suffer the same fate as Gyarados, even if she was okay at the end of it all.'

Scolipede, meanwhile, breathed a sigh of relief as she said, "I have to admit, I like that Rinko girl more and more. Even I didn't see that coming," Attila sighing, "I feel like I should have."

Before Venipede could think of something else to try, Gallador charged at him with his arms folded in front of his face. However, the centipede was ready for this as he knew exactly how to stop the blades from hitting him. Thus he rolled up into a ball and leapt toward the white boy, shouting, "CENTIPEDE STEAMROLLER!" energy buzz saws forming on his shoulders.

Scolipede's eyes sparkled as she exclaimed, "Wow! He really did master it!" Gallador's eyes wide with terror as he kept his arms forward, doing his best to keep Venipede's blades from hitting him.

'Dammit, I thought I'd be ready for him after seeing him in action!' the white boy thought, 'I didn't think he'd have a power like this!' as Rinko exclaimed, "Yeah! Let him have it, honey!"

Machop, Eiko, Isamu and Kelani gave her the most awkward look, the brunette sighing, "Hey, it's not like I want him to kill your cousin or something. Sheesh."

Even so, this certainly seemed to work as after a few seconds, Venipede's blades managed to overpower Gallador and force his back into the ropes. The Hungarian fans were cheering wildly as the French fans stared in horror, the material starting to give way.

'Wait, I can use this,' Gallador thought as he leaned backward, allowing the centipede to fly over him and cut open the ropes. Rinko gasped and snapped, "VENIPEDE, STOP THE ATTACK!" but it was too late as the centipede cut open the ropes and flew out of the ring, retracting just in time for his back to make contact with the ground, Yuki immediately starting the twenty count.

As if things could not get any worse for him, Gallador took full advantage of this and climbed up onto the nearest turnbuckle, smirking and saying, "Not a bad move, but you need more control over it."

With that, he proceeded to leap high into the air with his arms spread out, flipping around before planting his belly into Venipede's. The centipede's eyes widened as he coughed up a bit of green blood, Yuki having now reached five as Nori exclaimed, "It would seem Gallador plans to win this match with a ring-out, but if both fighters remain outside of the ring for twenty seconds, this one's gonna end in a draw and whoever wins the next match will skip the semi-finals."

Machop blinked and uttered, "Oh shit, I don't want that to happen," before barking, "COME ON, GUYS, FINISH THIS IN THE RING!"

Lairon grinned and nodded his head in approval. The fact that his pupil would have much rather earned each and every victory in this tournament was certainly commendable.

Venipede did not wish to lose, at least not this early and thus he ignored the pain to his gut and kicked Gallador off of him. Thus the white boy flew toward the ring as the centipede swung his arms back and used them to propel himself up to his level. And before Gallador knew it, Venipede had his lower and upper arms wrapped around him while using his middle arms to lock the white boy's arms in place.

With Gallador helpless, his back soon made contact with the mat as the Hungarian fans went wild, Nori saying, "And just as things got really close, Venipede has managed to not only get back into the ring but even managed to crush his opponent with what I can only assume is his own version of a flying press."

Rinko and the others cheered as even Machop could not help but breathe a sigh of relief, saying, "It's like I kept telling him on Hero Planet. He's much more badass than he gives himself credit for."

And of course, Venipede would not let this end here as he rose up just a bit, aiming his elbows toward Gallador's shoulders and sides. Once he felt ready, he allowed his upper body to descend thus planting them into those very sports, Gallador groaning from the pain as the centipede leapt off of him and took a deep breath, his eyes implying a big smile while the Hungarian fans cheered wildly.

"Venipede's on fire now!" Yuki squealed, "This isn't the most impressive comeback we've seen from him, but it's certainly effective as Gallador wasn't quite as prepared for this match as he first figured."

"It only makes sense," Nori replied, "While it is true he saw a couple of Venipede's best moves when he fought Rinko, that was only a small handful of what this bug is truly capable of. If this was the old Venipede, Gallador would have had a much better chance, but not anymore."

'I have to admit, your friends keep surprising me more and more,' Gallador thought with a grin as he turned his gaze over to Machop, 'It's good to know you have such amazing allies. But mark my words, we will have our match and I'll stop at nothing to make it happen.'

He then turned his focus back to Venipede and raced toward him. The centipede took a deep breath and waited for him to get close before his antennae glowed green. But just as he was about to send them forward, Gallador stopped his trip and sent a hard punch into his forehead.

Venipede's eyes widened as the white boy smirked and said, "Oh yeah, something worth note is that my mom's a boxer," before sending a barrage of punches forward.

However, Venipede easily ignored the pain after taking in ten punches before using his arms to block the others. Unfortunately for him, though, Gallador had expected him to do this as he sent his knee into his midsection. And with the centipede once again distracted, the white boy leapt at him and wrapped his arm around his neck, using all his might to knock him on his back.

"And not only does Gallador land a series of punches," Yuki stated, "but he also strikes him with a knee kick and a flying clothesline."

With Venipede distracted long enough by the pain, Gallador proceeded to leap into the air and land an axe kick onto his face, the French fans cheering louder than before. But just as the boy was about to rise back up, Venipede ignored the pain and sported a more serious look, wrapping his arms around the spot that had hit him. All went silent as Venipede rose to his feet thus causing Gallador to fall on his back while he forced his leg forward, causing it excruciating pain as the owner cried out in pain.

The Hungarian fans cheered wildly as Yuki exclaimed, "This match just keeps going back and forth! Every time you think one of these two is gonna win, the other makes an amazing comeback!" Nori nodding and replying, "Yep, that is the beauty of wrestling. You never know what's gonna happen."

Venipede applied even more force as Gallador cried even louder, the centipede looking concerned as he said, "Hey, look, if you wanna forfeit, I won't think any less of you. Seriously, I don't wanna end up crippling you just to win this match."

The white boy forced a grin and uttered, "I appreciate the sentiment. You're clearly a good person, but I refuse to forfeit. If I'm gonna lose this match, I'll lose the honourable way."

Venipede let out a sigh and replied, "Well, if you insist," before flinging him high into the air, causing him to flip vertically and leaping up to his level.

Rinko had the biggest grin on her face as she shouted, "YEAH, SHOW HIM WHAT ALL THAT TRAINING WAS FOR!" as the centipede reached Gallador before latching on his ankles with his legs. He then wrapped his upper and lower arms around the white boy's torso while using his middle arms to bend Gallador's back.

The Hungarian crowd went wild as Venipede flipped his body over, shouting, "CENTIPEDE MOONSAULT!" descending toward the canvas, Gallador's belly making contact as he coughed up blood.

"And even when not used on a human, that move Venipede recently created still packs an incredible punch!" Yuki exclaimed as Scolipede clapped and shouted, "Yeah! That's the family spirit! Keep it up!"

Venipede rose to his feet with an implied smile in his eyes, Gallador's face now up against the mat as Yuki started the ten count. Needless to say, the Hungarian fans were more than happy with this as Rinko rose her arm in the air, shouting, "That was awesome, honey!"

Machop blinked and uttered, "Wow. I know Venipede's really good, but damn, it looks like he might have actually won already."

Isamu gave her an odd look and asked, "Are you disappointed?" the girl shaking her head and replying, "Look, whoever wins this match, there's a possibility that I'll still end up fighting a friend, and I'd much rather face a friend than another enemy."

Meloetta nodded and replied, "Yeah. There's less bitterness that way."

However, once Yuki reached seven, Gallador's eyes widened as he pushed himself back to his feet, taking many deep breaths as the French fans gasped. Venipede gulped nervously and turned to face him, uttering, "Seriously? He's still standing!?"

"Sorry to disappoint," Gallador said with a grin, "but I fully intend to face my cousin in the semi-finals. As such, I have no intention of letting you walk all over me. I hope you understand."

Venipede nodded and replied, "Of course. Part of the reason I've trained so hard was to prepare myself for moments like these, so I'll keep doing the best I can too."

"That's what I love to hear," Gallador replied as he raced toward the centipede. However, he was ready as he dodged to the side, sending his arms into the white boy's side.

But just as it looked like he once again had the upper hand, Gallador refused to let himself take in another hit and thus lowered his arm, latching onto Venipede's. Since the boy's arm was long enough, this was certainly possible as the French fans cheered, Gallador grinning before falling backwards, pulling Venipede with him and forcing the back of his head into the canvas.

The centipede rocked back and forth while holding onto the spot that hit the mat as Gallador leapt at him with his arms out, saying, "Don't worry. I'll put as little pressure into this as I can afford so you won't end up in the hospital."

Even with the reassurance, Rinko and the others wanted Venipede to at least roll to the side, anything that would allow him to avoid the incoming attack. But unfortunately, that blow to the head was more effective than it looked and thus Venipede was unable to respond as Gallador exclaimed, "SWORDS DANCE PINWHEEL!"

He then pounded his fists together and started spinning with his arm blades sticking outward. And sure enough, Venipede wound up taking in multiple slashes as if an actual fan blade was beating against his chest, green blood flying out as he cried out in pain.

And after taking in enough pain, he closed his eyes and tilted his head sideways. Seeing this, Gallador ended his assault and leapt back, a grin on his face as he folded his arms, Nori exclaiming, "And it looks like Gallador has just finished off Venipede with a move never seen from his family until now!" Yuki having started the ten count.

Everyone stared, Scolipede and Attila both concerned as the young woman soon reached ten and rang the bell, stating, "And after a very exciting and intense match, and despite Venipede's best efforts, Gallador has won this match and will advance to the semi-finals!"

The French fans went wild as Machop took a deep breath, smiled lightly and applauded her cousin. However, the others were concerned about how Rinko would take this until she let out a sigh and said, "Well, he did the best he could. Honestly, I just think it's awesome that he made it this far, all things considered."

After a few more seconds, Venipede's eyes started to open as he soon realized what just happened and groaned, "Oh no, I lost, didn't I?"

Gallador gave him a warm smile and held out his hand, saying, "Hey, don't let it get you down. You did the best you could. Seriously, this is the hardest I've ever had to work toward a victory."

"You mean it?" Venipede asked, his eyes sparkling as the white boy nodded and replied, "Absolutely."

With that, the centipede took his hand as he rose to his feet, the crowd cheering wildly as Nori sighed, "No matter how many times I see this happen, it never gets old," as Yuki nodded and replied, "I can't believe I spent so long avoiding this profession. I love this stuff."

Beedrill nodded as Rinko sprinted toward the ring and smiled at Gallador, saying, "Thanks for helping him up. I'll take it from here," the white boy nodding and saying, "You got yourself an awesome boyfriend there. I hope you get married and have lots of kids," giving them a thumb up as Meloetta smiled wide, Vigoroth grinning and saying, "Your cousin is awesome, you know that?"

Machop nodded and sighed, "I know, right?" Isamu all the while thinking, 'And just think, I could have technically been related to him.'

"Well, that concludes the first match of the semi-finals," Beedrill stated, "With that in mind, it's time to change locations as our next match starts in two hours. We will hold it here."

He then brought up his big map and pointed to a beach known as Onjuku. Once again, certainly a strange location, but not the weirdest place to hold an Olympic match.

"Well, as long as he doesn't put the ring in the middle of the water, I'm fine with this," Machop said with a grin as she got up, the others joining her.

But just as they were about to head off, the girl noticed Chesnaught shooting daggers at her. It was as if he was thinking about more than just winning the match. Now she could not help but wonder if he had some sort of grudge against her.

Whatever the case, she had no intention of losing this round, especially since she and Gallador had wanted to face each other from the start. But would she pull it off?