Hey guys! Just wanted to say, once again I had such an immense amount of fun writing a chapter. Day 4 is turning out to be some of the most fun I've had writing this entire story. I only hope that you can share in that same joy.
Enjoy the Battle Royale.
4PM: LIVE PERFORMANCES
"I need you two... to sing."
Iori and Athena, as much or little as they had in common, did get to share a moment of relation, as they both did an equally-dramatic double take.
"Are you kidding me right now?!" Athena was the first to growl in disapproval. "After the kind of day I've had, you're asking me to SING?!"
Rose slightly stepped back. "Ehehehe... well you see, we're having to pad out the day dramatically, since the Battle Royale and all... so ehhh... please~?"
Athena started to open her mouth, and judging from her face, Rose knew she was about to blurt no, so Rose fell on her knees and pled her case once more.
"Oh please Athena, please! Listen... Chizuru would want you to sing!"
Athena quirked an eyebrow. "Chizuru?"
Rose nodded intently. "Yes, yes! She's worried about positive energy, right? Maintaining the balance of light and dark? Well, what lifts people's spirits more than your singing! Athena, you shine on stage: your beauty, your singing voice, your charm, your ability to pump up the crowd... you'll set Allianz Arena on fire! And everybody wins in this situation: you get to spread the cheer, and my tournament gets good ratings~"
Athena hung her head in deep thought; she certainly wasn't FEELING positive. How would she possibly pass that onto others? But at the same time... she was an agent of light. She swore to combat the negative energies that threatened the universe; could performing here, in front of 75,000 people, really make a difference? If she could do even a little bit of good... how could she refuse?
"...Fine." her answer at last came. "I'll sing."
Rose literally did a little leap, clapping her hands wildly. "EEEEEEEEEE! Thankyouthankyou Athena! I appreciate you so much~!"
One down, one to go. Undoubtedly the one Rose was more worried about selling, she turned to look at the apathetic, rather bored, face of Iori Yagami. "As for you, Mr. Yagami? Think you could churn out a high-energy song to pump out the crowd?"
Iori's only response was to blow a puff of air, lifting that weird clump of hair that always hung down. "Pffffeh."
Rose put on a pouty face. "Mr. Yagami, PLEEEEEAAAAASE? Oh Athena, won't you talk to him? He'll listen to you, surely."
Athena nudged Iori rather sharply, actually moving him a bit. "Cmon Iori, if I'm gonna fold and do this, you can manage one too. I think that's fair, don't you?"
Iori's eyes seemed to narrow even further, as his face soured. "Just because you folded easy doesn't mean I'm gonna."
Athena put on a stern face, crossing her arms. "But you'll do it for the same reason I'm doing it: to make Chizuru happy. To make the world a better place. She's counting on us, Iori."
Iori grimaced: crap. She had to bring up Chiz. Already the memories of just an hour ago were bubbling up, like bad Chinese food. Iori remembered the harsh things he said, the way he laid hands on her... maybe he did need to do this. He needed to right the wrong.
Besides... maybe this would be a healthy outlet for him. Something to channel his energy. Focus his attention. Distract him from the Riot barking in his ear.
With that in mind... Iori shrugged. "Fine. But I'm gonna do something gnarly. And I need a backup singer. SHEN! SHEN WOO!"
As if on cue, the simple-minded Shanghai brawler arrived at Iori's beck and call. "Yo?"
"Can you say four words?"
"Yeah?"
"Okay, I'll do it." Iori agreed.
Athena threw herself against him, with a cheerful glomp. "Thank you, Iori~! Now I don't feel so singled out!"
"Yeah yeah. Pffeeehh." Iori blew his hair a second time.
ATHENA ASAMIYA
As short-notice as it seemed, Rose Bernstein was actually prepared, to a SCARY extent, for live performances: she must have planned on approaching Athena all along. There was audio equipment, pyrotechnics... the basic things Athena needed to simply stand in the center of the Stadium and sing.
The start time had officially commenced: 4PM. It seemed like the hour hand had just touched down on the number, when people started spilling into the venue. Despite everything that had happened this week: the scare with Shion, the Freeman incident... Allianz Arena, somehow, maintained its sold-out status.
And so, surrounded by 75,000 screaming fans, here stood Athena Asamiya... and she still didn't really feel like doing this.
"Sigh... how can I sing, knowing Bao and Momo are missing?" Athena hung her head low. "The energy just doesn't feel right..."
This didn't stop Rose, though. Whether the popstar was prepared or not, Rose was already taking the center of the arena, microphone in hand.
"AND NOW... PLEASE ENJOY A LIVE PERFORMANCE BY JAPAN'S GREATEST POP IDOL, ATHENA ASAMIYAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
The music started; Athena knew the song well. It was one of America's greatest hits, by the "Goddess of Pop" herself.
But even now, as her moment soon approached... Athena felt hesitation. Her heart wasn't in it.
Not until...
"HEY! ATHENA-NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
Her head perked up, when she heard a distinct call. Her eyes carefully scanned the venue, trying to capture all the faces, to locate the one who was out of place, and the voice that matched it...
...That's when she saw them. Her mouth opened wide, into a curving smile, ear to ear.
Bao and Momoko, waving at her. Calling her name. Kensou was at their side, pumping a fist in triumph.
...And even SHE was there.
"Mignon helped too... not that you care... hmph."
That was all she needed. Her eyes lit with a newfound determination as she started:
No matter how hard I try
You keep pushing me aside, and I caaaaan't break throuuuugh
There's no talking to youuuuuuuu
It's so saaa-aad that you're leaving
It takes tiiii-iiime to believe it
But after all is said and done
You're gonna be the lonely one ohhhh
DO YOU BELIEEEEEVE IN LIFE AFTER LOVE?
I CAN FEEL SOMETHING INSIIIIIIDE ME SAAAAY, I REALLY DON'T THINK YOU'RE STRONG ENOUGH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Even a song as heralded (and autotuned) as that one, Athena nailed perfectly. Her pitch, her timing... she knew exactly when and where to hit the notes. As soon as the pyrotechnics went off, she kicked her voice into a powerful overdrive.
During the later parts of the chorus, she kicked it up a notch, breaking out into an uplifting and energetic dance, knowing exactly when to twirl, when to step, when to flip her hair, when to gesticulate... Athena was truly a master of her trade.
"Damn, I can't believe we get to see Athena for free!" Malin shouted.
"What?" Jenet asked.
"I SAID I CAN'T BELIEVE WE GET A FREE ATHENA PERFORMANCE!"
"Oh yeah, you're right! Hey, where's that Korean guy? I bet he's loving this!"
"What?"
The crowd were going out of their minds. Athena had the exact success, the exact influence, Rose was looking for: the people were screaming her name, worshipping her, like her Goddess predecessor. Any memories of the bad things that had happened this week, surely were wiped from their minds, in the midst of such an electrifying moment from the popstar.
"THANK YOU GERMANY I LOVE YOU ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL~!" Athena squealed into the mic, flashing a peace sign between her eye. and giving an adorable wink.
Athena exited the field, to the sounds of insatiable cheer. All eyes on her, hands reaching out for her, praise and desires shouted from their tongues towards her. It was a good feeling... and it really made her feel better about the week.
"You did very good, Athena." Chin met her with a hug, as did the other three.
"YOU WERE GREAT, ATHENA-NEE!" Momoko squeaked.
"YOU ROCK!" Bao praised.
"My girl knows how to light up an arena!" Kensou beamed.
Mignon was the only one who didn't share in the hug, instead running a finger through her hair, playing with the weird peaked curls. "Hmph. Mignon acknowledges your talent onstage, but that doesn't mean you're better than Mignon!"
IORI YAGAMI
After a brief intermission to set up equipment, the resident red-haired grump was next to take center of the Arena, with Shen Woo and a backup band accompanying him.
In some ways... Iori felt at peace here, in this moment. Perhaps it was a return to basics for him; a taste of simpler life. Maybe a longing for what could have been, had circumstances been different. It was unhealthy to think about, even moreso to delve into such a dangerous realm of false hope... but it felt good to have this comfort nonetheless.
Iori took a look around, one time: the people weren't screaming nearly as loud for him as they did Athena. Most looked questionable about the whole thing. Even the fighters in the stands, few who had any love for him, looked like they weren't fully grasping the reality that Iori the Loner was about to perform.
Whatever. Like he cared what those assholes thought anyway. He was doing this for HIM. He felt like shit. He enjoyed music. At the end of the day, if he felt better about himself, then that was a victory.
"Ready?" Iori called out behind him.
The music started: a slow, rhythmic tapping of the cymbals, courtesy of the provided drummer. The light percussion continued by itself for a good 16 seconds, before the guitar kicked in with a groaning feedback...
...And then, all at once, the drummer kicked in. The guitarists started shredding. The Stadium was alight with the explosive sounds of hard rock, as Iori stepped forth and unleashed monstrous vocals:
Oooh whatcha gonna do now
Whatcha gonna do when the rhythm starts kickin' you
Kinda making me bleed, into
My resent so, definite, evident
Breathe like a disease
Gonna get you, off of me
Thoughts of you rotting me
Animosity
Burrows into me
BOY YOU LOST WHEN YOU MADE ME THE ENEMY!
(BLOOD IN MY EEEEYESSSS)
(BLOOOOOOD IIIIIN MYYYY EYEEEEESSSS)
I don't like to think about you, no
What you gonna do
Who you gonna do it too
Cause it's making me feel
My will, somethin' I killed off
Givin' off a lick about you to another like me, punk!
YOU'RE GONNA GET YOURSELF KNOCKED OUT!
NIGHTMARES RUNNIN' THROUGH MY MIND!
The macabre nature of Iori's lyrics was overshadowed by the sheer POWER of his vocals, the intense, sweat and goosebump-inducing energy he exuded with every word. Germany, huge fans of hard rock, overlooked their general uncertainty about Iori, and were stricken by the loud, booming environment he created in the Stadium.
The song ended. Allianz Arena broke out into screams, cell phones held high as they finished recording the once-in-a-lifetime moment. Suffice to say, Iori had won them over.
In contrast to Athena's ability to really work the crowd, Iori simply abandoned the equipment, the backup band, Shen (who was flexing his muscles), and abruptly left the field.
"The whelp is good. I'll give him that." Saisyu commented from afar, arms folded.
Chizuru nodded, a slight smile on her face. "Yes, he is. I think this was very good for him. Iori needs more of this sort of thing..."
"Too bad its always too hard to get him involved in things."
Chizuru hung her head down at those words. "Yeah..."
5PM: PRELIMS
Since Rose was forced to "pad out" the day, as the Battle Royale was the only tournament fight to happen, she'd planned in advance for several non-tourney matches, contracted by outside fighters who didn't make the cut.
In the first match, Korean prodigy Chae Lim fought Rebecca Brielle, a hardened tonfa-wielding martial artist from Holland. After they fought to a 15-minute time limit, Chae Lim was declared the winner by split decision.
In the second match, Japanese-American Moe Habana impressed the crowd with a stunning knockout of the UK-born Kisarah Westfield.
Leonhalt Domador scored a victory for his German people, triumphing over American pro wrestler Max Eagle... despite the latter attempting to bring a BATTLE AXE to the contest (Krauser confiscated it, thank god)
Boxing champion Rob Python, a veteran of Buriki One, and a pupil of Silber, scored an impressive knockout over a fellow contestant: Russian Greco-Roman wrestler Ivan Sokolov, who had attempted to shoot in for a double-leg, only to get his chin obliterated by an uppercut. Had Silber been present, he would've been proud.
A Fatal Fury fangirl, Alice Garnet Nakata, wanted to make a name for herself, and especially impress her idol, Terry Bogard... unfortunately, Terry was not present at the Arena on that day, and she suffered a humiliating defeat to the cold and ruthless Hibiki Takane, a female swordsman who could draw as fast as the fabled Ukyo Tachibana... luckily, she used a kendo stick instead of a real sword, and Alice left with only bruised skin and a bruised pride.
The winners received $2,500. The losers still got $1,000 just to show. All in all, there were no real losers on this day, as Rose got exactly what she needed.
7PM: THE BATTLE ROYALE!
The moment was finally here.
As the evening started to fade into a sunset sky, Allianz Arena was still as lively as ever, for what would be the cardinal moment of the day.
Fourteen fighters. A second chance. One ring.
WHO. WILL. SURVIVE?
"AND NOW... WE'VE ARRIVED AT THE MAIN EVENT OF THE EVENING!" Rose cheerfully yelled into the microphone, receiving a round of cheers afterwards. "WILL THE 14 SELECTED FIGHTERS PLEASE ADVANCE TO THE RING?!"
The ring in question, was airdropped by a fleet of helicopters, dead center in Allianz Arena, where the dirt circle resided. A traditional wrestling ring, it was quadrilateral, with four turnbuckle posts, and red ropes on all sides. The likes of Tizoc, Angel, Ramon, Raiden, would feel right at home here.
"Cmon, Hinako-chan! Let's get back in this tournament!" Hotaru urged the other girl.
Hinako nodded. "I won't attack you if you won't attack me. Deal?"
"Deal~!"
The two girls took their place in the ring, as did the overbearing, bombastic presence of King of Dinosaurs.
"This will be a walk in the park!" he roared. "Defeating me in a Battle Royale... HA! I'll pick my teeth with the bones of my enemies!"
Shen Woo, who stepped in after him, gave a disgusted grunt. "Ugh, I'm shutting him up first. I can't wait to knock out all those fake teeth."
Robert stepped in, as did Joe, who also felt the need to comment. "Believe it or not, he was on my team at one point. Much as I hate to go against him, he's annoying the shit out of me too."
Robert, however, had a different mindset. "The only one I'M going after... is a certain bald punk."
Kasumi entered the ring with silence, though her eyes told the whole story: she was peering at Robert the entire time.
Mai came in behind her, and tried to lighten the mood with a pat on her back. "Hey Kasumi, good luck out... there?"
...But the blue-haired girl had her back to Mai, and didn't turn around even once in acknowledgement of her words.
Mai pouted. "Hmph. Yuri's right, you ARE being a jerk..."
"Don't worry about her right now." Benimaru flanked to Mai's side, bringing the girl's attention to him. "We've got BIGger fish to fry, if you catch my pun."
Mai's face turned to a vengeful scowl. "Oh you've got that right. I know Chizuru wants us to focus on the Hakkeshu and all but... damn... Big needs to pay for what he did."
Benimaru's irises sizzled for a split second. "We can do both."
Everyone had finally gotten in, save for three: perhaps the most important ones in the talks. At ringside, Mr. Big was currently congregating with Yamazaki.
"They all want you dead, ya know." Ryuji mentioned with a shrug. "You step in that ring, it's gonna be Hell."
Mr Big merely chuckled. "Hehehehehe... Ryuji, my friend, I served two tours in 'Nam. I think I know about Hell... and I know about attrition. I'm gonna frustrate these punks, wear em' down... and when the smoke clears, it will be Big who stands on top. Where I'm always meant to be!"
"Good luck." Yamazaki puffed, delivering a friendly slap to the back, as the bald kingpin at last took his place inside the ring.
Mr. Big took in the faces around him: most all of them, snarling at him, with bloodlust dripping from every pore. His lips did the opposite: curling into a shit-eating grin.
"Hehehehe... come and get me!"
And finally... the two chosen Hakkeshu remained. Chris, with a hug from Yashiro, followed by a kiss on the cheek from Shermie, held up a pair of determined fists.
"This is it... wish me luck, guys!"
Yashiro smiled. "Don't worry; you can take these fools, easy."
"Plus, you'll have Vice backing you up." Shermie mentioned. "RIGHT...Vice~?"
The redhead in question was not even listening; she and Mature were several yards away, their faces pressed intimately against each other, hands on the opposite's hips.
"Get us back in this, Vice." Mature whispered. "Make our dream a reality."
"Those Heavenly cretins are more focused on the boy." Vice responded. "They only want me as an extra body, to improve their chances."
"Our goal stretches beyond their petty desires." Mature soothed. "Just remember who you're fighting for out there."
Vice's lips drew closer. "As always... my sweet Mature."
Their lips joined, staying connected for five seconds, before pulling away, and Vice took her leave. The remaining two contestants at last took their place in the ring.
The Arena grew deathly silent. The contestants in the ring, all 14 of them, formed a circle, as their eyes scanned numerous opponents, formulated strategies, sorted priorities.
They all had their reasons. Enemies to squash. Personal pride to achieve. But one thing was shared between them all... they were here for the second chance.
Krauser stepped forward, serving as the referee to this chaotic match. "ARE YOU ALL READY?!"
Not one face showed hesitation.
Krauser began the countdown. "10... 9... 8... 7... 6..."
"5..."
"4..."
"THREE..."
"TWO..."
"ONE!"
FIGHT!
King of Dinosaurs shot off the ropes in a flash, barreling forward with his arm cocked back. Benimaru spun around just in time to see him coming... but it was too late, and the wrestler all but took his head off with a lariat.
"Ungh!" Beni grunted as he hit the canvas.
Dino kept his body moving, until he hit the ropes, using the momentum to slingshot back forward, towards his next target: a tiny Hotaru.
"I'M GOING TO ROLL OVER YOU LITTLE GIRL!" he roared as he went airborne, preparing to come down on her with a splash...
Hotaru, thankfully, presented a small and speedy target, as she rolled to the side, and the wrestler's huge body hit the canvas, shaking the entire ring.
Mai was the first to try and make a move on Mr. Big. "I'M COMING FOR YOU BALDY! KACHOSEN!"
She unleashed a fan from her bosom, soaring towards the kingpin... but Choi leaped out of nowhere, slashing the projectile to shreds with a cackle.
Mr. Big, meanwhile, had a perfect strategy: he was backed against the corner of the ring, with Raiden's huge body placed in front of him. "PROTECT ME! I'm all that matters! If I survive this, I'll make sure you get a pay raise!"
That was good enough for Raiden; as Robert tried to close in on Big and attack, Raiden plowed into him, knocking Garcia away with his superior weight.
Robert stumbled wildly, out of control... until he ran into Kasumi. The next thing he felt was his body leave the ground, as Kasumi used the man's momentum against him, and sent him flying with an over-the-shoulder toss. Robert nearly flew out of the ring... but he hit the ropes, and landed on the canvas.
Dino was back up, and back to his song and dance. He went airborne, coming down on Joe's face with a dropkick, sending the Thai fighter soaring into a turnbuckle. Hinako tried to rush him from behind; King of Dinosaurs spun around with a forearm chop, knocking Hinako away like a beach ball.
"NOBODY CAN STOP ME! THE RING IS MY NATURAL HABITAT!" he screeched.
Shen Woo approached, rotating his arm clockwise. "That's it, I've had enough of Dino boy. Time to die."
"Tizoc" spun around, meeting Shen Woo in the center of the ring. He threw a boot to Shen's belt line, but the Shanghai brawler parried his kick with a right hook, spun around 360, and drilled a left into the wrestler's body.
Tizoc folded like a steel chair. "Ouuuuff...!"
Shen Woo didn't stop there. He took a lunging step forward, "Off you GO!" and delivered a 'Sparta Kick' to the chest of the wrestler, sending Dino tumbling backwards into the ropes.
The wrestler was just about to take advantage of the elasticity of the ropes, and shoot back forward... but Benimaru denied him that chance, and ALL his chances, by coming in with his spiraling aerial kick, connecting with Tizoc's face.
The dinosaur wrestler yowled in defeat as his body went over the ropes, landing on the earth outside.
Shen Woo, numb to even sympathy for little girls, tried to rush Hotaru next. He charged at her with a left hook; she backflipped, and dodged it. He kept barreling forward, swinging another left, a right after it... finally, Hotaru countered his next swing. He tried another left hook, but she backflipped, steadying her body with a handstand; her right foot parried his punch, and her left foot came forward, kicking him in the nose.
"Urgh..." he grunted as he stumbled backwards, but his body met the charging Sumo palms of Hinako, who knocked his body forward with a mighty shove, until he hit the ropes.
Hotaru flashed a thumbs up. "Nice move, Hinako-chan~!"
Hinako replied with a slap of her cheeks. "Thanks~!"
...But Hinako's triumph was short-lived. Hotaru knew it as well; her face turned to horror when she saw an unnatural arm SWOOSH! out of nowhere, grab Hinako by the neck, and send the Sumo girl FLYING out of the ring.
"HINAKO-CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!" Hotaru cried.
The perpetrator of the deed, Vice, seemed quite pleased with herself, as she menacingly flexed her fingers. "Kukukukuku... no room in this ring for cutesy, kawaii crap. That includes you, cream puff!"
Hotaru, enraged, rushed her. "You'll pay for that!"
The Japanese girl went airborne, leaping at Vice with the most ferocious battle cry her lungs could muster, her leg extended in a kick...
...Vice just stood there, amused, and as soon as Hotaru's body got close, her arm SWOOOSH!ed once again, and sent Hotaru squealing into the nearest turnbuckle post. The girl didn't go out, but she was down.
Chris, meanwhile, was having a favorable battle. Joe charged at him with a left; Chris dodged it, and Joe tried to use their close range to fire a knee, but Chris backflipped out of harm's way, and Joe kept coming forward with a lunging push kick.
With a smirk, Chris vaulted over Joe's leg, frontflipped over him, and kicked him in the back of the head, sending Joe stumbling forward into the ropes. Joe slingshotted back forward, and tried to take advantage of his own momentum. "SLASH KICK!"
He shot at Chris like a missile... but he hit nothing but an after-image, as Chris went airborne into a flying somersault, landing gracefully on the nearest post.
Joe's attack sent himself all the way across the ring... into the belly of Raiden, who couldn't withstand the force of Joe's special attack. With a whimper, the wrestler dropped to his knees, and left Mr. Big temporarily without his shield.
"I don't like you much either, Biggo!" Joe declared, as he swung at Big with a roundhouse.
"Outta my way, third-stringer!" Big spat back, as he parried the kick with his left stick, then brought the right stick into Joe's stationary calf, buckling the Thai fighter.
Raiden, back up, snatched Joe up with both meaty hands, and threw him back to the other side of the ring.
Amusingly, Joe plowed into Mai, who let out a yelp as she was suddenly floored, the man resting on top of her. A seconds-long struggle commenced, as Mai pried the man off of her, then swiftly conked him on the head with her fan. "Joe, you dipshit! If you're gonna get thrown, land as far away from me as possible!"
Meanwhile, Shen Woo was losing the exchange with Chris big time. Much like Athena last year, Chris was proving much too difficult to hit for the brawler, who was getting agitated.
"You...little...shit... HOLD... STILL!"
But it was no use. Chris dodged a hook; another hook; another hook, and Shen swung around into a spinning backfist... an afterimage of Chris ducked it, and the real Chris rammed into his stomach with a leaping knee. As Shen Woo fell to his knees, Chris played hopscotch on his head, going airborne... out of nowhere, he targeted Joe Higashi, delivering an ambush kick to the back of his head.
Joe faceplanted, sliding across the canvas... until his body slipped underneath the bottom rope, out of the ring.
"KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Choi, committed to ambush attacks, leaped out of nowhere and planted himself on Hotaru's back. The Japanese girl squealed as she spun around and around, slowly getting pushed to the ropes...
"EEEK! Get him off me, get him off me, GET HIM OFF MEEEE!"
Benimaru came to her rescue, stepping in deep with a whipping side kick, knocking Choi off her back and sending the tiny man soaring into a steel post.
"Thanks." Hotaru bowed.
"Don't mention it." Beni flashed a thumbs up, and the two contestants went separate ways out of respect.
Mai and Robert, meanwhile, were teamed up, and attempting to solve the puzzle of Big.
"URRRAGHHHHHH!" Raiden came charging forward with a shoulder rush; Mai and Robert split, and Raiden went between them.
Robert kicked Raiden in the back of the knee, putting Raiden down on his shins. Mai delivered the kill shot, leaping into Raiden's face with a flying elbow, sending a stream of blood from his nostrils as Raiden went down on the canvas, not out, but temporarily stopped.
Big's smile faded. "Ah shit...CHOI! COVER ME!"
...But Choi was also temporarily down. Big had no supporters.
"Nobody to hide behind now, Big!" Robert insulted. "Now you're done!"
"This is for Yuri!" Mai proclaimed.
Robert charged into a spinning start, going 180 with a powerful kick; Big crossed his sticks and absorbed the blow, sending his feet skidding backwards. Mai went airborne, attempting to come down on him with her Flying Squirrel technique; Big combat rolled forward, and Mai whiffed.
"BLASTER WAVE!" Big sent that towards Mai, to keep her at bay. Mai leaped high to dodge.
Robert came at Big from the left; he caught him across the jaw with a left hook, then combo'd into a body kick. Big had his wits about him to block the body shot, but when Robert followed up with a second kick to the head, he failed to avoid that one. Robert's foot crashed against his ear, and Big went stumbling backwards into the post he had been hiding at.
Robert closed in for the kill... but out of nowhere, he felt his body being rolled up on.
"Wha-WHOAAA!"
Kasumi had come out of nowhere, pressing her chest against his, hooking her foot around his back ankle... her arms wrapped around his head, and she tripped him into a takedown.
In one fluid motion, Kasumi scrambled atop his body, threw her legs over him, grabbed his arm... and pulled back against it, with an armbar.
Robert was as shocked as he was immobilized. "Hnnnnghhhhhhhh...! K-Kasumi...! What are you doing?!"
Kasumi's eyes showed no sympathy. "Forgive me, Robert... but I'm following my path."
Kasumi brought her leg up just enough to reach Robert's face... with one kick, she knocked him blurry. Rolling backwards to her feet, she snatched Robert up, swung his arm around... and flipped him out of the ring.
"K-Kasumi!" Mai called her name with a feeling of betrayal. "How could you do this?! We almost had him!"
Kasumi's cold eyes found her now. "Big doesn't concern me... my mission is clear."
Big, ignorant to all this, just saw his ex machina and laughed. "Hehehehe! Thanks, girl! Your daddy would be proud!"
Shen Woo was officially in a bad place. He'd tried to swing at Beni with a body punch, only for the blonde to counter with a knee to the stomach. As Shen stumbled backwards in pain, he fell right into the waiting arms of Vice... who snaked in a chokehold and put the man at her mercy.
"KUKUKUKUKUKUuuuuuuu... how I wish to just squeeze and squeeze, until your skin turns mayonnaise white...!" she moaned into the choking man's ear.
Shen, despite his life being squeezed out, managed some garbled words. "Nngh...ghhkk...khhk.. guughh... you... f***ing... witches...!"
Vice, still around his neck, used her unnatural strength to lift the man off his feet, until he was flailing several inches above ground.
She spun around...around...around...around...around...around... until she finally let go of Shen, like a hammer toss, and sent the Shanghai brawler howling out of the ring... until he hit the grass.
Meanwhile, back at Big, Kasumi and Mai were staring each other down, in what had to be the most awkward standoff of their lives... two friends, two former teammates, whose only difference was a vast difference in ideals. And then there was the third party to this standoff, Big, who actually felt the safest in this situation.
"Kasumi... you've lost your way." Mai scolded. "The Kasumi I know had a healthy rivalry with the Kyokugens, but never took it as far as you're taking it now!"
"I'm tired!" Kasumi swung her arm. "I'm tired of failing! Being nice has gotten me nowhere up to this point! I still don't have self-respect! Still no inner peace! My father still is nowhere to be found! He... I just... W-WAAAAAAAAAAAAhhhh...!"
"Payback, bitch!" Raiden came out of nowhere with a vicious body check, sending Kasumi flying into the ropes, and the girl's body was too high up, as she flipped over the top and fell out.
Mai had just enough time to process what had happened, before she found a surprise attacker of her own.
"KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" it was once again Choi, leaping atop an unaware back. This time, it belonged to Mai, who was now carrying his weight.
"Ah! Ahhhh! You little dirty rat... GET OFF!"
Choi clung to Mai persistently, particularly enjoying the full-contact with her... and from his position, he could see down her ninja garb. Suffice it to say, he could rest there all day.
"Hold her, Choi!" Big sneered. The kingpin approached, readying his Eskrima sticks...
"I don't think so!" Mai defied, as she reached into her cleavage, pulling out a wooden fan. Without even opening it, she threw the wooden part into the bridge of Big's nose, breaking his sunglasses and sending the bald man reeling backwards in pain.
Mai dipped her head forward, then sent it BACKWARDS, headbutting Choi in the face and knocking the short man off of her. As soon as he hit the ground, she picked the shrimpy man up, tossed him in the air...
"RYU EMBU!" with a swish of her flame tongue, she knocked Choi out of the ring for good.
As for Raiden, his number was up as well, as Benimaru ambushed him from behind. "RAIJINKEN!"
Raiden's body coursed with tens of thousands of volts, the fat guy convulsing violently, frozen in place from the electrical shock... it wasn't until Mai broke the connection, hooking her legs around Raiden's neck and backflipping, sending the man stumbling forward wildly... that he finally collapsed over the top of the ropes, and the giant man hit the dirt with a THUD.
"Good work, Beni!" Mai complimented. She turned to Big. "Now we can-"
"Leave him!" Benimaru unexpectedly commanded.
Mai's face twisted. "Bu...but...!"
Beni snatched her by the arm, pointing out to the distance. "There's only six left. We've got to knock THEM out."
Mai eyes darted to Big, then cut to the distance... Chris was sitting on top of the post, feet playfully dangling, smirking, while Vice was slowly cornering a trembling Hotaru...
Mai sighed. "It's for the bigger picture I guess..."
Benimaru nodded. "Exactly. I'd rather deal with-OOOOOF!"
But Big did not share their sentiment; while Beni and Mai were talking, he tore through the both of them with his Cross Dive, emerging from the other side with a laugh.
"Hahahahahaha! You get an F for trying to fight honest!" he taunted.
Mai groaned, her body wrought with pain... but she managed the energy to slam her fist down. "Big, you bastard! Don't you get that you're interfering with the fate of the world here?!"
Big just pressed his stick against his own head, scratching the top of his dome. "Psssh, I've never believed in any of that superstitious crap. Geese always did... and where is he now? Hiding like a little bitch! I'M the one who's here now! ME! BIG! And you don't have to worry about the fate of the world... because this is gonna be BIG'S WORLD one day! HAHAHAHA! I'll reshape it to my desig-"
"Kachosen."
Mai caught Big monologuing, and busted him in the mouth with another closed fan projectile. This bought Benimaru enough time to spring kick to his feet... and his body coursed with a terrifying lightning that expressed just how PISSED he was.
"You're about to get something a hell of a lot worse than the chair." Benimaru threatened.
Meanwhile, poor Hotaru had been left to fend off Vice herself... and as valiant as the Japanese girl was, any oddsmaker could guess what the outcome is.
Hotaru, forced to fight, rushed Vice from the front, but she quickly cut into a roll: a trick to get herself away from the edge and into the center of the ring. She pressed forward, dipping low into a sweep kick; Vice backpedaled to dodge it, as Hotaru came back up with a lift kick that bounced off of Vice's palm. Hotaru threw hand strikes, going mid with a left and high with a right, but Vice's insincts were too fast, and she parried the blows. Their bodies came together in close proximity, but Hotaru shoved her away to get distance and fired a kick to the ribs; Vice effortlessly caught her foot, and lifted... she was holding the girl, upside down, dangling her like a teddy bear.
"What a precious little doll you are~" Vice cooed with condescending words. "I wonder what your stuffing looks like!"
Hotaru, though scared, didn't give her the chance; the agile girl managed to bring her other foot forward and nail Vice in the face, forcing the redhead to let go of her, and Hotaru somersaulted into a perfect landing.
"HYAH!" Hotaru thrust her palms forward, sending a blue fireball soaring towards Vice... but the redhead licked her lips menacingly, as she leaped with inhuman height, over the fireball, across the ring... and she landed on top of Hotaru, bringing a hand down on her neck and pinning her to the canvas.
Vice crawled back up, managing to carry Hotaru's weight with just one arm... flail and struggle as she did, Hotaru was helpless in her deathgrip, so crushingly tight against her neck, tears leaked down her eyes.
Vice was tired of dealing with it, she flung Hotaru into the air, waited for her body to descend back down...
SWOOSHSWOOSH! her arm whipped out and snatched Hotaru in mid-air, throwing the girl a great distance, far out of the threshhold of the ring.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...!"
Hotaru was sure the fall would kill her. Her eyes were shut, but for all she knew, she had been thrown out of the Arena like a home run ball.
THUD.
Her body landed...
...But no pain.
She felt a pair of arms, cushioning her blow.
Cradling her.
Her eyes opened.
She was looking into the face of Gato. The Japanese man had no choice but to look back, as their faces were in proximity.
A crimson mask rushed to her face all at once. "G-GATO! O...Onii... Sama...?!"
He immediately dropped her.
Back in the ring, Mr. Big's final fate was soon approaching; Benimaru wanted to break away and focus on the Hakkeshu, but Big wasn't letting him. Thus, with a reluctant groan, Benimaru was forced to seal the deal.
"Hyah! HIIIYAH!" Big swung with his left stick; parried. He got a spinning start, following up with the right stick, and Benimaru stepped back to dodge it. Big allowed his body to spin around... as he was spinning, he connected his sticks mid-twirl and came back around.
"Unfff!" Benimaru was caught off guard, as Big jammed the combined stick into his stomach, temporarily jarring him.
Big twirled the stick and raised it high, leaping into the air... he came down on Beni's head, dropping the blonde man facefirst.
"This is it!" Big cackled. "YOU'RE FINISHED!"
Big raised the stick, preparing to go across Benimaru's spine and render the blonde too hurt to get back up...
...But he overlooked Mai, and that was his folly.
As the stick came down, Mai threw herself over Beni and parried it with the wood of her fan.
"Wha?!" Big's face turned.
With her free hand, Mai whipped out another fan.. and she thrust the wood into Big's crotch.
As any man would do... Big was reduced to a pained whimper, as Benimaru rolled and threw his leg with a grounded sweep kick. The blonde's kick was powerful enough to chop Big down, and give him enough time to leap back up to his feet.
"THIS IS FOR SHINGO!" he roared.
A knee found Big's stomach. A second knee jacked up higher, and cracked his chin so hard, Big's head went backwards.
"FOR YURI!" Mai leaped into Big's face with both feet, sending the man flying backwards into the ropes... but he didn't land clean. His head hit the steel post, and his body squeezed between the top and middle rope. The end result? The bald kingpin whimpered in pain as his body slowwwly slinked out of the ring, finally hitting the dirt.
"Mai, hurry!" Benimaru snatched her hand and spun the two of them around...
...But their faces collectively twisted in disdain as they saw the painful reality behind them.
Vice was the only one standing there. Her sadistic eyes fell on them, as a lustful smile tainted her lips.
Chris was still resting peacefully, sitting atop the steel post, feet dangling. A troubling smirk spread across his face, as he cackled:
"Hahahahahaha! Nicely done, Vice. Maybe there is some use for you after all."
...Vice cut her eyes right. Her smile faded. Her lips curled downwards into a sour arch.
SWOOOOOSH! her arm whipped to the side, shoving Chris's head backwards. The boy lost his balance and fell out of the ring.
Her body slowly began to hunch... her head dipped low, arms dangling at her sides, as she stepped forward... all at once, she picked her head back up, and a smile of pure LUNACY plastered her face.
"Hehehe! HAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA...!"
In front of 75,000 people, Vice snatched the top of her black and red dress, and RIPPED it downwards, exposing herself to the viewing world, two shocked opponents, and television broadcasters who would have to do some serious censoring.
A tattoo on the back shoulder began to glow red... all at once, Vice's body engulfed in a hellish red aura, and her body faded into oblivion.
They both recognized this attack. They recognized its effectiveness. And, worst of all... they knew there was little to no chance of dodging it.
WHOOOOOOOOOOOSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! A rift opened in the air, in the shape of a blood-red Orochi eye... and a terrifying, relentless streak of red shot through the ring, destroying the structure completely, tearing through Benimaru and Mai like a speeding locomotive.
When the smoke cleared... the ring was toast. Cleaved, completely down the middle, both halves barely holding together as was.
Two bodies lay, motionless. One body remained standing, glowing bright red... until the aura faded, and revealed the blood-curdling laughter of the victor.
"HAAAAAAHAAHAAHAAHAAHAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHA!"
WINNER OF THE BATTLE ROYALE: VICE
Out of everybody who could have won, Vice was perhaps the least popular pick. Nobody wanted to see her win. They wanted a Tizoc, or a Robert, or a Benimaru, or a Mai to win. Even Mr. Big would have earned some pop.
But as it stood now, with most of the audience booing... it was clear that darkness triumphed on this day.
Cleanup was a chore. Medical personnel were rushing fighters out of the Stadium. Maintenance teams were having to sort through the rubble of a ring that was only supposed to be a rental.
And then there were the fighters: the main meat of this whole episode. Rose had to answer to them now. To Chizuru. To the heroes, who fought to repel the negative energies. She had failed them. Inadvertantly, she had failed herself.
But she refused to let this sink in, as she put on her most professional face, and enlisted Krauser's aid in rounding everyone up. "Gather 'round, fighters! Gather!"
There were very, VERY few pleased faces among the crowd, as the roster all congregated to peer at the hostess, who was now standing by the side of the winner. Taking Vice's hand in her own... she raised the arm of the Hakkeshu witch.
"Your winner!" Rose declared, to a dejected group. She turned to face her. "As winner of the Battle Royale, you now reserve the right to choose your Round 3 opponent."
Rose let go of her arm, and stepped forward. "FURTHERMORE... I hereby announce that the four fighters who remained in the ring the longest... will be advancing to Round 3!"
That was... partially good news. It meant that two noble fighters, who always competed with good in their hearts, had earned their place back in the running. If only the bad hadn't outweighed the good dramatically, as this revelation also meant the return of two nasty troublemakers, with an ambition that meant the end of all life on Earth.
"What a huge setback this is." Saisyu grimaced, standing by Chizuru's side as usual. "It seems the worst-case scenario presented itself."
Chizuru shook her head. "It is indeed pretty bad, Saisyu-sama... but we must look at the bright side. For one thing, we got back two strong allies. Though the odds may seem to be against us at times, we must keep this in mind: we're still strong. We have a standing force, that can knock the Hakkeshu out of this tournament, and stop their evil goals. As long as I'm still in, I won't let them advance an inch further!"
"Same here." Saisyu committed. "Those monsters haven't won yet! We're just going to have to rally our people, and finish them in Round 3!"
Chizuru nodded. "But for now... let's get out of here. I want to go congratulate my friends."
And that is that. The long-awaited Battle Royale is over. Now for some notes.
1. I intentionally made things as chaotic as possible, because I wanted to challenge you, the reader, to really pay attention to who was left standing. I trust you guys to be able to figure it all out : ) feel free to post it in the reviews! And for some extra homework, I challenge you to go back and determine where all 14 of them placed.
2. As a disclaimer, I don't own any song lyrics and I'm not profiting off of this in any way.
3. None of the names who appeared in the prelims are OCs. Not a single one of them. For extra EXTRA homework, try finding the origins of all those names : D
NEXT CHAPTER: Day 4 draws to a close, as we look at the aftermath of everything that has happened. We also will be hearing from a lot of baddies. Maybe even all of them. Shion's ragtag group hasn't appeared in a while, after all.
Until next time! Please review! This story is my life! I love you all!
