Crash - Chapter 1: Beginning
Why do people fight? Is it for fun? for money? for your conviction, or is it because you like the thought of dominating someone in a fight?
Well, whatever your reason is, there is one thing that holds people back from fighting and that is...
Their mortality.
No matter how long a person fights and how much they fight, their fate will catch up to them if they fight on for too long. Whether it be injuries, broken bones or even worse.
But, what if we take away that liability?
Humanity has finally reached a point where they can fight without worrying about succumbing to their injuries. Gozaburo Pharmaceuticals has developed a treatment that can heal injuries in mere hours. It's so self sufficient that they even started making pills and injections for people to use at home for astonishingly low prices. It can fix gashes and fractures faster than thought humanly possible. That doesn't mean it has no limits though. It cannot fix torn off limbs or lost organs and even bristled bones cannot be healed completely overnight.
BUT THAT DOESNT MATTER!
Since the start of the treatments 50 years ago the number of people that have succumbed to car crashes, assault, work related accidents etc. has drastically dropped in the last years. And as a result fights have become more popular as well. With almost no risk to speak off people have started to fight more for money. Even people with little to no martial arts background have taken this as a side job to earn some extra money. With the treatment they are getting they see no risk in fighting till the bitter end anymore.
Gozaburo Pharmaceuticals noticed this and decided to profit off of this. So, with some of the revenue they got from the treatments they gave and the medicines they sold, they made a competition to let people fight in official matches. They named this competition…..
CRASH!
It was founded 40 years ago by the CEO of Gozaburo Pharmaceuticals: Genzin Gozaburo. This is the overall scale of the crash matches:
Anyone over the age of 16 can sign themselves up for this.
People can bet on every match.
Some of the bigger fights are even broadcasted on TV as big events. Smaller are still watchable through streams online.
There is a ranking system around the entire world. As a fighter you win more money if you defeat someone who is a higher rank than yours.
Once you grow big enough as a fighter, you can even get sponsorships from different companies who are also sponsoring Gozaburo Pharmaceuticals.
You can take out a special insurance that after every match you will get treatment on any wound you have received during your match.
Once you enter the top 100 in the ranking, your rank will be taken away from you and you will be classified as 'ELITE'. Currently there are 2.530.847 active players.
Also, as some further exposition on that last part. If you are beaten by someone out of the ELITE class, you will be replaced by that fighter. You can only be challenged by someone as an elite fighter when that fighter is in the 100-200 place range
In the past among the ELITE class, 32 fighters who are the most top-rated fighters out of the ELITE class will be chosen to fight in a tournament to win 50.000.000 of their own currency in a big showdown broadcasted on national television. Your name would also be immortalized in history as 'the strongest above all'. This tournament was held every 3 years, but unfortunately the idea was abandoned 20 years ago.
UNTIL THIS MOMENT!
Tankyu-sha no Ken Gym in Harajuku, Tokyo
?: One, two. One, Two. ONE, TWO
Random boxer 1: Wow, he already smashed another punching bag into the wall again?
Random boxer 2: Yeah, it's his third one today.
At the gym a famed boxer is training. The boxer has short black hair and is particularly tall for the average japanese man.
Ao Senkujin: ARAKI!
Random boxer 1: Oh no, the coach is angry again….
Ao Senkujin: WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT DESTROYING MY PUNCHING BAG!? DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THESE THINGS COST?
Araki: Well, coach. If they are so easy to break. Then why don't you buy some better ones. These things are weak. Haha
Araki Mitsukaza (24 years old) - Ranked 143th
Ao Senkujin (58 years old) - Owner of Tankyu-sha no Ken Gym
Ao Senkujin: WHAT DID YOU SAY!? These things cost me a fortune and my money doesn't fall from trees!
Araki: Relax, Old man. I have a little match planned for next week. I will buy some new punching bags after that.
Ao: what is the point if you end up destroying them anyway? And even then. Those things are not cheap and we don't have that many to keep this gym going. This whole place is a mess. Even our sponsor walked away from us after the last fight and we can barely afford that insurance of yours.
Suddenly a rock is thrown against the Gym's window. Breaking it
WHAT THE HELL? Ao said.
Thugs: THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR BEATING UP OUR LEADER! WE WILL BE BACK NEXT WEEK!
And before Ao could get them, they had already driven off.
Ao: Araki! Did you beat up those thugs' leader?
Araki: Why do you automatically assume it's me?
Ao: Oh come on. It's not the first time you beat up a gang of thugs?
Araki: What? It happened like once before.
Random boxer 1: that's not true, remember when you pissed off a biker gang 5 months ago and they came storming in here?
Random boxer 3: Or that time when you pissed off a yakuza leader and Ao was almost shot because of that?
Random boxer 4: Or that time when we got into a turf war and we fought against an entire gang and almost destroyed the entire block?
Araki: Okay okay. You made your point. But it's true, I beat up their leader last night.
Ao: Why?
Araki: He looked at me funny.
Ao: he. Looked. At. you. Funny? I SHOULD THROW YOU OUT OF THIS GYM RIGHT NOW. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? I NEVER RAISED YOU TO BE THIS WAY!
Araki: *mumbling* Sometimes it feels like you didnt raise me at all.
Ao: WHAT DID YOU SAY?
Araki: ever since you found me on the side of the road you never taught me manners. So no shit that I tend to lose my cool once or twice.
Ao: hmph. You know what? You are right. You have little to no moral understanding of anything. And I blame that on myself. You have the right to be mad.
Araki: Where did I say that I was mad? I still appreciate you for who you are even though you are not my actual father, but we have had plenty of good experiences before.
Ao: Like what?
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Araki: I'll think of something tomorrow.
Ao: You bastard!
And right after Ao finished his sentence, he noticed something on the television inside the gym. It said BREAKING NEWS.
Ao : Quick, someone turn up the volume!
News Reporter: We have an important message from the CEO of Gozaburo Pharmaceuticals, Genzin Gozaburo.
The scene switched to what looked to be a press conference. An old man was standing behind the microphone.
Genzin: Good morning, afternoon and evening people around the world.
Genzin Gozaburo (85 years old) - CEO of Gozaburo pharmaceuticals
Genzin: You all are probably wondering why I called this press conference. Well as you all might remember there used to be a Crash Ultimate Tournament, but the last one was 20 years ago. That being said, we have come to a conclusion. The ELITE fighters are bored, besides the sponsorships and the fame, there is no point in attempting to become an ELITE fighter. As such the Crash competition as a whole has become rather boring as well. So we decided to do the following…
THE CRASH ULTIMATE TOURNAMENT IS RETURNING!
There was a big silence in the audience and at the people watching at home. It was as if the entire world was silent for 5 seconds. But then the sound emerged again
Journalists: Sir, when is it returning? Who will be participating? How can you participate? How much money is on the line?
Social media around the world was going crazy as well
SILENCE!
Genzin: to answer your questions. The tournament will be in 2 months in Gozaburo stadium on our private island. The fighters will be revealed in 1 months and you will be able to win not just 50…. BUT 100 MILLION! You can continue your screaming now.
As Genzin walked away from the Mic. Araki was watching in awe and said.
Araki: Old man, can you cancel my fight next week?
I need to fight someone else now!
Chapter 1 end