"Two of the Four Horsewomen have gained new gold…and their leader will be facing ACW World Women's Champion Téa Gardner, who has shown and spoken boldly that she will NOT be intimidated whatsoever," Markiplier says.

"Denial~," Barney sing-songs, wagging his finger to each syllable. "Téa can hide it all she wants, but she knows she's afraid after how Hart of Hyuga FAILED to retain the Women's Tag Team Titles from iGeneration. She's afraid to lose tonight against someone who TRULY deserves the World Women's Championship much more than her."

"With the way you run your mouth, Barney, it's no wonder she's sick of it," Zack states.

The camera changes to show a digital graphic of the ACW World Women's Championship itself front and center, rising from below…then Téa Gardner appears with her belt draped over her shoulder blowing a kiss to the camera…and Mai Valentine flipping her hair back and resting her hands on her hips with a smug grin. The two appear again as stills, Téa with arms folded under her chest and her belt over her shoulder and Mai holding up the Four Horsemen gesture while the World Women's Championship is behind them and read below the imagery are "TÉA GARDNER vs. MAI VALENTINE" and "ACW WORLD WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP" switching in and out every five seconds.

"This all comes down to this one match. The fate of the Women's Division is in the hands of its champion, who feels like it's ALL resting on her shoulders to prevent the possible worst from the Four Horsewomen if they gain all the available titles," Kenji states.

"But 'if', you mean WHEN, Georgie," Barney "corrects".

"Not everyone seems to be backing Téa up…but she doesn't care about that fact. What matters to her is she keeps the World Women's Championship as FAR away from the Queendom's grasp as possible and make up for her duty as the guardian of the Women's Division," Zack notes. "This is a matter of heart and passion for Gardner…while Mai wishes to reign with the belt to feed her own ego; it's time to decide who deserves it the most."

The bell sounds and Maria Lopez says, "The following contest is a singles match set for one fall…

"ONE FALL!" the crowd repeats.

"…and it is for the ACW World Women's Championship!"

("Pretty on the Outside" by Bullet for My Valentine plays)

Darkness reigns in the arena, nothing can be seen except for a few flashing lights from the phones…and after six seconds, the riffs come to a halting silence…until the instrumental break hits, revealing Mai Valentine under the bright spotlight with her arms splayed out and facing the giant "SW" logo. For this special occasion, Mai is found wearing an extravagant deep violet robe and on the back reads "Elegance is Key."

[Whooooooooooooooooooa…

Whooooooooooooooooooa…

Whooooooooooooooooooa…]

During the harmonizing vocals, Mai has slowly spun in a 180 à la Bobby Roode on a rotator, keeping her arms out in god-like fashion and her head up to the sky. That's when the lights fully came back on in pure gold and deep purple along with flashing white lights to resemble sparkles, allowing Mai to begin walking down the ramp with her arms still splayed out and the smug grin plastered on her face, OOZING confidence from her stride as she performs an elegant rotation to show off her robes to the booing audience.

"Introducing the challenger first: from Domino City, Japan, weighing in at 138 pounds…'The Elegant' Mai Valentine!" Maria announces.

[So you wanna play games with my head?!

But you make me fall apart, I wish that I was dead!

I just can't believe I fell

For such a blackened heart!

You played me for a fool

And used me from the staaaaart!

F…K IT ALL! (F…K IT AAAAALLLL!)

Well, I just want to know the truth

But the words from your heart, they just CLOUD!

All the negativity forces me down into SILENCE…

But still I can dreeeaaam!]

"THIS…is how a member of the Queendom makes an entrance," Barney praises. "Mai Valentine putting the emphasis on elegance!"

Mai makes it to ringside, removing her robe and dropping it to expose her Charlotte Flair esque attire before proceeding to walk around the ring. She reaches up the apron…and feigns her entrance through the ropes, looking out towards the crowd in front of her with her smug grin still existing. She lets her right leg hang off the rope…then flips her hair back to flaunt herself and exclaims a loud "Wooooo!" for the smarks to return with their own. Mai holds onto the ropes and backflips over into the ring…and sticks the landing, reforming her elegant stance with her arms spread out and wooing once more.

[I wanna know…!

I wanna KNOOOOOOOOW!

If…

I…

Tear you open wide!

Take a look inside, are you pretty…?

Can…

I…

Get inside your mind, see what I can find?

Are you pretty?

So…

Just…

Take off that disguise!

Everyone knows that you're only…

Pretty on the outside!]

"Can't say I'm not impressed with Mai's new style of making an entrance to the ring, especially when it's for the top tier title belt in the Women's Division," Markiplier affirms. "Statistics: five feet and seven inches tall, 138 pounds, nearly 15 years a pro, 3-time UCA Women's Champion and during one of those reigns, she was one of the first six women to participate inside the inaugural Women's Elimination Chamber in 2004 at Final Clash. There, she competed up to the final two with Sailor Mars, who she lost the Women's Title to."

"Valentine's career BEGAN in Universal Character Association back in 2001 when the Yu-Gi-Oh! series itself premiered in America, making history throughout her years being in the promotion until leaving in 2007," Kenji states. "Wow, only five/six/seven years within one of the Big Four organizations."

"Since then, she spent most of her career down in the independent wrestling circuit until around July 5th on the premiere episode of Friday Night Ignition, Mai appeared as an official member of the ACW roster," Zack continues. "Weeks progressed for her in and outside of this promotion thanks to one FWA event that united ALL Four Horsewomen together."

"And tonight, Zackery, she is here before you representing herself, representing all in the Four Horsewomen, all in the Queendom, and especially one Sailor Moon," Barney notes. "All those mentioned in the faction are keeping a close eye on this match when they see they will GAIN a TRUE women's champion."

Mai now waits in the ring, deciding to warm up by way of a standing inner thigh stretch as she shifts side to side every ten seconds. Soon, her music dies…and is later replaced with a pop punk song on the loudspeakers triggers a pop.

[Here she comes again, like good medicine

Every step she takes, my blood is flowing

Her legs go on and on for daaaaays!]

("With Legs Like That" by Zebrahead plays)

Téa Gardner enters at stage in a skipping manner, wearing the ACW World Women's Championship proudly around her waist and blows a single kiss towards the audience à la Maria Kanellis. Standing up straight and slowly ambling down the ramp, Téa locks eyes with Mai in the ring from certain distances, both knowing what they're getting themselves into with everything on the line here. "Your 'Change'…will NEVER happen for as long as I'm fighting with this belt in my grasp," Téa proclaims…to which Mai responds with a small grin and the Horsemen gesture. Téa holds a hand over her belt…and nods, her smile returning to her as she passes high-fives to the front row on her way.

[She's got a hold on me

I need the remedy

Just to hold her would be a cure for me

I can't keep going on this waaaaay…!

(Gotta get away; I gotta get away!)

She's at the top of her game

She don't know my name

The future's looking bleak

She's outta my league!

Look out! (Hey!)

She'll tear your heart out!

Look out! (Hey!)

She'll rock your world, there's no doubt!

(Ohhhh…!) She comes and goes when she wants to

(Ohhhh…!) I'd do anything she wanted me to (Wanted me to!)

Who would blame me, with legs like thaaaaat?]

"And her opponent: from Domino City, Japan, weighing in at 120 pounds…she is the current, reigning, defending and inaugural ACW World Women's Champion, Téa Gardner!" Maria announces.

"Téa Gardner, also known as Anzu Masaki within Japan…shows the confidence with that smile on her face, proudly as ACW's inaugural World Women's Champion," Markiplier utters. "Five feet and four inches tall—four inches shorter than Mai. 120 pounds. She started out as a valet in Extreme Championship Wrestling's Blood & Ink Division back in 1996, supporting her friends, especially Yugi, from ringside and it wasn't until later that she decided to have her hand in pro wrestling. Throughout her career since, she's also a two-time XCF Queen of Chaos Champion, a former XCF Andromeda Tag Team Champion alongside Asuka Kazama, a 2008 Female's Rider War winner, and a former UCA Women's Champion."

"Téa has gone through multiple companies, such as brief stints in WWE: Animated and Anime Wrestling Federation, long tenures with both Universal Character Association and X-Treme Crossover Federation before landing a household profession here in ACW and becoming the first-ever ACW World Women's Champion, reigning at 119 days," Kenji notes.

"I admit she started off HOT when she won the belt, never winning one in years since leaving UCA and XCF…but as we can clearly see, her reign has gone COLD since after Spring Breakdown," Barney brings up. "Yeah, it was booking's fault for doing a crap job and we had too many titles at the time, but she's also partially responsible for not forcing herself to be the champion she should've been. It's her fault for staying silent throughout this whole month. I'm not sorry to say this, Gardner, but your time is over. Your reign is a walking zombie that needs a bullet to the skull and put out of its misery."

"If it's worth noting, this is will be the second encounter between these two grand female athletes inside an ACW ring," Zack comments. "This time around, there will be no controversial ending. All Queendom members are BANNED from interfering by Lily Aldrin's orders, so Mai Valentine will have to put effort into winning this belt alone."

"Indeed. Tonight, it's all or nothing for the champion," Kenji nods. "And as such, I have no doubt Téa will do what she can in her own power to retain."

Téa walks up the steel steps and enters the ring, walking up to the corner in front of her and standing on the second row while removing her belt and raising it high. She blows a kiss to the fans during so and goes to the neighboring corner to hold her belt up once more, doing it proudly. She soon stands down and hands her belt over to referee Aiko Tanahashi, who holds the belt forward to the women to remind them what they're fighting for as they respectively pat the main plate. The Japanese official presents it high in front of the Los Angeles crowd as a graphic of the belt itself is shown onscreen afterwards from a farther camera angle.

"Miss Tanahashi reminding everyone in the arena what both the champion and challenger are fighting for, what they will do to win the top gold of the Women's Division," Zack states.

Aiko gestures both women to come forward to the center, explaining to them over certain rules, what this belt means to them and the entire female locker room, and refusing to let any shenanigans occur. Téa and Mai nod in understanding and Aiko asks for the two to shake hands out of sportsmanship…and the former offers her hand first. Mai only stares down at the hand…and looks up at Téa with a raised brow as the brunette shows she's very serious. Mai looks around…decides to hell with it and—AVOID the handshake…and instead gives the four-finger Horsewomen gesture in her opponent's face.

"And, of course, Mai not conducting sportsmanship and pays homage to her own faction instead," Kenji says.

"As if Téa deserved the handshake to begin with," Barney scoffs.

Téa appears rather irritated and merely slaps the hand away, producing a grin on Mai's face to her reaction. The two back away…and the bell sounds upon Tanahashi's command! (Markiplier: Here we GO, ladies and gentlemen; World Women's Title on the line as this bout goes underway!) The two Yu-Gi-Oh! characters circle the ring for a while, teasing hand lockups and trying to get a good feel of each other without making a mistake. Their Greco-Roman knuckle lock almost happens when Téa surprises Mai with a swift kick to her left inner thigh. First point goes to Téa as Mai backs up a bit to nurse the attacked area. They circle each other and try their Greco-Roman knuckle lock once more…and Mai closes the distance with a Front Facelock. Téa hangs on a little longer for her to snatch her challenger into a Fireman's Carry Takeover transitioning into a grounded headlock. As Mai keeps her shoulders off the mat, Téa firmly wrenches the hold to ensure Mai's lack of breathing…up until when Mai boosts her legs up and around the neck in a tight headscissors. Already, Téa's face had become close to a shade of red from how Mai squeezes her thighs around the neck. But she thinks ahead by rolling back…and performing a perfect handstand to an impressed crowd…

…but Mai would forearm club her lower back and force her on her knees…

…and gets up for the prepping Harpie's Feather Duster! She looked to end it early, but Téa breaks out of it and executes a Jackknife Pin—Mai kicks out before the referee can count…and holds Téa back in the headscissors. Of course, Téa doesn't stay in there for too long as she slowly turns her body…repeatedly kicks in Mai's head with her long legs…and giving enough, Téa is given the chance to make her headstand…

…hops left to right to left…

…and front flips onto her feet and Front Dropkicks Mai's face in! Kip-up as Mai rolls away into the corner…and Téa performs a dancer's curtsy, earning a round of applause.

"A rehash from their first encounter on Ignition V, but this ends a little differently with Téa STILL getting the better of her challenger thanks to her athleticism," Markiplier says.

"Those dancing schools paid off well with that perfect curtsey by Téa," Zack chuckles.

Téa smirks at Mai as she stands up straight and the latter obviously didn't appear amused. The two come back to the center and lock up with a collar-and-elbow, Mai instantly putting on the Side Headlock. The Elegant Valentine wrenches away into the hold, taking her time to torture and ruin her opponent's head and neck. The Apricot Champion hits the rope, successfully pushing Mai off of her…but after missing a Clothesline, Mai applies the Side Headlock once again! "Nice try, Friendship Girl!" Mai mocks, kneeing her in the abdomen afterwards. Téa hangs on still, refusing to give in as she tries again for the ropes…but Mai stops at the center and keeps the headlock sealed tight…

…so she hooks the leg for a Back Suplex instead. Mai manages to land on her feet…as Téa backflips into a Headstand Headscissors Takeover! The challenger rolls through, the champion chases after her, only for Mai to LEAPFROG unexpectedly…then dropdowns for Téa to leap over…

…and proclaims, "GOTCHA!" before striking a Standing Dropkick!

"BEAUTIFUL! BEAUTIFUL comeback by Valentine!" Barney praises as Mai poses with her arms out and woos, the audience returning it out of respect for the Nature Boy alone.

"Téa got one over Mai at the start and now they're both evened up thanks to Mai's Dropkick that puts a stop to her momentum!" Kenji remarks.

Mai brings the champion on her feet and to the ropes, striving an Irish Whip…when Téa twists her arm, chops her chest with a backhand and pulls her into a Fisherman Suplex. Then she goes for the ropes…and bounces off into a Running Jumping Knee Drop, rolling through…and throws up a four-finger Horsemen gesture in front of the hard camera to see before rolling down one finger to gesture "one down." (Barney: Oh, cute. That's REAL cute, Gardner. Way to be a HYPOCRITE to your own words. ; Mark: I don't that was towards Mai. I think that most likely to the Horsewomen themselves, a sign she will take them out one by one if she has to on her own.) Téa goes after Mai in the corner, kicking her stomach in twice and then nailing a knife edge chop to the chest; she would grab her arm and Irish Whip her over to the opposite corner, Mai hitting her spine hard. Téa runs after Mai, who back elbows her away and quickly stands on the middle turnbuckle. She kicks at her, but Téa caught the foot on time…and yanks her off the turnbuckle down on her back, causing her to react violently with her thrashing and holding the area she fell on. Referee Aiko Tanahashi checks on her to see what happened and holds Téa back as this appears very serious. Aiko asks and Mai responds that she may have likely injured her lower back; Téa asks what happened and Aiko responds, the former reacting with a groan and finding herself at fault as she keeps her distance.

"Oh, no. Oh, man, guys, this looks serious. I think Mai may be really hurt," Zack speaks softly.

"And Téa obviously doesn't look too happy, an expression of guilt across her face," Kenji says.

And her back turned, so Mai can attack her from behind via Big Boot to the back of her head!

"HEY! What the hell, lady?!" Zack shouts. "Not cool!"

"OF COURSE, of freaking course! Téa turned her back and Mai Valentine played us all for fools just to blindside her opponent!" Kenji exclaims.

"Well, maybe just you, Joey," Barney shrugs.

Kenji mutters in irritated Japanese, "Watashi wa chikau—! (I swear to—!)"

"Téa Gardner did the sportsmanlike thing and backed away; she left Mai alone to recover out of respect and Mai took COMPLETE advantage of that kindness," Markiplier comments. "That moment of humanity was what Mai needed to turn the tables on the champion."

"And it'll be what she needs to eventually win the Women's Title off her…as well as being Gardner's DOWNFALL," Barney adds.

Valentine, with the shit-eating grin on her face, claims her back did hurt on the landing, but not as bad as everyone thought. As Téa nurses her head in agonizing pain, Mai grabs here there and slams it over the middle turnbuckle. She drapes her over the middle rope and kicks it into Téa's neck, causing her to recoil and reel while holding her throat. Téa coughs rather unpleasantly as Mai menacingly stalks after her and says, "Think you're such a smartass, huh? You thought you were gonna get away with mocking my faction and my manager, Friendship Girl? You can be full of crap sometimes…" Then she grabs her and throws her into the corner, stating that anything Téa can do, she'll do better by SLAPPING the chest via Knife Edge Chop. Téa stumbles forward…Mai walks around her to set her up in a Fisherman Suplex and succeeds. Center of the ring, Téa remains on her back while Mai hits the ropes and delivers a true Running Jumping Knee Drop, rolling though to hold out the Four Horsewoman hand gesture for the hard camera. Afterwards, she lets Téa get on all hands and knees so she can lift her up herself…though earns a stiff forearm in retaliation…and Mai replies with a hard elbow to the jaw. Then she stands Téa up again, bent-over…and drives down a much stiffer elbow to the base of the skull, sending Téa crumbling down on her knees. Mai now sets her up for a Vertical Suplex, deciding to delay it to show off her strength…

…before Mai squats a few times…and—Téa slides down and puts her in a Sleeper! But Mai quickly tosses her over, swinging Clothesline on the way…and Téa ducks, hooks her up in an Inverted Facelock…and DRILLS her knees into Mai's back with a brutal sideways Backstabber! This time Mai nurses her back and shows actual pain!

"Double Knee Backbreaker! And from how Mai's reacting, she doesn't look like she's screwing around like before!" Zack exclaims. "There's no doubt now that that back has been compromised!"

Téa covers: 1…

2…

…2.37 Mai gets her shoulder up. Then Téa quickly presses her knees into Mai's back, setting her up for the Bow and Arrow Hold that she succeeds in. The humanity is GONE for Téa as she pushes her knees up as deeply as possible while pulling back at her head and legs, not giving her opponent a chance after how she was duped. She bends Mai to her own will for a minute before eventually letting go and pushing her away, deciding she's punished her enough…for now. She has her moving to the nearest corner, landing a Backhand Chop and lifts her onto the top turnbuckle afterwards. She stands on the same second-rope level as her…sets up the Superplex…

…but when she was about to go for it, Mai remained in her seated position. The blonde then starts pounding right-handed fists into the ribs and kidneys, slowly getting Téa to lose her grip…and then drops her all the way down in a Release Gourdbuster! Now Mai takes advantage, crouching on the top turnbuckle, lining up Téa to her feet…

…and…she takes her down with a Diving Spinning Heel Kick—Winged Assault! Mai quickly covers: 1…

2…

…2.57 Téa kicks out!

"And the champion stays alive; she still has a lot of fight left in her," Mark comments.

"Won't be long before Mai extinguishes it like fire," Barney remarks.

Mai takes this moment to nurse her back, recovering from the Backstabber and the Bow and Arrow. Once she was done, she watches Téa gradually stand on her knees and grabs her for the standing headscissors setup. Hooking the arm, Téa counters into a Fireman's Carry Takeover…

Petit Angel Kick (Roundhouse Kick) AVOIDED…

…and Mai CHOP BLOCKS the back of Téa's left leg!

"OH! My God, what a chop block—the challenger has chopped down the champion from her vertical base to a vulnerable position!" Markiplier exclaims. "…Don't take that out of context, Barney."

"I didn't say anything," Barney defends…before snickering.

"Grow up," Kenji deadpans. "But now Téa has her leg compromised as Mai seeks to avenge and show her opponent when you try to hold mercy against someone like her!"

Téa clings onto her assaulted limb while rolling away, truly feeling the harsh effects of Mai's Chop Block. As she uses the ropes to help herself stand up, Mai stalks her prey and stomps on the bad leg. She grabs onto it and Téa hangs onto the ropes for dear life, not wanting suffer any damage Mai will hand her; so Mai opts out…and instead kicks up at below Téa's arm, forcing her to lose her grip. Mai goes for the Clothesline, but Téa performs a Matrix evasion…

…and then a Handstand Backflip Kick to the top of Mai's temple! The 3-time UCA Women's Champion falls to her knees, almost limp from the kick that struck her head, as Téa uses as much time as she's given to put all feeling back into her injured leg. After confirming she's good to go, Téa grabs Mai from behind…and gives her a German Suplex, following it up with a bridging cradle pin: 1…

2…

…2.575 Mai kicks out, but Téa hangs on to the waistlock. She transitions that into a Side Headlock, posing with an index finger pointing straight at the sky as she runs up the turnbuckles…

"Téa Gardner looking for the finish, Bulldog of Faith on the way!" Zack calls.

…and…Mai pushes her off upon the 180 turn…Téa quickly comes back with a Petit Angel Kick…

"No! Mai avoids her fate; Téa with the Roundhouse…" Kenji observes.

…but Mai catches it…sweeps the free leg, tripping up Téa…

…spinning toe holds…

…and instantly traps her opponent in the Figure-four Leglock!

"Oh, oh, Figure-four! Figure-four!" Zack shouts. "Mai cinches in the classic Figure-four, center of the ring for the World Women's Champion to have nowhere to go!"

"If only Buddy Rodgers and Ric Flair can see how smooth and stylish Mai executed the hold," Barney states. "Look at her wrenching and spraining the pain into Téa's legs as the so-called 'champ' is BEGGING and CRYING for mercy."

"I wouldn't say the 'begging and crying' part is true, but Téa is in deep, excruciating pain! The Figure-four is a vintage, yet dangerous hold to endure through, no matter who you are and how tough you think," Markiplier enlightens. "Téa has a lot of options to either escape on her own power or by rope break, reverse it, or worst of all, TAP OUT…or PASS OUT."

Téa has been smacking her body against the canvas since Mai locked in the Figure-four, clenching her head from how intensely tight her legs are being forced to endure the pressure by Mai deeply applying it. When she had her shoulders lying down, the referee counted 1…2…2.45 Téa rolls the shoulder up, shocked she almost pinned herself. Those in the Staples Center that still believed in Téa cheer her on, urging her to keep fighting and refuse to quit; Mai says otherwise as she stands on her hands alone to deepen the Figure-four, causing Téa to give out a sudden cry of pain. Aiko Tanahashi checks on Téa…who REFUSES to tap out, despite the agony she's going through. Mai twists and turns, twist and turns, mercilessly and rigidly…

…but perhaps twisting too much…

…for Téa to counter by rolling onto her stomach and reverse the pressure towards Mai's legs instead! Mai went for broke and she's paying the price with Téa giving her a taste of her own medicine as she stands on her knees to input MORE discomfort! Both women were yelling their lungs out, especially Mai before she was forced to unlock the submission, freeing herself and Téa in the process. The two use this break to heal their legs…though Mai would recover sooner than her adversary, albeit limping, as she picks her up to her feet…

…and…Téa strikes first with a Backhand Chop…and Mai nails her own knife edge chop to the chest! Then she puts her in a front chancery with the underhook and executes a takeover, hooking the leg…and Téa instantly reverses that into a Crucifix Pin: 1…2…2.54 Mai kicks out. Téa quickly wraps her legs around Mai's head in a modified headscissors, which Mai does reverse into a jackknife cover: 1…2…

…2.69 Téa shoots an arm up in the air. She wraps her arms around Mai, trying to keep her shoulders off the mat…and when she was ready, Téa displays a VAST amount of strength elevating herself with Mai in two from the canvas! (Zack: Whoa, look at this! ; Kenji: Téa Gardner showing off her strength as she carries herself up alongside Mai!) The World Women's Champion twists around, standing back-to-back…Backslide Pin failing for her due to the two struggling for dominance…

…and Mai overpowers Téa, flipping her over to her feet front and center—and Téa ensnares her into the Side Headlock. However, Mai grabs hold of her leg for a Shin Breaker and lifts her up…but Téa used the momentum to slide down on her back for a Sunset Flip: 1…2…

…2.525 Mai grabs the bottom rope for the break…while bell clapping Téa's head with her ankles! Téa rolls backwards and up to her feet…as Mai instantly hooks both arms; she knee lifts Téa's face twice…and even so, Téa rebuffs herself from being lifted off her feet completely. Then Téa lifts Mai over in a back body drop manner…Mai slides down into a Sunset Flip, Téa rolling through…and bouncing off the ropes with a Sliding Forearm Smash to the face!

"Sliding Forearm, the champion back on top of her opponent!" Mark calls.

Mai sits up nursing her lower jaw from that strike as Téa grabs her in an Inverted Facelock, stands her up…

…lifting and rotating her inside leg over Mai's head…

…and drops Mai down with a Petit Bulldog (Inverted Leg Drop Bulldog into a split-legged pin)!

"Whoooooa, Petit Bulldog!" Zack exclaims. "She hasn't used that often since God knows when! The first one ever to befall in an ACW ring!"

"And Mai just might be her first victim in order to retain the title!" Kenji adds as the official counts 1…

"No, no, no! Kick out, Mai! For the Change's sake, kick out!" Barney pleads.

2…

2.8595 Mai powers the shoulder up!

"Nooooooooo, Mai hangs on just a little bit longer and the champion herself appears devastated!" Markiplier calls out.

"As Zack said, Mark, Téa hasn't used that Petit Bulldog since who knows when, so perhaps she didn't put enough power into that Leg Drop!" Barney states.

"If this were to be scored on points based on finishers struck, you can say that Valentine is evened up with Gardner at least one," Kenji says. "One point to the Figure-four for Mai and one point to the rare Petit Bulldog for Téa."

"Now Téa thinks on what to do next while Mai regroups herself," Zack notes.

For nearly a minute, the champion and challenger have lied beside each other out of how much this match has taken out of them thus far. Even so, they have to keep fighting or else neither of them are leaving the winner and the titleholder. For Téa, she really thought the Petit Bulldog, the one finisher she hasn't used in likely years, would've certified a victorious retention…but he recent composed expression shows she knows she still has a lot left in her tank and has more than one endgame. Being the first on her feet, Téa escorts Mai to a vertical base, sets a Suplex position with her inside leg hooked…

…lifts her up high…

…and Mai manages to release her leg from Téa's grasp and repeatedly drives her knee down on the top of her head! This forces Téa to lose the Fisherman Suplex position…and gives Mai a chance to slide on her back and rolls her up in a Crucifix Pin: 1…

2…

…2.5975 Téa kicks out!

…And runs into a Roundhouse Kick from Mai herself!

"OH!" both Zack and Kenji exclaim.

"Roundhouse! Petit Angel Kick from Mai Valentine!" Markiplier shouts.

"Now Mai's ahead by two points—especially looking at Téa! She's out!" Barney points out the glazed eyes on the champion.

Mai drags her over to the corner and, before going up to the top, tells Téa while she's sticking out through the ropes, "Watch this CLOSELY, Friendship Girl! Anything you can do, I can do BETTER!" She reaches the high-rent district, having her back turned on Téa…stands upright…

…and lands a graceful Moonsault on top of her!

"MOONSAULT! One that looks EXACTLY like the one Téa performed frequently in her ECW days!" Markiplier cries.

Mai remains her position for the hook of the leg: 1…

"Oh, WOW. What a way to suffer defeat—your own finishers used against you! OH, WELL! Bada-bing…"

2…

"…bada-boom…"

2.7525 Téa Gardner kicks out!

"FOR—WHAT?! NOOOOO! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Barney screams.

"HEART and DETERMINATION, Stinson! HEART AND DETERMINATION!" Kenji retorts.

"Téa REFUSING to let her reign go out in humiliation like this, REFUSING to lose to her own finishing moves used against her TWICE—not to the likes of Mai Valentine or ANYBODY!" Markiplier exclaims.

"But does Téa have anything left in her tank?! After that kick out, she's taking a while to recover from both the Roundhouse and the Moonsault!" Zack brings up.

Mai has clenched onto her hair…and runs her hands over her face in COMPLETE disbelief after how CLOSE she came to being the new World Women's Champion while Téa rests on her side, catching her breath as much as possible. Unfortunately, she doesn't have enough time for when Mai grabs her by the hair and drags her back to the center. She doesn't really do anything physical yet…but she does talk down on her, holding her up by her chin. "Friendship Girl…oh, PITIFUL Friendship Girl… You should've stuck to cheerleading from the VERY beginning," Mai says off-mic…

…before slapping Téa across the face!

"Oh! Oh, my!" Zack gasps.

"Mai slapping the champion…as if trying to knock sense into her," Mark says.

"Pretty sure that is the case, Mark," Barney says as Mai calls out towards the timekeeper's area for a microphone. "And it's obvious she has more to say."

When she received one, she taps the mic to see if it's working and talks into it, "…Look, hon…you're doing great so far, I admit that…but all you're doing is delaying the inevitable. What you're doing is POINTLESS; almost EVERYBODY from the fans to even your allies have already given up on you as this company's champ of the Women's Division. They know it, I know it, the Queendom knows it…and even YOU know it. So when I said I'm doing you a favor, I mean it. Yes…we have a history together as both enemies…and friends. But right now, we are ENEMIES…and there's no time for your friendship BS to matter in this contest when a title is on the line. I'm in this for MYSELF as you should be as well. But face it…that's not going to change because of your 'confidence'…which won't matter because I'M WINNING. Everyone sees how hurt you are. So trust me when I say this…" Mai then grabs Téa by her hair and lifts her up to her knees, "Nothing's worth the humiliation you're about to go through once I win the belt from YOU; it'll belong to a REAL woman…so be a good little girl, and STAY DOWN, TÉA. STAY DOWN—"

Téa pushes Mai's hand away, hearing enough…

…and yanks her in to SLAP HER RIGHT BACK, SENDING MAI REELING!

"Ohhhh, you hear that ECHOING in the arena!" Zack shouts.

"Téa heard ENOUGH from Mai's mouth, which SLAPS the taste out of! Hell of a shot!" Mark states…

…as Téa, head lowered with an intense scowl, picks the microphone. "And it looks like she has something to say back to her!"

"Somebody cut the mic off!" Barney orders.

Mai holds the rope with a hand on her redden cheek out of pure shock…and looks at a fuming Téa tapping the mic and proceeding to speak, "Mai…I'm only going to say this once…SHUT…UP. I have heard ENOUGH from you…and I am SICK of it. You can say whatever you want to me, do whatever you want to me…because it WON'T MATTER. It WON'T stop me from fighting you. It WON'T stop me from protecting this division from the Queendom. It WON'T stop me from KICKING YOUR ASS. …And it especially won't stop me from WINNING THIS MATCH! I WILL FIGHT UNTIL MY HEART STOP BEATING!"

Téa throws the microphone out of the ring…and gestures a "bring it" gesture with both hands as she shouts, "COME ON!"…and Mai herself…remembers she's rubbing her cheek, which was SLAPPED…and that brings a HEAVY SCOWL to her face. "Ohhh, you're DEAD, you little—!" Mai utters before charging…into a knee lift to the midsection! Incoming Axe Kick…Mai avoids it…and gives Téa a second slap!

…And so does Téa, much harder and louder than before! Mai reels back, checking herself…and finding BLOOD on her fingers from her lips, first blood drawn by her opponent…and this PISSES her off as she—EATS A FOREARM! Mai reels back once more…and eventually kicks Téa in the gut and returns the Forearm Smash! Téa appears hurt…but she keeps her ground with an Elbow Smash! Mai…also with an Elbow Smash! Instantly, Téa fires back and the two are going blow for blow with their elbows in the middle of the ring, ending up simultaneously elbowing each other to an exchange of cheers and boos from the crowd!

"As J.R. would say, this is now a SLOBBERKNOCKER, gentlemen!" Markiplier quips. "Both these ladies are RELENTLESS towards each other with these Strong Style strikes, never letting up in their sequence whatsoever! And this place is going insane for it!"

After thirty seconds, though, their shots would take a toll on their skulls as they eventually slow down and returning to simply exchanging the elbows…and later stopping, earning another chorus of cheers and even "FIGHT FOREVER! *clap, clap, clap-clap-clap! FIGHT FOREVER! *clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!*" chants. Blood is slowly leaking from their mouths, something of which Téa was clearly used to…but not as much as Mai. Nonetheless, the two only paid attention to each other as they pant heavily and keep their glares locked. They both stand up straight gradually…Téa goes for a kick…

…and Mai catches it! She sweeps the leg and spinning toe holds—Téa counters into an inside cradle! Aiko counts 1…

2…

…2.85 Téa kicks out at a near-fall! Both roll to their feet and Téa with the Petit Angel Kick!

KNOCKING OUT AIKO TANAHASHI AS MAI DUCKED HER!

"OH, GOD, NO! NOT LIKE THIS!" Kenji shouts.

"TÉA ACCIDENTALLY TAKES OUT THE OFFICIAL WITH A ROUNDHOUSE! NO RULES APPLY HERE FOR AS LONG AS SHE'S UNCONSCIOUS!" Mark exclaims.

As Aiko rolls out from the kick, Téa stands in shock…and realizes too late when Mai kicked her in the gut and—TÉA SPINS OUT OF THE DOUBLE UNDERHOOK…

…SHORT-ARM PETITE ANGEL KICK!

"NOW she hits the kick!" Zack calls.

"Couldn't happen at the WORST time for her, though!" Barney points out.

Despite the referee being hurt and nursing her head, Téa had to keep going and make sure Mai is down and out by the time she returns. So when she saw Mai stumbling…she instantly hooks in a Fisherman…lifts her up…

…and DRILLS her head in with a Fairy's Gift (Fisherman Driver)!

"FAIRY'S GIFT! The Fisherman Driver! Center of the ring!" Kenji states. "And she is FAR from finished! She's heading up the top rope!"

With Mai flat on her back, Téa ascends the very top of the turnbuckle, looking down at her opponent appearing with glazed eyes. She then turns her back…

…splays her arms out…closes her eyes…

"Téa hoping for the BEST…and expecting for the WORST…" Zack anticipates.

…flips off HIGH in the air, flashing cameras everywhere…

and LANDS the Moonsault!

"Moonsault! THAT'S IT! Moonsault connects!" Markiplier yells. "From the graceful leap to the high elevation to the brutal landing! That was Téa's journey all the way through, from start to finish! Now she has only referee Aiko Tanahashi to bring back inside!"

Téa rolls out of the ring and escorts Aiko back inside as quickly as possible, succeeding so and following after her to make the pin on Mai. The female official begins the injured count: 1…

2…

…the crowd BOOS

as Aiko is FORCIBLY pulled out

by Sam Puckett as she STOMPS her head in to knock her out! Then…Sam yells at timekeeper Noah McQueen, "RING that bell, you little shit, and I'll CAVE your skull in!" And THEN iGeneration, Aelita Schaeffer and Zoey Brooks enter the ring to rip Téa off of Mai and brutally stomp her into the canvas!

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?! THE QUEENDOM ARE BARRED FROM INTERFERING! LILY ALDRIN DEMANDED SO, OR ELSE MAI WOULD BE DISQUALIFIED!" Kenji angrily shouts.

"ONLY THE REFEREE IS OUT COLD, JOHNNY! BESIDES, IGENERATION WON THEIR TITLES FAIR AND SQUARE! THEY'RE JUST PUTTING ON AN INSURANCE POLICY FOR THEIR LEADER OF THE HORSEWOMEN SINCE TÉA SURE AS HELL WON'T COOPERATE TO LET THEM KILL HER BORING ASS REIGN!" Barney retorts.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THAT CRAP?!" Zack is in disbelief at Barney's words. "THEY'RE BREAKING THE RULES HERE!"

"NO RULES IF THE REF'S DOWN FOR THE ENTIRE CONTEST UNTIL THE END!"

"DESPICABLE! DOWN RIGHT UNBELIEVABLE!" Markiplier states. "THESE ARE, ADMITTEDLY, THE BEST FEMALE ATHLETES, YET ARE JUST WILLING TO DO WHATEVER THEY PLEASE TO GET WHAT THEY WANT! HOW LOW CAN YOU GODDAMN GET?!"

After the hellacious beat down, Puckett forces Téa on her feet…just so Zoey Brooks can hit a Chick Kick in her face, "showing her" how it's done! Puckett hangs onto her…so she can drill her skull in with a Puck It! "JUST. FUCKING. DIE, BITCH!" Sam screams down at her…before Carly picks her up…and 8-C Drivers her down at the center! Meanwhile, Aelita is on the top rope, glaring down at the very hurt Téa and tells her, "THIS…is how you do a REAL Moonsault, chienne," before turning around…and hopping off with an Aelitasault, landing right on top of the World Women's Champion!

"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, SOMEBODY STOP THIS! THIS WAS BECOMING A CLASSIC, BUT THESE GIRLS' EGOS ARE RUNNING IN PURE CHAOS IN THIS CONTEST! JUST—SON OF A BITCH!" Mark swears.

Mai eventually finds herself in the corner watching all of this happen…and now, Carly and Sam have Téa on her knees and in their clutches at the center, presenting her in front of their leader. She stands from out of the corner…wiping the blood away from her lips by her thumb…and bends over to tell Téa, "I told you, hon…you NEVER had a chance. …You're ALONE, Téa…and after tonight, you ALWAYS will be once your career FALLS." Then she takes Téa away from iGeneration…

…hooks the arms TIGHT…

…swings from left to right for momentum…

"Not like this. NOT LIKE THIS…!" Kenji begs.

…the crowd cheers EXPLOSIVELY

"…H-Hey, wait, LOOK!" Zack points.

for the arrival of Hinata HyugaSamantha HartChrista MoxleySakura HarunoLisa Weston…and Jennifer Mosely! All SIX of these women rushing down to the ring, EVENING the odds against the Queendom! Hart of Hyuga on iGeneration! Christa and Lisa ganging up on Aelita! Sakura on Mai! Moze on Zoey! The Staples Center is GOING NUTS!

"THE CALVARY HAS ARRIVED, MOTHERF*CKERS!" Mark proclaims. "NOW THE ODDS ARE STACKED AGAINST THE QUEENDOM, WHO ARE HAVING TROUBLE IN THEIR FIGHT!"

"YOU'RE RIGHT, MARK! L-LOOK AT THIS! IGENERATION, AELITA AND ZOEY FORCED TO RETREAT WITH MAI BACK ALONE WITH TÉA! OUR WOMEN'S DIVISION PROVED THE WORLD WOMEN'S CHAMPION ISN'T ALONE AFTER ALL!" Zack beams.

"YOU'VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!" Barney shouts. "WHAT KIND OF BULL IS THIS?! THE QUEENDOM HAD THE INSURANCE POLICY GOING GOOD FOR THEM BEFORE THESE CRAZY BITCHES RUINED IT ALL! THEY JUST COULDN'T KEEP DENYING THE INEVITABLE! THEY'RE ALL DISGRACES, DAMN IT!"

"WHAT YOU BLARTED OUT MEANS NOTHING, STINSON! BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE MAI AND TÉA ALONE AGAIN IN THE RING TO FINISH THIS OFF THEMSELVES!" Kenji exclaims.

Mai Valentine and Téa Gardner…both finally having the ring all to themselves…the former recovering from Sakura punching her out with the Power of Haruno…and the latter trying to force herself up after the beating she received. Mai…tries again for the Harpie's Feather Duster. "YOU. ARE. DONE. GARDNER," she proclaims, slowly hooking one arm…

…and the other—TÉA REVERSES IT INTO THE APRICOT DOMINANCE (Swinging Leg-hook Fireman's Carry Slam)!

"APRICOT DOMINANCE! OH, GOOD GRAVY, WHAT A MOVE! MAI'S GONE LITERAL HEELS OVER HEAD OFF THAT MOMENTUM!" Markiplier exclaims.

"WHERE IN THE BIG BRO IN THE SKY'S NAME DID THAT COME FROM?!" Barney shouts.

"TÉA…LOOKED OUT OF IT BEFORE SHE PULLED THAT OFF! I THINK HER HEART AND SPIRIT WAS WHAT HELPED HER BODY KEEP GOING!" Zack states.

"BUT SHE CAN'T CAPITALIZE RIGHT NOW! SHE'S TAKEN TOO MUCH OF A BEATING TO EVER MOVE, LET ALONE STAND!" Kenji implies.

Half a minute passes…referee Aiko Tanahashi is still out…as is Mai, now in a prone position off the Apricot Dominance…but Téa is stirring…barely, but moving nonetheless. She crawls over to Mai, so full of FATIGUE…yet she continues to pull through, eventually turning Mai over…and rests an arm over her chest. Aiko Tanahashi was still knocked out…

…until a new female referee was seen speeding down the ramp and rushing into the ring!

"New referee on the way! And she's coming in hot!" Zack calls.

"Referee Faith Hathaway (British, early twenties, blond hair tied in a ponytail, 5'2"; very kind and generous, known to be a positive gal, but is not exactly a pushover) now inside to make the count!" Mark shouts. "Is Téa going to retain here at Summer Wars?!"

The official slaps the mat at 1…

2…

…2.9575 MAI VALENTINE THROWS A SHOULDER UP!

"NOOOOO, SHE CAME TOO LATE! Mai had too much time to recover after the Apricot Dominance was a success!" exclaims Mark.

"Téa can HARDLY react to this kick-out with how EXHAUSTED she and Mai are right now!" Kenji utters.

Mai's arm has rested on Téa a while since the kick-out as Téa remained on her as well. Both competitors show little signs of life beside their heavy panting unison…but then Téa starts moving, hand still on Mai as she uses her to help herself up, albeit at a sluggish, groggy pace…

"Téa's the first to rise… The sooner she stands up and be the first to gain momentum, the sooner she'll retains her title," Zack notes.

"Honestly, I don't think she even knows where she's at right now," Barney says. "She's out of it, guys. I'm not joking. Téa's absolutely out of it."

…Téa reaches her feet…

…bringing Mai up to a seated position after pulling her by her hair and weakly stands her up…

…only to lose her grip, leaving Mai on her knees. However…Téa sees this is as good as any…

…as she takes a few steps back…reels her right leg…

"Gardner looking for a Petit Angel Kick to a kneeling Valentine. With those glazed eyes, I don't think she'll miss," Kenji comments.

…Petit Angel Kick has been swung…

…and…it misses, Mai ducking it and suddenly rolling up Téa!

"Whoa, whoa, whoa—roll-up! Roll-up!" Zack shouts.

"Ya got-darn JINXED it, Joey! Thanks!" Barney grins.

Referee Faith Hathaway counts: 1…

2…

…2.999 Téa kicks out! Both stand up, Téa SHOCKED from the sudden roll-up…until she receive a kick in the gut…

…her arms are hooked…

…and Mai LIFTS and SPINS her into a Harpie's Feather Duster!

"HARPIE'S FEATHER DUSTER! CENTER OF THE RING!" Markiplier shouts.

"MAI PUT EVERYTHING SHE HAD INTO THAT FINISHER! SHE JUST NEEDS TO GET OVER THERE AND PIN HER! C'MON, MAI! C'MON, GO FOR IT NOW, BABY!" Barney urges.

Mai, lying on her back beside Téa, winces from her body now taking the toll from this match…

("Hadou" by Kazsin plays)

"PARDON ME, BUT OHHHHHHHHHH, SHIT!" Mark gasps…

…AS THE CROWD POPS FOR SATSUKI KIRYŪIN RUNNING DOWN THE RAMP WITH HER DIAMOND IN THE MINE BRIEFCASE IN HAND!

"W-WHAT, WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" Barney panics.

"SATSUKI KIRYŪIN, THE DIAMOND IN THE MINE BRIEFCASE WINNER SINCE PRIDE & GLORY, WITH THE RIGHT TO CASH IN WHOEVER, WHEREVER, WHENEVER SHE WANTS…!" Kenji leaves out.

"AND IT'S OBVIOUS SHE'S MADE HER CHOICE! SHE'S CASHING IN DURING THIS MATCH—CHRISTOPHER DIN AND SETH ROLLINS STYLE!" Zack infers.

Mai had stopped the moment Satsuki's music began to play…and her eyes WIDENED when she sees Satsuki handing the briefcase over to Faith Hathaway, telling her the three words Mai didn't WANT to hear, but the crowd DID…

"I'm CASHING in," she utters.

To EXPLOSIVE cheers, Faith nods and talks to Maria Lopez at ringside about her authorized decision…

…and she declares, "Ladies and gentlemen…Satsuki Kiryūin is cashing in her Diamond in the Mine briefcase! Therefore, for the first time ever, this is now an OFFICIAL Triple Threat Match…for the ACW World Women's Championship!"

"YOU HEARD IT HERE, EVERYBODY! It's OFFICIAL!" Zack shouts. "We're getting a TRIPLE THREAT MATCH—an INAUGURAL Triple Threat with the World Women's Title on the line!"

"This can't be happening. This CAN'T be happening…!" Barney pulls at his hair.

The bell SOUNDS…and Satsuki sees Mai LEAVING with an unconscious Téa Gardner in her grasp, dragging her with an arm around her shoulder as the audience BOO at the top of their lungs. Mai shouts at her, "SCREW YOU! I'm not letting you win that easily, you thick eye-browed bitch!" Satsuki…just stands in the ring, letting Mai leave…

…and GRINS…

…the same time the crowd POPS…

…when Mai bumped into someone GIGANTIC behind her, getting a good feel…

…before turning around with wide eyes…

and seeing Ira Gamagōri alongside Uzu Sanageyama, Nonon Jakuzure and Hōka Inumuta! The Elite Four in ACW to PREVENT Mai from LEAVING!

"Where do you think YOU'RE going?" Ira queries with his folded arms.

"OHHHHH, SNAP!" Zack shouts. "The Elite Four, here as ENFORCERS; Satsuki KNEW Mai would attempt to leave somehow if she were to cash in! THIS is Kiryūin's own insurance policy!"

"NO! NO! THIS IS UNFAIR! INJUSTICE! These FREAKS are being completely hypocritical!" Barney barks. "Get out of there, Mai!"

"But she has NOWHERE to go, Barney! The Horsewomen and Zoey are still dealing with the women backstage as we speak!" Mark says.

"DON'T TELL ME THAT; THAT MAKES IT WORSE FOR HER!"

Mai drops Téa and falls on her backside upon seeing the four built like a WALL to stop her from leaving…slowly backing up…

…into Satsuki, who grabs her behind and THROWS her inside the ring! Mai scrambles to her feet, trying to plead Satsuki NOT to do this…

…and the Steel Queen DECIMATES Mai with a Zenkan Kick (Running Soccer Kick to a kneeling opponent's chest while using their knee for leverage)!

"ZENKAN KICK!" Kenji calls.

"Now she has her in that standing headscissors!" Zack observes.

"OH, GOD! OH, GOD!" Barney cries. "TELL ME THIS IS JUST A NIGHTMARE!"

Satsuki tries for a Powerbomb…but upon the lift, Mai reverses that into a Sunset Flip! Faith counts—INSTANT KICK-OUT! They roll to their feet…and Mai kicks in the stomach, snatching her in a Double Underhook! She swings for the Harpie's Feather Duster…

…but Satsuki spins out…

…ducks a Clothesline…

…Wrist-lock transitioning into a Short-arm SLAP ACROSS THE FACE FROM SATSUKI TO MAI!

"OHHH! BITCHMAKEEERRR!" Markiplier exclaims.

"HOW DARE YOU, MARK?! HOW FREAKING DARE YOU SAY THAT AND INSULT MAI WITH THAT KIND OF LANGUAGE?! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THE PROFESSIONAL HERE! AND SATSUKI, YOU SUCK!" Barney scowls.

Mai falls to her knees, as if she got KNOCKED OUT from the slap…

…and Satsuki definitely completes her elevated prawn hold; she holds her by the waist…raises her high in the air…

…and PLANTS Mai with the Might of Honnōji (Elevated Sitout Powerbomb)!

"MIGHT OF HONNŌJI!" Kenji exclaims. "THE PIN—THE COVER!"

Shoulders down as Faith is there to count: 1…

2…

2.999999 Téa Gardner breaks up the pinfall!

"New champ—NO! OH, MY GOD, NO!" Markiplier shouts. "Téa Gardner…BARELY at the LAST SECOND…manages to break up the cover!"

"WHOA…I didn't see her coming AT ALL!" Zack utters. "I don't think Satsuki did as well!"

"NEVER leave Téa Gardner out of the game nor underestimate her—that's a lesson Satsuki has learned just now!" Kenji states.

"I don't think she ever did; as much it would make sense for the Elite Four to stop her, they trust Satsuki to pull off a victory over both Valentine and Gardner own her own power!" Mark says. "She's just gonna have to work a little harder to put them both away!"

"I never thought I'd say this, but THANK YOU, Téa! …Now let Mai pin you later!" Barney says.

With Mai put aside temporally, Satsuki stands up…and just watches Téa slowly stand up while the two share glares. Satsuki says, "You already knew this was coming, Gardner." And Téa replies, "Yeah…I knew… Doesn't mean I'm just gonna let you waltz by and win the title without giving you a FIGHT…" In response…Satsuki nods to her tenacity…

…before—MISSING the Shoot Kick…

…then Téa MISSES the Petit Angel Kick…

…but not a knife edge chop! Satsuki winces…before returning the favor, executing MUCH stiffer than Téa's! She staggers…as Satsuki went for Discus Lariat…but Téa avoids it…and nails a Superkick! Then she Monkey Flips Satsuki across the ring!

"Téa fighting BACK with as much energy as she can muster up deep inside, perhaps literally on her last legs!" Markiplier states. "Whether against Mai or Satsuki, she will not DIE!"

Kiryūin stands up nursing her back…as Téa snatches her in an Inverted Headlock, going for an Extreme Endgame…

…she twists…

…but Satsuki spins out, elbows her back, hooks her up…turns around from the ropes…

…and executes a Sternness Slinger (Flipping Release Leg-hook Belly-to-back Suplex) into the center! Téa stands on her knees, looking nearly dazed…but she somehow avoids the Zenkan Kick…though not the Reverse Roundhouse to the back of her head! She holds Téa up on her both shoulders…spins—INTO A BIG BOOT FROM MAI VALENTINE!

"OH, BIG BOOT BY MAI! She's back into the equation!" Zack exclaims.

"YES! YES! Now hurry, babe, claim your title for the Queendom!" Barney cheers.

Satsuki is forced to drop Téa as Mai hooks her arms tightly and screams down at her, "I'm NOT losing MY belt in a manner of this BULL CRAP!" She begins the swinging momentum…LIFTS…and Satsuki lands on her feet and ducks the Petit Angel Kick, Téa nailing Mai in the face instead and taking her out! Téa turns around…Satsuki carries her on her shoulders…but the former is fighting back with elbows…and so Satsuki is forced to drop her to her feet…

…and suddenly drive her down with a Wrist-lock Olympic Slam! From there, she picks up a dazed World Women's Champion to her shoulders again…

…spins over 360-degrees…

…and plants the Bakuzan (Fireman's Carry lifted into an Emerald Flowsion)!

"BAKUZAAAAAN!" Kenji shouts. "COVER!"

"NO! NO! WHERE ARE YOU, MAI?! SAVE US!" Barney shrieks.

Satsuki has the leg hooked tight…as Faith Hathaway counts away: 1…

2…

…3!

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Barney Stinson SCREAMED at the top of his lungs as the bell rings!

"SATSUKI KIRYŪIN…MS. DIAMOND IN THE MINE…VICTORIOUS! WE HAVE A NEW WORLD WOMEN'S CHAMPION!" Mark calls!

Satsuki removes herself from Téa once the bell rung and she stands up against the ropes, panting rather heavily…"Hadou" playing in the background…while referee Faith Hathaway presents to her the ACW World Women's Championship. Satsuki looks at it…coming to grips with reality…and nods, Faith handing the new champion her title belt and raising her hand up high to signal her as the victor.

"Here is your WINNER…and the neeeeew ACW World Women's Champion…SATSUKI KIRYŪIN!" Maria Lopez makes it official.

"SHUT UP, MARIA! SHUT UP! THIS ISN'T REAL, YOU—GAAAAAH!" Barney shouts, pounding his fists on the table. "HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED?!"

"PERFECT PLANNING, STINSON! PLAIN AND SIMPLE! THE QUEENDOM GOT OCCUPIED BY THEIR PERSONAL ENEMIES FROM THE ACW ROSTER, SATSUKI PICKED HER TIMING RIGHT FOR THE CASH-IN!" Kenji exclaims. "FROM THERE, SATSUKI TOOK GREAT ADVANTAGE OF TÉA'S AND MAI'S CONDITION TO GO FROM MS. DIAMOND IN THE MINE…TO WORLD WOMEN'S CHAMPION!"

"SHE SAID SHE'D BE CASHING IN WHETHER MAI OR TÉA WON, NO MATTER WHO…BUT IT SEEMS SHE DECIDED TO CASH IN DURING THE MATCH INSTEAD, CATCHING THEM COMPLETELY OFF GUARD!" Zack yells.

"MAI NEARLY ESCAPED, BUT THAT'S WHAT SATSUKI COUNTED ON WHEN THE ELITE FOUR ARRIVED!" Markiplier states. "Everyone was on an EVEN playing field! No distractions! No interruptions whatsoever! Just three women fighting as if their lives depended on it at the final minute up to where Kiryūin delivered the Bakuzan to the champion and pinned her to win the title!"

"THE CHANGE, MAN! THE CHANGE WAS MEANT TO BE, BUT SHE RUINED IT!" Barney cries. "SATSUKI RUINED EVERYTHING! DAMN THAT CATERPILLAR EYE-BROWED BIMBO!"

After being through celebrating in the ring with her belt, the NEW World Women's Champion begins leaving as the Elite Four were at the ready to escort her out. Ira Gamagōri holds the cables open for Satsuki to leave through and she nods to her enforcers, proceeding to leave to the back. Meanwhile, left behind was Mai looking out from the other side of the ring at the apron, reaching out in desperation as the camera catches her words: "My title… MY TITLE…" And with Téa…a lot of thoughts were racing through her mind; on one hand, the Horsewomen didn't complete The Change…but on the other…she lost the belt she fought hard to retain. Still, many thoughts raced through her head…so one has to wonder what choice she'll make in the future.

"Téa may not be the guardian of the Women's Division anymore…but I'm sure somewhere inside, she knows Satsuki will reign strongly as the NEW World Women's Champion. A new GUARD," Markiplier calls.

"THIS…is NOT over," Barney utters. "The Queendom will NOT forget this…NOR will Sailor Moon herself."


Backstage…in the main office of Jesse Alvarez and Joshua Garza, the two were found in their seats relaxing the night away and were smiling at the sight of the new World Women's Champion on their HD television screen hanging on the wall.

"Well…looks like the Women's Division is in good hands," Josh utters.

"Indeed, my childhood amigo," Jesse says. "Talk about a hell of a women's match, though. Téa and Mai went all out for the strap and I really admire them both for going the distance. But in the end, Satsuki picked her spot at the right place at the right time. …Although, I can't help but feel pretty irritated at Zoey and Moze, both backstage interviewers, interfering alongside the Queendom and the women's wrestlers respectively."

"As good as they are on their job, they seem to lean more into wrestling as of late," Josh replies. "But we'll focus on them later. Right now…you ready to make the big announcement tonight?"

Jesse blows his hair up, "I hope so… This is a real changer for us in ACW. We had a big change due to the Brand Extension. But still, I hope it evolves our company to be taken more seriously than ever before. The extension was one era…and after Summer Wars, we're about to enter a WHOLE new one."

Josh nods…before jumping out of his seat when the door gets kicked open off-screen! …But Jesse regains his composure as he sighs and stands up.

"…What do you want, Jason?" Jesse asks The Gore Machine, who entered the room and steps up to the boss himself, fuming intensely and breathing deeply through his nose.

Alvarez and Krueger stare each other down for what felt like an intense amount of time…until Josh, being the boss of Jason on RAMPAGE, steps in.

"Hey, hey, come now…Jason," Josh speaks, "I know what happened was unfortunate… But I think it's time for you to move on from the hardcore scene. You can still challenge for that title whenever you want, sure…but now you're elevated in the card, eligible for the Evolve Championship scene—heck, even go for the World Tag Team Titles with RC Bane. Just…please. We don't need any unnecessary violence in here."

Jason…COMPLETELY ignored Joshua for his glower to Jesse, both STILL staring holes through each other…

…before Jason FINALLY speaks, "No matter… No matter HOW many times you put me down like the dog you think I am…I will RISE back up and SHOW you how much I mean to the roster."

Jason snorts in Jesse's face before leaving…as Josh lets out a HUGE sigh of relief, holding his chest…and Jesse closes his eyes to let out a sigh of REGRET, rubbing his forehead.

As Josh looks concerned, Jesse mutters for the camera to hear, "Why was I such an annoying prick back then…?"


"Oh, I don't know—perhaps you were OBVIOUSLY the dumb kid back in the DAY. And you STILL ARE," Barney insults…still pretty peeved about the Women's Title match.

"The Krueger / Alvarez drama intensifies… God knows when these two will EXPLODE at each other," Mark says. "Moving on, nonetheless, before we call the next match, we want to thank the RAMPAGE announce team for doing their jobs well during the typically Ignition-exclusive matches so their voices can be heard. From this point forward, the Ignition announce team will be handling these three final matches."

…and then the lights dim…while strobing ones circling inside the arena appear…

…as the ominous beating loop is heard…

…and the camera leans looks up to reveal the ominous steel sage structure hanging high above the ring has begun to lower.

"…Starting with THIS one," Mark utters.

"Here you see is the steel cage, the GRANDDADDY of cage matches," Zack says. "One of the oldest form of enclosures used in pro wrestling, the inaugural match taking place on June 25, 1937 in Atlanta, Georgia. This match evolved from using chicken wire to the steel bars you remember watching as a kid in the '80s to the modern chain-link fencing."

"It is admittedly tame compared to others such as the WarGames, Hell in a Cell or the Elimination Chamber," Kenji adds. "But still, the match can tend to be dangerous depending on the PEOPLE inside it."

The digital-styled match graphic shows up, displaying a spinning steel cage as "A Light That Never Comes" by Linkin Park plays this time around; the Gods of Darkness appear first, vile aura surrounding them…then Takashi Komuro and Kohta Hirano are next seen together, the former giving an intense cutthroat gesture while wielding a baseball bat and the latter striking a Kenny Omega esque pose…albeit with Scary Shiny Glasses and a likely mad grin. The two teams appear once more as still images and the steel cage joins in the background; read below the imagery are "THE GODS OF DARKNESS vs. H.O.T.D." and "STEEL CAGE MATCH" switching in and out every five seconds.

"And we can EXPECT it to be dangerous and carnivorous for both these young teams after what they've done to each other in the past couple of months," Kenji infers.

"They've both done things they can NEVER forgive each other for; Komuro and Hirano want to SHUT the Gods of Darkness up while the Gods themselves wish for them to see the beauty of darkness and follow the Shadows," Barney says. "This will likely be their FINAL BATTLE before the dawn of another new era."

The scene returns to the squared circle with the steel cage surrounding it as the bell rings…

…and Maria Lopez says, "This following contest…is a Steel Cage Match! The rules are as followed: to win the match, you must do it by pinfall, submission or escape. The ways to escape is either by leaving through the cage door or climbing the wall and having both feet touch the floor. The first tag team to succeed in having both men ESCAPE the cage will be the winners!"

("Omen in the Sky" by CFO$ plays)

New music blasting from the stage…an undead skull with a gas mask and a bullet hole on its forehead appears on the DigiTron…and the crowd pops when Takashi Komuro and Kohta Hirano walk out to the stage.

[Heeeeeey, maaaaaan…

We came to conquer and divide!]

Takashi and Kohta face the crowd in front of them, Takashi at his left using his hand as a makeshift visor as he looks at the Los Angeles fans, and Kohta at his right URGING them to pick up the volume in cheers. Then two stand close together…staring out at the steel cage on top of the ring…Kohta's face admits he's frightened at what will transpire inside…and so is Takashi, who replaces it with a brave one, assuring his friend they win it out tonight. They'll get REAL hurt, but they'll win.

[In the quicksaaand…

You'll sink if you do not comply-eyyy-eyyy-eyyyyy!]

Kohta…nods to his friend's words and holds a fist out forward. Takashi raises an eyebrow…then smirks as he touches his fist with his own…and speaks to the camera, "Hey, Dragon Kids…we believed in you both from when you won the Combine Cup to the CCW Tag Titles twice…and we still do to this day; we hope you're the still same for US against these psychos." Then both high-school males fist bump each other Gallows and Anderson style before walking their way together to the ring on point with the chorus, their eyes locked onto the steel cage.

[We are the omen in the skyyyyyy!

More than what you bargained for

Blacking out the sun to steal the liiiiiiiight!

Everything you're running from and more

We are the omen in the skyyyyyy…!]

"Introducing first, on their way to the ring: from Tokonosu City, Japan, at a combined weight of 430 pounds…representing Highschool of the Dead, they are the team of Takashi Komuro and Kohta Hirano!" Maria announces.

"Komuro and Hirano, a promising tag team since the dawn of ACW and definitely future tag team champions!" Mark states. "April 12th, the second episode of ACW where they, alongside Rei Miyamoto, Saeko Busujima and Saya Takagi, fought against the fellow debuting Hardcore Foundation, slowly rising up the ranks of tag team gold territory. And that chance was RUINED for them in May by the Gods of Darkness themselves, who where their opponents for a shot to the ACW World Tag Team Championships."

"Bakura and Marik blindsided them before the match can even began and forced Komuro to submit when the match was official. Then at Spring Breakdown, during a Ladder Match for the titles against the inaugural champions, Takashi and Kohta made a run-in to ruin their chances of winning, evening things up. But since then, these two have been at EACH OTHER'S throats!" Kenji says.

"Their first encounter would occur at Reign in Blood in a Tables Match, where the Gods of Darkness shocked everyone by winning after Komuro let his emotions get the better of him and Bakura seized him with a Rapture," Barney clarifies. "During that match, Hirano was seriously injured when the Gods eliminated him through a flaming table and then drove his head through another after a Malevolent Nightmare."

"In the lead up to Rebellion, Komuro punished Marik almost the same way they took out Kohta by concussing him," Zack states. "It was between only Bakura and Takashi as they fought in one of the most DISTURBING and GRUELING contests in wrestling history, the Monster's Ball. And it's that night both Marik and Kohta returned…and when Takashi defeated Bakura after a DEATH-DEFYING Diving Headbutt from the ladder. HOW Takashi is still standing and maintaining his sanity after what he went through, I will NEVER know."

"And now it's come to this final confrontation. These tag teams will be locked inside the steel cage until a pin or submission happens…or they escape through the door or over the wall to pick up the victory," Markiplier says. "It's anticipated to be tame compared to last month, sure…but it won't stop from being PERSONALLY VIOLENT."

Takashi and Kohta have stared up at the steel structure since reaching ringside about half-a-minute ago. 15 feet high, the structure intimidating to look at with its fencing and how high it is to climb up and over…yeah, one would be scared to step inside for the first time. Takashi looks at Kohta and gestures him to go in ahead of him. The Gun Otaku nods and walks up the steps, entering the cage with Komuro behind him. The two decide to walk around the ring for a bit as they their music played on, Takashi seen grabbing the fencing and pulling at it, checking how tough it'll be for when he'll hurl Bakura and/or Marik against it…or worst case scenario, him and/or Kohta being thrown into it.

Both teens regroup at the center to give each other another G&A fist bump as "Omen in the Sky" eventually dies out…

…and—disturbing, flashing visuals appear of bloodcurdling screaming people coated in blood in Hell reaching out for hell, maggots crawling around, an eclipse blocking the sun, a closeup of a creepy doll that instantly turns its head to the camera, and a gaping woman upside-down with black tendrils rapidly crawling out of her eyes and mouth!

"DEH!"

After a collective horrified shouts from the crowd, darkness and silence were all that was left…

…until a small match was lit to light a candle…

…which brightens illuminates the dark, revealing Yami Bakura and Marik Ishtar.

"Los Angeles…" utters Bakura, staring at the candle…before slowly turning to the camera. "We're here."

The Spirit of Darkness blows out the candle, darkness consuming EVERYTHING again…

("Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" by Emily Browning plays)

A small candle has been lit from the left side of the stage…and another from the right…then by two candles at a time, they all start making a trail from the stage, leading straight to the ring during the first chorus. Meanwhile, the dark arena have become filled with bright camera flashlights and even lighters such as a Zippo from the admitted followers of the Shadows.

[Sweet dreams are made of this…

Who am I to disagree?

Travel the world and the seven seas…

Everybody's looking for something…

Some of them want to use you…

Some of them want to get used by you…

Some of them want to abuse you…

Some of them want to be abused…]

When the edges of the stage and the aisle were lit with many candles by the end of the first verse/chorus, a big spotlight shines down at the center of the stage, exposing smokescreen that's been covering up the stage since the song began…and there was one lit candle seen through the smoke…and those holding it were revealed as Yami Bakura and Marik Ishtar. The smoke quickly begins fading, leaving the Gods of Darkness to stand at their spot and let their presence be felt in the Staples Center. Bakura soon blows out his candle and sets it down, allowing the rest on the aisle to light their way and proceeding to walk down the ramp once the same verse/chorus repeats itself.

[Sweet dreams are made of this…

Who am I to disagree?

Travel the world and the seven seas…

Everybody's looking for something…

Some of them want to use you…

Some of them want to get used by you…

Some of them want to abuse you…

Some of them want to be abused…]

"And their opponents…at a combined weight of 370 pounds…the team of Yami Bakura and Marik Ishtar, The Gods of Darkness!" Maria announces, her tone almost showing hesitance and the same amount of fear as most audience members are feeling.

"…" Mark remained SILENT for the remainder of the entrance.

"…M-Mark? You there with us?" Zack asks.

"H-Huh?! What? Oh…s-sorry, I… God, these two are TERRIFYING to even look at," Markiplier shudders.

"The Gods of Darkness…are the most DANGEROUS duo ACW has ever produced…and likely regret ever producing this nightmare fuel," Barney says. "They started off…quite generic for a couple of months. And it wasn't until late June that they finally found their footing…and it's the one we're seeing and HATE having to get jumped by. Damn you, Wyatt; this is why WWE punished you throughout 2017…and made you a jobber throughout three consecutive WrestleManias."

"Bringing up what went down for this month, we hosted a three-week long tournament to decide new number one contenders for the ACW World Tag Team Championships," Kenji begins recapping. "The two teams you see were involved in that tournament…but then G.O.D. interfered with Komuro and Hirano's match…and they returned the favor. You see where this was going."

"One week later, the Gods of Darkness would suggest a Steel Cage match to cap off the trilogy and these survivors of the zombie apocalypse accepted," Zack finishes. "Knowing these two teams, like at Reign in Blood and Rebellion, we can expect HATE and BLOOD to spill in that cage. This may not be for the faint of heart or any kids watching this live in person or at home."

"Yet, we didn't say that for the Hardcore Championship bout?" Barney raises a brow.

"…Good point," Zack discloses.

The Gods of Darkness have reached the steel cage, Bakura grabbing onto it to get a good feel of the fencing…and through it, he gives an evil grin to Komuro and Hirano inside. The vile expression on his face tells it all that he anticipates personally punishing them for their "sins"…and when it's all over, they'll finally learn to follow the shadows. Marik had already walked up the steps to enter the cage, leaving it open for Bakura as he later follows. He enters inside…glaring a hole through Kohta and Takashi alongside Marik…before grabbing the cage door and CLOSES it SHUT à la The Undertaker.

"The door now being locked tight after the way Bakura slammed the door… Mind games at play here," Mark notes. "They're letting Komuro and Hirano know they are about to go through HELL at the hands of G.O.D. But let's think about this, really…NEITHER tag team has EVER been involved in a Steel Cage match. Yet, Bakura and Marik are appearing SO confident. Why is that?"

"An obvious answer for a rhetorical question, Mark; they KNOW they have this match cinched. They KNOW what they're setting foot in. Sure, this is their first time, but these two are so ADAPTABLE to any hazardous environment, their opponents won't know what to expect from them," Barney says. "And as we can see, Komuro and Hirano know what they're getting to…they just don't know what is expected for them."

Both teams stand across from each other at the center as the music fades out and everything returns to normal lighting. Referee Shawn Yeager, who gulps lightly, quickly checks if both teams are ready…and then he calls for the bell…triggering a sudden brawl amongst the teams after Takashi fired the first shot with a right fist! Takashi on Bakura! Kohta on Marik! The Gods of Darkness and the HotD representatives ambushing each other with flying fists!

"Here we go! Takashi and Kohta! Gods of Darkness! Two duos colliding inside the cage the second the bell rang!" Zack calls.

Kohta mounts on Marik in the corner, standing on the second rope as he rains down a flurry of fists to the temple; meanwhile, Takashi is kicking away at Bakura in the corner to no end. But when Takashi attempted to smash his head into the steel wall, Bakura stopped himself, elbows Takashi in the head and makes Takashi the first man of the match to feel the fencing face-first! As Takashi thrashes around holding his head on the mat, Marik had already taken care of Kohta after slamming his head over the top turnbuckle…and then throwing it against the wall. Both boys are down…and it's the Gods who are the ones standing over them before they decided to pick up Kohta alone to proceed with his punishments. They take Kohta up on their shoulders respectively…and as they're were about to go for a Double Powerbomb into the steel fence, Kohta manages to slide off…and throws both Bakura and Marik against the wall instead! Marik falls back as Kohta makes Bakura take a Bulletproof Bomb (Full Nelson Bomb)! Then he watches Marik retreat in the corner…and as he and Takashi are side by side…the two RUN Marik over with Double Helluva Kicks! Afterwards, Hirano takes Marik to the center by his wrist and puts him in a Bear Hug…and Takashi does his part with a Springboard Dropkick to the face!

…And they weren't even DONE. No, because Hirano hangs onto Marik's legs…and with Takashi's permission, Kohta starts swinging the Master of Darkness around and around to a pop! As this goes on, Takashi waits patiently in the corner, imagining a sniper rifle in his hands as he cocks it, points at the swinging Marik…and FIRES his target as he lands a Low-angle Front Dropkick straight to Marik's skull! H.O.T.D. are on track!

"Kohta and Takashi on top of their game over the Gods of Darkness!" Markiplier says. "So far no one's attempted to escape just yet…and I think that's the way they want it for now. They still WANT to put each other through UNIMAGINABLE pain until neither of them can move any longer. That is how intense this rivalry is."

Takashi and Kohta take Bakura to his feet, getting their shots in with a European Uppercut and a Backhand Chop respectively. Then they grab his head, get a running start towards the fencing…but somehow, Bakura stops himself again with a foot against the wall and hands clinging onto it! He strikes the surprised high-schoolers with a Double Back Elbow, then knocks down Kohta with another elbow to the back of his head…and hits a High Knee to Takashi after bouncing off the ropes. With Takashi stumbling towards the wall…Bakura kicks him through the ropes…picks him back up…and suddenly clutches onto his throat to start choking him against the wall! With no disqualifications and lack of restraints, the referee is POWERLESS to do anything as Bakura is RUTHLESSLY choking out Takashi, who is desperately trying to pry his hand off and even rake his eyes with no avail of reaching him. Then Bakura reels his opponent's head forward…and SMASHES it into the wall! He repeats it twice…

…thrice…

…four times…

…five times…

…six times…

…seven, eight, nine, ten—there's no stopping! Soon, Takashi had taken enough head slams against the fencing to go limp and Bakura eventually stops after one last hurl into the wall. Meanwhile, as Bakura was kept busy with Takashi, Marik has been choking out Kohta himself in the corner with a foot before pulling away once Bakura was done. The likely insane duo take Kohta on their shoulders one more time…and their Double Powerbomb against the fencing SUCCEEDS. Now it's the Gods of Darkness standing tall compared to earlier.

"The pain game continuing at play as the Gods of Darkness HURL Hirano into the steel cage's wall from their Double Powerbomb!" Kenji calls.

"Well, LOOK who's on top right now," Barney says. "Marik and Bakura knew how in trouble they were in before deciding to get REAL against their opponents thanks to the latter's lack of remorse. Now, they could escape now…but there's no fun in that for these sick guys as they wish to continue giving the punks their just deserts."

With Kohta trapped between the ropes and the cage, Bakura takes a step aside…so Marik can hit the ropes…and STRIKE Kohta against the cage wall with a running knee. Now Marik rolls aside for Bakura to take his turn…and BLASTS the vulnerable Kohta with a Running Facewash, AGAIN knocking his head into the fencing. Bakura remained in that spot just to give a sadistic grin towards the audience in front of him. They turn their attention over to Takashi now as he was getting back on the canvas through the ropes. They force him to the center, lying flat on his back sprawled out…before Bakura stomps his left arm…and so does Marik afterwards. As Bakura Garvin Stomps all over Takashi's body from his left arm…to his left ankle…to his right ankle…to his right arm, Marik has repeated at the same time in pursuit. After Marik stomps the left arm lastly, he makes a run for the ropes…and hits a No-handed Springboard Moonsault the same time Bakura nailed a Leaping Knee Drop over Takashi's head! Bakura kept knee his on top of Komuro's head so he can mock the gun gesture…and "shoots" his brains out before spreading his arms wide out alongside Marik standing behind him and he exclaims, "FOLLOW…THE SHADOWS!"

"Bakura and Marik doing what they do best at DECIMATING their opponents, doing it limb by limb, piece by piece," Zack comments. "And it's obvious they're loving this slow, methodical pace in order to take their time to punish Komuro and Hirano."

G.O.D. brings Takashi to his feet for an Irish Whip off the ropes and they knock him down with a Double Back Elbow. And then Bakura lands a Running Senton over Takashi, sitting up to let out a sinister chuckle. But he loses that grin the instant he sees Kohta getting up and sics Marik on him, the Dark Egyptian Master stomping away at the gun geek in the corner. Bakura continues barking orders at his tag team partner, who follows every step such as kneeing Kohta's face in and then compressing his head against the fencing. Kohta screams in agony, failing to get himself free from Marik's knee pushing his skull deep against the wall. Bakura grins at the sight so devilishly…before Takashi springs to life with a Killswitch—Bakura escapes…lifts Takashi up Back Suplex style…

…and swings him out into a Facebuster! "NICE TRY, Komuro!" Bakura exclaims before kicking his face in. Meanwhile, Marik starts choking out Kohta again, this time using the ropes for leverage as he pushes his feet down on his shoulders against the bottom rope. Bakura orders him to stop…and whispers something in his ear, something only Marik hears…and forms a Cheshire Cat Grin afterwards. At his command, Marik takes Hirano to lie on his stomach and tie his legs around his left one; then he takes both his arms to pull back as far as possible, using a Standing Inverted Indian Deathlock Surfboard to make him cry in agony. After twenty seconds of making Hirano suffer, with Bakura's permission…

…Marik STOMPS his head into the bottom turnbuckle, completing a Ghoul Stomp (Super Dragon's Curb Stomp)!

"OH, GAWD!" Markiplier winces. "That was—that was VILE and UGLY to watch!"

"I know! …Can we get a replay?" Barney requests.

"NO," Kenji denies.

"FOR THE LOVE OF PETE, NO," Zack agrees.

"…Wimps," Barney scoffs.

Marik nudges Hirano to see if he's still moving before Bakura requests him to keep an eye on "the fat one" whenever he wakes up while he takes on Takashi; in any case of emergency, Marik is allowed to interfere should things turn over for Komuro and Hirano's side, but only when Bakura says so. Marik understands as he stays back and Bakura stalks Takashi to his feet…and sets him up for a Vertical Suplex. He displays a good amount of strength in stalling Komuro before throwing him down in a Toss Suplex. Takashi sits up, appearing quite hurt as he holds the back of his neck…and Bakura kicks him there. As Takashi's on his knees, Yami Bakura stands behind him and wraps his arms around the abdomen…looking to Deadlift German Suplex him…

…but Takashi plants his feet down, back elbowing Bakura's head in vicious retaliation…before being let go…and he pulls him down for a Crippler Crossface! Both men on their knees, a power struggle going on between them as Bakura refuses to go down completely and Takashi trying to complete the submission! Bakura rolls through eventually…avoids a Clothesline and PLANTS Komuro with a Standing Side Slam! (Zack: For a rather skinny competitor, Bakura's a strong one because, GOD, that Side Slam must've hurt Komuro a lot… ; Kenji: You've said it.) Komuro appeared almost unmoving as Bakura watches on from the corner, sitting on the bottom turnbuckle and letting his arms hang off the middle rope. The leader of H.O.T.D. stands himself up in the opposite corner…then Bakura speeds at him blindingly fast…

…and…MISSES the High Knee in the corner! Takashi capitalizes quickly with a Step-up High Knee, wraps the arm around his head for the Running Bulldog out of the corner…and takes out an oncoming Marik with a Clothesline, all while saying, "Welcome to the Dead, motherfuckers!"

"In a turn of events, in just mere seconds, Takashi Komuro turns this around for himself and Kohta Hirano! This is exactly what the Gods of Darkness were afraid of!" Markiplier states.

"It was all G.O.D. up to this point; now Komuro and Hirano are back on track, baby!" Zack grins.

"Just wait until they let it get to their heads and let the momentum slip from their hands in a matter of SECONDS," Barney forewarns.

After a pumped-up yell, Komuro checks on the stirring Hirano, trying to help him up to his feet. Seeing how their opponents are beginning to stir…Takashi thinks it's time for a little payback…and Kohta could NOT agree more. The two walk ahead, proceeding to stomp out Marik and Bakura remorselessly and almost endlessly. Takashi drapes Bakura over the middle rope, standing on his shoulders and pressing against it to choke him out; during then, Kohta has Marik sitting on the apron and against the fencing…as he runs for the ropes…

…and rebounds with a Bullseye Dropkick (Running Single Leg Dropkick), kicking his face into the wall! Takashi finishes his deal and with Kohta's aid, they Irish Whip Bakura off the ropes…and on the rebound, Kohta pops him up and over…into a SLAP across the face from Komuro!

"OH! Boy bitch slapped that evil Brit!" Zack exclaims.

"Well, that was certainly innovative…in some sense!" Kenji says.

Bakura, hurt and furious, nurses his cheek…

…before Takashi picks him up on his shoulders as Kohta hits the ropes…

…and Takashi's Fireman's Carry Flapjack is spun out into a Running Cutter from Kohta!

"BANG! Gun Stun! With more impact thanks to the Fireman's Carry Flapjack from Komuro!" Zack states as Takashi turns Bakura over with his leg hooked. "And now for the first cover this match after seven minutes!"

Referee Shawn Yeager counts 1…

2…

…2.48 Bakura kicks out! Komuro seemingly shrugs it off…as he escorts Bakura to his feet, then he and Kohta bounce him off the ropes…and throw him against the fencing…

…BUT BAKURA HANGS ONTO THE WALL! He is scurrying and climbing up the cage as fast as possible, Takashi and Kohta not noticing until Bakura was found already on top of the structure and they quickly follow in hot pursuit!

"OH! OH! HERE WE GO NOW! Bakura is the first man to attempt escape from the cage after no one has tried for seven minutes!" Kenji exclaims.

"And Komuro and Hirano are making sure he stays inside!" Markiplier utters.

"Escape their sinful hands, Bakura!" Barney roots.

Only half of Bakura's body has gone over the cage that is his legs, which are dangling due to Hirano and Komuro clubbing his back with forearms and struggling to pull him back inside. They do eventually prepare a double-team move in order to get Bakura back in the ring as they stand on the highest rope. The move? A Double Superplex. And it seems they are just about execute it…

…but Marik Ishtar delays them with a clubbing forearm to the back of Komuro! As he tries to pull him off, Kohta lets go of Bakura for now and holds onto the chain-link fencing so he can kick at Marik in order to perform the Double Superplex with Takashi. However, Marik caught the last kick to pull him down and force Kohta to land crotch-first onto the ropes! After smashing Kohta's head against the cage, Marik goes after Takashi, who also had smashed Bakura's head into the wall so he can keep him hanging around (pun not—okay, maybe a little). The two are standing on the very highest rope together as they trade punches and cling to the chain, trying not to suffer the same fate as Kohta. One right punch from Takashi…a southpaw one from Marik…then a martial arts kick to the ribs from Marik—twice, in fact…then he begins setting him up for a Super Russian Legsweep…

"This is not gonna end pretty for Komuro…!" Zack says.

"And I hope it doesn't! Go for it, Marik!" Barney cheers.

…but Takashi elbows him and smashes his head into the wall…

just as Kohta runs up to Marik from behind with arms tight around the waist and performs a German Superplex!

"HOLY SHIT! Hirano with a BIG German from the second rope, removing Marik completely off the cage wall!" Markiplier shouts.

"Can always count on someone like Kohta to have your back!" Zack grins.

Takashi nods to his friend for that move and proceeds to go for the Superplex on his own. However, Bakura recovered enough to start fighting back, clubbing his back at his best efforts—even raking his eyes. Bakura remains at the top as Takashi, despite the eye rake, climbs to join his enemy and sit on top of the cage. (Kenji: Oh, man, they are now in very DANGEROUS territory as they come to blows, fists being traded back and forth between these two bitter enemies. ; Barney: Throw him off, Bakura! ; Zack: Are you THAT insane? ; Barney: I mean throw him down in the ring. ; Zack: That doesn't make it any better!) Bakura and Komuro, a definite potential singles rivalry in the future—especially after Rebellion—continue punching each other while trying to make sure they don't LITERALLY die from this height. Bakura delivers the last strike…and begins going over! But Takashi clings onto him for dear life by the head, setting up the Superplex once again! After pulling him in far enough…Kohta joins Takashi at the same top rope, this time NO interruptions…

…and meanwhile, Marik had brought himself up to his feet, nursing his head from the German Superplex…

…before he turned around…

and gets SQUASHED by Bakura being Double Superplexed from Kohta and Takashi!

"OH, MY GOD!" Barney yelps.

"SUPERPLEX! DUAL SUPERPLEX—BAKURA LANDING ON TOP OF MARIK, COURTESY OF TAKASHI KOMURO AND KOHTA HIRANO!" Markiplier exclaims. "AND LOOK AT THIS COLLISION—IT'S A GODDAMN CAR WRECK IN THAT CAGE! A HUMAN DEMOLITION DERBY, MY GOD!"

"All four men are down! Bakura, Marik, Takashi, and Kohta are barely moving after that collision course!" Kenji shouts. "Right now, the pendulum of momentum is swinging back and forth to decide who gets up first and have the immediate advantage!"

"Better yet, a chance of escape, pinfall or submission victory should they seize it!" Zack adds in.

Not one single warrior of pro wrestling has moved since landing hard onto the canvas as the fans were going rowdy (in a positive way) and chanting "HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT!" over that spot and the referee checked on all of them for signs of consciousness. After thirty seconds, one of them started to finally move…

…and it was Takashi as he's trying to muster up the strength he has left inside to reach a vertical base…and Bakura soon follows, albeit VERY dazed. Soon as Bakura stood up, he sees Takashi and went for a Clothesline…

…to which Takashi was quick enough to react and reverse the weak attack into a Crippler Crossface!

"Crossface! Komuro locks it in definitely! Submissions count here in the steel cage, and if Bakura taps out, Takashi and Kohta will win this match in one fell swoop!" Kenji states.

"And the worst part is that rope breaks DON'T count at all! Bakura needs a way out NOW!" Barney shouts.

The Crossface has been cinched as tight as possible, Takashi wrenching back at Bakura's head and neck, the former ROARING with intensity and the latter SCREAMING with agony. Bakura tries prying the hands off his face to no avail…and all he can do is desperately reach out to the ropes even though they are no rope breaks in this contest whatsoever. After what his body went through in taking that Superplex…Bakura REFUSES to surrender. He tries prying the hands again…and ACTUALLY bites down on them to FORCE for his release! But Komuro, as much as those teeth are hurting his hands like hell, also REFUSES to let go. So he TUGS at Bakura much farther, almost in an ugly angle that could break his back any second…and he STILL hangs on, drawing blood from Takashi's skin breaking!

"This is INSANE—Takashi has the Crippler Crossface held in the grossest angle and Bakura is REFUSING to submit to him! Bakura has bitten his hand for the release and Takashi also FAILS to grant his release! Talk about two of the most stubborn bastards on the face of this Multiverse!" Markiplier says.

"They will do ANYTHING to succeed victory, even if at the cost of pain!" Barney says…before pointing. "H-Hey, hey! Look! Look at Marik! HE'S GOING FOR THE ESCAPE!"

"Say what?!" Mark shouts.

It's true; Marik is already climbing up the cage and he's already over the wall, sitting on top as he rests! It turns out he began the climb the whole time Takashi and Bakura were busy with each other. However…he's not alone. Kohta has followed him when he began the climb, now currently standing on the top rope and clinging onto the fence. Marik quickly tries to descend as quickly as possible…but his foot gets snagged by the steel bars! This gives Kohta the chance to catch up to him and try to force him back inside the cage; but Marik has no desire of cooperating with Kohta with the southpaw punches to Kohta's skull. The two continue trading fists…and Marik wins it out in smashing Kohta's head into the steel bars…

…and as he's dazed, Marik shoves him off…

…and into Takashi, breaking up the Crossface and saving his fellow deity of darkness! Marik is free from any interruption…and descends the cage, eventually jumping down four feet to the padded floor.

"Marik's the first man out!" Kenji states. "The Gods of Darkness with the advantage! Now Bakura has to join him next and they will be the winners!"

"And Marik is helping out by getting the door open! THAT'S teamwork right there!" Barney affirms.

After swiping the key away from referee Andrew Styles, Marik unlocks the cage door and pops it open, gesturing Bakura to make the escape while he has the chance. Takashi and Kohta are down temporarily…and Bakura, while holding his neck, drags himself with his right arm towards his way out, crawling at his best effort so G.O.D. can achieve victory. Bakura crawls under the bottom rope…

…makes it through the open door…

"SECONDS AWAY! Seconds away from victory!" Barney comments.

…and…Takashi clutches onto his ankle just as Bakura was halfway out!

"NO! That little son of a—get your hands off him! He was just about to earn a victory!" Barney shouts.

"Don't think Takashi wants that to happen for Bakura and Marik at all!" Zack states.

Marik holds Bakura's wrists to help pull him out as Takashi pulls at his ankles, using Bakura as a tug-a-war rope…only it's painful to him from how he's being yanked and tugged from both sides. Marik uses the steps for leverage…but it's Kohta who becomes the advantage for helping Takashi pull Bakura back inside, the Spirit of Darkness clinging onto the door that closes on him! Takashi and Kohta now play the two-on-one assault card on Bakura, who is completely defenseless; Marik, seething, forces the cage door open and tries to make interference in order to even the odds…

…but Komuro stops him with a simple, yet vicious slap across the face, Christian style! Marik reels back…and runs into a Drop Dead from the duo as the audience shouts, "DROP DEAD!" Marik is OUT and Takashi and Kohta are on TOP of their game. Komuro would then tell Kohta to get Marik out of here…along with himself; Kohta is confused as he asked if he'll be all right alone…and Takashi assures him he'll be just fine. Worry aside, Kohta nods and requests the referee outside to open the door as he drags Marik by his ankle like a dead body. He leaves through the ropes, jumps down from the apron to become the second man out of the ring and drags out Marik the whole way.

"Now things are evened up between these teams as Kohta and Marik are outside the ring and Takashi and Bakura are left alone inside," Mark comments. "Hope he knows what he's doing."

Takashi nods to Kohta outside…

…and turns back to Bakura—who suddenly springs on his hands and feet à la Bray Wyatt, actually spooking Takashi to fall on his backside!

"OH, SWEET JESUS!" Mark cries.

"HOLY—SOMEBODY CALL AN EXORCIST! BAKURA'S POSSESSED BY PAZUZU!" Zack half-quips.

"DON'T EVEN JOKE ABOUT THAT SHIT, ZACK!" Kenji shouts.

"WHO SAID I WAS JOKING?!" Zack replies.

Takashi, sitting in the corner out of what he just saw in front of him, and Kohta, staring on in horror, watch Bakura give a sadistic grin as he slowly Spider Walks towards his lone opponent. "So it's you and me now, sinner…? GOOD. Makes it more enjoyable for me to PERSONALLY hand you the PENALTY you DESERVE!" Bakura cackles before flipping onto his stomach and springs at Takashi with a furious series of punches to the temple! Takashi blocks at his best, but Bakura is too wild for him with his constant change of attacks from fists to forearms to elbows. He stands up, grabs Takashi and THROWS him far from the corner so he can have it to himself. He taps his right foot for a bit and leans far back with a sadistic grin and a hanging tongue before turning and charging…

…into a German Suplex—no, Bakura hangs on…RAKES Takashi's eyes and turns around for Death Penalty into the fencing! Takashi rolls away holding his face…and Bakura takes his hand…falls to his back…

…presses his left shin firmly against the throat…

…and locks in the Millennium Ring (Hell's Gate)!

"Oh, oh! Hell's Gate! Hell's Gate locked in!" Mark exclaims. "Look at how Bakura has the legs wrapped tight around Takashi's head while he pulls down on his head to put pressure against his throat with his shin! And they're both at the center of the ring with nowhere to go and there are no rope breaks to save him!"

"Takashi is gonna have to break out of this on his own power…or worse, pass out! We all know he's too damn stubborn to tap out to the likes of him yet again!" Kenji shouts.

"He's gonna be coughing up BLOOD any moment if he doesn't tap out!" Barney reminds. "The Hell's Gate, dubbed the Millennium Ring for Bakura, is one of the most dangerous submission moves in wrestling history; you all know how it was once banned!"

Takashi has been thrashing all over the ring, circling the mat with Bakura hanging onto the Millennium Ring as dangerously constricted as possible. Seeing the way Takashi squirm, Bakura laughs at this in SICK amusement and continues increasing the pressure until he personally sees Takashi pass out with blood coughing out from his mouth. A gruesome individual this one is. However, as much pain Takashi is going through, he denies Bakura's wishes of EVER giving up, especially how Kohta outside and the audience are advocating him to keep fighting…going as far as to flip the bird on him! Of course, this provokes Bakura to wrench the submission even further…

…and Takashi slowly stops writhing…

"Takashi is beginning to fade, guys… Oh, God, ref, hurry and call it off!" Zack requests in worry.

…because he stomps one foot down…

"Hang on, hang on…!"

…and then the other…

as he summons all the strength in his body to carry Bakura up high!

"Komuro LIVES! Bakura on his shoulders, now just hanging on for dear life!" Kenji calls.

"Look at him carrying Bakura like if he was a child!" Markiplier comments.

As Bakura panics…Komuro runs to the first thing on front of him…and that's a turnbuckle, landing a Turnbuckle Powerbomb! Bakura stumbles forward…and his right hook attempt fails for Takashi to avoid…and snatches him into a German Suplex!

…The first one as Takashi rolls to his feet, holding onto the rear waistlock as Bakura desperately reaches out…and he makes him take a second German Suplex! He rolls through one more time…

…and grants him RELEASE with a Release German Suplex, completing the Infecta Trifecta! Bakura staggers into the corner, where Takashi meets him with a Step-up High Knee…and goes for the Running Bulldog…

…but Bakura pushes him off! Takashi stumbles into the opposite corner, back kicking Bakura in the midsection and then goes for a Springboard Sunset Flip—Rapture!

…NO! Takashi actually stayed on the ropes while Bakura leaped for nothing! Takashi flips him off, stating, "HA! FUCK YOU!" and then OFFICIALLY springboards off the corner…

…as he strikes a Double Knee Facebreaker to Bakura!

"OH, CODEBREAKER! The Double Knee Facebreaker hits it!" Kenji shouts. "Takashi has outsmarted his opponent, not wanting a repeat of Reign in Blood!"

"Talk about learning from your past mistakes!" Zack comments. "If I may be bold, I assume THAT move belonged to a certain Dragon Kid!"

"It can belong to ANYBODY around the Multiverse, you moron!" Barney says.

"I don't know, Takashi and Kohta are close friends with the Dragon Kids and they did shout them out during their entrance, sooo…" Mark leaves his sentence unfinished.

"Shut up, Mark."

Bakura…STILL stands on his feet, albeit staggering…until Takashi grabs and swivels him into a Death Blow (Killswitch)! And Komuro…doesn't go for the pin…because he has decide to ascend the top turnbuckle. Once reaching his destination, Takashi looks around his surroundings…and down at Bakura…

"Hang on, he's not going for a Diving Headbutt, is he?" Zack asks.

"No, he isn't THAT desperate. He already knows he's on the verge of victory, but he doesn't go for the pin yet…" Mark says.

"I swear, this next move better BACKFIRE on his ass…!" Barney grits his teeth.

…as he says, "I believe."…

…and…jumps HIGH in the air for a SUCCESSFUL Frog Splash!

"WHOA! BEAUTIFUL!" Markiplier shouts. "HIGH elevation off the top turnbuckle as Komuro hits the Frog Splash!"

"Eat your heart out, Seth Rollins!" Zack says.

Komuro nearly bounced off of Bakura from the landing impact…but rests on top with the leg hooked: 1…

2…

…3!

"And it's over!" Kenji shouts as the bell rings "Omen in the Sky" plays. "Komuro and Hirano mark a victory at the end of this trilogy!"

"I HOPE THOSE DAMN BRATS GET ROLFSTOMPED BY L.T.L. WITH A BARRAGE OF LACROSSE BALLS AND STICKS!" Barney shouts.

"Here are your winners: Takashi Komuro and Kohta Hirano, Highschool of the Dead!" Maria announces.

Takashi rolls off of Yami Bakura, hearing the bell ring and the announcement has made him SMILE that he and Kohta are FINALLY done with the Gods of Darkness. Hopefully, it'll be a long time before they'll have to face each other again. He reaches his feet, getting his hand raised by referee Shawn Yeager to be publicized as the winner…and afterwards, Takashi grabs onto the fencing and begins the climb. He reaches on the top and sits there for a while to bask in his victory for a few seconds before climbing down where Kohta was waiting. As he was four feet above ground, he gives one last look to an awoken and seething Yami Bakura…and gives one final middle finger gesture, the final "'F' You", before dropping down.

"DISRESPECT. Utter DISRESPECT to G.O.D. themselves," Barney frowns. "This may be the final battle between them…but they better damn well be careful not to DARE cross Bakura and Marik's paths again."

"The Gods of Darkness may have lost this last round, but you can't deny the influence they brought upon young Komuro and Hirano over these past few months. The blood, the carnage, the destruction, and the absolute LOATHE between them went as far to take each other's tag partners out," Mark states. "We doubt this will be really be the last time they face each other…but let's hope they can just move on from each other for a long while."

"Komuro and Hirano can probably focus back on tag title gold…while Bakura and Marik continue to be scary mofos," Zack shudders.

Kohta and Takashi walk on their way up the ramp, side to side with Takashi's arm around Kohta's shoulder as they both leave VICTORIOUS…and G.O.D. left alone to lick their wounds. Marik looks at Bakura lying at the center inside the cage…and the Spirit of Darkness had soon reached to his feet, clinging onto the chain-link fencing…and presses his face against it, BITING down onto the steel like an animal. This sight even spooked Marik out. As he growls with the wall in his teeth, actually BENDING it with it…Bakura utters off-mic, "THIS…is NOT the end for G.O.D.… Oh, no… We've only just begun, mortals…

"…

"…

"…WE WILL MAKE YOU ALL FOLLOW THE SHADOWS!"

"DEH!"

A brief image of Bakura and Marik staring straight at the viewer with maniacal grins appears onscreen, everyone's sudden screams overheard…

…darkness has consumed the entire screen…

…and then, the arena lights come back on, Bakura and Marik disappearing off the face of the earth as they left behind the structure without a trace…and a spooked audience.

"I hate those guys," Zack utters with a whimper.


Backstage…

…Naruto Uzumaki is warming up in his locker room as his ACW World Championship is on a shelf beside him. The crowd pops upon seeing him as he stretches his arms out. While he holds his right shoulder and circles the arm around, he glances over to the top tier belt of the entire promotion…soon slowing down to a halt and taking down the belt to gaze at in his hands. For a while, he looks at it as if it'll be the last time he'll hold it…but his hands clenching the straps says otherwise.

"Taking your time to say goodbye?"

The question startled Naruto as he instantly looks off-screen…and narrows his eyes…

…towards ACW Hardcore Champion Sasuke Uchiha with his newly-won title over his shoulder.

Naruto drapes his world title over his shoulder and replies, "Sasuke…what do you want?"

"Seeing as we're only an hour away from your likely loss, I figured I'd be thoughtful enough to visit you, and see you one last time with that belt in your hands," Sasuke says, arms folded.

"…That it? You came all this way just to get into my head? Get out of here," Naruto scoffs.

"All right, all right…but the evidence was there through these past few weeks," Sasuke points out. "Just saying."

"Sasuke," Naruto holds a hand up, "I'll only repeat this ONCE…what do you want? If this is about your ban being lifted if I lose—which I won't, thank you—it's definitely clear you STILL haven't learned from before. So let's say, in theory, I do lose, you're gonna come after me AGAIN? Will I be paranoid? Here's my answer: NO. Because you come after me again…I will kick your ass three times in a row once again. …Besides…you already beat me at WWE's In Your House. Alone. Without Itachi's help. …With my own finishing move. So you can leave reminding yourself that one happy moment."

The new ACW Hardcore Champion…stays in his spot glaring a hole through Naruto, who has returned the favor since. Sasuke adjusts the belt on his shoulder, now both hands holding onto it…

…and says, "Still as ignorant since we were very young, dobe… Now…yes, I did beat you… I used The Undertaker's Tombstone Piledriver—NOT YOURS—to beat you…yet it's sweet irony I can still taste to this day. I…have PINNED you…with 'your own' finisher…without Itachi's help by the end…and I left victorious at WWE. …Did you notice the keyword? …W. W. E. World Wrestling Entertainment. I pinned you…on WWE PAY-PER-VIEW TELEVISION…and the winners were SASUKE UCHIHA…and ITACHI UCHIHA. The winners were the revived UCHIHA CLAN. NOT Sasuke Uchiha ALONE. NOT…HERE… Not in ACW. And as for when the ban gets lifted when you lose…I'm not coming after you." That actually surprised and confused Naruto. "No…not yet, because I'm not ready. When I won this title…I had a lot of thinking before coming here. I realized how I wasn't ready for you. Not with my emotions getting the better me like they did last month… So, even when the ban is lifted…I'm not coming after you. Not until I reach back to the status I was thrown down from. Specifically, in our case…by you…through TWO TABLES…off the LADDER…you bastard. It was PHYSICALLY painful to crawl from out of that debris…and EMOTIONALLY painful to see you win with my victory. So until I reach my goals and climb that ladder back up to the top…be ready when you least expect it. I am sure I have a long climb to get to a level where I know I can beat you…so it will be WORTH the long journey."

"…Good luck with that, Sasuke," Naruto utters after another long silence of glares. "But in the meantime…I have a match to continue preparing for… So, if you please…the door's right behind you." He gestures behind him, requesting his departure…and Sasuke gradually complies, backpedaling before turning. "…And Sasuke…congratulations on your victory."

Sasuke stayed at the doorway with his back turned on his eternal rival…before replying, "All it took was for Krueger to stomp Kurosaki's head in…and I merely was at the right place at the right time to kick his head off to snatch victory away from him. …So thank you. And Naruto…good luck to you…you're going to need it tonight against him."

With that, Sasuke leaves the room completely…as the camera slowly zooms on Naruto's face, which appeared ticked…before switching to determination for tonight's main event.


"So…I guess that's good for Naruto, not facing Sasuke too soon?" Zack rubs his head.

"Zack, you're saying that as if Naruto is actually losing tonight," Kenji raises an eyebrow.

"Hey, hey, I'm just trying to respond to what we saw here."

"In any case, we move on from one personal feud to another, only it's not between friends…but between brothers—FAMILY," Mark says.

"A Light That Never Comes" plays a second time for the next upcoming digital-styled match graphic; Dante, fully equipped with Ebony and Ivory, blows the smoke off the latter before turning the camera while raising the former with his signature cocky grin…and Vergil, with Arkham behind him forming a sadistic grin and carrying his bible, is next shown slowly sheathing his Yamato in front of him to completion with a glimpse of light shining through to the end. The sons of Sparda appear side to side as still images, Arkham behind Vergil…and in the background are Dante's Rebellion and Vergil's Yamato crossing in an "X" form between them to symbolize their feud as "DANTE vs. VERGIL" is read below the imagery.

"And this feud is fueled by pride and jealousy. But that will not prevent this match from becoming a CLASSIC. You heard me—a CLASSIC, no doubt about it, after how they performed in their matches from Reign in Blood to the first episode of RAMPAGE," Markiplier states. "It will be Dante meeting Vergil for a third time; brother versus brother. A rivalry between two of the biggest icons in wrestling history. Can Vergil finally get one over his younger twin, or will Dante remain on top and hold Vergil under his shadow?"

("Shout at the Devil" by Mötley Crüe plays)

The audience give out an exploding pop to Dante as he struts out to the stage under crimson red lights. Dante has his fingers symbolizing the buildup to the lyrics, each riff he would point at the crowd from left to right every five seconds. And when it was time for the lyrics…

[Shout!

Shout!

Shout!]

Dante had pointed left, then right and both sides…

[Shout!

Shout!

Shout!]

…rinse and repeat…

[SHOUT AT THE DEVIL!]

…and he cups his mouth to holler the titled lyric and throws a fist at the camera (Dante: BOOM!) to trigger a HUGE explosive of fire from the stage! With his back turned and arms splayed, the Devil May Cry main protagonist backpedals to the ring and then swivels around to continue strutting his way down the ramp, passing by front-row fans he hand-slaps to.

[He's the wolf screaming lonely in the night

He's the blood stain on the sta-a-a-a-age

He's the tear in your eye, being tempted by his lies

He's the knife in your back—he's rage!

He's the razor to the knife

Oh, lonely is our lives!

My head's spinning round and round!

But in the seasons of wither, we'll stand and deliver

Be strong and laugh and…

Shout!

Shout!

Shout!

Shout at the devil!

Shout!

Shout!

Shout!]

The bell sounds for Maria to make the announcements, "The following contest is a singles bout scheduled for one fall! (Crowd: ONE FALL!) Introducing first: now residing in Phoenix, Arizona, weighing in at 225 pounds…'The Stylin' Showstopper' Dante!"

After repeating his signature interaction with the fans to the end of the chorus, Dante quickly ascends onto the apron, throwing a leg over the middle rope to enter the ring and rotating in the middle of the ring HBK-style. He walks up to the first corner he sees and stands on the middle row, forming his hands into finger guns to "shoot" the crowd, blow the smoke off and leaps down. At the center…he kneels, bowing his head for a mere moment…and flings his body back with arms splayed as he exclaims, "SHOUT AT THE DEVIL!" on point with the lyrics, triggering crimson red pyrotechnics to shoot left and right in the background like machine guns!

"…Tch. Showoff," Barney scoffs.

"Can't deny that; it's part of his gimmick," Zack says.

"A gimmick that's gotten stale since 2008," Barney states.

"Well, whether you love or hate Dante, you cannot deny the history he has achieved over the years in his entire career," Markiplier says. "He was once a mainstay in X-Treme Crossover Federation—a household name if you will—since 1996 up until his departure in 2009 and then his XCF Hall of Fame induction in 2010, leaving behind a legacy in that company as a multiple-time champion of most categories, becoming a Grand Slam Champion at the time and a Triple Crown Champion, a winner of the 2002 Rider War, especially the tag team division. Coined as the Stylin' Showstopper, Dante shows that when he steps inside the squared circle, he won't hesitate to pull out all the stops should his opponent actually get the better of him."

"He's also dipped his foot in one other company called Total Championship Wrestling, best known for feuding with Stan Smith for the TCW No Limits Championship, but would never capture that very title nor any other TCW gold after it had abruptly shut down," Kenji says. "Since then, Dante remains here at ACW as his new home—a home away from home in the form of XCF. And it is here in his home that he became the first-ever ACW United States Champion."

"Most say he's one of the best wrestlers in the business, Dante saying so himself…but some might not agree such his opponent for tonight. Now, Mark, you said Dante was best known in XCF, accomplishing a lot of gold…right?"

"Yes," Mark answers.

"And what was the most gold he's won? Tag team championship gold. In XCF, he is a three-time Dynamic Duo Champion and a two-time Chaotic Duo Champion—an inaugural Chaotic Duo Champion…and there was only one person he won all those belts alongside…"

Dante backs up against the nearest corner…and waits…

("Flash of the Blade" by Avenged Sevenfold plays)

"…and that's this man," Barney concludes.

The arena goes completely dark, leaving only the DigiTron to feature Vergil's name appearing in thin air for the crowd to give a mixed reaction, the cheers coming from the fans who apparently sympathize with the elder son of Sparda. Around the time the bass arrives, the darkness become navy blue…and a spotlight shows Vergil already standing at the center of the stage with Arkham behind him. During then, a camera catches Dante honestly bobbing his head to the song. Vergil eyes heavily on his arrogant younger twin…before telling Arkham to stay in the back…and he actually complies, no arguments or concern between them whatsoever. With Arkham gone, Vergil turns back to Dante and proceeds his walk straight down the ramp.

[As a young boy chasing dragons

With your wooden sword so mighty

You're St. George or you're David

And you always killed the beast

Times change very quickly

And you had to grow up early

A house in smoking ruins

And the bodies at your feet

You'll die as you lived

In the flash of the blade!

In a corner forgotten away~!

You lived for the touch

For the feel of the steel!

One man, and his honor~!]

"And his opponent: residing in Tokyo, Japan, weighing in at 228 pounds…he is 'The True Son of Sparda' Vergil!" Maria announces.

"Vergil sending his manager to the back…how interesting," Kenji notes.

"I think he's only doing this just to prove he can beat Dante on his own power in what is personally one of the biggest matches of his career," Zack says.

"Think what you want, kid. He is beating Dante tonight because it's DESTINY for him at Summer Wars," Barney states. "The elder, regal son of Sparda has been in the shadow of his ignorant brother for too long, for too many years! Let me bring up my point to what I said about Dante winning those tag belts with Vergil and Vergil alone; if it wasn't for his brother, Dante wouldn't have the crowning achievements he has today. And with how arrogant Dante is, I bet you that he hasn't ONCE thanked his own brother for the successes they accomplished together. It's no wonder else why Vergil is at this state of mind no thanks to that red-clad prick in the corner."

"It's obviously no secret how MUCH jealously and hatred there is within Vergil towards his own brother. The same brother who wants to distance Vergil from Arkham due to game-related betrayal and wants to save his brother…even though Vergil has clearly stated he's only being pushed further and further away," Mark says. "One wants to help, the other heavily denies as he's already deep in that path to darkness…but that fact be damned, Dante wants to pull Vergil back, one way or the other."

"And we've heard and seen the emotions exposed by these legendary professional wrestlers after their segment two nights ago. I know that this business is all too well familiar with sibling rivalries, but…I can't help but feel so blue seeing two people of the same bloodline fighting each other over who the better man is," Zack sadly frowns. "At the same time, it makes me fortunate I have a good brotherly relationship with Kenji."

"Likewise, brother. It's a shame we can't say the same for Dante and Vergil with what they've been through in and outside the squared circle," Kenji replies. "They must settle this alone in that very ring and see who walks out of here not just the better man, not just the better wrestler…but the better brother."

Vergil has arrived on the apron and facing the hard camera with a hard stoic expression. He takes his time gazing out at the audience, gradually from left to right…then straight towards the hard camera as he holds up an index finger close to his head à la Adam Cole (BAY-BAY), matching on point to the "One man, and his honor~!" lyric. He looks back…and instantly creates a glare on his face when he sees Dante resting on the top turnbuckle à la Eddie Guerrero and playing air guitar to Vergil's own entrance theme. Dante realizes this and merely shrugs, stating off-mic, "Hey, not my fault you got good taste in music, bro." Vergil…exhales through his nose, trying to regain his composure as he steps inside the ring.

At the same time, Dante steps down from the turnbuckle and "Flash of the Blade" eventually dies down for referee Andrew Styles to gesture the two twins to come to the center. As he tries to explain the ground rules, he sees he's clearly being ignored due to Dante and Vergil staring each other down. He does their attention eventually and tries again with the ground rules, stating he wants a clean fight between them, this match must be won by pinfall or submission and he will call it down the middle. They understand and he requests they shake hands…and the sons of Sparda just glare each other down still, now trash talking…and Styles tries to get them to shake hands…but this time, they REFUSE to as Vergil is the first to back away and Dante repeats.

"No handshake… Not this time," Kenji says.

"The last time we've seen them in the same ring in an official contest, it was on the premiere episode of RAMPAGE for the retired United States Championship," Markiplier evokes. "I called the match with Ned Bigby and Logan Reese in the main event, which was renowned as one of the best television matches known in the Multiverse, even becoming a Television Match of the Year at the 2014 Fiction Wrestling Awards."

"We've seen them fought to a controversial double First Blood ending at Reign in Blood and pull out all the stops on their second encounter, where Dante is the first one of this feud to leave victorious as U.S. Champ at the time," Barney says. "As said by Mark, it's known as the 2014 Television Match of the Year…so honest to God, I hope this match we see will TOP their previous bout as Match of the Year—hell, I'll take Match of the Decade."

"Might be stretching it, but I believe what you're saying is that you know this match will be a CLASSIC to remember forever," Zack states.

Referee Andrew Styles commands the bell to ring and it sounds off, the crowd cheering for this match getting underway as the twins begins circling the ring. Dante shoots for a Single-leg Takedown to Vergil, but Vergil sidesteps it. Seconds later, he goes for another…and Vergil sidesteps his brother a second time. Now, they continue being careful as they slowly draw closer and closer back to the center…and Vergil breaks his pose for an upright stance, likely confusing Dante…

…before the older son of Sparda slaps his own brother across the face! The crowd let out a loud wincing reaction to the slap as Dante remained still with his head turned, clearly and understandably crossed. He eventually turns his head back, rubbing his cheek with the dorsal aspect of his fingers and looks at his hand…then back up at his brother, who keeps his glare. "Well…if that's how that's gonna be…" Dante utters, clicking his tongue…

…before slapping Vergil right back, another loud wince from the crowd! Vergil, head turned…becomes VERY crossed. He turns back and the two engage in a very aggressive collar-and-elbow lockup. Then Vergil switches into a Single-leg Takedown, one that Dante failed to achieve twice, and Dante tries escaping, but Vergil had brought him up in a waistlock and SLAMS him hard into the takedown. It's now an uphill battle, the sons of Sparda trying to out-wrestle each other in this interesting sequence of amateur wrestling; even though Dante sits out and counter his brother, Vergil finds a way to come back and mat-wrestle him into the canvas. Dante clearly was outmatched here and clings tight onto the ropes the moment both were on their feet. Andrew Styles counts 1…2…3…4…4.3 Vergil slowly lets go of his brother and backs away, keeping to his honor's code, as much as he wanted to slap Dante again. Dante's gotta hand it to Vergil—he won this round after forcing him to the ropes.

"And with that, Vergil's taken the lead by two after the single-leg and the waistlock takedown," Barney declares. "Dante would be out of bounds if there were no ropes, so he should consider himself lucky, even after thinking he'd get away with that slap."

"In fairness, Vergil slapped him first, but yes, he probably should've responded better. Still, this may have likely one of them playing mind games," Kenji says. "I mean, Dante still appears confident after how Vergil had taken him down twice. It might be at play here just to throw Vergil off."

The sons of Sparda have returned to the corners…and returned to the center for another tight collar-and-elbow. They push into the lockup until Dante spins into a hammerlock…and switches for the Side Headlock, followed by the impressive takedown. As Dante keeps Vergil grounded and wrenching his head, Vergil makes sure to keep his shoulders off the mat if he doesn't want to get pinned like this. Vergil reels back with Dante into a pin: 1…2…Dante kicks his legs out and remains with the headlock. He presses back, pinning Vergil…up to a one-count. They begin to rise due to Vergil forcing that stance…and hits a Back Suplex on Dante, who still hangs onto the headlock and turns over to force Vergil on his side. Amazingly, he was able to retain the hold. Still, Vergil sought to rise to his feet, doing so every slowly…and when he made it, he elbows Dante's ribs repeatedly and breaks free from his grasp after a bounce off the ropes. On the rebound, Vergil performs the Headlock Takedown and now he holds Dante hostage.

"Impressive counter by Vergil, now the shoe on the other foot for Dante," Markiplier states. "Ya know, I have to ask; Zack, if there was any chance of advantage between them, who would have the most?"

"Personally, I don't know. These two are practically evenly matched with their all-rounder method…but when you think about how they execute their move-sets, I think the edge goes to Vergil," Zack admits.

"Explain."

"Okay, so Dante, as he's known for…is a 'Stylin' Showstopper', right? Most of his moves are considered flashy and very showman-like, wanting to wow the crowd and put on a clinic at the same time. But Vergil is much more serious and much more dangerous," Zack enlightens. "As of late, he's begun to adapt the strong style wrestling art from Japan, now wanting to become the most devastating striker in ACW—perhaps in all of wrestling. So Dante just might want to be careful should Vergil decide to go Nakamura on his hide."

Dante is forced to hold up both shoulders—or at least one—from the mat as Vergil uses this time to drag it out for the grounded headlock and wrench it much worse than Dante did to him. Dante tries reversing Vergil into a pin…and a one-count, back into the basic hold. Was worth a shot, he thought before deciding to slowly stand on his feet. Dante tries prying the hands off, but Vergil won't budge and only tugs the hold even worse as he remains on his knee. It's then Vergil decides to switch into a Front Sleeper, pressing the forearm firmly against the throat…but Dante darts ahead towards the ropes and sticks to them so the break can occur. Referee Andrew Styles orders for the release: 1…2…3…3.5 Vergil complies, gradually removing his hands and holding them up…

…and Dante merely keeps his head on Vergil's chest as he lets his arms swing loose à la Nakamura. (Barney: See, see?! This is EXACTLY what Vergil was talking about! NO sort of respect or care whatsoever! ; Markiplier: Dante clearly channeling his inner Shinsuke Nakamura…but still, part of the mind games he plays against his brother.) Vergil's head slightly tilts with ABSOLUTE disbelief and fury, roughly grabbing Dante and placing him against the ropes…

…pats his chest…

…and "shoots" his head with two finger guns, the audience exclaiming to the sight!

"WHAT?" Kenji utters, actually flabbergasted.

"Well, look who's playing the mind games now!" Barney laughs.

"Vergil replicating Dante's iconic weapons, Ebony and Ivory, as straight-up insult and a manner of payback while keeping his composure!" Mark states.

A well-earned round of applause was given as the elder twin stands at the center, blowing out the "gun smoke" from his fingers to further insult Dante, who appears actually amused and honest-to-god surprised his own brother did that. He runs a hand over his face, appearing to laugh this and admits Vergil got him there.

…Superkick—NO, Vergil catches it and throws it away, blasting his brother with a low 1-2 to the gut and a forearm to the head! Vergil runs for the ropes, Dante leapfrogs and drops down on his stomach…and Vergil hangs onto the ropes while Dante's Standing Dropkick fails him! He gets up on his knees as Vergil strikes a Running Knee Lift to the face! Vergil covers him: 1…kick-out and Vergil puts him in the Reverse Chinlock, keeping the pace to himself at a slow one. Back to the Side Headlock, Vergil prolongs the pressure to Dante's head as the paranormal mercenary rolls to his feet and stands. Despite Vergil's rough wrenching at the headlock, Dante continues trying to pry his hands off…and bounces off the ropes, but Vergil slides on his knees and quickly switches into the Front Sleeper. Both brothers reside on their knees for as long as Vergil retains the hold. Dante punches the kidneys from left to right and both at the same time…but this provokes Vergil worsen the Front Sleeper Hold. Dante's hands show that he's beginning to fade…and fade…

…and…Dante stomps his feet onto the mat for a Snap Northern Lights Suplex! With the bridge: 1…2…2.37 Vergil pops the shoulder up! Vergil and Dante put on a struggle against each other, rolling through, left and right around the ring…until Dante finds himself on top…Vergil's arm shoots up at two…and holds onto his brother lift himself up with him in tow. They twist a full 360 for them to try and Backslide Pin each other…but Vergil unhooks arm and elbows the back of Dante's head! Vergil hits the ropes and Shoulder Blocks Dante flat on his back. He makes for the ropes again to his right side, leaping over a prone Dante…

…who stays at the center when Vergil hooked onto the ropes and thought Dante would go for another Dropkick of sorts! Dante flashes a grin and that sets off Vergil to go after him…and the former catches him with a Hip Toss! And he follows it up with a Short-arm Leg Scissors.

"Dante, the vigilante Devil Hunter, now using a Short-arm Scissors, part of the catch-as-catch-can wrestling style, on his brother, who doesn't appear content now that Dante's back on top," Mark observes.

"No, not after how Dante faked him out and stayed in his spot doing absolutely nothing before the Hip Toss into the Keylock," Kenji says.

"This will only fuel Vergil's eventual comeback, because we can see the frustration boiling within him once more right now," Barney utters. "But until then, Vergil must keep his cool and a level head. So when Dante makes one mistake, Vergil will be ready to STRIKE."

Shoulders down…and Vergil pops an arm up at one. For as long as the Leg Scissors is sealed tight, Vergil must keep his shoulder off the mat if he doesn't want to get pinned like this. A few seconds later, Vergil rolls as far back to reverse the hold into a pinning predicament for Dante: 1…2…2.44 Dante kicks out and keeps the Scissors. Vergil's shoulder down again: 1…2…2.12 Vergil shoots the arm up. Ten seconds later and Vergil reverses into a roll-up…only getting a one-count since he didn't get both shoulders down in time and Dante retains the submission. One would typically pull at their opponent's hair as part of retaliation, but not Vergil; all he wants to do is escape this hold and turn this match over to his side. It's been his only option, but he sought another backwards roll-up since third time's the charm…

…and it proves itself because Vergil doesn't just roll up Dante…

…he carries him up on his shoulder, wowing the crowd with his amount of strength! The skilled swordsman runs to the nearest turnbuckle he sees…and Dante breaks the Keylock for a Sunset Flip! Andrew Styles counts 1…2…2.33 Vergil kicks out! Both brothers on their feet…Dante with arm drag…and another…and another—Vergil arm drags him along! Vergil with a Hip Toss…Dante lands on his feet…Tiger Spins around…and ends the sequence with a Headlock Takedown, earning a round of applause from the crowd.

Vergil may not look it, but he's showing his frustrations through a shaking, clenched right fist hanging high in the air. Doesn't help him with how Dante smirks to his successful domination at his expanse. Even so, Vergil must go on…as he eventually finds his way to a vertical base…running Dante up against the turnbuckles to force him to release the hold. Referee Andrew Styles calmly orders the break, Dante complying by gradually releasing the headlock as Vergil moves back…only to ram a Shoulder Thrust to the gut! This provokes Dante switch spots and nails a few Shoulder Thrusts himself. Vergil wraps his arms around his brother to shut him down…before switching places and starts grinding his forearm against his face! Now Dante with his arms around Vergil's head and a leg around his waist to shut him down just so the referee can separate them…albeit having trouble…but succeeds, the two twins finally cooperating…

…before Vergil SLAPS his chest with a knife edge chop! In response, Dante pushes him away with a Big Boot to the chest. Vergil rolls through and charges ahead…as Dante leaps over the top rope to the apron at the last second. Vergil with a Clothesline—blocked by the hands. Dante with a Rope-aided Enzuigiri—blocked by the forearms…

…and Vergil kicks Dante's head in with a Step-up Enzuigiri!

"Blocked that one. Blocked that one. Blocked—OH! Didn't block that one!" Zack comments as Dante falls off the apron to the padded floor.

"Vergil quick on his feet to nail the Enzuigiri, knocking his brother all the way down to the arena floor!" Markiplier describes.

The blue-clad twin leaves the ring to bring his brother up and leaves him hanging over the ring apron in a prone position. He walks up close to the LED ring post…and promptly turns around to hit a Running Knee Lift to the temple! Then he quickly goes up the apron…and drops all the way down to the floor after hitting a Knee Drop across the back of his head!

"OOF! Wow, that's gotta smart!" Barney winces. "Vergil has his Yamato and the Beowulf in his arsenal…maybe his knees should be registered weapons."

Vergil quickly rolls in the ring and out of it to break the referee's ten-count at four. With Dante lying outside after forced to take both knee lift and the knee drop, Vergil picks him up and throws him back inside the ring. Stalking him to his feet, Vergil kicks him in the gut, picks him up in a Vertical Suplex stance…and drops Dante on his gut with a Release Gourdbuster. Dante holds his abdomen while on his knees…as Vergil hits the ropes to land a Senton on his lower back…and follows up with a simple bodyscissors, sitting it out as his legs do the work around Dante's abdomen area. Dante makes many attempts to rip the legs apart, but Vergil ensured he wouldn't with counters such as a forearm to the back, an elbow to the head, and even wrapping his legs tighter around his midriff. Getting Dante to lie back, Vergil takes his forearm and grinds it grotesquely slow against his face, his tenacity and mean streak being exposed. Dante later sits up, Vergil applying a Reverse Chinlock…as Dante uses his legs to pry Vergil's open, wraps them around the left limb…carefully rolls over to free himself…

…Vergil switching to a Front Sleeper…and Dante performing a Double-leg Takedown followed by the Jackknife Pin: 1…2…2.45 Vergil kicks out. On their feet, they stand and Dante STRIKES a knife edge chop that's as stiff as Vergil's! He leads him to the corner where he nails another chop to the chest…then he strives an Irish Whip. Vergil reverses it, however…and puts more effort into his reversal that forces into Dante turnbuckle flipping in the corner! Dante flips in reverse to his feet, nursing his lower back…as Vergil lifts and drops him with a Back Suplex! Vergil holds him down against the mat and nails a Leaping Knee Drop to the face afterwards. Into the leg-hook pin: 1…2…

…2.53 Dante kicks out. The red-clad demon/human hybrid reaches his feet, just as his blue-clad counterpart twin strikes a knee to the midsection—twice, actually…but Dante strikes back with a right uppercut to the jaw. And now one knife edge chop…two knife edge chops, and a right fist from Vergil. Then a returning one from Dante…both trading fists every two seconds…until Dante ducks a fist…feigns a Superkick and SLAPS Vergil in the face! Vergil is FUMING…Dante has shouted, "Wake up, idiot!"…

…and Vergil BLASTS Dante down with a hell of a Lariat! Quick cover: 1…2…2.5183 Dante kicks out!

"Another slap to the face and the P.O.'d Vergil makes him pay the price with a Lariat, nearly beheading Dante!" Markiplier states.

"Dante actually got a bit serious with his brother there, telling him to 'wake up'," Zack says. "Little reminder of their dispute two nights ago."

"The real idiot is Dante, anyway, for thinking he can save Vergil when it's already too damn late," Barney says. "After that slap, he's only going to make this situation a lot worse for himself. If he thought Vergil was vicious before, just wait until he sees what the TRUE son of Sparda has in mind now."

In the corner, Vergil holds Dante there after nailing a backhand chop twice in a row. He boosts him onto the top rope, punches him across the face and starts his climb. He sets up the Superplex, standing on the top rope…but Dante's legs are hooked tight around the turnbuckle as he punches the ribs repeatedly and then a series of fast elbows the face. Vergil loses his grip…and Dante drops Vergil on his face with a Release Gourdbuster from the second rope! Vergil holds his face in pain as he lies on his back…giving Dante the opportunity to bring his feet on the turnbuckle pad…and after getting the adjustments right…

…he leaps and slaps the back of his elbow…

…and the Devil Trigger Elbow Drop MISSES completely! Vergil had rolled out of the way at the last second! Dante tends his elbow, face very scrunched from the crashing and burning upon impact to the canvas. Now Vergil stalks his hurt twin, eying him like a hawk on prey as he measures him to his feet…and he runs past him for the ropes…

…Handspring Cutter—CAUGHT! Dante with the elevated waistlock…and sticks the painfully Bridging German Suplex! Shoulders down: 1…2…

…2.585 Vergil kicks out! Dante rests by the ropes as Vergil rolls to his feet…suddenly speeding after his brother the moment he saw him…

…and Dante BACK BODY DROPS Vergil over the ropes and he FACE-PLANTS onto the padded floor!

"Watch it, watch it—OH, GOD ALMIGHTY!" Mark winces.

"The back body drop Dante used to counter Vergil, using the high-speed momentum against him to force the latter to land so UGLY outside with his face planting against the floor!" Kenji exclaims.

"And he was an admittedly handsome bastard, too! Damn you, Dante! First, you force him to live under your shadow for nearly two decades, now you take away his good looks?! You ARE the devil, you!" Barney shouts.

"That was certainly a nasty fall, to say the least, no doubt about—what the hell's Dante doing?" Zack asks, observing the paranormal investigator climbing to the top turnbuckle.

Dante, ignoring Styles' orders to get down, watches Vergil struggle to his feet after his face violently smacked against the floor. Once he did, he turns around…

…and Dante dives off into a Moonsault, landing on top of his brother!

"MOONSAULT! All the way from the top to the arena floor!" Kenji calls. "Both men are down and now, the official is forced to start the ten-count!"

"Ain't no way this is gonna end in a count-out!" Zack says.

During so, both brothers remain lying beside each other in pain as the match is slowly taking a toll on their bodies. At the three-count, Dante sluggishly sits up and begins his climb to the apron and enter the ring. Then Vergil follows, grabbing Dante to pull him out…and Dante merely pushes him away with his feet. Vergil tumbles and lies on top of Mark and Barney's announce table…

"Oh, Verge, you all right—…wait a minute…OH, GOD, NO," Barney realizes. "VERGIL, GET OFF OUR TABLE!"

"Might be too late for that, Barney!" Markiplier says.

…as Dante leaps onto the middle rope…

"LOOK OUT!" Barney cries.

and makes a leap of faith, springboarding into a splash and bouncing right off of Vergil to the floor!

"OH, MY GOD! GOOD GRAVY, MAN! DANTE…springboarding all the way to our announce table, just to land on top of Vergil!" Mark exclaims. "He took a risk, putting his body and soul on the line here! He hit the mark, but my GOODNESS, did he pay the price."

"Unlike our table, these guys were unlucky. I don't know how, but the Powers That Be have graced us with a reinforced table strong enough to withstand the collision," Barney says.

"Now referee Andrew Styles is here to check on both men, who have been clearly immobile since Dante hit the body splash, for their well-being—their health," Zack perceives.

"And quite frankly, this match could end momentarily," Kenji adds.

Now in the ring, the referee begins counting: 1…

2…

3…

4…

…Dante is the first crawling out from behind the announce table, advancing to the ring…

5…

…and then Vergil follows after Dante, blood trickling from his mouth as he barely stands and holds his abdomen.

6…

…Vergil falls to all fours as Dante grabs the apron to hold onto and help himself inside…

7…

…and so does Vergil, grabbing the bottom of the apron tightly…

8…

…Dante on his knees…like Vergil…

9…

…and…both sons of Sparda roll inside the ring at the last second! Both stop at the center of the ring, lying opposite and upside-down of each other as they pant heavily.

"BARELY, but just in time, the twin spawns of the Legendary Dark Knight made it inside the ring!" Kenji states.

"From the way they're positioned opposite of each other, that's honestly a sight to witness," Zack comments.

Eventually, Dante and Vergil start stirring…rolling to their elbows and knees and glaring up at each other as they rise gradually. Their blue eyes keep lock on each other, both brothers reaching to their vertical base and even pressing foreheads against each other firmly. They make it to a slightly staggering stance…Dante roughly pushing his head forward…

…and Vergil strikes—blocked and Dante strikes FIRST, punching him out. Knife edge chop to the chest…Vergil returning the favor…and their battle of who has the stiffest chops ensues, much to the glee of the crowd. Ten chops in for both siblings…the tenth one by Dante sending Vergil back to the ropes…but he flash through with a left slap, right punch and a measured forearm to the face! Dante goes down off his feet! Vergil ROARS with intensity, ACTUALLY receiving cheers from the sympathizing audience, as he then puts his Strong Style usage on display with a straight left kick to the gut…

…a low right kick to the high…

…and a Shoot Kick to the chest, very close to the throat! Dante backpedals to the corner behind, nursing his kicked region…and Vergil runs at him with a knee strike to the midsection! But he holds onto Dante to deliver a flurry of knee strikes to the same area, doing so to the point where Dante slides down to a sitting position. From there, Vergil continues being his mean streak in stomping down on Dante's chest and face! Vergil comes to a stop upon referee's warning…and quickly picks Dante up in a Fireman's Carry to drape him onto the top turnbuckle pad. He gets a distance away in the other corner…

…and the Running Knee Strike straight up to the abdomen MISSES as Dante slides down to the apron! Dante hits a Rope-aided Enzuigiri, causing Vergil to stagger. From there, Dante leaps inside…runs past Vergil…who ducks underneath the Gilgamesh – Full House (Springboard Corkscrew Roundhouse Kick), Dante luckily landing on his feet! Dante stumbles to the ropes and Vergil grabs him in time with an Irish Whip…faking out into a knee strike. Vergil watches Dante crumble to his knees… and his Axe Kick attempt fails from Dante moving his head out of the way in time. He shoves him to the ropes, running up to him with a knee strike and giving him a taste of his own medicine. Now Dante with an Irish Whip…Vergil reverses…

…and Dante comes right back FAST with a Flying Forearm Smash! Both men down, but NOT out just yet! The referee checks them and already counts: 1…

…2…

…Dante performs a kip-up to a large pop!

"The Stylin' Showstopper, somehow, reaching down deep to execute that kip-up and show how much gas he still has left in his tank!" Markiplier exclaims.

And so does Vergil to an even BIGGER pop!

"Ho-ho, and so does VERGIL of all people!" Barney chortles.

"Holy cow! I don't think I've ever seen anybody do a kip-up at Dante's expanse like that!" Zack yells.

"Even Dante's just as surprised!" Kenji comments.

The two stare on…as Dante nods lightly, stating, "Not bad."

…and Vergil flashed a small smirk…

…before the twins engage in a heated battle of flying fists to the temples!

"HERE WE GO! This is now a FIGHT!" Markiplier shouts.

Dante eventually dodges the next punch…and Inverted Atomic Drops Vergil on his lower region! He hits the ropes…and Vergil nails him with a hell of a Lariat! Dante…has stumbled into a Scoop Lift…before he kicks his feet around…to reverse Vergil into an upside-down hold, apparently going for a Tombstone Piledriver to a pop from the XCF fans! …But Vergil squirms around…and now he holds Dante in the same hold!

…Or so we thought as he only drops Dante into a Shoulder Breaker onto the knee. Dante nurses his shoulder while Vergil wraps an arm around his head in an Inverted Facelock…stands him up…

…and…Dante catches him mid-leap…on the shoulder…

…and pops him up into a Beast Uppercut (European Uppercut)! Vergil, barely able to stay on his feet…and Dante puts him down for good with a Scoop Slam! He is FREE to ascend all the way up to the very top turnbuckle, taking another chance at what he failed earlier in the match. This time…

…Vergil stays…

…and Dante connects the Devil Trigger, straight to the black heart of his own brother!

"Here comes the Showstopper—he got it!" Zack calls.

"He stuck it! Dante has stuck the Devil Trigger all the way to Vergil's sternum!" Markiplier declares. "And from the way Dante is filled with adrenaline, how pumped up he is now…you all know what's coming NEXT!"

The Icon of Devil May Cry feeds off the energy of the fans…and begins his rhythmic stomps, turning up the band for Sweet Chin Music. One stomp…two stomps…Vergil has already stirred and is now heading to his feet…

…three stomps…four stomps…Vergil uses the ropes for assistance, reaching his vertical base…

…five stomps, six stomps, Dante advances forward…

…and—Vergil catches the foot! Vergil throws the foot aside…and uses that momentum for himself to hit Lunar Phase (Spin Kick)! Dante spins dazed, back turned…and Vergil hoists him up in an Argentine Rack…tortures his back for a while…

…and flips him into an Argentine Cutter, nailing the Yamato β!

"Yamato Beta! Vergil's own version of the TKO!" Kenji calls out.

"Dante's Superkick fails whereas the Spin Kick, dubbed the 'Lunar Phase', succeeds, giving him the opportunity to pull that off!" Barney exclaims. "Now for the pin!"

Vergil covers: 1…

2…

…2.7525 Dante kicks out!

"Nooooo, it was NOT enough to take home the victory for Vergil! Not yet!" Markiplier states.

Vergil, realizing that, knows to end this by many finishing options in his arsenal as he stalks his stunned brother up to a vertical base. He waits and waits, motioning for Dante to get up with his left arm waving upward as in to command him to stand…the red-clad Devil Hunter groggy…picks him up in a Crucifix…

…and…DANTE HANGS ONTO VERGIL'S HEAD MID-CRUCIFIX CUTTER! On his knees…Dante stands, keeping the Inverted Facelock…

…and drills Vergil with Devil May Cry! Dante hooks the leg: 1…

2…

…2.875 Vergil powers out, much to his brother's own shock!

"NO! Vergil kicks out of the Devil May Cry!" Kenji shouts.

"You've GOT to be kidding me! No way could anybody kick out of that DDT!" Zack yells.

"But Vergil did it! HE did it and Dante is STUNNED to this sight!" Barney exclaims.

Dante drags himself back to the nearest corner, still staring at Vergil with the surprised expression. Nonetheless, he knows Vergil won't go down that easily…so he'll have to do it'll takes to win in pulling out all the stops…and that begins with him crouching in the corner…lets his left arm hang off the middle rope…

…and holding his right arm upward, as if to demand his blue-clad counterpart to stand. Dante waits for Vergil to stand up…the swordsman groggy…the crowd chanting "SPEAR! SPEAR! SPEAR!"…

…and Dante goes for the Spear—TCW's version of the Devil Trigger…

…but Vergil sidesteps him…as Dante double jumps the corner…

…and…the Air Hike Moonsault (Double Jump Moonsault) is CAUGHT INTO A YAMATO γ (RKO)!

"YAMATOOOOOOO!" Kenji exclaims at the top of his lungs.

"GAMMA! YAMATO GAMMA! OUT OF FRIGGING NOWHERE, BITCHES! HE GOT HIM!" Barney shouts.

"VERGIL ONTO THE COVER!" Markiplier yells as referee Andrew Styles counts: 1…

2…

…2.8595 DANTE KICKS OUT!

"WHAT THE FU—IMPOSSIBLE!" Barney screams.

"DANTE KICKS OUT YET AGAIN! EVEN AFTER THAT YAMATO GAMMA THAT VERGIL PULLED OFF BY SURPRISE TO COUNTER THE AIR HIKE MOONSAULT!" Markiplier exclaims. "THERE'S NO KILLING THIS GUY!"

"AND LOOK AT VERGIL…HE'S COMPLETELY FRUSTRATED!" Zack points out to Vergil ACTUALLY sitting against the ropes and clinging onto his hair in frustration! "HIS COMPOSURE IS NOW BROKEN! HE'S JUST WONDERING HOW THE HELL DID DANTE EVEN FIND THE STRENGTH TO KICK OUT OF THAT!"

"THE EXECUTION! THE COUNTER! IT WAS ALL PERFECT UP TO THAT POINT! VERGIL IS JUST DEVASTATED!" Kenji yells.

Vergil runs his hands down over his face, covering his mouth as the gears slowly turn in his head…still glaring at his brother…and slowly shakes his head. He continues shaking his head in disbelief…as the expression changes from frustration…to mere FOCUS and FURY…and perhaps desperation. Vergil drags Dante over to the nearest corner…steps on his stomach to head to the other side…grabs the ropes tight, resting his head on the pad…

"What does Vergil have in mind NOW…?" Kenji asks.

…then turns around to make a run…

…hops over his brother…

double jumps the ropes

"Ohhh, look out!" Barney shouts.

and…VERGIL GOES FOR THE AIR HIKE MOONSAULT…

BUT DANTE IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND AS HE CRASHES AND BURNS ONTO THE CANVAS FLOOR!

"OHHHH, NOBODY HOME!" Markiplier calls. "Vergil, taking a page out of Dante's book, went for the signature Moonsault, but the high-risk attempt has failed him MISERABLY!"

"High-risk was right, and look at this!" Barney says as a replay was given onscreen. "High in the air…the way he SOARED so beautiful and majestically—perhaps more so than DANTE and I'm not even joking…! I just wish I can say the same about his landing!"

"This just may be the deciding factor in this match if Dante can fight back into this after Vergil knocked the air out of his lungs upon impact!" Kenji states.

The self-proclaimed True Son of Sparda…is in excruciating pain, holding his abdomen as he suffers the effects of missing the Air Hike Moonsault. And meanwhile with the Stylin' Showstopper, he's grabbing onto the middle rope to start with rising to a vertical base. He grabs the top rope, lifting himself up…just as Vergil rose to his knees. Vergil walks on his knees towards the ropes in front of him so he can hold onto them to help stand him up…while Dante watches on from the opposite side, measuring his brother…

…then he runs ahead after him…

…only for Vergil to throw him over the ropes…but Dante hangs on. His hands holding onto the top rope while his neck is hung up on the bottom…

…then he skins the cat…

…goes for the Stylin' DDT…

…and GETS CAUGHT ONTO VERGIL'S CLUTCHES! On Vergil's shoulder, Dante SQUIRMS…before Vergil quickly adjusted to have him held upside-down, going for a TOMBSTONE…

"Dante's caught! DANTE IS CAUGHT! AND…OH, NO WAY! OH, MY GOD, NO WAY! VERGIL'S NOT GONNA REALLY…!" Zack shouts.

"HE JUST MAY! POETIC JUSTICE INCOMING!" Barney calls.

Dante moves his legs around just enough to force Vergil to fall backwards…and Dante lands on his feet, holding Vergil at his mercy upside-down…

and he spikes Vergil's head with Dante's Inferno, the Tombstone Piledriver, in the center of the ring!

"TOMBSTONE! THE INFERNO OF DANTE! STRAIGHT FROM THE X-TREME CROSSVER FEDERATION PLAYBOOK! MY GOD, VERGIL GOT DROPPED ON TOP OF HIS HEAD!" Markiplier screams. "DANTE'S INFERNO CONNECTING! AND NOW THE ARMS CROSSED FOR THE COUNT!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Barney cries.

Dante crosses the arms for the referee to make the count: 1…

2…

"Sorry, Verge…" Dante mutters, as he closes his eyes for the inevitable.

2.99999 VERGIL ROLLS THE SHOULDER UP AT THE LAST GODDAMN SECOND! And Dante's head rests on Vergil's hip as his face is exposed with PURE DEVASTATION and SHOCK!

"MY GAWD! MY GAWD! I AM NOT BELIEVING THIS!" Markiplier shouts.

"W-WHAT IN THE HELL?!" Zack yells.

"I JUST HAD A GODDAMN HEART ATTACK! I WAS THIS CLOSE TO GOING TO THE HOSPITAL AGAIN!" Mark utters. "DANTE'S EYES ARE TELLING A BETTER STORY THAN WE COULD EVER, BOYS!"

"WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO VERGIL, THAT SHOULD'VE BEEN IT FOR HIM!" Barney says as the replay was shown. "HE TRIED A TOMBSTONE ON HIS OWN BROTHER, HIS OWN POETIC JUSTICE…BUT IT BACKFIRED HORRIBLY! AND SOMEHOW, VERGIL FOUND THE STRENGTH TO STILL KICK OUT OF DANTE'S INFERNO!"

"YAMATOS! DEVIL MAY CRIES! A DANTE'S INFERNO! AND A KICK-OUT! AND A KICK-OUT! AND A KICK-OUT, AFTER ANOTHER!" Kenji states. "JUST WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR ONE OF THEM TO PUT THE OTHER AWAY FOR GOOD?!"

"THAT'S CERTAINLY WHAT THEY'RE ASKING THEMSELVES RIGHT NOW, BROTHER, AS THEY LIE BESIDE EACH OTHER OUT OF EXHAUSTION WITH THESE FANS GIVING THEIR APPRECATION!" Zack expresses.

For thirty full seconds, neither man has moved…in contrast to the crowd being absolutely FRENZIED now after seeing Vergil kick out of Dante's rarely used finishing move! …But eventually, Dante does start to rise…leaving behind his brother to lie on his back…and using the ropes just to get vertical. He is BARELY standing, forced to hang his arms around the ropes just to keep himself on his feet…

…and after another thirty seconds…Vergil stirs and rises…head likely ringing as Dante begins his groggy, periodic stomps. One stomp, two stomps…Vergil FORCED to use the ropes to help himself up like Dante…

…who stomps a third time…four stomps now…

…FIVE stomps…Vergil reaches his upright stance with wobbling legs…

…SIX…

…Dante moves forward…

…Sweet Chin—CAUGHT! THE LEG IS CAUGHT BY A NOW WIDE AWAKE VERGIL! The elder son of Sparda throws the foot aside…Lunar Phase BLOCKED! Dante ONE STEP ahead! Spin Kick pushed down…and Dante delivers a vicious knife edge chop to the chest, CLOSE to the throat! Vergil reels back…before returning the chop to Dante, much stiffer than his! Then Dante retaliates by grabbing hold of his head to deliver two Knee Lifts to the chest…and a Beast Uppercut! Vergil stumbles…and gets even with a Spinning Backfist! With Dante nearly falling to a knee, Vergil hits the ropes…and runs into a Fireman's Carry! The Rebellion about to go underway…

…but Vergil elbows his face in! It grants his release…while setting up for the Force Edge! Right knee against the base of the neck, pulling back at the furthest arm…

…falls back—Dante spins out SOMEHOW…as Vergil falls on his back and gets pulled back up with Dante's arm still in his clutches…and Dante carries him onto his shoulders yet again! One more time, The Rebellion spins and SWINGS OUT…

…BUT VERGIL REVERSES INTO A FALLING INVERTED DDT…

…AND TURNS IT INTO A DARK SLAYER CLUTCH (Dragon Sleeper with bodyscissors)!

"WHOA! WHOA, VERGIL OUT OF NOWHERE WITH THE BITE OF THE DRAGON! THE DARK SLAYER CLUTCH!" Kenji calls.

"JUST AS DANTE STRIVED A REBELLION, VERGIL MANAGED TO REVERSE IT AND LOCK IN THE SLEEPER!" Zack asserts.

"IF VERGIL CAN'T BEAT DANTE BY PINFALL, THEN HE MIGHT AS WELL MAKE HIM TAP OUT OR TAP OUT! AND LOOK AT WHERE THEY ARE AT!" Barney says. "MIDDLE OF THE RING! THE WAY VERGIL IS PULLING BACKWARDS AND UP, WRENCHING THE NECK AND SPINE! DANTE HAS NOWHERE TO GO!"

"BUT HE IS FIGHTING! DARK SLAYER CLUTCH BE DAMNED, DANTE REFUSES TO SURRENDER!" Markiplier shouts.

For a full minute since the Dark Slayer Clutch was locked on, Dante's arms STILL continued to flail around wildly, the owner of those limbs DESPERATELY trying to find a way out as if his life depends on it! Then all of a sudden, Dante had stood up to his feet the moment he got to all fours, still dealing with Vergil wrenching the neck and spinal area. Desperate to get his brother off his back, he actually grabs his hair and pulls him forward, referee Andrew Styles warning him to let go…and Dante complies just like that…

…because he runs to the nearest corner and RAMS Vergil back-first against it! He pulled Vergil by his hair on purpose to see what's in front of him!

But Vergil still hangs on! Dante staggers ahead…and performs the same tactic in the opposite corner! …Vergil STILL holding onto the Bite of the Dragon! Dante repeats this over and over, running back and forth to drive Vergil into the turnbuckles just to free himself from the Dark Slayer Clutch!

"A desperate man going through such desperate measures just to remove the monkey that is Vergil off his back!" Mark states. "Dante refuses to DIE, but Vergil refuses to LET GO!"

"Just who will win it out here?!" Barney questions.

After TEN attempts of ramming Vergil back-first against the turnbuckles…Dante is slowing down…just as Vergil is feeling the effects that makes him slowly lose his grip. This…is what Dante just needs to grab Vergil's head…pull him forward…breaking the Dark Slayer Clutch…and getting him on his shoulders! The Rebellion…Dante has trouble executing with Vergil constantly elbowing to his face so tautly! Dante is forced to release the Fireman's Carry…and Vergil leaps high off the canvas to deliver a BRUTAL looking Jumping High Knee, enough to sound off a clack upon impact! Dante falls to a knee…and rises back up…for Vergil to hit a Reverse Roundhouse Kick to the back of his head! Dante on BOTH knees…groggily and sluggishly rising back to his feet…and Vergil shouts down at him, "YOU'RE DONE, DANTE! HEAR ME?! FINISHED!"

…before running to the ropes…

…bouncing off for a Double Foot Stomp…

Dante pops up Vergil high in the air, blocking the double stomp…

…catches him in the Fireman's Carry…

and DROPS him with a Cutter! Vergil, upon impact, stands on his knees, eyes COMPLETELY glazed…

…and Dante SUPERKICKS his jaw in, FINALLY getting both The Rebellion and the Sweet Chin Music to connect!

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Kenji and Zack exclaim together with the audience.

"REBELLION! SWEET CHIN MUSIC! Dante FINALLY makes them happen—two for one! Two for F*CKING one!" Mark comments. "I think Vergil badmouthing his brother was JUST enough to get him to pull that off somehow! Even after the High Knee and the Reverse Roundhouse! What a knockout shot! What a kick!"

"He told Dante he was DONE! FINISHED! But he underestimated him—he got too hotheaded!" Barney screams. "He's just lucky Dante is too exhausted to capitalize or this would've been over already!"

"It just might be over MOMENTARILY if Dante can at least get one arm over the chest! I don't see how Vergil can kick out after the Rebellion and the Superkick! One pinfall away from victory!" Kenji shouts.

An overexcited audience in the background…Vergil lying flat on his back with more blood leaking from both sides of his mouth after the Superkick…and Dante, after another half-minute of being stationary, now begins stirring…and crawling towards his brother. It was slow, very slow—slow as a slug…but he makes it to Vergil and drapes an arm over the chest. Referee Andrew Styles counts it: 1…

2…

2.9999999999 VERGIL ROLLS THE SHOULDER UP.

"…I have NOTHING. I have NOTHING to say about the spectacle we are SEEING right here at Summer Wars!" Markiplier states.

"I-I…I'm SPEECHLESS here, guys," Zack barely utters. "Dante REFUSES to lose to Vergil and vice versa—REFUSING to roll over for the other… WHAT. WILL. IT. TAKE?!"

"I…I don't think this will end in a pinfall…or a submission, brother. I believe this will only end with both of them down and out completely—a TIE," Kenji says.

"UH-UH. NO WAY. These people paid to see a winner and we are going to see a GODDAMN WINNER, whether these two like it or not!" Barney shouts. "GET YOUR ASSES UP, YA PRICKS! WE HAVE A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MAIN EVENT TO KEEP! DON'T PULL A HALLOWEEN HAVOC 1998 ON US!"

Vergil has kept the shoulder off the mat for the longest time while Dante uses him to help himself sluggishly rise on his feet. It took him nearly half a minute to get there…as Vergil begins his ascension as well. Vergil uses Dante's pant leg to pull himself up as the red-clad son of Sparda watches on…just letting him get to his feet, gesturing him to stand. And throughout all this, Vergil could only glare up at his brother, the fire STILL burning in his eyes as he will NOT stop until Dante is DEFEATED…and the same can be said for him. Vergil grabs hold of the waistline, rising almost faster…with Dante helping out by his head…

…and connects the knife edge chop. Vergil, with a red and swollen chest with GROWING WELTS…hits a Discus Back Elbow! Dante goes down a knee…and comes back up with another knife edge chop! Both men are NOT giving an inch…as Vergil strikes a throat thrust uppercut! And Dante…with an uppercut of his own—a Beast Uppercut! The blue-clad son of Sparda stumbles backwards to the ropes…

…and strikes a rebounding Step-up Enzuigiri!

"Dante DOWN, but not out…YET," Zack implies.

The Stylin' Showstopper rolls away to a near corner…Vergil stalks after him…and Irish Whips him…but Dante reverses, Vergil hitting against the turnbuckles instead. Vergil ambles backwards in a groggy manner into Dante—WHO HE DROPS A SUDDEN YAMATO ON!

"Dante counters well and Vergil—HOLY F*CK-BALLS! A DIAMOND CUTTER-LIKE MANUEVER! YAMATO! THE YAMATO EXECUTED TO PERFECTION!" Mark cries aloud.

"WHERE THE HELL DID THAT COME FROM?!" Zack questions.

"DON'T KNOW, DON'T CARE! THIS IS VERGIL'S CHANCE TO END IT HERE AND NOW!" Barney shouts.

Dante…STILL sits up, but his eyes are VERY glazed…as Vergil, FULL of the last remaining adrenaline, anticipates his standing position…

…and Dante soon reaches that destination…

…Vergil flies by at high speeds…

…and he executes a Yamato X (Springboard Cutter)!

"ONE MORE TIME, BROTHER!" Zack exclaims.

"YAMATOOOOOOOOOO!" Kenji cries at the top of his lungs.

DANTE FLAT ON HIS BACK…VERGIL ON THE COVER WITH THE LEG HOOKED…AND ANDREW STYLES COUNTS: 1…

"STAY DOWN, DANTE!"

2…

"STAY DOWN!"

…3!

"YES! OH, MY GOD IN HEAVEN, YES!" Barney cheers as the bell rings!

"HABUSKI~! VERGIL HAS DEFEATED DANTE!" Markiplier calls, "Flash of the Blade" booming from the loudspeakers to match the volume of the crowd's mixed reactions.

"Here is your winner, VEEEEERRRRRGIIIIIL!" Maria announces, CLEARLY enthusiastic from the match itself.

Vergil…EXHAUSTED, rolls off of Dante…whom he lies beside as both are HURT…but there has been a winner tonight…and that winner is the white-haired, blue-clad twin raising his right fist as he realized…that he has WON. He ACTUALLY went over his brother with a victory. After a while, Vergil takes his time to get to his feet, one foot at a time…all while glaring up at the hard camera, blood lightly escaping his lips…which curl due to his PROUD smirk and stands virtuously with both fists raised, one being held by the referee.

"Through so much effort, so much resilience, so many GODDAMN PINFALLS AND KICK-OUTS THAT LIKELY GAVE HEART ATTACKS…Vergil can go home from Los Angeles in Summer Wars a triumphant son of Sparda and say just that!" Markiplier proclaims.

"YOU'RE GODDAMN RIGHT! But still, what a match. WHAT A CLASSIC!" Barney gleefully exclaims. "So much EMOTION was riding into this, both these guys REFUSING to roll over for each other that easily! This is a contest to remember forever, especially how the winner is VERGIL himself!"

"Dante and Vergil were giving all they got, pulling out all the stops! Attempting to do whatever it takes, so desperate to beat each other using their best moves from their arsenal!" Zack says. "Vergil striving the Air Hike Moonsault and missing BIG-TIME! Dante's Inferno thought to be an ENDGAME when Vergil kicked out of it! The Dark Slayer Clutch! The pop-up REBELLION followed by Sweet Chin Music! THEY JUST WOULDN'T STOP."

"The fire in their eyes could not be doused so easily…shown how the sons of Sparda traded so many strikes up to where Dante Irish Whipped Vergil into a corner and he instinctively pulled off a Diamond Cutter—A YAMATO," Kenji states. "THAT was what helped him pull off another Yamato, this one being christened 'Yamato X'…and helped him ensure a win over his own brother."

"Vergil has won, but you cannot deny Dante's resilience equal to his own twin; both of these guys were INCREDIBLE to watch and I'm damn proud to call ANY match between these two whenever they fight," Mark admits. "ACW has no two finer athletes than Dante and Vergil themselves after putting on a match that people will talk about for a long time."

"But tonight, Mark, is VERGIL'S night! It is the TRUE Son of Sparda's night because he just proved that a THIRD TIME is a CHARM!" Barney asserts.

Arkham had recently arrived at ringside to escort Vergil to the back. As they walk up the aisle towards the ramp, Vergil takes a glance up to the arena seats…and the camera may have caught a glimpsing smile from the usually cold, stoic demon, who turns his attention back to the stage. Vergil turns around to raise a right fist for the final time tonight before leaving with Arkham to backstage. With them gone…"Flash of the Blade" had faded out…and Dante is now sitting up, watching his brother depart and coming to grips with reality that he actually lost tonight. He lost…to Vergil…a man who wanted this win more than anybody…and as he continues sitting in the ring, he contemplates something BIG in his mind…and nods lightly. He looks up at the audience…who give the vigilante Devil Hunter a round of applause for his valiant, courageous efforts.

Dante eventually stands up to accept their cheers and returns the clap, pointing to the stage to humbly give congrats to his twin. He admits Vergil was the better man…the better wrestler…and he was fine with that. After pointing his finger to ALL in the Staples Center, Dante rolls out of the ring and proceeds his slow walk towards the stage with his hand nursing his back. On the way, he hands a few high-fives to front-row fans, some being the little kids, while most were bowing to him out of respect.

"…Glory hog," Barney snorts.

"Watch it," Zack warns. "Don't ruin this moment with your nonsensical crap."

"Again, take nothing away from Dante and all his efforts. Like Vergil up until the final pinfall, he was THAT CLOSE, just a FRACTION away," says Markiplier. "Time will tell…when the sons of Sparda will clash again in the ring."

The Stylin' Showstopper beats his chest with a fist and points out to the crowd one last time before departing through the Gorilla Position and to the back…


Opening from pitch blackness, a drum machine rhythm followed by a processed guitar riff is heard, and the only colors are seen are grim black and white as we gradually zoom in through a dark hall…then we black out and fade in over a wooden table…and on that table were the following instruments introduced to a piano synthesizer: a cattle prod…a blood-coated barbwire…a leather whip…a bamboo stick with a blood-stained nail plate right next to it…a wet towel from waterboarding…jumper cables…a thumbscrew…and next to the table, a Spanish Donkey…

…and "In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins is recognized to be playing throughout all of this once the lyrics arrive.

[I can feel it coming in the air tonight…

Oh, Lord…]

As we draw away from the torture instruments…we hear screams.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGHHHH!"

Bloodcurdling screams.

[And I've been waiting for this moment for all my life…

Oh, Lord…]

The sounds of agony heard echoing throughout the darkness…and a shot of a man's hands twitching violently while strapped by leather around the forearm.

[Can you feel it coming in the air tonight…?

Oh, Lord…oh, Lord…]

Blackness once more as the song fades out…and then…the man's face is seen, yet a quarter of it from the top left is shadowed as he's cries in misery and blood is seen flowing over his cheek…because his eye was being GOUGED OUT…

…by Yami Bakura with his BARE HANDS. The sinister entity puts the roughly extracted eyeball away, placing it on a silver platter held by Marik Ishtar. The advocate of Bakura sets aside the platter at the table full of the torture devices introduced earlier. And it's revealed that the man has been strapped to a chair this whole time in his torture by The Gods of Darkness. As well, a woman who's been gagged with a cloth wrapped around her head, stripped to her underwear, tied against the wall, and covered in the man's blood, as she watched on in horror.

"P-Please…" the man uttered, tears and blood flowing down his respective cheeks. "Let me go… Let my wife and I go—we've suffered enough…enough to earn your forgiveness…!"

Bakura looked to him with a raised left brow, replying, "Forgive you? …But dear, weak soul…we already have done that."

The man can only look at the spirit of Thief King Bakura and stuttered, "W…W-What…?! T-Then why are we still here?!"

"Simple…there is still much to do with you…and your wife. You are still here…because you've yet to be cleansed of your sins. So many…unforgivable sins…" Bakura sneers, now holding onto the man's head and leaning it back. "And the only way to help you…is to make you see NOTHING…nothing but the beauty of pitch blackness… And that—THAT…is when you truly know when to guide yourself into paradise. Guide yourself…to FOLLOW…THE SHADOWS."

Now we see from the man's first-person view as Bakura holds up an evisceration spoon and brings it closer to the only eye the man has left, the last visual we'll ever see is G.O.D.'s psychotic expressions before we transfer into darkness and hear nothing but Bakura's vile cackle and the man's bloodcurdling screams as "In the Air Tonight" resumes playing during then…

[The hurt doesn't show…

But the pain still grows…

It's no stranger to YOU and ME…!]

The iconic drum solo breaks down as we get a rhythmic flash of one word from various angles, soon stopping to read…

UNFORGIVEN

[And I can feel it coming in the air tonight…

Oh, Lord…]

"Ignition presents: ACW Unforgiven! LIVE September 22nd, from the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah at 8E/5P, only on pay-per-view…"


Back from the break…the arena is in STUNNED silence once more after seeing that commercial air again…

…oh, hey, look, Linkin Park's here in the crowd. Mike Shinoda, Rob Bourdon, Brad Delson, Dave Farrell, and Joe Hahn are at their front-row ringside seats as they stare out at the stage in complete shock and horror…until "A Light That Never Comes" plays and that brings Mike to his feet instantly with his band members, waving out to the cheering fans…all of which are still as frightened as the band themselves…

…as were the gaping commentators we hear them off-screen.

"Oh! Ah, ah, um—l-ladies and gentlemen, here we have Linkin Park making a special appearance here at Summer Wars!" Mark's voice has gone prepubescent after that promo. "All the remaining members of one of the best rock bands witnessing a spectacle with their very eyes here as special guests of ours and a way to pay tribute to their fallen friend, Chester Bennington."

"And as well…" Barney says…as the camera shifts over to John Cena at another side of the front-row seats, The Face of WWE, still shaking off the same spooked emotion as everyone, giving an applause to what he's enjoyed and a salute towards the camera. "WE GOT JOHN FREAKING CENA AT SUMMER WARS. THE REAL-LIFE WWE SUPERSTAR AT RINGSIDE. ENOUGH SAID."

"He's already decided his opponent for the seventh annual Fiction Wrestling Awards in the surprising form one Red Murdock aka RC Bane, but it's not stopping him from making an appearance at our own SummerSlam equivalent to see what our ACW wrestlers are all about," Mark says as we finally turn to ringside…

…where Mark and Barney are now clenching their heads, Kenji is comforting Zack…who is clearly hiding under the table. "…WHY? WHY are we still airing that commercial? HOW can anybody be SANE enough to air that MONSTROSITY…?"

"…L-Let's just continue our job, Mark…" Barney whimpers.

"Zack…you can come out now, the commercial is over," Kenji says.

"NO! I ain't coming out until that commercial will never air again!" Zack retorts.

"You're gonna get fired, Zack."

"BETTER than seeing THAT again!"

"You do know they're still going to air it on TV, right?"

"…FUDGE."

[We're building it uuuuuuuuuup~…

To break it back doooooooooown~!

We're building it uuuuuuuuuup~…

To burn it down!

We can't wait

To burn it to the groooooouuuuuund…!]

("Burn It Down" by Linkin Park plays)

Cheers ensue as Jesse Alvarez arrives onstage, patting his chest and pointing out to the capacity crowd. Joshua Garza joins along as they walk beside each other on their way to the ring, sharing some high-fives with the fans. They make it to ringside as Josh slides in whereas Jesse steps up and on the apron to enter through the ropes normally.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Mike "The Mic" Martin speaks, "please welcome the owners of ACW and the general managers of Friday Night Ignition and Saturday Night RAMPAGE respectively…Jesse Alvarez and Joshua Garza!"

"Oof, now if we can finally move on…business is just about to pick up here, everybody!" Markiplier says. "The bosses have arrived in front of Los Angeles!"

"Looks like they're here to make good on what they said about the 'new era' earlier tonight, even though we're already in one right now," Barney raises a brow.

"A 'real changer', Jesse said. Whatever that is, it's obviously a big deal for them to come out here and make their mysterious announcement personally in the ring," Zack says.

"First order of business…I am very, very, very sorry about that commercial," Jesse winces. "Worst case scenario…that guy really could've died. His eye didn't get ripped out for real…nor was the torture…hopefully…but y'all were convinced that Bakura and Marik are scary mofos."

"NO SHIT, ASSHOLE!" yelled out a fan from front row, garnering laughter from the crowd.

"…Okay, I do deserve that. I do deserve that," Jesse says. "But now…second order of business, I ask you fans…how's Summer Wars been to y'all?" Jesse queries, receiving a chorus of cheers from the 20,857 capacity.

The GM of Ignition remains silent momentarily as he lets the audience's positive reception speak for themselves, especially with "IT IS AWESOME! *clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!* IT IS AWESOME! *clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!*" chants. After a while, the crowd settles down as Jesse chuckles.

"Gracias, gracias. I appreciate this, really," Jesse says. "I mean…it's just INSANE how far we've come. Five months since April 5th…least in fiction; FIVE YEARS…since 2013—reality check…since ACW was BORN. It's so crazy how fast and how big we've grown this far. From a small independent promotion to being part of the BIG LEAGUES today. If this were to be true in real life, we'd be BANKRUPT—ain't no way we'd make it to Summer Wars, let alone host Southern Hell at the AT&T Center! But we did it, anyway, because SCREW REALITY! …But I digress." The crowd chuckles. "The point I'm trying to make is that I'm trying to say…thank you. It's thanks to you ALL, from the fans to the critics, whether they supported us or they did not. Whether positive or negative, your reception is what kept us going, what kept us changing throughout the time we air on the USA Network and on Spike (soon to be rebranded as Paramount Network) and on pay-per-view. Whether you critically acclaim us or critically pan us, we listen. We listen to what you LIKED and what you DIDN'T like. And in response, we do what it takes to give you the BEST episodes, the BEST pay-per-views, the BEST wrestlers, and the BEST matches to ever remember for DECADES! For CENTURIES! For many MILLENNIA! And up until our final days, we say THANK YOU! THANK YOU FOR MAKING ACW FOR WHAT IT IS TO THIS DAY! THANK YOU! GRACIAS! JE VOUS REMERCIE! ARIGATŌ! GRAZIE! AND MANY MORE TO VARIOUS COUNTRIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD WATCHING US LIVE! ÓRALE, VATO~!"

A round of applause, Jesse earns through his speech of gratitude as he held the mic for it to echo their voices. Following the cheers are the loud, proud chants "AC-DUB! AC-DUB! AC-DUB!" from the Staples Center.

"Wow. The OVATION of this capacity crowd is outstanding," Mark comments. "They truly are tremendous fans to support us for this long, whether good or bad."

"Yeah, but still, they just better not think too big for their britches and believe they're entitled to EVERYTHING we produce," Barney says. "But in any case, tell us the big news already, Alvarez! We're still waiting for it!"

After a while, the applause soothes down to give Jesse a chance to give speak and he and Josh have been talking about earlier tonight.

"And with that said and done…allow me to get this NEXT order of business out of the way. We do have a show to keep going and an ACW World Championship main event for you all to spectate with EXCITEMENT," Jesse says to an agreement of cheers. "So I'll try to make this quick." He takes a moment to think up his words. "…ACW…Awesome Championship Wrestling. I uttered that name when I was in the hospital at the time Josh visited me after being attacked by the Reapers backstage. I knew I wanted to be a wrestler…but seeing the success of PCUW, the concept being made by the Eds, Zack and Sarah Watkins, and many others from the Cul-de-Sac—inspired from watching the real-life wrestling promotions by WWE and especially Impact Wrestling (before it turned to ACTUAL crap)…it was what inspired me as well to create this company. I brought in the stars you've seen in other companies or you've never met or even heard of before and now you know them today. From Naruto to Altered Egos to H.O.T.D. to G.O.D. to Crash Bandicoot to Beowulf to Dante to Jason Krueger to Alpha & Omega—I can go on and on, but I'd rather not; we got a pay-per-view to run!

"And since April 5th, the premiere episode of ACW on USA…we were a success…but there were definitely times we were just cringy…ESPECIALLY on May 31st, where we were at our FRIGGING WORST. That episode felt fine to me until Jon's SUPER critically panned review of that episode that put me in a dark place for a good while. But…that dark place for that while was enough to help me think. I mean, really think. Especially when Vegeta's old vlog talked about the black and white views and the ability to see everything through a gray area in the middle. So when June arrived the week after, I knew I had to prepare and fix my mistakes. And since then, from the 7th of June to today, I have done what I can to atone for my sins. What I can to fix my mistakes…even if it takes forever. And if you don't believe me, then that's more your problem than mine, man.

"…But there's this…one mistake that's bothered me for quite some time… A major mistake that's been a thorn to my side. But let me ask you all this first…haven't you noticed that not ONE person other than I has uttered the full acronym of this organization, Awesome Championship Wrestling since this pay-per-view started? Not from the wrestlers…not from the commentators…not from the interviewers—not ANYBODY until me just now, saying it a second time?"

"…He's actually right," Ted blinks.

"Yeah… We were all told NOT to say the full acronym for this entire night," Mark says. "I even asked him why."

"And?" Logan raises an eyebrow.

"He…he said that we would find out soon enough," Mark replies, shrugging as he's just as clueless as everyone in the arena.

"Well, we're about to find out right now," Ned says.

"Whether you figured that out or not," Jesse breaks the murmuring from the audience, "allow me to enlighten you all. Since this federation was brought to formation, we've stuck with the name 'Awesome Championship Wrestling'…a name that has admittedly made us look like CHILDREN by non-wrestling fans, harsh critics and more. For a time, I didn't give a damn, even after Jonathan's review from Crystal Prison woke me up. That name…I admit, we only thought it up because Josh and I were still dumb, young lions at the time. And that's fine. But the fact we've matured now, whether anybody says we have or not is their own opinion, while keeping the name this long…is EMBARRASSING. Josh's baby, Adrenaline Impact Wrestling, was named a lot better than this!" Josh cocked his head back in surprise…then thinks on it…and nods in agreement, garnering a few chuckles. "Still, I digress. As I have talked about this long enough…it's TIME for another change. We've went through one last month back to declare a first-ever International Champion…then it became a Phenomenal Champion…and now an Evolve Champion—yeah, that one is TOTALLY my fault, guys, so don't take it out on Luke.

"Oh, thank God—AGREED," Logan says.

"We went through another one early this month in the inaugural ACW Brand Extension, dividing this company in half by two shows with Ignition and RAMPAGE. Ladies and gents…we're about to enter a whole new era. Starting TONIGHT, the SECOND the clock strikes MIDNIGHT…you will no longer know us as 'Awesome Championship Wrestling'. That name you utter whether fondly or scoff at, just like Luke Smith's title, is about to EVOLVE. It is TIME for the letters, ACW, to FINALLY mean something to me and every single one of you! So it is my honor and Joshua's honor to PROUDLY announce that Awesome Championship Wrestling, from this day forward after midnight, will FOREVER be known as the rechristened…

"APEX…

"CALIBER…

"WRESTLING!" Alvarez and Garza exclaim…

…as Alvarez points directly at the DigiTron, exposing the uttered name itself onscreen with its new design to EXPLOSIVE cheers. For the first time ever, Jesse can look at his own company's name…and be HAPPY to say it out loud, told by his wide grin.

"…'Apex Caliber Wrestling'," Barney emits. "…That…is the single COOLEST NAME TO EVER EXIST IN ANY WRESTLING WORLD OF ALL TIME! Almost as cool as Marshall's boy's middle name, 'Wait-For-It'!"

"I couldn't agree more, buddy!" Ted grins. "Apex Caliber Wrestling—TOP QUALITY wrestling… I like that. It fits!"

Jesse resumes talking, "We are no longer proclaiming ourselves to be 'awesome', mi amigos! I mean, we are…it's just that we're going to be taken a little more seriously from now on as we will continue to produce top quality matches, top quality wrestlers, top quality EVERYTHING. Yes, it sounds like we might be exaggerating…but this is the perfect time to continue correct mistakes and make changes for the greater good. So here I say…enjoy these final hours of Awesome Championship Wrestling however you please. It'll be the last before we evolve. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, main roster and developmental…

"…

"…

"…

"…WELCOME…to the APEX ERA."

Mic drop. "Burn It Down" plays again from the first chorus as the owners of the newly-named Apex Caliber Wrestling exit the ring, heading up to the ramp while passing by high-fives to some fans. During so, the Staples Center start up a new chant: "APEX Wrestling! *clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!* APEX Wrestling! *clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!*"

"WOW. This is SPECTACULAR news!" Markiplier states.

"Hear this capacity crowd, guys! They're already getting used to the name!" Zack calls.

"It's not official until midnight, my brother, so we'll just have to keep going by Awesome Championship Wrestling up to that time," Kenji points out.

"Whatever, long as we still HAVE enough time for the main event," Barney reminds.

"Ah…very true, Barney," Mark agrees.

For a third and final time on this night, "A Light That Never Comes" plays in the background for the main event match graphic. "The Orange Spark" Naruto Uzumaki, the current and inaugural ACW World Champion, holds his belt over his shoulder with an outward right fist and a wide grin while winking; "The Beast of Geats" Beowulf, the undefeated challenger, lets out a mighty roar towards the camera. Both men appear side to side as images, the ACW World Championship graphic appearing in the background as "NARUTO vs. BEOWULF II" is read below the imagery.

"It's the rematch we've ALL been waiting for. From May 3rd to the 25th of August—114 days since Beowulf's debut, since his FIRST VICTORY over the WORLD CHAMPION HIMSELF…it's finally going to culminate here," Markiplier states.

"The most anticipated world championship match in ACW, both Naruto and Beowulf have prepared for this day," Kenji says. "Naruto says he isn't afraid and WILL not lose to him…but will that be enough to kill the Beast of Geats' undefeated streak at its youngest? Or will history repeat itself once more, all for ACW Championship of the World?"

The crowd begins to come to a hush…

…until they start hearing marching feet coming from the back…

…and then they see men dressed in Viking armor marching through! One by one, the Vikings have chosen their side of the aisle from left and right, eventually filling it all up completely to such perfection. One soldier left behind stands at the center of the stage, clearly the chief of this army—especially by the thick beard—as he scans the warriors' lineup and their stances.

He would give the orders, speaking at the top of his lungs, "All right, boys…SHIELDS, UP FRONT!" In perfect unison, they hold out their wooden/steel shields forward. "SWORDS…DRAW OUT!" The warriors unsheathe their blades. "STAND BY, BOYS…FOR THE ARRIVAL OF THE KING! FOR GOLD! FOR GLORY! HAIL BEOWULF!"

"HAIL BEOWULF!" the soldiers exclaim, the audience doing the same, as they point their blades to the skies at a 45-degree angle…

("Who's Next?" by Jim Johnston plays)

Deafening cheers ensue as the arena turns gold in lighting and the drums are overheard the loudest out of the instruments…


…and then we head backstage to see a single fist knocking on the door…which bursts WIDE OPEN after hellacious kick! The obvious owner of that kicking foot belonged to The Beast of Geats, who walks out with great intensity on his face, inhaling deeply through his nose…and exhaling quickly through his mouth. Beowulf begins his walk through backstage, being escorted by six other marching Vikings with their shields held up like a built wall around him. As this escorting march happens, Beowulf's name is being chanted in the manner of Goldberg mantras.

They march through backstage…took quite a while—and we mean, a while. A LONG MINUTE while. But it was worth it as the Vikings around Beowulf come to a halt in front of head, forming a line and holding their swords up as a special pathway. Beowulf nods and walks towards the Gorilla Position, disappearing through the curtain…


…where at the stage, golden pyrotechnic spray from both sides and below the DigiTron, completely covering up the "SW" sign. For nearly fifteen seconds, this goes on…until the shower disperses…revealing Beowulf with his head held low before he glares up straight towards the ring with great intensity. As he lifts his head slowly, he snorts out thick smoke from his nose like a dragon before exhaling the rest from his mouth…and then exclaiming, "BEEEOOOOOWUUULF!" with both arms rising up à la Goldberg, proceeding with punching the air twice and throwing a Savate Kick in front of him, all of which trigger explosions from behind to each move. He looks at all the Vikings lined up as they pump their fists to chant along with the crowd and nods to them, moving on to his amble down the ramp from the stage.

"…The Myth. The Living Legend. The Monster Slayer and Destroyer of Demons. King Beowulf the Mighty. The Beast of Geats," Markiplier lists off.

"Beowulf's ACW career spans from the fallout show after Southern Hell to present day, he has yet to lose a single match by pinfall or submission," says Zack. "On the May 3rd episode of ACW on USA, Beowulf made his presence felt in attacking Naruto Uzumaki after shaking his hand by way of Wulfhammer. This brought Naruto to request a non-title match with the King of Blood himself and to everyone's shock, Beowulf had ACTUALLY won! His first match in ACW and he defeats the ACW World Champion! Nobody does that—NOBODY!"

"EXACTLY. And yet, here we are again; this time, it's ALL for the gold. The top tier belt of ALL in this entire organization," Kenji says. "This time, Beowulf is ALL business…and so is Naruto himself."

"But let's not ignore the fact that this will not be easy for either man," Barney states. "Beowulf received his win over Naruto because the latter was NOT ready for him. At the same time, Beowulf felt he wasn't ready for the world title scene, even when he DEFEATED the world champ. But they made little to no contact up to Ignition V where Beowulf officially called in his shot."

"And that shot was due to his victory at Reign in Blood inside the gruesome Playground of Blood match, becoming the first-ever King of Blood," Mark recalls. "On the way to Summer Wars, he got caught up with Kurt Hudson wanting the crown and, despite the tactics Hudson pulled off like injuring his leg, Beowulf managed to overcome the odds. To this day, Beowulf is 10-0. He is the 2014 FWA Powerhouse of the Year. He is ranked #36 in the PWI Male 50 since 2013. He believes he will repeat history for himself tonight on Summer Wars. He believes will ensure his next victory at 11-0…gaining along the way the richest prize in this entire federation, the ACW World Championship. With this, he believes he will become DA MAN. Or more appropriately, THE KING. The KING of ACW. But once the clock strikes midnight, he might be…the King of APEX."

Beowulf enters the ring, sauntering to the ropes front and center to bellow at the top of his lungs while hanging off the ropes. He backs away as he warms up around the ring, stretching out the ropes with his leaning body, winding up and stretching out his arms, etc. The instrumental theme song of Beowulf fades out…and after twenty seconds of silence…

("I Will Not Bow" by Breaking Benjamin plays)

The start of the song builds up as the lights in the entire arena dim down…eight seconds in…

[FALL!]

…no pyrotechnics…yet, as six more seconds later…Naruto Uzumaki is revealed via spotlight to be standing on top of the DigiTron…with Breaking Benjamin behind him performing his entrance theme LIVE at the Staples Center, garnering an insanely loud ovation! Naruto stands still with folded arms, donning his iconic short-sleeved red coat with a black flame pattern around the hem, the Six Path Sages Mode in his eyes…and the ACW World Championship around his waist as he glares down at his challenger.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome…Breaking Benjamin!" Maria announces just before the first verse.

"Aw, hell yeah!" Zack marks out.

[Now the dark begins to rise…

Save your breath, it's far from over

Leave the lost and dead behind

Now's your chance to run for cover

I don't want to change the world…

I just wanna leave it colder

Light the fuse and burn it up…

Take the path that leads to nowhere

All is lost again…]

Naruto takes a few steps forward, placing one foot on the edge of the DigiTron, eyes still locked on Beowulf…mouthing the next lyric to himself…

[But I'm not giving in…!]

…and then Naruto leaps from the top of the 'Tron…

[I will not BOW!]

…all the way down to the stage, striking the Three-point Landing and triggering explosive orange pyrotechnics up from both sides!

[I will not BREAK!

I will shut the world away…!

I will not FALL!

I will not FADE!

I will take your breath away…!

FALL!]

Naruto head snaps, suddenly looking up to send a Kubrick Stare all the way towards Beowulf, who doesn't seem fazed at all other than folding his arms in response. Still, Naruto smirks and fully stands up for the cheering spectators.

[Watch the end through dying eyes…

Now the dark is taking over

Show me where forever dies…

Take the fall and run to Heaven]

Naruto slowly walks forward, removing the world title from his waist in the process. He abruptly stops in the middle of the ramp…holding the belt in both hands, lowering his head…

[All is lost again…

But I'm not giving in…!

I will not BOW!]

…and instantly raises it high and proud to generate hot red, flash yellow and spark orange fireworks shooting up from the stage left and right for five seconds long!

[I will not BREAK!

I will shut the world away…!

I will not FALL!

I will not FADE!

I will take your breath away…!]

Naruto exhales deeply…lowering his belt…and draping it back up and over his shoulder, grinning with great confidence as he gives his signature two-finger salute to the front-row audience before making a quick run for the ring.

[And I'll survive, PARANOID…!

I have lost the will to change…

And I am not proud…

Cold-blooded FAKE!

I will shut the world away…!]

Naruto has slid in the ring and stood up…keeping his glaring eyes on Beowulf…then looks down at his belt with his back turned to the hard camera…

[OPEN YOUR EYYYYES!]

…and swivels a complete 180 to hang off the ropes and raise his title high while ROARING with the lyrics, orange pyro exploding from all four ring posts! During the shredding solo bridge, the ACW World Champion steps off from the cables…pointing straight at his belt and proclaiming to Beowulf, "THIS…will stay with me for as long as I can keep fighting…BELIEVE IT…'Your Majesty'." Beowulf, remaining his stature, utters, "I believe you, Uzumaki. …It'll only be a shame to find out your body won't last as much as your heart and spirit."

[I will not BOW!

I will not BREAK!

I will SHUT the world away…!

I will not FALL!

I will not FADE!

I will TAKE your breath away…!

And I'll survive, PARANOID…!

I have lost the will to change…

And I am not proud…

Cold-blooded FAKE!

I will shut the world away~…!]

Naruto hands his ACW World Championship to referee Marshall Eriksen and points up at Breaking Benjamin above the big screen…

[FAAALLLLLL!]

…and on that line, a final loud explosion goes off…and the music comes to an end, all 20,857 fans in the Staples Center standing up and applauding for the live concert. Naruto nods to the band out of respect and gratitude, as does Ben Burley, lightly beating his chest and pointing out to Naruto before turning it into a thumbs up.

"…Yay!" Zack cheers after the performance, fists pumped in the air.

"Okay…that was pretty cool, I'll give you that," Barney confesses.

"ACW World Champion played to the ring by Breaking Benjamin live…and boy, is the crowd more excited than ever or what?" asks Mark. "Speaking of whom…Naruto Uzumaki, dare I say it…the Face of Fiction Wrestling. He's done it all in the industry; twenty-eight championship belts have won, thirteen-time world champion, a three-time consecutive Royal Rumble winner from WWE's 2008 Royal Rumble, UCA's 2009 Royal Reckoning, and CWA's 2010 Renegade Rumble respectively, a 2009 Rider War winner, and a King of the Ring in 2002. He began in WWE, where he gained fame for defeating real-life WWE Superstar Brock Lesnar to defend the Animated roster's right to appear on Raw and SmackDown. Ranked #9 in the PWI Male 50, within the Top 10 FWM wrestlers. And best of all…the youngest and active wrestling inductee in the FWM Hall of Fame."

"The Face of Fiction Wrestling would be right as he was ALL OVER the Multiverse within VARIOUS promotions, including ACW," Kenji states. "By the time his career is over, he'll already be an established legend. But in just mere moments away…he'll be facing a Living Legend himself."

Maria Lopez steps up once both main eventers have been put in their corners for now…and when the bell sounds, she speaks, "Ladies and gentlemen, the following singles bout…is your Summer Wars main event of the evening scheduled for ONE FALL…

"ONE FALL!" the crowd echoes.

"…and it is for the ACW Championship of the World! When the bell rings, the man in charge—Mr. Marshall Eriksen. …Introducing first…the challenger…from the Land of Geats, weighing in at 275 pounds…he is…'The Hero'…'The Myth'…'The Living Legend'…'The Monster Slayer and Destroyer of Demons'…the inaugural King of Blood…'The Beast of Geats'…BEOOOWUUUUUUUULF!"

Beowulf merely raises a right fist upon his announcement, rounding up wild cheers from the many supporters.

"And his opponent," says Maria, "from the Village Hidden in the Leaves, weighing in at 228 pounds…'The Hero of the Hidden Leaf'…'The Leaf Village's Number One Hyperactive Knucklehead Ninja'…'The Orange Spark'…he is the current, reigning, and defending ACW Champion of the Wooooorld…NARUTOOOOO UZUMAKIIIIIIIIII!"

Naruto beats his chest twice and raises both index fingers high in the air, gaining the same volume of cheers (with some audible boos) from Los Angeles. The How I Met Your Mother character holds up the ACW World Championship for display to each side of the arena, telling the spectators what these warriors of the squared circle will fight for to win. As he hands it over to the ring announcer…

…Naruto and Beowulf have already met at the center and gone down to staring each other down…the crowd chanting "LET'S GO, BEOWULF!" and "NA-RU-TO!" in half and half…and they take their time gazing out to the crowd at respective opposite sides. They remain in the center for as long as the frenzied crowd continues their cheers. They return to staring holes through each other again…and after ten seconds, they comply with Marshall's orders to keep their distance. He asks one at a time if they are ready…Beowulf nods…and so does Naruto…and with that confirmation, the senior official requests for the bell and it sounds off!

"And the main event is UNDERWAY, ladies and gentlemen! ACW World Championship up for grabs! Naruto vs. Beowulf II! Time for it to GET IT ON here!" Markiplier exclaims. "It's ninja versus Viking! Future legend versus LIVING legend! The Champ versus the King! MAN…VERSUS…BEAST!"

Both World Champion and King of Blood meet again at the center, trading words to try and get in each other's heads…before backing a foot or two away…and then engaging the collar-and-elbow lockup. They hold in for about two seconds…before Beowulf suddenly shoves Naruto away! Naruto hits the turnbuckles, but he comes back for another tie-up…only to get shoved back a second time! His back hits the corner…and a third time, he ties up with Beowulf…and a third time, he gets shoved back into the corner! This time, Naruto is forced to roll through and stares at Beowulf in shock from a knee. The King of Blood merely stares with a grin…and Naruto scowls for a brief moment. He grabs the top rope to boost himself up to his feet, then circles the ring with his opponent. A fourth collar-and-elbow…and this time, Naruto takes Beowulf by surprise with an Arm Drag. Beowulf on his feet…seeing Naruto DARING the epic hero to come at him…

…and he complies with a SPEAR—leapfrog by the champion! Beowulf barely manages to catch himself with a bounce off the ropes, hopping over a down Naruto…and Naruto catches him with a swing, going for the Nine-Tailed Plunge…but Beowulf somehow used the momentum against Naruto to counter into a standing headscissors! He shifts to preparations for the Wulfhammer…but Naruto knee strikes him and puts him in a Side Headlock. He wrenches it well…until Beowulf spins out of it to slam Naruto on his back. While down, Naruto sweeps the leg with an arm…and Beowulf handstand backflips onto his feet to perfection; Naruto tries again, this time a legsweep with his foot…and it takes down Beowulf before he can realize it! First pinfall of this match…and a sudden kick-out before the referee could go down to count. The two stare off from a single knee with the applause behind them…as Naruto proclaims, "You still got a long way to go, Young Boy!" …That comment…that was funny to Beowulf, who lets out a good chuckle…

…before striking Naruto with a hard right punch! Then he takes him to the ropes with an Irish Whip…and Naruto bounces back to find himself put through pain thanks to a Mountain Bomb! In an instant…Beowulf has shifted straight to a submission hold with the Cross Armbar! Naruto beats the canvas with a fist as he goes through brutal pain from Beowulf stretching out the arm…but he has been able to drag himself and leave a foot on the bottom rope. Beowulf does the honorable thing in letting go, allowing Naruto to pick himself up before he grabs him…and receives a Jawbreaker for his troubles! He hits Beowulf with a forearm, then takes his arm for one Short-arm Shoulder Block…two Shoulder Blocks…and pulls him in for the Ninja's Way—Beowulf slides off…and aggressively pushes him into the ropes, Naruto violently ricocheting off them to a supine position and forced to roll out of the ring!

"Whoa, Naruto just gets shrugged off!" Zack says as the audience give applause to this stalemate.

"'Shrugged off'? Beowulf just threw him away like he was yesterday news, is what he did!" Barney corrects. "And I wouldn't be wrong for that analogy."

"Naruto tried for the element of surprise, but I guess Beowulf was just one step ahead of him," Markiplier says. "From the ring to the floor, that was Naruto's destination. We know what Naruto is thinking now—he just did his best, he almost outsmart Beowulf for the Ninja's Way, but it's not enough yet. He's going to have to soften him up a little bit more, cause him to make a mistake that will help him bring a title retention."

"This match is just getting started and we have quite the stalemate as the fans are loving it immensely," Kenji notes.

After a while of thinking to himself and walking around the corner, Naruto gets on the apron and slingshots himself inside the ring to his feet. Naruto and Beowulf circle around the ring and go for the collar-and-elbow tie-up. They struggle to push each other back, their feet firmly planted onto the mat…until Beowulf shifts to an arm wrench. He twists the arm enough to put Naruto in a hammerlock for a moment before moving back to the arm wrench. Naruto rolls through, freeing himself from the pain, but not Beowulf's wrist-lock…so he breaks the hold with his right leg while grabbing Beowulf's left wrist…

…spins around on his back…

…and drop toe holds him, going for the Will of Fire! Beowulf, however, turns over and pushes Naruto far back with his feet…and when Naruto bounced back, Beowulf blasts him with a shoulder block, sending him FLYING to the ropes and rolling back out into the barricade. Despite the amounting strength of Beowulf, Naruto rushes to the apron…and when the Beast of Geats grabbed him, Naruto snaps his head over the ropes with a hangman. He slides inside just as Beowulf was staggering…and plants his face in with a Konoha Bulldog! As impressive as that was, Beowulf still gets up…and so Naruto brings him up and over his shoulder…

…and brings him back down with an Emerald Flowsion! He hooks both legs: 1…

2…

…2.22 Beowulf kicks out.

Naruto pulls Beowulf up by his arm and traps him in a standing front chancery. He goes down on his knees and arches backwards, pulling Beowulf's head forward and applying extra pressure. As much as that would work on any man, Beowulf proves to be more than that as he stays on his feet…forces Naruto back on his feet by the waist…beats his abdomen area with forearms…and HURLS him over the ropes with a Belly-to-belly Suplex!

"WHOA, HOLY SMOKES!" Zack exclaims.

"Naruto over the top rope and BARELY able to catch himself, saving himself from an ugly landing that could've shortened his career!" Kenji calls.

Indeed, Naruto had clung onto the top rope only to slip and fall to the floor, but at least it could've been worse. Naruto holds his face and gut as he stands up…and the next thing he sees is Beowulf coming at him with a baseball slide! He barely avoids it…and strikes Beowulf with a knife edge chop—twice in a row, actually…then he takes his wrist for an Irish Whip…and Beowulf reverses it to send Naruto towards the steel steps!

…Naruto leaps over and saves himself from brutal collision! Naruto sighs in relief…but fails to rebound in time for Beowulf to run him over with a Lariat, turning him inside out! The King of Blood lets out a mighty bellow to the cheering fans before grabbing and throwing Naruto back in the ring. Naruto stands up with his eyes quite glazed over after taking that Lariat…and after shaking the cobwebs off, he goes for a right fist to Beowulf, who catches it on time so EFFORTLESSLY. "Uh-oh," the champ utters…for Beowulf twists his arm…and then grabs him with a single arm, proceeding to toss Naruto over across the ring with a COLOSSAL One-handed Biel Throw! (Mark: Good GAWD almighty, the strength of this man! ; Barney: No, he's not a man, Mark; as you've said yourself, he's a BEAST!) Naruto instantly stands up nursing his backside, likely his tailbone…and manages to get one shot in with a back kick towards an advancing Beowulf. Then as he holds onto the top rope, he elevates himself and brings Beowulf to him with his legs, sitting on his back…and flips himself forward with a Leg-trap Sunset Flip Powerbomb!

"Naruto with the comeback!" Kenji says.

NO! Beowulf stays on his feet, thanks to his hands holding the middle row rope! Naruto struggles to pull him down…but Beowulf grabs him by the throat and LIFTS him up, cornering him with knee strikes and back elbows. He goes for an Irish Whip…and Naruto keeps his arm hooked around the ropes…before kicking Beowulf in the gut and pulling him in with an unexpected headbutt! Beowulf staggers away as Naruto stands on the middle row…and connects a Diving Thrust Kick. But somehow, Beowulf is still on his feet, only stumbling backwards into a corner; Naruto takes charge…Beowulf back body drops him over and moves to the center…while Naruto lands safely on the apron. He hops onto the top rope, going for the high risk…

…Diving Leg Lariat incoming…

…and…Beowulf catches him! He adjusts him for the Turnbuckle Powerbomb…

…and Naruto with the reversal, rolling him up…

…only Beowulf rolls through…takes him in a prawn hold…elevates him high on his shoulders…

…and hits a successful Buckle Bomb! Naruto stumbles and gets tossed over by Beowulf's back body drop, landing HARD on his back from a high boost of elevation!

"From a Buckle Bomb to the Back Body Drop, Naruto again falls flat on his back as Beowulf remains dominant!" Mark states. "So far, it's been all Beowulf, King of the Geats. The challenger is in complete control while the champ has trouble, being tossed around like a rag doll not helping him out at all."

"Naruto's used to flying, anyway, so it shouldn't be a problem for him to get those frequent flyer miles courtesy of Beowulf," Barney quips.

The ACW World Champion slowly sits up, bringing himself to a vertical base…before getting his throat clenched by Beowulf, who picks up his whole body high in the air with a Military Press lift. For what felt like the longest time, when it only lasted for twenty seconds, Beowulf holds Naruto hostage in this position…even weight-lifting him overhead to emphasize his strength…

…before dropping him down on his shoulders to hit a high-impact Gorilla Press Powerslam! Beowulf onto the cover: 1…2…2.432 Naruto kicks out. In response, Beowulf nods because he gets to continue the punishment…and shows admiration to Naruto's resilience. He grabs him with a Single Underhook and a Front Facelock, standing up with the champion in tow…and then throwing him over with an Underhook Suplex. Beowulf still hangs onto the arm, locking in the Cross Armbreaker a second time. As he has no problem wrenching the hold, Naruto is gritting his teeth throughout, appearing to be far away from the ropes by his hands…but not his legs as he notices the close distance between them. Despite Beowulf's weight keeping him down, Naruto ties his feet around the bottom rope and the challenger is forced to release the hold. Beowulf drags him on his feet to the ropes, slapping his chest three times with stiff backhand chops. Then he goes for an Irish Whip…

…grabs him on the way back for a Sidewalk Slam…

…which Naruto counters into a Tilt-a-whirl Headscissors Takeover, spiking his head in! But Beowulf still gets up, as does Naruto…and the former Side Kicks his chest in! Naruto staggers into the corner…and with Beowulf in perfect position, he charges for the Spear!

"INCOMING ENDGAME!" Kenji shouts.

Naruto leaps high and over the ropes, Beowulf unable to stop himself from ramming his own shoulder into the LED ring post, LITERALLY breaking it upon impact!

"Oh, geez—OH, GOOD GOD!" Mark exclaims. "WOW… I don't who got the worst of that: Beowulf or that LED ring post!"

"Beowulf got too hotheaded; he put too much power and speed into that Spear attempt, unable to stop himself from this mistake!" Kenji states. "Naruto is just lucky he didn't become a victim unlike that LED ring post."

"Lucky, indeed. And how luckier can one get with this HUGE mistake Beowulf's made? This is exactly the mistake Naruto needed to come back in this match!" Zack points out. "All he has to do is get Beowulf back inside the ring and work on that shoulder. That way, the Spear has much less impact, the Wulfhammer won't be able to commence, and Naruto will guarantee himself a championship retention into the APEX Era."

As Naruto rests on the apron, holding his chest like he suffered a brief heart attack and saw his life flash before his eyes, Beowulf writhes in absolute pain with his right shoulder on the floor with some fans urging him to keep fighting. Insufferable pain to the shoulder be damned, Beowulf carries himself up all the way inside the ring. Meanwhile, Naruto has brought himself to the high-rent district, watching Beowulf nurse his shoulder and rising to a vertical base. When he did and turned back, Naruto jumps…and hits a Missile Dropkick right after the bad shoulder.

"Aah, very wise on the champ's part! He's seen Beowulf nursing that shoulder and already, he's on the attack with the Dropkick," Barney states.

Beowulf is on his knees after rolling through from the Dropkick as Naruto grabs the wrist leading to the shoulder, yanking at the arm and wrenching it just to damage it further. He strikes at Beowulf with multiple Short-arm Shoulder Blocks, one after another to the injured target…

…before going for an Irish Whip…which Beowulf reverses.

Naruto soars over the Kitchen Sink knee strike…

…but not the Running Big Boot that blasts him out of the ring over the ropes!

"And Naruto is OUTTA HERE like a homerun!" Zack calls.

"Beowulf coming back BIG with the Big Boot that sends the champ out of the ring!" Kenji notes. "His shoulder is injured, but not his legs or his fighting spirit!"

The King of Blood rolls out of the ring, stalking after Naruto, who he strikes with a left forearm. As Naruto staggers towards the corner end of the barricade, Beowulf rubs his shoulder close to health…and takes a high kick straight to that area from a cornered Naruto. The ACW World Champion brings him around, beating his back with forearm clubs…then he sets up a Front Facelock with an arm over the neck…

…lifts him up to where his feet are hanging off the barricade…

…and drop him down with an Elevated DDT!

"DDT on the outside, hung from the barricade! Naruto's getting pretty aggressive here!" Mark states.

"Guy's using whatever's in his environment to get his way of beating Beowulf and retain his title. It's in a champion's nature," Barney says.

Naruto had quickly rushed in the ring and rolled back out to break Marshall Eriksen's ten-count. As the senior official demands for both men to get back in the ring, Naruto returns to Beowulf writhing from the DDT. He picks him up by his head and headlocks him, dragging him far from the corner…and then going for an Irish Whip…

…sending Beowulf towards the barricade…

…and…he VAULTS right over, rolling through to his feet!

"…NANI?" Kenji blinks.

"THE FUDGE WAS THAT?!" Zack exclaims.

"Beowulf…with GREAT elevation to pull off that stunt!" Mark says. "He's 275 pounds, but he moves like high-flyer!"

Naruto's mouth DROPPED at Beowulf doing that…before snapping back to reality and charges after him. He takes a page from his book, vaulting over the barricade with a Crossbody…

…and Beowulf…rolls through…

…and stands up with him in BOTH ARMS, the shoulder pain be damned! Beowulf carries around a panicking Naruto…

…and drops him with a Swinging Side Slam!

"Beowulf SLAMMING the champion onto the concrete floor! The pain has to be EXCRUCIATING for Naruto to bear!" Markiplier states.

"But right now, both of these guys have got to get their asses back in the ring if they don't want to get counted out!" Barney reminds as Marshall is at four.

The epic hero overhears and sees Marshall in the ring counting away, grabbing Naruto to drag him back to the ring. He doesn't want this to end in a count-out and neither do the fans. He gets the ninja to go over the barricade by simply throwing him and he climbs over. At the count of seven…Beowulf enters the ring…and exits back out, forcing Marshall to utter "Dude!" out of exasperation. The Beast of Geats picks up Naruto once more, throwing him inside the ring, but leaving his head hung out. He strikes with a downward elbow strike…then a Big Boot…

…climbs the apron…

…measures Naruto just right from the ring post…

…and lands a BIG Leg Drop across the throat! Naruto rolls to the center, standing up and nursing his gullet…while Beowulf enters and takes him down with a Swinging Neckbreaker. Onto the pin attempt: 1…2…

…2.321 Naruto kicks out. Beowulf allows him to try and reach his vertical position…just so he can nail him down with a clubbing forearm…then brings him up to do it again. Fortunately for him, he's been using his left arm until the right arm is fully healed (or at least, close to being 100%), shown by winding up said limb and massaging his shoulder. Beowulf performs an Irish Whip, bouncing Naruto off the ropes…

…and his back body drop attempt is rudely denied with Naruto Front Dropkicking the shoulder! Beowulf holds his shoulder in utter pain, Naruto bouncing off the ropes again…

…Beowulf also runs and bounces off the same ropes, ensuring to be behind Naruto…

…who instantly turns around to blast Beowulf off his feet with a Lariat!

"BOOM! A raging Lariat from a raging champion!" Markiplier exclaims. "Naruto, at any chance he gets, is one step ahead over his challenger!"

"You see the way BEOWULF almost got turned inside out? By NARUTO of all people?! That was NASTY!" Zack winces.

"You'd expected that to be the other way around," Barney utters. "But now the shoe appears to be on the foot…for now."

Naruto took this moment to regain himself before seeing Beowulf roll over to a prone position in the middle of the ring…and that hatches an idea in his brain. He stands by the left side of Beowulf, crouching to wrap his arms around his waist…

…and, with a loud bellow, begins to DEADLIFT his 275-pound opponent in a Gutwrench off the canvas!

But Beowulf plants his feet into the mat…hoists up Naruto while holding his legs to prevent him from falling…and RAMS him into the nearest corner! Keeping there, Beowulf piles on him with methodical paced kicks, punches and back elbows. After a while, he successfully Irish Whips him into the opposite corner…and joins him after hitting a Body Avalanche…then pulls him back to the center by his arm, pops him up on his shoulders…

…and…Naruto elbows his face in! He applies the Half Nelson, lifting him in the air…and dropping him with a Neckbreaker! He keeps the momentum going with a bounce from the ring ropes…and misses the elbow drop; Beowulf quickly jumps…and his Senton attempt is for naught with Naruto rolling out of the way! Naruto bounces off the ropes once again…

…and he nails a Running Knee Strike—Orange Spark (Kenny Omega's V-Trigger)—in the face!

"DAMN! Unexpected Knee Strike to the face, the skull of Beowulf!" Zack cries.

"He calls that new piece in his arsenal the 'Orange Spark'! But is it enough to hold the King of Blood down for the pin?" Kenji queries as Naruto scurries for the leg-hook.

Referee Marshall Eriksen counts: 1…

2…

…2.465 Beowulf kicks out!

"There's your answer, Kenny! As brutal as the Orange Spark looked, Naruto's gonna have to do a lot more—and I mean, A LOT MORE—to put away that monster!" Barney emphasizes.

Naruto, up on his feet, quickly grabs Beowulf to stand and Beowulf smacks his arms away for a Lariat…which Naruto blocks with a HEADBUTT. Both are hurt, no more than Beowulf…but Naruto takes the hurt arm…and pulls him on his shoulders in a Fireman's Carry! The Staples Center on their feet, Naruto turning around to look straight at the hard camera…

…Ninja's Way…

…FOILED by Beowulf slipping off…and pushing him to the ropes at the side! Naruto ricochets INTO A SPEAR FROM BEOWULF! A RISK-TAKING SPEAR!

"Naruto pushed to the side—SPEAR! SPEAR BY BEOWULF!" Mark exclaims. "He takes Naruto down with a sudden Spear, but the champion's out of the ring and the challenger has worsen the damage to his right shoulder!"

"Both men need time to recover, but no more than King Beowulf himself!" Kenji states. "And while Naruto is sustaining damage, I don't think that was the move was at its 100% no thanks to the shoulder run into the ring post earlier."

The Orange Spark, nursing his midsection, is coughing up quite a fit, feeling as if almost all of the air went out of his lungs as he lies on the floor. Meanwhile, Beowulf is sitting in the corner nursing that shoulder and pondering whether the risk was worth it or not. Well, he's about to find out as he later leaves the ring, much to the referee's dislike…and already starts tearing apart Zack and Kenji's announce table!

"Welp, nice knowing ya, Kerry!" Barney waves.

"IT'S KENJI, YOU INGRATE! KENJI!" Kenji yells as Zack groans and gathers his items from the table.

"Whatever you say, Butch. You're getting your table broken!" Barney declares with a grin, to which Kenji curses in Japanese under his breath.

After clearing the table of its monitors and other items, Beowulf grabs Naruto by his hair and drags him over there. He takes him in a standing headscissors, lifts him over in a Crucifix hold…turns a bit to his right…

…and spins out…for Naruto to slip out because of the damage Beowulf feels. With this, Naruto strikes him with a Superkick, laying him out onto the table. He distances himself to sit on the apron, panting rather heavily…but sees the way Beowulf is positioned…almost vulnerable and weakened enough to pull off something insane. Naruto…licks his lips…and quickly begins his climb to the top turnbuckle, the audience standing up altogether…

"Naruto…what is he going for NOW?" Mark asks himself.

"It'd just better end with our table still standing like yours did, Mark!" Kenji says.

"Please don't break…!" Zack begs.

…Beowulf remains on his back with glazed eyes…

…Naruto stands tall, no trouble with his balance whatsoever…

…jumps high off with GREAT distance…

and he hits the Diving Elbow Drop all the way into Beowulf's chest, breaking the table apart!

"GOD'S SAKE!" Markiplier shouts. "NARUTO UZUMAKI WITH THE DIVING ELBOW! FROM THE TOP TURNBUCKLE! INTO THE HEART OF BEOWULF! THROUGH THE IGNITION TABLE!"

"NOOOOOOOOOO…!" Zack cries dramatically, falling to his knees.

"Get up, you idiot!" Kenji yells.

"Sorry," Zack does that…still upset over the broken table, however.

"Glorious misfortune for Mary aside, Naruto has shown how much the ACW World Championship means to him in order to retain it!" Barney comments. "As I said, champion's nature to pull off stunts like this!"

"Indeed, Naruto is doing whatever it takes to keep hold of his belt! Sacrificing his own body in order to assert his dominance!" Mark says.

After referee Marshall Eriksen went outside to check on both contenders lying in debris, wanting to see if both are able to continue, he enters back in the ring to start the ten-count: 1…

2…

3…

Naruto is the first on his feet, especially after using the barricade to pull himself up…

4…

…and then he grabs Beowulf, trying to drag dead weight back inside the ring.

5…

6…

He reaches ringside and struggles to push Beowulf up to the apron…

"Naruto, as much as he wants to retain, does not want to do so by count-out—he wants a true victory over Beowulf by way of pinfall!" Kenji says.

"But look at him struggle! He's still hurt from landing the elbow drop from the high-rent district!" Zack mentions.

7…

8…

…but drops him to the floor, hearing the referee drawing close to ten is making him panic…

9…

…so he rolls inside…

and he quickly rolls back out, breaking Marshall's ten-count to loud cheers! …And Marshall's ACTUALLY relieved Naruto did that.

"My sentiments exactly, Marsh! That was TOO close!" Barney sighs in relief.

"The champion acting so selflessly, thinking quick to roll in and out of the ring like he and Beowulf have done earlier to keep the match alive!" Kenji utters.

"If he can't take Beowulf back inside with less time to spare, then Naruto had to INCREASE time for himself and his opponent," Zack says.

"Thank goodness, too. I can't imagine a good match such as this ending in such a BS throwaway," Markiplier says.

Naruto holds his chest again, just relieved he bought more time with a small crowd of fans chanting "Thank you, Naruto! *clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!* Thank you, Naruto! *clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!*" in response to that tactic. As Marshall restarts the count, Naruto stands down from the apron and grabs Beowulf, able to have enough time to push him all the way inside the ring. Beowulf stops at the center while Naruto climbs the ring…all the way up to the top turnbuckle. He waits patiently for Beowulf to stand up, crouching on the turnbuckle with him eyeing his stirring opponent like a hawk. After nearly half a minute of waiting, Beowulf stands up, unaware where Naruto is while still feeling the painful effects of the elbow drop through the table…

…and Naruto strikes the back of his head with a Missile Dropkick! Beowulf goes down and Naruto turns him over for the pin: 1…2…

…2.559 Beowulf pops the shoulder up. Naruto stands over Beowulf, who is rising to all fours…then he applies a Full Nelson, keeping it locked as he forces the challenger on his feet…but after half-a-minute of pressuring the submission, Beowulf uses all his strength to break out of it and back elbows the champ. But Naruto comes back with multiple forearms, ending up going rapid-fire with his strikes…then he puts him in a standing headscissors…and spreads his arms far out wide in the manner of a Phenomenal One.

"Naruto's setup and the pose—he's seeking a Styles Clash!" Kenji calls.

"Or in this case, an Uzumaki Clash!" Zack chimes in.

The Hero of Konoha wraps his arms tight around the midsection…lifts him high off the mat, holding him upside-down…while trying to hook his legs over the arms…

…but Beowulf moves around just enough to plant his feet…backpedal a few feet…

…and back body drops Naruto over the ropes…and he hangs on! Naruto pulls himself back up, standing the apron…and forearm smashes Beowulf before he can grab him. With Beowulf retreating…Naruto jumps from the apron to the top rope…

…and the Fly By (Springboard Seated Senton) GETS CAUGHT! Naruto is punching down on Beowulf, who refuses to stop his attempted Powerbomb…when Naruto counters into a Hurricanrana, sending Beowulf rolling out! With him outside, Naruto stays at the center of the ring…and sees Beowulf stirring and rising…and nods, motioning with his front hand to command him to stand. He hops lightly in excitement, eager to pull a new trick out of his hat…as he hits the ropes…

…runs fast across the ring…

…and vaults over via Suicide Somersault Senton, landing on top of Beowulf and up on his feet!

"He sticks the landing! Naruto Uzumaki, as Al Michaels like to say, SOARS and SCOOOOORES!" Markiplier exclaims.

"OOH-WEE! Talk about a high-risk maneuver!" Barney hollers.

Appreciating the applause from the front row, Naruto returns his focus on Beowulf and takes him back inside the ring. He climbs to the top rope, going high risk once more…

…and leaps for a Konoha Clash (Diving Double Foot Stomp)…

…but Beowulf moved out of the way in time, Naruto rolling through…

…and sprinting after a cornered Beowulf, who kicks his face in…

…and then…he sprints after Naruto…

…and into a Lightning Speed Cradle, homage to Hiroshi Tanahashi!

"WHOA, WHOA! Where did that come from?!" Barney asks.

Marshall counts 1…

2…

…2.575 Beowulf kicks out! …And Naruto snatches him in the tilt-a-whirl…

…stopping at a peculiar Over-the-shoulder Back-to-belly position…

…and drills Beowulf with Cursed Seal (Kryptonite Krunch)!

"CURSED SEAL! The final WWT World Champion pays another tribute, this time to a legendary promotion!" Markiplier calls.

"Don't forget how it's still used down over in CWF!" Barney points out. "Now the pin! Onward to victory, perhaps?!"

Marshall drops for the cover: 1…

2…

…2.625 Beowulf kicks out!

"NOOOO, NOT ENOUGH!" Kenji exclaims.

Naruto, the frustration showing, clenches his head and slaps the mat that the Cursed Seal couldn't do it…so he shouts, "FINE!" and goes back up to the top rope. Everyone wonders what's he going up there again for…and Naruto stands tall on the turnbuckle…

…holds up a Tanahashi esque hand sign…

…and LEAPS for the High Fly Flow!

"TANAHASHI FROG SPLASH!"

Beowulf gets his knees up for Naruto's gut to land on and his whole body to bounce off of!

"HIGH FLY—NO! Beowulf blocks the Frog Splash in time with his knees!" Markiplier exclaims as Beowulf rolls up Naruto with the leg hooked. "Cover!"

Marshall Eriksen counts 1…

2…

…2.675 Naruto kicks out!

"And Naruto stays in at a near-fall!" Barney shouts. "Can any of these guys stay down?!"

"They've been answering that for us all through this whole match, Stinson; it's a DEFINITE 'no'!" Kenji states.

Naruto remains on the mat holding his abdomen and kicking his feet against the floor in agony while Beowulf finds himself in the corner, pulling himself up via the ropes. The King of Blood ambles over to the champion, grabbing him his near arm and leg to drag him over to the corner Naruto failed the High Fly Flow. From there…he starts his ascension to the top turnbuckle.

"Hang on, hang on, Beowulf heading up the high-rent district… Guys, h-have you ever seen Beowulf the top rope before?!" Zack asks.

"Not that I know of!" Kenji replies, just as surprised.

…Beowulf, winding up his shoulder on the apron, takes a few steps to his terminus…

…and reaches to a crouching position…

…but Naruto abruptly leaps from the canvas to the ropes, causing Beowulf to lose his footing and fall on his lower regions! Beowulf's face scrunches up with all the weight coming down on his lower area…and this is giving Naruto plenty of time to recover and bring himself back in the driver's seat. Eventually, Naruto joins Beowulf on the same middle row as he punches his temple in. Beowulf is retaliating with his own strikes…both going back and forth…until Beowulf hits a European Uppercut…once…twice…thrice…and Naruto falls back to the ring. Beowulf stays standing on the second rope…

…Naruto lying in perfect position…

…and Beowulf…springs and turns onto the top rope

and lands an effortlessly Double Jump Moonsault on top of NOBODY! Naruto moved out of the way!

"HA-HA, WHAT?!" Barney exclaims.

"HOLY SHIT!" Zack execrates unexpectedly.

"WHERE THE HELL DID THAT MOONSAULT COME FROM?!" Markiplier yells.

Beowulf on his feet, feeling the painful aftermath of the failed Moonsault…and Naruto picks him up on his shoulders

"NARUTO…!"

and plants Ninja's Way!

"…NINDO—NINJA'S WAY! ALL THE WAY!" Kenji calls. "COVER! HOOKS THE LEG!"

1…

2…

…2.7585 Beowulf kicks out at a near-fall!

"AND THE MATCH CONTINUES!" Zack shouts. "…My GOD, what a match so far!"

"You're telling me! Beowulf kicks out of the Ninja's Way, just after failing the Moonsault!" Barney says. "Speaking of which, in Mark's words, WHERE IN THE HELL DID THAT MOONSAULT COME FROM?!"

"THAT WAS A 275-POUND BEAST SPRINGING—JUMPING FROM THE SECOND TO TOP ROPE, PERFORMING THAT MOONSAULT! THE AGILITY, MAN!" Markiplier states, replays being shown. "THE EXECUTION WAS BEAUTIFUL! THE LANDING IS ANOTHER STORY!"

"Naruto moved out of the way and took down Beowulf with the Ninja's Way! But somehow, Beowulf kicked out!" Kenji remarks. "If he had been able to hit it, imagine Beowulf winning the title just like that!"

The Staples Center show their appreciation through the loudest cheers possible as Beowulf and Naruto remain flat on the canvas. Over thirty seconds later, Naruto is the first moving…and he slowly crawls to Beowulf. Then he grabs him in a Front Facelock, trying to bring him to a vertical position…until Beowulf breaks out and lands a hard right to the jaw. Naruto stumbles…and he returns the punch back to him. Everyone knows how this goes: Beowulf and Naruto refusing to let up on their strikes, back and forth they go…and Naruto is smashing his opponent's face with one forearm…two forearms…three forearms…and a Lariat—Beowulf ducks under…

…Superkick—no, Naruto catches the foot! And he twists it around with the Kyuubi Lock, taking a page out of his UCA playbook! Beowulf stands on his hands, screaming in pain…before suddenly reversing it and pulling Naruto forward…

…and applying the Kneebar! Beowulf twisting and wrenching that Kneebar to make Naruto let out a brief howl from the pain shooting to the targeted area…but he outwits Beowulf into moving back on top of him in a pinning predicament: 1…

2…

…2.55 Beowulf kicks out, Naruto rolling forward…and Beowulf still hanging onto the leg to reapply the Kneebar once again! Both men on their backs, Beowulf ruthlessly wrenching the hold as Naruto screams in agony! He tries kicking down and at Beowulf with his good leg, but it only incites Beowulf to twist the knee even worse! In a desperate situation, Naruto sits up…grabbing Beowulf's arm—the arm of his injured shoulder…

…and pulls at it long enough to put on an Armbar! Beowulf ACTUALLY panics with the injured area being targeted…and with Naruto above him, he manages to roll over…both men on their knees, Beowulf behind Naruto…frees his arm…wraps them around Naruto's waist…

…DEADLIFTS him for a German Suplex…but Naruto elbows his face TWICE…

…and he Standing Switches into a Drop Toe Hold…into the Will of Fire! The Stepover Toehold is applied…and as for the Facelock part, Naruto uses Beowulf's OWN RIGHT ARM to wrap firmly against his throat! Naruto is trying to force Beowulf to choke himself out!

"Back and forth, counter for counter, hold for hold! How long—STF! The Will of Fire!" Markiplier exclaims. "Look at the setup! Naruto's thighs are wrapped around the ankle while he's using Beowulf's damaged arm to press against his esophagus! He's making it impossible for Beowulf to reach the ropes!"

"So he's either got to pass out or tap out! How embarrassing for both options!" Barney comments.

"Will this be how Naruto retains his championship?! Is this how Beowulf's undefeated streak comes to an end?!" Kenji queries.

A full minute passes…and Beowulf is STILL kicking and screaming, shown reaching out for the ropes with his free hand while bellowing at the top of his lungs. Naruto's screams are in equal volume to his opponent's as he stretches his back, neck and knee altogether. That wrist of Beowulf's he pulls back proves to be a wise choice for his part. Eventually, Beowulf has had enough of suffering in his spot as he commences his slow, agonizing crawl towards the ropes with just one arm. Naruto's eyes are WIDE with how Beowulf is still able to move notwithstanding the arm used against him. Beowulf is now FINGERTIPS away…

…and…

…Naruto is forced to break the hold temporarily…as he drags Beowulf back to the center…and gets pushed away! Both men on their feet…and Beowulf catches the kicking leg! One tight throat-clutch later…

…and Beowulf CHOKESLAMS Naruto from SEVEN FEET high in the air!

"CHOKESLAM! Chokeslam with authority!" Kenji exclaims.

"Good God almighty, what a Chokeslam!" Mark shouts.

"That was the biggest Chokeslam I've ever seen!" Barney says.

Beowulf still holds the leg for the pin attempt: 1…

"Can Beowulf do it here?! Is that enough to win the World Title?!" Zack queries.

2…

…2.8575 Naruto rolls the shoulder up!

"NARUTO IS ALIVE! NARUTO KICKS OUT AT NEAR-FALL!" Zack answers his own questions.

"MY GOD! THE RESILIENCE AND THE WILL OF THE INAUGURAL ACW WORLD CHAMPION IS UNBELIEVABLE!" Mark calls. "That Chokeslam was a SLAM DUNK! And Naruto just BARELY able to kick out of it! He's not letting his world title reign die, not to a move like that! HE refuses to DIE!"

"Doesn't he know when to quit?!" Barney exclaims.

"I doubt that word actually exists in his vocabulary, Stinson!" Kenji quips.

Beowulf is almost exasperated, glaring down at Naruto…and as much as he admires his resilience, it's only a matter of whether his heart or body outdo the other. He fully stands up…just as Naruto lifted his head…and he grabs it to set up the Wulfhammer.

"The challenger seeking to end this now with a Wulfhammer," Mark says as Beowulf winces draping Naruto's arm over his neck, "but he's only got one arm to do it. Can he actually pull it off with a bad shoulder?"

Beowulf grabs the waistline…lifts him off his feet…

…but not all the way, the injury proving to delay him from executing it. Naruto is weak and vulnerable enough for the finishing blow, but Beowulf is struggling to bear with it. Beowulf is hurt…but damn it all, he wants to win the World Championship and he's not gonna stop until he gets it; no pain, no gain, after all. He finds the surge of energy to hold Naruto on his feet…lets out a loud bellow at the top of his lungs…

"He musters up the strength—he's sucking it up…!" Zack perceives.

lifts Naruto up

…and…Naruto slides down with a rear waistlock, running at the ropes for the Nine-Tails Destroyer!

"Another page from UCA…!" Mark calls.

Beowulf hangs onto the ropes, Naruto rolling through…

…and the Spear is countered into a Nine-Tailed Plunge! The Beast of Geats rolls to the corner, where Naruto quickly picks him back up…

…Full Nelson applied…

…and hits a Snap Dragon Suplex!

"SNAP DRAGON! SNAP DRAGON!" Zack shouts.

"Naruto in the corner…LOOKING FOR A FINISHING BLOW HERE…!" Barney utters.

Naruto eagerly demands for a slowly rising Beowulf to his knees…

…and he looks up…

…ORANGE SPARK EXECUTED, NARUTO KNEE STRIKING BEOWULF'S FACE!

"ORANGE SPARK! THAT'S IT! THAT'S IT!" Zack calls. "MIDDLE OF THE RING, HE NAILS IT!"

"…BUT HE'S NOT DONE!" Kenji says, mentioning Naruto wrapping the arms around his waist…deadlifts the dead weight…

…and, with an echoing roar, Naruto performs the Spiraling Strife Bomb (Deadlift Gutwrench Sitout Powerbomb)!

"GUTWRENCH POWERBOMB! BEOWULF'S HEAD BOUNCES OFF THE CANVAS!" Markiplier bellows at the top of his lungs.

Naruto keeps his sitting pose for the pin: 1…

2…

…2.575 Beowulf kicks out!

"AAH, BEOWULF KICKS OUT!" Kenji exclaims.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Barney cries.

But Naruto still hangs onto him…for he smirks, as if KNOWING he was going to kick out…

…because he turns over…

rises to his feet with Beowulf held upside-down

"NO! NOT IMPOSSIBLE! NARUTO STILL ONE MORE TRICK UP HIS SLEEVE—THE UZUMAKI CLASH!" Zack shouts.

both feet already stepped over Beowulf's arms

but his head appears dangerously close to the mat due to his tall stature

and nonetheless, Naruto slams Beowulf's entire BODY with an Uzumaki Clash (Styles Clash)!

"UZUMAKI CLASH! HE GOT ALL OF IT! …AND THANK GOD BEOWULF'S HEAD DIDN'T GET BOTCHED MIDWAY!" Barney utters.

"Beowulf got Powerbombed and slammed by a powerful Naruto; his body has to be a WRECK now!" Mark states.

The ACW World Champion turns him over once more to hold the pin down, hoping this would do it: 1…

"And here I sit declaring, BADA-BING…"

2…

"…BADA-BOOM…"

2.875 Beowulf powers out!

"…FORGET—NOOOOO! IMPOSSIBLE! IM-FREAKING-POSSIBLE!" Barney screams.

"UNBELIEVABLE, BEOWULF KICKS OUT!" Kenji shouts.

"THE VEXATION ON NARUTO'S FACE AND IN HIS EYES IS AS CLEAR AS FREAKING DAY!" Zack mentions Naruto's gaping mouth and saucer-like wide eyes to the kick-out…as he then covers his face up and lies back to SCREAM his frustrations out!

"HOW IN THE NAME OF ALL THE DEITIES THAT EXIST IN THE MULTIVERSE…DID BEOWULF EVEN FIND THE STRENGTH TO KICK OUT?!" Markiplier lets that question hang in the air, replays rerunning the Orange Spark, the Powerbomb and the Uzumaki Clash. "It started off with the Orange Spark…HABUSKI, nailed his face in with the knee and follows with the Gutwrench Sitout Powerbomb! …Now listen to the impact—watch Beowulf's head bounce off! …The ELEVATION! The POWER! The KICK-OUT…which Naruto counted on him doing that!"

"Naruto turned it around for the Uzumaki Clash…the head of Beowulf hung DANGEROUSLY low to the canvas, but Naruto thankfully plants it with no problem…only it WASN'T ENOUGH! Somehow, someway, Beowulf managed to KICK OUT of those two-hit combo slams!" Kenji yells.

"I TOLD YOU PEOPLE! I FREAKING TOLD YOU—BEOWULF IS NOT A MAN; HE'S A F*CKING BEAST! A REAL MONSTER, MORE SO THAN GRENDAL, HIS MAMA AND THE DRAGON COMBINED!" Barney proclaims.

"THIS IS AWESOME! *clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!* THIS IS AWESOME! *clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!*" chants ring LOUD in the arena—so loud, the very ground is likely shaking outside the Staples Center.

Naruto is clenching the top half of his face tight with his teeth gritting, exposing his frustration.

Beowulf appears SO knocked out, but the kick-outs have shown otherwise with his warrior's spirit REFUSING to die.

After forty-five seconds of resting…Naruto eventually sits up, removing his hands from his face as his head is hung low…

…before slowly lifting it up, spooking the audience in front of him…

…for his Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's eyes are revealed.

"Oh, dear. Ohhh, no—that's not a good sign," Zack gulps.

"The Nine-Tailed Fox is UNLEASHED and he's PISSED!" Barney states.

Naruto menacingly stands up on his feet, red eyes with slit pupils, feral sharp teeth and all…glances over to Beowulf…

…then back to the hard camera…

…for an intense cutthroat gesture, earning a pop from the crowd!

"The Undertaker's signature taunt! He's seeking a Tombstone Piledriver straight from the WWE playbook now!" Markiplier exclaims. "There's no emptiness in those eyes—there is FOCUS."

The champion, fueled by the Nine-Tails' power, grabs Beowulf and pops him over his shoulder…has the Tombstone all set up…

…but the Piledriver part is giving Naruto trouble…

…due to Beowulf moving his legs around…standing on his feet

and holding Naruto in the position he was in! Beowulf…DOESN'T go for the Tombstone…

…as he gets reversed by Naruto—WHO HE TOSSES WITH A HEADSCISSORS TAKEOVER! Naruto is out of the ring from the momentum…and he stumbles into the final standing announce table. Beowulf is barely standing…but he can see Naruto resting against the announce table…and he makes a run for the ropes…

"Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute…!" Mark utters.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, NO! NARUTO, GET AWAY FROM OUR TABLE, YOU IDIOT!" Barney shouts rapidly.

goes across the whole ring

and VAULTS over the top rope with a Suicide Dive, crashing through NARUTO and THE TABLE!

"Hooo—OHHHHHHHHHH!" Zack hollers.

"SUICIDE DIVE! OVER THE TOP ROPE! BEOWULF JUST DEFIED GRAVITY ONCE AGAIN AND TOOK NARUTO OUT ALONG WITH OUR TABLE!" Markiplier exclaims.

"NOOOOO! SO CLOSE! SO CLOSE TO BE THE ONLY TABLE LEFT ALIVE!" Barney cries.

"Karma's a BITCH, isn't it, Stinson?!" Kenji mocks.

"SHUT UP, KENJI! YOU'RE NOT HELPING!" Barney snaps.

"…" Kenji was in STUNNED silence. "…he said my name right… He said my name right… HE SAID MY NAME RIGHT! BROTHER, STINSON FINALLY GOT IT RIGHT FOR ONCE IN HIS MISERABLE LIFE!" Kenji yells in victory, shaking Zack.

"Ah-ah-ah—as much as I'm happy to hear that, we still have a match to call, Ken!" Zack's voice vibrates from being shaken.

"YEAH, SO SHUT UP, LARRY!" Barney shouts.

"…Once is good enough for me!" Kenji pumps both fists up, a small section of the front row cheering behind him.

Meanwhile…

…the rest of the audience were chanting, "HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT!" They've seen a 300-pound Deadman pull this stunt off, but to another man through an announce table? That's another story for THIS match. Beowulf and Naruto lie beside each other in the debris, both unmoving whatsoever since the collision while Marshall checks on their well-being. With the way things looked, he had to perform his duty as he heads back in the ring and starts the ten-count: 1…

2…

3…

4…

5…

Naruto and Beowulf aren't moving still.

6…

7…

8…

They STILL aren't moving from the wreckage.

"Oh, Lord, don't tell me this is really gonna end in a double count-out!" Markiplier groans.

"Naruto will retain, but I doubt he'll enjoy victory like this when he wakes up!" Zack says.

"Well, this is what they get for wrecking MY table!" Barney shouts.

"You REALLY are an ass, Stinson," Kenji glares.

9…

…the fans are already BOOING…

…but Marshall, just as he was about to count to ten, says, "Know what? HELL NO! Not like this!" and leaves the ring! He barks orders for Naruto and Beowulf, as hurt as they are, to get their asses up and back inside. With no response, Marshall decides to take matters into his own hands and grabs Naruto to throw him in the ring! The same goes for Beowulf! Because of this action, the Los Angeles natives are cheering for the senior official enforcing his right to continue the match as he then says, "FIGHT, you two! I wanna see a WINNER here just like everyone else in this arena!"

As everyone chants his surname, Markiplier says, "How about that, absolute control for the referee! Marshall says that there must be a winner, there WILL be a winner tonight! No cheap double count-out to cap off the first-ever Summer Wars event! THANK YOU, MARSHALL ERIKSEN! How Lily must be proud of you!"

The senior official orders and motions for the two to stand…and soon, Beowulf stirs…and so does Naruto, both of them locking eyes and staring holes through each other. Naruto still has the Kyuubi eyes while Beowulf fearlessly looks into that demonic glare. They claw and cling onto each other just to get to their feet…and when they did, Naruto first strikes a knife edge chop…and Beowulf retaliates with his own, both earning woos for their chops.

Naruto hits a right low kick to the thigh…Beowulf pushes him with a Big Boot to the chest…

…Naruto rebounds with a forearm smash…which Beowulf repeats to him…

…Naruto nails another backhand chop…and Beowulf ends with an overhead chop to the chest!

From there, Naruto staggers…and kicks Beowulf in the gut, then up his face…misses the Ninja Kick as Beowulf picks him up on his shoulders! From the Fireman's Carry, he drops him to his feet…and the Discus Elbow Smash is blocked with Naruto's own elbow! Both no doubt have likely shattered their elbows…but Naruto capitalizes with a jumping Orange Spark, sending Beowulf to the corner…

…where he hits a Step-up High Knee…and then another for good measure! Naruto throws Beowulf over to the center so he can climb on the top turnbuckle; he squats in his spot, waiting for Beowulf to stand at a bent-over position…

…and seeing as he did, Naruto dives off with the Leg Drop Bulldog…

…and he misses the mark, Beowulf backing away in time! Naruto pops up nursing his backside and misses the Clothesline…

…as Beowulf rebounds from the ropes and hits the Spear!

"SPEAR! SPEAR BY BEOWULF!" Kenji calls. "But the bad shoulder…!"

And Beowulf merely LEAPS to his feet with a roar that was long and loud!

"WHOA! The Myth on his feet!" Zack shouts.

"But how?! Wasn't his shoulder injured this whole match?!" Barney asks.

"Yes, his right shoulder…" Mark says as the replays reveal the answer, "…but not his LEFT shoulder! Beowulf learned from his mistakes and adapted to use the left shoulder for the tackle! And he's going for the pin already!"

Beowulf drops back down for the hook of the leg: 1…

2…

2.999999999 Naruto manages a kicks out to the shock of the MULTIVERSE!

"GOOD GRAVY! ANOTHER KICK-OUT! JESUS H. CHRIST! …BEOWULF…JUST AS SHOCKED AS ALL OF US!" Mark bellows. "THAT SPEAR WASN'T ENOUGH TO PUT NARUTO AWAY! AND HE'S WONDERING WHY AND HOW!"

"Beowulf kicked out of the Ninja's Way earlier…and now, Naruto evens things up with him by kicking out of the Spear, much to Beowulf's astonishment!" Zack states.

"You know it typically ends with Beowulf hitting the Spear followed by the Wulfhammer…but with his bad shoulder, he couldn't risk giving Naruto a chance of quick recovery!" Barney reminds.

"Still, Naruto hasn't attacked the shoulder for quite some time…so we all have to wonder, how recovered is that shoulder now for Beowulf to hit the Wulfhammer and become the new champion?" Kenji adds a new question.

"That's something we'll find out for ourselves eventually, Ken," Zack replies.

As he sits next to Naruto, Beowulf's surprised expression has morphed into a look of realization; the Spear isn't enough. Not enough by itself for someone like Naruto Uzumaki. He has to use the Wulfhammer. He needs to hit the Wulfhammer. But he can he do it with a bad arm? Still, like Kenji asked, how recovered is it? He looks at his shoulder for a good while…and nods, deciding to risk it again and suck up the pain. He stands up, smacking the shoulder to force good feeling back into it before going to the corner for another Spear first. He's learned his mistakes…and now it's time to see if they ALL pay off. He maintains his Goldberg-esque setup in the corner as he watches Naruto stir, using the ropes for assistance…

…then when he finally stood, Naruto turns…

…as Beowulf sprints out of the corner at high speeds…

"Third Spear of the match, homeward booouuund…!" Mark draws out.

…and Naruto RUNS at him…BASEBALL SLIDING right by Beowulf and running all the way around…

…and rebounding off the ropes with a Dropkick to the shin! Beowulf down to a knee…

…and Naruto bounces right off the ropes with a Konoha Bulldog!

Beowulf catches Naruto midway through the Bulldog! He sets him up into a Pumphandle hold…pops him over the shoulder…and the Emerald Flowsion is thwarted when Naruto front flipped onto his feet! Quick Back Kick to the gut! And…Naruto hoists him on his shoulders, Ninja's Way about to go underway…

…and…Beowulf front flips onto his feet off the momentum! Naruto swings and misses the Lariat…

…Beowulf runs past Naruto…

…both hit the ropes…

and…Beowulf BLASTS Naruto in mid-leapfrog with a Spear!

"SPEAR! SPEAR! SPEEEAAAR!" Zack screeches.

"AND NOW…"

Beowulf LEAPS with a ROAR, the Staples Center all behind him…as he takes Naruto to his vertical base…

…grits his teeth through the pain in the setup…

but he hoists him off his feet in a Vertical Suplex

"…IT'S ALL OR NOTHING FOR BEOWULF!" Kenji states.

AND…BEOWULF SLAMS THE CHAMP WITH A WULFHAMMER!

"WULFHAMMER! WULFHAMMER CONNECTS!" Markiplier…marks out.

Beowulf cinches the hook of the leg with an intense glare to the hard camera as Marshall Eriksen counts: 1…

"AND IT'S MY HONOR TO CONLUDE THIS MATCH BY SAYING, BADA-BING…"

2…

"…BADA-BOOM…"

…3!

"…FORGET ABOUT IT! BEOWULF'S DONE IT!" Barney concludes as the bell rings.

"ELEVEN AND ZERO! THE REAL-LIFE FIVE-YEAR UZUMAKI REIGN…IS OVER!" Markiplier exclaims as the Los Angeles crowd is in a frenzy! "HISTORY HAS REPEATED ITSELF! BUT THIS TIME…WE HAVE A NEW ACW HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD!"

Beowulf and Naruto are both down on the canvas…"Who's Next?" playing in the background…both men SPENT, panting, catching their breath…the fans vocalizing Beowulf's name à la Goldberg chants…

"Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of this match…and the NEEEEEEEEEEW ACW Champion of the World…the 2013 King of Blood, 'The Beast of Geats' BEOOOWUUUUULF!" Maria Lopez announces.

…and after nearly a minute—fifty seconds, to be exact…Beowulf manages to sit up, nursing that injured shoulder…and he looks up at the lights…in VICTORY, evidenced by that grin of his. The King…of ACW stands up, pain notwithstanding all over his body, and raises his left fist to enormous cheers. During then, Marshall is checking on the defeated, panting Naruto…and they appear to be having a quick conversation, the mic not able to catch what they're saying. Still, the attention is ALL on Beowulf as he climbs up a corner and raises his left fist once again.

"Naruto Uzumaki PROVED to be a worthy foe for Beowulf as did Beowulf to be a worthy challenger for him…but Beowulf REMAINS undefeated!" Zack proclaims. "Beowulf is NOW the King of ACW as the World Champion! Beowulf is NOW Da Man!"

"Better yet, brother," Kenji speaks, "in just a few hours before midnight, he'll enter the APEX Era…as the KING of APEX CALIBER WRESTLING. The Apex King. The APEX…World…Champion."

"The more you say 'Apex' before then, Neji, I'm already gonna get sick of it," Barney deadpans.

"But still, YES…a new era has DAWNED upon us all…and we have a new world champion to guide us through," Markiplier states. "Naruto and Beowulf together have shown so much spirit, so much respect, yet so much aggressiveness…and in the end, Beowulf proves himself right to repeat history…but not about Naruto being afraid after what they went through."

Beowulf gets off of the turnbuckle…and Marshall stands beside him to raise his hand, signaling him as the victor to another round of cheers. Strange enough, Beowulf should be holding his new world title now, but he isn't. He asks Marshall where it is at…and he merely gestures to Naruto before leaving the ring. Curious, Beowulf looks over…and sees Naruto, wincing from his body finally taking a toll from the endured pain…sliding in the ring with the ACW World Championship in hand.

"Naruto…with the world title belt at hand… This ought to be interesting," Kenji says.

As the music fades out, Beowulf and Naruto stand in front and stare at each other at the center…the audience unsure of what's to come next now that Naruto's lost to Beowulf…AGAIN. As great of a match Naruto had with Beowulf…a look of disappointment has existed on his face since the bell rang. He looks down at the belt, hand resting on the main plate…and says, "Guess all good things must come to an end eventually… Isn't that right?" The question reserved for Beowulf…and he nods lightly and slowly. Naruto almost cracks a sad smile…

…before looking at Beowulf with a reformed, proud grin, requesting he'd face the hard camera. Beowulf…trusting Naruto, complies and raises his arms up…as Naruto wraps the ACW World Championship around his waist, clipping it on firmly with the Staples Center cheering and whistling to this gesture of passing the torch. When that was done, Naruto takes his wrist and raises it up high in the air to a standing ovation as "Who's Next?" plays once more.

"The crowning achievement. The coronation of King Beowulf," Mark comments. "Nothing brings a smile more on any fan of wrestling, whether a spectator or a participant, than respect being shown between two of the best wrestlers in the entire prospect of pro wrestling."

"Indeed, Mark. Indeed," Zack nods.

"Naruto was willing to give Beowulf his moment, wanting to be the one to hand Beowulf the belt and show he's earned it after this long hard fought contest," Kenji says.

"If that's all you guys have to say something, let me add a few more words…Naruto Uzumaki: Glory Hog," Barney utters.

"Don't be a dick, Stinson," Kenji glares.

Naruto still holds Beowulf's fist for each side of the arena to congratulate the new champion before letting go to shake his hand and brings him in to speak into his ear. The cameraman was close enough to hear Naruto say, "You really do deserve this, Beowulf. I mean that. You got a big responsibility to be the top dog of this young promotion; it needs a new face like you. …But while you may be The King now…wait until round three when I decide to come after you for that belt." Beowulf raises a brow and lightly pulls away…still hanging onto the handshake…and grins, firmly grasping the former world champion's hand and replying, "I'd be very happy for that third encounter with you, Naruto Uzumaki. Hopefully…it'd be better than THIS ONE."

So Naruto grins back…firmly grasping as well…and retorts, "Suppose we'll see. Until then…enjoy your reign, buddy." He pats his shoulder and takes his departure, allowing Beowulf to continue his celebration alone in the squared circle…while wincing and shaking the pain off his hand from Beowulf's immense strength. "Okay, seriously, how strong is that guy?" he asks the camera in front of him. "OW…"

"…Same old knucklehead as always," Kenji chuckles as Hinata Hyuga is now seen joining Naruto and escorting him to the back. "Still, Beowulf vs. Naruto III? Count me in."

"Hopefully it won't be too soon, nor too long for that to happen," Zack says.

"To cap off what has been a SPECTACULAR first-ever Summer Wars event, we have seen vengeance being fulfilled, rookies on the rise, rivals being concluded, half of our titles retained while the other half have found new titleholders—one of them we are seeing right now," Markiplier states. "Personally, to me, I rate this main event FIVE STARS. You can say I'm exaggerating, but it's my opinion as I am DAMN PROUD and HONORED to have the opportunity to sit at ringside and call the action with you three as a fellow commentator."

"That really means a lot to us, Mark. Thank you and the same can be said from us to you," Kenji nods.

"All the sentimental stuff aside, guys…we're just about to go off the air," Barney brings up.

"Ah, yes," Mark acknowledges. "Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you've all enjoyed what we've brought to you here from Los Angeles, California in the Staples Center with nearly 21,000 attendants witnessing a spectacle and history in front of their eyes and yours. I've been Markiplier with Kenji Matsuo, Zack Carver and Barney Stinson of Friday Night Ignition…alongside Ted Mosby, Ned Bigby and Logan Reese of Saturday Night RAMPAGE saying…THANK YOU. Thank you, everybody, for supporting ACW all this time, though good and bad. Thank you so much for watching Summer Wars and we will see YOU…next time as Apex Caliber Wrestling. WELCOME TO THE APEX ERA! BUH-BYYYYYE!"

With the outros concluded…Beowulf stands at the center removing his belt…and raises it with both hands, triggering a pyro celebration above him! Yellow pyro goes off as confetti falls, signifying this historic moment for Beowulf…and for ACW itself…as we enter another new era, Summer Wars fading to black.

The adolescent time of 'awesome' is OVER.

The time is NOW…

…for Apex Caliber Wrestling to begin.


Results for Summer Wars:

Kickstart Show – Zeke Aries def. Kenshin Himura via pinfall [14:45]

Kickstart Show – Alpha & Omega [c] def. The Naughty Dogs via pinfall to retain the ACW World Tag Team Championship [18:20]

Luke Smith [c] def. PewDiePie via pinfall to retain the ACW Evolve Championship [15:29]

Isaac Clarke def. Rogen Townsend via pinfall [10:01]

iGeneration (with Freddie Benson) def. Hart of Hyuga [c] via pinfall to become the new ACW Women's Tag Team Champions [13:33]

Ash Ketchum def. Seto Kaiba via pinfall [17:50]

Fatal 4-Way Hardcore Match – Sasuke Uchiha def. Ichigo Kurosaki [c], Jason Krueger and Tommy Oliver via pinfall to become the new ACW Hardcore Champion [12:34]

Triple Threat Match – Satsuki Kiryūin def. Téa Gardner [c] and Mai Valentine via pinfall to become the new ACW World Women's Champion [16:19]

Tornado Tag Team Steel Cage Match – Takashi Komuro and Kohta Hirano def. The Gods of Darkness [14:28]

Vergil def. Dante via pinfall [21:12]

Main Event – Beowulf def. Naruto Uzumaki [c] via pinfall to become the new ACW World Champion [28:00]


Two months, this main card took to finish. Wow. I really went into overdrive. XD

But yes…Summer Wars is finished…and Awesome Championship Wrestling is NO MORE. NOW…Apex Caliber Wrestling is here. ;P As I have matured with my writing, so should my promotion itself. And as obvious as the results were, I'm sure you all enjoyed the matches nonetheless for I have worked quite hard on, especially the last four matches, to get this entire pay-per-view finished. I will say, going turbo was worth the lack of sleep. B)

Be sure to leave a review by the time you're done reading, whether it's praise, constructive criticism, advice, and so on—just as long as they're not meaningless trolls or flames. Reviews are much appreciated and make me a happy, happy, happy author.

Until then, folks…later.