DISCLAIMER: All characters (fiction, nonfiction and other OCs) mentioned and lyrics used here are properties of their respective owners; only Ricardo Alvarez, Jr., Jesse Alvarez, Joshua Garza, Alpha & Omega, The Wolves, Kurt Hudson, Alyssa Parker, Lisa Weston, Kenji Matsuo, Zack Carver, "Violet" Clarissa Rivera, Mike "The Mic" Martin, Maria Lopez, and referees (minus Marshal Eriksen) are my property.

Enjoy.


APEX Homecoming – Nov. 26th, 2022

[TV-14]

The camera hovers over the road before it pans up to reveal Downtown San Antonio lit in the night. The lights in the city shine bright, citizens are minding their own business, and the sounds of cars passing by or honking. As the camera slowly zooms into the city, it fades to the sidewalk…and "tapping" sounds are heard off-screen…before we see the source of the sounds by mere footsteps passing by.

We see two young men, whose faces were masked by shadows, stopping at a crosswalk, one of them pressing a button to be allowed to walk across the street. Meanwhile, the other, having his earbuds on the whole time, looks through his playlist on his phone to put on a song for the small voyage. The one he found was enough to make him smile and play it. Soon as it did, the walk sign was on and both men start their crossing…with a little pink butterfly following them.

[I'm coming home, I'm coming home

Tell the world I'm coming home…]

The silhouettes of both young men pass by the landmarks from the Tower of the Americas to the San Antonio Riverwalk, the Cathedral of San Fernando, and the Alamo as each had faded into the scene by the piano notes.

[Let the rain wash away

All the pain of yesterday

I know my kingdom awaits

And they've forgiven my mistakes]

The man with his smartphone scrolls through old news articles, reading about Apex Caliber Wrestling's failures and collapsing on itself. Frowning, he swipes them all away to find a more recent article reading, "APEX is Coming Home". He cracks a bigger smile with a nod, happy to read this piece of news. He gets a few taps on the shoulder, looking over and that person walking alongside with him was revealed to be Joshua Garza, who nods his head over to gesture they made their destination. He takes off his earbuds to look up to find all the those at APEX Headquarters.

Now revealed as Jesse Alvarez, he sees all who are there to welcome him and Josh back—the same people who've been in APEX since the very beginning; Kenji Matsuo, Zack Carver, Clarissa Rivera, Mike "The Mic" Martin, Maria Lopez…and a new face, who steps through to be in front. That would be Ricardo Alvarez, Jr., Jesse's father, as he extends a hand towards him.

[I'm coming home, I'm coming home

Tell the world that I'm coming…]

At that gesture, Jesse cracks one more smile and starts walking to his father. He reaches him and accepts his handshake before it turned into a hug. The screen fades to black…

…and the next day comes, the AT&T Center shown taking up the whole display as the camera zooms inside the arena at rapid speeds. Flying by all the way to the center, another fast-forward effect happens to have the crew set the stage up, the ring itself, and much more.

[I'm back where I belong (Yeah…)

I never felt so strong, man (I'm back, baby!)]

The camera catches behind-the-scenes archive footage of backstage and authority management helping out to set up what should be done for Homecoming. Joshua is seen talking to the whole roster, Jesse interacting with the commentators, and Ricardo in a meeting with the board of directors.

[I feel like there's nothing I can't try~

And if you feel me, put your hands high~ (Put your hands high)]

In a photoshoot, Ricardo, Jesse and Joshua pose professionally at first…but then Ricardo decides to just wrap his arms around them, all of them smiling and posing proudly as a flash of light transitions to an FWM magazine with the tagline: "APEX is Coming Home! New Change of Pace!"

[If you ever lost a light before, this one's for you

(Baby, put your hands high~)

And you, the dreams are for you]

Another piece of archive footage shows each member of the APEX roster making their return with every contract re-signing or new signing successfully made, always in front of Ricardo himself. Those such the likes of the Yu-Gi-Oh! characters, Alpha & Omega, the Eds, The Wolves, the Apocalypse Academy stable, Spider-Man, Kurt Hudson and Alyssa Parker, Ash Ketchum, Beowulf, and Naruto Uzumaki. Each one always ended with a handshake, Ricardo saying, "Welcome home."

["Ain't No Stopping Us Now," I love that song

Whenever it comes on, it makes me feel strong

I thought I told y'all that we won't stop

'Til we back cruising through Harlem, these old blocks]

Dating back to the very first episode (and to the sounds of the reacting audience), a hidden camera catches footage from a different perspective of the first three matches—Altered Egos versus Alpha & Omega, The Erupting Eds vs. The Wolves, and Isaac Clarke vs. Naruto Uzumaki. More memorable matches and segments fly by with their best moments: the crowning of the inaugural champions; Beowulf's debut and dominant streak; Sasuke Uchiha striking a Punt Kick to Naruto's skull; Yugi Mutou performs a Duelist's Endgame off the top of a ladder to Seto Kaiba; Jason Krueger hits the Curb Stomp to Crash Bandicoot; Dante and Vergil colliding chairs into each other's skulls.

[It's what made me, saved me, drove me crazy

Drove me away, then embraced me

Forgave me for all of my shortcomings

Welcome to my homecoming!

Yeah, it's been a long time coming]

The trip down memory lane continues with the birth of the infamous Playground of Blood; the equally infamous six-man Tower of Doom in the Chamber; Beowulf's King of Blood coronation; Bakura and Marik put Kohta Hirano through the table by way of a Malevolent Nightmare; Krueger landing back-first onto the thumbtacks off a failed Piledriver before finishing Ichigo off with a Gore through the barricade; The Four Horsewomen debuting, uniting and making APEX both their home and personal kingdom; Godzilla lets out his iconic roar (which can be heard through the lyrics); Smosh on their debut night…

("Lllllllllllllllllllllet's get ready to SUCK IIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!" cried Anthony Padilla, followed by a shot of the cheering crowd.)

For these next best moments shown from APEX history, the song goes complete silent in its lyrics unlike its instrumental beat. Edback slaps both sides of his head one at a time before roaring…

("FEED ED MORE! FEED ED MORE!" the crowd chanted emphatically.)

…and then putting away some poor nameless jobber Into the Belly of Hades as Eddy cackles at ringside; Spin the Hedgehog runs down the ring on his unveiling night; The Symbiotes' silhouettes rise slowly in the spotlight from a low-angle shot to put on the powerful and threatening effect, soon letting out a ferocious screech towards the ring…

("Gah! I-It can't be!" Markiplier exclaimed in disbelief.

"Ho-ho, YEAH! Venom and Carnage have finally arrived in ACW!" Barney applauded.)

…and they categorically DESTROY Yugi with their Venomous Carnage; The Amazing Spider-Man lowers himself upside-down to the stage, then we snap to the moment he defeated Sasuke with the Spider Bite; Kaiba straight-up kidnapping Pikachu before Ash managed to rescue him by destroying his own household and stealing his three Blue-Eyes White Dragons; Hanzo Hasashi throws down his hands, fire consuming him to transform into Scorpion; Tommy Oliver, in a close-up shot, arrives onstage with his Green Ranger helmet flashing briefly over his head; The Gods of Darkness…just being the Gods of Darkness in general…

("Follow the Shadows…" cackled Yami Bakura's voice in the pitch blackness…until—

"DEH!"

A still of Bakura and Marik with a close-up of their maniacal grins flashes onscreen as a jumpscare.)

The screen has gone completely black…

…until the music comes back on completely with a wide and long shot of a whole lit AT&T Center from inside.

[Lot of fights, lot of scars, lot of bottles

Lot of cars, lot of ups, lot of downs]

Every inaugural champion that's been crowned is found posing with their belts, most sharing the same screen in half: Hart of Hyuga, ACW Women's Tag Team Championships, and Altered Egos, ACW Tag Team Championships; The Wolves, Trios Tag Team Championships; Duke Devlin, Television Championship; Dante, United States Championship, and Mason Stone, Intercontinental Championship; Luke Smith, Evolve Championship (after uniting all three previously acknowledged belts) Téa Gardner, ACW Women's Championship, and Naruto Uzumaki, ACW Undisputed Championship.

[Made it back, lost my dog (I miss you, Big!)

But here I stand (Here I stand…)

A better man (Don't stop!)]

Isaac Clarke embarks his long-awaited return to APEX at Summer Wars as his helmet folds back to show his stern face; The Hardcore Trinity flip and tilt the dumpster with Shocking Bite inside off the stage; then, the lyrics pause again, the beat keeps going, all for Jesse's speech as archived footage in black and white play to show the screaming, supportive fans (whether waiting in line or in the crowd), Jesse shaking hands with a new signee (who had dirty, shaggy blond hair, hint hint~), face APEX stars taking pictures with their fans and much more…

("It's just insane how far we've come. It's so crazy how fast and how big we've grown this far. It's thanks to you ALL, from the fans to the critics; positive or negative, your reception is what kept us going, what kept us changing throughout. Whether you critically acclaim or pan us, we LISTEN. We listen to what you LIKED and 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 [in the business], and the BEST matches to ever remember for DECADES! For CENTURIES! For many MILLENNIA! And we say THANK YOU! THANK 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~!")

[Thank you, Lord! (Thank you, Lord!)

Thank you all!]

…and the final image of that speech shows Jesse and Josh in front of the loud audience within Summer Wars, both smiling proudly and gratefully as the former blows a kiss to them.

[I'm coming home, I'm coming home (Oh!)

Tell the world that I'm coming home (I'm coming home!)]

Zeke Aries plants Kenshin Himura with a Reality Check; Alpha & Omega hold their World Tag Titles high after retaining against the Naughty Dogs; Luke Smith executes a Goldsmith to PewDiePie before leaving with his Evolve Championship.

[Let the rain wash away (Feels so good!)

All the pain of yesterday (Feel so free!)]

iGeneration mockingly flaunt their Women's Tag Team Titles to the crowd after winning it off Hart of Hyuga; Seto Kaiba nearly victorious off a White Dragon Plunge until Ash Ketchum came back with a Superkick/F-U combo to break his win it all; the massive anarchy spilt out in the Fatal 4-Way Hardcore Match until Sasuke viciously punts Jason's head off to pin Ichigo and win the belt, which he holds with a disturbing grin.

[I know my kingdom awaits (Ain't no place like home, baby!)

And they've forgiven my mistakes (Ain't no place like home!)]

Mai Valentine and Téa Gardner have their match of the night, Horsewomen interfering until the odds were evened and Satsuki Kiryūin cashing in to become the new APEX World Women's Champion; H.O.T.D. and G.O.D. colliding in violent moments inside the steel cage, ending with Takashi Komuro landing a Frog Splash for the win.

[I'm coming home, I'm coming home

Tell the world I'm coming…home~]

Dante and Vergil earning the spot as the penult match with the clinic they've put on (especially the MULTIPLE close calls), ending with Vergil winning off a Yamato X…and Dante, while dejected, still grateful for the applauding audience as he leaves; Beowulf and Naruto Uzumaki stare each other down, put on a clinic of their own for the anxious and eager crowd, right up until Beowulf hits the one-two combo of the Spear and Wulfhammer for the win. The final image, zooming out to reveal it was all on one singular widescreen television, was Naruto putting the world title around Beowulf's waist as he has passed the torch onto him…

…before a hand holding up a remote turns the TV off with it.

Ricardo Alvarez, Jr. is found alone in an office, finding the time to look back at the most unforgettable moments in APEX's past. He leans back in his chair as he takes his time to soak in all the great memories his son's company has made…but now it was time to make new ones. Getting out of his chair, Richard walks out of the office with the camera following him from behind, showing only his back. With multiple cutaways, Richard has walked through backstage, passing by a few writers, some ring crew, and even a few wrestlers chatting.

He eventually meets up with Joshua and Jesse at the Gorilla Position, the former asking, "Hello, Mr. Alvarez. You ready to do this, sir?"

"Of course. Are you, son?" Ricardo asks Jesse. "This is our one shot of making a real comeback here. Hope you don't regret it."

"Should be telling yourself that, Pops," Jesse quips, chuckling. "…Yeah, let's do this. Time to show we're back from the dead tonight."

"Amen," Ricardo grins.

And cue the music.

[B-b-b-b-b-back, back, back…

B-b-b-b-b-back, back, back…]

The trio head out as Ricardo leads the way and opens up the curtains, light consuming the whole screen…

[B-b-b-b-b-back, back, back!

B-b-b-b-b-back, back, back!]


"And now, Apex Caliber Wrestling proudly presents…

"HOMECOMING!"

Inside the dimly lit AT&T Center, gold and white pyrotechnics start shooting at machine gun speeds from top of the stage in a curve from both sides, and again all out from the tall arc above. Then, they shoot from bottom to top on that same arc, triggering another set of white pyro to go off straight down and cause gold pyro to shoot up from the stage. Rapid-fire golden white fireworks shoot again from the arc down and up as it also shoots up left to right on the stage, ending with one massive explosion in complete gold…and the lights brighten up the arena to unveil the APEX Homecoming stage (designed similarly to SummerSlam 2013) and an eagerly pumped-up San Antonio crowd as "Back from the Dead" by Skillet booms loud and clear!

[Light it up, light it up, now I'm burning!

Feel the rush, feel the rush of adrenaline!

We are young, we are strong, we will rise!

'Cause I'm back, back, back from the dead tonight!

To the floor, to the floor, hit the red line!

Flying high, flying high at the speed of light!

Full of love, full of light, full of fight!

'Cause I'm back, back, back from the dead tonight!]

"YES, IN-FUCKING-DEED, WE'RE BACK FROM THE DEAD TONIGHT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" Markiplier cries excitingly at the top of his lungs. "APEX CALIBER WRESTLING IS COMING TO YOU LIVE FROM THE ESTATIC SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS AT THE AT&T CENTER! OVER 15,000 LOYAL FANS ARE HERE TO EXPERIENCE THE RETURN OF APEX! AND WE ARE EXCITED TO SAY THAT THIS IS OUR RESURRECTION! THIS IS OUR REBIRTH! THIS…IS…OUR HOMECOMING! HELLOOOOOOOOO, EVERYBODY, MY NAME IS MARKIPLIER…AND IT IS SO GOOD TO BE HOME FOR APEX AS A WHOLE!"

"I can definitely say you're speaking for all of us at this table, Mark!" Kenji Matsuo laughs.

"Long as I don't come close to losing a job again, I'll take sitting here with Senji across from me than the worse thing possible," Barney Stinson proclaims.

"…That's strangely the nicest thing you've said about me, Stinson," Kenji blinks.

"Take what you can get, bro," Barney replies.

"Anyways, introductions: Mark already covered himself, but you know the rest from the Ignition table as 'The Legen—wait for it—DARY Commentator' Barney Stinson, 'The Honest Man from the Land of Japan' Kenji Matsuo, and ME, 'That Guy' Zack F'n Carver!" grins Zackery, pointing thumbs at himself.

"Hey, hey…aren't you three losers and Master Stinson forgetting someone?" asks a Southern Californian male with brown curly and slightly tanned skin off-screen.

"I think you really mean they're forgetting three fellow commentators at this table," states Ned Bigby, revealed by the camera's panning alongside Logan Reese and Ted Mosby at the announce table from the Ignition team's right.

"No need, we can introduce ourselves as well," Ted brushes off. "Here at the RAMPAGE table are the voices of 'The Architect' Ted Mosby, 'The Creator of the Guide' Ned Bigby, and 'Gorgeous' Logan Reese!"

"Oh-ho, NOT SO FAST, gentlemen!" chimes in Matthew "MatPat" Patrick, who is seen with Ross Tweddell at the APEX Underground table. "Don't even think of leaving US behind!"

"You don't even have your own brand's matches on tonight's card, nerd!" Logan berates. "Get outta here! You and fatso over there!"

"Piss off, pretty boy!" Ross shouts.

"Whoa, whoa, let's cool our jets, guys! Besides, there's way too many voices to speak for ONE MATCH at a time!" Zack tries to suppress any arguments. "Any more talking and we'll be like Randy Orton's theme song."

"He's right, especially with the opening match arriving at any moment," Markiplier points out, "sooo…MatPat, Ross—you two are take charge of the Intercontinental Rumble!"

"YES! We won't let you down, Mark!" MatPat proclaims excitingly.

"Oh, come on!" Logan whines.

"We'll get our turn eventually, Reese. Relax," Ned assures.

"I wouldn't hold my breath, Bigby" Ross snickers.

"All right, that's enough, you," says MatPat. "Quick introduction for ourselves, we are MatPat and Ross Tweddell—best known working at APEX Underground and pre-shows, starting off the show with a 30-Man Intercontinental Rumble Match for an Intercontinental Championship match at Night of Champions, the next pay-per-view set to take place tomorrow night in this very building!"

"Why are we wasting time explaining it, Matt?! Let's just have the ring announcer do the job for us!" Ross states.

"Good point, Ross! Mike, the floor's all yours, buddy!"

Fading to the ring with Mike "The Mic" Martin at the center, the music also dwindles into silence followed by the sounds of a ringing bell.

"The following opening contest is a 30-Man Intercontinental Rumble Match!" Mike declares to cheers, moving on to explain the rules. "In this bout, two men will arrive in the ring and start the match. Every minute thereafter, a new contestant appears to enter the Rumble and it will continue until all thirty individuals have made their presence. The only way to eliminate your opponent is to throw him over the top and both feet must touch the floor. The last man remaining will not only win the match, but also earn a guaranteed spot at Night of Champions to face former and inaugural Evolve Champion Luke Smith for the revived APEX Intercontinental Championship!"

[I'll endure the exile…]

The lights go out, except for our APEXTron. A blue neon wave is seen weakly rising to the music that's also rising…savvy fans already knew how familiar the song was as they began cheering…and then the techno beat kicks in for introduction lyrics as the waves pick up to the beat…

("Devil Trigger" by Casey Edwards featuring Ali Edwards plays)

[The darkness of night falls around my soul

And the hunter within loses control

Gotta let it out, gotta let it out…

Gotta let it out, gotta let it out…]

Sounds of a motorcycle echo through the arena while flammable fuel is sprayed across a blade…and the lights turn on in neon blue to reveal "The Lone Devil Hunter" Nero standing at center stage! Back turned, Nero looks over his right shoulder before pivoting to face the cheering audience as his cybernetic arm, the Devil Breaker, starts emitting with electricity.

[Entry #1: Nero]

[This demon inside has ahold of me

Clenching its power, trying to break free]

Nero takes his Red Queen out, flipping the handle over his fingers and into his grasp, and stands it up on the tip, revving up the motor…as electricity from his Overture grows…

[Gotta let it out, gotta let it out…!

GOTTA LET IT OUT, GOTTA LET IT OOOUUT!]

…and, with a grin, he fires an electric burst from his palm shaped like a giant open hand into the skies!

[Move fast, baby, don't be slooow~

Step aside, reload, time to gooo~

I can't seem to controool~

All…this…rage that's inside me!

Pullin' shots, aiming dots—yeah, I don't miss

Branded by fire, born in the abyss

Red hot temper—I just can't resist

All…this…vengeance inside me!]

Nero reels his arm back…and the Devil Breaker shatters into pieces, exposing his bare right arm. Actually seeming disappointed, Nero looks to the nearest cameraman with an unapologetic smirk, "Sorry, Nico," and dusts his hands off to mark his way down to the ring, sheathing his Red Queen.

"Introducing Entrant #1: from Fortuna Island, weighing in at 221 pounds…'The Lone Devil Hunter' Nero!" Mike announces.

"Devil May Cry's own Nero makes his presence felt in the AT&T Center, and with a brand-new look, too!" MatPat calls. "Unfortunately, he is entering at the most definite worst starting point in any Rumble match."

"Makes you think how this guy is going actually outlast all twenty-nine other competitors," Ross points out. "Sure, he can slay demons like no problem, but this match will put Nero through the toughest endurance test as the first entrant."

"Perhaps he might come close to comparing this match to the infamous Bloody Palace," Matt quips. "All the same, this young Devil Hunter came close for a true championship match, but it was never shown to the Multiverse due to APEX's sudden downfall from television the tapes getting hacked. He challenged former Evolve Champion Luke Smith for a title bout along with many others such as James Griffin and Daniel Kent, bringing out Jesse Alvarez to declare a Fatal 4-Way Ladder Match for the belt on once-anticipated Ignition X."

"Too bloody bad the world will never get to see Luke smash that twat's face with a ladder."

"Still, in the end, it would be interesting to see who Nero will face as his opening adversary," MatPat states.

Nero slingshots himself high over the ropes and into the ring Ricochet style, pointing at the crowd in front of him. He turns around to the hard camera, drops down to a knee and spreads his arms out dramatically, signaling the crowd to shush for a moment. The crowd cooperates, the music is all they hear…and Nero would then throw [blank] bullets up in the air…

…and spins around to catch them with Blue Rose's cylinder, posing with his revolver point at the hard camera and triggering blue pyro to shoot out from the ring posts! Just in time for the chorus!

[All of these thoughts runnin' through my he-ad!

Arm on fire, veins burnin' re-ed!

Frus-tra-tiooon is getting bigger~!

BANG, BANG, BANG!

Pull my Devil Trigger~!]

"Showoff," Ross scoffs.

"Style runs in his blood, Ross," MatPat states with a chuckle.

"Yeah, along with cheesiness and corny-ass lines."

Spinning his gun back in his holster, Nero removes that, his Red Queen and his hooded jacket, passing them over to the ringside crew while "Devil Trigger" fades out. He waits in one of the corners for the next entrant to follow, casually leaning back with elbows resting on the ropes with a small grin.

[IIIIIIIII've had enough, I'm…

Taking you down!

Taking you down!

IIIIIIIII've had enough, I'm…

Taking you down!

Taking you…doooooooowwwwwwwwwwn!]

("Taking You Down" by Egypt Central plays)

The lights dim to turn black and red…a piece of the stage slowly rises up, with "Machine Gun" Daniel Kent standing on it. He lifts his head to meet his gaze with that of Nero, who nods lightly as if in approval for Kent as his starting opponent. He begins marching towards the ring with a stoic expression.

"And entering at #2: from New York City, New York, weighing at 262 pounds…he is 'The Machine Gun' Daniel Kent!" Mike announces.

"Speak of the devil! Interesting pair to start up this Intercontinental Rumble Match, if I do say so myself," MatPat says. "The Top Gun, the M16, Daniel Kent, two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion, made his presence felt back on Ignition IX for the Evolve Championship. I can tell you it was a shame the comeback could have not been seen, but we'll be able to right now. Especially rekindling his feud with Nero at the time."

"These two are given a second chance to redeem themselves for a shot at the Intercontinental Championship against Smith," Ross states. "But one of them has to survive long enough to the very end to do that. Otherwise, they'll be gettin' their asses straight back to the locker room and be S.O.L."

Daniel jumps onto the apron and enters the ring, glaring over at Nero and taking his time to climb two turnbuckles. He slams his right elbow into his palm, followed by splaying his fist-clenched arms and roaring to the crowd. He hops down to do repeat what he did on the opposite. Soon after, the music dies while Nero and Daniel stand opposite from each other in their corners…

…and the bell rings, officially commencing the Intercontinental Rumble.

"Off we go, Nero and Daniel Kent start the Rumble off!" MatPat exclaimed. "The Lone Devil Hunter versus the Machine Gun! Both men, like everyone else waiting in the back, have to go the distance to win this match and challenge Luke Smith at Night of Champions for the revived Intercontinental Championship!"

Nero immediately wastes no time to taunt his opponent with his left hand behind his back, right hand extended and bowing as he asks with a smirk, "Shall we dance~?" Daniel's response? …He actually grabs his hand and pulls him for a Clothesline! But Nero ducks it, chopping at his chest into the corner. Three backhand chops in a row and Nero goes for an Irish Whip. Kent reverses it into a knee strike to the gut. Then he starts unleashing on him with a flood of fast-paced body punches, Nero doing his best to block them. Unfortunately, he has been forced into a corner after a surprise Jumping Knee to the face. Kent with the Corner Clothesline…then takes a few steps back…and charges forward to deliver a VICIOUS High Knee! Kent takes the dazed Nero's arm for a Hammer Throw into the opposite corner, flipping onto the turnbuckles HBK-style in the process. After flipping back on his feet, Nero stumbles into Kent's arms for a German Suplex…but Nero lands on his feet, albeit having trouble keeping his balance. Seeing this, Kent runs after him…only for Nero to duck under for a waist-lock. He takes hold of his wrist, swivels him around…and his Bringer Claw into the Discus Lariat FAILS when Kent counters into a Capture Suplex! Nero soon staggers around, trying to shake the cobwebs off…and then thrown over the top rope! But Nero barely survives just by landing on the apron. Kent stomps away in attempts to push him out of the ring, but Nero proved too stubborn as he returns inside. Kent picks him up for an Irish Whip…but Nero reverses it…leapfrogs over him…and takes him down with an Overture Battery (High-impact Palm Strike to an opponent's face)!

"FRY, BABY! Nero hits the Overture Battery!" MatPat calls. "Both of these guys were showing who can one-up the other better, but it's Nero who stands tall for the moment!"

"For the moment, INDEED, because we're about to have our third entrant, mate!" Ross brings up. "Better be someone GOOD."

The timer was seen, the crowd counting down as they paid attention to the stage: 0:05…0:04…

0:03…

0:02…

0:01…

The buzzer rings…

("How I Could Just Kill a Man" by Rage Against the Machine plays)

"Hey, hey, hey, LOOK who's here!" MatPat shouts.

[Hey, don't miss out on what you're passin'

You're missin' the hootah of the funky Buddha

Eluder of the f—ked-up styles that get wicked

So come on as I start to kick it

'Cause we're like outlaws stridin'

Suckers are hidin'

Jump behind the bush when they see me drivin' by

Hangin' out my window, and my magnum takin' out some p—

Actin' kind of loco, I'm just another local kid

From the street gettin' paid for my vocals

Here is somethin' you can't understand…

How I could just kill a maaaaan!]

#3 Niko Bellic walks out to the stage to a SURPRISED, but well-received reaction from the crowd. He stands at the stage with thumbs in his pockets and lightly bobbing his head to Rage's cover of his XCW theme song, soaking in his new environment at APEX. Niko's eyes lock onto the ring where Nero stands at the center…and the former holds up his right finger gun forward to shoot at the latter. Scoffing, Nero gestures him to bring it…and Niko ACCEPTS that challenge as he cracks his knuckles and marches his way down the ramp.

"The Yugoslav Hitman, former AUW Hardcore Champion, has arrived in Apex Caliber Wrestling as the third entrant in the Intercontinental Rumble!" MatPat states.

"Don't act so surprised, Matt! He's been here for a while now, but we never got to see him in action in the APEX squared circle!" Ross states. "But it looks like he's got an early call to come to the main roster!"

"Let's see how good his chances are, because he and Nero are already going at it!"

Indeed, Niko slid in the ring and is already trading punches with Nero at the center. Both are well-known experts of the brawler category, but Niko, living his life through the military and getting his hands dirty in the streets, outmatches Nero by a mile as he puts that military training to use; Niko southpaw punches the ribs, left hooks the jaw, hits it again with a right elbow, lands a spinning backfist and finishes Nero off with a Roundhouse Kick. Nero falls and Daniel tackles Niko, carrying him all the way into a corner. Kent repeatedly rams Bellic with turnbuckle thrusts, no signs of slowing down. Niko fights back with a Double Axe Handle to back, then clubs at him frequently, but Kent wouldn't have it. Daniel blocks the arm and goes for a left haymaker, but Niko also blocks that…and headbutts the MMA fighter! As he stumbles away, Niko runs and plants him down with a Running Bulldog. Niko stands up…and instantly gets knocked down by a Punchline (Superman Punch) from Nero! The Devil Hunter tries throwing the Ice-Cold Killer over the ropes, but he hangs on and performs a hotshot on Nero's head over the rope. Niko comes back inside, sets Nero up in a Suplex hold…and drills his skull into the mat with Out of Commission (Vertical Suplex DDT)!

"OOF! Niko driving Nero's head straight down the canvas!" Ross exclaims. "…Is he bleeding?"

"One, you're a bloodthirsty fellow. Two, a headache is more likely than to have their head busted open," MatPat corrects. "But for now, our fourth entry is on his way to the Rumble."

While Niko is busy struggling to toss Nero out of the ring, the countdown clock ticked: 0:05…0:04…0:03…0:02…0:01…

…and following the buzzer, the sounds of a cash register echo throughout the arena for one Billion Dollar King.

[I come from money!

I come from class…

These ladies love me for all my cash!

Won't let nobody spoil my dreams…

'Cause I got money

And I can do anything…]

("I Come from Money" by S-Preme plays)

[Entry #4: Kurt Hudson]

Boos were heard loud and clear for Kurt Hudson to walk out with "Billion Dollar Queen" Alyssa Parker in his arm. Ignoring the crowd's negative reception, he gestures with a finger to Alyssa to kiss him on the cheek…but she takes him by the chin for a better suggestion: a kiss on the lips. The two hold their passionate exchange osculation for a moment until Kurt pulls away with a wide grin, running straight to the ring.

"HAIL KING HUDSON! HAIL QUEEN ALYSSA! Our Billion Dollar Monarchs have return to grace APEX with their wonderful presence!" Ross praises.

"Truth be told, Kurt hasn't had a lot of good luck around here since Rebellion. Still, you gotta admire a man's resilience to prevail in this promotion…even if you have to act like a jerk about it," MatPat comments.

"Bah, you're just petty you haven't even beaten Defy Media and received your paycheck."

"That was a cheap shot and you know it," MatPat glares.

Hudson slides inside as Nero elbows Niko away…springboards…and Hudson catches him with a Dropkick! While Kurt is stomping away on Nero, Niko goes over—BIG BOOT by Daniel Kent! Now Daniel grabs hold of Kurt, who elbows him in retaliation. As Kent nurses his face, Kurt grabs him in a Half Nelson and lifts him into a Falling Neckbreaker. Kurt sees Nero standing back up against the corner and takes a few steps back himself. Then he charges after Nero, only to be kicked in the face. Kurt distances himself as Nero climbs to the second turnbuckle…and his Diving Forearm Smash gets countered into a Cobra Clutch! Kurt holds the submission for a while longer and then plants Nero with the Hudson $treet (Cobra Clutch Slam)!

"Nero has been dropped off to Hudson Street!" MatPat calls.

"Yes, my boy is on FIRE here!" Ross cheers. "Take out that dirty yokel next, Kurt!"

Kurt Hudson stands tall, splaying his arms and proclaiming at the top of his lungs, "I! AM! MONEY!" to the jeering crowd…but has not noticed a stalking Daniel Kent behind him. Kent sprints to Hudson, looking to eliminate him quickly…and gets blindsided by Niko with a Bicycle Kick! Kurt turns around and sees what Niko has done, actually saving him from being eliminated. The two look at each other, Kurt appearing rather surprised…before Niko blatantly says aloud, "Hey, you're the one paying me to protect you. Gotta do my job." Then he grabs Kent to hold him up on his knees, pinning his arms behind his back…and Kurt grins at the sight, saying, "And you're doing fine job right out of the gate, Mr. Bellic," before proceeding to pound his knuckles straight into Kent's skull.

"I don't believe what I am seeing here. Niko Bellic as Hattori Hanzo's replacement for Kurt Hudson's bodyguard!" MatPat states. "Two polar opposites in a cooperative alliance!"

"Money talks, Matt. Money talks," Ross remarks, immediately changing his tone about Niko in a 180. "Niko's lived a life of always needing cash to get by and survive. I say he's made the right decision here."

Niko brings Daniel to his feet and hurls him into a brutal Clothesline by Kurt. Nero tries jumping Niko from behind, but Kurt clubs his back and starts stomping a new mudhole before Niko joins him. In the meantime, the buzzer has already rung for the next arrival…

("One of a Kind" by Breaking Point plays)

[ONE OF A KIND!

Hey! Hey! Hey!

One of a kind!

Hey! Hey! Hey!

One of a kind!]

To enormous cheers, fireworks pop from the top of the stage as #5 "The Whole Damn Show" Duke Devlin has appeared in the AT&T Center! Duke cups around his left ear, listening to the crowd welcoming him back. Sighing ecstatically, Duke says off-mic, "DAMN, it feels good to be back," before sprinting on his way to the ring.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise! Look who's BACK HOME, ladies and gents!" MatPat shouts. "Listen to this place blowing up for Duke's unexpected return!"

"Quick, Hudson! Sic Niko on that pretty boy! Make him wish he was back in the hospital!" Ross urges.

Niko gives Kurt the heads-up on Duke arriving and waits for him at the center. He goes for a swing, but Duke blocks it and twists the arm to nail a succession of wristlock assisted roundhouse kicks to the chest followed by a Jumping Spin Kick. Duke turns around and catches Kurt Hudson's kicking foot, turning the tables on him as he knocks him out with a Step-over Spinning Heel Kick! Daniel nails a direct knee to Duke's gut, soon hooking him up for a Fisherman Suplex…but Duke flips out of it…and springboards off the ropes a Thrust Kick to the chest! With him flat on his back, Duke takes on a risk by hopping high to the top turnbuckle. Devlin stands tall, gives the RVD taunt to himself, "THE WHOLE! DAMN! SHOW!" and SOARS through the skies to land a Five Star Frog Splash on Kent, bouncing right off his body!

"FIVE STAR FROG SPLASH! Devlin felt very froggy and he got all of it!" MatPat exclaims. "The Whole Damn Show is BACK!"

"Come on, mates, he's ONE GUY. How could you have let him kick your asses?!" Ross groans.

Duke WOOS at the top of his lungs to loud cheers in spite of the pain in his abdomen, feeling VERY good about himself…until Nero turns him inside out with the Devil Breaker (Slingshot Somersault Lariat)! The Lone Devil Hunter picks him up to throw him out of the ring, but Duke was still conscious enough to hang onto the ropes. He goes to skin the cat as Nero tries to stop him, only to have his head caught between his legs and pulled over the ropes. He lands on the apron as does Duke, the two now grounding and pounding each other while Niko and Kurt have their eyes on someone else. They hold a lone Daniel Kent by his legs in attempts to eliminate him, but Kent is not having an of it as he breaks free from Niko's grip and strikes his knee in Hudson's cheek. A kick to Niko's face next and Kent BLASTS Hudson over the top rope with a Clothesline…but he BARELY avoids having his feet touch the ground with both hands hanging onto the middle rope! Before Kent could do anything, Niko pulls him in to a Sleeper Hold…and the clock has begun to count down once again: 0:08…0:07…0:06…

"Wow, these sixty seconds go by so fast," MatPat notes.

"Welcome to the Rumble, nerd," Ross says. "Now let's welcome the sixth entrant!"

0:05…

0:04…

0:03…

0:02…

0:01…

…the lights go out…

…and then the sounds of a monster are heard taking a deep breath before—

[Sie sind das essen?

Wir sind die Jaegar!]

"OH, SH*T, YEAH!" Ross yells.

[Entry #6: Eren Jaeger]

"Catch Your Breath" by CFO$ plays to an INSANE uproar of cheers to the iconic lines…as "The Suicidal Bastard" Eren Jaeger appears center stage! Arms spread up and wide à la Finn Bálor, Eren dons body paint to resemble his monstrous Intelligent Titan's face coated in blood. Eren glares STRAIGHT towards all the Rumble contestants and immediately makes a beeline for the ring.

"YES! OH, MY GOD, A THOUSAND TIMES YES!" MatPat cheers. "EREN JAEGER, THE SUICIDAL MANIAC, IS HERE! AND HE'S WASTING NO TIME TO ENTER THE RUMBLE!"

"CAN'T BELIEVE I'M SAYING THIS, BUT GO AND KICK THEIR ASSES, YOU CRAZY BASTARD!" Ross urges. "YOU REPRESENT APEX UNDERGROUND PROUDLY OR WE'LL HAVE A PROBLEM!"

Eren slides in…and he blasts Nero with a 3D Maneuver Blade (Sling Blade)! Then a BRUTAL Lariat to Kurt Hudson! He sees Niko still applying the Sleeper Hold to Kent, who is slamming him back against the turnbuckles…until the feral Eren Jaeger rushes them with a Running Front Dropkick straight into the corner, knocking them both down! Then he bounces off the opposite corner for a head-start…and nails a Basement Dropkick straight into Kent's face as his head smacks Niko's nose! As Kent rolls away, Niko holds his face in agony…

…until it gets worse for him as Duke Devlin flies in with a Corner-to-corner Dropkick to a STEEL CHAIR into his face!

"JESUS! Where the f*ck did he get that chair from?!" Ross questions.

"No disqualifications as anything goes in this Rumble, unfortunately!" MatPat brings up.

Duke stands up, meeting with the eyes of Jaeger…and tosses him the chair to do a Six Ace (Van Daminator)…and he HITS IT…

…but Eren strikes back with a Spinning Back Kick followed by an Overhead Kick! He then places the chair on Duke's chest, ascends to the top turnbuckle, not giving a DAMN about his headache…

…and comes back down with an Attack on Titan (Finn Bálor's Coup de Grâce)!

"ATTACK! ON! TITAAAN!" Ross calls. "F*CK YEAH, MY BOY IS CLEANING HOUSE IN THIS GODDAMN RING OF THOSE FILTHY PEASENTS MINUS KURT HUDSON!"

"NOTHING is stopping Eren Jaeger here! After what he went through in APEX Underground with Bennet Curse, I can't blame him for taking it out on these guys!" MatPat exclaims. "In less than a MINUTE, he's shown to make his presence known in APEX Wrestling!"

As Duke rolls out of the ring, Eren ROARS his frustration out at the top of his lungs and locks eyes with Nero. The two have crossed paths before in their debut down in the Underground, immediately talking trash to each other before Nero threw the first punch.

Meanwhile, as they trade blows, Kurt is bringing Daniel to his feet to throw him out, but Daniel throws him out instead! Kurt, AGAIN, avoids being eliminated as he hangs on for dear life and unintentionally slingshots himself back in the ring through the ropes. Niko and Duke are found outside of the ring, but they are not technically eliminated, as they are recovering from feeling the cold steel inflicted upon them. During then, the countdown arrives: 0:05…

0:04…

0:03…

0:02…

0:01…

("Theme from Spider-Man" by Aerosmith plays)

"And coming in at lucky number seven, he is the Terrifying, the Deadly…The Amaaazing Spider-Maaaaan!" MatPat declares.

[Spider-Man…!

Spider-Man…!

Does whatever a spider can!]

"…Well, where is he?" Ross asks.

"Um…I don't know particularly—oh, there he is!" Matthew points…

…and the camera catches #7 "The Amazing" Spider-Man swinging around inside the AT&T Center near the crowd! He is passing hand-slaps to all the fans on his way down, eventually web-zipping over and landing inside the ring to his iconic pose with GRACE. He stands straight…and casually greets everyone in the ring, "Hey, guys!" (Ross: What a dork.) But everyone seemingly ignores him, occupied by their own problems to deal with; Nero pressing Jaeger's face back in the corner and Kurt trying to lift Kent over the ropes. Unbeknownst to Spider-Man, Niko Bellic has slid back in the ring, looking to blindside him…but Spidey instinctively turns around and front-flips right over him! Niko turns back around and SPIDER BITE (Sling Blade)! After Eren knocks down Nero with a Rope-aided Gamengiri, he goes after Spider-Man with a Discus Clothesline. Spidey catches the arm by swinging on it like a gymnastics high bar and plants Jaeger with a Jumping Neckbreaker. Kip-up by Spidey…and he blasts the running Nero with a Bicycle High Knee! He takes him by the arm to the top rope, picking him up on his shoulders with RAW strength…

…and nails the Iron Curtain (Rolling Fireman's Carry Slam), taken straight from the book of Iron Man!

"The Iron Curtain, right off the top rope! Spidey took a HUGE risk to pay tribute to his mentor, and it paid spectacularly well for him!" MatPat exclaims.

"Now if only he could not take his eyes off of anybody just to suck up to Stark," Ross scorns.

Spidey could hardly believe he actually just pulled off the Iron Curtain on his first try—from the top rope, no less—and looks at the hard camera to say, "Mr. Stark! I did it; I hit the Iron Curtain! Holy CRAP, that was awesome!" KURT HUDSON THROWS HIM OVER THE ROPE!

"OH, NO! SPIDEY IS OUT!" MatPat cries. "THE FIRST ELIMINATED IS SPIDER-MAN!"

"HAHAHA! THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR NOT PAYING ATTENTION, YOU SPIDER-DUMBASS!" Ross laughs.

Kurt GLOATS to the crowd over the elimination of Spider-Man, VENGEANCE for the humiliation that's been inflicted on him back in August…

…but it turns out Spidey hung on to the second rope, his feet INCHES off the ground!

"OH, BULL! I CALL BULL!" Ross protests.

"Spidey BARELY avoids elimination! That's definitely a learning lesson for him to ALWAYS have eyes on the back of your head in this Rumble match!" MatPat states.

The Wall-Crawler pulls himself back inside through the ropes, hops on and off them, and hits Kurt with a Web-slinging Forearm (Springboard Forearm Smash)! "Can't get rid of me that easily, Hudson~" Spidey grins as the buzzer suddenly goes off…

("Me Against the World" by Simple Plan plays)

To loud cheers, #8 "The Very Best" Ash Ketchum comes out saluting the crowd and rushes down to the ring, throwing down his hat and vest along the way.

"And at number eight, it's Ash Ketchum! He is wasting NO TIME to get in the ring!" MatPat says.

Ash slides right inside the ring…and takes out Eren Jaeger from the skies with the Superkick! Duke Devlin comes back in the ring with a Slingshot Rolling Thunder towards Ash…and he counters the Sitout Facebuster attempt into an Attitude Adjustment! But then Daniel Kent sneaks up behind him with a German Suplex…until Ash breaks out with an arm wrench, ducks the Clothesline, bounces off the ropes and NAILS a hard-hitting Spear, calling back to AWF! Meanwhile, Spidey is dealing with Niko and Kurt's two-on-one advantage as they are pushing him with their feet to get him out of the ring after throwing him over the ropes. But Spidey refuses to budge, unwilling to loosen his grip. Then Nero suddenly clubs Hudson from behind before Niko punches him away. As the two are busy with each other in the corner, Hudson yanks Spider-Man back inside, mounting him with a furious series of fists to the temple. He goes on a RANT, slapping Spidey's face and telling him, "Tony Stark made the BIGGEST mistake of his life to make you an Avenger, brat! He made the mistake to even ACKNOWLEDGE your PITIFUL existence if he knew you were only going to turn into DUST!"

"C'mon, Hudson, show some class that you 'claim' to have," MatPat frowns.

"Silence, peasant! His Rich Majesty is speaking," Ross hushes.

"You wanna impress, 'Mr. Stark'? Allow me to do you a favor, then!" Kurt shouts before picking up a seemingly limp Spider on his shoulders. He glares directly into the hard camera and states, "You see this BOY on my shoulders, Stark?! I'm about to show YOU I'm a more credible threat to this Spider's career than THANOS will ever be!" Hudson goes for the Iron Curtain…

…BUT SPIDEY SLIPS OFF HIS SHOULDERS AND THROWS KURT OVER THE TOP ROPE TO THE OUTSIDE!

"Absolutely disrespect—SPIDER-MAN ELIMINATES KURT HUDSON! Kurt Hudson is the FIRST ONE OUT of the Rumble!" exclaims Matthew.

"NOOOOOO! He had a CHANCE! And that damn Spider RUINED IT ALL!" Ross groans.

As Spidey is recovering from the face-pummeling, Kurt is sitting outside the ring with beyond disbelief. Foiled once again by Spider-Man. Once again humiliated in front of the millions. Once again…feeling like a JOKE. But during his internal crisis, the buzzer goes off…

("Lights Out" by Breaking Benjamin plays)

"Well, I'll be!" MatPat states. "I didn't think THIS GUY would actually return to APEX."

"Considering Jess is no longer in power, it does put Kaiba at ease…for now," Ross says.

Ash instantly recognized the music playing and stopped midway from taking out Daniel Kent…as #9 Seto Kaiba does arrive to ENORMOUS hissings and boos, the apathetic expression donned on his face. Kaiba simply cracks his knuckles as he and Ash glare each other down from their distance and he runs straight to the ring. He slides in and the crowd pops once the two start trading punches.

"The bad blood between Kaiba and Ketchum is still BOILING HOT after their confrontation at Summer Wars! And they are showing it here tonight!" MatPat calls.

Back and forth, Ash and Kaiba were not holding back on their strikes, hardly budging from their spots. Kaiba eventually blocks out the next punch and pulls Ash into a knee strike to the gut. He goes for an Irish Whip, but Ash reverses it. Kaiba bounces back and counters Ash's back body drop attempt with a Facebreaker Knee Smash. Then all of a sudden, Niko Bellic blasts Ash off his feet with a Bicycle Kick. Kaiba himself becomes occupied with Duke Devlin's Leg-feed Feint Enzuigiri knocking him towards the ropes. Devlin charges and Kaiba tosses him over, only to land his feet on the apron. Kaiba back elbows him down and Duke still stays with his back on the apron, clinging onto the ropes as Kaiba is stomping and pressing his foot into him to get him out. All the while, Spidey is forced to eat the SHARP Knife Edge Chops to the chest by the Rouge Titan, crumbling to the mat; Nero and Kent have resumed where they left off from the start of the match at the center of the ring. Daniel has the advantage as he displays incredible Krav Maga offense with punches and knees around the midsection. One Bicycle Knee Strike to the jaw struck and spit FLIES out of Nero's mouth. Kent throws him over the ropes…

…but Nero hangs on once again, feet INCHES off the floor, as he skins the cat back in the ring…

…and catches Kent's head between his legs and flips him over to the outside, eliminating him from the match!

"'Machine Gun' Daniel Kent is GONE! The second man to enter is the second man to be eliminated!" MatPat exclaims.

"And someone is about to take his place!" Ross states as the buzzer sounds…

("Unsettling Differences" by Blue Smock Nancy plays)

To loud boos (and snarky "Ten" chants), #10 James Griffin walks out to the stage before making a run for the ring. Duke Devlin prevents his elimination from Kaiba with a shoulder thrust to the gut. He then springboards back in for a Seated Senton…only for Kaiba to duck…and James Griffin to catch Devlin with the Tyrant Shellshock (Sitout Powerbomb)! James pushes him up and over to his feet, Duke staggers…and James takes him out of the ring with a Clothesline!

"With effortlessness, James Griffin takes Duke Devlin over the top rope off that Powerbomb!" Ross shouts. "And that's been a LONG TIME coming to Devlin for humiliating him in that infamous May 31st episode!"

"Never underestimate how devastating the Tyrant Shellshock can be, often catches you when and how you least expect it," MatPat comments.

"Who's laughing NOW, Devlin?! WHO'S FUCKING LAUGHING NOW?!" James taunts Duke for his elimination. James immediately goes after Ash Ketchum in the corner as he was chopping at Niko's chest, clubbing his back. He picked his spot well as he pushes Niko away and stomps away at The Very Best into the corner. Kaiba interferes, reminding Griffin he has his own personal issues with Ash…and berating him for not stomping Ash "correctly", demonstrating with a methodical mudhole stomp to his chest. James stops him and retorts that he knows exactly how to stomp people, resuming his own at a faster pace before choking him with his foot. It somehow got turn into a tasteless competition as Kaiba stands Ash up and hits a backhand chop to the chest. James takes his turn and overhead chops Ash's chest himself. Ash tries fighting back after finding an opening, punching James and kicking Kaiba away. He literally had him on the ropes before Kaiba thumbs his eye. Kaiba turns him around and attempts to shove him over the ropes, James joining him thereafter to lift Ash up. He was halfway through getting eliminated until Spidey, after escaping Jaeger's wrath, makes the save with a Dropkick to James' back. James almost falls over and Kaiba is now caught up in a brawl with the Wall-crawler while Ash is now trying to push James out of the ring. The clock arrives and ticks down: 0:08…0:07…0:06…

…Kaiba smashes a forearm into Spidey's face, performing a Snap Suplex into the turnbuckles afterwards…0:05…

0:04…

0:03…

0:02…

0:01…

("Heart of Sword" by T.M. Revolution plays)

#11 "The Wanderer" Kenshin Himura is SPRINTING from the stage towards the ring. He immediately hops on the apron and performs the springboard variation of the Ryūtsuisen (Jumping Leg Lariat) onto Kaiba!

"Hiten Mitsurugi Style—Ryūtsuisen!" MatPat calls.

"Shut your mouth, weeb!" Ross shouts.

Eren Jaeger comes after Kenshin with a vicious knife edge chop to the chest. He reels back, but he returns the favor to Jaeger, who actually felt the sharp pain that was shot. The two engage in the most wince-inducing exchange of backhanded chops right at the center of the ring. Their chests were completely lit, handprints left on their torsos and bits of blood leaking. Eren ends it all with a big overhead chop…and Kenshin strikes him down with a Sakabatō Forearm (Discus Forearm Smash)! Nero blindsides Kenshin and attempts throwing him over, but he clings onto the ropes tightly. Meanwhile, James has brought himself back in the ring, continuing his fight with Ash. He goes for a Short-arm Clothesline, but Ash counters it to land a Back Suplex. Spidey is struggling to stay inside, clinging to the ropes for dear life while Niko pushing him off. Back to Kenshin and Nero, the former elbowed his face to earn some distance. Just then, Kenshin nails an Enzuigiri to the back of the head. But Nero stays to one foot, so Kenshin runs up for a Shining Wizard…only for Nero to duck the knee strike…

…but Kenshin faked him out on purpose to nail a Reverse Roundhouse Kick to the back of his head! (MatPat: What a strike! And quite strategic, might I add.) In the meantime, Kaiba has Jaeger's arms hooked in a Double Underhook…until he breaks from the hold, spinning out of it to pull Kaiba into a 3DMB. Spotting Kenshin is unoccupied after dealing with Nero, he goes after him again with a brutal Front Dropkick to the side of his head. Kenshin rolls away, but Nero is far from safe as Jaeger takes him on his shoulders…

…the buzzer goes off…

"Number twelve, number twelve! Who's got number twelve?" Ross exclaims.

…Eren performs the Jaeger Bomb (Fireman's Carry Double Knee Gutbuster) and immediately stands up to roar at the top of his lungs.

("Core Pride" by UVERworld plays)

"Another Underground representative on the way!" MatPat cheers.

"Did it have to be HIM, though?" Ross asks irritably.

Eren instantly turns his head towards the stage as #12 Rin Okumura comes running straight out and towards the ring. Rin slides right inside and meets face-to-face with Eren, smirking and all with oozing confidence. The Suicidal Bastard truly didn't expect his rival to appear, but here he is…and he returns the grin. Just then…Rin catches Niko Bellic on his left with a BRUTAL Lariat! And Eren fends off Kaiba with a Gamengiri! NOW Rin and Eren get after each other at the center of the ring, trading rigid fists to their temples. Rin gets the upper hand, though, as Eren is reeling back to the ropes. Rin takes him for an Irish Whip, but Eren reverses the slingshot-like maneuver. Okumura springs back to duck under Jaeger's leapfrog, and again with a back elbow…wraps his arms tight around Eren's waist…

…and DRIVES down Eren on top of his NECK with a German Suplex! Eren, STUNNED, rolls to his knees while Rin Okumura lines him up…gets a running start…and Eren BARELY ducks the Running Knee Strike! Jaeger quickly snatches him into a schoolboy, transitioning into an Overhead Kick—leg caught! Rin ranger rolls to his feet, taking Eren on his shoulders…and he came CLOSE to tossing him over the ropes if Jaeger had not escaped…

…and leapt onto his shoulders for a Poison Frankensteiner!

…But damn it all, Rin was still conscious to deliver a ravaging Knee Strike to the back of his head he coins The Exorcism (Bomaye)!

"GOOD LORD, DID YOU HEAR JAEGER'S SKULL SHATTER FROM OKUMURA'S KNEE?!" MatPat reacts with great cringe.

"Can safely say that was a quick two-out-of-three falls event right there, both these lads getting even up to that Exorcism!" Ross shouts.

And meanwhile…

…Seto Kaiba has THROWN Spider-Man over for an elimination! Spidey ended up outside of the ring holding the top rope and looking to Skin the Cat, and Kaiba tries pushing him off…but has his head caught in his legs…

…only to break away and nails a Big Boot to Spidey's face, causing him to fall to the floor!

"HA-HA! JUSTICE FOR HUDSON EARLIER! Spider-Man's OUT!" Ross pumps his fists.

"Oh, I don't think so, Ross!" Matthew corrects his colleague…

…as Spider-Man landed on his hands…and has held his vertical position into a handstand à la Kofi Kingston!

"WHAT THE HELL?! YOU GOTTA BE FRIGGIN' KIDDING ME!" Ross yells in anger.

"You're not the only one in disbelief, Ross! Spidey has taken a page out of Kofi Kingston's book of Royal Rumble saves!" MatPat states. "And this is, dare I say, amazing!"

The Wall-crawler, showing off his athleticism, walks on his hands all the way to the steel steps, bringing his feet down to them and remaining safe from complete elimination. While Spidey was recovering, everyone was still battling to eradicate each other from the match. There were only so few eliminations with so many bodies still in the ring. Throughout it all, most of the fans turn their heads towards the stage where the timer was shown onscreen and began counting along: 0:05…004…0:03…0:02…0:01…

…for the eleventh time, the buzzer sounds…

…and the arena goes completely dark.

"Whoa! Uh…I assume this next entrant is one with the creepy occult stuff?" MatPat asks.

"You'll get used to how many times a wrestling arena gets its lights go out," Ross assures.

There's nothing but pitch blackness aside from the flashing lights from phones and cameras, the sounds of murmuring from the confused crowd as they wait for whoever was next…

…until…

"KI, KI, KI…

"MA, MA, MA…"

"NO…! NO! OHHHHH, MY GOD! NO WAY!" MatPat gasps along with the horrified crowd. "I-IT CAN'T BE HIM! IT CAN'T!"

"WHERE IS HE?! WHERE IS THAT GIANT HOCKEY BASTARD?!" Ross panics as he tries to hide under the table.

The infamous sound only continues to echo as the audience waits in TERROR (and excitement) for his appearance…

"KI, KI, KI…

"MA, MA, MA…

"KI, KI, KI…

"MA, MA, MA…"

…and the lights return to brighten the arena…where every wrestler in the ring had stopped what they were doing to stare at the stage in preparation…

…but they were looking the wrong way…because the crowd SCREAMED and pointed at the ring…

and they all turn to see #13 JASON VOORHEES standing in the middle of the ring!

"HE'S HERE! HE IS HERE! THE BEAST OF BAD LUCK! THE CRYSTAL LAKE MONSTER! JASON VOORHEES!" MatPat cries. "AND EVERYONE IS PETRIFIED AT THE SIGHT OF THIS GIANT KILLER!"

"JUST TELL ME WHEN THE MASSACRE IS OVER! JUST TELL ME WHEN HE WINS THE WHOLE THING!" Ross cowers under the desk.

As Jason Voorhees stood completely still, the other twelve were PARALYZED in fear. Not one of them could believe their own eyes at the sight of Mrs. Voorhees' Little Boy making his appearance within the APEX squared circle. Not one of them had the guts to confront Voorhees…

…until Rin and Eren nodded to each other…and they were the first two bravest (and foolish) partakers to attack after him! Jaeger with the Step-up Enzuigiri and Okumura with a leaping Forearm Smash…and it barely had any effect on Jason. The Beast of Bad Luck hardly registered the strikes delivered to him…and this inputs real fear into them as Jason grabs their throats! But before he can get the Double-Chokeslam, Spider-Man climbs onto his back with an attempted Sleeper Hold. This actually encourages most of the IC Rumble contenders to help out and get rid of Jason early as Nero, Ash, Kenshin, and James are kicking and beating him down. Rin and Eren join in after their throats were free from Voorhees' clutches…

…but that is clearly not enough as Jason instantly breaks out of the pile, sending everyone flying back!

"Much to their dismay, the effort to weaken Jason early on was in vain!" MatPat comments.

Voorhees looks all around for his first victim…Niko Bellic strikes him in the back with a steel chair! But Jason instantly turns around with an intense glare under his mask…Niko showed quite a bit of fear…but he defiantly SPITS in his face and shouts "FUCK YOU!" before swinging the chair down and over his head…

…which Jason catches and snatches away…

and BRUTALLY SMASHES the steel chair into Niko's head!

"OH, MY—! OH…! PARDON MY LANGUAGE, BUT…JESUS CHRIST!" MatPat exclaims.

"What?! What's happening out there?!" Ross asks, still under the desk.

"First of all, get your butt out from under there and commentate this match with me! Second, Jason Voorhees just took the chair away from Niko and cracked his skull open, leaving him to wear it like a necklace!" the Game Theorist remarks…

…as Voorhees roughly hurls Niko Bellic over the ropes and straight to the floor! "And Niko Bellic has been eradicated from the Rumble!"

Almost everyone tries going after Jason, but it was in vain as he takes them all down, one by one—Ash Ketchum eats a Lariat, Nero goes down from a Big Boot, Spider-Man and Kenshin Himura clobbered by a Double-Clothesline, and Rin Okumura picked up into a Running Powerslam. And where are people like Kaiba and James? James is actually staying down and out of the ring until the right time for Voorhees to be eliminated. And Kaiba…is nowhere to be seen. It seemed he disappeared from the ring completely. But right now, Eren returns with a Shotgun Kick to the face, but Jason refuses to budge as he rises to his feet. Even so, the Suicidal Bastard endures to fight the Beast of Bad Luck with repeated forearms, body shots, low kicks, and knee strikes. Jason shoves Eren away…and he bounces back with another Shotgun Kick, but to the knee this time, and Jason actually falls. He remains on one foot, so Eren tries for the ropes once again…leaps high off the mat with a Double Foot Stomp to the back of his head…

…and…his legs slip through as Jason stands up with him on his shoulders! Given the Electric Chair position, Eren tries countering for the Inverted Frankensteiner…but Jason's brute strength saves him from losing his footing…

…and he INVERTED ALABAMA SLAMS the Rouge Titan FACE-FIRST onto the canvas! Just then, Rin Okumura flies back into the action with a Running Crossbody Block to Jason, only to be caught. He reels back…and swings Okumura around into a devastating backbreaker, executing the Spinal Tap (Scoop Powerslam into a Side Slam Backbreaker)! As Okumura rolls away, Jason stands over the prone Jaeger ever so eerily. He then grabs the back of his neck and lifts him all the way up, his feet aren't even touching the canvas. He takes him all the way to ropes where he throws him down to the floor.

"Jason Voorhees claims his second victim and his name is Eren Jaeger!" MatPat calls while the clock reappears. "And I feel sorry for the next entrant who has to come out here and suffer at Voorhees' murderous wrath."

"Feel sorry for EVERYBODY coming in after #13! YOU ALL GONNA DIE, LADS!" Ross proclaims.

The fourteenth entry will be arriving in: 0:05…0:04…0:03…0:02…0:01…

…and Edd gets shoved out onto his face by a pair of hands. He quickly gets up and pokes his head into the curtain to yell, "EDDY, YOU GIVE ME BACK MY ORIGINAL ENTRY NUMBER!"

"Too late, Sockhead! Your music's playing, so you're #14 now!" Eddy yells off-screen as "Get Ready to Fly" by GRITS hits the loudspeakers.

[Entry #14: Edd]

"…Seems Double D's taking Eddy's place," MatPat blinks.

"Hey, Eddy's just being smart about this. You can't blame a guy for wanting to stay alive," Ross defends.

"But you can blame him for stealing someone's number," MatPat argues as Double D, who is quite peeved, does his quick entrance and rushes to the ring.

Jason Voorhees waited at the center, standing there menacingly while Edd enters the ring with a Springboard Forearm Smash. He hits it, but Jason barely budges. Edd strikes low at Jason's legs with repeated low kicks before Jason grabbed him for a devastating clubbing forearm to the back. Spider-Man nails a Dropkick to Jason's back, but he turns around with a likely glare under his mask and clutches tightly onto his throat. He goes for a Chokeslam…and Spidey uses that lift to counter with a Bicycle High Knee to the jaw! And Jason is actually stumbling! Spidey frantically begs everyone to help him as he was the first to try and push Voorhees out of the ring. Soon, Rin and Double D help him out, lifting the Crystal Lake Killer's legs as he struggles to stay in.

"One chance! That's all they need to get that monster out of the ring!" MatPat exclaims.

"They're damn fools for trying! Brave, but still fools to the end!" Ross shouts.

Voorhees was a heavy man, even with all their combined strength as he weighs himself down to make it more difficult for them. The attempt was sadly futile when Jason booted Spidey away, punched Rin next and headbutted Double D down. Voorhees then specifically targets Spider-Man, marching towards him with his hand reaching out. Almost like out of a slasher film (likely from Friday the 13th), Spidey crawls backwards and away from Voorhees, attempting to escape through the ropes, only to be dragged back inside by his ankle. Spidey is kicking at him with absolute fear under his mask, but Jason brushes them all off to grab his throat with both hands and take him to a corner to choke him out. All the while, Kenshin has Rin in a corner with a knife edge chop…

…Double D plants Ash with a Back Suplex…

…and Nero has been occupied by a returning James Griffin, who was certainly wise enough to stay away from Voorhees' sight. Griffin was driving his shoulder into Nero's gut with a series of turnbuckle thrusts in the corner, eventually knocking him down on his backside. Griffin takes a few feet back…and lands on top of Nero with a Cannonball Senton! Nero is almost out of it. James picks him up to eject him from the ring, but Nero has hung on. Nero has come so close to being eliminated many times, it's a matter of when his luck runs out. Nero slingshots himself back inside through the ropes and James sees this, seething with annoyance. He brings him to his feet and sets him up Suplex-style…

…only for Nero to slide down and takes James out with a Mega Buster (Jumping Hangman's Neckbreaker)!

"MEGA BUSTER! A move no doubt adopted straight from the Blue Bomber! What a Neckbreaker by the Lone Devil Hunter!" MatPat calls, the clock now counting down. "And in the meantime, we await the fifteenth contestant to appear in the Rumble."

Nero is panting and slowly rising to his feet at the center of the ring, glaring up at the clock: 0:06…0:05…0:04…0:03…0:02…0:01…

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

This song attracted the attentions of a great deal of eyes in the crowd…and especially in the ring for Nero, who stood mouth agape and eyes wide…

"OH, MY GOD… IS IT REALLY…?" MatPat asks.

"HOW COULD IT BE…?!" Ross gasps. "IT CAN'T…!"

…as #15 VERGIL walked onto the stage! The AT&T Center has EXPLODED with shock, completely split in half of cheers and boos! Though Vergil appeared younger, he is older in appearance due to the passage of time and his clothing appears predominately as darker shades of blue as of his new appearance in Devil May Cry 5.

[You'll die as you lived

In the flash of a blade!

(In a corner forgotten away~!)

You lived for the touch

For the feel of the steel!

(One man, and his honor~!)]

"IT IS! VERGIL IS HERE! I DON'T KNOW HOW, BUT THE DARK SLAYER HAS RETURNED FROM HELL!" MatPat exclaims.

"I DIDN'T THINK HE WOULD AFTER RICARDO FAILED TO EVEN RECEIVE A CONTACT FROM HIM!" Ross shouts. "BUT AM I GLAD TO BE BLOODY WRONG!"

Vergil drops his black coat and dashes to the ring, all with intense focus on his face. He slides in and Nero is standing still flabbergasted. Vergil is impassive of his reaction and Nero pushes him…only to have his right arm grabbed and twisted. He performs an ongoing sequence of wrist-assisted strikes: a Discus Back Elbow followed by a knee strike to the midsection, then a high-speed shoot kick to the chest, a low kick behind the leg that brings Nero to his knees and ends with a forward-thrusting knee strike to the side of his head. Nero has been practically knocked out cold and it's here that Rin takes a shot at Vergil with a forearm smash. Rin is putting his developmental training to good use as he is relentlessly attacking Vergil's face with recurrent forearm strikes. Vergil reeling to the ropes before Rin went for a backhand chop to the chest…yet Vergil hardly registered all those strikes…

…and declares, "My turn," before BLASTING Okumura off his feet with an ECHOING backhand chop of his own! Rin is curled up and coughing up a storm from the air forced out of his lungs by that excruciating chop. Vergil mocks his pain by scraping his boot over his head, which does anger Okumura. Then, he begins to lift him up with the same boot by his chin as Okumura glares up into Vergil's cold eyes…

…and he says daringly, "Give me all you GOT, you son of a bitch…!" And so Vergil aids his bold request, lifting him all the way to his vertical base…

…and he swiftly swings for a Lunar Phase (Spin Kick)…

…only for Okumura to fake him out by ducking it! Rin pushes him far…and that proved to be a terrible decision as Vergil rebounds with a Handspring Cutter, planting the Yamato Ω! The True Cross Academy Exwire lies truly unconscious before Vergil unceremoniously throws him over the ropes and out of the ring, inciting loud boos from San Antonio.

"Out goes Rin Okumura! Agh, such a shame for our APEX Underground representatives to be taken out in such short time," MatPat comments understandably in disappointment. "Still, you can't take away the impression they've now left on the crowd."

"But right now, I think we're about to see someone else join him, because Jason Voorhees is proving to reduce Spidey's luck," Ross brings up as Jason double axe handles Spidey's back near the ropes.

Throughout the majority of it, Voorhees was dead set on tormenting Spider-Man and the results are shown with him appearing battered and bloody, especially as his left eye lenses is soaked in blood. (Ross: CHRIST'S SAKE, what the hell did he do to the lad?!) Thankfully, someone finally came to his rescue in the form of Ash Ketchum with a leaping elbow to the big killer. Voorhees snaps his head at Ketchum, who continues fighting him head on with many fists to the head and body. Jason ignores those blows and grabs Ash's throat with both hands, lifting him high and choking him out. Ash claws at Jason's hockey mask as his face is slowly changing colors…and the clock counts down: 0:08…0:07…

…Spidey recovers long enough with a stiff chop block to the back of his leg! Jason loses his grip in pain and goes down to a knee…0:05…0:04…

…Ash runs past for the ropes and bounces off to plant a successful Throwback…0:03…0:02…0:01…

…and as The Very Best sets up for the Poké Shuffle, the buzzer goes off…

("Whatever" by Our Lady Peace plays)

The AT&T Center EXPLODES into a thunderous positive reception as #16 Takashi Komuro is brought out to the stage with his signature baseball bat resting over his shoulder. Ash stopped to give a glare towards the rookie, both obviously still haven't gotten over their feud in AWF. Takashi points his bat at Ash…who responds with a "U ₡ ME" taunt before hitting the ropes to successfully perform the Poké Shuffle. Standing on his feet, Ash BEGS Komuro to enter the ring with him…and the former Fujimi Academy student obliges by SPRINTING towards the ring!

"Takashi Komuro, one of our most popular names in APEX, is our newest entrant of the Intercontinental Rumble, even after he and Hirano were announced to be part of the Tag Team Turmoil at Night of Champions!" MatPat calls. "It's clear he wants some singles gold to go along with tag team gold by then!"

"And he's making a BEELINE for the ring, especially after Ash Ketchum!" says Ross Tweddell. "Despite AWF not around these days, the bad blood between these two is also still boiling after what they did to each other."

Takashi slides in and ducks a fist from Ketchum, swinging and landing a VICIOUS blow to the gut with his baseball bat! He lands one more attack to the back, bringing Ash down before changing targets to Kenshin with a swinging strike to the gut. A diving Eddward receives the same fate as the rest with a baseball bat strike right into the chest. As he rolls away, Takashi swings at Vergil, who actually stops it with his bare hands. Vergil swipes it away and uses that spinning momentum for a Discus Lariat, which Takashi ducks under and plants Vergil with a Jumping Neckbreaker Slam. He sees James attempting to get rid of Spidey from the Rumble, but he stops him with a Step-up High Knee to the jaw right in the corner. With his head wrapped around in Komuro's arms, he declares "Welcome to the dead, MOTHERFUCKER!" as he runs and plants him down with a neat Bulldog, executing recently declared signature move Welcome to the Dead (Step-up High Knee to a cornered opponent followed by a Bulldog). Takashi is certainly on an adrenaline rush after a sequence of successful attacks, but it comes to a sudden halt when he backs up into a familiar giant. As if out of horror flick, Takashi slowly turns around to meet face-to-face with the Beast of Bad Luck…only Jason doesn't immediately attack him. It was rather confusing for even the commentators to understand.

"Uh…Matt, shouldn't he be killing this kid?" Ross asks. "Because…you know, he's a teenager…the most kind to have raging hormones?"

"By horror standards, yes…but not even Komuro is attacking him. They look like as if they've met before…and this is the first time they've seen each other since," MatPat blinks.

Takashi stares down with Jason as he proclaims that despite the shared past they've had (which is even more bizarre to hear), they're in a match with every man for himself…and Jason understands with a slow nod. So Takashi gets his fists ready in a boxing stance…

…until a recovered James Griffin blindsides him with a hell of a Lariat! Griffin scorns Komuro while he's down before realizing who's in front of him…and utters, "Oh, shit," as his throat gets grabbed on by Jason! The Perfect Ten struggles to break free, but Jason won't have any of it as he lifts him high for a Chokeslam to the APRON! James Griffin falls to the floor and gets eliminated!

"One of Joker's Royal Hand is GONE from the Rumble! No Intercontinental Championship match for him anytime soon!" exclaims Matthew Patrick.

"You are SO LUCKY you're Jason Voorhees, or otherwise, Joker's Hand would have your literal rotten ass!" Ross angrily shouts.

"Yeah, I'd keep your voice down if you don't want to become his next victim, buddy."

With as little time left for the countdown, the ring is left showing people trying to eliminate or damage each other a little more: Nero stomping away on Vergil in the corner; Kenshin trying to shove Edd out of the ring as the latter clings onto the ropes for dear life; Takashi and Ash are trading punches; and Jason is looking around for his next victim since Spidey is recovering outside and being checked on. Soon enough, the buzzer rings…

[SHUT UP!]

"Oh, Jesus, NO," Ross groans, double-facepalming.

"…I, for once, share your pain, Ross," MatPat frowns.

[Entry #17: Smosh]

("The Kings" by Run-DMC plays)

To a fair number of boos (along with a dash of cheers), Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla of Smosh arrive on stage, the former crotch-chopping for days and circling around the latter, who smugly smirks. Following in suit was "Atomic" Mari Takahashi with arms folded and a stern expression. The Degenerate YouTubers discuss who would be entering the Rumble and so it's settled with a short game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. With a quick round, Anthony wins by picking out paper to Ian's rock, much to the latter's dismay. Nonetheless, Ian and Mari escort Anthony straight towards the ring as the next entrant of the Intercontinental Rumble.

Anthony slides right in the ring…and has his throat caught by the awaiting Voorhees! He takes him for a trip towards Hell via Chokeslam, only for a counter into a DDT by Anthony! By then, Anthony plays this match out by picking his spots very wisely; he ducks under Nero's punch and drives him down with a Leg-hook Saito Suplex. He stands and sneaks up on Kenshin with a German Suplex. As Double D is getting back in the ring, he quickly receives a chop to the chest by the leader of Smosh and earns one right back from Edd. The two go at it for a while until Anthony kicks him in the gut for an oncoming Double Underhook Backbreaker…which Double D counters into a Hurricanrana. Soon as Anthony stands, Edd delivers an ongoing combo of strikes: Two slaps, a low kick, an elbow smash, a Spinning Backfist and ending with a beautiful Pelé Kick…

…but Anthony catches the leg, dragging him up completely to his shoulders! Anthony proclaims, "I got you now, BITCH!" and executes a Rolling Fireman's Carry Slam followed by a Moonsault from the middle rope! In the meantime, Ash is clinging onto the ropes tightly as Takashi is beating him and pushing him off for the elimination. Ash does get some footing on the apron, so he's able to block Takashi's fist to snatch his head down with a hotshot. Takashi falls back and Ash picks himself up…

only for Seto Kaiba to FINALLY return back into the fray with a Big Boot to Ash's face, knocking him down to the floor! The crowd is FURIOUS.

"KAIBA! KAIBA APPEARS OUT OF THIN AIR TO ELIMINATE ASH! Where in the world did he come from?!" MatPat exclaims.

"He disappeared long enough after Jason's entrance and took the opportunity to take Ash Ketchum right out of the Rumble when he least expected it!" Ross clarifies. "And I say, that is BLOODY smart thinking by this man! Especially earning his rightful vengeance for Summer Wars!"

"Unfortunately, I don't think the audience agrees with you, Ross. And I can't blame them."

"KAIBA SUCKS!" chants echoed throughout the arena as Ash glares up at the sneering Kaiba, who gloats, "You are a THIRD-RATE wrestler with a FOURTH-RATE move-set compared to ME, Satoshi!" But his back is turned on Takashi…and he gets taken off his feet with a hell of a German Suplex! Of course, Takashi is not even finished with his set yet. He rolls his hips up to his feet, Kaiba wriggling around for an escape…and Komuro lands a second German. Once more, he rolls up with Kaiba in tow…

…and he tosses Kaiba over with the Release German Suplex, completing a hat trick—the Infecta Trifecta (Triple Rolling German Suplexes)! As the clock counts down, the action is still going with all remaining nine competitors—make that eight…

…for as Spider-Man, who returned with intent to fight Jason Voorhees with all that he's got by his wild, emotional punches…but Jason BLASTS him with a sickening Lariat! Spidey is nothing more than a rag doll as Voorhees slowly drags him to his feet…hand clutching his throat…

…and takes OUT OF THE RING with a Chokeslam! Spider-Man is GONE. And as if on time, the buzzer goes off…

[KEN-EDDY!]

("Turn Up the Trouble" by Airbourne plays)

"Paging Mr. Eddy, you are the #18 entrant in this Rumble! …Even though that was likely Edd's number first," MatPat says.

"Now isn't the time to be technical, nerd," Ross retorts.

Anthony completely stops from eliminating Edd to hear that music…and out comes #18 Eddy McGee himself, who is still very livid about how their final match ended with Mari interfering. Anthony URGES Eddy to come in the ring with a mocking declare, "Come on in, SKIPPER! I know you still want a piece of me, ya FRIGGIN' MIDGET!" Two things you don't bring up to Eddy: his middle name and his height…and with a STEAMING RED FACE, Eddy is CHARGING down to the ring! Eddy slides in and ducks under Anthony's Big Boot attempt…as he wraps the arms around the waist for a Release German Suplex, sending Anthony flying! "At least I have a tag team title opportunity, ya has-been!" Eddy derides.

"WHOA, where did THAT come from?!" Ross shouts. "When did this shrimp suddenly hit the weights?!"

"I think it's more of the FURY fueling his strength than anything, really! Eddy ALWAYS had a foul temper and there is no stopping him now!" MatPat states.

Ian enters the ring himself to aid his best friend, but suddenly eats a Superkick from Double D and goes over the tope rope! As Mari aids her close friend, Anthony is coming to…then Eddy lifts him on his shoulders and hits the Peach Creek Plunge…as Edd hopped over them to perform a Split-legged Moonsault…followed by Eddy's Moonsault! The Eds are UNITED in the Rumble; they take down Vergil with a Spear (Eddy) / Spinning Heel Kick (Edd) combination and then land a Double Dropkick to Nero. They pick Nero back up and place him on the ropes for an Irish Whip. He bounces back to a Spinning Back Kick from Edd followed by a Cash Drop (Running Knee Lift followed by a Falling Neckbreaker) by Eddy and ending with a Running Shooting Star! However, Voorhees quickly ends their team-up with a hell of a Clothesline to Double D that would practically knock the sock off his head. Eddy catches Jason with a toe kick to the gut and goes for a Stunner…but Jason makes Eddy yet another victim as he captures the back of his neck and brings him high to PLANT him with the Camp Killer (Reverse Chokeslam Facebuster)!

"Oh, my!" MatPat yelps. "I'm not sure what was more terrifying—the height of that Chokeslam or the impact of it!"

"I don't think the lad's getting up after that," Ross states.

Meanwhile, as Eddy is now getting stomped away by a vengeful Anthony Padilla, Kaiba is choking Kenshin out with the ropes, pressing knee against his upper back. Takashi hits Kaiba from behind with a Double Axe Handle, getting him off of Kenshin. With a fearsome chop to the chest by Takashi, Kaiba gets taken into a corner. Takashi tries pushing him over the ropes, but Kaiba sends a sharp elbow to the back of his head…and out of nowhere, Jason Voorhees SQUASHES both Kaiba and Komuro in the corner with a Body Avalanche! Takashi falls, but Kaiba continues being the victim of Voorhees' unbiased rampage…

…by Biel Tossing him all the way across the ring, sending Kaiba FLYING like he was a mere cruiserweight!

"GOOD LORD IN HEAVEN! Is there no limit to the strength of this Beast of Bad Luck?!" MatPat inquires in horror.

"Poor Kaiba was sent airborne as if he was a child and the landing did not end pretty!" Ross claims.

The clock is ticking down. Nine men have been eliminated thus far. Nine men remain in the Rumble and are going through their own fights as this progresses…and they're about to have ten men inside the ring with the buzzer sounding off.

[BROOOOOOOOO…]

("Hey Bro" by CFO$ plays)

Pink and black waves appear floating all over the APEXTron and PewDiePie's logo at the center, mixed reception rising for the inevitable…and out comes the four-time most subscribed YouTuber #19 Felix "PewDiePie" Kjellberg as the cheering side chant "BRO! BRO! BRO!" Felix has returned to APEX with a wide grin on his face before turning to the ring, lowering his CMMN Pris jet black sunglasses to inspect the ring and its competitors. He merely shrugs and removes the glasses, followed along with his "Holy Spirit" black hoodie with a picture of a barking German Shepherd in the center. After tossing the hoodie down, he rushes for the ring…but not before stopping to hand a nine-year-old fan his sunglasses and gives him his signature fist bump.

"Number nineteen is the BRO himself, our fellow YouTuber, Felix Kjellberg!" MatPat declares. "Like Double D and Vergil, Felix has that battle royal experience when they competed in the 15-Man Royal Rumble on Ignition IV, which he won for a chance in becoming the first International Champion at Rebellion. Unfortunately, that did not come to pass with Luke Smith snatching it away from him with a low blow."

"Not like Felix earned the spot in the Rumble to begin with, mate. Felix kept whining his ass off to Alvarez to enter the Rumble after being bored of his job as an interviewer," Ross says. "He got what he deserved at Rebellion and he got what he deserved at Summer Wars."

"Even then, that's not keeping Pewds down from going after Smith by having to go through the rest of these competitors in the Rumble," MatPat states as Felix slides in the ring…

…and he immediately knocks down Double D with a Bro Fist (Superman Punch)! Then another to Kaiba! Anthony offers Eddy to Pewds, pushing him into his clutches. Pewds has the head wrapped, he hooks the inside leg…and he spikes Eddy's head with the new PewDieDriver (Inside Leg-hook Fisherman Driver)! Anthony crotch chops the downed Eddy in high arrogance and gloats to the crowd…and that proved to be a mistake when he turned his back on Pewds, who pulls him into an Inverted Facelock and drives him down with You Pewds You Lose (Spinning Headlock Elbow Drop)!

"Ohhh, so much for the teamwork from our fellow YouTubers!" MatPat cringes.

"Gotta give credit where credit is due, unfortunately," Ross admits. "Pewds knows well enough that it's every man for himself and he ain't taking any chances with anybody."

"Especially as he wants one more shot at Luke Smith."

Vergil battles with Kenshin, battering him with a European Uppercut. Kenshin is returning the favor, but it's clear Vergil is overpowering him as he chops him into a corner and stomps at his chest in a vicious manner. As he is now choking him with his boot, Jason Voorhees is shown struggling to eliminate Takashi from the match as he proves to be more resistant than he looks. It's clear neither are holding back, Takashi constantly kicking Jason's face in. Nero unintentionally saved Komuro with a Rainbow Bullet (Running Dropkick) behind Jason. Unfortunately, Voorhees turns his full attention on Nero as he grabs his throat with both hands…

…AND HURLS HIM OVER THE TOP ROPE!

"OH, NO! Nero's out of the Rumble!" MatPat exclaims.

"No, wait!" Ross shouts…

…as Nero has BARELY hung on, his arm hooked around the top rope! "THE LAD ACTUALLY SURVIVED! HOW DOES A GUY HAVE SO MUCH FREAKING LUCK?!"

"I DON'T KNOW, BUT HE BETTER THANK HIS STARS FOR EVEN HANGING ON!"

Nero is holding his grip tight around his wrist so that he doesn't fall to the floor. He gradually picks himself up back on the apron, taking this moment to catch his breath. Meanwhile, Voorhees is now seen taking multiple strikes from Vergil—a two-punch combo, a flurry of kicks, then he ends the combo with a Lunar Phase…but those strikes have hardly registered on Voorhees, shocking Vergil…and CLOBBERS the Dark Slayer with a Clothesline! Kenshin tries for the surprise attack with his Ryūtsuisen Leg Lariat from the top rope, but Jason has caught him midair…

…and straight-up Powerbombs him on top of Vergil! The clock begins counting down and Voorhees has dominated once again thus far, grabbing the Eds' throats for a Double-Chokeslam. In the meantime, Kaiba and Komuro are seen trading fists to each other's temples. With a kick to the midsection, Kaiba starts attempting to push Takashi over the ropes again. This time, Anthony is assisting him as he picks up one of his legs to get him out. Takashi is doing all he can to stay in the match, but he's coming so close to being eliminated…

…until the buzzer rings…

("Paranoid" by Megadeth plays)

…and #20 Kohta Hirano comes RUNNING out of the Gorilla Position down the ramp to the ring! Kaiba and Anthony manages to force Takashi over the ropes, but Kohta catches his best friend in time! Komuro was surprise to even see Hirano in the match, but it matters not now as he gets pushed back in the ring and Hirano slides in.

"Hirano is in the Rumble, and he just caught his best friend after he was thrown over by the unlikely duo of Kaiba and Anthony!" MatPat comments. "As such, Komuro's feet never touched the ground, so he was never eliminated!"

"I should've known that nerd would get involved. That Komuro punk can't even survive on his own without his fat-ass friend," Ross scoffs. "Besides, aren't these two in the Tag Team Gauntlet Match at Night of Champions?!"

"Nothing wrong with working double-duty and taking many opportunities you can get," MatPat retorts.

After elbowing Anthony away, Komuro jumps into the ring with a Springboard Clothesline after him. Hirano goes on the offense at Kaiba, nailing him with a consecutive series of jabs to the face. Speeding the punches up to ten, Kohta winds his arms up Bubba Ray style…shoots Kaiba's head off with his right finger gun…and nails him down with a Bionic Elbow, best known as the Pointblank Elbow! Hirano turns around and sees Komuro giving a cutthroat gesture, then points at Anthony as he holds him in a headlock…and Kohta responds with a wild grin. Takashi hurls him to the ropes…

…and Anthony gets tripped and pulled out of the ring by Mari and Ian! Boos rained down on Smosh, Ian flipping the bird on Komuro and Hirano as he only wanted to have Anthony "regroup" with them…but the two high schoolers were having none of it…as they hit the ropes…

…and fly through to the other side with a Stereo Suicide Dive, landing on top of the Smosh trio!

"TOPÉ SUICIDA! Hirano and Komuro REFUSED to let Smosh take this moment to breathe and took matters into their own hands!" MatPat exclaims.

"They are the lesser of two peasants, so I say, KING ROSS APPROVES!" proclaims the Cultaholic.

"But isn't that gimmick dead?"

"Quiet, you!"

Throwing Anthony back inside the ring, Komuro tries again for an Irish Whip…

…Hirano joins in…

…and Anthony rebounds into their clutches to Drop Dead (Flapjack (Komuro) / Cutter (Hirano) combination)! They bring the limp Anthony to his feet and hurl him over the ropes to the outside, officially eliminating him. However, their celebration was cut short as Voorhees knocks Hirano out with a Big Boot and Komuro with a hell of a headbutt! Meanwhile, Himura is repeatedly kicking at PewDiePie, who is attempting to eliminate him from the match. Kenshin manages to reach for his hair and strikes him with a sharp elbow, staggering Felix away. The wandering samurai quickly ascends to the top…

…and flies down on top of the standing Felix with a Sky-High Battōsai (Diving Somersault Senton)! And just in time for the buzzer to go off…

"So much action happening in the ring, I can barely keep up with these contestants coming and go—

FIRE EXPLODES FROM THE STAGE!

"GOOD LORD ALMIGHTY, WHAT THE HELL?!" MatPat shrieks, taken off guard by the sudden pyro.

"WHAT THE HELL INDEED!" Ross shouts…

…while "Slow Chemical" by Finger Eleven plays thereafter, the lights turning complete crimson red…

…and #21 Rando ambles his way down the ramp and into the match. Nero, after performing a Thunder Fire Powerbomb to Kaiba, spots the Demonic Sadist approaching. The Human Hunter versus the Devil Hunter…and Nero runs right into a High-impact Palm Strike—the familiar, replicated Overture Battery! Then he takes out PewDiePie with a Throat Thrust Uppercut, Edd with a Tornado Sickle (Discus Lariat), Kaiba with the Standing Side Slam, and Hirano on his shoulders and into a Death Valley Driver.

"From the depths of the Spirit World, Rando is RAMPAGING through the Rumble against those who dare come after him or even cross his sight," MatPat states.

"Think what makes it worse for everybody is this is his official debut on the main roster… As if Voorhees wasn't bad enough," Ross gulps.

"The Ability Thief" Rando admires the bodies he's left behind in his wake with a vile grin…until Kenshin Himura bashes him with a Spinning Backfist! Rando staggers, holding his jaw from the sudden shot. Kenshin stares down at the demon in defiance as Rando looks down on his hand…and he sees blood coming from his mouth. He was almost shocked…but he merely smirks up at Kenshin and cleans the blood off his lips with the lick of his tongue, which Kenshin reacted in revulsion. But quickly, Rando went for a Forearm Smash and Kenshin ducks it. He attacks the chest with one…two…three knife edge chops and takes him for an Irish Whip. Rando reverses with an arm wrench and goes for a kick, but Kenshin catches it…

…spins towards Rando for a rigid Discus Back Elbow…

…followed by another straight down to the knee of the leg he was holding, Rando reeling back…

…and, while still facing away, lands the final blow with an Enzuigiri! Kenshin stands up…and Rando, despite taking all that, still DECAPITATES Kenshin with his own Reverse Blade Forearm!

"My goodness, what a forearm! Even after that quick sequence, Rando proves the superior one over Kenshin, adding insult to injury by using his own famous Sakabatō Forearm against him!" MatPat calls.

As Rando deals with Kenshin, Kaiba suddenly gets jumped on by Double D, saving Eddy from getting entirely shoved over the ropes. Edd has the Sleeper Hold and bodyscissors wrapped tight around Kaiba, who is repeatedly ramming him against the turnbuckles to get him off his back. He succeeds, but Eddy catches him with a Leaping Reverse Elbow in the corner. Seto stumbles forward and Eddy soon plants him with the Sucker Charge (Leaping Reverse STO)! With Kaiba down, Eddy motions to Edd that they throw him out together. Edd nods and cooperates as Eddy picks up the KaibaCorp President…

and Edd suddenly Superkicks Eddy from out of nowhere and out of the ring!

"WHOA! Edd just eliminated his own best friend!" MatPat exclaims.

"Every man for himself, Matty!" Ross laughs. "Shorty didn't even see it coming!"

Eddy looked up from the floor in shock at Edd's surprise…but Edd smirks as he says, "Apologies, dear Eddy! But it is every man for himself here…and besides, you'd do the same to me in the end!" Edd salutes farewell to his fellow Ed and turns around…to EAT A BIG BOOT FROM KAIBA, GETTING SENT OVER THE ROPES AND TO THE OUTSIDE!

"And now EDD has suffered instant karma!" Matthew states.

"HA! How do you like them apples, DORK?!" Ross laughs again.

Edd lies on the floor, disappointed of his elimination…but quickly realizes where he's at and who he's near. He slowly looks up to find a seething Eddy and soon stands up with a very nervous expression on his face. He tries talking himself out of it…but Eddy would have NONE OF IT as he tackles Double D into a fight cloud. This little sideshow brought out some laughter from the crowd as the fight cloud moves towards the stage…and the clock reached zero with the sound of a buzzer going off after another minute has passed by.

"Two people have been eliminated, leaving only nine left in the ring. It is still immensely packed with this many bodies and it's gonna have less room once more with number twenty-two coming out!" MatPat says.

("Just Close Your Eyes" by Bedlam's Gate)

[GO!

If you close your eyes

Your life, a naked truth revealed!

Dreams you never lived

And scars never healed (Scars never healed!)

In the darkness, life will take you to the other side

Find me waiting there, you'll see if you just close your eyes~!

If you just close your eyyyyyyes…!

If you just close your eyyyyyyyyyyyyes!]

#22 "Vengeance" Drew Cage walks out, a hand to his forehead à la Christian as he looks through the fans. He turns attention to the ring and starts running straight towards it with a grin on his face.

"The eldest sibling of the Cage Family has arrived! The last time we saw Drew Cage on live APEX television was his debut match against APEX World Champion Beowulf!" MatPat states. "Very glad to see him stick around in APEX!"

"But let's see how long he'll last in this Rumble with all ten other lads most likely to take him out next," Ross says.

Sliding right in, Drew immediately blocks a punch from Jason Voorhees, much to the shock of others, and pummels him with a high-speed furious combo: two punches to the face and gut, a Shoot Kick, a Spinning Backfist and a Step-up Enzuigiri—best known as the Fury of Hades! Voorhees stays on his feet, albeit close to losing his vertical base…and Cage—gets blindsided by Rando! The Demonic Sadist batters him with clubbing forearms before taking him for an Irish Whip to the opposite corner. Drew stops himself with a foot on the middle turnbuckle and back elbows Rando. He taunts him to come after…

…and Rando falls straight for Drew sliding through the ropes and nails a Pendulum Overhead Kick from out of the corner to Rando's head! As Rando stumbles away, Drew stands on the apron…stretches out his right elbow pad, signaling for a special finisher…

…and springs off the top rope with the Damnation Forearm (Springboard Forearm Smash)! Pewds and Kenshin are back to settling the score with each other, the former gaining an advantage over the latter. One Irish Whip thereafter…Kenshin returns with a Spinning Heel Kick…and Pewds bends his body backwards Matrix style! He names it after one of his catchphrases, But Can You Do Thiiiiis (Matrix evasion)! He stands straight back up…and rotates back a full 180 to give Pewds a Bro Fist to the face! Meanwhile…

…VERGIL NEARLY GETS ELIMINATED BY KAIBA! He hangs on to the top rope and skins the cat back in the ring, stalking him until he turns around. Seto has Nero in his clutches for a White Pedigree Plunge…but he spins out of it give him a Bringer Claw Omega (Kenny Omega's Rain Trigger)! Kaiba is DAZED…and Vergil takes full advantage by planting him with Yamato γ (RKO)! Both Nero and Vergil stare at each other, not lifting a finger whatsoever. As they do, everyone else around them were busy trying to eliminate their own opponents; Pewds trying to push Kenshin over the ropes, Drew stomping on Rando in the corner, Komuro and Hirano combining their strength to take Voorhees out of the ring…though he was hardly budging from the canvas as he grabbed their heads to headbutt them simultaneously. The clock has now counted at 0:05…0:04…

0:03…

0:02…

0:01…

[Where all my bros at~?

WOO! WOO!

Let's get them fists up~!

WOO! WOO!

Where all my bros at~?

WOO! WOO!

Let's start that fist pump!

One, two, three, four!

Whoaaa, radioooo

Tell me everything you know!

I will believe your every word

Just tell me so!]

"Radio" by Downstait plays to a loud cheering reception from the San Antonio crowd…and #23 Space Dandy struts out with the biggest grin, oozing with confidence. Quickly combing his Regent pompadour, Dandy puts it away to run down the ramp towards the ring.

"Another Underground star arrives to the big time! And he is Space Dandy, a dandy guy…in space!" MatPat calls.

Dandy slides in the ring and Vergil sets his sights on him, instantaneously kicking and stomping away on the alien hunter. Vergil drags him to his feet in a Front Facelock, but Dandy breaks out of it, kicks him straight in the gut and plants him with the Aloha Oe Paradise (Jumping Leg Lariat)! Dandy goes for a second one to Nero, but he ducks it. Nero elbows him and sets him Suplex style…right up until Dandy slips out of it and drives his knee into the back of his skull with The Dandy Way (Inverted Overdrive)! After getting away from Drew Cage with a forearm eye rake, he strikes Dandy with a running knee to the kidneys. He puts him in a Standing Headscissors…gives a cutthroat gesture with a contemptable grin…and begins to raise him for a Ganso Bomb

"Oh, come on, no! Don't do this, Rando! Don't you DARE!" MatPat warns.

"This is gonna get ugly REAL FAST…!" says Ross.

…but Dandy keeps his feet planted to the canvas…and Back Body Drops the Ability Thief over the ropes!

"Or not!" Ross takes it back.

"PHEW! Dandy saves his career from being shortened, but Rando still hangs on!"

Rando has the ropes and stands on the apron, measuring Dandy from there. The captain of the Aloha Oe runs up to him with a Big Boot, but Rando pulls the rope down to get him to fall over! However, Dandy stays alive in the match just by hanging onto Rando's leg! With Dandy's weight pulling Rando down, the red-haired demon angrily tries pushing and punching him off so he can get back in the ring. Dandy does let go, but after he managed to sit on the apron, much to his relief. Rando plays smart to get back in the ring, Dandy following in suit. During this time, Voorhees has Powerslammed Takashi into the mat and Hirano attacks him with a Dropkick. This brings Jason to the ropes and Kohta starts trying again to push him over the ropes. Komuro recovers and assists his friend…

…followed by Nero and Vergil…

…then Kenshin…

…then Kaiba and Drew…

…then Pewds, Dandy and Rando—EVERYONE was trying to eliminate Jason! All TEN of them, combined strength and all to lift Jason off his feet…

…and JASON VOORHEES SHOVES THEM ALL AWAY, AN EXPLOSION OF BODIES FLYING AND ROLLING ACROSS THE RING!

"GOOD LORD! IT TOOK TEN MEN TO TRY TO LIFT JASON UP…AND IT WAS TO NO AVAIL!" MatPat exclaims.

"WE ARE ALL GONNA DIE," Ross panics.

The timer buzzes…

("Endless Possibility" by Jaret Reddick plays)

"…We're saved! We have our new sacrificial lamb!" Ross quickly changes his tune.

"How optimistic of you," MatPat sarcastically remarks. "Nonetheless, can the former Omega Champion make a difference against the Beast of Bad Luck?"

To enormous cheers, #24 "The Deathmatch Icon" Spin the Hedgehog wastes no time rushing down to the ring, where Voorhees waits among the bodies of the fallen. Spin slides inside and goes to town on the Crystal Lake slasher with a fury of fists. He hits the ropes and Jason catches him by the throat, but Spin pulls him into a knee strike to the abdomen. Spin goes back and forth from knife edge chops to elbow smashes on Jason, subsequently with headbutts that brings Jason down to his knees, then a fast-and-furious series of Football Kicks, Knee Strikes, Shoot Kicks, and finally finished with a Scissors Kick to the head—Spin completing the Violence Party! Rando and Drew are on the ropes, battling to eliminate one another from the match…

…and Spin takes advantage as he pushes them both over, taking them out of the Rumble completely!

"Whoa, double elimination! There is no clemency from the Deathmatch Icon tonight!" MatPat states. "He takes out both APEX rookies!"

Spin gives a Toru Yano esque shrug to the two who were rightfully bitter of the result. While he goes back to fighting Jason, Pewds and Dandy are having a battle of their own. Felix is ramming his shoulder into Dandy's gut repeatedly as Dandy is beating his back with his fists. In spite of that, Felix carries Dandy up on the top rope to push him over, but Dandy stays in with his legs wrapped around the ropes and turnbuckle. Dandy kicks his face away with his free foot and sits back up…

…and then PewDiePie knocks his jaw out with a Bro Fist! Dandy falls completely limp and before Pewds can remove Dandy's foot hooked to the rope, Hirano catches him by surprise with a Release German Suplex! The clock ticks down: 0:07…0:06…0:05…

…Kaiba plants Kenshin with a Spinning Spinebuster…0:04…0:03…

…Komuro and Hirano double-team Felix, the former Drop Toe Holding him while the latter lands a Running Leg Drop…0:02…0:01…

[Who's to know if your soul will fade at all…?

The one you sold to fool the world…

You lost your self-esteem along the way…

Yeah~!]

("Fake It" by Seether plays)

Next to appear was #25 "The Uncharted Adventurer" Nathan Drake! But while folk were waiting for him to arrive, Vergil has Nero up in a Fireman's Carry and flips him over for the Ushigoroshi—a Fireman's Carry Neckbreaker…and Nero avoids it with a flip to his feet. Vergil charges after him and Nero sidesteps him, pushing the Dark Slayer into the turnbuckles. Nero immediately grabs Vergil for a Chaos Theory German Suplex…and flips into another…and drives him down on his head with a Pumphandle Piledriver, completing the Maximum Bet! THAT brought a few spectators to pop at the sight of it…but Nero didn't waste time appreciate his handiwork, instead being grabbed by Nathan and hurled over top rope!

"Nathan Drake, one-half of The Naughty Dogs and a former World Trios Champion as part of The Rebirth, comes through the back door and eliminates our number one entrant!" MatPat exclaims…

…but Nero AGAIN barely hangs on, clinging to the middle rope while keeping his feet elevated off the floor! The crowd had a huge sigh of relief as MatPat corrects himself, "Ohhh, that was close! How close was that?!"

"Just how many times is this lad going to come close from the floor?!" Ross questions. "His luck has gotta run out soon enough!"

Nathan looks all around where to pick his spot and watch out for anybody after him. Dandy has already brought himself back to sitting on the top turnbuckle, seeing Nate's back turned on him. He gets ready to take on a high-risk maneuver…and when Nate turned around, Dandy flies towards him with a Missile Front Dropkick…

…and he MISSES spectacularly as Nate sidesteps him, falling flat on his back! Dandy shoots to his feet in pain, but the Uncharted Thief instantly drops him with Drake's Fortune (Jumping Reverse STO)! Meanwhile, Kaiba has Kenshin's arms hooked and executes him with the White Dragon Plunge (Pedigree)! Soon as he got up, Drake knocks him down with a Flying Forearm Smash. Kaiba gets up and Drake wails on him with a consecutive amount of elbows and backhand chops, reeling him back to the ropes. A Clothesline, Nathan goes for, but Kaiba counters with a straight Toe Kick to the gut. He sets him up for a Vertical Suplex, carrying him up as he slowly turns around towards the ropes…

…but Nate has been clearly fidgeting around as he is trying to make Kaiba lose his balance. Kaiba staggers and Nate manages to land on a vertical base. He goes for another Drake's Fortune to Kaiba, who catches him with a Spinning Spinebuster instead! Kaiba wastes no time to pick Nate up and tries for the Suplex again…which he performs a Front Suplex on the ropes…and follows with a Big Boot to the face, knocking Nate down!

"Nathan Drake, down and out of the Rumble!" MatPat calls.

"HA! I KNEW THAT WOULD HAPPEN! He may be in a bit of an elevated status with The Rebirth and on FUSION, but everywhere else, he is a JOKE, and this proves—WAIT, WHAT?!" Ross shouts…

…to the sight of Nathan Drake staying alive with his foot tangled up in the ropes and hanging upside-down! "WHAT THE HELL?! WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?!"

"I think it was when Nate tried to enter back in the ring before Kaiba went for the Big Boot!" MatPat exclaims. "But Kaiba, confident of his recent elimination, is completely unaware of Nate's current situation!"

Nate, slowly and surely, picks himself back on the apron with the ropes' assistance, unties his foot and rolls back in the ring. Kaiba has seen him return and was flabbergasted of how possible this save really was. Crossed, Seto Kaiba stomps over…

…and Nate dodges his Clothesline by pulling down the ropes! But Kaiba doesn't go out completely. He had saved himself by landing on the apron and stands back up to throw a punch at Drake, who blocks it…

…and straight-up kicks Kaiba in the groin through the ropes! Kaiba reacts in absolute pain before Nate completely takes him out with a Dropkick off the apron and to the floor!

"And Kaiba is GONE! He's eliminated from the Intercontinental Rumble!" Matthew calls. "Nathan Drake shows he'll do whatever it takes to steal this title opportunity, no matter the consequences!"

"What a low-life thief," Ross scowls. "Just that desperate to show you aren't a joke any longer, huh?"

Drake waves farewell to Kaiba with a grin before turning around to receive a running knee right in the gut by Kohta Hirano. As the two battle in the corner, Spin has his body wrapped tight around Voorhees in a Sleeper Hold/Bodyscissors combination, wanting to bring the slashing behemoth down. But it appears to have no effort, Voorhees practically ignoring the Mobian hedgehog for a Double-Clothesline attack on both Pewds and Kenshin during their own fight. Voorhees viciously pulls Spin off his back and over his shoulder to slam him down. After nailing a big Leg Drop on Spin, the clock appears: 0:10…0:09…0:08…0:07…

…Drake nearly pushes Hirano out of the ring until Komuro cracks the back of his head with the Step-up High Knee in the corner…0:06…0:05…

…then Komuro follows it up with a Running Bulldog, which gets intercepted by a right hook from Voorhees…0:04…0:03…0:02…0:01…

("Tokiwakita (Time Has Come)" by CFO$ plays)

To emphatic beat of the drums and hard guitar strumming, #26 "The Unbreakable Elemental Machine" David Williams walks out with a stern expression. The audience cheers for this recognizable face from the Underground as David holds his burning stare towards the ring and crouches at the center. He slowly rises back up with both hands motioning a complete circle to the top, both index fingers pointing straight to the sky. Then he quickly directs them to the ring and makes a beeline for it.

"Yet another APEX Underground graduate making his main roster debut is David Williams!" Matthew Patrick states. "This young man spent most of his time chasing after the APEX Underground Championship before earning another title shot for our Integrity Championship until it never came to be with APEX collapsing on itself. But now, David has a new opportunity on the main roster to earn an even better secondary title shot at the APEX Intercontinental Title!"

"And he's got some old rivals to get through first and foremost!" Ross mentions, Dandy sending Vergil away with a forearm before seeing David sliding in the ring.

Dandy and Williams instantly clash, battering each other's heads with their fists. David starts sending Dandy reeling back with his series of elbows, the last big one knocking him down. Then, he lands a vicious Spinning Backfist to PewDiePie, hits a stiff Shoot Kick to Komuro's gut that knocks him off his feet, and pops up Hirano in the air for a European Uppercut. Voorhees confronts Williams with a simple seizing to the throat by both hands, but David smacks them away and blasts at Jason with an elbow. And another. And another. And another—this goes on and on and on until David holds Jason in his arms…LIFTS HIM to hit an Inverted Atomic Drop…

…followed up by a Sick Kick to the face, KNOCKING JASON DOWN ON HIS BACK…

…AND CONCLUDED WITH A SCREAMING RUNNING SENTON! THE CROWD WERE GOING BANANAS AT THE SIGHT!

"UNBELIEVABLE! A LETHAL, BRUTAL, STIFF COMBINATION BY DAVID WILLIAMS, WHO IS THE FIRST ONE ABLE TO COMPLETELY BRING DOWN VOORHEES TO HIS BACK WHEN EVERYONE FAILED TO!" MatPat exclaims.

"HE IS THE UNBREAKABLE ELEMENTAL MACHINE FOR A GODDAMN REASON, MATPAT! AND HE PROVES IT WHY!"

The San Antonio natives chant David's name as he beats his chest proudly, Nero stepping up to the young Japanese descendent. A small bit of history between the two, Nero was David's final opponent before leaving the Underground and had a match to decide a challenger for the Integrity Championship as MatPat mentioned before. Both have changed quite a bit, especially Nero, who is clearly showing some exhaustion from being in this match the longest. David nails the first shot with an elbow, then Nero firing back with two of his own in a row.

As these two continue trading stiff elbows, Komuro and Hirano were back on their feet trying to eliminate Vergil. The son of Sparda is being lifted off his feet whilst clinging to the ropes to prevent himself from being thrown out. His right leg breaks free from Komuro's grasp and pulls him into a viciously severe knee to the face. Takashi instantly dropped dead upon impact, leaving Kohta shocked before eating a kick to the face from Vergil. During all this, the clock reached zero and it buzzes…

("Black or White" by Bleeding in Stereo plays)

Walking out next was #27 "The Virus King" RC Bane, emotionless appearance and all as he fixes up his gloves. As Bane takes his time ambling to the ring, the blue-clad half-demon has been revealing no remorse with a kick Kohta's sides and then stomps his head into the mat. "Nothing but a pathetic, obese child who has overstayed his welcome…" Vergil scorns coldly, going for another stomp to the head…but Hirano remains on all fours. Vergil lifts his head up with his foot under his chin, prepping for the Lunar Phase. He swiftly spins for the reverse kick…

…but Hirano defiantly catches the leg! Hirano rises with an unhinged look on his face, as if something SNAPPED within him…

…then yanks Vergil in with a Carbine Driver (Death Valley Driver)! The spectating eyes pop at the sight…but Kohta's brief comeback was put to a sudden halt, with RC Bane in the ring and sprinting after Hirano with a devastating Virus Breakdown (Full Nelson Facebuster)! The Virus King catches Spin with a Back Elbow and pops him over the ropes with a Back Body Drop. Spin lands his feet on the apron and elbows Bane back. He grabs him for a Suplex and lifts him high up, ready to throw him out early on…

"Spin is in a very precarious position with Bane in his clutches like this. He could eliminate RC, sure, but there's a chance he might take himself out in the process," MatPat brings up.

…but Bane is shaking his legs all around, risking further into total elimination along with Spin. RC Bane leans himself down to his left side back in the ring as Spin struggles to keep him in his hold…

…until immediately dropping him in an unplanned Front Suplex…

…when PewDiePie knocks him out with a Bro Fist!

"RC Bane avoids early elimination, whereas Spin the Hedgehog gets sent back to the locker room!" says Ross Tweddell.

"Almost anything can happen now at this point in the Rumble, Ross," MatPat states.

Spin slaps the floor in anger after getting eliminated while Pewds strikes away at Bane into the corner before attempting to push him out of the ring. Catching up with everyone else—Dandy has his foot choking David out; Nero performs a Mega Buster on Kenshin; Nathan Drake is hanging on for dear life over the ropes in his Triangle Choke hold on Voorhees, countering his Powerbomb attempt; and Takashi and Kohta are back to double-teaming Vergil, whom they execute a Fireman's Carry Flapjack (Komuro) spun out into a Running Cutter (Hirano) to. Takashi's head was still ringing after that knee to the face and it resulted a broken, bloody nose; Kohta constantly checks on him to truly ensure he's able to continue. Patting him on the back, Kohta gestures him that they do away with Vergil…

"That's some pure friendship right there," MatPat smiles. "Kohta being a real partner to Takashi by checking on his current condition."

"Yeah, nothing like being someone's Jannetty to prove how useful you really are," Ross utters with cynicism.

…which Takashi agrees to and grabs Vergil…

…BUT KOHTA THROWS HIM OVER THE TOP ROPE!

"OH, WHOA! I DID NOT EXPECT THAT!" MatPat shouts. "KOHTA TRIED TO ELIMINATE TAKASHI!"

"PFFFFT—HAHAHA! What was that about 'pure friendship', nerd?!" Ross guffaws, nearly falling off his chair.

Takashi scarcely escapes elimination with his grasp on the top rope, pulling himself back in the ring. He stares up from a kneeling position at Kohta, who was just as surprised as him and the observing audience. They look at each other for a while…

…before the Gun Otaku sighs and shrugs, "Every man for himself, right?" Takashi chuckles and replies, "Yeah…every man for himself, dude…" He extends a hand towards Kohta, offering a handshake…

…which he accepted…

…and they simultaneously kick each other in the gut! Takashi throws a right at Kohta and the two now start trading fists at the center. (MatPat: Implosion for Apocalypse Academy's duo! The amount of respect remains, but with Kohta ending the alliance, these two will NOT hold back on each other in order to step closer to that title shot!) Takashi blocks the next punch with a European Uppercut, taking Kohta to the ropes. He takes him for an Irish Whip and Kohta reverses it as his own. Kohta bends over for a Back Body Drop, but Komuro responds with a Running Knee Lift followed by—a swift Back Elbow to Komuro's head, interrupting his ensuing Neckbreaker Slam. Both are recovering, but Kohta shakes off the pain and lands a Running Senton on top of Komuro's back while he was on all fours. The Gun Otaku now wraps his arms tight around the waist, actually deadlifting him off the mat…

…and drives him down with a German Suplex! Then he rolls his hips around and up to his feet for a second German Suplex! Kohta is actually going for the Infecta Trifecta! Kohta rolls once more to his vertical base…

…and—Komuro performs a Standing Switch…and gives Kohta his trifecta of Rolling German Suplexes, completing his Infecta Trifecta to perfection!

"Komuro showing Hirano how it's really done!" MatPat states after the buzzer going off. "And now, our twenty-eighth entrant arrives! Who do we get?!"

[Is cooking…]

("Is Cooking" by Jim Johnston plays)

The San Antonio fans proceed to boo at #28 "The Future Living Legend" Jimmy Carmichael arriving by his lonesome. One quick raised fist later and Jimmy begins running down the ramp.

"Jimmy Carmichael, that's who we got! My pick is finally here!" Ross cheers.

"Oh, so he's your pick, then?" MatPat asks.

"Got that right! And he's definitely got the advantage than anybody else in the ring right now," Ross states. "Whereas everybody is slowly running on fumes, Carmichael is FRESH and FULL of vigor and more likely to win this Rumble."

Jimmy slides right in the ring…and the first person he takes down is Takashi Komuro with an Ode to the Great One (Rock Bottom)! Nero comes up to him with a Rainbow Bullet, but Carmichael easily dodges it, proceeding to Scissors Stomp his skull (which bounced off the mat) and follow it up with a devastating Brainbuster, accomplishing the Concussion Grade III! His next target would be Space Dandy, who tried to jump him with the Aloha Oe Paradise, but Jimmy catches him midair. He runs to an empty corner to hurl Dandy into via Turnbuckle Powerbomb…followed by a Superkick…and ending with an Aneurysm (Seth Rollins' Avada Kadavra) to the kneeling space hunter!

"Look at my boy go!" Ross grins.

"I'll say! Hardly can anybody touch Carmichael as, like you said, he's the freshest competitor to enter the Rumble. Not only picking his spots, but letting a few come at him to counteract," MatPat states.

Carmichael takes a look around and sets his sights on Kenshin rising. He begs him to stand…and the moment Kenshin reaches a foot, Jimmy shoots for an Aneurysm…and Kenshin catches the foot! Throwing his foot to the side, Kenshin uses that motion to spin for the Sakabatō Forearm…

…as did Jimmy for his Silent Killer (Rolling Elbow)…

…and they knock each other out with their synchronized Discus Elbow and Forearm! As both go down, Dandy is shaking off from the two Superkicks to his head and using the ropes to bring himself up…

…and David Williams BLASTS him in the face with a Sick Kick, taking right over the ropes and out of the ring! Space Dandy has been eliminated! Meanwhile, Pewds already has RC Bane on his shoulders, Electric Chair style…slips his hand through the leg to hold the back of Bane's head…

…and…Bane rolls through to sit on top before turning Felix around for the Reaper Lock (Single-leg Boston Crab)! He soon takes it up a notch by standing on one foot while pressing his knee against Felix's head, as he screams in pure agony!

"Reaper Lock! Reaper Lock! A Straight Shooter after countering Felix's One Winged Angel attempt beautifully through the roll-up!" MatPat calls.

"There's no submissions required to eliminate somebody, but Bane knows that well enough! He is just making sure Felix SUFFERS!" Ross utters.

As Bane applies the stress further on Felix, Takashi has his throat caught by the returning Voorhees…and when he gets picked up, Takashi breaks from the Chokeslam attempt and reverses it into a Crippler Crossface! Though Voorhees cannot speak at all, his agony is expressed quite clearly through his flailing free arm. But it does not last long…

…as Jimmy Carmichael plunges Kenshin on them with an Electric Chair Drop! Then he goes straight after RC Bane with a Superkick to the side of his face, forcing him to release Felix! Afterwards, Jimmy takes Felix up to his feet and plants him back on the canvas with an Ode to the Great One. Carmichael stands at the center, seeing most people laid out and the rest busy with their own opponents (i.e. Drake Clotheslining Nero out of the ring, but he lands on the apron; Vergil relentlessly Shoot Kicking David in the corner). He takes this moment to gloat, spreading his arms out in the manner of "Releasing the Doves" as he is rained down by boos…

…until "The Best Out" by Dipset featuring JR Writer, Hell Rell, 40 Cal, and Bezel plays to a cheering reception…

[Okay, okay, okay…

Yes, sir

Hell Rell! J.R. Writer! Forty!

This is how we do it, man

I am one of a kind

Yeah!

It's now or never…

Time's up, mutha—!

Let's do this…]

…and Jimmy Carmichael drops his arrogant grin to see #29 "The Black Mamba" Jeremy Ellis popping out of the stage, Rey Mysterio style! Jeremy, in a crouched position, looks up with a grin, stating off-mic, "Your favorite Black Mamba's back~" And Jimmy says towards him from afar, "Let's rekindle the old fire then, little Jeremiah." With a forward hop, Jeremy sprints straight to the ring, leaps through the middle and bottom rope, rolls through to perform a Leapfrog over Jimmy…turns back to catch him with a Hip Toss…

…followed by a backflip…

…followed by a Dropkick to the face!

"Fast, agile and smooth, is Jeremy Ellis as he marks his entry into the Intercontinental Rumble against old rival Jimmy Carmichael!" MatPat exclaims. "And he seems like his old self around here again!"

"Shouldn't he in prison for decapitating some poor biker—"

"Let's not bring that issue up in the forefront until someone of higher authority addresses it, Ross," MatPat interrupts the Cultaholic.

"…Fair enough," he shrugs. "In the meantime—WHAT ARE YOU DOING, CARMICHAEL?! You're letting Ellis walk all over you!"

Jeremy performs a smooth kip-up after that Dropkick, going after Nathan Drake next. Nathan reverses his Irish Whip attempt and pulls him into a knee to the gut. By then, he sets him up in a Crucifix position…and the Sitout Crucifix Powerbomb gets countered back with a Hurricanrana! Soon as Nate rolls to his feet, he EATS A RUNNING NECROTIZER (Cutter)! PewDiePie lines up Jeremy from behind…and the Bro Fist connects—to NOTHING with Jeremy catching him with another Necrotizer! David grabs Jeremy from behind…and a third Necrotizer is DENIED with David pushing him off! Jeremy bounces and immediately stops in front of David, realizing it was him…

…and upon discussion, the two were quick to team up due to their ragtag alliance down over in GPW. It's obvious how much chemistry they have together as David forces Nathan to his feet, holding him in a side-to-side position close to the ropes…then Jeremy Superkicks him, David using that momentum to push him over the ropes in a Back Suplex manner that brings Nate all the way to the floor. Then RC Bane brings down Jeremy with a Corkscrew Running Back Elbow to the back of his head. David hammers away at Bane for attacking his friend, but Bane escapes and chops at his chest repeatedly before kicking him in the gut and follows with a Snap Suplex. The Virus King tries concluding his sequence of moves with a Lionsault…but David was nowhere as he moved out of the way and Bane lands on his feet…

…then the Black Mamba injects his venom into the Rookie Revolutionary with a true third Necrotizer of the night! Now Jimmy gets up, turning around into a SUPERKICK by David!

…"Just kidding!" David says, actually stopping midway and instead Superkicks the knee from below. Jeremy now holds him up…

…David bouncing off the ropes…

…and both men execute Carmichael with a Blake Drop / Destino combination dubbed Fridge Logic!

"THAT…might looked difficult to perform, but it was ACADEMIC by GPW's own Frost Bite!" MatPat states as the clock reappears for the last time. "Counting down from ten, we approach our thirtieth and final entrant! It can be anybody at this point!"

"Entering at the final spot in the Rumble is no doubt a trump card, but so very few have won this kind of match from there," Ross emphasizes.

"Then let's see if it comes down to the odds favoring or rejecting our thirtieth competitor!"

In these final moments, the timer counts down: 0:05…Pewds is getting choked in the corner by Voorhees…0:04…

…Kenshin has taken down both Jeremy and David with a Sky-High Battōsai…0:03…

…Vergil keeps his distance from everyone while eying the stage, as if he knows who's coming last…0:02…

…Nero lies exhausted on the apron, unable to even stand after the fatigue has set in after being here for nearly thirty minutes…0:01…

…0:00…

…the buzzer rings…

…as Kohta PULLS DOWN THE ROPES ON THE RUNNING KOMURO…which he narrowly survives elimination. Komuro tries to bring himself back in, shouldering blocking Hirano's gut…

…and then follows with a Springboard Clothesline—DROPKICK FROM KOHTA MID-SPRINGBOARD…AND KOMURO GETS CAUGHT ON THE ROPE. Kohta quickly acts…and GUN STUNS (Cutter or a Stunner—in this case, he used a Stunner) KOMURO'S HEAD OVER THE ROPE…AND HE FALLS DOWN TO THE FLOOR TO A VERY MIXED REACTION!

"AN UPSET BY HIRANO! HE ELIMINATES HIS BEST FRIEND FROM THE RUMBLE!" MatPat exclaims.

"Fatso actually had it in him to eliminate the pretty boy!" Ross shouts. "Who knew?! I'll give him this much, at least he's willing to prove he's not a steppingstone."

"Nobody even implied that."

"Not yet~" Ross sing-songs.

Takashi, sitting on the floor, was rightfully stunned and somewhat upset for the elimination, especially by Kohta…but he cracks a smile about it and laughs it off. Kohta is confounded while Takashi assures him there's no issue between them…just as long as Kohta wins this whole thing. Kohta, relieved, smiles and nods, promising to do just that.

"And I stand by what I said about true friendship right there. Hashtag: Friendship Goals," MatPat quips. "…Now where's our thirtieth entrant?"

"Wish I knew. Either he chickened out or he's running late," Ross says.

Fans were growing more and more anxious at the final arrival, almost every one of them having their heads already turned to the stage. As they continue to wait, our Intercontinental Rumble competitors remain brawling throughout: David and Jeremy were kicking down at Carmichael in the corner before Voorhees grabs them both from behind and headbutts them together; RC Bane ducks under Felix's Hurricanrana attempt, turns him around, kicks him, and performs a well-executed Virus Impact (Falling Gutwrench Powerbomb)…just as Kenshin blasts the back of his head with the Sakabatō Forearm! Meanwhile, Nero lifts his head up towards the stage, staying away from everyone in the meantime and waiting as much as everyone else. Vergil tolerantly lingers in a corner sitting down with a stoic expression. "Get out here already, fool…" Vergil sneers. Moments later…

…the lights dim slowly…

"Oh, boy… I can see this is going to be a grand entrance," MatPat says. "Least it's not completely dark."

…a heavenly singing chorus fades in from the loudspeakers…then its instrumental music a minute after…

"…Why do I feel like my soul has been touched by the Heavens with Hell lurking in the background?" MatPat questions, a hand over his chest.

"I…am wondering the same thing myself," Ross blinks.

…and we fade to silence…

…until a motor revs EXTREMELY loud, echoing in the arena! The audience were still a bit confused, but appealed by whoever was coming…

…and then…

"WOO-HOOOOOO! YEAAAAAH!" cried a red-clad white-haired man FLYING from above the APEXTron on a demonic-looking red motorcycle!

"WHAT THE HELL?!" MatPat shouts.

"HE'S OUR NUMBER THIRTY?!" Ross inquires.

The motorcyclist backflipped in the air about three times and soon lands on the stage, circling and making donuts at the center before coming to a halt. The audience FLOODS the arena with massive cheers and shock, instantly recognizing this man as #30 "The Legendary Devil Hunter" Dante, who looks at the ring and removes up his goggles…and says, "I'm back, baby."

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

"DANTE'S OUR NUMBER THIRTY! THE STYLIN' SHOWSTOPPER IS BACK HOME! VERGIL DIDN'T LEAVE HIM BEHIND IN HELL, AFTER ALL!" MatPat states.

"HE DAMN WELL SHOULD'VE!" Ross exclaims. "I DON'T WANT THIS OLD BASTARD FACING LUKE FOR THE IC TITLE!"

Going along with his new Devil Arm, Dante donned his Devil May Cry 5 look, but he has cleaned up to look more like himself in the Prologue of the game's story; though, he has kept his beard, giving off a grungier look. Dante struts his way to the ring, taking his time to do his signature entrance with the crowd joining along. Nearly everybody stopped what they were doing to stare in bafflement. Some were impressed by the arrival…most were not. Soon, Dante hops on the apron and slingshots into the ring. The music soon fades away, the audience left to cheer immensely, and almost everyone staring down at Dante, especially twin brother Vergil. Nero was just shaking his head in utter disbelief. He had thought they might never come back from the Underworld ever after severing the roots of the Qliphoth. But now he's here…the sons of Sparda are back.

"You know what, OF COURSE Dante would take his entrance up to an ELEVEN as the last entrant in the Rumble! It shouldn't be that surprising!" MatPat states, grinning. "…How the heck did he even pull that stunt, though?"

"I'd rather not question due to my sanity slipping from figuring out how did these two even leave Hell to begin with," Ross retorts.

Dante scans the competition before him, hands on his hips before raising a finger up…and proclaims while circling around, "And now, I'm going to play…with…you!" He points straight at Vergil…who stands from the corner and walks up to his younger brother. Dante has removed his jacket and shirt as his brother comes closer…

…until Vergil gets blindsided with a Standing Dropkick from Carmichael! Dante targets him now for even interfering with their feud, striking at him at a fast rate with multiple boxing jabs and hooks. After a total of ten punches, Dante performs a beautiful Dropsault to take down Carmichael. Then almost everyone charges after Dante, but they would get taken down one by one: Jeremy from a Scorpion Kick, David from an STO Backbreaker followed by a Neckbreaker Slam, and PewDiePie from a Beast Uppercut (Pop-up European Uppercut)! Dante wastes no time to start making eliminations! First, he grabs David and HURLS him over the ropes; next was Carmichael, same process of elimination for him! There is NO MERCY from Dante tonight! But Bane stops him with a Chop Block from behind, bringing him down to a knee. RC sets him up for the Virus Impact…

…but Dante smoothly counters that into a Hurricanrana! Bane rolls to his feet…and he eats a Superkick from Dante, completely going over the ropes!

"DANTE IS GOING CRAZY HERE! Carmichael's gone! David's gone! And now, RC Bane is gone!" Matthew states.

"He's eliminated two of my best picks! ASSHOLE!" Ross snarls.

The Legendary Devil Hunter circles the ring with his arms splayed HBK-style, absolutely lively of his return…before coming to a halt…when Nero steps up to him, staring still in disbelief. "Hey, kid!" Dante greets nonchalantly. "Glad to see me and your old man back?" Nero demanded a massive explanation as to how they even got out in the first place…so Dante turns to his returning twin and asks, "What do you think? Should we tell him?"

Vergil looks over at Nero and ponders on the request…then says to Dante, "Not yet."

"Good idea," Dante grins…before the sons of Sparda suddenly knock down Nero with a Double Backfist to the face!

"Oof! Seems Nero won't getting his answer anytime soon," MatPat comments.

With Nero out of the way, Dante and Vergil can now get back to business as they stare each other down. They lean into each other, foreheads and nose pressing against one another and hardly sharing any words. Dante then pushes Vergil's head back to start with the brawling. Back and forth, back and forth, these two brothers of blood continuously strike each other's temples to nearly no end. Vergil blocks the next consecutive punch with two palm strikes to the chest and a Forearm Smash to the face! Dante stumbles back to the ropes and Vergil takes hold of him for an Irish Whip. Soon as Dante bounced back, he rolls over on Vergil's back. Vergil turns around and catches the Superkick attempt! "Can't blame a guy for trying," Dante says, before nailing a Leg-feed Enzuigiri! Now Dante takes him up on his shoulders…

…and Vergil hops off as soon as Dante spun him around…

…and after setting him up, he drives him down with the Judgement Cut DDT (Hammerlock Legsweep DDT)! Vergil stands DOMINANT over his younger brother…

…until Voorhees grabs him from the back of the neck and SLAMS him with the Camp Killer!

"GOODNESS GRACIOUS, THAT CHOKESLAM!" MatPat exclaims.

"That Camp Killer never ceases to be painful to watch. Voorhees is just now reminding EVERYONE he is a force of nature to be reckon with!" Ross states.

Nearly everyone charged after Jason again, but they get taken down one by one. Jeremy from a Shoulder Block, Kohta from a Big Boot, and PewDie from a Lariat. Nero comes back, springing at Jason with the Red Rose (Springboard Forearm Smash)…only to be caught in his arms! Voorhees turns his body for a Spinal Tap…but Kenshin Chop Blocks the leg, bringing him down on his back with the help of Nero's weight. Right after that, Dante comes in with a 180° spun flare transitioned into a Leg Drop. Then, Jeremy takes his turn as he runs to the ropes…and flies off to land a Mambasault (Lionsault) on top of Voorhees! Next was Vergil, who already ascended to the top turnbuckle…

…and comes down with an Aerial Rave (Diving Double Foot Stomp) to the chest! "Let me show you how it's done, old man!" Nero boasts as he also made his way to the corner, jumping off the ropes twice to perform a beautiful Air Hike Moonsault! PewDie decides to join them with a run to the ropes, then shimmies his shoulders, dusts them off and nails the Bro Knuckle Shuffle (Five Knuckle Shuffle)! The last one to go was Kohta, who climbs to the very top…

…stands high, balancing himself right…

…and pays homage to Takashi Komuro with a Diving Headbutt all the way down to the face of Voorhees!

"High-risk maneuver from Kohta Hirano, the last of the men who struck their big moves on the behemoth known as Jason Voorhees!" MatPat declares. "All of them focused heavily on that killer, hopefully weakening him enough to eliminate him completely!"

"The curse of being the biggest object to enter the Rumble lives on in this day and age, Matt! But even after all that, think about how many times they've already tried to eliminate Voorhees," Ross brings up. "And believe you me, it won't be a surprise when Voorhees demolishes them all for the umpteenth time."

As Kohta thrashes around from the stinging pain of that headbutt, everyone else begins to surround Voorhees and Kenshin orchestrates them to start taking the Beast of Bad Luck out of the ring FOR GOOD. The impromptu magnificent seven are all in agreement and begin to attempt carrying Voorhees over the top rope…that is, if they can bring his dead weight to those ropes. They do manage to sit him up and Kohta, leaking with blood from the forehead, joins in to turn Voorhees over. They drag Jason's body closer and closer to the ropes…

"Oh, there's so close! They're almost there! I think they're gonna do it—I really believe they're about to eliminate Voorhees!" MatPat proclaims.

"Seeing is believing, lads, but for all we know, he might just be playing possum here…!" Ross assumes…

correctly as JASON VOORHEES POWERS OUT OF THEIR CLUTCHES! "AND HE IS!"

Our seven men has been sent back from the might of Voorhees, but PewDiePie comes back after him with a Bro Fist…and Jason blocks it with his own hand. Felix panics and tries breaking away until Jason grabs him by the throat…

…and HURLS him over the ropes to the outside, completely eliminating him!

"From the Elite Eight to the Magnificent Seven, Felix Kjellberg is GONE! And he landed UGLY onto the floor FACE-FIRST!" MatPat exclaims.

Kenshin confronts Jason, attacking him with a succession of forearms…then a low kick to the knee that brings Jason down…backpedals…

…and goes for the Sakabatō Forearm…

…which Jason blocks with his bare hands! He grabs him by the waist…

…carries him high in the air with a Gorilla Press of sorts…

…and THROWS Kenshin out as he lands on top of Felix! Kohta nails a kick to Jason's gut, proceeding to perform a Cutter variation of the Gun Stun…but Jason pushes him off. The Gun Otaku runs after him again, only to be popped up on his shoulder, placed in an upside-down belly-to-belly position…

…and DRIVES his head in the center of the ring with the Final Friday (Tombstone Piledriver)! The Crystal Lake Monster attempts to pick up Kohta and throw him out…until Dante had stopped Jason with a Superkick to the face! Jason staggers, but keeps his footing and glares at Dante. The Stylin' Showstopper smirks, clapping and beckoning him, as if he's a dog, "Come on, come at me boy! You can do it! Over here!" Voorhees stomps after him furiously, hand extended…and Dante ducks…

…as Vergil and Nero spring from the ropes to land a Starfall (Diving Thrust Kick) and a Red Rose simultaneously! Yet again, Voorhees stumbles…then Nero blasts him with a Superkick…followed by Vergil's Lunar Phase…and Dante's Superkick! Jason now falls to his knees, completely dazed from those kicks to the cranium. Dante and Vergil stand back-to-back with each other…and the younger twin calls out his older twin, "Remember what we used to say~?" Vergil simply turned away in a snide manner…but he smirks to some extent…

…Voorhees glares up, trying to stand…

"Jackpot!" the twins utter…

…and the sons of Sparda strike him down with the infamous Jackpot (Double Superkick)!

"For one moment, just ONE MONENT, the sons of Sparda have reunited to take out the biggest obstacle of the whole Intercontinental Rumble!" Matthew claims. "It's temporarily, but that's more than enough to finally put down Jason Voorhees!"

"I don't know how much I can take these people trying to get rid of Jason when the inevitable is going to happen," Ross says.

With Voorhees fallen on his back, the trio try again to eliminate him themselves…

but Nero's eyes widen

as Vergil turns Dante around and—Dante pushes Vergil him off from getting Yamato'd! Dante elbow smashes Vergil to the ropes and the two brothers are now leaning over them, trying to eliminate each other. The Sparda twins refuse to back down as there's no way for them to prevent their own elimination…

so Nero does the honors of pushing them both over the ropes and down to the floor!

"The Sons of Sparda are GONE! Nero has completely taken them out of the Rumble!" MatPat states. "And now we're down to our FINAL FOUR!"

Dante and Vergil realize their position on the ground and look up to see Nero flipping them both off. No doubt they were surprised and caught off guard by Nero's capitalization due to them being so focused on each other…yet Dante somehow finds this humorous, especially telling Vergil he got his ass eliminated by his own son. Vergil retorts the fact that Dante was also eliminated by his own nephew, but Dante waves it off as he begins leaving. As Vergil follows, Nero still demands his answers from them, and Dante replies with a simple two-finger goodbye gesture (the same one from the end of Devil May Cry 4)…while Vergil looks back over his shoulder. The camera's mic catches his words, "Win this match and perhaps we'll tell you…" The sons of Sparda have left the building…and Nero looks back…

…to see Jeremy sliding back in the ring (almost snake-like, even)…and Kohta shaking his head off from the Final Friday and now giving an unhinged expression.

"Quite the Mexican standoff, so to speak, we are having in our Intercontinental Rumble, ladies and gentlemen. One of them is down, but we're looking our Final Four here," MatPat utters. "It's 'The Beast of Bad Luck' Jason Voorhees…'The Black Mamba' Jeremy Ellis…Kohta Hirano…and 'The Lone Devil Hunter' Nero."

"Most of them have come this far, especially Nero at the number one spot, lads. If it's possible, there's a slight chance for Jeremy Ellis to win this one out as he has the biggest advantage coming out at number twenty-nine," Ross states. "He's practically the freshest out of all of them. That is, if Voorhees doesn't eliminate him first."

The three young talents stare each other down from a certain distance in their corners. They've realized they are the last ones left, having come this far and each one of them will refuse to hold back. But through their trash talking, they forget about someone for a brief moment…

…and that would be Jason Voorhees, who suddenly sits up, as if he rose from the dead! The audience were spooked, including our commentators and wrestlers. Voorhees slowly ascends to his vertical base and stares down his next supposed victims…before giving them a threateningly unhurried cutthroat taunt. The Crystal Lake Monster has reminded them all he's the biggest threat…and Kohta reveals his bravado, pointing his finger guns at both Nero and Jeremy…before directing them towards Jason and "shoots" at him. Now, Jeremy himself had no signature taunt of his own…but he had something of a feat he was proud of…and that would be his athleticism, displaying it by hopping on the middle turnbuckle and springing off it to perform a corkscrew into a somersault handspring on his feet! "I'm gonna fly circles all over y'all! Especially you, big man," Jeremy proclaims, last pointing at Voorhees. Nero scoffs at Jeremy, calling him out as a spot monkey. He merely flicks his nose with a thumb and chuckles, proceeding to point at one individual at a time, "Let's see, which one wants to play?" He points his finger last at Jason…who walks towards him…

…and all three men tackle him from every side, trying to beat the hell out of Jason with a various amounts of kicks, punches and clubs!

"Despite past failures, these three are still trying to wear down Jason Voorhees, knowing how big of a threat he is!" MatPat claims. "Foolish or ambitious? Can it work this time around?"

"How can it?! The big bastard's managed to survive these so far!" Ross retorts. "I say these lads are FOOLISH."

Obviously, Jason quickly disposes of the three by powering out of their pile. Voorhees deals with Nero via Clothesline, then knocks out Kohta with a Big Boot, and catches the running Black Mamba into a Spinning Side Slam! Jeremy tries to roll away, but Jason catches up to him and pulls him to his feet. He lifts him on his shoulder for an elimination attempt, but Jeremy slithers out of it. Jason turns around to receive a kick in the midsection, bending him over. Jeremy takes advantage with a bounce off the ropes and strikes a Scissors Kick, adding a smooth corkscrew spin to it at the end. Jeremy measures Voorhees from a safe distance, watching him rise back up…then runs for the Necrotizer from behind…

…and JASON SNATCHES HIM WITH A SPINNING SPINEBUSTER! Nero comes in with a Rainbow Bullet to the back of Jason's head and he glares at him dead in the eye. Nero shows no fear as he taunts him, then ducks his Clothesline. Turning around, Nero strikes Jason's jaw with a Bicycle High Knee…followed by a Spinning Backfist…then a Spinning Back Kick to bring Jason down on his knees…and ends with—Jason grabbing Nero at the throat! Mrs. Voorhees' son holds tight, choking Nero with his hand as he stands up…before lifting him up…

…and NERO REMOVES HIMSELF FROM HIS GRIP…AND HITS A FOREARM SMASH ON THE WAY DOWN!

"REMARKABLE! What a counter by Nero!" Matthew exclaims.

"Hate to say it, but even I agree with you on that!" Ross says.

Kohta capitalizes with a Dropkick to the back of Jason's right knee, bringing him down again to a foot. With that, he hits the ropes to come back with a Running Stunner! Jason goes down on his back and Kohta forces himself to his feet, grabbing hold of Jason to try and pull his body off the mat. Of course, Jason proved too heavy for Hirano the more he tried pulling him up by his very tattered and grimy jacket…

…until his hand twitched…

…and grabs hold of Kohta's throat in true jump scare fashion! Voorhees slowly rises with his clutch tightening around the neck…the two stare at each other dead in the eye…

…as Kohta manages to break the hold with a Double Axe Handle…and pulls Jason into a sickening headbutt! Kohta falls back HARD, most likely knocking himself out and/or worsening his own headache…but it wasn't for naught as Jason is nursing his head…

…especially how his hockey mask now has a crack!

"How THICK was that fatass' skull?!" Ross exclaims. "And I swear, if we see Jason's face before the end of this…ugh…"

"I pray we won't," MatPat assures his colleague.

As Jason holds his mask, Nero BLASTS him right in the jaw with a Bicycle Knee Strike! The Crystal Lake Monster goes virtually limp, leaning forward on the ropes. Nero attempts to capitalize on eliminating him, but Jason nails a sharp elbow down on his head in retaliation. Nero staggers and gets taken on the shoulders of Voorhees, being set up for a Final Friday…

…but Jason has trouble with Nero thrashing around harshly and getting around to apply the Guillotine Lock! He adds in the bodyscissors, though Jason's hands hold them back and carries Nero all the way to the ropes! Nero is standing on the apron and hangs on to the headlock tightly with Voorhees' waist on the rope! The Beast of Bad Luck is REFUSING to budge, REFUSING to let himself go over! But Nero is just as stubborn to keep the Front Facelock…

…and Voorhees NOW begins to teeter! His feet are beginning to hover off the canvas and in the air as Nero pulled back further and further! The AT&T Center are on their feet to watch in anxious anticipation for Jason's long-awaited elimination! Nero is on his back, SCREAMING as he uses his leverage to pull Voorhees down more…

"I CAN'T BELIEVE MY EYES AT WHAT I'M SEEING! NERO'S USING ALL HIS STRENGTH TO FORCE VOORHEES OVER THE TOP ROPE!" MatPat calls. "MY GOD, HE'S SO CLOSE!"

"I'M GOING TO LOSE MY MIND IF NERO ACTUALLY GETS TO BRING THAT BIG MONSTER DOWN!" Ross proclaims. "COME ON, YA LITTLE BASTARD! HEAVE! HEAVE!"

…Jason is now hanging upside-down on the top rope and trying to lean himself back in the ring…

"ALMOST THERE…!" MatPat utters.

…BUT KOHTA AND JEREMY GRAB JASON'S LEGS…AND GIVE THE FINAL THRUST NERO DESPERATELY NEEDED! JASON VOORHEES FALLS OVER THE TOP ROPE, FROM THE RING TO THE FLOOR BELOW, TO DEAFENING CHEERS!

"YES! YES! VOORHEES IS OUT! VOORHEES IS GONE!" MatPat screams. "THE INTERCONTINENTAL RUMBLE HAS FINALLY RID OF THE BEAST OF BAD LUCK! HIS TYRANNY IS OVER!"

"IT'S A MIRACLE! A GODDAMN MIRACLE!" Ross shouts. "…THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY JUMP SCARE AT THE END, RIGHT?!"

"NOPE! Unlike any slasher flick, this one shall end on a better note with one of these three young athletes leaving here as the next challenger for the Intercontinental Championship!" MatPat states.

Jason lands on his feet and slowly glares back at the three who've eliminated him, especially Nero who gave another defiant middle finger to him. Jason Voorhees holds his glare before walking away at a very slow pace. In any case, Jeremy, Kohta and Nero see they're now the Final Three…and with Jason FINALLY gone, there's nothing to fear of his wrath…and nothing to prevent them from declaring war on each other. No intimidation. No hesitation. Nero has reached his vertical base…

…and tackles Jeremy down into a slugfest, pounding him with a flurry fists as Kohta stomps the both of them!

"Whoa! Nero takes down Jeremy! Hirano right on them with the stomps! No more temporarily alliances! It's now every man for himself once more!" MatPat states.

Jeremy turns it around to add in a few strikes of his own before Kohta yanks him off of Nero with raw strength. Kohta punches Jeremy toward the ropes and grabs him for an Irish Whip. Soon as Kohta bends over for a Back Body Drop, Jeremy dodges him to the side with a cartwheel…Kohta stands back up to see Jeremy's gone…

…before turning around and getting his lights knocked out with Lights Out (Superkick)! Then Jeremy catches the oncoming Nero with a Snap Sitout Scoop Slam Piledriver, planting him on top of Hirano! Nero rolls away, so Jeremy will have to do with Hirano, progressively slithering to a prone position, almost Randy Orton like. He gages Hirano silently, waiting patiently to strike him once he stands up. Kohta eventually makes it to his feet while holding his head…

…Jeremy has him measured from behind…

…and Kohta turns around—to push Jeremy off of him and avoids the Necrotizer! Jeremy bounces back with a handspring and Kohta seizes him on his shoulders, adjusts him just right to a Fireman's Carry…and drills him right on his head with the Carbine Driver! Jeremy's head is ringing as he's utterly stunned…and Kohta drags him up by his wrist to the nearest corner. Hirano brings Jeremy on his shoulders, prepping for another Carbine Driver, this time on the turnbuckles. Kohta takes a few steps back…

…and then he sprints over…as Jeremy slides off and counters into a Two-handed Bulldog straight into the middle turnbuckle!

"Jeremy with the counterattack! He narrowly avoids the worst fate possible this time!" MatPat comments. "Now Jeremy Ellis runs up the turnbuckles…and, OH, he nails the Tornado DDT! Textbook perfection!"

The Black Mamba hops to his feet and grabs Kohta's legs, quickly turning him over for the Snake Charmer (Lion Tamer)! Jeremy knows well enough he's not eliminating Kohta this way via submission, but it'll weaken him enough to get him over the ropes. Jeremy inputs all his force and CONTORTS Kohta's body to the most unnatural ways by pulling back on his legs. Kohta didn't even start crying out in pain until Jeremy presses his knee on his head, stretching out and bending his back in such ugly fashion. Kohta has been tapping out endlessly to no avail before Jeremy finally lets go after a full minute. Jeremy picks up Kohta and places him on the ropes, trying to get him out…

…Jeremy gets him halfway over the ropes…

…until Kohta regains the strength to hang onto the ropes…push himself back in and elbows Jeremy several times. Forced to let go, Jeremy backs away to recover while Kohta stands in the nearest corner. Jeremy runs at him and Kohta sidesteps his opponent, chest-first goes Jeremy into the turnbuckles. Kohta turns him around to attack his chest with repeated, sharp knife edge chops. Enough damage inputted, Kohta takes a few steps back halfway away from the corner…

…and immediately returns with Kick to Kill (Helluva Kick)! Jeremy Ellis stumbles forward from the kick ringing his bells, falling to all fours as Kohta ascends to the second rope. By the time Jeremy shakes the cobwebs off, he turns around…

…and plants him with a Diving Somersault Neckbreaker! Kohta rolls to his feet and EATS A DEVIL BREAKER FROM NERO!

"Whoa, amazing Over Castle from Hirano! Now he just needs to—OHHH! DEVIL BREAKER! Nero CLOTHESLINES the daylights out of Hirano!" MatPat reacts.

"Damn fatso got turned inside out from that!" Ross states.

Kohta lands on his stomach, then Nero sets his sights on Jeremy picking himself up on the ropes…and Rainbow Bullets him out of the ring! But Jeremy falls through the ropes from the impact of that kick, therefore he's NOT eliminated. Nero has not realized that, however, as he goes back to Kohta, forcing him to his feet in a Front Facelock position. He drapes an arm over his head…lifts Hirano high…

…and twirls to drive Kohta's head down via Neo Devil Buster (Spinning Brainbuster)! Kohta is LAID OUT and Nero gets back up to get Kohta out…until Jeremy Ellis flies at him with a Springboard Clothesline! And with such grace and elevation, no less! Jeremy wastes very little time to bring Nero and OVER THE ROPES, HE GOES! But Nero hangs on, sitting on the apron and trying to get back in! Jeremy goes for a punch and Nero blocks it with a punch of his own. After a Hangman over the rope, Nero brings Jeremy out with a Vertical Suplex spot, likely looking for another Neo Devil Buster…

…yet Jeremy is moving his feet all around to escape near elimination. Jeremy lands his feet on the apron and strikes a DEAFENING Rope-aided Enzuigiri that echoes in the arena and receives a well-earned wince from the crowd! Nero BARELY hangs on by one hand, almost losing his footing no thanks to that kick to the temple. "Sorry, dude, it's been fun…but you've overstayed your welcome," proclaims Jeremy, proceeding to set him up for the Blake Drop on the apron…

…but as soon he lifted him, Nero breaks away from Jeremy's grasp to hop back in the ring…

…and then Hirano knocks Jeremy right off the apron with a Spear!

"AND THE GUN OTAKU TAKES ADVANTAGE, ELIMINATING JEREMY ELLIS!" MatPat shouts.

"IT'S DOWN TO NERO AND HIRANO, MATT! WE'VE ONLY GOT TWO PEOPLE LEFT! WHO'S GOING TO NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS NOW?!" Ross states.

"Devil Hunter Nero entered at the very first spot, coming SO CLOSE to ejection from the Rumble ever since! He's been in this match for over FORTY MINUTES now and has survived TWENTY-EIGHT men so far! And Kohta Hirano, arriving at number twenty, hasn't been here the longest, but doubters typically would call him gone the MOMENT he entered, but he is STILL HERE. Kohta Hirano is STILL ALIVE!" MatPat declares. "By God, he might as well be the dark horse victor here! He could prove the biggest upset in this whole contest! He just needs ONE MORE elimination to do it!"

Nero has rolled away to catch his breath while Kohta does the same at the ropes. A clearly disappointed Jeremy Ellis rubs his hands down over his face as he lies on the floor before getting up to leave, earning a few slaps on the back and rounds of applause from the front row. If one notices clearly, Jeremy is caught cracking a small smile on camera, albeit a subdued one. Meanwhile, back at the squared circle…Kohta and Nero have themselves glowering each other down from their spots. Kohta picks himself back to a vertical stance, pointing straight at him and then asserts, "I'll agree with Jeremy on this…you've overstayed your welcome. This Rumble and the title shot…are MINE." Nero shakes his head, using the ropes to stand on both legs. Both men meet at the center as they hold their intense glares and talk trash at each other…going nose-to-nose…

…before Nero hits the first blow! And now Kohta, striking back at the head! Then Nero, then Kohta! Nero, Kohta, Nero, Kohta—these two are BLUDGEONING each other with the stiffest punches ever delivered! And San Antonio are SPLIT in half on cheering for both men!

"Apologies for lacking the Southern accent, lads, but as the legendary Jim Ross would likely say, this turning into a HELL OF A SLOBBERKNOCKER!" Ross claims.

"Apology not necessary as you speak the TRUTH, Ross!" MatPat agrees. "There is no holding back between these two young competitors! And the crowd is LOVING IT! They absolutely enjoy a good brawl!"

For half a minute, Kohta and Nero have pummeled each other's craniums until the former had gained the advantage the more fists he landed. Then those fists turned into straight jabs to the face, hitting up to nine before winding up his arms Bubba Ray style…

…points the finger gun at his head…

…and—Nero kicks him in the gut! Kohta took too much time playing the crowd with his theatrics! And now Nero helps him pay for it with an oncoming Neo Devil Buster…

…but not this time, as Kohta slides out…and drives him into the canvas into a German Suplex! "One!" the fans counted…with Kohta rolling to his feet and Nero in tow…and lands a second German Suplex, crowd counting, "Two!" A third German, Kohta counts on with he and Nero on their feet once more…

…and he hurls him…

but Nero lands perfectly on his feet! Kohta stands up, confident he's completed the Infecta Trifecta…until getting shoved into the turnbuckles…and DRILLED via Chaos Theory! He flips backwards into a second…flips back once more, this time hooking Kohta in a Pumphandle position…

…and Kohta escapes the Maximum Bet mid-flip, sliding down over Nero's shoulder! Kohta pushes him away to the ropes…

…then Nero bounces off with a Lariat…

…at the same time Kohta goes for his own, both men knocking each other down to the mat! The audience, at the edge of their seats and even most of them standing up in excitement, hands the APEX athletes a round of applause for what they've presented for them thus far, breaking into the chants, "THIS IS AWESOME! (Clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!) THIS IS AWESOME! (Clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!)"

"YES! YOU'RE DARN RIGHT THIS IS AWESOME!" MatPat exclaims. "What a COLLISION! Hirano and Nero are down after having the same idea of nailing a Lariat! But they cannot be counted out! They have to take each other out of the Rumble over the top rope!"

"These two blokes aren't HUMAN! (Technically, at least Nero isn't fully human) They are showing what amount of pride and passion they've got in this match, how far they've come and lasted, especially Nero!" Ross implies. "You know what, credit where credit is due, Hirano has proven himself to endure a brutal event like this! But right now, whoever stands first gains the advantage of this match!"

Nero and Kohta rest beside each other for a while before rolling away to opposite ends of the ring ropes, using them to pick themselves up. At the same time, they reached their stances, albeit standing against the ropes. Kohta first charges at Nero, who forces him to eat a boot to the face. Kohta staggers away back to the ropes…and Nero rushes him, only to receive a retaliating Back Elbow! Now Nero distances himself, Kohta grabbing him from behind in a Full Nelson…and Nero breaks away to BRUTALLY elbow his face, one that sends SPIT flying out of his mouth! With Kohta holding his jaw in absolute pain, Nero runs back at the ropes…

…and so does Kohta, chasing Nero to land a resonating Lariat INTO the ropes, not over! Nero slides down on the ropes with hands on his chest, then Kohta tries again for another to finally rid of him…

…and the next second, he sees Nero suddenly appear in front of him and hits a VICIOUS Bicycle High Knee! Kohta's head WHIPS back from the impact as Nero tries again to lift him over the ropes. But Kohta wouldn't have it as he kicks his head over and over until Nero lets go by force. Kohta then pulls Nero up on his shoulders in a Fireman's Carry, only that he attempts to throw him over and out Attitude Adjustment style. However, Nero retains his grip on the top rope as he struggles with Hirano to stay inside. Kohta eventually moves away from the ropes, though Nero is given a chance to slide and push him away with a Dropkick to the back. Kohta almost trips over…

…then Nero hooks him up in a Leg-hook Back Suplex hold…

…lifts him over…

…Kohta flips back, lands behind Nero…arms hooked

and plants Nero face-first with the Death Blow (Killswitch)!

"KILLSWITCH ENGAGED! Kohta hits the Death Blow in honor of Takashi!" MatPat calls.

"Yeah, pay tribute to the guy you yourself eliminated," Ross scoffs. "Hypocrisy, this former king senses around here!"

"That aside, Kohta pulled the Death Blow right out of the gate, but there's no doubt he's running on fumes at this point. He can't get up quickly to capitalize on Nero and eliminate him."

It's true. Kohta has been unable to move with the energy he's spent so far as is Nero, who's even worse. Slowly, but surely, Hirano sits back up and grabs hold of Nero. The Gun Otaku tells Nero it's all over for him and throws him over the ropes!

…BUT NERO HANGS ONTO THE APRON!

"MY GOODNESS, THE APRON, NERO DANGLES FROM IT FOR DEAR LIFE! ONLY ONE FOOT HAS TOUCH THE FLOOR, BUT HE'S NOT ELIMINATED!" Matthew shouts. "Oh, that is SMART! Nero REFUSES to quit here!"

"What will it take to get rid of this demon bastard?!" Ross questions.

With only one foot, Nero hops himself back on the apron and disperses some energy into Skinning the Cat back in the ring! Kohta sees this and has become further agitated and furious at this point, becoming more unhinged than ever with how Nero hasn't even been eliminated at this point. Pulling at his hair and stomping the mat in frustration, Kohta isn't sure how much longer this can keep going, but he's DESPERATE to try anything. For now, he stalks Nero, urging, BEGGING him to turn around…

…then once Nero did, he runs at him…

…and Kick to Kills Nero…at the same time Nero hits the Superkick! Nero goes down as Hirano is STUPEFIED, barely able to stand! His eyes are glazed over, stumbling into the ropes that Nero moves away from. The Devil Hunter shakes his head from the Big Boot, now noticing Kohta frantically pulling himself up to stand. But Kohta defiantly glares at him, ridiculing, "C'MON! I've felt worse kicks than THAT!" Nero scoffs and replies, "You asked for it," before nailing a second Superkick to Hirano and sending him over the top rope!

"THAT'S IT! Kohta's out! Nero has—"

"Hold it right there, Brainiac! Look CLOSER!" Ross interrupts his fellow commentator…

as Kohta is STILL ALIVE by a THREAD! LITERALLY, as his single hand clings on to the top rope! "The fatso LIVES! How the hell is he even doing that?!"

"This is just a theory, but I believe it's the fighting spirit within, my friend! Kohta is also REFUSING to die here just like Nero!" MatPat states. "But who knows how much longer that flame will last!"

Nero is EXHAUSTED, unaware of Kohta's position before turning around…and even he is BAFFLED by the sight of it. One hand. Just ONE HAND is helping Kohta stay in the match and Nero can't help but shake his head. Kohta sluggishly pulls himself back on the apron, both hands on the ropes now. He almost lost his footing, but he is able to stand, albeit on unsteady legs. Kohta Hirano, bleeding from the mouth, MOCKS Nero and says, "I'm FAR…from FINISHED…! IS THAT ALL YOU HAVE?! I'M STILL FUCKING STANDING!" He dares Nero to try that Superkick one more time…and that third one won't even be enough to get rid of him…before nearly losing his stance again as those kicks to the head are beginning to take their toll on him. Even so, Kohta grins…and weakly points his finger at him and "shoots" to cheers.

"Valiant, defiant…insane. Those are the three words I can think of to even define Kohta Hirano," MatPat utters. "I hate to say it, but the result is obvious now…yet at least he goes down his way."

Nero…cracks into a chuckle, almost laughing even. From what we can tell, Nero sees the amount of rebelliousness Hirano has…and he has no choice but to respect that. "You're a crazy son of a bitch… I like you. Too bad it has to end this way," Nero says. The Devil Hunter stands ready…Kohta is on his last legs…

then slingshots himself over the ropes

and Nero lands the final Superkick to the jaw, knocking Kohta's lights out! He tumbles and hits the floor below, the bell ringing and the crowd going NUTS!

"NERO WINS! NERO DOES IT! OH, MY GOD, HE'S DONE IT!" MatPat shouts.

[All of these thoughts runnin' through my he-ad!

Arm on fire, veins burnin' re-ed!

Frus-tra-tiooon is getting bigger~!

BANG, BANG, BANG!

Pull my Devil Trigger~!

Embrace the darkness that's within meeeeeeeee!

No hiding in the shadows anymoooooore!

When this wickedness consumes meeeeeeeee!

Nothing can save you

And there's no way ooooouuut!]

"Ladies and gentlemen, your winner of the Intercontinental Rumble…'The Lone Devil Hunter' NEEEROOOOOOO!" Michael "The Mic" Martin makes it official.

Nero COLLAPSED right on the mat as soon as that bell rung, letting the fatigue finally set in after outlasting ALL twenty-nine men. But quickly, he realizes while sitting up, as the announcement was made, the crowd noise increases in cheers, the sound of "Devil Trigger" playing…it all starts to settle in…

"NERO IS GOING TO NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS, ALL RIGHT! AND HE'S GOT TITLE OPPORTUNITY AHEAD OF HIM!" Ross states.

"BEFORE OVER 15,289 FANS, WHO ARE ON THEIR FEET, NERO ENDURED THE LONGEST FORTY-FIVE MINUTES OF HELL IN HIS CAREER AND LEAVES A WINNER TONIGHT!" MatPat exclaims. "STRAIGHT FROM THE NUMBER ONE SPOT, NERO HAS EARNED HIS WAY INTO THE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH! HE FOUGHT THROUGH HELL TO GET HERE AND HE VERY WELL DESERVES IT!"

Nero, as he stands, has his hand raised by referee Marshall Eriksen and soon is released to go celebrate on every turnbuckle in front of the fans. Panting heavily, Nero SMILES through and through, pumping his fists high in the air. He falls to his knees and leans far back, beating his chest with a fist. He stands back up, cursing under his breath due to this match taking its toll on him, but it was damn worth it to him coming this far. After a few seconds, Nero puffs out a few breathes and climbs the turnbuckles one last time to raise a right fist followed by gesturing that the Intercontinental Championship is as good as his around his waist. Kohta Hirano is seen sitting against the barricade, wiping the blood off his lips and jaw. It's clear how dejected he appears from this loss. Hirano pushes himself back to his feet and walks away nursing his jaw.

"Honestly, there's credit where credit is due for Kohta Hirano! There is no shame in this loss for him! He put up one hell of a fight in the end!" MatPat assures.

"I suppose you aren't wrong about that. Hirano earned enough respect to the end, just like how Nero earned the victory in this match," Ross nods. "…Too bad it'll all go to waste when Luke Smith becomes the INAUGURAL Intercontinental Champ! As if he never lost the title~"

"Suppose we'll see by the time Night of Champions arrives. For now, this is Nero's moment…and this is it for us at this moment because I'm pretty sure I lost my voice. Need a bit to recover," MatPat coughs. "Mark? Ted? Any of you guys wanna take it from here?"

"Gladly, Matt!" Markiplier chimes in. "Absolute BIG thanks to MatPat and Ross for lending their voices to an incredible Rumble match…and it's only the opening contest. So we are JUST getting started, ladies and gentlemen!"

"Highly agreeable, Mark," Ted says. "Now, let's head backstage where our favorite interviewer, 'Violet' Clarissa Rivera, conducts her job with her latest interviewee! Clarissa?"

"Nobody says interviewee, old man," Logan scoffs.

"SHUT UP."

The last shot of Nero is seen on the turnbuckles at the southwest corner, pointing at the hard camera with his left finger gun to gesture he's coming after Luke Smith for sure before moving backstage…


…where we see "Violet" Clarissa Rivera, microphone in hand, slowly backpedaling with the cameraman following her as she nears a locker room door. The San Antonio crowd were quick to cheer for very own San Antonio native returning onscreen.

"Thanks, Ted!" Clarissa smiles. "I can share everyone's sentiments about how this Intercontinental Rumble turned out, so congratulations to Nero. Best of luck to him and Luke Smith at Night of Champions by tomorrow. But right now, I'm standing at the locker room door of former APEX World Champion Naruto Uzumaki. Let's see if he doesn't mind letting a lady in."

After that joke, Clarissa knocks on the door, asking to come in…and a voice soon responds, "Yeah, sure, go right ahead!"

Clarissa opens the door, the cameraman following in suit behind her back…and he pans out to reveal "The Orange Spark" Naruto Uzumaki new ring gear (say similar to Kazuchika Okada's gear) in complete orange and black to go along with his The Last appearance. Upon reveal, the fans let out a massive pop for their favorite Number One Hyperactive Knucklehead Ninja.

"Hey, Clarissa! What's up?" Naruto greets with a wide smile.

"Evening, Naruto, I'm sure you're as excited as I am to be back here at APEX," Clarissa smiles.

"Oh, you bet. Definitely feels like I've come back home…away from home, of course."

Clarissa chuckles to the quip, then puts a demeanor to set the interview, "Well, in any case, tonight, you will face Isaac Clarke in the main event for the third time within this company's history. And in a tournament for a title shot to Beowulf's APEX World Championship at Night of Champions, no less! But considering how much has changed since, what is running through your thoughts at this moment? If you win tonight, who'd you like to face in the finals?"

Naruto folds his arms into his chest and puffs his cheeks to exhale deeply, "Both of them are loaded questions, to be honest. You're right. A lot's changed since Isaac and I interacted. Since he was put on the sidelines for so long. He's a whole new man…as am I. I don't doubt Isaac's abilities and I'm sure he doesn't doubt mine. As for when I win tonight, I'm hoping for a rematch with Scorpion, because he was a heck of a challenge to overcome before. But I wouldn't mind Tommy Oliver as well; it'd be the first time we'd clash here in APEX. All in all, this tournament is VERY exciting for me. I look forward to what all of us have in store. For now, my eyes are all on Isaac. We're tied at the moment…but I'm confident enough to believe I'm leaving Homecoming the winner here…and I'll be leaving Night of Champions the FIRST-EVER TWO-TIME APEX World Champion. You'd best BELIEVE IT—"

"I believe…that I might have a hard time to be certain of you, Naruto," says another voice, one of an English female…and both Naruto and Clarissa were flabbergasted to see Ellie Langford walk into the room.

"Ellie? What brings you here?" Naruto asks.

"Just thought I'd stop by and wish you luck, Naruto…because you're gonna need it, especially against Isaac," Ellie replies.

But the blonde ninja chuckles, taking Ellie's word as some form of a joke, "I appreciate it, but I don't think I have to worry about holding back against Isaac."

Ellie wasn't laughing along, though. She kept her serious demeanor with her arms crossed and says, "I don't think you have to worry about you holding back against Isaac…it's more you having to worry about whether Isaac holds back against you or not."

Baffled and confused, Naruto narrows his eyebrows, yet tries to preserve his composure with a small smile, "Uhhh…what are you talking about?"

"Look, Naruto, I understand you and Isaac have a friendly history…but this isn't the same Isaac Clarke you know anymore," Ellie states. "No matter whether you are a friend or a foe, he will not show any kind of mercy. He will see you, Scorpion and Tommy as nothing more than obstacles to destroy in order to reach his goal. He has an opportunity of a lifetime to become the next world champion. And he will not hesitate to take you down. So…it's only fair I tell you to back out of this match."

The crowd reacts with a huge "Ooh~" and Naruto actually took offense to that, blinking hard at Ellie. Clarissa remained in her position in the middle as she leans the mic back to Naruto, who says, "Ellie…I appreciate the concern…but it's clear you have no idea who you're talking to. I don't back down from any challenge any kind. All in all, I don't give a damn about how different Isaac is right now compared to then. If he's gonna treat me like an obstacle to get through…then it's only fair I do the same for him."

"…Don't say I didn't warn you, love. I was trying to help keep you alive," Ellie retorts, turning to leave the room.

Clarissa looks back at Naruto with worry before walking out well. The camera slowly zooms on Naruto looking out where Ellie left. There is plenty of determination displayed over his face…but Ellie's words might be running through his thoughts at this moment.