Round 1:

Ridley vs. Simon

Ridley roared at the camera, his metal filed teeth and gaping maw sending uneasy murmuring throughout the Smash audience.

"I wish to fight Samus and that tub of lard King K. Rool, as well as that pretty boy Sepiroth, and I believe Simon to be a chivalrous fool. There, are you happy?" Ridley sneered, standing in front of the interview chair as Dark Samus skulked in the background.

"Yes," Nikki squeaked.

"Good. Dark, let's go," Ridley demanded, walking off camera with his ward.

Simon raised his fist into the air, flailing his whip at the camera for his match graphic.

"Are you the Smasher's scribe?" Simon asked, his interview clip beginning as they showed him walking into the room.

"You could say that. Just look into that red light there, answer my questions, and it'll record what you say," Nikki explained.

"The technology of this realm never ceases to marvel," Simon said, sitting down.

"First of all," began Nikki, "What do you think of Ridley?"

"I've fought bigger monsters before," Simon said, "A fearsome beast he may be, but I am fiercer."

"Who are you looking forward to fighting?"

"Well, I plan to test my mettle against Ritcher next round. Outside of that, however, I wish to fight Megaman and Pit. Training facilities were automated when this universe was simply Video Land, we never sparred."

"And that's it. Thank you for your time."

"Thank you, madam," Simon nodded.

"Hell yes," Cranky whooped, "More eighties icons to show you, youngsters, how it's done. Watching Simon whoop some C-Grade Bowser is gonna be fun."

"I thought so," 9-Volt sighed, "Futaba, what do you think?"

"Gotta agree with the old man," Futaba explained, "If Simon can whoop Dracula, he can whoop Ridley eez peez."

"Alright, let's throw it down to entrances," said 9-Volt, "Don't worry I'll explain eez peez to you later," he whispered to a slack-jawed Cranky

Blaring guitars began to play, along with chaotic frantic drums. Ridley flew out of the tunnel, flipping off a row of fans before touching down.

"And that's the GaMetal remix of Ridley's theme, which is itself a ballad from the Metroid Universe."

"Right right," Cranky muttered dismissively, "Let's clear the way for the real main event!"

Right on cue, a blaring organ played, accompanied by synth, and then set aside for electric guitar, as Simon, raising the Vampire Killer high to the sky appeared out of the tunnel.

As Simon walked with purpose down the path to the center arena Cranky cheered, "Yes! The arcade game version! Real gangsta shit!"

"Right," agreed 9-Volt, "There are many songs written in Simon's honor in the Castlevania universe, this is just one!"

Mills Frames appeared between the two.

"And now, the following contest is a Round 1 match in the Super Smash Bros Ultimate Tournament! The winner of this match will face Ritcher in Round 2! Introducing first from the Metroid Universe, he is The Cunning God of Death, he is RIDLEY!" Mills explained

Flipping a middle claw to the booing crowd, Ridley smirked down as Mills as he huffily continued.

"Introducing next, to my right. He comes to us from the Castlevania Universe, he is the Whip of Evil's Bane, he is SIMON!"

Simon nodded at the crowd, never once taking his eyes off of Ridley.

"If Ridley wins the coin toss, it will be Brinstar Depths that you fight on. If Simon wins the coin toss the stage will be Omega Dracula's Castle! Smashers, call it!"

Mills flipped the coin into the air.

"Heads!" roared Ridley.

"Heads," confirmed Mills.

Simon nodded, not letting Ridley's bullying smirk affect him.

"Alright! You all know the rules by now, two stocks, items are at medium! Smashers, are you ready?"

Both nodded and popped out of the stadium.

Stage: Brinstar Depths

Rules: 2-stock, items medium

Music: Brinstar Depths (Melee)

Ridley swooped in immediately, roaring at Simon

3

With a slash of his whip. Simon appeared.

2

Ridley licked his maw.

1

Simon grimaced, hanging on to his whip ever-tighter.

GO!

Simon attempted to jump over a pillar in his way. He couldn't clear it.

Ridley, in turn, cackled, "Easy prey!"

He launched himself at Simon, throwing him up into the air and stabbing him with his tail in one swift motion. A flipping kick by Ridley was answered in turn by a diving kick but Simon, allowing him to bounce off of Ridley's head and land on the ground.

"Ah," Ridley snarled, "So you do have some fight in you after all."

"You do not intimidate me, foul beast!"

At those words, Simon launched a torrent of axes at Ridley. Ridley was hit by three, staggered into gripping the ledge.

RAAAA! ENOUGH!" Ridley roared.

Once again, he launched himself at Simon, first slashing him with his claw, then with his tail as he rebounded off the pillar. Simon fired back with a whip snap, but a few lightning jabs with his tail shut down Simon's momentum. Ridley lurched after Simon, but the wise vampire hunter pivoted in mid-air. Now, Simon was safely on the ground, and Ridley floated in the air just below the ledge.

"Oh no," Ridley mouthed.

And then it came, the torrent of axes.

As Ridley was pelted, Kraid appeared, slashing at the stage, causing it to pivot, Ridley simply followed the stage's rotation in an easy, leisurely flight. Meanwhile, Simon immediately lost his footing, and, despite extending his whip hoping to grab onto something, it failed, and Simon fell to the Blast Zone.

Ridley: 2

Simon: 1

"Eighties icon showing us how it's done huh?" 9-Volt asked, his voice as smug as a voice could be.

"B-but wait a minute," Cranky stammered, "Ridley's damage is high. Simon will close the gap easy, yessiree."

Simon jumped from the Revival Platform as soon as he could, meeting Ridley down in an indent as the stage flipped. Ridley moved his claw to swipe him again, but this time, Simon saw it coming, snapping his whip at him faster. Now, Ridley was in the air.

Once again, the pelting began.

Every other ax making its mark, fourteen axes were thrown. Just as Ridley began to curse, and subsequently be censored so loudly it tuned out the music, a Smash Ball appeared. Ridley only broke free of the onslaught as the ball's power transferred to Belmont on ax number sixteen. But then, he was wide open for being stuffed into the casket Simon summoned.

Simon whipped the casket around, as he had done in Dracula's Castle. Simon sighed. The environment around him, now a one-to-one replica of the otherworldly abode even featured smells that triggered gruesome memories.

"Now!" Simon tossed the casket into the air.

"GRAND CROSS!" he bellowed, unleashing the holy energy given to him by the Smash Ball on the casket.

Ridley simply blipped out of existence for a moment, the Blast Zone's energy conferred upon him.

Ridley: 1

Simon: 1

"And now we're reset!" 9-Volt announced.

Ridley appeared on the Revival Platformer visibly seething.

"YOU!" he shrieked, "YOU!"

Ridley jumped down to the indent, whip and spiked tail becoming intertwined in one another, freeing up Simon to unleash a volley of punches, and Ridley to unleash a volley. A boot, then another separated the tie-up, sending Ridley to hang on the ledge. A bottle of Holy Water was underhand tossed by Simon, the flames breaking Ridley's iron grip on the ledge, a follow-up ax spiking him to the blast zone.

GAME!

Breathing heavily in the Mansion Courtyard, Simon held his whip horizontally, "I vanquished the darkness!" he declared as the camera drones appeared.

SIMON WINS!

As the splash screen declared his win, and Ridley's visage on-screen, arms indignantly crossed. Rita attempted to step into frame to interview the space pirate boss. A glare in her direction sent the Rhythm Haven native backing away, Ridley skulking up the tunnel unopposed.

"A decisive victory Mister Belmont," Mister Zero began as the two appeared on the screen.

Simon grinned, "Now Ritcher, we see who is the best of the Belmont line," came his concise warning as he walked up the tunnel.

Ritcher was there to raise his distant relative's arm in victory as he stepped back into the Smasher's Box, Pit giving a hug, while Megaman stood close by.

"Congratulations dot Exe executed," Megaman blurted.

"Man I really could go for some Dippin' Dots," pondered Pit, still in the hug.

"I love Dippin' Dots !" declared Kyoko, "The ice cream of the future!"

"Dippin Dot gang!" cheered Pit.

"Do I…need to be here?" Simon asked awkwardly.

"Oh, no, sorry." Pit blushed, letting go of the hug.

The randomizer's chaotic cords could silence the room without prompt now. The next fight was…

"OLIMAR VS. LUCARIO!"

"Good luck captain!" cheered Captain Falcon amongst the applause.

"Thanks!" Olimar waved.

Olimar made his way to the front of the room, Otis announcing, "Captain, you're in Tunnel A, Lucario is in Tunnel B."

Olimar went to pull Pikmin, but as he did, Lucario, who had been stark still in meditation since intermission, snapped his eyes open, Extreme Speeding through the auditorium and down the tunnel. A little more shakily, Olimar plucked his three Pikmin, the new foursome waddling down Tunnel A.