Amazed that Raiden is still standing after Shiva's attack. Mash faces Brunhilde.
"Hey miss… Who is Raiden, exactly? I've never seen anybody like him before."
Brunhilde smiles at him. "Raiden Tameemon… People call him 'The Incomparable' for a reason…
He was only seventeen years of age when he left his fanine-striken home and ended up training alongside the best rikishi at the time."
She points at the crowd of sumo wrestlers. "Rikishi from all across history idolizes this man. Raiden acquired a record of 254 wins, 10 loses, and 21 draws. Totaling a 96% winning ratio. Even modern Rikishi couldn't come close. Closest anyone's ever gotten were around 88%.
It was because of his career that Raiden was able to give relief to his hometown. He was a hero in their eyes.
I'm… boring you with all of this… aren't I?"
Mash noticed that he was drooling at the mouth. He must have zoned out without noticing. "Forgive me… I'm not as smart as my friends are. I have cream puffs for brains."
"Well, all you need to know is that Raiden can fight really good." Said Brunhilde, trying to dumb down her statement as much as possible. "I'd like you to pay close attention, Mash. There's a reason why I picked him to fight for humanity."
"My whole life… I've had to hold back…" Raiden spoke. "I still haven't shown you everything…"
"Man, what the hell is up with you?" Said Shiva. "You look like you're ENJOYING this!" He shook his head. "Well then, what are you waiting for!? Come at me with everything you've got!"
Raiden took a breath. Of all the sumo techniques available to him, the one he chose… was one of the sport's most fundamental and essential… The Palm Heel Strike.
On the verge of launching it from a capricious stance, Raiden, with complete control of his muscles granted to him by volund, diverted this energy into a different sort of technique.
And thus… with extremely rapid shifts within his muscles… Placed all of his force into the hell of his palm.
Raiden had hit Shiva so hard, it sent him flying backwards. Two of his remaining three arms have hit the ground before he did. As they were entirely severed as a result of him blocking the hard hitting strike.
"OHHH!" Mash stared wide eyed at Raiden. His mouth hanging open. Never in his life had he ever witnessed anything like this. Growing up around magic users, it was beyond refreshing to see somebody fight in a way that he can not just understand… but also learn from.
It was then that he could see Raiden look up at him. He was definitely right. He had wanted to impress mash with his fighting and now he has. Even though no words were exchanged between the two. Mash could understand what Raiden was trying to say to him. It went somewhere along the lines of…
'Hey Mash… You can do it too! Also, let's get some cream puffs later; I'm starving!"
The second part is more of his fantasy than anything else. He looks down at his right palm and curls his fingers. He can feel power surging through his palm already.
"That move of his is called the Yatagarasu." Said Brunhilde. "It's one that he'd never use on a regular human being."
"So cool." Was all Mash had managed to say. He then saw Shiva stand back up. "But what can he do with only one arm?"
He then sees Raiden cry out in pain as blood starts erupting out of parts of his body. "Huh?"
"What's wrong with Raiden!?" Yells Goll.
"Recoil." Answers Brunhilde. "Moving his muscles at that speed places an abnormal level of strain on Raiden's system. His body can't handle it, and is starting to break down."
Mash widens his eyes. "Just… just like the time before my tenth birthday… I've been training harder than I should and… My body took weeks to heal." He then ran his fingers through his hair. "He can't strain himself any further. It won't be long before… before…"
He then realizes the gravity of the situation. Brunhilde doesn't look as composed as she was in the beginning of the fight. Raiden is just barely hanging on. "Come on… Come on, Raiden." Mash wishes he could hear him. "Just a few more steps. You can do it."
What Shiva did next shocked him as much as everybody else. With his remaining arm, he digs his fingers into his chest. Within a second, Mash pieced it together. "He's forcing his heart to beat faster… This isn't… This isn't good."
It is written in the Vedas… "When the time is fulfilled, Lord Shiva will dance the Tendava, and bring about the destruction of the world."
However… There is more to that legend… "Then Shiva will burn his own body and recreate the world from its ashes… This is called Tendava Karma."
"Let's dance 'til we burn up." Said Shiva.
Raiden bends his knees. Still in great pain. He's lucky he's got Thrud working with him. Otherwise, he'd be dead by now. "Guys like you are a real pain."
As the two fighters crashed into each other again, Mash let out a sigh. He had been holding his breath without noticing. "I get it now… People become stronger when others emotions weigh heavily on them." He sees Brunhilde and Goll looking at him. "Emotion… it's a different kind of weight from cast iron… It's not anything I can hold… Yet it can still weigh me down."
He then sees something that caught his attention. "Is Raiden burning up?"
"So you've finally noticed." Said Brunhilde. "Basically what's happening here is that it has become so hot around Shiva, Raiden's muscles are degenerating at the cellular level. He's getting weaker."
She then looks at him. "Shiva's body is in danger of burning out, though."
Raiden expands his forearm muscles and punches Shiva, but it ends up doing very little as went on to dance again.
It did feel like an eternity. Gods and humans cheering on for each fighter representing them. Ares and Zeus pump their fists in the air while Hermes takes out his violin and begins playing.
Mash forgot that he had been holding his breath again and began to turn purple. Before passing out, he took a breath.
Watching the fight through a screen below the arena, Saitama comments. "Wow. They're really going at it."
"I wonder who's gonna drop first." Maya crosses her arms. Absorbed in the fight.
"One shot left." Shiva notices Raiden looking at his hand. "I'm gonna be betting everything I got… ON THIS!"
"COME AT ME!" Shiva yells at him.
Raiden yells. "YATAGARASU!" He repeats the attack he used earlier.
Shiva, however, was more than prepared for it. Even though he lost three of his arms earlier, he still has two fully functional feet.
Not only that, they are ignited with godly fire. As soon as Raiden realized it, it was too late. Shiva's foot shredded his entire arm.
With both hands, Mash buried his fingers in his hair. "NO!"
Despite being in a world of hurt, Raiden smiles at Shiva. "Thanks… It was because of you… That I was able to do sumo… To my heart's content. I gave it everything I had. Without a trace of regret."
He then spoke to Thrud. "Thrud… That volund thing… You gotta release me from it. Because there's no sense in both of us dying right now."
He hears her voice. "Hmph. What are you saying… It makes perfect sense… I love you, Raiden… And I'm never going to stop loving you… Even if it means I have to die with you."
Tears gather in Raiden's eyes. "Damn… I don't know what I did to deserve a lady like you." He then looks at Shiva. "It's been a pleasure."
Shiva let out a sigh. "It's such a shame… that you won't be around… for what we've planned… but yeah, me too."
With one swift kick, Shiva decapitates Raiden. As he walked away, he spoke. "You don't have to worry anymore… About the plan to win this thing… human. No… Raiden Tameemon."
Heimdall shouts. "Se… Securing a second victory for the gods… The winner… of Ragnarok Round 5… is Shiva!"
For the first time in what felt like forever, Mash felt weak in the knees. He notices tears running down his face as he loses the strength to keep standing.
One of the finest men that he's ever had the privilege to know is now dead. It doesn't matter anymore that they had just met a short time ago. Or even that he felt weirded out by his first impression.
If he could have only one wish, it was no longer having a lifetime supply of cream puffs. He would use it to see Raiden again.
He then hears the sound of stomping. The sumo wrestlers from earlier They must be as sad as he is.
It is said that the Rikishi's Shiko… Like a funeral bell… For the Incomparable Raiden Tameemon… Echoed through the halls of Valhalla… For ages to come.
Shiva VS Raiden Tameemon
Match Length: 11 Minutes and 16 Seconds.
Deciding Move: Tendava Karma.
Winner: Shiva
Mash is now lying down on a couch with a pillow over his face. He had been crying for some time.
Saitama looks down at him. "Well… we can't win 'em all… We were bound to lose sooner or later."
Not liking what he had heard, Mash threw the pillow at Saitama's face, shaking him a bit. "Ah." "The hell did you just say?"
Mash doesn't look well. Far from it. It's like he wants to hit the first thing that he sees moving.
"You don't know Raiden like I do, Saitama." Mash continues. His tone getting angrier by the second. "He's dead now and that's the best you can say? 'We gotta lose sometime?' Are you out of your damn mind?"
Saitama raises an eyebrow. "Hey, I know you're upset and all, but come on, man. We can't have you breaking down like that. People need our help more than ever, and I don't wanna find out what exactly will happen if the gods win Ragnarok. Like, we gotta prepare ourselves. The fight's not over yet."
"Fight?" Mash shook his head. "Just what do you know about… fighting?" He then stood up from the couch.
"They tell me… that you're able to kill anything with just one punch… is that true?"
Saitama tilts his head. "Yeah. Pretty much. It's not as exciting as you think. Being the strongest ever."
"Well then… One Punch Man…" Mash continues. "I don't think… you've ever had to face anybody… who's just like me before…" He bends his fingers on his right hand. "How about I show you what you're missing out on."
It was at this moment that Mash struck Saitama. Raiden Tameemon may be gone, but a small piece of his spirit has engraved itself within Mash Burnedead. This attack is not one of simple imitation, but rather the act of ultimate respect. Mash's newest signature move. One that he named…
"THENAR EMINENCE MAGIC: ASCENDED YATAGARASU!"
A small shockwave could be felt throughout the arena. A fraction of a fraction of a second was all Mash needed to connect the muscle of his hand to Saitama's face. Raiden Tameemon would be proud if he were here to see it.
But his sense of accomplishment was short lived, however. As powerful as his newest attack was, it didn't appear to even faze Saitama. Mash stood with his mouth hanging open. There was no denying it now: He's met a man more stronger than he is.
He then grits his teeth, accepting his loss. Shaking his head, he grunts. "This isn't over." He walks away. Hoping to find some food somewhere.
Now by himself, Saitama brung his hand to his face. His suspicion is correct. One touch was all it took: He has a minor nosebleed.
It's the type of nosebleed that goes away within an hour, but Mash was able to make him bleed. Saitama won't forget that.
"He's on his way." Saitama smirks as he flicks the blood away. "It might take him a few more years, but he's catching up to me."
He then goes off to meet up with Brunhilde. The next match will start before he knows it.
Maya looks at the screen that Brunhilde is staring at. She can see pictures of humanity's fighters that have yet to fight. Historical figures that have lived on the Earth long before she was born.
"So… What's going on?" She questions her.
"They're not telling me who they're sending next. And my sisters haven't come back yet." Said Brunhilde.
"Well, what are you gonna do?"
"I have no choice." Brunhilde selects her fighter. "This one isn't afraid of charging ahead into unpredictable situations."
Maya looks at the screen. "Lu Bu? Okay."
Stepping out of his room, Lu Bu stretches his back muscles. "The time has finally come… Where I have the fight of my life!"
Chapter 10
The Flying General VS ?
Coming Soon!
I know what some of you may be thinking, and no. I have no plans at this moment to introduce Zerofuku into this story. Maybe the Seven Lucky Gods will appear in a later chapter, but I haven't made any decisions like that yet.
I do believe some of you may have figured the plan out already. Which is why I'm keeping who Lu Bu will fight a secret for now. I'll start working on the new chapter as soon as I can.