(The Arena)
"Well, Pikachu, you are in quite the position!" The Millennium Star started. "As the first repeat Superstar, you have a choice. Do you want us to go through another section of Pokeballs or do you wish for something new?"
The mouse Pokemon paused before putting his hand on his chin for a moment. Soon, he nodded and spoke.
"He says that he wants to continue the Super Smash Bros stage gimmick but this time actually it would change to an actual stage." Tumble translated.
"Ohhh? So what is the new stage?" Drake asked.
Pikachu spoke before Tumble smiled and nodded.
"He wants to have the electric version of Pokemon Stadium 2." Tumble translated.
The crowd cheered at this.
"Typical that the electric Pokemon would choose an electric-themed stage." Wave muttered, rolling her eyes.
Hodan chuckled. "At first, he has the decency not to make us endure it in the last section."
"Besides, despite it being an electric stage, there is not going to be any electric hazards." Megaman corrected. "Same for a couple of Pokemon, of course."
"Really? Then, where's the electric part?" Hayate asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Let's find out!" Drake grinned. "MS! Tumble!"
"Already on it!" Tumble offered, typing on his phone. "Anddddd done!"
The Millennium Star nodded his head before spinning around while emitting his bright light, engulfing the arena. When the light cleared, the arena changed again. It was then everyone noticed that there were rubber or plastic paths all over the arena. In fact, the only part that DIDN'T had a path was the middle one. There were also three platforms and two Pokemon. A large, yellow creature and a floating metallic creature shaped like an UFO.
"Umm… okay. So what is the gimmick of this stage?" June asked.
As if June's question was the trigger, the arena shook as everyone heard mechanical noises. Then, the paths started to move as they moved around the arena, along with the fighters standing on them.
June blinked twice. "...Well, THIS won't be annoying."
"Eh. could be worse." Danny shrugged.
June glared at Danny. "Easy for YOU to say! You and Jake could fly!"
Danny and Jake's eyes bugged out at this.
"Yo, dawg! She is totally right!" Jake said in mock shock.
"It is always like having flight is a useful skill!" Danny added, sharing the same mock shock.
The two then laughed, making most of the fighters glare at him. Wario just rolled his eyes.
"Bruh, it is just conveyor belts moving around the arena." Wario muttered, rolling his eyes. "It is not THAT much of a hassle."
Cloud narrowed his eyes. "...Says the guy who had not one, but TWO of his own levels in the sports spinoffs that involve conveyor belts."
"Hey, at least the conveyor belts aren't platforms." Agumon shrugged.
The Millennium Star nodded his head before looking at Pikachu. "Is this what you desire?"
The Pokemon happily nodded. The Millennium Star then lowered the platform to let Pikachu off before joining Agumon.
"DR. NITRUS BRIO!" (CB)
Wave and Wario raised an eyebrow as they watched the green-clad mad scientist exit the Ready Room with an eager grin on his face while carrying a beaker in each hand.
"Ah ha ha! Barely, but I was able to enter the tournaments before it was too late!" Brio said while laughing heartily. He then turned serious. "But I can't take this lightly! I have to make sure the tournament continues. And what better way is showing my fighting style from the latest Crash game, Crash Team Rumble! WHICH I INVENTED!"
As the crowd went wild at the last part, Brio continued to march down the ramp proudly. Once he stepped in pain, he used his hand as a visor (while somehow not spilling the liquid in said beaker) and upon locking his eyes on Hayate. He immediately giddily reacted before rushing over to the swordsman.
"Hello there, young man!" Brio greeted, getting the young man's attention.
"Um, yo?" Hayate asked, not liking where this was going.
"I witnessed your battle against that snakeboarder. Your blade and your swordsmanship is right strong" Brio said, raising a finger. "Let's see if we can test its limits by using my chemicals on it! Then, it would be ANOTHER one of my endless inventions!"
Hayate bugged out before narrowing them. "Okay, I just KNOW that you didn't just ask me that!"
With that, he swung his sword downwards. However, Brio raised his beakers in a cross position in front of him. Much to Hayate's shock, this managed to block his attack.
"Ooh, a little impatient, are we?" Brio chuckled. "Youth is wasted on the young but at the same time, I could still relate. Very well. Let's begin immediately!"
With that, he threw his beaker on the ground. Suddenly, he broke, resulting in a tiny mushroom-cloud explosion. When the smoke cleared, a slime monster appeared in its place, roaring at Hayate. The brown-haired man blinked twice before looking at Brio.
"...So your beakers could take my sword, but it can't take being thrown on the ground?" Hayate asked in disbelief.
"INKLING!" (SSB)
The orange-haired (orange-tentacled?) girl came out to a loud cheer from the crowd and Calamari Inkantation from the first Splatoon game through the speakers. She eagerly pumped her Splattershot, a modified super soaker in the air before waving to the crowd. She then got ready to make her way down the ramp.
(You're a little kid that looks like a squid!)
Inkling's eyes widened before looking up at the Sound Booth to see Shadow, Astraoth and Aila smirking at her.
(Oh no!)
(You got a bad perm like a can of worms)
(Oh no!)
The crowd had a mixed reaction to Calamari Inkantation being changed to Daphne & Celeste's Ooh Stick You. They were either laughing, cringing… Or both.
(Cheeks like a balloon!)
(Face like a baboon!)
(Mm-mm. Mm-mm-mm!)
(Everyone knows that you eat the nails from your toes and you rub them in dirt and eat them for dessert!)
Inkling puffed her cheeks in annoyance before showing the bottom of her eyelid and stomping down the ramp at the Sound Booth Trio laughed. Once at the bottom of the ramp, she fired her Splattershot in various places on the conveyor belts splatting orange paint. Inkling them turned into her squid form before diving into an ink puddle. She then leapt on it before diving into a paint puddle on another conveyor belt. And another. And another.
This resulted in a loud cheer from the crowd. Hodan looked on intrigue with his hand on his chin. Then, Inkling leapt from a puddle before doing a dropkick to Hodan's face, causing the ape to stagger back. Despite this, when he recovered, he actually laughed.
"Nice trick! Nice to see fighters actually using the stage to their advantage!" Hodan admitted.
Inkling was taken back by how chipper Hodan was about being kicked in the face.
"Even still, you are going to do a lot better than that to test my patience." Hodan warned. "Still, I am genuinely curious to see you try!"
Inkling blinked twice. She then shrugged.
"Woomy!"
"That is what I want to hear!"
"MASTER MUMMY!" (A)
The purple-clad bulky mummy let out a loud roar while beating his chest in an attempt to play to the crowd. He then looked at the crowd. Despite the arena lights still out and having to make due with the light from the Millenium Star's stars, he could still make out his wife and son in the audience and waving to them.
Master Mummy smiled and waved back before making his way down the ramp. Once he reached the bottom of the ramp, he leapt in without a second thought. After making a large tremor that knocked half of the fighters off of their feet. He punched his Megaton and Retorcher ARMS together, wondering who to go to first.
"ROY BROMWELL!" (RS)
The blond high-school American Football player hopped up and down a couple of times while having a confident smirk on his face. Throwing a few punches, he waved to the crowd before jogging down the ramp. Once in, he leapt into the arena.
"Dynamite Straight!" Roy shouted, engulfing his fist in red energy and punching forward in Master Mummy's back.
However, the purple-clad man merely looked back with a dark look. "...You have a lot of boldness to attack me with a cheap shot."
"Hey, you can take it, big guy!" Roy offered with a smirk. "That being said, I have a feeling that endurance and strength is all you have going for you."
Master Mummy gave a small growl. "You are asking for it, boy!"
"Bring it! Nothing is going to stop MY run!" Roy boasted.
"RAY THE FLYING SQUIRREL!" (StH)
Roy's smirk vanished as his pupils shrank at the size of peas.
The golden-furred flying squirrel let out a big, cheeky grin as he jumped up and down happily, alternating waves with each hand. Once he was done waving, he jumped up again before gliding down the ramp. When he reached the end of the ramp, he landed on his feet.
However, once in, his smile vanished.
Looking around, he noticed that everyone was staring at him.
"W-What?" Ray asked before rubbing his face. "Is there something on my face?"
Everyone immediately shook their heads frantically except for Wario, Wave and Adachi who just smirked.
"Um, okay?" Ray asked, scratching the back of his head.
Suddenly, Donkey ran over to him and landed on the same conveyor belt.
"Hey, Ray, Raymond, Ray-Ray, can I call you Ray-Ray? Nah, I would probably be distracted by that Asian-American girl during her three-way fight." Donkey said, suspiciously somehow talking FASTER than he usually does. "Do you wanna let me see what is more underrated, donkeys or flying squirrels?"
Ray blinked twice. "Um…"
"Great!" Donkey grinned.
Master Mummy blinked twice. He then looked behind me to see Roy latching onto his back while shaking like a leaf.
"Don't let him see me… Don't let him see me… Don't let him see me…" Roy pleaded as if he was in a trance.
Master Mummy stared in disbelief. "...Nothing could stop YOUR run, huh?"
Roy glared up at Master Mummy. "Hey, I didn't pay attention while I was in the Ready Room, alright!?"
(Eliminated Seating)
Hinata and Tiffany looked on in exasperation.
"...I thought you and Boman took Roy to therapy after Ray… Made him Infertile." Hinata frowned.
"So did I…" Tiffany sighed.
(The Arena)
"WHIP!" (KoFAS)
The brunette Ikari Warrior breathed in and out before taking out her namesake weapon, Voodoo, from her hood and cracked it against the ground. She then curled it up before walking down the ramp. Once in, Wave and Wario walked over to the conveyor belt she stood on to talk.
"Did anything happen in the time between when we entered the arena and you did?" Wave asked.
Whip just frowned. "According to Ralf, all we learned is that whoever Psycho Mantis is, they have the ability to warp the hallway so that nobody could reach the electrician's office."
Wave's eyes widened. "What!? What the hell is going on!? How could a node that nearly EVERYONE forgot until tonight recruit someone so powerful!?"
"Well, even though their words couldn't be trusted, they DID say that they ran into 'Psycho Mantis' by chance." Whip sighed, shaking her head.
"You mean-a we are fighting an unstoppable force by bad luck on OUR part!?" Wario said in disbelief.
"Unless you want me to phrase it a different way, yes." Whip muttered.
"Ugh, I kinda wished that-a someone made a stupid move just like Xero did in the Tournament of Kikai! That way I could take my anger out on them!" Wario roared. "Ugh, I need to find-a another fight!"
With that, he ran off.
"I don't know… I mean I WANT to keep fighting just to mentally and maybe physically flip the Xuan Dou Zhi Wang cast off." Wave said before frowning. "But the more I hear about 'Psycho Mantis', the more I am actually getting worried."
Whip paused at Wave's words.
"Whip? Thanks for helping us…"
Whip narrowed her eyes. "I rightfully disagree."
"Hm?" Wave looked up.
"If people gave up just because it seems like they are at a disadvantage, we would probably be back in the security team accusing Dingodile, Joe and Athena." Whip scolded.
Wave paused.
"Then, Xuan Dou Zhi Wang's secret ally sounds more dangerous with each more we learn about them? Yes. Is it less likely that we are able to do things just like in the pre-resurgence era to take down the Big Bad? Yes." Whip said. "But we can't even think about hesitating!"
Wave looked to the side. "...Well, the Babylon Rogues hate losing. But we hate quitting more."
"Then, don't. For the moment, let's focus on helping keep the tournament going strong." Whip nodded.
(Dome; Recovery Room)
"Okay, I know that Oume is a tiny, old lady but how could NO ONE manage to find her yet?" Yuri Sakazaki asked.
"Probably the same reason why we couldn't find the members of Oume's group." Tiny piped up with a frown.
"They are never around when we want to find them." Mickey muttered.
Yuri frowned before walking over to Reapermon and Landis.
"Also, don't you have some kind of radar on all creatures in the multiverse?" Yuri asked. "Just like you do with Junko?"
"It doesn't work like that!" Reapermon scolded. "For starters, the Goketsuji sisters never died at one point. Even in Groove-On Fight, that weird darker edgier game, not only are they still alive but they are the ONLY original characters playable in that."
"But… But…" Yuri sputtered.
She then looked at the champions as they overlooked their respective loved ones. They continued to writhe in pain.
"Father…" Kasumi said with her eyes, puffy with tears as she held onto Ryuhaku's hand.
"Dan… I am so sorry…" Sakura said as she and R. Mika sat side-by-side in sadness.
Lilly buried her head into Geese's chest as the latter solemnly looked at the writhing Billy. Lilly had stopped crying a long time ago. Jigglypuff frowned before taking Pichu's hand, taking Pikachu's spot and looking after him. Finally, Haohmaru had been completely stone-silent the entire time.
Everyone else looked at them in sadness. By this time, Guy had finally had his check-up finished as he watched this. He then looked back and forth between the champions in the room. He frowned before going to say something…
"...That does it."
Guy stopped before turning the direction of the voice to see Genjuro lowering his head with his hair covering his eyes.
Then, he raised his head with a furious look.
"THAT DOES IT!"
Everyone jumped as Genjuro took a step forward with a furious look on his face.
"I have been watching since Section Fucking FOURTEEN we all been in here and ALL of the champions have been camping out in the Recovery Room!" Genjuro roared. "Section Nineteen and we are HERE holed up in here!"
Jude Mathis winced. "H-Hey, lower your voice. This is the Recovery Room!"
Genjuro looked at Jude in disbelief. "Don't you think I know that!? I LITERALLY just said that we were stuck here!"
"...He's cracking." Veemon winced.
"That is to assume he was always sane…" Impmon muttered.
"Look, I get it! All we have to do to get the antidote is find one old lady! Just ONE!" Genjuro said, holding up a finger. "So I get why we don't need to have the entire group wandering around the dome and hotel!"
He then scowled.
"What I want to know is why are the CHAMPIONS here?!"
The champions winced while everyone else glared at Genjuro.
"Seriously, instead of staying here, you should be out there and trying to find that old hag, let her know what you REALLY think about everything and drag her by her bun over here!" Genjuro scolded. "What kind of champions are you!?"
All of the champions paused before Yuri stepped forward.
"Hey! Don't act like you know what they are going through!" Yuri scolded.
"It is not like I GET why they are acting like this but it has gotten to the point where it is getting ridiculous!" Genjuro snapped. "Kasumi, you once had to endure the shame of accidentally breaking Billy Kane's arm and yet despite not being a mainstay King of Fighters representative!"
Kasumi winced before looking to the side.
"Sakura, you are not only an UVR champion but you won that official Street Fighter popularity poll." Genjuro scolded. "Don't you realise that you have a lot of people that are not even into UVR that are into it!"
Sakura winced as R. Mika frowned before putting a hand on her shoulder while glaring at Genjuro.
"Geese, I shouldn't have to explain why it is not unlike YOU to be acting like you! You may not participate in villain plots anymore, you are still a VILLAIN!" Genjuro roared. "Ignoring the fact how rare it is for villains to do well at these things, let alone WIN, YOU are supposed to make people feel down! NOT the only way around!"
Geese growled while still holding onto Lilly tightly. Genjuro then walked over to Haohmaru. Tiny's eyes widened before narrowing them and ran in front of Genjuro to stop him. Much to everyone's pleasant surprise, Genjuro DID stop. At least with his legs.
"Haohmaru… I literally don't recognise you right now. Whether you are drunk on coffee or your canon self, you would never… And I mean NEVER give up!" Genjuro spat. "Is Shizu REALLY that important to YOU!? If so, why do you rarely see each other!?"
"Hey…" Tiny frowned.
"Don't 'hey' me! I literally dedicated my life to killing Haohmaru! What is the point if he is not the same person I wanted to kill!" Genjuro shot back.
Haohmaru paused at this. "...Coming."
"What was THAT!?" Genjuro roared.
Haohmaru growled.
"I saw it coming, alright!?"
Everyone jumped at this. Even Genjuro was taken off-guard.
"Do you really think that an UVR plot will be done on Section THIRTEEN!? Even now, there are still a lot of tournament to go through!" Haohmaru scolded. "It was obvious that Oume and her group had something planned, regardless of whether or not we won the fight!"
Haohmaru then looked down.
"And yet, I…" Haohmaru lamented.
R. Mika paused. "...Is THAT why you were acting weirdly before we confronted Oume's group?"
"Yes. I saw the red flags and yet I didn't do anything but act wishy-washy!" Haohmaru exclaimed. "I don't know what we could have done differently but we walked RIGHT into their trap!"
The champions winced before looking away. Genjuro paused for a moment.
"...That is not an excuse."
Haohmaru looked up with wide eyes as Genjuro glared at him.
"So you made a mistake. Boo-hoo. You are still an UVR champion. Scratch that, THE UVR champion. No matter who will win future UVRs, you will always be the most outstanding one." Genjuro reminded. "You are the reason why the fatigue mechanic is a thing!"
Haohmaru paused.
"Besides, why are you taking ALL of the blame? We ALL had a feeling that Oume's team was waiting for us and yet we STILL came!?" Genjuro exclaimed. "Being a champion has nothing to do with it! Most of us should have seen this coming from a mile away!"
Everyone looked away.
"Besides, Pikachu is doing well, isn't he!? Sure, he has arguably the worst first section a previous UVR winner had, he is still doing well!" Genjuro pointed out. "Granted, his elimination of the beagle is… Questionable, it is more than fake Psycho Mantis' fault and he redeemed himself against that Kingdom Hearts Heartless reject."
He then took a deep breath.
"...I am going to be blunt. You know that some people didn't like Penny winning? I am at that party." Genjuro said.
"...Shocker." Mickey snarked.
"If I were to show up in the same section as her, I would show her what a TRUE fighter is like." Genjuro growled. He then sighed. "But I confess that outside of that, I have no right going out of my way to instruct how to deal with other people. Granted, it is more because I don't but still."
Ripper raised an eyebrow behind his sunglasses. "What are you trying to say!?"
Genjuro glared up.
"Penny may have won the Tournament of Kikai, but she still has a long way to go. And that's the polite way of putting it!" Genjuro exclaimed. "But if she has some self-awareness and almost knows this, she would most likely look at YOU guys! What would she think if she… I don't know, walk in and see you all sulking like this!?"
The champions winced before looking to the side. Guy just looked at them with a blank face. Nurse Joy narrowed her eyes before walking over to Genjuro with Blissey walking by her side.
"I understand that this is a serious topic with varying strong opinions on how to deal with it." Joy said before narrowing her eyes. "But if you are going to be like that, I am going to ask you to leave."
Genjuro scoffed. "No need to tell me twice. I am going to look for Oume."
"If everyone else couldn't find her, what makes you think YOU will?" Static Shock challenged.
"...You're right. There is no guarantee that I will find her." Genjuro admitted. "But even if I spend the entire time wandering around in circles, at least I could tell myself I am doing something."
With that, he stomped off while putting his hands inside of his pocket. Everyone paused as they watched him leave. Guy paused before sighing.
"...I am going to join him." Guy muttered.
Ryu looked at Guy with wide eyes. "R-Really, Guy? What about Rena?"
The ninja frowned. "As cold as this sounds, she is not MY Rena."
Hinako frowned. "B-But…"
"Besides, you know how violent he could get. I am actually impressed he didn't get out his katana." Guy offered. "Someone has to go after him."
R. Mika paused before getting up. "Then, I will go too."
Hinako's eyes widened. "Mika!? What about Dan!?"
"He won't be alone…" The wrestler reassured. "Sakura should still be here, right?"
"Um, right…?" The pachinko worker said, looking unsure.
Ryu frowned as Mika walked over to Guy.
"Come on. Before Genjuro stabs something." Mika offered.
Guy nodded his head. "Yeah…"
With that, the two Street Fighters left the Recovery Room leaving in an awkward silence. Haohmaru paused before looking at the now-unconscious Shizu.
"Maybe Genjuro is right… I am setting a bad example for Penny."
(Dome; Crowd Entrance G)
"I can't believe that Psycho Mantis actually did that to Snoopy!"
That was the disdained exclaim of Penny Proud as she and her family exited the crowd and went into the dome.
"And what's the worst part? That creep isn't even the REAL Psycho Mantis!" Penny exclaimed. "Just another poser like that Ace loser!?"
"I swear we should go find those Xuan Dou Zhi Whatever and beat them all to the ground!" Suga Mama asked, beating her cane into her hand. "Oh, I'll give them a reason to be remembered!"
"It is ironic because the more they interfere with the tournament, the more they show why no one would want to invite them to any UVR tournament." Trudy frowned.
"Um, am I the only one who thinks we shouldn't leave the crowd?" Oscar frowned. "At least alone?"
Suga Mama looked back. "Cool it, boy. We are now Section Nineteen! Whatever the villains are planning with the champions is most likely done by now."
"Besides, if I was on their target list, they would make a move now." Penny reassured.
"That and the villain plot in the third Megamix Tournament was cancelled because of a blackout." Trudy explained as Bebe and Cece's hands try to grab a floating nearby star. "For better or for worse, due to THIS one, that villain plot is most likely also cancelled."
"But… But… They are VILLAINS. They gain their powers from the darkness!" Oscar pointed out.
The Proud Family looked at Oscar in disbelief.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Oscar asked.
"...Even that Xehanort guy would look like that!" Suga Mama muttered.
Penny shook her head as they continued to make their way to the Recovery Room to visit Snoopy. She was going to do so regardless of what happened to Snoopy but now she kinda has to check on him, even with his friends, Garfield and Scooby.
Then, she noticed something from the corner of her eye. Her eyes then lit up when she saw a familiar silhouette, barely lit from the stars.
"Oh, hey, Haohmaru!" Penny grinned. "How is the villain plot coming along?"
The Proud Family looked ahead to see that it was indeed Haohmaru standing in the shadows.
"Oh, better timing! We were just talking about what could be happening with you!" Trudy smiled. "Could you help ease our pain?"
Haohmaru paused at this.
"...I can't do that."
The Proud Family jumped at this. His voice… It wasn't loud.
"H-Haohmaru…?" Penny asked.
"I can't help you ease your pain when I am unable to do so to the others." Haohmaru lamented.
With that, he walked out of the shadows. The Proud Family looked worried when they saw that Haohmaru was a despair clone though they didn't know that.
"Despite being the first UVR champion, I wasn't able to use my knowledge of the tournament to save the other tournaments." Haohmaru lamented.
Then, the despair clones of Geese, Kasumi, Sakura and Pikachu came out of the shadows.
"I suppose not even someone as strong as me could me can't avoid karma forever." Geese sighed. "Just… Didn't wish that Billy had to go through that."
"I had spent so much time trying to find my father and when I finally did, even if it is just an alternate version of one, he kept dying and reviving in my arms." Kasumi lamented.
"What's good about being a champion if you can't even protect your friends?" Sakura asked.
"Pika…" Pikachu said, sadly.
"I… I…" Penny sputtered before narrowing her eyes. "I don't know who YOU think you are but I KNOW for a fact that you are NOT the previous UVR champions."
"We are here as we can be." Haohmaru sighed. "We just never realised how painful UVR is until now."
"Yeah, right. We all know Haohmaru for two things: Being the poster boy for UVR and being so loud that it breaks my hearing aid!" Suga Mama agreed. "You guys are imposters!"
"...So you don't believe us?" Sakura asked.
"Of course we don't! The champions I know would never talk like this!" Penny spat, narrowing her eyes.
Geese shook his head with a solemn look. "...So young. Not just in age but also at the latest UVR winner."
"Very well. We would just have to demonstrate." Kasumi sighed.
"D-Demonstrate what?" Oscar asked, not liking where this was going.
"We will show you EXACTLY why the UVR is evil and causes nothing but pain." Sakura said.
With that, the five despair clones got into their stances. The Proud Family looked in horror at this. Suga Mama then narrowed her eyes before stepping forward while beating her cane against her hand.
"I don't know who or what you fakes are but if you think you will come close to me AND my grandbaby, you've got another thing coming!" Suga Mama taunted.
"But Suga Mama, fakes or not, what if they DO have the same powers as the original champions?" Trudy pointed out.
"Well, I will have to wait and see…" Suga Mama said, cracking her knuckles.
"But there are FIVE of them!" Trudy reminded.
Suddenly, a knife came out of nowhere and towards Haohmaru. The ronin quickly got out his katana and deflected the projectile away while the Proud Family looked in shock.
Penny looked back to see Maki, Shuichi and Himiko. Maki had her arm out, silently telling Penny that she was the one who threw the knife.
"H-Hey, you're that V3 survivor trio!" Penny gasped.
"That's right. We came to this tournament to see if Junko would strike this one just like the last one." Maki said before sighing. "But it seems that there are at least five things to worry about. NONE of them involve Junko."
"Regardless, your timing is impeccable. My mother-in-law is strong but I don't know for sure if she would be able to take on those… Things." Trudy pleaded.
Maki nodded her head before getting out another knife. "Understood. I will help."
"But it would STILL be two against five!" Oscar pointed out.
"Looks like it is FINALLY about time to my out-of-arena screentime!"
Everyone's eyes bugged out before turning to the direction of the voice to see… Dot Warner and the Pyro…?
"Having me going into a battle as my introduction since I've been eliminated, eh?" Dot asked before looking up at the Pyro. "What do you say, my possible non-binary pal?"
The Pyro eagerly saluted and clapped their hands together before reading his flamethrower.
Everyone, even the despair clones, blinked twice in confusion.
"...Yeah, I know. Kinda random allies. I promise that I will explain to everyone after the battle." Dot offered.
"...I suppose I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth." Maki muttered.
"Tch. At least as they want to take down these fakes, they can stay." Suga Mama said before talking over to Penny. "Grandbaby, hold Puff for me."
The red-clad girl paused for a moment. She then narrowed her eyes.
"...No."
Suga Mama was taken back by this. "No?"
"How am I supposed to fight if I am holding Puff!?"
Oscar's pupils shrank. "Excuse me!?"
"Penny, don't be rash!" Trudy scolded.
The teenage girl looked at her parents. "Mama, Daddy, I am an UVR champion. What kind of example would I be giving if I back down to FAKE champions?"
Suga Mama paused for a moment. She then smirked.
"That's my grandbaby!" Suga Mama grinned before looking at Shuichi. "You there, boy? I am counting on you to keep my Puff safe!"
The black-clad boy nodded his head. "Yes."
As Suga Mama handed her poodle, Puff, to Shuichi, Maki looked at Himiko.
"Himiko, how is that barrier spell coming along?" Maki asked.
The witch frowned. "Not good. I could summon one but only for like three seconds at the most."
"No, that's sufficient." Maki reassured. "Just use it when you think a stray attack will go towards you, Shuichi and the Proud Family."
Himiko nodded her head. "Of course."
Trudy paused. "...Penny, I know that I probably won't change your mind but I still want you to be careful."
"Of course, Mama, don't worry, I am not alone." The red-clad girl nodded.
"Alright, so let's do it!" Dot cheered, pumping her fist in the air.
The Pyro let out a muffled cheer. With that, Penny, Suga Mama, Maki and Dot stood side-by-side while the rest of the Proud Family along with Shuichi and Himiko stepped back.
"Probably too late to go back now but as you're sure you want to do this?" Maki asked. "Unlike the last tournament, you only came here solely to spectate."
Penny paused. "I admit that I am not much prepared."
She then glared at the despair clones.
"...Wouldn't be the first time that I have my back against the wall."
Haohmaru shook his head as he and the other despair clones got into a stance. "You have NO idea the trials of an UVR champion."
(The Arena)
"KOKONOE!" (BB)
Megaman's eyes widened before looking up to see indeed the pink-haired cat-girl scientist standing outside of the Ready Room with a bored look while holding a lollipop.
"As much as I know Mom leaving the Ready Room shows that things are going to shit real fast, I am still glad that she did so." Kokonoe said before grumbling. "Lord knows that she will embarrass me in front of everyone!"
Then, a portal opened up to the side of her. She then got a scooter out of it before riding it down the ramp. Once she reached the bottom, she stepped in. Megaman then made his way over to her.
"Oh, hey, Kokonoe, it looks like our draws are close enough together." Megaman said in awe.
The pinkette raised an eyebrow. "Looks like it."
"Hey, do you wanna double-team?" Megaman offered.
Kokonoe paused. "What's in it for me? Terumi isn't out for a long while and even then, people will bitch at me for not prioritising literally everything else over him."
Megaman's smile vanished as he gave a grumpy look. "...You haven't changed much, I see."
Kokonoe sighed. "...Fine. I hate exerting too much, anyway. If you are offering to do at least half of the work, then I shouldn't look a gift-horse in the mouth."
Megaman slumped his arms. "...That is NOT why I asked you to join me."
"JUPITER POWER MAKE-UP!"
The anime fans of the audience went wild as a female body was flashing green and pink appeared from behind the Entrance Curtain. She then carried a golden pen while spinning around, engulfing her with electricity which eventually turned into an atom.
"And now, Mystery Fighter… Number…THIRTY-EIGHT!"
"SAILOR JUPITER!" (Sailor Moon)
(Kagayaku Starlight Rain)
(Watashi wo mitete)
(Samishii yoru mo)
(Jibun rashiku)
(Hora kawareru you ni)
Makoto Kino appeared in her sailor fuku-inspired magical girl outfit as the crowd went wild. She scratched the back of her head with one hand as she waved to the crowd with the other, looking a little embarrassed as her image song, Starlight Ni Kisushite played through the speakers.
"I can't believe I was picked as a three-peater for this tournament." Sailor Jupiter said in awe. "Sure, Sailor Moon is the poster child for magical girl anime and even our licensed fighting game is apparently being played competitively… Somehow. But still."
Sailor Jupiter then slapped her cheeks together.
"Regardless of whether or not I deserve to be here or not, that is no reason to slack off and let down my fans!" Sailor Jupiter said, narrowing her eyes before rushing down the ramp.
(Fushigina Moonlight Rain)
(Sonaka wo oshite)
(Tobidasu machi ni mabushi)
(Jikan ga matteru)
Once in the arena, she ran over to Adachi. The ex-cop saw her coming and rolled his eyes.
"Oh great… I had a feeling that I would have a sugary-sweet goody-goody come after me at some point but I didn't think it would be a fucking SAILOR MOON character!" Adachi muttered, rolling his eyes.
"I see how twisted you are in not only your actions but also your fighting style as well!" Sailor Jupiter narrowed her eyes before striking a pose. "In the name of Jupiter… I will punish you!"
As the anime crowd cheered loudly, Adachi rolled his eyes.
"Don't make me hurl." Adachi muttered before holding up his gun. "Look, Missy, see this gun? I could literally shoot you five to ten times before you could even pull off one special attack."
Sailor Jupiter growled. "Oh yeah? Supreme Thunder!"
Adachi smirked before aiming his gun at Sailor Jupiter as the electromancer was charging up her attack.
Imagine his surprise when all that happened as a bolt of green electricity struck Sailor Jupiter from above before sending out an electric projectile in the shape of a beast's face. Adachi did not expect this and was knocked to the ground. As sparks surged through Adachi's body, he sat up in pain and disbelief.
"What the fuck!?" Adachi asked in disbelief.
Sailor Jupiter smirked before crossing her arms. "Have you forgotten that Sailor Moon has quite a few video games, INCLUDING fighting games? We don't need to charge up for that long!"
Adachi then grumbled under his breath. "...Curse the 'Every media must have their own video game' trend."
"LUCA MILDA!" (ToAS)
The white-haired, blue-clad swordsman put his hands on his heart before breathing in and out.
"I am not afraid. I am not afraid." He chanted to himself.
He then walked down the ramp. As he did so, Cloud saw him and growled before raising his Buster Sword and was about to stomp over. Until Wario tackled him from behind, taking him down.
"I am all-a for picking on little kids but at least spice things up instead of going after every little one with a bigger sword than yours!" Wario taunted. "You got time to be-a jealous? Fight me!"
As Wario dragged Cloud away from the Entrance Ramp, Luca finally stepped in, oblivious that he was technically saved by Wario of all people. He nervously looked around the arena. Whip saw him come in and raised an eyebrow before walking over.
"Feeling nervous?" Whip asked.
"Um, yeah. Kinda hard not to. Not only did UVR tournaments have gotten MORE chaotic in recent years, at any moment, the fake Psycho Mantis could take over our brains and there is nothing we can do about it." Luca frowned.
"Yeah, nobody wants to end up like that beagle." Whip sighed. "Even still, we have to be brave. People like them PREY on our fear."
Luca paused. "Also true… As much as I find this tournament scary, I don't want it to be cancelled."
"Good. Now take that sword out of your back and fight me." Whip urged.
Luca nodded before obliging. However, in doing so, he revealed to Whip how huge his broadsword is in comparison to the rest of Luca's body. Whip blinked twice.
"...Why not? I see weirder things as these things." Whip shrugged.
"SETH!" (SFAS)
The chrome Ditto fighter came out to a mixed reaction. However, they made it no mind as he examined the arena. They then made their way down the ramp into their Juri-esque body. Suddenly, they vanished. They then reappeared, particularly next to Megaman and Kokonoe, startling them.
"Ack! What the!?" Megaman gasped before seeing who it was. "Uh-oh."
Kokonoe narrowed her eyes. "What do YOU want!?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Seth asked with a smirk. "You are a scientist that is also a powerful mage."
Kokonoe raised an eyebrow. "...I'll give you credit. I did your homework."
"And of course, I cannot forget Megaman's own copying ability." Seth said, looking at Megaman.
Megaman let out a deep sigh. "...I swear if EVERYONE goes after me because of it."
"Of course, I wish to extract your data by taking it forcibly!" Seth explained.
Megaman narrowed his eyes before pointing his arm cannon at Seth.
"Not on our watch, you…" Megaman started. Suddenly, he paused. "...Um, what do you wish to be referred to as?"
Seth blinked twice. "You mean like pronouns?"
Megaman nodded his head. Seth actually stopped to think about it while Kokonoe looked at Megaman in disbelief.
"...Really?" Kokonoe asked.
"I just wanted to be polite." Megaman said, sheepishly.
"Well, technically speaking, I never thought about saying my gender. I also assumed that I was male because I was one of Bison's spare bodies." Seth explained. "THEN, Juri took my brain and implanted it in a clone body of HERS for some reason. Upon what happened, I realised something."
"And that is?" Megaman asked.
Seth then snarled.
"I AM NOT BISON!"
Megaman and Kokonoe jumped as Seth began to rant with a dark aura around his body.
"I AM NOT JURI! I AM MY FUCKING SELF! I AM NOT ONE OF MANY BACK-UP DOLLS, PUT IN THE CLOSET KICKING UP DUST!" Seth roared, getting everyone's attention. "I AM THE FINAL BOSS OF IV! SOMETHING THAT BISON DOESN'T HAVE THE PLEASURE OF BEING DESPITE BEING! I AM ABOVE SUCH LABELS!"
They then panted heavily, still having their dark aura around him while everyone watched with wide eyes. Soon, they stopped themselves.
"...So technically I may refer to myself as non-binary or genderfluid, depending on how you look at it." Seth shrugged.
Megaman and Kokonoe blinked twice. The latter then glared at Megaman.
"...You asked them." Kokonoe scolded. "I sure as hell didn't."
Megaman rolled his eyes before reading his Mega Buster. "Just get ready."
"JIVATMA!" (KoFAS)
The dark-skinned cockroach-like alien made out to a mixed reaction. However, he didn't mind as they stretched their arms (while inadvertently stretching them like Mr. Fantastic). He then recoiled his arms back.
"As much as I hate to admit it, I could see why Nagase is so fond of taking breaks." Jivatma mused while walking down the ramp. "I feel far more refreshed than when I entered the first Battle of the Luminaries."
Once in, he stepped in and was already locked on his target. Giving a smirk, he swung both of his arms.
"Fear me!"
Jivatma shouted, sending a giant dark energy ball. The projectile hit Master Mummy and was enough to make him stagger a couple of steps back (while making Roy hold onto him). Master Mummy recovered before growling at Jivatma.
"Looks like this is this section's fighters with a lot of gall." Master Mummy noted.
"I admit that I don't usually go for people who are just powers with similar powers like me." Jivatma admitted, putting his hand on his chin. "But as a fellow stretching fighter, I want to see how an ARMS fighter face off against the final boss of Maximum Impact."
"Tough talk from someone who is from a non-canon spinoff!" Master Mummy shot back.
"Oh, you didn't know? Technically, Maximum Impact is canon now." Jivatma explained.
Master Mummy's eyes bugged with even Roy risking even being seen by Ray and poked his head out from behind his large body.
"Wait, really?" Master Mummy asked.
"Yes, you know Duo Lon? He is actually a DLC character that will be coming back in XV and in his interview, he mentioned Xiao Lon." Jivatma explained.
"The woman suffering from late game syndrome?" Roy asked in disbelief.
"Yes, I am just as stunned that the reason why we are canon is because of HER." Jivatma shrugged. "But yeah, between that, giving Krohnen an Alba colour palette alternate and of course having so many songs appeared, it is clear that people still remember us. And do I really need to hear that from YOU, Mr. "If It Wasn't For Min Min, We Would Be Forgotten'?"
Master Mummy growled before punching his fists together. "They will remember you as a smear on the conveyor belts!"
(King of Fighters Nodal Train Station)
Usually the nodal train station for the King of Fighters was completely empty around this time. In fact, nearly ALL of the nodal train stations were empty. At this point, everyone has either decided on staying in the Crossover Dome in Fictograph City or either in their home nodes, watching the tournament on television. However, there were a couple of expectations here and there.
Benimaru frowned as he waited on a bench while speaking into his phone. Soon, someone answered it.
"Yes, Benimaru, are you there?"
The blond man had a look of disbelief on his face. "Am I there? Do you really think my phone would have decent reception if I was in Fictograph City or on the train, Shingo?"
"Right, I guess that was a stupid question." The brown-haired young man noted.
Benimaru shook his head at Shingo's naivete. "So how is the situation going so far?"
"Well, the lights are still out, apparently the Psycho Mantis is actually a fake." Shingo explained. "Despite that, he has the same powers as the real powers."
Benimaru's eyes widened. "Really?"
"Yeah, they used it to mind control Snoopy and have him attack Pikachu and Agumon." Shingo explained.
Benimaru looked absolutely horrified at this.
"...Benimaru, I want to believe in you when you said that Xuan Dou Zhi Wang are good people, but the more I hear about them, the more… UNgood they sound." Shingo hesitantly said.
The electromancer frowned at this. When even SHINGO was struggling to believe in the good of someone, it was a pretty bad sign.
"Aight, the train should be getting ready to leave so if anything else happens, I have to find out the hard way." Benimaru explained.
"Alright, just be careful." Shingo offered.
Benimaru nodded his head before saying goodbye and hanging up the phone. Once he did so, he narrowed his eyes while crossing his arms.
"You guys are in SO much trouble."
(Moon World; Lunar Dome)
Snoopy groaned as he slowly came to, feeling like his head was being done in by a sledgehammer. He couldn't remember the last thing he was doing before backing out except he was fighting as always. He tried to put his hand on his head but it felt like his hands were bound.
"Well, well, well, look's who FUCKING decided to wake up!"
Snoopy's eyes snapped open though his vision was still blurry so all he saw was purple. When his vision cleared, he saw a lanky lilac-furred cat dressed in purple and blue winter clothes. However, what took Snoopy off-guard was how mismatched and crazy his eyes were.
"I knew that elimination nodes had no limitation to where they go but it is always a surprise to see one appear in YOUR node, let alone near you." The cat mused before sighing. "Ugh, I hate being polite but I suppose I should introduce myself."
He then grinned.
"Heyo! I am Janga and I am from the Klonoa node! Particularly Klonoa Heroes!" Janga introduced.
Snoopy just blinked twice. Janga's grin vanished as he looked grumpy.
"...You never heard of that node. Typical." Janga muttered. "I was in Namco X Capcom!"
Snoopy just continued to look confused. Janga rolled his eyes.
"Ugh, kids these days. Well, it doesn't matter if you know me or not." Janga shrugged.
With that, he brandishes his claws, making Snoopy try to slink back. It was then he realised that he was tied to a rock.
"Here is the 4-1-1. At this moment, I am tasked with stopping three goody-goodies' journeys to stop my allies' Joka and Garlen." Janga explained. "Normally, I would just fight the three."
He then sneered.
"Butttttt… If I had a hostage, maybe things would be easier." Janga smirked. "Of course, that doesn't mean I can't have a little fun with you!"
With that, he made his way forward with Snoopy shuddering in his place.
Then, Snoopy narrowed his eyes. Janga noticed this and was about to taunt the beagle for acting so tough. However, he then noticed a small light on the ropes.
"Hmm… What is…?" Janga started.
Before Janga could finish his question, he saw the light turned into an arc which slashed Janga in the chest. The cat cried out in pain before staggering back while holding his chest.
"Ack! What the fuck!?" Janga cried out before glaring at Snoopy. "How dare…"
Then, he completely froze. The arc not only attacked Janga but also freed Snoopy from the ropes. He continued to look brave while glaring at Janga.
In his hand was a shining sword with a golden handle which he pointed at Janga. The purple-clad feline just blinked twice.
"...What in the fuck?" Janga muttered. "Is this part of the gimmick of the tournament?"
He then growled.
"Well, I don't fucking care! I am not going to be bested by the Penny Proud of the current tournament!?" Janga roared.
Snoopy paused as he continued to point his sword at Janga.
"Nodes? Tournament? What in the world is this guy talking about?"
(The Arena)
"ADON!" (SFAS)
The red-haired Muay Thai fighter came out to a mixed reaction. However, he made it no mind as he crossed his arms with the hugest 'Please punch me' grin on his face. Doing a few practice kicks, he let out a haughty laugh (while making those near him cover their eyes in pain) before walking down.
"Typical. That washed-out king, Sagat, only got one elimination. He never usually does that well at these things." Adon muttered. "Looks like it is up to ME to bring back Muay Thai's good name. As always."
With that, he walked down the ramp before stepping in. Once in, Wave rode over to her. Adon saw him and smirked.
"Ooh, looking to challenge yourself by facing ME?" Adon asked.
"No, I just want a potential easy opponent." Wave said, matter-of-factly.
Adon jumped at this. "Excuse me!?"
"Okay, admittedly I don't know HOW easy you are." Wave said. She then smirked. "But you DID get laid out by Sagat pretty badly in the first Street Fighter 4 game."
Adon winced, knowing what she was talking about. Regardless, he refused to show weakness as he glared at Wave.
"T-T-That is non-canon!" Adon insisted.
"Sure, just like how it is non-canon that you lost to Ryu, the very thing you harped on Sagat for doing in the first Street Fighter game!" Wave shot back.
Adon's face turned red. "You are getting WAY too full of yourself just because you finally survived a section!"
Wave's smirk grew bigger. "Well, at least I have an excuse. Where's YOURS?"
Adon growled before rushing over.
"And now, Mystery Fighter… Number…THIRTY-NINE!"
"LOONA!" (Helluva Boss)
The gothic hellhound came out to a loud cheer, especially from the men. In contrast to her usual moody and choleric self, she was nervously scratched the back of her head. She gave a timid smile before waving at the crowd.
"Okay, I could do this… I don't HAVE to make nice to these people, I just have to fight them." Loona said, trying to reassure herself. She then paused. "Granted, they pussying out and having the no-killing rule makes things harder for me. Hoo boy."
She then took a deep breath before making her way down the ramp. At least, she was off to a decent start.
"DO YOUR BEST, LOONIE!"
Loona froze in mid-step before slowly turning her head up in the crowd like a machine. In the audience were Blitzo shouting through a megaphone with several people nearby holding their ears in pain and Moxxie and Millie wincing before looking around. Well, Moxxie was…
"RIP AND TEAR THOSE WHO STAND IN YOUR WAY!" Blitzo called out through his megaphone.
Millie blinked twice. "Isn't this a NON-killing tournament?"
"Oh, right. I forgot about that." Blitzo said, matter-of-factly before speaking into the megaphone. "RIP AND TEAR IN THE MOST NON-LETHAL WAY POSSIBLE! WHATEVER THAT MAY MEAN!"
"Sir, please, you are going to get ejected like that spectre ninja and aristocrat!" Moxxie pleaded.
Blitzo then turned to Moxxie and spoke. However, he did so while still using the megaphone and making the poor latter wince in pain.
"THEN, WHAT IS THE POINT OF INVITING PEOPLE TO THIS IF WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO CHEER FOR OUR FAVOURITE!?" Blitzo shot back.
"Because you are actually shouting LOUDER than the fights in the arena, distracting them!" Ashley scolded from the Announcer's Booth. "Put that away RIGHT NOW!"
Blitzo rolled his eyes. "DRAKE, WHY IS THIS GUY YOUR PARTNER? I WON'T DENY IT, HE IS A VERY BEAUTIFUL MAN BUT WHAT IS THE POINT IF HE DOESN'T LOOK LIKE HE WOULD BE A BEAST IN B…"
"Yeet him from the crowd." Ashley said, matter-of-factly.
"With pleasure." The Millennium Star replied, narrowing his eyes.
With that, he surrounded Blitzo with sparkles and levitated him up into the air. Without even giving him a chance to protest, the Millennium Star dropped him right into the elimination portal.
Blitzo landed in Spirit Riding Free. Being the horse fan that he was, he squealed over the cute horses.
Everyone was completely stunned by what had just happened. In fact, they were so stunned that they didn't notice that Loona had already entered the arena while trying in vain not to be seen.
"Damn it, Blitzo…"
"SHIZUKA GOZEN!" (SS)
Out of all the things the crowd had expected to see, they didn't expected a sobbing woman clad in regal, traditional Japanese attire, covering her face with his hands.
"The despair… I sensed it all over the dome… Even when Junko is nowhere in sight… It is still… It is still…" Shizuka Gozen said during sobs.
Suddenly, a dark aura completely covered her, startling everyone. She then looked up into the air with four war fans appearing in blue wisps over her.
"The despair… It will never end… Must destroy it… Must destroy this tournament!" Shizuka Gozen cried out.
She then floated down the ramp, Danny, Jake and June watched her in disbelief.
"Are you kidding me!? We just got rid of the super-tough boss!" Jake groaned.
"That is the consequence of having at least one final boss per node." Danny lamented, shaking his head.
June rolled her eyes. "Ugh, come on! We will never get our fight done if we don't get rid of her!"
"Aw, man…" Jake groaned as he, Danny and June made their way towards Shizuka Gozen.
"This tournament… If I don't end it, the despair will continue!" Shizuka Gozen called out.
"...Um, you DO know how much people actually LIKE this tournament, right?" June asked.
"If anything, stopping it, especially in this current state, would cause MORE despair!" Jake nodded.
"You are too ignorant of the real world to understand… Surrender or die!" Shizuka Gozen threatened.
"Yeahhhhh, no… How about the third option?" Danny muttered.
"KILGORE!" (KI)
The combat robot of UltraTech aimed their gatling gun arms into the air and proceeded to fire, startling those nearby. Once they were done shooting, they activated the thrusters of their feet and dashed down the ramp without a single thought.
Once he was in, he immediately opened fire on Pikachu and Agumon, striking the two small animals multiple times and making them cry out in pain.
"Ow!" Agumon cried out before glaring at Kilgore. "Hey, what is the big idea!?"
Kilgore just pumped his gatling guns in the air wildly.
"Ugh… There is always one maniac in these sections…" Agumon muttered. "Let's get rid of this hunk of junk."
Pikachu nodded before surging electricity through his cheeks. Meanwhile, Brio and Hayate watched the whole thing with mixed reactions.
"Aww, Kilgore is so happy to be in the arena!" Brio smiled. "Look how enthusiastic he is!"
Hayate looked down at Brio in disbelief. "...It's official. Those bolts in your head are wound up too tightly."
"JEAN KUJO!" (VF)
The red-clad, white-haired karateka came out to a mixed reaction. However, he paid it no mind as he examined the arena with his hand on his chin.
"We are not doing well so far." Jean noted before scoffing. "That is because my nodal companions are too soft! They let their guard down and that is why we are doing so poorly!"
With that, he made his way down the ramp before stepping in. Once in, he made his way over to the fight between Master Mummy and Jivatma. However, he wasn't interested in either of them and grabbed Roy by his neck before throwing him off of Master Mummy. Roy landed on his rear before looking around in horror.
"What are you doing!?" Roy scolded. "Ray is going to find me!"
"Do you really intend to camp out on that mummy's back this entire section?" Jean asked. "As much as all of the others are beneath, even I think it is disrespectful and cowardly for the rest of them!"
"You never met Ray! You don't know what that… Thing is capable of!" Roy insisted.
Jean blinked twice before turning to the fight between Ray and Donkey. Ray was happily flying around Donkey.
"...You're right, I wouldn't know. Guess I just have to take your word for it." Jean snarked.
Roy growled before getting into a stance. "Fine. First, I will beat you up, THEN I will use your body as a hiding spot."
"And now… The final fighter for this section…"
"LUCARIO!" (SSB)
The blue-furred canine-like Pokemon came out with an enormous cheer. However, he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment before shyly waving to the crowd. Breathing in and out, he made his way down the ramp while eyeing everyone's aura.
"Quite a lot of dangerous threats like that yokai, limb stretcher and ditto fighter but I think their respective opponents got them." Lucario mused.
He then stepped into the air before walking over to the only one that was without an opponent, which was Loona who was still trying in vain to hide. The hellhound then saw him coming.
"Ugh, one of those obnoxious 'respectable martial pacifists' types. On the OTHER hand, he should more or less be easier to talk with so beggars can't be choosers." Loona thought. "So YOU'RE the final fighter of this section? I know that you are arguably the unofficial mascot after Pikachu and Charizard but YOU?"
Lucario merely shrugged. "I confess that is also unheard of with me as well. I think with no disrespect to the other fighters, I was the only one that screamed 'final fighter'."
"Yeah, good point. I mean, who are they going to put? Adon?" Loona snarked.
"I HEARD THAT!"
Lucario shook his head. "Seeing that we are the only ones without a fight, we might as well be each other's opponents."
"You and me? In a fight?" Loona asked, raising an eyebrow. "Sounds like somebody is already fapping to this."
Lucario was taken back in disgust. "Do you have to say something so… Vulgar without shame?"
Loona shook her head. "...If you are disgusted now, you would never last one minute in MY node, dude."
The tournament continues to move on. Not just in the conveyor belts, moving the fighters everywhere but also everyone's determination to keep going. However, Xuan Dou Zhi Wang also knew that their strength would not be broken so easily and intended to give everything their had to break it.
