Round 2
Simon vs. Ritcher
While Ritcher saluted the camera, a confident smile on his face, Simon was on the left, knelt in prayer with his eyes shut.
"Young lady," began Simon's interview, "This will not be a question-and-answer session. This will be a confession."
"As in…" Nikki paused, bewildered, "A confession of sins?"
"Not of what I've done," Simon shook his head, a deep frown on his face, "For what I'm about to do,"
"Not looking forward to fighting your kin?"
Again, Simon shook his head, "No matter the outcome, it is a grim reality. If I win, it proves that the Belmont bloodline worsens with time. If I lose, it proves that Ritcher of all people is the better Belmont, which, with the way he's been behaving, I cannot allow."
The screen suddenly jumped to Ritcher's pre-recorded comments. While Simon had sat rigidly in the interview chair, Ritcher's feet were propped up on a stool, reclining lazily, "Ya know, Gramps says that I'm not taking this opportunity seriously enough. But it's hard to take life seriously after you've been possessed by Dracula. Being fed unending blackness and death as propaganda messes with your head once you're clear of him. So for now, I'm just enjoying this new world. I don't know how I'm going to go back to a world without pizza, or television, or dedicated exercise facilities after this."
"You're not worried about fighting a Belmont you've read about in history books?"
"Not at all," Ritcher immediately answered, "I mean, I had to teach him Grand Cross for God's sake. The old man doesn't understand that the future means filling holes in tradition and innovating, and I plan to show that in the ring."
"Lord forgive me," Simon finished the video package, hands clasped in prayer, "Amen."
"It seems as if the Battle of the Belmonts is a turbulent stew of emotions," 9-Volt observed as the cameras on the commentary desk went live.
"I'm rootin' for Simon personally to put that lazy boy Ritcher in his place. What do you think Futaba?"
"Would it shock you if I said we disagreed? Heh heh heh!" laughed Futaba, "I had way more fun playing Symphony and Rondo than I did playing OG Castlevania, so I gotta go with Ritcher."
"Of course, the thief would cheer for the ungrateful punk, of course," Cranky tutted, "Anyway, let's throw down to the inevitable Vampire Killer entrances."
Vampire Killer hit, and Simon marched down to the ring. After a pause, Vampire Killer hit again, with Ritcher marching from the other tunnel to the center.
"Hah! I knew it!"
"Do you have connections in the sound department that I don't? How do you bribe a Wire Frame anyway?" 9-Volt balked.
"As per usual, you're thinking way too hard about this," Cranky explained, "I just know how these melodramatic losers do business. They're both fighting for the Belmont legacy, so of course, they're both gonna use the Belmont song, Vampire Killer."
On the arena floor, Simon immediately knelt in prayer. The prospect of facing Duel Champion Cloud in Round 3, even the announcement of his name did not shake him from his pleas to God. Ritcher had no such qualms, no doubt making some grandiose gesture to the crowd judging by the momentarily elevated cheers. Simon's face twisted into a sour expression.
If honoring thy father and mother are commandments of God, then not reciprocating the gesture in kind must be a sin, Simon reasoned.
But he could not honor Ritcher as he was. He had attempted to in the beginning and even believed the matter to be reconciled after the altercation at the bar. But the more he stood in Ritcher's aloof presence, the more urgent a matter beating the arrogance out of him became.
"Simon, Ritcher has requested that Dracula's Castle be the stage. Do you agree?" asked Mills.
Simon stood, "I do."
He stroked his chin in thought as Mills recited the rules.
Perhaps he is taking this battle seriously, after all, mused the elder Belmont.
And with that, the two were teleported to the battlefield on which the Belmont legacy would be decided.
Stage: Dracula's Castle
Rules: 3-stock, items medium
Music: "Vampire Killer (Remix)"
3
On the flat floor, Ritcher appeared in a flourish of Vampire Killer
2
On the step, Simon appeared in an identical execution of that same flourish.
1
The squeezing of leather gloves on metal whip hilts pierced the castle's eerie silence.
GO!
Simon lazily jumped down from the step, only to be shocked right back to where he had been by Ritcher spinning the whip as he ran. On instinct, both men lobbed throwing axes into the air, each scoring with their target. Simon underhand tossed a vile of holy water behind Ritcher, kicking him backward into the erupting fire before his brunette kin could react, but the man stood firm. Ritcher jumped, extending the whip as far as he could. Simon hurriedly ducked underneath it, parrying two of the three rotations of Ritcher's whip spin move from earlier, being bounced off of the ridge of the step and onto the other step.
"We can quit this at any time old man," Ritcher said with an intentionally fake smile.
Simon pulled himself up, "Do you take me for some sort of feeble old man?"
"Hey, who saved who's ass in Yomi?" Ritcher snapped.
Simon's jaw clenched, his teeth gritting, "You impudent cur."
Once again, both men tossed Throwing Axes, both landing. Once again, Simon forfeited the high ground, both Belmont's spinning the balls of their whip across the floor, two versions of the Vampire Killer from two points in time bouncing off each other, Simon quickly activating his shield to avoid the explosion of an activated Bob-omb that he hadn't seen appear amid the scuffle. Both of them hopped back, extending the whip as far as they could, the maces bouncing off one another as they retracted.
"Both of these men have probably been cracking whips since they had the motor skills to do it," Cranky explained on commentary, "They know how to avoid it like the backs of their hands too,"
Ritcher cracked his whip, but Simon ducked, cracking his whip on Ritcher's knee. The younger Belmont yowled in pain, leaving him open to being engulfed in the flames of more holy water. Ritcher composed his wits quickly, walking backward and putting his back to the step on the right. Simon ran forward to close the gap, but in doing so, walked into a spinning cross. Simon jumped to avoid Ritcher's attempt at tossing holy water but found himself being hit from below by his whip as he jumped onto the platform.
"I gotta say it," Cranky admitted, "Great stage awareness by Ritcher."
"And who were you calling a punk earlier?" teased 9-Volt.
"Now now, just because he's competent at his job doesn't mean he isn't a punk, he's just better than I thought."
Simon's slow descent through the air was over, landing on the staircase that lead to the stage's edge. Both men immediately unfurled their whips, the two weapons once again clanking off of each other. Three more times, Vampire Killers from different points in history clashed. Simon unfurled a Throwing Axe from his pack, only to leave himself open for another whip attack, this one sending him to the Blast Zone.
Simon: 2
Ritcher: 3
"Simon says to let your guard down apparently, as Mister Serious himself makes a rare mistake."
"Simon says?" repeated 9-Volt, disgust in his voice, "Really?"
"I saw my chance to make that joke, and I took it," proclaimed Cranky.
"Well alright," teased 9-Volt, "I suppose I can let you have one."
Simon jumped down from the Revival Platform into an immediate barrage of blows from Ritcher. Three cracks of his whip went unanswered, staggering the blond Belmont. A Smash ball appearing gave them both pause, giving Simon time to precisely call Ritcher's next blow and parry it, leading to the aloof Belmont feeling the crack of the whip himself. Both jumped to the platform that the Smash Ball nestled itself on. Simon tossed a vial of holy water onto the Smash Ball, which served the dual purpose of scorching Ritcher and granting him the power of his Final Smash. Ritcher bolted away from the fire, his action fueled by animal instinct alone. Unfortunately, it lead him right into the waiting grasp of Simon, who tossed Ritcher against the ledge. Simon cried out as he jabbed Ritcher with the Vampire Killer.
"NOW!" screamed Simon.
Extending a fist, a casket appeared, trapping Ritcher inside.
"THIS IS THE BELMONT WAY!" he bellowed, latching the casket shut with the Vampire Killer.
Tossing it into the air, he tensed, unleashing all the magic his casket afforded him.
"GRAND CROSS!"
Unleashing a pillar of magic on the hapless casket as it glistened against the blood moon. Ritcher was pummeled so severely he was immediately sent to the Healing Pod, forfeiting his stock.
Simon: 2
Ritcher: 2
"Not bad for an old man, eh boy?" chided Simon.
"Not at all," Ritcher shouted from the Revival Platform, "But I'm still gonna win,"
"You'll learn to keep your words soft and sweet, as you may have to eat them later."
"Well, you're gonna eat my whip old man."
A Smart Bomb appeared, and Simon picked it up. Because of Ritcher's downward trajectory, it was easy to simply flick holy water into Simon's already full hand, activating the bomb. Cornerian technology and blessed water scorched the vampire hunter as Ritcher grinned, admiring his handiwork. In the fracas, a Pokeball appeared, which Ritcher scooped up easily, waiting for the fire to die down before he tossed it.
"VICTINI," squealed the Victory Pokemon.
Simon charged,
If I can attack him before that infernal monster does its damage, perhaps I can make up the difference, he hurriedly thought.
Spreading itself wide, Victini granted Ritcher the power of a Final Smash.
Oh no, Simon inwardly groaned.
Much to his dismay, Ritcher extended a fist.
"THIS IS THE BELMONT WAY!" cried the brunette, latching up the casket in much the same way Simon had earlier.
Again mirroring Simon's execution, Ritcher tossed the casket into the air.
"GRAND CROSS!" Ritcher cried, unleashing a pillar of magic.
Although Simon survived the pillar, he was still shot like a rocket to the Blast Zone.
Simon: 1
Ritcher: 2
"And that," Ritcher bowed, "Is how a master does it,"
"Aye," Simon blurted as he appeared atop the Revival Platform, 'But you'll notice my magic was powerful enough to cause you to lose a stock immediately."
"I could practice my magical endurance for sure," Ritcher nodded, "Come at me!"
"As you wish boy,"
Simon jumped down from the platform, both faking the act of reaching into their weapon packs. Ritcher pulled out a Cross, cocking his arm back and tossing it. Grinning, Simon jumped over it, only to be blinded by a flash of light, his vision rendered blurry and his head immediately throbbing.
"Deku Nut," Ritcher explained, "You didn't notice it?"
Simon shook himself awake, jumping to the ledge.
"It's a wonder Dracula didn't kill you," Ritcher continued to mock.
Simon backpedaled, picking up a Boomerang. He threw holy water down the ledge, engulfing Ritcher again, the cross and Boomerang pelting him as he jumped out of the fire.
"Dracula couldn't touch me with moves like these," Simon boasted.
Ritcher laughed, "So I see,"
Both men charged, crosses and throwing axes bouncing off one another as they met in the middle. Simultaneously, both vampire hunters threw holy water at the other's feet, both being peppered by the fire as they exchanged a flurry of whip jabs. In the brawl, the Gust Bellows appeared from the air. Ritcher's whip made contact with it first, knocking asunder in Simon's direction, the air blowing Simon off the edge. As Simon closed his eyes, accepting his fate, Ritcher's whip encircled him, pulling him back up.
"You're not getting out of this that easy Gramps," he laughed.
In contrast, Simon was completely bewildered.
"You…you saved me," he stammered.
"You intend to evaluate my worth to the Belmont line, correct? Well, I don't intend to leave any doubt."
Simon's only response was a snappy chuckle and wrapping his whip around his fist.
For the second time in the match, the two exchanged a flurry of jabs. Ritcher hopped backward, prompting both of them to throw crosses. Simon ducked Ritcher's, but Ritcher was caught unaware, being knocked upward. A Smash Ball appeared, and Ritcher lobbed holy water vials down at the scene as fast as he could. Eventually, the Ball broke and its power became his.
Simon jumped, unfurling the whist, pulling his arm back…
"NOW!"
The casket slammed shut.
"GRAND CROSS!" Ritcher cried after the usual ceremony.
And then, the better Belmont was left standing.
GAME!
Taking in a big gulp of spring air in the Smash Mansion courtyard, Ritcher saluted the camera.
"Farewell," he said, teleporting away.
RITCHER WINS!
Now Rita was on screen, a Belmont stood on either side.
Simon held out a hand, "A well-earned win Ritcher! Despite us not always agreeing, you are an honorable, brave, calculating young man, and I believe the Belmont line is in good hands for the future.
Ritcher shook it, "Thank you, Simon."
Then, he turned to the camera.
"Cloud, I'm enriched with the wisdom of the Belmont men before me," Ritcher warned, "You stand no chance."
Simon nodded approvingly as the two walked up the tunnel together.
Amidst the usual applause, which included Peach wiping a tear of joy away with a handkerchief, Shulk announced, "Joker, Isabelle, you're up next,"
"Panther, you're with me," Joker said.
"Yes sir," Ann purred.
"They might be a buncha sweethearts," Incineroar yelled at Isabelle, "But you are 85 pounds of pure power. Stiff 'em a few times, for me,"
Isabelle nodded, marching down Tunnel B, while Joker and Panther walked arm and arm down Tunnel A.