“Quo usque pro Roma ibis?”

It is a peaceful Saturday morning, and the sun shines over the Kido family apartment in the city of Osaka. The sound of the birds chirping and the quiet murmur of the city that come through the halfway-open window serve as background for young Saionji’s bedroom. A few toys strewn about upon a tile floor, a small library, a bed that has just been made, and upon which the boy sits, eagerly watching his mom hang a poster on the inside of the door.

“... aaaaaaaaaand done. Looks good, doesn’t it?”

A poster of Saint Seiya, the show that will ultimately start him on his journey, with the heroes featured in front, and a Classical temple with Ionian columns in the background.

“Mama, what is that building they’re behind?”

Having just finished her work, Ayaka Kido sits next to Saionji.

“That, son, is a temple from the Ancient Age. They are built entirely of marble, and the remains of some of them still exist in Greece and the city of Rome, the capital of Italy. Some in Rome have survived to this day and are proud icons of what the Roman Empire, the greatest in all the world, used to be.”

The young boy blinks for a bit in silence, before blurting out the next question.

“The greatest in aaaaaaaaaaaaalllll the world!?”

“They were very far away from us, travel was very difficult in the distances they handled, and completely impossible to travel from one side of the ocean to another, so they probably never knew these islands that make up our country existed, but as for the world they did know…”

Saionji’s mother reaches into the library, and takes out a book that contains a map of the world. She places her finger in Italy, and traces the contours of what used to be the Roman Empire throughout the world - to her son’s amazement.

“... they at one point conquered almost the entirety of it all. And throughout thousands of years, they built monuments like that one behind Seiya and his friends. It’s even more amazing because they didn’t have the knowledge and the tools that we do now for building. They did all of that almost by hand!”

“WOOOOOOOOW!”

“And to do something like that takes a lot of work! They took years, decades to do that, and there were lots of people, and lots of money, to build something of that scale. But they did it because they wanted the world to know they were a great people - monuments to their glory.”

“But how did they manage to get all of that done if they knew it would take a long time?”

Ayaka smiles once more, the knowing smile of someone that shares knowledge that not all the world will understand.

“Because, son, there was something taught to them that they always had to remember. Whatever they did, it wasn’t for them alone - it was “for the glory of Rome”, because they knew whatever they did would outlast them. To keep the Empire and their people alive and glorious. To protect Rome - just as the Saints of Athena protect the world. They knew that they were working not for just themselves, but for a greater cause. That is why they went to the lengths they did - for the glory of what they valued.”

She pats Saionji’s head before rising, as the whistling of a kettle serves as a warning that she will not be able to leave unattended.

“So remember, Saionji. If you value something and want to make your mark upon the world, there comes a time when you will have to ask yourself, as the Romans used to do:

How far will you go for that…?”

And as Ayaka leaves, the boy that was born under the stars of the Lion gazes at the poster of his bedroom in silence, as the words from his mother fill his mind…



“How far will you go for Rome?”

The sun is setting over the state of Maine, and among the darkening purple hues of the evening, the landscape of the city of Portland begins to shine with lights of houses and buildings that begin to turn on. Among the urban scenery of the Western Promenade, a historic pedestrian walk in the city, stands apart a huge building styled in Classical architecture - a dignified, palatial front with a white balustrade and 30-foot Ionic columns: the West Mansion, much like a Roman building, and just as dignified.

“This probably means nothing to you members of the audience, but allow me to explain.

Back in the ancient times of the Roman Empire, there was a concept drilled into every Roman official and leader. An ideal that they must hold onto as they performed their duty - whatever they did should not be only for personal glory, but for the glory of Rome. To enter the annals of history as one of the people that made Rome what it was - to become so much more than you currently are.”

Standing on the entrance of this magnificent house is Raion Kido, dressed in the golden armor pieces that he has crafted before Fire and Ice, almost like a golden warrior guarding an ancient temple, were it not for his messy lion’s mane, which seems to have a will of its own.

“And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the question I’m posing to you now. To what lengths will you go knowing that victory, and glory, lies right at your hand’s reach? What are you willing to put on the line to succeed, knowing that you will be forever remembered if you achieve the victory you so deeply desire? That you will, in time, become a living monument?”

Raion gives the camera a penetrating look, his armor gleaming in the light of the West Mansion behind him. He was going against a living legend of the XWF, so he had to give his best impression. After all, there was an empire to build, and his opponent certainly carried the motif. At the very least, there could be no mistake in the relation as to the name he went by.

“This is a question I’m going to answer when I come to Saturday Night Savage - the place where I intend to make my home. Legends, much like Rome, are not built in a day, but oftentimes they are born out of great deeds, in a single moment of destiny.

I’m sure you wonder why I began speaking of Rome, but it seems like my opponent in my first show of Savage plays the perfect part - none other than Centurion, thrice XWF World Champion, All-Time Win Record Holder just nearing 200, member of the Hall of Legends, and number one contender for the Television Title.

This man has a bottomless well of knowledge and experience, and also likes teaching history lessons, so I’m sure he can understand where I am coming from. I will not pretend I have that experience, but I know a thing or two as well. And in case he hasn’t by this time deigned to look my way, by now it should have dawned on him that I am no Jenny Myst, and he isn’t the only smart man in the room.

But among the many differences that undoubtedly put him and I apart, there’s the one that strikes at me the most: While I’m booked against some of the XWF’s top talent right after my debut, the venerable Legend is content with beating up nobodies and playing gatekeeper over newcomers. And the fact that he grumbled about going against Jenny Myst when he, in his heart of hearts, wanted someone like Jason Cashe or Xavier Lux, will no doubt serve as proof of what I’m saying.”

The Lion looks at the camera, and a sly grin comes to his lips. Centurion gets either mild amusement or boredom, he claims, after he hears opponents speak. It is time, therefore, for the Lion to give him something he hasn’t felt in a very long time - the cold sweat derived from the sense of danger in an actual threat.

The dread that the sentinels at the wall feel watching the horde come before their gates.

“Well then Centurion, here’s your lucky break - you finally get what you wanted. One of the newest names, and the guy that actually beat Xavier Lux for the first time in the XWF, so you should be grateful for the upgrade. And in the case you haven’t been paying attention, you’re dealing with someone that has brains as well as brawn, so there’s nothing you can complain about this time. Although I’m sure that you’ll find something, eventually; you’re notorious for being a mothball-smelling curmudgeon, no matter how your daughter keeps sending you to nightclubs for promotion.

I’m sure this must sound rude coming from a young man from Japan who likes an old anime show, but you’re also playing mentor to a superheroine, so before criticizing me for anything, take a good look in the mirror. At least I’m not the one waking up with a hangover after spending a ridiculous amount of money on chicken wings. But Centurion, hear me out: I’m not trying to disrespect you. I’m only trying to give you a much needed awakening.

Because see, things like that are exactly how empires fall. You’re on top of the world, you’ve reached your greatest heights and beaten your greatest rivals, and there’s nothing left for you but to survive until your eventual decline, gradually slow but unrelentingly steady, and your inevitable end.

And being in the world we are, Centurion, it’s not just natural decline that threatens us wrestlers: there’s always someone looking to put us down to start a reign of their own. Just as it was for Rome, there was always the next barbarian tribe that posed a challenge to conquer. Gaul, Carthage, Greece, Egypt, we all know that story and the glorious conquests - but it wasn’t that same Rome that had to fight when the Huns finally came.

For wrestlers, it’s the same. We build our empires, we bring glory to ourselves and to our promotions, but like the warriors after which you styled yourself, we are forever fighting foes that siege our gates. And with that, the pressure only ever goes up, and every battle becomes critical - not just for the immediate danger of the foe in front of you, but for the foes that come behind.”

The wrestler from Osaka grits his teeth and peels back his lips as he points towards the viewer. Hadn’t Centurion wanted an interesting contest? That was exactly what he was going to receive, and Raion Kido would deliver - in ways that neither the XWF, nor his hallowed opponent, had ever thought possible.

“And here’s where we come to the crux of it all, Mr. Centurion: It must be no secret by now that there is a certain attention I have drawn, and it has come in no small measure. It’s the very reason for the matches I have been booked into, after all - the thought that Raion Kido is capable of going toe to toe against the greatest names the XWF has to offer after that Pay-Per-View debut, and that’s something I intend to prove. The eyes of the world are watching, and that no doubt includes the people in the promotion of which you just happen to be World Champion at this very moment.

So let me ask you, what will these people think when they see their very World Champion, the man who is supposed to lead them into the future, and to be the paragon of the very best competition the promotion has to offer, beaten in an XWF ring by a newcomer? A kid from the other side of the world, who has only just managed to get one meager win in the company?

Don’t stop to ponder on that, for here is the answer. They’re going to think, just like the ancient barbarians, that the old wolf is wounded by jackals. Circled by vultures. Worried to death by a thousand tiny, vicious mouths. Like, say, Elijah Martin, whom you still hold in contempt, yet has managed to take the Anarchy Title away from you. Brought low, in the end, by your own arrogance.

Just like what happened to the very Eternal City from which you have built your image.”

Raion looks at the West Mansion behind him, and shakes his head. The majesty of the place only seems to accentuate the purpose of the young Lion. Entering into Savage, he was going to make it his home - to protect it and raise its name in glory above all. He would do that one step at a time, but here was one big step to take, and take it he would.

Even if it meant bringing a legend down.

“The moment these people realize that, they’ll know that Rome wasn’t what it once was - that the Centurion that currently has the gold isn’t the same Centurion that won it. That the UGWC World Champion, XWF Legend, and I don’t know how many other places you wrestle in - which, for a man of your age, is no small feat - is vulnerable, and can be brought down.

And those people are not like the shining beacon of the sport that you portray yourself to be - much like the people that brought the once mighty Rome to its end. Nor are they a mere rabble that is hardly worthy of fighting in the first place, like that priest you’re going to war against. These people are a beast of a different nature. They’re young. They’re hungry. They’re eager to make their own destiny - to carve their own path.

And worst of all, Centurion, they’re savage. Savage like, for example… a Lion.”

The Lion peels back his lips again, giving his ferocious smile. This was what he had signed up for. This was his calling. He was given the opportunity of a lifetime.

And he was more than happy to answer.

“And Savage, in the end, like Saturday Night, the next XWF show where we’re going to meet on February 12th, here in Portland, Maine. This match may not be the Main Event itself, but with one more left before that one, it might very well be. So Centurion, for your own sake, I hope you bring the very best you can muster - that you be the man that earned all he’s earned here in the XWF. That you go to the lengths that I will go to make Savage my home, and to make it live in glory.

Because I come into this match having heard you say that you’re one of the best wrestlers in the world, and every word of this speech I have given has been directed towards one. And whether I have bored you, amused you, or made you despise me, that’s exactly what I’ve come to get a reaction from. So I have fulfilled my purpose, and the burden to prove that you are that which you claim now lies squarely upon your shoulders.

Yet make no mistake, Centurion - my purpose is to bring you down, because this is exactly why this match was made for, and exactly what I signed up to do. The XWF Universe has just begun to speak the name of Raion Kido, and I’ll ensure that it lives on in their names as someone who came to bring their spirits to the edge, someone they can rally behind night in and night out. First I came, then I saw, and now I conquer, but you already know the reference. I’ve been given a mission that not many would have received after a single, solitary match. And the time has come for me to show why I was picked as the right choice.

So when the match is finally over and you find yourself staring at the ceiling lights, know that it happened because Raion Kido chose XWF Savage Saturday Night to build an empire of his own. And remember that, ultimately, it was meant to happen one way or another, but it happened by my hand. You’ll still be UGWC Champion, you’ll go for the Television Title, you’ll even make it to 200 victories. No one can take that away from you, or at least not this match.

But the rest of the world will have seen it, and they will remember. They will have known the exact moment that Rome began to fall - that the old wolf finally fell to the fangs of the Lion!”

The Lion lets out a roar that reverberates among the columns of the mansion, and makes to turn around, but decides against it, like he has forgotten something. When he raises a finger before speaking again, he’s smiling mischievously, but without malice - as if he’s just had the chance to tell a joke he’s wanted to say for a while.

“Oh, and one more thing before the end. I know you like ending your messages with Final Fantasy, but I too know something about videogames, so listen to the advice of this Saint of Athena. You like giving tips, so I am giving you one: If you’re going to include them as part of your appeal, merely blurting out the title isn’t going to cut it. Try saying something with a deeper meaning - it shows that you actually know what you’re talking about.

Like this final question that I pose to you, and that now, I deeply hope, you understand clearly:

How far will you go for Rome?”

A final silence, and a final question, that lingers as an echo even after the feed has gone.

“Quo usque pro Roma ibis?”

Fade to black.