“This ends now! Sidney Grey wants to humiliate me, but I’ll send her home in shame!”

As if his own fears were not enough, Sidney Grey had threatened to humiliate the Lion all over social media, and at every opportunity there was a camera in front of her.

And though Raion Kido could stand his own failure, even if it took him years, he would not stand for Sidney Grey. He had never gone as far as to kick someone when they were down, and the only way to avoid that was to ensure that she would get a taste of her very own medicine.

“Hyah!”

*CLING!*

“She’s going to regret she ever chose to question my honesty!”

*CLANG!*

“ARGH!”

But as he thought these words, the Lion’s sword left his hand - knocked off by the fencing instructor that made him lose ground with every swing.

“It looks like I win again. Focus, man! It’s one thing to fight with bare hands, but this is a fine art! You can’t go berserk like a bull in a china shop!”

The din of swords and rapiers clashing against each other filled the atmosphere in the training gym of the Atlanta Historical Fencing Academy - where the Lion was taking his very first fencing classes. A Saint of Athena is meant to fight unarmed, but there is an exception. When a cause is just, the Goddess herself allows them to take up a weapon.

And it seems that the time for that is now, of all times.

“My apologies, sir - it’s true that a Saint of Athena is meant to fight unarmed, and I am not used to having a weapon in my hand.”

“Why do you want to learn swordfighting anyway? Must be very important if you’re this eager to learn.”

The fencing teacher hands Raion the sword he’s just knocked off - a fine, golden broadsword - gleaming in the light. As Raion receives it with both hands, his gaze turns into its blade, his face mirrored upon it.

“Because… this is personal, sir. This isn’t just about the Universal Title, about undoing the damage that Bobby Bourbon did, the briefcase cash-in, or even the promise of being a double champion.

This is a matter of justice - Sidney Grey shall spend the entirety of her life gloating over this win, and I haven’t come this far just for her to make me into a laughing stock.

And it is because of that, that I shall wield a weapon this time. Because nothing else shall do for me to see this go unpunished.”

*SWING!*

The Lion draws his blade once more.

“This is why I meant to fight Sidney Grey as the King she wants to be - and to bring my blade of justice through her heart, before I drop her down that ladder! So no time to waste - let’s go!”

*CLANG!*

The young Saint of Athena launches in a desperate lunge, only to be parried away by the fencing instructor.

“Fool! That is exactly what your opponent wants you to do! Isn’t that what she did to every other one that crossed her way?”

*SWING!*

The Lion can’t do anything else, as before he can do anything else, the tip of teacher’s blade is almost on his neck.

“Now listen to me. This woman is desperately trying to change something that isn’t in her favor. She’s making this bravado because she knows you’re coming. She’s trying to play you into her own weakness, so don’t give her the satisfaction!”

The instructor steps back, and the two men raise their swords in salute before their sparring session starts one more time.

*CLANG!*

“Swordplay, Raion, is a refined skill - the very way a King should fight. It’s not just swinging a sword wildly until cutting someone to pieces. It’s a war of attrition, a battle of wills, and the winner is the one that has enough energy to throw the final thrust. That’s why she called you overeager and stupid!”

After saying these words, the teacher steps forward and throws a lunge, but Raion blocks his swing.

*CLING!*

“Good. You’re finally paying attention. Now, when it comes to a foe that wants to finish you off quick, your best bet is to tire them out. Let them waste their strength trying to attack you, and once they’re spent, hit them where they can’t defend themselves. Like this!”

Almost leaping, the instructor makes another lunge at the Gold Saint of Leo, but Raion is quick to sidestep out of the way.

“Like that?”

“It’s a good start. Now, why do you think Sidney Grey keeps talking about how unliked you truly are?”

Trying to capitalize, Raion now goes for a swing of his own.

“Because she’s projecting at me the hatred she knows she has from even the people closest to her!”

*CLANG!*

“Great! And why do you think she keeps going on about you losing at March Madness?”

One more time the instructor swings, but Raion is quick to deflect his attack - before starting a flurry of slashes that make the instructor give ground with every swing.

*CLANG!*

“Because it’s the only thing she has! It’s the only thing she knows how to say because she knows that I held the Universal Title before her…”

*CLING!*

“... won the Leap of Faith match, and beat her daughter-in-law before she could…”

*CLANG!*

“... and even took her away her Tag Team title!”

*CLANG!*

“That’s great, but I’m not done yet! Why does she keep calling you a liar?”

The two men rush at each other, flashing blades in hand.

“Because she knows full well that I can see right through her! She came into the tournament preaching about how she was the girl from the B-show, and she knows I never bought into that line. She might have beaten Ned and Noah Jackson, but only after the biggest names in the tournament got eliminated first - and not by her hand!”

*CLANG!*

A heated exchange of blows follows, Raion no longer swinging wildly, but pausing and looking for openings, and soon enough what started as a fight on equal footing tilts, slowly but steadily, in his favor. The Lion sees the instructor is now struggling, and makes a final charge.

“Sidney Grey’s entire claim to this tournament was nothing but lies - and now she comes to face a truth she’s too afraid to fear! I know the truths I face, and I make sure to come back stronger every time. And now, I’m going to make the strongest comeback the XWF has ever SEEN! For the place I DESERVE!”

Screaming at the top of his lungs, the Lion throws his entire body into the slash he attempts…

*CLANG!*

And finally, the instructor’s blade is knocked off his hand, clattering to the ground as the Lion now holds his own sword to his chest.

“And it looks like victory is mine!”

Raion puts his blade away, and the instructor recovers his own. After both men have their swords again, Raion makes a solemn bow.

“Thank you sir - I needed that. It was hard to be outmatched at first, but I like nothing better than to come back fighting!”

“Very good. You might yet make a fine swordsman. You’ve truly earned your blade - now kneel down.”

The Lion drops into a knee, and the fencing teacher performs the classic knighting ceremony - resting his sword on Raion’s left shoulder, then his right one, and finally his head.

“I dub thee Raion Kido - Knight of the Zodiac. Now arise, and take up thy sword of justice!”

The Gold Saint of Leo smiles as he rises back to his feet, but he ponders for a second before responding.

“Truth be told, sir, it feels strange to go into this. I’m not used to this kind of thing - carrying a sword, going to a ladder match. I know how to fight, and not to yield, and to rise when being knocked down until I can no longer. It’s almost anathema for me to go into a match to hurl Sidney Grey into the depths of oblivion.”

*SWING!*

But in a sudden motion, he raises his blade, holding it aloft.

“And yet, this is a special occasion - and I shall meet it as it’s proper. I shall wield my blade of justice to slay an unworthy King.”

And with that, the fencing instructor, and the rest of the students in the academy, raise their swords to meet his own.

“ALL HAIL!”



*CLING!*

*CLANG!*

*CLING!*

*CLANG!*

A sword clashes against a thick wooden block, and its blade sings in the air before splinters fly every time it hits the solid wood.

“Heavy is the head that wears the crown, is it not, Ms. Grey?”

The wielder of the blade stands down, revealed to be none other than Raion Kido, clad in his shining Golden Cloth, and his wild mane thrown back - the very image of a noble knight. His voice, however, is as metallic as the sword in his hand and the breastplate in his chest.

For this is a special occasion - one of the very few times a Saint may wield a weapon.

“Here we are, at the end of it all, and after your drunken lashing out and your prattling about how stupid and overeager I am, I know that deep within that empty, alcohol-ravaged mind of yours, you’re still hoping, for whatever you hold dear, that Gina Van Zyl somehow gets that stipulation changed.

I’m sure you wanted to do something that would put me to shame - for some unfathomable reason, you seem obsessed with doing that to people - , as I know the time Cashe caught me drunk on camera did, because Athena forbid we move on from that, despite the fact that I very clearly did, but let’s pretend this is anything but an attempt to run away from something that clearly makes you uncomfortable.

Maybe it shall, maybe it shall not - I hope it does, for your sake rather than mine, because I’d hate to hear how Sidney Grey lost to her fear of heights in the end, but at the end of the day, regardless of the stipulation, or whatever sappy scenes you shoot in your confessional, there lies the one thing that cannot be hidden, or overlooked, any longer.

Underneath it all, the Lady King of the XWF suffers from the worst ailment a monarch could possess: she is incapable of facing herself.”

*CLING!*

The sword goes into the wooden block one more time, before the Lion holds it with both hands besides his head.

He came into this match to face his own destiny, the feeling of impotence that he’d had since losing the Universal Title. This was the final test - and no matter what, he would prevail.

Sidney Grey may still be running - but she would not escape. The Gold Saint of Leo would make sure of that.

“Is that not the truth of it all, Ms. Grey? That’s why you went at me the way that you have - because everything I have said was nothing but the truth! Was it not you who said you wanted to conquer the world to Money Oswald? Was it not you that said that was the reason for the name of your show!? Who was it that wanted to see Sarah Lacklan humiliated and chafed at the fact that Raion Kido did it before she could?

*CLANG!*

“Who was it that wanted to be both Anarchy Champion and King at the same time!?”

*CLING!*

Furious slash after furious slash does the Lion make at the training wooden block, which now shows ever-deepening grooves as the metal hits its mark.

How dare the Grey matriarch question his honesty? After everything she’s done, she was the one person from whom Raion would not hear any admonishments. Rightful King she might have been, but as far as the XWF Universal Title was concerned, she was merely an usurper.

And thus it was Raion Kido’s duty to expose the truth that hid behind her tale of lies.

“Whose narrative was it that she was a stranger, someone from the so-called B-show, against Ned, Vaughn and Noah Jackson? You put yourself through that effort and you came away with it with half the prize you wanted before Bobby Bourbon lost his mind. So save me the wounded gazelle speeches, and don’t try to spin your narrative about the heroic elderly woman that wrestled four matches in one show - you knew full well what you were getting into, just as I know what I am getting into now.

Only I’ve done that somewhat better than you, haven’t I? In the span of three shows, I’ve beaten the then Tag Team Champions, a former King and Universal Champion, and now I’m coming to do the only thing that could top all that - to beat the current King and Universal Champion, and to obtain the two biggest prizes a XWF wrestler can hold at the same time!

And do you know why I do that, Ms. Grey? Because from the very first time that Raion Kido came into the XWF, he has been in every single major stage, from March Madness to War Games to Relentless, and there is no gods-damned way he’s walking out of them without the ultimate victory ever again!”

*CLANG!*

So strong is the next blow, the blade is lodged in the wooden block, and the Lion gives a sharp point at the camera. Dominant as his run throughout the XWF might have so far been, there were times where he was the underdog - but if having won the Universal Title once was not enough, his current victories had done enough to dispel that image.

This time, and throughout his uncertainty, Raion Kido knew what he now was. He was one of the XWF’s very best.

And at Weekend Warfare, he would become a legend.

“So before you speak about my ambitions, know that I have never been shy about them, because I do not need to pretend I’m an underdog, a fly in the ointment, as you have done since you first graced the Anarchy brand - and considering the state in which you left it, you shall forgive me if use that term subjectively. Anyone who bothers to look at the data shall find out that Sidney Grey merely used Anarchy to get ahead - which is a worse insult to the brand that I could ever have made.

But see, though you and I have been the greatest thing to come to the XWF in our respective years, that’s where the similarities between you and I end. What you delude yourself into calling “promotion” is but the desperate shriek of attention of someone who can’t stand being outshadowed - because Athena forbid the world revolves around anything other than Sidney Grey!

You slash your metaphorical wrists while screaming to the world “Look at me!”, and that aspect of yours is not only concerning the ring, as your March Madness foray has proven, but it’s also pervasive to every single aspect of your life - your quarrels with your daughter, your relationship to that assistant that bears the brunt of what could very well be called borderline racism, your love-hatred relationship with Gina Van Zyl, and your cozying to Angie Vaughn for favor despite being a part of a family that wants nothing to do with you.

Speaking of which, I find it quite ironic that you detest your daughter-in-law so much, because in this aspect, you’re just like her - a frail little lost woman wanting the world to worship the ground on which he walks. At least she had the excuse of her pampered childhood, but a self-made woman like you are should have known better. Alas, she’s ignored the needs of the world around her to indulge on her own, and that’s how she continually pushes everyone away when she’s not constantly demanding them to be at her beck and call.

That’s what the Lady King of the XWF is, and always has been on the road to her crown - a millstone to everyone around her, and that’s exactly what you are now, a millstone in the entirety of the Xtreme Wrestling Federation.”

The Lion pulls the blade from the block, and holds it horizontal in front of his neck.

“And history has lessons aplenty of what happens to monarchs that become millstones to their people.”

*SWOOSH!*

A single slash that mimics a decapitation follows next - the Lion’s expression one of tranquil fury. The South African wrestler might hold on to her crown and present it before him, but after all, he had proven at Leap of Faith 2022 that even a King may fall.

The Lion’s blade had already slain two former Kings. Now there would be a third.

“Because you see, Ms. Sidney, much the same way absent kings are not very kindly remembered, if they are at all, a King that strains their people is always the main subject of the very same discussion in history - the exact moment that his own people cast him aside - and though I’m sure a woman of your age should know her history, I shall remind you once more - it doesn’t end well for them.

Come Weekend Warfare, the XWF history books shall contain one more reenactment of the same tale told eternally throughout time.

And in comparison to that, no matter how loud you scream about how I am a liar, about how I need to be the conquering hero, you simply have nothing! I am the one to whom the XWF turns when they need someone to lead the way! I am the one to whom the XWF turns when they need someone to be put to the test! A test that very few may pass because they dare attack my character instead of surpassing my skills! How many more flat-chested girlfriend and comics jokes are you going to make, Ms. Low-Hanging-Fruit!?

The worst part of this is that you should have known this already - you said as much in your first address. You could have learned from the likes of Thunder Knuckles, Dolly Waters, or your own daughter-in-law, but there you went at it when the going got tough. I would call your decision not to attack me for Anime smart if it weren’t for the fact that you rely on it, that anything you could say about me is patently obvious; and then you had to attack Ryleigh because she doesn’t have a single ounce of plastic on her body.

And the worst part of it all is that, after all of this, you think me calling you vapid is tame.”

*SWING!*

The Knight of the Zodiac points his blade forward, a savage scowl now written in his face. Was Sidney Grey issuing a challenge? If she took offense at the term, then he would have some more words.

“You should have thanked me instead, for not revealing how mind-bogglingly false the entire life of Sidney Grey truly is! The Lady King revealed to be a pauper, the monarch of a broken, starved kingdom; merely so she can indulge in her own delusion!

Because that’s yet another thing that lies at the end of this all, and what prompted you to start attacking my standing among the XWF Universe. You may claim that everyone hates me for being who I am, but assuming there is even a shred of truth to that, even then they do not fail to respect my name because they know I can back my actions up in the ring, and ultimately, so do you.

That’s why, at the end of it all, there only lies fear - just like I said in the beginning. Forget the ladder and any high places - what you fear is being shown for the fake act you are, and I’m not talking about the smoke and mirrors of your show. What you fear is being shown that the almighty Sidney Grey, the fly in the ointment, the underdog from the B-show that sends everyone that underestimates her home humiliated, is anything but a posturing old woman that fades away like a moth when the flame goes out.

But I’ve come through that same fear, Mrs. Grey, and here I am once more to face it in the same way a Saint of Athena would - with fists raised and a battle cry on their lips. I’m coming to the State Farm Arena to take the place that everyone knows I deserve - among the very best ever to have wrestled in the Xtreme Wrestling Federation. And the way to do that is by winning the ultimate battle - and the pinnacle of glory. Save your speeches of venom and bile for your own - for that’s the only thing that lies inside that decomposing carcass of yours.

When the Lion next speaks your name, you shall hear it with a ROAR!”

*SLASH!*

With a mighty roar, the Lion throws all his weight behind a two-handed swing, and the blade cleaves through the wooden block, splitting it in half. When he next faces the camera, his expression is that of a savage beast - just waiting for the final pounce that would tear the prey to pieces.

If Sidney Grey wanted to be acknowledged as King, then the Lion would grant her wish - and end her reign in blood.

“We’ve kept up this charade long enough, Ms. Grey, and I have indulged you far beyond my tolerance. Next Weekend Warfare is where it all ends - where the Lion brings the sword that finally lops off Sidney Grey’s head, and casts her headless, inert body, off the heights of the XWF palace.

Consider yourself honored, for a Saint is not meant to wield a blade, and the fact that I do so now means that my cause is just. It means that as deep, and as hard, as your fall shall be, it shall have been for a greater purpose - to bring down a King that failed to fill her station. And unlike you want to do to me, I shall be merciful. When your turn comes to fall, it’ll be quick, and at least you shall not suffer - which is a better fate than you would actually deserve.

And take solace, when it is all said and done, in the fact that, come what may, you’ll still have your crown. Maybe you can make it anything other than empty. Maybe you can even be a better King than Bobby Bourbon ever was - but the XWF Universal Title shall belong to me once more, as it should always have been.

In the end, the Lady King of the XWF shall have her yearly reign, but her Universal Title reign shall be just what you said Money Oswald would be - a personal footnote in the hands of the Lion, and a footnote in the annals of XWF history.”

*SWOOOOOOSH!*

One final diagonal slash, cutting the very air about it, and a point towards the camera with the Lion’s off-hand.

“It’s time to bring this to its conclusion once and for all. Take some vertigo medicine, chug an entire six-pack, shoot another empty reconciliation scene in your confessional, hell - make up with your next of kin if it’s even possible. For your sake, I hope it is.

But come Weekend Warfare, the Lady King’s reign comes at an end. And, as has been decreed since Leap of Faith, a King shall be slain at Excalibur’s blade, and the Lion shall prevail.”

And with that, the Lion raises the golden sword to the sky, which glints, just like his Golden Cloth, as if the stars themselves were engraved on the blade.

“ALL HAIL!”

Fade to black.