“Everyone is born under a sign, one of twelve constellations. Our sign protects us and gives us the strength to go further, when we have reached our limit.

Or so the legends say…”

After another regular dinner night and another episode of the show that Saionji Kido has come to love, it is now late at night, and in his room, the precocious learner that the child has become is now safely tucked into bed, the light of the moon and the stars in the Osaka night filtering into his bedroom. Sitting on his bedside, his mother Ayaka is showing him the images of a book.

“Those twelve golden guys on the show? Each of them represents one of these signs, the one under which they were born. Aries, the Ram; Taurus, the Bull; the twins of Gemini…”

Saionji takes on the images, one by one, the glint in his eyes as bright as that of the moonlit sky.

“... and you can see that their armors are fashioned after each of the figures in this book.”

“WHOA! It really is like that, Mama! But tell me! Which sign am I?”

The boy’s mother smiles warmly, and points to the sign the boy was born under.

“Let’s see… August 16th. That makes you a Leo: the brave, courageous, and mighty Lion.”

Young Saionji now grins ear to ear.

“THE LION! HA…!”

Ayaka places a hand over her son’s head.

“Makes you excited now, doesn’t it? But don’t forget, son - these are just tales. Lovely tales, but still only tales. Never forget that you are what you make yourself to be. When you grow up, you’ll have decisions to make, and the stars can’t make them for you - only you will be able to.”

“Decisions?”

“Yes - what is good, what is bad, what to say, whom to say it to, what to do. For people that didn’t know any better back then, it was a comforting thought to believe in fate, and since the stars are there, far away, mysterious and inscrutable, they seemed to them like a higher power. But we live in different times now, and we can make ourselves into so much more than what we are.”

A shadow crosses Saionji’s face as he hears his mother’s words - his earlier newfound joy now somewhat deflated.

“Aww, but I really liked being a lion…”

Ayaka gives a chuckle, and pats the boy’s head once more.

“Who’s to say you can’t be one, son? Maybe one day they’ll talk of you as one. But hush now - it’s really gotten late, and you need to go to sleep. Even lions must get their rest!”

Placing a kiss on the boy’s forehead, his mother shuts the window blinds and leaves the room. It isn’t long before Saionji falls into sleep, but before finally drifting off into the land of dreams, a vestige of a thought crosses his head.

“And maybe one day, I’ll be a legend too!...”

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“When the hammer falls,
Forging weapons for all,
When the hammer falls,
Songs of battle fill the halls,
When the hammer flies,
Lines of armored Dwarves arise,
With the hammer’s roar
We go marching off to war!
When the hammer falls,
When the hammer falls!”


*CLANG!*

Not so far away from Reykjavik is the town of Seyðisfjörður, a quaint, diminutive town filled with old wooden buildings around the fjord of the same name, but otherwise surrounded by a colorful mix of greenery and snow. It is an overcast morning, and the sound of the blowing wind carries the faint trace of another sound - something akin to an impact.

*CLANG!*

In this tundra landscape sits a particular rock - which wouldn’t stand out at all to anyone traveling the area, were it not for the fact that the face of this rock is filled with holes, the result of endless erosion by the sea.

*CLANG!*

But one should be careful to pay this stone respect, lest one disturbs the folk that, according to legend, dwell within it: Dvergasteinn, the Rock of the Dwarves - master smiths, to whom the working of metal hides no secrets. And it is in front of this rock that Raion Kido is found, hammer in hand, striking at an anvil placed upon a stump; a makeshift forge around him. The chill of the wind does not seem to matter to him as, in the heat of the forge, he pounds at the molten metal in the anvil, beads of sweat forming in his face and arms.

“From the legends of this land of fire and ice come a folk of strong and sturdy stock, master craftsmen and warriors - the Dwarfs. Proud, honorable and enduring, these creatures pride themselves on the quality of their work, and on the weight of their words: when they say they will do something, they always deliver - or die in the attempt.”

Stopping the motions of the hammer, and letting the piece in the anvil cool down, the young Lion of Osaka looks at the camera, not before wiping some beads of sweat off his forehead.

“I find that this suits me well, for I said last time that this match between Xavier Lux and I was founded on the premise that both him and I could deliver.

But while Xavier Lux merely promises, I say I already have.”

From the looks of things, it did not seem like Xavier Lux was focused on Raion, or the match itself. And if the fledgling wrestler isn’t conscious of what entering a Pay-Per-View for the first time meant, then so be it - it is Raion’s part to clue him in.

With the force of the hammer’s fall.

“Because while you have the gall and the absolute stupidity to show yourself in relaxation, I’m already hard at work, just as I was from the moment I sent my first message. I’ve been fully prepared to learn about who and what you are, Xavier, and I set out to work accordingly, because, now that you find out you go against me, against all your grandiloquence in the past few matches, now you put down your own accomplishments, claim “you shouldn’t feel so damn special”, and mourn about not having to wrestle Adi Gold.

Meanwhile, I know why I’m in this match. I know I am a replacement, but I distinctly remember saying I mean to earn my place in this show and this company. You want this match to be high profile? You would take that opportunity regardless of who you’re facing, as I said I would, but worry not, I aim to please. You want a high profile match, and that’s what it’s going to be - unfortunately, however, through no contribution of your own.

Because ultimately, we are what we make of ourselves - and you, Mr. Venom, have so far done nothing.”

The metal in the anvil has cooled down, but Raion Kido has not. He takes the piece he has made from the anvil, and places it out of sight, before reaching out to a pair of tongs, and removing a plate of red-hot metal burning on a furnace, then placing it on the anvil. Once more picking up the hammer, he takes it to the metal, vigorously pounding again and again.

*CLANG!*

“But among the foolishness that you’ve chosen to display, Xavier, what strikes the hardest is the fact that you can even think you can win this match based on the fact that I was honest about my skills and what you perceive as disadvantages. What, do you need someone to inform you what his weak point is before going at them? Is that the level of talent you want to showcase to the XWF after two victories? And more than that, are you afraid of people seeing you as weak?

Seriously, Xavier, do you even listen to yourself? Veteran wrestler, former champion, part of some elite group of people respected even in hatred, and here you are acting like an absolute coward. I would call it utterly pathetic if it weren’t for the fact that, as we’ve already established, you are not even aware of the danger you’re in for at the Pay-Per-View. But rest assured: if your thick skull is too dense for any of my words to reach that tiny mush you call a brain, I’m going to beat the idea into you.

Just as I’m doing right now.”

*CLANG!*

As Raion’s strikes increase in strength, so does his voice, audible even among the thunderous clattering sound of metal clashing against metal. For isn’t this the essence of a match? Warrior against warrior, metal against metal, and the one with the will and skill to fight becomes the rightful victor.

And the strongest metal, it is said, is forged under the hottest fire.

“Any serious wrestler with the least modicum of self-respect would have figured that out for himself without a second glance, same way as I did with you. And even if you had any game plan against me, you’re making the fundamental mistake of forgetting that wrestling is not a contest of size, strength or speed - but rather a contest of wills. The drive, the soul, the very will to fight is what makes a winner, and it strikes me as ironic that I should be the one to tell you this, since you could have very well brought it up in the first place. I mean, there was something to rally behind! The high-flier against the strong-style wrestler! The quickness of Xavier Lux vs. the Lion’s strength! You could have even mentioned the snake that bit the lion in the Aesop story, but hey - maybe it’s that bath you took, the water’s temperature, or that drink you had, but it looks that you’re not that fast after all.

And in case that isn’t clear already, I’m talking about your head.”

*CLANG!*

“Because here we are, having to stand the most basic form of discourse in the face of your very first Pay-Per-View in the XWF. What an honor, you said it was, and then you waste it all away. What a wake-up call to those that come after you and I. I'm sure Atara Themis and Ruby are quaking in their boots right now, wondering how they’re going to match your sorry sight. What a way to bring in the audience too, I’m sure they’ll stay around to watch you swim instead of telling them why they should watch you beat me. Hell, what an example you’ve given to your squad as well! I’m sure if they paid enough attention, they’d be completely embarrassed for their names to be even remotely associated with yours, but alas, this was your decision.

And now, you face the consequences.”

*CLANG!*

One more time the hammer goes to the metal, and again Raion leaves the plate to cool down, in the sight of the Dvergasteinn rock. He takes a deep breath and lets out a sigh, but once he does, he’s snarling like a Lion at the sight of his prey. Even him, new to the world of wrestling, knows something that his opponent seems to have painfully forgotten - that the sport as it exists today is founded on the idea that anyone may win or lose in spite of size, strength or speed. What makes a wrestler, and ultimately a warrior, is nothing but the will to fight.

Xavier Lux seems to ignore this - but the Lion does not.

“Let me ask you, Xavier, what is it you so terribly fear? Not being able to jump around like a purse puppy whose treat is being dangled right in front of its face? Not being able to climb to the top turnbuckle and land some multi-twist splash? Don’t worry, I don’t feel like grounding you either. This isn’t Top Gun or some similar movie, and you’re no fighter pilot. I’m not interested in holding you down. I’m interested in putting you in the ground, like the ultimate fate of the final nail hammered into the proverbial coffin. Because ultimately, that’s what this ‘replacement opponent’ comes to do, to earn his place in the XWF roster - again, with no history, no previous experience of this scale, and no one to co-sign for him, if these Exiles even did so for you.

And I can promise you, Xavier, that no matter how fast you run, how high you jump, you’re going to experience the fangs and claws of the Lion. You’re going to see them coming, and you’ll be powerless to stop them. You’re going to see the hammer fall down on you right in front of your very eyes, and maybe after that, once you’ve fully awakened, you will begin to see what the XWF expects from you.

Because that’s what I have said all along - this is a place of quality. This is a place of history. This is a place where legends are forged, just like the Dwarfs of myth have forged their place within this rock before you. It is here in the XWF that the Lion will forge his legend, and you are the first blow of the hammer - the first piece of what will ultimately become a master work of art, worthy of the Dwarfs that dwell within this rock.”

Raion picks up the two pieces of metal he has just forged, and carries them over his shoulders to the Dvergasteinn, next to which is what seems like a sculpture - still unfinished, but already taking form.

Just as Raion Kido means for his career.

“If it seems like I’m too harsh on you, Xavier, it’s because I am. For one, because I cannot, will not, stand someone of your stature - and trust me, I’m being generous when I say that - not giving this match the importance it deserves. I am but a replacement, yet I’m taking this more seriously than you. You make but a minimal effort to find out who and what I am, and I am solely concentrated in bringing you down. But that is, ultimately, the very nature of what I am. For once a Lion has his prey, he will hunt it, and never let go.

Didn’t you, after all, try to lecture me on playing to win? Save that speech for someone with less brains than you apparently have, maybe then you’ll sound even remotely smart. In the case you still have not figured it out, here’s your own lesson thrown back at you. Everything I’ve said the first time, and everything I’m saying now, serves that very purpose: I play the game to win, and I will accept nothing else - and certainly not anything from the likes of you.

But as if that were not already enough, there’s also another reason - one more important than you.”

Raion places one piece of what he has been crafting, then the other, and takes a step back to look at his work - a sculpture of a lion, shining as if it were made of gold. Piece by piece, the young wrestler begins to take the sculpture apart, one piece after the other. Upon a closer look, the scattered pieces, glimmering in the light of the fire of the forge, look like parts of a whole vestment - an armor. The hind legs Raion takes first, and slides his legs onto them. The front legs are next, which fit right into his arms. After that comes the body, which fits into his own like a breastplate. Two plates that made up the lion’s mane go on his shoulders, and finally the head, an open-faced helmet that Raion puts on last.


“See, for something like this to be made, it not only requires attention, patience, and utter dedication. It requires the metal to be tempered, heated, beaten into shape, once and again until it is finally given form, and thus the intended use. That is my purpose in this Pay-Per-View, Xavier, and I intend to do a thorough job.

Because I spoke about one’s soul burning last time, and when we meet upon that ring, I’m going to demonstrate to the whole world just what that means. Every single step I’ve taken in the start of my journey in the XWF has had that guiding principle, and Fire and Ice is when I finally show it. It’s going to be intense. It’s going to be swift, and more importantly, it’s going to be final. The entire world shall know who it was that gave “Venom” Xavier Lux his first defeat in this company - that one of the so-called Exiles perished to the fangs of the Lion!”

The chilly breeze carries the echo of Raion’s last words, amplified by the holes in the Dvergasteinn - if one had a mystical mind, it could very well be said that the Dwarfs that dwell within show their approval of the young Lion’s message.

“As for what happens now? It’s up to you. Perhaps my message is clear, perhaps you got it and you’ll give me something of a challenge before I finally put you down. Or perhaps you’ll choose to ignore me and keep on your hallucinations. It makes no difference.

In the end, I, Raion Kido, will make sure this is a lesson you shall never forget. And the entire world watching shall see it live…”

Looking like a radiant golden warrior, shimmering in the light of the still burning forge, the Lion raises the hammer for a final time, his wild mane being swept back by the wind of the Icelandic tundra.

“... in a world of Fire and Ice, when the hammer falls.”

Letting out a primal roar, Raion Kido brings the hammer down one last time, the echo of the impact lingering after the hammer has hit the anvil.

*CLANG!*

Fade to black.