“This is not the end. This cannot be the end!”

No one could argue that Raion Kido had been a worthy Universal Champion, or that he had not honored the belt.

But in the end, Mark Flynn had been the winner.

“But what happens now?”

“Hey, Kido! You gonna buy in? Table’s waiting for you!”

These thoughts were keeping the Lion from the Texas Hold ’Em table at which he and fellow Trilogy member Jason Cashe are sitting. Since next Savage would take place in Sin City, it made sense to explore its entertainment options, and the DioGEE had volunteered to serve as Raion’s guide. But now, along with Cashe, three other opponents sit around the table, their faces inexpressive as granite.

“Ah - sorry. Check, please.”

The Lion places a stack of chips in front of him, and the dealer hands him his two cards.

“But I have nothing…!”

Indeed - all the Lion has got is a pair of twos. Not even high-rank cards.


“Gentlemen, please place your bets before the flush.”

The dealer receives the bets from Cashe and the other three poker-faced men.

“Call.”

“Call.”

“Call.”

“Call! Wooooooooweeeeeeeeeee!”

No signs from any of their faces, not even an eye twitch, that may give away a hint as to their hands, and little can the Lion’s mind do to ease his nerves. The community cards have not even been dealt yet, but what if one of them had a pair bigger than his own? What if the flop favored them? There was nothing but uncertainty in front of him, and the loss could be great.

But then again… the Lion had known of losses. And he would not let himself give up.

“Call.”

“Very well, now I shall turn over the flop.”

The dealer spreads the community cards over the table, and turns them over. An ace, a five, and a queen.

“Argh…!”

Yet again, there’s nothing to tell the Lion of his current standing. Cashe, on the other hand, is unperturbed.

“Remember, Kido. Don’t give them any puppy eyes or they may figure you out!”

Serene-looking on the outside, the Lion grits his teeth inwardly as the button announces the next round of betting.

“Place your bets, gentlemen.”

“Call two hundred.”

This gambler places a pair of chips symbolizing two hundred dollars, but the next opponent returns his cards to the button.

“Fold.”

“Raise to five hundred.”

“Check.”

“Check!”

It was now the Lion’s turn to bet or fold.

“Kido?”


Not hesitating for one second, the Lion places his own stack of chips to match the rest of the bets.

“Check.”

“Very good, now comes the turn…”

The button turns over the fourth card, which turns out to be a jack. With all the rest of the cards different to his pair, very little hope remains for the Lion now. And yet, agonizing on the inside, he still looks on.

“Final round before the river. Place your bets.”

“Call two hundred.”

“Check.”

“Check!”

There is only this chance. This very single card, or nothing. If the Lion is to win, he has to put all he has on the line…


After shutting down his eyes for a brief moment, the Lion pushes his meager stack of chips forward.

“Raise all in.”

“WHOA! Ballsy stuff, Kido!”

Now hesitation seems to show among the remaining competitors…

“... Fold.”

“Check.”

“Check!”

The button turns over the river, the final card… which turns out to be a two, on-suit with the Lion’s pair.

“Your turn to reveal, gentlemen.”

The remaining gambler reveals his hand, which turns out to be all off-matched.

“High card.”

It is now Cashe’s turn, and he reveals…

“Pair!”

… and now comes the Lion’s turn. A smile finally appears on his face as he reveals his hand.

“Three-of-a-kind.”

“Congratulations, sir, you win!”

“WOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Check out the Lion! He’s all cute and puppy-eyed but he knows how to win! Hey Kido, looks like you got some attention your way…”

A certain female crowd in low-cut dresses seem to eye the young Lion, suggestive smiles across their faces, but the Lion shakes his head.

“I’ve had enough excitement for one night, gentlemen. Let me just take this hand and go.”

“Okay, but you’re not getting outta here without putting that money to good use…”

Moments later, the Lion stands outside the Bellagio Fountain, looking at the iconic lights show that reflects across Las Vegas’ lavender sky. A large blast of bursting water shining gold lights up the fountain, and so do the Lion’s eyes light up.

“Maybe… there is hope for me yet. Maybe it’s just time, like this fountain… to reignite.”

At this point, Jason Cashe comes to meet him, grinning ear to ear.

“I know just what to do with those chips you got, Kido… let’s get you into an Elvis suit!”

The Lion stares at him like he’s seen a ghost, but at that point, a grin starts to creep mirroring Cashe’s - except that Raion Kido still has all his teeth.

“Why not?”

After having been on the brink of losing it all, and having seized victory out of sheer desperation, it was time to do something fun.

“Maybe I’ll give them something to laugh at.”

But as fun as tonight might have been, there was the underlying lesson learned today. It was time to seize victory from the jaws of defeat.

And for him to reignite.


“I may have lost the Universal Title, but I knew that one day, it eventually would come to an end, as all things do.”

So does Raion Kido begin, in front of the Bellagio Fountain, clad in a white sequin suit much like Elvis would wear, a black pompadour wig on his head.

Quite a funny sight, were it not for the seriousness in his words.

“But there is a fundamental truth that has surfaced the few times that I have been met with defeat. There is nothing to do for me but rise again, for that is my charge.

That is why I said I’d be present at the next Savage Saturday Night after Relentless - and this is me honoring my word. This time I have three relative newcomers against whom I must prove myself - or rather, should they prove themselves against me?

For gentlemen, be aware: This is a test for all of you, but for me, it is the chance to come back.

But not only that. I have stated many times that every time a Saint gets knocked down, they come back up stronger every time, and this is going to be the beginning of something new.

Because this, ladies and gentlemen, is the time… for the Lion to reignite.”

But with a swift movement, the Lion flings his jacket and his wig to the air, revealing his Golden Cloth and his wild mane beneath.

Fun as the evening had been, it was finally time for the cosmos to burn.


“Among you all, The Celt is the one with the most veterancy, even if the two matches he has had so far here, he has lost. That should teach you not to discount the likes of Angelica Vaughn. Three times have Angie and I been in the same ring, three times did I come out victorious, but mark my words when I say she’s one of the best the XWF has in potential. And you couldn’t do so much as prevent her from scoring the winning pinfall over Savannah Knightley. So tell me, what gives you the right to judge her? Or anyone?

You came into your first match assuming that you had your foes defeated, and well, it turns out your shining debut was dulled by Justin York before he quit. Good thing it was not your desire to annihilate inferior competitors, for you’ve been superior to no one. But at least you did not disgrace yourself in the ring more than you did with your words.

The worst part of this all, however, isn’t your failures. The thing that grates the most, is that despite this, you still pretend to be some sort of knight. And for someone like me, it is infuriating to hear this speech from someone that blatantly disregards the humility that the example after which you’ve fashioned yourself should have.

Because you see, Mr. Scotsman, when I talk about honor and justice, it is not merely a set of high-sounding buzz words. You wish to fashion yourself a shining paragon of martial valor, you had better start acting like it. That is the lesson I shall impart to you at the T-Mobile Arena, and you had best learn it to heart - for it comes from someone that too strives to follow an example.”

Eyes bright as his armor and the fountain, the Lion now points towards the camera. If this Celtic foe fashioned himself a knight, it was time for a true warrior to show him how he was meant to act.

“So Mr. Celt, lest you think I speak from arrogance, let me make this utterly clear. I may no longer hold the title, but I remain a former Universal Champion. One of the very best in the XWF.  There’s no glorious speech you can make that I can’t do better, and back up besides.

There’s no history of which you can talk to me that I have not already made. There’s nothing with which you can scare me after all through which I have been so far. All you’ve done is watch your two previous matches from a privileged position, but on this battlefield you face a greater challenge than what you’ve so far had.

So find it in yourself, Mr. Celt, to rise up to the challenge. Stop being a spectator, and become a protagonist. Maybe you’ll listen and act accordingly, for if you do not, well… this time, you’ll become the one to fall.”

The Lion now clenches his fist and grits his teeth, lips peeling back to reveal the canines. Two other foes still remained, and it was time for him to meet them head on.

“Who’s next? John Madison Jr., a newcomer with no previous history in the XWF. You should consider yourself fortunate then, friend, because you’re making your debut against a set of fellow rookies in their first year in this company.

But here’s where things come apart, Mr. Madison. One of these people is not like the others. One of these people has won two of the biggest events in the year 2022 so far - the first one being the Leap of Faith match, the second one being the Cannabis Cup.

And that is who is speaking to you right now.”

The Gold Saint of Leo lets the silence evidence the weight of his words. John Madison Jr. might be a bright-eyed new face, but he had better learn who it was that stood across from him.

“From what little we know about you, you’re an eager young graduate that seeks to surpass his father, and that’s as noble a goal as any. Alas, Mr. John, you’re at one of the most prestigious and long-lived wrestling promotions in the world. And when you’re in a stage of this scale, it isn’t enough just to surpass those that came before you - but it becomes necessary to look beyond them, to look into the best that you can possibly be.

It’s not an easy road, but I am living proof that it can be done. And if I could do it once, I can do it again. And again. No matter how many times I have to try. No matter what it takes!

But I do have something I can question, Mr. Madison. When I signed up to this company in January, I made certain that the world knew I was coming, even before my debut in the ring. And then I proved it right in the Fire & Ice Pay-Per-View, against a rookie like Xavier Lux.

So tell me, with the entire world watching, three other people standing across from you, among them a former Universal Champion, what are you going to do? You’re not scoring a winning pinfall upon the first person whose leg you hook, for this is an elimination match. There’s only going to be two final people in the ring, and you shall have to stay alive to the very end.

And that is what I’m going to do. I mean to be the last one standing at the end of it all, because this is my ring, and my spot, to protect. Mark Flynn might have got the best of me at Relentless, but I shall face him once more, and this is the first end towards that goal.”

This time, Raion points towards the sky. Back from the ground from where he once again found himself, he would rise.

He had earned a name and a reputation, and he would uphold them.

“Because there are several people whose voices echo inside my head, people that have placed their hope upon me, and they shall not let me give in. This is the beginning of my next comeback, and I refuse to allow my story to end here! For the Saints of Athena that serve as my ideal, for the fellow wrestlers that have stood behind me, for my fellow members of the Trilogy, and for the people around the world whose cosmos burns as bright as that of Raion Kido.

That is the power you come to face in your debut. Perhaps I’ll find you worthy, perhaps you shall impress the world. Perhaps you’ll make your father proud, and one day, you shall look at those that come after you as I do at you now.

But not this time. Not when my entire road is at stake. This time, you learn your first lesson in perseverance courtesy of the Lion when your debut ends in your first defeat. It will be a slight setback, and perhaps it will be frustrating, but it shall eventually give you the strength to overcome.

Don’t look too hard for an explanation, Mr. Madison. Just tell them that among the people you faced was Raion Kido.

You never stood a chance.”

A blast from the fountain heralds the Lion’s words to the next foe as he drives a clenched fist forward.

“Finally, we have Buster Gloves, the one that debuted at Relentless with a win. I commend you for that,, especially given my own result, but you came into the XWF knowing full well who stood at the top, and fate has now dictated you face me among the other rookies.

And I know that both you and I are in this match for a reason that you have stated you know full well by now: to make a difference. That is the mindset in which I’ve entered this business and why I do the things I do. Like yourself, I also wish for the audience to leave entertained once the final bell has rung.

Like yourself, Mr. Gloves, I also believe that the wrestling business is where men like you and I can do something that matters. And unfortunately for you, that presents us with a problem. Because it’s exactly that reason why I shall bring every ounce of my being to be the one man standing at the end of this elimination match. I may have suffered a setback, but that shall not keep me from being that which I have come to be known as in the XWF and in the world of wrestling at large - one of the very best.

That’s not me saying how good I am, Mr. Gloves. When you’re good, you tell people, when you’re great, they tell you. These are your own words, and I’m just repeating what everyone else has said from the time I have made my debut here. There’s even a record now in the books that says that Raion Kido won the Universal Title, and held it for 68 days, defending once before losing.

Unfortunately, that’s where I am right now, but it’s in times like these that the cosmos comes to burn the brightest. Times like these, where there is something for me to protect. Times like these where there is a statement to make, a show of defiance to be displayed to the world!”

The Lion lets out his mighty roar that drowns out the murmur of the running waters in the fountain. Let the XWF Universe never forget that Raion Kido still stood among them.

“And next Saturday, gentlemen, is a tale of those times. The three of you get to look first hand at what happens every time a Saint of Athena gets knocked down, to look at the little spark of life that there’s always left as it burns from a flicker to a flame, to a conflagration that shall once more set the universe aflame. You get to see that power live, and you get to experience it as it burns you all.

So make yourselves ready, gentlemen, because it doesn’t matter who falls first, or who falls last. The only thing that matters is that, on October 15th,  at the T-Mobile Arena, all of you get to fall to the fangs of the Lion, and that, for the sake of the universe…”

One final blast from the fountain, and one more punch forward from the Lion - almost as if produced by his own power.

“... I shall reignite.”

Fade to black.