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Raion Kido · (05-28-2022)

In the hundred-fifty-fourth level of the Burj Khalifa is the famous Lounge - a fine eatery with fine wines, and its main feature - the sky-high, panoramic views of the outer terrace, where the Dubai sun is currently going down.

“The realm of the heavens, indeed, right?”

Several tourists are enjoying their exclusive time there, cocktails in their hands, and gourmet finger foods served on their tables.

“It really feels like Heaven on Earth!”

“Wouldn’t want to go down below from this high, though!”

“And yet, there are some that will. But it is one of the dangers of Heaven.”

The voice that utters these words is that of Raion Kido, clad in a fine suit appropriate for the setting, as he looks at the horizon, and the sun going down in the far away skyline.

“Oh, that’s right - you’re coming here in two days!”

“Looking forward to you winning this one, Kido!”

“Maybe not so much a victory, friends, as it is… ascension.”

“Ascension? Don’t you think we’re pretty high up already?”

The sound of the lounge music - Indian-themed for this particular occasion, as is the menu - fills the ambience for a minute, before the Lion turns in the direction of the voice.

“Do you see that over there?”

The Lion points to a framed painting on one of the walls, a traditional Buddhist picture - the wheel of fate in which the six realms of existence are depicted.

“You mean the freaky mandala?”

“It’s called a samsara, but never mind. You see - at the top part of the wheel you see the realm of the Heavens. Paradise itself, where existence is bliss. That is where I aim to be, but first I have to deal with the rest of the other realms.”

The Lion points to the other five portions of the wheel in succession, according to what is depicted in them. Firstly, he points to a picture of a fiery landscape and suffering faces.

“The realm of hell below, where there is nothing but torment…”

He then points to a portion of the wheel depicting humanoid creatures with bloated bellies.

“The realm of endless hunger, where the unfortunate spirits seek only to consume whatever they can…”

He moves on to a landscape of figures locked in battle.

“The realm of the titans, ever at war…”

Next is a picture of animals, an elephant and a tiger among others.

“The realm of the animals…”

After this is a picture of normal people in their daily lives.

“The realm of humans…”

And finally, instead of going back to the picture, the Lion points towards the sky beyond.

“And finally, the realm of the Heavens.”

Raion makes his way across the room, the crowd attentive to his every move, and steps out into the outer terrace below, where he sits in the lotus position, and closes his eyes.

“Each of us participants in this match comes from each realm. But there is only one that shall ascend…”

The Lion takes a deep breath, and when he opens his eyes again, there is a glint in them, and a smile creeping to his face.

“... and it is finally my time.”

Standing up once more, Raion reaches for the heavy box of the Golden Cloth of Leo…

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“Here we are, ladies and gentlemen, at the end of all things. Leap of Faith has finally come, and only one jump remains into uncertainty, for the chance at ascension.

For that is, after all, the essence of the work that has led me here. Night after night, have I been competing and always reached the point to ascend, only to come back to Earth once more, just another creature among all others.

So the Buddha teaches us about reincarnation, but I find this an apt comparison to my path here in the XWF.”

Thus the Lion begins, standing tall at the outer observation deck of the Burj Khalifa, the desert wind sending his wild mane aflutter.

“For here at the top of the world, on May 29th, I finally ascend to the heaven in which I belong, the one to be exalted among the creatures of the other realms.

And that means, ladies and gentlemen, that I shall send everyone else… to reincarnation.”

The Lion points towards the camera, as the Golden Cloth of Leo glints with the rest of the lights in the illuminated Burj Khalifa, and the white cape billows in the desert wind.

In the face of Raion Kido there is serenity, but in his eyes, fixed on the camera lens, there is a light brighter than the gold of his armor, or the white of the lights in the building.

The brightness of the cosmos as it begins to burn.

“Let’s begin with hell itself. On one hand, Bobby Bourbon calls me an idiot who doesn’t learn. On the other hand, he compliments me on social media. Truly, Bourbon? Has your wit fallen so low that you could not bring anything I didn’t already address before!? I am not the one taking the easy way out in my matches, nor am I the one that failed to beat someone against whom I made my very first statement in this company.

It may be those burgers you were publiciting last time you came out on air, but I think that, between that and the abysmal performance you’ve had leading up to here, you might just be losing your mind. Maybe that’s why you’re trying to change the narrative now, because you can’t decide whether I can’t come close to sniffing your laundry, or whether I shall be the next holder of the Television Title!

But see, I’ve beaten both of the people that shall go for that title in this same event, and that is, in the end, the reason I am here. Because whoever saw me up there must have realized that I’m meant for bigger things, and because they knew I wasn’t going to let the March Madness IV thing stand. I’ll be back at the King of the XWF in 2023, and I’ll be sure to win it. Charlie Nickles might have run, and I’ll also be sure to catch up, but before that, I’m going to start with you, and I’m going to be the one to prevent you from grabbing that briefcase for the very first time, the only thing you still haven’t done. Maybe the biggest victory in my career, yes, for the prize, for the satisfaction of being the one to do that to you, and ultimately, for the very reason I fight for, Bourbon: Justice.

Did you not say I did not learn? That was me proving otherwise. That was me showing what I’m capable of doing when I have something to prove, and being a stronger man - stronger than you have been these entire two months. More than you’ve been with those generic, pathetic lines you dropped. So when you fall down into the hell you belong, I guarantee that the last thing you see before you hit the ground shall be the sight of Raion Kido holding that 24/7 briefcase, and these two things are going to burn through your heart more than the strike of the Lightning Plasma: The fact that it was me who prevented you from winning the last prize left for you, and the fact the biggest victory of my career meant beating you.

Don’t worry, though, Bourbon. You’ll always have next year.”

A smirk now crosses the face of the Lion, though the look in his eyes is the gaze of the axeman that lifts his weapon to deal the final blow. But soon the smirk vanishes, to give way to a tranquil fury.

“Next we have the asura, the ever-warring titans. I suppose that should be a compliment, but one that beings like Mark Flynn and the North Korean War Criminal do not deserve. Because I would expect something of that caliber to be fearsome, yet these two are boringly predictable.

I mean, it’s almost like I saw this coming, Flynn. It’s almost like I knew you’d go for the Cho-KING line. It’s almost like it’s the only thing you could say about me because, outside of your tag team, you literally don’t exist, and haven’t for months. Which is why, I suppose, you decided to have your partner come help you, and again, did I not say as much? As a matter of fact, I’m glad the North Korean War Criminal is here. That way I get both to answer his question, and while I’m at it, to put you both out of commission for that earlier insult.

Were you not wondering when I was going to ascend, after all? Not only shall you get an answer to that question, you shall also get to live it, once both of you fall from the tallest building in the entire world. Because the only thing you’ve been doing is sitting in the midcard in apparent contentment, but we’re right before the Main Event. That’s exactly where I want, where I deserve to be, what I’ve been working all my time to go towards. Because I don’t have management looking to throw me the next unfortunate souls that have done nothing to earn a shot at their titles, as they do you.

Instead, they put me against the newer talent to give them the first taste of the level they require to be a part of the XWF. Because, unlike most of the champions in this company, they want them to be like me. They want them to push themselves to the very limit when there’s a fight to be won. Now, I get to do that against four other people, and someone that needed his partner to even have a shot. And once I grab that briefcase off the highest man-made spot in the entire world, among the many realizations that people will have about Raion Kido, there’s going to be one that stands out above everything else: Raion Kido beat not only four people, but a tag team. Not only that - he beat the King of the XWF, and the XWF Tag Team Champions, in the same exact show.

And that’s going to make you, and those belts you have, look very stupid. Just like your idea to sign up in the first place.”

One more time does the Lion smile, though of course, it is the smile of the noble beast that watches over him - the Lion’s grin before he sinks his fangs into its prey.

“But among the many examples of stupidity coming into this match, here comes Vita Valenteen, the denizen of the next realm - the hungry spirit, nothing but withered skin, bare bones, and bloated bellies, trying to sate an endless hunger. Vita Valenteen decided, in her infinite wisdom, to say that I’m too confident. I suppose that getting beat from show to show doesn’t leave a lot of time and brain power to pay attention, but I do recall making an example of someone that said these very exact words just two weeks ago!

Unfortunately you missed last episode of Savage Saturday Night - I imagine washing that stench off your feet, not to mention Tommy Wish’s saliva, was a hard task -, but maybe, had you paid attention, you would have seen the Ringmaster laid out on the mat while I climbed out of the cage. Just for insulting my work ethic, and my confidence - like you have just done now.

A confidence, may I add, that, if being the best of the new people that entered this company in 2022 wasn’t enough to give me, I have also earned after suffering only one defeat this month, in a match in which I was not pinned. A confidence you could not even attempt to match after the disastrous run you’ve had since March Madness.

So tell me, Vita, why are you here anyway? I get that being a vampire has you all kinds of hungry, but so far, the only thing you’ve been able to feed off is carrion. Next time you want to call me desperate, I suggest you look in a mirror, if you can even see your reflection. But confidence, as you call it, is not the only thing I have here, Ms. Valenteen. What I also have, is frustration, for all my efforts being for nothing. What I also have is fury, and the duty to deliver a rightly-deserved retribution. And as I previously said, what I have a search for ascension, once and for all. Neither Bourbon, nor Flynn or his partner, shall be enough to get in my path, let alone you.

You’ll have more blood to drink, I’m sure, maybe you’ll also have a nice dinner - and I’m even willing to believe that you’ll go back to your winning ways, either at Warfare, Savage, or Anarchy, or all three. But at Leap of Faith, the little, foolish, hungry vampire is going to fall from the Burj Khalifa exactly as she came: empty-handed, and empty-bellied.”

The feral grin of the predator now morphs into unbound rage, as Raion Kido gnashes his teeth.

“Speaking of empty, now, we have the representative of the animal realm - none other than Marf Swaysons. I had called him a waste of time in my first message, and it seems that he has decided to prove me right.

But not only that. He has chosen to insult me, and all of you watching, by not deigning to send one simple message about the match to which he signed up.

Because here’s a fundamental point I need to make, ladies and gentlemen - I did not sign up for this match. I specifically said I wanted to earn my place in this event, and this is where the proverbial chips have fallen - just one before the Main Event for a chance at a 24/7 briefcase.

And since that is what I have accomplished, and no less than three people that I’ve beat are going for titles right now, it’s time to finally win something more than a Star of the Month Award. That’s what I’ve been working for all along, and this time, I shall get a prize bigger than everything else that was on the line.

Knowing the nature of that prize, Marf Swaysons has chosen to do nothing, and thus I have no words for him. He is but a rabid beast that needs to be put down, and I shall be the one to do it. It gives me no pleasure, nor pity - it is simply the right service to do to the XWF Universe, and the humane thing to do to end a howling creature’s suffering.”

Pausing for one second, the Lion’s face changes into a serious, grave expression - as grave as the voice that comes from his throat.

“Which, since we talk about humanity, brings me once more to Angie Vaughn. The most admirable one here, but also the most unstable. From losing to Jenny Myst to putting one more loss in Vita’s streak. And yet, the one with the best potential here. It really is a unique opportunity for you, Ms. Angie. But while you claim to have studied tapes and learned from your mistakes, I say that so have I.

I did not know what I was getting into last time when I was facing Bobby Bourbon, but now I know. I didn’t know how empty the road of Mark Flynn and the North Korean War Criminal was until I saw they decided to come together, but now I know, and the last time someone tried to attack my confidence, well - the XWF Universe now knows what comes with that. And while I also know how capable you are and what you can do inside the ring, I also know that your presence in this match changes nothing.

Because all this time have I worked towards this, and you were just unfortunate enough to be in my way. Now you’ve signed up to be here with me once more, but we fight for higher stakes now. Because at Leap of Faith I’m going to finish the fight that started at March Madness once and for all. That briefcase belongs to me, and to me alone, and anyone in my way shall be but the next prey in which the fangs of the Lion shall sink.

You’ve already felt them once, Ms. Angie, and unless you can prove that the potential in you can burst as I try to make mine every single time I am in that ring, then the only destination for you are the Lion’s fangs once more, and a long descent off the tallest tower built by man.

But fear not, Ms. Angie. If a piggyback ride is what you want, I can give you that after the show. And I promise not to drop you once that briefcase is mine.”

A small smile follows that last remark, but it soon goes away, as Raion Kido shuts his eyes and clenches his fist. When he opens them again, there is no rage, but rather clarity.

The clarity of the warrior that knows this is the final battle.

“And finally, there is me, and there is only me - for victory in this match depends on me, and myself alone. It’s time to burn the cosmos beyond the ultimate limits, and to obtain, once and for all, the victory I’ve spent every waking hour trying to obtain, there’s the briefcase up top, and there is the Leap of Faith. The final leap that leads to the briefcase, and beyond it, to the realm of the Heavens…”

Raion points towards the Dubai sky, where the myriad stars twinkle against the darkness of the universe.

“... and, finally, to ascension.”

Fade to black.

3000 words (wordcounter.net)

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