The Last Stand is only one week away and another opportunity has been set in front of me. Opportunity ā how fickle a thing it is. The weak tremble in fear at the idea of opportunity whilst the strong reshape it in their image. I have waited for this convergence, not out of hope, but out of certainty. The world moves as I command it to ā its rhythm dictated by my will alone. I knew someday that it would come ā the day where such a magnificent opportunity comes knocking at my door. An opportunity such as this has presented itself to me thrice before within the 24/7 Battle Royale and the Grand Rampageā¦ But not like this. The opportunity to enter The Extreme Elimination Chamber for an opportunity at The Answers World Championship ā to bring it back home to Silas World so that we may once again stand at the pinnacle of Showdown ā it feels nearly euphoric. The flames of ambition burn brighter than ever before, licking at the edges of destiny itself. Every moment between now and that chamber is merely preparation for inevitability. The others ā those who dare to step inside with me ā are but prey unaware of the hunter that walks among them. They believe themselves prepared. They believe themselves chosen. Yet, when the steel closes and the lights dim, they will understand the truth: that opportunity does not favor the hopeful ā it kneels before the inevitable. And Iā¦ I am inevitability incarnate.
But for now ā it appears that I must teach a lesson of remembrance before entering the chamber. The prelude to the inevitable ā a small glimpse of what is to come. At The Last Stand, I have been pushed into a test. To see if I can punish three other lesser specimens before walking into the chamber and demonstrating the superiority of The Soul Reaper. Perfectly fine by me, I have no problem in punishing the punishment and granting adversity to those who have still yet to feel the true grasp of it. Thus, I will do just that. Even before The Last Stand, I will remind my opponents just who they are dealing with. Matthew Kazama seems to have a hot head for a man with such little steam left in his body. Some say that with time ā talent grows, but when it comes to Matthew Kazama, that doesnāt seem to be the case. Time has not nurtured him; it has exposed him. Each passing year peels away the illusion heās built around himself, revealing the fragile soul that lies beneath the surface. Once, perhaps, he had potential ā the spark of something greater flickering behind his eyes. But potential without evolution is just stagnation, and stagnation is the quiet death of a competitor. THUS! BRING YOUR SOUL TO ME AND YOUR QUIET DEATH WILL NOT BE IN VAIN! It is very unlikely you will simply just give me your soul ā I know that. Judging by his way of doing things and my past experiences with Kazama ā he will not just āhandā me his soul. He will fight for it. HAHAHAHAHAHA! OKAY, KAZAMA! WORRY NOT ā YOU CAN PUT UP A FIGHT, BUT IT WILL DO YOU NO GOOD! IT WILL NOT ASSIST YOU IN DELAYING THE INEVITABLE! WHETHER IT BE THIS TAG TEAM MATCH, WHETHER IT BE THE FATAL FOUR WAY AT THE LAST STAND ā IT DOESNāT MATTER IN THE ABSOLUTE SLIGHTEST. YOUR SOUL WILL BE MINE, WHETHER YOU GIVE IT TO ME OR NOTā
āYouāre a fucking loser.ā
[Mondrian instantly stops, looking behind himself to see who said that. Turns out, it just so happened to be Akari Kiyoko. He had been watching for the last couple of minutes in silence, and when he finally had enough, he said something. Vincentās confusion turns to a more irate stare, and Kiyoko hops down from his seat to his feet.]
āIs this all youāve done for the past year? Screaming and yelling with no apparent end, just for the sake of doing so?ā
[Akari sucks his teeth, devastated by his own words.]
āAnd here I thought Iād get a competent team partner, someone like Kazama, whoād know he would and never will be above me and accept his fate as so.ā
Likeā¦ WHO? You should be THANKFUL that youāve been given someone like me, Kiyoko. I am infinitely better than your perennial loser of a lesser or equal half. I am infinitely better than the inexperienced, yet experienced, āvetā that stands on the other side. THANK ME FOR HELPING YOU COLLECT A VICTORY WHEN YOU NEED IT THE MOST!
[Akari gives Vincent a dirty look and Vincent gives Akari the exact same look. They stare at each other for a second before Akari fires back.]
āIām not really thankful for anything right now. If anything, Iām pissed. Another opportunity went down the drain for me. Instead of standing here with the National Elite championship, Iām here with nothing. Itās tiring. And not seeing gold on my shoulders hasnāt done me any favors when I have to look at you and hear you speak. That wouldāve made all of this bearable, because then you wouldnāt have had anything to say to me.ā
[He pauses. The stare between the two continues.]
āSo how about you shut your mouth when talking to me and focus on these two while you still have the chance to play God to someone. Youāve never been better than me, and you never will be, so Iād suggest you start acting like that before I put you down a week before Iām scheduled to do so.ā
[Vincent rolls his eyes.]
Pissed? Thatās it? Youāre only āpissedā? Thatās my problem with you, Kiyoko. Youāre ONLY pissed. You lost your chance to stand before me with The National Elite Championship strapped around your waist? BOOHOO! Youāve got all this pent up anger, all this built up rage ā and you do nothing with it. I wonāt shut my mouth because right here, right now ā I am better than you. I have always been better than you and there will never be a point in time where I am not.
[Vincent crosses his arms, continuing to stare at Akari, not blinking for even a second.]
Rather than whining like a doofus ā get up and DO SOMETHING. Time and time again it is the EXACT, SAME, THING! Akari Kiyoko finally has a big performanceā¦ Then he does nothing. Akari Kiyoko is back on track to becoming something bigā¦. oh wait, heās too busy being enhancement talent with Damien Kutcher. SHOWTIME is going toā you know the drill. Iām sure youāre sick of feeling it, Kiyoko. Thus, I tell you to get up. I wonāt allow you to screw ME out of this win.
āI wonāt have to do that.ā
[Akari takes a step forward, the two staring completely eye-to-eye.]
āBecause when it comes down to it, I succeed in ways you donāt. You know that, and I know that. You havenāt challenged for a title on a big stage in months because youāve been stagnant. Replaceable, even. Iām fighting to stop that from ever happening; you fight for the fun of it. Like a kid that runs into a brick wall, you do it without even asking yourself why, and think youāre the biggest and baddest thing because Silas Mason hyped you up. Yet here you are, not even fighting for the team you represent because youāre not good enough to do so. Funny, though, that you tell me to get up and do something, and you canāt even do something yourself.ā
āI can. Iāve proven that time and time again. I donāt need to yell for that to be true, all I need to do is look you in your eye and watch you realize it before itās too late.ā
[He looks down, sizing Vincent up.]
āPlus, you canāt wrestle.ā
[Vincent looks down, feeling a bit angry from that comment.]
If you werenāt my teammate for this Saturday, I would sock you in the jaw and leave you laying right there. It seems that you have forgotten your place, Kiyoko. You shouldnāt need to āproveā anything if you are truly confident in yourself ā but it seems that even when you are aiming to prove something, you can only prove that you slip when it matters most. I havenāt challenged for a championship because I donāt act upon impulse like you. If you were in my shoes, you would have already claimed your opportunity and lost it just as fast as you gained it ā just like you did last week against Harper.
[Vincent chuckles in Akariās face as Kiyoko glares him down.]
Iāve done plenty. Iāve got a man who has backed world champions and champions alike backing me, whilst you got a random bimbo on yours. Thatās all that needs to be said, really. If you really want to talk about replaceable ā look no further than yourself. Had I been placed with āDamien Kutcherā, I wouldāve destroyed Fire & Ice. Frankly, had it been Silas World facing Fire & Ice ā theyād have been destroyed as well. Though, that is a truth you are not willing to come to terms with. That is alright, Kiyoko. Because when The Last Stand comes gliding around ā I will be the one who stands tall. I will be the one who makes the grandest impact. I will be the one who enters The Extreme Elimination Chamber.
[Akariās stone-face cracks, and he shows a slight smirk as his head turns slightly.]
āAnd do what, exactly? Kiss Donovan Dukeās ass and hand him the title?ā
[Vincent looks down, turning away.]
Iāve had enough of your banter.. Say something about the match already you dud.
āYou know what? I will. Because despite our differences, and the fact that I am not a dud, weāve got a match to win for my sake. Iād like to formally address Damien Kutcher, because I know how unfortunate our situations truly are. You are paired with a follower, someone who has not seen success in ages due to his inability to be on par or above anybody else, and I have a man with an undeserving god complex attached to his entire personality. It is truly a tough time for us all. You know how I feel about last week. Itās gotten to the point where all I can do is sigh and move on, not because Iāve been disappointed for so long, but because it has come to the point where I have to get cheated out of my opportunities to achieve whatās mine. It teases me. Mocks me for being so close, then moves backwards again and again. It pisses me off in a way few can understand except for you, and thatās why I want to talk about it. Weāve come so far to end up here, having to fight each other before our next match where we are truly forced to do nothing more but stand across from each other, in a match where I am forced to crush your spirit and dream with my own in mind. You know how it is. Honestly, this week will get a lot off my mind, more than it should ā because I shouldnāt be having to look at you with a low spirit ā and thatās the issue. Iām not in the mood for a rebuttal that itāll be our time one day, because if that were true, then we wouldāve been able to take it. We both have been put aside for everything else, and that has clearly been visible in our words and actions. Itās nothing new for us.
But hereās the thing, and itās something I want you to understand before we go to war against one another next week.
When I fight you, it will be as your brother, but it will also be as a man who just wants his misery to end. Iām tired of my pride ending up being put in the dirt, and the only way I can do that isnāt by just getting on here and talking to you or anyone else who chooses to listen. Itās about putting in the work. Itās going to be me putting all three of you down, and no matter how tired I get, it will never be enough until it is my hand that is going to be raised. Me needing this be damned, because thatās not going to matter when the bell rings, but Iām walking out with closure regardless. I will not allow Territorial Invasion to be my new definition, because while it was amazing, it wasnāt just the start of a new chapter with no words to write. Plus, letās face it, if I end up winning this match, everyone whoās actually going to be in there isnāt going to bat an eye at anyone besides me. Theyāre going to look at Vincent like heās an overhyped loser, theyāll look at you like youāre beneath me (because apparently everyone does), and they wonāt even look at Kazama. If I claim myself to be the Heart and Soul, I must do it with my talent and pride. I donāt have to do it by myself, because we are still one hell of a tag team and we still hold claims to being one of the best teams in the world right now, but in order to get here? I have no other choice.
I have to put you down.ā
āAs for Kazama, I couldnāt care any less about you. You interest me none in your proposal, as if it was a choice of whether or not we were going to not let our bond get in the way. Donāt you get how this works? I am going to fight him with everything I have. I am not going to hold back just because of my bond with Damien, and Iād expect the exact same thing from him. When he did it, I was expecting it because I *knew* it was what he wanted. Why? Because it was the same thing I wanted. The only threat to my championship aspirations right now is him, and although he and I are a damn good tag team, I would be a fool to just ignore that fact. He knows this. I know this. And you should know that your fantasy that you labeled āinevitableā is nothing but a lie. We all know that, regardless of what you do, I will be the one to win this entire thing, and if it is not me, it is Damien Kutcher who will carry his own prophecy out. None of this has anything to do with you, Matthew. All eyes have been on me and Damien since before House of Glass, and even after it, we have been the main attraction of this fatal four way. They have never been on you. When we look at this matchup, I view you as a non-factor, seeing that the only reason you walked out of any arena with a win attached to my name was because of Bridget Bridget and Clayton Golde. You take no pride in it, but if it were me ā because I know it will never happen again ā Iād brag about it until I couldnāt anymore.
You canāt touch me, Matthew. And itās not a situation where Iām just supremely better than you, although that is the case. Itās because weāre incomparable. You stood beside the walking trash bin beside me and proved to be more insignificant than he is. You fought in the 24/7 Contract Battle Royal, but ended up tossed over by David Gideon Smith, a man I personally eliminated with no problem in the world. You could never look eye-to-eye with me, and you never will be able to. I get the tenacity you intend to show me, though. You want it, right? You want to become undeniable. I understand it, I truly do, and I respect that part of you more than I do anything else. But itās nothing to me. We can both admit you donāt have the heart I do, or the intent, so donāt act like you do. When the time comes, I will show you what true determination is like. My words will match my actions. I wonāt allow what could be the biggest opportunity of any of our careers to have you as a participant. Just like this match, itāll be me having to find a way to outsmart the two of you and end up taking it all. Itās not destiny, but itās something Iāll have to crawl and scratch for. At this point, itās starting to get harder and harder, and my nails match the dirtās color, but quitting is never going to be an option. So all those options that you gave? I choose the first one. And thereās nothing youāll be able to do but fight an endless fight, and lose a war which you were never in the running to win anyways.ā
The clock is ticking and the hour of irrelevants will officially be over, effectively erasing your existence and leaving no lasting impact for you. When that moment comes, there will be no cheers, no tears, no remnants of your legacy ā only silence. The kind of silence that swallows names whole and buries them beneath the weight of time. Youāll reach for recognition, but your grasp will close on air. Youāll shout into the void, yet not a single soul will answer. Because thatās what happens to those who fail to evolve ā they fade. They become relics of a forgotten era, ghosts wandering among giants who have surpassed them. You will watch as others carve their names into history while yours is scraped clean from the stone, as if it never belonged there in the first place. And when I stand at the center of that stage ā when the light falls upon me and not you ā you will finally understand what true permanence looks like. My presence will be the reminder of what you could never be: inevitable, unshakable, eternal. So let the seconds continue their descent, let the minutes bleed away into nothingness. The clock is not your ally anymore ā it is your executioner. And when it strikes zero, it wonāt just mark the end of your relevanceā¦ it will mark the seal of The Soul Reaper.
Regardless of what Akari Kiyokoās delusions tell him to believe ā the eyes have never been on you, Damien. They never will. Perhaps for a mere second, the people will chant your name or cheer in your likeness at The Last Stand ā but make no mistake. It doesnāt matter whom supports you, it doesnāt matter who calls for your name nor does it matter what ambitions you have heading into The Last Stand ā when you make the fatal mistake of stepping inside the ring with The Soul Reaper, you shall be left with NOTHING. When youāre gasping for air, clawing at the mat, desperate to find your footing, you will finally understand the chasm that separates us. You will be reminded of the gap between you and I. The difference between survival and domination. The difference between the hunter and the hunted. Much like your tag team partner right here, you will never be better than I am. You will never be able to properly overcome The Soul Reaper and reach the next level. This week, you will catch a mere glimpse of that. Then, and ONLY then, will you be able to comprehend the difference that is apparent in our abilities. Perhaps then, you will walk into The Last Stand with more caution and further comprehension of the hopelessness you will be forced to encounter. You were never āThe Most Exhilarating Elitistā. You were always more mediocre than you ever were exhilarating and itās time that the world is reminded of it. Your false confidence, your artificial bravado ā itās all a desperate attempt to hide the truth you already know deep down: you were never special. Even now, after all these years that youāve been an active competitor ā youāve never been the center of attention. Just when you think youāve made it as a tag team specialist alongside Akari Kiyoko, the spotlight was never on you. Rather, they cheered for Kiyoko. Someone as idiotic and clearly, mentally not there as Akari Kiyoko garnered the spotlight youāve been aiming to reach for so long. Youāve been the background noise of his symphony for the longests of time, and now that you can no longer rely on Akari Kiyoko as a crutch ā you will do what youāve done best and that is to fail.
Sing your prayers, for that is the only thing you have and will ever have when facing The Soul Reaper. This Saturday, I do not just aim to tear your mortal body ā I aim to steal your soul. I will accomplish that.
[Vincent and Akari stare at one another once again, a silent pause filling the airā¦ Akari would then give Vincent a dirty lookā¦]
ā¦
ā¦
[VINCENT SWUNG AT AKARI!]
[Fortunately, however, Akari managed to duck just in the knick of time. Akari turns around and Vincent got in his face, staring him down.]
Next time? I wonāt miss.
āYou better make it count then, subordinate.ā
[Vincent then walks off, not taking his eyes off from Akari for even a second.]
