Chapter 18: Wrestle Kingdom(2)

The host’s vacant spot was replaced by the wolf. His face appeared on the screen.

“I am the second contestant. Do I really need any introduction?”

Before he even finished speaking, the audience’s voting had already begun.

The wolf was assigned to the second position—King Lion’s first opponent.

Seeing the results of the vote, he grinned with satisfaction.

“Yeah. That’s how it should be.”

He scratched his left prosthetic arm with the claws of his right hand.

As the sound of metal being scraped filled the air, his muttering was picked up by the microphone.

“My old wounds are throbbing…”

He chuckled lowly.

Then, he brought up the next contestants on the screen.

“Arandorf… That rookie? So, he’s still alive. This should be an exciting hunt.”

“Red Brawler. A violent barbarian, huh? That’s a joke. His murderous aura has faded, and they still call that violence? Looks like I’ll have to teach him a lesson.”

“Nick Cade, Nick Cade. Did you really think changing your name would help you avoid paying for your betrayal? No, that won’t happen. Not a chance. Wait for me, Jackal.”

His hosting style was arrogant, vulgar, and rude—completely different from the refined manners of a middle-aged gentleman.

Instead of presenting the contestants’ stats, he belittled and criticized them.

Yet, the audience was thrilled by his performance.

Big Evil Wolf.

As one of the founders of the wrestling association along with King Lion, people understood why he was trash-talking the other wrestlers.

It was in his character. It was exactly what he was supposed to do.

Before long, the match-ups for all 32 wrestlers had been finalized.

The wolf stepped down from the ring and approached the audience.

He then handed the microphone to Nikolai, who was sitting in the VIP section.

“Huh? Why are you giving this to me?”

“I have to fight King now. Someone needs to host, don’t they?”

“Uh… I’m just a spectator…”

“Are you going to do it or not? Just answer.”

With a growl and a flash of his crimson eyes, he leaned in.

Nikolai gulped audibly, his voice trembling as he replied.

Though his voice sounded as if he was terrified, those sitting next to him—Celestia and Aily—could see the blush spreading across his face.

“I-I’ll do it.”

“Good.”

Satisfied, the wolf laughed and hoisted Nikolai onto his shoulders, placing him on the commentators’ table.

He then reached into his mouth.

Pop!

With a quick tug, he pulled out one of his molars, wrapped it in a cloth, and placed it in Nikolai’s hand.

“Do your best, rookie.”

This was why the wolf was so popular.

His words were harsh, and his actions were violent, but his fan service was second to none.

He was someone who believed that wrestlers should maintain their personas only while in the ring.

Amidst the envious cheers of the crowd, Nikolai opened the script given to him by the commentators and spoke for the first time.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us at the arena.”

“Louder.”

“The first match of the day is a big one, made possible by your support! For the first time in four years, a legendary duel will unfold here! First, in the blue corner! The rightful ruler of Wrestle Kingdom! The king of beasts! King Lion!!!”

Boom!

Fireworks exploded from the blue corner as the lion beastman made his appearance.

Draped in a luxurious silk cape fit for a king, he marched toward the ring.

“How long has King Lion been reigning again?”

“Well, he was around from Season 1 to 3, then wandered after the coup in Season 4 until Season 6. Then, starting from Season 8…”

For the newcomers and first-time viewers, the commentators naturally began to recount King Lion’s past achievements.

Amidst the listing of his accomplishments, King slowly removed his cape and tossed it to a servant.

With a thunderous roar, he climbed into the ring and grabbed the microphone.

“I shall not relinquish our kingdom to that wicked demon who has returned from hell. Rest easy, people of Wrestle Kingdom. I will protect its peace.”

“Indeed. Will Wrestle Kingdom’s peace be preserved? Or will a tyrant once again reign over the kingdom?”

“In the red corner! The hero of the Season 4 coup and the ruler of the 100 days of nightmares! He who must not be named! The tyrant returning to Wrestle Kingdom! Big Evil Wolf!!!”

With a powerful howl, Wolf leaped into the air.

He landed on all fours atop the ring post, staring down at King.

King spoke first.

“So, you’ve returned at last, brother.”

“I’ve come back from hell to hunt you down.”

As the two engaged in a fierce exchange of words, Wolf’s achievements were listed.

“The specter of the past has returned.”

“That’s right. For King, Wolf is undoubtedly a painful reminder. They founded Wrestle Kingdom together, but Wolf vowed to live in the shadows for the good of the kingdom. Unfortunately, he was eventually consumed by darkness and transformed into what we see now. It’s truly tragic.”

“Still, you’ve got to admire his persistence. He was imprisoned in purgatory, yet somehow, he survived and returned.”

The two beasts growled at each other.

As they circled each other slowly, the referee, trembling in fear, stood in the middle.

When the panic-stricken referee failed to start the match, Wolf, growing impatient, reached out to grab his neck.

“Do not touch my people.”

Before Wolf’s hand could even reach the referee’s throat, King caught it.

Wolf’s expressionless face was chilling as he looked down at his captured hand.

He then raised his head, meeting King’s gaze with a sly smile as he whispered.

“Long-live the king.”

Though it sounded like a blessing for the king’s health, King’s expression hardened instantly.

It was, in fact, a phrase of praise used when the former king had died and the current king ascended.

Before he finished speaking, Wolf’s elbow crashed into King’s jaw.

As King released Wolf’s hand and staggered back, the hunter didn’t miss the opportunity.

He rushed forward and delivered a merciless knee strike to the same spot.

But King wasn’t about to just take it.

He absorbed the knee strike and, in return, grabbed the airborne Wolf, flipping him upside down.

With a powerful leap, he spun in the air and drove Wolf’s head into the ground.

“Screw Piledriver! That was perfectly executed!”

Nikolai’s voice, now comfortable with commentating, echoed through the arena.

The impact was so strong that a massive crack appeared on the ring floor.

Wolf’s body seemed to freeze, his head stuck in the ground.

But that was a deception.

Wolf’s legs suddenly shot out, grabbing King’s head.

Before King could react, his head was slammed into the ground with tremendous force.

The arena trembled as the crack grew larger.

“Head Scissors Whip! To think he could pull off such a perfect technique even in that situation. Wolf truly is incredible!”

Both wrestlers stood up simultaneously, resuming their standoff.

Ptu!

Wolf spat out a mouthful of blood.

“That’s enough of a greeting. From now on, fight me for real. Otherwise, I’ll tear your throat out.”

As soon as Wolf finished speaking, King’s mane began to glow brighter.

When his mane finally turned a brilliant golden color, he opened his mouth.

“Fine. Let’s settle this.”

King disappeared.

In an instant, King’s lariat exploded against Wolf’s face.

“There it is! Regulus Mode! From now, King only has 3 minutes! For 3 minutes, all of King’s power is doubled, but the moment the mode ends, his strength will be halved! It’s a double-edged sword! Can he take Wolf down in time?”

But Wolf wasn’t about to go down easily.

Just before the attack landed, he loosened his entire body and spun in midair.

In that state, he grabbed one of King’s arms and locked in a flying armbar.

However, such techniques only work against opponents of similar weight classes.

With King’s combat power doubled, the move had no effect.

King lifted Wolf, who was hanging onto his arm, and slammed him to the ground.

“Grand Slam!”

As Wolf struggled to regain his senses from the shock, King lifted him again for another slam.

With Wolf completely incapacitated, King hoisted him over his shoulder and signaled his victory to the crowd.

In the midst of roaring cheers, Wolf’s body was flung into the air.

King caught the helplessly airborne Wolf in midair and slammed him back down into the ground. The impact was too much for the ring to handle, and it split in two.

As cement dust scattered across the remains of the ring, a lion beastman with a ragged mane walked out alone.

The referee, accompanied by a doctor, entered the rubble to check on Wolf’s condition.

The doctor felt for a pulse and, after confirming Wolf’s state, nodded to the referee.

“Cardiac arrest.”

“The winner! King Lion!”

Though King looked exhausted, his face was bright with victory. He struck a pose in front of the audience, relishing his triumph.

Crack.

Bang.

In that moment, the sound of breaking bones echoed as two bodies were hurled toward King.

Even in that split second, King recognized the bodies as the referee and doctor, catching them carefully.

But as a result, both of his arms were full.

Thud—

Wolf appeared before King in an instant, landing a kick squarely into King’s solar plexus.

As King dropped to his knees from the pain, Wolf looked down at him.

“Two minutes and fifty-five seconds. You’ve declined, King. The once-great Regulus can’t even last three minutes, and your sharp nose can’t even distinguish the scent of death anymore. Have you grown weak from preaching peace and pretending to be righteous, or have you simply become arrogant and neglected your training?”

“But… your heart had stopped…”

“Ah, did you think I couldn’t use Stormrat’s specialty? How disappointing. You’ve already forgotten who taught the wrestlers when Wrestle Kingdom was rising from the ground.”

Wolf lifted King.

And then, he returned the very move King had used on him.

Crash.

The first slam cracked the floor of the arena.

Crash.

The second slam split the floor wide open.

Boom!

With the third slam, Wolf grabbed King mid-air and slammed him into the ground, causing the arena floor to collapse.

Beneath the broken floor was a newly prepared ring.

As Wolf kicked the fallen King, he spoke.

“You have no idea what kind of bloody battles I fought down here just to survive and return from hell.”

His words were proven by the piles of bones surrounding the underground ring.

Wolf approached the fallen King and began stomping on him mercilessly.

But King, using his wits, grabbed Wolf’s ankle, rolled, and toppled him over.

Then, he locked Wolf’s leg in a figure-four leg lock.

No wrestler had ever escaped from this hold, and the crowd was once again convinced of King’s victory.

Yet, even as his leg bent in agony, Wolf was laughing.

“Foolish. You banished my name and now you’ve forgotten my strength.”

Wolf’s prosthetic arm began glowing red.

Sizzle.

The smell of burning flesh filled the air as King, writhing in pain, released the lock.

“Isn’t that a foul!?”

Celestia, who had become absorbed in the wrestling, shouted in outrage at Wolf.

But here, there was no referee to stop him.

“Ah, Wolf’s foul prosthetic is active. But no one here can stop him!”

“He’s cunning. That’s why, before using his prosthetic, he always made sure to eliminate the referee!”

Of course, even if a referee had been present, Wolf would not have been disqualified.

The flaming prosthetic was simply too cool.

At any rate, it wasn’t for nothing that the commentators and referees feared him.

He was a villain who would kill anyone, wrestler or not, if it meant winning.

A wolf who would use any technique, any means, and endless stamina to mercilessly tear apart his opponent.

That was Wolf.

“Even as I speak, Wolf is undoing the chain from his waist! It looks like he’s going to use it!”

Wolf unraveled the chain from his waist and wrapped it around King’s body, welding the chain with the heat from his prosthetic so it couldn’t be undone.

Then, he fastened other chains in four directions, binding King in the center of the ring.

As Wolf walked toward the edge of the ring and leaned against the ropes, black smoke began to rise from the surrounding piles of skulls, and the arena lights focused on King in the center of the ring.

“Ah! It’s starting! The ‘Hunting Night’!”

From somewhere, black-clad figures appeared, ringing a bell.

At the signal, a band began playing Wolf’s signature music as a phantom full moon rose over the arena.

Awooo!!

In the darkness where nothing could be seen, Wolf’s crimson eyes and his glowing red prosthetic limbs moved.

Using the rebound from the ropes, he instantly launched a lariat.

King’s body bent backward, but the chains securing him didn’t allow him to fall.

Without stopping, Wolf reached the opposite rope and used the rebound to strike King again.

With the ensuing tackle, King fell to his knees.

Elbow, uppercut, knee kick.

King could only admit to defeat in silence.

You could only see Wolf when he darted into the light where King was. Once he hid in the shadows again, the red footprints he left behind glowed, and those dots connected to form a line.

The lines gathered to form irregular shapes, which soon tangled together like threads to create a complete sphere. A burning moon formed beneath the arena.

When the crimson moon was complete, Wolf stood atop the ring post.

With the flames rising beneath him illuminating his face, he let out a terrifying smile.

Then, he leaped into the dim shadows, launching a dropkick at King’s head.

“Wolf with a dropkick! But it seems like King anticipated it, successfully grabbing Wolf’s leg!”

“He knew Wolf always finishes with a dropkick when the full moon forms.”

King flashed a victorious smile.

But Wolf smiled the same way.

With one leg caught, Wolf twisted his body midair, kicking the back of King’s head.

“Aah!! Wolf responds with a neck slash, as if he had been waiting for this! King has fallen for a psychological trap!”

“It seems Wolf has been sharpening the blade of revenge for the past three years. And now, he’s about to unveil a new deadly move!”

King’s head snapped forward, releasing his grip on Wolf.

Wolf quickly regained his stance and hammered King’s head with his two shaky hands.

Then, slipping his arm under King’s armpit, Wolf held him by the torso and began to spin.

Clang!

The chains that had held King snapped, and King spun around, attached to Wolf.

“It’s a giant swing! A fiery whirlwind is forming around Wolf!”

As the two men disappeared within the flames of the tornado, King Lion was hurled out of the fiery storm.

Wolf chased after him.

In midair, Wolf grabbed King’s face with his heated prosthetic hand and let out a roar.

Kaaaahhh!!

With a fierce cry, like a predator tearing apart its prey, Wolf slammed King into the ground.

Boom!

A massive pillar of fire shot up from the center of the burning moon.

“Wolf’s new deadly move, Hell Buster!”

“It’s the most powerful and brutal technique in WrestleKingdom history!”

Wolf’s followers, somehow having found wolf masks, cheered wildly.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere among King’s supporters was practically funereal.

Was this the beginning of tyranny again?

As Wolf confidently declared his victory, the atmosphere grew heavier.

But at that moment, King’s mane glowed once again from within the smoke.

Before Wolf could even get ready, King, engulfed in flames resembling a lion, grabbed Wolf by the waist.

The fiery lion became King’s third hand, biting into Wolf’s nape.

Unable to counter while gripping the lion’s fangs, Wolf was dragged high into the air.

Leaping from the underground back to the surface, King threw Wolf’s body towards the ground from midair.

The flames of the lion King had summoned bit into Wolf’s nape and smashed him back underground.

As Wolf and the lion crashed into the ground, a huge firestorm swept through the underground arena, and King, from above, aimed his elbow downward.

Leaping into the storm in that position, an explosion rocked the entire stadium.

Just five seconds.

The audience realized the significance of the five seconds of King’s sudden Regulus Mode.

The king had reclaimed his prime.

As the smoke cleared, Wolf was nowhere to be found, with only a piece of his former prosthetic arm lying at King’s feet.

“WrestleKingdom will live forever!!”

Despite gasping for breath, King raised his arm, lifting his index finger as if to signify the number one.

The audience, who had been left speechless.

Nikolai, who had forgotten to make any commentary due to the tension.

Even Celestia, who had become engrossed in the match.

All offered their unreserved applause for the two legends who had given the greatest match ever.

“Wow, today was an epic match.”

“After watching this match, I can see why humans are so passionate about pro wrestling.”

After the match, Nikolai rejoined his group.

The three couldn’t stop praising today’s match.

But their tour wasn’t over yet.

The ultimate perk of VIP status: getting a fan autograph.

As they approached the fan signing booth, King and Wolf, the stars of today’s match, were sitting side by side, signing autographs for the fans.

Despite going through such a fierce battle, both seemed fine, giving out autographs as if nothing had happened.

But, if you looked closely, you could tell they hadn’t fully recovered.

Drenched in sweat, occasionally wincing from muscle pain, they continued to provide fan service.

Even after the match, their rivalry persisted, though they only bickered through words, treating fans kindly in the process.

– Instead of getting an autograph from that villain, how about getting mine? It’s not like that guy will give you a decent autograph anyway.

– If you get an autograph from that weak hypocrite, you’ll become weak too. A real man should get mine.

Although they said that, you could get both of their autographs.

Sometimes, when a child or an elderly person came up, Wolf would hand over a piece of his chain or a molar, and King would give his cape or decorations.

It made sense for the kids, but one couldn’t help but wonder why the elderly?

To this, Wolf gruffly responded.

“The old geezers need to look favorably on our show if our business is going to last.”

Though he said that, no one truly believed the tsundere wolf’s words, no matter how much they bowed at a 90-degree angle.

Soon, it was Nikolai’s turn to get an autograph.

King, recognizing Nikolai, waved his hand.

“What’s going on?”

“I’ve finished talking with your friend. I’ll give you the results in my office, so you should head over there.”

King took out the access crystal for staff and handed it to Nikolai.

“Cough…!!”

“Are you… okay?”

“Of course! I’m fine! I should be fine! Yes, I’ll head over and wait right away!”

With another bout of breathlessness—he couldn’t remember how many times it had happened today—Nikolai headed for the locker room.

Aily and Celestia chased after him.

As Nikolai and his party waited in the office, it wasn’t long before the owner of the room opened the door and entered.

Having shed his avatar, King didn’t have the luxurious mane of a lion like he did in the ring, but he was a middle-aged man with lion-like ears and a bushy beard.

Nikolai immediately stood up to greet King.

“Hello!! It’s an honor to meet you!”

“Please sit. Since I invited you, don’t feel pressured. Ah, don’t mind my way of speaking; it’s just how I am.”

Even with such reassurances, could a fan meeting their favorite not feel overwhelmed?

Though Nikolai reluctantly sat down, he couldn’t settle down.

Just then, sounds came from outside the office door.

Clank, clank.

The familiar sound of steel prosthetics tapping on the floor echoed.

‘Could it be Wolf…?’

Through the translucent glass of the door, a familiar silhouette appeared.

As the doorknob clicked and turned, Nikolai watched the door with a mix of anticipation and anxiety.

And when the door opened, revealing…

“Uncle, sorry for the delay. I took some time getting out of my avatar.”

It was Allen, adorned with Wolf’s prosthetic arm and leg.

While everyone in the room except King wore question marks above their heads, Allen quickly assessed the situation as he scanned the room.

With a meaningful smile, he activated the choker-style microphone around his neck.

• Aw0000!!!

Nikolai fainted, foaming at the mouth.