Chapter 17: Wrestle Kingdom(1)

As the weekend arrived, the filming team of the studio, now a proper hero party, gathered early in front of the portal.

“Nikolai, Ellie, Celestia. Okay. Everyone’s here.”

“Senpai.”

“Why? Did I get it wrong again?”

“It’s Aily.”

“Aily. Got it. Aily.”

Allen tousled her purple hair and stood in front of the portal.

“Now, those who don’t know how to use the portal, raise your hand!”

Nikolai and Celestia raised their hands.

“Alright. Then let me explain how to use the portal. Before I start, many people worry about getting cut in half if the portal closes while they’re crossing or getting lost in the space between, but that can never happen. What did they say at the Magic Tower… was it ‘space continuity’?”

“It’s space continuity, Senpai.”

“Right. Space continuity. So, the most important thing when entering the portal is not to panic. Over 90% of portal accidents are caused by panic-induced chaos.

Now, let’s get into the details. When you enter the portal, the destination won’t appear immediately. The shorter the time to reach the destination, the worse the motion sickness becomes.

If you see the destination right after entering, it can lead to at least vomiting, and in severe cases, fainting.”

Even Allen, who prided himself on his physical strength, found it hard to endure the motion sickness from jump portals or teleports.

“So, unless it’s for military operations, civilian portals usually introduce a delay. The delay time varies depending on the distance. Do you see the number above the portal? That’s the time it takes.”

A number “3” was written above.

“It will take about 3 minutes. Inside, we’ll see the scenery rushing by really, really fast. You explain the principle.”

“Inside the portal, there are no senses mediated by air like hearing or smell, and the tactile nerves also don’t feel anything as they’re electrical signals. But sight is different. For some reason, sight is maintained. I suspect that it’s because, unlike air or electricity, light travels at a constant speed even when jumping through space. If you keep your eyes open in that situation, you have a high chance of getting motion sickness.”

“That’s why we wear these special eye masks. Even if you close your eyes, light still gets through, so you’ll have to wear these masks with dark properties to tolerate it. However, listen carefully. As mentioned earlier, most portal accidents are caused by panic. Don’t feel anxious because you can’t see ahead, don’t cause a ruckus, and don’t act out because you can’t feel anything. Just stay calm for 3 minutes, and we’ll arrive. Absolutely do not act out. The person next to you will get hurt.”

After listening to Allen’s explanation, the two put on their eye masks and crossed the portal.

As Allen had said, there was nothing to feel inside.

No faint sounds, no sensations, no smells.

There was truly nothing to feel.

A momentary wave of fear surged from deep within, but they quietly waited for their arrival, wondering if they could endure even these few minutes.

And just as they counted up to about 162 in their minds, a sudden noise, an unfamiliar smell, and a breeze brushing against their skin were felt.

“Guests. You have arrived.”

The safety officer waiting on the other side removed Nikolai’s eye mask.

He thanked the officer and started to move forward.

Ouch.

At that moment, he felt a strange pain in his shin.

Allen didn’t miss that subtle difference.

“Hey. Show me your shin.”

When he rolled up his pants, sure enough, there was a bruise.

Allen looked at the person behind Nikolai.

“I told you to stay still.”

Celestia averted her gaze.

“Brother. It’s fine. It’s just a bruise.”

It was something Nikolai could endure since it wasn’t a fracture.

“Alright. Since you say so, I’ll let it slide.”

“Phew.”

“But my right hand doesn’t like it.”

Allen’s righteous iron claw thoroughly punished the culprit.

The hero party arrived at the sanctuary located right next to the imperial capital.

For convenience, this place was called the “Sanctuary of Parma.”

The Sanctuary of Parma was the largest among the sanctuaries found around the world.

This was due to the Parma Empire being a hegemonic power, the empire investing capital, and helping the originally landless church obtain territory to establish a country.

Various reasons combined to make the Sanctuary of Parma the largest and most magnificent in the world.

As they exited the portal station, the artistic city that unfolded captivated Nikolai, who had only lived in small towns.

He was a modern person.

So he thought he wouldn’t be impressed by even the splendid scenery of the medieval world.

But that was his arrogance.

When medieval culture met the technological affluence of modernity, people called it ‘romance.’

And that city, where everyone’s romance was manifested, was enough to make a modern person’s heart race.

The Hetaero Academy was also a somewhat splendid city, but it couldn’t compare to this sanctuary.

As Nikolai kept trying to wander off, Allen pulled him back toward their destination.

“Isn’t that Dino Studio? That’s where apprentice heroes are being trained, right?”

“Exactly. Get off the road, it’s dangerous.”

“Wow. The White Jade Orchestra…!! It must cost dozens of silver just for a seat in the city, but they’re performing right on the street?”

“They do that often to inspire the juniors. Hey, where are you going?”

“Oh my gosh..!!! The Round Table Studio…!!!”

“Hey. Hey!!! Where are you going!!! That’s a military area!!!”

Only after twisting Nikolai’s chin, who was about to run wild, did Allen manage to reach their destination with the group.

Allen hadn’t noticed it when they recruited him, but upon reflection, it seemed that Nikolai was also a great asset.

While he thought getting to know a new side of his comrade was interesting, he also realized that this was just one of the many ways to bond.

Nikolai, who was dangling like a load on his shoulder and couldn’t see ahead, was finally set down by Allen and could understand their destination.

“Brother. Are we going to sign a contract with a sandwich specialty inn?”

“Don’t pretend you didn’t see it. That’s our destination on the other side.”

“No way! Are we really going there? We’re just students!”

The direction Nikolai pointed in had a massive stadium with a sign that read “Wrestle Kingdom.”

But Allen, completely ignoring Nikolai, strode straight towards the colosseum.

“What are you doing? Hurry up.”

“Hah… gasp… oh my god…”

“Breathe, dude. Just breathe.”

As they got closer to the building, Nikolai realized Allen wasn’t joking. With every step, his breathing got heavier.

Celestia shot a cold, unimpressed glance at Nikolai.

“What’s the big deal with all this?”

“Oh, you don’t know about Wrestle Kingdom! Well, I guess elves wouldn’t. It’s a massive global sports-entertainment art form that drives non-elven races crazy!”

“Five years ago, they burst onto the scene like a comet, bringing a new form of entertainment to the world called pro-wrestling, and within a few months, they took over the entertainment industry!
They’re partnered with the Kinetic Arts Tower, and they’re famous for broadcasting this exclusive sports program! It averages 5 million viewers! Sometimes tens of millions tune in for events—it’s a gigantic sports industry!”

“I know what it is. It’s that no-rules fighting in the ring with no magic or weapons, just body-enhancement combat. But isn’t that basically just a movie or a no-holds-barred fight? I don’t get why people go nuts over it.”

“What!!”

Nikolai’s face twisted into a mask of anger, resembling a ferocious demon.

“How dare you compare pro-wrestling to movies! I won’t tolerate this—!!”

But before his rage could escalate, Nikolai’s outburst was swiftly put down.

Thanks to Allen’s smooth submission hold, Nikolai’s arm was twisted behind his back.

“Calm down. No need to get so mad. Some people just don’t know. It’s better to explain now before we go in, so they’ll enjoy it more. Mind if I explain?”

“Fine. Just don’t yell like the guy you’ve got in a headlock. My head’s already pounding.”

“Got it. So, you said pro-wrestling and movies are similar, right? In some ways, they are. There’s a script, and the fights get pretty intense.
But what sets pro-wrestling apart is that style is everything.”

In a world where holy magic and mana exist, pro-wrestling was very different from what Allen had known in his past life.

Dangerous moves that could actually hurt someone were allowed, and depending on the race, things like scratching and striking were fair game.

You might think it’s just a no-rules brawl, but pro-wrestling had its own special rule:

It had to look cool.

Practicality? Forget it. The move just needed to be epic.

If the audience’s adrenaline spiked from watching it, then anything was allowed.

But if the move was too plain and boring, that was a foul.

“Since style is so important, winning and losing don’t matter much. Wrestlers’ victories are decided by audience popularity.
This isn’t just symbolic—it’s literal.
Matchups are decided by votes, and losers even get a second chance through voting.
Why do you think they do everything live? If they didn’t want audience participation, they’d just pre-record it and make it a movie. Does that make more sense now?”

“Yeah, I get it. So, it’s basically turning fan-voted matchups into a full-on sport and entertainment combo.”

“Exactly.”

Despite Allen’s thorough explanation, Celestia still didn’t look too impressed.

To elves, bare-knuckle fighting was a barbaric tradition. No matter how much he tried to romanticize it, she just couldn’t understand.

But since this was part of her job, and she’d likely be working with these people, she seemed to at least try to grasp it.

‘She’s got a decent work ethic,’ Allen thought.

He was ready to personally whip her into shape if she let her pride as an elf disrupt the team, but it looked like that wouldn’t be necessary.

Releasing Nikolai, who’d been tapping out the whole time, Allen pulled a ticket from his pocket.

“I’m gonna go talk to the person in charge. You two go enjoy the match.”

The only one Allen could really trust was Aily, so he handed the tickets to her.

Rubbing his sore arm, Nikolai’s eyes zeroed in on the ticket that had ended up in Aily’s hands.

“Isn’t this the first week of the season?”

“Yup.”

“And you got us tickets??”

“Yup.”

“Bro, you’re good at ticketing too??”

“I guess.”

Nikolai’s excitement shot through the roof as he checked out the ticket Aily was holding.

“And this is a VIP seat!!”

“It’s just close to the ring.”

“THAT’S WHAT MAKES IT VIP! This is the Superstar Hollywood Walk Package! We’ll watch the match up close, walk the wrestlers’ entrance, and even get—”

“Alright, alright. Calm down. Aily, keep an eye on him.”

“Should I make handcuffs?”

“If needed.”

Leaving Nikolai in Aily’s care, Allen vanished toward the backstage area. Aily, now stuck with two live grenades, glanced nervously at her two charges.

While Nikolai was busy rolling around the wrestlers’ entrance and clinging to a free t-shirt, Aily and Celestia found their seats.

They opened the pamphlets they got at the entrance and started checking out this season’s wrestlers.

Neither of them was particularly interested in the match, but since they were in VIP seats, they figured they might as well enjoy it.

However, both of them were clueless about who any of the wrestlers were.

Celestia eventually gave up, tossing the pamphlet aside with a shrug.

Nikolai, having finished his tour of the arena, picked up the pamphlet and scanned the lineup.

“Storm Rat, Nick Kade, Red Brawler… wow. This season is stacked! It’s gonna be hard to vote for matchups with a lineup like this.”

Normally, getting tickets was tough, but when the season began, the competition was off the charts.

The people who made it into the arena that day were granted the privilege of voting for the season’s matchups.

The very chance to see their favorite wrestlers in their dream matchups was reason enough to fight for those overpriced tickets.

“Do you want me to vote on your behalf?” Nikolai offered.

“Do what you want.”

They handed their voting crystals to Nikolai without a second thought.

Nikolai had ended up with three votes in total—more than enough power to influence the matchups.

If the person advocating for it had seen the scene, they would have lamented, but sadly, the rules governing the arena were strictly capitalistic.

Nikolai was a legitimate customer, and they were legitimate customers as well, so even if they cast their voting rights in Nikolai’s favor, the arena didn’t care.

It was merely a matter of returning the crystal after the match.

After a brief wait, the band located in a corner of the arena began to play.

As all the lights illuminating the arena went out, the audience let out a short cheer, and the band’s performance filled the arena.

Gripping their racing hearts to the beat of the drums, the audience nervously scanned the stage.

Then, as if by magic, the host appeared, illuminated by the spotlight in the center of the stage.

“Hello-everyone-!”

The gentleman in a fedora, notable for his impressive mustache, greeted the audience with a flourish of his tongue.

As the crowd cheered, the host slightly lifted his hat to calm the commotion.

After a brief opening remark, the host declared the official start of the season.

“Now then! From this moment, with your fiery cheers—let’s kick off Wrestling Kingdom Season 10!!!”

It was time for the tournament bracket voting.

During the short wait, the audience began to ponder how to give their favorite wrestler a chance to climb higher in the tournament.

When voting began, they first displayed the most popular wrestler from the previous season, usually the champion.

The audience then voted for a vacant slot from 1 to 32 for that champion, and he would be placed there based on majority vote.

Of course, since it was a seasonal event held weekly on Saturdays and Sundays over a total of 16 weeks, those who came to the arena that day would only see one match.

Naturally, they couldn’t leave without seeing the champion’s match, so it was customary for the champion to take slot number 1.

Today’s match was no different from any other season.

“The first wrestler to grace this Wrestling Kingdom bracket is none other than!

The founder of Wrestling Kingdom!

The living legend who held the longest championship title in history and lifted the Alkaides Cup twice!

What more is there to say? Let’s meet him!

King—Lion!!”

As the lion beastman with a magnificent mane appeared on the screen, people immediately entered 1 without hesitation.

The host feigned surprise, pulling out a handkerchief and making a joke about the voting results, but the audience’s intent was clear.

“Well, it seems this vote is a bit pointless. Now, let’s reveal the next competitor.”

The voting proceeded in the same manner.

When the second most popular wrestler appeared on screen, people would choose a number between 2 and 32 for him.

However, human emotions tend to want to save the tasty treats for later, so typically the second place would be voted into the farthest slot, 32, to meet in the finals.

The host, seemingly aware of this, joked with the audience, asking if there was any reason to vote anyway.

Just then, a staff member suddenly approached the host and whispered something in his ear while handing him a new script, causing the host’s cheerful demeanor to falter.

“Excuse me? From the underworld?”

Unlike before, he seemed genuinely taken aback, wiping his sweat with the handkerchief and dropping his hat.

Then, with exaggerated trembling hands, he began to read the new script.

“Ladies and gentlemen. I apologize. There will be an urgent announcement.”

As if on cue, the band suddenly shifted from a lively tune to a low, tense melody.

Strange smoke began to rise from the stage.

“The second wrestler, Storm Let, has… forfeited.”

Boom!

The sound of drums reminiscent of thunder followed the host’s words.

“And occupying that spot is… Ah, I can’t read this! I’m leaving!”

The host fled through the fog.

But his escape didn’t last long.

A dark figure pounced on the fleeing host and dragged him into the mist.

Crack!

A sound of something breaking echoed through the microphone.

The audience peered into the fog in fear.

A short while later, a whistling sound came from within the mist.

The audience turned their gaze toward the direction of the whistle.

But there was nothing left but the scattered fog, suggesting someone had once been there.

Only the bright red footprints and bloodstains remained.

Thud.

As the audience focused on the footprints, a black silhouette emerged from the mist, tapping the microphone that stood abandoned on the stage.

Only after the dim lights illuminated him did his face become visible.

Below the neck, he was human, but above it, he was a wolf.

His body was massive, his face scarred, and the black metal prosthetics on his left arm and leg absorbed the light.

Under the red scar drawn across his left eye, the crimson glow flickered, igniting a blaze of hatred within him.

“While I was away, I can only imagine how dull Wrestling Kingdom has become… Judging by the host’s state, I can see it clearly.”

As his growling voice echoed through the arena, the audience tensed up in unison.

The wolf whistled for a moment in the silence, pacing around the stage, before bringing the microphone back to his lips.

“Tonight, the great and wicked wolf joins the hunt.”

Awooooo!

His howl filled the stadium with a deafening roar.