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The elaborate elevated stage erupted with several volleys of sparkling blue, crisp silver and deep red fireworks to indicate the show's commencement which was familiar to fans of their weekly broadcasts. It was loud and quite direct but it was still able to draw out an enthusiastic cheer of the crowd in attendance. This was followed by the pre-recorded theme of the show blaring through the speakers of that consisted of wicked guitar riffs and a combination of taiko drums that ramped up the intensity of the moment. The screens found on the ramp would echo everything shot by the camera crew, giving the attendees a view regardless of where they were seated.

The commentary team were seated on the sidelines and announced the start of the show. It consisted a well-dressed Kaiu and a Yasuki dressed in a robe with red and white koi motifs.



As soon as the cheers simmered, the Kaiu announced the start of the show. "Welcome to a very special edition Rumble Slam Arena and we are at Shiro Yaoke on the Asakaze! I am Kaiu Keiichi and I am joined by my co-host, Yasuki Sakae-san!"

"We are pleased to be with you today. Silver Fin Productions is honoured to have the Rumble Slam Arena hosted by the gracious governor of Shiro Yaoke, Asako Naokuni-dono," the second commentator chimed in after her co-host and they bowed in unison afterwards.

"Now, let's not keep our audience waiting and get right into our match of the night!"

The lighting around the rampway dimmed and the dry-ice smoke started to rise from the side to create a rather sinister atmosphere. There was theme music that started that sounded rebellious with rapid drum beats and electric instruments. "This match is scheduled for one fall and for the Vermilion Bird Championship Title! Introducing first to the ring...from Hida Secundus and representing the Delinquent Club, she is the MENACE!"



Out emerged from the rising wall of smoke was a wrestler dressed in a traditional dark-blue sailor fuku uniform with grey accents. The Menace had long smoky ash-coloured hair and wore an eyepatch with her other uncovered eye showing a sinister red-pupil. She carried a bat with her and gave a few wild swings of it as she walked out with a mischievous grin.

The second host found some humour in the predicament before them. "This match had come to be after Hida Hikaru-sama had interfered with the Delinquent Club's reign of chaos. Now she finds herself in their crosshairs as they are all challenging her for the Vermillion Bird Championship belt. As the second-in-command of the Delinquent Club, the Menace is bound to give her a tough challenge!"

The Menace's music ceased after the made her way to the ring. The music changed to something more traditional instruments of a taiko drum and an upbeat shamisen. Unlike her opponent, the stage didn't take on any special effects and was lit normally. "And introducing her opponent, from Rokugan...she is the WARDEN and your Vermillion Bird Champion, Hida Hikaru-sama!"



Hida Hikaru strolled in after her introduction, dressed in an outfit that was more traditional of a sparring gi and hakama in Crab colours. By her waist, she carried a Clan magistrate's badge that was made of painted clay. She had long black hair that was swept back with a red headband that had a metal guard on it. After given a proud nod, she walked down the ramp and waved to the cheering audience in the stadium. The championship belt was worn her waist which was made of several metal plates that were reminiscent of samurai armour design and it featured a Vermillion Bird at its centre, one of the celestial emblems of the starry heavens.

"I believe for this particular match, Hida Hikaru-sama has laid down the law and petitioned to make it illegal to have any companions to this match. She has known the tactics of the Delinquent Club and knows their tendency to play dirty with their numbers. This will be a fair and even match," the second commentator pipped in.

As Hikaru made her way to the ring, so did the referee, who was a stout middle-aged Crab who might have seen some wrestling days in his prime at some point before retiring to this position. He circled around the ring to ensure both wrestlers put the unneeded parts of their costumes on the side of the ring and were ready. Weapons and foreign object were often not allowed in matches. Hikaru climbed into the ring through the ropes and presented her belt to the referee. The referee lifted the polished metal belt up to see to show what was on the line, Hida Hikaru’s name was visible on the side plates.

The Menace merely gave a glance to the side and immediately changed for Hikaru to tackle her with her shoulder just as the bell had barely finished ringing to announce the start of the match. Hikaru fell to the floor in her corner with a rumble that seemed to project from the ring itself, her head barely missing the padded buckle of the ring and she raised her arms defensively to block. The Menace looked furious in her attack as she gave her a quick combination of fists and elbow strikes against her defences. This easily caused some of the audience to erupt in a wave of boos.

"Wait, what? Looks like the Menace is getting an early offensive on Hida-senshu. Was that even legal? Either way, Hida-senshu doesn’t seem not ready for the ferocity of the Menace!"

"Anything goes once the bell has hung and the Menace is all about taking the advantage."

The Menace would continue her assault with a few more strikes before she rose from the competitor with a dismissive laugh and turned her attention to the audience at large. Those sitting close could see her mock Hikaru with 'what a joke!' and 'so weak!' to earn further disapproval from the crowd.

"The Menace celebrating early it seems, especially getting the first strike in. It might be too early to know if it’s a clear advantage. At the moment, it looks bad for Hida-senshu."

"And these two competitors couldn't be any more different in many ways. Hida Hikaru-sama comes from a long line of Clan magistrates in Rokugan, training in hand-to-hand techniques as part of their duty to maintain the peace. Menace-senshu, a newcomer by comparison with only two years of experience but highly accomplished and very talented. It's perhaps that merciless nature about her that's behind her success! She may not be Champion but that doesn’t mean she should be underestimated by our current Vermillion Bird Champion."

As the Menace continued to gloat, Hikaru stood to her feet after the referee and looked more annoyed than hurt at what transpired. Hikaru grabbed her opponent and spun her around to face her, much to the shock of the Hiruma. She placed an arm around her neck and drove her head toward the mat of the ring with a resounding impact echoing the stadium.

“And Hida-senshu planting Menace-senshu face-first into the ground as payback!”

The Menace did indeed clutch her head after the slam, her ashen hair curls were indeed a mess after being tussled. She kicked her feet on the floor in an exaggerated show of pain and frustration, growling as she did so. Hikaru moved over to her to pick her back up and her opponent immediately went on the defensive as they found themselves in a grappling struggle as their arms locked around each other’s shoulders. It almost looked like Hikaru manage to get enough strength to lift the Menace easily until she gave a few kicks in the air and found herself back on the ground. Then, it almost seemed like The Menace was going to do the same for her opponent as a counter but struggled to fully lift her as Hikaru was steadfast to keep her stance firm with her foot wrapped around the other's ankle for leverage. After a brief tug of war, Hikaru lifted her effortlessly and slammed her on her back with an echoing impact.

"A great suplex from the champion! Hida-senshu displaying her strength advantage as well as her experience!"

The move sparked great cheer from the audience as the Menace writhed in pain on the ground. Hikaru quickly moved to pin her opponent by scooping her legs and angled her into the floor. This prompted the referee to run over, kneeling to get a better vantage to see if both shoulders were on the ground.

"We could see a quick finish here tonight!"

"One! Two!" The referee would call out with a quick slap on the ground on each count. Before a three could be called, the Menace kicked her feet up in the air and wiggled out of Hikaru's pin with her hand in the air. The referee shook his head as he stood back to his feet, holding two fingers up to show the official count was only two.

"But only a near fall! There is still much fire in Menace-senshu!"

Hikaru picked up her opponent as she got to her feet and held the Menace by her wrist. Winding back her free hand back first, the Hida lands a sharp strike with her backhand on the other Crab right below her collar. The slap was quick audible and sounded almost as intense as a whip. This had the Menace reeling in pain but Hikaru kept her standing with her grasp. The Hida wound back once more and landing another strike on her opponent that was no less intense than the first. Regardless of who people were cheering or booing, that prompted some of the crowd to flinch in pain and made it rather audible at how that must have felt with a "oooouuu".

"Powerful chops from Hida-senshu! I'm surprised her opponent was still standing after the first. She would have been smarter to fall and break away."

With her opponent still in her grasp, Hikaru yanked her toward the ropes on the other side of the ring. The Menace was sent running and bounces off the ropes to meet Hikaru, who hooked her into a grapple into her arms and used that momentum to flip her in the air to send her crashing on her back with a judo-style hip toss. Anyone sitting close could hear the impact in the ring and structure giving a small creak. The Menace emoted her surprise as she placed her hand on her back and was slightly hunched over from the damage that was done to her.

"A spectacular hip toss from Hida-senshu and the Menace did not like that one bit, clearly!"

The Menace rolled out of the wrestling ring from under the ropes that prompted the whole arena to break out in boos and jeers as she displayed some cowardice. She circled around the ring to walk by some of the seated audience, waving a hand in refusal. Hikaru walked over to the ropes and demanded that she get in. The referee did the same, as she could get a disqualification if she stayed out long enough. The Menace continued to favour her back like she has suffered a great bruise.

"The Menace thought this was going to be easy but it looks like she just found out that Hida-senshu is the Vermillion Bird Champion for a very good reason."

Just as Hikaru looked away for a moment, the Menace jumped up to grab Hikaru's head and pull her down toward the ropes, effectively using them to choke her. Hikaru put both hands on the ropes and attempted to pull away to no avail. The referee quickly demanded the Menace to unhand her opponent as using the ropes were discouraged from the match. The Menace coyly feigned innocence on the matter at first before letting go of her with a smug look on her face. Hikaru staggered back and fell to the floor as she caught her breath. The audience broke out in displeasure and made themselves heard in greater volume than before.

"Underhanded tactics from the Menace! But it worked, it seems she put on the breaks to Hida-senshu's momentum!"

The Menace gave a hapless shrug at the wave of displeasure for the crowd, as if not knowing what they were upset by exactly. She jumped back into ring with ease and walked up to her opponent to snap a quick kick to her back that seemed to sound quick audibly painful by the impact alone. Before the magistrate could recover from the attack, the Menace knelt down and put her arms around Hikaru in a headlock. Thankfully, Hikaru managed to get a hand in there to prevent it from fully locking in but it did only offer a token defense.

"The Menace taking advantage of the downed Hida-senshu and putting more pressure on that neck again. It didn't even look like she had a chance to catch her breath! That kick might have taken the breath out of her lungs!"

The referee knelt down and gage what was happening, both looking to see the well-being of the wrestlers and to see if Hikaru was going to submit to the hold. Hikaru struggled against the hold as she tried to wiggle out futilely. She held one shaky hand up to show that she was not giving up. This prompted the crowd to clap their hands together rhythmically to encourage the champion to keep fighting. "Hi-da! Hi-da!"

"Hida-senshu not giving up just yet! The fans are lending their support and hoping she hangs on!"

Hikaru slowly returned to her feet as the other wrestler tried to keep hold of her and doing her best to keep her from doing so without much success. With one free arm, Hikaru began to elbow the wrestler behind her and she was released after two strikes. Hikaru took advantage of her moment and yanked the Menace toward the ropes. She dipped forward as it seemed like she was about to grapple the Menace. However, it seemed her opponent managed to fully expect this tactic and jumped high before she could connect, got on Hikaru's back and rolled off. The Menace landed on her feet and snap high kick to the back of Hikaru's head and caused her to crumble like a sack of yams without support.

"A show of agility from the Menace and capitalizing with that stinging kick to the back of her head!"

The crowd seemed to gasp loudly at that show of athleticism not quite knowing what to expect until Hikaru took that vicious kick to the back of her head. After the proverbial smoke cleared, everyone started to boo at the woman left standing. The Menace looked rather smug and merely bowed mockingly at their displeasure. After the bit of showboating, she went to pin her opponent. The referee was on point and got into position to do the count, "One! Two!"

Hikaru has some sensibilities returned to her apparently and angled her shoulder to the side to avoid the full three count, which prompted the audience to clap that managed to get out of her predicament. Although, it didn't seem she put much effort into it, given her current condition.

"Hida-senshu managed to get up after that deadly kick but it doesn't look like there is much left in her. It looks like she might have been hit somewhere serious."

The Menace glared at the referee and held up three fingers, clearly having a difference of opinion of how the count was handled. "That was three! Learn to do your job! One, two, three!" She would shout at him while clapping her hands three times in quick succession as if to show exactly how he should have counted it. The referee would shake his head at her antics with a rather stoic expression on his face, seemingly intent on keeping things fair, holding two fingers to indicate his final judgment. She rolled her one eye at him and stood up, pulling her opponent back to her feet as well.

Hikaru attempted to push the opponent back with a light elbow jab which caused the Menace to stagger from the hit. Incensed, she counter-attached with a running knee strike that connected to Hikaru's gut and sent her reeling.

"That powerful knee strike pacified Hida-senshu!"

Those sitting close could hear an audible growl from the Menace as this annoyed her. She drew a thumb across her throat in a rather threatening gesture, as if to show that was going to be executing someone. Making her way over to the weakened Hikaru, she picked her from the side. Menace hefted her ontop her shoulders and after a beat, she immediately flipped her over in an exerting move to send her falling headfirst onto her waiting bent knee in a gruesome display of strength.

"Ooof! Oh no! An ushigoroshi from Menace-senshu! That might be lights out now!"

The Menace staggered back slightly after that move and winced in pain as it seemed that her back was aching, potentially at the earlier moves done by her opponent. As tremendously devastating as it was, it didn't look entirely effortless on her part at least and she took a few seconds to nurse her back with a hand. Not wanting to waste any more time than she already had, she went over to cover her opponent for the win. Hikaru laid there with her eye closed like she was knocked out cold from the act. The referee got into position to make the count.

"The Menace going for the cover. This could be it. One! Two!"

Just as he was about to put his down for the third count, Hikaru shot her arm upwards and gasped back to life. This stunned Menace as she was taken aback by her opponent's seemingly Fortune-blessed toughness. Some of the attendees in cheer and outrage at the near fall. The referee gestured officially that it was a close two and a three-quarters count, which was still not a full three count.

"...And NO! Hida-senshu is still in this fight! This is a great testament of her resilience and fortitude. An absolutely incredible feat from our current Vermillion Bird Champion!"

The Menace slammed her fists on the mat in a fit of anger, clearly enraged as she felt that victory was hers. She climbed atop of her and gave her a quick flurry of punches to keep her down. After Hikaru was pacified, she made her way to the top turnbuckle with an athletic jump up and she stood on the top ropes for balance.

"Now the Menace is going for a high-risk maneuver off the top ropes. We've seen this many times from Menace-senshu, the flipping aerial drop she calls the Sky Piercer. Nobody has yet to be able to kick out from that crushing move!"

"She has to pull all the stops if she wants to be a Rumble Slam Arena Champion! We might just see a new Champion tonight!"

Just as the Menace was about to get in position, Hikaru staggered back to her feet with mustered effort and gave a forceful tug at the ropes to knock the Menace off balance. The Menace seemingly slipped off the ropes and landed straddling the top turnbuckle without warning.

"And the Menace was greatly punished for her high-risk attempt. A great counter from the Champion!"

Hikaru staggered a few steps back with her hand on the back of her head and gave it a few shakes, clearly trying to get herself to become more focused after all of the attacks she endured. “Enough! I’m putting you away!” She called out in a declaration, which incited cheers from the crowd who felt the change in momentum in the match. Quickly taking advantage of her stunned opponent, she quickly rushed to the corner where the Menace was still seated and she managed to pick her up by the waist and neck before she flung the other woman overhead to the mat of the ring to great effect

"Hida-senshu bringing her opponent back into the ring with a powerful toss! That looked painful!"

Hikaru walked over to her dazed opponent and grabbed her, hooking an arm around her neck. She then lifted her straightened body up in the air by her waist. With a turn as she carried her opponent in the air, Hikaru sat down while slamming the Menace into the ground at the same time.

"And puts Menace-senshu down with a FINAL JUSTICE!"

It seemed elementary at this point, as Hikaru put her hands on the shoulders of the prone Menace. The referee made his way to where they were and began to initial to three-count. The Menace laid there with her eyes closed, looking like she was either unconscious or too dazed to put up much of a fight.

"Hida-senshu putting the pin on the Menace now. One. Two! THREE!"

At the three-count, the referee held up a hand and pointed to the attendant at the bell to make his official call that it was a match won by Hikaru. The bell rang twice and the crowd erupted into cheers as Hikaru's theme began to play on cue.

"Hida Hikaru-sama is your winner of the match and still Vermillion Bird Champion after a successful title defense! What an incredible match by both performers. It was close but it seems that Hida-sama's experience and most importantly, her uncanny resilience gave her a clear advantage!"

"She’s not quite out of the woods yet, I could imagine that she will continue to see more trouble from the Delinquent Club soon. The Menace failed to take the Championship away but I could only imagine that the Delinquent Club leader, Hida Yusuke the Hand, will have his sights set on Hikaru next! Sooner than later!"

Hikaru accepted the belt from the referee after he retrieved it for her and handed it to her. She took her decorative belt and climbed to the top ropes before holding it high triumphantly to the cheering crowd before her. The Menace rolled out of the ring and began staggering away like she was wounded after being defeated, making herself scarce as all of the attention was on the winner of the match.

/end of the match

At the conclusion of the match, they waited for the crowd to simmer down after the excitement. Hda Hikaru lingered for a moment to wave and greet fans who were sitting at ringside before making her departure as well. Once they did began to quiet, the lights dim slightly and one of the commentators would speak to the audience.

"Thank you for being a wonderful crowd, minisama! It is an absolute pleasure to be here in Shiro Yaoke. Be sure to come back tomorrow for the Asakaze Championship! Will YOU become the Asakaze Champion?"