Aired -May 22, 2026
(Black screen. The sound of a heavy book opening.)
(A candle ignites. Ink creeps across parchment like it’s alive.)
(A choir hums low. A single bell tolls—slower this time.)
Voice-over (smooth, ominous):
“Once upon a time… they told you monsters weren’t real.”
(beat)
“They were wrong.”
(The ink burns darker now—spreading like rot across the page.)
“Here… they don’t hide.”
“They reign.”
(The words sear into the screen like a cursed fairytale title card.)
NPCW: DARK FABLE
Voice-over:
“This is the MYTHIC Division.”
“Welcome… to DARK FABLE.”
SIGNATURE MONTAGE (Q2)
1) Frankenstein’s Monster — Mythic Crown Champion
(Lightning rends the sky. Thunder shakes the frame.)
Mordred swings with fury—desperation made flesh.
The Monster does not fall.
He absorbs. Endures. Advances.
A hand clamps around Mordred—lifting him as if he weighs nothing.
A devastating slam. The ring buckles.
Silence—then impact echoes like judgment.
The Monster stands over him. Crown claimed. Not won—taken.
2) The Enforcers — Kong & Ogre
(Steel chains drag across stone. Heavy footsteps echo.)
Kong crushes a man into the mat with raw force—no finesse, only inevitability.
Ogre follows—lifting, driving, ending.
Tag precision without mercy.
Two bodies fall.
Two monsters stand.
Gold raised—not in celebration… but in ownership.
3) King Arthur
(A sword is driven into the ground. The camera circles.)
Arthur rises from one knee—battle-worn, unbroken.
A strike dodged. A counter delivered clean.
Another opponent falls. Then another.
He does not roar.
He does not boast.
He simply stands…
The last one left.
4) Takuma Ryujin
(A dragon’s silhouette coils through smoke.)
Takuma explodes forward—precision wrapped in violence.
A brutal strike combination snaps his opponent backward.
Then—final impact. Sudden. Absolute.
He kneels for a moment… not in weakness—
But in control.
5) Morgana Le Faye
(Dark mist curls across the screen.)
Her opponent charges.
Morgana does not move—until it’s already over.
A twist. A trap. A cruel, inevitable finish.
She rises slowly, eyes cold.
This was never a match.
It was a lesson.
6) Blonde Bombshells — Alice & Dorothy
(Bright light flickers… then distorts.)
Alice spins through an opponent—fluid, sharp.
Dorothy follows—precise, perfectly timed.
Double-team execution—clean, ruthless, synchronized.
They stand side by side.
Not innocence.
Not nostalgia.
Something sharper… wearing a familiar face.
7) Robin Hood
(An arrow cuts across the screen—transitioning the shot.)
Robin slips a strike by inches.
Counters instantly—clean, efficient.
Another opponent falls to precision, not power.
He looks into the hard cam—calm, defiant.
A thief.
A hero.
A problem.
8) Monsters of Myth — Hydra Veyne, Medussa Nemesis, Serpenta Veyne
(A low hiss fills the air. Multiple shadows move at once.)
Hydra overwhelms—relentless, many-headed offense.
Medussa strikes—cold, calculated, finishing with venom.
Serpenta coils and crushes—tight, suffocating control.
Three forces. One presence.
They do not fight for victory.
They consume it.
(The choir rises. War drums thunder beneath it.)
(The arena appears—lit like a cathedral built for conflict.)
Voice-over:
“This isn’t the North.”
“This isn’t the light.”
(beat)
“In DARK FABLE… the story doesn’t end happily.”
(The music drops—just the bell now.)
“It ends… with a winner.”
(beat—longer than before)
“And now… the winners are changing the story.”
“This… is DARK FABLE.”
The camera rises from the blackened mouth of the entrance tunnel into the vast stone chamber of Scrooge’s Camelot Coliseum.
The building is full.
Not loud in celebration.
Loud in warning.
Torchlight bends across the upper balconies. Crimson banners hang beside gold ones. Green Sherwood flags ripple from the lower bowl. The old stone walls hold the sound and throw it back down over the ring like thunder sealed beneath a castle roof.
The camera sweeps across the first section.
Blue and gold scarves rise in unison.
A painted sailcloth banner stretches across three rows:
SINBAD STILL SAILS
Another sign shows a ship cutting through black water, the Eternal Flame burning at the bow while Sandman’s shadow rises behind it.
The chant begins immediately.
“SIN-BAD!”
“SIN-BAD!”
“SIN-BAD!”
A fan near the aisle holds up a broken cardboard crown with the words:
HE LOST THE FLAME
HE DID NOT LOSE THE SEA
Another sign reads:
SANDMAN TOOK THE TITLE
SINBAD TAKES THE FIGHT
The chant grows louder.
“SIN-BAD! SIN-BAD! SIN-BAD!”
The camera moves to another section.
Sherwood green dominates the frame.
Fans hold foam arrows, rough wooden shields, red scarves, and hand-painted banners marked with the Merry Band crest. One sign shows Robin Hood standing between Will Scarlett, Little John, and Friar Tuck beneath the words:
THE FOREST DOES NOT KNEEL
Another reads:
SHERIFF BROUGHT LAW
ROBIN BRINGS JUSTICE
A third, held by two fans near the barricade:
WILL FOUGHT THIRTY
TONIGHT THEY FIGHT TOGETHER
The crowd pounds the rail.
“RO-BIN!”
“RO-BIN!”
Then the chant widens.
“MERRY BAND! MERRY BAND! MERRY BAND!”
The camera cuts higher into the Coliseum.
A pocket of fans dressed in white, silver, and royal blue stand beneath a banner bearing Lady Guinevere’s crest.
One sign reads:
GUINEVERE STOOD THROUGH THE GHOST
Another:
YUREI FELL
THE LADY ROSE
A younger fan holds a painted shield that says:
GUINEVERE VS MORGANA
THE CROWN KNOWS THE DIFFERENCE
The reaction is proud, disciplined, almost knightly.
“GUIN-E-VERE!”
“GUIN-E-VERE!”
The shot shifts again.
Bright blue and gold breaks through the gloom.
Fans wearing Blonde Bombshells shirts hold crooked door signs, ruby slipper drawings, and blue ribbons tied around their wrists. One sign reads:
DOROTHY DOESN’T WALK ALONE
Another reads:
ALICE BEAT MORGANA
DOROTHY BEATS THE QUEENS
A third sign shows two playing cards torn in half beneath the words:
NO HOUSE WINS FOREVER
The chant turns sharper.
“DOR-O-THY!”
“DOR-O-THY!”
A second chant answers from behind it.
“BOMB-SHELLS! BOMB-SHELLS!”
The camera then finds the largest royal pocket of the night.
Gold.
Blue.
White.
A sea of Arthurian banners rises from the lower bowl to the upper deck.
One massive painted standard shows King Arthur standing beneath Excalibur with Frankenstein’s Monster looming behind him in stormlight.
The words across it:
THE KING STILL STANDS
Another reads:
KAEN SUBMITTED
THE MONSTER WILL FALL
A third:
ARTHUR, LANCELOT, GAWAIN
CAMELOT ANSWERS MONSTERS
The chant does not begin as a roar.
It begins like a vow.
“AR-THUR.”
“AR-THUR.”
Then it grows until the whole building seems to carry it.
“AR-THUR! AR-THUR! AR-THUR!”
The camera pulls back to a wide shot of Scrooge’s Camelot Coliseum.
Sinbad’s blue and gold.
Sherwood green.
Guinevere’s silver.
The Blonde Bombshells’ bright defiance.
Arthur’s royal banners.
All of them living inside the same dark cathedral.
The shot settles at the commentary desk.
Julian Ward sits composed in a dark charcoal suit, notes squared neatly before him, eyes steady on the ring.
Brick Brody leans back beside him, arms crossed, jaw set, the expression of a man who hears a roaring crowd and wonders how many of them would still cheer if the fight spilled into their row.
Julian Ward: “Welcome back to Dark Fable, live from Scrooge’s Camelot Coliseum. The torches are lit, the banners have been raised, and this building carries the weight of everything that has brought us here. Last week left titles unsettled, alliances tested, and enemies closer than they were before. Tonight, those consequences do not wait in the distance. They step directly into the ring.”
Brick Brody: “Good. Waiting is for cowards and poets. This crowd can wave all the flags it wants, Julian, but tonight those flags are going to get blood on them. Sinbad wants his flame back. Robin Hood wants revenge. Guinevere wants Morgana. Arthur wants monsters. That is not a wrestling card. That is a list of grudges with bell times.”
The camera cuts back to the Sinbad section.
A fan holds up a sign shaped like a ship’s wheel:
ONE WEEK WAS NOT THE END
Julian Ward: “The Eternal Flame Title remains one of the most volatile prizes in the Mythic Division. Last week, Sandman reclaimed it from Sinbad in a Triple Threat Match, pinning the very man who had defeated him seven days prior. Then, at the Mythic Division Super House Show, Sandman retained against Takuma Ryujin in a two-out-of-three falls main event. Tonight, Sinbad receives his direct opportunity to take back what he lost.”
Brick Brody: “And that is a dangerous kind of opportunity. Sinbad lost the title fast, Julian. That kind of loss either hollows a man out or hardens him. But Sandman? Sandman already proved he can lose the flame, come back, and take it with one kick. Sinbad better not walk in there looking for closure. Closure gets you pinned.”
Julian Ward: “Sinbad also earned this path by defeating Sir Galahad at the Super House Show in an Eternal Flame number one contender’s match. He did not have an easy road back. He created one.”
Brick Brody: “Created one, stole one, survived one — whatever you want to call it. He pinned Galahad with a reversal, and that matters. But tonight is different. Sandman is not Galahad. Sandman does not care about honor, title lineage, or whether the crowd thinks the story should be fair. He cares about putting Sinbad down and keeping the flame in the dark.”
The camera finds the Sherwood section again.
The chant rises.
“MERRY BAND! MERRY BAND!”
Julian Ward: “And there may be no rivalry in this building tonight carrying more open hostility than the war between the Merry Band and the King’s Hand. Last week, Will Scarlett fought Brute Bailiff to a thirty-minute time-limit draw. Afterward, Ledger Knight joined the attack, Robin Hood attempted to make the save, and the Sheriff of Nottingham made his arrival with brutal force.”
Brick Brody: “That was not an arrival. That was an arrest with fists. Robin Hood came sprinting down that aisle like a hero, and the Sheriff cut him off like a castle gate slamming shut. I don’t like Prince John. I don’t like the Bailiff. I don’t like the Ledger Knight. But I know strategy when I see it. They knew Robin would come. They had the monster waiting.”
Julian Ward: “Alton Bell answered by setting tonight’s six-man match: Will Scarlett, Little John, and Friar Tuck against Brute Bailiff, Ledger Knight, and the Sheriff of Nottingham. But before that collision, Robin Hood himself opens tonight against the Black Knight.”
Brick Brody: “That is the part that worries me for Robin. He got wrecked last week, and now he starts the night against the Black Knight before his Merry Band goes to war later. Brave? Sure. Smart? We will find out after we see whether he can still turn his neck.”
The camera cuts to a fan sign:
ROBIN FIRST
MERRY BAND LAST
SHERWOOD ALL NIGHT
Julian Ward: “Robin Hood has carried the burden of resistance before. Tonight, he carries it under pressure, knowing his men fight later and knowing the Sheriff is now part of Prince John’s machine.”
Brick Brody: “Resistance sounds noble until the machine gets close enough to grind. That is what tonight is going to test.”
The camera moves to the Lady Guinevere supporters.
Silver banners lift.
“GUIN-E-VERE!”
Julian Ward: “Lady Guinevere also enters tonight with momentum. At the Mythic Division Super House Show, she defeated Yurei Rinn despite Lord Kurogami’s presence and the Blood Oni threat at ringside. Tonight, she faces Morgana Le Faye, a woman whose pride was publicly wounded last week when Alice pinned her in this very ring.”
Brick Brody: “That is a nasty combination. Guinevere has momentum, Morgana has humiliation, and humiliation is gasoline for somebody like her. Alice beat Morgana last week, and Lilith sat out here picking her apart with every word. Morgana has been stewing in that embarrassment. Guinevere better understand she is not just facing a sorceress tonight. She is facing a sorceress who got laughed at.”
Julian Ward: “Morgana’s attention fractured last week under Lilith’s observation. Tonight, she cannot afford that against Guinevere.”
Brick Brody: “No, she cannot. Guinevere is not Alice. She is not going to surprise Morgana with Wonderland angles. She is going to stand in front of her with royal spine and make Morgana prove every threat. That can get ugly fast.”
The camera shifts to the Blonde Bombshells pocket.
A sign rises:
DOROTHY AND RAPUNZEL
CUT THE CARDS
Julian Ward: “Dorothy will also be in tag team action tonight, standing alongside Rapunzel against the Dark Duchess, Queen of Spades, and Crimson Viper, Queen of Hearts. The fan support for the Blonde Bombshells has only grown after Alice’s victory over Morgana last week. That win changed how this audience sees defiance.”
Brick Brody: “It also changed how enemies see them. That is the part people forget. When Alice beat Morgana, she did not just get cheered. She put a target on every bright-colored back connected to her. Dorothy better not think the Queens are coming to play cards. They are coming to cut the deck with knives.”
Julian Ward: “Dorothy has shown resilience, and Rapunzel brings reach, leverage, and a dangerous ability to turn distance into control. But the Dark Duchess and Crimson Viper are not merely opponents. They represent calculation and cruelty.”
Brick Brody: “Exactly. The Bombshells have crowd love. The Queens have bad intentions. I know which one hurts more.”
The camera returns to the Arthur banners.
The chant shakes the lower bowl.
“AR-THUR! AR-THUR!”
Julian Ward: “King Arthur has a great deal before him. At the Super House Show, he defeated Kaen by submission with an Indian Deathlock, forcing one of Lord Kurogami’s dangerous men to yield. Tonight, Arthur joins Sir Lancelot and Sir Gawain against Frankenstein’s Monster, Kong, and Ogre.”
Brick Brody: “That is not a match. That is a wall with fists. Frankenstein’s Monster is the Mythic Crown Champion. Kong and Ogre are violence with tag-team instincts. Arthur can bring Lancelot and Gawain, and that is a strong line of knights, but they are standing across from three creatures who treat bodies like furniture.”
Julian Ward: “Frankenstein’s Monster defeated Lion last week by count-out. The method mattered. He did not chase. He did not panic. He threw Lion out, let the count become judgment, and watched the result arrive. That patience in destruction is what King Arthur must study.”
Brick Brody: “Arthur better study quickly. The Long Night is coming, and the Monster is not getting less dangerous. If anything, Dr. Frankenstein has that thing walking around more confident every week. Arthur can beat Kaen. He can make men submit. But Frankenstein’s Monster is not a man in the ordinary sense, and I don’t know if he understands submission the way the rest of us do.”
Julian Ward: “And tonight, Arthur gets proximity. He gets impact. He gets the chance to feel what stands across from him before The Long Night arrives.”
Brick Brody: “Careful what you ask for. Sometimes proximity means the monster gets to measure your bones.”
The camera pulls back to a full arena shot.
The ring sits beneath a cold white spotlight.
The crowd does not settle.
It churns.
Sinbad’s chant rises from one side.
Sherwood answers from another.
Guinevere’s name rolls from the balcony.
The Blonde Bombshells’ supporters clap in quick rhythm.
Arthur’s banners remain raised like a field before battle.
Julian Ward: “Tonight, six matches shape the road ahead. Robin Hood opens against the Black Knight. Sandman defends the Eternal Flame Title against Sinbad. Dorothy and Rapunzel meet the Dark Duchess and Crimson Viper. Sir Lancelot, Sir Gawain, and King Arthur face Frankenstein’s Monster, Kong, and Ogre. Lady Guinevere battles Morgana Le Faye. And in the final collision, Will Scarlett, Little John, and Friar Tuck stand against Brute Bailiff, Ledger Knight, and the Sheriff of Nottingham.”
Brick Brody: “That is a rough night, Julian. Robin Hood may get cracked before his men even get their hands on the Sheriff. Sinbad might get put back to sleep by Sandman. Dorothy and Rapunzel might find out queens do not need crowns to be cruel. Arthur’s knights might get flattened by monsters. Guinevere might inherit all of Morgana’s embarrassment. And the Merry Band? They may find out the King’s Hand does not slap. It closes around your throat.”
Julian Ward: “The fan support in this Coliseum is unmistakable. Sinbad, Robin Hood and the Merry Band, Lady Guinevere, the Blonde Bombshells, King Arthur — each carries a different kind of hope tonight. But Dark Fable does not protect hope simply because it is cheered.”
Brick Brody: “No. This place tests it. Bends it. Sometimes breaks it in front of everybody.”
Julian Ward: “Every chant tonight comes with fear beneath it. Every banner carries a warning on the other side. These people are not here because they believe victory is guaranteed. They are here because they know the cost may be high, and they want to see who is willing to pay it.”
Brick Brody: “That is the only part of hope I respect. When it knows it might bleed and walks in anyway.”
The torches flare along the entranceway.
The crowd rises again.
The camera turns toward the ring, where Louie Linville steps through the ropes and takes his place at center canvas.
The first trial waits.
The camera returns from the commentary desk to the ring.
The canvas sits beneath a hard white spotlight.
Around it, Scrooge’s Camelot Coliseum continues to pulse with the chant that carried through the welcome.
“RO-BIN!”
“RO-BIN!”
“RO-BIN!”
Louie Linville stands centered in the ring, posture straight, microphone held with ceremonial stillness.
The first trial of the night waits.
Louie Linville raises the microphone.
Louie Linville: “Ladies and gentlemen… the following contest is scheduled for one fall.”
The crowd rises.
The lights drop.
A low horn sounds.
Not royal.
Not noble.
Hollow.
Black mist gathers at the entrance arch, crawling low across the stone like something escaping from beneath a sealed tomb. A pale green glow flickers behind it.
Myrdden the Hollow emerges first.
His robes trail behind him like torn shadow. His face remains calm, unreadable, emptied of warmth. He carries no urgency. No fear. No trace of doubt. He steps into the torchlight as if he has already seen the match’s ending written somewhere unpleasant.
Behind him comes the Black Knight.
Armored in dark steel and scorched trim, he moves with rigid purpose. His helmeted head turns slowly from one side of the Coliseum to the other, not acknowledging the crowd as people, but measuring them as witnesses. Each step lands heavy. Deliberate. Final.
Boos build quickly.
Myrdden stops at ringside and folds his hands into his sleeves.
The Black Knight climbs onto the apron, steps over the middle rope, and stands in the center of the ring without raising his arms.
He does not perform dominance.
He assumes it.
Julian Ward: “The Black Knight enters tonight with Myrdden the Hollow at his side, and that presence matters. Myrdden does not merely accompany danger. He deepens it.”
Brick Brody: “Robin Hood got mauled last week by the Sheriff of Nottingham, and now he opens the night against a man who looks like a funeral in armor. If Robin’s ribs are still talking to him, the Black Knight is about to make them scream.”
The lights shift.
Green breaks through the black.
The sound of a bowstring snaps across the arena.
Then drums.
Sherwood drums.
The crowd erupts before Robin Hood even appears.
Robin steps into the entranceway.
He does not smile.
Not tonight.
His green gear catches the torchlight. His jaw is set. His eyes are focused. There is bruising still suggested in the way he carries one shoulder, a reminder of the Sheriff’s attack from last week, but he refuses to let the damage define his posture.
Robin looks out over the crowd.
The chant rises again.
“RO-BIN!”
“RO-BIN!”
Then another chant joins it.
“MERRY BAND!”
“MERRY BAND!”
Robin starts down the aisle, touching hands with no one, eyes locked on the Black Knight.
At ringside, Myrdden watches him with cold interest.
Robin reaches the bottom of the ramp, pauses, and looks directly at Myrdden.
Myrdden does not move.
Robin slides into the ring and comes up fast, standing across from the Black Knight.
The contrast is immediate.
Forest against iron.
Resistance against ruin.
Julian Ward: “Robin Hood arrives carrying more than his own burden. Last week, he was cut down before he could reach Will Scarlett. Tonight, he steps into the opening match knowing the Merry Band still has war waiting later in the night.”
Brick Brody: “That’s the dangerous part. Robin’s not just fighting the Black Knight. He’s fighting pride, pain, and the urge to prove last week didn’t hurt him. And if he lets any of that lead, this armor-plated brute will turn him into a cautionary tale.”
Louie Linville steps forward.
Louie Linville: “Introducing first… accompanied to the ring by Myrdden the Hollow… from the road where mercy ends and steel remembers every wound… he is the dark oath beneath the broken banner… the BLACK KNIGHT!”
The Black Knight turns his head slightly.
Boos pour down.
Myrdden remains motionless.
Louie Linville: “And his opponent… from Sherwood’s defiant heart… fighting for the hunted, the overtaxed, the betrayed, and every soul who refuses to kneel beneath false authority… ROBIN HOOD!”
The Coliseum explodes.
Robin raises one fist, then lowers it immediately and resets his stance.
“Honest” Abe checks both competitors.
Myrdden’s eyes stay fixed on Robin.
Robin does not look away from the Black Knight.
Abe signals.
The bell rings.
Minute 1
Julian Ward: “Robin Hood starts with urgency. He catches the Black Knight coming forward and lifts him into a pop-up powerbomb. That is a powerful opening statement from Robin.”
Brick Brody: “That tells me Robin came in angry and ready. You do not try to powerbomb a suit of armor unless you want to prove something.”
Julian Ward: “But the Black Knight answers immediately. Rolling clothesline connects, and Robin is turned hard across the upper body.”
Brick Brody: “There’s the armor answering the forest. Robin got the first roar, but the Black Knight just reminded him this is going to be a collision, not a chase.”
Julian Ward: “Both men have landed meaningful offense in the opening minute. Robin has speed and resolve. The Black Knight has force and the ability to answer damage without hesitation.”
Brick Brody: “And Myrdden has not moved an inch. That worries me more than if he were shouting.”
Minute 2
Julian Ward: “Robin keeps moving and drops into a senton, driving his weight across the Black Knight before the larger man can fully settle.”
Brick Brody: “That’s smart. Stay in motion. Do not let that Knight plant his boots and start swinging like a gatehouse.”
Julian Ward: “But the Black Knight catches the next exchange and drives Robin down with Knight’s Fall. Styles Clash impact, and Robin lands badly.”
Brick Brody: “That was ugly. You get folded face-first like that, and suddenly all that Sherwood confidence starts leaking out through your nose.”
Julian Ward: “Robin rolled into this match with fire, but the Black Knight has already shown he can turn one opening into a major impact.”
Brick Brody: “That is what armor does. It lets you take one hit so you can deliver the worse one.”
Minute 3
Julian Ward: “The Black Knight presses the advantage. He hooks Robin again and delivers another Knight’s Fall. Robin tried to defend, but he could not stop the descent.”
Brick Brody: “Two of those in three minutes? That is not just offense. That is a message to the spine, the neck, and anybody backstage cheering for Sherwood.”
Julian Ward: “Robin Hood is down now, and the crowd senses the danger. The attack last week may still be in play here. The Black Knight is targeting a man who may not be fully recovered.”
Brick Brody: “Of course he is. That is what you do. If Robin limped into the building, you do not politely ignore the limp. You kick it until the limp becomes a fall.”
Julian Ward: “Myrdden the Hollow watches from ringside, and his composure only adds to the sense that this is being studied.”
Brick Brody: “Studied, measured, and maybe offered up to whatever rotten book Myrdden reads before bed.”
Minute 4
Julian Ward: “Robin Hood creates space. He comes off the ropes and lands another senton. This time the Black Knight had no answer.”
Brick Brody: “Good. Robin needed that. You take two Knight’s Falls, you better find a way to make the other man remember he is in a fight too.”
Julian Ward: “The crowd responds sharply. Robin’s supporters are trying to lift him back into the match.”
Brick Brody: “Crowd noise does not fix your neck, but it can remind you why you are dumb enough to keep standing.”
Julian Ward: “Robin is not allowing the early damage to freeze him. He is forcing motion, forcing the Black Knight to adjust.”
Brick Brody: “And if Robin can keep him turning, maybe that armor starts feeling heavy.”
Minute 5
Julian Ward: “The Black Knight cuts Robin off with a powerbomb. Robin attempted to defend, but the Knight muscled through and drove him down.”
Brick Brody: “That is bad for Robin. He wants rhythm. The Black Knight keeps turning the music into a hammer.”
Julian Ward: “Robin Hood lands hard near center ring, and Myrdden takes one slow step closer to the apron.”
Brick Brody: “There it is. The Hollow likes what he sees. That is never good news for the living.”
Julian Ward: “The Black Knight is beginning to use his size and strength more directly now, taking away Robin’s room to build speed.”
Brick Brody: “Exactly. You do not let Robin Hood run. You put him on the ground and make the outlaw pay rent.”
Minute 6
Julian Ward: “The Black Knight follows with a German suplex. Robin tried to brace, but he could not defend against the lift.”
Brick Brody: “That dumped him high and hard. The Black Knight is not rushing. He is stacking damage like stone blocks.”
Julian Ward: “Robin rolls toward the ropes, and the crowd is growing anxious. The Black Knight has controlled several key exchanges in succession.”
Brick Brody: “This is where Robin has to be careful. Pride tells him to charge. Pain tells him to breathe. He better listen to pain for once.”
Julian Ward: “Myrdden’s presence remains silent but oppressive. He has not needed to interfere. The Black Knight is doing enough damage on his own.”
Brick Brody: “That is the worst kind of manager. The one who does not have to cheat yet.”
Minute 7
Julian Ward: “Robin springs back into motion with another senton. He gets all of it, but the Black Knight rises into a rolling clothesline almost immediately.”
Brick Brody: “That was a nasty trade. Robin drops his body across him, and the Knight answers by trying to remove his head.”
Julian Ward: “Both men connect. Both men stagger. Robin is still fighting in bursts, while the Black Knight continues to answer with blunt force.”
Brick Brody: “Robin’s offense is sharp, but the Black Knight’s offense is heavy. Sharp can win. Heavy just has to land often enough.”
Julian Ward: “This opening match is already becoming a question of whether Robin can sustain motion through accumulated damage.”
Brick Brody: “And whether the Black Knight can keep catching him before Sherwood turns this into a comeback song.”
Minute 8
Julian Ward: “The Black Knight looks for another German suplex, but Robin reverses it. Beautiful counter from Robin Hood.”
Brick Brody: “That was instinct. He felt the grip, turned before the throw, and got himself free.”
Julian Ward: “Robin comes off the turn and lands another senton. The Black Knight could not defend against it.”
Brick Brody: “Now Robin is making him pay for repetition. Big difference.”
Julian Ward: “The crowd is rising again. Robin has found an answer to the Black Knight’s suplex attack, and the tone of this match may be shifting.”
Brick Brody: “Maybe. But one counter does not win the fight. It just keeps you from getting buried early.”
Minute 9
Julian Ward: “Both men hesitate through defensive reads, neither fully committing. Then the Black Knight strikes first with a rolling clothesline.”
Brick Brody: “That is the kind of reset the Black Knight wants. Slow the room down, then swing heavy.”
Julian Ward: “Robin attempted to defend, but the clothesline caught him clean. The Black Knight drops into the cover.”
Brick Brody: “That might be enough after the early punishment.”
Julian Ward: “One — two — Robin Hood kicks out.”
The crowd erupts.
Brick Brody: “Good kickout. But that was not harmless. A two-count tells you the body is starting to negotiate.”
Julian Ward: “The Black Knight forced the first real threat of the match. Robin survives, but the cost is visible.”
Brick Brody: “And Myrdden saw it. He saw that count. That cold-eyed ghoul is filing it away.”
Minute 10
Julian Ward: “Both men reset again. Robin catches the Black Knight with a DDT, driving him headfirst into the canvas.”
Brick Brody: “There you go. Armor does not protect the skull from gravity.”
Julian Ward: “But the Black Knight answers with a German suplex. Robin lands hard again.”
Brick Brody: “That is what makes this guy miserable. You hurt him, he throws you. You slow him, he throws you. You breathe near him, he thinks about throwing you.”
Julian Ward: “Robin scores with precision, the Black Knight answers with power. Neither man has been able to fully control the other for long.”
Brick Brody: “That favors the man who can survive ugly. We are about to find out which one that is.”
Minute 11
Julian Ward: “Robin goes back to the DDT, but the Black Knight neutralizes it. He blocks the drop before Robin can pull him down.”
Brick Brody: “That is important. The Black Knight is learning the rhythm now.”
Julian Ward: “Robin wanted to keep attacking the head, but the Black Knight prevented the impact and forced Robin to reset.”
Brick Brody: “That is when Robin has to change the angle. You cannot keep asking the same question when the other guy just found the answer.”
Julian Ward: “The match slows, and that may benefit the Black Knight.”
Brick Brody: “Slow means heavy. Heavy means armor. Armor means Robin better move before he gets crushed.”
Minute 12
Julian Ward: “Robin finds the opening. Arrow’d End connects. The stunner catches the Black Knight clean.”
Brick Brody: “There it is. That one snapped him. You could see the helmet rock.”
Julian Ward: “The Black Knight attempted to defend, but Robin struck too suddenly. That may be the clearest impact Robin has landed tonight.”
Brick Brody: “That is the kind of shot that can turn the whole thing. Quick, violent, and right under the chin.”
Julian Ward: “The crowd believes Robin has found a path now.”
Brick Brody: “The crowd always believes at the loudest possible time. Robin better turn belief into a pin before the Black Knight turns it into regret.”
Minute 13
Julian Ward: “The Black Knight goes high risk — Asai moonsault into a DDT attempt — but Robin reverses it.”
Brick Brody: “That was ambitious from the Knight, and Robin made him pay for it.”
Julian Ward: “Robin turns the reversal into a Sharpshooter. He has the Black Knight trapped near the center of the ring.”
Brick Brody: “Now that is smart. Take the legs. Bend the armor. Make the big man carry pain from the knees up.”
Julian Ward: “Robin sits back on the hold. The Black Knight is reaching, trying to crawl, but Robin has the pressure strapped in.”
Brick Brody: “This is where we learn if there is a man under that armor or just stubborn iron.”
Julian Ward: “The Black Knight refuses to submit. He survives the Sharpshooter, but Robin has forced him into a deep struggle.”
Brick Brody: “He did not tap, but he did not leave that hold unchanged. Nobody does.”
Minute 14
Julian Ward: “Robin Hood stays on him. Pop-up powerbomb connects again. The Black Knight could not defend.”
Brick Brody: “That was big. Robin just lifted him and planted him after bending those legs. That is how you stack damage.”
Julian Ward: “Robin covers.”
Brick Brody: “Hook him deep.”
Julian Ward: “One — Black Knight kicks out.”
Brick Brody: “Only one? That is frustrating. After the Sharpshooter and powerbomb, that Knight still kicked out before two.”
Julian Ward: “Robin forced the pin, but the Black Knight’s resilience remains deeply troubling.”
Brick Brody: “Robin cannot get discouraged. You get mad at the count, you stop fighting the opponent.”
Minute 15
Julian Ward: “Robin drives the Black Knight down with another DDT. This time the Knight absorbs the punishment, but he does not answer.”
Brick Brody: “That landed. The Knight took it, but he did not fire back. That matters.”
Julian Ward: “Robin is beginning to string offense together now. The earlier damage remains, but he has found a more stable rhythm.”
Brick Brody: “He is keeping the Knight’s head and neck involved. DDTs, stunners, powerbombs. That is the right target. You cannot scare armor, but you can rattle what is inside it.”
Julian Ward: “Myrdden the Hollow remains at ringside, watching with less stillness than before.”
Brick Brody: “Good. Make the ghoul nervous.”
Minute 16
Julian Ward: “Robin launches into another senton, but the Black Knight catches him in the aftermath with a German suplex. Both men connect in a punishing exchange.”
Brick Brody: “That was Robin flying and the Knight dumping him. Nobody came out of that clean.”
Julian Ward: “Robin’s senton landed, but the German suplex may have stopped his momentum before it could grow further.”
Brick Brody: “The Black Knight keeps finding the throw when he needs it. That is why Robin cannot coast. Every second close to that man is a risk.”
Julian Ward: “Both competitors are slower to rise now.”
Brick Brody: “Good. This is where matches get honest. When the body stops lying about how much it hurts.”
Minute 17
Julian Ward: “The Black Knight climbs and connects with a springboard 450 splash. Robin absorbs the full punishment.”
Brick Brody: “Where did that come from? A man that size, in that armor, moving like that? That is unnatural.”
Julian Ward: “Robin had no defense. The impact drove the air out of him, and now the Black Knight has a major opening.”
Brick Brody: “That might be the turning point back the other way. Robin was building, and the Knight just dropped the ceiling on him.”
Julian Ward: “Myrdden’s eyes have not left Robin. The Black Knight may be preparing to close this.”
Brick Brody: “If Robin has anything left, now is the time to prove it. Not later. Later may not exist.”
Minute 18
Julian Ward: “Robin Hood answers with a package piledriver. Remarkable counter-offense after absorbing that splash.”
Brick Brody: “That is not just heart. That is survival with teeth.”
Julian Ward: “The Black Knight could not defend. Robin drives him down and covers.”
Brick Brody: “This could be it.”
Julian Ward: “One — Black Knight kicks out.”
The crowd groans.
Brick Brody: “Only one again. That is infuriating. Robin hit him with a package piledriver, and the Black Knight still crawled out before the count got serious.”
Julian Ward: “Robin’s expression says everything. He has landed major offense, but the Black Knight continues to endure.”
Brick Brody: “Then hit him again. That is the rule. If the grave will not stay dug, dig deeper.”
Minute 19
Julian Ward: “Robin pulls the Black Knight in. German suplex. He bridges through the impact.”
Brick Brody: “He got him folded. Shoulders down.”
Julian Ward: “The Black Knight absorbed the throw, but Robin has the position.”
Brick Brody: “Abe is there.”
Julian Ward: “One — two — three. Robin Hood has pinned the Black Knight.”
The bell rings.
The Coliseum erupts.
Robin releases the bridge and rolls to his side, breathing hard, one hand instinctively moving toward the ribs damaged last week and battered again tonight.
The Black Knight rolls to one knee, head lowered.
Myrdden the Hollow steps toward the apron, his expression unchanged, but his stillness feels colder now.
“Honest” Abe raises Robin Hood’s arm.
Louie Linville: “Here is your winner… ROBIN HOOD!”
The crowd roars.
“RO-BIN!”
“RO-BIN!”
“MERRY BAND!”
Robin pulls his arm free gently, not out of disrespect, but because his attention is already elsewhere.
He looks down at the Black Knight.
Then to Myrdden.
Then toward the entranceway.
As if expecting the Sheriff.
As if daring him.
Myrdden slowly withdraws from the apron. He does not shout. He does not protest. He simply looks at Robin Hood for one long moment, then turns away.
The Black Knight rolls from the ring and follows him into the aisle.
Robin remains standing in the ring, wounded but upright.
The Sherwood banners rise again around the Coliseum.
Julian Ward: “Robin Hood has opened Dark Fable with a critical victory. He survived Knight’s Fall, powerbombs, German suplexes, and a shocking springboard 450 splash from the Black Knight. He survived Myrdden the Hollow’s presence at ringside. And in the final moment, Robin turned the match with a German suplex and secured the pin.”
Brick Brody: “That was not easy, and that is why it matters. Robin did not walk through the Black Knight. He got folded, thrown, rattled, and nearly pinned. But he kept finding ways back. That German suplex at the end was not pretty rebellion. It was stubborn rebellion. The kind that still has dirt under its nails.”
Julian Ward: “For Robin Hood, this victory carries more than momentum. After what happened last week at the hands of the Sheriff of Nottingham, Robin needed to prove that the ambush did not silence him. Tonight, he has done that.”
Brick Brody: “He proved he can still fight. Good. Because later tonight, his Merry Band walks into a six-man war with the King’s Hand. And if the Sheriff was watching, he just learned Robin Hood is hurt, angry, and still dangerous.”
Julian Ward: “The first trial belongs to Sherwood. But the night is young, and the lawless and the lawful are far from finished.”
WINNER: ROBIN HOOD DEFEATS BLACK KNIGHT VIA PINFALL WITH A GERMAN SUPLEX AT THE 19:00 MINUTE MARK.
The camera cuts from the ring to one of the stone corridors beneath Scrooge’s Camelot Coliseum.
Torchlight flickers against the walls.
The space feels narrow.
Old.
Pressure held in stone.
Hana Nakamura stands center frame, microphone in hand, dressed sharply but with visible urgency in her eyes. Around her stands the Merry Band.
Robin Hood is nearest to her, still breathing heavily from his victory over the Black Knight. His shoulder is taped beneath his gear, and the damage from the match is visible in the way he holds himself, but his eyes remain clear.
Will Scarlett stands beside him, jaw tight, arms folded, ribs still clearly bothering him after last week’s thirty-minute war with Brute Bailiff and the post-match assault.
Friar Tuck stands broad and grounded, hands clasped in front of him, expression warm but serious.
Little John looms behind them, massive arms crossed, his face set with quiet fury.
Maid Marion stands slightly to Robin’s other side, alert and composed, the heart of Sherwood visible in the way she watches every shadow in the corridor.
Lark of Sherwood stands near the edge of the group, eyes sharp, posture ready, as if she is listening for footsteps before anyone else hears them.
Hana raises the microphone.
Hana Nakamura: “Robin… congratulations on your victory over the Black Knight. But I have to ask — after what happened last week with the Sheriff of Nottingham, and after a physical opening match tonight, how are you feeling standing here now with the rest of the Merry Band?”
Robin takes a breath.
He looks briefly at the others.
Then back to Hana.
Robin Hood: “Sore.”
A small reaction comes from the crowd watching on the arena screen.
Robin’s voice stays steady.
Robin Hood: “But standing.”
Will Scarlett smirks faintly beside him.
Robin Hood: “The Black Knight came to test whether last week left me broken. Myrdden stood there watching like he expected to see fear take root. They did not see it. They saw what every tyrant sees eventually when he sends iron against Sherwood.”
Robin’s eyes harden.
Robin Hood: “Iron bends.”
The crowd cheers from inside the arena.
Hana turns slightly toward Will Scarlett.
Hana Nakamura: “Will, last week you went thirty minutes with Brute Bailiff. The match ended in a time-limit draw, but afterward, the King’s Hand attacked you. Then Robin tried to help and was ambushed by the Sheriff. Tonight, you step into the ring with Friar Tuck and Little John against Brute Bailiff, Ledger Knight, and the Sheriff of Nottingham. What is going through your mind?”
Will steps closer to the microphone.
His voice has edge.
Not reckless.
Burning.
Will Scarlett: “What is going through my mind?”
He laughs once.
No humor in it.
Will Scarlett: “The same thing that went through my mind when Brute Bailiff could not beat me in thirty minutes. The same thing that went through my mind when Ledger Knight put his boots to me after the bell. The same thing that went through my mind when Prince John stood there grinning like a rat in velvet.”
He leans toward the camera.
Will Scarlett: “They needed more men.”
The crowd cheers.
Will Scarlett: “They needed a Bailiff. They needed a Ledger. They needed a Sheriff. They needed Prince John hiding behind all of them. Because when it came down to one man across from me, Brute Bailiff did not collect victory.”
Will taps his own chest.
Will Scarlett: “He collected a draw.”
Little John nods slowly behind him.
Will Scarlett: “Tonight, there is no time-limit hiding place. There is no after-the-bell ambush they get to pretend is law. They step into the ring with us while the whole Coliseum watches.”
He looks directly into the lens.
Will Scarlett: “And I promise you this — if the King’s Hand reaches for Sherwood tonight, it loses fingers.”
Hana looks to Friar Tuck.
Hana Nakamura: “Friar Tuck, Prince John has called the Merry Band criminals. The Sheriff called you complicit. Prioress Malveil said mercy without submission is vanity. How do you answer that?”
Friar Tuck’s expression tightens.
The warmth does not vanish.
But something sterner rises beneath it.
Friar Tuck: “Men like Prince John have always loved words that make cruelty sound clean.”
He pauses.
Friar Tuck: “Order. Debt. Sentence. Law.”
Friar Tuck looks toward the camera.
Friar Tuck: “But a law that protects the greedy and crushes the hungry is not justice. A sentence spoken by the corrupt is not righteousness. And mercy that demands submission first is not mercy at all.”
Maid Marion watches him with quiet pride.
Friar Tuck: “They call us thieves because we took back what was stolen. They call us rebels because we stood where frightened people could not. They call us lawless because we refused to bow before law twisted into a chain.”
Friar Tuck’s voice lowers.
Friar Tuck: “Tonight, I do not fight out of anger alone.”
He looks at Will.
Then Robin.
Then Little John.
Friar Tuck: “I fight because some men must be reminded that judgment does not belong only to those wearing armor.”
Hana turns to Little John, who has barely moved.
Hana Nakamura: “Little John, the Sheriff specifically said size is not sanctuary. Tonight, you will stand across from him, Brute Bailiff, and Ledger Knight. Your response?”
Little John slowly uncrosses his arms.
He steps forward.
The frame seems to shrink around him.
Little John: “Good.”
Hana waits.
Little John keeps his eyes on the camera.
Little John: “Let him think that.”
A low cheer rolls through the arena.
Little John: “Let the Sheriff believe size is not sanctuary. Let Brute Bailiff believe force makes him feared. Let Ledger Knight believe every strike can be entered into some book like it means something.”
Little John’s jaw tightens.
Little John: “I am not sanctuary.”
He leans slightly toward the microphone.
Little John: “I am the door they have to break through to reach my family.”
The crowd cheers harder.
Little John: “And tonight, when that bell rings, the Sheriff will learn the difference between bringing order…”
A pause.
Little John: “…and walking into a fight with men who have had enough.”
Hana turns toward Maid Marion.
Hana Nakamura: “Marion, last week was difficult for the Merry Band. You also suffered a loss to Athena, but this group continues to stand together. What does tonight mean for Sherwood?”
Maid Marion takes the microphone space calmly.
Her voice is controlled.
But there is steel beneath it.
Maid Marion: “It means we are still here.”
She lets that settle.
Maid Marion: “That may sound simple, Hana. It is not. Tyrants do not always need to defeat you in one night. Sometimes they only need to make you smaller. Quieter. More careful. They bruise you and call it policy. They surround you and call it order. They make resistance look expensive so fewer people can afford it.”
Marion looks toward Robin, then Will.
Maid Marion: “Last week, they wanted us afraid to come running.”
She looks back to Hana.
Maid Marion: “Tonight, Robin still fought. Will still stands. Friar Tuck still speaks. Little John still guards the road. Lark still watches the shadows. And I still believe Sherwood survives because it belongs to everyone who refuses to let cruelty become normal.”
Lark steps forward slightly.
Hana turns toward her.
Hana Nakamura: “Lark, you have been watching all of this unfold from inside the Merry Band. What do you see when you look at the King’s Hand?”
Lark’s eyes remain sharp.
Her voice is quieter than Will’s.
Sharper than expected.
Lark of Sherwood: “I see men who think fear makes them invisible.”
She glances down the corridor.
Then back.
Lark of Sherwood: “Prince John talks loudly because silence would expose him. Brute Bailiff swings hard because he does not know how to persuade. Ledger Knight hides cruelty behind record-keeping. The Sheriff wears law like armor because without it, he is just another man who enjoys obedience too much.”
Will smiles at that.
Lark does not.
Lark of Sherwood: “They think Sherwood is only Robin’s bow, Will’s temper, Little John’s fists, Tuck’s faith, Marion’s courage.”
She raises her chin.
Lark of Sherwood: “They forget Sherwood has eyes in the branches.”
The crowd reacts strongly from the arena.
Lark of Sherwood: “So let them bring ledgers. Let them bring chains. Let them bring every title they have given themselves to make brutality sound official.”
A pause.
Lark of Sherwood: “We know where the weak spots are.”
Hana brings the microphone back toward Robin.
Hana Nakamura: “Robin, after your win tonight, and with the six-man match still ahead, what is the message to the Sheriff of Nottingham?”
Robin steps forward again.
The Merry Band tightens behind him.
Not posed.
United.
Robin Hood: “Sheriff…”
He speaks directly into the camera now.
Robin Hood: “Last week, you struck me before I reached the ring. You stood over me and called it law. Tonight, you will not be standing in an aisle with my back turned.”
Robin’s expression hardens.
Robin Hood: “You will be in our world.”
He gestures slightly to Will, Friar Tuck, Little John, Marion, and Lark.
Robin Hood: “Not because Sherwood owns the ring. Not because we claim authority over it. But because when the bell sounds, every lie loses its escort. Prince John can shout from a safe distance. Prioress Malveil can bless cruelty from the shadows. Myrdden can whisper to whatever darkness still listens.”
Robin pauses.
Robin Hood: “But inside those ropes, men answer for what their hands have done.”
Will steps beside him.
Will Scarlett: “And Sheriff…”
Will’s voice cuts in like a blade.
Will Scarlett: “Bring that cold stare. Bring that black-and-gold coat. Bring every word about order you memorized before you learned shame.”
Little John steps forward on Robin’s other side.
Little John: “Bring strength.”
Friar Tuck follows.
Friar Tuck: “Bring judgment.”
Maid Marion steps into frame.
Maid Marion: “Bring the whole King’s Hand.”
Lark’s eyes narrow.
Lark of Sherwood: “Sherwood is already waiting.”
Robin looks back to Hana.
Robin Hood: “Tonight is not about revenge alone.”
He glances toward the arena.
The roar from the crowd can be heard even through the corridor walls.
Robin Hood: “Revenge burns hot and dies quickly. This is about making sure every person in this Coliseum knows that Prince John’s law can be resisted. That Brute Bailiff can be stood against. That Ledger Knight can be answered. That the Sheriff of Nottingham can bleed.”
Hana’s eyes widen slightly at the final word.
Robin does not soften it.
Robin Hood: “The King’s Hand reached for Sherwood.”
He looks directly into the camera.
Robin Hood: “Tonight, Sherwood reaches back.”
The crowd erupts inside the arena.
Hana lowers the microphone slightly, then turns back to the camera.
Hana Nakamura: “Robin Hood, Will Scarlett, Friar Tuck, Little John, Maid Marion, and Lark of Sherwood. The Merry Band stands together tonight, and later, Will Scarlett, Friar Tuck, and Little John meet Brute Bailiff, Ledger Knight, and the Sheriff of Nottingham in six-man action. After hearing them now, that match does not feel like a contest.”
She pauses, listening to the crowd.
Hana Nakamura: “It feels like the first battle line.”
Robin and the Merry Band begin to move down the corridor together.
Robin walks first, still wounded but steady.
Will follows with fire in his eyes.
Friar Tuck walks beside Little John.
Maid Marion and Lark fall in behind them, both watching opposite sides of the corridor.
The camera holds on them as they disappear into the torchlit stone.
The shot cuts back to commentary.
Julian Ward: “The Merry Band has answered the King’s Hand not with denial, but with unity. Robin Hood survived the Black Knight tonight, but the greater war remains ahead. Will Scarlett, Friar Tuck, and Little John will face Brute Bailiff, Ledger Knight, and the Sheriff of Nottingham later tonight, and the emotional weight around that match has only grown.”
Brick Brody: “That was not a pep talk. That was a war council. Robin is hurt, Will is angry, Tuck is righteous, Little John is ready to break something, Marion is holding the spine of the whole group together, and Lark is watching corners nobody else can see. If the Sheriff thinks he walked into a frightened forest, he may be in for a bad night.”
Julian Ward: “The King’s Hand came to Camelot declaring order. The Merry Band has now declared resistance.”
Brick Brody: “Good. Let them meet in the ring and see which word survives impact.”
The camera returns to the ring.
The mood inside Scrooge’s Camelot Coliseum has shifted.
Robin Hood’s victory still lives in the crowd, but now the arena understands the next trial is not about rebellion.
It is about fire.
The Eternal Flame Title rests on a black velvet pedestal at ringside.
Torchlight moves across the faceplate in red-gold flashes, catching every edge of the metal like the championship itself is breathing.
Louie Linville stands centered in the ring.
Still.
Formal.
The crowd begins before he speaks.
“SIN-BAD!”
“SIN-BAD!”
“SIN-BAD!”
Louie raises the microphone.
Louie Linville: “Ladies and gentlemen… the following contest is scheduled for one fall… and it is for the Eternal Flame Championship.”
The Coliseum roars.
The lights sink into a sick gray.
Sand begins to blow across the big screen.
A low scraping rhythm crawls through the speakers, slow and dry, like something being dragged across stone in a room without windows.
Then Sandman appears.
The Eternal Flame Champion.
He steps through the entranceway with the title’s absence already filled by its presence at ringside. He does not carry it tonight. It waits for him. That seems to make him colder.
His eyes are shadowed.
His expression is hollow.
He walks like a nightmare that has learned patience.
The crowd boos heavily, but the sound is uneasy.
Sandman does not look at them.
He looks at the pedestal.
He reclaimed the Eternal Flame Title from Sinbad last week.
He retained it at the Mythic Division Super House Show against Takuma Ryujin.
Now the man he dethroned stands ready to come for it again.
Julian Ward: “Sandman enters as Eternal Flame Champion, and the recent history around that title has become violently unstable. Sinbad defeated him to win it. Sandman reclaimed it one week later. Then Sandman survived Takuma Ryujin in a two-out-of-three falls defense. Tonight, the flame returns to the same storm.”
Brick Brody: “That’s what makes this nasty. Sandman already took the title back from Sinbad. Sinbad already knows he can beat Sandman. Neither man is guessing tonight. They both know where the wounds are.”
Sandman climbs onto the apron.
He steps through the ropes and stands near the center of the ring.
He turns once toward the pedestal.
Then the lights change.
Blue and gold breaks through the gray.
A ship bell rings.
Once.
Then again.
A surge of drums follows, steady and defiant.
The crowd rises as Sinbad steps onto the stage.
He pauses under the blue-gold light.
No title around his waist now.
No gold on his shoulder.
But his eyes are fixed on the ring, and there is no hesitation in him.
He has worn the Eternal Flame.
He has lost it.
Tonight, he walks toward the man who took it back.
The chant rolls through the Coliseum.
“SIN-BAD!”
“SIN-BAD!”
“SIN-BAD!”
Sinbad starts down the aisle, focused, shoulders squared. Fans along the barricade reach for him, but he does not slow. His gaze moves only once, toward the Eternal Flame Title on the pedestal.
Then back to Sandman.
Julian Ward: “Sinbad’s support tonight has been overwhelming. This crowd sees resilience in him. They see a man who lost the flame but has not lost himself.”
Brick Brody: “Support is nice. It does not block a front kick. It does not stop a sleeper. Sinbad better not come in here trying to make everybody feel better. He needs to make Sandman feel worse.”
Sinbad climbs the steps.
He enters the ring and stands opposite Sandman.
The distance between them is narrow.
The history between them is not.
“Honest” Abe steps between them and holds both men back long enough for Louie Linville to begin the introductions.
Louie Linville: “Introducing first… the challenger… sailor of impossible seas, survivor of cruel tides, and the man who has carried the flame through storm and loss… SINBAD!”
The crowd erupts.
Sinbad raises one arm, but his eyes never leave Sandman.
Louie Linville: “And his opponent… he is the reigning and defending Eternal Flame Champion… the nightmare that does not forgive, the shadow beneath the waking eye, the champion who reclaimed the fire from the dark… SANDMAN!”
The boos crash down.
Sandman stands motionless.
Abe takes the Eternal Flame Title from the pedestal, raises it high, and shows it to each side of the arena.
The title gleams under the torchlight.
Sinbad looks at it.
Sandman looks through it.
Abe hands the championship to the timekeeper.
The bell rings.
Minute 1
Julian Ward: “Sinbad begins quickly. He catches Sandman with an inverted tornado DDT, driving the champion down before Sandman can establish his rhythm.”
Brick Brody: “That’s exactly how you start. Don’t let the nightmare stretch out. Drop it on its head and make it remember you.”
Julian Ward: “Sandman absorbs the punishment, but Sinbad lands the first meaningful blow of the title match.”
Brick Brody: “Absorbs it, sure. But he felt it. Everybody feels canvas when their skull gets introduced to it.”
Julian Ward: “Sinbad’s urgency is clear. He is not circling the champion. He is attacking the memory of last week.”
Brick Brody: “Good. Memories are useless unless you weaponize them.”
Minute 2
Julian Ward: “Sandman answers with a standing clothesline, driving through Sinbad with heavy impact.”
Brick Brody: “There’s the champion. No panic. Just arm through chest.”
Julian Ward: “Sinbad fires back with a discus back elbow. Both men connect in the exchange.”
Brick Brody: “That was a collision. Sandman brings the blunt instrument. Sinbad brings the sharp turn.”
Julian Ward: “The challenger’s elbow landed clean, but Sandman’s clothesline had real weight behind it.”
Brick Brody: “That’s the difference with Sandman. Even when you hit him, he makes sure the receipt hurts.”
Minute 3
Julian Ward: “Sandman steps in with a spinning fist strike. Sinbad tries to defend, but the strike lands flush.”
Brick Brody: “That’s the shot that won Sandman the Super House Show defense against Takuma Ryujin. You do not want to let that fist start telling the story.”
Julian Ward: “Sinbad staggers back, and the champion has slowed the challenger’s opening momentum.”
Brick Brody: “That is what Sandman does. He turns excitement into silence.”
Julian Ward: “The crowd is still behind Sinbad, but Sandman has reminded everyone how quickly this match can change.”
Brick Brody: “Crowd can chant all it wants. Sandman just punched a hole in the rhythm.”
Minute 4
Julian Ward: “Both men reset defensively before Sandman fires a front kick. Sinbad answers with a hammerlock DDT.”
Brick Brody: “That DDT was nasty. Sandman got the boot in, but Sinbad twisted him down hard.”
Julian Ward: “Sinbad’s counter carried the greater impact, and the challenger has forced Sandman back to the canvas.”
Brick Brody: “That is the way to beat a nightmare. Do not let it stand over you. Make it look up.”
Julian Ward: “Sinbad appears determined to attack the head and neck of the champion.”
Brick Brody: “Smart. Sandman can take a lot, but the head still tells the body where to fall.”
Minute 5
Julian Ward: “Sandman advances, but he does not connect with anything clean. Sinbad seizes the opening and lands a short-arm lariat.”
Brick Brody: “That was good timing. Sandman reached for control and got clotheslined for the trouble.”
Julian Ward: “Sinbad is beginning to string offense together. The challenger has survived the early strike and is forcing Sandman to answer.”
Brick Brody: “And that matters because Sandman likes matches that feel like a slow collapse. Sinbad is making this one feel like a fight.”
Julian Ward: “The champion rolls toward the ropes, but Sinbad stays close.”
Brick Brody: “Stay close, but not too close. Sandman’s dangerous when he looks like he needs space.”
Minute 6
Julian Ward: “A defensive reset gives Sandman another chance. Standing clothesline connects, and Sinbad could not defend.”
Brick Brody: “That one cut him down. Sandman does not need a long combination. He needs one clean club.”
Julian Ward: “Sinbad lands hard near center ring, and Sandman stands over him with that same hollow calm.”
Brick Brody: “That calm is the worst part. He hurts people like he is checking the weather.”
Julian Ward: “The champion has regained control, at least for the moment.”
Brick Brody: “For the moment is enough if you make the next one worse.”
Minute 7
Julian Ward: “Sandman lifts Sinbad for Go To Sleep. Major impact from the champion.”
Brick Brody: “That one rattled him. Sandman just put the challenger in deep water.”
Julian Ward: “But Sinbad answers almost immediately with another inverted tornado DDT. A remarkable response after taking that strike.”
Brick Brody: “That is guts and instinct. Most men get hit with Go To Sleep and start counting the lights. Sinbad came back with a spike.”
Julian Ward: “Both men score heavily. Sandman lands one of his most dangerous attacks, but Sinbad refuses to surrender momentum.”
Brick Brody: “This is why the title keeps moving between them. Neither man stays buried long enough.”
Minute 8
Julian Ward: “Sandman drives Sinbad down with a running bulldog, but Sinbad turns the exchange with a hammerlock DDT.”
Brick Brody: “That hammerlock DDT landed hard. Sinbad is making the champion pay every time Sandman tries to come forward.”
Julian Ward: “The challenger appears to get the better of that exchange. Sandman hit the bulldog, but Sinbad’s counter had sharper finality.”
Brick Brody: “Sinbad is wrestling like a man who remembers the exact second the title left him.”
Julian Ward: “The crowd is rising again. They sense Sandman may be vulnerable.”
Brick Brody: “Vulnerable, yes. Finished, no. Big difference.”
Minute 9
Julian Ward: “Sinbad catches Sandman with a running head kick. The champion tried to defend, but he was a step late.”
Brick Brody: “That kick cracked him. Sandman’s knees dipped.”
Julian Ward: “Sinbad covers.”
Brick Brody: “New champion right here?”
Julian Ward: “One — two — Sandman kicks out.”
The crowd groans.
Brick Brody: “That was close enough to make the flame flicker.”
Julian Ward: “Sinbad forced the first serious near fall of the match. Sandman survives, but the challenger has now made the champion answer a count.”
Brick Brody: “Counts matter. They put truth on the board. Sandman can look dead-eyed all he wants. He had to kick out.”
Minute 10
Julian Ward: “Sinbad stays on the champion. Short-arm lariat connects, and Sandman could not defend against it.”
Brick Brody: “Good follow-up. Do not let Sandman breathe after that two-count.”
Julian Ward: “Sinbad is building pressure now. The challenger has found a way to make Sandman react rather than dictate.”
Brick Brody: “That is the whole fight. Sandman is terrifying when he gets to choose the pace. Sinbad is not letting him choose anything.”
Julian Ward: “Sandman rolls to one side, but Sinbad keeps the center of the ring.”
Brick Brody: “That is champion positioning from the challenger. He wants the flame back, and he is wrestling like it.”
Minute 11
Julian Ward: “Sandman cuts him off with another standing clothesline. Sinbad tried to defend, but the champion drove through him.”
Brick Brody: “That is Sandman’s emergency brake. When the match gets too fast, he throws that arm and the whole road stops.”
Julian Ward: “Sinbad is down again. The champion may have weathered the challenger’s surge.”
Brick Brody: “Maybe. Or maybe he just bought himself a few breaths before Sinbad comes firing again.”
Julian Ward: “Sandman’s offense remains brutally direct. Clotheslines, strikes, kicks — nothing ornate, all punishment.”
Brick Brody: “That is why it works. You do not have to decorate pain.”
Minute 12
Julian Ward: “Sandman looks for Go To Sleep again, but Sinbad neutralizes it. He prevents the lift and escapes before the champion can finish the motion.”
Brick Brody: “That is huge. You get caught twice by that, and you start losing pieces of the match.”
Julian Ward: “Sinbad does not score major offense there, but stopping that move may be just as important.”
Brick Brody: “Absolutely. Defense is offense when the other guy’s move can end your night.”
Julian Ward: “Sandman’s expression has not changed, but there is a slight delay now. Sinbad is forcing him to work harder for each opening.”
Brick Brody: “And nightmares hate effort. They prefer victims who lie still.”
Minute 13
Julian Ward: “Sandman tries to take Sinbad into the sleeper, the same hold that brought Takuma Ryujin down in the first fall at the Super House Show.”
Brick Brody: “Bad place. Bad memory. Bad news if that grip settles.”
Julian Ward: “Sinbad reverses the sleeper before it can fully lock in. He turns into a short-arm lariat attempt.”
Brick Brody: “Good escape. Do not let Sandman wrap the air out of you.”
Julian Ward: “But Sandman reverses the lariat and tries to answer with a standing clothesline. Sinbad neutralizes that as well.”
Brick Brody: “That was a chain of survival. Sleeper stopped, lariat reversed, clothesline blocked. Nobody scored big, but Sinbad avoided disaster three times in one minute.”
Julian Ward: “A critical defensive sequence from the challenger.”
Brick Brody: “That may matter more later than people realize.”
Minute 14
Julian Ward: “Sandman finally breaks through again. Standing clothesline connects, and Sinbad could not defend.”
Brick Brody: “There it is. Sandman kept asking the same ugly question until Sinbad missed the answer.”
Julian Ward: “The champion has returned to that reliable weapon repeatedly tonight, and it continues to halt Sinbad’s surges.”
Brick Brody: “Because it is simple. When in doubt, hit the man in the chest and neck until doubt belongs to him.”
Julian Ward: “Sinbad rolls toward the ropes, trying to create space.”
Brick Brody: “He needs it. The challenger has done well, but Sandman is starting to stack those clotheslines like gravestones.”
Minute 15
Julian Ward: “Sandman drives Sinbad down with another running bulldog. Sinbad answers with a discus back elbow.”
Brick Brody: “Another even collision. Bulldog for the champion, elbow for the challenger.”
Julian Ward: “Both men land hard offense. Neither man gains full control.”
Brick Brody: “That is the story now. Every time one man reaches for the flame, the other burns his hand.”
Julian Ward: “The pace has slowed, but the strikes are growing heavier.”
Brick Brody: “That is title-match fatigue. You stop wasting motion because every breath costs something.”
Minute 16
Julian Ward: “Sinbad creates a clean opening with another discus back elbow. Sandman absorbs the punishment, but he does not answer.”
Brick Brody: “That elbow landed. Sandman took it, but there was no receipt this time.”
Julian Ward: “Sinbad covers.”
Brick Brody: “This is a mistake if he does not have him deep.”
Julian Ward: “One — Sandman kicks out.”
Brick Brody: “Too early in that sequence. Sinbad wanted confirmation. He got a warning.”
Julian Ward: “The champion survives quickly, but Sinbad has again forced him to respond from underneath.”
Brick Brody: “True. But failed covers cost energy and hope. You spend too many of those, you leave the match broke.”
Minute 17
Julian Ward: “Sinbad attempts a cross armbreaker. He may be looking to take away Sandman’s striking arm.”
Brick Brody: “Smart target. Sandman’s clotheslines and fists have been killing him.”
Julian Ward: “Sandman reverses the cross armbreaker before it can fully settle and tries to turn it into a cradle suplex.”
Brick Brody: “That could have been ugly.”
Julian Ward: “Sinbad neutralizes the cradle suplex. Again, the challenger avoids a dangerous transition.”
Brick Brody: “That is another survival exchange. No big score, but Sinbad just kept himself from getting dumped on his neck.”
Julian Ward: “Both men are reading each other deeply now. The counters are becoming more important than the attacks.”
Brick Brody: “That happens when two men know each other’s nightmares.”
Minute 18
Julian Ward: “Sandman throws another standing clothesline, but Sinbad meets him with a double knee strike. Both men connect.”
Brick Brody: “That double knee strike hit hard. Sandman got the clothesline, but Sinbad drove both knees right into him.”
Julian Ward: “Sinbad appears to get the better of the exchange, though both men are down.”
Brick Brody: “That is the kind of trade you take when you are trying to win a title back. Pain for position.”
Julian Ward: “The crowd is on its feet now. They feel the closing stretch approaching.”
Brick Brody: “So does Sandman. So does Sinbad. This is where one mistake decides who carries the flame out.”
Minute 19
Julian Ward: “Sandman fires a front kick, trying to recreate the kind of sudden finish that cost Sinbad the championship last week.”
Brick Brody: “That kick is history coming back around.”
Julian Ward: “But Sinbad absorbs enough of it and catches Sandman in Treasure Chest. Gutwrench suplex by Sinbad. He bridges into the cover.”
Brick Brody: “He got him. He got the champion stacked.”
Julian Ward: “One — two — three. Sinbad has pinned Sandman.”
The bell rings.
For half a second, the Coliseum hangs in disbelief.
Then it detonates.
Sinbad releases the bridge and rolls to his knees, chest heaving, eyes wide with the realization of what he has done.
Sandman lies on his side, staring toward the ropes, the nightmare suddenly emptied of possession.
“Honest” Abe takes the Eternal Flame Title from the timekeeper.
The crowd chants with everything it has.
“SIN-BAD!”
“SIN-BAD!”
“SIN-BAD!”
Louie Linville raises the microphone.
Louie Linville: “Here is your winner… and the new Eternal Flame Champion… SINBAD!”
The roar rises again.
Abe hands the Eternal Flame Title to Sinbad.
Sinbad takes it with both hands.
He looks down at it.
Not with relief.
With recognition.
As if the title has returned, but the burden has returned with it.
Then Sinbad rises.
Slowly.
He lifts the Eternal Flame Title above his head.
Blue and gold scarves whip through the crowd.
Fans near the barricade leap and point toward the ring.
Sandman pushes himself to one knee.
He looks up at Sinbad.
No words.
No protest.
Only that cold, hollow stare.
Sinbad lowers the title just enough to meet his eyes.
The two men remain locked there.
Champion again.
Former champion again.
The flame restored to the sailor.
The nightmare denied, but not gone.
Julian Ward: “Sinbad has done it. In a match shaped by recent history, loss, reclamation, and retaliation, Sinbad has pinned Sandman with Treasure Chest and regained the Eternal Flame Title.”
Brick Brody: “That was not luck. That was a man who remembered exactly how he lost and refused to let the same kick end him twice. Sandman threw the front kick. Sinbad survived it, caught him, and dumped him right into the count.”
Julian Ward: “Sandman reclaimed the championship last week and retained it at the Super House Show, but tonight Sinbad has broken through again. The Eternal Flame Title continues to burn through this division, but for this moment, it returns to the man this crowd never stopped believing in.”
Brick Brody: “And now comes the problem. Sinbad is champion again. Great. Beautiful. Listen to them cheer. But that belt has been changing hands like a curse with a strap. Sandman is not finished. Galahad is not finished. Takuma may not be finished. Winning the flame is one thing. Holding it is where men start getting cooked.”
Julian Ward: “Sinbad stands once more as Eternal Flame Champion. But as Dark Fable has shown us repeatedly, fire does not promise peace. It promises that whoever carries it must be ready to burn.”
Sinbad climbs to the middle rope and raises the Eternal Flame Title again.
The crowd roars his name.
Sandman rolls from the ring, backing away slowly, never taking his eyes off Sinbad.
The shot holds on Sinbad under the torchlight.
The Eternal Flame has changed hands again.
WINNER: SINBAD DEFEATS SANDMAN VIA PINFALL WITH TREASURE CHEST AT THE 19:00 MINUTE MARK TO BECOME THE NEW ETERNAL FLAME CHAMPION.
The camera returns to the ring.
The celebration from Sinbad’s Eternal Flame victory still lingers in the air, but the Coliseum is beginning to change shape again.
The blue and gold fades.
The torchlight darkens.
A thin crimson glow spreads across the entranceway, mixing with black and white flashes like cards being shuffled under candlelight.
Louie Linville stands centered in the ring.
His posture remains formal, but there is a tension in the way the building reacts before the next entrance even begins.
At ringside, “Fast Count” Frank checks the ropes, his movements quick, impatient, already carrying the nervous rhythm of an official who knows this match may become difficult to contain.
The lights flicker.
A distorted music-box melody begins.
Then a laugh.
The Mad Hatter steps through the entranceway first.
He claps to a rhythm that does not exist, bowing once to the crowd, once to the ring post, and once to something invisible above the hard camera. His smile is wide, jagged, and pleased with itself.
Behind him come the Queens of Punishment.
Crimson Viper, Queen of Hearts, walks first.
Red gear.
Sharp eyes.
Cruel confidence.
She moves like every step is an execution order being carried out slowly for the pleasure of the room.
Beside her comes the Dark Duchess, Queen of Spades.
She is colder.
More severe.
Black and silver edged with menace. Her gaze does not wander. It cuts. She walks with the posture of someone who believes suffering is not merely useful, but properly administered.
The boos rise quickly.
Mad Hatter spins once at the foot of the ramp and points toward the ring with both hands as if presenting a stage play only he understands.
Julian Ward: “The Queens of Punishment enter with the Mad Hatter, and that alone makes this match unpredictable. Crimson Viper and the Dark Duchess have cruelty in different forms. One strikes with venomous command. The other punishes with cold precision.”
Brick Brody: “And the Hatter is out here to make sure the match gets a little crooked when the Queens need the floor tilted. Dorothy and Rapunzel better not just watch the opponents. They need to watch the lunatic in the hat too.”
Crimson Viper climbs onto the apron and steps through the ropes first.
The Dark Duchess follows with slower precision.
Mad Hatter remains on the floor, whispering into his own sleeve, then nodding as if the sleeve has answered wisely.
The arena lighting shifts.
Bright blue-white breaks through the red.
Then gold.
A hopeful theme rises, but tonight it carries sharper edges.
Dorothy appears first.
The crowd reacts immediately.
She stands at the entranceway, eyes focused, jaw set. There is no wide-eyed uncertainty in her tonight. She looks at the ring like someone who has seen dark roads before and still knows which direction home is.
Beside her comes Rapunzel.
Tall, composed, and ready, her presence carrying both grace and power. She moves with calm defiance, her eyes fixed on the Queens of Punishment. She does not look impressed by their darkness.
She looks prepared to test it.
The Blonde Bombshells’ supporters come alive.
“DOR-O-THY!”
“DOR-O-THY!”
A second chant follows.
“RAP-UN-ZEL!”
“RAP-UN-ZEL!”
Dorothy and Rapunzel walk together, not hurried, not playful.
United.
Julian Ward: “Dorothy and Rapunzel arrive with the support of a crowd that has rallied strongly behind the Blonde Bombshells. After Alice’s victory over Morgana Le Faye last week, that support has taken on a sharper tone. It is no longer merely affection. It is belief.”
Brick Brody: “Belief is fine, but the Queens of Punishment are not here to be inspired. They are here to turn bright colors into bruises. Dorothy and Rapunzel better fight like this is a trap, because with the Hatter standing out there, it probably is.”
Dorothy and Rapunzel enter the ring.
Dorothy steps to the ropes and looks out toward the fans.
Rapunzel stays focused on the Queens.
Crimson Viper smiles at Dorothy.
The Dark Duchess looks at Rapunzel as if already choosing the joint she intends to bend first.
Louie Linville steps forward.
Louie Linville: “Ladies and gentlemen… the following tag team contest is scheduled for one fall, with a thirty-minute time limit.”
The crowd rises.
Louie Linville: “Introducing first… accompanied to the ring by the Mad Hatter… the red command of cruel decree, Crimson Viper, Queen of Hearts… and the black judgment beneath the blade, Dark Duchess, Queen of Spades… together, they are the QUEENS OF PUNISHMENT!”
The boos grow heavier.
Crimson Viper raises one hand like she expects obedience.
The Dark Duchess simply stares forward.
Louie Linville: “And their opponents… walking from impossible roads, tower heights, and every door that cruelty failed to lock… DOROTHY… and RAPUNZEL!”
The crowd cheers loudly.
Dorothy nods once.
Rapunzel raises an arm, then steps back to the apron as Dorothy starts the match.
Crimson Viper begins for the Queens.
“Fast Count” Frank checks both legal competitors quickly.
Mad Hatter leans over the apron and offers Frank a pocket watch.
Frank swats him away.
The bell rings.
Minute 1
Julian Ward: “Crimson Viper opens with a belly-to-back suplex attempt, trying to take Dorothy down quickly.”
Brick Brody: “That is the Queen of Hearts trying to write the sentence before Dorothy gets a word in.”
Julian Ward: “Dorothy reverses it. She turns through the lift and plants Crimson Viper with Kansas Cyclone. Tornado DDT connects cleanly.”
Brick Brody: “That was beautiful. Viper reached for control, Dorothy spun her right into the mat.”
Julian Ward: “Crimson Viper tried to defend, but Dorothy was too quick and too precise. A major opening strike from Dorothy.”
Brick Brody: “And look at Viper. She did not like that at all. Queens hate being made to bow, especially face-first.”
Crimson Viper staggers back and tags Dark Duchess.
Dorothy immediately reaches to her corner.
Rapunzel tags in.
Minute 2
Julian Ward: “Rapunzel enters, and Dorothy joins her for a double-team sequence. Rapunzel locks in a bridging back rack, forcing Dark Duchess across the spine.”
Brick Brody: “That is a nasty stretch. Rapunzel has leverage and height, and she is making the Duchess carry both.”
Julian Ward: “Dorothy follows with a one-armed neckbreaker slam. The Dark Duchess absorbs the punishment, but that was coordinated beautifully.”
Brick Brody: “That was not just teamwork. That was a warning. Dorothy and Rapunzel are saying they can play rough without losing who they are.”
Julian Ward: “The double-team continues, and the Duchess is forced into an early defensive posture.”
Brick Brody: “She absorbed it, yes, but absorption is not control. Right now, the bright side is landing heavy.”
Minute 3
Julian Ward: “Rapunzel and Dorothy maintain the double team. Rapunzel drives Dark Duchess down with a sitout powerbomb.”
Brick Brody: “That is tower strength right there. Rapunzel just sat her down hard.”
Julian Ward: “Dorothy adds a spinebuster, but the Dark Duchess answers through the storm with Spade’s Edge Crossface.”
Brick Brody: “Now that is mean. She’s getting double-teamed and still finds a way to grab a face and twist it sideways.”
Julian Ward: “All three women land offense in that exchange. Rapunzel and Dorothy continue to punish the Duchess, but the Duchess has shown she can inflict pain even while isolated.”
Brick Brody: “That is what makes her dangerous. She does not need control to be cruel. She just needs a limb or a neck within reach.”
Minute 4
Julian Ward: “The double team continues for one more round, but this time Rapunzel hesitates defensively.”
Brick Brody: “That little delay matters. Double teams need timing. Miss the rhythm, and the other side gets daylight.”
Julian Ward: “Dorothy looks for another spinebuster, but the Dark Duchess neutralizes the double-team attempt.”
Brick Brody: “There it is. Duchess just shut the door.”
Julian Ward: “The Queens survive the early surge. Dorothy and Rapunzel had the opening advantage, but Dark Duchess has prevented it from becoming total control.”
Brick Brody: “And now the Hatter is smiling again. I hate when he smiles. It means either a plan worked or he thinks the floor is talking.”
Minute 5
Julian Ward: “Dark Duchess catches Rapunzel with Spade’s Edge Crossface, attacking the head and neck again.”
Brick Brody: “She keeps reaching for the face and spine. She wants to make Rapunzel’s height a liability.”
Julian Ward: “But Rapunzel answers by throwing Dark Duchess through the ropes. The Duchess lands on the outside, and Frank begins the count.”
Brick Brody: “That is one way to break a hold. Launch the problem to the floor.”
Julian Ward: “The count reaches five before the Dark Duchess returns to the ring.”
Brick Brody: “She took the floor, took the count, and still got back without panic. I don’t like that kind of calm.”
Dark Duchess tags Crimson Viper.
Rapunzel stays in, watching the Queen of Hearts enter.
Minute 6
Julian Ward: “Crimson Viper steps in, but Rapunzel catches her quickly. Sitout powerbomb connects.”
Brick Brody: “Rapunzel is bringing force tonight. That was not delicate. That was a tower falling the right direction.”
Julian Ward: “Crimson Viper tried to defend, but Rapunzel drove through her resistance.”
Brick Brody: “Viper’s finding out that Rapunzel is not just reach and pretty posture. There is power in there.”
Julian Ward: “Rapunzel tags Dorothy back in. The Blonde Bombshells continue to control the pace through quick exchanges.”
Brick Brody: “That’s smart. Keep fresh bodies moving, keep the Queens guessing, keep the Hatter from finding one clear target.”
Minute 7
Julian Ward: “Dorothy and Crimson Viper reset defensively, and Dorothy creates another double-team opening.”
Brick Brody: “Good tag-team instincts. Dorothy sees the hesitation and turns it into numbers.”
Julian Ward: “Dorothy lands the Emerald City Elbow, and Rapunzel follows with the bridging back rack. Crimson Viper absorbs the punishment, but that was a clean burst from Dorothy and Rapunzel.”
Brick Brody: “They are picking their spots well. Quick hit, stretch the body, then get back to position.”
Julian Ward: “The double team ends, but Crimson Viper has been forced to take punishment without a meaningful answer there.”
Brick Brody: “That will make her angry. The Queen of Hearts does not like being made to wait her turn.”
Minute 8
Julian Ward: “Crimson Viper changes the tone with a sitout powerbomb on Dorothy. Dorothy tried to defend, but she was caught clean.”
Brick Brody: “There’s the Viper strike. She waited, she caught her, she planted her.”
Julian Ward: “Dorothy hits hard, and Crimson Viper immediately tags to the Dark Duchess.”
Brick Brody: “Good tag. Do not let Dorothy recover against the same rhythm. Bring in the cold one and make her fight a different kind of pain.”
Dorothy reaches her corner and tags Rapunzel.
Dark Duchess steps in as Rapunzel returns.
The two stare each other down again.
Minute 9
Julian Ward: “Rapunzel and Dorothy again use tandem offense. Rapunzel lands a powerslam while Dorothy slips in for a school-girl roll-up attempt within the sequence.”
Brick Brody: “That is clever. Power from Rapunzel, surprise from Dorothy. Two different problems at once.”
Julian Ward: “But the Dark Duchess answers with a bow and arrow stretch. She continues to find submission pressure even while taking offense.”
Brick Brody: “That Duchess is miserable. You hit her, she bends you. You throw her, she stretches you.”
Julian Ward: “The double team continues for one more round, but Dark Duchess’s ability to respond under pressure is keeping the Queens alive.”
Brick Brody: “Alive, yes. Comfortable, no. Rapunzel and Dorothy are making them work for every inch.”
Minute 10
Julian Ward: “Rapunzel plants Dark Duchess with a pop-up Samoan drop.”
Brick Brody: “Big impact. Duchess landed heavy there.”
Julian Ward: “Dorothy adds a backhand chop, but Dark Duchess answers with a straight jacket choke.”
Brick Brody: “There is that cruelty again. Duchess gets hit and immediately tries to take away the air.”
Julian Ward: “Rapunzel and Dorothy land their offense, but the Duchess uses the end of the double team to slow the match and drag Rapunzel into a more punishing exchange.”
Brick Brody: “That is what the Queens need. Less movement, more grinding. Less hope, more hands around the neck.”
Minute 11
Julian Ward: “Now the Queens of Punishment create their own double-team opening. Dark Duchess locks Rapunzel in a camel clutch.”
Brick Brody: “There we go. Pull the head back, put pressure on the spine, make the tower bend.”
Julian Ward: “Crimson Viper adds successive snap suplexes, while Rapunzel still fights back with a pop-up Samoan drop.”
Brick Brody: “Rapunzel is taking two-on-one punishment and still throwing bodies. That is impressive and painful.”
Julian Ward: “The Queens have shifted the match. They are now isolating Rapunzel, attacking the back and neck, and forcing her to expend energy under pressure.”
Brick Brody: “This is where tag matches turn. The bright start fades, and the cruel team starts cutting the ring in half.”
Minute 12
Julian Ward: “The Queens continue double-teaming. Dark Duchess goes for the bow and arrow stretch, Crimson Viper follows with a swinging neckbreaker.”
Brick Brody: “That is a nasty combination on paper. Stretch, twist, drop.”
Julian Ward: “But Rapunzel reverses the double team. She powers through the sequence and drives the legal opponent down with a sitout powerbomb.”
Brick Brody: “That was strength under pressure. Rapunzel just refused to be the victim in the trap.”
Julian Ward: “The double team ends, and Rapunzel has broken a dangerous Queens’ surge.”
Brick Brody: “That could be huge. If the Queens had kept that going, Dorothy might have been watching her partner get carved up.”
Minute 13
Julian Ward: “Dark Duchess returns to the bow and arrow stretch. She keeps targeting Rapunzel’s back and shoulders.”
Brick Brody: “She is persistent. I’ll give her that. Every hold is another tax on the spine.”
Julian Ward: “Rapunzel answers with a flatliner. Sharp impact, and the Duchess is driven down face-first.”
Brick Brody: “Good counter. If she keeps trying to bend you backward, drop her forward.”
Julian Ward: “Rapunzel tags Dorothy back in. That may be important after several minutes of heavy pressure.”
Brick Brody: “Absolutely. Rapunzel needed out. Not because she is weak, because she is smart enough to know damage piles up.”
Minute 14
Julian Ward: “Dark Duchess catches Dorothy with a tilt-a-whirl headscissors. Dorothy attempts to defend, but the Duchess takes her over cleanly.”
Brick Brody: “That was smooth and nasty. Dorothy came in fresh, and the Duchess immediately turned her upside down.”
Julian Ward: “Dark Duchess tags Crimson Viper back in. Dorothy reaches and tags Rapunzel as well.”
Brick Brody: “Both teams rotating now. Nobody wants to leave the wrong person trapped too long.”
Julian Ward: “This match has moved past early momentum. It is now about survival, tagging at the right moment, and preventing isolation.”
Brick Brody: “And with Frank in there, keep your shoulders off the mat. That man counts like he has dinner reservations.”
Minute 15
Julian Ward: “Rapunzel and Dorothy create another double-team sequence against Crimson Viper. Rapunzel launches Descent from the Tower Moonsault.”
Brick Brody: “Big risk from Rapunzel, and she gets it.”
Julian Ward: “Dorothy follows with a one-armed neckbreaker slam, but Crimson Viper fires back with Off With Their Heads, the flying clothesline.”
Brick Brody: “That Queen of Hearts just threw herself like an executioner’s blade.”
Julian Ward: “All three women connect in a chaotic exchange. Rapunzel and Dorothy stack offense, but Viper refuses to be overwhelmed.”
Brick Brody: “That is what the Queens needed from her. Take the punishment, then cut somebody down in the middle of it.”
Minute 16
Julian Ward: “The double team continues. Rapunzel locks Crimson Viper into the bridging back rack.”
Brick Brody: “Again attacking the spine. Rapunzel keeps using her leverage beautifully.”
Julian Ward: “Dorothy adds Kansas Cyclone. Tornado DDT connects, but Crimson Viper answers with successive snap suplexes.”
Brick Brody: “That was a brutal trade. Dorothy spikes her, Viper starts throwing bodies in return.”
Julian Ward: “The Blonde Bombshells end the double team with strong offense, but Crimson Viper has ensured they do not leave the exchange untouched.”
Brick Brody: “That’s the mark of a mean team. Even when they lose a minute, they make sure you pay rent on it.”
Minute 17
Julian Ward: “Crimson Viper catches Rapunzel with a sitout powerbomb.”
Brick Brody: “That landed square. Rapunzel’s back has been through a lot already.”
Julian Ward: “Rapunzel answers with a pop-up Samoan drop. Both women score evenly.”
Brick Brody: “Two power moves, two bad landings. Nobody’s getting out clean.”
Julian Ward: “Rapunzel tags Dorothy. She may feel the accumulation of the Duchess’s submission work and Viper’s power offense.”
Brick Brody: “She should. That back has been bent, slammed, and dropped. Tagging is not weakness. It is survival with rules.”
Minute 18
Julian Ward: “The Queens of Punishment now double-team Dorothy. Crimson Viper lands a sitout powerbomb.”
Brick Brody: “Dorothy is in trouble here. Wrong corner, wrong numbers.”
Julian Ward: “Dark Duchess adds Spade’s Edge Crossface, but Dorothy fights back with a splash in the middle of the sequence.”
Brick Brody: “Dorothy’s got fight. She is getting punished and still throws herself into damage.”
Julian Ward: “The Queens keep the double team alive for one more round, and this is becoming a major threat to Dorothy.”
Brick Brody: “This is exactly where the Hatter wants things. Chaos around the referee, Queens piling on, Dorothy trying to breathe through all of it.”
Minute 19
Julian Ward: “Crimson Viper continues with successive snap suplexes. Dark Duchess adds Spade’s Edge Crossface again.”
Brick Brody: “They are mauling Dorothy now. Suplex the body, twist the face, repeat until the crowd stops singing.”
Julian Ward: “Dorothy attempts to defend against the double team, but she cannot stop the sequence.”
Brick Brody: “That is the first time Dorothy has looked really trapped tonight.”
Julian Ward: “The double team ends, but Dorothy has taken serious punishment over these last two minutes.”
Brick Brody: “And now she has to crawl through the damage to find Rapunzel, because the Queens smell blood.”
Minute 20
Julian Ward: “Crimson Viper lifts Dorothy into a delayed vertical suplex. She holds her there, forcing the blood to rush, then drives her down.”
Brick Brody: “That is cruel control. Make Dorothy hang in the air and think about the landing.”
Julian Ward: “Dorothy absorbs the punishment without an answer. Crimson Viper tags Dark Duchess.”
Brick Brody: “Good tag by the Queens. Keep the pressure fresh.”
Julian Ward: “Dorothy makes the tag to Rapunzel. That may have saved the match for her team.”
Brick Brody: “It absolutely saved the next minute. Dorothy needed out before the Queens turned that stretch into a finish.”
Minute 21
Julian Ward: “Dark Duchess meets Rapunzel with Spade’s Edge Crossface again. She returns immediately to that punishing hold.”
Brick Brody: “Duchess knows the back and neck are hurt. She is not wandering from the target.”
Julian Ward: “Rapunzel answers with another pop-up Samoan drop. She continues to fight through the pain with power.”
Brick Brody: “Rapunzel’s still got lift in her. That matters. If she can keep throwing Duchess, she can keep herself alive.”
Julian Ward: “Dark Duchess’s submission pressure scores, but Rapunzel refuses to let it become control.”
Brick Brody: “That’s grit. Not flashy. Just enough strength to tell pain no.”
Minute 22
Julian Ward: “Dark Duchess climbs and lands a corner diving double knee drop. Rapunzel absorbs the full impact.”
Brick Brody: “Those knees came down like a sentence.”
Julian Ward: “Rapunzel answers with a rolling fireman’s carry, but the Duchess’s impact may have carried more weight.”
Brick Brody: “Rapunzel is still moving, but every move she hits looks more expensive now.”
Julian Ward: “Both competitors are wearing down, and the thirty-minute limit is beginning to matter.”
Brick Brody: “That clock is a fifth wrestler now. It is sitting on everybody’s chest.”
Minute 23
Julian Ward: “Dark Duchess looks for a hurricanrana, but Rapunzel reverses it.”
Brick Brody: “Great counter. Duchess got caught trying to spin.”
Julian Ward: “Rapunzel drives her down with a flatliner. The Duchess attempted to defend, but she could not stop it.”
Brick Brody: “That was the cleanest Rapunzel has hit her in several minutes.”
Julian Ward: “Rapunzel covers.”
Brick Brody: “Frank is down quick.”
Julian Ward: “One — two — Dark Duchess kicks out.”
The crowd groans.
Brick Brody: “That was close. With Fast Count Frank in there, a near fall feels even more dangerous.”
Julian Ward: “Rapunzel came within a breath of ending this match. Dark Duchess survives, but that was a major turning point.”
Dark Duchess tags Crimson Viper.
Rapunzel tags Dorothy.
Minute 24
Julian Ward: “Crimson Viper returns and throws Dorothy with a release German suplex.”
Brick Brody: “Dorothy got dumped hard. Viper is trying to erase that near fall immediately.”
Julian Ward: “Dorothy answers with the Emerald City Elbow. She catches Viper clean in return.”
Brick Brody: “That elbow had defiance in it. Dorothy does not stay quiet long.”
Julian Ward: “Crimson Viper tags Dark Duchess again. Dorothy reaches back and tags Rapunzel as well.”
Brick Brody: “Both teams know the finish is getting close. Nobody wants to be the wrong person stuck in there.”
Minute 25
Julian Ward: “Rapunzel and Dorothy double-team Dark Duchess once more. Rapunzel lands a flatliner.”
Brick Brody: “That move nearly ended it two minutes ago. Good call going back to it.”
Julian Ward: “Dorothy follows with a bulldog, and the Duchess fails to defend against the combined pressure.”
Brick Brody: “Now they have her. That was a strong double-team.”
Julian Ward: “The crowd is rising again. Dorothy and Rapunzel may have found the final path.”
Brick Brody: “Maybe. But they have to finish. The clock is creeping, and the Queens have survived too much to assume anything.”
Minute 26
Julian Ward: “Dark Duchess cuts that momentum off with a frogsplash. Rapunzel had no answer.”
Brick Brody: “That is huge. Duchess went up and crushed her.”
Julian Ward: “Dark Duchess covers.”
Brick Brody: “Frank is there.”
Julian Ward: “One — Rapunzel kicks out.”
Brick Brody: “Only one. That took guts after everything Rapunzel’s ribs and back have taken.”
Julian Ward: “Dark Duchess tags Crimson Viper. The Queens are trying to reset their attack before Dorothy and Rapunzel can build again.”
Brick Brody: “They know the time is running. They need one clean kill shot.”
Minute 27
Julian Ward: “Crimson Viper lands a belly-to-back suplex on Rapunzel.”
Brick Brody: “That is more back damage. Viper knows where Duchess has been working.”
Julian Ward: “Rapunzel answers with a bridging back rack. She bends Viper across the hold and forces her to endure the same kind of spinal pressure.”
Brick Brody: “That’s poetic and painful. Rapunzel is giving back the lesson.”
Julian Ward: “Rapunzel tags Dorothy. She has fought through a great deal of punishment and again trusts her partner to carry the next exchange.”
Brick Brody: “That partnership is the only reason they are still in this. They keep getting each other out just before the damage becomes disaster.”
Minute 28
Julian Ward: “Crimson Viper lifts Dorothy into a delayed vertical suplex. She holds her high before bringing her down.”
Brick Brody: “That move is nasty because it makes the crowd wait for the pain.”
Julian Ward: “Dorothy answers with a spinebuster. She drives Viper down, and both women have scored major impacts.”
Brick Brody: “Dorothy’s still got power late. That matters with two minutes left.”
Julian Ward: “The match is entering its final stretch. Every pin attempt now could end it. Every delay could cost it.”
Brick Brody: “And with Frank in the ring, if your shoulders touch, you better move fast.”
Minute 29
Julian Ward: “Crimson Viper looks for a swinging neckbreaker. Dorothy answers with Kansas Cyclone, but neither woman gets clean impact.”
Brick Brody: “They both went for something big and both missed enough of it. That is fatigue.”
Julian Ward: “The exchange fails to produce meaningful offense. Crimson Viper tags Dark Duchess.”
Brick Brody: “One minute left. Duchess wants the last word.”
Julian Ward: “Dorothy remains legal for her team. Rapunzel is calling from the corner, but Dorothy stays in.”
Brick Brody: “That is a dangerous choice. Brave, maybe. Dangerous definitely.”
Minute 30
Julian Ward: “The Queens of Punishment swarm Dorothy in the final minute. Dark Duchess lands forehand chops while Crimson Viper follows with a belly-to-back suplex.”
Brick Brody: “They are trying to steal it before the clock dies. Chop her, throw her, cover if she lands wrong.”
Julian Ward: “Dorothy fights through the double team and hits a bulldog. She drives Dark Duchess down while Crimson Viper tries to recover.”
Brick Brody: “Dorothy just refused to let the Queens own the ending.”
Julian Ward: “Frank checks the time. Dorothy tries to move toward a cover, but the bell sounds.”
The bell rings.
A wave of frustration rolls through the Coliseum.
Dorothy freezes on one knee.
Rapunzel steps through the ropes, breathing hard, one hand on her lower back.
Dark Duchess rolls toward the ropes.
Crimson Viper pulls herself upright in the corner, angry and exhausted.
Mad Hatter spins once at ringside, then stops suddenly, as if surprised that time exists.
Louie Linville confers with the timekeeper, then raises the microphone.
Louie Linville: “Ladies and gentlemen… the thirty-minute time limit has expired. Therefore, this match has been declared… a draw.”
The crowd boos the result, then begins applauding the effort.
Dorothy looks disappointed but not defeated.
Rapunzel steps beside her and places a hand on her shoulder.
Across the ring, the Dark Duchess and Crimson Viper regroup under Mad Hatter’s manic gaze.
Crimson Viper points toward Dorothy and shouts something inaudible.
Dorothy does not back away.
Rapunzel steps forward beside her.
The teams stare across the ring.
No victory.
No surrender.
Only unfinished punishment.
Julian Ward: “After thirty minutes, Dorothy and Rapunzel have fought the Queens of Punishment to a time-limit draw. This match saw momentum swing repeatedly — early double-team dominance from Dorothy and Rapunzel, ruthless isolation by the Queens, and a final minute where both sides still had enough left to threaten the finish.”
Brick Brody: “That was a war of survival. Rapunzel nearly had Dark Duchess with the flatliner. Dorothy got mauled late and still hit a bulldog before the bell. The Queens did not win, but they did not break either. Nobody gets to walk out bragging too loudly, and nobody gets to pretend this is over.”
Julian Ward: “The Blonde Bombshells’ support continues to grow, and tonight Dorothy and Rapunzel proved they can withstand the cruelty of the Queens of Punishment. But the Queens also proved that punishment can stretch across thirty minutes and still leave marks after the bell.”
Brick Brody: “That clock saved somebody, Julian. I’m not sure who yet. But somebody in that ring was one mistake away from losing.”
Julian Ward: “The result is a draw. The issue remains unresolved. And in Dark Fable, unresolved pain rarely stays quiet for long.”
TIME-LIMIT DRAW BETWEEN QUEENS OF PUNISHMENT AND DOROTHY & RAPUNZEL AT THE 30:00 MINUTE MARK.
The camera cuts backstage to one of the older corridors beneath Scrooge’s Camelot Coliseum.
Stone walls.
Iron torch brackets.
A long royal banner hangs behind the interview position, blue and gold fabric moving slightly in the unseen draft. The crest of Camelot catches the flame, but the light does not make the corridor feel warmer.
It makes it feel older.
Hana Nakamura stands with microphone in hand, posture professional but visibly aware of the weight of who stands beside her.
King Arthur.
He is dressed for battle, not ceremony. His armor-inspired gear bears marks of use rather than ornament. His shoulders are squared, his expression calm, his eyes steady. There is no performance in him. No bluster.
Only responsibility.
Hana turns toward the camera.
Hana Nakamura: “Please welcome my guest at this time… King Arthur.”
The crowd inside the Coliseum reacts loudly.
“AR-THUR!”
“AR-THUR!”
“AR-THUR!”
The chant rolls faintly through the corridor walls.
Arthur hears it.
He does not smile broadly.
But he acknowledges it with a small, solemn nod.
Hana Nakamura: “Arthur, tonight you join Sir Lancelot and Sir Gawain in six-man action against Frankenstein’s Monster, Kong, and Ogre — Monsters Bash. That is an enormous physical test, especially with your Mythic Crown Title match against Frankenstein’s Monster approaching at The Long Night. How do you approach tonight?”
Arthur takes a moment before answering.
His voice is measured.
Low.
Firm.
King Arthur: “With open eyes.”
He looks toward the arena direction, as though he can see the ring through stone.
King Arthur: “Frankenstein’s Monster is not a warning written in rumor anymore. He is here. He walks through this division with the Mythic Crown upon his shoulder, and each match he enters leaves evidence behind. Lion learned that last week. Others have learned it before him.”
Arthur’s jaw tightens slightly.
King Arthur: “Tonight, I stand across from him not as a spectator to destruction, but as a man who must understand it.”
Hana nods.
Hana Nakamura: “And Kong and Ogre?”
Arthur’s eyes sharpen.
King Arthur: “They are not lesser threats because they do not wear the crown.”
A beat.
King Arthur: “Kong and Ogre are force without apology. They do not decorate violence. They deliver it. Against men like that, vanity is dangerous. Pride is dangerous. Even courage, if it rushes forward without discipline, can become dangerous.”
He turns slightly toward the camera.
King Arthur: “That is why Lancelot and Gawain stand with me tonight. Not because I require shelter, but because monsters do not always arrive one at a time. Camelot must answer in formation.”
The crowd cheers again from the arena.
Hana shifts to the next subject carefully.
Hana Nakamura: “You mentioned Camelot answering. Recently, Mordred and the Broken Crown have continued to rise around this division. Mordred’s attention is on Jack Lumber and the Convergent Championship, but his obsession with crowns, betrayal, and Camelot has never really left your shadow. How concerned are you about the Broken Crown’s rise?”
Arthur’s expression darkens.
Not with fear.
With history.
King Arthur: “Mordred is never merely rising.”
He pauses.
King Arthur: “Mordred is returning.”
The corridor seems quieter after that.
King Arthur: “Every generation believes betrayal is born in a single moment. A knife drawn. A vow broken. A gate opened in the night. But betrayal begins earlier. It is fed in silence. It is justified in private. It is dressed in grievance until the traitor can look at treachery and call it destiny.”
Hana listens intently.
King Arthur: “The Broken Crown follows Mordred because he offers them permission. Permission to resent. Permission to wound. Permission to believe that if they cannot rule the story, then the story itself should be ruined.”
Arthur looks directly into the camera.
King Arthur: “I know Mordred. I know the hunger behind his eyes. He may be reaching now for Jack Lumber’s championship, but Mordred does not seek gold alone. He seeks proof that every crown is breakable.”
A pause.
King Arthur: “He is wrong.”
The crowd erupts.
Hana lets the sound breathe before continuing.
Hana Nakamura: “Tonight has already been shaped by another power structure — the King’s Hand. Robin Hood defeated the Black Knight earlier, and later tonight, Will Scarlett, Friar Tuck, and Little John face Brute Bailiff, Ledger Knight, and the Sheriff of Nottingham. As King Arthur, what do you make of Prince John’s group claiming law and order while attacking the Merry Band?”
Arthur’s face hardens more visibly now.
King Arthur: “Law is not made righteous because a cruel man speaks it loudly.”
He turns slightly, his voice carrying more steel.
King Arthur: “A throne does not sanctify greed. A badge does not cleanse brutality. A ledger does not make oppression honest because the numbers have been written neatly.”
Hana’s eyes widen slightly at the force beneath his restraint.
King Arthur: “Prince John mistakes authority for legitimacy. The Sheriff of Nottingham mistakes enforcement for justice. Brute Bailiff mistakes strength for right. Ledger Knight mistakes record for truth.”
Arthur pauses.
King Arthur: “They are all wrong.”
The crowd cheers from the arena.
King Arthur: “Robin Hood and the Merry Band are not without consequence. No one in Dark Fable is. But there is a difference between men who break unjust chains and men who forge them.”
He looks toward the distant ring again.
King Arthur: “Tonight, the Merry Band will fight their battle. They do not need my sword to speak for them. But let Prince John hear this clearly.”
Arthur turns back to the camera.
King Arthur: “Camelot does not become stronger when law is used to protect cowards from the people they have harmed.”
Hana takes a breath, then shifts to the darker thread.
Hana Nakamura: “Last week, Fenwick Grimbough appeared with the Universal Champion, the Ghost of Christmas Past. He said there was no one in Camelot worthy to challenge the Ghost. He named you specifically and dismissed you as ‘preoccupied.’ What was your reaction to those comments?”
For the first time, Arthur’s eyes narrow.
He does not rush the answer.
King Arthur: “Fenwick Grimbough speaks with the confidence of a man who has hidden behind definitions he controls.”
A faint reaction rolls through the arena feed.
King Arthur: “Worthiness is a word often abused by those who fear being measured by anyone other than themselves.”
Arthur’s expression remains calm, but the temperature of the interview changes.
King Arthur: “The Ghost of Christmas Past is not a trivial champion. I will not pretend otherwise. He carries memory like a blade. Regret like chainmail. A man who faces him must be prepared to meet not only an opponent, but every failure that still knows his name.”
Hana nods slowly.
Arthur continues.
King Arthur: “But Fenwick’s mistake is assuming that Camelot lacks worth because Camelot is occupied by war.”
He looks into the lens.
King Arthur: “A kingdom at war does not lose its worth.”
A pause.
King Arthur: “It reveals it.”
The crowd responds strongly.
King Arthur: “Am I preoccupied? Yes.”
Another pause.
King Arthur: “With a monster wearing the Mythic Crown. With Mordred circling every symbol he failed to corrupt. With Prince John calling oppression order. With men and women in this division being tested by forces that would rather break them than face them honestly.”
He leans slightly toward Hana’s microphone.
King Arthur: “That is not absence of worth, Fenwick.”
His voice lowers.
King Arthur: “That is burden.”
The arena crowd roars.
Hana lets the moment hang before asking the final question.
Hana Nakamura: “Then let’s talk about that burden. At The Long Night, you challenge Frankenstein’s Monster for the Mythic Crown Title. Tonight, you face him in six-man action. What do you need to prove before that championship match?”
Arthur’s answer comes after a long silence.
King Arthur: “Nothing to him.”
Hana looks surprised.
Arthur explains.
King Arthur: “Frankenstein’s Monster does not require proof. He does not respect speeches. He does not recognize nobility. He does not look across the ring and see a king, a knight, a cause, or a people.”
Arthur’s voice stays steady.
King Arthur: “He sees matter.”
A beat.
King Arthur: “Weight. Bone. Breath. Impact.”
The corridor feels colder.
King Arthur: “That is what makes him dangerous. Not only his strength. His absence of reverence. He does not hate the crown. He does not cherish it. He simply carries it because no one has yet taken it from him.”
Hana holds the microphone closer.
King Arthur: “At The Long Night, I will not defeat him by demanding that he understand Camelot. I will not defeat him by asking the crown to remember my name. I will not defeat him because banners are raised or because people chant for me.”
The arena chant rises again faintly.
“AR-THUR!”
“AR-THUR!”
Arthur hears it, but his eyes remain forward.
King Arthur: “I will defeat him only if I can endure what he is.”
He pauses.
King Arthur: “And then make him answer for what he is not.”
Hana’s expression tightens, emotionally caught by the line.
Hana Nakamura: “What is he not?”
Arthur looks directly into the camera.
King Arthur: “He is not the rightful king of this division.”
The crowd explodes.
Arthur continues, voice still controlled.
King Arthur: “The Mythic Crown is not merely a belt. It is a burden placed before the entire division. Whoever carries it becomes the central test of what this place believes strength to be.”
He straightens.
King Arthur: “If Frankenstein’s Monster remains champion, then strength is only endurance without soul. Power without duty. Violence without answer.”
A beat.
King Arthur: “I reject that.”
The crowd roars again.
King Arthur: “Tonight, I stand with Lancelot and Gawain against Monsters Bash. I will feel the Monster’s force. I will see how he moves beside Kong and Ogre. I will learn what the storm reveals before The Long Night.”
His voice lowers.
King Arthur: “But when that night comes, there will be no formation.”
A pause.
King Arthur: “No shield wall.”
Another pause.
King Arthur: “No Lancelot. No Gawain.”
He looks into the lens.
King Arthur: “Only Arthur.”
The arena grows louder.
King Arthur: “Only Frankenstein’s Monster.”
Arthur’s expression becomes absolute.
King Arthur: “Only the crown.”
Hana lowers the microphone slightly, then raises it for one final prompt.
Hana Nakamura: “Arthur… with all of that around you — Monsters Bash tonight, Mordred rising, the King’s Hand spreading, the Ghost of Christmas Past dismissing Camelot, and Frankenstein’s Monster waiting at The Long Night — what do you say to the people out there chanting your name?”
Arthur turns his head slightly toward the arena.
For the first time, there is a small softness in his face.
Not weakness.
Recognition.
King Arthur: “I hear them.”
A pause.
King Arthur: “And I know what they ask without saying it.”
He turns back to the camera.
King Arthur: “They are not asking me to promise that I cannot fall. They know better. This is Dark Fable. Everyone can fall here.”
The corridor quiets around him.
King Arthur: “They are asking whether I will rise with the weight still upon me.”
Arthur nods once.
Solemn.
Certain.
King Arthur: “I will.”
The crowd erupts through the arena walls.
Arthur looks at Hana.
King Arthur: “Tonight, Camelot stands against monsters.”
He steps back.
King Arthur: “At The Long Night, I stand before the crown.”
He turns and begins walking down the corridor.
The camera follows for a moment as his cape shifts behind him in the torchlight.
He does not look back.
Hana remains in frame, visibly moved but composed.
She turns toward the camera.
Hana Nakamura: “King Arthur heads into tonight’s six-man match with Sir Lancelot and Sir Gawain against Frankenstein’s Monster, Kong, and Ogre. But beyond tonight, The Long Night waits. And with it, the Mythic Crown Title match against Frankenstein’s Monster.”
She takes a breath.
Hana Nakamura: “Arthur says he does not need to prove anything to the Monster.”
A pause.
Hana Nakamura: “He needs to endure what the Monster is… and make him answer for what he is not.”
The camera cuts back to commentary.
Julian Ward: “King Arthur speaks not as a man unaware of the danger, but as one who has accepted its full shape. Tonight’s six-man match against Monsters Bash gives him direct proximity to Frankenstein’s Monster, but The Long Night remains the true horizon.”
Brick Brody: “That was a king talking himself into a storm, Julian. I respect it, but let’s not dress it up too clean. Frankenstein’s Monster does not care about duty, crowns, law, Mordred, Fenwick, Prince John, or chants. Arthur can speak beautifully. At The Long Night, he has to survive ugly.”
Julian Ward: “And perhaps that is the heart of the challenge. Arthur is not asking the Monster to understand Camelot. He is preparing to stand before something that cannot be reasoned with.”
Brick Brody: “Then he better bring more than reason. He better bring Lancelot and Gawain tonight, and every ounce of himself at The Long Night.”
Julian Ward: “The King has spoken. The crown still waits.”
The camera returns to the ring.
Scrooge’s Camelot Coliseum still carries the aftershock of Sinbad reclaiming the Eternal Flame Title and the unresolved war between Dorothy, Rapunzel, and the Queens of Punishment.
But now the air turns heavier.
The kind of heavy that comes before walls break.
Louie Linville stands centered on the canvas, microphone in hand, solemn beneath the cold white ring light.
At ringside, “Slow-Count” Sam checks the ropes with deliberate care. His reputation is known. His counts come late, his hands fall heavy, and every pin in his ring feels like it has to survive an extra breath.
The lights dim.
A low mechanical thrum begins.
Not music.
A laboratory heartbeat.
Green-gray light spreads across the entranceway.
Lightning flashes across the big screen.
Once.
Twice.
Then the Mythic Crown appears in stormfire.
The crowd begins booing before the first figure appears.
Dr. Frankenstein steps through the smoke.
Wild-eyed.
Possessive.
The Mythic Crown Title clutched in his hands like holy evidence pulled from a grave. He looks over the crowd with disgust, then back toward the darkness behind him with pride that borders on worship.
Frankenstein’s Monster emerges.
The Mythic Crown Champion.
Massive.
Silent.
A monument of stitched power, dead strength, and impossible endurance.
He does not walk quickly.
He does not need to.
Behind him come Kong and Ogre.
Kong moves with brutal, compact menace, shoulders thick, fists flexing as though already remembering impact. Ogre follows larger and uglier in motion, all mass and malice, a walking collision waiting for permission.
Together, Monsters Bash makes the aisle feel too narrow.
Dr. Frankenstein raises the Mythic Crown Title high as the trio reaches the ring.
The boos shake the Coliseum.
Frankenstein’s Monster steps over the top rope.
Kong climbs in after him.
Ogre enters last, glaring toward the entranceway as if daring Camelot to answer.
Julian Ward: “Monsters Bash enters with Dr. Frankenstein, and the visual tells the story. Frankenstein’s Monster stands as Mythic Crown Champion, but Kong and Ogre make this more than a preview of The Long Night. This is a direct collision between Camelot’s champions and monstrous force.”
Brick Brody: “Look at them, Julian. That is not a team. That is a demolition crew with a mad scientist holding the paperwork. Arthur wants to learn something before The Long Night? Fine. Lesson one — monsters hit harder in groups.”
Dr. Frankenstein walks slowly around ringside, holding the Mythic Crown Title as if it is too important to touch ordinary air.
Then the arena changes.
The green-gray dies.
Gold light cuts through it.
A horn sounds.
Not hollow.
Not cold.
Royal.
The crowd rises instantly.
Sir Gawain steps through the entranceway first, broad and battle-ready, fists clenched, eyes fixed on the ring.
Sir Lancelot follows, controlled but intense, his movements sharper, quicker, the confidence of a knight who has fought wars of pride and survived them.
Then King Arthur appears.
The Coliseum erupts.
“AR-THUR!”
“AR-THUR!”
“AR-THUR!”
Arthur stands beneath the gold light, composed, solemn, carrying the weight of his earlier words. He does not point to the crowd. He does not posture toward the Monster.
He simply looks at the ring.
Frankenstein’s Monster turns toward him.
For a long moment, the champion and the challenger do not move.
The Mythic Crown Title gleams in Dr. Frankenstein’s hands at ringside.
Arthur begins walking.
Lancelot and Gawain walk with him.
Camelot moves toward the monsters.
Julian Ward: “King Arthur enters with Sir Lancelot and Sir Gawain at his side. Earlier tonight, Arthur said that Camelot must answer in formation because monsters do not always arrive one at a time. That formation is here now.”
Brick Brody: “And it better hold. Because if it breaks, Frankenstein’s Monster, Kong, and Ogre will not just beat them. They will scatter them.”
Arthur steps onto the apron.
Gawain and Lancelot enter beside him.
The three knights stand in a line.
Across from them stand Frankenstein’s Monster, Kong, and Ogre.
The ring feels too small.
Louie Linville steps forward.
Louie Linville: “Ladies and gentlemen… the following six-man tag team contest is scheduled for one fall.”
The crowd roars.
Louie Linville: “Introducing first… accompanied to the ring by Dr. Frankenstein… the terrible creation who bears the Mythic Crown, FRANKENSTEIN’S MONSTER… the crushing force called KONG… and the brutal mountain known as OGRE… together, they are MONSTERS BASH!”
Dr. Frankenstein raises the Mythic Crown Title.
The boos deepen.
Frankenstein’s Monster does not react.
Kong beats one fist into his palm.
Ogre grins.
Louie Linville: “And their opponents… knights of Camelot, sworn to stand where darkness gathers… SIR GAWAIN… SIR LANCELOT… and the man who will challenge for the Mythic Crown at The Long Night… KING ARTHUR!”
The ovation is thunderous.
Arthur steps forward to begin.
Frankenstein’s Monster remains in for his team.
Lancelot and Gawain move to the apron.
Kong and Ogre step out slowly, reluctantly, as if disappointed they must wait.
“Slow-Count” Sam checks both legal men.
Arthur looks at the Monster.
The Monster looks back with nothing readable in his face.
Sam signals.
The bell rings.
Minute 1
Julian Ward: “King Arthur begins directly against Frankenstein’s Monster. He moves quickly and connects with a jumping knee drop, bringing the knee down across the champion.”
Brick Brody: “That is smart from Arthur. Do not stand in front of the Monster and admire the size difference. Hit him first and hit him where he has to notice.”
Julian Ward: “Frankenstein’s Monster absorbs the punishment. No visible panic, no retreat, but Arthur has made first contact.”
Brick Brody: “The problem is exactly what you said — absorbs. Most men take a knee drop and react. The Monster treats it like rain on a stone wall.”
Julian Ward: “Arthur is already learning something about the champion he will face at The Long Night.”
Brick Brody: “Yeah. He is learning that hurting him and stopping him are two different kingdoms.”
Minute 2
Julian Ward: “The match breaks open immediately. All six men are in the ring, and Camelot and Monsters Bash are colliding in every corner.”
Brick Brody: “Here we go. Formation against stampede.”
Julian Ward: “Arthur catches Frankenstein’s Monster with an atomic drop. Sir Gawain drives through Kong with a rolling fireman’s carry. Sir Lancelot snaps Ogre with a superkick.”
Brick Brody: “That is Camelot moving together. Fast, clean, direct.”
Julian Ward: “But Monsters Bash answers at the same time. Frankenstein’s Monster hammers Arthur with Heavy Hand across the back. Kong drives a sledgehammer blow into the chest of Sir Gawain. Ogre drops a kneedrop onto Lancelot.”
Brick Brody: “And that is the stampede answering. Every knight got a piece, and every monster took one back with interest.”
Julian Ward: “The referee restores order, but the tone has been set. This will not remain contained easily.”
Brick Brody: “Contained? Sam is lucky the ring ropes are still attached.”
Minute 3
Julian Ward: “Arthur remains legal with Frankenstein’s Monster. Arthur drives the champion down with a flowing DDT.”
Brick Brody: “That is a good target. Keep attacking the head and neck. Make the Monster remember gravity.”
Julian Ward: “But Frankenstein’s Monster answers with Stitched Slam. Fallaway slam impact, and Arthur lands hard.”
Brick Brody: “There is the Monster’s power. Arthur spikes him, and the Monster throws him like furniture.”
Julian Ward: “Arthur scored, but the champion’s answer was immediate and heavy.”
Brick Brody: “This is the fight Arthur wanted to feel before The Long Night. Well, he felt that one across the whole spine.”
Minute 4
Julian Ward: “Arthur stays composed and lands another atomic drop. Frankenstein’s Monster attempted to defend, but Arthur caught him clean.”
Brick Brody: “Arthur is not getting intimidated. That matters. You can see him testing angles, testing balance, testing how the Monster reacts.”
Julian Ward: “The Monster does not go down, but Arthur is creating moments where the champion is forced to absorb rather than advance.”
Brick Brody: “Against Frankenstein’s Monster, that might be a victory all by itself. Make him pause. Make him process. Make him prove he is not just walking through you.”
Julian Ward: “Dr. Frankenstein is already shouting from ringside, unhappy with Arthur’s persistence.”
Brick Brody: “That twitchy grave-robber does not like his experiment being studied.”
Minute 5
Julian Ward: “Arthur connects with another flowing DDT. Frankenstein’s Monster tried to defend, but Arthur was too quick into the drop.”
Brick Brody: “That is twice now Arthur has driven the champion headfirst into the canvas. That is not nothing.”
Julian Ward: “The crowd is responding. Arthur has opened this match far more effectively than many expected against the Mythic Crown Champion.”
Brick Brody: “Careful, though. The Monster is not losing his temper. He is not getting desperate. That might be worse. It means Arthur has his attention, but not his fear.”
Julian Ward: “Arthur rises and looks to his corner. Lancelot and Gawain are urging him to maintain the advantage.”
Brick Brody: “Good. Stay on him now. Do not give a creature like that quiet time.”
Minute 6
Julian Ward: “Frankenstein’s Monster and Kong attempt to double-team Arthur. The Monster tries to throw Arthur out of the ring while Kong steps in with the sledgehammer blow to the chest.”
Brick Brody: “That is bad territory. If they get Arthur isolated between those two, it becomes less wrestling and more construction collapse.”
Julian Ward: “Arthur reverses the double team. He turns through the pressure, avoids Kong’s shot, and plants Frankenstein’s Monster with another flowing DDT.”
Brick Brody: “That was huge. Arthur just made two monsters miss and spiked the champion for it.”
Julian Ward: “The double-team attempt fails completely, and Arthur has again driven the Mythic Crown Champion down.”
Brick Brody: “Dr. Frankenstein looks like he swallowed a bad battery. Arthur is learning, Julian. He is learning fast.”
Minute 7
Julian Ward: “Frankenstein’s Monster reaches for Heavy Hand, that brutal back smash, but Arthur neutralizes it.”
Brick Brody: “That is another important answer. Arthur is reading the big swing.”
Julian Ward: “Arthur prevents the impact and immediately moves to his corner. Tag made to Sir Lancelot.”
Brick Brody: “Smart tag. Arthur got his test, got his answers, and now Lancelot comes in with speed.”
Julian Ward: “Lancelot enters with energy, but the Monster has absorbed a great deal without truly falling apart.”
Brick Brody: “No, he has not. That is the scary part. Arthur won exchanges. The Monster is still standing there like the bill has not arrived yet.”
Minute 8
Julian Ward: “Sir Lancelot strikes quickly with an enzuigiri. He catches Frankenstein’s Monster high.”
Brick Brody: “That is the right idea. Use speed. Hit and move.”
Julian Ward: “But the Monster answers with The Bolt Driver. Double axe handle smash comes down across Lancelot with tremendous force.”
Brick Brody: “That looked like a tombstone falling out of the sky.”
Julian Ward: “Lancelot’s strike landed, but the Monster’s counter was much heavier.”
Brick Brody: “And now the tag. Frankenstein’s Monster brings in Kong.”
Frankenstein’s Monster tags Kong.
Kong steps through the ropes, beating his chest once.
Lancelot circles, trying to keep distance.
Minute 9
Julian Ward: “Sir Lancelot uses that distance. Running shooting star press connects on Kong.”
Brick Brody: “That was athletic and brave. Also risky against a man built like a boulder.”
Julian Ward: “Kong attempted to defend, but Lancelot landed cleanly. Lancelot covers.”
Brick Brody: “Early cover on Kong. Let’s see.”
Julian Ward: “One — Kong kicks out.”
Brick Brody: “Not enough. Kong threw him off like bad weather.”
Julian Ward: “Kong immediately tags Frankenstein’s Monster back into the match.”
Brick Brody: “That tells me Monsters Bash does not want Lancelot building rhythm. They are rotating the punishment.”
Minute 10
Julian Ward: “Lancelot catches Frankenstein’s Monster with a Falcon Arrow. He got the champion up and drove him down.”
Brick Brody: “That is impressive strength and timing. Lancelot is not just fast. He got the Monster over.”
Julian Ward: “Lancelot covers.”
Brick Brody: “Sam is down slow.”
Julian Ward: “One — Frankenstein’s Monster kicks out.”
Brick Brody: “And that slow count does not help Lancelot. Against the Monster, you need every fraction of a second.”
Julian Ward: “Still, Lancelot has forced the champion to kick out. Camelot continues to test Frankenstein’s Monster tonight.”
Brick Brody: “Test him, yes. But every failed cover is a reminder that the Monster is still not staying down.”
Minute 11
Julian Ward: “Both men reset defensively, then Lancelot launches into another running shooting star press.”
Brick Brody: “Lancelot keeps going airborne. That is dangerous but effective.”
Julian Ward: “Frankenstein’s Monster answers with an elbow drop. Both men score, but the Monster’s elbow lands with slightly more weight.”
Brick Brody: “That elbow looked like a slab of church roof coming down.”
Julian Ward: “Lancelot rolls away, clutching the ribs. He is still moving, but the accumulation is beginning.”
Brick Brody: “That is how the Monster gets you. Not always one finish. Sometimes it is just weight after weight until you stop being quick.”
Minute 12
Julian Ward: “Lancelot regroups and lands a bridging suplex. Frankenstein’s Monster absorbs the punishment, and Lancelot holds the bridge.”
Brick Brody: “Good technique. Bad opponent for it.”
Julian Ward: “Sam drops for the count.”
Brick Brody: “Slow as winter.”
Julian Ward: “One — Frankenstein’s Monster kicks out.”
Brick Brody: “Again only one. Lancelot is scoring, but the Monster is not giving him the satisfaction of a deep count.”
Julian Ward: “The champion’s resilience remains extraordinary.”
Brick Brody: “Extraordinary is a polite word. I would call it aggravating if I were standing across from him.”
Minute 13
Julian Ward: “Monsters Bash overwhelms the ring again. Frankenstein’s Monster, Kong, and Ogre swarm Lancelot.”
Brick Brody: “This is what I warned about. Once Lancelot gets trapped, the monsters can make the ring small.”
Julian Ward: “Frankenstein’s Monster strikes with The Bolt Driver. Kong follows with a diving headbutt. Ogre crashes in with Ogre’s Wrath, the F-5. Lancelot still fires back with a superkick in the chaos.”
Brick Brody: “Lancelot landed the kick, but he got hit by a three-monster avalanche. That is a bad trade no matter how brave you are.”
Julian Ward: “The double team ends, but Lancelot has absorbed the most dangerous sequence of the match so far.”
Brick Brody: “And that is the first real crack in Camelot’s formation.”
Minute 14
Julian Ward: “Lancelot tries to fight back with another enzuigiri, and it connects.”
Brick Brody: “He is still swinging. Credit where it is due.”
Julian Ward: “Frankenstein’s Monster answers with Heavy Hand across the back. Lancelot is driven down again.”
Brick Brody: “That back smash has no elegance. It is just a horrible hand landing where bones do not want it.”
Julian Ward: “Lancelot is keeping himself alive with strikes, but Frankenstein’s Monster is beginning to make each exchange more costly.”
Brick Brody: “That is the Monster’s game. He does not have to outrun Lancelot. He just has to make Lancelot slower every time they meet.”
Minute 15
Julian Ward: “Another defensive reset breaks down, and Monsters Bash attacks Lancelot again. Frankenstein’s Monster lands Deadweight Drop, the sidewalk slam.”
Brick Brody: “There goes the spine.”
Julian Ward: “Kong adds a sledgehammer blow to the chest. Ogre follows with a piledriver. Lancelot somehow answers with a running bulldog during the chaos.”
Brick Brody: “That is insane toughness. Lancelot is being mauled by three monsters and still finds a bulldog.”
Julian Ward: “But the damage from Monsters Bash is overwhelming. Lancelot is no longer fighting from equal ground.”
Brick Brody: “No. He is fighting from underneath a collapsed castle.”
Minute 16
Julian Ward: “Frankenstein’s Monster goes back to Heavy Hand, but Lancelot reverses it.”
Brick Brody: “Great counter. He felt the swing coming.”
Julian Ward: “Lancelot fires a superkick. Frankenstein’s Monster absorbs the punishment, but Lancelot has stopped the immediate attack.”
Brick Brody: “That was survival. A clean piece of it. Lancelot needed that badly.”
Julian Ward: “The crowd is trying to rally him toward the corner. Arthur and Gawain are reaching.”
Brick Brody: “He needs the tag. Pride is not helping him now. Get out and let one of the others take the war for a while.”
Minute 17
Julian Ward: “Lancelot stays in and lands another Falcon Arrow on Frankenstein’s Monster.”
Brick Brody: “That is impressive, but I don’t know if it is wise. He is still trying to beat the Monster instead of escaping the damage.”
Julian Ward: “Frankenstein’s Monster answers with the Graveyard Slam. Heavy body slam, and Lancelot lands hard.”
Brick Brody: “There is the receipt. The Monster gave him the floor with interest.”
Julian Ward: “Lancelot covers after his offense, trying to steal one.”
Brick Brody: “Sam is down again.”
Julian Ward: “One — Frankenstein’s Monster kicks out.”
Brick Brody: “Another kickout, and Lancelot spends more energy for less reward.”
Minute 18
Julian Ward: “Lancelot strikes with a superkick. He catches Frankenstein’s Monster clean.”
Brick Brody: “Good shot. Maybe his best left.”
Julian Ward: “But the Monster immediately answers with The Flat Liner. Running powerslam, enormous impact. Frankenstein’s Monster covers.”
Brick Brody: “That might be it.”
Julian Ward: “One — two — Sir Gawain makes the save.”
The crowd erupts.
Brick Brody: “That saved the match. Not maybe. That saved it.”
Julian Ward: “Gawain breaks the count, and Frankenstein’s Monster turns slowly toward him.”
Brick Brody: “That is a bad look to receive. Gawain just put himself on the Monster’s list.”
Julian Ward: “Frankenstein’s Monster tags Ogre into the match.”
Ogre steps in, staring down at Lancelot.
Lancelot is slow to rise.
Minute 19
Julian Ward: “Lancelot tries to catch Ogre with a Falcon Arrow, but Ogre neutralizes it.”
Brick Brody: “Lancelot’s body is too beaten now. He cannot get the lift clean.”
Julian Ward: “Ogre stuffs the attempt and keeps Lancelot in dangerous territory.”
Brick Brody: “This is what happens when you stay in too long. The moves that worked earlier start collapsing under the damage.”
Julian Ward: “Arthur and Gawain are both calling for the tag, but Ogre has blocked the path.”
Brick Brody: “Ogre knows. He does not need to be clever every second. He just needs to stand between Lancelot and help.”
Minute 20
Julian Ward: “Lancelot creates one more opening. He and Sir Gawain manage a double-team on Ogre.”
Brick Brody: “There is the save-through-offense. Good thinking.”
Julian Ward: “Lancelot hits a running shooting star press. Gawain follows with a backbreaker. Ogre answers with a punch to the face.”
Brick Brody: “That punch was ugly. He got hit by two knights and still threw a fist like a falling brick.”
Julian Ward: “The double team ends, and Ogre remains standing enough to keep Lancelot trapped.”
Brick Brody: “That was Camelot’s chance to shift the match. They hurt Ogre, but they did not free Lancelot.”
Minute 21
Julian Ward: “Ogre catches Lancelot. Ogre’s Wrath. The F-5 connects, and Lancelot could not defend.”
Brick Brody: “That is a disaster. Lancelot just got thrown through the center of the match.”
Julian Ward: “Ogre covers.”
Brick Brody: “Sam is counting.”
Julian Ward: “One — two — Lancelot kicks out.”
The crowd surges.
Brick Brody: “How did he kick out of that?”
Julian Ward: “Lancelot survives, but barely. Ogre has landed one of the most devastating blows of the match.”
Brick Brody: “That was courage and instinct. But he is not safe. He is not close to safe.”
Julian Ward: “Arthur reaches from the corner, shouting for Lancelot to crawl.”
Brick Brody: “He better crawl now. Not later. Not after another move.”
Minute 22
Julian Ward: “Ogre pulls Lancelot back before he can reach the corner. Backslam connects. Lancelot tried to defend, but Ogre drove him down.”
Brick Brody: “That is it. He cut off the escape and dumped him.”
Julian Ward: “Ogre covers.”
Brick Brody: “Gawain is too far. Arthur is blocked.”
Julian Ward: “One — two — three. Ogre has pinned Sir Lancelot.”
The bell rings.
The crowd boos loudly.
Sir Lancelot lies on the canvas, one arm outstretched toward the Camelot corner.
Arthur steps through the ropes immediately, but “Slow-Count” Sam moves between him and Ogre.
Sir Gawain enters from the other side, checking on Lancelot.
Ogre rises with a savage grin, chest heaving.
Kong enters and stands beside him.
Frankenstein’s Monster steps through the ropes last.
The Mythic Crown Champion does not look at Ogre first.
He looks at King Arthur.
Dr. Frankenstein climbs onto the apron with the Mythic Crown Title in both hands, laughing through a strained, triumphant smile.
Louie Linville raises the microphone.
Louie Linville: “Here are your winners… FRANKENSTEIN’S MONSTER, KONG, AND OGRE… MONSTERS BASH!”
The boos grow.
Ogre raises both arms.
Kong pounds his chest.
Frankenstein’s Monster remains still.
Arthur stands across from him, separated by the referee, the fallen Lancelot, and the consequence of the match.
Dr. Frankenstein steps through the ropes and places the Mythic Crown Title over the Monster’s shoulder.
He points across the ring at Arthur.
Dr. Frankenstein: “You studied him, King Arthur! Now understand what the lesson costs!”
Arthur does not answer.
His eyes stay on the Monster.
Gawain helps Lancelot sit up. Lancelot pushes a hand against the mat, frustrated, wounded, trying to rise under his own power.
Ogre looks down at him and laughs.
Arthur turns sharply toward Ogre.
Kong steps between them.
For one tense moment, it looks as though the match may restart as a fight.
Then Frankenstein’s Monster takes one step forward.
The building reacts.
Arthur takes one step forward too.
The two stand nearly center ring now.
The Mythic Crown Title rests on the Monster’s shoulder.
Arthur’s eyes move to it.
Then back to the Monster’s face.
The Monster does not raise the title.
He does not need to.
Dr. Frankenstein pulls at his arm, guiding him back before the collision can happen tonight.
Julian Ward: “Monsters Bash has defeated King Arthur, Sir Gawain, and Sir Lancelot, with Ogre pinning Lancelot after a backslam. But the greater image may be this one: Frankenstein’s Monster standing across from King Arthur with the Mythic Crown between them and The Long Night drawing closer.”
Brick Brody: “Arthur got answers tonight, Julian. He found out he can hit the Monster. He found out he can counter him. He found out Camelot can move together and make those monsters work. But he also found out what happens when the formation breaks. Lancelot got trapped, smashed, and pinned.”
Julian Ward: “Sir Gawain saved the match once, but the damage to Lancelot continued. Ogre capitalized, and Monsters Bash proved that even when Frankenstein’s Monster is not the man scoring the fall, his presence changes everything.”
Brick Brody: “That is the scary part. The Monster did not need the pin tonight. He just needed Arthur to see what his side brings. Kong hurts you. Ogre finishes you. Frankenstein’s Monster waits with the crown.”
Julian Ward: “At The Long Night, King Arthur will not have a six-man formation. He will not have Lancelot or Gawain standing between himself and the champion. He will face Frankenstein’s Monster alone for the Mythic Crown Title.”
Brick Brody: “And after tonight, Arthur knows exactly how heavy that crown’s shadow is.”
Frankenstein’s Monster steps over the top rope and exits.
Dr. Frankenstein follows, lifting the Mythic Crown Title beside him.
Kong and Ogre walk behind them, victorious and satisfied.
In the ring, Arthur helps Lancelot fully to his feet.
Gawain stands at their side, glaring toward the departing monsters.
Arthur looks up the aisle.
Frankenstein’s Monster stops once at the entranceway.
He turns.
The Mythic Crown Title gleams in the torchlight.
Arthur does not look away.
The shot holds.
The challenger in the ring.
The champion in the shadows.
The Long Night approaching.
WINNERS: FRANKENSTEIN’S MONSTER, KONG, AND OGRE DEFEAT KING ARTHUR, SIR GAWAIN, AND SIR LANCELOT VIA PINFALL, WITH OGRE PINNING SIR LANCELOT AFTER A BACKSLAM AT THE 22:00 MINUTE MARK.
The camera returns to the ring.
The Coliseum has not yet settled after Monsters Bash’s victory.
Arthur still lingers in the mind of the crowd.
Frankenstein’s Monster still lingers in the air.
But now the torches dim toward green-black shadow.
A different kind of danger approaches.
Not brute force.
Not stitched strength.
Old malice.
Louie Linville stands centered in the ring, microphone lifted, his voice solemn before the first word leaves him.
At ringside, “Honest” Abe checks the ropes and speaks quietly with the timekeeper.
The crowd begins to buzz.
They know who is coming.
The lights sink lower.
Green-black mist crawls across the entranceway.
A low choral hum moves through the arena, bitter and ancient.
Myrdden the Hollow steps out first.
His robes trail behind him like darkness pulled from under a locked door. His face is calm. Too calm. His eyes move slowly across the Coliseum, not searching for approval, not fearing judgment.
Behind him comes Morgana Le Faye.
She walks with royal contempt.
No hurry.
No uncertainty.
Every step carries the weight of embarrassment hardened into anger. Last week, Alice defeated her. Lilith watched it happen. The Queen of North then spoke over Morgana’s fury like a blade being drawn across stone.
Morgana has not forgotten.
The boos rise.
Morgana does not give them the dignity of reaction.
She approaches the ring with Myrdden at her side, eyes fixed forward, expression cold enough to suggest that tonight is not about competition.
It is about correction.
Julian Ward: “Morgana Le Faye enters tonight carrying the humiliation of last week’s defeat to Alice, and perhaps more importantly, the humiliation of being publicly dissected by Lilith. That kind of wound can become dangerous.”
Brick Brody: “Dangerous? It can become poisonous. Morgana got embarrassed, and people like Morgana do not process embarrassment. They weaponize it. Guinevere better be ready for a woman who wants to hurt the room, not just win the match.”
Morgana steps through the ropes.
Myrdden remains outside, hands folded within his sleeves.
He says nothing.
The silence is worse.
Then the lighting shifts.
Green-black dies beneath silver and royal blue.
A clear horn sounds.
Not triumphant.
Resolute.
Merlin appears first.
The crowd cheers.
He steps into the light with his staff in hand, eyes fixed on Morgana and Myrdden as if he has known this kind of darkness far longer than anyone else in the building.
Then Lady Guinevere enters.
The reaction rises immediately.
“GUIN-E-VERE!”
“GUIN-E-VERE!”
She walks with poise, but not fragility.
Her presence is regal without softness. Her eyes remain fixed on Morgana. The memory of the Super House Show follows her — Lady Guinevere defeating Yurei Rinn, surviving Lord Kurogami’s influence, proving that elegance and force can live in the same body.
She pauses at the top of the ramp.
Looks at Morgana.
Then at Myrdden.
Then she continues forward.
Julian Ward: “Lady Guinevere arrives with momentum after defeating Yurei Rinn at the Mythic Division Super House Show. She has shown resilience under pressure and composure under threat. Those qualities will be tested sharply against Morgana.”
Brick Brody: “Guinevere has spine. I’ll give her that. But Morgana is not just another opponent. Morgana wants to make nobility look helpless. That is personal tonight, whether Guinevere asked for it or not.”
Guinevere enters the ring and stands across from Morgana.
Merlin and Myrdden remain on opposite sides of the floor.
Two advisors.
Two forces.
Two kinds of ancient power watching from outside the ropes.
Louie Linville steps forward.
Louie Linville: “Ladies and gentlemen… the following contest is scheduled for one fall.”
The crowd rises.
Louie Linville: “Introducing first… accompanied to the ring by Myrdden the Hollow… from the ancient veil where crowns rot and curses endure… she is the Sorceress of Shadows… MORGANA LE FAYE!”
Morgana raises one hand slowly.
The boos deepen.
Myrdden lowers his head.
Louie Linville: “And her opponent… accompanied to the ring by Merlin… from Camelot’s royal heart, bearing grace without surrender and strength without cruelty… LADY GUINEVERE!”
The crowd cheers strongly.
Guinevere gives a small nod, never taking her eyes off Morgana.
“Honest” Abe checks both competitors.
Morgana says something quietly to Guinevere.
Guinevere’s expression does not change.
Abe turns toward the timekeeper.
The bell rings.
Minute 1
Julian Ward: “Lady Guinevere moves immediately. She catches Morgana around the body and lifts her into a delayed fisherman suplex.”
Brick Brody: “That is the right opening. Do not let Morgana start casting shadows. Grab her, hold her, make her feel the air before the fall.”
Julian Ward: “Guinevere has her suspended. That is impressive control from the opening exchange.”
Brick Brody: “Look at Morgana’s face. She did not expect to be held up there like proof.”
Guinevere bridges through the suplex, driving Morgana hard into the canvas.
The crowd erupts.
Morgana rolls toward her side, stunned by the sudden impact.
Guinevere begins to rise.
Then Myrdden the Hollow moves.
Not toward Guinevere.
Toward the ring.
He steps onto the apron with sudden, unnatural speed.
“Honest” Abe turns, pointing sharply for him to get down.
Myrdden does not obey.
He enters halfway through the ropes, reaches forward, and shoves Abe hard in the chest.
The referee stumbles backward and nearly falls.
The crowd explodes in shock and anger.
The bell rings immediately.
Guinevere turns toward Myrdden, eyes wide but controlled.
Morgana pushes up to one knee, looking first at Myrdden, then at Abe, then at Guinevere.
Abe regains his footing and points directly toward Myrdden.
He turns to the timekeeper and calls for the disqualification.
The boos become thunderous.
Julian Ward: “Myrdden the Hollow has shoved ‘Honest’ Abe. The referee has called for the bell. This match is over almost as quickly as it began.”
Brick Brody: “That is not interference around the edges. That is laying hands on the official. Myrdden just got Morgana disqualified before this match could even breathe.”
Julian Ward: “Lady Guinevere landed the delayed fisherman suplex and had the first meaningful advantage. Myrdden intervened immediately, and now Morgana Le Faye has lost by disqualification.”
Brick Brody: “The question is why. Was that panic? Was that protection? Or did Myrdden decide Morgana could not afford another clean loss tonight?”
Morgana rises slowly.
Her face is rigid with fury.
Not at Guinevere.
At Myrdden.
Louie Linville lifts the microphone as the crowd boos.
Louie Linville: “Ladies and gentlemen… as a result of Myrdden the Hollow making physical contact with the official… Morgana Le Faye has been disqualified. Therefore, your winner… LADY GUINEVERE!”
The crowd cheers Guinevere’s name, but the reaction is mixed with anger at the stolen match.
“GUIN-E-VERE!”
“GUIN-E-VERE!”
Guinevere does not celebrate.
She stands near the center of the ring, eyes locked on Morgana.
Merlin steps closer to the apron, staff in hand, watching Myrdden carefully.
Myrdden remains still now, as if nothing inappropriate has happened.
Morgana steps toward him.
Her voice is low but sharp enough for the camera microphone to catch pieces of it.
Morgana Le Faye: “You dare decide when I am finished?”
Myrdden turns his head slightly toward her.
No fear.
No apology.
The crowd quiets enough to listen.
Myrdden does not speak into a microphone, but the camera catches his cold answer.
Myrdden the Hollow: “I decided when the risk exceeded the purpose.”
Morgana’s eyes blaze.
Guinevere watches this fracture carefully.
Merlin steps onto the apron now, not entering, but close enough to make his presence known.
Merlin: “Old shadows often fear what happens when light gets too close.”
Myrdden turns his eyes toward Merlin.
Morgana’s anger sharpens, now trapped between humiliation and restraint.
Guinevere steps forward.
She does not shout.
She does not posture.
She speaks clearly enough for the nearest camera to catch her.
Lady Guinevere: “If you wished to avoid defeat, Morgana, you should have fought longer than one minute.”
The crowd reacts sharply.
Morgana lunges a step forward, but Myrdden raises one hand.
Not touching her.
Stopping her.
That restraint enrages her even more.
Brick Brody: “Oh, that line cut deep. Guinevere just said the quiet part in royal handwriting.”
Julian Ward: “Morgana Le Faye entered this match trying to repair the damage of last week’s loss to Alice. Instead, Myrdden’s interference has given her another public humiliation — one she did not choose.”
Morgana slowly backs toward the ropes, never taking her eyes off Guinevere.
Myrdden exits first.
Morgana follows only after a long, cold stare.
At ringside, she refuses to let Myrdden walk beside her.
That separation is small.
But visible.
Guinevere remains in the ring.
Merlin enters and stands beside her.
“Honest” Abe raises Guinevere’s hand.
The crowd cheers, though the sound carries frustration.
They wanted a battle.
They were given a rupture.
Julian Ward: “Lady Guinevere wins by disqualification after Myrdden the Hollow shoved the referee. Officially, the victory belongs to Guinevere. Symbolically, the moment may reveal something far more dangerous within Morgana’s camp.”
Brick Brody: “Myrdden just protected Morgana or controlled her. Maybe both. Either way, Morgana did not look grateful. She looked like somebody who had her blade taken away before she could swing it.”
Julian Ward: “Guinevere showed immediate command with the delayed fisherman suplex. Morgana never had the chance to answer. And now, instead of resolution, we are left with more tension — between Guinevere and Morgana, and perhaps between Morgana and Myrdden the Hollow.”
Brick Brody: “That is Dark Fable. Sometimes a match ends in one minute, and the damage lasts longer than thirty.”
Julian Ward: “Lady Guinevere stands victorious. Morgana Le Faye leaves disqualified, angry, and perhaps more exposed than she intended.”
WINNER: LADY GUINEVERE DEFEATS MORGANA LE FAYE VIA DISQUALIFICATION AFTER MYRDDEN THE HOLLOW SHOVES THE REFEREE AT THE 1:00 MINUTE MARK.
The camera returns to the ring.
The aftermath of Lady Guinevere’s disqualification victory still hangs in the air. The crowd remains restless, still buzzing over Myrdden the Hollow’s interference, still carrying the weight of everything that has already happened tonight.
Then the lights settle.
Not dark.
Not celebratory.
Controlled.
The tone shifts from conflict to decree.
A measured instrumental theme begins to play, cold and dignified, with just enough ominous depth beneath it to remind the audience that nothing in the Mythic Division is ever announced lightly.
Alton Bell steps through the entranceway.
The Mythic Division General Manager wears a dark tailored suit, immaculate as always, his posture exact, his expression calm in that unsettling way that suggests he is always seeing one move further than everyone else in the room.
The crowd reacts with a mix of respect and suspicion.
Bell walks with no wasted motion, no need to play to the camera, no need to win affection. He is here for purpose.
He steps into the ring.
Louie Linville is already waiting and hands him the microphone with a formal nod before exiting through the ropes.
Bell stands at center ring.
He lets the noise breathe for a moment.
Then he raises the microphone.
Alton Bell: “Scrooge’s Camelot Coliseum…”
A pop from the crowd.
Alton Bell: “NPCW Universe…”
A louder reaction.
Alton Bell: “Tonight, you have already seen what defines the Mythic Division.”
He turns slowly, addressing all sides of the arena.
Alton Bell: “You have seen rebellion survive.”
A cheer for Robin Hood.
Alton Bell: “You have seen fire reclaimed.”
A roar for Sinbad.
Alton Bell: “You have seen unfinished wars deepen.”
A mixed reaction for Dorothy, Rapunzel, and the Queens.
Alton Bell: “You have seen monsters impose their shadow.”
Boos for Frankenstein’s Monster.
Bell’s expression never changes.
Alton Bell: “And you have seen, once again, that in this division, consequences do not wait politely in line. They arrive when they wish. They strike when they can. And they demand to be answered.”
He pauses.
Alton Bell: “As we march toward Ashes of Empire…”
The crowd reacts at the name.
Alton Bell: “We first must survive…”
A slight shift in tone.
A colder note.
Alton Bell: “The Long Night.”
The crowd roars.
A graphic appears on the big screen behind him:
THE LONG NIGHT
MAY 31, 2026
Alton Bell: “On May thirty-first… the Mythic Division will present a night where grudges harden, crowns are tested, monsters are measured, and no one leaves untouched.”
He turns slightly toward the hard camera.
Alton Bell: “Tonight, I announce the official card for The Long Night.”
The crowd cheers.
Alton Bell: “First…”
The screen shifts to Sherwood imagery — forest green, torchlight, black iron.
Alton Bell: “The war between the Merry Band and the King’s Hand will escalate beyond regulation and beyond restraint.”
Big reaction.
Alton Bell: “In a Six-Man Tag Team Sherwood Street Fight…”
The crowd gets louder.
Alton Bell: “Robin Hood…”
Cheer.
Alton Bell: “Friar Tuck…”
Cheer.
Alton Bell: “And Little John…”
Big cheer.
Alton Bell: “Will face…”
Boos already begin.
Alton Bell: “The Sheriff of Nottingham…”
Heavy boos.
Alton Bell: “Brute Bailiff…”
Boos.
Alton Bell: “And Ledger Knight.”
More boos.
Alton Bell: “No sanctuary. No order to hide behind. No false law. Only impact.”
The crowd roars.
Alton Bell: “Second…”
The screen darkens into cathedral imagery.
Alton Bell: “Prioress Malveil will face Maid Marion.”
The crowd reacts sharply.
Alton Bell: “Some wars are fought with blades.”
A pause.
Alton Bell: “Others are fought with belief.”
Another pause.
Alton Bell: “This one carries both.”
The crowd gives a strong reaction for Marion.
Alton Bell: “Third…”
The screen shifts to cracked steel, sawdust, and black crowns.
Alton Bell: “For the Convergent Championship…”
Strong reaction.
Alton Bell: “The champion, Jack Lumber…”
Cheer.
Alton Bell: “Will defend against…”
Pause.
Alton Bell: “Mordred.”
Boos and tension.
Alton Bell: “The rise of the Broken Crown has cast its shadow across this division long enough. At The Long Night, Jack Lumber will meet that shadow head-on.”
The crowd responds loudly.
Alton Bell: “Fourth…”
The screen burns gold and blue, then settles into red flame.
Alton Bell: “Sir Lancelot will receive an opportunity at the Eternal Flame Championship.”
Strong reaction.
Alton Bell: “And after what we witnessed earlier tonight…”
He allows the crowd to anticipate it.
Alton Bell: “That means Sir Lancelot will challenge the new Eternal Flame Champion…”
Pause.
Alton Bell: “Sinbad.”
The building erupts.
“SIN-BAD! SIN-BAD! SIN-BAD!”
Alton Bell: “One man reclaimed the fire. The other fought through monsters and nearly broke himself in service to Camelot. At The Long Night, flame meets knighthood.”
Huge reaction.
Alton Bell: “Fifth…”
The screen washes in blood red and black violet.
Alton Bell: “For the Queen of the North Championship…”
Big reaction.
Alton Bell: “The champion, Lilith…”
Strong mixed reaction.
Alton Bell: “Will defend against…”
A beat.
Alton Bell: “Morgana Le Faye.”
The crowd reacts with a jolt.
Alton Bell: “Last week, Morgana suffered humiliation. Tonight, she suffered public fracture. At The Long Night, she steps into championship darkness against one of the most dangerous women in NPCW.”
Alton Bell: “Sixth…”
The screen fills with monstrous imagery and bright blonde defiance.
Alton Bell: “For the North Star Tag Team Championship…”
The crowd rises in anticipation.
Alton Bell: “The champions…”
Pause.
Alton Bell: “The Monsters of Myth…”
Reaction.
Alton Bell: “Will defend against…”
Pause.
Alton Bell: “The Blonde Bombshells.”
A loud cheer.
Alton Bell: “Dorothy and Rapunzel went thirty minutes tonight with the Queens of Punishment and did not break. At The Long Night, it will be former champions Alice and Dorothy that will take that resilience into a title fight against the reigning champions.”
The crowd is firmly behind the challengers.
Alton Bell: “Seventh…”
The lights in the building dim a little more.
Even Bell’s voice seems to lower.
Alton Bell: “For the Universal Championship…”
The crowd murmurs.
Alton Bell: “The champion…”
Pause.
Alton Bell: “Ghost of Christmas Past…”
A tense reaction.
Alton Bell: “Will defend against…”
He lets the silence sit.
Then speaks carefully.
Alton Bell: “A mystery opponent.”
The crowd erupts.
A mixture of excitement, confusion, and speculation crashes through the arena.
Alton Bell: “Last week, the Ghost of Christmas Past and Fenwick Grimbough suggested there was no one worthy in Camelot.”
Bell’s eyes narrow slightly.
Alton Bell: “At The Long Night…”
A beat.
Alton Bell: “We will test that claim.”
The crowd cheers loudly.
Bell shifts his stance.
The tone changes again.
This time, it becomes central.
Final.
Alton Bell: “And now…”
The arena grows louder in anticipation before he even says it.
Alton Bell: “Your main event.”
The crowd stands.
The screen behind him fills with storm clouds, broken masonry, and a gleaming crown.
Alton Bell: “For the Mythic Crown Championship…”
The cheers and boos are already colliding.
Alton Bell: “The reigning and defending champion…”
Pause.
Alton Bell: “Frankenstein’s Monster…”
Heavy boos.
Alton Bell: “Will defend against…”
The crowd begins chanting.
“AR-THUR! AR-THUR! AR-THUR!”
Bell waits.
Then delivers it.
Alton Bell: “King Arthur.”
The Coliseum explodes.
The chant becomes deafening.
“AR-THUR! AR-THUR! AR-THUR!”
Bell lets the crowd ride it.
Then he raises the microphone one more time.
Alton Bell: “At The Long Night, the Mythic Crown will not be defended in shadow. It will not be defended in ambiguity. It will not be defended in passing.”
He turns toward the camera.
Alton Bell: “It will be defended beneath the full weight of consequence.”
He lowers the mic slightly.
Alton Bell: “Sherwood fights for resistance.”
Alton Bell: “Marion fights belief.”
Alton Bell: “Jack Lumber fights treachery.”
Alton Bell: “Sinbad fights to keep the flame.”
Alton Bell: “Lilith fights to remain queen.”
Alton Bell: “The Blonde Bombshells fight for gold.”
Alton Bell: “The Ghost fights the unknown.”
A final beat.
Alton Bell: “And King Arthur fights the monster who would define this division by force alone.”
The crowd roars again.
Alton Bell: “May thirty-first.”
He raises the microphone with absolute finality.
Alton Bell: “The Long Night.”
The big screen behind him flashes the full card in rapid sequence while the crowd remains on its feet.
Bell lowers the mic.
Then his expression changes, just slightly.
A colder, almost amused calm.
He lifts the microphone once more.
Alton Bell: “And now…”
A pause.
Alton Bell: “Because apparently no great suffering is complete without sponsorship…”
A subtle ripple of laughter from the crowd.
Alton Bell: “Please direct your attention to the screen…”
He lowers the microphone.
The lights dim.
The ring falls into darkness.
The giant screen flickers.
A harsh brass flourish blares.
Gold letters crash onto the screen.
SCROOGEMERCIAL
The crowd reacts immediately.
SCROOGE PROUDLY PRESENTS - THE LONG NIGHT
The screen opens on darkness.
Wind howls.
A single candle flickers in a miserly little office.
Ebenezer Scrooge sits behind an enormous desk, wrapped in a heavy robe, spectacles low on his nose, counting gold coins one by one with irritated precision.
He does not look up.
Scrooge (voice-over at first, then on camera): “You there.”
He looks toward the camera with total disdain.
Scrooge: “Yes, you. The one sitting at home, pretending you can ignore what is coming.”
A roll of thunder shakes the screen.
The office walls vanish.
Now Scrooge sits in a grand stone chamber beneath a black sky, the winds of the Long Night ripping around him while he remains seated at his desk, still counting coins.
A title crashes onto the screen:
THE LONG NIGHT
MAY 31
Scrooge: “Foolish. Shortsighted. Financially irresponsible.”
He stacks the coins, then slaps the pile with one hand.
Scrooge: “Because on May thirty-first, the Mythic Division presents The Long Night…”
He leans forward.
Scrooge: “And if you miss it…”
A pause.
He sneers.
Scrooge: “You deserve regret.”
The music swells.
Quick cuts begin.
Robin Hood smashing through a lantern-lit street brawl.
Friar Tuck swinging wild in close quarters.
Little John throwing bodies through wood and debris.
The Sheriff of Nottingham stepping through torchlight with Brute Bailiff and Ledger Knight.
Scrooge (voice-over): “A Sherwood Street Fight…”
Robin and the Sheriff collide on the screen.
Scrooge: “The kind of chaos usually reserved for unpaid debtors and family inheritance disputes.”
The screen cuts to Maid Marion and Prioress Malveil, standing on opposite ends of a ruined chapel aisle.
Candles blow out between them.
Scrooge: “Maid Marion. Prioress Malveil.”
He sniffs.
Scrooge: “Faith, fury, and enough moral judgment to sour fresh milk.”
Cut to Jack Lumber swinging a heavy strike in a sawmill-lit setting.
Mordred stands opposite him beneath torn banners and shattered crowns.
Scrooge: “Jack Lumber defends the Convergent Championship against Mordred…”
He adjusts his spectacles.
Scrooge: “A charming little struggle between a man who builds and a serpent who corrodes.”
The screen erupts into flame.
Sinbad stands holding the Eternal Flame Title.
Sir Lancelot steps forward in gleaming armor.
Scrooge: “Sir Lancelot challenges Sinbad for the Eternal Flame Championship.”
He raises a finger.
Scrooge: “Knighthood versus fire.”
A second finger.
Scrooge: “Dignity versus survival.”
A third finger.
Scrooge: “Expense versus expense.”
The screen shifts to a blood-red throne.
Lilith sits upon it.
Morgana Le Faye steps from shadow, eyes burning.
Scrooge: “Lilith defends the Queen of the North Championship against Morgana Le Faye.”
He shakes his head.
Scrooge: “A thoroughly unpleasant gathering of ambition, pride, and extremely expensive hair.”
The crowd in the arena laughs at that.
The screen shifts again.
Hydra, Medussa, and Serpenta loom beneath cold title light.
Then Dorothy and Rapunzel step forward, bright and unbroken.
Scrooge: “The Monsters of Myth defend the North Star Tag Team Championship against the Blonde Bombshells.”
He grimaces.
Scrooge: “A contest between nightmare and optimism.”
A beat.
Scrooge: “I have always preferred nightmare. Optimism asks for credit.”
The screen darkens.
Ghost of Christmas Past appears in spectral light, Universal Title gleaming.
Then the words:
MYSTERY OPPONENT
flash in silver frost.
Scrooge: “Ghost of Christmas Past defends the Universal Championship against a mystery opponent.”
He looks directly into the camera.
Scrooge: “Now there is a worthy investment.”
A small smile curls.
Scrooge: “Fear with surprise.”
The music grows bigger.
Storm clouds gather.
The Mythic Crown appears.
Frankenstein’s Monster stands atop a stone platform, title on his shoulder.
On the other side, King Arthur walks alone through rain and torchlight.
The two images collide across the screen.
Scrooge: “And in your main event…”
A beat.
Thunder cracks.
Scrooge: “Frankenstein’s Monster.”
Another beat.
Scrooge: “King Arthur.”
The score swells into full grandeur.
Scrooge: “The Mythic Crown Championship.”
Now Scrooge rises from his chair for the first time.
He steps forward out of the chamber and onto a high stone ledge overlooking a dark, storm-beaten landscape where flashes of each match flicker like omens below him.
Scrooge: “Do you understand now?”
He points toward the horizon.
Every match graphic appears one after another in the sky behind him.
Scrooge: “This is not merely an event.”
The wind tears at his robe.
He does not care.
Scrooge: “It is a reckoning.”
A pause.
Scrooge: “A survival test.”
A pause.
Scrooge: “A very fine way to spend an evening.”
The final event logo slams onto the screen:
NPCW MYTHIC DIVISION
THE LONG NIGHT
MAY 31, 2026
Scrooge appears one final time in close-up.
He folds his hands behind his back and delivers the close.
Scrooge: “So purchase the event.”
A beat.
Scrooge: “Watch the crowns shake.”
Another beat.
Scrooge: “Watch the monsters march.”
A final beat.
Scrooge: “Watch the night take what it is owed.”
He leans toward the camera slightly.
Scrooge: “Or don’t.”
A disdainful shrug.
Scrooge: “And wake the next morning poorer in spirit.”
He straightens.
Scrooge: “The Long Night.”
His lip curls into the faintest miserable smile.
Scrooge: “More action. Less talk. And considerably better value than charity.”
The screen flashes white.
The logo returns one last time.
THE LONG NIGHT
MAY 31
The commercial ends.
The arena lights rise again.
The crowd is loud, energized, fully drawn into what now waits at the end of the month.
The camera returns to the ring where Alton Bell stands with one hand in his pocket, faintly unimpressed and faintly satisfied, as if the absurdity of the Scroogemercial has in no way weakened the danger of what he just announced.
He raises the mic one last time.
Alton Bell: “You have been informed.”
A small reaction from the crowd.
Alton Bell: “Prepare accordingly.”
He lowers the microphone and exits the ring.
The camera cuts to commentary.
Julian Ward: “The Long Night is now official, and what a card has been assembled. Sherwood Street Fight. Maid Marion against Prioress Malveil. Jack Lumber against Mordred for the Convergent Title. Sir Lancelot challenging Sinbad for the Eternal Flame Championship. Lilith defending the Queen of the North Title against Morgana Le Faye. The Monsters of Myth defending the North Star Tag Team Titles against the Blonde Bombshells. Ghost of Christmas Past defending the Universal Title against a mystery opponent. And in the main event, Frankenstein’s Monster defends the Mythic Crown against King Arthur.”
Brick Brody: “That card is stacked, dangerous, and probably illegal in at least three provinces. And I’ll tell you this — Scrooge may be a tight-fisted ghoul, but he sold the night right. By the time we get to Ashes of Empire, half this division might already be limping through the smoke.”
Julian Ward: “Before the empire burns, the night must be survived.”
Brick Brody: “And judging by that lineup, survival is going to cost plenty.”
The camera pulls back to a wide shot of Scrooge’s Camelot Coliseum, the crowd still buzzing under the torchlight as Dark Fable marches onward.
The camera returns from The Long Night announcement to the full expanse of Scrooge’s Camelot Coliseum.
The building is alive again.
But not with ordinary anticipation.
This is heavier.
Sharper.
Sherwood banners rise from the lower bowl. Green cloth, red scarves, painted arrows, rough wooden shields. The chants are already rolling before the ring is even fully in frame.
“MERRY BAND!”
“MERRY BAND!”
“MERRY BAND!”
The camera finds one sign near the barricade:
THE KING’S HAND REACHED FIRST
SHERWOOD REACHES BACK
Another reads:
WILL FOUGHT THIRTY
TUCK PRAYS LOUD
LITTLE JOHN BREAKS DOORS
At ringside, “Fast Count” Frank checks the corners. He moves quickly, impatiently, glancing toward the entranceway as if he already knows this match will not remain clean.
Louie Linville stands centered in the ring.
The final match of the night has arrived.
The lights dim.
Gold does not come.
Green does not come.
Instead, cold black-and-gold light spreads across the entranceway like a royal decree written in shadow.
A metallic sound rings through the Coliseum.
A ledger being chained shut.
Prince John appears first.
The boos are immediate and venomous.
He walks out wearing smug satisfaction like ceremonial armor, hands raised as though the hatred of the crowd is merely applause delivered by the uneducated. His smile is tight, oily, protected by the men who follow him.
Brute Bailiff steps out next.
Heavy.
Severe.
Hands flexing, jaw set, the memory of last week’s thirty-minute draw with Will Scarlett still carved into his posture. He looks like a man who believes the draw was not failure, but unpaid balance.
Ledger Knight emerges beside him.
Rigid.
Armored.
Silent.
Every step feels recorded before it happens. His helmeted gaze remains fixed on the ring, the body language of a man who considers violence a matter of proper documentation.
Then the Sheriff of Nottingham appears.
The Coliseum erupts in boos.
He is immense in black and gold, long coat hanging from his shoulders like a banner of occupation. His eyes are cold beneath a stern brow, not wild, not passionate, but mercilessly certain. Last week, he intercepted Robin Hood in the aisle and turned the save into a statement.
Tonight, he enters the ring.
Prince John walks before the King’s Hand, presenting them with theatrical pride.
The Sheriff does not acknowledge him.
He looks only toward the ring.
Julian Ward: “The King’s Hand makes its way to the ring for our main event. Last week, Brute Bailiff fought Will Scarlett to a thirty-minute draw. Afterward, Ledger Knight joined the assault, and the Sheriff of Nottingham revealed himself by cutting down Robin Hood in the aisle. Tonight, they must answer in the ring.”
Brick Brody: “And look at them, Julian. That is not a team looking for a fair fight. That is an enforcement unit. Bailiff collects. Ledger records. Sheriff punishes. Prince John stands behind them smiling because he never gets his own hands dirty unless there is a curtain between him and danger.”
Prince John climbs the steps first, then gestures grandly for the others.
Brute Bailiff steps through the ropes.
Ledger Knight follows.
The Sheriff enters last.
He stands in the center of the ring.
Still.
Cold.
Possessive.
Prince John remains on the floor, adjusting his cuffs while soaking in the boos.
Then the lights change.
Green.
Deep Sherwood green.
A drumbeat begins.
Slow at first.
Then faster.
A bowstring snaps across the speakers.
The Coliseum rises.
Friar Tuck steps through the entranceway first.
Broad.
Grounded.
Not smiling tonight.
His hands are taped, his expression solemn, the look of a man who has offered mercy many times and now understands that mercy has not been accepted.
Beside him comes Little John.
The crowd roars louder.
He towers beneath the green light, shoulders squared, arms loose at his sides. He does not look angry in the loud way. He looks like a door that has decided not to open.
Then Will Scarlett emerges.
The reaction becomes thunderous.
Red and green gear. Fire in his eyes. Ribs still bearing the memory of last week. Jaw tight, stride sharp. He stares directly into the ring at Brute Bailiff first.
Then Ledger Knight.
Then the Sheriff.
Will points toward Prince John.
Prince John takes one small step backward before pretending he did not.
The chant swells.
“WILL! WILL! WILL!”
Then the whole Coliseum shifts to one voice.
“MERRY BAND!”
“MERRY BAND!”
“MERRY BAND!”
Will, Friar Tuck, and Little John walk together.
Not as performers.
As men answering an attack.
Julian Ward: “Will Scarlett, Friar Tuck, and Little John arrive with the force of Sherwood behind them. Earlier tonight, Robin Hood defeated the Black Knight. Now the Merry Band enters the main event to confront the King’s Hand directly.”
Brick Brody: “This is the fight they wanted after last week. Will got jumped. Robin got flattened. The King’s Hand walked away thinking they had made a point. Now the Merry Band gets three men in the ring and a chance to make a point with knuckles.”
The Merry Band reaches ringside.
Will Scarlett does not wait for Prince John to move out of the way.
He walks straight toward him.
Prince John retreats behind Brute Bailiff, who steps between them from inside the ring.
Will smiles coldly.
Friar Tuck places one hand on Will’s shoulder.
Not to stop him from fighting.
To save it for the bell.
Little John climbs onto the apron and steps over the ropes.
Friar Tuck enters.
Will slides in last, never taking his eyes off Brute Bailiff.
Louie Linville steps forward, voice steady through the noise.
Louie Linville: “Ladies and gentlemen… this is your Dark Fable main event. It is a six-man tag team contest scheduled for one fall.”
The crowd roars.
Louie Linville: “Introducing first… accompanied to the ring by Prince John… they are the instruments of imposed order, the collectors of pain, the record of punishment, and the law stripped of mercy… Brute Bailiff… Ledger Knight… and the Sheriff of Nottingham… THE KING’S HAND!”
The boos crash down.
Prince John applauds loudly on the floor.
Brute Bailiff cracks his knuckles.
Ledger Knight stands unmoving.
The Sheriff simply looks forward.
Louie Linville: “And their opponents… from Sherwood’s defiant heart… standing for those who refuse to kneel, refuse to pay unjust debt, and refuse to let false authority call itself justice… Friar Tuck… Little John… and Will Scarlett… THE MERRY BAND!”
The Coliseum erupts.
Will climbs the middle rope briefly and points toward the crowd.
Friar Tuck bows his head once.
Little John stares across the ring at the Sheriff.
“Fast Count” Frank orders both teams to their corners.
Friar Tuck starts for Sherwood.
Brute Bailiff starts for the King’s Hand.
Will Scarlett leans over the ropes, already shouting at the Bailiff.
Prince John paces below him, smug but cautious.
Frank signals.
The bell rings.
Minute 1
Julian Ward: “And immediately this breaks loose. All six men enter the ring in the opening minute.”
Brick Brody: “Good. No feeling out. No handshakes. This thing was born in an ambush, and it starts like one.”
Julian Ward: “Friar Tuck catches Brute Bailiff in the Keg Crusher, that bear hug squeezing the body of the Bailiff. Little John drives a punch into the midsection of Ledger Knight, and Will Scarlett catches the Sheriff with a superkick.”
Brick Brody: “Sherwood came out swinging. That is exactly what you do against men who like numbers. You hit every number at once.”
Julian Ward: “But the King’s Hand answers in the same chaos. Brute Bailiff plants Friar Tuck with a flowing DDT. Ledger Knight rams Little John into the turnbuckle. And the Sheriff of Nottingham launches a suicide dive through the ropes, taking Will Scarlett down near the floor.”
Brick Brody: “The Sheriff just threw himself like a warrant with elbows. That man is huge, and he moved fast.”
Julian Ward: “Order is restored, but only barely. The opening minute has already given us a full collision.”
Brick Brody: “This is going to be ugly, Julian. Beautifully ugly.”
Minute 2
Julian Ward: “Friar Tuck and Brute Bailiff reset, but Sherwood creates the first controlled double-team sequence. Friar Tuck locks the Keg Crusher again.”
Brick Brody: “He is going after Bailiff’s body. Good. Make the big collector breathe through pain.”
Julian Ward: “Little John drops an axe handle across Bailiff, and Will Scarlett spikes him with a slingshot apron DDT. Brute Bailiff cannot defend against the combined assault.”
Brick Brody: “That is a receipt for last week. Will got thirty minutes of Bailiff. Now he brought friends and a DDT off the apron.”
Julian Ward: “The double team ends quickly, but the Merry Band has made a strong early statement.”
Brick Brody: “And Prince John hated every second of it. Look at him clutching his chest like somebody charged him market price.”
Minute 3
Julian Ward: “Friar Tuck stays legal against Brute Bailiff. Tuck drives in with a slingshot attack, but Bailiff answers with a hammer fist barrage.”
Brick Brody: “That is the Bailiff’s language. Short, blunt, and repeated until the other man stops negotiating.”
Julian Ward: “Friar Tuck lands his offense, but Bailiff’s barrage carries slightly more force in the exchange.”
Brick Brody: “Tuck is tough, but he cannot let Bailiff get chest-to-chest too often. That is where the fists start falling like tax notices.”
Julian Ward: “Friar Tuck tags Little John. Brute Bailiff tags Ledger Knight.”
Brick Brody: “Now we get size against steel record-keeping. Let’s see what breaks first.”
Minute 4
Julian Ward: “Little John and Ledger Knight circle through a defensive read before Little John drops an axe handle.”
Brick Brody: “Simple and effective. Little John does not need elegance. He needs impact.”
Julian Ward: “Ledger Knight answers with backhand chops. Both men land evenly.”
Brick Brody: “Ledger’s chops are sharp, but Little John barely gave ground. That is a hard man to move.”
Julian Ward: “Ledger Knight tags the Sheriff of Nottingham into the match.”
The crowd boos loudly.
Little John straightens.
The Sheriff steps through the ropes slowly.
The two large men stand across from one another.
Brick Brody: “Here we go. The Sheriff told Little John size is not sanctuary. Now he has to say it close enough to get hit.”
Minute 5
Julian Ward: “The King’s Hand swarms Little John. The Sheriff opens with a spinning knife-edge chop, Brute Bailiff adds a diving clothesline, and Ledger Knight follows with backhand chops.”
Brick Brody: “That is three men trying to chop down the biggest tree in Sherwood.”
Julian Ward: “Little John fights through it and lands headlock punches in the middle of the attack.”
Brick Brody: “That’s Little John telling them if you crowd him, you are still in range.”
Julian Ward: “The King’s Hand gains the advantage in the exchange, but Little John does not collapse under the numbers.”
Brick Brody: “No, but they got him. And they learned they can move him if all three hit at once.”
Minute 6
Julian Ward: “Little John tries to build with headlock punches again, but the Sheriff reverses the sequence.”
Brick Brody: “That is a dangerous reversal from a man that big.”
Julian Ward: “Snap brainbuster by the Sheriff of Nottingham. Little John tried to defend, but he could not stop the lift.”
Brick Brody: “That is serious power. Little John does not get thrown around like that by accident.”
Julian Ward: “The Sheriff has made a statement here. He has taken Little John down cleanly.”
Brick Brody: “And Prince John is smiling like a coward at a safe distance. That was the Sheriff proving the King’s Hand is not just numbers. It has muscle at the top.”
Minute 7
Julian Ward: “The Sheriff follows with a Russian legsweep. Little John again tries to defend but cannot stop the takedown.”
Brick Brody: “The Sheriff is grounding him. That is smart. You do not let Little John stand tall if you can drag him sideways.”
Julian Ward: “Little John has been controlled for two straight minutes by the Sheriff’s technique and power.”
Brick Brody: “That will matter later. Big men hate getting taken down because it forces them to spend energy just rising.”
Julian Ward: “The Sheriff tags Brute Bailiff back in.”
Brick Brody: “Now Bailiff gets Little John after the Sheriff softened him. That is clean, mean teamwork.”
Minute 8
Julian Ward: “Little John answers immediately with a back smash. He catches Brute Bailiff hard across the upper body.”
Brick Brody: “There it is. He is not done. Not close.”
Julian Ward: “Brute Bailiff responds with a short-arm lariat, dragging Little John into the impact.”
Brick Brody: “That lariat lands heavy because Bailiff does not give you room to brace.”
Julian Ward: “Both men connect, but Little John has enough space to tag Friar Tuck back in.”
Brick Brody: “Good tag. Little John took a bad stretch. Tuck needs to carry this while he recovers.”
Minute 9
Julian Ward: “Brute Bailiff and Ledger Knight attempt to double-team Friar Tuck. Bailiff looks for a flapjack while Ledger Knight moves in with backhand chops.”
Brick Brody: “They are trying to trap Tuck early and keep Will Scarlett out of this match.”
Julian Ward: “Friar Tuck neutralizes the double team. He blocks enough of the sequence to prevent damage.”
Brick Brody: “Good instincts from Tuck. You cannot let those two line you up. Bailiff lifts, Ledger marks the body, and suddenly you are evidence.”
Julian Ward: “The Merry Band avoids a dangerous isolation attempt.”
Brick Brody: “For now. The King’s Hand keeps reaching. Eventually one grip is going to hold.”
Minute 10
Julian Ward: “The ring breaks down again. All six men collide for another full exchange.”
Brick Brody: “This referee has no control. Fast Count Frank might need fast legs to get out of the way.”
Julian Ward: “Friar Tuck applies a reverse chin lock. Little John drops an axe handle. Will Scarlett cuts through with a Codebreaker.”
Brick Brody: “That Codebreaker was a beauty. Will just cracked somebody’s royal enforcement policy across both knees.”
Julian Ward: “But Brute Bailiff answers with a dragon screw. Ledger Knight clamps on a hammerlock. The Sheriff of Nottingham plants a snap brainbuster.”
Brick Brody: “That is the King’s Hand targeting limbs, joints, and heads. Not random violence. Organized punishment.”
Julian Ward: “The chaos ends with both teams marked by damage.”
Brick Brody: “Nobody is winning clean minutes here. They are surviving bad ones.”
Minute 11
Julian Ward: “Again, all six men spill into the ring. Friar Tuck goes back to a reverse chin lock. Little John fires a forearm smash. Will Scarlett lands a step-up enzuigiri.”
Brick Brody: “Sherwood is trying to keep motion alive, especially Will. That enzuigiri still has snap in it after last week’s damage.”
Julian Ward: “The King’s Hand answers with Brute Bailiff hitting a flapjack, Ledger Knight applying an inverted figure-four leglock, and the Sheriff delivering another snap brainbuster.”
Brick Brody: “That inverted figure-four is cruel. Ledger Knight is not just hitting people. He is trying to make sure they cannot stand for the next exchange.”
Julian Ward: “The King’s Hand appears to get the better of that chaotic minute.”
Brick Brody: “They are making the match ugly in a way that favors them. Sherwood has heart. The King’s Hand has procedure.”
Minute 12
Julian Ward: “Friar Tuck rallies the Merry Band into another double-team effort. Tuck connects with a cross body block, and Little John drives a punch to the midsection.”
Brick Brody: “Good pressure. Knock the air out of Bailiff. Make him feel crowded.”
Julian Ward: “Will Scarlett is unable to add offense cleanly in the sequence, and Brute Bailiff answers with a Gory Special.”
Brick Brody: “That is bad for Tuck. Bailiff just turned the momentum into a torture rack.”
Julian Ward: “Both sides score, but Brute Bailiff prevents the double team from becoming decisive.”
Brick Brody: “That is the problem. The Merry Band keeps creating windows, but the King’s Hand keeps slamming fingers in them.”
Minute 13
Julian Ward: “Brute Bailiff, Ledger Knight, and the Sheriff swarm Friar Tuck now. Bailiff hits a flapjack, Ledger Knight lands a dropkick, and the Sheriff takes Tuck down with a Russian legsweep.”
Brick Brody: “This is isolation. They have found the man they want, and it is Friar Tuck.”
Julian Ward: “Tuck answers with a sleeper hold in the middle of the double team. He is fighting back, even while outnumbered.”
Brick Brody: “That is what makes Tuck useful in this fight. He can take punishment and still grab a neck.”
Julian Ward: “But the King’s Hand’s combined offense has done the greater damage.”
Brick Brody: “And this is where Tuck has to find a tag before principle becomes a stretcher.”
Minute 14
Julian Ward: “The match erupts again with all six men in the ring. Friar Tuck holds the sleeper. Little John hits a backbreaker. Will Scarlett lands a snapmare facebreaker knee smash.”
Brick Brody: “Sherwood is throwing everything now. They know Tuck is under pressure.”
Julian Ward: “Brute Bailiff answers with a German suplex. Ledger Knight lands another dropkick. The Sheriff delivers a German suplex of his own.”
Brick Brody: “That is the King’s Hand meeting fire with paperwork and impact. Every man has a job, and every job hurts.”
Julian Ward: “Both sides continue to collide in heavy exchanges, but Friar Tuck remains the legal man taking the bulk of the punishment.”
Brick Brody: “That is not an accident. They are keeping him in there and grinding him down.”
Minute 15
Julian Ward: “The King’s Hand isolates Friar Tuck again. Brute Bailiff drives him down with a cradle DDT. Ledger Knight follows with a dropkick. The Sheriff connects with Whip to Big Boot.”
Brick Brody: “That was a nasty sequence. Bailiff drops him, Ledger knocks him, Sheriff finishes the lane.”
Julian Ward: “Friar Tuck answers with a reverse chin lock, but he is clearly fighting from beneath the weight of all three opponents.”
Brick Brody: “Tuck is game. No question. But the King’s Hand has made this a numbers fight every chance they can.”
Julian Ward: “Will Scarlett and Little John are calling desperately from the corner.”
Brick Brody: “And Prince John is loving this. He looks like a man watching taxes collect themselves.”
Minute 16
Julian Ward: “Brute Bailiff attacks the leg with a dragon screw. Friar Tuck absorbs the punishment, but he cannot answer.”
Brick Brody: “That is smart and mean. Take the base. Make the holy man crawl.”
Julian Ward: “Brute Bailiff covers.”
Brick Brody: “Frank is down fast.”
Julian Ward: “One — two — Little John makes the save.”
The crowd erupts.
Brick Brody: “That save mattered. Fast Count Frank was halfway to three before the breath left the move.”
Julian Ward: “Little John breaks up the cover, and the match continues.”
Brick Brody: “But Tuck is in trouble now. Real trouble.”
Minute 17
Julian Ward: “Brute Bailiff stays on Friar Tuck with a hammer fist barrage. Tuck attempts to defend, but the blows are landing.”
Brick Brody: “Bailiff is collecting in installments again. Fist after fist after fist.”
Julian Ward: “Bailiff covers.”
Brick Brody: “Frank drops again.”
Julian Ward: “One — two — Little John makes the save again.”
Another roar from the Coliseum.
Brick Brody: “Little John is keeping this match alive by force of friendship and bad intentions.”
Julian Ward: “Two consecutive pin attempts broken by Little John. The King’s Hand is close, but they have not closed the account.”
Brick Brody: “Not yet. But every save leaves Tuck still trapped unless he can tag.”
Minute 18
Julian Ward: “Brute Bailiff and Ledger Knight double-team Friar Tuck. Bailiff continues the hammer fist barrage, while Ledger Knight adds a European uppercut.”
Brick Brody: “That uppercut snapped Tuck upright into more damage. Ledger Knight knows how to keep a man in position.”
Julian Ward: “Friar Tuck answers with another reverse chin lock, trying to slow Brute Bailiff and buy time.”
Brick Brody: “That is veteran survival. When you cannot escape, make the other man carry your weight.”
Julian Ward: “The double team ends, but Tuck is still far from his corner.”
Brick Brody: “And the King’s Hand knows it. They are cutting the ring like butchers.”
Minute 19
Julian Ward: “The King’s Hand swarms Friar Tuck again. Brute Bailiff hammers him with another barrage. Ledger Knight applies the inverted figure-four leglock. The Sheriff of Nottingham drives Tuck down with Execution Order, the Death Valley Driver.”
Brick Brody: “That might be the worst sequence of the match. They just broke him down from every angle.”
Julian Ward: “Friar Tuck somehow responds with a cross body block, but the damage from all three men is severe.”
Brick Brody: “That cross body was heart. The King’s Hand answered with machinery.”
Julian Ward: “Tuck is barely able to rise now, and Prince John is moving toward the commentary area.”
Brick Brody: “Oh no. Keep that little goblin away from us.”
Minute 20
Prince John steps toward the commentary desk, shouting over the noise while Brute Bailiff looms in control inside the ring.
Prince John: “Do you see now? Do you see what lawful consequence looks like? That man is not being beaten. He is being processed!”
Julian Ward: “Prince John has come over here to argue his case while Friar Tuck is trapped in the ring.”
Brick Brody: “I do not want him near me, Julian. He smells like perfume and foreclosure.”
Prince John points toward the ring, yelling at the announcers and drawing the attention of nearby officials.
Inside the ring, Friar Tuck remains on defense, trying to pull himself up while the distraction swirls around ringside.
Julian Ward: “Prince John’s argument at ringside has created more confusion. Friar Tuck remains isolated.”
Brick Brody: “That is exactly what Prince John does. He cannot fight, so he makes noise where the fight is weakest.”
Julian Ward: “Tuck has absorbed the moment, but he still needs a tag desperately.”
Brick Brody: “Desperately might be too soft a word.”
Minute 21
Julian Ward: “Brute Bailiff looks for the Gory Special, but Friar Tuck reverses it.”
Brick Brody: “There is life from Tuck.”
Julian Ward: “Tuck tries to turn it into a reverse chin lock. Bailiff reverses that and goes back to the hammer fist barrage.”
Brick Brody: “Bailiff wants those fists again. That has been his answer all match.”
Julian Ward: “Friar Tuck neutralizes the barrage. He blocks enough of it to create space.”
Brick Brody: “Now go. Crawl, roll, fall, do whatever you have to do.”
Julian Ward: “Friar Tuck makes the tag to Little John.”
The crowd erupts.
Brick Brody: “Finally. Big man’s in.”
Minute 22
Julian Ward: “Little John storms in and clamps the shoulder claw on Brute Bailiff.”
Brick Brody: “That is a big hand digging into a bad place. Bailiff can feel that from his neck to his boots.”
Julian Ward: “Brute Bailiff answers with a short-arm lariat. Both men score in the exchange.”
Brick Brody: “Bailiff took the claw and gave back the lariat. Tough response.”
Julian Ward: “Little John tags Friar Tuck back in. That is surprising, given the damage Tuck has absorbed.”
Brick Brody: “Maybe too surprising. I do not like that. Tuck is brave, but he is hurt. Sometimes bravery forgets math.”
Julian Ward: “Friar Tuck returns to the legal position, and Brute Bailiff remains across from him.”
Brick Brody: “The King’s Hand just got the target back.”
Minute 23
Julian Ward: “Brute Bailiff catches Friar Tuck with a flapjack. Tuck absorbs the punishment without an answer.”
Brick Brody: “That is exactly what I was afraid of. Tuck came back in too soon.”
Julian Ward: “Bailiff covers.”
Brick Brody: “Frank drops quickly.”
Julian Ward: “One — Friar Tuck kicks out.”
The crowd cheers with relief.
Brick Brody: “Only one, and that is tough. But every kickout costs something, especially after twenty-three minutes of being carved up.”
Julian Ward: “Brute Bailiff looks frustrated, but he also looks confident. He has done sustained damage to Friar Tuck throughout this match.”
Brick Brody: “He smells the finish. And Prince John smells somebody else doing the hard work for him.”
Minute 24
Julian Ward: “Brute Bailiff pulls Friar Tuck back up. German suplex. Tuck tries to defend, but he cannot stop it.”
Brick Brody: “That landed high. That landed bad.”
Julian Ward: “Brute Bailiff bridges into the cover.”
Brick Brody: “Frank is there. Little John is too far this time.”
Julian Ward: “One — two — three. Brute Bailiff has pinned Friar Tuck.”
The bell rings.
The Coliseum erupts into boos.
Will Scarlett is halfway through the ropes a moment too late.
Little John steps in, furious, but “Fast Count” Frank backs away quickly after signaling the fall.
Friar Tuck lies on the canvas, one arm across his chest, breathing hard, unable to beat the count after the long punishment.
Brute Bailiff rises from the bridge and stands over him.
Prince John throws both arms into the air like a monarch claiming territory.
Ledger Knight enters and stands beside Bailiff.
The Sheriff of Nottingham steps through the ropes last.
He does not celebrate.
He looks down at Friar Tuck.
Then toward Will Scarlett.
Then toward Little John.
Louie Linville raises the microphone over the hostile noise.
Louie Linville: “Here are your winners… the Sheriff of Nottingham, Brute Bailiff, and Ledger Knight… THE KING’S HAND!”
The boos become deafening.
Will Scarlett slides fully into the ring and moves toward Brute Bailiff, but the Sheriff steps into his path.
The two stare each other down.
Little John kneels beside Friar Tuck, checking on him, then slowly rises and turns toward the Sheriff as well.
Ledger Knight stands near the ropes, blocking another angle.
Prince John climbs onto the apron, keeping himself behind the wall of bodies.
Prince John: “Order! Order has prevailed!”
The crowd boos harder.
Will points past the Sheriff toward Prince John.
Will Scarlett: “You still hide behind them.”
Prince John’s smile tightens.
The Sheriff takes one slow step toward Will.
Little John steps beside Will.
The ring tightens again.
For a moment, it looks like the fight will continue.
Then security and officials begin moving down the aisle.
The Sheriff does not back up because of them.
He backs up because he chooses to.
Brute Bailiff exits first, still glaring at Will Scarlett.
Ledger Knight follows.
Prince John descends from the apron and straightens his coat, making a show of brushing imaginary dust from his sleeve.
The Sheriff remains last inside the ring.
He looks down once more at Friar Tuck.
Then at Little John.
Then at Will.
He speaks without a microphone, but the ringside camera catches him.
Sheriff of Nottingham: “The sentence has begun.”
The crowd boos violently.
The Sheriff steps through the ropes and joins the King’s Hand on the floor.
Will Scarlett grips the top rope, furious, eyes locked on them.
Little John helps Friar Tuck sit up.
Friar Tuck is hurt, but conscious, breathing through the damage.
He places one hand on Little John’s arm as if to stop him from charging.
The King’s Hand backs up the ramp in formation.
Prince John walks behind them, smiling again, safe inside the shape of their violence.
Julian Ward: “The King’s Hand has won the main event. Brute Bailiff pins Friar Tuck after a German suplex, but the path to that fall was built across more than twenty minutes of isolation, double teams, saves from Little John, and constant pressure from Prince John’s forces.”
Brick Brody: “That was ugly strategy, and it worked. They found Friar Tuck, they kept coming back to him, and every time Little John saved him, the King’s Hand just reset and punished him again. Bailiff did not win that match in one German suplex. He won it by making Tuck carry the whole account until the bill broke him.”
Julian Ward: “Will Scarlett and Little John remain standing, but the King’s Hand leaves with the victory. And after Alton Bell’s announcement earlier tonight, we now know this war continues at The Long Night in a Six-Man Tag Team Sherwood Street Fight.”
Brick Brody: “That changes everything. Tonight, the King’s Hand used tags, corners, isolation, and Prince John running his mouth at ringside. At The Long Night, in a Sherwood Street Fight, those rules loosen. That might favor the Merry Band. Or it might give the Sheriff even more room to hurt people.”
Julian Ward: “The Sheriff of Nottingham said the sentence has begun. Tonight, the first judgment went to the King’s Hand.”
Brick Brody: “And Sherwood better remember how this feels, because revenge is coming with street-fight rules attached.”
Will Scarlett, Little John, and Friar Tuck remain in the ring.
Will leans on the ropes, staring up the ramp.
Little John helps Tuck to his feet.
Friar Tuck winces, but he stands.
The crowd begins chanting again.
“MERRY BAND!”
“MERRY BAND!”
“MERRY BAND!”
The King’s Hand stops near the entranceway.
The Sheriff turns back.
Will points at him.
No words needed.
At The Long Night, the street fight waits.
WINNERS: SHERIFF OF NOTTINGHAM, BRUTE BAILIFF, AND LEDGER KNIGHT DEFEAT WILL SCARLETT, FRIAR TUCK, AND LITTLE JOHN VIA PINFALL, WITH BRUTE BAILIFF PINNING FRIAR TUCK AFTER A GERMAN SUPLEX AT THE 24:00 MINUTE MARK.
The camera returns from the aftermath of the main event.
The King’s Hand is gone from the ring.
But the mark remains.
Friar Tuck was pinned. Will Scarlett and Little John were left standing, furious but denied. The Sheriff of Nottingham walked away with his first Dark Fable main event victory beside Brute Bailiff and Ledger Knight, while Prince John smiled safely behind the violence he commissioned.
Scrooge’s Camelot Coliseum has not quieted.
The crowd chants through frustration.
“MERRY BAND!”
“MERRY BAND!”
“MERRY BAND!”
The camera finds Will Scarlett at the ropes, still staring toward the entranceway where the King’s Hand disappeared.
Little John helps Friar Tuck stand.
Friar Tuck winces, but he refuses to leave the ring on his knees.
The chant grows louder.
“MERRY BAND!”
“MERRY BAND!”
The shot cuts to commentary.
Julian Ward sits composed, but the gravity of the night is clear in his expression.
Brick Brody leans forward, elbows near the desk, eyes still fixed on the ring as if waiting for the fight to restart.
Julian Ward: “Tonight, Dark Fable opened with Robin Hood standing against the Black Knight, and it ends with the Merry Band wounded by the King’s Hand. Robin Hood survived Myrdden the Hollow’s presence and defeated the Black Knight in our opening contest, but here in the main event, Brute Bailiff, Ledger Knight, and the Sheriff of Nottingham imposed their will. Friar Tuck endured for more than twenty minutes, but Brute Bailiff finally pinned him after the German suplex.”
Brick Brody: “That was ugly strategy, Julian, and it worked. They isolated Tuck, kept Will Scarlett away when it mattered, forced Little John to make saves, and then kept beating on the same man until the last save came too late. That is not noble. That is not clean. But it is effective, and the King’s Hand just walked into The Long Night with a win.”
The camera briefly shows the King’s Hand at the top of the stage on replay.
The Sheriff’s cold stare.
Prince John behind him.
Brute Bailiff standing over Friar Tuck.
Ledger Knight sealing off the ring.
Julian Ward: “And The Long Night now has its shape. Alton Bell came to this ring tonight and made the card official. On May thirty-first, the Merry Band and the King’s Hand will meet again — this time in a Six-Man Tag Team Sherwood Street Fight. Robin Hood, Friar Tuck, and Little John against the Sheriff of Nottingham, Brute Bailiff, and Ledger Knight. After what we witnessed tonight, that stipulation may change everything.”
Brick Brody: “No clean corners. No polite tags. No pretending Prince John’s little legal machine can hide behind structure. A Sherwood Street Fight means the Merry Band can drag that fight into the woods, through the mud, and over every broken piece of furniture they can find. But it also means the Sheriff has fewer restraints. That man does not need many.”
The camera cuts to earlier footage of Sinbad raising the Eternal Flame Title.
Blue and gold scarves.
Sandman staring from the floor.
The crowd chanting Sinbad’s name.
Julian Ward: “The Eternal Flame Title changed hands once again tonight. Sinbad defeated Sandman with Treasure Chest to become the new Eternal Flame Champion. After losing the title back to Sandman last week, Sinbad answered with resolve and reclaimed the flame in front of a crowd that never stopped believing in him.”
Brick Brody: “And now the good news ends. Sinbad got the title back. Wonderful. Beautiful. Listen to them cheer. But next week, on the go-home show for The Long Night, he has to defend it against Sandman again.”
The crowd reacts loudly at the reminder.
Brick Brody: “That belt is not a championship right now. It is a curse with a faceplate. Sinbad wins it. Sandman wins it back. Sinbad wins it again. And next week, Sandman gets another shot to drag the whole thing back into the nightmare.”
Julian Ward: “And waiting at The Long Night is Sir Lancelot, who was announced tonight as the next challenger for the Eternal Flame Title. But after the six-man tag team match against Monsters Bash, Lancelot’s condition must be questioned. He was pinned by Ogre after a punishing closing stretch.”
A replay shows Sir Lancelot caught by Ogre’s Wrath, then the backslam finish.
Arthur stepping into the ring.
Frankenstein’s Monster standing across from him.
Julian Ward: “Monsters Bash defeated King Arthur, Sir Gawain, and Sir Lancelot tonight, with Ogre pinning Lancelot. Frankenstein’s Monster did not score the fall, but his presence shaped the entire match. Arthur found moments of success against the Mythic Crown Champion, but the collapse of Camelot’s formation gave Monsters Bash the victory.”
Brick Brody: “Arthur learned plenty tonight. He learned he can hurt the Monster. He learned the Monster can be countered. He also learned that when the formation breaks, people like Lancelot get crushed. At The Long Night, Arthur will not have a corner to tag. It is him, Frankenstein’s Monster, and the Mythic Crown. That is a long walk into a very bad room.”
The camera cuts to Lady Guinevere in the ring earlier, standing victorious while Morgana seethed and Myrdden stood coldly outside.
Julian Ward: “Lady Guinevere defeated Morgana Le Faye by disqualification after Myrdden the Hollow shoved ‘Honest’ Abe just one minute into the match. Guinevere opened with command, but Myrdden ended the match before Morgana could answer. That may have protected Morgana from another defeat, or it may have exposed a fracture between Morgana and her advisor.”
Brick Brody: “Morgana looked ready to turn Myrdden into smoke. That was not gratitude on her face. That was humiliation with teeth. And now she walks into The Long Night against Lilith for the Queen of the North Title? Good luck carrying that kind of anger into a match with a champion who already lives inside people’s heads.”
The footage shifts to Dorothy and Rapunzel battling the Queens of Punishment to the thirty-minute time-limit draw.
Rapunzel’s near fall.
Dorothy’s final bulldog before the bell.
Dark Duchess and Crimson Viper backing away with Mad Hatter.
Julian Ward: “Dorothy and Rapunzel fought the Queens of Punishment to a thirty-minute time-limit draw tonight. They did not win, but they endured cruelty, double teams, and constant pressure. Alton Bell has rewarded that resilience. At The Long Night, the Blonde Bombshells challenge the Monsters of Myth for the North Star Tag Team Titles.”
Brick Brody: “That is a brutal reward. Congratulations, you survived the Queens. Now go fight Hydra, Medussa, and Serpenta for gold. The Blonde Bombshells have guts, but the Monsters of Myth do not care about inspiration. They care about consumption.”
The shot returns to Julian and Brick.
Behind them, the crowd continues to ripple beneath the torchlight.
Julian Ward: “And the Universal Championship question deepened tonight. Alton Bell has declared that Ghost of Christmas Past will defend the Universal Title at The Long Night against a mystery opponent. Last week, Fenwick Grimbough claimed no one in Camelot was worthy. Bell has chosen to answer that claim not with argument, but with revelation withheld until the appointed hour.”
Brick Brody: “That is dangerous. Fenwick likes controlling the rules, the language, the timing, everything. A mystery opponent takes that control away. But whoever steps across from the Ghost better be ready for more than a wrestling match. That champion drags memory into the ring like a weapon.”
The camera shifts to the big screen, where a graphic for next week appears under cold torchlight.
DARK FABLE
GO-HOME SHOW TO THE LONG NIGHT
The crowd reacts.
Julian Ward: “Next week, Dark Fable presents the final stop before The Long Night. The go-home show will carry major consequences of its own.”
The graphic changes.
JACK LUMBER & SIR LANCELOT
VS
MORDRED & SIR AGRAVAINE
Julian Ward: “Jack Lumber teams with Sir Lancelot against Mordred and Sir Agravaine. The Convergent Champion stands opposite the Betrayer of Blood just days before their title match at The Long Night, while Lancelot must balance that war with his own Eternal Flame opportunity.”
Brick Brody: “That is a dangerous team for Jack and Lancelot. Mordred does not wrestle clean when he can poison the room first, and Agravaine thinks every cheap shot is a moral lesson.”
The graphic changes.
WILL SCARLETT
VS
LEDGER KNIGHT
Julian Ward: “Will Scarlett meets Ledger Knight one-on-one. After the King’s Hand’s victory tonight, that match may become Will’s chance to strike back before the Sherwood Street Fight.”
Brick Brody: “Will better keep his temper on a chain. Ledger Knight wants him angry. Angry men make mistakes, and Ledger writes mistakes down in bruises.”
The graphic changes again.
ETERNAL FLAME TITLE MATCH
SINBAD ©
VS
SANDMAN
The arena erupts.
Julian Ward: “And next week, the Eternal Flame Title will be defended once more. Champion Sinbad against Sandman.”
Brick Brody: “Again. And that is exactly why I said that title is a curse. Sinbad just got it back tonight, and now he has to walk straight back into the nightmare next week. No rest. No celebration. Just fire and teeth.”
The graphic shifts.
SERPENTA VEYNE
VS
SAYAKA MIZUHANA
Julian Ward: “Serpenta Veyne faces Sayaka Mizuhana. That match carries direct implications as the Monsters of Myth prepare to defend the North Star Tag Team Titles against the Blonde Bombshells.”
Brick Brody: “Serpenta is going to want to send a message. Sayaka is not somebody you send messages through easily. That one could get fast and mean.”
The final graphic reads:
PLUS MORE
FINAL NIGHT BEFORE THE LONG NIGHT
The shot returns to the commentary desk.
Julian Ward: “Next week will be the final chapter before The Long Night. Jack Lumber and Sir Lancelot against Mordred and Sir Agravaine. Will Scarlett against Ledger Knight. Sinbad defending the Eternal Flame Title against Sandman. Serpenta Veyne against Sayaka Mizuhana. And more still to come.”
Brick Brody: “That is not a warm-up. That is a knife fight before the war. Anybody who limps into The Long Night because of next week has nobody to blame but the schedule and their own bad choices.”
The camera returns to the ring.
The Merry Band remains there a moment longer.
Friar Tuck is standing now, supported by Little John on one side and Will Scarlett on the other. He looks hurt, but not broken.
Will Scarlett turns toward the hard camera.
His expression says enough.
At The Long Night, the street fight waits.
The shot slowly pulls back from the ring to the wide expanse of Scrooge’s Camelot Coliseum.
Torchlight burns along the balconies.
Banners hang motionless in the old stone air.
The crowd chants one last time.
“MERRY BAND!”
“MERRY BAND!”
Then another chant begins from another section.
“SIN-BAD!”
Then another.
“AR-THUR!”
The sounds overlap.
Sherwood.
Flame.
Camelot.
All of them marching toward the same darkness.
Julian Ward: “Tonight, titles changed hands, monsters claimed victory, alliances were tested, and the road to The Long Night became unmistakably clear. The Mythic Division does not move gently toward May thirty-first. It advances wounded, angry, crowned, cursed, and unresolved.”
Brick Brody: “Good. That is how it should be. Nobody gets to walk into The Long Night clean. You crawl in with bruises, grudges, and something to prove.”
Julian Ward: “For Brick Brody, Hana Nakamura, Louie Linville, and the entire Dark Fable crew, I am Julian Ward. Next week, the final night before The Long Night arrives.”
A final shot of the entranceway.
Empty.
Dark.
Waiting.
Julian Ward: “And after tonight, survival may no longer be enough.”
The torches dim.
The screen fades to black.
END OF SHOW.
Trial of Blood (Rage)
The screen is black.
No music.
Only breathing.
Slow.
Uneven.
Then—
A match flame strikes.
The light catches stone.
Blood-dark walls.
A chamber beneath the Blood Oni Dojo.
Lower than the trial rooms before.
Older.
More intimate.
No mirrors.
No chains.
No sand.
Only a circular stone floor marked by stains that have sunk too deeply to ever be cleaned.
The walls are lined with wooden weapon racks.
Most are empty.
Some hold broken kendo sticks, cracked staffs, torn practice blades.
Lanterns burn from iron hooks.
Their light is redder here.
Not by design.
By memory.
Raigen stands in the center of the room.
Barefoot.
Bandaged ribs.
Bruising along his shoulder.
Old cuts reopened beneath fresh ones.
His breathing is controlled now.
Not calm.
Controlled.
There is a difference.
Kagehito stands near the far wall.
Hands folded behind his back.
His expression reveals nothing.
Seven masked trainees remain positioned around the outer edge of the chamber, but only one steps forward.
This one is larger than the others.
Broad through the shoulders.
Arms scarred.
Mask painted with a jagged red mouth.
He carries no weapon.
That is the point.
Kagehito speaks.
Kagehito: “Blood does not ask permission.”
Raigen does not answer.
Kagehito: “When the body is wounded, it seeks panic.”
A pause.
Kagehito: “When the heart is wounded, it seeks rage.”
The masked trainee rolls his neck.
His knuckles crack.
Kagehito: “Today, we discover which one still owns you.”
Raigen’s eyes narrow.
The trainee steps closer.
Slow.
Mocking.
He circles Raigen once.
Raigen turns with him.
Measured.
Careful.
The trainee laughs under the mask.
Low.
Ugly.
Masked Trainee: “So this is the Blood Oni?”
Raigen says nothing.
Masked Trainee: “They dragged you in broken.”
He steps closer.
Masked Trainee: “They beat you.”
Another step.
Masked Trainee: “Chained you.”
Another.
Masked Trainee: “Made you kneel.”
Raigen’s breathing remains steady.
The trainee tilts his head.
Masked Trainee: “And still…”
A pause.
Masked Trainee: “Someone worries for you.”
Raigen’s eyes shift.
Only slightly.
The trainee sees it.
He smiles beneath the mask.
Masked Trainee: “Hana.”
Everything stops.
The sound in the chamber disappears.
The lanterns seem to dim.
Raigen’s face changes.
Not dramatically.
Worse.
It empties.
The trainee leans in.
Masked Trainee: “Does she know what they are making out of you?”
Raigen’s hand twitches.
Masked Trainee: “Does she still look at you like a man?”
A beat.
Masked Trainee: “Or like a beast waiting to happen?”
Raigen moves.
Not fast.
Explosive.
The first punch lands before the trainee can finish breathing.
A savage shot to the ribs.
Then another.
Then an elbow across the jaw.
The trainee staggers.
Raigen drives forward with both hands and slams him into the stone wall.
The chamber erupts.
The watching trainees do not move.
Kagehito does not move.
Raigen hammers the trainee with a forearm.
Then another.
Then another.
No rhythm.
No discipline.
Only impact.
The trainee swings back.
Raigen eats the strike and answers with a headbutt that cracks the mask across the mouth.
The trainee drops to one knee.
Raigen grabs him by the back of the head and throws him across the floor.
Not cleanly.
Not with technique.
With fury.
The trainee rolls hard.
Raigen follows.
Stomps once.
Twice.
A third time.
The trainee covers up.
Raigen kicks through the guard.
The sound is brutal.
Wet.
Heavy.
The trainee tries to crawl away.
Raigen grabs his ankle and drags him back across the stone.
The other trainees remain still.
One looks toward Kagehito.
Kagehito gives no signal.
Raigen hauls the trainee up and drives him down with a clumsy, violent throw.
The trainee hits the floor hard.
Raigen drops onto him and begins striking.
Fist.
Elbow.
Forearm.
Fist again.
No selection.
No purpose beyond damage.
The trainee is overwhelmed.
Dominated.
But not defeated efficiently.
Raigen’s breathing is loud now.
Ragged.
Animal.
The trainee catches him with a knee from underneath.
Raigen barely reacts.
He drives a forearm across the trainee’s throat and presses down.
The trainee claws at his arm.
Raigen’s eyes are gone into the rage.
Kagehito finally speaks.
One word.
Kagehito: “Weak.”
Raigen freezes.
The word cuts through the chamber harder than any strike.
His forearm remains across the trainee’s throat.
The trainee gasps beneath him.
Raigen’s eyes flicker.
The rage is still there.
The name is still there.
Hana.
But now the word sits beside another.
Weak.
Raigen looks down at his own arm.
At the trainee struggling beneath it.
At the lack of control in his own body.
His breath catches.
Then he pulls back.
Slowly.
The trainee coughs and rolls to his side.
Raigen rises.
His fists are still clenched.
His chest heaves.
Kagehito watches.
No approval.
No impatience.
Only observation.
Raigen closes his eyes.
Inhale.
The sound of water somewhere far away.
Exhale.
The dojo returns.
Stone.
Lanterns.
Blood.
Pain.
Inhale.
Hana’s name is still there.
But it no longer holds the blade.
Exhale.
Raigen opens his eyes.
The trainee staggers up, angry now, humiliated by survival.
He rushes.
Raigen does not rush back.
The trainee swings wide.
Raigen steps inside.
A clean palm strike to the chest.
A short knee to the thigh.
The trainee’s base breaks.
Raigen turns behind him and traps the wrist.
No wasted motion.
The trainee tries to counter.
Raigen pivots.
Shoulder control.
Hip shift.
The trainee drops to one knee.
Raigen releases the wrist, strikes once behind the ear, then takes the trainee down into a tight, clean choke.
Not crushing.
Not frantic.
Precise.
The trainee fights.
Raigen adjusts his weight.
No anger in the grip.
No cruelty in the pressure.
Just control.
The trainee’s hand slaps the stone.
Once.
Twice.
Submission.
Raigen releases immediately.
He rises.
The trainee collapses forward, coughing, alive, beaten, and finished.
Raigen stands above him.
Breathing steady now.
Blood at his lip.
Hands open.
Kagehito steps forward.
The chamber waits.
The trainees wait.
Raigen waits.
Kagehito studies the fallen trainee first.
Then Raigen.
A long silence.
Longer than usual.
Raigen lowers his eyes slightly, expecting correction.
None comes.
Kagehito says nothing.
No praise.
No rebuke.
He simply turns away.
For the first time—
he does not correct him.
Behind Raigen—
barely visible in the red lantern light—
something pulses.
A faint outline behind his shoulders.
Not smoke.
Not shadow.
A dragon.
Only for a second.
Its shape coils behind him, thin and spectral, gold-blue beneath the blood-red air.
Raigen does not see it.
Kagehito does not see it.
But one of the trainees near the wall shifts backward.
Just half a step.
The aura fades.
Trial of the Fallen
The chamber darkens again.
Kagehito speaks without turning.
Kagehito: “Again.”
Raigen lifts his eyes.
But no second opponent steps forward.
Instead—
Two trainees drag another man into the chamber.
A defeated trainee.
Younger.
Smaller.
His mask is gone.
His face is swollen.
One eye nearly shut.
Blood runs from his nose and mouth.
His left arm hangs badly at his side.
He is conscious.
Barely.
They drop him to his knees in front of Raigen.
The sound of his body hitting stone echoes too loudly.
Raigen looks at him.
The young trainee tries to lift his head.
He cannot.
His hands tremble against the floor.
Defeated Trainee: “Please…”
The word breaks apart before it finishes.
Raigen’s face tightens.
Kagehito walks to stand behind the beaten trainee.
He looks at Raigen over the boy’s shoulder.
Kagehito: “The fallen do not become sacred because they fell.”
Raigen says nothing.
Kagehito: “Weakness begs after it has already chosen failure.”
The defeated trainee shakes his head faintly.
Defeated Trainee: “No…”
Kagehito’s eyes remain on Raigen.
Kagehito: “Continue.”
Silence fills the room.
The word does not echo.
It does not need to.
Continue.
Raigen looks down at the trainee.
The boy is barely holding himself upright.
His breathing is shallow.
His body has already surrendered even if fear has not.
Raigen does not move.
Kagehito watches him.
This is the moment.
The trial is not hidden.
Not disguised.
Not buried under strikes or chains.
It stands plainly in front of him.
Can he obey without becoming empty?
Can he refuse cruelty without refusing command?
Can he carry blood without drowning in it?
The trainee looks up at Raigen.
Barely.
Defeated Trainee: “Please…”
Raigen’s hand curls.
Then opens.
His eyes lower.
For one second, the room is not the Blood Oni Dojo.
It is Hana’s face.
Concerned.
Afraid.
Still believing there is something inside him worth reaching.
Then the room returns.
Stone.
Blood.
Kagehito.
Command.
Raigen steps forward.
The defeated trainee flinches.
Raigen stops.
Looks down.
Long enough for doubt to become visible.
One of the masked trainees shifts, expecting hesitation to become refusal.
Kagehito does not blink.
Raigen kneels slightly, bringing himself closer to the trainee’s level.
The trainee’s breath shakes.
Raigen’s voice is low.
Almost too low to hear.
Raigen: “Do not move.”
The trainee’s eye widens.
Raigen rises.
Kagehito’s head tilts slightly.
Raigen strikes.
One movement.
Sharp.
Exact.
A short, controlled blow to the side of the neck.
The trainee collapses instantly.
Unconscious before his body finishes falling.
No scream.
No prolonged beating.
No rage.
No cruelty.
Just ending.
Quick.
Clean.
Purposeful.
The chamber remains silent.
The trainee lies still, breathing.
Alive.
Spared from pain by the shape of obedience.
Mercy—
hidden inside command.
Raigen stands over him.
His face gives nothing away.
But his hand trembles once.
Only once.
Then stills.
Kagehito stares at the fallen trainee.
Then at Raigen.
Longer than before.
Much longer.
The silence changes.
It is no longer judgment.
It is inquiry.
Kagehito steps around the unconscious trainee and moves closer to Raigen.
He circles him once.
Raigen does not turn.
Kagehito studies his posture.
His hands.
His breath.
His eyes.
Something is… off.
Not weakness.
Not defiance.
Not obedience.
Something between.
Something Kagehito has not placed there.
Something that should not be growing inside the Blood Oni’s work.
Kagehito stops in front of him.
Kagehito: “You obeyed.”
Raigen says nothing.
Kagehito: “You did not indulge.”
Raigen’s eyes remain forward.
Kagehito: “You did not refuse.”
A pause.
Kagehito’s gaze sharpens.
Kagehito: “But you chose.”
The word hangs in the chamber.
Raigen does not answer.
Kagehito turns away slowly.
He looks toward the unconscious trainee as two masked attendants move to drag him from the room.
The boy breathes.
Quiet.
Steady.
Kagehito watches that breath for a moment.
Then returns his eyes to Raigen.
Kagehito: “Choice is a door.”
A long pause.
Kagehito: “Doors invite weakness.”
Raigen lowers his head slightly.
Not in shame.
In control.
Kagehito steps closer.
Kagehito: “Tomorrow, we close more doors.”
The lanterns flicker.
The attendants drag the defeated trainee away.
Raigen remains in the center of the chamber.
Blood on his hands.
Control in his breath.
A silence in his eyes that was not there before.
Behind him—
again—
the dragon aura pulses.
Stronger now.
A curved horn of light.
The suggestion of wings.
A coil behind his spine.
It moves with his breathing.
Not against it.
With it.
Kagehito turns his back before the pulse becomes visible.
He does not see.
He cannot.
The Dragon’s Veil has not announced itself.
Not to him.
Not yet.
But Raigen feels something.
Not a voice.
Not a command.
A presence.
Distant.
Patient.
Waiting beneath the damage.
Waiting beneath the rage.
Waiting beneath obedience.
Raigen closes his eyes.
Inhale.
Exhale.
The dragon fades.
The screen cuts to black.
A final sound remains.
Not a roar.
Not a scream.
A single breath.
Controlled.
Then silence.
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