Archive of Our Own

“Does anyone know what Moko has been up to?” A worried Nozomi asks during the cafeteria breakfast meeting.

“If you don’t know I sure as hell don’t,” Takemaru mutters between his bites. “But I wish she’d say something, I’m tired of her draggin’ us all over the place looking for materials.”

“For real!” Gaku agrees. “My feet are still sore from yesterday. She kept us out till nightfall!”

“Is she still keeping everyone out of the gymnasium?” Tsubasa asks.

“Yeah,” Takumi answers. “She barks at anyone who even leans on the door.”

“A worm like me doesn’t belong in the gym anyway, I might skid the clean floor with my shame glaze.” Shouma adds a comment no one asked for.

“If Moko hasn’t even told Nozomi what she is up to, then it’s doubtful any of us could figure it out,” Hiruko states.

“I just hope everything is okay, it’s not like her to be so secretive,” Nozomi finishes.

As if on cue, Moko bursts through the cafeteria doors, getting the full attention of the rest of the Special Defense Unit. “Guys! It’s finally finished!”

“There you are!” Kurara admonishes. “It’s rude to keep everyone in suspense, you know!”

“I know, I know.” Moko gives her friends a modest bow. “I promise it’ll make sense in a second. Everyone, come to the gym! I gotta surprise you won’t want to miss!”

With Moko building everyone's anticipation, she excitedly leads her friends to the gym of Last Defense Academy. She left a giant ‘DO NOT ENTER! WORK IN PROGRESS’ sign on the door which she effortlessly tears off and rips in two. “Okay, everyone. Feast your eyes!”

Moko opens the doors to the gym and everyone walks inside to see two long tunnels with curtains attached to them against the walls, a raised platform with stereo equipment inside of it, and, most importantly, a fully put together wrestling ring sitting in the middle of the gym, with a picture of Sirei plastered to the middle of the ring's mat.

“Woah!” Gaku is the first to admire Moko's handy work. “That looks like a real wrestling ring. The whole gym looks just like a wrestling venue on TV!”

“That’s because it is a real wrestling ring! I've been working the Gift-o-matic to the bone setting this whole thing up!” Moko proudly exclaims.

Everyone's eyes widen in surprise as they take in the sight of Moko's impressive makeshift arena. Some of them inspect the entrance tunnels while others enter the ring.

“You did all this yourself?” Takumi asks. “How'd you know how to build all this?”

“Back when I was a rookie young lioness, setting up the ring was one of our required duties,” Moko explains. “I've done it so much, I could build it with my eyes closed.”

“The structure is different compared to a boxing ring,” Kurara mentions.

“Yup. Different ropes, different corner pads, but same basic function,” Moko adds.

“Why didn't you ask for any help?” Nozomi asks.

“Yeah,” Takemaru adds. “If I knew what all those materials were for I would have helped you set everything up.”

Moko waves away their offer. “I couldn't ask you to do that after helping me hunt for materials. Besides…” Moko starts looking away, nerves seemingly beginning to creep into her words. “… I have a bigger favor to ask…”

“Hm?” Takumi utters, he and the other members of the SDU giving Moko their full attention.

Moko takes a deep breath before speaking. “Okay so… I know fighting off the invaders is stressful, and sometimes it feels like this whole war will never end, so that's why… uh…” Moko's eyes darted left and right, building up the courage for her request. She clasps her hands together and bows before finally shouting. “I want us all to put on a wrestling show together!”

Moko’s request garners a variety of reactions from her fellow soldiers. Some worried faces, some excited faces, and some bewildered faces. Before they can bombard her with questions, Moko continues.

“In my experience, nothing brings joy to the people like seeing a good show. I figure the best way to destress and forget our sorrows is to bear witness to a true slobber knocker wrestling extravaganza!”

“Moko.” Takumi is the first to speak up. “That sounds like a great idea!” Takumi’s tone shared in Moko’s shining enthusiasm. “Your stories always make everyone so happy, why not make one of our own to take part in. Anything that brings us closer together sounds perfect in my book.”

“I’m so glad you agree, Takumi.” Moko crosses her arms, a smug smirk growing on her face. “Cause I want you to be one of our wrestlers!”

“W-Wha? Me?” Takumi mutters. He can hear a few hushed murmurs coming from his fellow SDU members. 

“R. I. P. Takumi, hehe,” Darumi giggles.

“Woah, woah, woah. I’m no wrestler, I’m not even an athlete. If I wrestled you, I wouldn’t even last 3 minutes!”

“Don’t worry, Takumi,” Moko reassures. “As entertaining as 3 minutes of playtime sounds, I wouldn’t be your opponent. A good squash match can be very entertaining, but that's not what we need. We need a close nail-biter with plenty of believable near falls!”

Moko's excessive use of wrestling terms leaves everyone lost.

“Which is why Gaku is going to be your opponent.”

Everyone understands that part clearly.

“Hey, why me!?” Gaku argues. “I already helped you find materials! Why do I have to wrestle too!?”

“I've secretly been assessing everyone's physical attributes along with their overall physical builds,” Moko explains. “And you and Takumi are the closest we have for an even wrestling match.”

“How the hell did you even make that calculation!?” Gaku yells.

“Should I be insulted?” Takumi mutters under his breath.

“That’s not the comparison I would make,” Tsubasa mutters alongside him.

“I suppose besides Sister Dearest and I, Mr. Sumino and Mr. Maruko make the most convincing twins,” Ima laughs.

“C’mon, Gaku. Please,” Moko pleads with clasped hands. “I need you, buddy. Think about it, you’ve watched wrestling on TV, haven’t you? Haven’t you ever thought about yourself in those bright lights? The crowd cheering while you hit your finisher?”

Gaku crosses his arms and pouts, doing his best to resist despite how exhilarating Moko was making it sound. He turns away from the group, searching for every reason under the sun to say no. However, he did already spend all that time searching for materials, he wouldn’t want his hard work to go to waste. Plus, Moko went through all the trouble of preparing this arena, he couldn’t be the one to crush her dreams. Plus plus, if this really will destress everyone and make everyone happy, it would be wrong not to participate. Plus plus plus, he bets Moko will make him look really cool. He groans before turning back towards the others. “Am I getting paid for this?”

“How does a hotdog and a handshake sound?” Moko asks.

“Eh, I’ve been paid worse,” Gaku says.

“Samsies,” Darumi adds.

“What kind of sick jobs have you two worked?” Tsubasa mutters.

“Alright, Moko. I’m in!” Gaku exclaims.

“Well, if Gaku is willing, I’ll do my best too!” Takumi chimes.

“Hell yeah!” Moko shouts while flexing her 24-inch pythons. “Now we have a card!”

“Um, Moko,” Nozomi approaches her incredibly hyped best friend. “I know I’m no wrestler, but is there any way I can help with the show too?”

Nozomi’s request puts a giant smile on Moko’s face. “Absolutely! Believe it or not, it takes more than just the talent in the ring to put on a successful wrestling match, and I’m going to need all the help I can get.”

“If that’s the case you can count me in too,” Takemaru offers. “I’d rather throw down in the ring, but if that’s not an option, then I want to help make sure this show kicks ass some other way. I didn’t help gather all those materials for nothin’!”

“I wouldn’t want to face Takemaru one on one that’s for sure…” Takumi mumbles under his breath.

“Really, Takemaru?” Moko blushes. “That’s great! In fact, I have the perfect role for you.” Glimpses of Moko’s perfect home grown wrestling vision began to flash in her head, and it made her heart soar with excitement. “Last thing, I just need two more people.” She turns towards the rest of the group, eyes excitedly looking for who’ll best suit her vision. “Kurara and Yugamu. You’ll be our seconds.”

“An Oosuzuki never comes second!” Kurara shouts. “If I’m not the first choice I don’t want it!”

“I highly doubt Moko’s asking you to wrestle, Kurara,” Yugamu says.

“Why wouldn’t she? I could knock out Takumi and Gaku at the same time if I wanted to!”

“I’ve been on the receiving end of her knockout punches enough!” Gaku shouts back. “It’s Takumi’s turn, damnit!”

“You better not, Takumi,” Takemaru says with a glare. “I’ll kill you if you try to wrestle a girl!”

“I don’t want to wrestle Kurara either!” Takumi blurts out.

“Guys, guys, relax!” Moko says, feeling her vision breaking down. She refocuses her attention back to Kurara and Yugamu. “I’m not asking you guys to wrestle. Besides, there already is a wrestler named Suzuki, and he’s 100 times scarier than all of us combined.”

“I don’t even want to imagine that,” Kako mumbles.

“I would,” Darumi adds.

“You won’t be wrestling, but you will be part of the show,” Moko explains. “I’ll get into it more once we actually start preparing. So please, will you help us?”

“Hm, well if I’m involved, I know this show will be perfect.” Kurara needed little convincing. “For you, Moko, I’ll make sure this is a wrestling event remembered for generations!”

“Oh for the love of murder,” Yugamu sighs. “Well I can’t be the only one who backs out now, can I? As much as I’d love to get my hands on Takumi or Gaku, I’ll settle for whatever role you have for me, Moko.”

“Aww, you guys.” Moko couldn't smile wider if her life depended on it. “You have no idea how much this means to me. It's enough to make a girl's heart flutter. I promise this is going to be a show to remember!”

“And what of the rest of us?” Hiruko asks. “Are they all you need for this project of yours?”

Moko holds up a confident finger. “You all have the most important role of all. All the best wrestling events have a hot crowd. Every wrestler walking out to the ring is chasing that loud pop from the crowd.”

“The what?” Darumi asks.

“All I need from you guys is to rest up and get ready for the night of your lives,” Moko happily explains. “One week from tonight, I want you all to come back here ready to have fun, get loud, and watch some total nonstop action!”

“A job absolutely befitting our talents!” Ima exclaims. “Wouldn't you agree, Sister Dearest?”

“You mean the job where we do nothing?” Kako replies.

“If you'll have me, then this piece of human scum will support you as best I can!” Shouma says.

“Eh, it's no killing game, but maybe wrestling will be violent enough,” Darumi says.

“It pains me to be the only member from 2nd-to-Last Defense Academy not participating, so I'll be the best audience member I can be!” Kyoshika shouts. “The Holy Jumonji Sword and I shall give you our fullest attention!”

“Your sword has eyes now!?” Tsubasa mutters.

“I suppose that settles that then,” Hiruko finishes for the group. “We'll be there, Moko. I assume you're going to have this area sectioned off to prepare for the show?”

“Yup,” Moko nods. “Can't have any spoilers, and we have a lot of training to do before Takumi and Gaku are ready to perform.”

“Wait.” Gaku's neck nearly snaps with how fast he turned after hearing that. “What do you mean training?”

“You don't think you become World Champion overnight, do you?” Moko crosses her massive arms. “There’s a lot of work to be done before you get into the ring.”

“Heh, that's right.” A wide grin grows on Takemaru's face. “If you two need to be ring ready in a week, I think I'll need to put you through my special training.”

“Excellent idea, Takemaru,” Moko adds.

“You're our trainer now too!?” Takumi shrieks.

“Don’t worry, guys. If someone with zero worthwhile physical skills like me can do Takemaru's training, you guys will do just fine!” Shouma attempts to reassure his friends.

“That doesn't help at all!” Gaku squeals.

“Aw yeah!” Moko flexes. “Time to do squats until our ankles fall off!”

“As entertaining as that sounds to watch, we'll leave you guys to it.” Hiruko begins walking away with a smile on her face.

“Have fun you two!” Ima gives them both a condescending wave as the rest of the audience group leaves the gym.

“What the hell did we agree to, Man!?” A shaking Gaku asks Takumi, who only gulps in worry about the very physically taxing week that lies ahead.

The next seven days passed thankfully with no invader attacks. Hiruko and the others respected Moko's wishes and avoided the gym the whole time. The audience group would share meals with the wrestling group, but Moko forbade discussion about the plans. Regardless, the exhaustion on the faces of Takumi and Gaku told the others everything they needed to know. Finally, the night of the show arrived, and the audience group began making their way from their rooms down to the gym.

“Have any of you ever been to a wrestling event before?” Kako asks.

Most of the group shake their heads.

“My parents would watch it on TV sometimes, but I only caught it here and there. I didn't really follow it much,” Tsubasa is the first to answer.

“My Dad started watching but stopped,” Darumi adds. “Probably gave it up once he realized he couldn't waste his money gambling on it.”

“My parents took me to a show once when I was about 8,” Hiruko says, surprising her peers.

“How was it?” Shouma asks.

“Hard to remember,” Hiruko replies. “I was young, but I'm sure it was fun. We only did go once though. I'm sure the tickets weren't cheap.”

“Are the outfits as extravagant as they say?” Ima asks. “I've heard the attire wrestlers wear is a true sight to behold.”

“Hard to say, it was so long ago,” Hiruko answers.

“That would make sense,” Kyoshika chimes in. “A warrior's attire is crucial. It is the first message you send to your opponents!”

“I think I did see Nozomi and Moko making some clothing with the Gift-o-Matic a few nights ago,” Kako adds.

“I wonder what kind of armor they'll be wearing?” Kyoshika ponders. “Spiked shoulder pads? Chain mail, perhaps?”

“I don't think wrestlers wear stuff like that,” Tsubasa says, before slowly realizing how out of her element she is. “Wait, do they?”

Shouma simply shrugs his shoulders.

The audience group arrives at the front of the gym, and Hiruko opens the door for everyone. However, everyone walks into a completely pitch black gym.

“Hello? Anyone there?” Ima shouts into the abyss.

“Welcome! Ladies and Gentlemen!” Moko’s voice rings out throughout the gym, echoing from an overhead sound system. “Please, have a seat anywhere on the bleachers.”

Suddenly, a spotlight drops down and shines a light onto a large row of bleachers near the gym's entrance. The audience group follows instructions and all sit down on the bleachers. Once everyone is seated, the spotlight goes dark, only to reappear and shine down in the middle of the ring. In the ring stands Moko with her eyes closed, a microphone in her hand, and wearing a very fancy tuxedo and bow tie that somehow doesn't rip every time she moves.

“Hello and welcome!” Moko roars. “The Apocalyptic Maiden of Destruction proudly presents, the first ever, Last Defense Academy Wrestling Extravaganza!”

The audience gives Moko a round of applause.

“It is time for your main event of the evening,” Moko explains.

“Main event? Are we late? Did we miss part of the show?” Kyoshika frantically asks, prompting the rest of the group to roll their eyes.

“The following contest is set for one fall with a 60 minute time limit,” Moko continues. “First, allow me to introduce your staff for this evening. Yours truly will be your ring announcer and commentator for this match.”

Moko snaps her fingers and the spotlight goes out again, quickly replaced by a much larger light illuminating the whole ring and the area around it. Beside Moko stands Takemaru wearing a referee's shirt.

“Your referee for this evening will be none other than Takemaru Yakushiji!”

Takemaru waves to the rest of the SDU while they applaud.

“And your special guest bell ringer/sound engineer is the lovely Nozomi Kirifuji!” Moko points up at the raised platform about 10 feet away from the ring. The spotlight shines atop it revealing Nozomi waving and sitting alongside several pieces of stereo equipment.

“Woo! Let's go, Lady Nozomi!” Kyoshika shouts.

“And now, it is my great pleasure to introduce the competitors for this match. Without further ado!” Moko gives Nozomi a quick wink before pointing at one of the entrance tunnels.

The lights go out once again, and a brief silence takes over the gymnasium. Soon enough, Nozomi pushes a few buttons on her equipment, and the sounds of coins hitting the ground echoes from the speakers and through the gymnasium. Suddenly, a thunderous guitar rift rips through the gym like a violent hurricane. The rock music blasts out of the speakers almost sounding like a victorious scream, and the lights begin strobing around the entrance tunnel.

“Is the final boss coming?” Darumi asks.

The lights stop flickering and maintain a steady shine at the entrance as Takumi emerges from the inside. Takumi is wearing an incredibly flashy full length golden robe with black, gold, and red trim all along it, as well as a large gold necklace around his neck. 

Tsubasa nearly bites her tongue off once she sees the light reflecting off of Takumi’s gear like some golden adonis.

“He looks like a prince,” Shouma says.

“Uh huh… yeah…” Tsubasa's words somehow make it out of her mouth.

“Careful, Miss Kawana,” Ima chimes in. “Don’t drool on your clothes.”

“W-Wha? I'm not-!” Tsubasa whimpers while the rest of her friends share a laugh. She quickly becomes grateful it's dark where they're all sitting.

Yugamu follows Takumi out of the tunnel and the pair walk to the ring. Moko placed a short metal step ladder beside the ring while everyone was distracted by Takumi’s regal attire, and Yugamu steps up and holds open the ropes for Takumi to enter the ring.

“Being accompanied by Yugamu Omokage, hailing all the way from the Tokyo Residential Complex…” Moko says into her microphone.

Takumi climbs onto the second rope in the corner, outstretches his arms and curls his fingers, and looks up at the ceiling, resembling a golden warrior from heaven ascending back to his homeland.

“Don’t have a nosebleed, Miss Kawana,” Ima teases again.

“Sh-Shut up!” Tsubasa bites back.

“I smell something, but I don't think it's blood,” Darumi says.

Moko takes a deep breath before finishing her announcement. “TAKUUUUUMMIIIIIIII SUMIINNOOOOOOOO!”

The audience group all applaud excitedly as Takumi’s entrance music fades and the light around the ring returns to normal. 

Takumi looks down at the small crowd of his fellow SDU members and quickly gets beat red. “Ehehe…” He awkwardly gives them a thumbs up before stepping down from the corner. “Man, I hope that looked as cool as Moko insisted it would,” Takumi thinks to himself.

“And now, Yugamu has something he'd like to say,” Moko says.

“I do?” Yugamu asks.

Moko simply hands Yugamu the microphone while smiling and nodding.

“Oh for the love of murder.” Yugamu is wearing his normal clothes, only with the addition of a bandana wrapped around the top of his head. It hangs so low it nearly covers his good eye.

“Can he even see in that thing?” Kako asks.

Yugamu reluctantly takes the mic and begins cutting his first ever wrestling promo. “Uh… do you know why Takumi’s opponent has no chance in hell of beating him?”

“Why!?” Kyoshika shouts from the crowd.

“U-Uh…” Yugamu stammers, not actually expecting someone to respond. “Because! He's um… He's on a whole other level, damnit!” He shouts before quickly handing the mic back to Moko.

“Oof, those are some fighting words coming from Takumi’s corner!” Moko says.

“Hey, not bad,” Takumi whispers to Yugamu.

“Yeah, it just sorta came to me. This is way out of my element,” Yugamu replies.

Takumi finally removes his robe, revealing his wrestling outfit. Red and gold tights that only reach midway down his thighs, along with elbow pads and knee pads. What he also revealed is how toned his body has become.

“Knee pads? What a coward,” Darumi says.

“I've never seen Takumi without a shirt before,” Kako says. “Was he always in such good shape?”

“Fighting invaders is demanding work,” Hiruko says. “I’d be disappointed if he was any less developed.”

“Wouldn’t you agree, Miss Kawa-er?” Ima leans over to tease Tsubasa more, but stops once he notices she isn’t listening. It appeared as if Tsubasa’s brain shut off as her eyes were solely focused on shamelessly ogling Takumi’s chest.

“Now.” Moko brings everyone’s attention back to her as she speaks into the mic. “Introducing his opponent.” Moko points at the opposite entrance tunnel before the lights go out again.

The spotlight shines onto the tunnel, but, rather than another heavy guitar, the sounds of a soft organ begins playing through the speakers, sounding like a score from a classical vampire film. The organ continues playing as Kurara emerges from the tunnel. Kurara is wearing a sleeveless, short, gothic, black dress, with subtle golden trim wrapped around her waist, black boots that go up to her shins, and a red thigh strap attached to her left leg. She begins gracefully dancing in front of the tunnel with the expertise of a veteran ballerina to the sound of the organ, all with a peaceful smile on her masked face.

“Woah, I could never pull that dress off. I’m kinda jealous,” Tsubasa confesses.

“It seems she can even make that tomato mask look elegant,” Hiruko adds.

“Lady Kurara is truly the picture of class wherever she goes and in whatever she wears!” Kyoshika says.

“But where’s Gak-” Shouma’s question is interrupted by the organ music suddenly becoming much deeper.

The sounds of wind chimes and the ringing of a large bell accompany the droning moody organ, building anticipation as Kurara steps out of the light’s shine. At long last, Gaku emerges from the tunnel’s curtain. Gaku is wearing a black masquerade mask, holding a long microphone stand with a plastic microphone attached to it, all while adorned in a full body black opera robe with gold designs all along the torso, as well as a large black collar. Gaku looks across to the ring at Takumi waiting for him, then looks over to the audience, where he can see all his friends frantically laughing their collective asses off.

“Nice outfit, Dracula!” Darumi shouts.

“Have you come to suck our blood, Mr. Maruko!?” Ima asks.

“Hehe, looks like they all had the same reaction I did,” Kurara snickers at Gaku’s side.

“This is so humiliating…” Gaku grumbles to himself. He lets out a deep sigh, and tries to remind himself that this is all for Moko’s vision. “She better get me the best damn hotdog ever cooked!” Gaku shakes his head, getting the nerves out as his entrance music signals its next phase. Gaku holds the mic up to his lips, and vaguely begins moving them along with the fast gothic lyrics coming out of the speakers as he walks to the ring.

“Uh! Those notes!” Kyoshika listens in awe. “I never knew Sir Gaku had the voice of an angel!”

“Wow, you’re right!” Kako says. “He has an amazing singing voice!”

Tsubasa stares at the both of them with her mouth agape. “What do you two even mean? That mic isn’t even plugged into anything! It sounds nothing like him!”

“Accompanied to the ring by the stunning Kurara Oosuzuki!” Moko begins her introduction. “Also hailing from the Tokyo Residential Complex!”

Gaku enters the ring while Kurara remains standing at ringside.

“GAKUUUUUU MARUUUKKOOOOOOOO!”

Gaku waves his hands signalling the end of his entrance music, only to hear very lukewarm clapping compared to the reception Takumi got. “Tch, stupid vampire outfit…” Gaku removes his mask and robe and throws them out of the ring. Gaku wore black full length baggy pants with gold trim as his ring gear, as well as tight gold armbands on both arms. Much to everyone’s shock, Gaku also has a surprisingly toned upper body, along with decently defined biceps.

“Woah, even Gaku almost looks jacked,” Darumi says.

“That’s Takemaru’s training for you!” Shouma proudly states.

“I don’t doubt Takemaru’s skills as a trainer,” Hiruko says. “But Gaku is still a soldier. As much of a goof as he is, his physique is proof of his hard work.”

“Ugh, and my arms are still so spindly.” Tsubasa pinches her tiny bicep. “I guess a car being my weapon doesn’t exactly bring the gains.”

With her introductions completed, Moko gives a quick salute to Takemaru and Nozomi, and rushes out of the ring. She has a seat at a table near the ring as Takumi and Gaku start stretching in their respective corners. Takemaru waves his finger up at Nozomi, and she promptly gives the bell three quick rings.

“That’s our bell folks! Time to get our main event underway!” Moko says.

“So professional, it almost feels like I’m watching it on the television,” Ima comments.

Takumi and Gaku lock eyes from across the ring and begin circling each other.

“It looks like our two heavyweights are sizing each other up. I wonder who’s going to make the first move,” Moko says.

Both wrestlers lift their arms as they approach each other, reaching back before lunging at each other, both grabbing the other by the arms and jockeying for position.

“They’re starting off with a collar and elbow tie-up!” Moko explains. “Who will come out on top?”

Takumi and Gaku briefly push each other back and forth, before Gaku manages to out muscle Takumi and shove him to the ground.

“And it's Gaku with the strength advantage!” Moko says.

The audience, and even Takumi, look at Gaku in surprise.

“Hehe! Did you think lugging around that giant gatling gun was easy?” Gaku smugly flexes his arms. “Better put some weights on your sword.”

Takumi scowls up at Gaku before jumping back to his feet. He reaches out for Gaku again, but uses his height advantage to put him in a headlock. Gaku attempts to squirm out of it, pushing himself and Takumi to the ropes. Using his momentum, Gaku pushes himself off the ropes and out of Takumi’s grasp. Gaku runs across the ring, pushing himself off the ropes on the other side to try and charge at Takumi. Moving purely on instinct, Takumi jumps with everything he has, nearly doing a full split in the air, and Gaku runs completely underneath him.

“Woah!” Various members of the audience exclaim in amazement.

“And what incredible verticality from Takumi!” Moko shouts.

“Woah, I didn’t think I'd actually pull that off day of…” Takumi whispers to himself. He gives another awkward smile to everyone in the audience, and turns around into a two-finger poke to the eyes from Gaku. “Ah!”

“Hey!” Takemaru yells. “Watch the eyes! Do that again and I'll disqualify your ass!” Moko gave all three of them a very comprehensive explanation of the rules of a wrestling match.

“R-Right, sorry!” Gaku mutters. 

While Takumi rubs his eyes, Gaku charges forward, forcing Takumi into the ring's corner pad. With Takumi still dazed, Gaku flings Takumi across the ring, sending him chest first into the other corner pad while giving chase. With Takumi pressed against the corner, Gaku leaps into the air and delivers a thunderous sounding kick to Takumi’s back.

“Oooooo!” A few of the audience members wince.

“And the first big shot goes to Gaku!” Moko says. “Takumi is going to have to think of something fast.”

Takumi takes a few steps back, dazed from the kick, and he feels Gaku grab his back. Gaku attempts to lift Takumi off his feet, but Takumi flails his limbs, keeping Gaku off his balance. Takumi swings his elbow back, knocking into Gaku and forcing him to lose his grip. Takumi escapes his grasp and delivers an open palm chop right to Gaku’s bare chest, making a viciously loud clap that echoes throughout the gym.

“Oh God! Did you hear that!?” Tsubasa winces.

While Gaku is reeling from the chop, Takumi gives him a quick kick to the midsection, forcing him to hunch over from the strike. Wasting no time, Takumi grabs ahold of his head and drops him down to the mat.

“A sudden DDT from Takumi!” Moko says. “It looks like momentum is shifting! He’s going for the cover!”

With Gaku on the mat, Takumi rolls him onto his back and hooks his leg. Takemaru quickly rushes to their side and slams his hand on the mat, but Gaku quickly throws his arm up.

“A kick out at one! It’s going to take more than that to keep Gaku down!” Moko continues.

Gaku shakes off the pins and needles running through his body as he and Takumi get back to their feet. “Uuugh!” Gaku grunts as he charges at Takumi, swinging his arm for a lariat. Takumi ducks, quickly grabbing Gaku by the back of the head and dropping him back down onto his back. Gaku sits up after taking his impact and clutches the back of his neck. Takumi jumps to his feet and runs back towards the ropes. He rushes towards Gaku and slides on his back like a baseball pro, driving his feet directly into Gaku’s back. “Agh!” Gaku shrieks.

“A stellar basement dropkick from Takumi!” Moko says.

“Takumi!” Yugamu yells from Takumi’s corner. “He’s dazed! Finish him!”

“Right!” Takumi answers back.

As a groggy Gaku returns to his feet, Takumi sloppily rushes to Gaku’s backside and reaches around him to grab his wrist.

“Uh oh! Takumi is going for his finisher!” Moko says. “Could he be trying to end it early?”

“N-Not on my watch!” Gaku shouts. Gaku swings his elbow backwards at Takumi with his free hand, just as Takumi did before, creating some separation and forcing Takumi to loosen his grip. With his hand free, Gaku grabs Takumi’s wrist instead. He ducks under Takumi’s arm, twisting Takumi’s arm in the process, forcing him to bend forward so Gaku can swing his leg backwards, driving the back of his boot to the side of Takumi’s face, sending both combatants to the mat.

“Another beautiful kick from Gaku!” Moko shouts.

“Holy crap!” Most of the audience gasps, clearly impressed.

“Mr. Maruko has some real educated feet underneath him,” Ima says.

“Agreed, he’s moving way swifter than I expected,” Kako adds.

“If living with Lady Moko has taught this warrior anything, it’s that wrestling combat is as much artful as it is lethal!” Kyokshika proudly says.

Gaku is the first to return to his feet, with Takumi weakly following suit. Hunched over trying to catch his breath, Takumi feels Gaku get a handful of his hair. Gaku holds his head in place so he can deliver several, albeit weak, kicks to Takumi’s face in rapid succession. Gaku lets go and turns his back so he can run towards the ropes. Gaku hits the ropes in order to gain speed, but doesn’t notice Takumi standing back up straight. As Gaku charges forward, Takumi bends his knees and leaps high into the air, this time extending his legs right when Gaku closes the distance, jamming both his legs practically through the unsuspecting Gaku’s face.

“What an answer back from Takumi!” Moko shouts. “A massive dropkick! Way to use that height difference to your advantage!”

“Did you see the elevation he got on that jump!?” Tsubasa asks.

“For real,” Darumi replies. “Does he have springs in his boots or something?”

Takumi goes to cover Gaku again, with Takemaru quickly getting to position. Takemaru slams his hand to the mat once. Twice! Gaku pulls his legs back and kicks his body up, forcing his shoulders off the mat and breaking the pin.

“Gaku!” Kurara yells from ringside. “Get your ass in gear!”

“Not helping!” Gaku yells back.

Before Gaku can continue arguing with his valet, he feels Takumi grab him by his head as payback for earlier. Takumi attempts to bring Gaku back to his feet, but, sensing an opportunity, Gaku quickly lunges and escapes from Takumi’s grip. Gaku slips around the side of Takumi and grabs his waist. Lowering his hips, he pulls with all his might and lifts Takumi off his feet. Holding on tight, Gaku bends backwards, delivering a dangerous looking backdrop onto Takumi, forcing him to land practically on his head.

“An absolutely disgusting looking backdrop from Gaku! It’s enough to make a girl blush!” Moko gives her ever insightful thoughts.

“Ooh! That had hurt,” Shouma says.

“Absolutely,” Hiruko agrees. “I’ll need to have Moko teach it to me so I can use it on an invader one day.” A creepy smile begins forming on Hiruko’s lips as she becomes more engrossed in the match.

Gaku rushes to cover Takumi as the hurting redhead’s eyes look stunned. Takemaru slams his hand on the mat once. Twice! But Takumi throws his hand up, lifting his shoulder and breaking the count.

“Damnit!” Kurara mutters. “Takumi’s tougher than he looks.”

Takumi clutches the back of his neck as he gingerly makes it back to his feet, his exhausted eyes searching around for Gaku, but is unable to spot him. Taking him by surprise, Gaku sneaks up behind Takumi again, quickly grabbing hold of him and pulling him back for another dangerous backdrop, getting a collective wince from the audience. This time however, the momentum from the slam causes Takumi to roll under the ropes, falling out of the ring.

“Ah, I remembered something!” Hiruko says, grabbing the attention of the rest of the audience. “Gaku can’t pin Takumi outside, he’ll have to bring him back in,” she explains.

“So Takumi has time to catch his breath?” Tsubasa asks.

“Yeah, or Sir Gaku can pile on the punishment on the outside instead,” Kyoshika adds.

Grunting in frustration, Gaku steadily tries to get out of the ring without tripping over himself. He hunches over to try and grab Takumi and-

“Hey, Gaku!” Yugamu yells.

“Wha?” Gaku turns his attention to the overly bandana’d Yugamu.

“Your boots are untied.”

“They are?” Gaku looks down at his laceless boots and shin guards. “These don’t even have laces, you jackass!”

“I know,” Yugamu smiles.

Gaku turns around back to Takumi, who is back to standing upright, albeit huffing and puffing. Takumi raises his hand and unleashes another open palm strike downward at Gaku’s bare chest, sending another loud clap throughout the gym.

“A strong chop from Takumi!” Moko says. “You can see the welts beginning to show on Gaku’s chest!

Gaku hunches over himself, groaning and holding his chest as the stinging pain spreads all through his reddened torso. Energy slowly returning to him, Takumi reels back and hits Gaku with his forearm right in his neck, forcing the shorter combatant to stumble backwards. Takumi hits him with a second forearm before grabbing him and rolling his body under the ropes and back into the ring.

“Ugh!” Kurara grunts. “Gaku! If you lose I’ll make you walk on hot coals barefoot!”

“Not! Helping!” Gaku loudly mumbles back.

Takumi climbs back into the ring while Gaku tries to rise to his feet. Gaku delivers a few chops back at Takumi, but his strikes have very little force behind them. Takumi pulls back to forearm him again, but Gaku ducks the strike and runs towards the ropes. Takumi turns after Gaku slipped away from him, only to be met with a determined charging Gaku swinging his arm in his direction. Gaku drives his arm right into Takumi’s chest while running at full speed, knocking Takumi right off of his feet and onto the mat.

“A picture perfect Axe Bomber from Gaku!” Moko excitedly yells. “It’s like I’m watching wrestling from ‘83 all over again!”

“About time Gaku!” Kurara yells.

“Hell yeah! So nice I’ll do it twice!” Gaku cockily says.

“Wait what…” Visible concern begins to overtake Kurara’s mask.

Gaku begins exaggeratingly spinning his arm, pretending to charge himself up for another lariat, all with a cocky smile on his face. “Get ready, Takumi!” As Takumi slowly rises to his feet, moving even more gingerly than before, Gaku runs the ropes again, preparing to deliver another devastating Axe Bomber. “Kiss victory goodbye, Takumi-”

Just as Gaku reaches Takumi, Takumi lunges forward and grabs the unprepared Gaku by the waist. Moving on pure adrenaline and instinct, Takumi uses all his strength to hoist Gaku off his feet, and spins him until he's holding Gaku in mid-air, with Gaku’s feet pointing to the ceiling and both their stomachs touching.

“Uh! Could it be!?” Moko shouts, recognizing the position Takumi has Gaku in.

“I like where this is going,” Hiruko says.

“As do I,” Kyoshika agrees, albeit most likely for different reasons.

Takumi tightens his grip on Gaku before standing on his tiptoes, getting as much elevation as he can before dropping to his knees, and driving Gaku’s head directly into the mat. The entire audience, and even Nozomi and Takemaru cringe at the grizzly impact.

“Tombstone Piledriver!!!!!” Moko screams.

Gaku’s back falls flat on the mat after getting brutally spiked by Takumi.

Takumi leans over Gaku's limp body, both of them taking long, exhausted breaths. “Sorry… Gaku… but I didn't go through all that training to lose.” Takumi lets his body fall to the mat, weakly slumping his arm over Gaku’s chest. Takemaru slides to their side and begins the count. One! Two!

“HUH!?” The audience group all collectively gasp.

“I can't believe what I'm seeing!” Moko shouts.

It was weak, but Gaku managed to lift his arm the last moment before Takemaru counted to three, breaking the count and keeping him in the fight.

“Wha? How?” Takumi mutters in disbelief.

“Gaku really got dropped right on his head and has enough strength to keep going,” Kako utters in shock.

“Credit where credit is due,” Hiruko reluctantly praises. “A lesser man would be out like a light after an attack like that. Gaku is proving how tough he's become.”

In the ring, Gaku meekly turns his head towards his valet, who looks too busy checking her nails. “Kurara!” Gaku wails, getting her attention. Gaku shuts his eyes and frantically starts nodding, all while Takumi returns to his feet and tries lifting him.

“Hehe,” Kurara snickers, ready for her time to shine. Kurara reaches inside the ring from under the bottom rope and tugs on Takemaru's ankle.

“Huh?” Takemaru slightly turns and looks down at Kurara, but quickly turns back to face the action in the ring.

“Hey, Takemaru!” Kurara yells. “Moko told me why she made you the referee and not a wrestler?”

“Wha?” A confused Takemaru utters. “Because she wanted an even fi-”

“Because you're actually a weakling!”

“Hey!” Takemaru leans over the ropes and begins yelling back at Kurara. “You're lying! Moko didn't say that!”

“It's true!” Kurara crosses her arms and looks up at Takemaru with a cocky smile. “She told me herself. You have all that size, but you don't have the guts to be a wrestler. Even Gaku has more fighting spirit than you.”

“I said no such thing, but let's see where this goes!” Moko announces on commentary.

“All those muscles for nothing, you're all show and no go,” Kurara continues.

“Are you kidding me!?” Takemaru's voice gets louder. “You're one to talk, I've killed way more invaders than you, and I know I killed more than Gaku!”

Another very wide smile becomes visible on Kurara’s mask. “Also, motorcycles are for poor people.”

A vein visible even from the audience pops out on Takemaru's forehead. “Who do you think you are, you little bitch!?” He leans further over the ropes and points at a laughing Kurara. “I won't lay a finger on you, but send me your dad or your older brother if you have one and I will woop their ass! Do you hear me!?”

Not paying attention to the successful rage baiting happening beside him, Takumi tries to lift Gaku up and brings him up to his knees. With Takemaru's back turned, Gaku pulls his arm back, and uppercuts Takumi directly between his legs.

“PWOOOOH!” Takumi shrieks as the violating pain spreads through his whole body.

“Hey!” Shouma shouts. “Kurara distracted Takemaru so Gaku could cheat!”

“Bad form!” Kyoshika yells. “Sir Gaku is not fighting with honor!”

“Maybe not, but it's clearly effective,” Hiruko argues. “Takemaru didn't see it. The methods don't matter as long as you get results.”

“I'm with Miss Shizuhara on this one,” Ima says. “You do whatever it takes to win. The more underhanded the better I always say!”

Tsubasa cups her hands before yelling, “Open your eyes, Takemaru!”

“Huh!?” Takemaru quickly spins around and sees Takumi hunched over holding his crotch. 

Gaku scurries on all fours around Takumi and pulls him backwards, rolling him onto his back with Gaku holding him down. Gaku grabs a fistful of Takumi’s tights and holds him in place.

“Damnit!” Takemaru quickly slides back to their side and begins counting.

One! Two! Takumi squirms his way out of Gaku’s grasp and lifts his shoulders off the mat. They both scramble away from each other and try to get back to their feet, but Gaku gets to his feet first. Takumi sloppily gets to his feet, and is met with another axe bomber lariat from Gaku, the loud smack of meat on meat echoing through the building. After sending Takumi back onto his back, Gaku rushes to cover him again. One! Two! Takumi frantically kicks out again, and Gaku rolls off of him and begins smacking the mat repeatedly in frustration.

“Takumi simply won't give up!” Moko says. “What will Gaku have to do to keep our boy down?”

“Ugh!” Gaku grunts and begins stomping his feet around the ring. “Damnit! Why won't you stay down, Takumi!?” He shouts down at an increasingly exhausted Takumi.

Gasping for air and covered in sweat, Takumi looks up at Gaku, defiant, but weak. “I don't have any strength left…” Takumi thinks to himself. “I don't know how I'm going to finish this match…”

Meanwhile, sitting beside her friends, Tsubasa takes a deep breath before cupping her hands and shouting again, “YOU CAN DO IT, TAKUMI!”

Tsubasa's voice rings inside Takumi’s eardrums, and he feels as if her words are manually pumping the blood through his body. Takumi pulls his legs to his core and places his hands flat on the mat beside his head. In a perfectly swift motion, Takumi kips up off of the mat, landing flawlessly on his feet with his fists clenched. He locks eyes with Gaku as the Tsubasa induced adrenaline flows through him.

“O-Oh…” Tsubasa utters. Watching Takumi’s perfect form leaves her at a loss for words.

“Oh, there's that smell again,” Darumi says.

Gaku takes a step back, initially startled by Takumi’s rise, but he clenches his teeth in defiance. “Ugh! You will not out cool me!” 

Gaku rushes towards Takumi and tries another lariat, but Takumi ducks. Gaku turns back around just as Takumi leaps into the air. Before Gaku can even think, he's dropped by another high elevation drop kick from Takumi.

Right as Takumi falls back onto the mat, Yugamu pounds on the mat with both hands and shouts, “Takumi! It's time to get high!”

Yugamu's command snaps Takumi out of his cool state. Takumi turns back to his second with a bewildered look on his face.

Yugamu shakes his head. “You know what I mean.” Yugamu points at the ring's corner post.

Takumi looks up at the corner post, and several images from his training with Moko flash in his mind. “Right!” Takumi scurries over to the corner and begins climbing to the top rope.

“Wha? What's he doing up there?” Kako nervously wonders out loud.

“Something fierce!” Kyoshika says.

“Something dangerous!” Shouma says.

Something vicious!” Hiruko says.

“A big combo of the three!” Darumi shouts.

Standing atop the top rope, Takumi looks down at Gaku, who's still laid out in the middle of the ring. The longer he stands, the more his nerves tell him to climb down, and the more sweat runs down his back. “I don't remember this being this high in training,” he mumbles to himself. He looks out at the audience, and sees all his friends' eyes locked onto him. “I can't climb down with them staring, this is supposed to be a show.” Searching deep down to find his resolve, he gives his cheeks a quick motivating slap, takes three quick deep breaths, and leaps into the air.

“Look at that Takumi soar!” Moko shouts as the audience all gasps.

As Takumi flies through the air, he lifts his arm and points his elbow downward, and drives it directly into Gaku’s midsection. All the air Gaku thought was his shoots out of his mouth as his gut takes the full force of Takumi’s diving elbow drop. Gaku rolls on his side, holding his stomach and writhing in pain.

“Now! Finish him, Takumi!” Yugamu yells.

Takumi returns to his feet and stands in the middle of the ring while Gaku squirms beneath him. He looks left, looks right and lastly looks directly at his friends in the audience. He pulls his arms together before stretching them out on both sides and curling his fingers, just like he did during his entrance.

“S-So cool!” Tsubasa openly gushes, no longer caring about the funny looks Ima is giving her.

Blissfully unaware of the aura farming happening behind him, Gaku struggles his way back to his feet. Out of breath and completely devoid of strength, Gaku has no defense when he feels Takumi at his back. Takumi reaches around Gaku and grabs his wrist again.

“Uh oh, Takumi is going for his finisher! This one might be over, folks!” Moko excitedly says.

“Knock his head off!” Darumi orders while raising her fist.

“Yeah, knock his head off!” Kurara also orders while raising her fist.

“You're supposed to be on my side!” Gaku blurts out.

Tightening his hold on his wrist, Takumi uses his free hand to push Gaku in the back of his shoulder. Gaku spins forward, but is stopped by Takumi’s grip on his wrist, forcing his head to whiplash backwards while his body is used like a ripcord. Now facing each other, Takumi forcibly pulls Gaku’s weak body towards him while lifting his free arm. In a perfectly fluid motion, Gaku is pulled toward Takumi while Takumi slams his arm into Gaku’s face with a devastating lariat. The impact forces Gaku to back flip in place, landing face first onto the mat as if Takumi just launched his arm through him.

“RAINMAKERRRRRRRRRRR!!!” Moko screams with everything her lungs can muster.

Takumi lays over Gaku's barely conscious body and hooks his leg as Takemaru lays beside them and begins his count. One! Two! Three! Takemaru points up at Nozomi, who promptly begins ringing the bell. The rest of the SDU all jump to their feet and cheer as the sound of coins hitting the ground is heard once again.

Takumi rolls off of Gaku as the sound of his entrance music accompanies his victory. All the adrenaline wears off as all the pain from the match makes its presence known within Takumi’s aching body. He slumps his shoulders while trying to catch his breath, but Takemaru hoists him up back to his feet, despite his unsteady legs. Takemaru lifts Takumi’s hand, proclaiming him the winner.

Moko steps one foot onto her commentary table and heroically clenches her microphone in her fist. “The winner of this match, and the winner of the first ever Last Defense Academy Wrestling Extravaganza, Takumi Sumino!”

The audience begins clapping and cheering again after Moko’s declaration, all while Takumi can barely keep standing. Nozomi lowers the volume of Takumi’s music and begins climbing down from the sound platform. The audience group stands up and starts heading towards the ring. Moko, Yugamu, and Kurara all climb into the ring, Kurara making sure to step on Gaku’s lifeless body as she does so. Soon enough, the whole SDU are in the ring, rejoicing in Takumi’s hard fought victory.

Tsubasa is the first to congratulate him. She throws her arms around Takumi and jumps in place, nearly toppling him over. “You were awesome, Takumi! You looked like a real superstar in here!”

“Y-You really think so?” Takumi asks, still catching his breath. “I feel like I was kind of sloppy in a few areas.”

“Don’t even worry about that, Takumi,” Moko reassures. “All the best wrestlers botch from time to time, even me. Sure you were a little green, but no one would even be able to tell that was your first ever match.”

“Hell yeah, man!” Takemaru pats Takumi on the back, nearly sending him to the mat. “Being this close to action has be super fuckin’ pumped! I want next! How about it?” Takemaru turns to his friends. “Shouma? Ima? Yugamu?”

“Uh, I think I prefer my spot in the stands, thank you very much,” Ima quickly protests.

“Yeah, I don't know if my allergies would let me wrestle,” Shouma adds. “But I can be a corner man like Yugamu! Feel free to use me as a towel or spit your blood on me if you need a rag!”

“As fun as getting blood spat on me sounds, I wouldn’t mind going a few rounds with you, Takemaru.” Yugamu excitedly glares at Takemaru, who happily obliges by staring back. Wide fired up smiles sit on both their faces. “I just hope you don't mind if I sneak a few weapons of mine behind the referee's back.”

“Wait a second, you boys have already had your fun,” Hiruko interjects. “I'm going to be the next competitor, and I want to know who has the guts to try and challenge me.”

Kyoshika quickly raises her hand. “The Holy Jumonji Sword and I will answer your challenge. It would do me a great honor to do battle with a warrior as strong as Lady Hiruko!”

“Hey! Not so fast!” Darumi interrupts. “If anyone is going to be thrown around by Mistress Hiruko, it's going to be me!”

“Eh, I think I prefer boxing over wrestling, both watching and participating,” Kurara adds. “But I'll admit, being a valet was kind of fun. I wouldn’t be opposed to doing it again.”

“You guys can handle the in-ring stuff, I don't think that's for me,” Tsubasa says with an awkward chuckle. “But I could help with the entrances and the sound! I think I could prepare some sweet light shows that would really hype up the crowd!”

“I'm already looking forward to the next show!” Kako says with an excited hop.

Watching all of her friends expressing their enjoyment of the match, and gleefully discussing ideas for future matches and shows, a single tear begins running down Moko’s eye. She wipes it, sniffling ever so slightly, which quickly gets noticed by Nozomi.

“Hey, Moko. What's wrong?” Nozomi asks.

“I-I'm fine… it's just… everyone is so happy,” Moko says. “I wasn't completely sure if everyone would enjoy this whole wrestling idea, but wrestling brought everyone joy, just like it's always done for me… whether we're fighting invaders or putting on a wrestling show… THE SDU IS THE ULTIMATE FACTION!” Moko’s lovely declaration grabs everyone's attention. “With all our strengths and smarts combined, we can start our own wrestling promotion once we get to the artificial satellite! We'll be the RWL! The Residential Wrestling League!”

The thought of dedicating their futures to Pro-Wrestling did slightly dampen some of Moko's friends’ excitement.

“M-Maybe we should focus on finishing our 100 days before making plans like that,” Takumi mutters.

Moko responds with a hearty laugh. “Okay, okay. I know I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm just really happy. This might be one of the most heartwarming things I've ever seen in a wrestling ring. Like when The Golden Lovers reunited at The New Beginning, or when Zack Sabre Jr. won G1 Climax 34.”

Moko’s wrestling references leave everyone confused.

“But after a phenomenal show, I think we all deserve a feast!” Moko exclaims, the excitement returning to everyone's faces. “To the Cafeteria!”

Moko and the others all exit the ring, still happily discussing their favorite parts of the match and who would be the best fit for the next one. As their voices trail off outside the gymnasium, one single whimpering sound can be heard still residing in the abandoned wrestling ring.

“Hello? Anyone there?” A barely conscious Gaku asks. “Takumi? Kurara? Anyone? Everything hurts…” Gaku attempts to roll away, but the pain makes it nearly impossible to move. “Moko? I'm ready for that hotdog now… Please?” Gaku’s voice fades away as he passes out in the middle of the ring just as Sirei's nighttime announcement begins.