Christopher Sabertooth
Shogun Champion
Posts : 82
Join date : 2019-09-05
 |  Subject: Gold Rush  Fri Jul 16, 2021 9:38 pm | |
| “Breathe in….”The scene begins in a large balcony with a scenic mountainside view. The camera pans around to reveal two people sitting on their respective yoga mats, meditating in perfect harmony. The fresh air flows through their system as Sabertooth takes charge of the synchronized breathing exercises as Hana follows his directions.“Breathe out… Relax your muscles.”He continued as the two of them elongate their limbs and stretch their muscles to loosen up. Sabertooth opens his eyes and looks at his girlfriend as Hana fights through the initial discomfort of the light entering through the retina. She smiles back at her man as they both get up from their positions.“I am really glad that you introduced yoga to me. The past couple of months were stressful and I feel relaxed now that it’s over. The feeling of zen is so refreshing and peaceful. I feel a lot younger than what I am doing this. It also helps that we’ve got plenty of fresh air to intake while we exercise. I have been searching for inner peace ever since Havoc left-- Weirdly enough, my body feels kinda empty without a demon trying to antagonize me and everybody else that I care about. Call it Stockholm syndrome because I think my body and soul had gotten used to being used by Havoc. Honestly, I don’t think that I would have gotten out of the ditch without you. Your patience with me throughout this process has been beyond incredible. I don’t know why you would stick around when everybody else thought it’d be better to distance themselves from me-- But I do appreciate it. I am glad that we can talk about ARCADIA in passing. I am glad that we could walk out of ARCADIA with gold. I am grateful to you, Hana. You have no reason to do the things for me, that you do.”Sabertooth replied as Hana playfully taps him in the head.“Don’t be silly! I love you, moron. Of course, I stuck around! Don’t make it awkward by thanking for something anybody who cares would have done. I am always there for you, no matter what. If Emmanuelle had won and you’d have lost your job-- I would still be standing right by you to make sure you’re okay. But I am glad that it didn’t have to come to that. And now, this new chapter in your life has begun and I am glad that I can be an integral part of it. I know you would have done the same for me.”Sabertooth smirks and runs his fingers through Hana’s cheek.“There’s no doubt about it. It’s a weird feeling, isn’t it? Being content with yourself. I never thought I could do it but ARCADIA has somewhat put my heart to ease. Maybe it’s because of how it all happened. With Havoc fighting alongside me and ACTUALLY keeping his promise for once. He let me run the final lap and cross the finish line. He let me take all the glory for it. Wiping off my blood from the face and seeing that paint wither away-- Knowing that I had full control-- It just made me smile. I can finally call myself a champion in Wrestleworld. A title of my own. I hate to see when people give me credit for what Havoc achieved and when you live in a shadow as big as the one cast by the Nightmare King, it’s not easy to crawl out of it. For some reason, I still have the public’s respect and love, which baffles me a bit. These people stuck around through the worst of time-- Through Havoc’s reign of terror. And yet they still have respect for what I have achieved. I am thankful for them too. When I climbed up the turnbuckles and grabbed Emmanuelle’s head for one final time, I just knew deep down that the end was near. It felt like time had slowed down and I was seeing the faces of every single individual sitting in the crowd, cheering me on. Telling me to take that one final step to achieve what I always wanted to. I lifted her off the ground and took a leap of faith. Gravity really had no effect on me-- I was floating in the air. Heck, I would call it an out-of-body experience cause it felt like I had the bird’s eye view of me hooking Emmanuelle’s leg and the referee’s hand striking the mat for the three count. It felt like electricity flowing through my body because the outpour of support that I witnessed almost made me tear up. I had saved my job and achieved greatness. It was like falling in love with what I do, all over again. Like the first piece of gold that I ever touched. And then to walk through the curtains and see you waiting there for me-- to give me a hug. It just made the moment perfect in every possible way. I want to relive that few seconds that felt like hours to me-- But those seconds were possibly the best few seconds of my life. The high that I got from it-- I am still living off it to this day. I still hope to get that rush now. It was like cocaine on acid with a sprinkle of cannabis on top. What a fucking high!”Chris has a euphoric expression on his face as he relives through the ending moments of his time at ARCADIA as Hana tries to snap him back to reality by shakes his shoulders.“How do you know what that feels like, hmm? But honestly, I can relate to what you’re saying. I was so happy for you and to see you smile again. It felt like ages had passed and I hadn’t seen you happy. It was killing me on the inside to see you suffer doing something that you have always loved. But you bore the fruit of patience and I know how patient you were to finally get a chance. A chance to prove to everybody that you can be who you want to be. And now, you’re arguably the most successful Wrestleworld client in history. A bonafide future Hall of Famer. The first client to win titles in two separate divisions. Nobody can take that away from you. If you were to retire tomorrow, you’d still be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. This is the legacy that you were after, Chris. And I am glad that you’re finally satisfied with yourself.”Hana echoes the sentiment as they embrace each other in a tight hug. “Hana, I am human after all. The feeling of euphoria will last for a while but the honeymoon period will end at some point. Winning the title is one thing but keeping it, is the harder task. This is why when you mention the most successful wrestler in Wrestleworld’s history-- It’s hard to argue against Arata Asakura as that choice. I know, you’re a bit partial with me. Even though, Arata was your sensei. But Arata was the first client ever to have held two belts, to begin with. And not only that, Arata managed to remain the longest-reigning champion in Wrestleworld history. While I will not argue for the likes of Chad Kennedy or a washed-up Brian Daniels or even Raoul as his opponents. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding it-- It is an incredible feat that will likely not be topped anytime soon. Colt came real close-- Heck, Havoc wasn’t that far off either. But the history books will always show Arata Asakura is the record-maker. People may break his records in the future but he will always be the first. Let’s not forget that Arata did help me out last Book against the likes of Layne Driver and Animus and I am glad that he could deal with that spider for good. It was frustrating to face those guys time and time again and constantly be pushed back-- and have my momentum taken away through bullshit. But we fought through that together.”Chris grabs a bottle of water and takes a sip before pouring some of it over his head to cool down.“It’s like a repressed memory, isn’t it? I am sure Arata was more than relieved to have closed the book on Animus. The Spider was constantly on his back, being a nuisance for the sake of it. So while I dealt with my inner demons, Arata had some demons of his own to get rid of. And I am glad that we can both move past it. But the problem starts arising when Arata starts talking about making more records than he already has. The first-ever three-time Shogun Champion. Wouldn’t that be something? As obnoxious as it sounds, Arata is the face of the Shogun division. Even when Emmanuelle or Jacob Senn carried the flag, Arata always found a way to make the Shogun division all about himself. And credit where it’s due, Arata has stayed true to the Shogun ideals for the longest of times. Heck, he even fought Jaydayne just so he could prove himself to be worthy of the toughest of challenges. Honestly, I was surprised he made his way down the ramp after I quickly dispatched off Ace Sky. I thought he was going to acknowledge me for what I had achieved and call me what I am. A Shogun. Before Wrestleworld was even conceptualized by Jaywalker-- I was busting my ass in WWH and WINNING the right to be called a Shogun. I won a whole damn tournament for it and that is something that Arata can’t say. I am not mad at him for walking down to the ring and making his intentions known-- Frankly, I thought he’d do it sooner at ARCADIA itself knowing how passionate he is about the title. But, after everything we have been through, it did rub me in the wrong way. Am I overthinking it, Hana? You know Arata better than me. I am wrong to assume that I am his friend and that he’d not try to steal my moment that I had to work SO hard for right out of the gate?”Chris questioned as the pair sat down by a sofa on the balcony. Chris grabbed a pack of Malboro lights off the table and picked out a cigarette before lighting it up.“I get what you mean. I don’t think that Arata-san had any ill intentions behind his declaration. As you said, he has been synonymous with the Shogun division ever since its inception. I think Arata-san just finds it hard to move on past that. He finds it difficult to accept anybody else in that position. He lost the belt the first time over to a cashin by Jacob Senn-- And the other time, it was to Emmanuelle who then went on to disrespect the title and its ideals right after. So, he feels like it is his responsibility to make things right and get the Shogun championship to the importance it once held. I also know that things weren’t always the same between you and Arata-san. Knowing what you did as Havoc in OWA and seeing that he was a direct victim to your actions. Maybe he still holds a grudge-- Maybe he is worried that Havoc would come out again and change the Shogun landscape into something that it is not. It is the start of the Third Book and Arata somehow managed to win the Shogun championship both times right out of the gate. Maybe, he’s just looking to make it a trifecta. I don’t think there’s any personal vendetta behind this challenge. But that’s how I interpret it. I can also understand your point of view.”Hana responded by remaining neutral about the situation. Having connections with both men involved puts her in a precarious spot. After all, Hana learned everything she knows from Arata. She owes a lot to him -- On the other hand, it’s the love of her life. It’s not an easy choice to make for her.“As I said, I don’t want to hold that against Arata. Maybe there wasn’t any malicious intent behind his choice but the timing is just far too convenient. If he really wants to make it three Books in a row where he started off with a Shogun Belt, then I somewhat understand his motives. But… I guess I am overthinking it. Doesn’t change the fact that I do have an important task at hand. You see-- I had to beat Arata Asakura in the first place to even earn a title opportunity against Emmanuelle. And he-- through his image alone, just gets to walk down here and make his challenge official. It’s not very Shogun, is it? While the world may be expecting a threepeat-- Here’s a spoiler, I am NOT going to let it happen. I don’t care what the title means to Arata. I don’t care what he has done with it. And I really do not care about how he perceives me as a Shogun Champion. I do respect him, don’t get twisted. But I am not going to just back down and accept my fate as a transitional Shogun Champion just to satisfy the Golden Dragon of wrestling. I know it’s a battle of egos at the end of the day but the last time we faced off, it didn’t really go his way. In fact, I don’t think Arata has EVER beaten me in a one-on-one matchup. And I am not talking magical shit in SSW where he tried to kill me. I won’t hold that against him considering I did the same to him in OWA. We’ve been through the trenches and hopefully, developed a friendship. But friends don’t try to steal the spotlight from somebody who had been ACHING to be in this position. I will continue to be civil because I don’t have any bad blood against him. But if he really tries to take something that is mine then I am not going to just watch. Things WILL get personal if that’s what he wants. And I don’t want you to pick sides but there’s only one winning side and that’s me. I love when people start a sentence with ‘no offense’ and say the most offensive shit after it, like it changes anything. So-- Since Arata jumped on that trend-- It’s only fair I do the same, isn’t it? No offense to Arata, but he sounds like a spoiled fucking brat. I more than welcome a challenge and it really doesn’t get any better than Arata Asakura. But if he’s going to act like he’s owed something or that he deserves to be a Shogun CHampion to bring order back to the division for simply being who he is-- Then I will have to bring him down back to reality. Times HAVE moved on but Arata clearly hasn’t. Nobody is stopping him from achieving greatness elsewhere but do NOT try to belittle my accomplishments just because Mr. Golden Dragon ain’t got no gold anymore. He may have simply walked into this challenge but I am not going to let him just get away disrespecting me like that. I will fucking fight back!” Hana tries to keep Chris from losing his cool, reminding him of the breathing exercises again. Chris shakes his head and smirks.“Listen. I understand that Arata-san can be unknowingly disrespectful. He’s just got a brash attitude and a cold personality. That doesn’t mean he’s a bad guy though. I know that his words can come off like an entitled brat and maybe he has become one by being so damn good at what he does-- But please don’t take it personally. If you want, I can talk to him--”Before Hana can finish, Chris interrupts her.“Why would you do that? Hey-- I am not calling him a bad person. But that doesn’t change my opinion about the matter. I will not let him upstage me like this-- I will not let him make everything about himself. You know exactly how hard I had to struggle to get here. The battles that I had to go through. Layne Driver immediately overshadowing my return at the start of Book 2. Then being a constant thorn in my path along with Animus. I had to scratch and claw to even get a title opportunity while simultaneously struggling with my mind trying to not go fucking crazy with Havoc! I did all of that AND beat Emmanuelle to earn the right of being called the Shogun Champion. So, I really do not want to hear him blabber about how he is the epitome of what Shogun means. Arata might be starting to lose touch with reality if he still sees himself as the One True Shogun. His time has passed in this division and it’s better that he looks for pastures green elsewhere. Maybe try his hand against Allesandro so that somebody can finally shut him up. AD should be the LAST person to break his record so that’ll be better for everybody in Wrestleworld if he simply moved on. I am not the same person I was six months ago yet I keep harkening about the things he did two years ago with this belt. Well, it’s NOT his belt. It’s not been his belt for a while and I am not going to let it be his belt again. This is MINE. I put my career on the line for it. I put my sanity on the line by teaming up with Havoc. I did EVERYTHING just so I can move past my mistakes. Move past the bullshit hand that I was dealt during all of Book 2. Move past the shadow of Havoc that I seemingly never can escape. I NEEDED this and yet Arata just gets to walk right in and take it from me. Apparently, THAT is what a true Shogun is. If that’s the case, Hana-- I don’t want to be a Shogun. At least not the definition that he goes by. I will carve my own path with this title and I will bring it to newer heights like NEVER before. That’s right-- I will be a better champion than he was. If he really wants to push me aside then he’ll have to take me down for fucking GOOD because I am NOT going anywhere. And I am NOT letting this title go. This is my chance to make things right and Arata needs to get a fucking life. HE’S NOT THE SHOGUN CHAMPION! Why does he keep talking like he is!? He lost to Emmanuelle-- And then goes on to belittle her as well. I agree that Emmanuelle wasn’t the best role model as a Shogun but she still beat him! Is Arata so delusional that his memory just shuts right before when things did not go his way?”Hana grabs on to Chris’s hand and nods at him. She takes the cigarette off his hands and stubs it in the ashtray. “You don’t need to ask me where I stand. Of course, I am with you! But this just seems like a misunderstanding to me. Two different personalities clashing because of the prize hanging in the middle of it. But I know you’re capable enough of beating him. I know you’re worthy of being the Shogun Champion. It is time that Arata-san knows that as well. If he wishes the best for the Shogun belt-- then the best is already here. With you. Him winning it will only set it back to where it was before. Book 3 will not start the same way for Arata-san. And he needs to learn that. He needs to learn how to show respect to people. He needs to learn his boundaries. He needs to put some respect on my man cause I don’t like it either. But… At the same time, I don’t want you two to have bad blood with each other. Especially after you guys came to an understanding in Wrestleworld. I know you will win at Chapter 34-- And after that, Arata himself will shake your hand and hand you the Shogun Championship. I know he will. That’s what a Shogun would do. The ball is in his court. He can either show his true nature and be exposed for what he is or he can continue being a Shogun as he claims to be. You’re not going to lose, Chris. I believe in you. The WORLD believes in you. You are the Shogun. Not him. You are the champion. And that is not changing at Chapter 34.”Hana reassured Chris as he pulls his hair back and cracks his neck before standing right up.“You’re damn right it isn’t. Arata will find out soon that I am the Last REAL Shogun. I have worked all my life to get here. He’s not going to take it away from me in an instant. This is not his world. This is not his story. I will fight with everything I’ve got. I will fight like my job is on the line every single match going forward. I will fight to bring honor to the Shogun Championship. That is the TRUE Shogun way. Arata may have laid the foundation for it, but I am going to make it into the standard for generations to follow. I will be the flag bearer for Wrestleworld. I will be the Christopher Sabertooth that I should have been since day FUCKING one. I am the fucking man, Arata Asakura. Hopefully, he’s half as good as he says he is and he brings something different to the table than before-- Because I have beaten him before when the stakes weren’t even this high. And I will do it again especially since my fucking life depends on it. The Golden Dragon is about to get his winds cut off. Back to reality for you, Arata. A reality where you are no longer the Shogun. I will live and breathe this reality for MONTHS to come. 238 days was it? Yeah-- Challenge accepted. He may make records-- But I will always be there to break ‘em. His words have only motivated me to get better. And I won’t stop until I have reached the pinnacle of Wrestleworld. I will be the man to beat. The man to fear through sheer skill and grit alone. I don’t need Havoc to fight my battles anymore. It is Christopher Sabertooth’s turn for blood, guts, and glory. Aight-- There’s no time to be wasted. I need to head to the dojo and train for this fight. You can help me out if you want, Hana. I am going to beat your sensei’s ass…. Again.” Chris smirks and grabs a towel from the sofa, wrapping it around his neck. “Chop chop baby. We’ve still got to do the 10-mile run. See ya!” With that, he zooms out of the frame as Hana looks on with a smile at how motivated Chris was following his win at ARCADIA. Chris was ready for a fight and he wasn’t planning on being a stepping stone for the same old story. He wanted to make the Shogun title synonymous with his name as Arata had done before. And beating the greatest Shogun Champion in history will certainly be a step in the right direction. | |
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