(Matt): Are ye aware of the legend of the Ryujin, Maniac?
Matt walks back and forth in the same darkened room as before, only coming into the light and into focus every so often, the single light hanging from the ceiling casting an ominous bask over him every time he walks under it. (Matt): In feudal Japan, there lived a man. He was not a mighty ruler of men, nor was he even particularly brave. Instead, he was a simple farmer who lived alone in a small village nestled deep in the mountains, where he tended to his fields and fished in the river.
Despite his quiet lifestyle, he had always felt something stirring inside of him…something dark and mysterious. One night, while stargazing on a hill overlooking his village, he heard whispers coming from the sky above. These whispers were unlike anything he had ever heard before; they were harsh and cold, yet somehow mesmerizing.
They called out to him, urging him to follow them to a place beyond human understanding.
At first, he resisted their calls, afraid of the unknown dangers that lay ahead. But eventually, his curiosity won out, and he began to climb higher up the mountain, following the whispers deeper and deeper into the darkness.
Eventually, he arrived at a cave entrance shrouded in mist, and it was then that he realized just how dangerous his journey truly was. The voice seemed to grow stronger, more insistent and seductive, promising him secrets and power beyond mortal comprehension if only he would step into the abyss below.
Trembling with fear but also excitement, Ryujin made his decision. With a sudden burst of courage, he stepped into the depths of the cave, plunging into complete darkness. As he fell, he could feel the whispers surrounding him, caressing him, tearing at his flesh with sharp talons. But still he pushed on, determined to reach whatever lay beneath the earth.
It was hours before Ryujin emerged from the cave once more, transformed beyond recognition. His skin was as hard as stone, his eyes glowing with an infernal fire, and his hair grown wild and unruly. He was no longer the weak and timid farmer he once was; instead, he had become a force to be reckoned with… he became the Dragon King…. He became
Ryujin…. and at Art of War, Maniac, I will become the
Ryujin….. あなたの最悪の悪夢 ….. yer worst nightmare….
They say time is the best healer. Well, Maniac, fella, after our match, win or lose, I can guarantee ye that time will not heal of yer pain. All yer bravado, yer condescension, yer threats about teaching me a lesson…I cannot wait for it all to come crashing down yer face. Once we’re done, when that final bell rings, ye’ll be ripping your veins out, yer insides will rend and they will maim ya from within.
People like you, Maniac, their hearts don’t beat like the rest of us. Ours beat with desire, with conviction, with love. Yours pumps with violence, with poison and that poison has infected me. I can feel it….
Matt holds his arms up front of him, his eyes flitting between them. (Matt): I can feel it coursing through me veins, lad. You’re the monster that has infected me, Maniac, because before ya came along, I had no desire to unleash the level of barbarism my poisoned heart craves to inflict upon ya. But ye know what? I’ve come to peace with I’ve come to peace with that, with what I need to become and what I have to embrace to thrive let-alone survive inside the Asylum, fella.
Ye’ve already been successful in leaching the blood out from what’s good inside me and consumed any shred the innocence I had inside before. But at Art of War, I will behold the loathsome demon ye are when ya stand in front of me and I will send ya into you the hell ye made for us inside the Asylum.
Matt stops moving just as he’s right under the light. It goes off suddenly. (Matt): It’s time, Maniac…for the Dragon King to take his mantle. Ryūō banzai…long live the Ryujin! Long live the King.
The light comes back on. Fade to black.