REIGN 78

Mark Kendrick: Last week we saw CICADA viciously knock out PRIMAL. This week, REIGN’s resident demon from Hell will put this…guy…to the test.

Maria Madden: We really don’t know anything about CICADA, do we? 

Mark Kendrick: We know he almost broke PRIMAL’s jaw…

KAGAMI stretches in the ring. Though his face is obscured entirely by a mask, he does not seem intimidated. Then the lights go out.

Maria Madden: Here we go.

 The REIGN screens become the only light, showing only static, until they finally reveal an image.

The Speaker: Hello again REI-REI-REI-REIGN audience. My client, [R̸̢̰̺̗̈͂̋̆̑̀Ě̏̒̔̌͘͢͡Ḑ̤͍̳͇̮̉̿̕Ą̫͎̘͉̯̆C͚̥͐̅́ͅT̵̵̺͈͌́͛͐̎É̳̝̞̭̙̠̀͢͝͏D̵͍̻͔̮̀̄], is so excited to perform for you again. Th-th-th-th-thank you KAGAMI for agreeing to this match. We understand that you are from Hel-Hel-Hel-Hel-HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-

The Speaker: You don’t know hell.

The Speaker: But you will tonÌȊÌÎǏȈƗǏĮÌĪİȊÍĮÌÏĮÎÏİÍÏȈÍĪÍƗȊȈÌİÌȊĮĪǏÏȈĮÍǏǏĨÏȈĨĬĪÎÌÎǏĬȈĪÍÏǏÎƗÏƗĬȊĮƗİĨƗƗĪȊÎÏĨÏİĮĪƗÏİĪƗĨǏȈÌǏ-

A series of glitch sounds interrupts everything before a loud pop chases the image of the speaker away. The arena is pitch black.

OH

“Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni” by Eiko Shimamiya begins to play. The arena remains bathed in pitch darkness. More cell phone lights emerge than the previous week, and there seems to be a notable uptick in excitement from the fans as murmurs and moderate cheers resound through the audience.

Mark Kendrick: I don’t know if I’m going to get used to this.

Maria Madden: No…I don’t think I will either.

At the 19-second mark, when the bass of the song kicks in, a single spotlight shines on the top of the stage. CICADA holds his arms out, looking straight up into the spotlight, almost like he is bathing in the light, or in some odd form of worship. He slowly lowers his head to look at the ring and his opponent. Like last week, he is slow, methodical, stalking to the ring. He seems to savor the moment for as long as he can, though it is unclear what his emotional state is due to the mask covering up all of his facial features. 

Once he is at ringside, he slides under the ropes and stands immediately. Again he makes a beeline for his opponent, but KAGAMI shows no fear, meeting him in the ring and getting face to face with his much taller opponent. They press their faces together, neither man backing down, just two emotionless masked figures trying to intimidate the other and having no luck.

Maria Madden: Though we have no way of knowing what is going on in the minds of these two faceless men, we know that both of them came here for a fight.