Post by Teo Blaze on Mar 24, 2024 12:49:24 GMT -5
As the scene fades into view, the viewer is treated to what appears to be a shot of the Action Wrestling Logo- but as the camera pulls slowly backwards, it becomes clear that the golden letters are the embossed centerplate of the most iconic belt in wrestling today, placed with obvious care on the small desk of a hotel room.
And next to the bright gold of that iconic championship? An all-too familiar pair of round, red lenses…which a hand comes down and retrieves.
The camera follows as the champion’s face now comes into view, the room reflecting in his eyes as his vision lingers on the gold.
You know, it was funny.
In all of the celebration, in all of the congratulations, the attention…it had somehow yet to truly hit him. It was as though…as though he had been walking in a dream, waiting for the alarm to sound. The other shoe to drop. There was a part of him, however small, that still refused to believe that the championship was there in the room with him.
And yet there it was. Every time he closed his eyes to sleep it was waiting for him there in the morning.
Not just a championship.
The championship.
The World…And it was on his shoulders.
He had always known he had the ability, the potential, had always known it was possible he would one day hold it…But something about this morning, something about the feeling that came over him as he looked at his championship struck differently…
And there it was. Not the world championship. His world championship.
Denial was the wrong word, he wasn’t even sure there was a word to describe it- but something struck him in that moment. Was it a feeling that could only be known when your name was on that plate? The realization that your life had irrevocably changed mixed with the desire to ride that high of victory until you can’t feel anything else? The willingness to sacrifice your body and your wellbeing to keep it no matter what?
Maybe.
But it was there.
And as his eyes narrowed behind the red lenses, a thought that had been floating in his mind since Payback began to glow like a red hot wire.
That Teo Blaze would God. Damned. End! anyone who tried to take it from him.
===
The scene has now shifted quite dramatically- the morning light replaced by a glaring noon-high sun. The brightness of that celestial sphere carrying with it as well a kind of scorching heat, practically visible through the television screen in distorted waves which radiate off the concrete. An uncharacteristically hot day for March, and yet one that can only be amplified by the location- for Teo stands atop a high-rise, dozens of stories above the street. Despite the wind created by the immense height, Teo lays in a comfortable looking lawn chair, leaning back and looking up at the sun, even as the heat radiates off the polished concrete roof.
“Ambition. Quite the double edged sword, isn’t it?
It is one of those deeply fundamental emotions present in every man, carrying with it all of the potential in the world for greatness and for pain. Think of what ambition can drive a man to do, what it makes him capable of-
Come on, Jaice, you know that feeling. That little ball that you get in the pit of your stomach that slowly rises up through your spine, tickling each and every electrical impulse with desire and determination, promising victory and wealth untold for you and you alone?
Oh yes, Jaice Wilds, you know ambition.”
Teo sits up from the lawn chair now, looking out over the city skyline, the immense drop to the streets below highlighted all too strongly, the majesty of the city tinged with the danger of falling from such a height.
“You’ve become intoxicated by it, if we’re being honest. Your ambitions to the World Championship have become your sole driving goal in life, a type of never-ending pursuit which you have staked your reputation on. A drive to reach the top of the mountain by any means necessary that you have allowed to define your return to Clash. To capture once and for all the championship which you yourself have never had the opportunity to claim. That elusive journey to the championship marred by stumble after stumble, failure after failure…
And then it happened. You were presented an opportunity to finally claim the World Championship that you honestly believed you were destined for, and all you had to do was to do us all the favor of finally shutting Roman Gunn’s mouth for good.
Which, don’t get me wrong, is something I welcome. But Jaice, here’s the thing…
Roman Gunn is a loser. Pure and simple. The only thing more prevalent in his time on the main roster than his mouth has been the way in which he finds a way to get pinned time and time again.
I’m not going to stand here, look you in the eye, and whine that you don’t deserve a title shot, Jaice. Saying that anything in this business is deserved is a slippery slope and a mistake. You can list win-loss records, accomplishments, anything you want-
But frankly? I could give a goddamn about whether you deserve this match. You are my challenger, my opponent, and nothing I say is going to change that.
But you know…
I can’t help but notice a change in your behavior since beating Roman Gunn. Suddenly after a single victory, you seem to think that you’ve elevated yourself. That by claiming the right to challenge for the World Championship, you have raised yourself to Teo Blaze’s level…”
A chuckle leaves Teo’s mouth as he stands up from the lawn chair, making his way to the edge of the building. The wind whips through his hair as he stands on the precipice, looking down over the edge, over the sheer drop below.
Then, he reaches into his pocket, and pulls out something peculiar- a small, intricately folded paper airplane. He looks at it in his hand and smiles, turning it over before letting it fly, where it whips away in the wind, avoiding the fall only to disappear somewhere over the rooftops. It’s a short but majestic flight, and Teo seems to reflect on it before he continues speaking.
“Let me tell you something Jaice. Something that you seem to have fucking missed with all of your talk of honor, of dignity.
Teo Blaze is a man of honor, a man of the people, a man who has spent years and sacrificed everything time and time again to maintain that honor. He is a genuinely good man, a man you can trust, a man who you can share a drink with.
But Teo Blaze is one more little thing that people always seem to forget, Jaice.
Teo Blaze is dangerous.”
A practical chill cuts through the air from the coldness of those words, even in the sweltering heat that permeates the rooftop.
“There is nothing in the world that Teo Blaze loves more than competition, than pushing himself to get faster, stronger. Every day, every night he trains, spars, runs, and pushes himself to get better, to be better. To be the man that everyone he has ever met has told him he can be.
Teo Blaze cares about this business. Whether it’s around his waist or not, there is not a man, woman, or child in the world who cares more about that championship and what it means, what it represents to so many.
And that drive, that desire? The side effect of genuinely, truly caring about this company? Is that Teo Blaze, honorable as he is, has turned himself into as fierce a competitor as has ever stepped foot into that ring.
When you step into that ring with me, Jaice, you’re not just facing a man who happens to be holding the World Championship. No, you’re facing a man who has spent every waking moment of his life preparing for this moment. A man who has trained relentlessly, sacrificed endlessly, and overcome every obstacle in his path to get to where he is today. Someone who has been told by liars, snakes, and monsters alike that he cannot do it, that he is too small, that he loved his fans too much to ever hold this championship! And every single one of their stories ended with a Blazing Knee to the dome and the realization that they had pissed off the wrong man!
And let me tell you something else, Jaice. You may have earned your shot at the World Championship, but that doesn’t mean you’re ready for what’s coming. Beating Roman Gunn just doesn’t give you what it takes to survive in the ring with Teo Blaze. This Cinderella story does not end with you holding this championship, it ends with you being carried out on a stretcher!
Not because I hate you, not even because I necessarily have a problem with you personally.
But there’s something you have to realize Jaice. Something that hasn’t quite permeated that thick skull of yours- when you put your name on the dotted line for this match? That was the signature on your career’s suicide note.
Because agreeing to step into the ring with Teo Blaze isn’t agreeing to a fight, Jaice- it’s asking to be pushed to the very limit of what your body can take. You walk away from the match with a new set of scars if you’re lucky. Hell, you should take it as a miracle if you can walk away from the match at all!
I am a man of honor, Jaice, it is true, but honor also means holding absolutely nothing back when the time comes for it! And Teo Blaze would rather throw himself from this rooftop than let anyone say he ever left even a drop in the tank!
I don’t just beat you at Match Madness Jaice, I end you! Anything less than that is to spit in the face of this championship, do you understand me!?”
Teo lets the declaration echo outward, turning over itself as the sound doubles back, creating an echo which permeates the city streets. Teo inhales deeply, collecting himself, his head dipping down at the ground as his breathing resumes its normal cadence…and then his head slowly raises up to reveal that ever-present grin.
“Ambition, Jaice. You think it to be your greatest tool. The desire to hold this championship all you need to push you to the top of the world.
And you know Jaice, I can’t help but be reminded of a certain myth- a story, if you will.”
At this point, Teo removes another paper airplane from his pocket, very similar to the first, and holds it over his head.
“Have you ever heard the myth of Icarus, Jaice?
I mean I’m sure you’re at least familiar, but have you ever thought about the lesson it teaches?
Icarus, gifted the ability of flight, became overwhelmed with the new sensations it brought. The power he’d been granted, the rush of that momentary victory propelling him to new heights. Just like when you overcame Roman Gunn, he felt that same excited thrill of seeing the endless world above him, the heights to which he could rise.
The victory, those wings were all he needed- he was no longer bound to the ground, and despite the warnings, he flew higher, and higher, pushed himself up closer to the Sun!”
As Teo begins speaking, he holds the paper airplane up, high above his head. As he does, the heat from the noonday sun is all the more apparent, the small paper airplane trapped among the radiating heatwaves…
“But then, we all know what happened. Despite the warnings, despite the protest, Icarus thought himself worthy of a higher station, and so he relied on his wings to carry him all the way as high as he could go, perhaps he would even seize the world with his newfound height.
And then…”
The edges of the paper airplane begin to smoke, a little at first, but then the edges begin to ignite, the paper airplane’s edges beginning to burn in the intense heat of the sun as Teo smiles.
With the same absentminded flick of his wrist, he lets the airplane fly- but the fire has consumed it, and rather than gracefully disappearing, it sputters and spins, falling down into the abyss below with a small trail of smoke before disappearing from view.
“Ambition is great, Jaice, but it will get you killed.”
Teo chuckles as he walks back, retrieving the World Championship and placing it over his shoulder.
“Do we blame the sun for melting Icarus’s wings? Of course not, Jaice. After all, everyone knew the sun was dangerous, that it burned any who got too close. The sun is not the villain of the story. It was Icarus’s ambition that did him in.
And you Jaice? You are the modern day Icarus.
You believe your ambition will carry you to heights unimaginable, that the desire to hold this championship will propel you to victory. But let me be clear, Jaice: ambition alone is not enough. It blinds you to the dangers ahead, makes you blind to the consequences of your actions. You see the sun, you know of the Blaze, but you do not feel the heat until it is burning you.
Jaice, just like Icarus, you fly too close to the sun, thinking yourself invincible. You seek to rise, to ascend, to push yourself to the top of the world! But the higher you soar, the closer you come to your inevitable downfall. And when you crash and burn, there will be no one to blame but yourself. Everybody knew that the Sun was dangerous, but only Jaice Wilds was dumb enough to challenge it!
I am not your enemy, Jaice. I am merely the obstacle in your path, the test of your mettle. But if you are foolish enough to challenge me, then know this: I will not hold back. I will push you to your limits and beyond, until you have nothing left to give. You will be standing in that ring, looking up at me, feeling a pain unlike anything you have ever felt, and you will look to me for mercy.
You know I am an honorable man, after all.
And when I look down at you, brought low by your own ambitions, realizing too late the error of your ways, helpless to stop what you know is coming?
I will drive a Blazing Knee into your skull, and I will end your night the only way it was ever going to end.
Because that is what you wanted. It was what you agreed to. You wanted to stand in the ring with Teo Blaze and to try and take from him what you could.
Jaice, they never bothered to tell you this. You are welcome to try. You are welcome to walk into that ring, with your twenty year career, fully confident that I am just another opponent. You are free to wager your health, your wellbeing, your career on it.
I welcome it, Jaice.
But here’s the thing.
When you step into that ring with me, you're not just facing a man with a title belt. You're facing a force of nature, a wildfire of determination and skill. You're facing a man who has dedicated his life to this sport, who has sacrificed everything to be where he is today. And when you stand across from me, Jaice, you will realize the true meaning of fear.
Because I am not just a wrestler. I am Teo Blaze, the World Champion, the embodiment of excellence in this ring. And I had to earn every bit of it through blood, sweat, and tears. Teo Blaze is not just an opponent, he is the hardest test you will ever face in your life, Jaice! He is the reason you wake up in a cold sweat tomorrow morning only for every new scar to radiate a pain you’ve never known!
Teo Blaze is the worst mistake you’ve ever made, and you get burned because your ambition told you to try and challenge the Sun! Because you ignored every warning, everyone who tried to stop you because you thought you were something special!
You get nobody to blame except yourself for stepping into the ring with Teo Blaze! For walking into hell without a second thought, misguided by that ambition, by that momentary rush!
So go ahead, Jaice. Chase your ambition. Reach for the stars. But remember, the higher you climb, the harder you fall.
And you’ll be left with that same ambition as before to comfort you.
Because when the dust settles and the smoke clears, when you're lying broken and defeated in the center of that ring, all you'll have left is the bitter taste of regret. Regret for ever daring to challenge the blaze, regret for ever thinking you could stand toe-to-toe with me.
You wanted a shot at the World Championship, Jaice. Well, you got it. But remember this: every ambition has a price. And you have signed up to pay a price greater than you could ever have imagined.
When all is said and done, when the final bell tolls and the winner is declared, remember this:
You may have come seeking glory, but in the end, all you'll find is defeat.
Because in this world, there's only one true champion.
And his name is Teo Blaze.”
With that, Teo turns, the gold of the championship shining all the brighter under the shining sun. And as he leaves, the camera pans slowly back to the ledge, where small plumes of smoke can still be seen coming up from the abyss below, the last remnants of the aerial traveler.
And next to the bright gold of that iconic championship? An all-too familiar pair of round, red lenses…which a hand comes down and retrieves.
The camera follows as the champion’s face now comes into view, the room reflecting in his eyes as his vision lingers on the gold.
You know, it was funny.
In all of the celebration, in all of the congratulations, the attention…it had somehow yet to truly hit him. It was as though…as though he had been walking in a dream, waiting for the alarm to sound. The other shoe to drop. There was a part of him, however small, that still refused to believe that the championship was there in the room with him.
And yet there it was. Every time he closed his eyes to sleep it was waiting for him there in the morning.
Not just a championship.
The championship.
The World…And it was on his shoulders.
He had always known he had the ability, the potential, had always known it was possible he would one day hold it…But something about this morning, something about the feeling that came over him as he looked at his championship struck differently…
And there it was. Not the world championship. His world championship.
Denial was the wrong word, he wasn’t even sure there was a word to describe it- but something struck him in that moment. Was it a feeling that could only be known when your name was on that plate? The realization that your life had irrevocably changed mixed with the desire to ride that high of victory until you can’t feel anything else? The willingness to sacrifice your body and your wellbeing to keep it no matter what?
Maybe.
But it was there.
And as his eyes narrowed behind the red lenses, a thought that had been floating in his mind since Payback began to glow like a red hot wire.
That Teo Blaze would God. Damned. End! anyone who tried to take it from him.
===
The scene has now shifted quite dramatically- the morning light replaced by a glaring noon-high sun. The brightness of that celestial sphere carrying with it as well a kind of scorching heat, practically visible through the television screen in distorted waves which radiate off the concrete. An uncharacteristically hot day for March, and yet one that can only be amplified by the location- for Teo stands atop a high-rise, dozens of stories above the street. Despite the wind created by the immense height, Teo lays in a comfortable looking lawn chair, leaning back and looking up at the sun, even as the heat radiates off the polished concrete roof.
“Ambition. Quite the double edged sword, isn’t it?
It is one of those deeply fundamental emotions present in every man, carrying with it all of the potential in the world for greatness and for pain. Think of what ambition can drive a man to do, what it makes him capable of-
Come on, Jaice, you know that feeling. That little ball that you get in the pit of your stomach that slowly rises up through your spine, tickling each and every electrical impulse with desire and determination, promising victory and wealth untold for you and you alone?
Oh yes, Jaice Wilds, you know ambition.”
Teo sits up from the lawn chair now, looking out over the city skyline, the immense drop to the streets below highlighted all too strongly, the majesty of the city tinged with the danger of falling from such a height.
“You’ve become intoxicated by it, if we’re being honest. Your ambitions to the World Championship have become your sole driving goal in life, a type of never-ending pursuit which you have staked your reputation on. A drive to reach the top of the mountain by any means necessary that you have allowed to define your return to Clash. To capture once and for all the championship which you yourself have never had the opportunity to claim. That elusive journey to the championship marred by stumble after stumble, failure after failure…
And then it happened. You were presented an opportunity to finally claim the World Championship that you honestly believed you were destined for, and all you had to do was to do us all the favor of finally shutting Roman Gunn’s mouth for good.
Which, don’t get me wrong, is something I welcome. But Jaice, here’s the thing…
Roman Gunn is a loser. Pure and simple. The only thing more prevalent in his time on the main roster than his mouth has been the way in which he finds a way to get pinned time and time again.
I’m not going to stand here, look you in the eye, and whine that you don’t deserve a title shot, Jaice. Saying that anything in this business is deserved is a slippery slope and a mistake. You can list win-loss records, accomplishments, anything you want-
But frankly? I could give a goddamn about whether you deserve this match. You are my challenger, my opponent, and nothing I say is going to change that.
But you know…
I can’t help but notice a change in your behavior since beating Roman Gunn. Suddenly after a single victory, you seem to think that you’ve elevated yourself. That by claiming the right to challenge for the World Championship, you have raised yourself to Teo Blaze’s level…”
A chuckle leaves Teo’s mouth as he stands up from the lawn chair, making his way to the edge of the building. The wind whips through his hair as he stands on the precipice, looking down over the edge, over the sheer drop below.
Then, he reaches into his pocket, and pulls out something peculiar- a small, intricately folded paper airplane. He looks at it in his hand and smiles, turning it over before letting it fly, where it whips away in the wind, avoiding the fall only to disappear somewhere over the rooftops. It’s a short but majestic flight, and Teo seems to reflect on it before he continues speaking.
“Let me tell you something Jaice. Something that you seem to have fucking missed with all of your talk of honor, of dignity.
Teo Blaze is a man of honor, a man of the people, a man who has spent years and sacrificed everything time and time again to maintain that honor. He is a genuinely good man, a man you can trust, a man who you can share a drink with.
But Teo Blaze is one more little thing that people always seem to forget, Jaice.
Teo Blaze is dangerous.”
A practical chill cuts through the air from the coldness of those words, even in the sweltering heat that permeates the rooftop.
“There is nothing in the world that Teo Blaze loves more than competition, than pushing himself to get faster, stronger. Every day, every night he trains, spars, runs, and pushes himself to get better, to be better. To be the man that everyone he has ever met has told him he can be.
Teo Blaze cares about this business. Whether it’s around his waist or not, there is not a man, woman, or child in the world who cares more about that championship and what it means, what it represents to so many.
And that drive, that desire? The side effect of genuinely, truly caring about this company? Is that Teo Blaze, honorable as he is, has turned himself into as fierce a competitor as has ever stepped foot into that ring.
When you step into that ring with me, Jaice, you’re not just facing a man who happens to be holding the World Championship. No, you’re facing a man who has spent every waking moment of his life preparing for this moment. A man who has trained relentlessly, sacrificed endlessly, and overcome every obstacle in his path to get to where he is today. Someone who has been told by liars, snakes, and monsters alike that he cannot do it, that he is too small, that he loved his fans too much to ever hold this championship! And every single one of their stories ended with a Blazing Knee to the dome and the realization that they had pissed off the wrong man!
And let me tell you something else, Jaice. You may have earned your shot at the World Championship, but that doesn’t mean you’re ready for what’s coming. Beating Roman Gunn just doesn’t give you what it takes to survive in the ring with Teo Blaze. This Cinderella story does not end with you holding this championship, it ends with you being carried out on a stretcher!
Not because I hate you, not even because I necessarily have a problem with you personally.
But there’s something you have to realize Jaice. Something that hasn’t quite permeated that thick skull of yours- when you put your name on the dotted line for this match? That was the signature on your career’s suicide note.
Because agreeing to step into the ring with Teo Blaze isn’t agreeing to a fight, Jaice- it’s asking to be pushed to the very limit of what your body can take. You walk away from the match with a new set of scars if you’re lucky. Hell, you should take it as a miracle if you can walk away from the match at all!
I am a man of honor, Jaice, it is true, but honor also means holding absolutely nothing back when the time comes for it! And Teo Blaze would rather throw himself from this rooftop than let anyone say he ever left even a drop in the tank!
I don’t just beat you at Match Madness Jaice, I end you! Anything less than that is to spit in the face of this championship, do you understand me!?”
Teo lets the declaration echo outward, turning over itself as the sound doubles back, creating an echo which permeates the city streets. Teo inhales deeply, collecting himself, his head dipping down at the ground as his breathing resumes its normal cadence…and then his head slowly raises up to reveal that ever-present grin.
“Ambition, Jaice. You think it to be your greatest tool. The desire to hold this championship all you need to push you to the top of the world.
And you know Jaice, I can’t help but be reminded of a certain myth- a story, if you will.”
At this point, Teo removes another paper airplane from his pocket, very similar to the first, and holds it over his head.
“Have you ever heard the myth of Icarus, Jaice?
I mean I’m sure you’re at least familiar, but have you ever thought about the lesson it teaches?
Icarus, gifted the ability of flight, became overwhelmed with the new sensations it brought. The power he’d been granted, the rush of that momentary victory propelling him to new heights. Just like when you overcame Roman Gunn, he felt that same excited thrill of seeing the endless world above him, the heights to which he could rise.
The victory, those wings were all he needed- he was no longer bound to the ground, and despite the warnings, he flew higher, and higher, pushed himself up closer to the Sun!”
As Teo begins speaking, he holds the paper airplane up, high above his head. As he does, the heat from the noonday sun is all the more apparent, the small paper airplane trapped among the radiating heatwaves…
“But then, we all know what happened. Despite the warnings, despite the protest, Icarus thought himself worthy of a higher station, and so he relied on his wings to carry him all the way as high as he could go, perhaps he would even seize the world with his newfound height.
And then…”
The edges of the paper airplane begin to smoke, a little at first, but then the edges begin to ignite, the paper airplane’s edges beginning to burn in the intense heat of the sun as Teo smiles.
With the same absentminded flick of his wrist, he lets the airplane fly- but the fire has consumed it, and rather than gracefully disappearing, it sputters and spins, falling down into the abyss below with a small trail of smoke before disappearing from view.
“Ambition is great, Jaice, but it will get you killed.”
Teo chuckles as he walks back, retrieving the World Championship and placing it over his shoulder.
“Do we blame the sun for melting Icarus’s wings? Of course not, Jaice. After all, everyone knew the sun was dangerous, that it burned any who got too close. The sun is not the villain of the story. It was Icarus’s ambition that did him in.
And you Jaice? You are the modern day Icarus.
You believe your ambition will carry you to heights unimaginable, that the desire to hold this championship will propel you to victory. But let me be clear, Jaice: ambition alone is not enough. It blinds you to the dangers ahead, makes you blind to the consequences of your actions. You see the sun, you know of the Blaze, but you do not feel the heat until it is burning you.
Jaice, just like Icarus, you fly too close to the sun, thinking yourself invincible. You seek to rise, to ascend, to push yourself to the top of the world! But the higher you soar, the closer you come to your inevitable downfall. And when you crash and burn, there will be no one to blame but yourself. Everybody knew that the Sun was dangerous, but only Jaice Wilds was dumb enough to challenge it!
I am not your enemy, Jaice. I am merely the obstacle in your path, the test of your mettle. But if you are foolish enough to challenge me, then know this: I will not hold back. I will push you to your limits and beyond, until you have nothing left to give. You will be standing in that ring, looking up at me, feeling a pain unlike anything you have ever felt, and you will look to me for mercy.
You know I am an honorable man, after all.
And when I look down at you, brought low by your own ambitions, realizing too late the error of your ways, helpless to stop what you know is coming?
I will drive a Blazing Knee into your skull, and I will end your night the only way it was ever going to end.
Because that is what you wanted. It was what you agreed to. You wanted to stand in the ring with Teo Blaze and to try and take from him what you could.
Jaice, they never bothered to tell you this. You are welcome to try. You are welcome to walk into that ring, with your twenty year career, fully confident that I am just another opponent. You are free to wager your health, your wellbeing, your career on it.
I welcome it, Jaice.
But here’s the thing.
When you step into that ring with me, you're not just facing a man with a title belt. You're facing a force of nature, a wildfire of determination and skill. You're facing a man who has dedicated his life to this sport, who has sacrificed everything to be where he is today. And when you stand across from me, Jaice, you will realize the true meaning of fear.
Because I am not just a wrestler. I am Teo Blaze, the World Champion, the embodiment of excellence in this ring. And I had to earn every bit of it through blood, sweat, and tears. Teo Blaze is not just an opponent, he is the hardest test you will ever face in your life, Jaice! He is the reason you wake up in a cold sweat tomorrow morning only for every new scar to radiate a pain you’ve never known!
Teo Blaze is the worst mistake you’ve ever made, and you get burned because your ambition told you to try and challenge the Sun! Because you ignored every warning, everyone who tried to stop you because you thought you were something special!
You get nobody to blame except yourself for stepping into the ring with Teo Blaze! For walking into hell without a second thought, misguided by that ambition, by that momentary rush!
So go ahead, Jaice. Chase your ambition. Reach for the stars. But remember, the higher you climb, the harder you fall.
And you’ll be left with that same ambition as before to comfort you.
Because when the dust settles and the smoke clears, when you're lying broken and defeated in the center of that ring, all you'll have left is the bitter taste of regret. Regret for ever daring to challenge the blaze, regret for ever thinking you could stand toe-to-toe with me.
You wanted a shot at the World Championship, Jaice. Well, you got it. But remember this: every ambition has a price. And you have signed up to pay a price greater than you could ever have imagined.
When all is said and done, when the final bell tolls and the winner is declared, remember this:
You may have come seeking glory, but in the end, all you'll find is defeat.
Because in this world, there's only one true champion.
And his name is Teo Blaze.”
With that, Teo turns, the gold of the championship shining all the brighter under the shining sun. And as he leaves, the camera pans slowly back to the ledge, where small plumes of smoke can still be seen coming up from the abyss below, the last remnants of the aerial traveler.