[b]Kishimoto Arcade, Local Tournament.[/b]
[@Crimson Lion] [@Dezuel] - [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTuwliW6Cm4]Devils Cry[/url]

[indent][indent]His defeat was on repeat in his head, flickering vividly and insufferably slow. 

Baelstrom was dying on him, flashing screens burned orange. He didn't have time to read them, not that he needed too. In a nut shell the Baelstrom was maimed; it was missing a foot, an eye, a shield, and a horn. Its paint was all but gone, all that remained was the beaten black frame of the demonic Gundam; its grappling claw open with dark intentions. Though that wasn't the worst of it. The WARS he had experienced had left the gunpla battered [i]inside[/i] and out. Its limbs were becoming stiff and unwieldly with the resistance of his controls. Ryoichi poured strength into his arms and hands. The exertion he was throwing into the battle paid the price for his still fluid movements. 

It was in their last skirmish that he understood just how outnumbered he was. In a flash that golden gunpla had defeated the others while simultaneously, somehow, managing to operated the flagship. Stuck between surviving the onslaught of the white Wing Gundam or destroying the flagship; Ryoichi decided to disengage the white Wing Gundam. From there everything went from confidence, to fear, to acceptance, to anger, and then to joy...

Sweat fell from Ryoichi's face and arms. And for a long moment he refused to raise his head. He had seen the dark frame falling apart as the stadium shut down. Seen the right side of the Baelstrom pluck away at the joints. That was rough and yet exhilarating too. Before, he had wanted nothing more than a strong Gunpla Fighter to stand against him. Now, after experiencing all that WARS had to offer, a flame had reawakened inside him. And if nothing else, he was grateful to his opponents for that.

The roar of the crowd was a muffled sound compared to the voices of Team Imagine Victory. He felt exhaustion lay over his eyelids as he stood up straight and gathered the Baelstrom's parts. With a gentle hand he placed the pieces in his plastic bag and carried it close to his chest. He plucked his glasses from his pockets to hide the true toll the match had on him. It was annoying and maddening but he had always been good about playing the buffoon. 

"Char-chan!" he called aloud once he reached Charmaine. "I lost my match. Can you tell I'm heartbroken right now?" 

He choked off his next words seeing one of the guys of Team Imagine Victory walking over. He straightened himself and placed his hands on Charmaine's wheelchair. Through closed lips he quickly whispered, "Stay cool, I could probably take him in a fight." 

Throughout Naoki's card peddling, Ryoichi held back laughter until the "Old Man" comment reached his ears. Fortunately he was okay with Naoki's vibe, so he simply smiled. He took the card with two fingers and looked back at the boy. "Sure thing, Kid. Though my fee might've just rocketed up a bit."     [/indent][/indent]