Other Fan Fiction ❯ Namco vs Tecmo ❯ The Big Ugly Muthers ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer (I don't know why I bother doing this…): If owning a copy of the game means that you own the rights to it then…I still don't own Dead or Alive or Soul Calibur. Tecmo and Namco own them respectively. Oh well…

A simple hexagonal platform suspended high above an endless abyss was the scene I set for this match. The platform was in the middle of a circular hole cut into solid rock, and was separated from the edge of the rock by a ten foot gap, further than either Bass or Astaroth could jump. The other fighters stood on the rock, looking at the platform.

"I have to fight that thing?" Bass asked as Astaroth span his large axe in easy circles.

Astaroth was still relatively docile, but that would change. I floated above the platform, a yellow glowing orb drifting an inch from my palm. "Are we ready for the third battle?"

I didn't wait for a response; instead I focused my magic on the orb. It darkened to orange, before becoming blood red.

Astaroth roared, and charged forward, whirling his axe in a massive arc that would have passed through Bass's face. The wrestler yelped, throwing his iron ball at his oncoming opponent. Astaroth slapped it aside, following up with a double-handed swing, smashing Bass with the flat of the blade. Despite his large mass, the wrestler was hurled across the ring, and he slowly peeled himself from the floor. He sidestepped Astaroth's next downswing, and moved away a decent distance before throwing the ball again. Astaroth blocked with the haft of his weapon, but he hit the chain, leaving the ball to swing around and smash into his skull. Bass took his chance, and leapt forwards, tackling the golem to the floor and raising the spike in his left hand triumphantly, ready to spear it into Astaroth's heart. But the golem was not done yet, head butting the wrestler. Bass stumbled back, dazed, and didn't even realise until he was staring at his own still standing corpse that Astaroth had just hacked off his head. The headless corpse dropped to its knees, and then fell over onto its back. Astaroth rumbled in victory, before dropping his foot onto Bass's lifeless head, spraying gore everywhere.

"That was quick," Helena commented.

"And bloody," Xianghua added.

Astaroth panned his vision around the collected fighters, and saw Maxi. I swore to myself, and just as Astaroth was about leap to an endless grave, I channelled by magic into the orb. Astaroth froze mid leap, and the orb changed colour, back to orange, back to yellow and finally back to soft white.

"Astaroth wins," I said, and he faded away, reappearing in the crowd. That was quick, although for all of his strength and size I never expected Bass to survive for very long against the golem that was Astaroth. But it mattered not. I dumped his corpse and head in a heap within an invisible levitating box, and then he disappeared. I had no wish to put up with him for any longer, so I opted to return him to his normal life. Funnily enough no one questioned my action.

"The next battle," I said, "Will be Hitomi vs Seung Mina!"

"Wait a minute," Heihachi yelled, "That's supposed to be second last! I'm supposed to fight next!"

"You will get your turn, Mr Mishima," I replied patiently, even though I could erase him from this realm with a simple thought. But I didn't want to. Not yet at least.