This wasn’t the world that was remembered. Not that it was remembered fondly, but it still had enough familiarity that occasional senses of complacency could be felt. Complacency amidst tragedy. One that won’t be shared or stated in this new time. Even with now centuries having gone by it felt too sudden. Too fresh. Maybe it was a good thing that Yūri was ripped away from the world. There was a lot to think about as far as this future was concerned, but for now there was a tether. Something of a mission to latch onto. One made following a physically bold declaration.

“That title is coming back with me.” Words softly spoken but filled with conviction. Knowing there wasn’t much time between now and that first encounter, Yūri felt something had to be stated so long after the action. “Such confidence makes one watching wonder if there’s some kind of secret attached or maybe something I know that all of you are unaware of.” A small chuckle left then. “I’ll keep the exact details to myself but you’re not wrong to let the collective mind wander.”

“Now something I will be transparent about is that I still don’t understand so much of what’s gone on, what is happening now, or why. One minute I’m in my time, dealing with business, and the next I awaken in a place and time so distant it’s surreal. The purpose of that move and whoever made it is still unknown. But what I do understand clearly is the purpose of battle. Even if that’s the sole reason it’s one that can be accepted. It’s all that makes sense to me in this world. All that matters for the time being. Perhaps it’s best this way…”

There was a small pause, Yūri looking away and letting out a soft throat clearing cough before continuing. “None of that now. That’s only going to lead the mind to dangerous places, and we can’t go back there. Not yet. So, no, there is no perhaps. Only this path. One that will find its true beginning with the defeat of Dangerous Dan and claiming the Paramount Championship.”

“I wasn’t saying those words just to say it or for shock value. I was deadly serious when exclaiming that you should’ve never made the challenge. You painted the crudest, widest target on your back and a dart board on your forehead. For what? To further feed the ego? To give your reign something to be remembered for? To be seen? Don’t you know that legacies all die eventually? There is no such thing as a main character, heroes or villains? There’s just flesh, bone, and blood. Blood that dries, bones that break, and flesh that’s consumed with the rest of you once you’ve been betrayed by yourself and you die. So all this grandiose stuff is unnecessary, all this bravado and war is unnecessary and I put an end to it when I end your reign.”

“I’m sure you’ll go on and ramble, give this reason and that about why you’ll prevail or how you earned this so you’ll never let it go but even you know deep down what you’re doing isn’t worth the trouble. This world is ruined, it will never be fixed and it’s always been that way. All that can be done is wake up, work and move on to what’s next. The quicker that penetrates your thick skull the better off you’ll be. Who knows, maybe after this match you’ll thank me for clearing that mental fog you’ve created for yourself up. Even if you don’t it doesn’t matter to me. I’ll simply be continuing on my way, bag slightly heavier.”

That was it for the show. Small light was off and the heavy sigh finally left Yūri. “This is probably for the best. There was no hope before and the confirmation of this in the future just makes the decision made back then painfully realized as correct. I just wonder if there was a way or if the place you got to rest remained intact. I wouldn’t visit. I don’t have that right, but it would still be good to know. Maybe I’ll use this opportunity to obtain that information at some point, at least learn a little before I get what I deserve. What I was owed back then.”

Eyes drifted back over to a relic, a long broken vanity. It brought about a smirk, then a snicker. “I hope you can bring that hurt. Grant that sense of closure. I really, really do. You have the potential but need to clear all that other stupidity out before the chance can become reality. But you’ll probably be nothing more than another disappointment. Lost to me. Lost to that place.”

Yūri’s gaze lowered again, a slight tilt to the left as if lazily staring someone’s way with everything but the eyes. “We’ve certainly come a long way from being naïve children looking forward to escaping that old life, haven’t we?” There was no other person in the room. Only what lingers.

The blur began from there.