Day 6: A Killer Technique and a Chilly Ring

A killer finisher, huh... I love the sound of that. It has its own unique flavor, even different than a Noble Phantasm.

I'll admit, I was a little jealous whenever I saw the others double-teaming us...

？！

So I welcome this challenge! I'll endure any training it takes to learn our own killer finisher, no matter how harsh!

I mean, I might have a little difficulty with being trapped and abandoned in an illusory garden, or other trials of mental fortitude...

...but I'm great at physical obstacles, like climbing out of deep pits! I'm a lot tougher than I look!

Don't worry! I think this will probably play more to your strengths, yes!

We'll use these big trees I just pulled out of the ground as training dummies.

Think of the trees' roots as your opponent's feet, and their branches as arms.

Got it!

So the idea is to float the dummies down the river, and land the move on them when they go down the waterfall.

Very well. I'll take care of that part of your training.

Muchas gracias. Now, as far as actually developing this move goes...

I see... So we need to land the move on the dummy, all without succumbing to the waterfall's intense pressure.

And not only that, we have to do so at exactly the same time...

Okay, let's do it! We may not have much time, but I'll do whatever it takes to make sure this new move is ready by our next match!

？！

Thank you, Fujimaru!

Fou fou!

I can feel all your expectations riding on me. Fujimaru, our dependable trainer-slash-manager... Lord Fou... Mash... Coach Martha...

Well, don't worry, everyone. "Give up" just isn't in my vocabulary!

Oof. This is...harder than I thought... (Huff, huff)

？！

Thanks, Fujimaru. I'm all set now!

Estás bien, Bradaman?

I'm fine! What about you? You must be at least as tired as me!

I could do this all day, yes! Our timing is getting better as we go, so let's keep training!

Took the words right out of my mouth! Just keep them coming!

Here comes the next training dummy!

There you are, meow.

Guess who has to keep officiating the tournament even though she lost her own match? Yup. This cat here.

Anyway, your next match is about to start, so hurry it up and

？！

This is the last one! Here goes!

Uno, dos, tres... Olé!

...King Charlemagne! Please, let this be the one where all our hard work pays off...!

Whoa! What was that!?

Th-that was...!

Fou! Fou, fooou!

？！

It's still a long way from perfect, but we did finally see a glimpse of what it will eventually become.

Phew. I'd say that was muy buena, considering how little time we had. Now, if we can just pull it off in the ring...

Don't worry! I'm good at coming through when it really counts!

Now come on! It's finally time for the semifinal!

Damn... That move of theirs was really something else.

I honestly didn't think the kinda stuffy Chaldea team would be able to beat their next opponent...

...but meow I'm wondering if we might just possibly see an upset...

Fochoo! ...Fo, fou...

It looks like it's snowing a lot harder there right now. Are you guys gonna be okay?

It's almost like it's gotten colder to demonstrate how harsh this match will be...

Don't worry. No snowstorm can extinguish the fires of justice that burn within the hearts of true and just knights! Besides

It looks like we're up against a couple of particularly large luchadors, yes.

Large? You are wrong there. If anything, you should be honored that I deigned to make myself so small.

...(Nod)

？！

We have come from the freezing lands of Russia to dominate this tiny ring.

I could squash you where you stand, but in my infinite generosity, I choose not to. You will have to forgive me for the blizzard; that, I could not leave behind.

Regardless, now that I am here, you have but three tasks: count your blessings, bow your heads before me in fear, and place your shoulders on the mat until the count of three!

That's...Ivan the Terrible! He's as big as they come! I never expected to see him here...!

Do not be so surprised.

This battle's victor will gain the power to make Christmas eternaland with it, bring winter everlasting.

Thus, if Santa Claus is the ruler of endless winterthe universal symbol of ice and snow...

...then I, the tsar, am the rightful Santa!

...!?

Fo!?

As such, the answer is clear. The true tsar is the one who should possess the true power of Santa Claus.

It must have been a lot of work, finding a golem to be your partner! Was there no one big enough for the job?

Sí, one of the best parts of lucha is facing opponents with ring names like "El Grande" and "El Gigante"!

But bigger is not always better, no!

A foolish notion. You think my partner a mere golem?

...Mammoth Tusk!

Huh!? Why did he stab the golem with that huge tusk!? Did they have a falling-out before we got here?

...Heh. It seems you aren't familiar with masked wrestlers wearing more than just one mask.

Wh-what are you talking about?

I encased my body in this icy form on our way here because it was SO GODDAMN HOT!!!

？！

Ivan and I aren't exactly on great terms, but we decided to put aside our differences just for this tournament.

I too heartily agree that the Russian tsars are the rightful heirs to Santa Claus's throne.

And since our interests align, here we are. Sure, his eyes are kind of...okay, very scary, but I can deal with them.

And so, history's two strongest tsars came together to form a dream team to achieve their mutual goal!

Oh, and we don't answer to Black Quetzal Mask. We're one of the Four Heavenly Kings because we're just that strong.

Just to be clear.

In my Russia, we need not concern ourselves with who shall be the reindeer. That role will go to Old Man FrostDed Moroz.

Anastasia could have been Snegurochka, the snow maiden, of course, but

That would have been a bit on the nose, especially since I'm already very similar to her in general.

They don't seem like the most well-coordinated team, but their noble demeanor belies tremendous confidence.

They would probably even give Charlemagne a good run. We definitely can't let our guard down around them.

Do not underestimate us, knight of old France. Viy is here with me, and the imperial family has long been proficient in the art of self-defense.

Besides, I'm actually stronger than I look. My strength may only be rank E, but there are any number of ways to make up for that.

Why don't we go ahead and show them what I mean, Your Terribleness!

Very well!

Huh!? It looks like...Anastasia is wearing Ivan the Terrible like an upside down backpack...!?

This move demonstrates our glory and shows the world what tsars are made of!

Try this on for size. This is our invincible move...

Mammoth Tusk Train!

Dios mío! Get out of the way, yes!

Aah!

So you dodged it. Good. The match is no fun if you can't put up a decent fight.

That speed... They must be using wintery magecraft that lets them remove the friction from their feet, yes!

That would mean they're basically ice-skating around. Pretty clever.

So that's how they charged at us so quickly.

I'm guessing they're also using magecraft to help the girl carry the big guy on her back...

But then again, Stolfo sometimes pulls off feats of Monstrous Strength even in that skinny body of his...

...so maybe she's just really strong, regardless of what her Strength rank might be.

Hey, I haven't even rung the bell yet! Ah well! You've already started, so can't stop it now!

In the red corner, representing Russia, we have The Tsar Missioners! And in the blue corner, representing Chaldea, we have the Quetzal Sisters!

Now, let the first match of the semifinals...begiiin!

They're still so fast! I thought they'd be at least a little slower now, but they just keep going, yes!

And not only that... Ngh!

Just look how hard they hit, even when they barely touch us...!

Their sheer mass is incredible. Colliding with them feels like getting hit by a train!

And trust me, that hurts like hell! I mean, I'm pushing through the pain, but still!

Heh. You make an astute observation.

My size and strength do not merely come from the power of the tundra, but of the entire earth. I am the Great Tsar after all...

Enemy though you may be, I must commend your judgment, and your shapely rear end, young wrestler. Come see me after the match, and I will gladly shake your hand!

...I would love to throw the "Great Tsar" off this pyramid now, but I will refrain. Now is the time to endure.

I am willing to endure any humiliation for the sake of mischiefahem, victory. I've even tried listening to rock music lately, though I can't say I understand the appeal.

My point is...you may be dodging our attack now, but you can't keep that up forever.

The Mammoth Tusk Train has no brakes.

I'll spare you the actual calculations, but the force of our charge exceeds ten million tsarpower.

At best, you two have no more than one million tsarpower each. Numbers don't lie. You have no chance of winning.

(I don't think that's a real unit of measurement...!)

Hmm. So far, we've been able to dodge by keeping to the samba beat...but that's only going to run us ragged, yes.

No... No, I refuse to accept defeat! I'm not going to lose now!

Even if they are stronger than us...we can more than make up for it with sheer willpower!

My willpower has gotten me through all sorts of tight spots before. My faith in justice...in my king...has always been rewarded.

There's no reason this time should be any different! As long as we stay focused and keep on fighting, I'm sure we'll find a way to win in the end!

Your fortitude is both admirable...and pitiful.

No matter the willpower an ant demonstrates, it can never threaten a mammoth. It will always and only ever be an ant.

Mammoth Tusk Train!

Ghh! I won't let you win...I refuse to give up now! I can't afford to lose after coming this far!

Let's do it, Quetzal Mask!

...Are you sure? We may have started to get the hang of it in our training, but it's still far from complete.

It's usually not a good idea to use moves like that in circumstances this dire...

Maybe so, but it's our only chance of winning!

...I can see how serious you are about this. Okay, let's do it, yes!

Hm? What are they up to...?

Quetzal Mask put her hands together, and Bradamante is on top of them like she's getting ready to jump...

I knew it! They're getting ready to execute the new move they've been practicing!

I am both the foundation and the launchpad! First I jump with all my might...

...then I throw you, as a present, with all my gift-giving power!

Then I jump at the same time as hard as I can, turning myself into an arrow!

My magical shield becomes the arrowhead. This is a very elaborate sort of shield bash, really!

Granted, I feel like I may have already been doing something similar up till now without realizing it...

...but this time, I'm going to focus on converting all my shield's defensive power to offense!

This move is a combination of Quetzal Mask's present drop...

...and Bradamante's shield-based charge attack!

Try our new move... Bouclier Present Drop, yes!

Montjoie! Gooo!

Ridiculous. A tsar never shows their back to an enemy. I forbid you to dodge, Anastasia.

I know. It doesn't matter what sort of attack they try. Nothing they do can surpass our ten million tsarpower.

We will crush them head-on!

Mammoth Tusk Train!!!

？！

(I can tell that their move is still incomplete. I can already see how this will play out...!)

(I'm fully aware the odds are stacked against us! So if I'm going to perfect this move...it has to be now!)

(How can I push it farther!? What else can I do to make it more powerful!?)

(...I've got it!)

Quetzal Mask has passed her power on to me! If you add hers to mine, that gives me two million power!

And since I'm jumping with twice as much force as usual, that's two times two million, giving me four million power!

Then, if I spin with three times the force, that's a total of twelve million powerenough to surpass you two!

Well, if we leave the odd math aside, this is amazing! Her body is glowing like an arrow of light!

As a shield-wielder myself, I think I might just be witnessing a legend in the making...!

？！

Fo... Fooou!?

Everyone is sprawled out in the ring! Even Quetzal Mask, who used up all her strength for the throw!

Who's going to stand up first...?

Nnn... Viy's eyelids are...so long... Ahh, it's like...the stars are spinning... So...rocking...

Anastasia is down for the count! That just leaves

...!

Impressive... You have managed to give even this tsar of the icy tundra chills. Such insolence is unprecedented in all of history. You should be proud of your accomplishment, criminal though it is.

Your move was fearsome indeed. But alas, it lacked polish. Had you perfected it, you may well have defeated me...but instead, you only succeeded at breaking one of my tusks...

N-nnn...

To reward your prowess, I will end you myself. It will be as though you are enclosed in Russian mountains.

On the count of three, you will fall deeply asleep, and your long hibernation will begin...

Aah! He's about to fall on top of her! Wake up, Bradamante! Wake up!!!

The only one taking a nap here is you!

Gah! My eyes!

I knew you had to have eyes somewhere in that huge head of yours!

Allow me to explain my ultimate move.

It's not a move I like to use, since it doesn't exactly cast me in the best light...but never mind that! I call it...

Playing possum!

Fou!?

N-now that I think of it...I think I did read something about this in one of the legends of Charlemagne...

That's right. This is the same move I used during my battle with the evil sorcerer, Atlante.

But that's not important right now! What IS important is that this is as far as you go, Ivan the Terrible!

Impossible! I am the tsar! I am meant to be the victor!

Montjoie! I did it!

Congratulations! Now that you defeated those fearsome opponents, you're officially moving on to the finals!

？！

Fou, fou fooou!

Wow, even I never expected we'd have to rely on our barely completed new move to get through that match!

It's like I told you: I have a knack for coming through when it really counts!

Boy, it's a good thing that other Santa came to give us advice. Otherwise, we'd never have come up with that move.

I wonder...maybe she was actually Lord Merlin in disguise?

Preeetty sure that's not the case...

Anyway, it goes to show that knights who walk the path of righteousness receive just the advice they need!

As long as we believe our path is right, and keep on fighting no matter what, I'm sure we'll win the next match, too!

Still...your final opponent is definitely going to be her, right?

That's true, yes. We'll be up against the other Quetzalcoatl...another me with her own divinity.

Since she is the side of me that is devoted to battle, she's bound to have quite the advantage over us in terms of raw power, yes.

Don't forget that the first time we fought, she overwhelmed me with strength alone...

Yes. The same thing happened to me when I went up against her.

...But that doesn't matter!

We've both grown a lot over the course of this Santa Tag Team Tournament. And now we know we have got ourselves a new move as well!

There's no way we can lose!

Entendida, yes! There's not a luchadora in the world who steps into the ring expecting to lose, no!

It's wonderful you're so fired up about this. What more could I want.

Still...I have to wonder about her partner.

Given that this is a tag team tournament, Black Quetzal Mask must have a partner of her own.

Right. While it's possible her partner is only there to fill the team quota, we should expect them to be quite a powerful force unto themselves.

Assuming this partner is a capable Servant, I can't help but wonder what sort of person they are.

I suppose it is a little unnerving that we have no information about them whatsoever.

I've been looking into the earlier matches, and her partner has never so much as set foot in the ring.

They must have kept their cloak on while Black Quetzal Mask won the matches by herself.

She might be having her partner save her strength...or could there be another reason we don't yet know...

...Well, if we don't know who this mysterious partner is, there's no point in prying any further.

Besides, a moment ago, we didn't even know she had a partner. Now we do! That's all we need to know, yes!

If this partner does not fight in the final, then we will have a clear advantage! And if they do show up, we can always try to take them out first!

That makes sense, given that these are tag team matches.

But anyway, even if we do only have one last match, our task is unchanged!

Train hard, and make sure we're in good condition for tomorrow! Oh, and make sure we perfect that new move of ours too!

？！

Oh, right...

Since this will be our last match, that means this will also be the last chance I get to practice with you, Fujimaru.

I can already tell I'm going to miss this time when it's over...

But I'm getting ahead of myself. We still have a big match to win first, don't we!

And I'm sure I'll be able to devote myself to training, knowing you've got my back!

Hehehe. So, the day has almost arrived.

The day this festivalthis tournamentmust come to an end...so that I can stay true to myself.

Although...

...Hehehe. Don't worry, you still won't be going out there.

Though you will be on the sidelines for this match as well, know that the reasons will be quite different.

Up till now, I have kept you on the sidelines simply because I didn't need your help to win.

But this next match will be different. Given who our opponents are...

...your stepping into the ring would obliterate any chance they have of winning.

This is the final, after all. We can't have it ending too quickly.

If you do get a turn, it will only be at the very end, to fully break their spirit. And when the match is over...

...that count of three will mark the birth of the true Santa Claus, and the beginning of Christmas everlasting...

Hehehe. Mwahahaha. Mwaaahahahaha...!