Pathetic. Disgraceful. Weak.

Proving Ground: Pathetic. Disgraceful. Weak.

06.12.21 Flight to Osaka, Japan

*Black Friday's Mall Mayhem. Something that seemed to be a real nuisance to Arata, turned into an opportunity that he had been looking for all the time. Namely, title shot against Ozymandias, and finally they were about to face one on one. Without the participation of other useless idiots who would spoil everything once again. However, it didn't change the fact that the Japanese man was still disgusted with the ridiculously stupid match, that he had to participate in. As much as the reward itself was satisfying, his sense of morality suffered from it. But Arata didn't intend to think about it for too long. After all, the way he got his opportunity didn't really matter. Especially since he did it according to the rules prevailing during the Mall Mayhem. Therefore, no one could say that he did not deserve this chance, and if they did, they were just jealous. Simple conclusion from the behavior of the weaklings, who weren't able to do what he did. However, every human is a part of society, so they care about the way people talk about them. Well, Arata has always been different. Since he was a young boy, he rejected the will to have admiration from his surroundings. Mainly, because the only thing he got from his peers was hostility. Hence, these feelings have remained with him to this day, and you can even say that they have evolved. At that point, he didn't care in the slightest if people thought that he was good or bad. He wasn't going to get his mind busy with such ridiculous things as if the others believed that he deserved something or not. Mainly, because the voice of the people who talked the most, wasn't even valuable. These were people whom Arata considered useless and without any future. They were not stars, they were masses, who wanted to be unique. And one of such failures was Tara Fenix, who didn't want to leave him alone lately. Though, the man felt from the beginning that this woman was interested in him as a potential opponent. The thing is, he never felt the same. The young Japanese man never thought it was a worthy challenge for him, but a waste of time. While, the blue haired competitors always seemed to look forward to facing him one day. At the end of the day, she got what she wanted.*

*With a few more days until the next episode of Proving Ground, Arata decided to return to his hometown for a while. During the flight to Japan, he was obviously accompanied by Yin, who was very talkative that day. Tired of listening to this nonsense, Arata put on his earphones and went to sleep. With his one open eye, he could still see that the young girl hadn't shut up. But he finally closed his eyes, and to his surprise, he fell asleep rather quickly.*

*When Arata woke up, he didn't know how much time had passed. The man slowly rubbed his eyes and sat up. However, he did not expect what he saw a few seconds after waking up. He was not on the plane, but in a place that looked like a royal chamber. He moved away the golden sheets, pulled on a black shirt lying next to him, and left the room. At first he was moving down the richly decorated corridor, passing people who were bowing to him.Seeing all these faces Arata had the impression that he had met them for the first time in his life. Finally, one of the Japanese people, wearing a black two-piece set, stopped him and led him to a place where someone important was to wait for him. When the man entered the room, he saw a throne standing in the middle. What was more important, a young girl with gray-blue hair was sitting on the steps next to that object. The beautiful woman was dressed in a long red and gold robe with flowers on the ends. The lady smiled when she noticed him. Arata knew who it was, but still did not understand what he was doing here.*

"What am I doing here?"

*The woman got up from the steps and walked towards him. Before her delicate tone of voice echoed around the room, she put her hand on Arata's shoulder.*

"It's not only AJP, who have inherited cool powers. Don't worry, Dad, I'll tell you everything in a moment."

*Arata raised an eyebrow, still surprised by the whole situation. Seeing Rin saying nothing more, he asked another question.*

"So you can manipulate time, right? At least that is what AJP can do."

"Not exactly. As you can see, my abilities also include time traveling, but I would say that I manipulate dreams. Theoretically, you are still sleeping in the airplane seat. However, that was the only way I could meet you. After all, there is an important time ahead of you, and the little me from your presence would not be a very useful support."

*The first time Arata saw his daughter's adult form was when AJP used his god-given abilities to show him the future. Back then, this trip had a completely different purpose, but it was also an opportunity for him to see how his children grew up. However, he did not think they would want to contact him like this.*

"How do you know about all of this?"

"Well, I have my own ways of keeping track of what's going on. Besides, these brats, Izaya and Hayata, keep bothering me and keep asking about you. I think we may have too much interest in your past."

"Why? Theoretically, you know what happened. Your future has an advantage over my present."

*The woman nodded gently. Then she added something from herself.*

"Yes, and unfortunately I can't tell you what happened. But I still think it was worth talking to you. I'm curious how you felt at that time. You were the leader of the upcoming revolution, at the same time working also for your own benefit. The archives won't tell me what you thought back then. So why don't we talk?"

*Arata and his daughter sat down on the steps near the throne. He just nodded at her request, so Rin immediately asked the first question.

"How do you feel that you will finally be challenging for the Grand Championship under conditions that suit you?"

*The man shrugged and brushed off the strands of blonde hair that fell over his eyes. There was not much excitement in the tone of his voice.*

"How do I feel? Normal. What feeling should accompany me? After all, it's just another title shot, one of many championships that will be placed around my waist. All I can say is that, I'm glad that in the end, it will be a matter between me and Ozymandias. Especially that last time too many people wanted to be a part of it and you know how it ended."

*The Japanese man sighed heavily in irritation. It still pissed him off how many people tried to get attention at his expense.*

"I know, I know. Although, this time you will also probably not avoid people who want to be in your spotlight at all costs. All those gaijins really had no shame at that time. However, if I were you, I would not care too much about the situation. This woman is not on your level. She just has an ego that is definitely too big, but it doesn't match her abilities. She is not a person that can bring you trouble, Dad. Even though it's not a difficult task, I know you are not a fan. It's rather a chore for you than an actual match. You never liked to waste time, and that woman is nothing more than that."

"I believe that you meant this whole Tara Fenix? Well, I am not too concerned about this match with her. I don't know what's in her head, but looking at her behavior, she probably thinks it's some kind of a dream match. Well, only for her, because I personally feel bored with the thought of standing in the ring with such mediocrity. But as you mentioned, her ego is pushed to the moon, because she won some worthless cup. A cup she won by beating even more mediocrity. I don't know if it is a reason to be proud of, but apparently some are heavily lacking ambition. To be honest, it makes my interest even lower. It is going to be a quick match."

"I thought you would say that. You have no idea how happy I am that you are such a confident man, because that's the kind of person who created a better world. So what I want to say is that...Never change, Dad."

*After these words, Arata and Rin talked for a while, and finally the girl sent him back. On the one hand, this time-space-breaking seemed crazy. On the other, he liked to observe the world he created, because he knew that all his sacrifices were not in vain. Above all, he was aware that his decisions and lifestyle were right.*

06.12.21 Flight to Osaka, Japan - Later that day

*When the man opened his eyes this time, he pulled his body up quickly. He wanted to know if it was another dream or maybe reality. When Arata saw Yin sitting next to him, he could certainly tell that he was on the plane again. A girl wearing a white fur blouse and black jeans was glad that he finally woke up. She immediately put a notebook with some notes on his lap. Arata looked first at the pages, and then at her, waiting for any information, but she said nothing. After a moment of silence, she finally tapped his forehead with her finger and spoke up.*

"Someone probably still hasn't woken up...Go on. Read it. I've prepared some notes for the match at the next Proving Ground."

*Arata just removed her hand, which she was still holding against his forehead, and grunted under his breath.*

"You could have just said what it was." The man looked at the small pile of papers "It's not a lot, is it?"

"Well, Tara Fenix, despite her alleged veteran label, is not a very well-known figure. It seems that her high self-esteem has nothing to do with her popularity and career overall. Well, who would have expected..."

*The last words the girl uttered sarcastically, rolling her eyes. But moments later, she added something else, as Arata began flipping through the notes.*

"I am actually surprised that she even thinks her place is in the ring. Unfortunately, the truth is that even if her mind does, her body can't keep up with it. I don't mean that she's short or small, because I am too. The thing is that she lacks the right muscle mass, which you don't even need to have a lot. But it is important for your general condition and form. As I have noticed after her previous matches, when the bout is getting longer, her stamina is quickly dropping. So she'll probably want to end it as fast as possible. The thing is, she can't do it with you, so how she loses this clash is up to her. There are three options. First, you will murder her within seconds. Second. At some point she will come to terms with her weakness and you will generously end it. Or her stubbornness and willingness to survive will make her tired to death. In short, you have an advantage over her not only in strength, but endurance, which is more important. Not to mention the fact that, despite the difference of time between the two of you in being active in the wrestling industry, you have bigger experience. This is evident not only in your successes over the last 2.5 years, but above all, in your in-ring intelligence."

*Arata just sighed and then returned notes to Yin. He turned towards her to answer what he had just heard.*

"You didn't tell me anything new, because I already know it all. But I respect your perceptiveness. Good job or something. The thing is, people don't even need to know the details like this to understand that this is a one-sided match. They don't need to have more than 2 IQ to be aware of the fact that I'm so much better than this egomaniac. It won't be changed even if she tries so hard. It won't be changed by a series of silly provocative tweets. Tara Fenix ​​is ​​not close to my level and it will take her another twenty years in the industry to even get closer to my abilities. The gulf between us is too big and she can't do anything about it. Unfortunately, she's delusional enough that she can't see it. She's stupid enough to think we're playing in the same league, and most of all she makes the mistake of believing that her place is in Grand Championship picture."

"This industry is full of such people, and we all know it, Arata-Sama. We all know that most of them lack individuality. We perfectly understand that they want to be unique at all cost, although they are no different from the average. The desire to be special grows even bigger when they meet a real superstar. This is not the first time you make others act like that. It is not the first time that jealous hearts of mediocrity have followed you even to the end of the world to feel special in your spotlight. However, this kind of greed was always ending the same way. It ended with humiliation. In this case, this dirty gaijin should also be given a lesson of humility. Show her where she belongs, Arata-Sama."

*Arata smiled gently and raised an eyebrow. Then, in a confident tone of voice, he uttered his last words to her during that flight.*

"That was the plan."

08.12.21 Osaka, Japan

*Two days later, Arata decided it was time to break the silence on his part. Although he didn't feel like talking about a match that was so insignificant for him, he agreed that this girl would probably not leave him alone. After all, someone with such a big ego could not cope with the disinterest of his opponent. Arata had seen such situations before, and it always amazed him how these pitiful people need the attention of others. It always amused him how angry they were that someone didn't care about them. Therefore, for his peace of mind, the Japanese man set the camera in front of him and sat down on the wooden floor of his dojo. However, he was convinced that what he was going to say would not make his so-called opponent anyway.*

*At the very beginning of the recording, the camera immediately catches the man, who is sitting in the cross-legged position. Arata is dressed in nothing, but black samurai pants, while a haori of the same color is covering his shoulders. The Japanese man taps the wood gently with his finger, then looks at the camera. From the tone of his voice, you can tell that this whole message is more of a sad and irritating duty than just a desire to make a statement. It was mainly because he knew that he didn't have to, since he had won the match before it even started.*

The world is full of fools. The world is full of naive morons destroyed by the overrated phenomenon of chasing the dreams. Dreams that are nothing more than an illusion created by weaklings, so that they can feel, at least for a moment, that they can achieve what they want. The thing is, most of them will never do it anyway. Their desires will forever remain only a figment of their imaginations. Even so, they will still be fed on the false hope that it will be different someday. They will lie to themselves that hard work will help them catch up with those who are far ahead in the race for their dreams. The thing is, it's not that simple. If everyone could get what they want, the concept of success would not have the right to exist. While it is reserved for a few people who are above average. However, these people do not see their development as a dreams coming true. Such people view it as realistic goals that can be achieved. To put it simple. What for others is an unreachable dream, for them it is something they can get, if only because they have such a whim. What's important, the line between these two sides is thick and usually impossible to cross. Even so, society still loves writing all these Cinderella stories. Crowds of mediocre people love to see another failure overcome all odds and become someone extraordinary. Which is certainly easy to do in fiction, but we live in reality. Here, no matter how much you want to do this, you can't turn the waste of space into a superstar. It seems to be obvious, doesn't it? Unfortunately, some people do not understand it and using this overused scheme of chasing dreams, they destroy themselves from the inside. Why is this the case, one may ask? Because even the greatest optimist will break down at some point, when they realize that some things are simply unattainable. The point is, realizing the reality mostly happens too late and the damage done by it cannot be undone. So what is left for us then? Take pity on this pathetic man, devastated by his own stupidity and blindness. Such a fate awaits anyone who is not intelligent enough to determine where they belong.

*Arata runs his fingers through strands of blonde hair, while resting his right hand on the floor behind him. In this way moving his body weight to the back.*

The thing is, this industry is full of people, who don't understand their position in the hierarchy. The funniest thing is, those are usually those who are the weakest link. Most of the strong ones are able to understand their situation. Whereas the other group still has some fucking complex of being a legend, while they aren't even an important part of the show. Let alone the whole industry. A perfect example of such a person is this self-righteous idiot, Tara Fenix.

*The man snorts in irritation after saying his opponent's name, that he will face at the upcoming Proving Ground. However, he quickly calms down and returns to his speech.*

Don't get me wrong, woman. I don't know how you treat this situation between the two of us, but for me this match is nothing personal. For me, this is not something that would be accompanied by any feelings. Are you irritating me? Yes, but it still doesn't make you interesting enough to get my full attention. You are not worthy of me feeling any emotions related to this match at all. Because the truth is, this bout doesn't matter anyway. In fact, it probably wouldn't have happened if you hadn't started barking on social media and provoking an argument. Mainly, because Indy Darling knows you are not on my level, but he booked this match only because it was good for marketing at the time. However, I am sure you don't care, because you've been waiting for it for a long time. For many weeks you have been watching me non-stop, and even trying to be friendly towards me. Whereas I could never return it. More importantly, I didn't want to. Apart from my personal approach towards gaijins, I just don't like being surrounded by useless people. I hate to waste my time on opponents who are not a challenge for me. And you're not demanding in any way, Tara. Although, it's obvious that you don't understand it. After our little conversation on Twitter, I get the feeling that you believe that I have such an approach only because I underestimate you. However, this is not the point. I am simply intelligent enough to see certain things. I can make good judgments about people and things around me. I don't believe in such pathetic movements as deliberately making the opponent feel worthless just for my benefit. Even if I say unpleasant things, it's only because I'm being truthful. Well, I was never good at lying, even though the things I said hurt others. That is why, I preferred to be considered a mean person than a two-faced one. At the same time, I was not afraid to receive the same from others, as long as their words had any confirmation. That's why, I would like to get an answer to a question. Aren't you terrified of hearing the truth? Are you ready to find out what I really think about you? Because I personally think you are so blinded by yourself, that your ego will never let you understand that you are not that special at all. I have the impression that you will never get to the point of realizing that you are mediocre, and just because you got into the wrestling industry does not make you a legend. Even if you've been there for a long time, this label of veteran doesn't mean shit. Because no matter how long you do something, it is not equal to you being good at it. I've always thought it was obvious, but it's nothing new that people are idiots.

*Arata bites his bottom lip for a few moments, which is quickly replaced by a mischievous smile. His tone of voice got a bit more harsh with the next words.*

Seeing where you are after so many years, I can surely say that the time you spent in this industry was wasted. You really don't have to search much to confirm it. I don't even have to look further than Project Honor, because in this very place you can find an example of how pathetic your development over the years has been. To begin with...There is one thing we should think about. Should someone with so many years in the business be stacked at the very bottom of the card? Should anyone with allegedly huge experience be only close to the worst championship in the company? We all know, the title you take pride in was created only, so that jobbers could also win something. Since they are not on the level of real competition, so are you. Funnily enough, you couldn't keep even this belt for more than seven days.It is fukcing pathetic. You haven't been able to do even one defense. And you call yourself a champion? Don't be ridiculous. But let's move on. Apart from you being proud of that pathetic reign for some reason, just because you won something, let's explain one more thing. How do you want to deal with people of a much higher standard? How the fuck do you want to keep something as valuable as the Grand Championship for longer than a minute? The answer is simple. You can't, because you're too weak to even be a good champion with a low card belt. So it is an obvious sign that there is no place for you in the main event scene. You may be wondering why I'm talking about this, because I've already noticed you don't understand. But let me tell you something important. Being a champion isn't just about winning the title, but most of all keeping it. If you can't do it, you never deserved to be champion. That is why, if I were you, I would shut the fuck up and not flex on social media with something so unambitious. Apart from the fact that it did not impress me, because I would never look for such a low-quality title, it honestly amuses me that you do not have a bit of shame. Because your Warrior Rising reign is not something to be proud of, but to be disgraced. But what can I expect from someone who is happy with just getting anything? As you can see, Tara, there is a huge difference between us here. I pay attention to quality. I care if people remember me as an undisputed champion. Mainly, because I don't want to be just another name on a long list. While five minutes of fame are apparently enough for you. Listen. With this approach you will never become who you want to be so much. You'll never be the legend you claim to be. Especially since, you're standing in front of a guy who has achieved more in 2.5 years than you in 20 years. We can clearly see who is closer to the legend status.

That's why, you can still consider yourself a self-proclaimed queen, and me a stupid kid who doesn't know how this business works. However, I understand it much better than you do. Not to mention, I have more rights to be the royalty of wrestling than you ever had. In my case, these are not just empty words, but achievements that allow me to hold my head so high. You will never reach such a spot.

*The man takes a short break to change his position. He pulls one of his knees closer to his chest, placing one foot on the ground.*

I realize how much you care about it, Tara, but it's not about what you want. If you don't present a certain standard, neither words nor some worthless cup will change it. So if I were you, I wouldn't consider this piece of cheap metal a game changing factor. Especially since, that during this whole tournament there was no one who could be considered actual competition. What is funny, everyone except you can see it. Everyone around realizes that it was a mistake to even organize it, because it gave false hope to such a delusional person like you. That silly little cup made you feel like you had a chance for something better and bigger. The point is, you don't have a chance at anything except a low card belt, and at the upcoming Proving Ground you will find out what the main event competition looks like. You will see what it means to stand in the ring with a high quality opponent.

You could say that you stole a win against Mark Hunter after a silly roll up. However, let's face it. No matter how much this company would love Mark, we all know that he was a wreck of a man for a long time. There is nothing to be proud of, in overcoming someone who is not even close to their true level. So you were lucky then. Although, maybe not entirely. Maybe if Mark Hunter kicked your ass then you would have known where your place is. But it looks like I get the dirty job as usual.

*Arata laughs again, but after that he moves on to the last part of his speech.*

You may feel that my approach towards you is wrong. You can believe that my arrogance will cost me this victory. The thing is, it has always been my best motivation. Arrogance and ambition have always been what led me to victory. Because apart from my noble reasons I kept talking about for months, there is also one quite selfish. I hate to lose. I am over-ambitious to the point that it just keeps me awake all night, when I don't do my best. And, as long as it is a pain in the ass, it has also brought me great success. That is why, I can boldly say that during all these years in the industry, you never met a man like me. Even more surely I can add that after the next Proving Ground you will regret that you even met someone like me.

Whether you like it or not, I'll show you how long the road is ahead of you, so that you can think about being part of the main event scene.