Richard Biggs: Welcome, to the second After Dark this month, as for Halloween season we get one After Dark a week. Now, Littles, why don't you tell us the rules?

Littles: So, there will be ten fighters entering one by one. It will start with two fighters, and every 90 seconds a new fighter will enter. The only way to win is to throw the other nine fighters over the top ropes, with both feet hitting the floor.

Number one arrived.

A bear charged in down the lane, and jumped over the ropes to land in the middle of the ring, shaking the structure under his weight. He stood and roared to the crowd.

Audience: Let's go fatass, let's go! Let's go fatass, let's go!"

2, Arson ran out into the ring. He stared at Berand and at the 90 second timer. He had to win this game to be the inaugural Darkest Champion. After all, with that training session with Inari, he was sure to win.

Conserving his energy, now that he'd made a flashy entrance, the bear faced the cat, laying claim to the entire center of the arena as his territory.

The timer ran down as Arson ran at Berand. He jumped up for a drop kick onto Berand's chest. Berand staggered backwards from the surprising force. But as he leaned against the ropes, he propelled himself forward to clothesline Arson, flipping him over.

Richard Littles: Berand just turned him inside out.

Richard Biggs: Just like a fast food dinner.

Berand, who had eaten the fast food dinner, picked the small cat up and threw him into the audience like a baseball player with a foul. Tethys, in the audience, grabbed the cat and spiked him.

Sixty seconds later, the mega screen showed lots of fireflies as Mosor, the fox wolf, ran in. She was quicker than Arson. As Berand stared at her, she jumped high enough to land a paw on his forehead, and both dropped.

Richard Biggs: The Firefly Slam she calls that.

Berand rolled over onto Mosor. Mosor gasped as air leaked from her lungs, but she was able to quickly push him off. As she tried to uncollapse her lungs, she rolled out of the ring, underneath the bottom ropes to prevent disqualification.

Berand didn't follow Mosor, and instead fixated on the ramp. Mosor was a good sport, just, not that good, and she hated getting mauled.

And buzzer sounded, as Reich walked in. The fox ran into the ring, electricity already armoring him.

Rearing back up on his hind legs again, Berand roared to make it clear that the ring belonged to him.

Reich wasn't much of a coward, unless it concerned Swillow, then yeah, he was a major coward. Reich charged at Berand, and hit him in the stomach with shocking power. Literally shocking. As Reich landed on his feet, all of a sudden, a Mosor jumped onto his head and shoulders, smashing him to the floor.

Mosor bit down on Reich's nape and tried to throw him out as if he were a naughty kid. But Reich grabbed on the top rope. Mosor went over to rip Reich's hands off... The rope. But Reich sling shot over the ropes, grabbed Mosor's neck, and both spun around.

Richard Biggs: Oh, tornado DDT!

Mosor crowned on top of her head. As Mosor tried standing up, Reich went for several slaps to her chest before Mosor slapped him back. Berand's muscles stopped convulsing from the shocks, and as he stood up, Mosor gave them both a mule kick in their jaws.

But all that did was make Berand angry, as any bear would be when kicked in the head. Berand lunged into Mosor and smashed her into Reich and both tumbled over.

A new fighter came down. Kyofi, the hyena wolf, and half sister of Mosor.

Richard Biggs: Ring is sure filling up fast.

Kyofi was easily over 200 pounds, and she jiggled as she ran up to the ring. But her first order of business was face Berand. Berand dropped to all fours. Against someone his own size, he'd need the leverage he usually forwent in favor of increased intimidation.

Kyofi butted her shoulder against his, and leaned forward as she tried to gain leverage to push him back. The sheer chonk barreling into him caught Berand by surprise. Usually his opponents in this ring tried to do fancy things, and he was sent back into the ropes. Dropping lower, the bear adjusts his weight, and pushes back.

Kyofi wrapped her arms around his waist, now standing over him. Kyofi lifted him up, and piledrivered him into the ring. Berand was embedded into the center of the mat, legs waving uselessly in the air. For the moment, he was a non-issue.

Reich and Mosor would stare the other down. As Reich ran at Mosor, she slapped him across the face, before throwing him up into the air. As he fell, she did the mule kick to the head again.

Mosor tried to wrestle Reich down, but a blast of lightning sent her into Kyofi. And then...

A yellow wolf coyote ran in, the third member of the ice cream pack. Vanos. He ran in, and unleashed a melee of mule kicks. Reich, Berand, and Kyofi in that order. Despite Kyofi being family, they were still rivals to some extent.

But Mosor told her older cousin, "What are you doing?"

"She's still part of this, and I am going to be the next champion."

"You can't just kick your cousin, my sister, in the head!"

"Just go along with it."

"I'm not gonna go along with it."

Richard Biggs: Dropping eyes on the prize.

Reich realized he was able to take advantage of the distraction. He jumped in the air at Vanos and Mosor. Only to get double mule kicked out of the air. Kyofi ran up to Vanos, but Vanos jumped over her. Then Mosor jumped atop Kyofi's back and off, and crashed her shoulders onto Reich.

Three seconds left, and then...

"Dark days are up ahead and in my mind..."

Leroy strolled out to the ring. Vanos was about to throw Reich out, but Reich sent enough lightning to knock away the three Ice Cream Pack members.

Vanos stood up, but Leroy jumped down and diamondcuttered him. Reich stared at Leroy, and Leroy stared at Berand. Three versus three... Reich and Leroy tried pulling Berand out.

The bear's head popped out of the floor, and he struggled against the two holding him.

And so Leroy said, "Woah, slow down buddy." He pointed at the three ice cream pack members. The Ice Cream Pack stared them down, Vanos against Reich, Mosor against Leroy, and Kyofi against Berand. And then came the charge of the Ice Cream Brigade.

For round two, Berand wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. Instead of going bulk against bulk, he'd use bulk against bulk, with momentum. Like a shock trooper, he charged into Kyofi. Both Kyofi and Mosor fell over, with thuds. Leroy grabbed Mosor's neck, turned her around for a swinging neckbreaker.

Richard Biggs: Like a vulture, that Leroy sure is taking advantage of a good situation.

Reich jumped over Vanos, but Vanos twisted at the ropes, and ran straight at Reich with propulsion. Reich jumped up again, and Vanos ran went into Berand.

Richard Biggs: Bodies in that ring, bodies just about to pile up.

And all of a sudden, Ahmond was running in. Final Ice Cream Pack member, a wolf coyote, but way smaller than Vanos since she was still just a kid. Well, teenager. But a young teenager.

Paying attention to the yellow wolf that kicked him, the bear went for the hug. A grab around the entire body, pinning the arms at the victim's side, which would put them entirely at the holder's mercy.

Kyofi hit Berand in the stomach with her head to force him to release Vanos. Which was important as Leroy was about to get the pack's biggest move.

Mosor jumped on Vanos and Kyofi's backs, as Ahmond jumped on her. The two bottom wolves ran into Leroy, and ran him over. Leroy flipped onto his back, and blinked at the lights, trying to remember what came after three.

Meanwhile Ahmond and Mosor jumped up and frog splashed Leroy, making him spit and gasps. He thrashed on the ground, trying to forgo the almost one ton of pain.

Richard Biggs: Well, he just got deflated.

Vanos grabbed Leroy and threw him over. But Leroy clung on the ring apron by his claws.

Reich turned to face Ahmond, smallest to smallest.

Meanwhile, Berand had three wolves to fear.

Outnumbered, but never outflanked, the barbarian roared defiance at the wolves circling him. With a quick spin, he pounced at the largest threat, biting down on the hyena wolf's shoulder, then clamping down harder.

Kyofi growled as Berand tried to rip her apart. But Mosor jumped on Kyofi's back, and reached up to slap him across the face. Bear that he was, Berand ignored Mosor's slap. Some jockey with face kicks wasn't as important as a worthy opponent. What he would do was push Kyofi upward to unbalance her, and start biting down on the other shoulder.

Kyofi growled at more shoulder biting. She tried to bite into his shoulder to return the pain.

Meanwhile, Reich ran at Ahmond. But Ahmond met him with a head butt, making his nose bleed.

And last few seconds on clock before... "WHOOP!"

Harper-Jay ran down to the ring. She went after Ahmond, bit down on her, and threw her halfway across the ring. "Watch it," Vanos said as he ran up to her. Ahmond was his little sister after all. Both stared the other down.

Vanos and Harper-Jay squared off. Reich and Harper ran at Vanos. So Vanos dropped to the ground and both tripped over him. As they laid on their backs, Vanos grabbed Reich and threw him over finally. But Harper pushed up on Vanos and threw him out of the ring as well.

All of a sudden there was a pause.

Richard Biggs: We're at the last person...

"5

4

3

2

1..."

Ask not for whom the bell tolls

They toll for you..."

Rexcelsis came out and roared.

Berand dropped his food. HERE was a worthy opponent.

"And rather I'd be slain

Then pass over the rain

Of blood they shed so well

White eyes staring at hell..."

Rexcelsis sauntered to the ring, as Kyofi stared. Leroy hopped back into the ring.

Sidling up to the center of the ring, Berand prepared to face Rexcelsis. He stood to his full height, and roared defiance.

Rexcelsis would not be able to fit into the ring... Rex stared down and realized the problem of joining the battle royale... Oh well, he was last person in. So he just swung his tail. And everyone scrambled to grab the tail.

And they grabbed the tail...

"Holy Shit! Holy Shit! Holy Shit!"

And all suplexed the titan over the ring and onto the other side.

"We did it!" Harper said. But who could get up after all that...

Well Leroy of course because he wasn't helping!

As Mosor was about to stand, Leroy slapped her legs out from under her with his tail. He grabbed her by the neck, and tried to lift her up on his shoulders. Then he did a toss so she'd go outside the ring.

Richard Biggs: We're on our last five now, and are we surprised it's not Rexcelsis.

Now that all the cards were on the table, Berand could start using all that energy he'd been conserving. Ahmond was the smallest, so that was who he rolled over to launch out of the ring.

Kyofi jumped in front of Ahmond's way, and grappled Berand so she could suplex him, belly to belly. Ahmond only just missed getting hit by Berand, but Leroy ran at Ahmond too. However, Ahmond did learn something from her big brother, and mule kicked Leroy in the face. As he stumbled back, Harper-Jay caught him, and threw him over the top rope. Leroy has been eliminated from the game.

This was the final straw, Berand had been stopped in his tracks too many times! With a burst of rage, he transformed into his ultimate form, that of a bear! With his new bear strength, he rolled forward from his suplexed position, picked up Kyofi from her prone position, lifting her into the air, and reverse suplexed her right back.

Kyofi crashed onto the mat. Harper threw Ahmond between the ropes, and ran to Berand. She prepared to bite into his ankle, to snap it, for the blood lust of the hyena kicking in.

Standing his ground, the bear shifted imperceptibly, then clasped his paws together and slammed down on the hyena aiming toward his feet.

Harper screamed as her spine almost snapped. Kyofi bit down on Harper's neck, and gave Berand a nod. He returned and grabbed Harper's leg. Both swung Harper over the ropes.

Harper fell with a ceremonious thud as she was eliminated. Too bad Berand could not count because Ahmond and Kyofi both pushed on Berand and tried to lift him over the ring ropes.

With a roar of outrage, Berand fired a death beam out of his right eye at Kyofi for her betrayal.

Kyofi gasped as she was struck. Ahmond's eyes widened as she stared down the bear. She giggled nervously.

Berand loomed over the smaller creature, and placed a paw on either shoulder.

Then he picked Ahmond up by those shoulders.

Turning around, he gently placed the teenager on the ground outside the ring.

Since the ring was, like, six feet up, she more or less gently fell on her butt, but still.

With a roar of absolute rage, Berand flew into a frenzy and charged into Kyofi.

Kyofi roared and ran at Berand. Third exchange of power, and who would win? But Kyofi's legs gave out underneath her.

Empowered by rage, the frenzy of nature itself, and the raw power of bear, Berand vaulted over the collapsed wolf, grabbed her by the waist, and threw her backward in a reverse german suplex out of the ring.

Kyofi flew and out the ring she went.

Richard Biggs: Well what do you know, the first one in is the last one out.

JAC walked down with the black and gold belt. As he got into the ring, he would stare Berand down. He opened his mouth, and said a few words: "Honor code."

All of a sudden he slammed Leroy's face in with the belt. Leroy was about to run up behind Berand to attack him. Well, crisis averted.

"Dishonor code," JAC said before he used the metal part to hit Berand in the face.

Biting down on the belt, Berand held the metal still, and fired a death beam at JAC.

JAC backed up from the blast, but hit the ropes and was able to bounce forward with a Lancelotus spear. JAC didn't stay down, but rolled back up, and said, "I'm going after that belt next!"

Only for someone to turn JAC around. Kyofi. "Nah, my turn first." And she mule kicked him in the face. But then Ahmond came up behind Kyofi. "Nah, my turn first!" But, er, Kyofi was way bigger. Only for Leroy to diamondcutter both to the ground, and then he stared at Rexcelsis.

And his theme played.

"Dark days are up ahead and in my mind

Evil is gonna try to catch us blind.

My life is just up down, up down,

Stuck between choices: A, B, A, B-"

"Ask not for whom the bell tolls

They tolls for you..."