Idols Reborn

[RingRose]

Kiyora Amatsu was no stranger to the backstage area of an arena. She had been in countless locker rooms and dressing areas across stadiums all throughout Japan, touring with her idol group in front of thousands of adoring fans. Normally, these spaces were filled with laughter and excitement, places where final touches were added to makeup and costumes, where she and her fellow members would giggle together as they prepared for the big show. Tonight, however, the atmosphere felt entirely different, and that was because it served an entirely different purpose. This was not a space meant to cater to entertainers and dancers, but to wrestlers and fighters. Fortunately for Kiyora, she was more than capable of being both.

Her entrance music blared through the stadium speakers, filling the arena and capturing the attention of thousands with a powerful rock ballad that commanded their focus. Spotlights immediately pierced through the darkness, converging at the apex of the ramp as the curtain began to stir. From behind it emerged none other than the disgraced idol herself, Kiyora Amatsu, clad in her regal rose-themed gear with a triumphant grin spread across her face and a microphone already in hand. She took a moment to admire the scene before her, bending slightly at the waist as she blew a kiss toward the audience, surveying what was now her stage.

Entrance Music

Kiyora Amatsu

Slowly, she brought the microphone to her lips, waiting for the instrumental to swell before seamlessly bursting into song. Her voice carried clearly across the arena, smooth and melodic as her body moved in perfect harmony with the music. Her hips swayed with practiced ease, each step down the ramp measured and deliberate, her frilled attire flowing and swirling with every motion. At first, the audience watched in confusion, unsure of what they were witnessing, but that uncertainty quickly gave way to excitement as the energy of the performance pulled them in. Cheers began to rise, and some fans even found themselves moving along with her, captivated by the unexpected return of the once disgraced idol to a new stage.

A few reached out eagerly, hands extended in hopes of receiving a high five or even the slightest acknowledgment. Kiyora paid them no mind. Without so much as a glance in their direction, she continued forward, completely absorbed in her performance as her voice remained at the forefront of the pounding drums and bass that accompanied her descent to the ring. She ascended the steel steps with the same grace she had displayed throughout her entrance and stepped through the ropes before making her way to the corner. Climbing onto the turnbuckle, she held the microphone with both hands as the music reached its peak, her expression composed and confident as she delivered the final lines of her song.

花になって ほらニヒルに笑って
Become a flower and smile cynically.
その顔にぞくぞくして目が離せない
I can't take my eyes off that face, it gives me chills.
味見して 君の毒は私の薬って
Taste it and say your poison is my medicine.
愛してあげるから 笑って
I'll love you, so smile

Her voice gradually softened as the final notes faded, her arm extending outward as rose petals began to descend from the rafters, gently falling and scattering across the ring beneath her. It was a lavish display befitting someone who had once stood at the very top of the idol world, and Kiyora made sure every detail reflected that former grandeur. As the last petals settled, she stepped down from the turnbuckle and made her way to the center of the ring, microphone still in hand, ready to finally address the crowd. A faint smile lingered on her lips as she slowly raised the microphone to her lips, her gaze drifting across the audience with quiet confidence.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Her voice was soft at first, almost warm, carrying the same polished charm that had once won over thousands. She took a slow step forward, turning slightly as she addressed different sides of the arena, as if reconnecting with an old crowd.

“I wonder how many of you remember me. How many of you watched me on the biggest stages… cheered for me, supported me, called me your favorite.” A small, knowing laugh escaped her as she tilted her head. “You were all so loud back then.” She paused, letting the thought hang for just a moment before her expression shifted ever so slightly, the warmth in her voice cooling as her smile sharpened.

“And then, just as quickly… you weren’t.” The arena stirred as her tone changed, and Kiyora let the reaction settle before continuing, her grip on the microphone tightening just a touch.

“But that’s fine. I don’t need your memory, and I certainly don’t need your support. Because while you were busy forgetting me, I was rebuilding myself.” Her posture straightened, her voice growing firmer with each word. “I trained. I endured. I pushed myself far beyond anything you ever saw when I stood on a stage and smiled for you.”

She glanced down briefly at the rose petals beneath her boots before looking back up, her expression now fully composed, fully certain.

“This… is my revival.”

A small murmur rolled through the crowd as she took another step forward, her presence commanding the space with ease. “I am no longer just an idol. I am no longer someone who exists to entertain you, to make you happy, to earn your approval.” Her lips curved into a faint, almost dismissive smile. “If anything, you should be grateful you get to witness what I’ve become.”

A few scattered boos began to rise now, and Kiyora did not shy away from them. If anything, she welcomed them, her eyes narrowing slightly as she continued.

“I have spent too long perfecting myself to stand in this ring with anyone who isn’t worthy of me.” Her voice sharpened, carrying clearly across the arena. “And after everything I’ve done to reach this point, I can say this with complete confidence…”

She paused, letting the silence build before finishing her thought. “There is no one back there who belongs in the same ring as me.” The boos grew louder now, the shift fully complete, and Kiyora let out a quiet, amused exhale as she adjusted her grip on the microphone.

“But I suppose I should give you all a chance to prove me wrong.” Her gaze shifted toward the stage, expectant, almost bored. “So consider this your invitation. Anyone in that locker room who thinks they are even remotely on my level… come out here and try to show me something worth my time.”

She lowered the microphone slightly, her expression calm, confident, and completely unbothered as she waited.

“We'll be right here.”

[BlackAkuma]

There were precious few hard rules in wrestling, Halloween had found. Most of everything they did was based on traditions and customs, especially in the lucha libre scene she’d come up in. There was no textbook you read on wrestling, no rulebook you studied and memorized. You learned by doing and being done unto. On the job experience. Nothing prepared you, nothing really could.

But, one of the hard rules Halloween had learned was that, if you’re in the arena while a show is going on, you need to wear your ring gear. You never know when you might be called for an impromptu matchup, and you had to be on call to compete or answer a challenge. Opportunities could come at any moment.

Good advice. Solid wisdom.

The one day Halloween forgot it was the one day it actually mattered. Of course.

”Lovers, pass me my boots!” Halloween was currently hopping around the gorilla position, struggling to put on her costume and not entirely caring that she was doing so in front of a room of people. A lot of uncomfortable glances were coming her way, but really, she didn’t understand why. This was LAW, naked people were running all over the place she had nothing they hadn't seen before. Hell, she had significantly less of what they were used to seeing.

”Incoming!” Lovers - who was suited up, because of course she was - tossed Halloween her boots…too high. Halloween had to stop shimmying into her hot pants, leap up, and snag them before they hit a poor stagehand in the head.

”Geez, Hanako, what the heck was that?” She gave an apologetic shake to the poor stagehand as he hurried away, then dipped down to slip into her shoes.

Lovers simply shrugged. ”My bad. You’re short.”

”You are, like, two inches-” Halloween cut herself off and continued to hurriedly slip into her clothing, as the newcomer continued to make herself known in the ring. Kiyora Amatsu - Halloween knew the bare bones of her story. Former idol, fell out of the game for some reason, slid into the wrestling game and fit like a glove, picked up a bit of a bad reputation. She didn't know for a fact what the woman wanted, but it was a fairly safe bet she was about to issue a challenge. That was what Halloween had done on her first night in LAW, after all. Made sense.

She was going to answer that call the moment it came, too. Assuming she could get her top tied in time.

Halloween struggled to tie the damned thing behind her back, but she was too jittery, too anxious, it wasn’t happening. She motioned for Hanako to help, just as Kiyora threw down her gauntlet, issuing an open challenge. ”Go time!” She waved her arms as Hanako scampered behind her and made quick job of tying it up. ”Comeoncomeoncome-”

”Got it!” Lovers finished up and gave her a quick pat on the butt. Gogogo!”

Halloween wentwentwent as fast as she could, rushing to the curtain so fast that she nearly beat her

[media]]

. With a microphone in hand, she sauntered through the curtains as the crowd cheered, and promptly started speaking. ”Chica. Chica, chica, chica. You come out here, first day on LAW and you…you…”

Why was the crowd snickering all of a sudden? What were they looking at like that for? Why-

Oh. Her top had come untied.

Halloween grimaced, looked down towards Kiyora and held up a finger. ”Un memento, por favor. Lovers?”

She didn’t fail to notice that her ex-girlfriend was snickering a bit herself as she came over to properly finish the job. After a few moments she had the top tied up properly, with what she assumed was a solid knot this. With that moment of embarrassment finished, Halloween coughed and brought her attention back to where it belonged.

”So.” She bounced up on her heels. ”I was walking in the back, when I heard the unmistakable call of an Annoying Bitch. Sure enough, I come out here, and there you are, talking about a bunch of stuff nobody and their mama cares about. Word of advice, Has-Been-Who-Never-Was? Next time, hit X and skip straight to the challenge. Save us all a minute of our lives.”

The audience gave her some mild applause as she made her way to the ring, with Lovers hanging back a few steps behind her. ”You might not be in the know, so introductions. This woman beside me who can’t tie a knot is the beautiful

. Wave, Lovers.”

Lovers waved and blew a kiss Kiyora’s way.

”And me? Your dance partner?” She slid into the ring, popped to her feet and swung her hips about as she leaned Kiyora’s way. ”The Scream Queen. The Little Nightmare. None other than la Dama de los Muertos. I’m

, and I’m here to drag you straight to hell, kicking and screaming.”

Like a predator ready to pounce, Halloween narrowed her eyes and bent her knees, just slightly as if she would pounce at any moment. ”You ready, chica?”