Chapter Five – Friday Main Event
"Every rose has its battlefield."
Friday nights weren't like Wednesdays.
The System made that clear when the alert hit my vision the moment I opened my eyes:
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[Friday Night Main Event: Inaugural Broadcast]
Fan Expectation: High (Target Rating: A-)]
Match Card: 3 Matches + Closing Angle Required]
Warning: Eternal Wrestling Activity Detected]
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By the time I hit the locker room, the roster was buzzing. Titan tightened his gauntlets, determined to fight through the limp in his knee. Lilith leaned against the wall, crimson lips curling into a smirk. Jingles and Blob argued over who got to juggle the ring bells. Valora Prime stood silent, arms folded, judging everyone.
And me? I had to hold this chaos together long enough to survive the night.
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Opening Segment – My Promo
The crowd was molten. Friday night, primetime, the arena packed to the rafters. The chants hit me the second I stepped into the light.
"ROSE! ROSE! ROSE!"
Mixed with it—boos, jeers, Eternal Wrestling banners waving defiantly in the crowd.
I raised the mic, mask gleaming under the lights.
"You saw us fight Wednesday. You saw Titan bleed and still win. You saw Lilith prove why she's the Empress of Thorns. And tonight—" I let the chant build "—tonight we show Eternal Wrestling that the Garden isn't afraid to bloom under fire!"
The pop rattled the arena.
Then static cut across the titantron. A Shadow Envoy appeared, hooded, voice like a whisper.
"Every flower rots in shadow. Tonight, the first stem breaks."
The screen went black.
The fans exploded in boos. My jaw tightened. They wanted war? They'd get it.
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Match One – Pixie Riot vs. Iron Nurse
The lights went neon green as Pixie Riot skateboarded to the ring, wings flaring, middle fingers high. "ANARCHY!" she screamed, and the crowd loved it.
Iron Nurse followed, cold and clinical, barbed syringes in hand. The fans booed her mercilessly.
The match was wild—Pixie flying off the ropes with reckless flips, Iron Nurse punishing her with bone-snapping submissions.
"Tap or bleed," Nurse snarled, twisting Pixie's arm.
Pixie spat back, "Bite me!" before rolling into a cradle pin.
One! Two! Three!
The arena exploded.
Winner: Pixie Riot (Fan Rating: B+ for Energy)
Backstage, Nurse shoved past me, furious. "Keep that brat away from me."
Pixie only winked. "Nah, boss. Book me harder next time."
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Match Two – Revenant Knight vs. Rockabilly Rex
This was power versus flash.
Revenant Knight marched to the ring in crimson steel, sword slung over his back. The crowd went silent, awed by his presence.
Then the lights flipped blue, and Rockabilly Rex strutted out, pompadour high, guitar slung low. "Let's rock!" he shouted before strumming a thunderous riff.
The bell rang—Knight demolished him. Every swing, every slam, every glare was absolute. Rex tried to counter with a guitar-shot distraction, but Knight caught it mid-air and snapped it in half.
Moments later, Knight's finisher flattened Rex.
Winner: Revenant Knight (Fan Rating: A for Dominance)
He didn't even celebrate. He just turned, staring directly at me through the camera.
Loyalty or warning—I couldn't tell.
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Main Event – Titan & Lady Rose vs. Shadow Envoys
The System demanded a statement, so I booked myself into the fight.
Titan entered first, the crowd chanting his name. My entrance followed, smoke and crimson thorns rising as "Lady Rose" echoed through the arena.
Then the lights died. Static. Two Shadow Envoys appeared on stage, cloaked, faces hidden behind gleaming masks. The crowd booed, but the Envoys moved like ghosts.
The match was brutal. Titan threw thunder, slamming one Envoy into the mat with sheer force, but his knee buckled. I leapt from the ropes, landing my new signature—the spinning cutter, Thorn's Fate—and the fans roared.
But the Envoys fought dirty. Double-teams. Low blows. The referee nearly lost control.
At the climax, Titan staggered, Envoys circling. I tagged in, adrenaline burning. One Envoy lunged—kiss to the cheek, spin into the Kiss of Thorns cutter. The crowd exploded.
I covered. One! Two! Three!
Winners: Lady Rose & Titan (Fan Rating: A for Drama)
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Closing Angle
We barely had our arms raised when the titantron flared again.
The Envoys' leader appeared—taller, sharper, voice cutting like a blade.
"You think victory matters? This is only the first cut. Eternal Wrestling does not lose. Next week, we come for your crown."
The screen went dark.
The arena shook with boos and chants of "WE ARE THE GARDEN!"
I raised the mic, mask glinting.
"Then come take it."
The fans erupted, the System chimed:
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[Friday Main Event Complete – Rating: A-]
[Fan Count: +1,500]
[Rival Invasion Event Scheduled for Next Week]
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Backstage, Titan clasped my shoulder. "You're painting a target on your back."
I smiled beneath the mask. "Good. Let them aim."