Fuse looked around and admired the new apartment his wife, Aiko, had selected. It was in one of the nicer downtown Memphis buildings, had a spacious patio, wonderful view of the city, and all of the usual staples of modern interior design.

Her father’s money had paid for the entirety of the condo, which shamed Fuse and his ability to provide the lifestyle Aiko wanted.

And tonight, it was eerily silent.

There were no sounds of the television playing, the glugging of wine from a bottle into a glass nor Aiko’s incessant complaining about Memphis.

Under any other circumstances, Fuse would feel relieved to have a break from all that. After all, Aiko’s father had trapped Fuse into a slavery of sorts; the young Japanese ace was forced to win matches and subsequently drive merchandise sales and sponsorship fees back to the Yakuza gang.

If Fuse didn’t perform well enough and deliver the revenue stream to the crime syndicate, he had no doubt his parents back in Japan would be in serious danger.

So, while there was some peaceful silence in his apartment, stressful thoughts shouted loudly between Fuse’s ears.

He bent over the cutting board on the kitchen counter and carefully sliced the raw fish with his janagiba, also known as a willow-blade knife that itamaes like him preferred.

Fuse’s expertise was hard earned. When he arrived in Memphis years ago, he had gotten a job washing dishes in a sushi restaurant, and while he climbed the ranks of Golden Pro Wrestling, he had also climbed the ranks of the restaurant’s itaba, or kitchen area.

Utilizing the same precision he displayed in the wrestling ring, Fuse pieced together the fish, vegetables, rice and seaweed before fluidly rolling it all together. Preparing sushi was cathartic for him, and if he needed to de-stress, it was now.

In Golden Pro Wrestling’s Season 6, it wasn’t just the pressure of the Yakuza anymore; Fuse had been targeted and hunted by the Draconian. The powerful being that Fuse was convinced was not of Earth.

At Gold Strike 29, Fuse watched while the Draconian’s soldiers grabbed hold of Aiko and beamed her away to their spaceship. His inability to stop them embarrassed Fuse, and while he had terrible confliction about his once-innocent childhood sweetheart; Aiko was the current bane of his existence, yet he knew she was his responsibility to protect.

And the Draconian had challenged that inner struggle, as such. The Draconian dared Fuse to come to his spaceship at the Season 6 finale, Blood And Bling, to rescue Aiko from a stasis pod.

And Fuse would not let himself back down.

The young Japanese ace sliced the sushi roll into pieces but just as he was about to plate it, a powerful knock rapped at his door. The unexpected noise surprised Fuse, and he fumbled the roll and watched disappointedly as the sushi fell haphazardly onto the plate.

Pausing for a moment to sigh, he wiped off his knife and left the food on the counter to answer the door.

Upon turning the doorknob, Fuse opened it and stood face-to-face with Aiko’s father, Daichi Tanaka.

“Fuse,” Daichi said sternly with a perturbed yet stoic demeanor.

“Mr. Tanaka, please come in,” Fuse immediately replied before bowing and gesturing with his arm for the guest to enter. Daichi coldly stepped past Fuse, and two other Japanese men in stylish suits followed the Yakuza crime boss.

Daichi and his associates entered the kitchen and took stock of the young Japanese wrestler’s living situation. Diachi then inspected the plate of poorly plated sushi with suspicious caution.

“So, young Fuse,” spoke Daichi while continuing to study the sushi. “My daughter is being held captive in outer space, and you are here at home making sushi?”

Fuse stepped forward and spoke with his head down.

“I am so very sorry, Mr. Tanaka. I failed to protect your daughter, but I will get her back at the Season 6 finale, Blood And Bling.”

The Yakuza crime boss looked back over at Fuse with a cold stare.

“Oh, yes, you will get my daughter back. My little Aiko is no pawn for your games of warfare. She is my daughter,” Daichi commanded while slamming his hand down on the countertop. The loose pieces of sushi jumped and rolled around from the vibration.

“Yes, Mr. Tanaka. I will not fail you.”

Aiko’s father took a step forward and leaned uncomfortably close toward Fuse’s face.

“Understand this, young Fuse. I don’t care about the Nissan sponsorship. I don’t care about the merchandise. If my daughter is harmed, I will bury you and your family. Do you understand?”

There was a pause while Daichi and his Yakuza associates waited for Fuse to reply.

“…of course, Mr. Tanaka,” the young Japanese ace replied. “I will save Aiko, on my family’s honor.”

The reassurance wasn’t enough to relieve Daichi, but the Yakuza crime boss decided his message had been sent. He motioned for his two associates to follow him to leave, but not before grabbing a piece of Fuse’s sushi and taking a bite.

Fuse watched while Aiko’s father walked toward the apartment door and ate the sushi without showing any sign of satisfaction.