Season 16, Week 1
Shigeo
(Star Ocean: The Second Story)
 
THE MOST VOCAL OF GOD'S TEN WISE MEN HAS WAITED MANY SEASONS TO FINALLY MAKE HIS DEBUT. WHILE NOT THE STRONGEST MEMBER OF THAT POWERFUL GROUP, SHIGEO NEVERTHELESS HAS THE UPPER HAND AGAINST THE STATUS-RELIANT ZIDANE. IF ALL CREATION MAY NOT BE CONQUERED, THE GENOME'S DESTRUCTION MUST SUFFICE. WITH HIS GOOD SPEED AND DURABILITY, THE WISEMAN WILL EASILY OUTLAST HIS OPPONENT'S PATHETIC ATTACKS AND ADVANCE TO THE SECOND ROUND, PROVING THAT THOSE OF WEAK WILL ARE MEANT ONLY TO BE ANNIHILATED.

V

S

With the Ultima Weapon in his hand and confidence in his heart, the brash Genome is ready for his opening match. Often written off as a one-trick status fighter, Zidane doesn't want to waste this chance to outslug a boss. His physical can quickly chip away at the unimpressive Wiseman, and Shigeo's laughable damage leaves Zidane ample opportunity to demonstrate that Soul Blade isn't the only ability to his name. Best of all, the caps-abusing Wiseman may be disliked enough for the unpopular thief to actually receive applause for this victory.


Dark Holy Elf
Zidane was distressed. He had waited sixteen seasons, and he finally got a match... against a boss. Everyone said he was useless against bosses. Everyone was going to rejoice at his loss. Sales of "Go Shigeo!" banners had risen by a factor of one thousand over the last week. Heck, even Steiner had been seen waving one proudly.

Zidane wasn't going to lose so easily. His desire to show everyone up provoked a rare flash of both brains and work ethic by the Genome. He locked himself up in the DL library, looking for all the information he could on the Wise Men...

Eventually, he found what he needed. A report by Precis Neumann entitled "Experiments with the Algol"...

---

The crowd cheered. The starting bell rang. Zidane faced his opponent, holding one particular carefully-chosen thief sword at his side. The Genome stood motionless, eyes half closed. Ready to strike. Shigeo simply bellowed a laugh. "FOOLISH MORTAL. YOU ARE POWERLESS BEFORE ONE OF GOD'S TEN WISE MEN."

"Even one as weak as you!" came a call from the audience.

"EVEN ONE AS WEAK AS ME!" Shigeo agreed. Even he was amused by the situation. Zidane was not amused. He felt no emotion at all, as he concentrated, waiting for an opening.

"AND NOW, LET US BEGIN THE SLAUGHTER. INFRINGEMENT!"

As Shigeo began his trademark attack, Zidane suddenly sprang to life. He held his double-bladed weapon high, drawing out its energy with all his will. "Soul Blade!" he cried. His words hung in the air as the attack struck the Wise Man.

And turned him to stone.

The crowd was stunned. Mouths hung open. "Impossible!" "How did he...?" "I thought the Wise Men's weakness to petrify was but a myth!"

So stunning was this revelation that it took the audience several seconds to notice something else that had happened, this one only slightly less surprising than the last.

Infringement had inflicted Stone on the first attempt. And Shigeo's attack had landed first.

Shigeo: 30
Zidane Tribal: 29

Jo ou Ranbu
Zidane vs. Shigeo: a match that will aglomerate the whole stock of rotten vegetables and fruit in the world into a gigantic ammo bait against the two. And it still may not be enough to quench all the hate.