Chapter Text
Ganondorf hated being seen as a bad joke or a weakling. After the humiliating defeat he suffered at the hands of Steve two months ago, he had been trying every possible way to regain a bit of dignity. Fighting wasn’t enough at this point—especially when so many people outside the mansion, the ones who analyzed stats for every Smash fighter, claimed he was one of the worst contenders in the tournament.
So he had to earn the respect of the fighters and the public in another way, something beyond just throwing punches and winning matches—because that was something everyone in the mansion could do. No, he needed to show dominance, to be unbeatable at something, no matter how simple it might seem…
And luckily, he found it.
Right now, in the mansion’s living room, Ganondorf was facing off against Bowser… in an arm-wrestling match. Yup, a good old-fashioned arm wrestling contest seemed to be restoring the Demon King’s dignity, as Bowser was just one of many heavyweights he had defeated so far. Aside from the King of the Koopas, he’d also beaten Donkey Kong, Captain Falcon, Little Mac, Ryu, Ken, Ridley, King K. Rool, Incineroar, Terry, and Kazuya.
And after nearly a full minute of struggling, Ganondorf came out victorious again when Bowser’s arm slammed into the table, prompting a wave of frustrated grumbles from the others who had already been defeated.
"Dammit!" Bowser shouted as he lost.
"Heh. Did you really think you could beat me, oh mighty Bowser?" said the Demon King with a mocking grin.
Bowser growled as he rubbed his arm, visibly irritated but not denying the loss.
"Tsk! I don’t know what the hell you’ve been doing lately, Ganondorf, but you're becoming a goddamn wall," he muttered, standing up as the others in the room murmured among themselves.
Incineroar, still with a towel around his neck and sweat dripping from his recent loss, crossed his arms with a mix of respect and annoyance, muttering something that sounded like "Roar..." though no one could tell what it actually meant. Beside him, Ken huffed in frustration.
"I spent years training for these muscles, always aiming to win, and even I couldn’t deal with that arm. I’m starting to think you’re using dark magic for these duels..."
"Magic?" Ganondorf let out a deep, triumphant laugh as he crossed his arms. "I don’t need cheap spells to prove my superiority. This, dear failures… is pure strength, discipline, and an absurd amount of free time."
He glanced sideways at Steve, who was calmly sitting in a corner, silently enchanting a sword.
Several in the room noticed there was something more behind that glance… a spark of unresolved resentment.
"And what about you, block-head?" Ganondorf said, raising his voice and pointing a thick finger at him. "Not going to try your luck, or are you just hiding behind your blocks like last time?"
Steve placed a sign on the ground without pausing his enchanting, which read, "I don’t have knees or shoulders, genius. I literally can’t compete."
"Sounds like you’re scared," the Demon King replied with a mocking smile.
Steve changed the text on the sign and held it up again. "I have nothing to prove that I haven’t already."
"Hmph. Suit yourself," Ganondorf said proudly. "Either way, no one here can beat me."
"Oh, is that what you think?" King K. Rool smirked. "Because while none of us might be able to, what about everyone else? I’m sure someone has to knock you down a peg sooner or later."
"Sure, like Yoshi is going to beat me," the Gerudo man laughed mockingly.
"Underestimating your opponent will lead to your defeat sooner or later, Ganondorf," said Ryu, arms crossed and eyes closed. "But if you wish to stand by your word, then challenge everyone else, and we’ll see how invincible you really are."
Ganondorf let out a low but menacing chuckle.
"One day someone’s going to break that composure of yours, Ryu… but you have a point. Very well, so be it: bring in the whole mansion! Let’s see who can last the longest without suffering a humiliating defeat."
Bowser grinned at that and immediately pulled out his phone, typing quickly and sending a message to the mansion’s group chat.
"This is going to be glorious..."
About 20 minutes later, the others began arriving at the living room to see if anyone could finally take down Ganondorf. Bowser was even filming everything because he knew that sooner or later, Ganondorf had to lose. Behind him, Donkey Kong was setting up a board with stickers of the other fighters' faces in the "Losers" section, with only Ganondorf sitting in the "Winners" column.
They decided to go by tournament order, so the first on the list was Mario. The plumber confidently stepped up to the table, sat across from Ganondorf, and grabbed his hand as tightly as he could. Once Ken gave the countdown, Mario’s arm instantly hit the table, losing the match. It also seemed to leave his arm sore—though thankfully not broken.
Next up was Link, as silent as ever as he sat down and offered his hand to Ganondorf. The Demon King smiled at seeing the Hylian, gripping his hand tightly. Link stifled a grunt, clearly not expecting such a firm grip, but didn’t waver. Ken counted down again, and at “three,” both started to wrestle. Compared to the others Ganondorf had already defeated—maybe except Bowser—he was genuinely impressed by how strong Link actually was. Link held his ground for a solid 40 seconds without weakening, but eventually Ganondorf pushed harder, and once again came out victorious.
The next challenger was Samus, who first tried her luck without her Varia Suit. Like Link, she held on for a solid 40 seconds before her arm hit the table. However, she technically counted as two fighters—Samus and Zero Suit Samus. So after losing as the latter, she tapped her left shoulder twice to equip her Varia Suit and made a second attempt. She lasted 2 minutes, and came very close to defeating Ganondorf… but the Demon King came back and beat her all the same.
Next was Dark Samus. Unlike her counterpart, she didn’t waste time on strategies or calculations. She sat down with a defiant motion, her visor glowing with an intense azure light. Ganondorf locked fists with her, both of them letting out barely audible growls… and the match began. Dark Samus didn’t last as long as the Varia version, but still surprised everyone by holding on for 1 minute and 12 seconds before her arm gave out with a crackling electric spark.
Then came Yoshi. No one was betting much on the green dinosaur… until he showed up with a black headband and a serious gaze like that of an ancient warrior. Yoshi gave a determined cry, sat down, and placed his little paw on the table. Ganondorf raised an eyebrow but accepted the challenge. The arm wrestling match began… and lasted 15 seconds. Yoshi let out a small squeaky noise of defeat when his arm was slammed down onto the table.
"You deserve credit for trying, lizard," Ganondorf said, mockingly wiping his forehead.
Next came Kirby. Since his hand was so small, he literally had to stand on the table to be at Ganondorf’s level. In the end, however, Kirby ended up bouncing all over the room when Ganondorf slammed him against the table, landing on Ridley’s head, who growled in annoyance.
Fox went next. With the professionalism of a commander, he took off his gloves and got ready without saying a word. He lasted 33 seconds. After losing, he simply stood up and said:
"I still hold the record for fastest reflexes in the tournament. This changes nothing."
Then came Pikachu.
"Huh? How is he gonna...?"
"Pika," said the mouse Pokémon, placing his tail down instead of his hand like that would somehow work.
Ganondorf played along anyway. The result? Let’s just say poor Pikachu now had to visit Dr. Mario to get that tail bandaged.
Luigi approached nervously. "D-Do you think we could do this... with the left hand?" he asked, trembling.
"Whatever you want, weakling," Ganondorf growled.
Even using his non-dominant hand, Ganondorf defeated him in under 10 seconds. Luigi crawled away murmuring "mamamia" under his breath.
Next up was Ness. The psychic kid signaled with his bat before sitting down. Although he tried to subtly use his psychic powers, Ganondorf held firm and won, cracking Ness’s knuckles in the process.
"You can head to the crybaby corner too," said the Demon King as Ness walked away rubbing his arm.
Jigglypuff was next. Ganondorf didn’t even adjust his seat. Upon grabbing her fluffy little hand, she began to sing... but Ganondorf resisted the sleepiness. A second later, her tiny arm was slammed against the table.
"Music doesn’t work here!" Ganondorf declared as she rolled off the table, fast asleep.
Then came Peach and Daisy.
"Oh, this is going to be adorable," K. Rool muttered, amused.
Peach tried with grace and a sweet smile, lasting only 8 seconds before letting out a squeal.
"Ow! That hurt!"
Daisy, however, wasn’t so gentle. "You’d better be ready, big guy!"
But in the end, it was all talk. She was defeated in 35 seconds. Still, she managed to impress Ganondorf a little, who hadn’t expected that from her.
Popo and Nana, the Ice Climbers, tried to cheat: they both climbed onto the table together.
"Two against one isn’t fair!" Ken shouted.
"Shhh!" Popo whispered. "Just hold on tight..."
Ganondorf stared at them, then grabbed one of their hands... and with little effort, slammed both of them onto the table at once.
"Nothing surprises me anymore," Zelda said from the back.
Sheik was next. Fast, stealthy, efficient. Her technique was flawless, but her raw strength just wasn’t enough. She lasted 27 seconds. So Zelda followed, sitting across from Ganondorf with composure. The Demon King could feel Link’s murderous glare from afar—maybe as a warning in case he tried to hurt her—but he didn’t care.
"If you surrender now, I might consider inviting you for tea," Zelda said with a diplomatic smile.
Ganondorf just grunted. In the end, she lasted nearly a minute... and after losing, she stood up with dignity.
"Then I’ll have the tea all to myself."
Next to compete was Dr. Mario, who had the same result as Mario: the moment "3" was called, his arm hit the table. Luckily, he didn’t seem to feel anything and stood up with both hands in the pockets of his coat like nothing had happened.
Laughter filled the room before Pichu even touched the table when it was his turn. He offered his tail just like Pikachu had. He lasted 2 seconds, electrocuted himself, and was launched into the ceiling light. From up there, he shouted with a buzzing voice:
"Pichu!" which probably meant "Totally worth it!"
Ganondorf sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "That was stupid..."
Falco was next. With his feathers slicked back and his usual arrogant demeanor, he sat down across from Ganondorf, cracking his neck audibly.
"I’m gonna tear off your wing, chicken," Ganondorf mocked.
"You’re still bitter just because I beat you in aerial speed, old man."
They took their positions. The arm-wrestle lasted 20 seconds. After losing, Falco just clicked his beak and walked away saying, "This is rigged."
Then came Marth. The prince of Altea sat down with a serene expression and placed his hand with royal grace, as if it were a ceremonial rite.
The match was closer than expected: 1 minute and 8 seconds. Marth held on, sweating, his arm trembling... until he finally gave in.
"Impressive... but not invincible," he murmured as he got up.
Lucina arrived right after.
"I’ve trained my whole life to live up to the heroes of the past," she said firmly as she sat. "Today, that means teaching you a lesson in humility."
Ganondorf smiled with amusement at the determination in her eyes. When it began, Lucina’s strength surprised many... especially because she held on for a full minute and a half, causing Ganondorf to actually start sweating. But with one last push, he defeated her.
Lucina stood, breathing heavily... but steady. "You won’t escape defeat that easily... my father is still left."
And as if on cue, the next one was Young Link. The young Hero of Time sat across from Ganondorf and offered his hand. Contrary to what many expected, Ganondorf looked at him with something close to respect—maybe because he knew the boy before him was only a child in body, but an adult in mind and soul. He took his hand firmly, and after the countdown, they wrestled. Young Link lasted a full minute, but Ganondorf still defeated him.
"Hmph... not bad at all, kid," Ganondorf said—miraculously not in a mocking tone—and Young Link... gave a small smile back before standing and walking off.
He did, however, rotate his arm a little from the soreness.
Then came Mewtwo. He didn’t need to sit; he simply floated to the table and extended his hand, showing no emotion.
"You’re powerful, but this is physics, not mental magic," Ganondorf warned.
The match lasted longer than expected... and for a moment, Ganondorf felt his arm bending from invisible forces.
"Hey! No psychic powers!" King K. Rool shouted.
Mewtwo simply turned his head... and let go. Ganondorf won by forfeit.
"I have nothing to prove to any of you," said the Pokémon as he teleported out of the room.
Roy entered with the energy of a young warrior chasing glory.
"Come on! Let’s go! I’m gonna beat him!" he shouted as he sat down.
The match lasted 45 seconds. Roy trembled like jelly before losing.
"...At least I tried," he said, sliding off the table.
Chrom came next.
"It’s time to settle the debt my daughter couldn’t," he said, rolling his shoulders.
From the back, Lucina nodded proudly.
Ganondorf didn’t underestimate Chrom—and for good reason. It was one of the most intense matches yet: they lasted nearly three full minutes. The crowd was cheering, Peach even fanned Chrom with a handheld fan!
But in the end... Chrom’s arm crashed into the table.
Lucina brought a hand to her mouth. Chrom laughed, breathing hard.
"You’ve got strength, monster. But you’re not taking my charisma crown."
Ganondorf just snorted. Mr. Game & Watch was next.
"How’s he even gonna do this?" Luigi asked.
The flat character sat silently... and his arm stretched out like rubber. He grabbed Ganondorf’s and started the match. It was awkward. The metallic clink clink clink sound was unsettling. It lasted 15 seconds before his arm was crushed like paper against the table.
"I don’t understand what just happened," said Daisy.
"Don’t try to," Samus replied.
Now, Meta Knight slid into the seat. Without saying a word, he placed his small but firm arm on the table. The match was swift. Ganondorf beat him in 11 seconds.
"Too much hiding behind that cape to have real muscles," he mocked.
Pit appeared with a smile. "I’ve beaten gods before! I can handle this!"
Ganondorf only responded with a stare. In the end, Pit lasted only 30 seconds. He left without a word, but silently let anime-style tears fall as he rubbed his arm.
Dark Pit sat down in silence, and Ganondorf defeated him in 27 seconds.
"...At least yell something," said Ganondorf as the dark angel walked away with a hateful glare.
Wario was next. He let out a fart before sitting down.
"You’re dead, big guy," he said with a greasy grin.
Ganondorf lasted a bit longer than expected, mostly from the disgust of touching him, but won in the end. Wario got up saying, "I wasn’t even in shape! Give me a week without garlic!"
Then came Snake, who pulled out a box and sat on it.
"This time it’s personal."
They started the arm wrestling… and Snake tried using smoke as a distraction. It didn’t work. He lost after 50 seconds.
"Should’ve brought the Metal Gear," he muttered, walking away with a miserable look.
Ike followed. Ganondorf looked at him with a hint of respect. The match was wild: tense muscles, shaking arms, roars. They lasted a full four minutes. In the end, Ganondorf barely came out on top, panting.
"...You're the first to make me actually sweat," he admitted.
Ike just nodded and walked away silently. Then came Leaf and her Pokémon, but none had any luck. Leaf held on for barely 10 seconds; Squirtle used his tail like Pikachu and Pichu before, but lasted only 4 seconds; and Ivysaur tried forming a vine-whip arm, which was defeated in 20 seconds. Fortunately, Charizard lasted a solid 2 minutes, but still lost—and Leaf had to force him back into the Poké Ball before he nearly incinerated Ganondorf.
Next up was Diddy Kong, who could only last 10 seconds and was sure he heard a crack. Lucas came after, trying to use his psychic powers just like Ness had before, but lost after 30 seconds. Still, his psychic strength had more of an effect on Ganondorf than Ness’s did.
When it was Sonic’s turn, he pulled something from his quills and handed it to Dr. Mario.
"What’s this?" asked the doctor, taking the paper.
"My health insurance," Sonic replied, walking toward the table. "I’m walking out of this without an arm for sure."
Sonic sat across from Ganondorf and offered his arm. When Ken counted down, both began to wrestle. To Ganondorf’s surprise, Sonic was stronger than he looked—especially with arms that seemed like sticks. Yet, he managed to fight for two and a half minutes, but in the end, a loud crack sealed his fate. Sonic froze at the table, raising his defeated arm with the other, only for it to drop back onto the table.
Outwardly, he seemed indifferent. Inwardly, he was screaming in pain. And yet, he could only say one thing before walking away:
"...Ouch..."
King Dedede followed. He approached with confident steps, his hammer bouncing with every move. He sat down with a proud chuckle, pulling off his fat gloves. Ganondorf looked at him with a degree of respect. The penguin king might look silly, but his strength was no joke.
The table creaked.
Both wrestlers struggled for two minutes and forty-five seconds. In the end, Ganondorf won... but his arm visibly trembled. Dedede walked off grumbling, his hat tilted sideways.
Olimar came next. He climbed onto a box with help from his Pikmin. He tried forming a hand made of red Pikmin, but one of them fainted from fear just by looking at Ganondorf. It lasted... 3 seconds. It wasn’t pretty.
Lucario arrived next. The aura around him intensified as he sat down. Ganondorf watched him closely.
"You smell like a worthy fight," muttered the Demon King.
And it was. Lucario focused, hardened his muscles, and they fought for nearly three full minutes. Ganondorf won, but was noticeably out of breath.
Lucario stood up calmly and gave a small bow.
"It was an honor."
Ganondorf, for the first time, didn’t mock.
"...Likewise."
R.O.B. followed, but that match lasted a solid 20 seconds before Ganondorf ended up ripping his arm off. R.O.B. didn’t seem bothered, though he did blink in confusion before picking up his broken arm with the other and walking away.
Toon Link bounced in like a rubber ball. He smiled with a “nothing can faze me” face.
"...This’ll be a joke," muttered Ganondorf.
He lasted 10 seconds. His cap ended up lopsided from the impact.
Wolf appeared with arms crossed.
"I’m gonna snap that old man arm of yours."
"I’d love to see you try, pup."
They lasted a minute and forty seconds. It was a match filled with growls, hateful stares, and a table that was starting to crack.Ganondorf won... but Wolf walked away saying:
"Keep my seat warm, old man. You’ll be history soon."
The Villager sat down smiling, with a face that clearly didn’t grasp the level of competition. Ganondorf raised an eyebrow.
"Is this a joke?"
":D"
He lasted 12 seconds. His expression didn’t change at all. He left just as smiley.
Mega Man took his place. He detached his cannon from that arm and placed his robotic hand on the table, which Ganondorf grabbed firmly. He held out for a full minute and a half until the gears began to squeal.
"Overheating from arm wrestling? You learn something new every day," said Rock, releasing Ganondorf and forfeiting.
The Wii Fit Trainer sat down calmly. She struck a yoga pose before starting.
"Inhale... exhale..."
"This is gonna be weird," muttered Terry.
It was. The match lasted 40 seconds. Ganondorf won, and she simply said:
"Excellent forearm workout."
Rosalina floated down from the ceiling, with a Luma spinning around her.
"Are you sure about this?" Ganondorf asked.
"The stars have given me their blessing."
The Luma took its place on the table. It lasted 15 seconds before bouncing off the wall. Rosalina smiled serenely.
"Sometimes the stars are wrong."
Greninja sat in silence, his tongue-scarf flowing in the wind. The match was surprisingly intense. They wrestled for nearly two minutes under unexpected pressure... until Ganondorf won with one final tug.
"Fast... but not fast enough," said the Demon King as he shook out his arm.
The three Miis arrived together.
"Time to represent the players!" shouted Mii Brawler.
Brawl lasted 45 seconds. He lost the match, but put up a fight. Sword used both hands illegally. He was disqualified in 5 seconds. Gun fitted her glove confidently. She lasted 30 seconds before losing.
Palutena arrived with elegance, floating as she adjusted her staff.
"I’m going to leave you armless, Ganondorf."
"Promises, promises..."
She used magic to enhance her strength, but Ken stopped her:
"No divine cheating!"
She lasted a full minute before her elegant arm gave out.
"...That’s going to hurt tomorrow," she said, massaging it.
Pac-Man sat down and put on his glove, which Ganondorf grabbed tightly. He lasted 40 seconds, then rubbed his hand after losing.
"Man, you’ve got a serious ego problem…" he muttered before walking off, earning a mocking laugh from the demon king.
Robin approached with a book in one hand.
"Planning to use magic again?" asked Ganondorf.
"No. This time it’s pure strength… and a bit of strategy."
Robin held out for one minute and twenty seconds. He lost, but smiled:
"I’ll need to recalibrate my tactics."
Shulk arrived with the Monado strapped to his back.
"I’ve seen the future… and sadly, it hurts."
He lasted 1 minute and 45 seconds. The Monado lit up on its own after the loss.
"Not even that could help you!" Ganondorf taunted.
Bowser Jr. rolled up in his clown car.
"I’m gonna beat you, big guy!"
"From that toy car?"
He lasted 12 seconds. The clown car raised a white flag at the end.
Duck Hunt was… strange. The dog and the duck both tried arm wrestling at once. Total chaos. Ganondorf beat them in 8 seconds.
Cloud sat down with a stoic expression. They lasted almost 3 minutes—an arm-wrestling match between titans. Ganondorf won… just barely.
"Not bad, swordsman," he said.
Cloud nodded silently and left.
Corrin stepped forward with a kind smile.
"Don’t underestimate me just because of how I look."
"Already did—and already won," Ganondorf chuckled.
But Corrin hardened her arm with dragon scales. The pressure surprised the Gerudo, and though he beat her after a minute and fifty seconds, one eyebrow arched.
"...Dragons. Of course."
Bayonetta strutted over like it was a catwalk, not a competition. She sat down with her legs crossed.
"Do you really think you can beat me, sugar?"
"I’m more interested in snapping your arm than flirting."
"Mmm… so rough. I like it."
The match began. Bayonetta summoned a demon through her hair, but Ken interrupted:
"No demon summoning during arm wrestling!"
Without magic, Bayonetta lasted exactly one minute. After losing, she winked and said:
"I’m still more flexible than you~"
Ganondorf nearly choked on his rage.
Inkling arrived, full of ink and determination. She placed her tiny hand on the table.
"You think you can compete with that?" Ganondorf said, eyeing the tiny hand.
Inkling answered by smacking orange ink onto his face with her roller before starting. She lasted 20 seconds. She skipped away, leaving orange footprints behind her.
Simon Belmont appeared with a stern look and a cross hanging from his belt.
"Evil must always be punished."
"And so must ridiculousness—and you’re in line."
Simon channeled all his hunter strength and lasted two minutes and ten seconds. He lost with a grimace. Richter Belmont, his descendant, followed immediately.
He lasted exactly two minutes. Upon losing, he said:
"I’m going to need a new whip."
Isabelle came next.
The room went dead silent. Ganondorf blinked.
"...Are you kidding me?"
"Never give up!" she chirped, placing her tiny paw on the table.
Ganondorf pitied her for half a second—then showed none. Isabelle lasted 6 seconds. Even so, she stood up smiling.
"Thanks for the match, Mr. Ganondorf! Now both my soul and arm hurt!"
The Piranha Plant came after Isabelle. Despite being, well, a plant, it lasted a solid 30 seconds before being defeated. It bared its teeth and licked its lips, as if threatening to eat him later—but the demon king didn’t flinch.
Joker stepped forward, glasses gleaming under the lights.
"I’ve defeated gods. What are you?"
"The guy who’s going to snap your arm, clown."
Both wrestled with complete focus. Joker’s gaze was intense, as if analyzing every movement.
They lasted three minutes. Ganondorf barely won, and Joker smiled as he walked away.
"I’ve marked you as a weakness in my journal."
Hero, or the Luminary, approached with his sword sheathed and a noble expression.
"My destiny is to defeat you."
"And mine is to toss you in the corner with the rest."
Before the match began, Hero used "Strength Up"—only for Ken to shout furiously:
"NO MAGIC ALLOWED!"
The Luminary apologized, and they fought fairly. It lasted two and a half minutes. Upon losing, he simply said:
"Defeat teaches too."
Banjo and Kazooie came up together. Kazooie looked around smugly.
"Let’s break this loser’s arm!"
"Kazooie, shut up," Banjo muttered nervously.
They used their combined strength. Kazooie even pecked at Ganondorf to distract him, but the match was fair. They lasted a minute and forty seconds.
Ganondorf won… and then chased them around the room with a wooden chair.
Byleth stepped up, impassive as always, with the Sword of the Creator on her back. Ganondorf gave her a respectful glance.
"You’ve faced horrors… but have you faced this?"
They lasted two minutes and forty seconds. It was an intense, silent battle.
In the end, the professor lost, but simply stood and said:
"I’ll note this for future lessons."
Min Min bounced over, her arms extending as she approached. Ganondorf raised an eyebrow.
"...What the hell are you?"
"A ramen champion!" she shouted proudly.
Ganondorf grabbed her mechanical hand… and it was like wrestling a steel whip. They lasted two minutes, and while Ganondorf won, he needed his second hand to reset her arm to its original position afterward.
Sephiroth arrived without a word. Tension filled the room. Everyone backed away. Even Sonic whispered, "Hope he breaks that jerk’s arm," while adjusting the cast on the arm Ganondorf had snapped.
Sephiroth and Ganondorf stared at each other for long seconds. Then they placed their arms on the table. It was the longest match: four minutes and thirty-five seconds. Both were bleeding from the forehead due to the pressure. In the end… Ganondorf won. Barely.
Sephiroth stood up, silently, and walked away, leaving a single black feather on the table.
Ganondorf stared at it... and crushed it. "Next."
Sora was next. He appeared with a big smile and a wave.
"Hi! This looks fun!"
Ganondorf growled. "...You’re way too cheerful for my taste."
Sora sat down, placed the Keyblade at his side, and offered his hand. Ken gave the countdown. They lasted three minutes. Ganondorf began to see double from the effort. At the last moment, Sora instinctively used a bit of his light energy, and Ken nearly disqualified him. Ganondorf won by a hair, with the table trembling.
Sora rubbed his arm, laughing. "That was amazing! Thanks!"
Ganondorf looked at him with disdain... but didn’t mock him. He simply muttered:
"You’re insane."
Now, only two fighters remained to challenge the Gerudo man.
Mythra was the first to approach. She walked with a confidence that could be seen from a mile away, as if victory was the only possible outcome. She crossed her arms and gave him a half-smile.
"So you're the great Ganondorf, huh? I've fought bigger monsters. Literally."
"And all of them are dead. Want to join them?" he replied mockingly.
"I just want to see if your strength is real or just theatrics."
They both sat down. Mythra flicked her hair back before extending her arm. Ken raised his hand and started the countdown. What followed was a brutal showdown. The rest of the crowd had relaxed after Sora, but now everyone was tense again. The sound of muscles straining, the wood creaking, the held breaths of the onlookers... everything signaled this match was different.
Ken gave the signal, and the struggle began.
It was brutal. The sound of muscle tension and wood groaning under pressure filled the room. Five and a half minutes. The longest round of the whole tournament.
Mythra gritted her teeth, sweat running down her forehead. Her eyes glowed with every counter. Ganondorf growled with each burst of force. The air was electric. At least three times, the crowd thought she would win. And three more, that he would crush her.
But in the end... Ganondorf, with a roar, managed to overpower her.
The slam of her arm against the table echoed through the room.
"HA! Five and a half minutes of 'look at me, I'm powerful,' and you still lost! For someone who wiped out three continents, you're a weakling."
Mythra clenched her teeth, eyes blazing with fury. She was about to answer—or maybe punch his teeth in—when she heard a soft voice to her left:
"Mythra."
She turned her head. Pyra was there, still seated on a couch with her usual calm expression, a cup of tea in hand.
"It's my turn now."
Mythra paused. She blinked. She looked at her sister—at her calm smile—and then she noticed something strange: that calm wasn't normal.
Pyra handed her teacup to Luigi, who was still trembling from his failed attempt hours ago.
"Thank you, Luigi," Pyra said gently as she stood up.
Luigi looked at her as if she’d just handed him a live bomb.
Pyra walked to the table. She didn’t look at anyone. She didn’t say a word.
Ganondorf saw her approach and grinned, still panting slightly from the last match.
"So the gentle little sister wants to lose too? You may be strong like her, but the result will be the same."
Pyra sat down gracefully in front of him. She smiled... but it wasn’t her usual smile. It was serene—but cold.
"Your ego is huge. A virtue for fools..." she said as she gently took his hand. "And also the reason you're an idiot who needs to learn when to shut up."
Ganondorf opened his mouth to reply—but then he felt it.
His face changed instantly. The pressure from Pyra’s hand wasn’t normal. It wasn’t unrestrained rage. It was control. Precision. Contained fury.
Ken didn’t even manage to raise his hand properly before shouting:
"GO!"
CRACK!
In exactly ten seconds, Pyra slammed his arm onto the table with devastating force—followed by another crack that didn’t come from the table.
The room fell completely silent.
Ganondorf was speechless. Not because of the pain—but the shock.
"...What... was that?"
Pyra stood up without a word, without looking back.
"The next time you insult my sister," she said softly—without aggression, but with absolute resolve, "make sure you can back up your words with your body... not just your mouth."
There was silence for a short three seconds, and then... cheers erupted for Pyra. Mythra hugged her so tightly she lifted her off the ground, while others gathered to congratulate her for defeating Ganondorf. Pyra blushed a bit from all the attention, but still responded to the praise with humility and calm.
Meanwhile, Ganondorf stared at his defeated hand, still trembling... and for the first time all day, he didn’t respond with words. No taunts. No threats. He simply watched her walk away, jaw clenched, his dark eyes searching for a logical explanation that never came.
Because there wasn’t one. Pyra had crushed him. And he knew it.
Ken came over to check if the table was broken (again), while Sonic, still bandaged from his own match, muttered to himself.
"I don’t know what’s scarier... that she beat him in ten seconds... or that she had tea before and after like it was nothing."
Lucina, standing next to him, nodded.
"That was... divine justice, with a hint of jasmine."
Mythra was still hugging Pyra, who now looked down with a nervous smile, trying to squirm out of her sister’s grip.
"Pyra, that was amazing! A-ma-zing! I swear I saw his soul leave through his arm!"
"Could you put me down...?" Pyra whispered, blushing slightly as Zelda, Peach, and even Samus—who rarely showed emotion—congratulated her. "I’m running out of air..."
"Just one more second! One more!" Mythra cried, spinning around with her in her arms like she’d won a world championship. "This is the best revenge I’ve ever seen in my life!"
Donkey Kong gave a thumbs-up from the back.
"Finally, someone crushed him! And without breaking the table or setting anything on fire!"
"I should’ve bet on her!" shouted Wario, frustrated.
"I did!" Bayonetta laughed from a corner, counting money.
Meanwhile, Ganondorf tried to stand without revealing how much his legs were shaking. Sonic walked over with his phone, grinning smugly.
"Let me capture this humiliation," the hedgehog snorted, snapping a picture of the trembling demon king and posting it with the caption: "#CrushedByTheAegis."
Then Ryu walked past him, arms crossed.
"Told you. Underestimating your opponent always leads to defeat."
Ganondorf growled under his breath, his pride wounded deeper than any fist could reach. But he said nothing more.
End of Chapter 72.