As Y/N stepped through the curtain into the backstage area, still catching his breath from the grueling match, he was immediately approached by McKenzie Mitchell, the NXT backstage interviewer. A microphone in hand, she was clearly eager to capture his reaction after such an intense showdown with Josh Briggs.

"Y/N, a moment of your time?" she asked, keeping pace with him as he walked down the hall. He paused, glancing at her with a smirk, clearly still riding the high of his victory.

"That was one hell of a match out there. You've now beaten both Brooks Jensen and Josh Briggs in a matter of days. What message do you think that sends to the NXT locker room?" she asked, leaning forward with interest.

Y/N chuckled, wiping sweat from his brow. "McKenzie, it sends exactly the message I wanted it to. It says that I'm not here to mess around or play nice. Jensen, Briggs, whoever else wants to stand in my way—they're just stepping stones. I'm here to show everyone that I'm not like the rest of the locker room."

He adjusted his stance, his eyes narrowing slightly, his expression darkening with intensity. "People think they know what it means to be ruthless, but they have no idea. I don't care about friendships, alliances, or making anyone feel comfortable. All I care about is getting to the top, no matter who I have to go through to get there."

McKenzie raised an eyebrow, intrigued by his words. "Strong words. But you've already stirred up a lot of animosity. After your debut, we saw tension between you and several superstars—including the NXT Women's Champion, Tiffany Stratton. Do you see that rivalry continuing, or was it just a one-time thing?"

Y/N let out a low laugh, glancing away for a moment as he thought about the recent encounters with Tiffany. "Tiffany's a champion. I respect that. But she's also had it easy around here. She might think she's untouchable, but this business has a way of humbling people when they least expect it. I'm not done with her—not by a long shot. Whether she's ready or not, she'll be seeing a lot more of me."

Before McKenzie could ask another question, the sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway. Both turned to see Tiffany Stratton herself approaching, her expression guarded but unmistakably focused on Y/N. McKenzie took a step back, sensing that the moment had just shifted.

Tiffany stopped a few feet from Y/N, her championship belt gleaming over her shoulder. She sized him up, her gaze unwavering. "I saw your match out there," she said, her voice cool and measured. "Maybe you're not as reckless as I thought. That was impressive."

Y/N raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the unexpected compliment. "Coming from you, I'll take that as high praise," he replied, his tone slightly sarcastic but with a hint of genuine respect.

She rolled her eyes but couldn't hide a faint smirk. "Don't get too comfortable, though. Just because I said it was impressive doesn't mean I'm buying into whatever game you're playing here. You might've made a few waves, but the second you try to cross me, I'll make sure you regret it."

Y/N took a step closer, his expression unyielding. "Good to know, champ. But remember, every champion falls eventually. It's just a matter of when."

Tiffany's smirk vanished as she looked up at him, clearly not used to someone meeting her confidence head-on. But before she could respond, Y/N turned back to McKenzie with a grin. "Interview over," he said, sending a wink McKenzie's way before walking off, leaving Tiffany staring after him, both annoyed and slightly impressed.

As he walked down the hall, Y/N couldn't shake the feeling that he'd made more of an impact than he'd anticipated. Tonight's victory and that exchange with Tiffany only fueled his drive to push harder, aiming to leave a lasting mark on NXT—whether the roster was ready for it or not.

As Y/N walked a few steps away, he heard Tiffany's heels clicking on the concrete floor behind him. He paused, knowing she was coming up behind him, and turned just in time to catch her rolling her eyes.

"Got something else to say, princess?" he asked, smirking.

She crossed her arms, feigning annoyance but with a glimmer of intrigue in her eyes. "Princess? Really? Coming from the guy who strutted down that ramp like he was a king. Let's not pretend you don't enjoy the spotlight just as much."

Y/N chuckled, nodding in agreement. "Fair point. But hey, when you've got it, you've got it. It's just that not everyone can handle it. Some people get... jealous." He shot her a quick glance, waiting for her reaction.

Tiffany laughed, raising an eyebrow. "Jealous? Of what? Some guy who thinks he's hot stuff because he won a couple matches? Please." She leaned in just a bit, keeping her voice low but her tone playful. "Besides, I don't need to be jealous. I've already got the gold, remember?"

Y/N couldn't help but laugh at that, genuinely amused by her confidence. "Oh, trust me, I've noticed. It's the first thing you make sure everyone sees when you walk by."

She shrugged, not denying it. "I've earned it. But I'm curious, Mr. Tough Guy... is this all just talk, or do you actually have a plan beyond just showing off?"

"Guess you'll have to stick around and find out," Y/N replied, leaning casually against the wall, his gaze meeting hers with a daring glint. "But don't get too comfortable with that title, Tiffany. That 'gold' doesn't make you invincible."

Tiffany narrowed her eyes, smiling slightly. "And here I thought you were just a thug looking for attention. Maybe there's more to you than meets the eye."

He shrugged, that cocky smirk never leaving his face. "Guess I like to keep people guessing. Including you."

For a moment, they just stood there, neither backing down, each one daring the other to drop their guard. Finally, Tiffany shook her head, a reluctant smile breaking through. "You're still a pain, you know that?"

Y/N grinned. "Yeah, but admit it—you love it."

With a huff, Tiffany turned on her heel, glancing over her shoulder just long enough to give him a mock scowl. "Don't get too full of yourself, L/N. I'll still be the one walking out with this championship, no matter how much noise you make."

Y/N laughed, watching her walk away. "We'll see about that, princess," he called after her.