Collatio - Pt 2

BladeSynth.

The most popular game among today's youth.

"How about experiencing dynamic combat without worrying about consequences for your body?"

Thanks to simulated world immersion technology, you can engage in ultra-realistic battles with a huge variety of elements.

"You can play the adventure mode where you gradually build your character, or the combat mode where you engage in one-on-one or free-for-all fights."

In the past, young people used to settle disputes in 2D platform fighting games with limited perspectives. Nowadays, everything can be resolved by simulating an unlimited fight.

"The Ministry of Health warns: it's crucial to make young people understand that BladeSynth's violence should never, under any circumstances, be reproduced outside the simulated world."

(...)

"BladeSynth? I'm terrible at the combat mode, you know that, Kenji."

"I mostly play the adventure mode too."

"What are you two complaining about? If you’re so eager to settle your differences with violence, then use BladeSynth!"
"Neither of you will get hurt, and the best fighter will win!"

"But you need immersion connectors to play BladeSynth. How do you plan to solve that?" asked Okada.

"Nana is rich; she must have some for playing with her friends. My house is nearby; I can grab mine if needed."

Hasegawa reached for his left wrist and began typing on his smartwatch.

"One second, I’ll send a message to Nana."

[...]
"Nana! We want to play BladeSynth. Do you have any immersion connectors?"

"Oh yeah, Kenjin! ⎛⎝ ≽ > ⩊ < ≼ ⎠⎞
How many do you need?"

"Just two!"

"ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧
I'll bring them to you guys~"

[...]

"Problem solved!"

Various murmurs began.

"A BladeSynth battle? That sounds awesome!"

"It’s been a while since I’ve seen a live duel like this!"

"The boys are settling it with a fight? That doesn’t sound a kind of romantic?"

The pressure from our classmates didn’t allow either of us to back down. Whoever took a step back would be seen as a coward for the rest of the year.

I don’t care much about their opinion of me, but I’m not letting Okada get the upper hand.

I’m going to crush him! I’ll beat him so badly that he’ll never get in the way of Kaede and me again!

(...)

Meanwhile, in Nana's room.

"One moment, I'll be right back."

Nana picked up the two connectors and walked out of the room.

"Where is she going?" asked Sakura.

"She’s delivering the connectors to the boys so they can play BladeSynth."

"Hmm, is Kaede okay?"

Kaede was lying on Nana's bed, rolling back and forth while hugging a pillow.

"She's just overreacting."

"Love!"

Kaede sat on the edge of the bed.

"Ah, sorry, I wasn’t expecting this."

"And how do you feel about it?"

"How do I feel?"

"Yeah. You just got a confession of love. Normally, that comes with a response, doesn’t it?"

"Ah, it’s just that I... I don’t know if I should..."

Kaede cast a desperate look in Sakura’s direction, who quickly responded.

"It’s no use asking me."
"This is something you need to figure out with him."

"So, do you like him or not?"

"It’s not that simple... I like talking to him. I think his clumsy way is cute. He’s a nice guy, intelligent, and well... he’s kinda cute."
"But love isn’t just about finding someone ideal, right?"

"So, deep down, the one you actually like is Minato, right?"

Hinata said this, simply curious about Kaede's reaction.

"Mi-Minato?!?!"
"He-He’s just my childhood friend."

"But you two used to spend time together after school..."

"Isn’t that what childhood friends do?! Sakura?"

"Hikaru would only hang out with me if you were there too. The most interaction he got was walking home together and chatting."

"But just because Minato and I spent time together doesn’t mean we’re a couple!"

"Well, that’s not exactly what we’re saying..."

"It always seemed like there was ‘something more’ between you two. I think that’s what they call ‘chemistry.’"

"There’s nothing like that between us! You guys are imagining things!"

"So, do you really not feel anything for him?"

"If I feel something for him... Maybe?"

"Maybe?" both of them asked at the same time.

"Love is really complicated..."

"Then, if you had to choose between dating Minato or Hikaru, which one would you pick?"

"..."

Kaede looked panicked as Hinata asked with a serious face.

"Kaede, don’t tell me... Do you like both of them?"

"...
AaaAAAaaaa!!
No, no, no!"

"So it's true..."

"I don’t want to admit, but it’s true! That’s exactly it!"

"Oh, that was unexpected."

"It’s not like I want both of them at the same time! I’m not that kind of girl!"

"But they both clearly like you... Can’t you just choose?"

"That’s the problem! I can’t choose!"

"Oh..."

"You know, it's easy to choose between a good option and a bad one. Just pick the good one!"
"Choosing between a bad option and another bad option is completely indifferent. It'll be a bad choice either way."
"But choosing between two good options? That’s completely impossible!"

"Isn’t it just as indifferent as choosing between two bad options?"

"Of course not! If you pick the wrong one, you’ll regret it forever!"

"The fact that she has such a long response ready on the tip of her tongue only proves she’s been preparing for this moment," Hinata said sarcastically.

"Uwahhh!"

"Relax, Kaede. We’re not going to judge you for being indecisive."

"... Maybe it’s not even my indecision."
"I’m afraid of hurting one of their feelings."

"That does make this decision pretty tough."

"Do I even have the right to choose between them?"
"After all... I’m already dead..."

"Kaede! Don’t say that!"

Before Hinata could start her lecture, her smartwatch buzzed. It was Nana.

"What’s up, Nana?"
"We're in the middle of something..."

"Come downstairs, you need to see this!"

"What’s going on?"

"Kikuchi and Okada are putting on a show for Kaede’s attention!"

"Huh?"

"Just come quickly!"

Without explaining further, Nana hung up.

"What's now?"

"Looks like the two princes are fighting for our princess’s love."

Hinata turned to Kaede with a playful grin.

"Huh?" Kaede replied, still confused.

(...)

The great appeal of BladeSynth is the ability to fight in various scenarios. By mutual agreement, Hikaru and Minato chose the space station setting.

"You won’t get away this time."

Minato appeared at the end of a narrow corridor with an energy weapon in hand. Hikaru was on the defensive, waiting for an opening to counterattack.

"Dodge this!"

Green plasma shots began streaming from Minato’s weapon, ricocheting off the walls of the corridor and eliminating Hikaru's cover.

Fortunately for Hikaru, there was a gas cylinder mounted on the wall nearby. He dodged to the side, grabbed the cylinder, and threw it into the path of the plasma shots. The cylinder exploded upon impact, creating a cloud of smoke.

"This is my chance!" Hikaru thought.

Minato tried firing randomly into the smoke, but he was caught off guard when Hikaru emerged near the ceiling, using his flight boosters to stay aloft.

Before Minato could react, Hikaru dove down with a burst of speed, stomping hard on Minato’s face.

"Take that!"

"Uwaaagh!"

Minato’s head slammed into the ground. Hikaru pressed his foot down firmly against Minato’s face as though it were the floor itself. Deep down, Hikaru was savoring this moment of dominance over his rival.

"You talked so much just for that?"

"I-It’s not over yet..."

Minato stretched his hand to the side, releasing a metal sphere... A grenade.

The explosion engulfed the corridor, destroying it and causing the floor to collapse, sending both of them plummeting toward the lab zone.

The BladeSynth battle was being broadcast on a huge TV that Nana had asked the boys to bring to the drawing room, as well as on the smartwatches of everyone in the room. The entire crowd watched the fight with enthusiasm, as if it were a major sporting event.

"Kikuchi, you were so cool!" one girl exclaimed.

"Okada, you’re insane! What a risky move!" a boy commented.

The hype was palpable as the final moments of the battle drew near.

The lab setting was filled with bubbling liquid tanks and illuminated by glowing green LEDs. Both boys got up from the debris, stealthily moving across the wet floor.

Their weapons were gone, and their mech-armors were broken. All they had left was good old-fashioned hand-to-hand combat.

Hikaru noticed Minato’s presence and hid behind a tank, waiting for an opportunity to flank him.

But when Hikaru made his move, he was the one caught off guard. Minato was already anticipating the attack, dodging Hikaru’s punch. 

Using Hikaru’s own momentum, Minato grabbed him by the neck and slammed his head against the tank.

"Arghhhh!"

The top of the tank shattered upon impact, causing a viscous liquid to spill out.

Minato tried to press Hikaru’s neck against the shattered glass, but the spilled liquid made him lose his footing and slip.

"Now!"

Hikaru kicked Minato away, but Minato quickly regained his balance, leaving no openings for Hikaru to strike again.

The two now faced each other in a tight space with few options for maneuvering or dodging. It would come down to whoever fell first. Both clenched their fists tightly.

"Let’s end this."

"Bring it on!"

They charged at each other, unleashing kicks and punches with everything they had left.

The crowd went wild at the intensity of their fight, but for their misfortune, there was one new spectator in the room who hated watching them battle.

The fight finally reached its conclusion.

"Okada!!!"

"Kikuchi!!!"

Their punches crossed, striking each other’s faces simultaneously, sending both of them crashing to the ground unconscious. A rare draw, as if the simulated world were reflecting real life itself.

When they returned to reality, neither had the chance to savor the euphoria of the crowd, who was cheering for the epic clash they had just witnessed.

Instead, both fighters were immediately silenced by the piercing gaze of Kaede Sugimoto—a serious look, laden with a mix of sadness and anger.