73.5. Harding vs Tyler III: Deja Vu

Tyler readied his stance. Harding watched from afar; a thin smile painted across her lips. Tyler looked at his opponent, then took a deep breath in.

“Executive Power,” he screamed, “Inaug—!”

Tyler stopped midsentence.

Didn’t I…

He looked to Harding, blinking silently as she stood smiling across from him.

…didn’t I do all this already…?

He continued to stare, analyzing his surroundings with care.

Could I have visualized my victory so clearly that it felt as if it were reality? Or could it be…

“Wowzers!” Thompson shouted, “Tyler’s kicking this match off with…” Thompson frowned. “With… nothing, I guess?”

The crowd broke into a nervous laughter as Tyler clicked his tongue.

“It matters not,” he hissed, regaining his composure.

He drew back his head, taking another deep breath in.

“Executive Power: Inaugural Address!”

A visible burst of air shot out his mouth and hurtled towards his opponent.

Harding raised her shield in front of her face, absorbing the burst.

Then, without moving her shield from her face, Harding blindly swung her leg in front of her.

Tyler, who had just finished charging at Harding, winced at the unexpected blow to his knees, sending him tumbling to the ground.

“How…?”

Harding slammed her morning star onto Tyler’s chest before he could finish, smashing his body onto the floor. He wheezed for air, then looked up to see Harding raising her weapon once more.

Tyler gritted his teeth and rolled to the side, barely dodging Harding’ strike as---^v^v^v---

Harding slammed her morning star onto Tyler’s chest before he could finish, smashing his body onto the floor. He wheezed for air, then looked up to see Harding raising her weapon once more.

Tyler gritted his teeth and rolled to the side; but Harding suddenly curved her attack midswing, smashing into Tyler’s side before he could escape from her range.

Tyler coughed as he took the blow, then placed his hands onto the ground and pushed himself away, narrowly escaping another attack from Harding’s morning star.

He rose off the floor and took his stance, breathing heavily as he let out a growl. In contrast, Harding greeted her opponent with a soft smile as she chuckled quietly to herself.

“What’s wrong, friend?” she asked. “Feeling a little…Déjà vu?”