CHAPTER 2 — PART 2: SPEEDSTER VS BRUTE!

"Ohhhh, I like that idea, sis~!" Orime looked thrilled.

Oh boy... were they both battle junkies?

(16.) Speedster vs Brute

I stepped into the entrance and froze.

The arena was huge. Way bigger than I expected. Bright lights blasted down from above, making the whole place glow like a giant stage. The crowd roared so loud it shook my chest, and for a second, I just stood there and stared.

Rows and rows of seats filled the place; I could picture it, every seat taken, and cheers and signs being waved around.

And in the center of it all was the ring.

A big square of white canvas, sharp ropes stretched tight around it, sitting under a circle of blinding lights like it was the most important thing in the world. The screen hanging above it flashed bright colors, and the whole place looked like a giant battlefield made for entertainment.

"...No way," I muttered to myself.

I couldn't help grinning.

This was insane. It felt less like a gym or an arena and more like some legendary coliseum where monsters, heroes, and lunatics all came to prove who was stronger. The noise, the lights, the size of it all—it was so over-the-top that it was kind of amazing.

I looked around again, my eyes wide.

So this was a WrestleMania-type arena.

This place was ridiculous.

This place was awesome.

"Pretty cool, huh? I built this place. Took me a while, but I made it happen, thanks to your deadbeat mother."

Reina glanced around with me, clearly enjoying my reaction.

Katsumi's eyes sparkled like stars.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M IN HERE!!"

"You know this place, Katsumi?" I asked curiously.

"Yes!! I watched UWU!"

"U—UWU?"

"Universal Wrestlers Union. Have you not heard of this amazing show!?" Katsumi gripped my shoulders and shook me like crazy.

Suddenly, an amazing guitar riff started playing through the arena. The giant jumbotron near the ceiling lit up with highlights from past battles.

The first thing I saw was a nun lady in flashy armor lifting another girl and slamming her down with a powerful piledriver that shook the whole ring. Then she grabbed her leg, held her up, and the ref slapped the mat as he counted, one, two, three. The match was over.

Then a flamboyant female warrior in golden knight armor jumped from the top corner and landed on a gorilla-looking woman...

What the fuck am I watching...?

Then I saw another fighter.

A menacing-looking woman with a sarashi wrapped around her... very obvious mounds and red fiery pants that looked like they came from a dobok uniform. She had dark blue, wild spiky hair that flowed down her shoulders, and one of her eyes gleamed crimson.

She threw a lightning-fast uppercut that sparked with electricity, stunning her opponent. Then she followed with a powerful tilted hook and screamed, "Doryaaaa!!" before knocking her out.

"Holy shit... she seems extremely powerful..."

"Kazy-san? Yeah... she's kind of scary to talk to. I've tried, but she just ignores me completely..." Orime sighed.

"Kazy-chan? We spar all the time when we're free. But she's way too competitive. We even have a record. We're 436-435."

"Woah... amazing! Who's winning?" I asked, amused.

"Who do you think, babe~?" Reina smirked at me, still charming me like it was nothing.

"You... Reina, of course."

"Good boy~."

My heart did a flip. I even panted like a dog, awooing happily.

That made both Katsumi and Orime cringe.

"He's too easy..."

"Alright, enough looking at the Jumbotron. I want to see my dear Yami go at it with my cute sister~."

"I actually want to see this. Yami managed to beat a Yoshitaka, so this might be good."

"What!? Yami-kun beat a Battle Maiden!? And from a clan of prodigies too!?" Orime started sweating buckets. She looked at me differently now. Maybe respect? But she still thought I was cringe for panting like a dog.

"That's my future boyfriend for you~ Truly Aimi-chan's son~" Reina laughed wholeheartedly.

"EHHHHH!?? HE'S THE SON OF 'THE' GOLDEN HERO!?"

That title made me frown a little.

"I've been itching for a fight. I need this to improve myself. Let's have a match, Orime-san."

"You bet! I'll make you kiss the floor!"

"R—Right... yeah, okay. I'll beat you up..."

"Come on, Yami-kun! Show more fire! Unless you're a chicken~!" Orime grinned mischievously.

"Let's just begin fighting already..."

"Boo... someone's a party pooper."

"Yeah, yeah."

I stepped inside the ring, and it was much bigger than a normal one.

"Remember, no weapons are allowed. Only fists and techniques. May the strongest win~" Reina yelled, then pressed a button that made a loud ding.

Amai appeared and stepped onto the edge of the ring from the outside.

"I'll be watching, Master. You'll fight using your own strength."

"What!? I'll get destroyed!"

"Do your best!"

Shit... I'm cooked. No Amai meant a huge disadvantage. No mana, no experience, and no real way to fight...

I was just a normal man. A weaker man.

I saw Orime rush at me with her hands ready to grab me. I barely dodged by sidestepping.

"Slow...?"

Orime's speed shocked me. I had dodged her... so what the hell was that?

She was open after missing a command grab, so I threw a punch at her side. The second my fist hit her, it bounced off. Hard. My knuckles cracked, and pain shot through my hand like a bitch.

"Ghht!? What!?"

I clutched my fist and rubbed the skin that had torn up.

"Heheh~ Too bad. My skin is hard as steel~ Good luck trying to hurt me~."

"Crap baskets..." I muttered.

Yeah. I was screwed.

"You can do it, Master! Every magic has a weakness. Find it!"

I nodded and stared at Orime with a nervous grin.

It felt just like Storm Online. Back when I was having a blast in PvP. I had so much loot, and this girl, one of the strongest players, always hunted me across the damn server.

The challenge made me want to get better. It made me adapt, overcome, and destroy.

My mind started running at lightning speed. Strategies, thoughts, guesses...

Reina didn't let her join this weird contest. Maybe she isn't ready... maybe her magic isn't fully developed...

I had a rush of an idea.

Orime grinned too and darted at me with her fast speed, though it still wasn't as fast as mine.

First swing, miss.

Second right hook, miss.

Then I saw her left foot come around in a roundhouse kick. I covered my face, ready to block...

"Ghhht!?"

Her kick sent me flying into the ropes, and I bounced right back toward her, unable to stop my movement. She hit me with an arm slam to the chest, sending me flipping back with force.

"Uegh!?"

Reina grinned.

"Don't underestimate my sister, Yami~ You'll regret that."

Amai kept watching, studying the fight.

"That girl isn't fast, but her blows... are freakishly strong..."

"[Rolling Death Embrace!!]"

Orime jumped onto my back and wrapped me up in a weird hold, trapping my arms and legs. Then she started rolling around with me, making all my limbs hurt like hell.

"Poor Yami~ It seems he lacks hand-to-hand combat~"

"Tell me about it..." Amai sighed.

"I mean... he's okay-ish with the sword, but... yeah. This match is probably already lost. He has no hand-to-hand experience..." Katsumi said, feeling the match was a little unfair.

After Orime finished her weird move, every part of my body ached. I slowly stood up, feeling horrible pain all over...

"I'm... not done yet..."

I grit my teeth, annoyed at my weak body and the fact I couldn't use my powers without Amai.

"Good~! I'd be disappointed if you gave up now. Let me see how you beat a Yoshitaka!"

I rushed at her, tunnel vision locked on her.

"Master! Don't lose your cool! Focus!!" Amai shouted, annoyed.

"Master...?" Reina suddenly realized a little girl was standing at the edge of the ring. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Oracle..." Her expression turned feral. Primal.

"Yami owns Oracle... this is..." Her grin widened, creeping out Katsumi. "...great news... heheheh..."

I sent a barrage of punches at Orime. Every one bounced off her steel-like skin, and every hit tore a little skin from my knuckles.

"Come on, is that all you got~?"

BAM!

My punch crashed into her nose, but I noticed her amused grin under my fist.

"Surely you can do better than that."

Orime kneed my gut, then bent me over. The back of my head ended up between her legs, and then she lifted me effortlessly over her head.

"[ORIME BOMB!!]"

BOOM!!

She slammed me like a planet crashing into another planet. The ring shook hard.

All the air left my lungs, and a horrible, sharp pain shot through my back.

"I think I see why he came here... he really is... weak." Katsumi didn't mean it disrespectfully. She was stating facts.

"It may look that way, but don't forget that my dear Yami is an Oshima. Don't underestimate an Oshima either~" Reina said, grinning back at Katsumi like she was challenging her.

"Just pick a side already!!" Katsumi shot back.

I slowly stood up, ignoring the pain in my back and limbs.

I wasn't going to let her beat me. Never.

I'd rather die than lose a battle...

My unyielding fire shook Orime. She saw a cornered wolf with nothing to lose. That was the most dangerous kind of wolf to fight.

And then my mana surged.

Without Amai's help, my body instinctively tapped into it. My body gleamed with golden light, like a little star.

Even Orime had to cover her eyes and grunt.

Reina was excited down to her bones. This was what she wanted to see. More like... what she knew would happen.

Katsumi remembered the fight with Oharu-san, how I had shined in that battle.

Amai sighed.

"Took you long enough, Master. Now go show her what you can do!"

"What!? Where did he—"

Her sentence got cut off by me.

I had vanished from her sight, moving with inhuman speed. I landed a punch on her backside.

She twisted her body and sent a fist behind her.

Miss.

Another hit landed on her chest.

"UEGH!?" Orime felt another punch hit her gut.

"Fast!" Reina sounded thrilled, almost hungry.

A shotgun-like boom rang out when I landed another punch.

I noticed it. Her hardening couldn't keep up with my speed. That meant she could only harden one spot, not her whole body.

I grinned.

"This is what battle feels like..."

Analyzing, testing, results... just like in Storm Online.

That's why I was a top player. That's why nobody could beat me in PvP.

And this battle... was just like the videogame!!

Amai blinked fast, stunned.

Master has so much potential... more than Aimi-sama...

Yami-kun is so fast! I can't react to his attacks!

I won't let anyone take Yami from me~ He's mine~

Damn it... Why do I feel so small compared to Yami...

All the mana in my body gathered into my fist, charging up a powerful blow.

With all the speed I had, my fist crashed into her stomach, sending a huge gust of wind across the arena.

Orime let out a high-pitched grunt.

"UWEEH!"

I thought the battle was won.

But then Orime caught me.

She grabbed my wrist and held me in place, her weak grin throwing me off.

"Now you can't move around anymore..."

BOOM!!

Her other fist slammed into my gut, making me spit blood. Her punches hit like a train.

She dropped me to the floor and locked my arm. Her legs trapped my right arm, and her hands gripped my left. I felt the pain instantly.

"!?"

Reina got nervous and moved closer to the ring.

"That move is dangerous..."

"Yami-kun, give up. Or I'll have to break your arm!"

"Ghhh... never."

I held on for dear life, refusing to give in.

Orime pushed harder, overpowering me completely, almost breaking my arm.

"You can tell I'm way stronger than you. Give up! Or say bye to your arm!!"

I grit my teeth and forced out a weak voice.

"I'd rather die than lose..."

Orime was shocked beyond belief. She couldn't understand why someone would be this stubborn, even knowing a bone could break. Was Yami that dumb?

Her eyes met mine.

And then she saw it again.

A flame.

One that burned everything.

One that turned things to ashes.

Unyielding. Stern.

This was what "never giving up" meant.

She saw the idea of it turned into a living thing... me.

Orime wanted to win too. She wanted to show Reina she was ready, and beating Yami might be the key. Her muscles bulged a little as she pulled harder.

"!"

Reina stepped in. She gripped Orime's arms and stopped her from breaking my arm.

"That's enough. The match is over."

Orime slowly stood up.

I stayed on the floor, groaning in pain and holding my arm gently.

Orime snapped out of it and realized what she had done.

"I—I'm sorry... I... didn't—"

SLAP!

Reina slapped Orime across the face. The sound echoed outside the ring.

The pain in my arm was forgotten. I looked up at the scene, at Orime's unreadable expression and Reina's deep glare.

"It was just a friendly spar. You didn't have to break his arm, Orime." Reina's voice was scary. Too scary...

Orime stayed silent. She didn't say anything. That worried me a little.

I slowly stood up and gave a weak laugh.

"I'm fine... nothing's broken... I think..."

I walked between them, trying to ease the tension.

"It was probably my fault... I was being stubborn too, but..."

"But?" Reina and Orime both looked at me.

"Even if Orime-san broke my arm... I'd still keep fighting. Because the thing I hate most... is losing."

Reina's eyes widened. Her expression softened, then turned amused.

"Ha... HAHAHAHAHA! You precious thing~."

"Yikes... Yami-kun might be a monster in disguise..." Orime shook her head in disbelief.

"And also... OWWW!! That hurt, sis!!" Orime rubbed her cheek and comically wept.