Chapter 8: The Duo That Even God Fears

The day had finally arrived, The tag battle to determine the state of the student council was about to begin, the stands were occupied by many clamouring students. Chikara made his way to one of the empty seats and garnered the attention of a multitude of students.

"Zeno’o! Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes, here to watch that asshole get his face smashed in?"

“N-not exactly, I still feel a little attached to the Student Council, so I had to come support all of the remaining members. Usodachi as well, I can’t wait to see how he does,” Chikara clarified, his arms crossed.

A female student waved the comment off.

"Again with a joke like that, come on. Although it was pretty funny the first 3 or so times you told it."

Chikara sighed as he looked up in front of him where the giant projection screen would appear. “It’s the whole truth though...

He couldn’t help but think about yesterday.

                                                                           ***

“Look, I’m telling you—Usodachi beat me fair and square!” Chikara exclaimed to many students in the Grand Courtyard as he stood up on the fountain in the center.

They all looked on to him for a second before responding to him individually.

"You’re pretty noble, standing up for someone like that."

“I’m serious, I lost because I was outclassed, that’s it, I’m serious!” Chikara pleaded in earnest.

"He comes out of nowhere and suddenly beats a member of the student council?"

"Not only that, but his attitude’s insufferable. Sleeping through class, his uninterested expression, and a lack of genuine effort to boot."

"And if you say something to him on a whim, he acts like he’s deaf or something! He’s got some nerve!"

Chikara scratched the side of his face. “Well, that side of him is a bit...”

"And in the first place, if he’s the real deal, how come he hasn't spoken up about it, I mean, with everyone accusing him of something he allegedly isn’t guilty of, wouldn’t you try your best to smooth it over? Plus, after your Match was over, an actual Ono showed up! There’s gotta be something up with that guy."

An...Ono? For real? But they’re...! ...That’s for sure something I’ve gotta ask him about… “W-well...yeah, sorry. I guess, when you think about it, that joke was in poor taste, heh-heh,” he laughed, nervously—every second his head sinking lower and lower. So much for clearing his name, he thought. Hold on...there’s still the upcoming special match, it has to be supervised, so...!

He abandoned his regretful frown and hopped onto the side of the fountain in the middle of the courtyard. He reeled back a bit before yelling for the whole area to hear. “LISTEN UP, EVERYONE! MAKE SURE YOU WATCH USODACHI’S SPECIAL MATCH TOMORROW, I’M SURE HE’LL COME OUT ON TOP, WITHOUT ANY DIRTY TRICKS, SO MAKE SURE TO BE THERE!.........

Chikara had said all of that because he wanted everyone to stop speaking ill of Reito. Something like beating Gold and Forte would help, but he knew it wouldn’t be easy.

Special matches have to be overseen by a teacher to make sure the win or loss conditions are fulfilled. If there’s any chance to prove himself in front of everyone, now’s the time to do it, he thought.

“...Mayer... Mayer,” Gold called out, trying to get the attention of his partner.

However, he wasn't paying Gold the least bit of attention. He jumped around, head bopping with both sides of his headphones on his ears, lip syncing to whatever he was listening to with a smile on his face in between each lyric. Gold grabbed his shoulder and gave it a less than welcomed tight squeeze.

He jumped back, grabbing his shoulder. “Ouch! Why’d ya go and do that?! Pre-match flow’s super important fer me! Damn, and I was just gettin’ to the best par-”

“Try to focus, important match,” Gold said, softly, pointing to the center of the stadium.

Forte clicked his tongue. “Tch! Dont’cha think I know that? I’ve tried everythin’, but nothin’ pumps me up for a fight more than a jam sesh, plus,” he put a goofy smile on his face, “ignorin’ that spiky haired asshat, Evie-chan’s also takin’ apart o’ this fight, so I’ve gotta look mega cool out there~~ When this is over, she’ll be so into me that she won’t be able to take her eyes offa me~!” He goofily giggled, swaying back and forth.

“But, your hair...” Gold was about to bring to attention Forte’s arguably spikier hair, gave up, leaving him to his delusions. “Nevermind,” he sighed, turning away from his partner to walk towards the fighter’s entrance. As he brought his hand to the scanner, the feminine A.I. spoke.

“Welcome, Kade Gold, gold rank number 1. Choose your preferred Simulated Battlefield.”

He didn’t even hesitate, choosing the vast rainfor he scrolled by. Having chosen his preferred area, he made his way toward the middle of the stadium, thinking to himself as he did so. “Usodachi...Tanaka...you can’t...no...you won’t interfere…”

“Hey! Lemme walk in front, it looks cooler that way!” Forte shouted, aggressively shoving Gold to the side.

Gold shoved back. “I’m number one, not a chance...”

“Quit bringin’ that up, already! It’s all about presentation! I’ve got ten times more flair then yer stoic ass!” he snapped back, trying to get in front.

“At the expense of less brain cells...”

Forte growled at Gold’s muttering. “Huh?! The hell didja say?!”

“Tochi, come on already! No use getting cold feet now!” Evie pleaded with Reito, grabbing his arm and trying to pull him into the stadium. He planted his feet to the ground as sturdy as he could to keep from budging.

“Shaddup! I was pretty gung-ho about it, even after learnin’ what ya asked me to... But,” he pointed to his forehead to bring attention to a ninja headband with the nickname Evie gave him carved into the metal in kanji, “do I hafta wear this thing?!”

“Don’t be silly, of course you have to,” she said, with a serious look on her face, “you don’t wanna go back on your word, do you?” She dropped her smile and stared at him.

He reeled back and darted his eyes away, trying his best to avoid her stare, before slowly looking back. “N-No... A deal’s a deal...but...doesn’t matchin’ headbands on a guy and girl communicate somethin’ a little...specific?”

She tilted her head at his wording before understanding what he meant. “Ohhhhhhh! Is that what you’re worried about~~?” She teased, a sly grin on her face. “Well, don’t dwell on it too much, just look at it as...well...ah, got it! A little trinket that makes our bond as a team evident. Loud and proud, y’know?”

He sighed and stretched his neck. “I’ll let ya have your way this time, I guess. Let’s just get this over with.”

Before he could walk in, she grabbed his arm again. “Not so fast; one more thing before we go in,” she held up a finger. “As soon as the match starts, make it your main priority to separate Forte and Gold.

Reito looked at her, perplexedly. He had thought the whole point of having a two on two match was working together from start to finish. But now, the person who suggested the tag team match was suggesting they split up. “What? Wouldn’t it be better to just rush ‘em together?”

She shook her head back and forth. “There’s no need for that right at the start, it’s all a part of my strategy. You’ll get Maestro’s attention and fight him until he’s either exhausted—or knocked out—while I take on Gold with the same plan in mind. If either of us downs one of them, we rush to each other's sides as fast as we can and team up on the other. Even if we don’t win our individual fights, we’ll at least be able to wear them down to the point where fighting a 2 on 1 won’t be too hard. Got it?”

He paused, a bit surprised that she had thought it through that much. Mostly because he wasn’t really one to think first himself, and partly because he didn’t take her for the analytical type either. But seeing her these last few days, he’d come to see that there was actually more to her than meets the eye, besides being a lewd jokester. “...Ya know...that’s actually a pretty decent plan, if a little simple... Not bad.”

“Are you seriously coming onto me before such a big match? Please, have some tact, Tochi~” She joked, turning away from him while she covered her face.

He just narrowed his eyes “Yeah, righ-” Just then, he noticed her arm was jittering. “Hey...you’re rattlin’ to the bone there...what’s up?

“O-Oh!” She covered her arm, putting distance between them “W-well it’s just kinda cold in here...that’s all. Wow they're already heading to the center, let’s go!” Evie ran off to the stadium’s center.

“Hey! Slow down!”

An empty one, like a ghost town... Sucks, but I don’t wanna cause a panic, Shizuka thought to herself as she occupied one of many in a vacant row of seats in the upper rows of the stadium, “It’s for the best, just hope those two can pull through.”

In the middle of her thought, she heard her cellphone make a notification sound. Hmm...? A text? but Rei’s already-

Scanning the messages contents, she began to sweat a bit. It read “I’ve finally got to you, Young Miss! What a relief! Thought I’d be searching for a way to contact you forever! Well, I guess it doesn’t matter now. It’s Eis! Remember me? I can’t blame you if you don’t, though, it has been a while. Anyway, I’ve been thinking, it’s about time for a revival, eh? I’m sooooo pumped! Can’t wait for you to lead the charge as the Kingpin! Or wait...would it be Queenpin...? Either way, I’ll be waiting for your response. So we can start the revival of the Ono Assasnation Branches! I’ve even got four pretty capable recruits just itchin’ to get started! I’m sure you can’t wait to come back as well!”

Her hand shook as she slowly powered her phone off and returned it to her pocket, her skin paling as sweat dripped down her neck. She looked as if she’d just seen death. Slowing her breath and placing a hand over her heart, she calmed down and looked onto the giant projection of the match.

I can’t believe it...him? Well...it didn’t seem like he knew much about how I’ve been getting along, so for now...“I’ll deal with it later. Giving those two all the support I can takes priority right now.”

The four proceeded to the center of the stadium, accompanied by cheers from the many students supporting the Student Council.

[EVIE-SAN, FIGHT ON, DO YOUR BEST, I HOPE TO SEE YOU ZIPPING AROUND WITH GRACE AGAIN TODAY!]

[YOUR MOVES HAVE THE MOST FLAIR AROUND, RHYTHM KING! GIVE US SUPER FLASHY SHOW AS ALWAYS!]

[MISS EVIE, YOU’RE THE CUTEST NINJA IN THE WORLD, GO!]

[I LOVE YOU EVIE-SAN~!]

Evie threw up victory signs to her supporters, while Reito just looked at her with dull eyes. Guess I’m as invisible as always. Meanwhile; she seems to have a more than loving fanclub. Figures...

Chikara became conflicted. I want Usodachi and Evie to win. Bur Forte and Gold...I’ve gotta cheer for them too! He mulled over which side he would cheer on in his head, then exhaled. “DO YOUR BEST, USODACHI, EVIE! YOU GUYS TOO, FORTE AND GOLD!” Cheered Chikara, with all his might while standing.

Reito couldn’t help but think to himself; a small smirk on his face, Who the hell does he think he is? Just pick a side, idiot. He gave an overhead thumbs up, making it obvious that he was heard loud and clear.

Forte blew kisses to the crowd, while Gold just glared at Reito, unbeknownst to the ladder.

A familiar ball of fire blazed past the two and made its way to the sidelines. As it hit the ground, Neigh’s frame was slowly but elegantly unveiled along with his trusty body pillow. On his shirt collar, a mini microphone. Gold stepped away from Neigh, almost shakily. But, seeing as Neigh garnered everyone’s attention, it went unnoticed.

“I hope you all enjoyed my grand entrance,” he exclaimed, brushing his hair back, his voice reverberating through the entire space, “Mari-chan even helped me come up with it! Isn’t she the greatest?!” He asked, nuzzling the pillow.

“................”

[.....................]

The cheers soon faded in favor of silence. The question from the eccentric teacher was so weird and off handed that they’d all opted to say nothing at all.

“I can’t catch a break, can I?” Neigh questioned, rubbing the back of his head.

“Don’t worry about it! I thought it was pretty top notch, Teach! Your Path’s super flashy as always!” Forte broke the silence.

“I agree! You were on fire, Mr. Banner! Literally!” chimed in Evie with a thumbs up and smile.

Neigh shot them a victory sign “Thank you, Mayer, Evie! I guess sometimes it’s a tough crowd, y’know?

“...Either this is a dry spell for him, or he just always gets this result,” Reito mumbled, rubbing his hand over his face. “So you’re supervisin’ this one, Teach?”

“Yep,” Neigh confirmed, covering the mic. “Mayer came and asked me, himself. So, I thought, eh, might as well! That way, I can see my new work in action, let those Nei-spheres fly! Now then,” he said, pulling out two more mini mics and throwing them towards Reito and Evie, “you two, catch!”

Catching them, they put them into place. Evie gave Neigh a nod, prompting him to release flames from his hand that surrounded them overhead in an arc shape. She then pulled her mask up and got behind Reito as he began to move, feeling the heat rush to his face.

Can’t believe I’m doin’ this…, he regretted as his face twitched a little. “Huuuhh? What’s up with that mysterious duo, takin’ the stage with such grace, and where’d they come from?” He asked, holding a hand up to his ear and leaning to the side a bit, trying to hide the fact that he was sweating.

Evie Transferred to his side, standing straight up with her two hands clasped, as if she planned to weave hand signs at any moment. “Could you blame them? Those who rule the night rarely receive vindication from those who thrive in the time of the Morn. We could at least inform them of our moniker,” she said, reaching her hand to her partner as he grabbed it and tossed her upwards, helping her jump gain height.

Before she could get burned by the flames, Neigh made them part, allowing her to slip through and perform several elegant aerial flips.

“Whether we arrive later than ya think.” Reito continued, putting his hands on the ground and backflipping to the side. 70D 4S, he thought, as he began to smile, completely unaware of it happening.

Finishing her flips and now, she gathered lightning around her hands and threw it down, making a web above the fire, and bouncing off of it to land safely on the ground in a crouch.

“Or quickly on the scene!”

After a few seconds, the impact went off, creating just enough wind pressure to make the flames and lightning dissipate, creating a dazzling after effect, to which the crowd responded with gasps and sounds of pure awe.

"Choreography before a match?!"

"Amazing~ It’s like a lightshow~!"

“When we join forces, even God himself cowers in fear,” the two stood side by side. “Our name is Storm’s Impact, the strongest ninja duo! And to the two who stand before us we’ve got only one thing to say,” they gave a joint thumbs down, get out of our way!”

"Awesome! That’s the Fulgur Shade for ya!"

"EVIE! EVIE! EVIE!"

the crowd chanted, riled up by the entrance.

"SHE EVEN MADE THAT USODACHI GUY LOOK KINDA COOL!”

Shizuka smiled unusually wide. Those two, so that’s what they were working on, talk about setting the stage!

Evie...Usodachi... Now I’m really ready for this! Chikara’s eyes lit up

“Evie-chan really pulled out all the stops,” he said, stars in his eyes. He quickly shook his head to get back on track “Damn, if I wasn't stuck with you, I could’ve done something just as-! Gold...?”

He noticed Gold was on edge, his fist clenched, and eyebrows slightly furrowed as he glared Reito and Evie’s way. Those two...! Gold clenched his fist

I’ll just leave him be. Fer some reason...I feel like it’d be a good idea, he surmised.

“Is that a smile I see,” Evie teased, smirking at Reito who wore an uncharacteristically excited look, “what happened to the Tochi that dreaded the thought of doing something like this? You even exaggerated some of it.”

He quickly wiped the look off of his face and shrugged. “You’re seein’ things,” he denied, taking the mic off and tossing it to Neigh, “as far as the choreography, I thought that if I half assed it, then I’d end up embarresin’ myself even more.” Although, truth be told, it reminded me of fighting game character intros, so I got a bit too into it... he kept that last part to himself.

“Uber nice, you two!” He praised them, catching both of the mics. “Of course, what do you expect when you’ve got my help? Mari-chan almost shed a tear even!”

“I’m glad I asked you about it Mr. Banner, thanks a bunch!” Evie thanked him, fist pumping.

“No prob! Okay—back on track,” he segued, uncovering his mic. “Today’s Special Match is a 2 versus 2 between the team of Gold and Forte Mayer, and Evie Tanaka and Reito Usodachi. The former team's victory will force Usodachi into the Student Council Treasurer position, while the latter’s will give him freedom to decline the invitation to do so, while also giving them the ranks of the losers, should either team refuse to fulfill the conditions upon loss, they’ll be expelled on the spot. With that said, let the battle begin!”

“Combat Start!”

Prompted by the A.I, the simulation began to take form around the four, when the blue dome had completely taken shape, the biome they were standing in was a Rainforest, with trees of many kinds. Some skinny, some huge—all of them vast and leafy. Vines spread throughout the area. The stadium floor turned into a soft ground with traces of shed vegetation, leaves, branches, and stems.

Gold stared at Reito, who sent one right back, although his stare didn’t carry even a smidgen of the animosity that the latter did. Cold blue against bold black eyes, Reito wasn't really sure how to take it.

The hell? I know we’re fightin’, but he's lookin’ over here like he’s got some kinda personal issue with me, Reito noticed.

Gold turned his back to him while clicking his tongue. “Tch.”

So that’s it, Reito thought, his expression turned to a livid frown. Lookin’ down on me... Who the does he think he is?

“Tochi...remember the plan,” she reminded him.

“Oh, I remember...just changin’ one small little detail,” he told her, bolting off in Gold’s direction, “This guy’s mine, you take the other one! Rank one or not, I can’t stand that condesendin’ attitude!”

“Wait!” She called out to him. Regardless of what she said, his anger made him tune out anything that could’ve stopped him.

Taking out one of the spheres from the holster and immediately aiming it. 60D 4.5S, he thought, throwing it forwards, from what I’ve been told, you’ve got above average senses, but this should at least trip ya up! He thought, heading toward his target to hit him with an elbow strike.

He blocked it effortlessly by putting his hand behind his back, as if he’d been told the exact position moments before it was even planned. Reito flinched and tried to retreat a few feet back, only to be held in place by an iron grip.

His senses...they were right! He saw through me clear as day, but, he looked up to see the sphere he threw ricochet up and toward Gold’s leg, that should be-

Before he could finish that thought, Gold used his free hand and caught the sphere with two fingers mere centimeters before it hit its intended mark. “...Is that all?” he asked him, slightly turning his head.

To Reito, Gold began to emit a frightening aura. He expected the attack to at least make him stumble, but there he was, stopping both advances in their tracks while standing completely still, and from his perspective, it’s like he didn’t even move an inch. He was released while Gold reeled back and hit him with a karate kick to the chest followed by a roundhouse kick that hit the side of his stomach, sending him flying.

“Tochi!” Evie shouted, concerned.

[That’s Gold for you...he’s not called The Seer for nothing!]

[It’s like he doesn’t have blindspots, and I’ve heard he’s never even been hit before!]

“Oh man...Rei…” Shizuka mumbled under her breath.

That’s not gonna cut it, Usodachi...Gold’s a different beast from me… Chikara thought, seeing that even with a new weapon at his disposal and days of training, beating Gold would still be extremely difficult.

“I knew it! Sentokashi’s a complete joke!” laughed Forte.

“N-No way! Not even a flinch?!”

He flipped his body to recover, putting him in a position where his feet stopped on the base of a tree trunk he was about to be sent through, then, using that as a foot hold, he kicked off of it and made a lunge toward Gold once more.

One more time! Maybe there’s some kinda weakness, an openin’. Anything!

Leaping into action, Forte ran in front of him to stop his second try, grabbing him by the shirt collar mid-jump. “Not so fast. What, ya think yer too good ta fight me?” He cockily grinned before throwing him a sizable distance away from the three.

“Gah! Damn it!” Reito cursed.

“Mayer...he’s yours,” Gold ordered.

“I don’t need yer say so, I just don’t like being ignored, so I’ll take care of that guy. But,” he started, pointing a finger at his partner, “if I see even a scratch on Evie-chan’s arm guards or forehead protector by the time I’m done with him, I’ll kick yer ass next. Hear that?” He turned toward the girl of the subject, “l-later Evie-chan d-do your best~” He wished her luck with a sheepish smile before giving chase to Reito.

Gold could only scoff at him. “Hmph...idiot,” he slowly turned toward Evie with a come on gesture and a cold glare. “Come, Tanaka...”

She shivered while the image tall figure with a similar glare flashed through her mind before lightly slapping her face with both hands, letting her get her focus back. Calm down...don’t be scared Evie, anyone can be beaten. And what’s more, you’ve got your secret weapon now, you can win! Having psyched herself up, she clad her hands in lightning and lunged toward the stoic boy.

Aaarrrrrrrgh! Damn that guy! He threw everythin’ off, growled Reito as he got up to his feet. First, I’ve gotta hurry back, then find a way to land even a halfway decent hit on that guy...

His run back to Gold was postponed, as he had to roll out of the way of a handstand spin kick that Forte sent his way. The ensuing wind pressure from the attack kicked up some of the foliage, making Reito shield his eyes before uncovering them.

“Not so fast, Enotachi! Where do ya think yer goin’-?!” Before Forte could finish, he slide under a straight palm strike from Reito

Reito shook his hand out. “Gettin’ past ya,” or at least tryin’ to. And it's Usodachi.”

“Awww! Sooorrry! Can’t be bothered to remember the name of some two bit side character I don’t give a rat’s ass about.”

“What a coincidence. Just so happens, I couldn’t care less about you, either. Damn Loudspeaker...”

Forte pushed a few buttons on his Walkman while he smiled. “Loudspeaker, eh...? If anythin’, that’s a compliment. I live my life making sure everybody hears me, anyway,” his smile turned into a goofy grin. “Especially Evie-chan~,” he closed his eyes, starting another one of his jam sessions. “Ch-check it out! It’s showtime, baby~!” he sang in English.

English? Seriously? I don’t have time for this, Reito clenched his fist, ready to take action. He threw a straight palm strike, only for Forte to meet him halfway with a handstand spin kick. Their clash kicked up dust all around them.

What? His eyes were closed...weren’t they? Reito blinked.

“Why so giddy, can’t ya wait until I’m done? Come on, if ya rush into things, we’re not gonna have a lick of fun,” Forte rapped with a cocky smile.

Forte won the clash and the kick smacked Reito’s hand away, causing him to stumble back. Catching his footing, he spun and tried to backfist Forte’s side. But he retracted his legs and spun low on the ground to sweep Reito’s legs, then slammed his hand on the ground, spinning to unleash a kick to his back, sending Reito flying.

“Hngh!” Shit! He does fight like he’s breakdancin’—and his movements are so smooth! Reito took notice as he flew face first into a tree.

He got up, rubbing the mark on his face the blow gave him, but Forte didn’t let up, hurling his foot straight towards Reito, who in turn, cartwheeled to the side, leaving the attack to plow through the tree’s trunk.

“Slippery bastard,” Forte clicked his tongue, trying to retract his stuck leg from the trunk.

“Well, now that you’re stuck, don’t blame me for takin’ the chance,” Reito said, cladding his elbow in aura and ramming it towards Forte’s stomach, “Retribution Fist: Canon Buster!”

Forte hit a button on his Walkman. “Iron Man!”

He hit his mark clear as day, but, much to his surprise, Forte took the blow without even flinching. What was even more odd was the fact that the impact produced a “clang”.

“Ugh! Reito reeled back and winced, rubbing his throbbing elbow. Damn it! That hurt! Is he made of lead or somethin’?!

“What a weak ass hit. How the hell did someone like you beat Chikara?” Forte asked with a disappointed look, reverse roundhouse kicking Reito in the side. “Somethin’ like that won’t even put a dent in my Iron Man.”

Pain shot through Reito’s midsection as he started to skid a few meters away, Reito grabbed his side. No good, he’s pretty solid, even though I expected as much, he thought, rushing toward Forte once more, “My next best bet is-

He unleashed a flurry of punches on Forte’s vitals.

“70D 2.5S: Stacked Impact!”

Forte’s smile faded. “Shit! Delayed Impact?! If that goes off, I’m...!”

The multiple impacts went off one by one, pounding into his chest as he was pushed back by each individual strike’s power. When they finally subsided, his eyelid dipped up and down as he tried to stay conscious. Eventually, his struggle ended moments after, as he began to fall over and pass out.

[Rhythm King’s down already?!]

“I got him,” Reito mumbled, breathing a sigh of relief. “He was tough...but compared to Meat Tank, he fell pretty fast-”

All of a sudden, his descent was stopped as he planted both feet firmly on the ground. His eyes opened back up in a flash accompanied by a confident smile. “Psyche! Man, yer dumb!”

[There he goes! It was all a mind game!]

[Yeah! After all, if he went down that fast, he wouldn’t be number 3! Go, Rhythm King!]

“Not dow-?” Reitos speech was cut short by a Forte giving him a punishing knee to the face, sending him onto his back. “Ugggh!” He tricked me! He realized, rolling on the ground and covering his now tear filled face, hoping to calm the stinging pain.

“I’ll give ya credit for pushing me back a little,” Forte told him, pounding his chest, producing more metallic clanging, “but that’s it. Too bad, so sad!” He boisterously chuckled, flipping Reito off with his right hand while the other occupied his pocket.”

Getting up off the ground, Reito shook his head and wiped his tears. As he put his hand down, blood trickled from his right nostril. What the hell am I doin’...? I shouldn’t have let my guard down. I should’ve listened to her warnin’ from the jump. I just...needed to know if anythin’ else would work... He started thinking about his training from the past day.

“What about that Mayer guy, how does his Path work?” He asked Evie, guarding against a kick she sent his way. They were in the training rooms chipping away at the remainder of their time.

“Hmmm, Maestro’s power’s a bit...odd,” she said, letting her leg down and cupping her chin. “He calls it Rhythm Sync—he’s a Rhythm Bond human. Depending on the type of music he’s listening to, it has a unique effect on his body.

She backed away and brought her hands up to help illustrate her point. “If it’s Jazz, he gets real limber, he’ll move like he doesn’t weigh a thing and slip through attacks by matching their wavelengths. If It’s Rock N’ Roll, He won’t tire and his attacks get a slight amp, he can also fire sound waves off for a short period of time. As a side note, If he calls out Chainsaw Medley, run like hell."

“N-Noted,” he stuttered.

“When he’s listening to Heavy Metal, you’ll find it hard to put a dent in him. It’s like he’s an invincible iron pirate~!” She sang the last bit.

Figures, someone like her would read Jump mags, he thought. “That’d be tough. Any weaknesses to that one specifically?” He asked, taking out two spheres, tapping them on the sides and throwing them.

She ducked one of the spheres, keeping an eye on Reito’s improving movements. “Just one—although, I’ve only seen it happen once.”

The other sphere’s impact had yet to go off, so it rebounded into her lower calf, tripping her up. Reito used this opportunity to attack. Bringing both hands in front of him, Aura began to gather around his fingertips, only this time, the energy seemed to girate.

Evie raised her hands in front of her chest to guard. He got me!

“Retribution Fist Secret Technique: Phantom Gash!”

He drove his fingertips forward toward her solar plexus with tremendous force, knocking the wind out of her sending her flying into the training room wall. “Ack!”

She soon got up, she slowly tried to regain her breath.

“Another one of Ms.Mitsuki’s moves!” Shizuka exclaimed from the other side of the glass.

“I definitely felt that one,” she admitted, smiling, rising to her feet while still huffing, “Even though you hit my guard I only felt it hit my stomach. What was that technique...?

Reito looked down, staring at his hands as if he’d used them for the first time. “Long story short, it’s a move that pierces and hits internally. ...Or somethin’ like that.”

“Can’t say for sure... The only person who’s ever broken through Iron Man was Kara after eating. But if it ignores defense no matter what...”

Canon Buster was a bust for him—Stacked Impact as well. Both techniques worked just fine on Chikara, but here, they did him no good. I know what she said, but it’s still a gamble. Tch, and with my shitty luck, well...guess I’ve got nothin’ to lose if I don’t use it, he grit his teeth, readying his fingertips.

He bolted toward Forte with as much speed as he could muster, aura building on his fingertips

Woah, he’s kinda quick! and what’s with that weird energy? Forte took a step back. “The hell are ya doin’?! Two hands won’t change much of anythin’! You a complete idiot?!

He put his hands on the ground and spun his body around to kick, while Reito slid under it. Having finally reached him, Reito unleashed the technique.

Forte thought to himself in a split second, smiling. It’s fine, I’ve still got Iron Man on! He shouldn-

Reito let out a roar. “Phantom Gash!”

Hitting him dead on in the solar plexus, Forte’s face lost his smile as his mouth went agape—the whites of his eyes visible as his breath was forced out of his body. Trees close to them shook while any leaves, plants or pebbles on the ground were forced away by the wind pressure produced by the attack, and he was forced away and flew straight through two trees.

Reito slowly clenched and unclenched his fist, performing Aura based moves like that always gave him a cathartic tingling sensation

The crowd was in awe.

"Unreal...he broke through Mayer’s Iron Man?"

"B-but Mayer has the best defense in Kita...how’d someone like him break it?"

"He used the same kind of technique against Zeno’o, could he actually be kind of strong?"

“There’s that style of his. If it’s anything like when he fought me, that had to hurt like hell... Seeing it from up here—it’s so precise. Every time he attacks, he goes straight for vital points to break the receiver’s body down. If he’s got more techniques like that...he might even stand a chance against Gold...” Chikara assessed.

“There ya go, Rei!” Shizuka whispered. “Give ‘em hell!

“His fighting style has an unorthodox look to it. Recognizable or not, it sure packs a punch, and it’s a bit elegant too.” Neigh thought. “That energy, though... Was he using...?”

Forte slowly got up, holding his stomach while trying to get his breathing under control. Looking up, he saw Reito walking toward him from a distance.

“Hey...no fair! What’dja do?! The school stats say that yer Path is a Delayed Impact, but...that’s some kinda martial art! How the hell does a no good lazy ass like you even stumble into somethin’ like that?!

“Even if I wanted to tell ya...it’s too long of a story,” he said, looking down at his hands. “The only thing I can say to ya is,” he brought his fist forward and looked Forte dead in his eyes. “I’ve got no intention of bein’ your punchin’ bag anymore. So come on,” he said, taking the same stance he took against Chikara.

“Show me whatcha got, “Rhythm King.”