Chapter 10: Oddly Chivalrous

Having blown Forte away with his technique, Reito dashed towards him, Aura engulfing his hands. His kicks are still a problem, he acknowledged, each one of ‘em hits like a ton of bricks.

Forte got up, holding his stomach and preparing to intercept his attack. “Shit, the hell was that?

Forte was confident of his Iron Man’s durability, but it could be broken with enough force. Feels like somethin’ pierced right through me,” he thought, as he quickly hit a button on his Walkman before attempting to meet the incoming attack with a handstand side kick. “Alright, Rockin’ Mode: Function Femur!”

Reito saw this and took a breath. “Gotta remember what Granny said, match my Aura’s wavelength with his attack’s in an instant,” his Grandmother’s teachings flew through his mind as he moved. Now! As quick as I can...and like Shion said...no hesitation! He brushed his palm past Forte’s leg and diverted his kick in one smooth motion.

I missed? No...it was that weird energy again. How in th-? Forte pondered as he saw Reito reel his other fist back as it was covered in Aura. Tch! Damn it!” He pressed another button on his Walkman, “Iron Ma- Ugh!” The punch hit him dead in the stomach, the Aura protruding out of his back as he winced and skidded away. Why is he so different all of a sudden...?!

Neigh whistled. “How ‘bout that? Usodachi was getting thrashed a second ago! Now, all of a sudden, he’s the one in control of the fight!”

His commentary couldn’t have been more true—the tides of battle had turned, leaving the audience stunned.

“That Usodachi guy...is he actually beating Rhythm King?!”

“He’s different from a moment ago...he’s like he’s another person altogether!”

Reito took his stance again and looked at his fist with a thought. “That hag...I’m nowhere near her level; it’s shitty in comparison.

Still a novice at Retribution Fist, whether he could draw Aura out at all was more luck than anything. Even with this weakness—he found it easier after gathering his thoughts—making it easier to bring the energy to the surface thanks to the breathing technique he’d been taught. He thought Forte was strong, but not more than Gold. He hated it, but leaving Gold to Evie was more favorable—this fight felt winnable.

Then, he noticed something odd; a jittery sensation in his palm. ...Hmm? That’s not Aura... Wha...?

As the feeling drew his attention, Forte lept toward him with a backwards flying roundhouse kick. “Hey! What gives ya the right to daydream when yer fightin’ me?! Rockin’ Mode!” He shouted.

“Crap! Thought he’d be reelin’ for a little longer!” Reito narrowly ducked the full force of the kick, although it still grazed him, drawing a streak of blood and leaving scratch on his cheek. “Ya left yourself wide open, idiot!” Reito insulted, readying an uppercut to counter. “Eat th-!”

He felt the same strange vibration as earlier at his cheek, before quickly swelling reverberating throughout his head, making it shake.

He reeled back, hands firmly clasped around his ears. “DAMMIT, OUUUCHHH! POUNDIN’...! MY EARS ARE POUNDIN’! MAKE IT STOP!”

“Make it stop, huh? Well, since yer askin’ of me-,” Forte answered, a vein standing out atop his forehead, “I’ll take it as a song request! I’ll call it, “Black And Blue Bastard’s Rhapsody, Forte Mix!”

He broke into a handstand spin at high-speed, the repeated motion blurring his person as he collided into Reito!

“Rockin’ Tempo Act 2: D.J. Table Kick Mix!”

Gah! Not good! I can’t focus! Reito thought as he was hit with multiple kicks to the body. It started at his kidneys, then up to his ribs, each individual strike causing the vibrations to disperse over his entire body while he was forced back further and further, until he finally spat up blood.

“Argh! Guah!

“And now, the finale!” He shouted, driving a somersault kick straight into Reito’s jaw, causing him to lose his footing. But before he could finish his fall, Forte circled around him for one final attack, kicking him in the back and sending him flying.

I let my guard down, he has an ability I didn’t know about! Reito figured, shaking his head to recover from his beating. He noticed an upcoming vine in his path and reached out to grab it. Although unfortunately, it snapped, so he came to a stop by spinning out. “Come on, seriously-?” He asked, skidding on the ground on his side before stopping shortly afterward. Blood drizzled from his mouth as he slowly raised his head. “What...was that...? My ears just started ringin’ all of a sudden, like I just pumped a day's worth of music into my ears at full blast.

“Yo, yo, check it out! Here’s an encore straight to yer chest! Nothin like a Bass Drop!” Forte shouted, following up by driving his foot down toward Reito in a stomp that made a loud, distorted sound.

Reito’s eyes popped open. Quick! He gathered his strength and rolled out of the way before backflipping onto his feet a safe distance away. Now, out of harm's way, he wiped his mouth and spat blood to the side before addressing his opponent. “Thanks for the warnin’, stupid. If ya kept your mouth shut, I would’ve been hit for sure.” Although, I’m glad he did, he insulted Forte, keeping that last bit to himself.

“Say whatever ya want about it,” he proclaimed, jabbing his thumb to his chest as his eyebrows furrowed, “but this is the way I operate!” A fight’s nothin’ but a more than an in depth dance at the end of the day. And what’s a dance without loud music to go along with it? That’s my way of brawlin’, I call it, Fightin’ Music style! Normally, breakin’ looks cool as hell on it’s own, but by usin’ the rotation of my spins, along with my different modes, the force of my attacks shoots up a ton!”

“Ah, there it is! One of Mayer’s famous spiels! Guess he’s getting pretty serious about this.”

Neigh was right on the money, it wasn’t hard to see that Forte had begun to take this a bit more seriously.

“So that’s why you’re able to move so weird every time you attack, and why I can’t match your moves to any specific martial art. Though I gotta say,” he started, raising his eyebrows and letting his eyelid hang low, “Fightin’ music? Man...that’s a sucky name... What’re ya, a grade schooler?”

“What didja-?! Arghhhh!” Not feeling too pleased by Reito’s comment, Forte rushed him; aggressively thrusting his leg forward in a side kick. Reito looked to counter, dodging Forte’s leg and readying a backfist.

“Ugh!”

But, to his surprise, Forte swiftly transitioned into a punishing knee strike to his midsection. He grit his teeth and bared it, though, maintaining his stance so he could grab Forte by the shirt and throw him to the ground, sending him sliding.

“Who’s the grade schooler here?!” Forte spat, spinning to his feet. Only someone who still has their soft spot in the first place wouldn’t hear that and go, “Wow, Forte-san! A cool name for an even cooler guy’s fightin’ style!”, just like that! See?!!!

Reito could only pinch the bridge of his nose. “...You talk too damn much, just shut up alrea- Urk!” He started before stopping to cover his ears again; along with his chest. Two places this time...?

“Heh...it’s still eatin’ atcha. Enjoyin’ my special after effect?” Forte asked, his grin shining with self-assurance; hands in his pockets as he raised his vibrating left leg. “See, my Rockin’ mode lets me vibrate my body, and gives my attacks a lil added kick, pun entirely intended. But it goes way beyond that. The sensation yer feelin’ is a sub effect I call Subwoofer Surge. Even gettin’ scraped by me when I’m like this’ll send vibrations corsin’ through yer body. In other words—I strike ya with a beat so great that it’ll stop ya before ya get to operate.”

“What an annoyin’ ability,” Reito discredited, taking his hands down, “in that case, it fits ya, perfectly. Still, why wouldja tell me about it? Now that I know what’s happenin’ I’m gonna be even more prepared.”

“The element of surprise, ya mean? That ain’t my style, anyway, and besides, tellin’ ya won’t change a damn thing anyways, I’ll nail ya every time after this anyway, guaranteed!” After all,” he glared at him, his tone starting to drip with animosity “I’ve got a bone to pick with ya...bastard.”

Reito raised an eyebrow. “With me...? We just met a few days ago. What did I even do?”

“Don’t play dumb with me! You pissed me off in a way I can’t overlook,” he yelled, as his fist trembled, “you...youuuuu... YER WEARIN' MATCHIN’ FOREHEAD PROTECORS WITH EVIE-CHAN BEFORE I GOT TOOOOOO!!!” He shouted to the sky, his eyes white with fury.”

“........Huh...?” Reito tilted his head in confusion.

“DAMN IT ALL, WHY’RE YOU THE LUCKY ONE?!! I SWEAR, SEEIN’ THAT ON YOUR FOREHEAD MAKES ME SO HEATED I COULD CRY BLOOD, DAMN IT, DAMN IT, DAMN IT!!!!”

“He’s always admired her in general, so it’s no surprise he’d be angry at something like that,” said Chikara as he watched his friend’s anguish.

....Is...is he serious...? All of this because of a piece of headwear you could probably just buy for cheap at a Kami-con? “Although...come to think of it...you’ve hit me everywhere except my forehead. That girl…. could she have actually made me wear this because she knew he wouldn’t strike it?” He mumbled, an image of his partner’s sneaky grin coming to mind. Then again...she seems pretty oblivious to the way he feels about her...so maybe not.

Either way, he felt like the information made things easier. With a cunning smirk, he made a beeline for Forte.”

Forte took notice and calmed down some before addressing him. “I wasn’t finished with my gripes yet, damn it!” he yelled, before doing another handstand kick aimed towards the neck, “Function Fem- Wha?!”

Before he could make contact, Reito ducked, putting the forehead protector in the path of the attack, causing the Rhythm King to stop in his tracks.

Chance! He thought, his expression growing creepier as he palm struck Forte in the middle of the chest, pushing him back.

“Urk! Graaaghh! Why I ough-! Guuh!” He growled, countering with an uppercut knee, only for Reito to put his forehead in front of the attack once more.

“Awww, how considerate of ya~” Reito joked, sliding a backhand across Forte’s face.

“Guah!”

Alright Teach, Reito reached into the holster on his side to bring out two more of his spheres, let’s put these babies to the test, 100D 5S! He threw the spheres directly at his opponent

That’s quick, I can’t- Forte didn’t even have time to finish a thought as he was hit by both of the spheres in his clavicle and rib respectively, sending him flying back. “Argh!”

“That'll definitely hurt,” Neigh told the audience as he watched the battle. I made each one of those spheres to weigh 6kgs, exactly. Not only that, they’re compact, making them perfect for hitting vitals with precision. Meaning-

Forte flipped and forcefully drove his feet to the ground. Shoot! He got me! And his impact could go off at any second! Gotta...!

He made a quick call, jumping back and feeling the blows hit a second time as the impacts went off, forcing him back even further while a small cracking sound came from his ribs before he stumbled around and gained traction once more.

Didn’t...hurt as much… “Ack!”

“The kid might be lazy, but the way he fights requires a lot more work and skill in order to get what he wants,” Neigh observed. “At the end of the day, a Pathos’ body is structured the same as a Norma’s—strike the vitals a bit—and you’ll slowly become unable to fight back. I made those Nei-Spheres with the concept of him closing distances in mind, but using them to increase his options in close combat situations works too. He’s not bad, if a little sloppy.” But chances are...Gold might be able to deal with that approach.

“Augh!” Forte grabbed his side and coughed blood onto the ground. “That guy...did something crack? Not to mention, the front part of my shoulder’s stingin’ bad. Is he tryna stop me from doin’ handstands?” Forte pondered.

The two spheres flew back to Reito as he held his hand down in front of him to catch them and safely placed the weapons back into his holster.

Thanks to the holster bein’ magnetic, gettin’ ‘em back is no trouble. Reito huffed and brushed his thumb across his nose. In his head, he’d hoped by hitting Forte’s shoulders full force, he could stop the main source of his odd movements; his handstand kicks. But, unfortunately for Reito, Forte managed to stave off any major damage, just barely.

And that was one use of my strongest Impact too. Is this guy...not actually a complete idiot?

“Usin’ Evie-chan’s hard work in order to throw me off my game...Dude...yer the Devil, ain’t cha?”

“The Devil?” He questioned, raising an eyebrow. “Dunno what you’re on about. All I did was exploit an easy weakness. Besides, all ya hafta do is stop yourself short before ya hit it,” he explained, grinning and shrugging, “oh, but if ya do that, you’ll just end up talkin’ a beatin’ instead of given’ one, won’tcha?”

“Yeah, I’m at a disadvantage...but it’s not like that matters,” he responded, with a smile creeping onto his face, “if I kick yer ass with a handicap of no forehead kicks, then it’ll make my win even look a billion times better! And once Evie-chan hears about it, she won’t be able to get the thought out of her head~!” He daydreamed with his usual goofy smile and chuckle.

“...I take it back, he’s got brain damage,” mumbled Reito, as he witnessed his opposition in a love struck state. “What’s the deal with you and her anyway, do ya like her or somethin?” He asked.

Forte immediately snapped out of his daze before rubbing his arm and turning away from him with a face as red as a tomato. “Y-Ya c-can’t j-just assume somethin’ like tha-, that a-all on yer o-own, we’re...we’re just buds, a-amigos, ya know, just friends. I-I m-mean, I-I’d t-tell h-her if I was into her, but I’m totally n-not!” He stammered and stuttered, trying to explain his ties with her.

Reito’s eyes shot wide open and his jaw dropped to the floor. SOOOOOOO OBVIOUSSS! ALL THAT TALK WHILE WE BEAT EACH OTHER SENSELESS AND YA GET EMBARRESED BY ABOUT A LITTLE CRUSH?!

“H-Hey!” Forte exclaimed, shaking his head and coming out of his embarrassment. “What’re ya makin’ me say?! I get it...yer tryna distract me by throwin’ confusion’ questions at me, right? Well it won’t work, I’m the kinda guy who won’t waver no matter what! A star’s gotta have complete stability after all!”

...Even if I was halfway decent at dealin’ with people, I feel like this guy would still be a hassle to understand...

Forte ran up, jumping into the air he was still trying to process his mannerisms and brought his fist up to punch him. “Yer wide open, Kentorashi!”

“Here he comes!” Reito raised his arm to block the incoming hit. I know he won’t hit my forehead, so this’ll be easy to black. After that, it’s my turn!

But things weren’t as they seemed. He threw up his guard, but Forte switched attacks to a mid air kick aimed at the opposite side. “Heh, ya haven’t been payin’ enough attention as I thought, have ya?” He said, nailing him in the side of his jaw with a mid air turning kick. “Subwoofer Surge!”

Reito swayed from side to side as his body began to vibrate once more. Poundin’ again...!

Forte swept Reito's pivot leg, sending him spinning like a fan, followed by a roundhouse kick straight to his chest, causing him to spiral towards the ground.

“Ugh!” Reito rose to his feet little by little and grabbed his chest while he winced. Damn, let my guard down, gotta...!

Before Reito could even process what happened, Forte, again, rammed his leg into his shoulder, only barely managing to block it with his forearm. They both clicked their tongues, starting to throw out one attack after the other; both of them vying for the upper hand.

“Everyone around here knows you’ll never see me throw a punch in my life, not my style!”

“Well, ‘scuse me for bein’ outta the loop!”

I’ll give ya one thing, you were able to gain yer footin’ back even after bein’ stunned, and with the Surge hittin’ ya, too? Not bad—not bad at all,” he complimented him with a grin.”

Looking to blow him away—Reito thrust a jab forward. Forte, seeing this, brought up his shin to guard. The two struggled, growling at one another.

“Still hurts,” Reito snapped back, unknowingly returning the smile as a faint amount of blood dripped from his ears, “but I’m not exactly a stranger to pain. I hangout with a girl who beats me senseless every time I so much as think of doin’ somethin’ stupid, so if I’ve experienced it once, I can tolerate everytime after the fact. How do I put it in terms you’ll get? A stone cold girlie’s always slappin’ me around, so there’s no way I wouldn’t be able to eat the force of a lil sound! Ch-check it out!” He rapped, aiming to mock Forte.

“They’re both insanely corny rappers,” Shizuka groaned as she watched them clash. “Even still...Evie can’t...”

“A verse...and a pretty good one at that. Yer just full of surprises, ain’t cha?” Forte responded, knocking Reito away. “Still, I ain’t losin’ to someone like you.”

“Comin’ from the guy who treated my forehead like the plague. I wonder...if ya were fightin’ her, couldja even bring yourself to hit her?”

Forte seemed oddly offended by that notion. “Huh? Whaddya take me for? Of course I’d try as hard as I could to kick her teeth in! If I held back, I’d be doin’ nothin’ but disrespectin’ her—not only as a fighter—but as a women. Pity ain’t cool at all, man,” he confirmed, pushing back even harder as he winced from the pain in his shoulder.”

“Why the obstinacy, then?

“Obviously….The things she makes and loves are different, they’re the result of her passion, somethin’ she worked really hard to create, ya can’t buy anythin’ like that with Glint, Yen, or Dollars. See, I can tell how much love went into a creation just by lookin’ at it, so I end up wantin’ to preserve it as a kindness. No matter what, I’ll never destroy a lady's treasured possessions!”

“Usodachi...is a complete scumbag!”

“Taking advantage of Mayer-San’s kindness! You stink! Go to hell!”

“He’s not as bad as Gold’s being right now, but still!”

The crowd of students didn’t seem to appreciate Reito’s approach to the fight.

The disgust of the girls in the audience was made apparent to everyone except the fighters themselves.

Reito sighed. “Welp, that definitely doesn’t do me any favors in the popularity department, they’re probably chewin’ me out. But I wanna win, so of course I’ll do it. Call me a scumbag if ya want, but that’s the way I fight.”

He noticed Forte’s foot beginning to shake once more, causing the ground in front of him to distort as well.

No good. If I get caught in that...

He swiftly sidestepped the wave, only to see Forte had closed the distance.

“Even though I grilled ya on it, a fights a fight. And as much as I thought this’d be a bore, I’m actually startin’ to have a lil fun, even though I can’t stand ya one bit,” he admitted, circle throwing Reito.

Reito landed and looked at Forte with a light chuckle. “Hate to admit it, but same here,” he divulged as well.

“Heh...what’s yer name again?

“Reito Usodachi... Remember it...I’m the guy who’s gonna be king of this whole City.”

Forte smiled widely as he walked forward, pounding. “Aw, sucks for you, guy. ‘Cause the King spot’s got my name written all over it! So, if ya want it, yer gonna hafta lay me out first! Ya hear that, Gampachiro Kamaboko?!”

...Now he’s not even gettin’ a single syllable right anymore, my name’s not that hard to remember, is it? Reito didn’t dwell on that thought for too long, as he’d begun having fun, just as he did in his match with Chikara. He braced himself.

The moment they both took a step, they heard the sound of cracking thunder, leading them to turn their heads to where their partners were facing off and look up at a giant lightning blade coming down onto the ground.

“Hell yeah! I’ve never seen that technique before! Evie-chan must be pullin’ out all the stops on that bastard! Nice! In that case,” Forte exclaimed, raising his leg up, “I’ll finish this up in 1 minute or less! All or nothin’!”

“1 minute? Hah! I could beat ya in 50 seconds, tops!” Reito one-upped him.

“Graggh! I meant 40 seconds then!” Forte countered.

“Tch, then I’ll do it in 30!”

“................”

“GRAAAAAGHH! Gimme 20, and you’re screwed! TCH! 10 SECONDS THEN, AND QUIT COPYIN’ ME!! URHHYAAAAAA!!!” They roared out in unison, charging at each other, Forte with a roundhouse kick and the Reito with a right hook. Both attacks hit their marks simultaneously, drawing blood from each other as they spun out from the impact.

“Ack!”

“Urk! My ears are ringin’, but it’s not as bad as before! I think I get it, Paths aren’t just some superpower, they're an extention of your body too, if we get worn down, they get weaker too! Then mine too, but I can’t worry about that right now, Reito realized, bouncing off of the ground, “there’s still a Second Impact comin’ straight for ya, 80D 3S!”

Forte was struck hard in the cheek by the ability, causing him to spin in the air upside down. Fuck! It worked out, hurt like hell though! Forte thought with a grin. “By getting hit by the Second Impact, he gained added centrifugal force he couldn’t gain on his own due to his shoulder injury. He knew the next spin he did would need to be one handed. As he placed a hand on the ground, he configured his Walkman once more while 6 inch blades popped out of the front of his shoes.

“Lightweight Jazz Tempo, Act 4: Chainsaw Medley! Don’t worry, I’ll make sure the cuts are shallow!”

“Chainsaw Medley!” Neigh said. “Looks like Mayer wants to end this now!”

As Forte shouted it, he began spinning using only his left arm and fingers to control his momentum and made his way toward Reito.

Usin’ his fingers to shift himself forward, he’s lighter by a good margin alright. Then I guess it’s time for the strategy she told me about... He wore a stern expression,“RUN LIKE HEELLLLLL!!!” , only to sprint away full-force.

Forte was gaining on him, cutting down anything in his path—beit foliage—tree or vine.

“Tch, this ain’t good,” Reito peered over shoulder to see his opponent inching ever closer.

He jumped onto a tree branch and began jumping between every following one that entered his vision. This however didn’t appear to be helping him any better.

If I keep on like this, he’ll get to me in no time. And when he eventually chops a tree while I’m standing on it, I’ll be a sittin’ duck.”

Reito had to weigh his options, if he tried to use vines to restrict Forte, he’d run the risk of them being slashed through. He couldn’t throw the Nei-Spheres either because of the speed he was spinning at and moving. He only had one option, Aura. Of course, he was skeptical about relying on it. I haven’t been able to draw it out since I used it the second time...If I screw this up, I lose..., even with that thought in his head, he jumped into Forte’s path of destruction.

“Yer just gonna take it?! Fine by me, man! If ya think ya stand a chance, just stand there and get slashed!”

Reito raised both hands straight out in front of him and took as deep of a breath as he could in the short amount of time he had.

What does the old bat say? As calm as the ocean. No... Calmer... While just as forceful. Why does every old timer hafta be so cryptic? He wondered, Aura slowly gathering around his fingertips. But...think I got it!

The two collided, Reito being pushed back further and further as he struggled to redirect the attack, the blades slipping through some of the Aura and scratching his skin while blood shed slowly.

Urgh! It’s not perfect, but...!”

“Come on, gimme yer best shot Kamab-,” Forte began to taunt, noticing his spin began to tilt sideways. “What th-?”

“Glady!” Reito shouted as he parted his hands, causing the spin cycle to crash into the ground, leaving the Rhythm King sprawled out on the ground. It hurts, but I managed to pull it off, he assessed in his head.

Now that Forte was reeling, Forte set his sights on the very object that let him manipulate his powers, his Walkman. If he grabbed that and destroyed it, he felt his victory would be guaranteed.

“Ughh. H...how...? Chainsaw Medley’s flow was completely messed up! What-? Forte tried to stand up once more, before noticing an airborne Reito diving toward him and reaching for his Walkman.

“Got it! You’re dounn?!”

It appeared to be an easy steal, but Forte abruptly spun on his hand and kicked him away.

“Gak!

Forte leered at him, his eyes sharpened and his brows furrowed. “What do ya think yer doin’?! His tone was hardened compared to earlier. “I’d rather be beaten within an inch of my life than let anyone ever, ever put a hand on my this! ...Big mistake!

Shoot, I couldn’t get there in time, Reito fretted. I thought we’d just keep going like we were if I didn’t get it!

“Now yer definitely gonna get it!” Forte threatened as he configured his Walkman and reeled his leg back.” Act 5: Jet Set Wave!” He kicked at the air, producing sound waves.

Worried at first, Reito could only make out the attack’s path by how the waves distorted the air, making ripples. He also noticed they were moving at a snail’s pace. Compared to Lightnin’ Bug’s thunderbolts, this seems like a slideshow.

As if it was nothing to him, he cartwheeled out of harm’s way—or so he thought.

Obvious. I knew ya’d do that. Forte’s eye’s shone a glint. May not look like much to ya at a glance; but on the rebound...

The sound wave bounced off the trees and the ground, progressively getting faster with each bound.

“Gotcha!”

Crap! Why didn’t I think about that?! Sound waves bounce off of stuff! Before he could try to figure out a way out of being hit by it, the wave rammed into his body and suspended him in mid-air. “They’re not loud...but I c-can’t...!

Forte approached him from behind. “Hope yer ready; this is payback for even thinkin’ about touchin’ my Walkman,” he said, stepping forward in a stomp and twisting his body to slam his elbow into Reito’s lower back. “Eat this!”

Reito coughed up blood. “Gack!”

Act 6: Forte Max Amp!” He shouted as the surrounding air distorted from the vibrations coming off of the attack.

Not long after, he was launched quite a ways away.. “Guuuuaaaahh!”

“Go flyin, ya bastard!”

Neigh hissed, almost being able to feel the pain from Forte’s attack, himself.

“Another one of Mayer’s special attacks. Looks like he’s bringing the fight the other two’s way!”

Rei! Shizuka worried. You got too sure!

“What’s the problem, Tanaka? Didn’t you say something about caving my skull in?” Gold questioned Evie, who was holding her bloodied left arm as she breathed raggedly.

“That’s...right! Urk- A-and don’t you forget it... I’ll make you sorry!” She rebutted in a resentful tone, trying to bear the pain shooting throughout her arm.

“Seems like Gold has Tanaka beat. She did better than most I’ve seen face him, but in the end, I guess even a Nature Command type is no match for him.

“Tanaka-san’s losing? Well, guess it is against Gold.”

“Yeah... Even though he talked all that smack earlier, can’t exactly say he shouldn’t be so sure of himself. Facts are facts—he’s never been beaten—not one.

Hearing the crowd’s judgments, Chikara clenched his fist.

Evie... Even after all that, Gold’s making her look like small potatoes.

Gold scoffed at Evie’s persistence.

“Oh? And how exactly are you going to do that? Think about it logically, here—you haven’t been able to scratch me since your little doping stunt. Not only that,” he went on, examining her frame,” everything I said I’d do is happening without skipping a beat. Your arm’s already out of commision, so that leaves a few 100 more bones to shatter. Unless you actually think you can fight back, this time.”

Here he comes... She braced herself,” but I’ve barely got anything left in me. Maybe it’s time fo-

Before her thought could finish, Reito suddenly came barrelling into her. “Guhh!” Both of them were knocked to the ground.

“Ack! Damn,” Reito whined, rubbing his back, “that smarts! He got pissed all of a sudden and blew me away!”

Evie sat up and rubbed her head. “Owie... That hur- Huh?! Tochi?! What’re you doing back here?!”

He’d noticed that Evie was propped up next to him. “Huh? I flew that far? Er...wasn’t tryna end up back here, Lightnin’ Bug. I was handlin’ that loudmouth until...” he was about to explain, before getting distracted by the state of her arm. “Woah! That looks rough! Can ya even still fight like that?!”

“No problem… Aside from the broken arm I’m still in tip-top shape! Super great!” She lied through her teeth, giving it her all to force a smile that would reassure him. “Wait, nevermind that! What are you doing back here?! Are you even trying to stick to the plan?!”

He looked away. “W-Well...I uhh...ran into a minor issue, is all,” he looked at her arm. A messed up limb...I guess that ain’t too bad of a trade for downin’ someone like him, he told himself, assuming she’d already worn him down. “Come to think of him...where’d he go?”

The small fry came back, huh? No problem,” Gold’s voice shot out from behind them, putting both his hands out as they turned around.

From behind! They both panicked, trying to step away from him. It was too little too late, though, as Gold pinned them down by their necks.

“Mayer’s an idiot, but he did a good enough job, wearing you down. Usodachi... Although I would’ve beat you easily had the situations been swapped;he just seemed so gung-ho about fighting you, specifically. So, to avoid an argument, I just let him have his fun.”

Uggghh! What’s with this guy?! He fought her for this long and he’s still got some strength?! Reito wondered.

He didn’t look it, but Gold was quite strong, physically, able to hold both of them down despite their best efforts to break his grip. Reito noticed his way of speaking changed as well. The boy who only spoke in short sentences and a stoic tone had now decided to speak a lot more.

What’s this guy’s deal?!

D-Damn it...! If only I’d perfected Fulgur Mail, I’d have had enough strength to move right now, Evie regretted, struggling to get up.

Normally she could just shock Gold right off of her, but with Reito caught as well, any electricity she shot out would chain to him as well.

Even with Tochi’s efforts... Is it over?

“I’m not done with ya yet! Here I come!” Forte shouted, sprinting towards the three, only to stop in his tracks once he noticed his crush pinned down by his partner. “Oi, Gold! Whaddya think yer doin’ to Evie-chan?! I swear if her forehead protector or armguards have even one knick through ‘em, yer finished! And fer another, that guy’s mine to take down, so but ou-”

Gold didn’t even make a sound, he just gave him a stone cold glare, causing Forte to waver and take a half step back.

“Pipe. Down. Try being a little more observative before you make crass observations like that,” he demanded, gesturing down at the girl.

Even though her arm was broken and blood ran down her face, there wasn’t a single scratch on the two items that he’d asked him not to touch. They looked as they did before the fight even began.

“I made sure to steer clear of them while we battled, but only because I knew you wouldn’t shut up about it if I actually damaged either of the two. Look, even her dogi is basically unscathed, if a bit dirty,” he communicated, while turning his head to Reito, “and for this one, I’ll still leave knocking him out to you. You’ve got that final attack you’re so proud of ready to go, after all, don’t you?”

“Y-yeah... I guess. And since her stuff’s still in good condition...I guess there’s nothing wrong with getting it over with...” Forte admitted, rubbing the back of his head. “Man, and I was just startin’ to have a lil fun. But a fight’s gotta come to an end at some point, just like a music comp,” he concluded, putting a hand on his headphones.

“Perfect. If I know anything about Mayer, it’s that he’s scared of me. Not only that, he’s sweet on anyone of the opposite sex, especially Tanaka. Gold knew it was a technique that Forte could control the output of, so he’d likely turn down the output and go easy on her. He also knew that she would most likely fight until she couldn’t move a muscle, even with a broken arm..and more over, I doubt she’d stop fighting, even with a major impairment. Reito would definitely be out of the picture though, leaving nothing to stop him from continuing her beat down. Then, I can finally put this mark on my flawless record behind me, he smirked.

“Psst...Lightnin’ Bug,” Reito whispered to his partner, careful to only let her hear him, “what’s he up to...?”

“To put it bluntly...he’s gonna to demolish our eardrums.”

“Here it comes, the Rhythm King’s Grand Bluenote Stinger! This is it!”

“It’s a bummer, both of them fought really hard, I was even cheering for Usodachi for a second.”

Usodachi...Evie. Get outta there...somehow, Chikara wished for their escape.

Shizuka sat at the edge of her seat while doing the same. “You guys... have some secret plan, right?...Right? Come on, you can win, just get up already!”

“That can’t be how you go out, can it, kid? Tanaka?” Even Neigh looked a little worried.

“All right! Are ya ready?! This is one bass drop that yer not gonna wanna miss!” Forte shouted as he hit a button on his Walkman. “Here we go,” he exclaimed, putting his hands out and moving them back and forth to imitate a D.J., “Rockin’ Mode: Act 1...”

The air was filled with vibrations and a loud booming sound. With each passing second, it grew louder and louder.

“He can pick who it affects, so Gold’s safe... only problems are the windup, about 15 seconds. Maestro’s a bit of a showboat, after all. The other problem is that he needs to focus,” she elaborated.

“How many transfers do ya have left in ya?”

“Two. Why do you...”

“Just think of it as me makin’ up for screwin’ up your plan...I’ve got somethin’ in mind to get us outta this. Play along...”

Forte crossed his arms down in front of him. “Forteeee...”

“Man...we’re done for!” Reito whined, all of a sudden.

As Reito wailed out, Forte brought his arms in front of him like a cross block. “GRAANNDD...”

Evie blinked at first, but caught on shortly after.

“Tochi...it’s all my fault...” Her voice started getting shaky, like she could cry at any moment.

“Araaagh! Damn it!” Reito yelled, thrashing about and pounding the ground, “And it was goin’ so well too! Just like that, we’re finished?!”

“I’m sorry Tochi! It’s my fault! Don’t worry, I’ll get us out of this!”

Gold just looked at them. Makes sense, when someone so sure of victory gets crushed so easily, of course they’d go into denial.

The sound in the air got louder as the Reito neared the end of his set up. “BLUUEENOTEEE...”

Of course ya’d think we’re givin’ up, it’s only natural, Reito plotted, continuing to flail around, but that’s all a part of the plan.

“GRAAAAGGGGH, HOPE YOU’RE READY FOR THIS!” Forte roared full force while bringing his arms in front of him and dragging them apart before he knelt down and crossed his arms.”

“Now, Stacked Impact: 50D 5S!” Reito roared as multiple impacts went off on the ground, making holes in it, kicking up a dust shroud and propelling his body upwards.

This, in turn, made Gold release the grip he had on his neck. His ability! Gold raised his arms up to try and prevent himself from being blinded, and at the same time, let go of the two.

“They got out!”

The crowd was just as shocked.

Neigh cracked a smile. “A strategic lie, not bad, you two!”

“Ya really had us pegged! Too bad for you, lyin’s one of my specialties!” Reito taunted before reaching his hand out to his partner. “Lightnin' Bug! You’re up! Straight to him, okay?!”

She smiled underneath her mask and took his hand. “Asking for my hand all of a sudden? Y’know, girls hate pushy guys!” After that, she aimed her pointer finger at Forte and warped right in front of him.

Finally, Forte rose straight up and stretched his hands to the sky. “STIIINNGGE- Huh?!”

Only to notice the two who were on the ground a few seconds before falling right in front of him all of a sudden, his lost focus causing the loud booming and vibrations to dissipate.

“Sorry, Maestro! Nothing personal!” she apologized, jumping back out of the way while Reito reeled his hand back.

Breathe, I’ve been savin’ this one for a sure fire knock out. It’s blunt damage, so one shot’s all I need! Come on Aura, please don’t fail me now! He wished in his mind while exhaling as Aura slowly accumulated on his palm.

“Crap! That energy, again!” Forte prepped for the impact. If that hits...! Still, no way I’m goin’ out like a chump!

“Full throttle!” Reito shouted.

“Heavy Metal: Max!” Forte did the same, configuring his Walkman.

Not a millisecond later, Reito drove an Aura charged palm strike straight into Forte’s solar plexus.

“Retribution Fist Secret Technique: Burst Rifle!” A burst of air erupted from around them, the impact of the blow even tore half of Forte’s shirt clean off as he rocketed back.

“Gaugh!!” It looked like that was all he could take, as is eyes went white, and he fell down, face first.

“...Guess that’s it for the mini boss,” Reito huffed, catching his breath.

It would have been over, but Forte slammed a foot down in front of himself, raising back up until they were face to face once more.

“Who...said...I was...out? Ugh!” Forte snapped, wheezing and bringing a hand to his mouth to try and keep himself from coughing blood up.

“You’re still standin’ after that?! Yeesh! That should’ve sent ya packin’!”

“Get- Ugh... Real! Forte laughed, smearing blood across his cheek. “A pansy ass strike like that...even a grade schooler wouldn’t feel it…”

I’m losin’ steam, should I use...that? Reito thought, smirking and raising his fist in the air. “Heh, guess ya weren’t just talkin’ outta your ass. You’re a pretty sturdy guy.”

“Damn straight! He proclaimed raising a fist in front of him, “Bring it! I’ll make ya regret not callin’ me the undisputed Final Boss!”

“Yeah right! You’re just a mini boss with a crap ton o’ hit points! Alright then, here goes! Tandem Special Move: Impact G-!”

“Hrk!” Before he could finish his motion, Forte’s eyes whited out once more as he fell to the ground—he was finished.

The A.I. voice spoke out to announce the events. “Forte Mayer is no longer able to participate.”

And as it were, he was transported out of the simulation onto a stretcher in waiting as medics pushed him out to the hospital.

“They did it,” Shizuka thought, slumping down in her seat as she sighed in relief,” for a second there, they really had me thinking it was over.”

“Nice you two,” Chikara cheered, “just one more hurdle, keep pushing!”

“So...you’ve been trained in it that early, eh kid? Not bad,” Neigh said to himself with a smirk, “don’t get full of yourself just yet though, this is pretty much the calm before the storm.”

“Mayer’s out, he... actually did it!”

“Could what’s happening, no, you don’t think The Seer will...?”

“So far, it looks like any one of the teams could still. I mean, Gold’s even won some matches 2 on 1 before.”

Reito’s jaw hung as Forte in front of him seemed to just disappear. Woah,...just like magic. This school’s tech is mind blowin’, really! Well, nevermind that… Feels like...I got a little stronger from that. Not a bad slugfest, Loudspeaker… I kinda...wanna do it again.” he mumbled under his breath as he turned to Evie.

“Don’t get too comfortable,” she told him.

“Wasn’t plannin’ on it… After all,” he started, looking into Gold’s eyes, glare meeting glare, “we’ve still gotta knock this bastard off of his pedestal…. It’s Final Boss time!”