Katie’s Counterattack

Frankie had been pushed out of the arena.

Inio quickly picked up a sword before the timer expired, still confident if not a little bewildered looking down at the demure Katie’s portrait of unquenched anger.

“How did you- I didn’t agree to the bet… that’s not how this- wait a minute…” He cursed himself, knowing exactly why this was happening. “Fine, then. I’ll just take the rest of what you’ve got. I’m sure Bozo will be very pleased!”

Inio felt a little foolish. He’d installed a program that would let him engage in a bet even if it wasn’t agreed to, but he didn’t think it would go the other way, too. Still, he didn’t let this bother him. Losing wasn’t a possibility at this point.

“Katie…?!” Frankie stood, peeking through the glasslike arena. She wanted to say something, but she knew that this is what she would’ve done too. She couldn’t discourage her sister now of all times. “Er- You’ve got this! Destroy him!”

4.

“You cheated.”

3.

“I’m sorry?” He could hardly hear the girl over his own pounding heartbeat, but he knew what she said.

2.

“You’re cheating.”

1.

“You’re mistaken. I’m the righteous one here!” He laughed in an attempt to build his strength, letting the match begin.

He rushed Katie, but she dodged instead of attempting to block. She watched as his sword phased through the side of the arena, scaring Frankie as it whipped past her nose.

Katie tapped the wall with her sword. It bounced right off as if it were a real physical object, reacting to the collision. Suddenly, Frankie’s eyes almost shot out of her head.

“Careful!”

But the girl hadn’t stopped paying attention to her opponent. Though her movements were awkward, Katie had already started to duck when Inio swung again, the sword passing just over her as the wielder’s legs became exposed. She cut one, then retreated, not wishing to over-expose herself.

Inio chuckled, his left leg disappearing, now forced to hop on his right. Katie backed away, trying to steady her breathing.

“You think cheating is righteous?! Show some honesty! At least we accept we’re back-stabbing, desperate kids who’ll do anything to win…!” She pumped herself up, feeling the artificial air on her rippling dress as she idled. “And we will win!”

Katie took action at the same time he did, swiftly losing her left arm when she failed to sidestep his first swing. But he wasn't prepared when she sliced behind him, unable to block her attack when she eliminated his own left arm in turn.

“Pretty shit cheat if you ask me!” Frankie laughed outside the fight. “You’re at a disadvantage just as much as you’re at an advantage! Good luck blocking with your stupid ghost sword!” She heckled.

“Quiet.” Katie whispered. “You’re making me lose focus.”

Frankie blinked, not really used to being reprimanded by her older sister.

Inio ran and swept his blade again, Katie failing to avoid a cut to her right leg. Now both duelists awkwardly hopped in their bloodless dismemberment, Katie’s attention suddenly drawn to her blade. She was beginning to understand its properties, its weight. The way Inio swung his, it was like it was made of plastic- no, maybe pure air. It didn’t react to anything, not even gravity- it was weightless. Just a long hitbox in the hands of a deranged idiot.

Katie had grown acquainted with her sword. When she slashed, she knew where it would go, even if she couldn’t control it as easily as her opponent could his. And she knew just how to get it right where she wanted to without him realizing.

She feigned to his head, forcing him to dodge lest he lose instantly. Little did he know her only goal was to remove his other leg.

She got away as fast as she could once he fell, narrowly avoiding the same fate when he swung wildly on the ground like some kind of torn-up zombie.

“Wasn’t it that other guy on your team who used a sword? You should’ve chosen a better game. Maybe you thought that wouldn’t matter because you were going to cheat anyway?”

Katie frowned. She wanted to make him angry, but it looked like most things didn’t phase him. Unless…

“Guess it figures, that dumb Bozo putting someone like you on the job.”

“DON’T YOU DARE CALL HIM THAT!”

“Katie, watch out!”

With his one remaining limb, the wild fool propelled himself off the ground and towards his foe like a rocket, sword tip up front. Katie’s heart was hurting. She’d never been in a fight like this, but-

She ducked, and let her instincts guide her. Swinging the sword behind her back as he flew forward, hoping she’d hit something, anything- she saw the arena in front of her disappear.

Behind her swings, Inio was four-limbed again. She looked down and found that hers had returned as well. After striking his body as it flew past, the match… had ended.

This shouldn’t have been so easy… Katie thought. Every time something awful had happened to her… she’d either had to shut her eyes and turn her head, or cling to someone in fear… but when two people fought like this, even if it wasn’t on an even playing field… when she could express her existence through her actions only, she felt half the fear as she did during a chaotic riot or the scene of a killing. This was better. This was… simple, actually.

Her smile returned to her face. She had fun today, even without going on a ride.

Frankie ran up and hugged her sister.

“I’m so glad you did it…”

She watched the numbers fix themselves.

KATIE & FRANKIE- 600

INIO- 899

“He had to have hacked those numbers…” groaned Frankie.

“Let’s go see that MASCOT now, why don’t we?” Katie felt excited again, rejuvenated.

“S-sure.” Frankie nodded. She was still sweating… but she was happy everything turned out okay in the end.

A short way away, hundreds of guests walked away from a long line formed from those with more determination than they. Clutching what few tokens they had left, they vowed never to challenge the MASCOT of Virtual Fantasy ever again.