Night Two Hundred And One
Age 1991
Gladious City...
The Arena...
"You okay?" Kitsune asked her lips twisting into a small grin.
"O... Ow..." Vil slowly shook his head as he set up. "That was..."
In front of him the female Kitsune in someone elses body stood. Her arms out as she used her body to shield him from the blast.
"That..." She grinned. "Was a close one... To think those twos would blow up like that... It almost got us." Part of her outfit had been blown and burnt to bits however her skin itself was still clean and untouched as much like the Kitsune of this world, she had flame immunity. "Are you okay?" She asked again.
"Y... Yeah..." Vil shook his head. "I'm fine I guess... Geez though... That freaking blast... I wonder how everyone else is doing..."
Meanwhile...
Hero let out a loud groan as he slowly pushed the large boulder off of him. "Ow." He said letting out a small hiss as he shook his head and looked around. "Ken. Shelly. Kitsune. Irene. Light. You guys alright?" He asked shaking his head. Small droplets of blood dripped down the side of his face and his shield arm was covered in more cracks.
His vison was blurry but he was able to see still.
All around him was loads of destruction. Much of the boxes and arena had been blasted apart. The entire stadium was in ruins. Luckily thanks to Ward's barriers no one in the crowd was hurt. All the recruits were pretty banged up from the massive blast though. Next to him Kitsune, Irene, Ken, Shelly, and Light could be seen. Ken and Light were mostly fine since they could heal, Kitsune, Irene, and Shelly were a little hurt, Shelly and Kitsune, less than Irene thanks to their power.
"I'm okay." Kitsune sighed.
"M... Me to." Shelly said shaking her head. "A... Anyone hurt? I'll heal you."
"I should be fine?" Irene sighed. She stopped for a suddenly looking around. "Hey Hero."
"Yeah?"
"What about Daughter."
"...Crap... I forgot she existed..."
"You're terrible!"
"It's new to me okay! Besides I didn't want her anyways, she was forced on me!" Hero sighed looking around. He began to move some of the rubble out of the way and let out another sigh when he saw Daughter was under a large boulder. She was mostly fine. A little bruised. The blast seemed to have knocked her out. "Ahh she's fine." Hero sighed.
"H... Hero..." Shelly frowned not liking the way he was acting to the girl. He didn't really seem to care about someone claiming to be his child as much as he should be. She pushed past him and held her hands out small pink energy slowly coming off as she began to heal.
Daughter let out a small groan as her eyes opened up.
"Are you okay?" Shelly asked slowly.
"I... I'm fine." She looked to Hero who looked away from her.
"That was some blast huh?" Hero asked changing the subject and making Shelly's look grow a little more tense as she stared at Hero.
Up in the mostly blown apart arena there was a loud crash as Davi came crashing down slamming Curro into the dirt. Davi was reduced to only a pair of robes that covered his waist, his skin having been burnt to a crisp, steam rolling off of him as his healing factor attempted to put his body back in working order. He had a large grin on his face which was out of place thanks to his burnt lips.
"That was great. I almost had to go all out and transform!" He announced shocking Hero and Ken.
"He can transform!" Ken asked. "Oh come on."
"Hmm." Hero frowned. "Maybe I shouldn't be so cocky... Nah."
Climbing out of the rubble Olf collapsed to his knees breathing heavily. "S##T! I almost died... Like... Fifteen times over! Oh my God. I'm alive though. Oh thank you God. Oh God... Geez. S##t. I love life."
"Dog man start counting."
Olf let out a yelp and looked up finding Davi standing on Curro. Curro was still wrapped in his demonic armor but was no longer moving.
"Onetwothreefourfivesixseveneightnineten- Match over Davi of Squad what ever wins please stop fighting!" OIf yelled jumping down and covering his head up. "I gotta get a better job..."
Davi picked Curro up and tossed him over the side. Before he could hit the ground though there was a bending and twisting sound as Brave from Squad Two came flying up being carried by what looked like threads for a moment. She caught Curro and landed on the ground resting the boy on the ground.
"Curro..." She said frowning as she looked down at him. She looked back up glaring at Davi who stumbled out of the arena.
Olf let out a sigh and slowly got back to his feet. "Alright ladies and gentlemen. We have just one more Match before the first round of the Games come to an end... Sadly our systems were damaged so the arena can't be fixed so I super duper hope this one doesn't send another blast out... This Match is Max No Last Name From Squad One, Versus Arthur Pendragon of Squad Twelve!" He announced.
"Max is up..." Hero sighed.
There was a rumbling sound as the boulder next to Hero exploded showing Max, and Hella had been under it, since the two of them had been in the Squad Six box. "We're fine by the way... Thanks for looking for us." Max said dusting himself off.
"Oh yeah... I forgot about you guys." Kitsune laughed giving a sheepish shrug.
"Max put on a good show." Ken announced.
"Since when are you my boss."
"Put on a good show." Shelly said flatly.
Max's eye twitched as he turned away and climbed out of the box. He slowly walked up what used to be the arena standing at the top. Over in Squad Twelve Arthur was doing the same climbing out as he walked over. Both of them, the homeless boy with no clan name, and the Noble boy from one of the twenty sacred branches, stood before one another. The arena they were on was crooked and bent covered in cracks and edges and broken tiles. It would be hard to move on for most people and would be easy for one to slip up their footing getting caught in a rock or crack. Both of them looked at one another for a moment and Olf let out a sigh slowly getting on to the ground already as he got ready for the crazy blast that would likely come off of the two boys. He was going to be ready for it this time.
"I'm kind of glad we get to fight." Arthur said giving a small smile.
The sight of it caused Max to frown. "Why?"
"Yeah... I'm guessing you don't really remember me though do you?" Arthur asked.
"Nope. Sorry."
"I'm not surprised. Our meeting was brief after all. During the Enforcer exams I fought you. I was nearly taken down in one attack. But then Mr. Law stepped in and saved me. He fought you for the rest of the match. However Law also knocked me out so I lost a ton of points and was placed on Squad Twelve."
"Hmm. So you have a grudge at us-"
"No. Not even close." Arthur shook his head and slowly drew his sword. "I'm grateful. I want to help as many people as I can. Because I lost it showed me that I needed to get stronger. A lot stronger. If I want to be a true knight and help everyone in front of me I'll have to get stronger." He announced pointing his sword at Max. "So I beg you. Don't hold back."
Hero stood in the Squad Six box and noticed everyone was looking at him. "What?"
"He sounds like you." They all said flatly.
"What? No he doesn't."
"Yeah... Wants to get stronger. Uses losses to grow... Wants to save everyone in front of them... Only difference is one's a knight and one's a superhero..." Kitsune said flatly.
"You want to save people?" Daughter asked turning to look at her father.
Hero frowned for a moment as he stared at his right hand. The marble in it was covered in cracks and it seemed to pulse a little. "Yeah... I promised my father Piero I would become a Hero of Justice. There was a point where my dreams were wavering. But Kitsune pulled me back out of it. I'm not concerned with keeping my promises. Not fully. I just want to do what I think is right. Anyone in front of me I'll save. And I'll keep those I hold dear safe. I'm going to become a Hero of Justice. One that naive boy six years ago can look up to. I'll become a Hero of Justice that Hero Law would like. Not for Piero, not for my friends, but for myself."
Daughter frowned for a moment. "Why?"
Hero nearly stumbled at that. "What?"
"Why do you want to be a Hero of Justice?" Daughter asked cocking her head to the side. "You asked me why I loved my Father right? So why does Father think he has to be the one to inherit his fathers dreams and save the world? Daughter loves father because he created her and saved her. Father is still here and Daughter wants to help him. Daughter doesn't want Father to do things he doesn't like?"
"I think this is a touchy subject when it comes to Hero." Shelly cut in quickly grabbing Daughter. "Let's leave daddy alone." She said quickly moving Daughter away.
Hero stood there a small frown on his face. 'Why...'
Over in the arena Max gave a small smirk. "Well if you really want me to fight you I will. But you're sure about this right kid?"
"I am." Arthur nodded. "Even if I'm going to lose... I'll just... I'll become a better version of myself. I'll train even harder. And I'll hope the day comes when I can beat you!" He announced.
Max gave a small grin. "You know what kid. You're pretty cool. Alright. But remember... You wanted this." He closed his eyes and held his hand out as the lava began to flow. "I hope you're watching Hero Law." He announced loudly his grin growing. "I'll show you the power I've gained ever since our fight!" He twisted his hand the the ground underneath Arthur began to change. Over with Hero he began to frown as he saw something... He saw a vision of a forgotten world... A dark world... One in which the Hero of that timeline became a Fallen. At that moment Hero saw a future that could await him. A future in which the Max of that world battled the Hero of that world. And at that moment he saw 'that' attack. "I'll burn away everything before me leaving nothing behind, everything that that's blocking me will get devoured by my flames, my lava, my heat, and my soul till there's nothing but ashes, those who fight shall face terror of a true King!" It was a little different but Hero knew. This attack was the- "DAWN DEVOURER!"
The ground underneath Arthur exploded in a hail of lava as it was as if a hundred volcanos went off all at once. The force of the attack throwing Arthur high into the air as he let out a scream of pain from the massive blast. Olf was sobbing on the ground as globs of hot lava rained down around him. Arthur gritted his teeth and brought his sword up as it began to glow. "Calibur Full Unseal!" He announced as a blast of golden aura covered him and for the second time that day Hero saw something else. Another timeline. One with a God. A God with golden aura in the shape of a... Arthur brought his blade up as the aura around him formed into the body of a massive dragon. "Excalibur Go!" He yelled blasting down at full speed.
Max raised his arm as the lava began to bend and twist around it. The lava formed into what looked like a large bullet which blasted out.
The two forces met each other head on and in a large blast the golden aura around Arthur began to shatter as the lava exploded...
Arthur slowly began to fall his eyes rolling back however just before he hit the ground Max jumped up catching the kid.
Max came crashing back down holding Arthur with one arm. "Sorry kid." He said setting Arthur down. "You got a long ways to go before you're reaching my level..."
And with that...
The first Round came to an end.