I am sitting on a bench inspecting myself in a locker door mirror, in the locker rooms built adjacent to the auditorium...when Ms. Berlin suddenly appears, in the reflection, stood behind me.
"How've you been holding up, Alice?"
She's dressed in black short-shorts, a black forward-facing cap, black knee-socks and sneakers, and a black and white vertically striped crop top with a whistle dangling from her neck: uniformed for her role as fight referee, which she serves for all the local promo matches.
I haven't spoken to her since she took my ring, so the air between us is tense.
She's smoking her electric cigar, eyeing me expectantly, while I pretend to not notice her--listening intently to the quiet orchestra of sounds that normally go unheard:
Dripping water--from the showers nearby.
A droning, electrical buzz, producing from the ceiling lights.
The rhythmic grinding of the ceiling fan.
I hear the sounds and I'm able to recognize their sources, one-by-one; in a logical sense, I know what they are, but--
"I...don't even know what's real anymore."
At this, Ms. Berlin's cheshire grin falters as she averts her gaze, hastily drawing on her fake cigar--almost as an act of concealment.
"Yep. It'll do that to you, kid."
I turn to her, slamming on the bench in a fit.
"If you knew what would happen, why the FUCK did you do this to me?!"
Silence, again.
She's staring into her cigar, unmoved.
"To teach you a lesson."
"I am still a teacher, at the end of the--"
The lega of the bench scrape harshly across the tiled floor as I rise. In my fury, I stomp toward her until we're standing face-to-face, breathing warm mist down each other's neck: her being no taller than I am in this form.
"There's two people living inside of me."
"I can feel them merging; becoming less seperate, the longer I remain like this."
"Pretty soon...they'll be indistinguishable."
"And when that happens, I'll be trapped in the same fantasy as everyone else: convinced I'm a little girl--that this is my true form! That my former identity, as Alex Strangelove, was just a--a--a--stepping stone! A river I had crossed, on my 'sacred path' towards enlightenment!"
I'm raising my voice, drawing my face so close that our noses nearly touch--laying bare the full extent of my growing madness; as she merely continues to stare, saying nothing.
Desperate, my fractured mind starts to grasp at straws of reason:
"Is that all part of your lesson plan?"
"Was this your intention from the start--to make me like everybody else?"
She winces, in what serves as my only warning--before planting her lips against mine, smothering me hungrily, running her hands along the sides of Alice's face as I stand, rendered frozen, by the sheer shock of the moment--allowing myself to be taken in by her frantic lust like a captive fly in a spider's web.
She doesn't fully commit to the kill, however, and as she breaks from me she's panting--the most beautiful sound I've heard thus far.
"Feeling a little more like Alex, now?"
I'm panting, too: confused, more than anything, yet somehow my nerves are calmer.
Coolly, she offers me her cigar.
I've never smoked before, and neither has Alex; but still, I take it: letting my mouth and lungs fill with the artificially flavored fumes: tasting of delightfully sweet, splendid sin. She watches me exhale, her mouth open in silent laughter as I proceed to cough and sputter--having taken in far too much at once as a newcomer--until I regain myself.
"Strangelove." She beckons to me then, in a hair-raising whisper, drawing our faces together with her hands cupping the back of my neck.
"Let's make a new deal:"
"Go out and win today's match, and I'll help get you to the top."
"Huh?" I'm still mystified, my thoughts cloudy.
"S Rank." She says. "I'll help you get there."
"And you'll make it, not as Alice..."
"But as Alex Strangelove."
...
...
My first meeting with Flarelissa is in the ring.
We're in the auditorium fight ring, standing across from each other in our seperate corners with our backs to the ropes, situated between two opposing rows of tall, noisy bleachers: so packed to the brim with students that some are forced to stand.
Matches between low rank fighters are usually nowhere near this popular.
These people...are they really here to see me?
I wear the bands Miki gave me, and fortunately Miko's earrings are magnetic so I can just pop them up, facing Flarelissa wit determination.
Having changed out of her uniform into her signature outfit, she looks like a completely different person: her fire-orange, spiked hair bearing a clear resemblance to the long-grown style of a kabuki actor--trailing across the ground behind her like a lagging tail--as well as the loose kimono dress and decorative facepaint she wears: imparting her otherwise unimposing visage with a severe, brooding ferocity.
Ms. Berlin, as referee, has us come together to shake hands.
Flarelissa smirks when she isn't looking.
"Finally...an easy win."
We'll see about that, I think to myself.
Remembering my loss against Ms. Berlin--how it was due, in no small part, to my own overconfidence--I try to remain focused.
I wave to Miki, Miko and Blitz in the stands.
Seeing this, Flarelissa huffs.
"What're you so cocky about, F Tier Loser?"
"Huh? I'm not being cocky at all--"
Just then, a bell is rung: to commence the fight.
Immediately, Flarelissa spits toward me; and although I had predicted it, the lob still catches me by surprise: landing against the side of my face as I'm turning at last-second to spare my eyes.
From my prior research, I've noticed she starts every fight like this, to serve a dual purpose:
One, as a means for a quick distraction.
More importantly, however...
It functions as her System power's Ifstate.
Her extravagant hair becomes ignited, as she whips it about while engaging in slow, shuffling movements with her feet--that mirror a performative dance--leaving deep, black scorchmarks where the flailing strands graze against the ring's floor.
I nimbly weave around the flaming sweeps, observing as her hidden pattern emerges:
Every few sweeps, it further extends--
It shrinks again, then extends...
Looking closely, I can clearly see what's happening.
Whether or not it's conscious: she's randomly sticking her head out further, and drawing it in, with each repeated sweep of her hair--thereby introducing a subtle element of unpredictability to the attack's range.
She laughs, taunting me while she continues without let-up:
"Come close to fight me, coward! I dare you!"
"You're still just a Z Rank loser!"
Her words don't phase me, however, as I know it would only lead me into her hands.
I have to find an opening to attack, by engaging just as her hair is being swung at its furthest arc--when it takes the longest time to rotate back around.
For this, my System power will come in handy.
It's time...
To unleash Alice's true power!
After being forced to duck back, to avoid another long sweep, I pull off one of Miki's bands and toss it aside--
Teleporting, it would seem, to the naked eye--
In less than the span of a heartbeat--
To a position where I'm standing right in front of Flarelissa.
"What?!" Is all she can muster, in shock--
Just before I strike: delivering a heavy high kick to her jaw.
Flarelissa is flung unto her back.
From where she lands she gawks at me, bewildered.
"What the crap was that?"
"Something, like...instant transmission?"
Our audience is silent with awe.
As I'm erecovering my footing, I cast a glance at Blitz and the others, smiling and showing them a thumbs up before facing Flarelissa again, with a solid stance.
"You're not giving up so soon, are you?"
I reach out a hand to help her up, thinking that it's more honorable to be friendly to my classmate, as well as having only sincere sympathy for the position she is in currently.
My goal may be to win, but...
I won't act like a monster, the way many of my past opponents were to me.
However, she slaps my hand away.
"Moron!" she snaps, her long hairs bristling.
"We're fighting each other!"
"And I don't want your stinking pity, anyway!"
Retracting my hand, I return to my serious fighting stance.
She's insanely bitter...
Then again, I can totally relate.
Meanwhile, I overhear Miki gasping, then say to the others:
"The band he threw off...!"
"I saw it vanish into thin air, just before his power activated!"
She's right--it really did vanish.
That's because...my Ifstate is actually-
Flarelissa jumps to her feet, roaring with rage.
"Fucking shit! It's so unfair!"
"A LOSER like you gets to have a cool power like that--while I'm stuck with something so useless!"
Geez, what a whiner this one is!
I know I'M prone to whining, but never in the middle of a fight!
She throws herself at me, resorting to desperately flailing her bare fists in a flurry of punches, making more enraged animal-like sounds as before.
Because I'm faster, though, it's easy for me to stay ahead of her movements.
Then, to finally put an end to it--
I stick out my leg, knowing where she'll walk--
She trips, falling facefirst with a started yell as the audience bursts into laughter.
Smiling innocently, I lean down close to her.
"It's fine if you surrender, Lissa."
"Really, I know what you're feeling right now, but it only hurts more if you allow the fight to continue on like this."
"Sh-sh-shut up! FUCK your sympathy..."
I hear her voice cracking as she starts to sob, with her back still turned to me.
"Lissa?" Concerned, I lean in closer, when--
Flarelissa whips up abruptly, spitting straight into my face!
The crowd boos--such an underhanded trick!
Blitz, I can hear yelling: "Cowardly bitch!"
I'm quickly set about clearing the saliva that's smeared across my eyes, hearing her wickedly gleeful laughter as I blindly duck in anticipation of her first flaming hair attack--crying out in pain, as I feel its molten hot touch narrowly graze against my arm.
Damn you! I was only trying to treat you kindly, and with respect--
And this is how you repay me?!
In my agitated state, I become more aggressive: charging at her directly, ignoring the threat of her fiery hair completely, letting it painfully sear the side of my face, and arm, as I boldly rush at her--
That's fine, I tell myself through the pain, pulling off one of the earrings Miko gave me.
Using my System power, I can negate these wounds entirely--and still be at an initiative to reposition myself for a surprise attack that'll surely end this sham of a fight!
I did try to be nice to you, at the start--
But you've asked for it, Lissa!
Though, as I'm removing one of Miko's earrings--to activate my System power--I'm surprised by her suddenly grasping on to me!
"Aha! I see you're using that power again!"
"I won't allow it!" She screams with a look of someone who's truly lost their mind.
"You're going to fight me fair and square!"
Despite her efforts to restrain me, I still manage to toss away the earring to activate my System power--
Only, something else, unexpected, happens.
I teleport a few paces away from my previous position, same as before...
However, I haven't done so alone.
Flarelissa has teleported with me--still held within my grasp: by one hand on her shoulder, and the other in the opposing armpit...
Or rather, only a half of her has teleported:
The upper half, with parts of skeleton and viscera exposed, poking out underneath--
A lifeless, unblinking stare in her eyes.
I glance across the ring: her lower half is still situated where the whole had been, mere seconds ago, fallen over in a shiny pool of blood.
Not a sound can be heard in the auditorium.
My hands...my whole body is trembling...
There's a sick feeling in my stomach, going beyond anything I've felt before, as the reality slowly starts to sink in...
I...killed Flarelissa.
Ms. Berlin, who'd been dashing around the ring all match to referee, has stopped to stare at me, wide-eyed.
"Alex..."