— This place is surely huge, huh.
Yuna contemplated the massive scale of the arena. Kiseki walked out of the announcer's room.
— Everything is settled, guys. Since the tournament is near the end already, there will be only six fights. The first will be yours, Yuna. The last ones may be between you, if you manage to reach the finals.
Mitone extended his hands towards Yuna and Kiseki. They were confused, but shook it nonetheless.
— Yuna, good luck in your fight. Kiseki, thank you. We wouldn't be here if it weren't for you.
— I-It's just the bare minimum I can do, to compensate everything... Ah, I forgot to mention: the reward will be one crate of 5-Ups. Sorry, but I couldn't get anything more...
Yuna shrugged it off:
— They're thousands of times better than having nothing. Now these two idiots will be pratically immune to sniper rifles.
Mitone added:
— Yeah, you did more than enough already, Kiseki. Thank you again.
— Y-You're welcome! Um... I'm s-sorry, but I won't be able to watch your matches... I hope the nanobots will be enough to heal you all...
Eraser confirmed it:
— They surely will. May I ask you what you'll be doing? If it's confidential, no problem.
— I will... repair the damage in the city and Japan in general... In addition to the lesser civil wars happening right now, the level 7's battles damaged the world in a way only I can heal. That's why I'm so busy lately, I'm training my power to expand its radius.
— Wait, really? All those immense craters covering hundreds of kilometers? Are you sure you can do that and not faint in the way?
— I can heal my exhaustion. Although my power has a theoretical limit, I've never pushed it to its maximum... yet. Ria forces me to rest sometimes.
The announcer said:
— And in five minutes, it'll be happening the first fight of the night! Yuna vs Kasane! Prepare your bets, everyone!
They were in the VIP stands, close to the announcer's room. Yuna started walking towards the arena's entrance, downstairs.
— Looks like it's my time to shine. Place your bets on me, okay? And Kiseki, go slow and steady. Don't even think of pushing yourself to your limit.
— U-Understood! Good luck, Yuna!
Five minutes later, Yuna entered the arena. It was bland. A simple dark blue metallic and futuristic cubicle, if you include the holographic walls that protected the bleachers. Suddenly, a floating display appeared in front of every spectator. It was a poll.
Mitone looked at Eraser, surprised by all that technology.
— Hey man, I know you're an android and all, but... did you expect this?
— No. Some stadiums are more advanced than others, though. This must be a newer one.
— I see... So, what are you going to vote for?
There were six options: a helipad on top of a skyscraper, a normal city street, a forest, a dark hospital, a bridge between two mountains and the middle level of a dam. Eraser understood what they were:
— This is a map voting.
— Wait, what? Are we playing some first person shooter now?
— I think the arena will change according to the chosen map.
— That's pretty futuristic, if you ask me. So, what do you think?
— Yuna can make clones. The most closed space is the hospital. She can use her own clones to block the path.
— Alright, your call.
They voted on the hospital map. The city street won with 27% of the votes. Mitone looked defeated:
— I hope this is not rigged...
— It's probably not from the inside, but from the spectators... let's hope this Kasane didn't buy their votes.
Soon after, the bets started. 64% of the bets were on Kasane, probably because Yuna appeared out of nowhere.
— Man, her fans are going to lose all their savings over this.
— That's why many people are betting on Yuna. She was recommended by Kiseki, after all.
Kasane was a woman. She had white short hair, black eyes and a serious expression on her face. She wore red lipstick and a tight, lilac and purple striped dress, accentuating her alluring figure. She held a black hand fan.
The arena began to transform into the city street. It was daytime in that place. The announcer listed the rules:
— In case you don't know, the arena is infinite to both participants! It will be centered on both fighters, but they cannot be too far apart from each other, or they will be disqualified. While it's almost impossible for you to leave the arena in the middle of the fight, if you do, you're out! Unless a judge decides to pause the fight or unforeseen events happen. And finally, if you kill your opponent and leave no chance for them to be healed, you'll be permanently banned from all official tournaments! Good luck and have fun!
Yuna and Kasane were a street away from each other. There were fictional cars, buses and trucks in it and others parked in some places.
— 3...
Okay, Yuna, don't fumble this. She looks strong, but you're stronger.
— 2...
I will wait for her attack. I have a 7-Up and a 7-Ex, I won't die so easily.
— 1...
But I can't show too much of my power, or... those bastards from the lab will find me.
— Go!
Kasane held her fan in front of her face, elegantly covering her mouth. They both stood still, waiting for the other to attack. After what felt like minutes, she quickly pointed the fan in Yuna's direction. Instinctively, she dodged it. A powerful vertical wind slash came out of it, slicing the street and everything behind in two.
Now I know your power! I should not approach her carelessly, though.
Yuna ran around her opponent, crossing the busy street and hiding behind the cars. Kasane sent multiple cuts, destroying the vehicles. There were also horizontal and diagonal attacks, covering unpredictable patterns.
Yuna kicked a car in her direction. Kasane sliced it before it could hit her, standing in the middle of the two flying pieces. Yuna appeared behind her and delivered a strong punch to her back. She was launched across the street, getting run over multiple times before stopping. Now she was struggling to breathe, lying face down on the sidewalk.
Before she could get up, Yuna threw a bus towards her. All the cars in the way were crushed like paper. Kasane sent dozens of wind cuts desperately. The buildings were starting to crumble. Yuna jumped high into the air and attempted to land a kick on her opponent, who rolled to the side.
The kick was powerful enough to break the sidewalk and send Kasane flying for a few meters. She quickly cut a light pole near Yuna. It fell, but Yuna grabbed it and threw it towards her, who sliced it again. As they were close to each other, the wind blast hit Yuna's neck, cutting it slightly. It began to bleed. Yuna couldn't move for at least one second.
In that window of time, Kasane sliced the building that was next to Yuna. She sent dozens of even stronger cuts to destroy the foundations. Yuna began to run to close their distance, but Kasane sent attacks in a 360° pattern, covering a circle that was almost impossible to avoid. Yuna dodged to the wrong side: closer to the falling building. She got trapped inside the debris.
Kasane smiled nervously. Her opponent was truly strong, much more powerful than anyone she had ever fought against. But it was over now. Or was it?
Yuna appeared behind her and grabbed her arm aggressively. Before she could react, Yuna flung her against the white hospital across the street, making a hole in the wall. She fainted.
— And the winner is... Yuna!
I'm glad I could hide my clone inside the buildings. I just transported my consciousness to it and walked behind her. It was like teleportation for everyone.
The match was over. Mitone praised her:
— Good job, Yuna! But was it really necessary to use your power?
— No, my 7-Up is strong enough to break those debris. I wanted to make them think I have another kind of power.
Eraser added:
— That makes sense. Plus, it would be a problem if they knew you have a 7-Up that strong. They would suspect you are an experiment or something, since you're not a hero.
— But I am.
— What?
— I haven't told you yet... I am a-
— The next fight will be between Chainsycho and Mitone! Be prepared, because it starts in just five minutes!
— Oh, looks like it's your turn now, Mitone.
— Wish me luck, guys. I'm not as strong as you two.
— But you're just as skillful as... Eraser. Not as much as me, but you've got this.
— That's a hell of a compliment. Thanks, guys.
The poll started. Now there were only the remaining five options.
— What is this?
— It's a map voting. We voted for the hospital one to give you an advantage, but the city street won.
— Seriously? This place is surreal compared to the lab I come from...
— Lab?
A man sits besides them. He wears all black, including the visor on his face that projects pink light, simulating his face in a simplistic way. His short hair is also pink. He turns to look at them, with a minimalistic smile.
— Oh, hi there! I heard there was a tournament going on here, so I was interested. I am a bit late, did I miss something?
Yuna was suspicious of him. He was being too friendly to strangers. Eraser answered cordially:
— You only missed the first fight, don't worry. But I must say, it was awesome! Guess who won.
— I don't know the participants, so I'm not sure... was it Yuto?
Yuna froze. He knew something about her. He was there to capture her or something even worse. Eraser didn't know that name yet.
— Nah, who is that?
— So he's not here... I've come across him a few times already, so I thought he would be the center of attention again. Who's the winner?
— This lady right here!
Eraser pointed at Yuna, who looked him straight in the eye, disapproving of his behavior.
— He's joking. We are here just to watch the fights, right?
She stared into his soul, smiling ominously. Eraser didn't know what to say. He didn't even understand why she was reacting that way. Maybe she was being overly cautious, or he was being too careless. Either way, the man reached out to Yuna, who was closest to him.
She stared at his hand, trying to find any hint of deception. He also wore a black glove, so not a bit of skin was visible, only his hair. She shook it, her expression sinister. Then, Eraser did it heartily.
— You guys are nice. I hope nobody dies today.
They both froze now. Why did he say that?
— What's wrong? People can take these fights to another extent and kill their opponent. I hope that doesn't happen.
Eraser replied, a little more carefully now:
— S-Sure... you're right, friend.
Yuna noticed something urgent:
— The poll! Ugh, we were too slow!
The dark hospital won with 36% of the votes.
— Not a bad option, huh. Mitone probably has an advantage in enclosed spaces.
The mysterious man was now curious:
— Mitone? That guy with the orange and red hair? Are you guys voting for him?
Eraser said:
— Y-Yeah. He's our frien-
Yuna cut him off abruptly.
— He looks nicer than the other fighter, that's all.
— That's true, he looks very friendly. I will vote for him too.
Chainsycho won with 72% of the bets.
The battle started. They were now in different corners of the hospital, covered by walls.
Chainsycho was a girl, an insane girl. She had crazy eyes, crazy hair and crazy mentality. She was short and had a yellow vortex-shaped hair with pink tips. Her eyes were a gradient of yellow to pink, spiraling towards madness, like those images that promise to hypnotize people. She wore a black top, not covering her tummy. Her skirt was similar to her top.
She was holding a futuristic red chainsaw. It had golden outlines and glowing blue tips. Near the bottom end, blue flames shot out and made it levitate in the air. She held it by the handle at the bottom end.
They began to look for each other, each step as silent as a cat. The chainsaw's flames were plasma, so its sound was extremely low. The tips were like small energy blades, but they were not moving yet. Mitone materialized his red axe for convenience.
He noticed a shadow at the end of the hallway. Its silhouette was hard to make out, so he walked until he reached the corner. It was moving, so he quickly threw his axe, erasing part of the wall and whatever was behind it. He ran to see his opponent. She wasn't there. Instead, her chainsaw was floating in the air, like a distraction. He deleted part of it with the axe, but it still worked.
Suddenly, something hit him from behind, pushing him towards the floating weapon. It was the girl, jumping and kicking him with all her might. Mitone made his orange war axe appear and blocked the blades with the handle. His power was versatile, as he could choose what to erase and what to block.
The girl began punching him at an abnormaly high speed, considering she was a normal human. Physically normal. Or not, her hair was a bit weird.
If I choose to erase the chainsaw, I'll be in big trouble... the remaining pieces wil still hit me.
The punches were painful, but bearable. They pushed him very little, as he maintained a static posture. The chainsaw was not moving by itself. The girl was forcing him to meet it, while he pushed it with his big axe.
She's resilient, but she can't keep doing this for much longer.
For no apparent reason, his axe disappeared. Eyes widening in surprise, Mitone threw his body back against the girl. The chainsaw was floating vertically, with the blades pointing upwards. The flame at the lower end lightly burned his forehead.
The girl slid out from under him and ran to grab the chainsaw handle. Mitone grabbed her feet and pulled her violently. She fell down again and stared into his eyes, smiling like a maniac. She kicked his burned forehead multiple times, until he decided to create his red axe and slice her feet.
He had to let go of one of them to hold the axe, but he managed to cut the other one. She screamed in pain, but got to escape his grip. Standing on one foot, she quickly jumped to grab the chainsaw. Mitone threw his red axe at her. It hit her in the stomach, but only blunt force damage was done. The erasing ability disappeared out of nowhere.
She was pushed back, trying not to stumble and fall with her only foot.
What is happening? My axes are not working! I feel like I can still use them, but not how...
The girl swung her chainsaw multiple times, her speed enhanced by the blue flames. It burned every wall in the path, while Mitone stood up and ran away from her. He hid in one of the rooms, taking advantage of her disabled mobility. Even if she used her weapon to fly, the enclosed space restricted it.
Her power is probably doing this... Alright, I can still summon my red axe, but not use it properly.
He saw a shadow of something coming towards him. He crouched down, avoiding the flaming chainsaw by mere centimeters. He stood up quickly and blocked the next attack with his axe. The intensity of the flames increased, overpowering his strength. The axe, however, was unbreakable. He slid below it and ran again.
Imagine the orange axe... it's not coming out. Wait, it's not an axe, it's a... hammer!
The orange axe appeared in his hand, despite him thinking of a hammer. He swung it against the wall, erasing it.
It worked! Somehow, my power is activating in a different way.
The girl flew through the narrow corridor with remarkable precision, reaching the corner where Mitone was waiting with his axe in hand. He swung it in anticipation, but the girl slowed down on purpose, making him miss his heaviest attack. Before he could recover, she dropped the chainsaw and rushed underneath it, delivering several kicks to his legs and restricting his movements.
He made the orange axe disappear and created the red one. He tried to hit her head with it, since it had no erasing ability and would not kill her immediately, but she dodged everything with precision. She returned to the chainsaw, still with one foot. She grabbed it again and flew towards him. He blocked it with his red axe, but her speed was too great.
He was pushed back several meters, struggling not to dodge the chainsaw or he would be hit in the throat.
There's no other way!
He imagined his red axe not erasing anything. It erased the chainsaw in two. The girl released it before being erased, falling behind him. One of the pieces grazed his forehead, cutting it deeply, but it missed his skull as it deflected upwards. The other punctured his abdomen. However, he was still determined to fight. Turning around, he created the orange axe again and swung it down with his maximum strength and speed.
Chainsycho's leg was cut off, but she quickly ran to the remains of the chainsaw and grabbed its half of the handle. It was still half-functional, due to the flames being hot enough to cut through someone's skull. She swung it towards Mitone's throat, stopping after cutting part of it. He stopped moving and raised his arms in defeat.
— And the victory goes to Chainsycho!
Mitone went to meet his friends.
— Sorry, guys, I did my best.
Yuna dismissed it:
— If you had 7-Up, it would be easy.
— She didn't have one too. I'm the one being unprepared and unskilled.
Eraser comforted him:
— She went all out against you. She's probably a professional assassin, because she's not a hero. And she's quite dangerous.
The masked man was smiling at him behind them.
— Yeah man, she's got some killer moves, literally.
— I feel kind of better knowing that I can't beat someone on her level. It makes me feel more... normal?
Yuna tilted her head in disbelief. She pointed at the mysterious man behind her.
— Aren't you questioning his presence?
— Isn't he your friend?
— Of course not! We don't even know him!
— That's one reason to make a new friend!
Mitone walked up to the man and shook his hand in a friendly manner.
— Nice to meet you, ninja.
— Hey, you're cool! How did you know I was a ninja?
— You wear all black, it's very stereotypical. Also, I like your mask. It's from that vtuber, right?
— You know her?! She is my princess, my queen, my precious!
— Yeah, I know how you feel. She's your waifu.
— Absolutely!
Yuna was disgusted by their degeneracy. They talked about random things for a few minutes. Then, the announcer said:
— Now, it's the third match, Eraser vs Euthanasia! Good luck and have fun, everyone!
The map voting started. Four options remaining: dam, forest, bridge and helipad. Yuna observed:
— Eraser can fly. The forest is the only kind of enclosed space. What do you think?
Mitone suggested:
— We don't know what the other guy can do. What if he disables flying?
The masked man said:
— That's rather specific, but I see your point. Does your friend have a sensorial ability?
They thought for a moment. Yuna, trying not to arouse suspicion, replied:
— Yeah, why? His senses are very... heightened, in a way.
— Then we should choose the forest. That Euthanasia guy looks like he fights in the shadows. If he thinks he can hide behind the trees, your friend will have an advantage. Plus, he can fly to avoid his attacks, right?
Yuna was speechless. He was right. Why would he help them? Mitone complimented him:
— Great observation, mate! We'll give him a false advantage!
They voted for the forest. It won with 45% of the votes. Mitone gasped:
— Damn, what a one-sided victory!
Yuna explained it:
— The ones betting on Eraser may be thinking like us. The others are trying to give his opponent an advantage. Two sides of the same coin.
Mitone turned to see the masked man:
— Thank you, friend! Oh, what's your name?
— Kaname.
— Mine's Mitone, the guy down there is Eraser and she is-
She interrupted him abruptly:
— Yuna.
She looked away, forcing a serious expression.
They bet on Eraser. Euthanasia won with 57% of the votes.
Euthanasia was a young man. He had short, gray and melancholic hair. His pupils were very small compared to his eyeballs. He had dark circles under his eyes. He was clearly not well mentally, like Chainsycho, but a little less insane. He wore a gray face mask, covering his mouth and nose. His dark gray outfit resembled that of a ninja, but more metallic and futuristic. His black gloves looked extremely resistent.
The battle began. Both of them were behind trees. Eraser stood still, scanning the surroundings. If he moved, it might cause slight interference. Since his opponent was very gloomy, it was easy for him to hide in the shadows and attack from behind.
There!
Eraser found him with the sonar. He pretended not to have noticed him, waiting for the first attack. He detected a disk aiming for his neck. He leaned back, dodging it. Then, several more metal discs flew towards him. They were small, about the size of a head. They decreased in size on the outer and inner edges, because they were actually shaped like a crown. The edges were so sharp that they simply phased through the trees, tearing some of them down.
He pointed his hand at them and fired a small laser, cutting them in two. Suddenly, his opponent appeared behind him, aiming for his neck. Eraser quickly propelled himself against Euthanasia, headbutting him in the stomach with enough force to make him spurt blood and stun him for a few seconds.
Hastily, Eraser positioned himself to fire a laser towards the man's neck. Euthanasia materialized a crown blade in his hand and reflected his attack. The laser was hot and powerful enough to pierce metal, but the angle served as a shield. He threw another crown while blocking the attack, aiming for his neck. Eraser flew upwards, reaching the sky in a matter of seconds.
I can't stay too far away from him... At least now I know all his powers. I have the advantage here.
Eraser dove back into the forest, firing plasma bolts in all directions. This time, he was more aggressive. Each of his attacks exploded and incinerated the nearby trees.
I can use all my energy now.
Just as he was about to redirect his flight upwards again, a crown was thrown towards him. Since he was flying too fast, he didn't have time to react. The blade grazed his forehead, damaging some of his circuits. He aimed for the sky as fast as he could, but Euthanasia was faster. He was waiting for the distance between them to close, then dragged a disc across Eraser's body, nearly reaching the most important parts.
However, the blades did not cut his body in two. They simply made him bleed and tore his shirt. Eraser flew to just above the trees. Some discs were thrown, but he quickly dodged. Firing a barrage of plasma bolts, multiple trees burned instantly. While attacking, he had time to read his opponent's patterns. It was becoming easier to understand his movements. He always moved in the shadows, but it had nothing to do with his power.
Predicting Euthanasia's trajectory, Eraser flew towards her, firing lasers and plasma missiles. Several discs remained in the air, trying to hit his pursuer, but to no avail. Just as he was about to reach his opponent, Eraser fired several plasma bolts into the sky, like a mortar. They landed in front of him, blocking his path with ash and fire. The android landed quickly and fired sharp lasers from its hands, spinning on its own axis and cutting through the trees.
Euthanasia ducked and narrowly avoided it. He showed no hesitation, throwing his discs with maximum force and accuracy. Eraser flew upward again, dodging each attack. Euthanasia leapt from a fallen tree and grabbed his foot. The android forced his thruster to burn the assassin's face, who closed his eyes and summoned a crown around Eraser's ankle. It began to shrink, until it disappeared completely and cut off his foot.
He crashed into the leaves of a tree as a result. It was too difficult to keep his balance in the air now, so Eraser dove back down, aiming for his opponent, who quickly left the leaves and threw more discs. The android had his hand thrusters push him to the side, avoiding the trees and flying towards Euthanasia again. Before he could summon his blades, Eraser grabbed him by the neck and pulled him down a few meters before stopping.
He swung a crown at Eraser's neck, who dodged it and punched him several times, trying to knock him out. Euthanasia brought his hand closer to the android's neck and summoned a disc around it, tightening it quickly. It was sharp enough to slice off his foot, so it was dangerous enough to make him panic.
Before the blade could sever him, his neck and head suddenly disappeared. Euthanasia's as well. The crown shrank and disappeared, not hitting anything. Both of them were headless now. After a few seconds, they returned to normal. Before Euthanasia could react, Eraser punched him in the face with enough force to knock him out instantly.
— And the winner is... Eraser!
After resting for some time in the infirmary and healing himself, he went to meet his friends. Yuna was impressed:
— Man, you're stronger than I thought... I take it back, Mitone's not on your level.
Mitone reluctantly agreed:
— I hate to admit it, but she's right. You're stronger than many professional heroes, mate.
— Genesis... she's the genius who designed me. If I wasn't an android, I wouldn't have any of my abilities.
The ninja replied:
— That's not true, pal, we saw your power. Although flying and shooting lasers are really strong abilities, they're part of you, you can't deny that. I can say the same about your power. I don't know if I understood it well, but it seems extremely powerful.
Eraser thought for a moment, surprised by the ninja's words. He had been there for how long, less than an hour? Now they understood each other as brothers. He seemed trustworthy.
— Yeah, I don't use my power often... I can erase two similar or equal things indefinitely, but one of them has to be from my body. Hence my name. Also, I can choose when to return them to our reality, but their position will be slightly distorted depending on the timing.
They listened attentively to his explanation. It was a rather unusual and inconvenient power, but very powerful if used correctly. Open-mouthed, Yuna answered:
— Impressive, your power is the strongest among our three. Oh, speaking of that...
She turned around to see the ninja guy, with a curious look on her face.
— What is your power?
— Can't say it, sorry.
— Come on, at least tell us how strong you are! Is your power, like... strong enough to rival the level 7's?
He thought for a moment, hesitant to reveal too much about himself.
— Maybe. Just like your friend's power, it's up to the user to decide how powerful it can be.
The announcer interrupted them:
— And now, tonight's first winner, Yuna, will be fighting the second, Chainsycho!
Mitone patted Yuna's shoulder reassuringly.
— You got this, girl. If I almost beat her, you'll have no trouble.
It was about to begin, the fourth fight of six. There were now three options: dam, bridge and skyscraper. The three friends were pondering about which would be the best ambient for Yuna. Mitone suggested:
— That crazy girl can fly with her chainsaw. Yuna can't. How about the dam? It's a massive wall that Yuna can climb with her bare fists.
Kaname, the ninja guy, agreed:
— Good observation, mate. I don't know your friend's power yet, but I assume she's physically strong. She can use the dam's materials to her favor.
They voted for the dam. It won with 34% of the votes. Eraser commented:
— Very close call, huh. I guess all the remaining maps are good for both of them.
The bets started. Chainsycho won again, but with only 54% of the bets.
Chainsycho's chainsaw had been fully repaired, as had her limbs. The dam had a middle section, above the river's level. It was where the water would normally reach, but it was drier than usual. The entire structure was unusable at the time, functioning only as a scenario and sandbox. However, the material properties, such as durability, were perfectly accurate.
The battle began. Chainsycho lunged forward, knowing that her opponent would simply wait for the first attack. Before reaching Yuna, she threw her chainsaw, which flew at supersonic speed.
So this is its true speed? Interesting! She was holding back because they were in an eclosed space!
Yuna waited for the right moment to tilt her head to the side, narrowly avoiding the blade. Chainsycho arrived right after, throwing punches at abnormal speeds, considering she was a "normal" human.
With a smirk on her face, Yuna tried to catch her fists. She, however, kept pulling them back before hitting her opponent's hands. Unexpectedly, something sharp grazed Yuna's back. It was forcing its away into her body, managing to make her bleed. She looked back, surprised but not hurt.
The chainsaw can move on its own?! I underestimated you, kid. You were using only the bare minimum against Mitone, so your secrets would remain hidden!
Taking advantage of the distraction, Chainsycho jumped and kicked Yuna in the stomach while in the air, using her maximum strength. Her body was lightly pushed against the chainsaw, burning her insides to a non-lethal level.
Yuna smiled. She finally met someone who matched her insanity. She commented:
— You know, we are similar in a way.
Behind Chainsycho, a clone of Yuna grabbed her head and threw her against the slanted concrete wall. She bounced back, but quickly regained her composure. Her brain had suffered major damage, but she didn't need her eyes to understand where she was.
Stumbling slightly, she walked around the clone. After some seconds, she could see that the original Yuna was gone. The chainsaw was floating in the air, with some blood on the ground. Suddenly, something hit the back of her head hard enough to make her black out for a few seconds.
When she woke up, Yuna was standing on her back, preventing her from doing anything. She smiled sadistically. Chainsycho, however, was no longer smiling. She felt fear, but not only that. She felt like she had just found a stronger version of herself. Someone she had to overcome, no matter what.
She smiled, knowing that her trump card was still intact. It flew towards Yuna at such a speed that the spectators didn't have enough time to comment. Less than a second away from touching her stomach, the chainsaw didn't stop. Not because it went through her body, but because Yuna used her trick again. She made a new clone and transferred her consciousness to it, then erased the previous body.
To Chainsycho, it was teleportation. Yuna kicked her head violently, launching her body several meters upwards. While in the air, she felt like a certain white-haired sorcerer. She smiled blissfully. Mainly because she was seconds away from dying.
She bounced on the ground painfully. Struggling to remain conscious, she watched her stronger self slowly walk towards her. She breathed slowly, trying to stay calm and not die right there.
When Yuna was close enough, she prepared to kick her head again. The chainsaw flew towards them.
How predictable...
The chainsaw was silent, but Yuna knew something was coming for her. It was not the first time, nor the second. As she turned back, she prepared to punch it, even if could damage her fists.
The chainsaw, however, flew past her. Chainsycho reached up, grabbing its handle and flying away, still horizontally.
What?! Damn, she still has the stength to move her body? Fine...
Yuna smiled even more, uttering:
— If you run, the beast catches you. If you stay, it eats you!
She ran with her maximum speed, trying to catch her prey, who also kept accelerating. When the psycho girl (the smaller one) reached a wall, she redirected her flight upwards. Yuna created a clone behind her and erased the old one, stopping the movement.
Without hesitation, she began to climb the slanted wall, punching it and digging her fists into the concrete. This method, however, wasn't fast enough, so she tried another trick: creating a clone in front of her, then pushing it towards her target. She could change her real self on the fly.
Yuna pushed the wall with her feet, propelling her diagonally. She created her clone and... uh... where was the clone?
What? Come on, appear!
She tried to materialize her clone in every way she knew, but it did not work. She kept falling, until she hit the water.
What the fuck is happening?! This can't be happening... I can't lose my power!
She swam out of the water, but was quickly met by a flying chainsaw. She rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding it. It flew back and kept trying to hit her, with very powerful and fast swings. It sliced the trees in the way, burning them.
Yuna resorted to grabbing some of the trees and using them as a weapon. They were too weak, though. She punched the chainsaw with her bare hand, destroying part of it and launching it away. Her hand had a major cut in the middle now. It stopped following her.
She breathed heavily, now angry. She would not lose under any circumstances, but not being able to use her own power was outrageous. She took some other trees and threw them agressively against the dam. It began to shatter a little.
She jumped to the top of the dam, where the girl was. She was now standing, holding her chainsaw. Her smile was still there, but her body was nearly giving up. Yuna lunged forward, trying to grab her face.
Chainsycho used the chainsaw's thrusters to dodge her attacks, which were getting faster and stronger. She began to counterattack, swinging her weapon. Yuna simply ignored it, even as her body started to bleed more. Her eyes were filled with hatred now.
When Yuna's grasp was almost reaching her face, the girl used the chainsaw to fly to the side, where the slanted wall was. Yuna jumped to grab her head, managing to do so and throwing her against the wall.
They were freefalling now. Chainsycho lost consciousness. Despite that, Yuna grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her, trying to wake her up. She was furious, but let out some tears.
— What did you do to me?! Come on, say it! I know you're alive, so make my power come back! I can't lose it!
She prepared to punch her in the face as a warning. Seeing that it wouldn't work, she punched the wall next to her, breaking it and opening a path for the water. It started to rain heavily, wetting everything.
— And the winner is... Yuna!
The simulation ended. Her wet clothes became dry. She lay on the ground, bruised and exhausted. Suddenly, someone came into her field of vision and smiled at her. It was her clone.
Yuna refused the paramedics' help, leaving the healing for the 7-Up and her own body. She went to meet her friends. Mitone apologized:
— I forgot to say what her power was... sorry.
— My power is working again, so why bother? Besides, we both didn't know each other's power. It was a fair fight. To a certain extent.
Kaname commented:
— You fight really well. Are you a professional assassin?
— Kind of. I've killed tens of thousands already.
Eraser and Mitone were shocked. She could only be joking, right? The ninja replied:
— It was to be expected. Please never stop fighting. Everyone knows you now, they may want to fight you someday. And trust me, there is always a bigger fish.
— I appreciate the concern, but Ria and Unizard will protect me.
— And when they are no longer here? What if the enemy's stronger?
— I... I don't know...
— Sorry for cornering you. I'm not saying you should be paranoid, but... in this city, safety is never enough. Even if you were unknown to the public, someone powerful knows everything about you. It's always been this way.
Eraser and Mitone listened to his advice. He sounded like a mature person now.
After some conversations, the next battle was about to begin.
— ...Eraser vs Katsuragi!
The poll started. Bridge between two mountains or helipad on top of a skyscraper? Yuna suggested:
— Eraser can fly. The bridge seems like a very narrow space for anyone who can't.
Mitone disagreed:
— It's a pretty large bridge, so it's not as narrow as the rooftop.
— But the skyscraper is part of the sandbox. If that Katsuragi is somehow strong enough to lift it, Eraser would be in trouble.
— The bridge is not that different. It can be used as a weapon too.
— But his opponent could hide inside the skyscraper. On the bridge, Eraser would have the upper hand.
They were now debating which choice would favor their friend more. Mitone had an idea. He turned around to see their ninja friend.
— Hey, Kaname...
He was distracted.
— Uhee, the mint ice cream is on sale?! Haya-chi, hold my place in line for me, please!
He stood up quickly, heading for the exit. Yuna and Mitone were confused. He remembered about the fight.
— Oh, guys. Sorry, something urgent just took place, but I'll contribute the votes.
Mitone asked:
— About that... which do you think is the best option?
— The bridge, of course. But not because your friend has a chance. I've seen very little of that Katsuragi, but she's no joke. In the skyscraper, Yuna will have a chance against her.
They were both scared now. Kaname had seen what Eraser was capable of, but said he had no chance. Yuna was getting more and more nervous, knowing that she would be in the finals.
The bridge won with 51% of the votes. Mitone commented to the ninja:
— If you hadn't said anything, we might have lost the bet.
Katsuragi won with 64% of the bets. Kaname said goodbye:
— Alright, guys, thank you for the experience. I should go now, the ice cream shop calls me.
Mitone said:
— Thank you, Kaname. I hope we get to see each other more times. Have fun with your mint ice cream. Nice taste, by the way.
Yuna, hesitant, replied:
— Yeah... t-thank you for everything. You're a lot nicer than I initially thought.
Kaname smiled, waving for them:
— The pleasure's mine. It's not everyday that I meet unique characters like you. Say goodbye to Eraser for me.
He disappeared into the shadows.
Katsuragi was a woman, a slightly muscular and tall woman. She had messy brown hair, tied in a ponytail. Her eyes were black, with a white dot in the center. Her outfit was a black skirt and white sashes covering her breasts. She also wore black fingerless gloves.
The bridge was huge and connected two distant mountains. However, if a major part of it were to be broken, it would easily collapse. It was daytime, like the other maps.
Eraser sensed something dangerous about that woman. His smile was faint, almost imperceptible. But her eyes were determined to destroy every single obstacle in her way.
When the battle started, Eraser instantly flew into the sky. Katsuragi, in less than a second was capable of nearly touching him. He propelled himself to the side, avoiding her grasp. Firing multiple rockets and laser beams, Eraser managed to buy some time, until he was far enough from the bridge.
However, he knew he couldn't go any further than that. He fired several plasma beams, damaging the bridge and causing it to stumble slightly. Katsuragi picked up some huge concrete blocks from the ground and threw them towards the flying android, who destroyed them with his explosives.
Before he could realize it, she used them as a distraction. She leapt towards him at supersonic speed, reaching him in less than a second. She tried to grab his wrist, but he made both his hand and hers disappear. Without hesitation, she grabbed his leg with her other hand and swung him into the air, releasing him towards the bridge.
He crashed into her, taking heavy damage. There was still a chance to win. He flew away, further away from her. He waited in the air for her to touch the ground, as she was in free fall. He calculated that the distance would probably be great enough to disqualify her, as long as she was the last one to move.
Just as she was about to touch the ground, she turned around and blew lightly, propelling herself towards the bridge. Surprised, Eraser flew much higher, trying to avoid the bridge since she wasn't looking at him. When she arrived, Eraser quickly fired everything he had: explosive plasma bolts, laser beams, rockets, and conventional ammunition.
Nothing stopped her. Instead, she jumped high enough to reach him again, but much faster this time. She tried to punch him in the face, but he dodged it. Then, she tried to kick him in the legs to make him lose his balance. He erased both his leg and hers. They exchanged several punches and kicks, but Eraser took most of the damage.
She punched him downwards, towards the bridge. The impact nearly caused it to collapse. She landed with a kick, which he narrowly avoided. He fired a laser beam downwards, cutting the bridge in two and leaving a hot trail. She leapt towards him and grabbed his neck, forcing him down. He snapped their necks, quickly escaping her grasp by flying horizontally.
Katsuragi reached him again, trying to throw a punch, but hitting the ground instead. The bridge began to crumble. Eraser managed to fly away, firing rockets towards the bridge's foundations, speeding up the demolition. She punched the ground and lifted the entire bridge.
Swinging it towards Eraser, she tried to swat him like a fly, but he managed to avoid most of it. He lost his legs on the edge, being thrown away and losing his main thrusters. She let go of the bridge, which hit one of the mountains and destroyed a large portion of it. As she was falling, she stepped on one of the debris and launched herself towards Eraser, who tried to fly away faster.
Her speed was too great, however. She punched him with such force that he crashed into the other mountain, three kilometers away, in less than 3 seconds. Since her body was extremely durable compared to a normal human's, he pierced it and continued flying.
She reached him again, trying to punch him from above. He made a hole where she would hit him, erasing both of their hearts. Then, he made them reappear, trapping her arm inside his body. Since the position of his heart and arm were colliding, they were in the same place at the same time, something that should have been impossible. This made her try to pull it back, but it was stuck for who knows how long.
Eraser smiled, saying:
— I won.
His body began to glow brightly, just like Genesis's. Frightened, she cut off her own arm and pushed his body with her legs, increasing the distance. This action was done out of desperation, so her strength was greater than she had calculated. They both flew so fast that Eraser's melting body pierced the ground like a hot bullet, while she was about to hit the stratosphere.
Before he could explode, the match ended and the winner was decided:
— Both of the participants got too far away from each other... but Eraser is the most damaged here, so the victory goes to Katsuragi! I think...
The official winner was Katsuragi.
Eraser's body was almost non-existent now. If he died, he probably wouldn't be able to transfer his brain to another android since his body was too different and he was considered a living being. Not even Kiseki would be able to revive him if he truly died. His condition was critical, but doctors could probably fix him in less than an hour. Luckily, this was his last fight of the day.
Yuna was worried:
— I can't believe it... he was prepared to sacrifice himself for a stupid match?
— He must have had a reason. Not that it justifies what he just did, but we should ask him later. So that this kind of thing doesn't happen again.
— Yeah... hey, Mitone.
— Hm?
— Do you think Gomi knew what would happen?
— Probably not. Why?
— She was suicidal. On the first day of school, she tried to jump off the rooftop.
— She was enjoying her time at the event. Are you saying she orchestrated all of that?
— Of course not, she was not that smart. But... what if she's happier now?
— ...
— What if Eraser wanted to die?
— That would be a bummer, is all I can say. I don't know what's going on inside his brain, or yours, or Gomi's.
— I know I said you were nosy, but that's not necessarily a bad thing... Some people like it when others insist on getting to know them better. You just have to... find the right nail to hammer.
They both thought about what was right and what would be overstepping the other's boundaries. After a few minutes of almost pure silence:
— The finals, folks! Now, the most anticipated match of the tournament: Yuna vs Katsuragi!
Yuna took a while to get up, clearly distressed. She sighed, walking towards the arena. She stopped halfway, without turning around and saying:
— Mitone. Never do something like that. Promise me.
She resumed her walking. He muttered:
— I promise you, my friend.
This time, there was no poll. They would be fighting on top of the skyscraper.
Katsuragi won with 74% of the bets.
The battle started. It was nighttime, unlike the other maps. Katsuragi was completely healed. Yuna, however, was not in her right mind. She wasn't smiling at all, while her opponent had that same weak smile from before.
I don't have time to wait for her first attack. I need to avenge Eraser.
With a thirst for blood, Yuna leapt forward, reaching her enemy in a second, despite being more than 10 meters away from her. She launched a barrage of punches and kicks at supersonic speed. Viewers had to watch the footage in slow motion to understand each attack. They were moving so fast that an air current took place.
Katsuragi managed to land a few punches to her face and stomach, which hurt more than it should have. Some of Yuna's attacks landed, however, causing minimal damage. Yuna began creating clones and erasing the old one, effectively teleporting. Katsuragi was getting confused, but quickly learned her attack pattern.
Most of the time, Yuna would create a clone behind her enemy, then she would simply swing her elbow back, striking Yuna's chest or stomach. Since Katsuragi reacted very quickly, she would wait for her clone to take the hit and then teleport away. The damage would be equally distributed to all of her clones, including her real self. She could halve the damage she took, but she would also reduce her own intelligence and strength.
Katsuragi realized that her attacks weren't doing much damage, so she started taking it more seriously. Each strike released a shockwave that could dispel nearby clouds and shatter the helipad slightly. Yuna increased the number of clones, taking less and less damage, but also dealing less. Katsuragi finally confirmed that Yuna's real power was clones, not teleportation.
Yuna's attacks were strong enough to destroy a skyscraper, even when she had 6 clones, which was the limit. But they were redirected towards a stronger enemy, so they seemed weak. The shockwaves began to destroy all the windows nearby, including those of other distant skyscrapers.
Katsuragi was being overwhelmed by the omnidirectional attacks, so she grabbed one of the clones' heads and pushed it against the helipad. They sank into the skyscraper, entering a large office. The clone's head was crushed into a mist of blood. One of her clones was dead, but she managed to create a new one to replace it. Only her total energy was damaged.
The clones swarmed in, attacking Katsuragi with all their might. Every computer and desk flew away or was completely destroyed. They managed to push the strong woman against the broken window. She steadied herself to keep from falling, but the clones kept jumping on her. The real Yuna finally punched her in the stomach, sending her flying a few meters.
She grabbed the clones' heads and crushed them, while others exchanged blows with her. She pushed all the clones towards the building, then grabbed one of the edges of the floor and entered. They were now inside a small store. The real Yuna grabbed Katsuragi from behind and threw her against all the shelves in her path, ending up in a bathroom.
Katsuragi clapped her hands, releasing a shockwave that destroyed all the toilets and sinks. The clones swarmed in, trying to hit her from all sides. They bit her, making her shoulders bleed. Feeling the pain, she jumped out of the building. They followed her.
The battle on the helipad had destroyed some of the skyscraper's security sensors. They were now several floors below, where they had been working. The broken windows had been replaced with metal ones. The clones and Katsuragi walked along the wall, following each other and exchanging blows.
The brute woman punched a few clones in the stomach so hard that her arm easily went through. She kicked others in the head, instantly blowing them up. They were getting weaker with each summoning. Yuna stopped making more clones, trying to focus everything she had into herself. The remaining clones died one by one, until only the real one remained.
Katsuragi smiled, knowing she had won in that moment. She grabbed Yuna's head and threw her against the skyscraper with such intensity that her body pierced not only it, but dozens of other skyscrapers in its path. They began to crumble, destroying the empty streets and releasing powerful shockwaves.
The apocalypse began. The city caught fire in a major area, all the windows were blown out, buildings that were more than two kilometers away were collapsing. Katsuragi grabbed the initial skyscraper and spun it, creating a huge tornado. She released it.
It destroyed several buildings in its path, then hit Yuna, who was still flying. She was close to crashing into another huge skyscraper, so it was like a building sandwich, with her being the filling. After a few seconds, she finally stopped in the rubble, nearly dying.
Eraser... I thought I was doing this for you, but... I got angry in your place... I'm sorry, I'm the one that should be punished here...
Katsuragi landed next to her, smiling and laughing like a maniac. She finally spoke:
— You lost the battle when you stopped using your power. But I must say, you impressed me. I had to win, so I ended up being pretty tough on you. Thanks for the fight.
She reached out her hand, as a humble victor does.
Huh? If I take her hand, I'll admit defeat... I haven't lost yet...
— What's the matter, Yuna? Are you so hurt that you can't even move your body?
Not this time... not yet... I have to win... I have never lost... I MUST WIN!
In the blink of an eye, Yuna stood up and threw a punch at Katsuragi. However, this was no ordinary punch. Everything within a 5 kilometer radius disappeared. Her enemy was sent flying for at least 30 kilometers.
Katsuragi's jaw was gone. If she wasn't taken to the medics immediately, she would die from blood loss. Yuna followed so fast that they were both at the limit of distance. She arrived shortly after, smiling menacingly.
— I've killed far more than you. I can't lose to someone as insignificant as you.
She prepared another punch, but both were pushed away by an invisible force, hitting the wall of the arena. The wall of the stadium on the opposite side was completely destroyed. The spectators who were sitting there probably died as well. Soon after, Yuna was pulled into the hole, as if an airplane door had been opened mid-flight.