Akio rolled her shoulders, the sound of joints popping sharp in the quiet air. She twisted her arm slowly, cracking her fingers one by one as if waking her body up piece by piece. She had been down for both the Aruther and Milly fights, but this. This was different. With Kira standing on the other side of the arena, her lips curved into a small, dangerous chuckle.

"I guess for you, Kira… I've heard all sorts of good things." Her voice was low, almost a murmur meant only for herself. She reached back, gathering her hair into her hands, pulling it tight. "So I'll take this one a bit more seriously."

Kira didn't flinch. She didn't even pretend to care. Her focus was absolute, her body steady, her gaze sharp and locked only on Akio. She wasn't here to banter. She wasn't here to entertain. She was here to test herself against the strongest; nothing else mattered.

Akio's pink strands fell loose as she tied them into a ponytail, the colour catching the faint light. If Kira had been anyone else, maybe she would've thought about how striking the sight was. But her headspace wasn't built for distraction, and she reminded herself of that as she heard the faint noise of Aruther's cheer from the stands.

"Woop! Miss Akio! You look great!"

Kira scoffed, the sound sharp in her throat. She glanced back only for an instant, just in time to see Aruther get socked in the head by Isak for his outburst.

Akio smirked, finishing her hair tie with a flick. "It's nice to see I've got some fans at the enemy base."

Her eyes shifted forward, locking onto the woman standing tall on the railing. The referee raised her hand, her expression cool and formal, every movement precise. Akio gave a single nod, signalling her readiness.

The woman's gaze slid to Kira. No words were needed; Kira's silence, her lack of even glancing back, spoke louder than anything. She was already prepared.

For a moment, the air held still. The crowd hushed, as if waiting with bated breath.

The woman on the railing inhaled once, steadying herself, then dropped her arm in a sharp, decisive motion.

"BEGIN!"

*

As Tenka's foot collided with the man's hand, the world seemed to split apart. The crack of bones snapping echoed like gunfire, layered with the splintering roar of stone as the ground beneath the man fractured in a spiderweb pattern. The impact detonated into a violent shockwave, the explosion rattling the alley walls and slamming into everyone's ears until they rang with a metallic buzz.

"TENKA!!" Her name tore from his throat as he rushed forward. The smoke smothered everything in front of him, thick, suffocating, acrid. It clawed down his throat, making him cough as grit scraped against his tongue. His eyes watered, the sting forcing him to squint against the haze. All he could see were jagged silhouettes in the blur. He slowed his pace, chest tight, fear crawling through his veins like ice if the monster had survived that, if Tenka hadn't.

"ARE YOU OKAY, TENKA?!" He called again, voice cracked with desperation, swallowed by the swirling grey. No answer. His heartbeat spiked. His palms grew slick with sweat as he clenched his fists tighter. The silence was worse than any threat.

Then.

"He's one tough cookie, ain't he?"

Kentaro's head snapped up at that voice. Relief surged through him, weak knees nearly giving out as recognition hit.

"Tenka!" He yelled, but the moment of reprieve was shredded by the guttural war cry that erupted from the smoke.

The man's roar wasn't human; it was a tearing sound, a distorted animal scream that vibrated through Kentaro's bones. The sheer force of it blasted outward, a shockwave shredding the wall of dust in an instant.

The smoke scattered like shredded paper, slamming into Kentaro's face with the sting of needles. Pebbles and shards of metal rattled against his skin, sharp enough to draw pinpricks of blood. He shielded his eyes with his arm, teeth gritted as the storm ripped past him.

BANG!

The sound was harsh, metallic, like steel striking stone at impossible force. Kentaro flinched, his ears ringing.

"W-what the… What was that?" His voice was barely audible against the echo of the impact.

"SERICA!" Aria's cry ripped through the clearing haze, her voice trembling.

Kentaro's stomach dropped. He wanted to sprint to them, to check, but the lingering smoke still curled in suffocating tendrils. His chest burned with every inhale, lungs aching from the grit. He couldn't move blind, not with that monster still alive.

Finally, the air thinned. The dust and smoke peeled back, unveiling the battlefield like a curtain being torn away.

And what he saw made his heart stop.

"No way…" He whispered.

At the centre of the devastation stood Tenka, locked in a dead stalemate. Her foot pressed against the man's arm, frozen mid-collision. His left arm dangled grotesquely, snapped completely out of joint, swinging like a broken door. But his other hand… His other hand clutched her foot, tendons bulging, holding her in place as if pain didn't exist. His eyes rolled back, and drool spilt down his chin, his face twisted in a manic grin.

"Shit. How do you deal with someone who doesn't feel pain?" Tenka hissed under her breath, sweat dripping down her cheek. Her eyes darted to Serica, who lay crumpled on the ground, a faint groan the only sign of life. Her lips curled in frustration. "Crap!"

The man's grip tightened, pulling her down with monstrous force.

"DAMN YOU, YOU BASTARD!!!"

The scream wasn't Tenka's.

BANG!

Aria, trembling but desperate, had thrown herself into the fray. Using her guitar like a hammer, she leapt high and slammed the instrument down onto the man's skull with pure frustration. The crystal embedded in his head shattered under the blow, glowing with a blinding surge before erupting in a shockwave.

Light swallowed the alley in a violent pulse.

The force sent Serica's limp body rolling, Tenka hurtling backwards, and Kentaro bracing against the blast with his arms crossed. His heels carved tracks against the ground, dust biting into his skin. He barely held his ground as he caught sight of Tenka spinning through the air, flying backside-first straight at his face.

His eyes bulged. "Wait, wait, wait, wai-AHHHHH!"

BOOM!

The two of them slammed to the ground in a tangle. Kentaro's head smacked against the dirt, his face buried in the very last place he wanted it to be, Tenka's backside pressing down with full force.

For a moment, silence. Just groans and coughs. Then...

"HMMMMM!" Kentaro wailed, his voice muffled into oblivion.

Tenka blinked, dazed, lifting her head groggily. Her temples throbbed, her vision still spinning. "What the…" She glanced around, confusion written on her face, until she finally processed the muffled cry beneath her.

"HMMMMM!" Kentaro shouted, his voice vibrating right up into her body.

A shiver ran through her. "Ahh!" A small, startled moan slipped out before she froze stiff, realisation dawning. Her cheeks went bright red as she slowly tilted her head down.

"…."

"AHHHHHHHH!!!"

She screamed so loud the whole block could hear, jumping up in a panic before stomping Kentaro straight in the gut.

"NGH!!" Kentaro wheezed, air exploding from his lungs as he rolled onto his side. He coughed, finally able to breathe again, face burning crimson.

"C-C-CREEP!" Tenka shrieked, pointing a shaking finger at him like she'd caught him committing a crime.

"I WAS TRYING TO PROTECT YOU, DUMMY!" Kentaro bellowed back, pointing at her with just as much fire, cheeks scarlet.

Tenka froze. Her mouth opened, then closed again. She wanted to argue, to fire back, but nothing came. Deep down, she knew he wasn't lying; he wouldn't do that just to cop a feel.

She puffed her cheeks, looking away. "Fine. Whatever. Just… Ask first or something, you know…" Her voice trailed softer, almost… Shy.

Kentaro blinked, stunned. "Huh? What the…" He muttered under his breath, ears reddening, but before he could say more, Tenka stormed ahead, refocusing on the battlefield. "How can I ask, when you're flying towards me?" He thought to himself.

"Ren, are you okay?" Haruka's voice cracked through the comms, strained. "Aria's hit broke the crystal, the Alberline traces are gone. But his body… That's another conversation entirely."

Kentaro pushed himself upright, brushing dust off his clothes, and cautiously stepped toward the collapsed man. The sight nearly made him vomit. His arms dangled like torn cloth, bones exposed where they jutted through skin. His chest heaved shallowly, each rise painting the air with the wet, metallic stink of blood. His face was a mess of crimson, teeth broken, eyes glazed. Alive, but barely.

"Who the hell knows if he'll make it out alive…" Tenka muttered darkly as Kentaro joined her side.

He didn't respond. His eyes shifted to Aria, who knelt over Serica's still form, shaking her shoulders with trembling hands.

"Seri! Seri, wake up!" Her voice cracked as tears welled in her eyes.

"Aria! Is she okay?!" Kentaro rushed over, panic in his chest. "What the hell happened?"

Aria looked up, tears spilling down her cheeks. "S-S-Serica…"

"What happened?!" Tenka pressed, urgency sharp in her voice.

A tear slid down Aria's face as her lips quivered. "A bin… It was going to hit me. But Serica-she… She jumped in the way."

The silence hit like a hammer.

"…Phew. At least it wasn't life-threatening." Tenka rubbed her temple, her tone lighter but her eyes betraying her worry.

Kentaro exhaled, shoulders slumping in relief. He crouched, wiping Aria's tear with his thumb and forcing a smile. "Don't worry. Serica's tougher than that. She'll wake up."

Aria sniffled, managing a soft smile. "Y-yeah. She will…"

Tenka crouched for a closer look, then stood again, crossing her arms. Kentaro glanced at her boots, then back at her. "So, uh, Tenka…"

She raised a brow. "Yeah?"

"What was that move?"

"Huh?"

Aria rubbed her eyes and also perked up. "Yeah, what was that?" She asked softly.

Tenka tilted her head, frowning. "What?!"

Kentaro and Aria exchanged a glance, then Kentaro grinned. He crouched low, then jumped barely a foot off the ground, throwing his arms wide.

"SKY WALK!" He exclaimed in the goofiest voice possible.

Tenka's jaw dropped.

"SKY WALKER YEAHHHH!" Kentaro kept bouncing, striking poses like a ridiculous superhero. Aria, though her eyes were red and still watery, burst into laughter, doubling over as Tenka's face flushed scarlet.

"Y-YOU JACKASS!" Tenka screeched, stomping his shin.

"OWWWW!" Kentaro collapsed dramatically, clutching his leg as Aria laughed harder.

Crossing her arms, Tenka pouted, cheeks red. "It's just a technique I was taught! No need to be a dick about it…"

Kentaro grinned despite himself. "I was just teasing. Honestly, you looked amazing. Can I learn it?"

Her pout deepened. "No! Not unless you train your lower body relentlessly."

His face fell. "Aw, man…" Then he sighed, rubbing his neck. "Alright, fine. Forget that. What about him? What do we do with the guy?"

Haruka chimed in, voice steady through the comms. "We could take him in, can't we?"

Tenka stepped closer to the unconscious man, studying him with a frown. "Yeah… That's probably the best move. We treat him, then let him go. Without him finding out too much."

Kentaro nodded. "Makes sense."

"Good. I'll call Shog-"

"Well, well… I knew putting that crystal on him was the right move."

The voice slithered down the alley, sharp and cold.

Everyone froze. Tenka's eyes widened as sweat slid down her temple. Slowly, she turned toward Kentaro and Aria, because the voice…

The voice came from behind them. From the shadows at the far end of the alley.

"You've got to be kidding me…" She whispered.

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