Chapter 4

I went out to find some food, but then I realized something of grave importance.

"I don't have any money!" I yell that in the middle of a crowd and they all start staring at me like I'm a lunatic. It's not my fault that I forgot about money. Why did I have to be broke like a fraud?

Just how am I going to get some money. Maybe I can just steal some food from a hotdog stand? Wait wait…I'm a good guy! I can't do things like that. Well, maybe I could put that idea on the backburner. Just what should I do…? Oh, is that Sonic…in casual clothes?! Maybe I can mooch off of him!

I run up to Sonic with a hopeful look on my face. He turns to look at me and his face changed into something resembling one who bites into a lemon. Am I really that undesirable of a guy…?

"For hurting my feelings, I demand that you feed me!" I point at him when I finish my statement. He also hears the sound of my stomach rumbling. He then looks back to me with an extremely exasperated look on his face.

"Why the hell should I feed you?" Oh, he's doing the 'what's in it for him' scenario. Well I got something for you.

"If you feed me…then I'll teach you a secret fitness routine to make your body much stronger and faster. Trust me on this one. I know a guy who did it He did it for three years and achieved an unbeatable strength that I wish to overcome." I say this with my most serious face I've ever put on in my entire life. He seems to be intrigued no matter how much he wishes to hide it.

"Fine. I have money to spare from some jobs. Come on and let's get this over with already." He seems to be apathetic, but I know deep inside that he desperately desires more power. He's like Sasuke, except without the worst parts. Wait…was this guy based off of Sasuke? So many questions.

We eventually reach a restaurant where I can engorge myself. It's of course, a cheap McDonald's knockoff. Let's see…oh-ho! I noticed the numbers, and I decided to replicate a certain meme. I walk up to the person taking orders and I execute the joke.

"I'll have two number 9s, a number 9 large, a number 6 with extra dip, a number 7, two number 45s, one with cheese, and a large soda." Sonic looked disgusted with how much I ordered while he ordered a small meal. The lady up front looked to be disoriented with how much I ordered, but I just feel a sense of satisfaction and disappointment in myself for doing that.

Once we get our meals we sit down, and Sonic begins questioning me. Though not with what I expected.

"Can you even eat all of that?" He said with a neutral frown. Ah. I didn't even think that. I hope I can. I nod my head without giving away that I just wasted his money. I begin consuming everything in front of me like an endless void.

"I'm surprised I managed to eat all of that." I pat my stomach to signify that I'm full. My statement seems to irritate Sonic.

"You mean you almost wasted my money? Whatever, I don't give a damn about that. Tell me about this fitness routine." An almost carnivorous hunger lights his eyes. You want to know that badly? Fine!

I open my mouth, "One hundred push-ups, one hundred sit-ups, one hundred squats, and 10 km every day. Don't forget to turn off the AC and eat a banana everyday as well. At first, you'll feel like dying, but you will get results. Side effects include sudden baldness," and spew out what Saitama said to Dr. Genus. The more I spoke, the darker Sonic's eyes became.

"Do you take me…" eye twitching "…for a joke!" He slams both of his hands on the table alerting everyone to us. Oh, he's mad. Real mad. I did tell you the truth though. I start busting a gut laughing at his anger. I didn't know I had this hidden side of me that desired to make everyone mad around me. This trollish side that desires to commit suicide through people's anger is very interesting.

"The truth is that you should attempt to break your limiter." Right before Sonic considered drawing his blade out, I shut him down with serious words and I also attempt to placate the crowd by smiling at them. He seems to drink in what I said and motions me for further explanation with his eyes.

"What I mean is that you should do exercise so extreme that it will feel like you will die. Make your heart feel like it will explode, make your bones and muscles feel like they will rip and break off with even the slightest more movement, and then push your body even further beyond that each day. I guarantee that you will reach strength surpassing nearly everyone else if you dedicate the most extreme effort."

When I finish saying that he immediately vanishes from his seat in a gust of wind. I guess he's going to go do that right now. Or he just really doesn't want to deal with my annoying self. Still, that disgusting and greasy American-style fast food was very filling and delicious. I can feel my arteries clogging right now. I get up and leave the restaurant with hands in my torn pants' pockets.

One of the staff members shoots me a look filled with indignation as he sees the mess I've made without cleaning it up. Oh yeah, messing with people is definitely going to be my new pastime. I wonder how Bad will feel once he notices that I've discovered my true self. I didn't even have to face my shadow to find it! It's a good thing that Sonic overpaid in cash and didn't notice the change going to me. I will never let him find out about this.

With this money…I can buy a bag! One that will last me across my journey to Z-City. I'll fill it with the heaviest trash I can find for weight training. The only way to get stronger is to train after all. I'm a lazy person, but when I find something fun, I dedicate all my determination into chasing it with fervor. My goal is to give Saitama the fight of his life!

When I go back to the park, I notice that all the rubble still hasn't been cleared up yet. I've already bought a bag, so I can just fill it up with all these heavy stones strewn about. There's no one here, so I have the benefit of stealth as well. I would have stayed here for training, but I gotta bounce to avoid Sonic pestering me for something else.

"What I need to achieve is immeasurable speed, reflexes, strength, and stamina. My strongest points in order are stamina, reflexes, strength, then speed." I mentally record what I should be focusing on first.

I decided to myself that I need to increase my speed first. Carrying around a back filled with rocks should bolster everything except for my reflexes. That can only be honed in battle. This rubber body should be able to use the Gears that Luffy can, but that needs to wait until I'm fit enough so I won't face life-threatening consequences.

Once I pack my bag to the brim with a bunch of rubble I try lifting it up.

"Woah, this shit's heavy as hell." I struggle to place it on my back, but I eventually put it there snug and tight. This is going to suck, but it's worth it. Just gotta think of the end goal here. I jog around the city and work up a nice sweat. Good thing it started to rain because I haven't even considered where I would take a shower. Don't want to hog the water from Bad and his sister.

I was out on a run for about three hours exhausting my superhuman endurance. I made my way back to Bad's apartment soaking wet. I knocked on the door and Zenko was the one to greet me with a look of shock plastered on her face. She then runs back inside and I follow her to see a towel in her hand.

"W-what are you doing?! You can get sick out in the cold like that, you idiot!" I flash her with my most charming grin, which is to say the ugliest thing ever and speak to her with utmost confidence.

"Silly Good Sister. Don't you know? Idiots can't get colds!" I wag my finger at her and finish my brilliant conclusion. Anime taught me this, so it must be true! Zenko is baffled by my genius that only someone as great as me can comprehend.

"This isn't an anime, and you are way past an idiot if you think such a thing!" You're right, you weren't in the anime.

"Yes…this is a Manga!" She looks one hundred percent done with my shit, and I decide to stop messing with her. I grab the towel from her hands and start drying myself up. Bad should have noticed the commotion we were making by now.

"So, where's your brother? I'm getting bored and I wanna talk to him." More like I want to mess with him. I just can't control this part of me at all and I need to let everything out. I'm just so tired right now! After drying myself I collapse in the sofa from exhaustion, but not without gently laying the bag down.

"I don't know. What're you tired for?" She just now noticed how out of breath I am. She also noticed the loud bang the bag made when I 'gently' dropped it.

"I was doing some exercise to get myself in better shape. Can't have your brother leaving me in the dust, now can I?" I flash her a lazy grin. I do owe him a favor he can call in anytime and anywhere. Gotta make sure i can keep up with that favor. I then close my eyes for a quick rest.


I sense a foot about to hit my side and then I sit right up. I open my eyes to see a wild Bad using Mega Kick on my body. I avoid it and kick him right in the face sending him to the wall.

"Oops. I slipped." I deliver that with my greatest poker face, which is pretty shit judging based on how I'm holding my gut trying to stop laughter from slipping out. There's a footprint on his face and he looks highly unamused. Even Zenko doesn't know whether she wants to laugh or hit me for that one.

"Oh, I see you got a new bat. So, that's what you were out for." I walk over to the bat hanging on the wall while ignoring the look Bad is giving me. If I ignore him, then he'll go away. I then hear footsteps getting closer to me. I feel the looming threat of doom over my shoulders.

"Yeah, I got one from the Hero Association themselves. It was made by some other S-Class dude that I can't remember. You want to test it out?" If I say yes, then he's going to smack me with it. If I say no, then he's going to cash in on that favor to smack me with it. I try to placate him.

"I know that you want to hit me, but you should ask yourself if that's really what you want. Now the answer may surprise you!" I don't think that swayed him at all. My rubber body will protect me…hopefully. Zenko already brought out the first aid kit.

"I'd like to cash in on that favor." He says with a menacing grin. I immediately book it and leap off the railing. Bad chases me in a furious pursuit. I run all the way to the park with him still on my ass.

"Dude, why are you acting like I'm a hooker who made off with your money without even giving you service!" My vulgar words made the guy that I forgot was a teen stammer and blush. What a prude. I guess people in Japan and not-Japan are this way though. I flip him off with a laugh, and he gets even faster.

We make it to a clearing and I stop running. I turn around and face him with my battle face, which is the face of a man who's ready for some 'action.'

"So, how do you wanna start this?"

He slams down on his bat, but I block it crossing my arms. The force of the impact cracks the ground beneath me. I think he's holding back? I jump back and spread my arms in an invitation.

"Come on, what are you doing holdin' back like that! A battle is meant to be fought with everything you got, so give me your all! I won't go down at all, so don't worry about me!" I won't even use my rubber abilities. I need to learn how to fight a person anyway.

He immediately moves in front of me to swing the bat horizontally, but I duck forward underneath it. The pressure of the air giving out from the swing of that bat nearly distorted my positioning. I pivot to the left to follow through with a left jab to the gut. It staggers him a little, and I kick him in the face once again. He goes spinning back just to land on his feet with a stronger footprint on his face.

"When I'm done with you, your face, will look like a tattoo of the bottom of my shoe." I give him a mocking grin and he gets even faster.

Good…

I block what I can't dodge, and dodge what I can't block. We exchange a furious flurry of blows. I think I can see a grin on his face. I thought you didn't like fighting Bad…! It's not nice to lieeeee!

I couldn't stop the laughter seeping out as I spin around for a crescent kick, which reverberates the bat. He holds onto it even though I know his bones felt that vibration.

Good.

We continue to blow off steam in this fast-paced highspeed battle. I'm trying to draw on my rusty experience and knowledge with karate. I have to extrapolate more. Even though I'm going all out, he's just getting stronger and faster than me. He's even landing blows on me that I can neither block nor dodge. This rubber body dulls most of the power…but I still feel it.

Good!

He hits me extremely hard in the head. Earlier in the battle that would have sent me flying, but now I'm powering through it and nailing him in the face with a punch sending him backwards.

"Why'd you have to always aim for the face!" He seems to be exasperated. A minor head wound is causing him to bleed, but I don't care. Some may think that I'm fighting to liberate all the stress accumulating for dealing with monsters and being dragged from my world. Others may think I'm striking out in frustration with all the bad luck that plagued my life.

Those are things that a normal person might fight about. But…I'm not normal. I'm just fighting cause it's fun.

This feeling of fighting for the heck of it is exhilarating. The feeling of no longer having to worry about a thing! Even if this side of me unnerves everyone around me, even if I was never accepted by anyone except for my grandparents, I just can't let this part of me rot away!

I don't respond to his annoyance and jump right back into the fray. He seems to be shocked by sudden jump in speed and power. All he can do his keep on the defensive.

"Come on…is that all you have! Don't let it end too soon now!" I fire off a heel drop slamming down on the bat hard. The force of the impact left a small crater in the ground with cracks growing from it. He shook off the attack like it was nothing and speeds up even further. This fighting spirit of yours…you are definitely the most fun opponent for me to fight!


This guy is gettin' stronger, almost like I am. Why's this guy lusting over fighting so much? Is he even thinkin' clearly?

"『Good!』"

The hell? Something just flashed in his eyes when he said that? A dull glow of gray…gotta focus on the fight right now. I swing to intercept his fist that nearly knocks the damn bat out of my hand. He wasn't hitting this hard at the beginning! I'm still keeping him at bay. I think it's time to finish this.

"Killin' Moves Fightin' Spirit: Dragon Thrashing!" This move should win me the battle, but why is his grin growing even larger? He's just gonna stand there and let the blows rain on him?! I'm not going to pull it back. He won't get hurt that much from this.

The ground explodes.


Those were some strong blows, but nothing's broken or even that bruised. The benefits of a rubber body I suppose. That fight was exhilarating and it did let me release some steam building up. After fighting that metal lizard, a desire to fight more began growing in me. Bad's going to grow even stronger from now, so I have to do the same.

"Why did you even want to fight me in the first place?" I ask him that. It can't just be because of me kicking him in the face.

"I wanted to know exactly how strong you are. If I'm gonna cash in a favor, it's not gonna be to a battle that'll get yerself killed." I see…how interesting.

"But you already said you were cashing in a favor. So, how are you going to convince me to help you out." I'll help him out anyway, cause that's what friends do, right?

"Never said what I was cashing in the favor for. So, you actually still owe me one." That's…exactly right. How deceptive. I didn't think this guy had a cunning bone in his body?! My face must have shown its shock because he's grinning a smug grin at me. That mocking aura is taunting me… I'm getting tired of being tricked like this.

"Hey, you wanna go for another round." I say a bit unhinged. I think I managed to creep him out just a tad bit because that smirk vanished like it was never there in the first place. Like a maiden's kiss! "So, how did you like our surprise battle anyway?"

"It was…something" Don't lie! I know you liked that almost as much as I did. The stereotype that guys like to fight is true I guess. The feeling of my blood singing in the park was amazing…! I felt like I was gonna…

"Stop making that face right now!" He seems to be extremely put off by my state of bliss. What the hell?

"I was just thinking of our wonderful battle as our bodies hit each other and sweat glistens off of us. Now let us take a manly shower and wash each other's back Bad Brother." The homoeroticism is super strong right now. I get closer to him with a smile on my face and he backs off. I take a step forward and he takes one back.

"Now…come with me!" I run towards him and he immediately sprints away from me in a mad dash back to the house. The situation has reversed! His fighting spirit must still be on because he's able to keep just out of my reach, or is it the fear of my lunacy. Might as well embrace the craziness of this world if I'm to fit in. My gimmicks are going to be trolling and a lust for battle.

Bad looks behind him and stares into my Bodhisattva-like face and speeds up even faster. We run throughout the streets passing by the random civilians.

"It doesn't matter how fast you run when we end up at the same place!" He stops right when he reaches for the door to the apartment and sees my grabby hands motion to touch him. Dread mounts his face and fear fills his eyes.

"No…" I look into his eyes as I grab his shoulder with deep emotion.

"Yes." He attempts to back up and only hits the door loudly. He can no longer run from bro time. As long as I say no homo, then a bath together will be just fine, right? That is how it works in Japan I'm pretty sure. Siblings bathe together all the time, right?!

"NOOOOOOOO!" Apparently Zenko was already outside the door hearing her brother's scream. She pulls a paper fan from out of nowhere and smacks both of us in the head. I immediately come back to sanity and Bad's fear gets erased. We both walk in the door following a very disappointed little sister.

"Just what was I doing…?" I put my head in my hands. I definitely wasn't thinking straight. I was being consumed by the desire to troll and I couldn't pull myself back to my normal state.

"Maybe I hit you too many times in the head…?" That must be it. Yes, that's the only explanation that will work. I'm definitely locking this incident into a dark corner in my mind. After purging that incident from my memory, I then begin to talk to Bad like nothing ever happened.

"So, you got a new bat. An unbreakable one at that! Now your strength will really shine." He holds up the bat with a grin on his face while Zenko wipes the blood off of him. He's definitely gonna go far. Well, I need to buy some preserved foods for the trip. I exit the place once more without their notice.


"I'm back!" I slam open the door and wave my hand. Both siblings turn to me with annoyance in their gaze.

"Where were you?!" Zenko rudely points her finger at me and demands to know where I went. I scratch the back of my head and shrug my shoulders. I point to the plastic bag in my hand as I set it down and open my traveling bag.

"I'll be leaving early tomorrow morning. I need to get to Z-City eventually, and that requires me actually moving from here." Zenko actually seems a little down from that?

"What are you looking sad for? Don't tell me you're actually gonna miss me. We've only known each other for two days, was it?" She seems like she's getting sadder. If she cries, then Bad is going to punt me to the moon!

"Besides it's not like we're not going to see each other again. I promise that I'll visit sooner or later!" I flail around trying to stop her from crying while avoiding Bad's gaze. Her tears vanished like they're weren't there in the first place and she looks like the cat that ate the canary. I got played again!

"I'm taking your shower. I hope my blood clogs up the drain." I point at her with all of my spite at getting deceived by a kid. She just sticks her tongue at me as I enter the bathroom. Bad must've known what she was doing. I guess they'll actually miss me. How…surprising.

I leave the bathroom with a towel around my neck. The first thing I see is Zenko and her big bro sitting at the table watching some stuff. What is this entry-level garbage anime they're watching? Wait a sec…are they marathoning Dragon Ball?

I immediately sit down in an open spot and join them with no words spoken. I've always made it a habit to marathon Dragon Ball once every year and I haven't done it this year yet. I didn't even think they'd have it here... I guess we'll do it through the night. It must be nice having the DVDs and not having to watch it online.

"We're skipping all the filler and trashy episodes. You're free to join." Dear diary, today I learned that Zenko is a shounen anime fan. Good taste indeed. Besides, it's not like we're actually gonna marathon everything in one night.


"Alright Goku beat pickle, let's go to sleep already. It's six in the morning!" The two wave me off. I guess they're continuing on to pickle junior. Screw that, I'm clocking out right now. I roll out a futon and sleep immediately.

I immediately get up the moment consciousness returns in preparation for a certain annoyance given me sudden wake-up calls. Now that I think about it, this is the first time that I've woken up in this place without being assaulted. Everyone else seems to still be sleeping. I yawn and stretch out my taut body.

Now that I'm loose and limber, it's time to pick up my bag and leave! Gotta make sure to leave a note first though. Let's see…according to the map, I can pass a forest and then I'll enter D-City. After that I can head directly into Z-City. A nice distance to get some exercise done.

Time to go northward. I pick up my bag, open the door and gently close it without leaving a sound.

Leaving the city wasn't actually that hard. I assumed there would be more security. Right now, I'm jogging through the forest and avoiding wild animals that seek my meat. Seek…my meat. Pfft, I'm such an immature shit. I'm starting to get hungry though. When I drop my bag, I hear the bushes rustling. Oh, a bear! Come to papa!

"This taste…it's somewhat sweet. Almost like sweet ribs, which I really hate. Beggars can't be choosers I guess." I wrestled the bear down and crushed its skull. Now, I'm roasting it over an open fire and devouring it heartily. I can eat any type of meat, but there are some few that I just don't like. Guess I have to add bear meat to that tiny list.

There's not much to do in this forest, so I guess I can just carry on with boredom.


It's the evening right now in S-City and there is a certain Ninja waiting in the Park for someone. He's been there ever since the noon. He's interested in fighting Wil due to his frankly insane type of exercise that he recommended and how he combated that monstrous reptile.

"It…has been six hours. Maybe he's running late." He's trying to convince himself that Wil isn't the type of person to forgo promises. On one hand, he's right, but on the other, Wil didn't agree to the challenge. The demented ninja forced him into a destined duel and he just ditched it.

"He stood me up!" The crazy ninja is now visibly upset, so much that the words he used were interpreted in the worst way possible. People around him in the repaired park are looking at him with pity because his words gave them the assumption that his date stood him up.

A bleach-haired man decked out in jewelry came up to him.

"Hey girl, it seems you were stood up, but don't worry. I know I can treat you right." He winks and tries to give off a suave aura. Only now does Sonic realize what he just said. He instantly reboots and tries to shoo the guy away. He's a ninja who keeps in control of his emotions. Such words won't trigger his anger.

"I can show you a good time." The man puts his arms around Sonic's shoulder. He misidentified Sonic's gender, which is understandable, but then he got into his personal space and tried to court him. What happened after is also understandable.

The park had to be repaired again.


"I feel really satisfied for some reason." In the middle of my jog I just had a weird urge to start smiling. Maybe my six sense is detecting a spectacular battle up ahead? There's a clearing ahead! I jump out, drop my bag, and get into a ready stance for a fight.

There's nothing here….

My day is ruined and my disappointment is immeasurable. I pick up my bag and start jogging once more with a depressed aura consuming my spirit. "Is this loss?" I feel a feeling that makes me feel the feeling of a depressed man feeling true loss. What a shitty feeling.

I've been jogging well into the night now. Falling asleep in the morning screwed up my sleep schedule immensely. It's gonna be a pain in the ass to fix. I'm just going to exhaust myself with a spring then I'll fall asleep at night. Let's see how far I can get.

"Where the hell am I now?!" I say that with a smile on my face. I'm just truly baffled. I know the map said I'd enter a wasteland after the forest, but I didn't think it would be literally where Goku and Vegeta fought for the first time minus the hill and the mountains. Shit, I'm going through a damn dust storm right now.

It's hard to see, but I'll just continue forward.

Eventually the dust storm clears and it reveals a clear blue sky with no sun? Just how long have I been sprinting and why is my sense of time fucked up?! I drop my bag out of shock. More importantly, where is the sun?!

"Greetings…" A voice echoes throughout the wasted land. I immediately turn around and see a figure that wasn't there before. It's shrouded in rusted armor with dozens of blades sticking out of its back. Through the armored visor I see glowing yellow orbs for eyes.

I breathe in heavily. "Who…are you?" I question him with my perpetual humor ever-present in my tone all gone. This is not someone I can take easily at all. I stare deeply into my hand thinking how I can take this…thing down.

"So…thou hast assumed the presence of battle?" What?

"Bethink oneself of thy origin…I am Ogun, the spirit of battle. Thou art the second human with a natural similar to mine own. Com…pare…thine will with ours! Stand and fight, ye true human!" Its voice sounds like blades mashed together in a toaster. It's starting to get even more incomprehensible as it goes on.

I do know that it desires battle though, and that's what it'll get! I'm tired from the sprinting, but I'll give this everything I and some more!

The spirit with blades protruding from its back stands up and pulls one of the blades out. It's a sword spear with a jagged edge. Black liquid erupts from its back, but it gives shows nothing that expresses the pain.

Great, another sharp weapon. With that thought it charges at me blade first with blinding speed that I could barely avoid. I got a cut on my left cheek for my efforts. He's going straight for critical spots out the gate…!

I know this type of guy. The people who take up fighting solely for the sake of killing. After all, that's what it's used for to begin with, but I don't use it for that. I fight to enjoy myself and nothing more. I'm a pretty selfish guy who desires enjoyment out of fun things.

"Gum-Gum: Stamp!" I duck my head backwards to avoid a slash that would have lopped my head off. I use the opening to slam to foot into his gut to push him back and gain distance, but I only manage to push him back. He put the shaft of the spear right where my foot was. This guy's extremely dexterous, but….

I run at him with both my arms extended backwards.

"Let's see who'll hit each other first!" With a manic gleam in my eyes I charge at him with suicidal resolve. Is the rubber-band effect faster, or will it be his thrust that reaches my heart?

"Gum-Gum Bazooka!" I feel the slice of the wind reach my chest, but I slam both my palms into the rusted armor of the spirit which pushes him back an insane amount of distance. That blow must've hurt. I look into the direction I sent him with a grin.

"Cursed body…" He immediately thrusts at my chest while my eyes narrow into pinpricks and hits nothing but air. My heart is beating extremely fast from that close shave with death as I use Shave myself. Ten steps in an instant allowed me to do avoid that instant death blow, but my legs are burning from that.

I nearly died…and I don't have a problem with that. Right before he turns around and cuts me in half horizontally I abuse my rubber abilities.

"Gum-Gum Gatling Gun!" Right before the first of the barrage of fists hit him, he pulls yet another weapon from his body to dual-wield. This time, it was a heavy lance he pulled. He fends off my innumerable blows with precise skill and agility. He offset my balance and tried to run me through with both blades.

I jump in the air and try to keep him down. "Gum-Gum Spear." I bring my feet together and strike down into his helmet. He speeds up along the path of his thrust to move out of the way. He couldn't position himself properly before I landed, so he threw his heavy lance.

It vanished once it left his hand and I immediately moved my head to the side out of a sheer sense of foreboding. Right where my head was, the lance appeared. It vanished once again and appeared in his right hand. That was some spatial manipulation shit right there. So, we're cheating now?

I didn't want to use this at all, but….

I position my body in a three-point stance with my remaining hand on my knee. The opponent in front of me releases all the blades behind him and they start hovering in a circular position behind him like a vertical halo.

I pump my legs twice to increase the speed of my blood flow. The weapons in his hands joins the circle of axes, swords, and spears behind him, which makes a total of nineteen. A distortion in space appears in both of his hands.

Steam starts flowing off my body. My skin gains a pink tone, and my heartbeat speeds up dramatically. A rusted scythe appears in his hand. At once, all the rust coming off the weapons and his armor flows towards the scythe giving it an ancient appearance. The yellow glow in his eyes turn into a dull brown.

The ultimate tool for killing. Also a farm weapon. He's serious about taking my life. That's fine. My life never really meant much in the long run. As long as I can shine brightly, I can accept even living a life a fifth as long as a regular person!

I aim my right fist at the spirit about to cleave my head off.

"Gum-Gum: Jet Pistol!" I let loose a yell and throw a full force punch with everything I have into the armored sternum. I sent him flying, but the blades behind him continue to charge me. I can't dodge them this close…!

"Jet Gatling Gun!" I let loose a flurry of fists that greatly surpass the speed of sound, fending off the blades trying to slice, cleave, pierce, and tear me to shreds. While I'm doing that, the spirit blitzes me. I once again Shave with even greater speed and ease to avoid the bisection.

I appear behind him with a twisted arm stretched back. "Gum-Gum: Jet Rifle!" He instantly turns around with unparalleled grace and spins the scythe in the opposite direction at hypersonic speeds to where I was aiming. The reflection threw my fist off, and the hovering weapons rush me.

I stretch my body in weird angles to avoid the worst of the blows, but some still grazed me bloody. I come together in a human shape just in time to duck to the left, dodging a killing blow from the scythe. He thrusts his armored boot at my side and sends me flying.

I manage to stand up a little shaken and cough up blood to my immense surprise. That…hurt. It actually hurt a lot. It hurt so good! I don't mind death, but I don't want to die. I want to fight more like this! There's no way that I'm gonna lose to you!

"I'm taking you down!" I send my foot high up into the sky as he charges to with all those blades first. I bring it down with a bloodthirsty grin and try to finish this with the last of my energy in Gear Second. All I need is guts!

"Gum-Gum: Jet Battleax!" I come down hard on all the blades and shatter them with Godspeed. He sacrificed all his blades to finish me off once and for all. It's too bad that I'm faster than him in this state!

I grab the scythe by the hilt just before it opens my face, and I snap it in half by the hilt. I use one final Jet Pistol and send him flying off. The steam off my body recedes and I become extremely exhausted. I'm sweating an unhealthy amount and I'm drinking in so much air like I've almost drowned. I feel like vomiting from what I put my body through.

Fighting is fun, but recovering from those fights isn't. I put a smile on my face, but then I see a dark metallic beast rush me with extreme ardor. It's the spirit, but on all fours and a little changed. It instantly launched me into the air and put me in an infinite combo.

Its claws tear the wind and break through space with an immeasurable speed. I couldn't see it, so I felt it. The ripping of my muscles all the way to the bone, some claws actually nicking organs.

It came down like a hammer after putting me through the shredder with its new claws. It slammed me down in the ground so hard, it created a fissure spreading for miles. I cough up an obscene amount of blood because it hit something important. It's taking everything I have just to think coherently.

"You…" It picks me up with its mouth and throws me. I just want to close my eyes and rest, but…losing to it…is just unacceptable. I pull every last of my reserves out of my body just to stand. I point my finger at it as it readies for the ending charge. It starts shining white.

"I'm not gonna lose to you. It'll…take more than that to kill me." Everything becomes clearer. I always had the will to fight, but never the will to win. That's the kind of twisted individual I was. I never sought victory but just the fun of the experience itself. That hasn't change, and it never will change; however, I will continue moving forward to face new experiences, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it.

I send my hand spiraling backwards. It stretches farther than anything I've ever done. I know exactly when to release it. I know the moment it will charge me. The tension in its armor, the flashing of its gaze, the sound it makes….

Now!

It leaps in a spinning motion at untraceable speeds. with the might of Fenrir, intent on ending everything. That's fine, I don't need to see it because I know where it will be going. I call my hand forward to meet its charge,

"Gum-Gum: Gungnir." And send a oppositely spinning blackened knife-hand through its entire body, shattering the armor. I threw my worn body forward in an effort to pierce past everything with all of my strength. My will won out in the end.

"Magnificent…" I fall backwards slowly looking on as the sky and the world around us begins to crack and fragment. Everything turns to white as the world shatters and I see the night sky reveal itself. A new moon and the stars around it fill my eyes. What a beautiful ocean of stars. The starlight illuminates it with a comet swimming through the sky. I fall backwards and slowly close my eyes to rest.

"It really was…magnificent alright."