DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GUNDAM

CHAPTER EIGHT

"SACRED DYNASTY'S GHOST HAS COME BACK TO HAUNT US ALL."

I quickly ducked to avoid getting decapitated and then raised Jimmy-kun's shield to block Griselda's next attack. The Gelgoog Albtraum took a step back while effortlessly twirling the beam naginata with one hand and I nearly jumped when she thrust the weapon forward without any kind of warning. I guess she was hoping to pierce the GM's head and take out the main camera, but good thing I managed to dodge it in time with a quick sidestep. I fired the vulcan guns and the Gelgoog jumped back to avoid getting shot in the cockpit since that was what I was aiming for, but I doubt I could even dent it since the GM's vulcans are pretty damn weak. Griselda then retaliated with another thrusting attack, which I managed to avoid again, but it was actually just a feint and I fell for it like the amateur that I am. "Heh." She smirked as she took advantage of the opening and fired the Gelgoog's vulcan pods that tore Jimmy-kun's left arm in an instant, shattering most of the hand into pieces. Undeterred, I was about to drop the shield and pull out my beam spray gun despite losing one arm, but Griselda then held up a closed fist to signal Juro-chan to end the match. "Okay, that's enough." She said while taking off her sunglasses and with that our training session for today is now over. We've been going at it for almost four hours now and I felt like my body was about to fall apart. Man, I know she's kinda intense, but she's pretty much a demon when it comes to training. Still, she's pretty gentle on Jimmy-kun at least and most of the damage she inflicts are pretty minor and can be repaired overnight. Something Vinny would be more than happy to accommodate.

"That was exhausting." I said while rubbing my aching hands. "Boy, you really didn't hold back there, Masachika-san." I chuckled.

"That was good." Griselda smiled after Shiho handed her a cold bottle of water. "It's been only a couple of days, but you're making some real good progress here. I'm amazed you managed to master a lot of things in such a short amount of time. At this rate, you could even participate in this year's regionals if you wanted, Tachibana-kun." She then emptied the whole bottle in one swig. "You're a fast learner and not to mention you can easily adapt to any combat situation as long as you don't panic or let your emotions get the better of you. I guess I was right about you after all. You do have potential."

I blushed and continued rubbing my hands. "Too much flattery won't do me any good, Masachika-san." I joked while trying to be modest, but try as I might I can't really contain my happiness. I mean c'mon! One of the top Gunpla Fighters of this city who also happens to be a total babe and a member of a prestigious albeit dangerous family is showering me with praises after beating my ass black and blue. Any sane adolescent male would have a grin plastered all over his face and I'm the sanest of the sane!

"Still, you won't win with that thing." She said and pointed to my GM that's still sprawled on the table. "Last time I checked, Kenji was using a customized Gundam MK V and it was packing some serious firepower. You need a new machine, something that's more suited for you, especially once you form your own fighting style."

"You're right." I sighed. "I really need to bug Vinny-san about this. If I can't get a new Gunpla before the scheduled match, then maybe he could at least do some serious modifications to Jimmy-kun and boost its combat capabilities. Maybe he could even make some new weapons or maybe add some kind of gimmick that will give me an edge."

"You definitely need a new beam rifle. That puny beam spray gun is not gonna do you any favors and the vulcans are laughably weak. In fact, the vulcans are practically useless. Plus, the GM only has one beam saber so a new melee weapon or two definitely won't hurt." Shiho then removed her jacket and proceeded to carefully wipe her face with a small towel. For some reason, I felt kinda uncomfortable and looked away.

"You can say that again." I laughed softly. "Well it's almost seven so I gotta skidaddle before it gets dark." I said after checking my watch. "Mom's gonna have my head this time if I'm late again. Poor Vinny-san is still feeling the effects of her punishment and he gets a little twitchy every time Mom raises her voice." I grabbed Jimmy-kun's battered carcass from the table and clumsily threw the poor Gunpla in my bag. Griselda then frowned at me while crossing her arms as if I committed something sacrilegious and offensive and I just smiled sheepishly while scratching my head.

"Tomorrow is a holiday, Tachibana-kun." Griselda reminded me as Shiho fixed her hair.

"We'll be here around nine." I winked and did a salute. "Thanks a bunch, Master."

Some of Juro-chan's regulars entered the back room of the shop as I made my exit. I politely greeted them with a nod, but they all ignored me as they prepared their Gunpla for battle. They all gasped and cheered when they saw Griselda cleaning her Gelgoog and Shiho quickly admonished them with a few mild threats in case they got a little friendly and touchy, but they still crowded the princess, asking for pictures and autographs like love struck morons. It's like she's an idol or something. I stopped before closing the door and turned my head for one last glance. Juro-chan gave me a fatherly smile as he helped Geko-chan move a couple of boxes and I smiled back.

I bought a bag of meat-and-potato croquettes from the butcher shop after I left Juro's Model Works and I ravenously ate them as I walked. When I reached the train station, the very same train station where I saw Kagawa-senpai and Kaede, I pocketed my hands and shuddered while looking in the direction of the hotel district. There were a few…uh…Yakuza types loitering near the entrance, just smoking and texting and chilling out. One of them pointed at something and started laughing loudly like it was the funniest thing ever. A vague sense of dread suddenly crept up on me and I felt like puking the croquettes that I just ate a while ago. I took a couple of deep breaths to relax myself and shook my head violently as I went on my merry way. I really need to get my shit together before the fight.

It was past seven when I got home and Kaede came out of her house after I opened the front gate. "H-Hi." She waved after a few seconds of awkward silence. This is the first time I've talked to her since the deal with Oimikado this past Sunday. She didn't attend school this last couple of days because I heard she's been taking care of her injured friend, Kaori. The one that Kenji and Dokueki kidnapped and…tortured. The one who took the pictures.

"Yo." I waved back.

"B-Been training?" She asked.

"Masachika-san's like a drill sergeant from hell." I smiled. "So…uh…how's your friend?"

"She's doing fine." She replied as she walked towards me. "Kaori might act like an airhead sometimes, but she's pretty strong. They…did a lot of things to her, but they didn't break her spirit so she'll be back to her old self sometime soon."

"That's good to hear." I nodded. "I know you're worried about your friend, but you shouldn't be neglecting your studies."

"Aren't we diligent?" Kaede teased.

"I've always been a diligent student, Kaede." I shot back as I opened the front door of our house. "Even if I only get average grades." I said with a sad smile.

"Hey Isamu…" Kaede stretched her arms and looked away. "Can…uh…can I watch you train tomorrow? I mean…uh…you are going to train tomorrow, right?"

Okay, that caught me off-guard.

"S-Sure." I said and raised an eyebrow. "I'm cool with it. It might bore you though, since it's just a bunch of toy robots blowing the crap out of each other, but I totally wouldn't mind if you wanna watch. Maybe we can even ask Shizuka to come along if she's free."

"Yeah!" She nodded happily and awkwardly hugged herself. "Oh I'm sure she would love to come. Also, I'm not gonna get bored watching my best friend train for Gunpla Battle. Isamu, you're doing this for my sake and it's my fault in the first place so at least let me cheer you on."

"Y-Y-Y-Y-You can also pack me some lunch if you want. I would totally appreciate that." I said and slowly covered my face with my bag to hide my flushed cheeks. Wow. I can't believe I just said that. I guess I'm gaining back my confidence or something.

"Of course I'm gonna bring lunch!" She smiled widely. "Any requests?"

"Curry! Curry!" I jumped around like a little kid and we both laughed. We talked for a while and then turned in for the night. I need a good night's rest because tomorrow's gonna be a killer.


"Morning!" I casually entered Juro-chan's shop with Kaede, Vinny, Shizuka and Setsuna in tow. It's like we're one big happy family or something. I'm the father, Kaede is the mother, Shizuka is the daughter, Vinny is the funny uncle and Setsuna is the weird but loveable guy who is freeloading in our house for some unknown reason. We all happily walked in a single file with me in the lead and I guess Juro-chan noticed it too since he was grinning while sorting out boxes of Gunpla. "Welcome to Juro's Model Works." I said like I was the one running the place. "That big guy over there with the wicked muscles is Watanabe Juro-san and he's the owner of this fine establishment. We just call him Juro-chan."

"And who are these beautiful young ladies, Tachibana-kun?" Juro-chan asked in his most gentlemanly voice as he circled around the cash register desk and cheerfully walked over to us while putting on his apron.

"This is my childhood friend, Hatayama Kaede." I grabbed Kaede's hand and gently pulled her closer so Juro-chan can have a good look of her face.

"So she's the one, huh?" Juro-chan chuckled softly while stroking his chin. "My oh my, she's quite the catch, Tachibana-kun. No wonder you got a little crazy."

"H-H-Hey now…" I smiled nervously.

"Uh…g-g-g-good morning." Kaede's voice was almost a squeak. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Watanabe-san. Thank you for taking care of Isamu."

"Oh not at all. Tachibana-kun might be a miserable and moody person and a little reckless sometimes, this whole deal with Byakuya is a good example of that recklessness by the way, but he's done right by me and his heart is in the right place." Juro-chan said proudly and Vinny silently agreed by nodding his head.

"I'm…happy to hear that." Kaede said while bowing.

"This is Shizuka, my younger sister." I introduced her next and patted her head.

"How is it going, Pops? Nice place ya got here." She giggled.

"Shizuka, show some respect." I scolded her.

"Hahahaha!" Juro-chan laughed heartily and crossed his arms. "It's okay, Tachibana-kun! She's quite the precocious girl and I like that! No need to show restraint, missy! Kids should never hold back!"

"Aye aye!" She saluted.

I then gestured to Setsuna by tilting my head in his direction. "And last but not the least-

"Seo Setsuna." The idiot didn't even let me finish my sentence and quickly extended his hand to Juro-chan. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Seo-kun." Juro-chan shook his hand. "Keiko-chan told me all about you a couple of days ago. She said you're new in town."

"Yes." He said. "I'm from Saitama."

"Saitama, huh? I've never been to Saitama before. I should go on a road trip there sometime and maybe visit those bonsai gardens or watch an MMA match in the Super Arena!" Juro-chan laughed as he patted Setsuna's shoulder. "Oh man, I need a vacation." He sighed deeply.

"Well looks like I'll be relying on you for my Gunpla needs from now on so please do take care of me." Setsuna politely bowed his head.

"Leave it to me, kid." Juro-chan laughed again.

"Now that the introductions are over, it's time to get cracking, Isamu-kun." Vinny said.

"Oh right. I forgot to tell you guys. Keiko-chan and Mii-chan are already at the back and a bunch of boys suddenly challenged Keiko-chan to a match because…uh…it looks like she did something to their girlfriends and little sisters or something." Juro-chan said.

"W-What!?" I frowned. "W-What did she do!?" Shit. I have a bad feeling about this.

"Oh boy…" Vinny gave me a worried look, but he was still smiling.

"The fingers! I still remember the fingers!" Shizuka trembled.

"C'mon, kiddos. Let's go watch!" Juro-chan then led us to the back room.


Keiko was laughing like a maniac when we entered the room and the three guys who were facing her on the opposite side of the table were spouting profanities and gritting their teeth in anger and frustration. It was a three-versus-one match, but Keiko seemed to be winning and effortlessly beating their asses into oblivion. Mii-chan was relaxing on the couch while nibbling on a strawberry-flavored pocky and waved his hand when he finally noticed us. He was surprised to see Kaede and my sister and quickly stood up like a gentleman to offer them a seat. "So what's the skinny, Mii-chan?" Vinny asked.

"Ugh. I really don't know what to say." He replied. "These guys suddenly stormed in here a couple of minutes ago and challenged Keiko to a match because…because…uh…"

"Because this stupid girl right here stole my little sister's first kiss!" One of the boys screamed. He was wearing a red cap and a white shirt. He looked like a malnourished college student who probably only ate instant ramen and bread crusts. "Now she won't stop thinking about her!" He lamented. "I'll never forgive you, Minaguchi Keikoooooo!"

"Mayuri-chan…Mayuri-chan…" A tall guy with an afro mumbled while wiping his tears. "She stole Mayuri-chan's panties and for some reason she fell in love with her! I mean what the hell is up with that!? Now my girlfriend doesn't even want to look at my face!"

"She stole my hugging pillow last night!" The last guy was an obese dude with cat ears. "Princess Milk Sunrise, I'm coming to save you!" He wailed. Man, he's obviously a hardcore otaku. I think Mii-chan is pretty much tame compared to this guy and he's probably the type that completely gave up on the three-dimensional world if he's trying to rescue a pillow.

"I…I…I…I…" I sat next to Mii-chan and covered my face with my hands while shaking my head.

"Yep." Mii-chan nodded.

"How can you fall in love with the person who stole your panties?" Setsuna pondered. "I wonder what kind of technique Minaguchi-san used to achieve such a feat and maybe she could teach it to me so I can finally become the harem king."

"I don't want to live on this planet anymore." I sighed.

"Okaaaaaaaaaay!" Vinny rubbed his hands excitedly. "So that's Keiko-chan's Gunpla!"

"What's her Gunpla?" I raised my head to see. "What kind of Gunpla she's using?"

"She's using a Gundam Spiegel, but she changed the color scheme. It's all blue and stuff instead of the usual black and gray. Oh and it's equipped with a beam rifle!"

I gave him a puzzled look. "And that's strange because…"

"You see: In the official setting, the Gundam Spiegel is purely a melee unit. Sure it has a net and a buncha throwing knives, but it's main weapons are those wicked-looking tonfa-like blades mounted underneath the arms." Vinny explained. "The Spiegel moves fast like a ninja and uses those blades to score multiple hits on an opponent before they can even react. It never really relied on ranged weapons like a beam rifle, but I guess Keiko-chan thinks differently and that's fine! A true Builder never limits himself or herself to Gundam's story and setting! You gotta think outside the box and be creative!"

"I see…" I nodded and thought about Jimmy-kun. I gotta think of some way to make my Gunpla stronger if I hope to win against Kagawa-senpai. "What about her opponents? Can you tell me about their Gunplas?"

"Sure thing." Vinny nodded while cracking his knuckles and Kaede giggled, amused at my new-found enthusiasm for a hobby that I didn't really much care about not too long ago. "Okay, Red Cap is using a Jamesgun from Victory Gundam, Afro Dude is using a GM Custom from Stardust Memories and Cat Ears is using a Geara Zulu from Gundam Unicorn." He then proceeded to tell me all of the important details and whatnots, just like the time when Mii-chan was fighting in that five man battle royal.

"Got it." I smiled after he's done giving me all the information I need.

"I'll make you suffer, Minaguchi!" Cat Ears screamed as his Geara Zulu fired its beam machine gun at the incoming Gundam Spiegel, while hiding behind a large rock, but Keiko's Gunpla was just too fast and none of his shots hit their target.

"Hahahahahahahahahaha!" Keiko continued to laugh like a crazy person while doing a cartwheel jump and landed behind the Geara Zulu. Cat Ears quickly dropped his gun as his Gunpla turned around to face her and pulled out his beam tomahawk, hoping to cleave the Gundam Spiegel's head in half before it could do anything, but Keiko easily managed to block the attack with one of her blades. "You gotta do better than that, Kou-chan, if you want your precious Princess Milk Sunrise back!" She then used her other blade to sever the arm that's holding the beam tomahawk and quickly spun around so she can repeatedly stab the Geara Zulu's abdomen. "Hahahahaha! This part right here is really, really, really soft! It's like I'm filleting a fish and turning it into sashimi!" She howled. "You sure you built this Gunpla right, Kou-chaaaaaan?"

"She's a psycho!" Shizuka said. "This girl is a psycho, right? She's a psycho, right?"

"No she's not." I said with a bored look. "Minaguchi-san's just special."

"She's…she's a special psycho then!" Shizuka stood up and I quickly pulled her back to her seat.

"Damn you, Minaguchiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!" Cat Ears tried to punch the Gundam Spiegel's face, but Keiko quickly ducked and severed the Geara Zulu's remaining arm with another spinning attack. "Damn it! Damn it all to hell! Heeeeeeeelp!"

"I'm coming, Kou-chaaan!" Afro Dude's GM Custom dropped its shield and pulled out two sub-machine guns. "Get the hell away from him, you crazy bitch!" He yelled as he fired both guns Akimbo style like he was in a Hong Kong action flick or something.

Keiko quickly grabbed the damaged Geara Zulu and used it as a shield to protect herself from the incoming gunfire. "Thanks a bunchy bunch, Kou-chan!" She then decapitated the Geara Zulu, threw the head vertically upward, jumped really high and kicked it like she was some sort of superstar soccer player before it could hit the ground, sending it flying straight to the charging GM Custom's face. Afro Dude's Gunpla spun around and bounced on the ground in an almost cartoonish and slapstick manner.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrgh!" The GM Custom pulled out its beam saber as it slowly stood up and charge again. "I'll kill you! I'll freaking kill you! I'll make Mayuri-chan mine again! She's mine! Mine, mine, mine!" I guess this guy is not too bright if he's going for the same kind of tactic again.

Afro Dude swung the blade hard and Keiko easily dodged the attack while yawning. He swung again, but clumsily this time, and the Gundam Spiegel quickly severed the arm holding the beam saber with a beautiful downward slashing attack. "Her panties smelled like cinnamon and marshmallows." She taunted him.

"Shut-up!" He tried to punch the Gundam's face like what the Geara Zulu tried to do a couple of seconds ago, but just like Cat Ear's Gunpla, the GM Custom's remaining arm was cleanly separated from the body thanks to another beautifully done slashing attack. "Nooooooooooooooooo!" He screamed in anguish.

"Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!" Keiko hissed as she stabbed the GM Custom's head, shattering the visor, and then spun around to deliver a devastating roundhouse kick to the midsection that sent the Gunpla bouncing on the ground again. I guess Keiko's kick was really powerful because the Gunpla just came apart like a collapsing house of cards. That or Afro Dude is just a shitty Builder.

"Mayuri-chan, I failed youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" Afro Dude repeatedly banged his head on the table while bawling like crazy.

"Mayuri-chan, I love youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" Keiko spread her arms.

"Shut-up, Minaguchi!" Afro Dude stomped his feet and gave her the finger.

"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!" Okay. Keiko is really…enjoying this and I find that really, really terrifying.

"My comrades…" Red Cap was on the verge of tears. "I'll avenge youuuuuuuu!"

"Shut the hell up, Mondo! You just stood there and watched while she anally raped our Gunplas!" Cat Ears or Kou-chan pointed at him.

"Hey…uh….I was…trying to formulate a strategy by…uh…something!" Mondo's excuse was just laughable. "You two were just too gung-ho and that's why I had to pull back!"

"Strategy my ass!" Afro Dude spat. "We were supposed to circle around her and attack at the same time, but when things started to go south, you just turned tail and left us hung out to dry. You're a coward, Mondo! You're nothing but a stupid siscon who cries like a freaking baby every time you and your little sister have a fight. You're a pervert and a sicko! I shouldn't have listened to you and now she's kicking our asses and humiliating us yet again!" He was so angry that his afro was jiggling like jelly.

"Y-Y-Y-You stupid afroooooo!" Mondo retorted. "Don't give me that crap! You're just a sore loser! You're nothing but just a stupid afro! You're nothing but just a stupid talking afro, you stupid talking afro! Your existence is afro! Afro, afro, afro, afro, afro!" He stuck his tongue out and started doing a weird dance. Is this guy five or something?

"Dude, that hurt." Afro Dude began to cry again.

"Whatever!" Mondo's Gunpla then jumped and landed in front of Keiko's Gunpla. "It's just you and me now, Minaguchi! The final battle and I'm the final boss! The demon lord! The giant fire breathing lizard! The silver-haired guy with the mother issues! The evil twin brother! The ultimate bio-weapon! The-

THUNK!

Mondo was so busy enjoying the sound of his voice that he didn't notice the Gundam Spiegel throwing one of its knives and expertly striking the Jamesgun's cockpit. Mondo's Gunpla twitched while taking a few steps forward before collapsing to the ground.

"Battle ended." The computer voice announced.

"Eh? Eeh!? Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!?" Mondo just stood there with his mouth wide open.

"Serves you right!" Cat Ears said as he ran away while holding his broken Geara Zulu.

"Time to retreat!" Afro Dude followed after him. "Oh crap! I'm late for work!"

Mondo was the last one out. "This is not over yet, Minaguchi Keikooooo!" He shook his fist like a stereotypical villain before running away.

We didn't say anything for a couple of minutes after the match. We just quietly sat there and looked at each other while trying our best to register what just transpired before us. That was probably the weirdest and most pathetic Gunpla Battle I've seen so far. Vinny then broke the awkward silence by clapping and cheering loudly like he was at a concert or something. "Awesome job." He happily congratulated Keiko. "That Gundam Spiegel is a beast, Keiko-chan. Too bad you didn't get to use that cool-looking beam rifle of yours. I wanna see what kind of modifications you did on that bad boy."

"Bah! I didn't need to. Those guys were nothing but a bunch of wusses." She dismissively waved her hand. "Kou-chan was kinda decent, but the two were just running around in circles and waving their weapons like a bunch of headless chickens."

"Did…you really do all of those things like…uh…kissing that guy's little sister and stealing….uh…panties and…hugging pillow and…uh…" I was so afraid to ask that I started mumbling my words almost incoherently.

"Do you think I'm capable of such things?" She said while raising one of her eyebrows.

"Yes." I said without hesitation.

"Huh." Keiko just shrugged.

"Isamu!" Kaede slapped my shoulder. "Minaguchi-san's your friend! How could you say that? Don't you believe in her?"

"But, but, but, but, but…"

"Isamu!" She raised her voice.

"It's kinda complicated." Keiko laughed. "But I did steal Kou-chan's hugging pillow."

"W-Why?"

"I'll tell ya some other time." She winked. "We got more important stuff to do."

"Why can't you tell me now?" I demanded.

"Because it's time for your training, Tachibana-kun." She flicked my forehead and poked my nose. "Now quit being nosy and get your Gunpla."

"Geez." I rubbed my nose. "What's up with the secrets? Trying to act all mysterious or something, Minaguchi-san?"

"Do you know something?" Vinny sat next to Mii-chan and nudged him.

"Nope." He shook his head. "And I don't wanna know. Meddling with Keiko's business is bad for your health."

"Enough chitchat." Keiko signaled Juro-chan to start up the battle system again. "Let's begin today's training, Tachibana-kun. Man, those three nincompoops gave me a good warm-up." She said as she stretched her arms. "I'm totally fired up now."

"Masachika-san's not here yet." I said and nodded after Vinny handed Jimmy-kun to me.

"Onee-sama texted me an hour ago. She said she's gonna be late." Keiko said. "I'll be your trainer for now and I hope you don't have any problems with that."

"Family business?" I asked.

"Maybe." She shrugged again. "Hey Juro-chan!" She called out to him. "Is it ready yet? I'm all ready to go here."

"Here you go." He handed her a Gunpla from his massive collection and I felt a bit pleased with myself when I immediately recognized it.

"Is that a…Zaku?" I smiled.

"Yuppers!"

"You're not gonna use your Gundam Spiegel?"

"Do you want your GM to get torn to shreds?" She tilted her head.

"Uh…no." I said nervously.

"Then this Zaku II High Mobility Type will do." She took off her glasses, wiped them with her hanky and then put them back on again. "We'll go for a couple of rounds to see if your melee skills have improved and then maybe some target practice afterwards. I think Juro-chan's got a couple of Moebius kits he can spare so we'll use those."

"Roger that." I saluted while smiling.

"Please set your GP base." The computer voice said and we loaded our GP bases into the slots on opposite sides of the table.

"You nervous?" Keiko asked.

"You just took down three Fighters all by yourself." I said while fixing the collar of my shirt. "You bet your crazy ass I'm nervous and plus this is the first time I'm facing you even if it's just a practice battle."

"You're always nervous." Keiko sighed. "Relax and free your mind! Just you watch, Tachibana-kun. I'm gonna turn you into a proper Fighter after this session."

"We'll see." I smiled again.

"T-They sure get along well." Kaede whispered to Vinny.

"Keiko-chan gets along with everyone." Vinny whispered back.

"I wanna get along with you, Bouncy-saaaaan." Setsuna joined in and Kaede quickly slid away so she can sit next to Shizuka. He tried to come closer, but my little sister suddenly snatched Mii-chan's glasses and threw them at Setsuna's face.

"Field One, Space." The computer voice announced the location and the particles created the sea of stars known as outer space. I don't watch Gundam, but I know space always plays an important role in the franchise. It's not a Gundam show without space after all. I guess that's one of the few things I find interesting about Gundam. Anyhoo, there are pieces of floating debris scattered all over the field, probably from a destroyed space colony or a large battleship or something. I can't really tell since I'm not a hardcore fan like these guys. I'm just a casual who just can't keep up with the lore. There are also asteroids of various sizes which I could use for cover if things get a little dicey for me and floating parts of destroyed mobile suits for effect and atmosphere.

"Battle start."

"Tachibana Isamu. Jimmy-kun. Launching!" The GM launched from the catapult and I did a little pose for fun.

"Minaguchi Keiko. Zaku II High Mobility Type. Let's go!" The Zaku quickly pulled out its axe-like weapon after launching. I think it's called a Heat Hawk or something. Yeah! It's called a Heat Hawk. Well looks like Vinny's nightly lectures are actually paying off. Yay!

"Oh man…" I gulped as I pulled out the GM's beam saber. "Here we go!" I charged forward and swung the blade.

"Oh yeah!" Keiko easily evaded my attack and retaliated by also swinging her Heat Hawk in my direction, but I managed to block it with my shield. "Good! You're doing good! Now swing high!"

I did as instructed and she deflected my beam saber attack with the Heat Hawk. I then swung low and she moved upward to dodge it. I went for a thrusting attack next, but I quickly turned around midway and swung high again to catch Keiko off-guard. She saw through my feint and went behind me, giving my GM a nice kick in the butt as punishment for my cheeky action. We did this for two hours straight and little by little, I started to get the hang of things. When I started a week ago, I could barely move my Gunpla and now I'm maneuvering the GM like it was my own body. I kept glancing at Kaede to see if she's getting tired of watching, but she still kept on smiling and cheering me on. That really got me going and I gave everything I got much to Keiko's delight. Let's Gunpla, ladies and gentleman. Let's Gunpla.


Meanwhile…

Griselda is having an early lunch with an old friend at a certain café.

"Oh man! This spicy cod roe pasta is the best!" Her companion said in a loud voice while she stuffed her face. She's a beautiful young woman with short black hair and wearing trendy, but gaudy clothes that are a little bit on the tacky side. She was eating like a pig and her extremely awful table manners were more than enough to make someone go crazy with disgust. How could someone so pretty be so…vulgar and repulsive? The fact that she was a former student at Griselda's school was even more mind-boggling. Sacred Dynasty was no ordinary learning institute. It's an elite school for the most elite of people in this region and this woman is the complete opposite of elite and yet she was well-loved and respected when she was studying there even if she didn't hide her…uh…flaws and eccentricities. Her family is not even rich and yet she was considered one of Sacred Dynasty's most beloved and important students. It seems not even the only heir of the Masachika Group can solve this mystery. Some of the other customers and a few waiters were staring at her, but she didn't mind. In fact, she absolutely loved the attention and that irritated Griselda more.

"You're wasting my time, Senpai." Griselda said coldly while looking at her untouched chicken salad. "I need to be somewhere else." She was sitting on the opposite side of the beautiful oak table, sighing every other minute while impatiently tapping her fingers. Shiho was standing next to her like a loyal guard dog and glancing at the front door once in a while to check who's leaving and entering. The restaurant staff didn't pay much attention to the maid since they know who her employers are and because of that they're treating her like a ghost out of fear.

"Oh don't be like that, Griselda-chan." Her friend rudely pointed a fork at her face and laughed. "I'm here to warn you! You should be thankful!"

"Warn me?" Griselda raised an eyebrow and Shiho's body began to tense up as she discreetly reached for her knife. "Warn me about what?"

"Warn you about this." She smiled and slid a picture across the table.

Griselda picked up the photograph and her face contorted into a grimace like someone just punched her in the gut. "Ojou-sama?" Shiho gave her a worried look.

"Sacred Dynasty's ghost has come back to haunt us all." Her friend said after slurping more noodles. "He's coming for that crazy pet of yours."

"Keiko…" Griselda closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. "Shiho, we need to leave at once." She took out a couple of bills from her wallet as she stood up and slammed them on the table while glaring at her friend. "You certainly ruined my day, Tatenaka-senpai." She said and walked away. "I bet you're loving this." She mumbled to herself.

"Good luck!" She cackled while waving a hand and then began to work on her third plate of pasta. "Seriously. This is good stuff."


"Wooohoooo!" Keiko cried out after knocking down Jimmy-kun for like the seventieth time. "Well that's enough for now." She said as she massaged her arms and shoulders. "Man, that was some good work out, Tachibana-kun. Good job." She smiled.

"Holy crap! You're even worse than Masachika-san." I sat on the floor to catch my breath. "I can't believe you slapped me around with that Heat Hawk thingy with just one hand. You're a freaking monster, Minaguchi-san." I laughed and stood up.

"Still I have to say that you've improved greatly." She gave me the thumbs-up.

"Aw shucks." I blushed and scratched the back of my head. "I can't believe the great Minaguchi-sama is praising me."

Keiko then slowly turned her head and intently eyed the large basket Kaede was carrying. "Well it's already past noon, so let's grab some grub. We've been training for almost three hours now so I'm absolutely famished. Hey Juro-chan, we're done here! Let's wrap this up and-

FOOOOOM! A beam shot suddenly trailed past just inches above the Zaku's head and destroyed a nearby asteroid. They were aiming for Keiko, but just barely missed her.

"A sniper attack!?" Keiko quickly pulled out the Zaku II High Mobility Type's machine gun and scanned the area. The sniper fired again, but this time Keiko was ready and she easily dodged the second beam shot while firing a couple shots of her own.

Kaede then stood up and pointed. "Isamu, behind you!" She yelled.

"Shit!" I quickly turned around to see what's coming, but it was already too late. A black Gundam wielding a scythe vertically sliced Jimmy-kun in half.

"It's a Gundam!" Vinny stood up too. "It's a Gundam Deathscythe! The Okawara Kunio version! What the hell is going on!? Who's controlling that Gunpla!?"

"That would be me, foreigner-san." Mondo flamboyantly tipped his red cap. "I'm back for more and this time I'll definitely get that bitch."

"H-How did he…" Juro-chan was shocked to see him. "I didn't see him…how…"

"Jimmy-kun…" I was shaking with anger and was about to cry. They took out Jimmy-kun! They destroyed my Gunpla! The Gunpla that I built with my own hands!

The sniper finally revealed himself. It was a strange-looking Gundam that resembled a British soldier. You know, the ones that guard the Buckingham Palace. They wear those funny hats and they always stay still no matter what you do to them. Yeah. Those kinds of soldiers or palace guards or whatever. Anyway, the Gundam was armed with this long beam rifle with a souped-up scope and the one controlling it was none other than Cat Ears or Kou-chan. "Hey Kou-chan, pull yer head outta that fat ass of yours and start aiming properly!" Mondo screamed and kicked the battle table. Man, I wanna punch this guy in the face.

"I'm trying, Mondo!" The fat guy shot back. "You know I'm bad at sniping!"

"Well try harder, you ding-a-ling!" Mondo kicked the battle table again and Juro-chan looked like he was about to explode. "Why can't you be like me? I managed to take out my target with one hit." He said proudly.

"You attacked me from behind, you coward!" I gritted my teeth.

"Coward!? That's rich coming from an amateur. This is Gunpla Battle, son. You gotta have eyes on the back of yer head if you wanna survive." He laughed. "Get the hell out of here, kid. My quarrel's not with you. I just want Minaguchi."

"Keiko-chan is mine." Someone said and we all turned our heads in the direction of the new voice. It was a man I didn't recognize.

"No…" It was the first time I saw Keiko make that horrified expression and I suddenly got really, really nervous. We've known each other for only a short time, but I know Keiko doesn't flinch that easily. If she's scared of this person, then he's bad news.

"Hello Keiko-chan." The man licked his lips in a sickening manner. He looked like he's probably in his early thirties or at least late twenties. His long hair was neatly groomed and tied into a pony tail and his menacing eyes narrowed as he studied Keiko from bottom to top. "Oh my… You've grown into a fine woman, Keiko-chan." He smiled. "Still playing Gunpla Battle? That's nice, Keiko-chan. That's very nice."

"What are YOU doing here?" Keiko hissed.

"Relaaaaaaaax." The man continued smiling. "I'm not gonna do anything to you." His eyes started to wander, checking every corner of the room. "Not yet anyway." He chuckled. "I'm just here to announce my long-awaited return."

"Get out."

"No." He then pulled out a GP base and inserted into the slot. "Don't give me that look, Keiko-chan. I'm just here to play with you. I even gave those two boys over there some new Gunpla so we can all have a good time." He placed his Gunpla on the table and launched after the system was done scanning. It was a Gundam with a purple and white color scheme, but its most defining feature was a pair of beautiful reddish wings that are made of light emanating from the backpack. It's also wielding two large swords that could probably cleave a whole Gunpla in half with one mean swing. The design of the blade looked a bit similar to the CGUE DEEP Arm's sword, complete with the beam cutting edge, but larger in size and the handle was completely different.

"That's a Destiny Impulse…" Vinny muttered under his breath.

"Pretty well-built too." Mii-chan observed. "Just who the heck is this guy?"

"Nii-san, what's going on?" Shizuka was confused.

"I don't know." I answered. "I don't know."

The man then frowned when he noticed Keiko's Zaku. "Why are you using that…thing?"

"I said get out." She raised her voice.

"You're still using Momoe's Gundam Spiegel, right? I want that."

"GET OUT!" She screamed as tears started flowing from her eyes.

"Momoe, Momoe, Momoe, Momoe!" The man's eyes started twitching. "I want Momoe's Gundam Spiegel! I want anything that belonged to her!"

"You son of a bitch…" Keiko was really breaking down now.

"Hey I dunno what's going on here, but Minaguchi's pretty open right now." Mondo laughed and tried to attack her from behind. "This is my chance!"

"Heh." Setsuna's Gundam Exia suddenly blocked his path. I didn't notice him entering the field. I guess he snuck in during the commotion to give Keiko a hand.

"Piss off, Exia!" Mondo swung the Gundam Deathscythe's beam scythe, but Setsuna quickly kicked the weapon away. "What the hell!?"

"I got him!" Kou-chan's Gundam tried to shoot the Exia in the back, but before he could even pull the trigger, his Gunpla was quickly shot down by…Juro-chan!? He was also using a Zaku, but it was slimmer and less...uh...pointy compared to the Zaku II High Mobility Type. It's also equipped with a beam sniper rifle just like Kou-chan's Gundam, but this one is more detailed and longer. It's probably more powerful too. "This sucks! My John Bull Gundam got shot down by a stupid Zaku I Sniper Type!? I mean that's freaking embarrassing! This is really embarrassing!" He ran away crying. "I can't believe a Zaku I shot me dooooooown!" Ugh. This guy is a big baby.

Setsuna didn't waste any time either and he started hacking away at Mondo's Gundam. The Deathscythe might be a formidable machine at the hands of an expert Fighter, but Mondo was just a show-off and his Gunpla was torn into pieces in a matter of seconds.

"You need to leave." Juro-chan then pointed the Zaku's sniper rifle at the man's Destiny Impulse. "I believe I banned you from entering this shop, Kaoru."

"Oh? After all these years, I'm still banned? You wound me, Pops." He laughed.

"Leave!" Juro-chan ordered with a booming voice that shook the room.

"Fine, fine, fine!" The man sighed and grabbed his Gunpla. "I'm going! I need to visit Momoe's grave anyway so I can give her the souvenirs I got from Okinawa last week. Like I said, I'm just here to announce my return to Keiko."

"YOU STAY AWAY FROM HER!" Keiko tried to pounce on him, but Mii-chan quickly stood up and pulled her away.

"Bad idea, Keiko. Bad idea." He warned.

"Hahahahahahaha!" Kaoru laughed. "You're so adorable, Keiko-chan." He then pointed to Mondo and snapped his fingers. "You. Come with me. You're my underling now." He said.

"Yes sir!" He saluted and ran after him. "Wait what? Why am I your underling?"

"Just do as you're told." He growled.

"Yes sir!" He saluted again.

"Well I'm off, everyone." Kaoru waved his hand and blew Keiko a kiss. "Let's go, underling." He slapped Mondo's forehead and they were gone.

"W-W-Who was that?" I asked Juro-chan as I helped Mii-chan get Keiko back on her feet. We both held her arms as we guided her to the coach so she can take a rest. She was still sobbing and it felt kinda...surreal.

"Bando Kaoru." Juro-chan replied with a grim expression. "Keiko-chan's stepbrother."


AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Gundam Build Fighters is now finally over...

It was such an awesome, awesome show. It was so awesome that I started writing fanfics again after so many years. It really got me all fired up that I had to write a Build Fighter story of my own.

I never really had any doubts since the announcement and I was right. The show was nothing but pure fun and enjoyment from start to finish. Kiddie show? Yeah right. Well this "kiddie show" carried the Gundam name well compared to the the previous "grim dark" Gundam shows that aired since the start of this century.

This show never got off the rails. Not once. It's been a while since I have been able to say that when it comes to anything Gundam related.

Thank you, Based Sunrise. Thank you for making Gundam fun again. I will forever cherish Build Fighters. Now bring on season two!

Anyhoo, major thanks to Major Mike Powell III for beta-reading this chapter. You did an awesome job, dude. Now I don't have to worry about my crappy grammar again. I hope you beta-read for me again in the future. I could really use a hand.

Well I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and be sure to post reviews.