Author's Note: The F5 stands for the final five characters with Free Time events left to do. This chapter here is a bit longer due to...Well, you'll see soon enough. Many references to...certain shows have been made, but that is to be expected when certain people take the stage. Also expect some plot twists here and there, and some brutal battling. Enjoy as I gear myself for the next chapter; who will it be? Nari, the naughty roleplayer? Takeshi, the mysterious mean-spirited man? Shizue, the Cosplaying Cutie? Shinju, the Shiitake mushroom talking tsundere? Or Shinji, the Silly, Sometimes Stupid Protagonist? ;D

Free Time Events with Akihiko Tanaka, the Ultimate Boxer

The Cast (For Ease of Remembering)

Shinji Kizami, the Ultimate Romantic (F5)

Takumi Adachi, the Ultimate Womanizer

Shinju Sakyubasu, the Ultimate Poet (F5)

Koneko Sakai, the Ultimate Tamer

Yoshikazu Shinozaki, the Ultimate Butler

Akihiko Tanaka, the Ultimate Boxer

Emiko Norita, the Ultimate Babysitter

Nari Kawasaki, the Ultimate Tutor (F5)

Takeshi Kurosawa, the Ultimate ? (F5)

Nico B, the Ultimate Rising Star

Shizue Koga, the Ultimate Cosplayer (F5)

Kenji Amagi, the Ultimate Firestarter

Hanako Ikeda, the Ultimate Maid

Kibou Iwata, the Ultimate Speed Reader

Satoshi Hondo, the Ultimate Student Council President

Mayumi Okishima, the Ultimate Archer

Daisuke Ichijou, the Ultimate Cheerleader

Granberia, the Ultimate Thief

Free Time Event 1#

Akihiko was certainly a much different person in comparison to the others, though not necessarily in a bad way. That being said, it was a Monday morning when he forced every single one of us to meet him outside the small stage where Monotaro announced what new revelations he would give us.

Akihiko smirked as we all arrived, "Everyone, line up. Girls to the right, guys to the left." We all reluctantly did as he asked, "Now, I've been observing everyone here, and I decided to gather you here because I want to learn something. As you all know, I am a prolific boxer. As such, I need practice. Shadow boxing is nice, but what I truly need is someone who can better match my capabilities."

Nico laughed this off, "Are you kidding? You'd destroy us!"

Akihiko snapped his neck, to the left and the right, before cracking his knuckles, "Which is why I have decided to run a competition. Mayu, would you please take the stage with me?"

Mayu looked around nervously before clamoring up to the stage, where she stood awkwardly, mirroring Akihiko's pose.

"I have personally assessed that Mayu has the highest battle capacity of the females here. If you want to prove me wrong...just try," Akihiko turned around and moved a small blackboard, which featured brackets, "The eight of you not chosen will fight in a three-round tournament. The two survivors move to round four, where the winner of the tourney will face off against the reigning champ, and then the two genders will face off in the final battle!"

"You want to set up a fighting tourney?" Shinju asked, trying to clarify.

"Essentially. I need a partner, but only the best will do for Akihiko Tanaka, the Aristocratic Boxer!" He showed off of a couple of strong right hooks, "Monotaro agreed to let me use the stage as our arena, and I gathered gear for everyone to suit up in. So dress down and get back here for round one!"

"And what if I don't fucking want ta!?" Takeshi exclaimed, making his displeasure clear.

Akihiko jumped down off of the arena, sweat dripping down his hardened pecs, "We have four weeks of freedom. One round a week, and that'll get us ready. In the weeks over, I'll be sure to coach and train you all in sessions of one to two hours. Any questions?"

Takeshi spoke up again, "The fuck would I bother for?"

Akihiko chuckled, giving Takeshi a wide grin, certainly creeping him out, "Bets!" He spread his arms out, much like an eagle would spread its mighty wings, "Before every match, the fighters put up a condition! It can be anythin'! I figure that would make this a lot more interesting, hehe."

"Bets?" Shizue asked, moving her hair out of the way.

"Takeshi could ask us to leave him the fuck alone forever. If he wins, he gets peace and quiet."

"Halle-fucking-lujah," Takeshi grumbled, "I'll beat your ass for that."

"Obviously, the risks have to match up before anyone agrees," Akihiko further explained, "No unfair bets, naturally."

"This your way of bonding with us?" Granberia questioned, keeping her composure even in these circumstances.

Akihiko thought on that for a bit, "Suppose so. I don't waste my time on weaklings! I mean, training time, hahaha! So, are we agreed?" After a bit, we all agreed, mostly at Satoshi's urging to further strengthen our group's bonds.

After we all got dressed up, Akihiko brought Koneko and Nico up, and they flipped a coin. Koneko called tails correctly (and ironically, as hers snatched the coin off of the ground after winning).

The boys went first. The eight of us reached into a hat and pulled out a small white plastic ball, numbered from one to eight. As we all received our assignments, we placed them on the table. The first selections, as randomized, were Takeshi and Nico.

Akihiko coached both before they faced off in the ring. Shizue was happy to be the announcer, calling them both up, "In this corner, we have Takeshi, the Annoying Asshole! His opponent today is... Nico, the Wary Weakling!"

"What kind of taglines are those?" Nico voiced a complaint.

"Win a match, and it'll change appropriately!" Shizue replied ecstatically.

Takeshi shrugged, "Whatever. If I win, you leave me the fuck alone. Understood?"

Nico sighed, "This is gonna hurt... If I win, you have to join my book club!"

Shizue rung the bell, and Takeshi flew forward at an impressive speed. He had never demonstrated his full fury before, so following his flashy footwork firsthand was fairly fascinating.

For Nico, it was much less so. One, two, three, Takeshi swung forward, delivering three strong blows to Nico's left and right cheek. A fourth one to the chest knocked Nico back, and Takeshi delivered a final blow to the nads.

Nico crumpled, surrendering in between exasperated breaths, "I...Give...Critical hit to the nads..."

Akihiko sighed, shaking his head, "Right, didn't make rules. I'd say no more nut shots, but it's a bit late for that. It may have worked, but it won't be so easy to use that again."

Takeshi threw his gloves off, tossing them aside like trash, "I don't give a fuck. See you next week." With that, Takeshi stormed off, not sticking around to see the rest of the fights.

With that, Shizue penned in Nico as the Ultimate Loser at 18th. How unfortunate.

As Nico was carried off by Yoshikazu to the nearby table to rest, the girls gathered around the hat and received their assignments, from 1 to 8.

Up first was Kibou and Hanako.

Kenji looked nervous as the two took the stage, so I assured him, "Relax, Kenji. Kibou wouldn't hurt her."

Kenji reluctantly nodded, "I know, but even then... Trusting a girl is not a weakness, but..."

Kibou laughed, "If I win, you have to put my books away when I'm done. It's such a chore..."

Hanako muttered, "If I win... you have to send messages to people for me. If I'm...scared."

Kenji sighed, "She could just ask m-"

Shizue cut him off, "Alright! Today, we have the first female match! It looks like... Kibou, the Slow Speedreader will face off against Hanako, the Doomed Domestic! And fight!"

Kibou smiled, "Don't worry, Hanako. I won't hurt you..." Kibou stepped forward and swung, but Hanako dodged it with ease, "Woah!" Kibou swung three more times, and Hanako dodged as if it was nothing.

Before Kibou could reassess the situation, Hanako delivered a hard blow to her stomach, knocking her back with the sheer force. Clutching her side, Kibou dropped, "Oww...I give..."

Everyone was speechless except Yoshikazu, "It seems my self-defense training was sufficient."

"It sure as hell was! Damn!" Nico explained, still wincing in pain as he sat on the loser's table.

Akihiko helped Kibou up and Satoshi kindly escorted her over to the loser circle.

Shizue geared herself up as she announced, "Match Three! Next, we have Kenji, the Failed Fireman! He's facing off against Satoshi, the Unreliable Underdog!"

"Let's have a fair match," Satoshi bowed to his opponent, "If I win, you'll be my assistant when I need it."

Kenji nodded, "Gotta win this for the boys back home... And when I win, you'll participate in events I need help with, got it?"

As the bell rung, Satoshi leaned forward. Kenji, who had anticipated a similar move, quickly took the high ground, leaping into the air to deliver a hard blow to Satoshi's back.

Satoshi was clobbered onto the floor, where he waved his hands, "I...I'm out... I can't handle this... Not with my arrhythmia..."

Kenji cheered himself on, proud that he and Hanako had both made it onward to round two, "Now I get a chance to beat that Takeshi prick up."

With that, Satoshi joined Kibou on the loser's table, where he told her that she had done her best. Kenji, on the other hand, proudly joined Hanako at the winner's table, the only so far since Takeshi had departed.

Next up...

Shinju smirked evilly as she faced off against Shizue, who had dressed up now. She was wearing an orange gi, tied at the waist with blue clothes underneath. A red belt held it all together, and she was posed like a warrior.

Koneko announced, "Now, it's Shinju, the Sassy Tsundere Beast... Can she stand against Son Shizue, the Cosplaying Coward!?" Koneko rung the bell, and Shinju grinned.

"When I win, you'll stop trying to cosplay with Shinji! Understand?" Shinju shouted, quite determined.

Shizue didn't say anything for a while, "When I win, you lose your monopoly on his time."

Shinju laughed, "Yeah, whatever. Are you going to fight me or what?"

"Fight you? No. I'm going to destroy you," Shizue said this bluntly, with such a determined and impressive look on her face that it definitely intimidated Shinju.

Shizue jumped forward at such an awe-inducing speed that even Akihiko had trouble keeping up, "Hah!" She quickly sent a strong punch to Shinju's chin, lifting her up with the momentous force, sending her hurtling into the sky.

Somehow, Shizue jumped a good thirty feet off of the ground, sending another harsh blow to Shinju's right cheek, sending her flying back down. Before she hit the ground, Shizue landed onto the arena and caught her in her right hand, as if she was nothing more than a small child.

Letting Shinju drop to the ground, Shizue turned away, "I didn't even need to transform. How boring..."

Shinju must have heard that insult, and she would not let that sit. She quickly ascended to her feet, and with more power than I had seen from her before, she landed a hard blow into Shizue's back. As she stumbled, Shinju unleashed a flurry of swift blows, knocking Shizue around as if toying with her.

Just when it seemed Shinju would win by a knockout, Shizue caught her fist, "Nice try..." Shizue delivered another hard blow to Shinju's stomach, sending her sprawling.

Wiping the blood off of her chin, Shizue proclaimed, "I think that makes me the winner effectively."

Shinju didn't get up, silently nodding as she clutched her stomach.

Akihiko helped her over to the loser's table, and Shizue strolled off, proudly strutting.

She quickly dressed into her regular clothes, retaking her spot as the announcer, "Daisuke, the Defective Defender faces off against... Yoshikazu, the Weakened Warrior!"

Daisuke practiced throwing a few punches before he offered, "If I win... You have to start taking breaks with Shinji and I."

Yoshikazu bowed and nodded, "And if I win, you must help me in my duties."

"Deal," Daisuke replied, before launching forward.

The two were very strong, trading blows, blocking each other's attacks. For a long five minutes, or approximately thirty-seven episodes, they were unable to land a single significant hit.

Yoshikazu started slowing, however. Daisuke noticed this and began targeting his legs, scoring a few quick hits. Unable to keep up with Daisuke's nimble attacks any longer, Yoshikazu stepped back, "I must concede this fight to you, Master Ichijou. You have humbled me with your techniques."

Daisuke cheered, "Damn right I did. Time to relax!"

Emiko and Nari went up next, each giving the other a determined look, "It's so funny we're fighting, Nari! If I win, you've gotta kiss Takumi!"

That must have been exactly what Nari needed to hear to piss her off, "If I win, you owe me one favor, no questions asked."

Shizue happily announced, "Will Emiko, the Effortless Emo last against Nari, the Negative Narcissist!?"

Nari quickly took the advantage, beating Emiko in three clean hits, sending her hurtling to the floor. Emiko shouted her surrender, and Nari nodded in satisfaction, leaving her trolling friend on the floor.

I finally took my place on the field, somewhat nervous. On the other side stood Takumi, who struck a pose, grabbing his groin, and pointing at the audience, "When I win... I get to feel up your girlfriends without you hurting me!"

"They'll still kill you," I bluntly shot back.

Takumi chuckled, "Not if I win 'em over..."

"And if I win... You can't feel 'em up, or fantasize about anyone here when you work the long shift... If you catch my drift," I returned, giving him a piercing glare.

Takumi laughed as if I had made a joke, "Hell to the yes! I'll crush you with my fapping hand!"

Shizue announced, "Takumi, the Seriously! Stop! Can he win against Shinji, the Reckless Romantic?"

"That's not a good stage name..." Takumi complained. His distracted response was his undoing.

Jump. Right hook. Left hook. Blow to the stomach. Punch in the back. Send him to the floor. Right hook. Left hook. Right hook. Left hook. I finally stopped swinging when Takumi collapsed to the arena floor in a matter of seconds.

"That wasn't hard..." I commented, "Then again, Takumi's only strength is in his wrists..."

All of the girls cheered, as I had freed them from the nightmare of listening to Takumi mention his fantasies about them offhandedly.

The final match began. Granberia was facing off against Koneko, and I had no idea who would take the crown here, since both were well versed in self-defense techniques.

"If I win... Hm... You have to help me with something later..." Granberia didn't specify what exactly that was, "I guess?"

Koneko was bemused by Granberia's indecisiveness, "Err...Okay. And if I win... You have to promise not to ever kill anyone here!"

Granberia chuckled, "What a waste of a bet. Of course I wouldn't... And if I was comfortable with killing all of you just for my own escape, I wouldn't care about the promise..."

At this, Shizue intervened, "Will Granberia, the Mysterious Misfit, meet up to Koneko, the Kawaii Kitten's expectations!?"

"Seriously, who chose these names?" Nico exclaimed from the sidelines.

Koneko quickly jumped forward and delivered a series of seriously strong punches. Granberia was able to dodge or block most of them effectively, but she was soon outmatched. Unable to fight back effectively, Granberia accepted her defeat.

Akihiko jumped onto the stage, clapping, "Everyone did great today. Next week, we'll meet up here for round two. In the meantime, get to training. I'll notify you when it is time..."

With that, everyone scattered. I stayed behind, and once we were alone, I asked Akihiko, "Any reason for this tournament? Or the bets?"

Akihiko shrugged, "I thought it would be fun. A lot of people look down on competition, since it creates rifts between people and brings us all one step closer to infighting. Tragic thing is they don't see how it can motivate people to be their prime, the best they can be!"

"You want to show us that through these fights?" I needed him to specify why he chose this of all things.

Akihiko shook the thought off, "Why not? We get to compete, and I get a training buddy. It's all good."

I sighed, acknowledging how simplistic his goals were, "Then I'm going to go get started on my training. Don't wanna lose a bet."

With that, I walked away, determined not to lose so easily.

Hope Fragment Get!

Free Time Event 2#

The next week, all of us gathered back at the arena. I had been working hard that week, since I knew Daisuke would be an incredibly vicious opponent.

That being said, I wasn't concerned about going first.

Takeshi and Kenji jumped into the arena, glaring each other down, "I win, enough of your conspiracy bullshit. Stop publicizing your shit theories."

Kenji laughed off his opponent's taunts, "Foolish villain! Kenji Amagi will not be swayed by such a weakling! When I win, you shall become my personal sidekick of Justice!"

Shizue shook her head in exasperation at the two 'unique' fighters. Akihiko himself looked completely embarrassed, "Guys, really?"

Shizue coughed loudly, focusing everyone's attention on her, "Today, Kenji, the Furious Firestarter faces off against Takeshi, the Amazing Asshole! Who will win!?"

"Finally, a title worthy of my greatness..." Kenji prepared himself.

Takeshi wasn't one for wasting words on what he perceived as a total weakling, "Give up." Takeshi sped forward, launching his fist directly into Kenji's unprotected jaw, sending him flying off of the stage, landing on the grass below.

Kenji slowly got to his feet, coughing roughly, "And that's my loss..." He then fell back onto his back.

"Sick of all this total faggotry... Can't wait to say goodbye to you fuckin' losers," Takeshi once again reminded us of his honest feelings towards us.

I noticed Shinju motion to Akihiko with a nod, and she walked forward, "Takeshi, I'm sick of you disrespecting all of us."

"Fuck off, slut," he responded.

"I asked Akihiko for an exhibition match with ya," Akihiko nodded to confirm her claim, "If I win, you have to stop bad mouthing us like a total fuckass."

"And if I win, I assume you'll shut your whore mouth when I tell you to," Takeshi was definitely trying to get a rise out of her now.

Shinju nodded, leaping onto the stage, "Guess so."

Takeshi chuckled a bit, preparing himself.

Shizue announced once more, "Will Takeshi, the Awe-inspiring Asshole defeat Shinju, the Exhibition Entity!? Find out now!"

"Surrender when you can..." Takeshi sped forward and punched Shinju with all of his might, causing her to cough up spit and croak in pain.

She was unable to speak as all of the air was forced out of her, and taking that as a sign to unleash his fury, he began brutally beating her in the face, knocking her around like a rag doll.

Naturally, I was already on the verge of intervening to kill him, but Akihiko and Daisuke held me back, "She has to surrender, dude."

"She can't surrender if he keeps fucking hitting her!" I yelled, quite clearly pissed off.

Takeshi smiled my way, "Awe. You're upset? I won't hurt your property... Not the parts you'd care about..." He then thrust forward, punching her to the arena floor, giving her another round of brutal punches to the face to ensure she would give up.

Shinju was bleeding from several cuts all over her head, and she hadn't said anything when the barrage had begun.

Everyone was caught off guard by Takeshi's brutality, but he merely laughed it off, "Stupid whore learned her place. I win by knockout, it seems."

Shinju didn't move at all, and with that, Takeshi took his leave.

Yoshikazu hurried into the arena to get Shinju and patch her up, and Daisuke and Akihiko held onto me until Takeshi was far gone.

"Look, I know you're mad, but just let it go for now," Daisuke tried to convince me to no avail, "We'll DEAL with him later."

I reluctantly gave in, my fists clenched so hard they hurt.

I spaced out as Yoshikazu took Shinju off, and the next fight soon began.

Granberia reluctantly exclaimed, "Will Hanako, the Master Maid move on? Or will Shizue, the Heavenly Host!?" Shizue was still donning the blue clothes with the red belt, but her gi was no longer on her.

Hanako asked, "If I win... Can you help me make an outfit later...?"

Shizue nodded, not speaking for a moment, "And if I win... You will clean for me on request!"

Hanako reluctantly nodded, and the battle began. I went back to spacing out, and Akihiko came to talk to me as the two battled fiercely.

"Listen, Shinji... I know you're mad, but don't try anything out of the ring, okay? No murdering Takeshi," he warned, "If you try anything..."

I looked him dead in the eye, "I'll make sure I do it in the arena. That way, the trial will be easy peasy."

Akihiko stood up, not amused by my honest answer, "I just told you that-"

"Don't intervene until he surrenders. That's what you fucking said," I angrily rebuked him, "Are you going to change the rules now? Like a dirty fuckin' cheater?"

Akihiko snarled at me when I said that, "I am NOT a cheater...You know what? Fine. Do what you want. I don't fucking care anymore."

I realized how tense things had become, so I tried to apologize, "Akihiko... I'm sorr-"

"Save it. I'll hear you out if you win," Akihiko cut me off and trudged off, practically grinding his teeth into dust.

At that moment, Shizue, whose hair had turned a shade of gold, knocked Hanako out of the arena, sending her flying into Kenji's outstretched arms.

Shizue laughed, as her hair returned to its original state, a dark black. She looked pretty beat up despite all of her moves, especially her left arm, which was bleeding quite badly. Hanako had definitely worked her over.

Finally, Shizue once again dressed down and motioned for Daisuke and I to get on the stage.

"Shinji, the Raging Romantic faces off against Daisuke, the Dashing Die hard!" She rang the bell.

Daisuke decided to wager high stakes, "If I win, Shinji... You gotta dedicate yourself to Shinju. You know what I mean, player."

"Deal..." I quickly replied, preparing myself mentally.

Daisuke's eyes went wide, "What, really!?"

I clenched my hands, concentrating everything on how enraged I was. With just a bit of time, I managed to copy Shizue's earlier technique, a golden aura surrounding me as my hair turned a light grey, "This is the rage of a Romantic!"

Daisuke stepped back, caught off guard by what I was doing in front of him.

"I will not let these crimes STAND! When I crush you... You will ensure that NO ONE intervenes in next week's brawl!" I commanded, my voice growing deep and raspy, hurting my throat.

Daisuke wasn't certain how he should react, so he gulped loudly and nodded, "F-f-fine."

I jumped forward, rushing him as fast as I possibly could.

Daisuke noticed my movement patterns and quickly swung in my direction, landing a hard right, "Hah! Gotcha!"

I pushed forward, moving his outstretched fist with only my face. A small trickle of blood came from my cut lip, "Got what, exactly?"

"Oh, crap baskets!" I moved my hand back as far as I could, sending it straight into Daisuke's stomach. He faltered, barely able to stand.

I jumped back, readying myself for another assault, "Tell me, Ichijou. Does a cheerleader like you experience fear!?"

Daisuke didn't respond, instead retreating a few paces. Not enough.

With all the speed my Raging Romantic self could manage, I sprinted towards him at full speed, launching a hard right directly into his face, sending him flying, blood splattering onto the arena's side as he slipped off onto the hard ground.

Daisuke struggled to pick himself up off of the ground, coughing as he wiped his face clean, "I...I give."

Akihiko only looked on in awe as I stepped down off of the stage, greeting him with a tense stare, "Sorry for the cheater remark. Was a bit far. Probably hit you in a sensitive place," I walked past him, but halted for a moment, "I won't kill Takeshi. You have my word."

With that, I stormed off to the winner table, sitting alone, since both Takeshi and Shizue were unavailable to be seated.

The final match was exciting, to say the least.

Nari, the Terrifying Tutor, faced off against Koneko, the Nasty Neko. Though both put up a good fight, Koneko eventually won with a surprise attack, catching Nari unaware.

Nari had bet for Koneko to play with her and I on occasion (oh god). Luckily for me, she lost. Instead, Nari lost, and she had to discuss something private with Koneko and offer advice.

Everyone gathered up and left, though I offered to carry Shinju back to her cottage. They handed her over, and I carried her.

Before I reached my destination, Akihiko stopped me, "That was impressive, Shinji. I look forward to next week's match."

"You shouldn't," I said with a straight face, "I know I don't."

Akihiko shook his head, "You just might be able to win, if you can harness those emotions inside of you."

I didn't really care right now, "Can I take her back now? I'm worried about her more than an arena fight. Or my prospects as a fighter."

Akihiko nervously laughed, "Yeah, I understand. See you next week, fresh meat!"

With that, he saw me off, and I ensured Shinju got back to her room safely. Though I didn't have to, I watched over her for a few hours, until she finally regained consciousness.

Hope Fragment Get!

Free Time Event 3#

Halfway through the free month we had been given, the finals of the basic eight tourney were beginning. Takeshi would face off against me, and Koneko would battle Shizue for supremacy.

Before the match, I headed on down to the locker rooms to get dressed down. I was going there early, since I wanted to prepare myself with a bit of shadow boxing and such.

I entered the locker room quietly, and quickly headed over to my locker. I put in the combination and opened up the small cage. Pulling out my fighting clothes, I quickly got changed. Before I left, I noticed Akihiko at his own locker, and he dropped something as he drank from his sports bottle.

A small container rolled towards me, and I picked it up. The drug was Raxath. I recognized it from a bunch of medical infomercials. It was an experimental new performance enhancer that guaranteed maximizing one's ability to master hand-eye coordination and body building. The tragedy was that it cut the user's entire life by nearly half, killing most in their early forties.

Apparently, the way it worked also put extreme pressure on the heart muscles, and would eventually lead to a total heart failure. There were also studies linking it to increased chances of getting cancer, and causing potential kidney, lung, and even intestinal damage due to the chemical compounds in it.

Basically, it was a bottle of poison pills.

Akihiko finally noticed he had dropped his bottle, and he looked over to me, "Aw, shit."

"Akihiko? You know what this is, right?" I asked.

Akihiko quickly snatched the container out of my hand, placing it in his locker as he closed it up, "Raxath. Prescribed by my parents to make me the best boxer alive. What about it?"

"That stuff kills you, dude! You shouldn't take that!" I was quite concerned that he used such a dangerous drug.

"My trainer demands I never run out, and Monotaro was kind enough to supply me with enough to last this silly little game of his..." Akihiko tried to explain, "I need it for my workouts."

I grabbed him by the shoulder, "No, you don't. Why are you killing yourself with poison!? Do you really want to be the best boxer around!? You'll die for that title!?"

Akihiko shoved me off of him, "I'll live the way I want to. You could never understand what this means to me... I HAVE to be the best..."

I was unable to find anything to say as Akihiko walked out of the locker room, leaving me in silence.

Without much more to do in there, I hurried over to the stage and sat at the table where we awaited our fight. I would face off against Takeshi, and then Koneko and Shizue would battle. I found it amusing the top four girls were all interested in me, but I didn't mention that, lest Shinju label me a manwhore even more.

That being said, everyone eventually gathered. I took my place on the arena, not saying a word as Takeshi jumped up to face off against me.

Shizue paraded herself into the center, "The finale of the men's tourney! Will Takeshi, the All-Star Asshole be able to defeat Shinji, the Revenge-Seeking Romantic!?"

Takeshi laughed, "Never fought with my full strength before. Bring it on, bitch. When I win, you gotta leave me the fuck alone."

I grinned sinisterly, "If you lose...you have to tell me what the fuck your talent is. What it does. Understood?"

Takeshi grimaced, "I fucking hate you... Fine. I'll fuck you up anyways."

The bell rang, and I quickly assumed my Rage-induced form, speeding towards him with an angry growl.

Takeshi was much more powerful than any of us had anticipated. He must have been five or six times stronger than I was. He dodged every single one of my attacks like it wasn't anything to be concerned about, and he knocked me back with a well-timed punch.

"You..." I definitely did not see that strong show of force coming. The two of us began exchanging blows, both of us landing hard hits, neither of us compromising or surrendering a single inch.

As this battle truly began, Koneko jumped to the side of the arena, "You can do it, Shinji!"

As I turned to her, Takeshi took the advantage and unleashed the strongest attacks yet, hitting me so hard I wondered if my ribs were broken. As he knocked me to the floor and I struggled to stand up, Takeshi decided to poke the beast, "Gonna beat you like I did your girl."

I quickly jumped up and propelled myself towards him, trying to find a weakness in his stance. I found none, as he quickly sent me back to the floor. I charged again, and we exchanged a series of ruthless blows. Eventually, he knocked me back to the dirt once more.

I finally stood upright, lunging forward. He sidestepped and slammed me into the side of the arena with a hard right. Then, as if to add insult to injury, he punched Koneko when she tried to stop him from beating me down, "Ah-ah-ah! No interventions!"

Koneko flung back to the dirt covered ground, a bit of blood trickling from her right cheek. She wiped it off, looking more surprised than hurt.

With that, he must have triggered something in me. I stood up, quite angry, "Why would you..."

Takeshi chuckled, "What? Don't be mad! It could be worse! I could tie you up and fuck her in front of you! Hahahahahahahaha!"

Granberia shot up from her seat, "How did you-"

Takeshi laughed even harder, "Monotaro told me! It was hilarious! This little boy couldn't do anything while his girlfriend screamed her lungs out for them to stop! Like a looooooser!"

Snap.

Shinju took her turn to laugh, "You stupid fucking cunt..."

Takeshi turned to her, "The fuck do you want, whore?"

"You just triggered him. Nice job, fuckface..." Shinju pointed towards me, but I was already pushing all of the extra noise out.

"No... respect... No...empathy...No...intelligence...Just..." I clenched my fists hard as I stared up into the sky, "Rage! RARGH!" I shouted out, as it felt a whole new me exploded from the inside out, my hair turning a sinister teal color as my eyes turned fully white, no irises to be found. He had unleashed within me the rage of a Legendary Warrior.

"The fuck...?" Takeshi was only able to say that before I rushed forward, clothes lining him into the arena's hard floor. Picking him up, I began forcing my fist deep into his stomach, each time causing him to utter a small squeak of pain.

I continued beating him, letting him drop before delivering a hard spin punch.

Takeshi slid across the floor, barely able to get to his knees, "Fuck! Can I get some...Mercy!?"

I was already standing in front of him, "Is that another word for coffin?" I delivered the hardest blow I could deliver, punching him in his jaw so hard that a single tooth flew out. Takeshi flew off of the arena, sent past the tables into the ground even further away.

With that, I tried to calm down, though a harsh, lightning aura surrounded me for a brief time afterwards, "I guess I win..."

Shizue cheered me on my victory, and Granberia high fived me as she took Shizue's place, who went off to change.

Takeshi was unconscious, and Yoshikazu set about patching him up. I figured I would interrogate him later.

With that, I sat at the winner table, where Mayu and Akihiko both congratulated me on my fantastic battle and my shocking victory.

Shizue was back in her orange gi set up from the first round, though her arm was still bandaged up from the last fight.

Koneko was opposite of her, her arms free, the fur nice and warm on her arms. She wore a black shirt, a blue jean jacket, and tight jeans matched by her black shoes.

Shizue laughed, "When I win, our future is secured! You lose, you make your brother give me extra DNA, too!"

Koneko let out a big breath as she tried to calm herself down, "When I win, you must help me design some clothes. I have a nice idea..."

Granberia stepped forward, "Today, the Cataclysmic Cosplayer faces off against the Nigh-Unbeaten Neko Girl!"

The bell was rung, and Shizue and Koneko jumped right into it.

Shizue practically slid across the floor towards her opponent, rocketing her right fist, gloved of course, directly into Koneko's jaw. Koneko had been on her way out, so the blow was nowhere near as painful as it should have been.

Using Shizue's momentum against her, she launched her own counter attack, knocking Shizue off balance as she fell backwards, barely able to stand up straight after such an intense, heavy blow.

Quickly adjusting her body posture, Shizue unleashed her full potential, surging forth with her golden aura. She quickly dodged a series of quick jabs before connecting her fist directly to Koneko's jaw, flinging her backwards.

Koneko slid onto her feet and snarled, unleashing her feral ferocity. She quickened every motion, moving around, practically a blur for the slower people out there.

Once, twice, thrice, she clipped Shizue in the face, pushing her back as she gained ground on her opponent.

Shizue was not going to go down so easily, and she instantly snuck into her own combination of brutal strikes, continuously boxing directly into Koneko all over her stomach, chest, and face.

She must have gotten overly confident in her own skills, since Koneko soon regained the advantage with another growl, flinging attacks towards her opponent so quickly that Shizue had no alternative but to brunt the brutal attacks, getting sent back in an epic battle.

It was in this way that Koneko eventually clocked Shizue out, winning the fight and taking the championship for the females.

Akihiko was glad to finally have reached the end of the tourney, grabbing the microphone from Granberia, "And with that, Koneko has proven her abilities as an incredibly powerful fighting female. Shinji has simultaneously proven his worth! Next week, Shinji will battle me for the right to be the best male boxer, and Koneko will face off against Mayu to prove her worth in the arena!"

With that, everyone left to go back to their rooms. Shinju congratulated me on avenging her honor, though I saw her off. Once everyone else had left, I approached Akihiko.

"Aki?"

He didn't respond, gazing off into the distance, "...Been a long time since I heard that."

I decided not to ask any more on that front, "About earlier... I seriously think you need to quit taking those pills. You know what it does to you, man."

Aki shook his head, "If I quit taking them, I'll lose my title. I'll shame my family. I'll never be the very best."

"You don't need them to-"

"How do YOU know what I need!?" Aki shouted at me, surprising me.

I stood my ground, "Because I believe in you! Because you're an Ultimate! Your talent is yours! Not the meds! Just do it your own way!"

He scoffed, walking away, not dignifying my outburst with a response.

"That's my bet... If I win, you have to stop taking that shit."

Aki immediately froze, turning around in slow motion, "And what would you do if that cost me my talent? I'd be kicked out of Hope's Peak. My career might be destroyed."

What a weak argument. "Our school got us trapped here! They can't do shit! And what career!? If Monotaro is being honest, the world ended! Boxing isn't a career option anymore!"

Aki chuckled, closing his eyes, "I see. Then I must challenge your talent as well. If I win, you must forsake all romantic relationships. Forever. And that includes dropping all of the girls here."

The man drives a hard bargain but... "Deal."

Aki's eyes went wide, "Do you realize what you're doing? I'm the Ultimate Boxer. You don't stand a chance in hell."

"Like that would stop me. I'm not going to let you kill yourself... Not like this... You can be the best without those meds, and I'll beat your ass to prove it!"

"Hmph," he started walking off, "That just may be the spirit you need to even challenge me. See you next week, Shinji."

"Wait... Is this why you got mad at me? When I accused you of being a cheat?"

Aki stopped for a moment, "Yeah... Yeah, it was."

As he walked off, I lamented every life choice I had ever made to get to where I was now. I was boned. So strongly boned.

Hope Fragment Get!

Free Time Event 4#

The third week of the month. I was about to lose all of my waifus, but at least I tried, right? Maybe Aki would take my sign of strength as a reason to redeem himself. Or maybe that was all just wishful thinking.

Akihiko announced the female championship first, and though Mayu and Koneko waged a massive and entertaining battle between rivals, I was too distracted to pay enough attention to the fight between the Gnarly Neko and the Almighty Archer. Koneko eventually won by knockout with a devastating right hook.

Aki jumped up onto the stage, "Everyone, today is the time!"

I slowly got up and joined Akihiko on the stage, my shoulders slumped. Needless to say, I had trained my heart out this last week, but it wasn't enough.

"Stick a fork in me... I'm done," I commented.

Shizue jumped into the center, announcing, "Tonight is the battle of Destiny! Will Akihiko, the Aristocratic Archnemesis defeat the challenger, Shinji, the Ravishing Romantic!?"

Akihiko cracked his knuckles once more, throwing a few punches to the wind, "We made our bet previously. If Shinji wins, I'll quit using Raxath."

"What!?" Nico belted out, "That drug is poison! It kills your insides!"

"It also makes me a winner," Akihiko scowled, "If I win, Shinji has to swear off romance forever. No girlfriends, no lovers, nothing."

"What!?" This time Shinju was the most angry of the crowd.

Everyone was paying attention to the battle now, even Takeshi. Well, except for Emiko, who was reading that ill-begotten book from the library again.

Quickly assuming my Raging Romantic Mach II form, I geared myself for my timely demise.

I waited for my opponent to make the first move. I would have an advantage if- My thinking cut off abruptly as Akihiko punched me in the stomach. Coughing up spit, I tried to stand back up, but Akihiko unleashed a series of furious blows, beating me around like a worthless doll.

Eventually, he let up, "Hehehe... Nice warm up."

My right cheek was swollen, I felt a tooth missing from my mouth, and I was cut up pretty bad. Despite that, I regained my composure, "I-I'm not losing..."

I noticed a certain group of six people at the edge of the arena, observing the fight more closely. Though it gave me a small bit of comfort knowing I had their support, I didn't know what to do.

If I could outsmart Akihiko with some kind of strategy, then perhaps...

That's it!

Akihiko noticed my change of stance, "Giving up already?"

He quickly moved forward, but I anticipated this. I jumped towards him like an animal, bearing my fist downwards as I flew over him, slamming him hard into the ground.

As he quickly spun back to his feet, I let loose with several more attacks. Akihiko managed to dodge them all, having adjusted to my new tactics. He then proceeded to copy them, beating me down with a series of flighty fists sent my way.

At this point, every part of my body was hurting, but I refused to give in, "Not... Over...Yet."

With that, we both jumped forward, but he dodged my jab and delivered a sharp blow to my chest, sending me back to the floor. As I struggled to get up, he mocked me, "Looks like his love wasn't strong enough to get him to win."

Koneko shouted, "Shinji! You can win! You have the smarts to outwit wild beasts!"

"You have the bravery to face your own demise head to head," Mayu reminded me of our battle, "No matter the pain, you braved it all."

Nari chuckled, "You, lose to something like this? Haven't I taught you how to master something? By doing it. Just fight him!"

Granberia joined in, "You can win against the Grave Dangers despite the odds. You can do whatever you want to! We don't have limits, Shinji! That's why we're Ultimates!"

Her hair once more pink, Shizue laughed, a bit psychotically, "You know what'll happen if you lose, right? Do you want to break my heart? You would never...Right, Shinji?" Dear god, she was giving me the Yuno stare/smile. Hell no.

Shinju stayed quiet, not saying anything. I was surprised, since she usually had the biggest mouth of them all.

With their encouragement, I arose from my beatings, "If I lose... I... Not only is my own life basically ruined... I'll be letting you kill yourself for your career... I'd sooner..."

With their support empowering me, I rushed forward. With their support, I was invincible. I punched Akihiko directly in the face. He didn't budge, "That all you got?"

"The power of love has failed m-Gah!" He unloaded the most painful punch he had given out yet. I wondered if he had cracked one of my ribs as I staggered back, clutching my left side as I nearly fell over from the pain.

The battle was over. I had lost.

Just as I was about to surrender, I heard a voice. Hers. "You damn manwhore! Are you going to lose this fight!? If you really loved us, then how could you give in like this!?" Shinju had finally spoken up, and she had tears in her eyes, "You're going to be a total loser now!? Of all the times to lose a fight, this isn't one of them! Why didn't you think of our feelings when you made this stupid bet!?"

That one stung, "I was just trying to convince Akihiko to-"

Shinju cut me off, "You keep doing this! Throwing your life away! Making sacrifices where you don't need to! When will you stop!? You're not a hero! You're just selfish!"

"...Shinju..."

"No wonder Jun was going to dump you!"

The entire audience went silent, and even Akihiko turned around, eyes wide.

I stepped forward, "What did you..."

Monotaro popped up out of nowhere, "Now Shinju, didn't I tell you not to spoil!? Upupupupu!"

I walked a few more steps towards Monotaro, "What is she talking about!? Explain it to me now!"

Monotaro whistled, as if he was an innocent bystander, "I have NO idea what you mean... Unless it's about this book here..." He pulled out a small purple book.

No... I recognized that book. Jun's diary was just like that. But how could Monotaro have gotten a hold of it!?

Monotaro opened it up to one of the pages, "Ahe-hem! Today is my birthday, and I'm going to do it tonight. Shinji's taking me down to the pier for something special. When we get there, I plan to tell him. I loved him, at first, but I've grown out of that old me." Everyone customarily gasped at the same time, except for Shinju, who must have already known, and me. I felt a lump in my throat.

Monotaro continued reading aloud, "He doesn't have any drive, any motivations. I just think he's going to end up holding me back. He always tries to live the hero, always tries to help out strangers. Constantly missing dates with me just so he can play the savior for others. At first, it was romantic and enchanting. But now, it's all he does. People rely on him and use him like a doormat, and he has so little self-esteem, he does it all like he owes them. I can't be around that kind of person anymore. Watching him suffer like this... It's too much. I know he'll take the news hard, but I have faith he can find a way to move on and better himself. Because that is the kind of person I used to love."

Shinju sighed, clearly not pleased with Monotaro revealing all of that, "I found it in the library, and I demanded Monotaro to tell me if it was faked or not. So..."

Monotaro tossed the book to me, and I placed my hand on the very page he had read aloud, in her handwriting. It was exactly hers. Not faked, or forged. I couldn't believe Monotaro could know all of the small writing tics she had.

With that, I tossed the book back to Monotaro, not saying a word. Monotaro laughed, "Ah, the look of despair on his face! So amazing!" He then ran off, to wherever he was hiding in this damned resort.

"Akihiko..." He turned to me once I called his name, and I jumped forward, delivering a deadly blow to his stomach, "You're mine!"

Shinju's POV

As Shinji began battling with Akihiko, it seemed as if they were completely evenly matched. Akihiko still easily had the advantage, since he had not sustained heavy damage, but Shinji was still managing to keep up.

Granberia ran up to me, "Shinju... Why would you say that!? Don't you have faith in Shinji!?"

I didn't know what to think, "Does he really love us all that much if he risked it all?"

Koneko shook her head, "Look at him!" As she pointed towards the stage, Shinji was sent flying, blood all over his face at this point. Despite that, he wiped his eyes clean of it and charged back in, "He's suffering all of this, for us! Even after what you just did to him!"

"..." I didn't know what to say. Or rather, I did. But I was just too afraid to say it aloud. So instead I remained in unwavering silence.

Emiko jumped up from her seat and ran over, a book in her hands, "Guys! Listen! I just found something!"

Nari rolled her eyes, "Not now, Emiko! Please!"

"No, seriously! According to this book, they had an Arbiter in their custody for six months! Did tests and everything! Shinji can do more than what they told him! He can even channel and absorb others' ultimate talents!"

"What!?" Mayu exclaimed, "You mean..."

In the arena, Akihiko was now struggling to keep up with Shinji. No matter how many injuries he sustained, he continued swinging out, never compromising in his vicious attacks.

"Not only can he cancel out our talents... He can use them himself! He just needs-"

"An emotional motivation... Like Jun's confession," I clicked the pieces into place.

Emiko nodded, and as we all turned back to the arena, Shinji and Akihiko struck each other in the face. Blood flew out of their mouths, but it was Akihiko who finally dropped to the floor in unconsciousness. Shinji collapsed soon after, and Yoshikazu rushed to administer first aid to the both of them.

With those fights concluded, everyone else eventually went back to their rooms. I stayed behind, alongside the other girls. I apologized to them for my outburst, and they accepted, knowing I was just angry. I didn't know what had compelled me to say that to him, but I also knew he only won because I did. Even with that knowledge, I felt like trash.

Shinji finally awoke, ice packs covering most of his face and head to reduce the swelling, "Ahh... My everything hurts...ha...ha..."

I ran up to him, passing the others, "Shinji! Shinji, I... I'm-"

He placed his hand on mine, "I know... I screwed up... Making a bet like that without even discussing it with you guys... Way out of line. I promise... I'll never do something so stupid again..."

And with those words, he fell back into unconsciousness, with Mayu, Koneko, Granberia, Nari, Shizue, and I all crowded around him.

Hope Fragment Get!

Free Time Event 5# (Finale)

The third to last day of the month left before Monotaro would deliver his first motive. We were all anxious over what that would entail, but I wasn't too frightened. We had all forged incredible bonds of friendship, and I knew we would never succumb to such petty killing.

My tune had definitely changed over time, though. I still had that nagging doubt that horrible things would happen, but the happy Shinji in me refused to bow down to such a bleak future without a fight.

Before the match, Akihiko approached me in the locker room, "Yo, Shinji. Got some news..."

I turned to him, "Yeah...?"

He awkwardly laughed, "Your advice worked out for me. Emiko said yes. I mean, I know she's weird. Didn't really know her that well until Nari tried to throttle the life out of her in front of me, with Emiko clutching a camera to her chest."

I winced as I knew exactly what he was referring to, "Yeah, haha. Crazy, right?"

Aki patted me on the back, "Seriously, though. You've been there for me, man. Working with me, helping through the withdrawal, setting us up. You actually meant well. I don't know how to thank you for this, but I promise I'll make it up to you one day."

I shrugged, "Don't worry too much about it, Aki. You helped get Shinju to forgive me for my selfishness. I... I can be a bother myself, too, but... Thanks."

Aki nodded, "Yeah, yeah, yeah."

As he began to leave, I decided to ask, "Aki?" he looked my way, "This might be a bit personal, and I apologize in advance, but... Why are you so pent up on winning? What made you want to be the best boxer around?"

He smiled, a wistful smile of regret but also relief, "Figured you might ask. I have an older brother. Name's Takako. He wanted to be the best boxer, too. Trained me when he was younger. The day he was going to win the world series, or try to, at least, he got into an accident. Car crash on the way to the arena."

"Oh, shit..."

"Takako saved some young girl from the mess that started after, but another car rammed the rear end. Crushed his right arm against the side and rolled over his legs. Crippled him for life. Only way he would ever walk again is if he made the money for the surgery..." he sighed, "So that's originally why I started."

"Certainly you must have made enough now, right?"

Aki wiped a tear out of his eye, "My brother died in a hospital fire. Ceiling caved in, and they couldn't get to him in time. The last thing he asked of me was to become the best boxer, like he never could. Felt it was already too late for him."

I grabbed his shoulder, "It's alright, Akihiko. I know your brother would be proud of you right now. You've become a wonderful young man. So don't worry too much about it, alright?"

Aki smiled as tears ran down his face, "And I bet... I bet if she were alive now, Jun would fall in love with you all over again. You've changed from that doormat you used to be. Grown strong, and more self-confident. Those girls did you some good, eh?"

Now I wanted to tear up. As the two of us wiped our faces clean and marched off to the arena for the final battle between the Celestial Star Shinji Kizami, and the Great Goddess Koneko Sakai, I felt a bond with Akihiko that would stand the test of time. He trusted me, and I trusted him, and that would never change. Just like war.

Hope Fragment Get!

You have unlocked the skill, "Strong of Heart, Sound in Mind." Akihiko has helped you realize the full potential in you that every human is capable of. This skill expands your focus gauge to its maximum (excluding levels).

You have been awarded Akihiko's undergarments! You can access the description in the Presents menu. Congratulations!