SZ: Hey, minna. I'm...in a pretty good mood. Reason...well, if you've read the Blazblue Remix Manga, I got good news for ya...Mai Natsume is gonna be playable in Central Fiction. Bad news though...seems she's gonna be DLC...possibly free if what I read on the site is right.
GammaTron: How's that bad news?
SZ: It might be just for the japanese version of the game, meaning we might have to pay full price for Mai when Central Fiction comes out in America this year. I hope that's not the case.
GT: Oh.
SZ: Yeah...but regardless, pretty happy that Mai is gonna be playable in Central Fiction. And from what I've read on why she's on the game...she's after Relius.
GT: ...Another one?
SZ: Yup. Question is...why? Did something happen between them in the sequel to Remix Heart, Variable Heart? Guess we'll have to find out once Central Fiction comes out.
GT: Aye.
SZ: Hai. Anyways, let's move onto the story. You guys already know who we own and don't own, and who Benfire, who once again will RARELY appear in this for those who don't like that form, belongs to the Ben 10 fan community.
GT: *nods*
Two days passed since Ben got his new weapon, and he had been busy practicing to use each of its forms, using some dummies he had Kevin set up for him. To make sure they wouldn't attract any attention to the NOL or any bounty hunters after them, Ben was currently using an old abandoned dojo that was a few blocks away from Litchi's clinic.
"It's really lucky that this place folded a few days before we showed up," Kevin noted.
"Indeed," Gwen nodded as the two watched Ben practice on some dummies, his Omnitool in its twin blade mode as he delivered a series of fast slashes on them, "And he's getting better at using that mode…"
"Yipe!" Ben yelped as his grip slipped on one, causing it to be embedded between the two.
"...Probably better," Kevin corrected as the two slowly looked at the blade between them, the guard the only thing visible from where it was in the wall.
"S...sorry about that…" Ben panted as he walked up to them, wiping some sweat from his forehead as he grabbed the blade that was embedded in the wall, "Kinda got too into the moment…"
"...Why don't you take a break? You've been practicing for almost two hours now," Gwen suggested.
"I can...still keep...going…"
"Last time you said that, you broke the support column when the hammer slipped," Kevin pointed to a wooden beam covered in a band made of different fused metals and woods.
"...good point…" Ben admitted as he plopped down onto the floor, "Okay...quick break, then back to practice...I need to learn to use my Omnitool's Gun mode more…"
"Agreed," Kevin grumbled.
"...I said I was sorry," Ben tried not to look at Kevin.
"And does it look like I'm going to forget in any short time?" Kevin narrowed his eyes at him.
"..."
"...Nevermind. I'm gonna go out for some fresh air," Kevin stated as he began to leave.
"Do I even want to know what happened what Ben did with the Gun Mode?" Gwen asked.
"No," both replied, the older male's eye twitching.
"...Okay…"
Kevin sighed as he stepped out of the dojo, leaning against the wall as he looked up at the sky, "This bites. I used up the last of the marbles Gwen made for me to fix that beam. Damn it, Ben..."
At that moment, he recalled how focused Ben was for his training these past two days, doing his best to fully master his weapon and each of his modes. He then looked at himself for a moment, clenching his fist as he recalled past battles he was in. He was able to handle tougher enemies like Vilgax and Psyphon, but what happened at the battle with Relius….he could barely lay a hit on the masked man. Only time he was able to land a blow was when Carl and Gwen distracted that 'puppet' of his, and it seemed to only phaze him a bit.
Kevin scowled, 'Some big shot I am. I've fought in wars, fought intergalactic threats, but I get my ass handed to me by a puppeteer.'
A wind picked up and Kevin's sight was lost. He quickly grabbed what was on his face and pulled it off, revealing an ad. It depicted a man starting to enter his twilight years, wearing a pink towel over his shoulders.
"Free boxing lessons?" Kevin pondered, "'If you impress me enough, I will give you free boxing lessons. Just come to…'" Kevin mumbled before tapping his chin, "Boxing…" he looked at his free hand and put it on the floor, letting the fist be covered in the material, "Maybe…"
"Everything okay, Kevin?" Gwen asked as she poked her head out.
"Huh? Oh, yeah," Kevin responded as he pocketed the ad, "...Hey listen, I'm gonna be out for a bit today. You and Ben gonna be alright?"
"Um, yeah, sure," Gwen replied before a crash happened.
"I didn't do it!" Ben denied inside.
"...You sure?" Kevin asked, a smug smile on his face.
""Just do what you need to do, Kevin. I'll handle it here," Gwen assured.
"...okay then," Kevin shrugged as he walked off, "See ya later then."
"L-" Gwen began before another crash was heard, "..."
"Again, not me!"
"...Ugh…" Gwen sighed, "I'm gonna go check on Makoto real quick. Today her cast is supposed to come off. Don't do anything until I get back, Ben."
"Ye-" Ben began before another crash was heard, "...permission to fix this place up a bit?"
Gwen shook her head, "Granted."
"Okay...it should be around here somewhere…" Kevin muttered as he looked around for the place the ad said to go to, "Just wish this thing was more specific on the location."
As he passed an alleyway, he stopped when he spotted a door at the end of it, a neon sign faintly going in and out. Kevin looked at the picture in the add and barely made out the neon sign outside the window in the background. Looking up, there was a window by the sign. He walked up to the door and knocked on it.
"...who is it?" a voice asked from behind the door.
"I'm here about the boxing ad," Kevin replied.
"...Wait there."
The sounds of lock being undone followed for a few moments. The door opened and a figure was on the other side. Just like in the ad, the man was entering his elder years, the short raven hair turning grey. His skin was still a rich tan and quite toned, but was showing signs of age coming on. He wore a pair of sweatpants and a black shirt with the pink towel over his shoulders. ...and Kevin wisely did not note that the guy was shorter than him by a good foot and a quarter. He looked at Kevin for a few moments.
"Okay. Come on in," the man ordered as he went into the place.
"...Alright," Kevin nodded as he walked into the building.
Kevin entered and looked around. It looked like an old time boxing gym. A wall sported mirrors with training equipment set up all about. A nearby set of stairs led up to an inside balcony with no barrister to keep anyone from falling while in the center of the gym was an old boxing ring.
"Here," the man spoke up, tossing Kevin a pair of pure black boxing gloves, "Contrary to popular belief, boxers use more than one kind of glove." he threw in protective headgear as well, "Used to protect boxers from soft tissue damage, bruises, cuts, whatever, during sparring and in amateur boxing."
"Tha…"
"Don't be thanking me yet, kid. That headgear won't protect you from the effects of hard punches like stunning, knockdowns, and the KO," the man informed before pulling out a pair of padded targets that he could slip onto his hands, "These are focus mitts. They're meant for you to strike. Give me your best punch into one of these."
"Uh…"
"I mean it, kid. Boxing is a serious thing. You want to learn, then you gotta show you can give it your all," the man informed.
"...Fine," Kevin shrugged as he slipped the gloves and headgear on, "You asked for it."
Once he had everything secured, Kevin narrowed his eyes. He reeled his fist back and let it fly at the man. The fist impacted with the focus mitt and the man barely moved.
"...Not bad," the man noted, "Reminds me of this guy I used to box against. Heavyweight champion 'till I showed him."
"You were a heavyweight?" Kevin asked.
"I participated in all the weight matches," the man replied, motioning to a wall, sporting a series of championship belts, "I hope you understand that once we start, I'm not letting you go without finishing the key parts of boxing ingrained into that skull of yours, kid."
"...Fine by me," Kevin replied, giving him a sorta cocky grin.
"All right," the man chuckled before tossing him a pink tracksuit.
"...Really?"
"Heh. Trust me, a little humility goes a long way in boxing," the man chuckled as he pulled out a green bicycle, "Let's see you keep up with me while you jog."
"..."
"What's wrong? Not chicken are ya?"
"...No," Kevin frowned a bit.
"Then get in the suit, and let's start our training."
"Fine," Kevin stated as he began to put the tracksuit on, 'Just hope nobody sees me wearing this damn thing.'
Back over at the dojo, Ben had just finished fixing the place up a bit, making sure everything was nice and sturdy.
"Okay...that should do it," Ben whispered as he finished setting up the dummies, the young adult backing up as he switched his Omnitool into its Gun mode, "Now t-"
"H-hello?"
"Hmm?" Ben raised a brow as he looked over his shoulder, seeing Noel standing at the entrance of the dojo, the shy blonde wearing her NOL uniform, "Noel?"
"O-Oh. There you are, Ben-san," Noel looked at him, "Ano...what're you doing?"
"Training," Ben replied, "What're you doing here?"
"I...I heard what happened a few days ago with Kevin-san…" Noel admitted, causing Ben to cringe, "I-I didn't think he could scream th-that loud."
"...I keep telling him it was an accident, but he won't let it go," Ben slumped as he looked at his Omnitool, "I mean, I'm still trying to master using this thing and all. I can handle the other two modes just fine, but the Gun Mode is proving to be a bit difficult."
"R-Really?" Noel asked in surprise.
"Yeah," Ben nodded, "When I try targeting things, I miss about half the time and...well…" he motioned to a metal wall that had various burn marks, dents, frozen spots, and cuts on them, "Turns out the guns have more than just a stun and regular 'bullets'."
"...May I see it?" Noel asked.
"Hmm?"
"Y-your weapon I mean."
"Um...Sure, I guess," Ben replied.
"W-Wait! Don't toss them!" Noel freaked, running over and stopping Ben from tossing them to her, "You never throw a gun outside of a fight. E-Even with safety on, they might d-d-discharge on impact."
"...Good point," Ben said, realizing his mistake before handing his guns to her, "Here."
"Th-Thank you," Noel thanked as she began to look them over, "Hmm…"
"Well?"
"Th-they look fine. In fact, if used right, you can use them in both far and close range combat," Noel stated, pondering for a bit, "...Have you heard of Gunkata?"
"Gun...what now?"
"It's a fighting style where you use your guns as both...well...guns and close quarters weapons," Noel explained, "I...it's the fighting style I use when I'm in battle."
"Oh. That's kinda cool."
"...A-arigatou," Noel blushed a bit before she quickly shook it off, "I-it's a bit hard to master really, but once you get a hold of it, the rest is easy."
"I see," Ben noted as Noel handed him the guns back, "?"
"M-maybe a demonstration is better…" Noel said as she summoned Bolverk, "Fight me."
"Come again?" Ben blinked at that.
"It's fine, Ben-san. The best kind of demonstration is a practical demonstration," Noel replied, getting into a fighting stance, "Get ready."
"...Fine. Lu..."
"Just two things though," Noel spoke up, "One; you can't transform into any of your alien forms. And two; you can only use the gun mode of your weapon."
"...understandable," Ben nodded.
"Good. Now…" Noel began as she prepared herself, "Get ready."
Back over with Kevin, the young adult panted as he jogged after the older man on a bike.
"Come on! You've got this, kid! Feel those muscles burn!" the man encouraged.
"Oh, I'm feeling them burn alright!" Kevin shouted as he jogged after him, 'For an old guy, he sure does bike fast.'
"Don't forget to keep an eye on your surroundings!" the man informed, "Can."
"What?" Kevin blinked twice before stepping on a can and falling over onto his back, "Gah!"
"Told ya," the man chuckled.
"Gah...son of a bitch…" Kevin groaned as he got up, rubbing his currently sore back, "What's the purpose of this anyway?"
"Footwork."
"Huh?"
"One of the most important things about boxing is footwork," the man explained, "You gotta keep light on your feet, be quick and nimble to dodge those strikes. Everyday you're training under me, you're going to be doing five laps around the entire city's perimeter so we can get that footwork nice and easy while also boosting your stamina."
"F...five laps?!"
"Would you rather I add weights to your feet? I'd say you could probably handle twenty kilos on each leg if we wanted to do just five laps all day."
"...nevermind. Five laps it is," Kevin sighed as he stood up.
"Alright. Let's get going. We're just reaching the quarter way mark," the man replied before biking off.
"Son of a bitch…" Kevin sighed before jogging after the man, 'It's for getting stronger and being able to be able to protect Gwen, Kevin. Remember that…'
Back over at Litchi's clinic, Makoto groaned while still in bed.
"Ugh...How much longer do I have to wear these?" Makoto complained.
"Relax Makoto," Tsubaki spoke up as she was reading a book, "The casts are supposed to come off today. But...that doesn't mean you can go around and start fighting. You still have less than a week or so left before Ms. Litchi will allow you to leave."
"I know, I know. Muscle atrophy and all that crud," Makoto waved her off, "I just really want these cast off. Plus, my arm is getting itchy underneath this thing."
"No, Makoto," Tsubaki frowned, "Don't even think about scratching."
"But it's itchy~"
"No."
"Mmm~" Makoto pouted as she leaned back on her bed, "...Where's Litchi or her assistant Linhua? I really want these things off now."
"They're most likely busy with another patient," Tsubaki responded, "Also Makoto, you need to learn to be patient."
"Knock-knock," Gwen joked as she opened the door, "Ready to get those casts off?"
"Yes please!" Makoto exclaimed.
"Shh!" Tsubaki hushed her.
"...Sorry," Makoto apologized, "But yes, Gwen-chan...I'm ready to get these casts off."
"Okay," Gwen nodded before going over to Tsubaki, "You first, Tsubaki. That way, I can have backup in case she tries to start scratching."
"Nuts," Makoto slumped.
"Of course," Tsubaki nodded as she closed her book and put it down.
"So where are Ben and Kevin at?" Makoto asked as Gwen began to remove the casts on Tsubaki.
"Ben's still training while Kevin...well, I'm not sure what he's doing," Gwen responded.
"Hng! What the hell is in this thing?!" Kevin shouted as he tried to lift up a large sandbag.
"The Heavy Bag, both with a capital letter," the man chuckled before picking it up and putting it on a thick rope, "We're going to be using this to teach you where exactly to hit an opponent and practice your combos."
"...fine, but question...what the hell is in that thing? Because I highly doubt that's sand in there."
"I prefer to call him Mr. Sandbag. As for what's inside of him? Titanium shavings that are the exact size of a grain of sand," the man patted the bag.
"Uh-huh...And the two dots?"
"Those are his eyes. Frankly, I gave us thinking about all the stuff with this bag. It's been in the business for years and is surprisingly durable," the man patted it, "Once, some punks thought it'd be fun to throw it of the side of the mountain. Took a few weeks, one of which was a perpetual storm, but when he got brought back up by the retrieval team, perfectly intact as if nothing happened to it."
"...That doesn't seem physically possible," Kevin noted.
"Welcome to boxing, kid. Boxers these days are always about trying the impossible. I remember this one guy from a mountain range in Russia that healed up fast by drinking..."
"Vodka?"
"No, soda."
"...bullshit."
"I'm not shitting with you, kid. The guy drank a bottle of soda and he was good to go for another round," the man shook his head, "And don't get me started on the ape who used barrels for boxing gloves. Had splinters in me for weeks and swore that one of them was trying to grow into a new tree."
'...What the hell have I gotten myself into?' Kevin thought as the man started to go over the basic stances for boxing.
"Okay...better?" Gwen asked as she finished taking off Tsubaki's casts.
"Yes. Thank you, Gwendolyn," Tsubaki thanked.
"No problem," Gwen nodded as she looked over at Makoto, "Okay...you're next, Makoto."
"Finally. I've got this itch and…"
"No scratching," the two redheads deadpanned.
"Mou~" Makoto groaned.
"You might still have some stitches under there and you need to let them heal," Gwen advised.
"Oh come, what can you do? Put a cone on me?" Makoto joked.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...Oh my god...You two are seriously thinking of doing that, aren't you?!" Makoto paled.
"No, but if you attempt to scratch...maybe," Gwen stated as she began to take Makoto's casts off.
"Ulp. Well...it'll probably on the neck, so not really a…"
"They'd most likely be put where your arms turn become the upper torso," Tsubaki noted, "And two more on the elbows for good measure."
"Nani?!"
Tsubaki giggled, "I'm just kidding, Makoto."
"Mmm...you're acting so evil right now," Makoto pouted as she narrowed her eyes at Tsubaki
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Gwen asked.
"More than you can imagine," Tsubaki replied.
"...You're still miffed about what happened at the academy that one day...aren't you?" Makoto asked.
"More than you can imagine," Tsubaki replied.
"Do I even…?"
"No," both replied.
'That's the second time that's happened today…' Gwen sweatdropped.
Back over at the dojo, Ben panted as he was flat on his back. Noel was currently standing over him, the barrels of her guns inches from his face.
"Now do you see how effective it is in combat?" Noel asked.
"Y-Yeah…" Ben agreed, a bit afraid of nodding.
"Good," Noel nodded as she pulled her guns away from him and letting them vanish, "S...Sorry I had to get a bit rough with you there."
"I...It's fine…" Ben grunted as he sat up, rubbing parts of his body where she hit, 'Those are going to bruise…'
"...D-daijoubu?" Noel asked, offering her hand to help him up.
"Yeah…" Ben nodded, taking her hand as she stood up, wincing a bit, "Though I think I'm done training for today."
"O-Oh…"
"Still...That was pretty cool," Ben added quickly, "Maybe you could help me learn how to do that?"
"Eh?" Noel blinked at that, "Y-you...want me to train you?"
"In that fighting style, yeah," Ben replied.
"...Ano…" Noel began a bit nervously, a small blush on her face as she scratched her cheek, "I...I don't know. I...never really trained anyone before..."
"I'm sure you'll be a good instructor," Ben assured.
"...Eto…" Noel pondered for a moment, thinking it over in her head, "...W-well...O-okay. But you'll have to listen to follow my instructions, Ben-san."
"Sure thing," Ben grinned.
"G-good."
"One hundred and one! One hundred and two! Keep it up, kid!" the man counted as he held Kevin's legs down while he performed reps over the side of the balcony.
'This kinda feels like Plumber Academy training, but more Spartan,' Kevin noted before, later, he looked at a round bag that was connected to the floor and ceiling by two thin elastic ropes, "And this is…?"
"Double End Bag. It's also called the floor-ceiling bag, crazy bad, and the reflex bag," the man informed, "Because of how it's set up, it'll give you a good workout with target practice and timing."
"Timing?"
"You think you just swing willy-nilly when it comes to boxing, kid? Hell no! In the ring, you've got to hit the opponent with each blow you send," the man instructed as he slid on a pair of green gloves, "Watch and learn."
With that, Kevin backed away from the bag. The man inhaled and exhaled slowly before assuming an opening stance. With that...he moved. Kevin's eyes widened as he saw the man was more like a blur...a roaring tornado, even. The Double End Bag bounced about, yet each time the 'tornado' lashed out, it struck. After a few more moments of it, the bag was caught by the man, a frown on his face.
"Damn. Missed about three blows…" he shook his head.
"Dude...That was awesome," Kevin awed before he caught the thrown boxing gloves, "Huh...These feel thinner than the ones before."
"They're meant to deal with speed, kid," the man informed, "They're the lightest gloves yet for training, but offer a whole lot more protection than hand wraps alone."
"Ahh...still dude, that was….holy shit! That was awesome."
"Heh...got that a lot when this place used to be popular," the man chuckled, "In fact, you're the only person to come here these past few years."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I guess the sport's starting to die out," the man sighed, "This place used to be full of people that wanted to be like the champ, wanting to prove to be the best of the best."
"...What happened?"
"...That damn Ikaruga Civil War happened," the man frowned a bit, "The day that started, the NOL have been recruiting people up to 13-16 years old and such, sending them to that academy of theirs to train them for war." He then looked over at an old wall, showing what looked like a plaque with various names on it, "A few of the people who trained here didn't like the idea of sending people that young off to war and...well, since they went against the NOL and, by extent, that Imperator of theirs...they faced execution."
"Damn…" Kevin cringed.
"That's the way the NOL works…" the man sighed, "Go against them or the Imperator, no matter how old you are...you're as good as dead."
'...fuck,' Kevin thought after hearing that, 'And here I am, about to do that very same thing…'
"But, I don't think that will stop you," Kevin looked at the man, "I can see it in your eyes; the injustice of it all on what the Imperator and her NOL are doing." he held up a hand, stopping Kevin as he opened his mouth, "No, no. Don't speak, just listen. I'm getting on in years, got maybe a decade left of my life, probably less from all the fights I've endured. And right now, you remind me of myself when I became a boxer. You're determined, stoic even." he put a hand on Kevin's shoulder, "The days of the NOL are numbered, aren't they?"
"Yeah. Aside from the Imperator, a lot of people were beaten down in this place."
"Probably to Ikaruga," the man noted, "It's the closest city near here." he narrowed his eyes, "Remember this, kid: Always fight for what's right. Use all your might and push towards the light. Because while they'll try to beat you down, I know you'll never let them stop you."
"And why's that?" Kevin asked.
"Because by the time we're done with your training, you'll be the best around," the man smirked.
"...Well, in that case…" Kevin began as he put the gloves on, "Let's get back to training...coach."
"Heh. Okay then, kid. Let's get back to work. Double End Bag training. I want to see what you've got, kid. On second thought, I don't want to see what you've got because if I see it, you opponent's gonna see it and dodge it for a counterattack," Coach ordered.
"Ahh...Gotcha, coach."
"Remember, Makoto, don't overdo it since you may have atrophy in your muscles," Gwen advised as Makoto sighed in relief once the last of the casts were taken off.
"I'm just relieved to finally have these off," Makoto said as she moved her arm a bit.
"Likewise, Makoto, I-don't you dare," Tsubaki narrowed her eyes as Makoto froze in her attempt to discreetly scratch a spot where one of the casts had been on.
"...Shoot," Makoto muttered as she moved her hand back down
"Do we have to go through with the cone threat?" Gwen asked, an amused look in her eyes.
"No, no! I'm good! I'm good!" Makoto yelped, raising her hands up defensively..
"Good," Gwen nodded.
"H-hello?" Noel's voice called out from the other room, "W-we're back, minna."
"We're finally out of them, Noel!" Makoto cheered.
"E-eh?" Noel blinked at that as she walked into the room, "..Ooh! You're both out of your cast."
"Eeyup," Makoto nodded before slumping a bit, "Downside is...I can't scratch."
"If she does, we're going put cones on her arms," Tsubaki winked.
"Not funny, Tsubaki," Makoto hissed at that before Noel giggled, "Et tu, Noellie?"
"G-gomen, Makoto-chan," Noel apologized through her giggling.
"Seriously what is this, pick on the Beastkin day or something?" Makoto muttered.
"Maybe," Gwen and Tsubaki joked.
"Oh, ha. Ha. ha," Makoto deadpanned.
Gwen just rolled her eyes a bit at that before looking back at Noel, "How did Ben's training go while I was gone?"
"Oh! A-Ano…"
"She handed me my butt," Ben replied as he came in, his Omnitool on his back in hammer mode.
"...Why?" Gwen slowly asked.
"Ano...w-well.." Noel began nervously, "I...I was showing him a demonstration of Gunkata."
"Ouch," Makoto cringed, "I feel for ya, Ben. When we had spars at the academy, Noel's Gunkata was one of the best of them in our year."
"Indeed," Tsubaki nodded in agreement.
"Did either of you see Kevin at all on your way back?" Gwen asked.
"Nope," Ben shook his head.
"N-No...gomen."
"Weird...he should've been back by now," Gwen said in slight worry.
"What did he say he was doing before he left?" Makoto asked.
"He said he was gonna be out for a bit today," Gwen replied.
"I'll go find him," Ben offered.
"Y-you sure?" Noel asked.
"Yeah. I mean, it's not like he's busy with something, right?"
"Come on, kid! Keep it up!" Coach ordered as Kevin panted as he continued to jump-rope.
"What's...this…gotta...do with...boxing?"
"Keeping light on your feet, kid. The longer you can do this, the longer you'll be able to dodge the blows of your opponent."
"Ahh….gotcha….coach…" Kevin nodded as he went a little faster.
"Mind if I come with?" Makoto asked.
"Sure," Ben shrugged, "That okay, Gwen?"
"I'll need to double check with Dr. Faye-Ling before she can go," Gwen replied, "Wait here while I go get her."
"...Okay."
"One more search…" Litchi whispered, wearing her battle outfit as she picked up her staff, "Hopefully this time, I'll get through to him before..."
"Dr. Faye-Ling?" Gwen's voice spoke from behind the door.
"?!" Litchi tensed a bit as she quickly put her staff away, "Yes, Gwendolyn?"
"Makoto and Tsubaki have had their casts removed and Makoto is asking to go for a walk," Gwen informed, "I'm unsure if it's a good idea."
"Most likely due to muscle atrophy, correct?" Litchi questioned.
"Yes."
"...Okay. Give me a few moments and I'll look her over to see if she's good enough for a small walk," Litchi complied.
"Okay."
"...Maybe another day," Litchi whispered to herself.
"Seriously, this feels more like what I've read about Spartans being trained than anything!" Kevin panted as he and Coach were taking a few minutes of rest.
"Where do you think boxing training derives from? The results of the training for Spartans resulted in tough, resilient fighters," Coach explained, tossing Kevin a bottle of water, "Boxers just added in some footwork to help build up speed and agility."
"...I guess that makes sense," Kevin admitted, taking the cap off the water bottle and began to drink its contents.
"And this is just the first day of training," Coach smirked, "Even if you don't go on the circuit, I hope you can use this to inspire others to take up the sport. It'd be good to see places like this thriving again."
"...Heh," Kevin chuckled a bit as he put his water bottle down, "Maybe it will once this whole mess with the NOL is over with."
"Dare to dream, kid," Coach chuckled.
"Yeah…" Kevin nodded as he stood up, "If it's okay with you, I'm gonna head back to where I'm staying."
"Kay, but I'm expecting ya to come here pretty early in the morning," Coach informed.
"...How early we talkin'?"
"Hmm…" Coach tapped his chin, "I'd say 5, maybe 6 AM."
"That early?" Kevin asked.
"Heh. If you were more experienced with boxing, it'd be at exactly 4 in the morning that I'd expect you to be here," Coach stated.
"...Fine. 5 or 6 in the morning it is," Kevin shrugged, grabbing his stuff as he began to head to the door, "See ya then, coach."
"Get a good night's sleep, kid. You'll need it."
"Hmm…" Litchi mummered as she examined Makoto.
"Well...am I okay to go or not, Ms. Litchi?" Makoto asked as Litchi lightly applied pressure on where the casts had been.
"Hmm….well, as long as you don't apply any pressure or attempt to scratch, you're good to go," Litchi informed.
"Alright!" Makoto cheered.
"However, if you even try to scratch once, I'll have to put you in a cone," Litchi warned, making Makoto slump, "Luckily I have an ointment for just that. As long as you apply it every few hours, you'll be good."
"...An ointment?" Makoto repeated, glaring at Tsubaki and Gwen.
"It's to relieve the area that feels itchy and such," Litchi explained, "But don't worry. You only need to apply it for about a week or so."
"An ointment?" Makoto's eye twitched, 'I am so getting you two back for making me afraid of getting a cone on me!'
"Once we apply some, you're free to go out for a bit," Litchi smiled.
"...Fine," Makoto sighed, "Go ahead and apply it."
"Good," Litchi nodded, picking up and opening a small metal container, "This will take a few minutes, then you'll be able to head out with Ben."
"Hai," Makoto sighed a bit.
"I kinda know how you feel, Makoto," Ben spoke up, "When I was twelve, I ended up breaking my leg trying to pull a stupid skateboard stunt. When I finally got that cast off, I had to put some ointment on as well. Though the cone and gloves were a bit unnecessary…" he paused as he glared a bit at Gwen, "Gwen."
"Gwendolyn," Gwen corrected, "And to be fair, you did try to scratch your leg with a fork while you were on bed rest."
"But was the cone really necessary?" Ben countered.
"Yes, yes it was," Gwen gave a teasing look.
'...Thank god Kevin's not here to hear that,' Ben thought in an annoyed tone.
"Still stinks…" Makoto muttered, "Literally. What is that stuff made of?"
"A few herbs that grow around the Kaka Clan village," Litchi answered, "I was running low on this, so I had Kevin and Tao and pick up some for me a few days ago."
"Oh...I see," Makoto noted.
"And finished," Litchi informed as she finished applying the ointment, "Now, Ben, if you catch her scratching, make sure to come back immediately."
"Can do, Ma'am," Ben nodded.
"Darn it," Makoto muttered as she got up, "Well, let's hurry and go get Kevin and s-"
"Hey yo! I'm back!" Kevin shouted from the other room.
"..." Makoto's eye twitched.
"Uh, Makoto?" Ben raised a brow.
"This doesn't mean I still don't want to go out for a quick walk," Makoto informed, grabbing Ben's arm as she started heading towards the door," Come on, Ben. You're still coming with me."
"...Ano, Makoto-chan? Are...you sure you're okay?" Noel asked.
"Minus the day before yesterday, I've been stuck in a bed for a long while. Remember the last time I couldn't go out for a long while?" Makoto questioned.
"...Take her out," Noel and Tsubaki paled.
"Uh...su-woah!" Ben yelped as Makoto dragged him out the door.
"...Uh…" Gwen began.
"You don't want to know," Noel and Tsubaki quickly replied.
"Hey, Ben. H-" Kevin began before Makoto walked past him, still dragging Ben by the arm, "...uh."
"You don't…" Ben began before he noticed something, "...Is that a pink tracksuit?"
"Hmm?" Makoto blinked as she skidded to a halt, the Beastkin looking over her shoulder to look at Kevin, who in fact was still wearing that pink tracksuit, "..."
"...What're you lo-" Kevin began before he noticed what he was wearing still, '...shit. I forgot to take it off!'
"..." both snorted back a laugh before they started laughing.
"Oh ha. Ha. Ha. Ha," Kevin laughed sarcastically, "Just so you know, this is something I got from my coach at the gym I found, and forgot to put it away."
"Hahaha! Y-wait. Gym?" Makoto blinked as she stopped laughing, "What Gym?"
"The Gym of Noneya," Kevin replied as he walked off to get changed.
"Non….I almost walked into that one," Makoto said, "But seriously? What gym is he talking about? I don't recall any gyms in Oriental Town."
"Knowing Kevin, he found one," Ben shrugged, "One time we went to a town that stated they didn't have a single smoothie shop, Kevin found it ten minutes in the town directly across from the sign that stated it."
"Seriously?" Makoto blinked at that, "You know what? I don't want to know." she pointed at the door, "Now come on! I'm getting stir crazy being in here!"
"Oh right...s-woah!" Ben yelped when Makoto dragged him out the door.
Meanwhile, in an unknown location far from Kagutsuchi, Aoiro stood within a large metallic room of sorts, the silver-haired woman wearing something almost akin to a samurai's garb, but had a bit of a dragon motif to it. She took a slow, calming breath as a pair of large robots began to approach her. The first one attempted to grab her, Aoiro's eyes snapping open in an instant as she quickly turned around and unsheathed her sword, cutting clean through the first robot, which began to spark as its upper half slowly slid off, azure electricity crackling off it. When the second attempted to move, it sparked as it split down the middle.
"Interesting. They were the best attempt at Techyadon robotics I could make with the materials of this universe and she still took them down with ease," A noted, "...Which means the upgrade was a success."
"Hmph…" Aoiro scoffed a bit as she sheathed her blade, "If this is what you have to offer to test my new upgrade...I'm disappointed, A-sama."
"Don't be overconfident, Aoiro," A informed, "With overconfidence comes a closed mind. A closed mind is already defeated."
"Much like how Gamma lost to Tennyson," Aorio stated, "She got overconfident in her new upgrade, and underestimated him." 'Plus the fact she used Delta's energy signature to keep hidden was an underhanded tactic.'
"Indeed. She believed that pretending to be Delta would be more than enough and nearly cost her everything," A agreed.
Aorio nodded as she started to walk off, "I'm returning to my room. Inform me when the Imperator is in need of my service."
"But of course," A confirmed, "In the mean time, I'll be testing Karai and her new upgrade."
"..Hhh. Knowing my 'sister', she'll end up destroying the entire room," Aoiro commented with a slight, small grin as she walked off, leaving A to look over the data he recorded from Aoiro's training for the past few days.
"Interesting...it hasn't been a full week, and she's nearly mastered her new power," A noted, "It seems she has a strong desire to do whatever it takes to win."
"Well, of course," a voice spoke up, making A look over to see Hazama leaning against the wall, "Ever since she 'came back from the dead', she's been training hard so she can encounter Ragna once more."
"...Tch. That's one thing that always eluded me," A admitted, "Aside from Gamma, all the Murakumo units has an obsession with the criminal, Ragna the Bloodedge."
"Maybe they're all bro-cons. I mean, considering whom they're all based off of," Hazama joked.
"...Fair enough I suppose," A replied, "Now...what brings you here, Hazama?"
"Not much really. Just wanted to see the progress on our little 'dragons'," Hazama replied.
"You're in time for Karai's test," A noted.
"Ahh good… Hope you brought the janitor along," Hazama joked before the door was kicked open, revealing Karai as she walked in, "Speaking of the little devil herself."
"Okay! Let's get this the fuck over with!" Karai snapped.
"Well now...what crawled up your butt and died?" Hazama asked with a smrik.
"Fuck you, snake ass!" Karai flipped him off as she stood in the middle of the room, bringing her claws out.
"...I see the upgrade didn't change your personality one bit," A noted with a mutter as three more robots walked in from the shadows, surrounding Karai.
"Yea whatever. Let's start this shit already!"
"...heh. Funny...She normally cowers in fear around you," Hazama smirked a bit as he stood beside A.
"It seems that I'll have to deploy a different set of robots to remind her why," A noted, snapping his fingers as another set of robots appeared from the shadows.
The robots were sleeker with a more humanoid appearance compared to the ones Aoiro fought, each one the size of a fully grown human male. The one in the center wore a mask resembling the skull of a coyote while the ones at its sides wore blank masks with black visors. All three wore black combat attire.
"Huh...new punching bags eh?" Karai noted, "...heh, should be f-"
*BANG*
Karai grunted as she slammed into the wall behind her. The center robot lowered its smoking shotgun. The two robots at its sides moved away from the skull masked one.
"..." the ravenette said nothing as she pulled herself out of the wall, spitting out some blood, "That all ya got?"
A held up his hand out of the shadows and snapped it. The left blank-masked robot's optics glowed blue through the visor. A blue aura appeared around Karai before her upper half was now straight through the ceiling, leaving her lower half kicking.
"Psychic?" Hazama asked.
"Gravity manipulation," A replied, turning off the mic before he responded.
"Ahh…"
"Gah!" Karai gasped out when she pulled herself out of the ceiling, the ravenette landing back down on the floor as she stared at the robots, her eyes now slit as she cracked her neck, "Okay...You guys are fucking dead."
She began to charge when the blue aura caught just her head, sending her smashing into the ground with her head going through it. The skull mask pulled out two shotguns before firing them both, hitting her behind with both shots.
"Ooh…" Hazama cringed with a grin as Karai pulled her head out, "That's one way of filling an ass with a load."
The left robot was about to use its gravity once more on Karai before the ravenette blurred past it. The robot stood still before its head fell off, shredded into multiple pieces. The third robot's eyes flashed green before a green aura covered the second one, its shredded head reforming and returning to its previous state.
"What?!" Karai snapped.
"Metallurgy, magnetism, and alchemy," A informed Hazama, the mic still off, "But there is something special to the third one as well with that along with the first."
"Okay, gotta fuck that metal bitch first," Karai glared at the third robot before jumping back from a series of shotgun blasts from the skull mask, "Hey! Fuck you!" she snapped as she charged at it, only for the blue aura to appear on her once more and tossed her clear across the room, "God fucking damn it!"
"Do not presume I make anything easy or fast when it comes to proper testing, Karai," A informed, turning the mic on, "How will you handle them when they can counter you in your standard state? Change so we can start the real test."
"...Fine," Karai responded, a small toothy grin on her face as crimson/dark flames began to surround her, "You want me to change? I'll fucking change! Murakumo Unit...Activate!"
With that, Karai was engulfed in a pillar of crimson/dark flames, brightening yet darkening the entire room. They dispersed, revealing her Murakumo form, but drastically altered. Instead of her lower legs being covered in blade-like armor, they were coated in a series of layered metal with the front half of her feet cut off, replaced with three sharp black, metal claws with a fourth emerging from her heel. A layered metal bikini covered her with a pitch black bodysuit hugging her figure. More layered metal covered her arms completely, her fingers ending in the same claws as her feet had. A pair of metallic dragon wings spread from her back with a long dragon tail swaying behind her. Her head was covered in a horned dragon's head made of layered black metal. Her layered armor was detailed in gold designs with diamond-shaped rubies on her shoulders, wings, and knees.
"So...this is what Karai's new upgrade looks like," Hazama noted as he looked it over, "Very interesting."
"Considering her personality, I thought her being a dragon would fit her," A noted.
"Ahh...makes sense. Now let's see what Karai...I mean, Beta-02's new upgrades did for her."
The third and second blank masked robots were about to make a move before the seconds one's head was impaled by Beta's tail while the third's head was crushed by the Murakumo unit's claws. The first pulled its shotguns out before it too ended the same, but with Karai's tail instead of her claws.
"That all?" Karai asked.
"Not in the least," A replied, "Tell me, how's the air?"
"The air? The fuck you…" Karai began before her throat felt constricted, "?!" she gagged as she looked over her shoulder to see the skull mask's mask and clothes on the floor...but no body; only a black smoke.
"Okay, I'll bite. What was that one?" Hazama asked as Karai clawed at her throat, trying to get air.
"Nanomachines," A replied, "Designed to withstand even the heat of a dozen dwarf stars collected in one place. They also constantly make more of themselves when they're damaged, creating fifty percent of their numbers in the same instance that twenty-five percent are destroyed in terms of how fast they can make themselves."
"Ahh...and the moment Karai/Beta destroyed ol' skullface there, the nanomachines were released?" Hazama guessed.
"No. The robot was the nanomachines," A chuckled as Karai collapsed, foaming from her mouth while slamming a hand on the floor, "It seems she's had enough, don't you concur?"
"I believe so yes," Hazama chuckled.
A nodded before giving a whistle. Karai gasped out as she found she could breathe again. The black smoke went back into the clothes before the skull masked robot stood up once more, red optics flashing ominously in the sockets of the skull.
"Y...You gotta…" Karai went into a coughing fit, "...be shittin' me…"
"Now what have we learned?" Hazama asked on the mike in a scolding tone.
"Fuck you, ya…" Karai paused as she wheezed a bit, "Snake fucker…"
"Can we get your robot to do it again?" Hazama asked A, keeping the mike on, "I liked her better mute and dying of oxygen loss."
"She doesn't need oxygen in this state, but she does require her esophagus to be clear in order to still function," A corrected, "What the MUERTO Unit did was fill with with its nanomachines and solidify into a shape to cut off all opening inside of it."
"Ahh…" Hazama noted at that.
A spoke into the mike, "Remember, Karai; no matter how strong you will become, no matter how fast you get, how much you improve; there will always be someone or something that can defeat you."
"Grr…" Karai frowned as she sat there on the floor as the MUERTO Unit picked up its fellow machines and walked away, "Fuckin' robots…"
*BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG!*
"Fuckin'...robot…" Karai seethed, trying to ignore the large load now filling her behind as the machine left the testing room.
Omake: Cosplay Doomsday
"Ahh...man it still feels good to get that cast off," Makoto smiled as she flexed her arm a bit.
"You'll need to be careful and exercise lightly for a little bit from muscle atrophy," Gwen advised.
"...True," Makoto shrugged a bit, "Still, wish I could help Ben with his training though. Need to make sure I don't get rusty, ya know."
"I'm sure he'll be fine for now. You recovering is what you need to focus on," Gwen advised.
"Hai," Makoto nodded, "So...w-"
"Gwendolyn? Can you and Makoto come in here for a second?" Litchi's asked from the other room, "There's so-hic! Something important I need to talk to you two about."
"Huh? Oh sure, Dr. Faye Ling," Gwen replied.
"What do you suppose she wants?" Makoto asked as she and Gwen began to leave the room, walking into the hall of the home-owned clinic with Gwen helping Makoto.
"I'm not sure. Maybe she just wants to make sure you're feeling okay," Gwen replied.
"Maybe," Makoto shrugged, "Guess we'll have to...eh?"
"Something up?"
"...Do you smell sake?" Makoto asked, sniffing the air a bit.
"Sake?" Gwen repeated, "You mean that wine made from rice, right?"
"Yeah."
"Not really. Maybe you just have a stronger nose than most," Gwen shrugged before she gave a sniff, "...Or it's just a strong scent."
"Well Beastkin do have a stronger sense of smell than humans, so...maybe somebody's having some sake nearby or something," Makoto figured.
"Maybe," Gwen nodded as they stopped before Litchi's office.
"Eh. We'll probably figure it out later," Makoto shrugged.
Gwen nodded as she opened the door, "Dr. Faye Ling?"
"Ara?" Litchi blinked a bit, turning around to face Makoto and Noel, a bit of a faint blush on her face, "Oh! Gwendolyn, Makoto, so glad to see you both."
'She's the one who's been drinking,' both sweatdropped.
"L...listen. I need-hic! Excuse me," Litchi giggled a bit, "I need you both to do a huge favor for me. I would ask Noel and Tsubaki, but...well...they said they were busy with some things."
"Umm...Sure," Gwen replied.
"Excellent. You s-hic! See…" Litchi began as she walked over to her closet, "During my day off, I...eh heh, went on a bit of a shopping spree. But he~re's the problem…" she then pulled out various clothing from the closet, "I bought too many, and some of them aren't even in my si-hic! Si~ze!"
"So you want us to go out and return them?" Makoto guessed.
"No. I want you both to put them on for me."
"Excuse me?" Gwen blinked.
'You s-hic! See...the owner of the store decided to give me the ones that don't fit for free. But in exchange, I have t-hic! Pardon...to take some pics of you in those costumes for a calendar of so~rts," Litchi explained in her drunken stupor.
'Oh god…' Gwen facepalmed, her face blushing.
"D...do this for me, and I'll...hmm...oh! I'll let you keep the clothes, and give you something special!"
"...And that is…?" Makoto cautiously asked.
"Permission to enter the Kaka Clan's secret hot springs."
"?!" Makoto's eyes widened.
"A hot springs?" Gwen repeated.
"Excuse us for a moment, Miss Litchi," Makoto smiled a bit as she moved Gwen back a bit before whispering, "Let's do it."
"What?"
"I heard a lot of good rumors about the Kaka Clan's secret hot springs," Makoto replied quietly, "They say just stepping one foot in will cause your stress to melt away within a second."
"Really now…?" Gwen was skeptic about the springs.
"Hai. Noel-chan told me she went there before, and she had an excellent, yet kinda embarrassing, time there," Makoto added, "So what do you say, Gwen? If we do this, we can go relax at the Kaka Clan's hot springs."
"Well...Oh, fine," Gwen sighed, realizing Makoto was not going to give up on wanting to go.
"Yatta!" Makoto quietly cheered before looking back at Litchi, "Alrighty. We'll do it. W-"
"Perfect!" Litchi beamed before she grabbed them both, dragging them both into the closet, "You won't regret this!"
'I already regret it,' Gwen thought.
"Okay…" Litchi mummered as she let them go. She then looked through the various clothes in her strangely large walk-in closet before she spotted two sets of clothes, "Ahh...perfect!"
"Huh?" Gwen blinked before Litchi grabbed her Makoto once more and dragged them over, stripping them of their clothes and tossing them aside, "Ahh!"
"Oh don't worry, G-hic! Gwendolyn! This'll take a sec~ond!" Litchi chirped as she began to put the first two sets of clothes she found on the two, "Just need to snap this into place...and done!"
"Ooh~ I like this one!" Makoto noted.
Makoto was currently wearing a tan vest with gold piping over a yellow low-cut crop top with a black crest that resembles a burning heart. The vest had puffy cap sleeves with black cuffs. On the sides of the cuffs, there were two small golden buttons. She had a brown belt with a buckle, a pouch, and a small banner-like object. The same burning heart crest appeared on the banner, except golden in color. She wore black shorts under her belt, which resembled a pleated skirt in the back. Over the short shorts but under the belt was a white asymmetrical back skirt, her tail sticking out of the back.
Aside from an orange infinity scarf around her neck, she had no discernible jewelry. She wore brown knee-high platform boots that appeared to be made of leather, with orange socks of different lengths. Her left leg also had a gray bandanna-like object wrapped around the top of her boot. She wore fingerless black gloves underneath her weapons, which resembled two yellow mechanized gauntlets with a black design.
"Wh-What the heck?!" Gwen exclaimed, blushing madly...wearing Princess Leila's slave outfit from Star Wars.
"Ooh~ Very nice," Makoto complimented, ignoring the glare Gwen sent at her.
"Very nice indeed," Litchi added before pulling a camera out, "Now, I want you both to pose for me, and don't be afraid t-...hic! Excuse me. Don't be afraid to get a bit sexy and such."
"...And how many months are we doing for this calendar you mentioned?" Gwen asked slowly.
"Mmm...I'd say about six months for you two," Litchi replied, "The other two I'll save for Noel and Tsubaki. I got quite a few cute ones for them. But enough talk..." she held her camera back up, "Posh for m~e! And like I said, don't be afraid to make it a bit sexy."
"Sure thing!" Makoto beamed before bending forward and giving a wink to the camera, giving a generous view of her cleavage.
"Excellent!" Litchi beamed a bit as she took a few pictures of Makoto, "And now it's your turn, Gwendolyn~!"
'You are so getting a lecture, Makoto,' Gwen thought with an eye twitch as she gave her best attempt.
"No, no, no. Not like that, Gwen," Makoto shook her head before having Gwen bend a bit, extend a leg to show its slim shape, have her put a hand on her chest and put the back of the other hand on her behind, "Now give a 'come over here' look."
'...These hot springs better be worth it,' Gwen thought in an annoyed tone before giving a smirk to the camera.
"Oh! That's perf-hic! Perfect!" Litchi smiled brightly as she took a few pics of Gwen. once she was done, she grabbed two more sets of clothing, "Next se~t!"
"Why do you even have this?!" Gwen asked, wearing Taokaka's clothes minus a hole for a Kaka's tail.
"It looks good on you," Makoto giggled, wearing a black bodysuit that hugged her curvaceous figure with a pink heart trimmed in white over her impressive bust, white gloves reaching her exposed shoulders, and white heeled boots with the same heart over her bust on the front of them, a fake pair of bat wings on her back with vampire fangs in her mouth.
"...You're enjoying this way too much," Gwen frowned at her.
"...You seriously asked me that when…" Makoto paused in a deadpanned tone as she pointed at Litchi, who was giggling a bit in a drunk, yet slightly perverse manner as she prepared her camera.
"Noted."
"Alright, Makoto, you're a master thief, and you had just Hic!...Just snatched a perfectly cut emerald from its resting place. I want you to give your pursuers a rather sexy pose and wink before you make your get away," Litchi stated, her faint blush increasing a bit as her glasses were a bit fogged up.
"Sure thing!" Makoto grinned as she bent her left knee while extending her right leg out a bit, blowing a kiss with a wink to finish off the pose.
"Ha ha! Perfect!" Litchi beamed as she took some pictures of Makoto, "Oh this is just too fun~! Oh oh! Okay, Gwenny! I wants you t...to act like a member of Kaka Clan!"
"I've only met Taokaka," Gwen noted.
"The majority of them act like her," Makoto noted.
"Oh...Okay," Gwen nodded before getting down on her knees and held up a hand like a paw, "Meow! Hiya!"
"Aww...such a cute, yet pretty Kaka kitty~" Litchi cooed as she took pics of Gwen before grabbing two more sets of clothing, "Alright...next and final set!"
"Now this reminds me of my fighting uniform for the NOL," Makoto noted, looking down at the black and red flame-pattern bikini top, black short-shorts with a white belt, black fingerless gloves, and pink stockings.
Gwen's eye just twitched. She was wearing a blue and pink magical girl dress that gave the upper half of her modest bosom exposed along with her shoulders and showed a bit of leg. On her head was a crooked blue hat with pink detailing and a blue staff with a gold ornament at the top.
"A sniper and a magical girl...an odd, yet interesting combination," Litchi noted with a drunken giggle before hiccuping, "Oh! Excuse me. Ahem..now, Makoto, I want you to...hmm...oh I know! Give me your sexiest pose possible, but at the same time, make it like 'I may look sexy, but you don't want to mess with me'."
"Oh that's easy," Makoto grinned before pushing up her bust with one arm while readying the other arm's fist, a sultry look in her eyes with a fierce grin on her face.
"Ooh! Just like that!" Litchi exclaimed as she rapidly began to take pictures of Makoto, "Now, Gwen. I want you too…"
"No."
"...Come again?" Litchi blinked as she stopped, "What do you mean no, Gwen?"
"I mean no. This is starting to get ridiculous," Gwen stated as she crossed her arms.
"Gwen, what're you doing?" Makoto asked quietly before Gwen turned her stern gaze at her, "?!"
"Makoto, I know you want to go to that hot spring, but not at the expense of our dignity," Gwen frowned, "So I'm gonna have to put my foot down."
"...Mmm…" Makoto's ear drooped.
"Come on. Just one more picture, Gwendolyn~!" Litchi slightly begged, "I'll throw in whatever else you want. Anything."
"...Anything?"
"Yes, anything," Litchi nodded.
"...No sake for a month or so."
"Ara?"
"Not a single drop of sake for one month."
"?! But…"
"It's either that, or no picture. Got it?"
"...Got it," Litchi slumped, "Just one pic, and I won't have sake for a month, and I'll take you and Makoto to the Kaka Clan's hot spring."
"Deal."
"Good. Now…" Litchi began as she held her camera up, "Pose for me please. Give me...hmm..something cute, but also a bit sexy at the same time if you can."
"Hmm…" Makoto pondered for a moment, "Oh!" she quickly whispered her idea to Gwen.
"What?" came her flat response followed by a puppy dog pout look from Makoto, "...Fine." the two held the other's hand, pressed their chests together, and flashed a 'V' for 'Victory' sign to the camera with grin.
"Ooh~! Perfect! Absolutely perfect!" Litchi beamed as she rapidly took pictures.
"This better be worth it," Gwen whispered to Makoto.
"Trust me, it'll be worth it," Makoto grinned.
"Alright...you both did a wonder-hic! Pardon me...a wonderful job. It'll take a half day for these to develop, so..." Litchi began as she put the camera down, "As I promished, I will personally take you two to the Kaka Clan Hot springs~!"
"Let's wait until you're sober, Ms. Fey-Ling," Gwen replied.
"No, no...I'm perfectly f-hic! Fine…" Litchi assured, "...As a matter of fact, I know the perfect person to lead us there...oh Tao~!" she fell onto her face, "Zzzz…"
"She...fell asleep?" Makoto blinked, "...Weird. Then again...she was drunk on sake, so...eh. On the other hand, once she's sober...we get to go to the Kaka Clan Hot springs!"
"...You really want to go to th-" Gwen began.
"NYello!" Taokaka shouted as she poked her head in, "Did Boobie lady call Tao, n-" she paused when she noticed the outfits Gwen and Makoto were wearing, "..."
"Hi, Tao!" Makoto waved.
"...ooh! Fluffy girl! Nice lady! Hi~!" Tao waved before tilting her head, "...Why're you wearing such funny outfits? The one Fluffy girl has shows a lot of skin, nya."
"Not important right now. Listen Tao, you know where your clan's hot springs are, correct?"
"...ooh~! Nyes I do, nya! Why? You two want to go there?" Tao asked.
"Yes...please…" Makoto begged, "Ms L...I mean Boobie lady was going to take us, but…" she motioned over to the snoozing Litchi, "...Yeah."
"Ah….sure~! Tao would be happy to take you too, nya!"
"Yatta! Th-"
"On one condition…" Tao stated, making Makoto slump.
"Oh no...wh-"
*Grope*
"Wh-What are you doing?!" Gwen exclaimed as Tao fondled Makoto's chest.
"Mmm….Pretty big, nya...almost as big as Boobie Lady's, meow," Tao noted before looking at Gwen, "..."
"...No...Tao. Don't you d-" Gwen began.
*Grope*
"Wh-WHAT?!" Gwen yelped.
"Hmm….Not as big as Boobie Lady or Fluffy Girl's, meow," Tao noted as she stopped groping Gwen's chest.
"Taokaka…" Gwen growled as her eyes flashed magenta.
"...uh...Tao's done with what she needed, nya…" Tao said a bit nervously, unsettled by the way Gwen was staring at her, "Now Tao will lead you to hot springs, nya…"
"..."
"...Nice lady is still mad at Tao, isn't she?" Tao gulped.
Gwen's body glowed as she turned full Anodite, "What do you think?"
"Oh shit! Book it!" Makoto yelped, hopping on Tao's back.
"Nice Lady turned Scary Lady!" Tao yelped as she booked it out of there, Gwen flying after them.
"Mmm….keep it down, please...my head hurts," Litchi groaned in her sleep.
SZ: Heh heh...ahh...funny.
GT: Eeyup. Drunk Litchi equals cosplay attacks!
SZ: Of course! Ahh...This is another reason why I love Blazblue. The Gag Reels are hilarious…*sighs*it's a shame Central Fiction won't be dubbed.
GT: That sucks. Ah well, knowing fans, there's gonna be a translation they worked on out on the internet sooner or later. Happened with Mother 3 and the second Miles Edgeworth Investigation game.
SZ: No no. We're still getting an NA release of the game this December for PS3/PS4. It just won't be english dubbed...which is kinda sad. The series started out dubbed when it first came out in America, and the fact the 4th game won't be dubbed is a bit sad. Even the voice cast for the series is saddened about it, especially Patrick Sietz, the voice of Ragna himself.
GT: Oh. So it's getting the same treatment as the first Megaman ZX game. The lines are translated, but the voicing will still be Japanese.
SZ: Yeah. Hell, fans of Blazblue are already making a petition to make the game dubbed, or make the English Dub DLC once the game comes out. Now while I like this idea, I'm glad the game is finally coming out in America, cause think about it. Would you rather wait 5-8 months for the game to get an English dub, or get it now by the end of this year around December?
GT: The second with an English Dub DLC.
SZ: Good. If that does happen...I'll try and get enough money to buy that. Heck, I'm downloading both Es from XBlaze and Mai once the game comes out. I know they're DLC characters, but I'm having a full roster! There's just one thing I hope doesn't happen kinda.
GT: Wh…
SZ: ...an Extend version for Central Fiction.
GT: ...oh.
SZ:Yeah...We already got a large cast of characters to play as, and a large story mode. And as you know...the Extend versions of the Blazblue games always adds an additional character or two, and extra stories...which I didn't mind for Continuum Shift and Chronophantasma, but this is the possible last game in the series. B...you know what? I think we're getting off track here.
GT: Eeyup. Still, some things got done this chapter.
SZ: Yup. Only one or two more filler chapters to go, and then we can get back to the main story. Before we end things off, GT? Anything you'd like to bring up?
GT: A-nope. Until next Omniverse Shift, I am GammaTron…
SZ: And I am Seanzilla115. Have a good day, and be sure to read…*nudges GT*
GT: ...and *pulls out megaphone* REVIEW!
SZ: Ahh! That was in my ear!
GT: Sorry.