(Author's Note)
Hey… So, I know what you guys are Probably thinking. I know it's been two years since I last updated this story. One thing sort of led to another and well… A month turned into a year, and then that led into two… And hopefully by the time I update this it hasn't turned into 3. (Spoiler alert, it hasn't)
It's not that I wanted this to just... fade off into the distance, I just sorta lost motivation, a healthy part of trying to figure out how to write this chapter out also might've had something to do with it…
But after a recent transaction brought the CSM Amazons belt into my possession, and after realizing the plans I originally had for this chapter weren't working out to my liking, I've gotten a bit of a motivation boost to finally get back and write this thing out.
So yeah, real sorry about how long this took to get out, I can't promise things will go quicker from here on out, but I'm not planning on cancelling this thing any time soon. And to make up for how long the wait's been, this chapter is long as HELL. The length of it is almost 3 times as long as Chapter 6, and almost double what Chapter 5 was. As of my last count, which was before I fully finished this up, I was at 13k-ish words. So yeah, LONG one today!
Anyways, enough about THAT, let's get onto the main event!
...God was this chapter a doozy to write out…
"Ryuuko Matoi! Bryce Bridged! Jack Naito, president of the knife throwing club, will take you down!" Said the man, as Ryuuko looked down at the knife sticking out of her lunch as I sighed, rolling around a hardboiled egg in my hand as I finished peeling the rest of the shell off.
"You've got some nerve! Ruining the lunch Mako's mom made for me!" Ryuuko exclaimed.
"There's a knife in like… one crocette, it's probably fine…" I muttered off to the side as I bit off half of the egg.
"You'll pay for that!" Ryuuko shouted, pulling the pin on her glove as Senketsu activated. "LIFE FIBER SYNCHRONIZE! KAMUI SENKETSU!"
A cloud of dust suddenly kicked up from our position, as Ryuuko charged forwards towards the Knife Throwing Club President. I let out a sigh, sitting back down next to Mako as I dropped the other half of the egg in my mouth as Ryuuko shredded the Club President's uniform.
I glanced upwards at the knives raining down from above Mako and I, before I idly raised my right arm, clenching it as it transformed quickly in a burst of steam, the knives bouncing off my arm with a clang as Mako continued to eat her lunch. Ryuuko jumped past us, landing on a giant chain held up opposite to the one we were sitting on, before jumping again as two tendril-like things flew at her.
"Impressive!" Said a man who while smaller statured, looking a little like an old guy without wrinkles. "The one who will defeat you is me, Nanjing Lily Club President Kagesaburo Kagero!"
I had barely over a second to see the uniform on his body, before Ryuuko half heartedly swung her sword directly in front of him, severing his uniform as she spun her scissor blade around her finger in a bored manner.
There was a sudden bang, as I looked up to see some kind of rope stuck from one wall to another, as a rather fat man walked across the rope, in full clown type gear likened to something you'd find at the circus.
"I am the president of the Tightrope Walking Club!" He proclaimed, only for Ryuuko to repeat the process and slice his uniform clean open much like the other two a few moments earlier.
Ryuuko cancelled her transformation as she let out a sigh of annoyance, sitting down behind Mako and I as she crossed her arms. "A Knife Throwing Club, a Nanjing Lily Club, and a Tightrope Walking Club… What's the deal with all of these super specific clubs?"
"Oh, those guys used to be the acrobatics club! They split up because of you guys!" Said Mako, as I blinked before looking over at the pile of naked bodies for a moment.
"Because of us?" I asked, grabbing one of Ryuuko's croquettes as she glared at me.
"Hmm! If someone beats you, they'll instantly jump up to Three-Star status!" Said Mako, as I tossed the croquette into the air before biting down on it as it fell into my mouth. "But since you can't get a Two-Star Goku Uniform unless you're a club president, they all founded new clubs and are gunning for the two of you."
"Talk about… Overkill…" I said, swallowing the food in my mouth. "Though from what I've gathered… It makes sense. More stars equal a better life, yeah?"
"Yep! It means they're all desperate to beat the two of you." Said Mako.
"Man, this academy's system is really messed up…" Muttered Ryuuko as she put her hands under her chin.
"No kidding." I said, crossing my arms as I looked up. I blinked as I felt my lunch shuffle slightly on my lap. I looked down to see Ryuuko taking one of the hard boiled eggs out of my box. "Oi…"
"Hey you took one of mine…" Ryuuko said, shrugging as she popped the egg into her mouth, before her eyes seemed to narrow as she leaned forwards. "Hold up… If that's how it works, then…"
"What?" I asked, as Ryuuko turned to me with a killer smile on her face. "...Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like what comes next?"
"What are you two playing at?" Asked Gamagoori, as I sat down next to Ryuuko in the middle of the school grounds, a wood sign buried into the ground with the words 'Fight Club' written in japanese next to her. I yawned, a bit more over the top than necessary, my driver loosely held in my hand as I looked at the giant.
"You have eyes don't you? We're starting a fight club." Said Ryuuko, as she smirked up at the disciplinary committee leader.
"Quit trying to screw with us." Said Gamagoori.
"Pot meet kettle." I said, as Gamagoori raised an eyebrow. "You're the ones screwing with us here. You're offering incentive for people to start stupid clubs to go after us! So we thought, why not even the playing field?"
"Say hello to Fight Club President, Ryuuko Matoi!" Said Ryuuko, a smirk on her face.
"And Vice President, Bryce Bridged, I guess." I said, shrugging.
"Do you seriously think a club like that will be approved?" Asked Gamagoori.
"Considering the wack jobs that made the other dumb clubs, a simple one like 'Fight Club' seems tame enough in comparison." I said, eyes challenging him to correct me.
A bright light suddenly beamed down from behind Gamagoori, the familiar shadow cascading over us as I looked up at Satsuki, standing atop her tower in her usual pose. "I'll approve this fight club!" She proclaimed.
"...Do you think she has an industrial spotlight set up on her tower for moments like these?" I asked Ryuuko, leaning over to the side to be stealthy about it. She shook her head with a sigh, before looking back up at Satsuki.
"There she goes ahead, looking down on us peasants from on high…" Muttered Ryuuko in annoyance.
"To be fair, she is standing on the top of her tower so…" I said, before looking up at Satsuki. "Oi, Satsuki? What remedy would you recommend for stiff joints? I'm asking because I only ever see you striking that one pose and I can only assume that's gotta be uncomfortable assuming the position for so long…"
I smirked as I saw Satsuki's outline straighten slightly. I glanced over to Gamagoori, who was glaring at me from the side.
"Are you trying to integrate into my system, Matoi?" Asked Satsuki. How does she do that? I don't see a mic, are her lungs that strong or is it just because the general area's so quiet her voice is able to travel this far? Either way I call bullshit!
"Moron! I'm gonna bring your precious system down around your ears!" Shouted Ryuuko.
I felt my eyes adjust slightly, focusing in on the faraway form of the student council president and the smirk she was wearing on her face. I grit my teeth in annoyance, as she continued. "How amusing. Try your best to not let it get the better of you."
I let my eyesight return to normal as the light died down. "Just you watch… Imma make you spill the beans in no time…" Ryuuko said.
"Very well, let's begin the paperwork!" Said Gamagoori.
"You switch gears real fast, don't you?" Asked Ryuuko.
"Lady Satsuki has spoken. I must abide by her decision." Said Gamagoori. "Matoi, I presume you will be the president of Fight Club, then?" I blinked owlishly as a group of one stars swarmed around our table.
"Where the hell were you hiding these guys?" I asked.
"The disciplinary committee is always prepared for anything!"
"That answered nothing."
"Yeah, I'm planning on being president." Ryuuko cut in, getting the conversation back on track. "And I don't need a goku uniform, I already got a Kamui." She continued with a smirk.
"Understood." Said Gamgoori, as a one star dropped a stack of papers on the desk labeled 'Documentation' in japanese. "Club presidents are to submit a club activity log every friday. At the end of the month, expenses are settled and expense applications for the next month are filed." I watched as with every word that flew out of the giant's mouth, another stack of papers was dropped onto the table in equal measure. "You must also file a club room use request form, club member organization chart, and family member lists. You are also required to attend Club President Council Meetings, which are held every morning at 7 AM! Tardiness will not be tolerated."
Ryuuko's face was completely blocked by the pile of paperwork stack in front of her. I tilted my head to see the twitching eye blocked by the paper, as her face displayed exactly how dead inside she suddenly felt. "Uh, my friend here, Mako Makanshoku, says she'll be club president!" Said Ryuuko, jabbing her thumb at her right towards Mako. I nodded, closing my eyes before the sound of Mako screaming caused them to snap open in realization.
"That was real, real mean, Ryuuko!" Mako said, looking left at Ryuuko before turning her gaze ahead. I glanced at Mako, the poor girl was shaking in her shoes and her eyes were having a hard time focusing ahead of her. I looked over to Ryuuko, glaring at the girl standing next to me. "How could you make me president like that, Ryuuko?"
"I concur. The fuck, Ryuuko!?" I exclaimed, as we walked down the hallway, my right hand twitching as I looked at Ryuuko. "This was your idea wasn't it?"
"Everything is set up. The focus of fight club is fighting." Said Ryuuko, turning to look at Mako, a confident look on her face. She jabbed her thumb at me, and I restrained myself from biting it in annoyance like an angry cat. "When Bryce and I here beat the other club presidents, the club's achievements will be recognized and your reputation will skyrocket!"
"It'll also improve our living situation, right?" Ryuuko said, looking ahead.
"I hate the fact that it sounds like you thought this spur of the moment decision out, because it means I can't be as mad at you for it…" I muttered, glaring at the girl.
"Oh come on, you couldn't stay mad at me for long anyways!" Ryuuko said, shooting me an almost smug grin.
"I'm not in the mood for sass right now, Ryuuko." I said, looking over at Mako. "You okay there?"
"I can't! Can't! Can't! Can't!" Mako began, shaking her head left and right furiously. "I can't be a club president!"
"Well, she's taking this especially well! Don't you think so, Ry-uu-ko?" I asked, my voice sweet like honey as I placed a hand firmly on the girl's shoulder.
"Look, it's not that bad. With the club we can plan out our fights if things go well." Ryuuko said, crossing her arms as she looked at me. "No more stupid interruptions, and it gives you a perfect excuse to avoid Jin's training."
"But that doesn't change Mako's situation, we're basically leaving her to the-" I began, before stopping suddenly as Ryuuko and Mako passed by. "Speaking of wolves…"
"Hah? What do you mean by that?" Ryuuko asked, turning around to look at me, before I jumped backwards as the nearby classroom door shot off its hinges. Ryuuko quickly grabbed Mako and jumped out of the way of the door as it slammed against the opposite wall, cracking glass as Jin stepped out of the class, his driver held loosely in his right hand.
"Ah, there you are. Wondered when you'd be finished up with the Disciplinary Giant." Said Jin, as he held up his driver before cracking open a fresh egg over one of the spikes. "Now we can get started." Jin lifted the egg over his head, opening his mouth wide before splitting it open, a fresh yolk dropping into his awaiting mouth as he placed his belt on his waist. Jin swallowed, before turning the handle on his driver.
{ALPHA!}
"Amazon." Jin said, as red energy exploded off of him as he transformed.
{Wi-Wi-Wi-WILD! Wi-Wi-WILD!}
"Sorry, what was that Ryuuko? Something about no more interruptions?" I asked, looking over at Ryuuko with a deadpan as the girl shot me a glare in return. I shook my head as I reached down and took one of the protein vials out of the holster, flicking the rubber top off before downing it as the liquid ran down my throat. "Eugh... that tastes like shit…" I muttered, before taking my driver out, slapping it against my waist as the belt ejected and formed around me.
"We aren't done yet by the way!" I quickly called out to Ryuuko before I twisted the left handle of the driver as I tossed the empty vile to the side, power coursing through me as my eyes brightened and began glowing red.
[OMEGA!]
"Amazon."
[Evo-Ev-EVOLUTION!]
"Let's just get this over with." I said, getting into a crouch as Alpha ran one of his fingers down the large scar on his chest. "This whole day has been nothing but a big headache…"
I jumped forwards, throwing my arm in front of me quickly as Alpha swung his forwards as well, his bladder fin catching between the spikes on my arm. I ripped my arm to the side throwing a punch with my off hand as Jin ducked to the side, spinning around and he jumped back, cracking the ground behind him as he landed against the ceiling.
His body tensed suddenly, my eyes narrowing as I adjusted my footing as the Amazon surged ahead, slamming into my front as I felt my body slide backwards, digging up the flooring.
"Oi, Oi, could you stop fighting him for five minutes?" Ryuuko asked, stepping up to Alpha.
"Ha? Now why would I do that?" Alpha asked, ducking to the side as he swiped with his arm, the fin cutting across my stomach as I stumbled to the side, holding my arm over the wound.
"Because we have club activities to get to." Ryuuko said, turning to look at me. "And I'd rather have him fighting fit for this than not."
"Aww, you do care." I said sarcastically, earning a middle finger courtesy of Ryuuko.
"Club activities? Since when were you ever interested in those?" Asked Alpha, turning to look at me.
"Since we realized we could benefit more from doing exactly what we were already doing without being in a club?" I said, moving my hand off my stomach, the wound finishing up it's repairs as I looked at Alpha. "And we ARE on a bit of a time limit, so if you wouldn't mind…"
The red amazon sighed, pulling the driver off his waist as he shook his head. I let out a sigh as I gripped my belt and took it off, disabling my transformation as Jin walked past me. "...Was anyone else expecting him to say anything else or was that just me?" I asked, turning to face Ryuuko once Jin turned the corner.
"Eh, what does it matter?" Ryuuko asked, turning around. "Come on, we got places to be!"
I gave a brief glance at Mako, who gave me a shaky nod as she turned to follow Ryuuko. I let out a sigh as I shook my head. "I'd say today is gonna be one of those days, but honestly… This is about as out of the ordinary as you can get nowadays…"
"Prepare yourself!" Ryuuko shouted, slamming the wood sign for the Fight Club into the ground as we stood opposite the club before us. Now you must be wondering, what club could we have chosen to be our first in a long line of conquests? What sort of awe inspiring, epic combat club must we have chosen to duke it out wi- "I'm Ryuuko Matoi with the Fight Club! Folk Dance Club President Maimu Okurahama! I'm here to take your Goku Uniform!"
Yep, Folk Dancing. I'm shaking with excitement already…
I let out a yawn as I stood next to Mako. "They really will just allow a Club to be made for anything, huh?" I asked, before blinking as I got a good look at the uniforms of the folk dance club. "Wait, are they wearing light bulbs on their heads, or am I crazy?"
"Suits me fine!" The club president said, turning to look at Ryuuko and by extension, Mako and I. "Prepare to have the tables turned, sister!"
I winced slightly as I placed a hand against my ear, blocking the sound of the whistle being blown, before jumping slightly alongside Mako as the cd player next to the two of us began playing music. "What the hell?"
"High Speed Mayim Mayim!" The president shouted, red sparks flying across her uniform as it activated, sprouting another pair of arms and legs. "Let's dance!"
"...Okay, but why have a transformation like that if you're just gonna use it to DANCE!?" I asked with a groan as the whole club began circling Ryuuko, hand in hand.
"It'll take more than some lame dance to beat the Mighty Ryuuko." Ryuuko said, smirking as she rested her scissor blade against her shoulder.
"Be-Sasson!" I blinked for a moment as the encircling ground suddenly closed in, kicking Ryuuko from all directions before pulling out and charging in once more. "Be-Sasson!"
"Oh no, Ryuuko!" Mako cried out as she gripped the fight club flag she was holding. "Bryce, you gotta get in there!"
"No, no, give it a minute." I said, looking ahead as the group charged in once more, before the familiar rainbow like stars sparked out as Ryuuko transformed once again, cloth flying in the air along with the club members as Ryuuko crouched down to the side, her sword drawn. "There we go."
"Thanks for the help." Ryuuko said, standing up as she walked over to Mako and I. She gave me a wry grin, lightly punching my shoulder. I winced, rolling the attached appendage as Ryuuko chuckled to herself lightly. Being punched by Ryuuko when she's synchronized hurts, even if it's a light punch.
"My apologies, I thought you were gonna call me in to take your place." I said, shaking my arm, not hiding the snark in my tone as I deadpanned at Ryuuko.
"You aren't going to let this down, are you?" Ryuuko asked, placing a hand on her hip.
"Give me a day, and I'll see how things turn out." I said, shrugging.
"Alright then. In that case, you can take the next guys." Ryuuko said, walking past Mako and I.
"Wait, next guys?" I asked, looking as Ryuuko smirked once again.
This… this is so stupid!
"Okay, real quick, could you explain how your Goku Uniform even GAVE you a frog's tongue!?" I exclaimed, hopping from one side of the pool to another, hand springing off of one of those floating pylons as I landed on the other side of the pool, narrowly avoiding said tongue. "Like seriously, I know Goku Uniforms can do a lot, but changing someone's biology?"
"You dare question Lady Satsuki!?" The Swimming Club President asked, charging ahead on her kickboard towards me.
"Okay, what part of my previous statements even included the Prez's name!?" I asked, pulling out the right handle of my driver as I created a long javelin. "Also, how the hell does your kickboard even work, it's like you're on a jet ski! I call hacks!"
[VIOLENT BREAK!]
I threw the javelin with all my might, throwing it straight at the stupid kickboard the Club President was riding. The weapon pierced through, sending the President into the air. I pulled my arm back, the handle detaching from the weapon as it flew back to my hand.
I slotted the handle back into my driver before twisting the left handle as I shot upwards, lining myself up with the now airborne Club President as I swung my arm at her, cleaving clean through her uniform.
[VIOLENT PUNISH!]
I flipped through the air, landing back down on the ground in a crouch as Ryuuko walked up and activated Senketsu. "LIFE FIBER SYNCHRONISE! KAMUI SENKETSU!" She shouted, pulling the pin off her glove as the airborne life fiber flew into her uniform. "And that takes care of that!"
"Okay, next time, you get the water club!" I said, allowing my transformation to deactivate as my body shifted back to it's human form. "Point launches are fun, but they're so annoying to pull off consistently in this kind of environment."
"Sure, you'll get the next dancing one then." Ryuuko said, smirking as Senketsu deactivated.
"Fine by me." I said, crossing my arms.
"Great job, Bryce!" Mako shouted, waving the large Fight Club flag. "You made that look easy!"
"It didn't feel easy…" I muttered, stretching my back. "We going anywhere else, Ryuuko? Or are we done for today?"
"Just one or two more stops." Ryuuko responded. "We've been making quick work of these chumps so It's not like we don't have the energy."
"Yay…" I sighed, rolling my eyes as steam wafted off me.
That… that was a week ago. And god DAMN what a busy week it's been…
We've moved up to the one star rank, which means housing improvements. Ryuuko and I have been pulling what feels like double duty clearing out the clubs of their uniforms, though I could just be exaggerating since these are fights we've actually prepared for and not ones that've been shoved at us...
Mako's taken to her role as president like a champ, much to my annoyance, however mild it may be. She got over Ryuuko dropping the prez role on her pretty quickly, which isn't a big surprise, I doubt Mako can stay mad at anyone for too long, or be capable of such a thing to begin with.
I was a bit mad for a few days, no surprise there, but eventually I calmed down. What's done is done, as much as I disliked the initial hand, things probably ended up turning out the best if Mako's handling the Presidential matters instead of Ryuuko, or me for that matter. I still have trouble organizing, having a club under my control sounds like a nightmare...
I let out a sigh as I looked up at the condo building in front of me. Ryuuko, Mako and the rest of the Mankanshoku family had already gone ahead to check out the new abode, which left me to arrive when I could, about 30 minutes later. "Things have been going by quick…" I muttered, crossing my arms as I looked up at the building.
"I'll say… Joining a club of all things? What is the world coming to?"
I turned around, looking at Jin as he leaned up against the nearby streetlight, his baggy robes a bit cleaner than they normally were. "Jin? What are you doing here? And did you visit a laundromat because your hobo look is cleaner than normal."
"Just here to catch up. Your work has kept you pretty busy, so I figured I'd see how you've been holding up." Jin said, crossing his arms. "And for your information, yes, I did."
"Huh, neat." I said, placing my hands in my pockets. "What do you want?"
"Ha… Right to the point then." Jin sighed, shaking his head as he looked up at me. "Just some words of advice that's all, cub."
I let out a long sigh as I looked at Jin. "Seriously, cub again?"
"Greed can be a powerful motivator, as can fear of losing everything." Jin said. "Now that you're on your way to the top, prepare for the long fall down. Never know when the only choice you have..."
Jin clenched his fist, looking down at his hand with what looked like a scowl. "Is to jump."
"...That's…" I began, taking my hands out of my pockets as I looked at Jin. "Ominous…"
Jin chuckled. "Maybe. For now though, I have places to be and things to look for, so I'll let you off for now." He said, stepping out onto the street as I turned away from him. "Ja Ne."
"He always knows exactly what to say to put me on edge..." I muttered, stepping into the building.
I let out a low whistle as I opened the door to the condo. Either it was just my imagination, or the room was literally so clean it was sparkling. Mako and Mataro were running around the room as Ryuuko looked on quietly. Her eyes trailed over to look at me and she smirked. "What took you so long?" She asked, placing a hand on her hip. "We got here half an hour ago."
"I uh, got lost." I said, shrugging as I walked over to her. "So, how are these guys taking it?"
"Well, they've been running all over soaking it in, so I assume pretty well." Ryuuko said, before blinking as she looked down at her shirt. "It's a figure of speech, Senketsu."
I pursed my lips slightly as I looked at Senketsu. "What I wouldn't do to understand you." I said, shaking my head. "Seriously, do either of you have any idea how that works?"
"Not a clue." Ryuuko sighed with a shrug. "My dad might have, but…"
"...Right…" I said, looking off to the side.
"...This is awkward." Ryuuko said, shaking her head. "Besides, we're getting close to getting Satsuki to spill it."
I nodded, before moving around as I walked towards the fridge. "Want me to get you a drink if we have anything?"
"Sure." Ryuuko said, nodding as I walked over to the refrigerator.
"Let's see…" I said, opening the fridge to find it stocked pretty full. "Wow, okay then, comes pre-stocked, good to know." I reached in and grabbed two cans, one lemonade and one coke, or at least I assumed it was coke, since it all but screamed "Coca-Cola Knockoff". "Here you go."
"Thanks." Ryuuko said, taking a long sip of her drink. "Ah, I needed that."
I leaned back a bit. "Fight's getting a bit much? If you want I can pull Quadrouple duty-"
"It's fine, don't worry about it!" Ryuuko said, shoving me lightly. "Besides, look at what's come of said fights."
"An apartment with enough rooms to fit all of us comfortably." I said, shrugging momentarily before nodding slightly to myself. "And the Makanshoku's look… well, I'd say I've never seen them this happy, but today's certainly one of the brighter moments."
"I know what you mean…" Ryuuko said, looking over at Mataro who was holding Guts up to the AC unit set up. She paused as she looked back at me. "Also, Quadruple duty?"
"What? Am I the only who thinks we've been pulling double duty recently with these fights?" I asked, before taking another sip from my drink.
"Think it's just you, man." She said, stepping away from the counter. "Come on, you need to see your room, right?"
"Uh, yeah, right." I said, nodding as I followed behind Ryuuko. It wasn't a long trip, since it was barely three feet ahead of us.
Ryuuko opened the door and walked inside, with me in tow as I looked inside to find Mako sitting on the bottom of a bunk bed set up against the wall. She was wearing her new one star uniform from the look of it. "Ryuuko! This one's our room! Yay, let's hear it for being a one star!" Mako said, rolling on the bed before she looked at me. "Oh, Bryce! You're here too! We didn't have enough room to give you your own room, so Mom and Dad decided you'll be sharing with us!"
"...Huh?" I blinked as I looked at Mako, before suddenly realizing a sharp scissor shaped blade was pressing up against my neck. "...Okay, whatever message you're sending I'm pretty sure it's received. You want me to take the couch, I'll take the couch."
"Then I call the top bunk!" Mako said, raising a hand up.
"That's nice." I said, nodding as a bead of sweat trailed down my forehead as I looked at Ryuuko who was fixing me with a glare.
"Don't try anything funny, and we'll be fine." Ryuuko stated bluntly, pulling her scissor blade back and shrinking it down.
"What do you take me for? I'm not a pervert like every other male in the condo." I said, shaking my head as I walked over to the balcony window.
"You tripping during No-Late Day says otherwise…" Ryuuko said, the smug smile on her face was practically audible as I turned around to look at her.
"Sue me, you're hot." I said without thinking before I blinked in realization. Ryuuko paused and blinked at me owlishly before I spoke up. "This conversation never happened!"
"...You think I'm hot, eh?"
"I wonder if a fall from this height would kill me…" I muttered, turning around as I looked out the balcony window.
"I'm just messing with you, chill out!" Ryuuko said as she walked over to the window. "Geez… I know she said your lifestyle was tied to how well your club does, but I can't believe they're this in-your-face about it."
"I'm just glad to have air conditioning again…" I said, shrugging as I walked over and sat down on the couch. I blinked as I looked at the top bunk. "Mako, why are there so many plushies up there?"
"Thanks for the meal!"
I let out a low whistle as I looked down at the table full of food in front of us. I wasn't sure if I wanted to thank my nose for being this hyper sensitive, or murder it for making me practically salivate at the sight and smell of the food before me.
"These aren't Mystery Croquettes! These are genuine mincemeat cutlets!" Mrs. Makanshoku said, passing out the food. "100% mincemeat cutlets, made from a ground blend of meat that came from actual cows and pigs!"
"Oh my god…" I muttered under my breath after taking a bite. I won't cut her any slack, Mrs. Makanshoku is a god at cooking, her Mystery Croquettes were a prime example of how well she could manage with even real poor ingredients. But with actually good ingredients, that at least came from a deli…
"It's delicious… It's so delicious…" Mataro spoke for everyone at the table at that moment.
I took another look around the table, almost everyone was crying, with the exception of myself and Ryuuko, but spirits were definitely high all around. I couldn't really blame anyone for the reactions either, since until now the Makanshoku's were living in the actual slums. A sudden jump like this will make anyone cry tears of joy at something that's most likely a new experience for the lot of 'em.
"To think, we'd be able to live like this…" Mr. Makanshoku said, two mincemeat cutlets still hanging out of his mouth. I suddenly felt myself squished between Mako and Ryuuko, as Mr. Makanshoku squished us together in what I assumed was meant to be a hug. "Thank you, Mako, Ryuuko and Bryce! It's all thanks to you three!"
"Oh, you don't need to thank us!" Ryuuko said. "Just knowing you guys are happy is enough for me!"
"Yeah!" Mako said, nodding.
"What they said, you've guys have done more than enough for us, so I'm more than happy to pay that kindness back." I said, internally sighing as the large doctor let go of us to return to his seat. "Now then, I do need my proteins…"
"You're still gonna pull that peeping tom stuff here!?"
"Ah, there we go. Was wondering when I'd hear that." I said idly, lying down on the couch. "It just sorta feels off unless Ryuuko has to beat up your old man, brother and dog. Which, might I say, is the strangest combination I never thought I'd ever say in my life."
"Hm!" Mako nodded, sitting up from her position on the top bunk. "It's amazing, isn't it? This whole place…"
"I can only imagine how much more amplified it is for you guys." I said, turning my head slightly to look at her. "Before I came to honnouji, this sort of living was kinda the normal for me, so it doesn't really have as much of an impact as it does for you guys."
"What do you think, Senketsu?" I asked the article of clothing, who was currently hanging up by the blinds. He didn't audibly respond, didn't even move much, but I get the feeling he was agreeing with me on something.
"See, even he gets what I mean." I said, nodding before the door opened and Ryuuko walked in wearing her pajamas. "So… should we be worried about the others or…?"
"They're fine, I doubt that even if they did fall that far it would've killed them…" Ryuuko said, shrugging as she sat down on her bed and pulled the comforter over her.
There was a comfortable silence that formed as the three of us lied down to sleep. I stared up at the ceiling, feeling strangely content. "They all have a twinkle in their eye." Mako said, catching my attention as I turned my head to the side to look at the bunk bed. "This life is almost too good to be true."
"...Ryuuko, Bryce… I'm gonna work real hard to be the best Fight Club president I can be." Mako said.
I smiled, turning my head up to face the ceiling once more. "Yeah, I know you will." Ryuuko said. "We'll leave it all to you."
"Heh, you got this Mako." I said, closing my eyes.
While it did turn out that indeed Mako had the presidential thing down, as proven rather quickly as we skyrocketed up in the world of honnouji, it also turned out that Ryuuko and I didn't have gotten whatever Mako had been eating that's given her the limitless energy to do what she's been doing.
I let out a sigh as I arrived at the front steps of the mansion, giving a passing wave to Mr. Makanshoku and Mataru as the two walked out the front door, before splitting off as they reached the street. Things have been going by fast, with club leader after club leader going down one after the other. I can barely remember most of them, though there were a few that stuck with me, like the Ping Pong Club Leader, or the leader of the Amazons Club.
...It's a long story, and honestly I'd like to forget about that club…
I opened the front door to the mansion, passing by Mrs. Makanshoku who I gave a quick courteous nod to as I walked towards the dining room. "I'm sorry, the club president's meeting ran late." Mako began, the volume of her voice rising until I reached the front entrance to the Dining room. "Huh? Where is everyone?"
"Just left." I said, stopping to lean up against the doorway. Ryuuko turned around to look at me, as I stepped into the room. "I passed them on my way in."
"And where were you?" Ryuuko asked, her voice clear of the usual snark I would've heard from her normally.
"I got held up by Jin again, didn't fight him though, it was a weird conversation. He was asking about the weapons I make with my driver…" I said, shrugging as I took a seat at the table next to Ryuuko as Mako sat down across from the Kamui dressed girl.
"Okay, now that you two are here, let's talk schedule." Mako began, tapping some papers on the table to even them out. "Ryuuko, once you're done, head to weight training in the training room. Bryce, eat up and then join Ryuuko. You both have a packed schedule for both tomorrow, and the day after that."
"Huh?" Ryuuko blinked, lowering her utensils as she looked at Mako in confusion.
"I really must say, though, being able to stay in a mansion like this," Make began, leaning back as she looked up, a smile on her face, yet it wasn't the large ones she would normally wear. "Finally living in the lap of luxury, it's enough to put a twinkle in anyone's eye, isn't it?"
I stayed quiet at that, as Mako pushed her glasses up once more, smiling at the two of us. "Let's do everything we can to protect this life, okay?"
"Um… Sure." Ryuuko said, looking down at her plate as Mako stood up.
"I'm gonna go to bed, okay?" Mako said, moving past us.
"Sure." Ryuuko said, closing her eyes as Mako left the room.
"...If it's enough to put a twinkle in their eye, then why can't I see that same light anymore?" I asked aloud, looking over to where Mako walked out. I let out a sigh as I turned to face Ryuuko, before I shook my head. "Hey."
I placed a hand on her shoulder, grabbing her attention suddenly as she looked up at me. "...I need to show you something, I'll be in the training room."
"What about your food?" Ryuuko asked.
I pulled out an egg from one of the pockets of my hoodie. "Got it right here." I said with a shrug as I stood up. I paused as I looked back at her. "Hey… If you ever need someone to talk to, or anything of the sort? I'm here if you need me."
I gave a brief wave over my shoulder as I walked out of the room heading for the top floor as my mind flashed back to earlier today.
"I'm sorry, what?" I asked, looking at Jin as sat opposite me on his desk, holding his driver in his off hand.
"Those weapons you form, they're out of your blood, right?" He asked.
"I… believe that's the case?" I said, nodding as I strapped my driver on and pulled out the right handle, a sickle quickly forming out of the black Ichor. "See?"
"Ho…?" Jin leaned back as he looked the weapon in my hand over. "...How often would you say you use it in combat against the one stars and two stars of this school? Frequently? What about your arm gauntlets when you transform?"
"Where are you going with this?" I asked, returning the handle to the driver as I narrowed my eyes at Jin.
"Nowhere really, just a stray thought of mine." Jin said, shrugging.
I let out a sigh. "Well, considering how I'm either slashing them or kicking them, a good amount of it is spent using said weaponry. Why?"
Jin paused, as he placed a hand on his chin. "...How are things for you right now? I hear you all have moved to your two-star mansion."
I sighed, leaning back. "I'm tempted to say terrible… At least with the condo it wasn't really different from normal, but now everyone is… Distant, for lack of a better word."
I shook my head. "Mako keeps saying a lot of this is to keep that spark of joy in her family's eyes… And I don't blame her for wanting that, I was there the day we all moved into the condo…" I said, leaning forwards. "But it's…"
"They're all different people." Jin said, nodding as he stood up. "All of them."
I shook my head. "Only the Makanshokus… Ryuuko… Well, she's trying to hide it, but reading someone's body language is sort of my strong suit now…"
"So in the end, it's like I said…" Jin said to himself, before shaking his head. "Never expected to be playing therapist today… Here, take this. Consider it a present for your promotion."
I blinked as I was passed a box wrapped up in silver plastic wrap, almost like a christmas present. I moved my hand to start tearing the wrapping off when Jin held his hands up. "Woah, woah! Not here. I… would NOT open that right now." Jin said, placing his hands in his pockets. "Anyways, I'll see you tomorrow!"
"Yeah… Tomorrow…" I said, looking down at the box in my hands.
I sat up from my position as I looked around the training area. Empty, no surprise honestly. I let out a sigh as I pulled the box out from my bag. "What did you give me, Jin…" I muttered, pulling the wrapping off. I blinked as I made eyecontact with the articles of clothing settled inside. "This… this is a one star uniform…"
I held up the articles of clothing as I ran one of my hands over the fabric. It was a weird consistency, like running your hand over a suit jacket with little ridges sewn in. "Hey, I'm here… What's up?" I heard Ryuuko ask as she entered the room.
"Got a present for Jin. He said not to open it on campus and I think I see why." I said, holding the one star uniform up.
"A goku uniform?" Ryuuko asked, raising her eyebrow.
"My reaction exactly." I said, looking it over. "I just don't understand why he wouldn't let me put it on at the academy…"
"Maybe he stole it?" Ryuuko asked, crossing her arms. I noted her voice was a bit more full, more color to it than it normally was. "I mean, we haven't received our one star uniforms yet."
"Well, Mako hasn't received her two star uniform either, and you have a Kamui, so I doubt they would've sent you one to wear anyways." I said with a shrug.
Ryuuko shrugged at that. "So, what do you wanna do with it?" She asked, pulling out her scissor blade. "I can cut it to shreds if you want?"
I paused before I held up a hand towards Ryuuko. "Actually, I have an idea." I said, before placing the uniform down as I began to pull off my hoodie and the T-shirt underneath it.
"Woah, woah!" Ryuuko shouted, holding her arms up as I turned to look at her. "The hell do you think you're doing!?"
"Changing, what does it look like?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Why here of all places!?"
"Why does that matter? I've already seen you in basically your underwear at this point, so why does it matter the other way around?" I asked, turning back around as I began to unbuckle my belt.
"That's totally different though!"
"Then turn around if it embarasses you." I said, looking over my shoulder at her before quickly pulling my pants down. "Right, now how the hell do I wear this thing."
"I do not want to hear this from you right now." Ryuuko said, causing me to turn around to face her. "S-senketsu! I was t-talking to Senketsu!"
"...Right." I nodded, turning back around, choosing to ignore the light blush that was currently forming on Ryuuko's face. Oh well, the minor embarrassment on my end is worth it to see her not as depressed as she was a few minutes ago. It didn't take long after that to get the rest of the uniform on. I patted myself down, before zipping down the suit jacket as I turned to face Ryuuko. "Well, how do I look?"
"Like one of Satsuki's cronies." Ryuuko said with a deadpan.
I shrugged. "Fair. I wonder if they'd let me dye this though? What do you think, Black and Red or Green and red?" I asked, spinning around on my heel before I looked to Ryuuko with arms wide.
"Why are you asking me this?" Ryuuko asked, raising an eyebrow at my shenanigans.
"Why not you? You're the only person in this house with a sense of style that I respect." I said.
"...Black and Red. Green and Red might be too festive." Ryuuko said.
"Fair enough." I nodded, before looking down at myself. The uniform was… for lack of a better term, tight. Not the uncomfortable kind of tight, but the kind of type you might use to describe a video game's controls, or a car's steering. Comfortable would work, but it doesn't fully explain the feeling behind how much this uniform felt RIGHT on me. "This is… really weird."
"Think you can match up to me and Senketsu with that outfit?" Ryuuko asked, shooting me a glance that all but screamed smug.
"You kidding? I could do that before I put this on." I said, rolling my shoulder. I turned to the nearby punching bag as I raised my arms up. "One, Two!"
I threw my fists forward, my arms blurring as I felt my body speed up, my fist slamming into the bag like gunshots, sending ripples across the surface of the bag as I took a step back. "Holy shit…"
"Not bad, though it's nothing compared to the power of a Kamui…" Ryuuko said, crossing her arms.
"No surprise there." I said, shrugging before I turned to face Ryuuko. "Right, you have weight training. Want me to spot you?"
"Sure, bet I can bench more than you can!"
"You're on, Matoi!"
"Okay, I know you said our day was packed, but THIS MANY?" I began, looking down at what would've looked like a basketball court, if it wasn't for the large ground of students beating the shit out of each other.
Mako smiled widely in front of Ryuuko and I, before she pulled out a megaphone and began speaking into it. "I am president of the fight club, Mako Makanshoku!" I slammed my hands over my ears as the microphone boomed. It was times like these I cursed my hightented Amazon senses. "Club Members Ryuuko Matoi and Bryce Bridged hereby challenges all of you to a fight! Any Questions? No? Let's have a good, clean fight then!"
There was a sudden silence as Ryuuko and I looked down at the crowd whose attention was all on us. "...So, I'll take the 50 on the left, you take the 50 on the right?" I asked, slapping my driver against my waist.
"Sure, why not?" Ryuuko sighed, before pulling the pin on her glove. "LIFE FIBER SYNCHRONIZE! KAMUI SENKETSU!"
I rolled my neck as I patted the shoulder of my one star uniform. "Let's take you out for a spin!" I shouted, puffing the collar of my uniform as I felt the life fibers activate, sending my senses into overdrive as I dodged an oncoming fist. "Fast! I'm fast!" I noted, spinning around as I kicked the back of the guy's head, sending him careening into a bleacher. "And strong… Well, stronger…"
"Get 'em!" I blinked, turning around to see a group of five guys charging me.
"Alright then, let's try this!" I shouted, throwing my arms to the side as I felt energy waft over my arms and legs, transforming them into their amazon state as I practically danced around the group. "You guys are making this easy!" I shouted, slamming my fists into the backs of each fighter's head.
I spun around and viewed the other fighters that were either focusing on Ryuuko, or were charging at me. "Alright then, let's get serious!" I said, twisting the left handle of my Driver.
[OMEGA!]
"Amazon." I smirked, throwing my arms to the side red energy exploded outwards, knocking some of the fighters off their feet as I emerged in my Rider form.
[Evo-Ev-EVOLUTION!]
"Now, your end has come!" I shouted, charging into the crowd.
Ryuuko let out a long sigh as she leaned back, her arms propped up to the side as I deactivated my transformation. "Jeez, that was rough…" I muttered, rolling my shoulder.
"Good fight, guys! Let's head out to the field for your next ones." Mako said, walking past the two of us.
"Next ones?" I asked in what might as well have been despair.
"Come on, let's get moving..." Ryuuko said, pulling herself up to a stand as he grabbed her scissor blade.
"I'll admit, I'm impressed." Ryuuko and I paused our movements as I turned around, looking ahead to see Jin stepping out from the bleachers. "And I see you're using the uniform."
"It would be rude not to." I said, crossing my arms. "Look, we don't really have all day right now, and we have places to be, so could we hurry this up?"
"Ugh, I'm not looking forward to fighting him on top of what Mako has planned…" Ryuuko sighed, getting into a stance.
"Then I'll make this quick." Jin said, pulling the bar up on his driver before slamming it down.
{ALPHA!}
"Amazon." Jin said, as green energy flew off him.
{Wi-Wi-Wi-WILD! Wi-Wi-WILD!}
"Alright then, let's-!" I didn't get the chance to get the words out, as I suddenly felt Alpha's arm fin slam into my stomach, before it violently swiped to the left, cutting through the one star uniform and a bit of my skin. I flew backwards, rolling to a stop. "Okay… What, the hell!?"
I pushed myself up to a stand, before suddenly the goku uniform I was wearing fell apart as if it's stitching never existed, leaving me in only my boxers, and my driver. "...What?"
"So I'm not crazy…" Alpha said, before he turned around. "Well, that's enough for me today."
"Oi, where do you think your going?" Ryuuko asked.
"Away. From here." He replied, jumping out one of the broken windows, leaving the two of us alone.
"Hey guys, we have places to be and- Where did your uniform go Bryce?" Mako asked, walking back into the room.
"I'm… SO Gonna kill that man…" I muttered.
Two days came and went by. Ryuuko and I beat the clubs, came back exhausted and bruised, well, we WERE bruised, but not anymore…
I let out a sigh as I poked at the food on the plate in front of me. I looked up at Ryuuko, who was sitting on the opposite side of the table from me. "...So-"
"Sorry, I'm not hungry right now." Ryuuko said suddenly, pushing her plate forwards as she stood up and walked away.
I leaned back as I watched her walk off, before letting out a sigh as I looked down at the plate in front of me. "...Greed is a powerful motivator, huh? I guess that's where we're at now then…" I sighed, picking up my plate and Ryuuko's. "Screw it, we have a kitchen and I've yet to use it. Why not make something actually enjoyable then?"
"Hey, Bryce…" I blinked, turning my head to look at Ryuuko walk into the kitchen, wearing a set of pajamas I haven't seen her wear before. "We need to-Wait, what are you doing? Better yet, what are you wearing?"
I raised an eyebrow as I turned to Ryuuko, a 'Kiss the Cook' apron hung over my front that I found in one of the cupboards. "Making Dinner."
"But we already ate…?" Ryuuko raised an eyebrow at me.
"WE did not eat. If I remember correctly, YOU left a few minutes in, barely touching your food, and I personally was sick of French Cuisine." I said, cracking another egg into the mound of flour in front of me. "So, if you're done staring, get over here, put on an apron-" I pointed to a plain black apron next to me with my thumb. "And help me make this dough."
"...Uh…" Ryuuko blinked at me in confusion. I turned to her, whisking a fork in the egg mixture, pulling in chunks of flour as I began making the dough.
"Look, do you know how long's it's been since I've had Pasta? Too long, that's how long!" I said, turning back to the dough that was quickly forming. "So I decided that I was gonna get my mind of things and do something I used to find fun, before fighting was my daily passtime."
I began to scrap the forming dough together with a bench scraper as I looked back over at Ryuuko. "So come on and help me out, I'm sure you'll enjoy this."
The girl blinked at the floury mess I was making before back to me. She sighed, smiling slightly as she walked over to the black apron and tied it on. "Alright, what do you want me to do."
"Knead the hell out of this dough." I said, moving out of the way as I pointed to the sticky mound of dough. "I've just got it to form a shaggy dough, so I need you to just knead this for about… 10 minutes."
"Ten minutes?" Ryuuko asked, moving over as she looked down at the dough. "...How exactly…?"
"Right…" I shook my head before I began kneading the dough into the table before flipping my hold on it slightly and repeated. "Knead into the table, then flip it a bit so you can keep pressing it into the table. The consistency should end up as smooth, yet not overly tacky. If you find it's getting too sticky to work with, add a bit of the nearby flour to it," I continued, letting go of the dough, a bit of it sticking to my fingertips as I moved to the sink. "It shouldn't be dry though, you should be able to poke it and it should rise back up when after you move your finger away."
"Right…" Ryuuko said, as she placed her hands on the dough and began kneading. "Okay, and that's stuck to my hand."
"Just keep kneading, it'll come off." I said, moving over to the fridge as I started pulling out different cheeses, some butter and heavy cream. "Let's see… what do I want to do for a sauce…?"
For the first time in a little over a week, the kitchen wasn't silent, as the two of us exchanged in witty banter and jabs particularly aimed at me and my apparent ability to cook food. Though I much rather be the butt of the joke than to not hear any jokes at all.
"You… do realize I had an arm workout earlier, right?" Ryuuko asked, grabbing my attention as I turned away from the cheese grater I just grabbed to look at her. She was fixing me with a deadpanned expression, but the fact the had dough stuck on her face kind of ruined the effect.
"You uh…" I began, pointing to my right cheek. Ryuuko paused, bringing a hand up to the side of her face as she pulled off the piece of dough. "There you go."
"How much more of this?" She asked, working the dough once more.
"About... 3 more minutes? It's coming together, but it still looks a bit too sticky." I said, turning back as I began shredding the parmesan. "Okay, I need about… this much and then I can start melting the butter for the base…"
"What exactly are you making?" Ryuuko asked after a few minutes, walking over to my left as she looked at the saucepan and the larger pot of water on the stovetop.
"Just a generic White Sauce." I said, shrugging as I dropped a couple tablespoons of unsalted butter into the saucepan. "This was my go to staple when I was out of the instant or frozen stuff at home, though most of the time I didn't hand make the pasta, so I figured why not?"
"Huh… By the way, finished kneading the dough." Ryuuko said, jabbing her thumb in the direction of the dough.
"Oh, good. Means we can get started." I said, grabbing some plastic wrap from a cupboard as I began wrapping it up. "You can help me prepare the stuff for the sauce while this sits for half an hour."
"How in depth does this go?" Ryuuko asked.
"Hey, we could be doing a lot more if we wanted." I said, shrugging as I started pouring the heavy cream into the saucepan. "Also, could you pass the salt, I need to salt the water before I put the pasta in."
"Thank you for the meal." Ryuuko and I said as we sat down, two bowls of what basically ended up becoming a knockoff Fettuccine Alfredo sat in front of both of us.
"Holy crap, this isn't half bad." Ryuuko said, looking down at the food on her plate.
I nodded, taking another bite of my creation with a smile on my face, not caring how obnoxiously I might've been slurping up the pasta noodles. "See? Hard work paid off in the end, yeah?" I said, pointing my fork at Ryuuko.
"Yeah, I guess you're right." She said, smiling as she looked down at the food. "...Bryce, thanks for this. I needed something to get my mind off things."
"Oh… It's no problem. I kinda figured as much so that's why I pushed as hard as I did for you to join me." I said, spinning my fork around the pasta. I pulled my fork up, a few noodles tangled up in it as I smiled. "Besides, I may be inclined to proteins more than I normally was, but I have a favourite food for a reason."
"I can see why." Ryuuko nodded. "It's been a while since I've had good food here."
"Would you say the best food you've ever had?" I asked, smirking slightly as I leaned forwards.
"Nah." Ryuuko shot me down immediately, taking another bite of the pasta before placing her fork down on the bowl. "The Mystery Croquettes still top it for me."
"Alas, there is no beating Mrs. Makanshoku at her best." I said, placing a hand on my forehead like I was an actor on stage.
The two of us laughed lightly, a comfortable silence formed as we ate our actual dinner for the night.
"...I've made up my mind." Ryuuko said, looking up at me. I paused, placing my fork down as I stared into Ryuuko's gear like eyes. "Senketsu asked me something earlier… He asked me if 'this was victory'."
"Do you think it is?" Ryuuko continued. "Because… I don't."
I let out a sigh as I leaned back. "No, I remember how happy they looked when we moved into the condo. Now… Now I barely recognize them." I said, crossing my arms.
"So you agree then." Ryuuko stated.
"I do." I nodded, leaning forwards. "So, what's the plan?"
Ryuuko smiled ever so slightly, before she leaned forwards and handed me a sheet of paper.
"The day we face off against the elite four is here at last!" Mako said, looking up at the tower. I gave a passing glance towards Ryuuko, who was standing next to me a few feet away from Mako. "If we win this battle, the fight club will stand supreme on the Student Council! We'll have both honor, and all the luxury we can stand!"
"You ready?" I asked Ryuuko, looking back at Mako as she started to laugh almost maniacally.
"Yeah." She nodded, walking out towards Mako. I let out a breath of air as I followed, holding an envelope in my right hand.
"Well look who's finally decided to show up." Mako said, turning to look at us with a smile. "The final showdown is here at las-!"
The white envelope fell down from Mako's face, falling into the girl's hands as Ryuuko retracted her outstretched arm. "What's this?" Mako asked, looking down at it in confusion.
"My letter of resignation from the club." Ryuuko said.
"Huh?" Mako looked up, eyes narrowing at Ryuuko. "What are you saying!?"
"Exactly what it sounds like." I said, speaking up as I held up my envelope before lazily tossing it towards Mako as well. "We're quitting the fight club."
"What!? But... but you can't! If you two quit now we'll be sent back to the slums!" Mako said, holding the envelopes in her hands loosely.
Ryuuko looked to the side, before she looked back up at Mako. "I'm okay with that."
"Well I'm not! I'm never going back there!" Mako shouted, before suddenly a large wardrobe crashed into the ground behind her, kicking up a large cloud of dust and sending Mako flying forwards. "Woah!"
"The hell!?" I exclaimed, taking a step back as I placed my driver against my waist before a familiar beam of light descended down towards us.
"Fight Club President Mako Makanshoku!" Satsuki shouted, looking down from her perch. "Your Two-Star Goku Uniform is inside that wardrobe."
"My uniform?" Asked Mako.
"Wait, what?" I asked.
"If you wish to keep your current social standing and lifestyle, fight and defeat your ex-clubmates!" Satsuki proclaimed, slamming her katana into the floor.
"Say what?" Ryuuko asked, glaring at Satsuki with gritted teeth.
"Defeat them, and I will grant you a Three-Star Goku Uniform." Satsuki stated.
"Lady Satsuki…" I heard Mako mutter under her breath.
"That's playing dirty, Kiryuin!" Ryuuko shouted.
"Your choice of whether to accept lies with Makanshoku." Satsuki said, smirking.
"Oh how I want to rub that smirk ass look off your face!" I shouted, my hands balling into fists.
"You bitch…!" Ryuuko grabbed onto the pin and pulled, activating Senketsu in a flash of red. "LIFE FIBER SYNCHRONISE! KAMUI SENKETSU!"
"Don't be so hasty." Satsuki said. "I'm not the one you face today."
There was the sudden sound of high pressurized steam leaking out from my left, before the wardrobe exploded in a ball of smoke, obscuring our vision for a moment. I lowered my arm, looking on as the fog cleared. "What now…?"
"Fight club spec…" I heard Mako began, as she emerged from the smoke, wearing what could be described as a walking JoJo reference as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Two-Star Goku Uniform! Fight Club President Mako Makanshoku!"
"Do her fucking brass knuckles say 'Mako' on them?" I asked, blinking as Ryuuko took a step forward and threw her arm out in front of me. "Eh?"
"Bryce, step back. This club was my idea, and my mistake. I'll do this." She said, pulling out her scissor blade.
"...Wake her up." I said simply, stepping off to the side as I watched the two stand across from one another, like unyielding statues in a tsunami.
"Ryuuko… Say your prayers!" Mako shouted, charging ahead towards the Kamui wearing girl before she jumped and shot her feet out, kicking the flat of Ryuuko's scissor blade with both of her feet.
"Gh-!" Ryuuko pushed forward, throwing Mako up into the air before the girl began to throw gold tools down at Ryuuko. Ryuuko stumbled back, before a wrench and what looked like a morning star slammed into her face, sending her toppling to the ground in a cloud of dust and debris.
"Ryuuko!" I shouted, grabbing the left handle of my driver. I glared at Mako before Ryuuko charged out once more, scissor blade at the ready as she met Mako head on, swinging her sword into Mako's spike lined baseball bat.
"Cut it out, Mako!" Ryuuko said, struggling to keep the stalemate going.
"I can't, not when we finally have a life of luxury!" Mako denied. "I can't go back to being poor!"
"Come on, Mako, snap out of it!" Ryuuko shouted.
And then as if the situation wasn't already packed enough, the sound of a car driving up into the arena caused me to change my attention over to the Makanshokus, who had just pulled up in their car. "What are they…?" I asked myself, before Ryuuko flew back into view, sliding back a few feet away from the car.
"Stop!" Ryuuko said, holding her arm out towards the Makanshokus. "Mako's not in her right mind right now!"
I blinked as the Makanshokus walked quickly towards the bleachers, not listening to a word Ryuuko was saying. "If you try to stop her, you'll put yourselves in danger, too!" Ryuuko continued, before she looked behind her at the empty car. "Huh?"
"What are you standing around for? Hurry up and beat the tar out of Ryuuko!" Mr. Makanshoku shouted at Mako, making various gestures with his hands.
"Yeah, Ryuuko! All of them aren't in their right mind!" I shouted at her.
"You're not even going to try and stop her!?" Ryuuko exclaimed, as a gold chain quickly wrapped around her body.
"Sorry Ryuuko, M'dear. But we can't give up this lifestyle to which we've become accustomed." Mr. Makanshoku began.
"Don't worry! We'll be sure to enjoy life for you, too!" Mrs. Makanshoku continued.
I felt my teeth grind as Ryuuko was flung up into the air. "Observe, Matoi! Bridged! This is human nature in its purest form! Prosperity will lead to greed, and greed will lead to their eventual downfall!" Satsuki proclaimed. I turned my head to face the Student Council President, my nails drawing blood as my fists clenched shut. "Once they have a taste of worldly pleasures, they're enslaved by them forever!"
I threw myself to the side as Ryuuko was swung overtop of me, slamming into the wall behind me before she was thrown to the other side of the arena again. "They've become slaves to this academy I've created!" Satsuki continued, her voice booming loudly. "Truly, they are pigs in human clothing!"
"Pigs! That must be tamed by force!" Satsuki finished, as Ryuuko slammed into the ground one last time, the chains breaking off her as she flipped to a stand pulling her blade back as Mako aimed her bat at Ryuuko. The bat broke open, as a missile that looked uncomfortably like Mako flew out towards Ryuuko, who swung her sword directly at the oncoming ballistic weapon, creating an explosion that shook the arena fiercely.
Ryuuko slowly pulled back up to a stand, Senketsu deactivated as she stared at Mako. "Ryuuko what are you doing?" I asked, watching as Mako closed in, delivering a punch, then a kick at Ryuuko that sent her flying back, bouncing across the ground. "Okay, that's enough of the sidelines…!"
I dug my feet into the ground, before shooting ahead, placing myself between Ryuuko and Mako. I dug my foot into the ground, as I threw my right arm out, catching Mako's punch as a gust of wind flew past me. "Huh? Bryce!?" Ryuuko shouted behind me. "What did I tell you, I had this-"
"Covered? No, you didn't. I'm not going to just stand aside so you can let yourself be beaten up to prove a point!" I shouted, glaring at Mako.
"Huh, Bryce? What are you-" Mako began, before she threw another punch at me with her other fist, aimed at my head. I threw up my other arm and caught it as it flew, neutralizing the strike as I gripped her fists, keeping her locked in place.
"Mako… What are you fighting for!?" I asked, staring her down.
"Huh? What kind of question is that?" Mako asked, glaring at me as I struggled against the strength of a Two-Star'd Mako. I grit my teeth and transformed my arms and legs, increasing my strength as I breathed heavily.
"THE ONLY ONE!" I shouted, throwing my head forward, slamming my forehead into Mako's, forcing her head back, reeling from the impact. I let go of her fists and threw a punch at her stomach, sending her flying backwards.
"Mako!" Ryuuko shouted, standing up with wide eyes. "Bryce, what are you-!?"
"MAKO!" I shouted, taking a step forward. "What are you fighting for? Your status? Luxury!? Give me a break! What ever happened to fighting for their sake?"
Mako slowly rose up, gritting her teeth as I stared her down. "You used to keep saying that this was all to keep that spark in their eyes. To keep fighting so they could keep shining like that first day at the condo…"
I let out a sigh as I closed my eyes. "So then here's my question. Why are you fighting for the spark in their eyes…" I opened my eyes, glaring at the girl before me. "When that very light has clearly died already?"
I barely had a moment to react as I brought my arms up to block Mako's fist, as she shot off the ground like a bat out of hell, sending me sliding back as my feet dug into the ground. Mako grit her teeth in anger as she glared at me. My knees almost buckled from the force of the impact, as I held my arms up against Mako's fist. "Mako… if you're fighting for your own happiness…" I began, pushing her back away from me. She flipped in the air, landing on her feet as she charged me once more. "Then so am I!"
I twisted the handle on my driver, the eyes turning red alongside mine.
[OMEGA!]
"UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHH!" I cried out, throwing my arm back before I threw it forwards. "AMAZON!"
My fist collided against Mako's, sending up a cloud of dust before it was all blown away as I transformed, heat radiating off of us as we stared each other down.
[Evo-Ev-EVOLUTION!]
"Mako…" I began quietly, but loud enough for the girl to hear me. "Unlike Ryuuko, I won't be holding back… So do me a favor…"
I threw my fist to the side, knocking Mako off balance as she stumbled backwards. "And WAKE UP!" I exclaimed, shooting ahead as I spun around and slammed my foot into the side of Mako's head, sending her flying to the left.
Mako slowly rose from the dust cloud, glaring at me as I took another step forward. "...How far would you have gone?" I asked, not moving an inch. "How long would you have continued to beat down on Ryuuko, who willingly left herself defenceless?"
Mako struggled to a stand. She looked off to the side towards Ryuuko then to her family who were currently yelling at her to beat me down. "How long do you think they'd keep cheering you on?" I asked, grabbing her attention again. "Mako… This, this isn't you? Remember how during the start of the second week of fight club I convinced you to make one of the rules of Fight Club to be to NOT talk about fight club? We annoyed the shit out of Ryuuko for two days beating around the bush!"
I ignored the glare Ryuuko gave me as I took another step towards Mako, letting the tension in my body go as I walked towards her. "Remember all the times your pep talks saved our bacon? Because I've lost count of how many times Ryuuko's relied on you for that kind of support."
I stopped, a foot away from Mako as I extended my hands out for a moment before letting them drop to my sides. "Mako… I will not forget your kindness for letting me stay with you and your family back in the slums. I still haven't." I said, as Mako looked up at me. "Mako, please. I don't want to fight you. And I KNOW, that you don't want to fight the two of us either."
Mako's eyes hardened, as she raised her fists up once more. I let out a sigh, before I turned to look at Ryuuko. I leaned back, stumbling slightly as I ran over my options. "She isn't going to stop like this, huh..." I muttered to myself before I deactivated my transformation, feeling the smoke trail off me as I looked back at Mako. "...So? What are you going to do?"
Mako looked up at me with tears in her eyes, before I felt her fist slam into my stomach, sending me flying backwards into Ryuuko. The two of us collided with the ground, bouncing off the ground as we rolled to a stop. I felt Ryuuko push me off her, as the two of us looked up to see Mako walk towards us with shaky steps. "You know Ryuuko, I figured I'd give your idea a try now. Pro tip, so far it sucks!" I said, coughing as I pushed myself up to a stand.
"Like… Your Idea was any better…" She said, smirking as Mako charged towards us.
"This is gonna hurt…!" I said, mentally preparing myself for the oncoming beatdown.
I felt my knees buckle under my weight as I dropped to my knees, looking up as Mako walked towards Ryuuko, who was barely standing at this point. Plan let her win was going great so far, I had to say.
Mako charged ahead at Ryuuko once more, rearing her fist back to strike. I tried to move, twitch a muscle, anything, but I couldn't. The beat down was too much on my body and I was barely conscious right now, moving wasn't really an option.
And then, Mako stopped, her fist inches away from Ryuuko's face. "Why?" Mako asked, dropping to her knees. "Why aren't you guys stopping this!? If I keep this up, Bryce and Ryuuko are going to die! Mom, Dad, why aren't you trying to stop me!? And you call yourselves parents!?"
"Mako…" I said, moving closer to the two with what little strength my body would allow.
"When I became club president and our lives improved, I thought we had a sparkle in our eyes." Mako said, the sound of her tears splashing against the ground echoing across the quiet arena. "I thought our whole family was glowing. But we weren't? It was just a nasty glint? We were just blinded by greed?
"It wasn't a twinkle, but a dazzling glimmer of a glint!?" Mako exclaimed, her head raising up as tears rolled down her face into the puddle that was growing below her. If it wasn't for the mood, I would've questioned how Mako's tears made a puddle that size so quickly. "We're the worst! Dad and all of you guys! And so am I!"
Mako slammed her fist into the ground, sending out a shockwave that sent everyone in the nearby vicinity flying backwards. I flew backwards for but a moment, before Ryuuko grabbed my arm, holding us down with her scissor blade. As the dust settled, and we looked down at the Crater Mako had made, Ryuuko threw my arm around her shoulder, walking the two of us down towards Mako.
"I guess we know the true power of your Goku Uniform, huh?" Ryuuko said, as Mako turned to look at us, her hat seemingly disappeared in the explosion. "You know, you never went all out against me earlier."
"Of which… I'm thankful…" I said, letting out a wince as I held my stomach.
"Mako was fighting hard too, against her own desires." Ryuuko said, looking down at Senketsu before she looked at me. "But Bryce helped out too."
"I'm sorry…" Mako said, shaking her head.
"Hey." I spoke up, pulling my arm off Ryuuko as I took a shaky step towards Mako. "Don't worry about it. Everyone needs some tough love every now and again." I gave Mako a thumbs up, before stumbling backwards. "Though remind me never to piss you off again like that, I think that punch of yours earlier was you actually trying…"
"I'm so sorry! Ryuuko… Bryce…" Mako said, looking at the two of us.
"Come on, let's get that silly thing off you." Ryuuko said.
Mako nodded, wiping her eyes before she threw her arms up in the air. To this day I do not know if the Hallelujah that echoed around us was real, or just a figure of my imagination. "As of today, fight club is disbanded!" Mako shouted, grabbing the Wooden Fight Club Sign Ryuuko made at the start of all this before she broke it over her knee. "Mako Makanshoku will go back to being a No-Star!"
"Kiryuin!" Ryuuko shouted, looking up at Satsuki. "Humans aren't as weak as you say they are! Humans can suppress their desires through sheer willpower!"
"Ryuuko, do it!" Mako shouted, throwing her uniform off herself, leaving herself in her underwear as she tossed the Two-Star Uniform into the air.
"With pleasure!" Ryuuko shouted, shooting into the air as Senketsu activated with a flash. "Finishing move! SEN-I-SOSHITSU!"
"Are those…" I asked, looking up at the tattered remains of Mako's Goku Uniform before they suddenly exploded into fireworks. "...HOW!?"
"Don't question it Bryce." Ryuuko said, landing in front of us.
"Fine…" I sighed, before slipping my hoodie off. "Mako, here." I said, tossing the article of clothing at her. "Better than standing around in your underwear."
Mako smiled, before she quickly slipped the hoodie on. "Thanks Bryce!"
"Don't mention it." I said, waving my hand. I looked over at Ryuuko. "So, back home then?"
"Yeah." She nodded, before the sound of the Mankanshokus crying grabbed our attention as we looked to the left to see all of them running down the side of the crater. "Eh?"
I let out a chuckle when I heard them yell out "We're really sorry!"
"I, Barazo Mankanshoku, will never live this down!" Mako's dad yelled out, as he tore his shirt off.
"I'll never act so disrespectfully ever again!" Mrs. Mankanshoku cried out, ripping her clothes off as I turned my head to the side, Ryuuko giving me a side glance that I respectfully ignored.
"I'm so ashamed, letting my desires get the better of me!" Mataro shouted out, following suit with the rest of his family before they all slid to a stop, kneeling before Ryuuko, Mako and I in a bow.
"Me too, Me too!" Mako shouted, joining them as I looked over at Ryuuko with a dumbfounded expression.
"Pull a stunt like that again, and I won't be so nice next time, got it?" Ryuuko asked, pointing her finger at the group.
"Yes, Ma'am…"
I let out a chuckle as I turned to look at Ryuuko, who's harsh expression mellowed out into a smile. "Alright alright, enough with the groveling. Come on, we should get home, yeah?" I said, resting my hands behind my head as the Mankanshokus lifted their heads.
"You're leaving?"
The man nodded, looking at the doctor before him. "I've been called to Honnouji Academy, apparently something big's about to go down and Mikisugi wants me there just in case."
"I still think it's a bad idea. You're not exactly easy to hide, especially to Jin Takayama." Dan Kuroya pointed out, looking over at his computer. "Your scent will immediately draw his ire, if not his, then Subject Omega will notice as well. His strength's increasing by the day…"
"Dr. Kuroya…" Chihiro began. "This Omega you keep talking about. Who is he?"
Dan typed a few keys on the keyboard in front of him, bringing up a photo of Bryce. "He's the unknown. The end. A creation that interests me so VERY much!" Dan began, spinning around to look at Chihiro. "Truth be told, I was working with your late boss on a project. He was the subject of it."
"You don't mean-!"
"I do!" Dan nodded, looking at the photo. "I don't know where he found the kid, but in his original genetic make-up was something completely out of this world, and that's saying something since Life Fibers are a thing! It's clearly close enough that the Amazon Cells changed him, but I haven't been able to monitor the extent of such changes as much as I'd like."
"Of course I'd be lying if I said I really knew what I was going to expect. The good doctor only got in touch with me for the vial of Amazon Cells." Dan continued, leaning back. "He took care of everything else, the Belt, the Register… Left me in the dark about a lot of things… But not like that was going to stop me… He is my creation, and I wish to see it thrive like any good parent would."
"Sir." Chihiro spoke up, grabbing the Doctor's attention.
"Right, right… Just be careful. It may be the finished product but we haven't fully optimized the system yet for you. Though it should be more than a match for the prototype driver Jin made and the completed Amazons Driver Omega is wearing." Dan said, looking at Chihiro. "For now, you may go, but on one condition. Consider it payment for helping you out like this."
"What are you playing at?" Chihiro asked, crossing his arms.
"...If the opportunity arises, and it looks like Omega will fall, I want you to bring him to me." Dan said, looking up at Chihiro. "Do not let a scratch land on his core, even if it means ripping it out of him to bring it to me."
"...You want me to kill him?" Chihiro asked, glaring at the doctor. "Do you have any idea what you're asking!?"
Dan laughed, leaning back once more. "Hehe… Of course I do! Like you, I'd have come to the same grizzly conclusion... but Dr. Matoi's notes and predictions on the subject… seem to insist otherwise."
"Hold on, what?"
"The fact that the lowly Fight Club defeated all those other clubs meant they were not worthy." Satsuki said, crossing her arms as she looked out at her Elite Four.
"You're serious then?" Nonon asked.
Gamagoori's head swiveled to look at Nonon. "Enough with your impertinent questioning, Jakuzure! Lady Satsuki has never done anything that she does not mean!"
"He is correct." Satsuki stated. "I will build Honnouji Academy's order from the ground up once more. Honnouji Academy will hold a Naturals Election!"
The room paused as Satsuki's words registered in their minds. Inumuta spoke up, his collar splitting open. "Wait, surely you didn't exploit Matoi and Bridged to purge this academy of it's undesirables?"
Satsuki smirked, before it fell neutral as the door to the Student Council Room opened up. "Jin Takayama, I do not believe I called you up here for a meeting."
"You didn't. I let myself in." Jin said, pointing to the two One-Star Guards positioned outside the door. "I'll get straight to the point. We need to talk about Omega."
"If this is about the lack of his training by your hand then you'll be happy to know that will almost certainly resume. The Fight Club disbanded earlier today." Satsuki said.
"Nah, that's not it." Jin said, waving his hand. "Before I start though, how much do you trust your subordinates here?"
"With my life." Satsuki responded almost instantly.
"Lady Satsuki…" Gamagoori said, holding a hand over his heart.
"Then I'll get right down to it." Jin said, turning to look at Inumuta. "Glasses, pull up the footage of my fight with the Cub from a few days ago."
"Do as he says, Inumuta. I want to know where he's going with this." Satsuki said, narrowing her eyes at the Amazon in the room.
Inumuta nodded, tapping away on his phone before displaying the video on the projector. There was silence before Bryce's One-Star Uniform fell off of him in patches. "Stop right there." Jin said, crossing his arms.
"Since when did the Lizard have a One-Star Uniform?" Asked Nonon.
"I might've given it to him, to see if my hunch was right." Jin said, shrugging.
"So, you were the one who stole that uniform from the sewing club." Inumuta noted.
Jin shrugged. "Yeah, but it was worth it to find out what I know."
"And what would that be?" Satsuki asked.
Jin turned back to face the video. "Tell me, what do you see about this clip that seems strange?"
"I'd love to tell you but…" Sanageyama said, waving a hand over his face.
"It was one well placed strike." Inumuta said, before he turned to look at Jin. "A nexus thread?"
"No, you would've seen the life fibers unravel if that were the case." Jin said, crossing his arms as he turned to face Satsuki. "Here's what I'm getting to. There's another reason why Revovs' CEO wanted us Amazons dead, besides the obvious ones. The reason why they hired armed forces to clean up the mess so quickly after they escaped."
(Play Armour Zone - Taro Kobayashi)
"As a side effect of our biology, our blood kills life fibers upon contact." Jin said, crossing his arms as the room grew quiet. "It also has the effect of making us unable to utilize Life Fibers in combat, as seen by your Goku Uniforms or the Kamui."
YEAH!
"Hold on, wasn't there some Life Fibers left over after that Spider Amazon attacked?" Nonon asked.
"Our Anti-Life Fiber properties go inert once our core is destroyed, so turning into that black sludge wouldn't destroy the uniform." Jin said.
"...Jin, why did you give Bridged the uniform if you said all Amazon blood destroys Life Fibers?" Asked Satsuki.
Omae wa dare da? Ore no naka no ore
Jin chuckled. "Inumuta, do you know how many times I've seen that cub use his weapon or the spikes on his arms? Do you wanna know what that stuff is? It's our blood, crystalized."
Kage ni kakureta sono sugata misero!
Jin laughed, spinning around as he looked at the rest of the Student Council. "So imagine my surprise when I find out that he never finished a fight upon the first blow. No, instead the uniform sticks around, it doesn't die out like it should."
Oh...soudou no derivation
"Are you saying his blood doesn't affect Life Fibers?" Gamagoori asked.
Fureru karada akaku kirikazami
"Why do you think I gave him the One-Star uniform?" Jin asked. "When I saw him wearing it the next day, using it at the start of the fight before transforming, I knew for a fact that not only could his blood not destroy life fibers on contact, but that he was capable of using them like any of you could."
Kokoro wa doko da? Itami sagashite mo
"...Why tell me this." Satsuki asked.
"Because I know enough about your plans to know your true goals, and I know how much you'll want to keep that little detail a secret." Jin said, crossing his arms. "So I figured I'd let you know in advance, do with it as you will."
Oh...shinzou ga hotobashiru dake
Jin waved the council off as he stepped through the doors, leaving the five in silence.
"None of what you all heard here leaves this room." Satsuki stated, standing up. "For now, I will begin preparations for the Naturals Election. I trust you won't let me down…"
Hey! We live in Armour Zone!