Here we are, folks! If you're wondering why these two are the main event... it's for the sake of variety, honestly. I thought it would get kinda repetitive if Adelheid was the main event every time, so I'm just switching it up a little.
Warning: I am going to attempt to hit you in the feels these next couple. Be prepared.
One final note, and this is important: POLL VERSION 2 will be available, following the posting of this chapter. Vote for your winner! Again, these votes will not determine the outcome of the fic, but I still want you to have some fun. VOTE!
Enjoy the main event.
ROUND 1, AFTER HOTARU'S VICTORY...
"Isn't this nice, Gato~?"
Hotaru cheerfully asked the man sitting across from her at the restaurant table. She didn't wait for a response before plunging her fork back into the soft, warm blood sausage, slicing off a thin piece with her knife and popping it into her mouth.
"The two of us, celebrating our nice victories... mmm! Mmm! German food is so yummy!"
Hotaru finished her mouthful and then looked over at her tiny yellow pet, who had acquired one of her green beans, and was diligently nibbling it.
"Tee hee! Itokatsu likes the food here too~"
Gato, predictably, was no use in terms of response or emotion. He'd opened his mouth to order one time (bratwurst and sauerkraut), but since then had remained silent, picking away at the food on his plate gradually. He would occasionally look up at Hotaru... but every time his eyes met hers, he would awkwardly turn away... as if just seeing those eyes brought him inner turmoil.
Hotaru wasn't worried about such things. She was having the time of her life; as far as she was concerned, just getting him here, at this point, was a major turning point. She chose to savor it.
"This is the first time we've had extended interaction together in... gee, I don't remember how long."
Gato's eyes slightly twitched at that. He aimed his fork at his plate... but found himself looking beyond the food altogether. His eyes remained there... stuck in limbo.
Hotaru finished her mouthful, swallowed, and flashed a smile... but a moment later, it faded, and she too looked down.
"I wish... I could remember dinners we had... the four of us. If ever there was such a thing. I just... my brain won't let me. It's like the memories are sleeping."
Gato's eyes finally went back to hers, compelled by what she was saying, despite every reason not to be... something inside him drove him to press forward.
"What do you remember?" he finally spoke for the second time, propping his elbows on the table, crossing his hands.
Hotaru blushed, slightly unprepared. "W-well... I remember my mother a lot. She was so... so kind... so loving..."
Gato's mouth slightly teased a baring of teeth. His hands tightened together.
"I don't remember much about my father, but I remember his teachings... I remember how he was always such a kind soul, never seeking violence. He reflected that in the fighting style he taught me. He was always patient, always willing to go easy on me... he was a gentle teacher."
His hands squeezed together so tight, they started to change color. The man HE remembered... the man he hated... was the complete opposite.
"...And what about me?" Gato pressed the most important question.
Hotaru, nervous, started playing with her fork. "A...ah... I... remember you... in passing. Gato, I know it sounds weird and inconclusive, but... I can't remember any memories we used to share. I can't remember ever spending time with you, or talking to you, or touching you... but I still remember you. Your face, your body... everything about you still lingers in my mind, latent. I... I KNOW we were a family. The four of us. I don't know if we were ever together, but..."
"How can you say I'm your brother?" Gato's voice became harsh. "How?!"
Hotaru picked up on the vibe... and her voice echoed in part. "You want to know how?! Then let me ask you something... what are you hiding from me?!"
Gato grunted, recoiling back... not expecting this newfound aggression.
Hotaru pressed on. "You know it all, don't you? You know everything! Mother, Father, whatever happened that... that tore us..."
The mood of the room changed so dramatically. Peaceful, aggressive... now somber, as Hotaru's eyes welled with tears, her face hanging low, looking down at her plate.
Gato followed suit, a perfect parallel, as he too couldn't bear to look in the other's eyes: only at the food, the meaningless medium that had brought this long-overdue meeting together.
"You never speak about father or mother." Hotaru's words came out gentle, powerless. "All I know is... our mother's gone... and you have so much hatred in your heart... why? Is it because of our father? Did he...?"
"Hotaru." his voice came out firm and sharp, as if commanding her to stop right there.
...But she continued, her tearful eyes back up, looking at him. "I know you're my brother... because you love me enough to try and protect me from a scary truth. A truth that I have every right to know... but I'm fortunate not to. Even now, you won't tell me... will you?"
Gato felt compromised... and it was draining. He slumped backwards in his chair, closed eyes looking up at the ceiling, capturing the draft of the ceiling fan... a long, labored sigh.
How could he possibly tell her? That their father killed their mother... and trauma-induced amnesia granted a reality where such horror was forever buried away?
It would hurt her. Bad.
...But maybe this was hurting her even worse.
Hotaru... I'm not your brother. Your brother would have been strong enough to prevent all this.
QUARTERFINALS FIGHT #4: KULA DIAMOND VS GATO
Gato was by far the most hated man in Germany, and on television.
Numerous news outlets had covered his weekly antics, including the frigid dismissal of his "rumored biological sister", as well as his post-Round 3 tirade. So to see him here, attempting to squash the championship run of everyone's current #1 Babyface... there couldn't be a human being more reviled.
There were enough boos thrown at the man, as he walked out, to shame three consecutive shoddy band performances in a row. The negativity was almost physically weighing on the Stadium, as everyone who saw him walk out couldn't help but feel... down. If, by some crazy chance, Gato were one of Orochi's "chosen followers"... he could have woken up the god ten times over by now. Thankfully, he couldn't do THAT much damage: he was just a simple, shitty human being.
"So everybody wants him to lose, right?" Andy addressed everyone. "I mean, are we unanimous on this?"
"I don't just want him to lose... I want to see him skewered by ice shards." King held nothing back in her venomous desires.
"Yup. Asshole." Joe agreed.
"Asshole." Mai agreed.
"Asshole." Momoko blurted.
"Momoko, language!" Athena scolded, blushing. "B-but yeah. Asshole."
"I dunno what you guys are on about." Yamazaki grinned. "I love Gato just the way he is."
Gato naturally ignored all the boos and criticisms. As far as suppression of emotions went, his was on a level beyond any other human. He was the definition of an icy mountain peak. Ironically... colder than the person he was about to face.
Finally arriving in the center of the ring, Gato took a moment to scan his surroundings... hatred, everywhere he looked. A sharp breath from his nostrils... and his eyes went back forward, as he lowered himself to the ground, sat down, legs criss-crossed... and meditated.
They were stepping stones. All of them.
The man he sought to destroy was a far greater threat.
That's why he couldn't lose to anyone.
If he lost, even once...
...He wasn't worthy to face that man.
A minute passed, and the tune of the Stadium changed dramatically; cheers and rumbling applause erupted, as the second half of the main event finally made her walkout. With whimsical, almost playful steps, Kula Diamond strutted to the combat zone... but her face spoke a different story. Anyone who looked at the ice girl could tell she was all business. Those ruby reds were fixated on Gato the entire time... never once blinking.
It wasn't until she reached the threshold of the ring that she finally broke her concentration, to address her "mommies", who had escorted her to the area.
"Kula, we're so proud of you for getting this far." Diana spoke softly to her, leaning down to ruffle her hair a bit. Kula managed a smile.
Foxy, not to be left out, affectionately rubbed her back. "Just go out there and be the best you can be, okay?"
Kula, back to her smiling self, stood on her tip toes as Diana leaned in and the two shared a synchronized cheek kiss. Foxy followed suit right after.
"Love you, Diana. Love you, Foxy."
The two, with a simultaneous nod, backed away, leaving Candy Diamond to be the last one standing there.
Kula approached her beloved robot and threw her arms around her, pulling her in, pressing her face against hers. "Candy... go keep Hotaru safe. Okay?"
They broke away, and Kula planted a kiss on Candy's forehead. Candy, understanding the command, broke off and headed back to the stands, sitting right next to the blue-haired girl in question.
Hotaru, who was still enveloped in a woe-stricken bubble, slightly jumped when the robot suddenly planted at her side. "O-oh! Hello there... Candy-chan. So this is awkward, huh? My brother... and... my new friend...sniff... I don't know what to do. Who do I...?"
Candy, who was incapable of speech, gave Hotaru a gesture that needed no words: gently placing her hand on the blue-haired girl's... a small, simple, reassuring comfort.
With the two competitors in the ring, things finally died down to a tense silence, as everyone eagerly awaited the opening action... nobody knew how this match would turn out, but they had some ideas. It either involved broken bones... or frozen ones.
Gato, who had been in a meditative position, finally opened his eyes, looking up at the ice girl... a frown wrinkled his face, as he rose to his feet, and puffed:
"This is insulting. I am competing for the strength to destroy one of the most fearsome martial artists in the world... and a sweet tooth, patty-cake-playing child is what they put in front of me?"
Gato slowly approached her, his shadow growing... looming... as he got closer, it became increasingly apparent how his thick frame towered over her, until the six-foot man finally stopped right in front of her, looking down at the shorter girl with a snarl and fearsome eyes.
"I'll crush you in one blow."
Kula just stared back, blankly, not a word in retort.
FIGHT!
The beginning of the fight was... strange, to say the least. Kula, despite her larger opponent up on her, made no attempt to defend herself. She just stood there, arms down, posture relaxed, like there was no fight about to happen.
Gato himself was confused by this, and reluctant to make a move. Thus, the first minute consisted of them just standing there... staring at each other...
...Until finally, Gato lost his patience. He brought his foot between her legs and hooked the back of her left knee, lifting the leg up to throw her off balance...
"HIYAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
His fist thrust like a piston, ramming with full force into her stomach, and Kula ROCKETED across the grassy field, flying the entire length... until she hit the wall with a thunderous CRASH!
The audience sang out in horror all at once, having not witnessed Kula take a hit of that intensity at any point before now. The dust from the impact was so thick there was no way of even seeing her body, and determining if she had SURVIVED... but after a hit like that, the fight must have been over.
"Holy moly, what a hit!" Shingo burst.
"Is she...?!" Vanessa questioned.
"That girl took everything Angel threw at her." Ramon added. "But that was a hard punch..."
Hotaru had already seen enough. Seeing her friend get knocked across the field like that was enough to make her bury her face in Candy's chest.
Gato, convinced that he'd done his job swiftly, straightened his yellow gi, and turned his back, starting to walk away...
FWOOSH!
...The next thing he felt was cold, followed by a stinging pain across his cheek. Puzzled, he brought his hand to his skin, to feel the afflicted area...
Blood.
Hotaru, who saw it out of the corner of her eye, gasped, pulling her head back out to recapture the full view.
Spinning back around, Gato's face widened with shock as he saw the dust cleared, and Kula still up and healthy. His work was far from done...
His face scrunched as he rushed her, not caring about going beyond the dirt circle. He raced across the grass, desperately trying to close the distance between them...
...The ice projectiles started falling down, all around him, like incoming mortars. Each impact, creating a decent-sized crater, and a formidable puff of dust, to really emphasize the velocity she was putting into them.
Kula continued lobbing at him, from her safe distance. Gato leaped to the side to dodge two, leaped the other way to dodge another three, but he landed awkward and was forced to roll. He still regained himself and kept running forward... finally, when he was but a few yards away, Kula actually rushed out to meet him!
...But the head-on collision was avoided, as Kula shot forward with an icy propulsion and went LOW, clipping Gato's left leg, almost like two passing vehicles grazing paint. Gato, with ridiculous forward momentum, was tripped... and the man crashed hard and tumbled harder.
"THAT'S THE WAY, KULA!" Diana cheered.
"TRICKY! TRICKY! FRUSTRATE HIM!" Foxy reinforced.
Gato was definitely feeling the effects of his monumental crash; he felt like a car that had went sideways and flipped for a good few yards. His hair was already messed up. His clothes were scuffed and dirty.
...Kula looked clean as a fresh ice cream cone.
"HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Gato kiai'd like thunder as he rushed Kula and started winging wild punches, a left, a right, a left roundhouse, spinning into a right back kick... Kula was simply too fast.
But Gato's volume proved resilient, and Kula was forced to start blocking. She summoned ice screens as fast as she could, but Gato's punches shattered through them like prop glass. After breaking two of her defenses, a spinning back kick sealed the deal... Kula tried her best to tank the hit with an ice shield, but Gato's foot smashed right through it, nailing Kula in the stomach and sending her tumbling backwards.
Even after she was grounded, Gato didn't quit. Kula looked up, just in time to see his menacing form attempting to come down on her with a kick!
CRASH! Kula managed to side roll just in time, but the dust cloud from Gato's kick was a testament to the KILLING intent he put behind it... it sounded like a piano crashing behind her!
"Shit almighty...Gato's trying to crush that little ice pop." Malin sounded slightly worried.
Back on their feet, Gato stared her down at distance... his foot scuffed across the ground... and he kicked forward, with a mighty dust cloud of propulsion. His knuckle shot forward like a meteor...
...Kula's icy powers allowed her to slide to the side, completely dodging it. Their positions now perpendicular, Gato spun around with a back kick, a sweep kick, spinning back around into a roundhouse, using that momentum to fly forward with a tornado kick... the ice girl was just too elusive with her gliding abilities, and Gato's strikes hit air.
Kula's ice-propelled feet shot backwards to a safe distance... and she looked at the frustrated Gato, put her hand to her mouth...
"Yaaaaaaaaaaawn~"
...Gato's face twisted to menacing proportions.
"You... youuu... lollipop-sucking little... FREAK! You dare to stand in the way of my ambition? What I've strove, worked hard, trained... what I've SACRIFICED so much of myself for? I'LL SCRAPE YOU OFF THE WALLS OF THIS PLACE!"
Kula, in an even more unprecedented move, put a finger under her eyelid and stuck out her tongue.
This got Gato moving again. His feet furiously shredded dirt as he raced towards the ice girl...
...An ice wall sprouted in front of him.
With an impatient growl, Gato put his fist through the wall, reducing it to rubble. He kept running...
...This time, he could clearly hear THREE ice walls sprouting, in a single-file line.
"Grrr... GRRRRRRR... THIS WON'T STOP ME! HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Gato's body glowed with blue chi as he shot forward with a flying kick. His foot crashed through all three walls, in sequence, and upon breaking through the third... he landed back on his feet, in front of the eyes of his annoying opponent.
Gato cocked his fist back, and swung; a flash of blue, and Kula was far to the right. His fist collided with an ice clone, shattering it to pieces.
Kula, in the midst of Gato losing his shit... remained cold as the powers she commanded. In the face of TERRIFYING ferocity, and blows that could leave her in a wheelchair... she seemed to not care what he was capable of.
Gato reared back and swung at her again; he hit yet another ice clone, putting his fist through the sculpture...
...But this one acted differently than the rest. His fist went clean through, failing to shatter it... and before he could pull his fist back out, he felt the ice closing in around his arm, re-freezing. One yank was a test; two yanks confirmed it. He was trapped.
Gato turned... and for the second time... he saw every ounce, every molecule of the HATRED Kula bore towards him, in those blood-red eyes.
Kula cocked her fist back... ice spikes formed on her knuckles... and she let her fist fly into his jaw.
POW!
One. Gato tasted blood. Two. Gato could feel it trickling down his face. Three. Gato could see the blood and spit flying from his mouth.
"Holy... she's gonna break his jaw!" Ralf exclaimed.
"He's pouring blood." Clark noted. "I think his nose IS broken."
Hotaru was once again in Candy's arms, her eyes leaking tears. It was too much... too much... seeing her brother bleed... seeing her friend be the aggressor...
Gato had already taken three punches, and that was ENOUGH; with a furious howl, Gato drove his foot low and kicked the ice sculpture free of the dirt, using raw strength to lift it up high... he attempted to smash it down on Kula, but the ice girl was nowhere to be found, and Gato only succeeded in freeing himself.
Gato looked down at himself; blood was soaking his top, almost the entirety of his chest. He could taste nothing but copper, reflexively spitting every few times. His upper lipped tickled constantly, with the waterfall of red leaking from his nostrils. His nose was numbing up...
..And then his eyes went back up to Kula. She just stood there, staring at him, still no defense in her stance... as if she knew she had the power to subdue him easily. Like this was her twisted game... his personal torture.
"HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Gato howled, blood flying from his mouth as he shot forward and unleashed strikes on her. A violent 1-2, followed by a kick... Kula was just too agile to hit!
Gato kept trying. He cocked back, threw his best punch...
...The next thing he felt was his arm go upwards.
"H-huh?!"
An ice pillar had shot from the ground, in the shape of an open hand, and smacked his punch out of the way. The recoil was immense, and Kula had all the opening she needed to rush in close, present her hand to his stomach... a ball of ice formed in her palm and gained pressure... until... it exploded, like a live grenade, blowing Gato backwards into a violent fall.
"He just can't touch her." Ramon shook his head. "Gato has nothing to offer."
"I always knew Kula was special but... damn..." Vanessa breathed out amazed words.
By the time Gato was up, Kula was already on him. Gato tensed up, getting in a defensive stance...!
...The strangest next move came, as Kula simply looked down at his leg, gently extended her foot... and tapped him. She then looked back up at him, as if she had delivered a devastating blow.
Gato's mouth twisted into a snarl; she was toying with him!
The man wasted no time ramming his palm into her chest, knocking her yards backwards. He ran out to meet her, determined to pick up the pace...
...The floor turned to ice all around him, and his undisciplined footwork caused him to slip forward...
...Right into the waiting hand of Kula, who extended her two fingers, curled them, and pinched his nose. His BROKEN nose.
"AGHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...!" The world got to witness Gato cry out in pain for the first time, as his broken appendage was bent sideways by the ice girl, who then took advantage of his close proximity to curve her elbow into his face. Wrought with pain, eyes blurry with tears, smelling nothing but blood, Gato was in no position to tank the hit, and he collapsed on his side.
"G-GATOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Hotaru cried out his name, slinging her head so fiercely, tears flew out like pellets.
At this point, Gato looked nothing like the prideful warrior, who had triumphed over three fighting giants. He was disoriented, crawling on his hands and knees, unable to even breathe from his nose, as his mouth hung open with labored pants. It took several seconds of him crawling around... before he was finally able to struggle to his feet.
The entire time, Kula just stood still... and stared.
Back up, flicking blood from his nose, Gato trudged forward on shaky feet...
He threw a kick. A hand-shaped ice pillar sprouted from the ground and parried his foot. He threw another kick. ANOTHER pillar of the exact same design stopped his attack.
Gato collapsed on all fours... and a THIRD pillar came: in the shape of a fist, sprouting right underneath his stomach.
"URRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...!" Gato was sent sky high, as the pillar grew to impressive height, carrying the man the entire length, before finally returning to the earth whence it came... and Gato's body fell back down with a THUD.
"That's gotta be it, right?" Shingo questioned. "Someone's gotta call it."
"I don't think Rose is looking very merciful right now..." Benimaru observed.
Coughing, sputtering, spitting blood, Gato rose once more and walked forward... he didn't make it far, before an ice clone sprouted in front of him.
"Ngh?!"
Before Gato could question it, a fist sprouted from the statue's chest, blasting him in the face.
"Gaagh!"
Gato stumbled backwards, drunkenly... into a second ice clone, who ping ponged him back forward. The original ice clone knocked him sideways... and a THIRD ice clone was there to bounce him around!
Kula had, in fact, materialized four ice clones. Although they were inanimate objects, bearing no sentience, she had the ability to use the material present to form an offensive weapon, giving the clones the illusion of actually throwing a punch. It was like what Chizuru was capable of... but with plain ice.
After getting ping-ponged for a few good seconds... Gato had officially had enough. The next time he stumbled into an ice clone, he took great pleasure in driving his forearm through the thing, crumbling it. The next three clones met a similar fate, courtesy of his vengeful fists and feet.
"Huff...huffff...huff...huffff..."
...But just as he thought it was over, Gato could hear the ice forming once again...
...He looked around, and he was SURROUNDED by ice clones.
The fists started coming out in an unholy volley: a machine gun assault of punches, riddling him from head, to torso, to legs, to lower legs, back up to his waist, into his stomach, up into his chest, his face...
And finally... one last, final, giant fist spawned, as all the ice clones molded into one, and smashed Gato into the wall of the Stadium, complete with a grandiose explosion of dust and debris.
WINNER: KULA DIAMOND
"KUUULA! KUUULA! KUUULA! KUUULA! KUUULA! KUUULA! KUUULA! KUUULA! KUUULA!"
The Stadium chanted Kula's name, celebrating her victory, as the ice girl stood triumphant in what remained of the battlefield. Evidence of her power was rampant throughout the place: ice debris, pieces of statues, not to mention the giant fist still embedded in the wall, no doubt still containing the body of Gato.
"Wow... I've never seen anyone do that to Gato before." Bonne Jenet exclaimed. "I thought he was invincible."
"He looks like the OPPOSITE right now." Joe laughed.
"Shut up, Joe. Should we ch-check on...?"
"Yeah, do YOU wanna go down there and disturb the guy?" Andy raised an eyebrow.
"I'm still just trying to wrap my head around it..." King spoke amazed whispers. "That guy... that PRICK... to see him torn apart like that..."
Despite her apparent victory and her solidified status in the final four... Kula's eyes bore no joy at what she had done. She knew what this meant; this meant a rift between her and her newfound friend. Distrust. Heartbreak. Maybe even... hostility.
But she knew it was necessary. Even if it was an ugly thing to do... it was right. He had to be stopped, and she did so.
Kula looked up at the stands; Hotaru was no longer there. She caught only the passing glimpse of her blue hair retreating, and Candy following behind her, before a crowd of bodies obscured her for good.
"KULA!"
"YOU DID IT!"
Diana and Foxy scooped her up, covering her in kisses... but they were surprised to see no return from their little semifinalist. It wasn't until they stopped and looked in her eyes that they noticed something amiss.
"Kula?"
"What's wrong, sweetie?"
Kula looked down. "I... I didn't want to do that to Hotaru. It was... selfish of me. I wanted him to suffer. I wanted him humbled. I... I wanted to hurt him. It feels less like the me I am now, and more like the NESTS-"
CRAAAAAAAASH!
Diana and Foxy gasped, dropping Kula onto her feet. They turned to see the cause of the ruckus...
CRAAAAAAAAAAAASH!
A second eruption of equal power. The ice fist, which had smashed into the wall like a train wreck, was now riddled with cracks...
CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!
...After that third noise, the ice fist crumbled to pieces.
...From the dust, Gato limped forward, his eyes SEETHING with hatred.
"You... youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..."
The fighters all began to notice at once, gasping in shock.
"Oh wow!" Xiangfei squealed.
"Somebody's angry..." Beni mentioned.
"Somebody get him a bottle of Snapple!" Shingo yelled.
Weak, scuffing steps. His shaky legs willed him forward, as his body wobbled, struggling to stay upright... his hair messed up, clothes torn, face caked in a mixture of dirt and blood... but the whites of those insane, bloodshot eyes shone through.
"You... manufactured... FREAK..." he spat pure venom. "Think your magic tricks can stop me? ME?! I AM THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR! I... r...re...reFUSE... to let... SOME FUCKING LITTLE GIRL DEFEAT MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
Diana and Foxy's maternal instincts compelled them to step forward in defense... but Kula pushed past them, any remorse in her eyes replaced by the same emotions that drove her to this point.
Diana started to call out her name... but her words stopped dead, her jaw dropping, when she saw what fell from Kula's grasp...
...Her metal glove. The only anchor, restricting her powers from unleashing their TRUE devastation.
Gato didn't know, or care, of the significance of this. The bitter man stomped forward, lungs growling as he gathered energy.
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh..."
His body began to manifest its chi, surrounding him in a strengthening blue aura. The scream from his lungs unleashed his power all at once.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Shockwaves erupted from his body, sending dust rings rippling throughout the Stadium, the entire facility quaking with newfound power. His feet were more sturdy under him now, like a second wind had been regained... like the hatred in his soul had given him new life.
"Pointless."
Kula's eyes lost all white. Enveloped in complete red... she extended her hand.
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Gato felt all the strength in his body blow away. He tried to take a breath... but no air could find his lungs. His skin... FRIGID.
"U...urr...gh..kkk...wh..wha... can...t...m-mo...ve..."
His feet started to move backwards. His eyes faced forward... but the girl drew further and further away. He tried to reach out... his hand couldn't even go upwards!
No more power in his body... his chi... gone... he wanted to slump over to his knees, but his body... unresponsive... not even allowing him to go down...!
"Urgh... urrghhh...! A...ah... AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
With one final scream, Gato's body went backwards, into the same wall he had just escaped from...a monumental crash, and he was a living pancake, spread eagle against the foundation of the Stadium.
And all at once, the blizzard stopped.
Gato fell to the ground, unresponsive.
It was impossible to doubt, at this point, who the winner was. Once again, the Stadium erupted in cheers, celebrating the downfall of one of the most despised heels of this week's event... a second time. The fighters themselves were pleased the outcome... not so much with the sudden change in temperature.
"God dammit Kula! Look at this!" Jenet stared down at her dress, which had two peaks nearly tearing through the purple fabric.
"Y-y-y-y-y-y-y-yeaaah... b-b-b-b-ad day to go braless... and commando..." Mai lamented, feeling the effects of the cold much moreso.
"Hey! Athena-nee! Look! I'm smokin! See? I'm just like Master Chin and his pipe~" Bao cheerfully demonstrated, with mist on his breath.
"B-Bao stop that!" Athena scolded.
"I guess the only way to stop a powerful force of cold like Gato... is to hit him with something even COLDER." Ryo analyzed the poetic justice of Gato's downfall.
"Nothing can top Kula in that field." Robert joined. "She's the ultimate Winter."
"They call her Freeze Miserrrrr.. whatever she touchhhh... will freeze right in her clutchhhhh-"
"Shut UP, Ryuji!" Ryo and Robert yelled at the joker in unison.
"Why are we even letting him sit with us?" Yuri frowned.
Yamazaki, still grinning, shrugged and walked away.
Gato was back up... but the reality around him had crushed him so gravely, he didn't have the power to get off his knees. Nor did his eyes have the strength to look anywhere else, but the ground he inhabited.
"Jeeez this is gonna be a bitch to clean up... oh! Excuse me sir. I'm just gonna get... around you here... Liam Brantner. Janitor."
Normally, any brazen individual who crossed Gato's field of view would be subject to danger... but Gato, docile as a kitten, allowed the janitor to infiltrate his despondent bubble, with no repercussions.
Finally, he heard the slow, gentle scuff of footprints approach. A small shadow creep in... still he looked down.
He felt the presence on him. Felt it leaning down... felt a cold sensation press against his neck, followed by equally cold words:
"You don't deserve her. All that time you spent... all that pain you caused her... it was for nothing. You pushed away the one person who cared about you, swore yourself to killing one man... but you can't even beat me. A 'lollipop-sucking little girl.' You're worthless."
The footsteps started to patter away... but they stopped abruptly, as one more chilling message came out:
"You'd be better off just disappearing."
Kula walked away, leaving Gato to just sit there... and wallow... in whatever self-realization had hit him so severely. Was it the sting of crashing pride? The futility of a life dedicated to mindless revenge? A long-spent facade, an investment that amounted to wasted time and pointless heartache?
He felt it all leave him. Everything that had distinguished him as a proud warrior... every justification that guided him forward on a harsh, bitter journey... it was crushed out of him.
"Heh heh heh... I know that look."
A new pair of footsteps made their presence known, halting in front of his fallen body... bearing a much larger shadow. He recognized the familiar voice.
"That Latina chick had that same look a few days ago... eyes that see no future. No purpose." Yamazaki grinned. "So where do you go from here, eh Gato ol' pal? Which way does the wind blow?"
Gato's eyes narrowed. For the first time... his face rose back up, with a different look; a look that had just figured something out.
He looked up at Yamazaki. "Come with me."
Whew... that was a slog to get out. It was the second-biggest squash match of the round, but also the main event, so I had to make it... you know... epic. Suspenseful. Shit like that. Lol.
NEXT CHAPTER: Gato and Hotaru's story will be concluded, once and for all.
THE FINAL FOUR: CHIZURU, IORI, ADELHEID, KULA. WHO WILL ADVANCE TO THE FINALS OF THE TWILIGHT TOURNAMENT? STAY TUNED!