It was a couple of weeks after the interviews that the seven had been working hard to perfect their styles while the New Universal Villains have deeply embedded themselves as custodial staff and other members in order to keep themselves hidden within the walls.
"Okay...it's been two weeks. Looks like I've gotten an understanding of the fundamentals." Techno said. "Now it's just the matter of finding a way to unlock my potential. Mist mentioned my aura, so perhaps if I focus on that…'' he muttered as he wrote his ideas in a notebook. "Mechanize Style...how it should work… Well, there is a Cyber style already, so if I learn about that, perhaps…"
"Techno!" a voice called out as Kusaragi stood over him. "We're wanted over in the arena."
"The arena?" Techno asked before the thought came to him. "Ah, I see. No sense in ignoring the call." he said as he got up. "Lead the way."
The two made their way through the temple until they entered a large room with several square platforms dotting the floor, several seating areas at the walls. The two took their place alongside the other trainees.
"So, you've made it." Bala said.
"Sorry I'm late." Techno said. "I lost track of time because I was trying to figure out what style I might be good at."
"Well...then experience is the best key." a voice said as Blazer himself entered the arena. "Cause today...you'll be showing what you know so far...in a fight!"
"...Oh joy." Techno said flatly.
"Direct combat…it would be beneficial to show my skill in that. However, I'm not good at fighting up close." Priyan said.
"Same here...my Color Style is best from a certain distance." Ri said.
"And me… Well, it depends on the sport, I guess." Kazutora said.
"Hahahah. Yes. Great, ready for a battle, hothead." Rush said.
"Oh I'm not the one you'll be fighting. Your opponents have been randomly selected beforehand." Blazer said.
"Randomly selected?" Techno asked in confusion. "I was under the impression we would be fighting each other."
"Nah...you all would hold back if you fought one another on account of the friendships you built up during the two weeks." Blazer said.
"That's not long enough." Bala said.
"So you'll be fighting fighters here." Blazer said.
"Oh, I get it." Techno said. "So every day, we'll be fighting different veteran fighters to see how we stack up against them. Essentially, taking on our superiors."
"Wrong again." Blazer said. "This is just for fun. Now...first match! Kusaragi VS Archie! Talisman Style vs Arrow Style!"
Archie soon entered the arena with bow and arrows in hand as he smiled as Kusaragi prepped his talismans.
"Let the battle begin!" Blazer said.
"Let's go! Fire Bird Talisman!" Kusaragi said, tossing one of the papers as it became a flaming bird that flew at Archie.
"Aqua Arrow!" Archie said, firing an arrow as it exploded into water, extinguishing the bird. "And Impact Arrow!" he said firing as Kusaragi just stood there as it simply dented. "Huh?"
"Arrows will not pierce me." he said, opening his jacket to show multiple talismans. "My chest and back are covered in Armor Talismans!"
"Hmm...pretty clever there. Well...gotta get creative then. Multi Arrow!" Archie said, firing into the air as it split into hundreds of other arrows.
"Go...Homing Talisman!" Kusaragi said, tossing another talisman as it stuck onto Archie.
"What's this supposed to…" Archie said as the arrows turned their attention to him. "The hell?!"
"Homing Talisman...it makes all airborne projectiles chase whatever it is attached to." Kusaragi said as the arrows chased Archie.
"Crap, crap crap! Okay! I give!" Archie called out.
"And the match is over. Winner is Kusaragi!" Blazer said.
"Depower, Homing Talisman." Kusaragi said as all the arrows soon fell dead on the ground.
"Hmm...impressive skills." Priyan said.
"Alright...setting up the next battle! Kazutora vs Grav!" Blazer said.
"Grav of the Gravity Style, huh? Interesting. This is going to be fun." Kazutora said.
"I gotta agree." Grav said walking in.
"Let the battle...begin!" Blazer said.
"Guess I'll tee things off first." Kazutora said as a golf club forms in his hand as he swings, launching a ball straight at Grav.
"That all you got?" Grav said as he went and punched the ball back at Kazutora. "(Let's see how well he does with a heavier ball.)" he thought.
"Well, if you're going to be like that…" Kazutora said as he ran a hand on his golf club, turning it into a baseball bat as he swung right at the ball, coating it in flames.
"So he can do more than just hit a ball." Grav said as he dodged the ball.
"Woo! That was pretty smoking. I was kind of worried about that one for a moment there." Kazutora said.
"Well...guess we don't have to worry about the kid gloves then." Grav said, punching himself multiple times before jumping high into the air.
"Whoa! It's like he just made himself lighter!" Kazutora said.
"That's 'cause he did." Blazer said. "Yeah...you're probably gonna forfeit after what happens next."
"Forfeit? No way, man." Kazutora said. A hockey stick started forming in his hand. "(If he's making himself lighter, then he must be a lot faster now. In that case, I'll need to start thinking outside the field… Predict his movements, pick the right equipment, and strike accordingly…)"
"Gravity...Meteor!" Grav said, hitting himself again as he fell quickly to the ground, creating a large crater where he stood.
"Now!" Kazutora shouted as he launched a hockey puck coated with lightning. Skates start to form on his feet as he rushes right at Grav.
"Big mistake.' Grav said as the puck pushed down to the ground.
"Huh?" Kazutora said as he felt himself being pulled down to the ground.
"Originally...that move was simple. A light ascension followed by a heavy impact. But...now it's got a twist. I can now create a small area of incredibly powerful gravity for 4 minutes." Grav said.
"Heh… Then I guess… It's a good thing I came at you...when I did." Kazutora said.
"What are you talking about, kid? You're pinned down to the ground." Grav said.
Kazutora smiles as ice starts coating the field.
"Ice?!" Grav said as the entire field was coated. "Crap!" he said, seeing it crawling up his body.
"Yeah, I knew that my style would be pretty unconventional and not all that effective in a straight-up fight. That's why I improvised with the different sports I managed to incorporate." Kazutora said. "For example, when I switch to my ice skates, I can create a trail of ice wherever I'm going. And if I somehow manage to hit the ground in that state, well… You can pretty much see the results for yourself. And since you made yourself heavier, that means that you wouldn't be able to move once that took effect."
"Hmm...I surrender." Grav said.
"Okay...and that's 2 matches for the newbies." Blazer said.
At that, Kazutora took off his skates, causing the ice in the arena to fade.
"(That guy's pretty interesting.)" Techno thought to himself. "(His experience with strategy is much like Ishihara's. I'll have to be careful if we cross paths outside the temple…)"
"Okay...match three is underway! Bala vs Hive!" Blazer said as both entered the arena. "And...begin!"
"Let the scales of…" Bala began before multiple insects swarmed him.
"The Scale Style...a style meant to equalize power. However, it doesn't mean much against insects." Hive said.
"Wow...that was surprisingly short. Winner is Hive." Blazer said.
"Wow… That was quick." Kazutora said. "I guess even bugs can be powerful under the right circumstances."
"Okay...match 4! Ri vs Noise!" Blazer said as both walked in.
"Hmm...this girl is blind. This may be over quickly." Techno said.
"You some sort of idiot?" Rush asked. "Noise has no eyes to see, sure… but that weakling's gonna go down instantly."
"I'm not sure about instantly, but… I have a feeling Ri has some way to make up for his lack of physique." Kazutora said.
"Let the battle...begin!" Blazer said.
"Okay...we can do this rather…" Ri began before Noise drew a guitar and mike.
"Okay! Are we ready to rock? Cause here we go!" Noise said, striking a chord, sending Ri flying into the air.
"What the?" Techno said.
"Yeah...I've done my homework. While Noise may not see, she's pretty deadly in a fight with her Sound Style." Rush said.
"Feathers of Horus." Ri called as multiple bright feathers gathered and formed into a pair of wings behind his back.
"Sonic Scatter." Noise said, striking another chord as the feathers were scattered before Ri and knocked against the wall.
"Listen to this. Siren's Song." Ri said, holding up a beautiful feather before throwing it towards Noise as it unleashed a powerful High Note.
"Hmm...not bad...but it's got a lot of faults." Noise said. "Here's a real siren song." she said, playing a soothing sound as Ri soon drifted off to sleep. "And FYI, sound attacks don't work on me. Something to remember next time." she whispered.
"And match goes to Noise." Blazer said.
"Okay… I take that back." Kazutora said.
"Same here." Techno said.
"Okay...match 5! Rush vs Locks!" Blazer said.
"Okay, goldilocks...I'm gonna dice off all those hairs of yours." Rush said.
"You are welcome to try." Locks said.
"Battle...begin!" Blazer said.
Rush simply charged in as Locks made a wall of hair. "I can easily…" Rush said with his arm going through only for him to get tangled up in the air before being suspended like a puppet. "The hell?!"
"Yeah...my hair is a lot more versatile than it looks." Locks said.
"Ugh...come on, it's gotta...ah damn." Rush growled.
"Wow...Newbies are having it rough. Winner is Locks." Blazer said.
"We're 2-3." Priyan said. "We gotta win our fights, Techno."
"I think it just proves a moral point. If you come in going all gung-ho right off the bat, you're just going to make an ass out of yourself." Kazutora said before he was grabbed by the now free Rush.
"You wanna die, idiot?" he growled.
"Break it off." Blazer said as Rush simply walked off.
"Okay...maybe not all bark." Kazutora said.
"Next fight. Priyan vs Loli!" Blazer said as the two stepped up. "You may begin."
"Now...step up! Soldier!" Priyan said, tossing a figurine before it became a full grown soldier.
"Okay my dolls! Let's go!" Loli said getting a few army dolls ready for the fight.
"Okay...let's go! Spy! Thief! Archer!" Priyan said, tossing more figurines as they became the warriors she listed off.
"I see. So she literally carries around her own personal army." Techno said.
"Attack!" she ordered as the four warriors overwhelmed the dolls before holding Loli at literal gunpoint.
"I surrender! Don't hurt us anymore!" Loli begged.
"Winner is Priyan. Nice work." Blazer said.
"Thanks. Now revert!" Priyan said as the warriors returned to their figurine forms as she put them in her bag as she returned to her seat. "All on you, Techie."
"Uh… thanks Priyan." Techno said as he walked out to the arena, thinking to himself. "(She just gave me a nickname… I think she likes me. Odd…)"
"And now the final match! Techno vs Marie." Blazer said.
"Marie… What was her style again?" Techno asked himself before the girl came onto the platform. "(Marie, Marie… oh… oooooh. Isn't she… oh dear, that was the Blood Style. Aw, damn… If I thought dealing with Cheetah was bad, I'm really in for it now...)"
Techno sighed as Blazer prepared to start the match. "(Well, guess I'll have to stand my ground and improvise…)."
"Begin." Blazer said.
"Your blood...will be ever so sweet." Marie said, biting into her arm as her blood flowed out and formed into multiple tentacles.
"Ah… I'm pretty sure I'd taste terrible." Techno said as he pulled out and ignited a plasma blade. "(I've heard that in times of desperation, people will unlock new power… Really hope that applies here!)"
The tentacles lurched towards Techno, who jumped out of the way of most and used his sword to the one still trained on him. From there, the future Flux was left to ward off the tendrils while he was moved back to the edge of the arena.
"(They didn't say anything about going out of bounds, but it's best not to risk it…)" Techno thought as he saw the tentacles poised to stab at him. "(Let's hope this works…!)"
Techno quickly jammed a few buttons on his wrist device, vanishing and reappearing on the other side of the ring. Allowing himself a quick sigh of relief, Techno traded his sword for a laser gun and took aim at Marie, quickly pulling the trigger and releasing a burst of energy that arched towards the Color Fighter.
"What fun." she said taking the attack head on as she showed multiple injuries. "Oh...hurts so much...it kills!" she said as the blood from her wounds started moving and forming various weapons.
"Damn, it seems I just gave her more ammo." Techno mused. "What to do, what to do… Hmm… previous fights have ended when the opponent was forced into an unwinnable scenario, so…"
The doctor holstered his gun and pulled out his plasma sword once more, holding it in both hands. "It was once said that once all other options are exhausted, the final answer, no matter how unlikely, is correct. Therefore… the only choice I have… is to do something against my better judgement."
With that Techno took off running towards Marie, even as the weapons flew towards him.
"Is he crazy?! He's running straight for her!" Ri said, awake once again.
"No...he's being smart." Priyan said.
"Y'know, funny thing about blood!" Techno said as he ran. "When you get right down to it, it's simply a water solution. That means it shares many things with water… including a boiling point." he said as he swung his sword at the nearest blood weapon. The plasma matched with the blood, before the latter started to bubble and then harden.
"Blood is mostly water after all. It has boiling and freezing points. Meaning when it's heated enough, the bonds dissolve and it dries and hardens." Priyan said.
Techno then continued to move towards Marie, boiling the rest of the blood weapons as they approached. After all the weapons were gone, Techno managed to reach Marie, putting the blade right next to her neck, letting her feel the heat coming off of the plasma sword.
"It's amazing what one can do to a plasma sword while on the fly. Just switch off the heat regulator and it's like a summer day in Florida in the palm of your hand." Techno said. "I'll probably get sunburn from this…but it's worth it."
"Hah...no...way…" Marie said weakly as she collapsed.
"And that's game. Winner is Techno. Newbies win." Blazer said.
"Oh, did I...kill her?" Techno asked.
"Nah...she just used too much blood." Blazer said.
"Victory by endurance…" Techno mused. "...I'll take it."
Later, the seven recruits gathered up together back in their quarters.
"I must say Techie, you really surprised us. Not many can just take Marie head on like what you did." Pryian said.
"You were surprised?" Techno asked. "Honestly, I'm surprised I won. Honestly, I didn't think boiling the blood would work, on account of it being Color Fighting."
"Color Fighting doesn't necessarily mean all styles are different from normal." Bala said. "Simply means that they are skilled with manipulating or using said element."
"Yeah, what he said. I mean, everyone is good at something." Kazutora said.
"That information is helpful, and yet…" Techno trailed off. "Even with this victory, I'm still no closer to understanding how to unlock this potential. I need someone who can point me in the right direction."
"I know it's not my place to say this, but… I heard that when Ishihara first unleashed his transformations, he was thinking about everyone that still lived while our home was in ruins. Then his second state was when he was thinking about, er...upholding a promise to that...Cheetah chick or something. I don't know the full details about that… I mean, I think you know where I'm going with this. Is there anyone in your life you would consider close?" Kazutora asked.
"Hmm… well, I do have a close associate, a young boy… Still, while I consider him a friend, I do not think that's the direct point. However… the transformation works due to… one's motivation?" Techno thought out loud, quickly writing it down in his notebook. "This merits some looking into, and a few questions… thank you, Kazutora."
"Always happy to help. Though, considering your rep, I'm hoping I don't regret it." Kazutora said. "I mean, it is just a theory, after all."
"A theory is always worth looking into." Techno said as he was soon engrossed in his writing. "Let's see… let's start with Jexi…"
"Okay...you do that." Priyan said as they headed off and left him alone as he wrote notes.