Chapter 20: Akane vs Katakuri

"Are you ready to do this?"-dialogue
'More than ever!'-inner thoughts/flashback
*DA-DOOM!*-onomatopoeia
Ultimate Thief-title
"Prepare yourself"-Katakuri's Flashback/Monokuma

AN: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS, CHILDREN OF ALL AGES, THE D...YEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH THE GOKU D. UZUMAKI HERE WITH AN ALL-NEW CHAPTER OF THE ULTIMATE BIG BROTHER! I believe we're all here for the same thing: I'll skip the introductions and get this chapter underway!

The following is a non-profit, fan-based fanfiction. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Goodbye Despair, and V3: Killing Harmony are all owned by Spike, Chunisoft, and Kazutaka Kodaka. Danganronpa: The Animation, Danganronpa 3: Despair, Future, and Hope Arc are owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, and Kazutaka Kodaka. One Piece is owned by Shueisha, Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, and Eiichiro Oda. Please support the official releases.

Day Three

Second Floor

Courtyard

12:00 p.m.

"Begin!" Asahina announced as she threw the towel in the air.

The battle has begun.

The students let out a gasp as Akane darted towards the almost 17-foot giant. The gymnast ran towards the fountain in the center of the yard, ran on the tiers, and used them to leap at the giant. She jumped high enough for her to throw a series of punches at Katakuri but the giant dodged the attacks smoothly. Owari landed and skidded to a halt to bear footing before launching a flying punch, and the only thing she punched was air. Then, right before the busty gymnast attacked again, her vision was filled with brown as Katakuri punched her in the face. The students winced and groaned at the impact.

"AAGH!" Akane shouted when she fell. She began to roll around comically while clutching her bloody nose. "Dammit dammit dammit, fuck shit! What is your fist made of, iron?!" she cried out before sitting back, still holding on to her nose. She's lucky she didn't pass out. That hurt like hell!

'Shit, he's not even trying, and yet that fist almost broke my face! I'm sure glad all the times I spent fighting with Sakura and Nekomaru gave me the endurance to handle some heavy hits. If I don't figure something out for me to deck him once, I'm done for!' Akane thought to herself.

Katakuri raised an eyebrow at the injured girl. "Hm, is that all you got?"

The gymnast growled as she clenched her fist, letting the blood trickle from her nose. "Not by a long shot!" She let out a battle cry as she charged back into the fight and began to give Katakuri some of her most powerful flying kicks and roundhouse kicks, yet still, the crimsonhead dodged them without as much of a blink.

"Shit, I know that she's no match for him, but to see it with my own eyes... I'm surprised he hadn't pulverized her already," Mondo commented as he watched the fight with intense focus.

Sakura nodded. "Indeed. As much as the gap between them is ludicrous, you have to admire her will to try to overcome even the most challenging of obstacles," she replied.

"Yet still, she needs to learn that not everything is easy as it seems. She needs to realize that trying to hit Katakuri is nigh impossible, let alone beat him. She's too foolhardy," Peko added as she too was watching the fight.

"O-Oh, I hope Mr. Katakuri won't hurt her too badly. I-I-I don't want her to end up in the same shape as those guns he d-destroyed," Mikan timidly squeaked with her medical kit in her clutches. She knew how strong the man was, and for her classmate to be in a coma was psyching her out. Thankfully, a hand clasped her shoulder to calm her down.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Mikan. Katakuri-san is wary of his strengths and while he's not going all out, he's giving her one heck of a challenge. So she'll pull through, don't worry," Makoto reassured confidently.

Hajime nodded. "I agree. As much of a blockhead she is, she's being careful herself as not to risk her being crippled or paralyzed."

Unfortunately, the nurse comically squeaked and hid her face in her kit from the thought. Hajime choked, and right before he tried to apologize, he was met with a slap upside his head. Turning around, he saw an angry pout from Chiaki. The gamer let out a huff from his poor choice of words and went back into watching the fight.

Poor Hajime.

Back to the duel, Akane continued her series of fruitless attacks upon her opponent, and they're all met with the same result. Owari was getting frustrated with how smooth Katakuri was dodging her attacks. She let out a choked gasp when she noticed that Katakuri's eyes were closed! He's not taking her seriously at all!

"Stop dodging my attacks and take me seriously! Ragh!" she let out a cry as she jumped in the air to land a kick to his head. She saw that her leg was getting close to his head; she's going to hit him! The gymnast smirked as she finally was close to hitting the untouchable Katakuri...but alas...

*WHOOSH!*

The only thing she hit was air. Akane lost her balance when she landed and her face planted on the ground. The students looked upon the fallen gymnast who was completely failing the fight. Owari pushed herself up, but her attempts were getting more frequent, not just from Katakuri's hit, but mainly from exhaustion. "*huff huff* Damn, what's wrong with me? Why can't I hit him?" she demanded to herself. Her rant was cut short when she heard the clicking of spurs behind her. She turned around and glared at Katakuri who kept his neutral expression.

"If you give up now, there'll be no shame. It's better to admit defeat than to keep trying and failing repeatedly," he stated. There's a word that describes someone like Akane Owari to a T. Wanna know what that word is?

Stubborn.

She huffed as she leaped back on her feet and readied her stance. She spat some blood on the turf. "Ha, like that'll be the day!" With a mighty roar, she jumped to great heights and launched a series of kicks and punches at the giant. Despite being almost four times her size, the gymnast has surprisingly great agility. She used the fountain in the middle of the yard as a springboard to leap back at Katakuri. Seeing her face, bloodied, sweaty, yet determined, the giant wanted to test her to see how far she'll go to try to keep up with him. Using his titanic legs, he took a few steps back.

Noticing the change of pace, Owari growled and landed on the ground. Only then, like a track runner, she sprinted off the ground and jumped high to continue her assault. No matter what strategy he uses, Akane will assure that she will land a punch on him.

"Oh my, a little overeager, aren't you?" Katakuri mused slightly. "If you're not careful, you're going to hurt yourself."

"Grr, thanks for the concern, but I'm just fine!" Akane exclaimed. She continued her assault on the giant who's dodging her attacks effortlessly. Then, the next course of action made the blood in Akane boil: Katakuri decided to close his eyes while dodging her attacks. The girl gritted her teeth at the arrogance the giant was showing.

"Think you're too good to look at me while I try to lay one on you? Well, how about this?!" she shouted. She landed back on the ground to catch her breath. Katakuri stopped his dodging and looked at the girl who's panting. Rivers of sweat streamed down her body, her shirt clung onto her skin. Her normally wild hair looked extremely unkempt, her body began to tremble slightly from her fruitless attacks. Akane rubbed the bridge under her nose to look at the crimson vigor on her hand. She clicked her teeth in annoyance as she wiped the blood on her shirt. The girl noticed that some blood trickled from her mouth and she could've sworn that she felt something loose in her mouth.

"S-Shit..." Akane felt her body going numb for a second as she knelt on one knee. She looked at the ground, her eyes almost glazed. Her breathing is more labored and raspy, her body trembling from the overuse of her attacks. 'T-This is not good. I'm already about to keel over yet the big guy's looking squeaky clean. And he's holding back! As much as it pains me, what would've happened if he went all-out on me?' The girl's spine shivered at the thought of the giant unleashing his might on her. She's stubborn, she knows that, but she's not brain-dead. ''Still though, what do I need to do? He punched me once and I almost blacked out! N-No way, there's no way the gap between us is that huge! Is this the power of the strongest?' she thought to herself in distraught.

Back at the audience, the students were getting concerned for the gymnast's current state. She looked like she ran ten marathons and her face was beginning to swell a little bit. Katakuri only landed one punch, yet it already did a significant amount of damage on the girl. Even Nekomaru knew that Akane never looked like this during their spars. Akane was going through the wringer at this moment.

Kaito scratched his neck nervously. "This is not looking good for her, is it?" he asked.

At the top of the bleachers, Byakuya let out a snort. "Of course not. Just look at her; it's pretty obvious that she's way out of her league. I don't know why she even bothered to ask him to fight her, knowing the massive gap between them."

Chihiro stammered. "N-Not only that, but you can tell t-that Akane's getting exhausted. She's going to wear herself down to the point she'll pass out," she added.

"Wear herself out? She looked like she's about to pass out if she's not careful. And knowing her, trying to talk her out of this is like trying to make a donkey move," Mahiru remarked.

"But take a closer look. Why did Katakuri punched Akane?" Maki asked. Everyone thought to themselves as to why Katakuri hit Akane. He could've easily won the fight without touching her and let her weary herself to the point of collapse, but there is something else. But what?

Kyoko cupped her chin as she analyzed Maki's question. Then, it popped. "It was an incentive."

The students turned to look at the lavender girl as she continued to explain her statement. "You're right. Katakuri could easily win the match without laying a finger on her. Letting your opponent tire themselves without countering them is among the most strategic moves in combat. But imagine what's going through her mind whenever he lands a hit on her."

Shuichi looked back at the fight as he watched Akane's increasing frustration and Katakuri's cool-headedness. Then, it clicked him. "I see what you're saying. He's attacking her pride."

Ogami nodded. "Precisely. If there's one thing about Owari is that she prides herself as a fighter. She knows she'll beat Nekomaru one day, which is why she constantly gets into it with him because Nidai's within her range to surpass. But with Katakuri, he's in a whole another realm. Unlike Nekomaru, our giant friend here definitely has years of experience under his belt when it comes to combat," she said sagely.

Kuzuryu folded his arms with a serious expression. "Of course. I figured that him being a transfer student from another country is bullshit. He's not from here. That's obvious. Katakuri looks like he's been doing this for decades, almost his entire life."

"And there's nothing more dangerous than fighting against a seasoned veteran that's been through a lifetime of combat," Maki added.

"So for Katakuri to occasionally hit Akane, that is his way of riling her up. Once someone gets angry, they either increase their fighting ferocity or get sloppy and make fatal mistakes," Peko remarked as she watched the duel. "And I'm afraid that Akane's in the latter. Look at her. She's getting sloppy."

Nekomaru frowned with his eyes closed. "I told Akane that she needs to find a solid fighting style that suits her. So every time we fight, she goes in guns blazing. While I agree that I fight recklessly, my fighting style relies on my body, strength, and stamina. A powerhouse," he said.

Kaito winced from the statements. "So, you're saying that because Owari has no style, she's fighting like a child in an elementary school fight? Flailing their arms, hoping that they'll land a hit?" he asked.

Hajime nodded with a worried expression. "I'm afraid so, man."

Makoto looked at Akane with great concern. He knew her challenging Katakuri was a bad idea, but seeing firsthand how large the gap is between him and her is ridiculous. "Owari-senpai, please don't overwork yourself..." he whispered.

Akane wiped the blood dripping from her still bleeding nose, frustration, and humiliation welling up inside her. She glared at the giant, who was still looking pristine after dodging her furious attacks. She breathed heavily, trying to catch her breath. As she continued to pant laboredly, Katakuri spoke to her.

"There's no shame in giving up. I'm not saying this to belittle you; it's for your good. And before you say it, no, I am not underestimating you." The girl feebly stood back up, regaining her breath. "What made you think it'll be a good idea for you to challenge someone that's way beyond your reach? What purpose would it serve?" he asked the stubborn gymnast.

Owari looked at him. In response, she snorted some blood onto the ground and wiped it clean. She let out a smirk. "I know I'm no match for you. I may be a blockhead but I'm not so stupid that I would bullshit myself into thinking I can match you." She tensed her legs, ready to strike. "And to answer your question..." She charged towards him with fierceness. "So I can become stronger!"

She was expecting the same routine of her throwing her punches with him effortlessly dodging them. What she didn't expect was her right fist being caught in Katakuri's giant hand. The gymnast tried to budge from his grip, but with almost her entire forearm under his grip, it's like trying to pry free from an iron robot. Katakuri raised her up to meet his eye level, brown eyes meeting crimson. Everyone's on edge with Katakuri having Akane in his grasp, doing nothing but dangle like a rope.

"Stronger? Stronger for who?" he asked.

Owari gritted her teeth at the question. "That's none of your business!" she spat. Katakuri remained silent for a second before deciding to throw her. The girl tumbled a good several feet. After stopping, Akane began to rub her head with her vision blurry. When she gained clarity, she lets out a gasp and instinctively scoot back The reason why was because Katakuri is standing directly in front of her! She didn't even hear him move and yet here he is, standing almost 20 feet tall, got in front of her face in a split second..while she was trying to recover from the fall.

"N-No...fucking way..." she stammered breathlessly.

Akane's not the only one. Everyone was shocked when they saw how instantly Katakuri moved near Akane. One second, Katakuri was almost twenty yards from Akane and then the next, he's standing in front of her. Mondo was the first to give out his reaction. "N-No fucking way did you guys see that?!"

Nidai's face was riddled with bullets as he gulped to soothe his dry throat. "S-So fast...how in the world could someone be able to move that fast?" he asked.

The normally composed Peko was sweating as she clenched her fists. "In all my years of combat, I-I have never seen someone as big as him move like that. It was faster than the blink of an eye," she remarked in awe.

"Blink of an eye? More like in the twinkling of an eye! I thought something was wrong with me when that happened!" Soda exclaimed fearfully.

Togami gritted his teeth. "If that fool Akane knows any better, she should give up the match right now. It's obvious that she's outclassed but to see him practically teleport to her face...she'll be a stain if she keeps this up."

"J-Just how fast is he? Just what kind of place in the world could house someone like him?" Sayaka asked shakily. She covered her mouth in shock after seeing that.

"O-Owari is clearly outleveled...K-Katakuri's far too high for her to reach. N-No amount of bosses or final bosses could even match his capabilities," Chiaki added with tremor.

Makoto's face was beginning to turn a paler shade as his stomach was turning knots of seeing Akane so fearful. He knew Katakuri's stronger than her but to see it with his own eyes...he's thankful that Katakuri's not on the side of evil or else...the boy shudders at the thought of the giant being evil.

Akane sat still for a good moment, her mind blanks on what happened. Her body trembled with a slight fear of seeing her opponent in her face in an instant. Her belly was turning inside out, her hands were becoming clammy, her breathing was more erratic. But steeling her mind, the girl begins to stand back up. She wiped some trickling blood from her mouth while readying her battle stance. "J-Just what is to you?" she asked spitefully.

Katakuri remained silent until he replied. "Tell me something, Akane. What weight burdens your shoulders that you would go so far as to challenge me?" Owari gritted her teeth at the question. "Speak up, weakling." the giant demanded.

The comment made some of the students angry. Yes, Akane is weaker than him but it's unnecessary to insult her. Nekomaru frowned deeply as the comment didn't faze him. He folded his arms with a serious expression. And he's not the only one; unsurprisingly, Sakura, Maki, Peko, and Kyoko watched with a calm exterior as they continue to watch. However, Tenko stood up with a furious expression.

"That filthy degenerate! You already had to throw her like trash, but you had to add insult to injury by calling her a weakling?! Why won't you come and fight someone your own size!" the girl exclaimed angrily. As she begins to march out of the stands and into the fight to challenge Katakuri, her path was blocked by Peko's sword. Tenko's face morphed into shock as she turned to Peko who was still keeping her eyes on the fight with her sword raised.

"It's best if you don't butt in, Tenko. You'll only get in the way," Fuyuhiko remarked with a serious tone. Surprisingly, he and the hotheaded Mondo had serious, unresponsive expressions on their faces.

"W-What do you mean by that, huh?! Don't tell me you are going to let this continue-"

"Tenko."

Tenko's rant was cut off when she heard someone she never expected to deny her. She turned and her face turned to horror as she saw the person who called her was none other than Himiko Yumeno. Her Himiko.

"H-Himiko?" Chabashira trembled slightly.

"Please don't get in Big Bro's way. You'll make fun of Akane-senpai if you go down there. He knows what he's doing, I trust him," the magician said calmly. Tenko stood there gobsmacked of what she just heard. Is her Himi-chan really defending this...degenerate? There's no way that she could-no, it's got to be some kind of spell. It has to be!

"But Himi-chan-"

"Tenko Chabashira."

The girl flinched when she heard the all-familiar, stern tone of her master. Sakura kept her eyes glued to the fight with her arms folded. "Interfering will insult Owari. As much of a stubborn girl she is, she knows that she knows not to interfere when it comes to personal one-on-one battles. However, it's obvious that she's doing this for another reason, and it'll be a wise decision for us is to let Akane release her pent-up frustrations," she said wisely. Letting out a pained grunt, the girl begrudgingly sat back down in her spot to continue watching the fight. As much as she hates Akane, she couldn't help but feel worried about her well-being.

"What I have on my shoulders...is not of your concern. I think you'll find me a tough nut to crack if you think you'll find my real reasoning in fighting you," Akane defied. "Now, back to where I was..." The gymnast went into her stance. She spread her legs and readied herself in a horse stance. She let out a low battle cry as she prepared herself. Akane glared at the giant defiantly as she darted towards Katakuri like a bullet.

"That is for me to know and you never to find out!" she shouted as she reared her right arm for a punch. Like all the times before, Katakuri dodged the attack in a teleport-like fashion. Akane landed on the ground and gritted her teeth. She heard the whooshing sound of Katakuri beside her several feet across. Turning around, she dashed towards him to continue her pursuit. The following is a sequence of Akane jumping towards Katakuri quickly to land a hit on him, but with the giant dodging ahead of her punch. Growing frustrated, Akane roared as she pushed her body to go faster in hopes to catch up to Katakuri.

The students were in awe at the display. The fight has now turned to a competition of speed, with Akane trying her best to reach Katakuri's level with the crimsonhead displaying his superior speed. Their eyes couldn't hope to keep track of their movements as they're flying almost in a blur. Even the more experienced fighters like Sakura and Peko were trying their hardest to keep up with the almost dance-like battle taking place.

"My goodness, how intense!" Sonia exclaimed.

"It pains me to say it, but even with the combined powers of my Twelve Zodiac Generals and my Four Devas of Destruction, I couldn't keep track of their movements!" Tanaka remarked in a shocked tone.

"I got to hand it to Akane. She's trying her damnedest to reach him," Mondo said.

"Despite that, Katakuri clearly has the field when it comes to speed. With all the jumping she's doing, I'm surprised she hadn't broken her ankles," Twogami added.

Kyoko nodded. "Indeed. I'm as surprised to see how durable her legs are from all the straining she's putting them through."

"She's not the Ultimate Gymnast for nothing," Nekomaru said. "But it comes to show that even the ultimates have their superior."

"Katakuri's clearly giving her a challenge. See how he's deliberately allowing himself to be close to Akane's reach? If he would've gone all-out, the girl would've been a splatter on the ground. As much as it insults her, I know that deep inside her, she'll rather have him holding back and giving her the fight of her life than end the fight in a split second and damage her pride," Hajime noted.

Miu leaned near Keebo. The inventor cupped her mouth and whispered something in the boy's ear. Keebo let out a nod after Miu finished asking him for something. The robot boy's eyes widened and his irises and pupils glowed a slight red. Iruma sat back to her spot with a small smile on her face. Hopefully, Keebo will record some good baseline for their robot.

Chihiro clenched her fists as she watched the two going by like blurs with wonder. She eyed Katakuri in awe as she's seeing the display of speed and dexterity in his movements. While she admires Akane as well for her bravery in challenging Katakuri, the programmer's main focus is on the giant. She wondered if she becomes strong enough...will she become like him?

Back to the fight, Katakuri dodged Akane's punch again. The giant's composed expression meets with Akane's furious yet determined one. "Are you trying to compete?" he asked curiously? After asking that, he dashed away with the gymnast in pursuit. Akane reared her fist in anger and unleashed a mighty yell.

"I'm going to beat you one day, Katakuri!" she screamed. She threw her fist in a desperate attempt to hit the giant, but in a shocking turn of events, her fist collided! She and the students gasped as they saw Katakuri's right shin blocking Akane's fist. The collision sent a small shockwave that sent the gymnast flying and blew the audience a strong gust of air. The students braced themselves when the wave hit them.

"She hit him!" Hifumi exclaimed.

"Not a direct hit, but I'll take that!" Kazuichi remarked happily.

"Forget the hit. Did you guys feel that? I swear I feel like I was in a hurricane!" Ishimaru shouted.

"Incredible. One collision could send a shockwave like that?" Asahina asked breathlessly.

Akane grinned a little after the clash. "Finally. Deciding to move for once instead of dodging me?" she asked.

Katakuri planted his leg. "I thought it'll be fair if I give you the fight you desire. Of course, I hope that my restraint is not offending you."

Her grin fell once again. "You're holding back on me? You think I couldn't take a punch?" she barked.

"You almost passed out when I punched your face lightly. How would you think you'll feel if I hit you harder? Don't do this to yourself, Owari," Katakuri replied evenly.

The gymnast growled. "I'm not a pussy, Katakuri! You think I couldn't take a little-"

*PUNCH, CRACKLE!*

"AAAAAAAGGGGHHH!"

"HOLY SHIT!" Mondo screamed.

"AKANE!" Nekomaru exclaimed.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Kaito cursed.

"Oh my, good Lord..." Celeste remarked breathlessly and fearfully.

"DUDE!" Hajime shouted.

"KYAAAAAHH!" Saioniji shrieked.

"YOU IDIOT!" Byakuya cried out.

"FUCK!" Kuzuryu cursed.

Makoto let out a horrified gasp as he and everyone else were shell-shocked as they saw what had happened. While Akane was beginning to unleash her attack on Katakuri, the crimsonhead giant moved with lightning speed and punched her.

In the gut.

Hard.

Akane's face contorted in agony as her entire being felt a thousand things happening at once. Pain and numbness are the top of those things. Her eyes bulged widely, her mouth hung agape, and her back was grossly shaped in the form of Katakuri's giant fist. It almost looked like it was about to penetrate through her. Spit and blood flew out of her mouth. Her chest felt as though it was about to shatter. Withdrawing his fist, the girl crumpled onto the turf, clenching her belly. Akane gasped, coughed, and retched horrifically as the students watched in extreme worry and horror. Owari's face was still in shell shock as blood poured out of her mouth as her mind was trying to get back to reality. To add in how severe that punch was, Akane let out the contents of her breakfast on the turf. The students gasped at the sight while Katakuri remained stoic. This was getting ugly.

"G-Guys...don't you think?" Hagakure asked shakily.

"Shit, I know he's going to hit her again, but...fuck me...I felt that," Fuyuhiko remarked breathlessly.

"I agree. We should stop the fight or else she'll end up in bad shape," Mahiru said with anxiety laced in her tone.

"A-A-A-Akane, s-she's going to get h-hurt worse if she keeps up," Mikan trembled.

Korekiyo turned to Nekomaru. "It will be a wise decision to tell your student to forfeit the match. She's going to end up with Leon if she's still doing it."

The ordinarily boisterous man remained silent with his eyes shadowed. His silence was beginning to make some of the students angry. Finally, Hiyoko stood up and pointed at him. "You brute! You are honestly going to let this continue?! You clearly can see your fighting buddy in need of some help, and you'll be a terrible coach if you let this keep going!"

Again, the man kept his silence.

Hagakure began to panic. "Look, man. I know about fighting and pride and all that good stuff, but there's a time where all that means nothing if it result in this!"

...

"Tch, your silence clearly shows your incompetence as a coach. If you take the time to pull your head out of your barbaric, battle-hungry world, you will see that your moronic buddy needs medical attention. But if you continue to let this go on, it will show that you're a terrible team manager," Byakuya sneered.

Nekomaru kept his mouth shut.

"If you don't step in, Akane will die!" Kaede exclaimed.

Silence.

Mahiru grew impatient with his stubbornness. "Seriously? Are you going to let this go on? Do something useful and step up as the team manager and get your student to Mikan or she'll be in worse shape than Leon and it'll on your head!" she growled.

"GUYS!"

The students stopped their tirade and turned to the shriveled girl, who was barely starting to stand up. Akane continued to cough and heaved with her belly clenched. Finally, the girl released the last of her breakfast with a retch to alleviate the mind-numbing pain. She wiped the sick from her mouth as she glared feebly at the giant.

"Owari-senpai..." Makoto mouthed breathlessly.

"I...I need this...I need to do this...I-I can make it through...I can't...I won't..." the gymnast struggled to stand with her hands on her knees as her back hunched. "I-I got to try...

"No, I won't tell you anything!" Akane retorted balefully.

"Tell me what's making you do this," Katakuri demanded again.

"K-Kiss my ass! I'm not saying jack!" she shouted.

"If you don't tell me your burdens, then you don't have to worry about them anymore," Katakuri stated gravely. The giant raised his right hand in the air and the arm lets out a gurgling noise. The students were confused as to why his arm was making that noise. But their confusion was replaced by dread as they saw his arm morphing into a blob. Mochi dripped as if something's trying to come out of his, but what on earth was in Katakuri's arm that was making such a disturbing noise?

Their answer was given as dread turned to sheer horror as they saw something sharp and silver poking out of the arm. Then, in a slow, yet frightening fashion, the sharp object emerged itself out of the shapeless arm. The object then has two other points. The students let out a gasp as they realized what's coming out of Katakuri's arm: it's a weapon.

But none were more shocked than Himiko. The redhead stood up with her finger pointing at the weapon revealing itself in recognition. The students saw her and were shocked as to how she knows this. "Himiko?" Sakura asked.

"I-It's his weapon...i-it's Mole," the magician replied fearfully.

Mole?

The Mole was revealed to be a massive trident. The weapon gleamed with ferocity, its razor edges of the three prongs threatening to rend Akane to ribbons. The audience were horrified at the sight of the weapon. How did Katakuri get it inside him?! How did he do it?! Does he have any more weapons inside him?! How could he carry such a thing inside him?! Questions were filling their heads as they tried not to scream in terror at the sight of the weapon. Akane lets out a gasp as she saw the weapon. Katakuri gripped the trident and brought it near her face, the center prong pointing near her chin. The girl instinctively gulped as she felt the sharpness of the prong on her skin. She's afraid that the trident will pierce her throat if he applies a minute ounce of pressure.

"Now, unless you want to see how much you'll bleed, I demand that you tell me what drives you into challenging me," Katakuri demanded. He pressed the trident near her chin.

Akane gulped but kept her bravado. "L-Like, I'll tell you what's driving me!"

"Tell me, Akane, or you won't live up to your burden," Katakuri insisted more intensely.

"What is it to you, anyway?! What does it matter if I tell you or not?!" the girl snapped.

"Your life is at risk. Are you going to throw away your drive, goals, ambition, and promise just to save face? You're a bigger coward than I thought," the giant said.

Akane's eyes turned to pinpricks. "What?" she whispered in a fury.

"You heard me. You are a coward. You are too afraid to admit your fears, and instead of talking it out and learning ways to handle them, you would rather face them with your fists and, in turn, risk your life in challenging someone that's far out of your league. And now, even with my Mole at your neck, you still value pride over your principles?"

"I-I'm not a coward," the gymnast seethed.

"Then prove it. Prove to yourself that you're not."

"I don't have to prove that I'm not one!"

"Prove it."

"N-No!"

"Do it."

"No, I can do it! Just give me another chance!" Akane pleaded.

"You sound like a coward by how you're pleading," Katakuri said.

"I'm not a fucking coward!" Owari barked loudly.

"Tell me what's your reason is, or else your pigheaded death will prove to me that you're not only a coward..."

.

.

.

"But that you're a liar." Katakuri finished icily.

In an instant, Akane's face contorted in rage as her barrier was broken. Snarling, she snapped her head at him with baleful eyes, but if one takes a closer look, they're glistening. "Alright, fine! Do you want to know why I'm fighting you?! I'M FIGHTING YOU TO GET STRONGER FOR MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS!"

The students were stunned after hearing her confession. Nekomaru kept his gaze at the girl with an unreadable expression. Then, wordlessly, Katakuri released his grip and withdrew his trident from Akane's neck. The girl coughed and hacked as she got on her knees. She couldn't hold her tears anymore, so she let them trickle down her face. She hated crying. To her it's a sign of weakness, but how else could she portray her feelings?

"THE THOUGHT OF THEM BEING IN THE HANDS OF THAT SON OF A BITCH WAS GNAWING ON ME LIKE A DOG CHEWING ON A BONE! I DON'T WANT MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS TO THINK I ABANDONED THEM BECAUSE OF SOME SICK FUCK TRYING TO GET HIS KICKS!" She pointed her finger at the barricaded window. "AND I KNOW THAT ONCE WE MAKE IT OUT OF HERE, THERE'LL BE SOME ASSHOLES I NEED TO KICK! AND PLUS MORE! SO I HAVE TO GET STRONGER, STRONGER THAT I CAN TAKE ON ANYTHING THAT COMES MY WAY! I CAN BE SOMETHING THAT MY SIBLINGS CAN DEPEND ON! SOMEONE THAT THEY KNOW THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE AFRAID ANYMORE! SOMEONE THAT CAN PROTECT THEM ASSHOLES AND BITCHES! ISN'T THAT A JOB A BIG SISTER HAS TO DO? TO LOVE AND PROTECT THEIR OWN AND BECOME THEIR ROCK?!" she screamed, her voice getting more high-pitched and shrill the more she ranted. "YOU ARE MY GOAL, KATAKURI! I WANTED TO FIGHT YOU TO SEE HOW FAR I HAVE TO GO FOR ME TO REACH YOUR LEVEL OF STRENGTH! YOU SAID YOU HAVE A FAMILY AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE THE STRONGEST AND EVERYONE DEPENDS ON YOU! SO I WANT TO GET STRONG; THAT'S WHY I FIGHT COACH! THAT'S WHY I WANT TO FIGHT YOU! THAT'S WHY I TRAIN WITH SAKURA! THAT'S WHY I FIGHT WITH TENKO! IT IS ALL FOR MY FAMILY!"

After letting out the last scream, the gymnast fragilely crumpled, the turf mixed with her blood and tears. The students sat in silence and watched, their heads down in solemnness. They knew what she's talking about. Although the constant reminder of their loved ones in danger bothered them, some held it down better than others. To some like Asahina, Maizono, Fujisaki, Amami, Akamatsu, and Tsumiki wept. Fuyuhiko, Mondo, Sakura, and Ishimaru had their eyes shadowed. Kyoko turned her head to avoid the others having her to look at her hidden grimace.

"There...there I said it...I..got to be strong...s-strong for them...that includes hiding my weaknesses..." Akane continued in an uncharacteristically fragile tone. She sniffed and rubbed her teary eyes. "I-I know that it sounds stupid...but they need someone to lean upon, depend upon...and if I don't step up to the plate...t-then who will?" she finished softly.

Nekomaru stared at his friend. "Owari..."

Katakuri stared at the broken girl in a completely new view. Though outwardly, he only raised his eyebrows, inwardly, he had an epiphany. This girl...all she ever wanted was to keep her brothers and sisters feel confident that they have someone they can rely on whenever the going gets tough. A solid pillar to lean upon, a rock, a cornerstone. He knew that feeling all too well. But, he would be a liar to say that the feeling of seeing happy looks on his fellow siblings' faces when their big brother is around them isn't wonderful.

But he'll be a horrible liar if he says the position is without costs.

To have such high standards from them, to keep constantly reaching such standards to becoming the perfect brother, the excellent support, with no weakness, no flaw, no imperfection...it's toxic. And that constant feeling of when they do find you at your lowest, they'll lose hope and respect for you but, above all, lose all love for you. He knew that doubt. That's why he dealt it for nearly four decades.

And that's when the straw hat-wearing boy came.

He reminded him during his fight that it's okay to show imperfection. It's okay to show you fall like everyone. But, the bottom line is that no matter how many times one falls, what matters is that you keep standing. Keep standing up. And that feeling when he remembered he fell on his back, finally letting go of those responsibilities, an imaginary chain, to be himself despite what some will say and think...

It was cathartic.

And so, the result of the fight was not in the blaze of glory that Akane Owari wanted. Instead, it ended with the cries carrying bitterness, anger, frustration, and anguish...in silence.

End of chapter

AN: AND CUT! WHEW, that was a doozy. I hope I did the fight justice. I know the chapter felt shorter than the others but I want this chapter to focus on the fight entirely. Well, the next chapter will have everyone giving their opinions on the fight. Akane and Katakuri will have a talk and the giant will be met with an...unexpected surprise.

(edit: Please forgive if you feel the chapter is short. I have a full week of work ahead of me and I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to make this chapter reach the 10,000 word mark. So hopefully, I'll redo the chapter during the break so it'll be more enjoyable. Again, my schedule of work needs me to sleep early. So, if you feel unsatisfied, I understand. But I promised a chapter this week, and you guys are getting one.)

Like always, please like, favorite, follow, and review. Please spread this story to everyone! I want this story to inspire others to make good Danganronpa crossovers!

Next chapter: 12/3/2021 (break next week)