AN: Hello everyone! Alpha here! This month I just wanted to take a moment to address a few of the reviews that have popped up.

First off, thank you all for continuing to support my story. It means a ton to know you guys are enjoying it. And there are plenty of things to come that hopefully will keep things interesting.

Near Endoh: you mentioned it's getting difficult to keep track of all the Gunpla; believe me, it's just as tough for me as well! Especially with Hathaway, because I have a giant list of about 36 different ideas for all of his appearances in the story (since he rarely uses the same Gunpla twice) and I have to decide when to use them, and which ones to use since realistically I can't use all of them. But, if you guys are curious about what they look like, my hope is that I'll have actual commissioned artwork of ALL of them eventually! It's pretty expensive, but hopefully, it'll make visualizing the scenes easier. Especially for things like Ruby's Gundam Destiny Scythe or Penny's Hi-FX Polendina.

lotto77102: yes, I love G-Saviour design as well! Originally, Evelyn/Adeline was going to use G-Saviour, but I changed it to G-Self because of the ability to change those devil horns to bunny ears in a more realistic fashion. However, those boosters just HAD to get carried over. Like I said above, eventually, I'll get art for it, but I'm trying to do the art pieces in order of appearance, so as to make sure I don't miss anyone. As such, G-Hopper won't be appearing art-wise for a bit.

Again, thanks for the support. And also, sorry for the delay. Real life meant editing took a backseat for a bit, but better late than never! Now, on to the story!

Yang and Sekai were practically screaming as they watched the current battle. They both had eyes glistening with excitement as they watched Jack's Gundam Preliator dominate the Efreet. It was clear the two martial artists really, really wanted a fight against the British Champion.

Shimon, as well, had his fighting spirit reinvigorated. The former youth boxing champion of Japan had been looking for another fighter like Sekai, and based on watching Jack and Yang, he felt he found two new potential rivals. Fortunately for Gyanko, however, his excitement wasn't on Sekai or Yang's level. Yet.

Gyanko smiled happily as she watched Yang and Sekai, but on the inside, she felt a little embarrassed. Her crush, and his enthusiasm, was causing a public display, and as he and Yang clashed in an impromptu spar, she couldn't help but feel slightly apprehensive.

She noticed Fumina, one of her two rivals for Sekai's heart, with a similar look on her face, but Sekai's partner Shia seemed rather content-happy, even as she watched the two martial artists talk about how Jack had fought in the last battle, throwing and blocking light punches from the other in a warm-up.

The small smile she wore irritated Gyanko immensely.

"Yang, you might need to calm down," Blake warned gently. "We don't want either of you disqualified for getting a little too enthusiastic."

"Yeah," Fumina added. "Besides, wearing yourself out right before you go up to fight might not be the best idea."

Sekai and Yang stopped, sighing simultaneously, and dropped their guard. They both knew their friends were correct, but how could they not be fired up after that?

Shia giggled innocently, which irked Gyanko more. "What's so funny?" She called out, an edge in her tone.

Shia looked surprised, but her small, cute smile returned a moment later. "I just find it interesting; Yang has the size advantage over Sekai here, but they should be around equal in size in Gunpla Battle. Watching them square off was amusing."

Yang wiped her brow with the pink handkerchief she kept tied on her wrist. "Well, we have to fight a little differently here than in there. I have a reach advantage."

Shia shook her head. "That's not it. I was pointing it out because the size difference here is going to be even more noticeable if either of you faces Jack."

Sekai and Yang looked at each other, not fully understanding, but Yuuma picked it up immediately. "That's true. Jack is using Nu Gundam as her basis; it's around to the same size, if not bigger, than Gyanko's R-Gyagya. But she doesn't use melee weapons, she uses her fists; meeting her head to head with martial arts will prove very challenging with normal Gunpla, both because of the Nu Gundam's reach and its dense and strong joints."

"Ruby told me something like that," Yang admitted. "She suggested using a different Gunpla, like Sinanju or something, for that reason, but I thought it'd be kinda cheating since most people don't use Gunpla that big."

Shimon listened, thinking back to what he watched during the fight. Jack's power was definitely augmented by her choice of machine, but her abilities weren't from the mobile suit alone. Her powerful blows and refined fighting style were something only cultivated through years of work. She used several different MMA fighting styles, with what appeared to be Muay Thai kickboxing being the main style.

He had to fight various kickboxers in his exhibition matches. But to fight someone literally twice his size and with that much defensive strength... would be an uphill battle for pretty much anyone.

"Well, no reward worth winning is without a challenge," he said optimistically. "My trainer used to say that all the time. I think we all can agree we will have fun with such a challenging foe."

Sekai's eyes lit up. "Heck yeah!" He shouted as he sat back down on the couch.

Shia hugged Sekai from behind, her arms wrapping around his neck. "I think it would be fun to face off against Evelyn. Her machine is almost as mobile as mine."

She glanced slyly over at Gyanko and Fumina, smiling slightly as they predictably turned red in the face. Both of them looked like they were about to explode, which both Shimon and Yuuma immediately reacted to by futilely trying to calm them down.

Sekai raised his eyebrow and looked at Fumina. "Senpai, are you okay?"

Fumina glared at him, before turning away and crossing his arms, confusing Sekai even more. Gyanko growled angrily, feeling intense anger towards Shia and ignored by Sekai. "Get off of him!"

"But I'm just hugging my teammate," she shot back, nuzzling his cheek gently. She stared right at Gyanko as if daring her to do something.

Gyanko's glare intensified, and she gritted her teeth. Shimon tried to reassure her that Shia was doing this on purpose, but she seemed completely oblivious. Fumina, similarly, was trying to restrain herself. She was doing everything in her power from coming unglued.

Blake and Yang watched the spectacle from the side, amused. "Ah, to be young," Yang mused happily, leaning back with her arm around Blake and a broad grin on her face.

Blake rolled her eyes and smirked. "Please. If someone flirted with me you'd have the same look on your face."

Yang shook her head, her grin becoming cocky. "Nah. I'm pretty confident that nobody could compete with me."

"Alright, everyone!" Sekai's attention immediately turned straight to his sister Mirai on the television screen.

"Oh, Sis!" He unhooked Shia's arms and stood up again. Shia leaned back onto the couch, watching him, before flicking a look to the other two women, who both were staring holes into her.

"It's time to decide the next battle, which will be taking place in fifteen minutes!" Mirai happily swung her arms up to the giant screen above her, and the randomized began to spin.

The air in the stadium was tense. Three more battles remained. Which two of the six teams left were up next?

The roulette came to a stop one the next pair of teams. "Team Shielded Fist versus Team Celestial Strike!"

Yang groaned. "Awwwww….I wanted to be next…"

She looked over at the others. Shimon and Sekai had locked eyes. But the mood was practically electrified as Shia and Gyanko stared each other down.

"Well, I guess it's a rematch," Shimon declared. "I can't say I wasn't looking forward to this."

Sekai grinned. "Yeah, same here. I was hoping to get the chance to face you again!"

Gyanko, the larger and more robust of the two girls, stood with her hands on her hips, glaring down at her more petite rival. "I'm going to finally put you in your place."

Shia gave her a sly look. "You can try. But in the end, who's the one that Sekai is partnered with?"

Gyanko snarled a bit. "I want Sekai to succeed, but if it means crushing you, I'll gladly walk all over both of you in order to see you planted in the dirt!"

Shia shrugged, unphased. "Bold words."

"They're more than words, believe me." A menacing grin crossed her face, and she and Shia once again locked eyes with looks of determination.

Yang leaned over to Yuuma. "Are they always this intense?"

Yuuma sighed and nodded slightly. "It'd be impressive if it wasn't so embarrassing."

Blake glanced at Shia. "I'm looking forward to seeing your new Gunpla. Since you gave me your 00 Shia, I've been wondering what you would use."

Shia smiled lightly at her. "I'm curious as to what you chose to do with my Gunpla," she replied. "I chose to rebuild it from scratch and customize it a bit to help Sekai's fighting style. You'll see."

The air was filled with tension as the battle table powered up. The four teens were no strangers to each other's combat abilities, so this would surely be an incredible fight. Gyanko, in particular, was brimming with anticipation. Any opportunity to show up Shia and show off for Sekai.

Fumina watched from the back area with the others. She noticed Yang staring and grinning at Sekai, and felt the familiar pang of jealousy that she felt with Gyanko and Shia. Despite the fact, Yang was older and obviously, in a relationship with Blake, there was just something about the look in her eyes that sent up warning signs.

The blonde caught her gaze and blinked. "What's up?"

"You and Sekai seem...close," she said carefully.

Yang blinked, glancing at Blake, who looked back at her, before laughing. "Relax!" She reassured Fumina. "I'm pretty content with the way things are. Sekai's just one of the few people to really give me a challenge." She winked at her. "Besides, you've got enough rivals to worry about."

Fumina blushed and looked down at her lap. "I-I don't know what you're talking about!"

Blake shook her head and slapped Yang's arm. "It's not nice to tease people, Yang."

Yang shrugged. "Hey, I'm not wrong."

The battle table announced that it was about to start the fight, and the contestants placed their Gunpla down. Sekai brought out his Kamiki Burning Gundam, and Gyanko placed her Gyancelot down. The custom Gyan stood regally before her, holding its spear and shield confidently.

Shia's Gunpla was, indeed, a completely rebuilt 00 Qan [T] Shia, but she had integrated the Full Saber pack onto it, which gave her more options for heavy attacks to go with the machine's agility and speed.

However, Fumina and Yuuma locked eyes on Shimon's machine. Visually, it looked like the Gundam Maxter, but its red parts were painted blue and the blue parts were painted red, with the gold a brilliant chrome. In addition, the Gunpla seemed to have the lower legs of Shining Gundam, which meant it had use of the hidden calf boosters mounted on the outside of the lower legs.

Fumina smiled. "Is that Shimon's little brother's work? He's gotten a lot better at the building."

Yuuma adjusted his glasses and nodded. "The details and build quality are still rough, but have improved greatly over when we fought Shimon's Destiny Gundam last year." He looked a little closer. "And the paint job seems rough but still better than average. If that's Mamoru's work, he's definitely gotten better."

"Mamoru?" Blake asked. "So, Shimon's little brother built his Gunpla?"

Fumina nodded. "Yeah. Last year he was known as Straight Assembly Shimon in the tournaments for using a Destiny Gundam that had no modifications or details on it. It was built out of the box by Shimon's little brother Mamoru, who was sick in the hospital. He gave Sekai a real fight, even with a Gunpla that was technically inferior and not suited for his fighting style."

Yuuma bowed his head, slightly ashamed. "Shimon's teammates eliminated us...and we sort of let them do it because we felt bad for his situation. But Sekai and Shimon went all out, and though Sekai one, it was still close." He looked back at the Maxter. "But the Gundam Maxter plays into Shimon's fighting style, just as the Kamiki Burning Gundam plays to Sekai's. Unlike his poorly built Destiny, that Maxter is much more refined and a better fit for his boxing style. Meaning what was a close fight before might be completely even now."

"Yeah," Fumina agreed. "Any performance issues Shimon might have from the quality of the kit he makes up for with raw skill. So he will be a real contender this time, even more so than before."

Yang grinned. "Sounds like me, then. I can't wait to see this!"

The field was chosen mountains, specifically the Guyana Highlands from Mobile Fighter G Gundam.

"BATTLE START!"

"Sekai Kamiki, Kamiki Burning Gundam, let's go!"

"Shia Kijima, 00 Qan [T] Shia Full Saber, launching!"

"Kaoruko Sazaki, Gyancelot, let's do this!"

"Shimon Izuna, Gundam Maxter Excel, launch!"

The four rocketed forward, with clear sights on each other in the overcast sky. All four machines were primarily designed for close-range combat, but Gyanko didn't hesitate to open fire with pin missiles from her shield.

Shia swept to the left, away from Sekai, and twirled into a beautifully executed barrel roll. Her 00 Qan [T] slipped easily between the barrage of missiles, before swooping down towards the ground.

Gyanko smirked, raising her spear into the air and unfurling the retracted tip, which opened up into a Zeon insignia. "I'm going to end this quickly!" Gyanko roared, allowing her spear to be struck by lightning from the cloud cover overhead. She then swung her lance down and aimed it at Shia. "Divine Wrath!"

A powerful, supercharged bolt of lightning sprang from the tip of the weapon and rocketed forward at Shia. The 00 Qan [T] turned as it was struck, but the bolt splintered on impact and wrapped around the machine, as a powerful blue GN Particle force field intercepted the attack.

Shia smiled confidently. "Don't be silly!" She replied, opening fire with her GN Sword's rifle mode. Gyanko's durable shield blocked the shots, and she returned fire with the twin machine guns at the tip of her polearm, but she was too far away to do much of anything.

Gyanko shot forward and began fighting Shia in close combat, just as Shimon and Sekai collided in the air. The Maxter and Kamiki Burning Gundams crashed their fists into each other, with a sudden shockwave radiating from the collision. The wave radiated outward, actually knocking the Gyancelot sideways and disrupting the GN particles keeping the 00 Shia afloat.

Both girls cried out and righted themselves, landing as Sekai and Shimon fell to the ground in a flurry of fists. Shimon blocked a high kick from Sekai, retaliating with a left straight punch that Sekai boosted away from.

"Jigen Haoh...Seiken-Zuki!" Sekai launched a straight right punch at Shimon but was met with a cross-counter to the face, catching him off guard. His own momentum caused him to fall backward and sail past Shimon, crashing to the ground and skidding to a halt.

"Sekai!" Gyanko cried out but was immediately forced to turn and block an attack from Shia. Her GN Blade pressed against the spear of the Gyancelot.

"Sympathizing with the enemy?" Shia said with an amused smile. "You really are hopeless."

"Grrr...who are you calling hopeless?!" Gyanko forced Shia away and then blocked a second attack with her shield, deploying hide mines that detonated almost instantly upon hitting the 00 Shia.

Stunned for a moment, Shia backed off, as Gyanko jumped up and to her left and thrust her spear down. Shia dodged the strike and slashed at Gyanko, who deflected it with her family's sturdy reinforced Gyan shield, setting Shia up to again receive a thrust from the spear. Shia again backed off, using the 00 Shia's shoulder shield to block a barrage of machine-gun fire from both the spear and the new Vulcans mounted on the Gyancelot's head.

Sekai looked over and watched their duel. He laughed, seeing the girls so fired up, and jumped to his feet, falling into a defensive stance. Shimon already had his fists raised up near his face, the red knuckle dusters on his forearms flipped forward over his fists now.

"I've been looking forward to this," he said with a smile, before closing his eyes and inhaling deeply. He calmed himself, focusing his energy and concentration. The blue parts of the Kamiki Burning Gundam ignited into a raging fire as he assimilated with his Gunpla.

"Heh, already ready to go all out?" Shimon asked. "Good. I need a little warm-up first, but trust me, you won't be disappointed. I'll be giving you everything I have!"

"Bring it on!" Sekai cried out.

The two smashed into each other again, Sekai ducking the sweeping right hook by Shimon and connecting with an uppercut as Shimon slammed his left fist into Sekai's side. Both Gundams stumbled, regaining their balance after a couple steps, and squaring off again.

Shia and Gyanko stood and watched the two fight, their intensity reaching them through both their blows and their excitement. Gyanko looked at Shia, who did the same in kind.

"Sekai and Shimon aren't going to hold back," Gyanko stated, slamming the pommel of her spear into the ground, before pointing it at Shia.

"It's good to see Sekai so excited," Shia said with a smile. On that, Gyanko couldn't disagree. Watching the boys duke it out lit a fire under both of them. Their rivalry aside, both looked at each other with great respect as pilots. It was clear that, regardless of the fact Sekai was the object of their affection, the two girls had grown to regard each other's power and skill.

Shia pointed her GN Sword at Gyanko. "Let's try this again." The teasing was gone from her voice; both she and Gyanko had let go of their feud over Sekai, for the moment. Right now, they both wanted this victory for themselves and themselves alone.

Both girls backed up, preparing to charge, but were knocked off balance again by another powerful blast. Sekai's Ryusei Ransen-Ken had slammed into Shimon's Cyclone Punch, causing a whirlwind of fire and turbulence that created enough energy on impact to cause a crater beneath the two Gundams to form, partially destroying the plateau they stood on.

Gyanko blinked in surprise, and Shia winced, staggered. The former knelt down and shielded herself as another blast was sent flying from the fists flying at each other. "Woah...and Shimon's not even in boxing mode…"

"Sekai's fighting spirit's been piqued," Shia noted with a smile. She looked at Gyanko, and launched herself, forcing the Gyancelot into a defensive posture to guard against the incoming blade.

"Oh, you little…" Gyanko cursed through gritted teeth, forcing the 00 Shia away. She charged shield first, polearm swinging forward to try and knock Shia out of the air.

As the other two renewed their fight, Sekai swung his leg up, trying to connect with a high kick. Shimon ducked, tucking low, preparing for an uppercut, but was caught by the heel of the Kamiki Burning's left foot as Sekai rotated in mid-air. Shimon took a few shaky steps back, before unleashing a straight left punch right at Sekai as he landed and turned.

The knuckle duster caught the Kamiki Burning square in the cheek, sending Sekai backward. He cried out in pain as the assimilated fighter recoiled from the blow, rubbing his face gingerly. "You've really gotten better!"

"Did you really expect me to lose my rematch with you?" Shimon asked, before crossing his forearms in an X pose in front of him. "Alright, time to take it up a notch."

The knuckle dusters flipped backward into their normal spot, and the chest plate on the Maxter Excel detached, revealing a plate that simulated pectorals and abs. Normally gold on the default Maxter, the Excel had the plate in silver, to go with the color swap. Its shoulder pads also launched off and covered the Excel's fists, forming boxing gloves.

Yang watched this from the seating area and sat straight up. "Woah! That's so cool!" She turned to Blake. "Think I could do that with my Gunpla?!"

Blake gave her an unsure and nervous look as she shrugged. "Maybe? I don't know. It's probably possible…"

"Alright!" Sekai shouted. "That's what I was hoping for!"

Shimon raised his fists up. "I'm not going down! Get ready!"

The calf thruster flaps on the Maxter Excel opened up as well, and he took off. The speed of this new, lighter, boosted boxing form took Sekai off guard, and a massive straight right hand slammed into his raised forearm. The blow was blocked, but the force sent the Kamiki Burning Gundam hurtling backward, struggling to regain balance.

As he stood up, a boosted left body blow nailed him in the solar plexus, stunning and winding him, before a second right hand sent him backward almost two dozen meters into the column of one of the many towering rock formations.

He slammed into it with enough force to topple the rocks, and he fell to his hands and knees, gasping a bit as Shimon got back into a defensive boxing stance.

After a few breaths, Sekai chuckled. His HUD had been sent into the yellow from that last blow. Shimon was done fooling around.

"Ehehe, that was a good one," Sekai remarked, standing up. His legs were shaking a bit, still unsteady from that last blow. But he didn't let that phase him. Shimon definitely had improved since they last fought, and his Gunpla was perfect for his fighting style, making him an even match for Sekai.

Even still, though, Sekai had underestimated Shimon. That Gundam Maxter packed more power than he expected, and he'd let his guard down against the youth boxing champion. A rookie mistake, but one that now made the fight a lot more interesting and fun.

After all, Sekai had done his own fair share of growing and evolving. And it was clearly time to start showing it.

The flames on the Kamiki Burning Gundam flared as he stood up. Roaring, Sekai focused his energy and the eyes of his Gunpla flashed before he propelled himself forward. "Jigen Haoh...Hadō Reppaku-Ken!"

His right fist became engulfed in flames as he lunged at Shimon. The Maxter Excel shot forward as well, the left glove also becoming engulfed in flames as he launched a Burning Punch at Sekai. The two collided, and a brilliant flash, followed by an explosion that decimated the area, knocked both machines backward and sent them crashing to the ground. The sheer force of the two punches meeting further disintegrated the plateau, leaving a crater dozens of meters wide and half a dozen meters deep in its wake.

Shia drew her buster sword and slammed it into Gyanko's shield right as the explosion hit. The floating 00 Shia was sent flying, while Gyanko dug into the ground with her staff, nearly breaking the weapon as she struggled to not get blown away but the gale-force winds.

Shia spun in the air and righted herself, hovering in the air. "Sekai…"

As the winds settled and the dust cleared, Gyanko stood up. "Shimon! Are you alright?"

A second later, Shimon could be heard chuckling as the Maxter Excel sat up. A faint glow was starting to build upon it, a silver lining. His right glove was covering the elbow of his left arm, favoring it as he sat on the ground. "Wow...alright, so that's what that feels like…"

Sekai shifted, getting up to one knee. He winced in pain, looking up at Shimon. "Shimon….did you feel that too?"

"So...this is your 'superpower' I kept hearing about," Shimon remarked, a pained wince in his voice. "Assimilation. Becoming one with your Gunpla. I wasn't sure if it was even possible, but I definitely feel like we just set a bomb off, so I guess it is."

Both Gundams got to their feet. Shimon shook his left arm. "It's all tingly and throbbing. Wow…"

Sekai grinned. "So you can do it too! All right!"

"Not really. Not like you can. But it should be enough." The silver glow intensified, and Shimon got back into position as the Maxter Excel shone brightly. A brilliant white light covered it, and he entered his Gunpla's Hyper Mode, though the Maxter Excel changed to silver instead of gold.

"I'm not going to lie," he continued, raising his fists up. "Seeing you grow and become stronger really inspired me. Our fight last time showed me how much more I still have to improve. So I've been trying to do what you've done. But this is the first time it actually worked, so it's a little strange. But this is all because of you."

Gyanko glanced over at Shimon. Over the last several months, she had trained with him, watched him improve and adapt, and she had been proud of him the entire time. But seeing the Maxter Excel in such a brilliant, silver state, and his skill as a fighter shine with it, gave her a sense of pride in his accomplishments.

She grinned, her brow furrowed in determination. "I'm not going to let him show me up," she declared. The beam mantles and crest on the Gyancelot's shoulders and head ignited, and she dropped into a defensive posture behind her shield, before boosting at Shia.

The 00 Shia waited until she was in striking distance, before lashing out with a sideways swipe from its massive sword. The Gyancelot ducked, waiting for her sword to soar overhead, before leaping and thrusting downward at the Gundam's chest.

Shia leaned back slightly, letting the spear pass harmlessly in front of her by inches, before booting up. The momentum from her swing caused her to twirl, and she corkscrewed around to an overhead slam.

The spear hit the ground and Gyanko let go, backing up so that the 00 Shia's sword missed. As the tip hit the ground, Gyanko shot forward, shoulder blocking the 00 Shia. She grabbed the spear out of the ground and raised it into the air as Shia backed up, calling forth her Divine Wrath again. However, this time, the electrical energy she summoned traveled into her machine, causing the surface of the Gyancelot to spark and glow with power.

Shia stared in mild surprise as the Gyancelot advanced, thrusting its spear forward. She drew her GN Sword and deflected the blow, before releasing her GN bits to attack Gyanko.

The electricity inside the Gyancelot discharged, releasing a pulse that suddenly disabled the bits instantly. Shia watched as the alerts sounded on all of her mobile weapons. "An EMP?!"

Gyanko let out a delighted laugh. "You're going to have to try harder than that!"

Shia gave her a hard glare as she twisted her wrist to the side of her control orb, activating Trans-Am, and disappearing as Gyanko rushed forward to strike her midsection. The 00 Shia reappeared a moment later, prepared to bring her GN Sword down on the right shoulder of the Gyancelot, but was met with a series of explosions as hiding mines Gyanko had launched as she moved detonated.

Gyanko spun and swung her spear, but Shia, still reeling, disappeared again in another quantum teleport. She reappeared behind Gyanko, only to get hit with more hide mines. She cried out as her HUD changed to yellow, the damage beginning to accumulate.

Gyanko roared and jumped, spinning to her left and thrusting down at Shia. Her spear met an afterimage as Shia shifted to her right and cleaved the polearm in half.

Gyanko dropped the useless staff hilt and reached into her shield to draw the standard Gyan sword that she had stored there. She swiped at the 00 Shia with a series of fencing blows, but the Gundam dodged each one with grace, staying slightly above the ground to avoid any mines that still might be floating around.

She caught Gyanko in a saber lock and pushed back, forcing the Gyancelot to dig its heels into the ground. The two remained at a stalemate for several seconds, until both of their systems began sounding a warning.

Jumping backward, they narrowly missed Shimon as he crashed into the ground where they had stood. Shia floated above the two teammates as Gyanko boosted over and knelt down at Shimon's side. "Shimon! Are you okay?"

The Maxter Excel sat up, looking at Sekai. Deja vu flew through Shimon's mind as he groaned, then chuckled. "I'm fine. He just caught me off guard with a knee to the face."

He stood up as Shia floated down beside Sekai. The two teams stared each other down in their supercharged states; the intense GN particles from the 00 Shia mixing with the flames of the Kamiki Burning Gundam on one side, while Shimon's silver hyper mode stood shining next to the Gyancelot, who had electrical currents occasionally cross over its body and arching to and from the beam mantles on its back and head, as well as now the beam saber it held.

"Maybe it's time to end this," Gyanko stated, dropping back into a defensive stance. "What do you say, Shimon?"

He smiled. "Yeah. We've had our fun."

Gyanko nodded and began drawing the remainder of her stored energy into her shield, which suddenly sparked. The ridges along the outer ring of the shield began to glow intensely from the stored energy. "Alright! Shielded Fist!"

She rocketed forward, Shimon right behind her. Sekai smirked. "Take this!" He cried out, his flames gathering around his fists. He pulled his arms back, focusing his energy into the Plavsky Particle crystals along his forearms. "Houou Haoh-Ken!"

Thrusting his fists forward, a massive fireball launched from the Kamiki Burning Gundam. The blast quickly took the form of his signature Phoenix blast he had created himself, which headed straight for the Gyancelot.

Gyanko thrust her beam saber into the back end of her shield, the blade fitting into a port near her left hand. With the added energy of the beam saber, the Gyan shield created a massive beam barrier in front of it, using the stored electrical power and the beam saber to intercept Sekai's attack.

Flames poured all around the two of them, but they kept pushing, slowed down but not stopped. The energy levels of the Gyancelot began to plummet; the EMP had drained more than Gyanko had anticipated. She retracted her beam mantles to keep the beam shield up, but Sekai launched a second Houou Haoh-Ken from his other hand. The strain began to make the beam shield crack and Gyanko's energy levels redlined.

Shia watched the determination of the two fighters and smirked. She vanished again, teleporting behind the two. Gyanko gasped as she swung her GN blade, but the sword was deflected by Shimon's left backhand blow as he spun around to meet Shia. She raised a GN particle shield as Shimon launched a Burning Punch at her. The shield caught the blow, but the force of his Burning Punch shattered the shell and his fist sailed right into her Gunpla's cheek. It knocked her sideways and shattered one of the cat ears adorning the 00 Shia's head, and she crashed to the ground, dropping out of Trans Am mode and laying mostly motionless, her solar reactors depleted.

The flames from Sekai's own attack cracked and busted through Gyanko's shield at that moment. She gasped as the fire engulfed the Gyancelot, doing heavy damage to the Gunpla. Drained of almost all of her power and now critically damaged, the Gyancelot dropped its sword and shield and fell to one knee, smoking.

Shimon shot past Gyanko, a fist raised and ready. Sekai cried out as his fist rotated and caught on fire, and the two clashed once again.

Shimon's screen was in the yellow already, and this latest clash rattled the cockpit. His body felt tingly from the damage he'd suffered, and he noticed a few scrapes and bruises on his arms, just like what happened to Sekai.

He knew he needed to end this, now. He crossed his arms in front of him and pulled his right fist back, before launching it forward in a powerful blast. His Bursting Machine Gun Punch lanced forward, catching Sekai by surprise. The Kamiki Burning Gundam blocked most of the attack, but the ranged blow sent him careening backward.

Shimon used this chance to catch up with Sekai and throw a left body blow at him, but Sekai caught the attack as he landed and deflected Shimon's fist. The Maxter threw another Bursting Machine Gun Punch with his right hand, slamming into Sekai's left arm as he blocked the blow. The repeated strikes caused him to holler in pain as he backpedaled, but Shimon didn't give him the room.

He threw several more hooks and jabs at Sekai, who narrowly dodged them, before getting hit in the gut. Sekai retaliated with a kick to the knee, which made Shimon's right knee buckle slightly.

"Jigen Haoh...Soten Guren-Ken!" A powerful uppercut caught the Maxter Excel right as Shimon nailed Sekai in the face with a powerful left Burning Punch. The two Gunpla were knocked backward, the force of the Maxter's blow shattering the fin adorning the Kamiki Burning Gundam's head.

However, the uppercut Sekai launched had a more devastating effect. The weaker structural integrity of the Maxter Excel caused the neck polycap that the Maxter used to break, sending its head flying and causing the Gunpla to crash to the ground. Sekai and Shimon both lay motionless for a few seconds, falling out of their assimilated forms.

The wait was agonizing. All four machines were down for the count. Gyanko still had some power left, but the Gyancelot had almost melted under the strain of blocking Sekai's attack. Shia was out of power, and Shimon seemed completely incapacitated. For a moment that spanned for eternity,, it appeared to be a draw. But after a few agonizing seconds of pause, the Kamiki Burning Gundam began to stir.

Sekai slowly, wearily, stood up, the Kamiki Burning Gundam groaning in protest. The Gyancelot was too badly damaged to continue fighting, and Shimon had been knocked unconscious. The table waited to see if Gyanko, the only one who could oppose Sekai at that point, would attempt to move, but after a few more seconds, the buzzer sounded.

"BATTLE ENDED!"

The crowd erupted into cheers as Sekai and the Kamiki Burning Gundam raised their hand to the sky just as the table began to wind down. Sekai, battered but grinning, let out a sigh of relief. He had gotten a little worried at the end. Shimon proved he was still a worthy foe.

Shia gave him a small, proud smile, and a nod. She was a little disappointed, but only slightly. Sekai had proven to be the ace on their team. She only wished she could have kept up with him, but she already knew that was a difficult feat-after all, he had beaten her older brother the year before with his older Gunpla, and Wilfrid was aiming to be the next Meijin.

The two looked over at Gyanko and Shimon, but only saw the top of Gyanko's head on the other side of the table. Sharing a concerned look, the two ran over to see Gyanko cradling Shimon, whose eyes were starting to flutter open.

Gyanko let out a huge sigh. "Oh! Good, you're okay!" A tear welled up in her eye. "I was worried something bad had happened to you! Are you alright?"

Shimon nodded, still dazed. "I feel like I just went ten rounds," he admitted, before looking up at Sekai. "Though I shouldn't be surprised, considering it was you." He gave his opponents a weak smile. "Congratulations."

The worry on Sekai's face melted, and he reached down, offering his hand. Shimon weakly took it, and both Sekai and Gyanko helped him to his feet.

Shimon glanced at his partner and smiled weakly as she draped his arm around her neck. "Sorry…I couldn't make good on that promise."

Gyanko snorted and gave him a smirk. "Oh, you will. Don't worry. It just didn't happen today, dummy."

Sekai tilted his head. "Promise? What promise?"

The four of them walked slowly backstage. Shimon explained that he promised to take Gyanko and their little brothers to an event in Kyoto under the condition that he beat Sekai. They hadn't told their brothers about this, of course, because they didn't want to get their hopes up, but it just meant Shimon would need a rematch, which Sekai was more than happy to accept.

Gyanko plopped Shimon on the couch next to Blake, where he leaned his head back. Yang gave him a knowing smile, recognizing the look on his face.

"First time's always the hardest," she admitted, "but hey, that was some fine fighting out there. I might need to hit you up for a match, myself, someday."

Blake rolled her eyes and shook her head, though she wore an amused smile on her face. It was almost like clockwork that Yang would find another rival.

Shimon nodded and chuckled. "Can't wait. Though I'll need another Gunpla that can handle more stress, first."

"Only a little more refinement, and your little brother's handiwork and your skill would have likely bested us," Shia admitted. "It takes a powerful blow to shatter a GN particle shield."

"No kidding!" Sekai added. "Even I haven't successfully broken Shia's bubble in our training matches. If you'd hit me with that, I'd have been gone, for sure!"

Yuuma and Fumina glanced at each other and smiled. He might have been on an enemy team for this tournament, but Sekai was still Team Try Fighters' ace. They couldn't be prouder of his prowess on the battlefield.

The group began to chat amongst each other, oblivious to the outside world, when the sound of clapping caught their ears. All eyes turned toward the hall to the inner area of the building, where Mister Ral had emerged. He wore a giant, pleased look on his face.

"Sekai, Miss Kijima, great work out there," he complimented happily. "That was a fine match."

"Mister Ral!" Fumina cried out. "I was wondering if you had caught our fights."

"Indeed I did." He looked at Yuuma and Fumina with an approving nod. "I'm sorry I couldn't come earlier; I've been preoccupied with something. But I did manage to watch your matches. Excellent work, all of you."

He glanced down at Blake. "Tell me, you wouldn't happen to be Kali Nekomura, would you?"

Blake blinked. "Uh...yes. That was my mother's maiden name. She's Kali Belladonna now. Why? Do you know her?"

Ral nodded. "Hm. Yes, she was a regular at one of the Gunpla clubs, years ago. She dabbled in Gunpla Battle a bit but was a hostess and friend primarily. You look a lot like her. Is she in town?"

Blake nodded. "My mother and father are in the stands right now, sitting with Yang's father Tai. I could text her if you'd like to catch up."

Ral raised his hands and shook his head, chuckling nervously. "No, no, that's alright. If you could just tell her the Lieutenant would like to ask her something, that would be appreciated. She'll know what it means."

Blake looked at Yang, confused. Her eyebrow raised questioningly, but she nodded, all the same. "Okay...I'll do that after the matches are done."

Ral bowed slightly. "It's most appreciated, thank you. I look forward to watching your match with great interest, as well."

Shia smiled innocently. "As do I. I'm curious on how you might have modified my old 00 Qan[T Shia."

Yang slammed her fist into her palm. "Well, there are only two more matches to go. I'm looking forward to this!"

—-

SHIMON's GUNPLA

Gundam Maxter Excel

A customized Gundam Maxter with Shining Gundam's lower legs, the Gundam Maxter Excel is the perfect machine for the former Youth National Boxing Champion. Overall, the machine retains its basic functions, including its twin Gigantic Magnum revolvers, knuckle dusters, boxing mode, and hyper mode, but with several notable differences.

The Maxter Excel is blue with red trim, rather than red with blue trim, and it's gold pieces have been replaced with silver. Similarly, it's hyper mode is silver, rather than gold. Shimon chose these colors in case he fought another Maxter, to give it a "red corner vs blue corner" feel.

The addition of the calf boosters on the sides of the Shining Gundam lower legs meant that the Maxter Excel had better speed and agility than its base form counterpart, allowing it to easily take on the Kamiki Burning Gundam, despite its lower quality build. Indeed, it's only failing is that Shimon's little brother, Mamoru, is still learning how to build, and thus the Gunpla suffers some performance issues as a result, which Shimon counters with his skill.

GYANKO'S GUNPLA

Gyancelot

A faithful companion to Gyanko since a few months ago, the Gyancelot was created to replace the R-Gyagya as Gyanko's personal lead machine on her team, Team Song Dynasty Vase. Smaller, faster, and more agile than the R-Gyagya, the Gyancelot is a perfected fighting machine.

Equipped with two beam mantles that create small shoulder capes and a beam mantle adorning the top of its head to fit the motif of a knight, the Gyancelot has been upgraded from its last appearance to use these beam effects to store electricity. When using her Divine Wrath signature attack, Gyanko can choose now to either launch the attack at an opponent as normal or store the electrical power in her machine to give it a stat boost. The beam mantles can be used offensively or defensively in this manner, including releasing a new electromagnetic pulse to fry incoming enemy systems.

Gyanko's shield is also customized for superb durability, and she has added a beam shield emitter to the ridges on it. By channeling stored power into these emitters, she is capable of stopping attacks that are scaled enough to destroy the moon (such as Sekai's Houou Haoh-Ken), allowing her to easily withstand blasts from machines like Gundam Double X or Wing Gundam Zero Custom's colony killing beam cannons with no trouble. If need be, she can use her beam saber to amply this beam shield further.

Besides the body-mounted beam mantles, Gyancelot is armed simply with a pair of head-mounted Vulcan cannons, a spear that can transform into the Zeon sigil to summon Divine Wrath, machine guns in the tip of the spear, and her modified Gyan shield and beam saber.

SHIA'S GUNPLA

Gundam 00 Qan [T] Shia Full Saber

A perfect recreation of the Gunpla Shia Kijima gave Blake a thank you for letting her stay with her during her time in America, the new version of the 00 Shia has been adding features to combat a wider variety of foes. Retaining all the features of the original, Shia has decided to incorporate the Full Saber pack that was never used on the 00 Qan [T] in the anime. Realizing certain individuals would require heavier attacks to defeat, the inclusion of the massive buster sword lets Shia unleash powerful attacks that could destroy a foe in a single strike, and thanks to the 00 Qan [T]'s natural speed and agility, suffers little from the extra weight.

If needed, Shia could potentially dual wield buster swords between the GN Bits and GN Sword combining alongside the Full Saber pack's weapon, though she has yet to do so.