Evening had started to set in. The warmth and light from the sun had begun to fade behind the titanic skyscrapers. Oranges and crimsons radiated from the horizon as droplets of deep blue seeped through into the sky. The blue night sky made its slow march westwards. This battle would be won against the Sun, but not for a few hours. There was still time to enjoy the Sun's warmth until it would bid farewell until the next day.

For many, this meant time to settle in for the evening. Certain entertainment shows began in time for dinner where people both alone or with family can enjoy watching it while satisfying their hunger. However, just round the bend, a grand tournament was just beginning: the Battle of Bullets. Hordes of players started to log into Gun Gale Online or switched their screens to streams on the events. Many groups started their broadcasts hours before the first bullet was fired, hyping the event massively. They discussed common strategies and their counters. Some even brought in professionals of FPS fame to explain. Then, came the spoils. It was not only the fame of being the victor that caught so many player's eyes, the tsunami of credits that followed entranced countless.

At different parts of Tokyo, two such players began their preparations for the qualifiers. On the outskirts, Asada stared across the bleak grey horizon. She had become more admit to win at any cost, her fears could be conquered, freedom was just in reach. To not rely on anyone for strength, that was her goal. Once conquered, she could live in peace at last without the past stalking her from the shadows.

A few miles away, Sabretooth rested in a hotel room. Warmth and wealth encircled him. They attempted to comfort him in the afternoon's glow, to little effect. Even with the evening seeping through the large window (which covered an entire wall, from top to bottom), he had nothing but cold emptiness. Alone, in an unfamiliar place, all he could reach for was himself. Still he smiled. The next few days promised extraordinary results. A chance to be forgiven, to wipe away the past and those long gone. That he took with both hands.

The battles ahead of them would be tough. Everyone wants to be the victor after all. Every choice had to bring them closer to the grand finals. With each step, the past slowly left them. Eventually it could be forgotten or forgiven. Only time and bullets would tell the story.

Many gathered at the centre. Eagerness rose into the air as the timer slowly ticked down. Only a few minutes remained before the first matches began and already bets on the winners were at their height. Credits were flung at a screen to the side. Winnings covered the screen from top to bottom. Crowds flocked here. Some became statues, endlessly watching the stakes fluctuate between matches. Others screamed their heads off like football hooligans, dancing about and causing trouble even before kick off. Any profit made here would be a win.

Above them, other screens danced about as talk shows upon them would burst with excitement time and time again as the seconds still counted down. However, most eyes were on the huge screens at the centre. Past the big-headed players showing off, and mumoring groups, the matches were displaced in blues and whites. Each player's in-game name was shown to the world. None could escape their name being open to all others, even one that hides their true name. This was the waiting room, and everyone here was a contender.

Elsewhere, like in the central plaza, still more huddled closely over bets and seeing who will take part. Across the Glocken, everyone was hyped and ready for the tournament to begin, to see: who is the strongest of the strongest?

Sabretooth took a long glance at the tables. Nothing seemed out of place. No names seemed out of place, and definitely no 'Death Gun', even with others claiming to be the murderer. Too easy and stupid for anyone to do such a thing. He would have to wait for the player to make their appearance. For someone not taken too seriously yet, their targets must be higher. Greater than before, they must be. However, the concern on the next victim will have to wait, he had to get to the finals first.

The first battles charged onto the screens. Names versus other names that meant nothing to him. 'There I am.' Near the bottom, his name flickered. He was versus a player named 'Hitchhiker Supreme'. 'Never heard of the fellow. Probably for the best.'

"Hey, Sabre! You ready yet?" Came a voice from behind. Sabretooth turned around. The rest of Sabot Platoon were waiting.

"Of course, the hunt has begun. I hope you all prepared as well. There is no backing out now. I shall see you all after the final singles match. Once there, we will discuss further of our intentions. Just remember why we are here."

"We're in Block D, so you'll escape us for now." Starbug smirked.

Starbug and Subaru suddenly vanished into thin air, leaving only blue pixels in their wake. Sinon and Sabretooth remained, face to face. She took a quick look at the leaderboard.

"Looks like if we do make it past most of the qualifiers, we will fight each other in Block F." Sinon broke the silence between the two. "I won't hold back, and I hope you will not either. Even with the fact that the top three from each group will get into the finals."

With a quick nod, Sabretooth responded, "I shall not hold back. My full power will flow from the heart. When the time comes, it'll be a battle that helps in more ways than one."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You'll see." Sabretooth started to disappear into pixels just like the other two, "Barriers will be broken. The past shall be forgiven. Others will be saved. Time always reveals the answer. The silence of the seas is about to drift into a storm. Be prepared..."

He vanished. Nothing remained except his words. 'I feel like I should know what he is saying sometimes, and where those words come from.' She only shrugged it off before disappearing into pixels as well. The first battles were about to begin, all participants had to be ready to fight. Eyes diverted to different huge screens. The biggest of matches, with the biggest names, were the highlights. Across the Glocken, advertisements transformed into more ways to watch the matches.

Only one lurked among the swarming group. Where Sinon stood only a few moments ago, a male avatar stood. His long silver hair covered much of the head and was dressed in standard camouflage. A large machine gun swung loosely from his back. After a quick glance around, his attention was brought to a certain screen that displayed the tables. There was only one name on his mind: Sinon. 'There you are.' He smiled. The name glowed in yellow, her fight had started. All he could do know was wait. 'I'm the only one that can help you and the only one for me. This Sabretooth will not get in the way. Never…'

Nothing but darkness surrounded Sabretooth. Silence of the void engulfed the senses. He remained perfectly still, his G36 by his side held by a single hand. Sabre only thought, speaking to himself with plans.

"Cautious approach," he began muttering to himself, "False sense of security, then flank. Guaranteed kill. Most likely an assault rifle wielder, shame for him."

Suddenly, a rush of blinding light. His battle had begun.

The battlefield stretched out before him. Ruins towered above in decay. Much of the arcs and brick walls that remained were highly unstable. Even the smallest of explosions would lead to their final downfall. A mercy killing for eons of waiting for their owner to never return. Their foundations had been reclaimed by nature, weeds and vines grew from the cracks of time. A few seconds passed. Sabretooth took in the battleground around him. Plenty of cover and open spaces. Moreover, no way to leave. This 1v1 was confined to this small area. Only one can survive.

He dashed for cover as 'Battle Start' rang in his ears. Without warning, grenades started to soar through the air. They detonated in random places around the map. Arcs and walls trembled to their knees. Great smoke plumes filled the air. They combined into a great storm, slowly approaching him, and engulfed the area. Only darkened silhouettes stayed visible through the storm. 'Looks like a this'll be close range.'

He swapped the G36 for his SPAS-12, slowly loading the shells into the gun. Still nothing from his foe after the spam of grenades. Not a single rustle, footstep or the clunking of metal on metal. As the final round was shoved in with some force, the thick smoke had begun to thin and something (or someone) was approaching. The player moved very carefully, checking behind every rock and wall. Sabretooth had time for their sweep reached him. He simply hunkered down, lying on the floor, and waited. Footsteps got louder and louder.

"Where the hell are you?!" Hitchhiker Supreme roared as he passed Sabre's cover, "Come out and fight like a real man!"

"I'm here, punk," a reply came, "Your battle ends here."

Sabretooth suddenly jumped over the low wall, one arm pushing him over, and charged at the player. He let rip several consecutive shots. They ripped through Hitchhiker Supreme's back. He fell to the floor, defeated. Sabretooth had won within seconds of the first shot. He raised to his feet.

"Shame… I expected more."

He raised his 'Clever Girl' and placed it over his shoulder, standing proud over the defeated enemy.

Sinon had just as an easy time of it. Another player that fails in their tactics. Instead of wielding a rifle like most, this one had a sword and pistol. They weaved and dashed long a deserted road. He thought he could be safe in speed and agility, closing the distance to strike. However, no human can outrun a bullet by their own means.

Waiting for a shot, Sinon knelt beside a concrete bollard. Her foe raced across the street in front of her, darting between ruined cars and large holes in the ground. Such holes could swallow entire vehicles without issue. An occasional shot rang out from a pistol held in his left hand. None were close, not by a long shot. Bullets flew past, ricocheting off metal or embedding themselves into the tarmac. She kept a steady hand, breathing slowly.

'His agility is impressive but you cannot dodge a well aimed shot. Farewell, sword wielder wannabe!'

She fired a shot. Smoke rose from the barrel as another round was chambered. It struck a truck, igniting the fuel. A huge explosion erupted from it like a volcano. The foe dodged the flames, running right past the wreckage. Warmth of the flames only just missed him. He had to dart through a gap at the road's edge, all according to plan.

Another shot, another plume of smoke, another round chambered. This bullet hit true, it was all over. It struck the head, right between the eyes. He fell to the floor in a trip and stumble. His health vanished in an instant, none remained. His grip of his weapons faded, the pistol thumped down where its owner had, while the laser sword rolled away.

"That was anticlimactic," Sinon mumbled, packing up her Hecate, "This might be easier than I thought…"

The world around her, which she barely knew, vanished into darkness. Then, lights flashed suddenly and violently. Sinon had returned to the waiting area. This was very much unlike the area where she had waited only minutes ago, barely anyone was about. Their battles still raged on, slowly whittling down the bullets. However, there was one who's battle had finished just as early: Sabretooth. He comfortably sat upon a low lying sofa on the outskirts of the area. Behind him, a great window above all of the Glocken. Its lights twinkled harshly among dark back alleys and the sea of metal. Sabretooth had his full attention on the central screens. Two beside each other showed battles that he wanted to see, each had a member of Sabot Platoon fighting. On one, Starbug drove her foe into a tighter and tighter corner beside an abandoned bunker. While, on the other, Subaru had been caught behind a Humvee with a sniper aiming directly at the vehicle. Both could go either way.

"You finished early," Sabretooth mumbled, keeping his eyes fixed on the battles, "Lackluster battle? Mine was."

Sinon sat next to him, looking down at the polished, metallic floor. It gave a weak reflection back of herself.

"I guess you could say that…" came a reply after a moment of silence, "He used a laser sword. Charged right at me. Two shots, dead."

"What a way to begin such a tournament, I expected more really. Some go against the flow, even if it only penalises themselves for no reason. I raise my glass to them. Well, except him. He clearly knew what he was getting himself into. However, tis not the time to relax and dwell on such matters. We've only begun. Keep an eye out for the players who know the meta. Like that guy."

He pointed at one screen where Starbug was crouching behind a stone pillar after dashing into cover under intense machine gun fire. An enemy carefully approached. The player held a single grenade in their left hand. The pin was pulled. He threw it around the pillar. It bounced into Starbug's hands. Straight away, she chucked it the other way, back around the pillar. It detonated in mid air. Smoke and fire swallowed the air around it, including the other player. The explosion vanished as quickly as it appeared. Starbug raised her Beretta to the side of the pillar, slowly moving around it.

Nothing… There was nothing. The player was lying, lifeless, beside a wall. She'd won. Not a single bullet had left either rifle or pistol. Starbug cheered while jumping up and down like a child who discovered they were heading to a theme park.

"Unlike that guy…" Sabretooth muttered under his breath, hand on face, "What's wrong with these people?"

He stood and gradually made his way towards the battle feed. "Show your commitment to casting everything for the prize! Learn from the battlefield! But no… Do the same thing time and time again without success. Become insanity. Make the deeds not in vain. Give me a good fight!"

Silence awkwardly brushed past as more victors reentered the waiting area. Sabretooth quickly returned to his seat, leaving an extremely confused Sinon still beside him. She had been watching the whole event. Her eyes widened in bewilderment. "What was all of that about?" Sinon stuttered, still processing what just happened.

"I want a fair fight. I want a meaningful fight. I want… a duel like no other. You'll be my first one on equal grounds."

"How will you fight against a sniper as powerful as the Hecate? I have the range advantage and damage. How is that… fair?"

"It's fair. Trust me. We are on equal footing. It'll be hell of a fight. Give it you best in the next fight, then we shall see if it is fair or not."

Author's Notes:

Panzer Bros:

It's time the action started up again, right? But, first there's the tournament to pass through. Not exactly a proper Tournament arc, but will gradually start giving parts away and reveal more about these characters. Focus is on Sabretooth here, with some on Sinon too. They both have curses to break, will they be able to leave their pasts behind them?

P.S. Don't expect any romance here, like in the show. Ain't that kind of writer, and writing such a thing would be extremely hard for me anyway. Plus, most likely wouldn't fit in my version of events. Moreover, I've changed when certain events occur along with parts that happen alongside them. Thought it would be good to put some twists on when events occur. Atmosphere 'n' all to promote I guess. Anyway, enjoy.