A.N: Hey everyone, I just want to say that I'm so sorry for this chapter coming out late. A couple of curveballs have been thrown at me in regards of daily life, and it's sort of got me in a bit of a funk. In regards to that, I don't think I'll be answering to the reviews for the previous chapter, largely because I don't feel as if I'm in the right mindset for something like this, and I sincerely apologize for that. That being said, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Rumble, Young Man Rumble!

Chapter 33

A glimpse into something deeper…

"So, how're things on your end!? BLAST CORE!" Dozens of robotic bodies went flying into the air, broken beyond repair as if a wrecking-ball had been tossed into their ranks. Tetsude was grimacing at the numerous cuts on his body, but even he was having a great deal of fun being able to put his skills to the test. His initial fight with Kendo during the Tournament had made him lose a little bit of confidence and faith in his newfound ability. However, seeing that it was working against opponents like these restored his hope. He grunted as he ducked under the swipe of a blade before tensing his fingers like claws. "Razor's Edge!" There was a horrible shriek as his fingers carved through the metal like butter, shredding the Android to pieces.

"Pretty good!" Ryuko called out, crushing three under her giant claw. "How're those cuts doing?"

"Not bad!" He called back, "Just shallow scratches really! How about you Shinji!?"

"The people in the building are out of harms way!" he confirmed, leaping back down to re-join in the fight. He quickly wrapped several swords in his branches before yanking them away, trapping several of the Androids by literally rooting them to the ground. "Don't touch these ones, they're here for a reason and we may be able to figure out what their objective is!"

"Good thinking Shinji! Everest Smash!" The ground heaved as Yu slammed her fist into it, throwing several of them up into the air before smashing them into the ground with a full-on body-slam. "That just leaves more for me to shine!" She laughed.

"I'm fairly sure there's more than enough for everyone here…" Edgeshot said wryly, rapidly piercing through them as he darted from place to place. "Still, where on earth did they come from…?"

…

At first, the battle really seemed like it was going fairly well for Rumi and Musha. The androids were quite tough and fast, with a solid understanding of how to use their weapons along with very precise movements, considerably tougher than the robots used for the Entrance-Exam. However, against Rumi's power and Musha's extreme technique, the original fifty of them were torn down to barely over twenty.

"Devil Lance." Steel-tipped fingers punched through the face of one of the Androids before he blocked another slashed aimed at his head, the blade breaking against his armoured skin. He pushed his body forward towards the now-disarmed android, twisting his hips as three right-hand punches tore holes through it. Again and again, he moved from one Android to the next with frightening efficiency. However, he still remained entirely aware of the situation. 'They are aiming for Usagiyama. Why?'

Indeed, it was clear that while a solid number of them were constantly harassing him, the majority simply piled on around her, potentially in an attempt to get her to stop moving. However, stopping Rumi Usagiyama, stopping the Rabbit Hero Miruko from moving… that was a different matter altogether.

"Basic Front Kick." Her foot lashed out like a whip, blasting a hole through three of them coming towards her.

"Basic Roundhouse." Her foot cleaved through the heads of two Androids, sparks flying as she staunchly remained calm. A sword was thrust right at her stomach, and she knew exactly what to do.

"Basic Front Kick…" Her left foot shot straight up, steel toes shattering the blade before it cold over reach her and sending the Android stumbling to regain its balance. "Into, Basic Axe Kick!" Her armoured heel cracked its metallic head open like a hammer to an egg, shearing through its upper torso with ease.

"Basic Side Kick! Basic Roundhouse! Basic Hook-kick!" Having dealt with the last of his bunch, he couldn't help but stand back for a moment and watch with a smile. With each kick, she improved her form, her precision, and most importantly her efficiency. She was getting closer and closer into using it.

"Numbers unable to complete objective," One of them stated aloud, "Emergency Protocol Initiated." Instantly, the remaining ten of them leaped back, nine huddling together around one in the centre before promptly tearing their own heads off. "Integrate." The final Android's lights when out before it shuddered violently, wires off all kinds exploding from the mass and sharply wrapping around each other, metal plating perfectly separating before it began to layer over each other. Their respective senses screaming of impending danger, they both dove in to try and stop the transformation, Musha forming his Odachi while Rumi lashed out with a basic axe-kick, both attacks cutting straight down. They never landed, two armoured fists shooting out from the pile and blasting them backwards with far more force than one of the regular androids. The last of the wires retracted, revealing the new form of the single android standing in front of them: surprisingly, it was surprisingly lanky-looking, though it didn't detract from how much more menacing it looked. Standing at over seven feet tall, it's armour was thicker scale-plating, fingers ending in short but sharp talons. Instead of a flat red visor, it was further armoured as if covered by a helmet with a Y-shaped slit in the front. Completing the look was a 'plume' sticking out from the back of its helmet, made from spare wires and flowing towards its lower back.

"Sensei, let me handle this one!" Rumi shouted, a grin on her face as she stepped forward. Musha considered for a moment before he relaxed and crossed his arms, nodding his head silently.

"So be it," He said, nodding towards Rumi. "Ensure there is little collateral damage."

"Got it!" She immediately dashed forward, nearly vanishing off the ground as she launched herself at the Android at full speed. "Luna Strike!" Shockingly, the Android was able to cross its arm in time, able to react to her speed far better than its previous incarnations, skidding back slightly before lashing out with a razor-sharp punch. She ducked, the strike sailing right between her ears before she lashed out yelling "Basic Front Kick!" Armoured toes crashed into its chin, only for it to strike straight down at her with another punch. Back stepping, she gave herself enough space as she instantly launched into her next attack. "Three-Stage Kick!" At full speed, they flowed into her kicks nearly instantaneously, shockwaves echoing off its temples and the back of its head. Both combatants paused, as if surprised by the sheer speed behind the strikes, though they both launched themselves right back into the fight. The Android threw out a barrage of punches that reminded Rumi a certain someone, a grin crossing her face again.

"Slower compared to him! Dreamwalk!" She slipped past every punch, her body almost gliding across the floor as she got in close. 'Time to test out these new gloves!' She shot out a sharp jab-cross, one to the chest and the other to the chin. Unfazed, it swung a powerful left hook for her head, only for her to duck under smoothly and slam an elbow into its arm joint. The Android shuddered at the solid impact, its arm spasming slightly at the unexpected retaliation before it tried to chop straight down for her head once more. She gnashed her teeth and viciously blasted a side-kick into its armpit, all of its momentum turned against itself as sparks flew from the shoulder-joint. It leaped back as if to catch it breath, staring at Rumi for a moment.

"Come on, don't tell me that's all you've got!" She shouted over at it. Both heroes were surprised when it cocked its head to the side, almost childishly. It promptly stood up and copied Rumi's stance, her eyebrows going up in shock before she smirked. "You'd better live up to that stance if you wanna copy me!" Dashing at each other again, Rumi's leg whipped forward with a roundhouse kick aimed at its head, only for it to copy her move. Both kicks slammed into each other with a thunderous *BANG*, Rumi being the one who was blasted backwards. 'Damn, I'm too light to be taking attacks like that head on. I gotta work my way around them and lay into this thing!' For the next minute, they constantly dashed around each other and fired off attack after attack. Punches clashed, kicks blasted against each other, and though they were relatively equal in terms of speed, it was evident that the superior weight of the Android held the smaller Rumi at a disadvantage. Attacks began to land on her more consistently: a sharp jab that made her nose bleed, a roundhouse that surely fractured her arm, a front-kick that made her sternum groan. 'Dammit! I need more speed! I…' It dashed at her again, and instead of trying to meet it, she breathed out and completely relaxed, her eyes focused right on its head. 'No… no, not speed. Timing, precision… efficiency.' Tiny sparks flew from her eyes as time slightly slowed down for her, Musha watching intently. 'Don't waste a drop of energy. Focus…' It leg cut through the air, aimed to slam into her temple. 'Focus.' The space was closing, and Rumi wasn't in position to kick yet. 'Relax… and release.'

"RECOILLESS: BASIC FRONT KICK."

*BOOM*

Her body barely moved, but her right leg simply disappeared into thin air. In the same instant, the Android's entire torso shattered, caving in on itself before practically disintegrating. Its limbs fell imply to the ground, Rumi grunting in pain as she fell on her behind, her right leg throbbing. Musha was quick to check on her, though both of them shared a smile. "Yo, Sensei…" She said, catching her breath as he helped her up, "Was that it?"

"I'm fairly sure that was it," He conceded. "Your form was still off balance and your technique could use some work but… that was a well-earned victory."

"Oh thank God," She laughed, "I'm beat. Can we get some shwarma later tonight? I'm really feeling for some shwarma."

"Shwarma it is then," He chuckled.

…

Each blow was an explosion. Each strike was a killing blow. Every dodge and counter was another few seconds added into their lives. 'Thanks to Nighteye's advice, I can use the Advance now in tandem with the Niko Style without worrying about any repercussions to my body. But damn… this guy is just insane!' Even with Kendo's speed significantly increased and strength raised, it was barely enough for him to attempt to keep up with Satsujin and his new state, the Removal if he remembered correctly. It's wasn't just that he was physically stronger either, like Tetsude's muscle-density: his speed, striking power and muscular durability were through the roof. Each terrifying punch of his ripped through the air, sometimes carving through the floor itself with ease. Even with his previous damage and drained stamina, Satsujin was just still outright stronger and faster than Kendo, the latter's technique just barely able to shorten the gap. He grunted in pain as a grazing right hook fractured his forearm before he could properly redirect the attack, barely ducking under another frightening left straight that blasted a decent chunk off the stage.

"Come on motherfucker, ENTERTAIN ME!" The blonde cackled madly as tried to blast a hole right through Kendo's chest. Barely redirect the punch, Kendo set his feet and shot his own fist forward right at Satsujin's heart.

"Wrathbreaker: Heartbreak!" His punch landed perfectly, blasting him backwards but seemingly doing no actual damage.

"Nice try, but…" He blasted off the floor again, slamming a headbutt into Kendo's guard, grabbing his arm and throwing him straight into the floor. "You ain't shit!" Dazed but nowhere near done, Kendo shot to his feet and kicked the blonde right in the chin, following up by sweeping his feet out from under him and roaring.

"Water and Adamantine Katas: Heartbreaker Revolution!" His punch descended like a massive drill, exploding again into Satsujin's sternum like a bomb going off. Even when the blonde proceeded to vomit up blood, he still smiled.

"I felt that, you little shit!" Kendo barely managed to redirect the lashing punch aimed for his face, his body launched into the air as his jaw throbbed. He landed on his feet and was ready to go, though he never stopped thinking.

'Fucking hell, I can barely redirect his attacks in time. I can't afford to keep taking damage like this… I need to increase the output of the Advance to keep up with him! But at the same time, if I push it anywhere past this limit, my body won't be able to handle it…'

'And who decided that?' The other him asked.

'… what the fuck do you mean?'

'Who decided that?' The other him repeated. 'We can handle this much of the Advance just fine, right? No drawbacks, no injuries, nothing. This isn't your limit, and we know that! Let's grind him into the floor and throw his ass into jail!'

'…Screw it, let's go for it!' Kendo dashed forward, gritting his teeth as he picked up in speed even more.

"That's more like it!" Satsujin roared, "Show me that blood!" Their punches clashed in a storm of sharp explosions. Neither of them gave an inch, their clash even more intense than the previous one. Needless to say, considerably more punches were being landed from both sides. Steam began to rise from Kendo's pinkened skin even more as his punch-output increased dramatically, arms nearly disappearing as he pumped his quirk through his shoulders and arms. Satsujin's punches in turn were even faster, stronger, far more deadly than last time, his clipping blows fracturing bones on the spot, even through Kendo's tensed muscles. That being said, Kendo realized that he truly hadn't pushed his limit yet: where before, he could use a lower-intensity version of the Advance with no problem, now he was beginning to feel what lay beyond that. As his strike grew faster, he felt his blood pump harder, veins popping and enlarging, his body heating up even further. His body felt slight pains shoot through him, though his mind remained clear and his fighting unaffected. 'Okay… one more push!' Something popped his nose and pain began to squeeze down on every part of his body. However, this was a good deal beyond what he managed during the first round of the U.A Tournament: his body was stronger now.

And still, it was barely enough to keep up with Satsujin. Even then, pushing the Advance this far had its downsides. 'I gotta be careful not to overuse the Adamantine Kata, or else I could risk rupturing my blood-vessels!' He barely weaved past two wild punches, knuckles cutting a bloody gash into his cheek. He grit his teeth as he fired back with a blistering combination, jab-cross into a left hook to the body, finished with a left uppercut that snapped the blonde's head up. Moving in on the opening, Kendo sharply grabbed his neck and hip before twisting straight up. "Redirection Kata: Change of Scenery!" The blonde was launched straight up into the air, his body flailing for a moment before he managed to right himself, dropping like a stone and roaring as he slammed his fists into the ground. 'Shit, I didn't put enough twist into it to disorient him!' The entire arena heaved and burst, throwing Kendo right into the rows of seats and forcing him to find an awkward standing-position. Satsujin was just like an animal, tearing through the dust and launching himself at Kendo before swinging his fist as hard as he could. Seats were torn from the floor with ease and thrown into the air, forcing Kendo to dodge but also giving him space to move as he lashed out with a roundhouse kick to the blonde's ribs. The loud *BANG* echoed through the arena, though what shocked Kendo was the sudden look of agony on the blonde's face. His body seemed to lock up, muscles writhing and what sounded like something literally creaking inside of Satsujin's body. He shook it off with a manic grin, launching forward to throw a stamp at Kendo's chest. Arms groaned in agony as Kendo was lifted off his feet again, his back crashing into more seats before the blonde had descended upon him again, swinging a backhand for his face, only for Kendo leap up and wrap himself around his arm.

"Bind of Pisces!"

*CRACK*

"UOOOOAAAAAA!" Satsujin roared like an animal as left his wrist and forearm were broken in an instant, though he still managed to throw Kendo off of him. The latter sprung to his feet once more, seeing one final opening as the blonde buckled in pain. There were no thoughts running through his mind, his body simply acted. He relaxed, muscles like water. His feet roared as they exploded off the floor like a raging fire. He twisted his hips and hardened his fist right as his threw it forward.

"LIKE I'D LET YOU!" The blonde snarled, setting his feet and roaring as he threw one final punch with his good hand, muscles writhing in his arm.

"Water, Fire, Adamantine Katas: GODSLAYER!"

*BOOOOM*

Kendo's punch exploded onto the blonde's face, while the latter's own strike tore into Kendo's left side. After a split second of stillness, the impact tore them away from each other, their bodies shooting through the air before they crashed on opposite ends. Pink and Purple skin faded to their regular colours respectively, both of them completely unconscious but very much alive. The first to snap out of it though…

"U-ugh…" Satsujin groaned as his eyes slowly opened. He could barely make his way to his feet, shaking like a new-born deer. Bones creaked and groaned in his body, and half of his face felt numb. Even then, he couldn't help but smile… at least, until he saw that the final surviving Android was limping its way towards Kendo's unconscious body, blade raised to stab him through the heart. "Useless scrap-pile," He snarled, managing to grab a chunk of stone and hurl it right at the bot's head, tearing a hole straight through it. He dragged himself over to Kendo, staring at him for a moment before be chuckled, turning away.

"…callin' it a draw this time. You'd better entertain me even more… the next time we meet!"

"I'll definitely do that." Surprised, Satsujin turned to see Kendo with his eyes open, weakly sitting up and looking at him with a dead serious glare. "Because next time, it isn't gonna end in a draw."

"Heh," The blonde snickered, "Better not be."

When Nighteye and Taishiro finally broke through the final Androids, all they found was Kendo, sitting alone in the wrecked arena and the bodies of a dozen destroyed androids.

(To be continued...)