And the chapter you've all been waiting for is here!
All your waiting will hopefully be well rewarded in this chapter!
We arrive at the Ensemble Escalation!
Who will come out on top, with their first One-Star Goku Uniform?
The sharp-toothed tennis player, Omiko Hakodate? Or the short screaming boxer, Takaharu Fukoroda?
Well, looks like you'll have to read on to find out! Enjoy, and be sure to review!
- KILL AVANT KILL -
EPISODE 7: EYE OF THE TIGER
Speed became almost inconsequential as both Omiko and Takaharu put themselves into overdrive.
They didn't feel the wind against their face, nor did they pay any attention to the hooting and hollering of those No-Star students not involved in the Ensemble Escalation. No, they were much more focused on each other. Both the tennis player and the boxer both made note to glance at the progress of the other as they closed the gap to the Covered Conquest Tower.
Going at such breakneck speed, only the eyes of the Elite Four, Sanageyama in particular, could see the true struggle going on between the two of them. Sanagayama continued to grin proudly as his two hopefuls put all their heart and soul into beating the other to the Tower.
When they were about twenty feet away from the foot of the tower, Takaharu and Omiko seemed to have the exact same thought on both of their minds. Dust kicked up as the tennis player and boxer pushed their feet against the ground.
They both jumped at the same time, desperation written all over their faces as they reached out to see who would grab onto the tower first. The structure itself was massive, and built as if it was a fusion of a massive rock climbing and obstacle course.
Both the boxer and tennis player's mouths were agape as time seemed to move in slow motion for them. Takaharu noticed the full length and sharpness of Omiko's teeth for a brief millisecond, wondering to himself what it would be like to kiss her, and how much damage he'd take in the aftermath.
Somehow, a similar thought entered Omiko's mind. She couldn't help but wonder if one of her teeth would get stuck in the gap in Takaharu's teeth, if she ever did have the crazy thought of locking lips with him.
But as the two thought of the wild idea of kissing each other, the second that their jump took finally passed, and the results were instant.
Takaharu felt himself almost slip as he barely caught on, while Omiko, taller and with much longer arms, found herself up on him by at least ten feet.
Behind them, the One-Stars cheered as the arduous climb began. Sanageyama looked on in surprise as Omiko started to surpass the determined Takaharu, who was busy pushing his muscles as he fought to keep up with her.
"Well, this is less boring than I thought it would be." Nonon said nonchalantly from the sidelines. Next to her, Inumuta didn't even so much as respond, too busy typing away at his laptop.
Gamagoori, however, offered his own view.
"I don't understand that Hakodate. She's too sure of herself for her own good. No sense of self-discipline."
Nonon laughed, amused at Gamagoori's words. "And you're aren't, Gama-kun? You're such a confident toad, and you know it."
Clearly more interested in Takaharu possibly gaining ground in this test of wills, the tall Elite Four member did not give her the satisfaction of receiving an answer.
"This is the beauty of true sportsmanship." Sanageyama exclaimed, very much estatic about the intense climbing he and the rest Student Council were spectating.
"Now it all comes down to who's stronger, and who's more determined." he said, not expecting a response to his statement but getting one anyway from Inumuta.
"I could measure their muscle mass right now." the techie pointed out, his fingers delicately tapping on his keyboard at unbelievable speed. "Clearly, tennis and boxing require arm strength, and all it would take is a simple calculation of their specific musculature to triangul-"
But Inumuta never had time to finish, instead retracting and almost letting out a startled gasp as Sanageyama forcefully shut his laptop screen.
"NO!" he declared with fervor. "I don't need numbers and ratings! We watch this match live!"
Nonon giggled to herself, finding joy in Inumuta's plight as the Chief Officer of Information and Strategic Planning scanned his computer feverishly, fearing the worst in damages. Luckily, he managed to calm down once he it seemed Sanageyama hadn't broken anything.
"I can't help but wonder," Iori, who chosen to remain silent up until this point, asked. "...is it really wise to trust the prototype uniforms in the hands of these No-Stars?"
Gamagoori turned in an instant, his eyes narrowed as if someone had committed sacrilege. "You would question Satsuki-sama's judgment?"
But despite Gamagoori's death glare, the young tailor seemed unafraid. "I'm not saying Satsuki-Sama's wrong. I would never. But they are my handiwork, so I'm just observing that perhaps we should have been a little more selective about who would be granted the first uniforms."
"Satsuki-sama is doing what she believes is right for this Academy." Sanageyama replied, cutting off Gamagoori before he could declare any more treason. "And she's right to judge things like this. This way, only the strongest student, the one most deserving of a Goku Uniform, will be the student who earns one."
"This is no contest, monkey. Hakodate is going to win." Nonon stated, clearly seeing no promise in Takaharu's performance whatsoever.
On the Covered Conquest Tower, the boxer was still a few feet behind Omiko, from what everyone watching from below could see. He was fighting hard to catch up though, his gloves literally creating impressions as he pounded his way after Omiko.
No one, not even Sanageyama, could imagine what was going through Takaharu's head as he worked his muscles to the limit, trying his hardest to catch up with the twin-tailed tennis player.
Each punch into the wall created indents that allowed him to maintain his grip, but also allowed him to build momentum and slowly increase in speed. But despite this, Omiko still was up ahead, and gaining her own speed as her delicate fingers held onto to every crevice with ease.
She was no experienced rock climber, that much was true. But it was amazing nevertheless what pure determination could bring out in people, and for Omiko, it was bringing every ounce of arm strength and endurance she had to offer.
As the tennis player scaled the wall with efficient ease, she could only wonder just how sore her arms were going to be, once this was all over.
Meanwhile, behind Takaharu, a few of the other, less-important No-Stars seemed to be gaining headway. Surprisingly, they were actually worked together, forming a sort of human ladder as they helped the last man in their formation up to the top and so on.
So distracted was Takaharu, that he didn't even realize they were coming.
He was too caught up in his own words, angry with himself that Omiko still remained ahead of him.
"I'M GOING TO WIN THAT UNIFORM, OMIKO!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, the wind from being so high screaming with him.
"I! WON'T! LOSE! TO! YOU!" he yelled, his aura flaring up as his muscles tensed and his fighting spirit overtook him.
In that same moment, a living ladder of six No-Star students hovered over Takaharu menacingly. They attempted to descend upon him like some malign human centipede, but they weren't ready for the explosion of force that occurred when Takaharu charged upwards.
His eyes wide with determination, he pounded against the wall like a raging gorilla, gaining speed faster than ever now. Meanwhile, the No-Stars screamed in fright as the explosion disassembled their ladder formation, before they proceeded to fall the long, long way to the ground below.
So focused was Omiko on getting to top of the Covered Conquest Tower, that she didn't immediately hear the crushing noise that signified Takaharu's sudden approach.
It was only when she heard a deafening smashing noise just a few feet behind her, that she actually turned her head to look and see Takaharu, his form menacing as he lifted his arm up and prepared to swing at her.
Defying all gravity, Takaharu's punch landed inches away from Omiko's hip, pulverizing the side of the Covered Conquest Tower on impact.
"What the hell?!" she stammered, before losing her balance and slipping. A moment passed where she seemed to regain her footing, and she looked awkwardly at Takaharu, who was breathing heavily, his body infused with fighting spirit.
A second later, and Omiko slipped. She screamed as she began to plummet at high speed, unable to grip on the wall to stop herself.
Above, Takaharu simply wore a darkened expression, grunting before using the opportunity to head towards the top of the tower.
No-Stars looked on in wonder as Omiko Hakodate continued to fall, and a few of them began betting if the impact would kill her or not. Sanageyama simply looked on in disappointment, until he noticed Omiko reaching for her pristine white racket strapped to her side.
"Maybe I spoke to soon, Gama-Kun." Nonon said, shielding her eyes from the sun as she followed Omiko's fall. "Hakodate is about to bite the dust."
"Her arrogance has cost her." Gamagoori replied, his arms still crossed, a stalwart expression as his eyes followed Omiko as well. Inumuta seemed too busy to talk, calculating the girl's descent, a number on the lower right corner of his laptop screen showing a percentage that represented her chances of surviving the fall.
In short, they weren't very good.
But even as she lost more than two hundred feet while falling, Sanageyama still smiled confidently.
"I wouldn't be so sure." he told his fellow Elite Four, in response to their lack of faith.
Almost right on cue, Omiko jammed her white racket into the wall.
One might initially expect the tool to disintegrate upon contact from the enormous friction, but instead, sparks flew as the racket held. Made personally by Omiko's father, who was a metalworker by trade, Omiko's racket might have just looked like white plastic, but it was much more than just that.
Its ability to withstand the intense heat as it skidded against the side of the Covered Conquest Tower was proof enough, and after four seconds, Omiko finally stopped, the racket having embedded itself into the siding enough that she could regain her footing.
Below, Sanageyama looked on triumphantly at her comeback. The rest of the Elite Four were quite surprised, but they were not so obvious about showing it.
"Don't doubt the Athletics Clubs. Not even for a second!" Sanageyama stated with fervor.
Once Omiko and Takaharu made it to the top, Sanageyama knew they would be greeted with something made especially with them in mind. The green-haired kendo master pulled out a microphone from his jacket pocket, relishing the coming moment where he would be able to see a true battle of wills.
With this on his mind, the Athletics Club Chairman was particularly ominous in his next statement.
"The real fight has yet to begin."
He didn't know how he did it, but somehow, Takaharu had made it.
His chest heaving, and his arms so sore that they felt like they would fall off, Takaharu nevertheless forced a smile as he looked on from the top of the Covered Conquest Tower.
The view itself was beautiful, if one could ignore the gigantic eyes built around the tower which seemed to twitch and jitter at the slightest movement. From atop this place, Takaharu could see all of Honnoji Academy in its full glory, save for Satsuki's personal spire, which still remained above everything.
But despite the calm atmosphere, Takaharu did not have a moment to lose.
Right up ahead, the actual top of the tower was surprisingly sparse. It was a empty circle, but at its center was a small black stand, which held none other than the prized One-Star Goku Uniform. It was folded nicely and wrapped neatly in plastic.
Takaharu's eyes glowed with anticipation as he approached the uniform. He was but moments away from his glove actually touching it, before a familiar voice stopped him.
"Don't even think about."
Takaharu turned slowly, narrowing his eyes as Omiko approached.
He didn't begin to wonder how she could have made such a quick comeback, instead focusing on how he would knock her off the tower again just as easily.
"That's my uniform." she declared. As she approached the boxer, who was busy fixing his gloves, she pulled out a seemingly innocuous silver rod. With but a button press, it folded itself out into a portable tennis racket. It was but yet another one of her father's metalwork wonders.
"It'll be yours over my dead body, Omiko." the boxer promised, to which Omiko simply replied with a shark-toothed grin.
"That can be easily arranged."
Too caught up in insulting the other, and too anxious to fight, neither Omiko or Takaharu noticed the faint clicking noise as the structure's delicate weight system registered two bodies.
A large speaker erupted from the ground, and out of it, came Uzu Sanageyama's voice.
"I don't even have to be up here to feel the fighting spirit in you. Looks like you're both as ready as ever."
"Uzu-sempai..." Omiko said, a red flush appearing on her face as she recognized his voice.
Takaharu simply gritted his teeth, jealousy spiking in his heart again at the very thought of Sanageyama being the subject of Omiko's crush.
"I got here first, Sanageyama-sempai." Takaharu shouted, his fist raised defiantly. "The Goku Uniform is rightfully mine!"
"No so fast, Fukoroda." the Athletics club advisor said through the speaker, as it seemed to comically expand and contract with his tone. "The conquest does not just end at the top of the Conquest Tower. It as the top where conquest is decided!"
Words seemed unnecessary in the next moment, as down below, Inumuta activated the systems hiding underneath Takaharu and Omiko with just a click on his laptop.
The ground rumbled slightly, before opening as a massive, monolithic red wall emerged. It soared high above, and as Omiko and Takaharu looked on in awe, they both noticed that it was shaped like half of an octagon. It closed off all the space in front of them, cutting them off from the One-Star unform, but still leaving them vulnerable to falling off the other side.
The speaker's volume seemed unaffected by this sudden obstruction though.
"This, is the final test for the One-Star Goku Uniform. Welcome, to another of the Obstacle Course Construction Club's wonders..."
"SUPER...SUICIDE!"
Sanageyama seemed perhaps a little too happy with himself, as he began his explanation.
"It's much simpler than it sounds." he began, as Omiko and Takaharu watched as another holding stand, a glowing red ball infused with Life Fibers inside it, emerged from below.
"The object of the game is to successfully peg your opponent after bouncing the Life Fiber ball against the wall once. In the regular rules of this game, this would entail simply hitting them with the ball and thus gaining a point."
The speaker seemed to expand as Sanageyama made a hearty laugh. "But this is no regular contest! For this particular version of the game, an opponent is only pegged when they are knocked off completely from the top of the Covered Conquest Tower! The remaining Club President will be awarded their One-Star Goku Uniform, having earned their right to wear it."
Takaharu and Omiko glared at each other, gritting their teeth as they prepared for the worst. Seeing this from below through Inumuta's camera feed, Sanageyama simply laughed again.
"Well, I don't want to interrupt a good thing. Carry on with Super Suicide!"
And with that, the speaker stopped. Takaharu and Omiko looked towards the huge wall structure in front of them, only to be caught off-guard as the Life Fiber ball was suddenly launched violently into the air.
Time became irrelevant once again, as Takaharu and Omiko simultaneously ran forward as the ball reached its apex and began to descend back down to the ground.
Takaharu pulled his fist back at almost the exact same time Omiko prepared for a backhand with her racket. They were right next to each other as the ball passed the air in front of them, and they so let loose their respective moves at precisely the same time.
The ball shot forward like a bullet from the combined force of Takharu's punch and Omiko's backhand, but upon hitting the wall, it simply ricocheted back with even greater force. Both Takaharu and Omiko felt its impact at the same time as it hit home, and they both skidded back so much they nearly went careening off the edge.
Omiko herself felt her body toppling back, and she gasped as she seemed ready to fall.
But before she passed the point of no return, she felt the soft sensation of a glove holding her steady. Takaharu quickly pulled away though, once he realized she had regained her footing.
"I...I don't need your help." she told him, feigning anger despite the embarrassment she quickly hid by pulling down her hat.
"And I don't need this to be an empty victory." Takaharu shot back, readying his stance as the ball slowly bounced this way.
"TE!" he exclaimed, punching the ball hard and causing it to slam back against the towering wall. Omiko's eyes widened as she saw it approaching, with a speed that she knew would sent her clear off the edge if it made contact.
Nevertheless, the twin-tailed girl smiled, baring her teeth as she focused her telescopic attachment on the approaching projectile.
"Heh." she remarked. "Piece of cake."
With but one strong swing, Omiko sent the Life Fiber ball right back into the wall. It came back towards Takaharu at dangerous speed.
As the boxer punched it back with a labored grunt, he could only wonder if it was Omiko's skill in her sport that was the only reason that her portable racket hadn't shattered apart when coming in contact with a ball infused with Life Fibers. Of course, he had no idea that a lot of it had to do with her father's metalworking, and that her skill was only part of it.
Unsurprisingly, Omiko and Takaharu went back and forth in this way, punching and swinging at the ball, for five minutes straight. The suspense seemed to have everyone in its web, including the Elite Four, who were able to view the conflict from a special video feed set up Inumuta himself.
The feed even had clear audio, and thus the Elite Four could hear every labored breath, every grunt, and every smack as glove and racket alive hit the ball back and forth.
Somehow, even after having climbed up the Covered Conquest Tower, Takaharu and Omiko's endurance seemed infinite. Though they felt the strain on their muscles, they both chose to ignore it, knowing that victory could be but one ball bounce away.
"It's sad." Omiko said between breaths, bored with the relative silence of these last five minutes. "That this will mark the end of our rivalry. I almost think I'll miss it once I've won."
"KEN!" Takaharu punched the ball back again, speaking out his words between breaths. "Even if I lose, rivalries never end! I can just...I can just beat you again! I can beat you again...for a Two-Star Uniform!"
"But if you lose now, then you'll never have the right to brag about winning a One-Star Uniform first." she remarked, making a sly smile as she let out another backhand. "Doesn't that concern you at all?"
Takaharu hit the ball with a corkscrew this time, causing it to ricochet wildly around the wall. Omiko, surprised, barely managed to hit it. It was enough to send it back though, but just enough.
"If you want the truth," Takaharu admitted. "This whole competition is pretty enjoyable for me. I like seeing you at your best."
Omiko stopped for a second, caught off-guard by his compliment. It was almost to the point where she nearly missed the oncoming ball.
"What? Don't say such ridiculous things! This isn't some carefree match!" she shot back at him, at the same time she shot the ball back with her racket.
"FUN! SAAAAI! " Takaharu exclaimed as he performed an uppercut on the ball, sending it high above to where Omiko wouldn't expect.
"I know it's not some carefree match! I'm just making an observation!" he added, as Omiko positioned herself, before jumping up and spiking the ball hard. This time, it hit the ground hard enough before tapping the wall and going so high up that it gave Omiko and Takaharu just a bit of reprieve.
She narrowed her eyes, putting on a disappointed expression. "You mean like how you made an observation about my bite radius?"
Takaharu felt his heart drop. He let out a loose punch to keep the ball going as he remembered his awful words.
"I've been meaning to apologize for that."
Omiko's reply came right after another smack from her racket. "A little late, don't you think?"
"Is there going to be a better time then now?" he asked, before reminding her of an important fact. "Because once one of us wins, we won't be able to walk home together anymore. One-Stars get their own apartments, after all. We'll be separated."
"Like you're really going to miss me that much?" the sharp-toothed girl said, with a laugh in her voice.
Takaharu's face began to flush red at this point, and he almost felt like hiding in his headgear.
"I might."
Finally, it was these words that caused Omiko to become truly distracted. Confusion all over her face, she looked back at Takaharu as if he had grown a second head.
"What are you saying?" she pressed, clearly annoyed. "If this is an attempt to mislead me, it's pretty sad, Takaharu-kun."
Another smack from her, almost by reflex at this point, and the ball was speeding towards the wall again.
"Do I look like a liar to you?" he told her, before slamming his fist into the ball that came right back at him.
"I swear on my honor as a boxer. I would miss you. Quite a bit, actually." he admitted, chuckling to try and lessen the tension.
Omiko began to feel her cheeks grow hot. Her hands were just a bit unsteady as she returned the ball again. "You're an idiot. Just shut your mouth before you say something stupid, and let me win."
Takaharu felt his heart pound in his chest upon hearing those words. His tone of voice rose dramatically.
"Let you win?! LET YOU WIN!? Why would I let you win!?"
Omiko's tone was low when she replied. She sounded disappointed again, remembering the hurtful words Takaharu said earlier.
"You'd let me win, because you feel sorry for me. It's because to you, I'm just a sharp-toothed freak. I'm just...just..."
She tried to so hard to not say Jaws-chan. She tried to keep it in. But for some reason, it seemed to so desperately want to slip off her tongue.
But just as she was about to speak that horrible name, Takaharu cut her off completely. The ball was approaching fast, but his mind seemed to be elsewhere.
"I don't feel sorry for you."
The ball was but two seconds away now.
"I would NEVER feel sorry for you."
One second now.
"In fact, Omiko..."
Just as it seemed that the Life Fiber ball was but two feet away from making contact with Takaharu, his gloved fist launched out with uncanny speed. Everything seemed to move in slow motion for the boxer as he hit the ball not twice, not three times, but four times in succession.
Defying the laws of phsyics themselves with his movements, the ball only just began to register multiple hits, shaking erratically.
Then, he punched again, and it shot forward so fast that the very air it traveled through scorched with heat.
"I!"
His declaration was strong, his poise perfect.
"LOVE!"
The ball hit the wall so hard, that an audible crack could be heard.
"YOU!"
It was coming back now, but Omiko didn't even look to one side.
Instead, her gaze was focused on Takaharu Fukoroda: the short, screaming boxer, her rival, the boy she had found annoying and too honorable for his own good from the start.
And that same boy, had just confessed to her, in the middle of the Ensemble Escalation.
The No-Stars gasped. Sanageyama put on a very surprised expression, having not expected that at all. But to the other Elite Four, such a confession seemed inconsequential.
Takaharu took in his breaths slowly, his gaze meeting Omiko's. He didn't even have to say anything to her, for even a ball going at over one hundred miles an hour was but an afterthought, as she hit it back without even trying.
Her gaze still fixed on him, she uttered but a few words, her face aglow with a pink flush as she felt butterflies erupt in her stomach.
"You're...you're not lying, are you?"
Takaharu smiled. It was an honest smile, showing the gap between his teeth.
To Omiko, it was perfect.
Takaharu almost laughed. "Not in the slightest."
It was as if with that phrase, Omiko felt her heart melt. She could feel tiny tears of happiness welling in her eyes, her face still flushed as she began to smile. The very thought of a boy actually telling her they loved her, and meaning it; just the very thought was almost impossible to fathom. She had been so used to them making fun of her all her life, with such infernal nicknames, that this was practically a dream.
But either way, it was absolutely wonderful.
Until, of course, the moment was spoiled. After all, they were still in the middle of Super Suicide, and the happiness of confessing had finally managed to hit Takaharu right where it would hurt most.
The ball slammed into Takaharu's face at high speed, without forgiveness or understanding. Caught completely off-guard, Takaharu felt the warm release of admission fading away as he felt the pain of being hit so hard by the speeding Life Fiber projectile replace it.
He gasped as he suddenly felt weightless, if only for a moment.
Turning in the air, he realized too late just how much he was over the edge, able to see the expanse of the Academy and all the students and Elite Four looking up from below. For a moment, he felt like he was flying.
But only for a moment.
The boxer managed to glance once last time at Omiko, before gravity took hold, and he went plummeting down towards the ground below.
As expected, the No-Stars were in awe at this sudden development. Gamagoori could only wonder how Takaharu had allowed himself to be so distracted, while Inumuta and Nonon were both very much surprised by this development.
But Sanageyama simply looked on at the falling Takaharu in disappointment, realizing in that moment, that perhaps he had been wrong in the boy's potential.
Perhaps, Sanageyama thought, he had been very wrong.
But none of the Elite Four, nor the student body, would know what Omiko Hakodate felt as she stood atop the Covered Conquest Tower, this time by herself, as the winner of today's Ensemble Escalation.
She did not look over the edge for Takaharu, mostly because she did not want to. It would be too painful to think about whether or not he would make it through his descent. Instead, she chose to immerse herself in her prize.
The Super Suicide structure had descended back underground upon her win, leaving the way to the One-Star Goku Uniform open. Delicately, she admired the uniform underneath the clean plastic wrap.
If one didn't see her face, they would almost think she was truly grateful.
But tears still splashed onto the plastic wrap surface covering the uniform. And on Omiko's face was drawn out to the point where it looked like she was in unbearable pain.
Her heart pounding, she went down on her knees, hugging the uniform tightly, and trying to imagine in her head it was Takaharu in her arms.
But the truth was sadly very far from that. Omiko gasped in anguish.
Tears continued to flow as she realized that matter how powerful this uniform was, it wouldn't ever be able to replace Takaharu Fukoroda.
No matter how much she wished it be so.
Well, that's a declaration of love if there ever was one. But it's also a huge loss. Poor Takaharu.
So yeah, I'm sure you all wonder what happens next! Well, maybe the author doesn't even know himself!
But, don't fear, as the story will be fully resolved!
You'll just have to stay tuned!