Disclaimer: Angelic Layer is the creation of CLAMP. Any non-canon characters belong to me. Got that? ;o)

Dedicated to Firebird and Phoenix from CCU, who never did get back to his AL fic :o) This is for you, guys.

Apologies to everyone who was reading this story. OK, let's see if I can update more frequently...

Angelic Layer Neo: Tokyo

Chapter 3: Sunday with Misakichi

by HA

Named after his Deus's older brother, Genji was a Speed-Type Angel dressed in samurai garb. The Deus did his best to copy exactly the topknot hairstyle. Armed with twin Impact Light katanas, Genji attacked his opponents with lightning speed, and after a few swipes of his swords, he would stand victorious while the other Angel lay at his feet. At least, that was how he was supposed to work.

Instead, Genji's Deus, a young boy, watched as his Angel, or rather, what was left of it, laid before the brutish shape that had managed to defeat him. "H-H-H-How...?"

"Pathetic," the thug in black said, grinning at his defeated opponent. "Your Angel didn't deserve to exist, and now you know why."

The young Deus cradled the remains of his Angel in his hands. "But...I was winning..."

"And you lost," the thug said. "Now get out of here before you're next, and if you try to play Angelic Layer again, you will be next!"

His opponent gasped and ran out of the dark alley the Fight had been conducted in. Behind him, the thug's laughter echoed into the night.


"Heh," the thug said as he picked up his massive Angel. "Brat didn't even stand a chance."

"Perhaps you want a bigger challenge?"

The thug saw the girl dressed as a black cat with bat wings. "Tomie-sama!" he said, bowing his head.

"Good work," Tomie said. "I heard the little brat crying as he ran out of here." She sneered as she flexed her claws. "Another weak Angel eliminated and a Deus broken."

"It's what I do best, Tomie-sama," the thug said, petting his Angel. "You said something about a bigger challenge?"

"Indeed." Tomie took out a manila folder and tossed it to the thug. "All the information you need is in there."

The thug opened the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper. His eyes widened at the picture. "Tomie-sama, you mean...?"

Tomie grinned. "I hope it won't be much of a problem for you."

The thug grinned back. "Not at all."


Misaki stretched and yawned as her alarm clock continued to ring. She rubbed her eyes and got out of bed to brush her teeth. As she stepped out of the bathroom, she sniffed the air. "Frying eggs?" she remarked as she got her clothes out. She usually made breakfast for her mother and aunt, and she wondered if one of them had decided to cook for once.

She went downstairs after changing and made her way to the kitchen. "Naa?" she exclaimed at the sight before her.

Tora and Basho, the two boys she met yesterday, were standing in front of the stove. Both wore aprons and manned different burners.

"Good morning." Hikari waved at her from the table. A mug sat before her, and Misaki could smell freshly brewed coffee. Hikari sighed as she sipped from the mug.

"I don't think little girls should drink coffee." Misaki's aunt Shouko sipped from her own mug.

Hikari drank deeply from her mug. "Oh, I drink coffee now and then. I just need it now thanks to those two." She jabbed her thumb towards the two boys at the stove.

"I hope you like my breakfast for you," Basho said over the sizzling. "Fried fish and rice."

Tora snorted. "She won't want that. She'll want my bacon and eggs."

Basho glared at him. "She's Japanese, not American!"

Tora glared back. "Hey, I like bacon!"

Misaki watched as the boys yelled at each other. Even when they turned off their burners and moved their food off the stove, they continued arguing. Misaki opened her mouth to say something, but Hikari grumbled and rose from her seat and marched towards them. Soon their yells shifted moods; they went from expressing anger to expressing pain as Hikari pulled on their ears. From how loud the boys were yelling, Misaki guessed their ears were being pulled hard.

"Will you two stop arguing?" Hikari said in a deep voice.

The boys cried out in pain. "Yes, yes!"

Hikari withdrew her hands. "Well then, let's have some breakfast."

A moment later, Misaki stared at the food laid before her. She sniffed the air and inhaled the smell of fried bacon, fried and scrambled eggs, and fried fish. "It all looks so good."

"Thank you," both boys said. They shot each other a glance.

Shouko clapped her hands together. "All right, let's eat."

After a declaration of "Itadakimasu!", everyone dug in. Misaki chose food from both Tora and Basho's platters, and as she ate, she noticed both boys were watching her.

"It's funny," Shouko said after swallowing some rice. "I was seeing my sister off--she works at Piffle Princess, and she had to report in, so she was in a hurry--and I found these three standing at the door." She pointed her chopsticks to Tora and his friends. "They wanted to see you, and the boys here wanted to make breakfast for you."

Misaki looked up from her plate. "Mother needed to go to work?"

Shouko nodded and drank some coffee. "Something important. Don't know what. She just dashed out the door, although there's the usual reason for that," she said, smiling.

Misaki turned to her three visitors. "And you came over to make me breakfast?"

Hikari frowned. "They wanted to make you breakfast. I came along to try to talk them out of it. You see how well that worked out."

Tora tapped the edge of his plate. "So you like?"

Misaki swallowed another bite and nodded with a smile.

"What about my food?" Basho pointed to himself.

"Also good." Misaki helped herself to a strip of bacon and a fried fish.

Hikari shook her head. "Give up, you two."

"Hmm?" Misaki looked at her.

The other girl sighed and stirred her chopsticks through a puddle of egg yolk. "These two thought if they prepared breakfast for you and you liked what they prepared, you would make one of them your disciple."

"Really?"

Shouko blinked. "Disciple?"

The boys nodded to Misaki. "It's true," Tora said. He beamed. "So which one of us will be your disciple?"

"Well, it's gotta be me," Basho said with a grin. He pointed to a plate with three fish left. "The fried fish is mostly gone."

"We've been eating it, you know," Hikari said.

"Yeah, well, look at the bacon and eggs." Tora pointed to a small pile of scrambled eggs and a few strips of bacon.

Hikari groaned. "Same thing I told him," she said, jabbing her thumb towards Basho.

"All right then, it's up to taste!" Tora shot up from his seat. "Suzuhara, which of our food tasted the best?"

Hikari groaned, took off her glasses, and laid her head on the table. She massaged her temples. Misaki wondered if she was still tired.

"Suzuhara, you know my food was the best." Basho showed off a wide grin.

"No, mine was!" Tora snarled at his friend. "And it was good, very good."

Misaki stared at Hikari as the boys argued again. Now she was sure Hikari wasn't tired. At least, not that type of tired. She sighed and worked on finishing her food.

Shouko leaned in. "I think you'd better pick a disciple soon." She bit into a strip of bacon and chewed, the fried meat crunching between her teeth. "On the other hand, I wouldn't mind if they stopped by more often. Not as good as your cooking, but still good." She gave her niece a wink.

In the midst of two boys arguing over who should be her disciple, Misaki decided to have more scrambled egg with another strip of bacon and a fried fish. She chewed on the bacon and some fish and smiled. It was all good food.


"Tell me again why these guys are with us," Tamayo said, eyeing Tora and Basho.

Misaki sighed. "They wanted to come with us, and I couldn't say no, especially after they made breakfast..."

Tamayo stopped walking. "What?" She stoped in front of the two younger boys. "You two made breakfast for Misakichi?" When both boys nodded, she turned to Koutarou, a grin crossing her face. She chuckled. "Well well, Koutarou-chan, it looks like you have not one, but two rivals in love!"

Misaki gasped as Tamayo trapped Koutarou in a headlock. He tried to talk, but only a few strangled gasps escaped his mouth. His face changed from normal skin tone to a rich red. "Tamayo-chan!" she exclaimed.

"You've got to toughen up," Tamayo said, ignoring the stares of passers-by as she tightened her grip. "You don't want to lose Misakichi, do ya?"

Koutarou responded with a gurgled gag. His face was turning a deeper red.

Hikari cleared her throat and pointed in front of them. "We're here."

Koutarou crashed onto the pavement below as Tamayo released him. Misaki rushed to his side and helped him to his feet. "Are you okay?"

Koutarou gasped for air. He smiled at her. "I'm...all right."

Misaki looked towards their destination. A crown-shaped sign with "ANGELIC LAYER" with the familiar logo of Piffle Princess, a cute bear wearing a crown, stood over a glass double door with a winged egg design etched on its surface.

"Yes!" Tora pumped his fist into the air. "Today, I will begin my journey to become a great Deus under Suzuhara-senpai."

Basho appeared before him, his arms folded in front of him. "I don't think so. I'm going to be Suzuhara-senpai's disciple."

Misaki sighed as the two boys broke out into an argument. She had planned on hanging out with Koutarou and Tamayo all Sunday and get some practice time in with Hikaru. Then Tora and his friends showed up, and after breakfast, they insisted on tagging along. Shouko thought it was a good idea.

Screams of pain filled the air as Hikari tugged both her friends' ears. "Knock it off, or I'll really get mad," she said through clenched teeth.

After a flurry of apologies and pleas for mercy from the wannabe disciples, the group entered the training center. Tora and Basho rushed towards the check-in booth and dug into their pockets. Misaki walked past them and presented her Angel Card to the woman behind the counter. "Two hours, please."

Tora and Basho stared at her as the woman returned her card. The group made their way to a private Layer room. "You could've let us pay," Basho said as he shut the door.

"Oh, it's my treat," Misaki said. "I have a lot of points on my card, and you're my guests."

Tora grinned as he looked at the simple Layer in the middle of the room. "Let's get fighting!"

Misaki shook her head. "No fighting. Just practicing with your Angel."

Tora's shoulders slumped. "Awwwww."

Hikari patted his shoulder. "First learn how to use your Angel properly, then you can fight properly."

"But I was doing well in my Fight against Suzuhara-senpai."

"Yeah, but who lost?" Basho grinned at his friend.

Tora groaned. "Don't remind me."

"I'm willing to help you learn how to better control your Angel," Misaki said as she pulled Hikaru and her headset out of her backpack. She studied the headset. Aside from its lack of an Angel Cord, it looked the same. Why would they want to create a headset that's not attached to the Layer? It's not like--

"Senpai!"

Misaki blinked and turned to face everyone. Tora, Basho, and Hikari were holding their Angels, and they were already wearing their headsets.

Tora spoke again. "So, what should we do first?"

Misaki tapped her chin. "We should start with some simple movements."

"Good idea," Hikari said. "I haven't really gotten a chance to practice with Ririka yet. Been doing a lot of studying."

"Typical," Tora said.

The four Deuses threw their Angels onto the Layer. All four Angels landed on their feet, but Ririka started waving her arms in the air.

"Just focus on Ririka standing straight," Misaki said gently.

"I'm trying." Hikari frowned as her Angel stumbled back and forth. "I just can't...focus."

Ririka slipped, and she began to fall off the edge of the Layer. However, Zero caught her with both arms and straightened her up.

"Gotta be careful there," Tora said firmly.

"Um, thanks." Hikari's cheeks reddened, and she bowed her head.

Misaki started the practice session by telling the other Deuses to copy Hikaru's every move. She made her Angel stretch her arms up, and the other Angels stretched theirs. For every move Hikaru made, the other Angels copied it. Eventually the group danced on the Layer, and when Tamayo started clapping out a beat, they danced to that.

"I think I've got the hang of this," Hikari said as Ririka moved side to side while kicking as high as she could.

"I feel ridiculous," Tora said as Zero kicked as high as he could.

Misaki smiled. Nearby, Tamayo and Koutatou were cheering them on. Her gaze shifted to Koutarou, and her cheeks heated up when he looked back at her.

"Um, did you want us to do that too?" Hikari asked.

Misaki looked towards the Layer. Hikaru was alternating between doing backflips in place and jumping up and down with her arms stretched out. The other three Angels were copying her.

"Um, now I really feel ridiculous," Tora said.

Basho groaned. "My brain, my brain..."

Misaki gasped. "Okay, um, that's enough exercise for now."

"Heh heh." Tamayo sidled up to Koutarou. "Were you giving Misakichi lovey-dovey looks?"

Koutarou gulped and stared edging away from her. "Ummm..."

Tamayo's grin widened, and Koutarou didn't move in time to avoid her clothesline. A headlock later, she had him in a figure-four leglock. "You know if you wanna give Misakichi lovey-dovey looks, you have to get by me!" she said as she yanked his legs as far as she could.

"Naaaa!" Misaki cried out.

The Angel practice resumed after everyone made sure Koutarou was still alive. He watched the rest of the practice from a chair, where he gasped for air. Misaki demonstrated what Hikaru could do in the Layer. Tora and his friends ooohed and aaahed as Hikaru dashed from one end of the Layer to the other and punch and kick the air as fast as she could. Misaki kept herself from using the Impact Light Generator; she wanted the others to see her in action without enhancements. Once she was done, she had the new Deuses show off what their Angels could do. Tora had Zero fly around and dive towards the Layer. Basho had Baraxus flex his muscles and pose. Ririka stood in the middle of the Layer.

"I haven't really come up with any moves," Hikari said, her head bowed.

Misaki smiled. "Just have her move the way you want her to."

A minute later, Ririka was running laps around the Layer. She switched to cartwheels and did flips across the surface. Hikari laughed as her Angel kept moving.

Koutarou lifted his arm to point at the wall. "Time's almost up."

Misaki saw the time. "You're right. We should get going."

The four Deuses put away their Angels and headsets. The woman at the sign-in booth wished the group a good day as it exited the practice center.

"That was great exercise!" Tora declared, his fist high in the air. Then came a low growl.

Tamayo blinked. "What was that?"

Misaki searched for the source of the growling. Then she laid her eyes on Tora. "Um, I believe that's where it's coming from," she said, pointing to his stomach.

Tora's stomach growled again. He blushed a bright red and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry about that."

Basho patted his stomach, which jiggled. "It has been a while since breakfast."

"Hmmm..." Koutarou rubbed his chin. "Any idea where we should eat?"

Tamayo grinned and leaned against him, her arm stretching across his shoulders. "In any case, Koutarou-chan's buying!"

He glared at her. "Say what?"

"I know the perfect place!" Tora waved his hand. Misaki looked in his direction, and he grinned. "And what luck, it's nearby."

Everyone followed Tora to a restaurant located on the corner of the nearby street. Misaki knew what was being sold there due to the giant plastic burger sign hanging over the door. A pink creature with a heart-shaped head and wings leaned against the burger, a red heart prominent on the creature's chest. The restaurant's name stood out below the sign in kanji, katakana, and English characters. "The Amor Burger Stop," she read to herself.

Tora opened the glass door for her. "Come on, come on!" He waved everyone towards the entrance, a wide grin crossing his face.

The smell of flame-broiled burgers and deep-fried potatoes whaffed through Misaki's nose. The interior was spacious and a sparkling white with pictures of the winged creature posted and painted on the walls. A good-sized number of customers stood at the main counter, where employees in red and white uniforms took orders from their cash registers. Red tables and booths lined the sides and middle, and they were full of people enjoying a burger, fries, or other fast food dish. What struck her as odd was that some were wearing costumes. She recognized a few from anime, manga, and tokusatsu, but most of them were original creations. She couldn't help but remember Commander Dragon in his cape and helmet.

"You'd have to pick this place, wouldn't you?" Basho said.

A woman in a red and white uniform covered by a white apron approached them. A red cap with a burger sat atop her hair, which was tied into a bun. She bowed towards Misaki and the others. "Good afternoon. Welcome to the Amor Burger Stop." She lifted her head, then stared at Tora. "Hello, Tora-chan."

Tora groaned. "I thought I told you to never call me that. Ever."

The woman winked at him. "Funny, I don't remember ever agreeing to that." She grinned, then shifted her focus to Misaki and the others. "Ah, I see you found a new girlfriend."

Tora's face flushed. "It's...it's nothing like that!" He gestured towards the woman. "Suzuhara-senpai, my older sister Kaida." He gestured towards Misaki. "Onechan, Suzuhara Misaki-senpai."

"Nice to meet you." Misaki stood aside, and her two friends stepped forward and introduced themselves.

"Nice to meet you." Kaida kept wearing her smile. "I've heard a lot about you. I follow Angelic Layer." She turned to her little brother. "Do you want your usual booth, Tora-chan?"

Tora grinded his teeth together and raised his fists. "Yes, please," he said after a moment of glaring. He lowered his fists.

As Kaida led the way to a booth in the corner, Misaki noticed how as she passed by, people stopped talking. Some looked up from their meals and stared at her. She also noticed some of them possessed Angels and the new type of headset. As soon as she passed them, she heard whispering. Her ears picked up her name being muttered.

"Why are some people wearing costumes?" Tamayo asked as everyone settled into the booth. She sat between Koutarou and Misaki and flashed a grin at both of them.

"Cosplayers have always come here," Kaida said. "Also players of Angelic Layer. Recently, we've been getting players who dress up."

"Why do they do that?" Misaki asked as she studied the various costumed people.

"Oh, some people wear costumes because they love dressing up as superbeings," Kaida said. "I think others do it to disguise themselves since they are playing with dolls." She rubbed her chin and looked towards the ceiling. "Come to think of it, I'm surprised you don't wear a costume, Tora-chan."

Tora growled and slumped into his seat. Hikari shook her head, her mouth forming a small smile. Basho stared at Kaida, his cheeks turning a light red.

"So, do you want me to place an order for you as usual, or are you going to actually join the line, Tora-chan?" the elder Hibiki sibling asked, pointing towards the line of customers at the counter.

Tora crossed his arms over his chest and scowled, leaning further into his seat. Muttering to himself, he rose to his feet and exited the booth. He sighed. "So what do you want?"

Hikari and Basho asked for their usual orders. Misaki asked what would be the best meal to order for a first time customer. Kaida recommended the Amor Burger meal, and Misaki ordered that after hearing it being described. Tamayo and Koutarou ordered the same item, and Tora marched off to the line, which was thinning quickly.

"So you're Tora-chan's new friends, huh?" Kaida stood next to Misaki's side of the booth. "He talks a lot about you, Suzuhara-san. He told me what he'd be doing at your house."

Hikari almost jumped out of her seat. "Um, yes, yes he does." She coughed, her fist covering her mouth. "Keeps going on about how he wants to be the best Deus and having to beat the best, that's all."

Kaida laughed. "Yep, that's him. He rarely shows any energy except for when it comes to Angelic Layer."

"Gotta agree with you there," Basho said.

Kaida grinned. "Well, there is one other thing that he gets excited about." Before she could say any more, Tora came back with a small plastic sign.

"We're order number 45," he said as he returned to his seat. He placed the sign next to the edge of the table.

"My oh my." Kaida giggled. "Did you actually pay for the food?" She smiled. "There goes most of your weekly allowance, then."

Tora frowned. "Shouldn't you be helping out the other customers?" he said to his sister. "You don't want ojisan on your case."

Still grinning, Kaida ran her head through Tora's hair. "I'll bring you guys your order. See you later, Tora-chan."

Tora growled in his sister's direction. He sank into his seat, his arms folded in front of him.

"Ojisan?" Misaki said.

"Tora's uncle owns this restaurant," Hikari said. "His sister works here."

Misaki looked around her. Some of the other diners were glancing in her direction. She turned to the others. "So is the food good here?"

"I've found it rather delicious so far."

"Naaaaaa!" Misaki saw Chiaki standing next to her. The other girl smiled at her, an open box of chicken nuggets sitting on one hand and the other holding a chicken nugget with a bite in its side.

Tamayo blinked. "How do you do that?"

Chiaki bit into the nugget and swallowed. "Do what?" she asked as she reached for another.

"Would you like to sit down with us?" Misaki asked.

Chiaki shook her head. "Oh, I'm all right. I just wanted to stop by and say hello." She smiled and waved a little at them before walking away. She had barely left the area when she turned to Misaki. "Oh, and one more thing, Suzuhara-san."

"Hm?"

"Be careful."

Everyone watched as Chiaki sat at a table by herself. "Does anyone else think she's a weird girl?" Tora said.

However, before someone could answer, Kaida came with their food laid out on a plastic tray. She left them to their lunch after teasing her brother and retrieving the sign, and no one spoke as paper wrappers were opened and sandwiches bitten into. Hikari popped open her plastic container full of salad and speared a lettuce leaf with her fork.

"Delicious!" Misaki said after taking a bite out of her burger.

Koutarou chewed on a fry. "Hmmm...tastes different than other fries I've had before."

"Ojisan uses only freshly peeled potatoes for his fries. Never frozen," Tora said, wagging his finger. "Same for the beef. Ojisan doesn't like frozen burgers."

Basho swallowed a big bite of beef patty and bread. "So, Suzuhara-senpai, who was the best at practice today?"

As Tora started to declare loudly he was the best, Misaki began scanning the restaurant's interior. She spotted Sai and Kaede with a group of boys at the front door. All of them were holding Angels and headsets except one. They were engaged in conversation, although the Angel-less boy kept his head bowed. He was slouching as he walked towards an empty table with his friends. The two high school girls walked towards Misaki's table. Kaede waved at Misaki. Sai nodded in her direction.

"Oh great, her." Basho glared at Sai.

"Good afternoon," Misaki said. "You came here to get lunch too?"

Sai nodded. "Unfortunately, something I've just learned may have made me lose my appetite."

"What would that be?" Tamayo asked, looking up from her fries.

Kaede looked towards the boy, whose friends were now trying to talk to him. "His Angel was destroyed last night."

Tora dropped his half-eaten burger onto the napkin in front of him. "Wh-wh-what?"

"How?" Basho asked.

Sai still looked at boy as she spoke. "Someone challenged him to a Fight, and his Angel was ripped apart."

Misaki gasped. "Who would do such a thing?"

"I'm not sure, but there have been reports of Angels being destroyed in Fights, and...Suzuhara?"

Misaki rose from her seat and walked towards the boy, who was staring at the table. The other diners whispered amongst themselves. Kaede and Sai appeared next to her when she stood before him.

"Um, excuse me," Misaki began as the others joined her. "I heard about what happened."

The boy lifted his head and gasped. "You're...you're Suzuhara Misaki-san."

His friends stared at her, which made her blush. "Um, yes, yes I am."

"Heh, it's good to be the Angelic Layer Champion," Tamayo said, slapping Misaki hard on the back. Misaki waved her arms in the air until she regained her balance.

"You're the reason why I wanted to play Angelic Layer." The boy bowed his head. "Now I want to quit."

"Don't say that!" one of the other boys said.

"I'm just not good enough." The boy sniffled and wiped away a tear. "If I had been any good, Genji wouldn't be in pieces right now."

Misaki cleared her throat. "So what happened?" she asked gently.

The boy swallowed loudly. "I was walking home last night when some big guy challenged me to an Angelic Fight. I thought I could take him, but his Angel was too strong."

A boy in a cape at another table rose from his seat. "The same thing happened to me. My Monjiro lost his arms."

A girl at a booth stood up. "My Brittany was almost torn to shreds. It'll take a lot of work to fix her."

More Deuses stood up and said their Angels were destroyed or almost destroyed. Misaki couldn't believe the large number of people standing.

"That's odd."

Everyone stared at Chiaki when she appeared next to Misaki. Only Sai didn't jump in place.

"Stop doing that!" Tora said, clutching his chest.

"How can you conduct a Fight without a Layer?" Chiaki asked. "You need a Layer, or your Angel wouldn't work." She looked around the restaurant. "How did any of you have a Fight?"

Then the door opened, and silence filled the room. All eyes focused on the latest newcomer.

Misaki noticed three things about the man who had entered. The first was his body was covered from heat to toe. A gray trenchcoat covered most of him with a matching hat that sat atop his head. The second was his eyes were covered by a pair of shades. The third was his head nearly touched the top of the door frame.

"Ah, I see some familiar faces here," he said with a smirk. "How nice."

The boy shook in his seat. "Th-th-that's him," he said, pointing a trembling finger at the man.

The gray man chuckled. "Ah, my last victim. Good to see you again."

Misaki gulped loudly, but she resolved to stand firm. "You're the one who destroyed his Angel?"

The gray man turned towards her. "Ah, Suzuhara Misaki, currently considered the best Deus in the world"--he flashed a grin--"and my next target!"

Misaki's eyes widened. "Naaaaaa?"

"Hold on!" Tamayo stood before her friend. "You got a problem with her, you got a problem with me, got it?" She shook her fist at him.

Misaki stood in front of her friend, her arms waving franctically in the air. "T-T-Tamayo-chan, he's a lot bigger than you!"

Koutarou stayed next to Misaki. Tora and Basho stepped forward. "What do you want?" Tora asked.

"It's simple, really." The gray man pointed to Misaki. "I wish for my Angel to fight her Angel."

"Over our dead bodies," Basho said.

"Don't push your luck, kid." The gray man looked past Misaki's shield of friends. "Are you going to hide from me, Suzuhara?"

Sai frowned. "So you've been going around destroying Angels, huh?" She stepped forward. "Care to take on Shirahime?"

The gray man chuckled. "Sorry, but my orders are to fight Hikaru, but when I'm done disposing of her, I'll be glad to break your Angel into pieces."

"But you're not supposed to destroy your opponent's Angels," Kaede said.

"Heh." The gray man smirked. "We're doing everyone a favor by throwing out the trash."

Misaki pushed her way past her friends. "Trash?"

"Yes, trash. That's all your Angels are compared to ours--trash. We're just putting them where they belong."

"'We'?" Hikari said. "Who are you?"

"Yes, who are you working for?" Sai asked.

"Enough talk!" The gray man snarled. "Are you going to be a champion and fight me, Suzuhara, or will you be a coward?"

"Don't do it," the boy said. "His Angel's too powerful, and--"

"Silence, trash!"

The boy sunk into his seat. His efforts to suppress the chattering of his teeth proved to be futile.

Misaki returned to the booth and came back with Hikaru and her headset. "Where can we fight?"

"Suzuhara-san." Sai stood next to her. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Misaki nodded. "He destroyed someone's Angel, and he made him cry." She glanced at the boy. "I can't let this man get away with it."

"But we don't know what his Angel's capable of," Koutarou said.

Misaki faced the gray man. "So where will we fight?"

He grinned. "Over there will do nicely." He pointed to the large area next to the soda dispenser machines.

Tamayo blinked. "But there's no Layer there."

The gray man snickered. "What small-minded fools." He pulled out a disk from the inside of his coat. "Moblie Layer, activate!" He threw the disk like a Frisbee, and to everyone else's amazement, it stopped, and a tripod shot out from its botton and anchored it to the floor. The disk spun in place.

Misaki stared at the sight. "But how...?"

"Come."

Misaki followed the gray man to where the disk was spinning. She followed his example and stood a good distance from the disk. She recognized the distance between them being equal to the size of a standard Layer.

The gray man donned an Angelic Layer headset. Misaki noticed it was different from hers. For one thing, his was black. Bat wings replaced the usual wings on the earpieces.

"Now, for an environment that'll best suit this Fight," he said, snapping his fingers.

The disk hummed and flashed, and Misaki found herself standing before a desert. A bright sun shone over the field. A cactus or two stood on some parts of the sand. She noticed the bleached skull of a horse in one corner. She recalled the holographic Layer used in the regional and national tournaments. The environments created by that were realistic, but she couldn't help but think the one she was standing before was even more realistic than those. For one thing, she felt the heat of the desert sun and the desert wind blowing towards her.

"What the heck's going on?" Tora said.

"Interesting," Chiaki said. "The field is entirely made of Impact Light."

"What?" Tamayo's eyes bugged out at the sight. "You mean they're standing on what the new weapons use?"

"Looks that way," Koutarou said.

Tamayo blinked. "But it looks solid and realistic."

Sai frowned. "I don't like this."

Kaede tapped her chin. "The field is rather high off the ground."

As she donned her headset, Misaki noticed everyone gathering around her and her opponent. The gray man grinned. "Ah, I love this. A crowd to witness the end of Hikaru."

"Hikaru won't lose!" Misaki held out her Angel and eyed the sand. A tumbleweed rolled across the middle of the Layer.

"We'll see, Suzuhara." The gray man grinned. "We'll see."

Misaki took a cleansing breath. "Wings of an Angel! Please guide me and Hikaru! Hikaru, fall in!" She threw Hikaru into the Layer, and she landed on her feet. She sunk slightly into the sand.

"Ah, the famous Hikaru." The gray man sneered. "Prepare to be crushed. Deathpincer, fall in!"

He threw something into the Layer, and when it landed, it shook the ground, causing Hikaru to almost lose her balance. Misaki steadied her, and when she saw her opponent's Angel, she gasped.