AN: Finally, it's here!
I know, quite a hiatus, right? I have no excuses this time other than the fact that real life responsibilities has left me with little free time. But I've been getting a lot of requests to continue this and I've gained new readers too (over 200 followers and 180 favs at this time) so it's been very encouraging and I thank you all for that.
Trust me, more stories are on its way and all I can say now is that I hope the wait was worth it.
CHAPTER 15: A Game and a Stage
Another slash whooshed by him as he swerved his body out of its path and immediately after that, he had to quickly parry a stab to his blind side. They both came at him simultaneously like two relentless wolves, forcing him to react within a mere flicker of a millisecond and leaving him scant opportunities to take a breath.
He was sure he would've had a much harder time a month ago, before he found himself in this whole unbelievable circumstance, but now he was on even ground thanks to his Mana Emission.
He could feel the power coursing though in his legs, his arms, all the way to the tip of his blade. It propelled him to a level that all his worldly training would've never granted him. He couldn't help but wonder how it would've impacted his mission if he had it in the first place. Would it have helped for the better? Or for the worse?
Regardless of it all, he knew he couldn't afford to drop his guard around the Mage-Knights-in-training that came at him.
In way they made a perfect pair. First you have Stella Vermillion who wields raw destructive power. Then you have Ikki Kurogane who's speed and technique went beyond the boy's own years.
Bruce honestly couldn't have asked for better sparring partners.
It was Ikki who had at last ended it by catching Bruce off guard with his sword tip held to his neck.
"Finally" Ikki panted a bit. "I got you."
The older student stayed still about a second, looking only mildly surprised before the side of his lips slightly stretched upwards as he nodded in acknowledgment.
"Hm. So you did."
Ikki's brows went awry as he dismissed Intetsu, regarding Bruce with a contemplative look. He had a feeling that the only reason he was fast enough was because Bruce's mind wasn't totally in the game as he would like them to believe.
Not that Ikki thought Bruce was inattentive, far from it; Ikki could tell that Bruce had this uncanny capability of dividing his attention to such a level that it was like he was existing in two places at the same time.
That was the thing Ikki noticed about him, the man was always planning or scheming something; envisioning ten moves ahead. It was hard to tell what was really going on in that mind of his.
But regardless of his observations, Ikki decided set aside his curiosity for now.
"I can see that Stella wasn't kidding, your magic control has come a long way."
The mentioned red-haired princess called off her blade as well. She released a heavy breath, being unable to believe the workout Bruce had given her and Ikki.
Surprisingly, he had invited them both to the practice arena and requested that they team up against him. Despite his wishes for them to not hold back, it wasn't feasible for them to do so. Ikki never uses Ittou Shura unless absolutely necessary and Stella didn't want to use her more devastating attacks in fear that Ikki might get caught in 'friendly fire' so to speak.
Still, she was amazed that he lasted this long against them; it had been almost an hour since they started.
"Yeah but maybe instead constantly defending, you should stay your ground and attack once in a while." Stella said. "Y'know, actually use your shadow abilities."
In an unexpected act, Ikki spoke up before Bruce had a chance to.
"He didn't because he was focusing only on improving his stamina. Weren't you, Bruce?"
Bruce blinked, briefly being taken aback before he relaxed and nodded.
"I was. There'll be times when one might face overwhelming numbers. In such situations, outlasting your opponents and keeping control of the battlefield is key. As it's said: Attack is the secret of defense…'"
"And defense is the planning of attack." Ikki finished for him, smiling and lightly pointed a finger gun at him to acknowledge his insight.
"Sun Tzu, am I right?" he asked.
Once again Bruce found himself being impressed by the boy and his lips moved slightly in a grin.
"You got it, Kid."
"Yeesh. Where these two separated at birth or something!?" Stella thought in annoyance.
Just because Stella was on much friendlier terms with Bruce didn't mean that she didn't still feel the twangs of jealousy every time Ikki's attention was taken away from her.
"Now wait a minute. I'M the one training YOU!" she punctuated, trying to assert her control.
The tone wasn't lost on Bruce and left the man to grunt in exasperation.
"I'm aware."
"Good. Then let's review your homework."
He frowned and narrowed his eyes towards her in suspicion.
"What are you talking about?"
"I told you to come up with a name for one of your Noble Arts, remember?"
Although he kept a blank facade, internally he felt himself cringe at this. He had honestly hoped she would' ve forgotten about all that but seeing the way the teen girl looked at him with impatient expectancy and fists at her hips, he conceded that such hopes were bound to end in disappointment.
"Well? Did you?"
"Just one." he lied.
"Well then, lets see it."
"It's late. I should be-"
But Stella jumped in front of him before he could make his escape.
"Ooh no! No you don't!"
As much as he scowled at her, Stella didn't budge and instead resorted to her usual puppy-dog tactic when it came to dealing with him.
"C'mon Bruce, it's not going to take that much of your time." she bleated with clasped hands and shimmering eyes.
Ikki watched the whole exchange with amusement. It was so weird to him, seeing the two of them interacting like this considering how hostile Stella was to him earlier. He wasn't sure how to feel at first when he heard about Stella training Bruce in magic but he was happy that they helped each other out and at least they were getting along now.
Now if only the same could be said about Shizuku. His little sister continued to be antagonizing towards Stella and she still didn't trust Bruce either.
The Worst One's was brought one out from his thoughts when he noticed that Stella had finally managed to sway him. He was standing a few feet from her with his back turned and his Device held ready. Ikki walked up and joined Stella at her side.
"Remember: Loud and proud!" she called him like an encouraging mother.
That made him scrunch up his face even more. He was already embarrassed about having a girl almost half his age lead him around but what she was asking him to do was on a different level and he couldn't believe that he let her talk him into it.
"Shadow-rang!"
With his words, a spinning black S-shaped bladed protectile materialized at the tip of his blade. Unlike his previous attempts from before, this time he was able to launch it perfectly in long controled arc before it returned back to him as he mentally commanded it.
Snrrrk…
purupuru~
Bruce turned around to see both his teen companions clenching their lips and quivering like they were trying to restrain themselves.
"That was impressive, Bruce." said Ikki shakily before clenching his lips again.
Stella nodded with a shaking smile.
"Um hm, well done."
But they couldn't hold it in any long and burst out laughing on the spot.
"But seriously, 'SHADOW-RANG!?'" Stella cried in amusement.
"I'd like to see you two come up with something better on short notice!" Bruce scolded them with a frown.
"Nah. It's fine, Bruce." Ikki chuckled, having at last calmed down. "But on a similar subject, have you given your Device a name yet?"
The older student only flitted a glance towards the sword in his hand but to him it felt like he had been staring at it for hours. The same sword which its origins and history still remained unknown to him and added more complications to his already complicated life.
That's why everything hinged on tonight.
"Tonight…"
Tonight the underground fighting tournament known as the 'Midnight Hell-Festa' will begin, where Blazer children trafficked by the Ichinose-gumi would be forced to fight. It was just the golden opportunity to put an end to their operations once and for all but tonight, SHE would be there.
The girl who stole the sword and was involved in bringing him to this world.
If she was there then maybe he could finally find some answers, maybe he could go back to his own world, his Gotham, find the Joker and maybe stop that vision from ever happening.
Maybe he could at last put all of this behind him.
"I'll give it a name when I feel it's necessary." was his response.
This gave Ikki pause and caused the boy to cast a questioning frown towards him.
"And what is your definition of 'necessary' exactly?" he asked.
He waited in vain as Bruce didn't an answer.
"There you go again with your silent treatment!" Stella huffed in irritation before marching up to him.
"Seriously, I don't get you sometimes, Bruce. What's with all this secrecy? If you showed Director Shinguuji and the other teachers what you are really capable of, you could have your Rank promoted!"
That was last thing he needed and the reason was more than just trying to avoid drawing attention to himself.
It had only been two days since he began his 'training' with Stella and the truth was that not only had his control improved, his abilities have gone far beyond what he had expected.
One might think this would make things easier for him but they would be wrong.
He was straddling two paths: one as the vigilante rogue Blazer, the Batman, who continued his war on crime as was investigating a way to return home, the other as the D-Rank Student Knight Bruce Wayne who needed to be selected to participate in the upcoming Sword Art Festival.
A clear line needed to be drawn between what Bruce Wayne was capable of and what Batman was capable of. He had to be more careful now than ever.
"I already told you, I don't care about things like Ranks. And I'm again requesting you both keep it all on the down-low until I have a better handle on my magic. Especially from the Director, or even Kusakabi for that matter."
"But-"
"It's alright, Stella." Ikki suddenly interrupted, surprising the both of them. "I'm sure Bruce has his reasons. He'll show everyone once he feels he's ready."
The older man internally sighed, ignoring the little pangs of guilt that pricked at him. For as much as he respected the boy, he thought that Ikki was way too trusting sometimes and it was only matter of time before someone took advantage of him.
Like how he felt he was.
"What's up? Something wrong?"
It was what Ikki asked after the trio exited the training arena and descended down the steps, when he noticed Bruce suddenly pause and fix a suspicious stare towards a certain direction. Ikki followed his gaze and he immediately realized what caught his attention.
"Oh, so you've noticed her too." he said.
"Hm? Noticed who?" Stella asked.
She looked towards where the two male had trained their sights on but nothing stood out to her. It looked like the same paved path she had always walked through; the same road, the same foliage, the same beautifully designed moat that ran adjacent to the path.
"Since three days ago." Bruce responded to Ikki, ignoring Stella in the process. "She's been skulking around everywhere we went. Though not exactly been doing a good job hiding."
"Who's hiding?" Stella asked in confusion. "Who are you guys talking about!?"
"You think she came out of the arena like us?"
"No, I would've noticed otherwise. My guess is that she had been waiting there the whole time."
"Hey! Is anyone gonna answer me or what?!"
Sensing Stella's irritation, Ikki decided to explain the situation to her.
"I think we're being followed."
"WHAA! You mean like a stalker!? The kind of guys who shave their mustache and mail it to you!?"
Her reaction uncharacteristically caused Bruce to break his steely focus and address the princess with a skeptical expression.
"Is this some uninformed guess or did someone actually mail you their shaved off facial hair?" he asked.
"I don't know! I used to get all kinds of things in the mail, okay!?"
Bruce couldn't help but really wonder about this girl sometimes.
"Anyway…" Ikki brought the subject back on track. "Does that mean you've been ignoring her this whole time?"
With his hawk-like gaze returning towards the path ahead, Bruce replied.
"Only when I'm not giving her the slip. She usually runs off when I'm looking towards her direction."
The whole situation, of some hidden unknown person watching their every move, began to unnerve Stella and she imagined this ugly goblin of a human being with a sick grin plotting some nasty unspeakable act.
"Well, she's not now. It seems she really wants something." Ikki commented.
"W-w-what does she want? She's not gonna break into our rooms and pee on our beds, is she?" Stella asked in fear.
Both Bruce and Ikki momentary cast a glance towards the red-haired princess, not knowing if she asking out of experience or if they should even ask if she is. Sometimes they couldn't help but really wonder about her.
"Err, I don't think she has THAT kind of intent, Stella. Maybe she's just an admirer of Bruce."
Bruce scoffed at the idea and smirked at him.
"I doubt that. You're the one who's popular with all the girls, remember?"
Stella's imagination veered into unexpected scenarios; creepy malevolent intents were one thing but the idea of the ugly goblin harboring an obsession with Ikki turned her emotions from dread to jealous ire. As so she stood before her taller companion and pointed towards the area of interest.
"Bruce! As your teacher, I command you to find out what this person's game is!"
"I'm not your errand boy." Bruce grunted while shooting her a dirty look.
But unexpectedly, turned his sights forward and sighed.
"But you have the right idea, maybe this has gone long enough."
Being a little taken aback by his agreement, Stella and Ikki looked on quietly as Bruce suddenly made his way towards the thick bush that was clustered by the tree adjacent to the road. In a quick motion and a flash of steel, Bruce summoned his Device and slashed neatly at the shrubbery and caused someone to yelp and stumble out into plain view.
"Kyaaah!"
It seemed that Stella's mental image of an ugly goblin evaporated in an instant, for the girl who had unceremoniously landed on her rump while clutching tree branches in both her hands was anything but. Wearing a Hagun school uniform, she was an beautiful young girl with a shapely figure. Long black tresses flowed to the small of her back while her bangs covered most of her forehead and right eye; it gave her a lady-like quality like the very concept of a 'Yamato Nadeshiko', despite her awkward position.
Even Bruce wasn't blind to her beauty, though it wasn't like he was going to voice that fact out.
"Who are you and what do you want?" he asked firmly.
Ikki and Stella could see that the girl didn't just look like a deer in headlights, she looked more like a rabbit cornered by a hunting dog. In a state of alarm, she tossed away the branches and held her palms out.
"Ah, err…S-Su-Su-Su-Sumimasen! I can explain! I-I am, uuuh…!"
But Bruce appeared unsympathetic.
"Why have you been following us? Talk!" he grilled.
"I…I…"
His intimidation only sent her to further quivering until panic had taken hold and caused her to scramble away and flee. Unfortunately, her escape path happen to towards the edge of the moat. Ikki immediately realized this and tried to warn her.
"Whoa! Watch out!" he called out with his arm stretched.
But it was too late. Although the girl turned her head to look back, she smacked herself against the railing and tumbled over.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
And her long shriek ended with a loud splash.
The first thing that her waking mind processed was an incessant noise that steadily became clearer and sounded like a girl obnoxiously scolding someone. The cacophony along with the strong medical smell made her softly groan as her blurred vision slowly began to focus.
Feeling the soft bed beneath her, she pushed herself up and it became apparent to her at she was in the infirmary and that there were three people standing at the end of her bed. She could see that they took notice of her as well and paused from whatever they were talking about.
The uniforms of the two males appeared slightly damp, Bruce in particular had removed his jacket, but in actuality they had been much more soaked earlier but were now dry thanks to Stella's magic. The girl felt that it was safe to assume that they had both pulled her of the water.
"Oh. You're up. Are you any feeling better?" Ikki asked her.
"Um,…I…"
Her skittishness only seemed to intensify when Bruce approached a little closer and gave a slight bow.
"I apologize for my behavior earlier, Miss." he said solemnly. "I regret that I may have came on a little too strong."
"A little!? Seriously, what is wrong with you!? You scared her half to death!" Stella berated him.
She thought it was safe to assume that the obnoxious scolding she had heard had come from this one.
Bruce internally rolled his eyes. He could've pointed out that Stella was of the same mind earlier, basically demanding him to "find out what her game was" but decided against it.
"N-No, It's…It's fine. Th-thank you…for taking care of me."
The dark-haired girl stuttered in a tone that was so bearly above a mouse's squeak that they almost didn't hear her.
"Is something wrong?" asked Ikki.
"What do you mean?"
"You keep shifting your eyes around."
Indeed, it was like she had no idea where to look.
"P-Please don't mind me! It's a-a personal matter."
Ikki could tell she was nervous and much as he wanted to be sympathetic towards her, the fact that she wouldn't look him in the eyes bothered him. Such behavior could be interpreted as an admission of guilt.
"I-I'm Ayase Ayatsuji. Th-third year, class one."
"You're a senior?" Stella blinked in surprise.
"Isn't that your class, Bruce?" Ikki asked him.
"It is but I don't believe I've seen you there before."
"Um, well…" Ayase mumbled, feeling his gaze on her.
She was beginning to fidget. It was then when Ikki decided approach her a little differently and address her with honorifics to make her feel more at ease.
"Err, Senpai?"
"Yes?"
"You're doing it again."
"D-doing what?"
"You're not just looking away, but you've turned your head all the way to the back."
He couldn't help it but her behavior was honestly starting to bother him. She was looking away from him in such a way that he was able to see the nape of her neck.
"I-It's nothing."
"Senpai, this is hardly nothing." Ikki sighed. "Why do you keep avoiding my gaze?"
"Ah, it's…so embarrassing."
She covered her face with her palms and could literally feel the heat radiating from her cheeks.
"You're not comfortable around males, are you?" Bruce suddenly stated.
The sudden hitch in her breath after he said so pretty much confirmed it and she flicked only a slight glance towards the older male.
"H-how…?"
"The only person in this room you've actually been able to look at is Stella. But with both me and Ikki in front you, you've been having a hard time, right?"
"Sumimasen. I-it's just that…talking with a boy I don't know…w-while looking eye to eye…it makes me so nervous."
There was a short period where Bruce silently scrutinized the young woman, making her squirm under his gaze again, until he at last turned away from her and addressed Ikki and Stella.
"Why don't the three of us just leave her be."
"What, Seriously!?" Stella asked.
Stella could believe he would just leave things as they are, there was still the matter of why the girl was stalking them in the first place.
"Yes." he nodded. "There's no need to cause her anymore stress."
Bruce addressed Ayase again.
"Again, I'm sorry for the trouble caused, Miss Ayatsuji. Take care of yourself."
That was all he intended to say before he grabbed his jacket and turned to leave the infirmary and his wake, Stella and Ikki looked at each other with conflicted expressions before they momentary glanced towards Ayase.
With they feet heavy with apprehension, they relented to follow Bruce. They felt that there was more that needed to be said but at the same time, they knew where Bruce was coming from and certainly didn't want to harass their senpai.
But what the three of them didn't see was Ayase clutching on to the sheets of the bed and quiver in anxiety. It was true that a part of her felt relived but a bigger part of her really wanted to speak to him and felt that she may never get a chance like this again.
"N-n-no, WAIT!" she cried out with a reaching palm.
Her voice reached the trio who immediately spun toward her in surprise but seeing their attention on her all of a sudden caused her to withdraw back a bit.
However, in that short moment, Ikki had a clear view of her palm which had instantly burned itself into his memories. From there, something clicked in his mind.
"Those calluses…and her name, Ayatsuji…"
"Pardon me, Senpai, are you by chance related to Kaito Ayatsuji?" he suddenly asked.
The question seemed to make Ayase forget her situation and gave her pause.
"Y-yes, he's my father."
"No wonder!"
Ikki abruptly cried out with excited smile and in a move that caught both the girls in the room off-guard, he suddenly went up to her clasped her hand.
"These calluses could only belong to a skilled swords-person! And with the name, Ayatsuji, I figured there had to be some kind of connection. But his own daughter!? Right here!? This is so cool!"
"Eep!"
With a startled shriek, Ayase pulled her hand free and shirked back like a scared hamster. Ikki, realizing his actions, jumped back blushing a bit in embarrassment while waving his open palms in apology.
"Ah! I'm terribly sorry! I didn't mean to get carried away like that!"
"It's…It's quite alright." she said, blushing quite madly herself. "T-to be honest, I'm a little jealous of you, Kurogane-kun."
Ikki blinked at this.
"Jealous? Of me?"
She nodded with a small bashful smile, her eyes seemed to twinkle behind the tresses of her bangs that only slightly obscured them like window shutters. Though Ikki wouldn't dare voice it out loud, he admitted to himself that she was indeed cute.
"To be able to h-hold a girl's hand whom you just met and t-talk to her face-to-face. T-That's…amazing!" she said so in awe. "I can't even look forward when people are looking at me. How do you do it?"
Ikki awkwardly scratched the side of his head, never imagining that someone would be envious of him because of something like that. To his side he could feel a sudden intense radiant heat, a red aura with dancing embers surrounded Stella as she put on a tightened forced smile with a single twitching brow over one of her closed eyes.
"Yes Ikki, Tell us!? How DO you do it!?" she mockingly asked through clenched teeth.
It was pretty apparent to Bruce that the princess was on the verge of having a meltdown and figured that he should probably divert the subject to diffuse the situation.
"Who is Kaito Ayatsuji?" Bruce asked.
That seemed to have done it and both Ikki and Stella turned to him curiously, Ikki seemed to have looked more taken aback than her.
"You don't know? I'm surprised. Usually those well versed in martial arts have at least come across his name." he said.
"In this universe perhaps." thought Bruce.
"But anyway, Kaito Ayatsuji is a renowned master swordsman who has won many tournaments. Like the Tenryu Gozen Match, The Tozai Toitsu Match, The Musashi Cup, The Judan Match…he's won them all, earning him the moniker 'The Last Samurai'. When I was little, I used to study his fighting style by watching videos of his matches."
"If he's such a big deal, how come I've never heard of him?" asked Stella.
"Well, he isn't well known among most in the Mage-knight circles mostly because he happens to be a Non-Blazer."
That little fact certainly piqued Bruce's interest.
"I'm assuming that they didn't take kindly to being beaten by a 'mere mortal'." he said with a hint of disdain.
"Right." Ikki nodded. "But despite his disadvantages, he still prevailed. I even heard that he defeated several Blazer criminals single handedly his prime."
"A admirable man for sure, I'd like to meet him someday."
"Hey, that's a great idea! Is that possible, Senpai?"
At that question, Ayase's eyes turned wistful and forlorn as their sights drifted towards her lap.
"Well, actually no. He's in the hospital right now due to an injury he sustained."
"Oh. I..I'm so sorry, that was rude of me." Ikki apologized with regret etched on his face.
"No, no, that's okay. I'm actually glad that a swordsman like you holds my father in high regard."
It was like, for that moment, she had forgotten about her shyness and looked back towards the boy with a grateful smile and tinged cheeks.
"It…it makes me happy."
It was pretty apparent that the cute display had a mesmerizing affect on the Worst One, particularly apparent to Stella who was irked to no end.
"You're looking a little too happy if you ask me! Is all this really the reason you've been following Ikki around?" Stella asked Ayase with suspicious ire.
At first, Ayase blinked in confusion before she returned to her flustered state and shook her head in denial.
"What? N-no, no, no! You've got the wrong idea! I haven't been following Kurogane-kun. I've been following Wayne-san."
That revelation certainly took the trio aback, especially the person in question.
"Me?" Bruce asked.
Ayase dropped and hung her head as if bowing.
"P-please forgive me but I didn't know how to approach you alone so I thought I could try when you were around Kurogane-kun and Vermillion-san, you three always seem to be together. But I just couldn't work up the nerve."
It seemed to explain why he only noticed her when he was around other students and not by himself. In a way it was kind of a blessing in disguise since had she been intruding on his privacy, he would've taken more drastic measures. Last thing he needed was some girl seeing something he didn't want to be seen.
Bruce also picked up on what she just said: 'you three always seem to be together'. He began to wonder if he was hanging around these kids a little too much.
"Okay but why me?" he asked her.
"It's just that…for some strange reason,…you…"
Ayase cast her eyes sideways while nervously tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. Her cheek had tinged before but now it was full on red.
"You remind me of Tou-san." she said softly.
Bruce remained in silence, honestly not knowing what to think. Ikki and Stella were awkwardly in the same boat. Stella in particular picked up on how the girl regarded her father a little too affectionately and wondered at first if Ayase was some kind of closet father-con who bizarrely saw Bruce the same way. She could kind of see it; Bruce did have a more mature vibe compared to all the other boys.
Realizing how weird her demeanor appeared, Ayase frantically waved her palms around.
"Ah, w-wait, let me start over. Up until my father's hospitalization, he had been training me in Ayatsuji-ittoryu. But recently…I-I have been faltering."
"I'm still not understanding what you're getting at here." Bruce said.
Seeing that it was getting harder for her to explain her case, Ayase mustered up what ever courage she could to just come out with it.
"I saw your match against Saijou-san! I was there in that arena. You faced odds greater than yourself and was still victorious."
She recalled watching him that day, the way he moved with such precision, the way his steely eyes never wavered from his target.
"Tou-san…"
"That determination in your eyes, that fire, it was the same as Tou-san's when he faced against his opponents! I…I could feel it!"
Despite that it was all she was able to enunciate, Ikki could understand where she was coming from as he had studied her father's matches.
"I want to reach that same caliber so…p-please!" she bowed as much as she could from her position. "Accept me as your disciple!"
With his gaze on her, the wait for his response felt agonizingly stretched and her body felt like it was being weighed down second by second until finally…
"I can't help you. I'm sorry."
"O-oh…"
The atmosphere that previously been constricting now felt like it knocked completely out of her, leaving her deflated. Bruce didn't even need to look at the other two teens, he could feel their frowning, questioning stares on him. Frankly, he found it irritating; he was a grown man and he didn't need their approval for his decisions.
Fact the matter is that he had enough on his plate as it is. Plus he suspected that Ayase was withholding something from him and he rather not sign up for anything without knowing the whole picture.
Then again, seeing the despondent look on her face, he figured he should at least not leave things as they are now.
"Look Miss Ayatsuji, I don't know what you're really expecting out of me. If you saw my match then you know that my sword skills are serviceable at best."
Ikki glared at him knowing that wasn't true. Was there room for improvement? Sure but he'd hardly call Bruce's skill with the sword "serviceable". Bruce caught him staring at him and an idea came to his mind.
"And besides, I wouldn't consider myself a good teacher either. If it's training you're looking for then why don't you consult Kurogane? He's not only proficient with a blade but has already been giving pointers to everyone. He's much more qualified than I am."
Both his two teenage companions reeled back at this, Stella particularly rushing up to him to whisper angrily "Bruce what the hell are you doing!?" but he of course ignored her.
Ayase in the meantime was looking at Ikki contemplatively like she was considering Bruce's words.
"Would…would that be okay?" she asked.
The Worst One didn't hesitate to nod at her with a smile.
"Of course it would. I'd be happy to help in any way, Senpai."
If Bruce wasn't going to help her then he sure as hell would.
"Thank you. But please, no need to call me Senpai. It's weird for a disciple to hear that from her teacher."
"Alright. But in return, I'd like you to not consider me as your teacher. Think of me more like someone helping a friend out, that okay?"
With her eyes scrunched tight, her cheeks rosy and her lips shakily curled with emotion, Ayase gave a firm nod and bowed as much as she could.
"Yes! Thank you so much. I'm in your care."
Despite Stella actively glaring at him, Bruce was glad the matter was taken care of. Now he was free to tend to another.
Night had come and the streets of Ikebukuro seemed more lively than they were in the day. The darkened pavements and roads were still damp from the previous rains and so refracted splotches of violet, magenta and red from the overhead neon lights while the faint thumping of muffled EDM music seemed to harmonize with the foot falls of the commuting crowds.
Separated from them was a line of fancily dressed people trickling inside an inconspicuous looking building. At the doorway, was a large intimidating rotund man who repeated checked his clipboard before letting each person in.
He was was pretty much going through the motions at this point; he had seen most these patrons last year, some of them of the rich elite while others he was personally acquainted with from within the syndicate.
It was all pretty routine and uneventful until he noticed a mustached man holding a thick briefcase approaching him from across the street. His eyes were obscured by a pair of dark sunglasses over his eyes and he wore red suit and pants with a white shirt, collar unbuttoned and flipped up; standard flamboyant yakuza fare as he could tell but he didn't recognize him from anywhere.
"Line is back there." he gruffly said pointing at the end of the line.
"That's okay, I'm just here to see Kono-san." the man responded.
It was very brief but it didn't escape the mustached stranger's notice: a mere flash of recognition washing over the bouncer's eyes. That confirmed that the information he had previously procured from Koshiro was spot on. So far the disguise seemed to be convincing enough but from here on, everything else came down to how well he could buff his way in.
"And who the hell are you?" The boulder of a man asked him with eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Mathew Malone." Bruce answered. "Most folks know me as 'Matches'."
Suspicion unwavering, the bouncer scrolled through his clipboard while occasionally breaking his focus to fix a glare towards the interloper. Bruce only met his glare with an unassuming smile.
"You're not on the list." the bouncer finally said.
"I told ya, I normally go by 'Matches'. Check under that or just 'Malone'."
"You're not on the list." he reiterated with a growl.
Bruce was of course not in the least bit intimidated and rather than being deterred from the aggression, he stuck to his character, feigning surprise and confusion.
"What? Don't tell me that Takigawa-san didn't say anything." Matches asked.
Again, Bruce caught a flash of recognition in the man's eyes.
"Takigawa-san?" the bouncer asked with a raised brow.
It wasn't a stretch to assume that the two of them might be acquainted and to Bruce, this was a good sign; perhaps he could use this fact to his advantage.
"Yeah, Takigawa Koshiro-san." Matches clarified. "He didn't tell you I was coming?"
The large man remained silent, keeping a guarded glare on him. But Bruce kept up his performance by acting offended, like he had just been screwed over.
"That son of a bitch." Matches cursed under his breath.
Matches fumed visibly over the situation until he inched closer to the Bouncer and spoke with his voice low.
"Listen, Takigawa contacted me before his arrest. I'm here to deliver his collection in exchange for 50% of his cut."
He said so while lifting his briefcase up and cracking it open slightly, just enough for all the stacks of Yen to be visible between the two of them. Some of it was real money too, almost everything Bruce had plus what Kurono had loaned him. Despite it being a big loss for him, he figured it was for a good cause.
"Come on, we're talking two million yen here!" Matches whispered angrily. "I would've just walked away with it all if it weren't for the fact that I'd rather not have your bosses after my ass!"
"Two million?" the bouncer whispered in surprise.
Matches nodded seriously.
"Two million that would make Kono-san VERY upset if he doesn't see them by tonight. So why don't you be a pal and tell him that Takigawa sent me."
The subtle cracks in the guard's composure was the encouraging progress that Bruce was looking for. He could see that the man was visibly sweating and glanced nervously behind him.
"Look, time's a wasting." Matches said impatiently. "Lemme just talk to him myself. I'll be in and out before you know it."
He tried to push pass him but the bouncer's attention snapped back to him and blocked his way while aggressively pushing him back with his palm.
"You're not going anywhere!" he yelled.
Bruce paused on the spot, eyes narrowing from behind his shades as he found himself in a stare down with the larger man. And to make matters worse, some of the impatient people in the line were beginning to notice the commotion and were yelling at him to get lost.
He internally cursed, realizing that he was too hasty and that he should've known this would happen. It was also a wake-up call that it was usually Bruce Wayne's vast wealth and public persona that had helped him out in situations like this before and as much as he was loathe to admit it, he was starting to miss it right then.
"Alright then, Plan B." Bruce decided.
Unaware to everyone else, Bruce's hand began to glow with Mana as dark particles swirled into his palms. If he had to use his powers to get in unnoticed then so be it.
But before it could be done…
"Oh, Da~rling! There you are!"
Bruce paused from his intentions when he heard a shrill and very familiar voice called out from behind, followed by equally familiar rapid clopping of feet fast approaching him. Despite him noticing the bouncer's attention being drawn past him, he kept himself from turning around; trying to keep his cover and hoping that the owner of the voice was addressing somebody else.
Unfortunately that wasn't the case. Sure enough, he felt a soft impact to his side when a short petite woman tackled and grabbed his arm playfully, causing his jaw to drop in surprise and his eye to widen behind his shades.
"Saikyou!? What's she doing here!?"
"Such a meanie, Leaving your date alone like that! But that's okay, I'll forgive you just this once." Nene cooed at him before winking.
It wasn't just her presence that caught him off-guard, but also that she had completely changed her outfit; Swapping out of the traditional Japanese ascetic in favor of something more Chinese.
Instead of her kimono and haori, she wore a tight purple patterned Cheongsam, tight enough to accentuate her lithe torso and whatever she could of her pert breasts. At her feet were matching shoes instead of clogs, and it didn't do much for her height than what it usually was.
And finally, her trademark oversized hair bow was missing, though her front bangs were still styled her usual hime-cut including the long strands that framed her face. But the rest of her hair appeared to be pulled up and tied in a Chinese "Chuiguà ji" style which had two thick hair loops on the sides of her head and an ornamental hair-clip on top.
"Huh? Who is this grade-schooler?" the bouncer balked at them.
And of course, as plain as the vein bulging above her brow, that remark obviously didn't sit well with her.
"Who you calling a grade-schooler, Tubby?!" Nene yelled, fishing out and pointing her fan at him.
With the activation of her Jibakujin, the large man found himself being slammed to the ground by an invisible force.
"Leave me and my boyfriend alone!"
She unfurled her fan and waved him off dismissively, an action that caused him to scream as he was hurled off over them like he weighed nothing.
Bruce could only watch as the situation around him spiraled out of control. The people waiting in line dispersed from fear and men in suits filed out from the building armed with guns and some even with Devices.
"Just great." he internally groaned.
"Kyahahahaha! Not that I'm against having so many cute men having their eyes on me, but two's company and you guys are starting to be a crowd!" Nene laughed dramatically with her unfurled fan by her face.
He grunted with grit teeth. The woman had pretty much made a mess of things and now he had change the course his plans: once word gets in about the commotion outside, they'll probably cease operations and disperse. This meant the only options left to him were either getting him and Nene out of here or him barging in and subduing as many of them as possible. Neither felt ideal to him but it was all he had to work with and so, he steeled himself for a fight.
"Is that you, Nene-chan?"
Whatever event would take place had paused at that point and everyone attention was diverted towards the man who walked out of the building's entrance. There wasn't a peep from any of the yakuza foot soldiers as the soles of his fine leather shoes scrunched against the pavement outside.
The person was middle-aged smarmy looking with black hair slicked to the side, a fuzz of facial hair and prominent mole at the corner of his left eye. From the way he dressed and walked around like he owned the place, Bruce could only assume that he actually did.
"Hm? Am I supposed to know you?" Nene asked in annoyance.
He gave a forced toothy smile, the kind one would see from a salesman, and gestured to himself with open palms.
"Why Nene-chan, surely you haven't forgotten your dear friend, Kono-sama, have you?"
Nene tapped her closed fan against her chin a few times before responding in a snide tone.
"Oh right, 'Kono-yarou'. I should've recognized you with that mole."
From the way he slightly flinched, it was apparent that Kono didn't take too kindly to the insulting nickname Nene had given him but in a greasy motion, the man laughed and his expression morphed back into his amicable mask.
"Ahaha. Same charming Nene-chan, I really missed that sharp tongue of yours. So, do what do I owe the pleasure? Am I too bold in hoping you've come to rejoin the competition?"
That last part piqued Bruce's curiosity and made him wonder about Kono's connection to the Yaksha Princess. With his shades still obscuring his eyes, he glanced towards the small-statured woman to find her sporting an exasperated expression.
"You know I got bored of that crap a long time ago. I'm only here cause my date promised me a good time." she said while pointing her fan at Bruce's direction.
Kono swerved a scrutinizing gaze towards him.
"Ah, one of Nene-chan's boy-toys no doubt. You are…?" he asked.
Despite feeling being put on the spot, Bruce cleared his throat while straighten himself with a tug on the fronts of his jacket.
"Matches Malone." he replied calmly.
But comically, his composed demeanor nearly broke again when Nene suddenly rushed at him and latched on to his arm, snuggling against him.
"But I like to call him Machii-kun!" she cried out affectionately.
"I see." Kono uttered, his brows angled straight with doubt.
The gangster pondered for a moment before speaking again.
"Well,…Mister Malone, there are places around here where you and your date can have a 'good time' but this establishment isn't one of them…Unless, of course, what you really mean is that your here to make some money."
The wheels in Bruce's mind spun wildly. Nene definitely threw a wrench in the works but it seemed that her presence had influenced an opportunity for him. At this particular juncture, the other options he considered before were still on the table but if there was chance for him in get in without causing an unnecessary conflict, he might as well take it.
Slipping back into character, Matches' mustache stretched with his smile and the light glinted off his sunglasses.
"Yeah, that's right." he said.
Matches brought his free forearm around Nene's form and grasped her by the hip, earning a delighted squeal from her.
"I promised Nene that I'd win big for her tonight. But your door man over there?" Matches pointed the downed bouncer. "For some strange reason, he just wouldn't let us in. Ain't that right, babe?"
"You said it, Machii-kun!"
Kono was silent for a brief interval, looking back and forth between the unconscious bouncer and the couple, as if he was trying to digest Matches' story.
"And I take it you have enough to play?" he then asked.
Matches held up his briefcase and grinned.
"More than enough, feel free to check."
After dropping the large briefcase down, Matches then kicked it towards one of the Yakuza foot soldiers who then looked towards Kono. The gangster made a fierce sound with a sharp nod, prompting his goon to then pick it up and open it before him.
Kono then picked up a stack of bills and riffled through them. When he was satisfied, he looked at the two with his lips curled in a slimy smile and made a sound that was barely a chuckle.
"Like I was saying: any friend of Nene-chan is friend of mine. Please, come on in." he gestured them to enter.
It was an invitation as good as any and so, with Nene in tow, Bruce followed Kono into the building but not without the Yakuza goons maintaining a guarded formation around them, like they were preventing any possible means of escape. It made it all too apparent to Bruce that he was just about to enter the lion's den.
The the lights were off inside but Bruce could make out that it the area was a reception hall, now abandoned and in disuse. The only source of light came from the elevator which when opened, flooded more light into the room.
Bruce and Nene were urged inside and doors closed with them being boxed in and surrounded by Kono and the other men, giving the feeling that they were trapped more than ever.
Although there was no indication of what floor they were heading towards, Bruce could tell that the elevator wasn't traveling up but instead was traveling down. But he wasn't sure how far down.
The tension inside was suddenly broken when Kono suddenly spoke up.
"I humbly apologize for such mistreatment towards you. But please understand that we must maintain some exclusivity. Normally, all players participate through a strict invite system. Which makes me wonder how you came to know about the Midnight Hell Festa in the first place."
"Koshiro Takigawa." Matches replied. "He's a friend of mine, said he'd hook me up but I guess after his arrest, something must've got lost in the channels."
"Hm, I suppose that's possible." Kono said.
"Even I was impressed with Machii-kun's resourcefulness. Kono-yarou is pretty skilled at hiding himself in the dirt." Nene sneered without qualm.
Surprisingly, Kono didn't seem to be bothered by her barbs this time.
"With pressure from the League of Mage-knight Nations, one would have to be. Besides, we have a prestigious clientele to protect."
With that sentence, the elevator came to a stop with a "DING" and the doors parted open.
The environment that had stretched out before them looked like something far removed from where they had previously been. To call the place 'glitzy' would be an understatement; the area seemed to glow with a golden hue with sparkles from the chandelier from above and the fluted glasses filled with wine. The rich patrons, or rather the players, were lounging in an array of velvet red booth tables where they were served drinks.
Most of the booths, which Bruce immediately noticed, were occupied by older men with at least one or two girls by their sides, wearing skimpy looking dresses.
It pretty much resembled a cabaret club.
Another thing that didn't escape Bruce's notice was that the girls were a little too young and that some of them were Blazers, entertaining their clients with a showcase of their powers. Those powers hadn't been fully developed and were not suitable for combat. It wasn't uncommon for Blazers to have abilities that didn't go beyond mere parlor tricks.
At this point the goons who were with them dispersed except for the one holding Bruce's briefcase who dutifully followed alongside his boss, leaving Bruce and Nene to be lead in between the booths.
"Swanky place you got yourselves here." Matches commented.
One of the booths they passed happen to only occupied by attractive women, of both clients and hostesses. And they looked back to eye mustached stranger with intrigued looks.
Sticking to his character, Matches glazed at them with a wolfish smirk and purred.
"I like."
"Nene-chan has a more loosened leesh on you than I expected." Kono 'hmphed'. "I remember the last boyfriend who ogled in front of her was crushed to a bloody pulp."
"I'm not bothered by it." Nene said nonchalantly. "No matter many brats have their eyes on Machii-kun or vice-versa, I know that deep down he'll find his way back to me!"
For some reason, it sounded to Bruce that Nene was being earnest with that statement.
"Why don't I get you two love-birds a table then?" Kono offered.
"Sounds good." Maches nodded after clearing his throat.
After seating them in one of the booths, Kono snapped his fingers and gestured one of the waiters to come over and pour them both a glass. With hardly the refinement of a lady, Nene took a swing of her's while Matches didn't touch his glass and instead just leaned back casually with raised rested elbows and allowed himself to get comfortable.
"It the meantime, Mister Malone, we can discuss your initial wager." said Kono as he stood like a gracious host.
"That depends." Maches drawled. "Is Venomous fighting tonight?"
"So you have kept up to date with our program, very good. And you're in luck, her match is scheduled next."
"Then I'll start with twelve thousand yen on her, with match ending around two minutes."
Kono smiled like a snake in the grass.
"A safe bet for sure. Please, relax while I take care of the formalities for you."
And with that, the gangster left with his goon following him, still in possession of Bruce's briefcase.
Bruce followed them with his sights as much as he could and looked around to see if there was anyone nearby. When it seemed like the coast was clear, the lazy smile of Matches Malone began to fade away and his jaw slowly tightened into a glower.
"Alright, start talking. Why are you here?" he asked in icy calm.
"Aww, I thought you'd be happy to see me." Nene turned to him with an impish smile. "After I went through so much trouble dressing up for you, Buruu-kun."
Putting both her knees up on the seat, Nene crawled up to him until her lips were within an inch from his ear and she whispered to him in a slow sing-song way.
"Or should I call you Ba~tma~n?"
His flew open and he reacted immediately by rounding on her.
"Who told you!? Was it Shinguuji!?" he whispered angrily.
She, of course, was far from intimidated. In fact, it looked like she was quite enjoying herself.
"Kuu-chan knows nothing about this. I've been watching you sneaking out of the Academy for the past couple of nights now."
"So you've been stalking me."
"We~ll,…" Nene trails off with her eyes sheepishly looking off to the side and her tongue sticking out. "Yeah, pretty much."
Bruce throat rumbled in weary frustration as Nene continued to chat with amusement.
"And when I saw you leave in that getup with the porn-stache, I knew I had to check it out. Seriously, what kinda name is 'Matches' anyway?"
"What else do you know?" Bruce asked, ignoring her question.
"I also know about your increase in magic power and your little training sessions with Stella-chan."
On mention of that, Nene's eyes suddenly shone in realization and her smile slowly curled like a cat's. Propping her elbows on the table, she rested her head on her palms while casting a sly look towards him.
"By the way: what IS going on between you and Stella-chan?"
"There's nothing going on between us." Bruce said firmly.
"Are you sure~?" Nene playfully asked. "You…and an attractive young girl like her…all alone at night? You really expect me to believe that nothing happened at all?"
She then took her antics up a notch, closing one eye while pouting her lips in a '3 shape' while shaping her hands around two large imaginary breasts at her chest. The action somehow created squishing sounds despite her only fondling thin air.
"Like you didn't try anything naughty with her or feel up those big tits of hers? Cause I wouldn't blame you if you did."
Bruce scowled at her and decided not to dignify that with a response but Nene wasn't deterred and sighed dramatically.
"Haah, Poor Kuro-bou! So clueless about the competition he has! Maybe I should go comfort him and show him what its like to be with a REAL woman!"
"Enough." Bruce sternly asserted. "Let me make something clear to you: I don't tolerate anyone interfering in my business, I was handling things just fine until you showed up."
Nene only laughed at him.
"Wahahaha! Yeah right! You should be thanking me for getting you this far. Does Kuu-chan even know what you've been up to lately?"
"She doesn't need to know. And it will stay that way."
All of a sudden, the Yaksha Princess's eyes turned wicked as she slowly dragged her tongue along her upper lip.
"I'm afraid it's not that simple anymore, Buruu-kun."
Catching Bruce off-guard, Nene suddenly scoots closer and shimmied herself on top of his lap while pushing him back against the back cushion. Leering over him with eyes burning with lust and a grin bordering on demonic, Nene traced a finger along his jawline and her thumb against his bottom lip. Although he was clean shaven, she could still feel the tiny pricks of his growing stubble and she found the sensation to be a big turn on.
"Unless you give me EXACTLY what I want,…" she said softly while holding up his chin with her fingertip. "I'll have to spill the beans to Kuu-chan."
However, despite her actions, Bruce's expression remained as stern as ever and he spoke back to her in a calm hardened tone.
"Then I suppose you'll also be explaining to her about what you were doing here as well. I'm sure she'll be very interested in the details about you fraternizing with a known criminal group."
Nene's eyes widened and her demeanor vanished at that point. Angered that her trump card against him was rendered moot, she growled and then childishly shoved him lightly before turning away with crossed arms.
"Hmph. You really know how to spoil a girl's fun." she sulked.
"How do you know Kono anyway?" Bruce asked.
She exhaled a tired sigh before speaking.
"It was years ago, when I was just a kid. I used to compete in these underground fights." Nene looked back at him with a proud smirk. "I was such a bad girl back then."
"Color me shocked." he said with dry sarcasm.
"Oh no, it's true. Between fighting and getting in trouble with the police, I was having the time of my life. But all that changed one day."
"I'm guessing it had something to do with Shinguuji."
Nene looked away from him again as her expression uncharacteristically turned pensive, a mix of emotions stormed in her eyes that she dared not allow him to look.
"You might say that." was all she bitterly said.
Bruce stopped himself from inquiring any further as both he and Nene noticed Kono approaching them. When the gangster stopped at their table, he noticed Nene being on top of Bruce's lap and chuckled at the sight.
"Getting a little cozy, are we?" he asked.
An idea struck Nene at that moment and she flashed Kono a mischievous grin while leaning up against Bruce's chest.
"Oh, you haven't seen anything yet, Kono-yarou."
Without warning, Nene suddenly pulled herself towards Bruce and crashed her lips against his. Bruce was of course taken aback but a second later, he figured that she was just trying to keep appearances up in front of Kono and decided to go along with it by pretending to kiss back.
But Nene had no intention of pretending.
His eyes popped open again and whatever sound he could make was muffled as Nene threw her arms around his neck and practically devoured his mouth while invaded it with her tongue.
"Mmmhhnnnnn~"
The Yaksha Princess giddily moaned, viciously assaulting his tongue with hers while grinding her lithe frame against him.
As nonplussed as he was, Bruce could only remain still until Nene finally pulled away with her eyes dazed, her cheeks tinged in arousal and her tongue halfway out with a string of saliva connecting to his lips.
Throughout the whole time, Kono stood by awkwardly with his eyes like dinner plates.
"My,…" he said wiping sweat from the side of his head. "Nene-chan seems to really like this one."
Ignoring Bruce's discomfort, Nene snuggled against him like he was a teddy bear.
"Oh yes! I find Machii-kun so adorable!" Nene chirped, her face beaming with rosy cheeks.
"Just as well," Kono cleared his throat. "I came to let you know, Mister Malone, that your registration is complete."
He placed what looked like a key-card on top of their table and Bruce assumed it was something important that he would have to take with him later.
"After you hear the announcement, you may spectate along with everyone. Just follow the crowd, they'll catch you up to speed."
"Erm, Sure." Bruce said, trying to remain in character.
Kono bowed with a slick smile.
"I'll leave you two alone then. Please enjoy the rest of the Festa."
With that, he left them. Bruce watched and waited until the gangster was far enough away before he angrily pushed Nene off him.
"What the hell is the big idea!?" he growled at her.
"Aw lighten up, it was just a kiss." she smiled unapologetically at him. "And you can't tell me you didn't enjoy it."
If he was being honest, he kinda did. But it's not like he was going to tell her that.
"Besides, If I didn't know any better, I'd say you like pretending to be a bad guy for once." she grinned, looking at him sideways with an open fan at her face.
"You DON'T know any better." Bruce frowned at her. "I don't do this because I like it, Saikyou."
He meant that in more ways than one. Nene looked at him curiously as he cast his sights around, particularly at the older men who were either enjoying fondling up their female companions or drinking wildly, enjoying their opulence.
"Being among these people is like a game and a stage. You'd be surprised how sometimes all it takes is a few key phrases and actions to make them think you're one of them"
He tried to hide the disdain in his voice as he said so; he wasn't just referring all the times he pretended to be a criminal but, secretly to himself, also all the times he masqueraded as one Gotham's rich elite, knowing very well that over half of them were corrupt.
"So, when you're with Kuro-bou and Stella-chan, is that a game to you too?" Nene asked him.
At that time, an announcement rang out from the loudspeakers in the room.
"Attention everyone, the first match of the night will begin soon. Please make your way into the Arena and take your seats."
Bruce and Nene's attention were drawn towards the nearby wide wall which slid itself open and revealed that the lounge area they were in was actually the outer-ring of a bowl shaped structure with steps descending between rows of seats. Bruce was amazed that such a vast space was hidden underneath Ikebukuro.
Nevertheless, seeing everyone around them already getting up and walking towards the staircase, Bruce grabbed the key-card left on his table and followed them with Nene at his side.
The seats in the arena weren't too different from the booths in the lounge area. They were all basically two-person sofas, each with a touchscreen apparatus attached to the side. Bruce and Nene were seated in one of them, giving them a good view of the ring below.
The aforementioned ring was much different from those Bruce had seen in Hagun so far; it was oval and had a greater area yet it was separated from the area by a pretty deep gap. Bruce also noticed that rising along the edges of the ring was a thin shimmering veil.
"Some kind of force field perhaps?" Bruce wondered.
High above the ring were a placement of large monitors not dissimilar to the ones in Hagun's arenas and displayed on it was a young lady with light blue eyes and long hair that were braided in twin tails. She wore an ensemble that some describe as looking like that of a pop idol: short skirt, strapless top and a lot of frills and ribbons.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, The Mightnight Hell Festa is now underway!"
With the girl's cheery announcement, some of the crowd in the arena loudly cheered. Nene on the other hand, already looked bored by the whole thing.
"I am your cute trusty announcer Ayumi Kashiwagi." she chirped with her hand in a sideways peace sign over her eye.
"And I am here to present you a treat of carnage, violence and bloodshed as our Blazer warriors struggle for dominance to claw their way to the top. Now, you might've noticed a screen installed on your seats. When you hold your cards up against the sensor, you'll be able see the match details and your current bets."
Bruce followed Kashiwagi's instructions and sure enough, he could see his wager displayed on the screen with additional touch icons.
"As the games go on, you'll be able to upgrade and change your bets live! So keep your eyes on the ring as you never know what might happen next. Alright, it's time for our first match to begin!"
The crowd cheered again as Kashiwagi gestured to one side of the ring.
"In the east corner is the graceful and gallant cutie, the Stupendous Sophia!"
On one end of the oval ring's surface, a circular lid slid open and platform of the same shape was raised up with someone standing on top of it. She was a girl, probably in her teens, wearing a fantasy-themed costume with a Greco-Roman flair yet it was primarily in the form of a two piece bathing suit.
The girl, Sophia, had already summoned her Device which were a sword and round shield. Despite the cheers she was getting, Bruce could tell that the poor girl looked incredibly tense and nervous.
"And to the west, last year's reigning champion: the Killer Queen herself, Venomous!"
Any further thoughts on Bruce's mind were pushed away and his focus flew immediately towards the opposite side of the ring. Behind his dark sunglasses, his eyes bore down towards the raising platform, and the person who stood on top of it.
TBC