Despite her many, many fears before this day, about this match, and about the future of her people.

Shivara found herself smiling as their dance of blades continued, for her husband to be was displaying far more skill with his own pair than she ever expected him to.

Her eyes narrowed minutely and for less than a heartbeat, she glanced at the lone blade still buried halfway into the sand, some few dozen meters behind a grinning Yuha.

Is…is he keeping it in reserve?

At first. Upon seeing Yuha lift that blade, with his mouth of all things, she'd been understandably disappointed. Even if she showed none of it. For the man's act spoke of a clear lack of expertise in all things blade related.

After all, who could wield, or rather, even if they somehow could, who would be insane enough to fight with a blade in their mouth as a core part of their style?

But much to her relief, Yuha had merely planted the blade behind him…and Shivara could only conclude that it was because he was keeping it in reserve…and not due to the man all but orgasming at the mere sight of the 'Greatswords'.

…It did hurt her pride as a woman. She was gorgeous, was she not?

"You're open, my lady! Hiyaa!"

Yuha humongous sword raised in his left hand, tip aiming for her heart, let out a shout and, with his right foot, pushed against the sand, kicking towards her and seeking to skewer her.

She blinked and smiled.

"Do you really think so, dear~" she said with a purr, and then, winking, bent to the side, and before Yuha's wide eyes, batted his approaching blade with her left wrist, sending him another wink, fluttering her eyelashes.

The man tensed, and his eyes fell on her lax right arm, the blade held in a loose but firm grip, enough that a sudden blow to the wrist would not result in her hand flying open and dropping.

Fufufu~ you fell for it, dear.

Still, as she raised her left knee.

"Oof!"

And her leg extended, kicking the man straight into the gut and sending him away, her smile grew.

For Yuha, even if not a master of the blade…he most certainly did not in skill.

Nor had he failed to notice that she'd been doing her best to keep the fight relatively even, and thus, entertaining for both themselves and the spectators. After all, she knew that the man had strength to spare still, and for that matter, so did she.

It's so nice to deal with someone that just gets it~

Shivara hummed and—

"Eek!"

Let out an unlady like sound, as she hastened to bring her right sword into position for Yuha—

"Hah! You fell for it, my lady!"

The madman had thrown his right sword straight at her just as she'd kicked him.

'Clank'

With a groan of tortured steel, and the force causing her to take a step backwards, Yuha's blade was stopped and before she could slam the piece of steel away with her other arm, the remaining force and the impact caused it to ricochet—

What a risky gamble. Admittedly, he could have won, but now he's at a disadvantage. Ah. The backup blade, of course—

Ricochet straight into Yuha's outstretched hand.

Shivara stared, her jaw open.

"How…"

He shrugged and grinned.

"I calculated it."

"What."

To do that on the fly, why, that would take…No, not important. Not right now.

So, she'd have to be a bit more careful, it would seem.

Eyeing Yuha up and down, her smile returned.

And, perhaps, she could kick it up another notch or two, Yuha, it would seem, just might be able to handle her doing so.

Shivara licked her lips, and Yuha flashed her a nervous smile.

"I…need an adult?"

"Fufufu~ I'am an adult, dear~"

An otherworldly growl coming from next to him caused him to pale and break into sweat.

"How dare she…"

He could swear he could see his life flash before his life and the hounds of hell were closing in!

"I will—"

Thankfully some brave, and foolish, man stepped in front of the hell-goddess, obscuring her view as he bowed repeatedly.

"Miss Tornado, p-please calm down and return to your seat! Please!"

Eyeleshes, mic in sweating hand, refused to glance at the duo, still ostensibly focused on the fight and his commentary.

I'll remember you, you brave, brave man, and I'll even pray for you, your sacrifice won't be forgotten!

Yuha, blades at the ready, glanced at the vip booth to his left, and towards the stoic form of King, causing his smile to slip a bit.

On the one hand, good. My bullshit worked. Thank Marika and Tatsumommy both for that. On the other…

His teeth ground against one another.

That fucker hasn't trained at all! Once I unlocked his Ki, he, for a normal human, had a very respectable power level of 5, and after a week and such insanepotential? Still 5. Onore you lazy bastard! Onore…

"On guard!"

Letting out a wordless curse, Yuha's blades flashed into a dizzying blur of black afterimages, the growl of steel against steel caressing his ears as his and Shivara's pair struggled to overwhelm that of the other.

What the?!

Hissing as his brief moment of inattention allowed the woman to break through, and score a long line on his left shoulder, drawing out a surprised hiss, he, head-butted the mass of metal still digging into his body as it was drawn towards the woman, causing it to jerk to the side and the Queen's eyes to widen at the unexpected move.

She's better than before. Is she taking this more seriously now?

For Yuha could tell that until now, the woman had been trying to keep her skill and power in a level similar to his.

But now. Well. A grin split Yuha's face and the ape roared at the implied challenge, before being muzzled by his mental hand. For the most part. After all, the drive, the desire to overcome?

Those he could use.

And besides, the woman's apparent jump in skill wasn't insurmountable, for whether she could push things even further or not, Yuha could still see her up ahead in his mind eye.

"Can you keep up, dear~"

Yes!

He very much could and intended to.

But, still, why did he just imagine Shivara of all people?

A thousand apologies, Tatsumommy!

Grinning, Yuha leaned hard on his implanted martial instincts, milking them for all they were worth. After all, he, or rather his progenitor, Cell, was the culmination of a dozen different shonen martial artists. And unlike the ones from Yuha's original dimension, it was all, but a given that such supernatural beings would be, if not outright masters, then at least very knowledgeable in anything relating to fighting.

Including sword-fighting.

"Hiyaa!"

Bending like a reed to the side, and allowing Shivara's blade to slash diagonally through the air, Yuha, kicked the blade, causing the woman a momentary stumble, one that he took advantage off, attempting to bifurcate the woman with his right blade, the left already up and pointing in the opposite direction.

'Clank!'

Shivara smirked and her remaining blade smashed into Yuha's own, the blades groaning in protest as the Queen shoved him aside.

Shit.

Just as he feared, her stumble and the obvious slash before it had been a faint. After all, despite his, no doubt, impressive skills. He was no master of the blade.

While the woman very much was.

And given that the only way to beat someone more skilled at you was by being far stronger and faster, and when one considered the fact that they were trying to keep it balanced and interesting, for the most part. Both so as to entertain and to keep gas in the tank for the actual fight…

Yuha was rapidly running out of options.

Well. There's another way to win…

"Hiyaaa!" he grunted, and did not try to fight the momentum the Queen imparted into him, letting it start to spin him, and no doubt surprising the woman, if her wide eyes were any indication.

Adding a bit more power into the spin with a kick of his leg and a burst of ki, Yuha roared as he jumped towards the woman, both his blades held aloft, pointing in opposite directions and for a moment Yuha became a rotating whirlwind of black death.

"Gkh!" one that Shivara, despite her utter surprise, managed to block and repel, with a grunt of exertion and the whine of her blades steel.

Sending Yuha flying away.

"Tsk."

And slowing his spin, Yuha landed on one foot, blades pointing downwards at his sides, his other foot joining its twin right after.

"Unorthodox, unexpected…" the Queen said, her smirk returning before she exploded towards him with surprising speed, jumping, raising both arms and their blades above and behind her as she let out a fearsome roar.

Shit!

And Yuha barely had time to react towards the descending death in the shape of the sexy amazonian redhead.

He could dive to the side, or behind, or the front, but despite it looking like it was a way out. His instincts, mostly those of Trunks, all but warned that it would be suicide, for contrary to her actions, in the split instants between heartbeats, a glance at the descending woman revealed that she'd yet to pull her all into it, her muscles still somewhat slack and ready to react. To punish his potential mistake.

Then his only choice was to block, and given that the Queen was putting even more strength behind the incoming blow from the looks of things?

Yuha pushed the Kaio-ken to stage two.

It was only fair he did the same, was it not?

As for the small matter of the shield…

What did he need a shield?

His grip around 'Tatsumaki' tightened.

In his hands, Yuha held blades each the size of a small car. Any one of them could be his shield!

With a roar, Yuha raised his blade above his head, his legs bending so as to absorb the force and 'Fubuki' slammed into the ground, biting deep into the arena's floor as another point of stabilization.

Above him, Shivara grinned, and her muscles tensed.

Committing to the attack.

No doubt thinking him a fool for only choosing to defend with one arm.

And normally she'd be right.

"Haaaaa!"

The Queen's double overhead hammer like blow slammed into his lone blade's edge, causing all three of the Greatswords to scream and roar as they struggled and below Yuha's feet spiderwebs spread and the servos holding that particular segment aloft howled in protest.

And then, Yuha's sole, trembling arm, begun to sink.

Causing Shivara to smile.

He smiled back, making her blink.

You forget, my lady.

Yuha roared and his muscles bulged to ridiculous proportions, and with his new strength, he pushed upwards and forwards.

"Eek!"

You are not the only one holding back! Using Roshi's 'max power' to its full was usually a bad idea, for despite the great boost in power, it held great similarities to Trunk's 'ultra super saiyan'. Namely, the drastic loss in speed meant its use was situational, at best.

This was one of those situations.

And as he flung the Queen backwards, his muscles beginning to shrink back down, Yuha's smile started to widen, before being replaced by horror.

'Crack'

For just as the woman's sword left his lone valiant one, the single blade cracked and broke. The strain of having to content with two other Greatswords proving too much for his lone one.

"No! Tatsumaki-chaaaan!" he said with a horrified sob.

'Crack'

And not even the sound of one of Shivara's own blades breaking was enough to console him.

"Gkh!" the Queen said, managing to stop her tumble through the sand, jumping to her feet and, after a brief look at her broken blade, discarding it like yesterday's trash.

Heathen!

"That was dirty, my husband."

"Mmh, you cheated first."

She batted her eyelashes coquettishly at him. "Well, that's a lady's prerogative~"

He snorted and lifted his single blade, the woman doing the same, before they once again jumped towards one another.

And despite the fact, that being limited to a single blade, their fight proving all the deadlier for it.

For now, they could both focus their entire skill in that one blade while at the same time have to predict and account for but one blade from their opponent.

The clamor and the cheers of the crowd faded from Yuha's mind. The only thing in his mind, his sole focus, being on the woman in front of him.

This is it.

Bating, weaving, clashing, the dance of death continued as they danced across the arena, and both of them, he could tell, were building up to a climax. Pretty soon it would be over.

He focused, his mind stretching.

And pretty soon, he found his opening.

For, it would seem that the Queen had miscalculated, leaving a glaring opening, and smirking, Yuha roared as he slashed with his sword, intending to capitalize on it.

But then, the Queen grinned and with an almost gentle tap redirected his sword, her own black blade coming to a stop but a few inches from his throat.

The crowd fell silent.

"Mmh~ A good fight, my husband. Better than I expected if I'm to be honest. I thank you for this. I don't often have the chance to have so much fun~" the panting, slightly flushed woman said with an excited grin. "And don't feel too bad for your loss. For you have potential," she added with a wink. "Potential which, if you can hone, you no doubt can—"

"My lady."

"Mmh?"

"Who said I lost?" he asked, and, feeling daring, sent a wink of his own.

"Eh? But—"

He pointed with a finger upwards, causing the woman to blink and follow his finger, only for her eyes to widen, for behind her, hovering ominously and spinning lazily, 'Lily' hovered in a telekinetic grip, ready to skewer the woman.

The crowd exploded.

"And there you have it, ladies and gentleman! A most unexpected outcome on the warmup round and what a round it was!" Eyelashes said, once again managing to sound excited even though his face held all the expression John Wick's usually did. "Why, I can't believe it! A draw! Another round of applause for our brave fighters everybody!"

The Queen's face flushed through a myriad of expressions before she closed her eyes, her shoulders slumping.

And Yuha felt slightly bad.

"Err…my lady—"

Only for the Queen's shoulders to start to shake, the woman flinging her sword away and out of her arm as she leaned back and laughed freely. The pearl like sound making him feel warm.

"Oh, Husband~" Shivara said with a purr as she calmed down, flashing him with a dangerous smile. "You continue to surprise me~"

"It's what I do best," he said with a shrug, and with a 'thunk', 'Lily' also landed at the same time as 'Fubuki'

After all, if both power and skill are out of the equation, then all you're left with is surprise. And while I can't quite pull off Kreia's trick yet…the woman served as an excellent inspiration!

"Fufufu~" the woman chuckled again. "You are aware the actual fight won't be as easy, yes?"

A hungry grin spread across his lips.

"Oh believe me, Shivara," he said, his usage of the woman's name causing her to bite her lip. "I'm counting on it."

After all, even if he was trying to control his instincts…They were now his instincts. And so, he wanted to indulge. If in a controlled manner.

Whirling sounds from all around them caused both of them to blink and watch with some surprise, as small sections of the arena opened up, small drone like machines that bore a curious resemblance to the sentinels from Halo, if jet black, rose and collected the swords and the broken pieces, before diving back down beneath the sands.

The little square openings leading into the darkness below closing up.

"Well now, ain't that interesting," the woman murmured with an arched eyebrow.

"Quite, shall we?" he asked and jerked his head to the center of the arena. The woman acquiescing.

After all, what did Yuha care for cleaning robots? Bang and Charanko took care of the Dojo's cleaning for the most part, with Yuha chipping in with small applications of telekinesis where necessary.

And when he eventually got his own place? Well, at that time, he'd revisit the subject.

Coming to a stop near the center and a few steps from Shivara once again, Yuka took a deep breath, fortifying himself both mentaly and physicaly as he sunk into Bang's stance.

Yes, he could've used one of his other martial arts, true. But, those weren't 'his'. He hadn't earned them nor mastered them.

While this…

A god overseeing galaxies, a wise alien planetary overseer or an immortal sage, he might not be. But Bang was still his teacher.

So, honoring by using his stuff, at least to start?

That he could do.

"Mmh? I don't recognize this stance," the woman said, blinking as she gazed at him from top to bottom. The ever shinning lust in her eyes giving way to focused intensity. The trained fighter taking the place of the amorous Queen.

"I'd be surprised if you did," he offered. "After all, and I don't mean it in a disparaging way for you look…" he shuddered. "Yeah…a-at any rate, if my suspicions are correct. Then, by your reckoning, my lady. This art was created but yesterday, by your reckoning."

Shivara's shoulders shook. "Fufufu~ Flatterer," she said, a small amount of levity returning in her voice before she inclined her head, the smile remaining. "And, yes, you are correct, dear. I'm quite a bit older than most humans, yes. At any rate, shall we?"

He inclined his head and tensed, Shivara doing the same—

"Wait!"

Tatsumaki's voice rang out, causing them both to blink and turn towards the approaching floating woman.

"Lady Judge?"

"Tatsumaki?"

"M-Miss Tornado this is—"

His girlfriend glared over her shoulder back to the vip booth.

"Shut it."

"Eeek! Y-yes, Ma'am!"

Girlfriend…T-Tatsumommy is m-my girlfriend!

He let out a little mental squeal at the thought, for he still had difficulty believing it.

…aaand judging by the cute glare and the woman's flushed cheecks he'd thought that out-loud.

Oops?

"Worry not," she said, voice bored. "I don't seek to interfere or anything." This was probably to stop the, no doubt, panicking officials in the booth behind her. "It's just, I've read a bit of the ancient histories and customs, and I believe this was such a custom," Tatsumaki murmured. "And so, even though I have no token to give…" she floated up, near eye-level. "You, Zero, have this Lady's favor," she said and glared at Shivara.

Her lips sought his and for a moment Yuha forgot to breathe, leaning into the kiss, eyes closing.

Fubuki's earlier good cheer, courtesy of Lily's act…and wow, wasn't that something to ponder about later.

That good cheer? It vanished in an instant, and she ground her teeth against one another.

"Sister…damn you…" if only she'd known about that custom! She'd…she'd…oh, who was she kidding? She wasn't as brave as Tatsumaki.

But…

Biting her lip at the sight, and with Lily's words replaying in her head, she nodded, and a newfound determination blazed in her heart.

If she was not brave. She would become so.

If she was not strong? She would become so.

And if Yuha's heart beat for Tatsumaki first? Then she'd grow until she was number one in his heart, Lily second and the gremlin a distant third!

Although…

Fubuki's brows furrowed as she glanced at the temple like structure where all the dignitaries were.

Why was she sensing an equal amount of despair and conviction from…if Fubuki remembered the 'mental flavor' well, that was the white-haired Subterranean princess was it not?

Curious.

Shaking her head and leaning back, and looking away from the horrible sight, Fubuki glanced around and…

Her eyes bulged.

No. Surely not!

There was no way that could be right, was there?

For a few meters higher, from Fubuki's and Lily's own seats, a figure known the world over was sitting.

Sitting and watching the proceedings below, while mulching on popcorn.

And yet…

Fubuki's rapidly beating heart started to return to normal, for the people around the figure seemed to pay little attention to the man and then it hit her and Fubuki blushed.

Right. Of course. How could I be so foolish? There's no way that's Blast. Merely a very good cosplayer. After all, the number one hero would've been in the booth below and everyone would have heard about his decision to attend. R-right!

She gulped and faced forward again.

Still. Why did she not entirely believe it?

There was no way that was really Blast, was there?

"Mistress?"

"I-it's nothing, Lily."

Breaking the kiss, Tatsumaki leaned backwards, staring at him with intense eyes, causing Yuha to gasp as he remembered to breathe before the green-haired beauty glanced at the strand of saliva still connecting them, and with a hungry smirk telekineticaly drove it into her mouth, licking her lips.

L-lewd! Both sisters are lewd!

Tatsumaki's smirk widened.

"Remember, Zero," the woman said, tone authoritative, and Yuha barely resisted the urge to clap his heels together and snap off a salute.

Step on me, mommy!

"You," Tatsumaki's brows creased slightly as if she was recalling something. "Fight for…'Athena'. So, I order you, win! Hmf!" the green-haired beauty said and spun around, hovering back towards the stands.

My Athena…

Tatsumaki wobbled in the air, as if she'd stumbled.

Smiling, Yuha faced Shivara again, whose expression was unreadable.

"Shall we?"

The Queen nodded, and they sunk back into their stances. Before, after a single heartbeat, Shivara dashed towards him, fist cocked back as Yuha remained still.

Roaring and veins popping all over his muscles as he remained in Bang's stance and he continued to power up, managing to reach the fifth stage just as the Queen was upon him, and with his improved strength, speed, everything, alongside the defensive properties of Silver Fang's martial art, managed to divert the surprised woman's blow to the side, alongside her followup kick.

Still roaring as he did.

Still powering up.

His customary half-Roshi kicked into place at the same time as he activated stage six and Shivara's eyes widened as her countering chop was diverted with far more strength than expected, the woman wincing and with a silent curse barely managing to duck underneath his arm's answering downwards slash.

Letting out an answering roar, Yuha could sense the woman's own power beginning to rise.

But it would not save her. Not from this.

For Shivara, for some no doubt foolish reason, had tried to end this match in a single strike.

And all she managed to do was give Yuha a free hit.

Cause even as the woman struggled to reach her full power, Yuha was already well ahead of her, and he suspected that all else being equal, his method of powering up was faster.

Weaving between Shivara's desperate blows, Yuha climbed all the way to stage eight, his muscles bulging and a scarlet inferno roaring around him.

This was painful.

He couldn't maintain nigh indefinitely like the fifth level. And yet, it would last long enough to see this fight concluded in his favor.

Before the surprised woman could adjust and match his new strength and speed, Yuha, letting out another roar, the ape seeming to join him, drove his punch deep into the woman's gut.

"Gkh!"

Flinging her back and causing the metal plates underneath the sand to cave in somewhat as Shivara was half-way buried into the sand.

Yuha stood there for a moment, his fist extended, heat radiating from it before retracting it and preparing.

"Impressive, husband," Shivara said, jumping to her feet, smile back in place as she craned her neck left and right, the mountain shattering punch only causing her blood to boil, apparently. But, at least, judging by the woman's jubilant expression, whatever had caused her bad mood was already forgotten. "Most impressive."

She nodded, and her eyes narrowed.

"But if you think it'd end that easily….haaaaaaahhH!" the woman roared and at last finished powering up, her muscles bulging slightly, angry veins popping into view and the golden circlets around both her biceps bursting, shattering into a million pieces.

And then, she was upon him and Yuha's world spun, his jaw crying in agony as he was flung a few meters backwards, unprepared for the woman's increase in speed.

Skidding through Skywalker's most hated enemy, Yuha jumped back to his feet and with another roar pushed Kaio-ken all the way to stage nine.

Shit! I did not expect her to be this strong!

With the extra boost, he was able to perceive the woman clearly again as well as react and divert her blows, but…

I can't maintain this for long. Ten minutes, fifteen, tops!

He would have to make this quick.

For it was only due to his physiology, his insane pain tolerance and his repeated brushes with Teleute that allowed Yuha to maintain this stage with a body so weak and so unsuited for it.

So yeah, he needed to deal with this quick.

Otherwise…

Well. That couldn't bear thinking.

He gritted his teeth as their dance continued.

Punches, kicks, overhead blows and elbows smacking into each other.

But the woman was seemingly made of stone, like the ones no doubt surrounding her home. For after close to five minutes had passed, she was still standing, visibly no worse for wear, despite the numerous tiny cuts and the many, many purplish bruises all over her body.

The hell, woman?! I have my regeneration and my chimeric makeup! What's your excuse?

Shivara offered no answer, and yet, as they jumped backwards at some unseen signal and she wiped a bit of blood from her chin with her forearm.

The glare on her face made it all but clear that she was finding this as irritating as he did.

"Husband…What are you made out of?"

"I could ask the same thing, woman, the hell?!"

Shivara let out an explosive sigh, growling before she abruptly grinned.

And Yuha was immediately wary.

"To have pushed me so hard…I commend you, husband, despite how vexing the fact you managed to do it is."

He tensed, preparing to jump towards her, but, Shivara did not start powering up further as he feared.

Instead, with a curious glimmer in her eyes, she clapped her hands together as if praying and closed her eyes.

Right, fuck this!

Yuha, letting out a roar, exploded towards the woman, his aura blazing like a scarlet inferno, his foot aiming for the woman's expected concrete like abs.

And then, his eyes flew wide open and he let out a huge pulse of ki, flinging himself to the side and barely managing to avoid a, a…

Is that a sand tentacle?!

But he had little time to ponder said fact, for, appearing straight in his path was a sibling to the already disappearing sand tentacle, as well as another next to it, and another!

All of them rushing for him.

He cursed and flaring his aura begun flying left and right, weaving between the coarse limbs.

Sand…no, earth manipulation…Fuck. Makes sense. He cursed as he weaved between the limbs that seemed to sprout from the ground without end, until he was trapped in a forest composed entirely of sand tentacles, the arena below exposed, nothing but the bare metal remaining.

Dodging between the limbs, he glanced at Shivara who had opened her eyes and was staring at him with even more irritation than before.

For the woman, not knowing that he was on a time limit but likely well aware that he could regenerate, had concluded that trying to outlast him was probably a bad idea.

And thus opted for her hidden ace.

Needless to say, Yuha's ability to fly had probably come as yet another, unwanted, surprise.

But, Yuha had little practice with the skill, and this forest of silica tentacles all aiming was a bit too much.

So, inevitably.

"Gkh!"

One managed to land a hit. The limb's touch feeling like one of Shivara's own punches, and the surprise of it, enough for another of its kin to whack him, and then another.

And before Yuha knew it, half a dozen had wrapped themselves around his limbs, holding him with arms and legs outstretched, as the rest of their siblings trickled back down, reforming the arena's flooring.

"Yield damn you!"

And Yuha's eyes could but widen, a curse leaving his lips as a roaring Shivara rose into the air, descending towards his exposed head, fist cocked back.