"LADIES… GENTLEMEN… EVERYBODY ELSE… WELCOME TO THE FINAL DAY OF THE MULTIVERSAL TOURNAMENT!"
The third day of the event had finally begun, and the excitement could be felt across the entire pocket dimension. Today, the one to be dubbed the greatest in the multiverse would be revealed. But first the remaining warriors would have to be narrowed down from 4 to 2 - first the semifinals would take centre stage. Eventually the audience would watch the brainiac Pulse go up against the towering Ashes, but before that was one of the most anticipated matches of the whole contest.
"ONCE MORE I, YOUR ANNOUNCER GOOGLORP, WILL NARRATE THE INTENSE ACTION YOU'RE ABOUT TO WITNESS! SOMETHING I CAN PROMISE YOU THERE WILL BE A LOT OF - WE'RE IN THE SEMIFINALS NOW, AFTER ALL! ONLY THE BEST OF THE BEST REMAIN, AND WE'RE ABOUT TO SEE THEM COLLIDE! STARTING WITH THE FIRST TWO… RIGHT ABOUT NOW! LET'S DO THIS, FOLKS! LET THE SEMIFINALS COMMENCE!"
Four grand explosions coated the arena in a bright orange light, with their loud booming noise being the only thing capable of drowning out the intense roaring of the crowd. The stage was set, the audience was ready and the battlefield was prepared. All that was missing now were the fighters themselves.
"As quiet as the sky, and faster than lightning… as quiet as the sky, and faster than lightning…"
In the blue corner's waiting room, the sleek blue Dragonborn was finishing his many preparations before the big battle. He'd been training his body all evening the day prior, and his mind for the last 5 hours. But no matter how many times he repeated his mantra or how many deep breaths he took, Goh'ji could not stop trembling. He was just too excited for this match. Which also meant that his focus was broken enough to hear the careful footsteps approaching the room.
"There's no need to hide, friend. Just say what you're here to do" the martial artist said in an as friendly tone as his rough voice was capable of.
With those words said, Goh'ji's silent observer quickly scurried up towards him. The small Genasi put her arms behind her back as she lightly swayed back and forth - Root was nothing if not upbeat. Her trademark beaming smile almost lit up the room as she did what Goh'ji had asked.
"Just wanted to cheer you on, mister! Your friend already had someone supporting him - the nice Half-Orc with the ponytail - and I saw you had to prepare all alone. So I just didn't want you to be left out!" Root cheerfully stated.
The Dragonborn couldn't help but smile. He wasn't really in any need of support or company; that was just part of his nature. But in the face of Root's unyielding positivity not even the most stubborn of lone wolves seemed to be safe. Goh'ji stood up from his meditating position before putting a hand on the druid's shoulder, now as ready for his fated battle as he possibly could be.
"Thank you, my friend. I very much appreciate your kindness!" the martial artist replied, followed by him heading towards the cacophonous arena.
The last thing he heard before entering the battlefield was a couple more good-luck wishes from Root, but when he set foot on the stadium the only thing he could hear was loud cheers and roars. Not that he paid them much mind; his gaze was too focused on the opposing gate. This was what he had been waiting for ever since that fateful meeting after the opening ceremonies.
"IN THE BLUE CORNER, WE HAVE THE SCALE-CLAD THUNDERER RETURNING ONCE AGAIN! THIS DRAGONBORN HAS SHOWN TWICE OVER HOW HIS MASTERY OF MARTIAL ARTS PUTS HIM ABOVE BOTH INTERSTELLAR STEALTH AND NATURAL WONDERS, BUT NOW HIS SKILLS WILL BE PUT TO THE TEST BY SOMEONE HIS EQUAL! WILL THE LIGHTNING SHORT-CIRCUIT HIS METAL FOE, OR WILL THE THUNDER CLOUDS BE DISPERSED? THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM: CONTESTAAAANT GOH'JI!"
About the same time as Goh'ji had his chat with Root, his rival was preparing himself as well. Just like Goh'ji, Prime had spent every active moment since yesterday getting in as much practice as possible. From the last day's afternoon to right this second in fact.
"HUAH! SHAH! YIAAH!"
The metal warrior was still dealing blow after blow towards his sparring partner. Not many people were able to keep up with his advanced skill and speed, but his Dragonborn rival waiting out there most definitely could. So he'd requested the help of the one other person who knew him well enough to still give him a good challenge. But said person had just held up a hand to catch his incoming punch; it was right about time to stop.
"You're in top form as always, buddy. But even if this is a blast you're gonna have to get going if you don't want to be late!" his creator said in a steadfast but friendly tone.
If there was one person whose advice Prime would always listen to, it was Abigail Harlow. And this time was no exception. If those loud roars outside were any indication then Goh'ji had already entered the scene, and was thus ready to go. Prime couldn't just remain in here to spar forever - he had to give his rival the grandest showdown he could provide, after all. The robot firmly nodded towards the beefy inventor, before running to grab his swords and towards the arena.
"Right! Thanks again for the sparring session!" Prime shouted as he ran at full speed through the corridor.
"Wait, maybe don't interrupt the announcer ag-" the Half-Orc fruitlessly tried to tell her creation.
She let out an exasperated sigh; Prime was a great friend and she wouldn't trade him for anything, but that bullheaded tendency to charge into fights was pretty taxing. Nevertheless, she couldn't blame him for being excited. Over the last 20 hours he'd talked about nothing but how much he had been looking forward to this, how great of a fighter Goh'ji was, what moves he should use and so on. Abigail took one last proud look at her energetic creation, but as soon as she turned around her smile turned upside down. Her and Prime's little practice session had been a bit more destructive than they thought.
"Damn, who's gonna put this room back together? …Me?"
As for Prime, broken benches and holes in walls were the last things on his mind. When it was time to fight, nothing else mattered. He'd sliced through spirit dragons, a mountain of muscle and his own limits to get this far - all to fight the greatest rival he'd ever met. And as said rival was from a completely different universe than him, this might have been his only chance. He had to make this count. With that thought in mind, the iron fighter entered the arena in trademark dynamic fashion.
"AND IN TH-"
Googlorp didn't get further than that with his introduction, because Prime had entered the stage with a huge frontflip backed by a loud illusory explosion before the announcer could even finish his third word. The martial artist landed feet-first with a huge thud, and although he did stagger a bit he still followed up his somersault by dramatically pointing his closed fist towards Goh'ji. His long green scarf somehow billowing behind him all the while, despite the complete lack of wind in the colosseum.
"ELIMINATOR OF ALL THINGS EVIL! ALLY OF ALL THINGS GOOD! PROTECTOR OF ALL THINGS INNOCENT! BUT TODAY, MERELY A WARRIOR FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT! WITH A BODY OF METAL, SWORDS OF STEEL AND A WILL OF IRON, I SHALL GO ALL OUT AGAINST MY EQUAL! AND I WON'T LOSE! PRIME, THE METAL RANGER! SHAAH!"
The construct's speech was met with the usual reception - a brief stunned pause, followed by a standing ovation. At this point the audience had a good grip on just who Prime was, however that didn't make his heartfelt introductions any less enjoyable. He might not have cared that much about the spotlight, but damn if he wasn't good at hogging it. The metallic swordsman gave a quick glance towards the cheering crowd, before once again staring towards his excited rival. If he'd had a mouth it would have been sporting an impossibly wide grin right now.
"I don't think I'll need to tell you how excited I am right now, pal! This fight is going to be special, I can feel it!" Prime shouted towards his opponent.
Unlike Prime, Goh'ji did have a mouth with which he could show how thrilled he was. It was currently locked into the widest smile his reptilian snout was capable of, only accentuated by the fierce look in his eyes.
"I agree! At the end of this battle, one shall stand, and one shall fall! Let's settle this, friend!" Goh'ji responded.
That was the most complicated saying the scaled warrior knew, saved specifically for this occasion. If he ended up in the finals, he'd just need to find out some other intelligent-sounding proverb. But that was then, and this was now. The rivals shared one last determined glare before turning around to get into position; the time for talking was over. Now, they would finally settle who was the superior fighter.
The atmosphere of the arena was somehow tenser than ever before. The audience were holding their breaths, the fighters took on their stances and Googlorp took the Plasmoid equivalent of a breath. In just a few short seconds all hell would break loose.
"3!"
"2!"
"1!"
"BEGIN!"
[KABOOOM!]
The moment the martial artists had been waiting so long for was finally at hand. It was time for the time of their lives to kick off.
Both Prime and Goh'ji charged head-first towards the other, albeit it was clear neither of them were about to give it their all from the start - Prime hadn't even unsheathed his swords. And yet when they collided forearm to forearm in the centre of the arena, the impact was enough to be heard from the stands. It seemed that the universal rule among martial artists was in fact multiversal; always start small to test your opponent's abilities, then keep cranking up the heat until you're going all-out. The two warriors' mutual determined glare was enough proof that this was indeed true.
Prime and Goh'ji held this position for a couple seconds, before simultaneously parrying their opponent's kick with one of their own. Followed by Prime's punch being caught by Goh'ji's palm. Then Goh'ji's tail being stopped by Prime's other hand. Until their repeated blows had evolved into a full volley of rapid-fire strikes clashing against each other. And while there wasn't much power behind them, each attack was blindingly fast. The audience watched on in awe at the barrage of attacks - or at least they tried. Their eyes could only follow so much of the action, after all.
After almost half a minute of trading blows, both warriors jumped backwards after one last dual parry. And while both of them had amassed some bruises and dents, neither appeared to be particularly winded. Just incredibly fired up.
"Man, I knew you were the real deal! But I can tell you're nowhere near serious! What do you say Goh'ji, wanna kick things up a notch?" Prime shouted towards his rival.
"...Kick what things up where?" the puzzled Dragonborn responded.
In the heat of the moment, Prime had overlooked how literal-minded Goh'ji was; the proposal had flown completely over his head. The automaton sighed as he made it more clear as to what he meant.
"I meant fight for real! I think we've both figured out how good the other one is, so there's no use in testing each other anymore! What do you say?"
Goh'ji's face lit up as he heard this, as if a lightbulb had turned on in his head. With a fierce nod, the reptilian fighter slammed his knuckles together as electricity began to crackle between them. Although this wasn't simply electricity; Goh'ji, like many martial artists, had the ability to weaponize his own internal life energy. It had many names across the multiverse - Chi, Chakra, Spark, Mana and several others. But the most common one, and the one Goh'ji was familiar with, was ki.
Seeing his opponent preparing to kick things into high gear, the energised Prime did the same. Despite lacking the ability to harness natural ki due to his artificial body, the same energy that the Infinity Engine™ in his chest generated to keep him moving could be used to create a substitute. And while this form of ki didn't surround his fists with lightning like his rival's, it did create a spiky yellow aura around him. An aura that crackled loudly as Prime drew both his blades while rushing towards the likewise approaching Goh'ji.
"NOW THAT'S HOW YOU START A MATCH! BOTH THESE MARTIAL MASTERS BEGIN BY UNLEASHING A BARRAGE OF BLOWS AT THE OTHER, EVERY SINGLE ONE THROWN FASTER THAN ANY REGULAR PERSON COULD REACT TO! AND THAT WAS JUST THE WARM-UP! WHO KNOWS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NOW THAT THE GLOVES ARE OFF?"
Upon getting close enough to the scaled warrior, Prime leapt up high into the air. While he might have drawn his swords, the iron fighter wasn't one to stick with just one fighting style. It was time to give Goh'ji a taste of his signature series of named attacks. But unfortunately for the automaton, his highly telegraphed movements left him wide open for a counterattack. Something he painfully learned too late.
"METAL… KI- HURGH!"
The Metal Kick yet again failed to connect. Because Goh'ji's mighty tail had done so first. In less than a second, Prime had been knocked out of the air by his opponent's well-timed strike. The impact of his steel body striking the ground was enough to knock up a huge layer of dust - so huge, in fact, that the construct was obscured from view entirely. Which meant that the bewildered Goh'ji had suddenly lost track of his opponent. How did that blow knock up so much dust? Why didn't it settle? And how could Prime just have disappeared? However, it didn't take long for the Dragonborn to realise the answer. By way of a sharp blade rocketing out of the dust cloud straight into his shoulder.
Goh'ji had remembered Prime's ability to create holographic illusions too late. Their primary use might have been dramatic effects, but creating an unusually lingering cloud of dust was clearly also very much possible. And now the construct had not only plunged his right sword into Goh'ji's shoulder, but also into his sturdy gi with the left one. Right next to the reptilian fighter's hip to be specific.
"Gotcha! GIGA…"
With his weapons just where he wanted them, Prime fired up his arm thrusters as he firmly planted his feet. And with his opponent still reeling from the sudden pain, the metal ranger put all of his considerable strength into one of his many special attacks. The gasping audience watched on as Prime dragged Goh'ji up above his shoulder with the help of his swords; the only throwing technique in his arsenal.
"...SEESAW!"
The robot slammed his foe on the ground as hard as he could, the impact alone resulting in the loudest yelp of pain Goh'ji had uttered so far in the tournament. Of course, the bleeding from the deep puncture wound in his shoulder didn't help. With the attack executed and his foe on the ground, Prime had the opportunity to strike him down then and there to advance to the finals. But just like with his fight against Morgan two days earlier, the metallic martial artist simply waited for Goh'ji to stand back up. He had his code of honour after all, and that was something he would never ever go against.
Although Goh'ji was down, he was far from out. The blade hadn't pierced any vital areas, so while the wound did hurt it wasn't going to slow him down too much. Right now he could ignore it for a while. The Dragonborn quickly got up from his position, immediately moving in for one of his trademark dual palm thrusts. And to both his and Prime's surprise it landed.
Prime hadn't expected Goh'ji to be able to move that fast right after being hit by a Giga Seesaw, thus he failed to dodge the two-handed blow as it struck him straight in the chest. And sadly, his artificial pain receptors were still very much functioning as intended. The robot almost caved over as he had his metaphorical breath knocked right out of him, leaving him wide open for a follow-up. A follow-up which was coming sooner than he'd hoped. Prime's visor widened as he saw a thick tail swinging in his direction.
[WHAM!]
The orange warrior was sent flying by Goh'ji's deceptively strong fifth limb, before crashing right into the arena's left wall. And while his steel frame remained intact, his back and chest were still pulsing in pain; this one really hurt. To the point that he struggled to even stand back up again. Prime's artificial brain recognized that while he was still very much capable of continuing, he wouldn't be able to get back up before Goh'ji could strike again. And who knew how much force would be behind his next attack?
"I'm sorry for this Prime, but a moment like this is too valuable to pass up on! Here I come!" Goh'ji shouted at his grounded rival.
He might've had the pride of a martial artist, but he wasn't an idiot. Or well, he was, but in battle Goh'ji was anything but. He'd had enough brawls to recognize a golden opportunity to turn the match in his favour when he saw it. So with his opponent stunned and briefly immobile, the Dragonborn rushed towards him to deliver an impairing blow. If this carefully aimed jab hit, then Prime would be severely weakened.
"Not yet! If this was enough to take me down, then I wouldn't be much of a warrior now would I?!" Prime fiercely responded.
The artificial martial artist wasn't bluffing. He might not have had the time to get up and counterattack, but he could still move his arms just fine. So as the robot grabbed ahold of his V-shaped head crest, Goh'ji was about to learn something. He was about to learn to never underestimate Prime.
"METAL… BOOMERANG!"
Less than a second later, the sharp red headpiece was thrown at blinding speeds through the air. The wide-eyed Dragonborn had no time to dodge - partly because of the small projectile's high velocity, partly because he'd never been able to predict something like that coming from Prime. Therefore the Metal Boomerang struck him dead-on in his right side, before clattering to the ground in front of him. Apparently the attack didn't quite live up to its name. But it had been enough for Prime to get back on his feet, now rushing towards Goh'ji with both swords in front of him. Goh'ji flashed a small smile as he clutched his aching side; the automaton was just one surprise after the other. He'd really chosen the perfect rival. Maybe it was a good idea to learn a thing or two from him.
"WE JUST WITNESSED A TRADE OF KNOCKDOWNS, PEOPLE! FIRST THE SCALE-CLAD THUNDERER LANDS A NASTY STUNNING BLOW TO SLAM HIS FOE TO THE GROUND, BUT HE HADN'T ACCOUNTED FOR THE ACE UP THE METAL RANGER'S BLUE SLEEVE! TALK ABOUT USING YOUR HEAD, OR AT LEAST PART OF IT!"
But now it was Goh'ji's turn to do the unexpected. As the metallic fighter approached him, the Dragonborn crouched down a bit as if charging up. And then he leapt skyward, followed by him plummeting straight towards Prime foot-first. Everyone's eyes went wide, especially Primes' - this was a very familiar technique to him after all. Just like Goh'ji hadn't predicted Prime using his headpiece as a projectile, Prime never thought that he'd be facing down a Metal Kick.
"Take this! Way of the Metal Ranger: Thunder Kick!" the reptilian fighter shouted as he rapidly descended towards Prime.
The metal warrior couldn't help but snicker. His rival hadn't just copied his technique, but created his own version of it. It was still an ordinary jump kick, but where Prime's was coated in the yellow shining aura of his ki, Goh'ji's was coated in sparks of electricity. And it had been named in Prime's honour, which was especially touching to him since the Dragonborn usually never named his attacks. But he could admire this later - this attack was aimed at him after all.
"Alright then! In that case… METAL THUNDERSTRIKE!" Prime responded at full volume.
With a loud boom, the Thunder Kick struck its target. But Goh'ji was left feeling not satisfaction, determination or even that much recoil from the attack, but shock. Because Prime had blocked it completely. Or rather… he had caught it. With a dual palm thrust, executed in the exact same way that Goh'ji himself had done so many times. The blue-clad martial artist had returned the favour. But Prime's glare suddenly turned even fiercer; he wasn't done quite yet.
Without warning, the robot began to spin his opponent around like a throwing hammer. Goh'ji attempted to pry himself loose, but to no avail - Prime's grip was deceptively strong, and the centrifugal force didn't exactly help much either. And so once again, the Dragonborn was once again sent skyward. Only this time he had no control over his trajectory.
"CROSS SLICER!"
As he heard his robotic rival yell these words, Goh'ji's expression of dizziness and surprise turned into the ever so slight hint of panic. As he descended, Prime ascended - in the form of a full-power leap up towards him. With both swords crossed in front of him.
The Dragonborn had to think quickly, and for once he actually did. Mere moments before the collision, he shoved his hand into his back pocket. Less than a second after that he had pulled out his wooden flute, and about one second after that he had put it to his mouth; and not a moment too soon. Because now Prime was only about a metre away - the robot's attack would strike its target at any second. With the tide of the match at stake, Goh'ji blew into the flute as hard as his lungs were capable of.
[BWOOOOMM!]
All of a sudden there were two figures aimlessly falling to the ground, and the first one to hit the dirt was Prime. The automaton gave off a grunt as he picked himself up, all the while rubbing his chest where the blast had hit him. He'd been prepared for Goh'ji to employ a Thunderwave spell, but he'd never anticipated him to launch one in midair. And judging by the dents all over his metal armour and the oil leak in his hip, this - coupled with all the other blows he'd been dealt - was starting to whittle him down. A telltale sign of a damn good fight.
Goh'ji landed on his chest around two seconds later. He too was starting to tire a bit, especially after taking on the full force of a Giga Seesaw. That small fracture in his skull and his irregular breathing was proof of that. But just like Prime, the blue martial artist had no room for worry in his mind. Only excitement and determination, with maybe some aching pain thrown in there. A telltale sign of a damn good battle.
"Not bad, you got me there! I'd better take this more seriously if I wanna keep up!" Prime declared.
His fists were put up in front of him, swords held horizontally in opposite directions. He was more than ready to keep going; all he wanted first was for Goh'ji to tell him the same thing.
"Same to you, my friend! Shall we continue? Until one of us falls?" Goh'ji responded.
As if to answer his rival's invitation, the Dragonborn stretched out his open palm towards him. The two fighters grinned once more, before simultaneously rushing towards the other to clash one again. A cross counter here, a tail swipe there, a headbutt over there… in no time at all the martial artists had thrown themselves into another volley of blows. But this one was much more turbulent than the last; not only did their rapid movements take them all over the battlefield, but each strike was sharper and faster than before. This time they weren't warming up. This time they fought for real.
Barring the infirmary-bound Professor Suss, every other contestant was watching on intently. Now that there were only 4 people left in the competition, every remaining fight was more than worth watching even for the usually less interested people. Although for some, actually following the martial artists' rapid movements were easier said than done. Especially for a certain young inexperienced Druid, who'd just recently arrived from the blue corner's waiting room.
"Wuuh… they're so fast, my head's spinning around from just watching!"
Root was visibly getting dizzy after trying to keep up with Prime and Goh'ji, to the point that her entire body was sent reeling. The Genasi closed her eyes for a moment while grabbing the sides of her head - she needed to take her attention away from the blurred warriors for a moment. So she slumped down on her seat behind her, right next to one of her many new friends.
"Yeah, I kinda stopped trying after they started running around. Those two are something else, and I'm not sure that's a compliment."
Unlike his energetic companion, John hadn't exactly forged many new relationships during his time here. The only exceptions were a steady respect for Goh'ji and a grateful closeness with Root, plus maybe some… slight infatuation with Pulse. But he didn't really mind; he would only see them for about a day more, then everyone would go their own separate ways home. No more Ashes keeping him under tabs, no more Professor Suss to antagonise him and no more Prime to weird him out with those loud proclamations and stupid poses. So why did he feel so bummed out at the thought?
"You okay, mister? Why do you look so down?" Root suddenly asked.
John visibly jolted - apparently his doubts were a lot more visible than he'd thought. The Tiefling turned his head away for a second, as if going over how much he was willing to open up. But eventually he sighed and turned back to face Root; the Genasi had definitely earned his trust by now.
"I was just thinking… this will all be over soon. In just a day, we'll all be back home and our lives will go along as if nothing ever happened. Well, the winner will have their prize and all, but the rest of us will be back to the usual. But the point is that I doubt we're ever gonna see each other again. Being from all over the multiverse and all. And I… might've come to like some of you" John sighed.
The otherwise so upbeat Root fell dead silent, her steady smile dropping completely. John's statement might have been pretty blunt, but he was right. She hadn't thought about that - or rather, she'd refused to. She'd soon have to say goodbye to all her new friends, probably forever. A thought she had no idea how to handle. All she could do was stare blankly in front of her as her distraught mind tried its best to process this. A discomfort that didn't manage to escape her Tiefling friend.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound hurtful. But it's better to start prepping to say bye now, I guess. Saves you the disappointment" John continued.
But the moment he was done with his attempt at comforting her, Root turned to face him. And while it was duller than usual, her smile was back. Sort of.
"We'll find a way. We've all become such good friends during our time here, so we'll find a way. Anything is possible if you really really want it!" the druid cheerfully said, although with a not so well hidden hint of doubt in her voice.
John simply stared at his young friend - was she really this naive? Did she, a grown adult (albeit barely), genuinely believe that enough sunshine and rainbows could breach universes? But at the same time, he couldn't help but smile. Root's optimism was getting infectious; if she believed this was possible, maybe he could too. Actually, if the right person won the contest then Root's unreal desire might even become true. The final prize was the sort of thing to work miracles, after all.
"You're the most innocent person I've ever met, Root. And I'm pretty sure that's a compliment" John sighed.
As he turned back to watch the ongoing fight, so did Root. She was going to see her new friends even after the tournament ended, she'd make sure of it. Now if she could only believe in it herself. But first the tournament had to actually end. And judging by what had just happened on the battlefield that made everyone rear forward in their seats, that time might've been coming sooner than expected.
The fighters had spent the last few minutes trying to overwhelm the other via punches, palm strikes, kicks and the occasional headbutt, but due to proving to be evenly matched neither had managed to break the stalemate. And at least Prime realised that needed to change soon. As Goh'ji went in for yet another chop, the robot carefully dodged before following up with a kick. It didn't deal too much damage, but it did push the Dragonborn back a couple decimetres. Into the perfect position for Prime to unleash possibly his most dangerous technique.
Without warning, the orange martial artist thrusted his arms out to his sides with both swords pointing outwards. He followed up by quickly balancing on his iron toes like a top, before finishing his preparations by igniting his rocket thrusters. And just like they'd done in his previous battles, the slack-jawed audience watched on as Prime began to spin faster and faster. In just a moment the iron swordsman had transformed into a blurred tornado capable of slicing through anything in its path. Like an impressed but alarmed Dragonborn, for example.
"BLADE STORM!"
Prime was moving so fast that his body appeared to be nothing more than a blur, and while his approach towards Goh'ji wasn't as fast as his spinning he was still starting to get very close. Close enough that the scale-clad warrior had to put all his efforts into dodging. He'd been too busy marvelling at his rival's strange technique to run away, and now that he was too busy bobbing and weaving around the blades it was too late. But avoid them he did - not a single scratch was formed on his body. At least, until something behind him caught his attention. An accident he would now pay for.
[SLSHH!]
"WHAT IN THE NAME OF… I-I MEAN WHAT AN INGENIOUS TECHNIQUE! SEEMS CONTESTANT PRIME HAS HAD ENOUGH, BECAUSE NOW HE'S PULLING OUT PROBABLY THE MOST DANGEROUS MOVE WE'VE SEEN FROM HIM! AND WHILE CONTESTANT GOH'JI BRIEFLY PUT UP AN ADMIRABLE EFFORT TO AVOID IT, IT APPEARS HE'S LITERALLY BEEN PUT WITH HIS BACK AGAINST THE WALL! IS THIS THE END FOR THE SCALE-CLAD THUNDERER?!"
In the span of just a couple seconds, Goh'ji had been struck at least 5 times by the razor whirlwind that was Prime. He'd been so focused on their trade of blows that he'd completely missed the protective walls rising up from the ground - until he'd almost backed into one. And while the resulting cuts in his legs and arm weren't anything serious, the same couldn't be said for his chest and tail. The reptilian martial artist had reflexively held up his thick tail to deter the attack - an action that had only resulted in tons of blood hitting the ground. Most of it coming from the deep gouge across his upper torso.
With a concrete wall behind him, Prime in front of him and with deep wounds across his body, Goh'ji acted on pure instinct. In one adrenaline-fueled leap, the Dragonborn just barely managed to get out of the way of the blades. However, Prime kept going. At this speed, the automaton had no way to know which way was which - everything was just a blur to him. All he could deduce was that Goh'ji was no longer in front of him, but where was front and where was behind anyway? The spinning robot had no choice but to cease his attack, even that being a difficult task due to his intense momentum. But eventually he did stop. Right before taking a heavy kick to the back.
The metal ranger was sent reeling over the same concrete wall that he'd just pushed his opponent towards, completely caught off guard. Now he'd once again been left wide open, and given how he could hear crackling behind him it was clear he needed to get back up fast. In one swift motion, Prime pushed himself off the wall and back around to face Goh'ji. Just in time before the Dragonborn had finished preparing his own attack. And for one brief moment, panic filled the automaton's artificial mind. This technique had not only proven itself to be very powerful, but much faster than anyone could hope to react to. So Prime did the only thing he could do. He crossed his arms in front of him and prayed that he could take what was about to come.
[KZZTHOOOM!]
A Dragonborn is a truly interesting specimen. Where a human has smooth skin, they have rough hard scales. Where an elf has long sleek hair, they can have anything from durable horns to colourful frills. Where a halfling has delicate finger nails, they have sharp bone claws. But their signature trait is also their most unique. An ability almost no other humanoid species possesses, and something to enrapture anybody who bears witness to it. Especially the over 250.000 onlookers who witnessed Goh'ji unleash this weapon towards Prime in an explosive burst of blue crackling light. Goh'ji's final trump card: The Breath Weapon. If this didn't seal the match, there wasn't much left that could.
The sheer width of the lightning beam made it clear that Goh'ji was putting as much power behind this move as he could. His throat was tearing itself apart and his jaws were going numb, but right now that didn't matter. The adrenaline was still spurring his body on to keep going, even if it meant going through this much strain. And on the other side of the beam, Prime was in intense pain as well. His scream, equally fueled by agony as it was by defiance, filled every corner of the battlefield as his forearms took the full brunt of Goh'ji's blast. And despite his resilient outer armour plating and insulated systems, he could feel his arms going numb; he couldn't keep his guard up for much longer. But at that moment, that agonising moment… it all stopped. The construct suddenly found himself screaming defiantly at thin air as the all-consuming beam abruptly fizzled out.
Goh'ji was down on his knee, heavily gasping and coughing. He'd just expended enough electric energy to burn a small cabin to a crisp; his body simply couldn't keep handling that much strength anymore. Even his teeth, otherwise well-adapted for this natural weapon of his, appeared to be charred and slightly cracked. And as the adrenaline began to wear off, the pain in his still open wounds began to intensify by the second. He was burned out, plain and simple.
His rival wasn't much better off. His arms had had most of their paint job completely incinerated, with black burn marks taking its place. Half of his gi had been torn to cinders, leaving him with only a pair of pants and the tiny charred remains of a sleeve that could fall off of him at any moment. His visor was flickering, his arms were all but numb and sparks were flying from all over his form. He was dilapidated, plain and simple.
But neither side would allow themselves to go down just yet. Not while they still had one last blow left in them.
"FINISHIIIING MOVE!"
Prime's loud declaration rang out loud and clear as he forced his worn-down legs to bend, all the while struggling to regain the movement in his arms. And then he took off. His internal systems showed that he had only about 4% power left before he'd lose consciousness, but from the force behind his upward leap you'd be forgiven for thinking his body didn't care about that. The jump far surpassed any of his previous ones, and one look at his legs revealed exactly why to the tense audience - his leg thrusters appeared to have practically imploded. With a burst of power far beyond what they could handle, they had set Prime up for his final attack.
"IRON…"
As Prime just barely managed to force his arms to point his swords downward, Goh'ji firmly planted his feet on the ground. He oh so very much wanted to call out to Prime, to tell him just how much he adored every second of this and how he would meet this move with all he had left. But as the insides of his throat were dried out and singed, no sound beyond a weak gasp came out. So instead he simply closed his eyes, focusing all the ki still left in him into his battered tail. Prime's finisher from above or Goh'ji's last counter from below; one way or the other, this fight ended here and now.
"METEOR…"
The weary robot could feel gravity beginning to take over, and so forced his burnt and broken arm thrusters to give him one last burst of speed. As they too ruptured after their final overload, Goh'ji left the ground as his thick tail began to turn around. While the rest of his body could barely move, said tail was positively crackling with inner energy. He'd practically put his life force into it after all.
"DIVE!"
This was it. The two warriors, who had forged the ultimate rivalry that had breached universes, were now just brief moments away from their final clash. On one side a rapidly descending robot, surrounded by the intense flames born from the sheer speed at which he was falling at. And on the other, a steadily ascending Dragonborn, coated in the final sparks of his own life energy. But no matter how hot the fire, no matter how fierce the lightning, they could never compare to the crackling blaze that was their fighting spirit. In the wake of such a perfect opponent, they would burn brighter than any sun. Even as they finally collided, they regretted absolutely nothing. No matter the pain surging through their bodies, and no matter the cost that was certain to follow.
That was just who they were.
[BAROOOOMMM!]
Nobody in the huge awestruck crowd could bear witness to whose final blow had landed first. The clash of Prime's flames and Goh'ji's sparks not only lit up their surroundings like a miniature supernova, but also created a deafening shockwave that forced everybody watching to shield their ears. Was this the expected result of two bursts of ki colliding, or were their attacks just that powerful? Nobody could tell for sure. But they could all see the warriors' limp forms falling to the ground, their eventual impact once again knocking up a massive cloud of dust. The masses were close to their breaking point by now - who had won? Who would be the one to remain standing? But eventually, after several agonising seconds, they would get their answer. Slowly but surely the dust began to settle, revealing the shocking answer to everyone. Both fighters were still standing.
If anybody thought the rivals looked banged-up before, it was nothing compared to now. Both of them were covered in giant bruises, serious burn marks and more open wounds than anyone should reasonably be able to handle. Goh'ji had also had most of his own gi burnt off, revealing not only his maimed chest but also the two deep stab wounds in his shoulders. While Prime had not just lost the use of his left arm - he had lost it entirely. In addition to the big new dent in his right side, no doubt the result of Goh'ji's tail strike. But despite all this they remained standing. All the while glaring towards the other, each one refusing to be the one to fall.
Robotic optics stared into organic eyes. Organic eyes stared into robotic optics. There was no other movement, not even a single blink, other than the slow and unsteady breathing from Goh'ji. The surrounding crowd said nothing; their focus on the grand viewing screen was absolute. More than 250.000 sets of eyes watched the two silhouettes broadcasted against the bright spotlight.
And then, after an eternal 12 seconds, it happened. The ultimate rivalry was settled as one side finally toppled.
[Thud]
Goh'ji had put all the strength he had into his last blow. An attack at that level of power was enough to break a normal person's spine in half… if it fully connected. But Prime, with his swords' greater range, had struck first. The sudden piercing pain Goh'ji had felt in his shoulders had weakened his attack severely, to the point that Prime had taken more damage from his own recoil than from the tail strike. And it had cost him. The Dragonborn had fallen on his back, completely unconscious. It was over.
Prime did not say a word. All his energy went to simply remaining standing, something that with his wounds would've been difficult even if he'd had more than 0.8% energy left in him. But as the referee came fluttering down to check on the fallen Goh'ji, Prime still raised his remaining arm. He needed to prove that he could still fight, that he had indeed bested his opponent. Still, when the countdown began he felt more relief than anything else. That and a lingering feeling of sadness - the fight might have been won, but it was still over. Not so deep down, the wrecked construct wished he could have fought more.
"10!"
"9!"
"8!"
"7!"
"6!"
"5!"
"4!"
"3!"
"2!"
"1!"
"K.O!"
"PEOPLE OF THE MULTIVERSE… WE HAVE OUR FIRST FINALIST! CONTESTANT GOH'JI FOUGHT TOOTH AND CLAW TO BEST HIS OPPONENT, BUT IN THE END THE ONE TO COME OUT ON TOP IS THE METAL RANGER HIMSELF: CONTESTANT PRIME! AND WHAT A BRAWL IT WAS - I DON'T THINK ANY TWO WARRIORS HAVE BEEN THIS EVENLY MATCHED ALL THROUGHOUT THEIR BATTLE! TRULY A BOUT WORTHY OF SONG!"
Googlorp hadn't even finished his sentence before Prime too had hit the ground. He was maimed, burned and very tired, but most of all he was ecstatic. Not only had he managed to reach the finals of the grandest fighting competition of them all, but he had overcome the greatest rival he had ever faced to get there. If only his mind could stop flickering so he could celebrate it. But luckily for him, the familiar white light surrounding him would help with just that.
The broken robot was greeted to the strange sight of his busted arm not only completely repairing itself, but also flying straight back into its socket where it belonged. This in addition to his many dents, burn marks and gashes disappearing and his energy levels going back up. And as his recovery was capped off with his incinerated clothes putting themselves back together and back onto him, the fully restored Prime practically lept back on his feet with his arms stretched to the sky. He just had to release his overflowing ecstasy, in this case in the form of a skyward scream.
As the victor was restored, so was his opponent. Goh'ji began to regain consciousness around the time his shoulder and chest wounds had closed up, and he was fully awake as his smaller cuts across his chest and legs were healed. As he too stood up, he could feel his voice returning as his scorched throat recovered. And as his own clothes were restored to their intact state, the Dragonborn quickly made his way towards the screaming Prime.
"My friend, you have made me the most satisfied fighter of them all! I have absolutely no regrets; this was all I could have ever hoped for! Thank you!" the beaming Goh'ji said as he reached out with his scaled hand.
Prime didn't hesitate for a second to answer the gesture - as a matter of fact, he grabbed his rival's hand with both of his own with an almost excessive amount of force. As he giddily shook it up and down, he answered.
"Pal, I'm the one who should thank you! I could never have asked for a better fight, nor a better rival! This has been the best bout of my life, so from the bottom of my engine: Thank you! Rivals forever, buddy!"
Goh'ji nodded excitedly in response; nothing more needed to be said. His loss meant nothing - he'd had the time of his life, and that was all that mattered. Besides, making it to the semifinals was nothing to sneeze at.
"What do you say, rematch right now? Come on, let's go again while we can!" Prime suddenly blurted out.
Goh'ji was a bit taken aback by this sudden request, but more than that he was fired up. The answer was obvious.
"You already know the answer. Of cou-"
"AND WITH THAT, LET'S THANK CONTESTANT GOH'JI FOR HIS ELECTRIFYING PERFORMANCE THAT TOOK HIM ALL THE WAY TO THE SEMIFINALS! AND LET'S CONGRATULATE CONTESTANT PRIME FOR HIS IRONCLAD VICTORY, ONE THAT HAS GIVEN HIM THE FIRST COVETED SPOT IN THE FINAL BATTLE! BUT THERE'S NO TIME TO SIT IDLE, FOR WE ARE ABOUT TO SEE WHO WILL CLAIM THE SECOND SPOT! WILL IT BE THE RED FIEND OF UNIVERSE 7, WHO HAVE CONQUERED SEARING FLAMES AND CALCULATED COUNTERPLANS TO GET THIS FAR? OR WILL IT BE THE PRODIGAL INVENTOR OF UNIVERSE 1, WHO HAS OVERCOME ULTIMATE POWER AND FAMILIAL DEVOTION TO STAND HERE TODAY? LET'S SEE… RIGHT NOW!"
Right. There was still another fight that was about to go down here now. No time for a rematch quite yet. But the two warriors could afford to be patient; they still had some time later after all. For now, they simply fell back to watch the second semifinal bout. And after that, Prime would be in the most important fight in the whole contest. Now it was just a question of whether he would be up against the brawny Tiefling or the genius Drow, and no matter what he couldn't wait to see the result. The robot's fighting spirit wasn't dimmed in the slightest.
"And you're sure you have everything you need? All your gear and armour and whatnot? You're not feeling ill or anything?"
Although the Drow cleric meant well, his repeated questions and worries over the last couple minutes were beginning to grind the inventor's gears a bit. They'd been talking for quite a while now, yet Vuzrak apparently couldn't help but reiterate his questions for what must have been the third time. The wrecked state of the room probably didn't help putting his mind at ease; Abigail had done her best to put it back together after her and Prime's sparring, but a carpenter she was not. So all the broken furniture and holes in the wall likely had something to do with the older Drow's repeated worries. It was enough for Pulse to let out a frustrated sigh; Vuzrak might have been her dad, but she was a grown adult - she was well aware of what she needed to keep in mind.
"Yes dad, I have my G.U.N. along with three times the ammunition I could possibly need in my backpack. I also have everything else I told you about in there, and I have my force field and the shield out here with me. I have eaten properly today and I'm well rested, just like the first two times you asked. So yeah, you can stop worrying. I've got this'' Pulse monologued, although she did lose her annoyed tone around the time she reached the last sentence.
Vuzrak couldn't help but chuckle. Out of all the traits he'd learned about his daughter over the last day, her meticulousness was probably the one he admired the most. Still, as her father it was impossible for him to not be worried. But he'd also seen first hand just what she could do. He just had to trust her on this, something he very much did. The cleric made this clear by opening up his arms to invite Pulse into another hug to wish her luck; a gesture she reciprocated immediately.
"Good luck out there, Phyrra. Show that Tiefling just what you're made of" Vuzrak warmly told his daughter as they embraced.
Pulse suddenly jolted a bit as she ended the hug. What did her dad just say?
"Phyrra? What in blazes does that mean?"
Seeing his daughter's puzzled expression, Vuzrak realised his slip of the tongue. The cleric sheepishly snickered as he explained.
"Sorry, I misspoke. That's the name you were given by me and… mostly your mom, really. It's what I've known you as during the last 19 years, so please excuse my mistake" the older Drow replied.
Pulse was left silent for a few seconds. She hadn't even considered what her birth name could've been, so this sudden piece of trivia about her early days required a few seconds to process.
"Huh, Phyrra. Doesn't sound half bad" the inventor answered.
But she could think about her original name later - the crowd out there were going wild. If she didn't show up soon they'd probably get impatient. She gave one last reassuring look towards her dad, before briskly beginning to walk towards the battlefield. And as Vuzrak prepared to turn around to hurry towards the viewing stands, he shouted one last word of encouragement to his daughter.
"True, but Pulse fits you much better! Good luck!"
"Yeah, that's why I chose it!" the younger Drow yelled back.
With her proud father behind her and an adoring crowd in front of her, Pulse's spirits were at an all-time high. Especially since she had already defeated the epitome of sheer power along with said proud father; a beefy Tiefling with a firearm was nothing in comparison. Still, she had made it to the semifinals for a reason. The inventor took a deep breath as she lowered her goggles over her eyes, quickly going through all her battle plans in her mind one more time. As long as they worked as intended, then she would take this win. One step closer to her dream.
"Alright Ashes, just keep your shirt on. Deep breaths, deep breaths…"
The farmgirl in the opposite waiting room was, unlike her upcoming opponent, sitting in solitude. But right now that was just what she needed. She needed time to think, to mentally prepare herself for what was about to come. Usually so upbeat and fired up, Ashes was now staring into her wide hat while uncharacteristically deep in thought.
When she'd first heard of this tournament, the only thing on her mind had been just how good of a time she'd have. A contest of the greatest warriors across the multiverse, to prove who's the best of the best? For a scrapper like her it was almost too good to be true. But the more she thought of that prize waiting at the end, the less she thought about plain fun. Was it really that powerful? Could it give her what she wanted more than anything? Or was it all a bunch of hogwash to entice everyone into agreeing to join? No, that wasn't the case; they had all seen it with their own eyes before the opening ceremonies. It was safely locked away somewhere unknown, but it was real. All the more reason to get up there and fight.
Ashes put on her beloved hat again, before standing up to go towards the arena. With every step, her determination grew fiercer. She'd already bested a construct hotter than the most arid desert, not to mention someone with more brawn and much more brains than herself. Another thinker couldn't be too hard, right? But that was no reason to hold back - defeating Abigail had been far from easy, and talk was going around that this Pulse was even smarter than her. She couldn't afford to let her guard down even for a moment. The farmgirl slammed her huge fist into her palm, her immense muscles tensing up all the while. As long as her training was enough, she would take this win. One step closer to her dream.
The ultimate tournament was rapidly approaching its climax.
