PREVIOUSLY, IN PARADOX FIGHTERS: Holly decides that she's had enough of Twilight's secrets, and vows to get answers from her in the next round with the help of Katniss, Adam, Ruby, and Ryuko. Meanwhile, Hermione Granger, an elite agent of the Illuminati, is chosen to participate in an experiment to restore her youth, inadvertently transforming her into a twelve-year-old. While our heroes slog their way through a grueling cityscape, Hermione learns to channel her mysterious new powers under the tutelage of the gruff Piccolo, becoming a force to be reckoned with. The King's League targets a new team, led by none other than the abomination Holly threw up, which now calls itself Poppy. The so-called Night Terrors repel Dio with ease. Holly's crew encounters the dangerous Sol Badguy, leading to a tense standoff that turns Ryuko into a rampaging monster, while Twilight and Alucard are ambushed by the Ghost of the Chozo, Samus Aran, before being saved by Mikasa. Hermione's training continues amid tension aboard the Illuminati's new starship, as the iron-fisted Regulations program exacts their own cruel brand of justice. Holly's group eventually recruit two new members, the Spiral-Powered Kamina and Simon, pilots of Gurren Lagann. Twi, Alucard, and Mikasa meet the shapeshifting Honey Kisaragi, before confronting Holly and the rest. Twilight summons Hermione to assist her, and the two half-teams battle before Twilight reveals her true allegiance. With our heroes now aware of the Grand Combat's true nature, and the impending rescue by the Illuminati, they believe they have new-found purpose in their struggle...

***

"And so he said, 'You can't beat me so long as I'm fighting under a yellow sun.' And I said, 'Why?' And he said, 'Because yellow sun radiation enhances my powers!' So I asked, 'What if you were under a different sun?' And he said, 'If I were under a red sun, my powers would be weakened!' So the next time he tried to punch me I grabbed him and used Instant Transmission and I took him to a red sun and after that he wasn't so hard to beat."

The other fighters let a low gasp of amazement escape their throats. Ryu drug his thumb back across his chin, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"So you mean to say that you beat Superman?"

"Well, yeah," giggled the man in the orange gi as he ran a hand through his messy and vertically oriented hair. "Like I said, it wasn't too hard."

"Were you disappointed?" asked Kenshiro, who sat quietly at a table nearby.

"Whaddya mean?"

The disciple of Hokuto Shinken stood up and walked to the man who had shared the story. He folded his arms in front of his chest and furrowed his brow.

"I mean, you sought battle with Superman because you determined him to be a worthy opponent. But you would not have beaten him if he did not reveal his weakness to you."

"Oh, I get it. I guess I feel like it could have been a better fight. He really had me on the edge there, up until he told me that… so I guess I am disappointed. I'm disappointed in myself. I need to have an honest fight against somebody, to say that I'm really stronger than they are."

"Interesting," said Kenshiro. "So how do you intend to correct that mistake?"

"I'll fight somebody else as strong as me!"

"But… you just beat Superman!" said Ryu, still incredulous. "Who else is there on your level?"

"I know somebody," smiled Sol Badguy, stepping into the little circle formed by the listening warriors.

"You want me to fight you?" asked the gi-wearing man. "Sure thing. We can talk to the guy and set stuff up-"

"No, no," replied Sol, waving a hand. "I may be powerful, but I'm not on your level. But I ran into someone who might be."

"Well, who could you mean? Is it that ninja kid with the jumpsuit? Because he's always shouting and that really gets on my nerves!"

Sol Badguy lifted a finger and slowly rocked it back and forth. "No. You're looking for a little girl with half of a giant, red pair of scissors."

"Are you serious?" blinked the man in the gi. "A little girl?"

"She's one tough cookie. Handed my ass to me when I was at full strength. And she wasn't even scraping the top of her potential. Granted, she got real angry beforehand. I probably shouldn't have talked to an angsty teenager about Freudian psychoanalysis."

"Freudian?" asked Chuck. "Nobody uses Freudian anymore."

Sol Badguy flung himself backward, aghast. "Why didn't someone tell me sooner?"

"Because you were too busy surrounding yourself with women?" suggested Kenshiro.

"You make it sound like I had to try for that to happen," grinned Sol.

The gi-wearer began to look impatient.

"So what's this girl's name, again?"

"Oh, of course. Matoi- Ryuko Matoi."

"Huh. Well, I'll be on the lookout for her. Thanks for the tip, Headband Guy."

"No problem, Spiky Hair Man."

"You can call me Son Goku."

"And you can call me Fred."

"Will do, Headband Guy."