PART ONE, CHAPTER TWELVE: "ZONE"

-THE GOLDEN BOY & THE INNER CITY- One couldn't understate Satou Shibuya's strengths. At my best I could rend the sky, part the sea, or level everything on the horizon. This destructive power, most reminiscent in aftermath to a saturation bombing, meant Satou Shibuya existed less as a person and more as a weapon- a contingency plan, raised and cultivated as one of many to turn the war on demons in mankind's favour.

Except, Satou Shibuya's parameters were not all encompassing.

My ability's destructive power and versatility paired with a ninety-nine-point-nine percent immortality ratio to create the Golden King of the Gekkou District, but only that. I represented a wide spread of overall high combat parameters, but other letters surpassed me in certain aspects. A weird notion, for sure, but I'd be foolish to deny it.

I couldn't know how, but Keiko Kusanagi surpassed my ninety-nine-point-nine, reaching the coveted hundred percent. Sister dearest's destructive power rivaled mine, but her ability's all-consuming heat served as the better tool against the encroaching demon threat.

Genjou Gekkouhara too surpassed me in a single aspect.

"Have you gotten any faster, Satou?"

Clang! Sonic winds ripped skin from flesh.

Tch, he slipped past!

Blunt force knocked my right shoulder out of the socket. I flew backwards, tracing spirals. My limp arm tore free concrete and metal fencing. What face did the golden girl make? I couldn't tell, she disappeared from view before I realized what happened.

So the snake attacked after all?

I slid to a halt and caught my footing.

The footprint-shaped fissure on my torso filled out. Golden sparks forced my shoulder into place. I slammed the fence net onto my sword and added its mass to the slender blade. Once a longsword, Hawkbit became a one and a half meter zweihander.

A boom filled the air. I stomped forward as the next attack hammered my sword. My feet dug into the concrete. The pressure popped the soles of my feet like balloons- blood filled my suit, but returned to the body just as quickly.

Next is here?!

Fwoom! A horizontal swing deflected the strike on my right. Too shallow. The world twisted as if viewed through a kaleidoscope- he planned to retreat.

"How naive!"

Gold-flecked fingertips ripped through the dimensional gap. Cracks in space revealed fissures beyond the comprehension of man- they couldn't deter me. The wrath of a King tipped the scales of justice. The laws of this world bowed, if only for a second.

Ones and zeroes distorted to glyphs I couldn't decipher. My hips twisted as I dragged my assailant through space-time by the face. Winds whipped past as my feet scraped through flooring like mud. The world around me spun like a tornado.

"And now, concrete!" I roared.

"Tch?!"

Centrifugal force whipped Genjou Gekkouhara to the floor.

The snake landed on his hands and slid backwards, his fingers cleaving thin lines into the concrete's surface. The snake flipped to his feet on my left, four meters away. Blood oozed from his palms and onto the ground below, but it didn't faze him. It couldn't.

The green-haired youth licked blood off his upper lip with a smile. He smeared his palms across his anti-contamination suit then struck a pose with both hands in the air.

Genjou snickered. "Even dimensional fissures are fair game now?"

"What a farce!" I rushed at him.

Swish! A spinning golf swing parted the fence at Genjou's back.

Raging winds whistled between frayed metal as a spray of pebbles and dirt disappeared into the distance. A flip of my sword dispersed its dust trail- it pierced the ground as my brake. I slid to a halt and spun around.

Concrete and rebar exploded outwards as I ripped my sword free. Metal links and dust scattered on the wind. A miss, I needed to strike faster. The smug-looking snake who leered down from a distant bench agreed.

As expected of the Gekkouhara clan heir.

Genjou Gekkouhara's speed had no match- I wanted to say this, but Keiko Kusanagi might be able to keep up. The fact that she might, that I couldn't, frustrated me to no end. I could reach supersonic speeds at near-maximum output, but Genjou did so with ease.

Has he gotten faster? I think so.

Even still, he wouldn't enter my effective range again.

"It's pretty small, huh?" said Genjou.

I clicked my tongue.

Golden circuitry denoted the King's territory, a three-meter sphere of influence, within which I reigned. This represented the active zone of my ability. Inside this domain I held absolute and unquestionable power. The untrained eye wouldn't be able to spot such thin and uniform reiki, but Genjou knew.

He's gauged the border.

This weakened state limited my effective range. I normally exerted my powers within a twenty-meter radius, but not today. The small diameter of my golden zone meant more informed foes could see my range with relative ease. Had he baited my attack to scope out my domain's size?

The golden girl sprinted into view as I pondered. She peered around the corner, then stepped onto the field of battle.

"So he came here?" murmured Yamashina.

I touched a hand to the damaged fence at my back. The world corrected itself as bits and pieces fell back into place. A golden sheen signaled the end of the process, after which I returned my focus to the green snake—

Fast.

Genjou appeared in an instant. I stepped backwards, he hopped into place where I once stood- well within my effective range. The snake shrugged.

"I'm not one for mystery. What is it you're playing at, I wonder?" I asked.

"It's my challenge to you, Satoto."

"A challenge? From you? To me, the illustrious and immaculate Satou S. Shibuya? A serious challenge, not the playful sort? How interesting, how interesting. This should be grand!"

Yamashina chimed in. "Shibuya?"

I raised a hand to silence her.

Maybe he thought it funny, but Genjou stepped forward. Once, then twice, until only a foot separated us. I met his xanthous gaze without faltering. Verdant coils slithered across the surface of his anti-contamination suit, the eight-branched mark of Orochi's activation.

What's up with that?

He had confidence, and something in me wanted to crush that. I stepped forward to stare down at the fool. Less than an inch separated our faces- he couldn't escape, not at this range. Such close proximity served as more than checkmate, but rather a victory determined by fate.

The snake should've known, yet he spoke with a glee-filled voice—

"You won't forge the sword she gave you?"

I averted my gaze.

Genjou stared at me for a moment. He sighed, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. I hated that. I couldn't stand the warmth in his eyes- a person able to feign hospitality so well made me ill. He'd already gotten into my head- a rookie mistake. I had to correct the scales.

My forehead slammed against Genjou's own. The ground beneath the snake's feet cracked, but he didn't budge. Disgusting, absolutely gross, but I had to make a point.

"It's not like I need it," I spoke. "Molten stars and divine flame are territory beyond the reaches of mankind. To call the sun god's miracle, the burning sword, for one such as yourself would be nothing short of baffling. I take pride in my common sensibilities, you see."

"My, nobody gets how nice you are."

A sigh escaped. "Nice? Yes, of course I'm nice. I'm perhaps the most magnanimous person in all existence, especially considering I have to deal with the likes of you. Gaze in awe at the paragon of human decency before you, snake."

"You're too dazzling, Satou." Genjou's eyes softened. He prodded my chin with his index finger. "It's no wonder we love you so much- Gagetsu, Midas, Vayne, Sergio, and even Akane. Your smile is precious to all of us."

I slapped his wrist aside.

Genjou Gekkouhara underestimated by intelligence. Any sane human mind could gauge the falsehood in his words- those people loathed my existence. That's why I had to reciprocate, that's why I had to rule them with an iron fist. They'd stab me in the back at the first sign of trouble. I couldn't associate with such bad company.

The snake is just like the rest.

Something snapped. I moved it to the back of my head with the rest- such grim thoughts had no place at the forefront of Satou Shibuya's mind. More important matters were present and needed to be dealt with. My sword hand tightened.

"So?" I narrowed my gaze. "What's your challenge, hm?"

"My, it's just a bet. On whose team will win, I mean. You hate horses, I know, but think of it like horse racing. If my team wins, you have to come see everyone. Don't worry, you don't have to go back to the Gekkou District. They can visit you instead."

I didn't respond.

Genjou snickered. "By the way, the golden throne is kind of dangerous. You didn't do a very good job smoothing out the edges. That's the reason Midas took it- he's the only one of us who can handle the thing. He brags about being the person allowed to sit on the throne. Everything is gold, so he fits the bill well enough.

"Oh, did you know? Gagetsu... right, I shouldn't say it, but she found work at that one indoor pool. She isn't supposed to be working, so hush hush on that. I think she's saving up to buy that giant stuffed lion. You know, the one that wasn't for sale. If you find it on your doorstep, you know what happened. Sergio too, he's—"

I tuned out.

The idea of a person so easily lying through their teeth made me sick to my stomach. It took a certain sort of darkness to spin such a tale, to try and get a rise out of me. I took a silent breath, then returned my focus to Genjou. I couldn't think about it, not here.

"And when I win?" Nausea forced my hand.

"Huh? If you win, I'll leave you alone. I'll stop talking to you, I'll even pretend that I don't know you. That's what you wanted from the start, right?" Genjou stated this as if it were a matter of fact.

"That's... true."

He grinned. "Then you agree?"

After a moment, I nodded.

Green snakes unraveled at Genjou's back, eight in total.

Avaricious serpents observed me through hollow eyes, as if marking their prey, then hissed- a noise that couldn't belong to a flesh and blood animal. Too loud, too much distortion- it almost felt manufactured. His power couldn't be understated, not as the Golden King's former right-hand man. What a frustrating thought.

With five outstretched fingers pressed tightly together, Genjou pointed the tips of his right hand at me. Genjou's misguided epithet of Silver Knight manifested. The bright green light at his fingertips sharpened to a point- the Gekkouhara clan's grass-cutting sword. His once yellow eyes glinted a glittering green.

"In that case, I'm a little mad!" yelled Genjou.

Swish! Verdure crashed against aurum.

"How frustrating!" I whined.

The words weren't directed at Genjou.

Wind pressure sent me stumbling backwards, but I caught my footing. I shielded my eyes from golden light with my sword as a blind. Genjou forgot a crucial aspect of this conflict, but I couldn't rebuke him. We made the same mistake.

Lightning struck twice, thunder roared. Two fist-shaped imprints appeared on Genjou Gekkouhara's gut. The snake slid backwards, knocking over my lightning rod but keeping his footing. He wouldn't go down that easily.

The golden girl stood in front of me. One arm raised, she made her place on our battlefield. As expected, she hadn't learned a thing. The mutt couldn't mind her own business.

What a troublesome girl!

Yoshida Yamashina silently kissed her right knuckle. She assumed her combat position. Back hunched, feet parted, fists raised in front of her face- I recognized it as a variant stance, like the Fairchilds' own. Genjou too- he hastily corrected his breathing.

With a scowl, Genjou assumed his form. Bloodied palms forward, legs far apart, I guessed this to be the Gekkouhara's demon assassination stance- the foundation for the legendary Path of the Moon, a sure-kill martial art with a history of bloodshed.

"That really hurt." Genjou squinted.

She didn't respond.

"Oh, you're the sort who clams up in a fight?"

Yamashina paused for a moment, maybe considering Genjou's words, then rolled her eyes. She jabbed the air- one, two- then dropped into a low stance with her left palm to the ground. Her hair spiked up, glowing white-hot with electromagnetic forces. No, not just her hair.

Non-humans are a diverse bunch, aren't they.

In the case of a mermaid like Reika Rurisaki, I noticed some bizarre quirks- wide mouth, dull eyes, and a natural hunch. I'd (rather miraculously) caught a glimpse of her neck from the back, where scales peaked out from under the collar of her contamination suit. She didn't hide her true nature.

The golden girl didn't either, not anymore.

A pair of white, fox-like ears rested atop Yamashina's head. They ended in arrowhead points that scattered sparks and discharged arcs with each twitch. A thunderous nimbus tapered to a gray-tipped point on the snow-coloured fox tail at her back. Its flickering form looked like a storm cloud drifting across the sky.

Fwish! Her tail lashed the floor. Electricity skittered across the rooftop.

I retreated a step to avoid the second lash, which traced a lightning bolt. The golden girl's hands twitched as violet claws pierced the fingertips of her contamination suit. Her left hand dug into the floor. Blue-gold arcs danced between the fingers. Were these her true colours?

The answer came in her self-introduction.

"Rolling Thunder CQC, second step practitioner, Yoshida Yama—"

Bang! Lightning struck Genjou's jaw.

The snake stumbled, nearly to the ground, but caught himself first. His eyes skittered between the floor and the golden girl, who stood with her right arm outstretched. Smoke billowed off her crackling fist. I replayed the attack in my head.

A golden knuckle pierced the air. It exploded into an electric blue line, a super-charged streak that raised the hair on the back of my neck. Lightning stamped its seal, a fist-shaped imprint on the side of Genjou Gekkouhara's face.

A-An electromagnetic sucker punch?

Genjou's eyes sharpened with delayed realization. He hopped backwards, spitting blood onto the floor, and found his bearings. He touched a finger to his jaw and winced. His eyes turned grim as he looked to the source of his pain.

The underhanded fox of a girl spat something out. She stuck an index finger in her mouth and hooked her cheek, revealing pearly white canines. She then pulled her finger free with a loud pop.

"Yoshida Yamashina," she finished her introduction.

Genjou clicked his tongue. "No honor, huh?"

Whatever Yamashina spat out, it hit the ground and rolled to a halt. Closer inspection revealed the mystery item as an AAA battery, crushed like she'd bitten it. Yamashina pulled another battery from her tail and popped it into her mouth like a pill. She didn't chew.

Is she drawing power from batteries?

That couldn't be true. A measly AAA battery couldn't have provided the energy for her almost railgun-esque punch. It needed to be her own internal charge. Under that assumption, did she chew on batteries for fun? How long had it been in her mouth?!

Maybe she noticed my gaze, but the fox of a girl sighed.

Yamashina glanced over her shoulder. "They help me focus—"

Fwoom! She flew backwards, both arms raised. I caught her and we slid into the fence behind me. Reflex had me shove her away. Yamashina groaned but (thankfully) didn't comment. The golden girl assumed her stance once more... not quite.

The fox girl's contamination suit drooped at the sleeves, where sinister fingers tore into them. Maybe it bugged her, but she ripped her sleeves off and tossed them to the ground. The rubber strips flew away, carried on dusty winds.

Bzzt! Electricity coated her arms.

"Focus harder next time." Genjou flicked his wrists, scattering flecks of rubber from his fingertips. "I'm not big on the hypotheticals, but you'd be dead if I'd gone all in on that opening. I do it, sure, but talking is not a free action, sweetie."

She frowned. "Sweetie?"

"Yeah, that. Don't do that."

Raging winds signalled an attack.

A deep green crescent carved the earth at Yoshida Yamashina's feet- she hopped over it. The golden girl lunged forward, ducking under near-invisible attacks. Genjou moved too fast, such that it took me a moment to register his serpent strikes.

Crashes filled the air- electromagnetic jabs met supersonic slashes. Both parties stepped forward with each strike. They looked for openings, for a blindspot to end their battle. Genjou couldn't have forgotten the real threat, right?

I should hope not.

A golden glow illuminated my frame.

The exalted Satou Shibuya cracked his neck. I raised Hawkbit and stepped forward to enter the fray. The girl threatened to steal my prey right out from under me. Genjou Gekkouhara couldn't lose to anyone but me, I'd long since decided this—

"You'll have to do."

Foreign bloodlust turned my head— boom!

The ground beneath me zoomed past. I smashed through a distant fence and went spinning through the air. Metal shredded part of my anti-contamination suit. Before I realized it, the earth below stretched into the distance.

"Satou?!" I heard the snake's voice.

Something- rather, someone hit me. Someone strong. I glanced downwards, where the ground approached faster and faster. The perception of danger roused my golden might. My ability came to life, excercising power over the contents of its sphere of influence.

I stretched a hand skyward and watched circuitry trace its way down my fingers and to the rest of my body. My hand tightened into a fist as I took control of the situation. I spun around, carving jagged golden lines through the air, and gathered reiki.

"One thousand foes!"

Howling winds reinforced flesh, golden lightning reinforced bone.

If this isn't enough—

Bang! The world exploded.

Bones fractured and blood splattered, but only for a moment. Reiki traced golden circuitry along the recesses of my mind. When my vision returned, whipping winds carried the scent of stagnant air- my descent continued. I glanced over my shoulder and saw a single patch of white in the fast growing darkness.

Metallic wires weaved a jungle of colossal cables. Their ribbed surfaces criss-crossed the underbelly of cradle Niflheim's second layer- the maintenance floor.

I clicked my tongue. "Damn it!"

With my ability I'd inadvertantly turned myself into an artillery shell. Survive the fall? This went past that- I'd blasted through ten meters of metal, dirt, and concrete!

Golden-flecked fingers dug into subway-sized cables. They tore free thin, metallic wires that shredded flesh- my left hand became an unrecognizable amalgam of meat and bone. The momentum sent me spinning through the air once more. The ground below approached at rotational invervals- I wanted to vomit.

So I have no choice?!

I tucked in my arms and legs. The winds at my head flashed gold. Countless twinkles reinforced my body to take the fall- flesh, bone, mind, body- organic matter became machinery.

"Shortcut— Panzerstein!" I yelled.

A golden star hit the ground.

Shockwaves rocked the world. Ribbons of dust and rings of grime scattered scraps of metal and heaps of trash. The ground beneath me, a mountain of trash and filth, went up in flames at a single touch. My blood boiled.

Liquid metal pooled at my feet, which carved a molten trail down the hillside. The reiki at my back coalesced into a stream of twinkling stars. I crashed to the ground and bounced like a rock on the water's surface.

"Ngh?!" My teeth chattered.

Clunk! Hawkbit bounced across the trash. It spun to a halt.

I slid to a flaming stop, the uneven metal beneath me glowing red hot. Sticky breath clung to the inside of my throat. A dull pain assailed me, but everything clicked back into place. A cursory touch to my face revealed the end result of my ability's handiwork.

It worked?!

A touch to the molten floor cooled the surface. Glass atop reflective metal replaced molten steel, in which I took a better look at myself.

Chrome replaced flesh- the entity that stared at me couldn't be called human. Golden eyes peered at me through a black visor- angular, sleek. Metal spikes, one on each side of my metallic helmet, pointed skyward like metallic cat ears. Golden flames noosed my neck and formed a burning mane- the mark of the lion, the Golden King's insignia.

Reiki-reinforced carbon nanotubes formed muscle beneath the mechanical surface, and the engine in my spine whirred with otherwordly energies. The fingers of my left hand rebuilt themselves. Bone grew, then flesh, then carbon nanotubes. Golden circuitry called for the King's armour, my unbreakable shell.

I'd actually done it.

As expected, I'm amazing!

Panzerstein- one of the King's suits of armour, a culmination of study and hard work inspired by Midas A. Goldstein's unquestionable durability. It rerouted reiki towards heightened strength and durability to create the ultimate shield, the King's Aegis. In theory, Panzerstein could not be broken.

Granted, I'd never used it before. Everyday life and the lack of worthwhile conflict as of late meant I'd never gotten to try the suit out. Ideally I'd never get to try it, at least according to sister dearest.

Even though it looks so regal...

Heavy metals groaned as I stood. Gravity fought back. The glass beneath my feet cracked under my weight. I glanced upwards, towards the gaping hole in the ceiling. Steel serpents did little to block gray gloom, which filtered in from the outside world. From there to here, I fell.

"Ninety-nine-point-nine percent," I whispered.

As if in response to those words, my ability's engine slowed. Metal fell, dispersing to golden particles as it hit the ground. Steel flesh regained an organic complexion. The machine beneath became Satou S. Shibuya once more. I clicked my tongue.

So I can't sustain it?

Lightning ran up my spine. I stumbled forward and dropped to one knee. It burned, but not enough to stop me. The taste of iron filled my mouth. I spat blood, and it evaporated as it hit the floor. Hazy eyes scanned the surrounding battlefield.

Darkness surrounded me on all sides. Only the endless field of trash and filth shone a different colour- light from above gave it an almost divine glow. I wagered this to be a dumping section in the maintenance floor. Most districts had one, though it struck me as odd to find it under a school such as KGA.

What an atrocious scent.

I needed to know more.

Golden reiki traced circuitry into the darkness. I scanned the world and found a familiar bench on the surface where sister dearest, Kaede, and I ate together once before. I'd fallen quite a ways to get here. This didn't strike me as an accident- someone intended to harm me.

Not to mention I hadn't seen their face.

Should I atomize them?

I strode over to my sword- stuck in the trash, it seemed. My fingers trembled as I gripped the handle. After a long breath, I lifted the weapon.

Hawkbit felt heavy- it didn't move the way I wanted, as if denying my right. A glance at my arm revealed dull, faintly glowing circuitry along the surface. I poured more reiki into my body. Soon I could lift my weapon, but not optimally. A one-handed swing would prove difficult.

"How troublesome!" I whined.

I couldn't adjust Hawkbit's balance- my ability groaned. Why did it refuse to obey? Surface level common sense gave a shocking answer.

More backlash?

The boot process for my ability reset.

Optimization, offline. Alteration, offline. Reinforcement, booting. Reversion finished booting first as basic protocol, but something told me it hadn't started properly. It needed a reboot, but doing so would leave me a sitting duck. I couldn't risk it, and not because of impending danger.

If truly necessary my ability would activate, but at what cost? Even more backlash? My ability slumbered and I watched- it felt tired, exhausted, drained. It would gladly howl and scream in my name if roused. Paltry self-preservation far superceded integrity as a priority.

"Very irritating." I lifted my sword. "This is quite a handicap, isn't it?"

It got worse.

I turned my head and saw a blue twinkle falling from the sky. Heavier than a mountain, swifter than falling lightning, I learned everything I needed from their entrance. They wouldn't shine so bright if they weren't trying to pick a fight. SHIBUYA would oblige. He had to.

To wean oneself off the wonders of physical confrontation was a difficult prospect. I'd done so fairly well, but just one more couldn't hurt. A foe such as this, who dared claim any place in the sky above, couldn't be left alone.

I'll crush them.

Nobody could be allowed to steal SHIBUYA's spotlight.