Having forced the Forte away, Reito ran towards him while gathering a bit of Aura around his hand. His kicks are still a problem, each one of ‘em hits like a ton of bricks.

Forte got up, holding his stomach and preparing to intercept his attack. “Shit, the hell was that? He was proud of his Heavy Metal mode, but it could be broken with enough force. That didn’t just feel like a normal attack, I felt it from inside!” He thought, as he quickly hit a button on his Walkman before attempting to meet the incoming attack with a handstand side kick. “Alright, Rockin’ Mode: Function Femur!”

Reito saw this and took a breath. “Gotta remember what Granny said, match my Aura’s wavelength with his attack in a split second,” he remembered her a bit of his Grandmother’s teachings as he pinpointed the attack’s specific wavelength, now, as quick as I can… And like Shion said...no hesitation! He slid his palm across the kick and diverted it in one smooth motion.

I missed?! No...it was that weird energy again. He redirected it, but it was so smooth, how in th- Forte pondered as he saw Reito reel his other fist back as it was covered in Aura. Tch! No time to react, he pressed another button on his Walkman, “Heavy Met- Ungh!” The punch hit him dead in the stomach, causing the energy to protrude out of his back as he winced and skidded back.

[That Usodachi guy...is he actually beating Rhythm King?!]

[He’s different from a moment ago...he’s like he’s a different person!]

Reito took his stance again and looked at his fist. “I’m still kinda shitty at her style, so it’s inconsistent when I can draw Aura out or not. Even with this weakness, he found it easier to keep calm and pace his breaths all of a sudden, making it easier to draw his Aura out. He thought Forte was strong, but not more than Gold. He hated it, but fighting him instead of Gold was for the best, he felt like he could win.

But soon, something changed, he felt his hand vibrate, Hmm? That’s not Aura...wha-

While he was deep in thought, the headphone wearing boy jumped toward him with a backwards flying roundhouse kick. “Hey, what gives ya the right to daydream right in my face?! Rockin’ Mode!” He shouted.

“Crap, didn’t expect him to recover that quickly!”

He narrowly ducked the full force of the kick, although it still grazed him, drawing a small amount of blood and leaving a small scratch on his cheek. “Ya left yerself wide open, idiot!” Reito insulted, readying a counterattack. “Eat th-!”

Another strange vibration started at his cheek and quickly began reverberating throughout his skull, making it shake. After that, he reeled back and covered his ears.

“OUUUCCHHH, OUUUCHHH! POUNDIN’...MY EARS ARE POUNDIN’, IT HURTS, DAMN IT! MAKE IT STOP!”

“Make it stop ya say? Well, since, yer askin’ of me-,” Forte answered as a vein protruded from his forehead, “I’ll take it as a song request, I’ll call it, “Black And Blue Bastard’s Rhapsody, Forte Mix!”

He began to do a handstand spin at high-speed, the repeated motion blurring his person as he headed towards Reito.

“Rockin’ Mode Act 2: D.J. Table Kick Mix!”

Not good, I can’t focus! Reito thought as he was hit with multiple kicks to the body. It started at his kidneys, then up to his ribs, each individual strike causing the vibrations to disperse over his entire body while he was forced back further and further, until he finally spat up blood.

“Argh! Guah!

“And now, the finale!” He shouted, driving his a somersault kick straight into Reito’s jaw, causing him to lose his footing. But before he could finish his fall, the headphones donned boy circled around him for one final attack, kicking him in the back and sending him flying with his eyes whited out.

I-I let my guard down, he has an ability I didn’t know about! Reito figured, shaking his head to recover from his beating. He noticed an upcoming vine in his path and reached out to grab it. Although unfortunately, it snapped, so he came to a stop by spinning out. “Come on, seriou-,” he asked, skidding on the ground on his side before stopping shortly afterward. Blood drizzled from his mouth as he slowly raised his head. “What...was that...? My ears just started ringin’ all of a sudden, like I just pumped a days worth of music into my ears at full blast.”

“Yo, yo, ch-check it out! Here’s an encore straight to yer chest, Act 3, Bass Drop!” Forte shouted, following up by driving his foot down toward Reito in a stomp that made a loud, distorted sound..

Reito’s eyes popped open “Fast!” He gathered his strength and rolled out of the way before backflipping unto his feet a safe distance away. Now, out of harm's way, he wiped his mouth and spat blood to the side before addressing his opponent. “Thanks for the warnin’, stupid. If ya kept your mouth shut, I would’ve been hit for sure.” Although, I’m glad he did, he insulted him, keeping that last bit to himself.

“Call it stupid alllll ya want,” he proclaimed, jabbing his thumb to his chest as his eyebrows furrowed, “but this is the way I operate!” A fight’s nothin’ but a more than an in depth dance at the end of the day. And what’s a dance without loud music to go along with it? That’s my way of brawlin’, I call it, fightin’ music style! Normally, breakin’ looks cool as hell on it’s own, but by usin’ the rotation of my spins, along with my different modes, the force of my attacks shoots up a ton!”

[Mayer’s doing a spiel again…]

“So that’s why you’re able to move so weird every time you attack, and why I can’t match your moves to any specific martial art. Though I gotta say,” he started, raising his eyebrows and letting his eyelid hang low, “Fightin’ music? Man...that’s a sucky name… What’re ya, a grade schooler?”

“Who’s the grade schooler here?! Only someone who’s brain hasn’t developed yet wouldn’t hear that and go, “Wow Forte, a cool name for such a cool guy’s fightin’ style!”, just like that! See?!!!

Reito could only pinch the bridge of his nose. “...I don’t have time for this, just shut up alrea- Urk!” He started before stopping to cover his ears again, “There’s that feelin’ again, my ear-”

“Heh...it’s still eatin’ atcha. Enjoyin’ my special after effect?” Forte asked him with a cocky grin, while he put his hands in his pockets and raised his leg as it vibrated vigorously, “see, my Rockin’ mode lets me vibrate my body, and gives my attacks a lil added kick, pun entirely intended. But it goes way beyond that. The sensation yer feelin’ is a sub effect I call Subwoofer Surge. Even gettin’ scraped by me when I’m like this’ll send poundin’ vibrations corsin’ through ya for a few seconds, In other words, I strike ya with a beat so great that it’ll stop ya before ya get operate.”

“What an annoyin’ ability,” Reito discredited, taking his hands down, “in that case, it fits ya perfectly. But still, why the hell would ya tell me about it? Now that I know what’s happenin’ I’m obviously not gonna let it again.”

“The element of surprise, ya mean? That ain’t my style anyway, and besides, tellin’ ya won’t change a damn thing anyways, I’ll nail ya every time after this anyway, guaranteed!” After all,” he glared at him, his tone starting to drip with animosity “I’ve got a bone to pick with ya...bastard.”

Reito raised an eyebrow. “With me? We just met a few days ago. How could I have pissed you off that quickly?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, ya’ve wronged me in way I can’t overlook,” he yelled, as his fist trembled, “you...yooouuu… YER WEARIN' MATCHIN’ FOREHEAD PROTECORS WITH EVIE-CHAN BEFORE I GOT TOOOOOO!!!” He shouted to the sky, his eyes white with fury.”

“........Huh...?” Reito tilted his head in confusion.

“DAMN IT ALL, WHY’RE YOU THE LUCKY ONE?!! I SWEAR, SEEIN’ THAT ON YOUR FOREHEAD MAKES ME SO HEATED I COULD CRY BLOOD, DAMN IT, DAMN IT, DAMN IT!!!!”

“He’s always admired her in general, so it’s no surprise he’d be angry at something like that,” said Chikara as he watched his friend’s anguish.

“....Is...is he serious...? All of this because of a piece of headwear you could probably just buy at a Kami-con? Although...come to think of it...you’ve hit me everywhere except my forehead. That girl…. could she have actually made me wear this because she knew he wouldn’t strike it?” He mumbled with an image of his partner’s sneaky grin came to mind. Then again...she seems pretty oblivious to the way he feels about her...so maybe not. “Either way, it could make things a little easier,” he realized, jumping at Forte.”

Forte took notice and calmed down some before addressing him. “I wasn’t finished tellin’ ya my gripes yet! damn it!” he yelled, before doing another handstand kick aimed towards the neck, “Function Fem-! Wha-?!”

Before he could make contact, Reito ducked, putting the forehead protector in the path of the attack, causing the headphone donned boy to stop in his tracks. Chance! He thought with a conniving grin on his face before he proceeded to palm strike his opponent in the middle of the chest, pushing him back.

“Urk! Grrrraaaaghh, why I ough- Guuh!” He exclaimed, getting ready to uppercut knee Reito before he shifted his forehead in front of his attack once more.

“Aw, ain’t youawfully considerate?!” Reito joked, sliding a backhand across Forte’s face.

“Guah!”

Alright Teach, Reito reached into the holster on his side to bring out two more of his spheres, let’s put these babies to the test, 100D 5S! He threw the spheres directly at his opponent

That’s quick, I can’t- Forte didn’t even have time to finish a thought as he was hit by both of the spheres in his clavicle and rib respectively, sending him flying back. “Argh!”

“That'll definitely hurt,” Neigh said under his breath as he watched the battle, each of those spheres weigh exactly 6 kgs, but they’re compact as well, making them perfect for hitting vitals with precision. Meaning-

Forte flipped his body and forced his feet to the ground. Shoot! He got me! And his impact could go off at any second, so- he made a quick call, jumping back and feeling the blows hit a second time as the impacts went off, forcing him back even further while a small cracking sound came from his ribs before he stumbled around and gained traction once more. Didn’t...hurt as much… “Ack!”

“The kid might be lazy, but the way he fights requires a lot more work and skill in order to get what he wants,” Neigh observed. “At the end of the day, a Pathos’ body still carries all the same organs and bones of a normal human, strike them a couple of times, and you’ll slowly become unable to fight back. I made those Nei-Spheres with the concept of him approaching projectile users in mind, but using them to increase his options in close combat situations works too, he’s not bad, if a little sloppy. But chances are...Gold might be able to deal with that approach.”

“Augh!” Forte grabbed his left rib and coughed blood onto the ground. “That guy...he cracked one or two of my ribs, not to mention the front part of my shoulder’s stingin’ bad. Is he tryna stop me from doin’ handstands?” Forte pondered,

The two spheres flew back to Reito like he was a magnet as he held his hand down in front of him to catch them and safely placed the weapons back into his holster. “Those weren’t bad blows, but they fell a little short of what I wanted.” He mumbled, huffing and brushing his thumb past his nose, “Shatterin’ his rib completely so he couldn’t break dance anymore would’ve been a big win, but he jumped back to soften the blow of the Second Impact. In that short of a time, he found a way to stop himself from bein’ put outta commission, and that was one use of my strongest Impact too.” ...Is this guy...not actually a complete idiot?

“Usin’ Evie-chan’s hard work in order to throw me off my game...Dude...yer the Devil, ain’t cha?”

“The Devil?” He questioned, raising an eyebrow. “No clue what you’re talkin’ about, all I did was exploit an easy weakness. Besides, all ya hafta do is stop yourself short before ya hit it,” he explained, grinning and shrugging, “oh, but if ya do that...you’ll just end up talkin’ a beatin’ instead of given’ one, won’tcha?”

“Yeah, I’m at a disadvantage...but it’s not like that matters,” he responded, with a smile creeping onto his face, “if I kick yer ass with a handicap of no forehead kicks, then it’ll make my win even look a billion times better! And once Evie-chan hears about it, she won’t be able to get the thought out of her head~~!” He daydreamed with his usual goofy smile and chuckle.

“...I take it back, he’s got brain damage,” mumbled Reito, as he witnessed his opposition in a love struck state. “What’s the deal with you and her anyway, ya got the hots for her or somethin'?”

Forte immediately snapped out of his daze before rubbing his arm and turning away from him with a face as red as a tomato. “Y-ya c-can’t j-just assume somethin’ like tha-, that a-all on yer o-own, we’re...we’re just buds, a-amigos, ya know, just friends. I-I m-mean, I-I’d t-tell h-her if I was into her, but I’m totally n-not!” He stammered and stuttered, trying to explain his ties with her.

Reito’s eyes shot wide open and his jaw dropped to the floor. SOOOOOOO OBVIOUSSS! ALL THAT TALK WHILE WE BEAT EACH OTHER SENSELESS AND YA GET EMBARRESED BY ABOUT A LITTLE CRUSH?!

“H-Hey!” Forte exclaimed, shaking his head and coming out of his embarrassment. “What’re ya makin’ me say?! I get it...yer tryna distract me by throwin’ confusion’ questions at me, right? Well it won’t work, I’m the kinda guy who won’t waver no matter what, a star’s gotta have complete stability after all!”

“...Even if I was halfway decent at dealin’ with people, I feel like this guy would still be a hassle to understand...” Reito mumbled in his head as he brought a hand to his face.

Forte ran up and jumped into the air while the boy was still trying to process his mannerisms and brought his fist up to punch him. “Yer wide open, Kentorashi!”

“Here he comes!” Reito raised his arm to block the incoming hit. I know he won’t hit my forehead, so he could only be aimin’ at the side of my face, or the neck. After that, it’s my turn!

But things weren’t as they seemed. He threw up his guard, but Forte switched attacks to a mid air kick aimed at the opposite side. “Heh, ya haven’t been payin’ enough attention as I thought, have ya?” He said, nailing him in the side of his jaw with a mid air turning kick. “Subwoofer Surge!”

Reito swayed from side to side as his body began to vibrate once more. “OWWW!!THAT POUNDIN’S BACK!!”

Forte swept Reito's ankle, sending him spinning like a fan, followed by a roundhouse kicking him in the chest, causing him to spiral towards the ground.

“Ugh!” He rose to his feet little by little and grabbed his chest. “Damn, let my guard down, gotta-!”

Before he could even plan for what was coming, Forte brought another kick to his shoulder which he managed to block with his forearm by the skin of his teeth. They both struggled to gain the upper hand for a second.

“Somethin’ about me, you’ll never see me throw a punch in my life, my hands are for playin’ music only. But still, ya were able gain yer footin’ back even after bein’ stunned and with the bass rollin’ through ya? Not bad, not bad at all,” he complimented him with a grin.”

“It still hurts like hell,” Reito snapped back, unknowingly returning the smile as a small amount of blood dripped from his ears, “but I’m exactly a stranger to pain, I hangout with a girl who beats me senseless every time I even think of doin’ somethin’ stupid, so if I’ve experienced it once, I can tolerate everytime after the fact. How do I put it in terms you’ll get? A stone cold girlie’s always slappin’ me around, so no way I wouldn’t be able to eat the force of a lil sound, ch-check it out!” He imitated his rap style.

“...They’re both insanely corny rappers, Shizuka groaned as she watched them clash. “Even still...Evie can’t...”

“A verse...and a pretty good one at that. Yer just full of surprises, ain’t cha?” Forte responded... caught a punch from Reito mid blow.

Seeing as that didn’t connect, he knocked Forte’s foot away and threw another one that also ended up being caught. Now, with both hands occupied, he unballed his fists and gripped Forte’s knuckles as they entered a grip contest with each other. Both of them pushed and hardened their grip back and forth only to reach a stalemate.

“Urk-! Oi oi...shitty Loudspeaker...what’s with the weak ass grip?” Reito snarked with a shaky smile while pushing back and wincing.

“Oh, really now?” Forte responded, giving him the same energy. “If mine is weak, then yers is- Ugh- P-pathetic. Pretty sure a baby could squeeze harder.”

“Comin’ from the guy who treated my forehead like the plague. I wonder...if ya were fightin’ her, couldja even bring yourself to hit her?”

“Huh? Whaddya take me for? Of course I’d try as hard as I could to kick her teeth in. if I held back, I’d be doin’ nothin’ but disrespectin’ her, not only as a fighter, but as a women. Pity ain’t cool at all, man,” he confirmed, pushing back even harder as he winced from the pain in his shoulder.”

“Urk! S-so...why the obstinacy?” He asked a follow up, pushing back as well.

“Obviously….The things she makes and loves are different, they’re the result of her passion, somethin’ she worked really hard to create, ya can’t buy anythin’ like that with Glint, Yen, or Dollars. See, I can tell how much love went into a creation just by lookin’ at it, so I end up wantin’ to preserve it as a kindness. No matter what, I’ll never destroy a lady's treasured possessions!”

[Usodachi...is a complete scumbag!]

[Taking advantage of Mayer-San’s kindness! You stink! Go to hell!]

The disgust of the girls in the audience was made apparent to everyone except the fighters themselves.

Reito sighed. “Welp, that definitely doesn’t do me any favors in the popularity department, they’re probably chewin’ me out. But I wanna win, so of course I’ll do it. Call me a scumbag if ya want, but that’s the way I fight.”

“Even though I grilled ya on it, a fights a fight. And as much as I thought this’d be a bore, I’m actually startin’ to have a lil fun, even though I can’t stand ya one bit,” he admitted, circle throwing him away to gain distance.

Reito landed in a crouched position and looked up at him. “Hate to admit it, but same,” he divulged as well.

“Heh...what’s yer name again?

“Reito Usodachi, remember it… I’m the guy who’s gonna be king of this whole City!”

Forte smiled widely as he pounded his fist into his palm. “Sorry bout that man, the King spot’s got my name written all over it, so if ya want it, yer gonna hafta lay me out first! Ya hear that, Gampachiro Kamaboko?!”

...Now he’s not even gettin’ a single syllable right anymore, my name’s not that hard to remember, is it? He didn’t dwell on that thought for too long, as he’d begun having fun, just as he did in his match with Chikara. He braced himself.

The moment they both took a step, they heard the sound of cracking thunder, leading them to turn their heads to where their partners were facing off and look up at a giant lightning blade coming down onto the ground.

“Hell yeah! I’ve never seen that technique before! Evie-chan must be pullin’ out all the stops on that bastard! Nice! In that case,” Forte exclaimed, raising his leg up, “I’ll finish this up in 1 minute or less! All or nothin’!”

“1 minute? Hah! I could beat ya in 50 seconds, tops!” Reito one-upped him.

“I meant 40 seconds then!” Forte countered.

“Tch, then I’ll do it in 30!”

“................”

“GRAAAAAGHH! SCREW IT! GIMME 20, AND YOU'RE SCREWED! TCH! 10 SECONDS THEN, AND QUIT COPYIN’ ME!! URHHYAAAAAA!!!” They roared out in unison, charging at each other, Forte with a roundhouse kick and the Reito with a right hook. Both attacks hit their marks simultaneously, drawing blood from each other as they spun out from the impact.

“Ack!”

Urk! My ears are ringin’, but it’s not as bad as before! I think I get it, Paths aren’t just some superpower, they're an extention of your body too, if we get worn down, they get weaker too! Then mine too, but I can’t worry about that right now, Reito realized, bouncing off of the ground, “there’s still a Second Impact comin’ straight for ya, 80D 3S!”

Forte was struck hard in the cheek by the ability, causing him to spin in the air upside down. Fuck! It worked out, hurt like hell though! Forte thought with a grin. “By getting hit by the Second Impact, he gained added centrifugal force he couldn’t gain on his own due to his shoulder injury. He knew the next spin he did would need to be one handed. As he placed a hand on the ground, he configured his Walkman once more while 6 inch blades popped out of the front of his shoes.

“Lightweight Jazz Mode, Act 5: Chainsaw Medley! Don’t worry, I’ll make sure the cuts are shallow!”

[Chainsaw Medley! Looks like Mayer wants to end this now!]

As he shouted it, he began spinning using only his left arm and fingers to control his momentum and made his way toward Reito.

“Usin’ his fingers to shift himself forward, he’s lighter by a good margin alright. Then I guess it’s time for the strategy she told me about...,” he muttered with a stern face, quickly turning round and sprinting, full speed ahead, “RUN LIKE HEELLLLLL!!!”

Forte was gaining on him, cutting down anything in his path, beit foliage, try or vine.

“Tch, this ain’t good,” Reito peered behind him to see his opponent inching ever closer. He jumped onto a tree branch and began jumping between every following one that entered his vision. This however didn’t appear to be helping him any better. If I keep on like this, he’ll get to me in no time. Then he’ll chop down a tree when I’m standing on it and I’ll be a sittin’ duck.”

Reito had to weigh his options, if he tried to use vines to restrict Forte, he’d run the risk of them being slashed through. He couldn’t throw the Nei-Spheres either because of the speed he was spinning at and moving. He only had one option, Aura. Of course, he was skeptical about relying on it. I haven’t been able to draw it out since I used it the second time...If I screw this up, I lose..., even with that thought in his head, he jumped into Forte’s path of destruction.

“Yer just gonna take it?! Fine by me, man! If ya think ya stand a chance, just stand there and get slashed!”

Reito raised both hands straight out in front of him and took as deep of a breath as he could in the short amount of time he had. “What does the old bat say? As calm as the ocean...no...calmer...but at the same time...forceful… Why do all old people hafta be so cryptic?” He muttered, Aura slowly gathering around his fingertips. “But...I think I’ve got it...now, let’s see if it’s good enough to hold up!”

The two collided, Reito being pushed back further and further as he struggled to redirect the attack, the blades slipping through some of the Aura and scratching his skin while blood shed slowly. Urgh! It’s not perfect, I can still feel some of the damage!”

“Come on, gimme yer best shot Kamab-!” Forte began to taunt, noticing his spin began to tilt sideways. “What th-!”

“Glady!” Reito shouted as he parted his hands, causing the spin cycle to crash into the ground, leaving the [Rhythm King] sprawled out on the ground. It hurts, but I managed to pull it off, he assessed in his head. Now that Forte was reeling, he set his sights on the very object that let him manipulate his powers, his Walkman. If he grabbed that and destroyed it, he felt for sure his victory would be attained

“Ughh… H-how...? Ya completely messed up my Chainsaw Medley’s flow, what-” confused, Forte tried to rise up again, before he noticed Reito diving toward him and reaching for his Walkman.

“Got it, you’re finished-!”

Reito thought he’d won, but Forte spun on his hand and kicked him away.

“Gak!

As Forte got on his feet again, his eyes sharpened and his brows furrowed. “What do ya think yer doin’...?! He questioned in a hardened tone. “I’d rather be beaten within an inch of my life than let ya ever, put a hand on my this!...Big mistake!

“Shoot, I couldn’t get there in time!” Reito lamented. I thought we’d just keep going like we were if I didn’t get it! For some reason, Forte’s attitude changed completely at the sheer mention of Reito taking his Walkman

“Now yer definitely gonna get it!” Forte threatened as he configured his Walkman and held his hands out in front of him,” Act 4: Jet Set Wave!” Sound waves were shot from his palms straight at his Reito.

Reito was worried at first, but noticed they were moving oddly slow. Compared to Lightnin’ Bug’s thunderbolts, this seems like a slideshow. As if it was nothing to him, he side flipped out of the way to avoid the projectile.

“Obvious! I knew ya’d do that! It may not look like much to ya at a glance, but on the rebound,” Forte explained as the sound wave bounced off the trees and the ground, progressively getting faster with each bound, “It packs more of a punch, and now that yer in the air, good luck takin’ it full force!”

“Crap! Why didn’t I think about that, sound waves bounce off of stuff!” Before he could try to figure out a way out of being hit by it, the wave rammed into his body and suspended him in mid air. “W-what’s goin on? It’s not that loud, but I can’t move!”

Forte approached him from behind. “Hope yer ready, this is payback for even thinkin’ about touchin’ my Walkman,” he said as he stepped forward and twisted his foot to bring an elbow strike to Reito’s lower back, “eat this!

Reito coughed up blood. “Gack!”

"Act 6: Forte Max Amp!” He shouted as the surrounding air distorted from the vibrations coming off of the attack.

Not long after, he was launched quite a ways away in the direction of Gold and Evie’s fight. “Guuuuaaaahh!”

“Go flyin, ya bastard!”

“What’s wrong, Tanaka…? Didn’t you mention something about caving my skull in?” Gold questioned Evie, who was holding her bloodied left arm while breathing heavily.

“That’s...right! Urk- And don’t you forget it...I’ll make you sorry!” She rebutted in a resentful tone, excruciating pain shooting throughout her arm

He raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And how exactly, are you going to carry out that threat.? Think about it logically here, you haven’t been able to so much as scratch me since your little doping stunt, and in addition,” he explained, examining her frame,” everything I said would happen is already doing just that, I’ve already crushed your arm, so that leaves approximately 176 more bones to shatter...unless...you actually intend to stop me this time...”

“Gold’s got her on the ropes...maybe it is over…,” Chikara began to think.

Here he comes..., she braced herself,” but I’ve barely got anything left in me. Maybe it’s time fo- Reito suddenly came barrelling into her. “Gak!” Both of them were knocked to the ground.

She sat up and rubbed her head. “Owie...hat hur- Huh?! Tochi?! What’re you doing back here?!”

“Ack! Damn,” he whined, rubbing his back, “that smarts! He got pissed all of a sudden and blew me away!” he’d noticed that Evie was propped up next to him. “Er...wasn’t tryna end up back here, Lightnin’ Bug, I was handlin’ him all up until the point where-” he explained before getting distracted by the state of her arm. “Woah! That looks rough! Can ya even still fight like that?!”

“No problem… Aside from the broken arm I’m still in tip-top shape! Super great!” she lied through her teeth, a forced smile upon her face. “Wait, nevermind that! What are you doing back here?! Are you even trying to stick to the plan?!”

A sweatdrop came down from his forehead. “W-well...I uhh...ran into a minor issue is all,” he looked at her arm. A messed up limb...I guess that ain’t too bad of a trade for downin’ someone like him, he thought, assuming she’d already worn him down. “Come to think of him...where’d he go?”

The other bug came back, huh? No matter,” Gold’s voice shot out from behind them, putting both his hands out as they turned around.

From behind! They both panicked, trying to step away from him. It was too little too late though, as Gold pinned them down by their necks.

“Mayer’s an imbecile...but, he did a good enough job at wearing you down, Usodachi...although I would’ve completely dominated you by now had the scenario been reversed. He just seemed so gung-ho about fighting you specifically, so to avoid an argument, I gave him the pleasure.”

Uggghh! What’s with this guy?! Reito wondered. He didn’t look it, but Gold was pretty physically strong, able to hold both of them down despite their best efforts to break his grip. Reito noticed his way of speaking changed as well. The boy who only spoke in short sentences and a stoic tone had now decided to speak a lot more. What’s his deal?!

“D-damn…! If only I’d perfected Fulgur Mail, I’d have had enough strength to move right now, Evie regretted, struggling to get up. Normally she could just shock Gold right off of her, but with Reito caught as well, any electricity she shot out would chain to him as well. Is...it over?

“I’m not done with ya yet, here I come!” Forte shouted, sprinting towards the three, only to stop in his tracks once he noticed his crush pinned down by his partner. “Oi, Gold! Whaddya think yer doin’ to Evie-chan?! I swear if her forehead protector or armguards have even one knick through ‘em, yer finished! And fer another, that guy’s mine to take down, so but ou-”

Gold didn’t even make a sound, he just gave him a stone cold glare, causing Forte to waver and take a half step back. “Shut…up!…You idiot...try being a little more observative before you make crass observations like that,” he demanded, gesturing down at the girl.

Even though her arm was broken and blood ran down her face, there wasn’t a single scratch on the two items that he’d asked him not to touch. They looked as they did before the fight even began.

“I made sure to avoid them while I dealt with her...but only because I knew you wouldn’t shut up about it if I actually damaged either of the two. Look, even her dogi is basically unscathed,” he communicated, while turning his head to Reito, “and for this one, make no mistake, I’ll let you beat him still, and as a bonus, she doesn’t have to suffer anymore damage either. You’ve got that final attack you’re so proud of ready to go after all, don’t you?”

“Y-yeah...I guess… And since her stuff’s still in good condition...I guess there’s nothing wrong with getting it over with...,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his head, “man, and I was just startin’ to have a lil fun. But a fight’s gotta come to an end at some point, just like a piece of music,” he concluded, putting a hand on his headphones.

“Perfect… if I know anything about Mayer, it’s that he’s scared if me, and sweet on anyone of the opposite sex, especially Tanaka. Gold knew it was a technique that Forte could control the output of, so he’d likely turn down the output and go easy on her. He also knew that she would most likely fight until she couldn’t move a muscle, even with a broken arm..and more over, I doubt she’d stop fighting, even with a major impairment. Reito would definitely be out of the picture though, leaving nothing to stop him from continuing her beat down. Then, I can finally put this little mark on my Godhood behind me, he smirked.

“Psst...Lightnin’ Bug,” the Impact boy whispered to his partner, “what’s he up to…?”

“To put it bluntly...he’s gonna to demolish our eardrums..."

[Here it comes, the Rhythm King’s Grand Bluenote Stinger! This is it!]

[It’s a bummer, both of them fought really hard, I was even cheering for Usodachi for a second.]

Usodachi...Evie. Get outta there...somehow, Chikara wished for their escape.

Shizuka sat at the edge of her seat while doing the same. “You guys... have some secret plan, right?...Right? Come on, you can win, just get up already!”

“Kid...come on...really pulling for you here...”

“All right, are ya ready?! This is one bass drop that yer not gonna wanna miss!” Forte shouted as he hit a button on his Walkman. “Here we go,” he exclaimed, putting his hands out and moving them back and forth to imitate a D.J., “Rockin’ Mode: Act 1-”

The air was filled with vibrations and a loud booming sound. With each passing second, it grew louder and louder.

“He can pick who it affects, so Gold’s safe… only problems are the windup, about 15 seconds. Maestro’s a bit of a showboat after all, and the fact that he has to focus,” she elaborated.

“How many transfers do ya have left in ya?”

“About, 2...but, why’re you-?”

“Just think of it as me makin’ up for screwin’ up your plan...I’ve got somethin’ in mind to get us outta this, thing is-”

Forte crossed his arms down in front of him. “Forteeee…”

“It’s got about a 40% chance of even workin’, but if it does, the payoff should be more than worth it. Ya in?”

“40% vs losing flat out, to be honest, not a bad trade,” she confirmed with a smile, “ alrighty, just give me a couple seconds, and I’ll be able to move again.”

While they were discussing in secret, the Headphone wearing boy brought his arms in front of him like a cross block. “GRAANNDD…”

“In that case...play along. Araaagh! Damn it,” he yelled, abandoning his whisper and pounding the ground, “and it was goin’ so well too! Just like that, we’re finished?!”

“I’m sorry, Tochi! It’s my fault! Don’t worry, I’ll get us out of this!”

To be expected, Gold leered. When weaklings are cornered by a truly strong force, they go into denial, it’s almost laughable.

The sound in the air got louder as the [Rhythm King] neared the end of his set up. “BLUUEENOTEEE…”

Of course ya’d think we’re givin’ up, it’s only natural, Reito plotted, continuing to thrash around, but that’s all a part of the plan.

“GRAAAAGGGGH!! HOPE YOU’RE READY FOR THIS!!” Forte roared full force while bringing his arms in front of him and dragging them apart before he knelt down and crossing his arms.”

“Now, Stacked Impact: 50D 5S!” Reito roared as multiple impacts went off on the ground, making holes in it, kicking up a dust shroud and propelling his body upwards.

This in turn, made Gold release the grip he had on his neck. His ability! Gold raised his arms up to try and prevent himself from being blinded, and at the same time, let go of the two.

[They got out!]

Neigh cracked a smile. “A strategic lie...not bad, kid!”

“Ya really had us pegged! Too bad for you, lyin’s one of my specialties!” Reito taunted before reaching his hand out to his partner. “Lightnin' Bug! You’re up! Straight to him, okay?!”

She smiled underneath her mask and took his hand. “Asking for my hand? How bold of you...but I don’t hate that kinda approach!” After that, she pointed towards Mayer and warped right in front of him.

Finally, Forte rose straight up and stretched his hands to the sky. “STIIINNGGE- Huh?!” Only to notice the two who were on the ground a few seconds before falling right in front of him all of a sudden, his lost focus causing the loud booming and vibrations to dissipate.

“Sorry Maestro! Nothing personal!” she apologized, jumping back out of the way while Reito reeled his hand back.

“Breathe, I’ve been savin’ this one for a sure fire knock out. It’s blunt damage, so one shots all I need! Come on Aura, please don’t fail me now!” He wished in his mind while exhaling as Aura slowly accumulated on his palm.

“Crap! That energy again!” Forte prepped for the impact. This’ll be strong fer sure… Still, no way I’m goin’ out like a chump!

“Full throttle!” Reito shouted.

“Heavy Metal: Max!” Forte did the same, configuring his Walkman.

Not a millisecond later, Reito drove an Aura charged palm strike straight into his opponent's solar plexus.

“Retribution Fist Secret Technique: Burst Rifle!” A burst of air erupted from around them, the impact of the blow even tore half of Forte’s shirt clean off as he rocketed back.

“Gaugh!!” It looked like that was all he could take, as is eyes went white, and he fell down, face first.

“...Guess that’s it for the mini boss,” Reito huffed, catching his breath.

It would have been over, but Forte slammed a foot down in front of himself, raising back up until they were face to face once more.

“Who...said...I was down...? Ugh!” Forte snapped, wheezing and bringing a hand to his mouth to try and keep himself from coughing blood up.

“You’re still standin’ after that?! Unreal! That should’ve sent ya packin’!”

“Get- Urk-! Real! Forte laughed, smearing blood across his cheek. “A pansy ass strike like that...even a toddler wouldn’t feel it…”

I’m runnin’ low on stamina, should I use… that? Reito thought, smirking and raising his fist in the air for another attack. “Heh, guess ya weren’t just talkin’ outta your ass. You’re a pretty sturdy guy.”

“Damn straight! He proclaimed raising a fist in front of him, “Bring it! I’ll make ya regret not callin’ me the undisputed Final Boss!”

“Yeah, right! You’re just a mini boss with a crap ton o’ hit points! Alright then, here goes! Tandem Special Move: Impact G-!”

“Ack!” Before he could finish his motion, Forte’s eyes whited out once more as he fell to the ground. He was finished.

The A.I. voice spoke out to announce the events. “Forte Mayer is no longer able to participate.”

And as it were, he was transported out of the simulation onto a stretcher in waiting as medics pushed him out to the hospital.

“They did it,” Shizuka thought, slumping down in her seat as she sighed in relief,” for a second there, they really had me thinking it was over.”

“Nice, you two,” Chikara cheered, “just one more hurdle, keep pushing!”

“So...you can use that power too, eh kid? Not bad,” Neigh said to himself with a smirk, “don’t get full of yourself just yet though, this is pretty much the calm before the storm.”

[Mayer’s out, he... actually did it!]

[Could what’s happening, no, you don’t think the Seer will…?]

[So far, it looks like any one of the teams can take it still. I mean, Gold’s even won some matches 2 on 1 before.]

Reito’s jaw hung as Forte in front of him seemed to just disappear. Woah,...just like magic. This school’s tech is mind blowin’, really! Well, nevermind that… Feels like...I got a little stronger from that. Not a bad slugfest, Loudspeaker… I kinda...wanna do it again.” he mumbled under his breath as he turned to Evie.

“Don’t get too comfortable,” she told him.

“Wasn’t plannin’ on it… After all,” he started, looking into Gold’s eyes, glare meeting glare, “we’ve still gotta knock this bastard off of his pedestal… It’s Final Boss time!”