Re: [SS] For Starters...

**Mari Illustrious Makinami** Fri May 01, 2015 3:18 am

Mari coughed up smoke as she ran through the smog, chasing her target down the steps, her feet striking loudly against the metal stairs.

"DO YOU THINK I CARE ABOUT YOUR CALL!?!?!" Mari screamed, rushing forward through the smoke. Whether or not the girl still had some explosive on hand, using them at close range would be suicidal.

With that in mind, Mari didn't give her actions a second thought as she rushed forward, hoping to make contact with something as she sliced her knife through the air, continuing the descent down a few steps before turning back around.

Next!

Mari grabbed the bars next to her to pulled herself back up, and launch another assault on the girl, mainly focused on close combat. Mari decided to start having some fun with the fight, lowering her strength enough to fight a normal person, but keeping her own defenses up.

After swapping a few more blows, and slicing through the air a few more times, Mari ended her initial assault with a harsh headbutt to her opponent, and leapt down a few of the steps to get ready for another attack.

"Is that it?" Mari asked, spinning the knife in her hand like a razor blade. "Is that all you've got in your bag of tricks? Toothpicks, smoke bombs, and party poppers? And you can't even fight me off?"

Mari smacked her fist into her open palm, stepping back up the stairs,

"Come on now 'expert'. Impress me." Mari said as she rushed forward, ready for more fighting.

**Mugino Shizuri** Sat May 02, 2015 5:09 pm

Everything had gone off into the perfectly right direction. Well this wasn’t a perfect master plan she had made ages in advance yet the result of pure improvisation, but still someone of her kind was born to deal with such situations perfectly professionally.

The moment Mari’s first attack was released the girl quickly evaded to the wide open side relying on her acrobatic and stealth ability making it impossible for the other side to notice. There was no cheapness or failure to be found in her motions, all was just perfectly executed.
Even her perception within that thick smokescreen had been top notch, allowing her to notice the other party through various indicators like sound, wind and the impacts her steps would cause on the floor.

Over the time Mari had left the smoke screen that girl had prepared something of unknown nature, revealing it the moment her opponent would return into the realm of low vision.

Burning fuses again, followed up by extremely weak explosions releasing ear shattering loud bangs that’d surely damage an unprepared person’s ear drums, also accompanied by bright shining lights reminiscent of brightly glowing and colourful fireworks. Both blinding and deafening at the same time, the opponent’s senses would be shattered in no time.

And along with that inhumanly cruel sense buster attack, three sharp blades were released, quickly flying towards their target, attempting to fiercely rip her apart with each cut. While she hadn’t been capable to aim for proper targets she had least tried to prove her high level of precision by aiming in a way that’d promise the highest hit probability.
While such attacks had malfunctioned before, now there was a slight advantage due to the fact that Mari’s perception was still in the process of being shattered cruelly, making it nearly impossible for her to even take note of the three silent blades of impending doom.
This truly was the art of a professional.

«Don’t think your childish pseudo wannabe street brawler play is gonna give you an edge over a true warrior, miss tomboy~!»

At the end of her move she would stand on the smokescreen’s other side, already holding a few more of what seemed to be fire works equipment in her hands.

A rocket paired up with three more firecracker like bombs.

•••

Video games, fries and cola. That was the life of a delinquent once they had everything they needed: Money. Currently Hamazura and Hanzou were on Stage 3’s first upper floor enjoying themselves at some old classics like the original Street Fighter while eating and drinking and taking occasional glimpses at their treasured porn.

«To think that they’d still have such classic gaming stations in a place like Academy City. At least someone appreciates the old arts, huh?»

While the Stage 3’s ground level was dedicated towards the evolution of gaming, so to say the modern gaming, the upper floor was put into harsh contrast to it. Not only was the overall atmosphere a lot darker and shadier making it reminiscent of the iconic traditional arcade centres, but even the games found in there were nothing but old school, made so that some of the older fellas would bath in the spoils of nostalgia.
However some of this level’s customers simply were people that didn’t wish to be seen in public, using it as a perfectly safe hiding spot. After all one could sneak around easily in all that darkness.

«Damn, even more cash down the drain! How much has that been!? 2000 yen!? God damn iiiiit!»

Cursing at another defeat against an AI opponent Hamazura smashed both his hands against the gaming machine in front of himself…only to suddenly have its screen and lights turn to black.

«…»

«…»

Both looked at each other, then at the dark screen then at each other again. The next moment there had been no trace left, neither of the two delinquents nor of their fries, cola and porn.

**Mari Illustrious Makinami** Wed May 06, 2015 3:00 am

Mari noted the girl's impressive movement. She was limiting herself right now, but it was to the limits of a normal person. And just like the girl, Mari was giving her all in this fight.

The adrenaline was all that managed to let her spot the girl's next move.

The girl had thrown several small explosives right in Mari's face. On instinct, Mari leapt back arms guarding her face. She managed to avoid the brunt of the flash.

Unfortunately, the noise from the blasts managed to take another toll on her ears, breaking her focus, as she slammed into the wall, hurting her back and head in the process.

AGH! My damned ears AGAIN...! Mari thought, before rubbing her head painfully. After a second of deliberation, she returned to a fighting stance, trying to spot her enemy.

Looking around, Mari couldn't see anything, and wondered why her enemy hadn't tried anything. Her question was answered with the pain in her side-the girl did try something. Mari was just too distracted to notice the fairly deep cut in her side.

Ouch... okay, it looks like I managed to avoid most of the- As Mari tried covering the wound with one of her hands, she noticed another pain in that arm, as well as a shine of metal.

Specifically from the knife lodged in the center of her arm.

Well... that's gonna hurt like a bitch when I calm down, Mari thought, yanking the knife out of her arm. It was hardly the worst injury she would receive, and far from fatal. And it would be good for using against her enemy.

Time to fight a bit smarter. I can't see, but neither can she. But she did manage to predict my movements in this smoke. And if I assume that she's got more of those bombs on her, then going head on isn't good. Ugh, the guys at Deep-Six would be giving me a lecture about my stupidity at this point...

Mari heard a muffled voice in her ears, and assumed it was more of the girl's smack-talk.

...But she won't hit me head on either. She's been playing on defense this whole time, trying to take me and Kuro out from afar. It seems like her "professional" style.

Mari reached down, quietly grabbing one of the flat metal steps, preparing herself.

She's fast at picking up where I am. Maybe I can get her to show me where she is. Or at least get her to blow away this smoke.

With that, Mari quickly tore the step from its hold, lifting it up, and throwing it at vertical spin, right after screaming "Eat this!" After that, Mari stomped up a step loudly to give away her position, before leaping over the side, and grabbing the railing.

Please let this work!

**Oshiro Masaru** Fri May 08, 2015 1:26 pm

Hmm. He saw the character she'd picked, and so he tried to sift through the characters to find one to best combat her. She seemed like some sort of ninja, so her attacks would be fast and, more likely than not, do rather high damage. In order to combat that... He stopped the character scroll. Osazaki Ishikawa seemed like the guy to go for. Average health, high speed, and low damage. He fought with a sword, and his special attacks were about midrange. However, his blocking ability was high. If he could play right, he might be able to neutralize most of the attacks coming his way. Plus, he had glasses. Masaru felt a natural connection.

"Cheesecake? I can do that. I don't intend on having to, though."

He took a deep breath and leaned forward, pushing the button that would signify that he was ready for the match. He was reading the electrical impulses directly from the machine's memory, so he could react quicker than if he had to wait to see it on the screen. Not infallible, but a good edge up.

The loading screen turned into a screen saying "FIGHT!", which began to slide apart to reveal the stage.

**Mitayama Mirai** Sat May 09, 2015 10:30 am

The first round began with a loud ringing and the young girl started to mash on the buttons wildly... Not really. She actually looked really calm and relaxed, while she smiled at the blinking screen. The attacks and movements of the ninja-like character, though, contrasted the laid-back behavior of her player.

"It's kind of strange." Mirai suddenly said casually during the game. "Of course, It's not like I want to suspect you of anything, haha~!" She smiled at the glasses-boy warmly. "But it's kind of strange! That you're so confident about this! Also... woah, you're way too good!" She said in a jolly voice, while she wondered about his good reactions to her combos. How...

She shrugged her shoulders.
"Of course, it's highly possible that you played the previous games of that series. And that you're familiar with the game mechanics because of that reason. But..." The girl stared at him shortly, before looking at the fighting-scene again. "... That's just not the case, isn't it? It doesn't seem like it, at least. Haha~ Otherwise, you might have reacted to my statement about Aya-chan~. You know, this game is actually her first debut and all." She tilted her head a bit, but still smiled at the boy. "Like I said... I can't know for sure and maybe I'm reading into it too much. But, perhaps, I should remark..." Meanwhile, she attacked her opponent in the game mercilessly.

"I reaaaaaally dislike cheaters...~"

**Oshiro Masaru** Sun May 10, 2015 4:09 pm

Well, the game seemed like it was progressing well. He immediately shifted Osazaki into a defensive stance and concentrated on fending off attacks - Being able to tell where they were coming from would be the most useful thing in the actual match. He wasn't concerned with fighting back yet, or even surviving the round. This was all for the purpose of gathering information.

After having suffered most of the other girl's variety of attacks a few times, it was easier to see which electrical signal meant which attack was coming for him and, more importantly, which direction. Soon he began to lose less and less health, eventually fending off most of the lighter attacks coming his way. He was just about to go on the offensive when the girl started talking.

Obviously she was good at video games, but he hadn't expected her to have that sort of deductive skills... He glanced over to check her uniform. As he'd thought, it was Sakugawa. Definitely not a top-ranked school, neither with respect to Esper ability nor academics. He smiled. In different circumstances, they might have been friends.

"Cheating? No such thing." The attacks were coming in quicker now, clearly intended to unnerve him and put him under pressure.

"Some people are smarter than others. Some people are stronger, or quicker. Even more people work hard to attain those skills. But would you call someone using their intelligence or physical power a cheater?" He cut off on the question, partially for dramatic effect and partially to deflect another furious wave of attacks.

"Likewise, some people work to attain abilities. They may not be impressive, or generally useful, but they help compensate for inexperience. Would you discount all that work?"

"Besides, I'm still losing."

He didn't intend for his speech to be taken seriously - Even if he didn't use his power, he had seen her playing style in action. He could make deductions. But, if it worked, then all the better.

**Mugino Shizuri** Mon May 11, 2015 11:39 pm

Quickly combining a cute side hopping motion and the ignition of the rocket’s fuse the pony tail girl didn’t allow for any draw backs.
While she was unaware of her target’s current position, she had simply rendered them as stupid and therefore settled on striking at the most obvious position.

There wasn’t much to say about that rocket, except for the fact that it was specially manufactured to fit a certain girl’s criteria. Making it work less like the globally known fireworks item and turning it towards the standards of a proper weapon the fuse was significantly shortened allowing for it to fly off immediately and to blow up even quicker, only travelling a distance of roughly 6 to 7 metres.
Another of its rather special twists would be the unique powder mixture, causing a similar phenomenon to the modern army flash bang.

«Pay for what you did to my baby butt skin, you bitch!!!!»

Vicious emotions had become the projectiles company. Blood was seeping through the girl’s fingers. She hadn’t managed to fully avoid the dangerous metal projectile, so the price of an injured left shoulder was paid in return.

Right now she didn’t seem anything like before. Her focus was broken. Anger stood atop its ruins.

•••

«Excuse me, but I must say that that girl was cheating as well, then.»

Suddenly someone was standing there.

The purplish blue neck length hair, a military style green west and grey shorts, rounded up by lengthy red-grey striped over knee socks and even their military boots were rather extravagant. However the most striking feature about them could be expressed in the form of the iconic question: Boy or girl?

► The Mysterious Kid ◄

Where had they come from? Had they always been there or had he just appeared? There was no proper way to determine. It was simply as if they had appeared from thin air; there seemed to be only one logical explanation or was there another?

A green band was pinned to his white T-shirt’s sleeve.

«She obviously isn’t a master at using the ninja character. Actually she even used her in the absolute wrong way. Of course she did. A ninja is not someone meant for open combat but a stealth specialist. They are sneaky, they monitor the opponent’s movements and then they strike at the best possible timing, annihilating all resistance in one single blow. Katcha!»

No smile. No emotion. Only cuteness.

«Also: cheating is just a term used for a few kinds of underhanded skills. Therefore her point remains valid.»

**Akarui Kuro** Fri May 15, 2015 7:13 am

Kuro had perched himself on the highest still stable piece of the ruined roof that he could balance himself on. Not having any plans of pursuit aside from Mari's suggestion, he'd decided to defer to her judgement this time around. He hung his scarf like a pendulum and waved it around and around, like he was stirring the very air.

I may not be able to contain her without preparation, but at least I can sense where she comes out.

As Kuro's scarf swung, a slight stir of air began to blow in a light breeze around the building. It made for an interesting sight as the plumes of smoke that seeped from the wreckage of the roof and leftovers from the ninja girl's smoke bombs got swept up in the flow, making a distinct smoggy pillar of smoke filled space above the building. Still, Kuro swung, burying his face in his sleeve to try and get a clean breath of air as he remained vigilant. The breeze he fed would act like a trip sensor, allowing him to locate the girl and Mari the moment they exited the building. He just had to count on Mari to flush her out like she'd said.

**Mitayama Mirai** Sat May 16, 2015 2:48 pm

Mirai just continued to smile with a bright face, while the brown-haired boy with the glasses answered her in a smart way. The telepathic girl looked him in the eyes for a moment; Her expression didn't really change, though. "That's how you see it, huh...?" She said in a quiet voice.
But suddenly, right after the first round ended, the two of them were interrupted. Someone with a rather calm-sounding voice talked to them. Mirai blinked a little bit surprised, then turned around to the unfamiliar person.

«Excuse me, but I must say that that girl was cheating as well, then...»

Mirai stared at the little boy (she thought this person was a boy, at least), while he was talking to them. “KATCHA!” Who was he...? She didn't notice him walking up to them at all. Still, Mirai started to grin at him and giggled for a moment. “Tehe~! Looks like I was caught!” She just answered playfully, not really dumbfounded, and winked at him. “Your observation-skills are really gutsy.” Yeah, this was a compliment. “Anyway, looks like you watched us for a bit. Can we help you? Ah.... perhaps... are you another challenger?”

**Mugino Shizuri** Sat May 30, 2015 1:33 pm

The boy remained silent for a short moment, it was as if he was searching for the definite appropriate way to answer the girl and the moment he would have found the answer his gaze met hers, direct eye contact of such intensity it felt like he was staring deeply into her soul.

Just who was this mysterious kid?

«My skills of observation are not my most honourable trait, however I would not claim they are below average.»

Strangely enough the boy’s way of speaking was devoid of all emotions, especially for a boy of about 11 or 12 like him. Another lengthy pause followed, his gaze wandering off into another direction, ignoring both the boy and the girl he had approached just a second ago, putting full focus on the device right next to them, the grand arena of video games.

«While my initial motivation for approaching you was not the idea of challenge, I must admit that my interest has shifted slightly. Thus I truly desire to claim victory over this domain’s strongest.» Raising and then swinging his arm he pointed his index finger straight for the champion’s face, covered in the clichéd bravery of an anime hero every kid his age most likely admired. «It’s time for a duel!»

Not wasting any more breaths he headed straight for the gaming machine, taking over the position the glassed one had been holding just a moment ago. Quickly analysing all what he found in front of him, he immediately started pressing some buttons randomly unintentionally proving his status as an absolute amateur. An amateur not only in context of the game, but an amateur about the very machine he was attempting to operate.
He was so bad at it, it appeared he was absolutely foreign to any form of gaming device.

[OOC: Gonna move this a little and don't forget the activity check~]

**Mitayama Mirai** Thu Jun 04, 2015 7:11 pm

The brown-haired girl just smiled at the little boy, seemingly not noticing his deep gaze. Or she simply didn't care about his strange behaviour. Did she even suspect a thing?

”«While my initial motivation for approaching you was not the idea of challenge....”

”«It’s time for a duel!» ”

Mirai stared at him for a moment. "Huh... Hahahaha! I would love to play with another gut-full person!" The telepathic girl answered joyfully to his challenge, while clapping her hands together loudly and grinning. There was quite some contrast between her and the stoic boy... She watched how the blue-haired one positioned himself in front of the arcade game. “Let's … Ha?” It didn't look like he was able to operate this game, though.
She looked a bit confused for a moment, but smiled gently at him after a short moment of silence. Mirai let go of her game and walked to his side; She stood directly next to him and looked at the flashy screen.

“Let me explain, alright?” She said with a smooth voice. “You push this button right here to select the challenge-mode. See, you can enter your name here... Oh, You move your character with the joystick, of course, and...”

**Oshiro Masaru** Fri Jun 05, 2015 3:41 am

Huh. So she'd been cheating too, then? That ought to explain why he'd been caught; In the bright flashing lights of the arcade, the thin sparks of electricity resulting from his ability were hardly visible at all. It seemed like the girl had forgotten about him in the face of this new opponent, which was good. He wouldn't need to actually work on beating her, and especially on somehow out-cheating her during the real match. He couldn't figure out how she'd been bending things in her own favor, but it was probably either built-in cheat codes or an ability of her own.

Masaru took the opportunity to try and fade into the background as much as possible. He'd been in way too many unusual situations today, and it seemed as though he was finally about to escape the series of events.

"See you later, then..."

Acting as if something a bit away had caught his interest, he began walking away from the Queen of Stage 3 and her new combatant.

**Mugino Shizuri** Fri Jun 05, 2015 12:51 pm

«…»

Absorbing the girl’s explanation with inhuman dedication the boy focused entirely on what he was being thought. Not even a single word of the lesson his teacher gave him would remain ignored. All was important after all to one who wished to surpass the world’s greatest warrior.

Everything was absorbed, everything was taken in and everything was treated as a teaching of the heavens. And once he had been through with everything…

«I am ready for battle, sensei. I can feel it. I now have the strength to overcome even you.»

Suddenly all about him had changed. What had been the aura of a complete amateur before, had now grown into the aura of one who had surpassed all borders acquiring the 10th Dan. The small chick had become a hawk ruling the skies. The long journey from an apprentice to the one and only grand master. The boy had reached the final stage.

Grabbing hold of the controls was facing his former master and new opponent directly, forcing his intimidating glance into the deepest depths of her heart.

«Let’s battle!»

•••

Shortly after he had disappeared into the crowd a voice spoke from behind, addressing him in a cautious secretive whisper. However there was not even a need for Masaru to turn around, as the voice was actually quite familiar.

«Oi, glasses. Who is that kid over there?»

Without doubt, Hanzou had made his return with an air that smelled like he was in a pinch yet again. His occasional glances into random directions and the overall hasty aura were enough of a hint to guess that was he was running from something or someone. The absence of Hamazura was yet another indicator backing up this theory.

What was even more striking, though, would be the glance he gave that mysterious boy; filled with outrageous suspicion.

…just what was going on now again…?

**Oshiro Masaru** Mon Jun 08, 2015 3:23 am

That kid? The one who'd finally given him the opportunity to get out?

"I don't know. I've never seen him before."

There was a green armband, so obviously this kid was part of Judgement. That, in turn, meant that he was an Esper. He had talked in a rather deadpan way, and had gotten absorbed in the game rather quickly. That suggested that he was probably bored, and looking for something to do that might have been interesting. To cap it off, his way of speech seemed archaic and his familiarity with the video game was primitive.

Poor kid. He'd probably gotten wrapped up in Judgement's bureaucracy too early and forgotten how to have fun.

"There's not much that seems important. You ought to escape now while he's preoccupied, if you're still running from the law."

**Mitayama Mirai** Wed Jun 10, 2015 1:11 pm

«I am ready for battle, sensei. I can feel it. I now have the strength to overcome even you.»

Sensei? The telepath smirked broadly and closed her eyes for a short moment, as if she was daydreaming. "Ahhh~... Getting called 'sensei' by a younger boy..." She whispered while pressing buttons on her arcade game to start the challenge-mode. Then, Mirai looked at him with a firey look in her eyes and said in a loud voice again: "You have the right spirit, I gotta admit! I actually root for your guts to win. I need a new successor anyway... The end of my glorious days will come soon, my honorable student...!” She said in an overly dramatic voice and even threw her arms into the air...

She actually just talked about going home for lunch.

The glasses-boy also seemed eager to leave, as he slowly distanced himself from the other two. The first battle-round started, so Mirai looked at the screen and moved her character. (The 'real' one this time...) Still, she noticed the quiet Nagatenjouki-Student... And the one he was talking to... The bandana-guy from earlier. His 'friend'... The one who-... ahhhh...
Mirai just carried on to play the game casually without saying anything, but her grip seemed to tighten around the joystick.
He looked kind of nervous, as if something was about to happen. Did he look for someone? And where was the blond boy...?

Mirai smiled at her challenger and paused the game for a moment. “Ah, just one moment please! I have to look for something, hahaha!” She turned her back on the blue-haired boy and knelt down to her schoolbag, lying behind the arcade. She seemed to pull out something quickly, and then shoved it into her right stocking. She stood up and jumped around a little bit excited. “Ok, lets continue! Are you ready? Yaaay!” Mirai closed the pause-screen and started to attack the other character with 'The Dragon Yakazama' again. She still seemed to be in the mood for smalltalk, though. “So...~ What school do you attend? If I might ask.”

**Mugino Shizuri** Fri Jun 12, 2015 12:12 am

Explosive noise.

For a very short instance a true orchestra of explosions had taken over the stage. And once the concert was over silence fell, leaving the crowd only with the impression.

Had their fierce battle finally reached its conclusion?

Six minutes and 41 seconds of silence.

«Damn it…I should have fled earlier. Just what kind of dumbfuck amateur am I?!» A single figure had left the building through one of the back entrances leading to another alley that had yet to be turned into a field of battle; the most peaceful place available.
The one that had left the building first wasn’t the glasses wearing tomboy but the other party, the infamous pony tail acrobat girl, Arimoto Yosuga. However unlike before she didn’t seem so happy and jolly at all. Her clothes were torn and burnt at places, the same went for her formerly innocently soft skin. Blood was seeping from the cut she had received to her shoulder and the wobbliness of both her legs was more than enough to determine that she was done for.
Of course someone like that would shamelessly use the darkest angle to create a path of retreat.

«I should have listened to Harada-san’s warning about Academy City’s Espers’ strength. Taking one head on like that sure was a blunder…ack…»

Stumbling into the alleys she would have nearly fallen if it wasn’t for the wall that had so kindly helped her functioning as a means to hold on to. «I need to get back to the base…immediately…need to restore my equipment so that I can join the big party...~» Forcing out a few tones of cuteness had been sooooo much more of a challenge than ever before.

░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░

The fight had concluded rather quickly after the rocket had been released. She had quickly used her insane throwing ability to spread the remaining bombs all around her target, only to then add a can of gas as the final trump card throwing it straight at her opponent’s face from nearly point blank range.
The resulting explosion in combination with the surprise moment had turned out severe. Especially due to the fact that she had so suddenly brought forth that little tank of gas not from too far away of her opponent. Sadly this kind of move required self sacrifice, causing even more damage to the pony tail girl than she could allow herself to take.
Well at least she had gotten rid of her opponent!

…that’s what she assumed…

One breaking away from the battle field in a hurry didn’t really have the option of checking on their opponents.

░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░

«…let’s just hope…the other one doesn’t find me…»

**Mugino Shizuri** Fri Jun 12, 2015 11:37 am

For a short moment the boy’s eyes had followed his opponent’s glance into the crowds. It was there that those eyes collided with another’s.

Hanzou and that mysterious boy.

Even though it had not taken any longer than a second their exchange had been enough for both of them to determine what the other’s intentions were. It had been a clash so powerful and yet so minor, it was ridiculous and frightening at the same time.

Predator and prey. Who was who?

•••

Finally the small boy had returned back to the reality of video gaming. The aura around him hadn’t changed at all. That was striving for victory, absolutely and without any doubt. He had mastered that game mentally and was now ready to unleash his fury on the battlefield. There was no saying just how good he had become within those few minutes of receiving the holy teachings. There was no saying how far he could reach.

«I am proud to announce that I am a student of the ancient Fuuma school.»

Facing her with an answer while also expecting one sentence from her side, the boy finally selected his character.

EDUARD LASER

(Tune Up!)

A character so popular with the fans it was crazy. Everyone would shiver upon hearing that man’s name. Battle titan, ex-navy seal, piano virtuoso. The legendary god of manliness. A being of such great power and ability his role in the story mode was always that of the toughest secret boss.
However that wasn’t all there was to it. While his power was so feared there weren’t that many equipped with the skill of controlling him. The number of those that failed so badly when attempting to play this one and only ultimate gold rank character was nearly as large as the number of players that had ever played games of this franchise.

So was this boy’s choice justified or was it not? Was he an idiot noob or the chosen one?

What happened next was annihilation.

There was not even a hope for Mirai to cling to. The Dragon Yakazama helplessly lost the colour of his life bar in a mere seconds, caught up in a complicated network of combos and special attacks.

This boy’s skill had not only surpassed that of his master, he was skyrocketing to bring humiliation over anyone daring enough to face him.

And after a few seconds of smashing the buttons with full blown dedication the unavoidable result was shown on the screen.

YOU WIN!!!

•••

"There's not much that seems important. You ought to escape now while he's preoccupied, if you're still running from the law."

«Just because he’s wearing a green armband doesn’t mean he’s with Judgement. No that kid smells like a lot more trouble…» Another side of Hanzou was revealed as his eyes were glued to all of the boy’s actions. He still unaware of what exactly it was that kept him in this strange mood, but it was something like natural intuition, the kind that allows for wild animals to immediately determine their natural enemies upon first sight.

And then there was something about the words that kid had spoken. Even from so far away Hanzou was sure he hadn’t misheard it.

«I know this sounds stupid, but can you keep that kid busy? I need a little more time…»

Troubled as the bandana guy appeared he quickly took a few steps backwards only to then disappear into thin air. What exactly was it that had caused him to change moods so drastically? What was it that delinquent had seen in that boy? And what were the words that had struck him that much?

A lot had been going on behind the scenes.

It was about time for the great conclusion to come.

**Mitayama Mirai** Sun Jun 14, 2015 11:17 am

Mirai stared at the small boy after he answered her question in a casual and emotionless tone. "...Fuuma?" The telepath seemed really dumbfounded for a moment: One of the most honest reactions she would ever show. But a weak smile appeared on her face, while she tried to fend off the opponents character. "...I see..." She said and just failed to beat him. He was a total amateur a few seconds ago, how could he control such a difficult character to play... It didn't really matter, though. Not anymore.

She just watched silently how “YOU LOOSE!” appeared on the screen, and let go of the joystick slowly. “Haaaa~” Mirai looked up from her arcade game and smiled at him. “Congratulations! You won against me! You're the king of this stage now.” Mirai raised her thumb in front of his face proudly.

After a short moment, she said in a calm voice:
“Seems like experience doesn't make me unbeatable. Like a green armband doesn't make you a real judgement-member, right?” The girls shoulders sank a bit as she said this, but she sounded rather gentle. Not really cautious or anything.

“My name is Mirai, by the way.”

**Oshiro Masaru** Mon Jun 15, 2015 3:39 am

As Masaru and Blue Guy watched the boy, his eyes widened. Somehow, that kid was moving completely differently than before. No, his reflexes were even greater than Masaru's own. He was moving the joystick faster than a normal eye could see, and Masaru could've sworn there were periods where he'd completely let go of it for milliseconds to press a button before returning in order to move the character around again. He was using abilities for the character that Masaru hadn't even seen hinted at in his brief review of the game's code. It completely flew in the face of the way he had been fumbling around with the controls before, and the breadth of the change began to fuel a pit of apprehension in Masaru's stomach, though he knew it didn't make sense. He wasn't the one playing against that ability.

"Keep him busy? I- I guess I can do that."

Easier said than done. He'd need a plan to stay alive longer than the self-proclaimed Queen of Stage 3, whom he couldn't even beat himself. He gulped at the prospect, but knew what he had to do. He walked over to the duo still talking by the machine and leaned against it. This would be the first step, as soon as they were done with their conversation. While he waited, he opened up a circuit to the machine. This time, he'd actually be cheating. There were many droppable items in the game which could boost or limit a character's abilities, or affect the other. With his ability, he could see where they were poised to appear before they actually did. Not only that, but if he could tweak the game's files a bit, he could tilt the odds in his favor. The objective here wasn't winning, though. It was staying alive, putting up a good fight, and making an interesting game long enough for Blue Guy to get out of there.

**Mugino Shizuri** Tue Jun 16, 2015 7:54 pm

"Keep him busy? I- I guess I can do that."

It was weird, extremely rare and probably the most unnatural thing for Hanzou to do, but he did so either way: He had left the most important task to that Masaru kid.
Don’t mess up, glasses. This ain’t the time to! He was running, running as if his life depended on it. However he wasn’t outside on that summer evening’s streets, yet still within the very same building. He wasn’t running away, not searching for an exit or a place to hide. What he was after was quite the opposite of it all.
Hattori Hanzou wouldn’t run away, he was to take the challenge head on.

And in order to do so he needed time, fully aware of the fact that this was not a fight he could win with brute force.

•••

There was not much of a reaction from his side. Just like before that strange boy was standing in front of the high tech top modern arcade gaming machine, devoid of all emotion. However – the others probably wouldn’t even be able to tell – he felt a minor sensation creeping up from within him. A sensation far more valuable than victory itself.

Ignoring the praise he had received he was already preparing for the act of turning away, as the sudden words from his defeated opponent met his ears, bringing along great surprise. She had seen through it, short and simple.

«Harada Yuu.» What he gave her was likely even more than she deserved in his eyes, but he did it nonetheless. Revealing ones name was an act you would only direct at one you considered equal; not just in sense of puny gaming but in actual context of the world’s more serious sides.

With everything being said the new king of Stage 3 finally set a step forward, ready to pursue that one thing he had from the beginning on. That one very important thing, he’d nearly forgotten.

…

He stopped after only three steps.

«Even though you became witness to my battle, your bravery is still great enough to dare challenge me?»

All attention was on the glassed one. Normally this would have been nothing to bother about, especially at this crucial moment, but he did it nonetheless. Was it that certain emotion or was it something much more mischievous or the simple pride of one that had overcome the strongest champion.
Well…in the end the only sure thing was the hand that had grasped the joystick once again.

**Oshiro Masaru** Sat Jun 20, 2015 5:07 am

"There's nothing wrong with trying to do the impossible. I might not be the greatest, but I've already had a practice match with this thing. I'll give you a run for your money."

Keep talking. Everything's not set up yet. Keep talking for 15 more seconds...

Masaru was using his Ability in a way he hadn't done in a long time, so it was rather difficult. The changes he was making in the game were simple, but he wasn't familiar with the program at all, so even the slightest change took quite a bit of time. It wasn't simply reading this time, like he'd done for the lock.

"They call me 'Demon Lord of the Trivia Room' back at the Academy. I've already memorized your moves, and from that I'll be able to tell what attack you'll be making at any given time! Prepare for defeat, King of Stage 6!"

It didn't matter what he said or if it was true at all, it only mattered that it take up a certain amount of time. 3 seconds...

"So, what do you say? Do you accept my challenge?"

...And done. The game was rigged for the next match. He'd try and last as long as he could, maybe even work at pushing five minutes. He didn't think he could take much longer than that without losing horribly; His interior reserves were already partially drained from all the rigging of the game machine.

**Mitayama Mirai** Sun Jun 21, 2015 10:15 pm

“It's such a pleasure to meet you, Yuu-kuuuun!” There was no way of telling whether she was serious about that statement or not. But the young girl smiled at him as she said this in a quite mellow voice, and tilted her head a bit. She knew that this kid wasn't a judgement-member. And it was also quite possible that he wasn't from Academy City at all... Fuuma-Clan...
But that girl didn't seem really alerted. Also, she showed no interest in calling someone whatsoever...

“But, seriously? Fuuma-Clan? Really exciting~ I don't think I ever met a...-”

"They call me 'Demon Lord of the Trivia Room' back at the Academy. I've already memorized your moves, and from that I'll be able to tell what attack you'll be making at any given time! Prepare for defeat, King of Stage 6!"

Mirai didn't finish her sentence, because the brown-haired boy with the glasses from before approached them. She crossed her arms behind her back and stared at the older boy with a friendly look in her face... for a really long time...

“Ahhh? Four-eyes...!” She didn't know his name, so she just addressed him like this in a playful tone. “What happened? You're suddenly so motivated! It's soooo cute and gutsy~! I really like your attitude right now. I wonder if the short guy with the bandana has something to do with this...” She said and placed a finger on her lips to look innocent.

“And I wonder what will happen if you two use another arcade machine now...?” She looked directly into the eyes of the Nagatenjouki-student and continued to smile. “...But why would you do that, riiiight? It wouldn't make sense, tehehe~” She stuck out her tongue a bit. What did she mean?

“Anyway, I need to go to the restroom. Have fun you two!” Mirai waved at them and distanced herself with steps that looked more like she was jumping. She quietly hummed some tune from an anime she started watching some time ago, and moved through the big stage. As she attempted to open the door of the restroom...

**Mugino Shizuri** Tue Jun 23, 2015 8:52 pm

Hanzou was in a rush.

There was a lot he was faced with. Just dealing with one opponent would have been easy, but finding an appropriate method to do so had raised the difficulty scale by many digits.
Due to Stage 3’s nature as an Academy City facility it was as much of a research facility as it was a proper arcade; thus there were a ton of surveillance cameras monitoring all activity within the facility, placing special focus on the players and their varying habits, analysing the obtained data thoroughly. Especially the psychological studies had gained strongly in importance for game developing companies in recent years, transforming many of the arcades found throughout the city into this kind of new model. Sadly, though, even though the guests’ privacy was taken into account, this kind of environment was the least favourable for his kind of strategic style.
So currently Hanzou had been forced to seek out a method allowing for him to take down the enemy party without leaving any evidence behind. Evidence that would only worsen his own situation over the long term. After all there was a reason for why he had come to this city safely isolated from the rest of the world.

His current goal was simple and the method of achieving it even simpler.

Scouting the area he was carefully choosing each of his fast paced steps.

Soon his preparations would be complete.

•••

«Of course I will. A true champion would never deny those filled with ambition their great chance.» Simply ignoring all else that expressionless boy didn’t allow for his focus to waver.
The girl could speak whatever she wanted, it seemed like all her words were hitting deaf ears, much like the heroic claims the glassed one brought forth. No fear, no nervousness, no anxiety, just plain coldness; still the very same.

Had he received the hints Mirai was spewing or had he even seen through it all by himself? Harada Yuu of all people didn’t appear to be stupid enough to be tripped so easily, so why wasn’t he enforcing fairness? Could it have been that he was actually welcoming such a cheap attempt to snatch victory? Could it be that he was proud enough to believe in his victory no matter what he’d be faced with?

«We will see who of us will emerge victorious. Either me or you. Well, speaking honestly I am bound to admit that the winner’s name is already set in stone, unless the heavens see place for a true miracle.» Wording himself even calmer than before the boy finally hit a few buttons to skip back to the character selection screen.

However before completing the next step, only for a short second, only for a very short second, his head twitched to the side, his glance following his former opponent’s path. It was glance so easy to read, it was ridiculous. The message it carried was really simple: He would get back to her soon.

► Game Start.

•••

As she had settled on leaving behind the other two in their struggle between life and death (in a virtual sense!) Mirai’s path would lead her down a totally different road than the others. The path of relaxation.

Nothing special would come along and so destiny allowed her to do her private business.

At least it would have seemed so until she had finally settled down on the classy white high tech porcelain device the Japanese were so infamous for. And right in the middle of said business the restroom’s door opened and closed nearly silently. Someone had sneaked in, setting each step with clumsy skill; severely failed caution.

«Shit. Shit! Shit!! Those damn fucking clerks! My treasures! My fucking treasures! Whyyyyy!? Whyyy didn’t those assholes leave me the time to rescue my beloved treasures!????!!?!»

The not really unfamiliar voice of a certain delinquent was all of the impression the girl on the toilet seat was left with about the sudden intruder. He obviously hadn’t even noticed her presence, crying out loud drowning in despair and sadness. The sobbing, the tears, the heavy breaths…for a moment that was all there was filling the girls’ restrooms.

And once that display of a man’s eternal sufferings had come to an end...

«…mh...I need to get moving…there has to be some window or an air duct or anything like that. Hurry up Hamazura, search! You don’t want to end up with the fuzz again!»

[OOC: For Starters will be on Hiatus. I will get back to it as soon as I can, but for now I need to refresh my creativity~ Kyuun~]

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