Axion steadied her breath, feeling the weight of the bat in her hand, its heft augmented by her power. Her eyes, though hidden behind the cracked visor of her helmet, remained locked on Kenzo. The increasing distance between them gnawed at her. Two meters, the limit of her effective control over gravity, now felt like a chasm she couldn't bridge.

She never really thought about her own limitations much. Just being able to leap over rooftops with the ease of a bird, make herself lighter, make things heavier, and deflect projectiles was enough.

But it was always just that—personal, limited to the space immediately around her.

It didn't matter too much when she faced the common thug, but ever since she fought against 'Cobra' Kasumi, Axion felt the limitation acutely. Especially so, now, against another metahuman.

He was just out of reach, always dancing away from the sphere of control. A few centimeters within her grasp, but yet, untouchable. Even when she managed to snag him for a few brief seconds, his strength allowed him to pull away.

Reach him.

"We're almost there, Axion-chan." Kenzo spoke calmly. "Three more minutes, and this'll all be over. Think you can keep this up?"

Confidence infused Axion as she listened to Kenzo's words.

She wasn't a pushover, no way.

"Just try me." She tightened her grip on her bat.

She strode towards him, lifting her bat and swinging with all her might.

Reach him.

As Kenzo side-stepped the swipe, she tried forcing him down again with her power. Again, he proved himself too strong to be affected by the force she exerted. He jumped back, retreating once more.

Damn it! Just reach him...

She reached out with her power, beyond the range she could maintain, stretching her mental focus outward until...

Kenzo's eyes widened, and he jumped back further while slashing at the ground. The blade carved a line in the dirt, marking the boundary.

As he slid to a stop, they both gazed at the scar in the dirt.

"Six meters?" Kenzo mused, tapping the end of his blade against the ground. "Oi, oi, oi. What's going on here? How in the world did you manage that? Last I checked, you can only extend your power two meters outward."

Good question. How the hell did I do that?!

Axion didn't respond. The truth was, she had no clue. But that wasn't about to stop her. Not when she had come this far.

No, she had to act fast. To keep pushing, to reach him, to win.

The song continued playing as Kenzo slid back into position, brandishing his blade. His eyes darted between her and the marker, a curious expression crossing his features. "Still plenty of time. I want to see where this goes..." He lowered himself into a fighting stance, legs bent slightly, sword held in front of his body. "Come on. Show me what you can do."

Axion couldn't see his expression, but she recognized the tone of his voice. He was enjoying this, clearly. Excited to test her limits.

And she had to admit, she was too. As the music blasted, she felt electrified.

"Here I go," she said, taking a step forward. Then another. And another. Her body moved on its own, driven by instinct, propelled by will. She advanced on Kenzo, closing the gap between them. All while maintaining a relentless pull on him.

Kenzo leaned back, trying to resist her gravity, but she refused to let him escape.

She kept pressing forward, amplifying the force bit by bit. Soon, his feet began to slide across the ground. A smile crept onto Axion's lips as she watched him struggle to remain upright.

She lunged at him with her bat. Kenzo spun and twisted out of the way, barely managing to avoid her blow. A shower of sparks rained down where the bat collided with the ground, leaving a scorched divot in the dirt.

But Axion wasn't aiming to hit him; she was testing her reach. She extended her gravikinesis, trying to ensnare him once more. The familiar sensation of control tugged at the edges of her consciousness.

Once more, Kenzo leapt back, attempting to dodge. Yet this time, her power seized him midair, pulling him back toward the ground. He slammed into the earth with a grunt, landing awkwardly on his feet. Dust billowed around him.

As the cloud dispersed, he turned to face her again, grinning. "Yowzah, this is certainly a change of pace. No complaints here."

"Yeah? Then try this!" Axion shouted, her voice crackling through her helmet's speaker.

She threw the bat at him with all her strength, but he knocked it out of the air with a single swing. As the bat sailed overhead, she used her power to redirect its momentum, causing it to curve around and strike him from the opposite direction.

Kenzo spun, and slashed at the bat once more. The blade struck the metal shaft, producing a clang that echoed across the arena. This time, the blow caused the bat to split in half.

That's fine. Now she had two pieces to work with.

Axion scooped up the broken weapon parts with her power, making them orbit her in a spiral pattern. She dashed to the space between Kenzo and the dugout that stored more bats.

She held out her hand and called to the closest bat. It flew into her waiting palm, and she grasped it tightly, letting its weight settle in. Then she repeated the process, summoning four more bats, and placing them into orbit around her body.

A bead of sweat ran down her brow as she maintained her hold on all four bats and the two severed pieces of the first one. This felt much more strenuous than what she did with those bullets. And yet, she pushed onward.

Kenzo's eyes widened slightly at this sight, but his grin remained unchanged. "Yabe~ Axion-chan's all fired up!"

"Oh yeah!" Axion responded, pumping herself up.

She dashed forward, breaking into a sprint as the music rose to a crescendo. One by one, she released the bats from her orbit, sending them hurtling at Kenzo.

"旋律運動 (Senritsu Undō)!" he cried out as the swarm converged upon him. His body blurred, his movements becoming a series of continuous afterimages. Every time a bat neared him, he sidestepped and parried, using the broadside of his sword to deflect the projectiles.

After a brief moment, Kenzo skidded to a halt a dozen meters from his original position. The ground beneath his feet crumbled and shattered, small fissures spreading across the dirt.

Axion redoubled her efforts, launching another volley of bats at him. Her helmet's LED eyes blazed brighter as she focused her power. She felt it, the invisible tether of gravity stretching out from her, reaching farther and farther.

No...not just feel it. Faint ripples in the air, like heat distortions, trailed the bats and their broken remains as they streaked across the field. This wasn't her imagination. It was something she was doing.

A sixth sense; a sense of kinesis.

One of the bats she launched smashed into the ground near Kenzo, burying itself deep into the earth.

With her will, the distortions around it began to flow toward her. As she guided the waves through her mind, the bat shifted, slowly rising from the dirt.

Its battered frame floated upward, surrounded in a swirling cloud of dust and debris, and hovered beside her. Without pausing to marvel at her success, Axion stretched her senses once more, commanding the other bats.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Kenzo brought his sword to bear again, slashing at the barrage of projectiles while backing away.

Ten meters.

The haze that accompanied the ripples in the air continued spreading further and further. With every passing moment, she felt as if she was opening herself to a new world—and it was intoxicating. Like a drug. And she never wanted to stop.

Twelve meters.

Kenzo let loose a battle cry, striking at a spinning bat. His sword sheared through the steel bat's thick barrel, splitting it in two. One of the broken pieces sailed through the air and stuck into the wall of the arena's outer shell.

Fourteen meters.

Another bat broke apart on impact with his sword, spraying the air with shrapnel. The metal fragments slowed in the air, the kinesis drawing them in. Kenzo deflected most of the debris with his weapon, but one piece glanced his arm. His sleeve tore, and blood began trickling from a gash on his bicep. He ignored the wound, keeping his attention on the bats.

Sixteen meters.

A third bat shattered on Kenzo's sword, but before its remnants even touched the ground, Axion retrieved the shards and gathered them together. With her will, she forced them into a tight, rotating sphere that orbited her, gathering speed as she reinforced its shape.

Eighteen meters.

Kenzo leaped back, trying to gain distance, but her reach kept extending, following him. He deflected or dodged each incoming projectile, but each successful bat cost him a step. Slowly, he backed away from Axion's position, until he reached the edge of the arena, back pressed against the barrier.

Twenty meters.

The haze of kinesis reached Kenzo, engulfing him in its misty embrace. As the ripples made contact with his body, he shuddered, the force pulling at him. He planted his feet firmly into the ground, digging his heels into the soil. A thin layer of sweat glistened on his skin. He clenched his jaw, holding his breath and bracing himself.

I got him.

The bats that orbited around her fell to the ground as she released her hold. Her focus was consumed entirely by the task of reeling Kenzo into her web. She reached deeper into herself, digging into her reserves.

Gravity around Kenzo warped and distorted, bending and twisting in accordance with her will. As the kinesis fully enveloped him, his body floated off the ground. He flailed and struggled, thrashing his arms and kicking his legs, trying to grab ahold of anything to anchor himself.

She kept her grip on him, unrelenting in her efforts. She turned him upside-down, bringing him face-to-face with her. Her helmet's LED eyes narrowed as she stared into his own.

He smiled faintly. "I can't move a muscle, and my vision's going fuzzy. You win, Axion-chan." His voice wavered under the strain of her powers.

The music in the background ended. Silence descended upon the field, punctuated only by the soft whir of machinery in the distance.

Only then did Axion let go.

Kenzo plummeted to the ground and crumpled to his knees. He remained that way for a few seconds, catching his breath. He glanced around at the wreckage around him, then turned back to Axion, smiling wryly. "Heh, we sure made a mess of this place, ne?"

He got to his feet unsteadily, stumbling as he made his way over to where the original marker lay. As he hobbled along, Axion followed, noting the limp in his stride. Eventually, the pair reached the place where they started their contest. There, Kenzo straightened up, using his sword to support his weight.

"Well done, Axion-chan," he said, leaning against the hilt. "Not many people can get the better of me like this. That last part, where you pinned me? Very clever."

"Thanks, uhm, how are you doing? Are you okay?" Axion asked sheepishly, feeling a bit guilty for exerting so much force.

"Me? Oh, I'm fine," he replied, waving a dismissive hand. "I've been through worse."

She relaxed her shoulders, releasing the tension in her muscles. "That's good. So...how did I do?"

Kenzo folded his arms. "Mmn, let's see...your reflexes and instincts are sharp. Your skills are somewhat decent. But your power...that's no joke. I don't think you were holding back in the beginning. So, to witness that level of growth in such a short time...scary. Really scary, actually."

"Haha, thanks, I guess." She blushed under her helmet. "I mean, I'm not sure how I did all that myself, either. It just sorta happened."

"Mmhm, that's normal for us, at least. Superpowers tend to react to our subconscious desires, even if we don't understand them. It's like...they grow alongside us, evolving to fit our needs and wants," Kenzo explained, sheathing his sword.

Axion cocked her head thoughtfully. "That makes sense. But still...if you're really a Super, then why aren't there any echoes in the alley about you being one? How come you don't fight the gangs or do hero stuff?"

Kenzo laughed dryly, patting her shoulder. "Ah, well, you know how the old adage goes, right? 'If you want to live well, stay away from the spotlight.' Besides, you might not realize it yet but...this ain't no place for no hero."

He paused for a moment, sighing, then shook his head. "But...what you're trying to do? What you're trying to become? It might just work out somehow."

Axion tilted her head to the side. "Wait, what? Is that supposed to be encouraging or insulting? You're confusing the hell out of me right now, man!"

"Haha, sorry. That's probably because we're on different wavelengths. People like us, we usually have different ways of looking at the world, you dig?"

"Er, I guess so." Axion shrugged. "Anyway, I guess this means you gotta let me into your band, huh?"

Kenzo blinked rapidly. "Wha? O-oh, right, that's what this whole thing was about, isn't it? Sorry, I kinda forgot, haha." He chuckled nervously, running a hand through his hair. "Uhh, yeah, of course. Sure, welcome aboard."

Axion pumped her fist excitedly. "Nice!"

Suddenly, Axion heard footsteps approaching.

From the entrance tunnel emerged a group of a dozen or so men, all wearing matching gang attire of red and black, carrying various weapons ranging from pipe guns to knives and bats crowned with barbed wire. They swaggered across the field, eyeing Axion with predatory stares.

Crap. The Carnage Collective, of all times? Right now?

"Hey, hey, hey," Axion called, her voice ringing out across the stadium. "Look, I don't wanna deal with you guys today. Just turn around and walk away, and nobody gets hurt, kay?"

One of the thugs, a burly guy with a Mohawk, stepped forward, smirking. "Too bad, princess. We have a bounty to collect, and we ain't leaving without it. C'mere, you little shit." He flexed his arms and cracked his knuckles menacingly. "You can't run forever, you know that."

Kenzo stepped between them, facing the newcomers head-on. "Oi, oi, oi. Get lost. The Colosseum's booked today. Didn't you idiots see the sign?"

Mohawk scoffed and gestured for his lackeys to spread out around the area. "Stay outta this, buddy. Unless you wanna get involved." He pointed a finger gun at Kenzo. "Pew pew, bitch."

The others snickered and whistled obscenely. One of them called, "Don't be shy, girlie, come out here. Daddy's gonna make you feel real good!"

"So, what should we do, boss? Bounty said to bring her in alive. Should we play with her before we bag 'er?" another asked with a sneer.

Kenzo narrowed his eyes, placing a hand on the hilt of his sword. "Can't say I'm a fan of those suggestions. Oi, Axion-chan. Can you fling them all at me at once with your power?" he murmured, shifting his weight to the balls of his feet.

Axion scanned the thugs, counting fourteen total. All of them were within twenty meters now. "I'll give it a shot, but this might be pushing it. And what about you? You gonna be okay?"

Kenzo winked at her, flashing a cheeky thumbs-up. "Leave everything to me. Just trust the music." With that, he turned back towards the mob and took a step forward. "Yo, assholes. Let's make this a dance party."

At the sound of his words, the music began again, playing at full volume from the boombox by the other band members.

Axion reached out with her mind, enveloping the mob with a surge of gravikinesis. Her kinetic sense picked up the outlines of their bodies, the invisible tether of her power tugging at each of their forms. With a thrust of her hands, she pulled inward, dragging the entire group towards Kenzo.

The headache that followed almost caused her to pass out.

As they hurtled through the air, Kenzo unsheathed his sword with a flourish.

"奥義侍の交響曲 (Ōgi: Samurai no Kōkyōkyoku)!" he yelled.

The moment the first thug crossed the boundary, Kenzo began slashing. A pulse of sound burst from his weapon, rippling outward in waves. Each slice produced its own distinct tone, blending seamlessly with the music playing in the background.

As the first wave collided with the group, the airborne thugs bounced up and down from the force like rubber balls, ricocheting off each other and creating an orchestra of groans and yelps. Another wave caught them midair, spinning them in dizzying circles.

Their weapons shattered and their clothing tore and shredded to pieces. Bruises and welts formed all over their bodies as the sonic slashes pummeled them while colliding with each other.

The onslaught didn't relent, with Kenzo continuing to weave and bob in time with the beat.

Soon, the mob came crashing back to the ground, one by one, creating a resounding crash that echoed across the arena. They lay in a heap, all knocked out cold and thoroughly beaten.

The music died once more.

Axion snapped her jaw shut as she admired the display. She hadn't even had time to react. "Holy crap."

Kenzo sheathed his sword and cracked his neck. "Welp, that takes care of them. Why don't we call this a day, Axion-chan?" He beckoned to the rest of the Shunkashuto members, who entered the Colosseum at his signal.

The band began clearing away the unconscious mobsters, carting away their ragdoll bodies via makeshift stretchers.

Kenzo sighed, putting his hands on his hips. "Something's gotta be done with that bounty of yours, or else these assholes will keep for ya. Sorry, Axion-chan, but you're banned from performing with us until you get this squared away. Not that I want that, of course, but, you know how it is, ne?"

Axion nodded understandingly, although disappointment pricked at her. "It's okay. I get it."

Kenzo patted the top of her helmet affectionately. "Chin up. Your time will come—"

He paused, his expression shifting to surprise for just a brief moment.

Axion looked to see him staring intently at something in the distance behind her. Following his gaze, she only caught a glimpse of a flash of movement, darting into the shadows by the tunnel entrance.

"—sooner than you expect, I bet," he continued, quirking an eyebrow. "Anyways, take care. You should rest for a while after all that workout. It’s been fun. Later, Axion-chan." He sauntered away, heading to the tunnel exit.

"See you soon," Axion replied, watching as he disappeared into the gloom with the rest of Shunkashūtō.