The next morning, they went to the open field, just a few walks away from Shin’s house. Shin was on his wheelchair. He still can’t move his body yet his look was serious.

“Listen up! I may be paralyzed but I can still speak and think. I may not be able to move my head but I can tell who really is a slacker here.”

“He he he…”

Philuffy just laugh it off, Shin knew she was that slacker. It was only because he was too strict to train her.

“Philuffy and Dice, you guys spar until you two are on par.”

Dice looked at her and she just gave him a good thumbs up.

“…I got a bad feeling about this…”

Then Shin looked at Anna who seem to be spacing out.

“Hey..., hey!”

Anna finally come through.

“Y-yes?”

“Quit spacing out.”

“S-sorry…”

Anna seemed to be scared at Shin. Philuffy attempt to stop Shin but Dice stopped her for getting it worse.

“Trust Shin, okay?”

“But… Anna.”

Philuffy watched Anna getting started with training. Waiting for Shin’s instruction.

“Grab that branch and swing it until I say stop.”

Anna was confused and she picked up the branch as long as a normal sword.

“Eh?”

“Did you understand? I said swing that thing until I say stop.”

“O-okay…”

Philuffy tried to stop Shin as she felt a bad feeling about it but Dice stopped me and with his eyes telling me to keep trusting him. Then Anna swings the branch while being watched by Shin.

As the training begins, Philuffy and Dice where sparring. She was at disadvantage against a foe who got no weapons at hand. But with his Gear, it’s like he was himself a human steel, and Anna felt her hands are getting numb from swinging the branch until she dropped the branch as Shin scolded her.

“Pick it up quickly! I won’t let you rest that long.”

“B-but… my arms… are so tired…”

“So as the opponent you will face, do you really want to take responsibility or not?”

Anna looked down then Dice stops the sparing and went towards the angry Shin.

“Hey, maybe you should just watch Philuffy and I sparing. She seems getting rustier and lazier.”

“Oh?”

Dice just smirked at me as she just pouted hard for making her his scapegoat but it was Dice that really slack off and holding back alot due to her level gap between him. Dice changed the position of Shin’s wheelchair and facing the the two. Dice looked at Anna who was frustrated and tired.

“Shin gave you a hint, ya know.”

Anna looked at Dice.

“Huh?”

“You can actually rest but it was very short to do it. He did say, he won’t let you rest that long.”

“???”

Anna think about it then she breath deeply and swings the sword. Dice just smiled a bit then went back to the sparing. Then with Shin is now facing them, the pressure between them became intense.

Then the training continues until sundown.

“You two, that’s enough. Philuffy seems to be able to keep up with your speed, Dice.”

Philuffy just excitedly went to Shin happily then she grabbed his hand and put it on her head. Thinking that he is patting her head.

"Phi did good!"

“Hey! I didn’t praise you just for that! Stop it, it’s annoying!”

Philuffy looked at Anna who was still swinging the branch.

“Anna-!”

“Don’t interrupt her, just go back to my house and leave her there.”

“But Shin…”

“That’s an order as your boss…”

Philuffy became so upset to Shin. She knew she did a bad thing to them but this is way too far.

“D-don’t worry about me, Philuffy… I am doing fine.”

Anna spoked while swinging the sword with a smile.

“…Then Phi will accompany Anna later okay? Can I?”

Philuffy looked at Shin with her puppy eyes are on display. Shin looked away from her.

“It’s fine… Just don’t stop her until I say stop.”

Philuffy suddenly made a smile and salute.

“Okay!”

On the way back, Dice was pulling Shin all the way to his house.

“…She already find it out huh?”

“Well, I just gave her some small tips to keep up with the training.”

“…I see.”

“So? Why did you make such a simple yet harsh training for her that relates to kendo? Is she gonna wield a sword? If so… then you trained him wrong.”

“Not exactly, I wanted her to feel how heavy the sword was by using the arms itself as the weight.”

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Was it related… to your request to her?”

“…Yeah.”

3 hours later, Anna was still swinging the branch and sweating a lot until she remembered something about what Shin said to her.

FLASHBACK

After Shin tells her the painful truth about her ability. Her heart felt it was crushed easily by a man who just praised her.

“W-wait… You just said… I can do more than just dancing.”

“Yes, you can. By putting up a makeup that is…”

She tighten her grip which made Shin stopped there, Philuffy was still asleep as a log and just a coincidence she grip her hand tightly to Shin's shirt.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, we have a big day tomorrow so I have to sleep, try not to be late.”

Anna started to hate Shin as she went to bed without saying anything until the next morning. Her hatred just gone and changed to fear so every time she see Shin, she suddenly succumbed in fear and was only hiding it for Philuffy.

FLASHBACK END

After thinking about it, Philuffy came with a bottle of cold water on her hand for Anna.

“Anna! Thirsty?”

“I-I’m fine… Just… go home and get some rest.”

“How about Anna rest a bit? Shin wasn’t around after all and Phi will take care of it when Shin catches Anna resting.”

“W-well… Okay, I was getting tired that much.”

Anna stops then sat beside Philuffy. She drank the whole bottle and felt refreshed body and soul.

“Ahh! That hits the spot. Shin really is angry at me huh?”

“Nope! Shin is just strict.”

“What makes you say that?”

Philuffy looked up to the sky thinking.

“Shin has it hard too, Shin isn’t special to anyone. Just Shin’s Gear was bringing Shin down. Shin is like Phi, doesn’t level up like Anna and Dice.”

“I-I see… I didn’t know about it… But he is just too cruel to me… He said that I was a pushover to you guys and I felt hating him. Then… my hate just vanished just like that and felt… scared at him.”

“Shin never, ever thinks of Anna as pushover. Shin just made Anna a guinea pig.”

“W-what!? H-how?”

Philuffy just laughed a bit that made Anna punch her lightly from frustration.

“Oh you!!”

Anna sighed then she looked to the stars twinkling above as something came to her mind.

“Say… What made you want to be a breaker?”

“Phi want to be like my papa. Phi grandpa said that papa is one of the heroes from the war, so as mama.”

“Heroes of the war? You mean… THAT War of Yomotsuhirasaka!?”

Anna was surprised about my parents.

“Then… where are they now?”

Philuffy just looked at the ground with a sad smile.

“They died protecting Phi as baby.”

Anna felt disheartened when she said that her parents were dead while still carrying a smile on her face.

“I’m… sorry about that…”

Philuffy pat Anna’s head just to cheer her up.

“It’s fine, Phi glad that Phi tell it to someone other than Phi. It just feels… reassuring. Just don’t take Shin hard because…”

A sound of a familiar voice suddenly heard interrupts her sentence.

“It’s just Shin’s nature…”

The two looked where the voice came and it was Dice.

“Dice! What are you doing here?

Anna asked as Dice scratches his head.

“Well, I am Shin’s messenger and tells you that’s enough. You are now ready.”

Philuffy looked happily at Anna.

“Hear that? Shin really is a good person.”

“Yeah… but…”

“Anna?”

“He said, he will say stop… so… I will still keep continue.”

With Anna’s eyes filled with determination, she continued swinging the sword.

“Oh… going to say in a logical way huh? Well, suit yourself. I’ll tell Shin that.”

Philuffy watch Anna swinging the branch then as soon Dice returned to the balcony. He saw Shin and a girl with a silver short hair wearing a business suit for women. Giving something to him with a warm smile, To Dice it was a scary smile and just disappeared out of thin air. Like a ghost.

“…That girl, always creeping me out.”

“But she is our friend, so bear with it.”

“Aww man… When will she get nice to me?”

“Why? Did you get in a fight or something?”

“You just asked that!? Well… whatever… It’s a love and hate thing relationship… Anyway, what did she bring to you?”

Dice was surprised that it was a Breakdriver and a cartridge with a petal drawn on it and another cartridge with nothing drawin, just plain blank.

“Wait… Shin… are you certain the she was…!?”

“Right after she transforms to a Nightmare Breaker… She was supposed to die from that but instead, went back to normal and leaving her stats broken. Her original level was level 15 but with the power of the Nightmare Breaker, she became level 70 instead. If you felt her battle instinct is weak, she is still on the range of level 15 under the stats of level 70.”

“Philuffy’s friend… She was incredible. She…”

-!!!!

That Battle Instinct! It’s so… heavy! Shin felt that man was back, hunting Philuffy. He didn’t think he was going to find them here.

Dice asked.

“What was that!? An enemy!?”

“Not now…”

“What, not now!?”

Dice was confused towards Shin as his reaction tells that it was a grave threat coming this way.

“Dice, put that blank cartridge to my driver and bring these Breakdriver to Anna.

“Got it… but what is going on!?”

Dice put the Breakdriver quickly to Shin and inserted the cartridge to the driver. With Shin covered in fear for being paralyze and unable to do anything, he kept himself cool from hatred which is something hard to do when paralyzed while his friends were in danger.

“Give me 5 minutes… survive until 5 minutes… Please! And… protect the girls with your life on the line…”

“I will, don’t worry!”

“And… Once that enemy transforms… don’t try taking him down, stall him for me! I am counting on you, my friend.”

Dice went running on the way towards the location where me and Anna went.

Meanwhile, Philuffy tried to protect Anna from the man named himself Jigsaw. My Aramasa was left at the house so we were very defenseless.

“Hello, Philuffy. Long time no see…”

“P-phi doesn’t know, space guy.”

“Have no fear, this… space guy will be the last thing you will saw.”

Anna looked at her with fear.

“Philuffy, lets run!”

They ran away from him without any hesitation. They tried to reach Shin’s house since it was the only safest place to get away from him.

“Uh uh uuh!!! No running.”

Jigsaw simply teleported at the girl’s way, then he shoves Anna unconscious. Leaving Philuffy standing alone, her fear towards him was so overwhelming… She have to do something… Maybe her left arm can help. But she doesn't know how to make it respond. And the last time she remember that she prayed to her parents as her power appeared from her left hand.

“Mama… Papa… help Phi!”

…

Nothing happens as Jigsaw slowly was walking towards her. Then he grabs Philuffy's shirt then lifted her up.

“You will pay for what you done! Magatsu Izanami!”

“W-what did… Phi do… to hurt space… guy…? UGH!!”

Jigsaw kicked her down then he sat on her to prevent any further escape. He was looking down at Philuffy with his scary angry look.

“You wanna know? YOU WANNA KNOW!?”

“S-stop it… please! Phi sorry! Forgive Phi, space guy!”

“Sorry ain’t gonna cut it… You will pay for everything for you have done!”

He punches her left and right. Philuffy tried to block him but with her current stats, she might die there getting beaten by him.

“GHHH! Stop…! Forgive Phi…! Nnn!”

Philuffy was starting to cry from pain yet he continued punching her.

“Ahahahaha! So? Where is your power then!? Huh!? USE IT YOU BITCH! USE IT, JUST LIKE YOU KILL MY BIG SISTER AND MY FAMILY!”

“Gh! Ngh! St… op… For…give…”

Philuffy started to get tired from defending from his punches. Dice continued punching her left and right and finds it enjoyable. Then suddenly he got hit by Anna with a branch causing Jigsaw to fall down.

“Philuffy!”

Anna picked me up. She can’t speak, she can’t move… but the pain was throbbing around her face.

“Stay with me, Philuffy. We have to get to Shin’s house-!”

“That won’t be possible…”

Jigsaw was on his feet already with his head bleeding a bit.

“Y-you should be unconscious by now… How?”

“I dunno… maybe I’m just… a hardheaded person.”

Anna knew how quick he moves. She doesn’t know what to do anymore, only to get kicked on the face away from her.

“I suggest you run now… Or I’ll kill you too, just like what she did to my love ones…”

Then Jigsaw kicked her mercilessly.

"Just die! die! die! die!"

“Ngnn! Ghg! Uuu!”

Anna tried to reach her only to watch Philuffy dying slowly.

SPECIAL ROUND! MAMMOTH!

Dice finally appears by kicking Jigsaw down with his right foot but it was successfully blocked by his bare hand.

“Oh my… this is… unexpected.”

“You monster… You aren’t human! Harming defenseless girls like that!?”

“…I guess… I am one!”

Jigsaw grabs Dice’s foot and throwing him down.

“It looks like… You aren’t strong enough to beat me yet. And Shin is the only who can stand against me, not you or these useless girls.”

“So… what? I am still strong enough to… take you on…”

“Oh? Was it the Gear that made you say that?”

“W-what?”

“I know your skill… It was my favorite, in fact.”

Both of them said “Gear skill: Iron Fist, Activate.”

Dice was shocked to learn that Jigsaw has the same ability as him, Jigsaw kicked Philuffy aside and went on to their battle pose.

“Philuffy!”

Anna quickly recovers and ran towards her to check if she is still okay. Philuffy was breathing quickly from pain as she spewed some blood from the kick, showing how strong the kick was. She never felt that horrible pain as she was tearing up. Dice felt frustrated and angry towards Jigsaw.

“You bastard… You will pay!”

“Now, now… Don’t let your rage consume you and focus on the fight, kid. Cuz this fight is about her life on the line!”

In his mind, Philuffy was down very badly… I have to stall him within 5 minutes… Oh man… I hope Shin will not go through that rampage again… If he sees Philuffy like this and went to that state, this is the end of us. Miracle always never happens and just hope for the best.