As the final school bell rang, signaling the end of the day, the usual exodus of students, staff, and teachers rushing out of Seiryu High’s gates was absent. Instead, everyone stayed behind, heading toward the school parking lot. A large crowd began to form, encircling the area, and creating a makeshift arena for the upcoming battle. Whispers and anticipation buzzed through the air; this wasn’t just any fight—this would reshape the future of the school.
On one end of the makeshift battleground stood Yoko, accompanied by Jake, Carter, Akane, and Luna. What had started as a simple visit to explore Japanese school life had turned into something far more serious. Earlier, they had gotten tangled in the affairs of Seiryu High when a run-in with the school bullies escalated into this final confrontation. Armed with Kaito’s analytical guidance, they hoped their carefully planned strategy would lead them to victory in this monumental showdown.
On the opposing side stood PROUD—Pimiko, Reiji, Osamu, Ushio, and Daika. For years, they had ruled over Seiryu High, untouchable by teachers or any authority figure. No one dared to challenge them. Osamu, their leader, exuded arrogance and confidence as he stepped forward, his steel pole twirling effortlessly in his hand. His yellow contact lenses glowed with a cold, predatory gleam as he smirked, his presence commanding. But for Osamu, the fight wasn’t just about maintaining PROUD's dominance over the school—it was personal. His mind zeroed in on Jake Harada. The memory of their earlier clash haunted him, the blow to his pride still fresh. Osamu’s desire for revenge boiled beneath the surface. Jake had nearly beaten him before, and that insult could not go unanswered. This battle wasn’t just about sending a message to the rest of Seiryu High but settling the score. His mission was to make an example of Jake, crush him completely, and reclaim the respect he felt had been stolen from him.
As he stepped forward, his voice carried the weight of his vendetta. "Let's see how you and your friends fare against us," he taunted in Japanese, the threat clear. His gaze never left Jake, the smirk on his face twisting into something darker. This was his moment to prove that no one, not even a foreigner, could challenge his authority and walk away unscathed.
Jake turned to his team, his usual lighthearted nature replaced with a serious determination. He could feel the intensity of Osamu's stare and knew that, for Osamu, this fight was personal. “Let’s show them that bullying won’t be tolerated anymore,” he said firmly. His friends nodded, each pulling out their weapons, steering themselves for the battle ahead.
The crowd around them grew silent, the tension in the air thick as both sides prepared to clash. The fight against PROUD begins.
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With a thunderous roar, Osamu signaled the start of the battle, and PROUD was quick to act. As their enforcer, Ushio, launched himself into the fray, his sheer size and power embodied the unstoppable force of what he had dubbed the Muscle-Bound Momentum. Every ounce of his considerable muscle mass went into the charge, and his hefty dumbbell swung with such ferocity that it seemed to cleave the very air, carving a path directly toward his intended target.
PROUD had their strategy in play—letting their tank, Ushio, breakthrough first, clearing the way for the rest.
On the other side, Carter wasted no time springing into action, immediately following Kaito's strategy. He positioned himself deliberately in front of Ushio, making himself the obvious target. The plan was clear: Carter was to absorb Ushio's focus, to lure him in.
As Ushio barreled toward him, Carter recalled Kaito's advice, replaying it in his mind like a mantra: "You know how to move fast and dodge—use that to your advantage. Wear him down with your agility. His straightforward attacks can be predictable."
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With a smirk beneath his focus, Carter tapped into his Athlete's Agility, a skill honed through countless hours of rigorous training on the hockey rink. His exceptional agility and reflexes allowed him to swiftly dodge as Ushio barreled forward in a straight line. Carter’s voice, laced with challenge, rang out: "Hey big boy! You need to pace yourself to even touch me!"
Ushio, caught in the momentum of his charge, could only grunt in frustration as he missed the target. Skidding to a halt, he turned his attention fully on Carter, unaware he was playing into Carter's plan. His eyes burned with fierce determination. "You think a monkey can win against a gorilla?" he spat in Japanese, now focusing his attacks solely on Carter as his challenger.
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Carter, however, chose not to respond with words but with action, knowing the battle would not be won through dialogue. With Puck Precision, Carter used his hockey stick to scoop and throw small stones from the carpark floor at Ushio with pinpoint accuracy. Ushio, however, did not budge. He activated Bulky Barricade, using his dumbbell to block the incoming attacks, leveraging its weight for defense. His bulky build and the dumbbell worked in pairs to absorb and deflect the strikes. As their battle continued, it became a contest of endurance, one Carter was well-prepared for—stamina honed not on the battlefield but on the ice rink, where he had learned to outlast and outmaneuver opponents under far less dangerous circumstances. Carter's strategy was clear: to wear Ushio down, turning his own strength against him.
While Carter and Ushio's battle was a dance of strength and agility, another struggle was unfolding. Akane, holding her pair of sais, faced Pimiko. The injuries she had sustained in her fight with Osamu were far from healed, with a large bruise visible on one of her arms, a detail her opponent, Pimiko, could easily notice. Kaito's words echoed in her mind: "I don’t expect you to win against Pimiko’s manipulative nature. However, this is the best strategy I could come up with." Akane knew that her injuries might prevent her from gaining the upper hand against Pimiko, but she was determined to wear her opponent down.
Pimiko, in contrast, appeared relaxed. Her right hand was equipped with her Tekko Kagi, while her left hand twirled her burnt orange pigtails. Her big, innocent-looking brown eyes gazed at Akane, making it hard to read her intentions. "You look worse after your fight with Osamu," Pimiko remarked, her high-pitched, cute voice dripping with artificial sweetness. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
For Akane, Pimiko's question was perplexing. The innocent tone clashed with the intense challenge before her. But for Pimiko, it was all part of a calculated mind game—an indirect reminder of Akane's earlier defeat and the injuries she had sustained, meant to lower her morale and make her painfully aware of her physical condition.
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Pimiko's words took an unintentional toll on Akane, causing her to momentarily drop her guard. Her body, still aching from her wounds, screamed for rest. Pimiko, ever feline-like in her alertness, spotted the opportunity. With a combination of ferocity and precision, she leaped at Akane with Catwalk Pounce, her movements graceful and predatory, aiming for a decisive strike.
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Akane, barely able to respond in time, activated Whispering Willows, her motions fluid like falling leaves in the wind. Though she managed to avoid the brunt of Pimiko's attack, her arm wasn't spared entirely; the sharp claws of the Tekko Kagi left minor scratches. If not for her swift movements, the outcome could have been far worse.
"Oops, I’m sorry, did I injure you? Can you forgive me?" Pimiko asked Akane in an innocent, cute voice, her wide eyes filled with feigned concern as she pointed her two index fingers together. It was hard to tell if it was a genuine apology or a subtle taunt, playing off her sweet demeanor.
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Akane, unwilling to dwell on Pimiko’s mind games, focused entirely on wearing her opponent down for the sake of Jake and her friends, or even winning the duel if possible. Shifting into offensive mode, Akane executed Silent Cherry Blossom Thrust, a move as graceful and deadly as falling cherry blossoms, aiming it with precision at Pimiko. But Pimiko, showcasing her agility once again, activated Nine Lives Escape, using her Tekko Kagi to grapple onto the top of a nearby car. She embodied the elusive nature of a cat, narrowly evading the thrust. Akane’s sai, however, grazed the edge of Pimiko's sailor uniform, leaving a small tear—a sign of how close she had come.
Standing atop the car, Pimiko glanced down at the scratch on her pristine uniform. Her face twisted into a pout as she whined dramatically, "My uniform! My mum’s going to kill me!" she sobbed, her voice filled with mock distress. Akane, feeling a tinge of guilt, moved closer to check on her opponent. But as Akane approached, Pimiko’s demeanor shifted, her voice dropping into a more assertive and commanding tone, "Nah, my mum won’t kill me!" she sneered, revealing her true intentions.
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Without warning, Pimiko unleashed Charming Scratch, having feigned vulnerability all along. From her elevated position atop the car, she delivered a flurry of swift and dangerous swipes with her Tekko Kagi, each swipe reminiscent of a playful yet lethal cat. Akane, caught off guard, was thrown off her rhythm, struggling to regain control as Pimiko’s deceptive strategy succeeded in disrupting her focus.
Another matchup was unfolding between Yoko and Daika. Both circled each other cautiously, sizing one another up, waiting for the first strike. Yoko held her Tanto in a battle stance, trying to focus despite Kaito's vague advice: "Yoko, in this fight, just be yourself and try your best." The words offered little clarity, leaving Yoko unsure of how to approach the battle. She knew little about Daika, aside from the cold, serious façade the girl wore at school. Daika didn’t seem to have any friends outside the PROUD members.
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Opposite Yoko stood Daika Tsuyoshi, her weapon of choice a Kusarigama, a traditional Japanese weapon combining a sickle (kama) with a weighted chain (kusari). The sickle, forged from tempered steel, had a sharp, curved blade designed to slice through opponents with ease. The chain, made of reinforced steel links, extended 8 feet, giving Daika exceptional range in combat. She could strike or restrain from a distance with the chain and deliver deadly close-range strikes with the sickle.
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Daika assumed a stance that was both predatory and seductive, her movements fluid and synchronized with the gentle swaying of the Kusarigama in her grip. The sickle blade gleamed, 12 inches of razor-sharp steel, while the chain twirled gracefully through the air, radiating lethal intent. Yoko remained still, her eyes narrowing as she watched for an opening.
Breaking the silence, Yoko addressed her opponent with a calm voice, imbued with the compassion and sympathy that came from following the code of Bushido taught by her father. "Daika…" she began, her tone gentle but firm. "This fight is meaningless. We can stop now, together." Yoko's words were a plea for peace, hoping to end the battle before it began.
Daika’s response was a seductive laugh, dripping with disdain at Yoko’s idealistic worldview. "An idealistic dream you have there, samurai girl," she retorted. "The peace you want would never have been possible if you and your friends hadn’t messed with PROUD." Daika emphasized her belief that Yoko and her group were in the wrong for disrupting the power structure PROUD held over the school. To her, they were infiltrators, not saviors.
As Daika spun her Kusarigama in a graceful yet threatening arc, she continued, "I'm going to teach you a lesson for messing with us!" Her black eyes sparkled with defiance, laser-focused on the battle ahead. The peaceful resolution Yoko hoped for seemed further away as Daika readied herself for combat, intent on delivering her version of justice.
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Without any warning, Daika launched the first move, Serpentine Lash, the Kusarigama chain whipping forward in a rapid, snake-like motion, aiming to ensnare Yoko in its iron grip. Yoko, no slouch herself, noticed the attack from a distance. Her father had trained her in the martial efficiency of the samurai. With a calm focus, her movements mirrored the Moonlit Path Dodge, as she moved swiftly and silently, like a shadow under the moonlight, evading the attack with grace. The chain missed her by mere inches.
Daika pulled her chain back, recoiling it into her hand and gripping the sickle once more. "I’m surprised you dodged that, but I heard you’re the weakest of them all," she taunted sarcastically, preparing for another strike.
Yoko, unaffected by the sarcasm, responded with calm sincerity, "Daika, it's not that I'm weak. I just prefer a peaceful resolution over fighting," she explained, revealing the reason behind people's misconception of her. "I hope you understand that through this fight, you’ll realize PROUD is in the wrong."
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With that, Yoko initiated her own move, Zen Garden Sweep, drawing her tanto in a swift, controlled arc. She wasn’t aiming to strike, but to control the space around her, creating a perimeter that would make it difficult for Daika to penetrate and disrupt her footing.
Daika did not take kindly to Yoko's choice of playing defensively, interpreting it as condescension. Yoko, however, had no such intention. Through her actions, she sought to convey that she harbored no hatred or aggressive feelings toward Daika. Yet, Daika perceived Yoko’s gesture as looking down on her, fueling her determination to strike harder.
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She moved into Harvest of Sorrow, the Kusarigama slicing through Yoko's defensive space with deadly precision, combining the sickle's sharp edge with the chain’s blunt force. The weapon whistled through the air, a whisper of death promising to bring the battle to a swift conclusion.
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Yoko, maintaining her calm, responded with a steady resolve, using Cherry Blossom Parry. With graceful precision, she deflected the sickle’s deadly trajectory, diverting it away from her with a soft yet firm counter.
The fight remained at a stalemate as the two girls breathed heavily—Daika relentless in her offense, and Yoko steadfast in her defense. Neither had yet gained the upper hand as their duel raged on.