Kenzo's feet pivoted, his body swaying rhythmically to the pulsatis thrumming from the boombox. His eyes locked onto Axion, following her movement with deliberate focus. As she twirled the bat, he began to bob his head along with the music, matg its tempo.

  The band began to rap, spitting their verses in unison. The ce, rhythm, and flow of their rapping immediately reflected in Kenzo's movements—flowing through him like an ebb and tide.

  He grinned, feeling the vibe as he moved. This is where he excelled, in tuh his surroundings, riding the current. Kenzo let the music fill his heart and soul, losing himself to its hypnotic allure. Time seemed to slow down, his movements being sed nature, instinctive. Everythi like clockwork.

  Everything was in perfect harmony.

  In moments, Kenzo closed the distaween them. He lu Axion, sword drawn and at the ready. A wild, crazed grin pstered his face.

  Axion stiffened, hastily raising her bat in defense. She hunkered down, pnting her feet firmly on the ground as she prepared for the immi impact.

  With a deft movement of his wrist, he redirected the sword into a wide horizontal ssh. The bde arced across, grazing the side of her bat with a loud shriek.

  Axion tered with a furious swing of her own, aiming for his head. Her helmet's eyes narrowed, focused ily on Kenzo's face.

  He smirked.

  Too ho...but that's not a bad thing.

  Kenzo ducked, the bat whistling past him. He slid across the gravel, his sword outstretched. Aiming for her legs, he lunged.

  Axion pivoted, shifting her weight. She adjusted the dire of her gravity, pulling herself backwards and away from danger. She tucked in her arms, flipping sideways in the air as she desded to the ground. Her feet touched the earth, and she redirected the field, stabilizing her movement.

  She whirled around, wielding the bat as a shield.

  Ni.

  Kenzo stepped in, sword angled for a pierg thrust. As his bde struck the bat, he tilted his sword downward, redireg his attato a heavy chop.

  The bat spun away, skittering across the ground. Axion tried to retreat, but he pressed his advantage. Using his free hand, he caught the colr of her jacket and tugged. She yelped, tumbling toward him as she lost her bance. Kenzo swiftly shifted his weight, sending an elbow crashing into her stomach.

  As Axion doubled over in pain, he pced a hand on her helmet, f her to face him. "It's only been a few minutes. How do you feel?"

  Her helmet's eyes were dim and unfocused, but she shook her head and straightened herself. "I-I'm okay. Let's keep going." She seemed surprisingly ear as she said this.

  Kenzo's mouth curved into a crooked smile. "Kakkoii."

  He released her jacket and stepped back. "I like the spirit. Now, let's pick up the tempo a bit, shall we?" He gnced over at the boombox, where the band stood waiting expetly.

  "Yo, py the rack!" He pumped his fist into the air. "The real fun begins now!"

  The band shouted their approval, scrambling to ge the tune.

  The beat ged, this time a souring a fast-paced melody. It had a vibrant groove, with heavy drums and synths undersg the tune. Kenzo's body moved in sync, matg the rhythm. He turo face Axion, nodding his head along with the beat. "Get ready."

  Kenzo broke into a brisk jog, cirg her as he analyzed her stance. His gaze lingered o in her hands, studying its movement. The tip of his tongue peeked from between his lips, and he squinted.

  No, no. This won't do. There's no precision. Too easy to predict.

  "Gotta move that ass if you wan anywhere in this fight, yo!" One of the rappers on the sideline heckled. "You ain't gonna st if you fight like a geriatric granny!"

  Axion began moving, her steps clumsy, but effit. "Urgh...dammit...why am I..."

  Kenzo hat her steps were stilted, but she was quick to learn, already improviride. Still, her motions remained unrefined, g finesse. If she kept this up, he wouldn't be surprised if she tripped on herself.

  Nervous? Afraid? Hesitant?

  Of course she was. After all, he had an overwhelming advantage here—experience. He knew how to read the situation, how to react, how to take advantage of the openings and weaknesses preseo him. She probably didn't.

  But the girl was strong. She'd been in real fights before.

  Her awareness aions were sharper than most, and she adapted quickly to ges. Despite all that, she still had a ways to go.

  "Ikuze!" he yelled, before rushing at her again. This time, he led with a light thrust. Axion flinched, instinctively blog the strike. As her bat ected with the sword, he smirked, dug into a crouch. His leg snapped out, sweeping hers out from under her.

  "Oof!"

  Axion's breath huffed, her body striking the ground with a soft thump. As she began to rise, Kenzo raised his sword, bringing it down in a heavy, downward chop.

  Suddenly, she was sliding away, as if tugged by an invisible thread. The moment her body was out of harm's way, Kenzo's bde sank deep into the dirt, the bde gng off the surface with a high-pitched scraping sound.

  From a short distance away, Axion scrambled to her feet, dusting herself off. She adjusted her stance, adopting a more defensive posture, her bat held tightly in her grasp.

  "Quite the little trick you have there, Axion-." Kenzo withdrew his sword from the ground, studying its gleaming edge. He shot her a mischievous gnce. "Wonder what else you do with your power."

  Before Axion could answer, he sprang at her, aiming to capitalize on the opportunity. His sword nced out, seeking her unprotected abdomen. However, rather than backpedaling, she slid into the strike. His eyes widened as she parried his sword and pushed forward, terattag with a straight punch.

  "Didja think I'd just run all day?!" she shot back, her helmet's eyes fshing as she made tact with his gut. "Hah!"

  The sheer force of the impact took him by surprise, but he recovered quickly. With a grunt, he staggered back a step, keeping his bance.

  Axion moved to close the gap, and Kenzo agaihe strange sensation of his body being heavier. His muscles tensed, and he felt a pressure pushing him from all sides, strig his movements. Even his sword felt like lead, the weight of its hilt threatening t it to the ground.

  Before Axion could try to follow up with a flurry of rapid blows, Kenzo eled his strength.

  A surge of adrenaline coursed through his veins, and with a mighty roar, he pushed back, breaking out of the area of effect. His feet skidded across the gravel, kig up a cloud of dust, before ing to a stop a dozeers from Axion.

  "Whew..." He wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Gotta say, that part of your power is a little annoying."

  "Not too shabby, huh?" She seemed to preen at the pliment.

  He narrowed his eyes, the ers of his lips curving into a sly half-smile. "Ah-ah, but let's not get ahead of ourselves now. Remember, I've got tricks up my sleeves too." He wi her before breaking out into a sprint. "Keep your eyes peeled. There's gonna be a ge in tempo any minute now!"

  As the music transitioned, so did Kenzo's movements. He adopted a lower stance, his feet spreading wider, his body leaning forward as he dashed at her. When he finally reached her, he swung at her with a simple diagonal strike, which she effortlessly blocked. However, he unleashed a flurry of alternating chops, driving her ba her heels. Axioreated further and further, parrying each strike.

  As he entered her zone of influence more, he flickered back as soon as his attack missed or arried, keeping just outside its limits. Like a fencer, he took full advantage of his superie and speed to pepper her with numerous quick strikes, eae ing in at different angles.

  Each swing forced her to adjust her own stance accly, her helmet's eyes darting around frantically, struggling to keep track of his sword.

  After each of his attacks, he noticed a shift in the dire and magnitude of the gravity around her.

  Where he expected the increase i, he instead found himself feeling lighter, which caused him to miss his mark or stumble during his subsequent assaults. At times, he felt the pull in an ued dire, yanking him towards her or to the side, yanking his sword out of line and disrupting his rhythm.

  "Geh!"

  How the hell is she doing that?

  This went on for a while. Every time he initiated another bout, he ged up his style, moduting his movement and attack pattern to challenge her, testing her responses. But each time, Axio him head-on.

  It became clear to him that she was gradually learning and adapting to his strategies. Though she still struggled to read him and was easily startled by sudden moves or feints, she started anticipating his strikes better. The stant shift in her gravity field began to match his tempo, causing him to overextend or miscalcute the timing of his attacks.

  Amazing. She's a natural. And she's growing rapidly—

  He jumped baarrowly avoiding a haymaker aimed at his head.

  She swung her bat, but let go in mid-swing.

  The speed and trajectory of the makeshift projectile caught him by surprise.

  "Shindō Tate (Vibratory Shield)!" he spat out, without thinking. The force of his voice caused a ripple to form in the air, f a thin, translut shield that engulfed his body.

  The bat struck the barrier, produg a loud bang. The projectile bounced off, ricocheting wildly in the air for a split sed before being captured by the gravity field surrounding Axion.

  She grabbed the bat, easily halting its motion in midair, as though it was suspended by strings. The only evide was in flight was the trail of dust left in its wake.

  They stared at each other, her willing to move.

  Kenzo couldn't help but be impressed by the dispy, and judging by the way her helmet's eyes lit up, he guessed that Axion shared his se. He pced his hands on his hips, ughing aloud. "Hoho, that was a nice move. Quite impressive, Axion-. Your trol is improving rapidly. As is your creativity, it seems."

  He pced a finger on his , pting his move. "Now then, how about it up a notch?" The er of his lips curled upwards. "Let's see how well you hahis, yeah?"

  Axion stood still, the bat in her hands gripped firmly. "Ready when you are."

  Kenzo lifted his sword and adjusted his stance more, moving closer. This time, he entered her zohout hesitation. As soon as she tried to increase the gravitational pull, he responded with a quick dash forward, before altering his movement with a double step. As he maneuvered through the altered gravity, he struck out with his sword.

  Axioed instinctively, meeting his blow with her bat.

  Their ons collided with a resounding g, and he promptly followed up with two more strikes, aiming for her left and right fnks. She mao bloe blow, but the sed strike nded, smming against her body and sendiumbling. As she tried tain her footing, he rushed in, delivering a swift kick to her chest.

  She crashed to the ground with a muffled cry of pain, her bat slipping from her grip.

  As she clutched her injured side, Kenzo approached her, keeping a safe distance.

  Axion ied her suit, her eyes narrowing when she saw a small tear in the fabriear her waist. "I thought for sure I'd be cut in half by now..." She sounded puzzled, and more than a little armed.

  Kenzo chuckled, sheathing his sword. "My sword is a Sakabatō, its edges are reversed. It's used to disarm or incapacitate, not kill. That said, if I wao kill someone, I still do it. It's a matter of teique, really."

  "But you sliced through the bat earlier?"

  "Oh, I make the bde vibrate with the beat. It resonates with the metal, and that causes it to beore...ahem, 'effit,'" he replied matter-of-factly. "Think of it like a tuning fork."

  Axion sighed, rising to her feet. "You really are amazing. It's frustrating."

  "Hmmm?" Kenzo arched a brow. "What's that supposed to mean? Are you admitti?"

  "Don't misuand. I'm only saying that you're strong. You fight unlike anyone I've ever fought before." The vi in her voice was unmistakable. "But you're wrong if you think I'm giving up."

  "Ara-ara, kakkoii girl! Seven minutes left then. Ganbare!" he enced, with a wide smile.

  The musitinued, filling the stadium with its melodious rhythm, and Kenzo felt his body begin to sway along to the beat once more. He looked over at the band and fshed them a thumbs-up, signaling them to py the rack. They gave him an aowledging nod and grinned, simultaneously adjusting the beat.

  "Right, let's keep the music rolling!"

  Their exge was a blur of motion, Kenzo's swordpy meeting Axion's gravity-enhatacks. Each strike she delivered weighed with the force of a sledgehammer, but he sidestepped her attempts deftly, matg her tempo.

  Though he avoided her gravitational pull, he chose not to strike directly; no, he would wear her down. Instead, he made use of feints, trying to gauge her rea times and her ability to read his iions.

  As they fought, the iy of Axion's blows gradually increased. Her swings came in faster, harder. The weight behitacks grew increasingly oppressive. With every exge, he had to work harder to evade and defend.

  At times, when she seemed particurly determio nd a strike, her attacks became predictable. Each swing grew slower, telegraphed. Sometimes she overitted a herself vulnerable to ters, allowing Kenzo to throw out quick jabs at exposed areas.

  Although he eheir exges, they were a challeo weather. If he faltered for even a moment, he knew he might very well find himself lying ft on the ground. But for every strike she threw, Kenzo hree.

  "Hyō Hansha (Beat Bounce)!" Kenzo shouted as Axion swung her bat with enhanced force. He struck the bat mid-swing, his sword humming, resonating with the rhythmic vibrations. The kiiergy transferred, defleg the bat off its intended path, missing Kenzo by a hair. The momentary shift in momentum sent Axion flying, careening untrolbly, tumbling over the ground.

  "Teion Shindō (Bass Tremor)!" he excimed, smming his sword into the ground. A deep, resonating tremor emanated from the point of impact, rippling across the dirt in waves.

  The shockwave rolled towards Axion, who seemed rooted in pce. Her helmet's eyes brightened, and she stomped her foot onto the ground, creating a small crater and creating a powerful shockwave of her own, g out Kenzo's attack.

  The two shockwaves collided, produg a thundercp that echoed through the stadium. A gust of wied from the epiter, buffeting both batants with a fierce bst of air. Kenzo squinted, shielding his eyes from the debris kicked up by the impact.

  As the dust settled, he could see Axion standing defiantly, the bat in her hand. Her krembled slightly, and her breathing bored. Her suit was torn in several pces, revealing bruised patches of skin. Small cuts marred her limbs, and her visor was cracked and splintered in multiple areas.

  Despite this, her helmet's eyes gleamed brightly.

  Three more minutes. She's stubborn. I like it.

  Kenzo approached her cautiously, his body weary but otherwise uninjured. His sword hummed softly in his grasp. Sweat dripped from his brow, and he exhaled, steadying himself.

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

  To his surprise, Axion nodded without hesitation. "Just try me." Her voice crackled through the static emitting from her helmet. She lifted her bat and began striding towards him.

  Kenzo matched her pace, stalking forward slowly. He gripped his sword with both hands, watg her every move.

  She lunged forward with reckless ferocity, swinging her bat in an arc. As Kenzo side-stepped the swipe, he felt the shift in gravity pulling him down once more. He resisted its force, dang aside, stepping lightly on his toes.

  As soon as he was two meters away, he—

  His eyes widened.

  The heaviness he experienced hadn't left. Rather, it only intensified. He frowned and jumped back again, his calves burning as he strained against the pull.

  When he felt the pull lessen, he sshed at the ground, marking the spot with a shallow furrow.

  As he slid to a stop, he gazed at the scar in the dirt and its distance from Axion who, oddly enough, stood still.

  Six meters.

  Huh? Wasn't her range only two meters?