Konchu stood near the Outdoor Pool on the Kaminokaze Family Estate. She looked around, jittering and twitching slightly, similar to a bug. She looked at her reflection in the water for a moment, before just shrugging.

  “I kinda expected to fight or somethin’. But…I ain’t complainin’ about getting to lounge around!” Konchu said to herself.

  She laid back in one of the Pool Chairs, relaxing with her feet kicked up and her arms resting behind her head. She chirped like a cricket as she sighed…

  “Well this is nice!” She said to herself. “If talks with the Family goes well after this, I wouldn’t mind buzzing over every now and then~!”

  Just then, Konchu noticed the water’s surface ripple, and a second later, someone leapt from it! She wore a red robe and had pink skin. Her hands were Crab Claws, and she had crab-like shells covering her head and feet, with crab-like eyestalks protruding from the top of her head.

  “Oooh…” Konchu chirped, still reclining in the pool chair. “Someone looks quite crabby today~”

  “...How original.” The woman, Kani, responded. “I’m gonna pull off your wings and make a wish.”

  To add emphasis to her words, she clamped her crab claws shut threateningly. She then leapt at Konchu and drove her Claw towards her in a stabbing motion! Konchu zipped away from the incoming attack, as Konchu’s claw collided with the chair and broke it to pieces!

  “Ooh, what’re ya gonna wish for?” Konchu quipped back, seeming wholly unbothered as she buzzed through the air.

  “For you to go into shock so you’ll finally SHUT UP!” Kani growled, grabbing a table by the pool and throwing it at Konchu, who ducked under it.

  Konchu flew in close and grew Stingers from her knuckles. She punched Kani, who blocked by lowering her head, making her hit the shell covering it, and breaking both her knuckles and the stingers protruding from it. Kani then clamped her claw around Konchu’s neck, beginning to squeeze tightly!

  “Now where were we…” Kani remarked, before pinching one of Konchu’s wings with her other claw. “Oh yeah…I wish…”

  Before she could finish, Kani flinched, feeling a sharp pain in her side! She looked down to see that Konchu had grown a Scorpion Tail and pierced her abdomen! She quickly threw Konchu away and held her side. She began to feel woozy…Konchu chirped, rubbing her neck slightly.

  “I know it was a cheap shot…but fairness isn’t a given in a fight.” She said, as the tail slowly retracted. “The venom I injected in you will fully paralyze you in about 5 minutes.”

  “Alright…” Kani growled, her eye twitching. “Then I’ll tear you to bits in 4.”

  “Not before I crack you open in 3~” Konchu replied, as she lifted her sleeve and Bees began to emerge from within!

  The Bees swarmed around Kani as she swung her claws, swatting them out of the way as she attempted to get closer to Konchu! Kani lifted her claws up high and slammed them down on Konchu! However, at the last moment, Konchu had grown mantis-like raptorial claws from her hands, and used them to block Kani’s attack! Konchu then spat out silk from her mouth, which stuck to Kani’s eyes and blinded her!

  Konchu swung her arms up, flinging Kani’s claws aside, and went to slash her with her raptorial claws! But as she swung, Kani clamped her claw down on Konchu’s wrist! The eyestalks on top of Kani’s head peered down at Konchu, before her claw squeezed tightly and snapped one of Konchu’s raptorial claws off! Kani then grabbed Konchu’s ankle as she tried to fly backwards, and slammed her chest-first into the ground. Konchu was dazed, the wind knocked out of her chest, as Kani swung her again, slamming her onto her back! Kani used her other claw to rip the silk off her eyes, and glared down at Konchu as her claw continued to squeeze her ankle…

  “Y’know, the thing about Crabs…” Kani growled. “They eat Bugs for breakfast.”

  Konchu’s free leg morphed into a grasshopper-like leg, which reared back and kicked Kani in the gut, making her recoil! Konchu then flew up, her head twitching and jittering slightly.

  “The thing about Crabs…” Konchu replied. “They eat DEAD Bugs.”

  Konchu flew at Kani, while forming a beetle-like horn on her forehead! At high-speed, she rammed into Kani’s face like a torpedo, knocking her back! She then morphed her wings into Dragonfly Wings, using them to quickly change her speed & direction, zipping behind Kani and using her grasshopper leg to punt her up into the air! To finish her attack, she morphed her hand into a long centipede body, with ant-like mandibles on the end. She grabbed ahold of Kani around her waist using this limb, and with great speed, she slammed her down into the ground, leaving a small crater!

  Konchu’s body slowly morphed back to normal, and she began to heal her injuries using Aura Regeneration. Just then, the dust cleared from the crater as Kani stood, walking out from it! Her injuries making her move slower, but she clearly intended to keep fighting.

  “I’m…gonna…” She growled, before her body seized up, and she fell to the ground, her every muscle stiff and unresponsive!

  “5 Minutes.” Konchu replied. “Always find a situation where you have the advantage~”

  Konchu walked past Kani, and sat by the pool again, reclining with her arms resting behind her head.

  “I…hate…you!” Kani growled through her locked-up jaw.

  “I get that a lot.” Konchu replied, apathetically.

  Elsewhere, Juryoku sat on a pile of unconscious Guards. He wasn’t the type to stick around one place, so he hadn’t stayed where he was teleported. Given his obsession with fighting, he also jumped at the chance to fight some more Guards. He rested his head on his hand, with his elbow on his knee for support. He felt half-asleep.

  “These guys barely put up a fight…” He grumbled. “At this rate, they won’t have to kill me, I’ll get BORED to death.”

  Just then, Juryoku heard a noise and perked up. He glanced behind him, seeing a man sitting back-to-back with him. He was wore a large white jacket with yellow arrows on it, and very pointy sunglasses. He was smoking a cigarette as he sat.

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  “You’re pretty quick.” Juryoku remarked. “...Think you’re as fast as me?”

  “Didn’t come from a race, man.” The man, Sokudo replied. “Came to kick your teeth in.”

  With that, Sokudo became a blur and threw a kick at Juryoku! Juryoku, however, leapt away in time, moving at high speed as well! He looked up at Sokudo, then rubbed his cheek, feeling a slight burn. He was grazed by the attack.

  “What do you know, I AM faster than you.” Sokudo remarked, smirking. “Looks like the Mach King’s still got it.”

  “Mach King? So you’re that rapper who made like 4 songs and retired?” Juryoku questioned. “Couldn’t take the heat so you became a Gangster? Usually it’s the other way around~”

  “Talk all the trash you want. We already know I’m faster than you.” Sokudo replied, blowing a puff of smoke from his cigarette.

  Juryoku stood up straight, and then started to tap his foot. As it moved, it progressively started to get faster, and faster…

  “Oh?” Sokudo remarked. “Your Ability is to Accelerate, then.”

  “Bein’ faster than me doesn’t mean much, Pal.” Juryoku said, while grinning. “I can keep getting faster. No limits for me~”

  Juryoku then dashed behind Sokudo, and threw a punch, which he ducked under, and just as fast elbowed Juryoku’s stomach, hitting him into the wall of the Estate! Juryoku was stunned for a second. He knew he had accelerated himself more than before, but he was still faster?

  “Since you’re too slow to keep up, I’ll go ahead and fill ya in.” Sokudo began, “My ability is simple. It lets me move at Mach 1 at will. If I push it, I can go even faster. I was just reducing my Speed with the first attack. You may be able to make yourself fast, but can you break the Sound Barrier, punk?”

  Juryoku stood up, and wiped some blood from his nose, before he grinned and hopped in place excitedly.

  “Sound Barrier, eh? Haven’t gone that fast yet…” He said, amused. “Let’s find out!”

  He moved quick to try and attack Sokudo, but got countered again with a kick to his jaw that sent him tumbling. This time, however, he didn’t waste any time and kept moving. He didn’t need to move to Accelerate himself, but constantly moving made it more difficult to predict his movement. He continued trying to attack him, getting countered at every turn!

  “This is pointless. Ya clearly can’t accelerate yourself to Mach Speed.” Sokudo commented after one of the Counters. “Just give up already so I can finish this.”

  Just then, Sokudo heard a loud POP noise, similar to thunder, and turned just as Juryoku launched a punch which scraped Sokudo’s cheek! He took a step back, and rubbed his cheek before scoffing angrily. Juryoku turned, steam rising from his knuckle, and smirked.

  “So that’s how a Sonic Boom feels~” Juryoku commented as he clenched his fist tighter.

  Juryoku went for another attack, but Sokudo became a blur once again, kicking Juryoku in the chest and stunning him!

  “Mach 2.” Sokudo said, before he reared his fist back. “MACH PUNCH!”

  He threw a supersonic Punch, which collided with Juryoku’s face and sent him flying across the lawn! When he finally stopped rolling, he elbowed the ground, knocking himself up in the air just as Sokudo reappeared behind him! Juryoku, pushing his Ability further, accelerated himself just enough to dodge Sokudo’s kick, moving at Mach 1.9. And then, in a second, he crossed it. Mach 2.2. He landed a spinning kick on Sokudo’s side, knocking him into the Estate wall! Sokudo landed feet-first against the wall, but before he could react, Juryoku grabbed ahold of his face, slamming it down into the wall! He then ran along the Wall as if it were the ground beneath them, dragging Sokudo through the brick walls at Mach 2.5!

  Finally, Sokudo kicked it up to Mach 3, using his sudden speed increase to punch Juryoku off him! He then kicked Juryoku’s chest with both feet, knocking him away as they fell off the Wall. He looked over at his Sunglasses, which were lying on the ground completely smashed. He took his cigarette out of his mouth and dropped it on the ground, stomping it out.

  “I’m kinda pissed now…” Sokudo growled. “Screw it…Mach 5 : Full Throttle.”

  Sokudo moved at Hypersonic Speed, hitting Juryoku so fast, he couldn’t see him at all, let alone what attack he was hit with! Then, before his feet could touch the ground, he was hit in the face with another attack, then another to the back of his head, making him flip! He was hit again and again, getting juggled in the same spot mid-air with god knows how many hits! Afterwards, Sokudo appeared in front of him, fist reared back…

  “MACH PUNCH!” He exclaimed as he punched Juryoku, sending him flying!

  Juryoku crashed into the ground and continued going, his body tearing through the ground beneath him like a cannonball until he crashed into the estate wall!

  “Tsch…no way that Punk survived.” Sokudo said to himself, as he took out another Cigarette and began to light it.

  Just then, Juryoku leapt up from the ground, and landed on his feet! He bounced in place, bleeding all over yet still seeming energetic!

  “Now we’re cookin’ with gas!” Juryoku exclaimed happily.

  Juryoku dashed forwards, moving at Mach 4, and kicking Sokudo’s lighter away! Sokudo scoffed, as a vein began to bulge on his forehead…

  “You’re really pissin’ me off, asshole…!” Sokudo growled, as he once again entered Mach 5.

  He went to attack Juryoku, but to his surprise, he quickly ducked, and then uppercut his chin! Sokudo couldn’t believe it, Juryoku should’ve still been slower than him!

  “Surprised?!” Juryoku questioned energetically. “My Ability isn’t just Acceleration, it’s Deceleration too! I can speed myself up and slow YOU down~!”

  He then flipped into the air, and slammed the heel of his foot into Sokudo’s face with a flying Axe Kick, slamming his back down onto the ground! Juryoku then reared his fist back as much as he could, and locked eyes with Sokudo, before throwing a punch as fast as he could…

  “Mach 6…” He began, “MACH PUNCH!”

  He hit Sokudo at full speed, sending him flying as he collided with the top of the Estate Wall and crashed through it! As Sokudo landed in the distance, Juryoku shook his fist, which had steam rising from it…

  “Phew…” He sighed, and grinned. “Thanks for the new move, pal~”

  Somewhere underneath the Estate, in a large cellar-like area, Kireina stood across from Yokunai. He was a young Teen around 16 Years Old, with purple hair and wearing a baggy jacket. Kireina looked at him, and just sighed.

  “Kid, just get outta my way.” Kireina said, bluntly. “I’m not the type to fight kids.”

  Yokunai took a deep breath, composing himself as his Aura formed around him. “I can’t. As the heir of the Kaminokaze Family, I can’t back down from a conflict, Ma’am…”

  “Heir…? So you’re the big boss’ son, eh?” Kireina replied. “And you can use Aura…still, I don’t wanna fight some Teen. Get outta the way.”

  Kireina lifted her hand, as pink Mist began to spread throughout the area.

  “One breath of this Mist and you’re under my full control, so long as you’re a guy that is.” Kireina explained. “Thing is, I usually don’t use or train my Ability, but if it stops me having to fight you-”

  Before she could finish, Yokunai clapped his hands as a transparent purple Bubble appeared around them, and the pink mist disappeared in an instant!

  “Ugh…” Kireina groaned. “You’re really not making this easy for me, kid-”

  Just as she turned back to Yokunai, he grabbed ahold of her raised arm, wrapping his legs across her chest and holding her in a standing armbar! Using Aura to enhance her strength, he held her as tight as he could!

  “I’m not just ‘some kid’, y’know!” Yokunai exclaimed. “I know how to fight, too!”

  He pulled as hard as he could, bending her arm back with the intent to break it! However, as he did, Kireina flexed her arm and it stopped moving…then began to slowly bent, bringing Yokunai up with it into a position for him to look her in the eye.

  “Kid, Physical Augmentation is my bread n’ butter.” Kireina explained, nonchalantly. “You aren’t gonna beat me hand-to-hand.”

  Yokunai then released one of his legs, and kicked her in the face, which barely made her budge. He then let go of her arm, and landed in a handstand, pushing himself towards her and kicking her chest, which only resulted in him bouncing off her like she was a wall! Kireina, starting to get annoyed, lifted her hand and swung a downward punch towards Yokunai, who dodged backwards just in time! Her fist collided with the floor, and the shockwave sent cracks all throughout the large cement room, leaving a crater where she hit and shattering apart chunks of the floor and walls! Yokunai, sweating slightly, watched as Kireina lifted her fist from the floor.

  “See? Just lemme pass already, I’m startin’ to get annoyed.” Kireina said to him.

  Yokunai thought to himself, “One last idea…if I release my Ability and focus ALL my Aura into an attack targeting a vulnerable spot, I might be able to take her down! My timing will have to be perfect…the instant the Bubble drops, her Mist will reappear…”

  Yokunai wasted no time and ran towards Kireina, ready to attack! She sighed and stood there as he approached. Yokunai threw one last jump-punch towards Kireina’s face, and at the last second, he released his Ability, focusing all his Aura towards augmenting the punch! The sound resonated all throughout the room as the ground vibrated! As the pink Mist swirled around, Yokunai grimaced. He already knew.

  “Sorry, kid. For what it’s worth, you’re a fine young man already.” Kireina said as the Mist infiltrated Yokunai’s mind, turning his pupils into red heart shapes as he fell under her control. “When you’re ready, you’ll be one hell of a Boss, kid.”

  Kireina had Yokunai lay down gently on the ground and fall asleep, as she went through the door he was “blocking”, and walked up the stairs. The battle had ended without a scratch on either of them.