Canon Fodder

CHAPTER 317 TRUE STRENGTH

The red room appeared around me. “What the fuck? Already?” I asked the room. I didn’t think it had been 15 days yet. But then again the note had said within 15 days, not 15 days exactly. “Fuck,” I cursed as the pop up appeared. 

Letting out an angry sigh I resigned myself to it. “No dying this time,” I told myself, but to my surprise my heart wasn’t in the words. I still felt like shit after Hancock called me out on my BS. Slapping my cheeks I knew I had to keep going. I wasn’t sure how many challenges were ahead of me, but I had to keep pushing through. I had to survive. 

Moving to the Junction I opened the Books Door. 

I clicked Yes. The only major change to my Status Screen was adding a Summon Challenger Slot. Though Hancock currently hated me I had to risk it. Even if she wouldn’t help me, not choosing her would be the wrong choice. I had assigned her as my Summon. I doubted I would get another any time soon so she was my only option. 

Focusing on her name I hovered my finger over the Summon button. I could show her the rooms, maybe talk to her more. Since there had been a 1 hour cooldown though, I didn’t.

“Guess it’s me and Nibi,” I said. Getting used to my weakened body again I pushed thoughts of Hancock out of my mind. I just hoped I didn’t need her for now. When the timer ended it all turned black then gray as I appeared in the impossibly huge expanse of the fighting arena. 

“What the absolute fuck,” I mumbled as I read the worlds my opponent had been to. Not only manga but he had risked it in Video Games with Halo and either Comics or TV Shows with The Boys. The guy had been all over. Before I could begin to understand what to watch out for the next screen appeared.

“Fuck,” I said as I read the possible losses. I would lose access to the Manga Hall if I forfeited. No accidental back up plans. I knew that dying wasn’t an option either. 

I turned to see a 7 foot tall man in black Halo/Spartan gear. Thick chunks of metal armor sections covering his entire body I began to sweat. This was going to be a hard fight. 

“Hello,” the man said like it was no big deal. Waving at me, he didn’t lift up the mask but his voice sounded from speakers on his helmet. The yellow sheen of the visor facing me I couldn’t help but wave back. 

“Hello,” I said.

“I am Mikhail,” he said with a nod. I guessed he was Russian, but he didn’t have an accent. I assumed that he was speaking Russian but I was hearing him in perfect English. 

“Weston,” I said. “...Nice armor.” 

“You as well. I enjoyed Gantz but did not pick it as one of my worlds,” he admitted. “I see that you have the armor.” I nodded. “Good. I am looking forward to our fight.” I chewed my lip while studying the tall figure. I hadn’t played the Halo game much, but I had watched Red vs. Blue and read some of the books. If the book was like the game then he was a genetically modified human. Impossibly strong, it was a video game world. A world where you had many lives to try to get through the game. I wondered if he had many lives to get through the World, or had he been such a badass that he got through it without dying?

With him beating Fullmetal Alchemist I assumed he could alter his suit how he wanted like how Edward Elric did to his metal arm. Attacking the suit would be useless since he could rebuild it. The man had put some thought into the worlds he beat. 

The Boys was up in the air. A more real world version of the DC Universe there was a lot of death and destruction. I would have to assume he had super powers. 

The last big worry was Bleach. I was curious if it was the Anime or Manga version. Did he have Fullmetal Alchemist and Bleach in the same hall? Or had he conquered a world in each hall? Unsure how to proceed I wondered what his power was as he drew a Zanpakuto from his status screen. That answered that question. 

A Zankpaktou was the main weapon of Shinigami in the manga/anime Bleach. A long katana, the size of it signified the spiritual power someone had. From the size of his weapon, I guessed Mikhail had a medium amount. 

“I will do my best not to kill you,” Mikhail said as he raised the sword at me. “But if I fail, I apologize.”

“Thanks, same to you,” I said, pulling water-chakra out of my body. Getting my head in the game I focused Nen, Chakra, Haki, and my Give and Take Quirk to absorb kinetic energy around my body. Maintaining them all I decided it was time to stop stalling. 

I rushed forward as Mikhail did. Both of us moving at one another he pointed the Zanpakuto at me as the much taller Spartan suit ran at me. Dodging under the first slice I began pelting his armor with thin ice shards. They bounced and broke on the thick metal. Cursing I slid to the side out of the way of his sword as I targeted the joints of the armor.

Moving my puddle of water to the side I directed the ice bullets expertly. After 3 hit one joint the man yelled out as I broke through the armor at that section. Trying to make myself angry for my Berserker Mode I tried to picture someone important to me being hurt, but all I could think of was Hancock. The person I became angry at was myself. 

Forcing those thoughts away I hit him in the midsection where his armor plating was thinner. Connecting with him I poured in a huge amount of chakra and Nen into his body causing him to be thrown back. 

The yellow marking where I hit flashed. That was the sign of a shield around the suit. The guy had a freaking forcefield around him. Running at him I hit him again, but the heavy metal man kicked my face, knocking me back. Sliding on the ground I got back up but we faced one another again. 

A lull in the fight I used Kame Mode. My opponent and I stared at one another as I was replenished of my chakra and strength. 

“You are very interesting,” Mikhail said. “It appears you have stuck to one Hall, like many. But most I have fought chose the less interesting worlds.”

“You too,” I said. “Good to meet a fellow weeb.”

“Yes,” Mikhail said. “Let us get more serious.” Waving his hand over his Zanpakuto it moved into the next phase. The blade surprised me by turning into a blue glowing Energy Sword from Halo. A grip running horizontal, rather than in line vertically like the katana. There were 2 blue curved blades on either side of the sword that went straight out. 

“Is that your uh Zanpakuto’s true form?” I asked. 

“Yes, I was quite surprised myself.” The man said, proud of the weapon as he waved it around. “Apparently taking on the Bleach world in Spartan armor helped guide my weapon to the design.”

“Fucking badass son of a bitch,” I mumbled, feeling for once like I had maybe wasted my time. I was going to have to bring it all out. 

Forming a hand seal I made 2 clones. Mikhail ran back toward me, but my real body rushed him. My other clones began pouring out chakra as they used my special move. Creating a sphere out of chakra, then filling it with water-chakra they condensed the water down until it was high pressure. I narrowly dodged from Mikhail’s blade by using my Observation Haki. The power of the sword giving me an idea I began pulling energy from it. Storing it in my chest as my clones charged their attack. 

When I counted to 20 I jumped up to a puddle floating over us as my clones finished the highly pressurized balls of water. Pushing in pin holes into the balls they threw them at Mikhail. The balls twisted in the air, spraying everything. Hit with 2 streams of water they cut into his armor. But as I used Kame mode the man began flying up to meet me. 

Using some kind of superpower he met me as I began pelting him with more ice bullets. His blade whizzing by me I continued to pull energy from it. There was so much there it was almost a joke. Storing it up, the power quickly became full inside of my weaker body. The force sitting in my chest I went at him and shot it out of my chest. 

Hitting him in the pectoral the beam of heat caused his armor to sizzle, but it wasn’t enough. Punching the still red armor I started pulling heat energy from the metal, storing it in myself as my Gantz suit muscles bulged out with renewed strength. Mikhail took 2 hits and I was able to pull off one of his pec guards but then he nicked me with his sword. 

Slicing off 3 of my fingers I hadn’t been fast enough. Drawing back I pushed the pain out of my mind. Catching my breath I went into Kame mode again. 

“You are stronger than my last opponents,” Mikhail admitted. Bowing slightly I let him talk as I focused on the water around me. “I will get serious now.”

“Fuck,” I said, I had been giving most of what I had. With a lower pool of strength I only had so much of each power system. 

His Energy Blade moved into the next phase. Turning into a bankai the sword disappeared. Purplish blue lights formed around him like stars. The move reminded me of Byakuya Kuchiki, one of the captains in Bleach. He was able to turn his Zanpakuto into thousands of tiny blades that resembled sakura blossom leaves. 

Mikhail’s energy sword had turned into small balls of power that I guessed he could control to attack. We didn’t say anything as we stared at one another. Then one of the blue energy balls shot out at me faster than I could react. Piercing my side I yelled out as my clones threw another set of water balls at him. 

As he dodged by the water jets I went at him. Flying through the air on my disc of water I used all I had to get close. When I was within arm’s reach I hit where I had broken off his Spartan armor. Instead of meeting flabby skin like my own, it felt like I was hitting granite. Thick muscle meeting my knuckles I was too shocked to dodge 3 more energy balls piercing into me.

One in my shoulder, another in my leg, and the last in my hand I fell down to the ground. My control of chakra faltered. I was in too much pain to care as I struck the ground. My suit mostly protecting me I grunted and rolled to sit up. 

Mikhail landed in front of me. The small energy balls floating around him I guessed they really were his bankai. 

“Give up,” Mikhail said, making the energy balls move closer to me. Making me sweat I stared at him with all the rage I had. The irony of being in the weaker position was not lost on me. 

“How?!” I couldn’t help but ask. “You should have a body as weak as me!” 

“I should,” Mikhail said with a nod. “But I don’t anymore.” 

“How?”

“I will not tell you,” he said. “Give up or I will kill you.” 

I racked my brain for a tactic. Stealing energy from the small balls around me. Disappearing in an illusion. The man was strong, I doubted a Genjutsu would work. Far stronger than me I could feel it so close to him. His Haki was far above mine. This man had the World Lasting Physique somehow. 

“Ultimate moves,” I offered. Mikhail studied me. “I doubt you’ve used yours. I haven’t used mine.” 

“What about it?” He asked. 

“We can use them,” I said. “See who has the stronger one.” 

Mikhail barked a laugh. He moved his hand up slowly and pulled out a white mask from his status screen. Like a distorted hockey mask it was white with black patterns on the face. Eye slits and large horns mounted on the top, I knew it immediately.  

“An Arrancar mask?” I blurted. The pit in my stomach dropped. That would make him a hell of a lot stronger. The Arrancar masks were used by the main protagonist in Bleach, making his power skyrocket. If Mikhail could get rid of weaknesses like I could, he would actually be in control of it. Mikhail had a far better ultimate move than I imagined, but did he have complete control of it? 

“I admit. I have not had the chance to use this in a Challenge,” Mikhail said. “I have not been able to go all-out.” He stared at the mask, an emotionless gaze on his yellow visor. His Haki leaked a fighting spirit stronger than any I had come across. I only felt his emotions for a split second but I knew Mikhail thrived on the challenge. 

“Which world are your ultimate moves from?” He asked. I felt a kinship with the man. Giving me a chance I didn’t hesitate to answer. 

“Hunter x Hunter and Naruto,” I admitted. 

He nodded. “Yes, yes I will take up this challenge,” he said.

Hope bloomed in me. Standing up slowly the blue energy balls disappeared and Mikhail walked backward. Shifting back into Kame mode when the man stopped walking I had healed some of the damage, but far from all. 

“I assume you need time?” Mikhail asked. I bit my lip while I nodded. “30 seconds is all I will give you. And if you die, you will not haunt me, correct?” 

“No, I won’t haunt you,” I said. Unsure what other worlds the man had been to. I wondered if that was an actual concern. 

Mikhail nodded and I opened the first 2 gates. Power moving into me, I immediately shifted to the other gates. Scratching them away one by one chakra poured out of me. Ignoring Mikhail, I did everything I could to open them as soon as possible. Before I knew it the 5th gate was open. My hair standing on end blue chakra poured out of me as pain assailed me.

Trying to force open the 6th gate I knew that my 30 seconds had long passed. Looking up I narrowly dodged a sword slice from Mikhail. His Spartan helmet was off. His white mask bone Arrancar mask stared at me as I narrowly dodged. His Spiritual Energy had increased dramatically. Practically the sun itself the only thing that saved me was the quick reactions of using all of my strength at once. 

Not bothering with a weapon I jumped back at him. Dodging his katana I hit him in the chest with all I had. Thrown back I went after him, but a slight flick of his wrist caused him to jump up. I could feel it as he flew at me. He was still stronger than me. I had feared that, so instead of dragging the fight on I did something I swore I wouldn’t do. 

Pulling my Nen out of my body it exploded like a white fog. Obscuring the air itself as I screamed while I forced it into my fist. Far too much power to control without practice my mind struggled but was able to control it enough to send the power forward. Expelling all of my lifeforce at once at Mikhail.  

Unsure if I hit him, the pain became too much. My entire body screamed at me, far more than any other time I had opened the gates. I fell to the ground, almost passing out. The 5 gates closing, I puked to the side. Blood leaked out from gashes in my Gantz armor. Lost in the haze of an excruciating pain. I felt like my soul was screaming at me. My chakra, haki, and nen were weaker than I had ever felt them. 

Looking down to my hands they appeared old and wrinkly as they shook from the pain moving through me. Doing my best to ignore my state and how empty I felt I hoped for a notification to appear, instead Mikhail landed next to me. 

My limbs no longer responding I looked up to see that his armor and mask were blown away, as well as one of his arms. Mikhail was an older man, perhaps in his early 20s he had short cut bleached hair. Thick jaw, a scar across his cheek, he looked far older than anyone else I had fought. 

“That was more powerful than I expected,” Mikhail admitted. Raising his sword over me he said, “Forfeit or die?”

“I-” My voice choked up. Tears in my eyes I let them flow. I didn’t know the answer. Maybe it was a symptom of using up my lifeforce, or the fact that I had just had my fight with Hancock, but I was tired. For so long I had been fooling myself that I was the good guy, but I wasn’t. I was a liar, cheater, and murderer. I was everything I had never wanted to be in my first life. 

If past me, knew current me, he would be sickened by what I had become. Hancock was right to be furious at me. She had asked for one simple thing, only her. I never intended for it to be only her. So many other lives I had let our fantasies of a normal life play out, but I knew they would never happen. If I had been a real man I would have told her no. She could have accepted me or rejected me then and both of us could have moved on with our lives. But I had wanted her by my side. 

Why? Because she was strong? Because she practically worshiped me? Some ego trip I was yearning for in my life as I used her like a guard dog. I really was a scumbag, and I was starting to see it.

“Just kill me,” I said, tears still streaming down my cheeks. I didn’t have the strength to fight the depression washing over me. 

“Are you sure? You are strong, Weston,” Mikhail said. “I would like a rematch one day.”

“Why? Why not kill me? I was ready to kill you?!” I said, my voice a rasp as I felt every muscle in my body scream at me in agony. 

“Because…this is fun,” he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I am having the time of my life in these worlds. I wouldn’t want to take someone else’s joy away. Why not keep fighting these challenges for the rest of eternity?”

I felt tears in my eyes as I slowly put together what he was saying. He never intended to kill me, because this was his wish. To keep challenging the worlds and himself. 

“You are a much better person than me, Mikhail,” I said, coughing as I spit up some blood. “I wish…I wish I never lost that sense of fun about all of this,” I admitted. Hurt as even my soul felt wretched for not having the same attitude as him. “No, I deserve death. I’m tired. I died in my last Challenge. I should have stayed that way.”

Mikhail frowned but raised his blade up. A big part of me almost pushed him away. Controlling the water in his body for another last ditch effort to survive, but that old part of me that had acted human stayed my hand. I didn’t have the chakra to do it anyway. I closed my eyes, my resolve to win was gone in an instant. My lives passed through my eyes, and I knew I didn’t deserve any of them. 

That was until she appeared. 

Black hair materialized out of nowhere. Laying in the way of the blade she cried out, “Don’t!” Mikhail hesitated. 

“Hancock?” I asked, confused. 

“Don’t Weston. Don’t die. I’m sorry. I want to be by your side, no matter what you are doing. Just give up. And we will work together to get stronger,” she cried, holding onto me. Her head lifting up, she had tears in her eyes as we locked eyes. 

There was no Chikyugi in me, no Link between us, so I had to rely on my own judgment to know what she was thinking. Written all over her was love. I didn’t know what to say. “I don’t-”

“Shut the fuck up! I don’t care about your thoughts!” She yelled, slapping me. “Forfeit. Now! Or I will never forgive you.” 

My voice choked up. I could only do what she said. “I forfeit,” I said and it all turned black.