Staten Island vs Manhattan Squad, Part 1

"Welcome everyone, to day two of the New York Interborough Competition!" The Chairman booms into a microphone. The second day started off just at the first, everytime was given their matchups and the arena that they are fighting in. Ella, Grover, and I are facing Manhattan's squad on the river arena, the squad with the cute pink-haired girl, and Mikey, Jamie, and Austin are facing Brooklyn's squad in the desert arena, the squad with the creepy snake-girl. Ralph, Ivy, and Lycan are facing the Bronx squad in the Jungle Terrain. The rest of the day is spent strategizing and watching footage of our opponents, and that brings us to where we are now.

***

"Alright, so what's our game-plan again?" Grover asks.

"We're facing the Manhattan Squad," Ella begins to explain. "First up, is Slayer Mirai, Cursed Ability: Precognition. Similarly to Slayer Renzu from the Queens Squad, Mirai can see seven seconds into the future."

"Damn, Ella!" I exclaim as I sling an arm around her shoulder, causing Ella to blush and tense up. "We may not have Austin, but Team Grover is safe in your strategic hands!"

"You helped us out a lot in the last match, two," Ella replies with a small smile as she peers up at me.

"So who else do we hafta' beat?" Grover asks with a yawn.

"Slayer Tobu, Cursed Ability: Levitation," Ella continues. "He can levitate, and make objects he touches levitate as well. And lastly, is Slayer Neko. She has a weird Cursed Ability, she can grow out her finger nails like claws. Ew."

"Sounds like an easy trio," Grover yawns again. Grover then lifts his hands up from behind his neck and punches a fist into his palm. "Let's get to work, Team Grover," he smirks.

Ella and I look at one another with a smirk, then peer back to Grover. "Right!"

Ella, Grover, and I begin trekking through the arena, which resembles a forest cut in half by a large ass sprawling river on both sides, creating four quadrants, which branching rivers spreading out from the original. The river is lined with mossy stones spaced out for a part, assumingly for us to jump across. Of course, us in Team Grover can just use Grover's wormholes to hop across the river far easier, teleporting from wormhole to wormhole. Everything is going smoothly, until we see a figure begin flying towards us from the distance.

"Is that-" I begin to say.

"Tobu?!" Grover cries.

The figure continues flying towards us at blinding speeds, and I notice that it's a girl. The figure then extends both arms out to her sides, and her finger nails instantly shoot outwards, like claws. Ew.

"No, it's Neko!" Ella answers. "Using Tobu's Cursed Ability to fly!"

Neko continues flying towards us, and pretty soon, I notice her target.

"Ella, look out!" I shout.

Neko begins flying towards Ella while slashing her weird finger nail claws.

"Knockback Wave!" Ella shouts as she ducks and dodges Neko's attack, before thrusting her palm towards Neko and firing off a Knockback Wave her way, but Neko manages to dodge as well.

Neko then lands on the ground, perched like a cat. "I knew that you would dodge," she begins to say with a smirk as she stands up and turns around to face us. "Thanks to Mirai's Precognition ability."

"Then why weren't you able to counteract?" I ask, causing Neko to tense up.

"Uhh…" she stammers.

"It's because Mirai can only see seven seconds into the future," I explain. "She's not invincible."

"Grrr…" Neko growls. "Mirai, now!"

All of a sudden, Mirai flies over to us, also using Tabu's ability.

"Wind Control: Hurricane Slash!"

"Wave: Knockback Wave!"

"Wormhole: Knife Storm!"

Ella, Grover, and I fling an assault of ranged attacks towards Mirai, but even while in mid air using Tabu's flight ability, Mirai manages to evade all of our attacks, before landing on the ground next to Mirai.

"You suck, Neko," Mirai comments. "We practiced for months using Tabu's ability to fly, yet you still can't?! Also, when I tell you to dodge, I mean dodge, dammit! I didn't buy these coms for nothing!" Mirai brushes her hair back, revealing the communication device in her ear, and causing me to drool a little.

"S-sorry," Neko stammers as she looks away in embarrassment. "It's just hard when I can't see what you see."

"And you-" Mirai then snaps as she turns to face me. "What are you looking at?!"

"I'm looking at you!" I answer. "You're hot, man!"

Mirai blushes and recoils. "HUH?!" She cries. "Pervert!"

"HUH?!" Ella cries as well. "What does she have that I don't?" She then pouts.

Maybe Fūjin's into the domineering types," Neko suggests, causing Ella to put further.

"Enough talk!" Mirai shouts as she charges me again, before taking to the air. "I'll take out the annoying one!"

Mirai then reaches behind her, pulling out a short metal shaft. Mirai presses a button on the shaft, and two long pulls extend outwards, forming a steel bo-staff. Mirai then swings her bo-staff towards me, which I counter by drawing my katana and slashing it towards her, and our steel clashes in a mighty clang, as sparks are sent flying.

Meanwhile, Neko charges Grover as well, while also taking flight. Neko slashes her gross finger nail claws towards Grover, who counters with a mighty kick from a Cursed Power reinforced leg.

"Aw, there's no one for me to fight," Ella says.

"Well that would be me!" A voice shouts as a dude leaps out of the river behind Ella, who shrieks in fear, before spinning around and thrusting her palm towards the guy, Slayer Tabu.

"St-stay away from me!" Ella frantically cries. Knockback Wave!" An orange ring of Cursed Power fires out of Ella's palm, blasting into Tabu, and sending him flying backwards and sinking into the river below. Directly after, Mirai and Neko land back on the ground.

"Damn, he's useless," Mirai grumbles.

"We're no longer flying," Neko comments. "That must mean Tabu's been knocked out. Already."

"Wow, my first knockout in the competition!" Ella squeaks. "I didn't think that I would get any!"

"That means it's down to us!" Mirai shouts as she retracts her bo before slamming it back down again, our weapons clashing just as before. "Listen up, Fūjin!" Mirai spits. "Remember my name, and remember it well! I'm Astra Vidomir, Slayer Mirai! Greatest rookie that this organization has ever seen!"

"Greatest, huh?" I ask. "And why are you telling me this?"

"I tell this to all my foes!" Astra answers.

"So…are you saying that I can call you by your first name…?" I ask.

"N-no!" Astra snaps. "Idiot!"

"Awesome…" I giggle as a blush spreads across my face.

Ella sighs.

"Grover, let's use that!" I shout.

"Right!" Grover replies.

Grover then opens up a wormhole behind both of us, which we both hop inside.

"I know what you're doing!" Astra shouts. Astra then closes her eyes, and when she opens them, her usual pink eyes take the appearance of glowing blue clocks. "I can see it all!"

Two wormholes then open up, one behind Mirai and the other behind Neko. I leap out of the wormhole behind Neko, and Grover leaps out of the one behind Mirai.

"Woooh," Ella sarcastically cheers.

"We knew that you'd be able to read all of our attacks…" I begin to say.

"So we thought of a strategy that would be too fast for you to counter!" Grover finishes.

"Wind Control: Wind Blade!"

"Wormhole: Green Roundhouse!"

With a roar, I swing my katana towards Neko as Grover swings his leg towards Astra, our two attacks slamming into the girls and sending Astra flying into the river

"Dammit…" Astra growls as she paddles back to shore. "I can't lose here…" Astra then pulls herself up on a nearby stone and spits out a glob of blood, causing me to frown.

"Is there a problem, Luis?" Ella asks.

"Yeah," I answer. "I don't like fighting or hurting girls. Well…cute ones, at least."

Ella sighs as she rolls her eyes. "Forget I asked."

"Hey, that includes you, too," I reply.

"Grover!" I shout.

"Yeah?" Grover asks as he peers over to me, seeing me toss my katana his way, which Grover snatches out of the air. "You sure?" He asks.

"Yeah, take that," I reply. "I don't wanna fight 'em."

"Woah…" Grover marvels as he stares at the sword in his hands, his eyes wide in excitement. Grover looks down at the sword, then up at our two opponents, then back down at the sword. And then, without a moment of hesitation, Grover grabs the sword by its blade and flings it towards Neko.

"N-Neko, dodge!" Astra shouts, but then, she pauses. "Wait…why am I telling you to dodge? Obviously you can dodge that."

"Whaaa…?" Neko asks as she looks up, only to be bonked in the head by the butt of my katana.

"SHE DIDN"T DODGE?!" Neko cries.

"ACK!" Neko winces as she falls to the ground, a large red bump forming in the side of her head.

"I-is she down…?" Ella asks. "Already…?"

"Sh-she's out…?" Astra asks.

"So…just one left to go…?" Grover adds.

"WHY THE HELL DID YOU THROW MY KATANA?!" I cry.

"I-is that not what I was supposed to do…?" Grover asks as he looks down at his empty hands then up to me.

"WHEN DID YOU EVER SEE ME THROW IT?!" I cry.

"I dunno," Grover replies. "I always throw my knives, I figured that it was the same.

"THAT'S NOT A KNIFE?!" I cry.

"A-anyone," Astra says, before clearing her throat. "I believe that you were making fun of me earlier! Do you seriously think that you can beat me, the number one rookie with only two squad members?!"

"Woah, woah, woah!" Ella booms as she holds a hand up, demanding all of our attention. "What do you mean, two squad members?" She asks.

"I'm not fighting anymore, remember?" I explain.

"Don't you mean…ONE squad member?!" Ella asks as she turns to face Grover.

"ONE?!" I cry.

"I…" Ella begins to say, as a confident smirk creeps across her face. "-Give up!"

"GIVE UP?!" I cry.

"I am terrified after taking out Tabu!" Ella continues. "I've never knocked someone out before, and now, I feel the primal desire to go home!"

And with that, Ella simply plops her butt down on one of the stones in the river and curls into fetal position.

"THAT'S IT?!" I cry.

"Go, Grover, go," Ella sarcastically cheers. "Woah."