Sector MG, Part 2: The Wandless Wizard

Three years ago; Hogwarts

The students were asked to hand over their wands and put them on a table. As they stood in line on the Quidditch Field, dressed in white T-shirts and red shorts with sneakers, Madame Hooch paced from one side to the other and examined them. Wendy stood next to Romeo. "Welcome to your first class of physical education. (I speak to the first-years, of course.) Before we begin, who of you here are element benders?"

Wendy, Romeo, and a couple others raised their hands. "I see. Now, can one of you tell me what the difference between a bender and a mage is? The answer is NOT their abilities." Romeo raised his hand. "Yes, Mr. Conbolt?"

"Is it that benders use their bodies to control elements, but mages use wands and books?"

"Correct. Now, who can tell me what they have in common? The answer is NOT their use in elements. You, Ms. Marvell?"

"It's that both types possess chi." answered Wendy, her hair in a ponytail.

"Right you are. You see, some wizards are under the impression that, just because we wave wands and utter funny words, we don't have to train our bodies the way benders do. WELL, THEY'RE WRONG. Because using magic exhausts our bodies the same as using chi. Our magic is merely a unique compound of various chis that we summon to our whim. And yet, normal benders have the gall to call our practice unnatural, an insult to nature. But in this day and age, I think there's a very thin line between what is deemed 'normal' and 'not normal.' We wizards must train our bodies to become stronger, get adept with our chi so that we may command the powers we were born with. So, by the end of this term, the strength of your magic should increase TENFOLD!"

Their first task was to race five laps around the field. Madame Hooch also had chi-blocks set up to make things slightly harder for the benders. Without her airbending, Wendy felt a significant decrease in speed. The older students were staying ahead of her, and Romeo was in first place. "Come on, Wendy! I thought you were faster than that!" he yelled back with a wry grin. Wendy fixed a glare on him and poured more power into her legs.

When the students were asked to swing across a series of magically floating bars, followed by climbing poles, Romeo watched as Wendy was able to pass him. "Come on, Romeo, I thought you were stronger than that!" Romeo flushed and hesitated for a moment, feeling his pride shrink a little.

That night, while the other girls were asleep in their dorm, Wendy felt thirsty and got up for a drink. She heard a faint sound outside, like a quick movement of bare feet. Wendy quietly made her way downstairs and saw Romeo jogging down the stairs to the boys' dorm. He turned and made his way back up, and Wendy waited for him to come back down. When he did, he was shocked to see her. "Huh, Wendy?" he stopped, gasping for breath. "Eeek!" He blushed, remembering he was only in purple shorts.

"I heard something downstairs and came to check. What are you doing, Romeo?"

"Just… getting some extra credit for phys-ed."

"Is this because I passed you on the monkey bars?"

"No, not really, it's… Sigh, I might as well tell you. Wendy, you know how wands have to choose the wizards, otherwise they won't work?"

"I know that." Wendy answered, remembering when she was first trying wands.

"The truth is, I could never find a wand that worked for me. Every wand I tried either caught fire or something else. Even rare wands like the Phoenix Feather. The only way magic is able to work for me is if I use my firebending. Training is just about the only thing I do, so I can use better magic without getting too tired. Thankfully, there are other classes that don't use wands."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Romeo." That explains his muscles. "Well, don't push yourself too hard, okay? Make sure you get to bed soon, or you'll be asleep through all your classes!"

"Ha ha! Don't worry, Wendy, I'll get to sleep soon. Just three more laps."

"Hee hee! Okay. Good night, Romeo." Wendy headed back upstairs. Romeo waited until she was gone before resuming his routine.

Moonbase Gym; present day

Romeo and Chris Uno locked arms and wrestled each other onto the mat, the Uno son able to wrap Romeo's arms behind him. "You're a trillion years too late to be challenging ME, Romey!"

"Hnnnrr! I feel you struggling, Uno!"

"So, this is how boys learn to mate." Maddy commented, awkwardly watching them alongside Wendy. "I still feel like they're a bit too young, don't you?"

"Eh heh heh heh…" Wendy flushed. "We better hope Hogwarts has a sex-ed."

"Hey, I get to kick his ass NEXT, Princey!" Ruby shouted.

"I called dibs on him, get in line, Shruby!" Jinta remarked.

Ruby gritted her teeth and glared at the taller boy. "You realize I'm JUST short enough to punch you where it hurts, right?!"

"Since when did I become the school punching bag?" Romeo asked.

"Because you're a newbie, Romeo!" Chris smiled, keeping Romeo pinned. "The newbie always gets the bully treatment! It's how you become stronger! You should've been there when Anthony joined—me, George, and Jinta ALL gang-piled on him, HA HA HA! And we even let Vweeb come in and bite his nose!"

"But I've been an operative for two years now."

"Yeah, but you weren't a veteran of the Twenty Keys Quest. Heck, those two barely qualify, they didn't do JACK through the whole thing!" He gestured at Ruby and Jinta.

"THE HELL I DIDN'T DO JACK!" Ruby tackled Chris and started pummeling him furiously. "That jackass Suigetsu talkin' smack about me, you think anyone ELSE coulda beaten him?!"

"That goes double for me!" Jinta joined in on the beatings. "We saved your dumb Moonbase from gettin' Footbombed, and I decided to blow up the stadium for good measure!"

"Karin said that was an accident." Ruby mentioned.

"SHUT UP!"

Romeo helped himself to his feet, watching the threesome brawl transpire. "Boys will be boys, right?"

"I'M A GIRL!" Ruby screeched.

"You know, this reminds me of a boxing tournament we girls had a few years back." Maddy said. "We oughta hold one again and whip YOU into shape, Wendy."

"Please don't!" Wendy hugged herself fearfully. "I'm fairly good at fighting, but I'm like a stick compared to you!"

"Hey, that's what we need!" Jinta proclaimed, getting up. "A BOYS' Boxing Tournament! A chance for us to flex our muscles and get in touch with our natural roots! Oh, and Ruby can join, too." Ruby punched him across the room a second later.

"Will all operatives please report to the bridge for a special announcement." Larry MayHence's voice rang. "Supreme Leader's orders. And don't worry, he says it's not another Apocalypse."

Everyone in the gym and the rest of the Moonbase (including their sectormates) gathered around the Global Tactical Station, where Panini, Francis, and Cheren were. "Nebula just sent us a message." Cheren said. "Play it, Panini." His vice-leader pushed the button. The large screen came on, displaying a Shy Guy in a tuxedo, a top-hat, and a smiling mask with crescent eyes.

"Kougyoku ku ku ku ku ku ku! Greetings, Kids Next Door! My name is Shy Mask, promoter of the Heaven's Arena on Planet Coruscant. First off, may I say that I thoroughly enjoyed watching your Field Day games. Chancellor Phyronix made sure EVERYONE on the planet caught a glimpse of the Kids Next Door, the saviors of the universe! Why, you're all the talk of the town, and believe me, that's a big town, ku ku ku ku! And that is why, I would like to personally electronically invite you to my Heaven's Arena!"

The screen displayed a picture of a colossal building that dwarfed all the others in its area. "It's that really big one, in case you were wondering. Yes, Heaven's Arena, constructed with 200 floors of arenas, filled to the brim with the strongest fighters from all over the universe! And our ecstatic fighters have been ITCHING to duke it out with the legendary KND! And that is why, we so cordially invite you to take part in our arena, FREE OF CHARGE! See how high you can climb, how many opponents you can make fall at your feet, and if by some miracle you reach the 200th floor, you will have a shot at the CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE! Oh, did I mention you'll win cash for every battle you win? So please, send over your strongest operatives, show the good people of the universe what the Kids Next Door can do! If you are interested, simply send over a list of contestants and we'll get things prepped up by the week. (By which we mean the promotional items.)"

"That's basically all it says." Cheren said. "I've broadcasted the message to other treehouses already. Frankly, I'm not sure if this is a trap or if it's earnest."

"Okay, screw the Boxing Tournament idea!" Jinta fist-palmed. "Sign me up for Heaven's Arena!"

"Like a fish to the hook worm." Karin said with disbelief.

"I don't mind some old-fashioned combat sports." Chris said. "What about you, Mads?"

"Well, there's no reason to get out of shape before the next super entity arrives." Maddy shrugged. "I'll sign up, too."

"Count me in!" Ruby smirked.

"Well, Romeo?" Wendy asked her friend. "Are you thinking of joining?"

"Well, of course!" Romeo said confidently. "If I'm gonna match up to the strongest operatives, this will be the perfect chance to prove myself!" Romeo whipped a finger toward the screen and declared, "Heaven's Arena, HERE I COME!"

Heaven's Arena, one week later

"Ladies, gentlemen, and Nuchachos, WELCOME to HEAVEN'S ARENA!" announced Shy Mask from the center of the ring. "Today, we have a very SPECIAL tournament: the noble and infamous Kids Next Door will be starring in our arena, trying to fight their way to the top! The Kids Next Door, the ones who challenged the Apocalypse with strength like no other, you will now get to SEE their power in action! Do they have what it takes to conquer Heaven's Arena? Are they not as strong as they claim? Who can say? Only our mighty gladiators, of course!"

Outside, the various sectors landed their aircraft in the "Reserved Parking" area. The second they were off, Sector MG bent their heads back 90 degrees, gazing all the way up the colossal structure. "This place is so big…" Wendy whimpered.

"I'm with you, girl." Phil said. "It must've taken them a hundred YEARS to finish this."

"200 arena-size floors…" Oliver followed.

Romeo felt a chill down his spine, feeling insignificant before the great tower. He took a breath and said, "Well, we won't get anywhere by standing here. Let's go in, team."

In the arena lobby, all the chosen operatives from each sector were getting in line to sign up. These included Maddy Murphy, Chris Uno, Ruby, Jinta, Mocha, Anthony, Morgiana, and even Vweeb. "Any Kids Next Door operatives who only wish to spectate and not compete, we will escort you to the VIP stands." An orange-haired woman told them. "Food and drinks are also free."

"Holy crud, they're treating us like kings!" Mason beamed.

"Don't let it go to your head, Bro." Haruka chuckled.

"We'll be cheering you on, Romeo!" Wendy assured him. "Just listen to us call your name and you'll have the strength to win!"

"I will, Wendy!"

"Heh." scoffed a short, white alien that looked like a humanoid amplifier. "These Kids Next Door ain't gonna get nowhere. Not unless they know the secret."

"Ha ha ha!" laughed his friend. "Yeah! They're toast!"

"Excuse me, but what secret are you talking about?" Wendy asked.

"Oh, you wanna know? It's called Nen, sweetheart!"

"Nen?" Oliver repeated. "I wonder what that is?"

"If you ask me," Phil stroked his chin, "Nen is probably a complex martial art that utilizes chi, allowing people to perform supernatural attacks, sort of similar to bending, yet its mechanics work completely different, but it's not the same as magic either."

The aliens tried to hold in their laughter, but it came out, very loudly as they walked away. "What's their problem?" Romeo asked.

"You know, they were probably just trying to say it was 'Nen of your business.'" Vweeb commented.

"Really? Well, that's rude."

"It's combat sports!" Vweeb smiled and shrugged. "That attitude's natural. Oh! It's my turn." He jumped to the desk.

"I guess we can't expect too many people to play fair, either." Romeo said. "Gotta be ready for anything."

Floor 1

"Well, it seems that our contestants have all signed up!" Shy Mask announced. "Let's welcome our first guest onto the arena: known as the Mad Conqueror, she is a master at all forms of Haki, MADDY MURPHYYYY!" The young fighter was bravely marching up to the ring. "And her opponent: a dwarf giant from Planet Avalar, he packs RAGE into his fists, the Goliath, Albert King!"

"Getchor butt up here, brat." The Goliath was a dark-skinned giant with black hair, a fluffy beard, and a blue top with red shorts and black boots. "Ain'tchu a little short to be fightin' here? Looks like Uncle Albert's gonna have to teach you a lesson."

"The rules are the same as they've always been." Shy Mask said. "Any form of bending and combat is allowed, but guns and projectile weapons are prohibited. Are we clear? Yes? No? WHO CARES! BATTLE!" The gong donged.

"The Goliath ain't holdin' back!" Albert fist-palmed. "I don't care if you're a little girl, 'cause I'm gonna beat you up. I'm gonna rip off yo' head and bounce it around like a ball." Maddy stood still while the titan swayed side-to-side and flexed his fists. "And you ain't even gonna see it comin'. 'Cause the Goliath strikes fast; he strikes HARD, and he strikes FAST." Maddy hardened her legs with Haki. "So, you better step in line, little girl, 'cause Goliath is gonna squish you so flat, you gonna get stuck in-between the floor tiles, and all them fighters are gonna trample you like yesterday's-"

Fast as lightning, Maddy leapt up and PUNCHED him in the face, and across the arena the Goliath flew. "THE WINNER IS MADDY!"

"Oops. Did I overdo it?" Maddy blushed, her fists and feet returning to normal color.

"Well, you know the rules." Shy Mask said. "For showing unmatched strength on the first floor, we will bump Ms. Murphy up to Floor 50!"

"FIFTY FLOORS IN ONE PUNCH?!" Francis screamed.

"ONE-PUNCH MADDY FOR THE WIN!" Panini screeched.

"Well, finishing this tournament shouldn't be a problem." Maddy smirked.

"Let's hope the Goliath isn't tired, yet! He still has plenty more operatives coming his way! …But maybe a moment's rest wouldn't hurt him."

After Goliath had a quick healing treatment, he returned to the arena to face Romeo Conbolt, who removed his robe to have more room to stretch his arms. "So, we got a young man challengin' me next, huh? I admit, I was goin' easy on that girl, but I ain't doin' the same for you. I'm gonna see how well your muscles can tussle."

Romeo wore a brave face and readied him. The gong donged, and the Goliath swung a kick, but Romeo leapt to the right. Violet flames on his fists, he shot one up to Albert's fist, and when the giant impulsively raised it, Romeo swung up and onto his head, switching to normal red flames and punching forcefully, but Goliath shook his head and knocked him off. Romeo landed on his feet, running when the Goliath tried to stomp him, and leapt to punch the knee with an Ice Flame.

"ROMEO, ROMEO! HE'S OUR MAN!" Wendy cheered from the VIP stands. "HE CAN DO IT, I KNOW HE CAN!"

Romeo could hear her voice, and it filled him with courage. He bravely dodged Albert's attacks, his left knee still frozen. "Time to show 'em what a wandless wizard can do. MITIGA!" When Albert's fist was flying his way, Romeo countered it with a pink flame. The boy was still knocked back, but Albert felt a strange numbness in his arm. "Dormitabis!" Romeo threw white flames up to Albert's head, causing him to become drowsy. "And top it all off with," Romeo leapt up to the chest with an orange flame, "CONFRINGO!" His punch was so powerful that it blew Goliath out of the ring.

"ROMEO IS OUR WINNER! But for a slightly weaker performance than Maddy, I say Floor 25 is an excellent fit for him."

"It's fair enough." Romeo smiled, flexing his muscles. "That felt pretty good!"

Anthony was next to fight Goliath, and the strong earthbender knocked him out with a simple flip of his side of the ring. "FLOOR 50!"

Chris Uno fought Goliath, and knocked him out with three quick flaming punches after flying up to his face. "FLOOR 40!"

Vweeb scampered up to the giant, effortlessly evading his massive boot and beginning to crawl up his leg. Albert frantically pounded his leg, trying to smash the Kateenian, but failed as Vweeb eventually made it into his ear and began to pound him from the inside. Albert punched his own head in desperation, but this resulted in his own downfall. "FLOOR 20!"

Morgiana stomped the ground and entered Red-Foot Fury, rocketing up to Goliath's crotch and taking him down. "FLOOR 50!"

"Ugh. Is anyone else gettin' tired of seein' the SAME guy get 'is butt kicked?" Sheila asked, sitting with her friends in the stands.

"I'm sure the next rounds will be more interesting." Haylee said. "I still can't believe YOU didn't sign up, Sheila."

"I'm saving me fists for something important. Plus, me bones still ache from when that Sandbag got the better of me. Stupid wannabe YouTube star. So, I'm gonna enjoy some free food." She propped her feet up on the railing and ate a powdered donut.

Mocha and Grenda easily defeated Goliath and booted up to Floor 50, but Ruby took her time to defeat him and was promoted to Floor 20. Sector MG was excited for Romeo's next match on Floor 25. "Romeo Conbolt, the boy who calls himself the Rainbow Mage, vs. the twin Sonorosians, the Boom Boxers!"

"ECHO, ECHO! Look, it's that kid from before!" yelled one of the amplifier aliens.

"You two again!" Romeo glared. "Wait a second, I didn't know we were allowed to enter in teams!"

"Oops. Did I forget to mention?" Shy Mask asked. "Well, the truth is, we thought it would be more interesting if operatives entered one at a time. After all, Goliath could've certainly used the advantage, ku KO ku ku! BEGIN!"

The Sonorosians fired soundwaves at Romeo, who again dodged and ran up to punch them both with Ice Fire. The aliens broke the ice with soundwaves as one leapt to knock Romeo down. Both Sonorosians got on either side and attacked him with constant soundwaves, forcing him to clamp his ears. ". . meo . . . eo . . ur . uy . ."

Romeo weakly glanced up, seeing Wendy waving an arm from her stand, touching her wand to her neck to amplify her voice. "ROMEO, ROMEO, HE'S OUR GUY!" Her teammates shut their ears while Hat Kid pulled her hat over her head. "NO MATTER WHAT, HE'LL ALWAYS TRY!"

Romeo grinned and glared at his opponents. "SILENCIO!" He cast gray flames on the aliens, silencing their vocals. Romeo hopped to his feet and swung kicks to the earpieces, but the twins attacked Romeo from both sides until he was down again. "GO FOR IT, ROMEO, GO GO GO!" Romeo did a break-dance flame shockwave and knocked the aliens away, then dealt a final punch to each of them to knock them out of the ring.

"ROMEO WINS! I say he deserves a shot at Floor 30!"

At Floor 30, his matches were the Rainbow Solarans, which consisted of a red, green, blue, and violet Solaran. They charged at him furiously, but Romeo simply ran away and threw Ice Flames back. "COME ON, ROMEO, USE THAT ICE! FOUR ON ONE JUST ISN'T NICE!" Wendy repeated this among other cheers, Romeo's blood rushing with power as he conjured greater ice flames. He spun around and sent them everywhere, freezing the red and green Solarans. The blue and purple ones attacked together, so Romeo used pink flames to soften their strength, followed by normal flames to knock them out.

"Impressive work! Let's test his skill at Floor 40!"

Romeo was against a teenage Glomourian with four swords, one in each hand, one in his mouth, and one strapped to his head. He slashed constant airwaves that scraped the floor, Romeo safely shooting Soft Flames from long range. "Romeo, Romeo, he can do it! He'll beat those swords 'fore you can say SCREW IT!"

Romeo formed an idea and rushed headfirst at the Glomourian, calling "Protego!" as a brighter blue flame formed over his head, ramming his opponent as the Glomourian was unable to fight back. Romeo kept running until his opponent was out of the ring.

"Let's send Romeo to FLOOR 50!"

Floor 50's guardian was a ninja named Yuffie. She swiftly dodged Romeo's Soft Flames and used Shadow Clone Jutsu to conjure two clones, which ran up and used kunai to cut the teen mage. He punched the clones to make them poof, then blasted fire beams on either side of Yuffie. When she jumped over the left one, he quickly dashed forward for a punch to the face. Sadly, Yuffie poofed into a garbage can, and the real ninja kicked Romeo's head from behind.

"ROMEO, ROMEO, HE'S OUR MALE! NO MATTER WHAT, HE WILL PREVAIL!"

"Wow, that girl must really like you." Yuffie said. "She hasn't stopped cheering in any of your matches."

"Yeah, I'm a lucky guy, huh?" smirked Romeo, igniting his whole body with yellow flames.

"EUH, DISGUSTING!" Yuffie pinched her nose from the awful smell. Romeo seized the chance and punched the Stink Flames at her, engaging her directly, and despite Yuffie's attempts to cut him with kunai, she could not use both hands without the scent intoxicating her nostrils. He spun around and sent the flames out, but Yuffie leapt above—she gasped when Romeo halted with his rear aimed up at her. He fired a fast Stink Flame and blew her out of the ring.

"Romeo achieves ANOTHER swift victory! To Floor 60 he goes!"

In the Floor 60 waiting room, Romeo was helping himself to some pizza and soda. "Phew! I didn't think I would be doing this well! Your cheers must be magic, Wendy!"

"You don't say… hehe." Wendy croaked, drinking some blue potion that Oliver created.

"Does your throat hurt that bad? You don't have to keep cheering, I know you're there for me."

"Even if you do, I think it's important for people to always be reminded that friends have their back. And this way, I sorta feel like I'm fighting with you!"

"Well, I'm really grateful. But don't overdo it, Wendy, really."

"And Maddy Murphy wins her match in a LAND SLIDE!" They looked at the monitor. "Let's replay that in case you missed it." They watched as Maddy swiftly dodged Yuffie's clones and knocked out the real Yuffie in one hit. "I think she's too good for these floors. Whaddya say, guys? Floor 100?"

"YAAAAAAAHHH!"

"Wow… Maddy's really amazing." Romeo said.

"Eh, I'm still tougher than her." Sheila said nonchalantly.

"Too bad she has to wait until the rest of us take our time clearing the floors." Chris said. "Eh, but whoever's up there, she'll probably knock them out of the park."

Maddy was walking to the stands to watch Mocha's fight, trekking an empty hallway. She passed by a dark corridor when she heard some vicious growling. Worried, she turned left. A pair of sharp green eyes glared at her from the darkness. "Hello… Maddy…"

"That… voice… It can't be…"

"It's been a long time." A pair of lion's paws stepped out. "I'm almost glad you returned in one piece." The lion morphed into a human as he stood up straight.

"Lucci…" The assassin was wearing a white tuxedo and top-hat, a reverse color scheme of his old clothes. "Why are you here?"

"Well, after you humiliated me and destroyed the World Government, this was the only job I could find that could pay well. And support my blood lust. So, for the past three years, I have been here, trying to become stronger, praying that one day, I could face you again. And look… here you are. How convenient. Take a look." Lucci raised an arm as it turned iron. "I've been studying Haki. Combined with my Rokushiki, I am more than a match for you now."

"I'm not afraid. I beat you before, I'll beat you again!"

"We'll soon see." Lucci smirked. "See you on the 100th floor." He passed Maddy and walked the way she came.

The lights in the dark hall came on. "I finally fixed the lights!" yelled the janitor.

Mocha had a harder time with Yuffie, for the ninja was too small to hit, while the giant was too easy to hit, but she was eventually lucky enough to swat Yuffie away. Morgiana was also able to best the ninja, as were Chris and Anthony, but Vweeb suffered a humiliating defeat.

"Romeo, Romeo, he's the best!" Wendy cheered as Romeo was in battle with an elder Earth Dragon from Avalar. "He'll put his powers to the test!"

Romeo kept getting close for some strong Confringo punches at the dragon, but the elder remained firm and continued stomping rocks at him. "Your luck has run out, boy. We dragons have strong defense against magic."

"ROMEO, DON'T GIVE UP! PUNCH HARDER, PUNCH STRONGER!"

"Yeah, but if I don't win, my friend will have burned out her vocal cords for nothing!" Romeo punched faster with a constant array of Confringos, and Wendy was constantly chanting, "Romeo Romeo Romeo ROMEO!" Finally, one of his punches was just strong enough to make the dragon cough blood and fall.

"Romeo had some trouble, but he WINS! I think it will be safer to move him to Floor 65 next."

In the waiting room, Wendy was drinking another blue potion, gasping for breath. "Wendy, you have to stop this." Oliver said. "I'm almost out of elixirs, you can't keep this up forever."

"But if I just stop now, Romeo will be devastated. He's come so far."

"Man, that dragon was tough." Romeo said, rubbing his arms and taking a seat. "I'm gonna ask to sit the next matches out, let them get started with the higher floors. I can tell Maddy is eager to reach the top."

"Romeo, when are you thinking of stopping?" Oliver asked.

"Well, I'd like to go as high as I can. I know I'll never be able to reach the top; heck, I bet I can't even make it halfway."

"I think you're doing really great, Romeo." Wendy said. "But if you're too tired, don't be afraid to give up."

"Aw, great operatives don't give up, Wendy! I'm not going down without a fight!"

Anthony was able to beat the Earth Dragon, and so was Morgiana, but Ruby and Mocha were defeated. Jinta had been defeated by Sir Gutsalot on Floor 55, a silver ball Nightmare with angry eyes that fought with fists that punched like cannonballs. On Floor 73, Anthony was defeated by a fire/icebender from Superbia named Shoto Todoroki, and on Floor 68, Morgiana was defeated by a large man with blue hair named Hinahoho, a warrior from Glacia.

"Garchomp chomp chomp chomp chomp! Well, it seems even these valiant heroes have limits." Shy Mask said. "But the fun isn't over, yet. Since Romeo is still recovering, let us jump to Floor 100 for Maddy's grand battle!"

The contestants met up with their teams in the waiting room. "I've failed." Morgiana said, bowing to Nagisa.

"Heh heh. It's okay, really, Morg." Nagisa blushed.

"Yeah, don't act like a Japanese cliché." Goombella said. "Still, I've been collecting some nice data from these fights. These guys' Power Levels are HUUUUGE!"

"It's a good thing you don't have to be hit anymore to use Tattle." Index replied.

Chris saw Maddy staring out the window in the corner. "What's up, Maddy?"

"…It's Lucci."

"What?"

"Rob Lucci is my opponent. I ran into him earlier."

"Oh… Well, do you think you can beat him?"

"I'm not sure. At first, I couldn't even sense his presence. …He's stronger, Chris. But I'll try."

"…Don't get yourself killed, Maddy." Chris stated seriously.

Floor 100

"WELCOME to the 100th FLOOR! It sure is faster than the Pit of 100 Trials, isn't it? The Haki master, the Mad Conqueror, Maddy Murphy, will fight a deadly assassin from Planet Earth, a master of Rokushiki and two forms of Haki, not to mention a werelion metahuman, Rob Lucci the Lion!"

Both contestants stepped into the ring with the same looks of resent. "As it would happen, these two have quite a history." Shy Mask said. "Apparently, it was Maddy who costed Lucci his previous job. This will be a battle of cold, bloody vengeance! LET'S RUMBLE!" Dong.

Maddy's first instinct was to enter Haki Fury. Rob Lucci transformed into a black-mane lion and leapt with claws out. His iron paw met Maddy's fist, and she was at first surprised at his outpour of strength. Maddy struggled and pushed with greater power, but to her utter surprise, Lucci's iron claw morphed into a shade of gold, and she was THROWN out of the ring.

Everyone's mouths dropped open. "That fight… didn't even last for a minute." Chris said.

"Let's see… Maddy's current Power Level is 8,063," Goombella observed, "…while Lucci's Power Level is… 10,874!"

"ROB LUCCI IS THE WINNER!"

"What?! No!" Maddy shouted. "Let me go again! He caught me off guard!"

"Sorry: I'm afraid we'll have to move you down to Floor 70. You clearly weren't ready for this battle."

"He's right." Lucci smirked. "It seems after all this time, you never discovered the existence of Golden Haki."

"GOLDEN Haki?! Now you're just making crud up!"

"Oh, but I'm not. True, I am not a complete master, but it was enough to defeat you."

"Well now, I believe we shall return down to Floor 65 for Romeo's next match."

"WAIT! I call for a Surprise Battle Request."

"A-A Surprise Request?" Shy Mask stuttered.

"Yes. I wish to fight HIM!" Lucci whipped his finger at the stands.

Romeo gasped. "M-ME?!"

"Get down here, boy! NOW!"

". . ." His heart pounding with anxiety, Romeo climbed down and approached the ring.

"W-Wait! Lucci! You know you can only call Surprise Requests with higher-ranked opponents, right?"

"This is not a matter of sport: it is a matter of PUNISHMENT!" Lucci morphed again and charged at Romeo, pinning him to the floor with his paw on his head.

"ROMEO!" screamed Wendy.

"ADMIT your sin or your friend DIES!" Lucci snarled at her.

"M-My sin?!"

"What are you talking about?!" Romeo shouted.

"I know you've been using magic to enhance this boy's strength by cheering. I could feel it with my Haki. CONFESS! Or I will feast."

"Wendy…"

"Mmmm…" Wendy bit her lip for a moment. "I'M SORRY, ROMEO! I really wanted you to do well, and I didn't want you to feel bad if you lost too early! Please, don't hurt him, Romeo had no idea, honest! It was all me!"

"Then his punishment… will be watching you SUFFER!" And Lucci pranced toward Wendy like the ravenous lion he was. Sector MG readied their selves, and Phil cowered behind Oliver, looking the most afraid of the lion.

"Hey, settle down." said a nonchalant voice.

Lucci skid to a halt and looked over with shock-ridden eyes: the person in question was a baldheaded man in a yellow jumpsuit with red gloves, shoes, and a white cape. His expression was very plain. "I-I-It's… the Tower Champion." Shy Mask stuttered, his mask twisting upside-down diagonally. "One-Punch Saitama…"

"Look, the kid was just helping her friend." Saitama said. "There's no reason to get all antsy over it. Can't you just restart him at the bottom or something?"

". . . ." Lucci sighed and turned back to normal. "Very well." With that, he was headed toward the exit. "But know this, Maddy." He looked back at her with a sharp eye. "We will meet again. And I will feast." He continued to exit.

"He's a good fellow, isn't he?" Shy Mask asked. "But I'm afraid we will have to reset Romeo to the bottom floor."

"Don't waste your time." Romeo said. "I think I've had enough tournament."

"Me, too." Maddy said. "I'm going home."

"Well, it's been a blast, Kids Next Door, and an honor having you here. We greatly hope that you join us again, at HEAVEN'S ARENA!"

Romeo stopped by a refrigerator to grab another drink. "Romeo!" Wendy ran up to him. "Romeo, I'm so sorry I cheated! I hope you don't feel bad, I just…"

"It's okay, Wendy. I have to admit, I had a lot of fun. And even then, I'm not the only operative who struggled. Sigh… but still… even Maddy couldn't win. I have a lot more work to do if I'm going to help everyone."

"But you won't have to do it alone, Romeo. I'll be here to make you stronger!"

"Us, too!" Hat Kid cheered, tipping her hat. "We're a team, aren't we?"

"Ha ha! Yeah!" Romeo fist-pumped. "Let's enter the next tournament together!"

"YEAH!" They all raised fists.

"Even though I probably couldn't do crud." Phil said.

"Oh, you doubt yourself too much, Phil." Romeo remarked.

"Excuse me if I don't wanna become lion chow." The kids shared a laugh.

Floor 100

Rub Lucci entered another dark hallway. "Wasn't it a little reckless to show her Golden Haki?" A pair of sharp yellow eyes that looked like slits were seen in the darkness.

"I thought it would make the hunt a tad more interesting." Lucci answered.

"I can't argue with that." said a calm voice, belonging to a single eye behind the orange half of a mask.

"I don't think the Kids Next Door will be staying here for much longer. Let's return to base-" Suddenly, the lights switched on, exposing their forms.

"Yet ANOTHER hallway restored, THANKS to JANITOR GORDY!" declared the janitor with pride. He looked down and saw the three assassins glaring at him. ". . . . Right… I'll just be going now." He snuck away.

"Sigh. Let's go, CP0." With that, Lucci and his associates left the tower.

Agent of CP0

"Deathstroke" SLADE WILSON

Agent of CP0

"Forever Young" CHASE YOUNG

Koopa Kore

Twin doors opened as two Koopatrols led Shy Mask into a small throne room. "So… how did it go?" Bowser, Jr. asked.

"Goku ku ku ku! Well, I think I gathered plenty of info on their strongest members, and determined where their weaknesses lie." Shy Mask said, holding a disc.

"Gwah hah hah! Nice! Dad and his friends will love to see this!"