The air hung heavy with dust and tension.
The ground beneath their feet was cracked, hard soil — no grass, no mercy, no room for mistakes.
All around, the battlefield had become a chaotic storm. U-Force clashed with WS, fists, boots, and elbows screaming through the haze. But here, in a quieter, more dangerous corner, Alice and Rui faced each other.
Alice's jaw was tight. His five rings gleamed faintly under the dull sunlight, each connected by a small chain, each tipped with sharp spikes — instruments of pain, precision, and control. He flexed his fingers, testing the weight of the chains.
Across from him, Rui stood calm, his two-sided samurai mask hiding all emotion. No glowing symbols. No darkside. This was just him — skill, speed, and lethal intent. His stance was low, weight shifted on the balls of his feet, waiting, calculating.
The world shrank between them. Dust rose lazily, wind teasing at their clothes.
Alice spoke first, voice low but sharp:
> "No holding back."
Rui's reply was a tilt of the head — silent acknowledgment.
Then, with a sudden burst, Rui lunged.
---
The First Clash
His fist shot forward like a striking cobra, aiming directly at Alice's chest. Alice pivoted, letting the strike glance off the side of his arm, and followed immediately with a spinning hook with his chained rings, the spiked tips biting into Rui's forearm.
CRACK! The sound of metal connecting with flesh echoed sharply. Rui's mask tilted slightly, though his composure didn't falter. He staggered back, quickly recovering, and retaliated with a low kick aimed at Alice's knee.
Alice jumped, twisting mid-air, letting the kick miss, and landed rolling forward, chains slapping against his arm like whips. He swung, then pulled sharply — the chain catching Rui's shoulder and dragging him closer for a brutal punch.
Rui grunted but blocked it, countering with a sweeping elbow that Alice narrowly ducked under. Dust exploded beneath them as both fighters repositioned, circling like predators, each strike testing timing, distance, and reflexes.
---
Mid-Battle: Weapons Drawn
After a brief exchange of brutal punches and counters, Rui reached for the katana strapped to his back, drawing it with a smooth motion. The blade gleamed, slicing the dusty air as he spun into a horizontal strike.
Alice smirked faintly and adjusted his grip. His rings rattled across the chains as he twirled his hands, linking them together to form a web of steel spikes ready to intercept.
Rui struck again, katana flashing fast — a straight lunge aiming for Alice's midsection. Alice blocked with the chains, spikes catching the edge of the blade. Sparks flew as the metal scraped metal, ringing across the battlefield.
> "Persistent," Alice muttered.
> "You're slowing me down," Rui replied calmly, pivoting and attempting a slicing strike from the side.
Alice's chains lashed out like a whip, wrapping around the katana mid-swing. With a sharp tug, he twisted Rui's weapon, forcing him to stagger back. The chains tightened, the spikes digging lightly into Rui's gloves and forearms.
Alice didn't pause. He slammed a spinning hook of the rings into Rui's ribs, followed immediately by a chain pull that yanked him off balance. Rui rolled, katana slicing the air, but Alice was already closing in, chains spinning, fists raining blows.
---
Close Quarters Brutality
At point-blank, Alice's chains wrapped partially around Rui's wrists, giving him just enough leverage to land a palm strike to Rui's chest. The impact sent Rui crashing backward a few meters, sliding across the dirt.
He recovered quickly, katana angled for a defensive stance. Alice's rings jingled ominously, chains clinking with anticipation. He swung with precise violence, targeting joints, ribs, and shoulders, chaining multiple hits into one fluid motion.
Rui attempted to counter with a rising slash, but Alice jumped, flipping over the strike, landing behind him, and tugging sharply on one chain. Rui stumbled again, nearly losing the katana as it slipped slightly from his grip.
Alice's advantage began to show: he wasn't stronger than Rui in raw force, but his speed, unpredictability, and weapon flexibility were overwhelming Rui's calculated strikes.
---
The Turning Point
Rui lunged, aiming a rapid succession of thrusts with the katana. Alice ducked under the first, rolled between the next two, and lashed with a full chain hook, wrapping around Rui's wrist and yanking him violently off-balance.
BAM! Rui hit the dirt, katana skidding across the hard soil.
Alice didn't wait. He flipped the chains over his arms, forming a spiked barrier around himself, then launched into a series of attacks designed to break Rui's stance. Each chain strike was precise, each hook dragging, each spike cutting, forcing Rui to defend desperately.
The katana flashed as Rui tried to recover, but Alice anticipated the movement. He swung two chained fists simultaneously — one hitting Rui's chest, the other snapping the katana from his grip entirely.
Rui fell back, scrambling, but Alice pressed forward, relentless. He spun the chains above his head, then slammed them downward. The impact sent Rui sprawling face-first into the dirt, kicking up clouds of dust.
---
The Finale
Alice's breathing was steady, controlled — every hit deliberate.
Rui got up slowly, katana gone, fists up, determination in his masked eyes. But he was exhausted, staggered from repeated blows and chain strikes.
Alice advanced, five rings glinting, chains clinking with lethal rhythm. Rui swung a desperate punch. Alice caught it with the chain, twisted, and slammed a hooking elbow into Rui's side, sending him crashing to the ground again.
Rui attempted one last rolling strike, but Alice anticipated, swung a chain-tethered fist over the top, connecting directly with Rui's jaw.
CRACK!
The force threw Rui onto his back, chest heaving, mask cracked slightly, blood seeping from a cut lip.
Alice stepped back slightly, chains draping around his arms, breathing controlled but heavy.
He looked down at Rui, kneeling in defeat, fists trembling but still defiant.
> "It's over," Alice said quietly.
Rui's head tilted slightly, acknowledging the loss. He nodded, chest rising and falling, and didn't resist as Alice adjusted his stance.
The dust settled. The battlefield had shifted. U-Force members around them cheered silently, not out of joy, but relief. Alice extended his hand — chains jingling — and helped Rui to his feet.
> "You fought well," Alice said.
Rui gave a faint nod.
> "Next time… maybe."
Alice didn't respond. He looked toward the rest of the battlefield, the sun glinting off his rings, chains rattling like a warning to anyone who dared challenge U-Force next.
Victory was theirs. But the war wasn't over.
The arena was littered with blood, dust, and broken pride.
And Alice — five-ringed, chain-wielding, unbroken — stood victorious.
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