Chapter 2 — Fatality
The atmosphere was insane — easily the biggest sports event of the decade. And far away in Tokyo, inside a small apartment building…
The apartment was just a single room with a bathroom and kitchen—the lights were off, only the TV screen casting flickering reflections across Itsuki and Miyu's faces.
Itsuki nearly fell out of his chair after that strike on his favorite fighter.
Itsuki Kurogane — nineteen, tall and lean like a model at six feet, messy-haired,DBL addict, art-lover — with a talent for drawing but a weakness for finishing anything. Notebooks of unfinished anime sketches and comics were scattered everywhere.
Loud, slightly egoistic, and always ready to argue, he was impossible to be bored around—and that went for Miyu too.
His eyes sparkled like a child watching his hero
Popcorn flew everywhere as he jabbed at the TV.
"Miyu! …Did you see that?!" he yelled, half-choking on popcorn.
"Yeah, yeah," Miyu replied, scrolling through live comments on her phone. Her tone was calm, but her eyes portrayed excitement. "I guess his winning streak might end today."
Miyu Saotome, eighteen, a gem inspector with a sharp mind and a sharper tongue. While her peers stressed about school, she stressed over gem energy regulation, illegal modifications, and corrupted cores. She had a genius-level ability to read fights like a professional coach.
"You mean the king?" Itsuki asked, eyes widening.
"No, Pablo," she said, kicking her toes lightly against the couch. "But honestly, Ambrose should retire after this match. He's already the greatest of all time." She didn't even look up, too busy reading arguments between DBL fans online.
"We'll go to the DBL Hall of Fame in Tokyo," Itsuki declared confidently. "Ambrose is coming to Japan."
"No, I don't want to go—"
Blam!
The TV flashed with a loud hit, yanking both of them back to the screen.
"The king looks unprepared tonight," Matt announced. "He should've put this guy down by now. Pablo's strategy is solid, but the question is — can he keep going? The first round is almost over!"
Pablo dashed sideways, rebounded off the glass wall, and came back with a flying knee lined with Blue Gem energy—
BOOOOM!
Ambrose tanked it with his forearms, sliding back inches, dust scattering under his feet.
"This is good stuff from Pablo!" the commentators yelled.
"He's actually taking the fight straight to the king! He cannot give Ambrose even a second to breathe!" Their voices blasted through the speakers, feeding the global frenzy.
Miyu squinted. "That wasn't normal Blue Gem output… he's enhanced." She analyzed the cerebral flow carefully. "Quick thinking, but he's misusing mental strategy. It's sloppy… he won't last."
"I don't know all this…" Itsuki muttered, leaning forward, eyes wide. "But Pablo is really making the king sweat. Why, Miyu?"
She adjusted her glasses, eyes scanning every motion. "It's a strategy to bait Ambrose into an opening. But it won't work."
"Why not?" Itsuki asked, eager for a lecture.
"You know the rules say fighters can't possess two gems—" she started calmly.
Itsuki cut in. "Yeah, that's right. It's cheating, and the greatest shouldn't sto—"
"Would you let me finish?!" she smacked his head lightly.
He rubbed his head. "Aii, aii, sorry…"
"Looks like Ambrose is just warming up!" Matt's voice boomed.
They both turned to the TV.
Ambrose rolled his neck slowly, muscles coiling like a predator. His violet eyes glinted coldly through the glass, scanning every micro-movement Pablo made.
"Cute," he whispered, and the arena seemed to shiver at the word.
Pablo froze.
The King's eyes shifted — predatory, calculating. Ambrose blurred.
Swoooosh—
"THE KING DODGES! PABLO IS IN TROUBLE!"
Ambrose appeared behind him. Pablo spun to react — too late.
SMASH!!
The punch hit right in the face. The impact shook the ring like a meteor strike. Pablo's body slammed into the glass wall, cracks spreading like spiderwebs. Dust and shards floated in the air as the crowd roared.
"MAJESTY SMASH!! IT'S OVER! IT'S ALL OVER!!!" Matt screamed, losing his voice entirely.
Miyu leaned in, whispering, "That wasn't just Violet Gem speed… that was Yellow Gem…"
Itsuki blinked rapidly. "Nah… he's just too good."
"…8, 9, 10! K.O!" the crowd counted with the referee.
"Fatality. He's done it again! At this point every fighter should just give up!" Matt shouted. Medical bots hovered over Pablo as the floor beneath him lowered.
Itsuki gasped. "He's taking the mic."
"Shhhh," Ambrose said, and the arena obeyed like subjects to a king. "I know you all thought he could win—"
The cheers grew louder.
"I said shhhh. At this point, I should retire," he breathed into the mic. "You're right. But… I've never fought a Red Gem fighter." His violet eyes burned into the camera. "Asia. Release the Red Gem! Bring him to me."
He dropped the mic. Pandemonium erupted.
Itsuki sank into the couch, popcorn forgotten. "Wow, what a fight, Pablo got me scared there, not only about my favorite fighter loosing but my money too." he let out a chuckle.
Miyu didn't respond at first, mesmerized. Even her sharp mind could barely catch up with the sheer speed and aura of Ambrose. The energy flares, the flickers of gem light — it wasn't just skill; it was otherworldly.
Itsuki's chest heaved. "He… he's the god of all fighting both the in the past and present."
Miyu adjusted her glasses, trying not to be too obvious. "Not a god. Just… someone who's mastered every trick we know and then some we don't." Her fingers hovered over her phone, thinking of the data she'd later analyze.
Itsuki flopped backward, still staring at the screen, awestruck. "I wanna be that strong…"
Miyu smiled faintly. "Yeah… afterlife maybe." But in her mind, she knew he had fire, just raw and unpolished.
The TV screen finally dimmed, replaying slow-motion cuts of Ambrose's final punch. Sparks of Yellow Gem energy lingered in the CGI highlights, a reminder of why the king was still untouchable.
Itsuki whispered, almost to himself, "I'm never gonna forget this fight."