Battle One: Dawning

Kirisaki Eins (age 12) – Year 2096, June 11th, 10:34 A.M.

Cyber-Battle Mall, Third Floor, Training Room 4

Once again, I entered through sliding glass doors, this time into a medium-sized room. A middle-aged lady stood at a wooden counter, and smiled at me, before asking me to sign in to the Training Log. Upon the paper chart I wrote: "Kirisaki Eins, Age 12, Date - 6/11/2096," and moved into the depths of the room.

Navy-blue walls gave the room a calming atmosphere, and a large screen sat on the far wall, yet most notable were the ten egg-like capsules that were lined up in two rows of five. They were the size of a car, able to hold one human, and were silver in color. These capsules allow the users to participate in one of the most popular activities of the world: Cyber-Battle.

Cyber-Battle was introduced a few years after the PartNet, and mostly possible because of their existence. When a User entered the capsule for Cyber-Battle, they were placed into a hypnotic state, and the consciousness of themselves and their PartNet were uploaded into a virtual network, which had been coded into a map. Their physical appearance, armaments, and other statistics are decided prior to battle, through a customization similar to that of PartNets. However, a Limiter was placed upon each PartNet to ensure that all battlers would be placed upon equal footing. During Cyber-Battle, not only could they control their actions through thoughts, but a battler had heightened reflexes and senses, for they two minds merged into one – that of the User and the PartNet. This allowed the performance of high-speed maneuvers and complex combat techniques. The main objective of each battle was to defeat all enemies until one battler is left, but team battles could also be organized. Tournaments were regularly held, and although prizes were not distributed, battlers could increase their ranking through victory.

Normal Cyber-Battle rooms were reserved for actual battles, but training rooms gave battlers a chance to hone their skills on various training maps. Such an example was currently seen onscreen.

Displayed was a large, cube-shaped room, the size of an auditorium and lacking any exits. Its soft, blue walls emanated a comforting atmosphere, allowing battlers to train under calm circumstances. Several plate-like, white circles were attached to the walls, and acted as targets for long-ranged combat practice.

Standing in the center of the room was a figure, clad completely in a mechanical-looking armor, consisting of several metal plates of a silver-white hue and preventing me from confirming their identity. Cylindrical sections clamped around their forearms, while large, hexagonal plates on their shoulders acted as secondary shields. Blocky, heavily armored pieces covered their lower legs, and a composite section made of several smaller plates covered their chest and back. Encasing their head was a simple, round helmet, covering their hair. Over their eyes was a pair of yellow, opaque targeting goggles, computer-operated and suited for long-range sniping. The remaining, unarmored sections were covered by a silver jumpsuit, which was airtight and adapted to its surrounding environment. All that remained exposed was their mouth. Cradled in their arms was a rifle – large and bulky appearance-wise. Its barrel was long, suitable for long-distance firing, and a large scope sat at the top of the body. Yet in its wielder’s arms, it seemed so light as they pointed it around, aiming from target to target and testing the weapon’s weight.

Suddenly, without warning, holographic text flashed before the armored figure:
3…2…1…START. Randomly, a single, circular target-plate flashed a sky-blue color.

FRE-SAT!

A shining, white, lance-like beam emanated from the rifle, and hit dead center of the target, destroying it through incineration and molecular disintegration. More and more targets began turning blue, and the shooter began pivoting around, changing their aim and destroying targets, one after another. On some occasions, the shooter missed, but only by an inch or so. Clearly, they were experienced at such shooting. Finally, the targets stopped flashing, and holographic text appeared once again: TARGET TRAINING COMPLETE. ACCURACY: 79 PERCENT.

“She’s so skilled,” I mentally whispered. “There’s no way I could ever achieve that…not an idiot like me.”

Sighing almost inaudibly, the shooter placed their rifle on the cyan floor and took off their armored helmet, revealing her short, blond hair and her energy-brimming, yellow eyes.

It was Natalie. Not long after, she noticed me through the viewing screen that popped up beside her, and gave me a friendly wave while shouting, again, “Hi, big brother! You’re finally here! C’mon, get into a capsule so we can start training!” With that, she closed the viewing window, and I sighed. “That’s my sister – as spontaneous as ever,” I thought.

Turning away from the screen and surveying the Capsules, I noticed that Natalie was the only one training at the moment. Without hesitating, I pulled open the hatch of a random Capsule, revealing the egg-shape’s interior. Closest and facing away from me was a seat, akin to that of an airplane chair, cushioned with grey material and featuring armrests. The Capsule’s opposite surface was a curved screen, currently dark and dead at the moment.

As I sat into the chair, I reached forward and brushed the dead screen with my hand.

The curved surface came to life, as if leaping from its great slumber. Upon lighting up for a second, a simple, white background popped up with the words: CAPSULE ACTIVATED. CONFIRMATION OF USER REQUIRED.

To participate in a Cyber-Battle, one had to use their Projector. Therefore, each User was required to confirm their identity in one of three ways: a retinal scan, a fingerprint scan, or a voice-spoken code.
Silently, I raised my right hand to my eye, allowing the Projector’s inbuilt camera to scan my retina.

The screen displayed text again. SCAN COMPLETE. USER: KIRISAKI EINS. PARTNET: DAWN. READY TO PARTICIPATE IN BATTLE. PLEASE CLOSE YOUR EYES.

I complied, and my consciousness slowly started to fade as I steadily became drowsy.

June 6th, Year 2093 (3 Years Ago)


A golden streak, like a bullet of dusk, dashed throughout the silent cosmos. It was a Cyber-Battler, rocketing at high velocity through a map of space. Her armor was a beautiful gold, and despite is basic appearance, shone so greatly that it seemed to glow in the darkness of space. Simple, cylindrical sections locked around her arms and legs, while a one-part chest-piece covered her torso. Lying under the armored sections was her yellow jumpsuit, blending well with the metallic gold. The helmet was decorated and complex, featuring two blade-like fins on her forehead, both pointing backwards and up. A simple visor of crimson glass covered her entire face, sealing it from the oxygen-less environment. Lastly was her hair, which was exposed through a gap in the back of her helmet. It flowed like a cape, unchained and free in the antigravity environment of space. Alone in the virtual realm, it was evident that she was practicing. Scattered throughout the void of space were asteroids, spinning and flying uncontrollably throughout the darkened world. The sunlight dasher flawlessly weaved through the asteroid field, dodging the monstrous space rocks while maintaining their incredibly high speed.

Suddenly, two larger asteroids collided with each other, and the force of the impact caused one to barrel straight towards the golden flash. Without warning, the Cyber-Battler somersaulted and pushed her foot-mounted rocket thrusters to their maximum, effectively performing a Supersonic Zero-Gravity Stop – an incredibly complex and difficult aerial maneuver. The Cyber-Battler barely avoided the asteroid by a few inches, and she immediately resumed her pathway through the asteroid field. She certainly had high skill in Cyber-Battle.

Meanwhile, in the real world, a young, black-haired boy was watching the amazing Cyber-Battler through a viewing window in a practice room. It was certain that he was young, for his face was naïve and innocent. Perhaps he was nine years old. His eyes were wide in awe, and as the girl stopped to rest atop a still asteroid, he exclaimed, “Wow! You’re amazing, Jocelyn!”

As the Cyber-Battler giggled and stood up, it became evident that she was a teenager, around fourteen years of age. Her sapphire eyes shone through the crimson visor, sparkling with joy and excitement like gemstones. “Thank you, Kirisaki!” she smiled at the young child, before asking, “You can’t wait, can you?”

The raven-haired youth, Kirisaki, nodded. “I want to be ten years old right now so I can Cyber-Battle!”

Jocelyn, the Cyber-Battler, giggled once more. “Oh, Kirisaki! You’re so cute!”

Natalie Eins (age 10) – Year 2096, June 11th, 10:41 A.M.


I sat in the target training room, my rifle and helmet on the ground beside me. As I brushed my fingers through my short, albeit abundant hair, I mumbled, “Big brother sure is taking a while to get here.”

Another, feminine voice rang through my head. “He’s finally here, huh?”

A miniature figure materialized in front of me, hovering by my face. Both her skin and hair were pale like the dawning sun’s rays, and her whitened strands were long and plentiful, almost like a group of beautiful, tied ribbons, waving in a soft breeze. Her clothes were also completely of white, a recurring theme of my PartNet, Angela. I had just received her this year, and her kind, helpful personality proved to make her an excellent PartNet and friend.

“Yes, he’s here. I’m going to help him with target practice. How about talking to Dawn about shooting techniques?”

She nodded softly and complied, before gracefully bowing and disappearing, her hologram dissipating into flurries of blue data.

Kirisaki finally materialized in front of me, standing with his normal slouch. Big brother’s armor was deep red, crimson just like human blood. He had never bothered to customize its appearance, preferring the basic cylindrical armored sections and flat, one-part chest-piece. The jumpsuit under his armor was also drab and bland, a simple, midnight black. His helmet, however, was decorated with four, blade-shaped fins – two on his forehead, and two by his ears – all pointed up and backwards, while a cyan visor covered his eyes. Yet despite its sky like appearance, I could still discern his emerald eyes.

I leapt from my seat and embraced him, exclaiming, “Yay! Big brother, you’re here!”

With his usual, emotionless expression, he patted my hair, and despite the jumpsuit material covering his hands, I could feel the warmth in his fingers. As we broke away from the hug, I grabbed my helmet and rifle, covering my head and arming myself while saying, “C’mon! Let’s get started on some target practice!” Because it was summer vacation, Kirisaki had loads of free time on his hands. He planned to use this summer in order to become a better Cyber-Battler in order to fulfill some sort of promise he had made when he was younger. I never knew the details, but as his sister, how could I have refused?

“But Natalie, I’m terrible at shooting,” he said, frowning. “You know how much I miss!” He was beating himself down…again.

I frowned at him and lightly tapped his visor with my free, left hand, saying, “Oh, c’mon! You shoot fine! And you just need some practice! Now come on, just shoot that target!” As I pointed to a random target thirty meters away, he sighed, and raised his right arm

Kirisaki’s external armor had no physical weapons, yet his armaments were configured in perhaps the most unorthodox, unusual method. He opened his right hand partially, and a glowing, pink sphere formed in his palm. He took a deep breath and focused, looking down his straightened arm through his open fingers…and fired.

FRE-SAT! A single pink, arrowhead-shaped bolt leapt straight from the orb, glowing just like its origin, soaring towards the white plate…and impacting directly to the right of the target.

BOOM! It dissipated instantly as it collided with the wall, and left behind a burn upon the surface.

Kirisaki grimaced.

The main customization he had applied to his armor was his weapons systems. Both of his hands could generate the pink, glowing orb, which he had named: Sunset Striker. The Striker functioned as a long-range firearm, firing beam bolts, and a close-combat weapon, able to generate a sword-like beam blade.

I laughed at his comical expression, and softly assured him, “It’s ok. Just try again!”

He nodded, and once again, fired the Sunset Striker. FRE-SAT!

BOOM!

Another miss.

His face fell, but I shook my head. “Don’t give up yet! C’mon, try this – take a deep breath right before shooting, and don’t blink!”

“Deep breath…don’t…blink…” I heard him mutter under his breath.

FRE-SAT!

S-KAR!

Kirisaki stared in disbelief as the bolt crashed into the target, and watched it disappear as it was broken down on the molecular level.

“Yay! Big brother, you did it!” I leapt around joyfully, shouting and congratulating Kirisaki on his accomplishment.

Battle Two: Demon

Kirisaki Eins (age 12) – Year 2096, June 13th, 5:12 P.M.


After I had gotten one successful hit on a target, Natalie continued to tutor me in long-ranged combat. Over the next several days, I gained knowledge and skill about shooting and different aiming techniques with the Sunset Striker. Eventually, in a week, my accuracy rating had improved from a mere twenty percent to a whole sixty percent, an improvement Natalie marveled at.

“You’re incredible, big brother!” She exclaimed one day as we entered the Cyber-Battle Mall once more. “Your accuracy has tripled!”

As we walked towards the escalators, I smiled, and merely answered, “Thanks, but I need to grow even stronger and train more,” However, in my mind I merely thought, “I’ve hardly improved. I’m still puny and weak. I haven’t changed at all!”

Natalie frowned at me disapprovingly before wagging her finger. “More training? It’s been entire week, Kirisaki!” I paused. She rarely called me by name, only in instances where she was being completely serious. “C’mon, let’s enter a battle today!”

Entering into a battle meant two things: I would be thrown into a free-for-all in which I would had no allies, or a team battle in which I had to work with other Battlers who would look down upon my low skill. Either way, they were unfavorable conditions that I did not like. But Natalie was right. I had to begin participating in battles, or my overall skill would not improve.

So, for both the sake of Natalie and I, I agreed. “Alright. Let’s go to a battle room.”

Battle rooms were laid out almost exactly like a practice room, with similar glass doors, login counters, and viewing screens. However, the main difference was in the placement of the Capsules. This particular room had six Capsules in total, meant for two teams of three, a rather small battle when observed from a grander scale. Two rows of three capsules faced each other, with enough room for movement between the two soldier-like lines.

Four more battlers were already present, and after logging in, we moved to greet them.

“Great, two more Battlers!” a blonde-haired teenage boy exclaimed. “That makes six!”

Another, who was a slightly younger girl, smiled. “Now we can have good battle!”

I looked around at the happy, welcoming Battlers, and was saddened by how kind they were to me. “I’m an idiot, after all.” I thought. “I have no worth or skill. I’m just an idiot.”

“Let’s just do this,” a quiet, chilling voice muttered.

I turned to the speaker, who had a short, male figure. He was wrapped in a dark, grey hoodie sweatshirt and black pants, and his face was completely hidden by the shadows of his hood. It was impossible to identify him.

“Who’s that?” Natalie whispered to the girl who had greeted us.

“I don’t know,” she replied. “But he’s really creepy. He keeps whispering about ‘getting revenge’ and ‘taking him down.’ I think he got here first.”

I glanced at the shadowy kid before turning to everyone else. “Shall we get started?”

“Yes, c’mon!” Natalie joyfully exclaimed, moving to a Capsule.

Smiling at her enthusiasm, we all moved to the Capsules to start the battle.

June 13th, Year 2093 – Kirisaki Eins (age 9)


In the Cyber-Battle Mall’s training room, I watched Jocelyn practice her techniques.

Armed and armored, she stood within a cube-shaped move, colored a shade of cyan. Scattered across the walls were several white, circular plates, for long-range combat practice.

“The key to smooth Cyber-Battling is calming yourself – you need to still your mind and soul,” She said through the viewing window, tapping her helmet to indicate her mind.

Steadying herself and taking a deep breath, she raised the weapons grasped in her arms – a thin, short-barreled rifle, mounting a small scope.

B-zat, b-zat, b-zat!

With perfect accuracy and speed, Jocelyn fired three golden, lance-like beams, striking the center of three target plates.

“But Jocelyn, it’s a Cyber-Battle! You know how scared I get even when I play racing games!” I complained to her, doubting my abilities.

“Hm…” She lowered her rifle and crossed her arms thoughtfully. “Well, you should think about something that calms you down! Like your mom!”

I shook my head. “She reminds me too much of the kitchen, since she loves cooking. That place is scary with all those knives and delicate plates and burners,”

“Oh…” Jocelyn blinked, surprised and dumbfounded at my underlying fear of my mother. “What about chocolate chip cookies? I know how much you love them!”

“No…I burned myself while eating on the other day. I think they hate me,”

Jocelyn laughed weakly at my childish behavior, and then asked, “Kirisaki, do you know what a promise is?”

“Promise?” I repeated. “Do you mean when someone does something for someone else, and if they don’t do it, they’ll get eaten by a summoned monster, and then your soul will be bound to the underworld for eternity?”

“Uh, something like that, just without the monster and soul-binding…” she answered. “You make a contract with someone, and you declare that you will do something for them,”

“But you aren’t taken to the underworld?” I tried to understand the confusing concept.

She shook her head. “Nope. There’s nothing involved with the underworld. But if you break a promise, you also break your trust with that person. So you shouldn’t break promises!”

“I see,” I was completely clear on the idea of “promises” now.

“So, let’s make a promise right now!” Jocelyn suggested. “How about we promise to protect each other, no matter what happens?”

“Protect?” I whispered. “So we’ll always remain safe and happy in this amazing world?”

“Yes,” Jocelyn answered. “That’s a good way to put it. So, do you Kirisaki Eins, promise to protect me, Jocelyn SIlya, in this harsh, yet amazing world?”

Slowly, I nodded. Jocelyn smiled, and declared, “And I, Jocelyn Silya, vow to protect you, Kirisaki Eins, as a guardian and shield,”

I stared blankly at Jocelyn, attempting to interpret the incredibly strange and descriptive phrase she had just said.

She laughed at my expression, and said, “Don’t worry, you can take your time. But just remember this…” She smiled sweetly, her eyes glowing with care.

“I’ll protect you, Kirisaki,”

Kirisaki Eins (age 12) – Year 2096, June 13th, 5:15 P.M.

USER: KIRISAKI EINS. PARTNET: DAWN. READY TO PARTICIPATE IN BATTLE.

I cursed under my breath.

The medium-sized Battle map was coded into a downtown section of city, featuring several crisscrossing networks of streets and skyscrapers that reached up towards the clouds. The night sky had thrown a veil over the world, and so the city skyline was ablaze with streetlamps and buildings lit up through their windows, setting fire to the shadowy curtains. Above in the heavens was the massive, metallic moon. Its light dominated the clear skies, casting a silvery-white hue upon the landscape below and blessing it with reflective beauty like water, mirroring the empty, yet beautiful sky.

My team, consisting of Natalie, the blonde-haired boy, and myself, were soaring over lower-storied buildings and through empty air, when a long-range sniper beam suddenly surprised us from the ground below.

“Scatter!” I shouted, and our trio tumbled mid-air to avoid the next round of attacks.

Our blonde ally, whose name was Luke, was clad completely in heavy, green armor, left non-customized and designed to take heavy beating, while his underlying jumpsuit was a lighter shade of grey. Grasped in his right hand was a large, tube-shaped cannon, and as his shots landed near the sniper’s position, they detonated and leveled the cityscape into a hellish conflagration.

Yet despite our best efforts to get close, the shooter’s rapidity was too high. They had blocked our access to them with a high-accuracy barrage, an unusual yet effective tactic.

Natalie and Luke began laying a bombardment in an attempt to draw out the sniper, yet as I began to activate my Sunset Striker, I thought, “I shouldn’t. Seeing as how terrible my skill is, I’ll probably make the situation worse.”

“Kirisaki!” Luke shouted over the roaring of battle. “Natalie and I will lay down some fire. You get close and take him out!”

“But what if I get eliminated?” I asked. “Won’t I just hold us back?”

“It doesn't matter, Kirisaki!” Natalie cried. “It’s better to try and go all out!”

“Natalie…Luke…you two believe in me that much?” I was shocked. “Even though my skills are so awful…”

But because of their faith in me, I had to go through with the battle.

“Right!” With that, I killed the power to my rocket thrusters and plummeted into the city streets below.

Natalie Eins (age 10) – 5:21 P.M.


“He sure is smart,” Luke said, firing another explosive round from his cannon. “Approaching from the streets rather than flying head-in. His tactical knowledge sure is high,”

“But big brother doesn’t think that,” I thought sadly. From my birds-eye view, I watched as Kirisaki rocketed through the network of streets at high-speed and a few feet above the ground, nimbly turning and quickly closing the distance between him and the sniper.

Kirisaki had customized his armor to weigh much less, and increased the power of his rocket thrusters. Overall, this enabled much higher speed for him, and he once said, “If I can move quickly, I can be just like her,”

Who this “her” was, I never asked. But it was probably Jocelyn. The thought of Kirisaki’s damaged memory saddened me greatly, because when Jocelyn had lived, his eyes were always alight with happiness. Yet now he was dull and emotionless, almost like a robot. It almost made me want to cry, sometimes.

“Kirisaki, take the next left and you should run into the sniper!” Luke directed Kirisaki over the team communication channel, which was connected to a microphone and speaker in our helmets.

Kirisaki Eins (age 12) – 5:22 P.M.


“…And you should run into the sniper!” Silently thanking Luke for his navigation assistance, I braked my rocket thrusters upon reaching the next intersection of road and sharply turned left.

“Too easy!” Without warning, I heard a female voice as I dashed along the street.

FRE-SAT, FRE-SAT!

“Wah!” My reflexes kicked in as I shut down my thrusters, and the momentum shoved me through the air. As I tumbled over and crashed into the hard, rough tar, a duo of green beam bolts narrowly missed me by a few inches.

“Man, that was close,” I muttered, scrambling up and locking into a defensive stance, bending my knees and readying myself to dodge the next attack.

“Don’t you know anything about stealth?” My attacker, who stood on the wide road thirty meters away, scoffed at me. The inferno sparked by Luke’s explosive shots lit up the city blocks, as if giant, orange walls had been constructed within moments. In the flickering light I recognized her as the younger girl from earlier, and she was now clad in a thin, yellow armor, aerodynamically streamlined to provide extra mobility. Her helmet featured an unusually thin, green visor, while sensors were mounted on the sides, for scanning her surroundings. Beneath the armor was a light blue jumpsuit. In her hands were two beam pistols, small and short-barreled, yet powerful enough to damage a Battler.

“No problem, though,” She grinned evil, and raised her guns. “That just gives me the opportunity to kill you!” Finishing her sentence and unleashing a flurry of beam bolts, she instigated the short skirmish between us.

“Yikes!” I leapt into action to avoid the attacks, irregularly hopping side-to-side and ducking pitifully, barely avoiding the bolts.

My opponent cackled at my comical actions and began sadistically shrieking with joy, “Haha! Dance, dance, dance!”

“She’s crazy,” I complained, continuing to dodge her attacks. The situation would turn out badly – I would eventually get hit by a lucky shot, and taken out of the game - in other words, a failure.

“If I could only get a clear shot!” I scowled, taking a risk and activating my right hand’s Sunset Striker.

“You need to still your mind and soul,” a female voice rang, and my eyes widened.

“Who was that?” I thought.

“So, let’s make a promise right now!”

“A promise?” I continued to dodge beam bolts, growing more and more frantic by the moment. “What promise?”

“Just remember this…”

Time seemed to stand still for a split second as Jocelyn’s promise snapped in my mind.

“I’ll protect you, Kirisaki,”

“Jocelyn!” I suddenly realized, and a flood of memories rushed into my brain.

“We made a promise…” I mentally whispered, the thought beginning to rend my heart with sadness, knowing that I had broken my declaration. Yet it began to sew itself back when a certain realization dawned upon me.

“You can’t defeat me!” I shouted confidently, raising my right hand and Sunset Striker.

“Oh?” The insane girl raised an eyebrow, and without hesitation, fired two more shots.

Steeling my spirit and taking the three-year promise to heart, I planted myself onto the road and refused to move, despite the incoming danger. Impossibly, yet possibly, each bolt whizzed past me, grazing both my right and left shoulder-armor, burning across the crimson metal, heating it to superhot temperatures and lighting it like magma.

“That’s right! She can’t defeat me because I believe in Jocelyn!” I cheered in my head. Exhilarated and overjoyed that the promise still lived, I charged my Sunset Striker and stared down the length of my arm, carefully aiming at my opponent.

“How did I miss?” she shrieked fearfully, doubt beginning to cloud her mind. In a panic, she began firing a great tempest of beam bolts. Despite the massive, continuous barrage, not a single projectile struck me head-on. A very small number scraped past my armor, slightly burning the plating. Yet I stood strong against the storming onslaught, continuing to charge my Sunset Striker and preparing to fire.

“Why won’t it hit? Why won’t it hit?” The shooter seemed to be slowly growing insane, recklessly shooting and sending stray bolts crashing into the surrounding buildings and onto the road, beginning to destroy the section of cityscape.

Calming my mind despite the skirmish, I took a deep breath and focused my aim onto the shooter as the pink orb in my palm glowed as bright as the sun and lit up the street. With great vigor and confidence I shouted, “Sunset Striker, firing!”

As I unleashed a pink, beach ball-sized beam bolt, my opponent screamed in fear as she turned to run away. Her efforts were in vain, however, when the blast engulfed her in its wake and incinerated her, molecularly breaking her down until nothing of her was left except ashes.

A moment of silence ensued, which was broken by a soft, monotonous voice announcing through a Battle-wide communication channel: “Team A, Member Three, Holly and Guardian, Eliminated,”

Shocked and disbelieving, I relaxed from my stance and dropped my arms, lifting my gaze to the night sky, the deep-blue canvas painted with stars.

“You protected me, Jocelyn,” I whispered to the silent spirits, not expecting an answer. “Thanks for coming back,”

A sudden, rocking explosion a block away caught my attention, hurling fire and smoke into the air. As I turned to face the inferno, Luke cheered over the communication channel.

“Yahoo! That was a lucky shot, but I just got him!”

“Team A, Member Two, Sean and Bullet, Eliminated,” the computer-generated announcer once again declared a battler’s defeat.

“One more enemy, huh?” I muttered. “One versus three. This should be over quick,”

Unspecified Person (unspecified age) – 5:26 P.M.


Atop a skyscraper, blazing brilliantly from interior light stood a shadowy, bulky silhouette. They were rather short. It was certain that they were participating in a Cyber-Battle, for several bulky, armor-like sections were apparent across their body. Atop their helmet were two long, outreaching spikes, about a foot long and pointing diagonally towards the sky. Mounted atop their back was a large, rectangular-shaped object, seemingly great in length and wide, with a sharp edge and a long handle.

“One versus three,” They muttered, in a male, angry voice. “This should be over quick,” In one smooth, quick movement, he leapt off of the building and reached both hands to his back, grasping the handle of the large piece of equipment and swinging it forwards. Dense and sharp, the large, heavy sword had a two-handed grip, meant for powerful, damaging attacks. Its blade was jet-black, deep just like the surrounding night.

The building’s interior lighting washed over the Battler, and washed away the shadows…yet nothing changed. His armor was the deepest, darkest shade of black, while his visor was a translucent grey. As he plummeted through the air in free-fall, his mouth began to curl into an evil grin.

“Let’s get this started,” he declared. “Jonathan Silya – heading out!”

Kirisaki Eins (age 12) – 5:28 P.M.


“Where are they?” Natalie grumbled, looking around the extinguished cityscape.

After I had regrouped with my team, we began to scour the map from the skies, searching for the final enemy battler.

“Man, he sure was creepy,” Luke observed, scanning the ground below. “Maybe he’s depressed. I mean, wearing dark clothes like and a hood indoors? Is his head straight?”

“Anger issues?” I suggested, beginning to ponder the possibilities when sudden movement from above caught my eye. “Movement, above to the right!”

Natalie and Luke brandished their weapons as the last Battler dropped from the skies, clad in heavy, metal plating of the deepest shade of black. His silhouette was demonic, with spikes adorning his helmet, only accentuated by the enormous sword gripped in his hands.

“Whoa,” Luke muttered, almost sounding fearful. “He looks crazy. I wonder how he fights?”

As if answering his question, the final enemy charged at me, swinging the great sword with ease in a wide, dangerous sweep. Narrowly dodging the probably fatal attack, I clumsily scrambled through the air and put distance between us, before spinning around to face my opponent.

“Take this!” Natalie shouted, firing several beams and penetrating the dark sheet of night. Effortlessly, however, the target raised his sword and deflected the beams with his blade, dissipating the high-power energy beams into small, glowing particles.

“C’mon, c’mon, c’mon!” Luke yelled, clearly pumped by adrenaline. Three consecutive booms followed the three consecutive shots from his cannon, rocketing in tight formation and high speed towards the black-clad warrior.

Quickly and subtly, the enemy backed away from the line of fire and grasped his sword, spinning and slicing it in a great arc.

Three, miniature suns temporarily hovered over the map as Luke’s explosive cannon rounds detonated prematurely, having been destroyed in the sword slice. The heat and flame behind him merely darkened our enemy, and he almost looked a devil entering the world through the deathly gates of hell.

“This guy…” I whispered, fearful and scared. “He’s a pro…”

“Don’t space out!” Natalie shouted, and I came back to my senses. As the explosions shrank away into the night, my enemy charged once more and pointed his blade straight at me in a spear-like thrust.

Acting on instinct, I whipped out both hands and activated each Sunset Striker, thinking in my head, “saber! Activate!” Through my command, the orbs in my palms extended into full-length beam blades, slender and long, while glowing the same, rosy-pink. They extended straight from my arm, allowing me to have great close-combat capability with the blades.

“Sunset Striker, saber form!” I shouted, dashing towards my opponents. Our blades clashed as we closed the gap, throwing sparks into the air like fireworks against the dark backdrop of sky. As we swung wildly at each other, matching each other’s pace like a furious, life-determining dance, it became evident that we were rather evenly matched. His strong, strength-utilizing berserker style was dangerous and powerful, yet my unusual technique and quick, dashing strikes fended well against his slow attacks. Even as Natalie and Luke fired at him between our strikes, he managed to evade their attacks and continue our skirmish, seemingly ignoring my two teammates.

We struck blades once more and were drawn into a sword-lock, each wielder trying to overpower the other. Our faces close to each other, we glared through our visors as I tried to read my enemy’s face. What’s he thinking? What’s his next move? Who is he?

Quietly, he clicked his tongue. “This is too easy,”

“What?” I demanded, surprised.

Pushing away and clashing once again, he continued to speak. “I haven’t been trying during this battle. You certainly are weak. Weaker than Jocelyn,”

The mention of Jocelyn’s name stopped time for a moment. As I stared at my opponent, incredible curiosity arose in me and I asked, “Do you know Jocelyn? Do you know me?”

His eyes blazed at me in anger. “I know everything about her, and the time she spent with you. And don’t you dare speak her name! It is poisoned upon your mouth!” With a sudden burst of strength, he pushed me away with his sword and spun around, extending his blade with great reach and catching me in the swing. My defeat occurred in a mere instant as I screamed. The surrounding environment dissipated into a flurry of glowing particles, and I was released from the hypnotic state.

Shocked and afraid, my eyes were wide as I stared into empty space. Such a powerful, hateful person, and they knew Jocelyn!

“Team A, Member One, Jonathan and Shade, has forfeited,” the announcing voice rang through my Capsule, and I sat up straight in shock. “He forfeited?” I thought. “Judging by his skill, he could have easily fought Luke and Natalie. That can only mean one thing…he was after me!”

Natalie Eins (age 10) – 5:30 P.M.


We had all exited our Capsules sand were standing in the battle room, all confused by the situation.

“You idiot!” Holly, the sadistic shooter was screaming at the once-hooded battler. “Why would you forfeit? Do you know how much this affects my ranking?”

The dark Cyber-Battler, Jonathan Silya, was Jocelyn’s younger brother, currently eleven years old. Blonde hair, dull and short, covered his scalp. Contrarily, blood-red droplets in his eyes blazed with anger.

“Shut up,” his voice was venomous and full of anger, perhaps meant to kill. “I only had one goal: the punk kid over there,” Rudely and without care, he pointed to Kirisaki, who was leaning against his Capsule.

“Hey, it’s rude to point!” Luke grumbled.

“Oh?” Jonathan raised an eyebrow, and turned to Kirisaki. “I think it’s also rude to kill someone, especially someone who places an awful great amount of trust in you,” Slowly, Kirisaki’s eyes widened with realization and shock, and I quickly deduced that Jonathan was talking about Jocelyn. “I wonder why you haven’t been arrested. Murder is a huge crime these days, especially in these days of world peace,”

“Stop!” I shouted, worried about Kirisaki’s mental state. “Do you know what your doing?”

“I’m accusing an absolute murderer who has been wrongly absolved by the government,” Jonathan spat, angrily glaring at Kirisaki. “He killed Jocelyn Silya,”

“Stop it, Jonathan!” I yelled, leaping forwards and grabbing him. “You’ll damage his memory!”

The grey-clad boy was quiet for a moment, merely staring at Kirisaki with contempt. Finally, he broke the silence.

“I’ll never forgive you. Remember that,” With that, Jonathan Silya left the battle room.

Kirisaki Eins (age 12) – 8:31 P.M.


Upon bidding Luke and the other Battlers farewell, Natalie headed home before me.

“I have an errand to run,” I told her, and though we both knew it was a terrible lie, I still went ahead.

Standing atop a wooded knoll, I looked down the concrete flight of stairs, which ran down its slope. Gradually widening out as it reached the bottom, the cement surface flattened and eventually grew into a peaceful, golden meadow, grown from the seeds of sunlight and dancing calmly in the wind.

Overhead, the silver moon poured her rays upon the nightly world, and caused the tree branches above to cast deathly shadows upon the ground I stood upon. The dark claws seemed to reach out to me and scratch away my soul, threatening to tear away my mind.

Finally, after two hours of silent solitude, Dawn appeared from my Projector and flew around before resting atop my head, looking down and asking, “What is this place?”

“The doctor told me that this is where you died,” I answered. As she looked at me questioningly, I realized my mistake. “Sorry, I meant this is where Jocelyn died,”

“Jocelyn is the human I look like, correct?” Dawn pressed, curious. “Why is my appearance based off of her?”

Shrugging, I replied, “The doctor who oversaw my recovery thought that it was best to be close to someone like Jocelyn, so the fact that she was dead…I mean, not here…wouldn’t impact me so greatly,”

“So…I’m just a comforter, right?” Dawn whispered, quietly.

“No! Not at all!” I reassured, lifting up my hand and offering it as a platform. As she hopped onto my palm, I lifted her up to eye level and said, “Dawn, you’ve been so helpful. You’re not just a PartNet, you’re like a friend,” As I expressed my feelings, her eyes slowly closed, and a small smile curled upon her lips.

However, she snapped her eyes open once more and a frown appeared on her face. “Your memories are coming back, aren’t they?”

I paused for a moment. “Yes,”

“Why won’t you tell Natalie? Or contact the doctor? I saw them too, Kirisaki – our consciousness was merged. Don’t you know how important this is?”

I looked at the ground uncomfortably. “I don’t want to have her absent…”

“What?” Dawn stopped her chiding and stood up straight, listening intently.

“I’m scared that once everyone knows that I remember her, they’ll feel bad for me. They’ll think that I’m lonely and sad, and I don’t want anyone to waste their time on an idiot like me…”

“You’re not an idiot!” Dawn continued to scold me. “Everyone’s said that – you’re not an idiot! Natalie, your parents, even the doctor! Why do you think that way?”

“Because I killed Jocelyn,” I answered flatly. “I caused her death,”

My companion was silent, and my heart slowly sank into an abysmal chasm.

“Jonathan’s right,” I thought, sifting through my foggy memories and glancing up towards the transient tree branches, scraping the sky’s beauty, as if disrupting the peaceful feeling. “It’s obvious that I caused her death. Isn’t that equivalent to murder?” As I lowered my head once more, directing my gaze towards the stairs and meadow, I spotted a figure walking through the meadow. Clearly feminine in form, she was slim and tall, and her long hair cascaded behind her. Although the darkened sky shadowed her figure, her golden strands, shining in the moonlight, were easily distinguishable. Slowly, my eyes widened as the first conclusion that hit my mind took root, and I took a hesitant step onto the first stair leading down the path of steps.

“Kirisaki, I know what you’re thinking,” Dawn said, leaping from my head and hovering before me. “And I know how much you want it to be true…but that’s not her,”

“It has to be Jocelyn!” I snapped back, pointing to the figure. “No one has golden hair like her!”

“He killed Jocelyn Silya,” Jonathan’s accusation suddenly rang through my head, and as the terror of crime and evil began to seep into my mind, I shouted, “No! It’s her, I’ll prove it to you!” And so with the intent to see Jocelyn once more, I leapt down the stairs, dashing along the slope with no intention of slowing down.

“Kirisaki, stop!” Dawn began to fly after me, in an effort to stop my descent.

“So, do you Kirisaki Eins, promise to protect me, Jocelyn SIlya, in this harsh, yet amazing world?”

“I’ll do it!” I thought, as my lungs screamed for air and my legs burned in fatigue. “I’ll keep our promise – our three-year promise! I’ll do it! I’ll protect you…”

“Jocelyn!” I shouted, reaching the bottom of the stairs. Surprised, the girl turned around.

Above, as if by divine intervention, the clouds once torn asunder were sewn together once more. The filtered moonlight was blocked away, and the small orbs of light hidden within the meadow’s grass lit up, the orange rays seeping through the cracks and falling upon the girl.

As her silhouette was bathed in the glowing light, her golden strands slowly degraded into strings sewn from shadow as the moonlight disappeared. Her hair was black.

Hazel-brown eyes were dark and distinguishable in the pool of her snow-like skin, and her beautiful, calm face seemed quietly emotionless. Yet her garments were rich in color and quality, for she was garbed in a dress. It was simple and white, yet intricately and beautifully embroidered with purple sewing, threaded into curly designs. Certainly, she was a child of a wealthy family.

We stared at each other for a moment, before I fell upon my knees, supporting my body with my arms planted onto the ground. “You’re not her!” I cried to the stars. “Give her back! Please, give her back! I promise, I’ll protect her! We made a promise!”

Dawn floated in front of me and bowed in apology to the girl. “I’m very sorry for his behavior – he’s been through a lot!”

Silence quickly followed, and as I closed my eyes and let several tears roll, the girl spoke up.

“Um…are you alright?” she asked, quickly walking and kneeling in front of me.

“This...this is just like that time…” I thought, and before I could realize, I was beginning to lose consciousness.

“Jocelyn…”

Battle Three: Honor

Kirisaki Eins (age 9) – Year 2093, July 28th


I ran down the concrete stairs of the hill, quickly descending the slope at a dangerous speed.

Behind me I could hear my chaser’s footsteps, quick and light.

“Stop, Kirisaki! Wait!” It was Jocelyn’s voice, beautiful as always, yet wavering and fearful. “Please, I can explain!”

“There’s nothing to explain!” I snapped, continuing to sprint down the steps. “You said we would play together in the meadow, but you spent your time with that guy! I understand now!”

“No, Kirisaki! It’s not what you think!”

“You’ve found someone to replace an idiot like me! You can be happy with him now!”

“Kirisaki – ah!” The distinct sound of breaking cement caught my ear, and as I turned around my vision was dominated by golden strands, flying through the air, wild and uncontrolled.

Flump.

Kirisaki Eins (age 12) – Year 2096, 8:41


I woke up in that place – lying on the cement ground before the meadow, staring up towards the sky. The stars still danced, and showed no signs of retreating behind the sun’s veil anytime soon. Yet this time, my head pointed towards the hill and its stairs, while the grass lay before my feet.

“You’re awake,” as I sat up, I turned to face the girl I had just mistaken as Jocelyn, kneeling on the ground beside me. Her voice was almost like Jocelyn’s – beautiful and musical. Yet it seemed so much more calm and relaxed, as if she had not a care in the world.

Dawn materialized in front of me, asking, “Are you alright? You passed out for a few minutes,”

As I rubbed my shead, I silently nodded.

“Kirisaki…that’s your name, right?” As the black-haired girl spoke, I suddenly noticed how pretty she was. As I stared at her soft, delicate eyes and calm expression, my face began to heat up.

“Oh my, are you okay? Your face is turning red – do you have a fever?” She leaned forward and placed a hand on my forehead, and as my cheeks flushed, I quickly drew away.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine,” I stammered, rather surprised at her care for a stranger. “Y-you don’t need to worry for me so much, I’m nobody…”

“I don’t think so,” she quickly interjected but suddenly withdrew, as if embarrassed by her exclamation. “Your PartNet told me about you…”

Dawn flitted around as she said, “I told her about your memory loss. She thinks you’re pretty amazing, continuing to live after you’ve lost someone so important to you,”

“Really?” I asked, and the girl nodded, looking at the ground and refusing to lift her eyes. “I’m not really special…after all, I did cause Jocelyn’s death…and I deserve everyone’s hatred for that…”

“Jocelyn…was she nice?” the girl asked once more.

I closed my eyes, nodding my head and smiling. “She wasn’t just nice. She was passionate, caring, selfless, and always loved others. She never got angry, and always smiled. It was as if she was an angel from heaven or paradise, and had come down to Earth to bless this world…maybe she was fed up with me and decided to go back to heaven? It makes me wonder sometimes…” I chuckled and continued, “She was a pro Cyber-Battler…I would always watch her train. I decided to follow her footsteps and become a Battler, too…”

“What’s you’re ranking?” my black-ravened companion asked.

I smiled sadly and whispered, “Out of Ciras City’s seven-thousand and fifty-four Cyber-Battlers, I’ve been ranked five-thousand and one. Pathetic, aren’t I?”

“Kirisaki, you need to stop reminiscing! Look at the time!” Dawn suddenly shouted, and I glanced at my Projector. The screen read: 8:43 P.M.

“It’s past my curfew!” I exclaimed, scrambling up and running towards the stairs.

“Um, I can help you get stronger!” I turned around to face the black-haired girl once more. “I-I know someone who’s a very good battler – he’s ranked one-hundred...”

“Really?” I exclaimed, dashing forwards and grasping her hands in mine. “You’d do that for me?”

Surprised at my enthusiasm, she nodded slowly, and suggested, “Let’s meet at the entrance of the Cyber-Battle Mall tomorrow at ten. Is that okay?”

“Yes! Thank you! I have to go home, but thank you! I’ll see you tomorrow!” I turned and began to run up the stairs as Dawn followed, when suddenly, I turned around. “Oh, right. What’s your name, and ranking?”

“My name?” she responded as if my question was strange. Embarrassingly, she answered, “Melody…Halya. My Battling rank…well, I don’t have a PartNet.

“No PartNet? Must be lonely,” Dawn murmured.

“Ok then. See you tomorrow, Melody!” I quickly waved and began running up the stairs, with Dawn flying by my side. As we reached the hill’s summit, I turned back and gazed upon Melody, standing in the meadow and glowing in the golden light. When she waved kindly, I thought, “she’s so nice…just like Jocelyn.”

Kirisaki Eins (age 12) – Year 2096, June 14th, 10:01 A.M.


“Crap, crap, crap!” I muttered, refraining from cursing and running past through the Leisure District, passing fellow citizens and PartNets as I made my way along the street.

“You aren’t late very often, Kirisaki,” Dawn noted, who was sitting on my head and relaxing.

“I know, I know! But that soda I had last night kept me awake!”

“Whatever. C’mon, pick up the pace!” she said energetically.

“Dawn’s enthusiastic? Why does she have so much energy?” I thought, noticing Dawn’s unusual spunk.

I shrugged and focused on the important matter at hand. “I’m late!” I exclaimed, leaping into a sprint and dashing through the streets while yelling, attracting strange looks from everyone I passed.

After figuratively murdering my legs and lungs, I slipped through the Cyber-Battle Mall’s glass doors and whipped my head around, as Dawn did the same, both of us looking for Melody’s distinctive, black hair.

“Kirisaki!” I suddenly heard Melody’s voice from a floor above. As I looked up and saw her leaning on the glass guardrail, she kindly waved and smiled to me.

“There she is! Quick, let’s go!” I dashed onto the nearest escalator and leapt up the automated steps, reaching the second floor in a manner of seconds.

“Tch,” Dawn clicked her tongue. “What are you getting so flustered about?”

“She’s a girl! If I make girl’s wait, you’ll eternally be indebt to them and your soul will be tied to them forever! That’s what Jocelyn said!”

As I neared Melody I exclaimed, “I’m sorry for being late! Please do not tie my soul – ah!” My feet suddenly stumbled and I tripped flat on my face before Melody’s feet, knocking Dawn into the air.

“Ow…” I moaned, rubbing my throbbing head as I stood up. As I opened my eyes, they locked onto Melody’s and we both froze for a moment. Suddenly, she began giggling uncontrollably, doubling over with laughter and blushing at my comical scene.

“There’s no need to laugh that hard,” I mumbled.

“I’m sorry,” she exclaimed, between fits of laughter. “It was just so funny!”

“So?” I redirected the conversation. “Who’s this pro Battler?”

“He’s the manager of the Mall!” Melody answered nonchalantly.

“Eh?” I was shocked. “The manager’s only ranked one-hundred? Why didn’t they choose a higher-ranking Battler?”

Melody smiled. “He’s the highest-ranked Battler who’s old enough by government regulations to work. Plus, he’s managed the Mall so well that no one could imagine someone else running it! His office is on this floor, right over there,” She pointed to a modest-looking entrance consisting of a wooden door with a small window at the top.

“Sure looks small,” I muttered.

“C’mon!” Melody grabbed my arm and began dragging me towards the door. As we came into contact, sudden warmth flowed through my body, and I stopped for a moment, attempting to verify the feeling.

“What’s wrong?” Melody asked, looking back at me. “Your face is red again. Did you get another fever?” Once again, she touched my forehead, signs of worry creased across her face.

“I’m fine!” I stammered. Melody smiled, and we began moving towards the wooden door.

When we reached the oak-wooden doorway, Melody knocked, and a deep, kind voice from inside answered, “Come in!”

Slowly, she turned the handle, pushing the door and leading into the manager’s office.

Melody Halya (age 12) – 10:06 A.M.


The manager’s office hadn’t changed much since my last visit, which had been a week ago. The small room was about half the size of a training room, sparsely inhabited with a simple, wooden desk in the middle. By the far wall were three Cyber-Battling Capsules, standing in a short row and facing the door.

Sitting at the desk and busily writing on some documents was an aging youth, about eighteen years of age. Spikey, black hair, cut into a short cut was like dark hair, deep and endless like an abyss. His brown eyes were just like mine, the shade of hazel. The joy within them was supported by the kind, happy grin across his face, wide enough to reach from ear to ear.

He stood up respectfully to greet us. “Melody. You’re visiting the Cyber-Battle Mall? This is such an uncommon occasion. When did you leave?”

“Just half an hour ago,” I smiled at the man. “It’s not that uncommon, Logan,”

As Logan reached out and rustled my hair, Kirisaki shifted.

“What is it?” I asked, turning to him.

“W-why are you two acting so close?” he stammered.

“We’re siblings,” Logan answered simply.

Silence followed, before Kirisaki exclaimed, “Melody, you’re big brother is the manager of the Cyber-Battle Mall? That’s huge!”

Logan barked with laughter, amused by Kirisaki’s flustered reaction, before turning back to me. “So, what’s the deal? Do you guys have a complaint or something?”

After shaking my head, I answered, “He wants to train in Cyber-Battling,”

Logan nodded understandingly, and he turned to Kirisaki. “Kiddo, what’s your name?”

Kirisaki calmed down, and quietly answered, “Kirisaki Eins,”

Logan seemed to freeze for a moment, and before I could ask him what was wrong, he hurriedly continued, “You want to train, eh? What aspect of Battling, eh?”

Before thinking for a moment, Kirisaki answered, “I want to become strong so I can follow the footsteps of the one I loved most. So that I can carry on her memory, and make sure that her legacy will never fade from this world. I want to mark down her existence, not in stone, but in the vessel and expression of our emotions through Cyber-Battling!”

His eyes were blazing with spirit, and as I stared into the emerald gems, furious with energy, I suddenly realized that Kirisaki was no ordinary person. He had overwhelming willpower, and although he hadn’t put it to use yet, he certainly could become very strong with it.

Logan chuckled, and grinned once more. “Alright, kiddo. I like your answer!” He pointed to a Capsule and said, “C’mon. Let’s go!”

As happiness and joy washed over Kirisaki’s face, his mouth split into a wide smile. “Yeah!”

Kirisaki Eins (age 12) – 10:08 A.M.


Despite the surprise I had felt when I learned that Melody and Logan were siblings, the map Logan brought me to had taken me aback even more. Its size was much smaller than any other map, about the size of a soccer field. Simple, grass fields covered the map, the green blades waving and looking like an emerald ocean. Cutting through the entire map was a wide river, its current strong and dangerous, splashing and ripping past the riverbank, showing any rock or driftwood no mercy as it picked them up for a ride. Sewing the separated land together was a large, wooden bridge built into the center of the map. Its large support beams stood strong against the current, and dirt paths led straight away from the bridge, drawing a line through the map. Yet the map’s distinguishing feature was the multitude of sakura trees, planted one after another along the two dirt paths. With their beautiful, pink blossoms, they stood vigil over the bridge, as if they were its guards and would attack any who dared to pass.

Logan and I both stood on opposite sides of the bridge, silent as loose sakura blossoms were carried away in the wind, fluttering like birds through the empty air.

“Listen up, kiddo!” he called, his deep voice booming like a great, resounding gong. “I don’t care what kind of weapons you use, but you’ll never master them if you don’t perfect the origin of fighting! Fist fighting!”

Logan’s armor was highly unorthodox. Unlike the futuristic metal plating that most Battlers preferred, his featured several bulky edges that were definitely non-aerodynamic. Silver, leaf-like blades hung down from his shoulders, and the blue, chainmail-like armor around his waist eventually extended into a tunic. His boots were decorated with white, several, evenly lined bumps. A large, blade-like crest was drawn onto his chest of thin, metal armor, and his helmet featured three, golden sword-like fins, one on the middle, right, and left, forming a crown-like section. The most harrowing feature of his armor was the fact that his face was completely exposed, providing a rather large weak spot for the enemy to exploit.

“Your armor is pretty weird,” I noted, and he suddenly launched into a long rant.

“Hey, kid, this armor is modeled exactly after the armor set my family has passed down from our samurai ancestor! Respect it, because this armor contains the blood and soul of the honorable warrior! Honor is my weapon as much as my sword is! Got that? Honor!”

“Honor?” I muttered skeptically. “Isn’t Cyber-Battling technically war? What’s the point of honor?”

Logan immediately put on a serious expression. “Listen, Kirisaki. Honor is extremely important in fighting, because it makes the battle worth fighting. If you win a battle against someone who’s much weaker than you, there is no point. Fighting someone on equal or higher ground than you, however, provides not just a chance to prove your honor and courage, but it gives you a chance to hone your skills. Using every known trick in the book to defeat your enemies doesn’t make it a battle fought. It will be an ambush that takes a long amount of time. Don’t overwhelm your enemy, but provide him a challenge enough that he can fight you fairly. That’s honor, Kirisaki. Fighting fairly with someone so the battle is worth fighting,”

Logan then stood straight before looking down at the wooden bridge. “Also…before we start, I need to apologize,”

“For what?” I asked.

“Three years ago…” I suddenly tensed up. “Jocelyn Silya died. I was the one hanging out with her before she went to see you,” An intense image suddenly flooded through my mind as I saw Jocelyn clinging to Logan, both of them laughing and smiling. “I want to say that I’m sorry for delaying your time with her. If you hate me, I’ll understand. You have your reasons,”

I grinned. “You’re being stupid,”

“What?”

My eyes flashed with confidence and spirit. “I could never hate you. When I saw you with Jocelyn, she looked so happy. I don’t remember how happy she was with me, but seeing you two together made me see the joy you gave her. I could never hate you because of that,”

Logan closed his eyes before smiling. “Such an honorable answer,”

I chuckled. “I’m getting the hang of honor, already!”

“Now c’mon!” Logan shouted energetically. “We’re going to fight only with our fists!”

I blinked once more. “What?”

Melody Halya (age 12) – 10:43 A.M.


When the boys exited the Capsules, Kirisaki began to pester Logan, complaining about certain instances where he had taken him completely by surprise.

“Man, where did you learn those techniques?” Kirisaki moaned, scratching his head.

Logan chuckled, rustling his hair in a friendly manner.

“He only does that to people who are special,” I suddenly thought, staring at the scene with wide eyes.

“Well? What did you learn, Kirisaki?” Logan asked, sternly looking at his pupil.

“I always need to keep moving, no matter the situation. My weapon might not always be my weapon, because the enemy might obtain it. A weakness is also a strength,”

“And?” Logan pressed, waiting for the most important answer.

“Always fight with honor,” Kirisaki answered, confidently smiling at his mentor. “Always fight fairly to make the battle worth fighting,”

As the two Battlers stared into each other’s eyes, I noticed that something new was in Kirisaki’s face – a certain kind of passion and care, merciful yet willing to strike with justice.

“He certainly is strange,” I thought, smiling.

“Come to think of it, is there someone you want to beat, Kirisaki?” Logan asked.

Kirisaki froze for a moment, lowering his eyes towards the floor.

“Jonathan Silya,” he mumbled.

Logan Halya (age 18) – 10:45 A.M.


When I learned that Kirisaki was planning to battle against Jonathan Silya, I decided to break the rules of confidentiality and release of information regarding Cyber-Battling tournaments.

“There’s a Battling tournament coming soon. It’ll occur on July 28th. Use this remaining time to train as much as you can, and during that tournament, defeat Jonathan Silya! I know you can do it, Kirisaki!”

I sighed as I sat at my desk, and I spun my office chair to rest my gaze upon the three Capsules behind.

“Jocelyn Silya and Kirisaki Eins…” I thought.

“Honor, huh?” I whispered, smiling.

Battle Four: Love


I never told anyone else about Melody, and despite the upcoming tournament, I always looked forwards to spending my time with her. We would spend the entire day together, not just at the Cyber-Battle Mall, but throughout the Leisure District as well. As we became good friends, I eventually began to feel comfortable around her, while at the same time feel more nervous.

After Logan released an announcement confirming the July 28th tournament, the Cyber-Battle Mall was suddenly full of Battlers training for the competition, confident with their fighting styles and skills. Unfortunately, Natalie couldn't participate because she had to take entrance exams for middle school.

Soon enough, July 28th rolled around.

Kirisaki Eins (age 12) – Year 2096, July 28th, 11:37 A.M.


“The tournament will begin at twelve o’clock noon. If you wish to participate, please enter a battle room and inform the supervisor. They will help you enter the competition. Good luck, battlers!” The announcement rang throughout the Cyber-Battle Mall, and as Melody and I rode an escalator to the second floor, I groaned and yawned.

“C’mon, Kirisaki! Get serious! This is an important battle for you!” Melody chided.

“It is?” I asked, lazily glancing back at her and yawning once more.

“Well, you never told me the details, but you’re going to fight against Jonathan Silya, right?” she said quietly. “You know, he’s ranked number sixty-six,”

“I know,” I replied, staring into blank space as I thought, “I have to beat Jonathan. I have to fight with honor. I have to prove myself! Today, I’ll name myself a proper Cyber-Battler!”

We entered a random battle room, and I could several other Battlers getting ready for the tournament. After I had told the supervising lady that I would be participating, she said, “When you activate the Capsule, there will be an option to partake in the tournament or not. Good luck!”

As approached a Capsule, Melody suddenly grabbed my arm once again.

“Are you sure you’ll be all right?” she asked quietly, worry present in her eyes.

I stared deep into her eyes before smiling – not a joyful, nonchalant grin, but a smile of gratefulness and thanks. Quickly and without any hesitation, I leapt forwards and wrapped Melody in a tight embrace, pulling her close.

“Melody…Thank you. Thank you so much for everything. You’ve helped me so much, you’ve spent so much time with someone like me…I’m truly grateful. I’m so happy that I met you. I promise you that I will repay you somehow. I’ll fulfill any of your requests to pay you back. But for now, please wait,” As we drew apart, I looked into her shocked, yet amazedly happy eyes. “I’m going to win this!” Slowly we let go of each other, and I clambered into the Capsule, closing the hatch behind me.

As soon as I was alone in the Capsule, Dawn suddenly flitted out from the Projector.

“What is it?” I asked. “Is something wrong with the Capsule?”

She stayed silently, merely floating in the air.

I blinked curiously. “Don’t tell me your system got damaged…”

“You’ve changed,” she murmured.

“Huh?”

“She’s come back to your life, hasn’t she?”


“Dawn, you’re being incredibly cryptic right now. Can you speak proper English?”

“I'm talking about Melody,” she said flatly.

“What about her?”

“You’re so happy with her around. You’ve begun to smile again. You’ve begun to laugh,”

I frowned. “Dawn…don’t tell me…are you jealous?”

She smiled lightly. “No…not at all. I’m happy for you, Kirisaki. I’m happy that you could once again find a light in your life, someone to help and support you. I’m happy that you’ve changed,” She then promptly exploded into a flurry of glowing particles, which slowly floated back into the Projector.

I glanced at the device for a moment before sighing. “Sheesh. I knew human women were weird, but PartNet women, too? Man, what’s wrong with the opposite gender?”

Brushing the question aside, I snapped my right hand forwards, tapping it against the Capsule’s screen. “Well, enough time to worry about that later. Let’s do this!”

“Cyber-Battle Tournament, Start! For Jocelyn!”

Melody Halya (age 12) – 11:45 A.M.


“I’ll fulfill any of your requests to pay you back,” His declaration echoed through my head, and I suddenly felt great joy welling inside of my heart.

Then…will you go out with me? I wondered, silently wishing in my head. Kirisaki…

A familiar hand suddenly rustled my hair, and as I looked up, saw Logan’s face. His stone-hard expression was staring at Kirisaki’s Capsule, and his eyes were full of determination.

“He’s going to win,” he said quietly, and as his eyes met mine, I nodded.

Clasping my hands together and closing my eyes, I made a silent prayer:

“Win, Kirisaki!”

Kirisaki Eins (age 9) Year 2093, July 14th


“Kirisaki, do you know what love is?”

Jocelyn and I sat in the golden meadow at the foot of the wooded knoll, watching the sun as it dropped into its blanket of clouds. I was cradled in her arms, and her warmth lit a fire of happiness and joy inside of me.

“Love? Do you mean that icky feeling that married people feel when they kiss?” I asked, wrinkling my nose at the concept of such a mushy feeling.

Jocelyn giggled. “That’s a part of love. But basically, love is affection. Like right now,”

“Eh?” I exclaimed, suddenly drawing away. “You mean we’re going to get married?”

She blinked at me for a second, before falling into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

“You don’t need to laugh that hard, you know,” I grumbled, once again returning to her arms.

“I’m laughing because I love you, Kirisaki,” Jocelyn whispered, and I froze. The word “love” smacked me like a flyswatter swatting a fly, strong and sharp.

“I also love this city. Ciras is my favorite place in the world, and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else,”

“I agree! I’ll stay here and live with you forever, Jocelyn!”

Jocelyn nonchalantly stroked my hair. “One day, you’ll find a girl that you’ll love so much that you’ll give anything for her. You’ll want to spend so much time with her, and you’ll want to find out everything about her. That will be the girl you’ll love with all your heart,”

“But Jocelyn, I already found the person I love!” I exclaimed, turning to hug her with my small arms and burying my head into her stomach. “I love you, Jocelyn!”

She smiled, brushing my hair lovingly. “Your still young, so you wouldn’t understand yet. But you’ll find the one you love as you grow up. But Kirisaki, never forget this: if you love someone, you’ll always want her to be happy, no matter the cost. To you, their smile will be enough to make you happy,”

Kirisaki Eins (age 12) – 11:55 A.M.


All of the registered tournament participants were transferred to a waiting room before the tournament began. It was simple – a large, cube-shaped room with cyan-colored walls, like the target training room. The participants filled up a great majority of the room and in total, there were about one hundred battlers.

I scanned the room for Jonathan’s distinctive, black armor, yet I could not find a trace of him. Suddenly, the announcing voice rang through the room. “Hello, Battlers. Welcome to the 15th Cyber-Battling Tournament of Ciras. This battle will be a free-for-all, meaning that no one is your ally, and everyone is your enemy. The sole victor will not be the Battler who defeats the most enemies, but the last man standing. To avoid an extended battle, when two Battlers are left over, they will immediately be informed of the other’s position and be forced into an open duel. The map is one you are all familiar with. We hope you like our decision,”

As the announcement finished, large text popped up in the air. 3…2…1…START.

12:00 P.M.


As I was materialized into the map, I slowly opened my eyes.

Sharply, I gasped.

I stood in the golden meadow I was so familiar with – the foot of the wooded knoll.

Disbelief quickly melted away, and to confirm my conclusion, I began to run up the concrete steps leading up the hill. As one deduction led to another an awful situation suddenly sprouted within my head. I reached the top of the hill, which was level with the rest of Ciras, and promptly activated my thruster to gain some height.

Before me, the Leisure District of Ciras was ablaze in battle.

Battlers fired bullets and beams, missing shots and accidentally striking the buildings and streets. As debris crashed upon the ground, explosions rocked the air. Skyscrapers, so tall and powerful, began to collapse from the destruction, and Ciras slowly begun to cave in on itself.

“They’re destroying Ciras…” I whispered, horrified at the conflagration before me.

“They’re destroying the city…” Suddenly, a Battler below noticed me and raised their gun to charge a heavy, lethal beam shot.

“They’re destroying the city Jocelyn loves…”

“Ciras is my favorite place in the world, and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.” Her words from three years ago rang through my head.

“I have to stop them!” I suddenly roared, and dropped like a rock to the Battler below. As they fired the enormous beam shot, I dashed right past it and activated my Sunset Striker’s sword function, extending blades from both of my arms and wildly swinging at the Battler. Within seconds, the helpless target was defeated.

“I have to stop them!” I kept on thinking, and turned to an ongoing battle occurring on the street ahead. The Battlers were recklessly firing shots, hitting windows and showering glass onto the streets below.

“I have to stop them!” Leaping into action, I dashed at blinding speeds towards the destructive Battlers, ruthlessly slicing them with my blades and ending their battles.

Without warning, a high-powered beam hit the ground before my feet, and I spun around, switching both Sunset Strikers to their long-range form. Floating in the air above was a heavily armored Battler wielding an enormous cannon, which spat out great bolts of energy.

“I have to stop them!” The glowing orbs in my hands suddenly began to unleash a storm of beam bolts, constantly grazing the cannon-wielder, hitting his thrusters and chipping away his armor. Slowly, he sank to the ground and fell back, unable to support himself.

Menacingly, I walked over to the Battler, who was struggling to get up. “No!” he cried. “Not yet!”

I silenced him by plunging my beam blades into his stomach.

As I pulled the blades out, I held my arms out wide, as if trying to tear apart something inside of me, and to unleash the fury raging in my mind, I roared to the sky, surrounded by flames and carnage.

Melody Halya (age 12) – 12:14 P.M.


I held my hands over my mouth as Logan and I watched Kirisaki’s berserker rage on the viewing screen. He slaughtered enemy after enemy, ruthlessly slicing them apart and preventing their escape. It was as if he had become a killing machine.

“Thought-Wild,” Logan muttered.

“What?” As I turned to him, he closed his eyes.

“The Capsules allow a Battler to fight by reading their brain’s commands. It’s like moving your body in real life. But if a larger goal, say, killing an enemy, is strong enough, the Capsule reads this as a humongous job. It kicks the Battler into action, but effectively controls them,”

“Then, what’s Kirisaki’s goal right now?” I cried, scared out of my mind.

Logan shrugged. “Who knows? It might be to win. It might be to increase his ranking. Or it might be to kill. Regardless, his abilities will be extremely powerful right now because he’s literally controlling an enhanced version of himself. That’s the power of the Capsules – to read a Battlers mind and grant their wish,”

Kirisaki Eins (age 12) – 12:21 P.M.


I stabbed another Battler.

“I have to stop them! I have to stop them! I have to stop them! I was going berserk,” slaying any Battler in sight and kicking them out of the battle. I had transformed into a mindless killer.

Suddenly, the announcer’s voice revealed: “Two more Battlers remain. You will be informed of each other’s whereabouts. Good luck,”

A small arrow appeared on my visor, pointing to the east, where the sun was beginning to dip down into the horizon. Suddenly released from my mindless state, I activated my thrusters and began to rocket towards the arrow’s indicated position.

I touched down where I had first started – the foot of the knoll. Standing within the tall, swaying grass was the metal-plated demon, his sword in hand. Jonathan Silya. Behind him was the great, round sun, whose orange-yellow hue began to recolor the landscape, making the world look like gold.

“I’m surprised that you even had the courage to enter this tournament,” he muttered, glaring at me through his grey visor.

“I’ve gotten stronger,” I announced. “I’m not who I was anymore,”

“Oh?” My adversary grinned for a moment before lifting his blade and pointing it at me. “Then come at me, Kirisaki Eins! We’ll settle this here and now – I’ll avenge Jocelyn for her murder!”

“And I’ll name myself a true Cyber-Battler!” I shouted, drawing out both of my beam blades.

“We’ll end this in one strike,” Jonathan declared, drawing his sword back for a thrust.

“Agreed,” I crossed my arms over one another, preparing to whip them out in a wide slash.

This is for Jocelyn, I thought.

As we charged towards each other, rocket thrusters pushed to the max, we roared with fury:

“HIYAAAAA!”

Melody Halya (age 12) – 12:34 P.M.


“No…” I whispered, staring at the viewing screen.

Logan grunted.

Kirisaki was kneeling on the ground, clutching the empty spot where his left shoulder should have been. The armored limb lay on the ground, severed from Kirisaki’s body, while a bloody pool was beginning to form from the injury.

“He’ll never put up a fight with just one arm!” I cried, scared and worried for my friend.

Logan suddenly dragged me to the viewing screen and pressed a small button beside it.

“Logan what…” I started to ask, but stopped when I saw the intense determination in his eyes.

“Tell him, Melody. He needs to win this,”

Slowly, I nodded.

Kirisaki Eins (age 12) 12:35 P.M.


Weakly, I stood up.

Jonathan stood before the stairs. We had passed right by each other during the charge, and had switched spots now.

He grinned evilly.

“How’s it feel to have your victory taken away from you? Huh?” he demanded, anger blazing in his eyes. “I’ll deal you your punishment for murdering my sister! I’ll hurt you in this world! I’ll take away your rank and defeat you until you’ll Cyber-Battle no more!”

“Yeah…You can do that,” I whispered, staring up at the fiery sky, ablaze with the light of the sunset.

Splat. More blood dropped from my shoulder.

“Ha! You’re still weak! Well, it’s your pain is only getting started, Kirisaki! I’ll give you hell!”

“Hell...that’s where I belong…” I muttered.

Splat. Splat. The blood began to ooze freely now.

“Let’s finish this!” Jonathan roared, once again charging towards me with his enormous blade.

“Kirisaki!” Melody’s voice suddenly pierced my fatigued, weary state, and I leapt back to avoid Jonathan’s attack.

“Melody?” An audio communication channel had been opened up between Melody and I.

“Do you remember what you promised?”

My eyes snapped open as my declaration rang clear through my head. “I’m going to win this,
I whispered, remembering my promise.

“You’ve gotten stronger, haven’t you?”

“I’ll protect you, Kirisaki,” Jocelyn’s promise whispered softly into my mind.

Jocelyn…I thought, and suddenly tears began to roll from my eyes.

“Kirisaki, we love each other, don’t we? We love each other as friends, as people who support each other! I’ll never leave your side, so please win this! Please, Kirisaki!”

“Kirisaki, do you know what love is?” I remembered Jocelyn’s question.

“Love…” I muttered. “Love is…”

“What are you rambling about, murderer?” Jonathan demanded, once again pointing his blade at me.

I raised my head high and shouted to the sky:

“Love is the will to put aside everything for someone to make them happy! Love is the feeling that friends have for each other, that they give to each other for support!”

With renewed vigor, and adrenaline pumping through my veins, I raised my remaining right arm and activated my beam blade.

“Love is the feeling I have for the perfect, beautiful, and kind Melody Halya! Melody! I love you!”

“Kirisaki, go!” Melody shouted, and as she supported me, courage swelled inside my heart.

“So for Melody Halya, I will defeat you, Jonathan!” I charged one, final time, and as Jonathan swung his gigantic blade around, I dodged with lightning speed and dashed forwards, plunging my blade into his stomach.

“K…Kirisaki…you…murderer…” he whispered, holding onto his last breath.

“Jonathan,” I said quietly. “If we keep on hating each other like this…I don’t think Jocelyn could rest in peace…don’t you?”

“Shut up!” he spat. “You don’t know anything about my sister!”

“I know that your sister was someone who hated seeing people fight. If we’re still fighting right now, wouldn’t that make Jocelyn sad?”

Jonathan opened his mouth to respond, but suddenly shut it. As I stared into his emotionless eyes, I began to see that he was human.

Tears were welling.

“Jonathan Silya…I relieve you from your burden of hatred…” Slowly, I withdrew my blade from Jonathan and watched as he fell onto his back, before drawing his last breath and admitting defeat.

Silently, I deactivated my Sunset Striker and turned around to gaze upon the setting sun, who would chronicle our climactic battle for ages to come.

“Jocelyn…I did it…” I thought.

“Kirisaki Eins. Victor,”

Kirisaki Eins (age 12) – 12:40 P.M.


Slowly I emerged from my Capsule to be greeted by Logan and Melody, both smiling silently at me.

“Melody…I…” I was suddenly cut off as Melody crashed into me, pulling me into a tight hug and beginning to cry.

“Kirisaki, you did it!” she wailed happily. “You did it! I’m so happy!”

“Kirisaki…” We suddenly separated from our hug as I turned to the speaker, who was Jonathan, dressed in his normal, grey clothes, and looking down at the floor.

“I’m sorry for being so unforgiving until now…” he mumbled. “I was just so angry with everything, and I guess I just needed a scapegoat to explain why everything was wrong,”

I smiled, and reached out my hand. As Jonathan flinched and expected to be hit, I simply patted him on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry about it, Jonathan,” I told him. “I’m also sorry for not being able to protect your sister,”

“So…we’re even?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I nodded. “We’re even,”

Slowly, his face split into a grin. “Alright! Then, do you want to Battle together? Maybe tomorrow?”

“Anytime,” I answered. “Just give my house a call,”

“Awesome!” he leapt into the air, before turning to leave. “Then, I’ll see you later, Kirisaki! I’m looking forward to battling you!”

I smiled and waved as he left, saying, “I’m happy for him. He’s been relieved of his burden of hatred. I’m sure he’ll make a great friend…”

Logan suddenly coughed. “By the way, Kirisaki, remember what you said about Melody?”

“Huh?”

“Melody! I love you!” As I remembered my words during the battle, my face slowly began to heat up.

“Crap! I totally spilled it!” I thought.

“D-did you really mean it?” Melody asked quietly, and as I turned to her, I realized that she was blushing rather heavily.

“Melody…” I whispered. Then, with a smile, I stood straight and declared, “Melody Halya, I love you.”

As her blush turned even deeper, Logan began to laugh, rustling his younger sister’s hair. “Don’t worry, Melody! I completely approve!”

“W-what are you talking about, Logan?” she suddenly burst out, waving her arms overdramatically.

I smiled. “Melody, do you want to go on a date?”

“Huh?” She stared at me for a moment, before suddenly yelling, “W-w-what kind of question is that? You don’t just ask that out of the blue!”

“But will you?” I asked again.

Melody paused for a moment, staring deep into my eyes, before finally answering, “Yes,”

Logan grinned, and suddenly pulled me into a headlock, saying, “Her curfew is at eight o’clock. Any later, and your head will be on a pike,”

“Y-yes sir!” I nodded, gulping nervously.

“Well, c’mon, Kirisaki!” Melody began dragging me towards the battle room’s exit.

My Cyber-Battling mentor grinned. “Enjoy the date, kids!”

“Right!” As we exited the battle room, I began to dash towards the escalator. “C’mon, Melody! We have plenty of time together!”

Melody nodded and began to chase after me, and we ran out of the Cyber-Battle Mall, laughing, hand-in-hand.

“I really am happy now,” I thought, as I looked up towards the clear, blue sky. “Jocelyn…rest in peace.”

Dawn (unspecified age) – Kirisaki’s Projector


“Jocelyn…rest in peace.”

As I heard his wish, I smiled.

“Of course, Kirisaki.”