Deadpool was currently sharpening a katana with a motorized belt sander, wearing a blindfold made of yellow caution tape. He was humming a jaunty tune that sounded suspiciously like a funeral march, while occasionally throwing handfuls of metal shavings into the air like confetti.
"tum, if you have any feelings left after the last match, prepare to have them replaced by the sound of grinding gears and high-frequency vibrations!" Deadpool shouted, the belt sander throwing sparks off his mask. "We are heading to Ring 14, the 'Rust and Ruin Industrial Park'! It's a battle of the beauties and the beasts—except they're both lethal cyborgs! We've got the White Devil of Maverick versus the existential nightmare of the YorHa units! It's Raiden against 2B! It's 'Rules of Nature' versus 'Glory to Mankind'! Keep your magnets away from the screen, because things are about to get electric!"
Ring 14 was a flooded, abandoned factory floor. Massive rusted pistons hammered rhythmically in the background, and the air was thick with the smell of old oil and ozone. Rain dripped through the shattered skylights, pinging off the metallic surfaces of the arena.
Heimdall was perched on a high-voltage transformer, holding a megaphone. "Match Number Forty-Six! The cyborg ninja of Maverick, Raiden! Versus the YorHa combat android, 2B!"
The Dance of Blades
2B stood perfectly still in the center of the flooded floor, her black gothic-lolita dress billowing slightly. Her visor covered her eyes, but her posture was one of absolute combat readiness. Beside her, Pod 042 hovered silently, its sensors scanning for threats.
Raiden walked forward, his metal feet clanking against the wet concrete. He reached back, gripping the hilt of his high-frequency blade. The sword began to hum, glowing with a faint, deadly blue light that vaporized the raindrops as they hit the edge. "You look like you've seen a lot of war, android. But I'm not here for a philosophy lesson."
2B didn't respond. She simply drew the Virtuous Contract, the massive white blade floating just behind her back. With a sudden burst of speed, she lunged forward.
The two met in a flurry of sparks. Raiden's HF blade clashed against 2B's heavy sword with the sound of a high-speed train wreck. 2B moved with a fluid, haunting grace, her sword dancing in mid-air as she transitioned between light and heavy strikes. Raiden, however, was a blur of raw, mechanical power. He blocked every strike with surgical precision, his eyes glowing red as he analyzed her combat patterns.
The Bullet Hell
Up in the booth, Deadpool was tossing a handful of screws into his mouth like they were peanuts. "It's a masterclass in 'Don't Get Hit,' tum! 2B is using her perfect dodges to phase through Raiden's swings like a ghost, but Raiden is basically a walking blender! He's waiting for that one split second to turn her into a pile of scrap metal!"
2B realized that close-quarters combat was a stalemate. She leaped back, skidding across the water, and signaled to her Pod. "Pod 042, initiate Gatling fire."
The Pod unleashed a relentless hail of energy bullets. Raiden didn't even flinch. He entered Blade Mode, his perception of time slowing to a crawl. To him, the bullets were moving like slow-motion bubbles. He swung his blade in a frantic, perfect rhythm, slicing every single energy projectile out of the air before they could touch his chassis.
"My turn," Raiden growled.
The Ripper Mode
Raiden's cooling fans began to roar. He tapped into his core, turning off his pain inhibitors and entering Jack the Ripper Mode. His speed doubled. He became a streak of lightning, closing the distance before 2B could reload the Pod.
2B tried to initiate a counter-parry, but Raiden's strikes were too heavy. Each blow from the HF blade sent vibrations through her frame that threatened to shatter her logic circuits. She summoned her secondary sword, the Virtuous Treaty, swinging it in a wide arc to keep him at bay.
Raiden caught the massive blade with his bare metal hand, the friction throwing off a cloud of white-hot sparks. He used his superior cyborg strength to yank the sword out of her grip and tossed it across the factory floor.
With his other hand, he executed a series of lightning-fast horizontal slashes. 2B attempted to dodge, but Raiden's blade was everywhere at once. He sliced through the Pod's support arm, sending the little robot spinning into a pile of rusted pipes. Finally, he brought his blade down in a vertical strike that stopped exactly one millimeter from 2B's visor.
The shockwave from the sudden stop blew the water away from them in a perfect circle. 2B stood motionless, her primary weapon gone and her support unit neutralized.
"Target silenced," Raiden said, sheathing his sword with a sharp click.
"Match Forty-Six winner... RAIDEN!" Heimdall shouted, the factory echoes carrying his voice.
Up in the booth, Deadpool took off his blindfold and stared at the screen. "The Ripper takes the win! That was some high-grade hardware at work, tum! 46 winners down, only 5 matches to go! We are at the final countdown of Round One!"
The Gods of Rage are Coming!
We're leaving the technology behind for some pure, unadulterated, planet-shattering fury!
Match 47 (Ring 1): Kratos vs. Asura. (The Ghost of Sparta vs. The Destructor. This is the match that might actually break the multiverse!)
Match 48 (Ring 20): Giorno Giovanna vs. Joker (P5). (Gold Experience Requiem vs. Satanael. The ultimate battle of 'No' versus 'Checkmate'!)