Titan Rumble Ch 7: Challange Excepted, The Fields Of Green!

(Cain)

The leather of the chair squeaked slightly as I adjusted my position, surrounded by a mess of black and white wires that looked way too complicated for their own good. I leaned back, trying to relax, but it was impossible with the rumbling that shook the ground.

I turned my head just in time to catch Yuna walking past me, her massive body moving with a sense of purpose that sent small tremors through the floor. Every step she took seemed to vibrate up through the legs of my chair, rattling me in ways I wasn't quite used to.

"She really wants this," I thought, watching her sit down in the chair behind me. When she finally settled into it, the quakes intensified for a second, then everything went still.

And yet, my mind didn't. Why was she so mad? Was it really just about that one fight years ago? Or was there something else I was missing here?

The ground shook again, this time as Mr. Takamura stepped closer to me. His face loomed into view, enormous and filled with a gentle expression that clashed with his overwhelming size. He bent down slightly, his eyes focusing on me as his voice rumbled: "Thank you for agreeing to this."

I flinched at the sound, which was anything but a whisper to me. Still, I managed a grin and waved it off. "It's no problem. I needed a workout anyway."

"Are we doing this or what!?" Yuna's voice thundered from behind me, making me wince. I didn't even have to look back to know she was glaring.

"Yes, yes," Mr. Takamura said, straightening up and making his way to the control console. He started typing, the faint beeps and hums of the Mindscape's systems kicking into gear.

I reached back for the black headset resting on the chair and slipped it on, adjusting the strap. The thing was a little heavier than I expected, but it fit snugly enough. Across the room, I saw Yuna doing the same, her movements deliberate, her expression locked in determination.

"Let's do this," I muttered to myself, leaning my head back against the chair. I closed my eyes, trying to drown out the lingering nerves.

The chair hummed slightly, and I could feel the connection as the Mindscape started to link us together.

My vision went white for a moment, a flash so bright it felt like my whole body had disappeared. Then, just as suddenly, over a dozen colors started streaking past me, fast and vivid, like being caught in a kaleidoscope that couldn't make up its mind.

It wasn't the most pleasant feeling, but it didn't last long. Everything slowed, the colors dimmed, and the world around me began to take shape. When my vision finally cleared, I found myself standing in a wide, grassy field.

The air was crisp, like a perfect spring morning. Far in the distance, towering mountains loomed, their snowcapped peaks cutting into a sky so blue it almost hurt to look at. It all felt so real—the texture of the grass beneath my feet, the scent of fresh earth—but I knew better.

"This is the Mindscape," I muttered to myself, taking it all in. A place for the mind, not the body. None of it was real, which was kind of the point.

I turned around, expecting—well, hoping—for some time to collect myself, but no. There she was.

Yuna.

She wasn't the colossal, mountain-sized titan I'd seen glaring at me earlier, but instead a six-foot woman standing across from me. She was still taller, just slightly, and the smirk she was wearing made it even worse.

"I guess I'm looking at her in comparison to me," I said, shaking my head. Then it hit me. "Dammit, she's still taller," I grumbled, low enough that I hoped she wouldn't hear.

"What do you think?" Yuna asked, her tone light, but there was something sharper underneath it. She spread her arms, gesturing to the world around us. "Now we can have a fair fight."

Her smirk widened, and I hated how confident she looked.

I ignored her for a second, turning my head to look around. This was only my second time inside a Mindscape. The first? Back when we were kids, during that match I didn't even think about until today. The nostalgia wasn't exactly comforting.

"So," I said, a small smirk of my own forming. "Shall we get started?"

"How arrogant," she said, her voice full of disdain. "Don't think I'm the same as I was before."

With that, she turned and walked toward a massive tree that stood a ways to the right.

I crossed my arms, raising an eyebrow as I watched her. "What's she—"

Her fist clenched, and with one swift motion, she punched the tree.

The crack echoed like thunder, and the tree shattered. The pieces exploded outward, the trunk collapsing into splinters as the rest of it crashed to the ground in a loud whump.

I swallowed hard but kept my face neutral.

She turned back to me, rolling her shoulders like she was just getting warmed up. "I'm gonna beat you black and blue," she said, her smirk replaced by a more predatory grin. "And then I'll be the one to take over my father's dojo."

I tilted my head and let out a long, exaggerated sigh, even as I felt the heat rising in my chest. "Well," I said, cracking my neck, "I hope you're ready to back that up."

Because as much as I hated to admit it, I wasn't about to lose either.