“Straight for the kill,” scoffed Mitaru, observing from the distance as Atsumu’s body was kicked to the ground by M0. A knowing smirk slowly started curling up his lips. “As expected of- Wait, what? W-Why are you…!? Wait!”

As Mitaru was midway with his remarks, M0 abandoned Atsumu’s fallen body and darted running in his direction at full speed. He only had enough time to take a couple of steps backwards before the ground previously underneath his feet was turned into gravel, M0 having strongly kicked it with the heel of his foot.

“Hello, Mitaru-kun,” offered M0 as a greeting, despite skillfully lunging his fist forward to attempt to connect a punch on his face.

“Hello, my ass!!” yelped Mitaru, avoiding M0’s pale fist by a hair’s breadth. He clicked his tongue and began his attack, offering an undercut punch without any hesitation. “Okay, so be it, M0!”

As if performing a well-choreographed dance, M0 and Mitaru continuously exchanged blows with one another, much like both had done with Atsumu a few minutes previously. There was a clear cut difference, however. While Mitaru had gotten the upper hand while fighting against Atsumu and was continuously on the offensive by not allowing him to land nearly any strike, he was now completely on the defensive, not managing to connect any of his punches, blows and kicks with any part of M0’s body.

If he kicked, front or sideways, M0 would skillfully retreat his body backwards or sideways step to a safe distance. If he punched or tried to grab him, his hands would be immediately blocked or stopped by M0’s. And in reverse… Each kick, punch and chop performed by M0 seemed to always find its way to some part of Mitaru’s body.

Damn it, I know my height comes as a disadvantage against his small body but even so…!, grumbled Mitaru in the back of his head, starting to get pissed off at how one-sided his fistfight against M0 was being. He jumped back and put a good couple of metres of distance between the two of them. To win, I need to take the initiative and be the one leading the attacks. Change of plan, then!

He took a few more steps back, as if catching more balance, and began charging right at M0 with the so characteristic enhanced speed the super soldiers possessed. Though their bodies sonorously crashed against one another, their speed made it impossible to be seen by human eyes. M0 responded to the continuous assaults by also accelerating his pace, going back and forth within the same area to avoid being caught by Mitaru or to strike back from the more advantageous position.

To all onlookers, if the high speed of the duel was to be put on the sidelines, it nearly seemed that M0 was taunting Mitaru with all of the evading and the following retributing blows.

“You’re starting to get on my case, M0!!” roared Mitaru, a deep frown creasing his features. The two of them came to a stop, each one on opposite sides of the small area where they had been ‘playing around’. “Let’s settle this once and for all!”

Mitaru once again charged at M0, readily striking at his head but, once again, getting blocked before the blow could cause any damage. Instead of responding to it by striking back, M0 rotated his body sideways and withdrew from Mitaru’s proximity. He went around Mitaru and started running in the direction where he had come from, his grey eyes pinpointing the corner of a close-by building within the training grounds.

“I’m not gonna let you run away, M0!!!” growled Mitaru, immediately chasing after the runaway super soldier. When M0 reached the corner of the building and disappeared behind it, he sped up once again to regain visual contact with his prey but… “What?”

When Mitaru also reached the building and went over the corner, he bumped into a desert area. No signs whatsoever of M0, just a bunch of cargo containers and a parked humvee.

Carefully, as if he was stepping inside of enemy territory or a minefield, Mitaru walked step by step closer to the humvee. There was a big probability that M0 was hiding or behind the humvee or within the cargo containers. He hadn’t caught any notorious sound so the cargo containers had a lower priority compared to the large vehicle.

“Come on out, M0,” called Mitaru, his eyes carefully surveying the humvee as he steadily grew closer to it. “If you come out now, I’ll go easy on you afterwards.”

“Not needed,” said M0’s voice. Out of the blue, two pale hands and arms came out from underneath the vehicle. He took hold to both of Mitaru’s shins and gave them a strong tug.

“Woah!” yelped Mitaru, the sudden pull making him lose his balance and come crashing rear-first on the floor. His back didn’t so much as touch it, however. “Hah! Poor luck, M0! I’m not going down that easi-”

Crash!

In half a second, M0 released Mitaru’s shins and gave a powerful kick to the reinforced underbody tray of the humvee. The heavy vehicle was thrown in the air but it didn’t reach big heights, as M0 got a strong hold to its bumper and slammed the roof side against Mitaru’s upper body.

The car ‘crash’ silenced the entire training grounds.

“Fuck you, M0!!!!!” roared Mitaru, using his muscled arms to push the damaged humvee from above him and throw it away into the distance. His back had visibly dug its shape against the cracked asphalt. “Just because I was nearly hit by a car the other day, it doesn’t mean I want to be squashed underneath one!!”

“A humvee wouldn’t be enough to squash you,” pointed out M0, tilting his head slightly as he glanced down at the defeated super soldier. He straightened his head once again and looked to the other side of the training grounds. “Please excuse me, Mitaru-kun. There’s still three more left.”