Outbound

Inhuman Showdown, Part 4

The entire Outbound crew is gathered, all nine members present and awaiting instructions. Each one of them has their own distinct aura and demeanor, and they all seem to embody different aspects of strength and capability. Jun speaks with Hayakawa. "Do we have some mafia allies? The message Naoya sent is probably more important than we let on." Hayakawa listens to Jun's question, a solemn expression on his face. "Yeah, we've got some connections. I can make a few calls." He pauses for a moment. "Why? You think the situation is more serious than it seems?" Ms. Fujiwara speaks up, "I have a bad feeling about this." Fujiwara's words cause the atmosphere in the room to turn even more serious. The others looks at her, taking in her expression and the sense of worry she exudes. Mori speaks next, "Figuring out that the message was from Naoya was easy but why is the location so encrypted if he wants our help? I don't get it." Mori's question hangs in the air, causing the others to furrow their brows in thought. "Yeah, it doesn't make sense. Why would he go through the trouble of encoding the location so heavily if he wants our help?" Yumi muses. Akira speaks up, "Doesn't this just mean he is in trouble with THL? Or maybe even the commandments. Akira's words cause a ripple of unease to run through the room. "That was my first thought as well," Hayakawa chimes in. "If Naoya's in trouble with THL or the Commandments, this could be even more serious than we thought." 

Tatsuya scratches the back of his head and speaks after, "Let's prepare until our beloved hackers decrypts the location." Everyone nods in agreement with Tatsuya's words. "That's a good idea. In the meantime, we should gather as much intel as we can and prepare ourselves for whatever we might face," Jun says. Daisuke chimes in, "The message Naoya sent sounds like a war declaration. Let's get as many allies as possible." Daisuke's words cause a murmur of agreement to spread through the crew. "He's right," says Katsura, his voice low but firm. "If this is indeed a war, we're going to need all the help we can get." The crew collectively nods, their determination and seriousness evident on their faces, as they begin preparing for the inevitable showdown to come. 

In the moments before Nero's arrival at the designated location, the Outbound crew is putting the final touches on their preparations. They are geared up and armed, ready for any potential confrontation. Meanwhile, Nero has completed his preparations, his determination and confidence evident in his demeanor. Despite having THL on standby for backup, he's focused and resolute in facing Naoya. The Hitman Legion members are stationed nearby, closely monitoring the situation through the audio feed from the microphone on Nero's shirt. They are tense and alert, ready to intervene if things go south for Nero during the fight. 

Back to the fight between Naoya and Nero.

The tension between Naoya and Nero is at its peak as they stand face-to-face, ready to go all out on each other. They both know what's at stake and are fully focused on the upcoming battle. "Let's go, Nero. Like the old times." Naoya rushes at him. Nero's eyes narrow as Naoya lunges at him, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Bring it on," he mutters, readying himself for the attack. Naoya's left hook comes with such lightning speed that Nero barely has time to react. He narrowly dodges the punch before Naoya follows up with a spin kick, further pressuring Nero to the defense. "I said I wouldn't use it, but you are very dangerous." Nero says and utters, "Rock-Paper-Scissors Shoot!" As Nero utters the familiar words of the game, the entire atmosphere seems to have changed.

Let's remember what Nero's innate ability "Rock-Paper-Scissors" does. 

As long as the opponent has five fingers on either of their hands, their bodies are forced to do rock-paper-scissors with Nero. In the case they win the wager, Nero is immobilized for 5 seconds. In the case they lose the wager, they are immobilized for 5 seconds. In the case it's a draw, nothing happens. However, Nero can do another round of rock-paper-scissors without needing to wait. It's a never ending cycle of rock-paper-scissors until someone is victorious.

Naoya's eyes widen in surprise as he feels his hand being forced to play rock-paper-scissors with Nero. He's taken aback by the sudden onset of the game and the realization dawning on him. They both shoot at the same time, each making their rock-paper-scissors gesture simultaneously. The tension in the air is palpable as they wait for the outcome of the round. Nero does Paper and Naoya does Rock. Immobilizing Naoya for 5 seconds. Nero grins and lunges at Naoya to throw a nasty punch. The punch lands on Naoya's chin, making Naoya's head snap backwards. He ends up looking upwards. Naoya then slowly lowers his head to Nero with a look of seriousness.

 "Is that all you got?"

 How could that be possible? Naoya should've been immobilized. Not only he wouldn't be able to talk but also he shouldn't be able to move. What's going on?  Nero's eyes widen in confusion upon hearing Naoya's words. He immediately creates distance between them. Naoya should have been immobilized, but here he is, standing firmly and speaking confidently. Nero is puzzled, trying to understand what's happening.

As Naoya begins to walk towards Nero with a knowing look on his face, Nero's confusion deepens. He can't understand why Naoya is able to move when he should be immobilized. Naoya begins his assault on Nero, attacking with surprising speed and precision. Nero attempts to block and deflect the onslaught, but Naoya seems to be a step ahead, each blow landing accurately. Despite Nero's attempts to block and deflect, Naoya's attacks continue to land with brutal force. Nero finds himself slowly losing ground as Naoya's relentless onslaught takes its toll. He's getting closer and closer to being overwhelmed. In a desperate move, Nero yells "Rock-Paper-Scissors Shoot!" Trying to gain an advantage in the fight, but Naoya quickly grabs Nero's hand and squeezes it with immense strength, breaking it in the process. The break of Nero's hand causes him to cry out in pain, his hand now utterly unusable. The tables have turned drastically in favor of Naoya. With one less limb to work with, Nero is severely at a disadvantage.

 As Nero struggles with his injured hand, Naoya steps closer, towering over him with a look of contemplation. He speaks with a calm, confident tone. "I had plenty of time to think about how your innate ability works, Nero." Naoya steps closer to Nero, his eyes locked on him with a calculating gaze. He begins to explain the major hole in Nero's innate ability, his voice calm but authoritative. "Your innate ability," he says, "it has a major flaw." Naoya continues to explain the flaw in Nero's innate ability, revealing that its speed to take control of his hand is significantly slower than his own reaction time. "I realized that your ability's speed is just not fast enough to keep up with me," he says, a hint of smugness in his voice. "I can simply react faster than your ability can take hold."

"What will you do if you have both of your hands broken...Nero?" As Naoya poses the question to Nero, his tone becoming more menacing, Nero can feel a chill run down his spine. He looks up at Naoya, his broken hand hanging limply at his side, and the implications of Naoya's words sinking in.

"Y-you wouldn't..." Nero stammers, a hint of desperation in his voice. With a powerful downward punch, Naoya sends Nero crashing downward into the ground. The impact leaves Nero reeling, and he struggles to catch his breath.