Canon Fodder

When the timer ended it all turned black then gray as I appeared in the impossibly huge expanse of the fighting arena.

Challenge #4

Weston

Gantz

High School of the Dead

Naruto

Mikhail

Halo

Fullmetal Alchemist

Bleach

The Boys

“What the absolute fuck,” I mumbled as I read the worlds my opponent had been to. Not only manga but he had risked it in Video Games with Halo and either Comics or TV Shows with The Boys. The guy had been all over. Before I could begin to understand how he had received so many Hall keys the next screen appeared.

Fight Criteria

Death or Forfeit

Time Limit

N/A

Reward

New Hall Choice

1 Ability Challenger Slot

1 Bonus Choice & Challenger Slot

1 Item Challenger Slot

Forfeit Loss

Hall Closure - Used Most Recently

1 Ability - Random

1 - Ability Challenger Slot - Random

1 Bonus - Random

1 - Item and Challenger Slot - Random

“Fuck,” I said as I read the possible losses. I would lose access to the Manga Hall if I forfeited. At least I assumed ‘Used Most Recently’ meant I had to enter one of the doors. Maybe I would get lucky and the Comic Hall would close. Either way I had no back up plans. Losing wasn’t an option.

I turned to see a 7 foot tall man in black Halo/Spartan gear. Thick chunks of metal armor sections covering his entire body I began to sweat. This was going to be a hard fight.

“Hello,” the man said like it was no big deal. Waving at me, he didn’t lift up the mask but his voice sounded from speakers on his helmet. The yellow sheen of the visor facing me I couldn’t help but wave back.

“Hello,” I said.

“I am Mikhail,” he said with a nod. I guessed he was Russian, but he didn’t have an accent. I assumed that he was speaking Russian but I was hearing him in perfect English.

“Weston,” I said. “...Nice armor.”

“You as well. I enjoyed Gantz but did not pick it as one of my worlds,” he admitted. “I see that you have the armor.” I nodded. “Good. I am looking forward to our fight.” I chewed my lip while studying the tall figure. I hadn’t played the Halo game much, but I had watched Red vs. Blue and read some of the books. If the book was like the game then he was a genetically modified human. Impossibly strong, it was a video game world. A world where you had many lives to try to get through the game. I wondered if he had many lives to get through the World, or had he been such a badass that he got through it without dying?

With him beating Fullmetal Alchemist I assumed he could alter his suit how he wanted like how Edward Elric did to his metal arm. Attacking the suit would be useless since he could rebuild it. The man had put some thought into the worlds he beat.

The Boys was up in the air. A more real world version of the DC Universe there was a lot of death and destruction. I would have to assume he had super powers.

The last big worry was Bleach. I was curious if it was the Anime or Manga version. Did he have Fullmetal Alchemist and Bleach in the same hall? Or had he conquered a world in each hall? Unsure how to proceed I wondered what his power was as he drew a Zanpakuto from his status screen. That answered that question.

A Zankpaktou was the main weapon of Shinigami in the manga/anime Bleach. A long katana, the size, of it signified the spiritual power someone had. From the size of his weapon, I guessed Mikhail had a medium amount.

“I will do my best not to kill you,” Mikhail said as he raised the sword at me. “But if I fail, I apologize.”

“Thanks, same to you,” I said, pulling water-chakra out of my body. Getting my head in the game I focused Nen, Chakra, Haki, and my Dynamic Quirk to absorb kinetic energy around my body. Maintaining them all I decided it was time to stop stalling.

I rushed forward as Mikhail did. Both of us moving at one another he pointed the Zanpakuto at me as the much taller Spartan suit ran at me. Dodging under the first slice I began pelting his armor with thin ice shards. They bounced and broke on the thick metal. Cursing I slid to the side out of the way of his sword as I targeted the joints of the armor.

Moving my puddle of water to the side I directed the ice bullets expertly. After three hit one joint the man yelled out as I broke through the armor at that section. Trying to make myself angry for my Berserker Mode I tried to picture someone important to me being hurt, but all I could think of was failing. Dread trying to take me over I pushed it back. Unsure if he had some sort of debuff to affect my emotion, I gritted my teeth.

Forcing those thoughts away I hit him in the midsection where his armor plating was thinner. Connecting with him I poured in a huge amount of chakra and Nen into his body causing him to be thrown back.

The yellow marking where I hit flashed. That was the sign of a shield around the suit. The guy had a freaking forcefield around him. Running at him I hit him again, but the heavy metal man kicked my face, knocking me back. Sliding on the ground I got back up but we faced one another again.

A lull in the fight I used Kame Mode. My opponent and I stared at one another as I was replenished of my chakra and strength.

“You are very interesting,” Mikhail said. “It appears you have stuck to one Hall, like many. But most I have fought chose the less interesting worlds.”

“You too,” I said. “Good to meet a fellow weeb.”

“Yes,” Mikhail said. “Let us get more serious.” Waving his hand over his Zanpakuto it moved into the next phase. The blade surprised me by turning into a blue glowing Energy Sword from Halo. A grip running horizontal, rather than in-line like the katana. There were 2 blue curved blades on either side of the sword that went straight out.

“Is that your uh Zanpakuto’s true form?” I asked.

“Yes, I was quite surprised myself.” The man said, proud of the weapon as he waved it around. “Apparently taking on the Bleach world in Spartan armor helped guide my weapon to the design.”

“Fucking badass son of a bitch,” I mumbled, feeling for once like I had maybe wasted my time. I was going to have to bring it all out.

Forming a hand seal I made two shadow clones. Mikhail ran back toward me, but my real body rushed him. My other clones began pouring out chakra as they used my special move. Creating a sphere out of chakra, then filling it with water-chakra they condensed the water down until it was high pressure. I narrowly dodged from Mikhail’s blade by using my Observation Haki.

When I counted to 20 I jumped up to a puddle floating over us as my clones finished the highly pressurized balls of water. Pushing in pin holes into the chakra spheres they threw them at Mikhail. The orbs twisted in the air, spraying everything. Hit with 2 streams of water they cut into his armor. But as I used Kame mode the man began flying up to meet me.

Using some kind of superpower he met me as I began pelting him with more ice bullets. His blade whizzing by me I could feel the crackle of energy from it. Doubtful my quirk could absorb the energy the Gantz armor thickened in my chest just in case it had to defend against an attack.

We began fighting again. My Seastone Jitte blocked his sword once, but then the energy blade sliced through the stone. I cursed, but focused more, dodging every one of his attacks that came at me. As I got the feel of his swordplay I began punching him. The Gantz suit muscles bulged out with renewed strength. Mikhail took 2 hits and I was able to pull off one of his pec guards but then he nicked me with his sword.

Slicing off 3 of my fingers I hadn’t been fast enough. A crushing wave of… guilt assailed me. Unsure what caused it I reeled backward. Drawing back I pushed the pain out of my mind. Catching my breath I went into Kame mode again.

“You are stronger than my last opponents,” Mikhail admitted. Bowing slightly I let him talk as I focused on the water around me. “I will get serious now.”

“Fuck,” I said, I had been giving most of what I had. With a lower pool of strength I only had so much of each power system.

His Energy Blade moved into the next phase. Turning into a bankai the sword disappeared. Purplish blue lights formed around him like stars. The move reminded me of Byakuya Kuchiki, one of the captains in Bleach. He was able to turn his Zanpakuto into thousands of tiny blades that resembled sakura blossom leaves.

Mikhail’s energy sword had turned into small balls of power that I guessed he could control to attack. We didn’t say anything as we stared at one another. Then one of the blue energy balls shot out at me faster than I could react. Piercing my side I yelled out as my clones threw another set of water balls at him.

As he dodged by the water jets I went at him. Flying through the air on my disc of water I used all I had to get close. When I was within arm’s reach I hit where I had broken off his Spartan armor. Instead of meeting flabby skin like my own, it felt like I was hitting granite. Thick muscle meeting my knuckles I was too shocked to dodge 3 more energy balls piercing into me.

One in my shoulder, another in my leg, and the last in my hand I fell down to the ground. My control of chakra faltered. I was in too much pain to care as I struck the ground. My suit mostly protecting me I grunted and rolled to sit up.

Mikhail landed in front of me. The small energy balls floating around him I guessed they really were his bankai.

“Give up,” Mikhail said, making the energy balls move closer to me. Making me sweat I stared at him with all the rage I had. The irony of being in the weaker position was not lost on me.

“How?!” I couldn’t help but ask. “You should have a body as weak as me!”

“I should,” Mikhail said with a nod. “But I don’t anymore.”

“How?”

“I will not tell you,” he said. “Give up or I will kill you.”

I racked my brain for a tactic. Trying again to use my quirk on small balls around me, perhaps I could figure out how to absorb their energy. Maybe I could disapper in an illusion. The man was strong, I doubted a Genjutsu would work. Far stronger than me I could feel it so close to him. His Haki was far above mine. This man had the World Lasting Physique somehow.

“Ultimate moves,” I offered. Mikhail studied me. “I doubt you’ve used yours. I haven’t used mine.”

“What about it?” He asked.

“We can use them,” I said. “See who has the stronger one.”

Mikhail barked a laugh. He moved his hand up slowly and pulled out a white mask from his status screen. Like a distorted hockey mask it was white with black patterns on the face. Eye slits and large horns mounted on the top, I knew it immediately.

“An Arrancar mask?” I blurted. The pit in my stomach dropped. That would make him a hell of a lot stronger. The Arrancar masks were used by the main protagonist in Bleach, making his power skyrocket. If Mikhail could get rid of weaknesses like I could, he would actually be in control of it. Mikhail had a far better ultimate move than I imagined, but did he have complete control of it?

“I admit. I have not had the chance to use this in a Challenge,” Mikhail said. “I have not been able to go all-out.” He stared at the mask, an emotionless gaze on his yellow visor. His Haki leaked a fighting spirit stronger than any I had come across. I only felt his emotions for a split second but I knew Mikhail thrived on the challenge.

“Which world are your ultimate moves from?” He asked. I felt a kinship with the man. Giving me a chance I didn’t hesitate to answer.

“Hunter x Hunter and Naruto,” I admitted.

He nodded. “Yes, yes, I will take up this challenge,” he said.

Hope bloomed in me. Standing up slowly, the blue energy balls disappeared and Mikhail walked backward. Shifting back into Kame mode when the man stopped walking I had healed some of the damage, but far from all.

“I assume you need time?” Mikhail asked. I bit my lip while I nodded. “30 seconds is all I will give you. And if you die, you will not haunt me, correct?”

“No, I won’t haunt you,” I said. Unsure what other worlds the man had been to. I wondered if that was an actual concern.

Mikhail nodded and I opened the first 2 gates. Power moving into me, I immediately shifted to the other gates. Scratching them away one by one like lottery tickets. Chakra poured out of me. Ignoring Mikhail, I did everything I could to open them as soon as possible. Before I knew it the 5th gate was open. My hair standing on end blue chakra poured out of me as pain assailed me. Thɪs chapter is updated by novelꜰire.net

Trying to force open the 6th gate I knew that my 30 seconds had long passed. Looking up I narrowly dodged a sword slice from Mikhail. His Spartan helmet was off. His white bone Arrancar mask stared at me as his blade passed by me by mere millimeters. His Spiritual Energy had increased dramatically. Practically the sun itself the only thing that saved me was the quick reactions of using all of my strength at once.

Not bothering with a weapon I jumped back at him. Dodging his katana I hit him in the chest with all I had. Thrown back I went after him, but a slight flick of his wrist caused him to jump up. I could feel it as he flew at me. He was still stronger than me. I had feared that, so instead of dragging the fight on I did something I swore I wouldn’t do.

Pulling my Nen out of my body, it exploded like a white fog. Obscuring the air itself as I screamed while I forced the nen to focus into my fist.

I had been told by Qiress that the body naturally kept much of my lifeforce back, saving it so my life wasn’t in danger. Now with the gates open, all of my limitations were gone. There was nothing holding back. I could practically feel years of my life leaving me. The lifeforce of my body focused into my fist for one ultimate attack.

Far too much power to control without practice; my mind struggled but was able to manage propelling power forward. Expelling all of my lifeforce at once at Mikhail.

Unsure if I hit him, the pain became too much. My entire body screamed at me, far more than any other time I had opened the gates. I fell to the ground, almost passing out. The 5 gates closing, I puked to the side. Blood leaked out from gashes in my Gantz armor. Lost in the haze of an excruciating pain. I felt like my soul was screaming at me. My chakra, haki, and nen were weaker than I had ever felt them.

Looking down at my hands they appeared old and wrinkly as they shook from the pain moving through me. Doing my best to ignore my state and how empty I felt I hoped for a notification to appear; instead, Mikhail landed next to me.

My limbs no longer responding. I looked up to see that his armor and mask were blown away, as well as one of his arms. Mikhail was an older man, perhaps in his early 20s he had short cut bleached hair. With a thick jaw and a scar across his cheek, he looked far older than anyone else I had fought.

“That was more powerful than I expected,” Mikhail admitted. Raising his sword over me he said, “You will forfeit, correct? I would hate to kill you.”

“I-” My voice choked up. With tears in my eyes, I let them flow. I didn’t know the answer. Maybe it was a symptom of using up my life force, or the fact that I had already beaten death a short while ago, but I was tired. For so long I had been fooling myself that I was the good guy, but I wasn’t. I was a liar, cheater, and murderer. I was everything I had never wanted to be in my first life.

If past me knew current me, he would be sickened by what I had become. So many lives lived, so many memories that weren’t my own rattling in my head, I didn’t know what was real or fake anymore.

Right then I felt like the world’s worst scumbag. Anger focused on myself; I didn’t know what was wrong with me, but I was done. Done trying, done attempting to become something more than I was. An average guy with an average life. I wasn’t the protagonist; I was the side character that the protagonist had to step in and save. But I still moved through these worlds like I was the hero. Like I was the prize, and all of these women should throw themselves at my feet as I upended their lives. I really was worthless, and I was starting to see it. The guilt was almost too much for me to handle.

“Just kill me,” I said, tears still streaming down my cheeks. I didn’t have the strength to fight the depression washing over me. The utter rage against myself and my failures.

“Are you sure? You are strong, Weston,” Mikhail said. “I would like a rematch one day.”

“Why? Why not kill me? I was ready to kill you?!” I said, my voice a rasp as I felt every muscle in my body scream at me in agony.

“Because…this is fun,” he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I am having the time of my life in these worlds. I wouldn’t want to take someone else’s joy away. Why not keep fighting for the rest of eternity?”

I felt tears in my eyes as I slowly put together what he was saying. He never intended to kill me, because this was his wish. To keep challenging the worlds and himself.

“You are a much better person than me, Mikhail,” I said, coughing as I spit up some blood. “I wish…I wish I never lost that sense of fun about all of this,” I admitted. Hurt, as even my soul felt wretched for not having the same attitude as him. I looked up at him, unwilling to say more. My power was gone, and I was at my lowest.

Rather than slicing down with the energy sword he frowned and put the blade away. Uncaring that his arm was gone. Bending down, he actually came within reach of me. His eyes filled with empathy, he put his remaining hand on my shoulder.

“Weston, this isn’t the end for you,” he said with a sigh. “I know it may feel like this is hard, but this is only the beginning.”

“The beginning?” I mumbled with a laugh, unable to move my body, I felt like I could barely keep my eyes open. “It’s been 5 years.” Although it felt like an eternity thanks to my Memory Meld skill.

“More like 6,” he said with a slight smile. “But yes, I have seen much in these worlds. And I have learned many truths about what us Challengers are actually doing here.”

“You have?” I asked, almost choked up. Desperate for the answer of what the whole point of all of this was. “What-What is it?”

“It's to save lives,” he said as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. “These places want us there to save more people. One thing I have learned in all of these worlds is that they are filled with real people.”

“I know that,” I said. The Moderator had explained as much.

“No, you do not understand. Even the protagonist is real,” he said, ignoring me. “They falter. Each one would have failed in their endeavor.”

“What?” I asked, confused.

“Think back,” Mikhail said. “When you came to each of these worlds, you often interacted with the real protagonist in some way.” I did think back. In Naruto world I had ran into Naruto as he tried to make sense of the shadow clone jutsu.

“So?”

“So they would have failed. These are infinite worlds, Weston. You and I only know of the stories where the protagonist succeeds. All of the worlds we go to, there is something slightly wrong with the lead. Some lack of drive, or past experience that they didn’t have that drove them to succeed when they failed. Infinite worlds mean infinite outcomes. Whether at the beginning of the story, the middle, or the end, they would have failed in some way. Allowing the antagonist to win, and many to die.”

“Are you serious?” I asked.

I thought back to High School of the Dead and Gantz. I had stolen the lead’s glory and experience, robbing the lead part from them. But I couldn’t single out a part that they would have failed. I tried to think back to all of the protagonists I ran into. But all the stories changed. Either slightly or majorly, as I followed the canon.

Was Naruto destined to fail at some point? Was he not going to figure out the shadow clone jutsu in time? And thus he wouldn’t become a genin? Was Midoriya supposed to fail in My Hero Academia? Back when I first met him during the Entrance Exam, I had thrown Uraraka at him. Was she not going to save him from the fall like in canon?

“They are human, just like us,” Mikhail said. “They would have failed in some way. Tell me, why would these worlds want us to go to them if the protagonist was supposed to win?”

“I-I don’t know. I didn’t think about that,” I said truthfully. The Moderator had hinted that the worlds get to pick. Did that mean they knew the hero would fail?

That meant Luffy was meant to fail. He hadn’t yet, but maybe he was strong enough to get this far. What if he wasn’t strong enough when he was destined to lose? What if I wasn’t there? Hell, I doubted Zuina in DBZ could take on Kakarot; maybe Piccolo would die in the fight too and no one could be brought back with the dragon balls. There were so many close calls for the heroes of a story that it was hard to narrow down where the bad guy could have done better or the hero could have done worse.

Was Saitama supposed to fail in a fight? What if he wasn’t as strong as he was in canon? But if he failed, then…my girls would die.

My eyes opened wide. The fear of death I had been dreading immediately retreated away from my mind. Some aspect of my Empathic Psychic Link to my girls in One Punch Man or maybe some part of my mind rebelled against the idea of that happening.

“I see it in you now, Weston. You see, we are needed. If we die here, if we die at all, these worlds are doomed without us. There is no backup plan, because the protagonist is destined to fail.”

“I-I-I don’t have a choice,” I said. The idea of giving up so far from my mind I wasn’t sure why I had even wanted to.

“Yes, that is right, we don’t have a choice, Weston. All of us Challengers are lucky, but so are these worlds to have us there to help.” I looked around; the gray of the fighting zone somehow brighter. “These Challenges we go through, they will not be the only ones we face. They are merely a proving ground for us. All so this Moderator can see who we truly are. Trust me, Weston. The next Challenges we face will be far different, and far far harder than this. But I know you can make it there.”

“How do you know-”

“I cannot answer that,” he said with a sigh. The pain in my body the farthest thing from my mind. “Now what must you do?” He asked.

“I forfeit,” I said without a moment’s hesitation.

“Good,” Mikhail said with a smile and a nod, and it all turned black.