8 Minutes

"LADIES AND GENTLEMAN! MIGHT I JUST SAY, WHAT A MATCH! I THINK I SEE ONE OF THESE TWO, BEING A CONTESTANT, AT LEAST, IN THE SEMI FINALS! I HAVE HERE WITH ME, CRAZY IRISH! GIVE US A PROFESSIONAL THOUGHT!"

"RIGHT... FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN SO FAR, SHE DEVIL STARTED OUT REAL STRONG. HER MOVES WERE FAST AND AGILE, MAKING DEFENDING THE ONLY THING YOU COULD DO. BUT, RAINBOW KITTEN SURPRISED US WITH HIS ODD ROAR AND BEHAVIOR. NOW, AS WE CAN SEE, A MINUTE AND A HALF INTO THE SECOND HALF OF THIS MATCH, HE HAD USED SIMPLE TACTICS TO CATCH HIS OPPONENT OFF GUARD. THOUGH HIS ATTACKS WEREN'T AS AGILE AS SHE DEVIL'S, THEY CERTAINLY WERE MORE POWERFUL."

"AND HOW WOULD YOU RATE THE SURVIVABILITY OF ONE OF THOSE PUNCHES, COMPARED TO THE FURY OF COMBOS MADE BY SHE DEVIL?"

"PRETTY SLIM THERE BOB. PRETTY SLIM. THE WAY THOSE GRADE C BARRIERS FLICKERED AND SHOOK, TELLS ME THAT YOUR AVERAGE D RANK AND LOWER, WOULDN'T HAVE COME OUT ALIVE. I'D WAGER EVEN A C RANK MIGHT FIND THAT PUNCH AWFULLY PAINFUL."

The comments made by Robert wowed the crowds. Their cheering became more intense and bets were being wagered more actively than before. She Devil was staring at the very person capable of throwing such devastating punches.

"Y-you wouldn't kill a beautiful lady would ya?" Devil managed to shakily ask. Connor remained silently staring. His hand shot out and once again tightly gripped Devils throat. His grip stronger than before. Devil was lifted up and then released, as she dropped Connor laid into her with a flurry of fast punches, each carried half the power from the first punches.

Still, they weren't light. By the time Devils felt touched the ground, three of her ribs were cracked, her flesh bruised, and she was bleeding internally. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Connor gave a solid right hook to her left side, breaking her arm and some ribs. The force of the punch was more than before.

This time, the barrier cracked from the force. It quickly mended itself, but Devil quickly understood. The man infront of her was not merely 'Berserk', he was the next stage up.

"Mania! I have to get out of this ring!" Devil coughed, her blackened blood finally spewing into her mask. Mania wasn't a skill, but a side effect. To her people, 'Mania', symbolized the awakening of higher blood. Those in a state of 'Mania' caused nothing but death and destruction in their wake.

Devil pushed herself up with one arm, got to her feet and ran. Connor watched the girl.

[Intelligence 23->24]

Connor lunged forward and clotheslined Devil. Her whole body somersaulted back and she landed on her stomach, hard. Her head throbbed where Connor lined her. She was picked up by her shirt and throw towards the barrier, once again cracking it from the force.

At this point, Devil had given up on running, she stood up as fast as she could and faced Connor, who was standing still, staring at a glittering red piece of cloth... Devils shirt.

Devil looked down to see her now bare breasts out for all to see. She quickly covered them in embarrassment with her only working arm.

"WHAT A TREAT!"

"BOB, NOWS NOT THE TIME, PLEASE PUT IT AWAY!"

Connor tossed the item away and explosively launched forward. Devil used that moment to jump up, using Connors head as a step, successfully escaping him, for the moment.

Connor slammed into the barrier, successfully putting a hole in it. But, his eyes were on Devil only. He quickly pulled his head back into the ring and faced the cowering Devil. She was running out of stamina fast, and deep crimson blood dripped from under her mask, the blood looked almost black.

Connor again phased from her sight, and she quickly turned around, her arm was grabbed and she was thrown to the ground. Connor put his foot in the middle of her back, and pulled up on Devils right arm. Devil screamed as her arm dislocated from her shoulder.

Once that was accomished, Connor picked her up by the neck and pressed her against the barrier. The crowd was shocked into silence. Not only was Devil being mercilessly beaten, but also humiliated. The silence from the crowd became real deafening as they began to see the fighting match turn into a cruel torture.

But these were humans. Though some would find it uncomfortable, many tended to enjoy this kind of show. The cheering roared louder than ever, chanting 'Rainbow' over and over. Devil was sobbing under her mask. This man had no intention of sparing her. Humiliation before death, a cruel fate ever undeserved.

Connor tossed the now broken Devil behind him. Her body rolled lifelessly along the ground. Her body numbed by pain, her mind from humility. The Fight had gone on for 6 whole minutes, since Connor entered 'Mania'.

[Intelligence 71->72]

Connor stood above Devil, and she knew, this was the end. She stood no chance against this Kitten faced monster. Connors fist pulled back, and Devil closed her eyes, not daring watch what happens next. Connors fist... missed her entirely. She opened her eyes and stared at the straining man. His veins popping in his neck.

'Give me control of my body, garbage system!'

Connor was internally fighting for control, he was losing, but it was enough to cause a disturbance within his body. Connors fist was buried up to his elbow in the ground. Devil stared at Connor, confused. Was he trying to break free of 'Mania' before its end?

"Its useless to break free from the shackles of Mania. Unless your personal desires are stronger than the desire to kill and destroy everything in your sight." Devil manged to speak.

"Des...ires?" Connor brokenly spoke.

'Well, the desire for money is stronger than killing at the moment.'

Which was why he was able to cause the disturbance from within his chained mind prison. A stronger desire for something other than to kill. Still his body moved on its own. It yanked its arm free and then kicked Devil into the barrier, shattering it, and sending her into the walls below the platforms of the crowd.

It shook the crowd to their cores. A whole Grade C barrier had shattered from a kick.

[Intelligence 94-95]

Connor approached Devil, his hand pulled back, and a full swing forward with all his strength-

[Intelligence 95->96. Mania terminated. You will now enter the Post-Upgrade Stage.]

The wind pressure from the force of Connors punch, stopping just at Devils mask, created an updraft that everyone above felt. It was like a strong gust of wind had blown through the crowd. Devil passed out entirely. As did Connor.

"RAINBOW KITTEN PLOWS THROUGH HIS SECOND VICTORY! WHAT A SHOW! THANKS FOR COMING FOLKS! THIS OLD ANNOUNCER HAS SEEN THE CLIMAX TODAY!"

"YOUR WORDS... BOB...."

Robert, had seen more than his fair share of events.