Special Side Story: No Holds Barred! The Duel at the Toy Shop!

This episode takes place immediately after (the new) Dynamite Powerchord disbanded at the end of Chapter 3!

Once Wataru, Aria, and Résistance had all said their goodbyes to Rick, they cheerfully left the rehearsal studio!

“Phew! That was a close call, but I’m glad we made it out all right!” Wataru commented!

“Right!” Résistance agreed!

They were nostalgically looking back on the travesty that had just taken place at the Wind Continent Ultimate Rock Band Tournament two days previously!!

Aria stopped in her tracks and spoke up! “Wataru... Aren’t you forgetting something?”

“Hm!?” Wataru crossed his log-like arms in confusion, as he had no idea what Aria was insinuating! “Forgetting something...? What are you talking about!?”

“When you dragged us into the band, you said that you’d buy us the new Payblades! Remember!?”

“...Right!!!!! I did say something like that!!!!!”

If this promise has slipped your own memories, Dear Readers, go back and read Chapter 3 again! Buy another copy of the book, while you’re at it!!

“Well, now that you remember it, let’s go get those Payblades right now!” Aria said, tugging at Wataru’s arm!

“R-Right now!?”

“Of course! Come on, Résistance, let’s go!”

“Wait, I’m going, too!?”

So, Wataru and Résistance reluctantly allowed Aria to drag them to the toy store!!

Toys ‘B’ We was the largest toy store in the Sky Kingdom. It was a continental chain that had grown rapidly all over the Wind Continent, famous for their variety of products as well as for low prices derived from buying their inventory wholesale. Their Sky Kingdom location was located around a corner from the end of the main-street market.

“Here we are!” Aria declared with wholehearted joy! “Welcome to Toys ‘B’ We!”

The giant, warehouse-like store was painted in vibrant colors to better appeal to children! Its walls were adorned with a cute cartoon of their mascot character, a green goblin!! This was truly a world of wonder, stuffed to the brim with the hopes and dreams of children!!!

“Huh. I didn’t know they had a toy store around here! It looks like a pretty fun spot!” Wataru said!

Résistance spoke up as well! “Indeed. I’ve never been to this location of Toys ‘B’ We, but from its size, I’d imagine that they’re well stocked.”

When all was said and done, they both seemed pretty excited about this, too! The trio stepped into the store!

Wataru was astounded! “This place is huge!!”

The expansive store was stuffed to the brim with shelves, all packed tight with toys! They seemed to have everything imaginable here, from normal toys like stuffed animals to strange objects covered in eerie designs none of them could decipher the use of! To Wataru, it was practically a theme park! It was two o’clock in the afternoon, and the store was already bustling with families!!

“Come on, the Payblade section is this way!” Aria slipped through the crowd with a brimming smile! She was much more excited about this than a seventeen-year-old should probably be!

Résistance chuckled. “Hey, Aria. Don’t get carried away.”

The trio had made it to the Payblade section of the Toys ‘B’ We! A group of boys were hanging out by the display, their glimmering eyes nailed to the newest Payblade models!

“There are a lot of different Payblades, huh!?”

Wataru was right. The displays were packed tight with various models, each one in packaging decorated with cool-looking designs that appealed to boys, like a dragon or phoenix!

“So, which one are you getting???” Wataru asked.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Aria picked up a particular model! “This one!” The box had the same green goblin that was drawn on the exterior of the store! “This one’s the Blade of Justice Mk-II (Toys ‘B’ We Exclusive Edition)! Like it says right here, you can only get it in Toys ‘B’ We!”

“Cool!” Wataru was genuinely uninterested!

“The normal Justice Blade Mk-II has a red body with silver trim, and the dragon symbol in the center! But this Toy ‘B’ We exclusive edition has a blue body and gold trim! Best of all, the symbol at the center isn’t a dragon, but Goblob! The mascot of Toys ‘B’ We! Remember the character we saw when we came in?”

“Cool!” Wataru was still genuinely uninterested!

However, Wataru was faced with one serious problem!

“Wait a minute, Wataru. You said you’d buy us the new Payblades if we joined the band, but you don’t have any money, do you?”

“...Right!!!!! I forgot about that!!!!!”

As Wataru was not of this world, naturally he didn’t have money that he could use in this world!

“Let’s have Résistance pay, for now!!”

“What!?” Résistance couldn’t help but snap at the sudden suggestion!

“I’m sorry, Résistance! You’re the oldest! I swear I’ll pay you back!” Wataru fell to his knees in tears and groveled shamelessly! The impact of his forehead against the floor cracked the store’s foundation, but we won’t worry about that now!

“Ugh... All right, I give up...” she relented!

Wataru was actually still seventeen, the same age as Aria! Résistance, at twenty-four, was by far the oldest of the group!

The party headed to the register, and Résistance reluctantly paid for Aria’s Payblade!

“Thank you, Résistance!” Aria hugged the newly purchased Payblade box!

“Hey, Wataru. Once you get some money from taking down the Demon Lord, you have to pay me back for this.”

“Oh, yeah! If I remember!!”

If and only if Wataru remembered would he pay her back!! Just as the trio were about to exit the store, a strange voice called for them from behind!

“Stop right there!!”

“Th-That voice...!” Sensing a powerful presence, Aria cautiously turned around!

There was a young boy standing there! He seemed to be about eleven years old, and his brown hair peeked out from under the red baseball cap perched on his head! He was wearing an oversized, neon yellow hoodie, but his most noticeable characteristics were the sharp front teeth poking out of his mouth! This kid looked just like the protagonist of a certain toy-battling anime from around a decade ago!!

“You know this kid, Aria?” Wataru asked!

“I do! He’s Storm! He’s in the fifth grade at Sky Elementary School. He’s the second best Payblader in this city, after me!”

The buck-toothed boy, Storm, frowned at this! “Heh, in your dreams! I got you beat by a mile, Aria!”

“Hmph! As if! As of today, we’re tied at 200 wins each, and 100 draws! Our powers are completely even! And because I’m older, I break the tie! I win!”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Résistance coldly interjected!

“Looks like you snatched up a new Payblade, Aria! Why don’t you battle me with that model right now, and we’ll see who’s the real top Payblader of the Sky Kingdom, once and for all!?”

“Bring it on! There’s not a chance in hell that an eleven-year-old snot-nosed little bitch will beat me!” That’s the main heroine of our series, Dear Readers! “You may have earned the title of ‘The Sky Kingdom Prodigy,’ but I’ve earned the title of ‘That One Girl You Shouldn’t Go Near!’ Let’s decide who rules this city!”

“Why are you proud of having that title!?!?!?” Wataru shouted! It was true, though; no grade schooler should have been hanging out with Aria!

“Okie dokie, let’s battle! Payblade Arena, initiate!!!” Storm thrust his right fist up towards the ceiling!

Bo-wowowowowowow...!!!

H-How could this be!? The floor between Aria and Storm began to vibrate before sliding open to reveal a 3 meter by 3 meter area! From that area, a giant blue plastic object emerged! It looked like a shallow bowl, large enough to fit a grown adult!

“What is this???”

“It’s a Payblade Arena, Wataru! We spin our Payblades in here and do battle!” Aria explained!

With a click! the blue Arena completed its emergence! Aria was ready for battle!!

“But how does this Arena come out of the store’s floor like that!?!?!?” Wataru asked with natural curiosity!

“How...? This is a Toys ‘B’ We! Of course they have an Arena ready to come up when you yell for it!” Storm declared! That doesn’t actually explain anything, but you should be used to that by now, Dear Readers!

“That’s right, Wataru,” Résistance joined in. “You can call for a Payblade Arena to appear in any Toys ‘B’ We franchise location. Any Payblader knows that.”

“Résistance! You’re... one of them!?!?” Wataru asked!

“I dabble in it.”

“Let’s do this, Storm!” Aria shouted adamantly, and tore open the box for her new Justice Blade Mk-II (Toys ‘B’ We Exclusive Edition)! From it, she produced a blue Payblade with an eye-catching gold trim and a distinctive Goblob crest! “What are you going to use, Storm?”

“I brought this!” The boy pulled a Payblade out of his pants pocket! It had a white body, pointy thorn-like protrusions, and a tiger symbol in the center!!

“I see. A Deadly White Tiger V... A custom model with extremely high attack power, designed to quickly end the battle, one way or the other!”

“Good eye! Your Justice Blade Mk-II’s a defensive model, but my Deadly White Tiger V can break through it!”

Wataru tilted his head curiously. “Résistance, what the hell are they talking about?”

“In short, Aria’s Payblade specializes in defense, while that kid, Storm’s, Payblade specializes in attack.”

“Huh. There’s a little more to this than I thought!”

Each and every Payblade was different! Each model was made with a tendency towards either attack or defense, for example, or a balance right down the middle!!

“You ready, Aria?” Storm grinned, his buck-teeth shimmering in the light!

“Yeah, Storm! Let’s do this!”

A visible tension began to grow between the two standing at the opposite ends of the Arena! It was the calm before the storm, no pun intended! Wataru and Résistance watched without a word! After a few moments of silence, Aria and Storm both raised their Payblades to strike a special pose! They looked like baseball pitchers winding up for a fastball!

With their arms raised, they shouted in unison: “Three! Two! One! Let it rain!!!”

Brrrsshhhhh!!!

Just as they finished their chant, Aria and Storm threw their Payblades as hard as they could into the Arena! The pointed bottoms of the Payblades struck the smooth, shallow bowl of the Arena’s floor, and the Payblades began spinning at incredible speed around the battleground! They were two mini-typhoons ready to collide!! Like two fighters sizing one another up for combat, Deadly White Tiger V and Justice Blade Mk-II circled clockwise around the Arena!! The Payblades spiraled closer and closer, until eventually they clashed in the dead center of the stadium!!!

Grararakkkkk!!!

A metallic clashing rang through the store as the Payblades bounced off each other with a burst of sparks!!

Wataru was both shocked and excited! “H-Hey! What’s the age range on those things!? That’s a fire hazard!!”

“Exciting, isn’t it?” agreed Résistance. “Payblades are made with plastic cores and metal blades. When they collide, the blades grind against each other, creating that signature spark-shower.”

There were so many sparks, in fact, that they would have been immediately banned in Japan! This kind of crazy toy was only available in a fantasy world where people were much less concerned with trivialities like safety!!

Grarararararar!!!

Aria’s and Storm’s Payblades continued grinding against one another!

“Not bad, Aria!”

“Not too bad yourself, Storm!”

The two Paybladers watched the clashing tops with their fists clenched!

“What are they doing???” Wataru asked!

“Let me explain,” Résistance answered with a serious expression! “Payblades are treated with a special magic spell on their way out of the factory.”

“M-Magic!?” Wataru couldn’t contain his amazement!

Résistance confirmed! “That’s right. The spell allows the Payblade to spin faster in proportion to its user’s mental energy.”

“That’s incredible!!”

He was right; it was incredible, and shocking to boot! Aren’t you glad you stuck around for this special episode, Dear Readers!? All Payblades were enchanted with a spell that allows them to spin faster the more their users concentrated on the battle! They were in a fantasy world, after all! Any kind of nonsensical technology could be explained away with magic!

“That’s why they’re both focusing their mental energies into their Payblades like that to make them spin faster.”

H-How surprising! Payblading was not mere child’s play, but a high-level sport that involved a keenness of mind and a deep reserve of mental fortitude!!

“Payblade... It’s so deep...!”

At this moment, Aria turned her gaze to Storm, and cracked a taunting grin! “By the way, Storm...”

“What!?”

“I heard that you got a big fat zero on your test the other day...”

The color drained from Storm’s face! “H-How did you...!?”

“Ohohohohoho, I have my sources!”

Storm’s Deadly White Tiger V immediately began to slow down! Aria’s Justice Blade Mk-II, still spinning at full speed, began pushing it back!

“Wh-What’s going on??? What was all that!?”

“Think, Wataru. Payblades spin faster the more their users concentrate. That goes both ways.”

“You mean... Storm’s Payblade slowed down because his mental state weakened!?!?”

“That’s right! That’s why Aria executed that emotional assault!”

Apparently, attacking your opponent’s mental stability was a crucial strategy during Payblade battles, where the users’ concentration spelled the outcome of each battle! This was no ordinary children’s toy!

“And didn’t your teacher scold you for forgetting to do your homework, Storm?”

“Grr...!”

“And for goofing around by swinging a broom around during clean-up.”

“G-Grr...!”

Aria’s words flew into Storm’s heart like daggers! His Payblade rapidly lost its momentum with every cutting remark!!

“How does Aria know all that, anyway???” Wataru asked!

Aria turned to him! “It’s elementary, Dear Wataru! Since mental sparring is at the core of Payblading, it’s a battle of information!” she proudly explained! “I always keep an eye on the school news to make sure I know every embarrassing detail about these kids!”

“Aren’t you embarrassed? You’re seventeen,” Résistance coldly countered.

Aria seemed completely unmoved. “Ohohoho, it’s no use, Résistance! I will never lose focus during a Payblade match, no matter what anyone says to me! I have no shame!”

Such incredible mental strength! This was definitely the Aria we’ve come to know and love! Storm’s Payblade clashed with Aria’s, and was blown back to the edge of the Arena!

“That was close!” Storm muttered, cold sweat dripping down his face! “If my Payblade flies out of the Arena, I’ll lose on the spot...!”

Somehow, it seemed like his buck teeth had lost their glow!

Aria cackled! “Ohohohohohohohoho! Give it up, Storm! You’re just a child, after all! You don’t stand a chance against a grown woman like me!”

“Wh-Who should we root for!?” Wataru asked!

Résistance considered the question for a moment. “I’m beginning to think that Aria should lose.”

“...I agree!!”

Wataru and Résistance decided to root for Storm! Aria’s status as our main heroine no longer meant anything!!

“Go get her, Storm!!!”

“You got this, Storm! You can do this!”

“W-Wataru!? Résistance!? Why have you betrayed me!?” Not even Aria could conceal her total dismay at this shocking twist!

“Betrayed...?” Wataru asked.

“Don’t you get it, Aria? You’re totally the villain here!” Résistance yelled back!

Hearing them, Storm tightened his fists in determination! “S-So many people are rooting for me...! I can’t lose... not yet! Not now!!!”

Lest we forget, they were still standing in the middle of the Toys ‘B’ We store! Please, Dear Readers, refrain from shouting inside any store!

“Rrragggghhhh!!! Here goes!!!” Storm roared! “Super Payblade Mode!!!!!”

At that instant, his buck teeth began shining brightly once more! His teeth glowed brighter and brighter until... the light turned gold!

Fllllllasssshhhh!!!

“Wh-What the!? The kid’s teeth turned gold all of a sudden!!”

“What’s going on!?”

Wataru and Résistance couldn’t conceal their astonishment!

Aria explained this time, making a face as if she was biting into a lemon! “That’s Storm’s secret attack, ‘Super Payblade Mode!’ It’s an incredible move where he pours all of his magic into his buck-teeth to make them glow with a golden light!”

“What???”

“So!?”

“My buckteeth are my one defining personality trait as a Payblader! By making them shine like gold, I boost my mental energy, my vibe, to ten times its normal amount!” Storm explained, restlessly wiggling his protruding teeth! In short, it seemed that he got really hyped!

Résistance turned to Wataru with a serious expression! “I see... Wataru, since mental energy is the cornerstone of Payblading, ‘hyping himself up’ may be a formidable move.”

Immediately, Storm’s Deadly White Tiger V began gaining momentum, spinning faster and faster! It glided across the Arena at incredible speed, and crashed right into Aria’s Payblade at the center! A dull, metallic clang like the clashing of swords echoed through the store! Storm’s top, spinning a little faster than Aria’s, took its place in the center of the stadium, as Aria’s Payblade was pushed to the edge!

“Impressive, Storm!” Despite being in a bit of a pinch, Aria wore a confident smile!

Storm found the smile suspicious! “What!?”

“I have... an ace up my sleeve!” Aria produced a green leaf from her pocket! “Let me explain. This is a Rainbow Herb used to create potions! Just one bite of this, and all of my stress will disappear, and I’ll see the world in a whole new light!”

“What the...!? How’d you get an herb like that, Aria!?” Storm implored!

“Ohohoho, my parents are doctors. It was a piece of cake!” Aria explained proudly! She popped the Rainbow Herb into her mouth and chewed on it! “Oh, hell yeah!” she shrieked! “Now we’re talking!!!!!”

Instantly, Aria entered an unnatural high, and a rainbow-colored aura began to emanate from her body!

“Hey, Aria!” Wataru was confused! “Hey! Is that, like... Are you sure about this!?!?!?” Even this novel has to draw the line somewhere!

“Don’t worry, Wataru. Rainbow Herbs are completely safe,” Résistance calmly explained! “Aria’s magic is much more effective at healing than they are, but Rainbow Herbs have alcohol-like properties. Eating one would give you a little rush.”

“O-Okay! So what’s that rainbow aura around her!?”

“Placebo.”

“That’s all because of a trick on her mind!?!?”

Ordinarily, the Rainbow Herb wouldn’t possibly have that kind of effect! But being absolutely off her rocker was Aria’s defining trait! I wouldn’t put it past her to start shooting out rainbows if she thought she was able to!!

“Aaaaagghhhh! This is the final battle, Storm!” Aria shouted, her pupils disconcertingly wide!

Her Justice Blade Mk-II spun faster!

“Bring it on, Aria!”

Storm wasn’t backing down! With his buck teeth glowing gold, he awaited the attack!

“Wh-What’s going to happen!?!?”

“It’s anyone’s game, now...!”

Wataru and Résistance watched intently! Time seemed to slow for the maximum dramatic effect! At last, the two Payblades collided in the center of the Arena!!

Graghraggagggagararkakkarkagkakrkkkagakrk!!!!!!!!!

The metallic sound was heard again, and sparks spewed from the quaking Arena!! It was top-versus-top! The players’ minds were colliding along with them!! The victor of this fight would be the Payblader with the better vibe!!!

“Rrrraaagggghhhh!!!” Storm shouted!

“Yeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!” Aria shouted back!

“Excuse me!” interrupted a Toys ‘B’ We store associate! “Please keep your voices down inside the store.”

Even with Payblade Arenas built into their foundations, the Toys ‘B’ We corporate policy did not allow for their customers to make such a ruckus! At that instant, Storm’s Payblade was shot out of the stadium with a particularly loud clang and flew straight into the associate’s gut at the murderous velocity of 200 km/h!

“Hrgagrgghhhhh!!!” The associate groaned!

Wataru rushed over to him! “A-Are you all right!?!?”

This was no joke!

Meanwhile, Aria and Storm stared out at each other after their hardcore battle!

“You got me, Aria! It’s amazing that you could get that hyped just from a placebo! When I grow up, I want to be anything but like you!”

“I don’t know if I should take that as a compliment, but that was a good match, Storm!”

They shook hands! They had both come down from their highs! Storm’s teeth no longer glowed, and Aria wasn’t emitting any rainbow auras!

“Hey, Aria! Come heal this poor sales associate!!” Wataru shouted, holding the man who was foaming at the mouth!

“Oh, coming!” Aria quickly approached the associate and healed him with her magic!

At the end of the day, it was Aria and her placebo effect that won her the Payblade battle!

“Banned...?”

“Yes. I’m begging you. Please, never come back.”

A few minutes had passed since the conclusion of the Payblade battle. Wataru, Aria, Résistance, and Storm were brought to the simple office in the back of the Toys ‘B’ We by the same associate who had been knocked out earlier. The office was very neatly organized, and was empty save for the five of them. The associate had sat down in the chair and immediately told the group that they were banned.

“Now, wait a minute! Why are we banned!?” Aria angrily demanded.

“Your commotion intruded on the shopping experiences of the other customers in the store,” the associate calmly countered.

“What gives you the power to ban us, anyway!?” Storm said, flustered.

“I’m the manager here, so I do,” answered the manager, who had been fooling us all into thinking he was a mere sales floor worker!

“We’re clearly in the wrong here!” Wataru said! “Let’s just walk away!!”

“Wataru’s right. Calm down, you two,” Résistance added.

Aria gritted her teeth in anger and growled. Storm, sitting beside her, pulled his Deadly White Tiger V out of his pocket.

“Hey, manager! My name’s Storm! If you want to ban us, you gotta battle me, first!”

“Storm! There’s no way that’s going to work!!” Wataru said.

“If you win, we won’t ever show our faces here again! But if I win...”

“Then no one is banned.” The manager finished Storm’s sentence with a confident smile.

“...What!? You accept!?!?” Wataru asked!

“Yes, of course,” answered the manager! “It’s funny, isn’t it? That he would think he could challenge me, the manager of a Toys ‘B’ We, the holy ground of Payblades...” He reached into his pocket and reverentially produced a Payblade! Much to their surprise, this Payblade glowed with a purple, ominous light!!!

A bead of cold sweat dripped down Aria’s face. “Th-That’s... Darkness Mad Fang GX!! The super-rare Payblade only available as a limited edition three years ago!!”

The manager chuckled. “Correct. Storm, Aria... You can fight me two against one. You still won’t stand a chance.”

“You’re on!” Aria shouted, yanking her own Payblade out of her pocket.

“Hm. Interesting. I’ll keep a close eye on this battle.” Even Résistance, who had remained the level-headed one throughout the series, couldn’t conceal her excitement.

“Wh-What is this world...!?!?!?” Wataru couldn’t help but wonder out loud. Wataru Ito, the man who stopped a truck and ended up in another world! This fantasy world was still full of mysteries waiting to be discovered!!