The Human Torch (Fire Force) Chapter 7: New Newcomer! Again!

[Third Person's PoV] 


The next day, Johnny and Shinra were in front of Obi as he worked out.


“Fire Force Newcomer Tournament? Really?” Johnny asked with a hint of disbelief.


“Yup, it's a battle tournament for rookies who just joined this year. From the 8th Brigade, we'll be sending you two alongside a new member joining us today,” Obi said, rapidly curling the dumbbells in his hands.


“Seriously? A new one? Things sure are picking up for us. Are we going to have a new recruit every day?” Johnny asked, amused by the situation, while also wondering who the recruit was.


Obi just laughed, “That's a good thing. It means we're getting closer and closer to becoming a serious brigade.”


“Um, will the other captains be present as well for the tournament?” Shinra asked.


“Yup, don't worry. I'll be there to cheer the loudest,” Obi said with a large smile.


‘I see, that would mean he will most likely be there… the man that was present when my brother and mother died…’ Shinra mentally noted.


After their talk, Johnny and Shinra were both dismissed. Shinra was walking with a hand on his chin as he was deep in thought, while Johnny casually walked with his arms behind his head.


They both froze when they saw the person in front of them. It was a boy with strikingly similar features to Johnny; he had blond hair and bright blue eyes.


“Yo, Devil. Mordred,” he greeted casually.


Shinra gritted his teeth, “What is the shitty knight doing here?!”


“Arthur…” Johnny greeted as he rolled his eyes.


Arthur looked towards Shinra and tilted his head, “To slay the devil, obviously.”


“Say that again, you shitty bastard! Come back here!!”


Meanwhile…


Maki and Iris were on the rooftop. Maki was lighting a small fire in front of her to practice her abilities.


“Come out, Pusupusu,” Maki said, controlling the flames. The flames rose up from the fire she created and turned into a cute ball of fire with a small adorable face.


While Iris and Maki were discussing Maki's ability, the door to the rooftop was slammed open.


Out came Johnny, Shinra, and Arthur rolling out. They disentangled from one another and stood up, walking around each other in a defensive manner, ready to take action.


“We're settling the score today! I can't be stuck here with you two. One is already bad enough,” Shinra said, positioning himself in a fighting stance.


Arthur grabbed his sheath from his side and pulled out a bladeless sword, just the handle in his hands. “I didn't get a chance to show you guys the difference in firepower between us last time we were together,” he said as he activated his ability, forming a blade made entirely out of plasma.


Johnny was in a horse stance with one hand behind his back and a karate chop in front of him. His hand caught on fire and began forming into a sword as well. “How many times do I have to beat you guys to make you understand you can't beat me?”


All three continued circling each other with their eyes narrowed.


“Huh? What's going on and who are you?” Maki asked, looking around before setting her eyes on the newcomer.


Arthur stood up with his sword in front of him and introduced himself, “The name is Arthur Boyle, and I'm the Knight King.”


As he looked towards them, he asked, “Are you two perhaps the princesses of this castle?” He referred to the church as the castle.


“Huh?” Iris asked, almost deadpan.


“Princesses?” Maki asked in turn.


Realization overcame Iris as she realized who Arthur was. “Ah. You're the third generation newcomer who will be joining our brigade today, aren't you?”


Maki then turned towards Johnny, who was casually slashing the air with his fire-arm blade. “Do you perhaps know him, Johnny?”


“Yeah, he was in the same training academy as Shinra and me. He and Shinra have this rivalry about which one is better, a hero or a knight,” Johnny said, giving her the brief rundown of their relationship.


Shinra then joined in by saying, “I said that a knight is a subcategory of a hero. He went and added the ‘King’ bit. That's cheap as hell, right?”


“Right…” Maki said, unsure of what to say to that. So she turned towards Johnny, “And how do you come in?”


“He thinks I'm his twin brother separated at birth and I'm in the running for the throne, which is why he considers me an obstacle to his role and calls me Mordred,” Johnny said with a large smile.


“Huh?!” Maki asked, looking at Johnny in confusion, not following.


“Arthur's just a delusional dumbass,” Shinra said, before pointing at Johnny. “And Johnny's an idiot who feeds into Arthur’s delusions. Just because, ‘The way his powers work is too hilarious,’” Shinra said, making air quotes.


“That’s because it is—” Midway through his scoff, Lieutenant Hinawa appeared with a cup in hand.


“I couldn't help but hear all the ruckus, so I came to take a look. What's the meaning of this?”


Johnny immediately saluted, “It’s Shinra and Arthur, sir,” Johnny said, not having any shame in throwing them under the bus.


“You bastard! You always do this!”


“This is why you aren't worthy of the throne of Camelot. You have no honor as a knight! Take the fall alongside your comrades!”


Both Shinra and Arthur shouted aggrievedly.


Maki did her salute as well, “Lieutenant Hinawa.”


Iris, seeing how they were behaving, chuckled, ‘They seem really close…’


Hinawa just walked up to Maki and dumped the contents of the cup onto Pusupusu.


“PUSUPUSU!!” Maki cried in despair, seeing the cute face turning into a horrifying one as it was put out, while it also let out a voice as if it was in pain.


Hinawa grabbed Maki by the head as he said, “When will you learn that Fire soldiers don't play with fire?”


“Yes, sir,” Maki said with tears in her eyes. As Hinawa walked away, Johnny nudged her side with his hands behind him.


Maki looked at him in confusion and saw him motioning behind him. When she looked back, she saw a fireball floating behind him while his hand motioned towards her as if telling her to take it.


Maki only looked towards him and saw him looking away and whistling.


Maki found his gesture strangely cute and adorable.


“Johnny,” Hinawa called out. “What is that you have behind your back?”


“My hands, sir!”


“And is that all?”


“Yes, sir!”


“Are you lying to me?”


“Yes, sir!”


“Put it out.”


“Yes, sir!”


Maki chuckled as she patted his back, seeing his dejected look. She couldn't help but want to pamper him. “Don't worry, I appreciate the gesture.”


Hinawa turned towards Arthur, “So you must be Arthur.”


“Yes, the pleasure's all mine,” he said with a charming smile.


“Dude, that's the Lieutenant,” Shinra warned him.


“All who stand at the round table stand on equal footing, don't worry too much about it.”


“That's rich, coming from a newbie who just joined,” Hinawa scoffed. He then shook his head. “Never mind that, the newcomer tournament is just around the corner. I want to see what you guys are capable of. Use your abilities to your heart's content. Maki, you will be their opponent.”


“Me?”


“Do you see any other Maki's around?” Hinawa asked, widening his eyes to show his seriousness.


“My apologies,” Maki said nervously.


Hinawa observed from a distance. “Actually, Johnny, I want you to fight her on your own first. I'm more interested in what you are able to do as you are the valedictorian.”


Johnny nodded his head, his expression turning serious. Johnny and Maki both lowered their orange jumpsuits to tie them at their waists. Both were wearing black tank tops.


Now that Iris and Maki had a closer look and weren't obstructed by his flames, they were able to see that Johnny was really muscular. It wasn't visible due to his baggy firefighting clothing. The black tank top highlighted most of his prominent muscles such as his biceps, chest, and abs, which caused them to blush slightly.


But Maki immediately returned to normal, showing a serious expression. She put her hands in a paw position and got into a fighting stance.


Johnny had his arms out and looked at Maki with a serious expression as well, “Don't think I would be underestimating you or go easy just because you're a pretty girl.”


“I would be disappointed if you did,” Maki smirked.


“Begin!” Hinawa shouted.


Johnny lunged forward with a powerful punch aimed at Maki's midsection. Maki quickly sidestepped, her agility evident, and countered with a swift kick to Johnny's side. Johnny blocked it with his forearm, the impact resonating through his muscular frame. 


Without missing a beat, Johnny twisted his body and threw a series of rapid punches, each one precise and forceful. Maki expertly parried and dodged, her movements fluid and controlled. She found an opening and struck with a sharp jab to Johnny's shoulder, but he absorbed the hit, showing little sign of pain.


They continued to exchange blows, the intensity of the fight escalating. Johnny's brute strength and Maki's agility and precision made for a well-matched battle. Johnny attempted to grab Maki, but she slipped out of his grasp, using her smaller stature to her advantage.


Johnny smirked, impressed by Maki's skill. "You're good," he admitted, his breathing steady.


"You're not so bad yourself," Maki replied, her eyes focused and determined.


Johnny launched another attack, this time aiming a kick at Maki's legs. She jumped back, but Johnny was ready, immediately following up with a punch that connected with her shoulder, sending her stumbling back. Maki quickly recovered, her expression more determined than ever. She dashed forward, aiming a series of quick jabs at Johnny, who blocked most but took a hit to the side of his face.


Wiping a trickle of blood from his lip, Johnny grinned. "Nice shot."


Maki responded with a fierce roundhouse kick, which Johnny ducked under, countering with an uppercut that grazed her chin. The impact made her stagger, but she quickly regained her footing and retaliated with a flurry of punches. Johnny blocked and absorbed most of the blows, but a well-placed strike to his ribs made him wince.


The two fighters continued their intense exchange, neither giving an inch. Johnny's punches were like sledgehammers, each one aimed to incapacitate, but Maki's speed and precision kept her just out of his reach. She ducked under a wide swing and delivered a powerful punch to Johnny's gut, causing him to gasp for air momentarily.


Johnny quickly recovered, grabbing Maki's arm and spinning her around. He aimed a knee at her stomach, but Maki twisted in his grip, breaking free and landing a solid kick to his chest, pushing him back. They both paused for a moment, breathing heavily, eyes locked in mutual respect and determination.


"You're stronger than I expected," Johnny admitted, wiping sweat from his brow.


"And you're tougher than I thought," Maki replied, a hint of a smile on her lips.


They clashed again, Johnny using his size and strength to try and overpower Maki, while she used her agility and skill to evade and counter. Johnny managed to land a solid hit to Maki's side, making her grunt in pain, but she quickly retaliated with a spinning back fist that caught Johnny on the jaw.


The fight raged on, each fighter pushing themselves to their limits. Johnny's muscles ached from Maki's relentless attacks, but he refused to back down. Maki's body was bruised from Johnny's powerful strikes, but her determination kept her going. They moved with a fierce intensity, the sound of their blows echoing through the training area.


Hinawame watched intently, noting the strengths and weaknesses of both fighters. Johnny's power and resilience were impressive, but Maki's speed and technique were equally remarkable. 


Maki was breathing slightly heavily. "I thought you said you weren't underestimating me. Why haven't you used your abilities?"


"It's because I don't underestimate you that I don't use them. The best way to fight against a Second Generation, especially those with your skill set, is to not give them the firepower they need."


Hinawa nodded in understanding. ‘He has a great battle IQ. He understands that ‘flaming on,’ as he calls it, would have just made his situation worse and given Maki the advantage.’


"That's enough, you two," Hinawa said, causing both of them to nod and drop their stances.


Johnny sensually wiped the blood from his lips as he looked at Maki, causing her to turn bright red.


"We should spar more often. It could be a good way to exercise, and you know, get to know each other better" Johnny said with a smile.


Maki, who was looking down and still blushing, nodded her head. ‘Waaaaaaaah! He's deliberately doing this! He's deliberately seducing me!! I'm not sure if my young maiden heart can take it.’