Cahpter 31: Happy Vibes

Jack had always been small.

Not tiny. Not dwarfed. Just small enough that people didn't see him unless they were looking.

The kind of small where doors nearly closed in his face before anyone noticed him.

The kind of small where people stepped around him in crowded hallways without realizing he was even there.

Not enough to be mocked outright.

Not enough to be bullied for it.

Just enough to be forgotten.

He wasn't "Shorty" or "Midget".

He was "Lil' Guy."

He was "Small Fella."

He was "Hey, what's your name again?"

Jack didn't hate it, exactly. He wasn't miserable.

He had friends. He had a normal life.

But sometimes, it felt like he was watching the world through a window instead of living in it.

Like he was present but not permanent.

Something people only noticed in passing, only to forget a moment later.

And now?

Now he was huge.

Bigger than huge.

When he activated Giantization, the world moved around him for once.

Not the other way around.

People turned their heads.

People gasped.

People saw him.

And Jack had never felt so alive.

Standing in the middle of the arena, his towering form casting a shadow over the battlefield, he finally had it—

The thing he'd always wanted.

Recognition.

Presence.

Size.

He grinned, looking down at Zik, his opponent—a kid who had always seemed to take up space even when he wasn't trying.

Jack had fought for this moment.

And he wasn't about to let it slip away.

Not for anyone.

Jack stretched his massive arms and cracked his huge knuckles, watching Zik with amusement.

"You know," he said, his voice booming in a way that made him grin even wider, "before this, my first ability was something so useless, I never even told anyone about it."

Zik tilted his head, curiosity overriding his sense of self-preservation. "Oh yeah? What was it?"

Jack laughed, shaking his giant head. "Autofit."

Zik blinked. "Huh?"

Jack grinned, gesturing to his clothes. "It makes anything I wear automatically fit me perfectly."

Zik just stared at him.

Jack kept talking, clearly loving the sound of his own voice now. "Never had a problem finding the right size. I could wear anything, and it'd adjust. No tight collars, no loose pants. Always perfect."

Zik squinted. "Wait. That's… actually kinda good."

Jack laughed. "No, it's not. It's pointless. No one even knew I had it because I never told them. Who brags about always having the right shirt size?"

Zik held up a hand. "Okay, shut up for a second."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Zik rubbed his chin. "So… it auto-adjusts to whatever you're holding when you change size, right?"

Jack frowned. "Yeah?"

Zik snapped his fingers. "So what happens if you're holding a baseball bat when you grow? Would you get a giant bat?"

Jack's eyes widened. "Oh. My. God."

Zik's brain was already firing on all cylinders. "What about a fire extinguisher? Could you put out an entire building fire in one shot?!"

Jack opened his mouth.

Then he closed it.

Then he opened it again.

And yelled, "BRILLIANT!"

The entire crowd flinched as Jack's excitement echoed through the arena.

Zik's friends, watching from the sidelines, immediately freaked out.

Aiden facepalmed. "Zik, stop giving him ideas!"

Tobias groaned. "You're literally helping him beat you!"

Meanwhile, in the VIP seating area, the principal was frozen in horror.

He had rigged this match. He had chosen Jack on purpose because, up until yesterday, the kid was the weakest fighter left in the tournament.

And now?

Now the giant was talking about getting a giant bat.

The principal slowly buried his face in his hands.

I made a mistake.

Standing beside him, Reyes was grinning.

"That's what you get, you crook," he chuckled, elbowing him. "Rigged the match to make it easy for Zik, huh? How's that working out for you?"

The principal groaned. "I hate everything."

But Reyes' laughter stopped abruptly.

Because he just remembered.

All the training.

All the pain he put those kids through.

All the suffering Zik endured.

For this.

Reyes stared at Zik—who was currently debating whether Jack could grow a tank if he was holding one.

A deep, deep wave of depression settled into Reyes' bones.

"All that training was for nothing."

Jack was buzzing with excitement now, his massive form practically vibrating as he processed what Zik had just said.

"You—You're actually a genius!" Jack shouted, his voice booming across the arena. "I never even thought about using my ability like that!"

Zik grinned, despite himself. "Yeah, dude! You've been sleeping on it. Just imagine the possibilities."

Jack leaned forward, eyes shining. "Okay, okay—so if I'm holding a fire extinguisher, I get a giant fire extinguisher—"

"Right," Zik nodded.

"But what if—what if—" Jack paused dramatically, "I was holding a megaphone?"

Zik gasped. "You could make announcements for the whole city."

Jack clutched his huge head. "I COULD BECOME A ONE-MAN EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM."

Zik pointed at him. "EXACTLY."

Jack's mind was spinning now. "What about… what about…" He sucked in a deep breath. "A drumstick?"

Zik blinked. "Like for eating?"

"No, for drumming!" Jack grinned wildly. "I could have a GIANT DRUMSTICK AND PLAY THE BIGGEST DRUM SOLO EVER!"

Zik's jaw dropped. "BRO. THAT WOULD BE INSANE."

Jack's giant hands were shaking. "What if—what if I was holding a water gun?"

Zik gasped again. "YOU COULD FLOOD A WHOLE STREET."

Jack slammed his huge fists together. "A FLASHLIGHT! I COULD LIGHT UP A WHOLE BLOCK."

Zik pointed dramatically. "A NET! YOU COULD CATCH CRIMINALS IN ONE GO."

Jack's entire body tensed. "A FLAG! I COULD MAKE THE BIGGEST FLAG IN HISTORY!"

Zik slammed a fist into his palm. "YOU COULD START A WHOLE NEW SPORT—GIANT BASEBALL."

Jack gasped again. "I NEED A GIANT BASEBALL FIELD!"

"EXACTLY!"

By now, the crowd was staring at them in total disbelief.

Aiden and Tobias were holding their heads in their hands.

Tobias groaned. "WHY IS HE HELPING HIM?"

Aiden looked dead inside. "I don't know, man. I just… I don't know."

Meanwhile, in the VIP section, the principal was still frozen in horror.

"This… was supposed to be an easy win for Zik…"

"Why… why is this happening?"

And Reyes?

Reyes just sighed.

"All that training. All that work."

"For THIS?"

Zik and Jack were still going.

"WHAT IF I HELD A BOWL OF SOUP?!" Jack screamed.

"YOU'D HAVE ENOUGH SOUP TO FEED A VILLAGE."

Jack clutched his chest. "I LOVE SOUP."

Zik pointed at him, nodding. "BRO, ME TOO."

Jack beamed. "YOU'RE A GENIUS."

Zik grinned back. "I KNOW."

The referee finally stepped forward, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"FIGHT ALREADY!! YOU BONEHEADS!!!"

Zik and Jack both glared at the referee.

Jack, now towering over the entire arena, huffed. "Man, you're kinda rude."

Zik nodded. "Right? We were having a moment."

The referee didn't even flinch. "I do not care. I have a family. I would like to see them today."

Jack crossed his massive arms. "Can I at least go buy a bat real quick?"

The referee cracked his knuckles. "Try it. See what happens."

Jack stared.

Then slowly raised his huge hands. "Never mind. I'm good."

The referee sighed and raised his arm. "Begin."

And just like that—

Jack swung a punch so fast the air BOOMED.

Zik dodged by a hair's breadth, feeling the sheer force of the attack rattle his bones.

If that hit him?

Game over.

He didn't even want to think about how it would feel.

---

Zik moved.

Darting left. Slipping right. Using every ounce of his Super Speed to stay a step ahead.

Jack, despite being massive, wasn't as slow as Zik hoped.

Every time Zik dodged, Jack adjusted, his Super Jump letting him reposition instantly.

One clean hit.

That was all Jack needed.

And Zik?

He had no idea how to damage him.

Even if he got a solid hit in, it was pointless—Jack's Tough Skin and Regeneration made sure of that.

But Zik still took note of everything.

---

Jack's size wasn't as insane as it looked once the shock factor wore off.

His physique only increased by approximately 1.77 times.

That meant his physical strength and durability were amplified proportionally, making him a natural tank.

If that was all he had, Zik might've found a way around it.

But with Tough Skin, Muscle Enhancement, and Regeneration?

Jack wasn't just tough.

He was practically unbreakable.

---

As Zik kept running, weaving between Jack's massive strikes, a single thought hit him:

"I cannot fight this dude normally."

There was no scenario where Zik could brute force his way to victory.

Jack had the perfect combination of abilities.

If Zik wanted to win, he needed to do something insane.

Something smart.

Something Jack wouldn't expect.

And he had one ability slot left.

He just needed to figure out the perfect ability to counter this nightmare.

The principal was glaring daggers at Reyes, his face a mix of frustration and desperation.

"Fix this."

Reyes raised an eyebrow, completely unimpressed. "And what exactly do you want me to do? Go in there and start throwing hands myself?"

The principal's eye twitched. "No, but at least give me ideas! Something!"

Reyes sighed, shaking his head. "Alright, fine. Look—Zik has a growth-type ability. His strength skyrockets when he's pushed past his limits. But right now, he's got one ability slot left. If he unlocks the right ability, he can turn this fight around."

The principal's eyes flickered with realization.

An empty slot.

An opportunity.

And then it hit him—the perfect ability.

"Aura."

Reyes tilted his head. "Huh?"

The principal's expression shifted from panic to calculation. "Aura. It's one of the most well-loved abilities in history. It has affinity with every ability type, meaning it can enhance or evolve a person's existing powers. If there's one ability that would perfectly complement someone like Zik, who already has so many skills, it's that one."

Reyes crossed his arms. "Alright, sure, but how does that help us?"

The principal grinned, his mind racing.

"There have been cases where Aura was awakened by exposure to another Aura user. Like a spark igniting a flame."

Reyes narrowed his eyes. "You've never tried it before, have you?"

The principal's grin widened. "Nope."

"…But you're willing to experiment now?"

"Absolutely."

Reyes sighed. "You just need an excuse to get down there, don't you?"

The principal shrugged. "Obviously."

Reyes stared at him.

Then smirked.

"This," Reyes said, shaking his head, "is either going to be brilliant or catastrophic."

The principal rolled his shoulders. "Hopefully both."

The principal strode forward, clearing his throat as he prepared to make his grand excuse for stepping into the arena.

Reyes, watching with mild amusement, leaned back in his chair and muttered, "This is gonna be so dumb."

Sure enough, the principal threw his hands in the air and yelled, "Stop the fight! I'm concerned for the safety of my students!"

A long, painful silence followed.

Jack paused mid-punch, blinking in confusion.

Zik, who had been in the middle of dodging for his life, skidded to a stop and stared. "What."

Aiden, from the stands: "What."

Tobias, deadpan: "That's the worst excuse I've ever heard."

Even the crowd let out a confused murmur.

The referee, who had already been on his last nerve, visibly twitched. He turned slowly toward the principal, his expression pure, unfiltered disbelief.

"Sir," the referee said, voice dangerously calm, "this is a fight. They're supposed to be getting hurt."

The principal kept his serious expression. "Yes, well, I suddenly realized that I—"

"No, no, no." The referee threw up a hand. "We're not doing this. Nobody is even seriously injured yet."

The principal didn't even flinch. "That could change at any moment."

The referee pointed aggressively. "YOU CHOSE THIS MATCHUP!"

The principal pretended not to hear that.

The referee dragged a hand down his face. "This has been going on forever. First, we had twenty minutes of them chatting about giant baseball bats, and now this?"

Jack, still massive, scratched his head. "Wait, so… are we stopping?"

Zik sighed heavily. "Dude, I hope not. If we stop now, I ran for my life for nothing."

The referee exhaled sharply. "I swear to everything holy, if I don't get to go home because of this—"

The principal cleared his throat. "Well, since we're already here, I might as well check in on the fighters—"

The referee pointed directly at him. "If you so much as put a toe in that ring, I will eject you from this school."

Reyes burst out laughing.

Zik crossed his arms, shaking his head. "Man, this whole thing is just cursed."

Jack nodded sagely. "Yeah. This whole tournament arc has really weird pacing."

The principal sighed dramatically. "Fine. The match can continue."

The referee threw up his hands. "Oh, NOW it can continue? Gee, thanks!"

As the principal grumbled his way back to the VIP section, Reyes patted him on the back, still grinning.

"You tried, boss. You tried."

The principal glared. "Shut up."

The principal sat back down, rubbing his temples as the worst excuse in tournament history fell apart right in front of him.

Zik and Jack were still standing, the fight still ongoing, and his golden opportunity to get close enough to directly transfer his Aura was gone.

He sighed. Fine. If I can't go to him…

He clenched his fist, focusing. Then I'll just send it from here.

Reyes, watching the gears turn in the principal's head, narrowed his eyes. "...What are you planning now?"

The principal took a deep breath, focused his Aura, and began filling it with positive intent.

Happiness. Encouragement. Strength. Every bit of motivation he could muster.

And then?

He was just going to throw it at Zik and hope he didn't die.

Reyes stared at him, expression blank.

"...You do realize how insanely stupid that sounds, right?"

The principal didn't even look at him. "No, no. This is fine."

"No, it is not fine," Reyes said, shaking his head. "You're literally about to launch an unknown amount of raw energy into a kid's body and just see what happens."

The principal rolled his shoulders. "I'm just sending him happy vibes."

Reyes' eye twitched. "Happy vibes. That's what we're calling what could potentially kill him."

The principal nodded. "Yup."

Reyes took a slow, deep breath.

Then he exhaled.

Then he muttered, "At this point, just shoot Jack with a gun."

The principal frowned. "That's cheating."

"OH, AND THIS ISN'T?!"

The principal huffed. "I'm not interfering. I'm just sending a kid positive energy."

"You're literally trying to force him to awaken a broken ability mid-fight!"

The principal crossed his arms. "If anything, I'm helping Jack. This might go horribly wrong for Zik."

Reyes rubbed his face. "Yeah, yeah, you keep telling yourself that, you crock."

And with that, the principal took one last breath, focused his Aura, and—

He threw it.

Like a man tossing a very hopeful grenade.

Straight at Zik.