57. The Death Jam Exordium
By eight o'clock in the morning, 4003 registered competitors had been ushered
in 40 different 100-person groups around the Belmarcian Tournament complex. Among
them stood Vance, Cliff, and Eden, each well-rested and ready to begin their
next mission. Vance wore another Averyl-manufactured black cloak, while Eden was
clad in a long orange mesh shirt over a white tank top and matching shorts.
Cliff, of course, wore his same brown duster as always.
"This place is huge." Vance stared up at the sheer metal walls
of the monolithic facility, so high that it blocked out the sun. "How big
is it?"
"Although the arena itself is only the size of a normal sports stadium,
if you include the surrounding complex and its underground chambers, it's probably
even bigger than the Guild," Cliff answered.
While all the participants looked humanoid, some had grafted mechanical
parts onto their bodies to try to gain an edge. Others were musclebound, eight-foot
giants, while still others were shrouded in so much equipment that it was hard
to tell what they truly were.
"What the hell is that?" Vance asked, pointing over to a gelatinous
blob with a dozen differently-shaped mouths covering the exterior of its pudding-like
body. "Is it even alive?"
"Any non-humanoid life form you see is either the result of genetic
mutation, or some kind of psynergy experiment," Cliff replied. "It may
sound boring, but remember, the humanity was supposedly created in God's image.
Therefore, people may have different shades of skin and hair and speak different
languages through dimensions, but everyone's mostly human."
"Riiight," Vance muttered, eying the grotesque thing with disgust.
After a few dirty looks from some staff members who had witnessed
Azuka's assault on the registration booth, the Knights were escorted to the meeting
station for applicants #3901-4003.
"I feel like a prisoner." Vance stared around. "And the
scenery isn't helping much."
Cliff studied the vast, empty lot that encompassed them. "This must
be the farthest end of the tournament complex. There are four long branches from
the center that spread out around the city, like an X."
"So what are we gonna do?" Vance asked impatiently. "Race
to the finish?"
"I wonder..."
"Cliff, Vance," Eden whispered and motioned to a large man on
the edge of the crowd. "That guy’s been watching us all day, and I can
feel his psynergy. It’s smoky...polluted."
Cliff followed her gaze. "He doesn't seem like too big of a deal. You're
right, though. He's trying to look away now, but he was definitely staring."
Vance looked around, trying to find who the other two were so interested
in. Finally, he spotted him: a bulky man clad in a large utility vest over a pale
yellow undershirt. Below the top of his blond mullet were hunting goggles, and
he held matching tire irons in his hands.
"Do we know him?" Vance asked Cliff.
Cliff shook his head. "Remember, unprovoked assaults are always the
most unpredictable."
Vance, Cliff, and Eden stood and watched as the man slipped into the crowd,
hovering around them like a bloodthirsty shark. As he moved to the side,
the wild hairstyles of other fighters blocked their view.
"Watch out," Eden warned, "he's coming."
Vance charged up psynergy into his fists, an action that garnered
attention from some of the other competitors.
"What's going on?" a muffled voice from the crowd shouted.
"Someone's charging up!"
"Hey, what the?!" another voice shouted as the man with the mullet
jumped out from the crowd, aiming his weapons toward Cliff's head.
"Idiot! What are you doing?!" a female voice shouted.
The man kept his weapons glowing with psynergy. "Assholes...you think
you're sooooo special, doncha?"
"What?" Cliff raised his hands out, trying to calm the man
down. "I'm sorry, but what are you talking about?"
"Yer necktags!" he screamed. "4001, 4002, 4003! What makes
you guys so special that they let you in after they closed the booth? My buddies....Heimler,
Marcel, and Johann....they waited in line all day, only to be told that they
had to leave because registration ended at 4000! So how the hell did you bastards
get in, huh?! That's what I wanna know!"
"Great," Cliff sighed. "Of all the things..."
"We practiced all year for this. It was going to be the big one! I
even quit my job," the mullet man whined.
"Settle down, please!" Eden stepped out in front of Vance and
Cliff, surprising the both of them. "The tournament hasn't even begun yet!"
"That's exactly my point, girl!" the man with the mullet screeched.
"If I can kill you three and take yer necktags, then I can get my team back
in action!"
Eden's eyes widened, but she quickly calmed herself. "I doubt you would
get far if you started murdering your fellow competitors. I'm sorry, I wish there
was some way I could help, but this is very important to us too."
"Eden..." Vance and Cliff both reached out for their friend,
but they were cut off.
"That's it!" the man screamed. "You'll be first then,
you little bitch!"
Cliff moved forward to guard her, but before he could get there, Eden stepped
out to meet her assailant. As the man swung his tire iron down, she held up a
glowing palm and caught it easily between two fingers.
"I'm sorry," Eden said again.
Then she shot forward, raised a slim, citrus-charged leg upward and
kicked the man straight in the jaw. His barrier shattered, and he went flying
into the crowd. Numerous gasps and questions sounded from the others, and noise
erupted from the crowd.
"Whoa." Cliff looked around. "Okay, we're definitely
gonna stick out now."
*
"It's a great pleasure to be working with you all." Azuka said,
bowing deeply.
She stood with the other three captains in an observation tower high above
the complex, looking down on the five executive partners of the Belmarcian tournament
committee. Seated in comfortable leather chairs, they seemed less than enthusiastic
about their new bodyguards.
Azuka guessed they were all high-ranking bureaucrats who only cared
about the profit and political clout that could be gained from holding such an
event. With the help of their fattened coffers and extensive networks, they’d somehow
gotten their hands on a clock – and instead of donating it to the Guild or the
Church, they instantly thought of a quick way to get rich using it.
It was funny. She doubted any of them could fashion a decent orb of
psynergy, yet their cunning and ambition had put them in charge of a violent
competition between thousands of the strongest fighters Belmarc had ever seen.
It didn’t matter how physically strong someone became – the ability to manipulate
and organize others would always remain something to fear.
"May I ask where the clock is being kept?" Ravi inquired.
A wrinkled old woman in a yellow dress with a loud flower pattern stood
up. "We've arranged for a chamber beneath the arena to open up after the
end of the tournament. It will rise out from the ground along with the ending fireworks,
and the gates will open up to allow the victor inside. The clock is being held
there under maximum security. And since everyone will be fighting atop it during
the finals, there's no possible way it could get stolen. But more importantly,
the sheer majesty of the unveiling will drive the crowd wild! All the positive
responses will be overwhelming – it’ll be an unparalleled success!"
Kamo elbowed Azuka. "Who put these clowns in charge?"
Maximilian cleared his throat. "We'll remain here to guard you throughout
the match, then. The Dark Zodiacs are targeting you as we speak."
"What?!" An older man with a stark white mustache and a stylish
comb-over hopped out of his chair. "We have to stay in here the entire time?
We're busy people, you know! You can't just confine us like this!"
"Yeah!" Another woman with thistle-colored hair and a chubby
face stood up. "Why didn't any representatives from the Church of Holy
Truths come? They said they'd guard us!"
"We are servants of the Church," Maximilian explained. "And
that's exactly why we've come here."
"You don't count! You’re just a foot soldier!" the old man screamed
again. "I want to talk to an official representative immediately! This is
unacceptable!"
"Oh, come on!" Kamo sighed. "You actually think we want
to be in here babysitting you all day?"
"What did you say?!" a fat old man shouted. "Babysitting?!
Just who do you people think you are?!"
Losing all interest in the discussion, Azuka turned and stared out of
the triple-layered reinforced glass window to the empty arena below.
Cliff, Vance, Eden...hope you're having a better time than I am.
*
An immense brawl had developed from the single kick that Eden dealt to
the mulleted man, and now there were around thirty people fighting in the center
of the #3901-4003 group. Vance had already knocked five people out, but they kept
coming.
They're so weak...or have I just gotten stronger?
The battle continued, while others scurried to the far sides of their
quadrant, desperate to save their energy for when the tournament began.
They're smart...which means they must be the stronger ones.
A loud static buzz sounded out from large speakers set up in each
quadrant, followed by an electric humming, then finally a booming voice.
"Attention all remaining contestants! Allow me to give you your
first congratulations! You have passed the first round of the preliminaries:
'Getting Registered and Surviving the Wait!' Doesn't it feel great?"
*************
"The next round that you'll take part in is the Survival Run! But
before that, allow me to introduce myself. I am your trustworthy tournament coordinator
and announcer, Trunculo Yaves! Nice to meet you all, and good luck in the rest
of the tournament!"
Edward sat down into one of the comfy, padded seats that filled the
arena and looked up to the psynergy-powered hologram screen in front of him. It
contained a variety of squares offering views of the different competitors in their
sectors. Some were simply standing around, while others had already begun
fighting.
Frank sat next to him, followed by Dr. Phileas on the far right. Their eyes
were also glued to the screens.
This is really something, Edward thought in amazement. And to think that Dr. Phileas bought the
tickets for us himself...he's really been the perfect host!
*************
"The Survival Run is a frantic, fast-paced course that will take
our competitors through an underground labyrinth!" Trunculo continued.
"How many will make it through this harrowing obstacle course? The only way
to find out is to keep watching!"
Madeleine sat high in the spectator seats of the arena, in the guise of
an old woman she’d bumped into out in the city.
No one's going to find me like this. And as soon as I've done this stupid
little favor for Averyl...hopefully, no one will ever find me again.
*************
"Not only is combat allowed during the race, there is also a one-hour
time limit! Our competitors will have to use all of their skills and
concentration to make it to the next zone by the next hour, or they're officially
out of the tournament! The race is on!"
Bruce, Rose, Cecilia, and Zhang Guo touched down on the roof of the
observation tower. After Saffron and Bruce tampered with the building’s walls
on the previous night, they’d been able to circumvent the outer barriers and
silently slip through without altering anyone.
"Roufas, Grayson, and Van Kaen are infiltrating from the other side,"
Bruce explained. "Our job is to lure the captains out of the committee's
room. Got it?"
"Yep." Rose clutched Bruce's arm. "I'm right behind you,
honey."
Cecilia nodded. "I wonder how strong the other captains are..."
"Should I...unleash them?" Zhang Guo asked softly, with closed
eyes.
"Sure," Bruce said, surveying the landscape. "Once you
get your target isolated, feel free to go all-out."
*************
"Once our contestants make it to the holding area, there will be a
short break so that they can take care of any wounds or diseases they
contracted during the previous round! Oh, and contestants! There will be numerous
medics on site, but don't even think of killing them! That'd be a real bad idea,
trust me! And I don't think the medics would appreciate it either!"
Nathan sat on a plush couch in the VIP viewing chamber, which was only a
floor below the committee room. In front of him stood the Seneschal, looking nervously
out the window.
"I might have a visitor during the day, Nathan," Tao said slowly.
"Please just be your usual hospitable self, and let me do the talking."
"Okay." Nathan smiled as best he could. "But who?"
"An...important person." Tao's last two words sounded rather shaky.
"I can't think of a better way to describe him. But he deserves your utmost
respect, so just be on your best behavior, as usual."
"Absolutely, sir." Nathan nodded as a sinking feeling grew in
his heart. Zeigfried...
*************
"The use of any and all sorts of weapons is allowed, but we discourage
murder! Still, if you do accidentally chop someone’s head off, we won’t
disqualify you for it...accidents do happen, after all!"
"That's reassuring," Winslow scoffed to Mephistoclessia and
Saffron, who had also been placed in his sector. "I'd hate to have to be interrupted
again!"
"Shut up," Mephistoclessia spat, surveying the other competitors.
"Just be careful you don't fall victim to any freak accidents once we get
inside."
"What?!" Winslow screamed. "What's that supposed to mean?!
I could take you any day!"
"Hush..." Saffron cooed, placing a gauntlet on Winslow's shoulder.
"Bloody thoughts steal thee away. The hour of annihilation is nigh!"
*************
"By the time the final round of the tournament rolls around, there
will only be 16 contestants left! These fighters will compete in one-on-one matches
to determine who the true champion is!"
Averyl sat on the dusty ground of the #2500-2599 quadrant. 99 bloodied,
dismembered bodies lay scattered around him.
"Only 16?" Averyl called out with a frown. "Please don't
disappoint me like these ones did..."
*************
"Well, that's it for now! Hopefully I'll be seeing some of you in
person later today! In just a few moments, the gates in front of our contestants
will open up to the labyrinth. So, get pumped up, get excited, and get going! We
have a tight schedule to follow here, so make haste!"
The metal storm gates in front of Vance, Eden, and Cliff opened to
reveal a metal slope that led downward. Lit by small neon lights, it looked steep
enough to slide down, but only wide enough to accommodate about 10 people.
As a result, the large group of contestants quickly collided with each other
as they scrambled for the entrance. Some were knocked unconscious and dropped
to the ground, only to be trampled by those behind them.
Eden watched in horror as the insane mob scrambled into the tunnel.
"This is so dangerous! Are they really not going to disqualify people for
killing each other?!"
"This is way worse than I imagined it’d be." Cliff watched the
chaos with worried eyes. "It’s absolute insanity."
"How are we even supposed to get inside?" Vance asked.
"Well, we're not going to get any cooperation from these people,
as we've already seen." Eden looked up to Cliff with a smile on her face.
"We’ll just have to force our way through."
"Yeah," Cliff said with a smirk. "Shouldn’t be too hard
with this lot."
Psynergy illuminated the three Knights. Their auras intertwined and
mixed, creating an even stronger force.
"Fine with me!" Vance shouted, as they began running toward
the crowd. "We'll just blast right through!"
Next: The Hellflower
