64. Your Death is My Life
Side by side, Maximilian and Kamo lay submerged in water as the ancient
dragon Qin Long swooped down, jaw agape.
"Well, Mr. Fancypants?!" Kamo shrieked. "If you've got any
more trump cards, now's the time to use them!"
"I do have one more..." Maximilian murmured, as he struggled
to keep his head above Rose's developing water. "But it might hurt. I
recommend you bite down on something that isn't your tongue."
"What?!" Kamo shrieked again.
"Just do as I say!" The Knight shouted. "Now!"
With that, an electric shockwave exploded out from Maximilian's pocket,
rippling through every inch of Rose's liquefied body, not to mention the bodies
of both Maximilian and his ally. A waterlogged scream echoed out from the
puddle, and Rose reflexively reverted from her transformation, heaving as her
body rematerialized on the ground.
"Whew," Kamo shook his head and quickly materialized his bow while
still lying face-up on the ground. "Thanks for the pick-me-up,
buddy!"
And so, just as the ancient dragon Qin Long finished its descent and
prepared to devour its prey – seemingly along with Rose herself, the beast exploded
backwards with a cry of pain, raining down torrents of spittle upon the three. Flung
back, the dragon landed head-first on the ground in the distance and began
pawing furiously at the massive canals of its nostrils, trying to remove the two
psynergy arrows that had been fired straight inside by Captain Kamo.
"What’s wrong? Didn’t that little jolt feel nice in your aquatic
form?" Maximilian and Rose both stood up at about the same time, but the
woman seemed to have taken the brunt of the electroshock due to the form she'd
just been in. In the Knight's left hand, a small metallic fork flickered with
electricity. "I'm the protege to Mixam Gradia, the greatest
inventor the Guild has ever known. I never come to a battle without a variety
of tools to choose from!"
"Tools can be broken," Rose spat between breaths. "Unlike
raw psynergy."
"We'll see about that." Kamo eyed the tattoo of a faceless horse
on the woman's lower thigh. "I'm more interested in figuring out just how
that power of yours works, pony girl."
Rose rolled her eyes and squeezed some water from her drenched hair. Quickly,
Maximilian tossed his forked gadget over to his ally, who caught it effortlessly
and slipped it into his pocket.
"You keep an eye on her," Maximilian whispered to his partner.
"I'll handle the brutes."
Kamo aimed his bow at Rose's upper chest. "In that case, let's get
started."
When he fired two more shots, Rose responded by changing back into a large
puddle of water. Kamo quickly let his bow dissipate and dashed up to the
Horse, desperately trying to figure out a way to ensnare his foe.
Meanwhile, Maximilian watched closely as Qin Long rose back to its
feet. The 3rd division captain tightened his grip on the Campeador
and ran forward, putting himself between the monster and his ally.
Maximilian pulled back his weapon and sized up the dragon's thick legs.
The hardest part is always the first hit...
As he closed in on Qin Long, he saw the beast rear its head back, open its
mouth, and suck in a deep breath.
Breathing fire? No, that can't be it...that wouldn't explain the strange
psynergy aura I'm feeling...it's strong, and powerful, like some sort of...
A spark ignited in the dragon's throat. In the next instant, a white laser
beam erupted from within and went shooting toward the ground – and Maximilian.
Captain Maximilian rolled along the ground, barely evading the beam as it
cut through the earth. The dragon twisted its neck and dragged the beam across
the ground, slicing through the dirt like cake. Only a few steps away from
them, Rose's water seeped into the soil around Kamo's legs.
"Won't you get swallowed up that way?" Kamo asked, as he leaned
in closer to the puddle.
"I only need one drop to get away," Rose's voice resonated. "You'll
never catch me."
"Oh yeah?"
"What are you doing?" Rose asked, as Kamo placed a psynergy-laced
arm into the puddle. "I told you, I'm invincible."
Two tentacles of water shot up toward Kamo's limbs. Frantically he fired
two psynergy arrows laced with thick auras that not only repelled the water,
but splattered both pillars into tiny droplets.
"What?!" Rose shouted, then shot her body back out from the dirt.
As her head re-formed, she looked down in horror to discover the new addition that
Kamo had made to her body. There, just above the V-neck of her suit, was a red bullseye.
She scraped at it with her finger, tried to use some water and wipe it away,
but nothing worked. Somehow, he had marked her with pure psynergy.
Kamo slipped another neon psynergy arrow into his finger-bow. "Now
we can play my game."
"What did you do to me?!" Rose screamed, scratching at her
chest in frustration. "What is this?!"
"I can’t hurt you when you’re water," Kamo said with a shrug,
"But at least now I’ll always know where you are."
Rose grit her teeth and slid back into the puddle.
"Yep yep!" Kamo shouted, grinning. "You'd best get running
now, my little pony!"
*
Tao stood beside Nathan in the VIP room, scanning the tournament bracket
as well as the arena itself.
"It's kind of scary when you think about it." Nathan commented.
"Everyone's going to be fighting down there on that big white platform,
but it doesn't have any bars or anything."
"Very perceptive, Nathan," Tao noted. "That stone platform
is roughly twenty five meters long on every side, which will be hardly big enough
for some of the battles...and the gap between the arena and the stands is
small. The spectators are barely out of harm's reach."
"So then it isn’t safe at all!" Nathan concluded.
"They must have some sort of barrier in place." Tao stared
down at the small figure of Trunculo Yaves, who now sat at the north end of the
arena. "At least...I hope they do."
Trunculo leaned back into a comfy-looking lawn chair and threw his suede
shoes up onto a small white table. The holographic screens each slowly changed to
a close-up shot of the man himself as he opened his mouth.
"The wait is over, everyone! Right now, in front of your very eyes,
the final battles of the tournament are about to begin!"
The screens flashed to a close-up of the bottom left corner of the tournament
bracket, where the first two fighters' registration numbers were displayed.
"Contestants #2500 and #0635, please make your way out to the arena!
Do note that a five-minute delay in arrival will be considered a forfeit!"
Doors to the respective contestants' waiting rooms slid open, then quickly
shut as the challengers stepped out.
"From the southern corner, we have contestant #0635, Kayley Monroe!"
Trunculo announced, as the camera zoomed in on the approaching woman's face.
She wore a heavy-looking yellow battlesuit with a shimmering baton strapped to each
hip. Her hair was pulled back in a bun, and she had a confident smile on her
round face.
"She looks as limber as she does powerful, folks – a true,
well-rounded fighter! Kayley took out over fifty fighters alone in the preliminaries,
and had the guts to climb back out of the pit after she fell into it!"
Kayley made her way onto the arena, then raised a black-gloved hand and
waved quickly to the audience.
"From the northeastern corner, we have contestant #2500, a man
known simply as...Averyl!" This time, the camera focused in on the dark,
pale man. His black hair flowed down around his waist as he glided to the arena.
"Averyl slaughtered the other 99 members of his starting group no
more than ten seconds after the first preliminary match began! He's no pushover,
folks!"
Averyl hopped lightly onto the stage and grinned evilly at Kayley.
Trunculo stood up and gestured toward the arena. "I'll go over the
rules first, just in case some of you aren't aware! Any attacks within the arena
are fair game! Even if your projectiles fly out, no need to worry! However...if
any part of your body touches the outlying grounds of the arena, you are out!
Game over! No exceptions, absolutely none! So make sure you keep an eye on your
boundaries, eh? Of course, there are also the basic rules – don't attack the spectators,
and certainly not your poor little announcer friend here! Besides that, anything
goes!"
Trunculo smiled and paused, teasing the excitement of the crowd. "Well
then! Averyl, Kayley! Please make your way to opposite sides of the arena! Good,
good...perfect! Now, may the first match of the finals...begin!"
Just as the 'n' sound of Trunculo's final word finished its final
vibration in the air, ten silver blades came whizzing out from Averyl's coat,
taking Kayley by surprise. She didn't even have time to blink as the sharp metal
cut through her skin, skewering her on the spot. Kayley remained standing for a
moment, and then, her body collapsed.
"Hoo hoo hahhhh!" Trunculo let out a hearty laugh as Averyl
turned from his prey and made his way back over to his room. "With deadly
efficiency, Averyl has shishkabobbed his opponent and won the first round!
While not exactly the most exciting fight I've seen, he showed an amazing
amount of precision and calculation! And to top it all off, he's one of those
strong, silent types! Don't rush him for autographs all at once, ladies!"
"What a waste." Averyl sighed, then quickly walked back into his
waiting room. Inside, Winslow's body was recharging within the Regeneration
Tank. "Isn't there anyone here capable of entertaining me?"
**************
Trunculo chimed back in. "Once we get all this blood cleaned up,
we'll be moving on to the second round, so don't go anywhere! The fun's only
just begun!"
"Dear lord..." Frank gasped, as he watched the holographic
replay of Averyl's speedy kill. "This is legalized murder. I can’t watch this
anymore!"
"Yes..." Phileas's eyes lit up with passion as he watched the
fourth replay. "He is no doubt an expert in the art of murder. You can see
in the way he attacked her. Each of those knives hit a vital, giving her no chance
of escape, recovery, or revitalization – she was dead on the spot."
Edward shivered, turned his eyes away from the screen and watched as
the tournament's medical unit rushed over to the arena and wiped the blood off the
tiles. "It’s really weird...that man reminds me of someone. That cunning
smile...I feel like I've seen it somewhere before."
"You okay, Ed?" Frank asked.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Edward sighed. "Just a little shaken,
I guess. Before, it was all on the television, but now...now, it's happening
right in front of us."
"Yeah." Frank nodded, then stared back at the doctor, who was
still entranced by the video screens. "Right in front of us."
*************
"And now, without further delay, let us commence with the second round!"
Trunculo rejoiced as the last of the tiles were wiped clean. "Would contestants
#3788 and #1674 please make their way to the arena floor?"
Eden looked over to the Regeneration Tank. Vance's chest wounds had
healed, and the color had returned to his face, so she turned off the machine
and propped the door open. "Feeling better?"
After waking up, Vance clamored out of the tank and gazed down at himself.
"What the hell? Eden, you undressed me?!"
"Well yeah, I had no choice!" Eden shouted. "You almost
died back there!"
"I wanted to try and kill that blob thing..." Vance grumbled.
"So you wouldn’t think I was completely useless."
Eden let out a sigh and shook her head. "Your clothes are over
there," she said, pointing over to the table.
Vance moved over to his belongings and got dressed. After a quick breather,
he sat down and gazed at the tournament bracket shown on a monitor within the
room.
"Look, Vance..." Eden finally opened her mouth. "You
know I appreciate what you did. It's just...I was scared! For a moment there I
really thought you were going to die!"
Vance snorted. "It's no big deal. We're okay now, and that's all
that matters, right?" He moved his eyes to her. "We did it. You and
me."
"Yeah," Eden said. "We’re safe for now, I guess."
"Now it's your turn to get in. Your match is up soon, right?"
"I'm fine." Eden shook her head. "All I really needed
was a few minutes to rest. I don't feel the least bit tired. I ate a snack, too,
so I’m fine."
"What? Vance jerked his head up. "That's not fair! You got to
undress me!"
Eden narrowed her eyes at Vance and raised her fist menacingly. "That's
the only reason you asked?"
"No...I was just saying!" Vance raised his hands sheepishly and
moved to the window. "Did Averyl win his first battle?"
"Of course," Eden replied. "He killed her right at the start."
Vance shook his head. "I wonder if there's anyone here who can
actually beat him..."
*************
"From the western sector," Trunculo's voice returned,
"we have contestant #1674! Caleb Harper, 2nd division Vice-Captain
of the Guild of Dimensional Knights! He describes himself as a laid-back, easygoing
guy, but then why does he carry that big sharp stick around with him?"
Caleb walked out and studied his opponent: a man with short, spiked grey
hair. He looked young despite the color of his hair, and a pair of uncomfortable-looking
utility goggles were nestled on the bridge of his arched nose. Shiny power crystals
lined his black bodysuit, all connected to a big battery on his back.
"From the northern sector, we have Tyson Argot, a lone wolf with a
jolting disposition! Don't underestimate him, or you'll end up like the 137 people
that came before you today!"
Caleb and Tyson stopped on opposing ends of the arena and sized each other
up.
"Alright, boys!" Trunculo boomed. "Begin!"
As soon as he heard that, Caleb dashed around the outer perimeter of
the arena.
"What are you doing?" Tyson cracked his neck and knuckles.
"Wanna play tag or something?"
As Tyson put his fists together, shocking blue psynergy crackled around
his arms. Quickly, he slammed his fists into the arena ground and sent what looked
like an electric current speeding toward Caleb.
Caleb watched the approaching attack carefully, then made a psynergy-enhanced
leap just as it reached the edge of the arena. The trident-wielding vice-captain
landed softly on the tile, now only a dozen feet from his opponent.
"That's interesting," Caleb complimented. "But I didn't
know that stone conducted electricity."
Tyson scoffed. "With my Volt Suit, I can send sparks through
anything."
"Oh, I see." Caleb nodded. "So all the power's in the suit,
then?"
"Go ahead, just try to attack me!" Tyson shouted. "I'll
fill you so full of shocks your eyes will pop right out of their sockets, son!
That last blast was just a little warm-up...here comes the real thing!"
Tyson gritted his teeth and slammed his fist together once more,
causing his body to ripple with crackling energy.
"Here it comes!" As Tyson growled, veins popped out all over
his forehead and neck. "The zillion-volt shock!"
Caleb hopped into the air as the arena floor was electrocuted yet again.
"Scary stuff!"
"Well, well, everyone!" Trunculo's voice cooed as Caleb's jump
reached its peak. "It seems as if our good man Tyson has attempted to turn
the tables in his favor, but is that a clever smirk I see on young Caleb's face?!
Just how does he plan to evade all that shiny electric death down there? Stay
tuned for the next shocking developments!"
Caleb's body started sailing down to the smooth green grass in the out-of-bounds
area between the platform and the stadium seating. In the next moment, the crowd
watched in surprise as Caleb flipped his body around and aimed his trident toward
the ground.
With a grunt, Caleb extended his trident and stabbed it into the grass.
As he held on to the end of it, he pointed his legs upward toward the sky in a
stunning handstand.
"Woaaaah!" Trunculo shouted. "Ladies and gentlemen, Caleb
has just demonstrated some incredible acrobatic skills in front of our very eyes!
I dunno about you, but I think that deserves a round of applause!"
"This isn't against the rules, is it, announcer guy?" Caleb
asked innocently from his awkward perch.
"Not at all, not at all!" Trunculo laughed. "By all
means, continue!"
Caleb waited for the electricity to disperse, then flipped skillfully back
onto the arena floor. "You ready for me to attack you now?"
"It doesn't matter what you throw at me!" Tyson screamed.
"All I need to do is hold out until I'm charged up again! And this time I
won't miss!"
Caleb nodded his head as he closed in on his enemy. "I'll just
have to make sure you don't get another chance, then."
He swung his trident forward, and Tyson raised his forearms. Both were
covered with protective metal gauntlets.
"This is too easy!" Tyson cackled, as he blocked Caleb's
thrust with ease.
Caleb simply smiled back. "See, when you don't get cocky and
explain your entire ability to your opponent, you can do things like this. Bye
now," he whispered, then opened his mouth and let loose a roar.
An icy mist whirled out from the center of Caleb's trident and covered
Tyson's body. Soon, the man’s body was completely frozen within a thick cube of
ice. Caleb tapped on the ice with his fingers, knocking it backwards onto the stage.
"What a move!" Trunculo immediately cut in. "It seems as
if Caleb has permanently frozen his opponent in fear!"
"Shut up and start the count already!" Vance shouted from the
waiting room. "If anyone needs his face bashed in, it’s that announcer!"
As if on cue, Trunculo began to slowly give the count. "One,
two...and TEN!" Trunculo suddenly shouted. "The winner of the second
battle, by TKO, is Caleb Harper!"
Caleb bowed and waved to the crowd, then quickly moved back to his
room.
"We'll start thawing out Tyson right away!" Trunculo laughed
as the medical staff ran out and shifted the human ice cube into a large metal
bin. "Hope he doesn't catch a cold in there!"
"Wow." Vance stepped back from the window and looked at Eden.
"Caleb really knows how to fight."
"He's smart and powerful," Eden agreed. "But Vance...I'm
worried about the next match."
"I know," Vance said, looking back at the bracket. "I
saw Winslow's collar, Eden. He was #2499, and Averyl was #2500. Assuming that
the two Zodiacs registered at the same time, it means Cliff is going to be facing
one of the others."
"Yeah." Eden swallowed. "But which one?"
"Well then," Trunculo went on, "now that we've really
got the ball rolling, let's move right onto the third round! Contestants #4002
and #2497, please make your way to the arena!"
"Shit," Vance gasped, as he watched the two figures emerge
from their respective doors. "I was hoping it'd be the other one."
"Oh no." Eden stared in horror. "It's..."
*
"Grayson!" Roufas's voice echoed within the committee room.
"Stop this at once!"
Grayson loosened his grip around the oldest of the committee members
and let him drop to the floor with a thud. By now, the other four were huddled
in a corner of the room, shaking and wondering if they would live through the
day.
"Just trying to pass the time, Roufas." Grayson smiled coyly.
"Grayson," Roufas seethed. "You know that I’ve never tried
to order you around before, but right now, I implore you – listen to me and
stop what you're doing!"
"What's wrong?" Grayson asked flatly. "Have I...misbehaved?"
"You're acting very strange," Roufas said. "And it’s
making me doubt your decision-making capabilities. How about you just follow my
lead here?"
"I see." Grayson nodded, keeping his eyes locking with his partner's.
"I understand. You don’t approve of the way I handle things. It’s been like
this for a while."
"I’m being honest with you because I respect you, Grayson," Roufas
spoke. "And yes. I do not approve."
"So be it," Grayson said. "Well then, I shall excuse myself
for a moment. I’m going to go out and get a better view of the upcoming battle."
"Who's up?" Roufas asked. "Averyl?"
"No, no..." Grayson shook his head as he stepped back to the
door. "One of our own is about to engage in a duel with a vice-captain."
Grayson turned his head back one last time and stared at Roufas from
behind.
You’ve grown feeble, old man...I bet you're rationalizing the decision
you made to yourself right now, congratulating yourself on the fact that no conflict
came from it, you peace-loving fool. And in the end, your distorted sense of
justice has deluded your mind so much that you haven't even noticed what's
really going on here. All gripes aside, you always were the perfect pawn.
Next: Crime and Punishment
