Chasing Dreams (Discontinued)

Chapter 241: Itsuki vs Michael

Itsuki glanced to the side reading his surroundings. He sensed various energies in the trees, buildings, and even beneath the soil.

He came prepared.

"You're still as cautious as ever. Are you preparing for the worst?" Itsuki snarled. He looked Michael in the eye, searching for the slightest hint of fear or doubt. But Itsuki saw nothing. Either Michael had nothing to fear or an extremely believable poker face.

"I always expect the unexpected. If I didn't take extra precautions to keep the world safe then I wouldn't have been number one for as long as I have." Michael's soft tone clashed with Itsuki's deep voice like a violin competing with a bass guitar.

Michael decided to cut to the chase. He had no interest in exchanging pleasantries with someone he hated just as much as Irene. "Why are you here Itsuki?"

Itsuki never blinked. He watched like a tiger sitting in the grass, waiting for its prey to let its guard down. "Does it matter? Is it unbelievable for a man to come back to see his home?"

"Vermillion City isn't your home." Michael retorted. He saw through Itsuki's deception as easily as staring through glass windows.

"It's my home just as much as it is yours," Itsuki said plainly. "I was born here, I lived here, and I died here. This place is my origin as it is for many others."

Michael's hair blew in the wind. He was no longer smiling. "I wonder about that."

"I'm sure you do. I see it on your face. You've known that I was alive for a while haven't you?" Itsuki inquired.

"I had my suspicions," Michael said truthfully. 

He heard rumors of Itsuki's acollades overseas. No one ever directly called Itsuki by name but always referred to him as 'the black dragon of dread.' 

"You're a hard man to kill. I've watched you die twice now, but I'll assure you the third time will be the last."

"Are you sure about that?" Itsuki's eyes spiraled in a hypnotic glow, and casually shifted from red to gold. "These eyes of dread see the death of many but among a sea of corpses mine has never been one of them."

Michael looked into Itsuki's eyes, being reminded of Irene. If looks could kill. After overusing her foresight, Irene's blue eyes permanently turned gold. "No, Itsuki, your eyes deceive you. The eyes you possess are the eyes of a dying woman. Even with years of preparation on her side, Irene was unable to see her defeat."

Itsuki's scowl deepened, becoming crevasses that stretched across his face. "Do you really believe that?"

"With all my heart," Michael said with certainty.

Itsuki didn't fall for Michael's lies. Since the beginning he listened to Michael's heartbeat. All human hearts beat at an average rate but in rare cases of anxiety a heart rate is known to spike.

Michael was a terrific liar. Through lies and deception Michael easily manipulated the entire world into believing his words. But for the first time, Itsuki saw the truth in Michael's plethora of lies.

"Then why did your heartbeat change?" Itsuki inquired. He carefully listened to Michael's heart and heard its rate increase faster and faster. 

Itsuki wondered if Michael had just felt fear for the first time. For the first time in years Michael's victory wasn't set in stone and that bothered him.

"There is no point in lying to me, we both know what you're afraid of. You are a fool. Being on top for so long eroded your mind and made you complacent. You completely overlooked the main contingency Irene left behind and now they are coming with a fiery vengeance."