(Discontinued) CORHEIM Year One Volume 1: The New Heart in Town

VOL.2: Chapter Dvadeset i Tri

*I'm sorry for the long wait. I've had at first a few rough months and things haven't been going well at first but now things are getting better and I'm back! Enjoyed the weather in Croatia and now I am finally here! Enjoy this chapter and once again: I'm sorry for the long wait.*

Chapter 55———FODDER
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The next day came and it was already time to fight opponents and become winners.
Ryoji had the third match today. Tsurugi went before him and won against a Class C-1, and felt good about it since the stigmata that he endured from some of the more radical members still traumatized him. They picked on him for having different feelings, so he had a negative reception from C-1.
So, Tsurugi sat alone in a locker room after the match. He was left contemplating himself, staring at his hand the entire time as he wondered why he was born like this. "I swear, being a cyborg is a lot better than being made completely of flesh." A voice made the cyborg more vigilant, only it was Regis.
"It gets better over time having flesh than metal." Tsurugi acknowledged Regis with a statement. "It makes the remaining organic parts feel the best thing about me."
"Like your forearms?"
"In a way," Tsurugi chuckled a bit. "Yeah."
Regis had the first match and only lasted a minute before he was finished. Then, he read a book from Somnus and carried on with his life as Ryoji was fighting now. Regis found it interesting as his indigo hair was finally messed up after a fight, not that he cared. So, their paths met once more and Regis could feel his pain. Even trying his best to console the cyborg.
"In Somnus, you don't have to worry about what lies in your heart. You only have to worry about nothing."
Unluckily for Regis, Tsurugi could see right through the Teenager Prince.
"I remember when Somnus had slaves, and there was a problem with some bugs too." He said, seeing how anxiety was corrupting Regis. The Prince gulped as he continued. "With all due respect, Prince Regis...." Tsurugi stood up before finishing his sentence. "If your home is better than ours, then why are you still here even if you have all the spectral weapons? I thought you were dying to go back home. Or has Somnus become something more than a hellhole for those that aren't Somnui?" He asked before repeating to himself as he walked away from Regis.
For a few seconds, Regis still had his composure and sat down on a bench. Everything was peaceful until he exploded in an unspeakable fury. Weapons of his destroyed the locker room and turned everything around into scrap metal.
"DAMN IT! DAMN IT ALL!"
His yelling was practically unheard in the locker room.  Cecilia saw his meltdown from hiding, keeping herself in the shadows as she witnessed a shocking revelation: Everyone has a boiling point, and his kettle has reached it. "...damn everyone and everything." He sputtered angrily.
I guess we all have demons in our bottles... She thought as Regis was losing it, cradling himself in a fetal position.
He repeated himself. "I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home." Regis reminded Cecilia of her home. She also felt that way, wanting to tell him that she sympathizes with him. I feel your pain, Regis. I do. Stay strong, Prince. Cecilia thought while hiding from Regis.
Ryoji was fighting a student from Class C-1 without much help from Igneus, who was on strike since he wanted to drink kombucha before this fight. This decision was quite detrimental, as his opponent almost knocked him out a few times.
"Jebi ga!" Ryoji cursed under his breath
" Sorry, Fire Boy!" The boy yelled out in a language that made him open his mouth. "Water is always super effective against Fire!" The boy spoke to him in Croatian.
Krešimir Kostić.
His name was extremely Croatian, to say the least.
Ryoji flipped a few times away from him before he stopped with his acrobatics.
"Wow...It seems that the two fighters have stopped fighting." New Glory pointed out as Chun-Chun Peach added while tilting her head in confusion. "It seems as if Stomatopod had calmed down a bit!"
Oh, he did. New Glory thought as the rest of the crowd was confused.
"You're...Croatian??" Ryoji asked the boy in Croatian.
Ryoji was naturally happy to meet another of his kind from outside the Guild and Croatia, much less so where the boy didn't seem Croatian.
The boy was human at all with a face like his being blue and his eyes were weird and grey. The boy also had a buzz cut and his teeth were roughly sharpened, but his arms were inhuman. Powerful and bulky, his forearms were massive for his age and armored with red accents on them. There was no need for a mask if he was inhuman like a Mantis Shrimp. Besides, he knew he was
"Hell yeah, brother," The boy answered back gleefully in his mother's tongue. "We're everywhere, man." Then he proceeded to continue with his punches. A competition was still a competition where one had to win to go to the next round.
"Enough with the formalities! I just wanna fight!!" Krešimir shouted in English and proceeded to destroy Ryoji's defense.
He was too fast for Ryoji, even in his Bonded Forme
His punches felt to him like the world was collapsing on him. Ryoji couldn't do anything as the boxer from Class C-1. He was the hardest-hitting person that he ever met.
His defense was incredibly good, but Ryoji was not unshakable. Slowly but surely, his defense was toppling away as Stomatopod was on the winning side. Surely, was there a plan to stop him? Ryoji must have had some sort of grand plan, correct?
Not in the slightest. Ryoji had to be spontaneous and quick with himself. This guy was unbelievably faster than him.
"Come on..." Akina murmured to herself, watching as Sebastian was sitting with her and Beri.
Beri and Sebastian were enjoying themselves. "Yep. Krešimir has one hell of a punch. Just a little punch could rupture some organs."
Beri was becoming worried as Ryoji was the toughest guy we knew and he was getting pummeled.
One more punch and he's done for! Krešimir exulted inside as Ryoji simply dodged it with his flaming scarf intact.
One ember fell on his arm and decided to extinguish the ember fats enough.
Crud! His fire can burn me like that?! Krešimir panicked. A plan developed inside Ryoji's warped yet intelligent mind. He took his panicking as an advantage.
Suddenly, a fire around him made the Seaborne Croatian sweat furiously.
Dehydration. That's your weakness! Of course. You're an arthropod! Then let me turn UP the heat!
That's a lot of fire! Krešimir was sweating as he slowed down a bit. He was getting delusional and was punching the air as Peach pointed out.
"STOMATOPOD IS SWEATING BUCKETS OUT THERE!!!"
Krešimir wanted to prove that lady wrong. He wanted to, but the sweat dripping down his eyes was getting to him.
To keep that arrogant kid persona, Ryoji began to trash-talk his opponent while throwing balls of searing fire at him.
"What's the matter? You're turning bright red." Ryoji provoked his opponent as he threw more fireballs
"Don't get so cocky!" Krešimir shouted back as he nearly caved his head in with a charged haymaker.
Nearly.
You fell for it...Ryoji smirked, demonstrating that his reflexes were too good for a boy his age.
He grabbed him with such finesse, as an excellent defense was essential in the art of battle. A one little Judo hip toss did the trick and threw Krešimir out of bounds.
"STOMATOPOD IS OUT OF BOUNDS! DRAKONIČ WINS!!" C.C.P announced as she was cheerful about the kid's win.
Drakonič...That's different. New Glory thought, stroking his beard as he watched good sportsmanship from the two Croatians.
"I'll see you around, Stomatopod," Ryoji said as he panted. He used a bit of Aether, then.
Ryoji pulled up Krešimir and shook his hand.
"We...Need to hang out sometime...And the name...The name is Krešimir Kostić. You got some....good wavelengths, brother."
"You too."
Perhaps we should. Ryoji thought as a small smile lit up on his face. This boy intrigued me a bit.
The two
"Give me another fight." Ryoji requested New Glory and Chun-Chun Peach for another fight.
Jesus, kid. New Glory murmured in astonishment while Chun-Chun Peach shook her head as she thought his request a bit disturbing.
Do you want another fight? There you go. New Glory reluctantly
"DRAKONIČ WILL GO UP AGAINST SNOWFEATHER!!"
The crowd erupted in excitement as
"Goddamn." Seb marveled as he sat right next to Akina and Beri
He's a monster. Akina thought, dreading that she would have to go up against her friend in this tournament.
"Right. I am up soon. Wish me luck!" Beri was called up with Armando Ayala to go up against Noelle Adelsdorfer.