Boy Meets Ai

Chapter 50

Chapter 50

"I just gotta say, you were sooo scary at the end there!" Shinobu was already back in good spirits after her defeat. She sat next to Thomas under the canopy. Being his usual awkward self, he just smiled and laughed. Shinobu felt a sharp tug in her chest as the weight of defeat rested on it, but she didn't let that show in her expression. If there was one thing she learned from her parents, it was how to put on a good face.

Seiko watched his friends chat about the fight. He had never seen Thomas act the way he did in combat. He was more confident, sure of himself, but he also seemed more aggressive. He never pegged him for the competitive type, but this kind of game definitely had the ability to bring it out of people.

He had to shift his focus away from that though. The intermission between fights was coming to an end soon. He had been dreading this moment. Seiko looked at Oaklee with regret.

"I would've liked a little more time to go over our strategy, but we'll make do." she said, noticing his gaze. She kept the emotion out of her voice, speaking matter of factly. Seiko felt like he was being crushed. He could only imagine how she felt. How could he possibly make up for what he said? It was so selfish, it made him sick.

"Oaklee, listen I- "

"Ladies and gentlemen! Please prepare yourselves for our last match in the Semifinals!" Gabriel's voice boomed.

"It's fine. Let's go." Oaklee brushed past him out of the canvas. His feet felt like lead. He didn't want to go out there, he wanted to curl up in a ball. That changed though when Ogun walked past him, acknowledging him with a nod. The look of pity in the man's eyes set Seiko's blood ablaze. He was more than ready to pay him back for last night.

As they stood out on the stage, the audience chanted Ogun's name. After his display against the twins, he had won their favor. Many of the players had their money riding on the fighter that no one had even heard of before the tournament.

"I don't think we need to waste any time at all getting to it! My friends! The master sniper and his dark necromancer versus the people's champion!"

The archon raised his hand above his head before swinging it down, shouting "Begin!"

Ogun and Seiko stared each other down. The chanting stopped as the crowd fell quiet. Everyone was intent on the stage, not wanting to miss a moment of the battle. However, nothing seemed to be happening. The silence became deafening as the fighters eyed each other. Finally, Ogun spoke.

"Is it possible that you are discouraged after our last encounter? I was worried that would happen."

Seiko's hands tightened into fists, but he didn't speak. Of course he couldn't forget how easily Ogun had dealt with him, but he had to focus on the now. Still, it was easier said than done. The memory of the heavy punches still drummed through him.

"You really are just obliviously arrogant, aren't you?" Oaklee stepped forward, brushing her cloak away to reveal a dagger in her right hand and her shield on her left. Her golden eyes smoldered with a sudden rage.

"I am simply confident in my ability. I am sorry if I offended you." Ogun crouched into a solid boxer's stance with his hands up near his face.

"Keep your apology. We're not here to kiss and make up." Oaklee held open her cloak, revealing a teleportation circle on the inside. It swirled and glowed vibrantly, rippling the fabric. An avalanche of bones erupted from the circle as a small army of skeletons emerged through the portal. Ogun raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you could only summon these one at a time." He said.

"Yeah, so what? I summoned these last night." She quipped. "See, these guys can stay in stasis for nearly a full day. On top of that, they can be given more commands than most people think. For instance, 'wait here until this portal opens, then walk through it.'" Oaklee smirked.