Boy Meets Ai

Chapter 53

Chapter 53

The image shocked Seiko to his core. His breath became shallow once again but not from any physical pain. Pounding filled his ears as his heart thumped hard and fast in his chest. The torrent of emotions pouring into him was a railroad spike to his brain that threatened to split his mind in two. Tears welled up in Seiko's eyes.

"It took on the full damage so you could get back up, your Ai acts strangely. It was a nice gesture but ultimately a waste of time. You won't be able to win even if all these arrows hit me." Ogun glanced at him. He seemed perplexed.

"Why are you... Crying? For this?" He swung Oaklee slightly toward him. Seiko's eyes widened as rage filled him. "It's just a piece of code. A slave at best. You became attached to it?"

"You're wrong!" Seiko roared. His voice was hoarse, stained with anguish and blood. "She's not!"

"You fought well so I will offer you this advice as a gift. The world is not kind to those that don't embrace this one simple fact." Ogun stared blankly at him as he spoke. "Only the strong can survive and there is no strength to be found in attachment, especially to a false thing such as this."

Seiko shook his head vigorously. "Put her down now!"

"It seems you wont listen. That's a shame. I think you have the potential to be truly strong if you learned to let go of what's holding you back." Ogun lowered his arm so that the Ai would fall from it. However, to his bewilderment, he found that he couldn't. Oaklee's hands grasped him at the elbow. With a quick jerk, she pulled herself snug to him. The pain was extraordinary as his arm impaled her further. Oaklee screamed, her vision fading out, but her anger kept her focused. She wrapped her arms and legs around him. In an act of savagery, she bit down hard into his neck. Her teeth ripped into the flesh. She was latched on firmly with a death grip that restricted his movement.

Seiko heard her voice once more in his head.

Are you waiting for a grand invitation?! Today junior!

His mind became clear, and he knew what he had to do. He had to be flawless in his aim, with impeccable timing. His golden bow shone as he pulled the string down to the floor, pointing it straight up.

He waited for the shimmer and fired!

Perfect! Oaklee communicated.

Ogun grunted, trying to pull his arm free "I'm getting annoyed with you."

The Ai bit down harder, desperate to keep him locked in place. Her muffled voice sounded in his ear, and he could hear a hint of amusement.

"Sho shorry for the inconveniensh! But I wan you to schtick around for my last trick."

Ogun strained to free himself but found any movement meant his carotid artery would be ripped out by the Ai's teeth. Suddenly, He became aware of bright yellow lights flashing around him. No, it was one light. An arrow, moving around him fast enough to leave an after image! His eyes adjusted and as he struggled to turn his head slightly, he caught a glimpse of what was happening.

"Hish arrowsh teleport him! My arrowsh are portalsh!" Oaklee said.

Ogun watched in disbelief as the gold beam slid seamlessly into a tiny teleportation gate on the arrowhead of a silver arrow. As the Ai's shots continued to ricochet around, the golden arrow from Seiko's bow zipped between them, going in one portal and out the next. All the while picking up more and more speed. The light it emitted grew more intense with each pass it made. It became blinding in a matter of seconds, the crowd dazzled by the spectacle. From their view the streaking projectile formed a seamless ball of light that was connected to a moonbeam web.

Inside the bright cocoon, Ogun gave one final, and mighty push, ripping Oaklee's mouth from his neck. Blood spurted from the gash. Oaklee smiled a demonic grin with bits of flesh lodged in her teeth. Her captive was less than amused. In a sudden motion, he reared back and headbutted her hard. The strike finally knocked her unconscious. Ogun couldn't understand it, but she was still stuck on his arm, holding him tightly. Ogun attempted to move but just as he did, he felt his world spin. Seiko had approached without him seeing, delivering a sweeping kick with all of his might to his legs. Ogun fell flat on his back just in time to see the beautiful lattice work of light coming to a singular point above him. Seiko frantically pulled his companion free and jumped away. In a brilliant flash, a giant spear of light shot straight down in an instant. It momentarily blinded everyone in the vicinity as it struck. The concussive blast that followed knocked Seiko back. He tumbled for a few feet but held tight to Oaklee.