Boy Meets Ai

Chapter 64

Chapter 64

The stadium's maximum seating had been expanded by at least double. The crowd literally shook the earth with their cheers. Multi-colored flashes of light and smoke exploded above everyone leaving trails in the sky. The fireworks filled the air with dazzling energy that rained down on the stadium in a shower of sparks. Magical drones flew overhead to spectate for people not able to attend the event. The battle stage in the center had also been doubled in size. The black metal tiles had since been replaced with an intricate mosaic; A four-winged drake wrapped around a sword. Seiko sat in his private section. His friends had to be escorted to their own area separate from him. He was more than a little agitated, sitting there with Oaklee. He had tried to leave and find Thomas, but he was told he wasn't allowed to until the match started. It also wasn't helping that he wasn't responding to any of the chats Seiko sent. The young man got a queasy feeling deep in his stomach. Gabriel was nowhere to be found either. Even if the archon was there, Seiko wasn't sure he would tell him what he knew. It was irresponsible but something inside him told him he should wait. Oaklee sat in the chair next to him. She was laser focused, un-phased by the screaming masses.

"I'll be able to tell if we're dealing with an impostor or something." She mentioned.

Seiko was shocked. "How?"

"Humans have signature readings that us Ai can pick up on. It's kind of how we tell you guys a part in the game since you don't look like yourselves here."

This made Seiko feel only slightly better. What kind of God awful person would take advantage of someone like this? Stealing the identity of his friend for a chance to take his victory. The thought of it filled Seiko with anger.

"There's something else we have to be careful of." She stared coldly at the arena. "If it is an imposter, it's possible they aren't just taking his place. They could be responsible for what happened to Thomas."

The realization hit Seiko like a sledgehammer to the chest. "Could someone really do that? Wouldn't they have to be able to hack the safety guards in game? Theres no way the moderators wouldn't have noticed something like that!"

"I know but if there's even a small chance, they were able to, then we can't ignore the possibility. It's too dangerous."

The thought of it made Seiko's blood boil. He clenched his fists. If someone was responsible for hurting Thomas, maybe killing him, then he wasn't sure he would be able to stop himself from doing the same to them.

The fireworks came to a climax. Hundreds of fiery explosions ringed the stadium in colorful lights. A giant orb streaked high in the sky, growing larger and larger until it looked like a white sun. Then, it hurtled down towards the center of the arena. Some of the audience in the front row raised their shields instinctively to brace for the impact. The ball of light exploded into dazzling particles, revealing Gabriel who looked even more angelic than normal. He wore golden armor that blazed radiantly. A large double ringed halo floated against his back. The crowd went wild with anticipation. The sheer amount of noise reverberated the entire structure. It was deafening, the loudest thing Seiko had ever heard. Suddenly the commotion ceased. All it took was a raise of Archon's hand to quiet them down.

"Citizens of the Ether. It is my honor to welcome you to the Grand Finale of this fine affair."

More cheers, whistles and hollers shook Seiko's bones.

"As this is the first inaugural Tournament of Soul and Steel, our contestants have set quite a high bar! The battles we have seen up until now have been nothing short of spectacular." He turned to acknowledge the group of players that had lost their rounds. Shinobu, Hendricks and Marquis, Ogun, Hati and Skoll, Badger, Even Gearheardt sat there (albeit begrudgingly).