Steps to survival

Chapter 26 : The Taste of Sweet Victory

"Oh, it's my turn?" Chrome asked, slightly panicking.

"I'm more worried about the match after this one. If Kohaku isn't back by the end of your fight," Senku turned to me.

"Then we're depending on you, Kai," Senku rested a hand on my shoulder, I nodded and bit the inside I'm my cheek and a distraction.

"I know," I mumbled.

During the pitiful match, Chrome ended up knocking Mantle onto the floor as he screamed for mercy.

"Due to Kohaku's absence, winner: Senku," I huffed, it's just Ginro and I that could beat Magma. Though, due to his current dazed state, I'd say it's just me. It would be up to me even if I wasn't tripping.

"Suika!" Kohaku shrieked in relief. She dropped to the floor. My anxiety just increased significantly, I couldn't listen to any other conversation, I kept a cold face as I watched Magma with a diminishing glare.

Ginro stood confidently at the edge of the ring, "You said it best yourself, Senku. We're gonna game the hell out of this Grand Bout to work in our favour. Which means the strongest isn't necessarily gonna win," he flung his head to face us with a mouth that was, still, filled with sweet flag.

"So we gotta use everything that we have. I'm sure you've noticed I've been chewing on something, did anybody wonder what it is?" I groaned and facepalmed.

"I think I know what it is," Kohaku said, sarcasm rolling off if her tongue.

"It's the raw ingredients for Senku's power-up drink!" Chrome exclaimed.

"And you really just kept that in your cheeks like a squirrel this whole time?" Senku asked with an expression holding surprise and mild disgust.

"I was saving it for when my match was gonna start," he muffled.

"He's screwed," I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Ginro! Argo! Come forth!"

The match consisted of Ginro being hyper off of sugar and really going in for the kill. sloppily chasing around this buff guy, failing miserably. He eventually knocked his off of the island due to the guy being freaked out and back off to the edge.

"What the actual hell?" I sputtered, a little disturbed. Ginro sped off of the bridge, tail between his legs.

Next was Chrome's match with Magma.

"I realize this probably goes without saying, but if we let Magma make it to the final match, it's game over," Senku claimed, his head tilted down.

"Ginro's too messed up to fight. And it's no secret that Senku's not any kind of warrior. That means..." Kohaku trailed off and eventually, everybody gave me a blank stare.

"It's up to me and Chrome," I cringed.

"Magma. Chrome. Come forward!"

Chrome's match was impressively difficult. Chrome got knocked down a lot and was bleeding too much for him to keep fighting.

"Chrome, surrender! I can do this!" I cried out, everyone stared at me in shock for a few seconds before turning back to the fight. And crack after menacing crack, Chrome was bludgeoned.

"No, Koiru..."

"If you trust me, then you will!"I screamed back. A glint in his eyes flashed before he passed out, signalling the end of the fight. My heart dropped at the sight of him, I ran to his limp body. Senku grabbed him and carried his bloody figure to the edge, where they were all spectating.

"Magma. Koiru. Come forth!"

I'm going to wipe the floor with him for what he did to Chrome, I'm convinced he's not even human.