Last Sky

Chapter 37

I had been attended to by an Earth magic user, and most of the wounds had healed. There were a few bruises and cuts left, but the more severe injuries had closed. The healer had left very drained, his face pale. I had told him to stop and allowed a few of the cuts to be left, and he thanked me heartily and stifled a yawn. I sat next to Ken who gave me a grim look and kept unusually silent. No one spoke as we watched Bokuto enter the arena. Bokuto withdrew a long blade with a serrated edge, and his trainer brought out twin swords, two short one-edged blades. The two stared at each other silently until Bokuto laughed, a high pitched squealing sound that unsettled me.

“Leo, you’re not going to survive.” He said with a hiss. The trainer, now known as Leo, stared back without a word. His black hair streaked with grey wafted in the small breeze. Bokuto narrowed his eyes at the lack of reaction. “I’ll finish you with this sword alone.”

Leo snorted. “Yeah right.” Leo charged at Bokuto, but Bokuto didn’t make a move. Instead he furrowed his eyebrows and suddenly, Leo’s arm was ablaze. Leo dropped to the sand and rolled over the fire to put it out while creating an inferno that surrounded him to protect him from any further attacks. Leo checked his arm, then dissipated the blaze around him. Bokuto was calmly walking up to Leo, then he launched a torrent of fireballs at Leo. Leo’s face displayed surprise, then he dodged and ducked the flaming missiles. He stood confidently and arched his head.

“Is that all you’ve got?” Leo asked smugly.

Bokuto smiled dangerously at him. “Nah, it’s not.” I watched as the fireballs that had missed Leo begin to turn around and Leo, unsuspecting of such an attack, was hit squarely in the back. Leo let out a sharp cry of pain, but stood his ground. His eyes squeezed shut for a few seconds. But that was all the time that Bokuto needed. Bokuto charged in and Leo was impaled with his serrated sword. The tip pierced through Leo’s back, a protruding dark red thorn. Leo gasped, then coughed up blood and collapsed to the sand. Bokuto grinned and kicked Leo in the stomach.

“That’s what you get for underestimating me.”

The whole arena was silent with shock at Leo’s critical condition, and the swiftness in which Bokuto had defeated him. Murmurs filtered through the air and cries of indignation and horror pierced the silence. A herald came and reluctantly lifted Bokuto’s bloody arm.

“The winner is Bokuto Murkuro!” he said in a voice full of forced enthusiasm. Bokuto was met with hisses and booing, but he sneered at the crowd and was escorted to his seat with the rest of us Royal Candidates. I watched as he sat next to Mal, whose face was a furious red.

“You didn’t have to do that! He could die because of the injury you gave him!” Mal hissed. “What were you thinking?!”

Bokuto glared at Mal. “I want to win. No matter what. I don’t care what you think, so bugger off.” Mal recoiled at his harsh words, but kept silent.

“I’m not sure what you wanted to do,” Yoshi stated, facing Bokuto, then Mal. “But he did work within the rules. It said until the other is unable to continue. Leo is too injured to keep fighting, so Bokuto won.”

“I know that. But…almost killing someone is too cruel.” Mal folded his arms, his expression conflicting.

Yoshi shook his head. “If anything, that performance could show the determination you have. In addition, it shows that you are willing to kill to protect the Royal Family. Isn’t this something they might want?” Mal’s face twisted as he thought of Yoshi’s words. I couldn’t help but ponder that as well.

“Well, we’ll let the judges decide,” interrupted Ken. Hana nodded, and we lapsed back into silence. A messenger came running to us and told us that we were dismissed. We all got up and began to walk out of the arena, but I lingered behind to talk to Bokuto.

“How did you beat your trainer so easily?” I asked him when he walked beside me. Bokuto turned, his black eyes staring at me, then a corner of his lip lifted.

“I always thought we’d have to face our trainers in one of the trials. It seemed like something the King would do,” his face was a grim mask as he muttered these words. “So I always pretended to be weaker than I was when I was with Leo. I had recognised immediately that Leo wasn’t on par with me at full strength. So it was an easy matter of pretending to be weak.”

“But don’t you want to get stronger? If Leo was weaker than you, I’m sure you could have asked for another trainer.”

Bokuto scoffed and waved a hand. “I don’t care about getting stronger. I just have a goal, and I want to reach it.”

Bokuto was about to walk off when I stopped him with a hand. “What goal is that?” I asked curiously.

Bokuto gazed at me for what felt like a long time, not breaking my gaze. He turned away then mumbled “It’s the same goal as yours.” He dug into a pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. He put it in my hands, then left without uttering another word. I unfolded the wrinkled paper, and read the message, scrawled in small untidy writing.

You want revenge against the King. So do I. Let us consider ourselves allies.

My hand dropped and my mouth opened, but I remained speechless. I quickly looked up to try and find Bokuto, but he had vanished. I ran out of the arena, looking for him nearby the gates, but he was gone. Ken, waiting at the side for me, gave me a wave. I crushed the piece of paper in my hands. I resolved to find out what Bokuto wanted. Before my secret became known to others.

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Author's note: Hey, hope you're all enjoying it so far. I'm sorry if the updates are rolling in slowly. I'm doing my best so please be patient. Thanks again for reading!