Nosabe is suppressing his power I can feel almost no energy coming from him. His demeanor is calm and cool headed. The announcer once again ask us for a statement. I say only one thing to my opponent! “I hope he’s ready for the fight of his life”.
“And what do you have to say to that Nosabe”? Asks the annonuncer.
“I sure hope so”.
“Well then let the match begin”. Yells the announcer at the top of his lungs.
We both get into fighting position and wait for the announcer to begin the match.
“Fight”! He yells.
I charge as fast as I can and throw up my right fist, Nosabe dodges it. He kicks with his right leg I flip backwards with one hand and shooting a blast of energy with my other. It hits Nosabe in his chest but it hardly fazes him, he uses his hand and arm to send a wave of earth at me. I jump to my left and avoid the earth wave shooting two more energy blast at him, when I touch ground I charge up one big blast of energy. Instead of dodging the two blasts or getting hit by them like I predicted would happen, he rips off his turban and cuts it in half. The Turban pieces each grab one blast and throws it at the big blast.
“Surprised”? He asks. As he’s wrapping each one of the pieces of turban around his wrist. “This turban is infused with pure energy”.
“I figured so”. I say. I wait till he’s done wrapping the pieces of turban around his wrist anticipating every move he could possibly make.
It takes a minute for Nosabe but he dashes at me with lightning speed. I do my best to avoid his new weapons but he catches the side of my face with his second attempt, knocking me into the air. The pain is excruciating but I’m glad it’s not a sword. Nosabe goes to my side slashing downwards I spin releasing energy bouncing him back. I pull out my sword and slash but he grabs it with the turban pieces. We struggle to get my sword, Nosabe lets go with his right weapon and pulls as hard as he can with his left.
He punches with his right fist and the turban piece afterwards. I fall to the ground clenching my left cheek. My blade spins in the air and goes outside the ring and sticks in the wall.
“I thought you were stronger than this”? He says. “A few hits and you fall and whimper like a little girl”.
“I’m not done trust me on that”. I yell.
I bang my hands onto the ground and cover it in earth. Then I send some to my face and some parts of my body. I dash as quickly as I can, even though the earth around me is dramatically slowing me down. I try to land a series of blows but he’s too quick. He slashes with his turbans but the earth is doing a pretty good job of fending off the strikes. He grabs both my arms, I don’t let him hit me though I jump up and kick him in the face. It knocks him about five feet back I don’t falter I charge again punching downward. I miss him hitting the ground, he slashes at my head. I throw up my hands to block his attack; he kicks out my left leg knocking me to my knees. The turbans wrap around my arm and Nosabe tries to pull and throw me but I use my energy to plant myself to the ground. The turbans start wrapping around me more. When I can’t move anymore Nosabe starts punching my face. After a few hits I’m about to pass out, I can’t lose though. I pour out as much energy as possible to break the hold of the turbans, it works I put all my strength into my fist and hit Nosabe right in the gut. I can hear his rib break as he goes flying across the ring. I’m on one knee trying to regain composure but Nosabe is already at my face with his turban. I roll to my right jump backwards shooting energy blast after energy blast. It does no good, he jumps up with me wraps the turbans around my legs and grabs my arms and knees me in the stomach three times. I fall to the ground hardly able to breathe.
“Come on Shinruga I thought you were at least going to be a challenge”? He ask. “So far all you’ve done is disappointed me”.
Once again he comes at me but before he gets to me I use the earth to make a statue of me. Nosabe cuts it in half with his turbans. Before he can even think to make a move I strike with my right fist as hard as I can to the left side of his face. He does a complete three-sixty and tries to decapitate me at the same time, he misses. I blast him with some energy knocking him onto the ground. I go to attack but the turbans start spinning cutting the ground as Nosabe is walking. There’s only one thing that could expect to block it my sword, still stuck in the wall. Nosabe can sense what I want his attention immediately goes to my sword as well. I start booking it towards my sword but Nosabe is right next to me. Trying to hit me with his weapon, I can’t expect to get it if he’s right there. Using energy I bring up earth everywhere around him and enclose him in it. I run out of the ring and grab the sword but it just won’t come out.
“Come on”. I yell. It won’t come out and I expect Nosabe will be out of that earthly coffin in no time. Next there is an explosion and Nosabe is standing there with a furious look on his face.
“That’s it I’m finishing this right now”. He yells. He barrels at me with god like speed. I yank on the sword but it won’t budge.
“Just come out”. I yell out in aggravation. The sword finally comes out of the wall, with Nosabe still charging I point the end of my sword at him. It hits the spinning turban pieces and Nosabe wraps them around my sword and throws me back into the ring. He barrels at me again with his weapons straight like blades. He strikes at me with a series of blows, he’s about to hit me but I pull my swords sheathe off of its string and block the attack. It’s not long before I notice that my sheathe has deep cuts in it, it won’t be long till Nosabe cuts through it. I could make a sword or shield out of energy but it would be no use I would have to keep adding to it. I throw up my sword to block with my sword but the sheathe gets cut clean through, he barely misses me. While his weapon is down I swing my left arm and hit Nosabe in the face with my elbow.
“Augh”. He cries out.
I don’t stop, flipping my sword around and stab his left shirt sleeve into the ground. Using my left hand to hold his other hand, I start punching him in the face. Nosabe’s about to pass out, when he starts pouring energy out of him. I try to punch him again but the energy field around him is to strong.
“There’s no way I’m going to let some little punk kid like you beat me”. He barrels at me with an exploding force.
“Bring it”. I reply. Charging up energy I pound my fist on the ground and send a wave of earth towards him. He jumps over it, I send a piece of earth flying and Nosabe doesn’t see it in time. It sends him flying backwards he hits the ground with an immense force. My body is killing me and I can barely hold my arms up and my legs feel giggly. The anticipation is getting to me; Nosabe is taking a long time to get up. I fall to one knee that’s when Nosabe starts to get up. He’s staggering though almost like he’s about to die.
“These turbans may be as strong as or stronger than any sword but it takes a lot of energy out of you”. Nosabe clarifies. “Not so much energy but life energy”.
“That’s dangerous”. I warn him but he doesn’t seem to listen he just rolls his eyes. I get back into fighting pose ready for him to run at me with a new attack. Nosabe starts to charge but I stop him dead in his tracks, with one of my best moves the Implosion Box. The box of energy has eight corners of life energy, and bars of energy to enclose Nosabe in.
“Interesting attack”. He says.
“Touch one of the bars or the corners and it will explode and don’t even think about going underground because it’s under there to”. I explain. “As you can see it’s getting smaller and smaller but I can squeeze my hand into a fist and it will also make it explode”.
“Interesting if I still had my turbans it would’ve been easy to get out of this”. He claims with arrogance. “Yet I still can even without them”.
It takes me a second to realize that he’s telling the truth. Before I can take in the thought Nosabe raises a slab of earth behind him and uses his feet to springboard off of it and through the boxes bars. I squeeze my fingers into a fist; the explosion barely catches him and hurts his back. Nosabe falls on his knees and yells
out in pain. I’m about to charge at Nosabe again but before I can he gives up.
“I give up my body can’t take no more”. He says.
The tournament announcer rushes into the ring. Puts the microphone up to Nosabe’s mouth and insist that Nosabe yells his forfeit to the crowd.
“Do you really give up Nosabe”? He asks in his usual persistent manner.
“Yes, I can’t continue no more. My body is far too exhausted, Shinruga is the winner”. Nosabe answers.
“Well what a fight”. The announcer grabs my arm throws it up and announces my win. The crowd goes wild Psychians and humans alike.
I walk off the ring, exhausted and about to pass out. My eagerness takes over, it’s Roca’s turn to fight and I want to see his fight. We pass each other in the hall, the tension is overbearing.
“You’re going to need better moves than that to beat me”. He says. “The Roko gang wants me to kill you”.
“Well do you want to”? I ask.
“No, given are past I don’t like you but not enough to want to kill you”. He says. “I never wanted to kill anyone”.
“What do you think the Roko gang do”? I say with aggravation. I’m annoyed at how stupid he sounds; everyone knows what the Roko gang does.
“There’s only one way out Shinruga and you know that…By death”. He explains.
The announcer calls Roca’s name to the ring. I can’t help feeling that he doesn’t really want to fight, given the expression he gives me when he hears his name called. He walks to the ring with a smile and his usual look of confidence on his face. Luckily this is my last fight for the day. The final match takes place the next day so that the fighters are fully healed. So that the crowd gets a good show. I want to find the nearest bench and just fall asleep but my curiosity gets to me. I lean against the doorway watching Roca. The announcer calls for the match to start and the second he does Roca is at his opponent. Landing fist after fist across his face, Roca’s opponent pulls out his sword and so does Roca deflecting it. Roca charges up a handful of energy and blast his opponent. As I’m sitting there watching Roca, Shokon comes up to me.
“Are you ready to fight him, you’re watching him right now. He’s vicious with his attacks and still can keep his concentration”. He says. “You’re going to have to rely on luck more than anything”.
“I’ll be okay”. I reply. I watch as Roca pummels his opponent, blow after blow. Roca grabs his opponents head and slams it into the ground. The announcer once again rushes into the ring and calls for the fight to be over. Roca steps off the ring and the crowd cheers. He walks past me a little bit and stops.
“You could barely beat Nosabe, how do you even expect to lay a finger on me”? He asks. “Remember there’s only one way to get me out I have to die or you do. For some reason the Roko Gang has their eye on you. Especially that blade of yours they think it has a lot of possibilities, I’m supposed to kill you and take it”.
“Interesting, absorbing the Elemenka gems into the blade would increase mine and its power ten fol. We’ll see who wins tomorrow; no one will ever get this sword”. I say.
“Get some sleep now”. He says.
I walk back to my room on the other side of the tournament. The audience members shuffle out of the stadium, and into their tents. Tournament members get their own rooms; sometime after I’m all situated Shokon comes into my room.
“Roca’s left leg was hurt in a sparring accident a couple of years ago, too much pressure and it will give way”. He tells me. “How is your father doing”?
I’m shocked when he asks me, not too many people should know it only happened yesterday.
“Thanks for the tip, but how’d you know about my father”? I ask.
“Your father was the Roko’s gang first mark; they thought that he had the Brigidane blade. So they attacked him first when they realized he didn’t have it, they were looking for you that’s when they saw your friend. They knew they could get to you through him. I’m sorry about your friend I really am, for what it’s worth he wouldn’t tell them where you were”.
“Thank you Shokon can you please go now”? I ask. My night is filled with nightmares and dreams of Ruji. My only true friend, I can see him fighting. Using every last bit of energy he has to stay alive but in the end he still falls. I can see him on the ground with his opponent’s foot in his back. The Roko gang threatening to kill him, telling him if he doesn’t tell them where I am they’ll kill him. I am crying out now for Ruji, but I wake up and now I realize I am crying. I wipe my tears and realize it is daytime now. Ten o’clock in the morning, one hour till the fight. I notice some kid about fourteen years old walking around, scavenging more like. He’s peering into bags and poking around into things. I walk up to him and get his attention.
“What are you doing”? I ask him.
“You’re Shinruga, nothing just checking around for food”. He says, even though I think he’s lying.
“Here’s some food”.
I hand him some of my mom’s homemade food and he runs off. Maybe he was after food but I wasn’t going to chance him stealing and losing a hand or worse. It’s about ten and I’m walking through the empty corridors when I see Kita and someone else but I can’t quite make out who the other figure is. My ears can’t tell what exactly they are saying, but I can pick up some of it.
“Is the Roko gang cooperating with you and your men”? Asks the hooded man in the corner.
“Yes, without question. They obey your every command and now mine”. Kita replies with arrogance.
“Is operation Pokerian still going along as it should”?
“Yes, even better than we thought it would the Psychian’s have gave up on resisting my forces? Word has not got out yet and Psychians still come in not...”.
“Quiet someone’s listening”.
I duck behind the pillar beside me, and hear the hooded figure say that he is leaving. I peer back to the two of them and see the hooded man seem to disappear into the shadows. Kita starts walking back towards my way. I hide behind the pillar again hoping that Kita won’t see me, he’s just barely past me when he stops.
“Good luck on your match today Shinruga, hope you do okay”. Kita says in a cold and sarcastic voice.
I don’t know how but he seen me, and a cold chill goes down my back. I wait for Kita to go out of the doorway and into the arena and then I do as well. When I come out, people are starting to take their seats in the arena. Its ten thirty I go back to my room to get my stuff, with the basic weapons a Psychian will hold. A handful of kunai, couple of smoke bombs, and of course your sword. An extension of your arm, and a Psychian’s best friend. I hurry and make a simple sheathe out of what’s left of my old one.
I can hear the tournament announcer calling me and Roca to the ring. When I arrive Roca is already there with his arms folded and his usual smirk on his face. He nods his head into a direction and I look that way. I can’t tell what he’s nodding at though.
“What is it”? I ask.
“Sounni’s here”.
I look again and notice a woman a very beautiful woman, one like I’ve never seen before.
“She came to watch”.
The announcer asks us both to come by him and ask us both to say a little word. I go first.
“My opponent better hope he’s got some luck on his side”. I say.
“Funny I was going to say the same about you”. He says with a little chuckle. “Let’s get this going before I die of old age”.
The announcer calls for us both to get into fighting position and calls for the match to start.
The second the match starts Roca charges like a bull. He throws his right fist like a train that can’t be stopped but I throw up my two fist block the punch. Roca throws his left fist and I jump up and block it with my right knee and swing my left foot across his face. Any normal opponent it would’ve sent flying but not Roca he takes it like it was almost nothing. It just knocks him a few feet back, and he com
es at me once again. I can’t fend off all his blows though, I block about three of his twenty hits. He knocks me up in the air with an uppercut to the jaw, I do a back flip and my feet grind against the ground. Roca’s hot on my tail, I throw up my right foot and it hits Roca in the chin. I hit with both my fist as many times as possible. Roca grabs both my fist and extends his legs, both his feet connect with my face. I fall to my right knee clenching my face. Roca barely misses me as I jump back firing energy blasts to keep him back. When my vision returns blurry but still there, he throws out his right arm. I grab his arm with my hand and throw him over my shoulder. I put energy into my hand and punch at him on the ground. Roca rolls backwards kicks up his one foot and sends a pillar of earth into my fist. The explosion of energy and dirt goes into my face, I try to feel out Roca but I’m too distracted. A sword departs from a sheathe, my ears pick it up just in time and pull my blade out and block his strike.
“Give it up Shinruga”. Roca says.
“Yeah, right”.
His blade is coming closer to my face but I swing my foot and sweep his left leg. Roca kicks his left leg I block with my left arm. He charges up some energy in his left hand. I spring backwards as Roca fires his blast of energy. When I touch ground I extend my hand out and send a wave of earth at Roca, and in the other charge up energy. Roca jumps up and evades the earth wave and throwing multiple blast of energy at me. With the energy in hand I throw it up in front of his blast, the explosion puts me on my back and knocks the wind out of me. Before I have any time to rest Roca’s already got some energy in his hands. He fires it at me I shoot some energy towards the sky. Before the blast can hit me I bring my arm down and lightning strikes it. I get up with energy charged in both hands.
“You’ve lasted a lot longer than I thought you would”. Roca says. “You can take a hit, running low on energy yet”?
“Got plenty in me don’t worry about that Roca”.
“Ready to go again”? He asks.
I nod my head wondering how much longer I will last. He is right I am running low but I’ll keep going till I fall over and can’t get up. We run at each other hands charged and ready to kill. We both punch at each other, the energies collide and explode. I and Roca are sent backwards grinding against the ground. I make fire from the sparks and send it in Roca’s direction. I wait till I think the fire get’s in his line of sight to where he can’t see me. Then I jump at Roca to punch him, his vision just catches me and he jumps up with energy in hand. I push off the ground with energy and tackle Roca before he can fire off his blast. I use energy to create a stand and fire off a blast. Roca summons a giant flaming snake, the blast goes through it and is heading in Roca’s direction. He rolls backwards getting missed by just inches. I dash at him once again kicking at his head but he just crouches a little and my attack misses. Roca uppercuts my chin, which about knocks me out cold. When I land I see two blast of energy coming my way. I quickly grab the ground below me and toss two rocks, and destroy the blast.
“Implosion box”. I yell out to stop Roca from firing his third blast.
Clenching my fist as fast as I can, ensuring that Roca can’t find a way out. Before it collapses on him Roca summons two snakes to guard him from the explosion but he’s not all the way shielded. When the smoke clears I can see him. On the ground and barely able to get up I poise ready for battle.
“Come on Roca”. I holler at him. He can barely get up, and his energy level has definitely dropped.
“Come on now get up and fight”. I yell at him again.
He gets himself straight up now and gets into fighting position. We’re about ready to go another round when a blast of energy hits the ring. Roca looks up into the ring and his eyes go wide. I scan to where Roca is looking at, it’s somewhere at top of the ring. I see a girl being held by a man, it takes me a second but I finally realize who it is. Its Sounni are old friend, Roca turns to look at me and says.
“They have her Shinruga”. He puts his hand to his ear and pauses for a minute. Then his face goes grim.
“What did they say”? I ask.
“If I don’t finish this soon and don’t kill you, they’ll slit her throat”.
“Charge at me and lock fist”. I tell him. He does when he gets up close to me, I explain to him we will fake my death. I back off, Roca makes a blast of enormous size. I jump to the wall of the arena, Roca fires off his blast. As it’s coming at me I push the ring in as it’s made of earth. I shield myself with energy and let the blast push me into the arena stadium. When the explosion goes off I disappear into the crowd. I can see the confusion coming from the crowd and the Roko gang people holding Sounni, are confused as well. I manage to get behind the one holding her and stab him in the head. The other members about to attack, when a blast of energy knocks him to the side. I look down and see Roca with his hand out and he nods, I nod back. Sounni’s faints and is about to fall but I catch her. She looks up at me and says thank you. I nod and run back to the ring.
“Thank you Shinruga”. Roca says.
“She’s my friend too you know, nice work”.
“Your idea”. Roca says. “After this tournament I’m quitting the Roko gang”.
“Good, you ready”? I ask.
“I had to use quite a bit of energy to make that explosion”.He explains.
I nod my head and let out a blast of energy to make our power equal. He charges at me and punches with a force equal to boulder hitting the ground dropped from fifty feet. It takes both my hand to stop it, I slide backwards grinding against the ground. He comes at me once again I wait till the opportune moment and flip him over my shoulder. I raise my foot and try to kick him in the chest. He rolls away and turns firing off a blast. I charge up my hand and punch down and destroy the blast. I run at him throwing hits left and right. Clearly my martial arts skills are better, I charge up a blast of energy and hit him directly. Roca gets knocked down but gets back up even faster. Then sends a massive wave of earth at me. I catch and it sends me sliding back, Roca sends another one triple in size. I use some energy to destroy it. At the same time I throw out my hands and use the sparks from the friction and create lightning. I send it in Roca’s direction, it destroys his earth attack. Roca tries to make a field of energy but he’s too late. The explosion lets out to much smoke I can’t see where Roca is. I’m on guard waiting for him to come out. I close my eyes to focus where he is, there he comes to my right and I block his attack. Knee him to the stomach, and roundhouse him to the face. I kick him but it turns to a snake, I blast its head off.
“Where are you”? I ask frantically searching out for his energy.
He comes out from behind me and block his first attack and some others but not all. I’m sent backwards and poise for battle again. I can see parts of Roca’s body sparking, indicating where he was hit by my attack.
“Try this Shinruga”. Roca yells in anger. He starts charging up a blast that starts eating the ground.
“It’s converting what it disintegrates into energy”. I get ready for his attack. When he fires the blast I clench my fist and increase the lightning around his leg. It makes him fall to one knee and the enormous blast misses me by inches. I’m about to charge up an attack but Roca’s attack curves and is heading in my direction. I run drawing my sword and when I get close enough to Roca I put the blade as close to his face as possible. At the same time I put a sheet of earth behind me, and Roca stops his blast right behind it.
“It’s over Roca I win”. I say.
“How do you figure, that blast will break through your earth defense”.
“If you do that I will move forward and you’ll be dead”. “Give up now”. We pause for a moment and he considers what I say. I think about any other scenario that could happen.
“Drop the blast”. I say. He looks away for a moment and then drops it, the explosion is huge. My eyes go wide and Roca smirks.
“That would have finished me for sure”. I say in a whisper. He nods, the annou
ncer comes in the ring and grabs my right hand and announces my victory. The crowd goes wild, tournament officials come to me and give me a chest full of chanks. Chanks is the money of our present time, mainly pieces of the old change before our world came to be. I walk off the stage, as I’m walking over to the tournament officials Sounni comes up to me.
“Thank you, so much…You should stop into Shiran again. It’s been a while”. She says.
“Maybe we’ll see”. She gives me a hug and goes to Roca. They walk over to me and Roca tells me that Ruji’s blade is in his stuff and a note has been left for officials that if he loses or dies it’s mine.
“Thanks”. I say. He tells me it’s only fair, I won the match.
I find a tournament official and tell him where Ruji’s body is and what town to take it to. I go to where Roca slept that night and find the sword. Picking it up and looking at it, it brings back all my memories of Ruji. I sense Shokon out of the corner of my eye.
“I would like to go with you Shinruga”. He says.
“That’s fine”. I say.
We walk out of the stadium together, it takes us all day of walking and when it comes close to dark we make camp. I set up my tent which only takes a few seconds. Psychians use their energy for everything, from getting something, to fixing something or setting something up. After I get done I notice Shokon has collected some rocks and is setting them all around us. I ask him what he’s doing, he ignores me for a second. Then he puts his sword in the middle and it makes an energy field.
“The rocks have energy in them, keeps us safe”. He says.
I nod and go collect some wood for a fire. When I come back we make the fire, and sit around it.
“How did you do that”? He asks.
“What”? I ask.
“The lightning, how did you make it hurt his leg again”? He asks.
“My father taught me a lot, one thing was lightning memorizes our energy. So we can control it even after it leaves are hand”. I explain.
“He was a good friend wasn’t he”?
“Yeah, I’d rather not talk about it”. I say. He nods and goes to his tent. I go to mine as well and enjoy my sleep.
The next day we get up early, collect are stuff and start on our way to my town. It takes us about half a day to get there. When we do my father greets us.
“Welcome back home son”. He says.
My father The Capturer the one who beat those who had the Elemenka gems. Once the strongest Psychian in the world, now just a dad. He has spiky hair and a couple of scars on his body one on his neck and one on his face.
“I saw the body”. He says.
“Ruji, I tried and went to the town but he was already gon”.
I try to finish my sentence but I can’t. I’m about to cry but I hold up my head. Don’t worry about my dad tells me, he simply tells me to go see Ruji’s mother and tell her the news. I knock on the door when I get there. Mrs. Thean opens the door for me and ask me to come in.
“Hey, Mrs. Thean” I say.
“How many times have I told you to call me Keira”? She demands. “I saw that they brought a body a little bit ago, you know whose it is”? She ask. I can see the look on her face might be picking up what I know.
“Yes”. I pause and she looks at me with persistence. “The body is Ruji’s, I’m sorry. I checked for a sign of life, there wasn’t anything”.
She grabs my face and tells me, she knows that I tried everything. I try to hand her Ruji’s sword but she tells me he would have wanted me to have it. I go to my house and run into my mother on the way. A worry wart, she always worried about me when I left for training or anywhere. My father had a lot of enemies, so she was worried one of them might attack me to get to him. It doesn’t help that one kidnapped me though.
“Where you going mom”? I ask.
“Over to Keira’s”. She says. As I expected she gives me a big hug and says to go home and get some rest.
“Ruji’s funeral is tomorrow you were his best friend”. She says.
I do, when I get home I go straight to bed. Only to wake up from a nightmare, my parents come in and console me. The next day we all go to the funeral, they ask me to make a speech.
“It’s too hard, all I can say is that he was a good friend and was a good person”. Is all I say.
When I pass by Ruji’s coffin, I drop my rose and say what I think should be said.
“See ya later my good friend, I’ll see you one day”. I walk away with my head down and head home.
Chapter 4
A New Friend