Chpt.24) Games Begin!

The birthday party Cami got everyone to throw me was the best I’ve ever had. Though, to be fair, my birthday party requirements are very low. Just showing up is all that’s needed. But everyone got me gifts of some sort. The guys baked the cake for their gift and got all the food. The food was at least edible and delicious. Scarlet got me a beautiful jade hairpin with gold highlights shaped like a serpent. Cami bought me the enchanted bead bracelet that I liked. Haze bought me a pet. The twins were there. It was the best time.

Anyway, the enchanted bead bracelet gave me a system notification when I put it on.

Buda Spider Silk Prayer Beads. These prayer beads can protect those you care about and extend up to 20 meters. Must cycle with them once a day to recharge them with chakra. Warning: if used to bring harm to any living being, the beads will slowly kill you.

I thought the beads were pretty neat, so I wore them as much as possible. And Yuki is doing much better now. It’s been two weeks, and she’s been super cuddly to the point of annoyance. Yuki would not leave my side for a moment. Even joining me in the shower or bath or just using the toilet. On the bright side, she learned how to use the toilet. Even flushes for herself. But at least she likes me, although she hates everyone else. I’m trying to warm her up to the twins or Haze since I can’t bring her into the tournament. She’s starting to let the twins get within ten centimeters of her, but no closer. And Haze doesn’t care to try.

And right now is the day before the tournament sign-up opens, and I’ve encountered a problem. Out of the six people on my team, five of us are in the doubles, and none of them want to team up with me! Jax and Xiao are, of course, teaming up, but neither Cami nor Scarlet want to be on a team with me since they’re teaming up! This sucks. So, now I’m looking for a … new person. Gah, I don’t like it. I don’t like it!

The type of team member I need is someone who can fight up close. I’m an all-right, all-around fighter. With my spells and powerful cores, I can deal some damage. But I haven’t mastered either, and I’m more proficient in spell casting, so I need someone who can complement my mid to long-range fighting. Asking Haze about who to ask, she suggested team Suki. After being on a mission with what’s her face, Sarah, I decided I didn’t want to be on a team with someone unreliable.

So, here I am, standing in front of room two-oh-one, where team Ruby is staying. A team I’ve never met before. With people I’ve never met before. Why do I feel like I’m sweating enough to fill an ocean?

NO! Stop it, Zeana! You’re just nervous. Calm down. You can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I raised my hand to knock on the door, and my body decided to betray me. I froze, with my fist raised at the door like it owed me money. Fuck my life.

I brought my arm down and shook out my body. I can do this. I can do this. I raised my hand again and knocked two times on the door before it swung open abruptly. I jumped in surprise and let out a little yelp as I covered my face with my hands.

“Hi! I’ve been watching you build the courage to knock for the past half hour,” the person said in a high-pitched female voice. I slowly uncovered my eyes and looked at the person who answered the door. She was in her late teens, wore a red gi with a black belt, and was a dozen centimeters taller than me. She had short black hair with red highlights, and her eyes were a white-silver color.

I uncovered my face and crossed my arms. “H-hi. I-I’m Zeana,” I said meekly.

“I know. I was disappointed that we didn’t get to fight in the selection tournament back home, but all well. Nice to meet you, Zeana. I’m Ruby,” Ruby said, extending a hand. I shook it quickly and went back to having my arms crossed. “So, what brings you by?” Ruby asked.

Clearing my throat, I managed to squeak out, “I’m looking for a team member in the doubles tournament. Is there anyone on your team that needs a teammate for that?”

Clicking her tongue, Ruby said, “Sorry, everyone on my team that’s doing doubles is already partnered up.”

“Oh,” I said, hanging my head in defeat and my ears drooping.

“Just out of curiosity. What’s your fighting style?” Ruby asked.

I put my guard up at that question and raised my head to look into her silver eyes. If I tell her, she might use it against me in the singles tournament, according to Haze. “Why?” I asked.

“Well, I need to know what you’re looking for in a teammate. So, what’s your fighting style? Is it offensive? Defensive? Long-range? Short-range? What’s your fighting style.”

I still felt hesitant to answer, so I decided on a half-truth, “I’m an all-rounder.”

“Hmm, an all-rounder sapphire rank five. Hmm … W-wait, sapphire? I thought you couldn’t participate unless you are at least a ruby.”

Shrugging, I said, “Actually, you only need four cores or more to participate. And I have four.”

Ruby nodded, returned to her thoughts momentarily, and then shrugged, “I’ll be your teammate.”

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“Wha- wait, what?”

“I’ll be your teammate. I wasn’t originally going to be in the doubles, but I’ll be it since you need a teammate,” a joyful smile spread across Ruby’s face as she said this.

I blinked a few times before saying, “Umm, okay.”

“Great! Let’s go, new bestie!” Ruby exclaimed, grabbing me by the arm with a steel grip and dragging me down the hall to the stairwell.

“Ah! Where are we going?! And why is your grip so strong!?”

“I was on my way out to train a bit before you stood in front of my door for half an hour. So, right now is a perfect time to train together and learn how the other fights so we can be an effective team.”

Just as we reached the stairwell, I heard a loud, mournful yelp from down the hall, and I said, “Wait, wait, wait!”

“Hmm? What is it?”

I tried to pull my arm free from her grasp, and Ruby let me go. “I need to grab something from my room very quick,” I explained and ran down the hall to my room. I opened the door, and Yuki jumped up and wrapped herself around my neck in her usual spot. Scratching behind her big fluffy ear, I planted a little kiss on her cheek.

“AWW!” Ruby squealed, “It’s so cute! What is it? What’s its name?”

“It’s an Ice-fox, and her name is Yuki,” I said happily.

“AWW! Yuki’s so cute!” Ruby squealed again and reached out a hand to pet Yuki. Yuki growled at the proffered hand and snapped at it, making Ruby recoil in surprise.

I drew in a slow sharp breath, “Yeah, she doesn’t like anybody but me.”

Ruby nodded, “Good to know,” then she pointed down the hall, “Shall we?”

“Yeah, let’s go,” I agreed, following Ruby to the training area.

***

The training building in the city was massive and a short five-minute walk away from where we were staying. Haze had shown us where it was after my birthday party, and we’ve been using it daily to stay in shape and practice new moves. The building itself was monolithic, like all the other buildings next to it. The only difference was the words on the front of the building that said, ‘training hall.’ It was pretty hard to miss.

Following Ruby into the building, she booked us a private training room, which was free since the Wong empire invited us as guests. Yay, no paying for shit. And after three flights of stairs and walking to the end of the hallway, we were there. A massive twenty-meter by thirty-meter by ten-meter room. Longer and wider than the cave, but significantly less height.

I set Yuki in the corner of the room, far enough from the door that she won’t get hit by the door or escape through it without me noticing her going that way. In the center of the room were two towels and ten bamboo cups of water. Ruby picked up the towels and five cups of water and set them aside, then quickly did the same with the last five.

Stepping away from Yuki, I turned to her and said, “Stay.”

Yuki yelped and took a limping step toward me.

“No,” I said sternly, “Sit. Stay.”

Yuki yelped again but complied, curling into a white fluff ball. She was just too cute! Ah! Focuse. “What are we going to do here?” I asked, getting my mind back on track.

Ruby did some stretches and said, “We are going to spar. Best way to get to know how the other fights. No holding back and no killing or severely injuring.”

I twisted my back to pop it and said, “Heard that. When do we start?”

Relaxing her body, Ruby looked up at me and said, “Now.”

“N—” I didn’t have time to finish my sentence as I leaned back, and a flaming kick passed through where my head was moments before. I stumbled back and raised my fists, cycling my shield core, “Now.”

Ruby smiled and charged forward with a flurry of fast flaming punches and kicks. I dodged and retreated, avoiding as many attacks as possible, but most landed home, several of which struck my gut and legs. I couldn’t keep up with her speed. I needed haste. I jumped back with a flip and used my tail to create an invisible shield. When I landed, I saw Ruby stumbling back, holding her nose. I guess she found the invisible shield.

With a thought, I created a level two haste spell in my hand and activated it. Ruby shook her head and punched the shield, shattering it instantly. Quickly changing to my storm core, I charged forward and concentrated my chakra into a left haymaker. She didn’t have enough time to react to my attack, so she braced herself and was sent flying to the opposite end of the room.

Ruby quickly caught herself, landing feet first against the far wall and preparing to attack. I wasn’t going to give her a chance. I closed the distance in less than a second and swiped at her with my tail. Before my attack could connect, lightning flashed around her, and she disappeared in a flash of purple and blue light. I landed on my feet and tried to follow her movements, but she was too fast for me to follow. She looked like a ball of living lightning shooting around the room at incredible speeds.

Shit! My mind can’t keep up, and my haste has about another twenty seconds before it ends. Time for a new spell. I quickly forged a level-three spell with four circles. The first circle had sight, light, speed, mind, and body. The second had haste. The third had force, shield, body, air, and space. The final circle had chakra, creation, speed, and time. This was one of the new spells Olli taught me on our way here. It grants me kinetic vision to keep up with Ruby’s speed while granting me enhanced speed and creating an atmospheric shield around me, nullifying any air resistance I experience while running and recharges my chakra. The spell takes a lot of chakra to create and maintain, so I won’t use it often.

Olli called the spell demi-god speed. And I must admit it’s a cool name, especially since it works so well. Now that I’m faster, I watched Ruby dart around the room, and I ran at an intercept course to stop her. Closing the distance in less than a second, I swung my tail at her again, and this time my attack landed. She hit my tail and fell to the ground with a loud crash, the wind getting knocked out of her.

My tail, Goro, opened its mouth and quickly placed it over Ruby’s head. I stood there panting and asked, “Do you yield?” but the question came out too fast since I had haste activated, so I don’t know if she heard me.

In slow motion, I saw Ruby’s hands raise in surrender, and her voice came out slow and deep, “IIIIIII … yyyyyiiiiieeeeellllldddd.”

I immediately took Goro off her head and said, “Whoo, man, you’re much faster than I thought.” Ruby didn’t respond as she slowly got to her feet. And I shook my head, “Oh, right.” I canceled the chakra flow to the spell, and Ruby moved at normal speeds again, then repeated myself.

“Yeah,” Ruby agreed, panting, “I didn’t know you could go that fast either.”

“It’s a new thing.”

“Do you ever brush your tail’s teeth? It’s rank in there.”

“No. No, I do not.”

“You should do that.”

“No. That’s a lot of effort for something that comes out of my ass. Anyways what did you learn about me?”

Ruby shrugged as she caught her breath, “You’re fast. You make up for what you lack in physical prowess with spellcasting. You can fight at all ranges.”

Blinking, I shrugged and nodded, “Sounds about right.”

“Want to go a few more rounds?” Ruby asked.

“Sure, I could use the practice forging chakra,” I agreed. And went to my side of the room for round two.

***