I spent the night in the training building with my spell tomes. Reading everything I could involving the Sound rune. Nothing in all of Olli’s massive books said anything about being able to make music with the runes. Or even anything above level five spells. Yuki was curled up in my lap for a few hours as she slept and digested her food, only being disturbed when I slammed my tomes shut with a loud boom.
She jumped from my lap as I screamed in frustration and ruffled my hair. “Why can’t I find anything!!?” I yelled into the empty room. I slumped forward and groaned, feeling mentally exhausted. Yuki walked over after a second and rested her head on my thigh, looking up at me with rubellite eyes. I sighed and scratched behind her ear. “Sorry for scaring you. I’m just frustrated,” I said to her.
Yuki yawned and crawled back into my lap, getting comfortable once again. She has the right idea. I should rest soon. But before I do that, I need to add more channels to my Crucible core. I closed my eyes and focused on the energy within the core. I took a deep breath and pulled on the energy within to carve a path from the new channel to the main channel within my body. That way, I can more easily replenish my core when I inevitably run out of chakra making the new channels.
It didn’t take long to do, and I began carving the new channel once again. I soon lost myself in the process, pushing the cold, sharp, and fiery chakra through my body, completing the channel in my right arm, and starting on my left. Then running out of chakra, cultivating more, and using the new chakra to fill my body and expand the core. Once the core was bigger, I began creating the new channel again, repeating the process.
After what felt like hours, I finally completed the new channels for my sixth core that Crucible could use whenever she wanted. Now I had to make new channels for Apollo. When I pulled on his chakra, he grumbled in my mind, “Why are you trying to cycle my chakra? I can do it myself without your assistance.”
‘I need to make a dedicated chakra channel for you. In case I need to use all my chakras at one time,’ I explained.
“I can do that myself too.”
‘Oh, so you’re going to do it for me?’
Apollo didn’t answer for a moment, then indignantly said, “I will … once you show me what to do.”
I rolled my eyes and pulled on his chakra again. This time he let me have control of the burning energy he commanded. I began carving the channels as I’ve done many times before. And after a few minutes of none stop work, I finished the channels in my left arm. ‘Just do that through my entire body,’ I told Apollo as I stopped cycling the fiery chakra.
“Very well,” Apollo agreed, and he began cycling the chakra and carving new channels along my existing ones. I opened my eyes and came to my senses, my body felt stiff, and a chill ran through my body. How long was I cycling? It had to have been hours. I yawned and leaned back against the wall behind me. I should get some sleep while I still can. Then I looked down at Yuki, who was sound asleep, and I didn’t want to disturb her. So, after a few seconds of thought, I shrugged and laid down with Yuki still in my lap. My eyes felt heavy as I closed them and quickly drifted off to sleep.
And what couldn’t have been more than ten minutes later, the door to the training room slammed open, and Haze Yelled, “WAKE UP!”
Yuki and I jumped to alertness, quickly getting to our feet and looking around wildly, “What? What happened? Where am I? What time is it?” I mumbled groggily.
“It’s morning. And your match is in three hours. Let’s go!” I groaned and gathered my tomes, putting Yuki on my shoulders before following the all-too-excited and energetic Haze. I was in no shape to fight. Then my stomach grumbled as hunger gnawed at my insides. I also needed food. Luckily I can get that at the Colosseum. I hope I’ll be able to get some sleep too.
***
Geoff was good enough to give me food and my winnings, making me 1,080 Lucre richer with a full stomach. After eating in the usual stadium seats with everyone, I quickly fell asleep where I sat. It was so nice to sleep for a bit if only the chairs were more comfortable. Unfortunately, I was shaken awake by the twins on either side of me, and I drearily opened my eyes. “W-what?” I yawned.
“It’s time,” the twins said in unison.
I yawned again and stood, stretching out my stiff muscles. “Wish me luck,” I said as I began making my way out of the stands and going to the waiting room where Ruby was already waiting.
“Hey! You ready?” Ruby asked excitedly.
I shook my head and yawned again, “No. I barely got any sleep. I’m exhausted right now.”
Ruby’s energy seemed to drain at that, and she said, “Oh, well, maybe I can help with that.”
I cocked an eyebrow at her, “How?”
“Give me a minute,” She said as she began making a couple of spell circles and filling them with runes. My groggy mind couldn’t comprehend what she was making, but hopefully, it’ll work. A flash filled the room a second later, and the fog that filled my mind lifted. I felt awake, like I had an energy drink without all the sugar.
I shook my head and looked down at my hands, “Wow, that works! What did you do?”
Ruby just smiled at me, “It’s a neat little spell, right? I’ll give you the runes later, but are you ready to go?”
I nodded, “I am.”
“Good, ‘cause we have to head out now.”
Turning, I saw the man at the doorway with his clipboard as he waved for us to get going. I scratched the back of my head sheepishly as Ruby and I got in gear and made our way out onto the arena. “AND IN THIS CORNER, WE HAVE TEAM RESURRECTION! With Ruby and Zeana Si’enn! Guru Shi’en, how do you think this match will go?” Felix announced from his where ever he was as we walked onto the arena.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
I tuned out what Guru Shi’en said as I saw our opponents in the center field. One was a tall drake man with ebony skin, red scales, and a crown of horns several centimeters long. The other was a young, beautiful human woman with pale white skin and shoulder-length, wavey brown hair and sapphire blue eyes, and she was just a little taller than me. Both of them wore red gis with golden belts.
Ruby and I stopped a few meters away, and the central platform began to rise into the air. “Hi!” the human woman said with a wave, “We should have proper introductions. I’m Olia Orthal, from the Baobab Empire. And my friend here is Kirval Bloodcrown. It’s nice to meet you.”
I smiled at Olia’s words. Her voice sounded so sweet to me. “Hi, I’m Zeana Shi’enn from the Fusang Empire,” I said, waving back to her.
“And I’m Ruby Xiao Long. Nice to meet you,” Ruby finished.
“And our first stage will be MOUNTAIN!!” Felix announced.
Olia looked impatiently around as Felix announced the biomes one after another. “Why can’t he just say them all at the same time?” she asked after he listed the second biome as plains.
“Well, if he did that, it wouldn’t be as entertaining,” I shrugged.
“And our third stage will be CRASHED SHIP!”
“I know, but it would be so much more efficient. I don’t mind the build-up while watching, but I just want to get it all over with on the field. You know?”
I cocked an eyebrow at her and asked, “Do you not like fighting?”
“And our final stage will be OCEAN!!”
Olia shrugged, “Not really. I’m not the confrontational type.”
I nodded as Felix started the countdown, “TEN!”
Willing my body to change, I decided to grow eight more tails, so I have my full nine. Then Ruby leaned in and whispered, “I’ll distract the big guy. You take care of her.”
“NINE!”
I nod in agreement and take a few deep breaths.
“EIGHT!”
“Hey. Zeana,” Olia said, drawing my attention, “If you had a choice to fight forever or not fight and live a full, happy life, what would you pick?”
“SEVEN!”
I blinked at her question and thought I didn’t know which I would choose. “I don’t know,” I answered.
“SIX!”
Olia shrugged and said, “All well, food for thought.”
“FIVE!”
I nodded, “Yeah, food for thought.”
“FOUR! THREE! TWO! ONE!” I took one final calming breath, “FIGHT!!” My tails sprouted from my back, and I launched forward with my Inferno chakra coursing through my body. I twisted mid-air as my tails opened their wide maws to consume the young woman before me.
Olia chuckled cutely and said, “I hope you’ll find the answer to that question soon.” Then she jumped back a split second before my tails snapped their jaws closed, missing her by millimeters. I landed and saw her standing in the middle of the expansive grass plains.
Ignoring Kirval and Ruby’s electric fight, I charged forward, casting level-four haste on myself and Ruby. My speed increased tremendously, and I closed the distance between us in an instant while forming a fireball in my fist. Olia chuckled again and made a casual wave of her hand. An ephemeral golden pillar of light struck my left side, and I was sent sprawling across the ground a few meters away as stars and black spots filled my vision.
I tried to gasp for air and felt my ribs stabbing into my lungs, filling them with blood. I felt as though I was drowning. I coughed up blood and began cycling my Healing chakra as quickly as possible. My ribs began putting themselves back together, and I felt something crawling onto me and wrapping around my limbs. I soon got air into my lungs, and my vision cleared enough to see the grass growing and wrapping around my body.
I got my hands under me, and a second blast of pain erupted from my back, and I fell back to the ground as Olia said, “Oh, no, you don’t. Stay down, little foxy.”
Coughing up more blood, I forced myself to think quickly as an idea formed in my mind. I began growing my wings and quickly cast a level-one air spell with my Storm chakra directly below me. The air blasted at the ground, and I shot several meters into the sky. My wings sprouted from my back, and chakra filled them, allowing me to gain altitude and a little safety.
I still had a broken rib or two, and my right shoulder blade was most definitely shattered. Looking down at Olia, she stood just outside the small crater I made, smiling at me. I grimaced and looked over to where Ruby was fighting with all her strength to keep Kirval at bay. Lighting bolts covered the mountain side and giant boulders were thrown in all directions. I needed to finish this fight fast.
“What’s wrong?!” Olia called up to me, “Are you afraid? It’s okay to be afraid from time to time.”
I ignored her, jetted to the central platform, and quickly cycled my Healing chakra. Within seconds my ribs put themselves back together, and my shoulder blade pieced itself back together. I rolled my arm and turned to face Olia again. She hadn’t moved from her spot and allowed me to heal. Why? It makes no sense. I shook my head and focused. I needed to win and finish the fight quickly.
Taking a deep calming breath, I cycled my Ice-claymore chakra and covered myself in armor. I shot forward with immense speed, gliding across the grass plains as the grass froze, creating a long ice katana in my hands trailing behind me. Olia waited, her smile never leaving her lips, and a split second before I got to her, she fell into nothingness. I stopped in the middle of the plains and looked around wildly for her.
Two golden blades shot out from within my armor, shattering my skirt, and Olia jumped up through the shower of ice and kicked the center of my chest, sending me flying back and rolling across the ground. I quickly got to my feet and dispanded my shattered armor. I grimaced again as panic began to set in. I needed to finish this quickly. I need to help—
“Need a hand here, Olia?” a male voice said from a few meters behind me, and I felt my heart stop. I turned and saw Kirval walking calmly across the grass plains without a single scratch on him.
“No, I’ve got this,” Olia answered, “I was just about to finish up anyways.”
Grinding my teeth together, I tried to figure out a way out. A way I can win. Anything to help me as I switched between watching Kirval and Olia. “Two minutes remaining!!” Felix announced to the Colosseum, and I froze. There was no way I could win this. I can’t take them both. If I created clones, then maybe, but they would be too weak to be more than an annoyance to Kirval and Olia. Nore, could I create enough in the time remaining to overwhelm them.
Clenching my fists, I turned to Olia and said, “In answer to your question, whether or not I would fight forever or live a happy life. I think I have an answer.”
Olia paused a second and fell through nothing again before coming up from the ground and standing a meter away from me. “Oh, yeah? What did you decide?” Olia asked.
Glowering up at her, I said, “I would fight.”
“Why?” She asked, cocking her head to one side.
“Because if my suffering and pain would make the people I care for safe, I would gladly fight to my last breath,” I answered and began cycling my Inferno chakra.
Olia smiled happily and said, “That is a good answer.”
I pushed all my chakra into my hands and blasted swirling columns of fire at Olia, obscuring her in blinding heat, and kept the blaze going, covering the area around me until I was nearly out of chakra. Once I stopped firing and saw nobody before me, I turned and felt a stabbing pain shooting through my chest. Olia had come up behind me and stabbed me in the heart with an ephemeral golden sword that quickly dissolved after a second.
Looking up Olia’s apologetic expression, she said, “Sorry about this. I hope we can meet again soon on better terms, of course.” I didn’t have time to respond as I dissolved into golden light, and the waiting room filled my vision with an exhausted-looking Ruby.
I clenched my fists and screamed in anger and frustration. We lost. I lost. I wasn’t strong enough. I couldn’t match her in anything, no matter what I did. She was better than me in every way. She … she … a calm filled my mind as I forced my focus on my breathing. Olia is one of the strongest fighters here, and I was going to beat her. I will surpass her and win. For that, I needed to do some more training. And I have a feeling about who I need to train me.