Naomi was quiet throughout the rest of the night after that kiss. Not in a bad way, but in a thoughtful, pensive way, I can’t believe he just kissed me kinda way. Just as long as I didn’t cross any boundaries, I was okay with her being unable to contain herself from an innocent peck! At least I got her feeling better, her mind less preoccupied with worrying. It didn’t stop her from catching any sleep though, and the same could be said for me.

When it was show time, my alarm woke me up, Naomi already out and about in the dojo. I finished my morning routine and then bumped into Reina, who looked out of it herself.

My girls have been feeling crappy these last couple hours, haven’t they?

“Morning, Reina,” I said, Reina picking her head up to me as she cradled her bath things in her arms.

“Morning, Nero,” she answered back, unenthused.

“What’s wrong?”

She sighed. “It’s nothing you can help.”

“I hate when you girls tell me that,” I insisted, making Reina stop her pacing.

I stopped in her direct path, ready to demand answers, until she cocked her head to the side and tapped a finger at her bottom lip. “Maybe you can….”

“Maybe I can what?”

Just as she said that, she shook her head. “Never mind.”

“No way. What were you going to ask me?”

“Forget I mentioned it. I’ll deal…”

“Whatever you’re dealing with, you don’t have to do it alone.”

She smiled sweetly. “I wonder what it’s like being so hopelessly optimistic,” she murmured, a hint of teasing in her tone.

I shot her a fake offended look and said, “It’s not hopeless optimism, it’s called being supportive. Also, I’m pretty sure it’s my job as leader of this squad to look after you two.”

She giggled, the sound light and airy–a pleasant contrast to how she was feeling moments ago. “Fine,” she said after a beat of silence, “I suppose there’s no harm in asking. Nero, we need to place at least in the top two this morning.”

“That wasn’t your original question.”

“Perhaps not, but the weight of it is still the same.” The smile on her face faded.

“Reina, what kind of trouble are you in?”

“Think you can do that for me, Nero?”

She asked me, dodging my question. “I’m pouring my heart and soul into this last round, Reina. That you don’t have to worry about.”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“Thank you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to freshen up.”

I watched her leave, scrunching my eyebrows at what she had going on. Whatever it was could be remedied with a win, so I didn’t push any further than that. After another hour more, Master Hayashi teleported us to the drop off zone, and then we were shipped to the arena by the furball himself.

‘Be ambiguous. Don’t let your opponent anticipate your every move.’ Hayashi’s last words to us resonated with me. It was basically the same thing Reina had said last night, and I played it over and over again in my head after we were dropped off at the map. Today’s setting, the wild, wild west?

Interesting stage choice….

Funny enough, the audience got to pick where we’d be fighting. And since it was the final round in the tournament, aerial seating doubled. There were twice the number of live viewers in those seats, and they had a taste for small salons and an ol’ dusty trail.

As always, Molly Melody gave us a warm welcoming speech, her voice ringing out across the grand coliseum. There was an undeniable excitement in the air that surpassed the rounds before this one, magnified by the collective anticipation of the rowdy crowd. The seats around the arena were filled to the brim with spectators and sponsors eagerly awaiting the start of what promised to be a finisher like no other. Reina, Naomi and I made history—we were the first year ones to make it to the finals.

“This is it! The grand finale is here! Four teams, one winner. Who will take the grand prize home and be our 160th champions? Let’s give it up for our hunters in the arena!” Molly cheered, and then, the spotlight moved from team to team, illuminating each one as Molly introduced us. “Today’s contestants were the finalists of every round. It just so happens that Team Owl followed Team Hawk throughout the entire bracket! Besides Team Hawk and Team Owl, we also have the fearless Team Wolf and Team Cheetah!”

The zealous crowd waved their banners proudly for their supporting teams. From where I stood, I could see thousands of eyes trained on us, accentuated by the occasional flash of a camera.

The cheers were deafening as each hunter name rang out over the speakers. Team Hawk: Bram, the ice menace, Yoleeha, the siren, and Sift, the gravity expert.

We never had the luxury of fighting the rest of his team too much. Bram usually cleaned house all on his own. He was team captain, using his six item slots to his advantage. Yoleeha and Sift were usually mother hens, protecting eggs from predators.

Then there was Team Cheetah: Fiona, the explosive archer, Canessi, the water wielder, and Dot, the blue-haired cow girl with a rare stamina healing power. An all-girl team with metas that complimented each other.

And lastly, Team Wolf: Sal, a guy with a wild card magic meta, Jane, a girl with a camouflage and distort meta, and the dangerous Belhem, a hunter who could turn into a titan with the sound of a whistle.

The lineup was intimidating, but our team was OP too to have gotten this far.

“Everyone, cast your votes!” Molly’s voice echoed through the arena. “Which team is going to take home the coveted Hunter’s Trophy this year? Will it be Team Hawk, with their ice cold precision and unwavering defense? Or maybe the unpredictable and dynamic Team Cheetah will snag the victory? Or could it be Team Wolf with their fearsome abilities and solid teamwork? Hmm, I don’t know, Team Owl seems to be making a name for themselves. Is it possible that the under dogs will come out on top and crush our veterans?!”

“Team Owl!”

“Team Owl!”

“Team Owl!”

It felt unreal, the excitement, the adrenaline, and the nervousness that tingled like electricity across my skin. In that crowd were people cheering for us over all of the other teams. I wanted to cheer along with them!

Once the votes were in, the poll was set. Despite the crowd cheering our name the loudest, the majority anticipated Team Hawk to win.

Great, I loved proving people wrong.

Another upset was around the corner, and as soon as Molly finished her introduction, I buckled down, because a storm was about to hit.

“Let the final round begin! Unleash our contestants!”

-Total Immersion Process-

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