บท 68: Tournament Countdown

"You have gotten stronger," said Kru Bu. "Unnaturally strong ... you are clearly gifted physically, but that gift is preventing you from truly mastering and solidifying your foundational techniques because you have no need. You have unnatural strength and endurance abilities. If you mastered your foundations, your attack strength, defense, energy usage and rate of mastery of new techniques would multiply ten fold. At the moment, you can easily beat most opponents in this city with brawn and speed without the need for strategy or much thought. This will not be the case in the upper realms. Your foundation gap will eventually stagnate and slow your growth as a fighter. Your technique needs much improvement although it better than most. You tend to expend too much energy with your moves, leave openings and limit yourself by forcing your strikes at times. Attacks should come naturally and be second nature, like walking. But, don't let this discourage you, even with your broken fist, with your raw physical abilities, I believe you are more than capable of doing well in the tournament."

Kru Bu's comment made Johan realize that the combat experiences he inherited from his future self, while useful, didn't give him perfect technique. In fact, his future self may have had foundation gaps that he never resolved despite how strong he got. This time around, Johan decided he would approach things differently and master techniques perfectly when he had time. He would surpass the man he was going to become.

"That is what I am hoping for," said Johan. "I want to win this tournament."

Johan and Kru Bu trained for another hour before calling it a night.

Kru Bu invited Johan to sleep in one of his guest rooms, however, Johan refused politely. He didn't want to get comfortable before his match. Johan decided to sleep in the ring while Kru Bu retired to his room for the night.

Before Johan slept, he shaved off all the hair on his head, including his eyebrows so that the soldiers who he had left alive would not recognize him on first sight. With his luck, he couldn't leave any openings.

-- Ø --

Johan woke up worried and early the next day in a cold sweat. He had forced himself to sleep. Eventually, he managed it, but his dreams were filled with nightmares of doubt, bombings and wide scale destruction.

Looking around, Johan found that no one was at the gym.

Kru Bu was still asleep.

Johan could help but wonder whether the dreams he had were truly dreams or memories from his future self?

There was no way to know for sure.

"Today is fight day," muttered Johan, "no time to be distracted, I got to warn Luisa and the guys from Slum Gym."

Johan glanced around the gym.

"Hmmm," muttered Johan, "dad hasn't gotten back, I hope he is alright."

Johan decided he could worry about his father later. His father was probably preoccupied with something. He had to warn his friends. For now, he would deal with what he could control. Prior to leaving Lanna Muay Boran, Johan left a note for Kru Bu on his office table telling him to leave Looking Glass City. Johan wrote about how he had heard from an inside army associate that there was an identified attack coming against Looking Glass City. He also mentioned how he would be back by the time the transporter ball came alone.

Johan left and ran to Luisa's place to warn her.

He was internally conflicted by the fact that Lin and Brandy were from Silverblade's team. But they didn't seem like spies of people with ill intentions. But Johan knew that if anyone knew about an upcoming planned attack it would be Lin, after all, she was Silverblade's assistant. But she seemed clueless. It all didn't make sense.

Was there another group of mercenaries Johan had met unknowingly? No.

Silverblade was the only mercenary that Johan had met. So, if the prophet was telling the truth, it had to be Silverblade that teamed up with Armyka. The question was, why? Silverblade's team was composed mainly of scientists and teachers rather than warriors.

Johan knew that the soonest Silverblade's turtle could attack at its current pace of approach was in a week. But then again the prophet had also mentioned that Genghis and Athelion would break free and he didn't know if they would be a problem as well.

If Rey woke up, Johan would have gotten her help to hide everyone 'behind the scenes' somewhere far away. But she was going to be asleep for at least a month recovering from her use of the voodoomobile. Furthermore, Johan had no idea how to get 'behind the scenes'. His other option was to take everyone out of the city, however, from past experience he knew that without proper transportation, it wasn't safe especially with the sand worms and other creatures out there. Thus, Johan decided that the Labyrinth was the best place for keeping everyone safe and alive if an attack did occur.

Ideally, Johan didn't want to reveal the Labyrinth's existence to everyone. But, choosing between loosing Luisa and his friends or keeping it a secret, his decision became simple.

His loved ones, came first.

Always.

The suns had begun to rise in Looking Glass City's horizon turning the sky purple and orange. A cool early morning breeze flew through the city. The worn down and cracked streets were empty, and the few weeds that grew through the cracks were coated with morning dew. Periodically, Johan would see red stains on the pavement that were clearly not part of the street art local gangs had generously painted on the building walls and streets of the neighborhood he was walking through.

The stains were blood from soldier's shooting people the previous night.

Empty bullet shells could periodically been seen on the streets and if you looked hard enough, small fresh new holes were carved into the brick walls.

Johan paid these little heed as he jogged at a moderate pace to Luisa's apartment door.

Before long he was in front of her door.

KNOCK!

"Luisa!," whispered Johan. "Are you there? It is important!"

Johan heard shuffling from behind the door. The door was unlocked and slowly opened.

"Hello Sir," said a familiar voice. "Good Morning, what seems to be the matter?"

Johan looked down to see Sam the puppy wearing PJs.

Sam's face paled as he looked at Johan's shaved head and missing eyebrows.

"Sir!," gasped Sam, "what have you done to your hair and eyebrows? You look terrifying!"

"Where is Luisa?," said Johan ignoring him, "Get your things packed, we have to leave prior to my fight, you are all in danger."

"Sir," said Sam, "please come in, the others are asleep. Take a seat in the living room and I will wake the mistress and prepare you some tea while she makes herself presentable."

Sam opened the door for Johan and Johan ran in past Sam to Luisa's bedroom.

Lin and Brandy were sleeping on the living room couch snoring loudly.

"Sir!," yelled Sam, "that is the mistress's bedroom! It is not proper for a man to enter a woman's room uninvited!"

"Sam," said Johan, "I live here with Luisa! She is my girlfriend!"

Johan entered the room to find Luisa sleeping peacefully in pajamas on their bed.

She looked beautiful and delicate like a flower. It warmed his heart and made him even more determined to get her to safety.

Johan softly sat on the bed next to her and bent over kissing her forehead.

"Luisa," whispered Johan, "babe, I'm back. Wake up. I don't have much time, it isn't safe here."

"Johan!?," muttered Luisa groggily, "Is that you?"

"Yes," said Johan, "it is me. Give me a kiss, I've missed you so much."

Luisa reached over pulling Johan towards him with her eyes still closed. She hugged him and then sat up with a yawn and rubbed her eyes. Opening them.

"AHHHHHHHH!!!!," screetched Luisa looking at Johan, "J-JO-JOHAN!? WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR FACE!?"

Moments later Lin and Brandy ran into Luisa's room with their hair unkempt confused. Sam followed close behind confused.

Their mouths dropped upon seeing a bald and eyebrowless Johan.

"I knew you were dedicated to this fight," muttered Lin, "but to shave off your eyebrows in order to intimidate your opponent is a ludicrous tactic."

Brandy was beside Lin giggling, and Luisa started laughing as well.

"Sir," said Sam, "I told you that your appearance was terrifying. Perhaps a bit of permanent marker can be used to draw hair on you face until it grows back."

"Ha ha ha!," laughed Luisa holding her stomach, "Honey! I love you but you look like a thug without eyebrows! You look ridiculous! Why did you do this?"

Johan let out a sigh. If this were under any other circumstance he would have joined in on the laughter. But in an hour he would have his first fight, and he needed to get everyone to safety.

"Babe," said Johan, "I wish I was here under better circumstances."

Luisa stopped laughing and a look of concern spread across her face.

"Hun," said Luisa putting her hand on Johan's thigh, "what is wrong?"

"Luisa," said Johan, "you all have to pack your things, Looking Glass City is going to be attacked in a week. I heard this from a trustworthy friend that works as a solider. Everyone is in danger. I want to take you somewhere safe for you to stay before the attack comes."

"Babe," said Luisa, "who did you hear this from? How are you so certain? I can't just up and leave without warning. There are my parents, my job ..."

"Luisa," said Johan, "get your parents. Trust me. Please. Gather everyone and we will handle things afterwards. At today's fight I will warn everyone at the tournament."

"How did you hear about this?," said Lin, "we weren't apart for very long. I didn't see you talk to anyone."

Johan looked thoughtfully into Lin's eyes. She didn't seem to have any idea of what was coming. But he was still cautious of her.

"I am planning on getting back to my home," said Lin, "Silverblade will be here and I will join him when he arrives. The only reason why I am still here is because our mode of transportation was destroyed. Silverblade can protect us from whatever is coming."

"I am sure this attack will happpen," said Johan, "Silverblade isn't an option."

The situation was complicated.

"Very well hun," said Luisa nodding.

"I'll come," said Brandy, "I plan on staying here. I like it here, everyone is like me."

"Okay," said Johan with a nod. "Luisa, get your parents, warn Rey and Athyne if you can wake them up and I will meet you back here after my fight at the tournament. Stay safe."

"Okay babe," said Luisa. "But if the city is going to be destroyed, why are you still fighting?"

"It will be my best opportunity to warn everyone," said Johan, "everyone will watch the tournament. Furthermore, if we get noticed by a sect early on, it might be beneficial to us. They might be able to help protect us."

Johan sighed.

After a year of hard work, preparation and seeing this tournament as his only avenue for revenge against Armyka, it hurt him to know that wouldn't probably be able to see the tournament the whole way through. But Luisa's and his friend's safety came first.

"Whatever you say," said Luisa, "I trust you and am glad that you are back. Where will we be going?"

"I'll tell you when we get there," said Johan. "Get power generators and flashlights and as many batteries as you can. The place I am taking you to has food but you'll need a source of light."