บท 133: 131: A Company of Fools: Operation of Pride IV
Contrary to what Vaudwell said, Sin and I were not called on quickly. In fact, almost everyone else in the waiting room got called n before Sin and I. Neither of us complained, though. The extra time gave us plenty of time to study the competition and figure out which opponent we'd likely end up with. All of the arenas had a new king of the hill practically every round except two. The Arena that Rawad Issac was in and the one next to it that had a young woman called Demona Slouge. After their initial win to become the king of the hill, they hadn't lost any of their battles.
"We'll end up fighting those two." Sin observed. I nodded and smirked.
"That gravegyle is very powerful…too bad his splicer doesn't seem to care about his well-being." I said as I watched the evo effortlessly dodge the strikes of a titan.
With a flap of its wings, it flew circles around the titan and slashed at its vital points in its neck and around its kidneys. The Titan was bleeding heavily and moving sluggishly thanks to its wounds. Within a few moments, the titan collapsed to the ground and bled out.
The gravegyle let out a ferocious howl as the announcer notified that the fight was over.
While the gravegyle hadn't received any injuries during this fight, it had received a series of minor wounds over the last five fights. While on the surface, it looked like the wounds weren't any hindrance to its performance. I could see that the way it chose to fight had slowly changed over each fight. Before it was injured, it used very quick and acrobatic movements and complicated aerial attacks, now it's moves were more straightforward and aimed at vital points.
"History books say that gravegyle's were almost invincible during World War Four until liger sharks were created. For some reason, those things were able to pick off those things like flies…" Sin observed.
[STRONGEST THERE IS!] Bone-lasher exclaimed proudly.
"As swift as the gravegyle, it's obvious that it's blind and relies on echolocation to navigate. There are plenty of ways to get around that. While liger sharks are also blind they can see by sensing electromagnetic pulses that all living creatures and inanimate objects give off. Their range is larger and much more accurate, which suits the liger sharks' guerrilla warfare style of fighting." I said.
"Wow, you're actually pretty knowledgeable about evos…" Sin observed. I frowned and looked at Sin.
"You could sound less surprised…" I grumbled.
<Chase, they just put the odds up for you, and Sin.> Nate announced. Sin's expression turned serious.
<How do they look?> Sin asked.
<Really bad. They have ten to one odds on both you and Sin. They haven't announced your opponents, but they don't expect you to win.> Nate replied.
<The moment your names were announced, people started laughing. It seems that nobody here holds you or, rather, Caldifax in high regard. People keep walking up to me and saying how sorry they are that my father is going to embarrass himself in the fight. Apparently, he likes to talk big about besting people in the arena but always chickens out.> Jade said.
<I see….> I replied, then smiled deviously.
<They're going to make us go up against Rawad and Demona for sure. We're expected to lose, and the house takes your one hundred thousand dollars. However, with those odds, if we win, you'll get five hundred thousand dollars.> Sin surmised. He looked over at me and saw me smile and frowned. <Why the fuck is your smile so creepy?>
"Sir Caldifax, Lady Sybil, we're ready for you now." A voice called out to us. Sin and I both turned and looked to the door. A woman dressed in the same uniform as all the red dragon workers stood in the doorway of the waiting room with a smile plaster on her face.
"Looks like we're up. Let's hurry up and get this over with." Sin said with a huff and flicked his hair out of his eye and over his shoulder.
'He's really dedicated to his act as a woman…' I thought.
"After you my dear." I said with a smirk and motioned to the door. Sin gave me a sideways glare then walked over to the door. I chuckled to myself then followed after him.
Sin and I followed after the woman down to the arenas. As we walked across the catwalks that overlooked each of the arenas I noticed the looks of disapproval from the kijdmgs of the hill. Thanks to Nate and Jade's report it wasn't that hard to figure out what they were thinking. Sin and I were meant to lose and be humiliated or rather the Caldifax's were meant to lose. Only we weren't them and there were too much on the line for us to lose.
The woman lead us past the kings that had just been crowned in their arenas. The arenas she was leading to were Rawad's and Demona's. The woman stopped at the challenger platforms for both arenas and motioned to the both of them.
"These are your platforms. Sir Caldifax you will be fighting Rawad, Lady Sybil you'll be fighting Demona. Please be sure to remember the rules of the tournament. You only get one chance to beat the king of the hill, regardless of the result you won't get a do over. While there are no rules about evos fighting each other, interference from a splicer until a winner is announced." The woman said.
"Lets get this over with already." Sin grumbled then stepped onto his platform.
"Now, now dear, remember your manners." I said with a smirk and stepped onto my platform and turned to face Rawad.
Rawad had a cocky look on his face and his gravegyle already in the arena. It stood underneath the platform with its wings tucked behind its back. It looked a little weakened and didn't stand as straight as it had when Rawad summoned it earlier.
"You there, why haven't healed your gravegyle?" I called out to Rawad. He sneered at me and pointed a finger at me.
"I have a name you ass! And it's none of your business what I do with my evos!" Rawad snapped.
"The name of trash that can't even take care of his evo is hardly something I need to remember." I said with a huff.
"Who gives a shit about caring for a evo! It's job is to fight and of it can't fight anymore then it's worthless!" Rawad yelled.
"Who goes a shit…? Eh…" I muttered to myself.
[Ssssstar Ssssshaper!] Alpa'nagia called to me suddenly.
[Something wrong, Alpa?] I responded.
[Let me fight that evo. I ssssssenssssse sssssssomthing within it.]
[Really? You rarely make requests like that…so I guess…] I said. I held my right hand up, and Alpa'nagia's crystalline structure formed then shot put of my crystal. It landed in the arena beneath my platform then shattered. Alpa'nagia burst forth and roared loudly, sending ripples in the air.
Rawad looked less confident as he looked upon Alpa'nagia, who even in the large arena looked massive. He dwarfed the gravegyle by about six feet. Despite the size difference the gravegyle did not look intimidated in the slightest.
"Ladies and gentlemen yet another round is about to start! We have the disgraced champion trying to make a comeback Rawad Issac and a long time gambler turned first time contestant Sir Simon Caldifax!" A voice announced throughout the building.
"I'll let you decide on how you want to take care of that evo Alpa so go wild!" I exclaimed and pointed at the gravegyle.
[Yessssss Ssssstar Ssssshaper!] Alpa'nagia exclaimed.
"On the field we have Rawad's Gravegyle and Sir Caldifax's Hodgepodge! EVO BATTTTTTLE STARRRRRRRT!"
The gravegyle wasted no time and rushed towards Alpa'nagia with its claws extended and aimed at Alpa'nagia's head. Alpa'nagia dodged the attack effortlessly then slithered around the arena. The gravegyle gave chase and attacked Alpa'nagia furiously and without a moment of rest. Alpa'nagia dodged gracefully, his movements so fluid they were almost like a dance.
"HEY! YOU PANSY PRICK! IS ALL YOUR EVO GOING TO DO IS DODGE?!" Rawad roared. No sooner had he said that did Alpa'nagia dodge another one of the Gravegyle's strikes by ducking under a wide swipe of it's claws. Alpa'nagia coiled it's body tightly then slapped the gravegyle across the head with its tail. The gravegyle was sent flying and crashed into the far wall of the arena.
"He's not dodging, he's toying with your evo. A good splicer let's his evos enjoy themselves every once in a while.." I said cockily.
"You Bastard!" Rawad snapped. "DESTRO KILL THAT FUCKING HODGEPODGE!"
The gravegyle stood up and roared again then charged Alpa'nagia. Alpa'nagia inhaled then spat a spray of green gas at the gravegyle. The gravegyle skidded to a stop then snapped its wings open then flew up above the gas.
[It'sssssss injuriessss are sssssslowing it down.] Alpa'nagia reported.
"Ha! What can that little serpent do when it's opponent is in the air?!" Rawad jeered. I rolled my eyes and yawned.
Alpa'nagia snapped open his wings and launched himself at the gravegyle, his own claws extended and ready to rend it in two. The gravegyle twisted its body in mid-air just barely avoiding the attack then dashed towards the support beams. Alpa'nagia gave chase and the two of them flew around clashing between the beams that held up the roof, each trade of blows or slashes sending shockwaves throughout the building.
[Ssssstar Ssssshaper! Thissss evo, it'ssssss mind isssss like a evo-viper.] Alpa'nagia reported. My eyes widened and I jerked my head to look at the ceiling.
[What do you mean? You can enter it's mind like you could the evo-vipers at the college?] I asked.
[Yessssss! I sssssensssse a common link in our blood! Like the sssssnake in the evo-evo-viperssss.
'Common link? That gravegyle doesn't look like it has snake DNA in it. Maybe it's bat…?' I thought.
[Alpa can you control it like you could the evo-vipers?] I asked.
[We ssssshall ssssee!] Alpa'nagia exclaimed.
There was a sudden loud screech followed by a blur crashing into the ground of the arena that send a cloud of dust high into the air.
"What was that?" Rawad gasped. While he speculated who's evo crashed into the arena I already knew it was the gravegyle.
Alpa'nagia slowly descended from the shadows of the ceiling, it's eyes glowed with a golden light as he landed in the arena under my platform. The dust was blown away with a single flap of Alpa'nagia's wings. The gravegyle laid flat on its stomach, it's wings now broken and mangled as well as several deep slashes on it's chest and belly. It was bleeding a fair deal now and obviously in pain.
"Dammit! Destro kill that damn Hodgepodge already?!" Rawad exclaimed.
The gravegyle struggled to stand at it's master's orders. It let out a pained roar and started to charge Alpa'nagia. Alpa'nagia stood and did nothing as the gravegyle advanced. Just as it got within striking distance it suddenly froze in place. It's claws mere inches from Alpa'nagia's chest.
[I have it Ssssstar Ssssshaper.] Alpa'nagia reported.
"Destro! What are you doing? ATTACK!" Rawad exclaimed.
"It can't hear you. My evo has control now." I said with devious smile.
"IT WHAT?!" Rawad bellowed. I smiled then looked over at the woman who had leas Sin and I down to our arena.
"Hey his evo can no longer fight, can you hurry up and declare me the winner." I told her.
The woman rushed onto my platform and looked down at the arena. She blinked several times at the frozen gravegyle then over at Alpa'nagia with it's glowing eyes.
"Umm…how is your evo control another evo?" She asked.
"My precious Alpa is a special evo of a new type that I created that specializes in mind controlling weaker evos using eye contact. What's more Alpa is an ascended." I explained. The woman's and Rawad's eyes both bulged when they heard me say ascended.
"ASCENDED!" Rawad bellowed. I saw his farm crystal glow with increasing intensity as he tried to wrestle control of his gravegyle from Alpa'nagia with no avail. "THAT'S CHEATING!"
"Cheating? I heard no rule about using a ascended or having a evo that controls other evos." I said then shamelessly looked over at the woman. She looked deeply unsure of what to do when suddenly a loud voice rang our throughout the building.
"WINNER! SIR SIMON CALDIFAX!" It called out.
"Hey! I haven't admitted defeat! I can still win!" Rawad yelled.
"RAWAD ISAAC IS UNABLE TO CONTINUE FIGHTING DUE FO SIR CALDIFAX'S ASCENDED EVO. THE WINNER IS SIR CALDIFAX!"
I threw my head back and laughed heartily then snapped my fingers. Alpa'nagia grabbed the gravegyle in all four of his hand and flew up to my platform. I took a few steps back and Alpa'nagia set it down at my feet.
"You lost because you underestimated the power of your opponent and failed to care of your evo. Had you taken care of it's injuries before the fight it would have had a easier time fighting my Alpa." I criticized then placed my hand on the Gravegyle's head. "This Gravegyle is a strong and intelligent fighter, it's rarity and experience also makes it criminal to leave it in the hands of one so…neglectful."
My farm crystal glowed as a crystalline structure formed around the gravegyle then flew into my crystal. Rawad's and the woman's eyes bulged and their mouths dropped.
<Did you just steal another splicer's evo?!> Sin screamed.
<WHAT?!> Jade, Nate, and Bo all screamed.
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Hutexa_The_Djinn
Hutexa_The_Djinn [HUTEXA_THE_DJINN Here! I know it's been a while since I actually left a comment here but I have been dealing with some personal stuff behind the scenes. The last few chapters were edited before this resurgence of trouble. I'm not going on another hiatus, just putting that put there, just wanted to thank everyone for their continued support as well as field a question. if I made a Twitter page that featured art from the book would you like to see it?]
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