Chương 100: Where is he?
"Ladies and Gentlemen! The moment you've all been waiting for, the Final Battle of the Dojo Showdown!"
'Failure.'
In one of the dark hallways that led to the seating area of the Coliseum, one could see a tall boy with long and lavish brown hair, sharp eyes and a chiselled jawline, could be seen standing within it, just close enough that he was able to see the Coliseum's stage.
'I've failed.'
Eli thought to himself, listening to the announcer with a deep scowl on his face.
All he ever wanted to accomplish in his life…was to keep the torch that was his father's legacy burning brightly.
And he'd already failed before even starting.
Of course, there would be more chances. But without this Final Showdown, his plans would be set back a few years, if not permanently.
If that weren't enough, he lost…to a boy.
Eli was honourable. He was taught to accept a loss with a bow and learn from it.
And although he tried his best to move on and fix what he'd done wrong, he couldn't help but feel emotions burning inside him like a furnace.
Most prominently rage.
He wanted to be honourable.
He wanted to be humble.
He wanted to be the man his father tried his best to raise.
But why…
'Why am I so damn angry?!'
Eli grits his teeth as hard as he can, burying his head inside his two palms as he tries to resist the urge to tear off his face.
-CLACK CLACK CLACK
Before Eli could act any further, he heard loud footsteps that echoed through the dark hallway, causing him to snap his head back in surprise.
He'd been so caught up in his thoughts and emotions that he'd forgotten he was in a public space.
However, upon turning around, he was met with a cloaked figure that stood as still as a statue.
Eli paused, confused.
"Can I help you?" He asked.
Now that he thought about it, it was rare to see anybody around here at this time. The audience arrived early to get the best seats, and anyone who arrived late wouldn't trouble themselves by coming so far into the Colosseum for a seat after the event had already started.
Not to mention the obvious suspicious and mysterious nature that shrouded the figure as Eli couldn't even see his face.
"I'll ask you once more…"
-WHOOSH
Eli was prepared to act if he needed to; however, before he could finish his sentence, the figure disappeared from his position.
It was as if the mysterious man had disappeared into thin air as all Eli could hear was the sound of the brisk wind.
And before Eli even had time to move, the figure could be seen standing before him.
Eli didn't have time to even breathe as the figure leisurely appeared face to face with him, whispering a few words and causing the long-haired boy to widen his eyes in shock.
-WHOOSH
And once again, the sound of wind was all that could be heard as the figure disappeared as fast as he came.
"What…"
Eli was left stunned in the middle of the dark hallway, unsure of what to make of the situation.
***
~Meanwhile~
"Ladies and Gentlemen! The moment you've all been waiting for, the Final Battle of the Dojo Showdown!"
An announcer yelled into his microphone, his voice filled with enthusiasm and gravitas as his showmanship made the excitement of the audience grow all the more wildly.
-CHEER
The audience roared, their joint voices ringing out all through Ashton City.
One could see, in the VIP section, a bald man with a scruffy ginger beard and a scar traced upon his forehead clapping as he smiled widely.
Beside him was a man who looked far older as evidenced by his grey goatee and slick black hair with strands of grey in them.
Despite this, his sharp blue eyes seemed as though they hadn't dulled, still bright and full of life.
Additionally, his large and bulking muscles that his robe-like garment failed to cover made him seem as though he was in his prime.
"Harrison, don't think I don't know what you're doing with that F-Ranker you've selected to fight my Grandson. I must say, it's a cowardly scheme."
The man with the grey goatee spoke with a thick and heavy tone, fitting his large and intimidating figure while still putting on a smile and clapping with the audience, his lips moving ever so slightly so that he wasn't noticed.
"I have no idea what you mean, Chamberlain. I simply thought the boy was talented."
Harrison did the same as he clapped and smiled at the crowd while whispering under his breath.
"I was hoping this could be a fruitful opportunity for my boy to further his current skills. Let's just hope Jett doesn't beat him too quickly, so Ashton City…no, all of Spawn are entertained before your loss."
Chamberlain mocked as the crowd silenced and the announcer continued.
"On one hand, we have the firstborn child of the Hale lineage and arguably the greatest Martial Artist of his generation."
"So much so that it was enough to recognise him as one of the great Golden Six."
The crowd clapped while cheers and whistles of obvious supporters could be heard.
But this was already something they knew. After all, this is what they came for. Part of what made the Final Showdown so popular was the Hale name.
No, instead, everyone was interested in who Jett would be facing.
"On the other hand, we have Isaac of Aurelius Academy. Now folks, not much is known about this youngling. He seemingly appeared out of nowhere. But I can tell you one thing. The boy is a Wanderer!"
The announcer yelled this last sentence as he tried to match this shocking fact with some dramatic flare.
Many knew Isaac was a Wanderer.
Including not only his whole class that was currently here but all of the first years who all happened to be in the Coliseum.
Well, minus Daniel of course.
But for those who didn't know, it was clear as countless gasps and deafening silence could be heard.
"A Wanderer?"
"I didn't know they actually existed."
"How long has it been since he completed his first scenario? Why isn't this front-page news?"
They asked this, confused, but for those who knew, it was obvious.
'Because he's a disappointment.'
A one-of-a-kind Wanderer.
First in generations.
But only an F-ranker.
Upon the few who knew of this, they all had the same thought.
'What a waste.'
So much so that they wanted nothing but to forget it.
Of course, the coliseum knew this but purposefully withheld the information.
The reason for this was simple.
To have everyone shaking in their boots with excitement.
Telling them the truth would only ruin this.
"A Wanderer Vs a Prodigy. Place your bets, people. This is a battle you'll only see once in your lifetime."
***
In a fairly sized room with simple white tiles on the ground, a few lockers benches and a blue closed door, a boy with jet black hair and sharp blue eyes could be seen with both hands wrapped in bandages, clasped together and over his mouth.
'The way he fought.'
Jett thought to himself.
The fight between Eli and Isaac kept playing over and over in his mind like a broken record.
Specifically the end of the battle where Isaac won.
Upon first seeing it, Jett felt as though his heart skipped a beat but he didn't know why.
He didn't know why he felt so drawn to the last few seconds of the battle more than the battle itself.
'It's as if…he was willing to suffer the blow to secure the win.'
Isaac intentionally misled Eli and put himself at risk against a devastating blow to land his winning kick.
That was it?
So what was it that made Jett so…uneasy?
Jett was a naturally timid individual, but this was different.
It felt as though the answer Jett was looking for was so close, in arms reach yet kept slipping away between his fingers.
-CREAK
A slight creak could be heard, snapping Jett from his trance as he looked up, only to be met with a familiar face.
"Master Jett, is everything okay?" A middle-aged man with black hair, glasses and a black and white suit could be seen entering the room.
"Edward? Yes, I'm perfectly fine." Jett put on a smile.
Edward paused for a second as an expression of sympathy slowly crawled onto his face.
"Master Jett, it's perfectly fine to be nervous."
Jett shook his head.
"It's not that. I've just had a lot on my mind. Besides, why would I be jealous? I get all the girls and I beat the strongest men, remember? I can't be nervous."
Jett rose to his feet as he gave a thumbs up.
Meanwhile, Edward simply sighed upon hearing this, his previous show of loving nurturing gone.
"Don't let your mother hear you saying that. She's already heard that enough her whole life from Grandmaster Hale."
Though Edwards spoke in a joking manner, both he and Jett knew there was truth to his words.
Since Jett's mother was the firstborn child of Grandmaster Hale and wasn't the son Chamberlain was hoping for, he was unsure of how to pass down the family tradition.
"Definitely not," Jett replied in a defeated tone.
Edwards smiled, inwardly chuckling as he pulled open the door.
"We must get going. Your battle is set to start any second now."
***
"Please Welcome, the Prodigy of the Hale lineage, Jett Hale!"
The announcer yelled as the audience roared, whistles and cheers filling the coliseum.
"Finally. They sure do love to tease everyone with this." Amara spoke in an exasperated tone, though only Cain could hear her through all the cheers.
"Go, Jett!" Ava yelled, her voice not making it very far amid all the excitement.
"I'll cheer for you just this once, you pervert!" Heather added, her voice also being drowned out.
The cheers increased upon Jett stepping onto the stage, his demeanour seeming confident as he waved and seemed to be soaking in the applause.
He blew kisses at a few females in the audience, performed a few impressive shows of acrobatics and held up a peace sign, all while the audience matched his enthusiasm.
During all this, inside the VIP room, loud laughter that made the room rumble could be heard.
"Hahaha, look at that kid! He's practically pissing his pants!" Chamberlain roared, tears forming in his eyes as he slapped his knee.
"You mean Jett? The same kid who's currently using a ruler to gesture the length of…wait a minute…oh no…those poor girls."
Harrison pinched the bridge of his nose as his face darkened.
"Ahahaha, the ruler trick! I taught him that! Girls like it when you're direct, ya know!" Chamberlain added.
"Well, there you have it Ladies and Gentlemen. We now have an accurate description of the Hale's secret "5 Limb" technique."
The announcer continued, taking a few seconds to giggle as he put the microphone away from his lips.
"Oh my…" Ava commented as she chuckled awkwardly.
"That pervert! I've changed my mind, I'm rooting for that other guy." Heather added as she crossed her arms.
"Hahaha, what a legend! He said he'd do it but I didn't believe him." Cain held his stomach as he laughed.
Meanwhile, Amara facepalmed herself as she helplessly sighed with a smile.
"Now, for our second fighter. The mysterious, the hidden gem, the Wanderer of Aurelius, Isaac!"
Silence enveloped the coliseum as for once, no one had uttered a word.
The anticipation had reached its climax. Everyone wanted to catch a glimpse of the so-called Wanderer. The diamond in the dirt that no one knew anything about.
Everyone watching inside the Coliseum and from all around Spawn shared in this curiosity.
Even Lucy and the others had halted their chatter and had their eyes glued on the stage.
But as the seconds passed…nothing happened.
"What's going on?"
"Isn't he supposed to be here by now?"
"Maybe we should give it a few more seconds."
And so the audience…no, all of Spawn waited for Isaac to step onto the stage.
1 minute.
2 minutes.
And finally 3.
Murmurs started to fill the stands as the announcer was forced to act.
Putting the microphone to his lips, he chuckled nervously as he spoke, asking the question everyone had on their minds.
"Excuse me? Where is Isaac?"
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Next chapter title: It all starts now!
NNext chapter: He's a Monster!
NNext chapter: Kitsune's Pall [1]
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