The crowd outside went wild as I stood back up I looked around my body. My skin had a weird shimmer to it, and little zips of lightning flashed around my body. A small, strange dust cloud of what looked like my skin danced around me each time I moved. (It's not perfect, I can see that some of my cells are turning into gas, but still, if I can beat him before my entire body goes, it'll be worth it.) I got into a ready stance and focused my mind; he did the same.
(Right, let's do this)
I dashed forward and suddenly found myself at the opposite side of the ring, leaning heavily on the edge. (Damn, that was so fast that I didn't even see what happened. When I normally teleport, time kind of slows down for me just for a second, giving me enough time to keep track of what I'm doing, but with this. That slowed-down section is gone. I'm still nowhere near the speeds that I reach when I teleport, but even this speed is too insane. I'll have to move gently. Alright, focus again.) I calmed my breathing and aimed again. This time, Itsuki struck first. He fired off two relatively slow shots at me, and I dashed to the side at about the top speed of an average car, I guessed. (I'm getting the hang of this.) I rushed forward and landed my first hit on him, but...(the hell...dust?) As my fist hit his face, it turned into ash, then reformed slowly as I refocused. I could see that I had done some damage to him, but by the looks of it, my fist had lost a lot of skin. I felt nothing, of course, but that didn't mean that I wouldn't feel it later. (Alright, so punching is out of the question then...how about...a little bit of plagiarism) I ran at him and struck a blow to his head. As he raised his hands, I twisted in the air over him and stole some of his steal balls.
"Bastard, that's mine!" He yelled.
"Then take them back." As I took one, I jumped and hurled it at him. He quickly dodged, but I had another one coming at him. He caught it in mid air, twisted, then sent it back at me, barrelling through my head. Everything went fuzzy all of a sudden, slowly but surely, the surge of energy was disappearing, and the pain in my body was returning. (Shit, I have to call back the missing cells in my head or else I'll die.) Itsuki noticed my vulnerability and wasted no time closing the distance with his hand outstretched. I jumped backwards, bad move. In the middle of my jump, his hand hit my chest. He was going to use his miso to push me out. (I have to do something...wait one second.) Whether it was a stroke of divine luck or pure genius, I dropped my last disc on the floor and stepped on his chest, pushing myself upwards. (His miso can only increase the speed of an object, not its direct... therefore...) I was shot at insane speeds into the sky. The ground was so far down that I couldn't see the people anymore. The entire island came into view. I could see the playground, the main city, the Kara-no-goki shipyard... everything. (Alright now, let's do this.) I began falling to the ground faster and faster. Itsuki had moved away from my other disc (doesn't matter, although I can't control an object's speed like you, unlike you, I can control its direction.) I motioned my body to fall towards him, he jumped into the air to meet my face with a spinning kick...just as he got close, I switched off my ability and teleported to my disc from earlier. Just three meters away from him. I flue at him, nailing him in the face with all that built up moment from my fall. I could hear his and my bones crack at the sheer force of that hit. The sound alone was defining. His body ragdolled out of the arena as I fell to the ground once more. I got on my knees, feeling like I had just carried the entire sky on my shoulders.
"Don't...ever...under... estimate me." I fell to the ground from exhaustion. An earth-shaking cheer rang through what felt like the entire island, even though most of my hearing was gone even I could still hear it. Medics rushed to my worn-out body as my vision went black.
"Aaaah, my poor head," I slowly opened my eyes to a small hospital room. In the room was a white chair with white cushions, a white computer with a white keyboard, white blankets and a white bed, a white doctor in a white coat, but at the end of the room was a small black dot...as usual, it caused my blood to boil a little. Why did that bother me so much? Everything was so white and sterile, it was agonising, but that dot made it so much worse. I wanted to destroy the wall.
"I see you've awoken...good." She leaned over and kissed my forehead.
"Stop it, aunty, I'm not a little kid anymore." I groaned.
"Yes, yes, Mr big strong man." She sang mockingly. It's hard to tell what she's thinking, honestly, she has a stern look on her face all the time that not even my mother could compete with, yet she loved showing affection, well, to me anyway.
"It was hard putting you back together again, you know, Itsuki messed you up good. Honestly, you'd think that he won the fight if you compared injuries alone. How are you feeling, Liam?"
"Like I got run over by a train."
"Good, pain means that you're...?"
I sighed, "Still alive."
"Precisely, take these pills. I'm sure Uncle Aamon will be looking for you, so you'll need to be able to move. This pill will give you five hours of movement at least." She handed over three small black pills.
"Thanks." I chugged them down with orange juice.
"Honestly, Liam, your father told you not to use that form anymore, yet you did it anyway, the last time you misplaced your liver, and before that, your body was becoming sludge."
"And you replaced it and fixed me both times, see it all worked out."
She turned around and pinched my cheek, "so irresponsible! Anyway, your father and friends are in the hallway, I'll let them know that you're up."
"Thank you, Auntie. How much do I owe you now?"
"That's five debts now, one for your arm, one for your liver and two for Mr Hamilton."
The sound of that name made my heart sink, "Alright, got it. Don't I owe that last debt to grandfather?"
"No, he passed it on to me to collect since I took care of the body. Alright, that should cover the report. I'll be back with your friends."
She elegantly walked out of the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. My body tingled with electricity from using that form (I actually survived, I didn't actually think I would, but here I am. If I could survive once, that means I can survive again. I have to master it.)
Before long, the door swung open, and Hida and Hisashi gave me a huge hug. Yato and Vesta stood at my bedside.
"Dude, that was frikken incredible! I didn't know you could move that fast." Yelled Hisashi.
"You idiot, you shouldn't have used that form. The doctor told us everything; you could have died. What do you expect us to do without our leader, dumbass? I won't allow you to die, yet you hear me!" Scolded Hida.
"Yes, ma'am," I said, smiling. In the corner of my eye, I saw my dad smiling at me, "You gonna yell at me to?"
"I don't think yelling will be punishment enough for you; you'll get to suffer later. For now, I'm just glad that you're alive, nice work, kid." He turned around and began walking off. We spent a few hours making jokes and chatting, then the intercom went off.
"Liam Kara-no-goki, please make your way to Lord Kara-no-goki's office."
"That's my cue to leave."
The others wished me luck as I limped out. Despite the meds given to me, I could still feel some numbness in my spine, and my hand had lost a lot of flesh from that one punch. Walking to my grandfather's office was a lot of work, but I reached it eventually. The door was... sturdy to say the least. It was an eight-foot double door made of thick red coloured wood with golden demon heads on each door. It had two ring-shaped handles and all sorts of expensive-looking paintings spread across each door depicting a battle between good and evil. With all my remaining strength, I pushed one open and walked into an obsidian room made mostly of tiles and curtains of a lava-like liquid. It had a long hallway with the liquid sinking down the glass wall into an abyss in the floor. As I walked down the hallway, the room expanded into a large rectangular room the size of a basketball court with a large circular pillar in the centre as a stage. The circle was surrounded by a deep moat of the clearest water I've ever seen. (I really hate this part, I can never tell if the bridge is here or not) I took a step forward into the water, and as my foot sank, it met with a hard glass surface about five centimetres below the water. I carefully walked in the water and waited at the base of the stage.
"Permission to stand on the stage, Grandfather," I said in a shaky voice.
"Granted."
Miss Saeko walked away and elegantly sat in a small chair to the left of the computer and its table. I walked onto the stage and knelt on one knee with my head lowered.
"I am glad that you are well, Grandfather, and I hope you shall find yourself in even better health."
"Thank you, my boy, tell me, how are you feeling. That was quite the battle."
"I am glad that my fight was to your liking, Sir, but I fight for you and no one else." (As long as I keep this up, he'll--)
"Forget about your friend's transgressions? You are not so lucky."
My heart sank like a rock. (how did he know what I was thinking, I have to do... no... no lying or trying something slick will only make things worse, I'll just have to hope the truth will save them)
"I have what I need, child. Your friends are safe. I'll forgive them all... this time."
"Thank you, Grandfather, your generosity knows no bounds."
"Now tell me how is the doner?"
"Doner?"
"Yes, the one my dear daughter calls her spouse."
Rage built up in my chest as I heard that. (No, calm yourself, Liam)
"Please refrain from disrespecting him; he has done good by you and our family. He deserves the name of Kara-no-goki."
"He regularly disobeys orders from higher ranks and has undermined my daughter countless times during missions, even the ones coming directly from me. He's no Kara-no-goki, he's a misoless joke. The only reason I keep him alive is for his fighting skill and his seed."
Rage overwhelmed me as my muscles tensed and readied to attack. I was about to stop myself when suddenly I was shoved to my knees by an invisible wall. I looked to the left and saw Miss Saeko's eyes glowed a blood-chilling blue.
"Kneel before your master." She said in a cold voice.
"You, Liam, are no better. First, you let an important business official of mine die, leaving his wife and children widowed." The pressure increased. " Then you attempt to rob the home of one of my own children" Once again, another increase, now I had to keep my hands on the floor to avoid falling. "Now you terrorise my people by committing armed robberies of my establishments. The simple fact that you are in my presence yet still breathe is a testament to my generosity."
"How do you..."
"WAKE UP, BOY. I own this island and everyone in it. I know each of your partners by name and face, I know their families, and I know their histories. I know more about them than you do, and frankly, I don't care. Your foolishness is of no concern to me. Rob all you wish, I'll keep your secret. Just stay out of my Playground and stay away from my trains. It seems that I'll need to lock the carts now. How humiliating."
The pressure subsided, and I was able to stand again.
"Thank you again for your kindness. I will not soon forget it."
"You best not. Now do me a favour and disappear."
I walked out of the room with my head low, heading towards the bathrooms. I quickly washed my face off as the previous events replayed in my mind. (Damn it, I couldn't even ask about the inheritance. One of these days, I'll kill him....what am I thinking, some people are beyond my reach.) I punched the mirror and began walking back to my friends.
"Liam." I caught my mother in the hallway.
"I heard that you won."
"He put up a fight, but victory was ultimately mine."
"You should have beaten him sooner."
"What?"
"If you had simply listened to me, you would have won easily, but look at you. It's humiliating that you'd have the gall to stand in front of my father looking so... ragged. Victory should be flawless. Why do you never listen to me anymore? Honestly, you're such a..."
"Disappointment?"
"Precisely."
"I've always struggled to please you, you know. Ever since I was seven, nothing was good enough for you. Nine years, that's how much time I sacrificed for your pleasure. I couldn't have friends unless it was business-related. I couldn't go outside unless it was for training. Mother, I couldn't even eat unless I completed a mission for you. Do you have any idea how messed up that is? You don't do you, you know....that's the worst part, the fact that you don't get it. I don't listen to you, and you ask me why, when I tell you you don't care. You and I are finished. I am Liam Argent."
"You're taking your father's name? How DARE you."
"I'll be legally changing it soon enough. I don't need you or Grandfather to make my own fortune, I'll do it on my own, and the Argent name will surpass the Kara-no-goki."
"N-now Liam, hold on a moment, don't make any rash decisions, your grandfather might..."
" He made it clear that I can do as I please, and I am inconsequential to him. Beating him directly may be out of my reach, but his name, that I can take away."
I walked away from her with a proud look on my face, but what she didn't see was the sweat flowing down my spine as fear gripped me, (can I really get away with this...no, I've made up my mind, that's what the Phantom Dragons will be for me, my vengeance. You happy Hisashi, I finally have something of my own to fight for.)
I made my way outside to meet everyone. The streets were littered with trash from all the visitors. I felt like walking with the others, so I sent my car home. The sun was setting as the sky turned amber. Vesta was with her siblings, joking about their different face paints.
"Hey Liam, you good?" Asked Vesta.
"I'm fine, let's get going, shall we?" I answered.
"Ya, we need to come up with a plan to make up for that lost money bag."
"Hey, Maze." It was a familiar girl; she was the one with the neon hoodie from the meeting earlier today. (Her name was Gamer, right? She must be collecting debt or something?) I quickly prepared for combat, but found my body to be extremely stiff. (Damn, I can't do much like this.) Then I looked around me, and everyone else had done as I did and prepared for combat, ready to defend Hisashi. "Vesta, I can't fight like this, but I'll take your siblings far away from here."
"Thank you, Liam, truly."
"No, guys, stop, I'm sure we can all come to a peaceful solution." Respond Hisashi.
"We can." Chirped gamer. She turned around and beckoned another girl to come. She was dressed in a onesie and had a massive body pillow with some muscular anime catboy on it. Hisashi walked up to them, and they walked together out of earshot. The one-sie girl gave him a file and then fell asleep standing. Gamer took out a knuckle buster and smiled at us. She drew her fist back and barreled it into Hisashi's face. Hida pulled out what looked like a steampunk paintball gun. She launched into an attack, but Hisashi yelled for her to stay put, "Think of Sweet Miss Shitarin, if you get involved, we will put him in debt too." Said Gamer. Hida stayed her hand as Hisashi was further beaten. Gamer repeatedly punched Hisashi in the face, easily drawing blood. I could hear the cracking of bone and the splashing of blood. Hisashi kept choking. Vesta and I covered the children's eyes as this went on for what felt like an eternity. Eventually, Gamer was satisfied and decided to take her sleeping companion away, "three months, that's all you'll get...damn deadbeat."
Hida rushed to Hisashi to pick him up and sat him on the walkway.
"I'm sorry, I should ha..."
"It's okay, Hida, this was how I paid for the missing money. I think...I think we should end our group. Things are getting too real. And what they want next it's suicide."
"What did they say?" I asked.
"They said that I can clear my entire debt if I complete this next job."
"That's good, then let's get it."
"We'd be considered terrorists by everyone on and off the island."
"What's the job? You've helped all of us, Hisashi, just say and we'll do it." Said Vesta.
"They want us to steal a blueprint...to a weapon that the Kara-no-goki's are building."
"You'd have to be more specific," I said.
"High security, basically black ops level serious. Not even I know what it is. I've scanned the building before, and it looked clear, but they say it has an extra room that I missed. How's that even possible?"
"Oh god, with something like that...." Said Vesta.
"It'd be dangerous to get involved. Look, I don't want you guys involved, alright. I'll find another group and see what I can do."
"No, we'll do this with you; we all came this far together. We'll finish together, too. Besides, I'm tired of running. I say we use this weapon against them and wipe them out. They've terrorised you long enough, Hisashi. By the end of this, the name Peacekeeper will be nothing but a distant memory. Will you all stand with me?"
"YA!" Yelled Yato.
"If he's in, then so am I; those bastards have it coming." Responded Vesta.
"Hida?" I asked.
"Definitely, let's kill them all." She responded.
"You guys....y....thank you." He said in the middle of tears.
(This is it, I'll take down my Grandfather soon, but first, I'll destroy our enemies. Let the games begin.)