Wizard City
By Zoram Selrof
Chapter 1: Popular tournament
15:11 PM (Japan Time), Wednesday June the 28th, 2206…
"… Get him! Beast Swing 3!"
"Gra~h!"
"Crap!"
Akatsuki Shidou, Satella Police Officer, was having a battle pitting his custom Wizard, Acid, against a run-of-the-mill Wizard belonging to a man on his thirties.
"Heh! No big deal! Keep at it, Acid!"
"Affirmative."
Acid's powerful attack left deep claws marks on the Wizard's chest armor and he roared: he stopped levitating and fell into the ground, out of energy: the man sighed.
"I win!" Akatsuki exclaimed with a grin.
"Huff… Man… Guess ya do… Alright… Here are the 2 Wizard Points we agreed on."
Akatsuki collected two medals with a bluish Alphabet "W" character engraved on it with TK Tower's silhouette in the background.
"Yessir! I've got 8 Wizards Points. I've only gotta collect another four and I'll classify for the finals!" Akatsuki laughed as he walked away.
"… Get ready." Acid merely replied.
"Akatsuki. Fooling around?"
"By all the… Doña Stalker showed up AGAIN?"
"Hmpf."
"Stop chasing me the whole time, will ya! Queen Tia!"
Queen Tia had her arms folded and looked totally unimpressed at Akatsuki's outburst of frustration.
"Two years! You've been doing this for two years and a week! Ever since the Meteor G thing got destroyed, the only thing you've done is criticize me all over again! CAN'T you do ANYTHING ELSE?" He growled.
"Maybe."
"Hey! But halt right there, you! No coming closer to Hibiki: I thought I'd left it clear and so had Dr. Yoiri?"
"I am bidding my time."
"What? You expect her to give up? She's not the type to give up so easily, just that you know!" Akatsuki growled.
"Ah. So you know her better than Hoshikawa does."
"NO! That's the impression she gives off! Now go collect lilies of the valley in Norway and leave us in peace!"
"Hmpf."
"By all the…! Grah! Sweet Candy! My kingdom for "Sweet Candy"…! I need some! We'll settle this later! GRJTXF!"
Akatsuki walked away at a quick pace while cursing under his breath and being followed by Acid.
"It rather looks like a vicious cycle." He merely commented.
"Ya mean that there's no end to it!" Akatsuki snapped back.
"Could be."
"Could be? There goes the lawyer apprentice again!"
"I am not a lawyer apprentice, Shidou."
"Whatever the ever! Go collect lilies of the valley in Norway too and leave me alone~! GRFTJX!"
15:22 PM (Japan Time)…
"… Phew! I'm fed up with this disguise… But there's no other way around without it! What an eyesore…"
Hibiki Misora, aged fourteen, entered her apartment and took off a blond wig and sunglasses.
Today she sported a blue vest jacket over a reddish t-shirt and jeans along with sneakers.
"Pororon! I know that it bothers you, Misora, but it's the only way not to get surrounded by a mob of die-hard-fans and reporters." Harp told her.
"Setting that asides… I've got 9 Wizard Points. I wonder how Subaru - kun and the others are faring like." Misora switched topics.
"Knowing them… They must be about to make it to the finals. I wouldn't be surprised if War Rock isn't giving Subaru any breaks at all." Harp giggled and sounded amused.
"It wouldn't surprise me, either." Misora admitted.
"Ah! By the way! They finally got rid of that bothersome geezer from back in February, right? Your duet with Moon Disaster was a big success, ya know, Misora! Porororon!"
"Tee, heh, heh. Deserved it, the geezer… Trying to set up a monopoly of records and forcing singers to hand over all of their songs for the guy to monopolize and sell at extravagant prices… That was against any law and against the feelings of singers!" Misora muttered.
"But we beat the gramps and even Hyde and his punk haven't bothered us again." Harp giggled.
"They sure haven't. They're cheap. And silly."
"Well said! Pororon! That's Misora for ya."
"O. K! Another 3 WP left… I'll get 'em all!"
"Go for it! Girls' time!"
17:55 PM (Japan Time)…
"… So! Tsukasa – kun… You must be glad that all the effort you've put into your rehabilitation during these last 4 months paid off… You can now walk normally!"
"True… Yeah… At last… I can bury my nightmares. I'm back to what I used to be… I must thank your support and help, Gino – kun…"
"Don't mind it! Kiboyama Gino 'ere is glad to help."
"Oi! Forgetting us?"
"Well. I know we're newbie guys but we don't wanna be left outta the fun! Right, guys?"
Futaba Tsukasa (sporting his usual clothes and keeping his green hair as it had used to be plus being closer to a meter and sixty in height) was walking down a curved metallic corridor with arched ceiling and having arches every some hundreds of meters: labeled armored door were set on both sides of it.
The person he was talking with was a guy about his age who had bluish eyes and brownish hair.
He sported a blackish sleeveless t-shirt, jeans, a black leather belt and white sneakers: he was one or two centimeters taller than Tsukasa.
"Of course not… Storm!"
A Wizard was accompanying Tsukasa: he looked reminiscent of Gemini, the FM who'd picked him as a host over two years ago.
His main body was shaped like a spheroid and colored in a patch of green identical to Tsukasa's hair.
His head was round and perfectly shaped: a white-like helmet protected it and included a pair of purple-colored thick shades: his skin was normal-colored and his face looked young.
Two sharp needle-like tools emerged from his armored and purple-colored forearms and replaced his normal hands.
The rest of the arms were painted with the black and yellow striping to signal "danger" as if hinting at the usage of the appendixes.
Like most modern Wizards, he had a hover device built into the inferior part of his body instead of legs which had been colored in the same black and yellow stripes combination.
"Well. I'm Storm. Whenever someone needs electrocuting then leave it to me. My appendixes can project up to 100.000 Volts each!" The Wizard introduced himself.
"Hey, Miles! You're right. Not like we intend to forget you…"
Miles's main body was more "humanoid" in shape and colored in a brownish color similar to sand: some patterns had been drawn over the body to form plates of armor.
His helmet had been painted sea blue and black shades hid his eyes yet it looked strong and resistant.
His arms were colored in a reddish color with white color stripes running up and down their length: the forearms had extra armor on them and his hands' "skin" was black.
He carried a round golden shield with a silver edge and center on his left hand which was large enough to protect half of his body.
Like a Roman Legionary, he wielded a large lance with a brown body and silver spear set atop it: the weapon looked easy to maneuver and powerful at the same time.
Like Storm, he also had a hover engine built onto the lower part of his body which allowed him to remain air-bone.
"Good! I have 7 WP. And you, Gino – kun?"
"I have 10 already.
"Whoa. You're fast. But I won't be left behind, Gino - kun! I'll beat you to the remaining points!"
"Come anytime!"
18:04 PM (Japan Time)…
"… Guwa~h! No way, no way, no way~! Why~! Why did I lose~! I am invincible! I should've made it to the finals by now! And proven to Ai – chan I deserve her affection…!"
"Buro~! Ya lost 'cause ya had your head full of idiotic stuff… Gonta! Cry all ya want but what's done is done. No turning back!"
"Guwa~h!"
Ushijima Gonta was crying inside of his chaotic room while Ox, his Wizard, was grumbling and looked annoyed.
"Buro~! The Folder was bad to begin with: point one! I told ya to improve it: point two! There's a limit to what the great me can do alone! There are rules to begin with! And they clearly state that a Wizard can only use one "Special Ability". Since ya chose "Ramming", I was always sacrificing my HP to inflict damage… But you then forgot to back me up! Hence why we've been eliminated. And your greediness to gather Wizard Points quickly by staking ALL of the points you had added to it, too." Ox listed.
"Guwa~h! I had 8! 8! And I had to lose to some silly 4th grade guy! Why, why, why~!" He didn't seem to have listened.
"Buro~! I said it! Your Folder WAS BAD. Ya DIDN'T HELP THE GREAT ME! Ya PICKED THE WRONG ABILITY! Ya WERE GREEDY! Your head WAS FILLED WITH IDIOTIC STUFF!" He yelled.
"Guwa~h! Damn Jack! It's gotta be his fault!"
"Corvus' host ain't to blame! Admit your OWN FAILURE, FATMAN!"
"I AIN'T A FATMAN!"
"YA ARE! IINCHOU SAYS THAT!"
"DAMN KIZAMARO! HE GAVE ADVICE TO THE 4th GRADE JERK!"
"NO! YOU COULD'VE ASKED FOR HIS ADVICE BUT DIDN'T!"
"I'LL REMEMBER THIS!"
18:10 PM (Japan Time)…
"… Achoo!"
"Achoo!"
"Someone is talking badly about us, iinchou."
"Fatman! Gotta be the Fatman!"
"Come on…"
"That name is turning silly."
"You know iinchou, Pedia… She can't see Gonta – kun in front of her without exploding…"
"Lovely."
"Quiet, Mode!"
Saishouin Kizamaro and Shirogane Luna had been going over some reports when they got a cold all of a sudden: Pedia and Mode began to mutter while Luna began to get annoyed.
"If this wasn't enough that repulsive person is trying to rob Subaru – kun's heart!" She cursed.
"Not again, iinchou… Look! That of "stealing the heart" is a metaphor yet Misora – chan isn't doing that. They're just friends like he's friends with all of us!" Kizamaro protested.
"Don't try to elude the reality, Kizamaro! I KNOW IT!"
"Oh not again…" Kizamaro sighed in defeat.
"Hibiki Misora! I won't let cha get away with it! Subaru – kun has a crush on me: I just know it!"
"Wrong…" Kizamaro muttered.
"Stick out cha neck! Mishirushi choudai! I'll slice it!"
"No good…" Kizamaro grimly gasped.
18:22 PM (Japan Time)…
"… H-hello… I'm back…"
"Ah! Utagai – kun… What's the matter?"
Utagai Shinsuke walked into the main WAXA control center, which was filled with activity: Amachi Mamoru greeted him.
"Eh… W-well… I am a bit ashamed to say it, but… I've collected 10 Wizards Points… So…" He admitted.
"WHAT?" Everyone exclaimed.
"Whoa! Cool!" Jack whistled.
"Intriguing." Queen Tia muttered.
"Bravo!" The Chief smiled.
"That's a fine young man over there! Back in my times…" Dr. Yoiri began with a smile.
"… Pop music was popular, we know, hakase…" Akatsuki grinned.
"No, no. What she means is…" Amachi intervened.
"Congratulations, Utagai!" Hoshikawa Daigo patted his back.
"T-thank you, sir…"
"Heh. I missed this thrill." Cygnus admitted.
"… and such, back in the 2180s…" Dr. Yoiri kept on saying.
"… Soda was popular, we know, hakase…"
"And when the 2190s came in then…"
"Josef Nen Toi became popular, we know, hakase… By the way! If we compete then I'll go all out on Utagai – san!"
"Yikes. I knew it: the omens came!" Utagai gasped.
"There aren't omens to begin with…" Cygnus sighed.
18:44 PM (Japan Time)…
"… Been a while since I set foot in here… And… It's been almost two years since I first set foot here… Two years… Time sure flies by, Master…!"
"Doesn't it, Subaru?"
"Mwah, hah, hah, hah. My aunt's ghost would find this place to be comfortable, ya know!"
"Oh come on. Rock. Denpa Bodies don't have aunts."
"Now we do! Mwah, hah, hah, hah."
"What silliness, really."
Hoshikawa Subaru was sitting in a red leather armchair placed within the living room of a house somewhere and close to a non-functioning fireplace.
The other armchair was occupied by a man on his mid-20s who had blackish hair and his eyes irises' were brown: his facial traits looked similar to those of Subaru.
War Rock, Subaru's Wizard, was hovering close by and starting to pull trolls which neither of them seemed to like.
"By the way, Subaru… Could you fill me in regarding this tournament? I've been somewhat disconnected from the news given how I had to work on some hospital stuff." The man requested.
"Hospital Man strikes back!"
"No… I am Dr. Lartes! And you know that, War Rock."
"War Rock! Don't be rude to Master!"
"Mastery Mastering of Masters? Mwah, hah, hah."
"This guy…! Go collect lilies of the valley!"
"Alright! And I'll bring them to Tsukasi~ and Gino Il Napolitano~ saying they're a sign of affection! Mwah, hah, hah!"
"That guy…! Anyway… Let's forget him… Regarding the "Wizard City Tournament"… The organizer is the super-conglomerate "Terapeta Incorporated", which formed several years ago. They threw this "Wizard City Tournament" together because they believe it was about time something was made on a wider scale compared to the small regional Wizard Tournaments." Subaru began explaining.
"And what are the rules?" Dr. Lartes asked.
"Any appliances must be registered via the Hunter – VG to them and they are double-checked by the Satella Police to ensure fair play. The main "Battle Royale" phase lasts four days. All participants are given 2 Wizard Points. Both players must agree on staking a number of Wizard Points at every battle. And, also, Mega and Giga – Class Battle Cards are forbidden so as to make it more accessible to the general public who can't afford them. The winner takes the staked Wizard Points: 12 is the max."
"How many have you gathered insofar?"
"Heh, heh! I've gotten 11 already." Subaru admitted.
"I knew you'd make it far with War Rock's "bust-them-all" attitude, my disciple." Lartes looked amused.
"Only eight persons will make it to the finals. Insofar one has done so, but his or her identity won't be disclosed until tomorrow at 7 o'clock in the evening." Subaru added.
"So, I assume than there is going to be a round of eight to reduce the number to the "Best 4" and then proceed to 2 semi-finals to decide the finalists?"
"I guess so. I'm very excited about it. The whole tournament is taking part in TK City due to its strategic location and wide spaces. Various advertising companies have been invited to promote their products with ads. And several TV companies have gotten the rights of filming, broadcasting, and future record selling. There's a lot of people backing "Terapeta Inc." so they will gain a lot back taking into account the huge amount they must've had to invest in order to set all of this up." Subaru detailed.
"That was obvious. You don't set this up without finding ways to gain profits from it. I'm now quite interested. I'll be seeing how you make your way through it."
"Thank you, sir."
"B-B-B-B-Bertie~! Come to my side~!"
"Not again…"
"OMEGA!"
"Ya called, Dr. House?"
Someone suddenly dropped down from the ceiling and landed in the space amidst the room.
"Calling on Uncle Omega~!"
Omega happened to be a Wizard about a meter and eighty tall.
A blue jewel shaped like an inverted triangle was set on the forehead of his helmet which was emitting a cross-shaped flash.
His eyes' irises were blue and they displayed amusement while long blond hair came out from behind him and reached until the floor.
He had a red vest over his mainly black body and red armor over his forearms and boots: two golden circlets were set around his forearms and on his boots as well.
"Omega – san…! Not again… You act like a spider, sir!" Subaru complained with a groan.
"'Cause I'm a Spider-Man copycat…" He laughed.
"Don't meddle in this, Omega, and don't lay your hands on Subaru. Or else you know what happens!" Dr. Lartes grumbled.
"We sink 'long the clowns!" He laughed again.
"Someone stop him…" Subaru groaned.
"So! Subari~! Go and do some strip-tease!"
"By all the…"
Dr. Lartes violently stood up and signaled Omega with the right hand's index finger.
"Get – out – of – here – NOW." He hissed.
"Yessir! Spider Man V 2206: go!"
He jumped towards the ceiling and attached to it to then crawl away through it while giggling: Subaru was as red as a tomato by now and looked baffled.
"Omega…! I knew I was a bad idea to bring him along as security in case Hyde and the punk tried to do something!"
"… That was… so… embarrassing…!" Subaru muttered.
"Obviously! That guy has a yaoi mentality and we need to purge that: maybe the only good thing is that he doesn't have "that" given how he's an android to begin with…" Dr. Lartes grumbled.
"Y-yeah… That's the good part, true… At least Solo just looked on… Luckily he's been turning serious again."
"Solo looked on? But…" Dr. Lartes frowned.
"W-well… There was… hum… no contact yet… hum… I did stuff… and he merely looked on…"
"That had to be rather embarrassing as well but at least he's not the type to go yelling about it… Anyway! I'm confident that you'll fare nicely enough in the tournament. Go home and rest." Dr. Lartes switched topics.
"T-thank you, Master, sir… I'll do my best, sir."
"I don't doubt you'll do! Go for it, my disciple!"
"B-B-B-B-Bertie~! Hibiki wants the video of your strip-tease~!"
"OMEGA~! YOU BOTHERSOME MEDDLING JERK! YOU'VE DONE IT AGAIN!"
Lovely. This place is turning crazy again…!