Author's Note: Usually, I save these for the end, but there's a few things I want you, the viewers, to know.
1. Because a good friend of mine informed me that censoring almost every swear word is annoying to look at, the 'MAX Gigify' entry will be M-Rated if/when it's time for another fight scene with him. But, as this story isn't nearly as…sadistically-minded, it's going to remain T-Rated.
2. Canadian students finish their education in June, rather than late May. My final exam was on Friday, which I find a good enough reason for why I didn't even start typing this chapter until this weekend.
3. When I first heard of my opponent, Cho Hakkai, I said that writing this chapter would be difficult, as I had never played the game he was in before. Then, I read his entry piece, and realized that he was from an anime…and since the name Goku was mentioned, I almost foolishly thought (like a foolish fool) that he was from Dragonball Z. And now, even though I've FINALLY found out what series Hakkai comes from, I'll still probably mess this up really, really badly…
4. Have any of you ever played the DS game 'Avalon Code'? If so, a few friends and I are planning to co-write a story about what life might have been for the first person that wielded the Book of Prophecy. If you want to be a part of it, don't feel afraid to ask. However, it's recommended that you have beaten the game first, as there will certainly be a few spoilers…
5. My current page poll is about what kind of story I should start up next. So far, I've got about five votes. I was kinda hoping for more, though, so I thought I'd let wonderful readers such as yourselves get a chance to say a thing or two about my future in fanfiction fabrication.
6. This list is now six sections long. Do you think lists are fun? I think lists are fun. I'm zany like that.
7. Someone (probably the friend from list item #1) was wondering why I occasionally broke the fourth wall, having characters reference things like being censored and whatnot. While it's partly because I like writing the comedy this ensues, it's also because Medium Awareness of being inside a piece of fiction seems to be a trait of Nippon Ichi characters.
8. Did I forget to put a Disclaimer on Page 1? ...Meh; it's not like any of you think that I'm the true owner of any of these characters. I think I'd get a lot more reviews if that was the case, though...
Okay; now that the list's done, let's get the chapter started! I'll warn you, though; it's not all that exciting, mainly because it's hard to have an action-packed brawl between two White Mages…even if one's part demon, and the other a spy.
Chapter 1: A TALE OF TWO CLERICS
"So…are you SURE you didn't get a chance to stuff some hotpods down your pants before you got shipped off to this pile o' dirt? I'm freakin' STARVING over here!"
Vitali couldn't help but think what a pain this tournament would be. The fact that he had been forced to attend this death match because of a crime he didn't commit was only the icing on the cake. Now, he was stuck with Gig on an island with no escape. When he quit his job as a spy and went after his true passion of cooking, he had hoped to get away from these kinds of predicaments. But, when you happen to know a former Master of Death, that's rather hard to do.
…Where were we earlier? Oh, yeah; Gig was complaining about his hunger.
"As you've already told me. In fact, that's the fifteenth time you've told me in less than three minutes," Vitali told him. It had actually been the fifteenth time in a single minute, but when dealing with a man like Gig, time seemed to slow down as to allow as much irritation as possible. "Gig, the purpose of this competition is 'survival'. Other than what we need to fend off any competitors, we're supposed to earn whatever benefits we need to continue. Besides, as a chef, I am strictly opposed to unsanitary acts such as storing food inside of one's garments."
"You and your stupid ethics. Well then, guess it's time to take matters into my own hands," Gig said. The former demon then said he'd go to find something edible, and also to let him know if Vitali spotted Jade Curtiss again. Jade Curtiss was a fairly reasonable kind of character, and probably would have made a great acquaintance had he not been the one to zap Gig unconscious and drag them both to this island.
"Fine; I'll survey the nearby area and try to find a place for us to set camp," Vitali replied. Gig had rushed off in such a hurry that he must've only heard half of that sentence, but it didn't really matter to Vitali. Although he was a mature individual, and Gig's help would certainly be needed, it would be nice not to see him for a few minutes.
~!~!~
It had taken less than two minutes for Vitali to reach the westernmost edge of the island's southern tip. The elevation at his current location was at least a few feet higher than sea level. The cleric was hoping that the water had eroded a cavern of sorts into the rocks, which would provide as good shelter as long as the island wasn't heavily affected by high tide. That was one of the usually-looked implications when it came to barriers, magical or scientific. Would the water always be at the same level as the rest of the sea? And for that matter, was there only a limited amount of air? The cleric made a mental note to study such things further after finding out how to get off of this bloody island in one piece.
He was about to scale down the rock face to investigate further, when he heard sounds coming from below. Lying close to the ground, Vitali inched closer to the edge, and peered downwards into the waves below. There was a small ledge near the water's edge, and standing upon it appeared to be a young man with a green cloak. Vitali was not certain what this character was capable of, so he decided to remain silent and observe him for a long as physically pos-
"You can stop hiding now," the stranger announced. "While there are many on this island that wouldn't notice your espionage tactics, my senses are a tad higher than theirs, and thus, your efforts are waited. But, since it would be a shame for your efforts to be wasted, I'll share some information with you: all I'd like to do is leave this deserted landscape, reunite with my companions, and find a nice meal. What you do with that knowledge is up to you."
Vitali was a bit stunned at this. After years of practice, plus the fact that not even former demigod Gig could ever see him sneaking about, he had become used to not being spotted so abruptly. He briefly considered his options. The man didn't seem too threatening, but it could all be a ruse. However, there was a high probability that Vitali wasn't the only one who wanted to escape. Plus, if it wasn't this man that would steal his life, it was bound to be someone else. So, Vitali decided to take a chance and try to converse with the character.
"If I were a lesser man, I would have taken that chance to strike. However," the cleric said, as he climbed down to the ledge that the man was on, "I am certainly no lesser man. As I wish to escape this dreadful place as much as you seem to do, I think it would be best if we worked together rather than against each other. My name is Vitali. And yours is?"
"Cho Hakkai. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," the green-cloaked man uttered as he extended his hand. As Vitali reached out and shook it, he noticed a few more details about the character he had missed from afar. Most notably, there appeared to be some sort of mechanical apparatus in place of his right eye. For a second, Vitali had the urge to inquire about it, but declined; after all, if Mr. Hakkai had opted for such a device rather than a mere replacement eye, there must be some complicated story behind such a decision.
"So," Cho continued, "where shall we begin? I was hoping to find some shelter nearby, so perhaps we could search in tandem. Or, perhaps we should not worry about where we shall stay as much as where we shall go, and who we shall encounter along the way. But, no matter the case, we had best hurry; just the thought of remaining in this brutal competition makes my blood curdle."
"Indeed. What kind of savage, ruthless barbarian would even think of supporting a competition like this, let along run it?"
~!~!~
Cut to Travis Touchdown, whose bike was formerly dented slightly, but has been repaired thanks to the technology at his outpost. The world's top-ranked assassin was sitting in front of a wall of monitors, much like the kind he'd seen in some of those retro sci-fi movies. His feet were propped up on a nearby table, and he held a can of soda pop in one hand. To your average man, it would appear that he seemed perfectly at home in this environment. The average man would be correct.
As Travis watched the screens, he noticed something peculiar happening on one of them, and decided to use a nearby phone to inform B.O.R.E.D.'s main men about it. "Hey, HQ! Check out the feed from camera 63! It looks like two of our more pacifistic fighters have somehow bumped into each other. Now, this might be just me, but I don't think the fans are going to like some kind of alliance this early on. That…spacey guy with the weird last name? Cee-bah-oth or something? If he REALLY can mess with people's minds from afar, get him to do something about this."
As Travis hung up the phone, he could hear a beeping sound coming from behind him. At first, he was worried that he had been lied to, and that another nameless goon was about to use an explosive device in order to claim his title as #1 assassin. Then he realized that he was microwaving popcorn, and decided to quickly get out of his seat and grab a bowl.
~!~!~
Back with the two medicine men, they were now experiencing slight headaches. This was due to HQ relaying Travis' message to C'Baoth, and the Force-user focusing on their particular area. However, of the two, Vitali was having an easier time trying to stay focused. While neither of them was above the powers that were trying to influence their actions, Cho had been in far more scraps than the other medic, and thus the concept of fighting for survival was not as foreign an idea.
"Ugh…something doesn't feel right…my youkai blood is…is…AUGH!" Cho burst as he held his head in anguish. Vitali could only watch as the other man changed before his eyes. No longer did he have that look of class, of intelligence, of kindness; his eyes were not akin to that of a beast most feral. And though his body never changed, his stance was far tenser than it was before. To make a long description short, Vitali was now in deep s**t.
"…'Youkai'? I don't think I've heard that term before. Would you mind explaining what it-" Vitali uttered, but stopped short when he noticed that one of Mr. Hakkai's hands was now aglow. Fearing that an attack was about to be made, Vitali ducked, just in time for a blast of energy to soar over his head.
"Shut up, traitor to humanity! My heightened senses smell the scent of a demon on you, and I shall not allow those that associate themselves with evil to go unpunished!" Cho shouted, in a brash tone, as he attempted to swing his fist at Vitali. However, the latter of the two reflexively dodged to the side before he could get hit. Without something to impact, and thus stop the forward force, Cho lost his footing and tripped forward. As some of you may remember, both competitors were still on a small ledge on the side of a rock wall. Thus, when Cho fell, it was off of the ledge and into the ocean below. Not the best way to end a fight, but it was satisfactory enough for Vitali.
Now, if this was a fight between Cho and a less heroic character, this would be where the chapter draws to a close. However, Vitali had a feeling that Cho's abrupt transformation was not on purpose, and felt the urge to try and help the man before his soul was claimed by the sea. So, he decided to dive into the ocean and try to save him. This completely foolish and un-Vitali-like behavior could be attributed to trying to negate the influence of the Force, but for whatever the reason, the cleric was soon in the water, trying to grab a hold of the other cleric before he drowned.
Skipping ahead by a few minutes, Vitali is now on the southern beach he began this adventure on. But now, instead of travelling first-class by flying machine, he and Cho had unceremoniously washed up on shore. While the worst thing about Vitali's current state was that he was soggy, the man with the mechanical eye was certainly in a less healthy state.
"He's in a state of shock," Vitali noted. "His blood is still pumping, and he's subconsciously breathing…but he's otherwise paralyzed. I could try to use my magical abilities to speed the healing process, but at this moment, I'd be putting both of us in risk. Best to find cover before I try anything."
Deciding that the best course of action would be to try and reunite with Gig, who could provide cover while the curative arts were being used, Vitali attempted to carry Cho Hakkai over his shoulder and into the nearby jungle. When he found out that Cho was a bit heavier than he expected, though, Vitali resorted to just dragging him by his legs. Either way, Vitali was now at the end of his first battle…and, depending on how the future plays out, at the beginning of his first alliance with a man not of his home world.
End of Chapter 1