Again, this chapter is more focused on the actual action. But I'm keeping the story the main emphasis, and any criticisms are welcomed. Anyways, let's get to the story.

Chapter 4

When I had returned to Kamichi only Thebes was there. He explained that Ciel only came in to tell him that I was going to be a little held up. It stung that she didn't try to send help, but buried that stuff in a safe and threw the safe into a trench. I handed over all the stuff in my inventory, keeping DaCiel's sword for myself. Leaving the world of S4 and returning to reality was usually a rush of sensation going through a waking body, however today it just felt like I was waking up. I removed the goggles and headed to the bathroom, taking a moment to examine my features. Messy brown hair with little bits of white scattered in (a reminder of my dad) brown eyes that were strained from watching something for too long, my face was pale but not too thin to think malnourishment. I retreat from the bathroom and look at my mess of an apartment. Only age 19 and by myself and it's still as if I'd been living with my parents. I chuckled and fell over onto my bed that sat in the corner opposite the bathroom and shut my eyes to think. My parents were long gone, a fact that I've become comfortable with after so long. My only memories of them were few and far between, and I've grown used to being alone. It was only a year ago that I actually started feeling it, and that is the main reason I play one of the most populated games around. Still... I want more... I don't just want to be a part of a community. I think I'm going to go watch the tournament this time around. Only the prelims though, so I can relax.

I returned to my apartment late the next day with groceries for the next month. A smile was on my face, the nearby Chinese sect. of the city was a block away, with a good cheap market area and even a few tiny dojos. The dojo owners are always nice enough to let people sit in and watch the students practice, and it always helped me come up with new moves for s4. It was only a few minutes of sorting before I had set all the necessary stuff away in the fridge. Satisfied, it was time to enter my second life as the fox of Kamichi.

Readers, you've all at some point in your life experienced the weightless feeling, where your stomach starts to float? That's what I feel whenever I enter the world of s4. And as my mind settles into the body of Nogitsune I realize that I'm already in the city. Whereas new users and pros alike require a full body check I'm already moving to the new stadium for the prelims.

While normal matches held little to no observers, tournament matches always had bleachers that seemed to float above the room. In truth, the audience who sat in the open were safe from any sort of damage, thanks to invisible walls. My only concerns when I entered the stands were if I could really see the two teams play. I didn't bother to check who they were, after all this was only the s1 ranks. Out of all 4 yearly tournaments this one held the least interest. The only ones who would be sitting here are newbies, mentors, or just bored players. I sat in the very front and waited for the teams to arrive so the map would be loaded. 'I bet that both teams are going to try an offensive to start' was what ran through my mind.

10 players entered into the blank room below us, creating a circle as two distinct characters in black and white shirts appeared in the center. The first of the pair signaled for the leader of both teams to step into the circle, a standard procedure. The leader of what I'll call alpha was a girl, wearing the beginner hood and skirt combo, no shock there. What was though was her hair, bright blonde and in a large pony tail. The beta leader was a boy, who wore a striped shirt and vest and some shorts, his ears covered by headphones and keeping his hair slicked back. The two shook hands and then greeted the pair of black and white characters who would oversee this match. The teams disappeared in green binary as the field booted up for the first game of the s1 tournament.

The field of choice was two large towers opposing each other. The field between them was a small courtyard that held the fumbi on the pedestal. The towers had the stories, with the spawn points on the second, and the goal on the top at the very back. The refs counted down slowly, letting both teams inside their respective base to prep themselves.

"5 minutes" alpha's leader took a forward position at the spawn gate, her four team mates staying close behind her.

"3 minutes" beta's leader called for two of his members to stand at the front, as he's opted to go to the room above with the other two.

"1 minute" the refs have now opened the commentators' booth and entered, placing the microphones before themselves and adjusting the headsets.

A whistle rang, signaling alpha to flood out of the spawn point and jump into the courtyard. Beta's own two runners met with and clashed with three of alpha's, giving their leader and a defender to pick up the fumbi. Beta's leader probably foresaw this, as he was perched on the window of the third story with a large cone-shaped cannon trained on the pair.

S4 is a team game, this has been established already. However, I feel I should expand upon the team aspect. Teams within this game are composed of varying kinds of players. These players each have their own way of helping each other to win. Such as carrying the ball to the goal such as alpha team's leader, or her teammate, who has taken the spherical blast of the cannonade for her. Even players such as the snipers on the top of beta's base have a purpose, and so do I. I am a navigator, I search the map and clear paths for my team, in this case Kamichi. A navigator is what alpha needed, seeing as the leader was turned into binary by the three players defending the goal. I couldn't really watch any more, after the third attempt of alpha's pure rusher team I left the stadium. I figured beta would win by defense only, a difficult tactical victory to pull off, but a victory nonetheless. I entered into the game lobby to see if there were any empty rooms to use when someone ran up behind me and pushed me down. Something cold was pressed against the back of my head, and the assaulter's weight was placed on my back.

"Where is my gun" the question was a low growl, and I twisted my head to look into the barrel of a large black gun. "Care to give me a little more info? Because there are a lot of guns floating around" I replied, feeling the weight leave but the gun still aimed at my head. "The revolver. The GOLDEN revolver you stole from me. The one I paid top dollar for. Savvy'?" he stood over me now, and I took the chance to get to my feet and brush the front of my clothes off. His name hovered above his head as bl00dhound and his appearance was appropriate. He wore tight red pants and a crimson trench coat that was buckled at his chest. A dog collar was fitted around the collar of the coat, forcing it up to cover the lower part of his face. What I could see of his black hair was hidden beneath a short brimmed fedora, and his gloved hands clenched an elongated gold and white rifle. "Oh. That gun. Yeah that ain't happening. How bout a deal?" I stared him down, watching for any sign that would give me a chance to escape.

"I'm listening"

"A duel. First to ten kills get the all of the others equipment" his eyes had a strange red glow to them, and behind the collar I could practically see his teeth in an almost Glasgow smile. "Deal. The map we play is highway, and we have to stay on the top section" he said calmly as the gun he was holding vanished. The player grabbed my arm and shoved me into an empty room, paying the mod through the network connection next to the room's entrance. In an instant I was transferred to the center of the highway, surrounded by various parked cars and buses. My detect HUD went active, reading out that the match had started. I leapt over a car and beneath a nearby bus, waiting. I didn't know a bit about his loadout, except he had high damaging bought items, like his semi-rifle, and the revolver he wanted so badly. But why? He could have probably bought another one just like it. I pulled the weapon in question out of my inventory and gave it a once over. Except for its boost in stats, it was an overall standard weapon. My attention was pulled back to the duel by the sound of gunfire. "Come out and fight like a man, you piece of shit" hound called out. My HUD pointed out he was at the center of the map, where I had entered. More shots were fired, and I was relieved that he didn't have detect as a skill. It meant I had the upper hand. I crawled out from under the bus and moved to kneeling behind a convertible. He started toward the north end of the map, where the fumbi would be during the touch down games, and I followed behind, watching him carefully. He had his semi drawn, and I already guessed he'd plan to camp on the higher grown and snipe away. I rushed him as he got to where his goal was and pressed the barrel of his prized revolver to his skull.

"That's one kill" I grinned and shot him before he could turn around, and watched as his body disintegrated into binary. He was a slow enemy, as once he had respawned he booked it to the spot I had killed him, only for me to take him from behind a car with my dagger. The same scene played out, with bl00dhound coming to the spot I killed him only to die again. It was after the fifth kill that something changed in him. As he ran up to the end of the highway, his body grew a dark aura. My HUD started acting up, creating a static image to appear behind him. It was vague, a black smudge of some sort, with to long stick like figures jutting out the sides. Hound was now holding a plasma sword, which had a large black aura like his own. He was hunched over, and his movement was faster now, and when he came into range I leapt to attack him with my dagger. He jumped to the side; his hand shot out and grasped my neck, lifting me into the air. His eyes were blacked out, and looking down at him I could see his teeth had taken a feral appearance. He slammed me into the ground and I could feel the dark aura as if it was a searing heat. Hound growled out, and his sword stabbed into my chest. I felt the blade tear straight through and I lost my breath. This wasn't part of the game; the pain felt was always small shocks or bumps. I gasped and my vision blanked. In a second I was back on the highway, panting heavily. My HUD was clearing up now, and I saw the aura had vanished from bl00dhound. He was on his hands and knees, slowly dispersing into ones and zeros, and he looked straight up, eyes nothing but white and face distorted in agony. Whatever he did was eating away at him now, and I felt nothing bad for him. No pity, no grief, nothing. All I wondered about was what he actually did to me. I walked over to his body that was now half way gone, and I tore off his equipment pack, to have someone check his stuff out. I left the room, leaving hound to become nothing, and ran to Kamichi. My whole day was ruined by now, but now I had something to do.

What's this? The story is finally picking up? Read and review and help me out please.