In response to a recent review asking for permission to draw fanart of my OC's...GO FOR IT! I encourage anyone who has enjoyed this story to use them in any way they'd like, as long as they can send me a link to the finished work afterwards so I can share on my social media when the time comes (I'll talk about that in another chapter). As for the descriptions, while I did create them with an idea in mind, I found over time that my image of them altered as they grew with each arc (as well as as the games _ also thanks to everyone saying that I did a good transition from Splatoon 1 to Splatoon 2, because I was honestly terrified after 2 first released that I'd have to restrict the story to the first game, but yay for improvising!) So while there is an idea of how they should look, I would much rather prefer to see how you (yes, you) view them instead. If you think that Azule's hair should be green instead of royal blue? then yeah! draw it! Who knows, I might just even ask for help on future projects. If anyone still wants a specific description about them, then I'll release a chapter dedicated specifically to that.
As always, thanks for reading, I hope you have a wonderful day/night, and I look forward to your continued support!
The race of Osuma was halfway to being completed as the racers come into the city. At this point in time, the leaderboards were still the same with the top 16 keeping the same racers. However, for the Zukuri alliance, they saw the deaths of the clan leaders of the Zhoushan and Masoshi-the duo who sacrificed themselves for the sake of the alliance and shared agenda. Their hope of overwhelming the second phase with their numbers was already beginning to see a flaw as most of them were still hovering around the qualifying spots but were still struggling to break in. One positive point though was that the lead held by Cobalt was dwindling worse than before with Saya and Zukuri both catching up to him and getting ready to overtake him. Commentators and spectators alike were getting anxious at the battle for the lead as they go three-wide down a corner, but it is Saya who emerges as the new leader with Zukuri following behind her in second position and Cobalt falling to third place. Fans were beginning to get worried once they saw Cobalt's drop from first to third, and immediately all of them turned their worry to whether the Tokugawa household would try something. Although he wasn't clearly going backwards, rumors were going around about the Tokugawa having a bias against Cobalt, which is partly why he was the overwhelming favorite.
Cobalt's irises shoot to the left as he senses the malicious intent from the shadows. A trigger is pulled, and a speeding bullet is aiming at Cobalt's head, but Cobalt saw the bullet coming at him in slow motion. Little did anyone-from Teitsu and the Tokugawa's to the fans and media-know that another reason for Cobalt's forceful push in the race was so that his senses would be at this most sensitive. Moving his head, he dodges the bullet-but does something else. Instead of simply dodging the bullet, he caught it and then flicked it back at the shooter-killing him with a headshot; his eyes had that same red glow, but this time there was a streak of fury hidden in those irises. The entire time, he was holding back everything in anticipation. He knew the skullduggery that his uncle was up to and calculated it perfectly. The audience was in complete shock by how smoothly Cobalt managed to avoid death and turn the tables while also maintaining his speed. The warning shot that was fired was nothing more than just a reminder that Cobalt had a handicap on him. He was under scrutiny for every move he made. Cobalt shook his head as he noticed the main camera that just so happened to be the same camera that broadcasted the feed that Teitsu was watching. Watching Cobalt wagging a finger afterwards only added fuel to the rage building Teitsu. This boy was taunting him. Teitsu knew Cobalt wasn't going to just easily get shot and die-he was much stronger than just some bullets. The media went berserk after witnessing Cobalt's greatness-only irritating Teitsu even more.
"Whoa, they tried to kill Ao-senpai…" Norh said to herself under her breath, disturbed that the rumors she heard in the crowd and the hints that Saya gave were all true. Teitsu Tokugawa wasn't looking to let Cobalt survive this selection if the opportunity came.
As some more time passed by, the racers were now in the heart of the jungle after having passed through the trail of the volcano. The leaderboards had changed drastically with many shifts in the positions. The new top 16: 1st-Saya, 2nd-Kagetoki, 3rd-Kenji, 4th-Zukuri, 5th-Ryuuichi, 6th-Cobalt, 7th-Jengai, 8th-Arokei, 9th-Oujima, 10th-Shintoremni, 11th-Hajime, 12th-Maekona, 13th-Shizuku, 14th-Fujuyoki, 15th-Najube, and in 16th-Yuta. Cobalt dropped from 3rd to 6th, and his cousins made the jump into the top 5. At this rate, the seedings for the second stage would produce some exciting matches. For the racers who finished within the top 16, their positions would determine their opponent in the second stage of the selection.
Left bracket:
1 seed v. 16 seed
3 seed v. 14 seed
5 seed v. 12 seed
7 seed v. 10 seed
Right bracket:
8 seed v. 9 seed
6 seed v. 11 seed
4 seed v. 13 seed
2 seed v. 15 seed
Whispers and murmurs filled the Osuma arena as the current order displayed on the screen with live footage of the race, the camera was showing a sweaty Cobalt who was visibly fatigued and struggling to hold on to his 6th position. From what Norh heard, many people were beginning to worry about Cobalt's chances of success based on the diminishing effort he exerted. Norh was also getting concerned with Cobalt's performance because unlike the others-whose baseless reasons were at the surface and taken at face value, Norh had known Cobalt for such a long time and had studied everything about him out of admiration that she could tell something was off. Whether he had a master plan, or was genuinely losing his energy, Norh knew that this sudden drop in Cobalt's production had meaning to it. When she spoke with him before the selection on their day together, she noticed that there were some changes he went through.
Thinking back to yesterday when they spent the day together, Norh couldn't help but gaze at Cobalt out of habit from when they were young children, but one time when she was gazing at him, she noticed an unusual air surrounding him. He seemed to have something weighing heavy on his mind, his face filled with restlessness as he walked with his arms behind his back in deep thought as he looked down at the ground below. His eyes narrow as they swiftly turn to the curious Norh. "You have a strong gaze, Norh-chan." Cobalt said in his usual calm yet smooth tone with a gentle smile.
Norh didn't flinch, "Senpai...is something bothering you?"
Cobalt didn't give a reaction but instead looked ahead at his cousin Saya, who walked ahead because she got all the hints from Norh that she'd like to be with Cobalt. "Nothing is bothering me. I just tend to go off into deep thought from time to time...I wouldn't consider it anything major."
That was a lie she thought as she frowned at him. "How have you been doing all these years? I haven't even asked what you've been up to...have you made any friends where you live?"
Cobalt didn't give an immediate answer since his mind wandered off in trying to figure out an answer. He thought about Tangie and the rest of Squidcom. Indeed, he made friends he could consider family, went on unforgettable adventures and forged everlasting bonds. Nasally exhaling and closing his eyes he gave a smile and nodded, "I met some wonderful people over there. I think you'd love them if you ever met them."
"Hm...do you miss them? Do they know you're over here?"
Cobalt frowned with his mouth opening a bit; his mind was troubled after all-just like she thought. He made a confused sound before changing the subject, and with it being so obvious that he was dodging her question, she accepted it as something that wasn't her business.
The jungle of Osuma was unlike any other part of the island with a so much vegetation and shade that it could be considered a different land completely. While the coast of Osuma had the cool ocean breeze, it couldn't escape the harsh rays of the sun that beam down on the skins of the racers. The suburbs and city were too populated to have any serenity that could calm the mind of even the wariest of travelers. The jungle of Osuma offered that, from its majestic sightings of the towering volcano, sea of trees that create a blanket for the monument from a bird's eye view, and the dewy aroma from the tropical plants. This jungle was where the racers were speeding their way through en route to the Osuma arena; the race was nearing crunch time as most racers who seemed complacent at first were now making their efforts known and pushed to crack the top 16. Several times positions changed as racers fell outside the top 16 only to jump back into the mix, though in Saya and her brother's cases-they maintained their positions.
The green background of all the trees and plants seemed to be moving backward as the competitors moved forward at their top speed, with some of the ninja taking to the trees to get ahead. It was breezier here than any other part of the island since just adjacent to the trail the racers were taking was the sea itself with some pockets of the ocean in view. As bodies continue passing him, Cobalt kept his mind calm as he slipped down to the 23rd position; it was hard to believe that this was the same person who had an overwhelming for more than half of the race. At this point of the race, nobody was attempting anything shady like in the beginning-probably due to many racers deciding to devote the remaining energy left to trying to qualify for the second round. Everyone does a huge gallop around a corner and then spread out once returning to a straight trail, now the arena was within view. The huge ovular structure that sat close to the coast was a highlight venue for most major sporting events in Osuma, and even a select few in Ikayumu thanks to its massive seating capacity of 105,000 people.
His heart beats with both stimulation and fatigue, his chest tightening as the intake of air gets thin for him. Cobalt's legs weren't buckling, but on the inside, it felt like his lungs were on fire, his calves were also beginning to get tighter with a burning sensation in his shins. If he pushed himself any further, he might injure himself. "Gah…" he struggled as he shuts one of his eyes in response to his body. Throughout the entire match he'd been pushing himself to go all full speed and power, now his reckless move was starting to backfire. Before, he guessed that by this time in the race the pack would've already scattered to where he'd be in a comfortable spot to hold a spot within qualification. But boy was he wrong! As he looked from left to right, the race still looked as competitive now as it did when they first started with every racer battling their own internal struggles to crack the top 16. Cobalt knew he couldn't allow himself to lose this early, he had to push forward somehow…
"The arena looks to be about dozen minutes away. If I can go at full power when we're about six minutes away, I should be good." he said to himself-nearly out of breath as sweat flies from his arms.
Over at the arena, Teitsu sat in his chair comfortably and watched the leading order with content. On one hand, he was satisfied to see that his children were making good on their first stage and on projection to finish in the first four spots, but on the other hand he was slightly disappointed in Cobalt's showing. Cobalt went from dominating the race to now on the cusp of elimination as he struggled to stay within the first 25 racers, in no way could Teitsu be satisfied with seeing his nephew fall behind his standards; although he hated Cobalt and wanted him dead, there was still a level of respect for him as a man and as family-in no way would he be satisfied with seeing Cobalt finish pathetically outside the qualifying order and get elimination. It'd leave a sour taste in his mouth. He wasn't the only one who was disappointed in Cobalt, most of the audience was jeering at the blue haired-scarlet eyed inkling, upset with his drop from the top 5 and top 10 and even the top 20. Being the favorite, there was great expectation for him to finish strong and headline the second stage. Norh clasped her hands together and did a prayer as soon as she saw and heard from the crowd that the racers would be within the range of the arena in another 5 minutes.
Forcefully closing his eyes and controlling his breathing, Cobalt's powerful aura appeared suddenly as his eyes glowed a bright red; the other racers instinctively looked back, sensing something powerful. The hairs on the back of Saya's neck and her arms stood up as she identified the monster with the red and black aura that was furiously charging ahead. 22nd, 21st, 20th, 19th, 18th...Cobalt blazed through each racer as though off a rush of adrenaline; the arena before them coming ever so close. He just needed 16th to make the cut, but even that seemed like an obstacle in and of itself as some racers tried to box him out from getting ahead, once again it was spoilers who were just looking to ruin the opportunity of the popular candidates. Cobalt clicked his tongue before cranking out even more energy and into them he charged.
"Out of the way, damn it!" he yelled in a desperate tone as his voice shook the jungle, the waves of his fury extending all the way to the arena. The heat from his anger was on the same level as the burning magma in the volcano; some of the racers lost their will to try and compete against him once they saw his blistering glare, while others cowered once they heard his frustrated tone. The camera and commentators turned the attention from the boring leaders to the surprise revival of Cobalt. As the pack heads onto the asphalt, about a mile away from the arena-Cobalt crashes through the remaining runners to make it to the 14th position. The crowd goes berserk by the sudden return, some jumping to their feet and rooting for him to break the top 10.
Ba-dump…
Cobalt felt every single vein in his body pulsating as it tried to contain the blood that threatened to burst them, his eyes dilating and masking the pain that coursed his system. His aura was actively accelerating his bodily functions, but if he used it too much, it'd have a negative effect if he kept in this state for too long given the maximum strain he already put on himself prior. Battling the agony, Cobalt kept pushing through as his limbs cried with each tear in his muscles. His speed was quickly returning to peak form as he matched the speed of the person ahead of him, quickly overtaking them and moving into the 13th spot. Saya and the other Tokugawa were sweating profusely-some from the exercise and other coldy at the thought of Cobalt catching up to them. This race had seemed like a message from the universe that they had finally surpassed in every category, and now here he was about to prove them wrong and retake the momentum he lost. A few minutes passed by, but it seemed like hours for the spectators who were anticipating a spectacular finish to the end of the top 16. Even though the top 5 were too far ahead to reach, around the 11-16 spots were all up for grabs as those who weren't fazed by Cobalt's resurgence challenged him for the spots. Arokei-11th, Hajime-12th, Shizuku-14th, Yuta-15th, and Najube in 16th, and others all set their sights on keeping Cobalt grounded. But the blue prodigy wouldn't hold back any longer as he continuously pushed himself further. Arokei and Hajime had been in 11th and 12th when Cobalt came chugging like steam train in the 13th spot, threatening them for their positions. They circle around the arena and then enter from the same place they exited in the beginning and then do the lap around the entire track; the audience roars thunderously as Cobalt gains ground on Hajime with Arokei just a few steps ahead of Hajime.
"I'd expect nothing less from Arosuke's only son..." Hajime said as he felt Cobalt's glare and took a quick glance behind. "You're just like that man, after all...I'll leave you to Zukuri-san." he said as he allowed Cobalt to make the pass and take 12th.
The finish line wasn't much further away as the racers entered the final stretch-Saya and the other leaders were already at the finish line, but it was Arokei and Cobalt's battle for 11th that captivated the audience in the decisive moments of this death race. Two of the big 3 prodigal samurai that reigned the land as the most powerful for the upcoming generations...were now going head to head at the end of this race. Many people were already on their feet in anticipation of what kind of ending would be in store. Arokei had been consistently hanging around in the higher 20s to the teens the entire race, and now here was Cobalt looking to steal his thunder? He wouldn't have any of it!
"You might be a monster, but even monsters can be slayed!" he yelled as he shoved his shoulder into Cobalt, who'd been dedicating all his might to finishing the race to the best of his ability.
Cobalt staggered for a moment as his eyes widened and he snapped out of his furious black and red aura. The stadium gasped as it looked like he was about to trip and fall over-should he fall, his chances of finishing in the top 16 could diminish to nothing! They were only 10 meters from the finish when Arokei pulled his dirty tactic. Teitsu rose to his feet, Norh rose to his feet, even Miyamoto and co, who'd been hiding had managed to find a vent that showed the race and were now hooked on the ending to this race. Cobalt saw his shadow before him as his face was on collision to connect with the ground, until…
Slam!
His hands stopped his fall, and at the same time his legs didn't stop moving. Although very choppy in recovery, Cobalt managed to hold onto the 12th spot as Hajime and Shizuku closed in on him. With the little bit of distance left, Cobalt pulled once last push and dived to the finish line to secure his spot. Crashing face first, his face and body had scrapes as he laid face-first on the ground, unable to move his body. He did it. Even though he finished in 12th place, he secured his spot in the second round like he wanted. As he heard the rest of the racers pass the finish, the deafening response from the crowd was enough to let him know that his long day was just about to continue even further. Norh rose to her feet, jumping for joy at the result of Saya and Cobalt finishing the race. Now all that was left was the intermission to give racers a chance to recover for the main event that'd continue into the evening.
After some minutes pass by, over on the outskirts of the stadium...
"Seems like Cobalt made it through. Miyamoto-kun seemed pretty emotional for a guy that never loses composure…" Yasuo said while talking to Lori; the three leaders had rendezvoused with their teams along with Simone's group and were now preparing for their big moment in disrupting the selection. Simone and Moriko were off to a corner talking with some members on Moriko's team along with Beverly, Satoshi, and Aloe.
Lori seemed interested, "Where did he finish?"
"He finished in 12th, but at least he's onto the next round."
The trio nodded, knowing that something terrible would've happened if he didn't qualify for the next round. For all they knew, they might've gotten involved if anything to him. Cobalt's safety was one of the priorities, and should anything happen, surely Simone would change her course of action in a heartbeat; so, this alliance had to place their trust in his ability and hope he could go all the way to the finals where they'd land their attack. Simone also hoped for Cobalt to go far because there was no telling what Teitsu might be up to if he lost a match outside of the finals, and therefore a situation to be heavily monitored.
"Yes, I have healing powers." Simone smiled confidently as she demonstrated her power by summoning an icy blue light from her right palm in which she was holding up, a spiral ball in the middle spinning with a cold steam expanding from the base.
"W-wow…" Aloe gasped, enraptured by the dazzling sight.
Satoshi seemed unimpressed, "I always heard that you were one of the most powerful samurai, Simone-dono. What do you plan to do against Teitsu Tokugawa? Are you aware of the strength he's gained over the years?"
"I don't care if he got stronger. He isn't on my level. That much I'm sure of." Simone said coldly without a hint of doubt in her tone; Satoshi's face didn't change.
"Even if he isn't on your level, the truth can't be denied. You were unconscious for years and haven't battled anyone since your time in the war that occurred several years ago; the times have changed as people have gained experience while you remain rusty."
Simone crossed her arms and squinted at Satoshi, who kept his eyes on her blade currently sheathed at her waist. "Are you doubting me?" she asked as if baiting for an answer; Satoshi shook his head.
"I am just a bit concerned about your endurance and chances of success si-"
"I might've been away from the action, but in no way am I rusty…"
All the adults in the area stopped their conversations and turned to Simone, whose aura was beginning to show around the blade at her waist. She puts her hands at her hips and puffs out her chest to show that she wasn't going to back down from her confidence, likewise, Satoshi kept aloof and didn't give much of a reaction; the air between them seemed to grow with intensity as they continued to stare at each other. Their exchange of stares lasted for a few seconds before Yasuo interrupted them, Diante following immediately behind.
"Now there, we don't need any tensions flaring before the big attack, yeah?" Diante said with a playful tone, although the flexed muscles in her arms indicated her true feelings.
"This alliance has come together and cooperated for months in preparation of this event. You were added at the very last moment due to how impactful you are to the success of this operation, but I won't hesitate to remove either you or Satoshi if I sense that it'll hinder the chances of emerging successful." Yasuo spoke with authority as she glared at them; Moriko and Lori felt a bit awkward since Yasuo was the sternest of the three and had the lowest of tolerance. Even if she didn't really mean it, it was difficult to not take Yasuo serious.
Intermission came by quickly, lasting an entire hour to allow all the competitors to catch their breath and recover from the strenuous race. In that time frame, many people went to concession stands get food while other went to place bets on who they had to win the tournament and challenge Teitsu Tokugawa. The buzz in the crowd was all about one person: Cobalt Ao Tokugawa and his comeback in the race to secure a spot in the tournament, and who he would face? Everyone had excitement and anxiety written on their faces as they anticipate the drawings for the seeds. After the intermission, Teitsu Tokugawa returns to his huge throne chair with a microphone in hand; the huge infield below had a quad of stages set for the matches with plenty of room for people to come down and take seats to watch the fights up close. To speed up the fights, they would do multiple fights at once until the semifinals rolled around, where it would be back to back on the same stage and then the finals happening right afterwards. Teitsu welcome the crowd and thanked them for their attendance, although he was a terrible person-his skill as a minister of ceremonies were impressive in how easily he was able to control the room with his humor.
"We have now reached the business end of the Tokugawa Selection. Our next event will be the tournament of the sixteen racers who qualified. The rules for the matches are simple: There is an out of bounds, all weapons and skills can be used, and of course, knockout or death is allowed. Hold nothing back and show your strength!"
The audience roared with anticipation as the leader continued, going on to unveil the current seedings and first rounds of battle. As he called out each of the matches, everyone had their own reactions. From the Kotari alliance that surrounded the arena in stealth who were eavesdropping, to the Zukuri alliance who were watching from the sidelines, to the actual competitors who were all dressed in their battle gear and prepared to step to the stage.
"There are two sides of the bracket: the left and right. Two matches will take place on each side of the bracket until we arrive at the semifinals where each side will only have one match before the final. Now, the first matches on the left side will be the first seed-Tokugawa Saya, facing off against the sixteenth Najube Eiichi. The next match that'll also take place from the left side is the matchup between the third seed-Tokugawa Kagetoki, and the fourteenth seed-Shizuku Risa. On the right side, the matches that'll take place simultaneously will be the eighth seed-Tsuyano Jengai against the ninth seed-Maekona Anatsuki, and the sixth seed-Oujima Isabelle will take on the 11th seed-Chihiro Arokei. As for the other matches, they'll take place after their corresponding bracket complete the matches. The other two matches for the left side of the bracket will see the fifth seed-Zukuri Iono face off against the twelfth seed-Tokugawa Ao, and the seventh seed-Fujuyoki Osako will face the tenth seed-Shintoremni Daiga. On the right side, the remaining two matches will see the fourth seed-Tokugawa Ryuuichi take on thirteenth seed-Hajime Shinji, and the second seed-Tokugawa Kenji will go against the fifteenth seed-Yuta Oyobe."
The competitors had different emotions running through their minds in response to who they would face. The audience-the people in the stadium that were packed to the maximum capacity and the people at home or at restaurants and bars-gasped at the matches that were decided. Some people were already calling out who they had to win while others had their sleeper picks to pull off the upset. The combatants were already at the stage grounds, the names called to compete in their matches first were the ones that headed to the stages. The four stages had different colored turf that surrounded the grassy out of bounds area: the left bracket turf had red clay dirt while the right bracket stages were blue clay dirt. In the middle of the clay dirt was the grassy out of bounds with a huge marble stage that'd serve as the footing for the combatants while the dirt was out of bounds. Saya and Eiichi approached their stage dressed in their traditional battle gear: Saya wore a navy-blue cloak with ultra-blue trims and a blue head scarf bandana that she tied around her forehead, on it read her surname. Eiichi was dressed his ninja gear that he wore back at the meeting. At the same time, Kagetoki's match with Risa would also get underway.
"~Fufufufu...I guess I was paired with the wrong Tokugawa! Say, are you anything like Ao?" Risa said with a devilish grin as she sized up her opponent. She was hoping to have matched up with Cobalt, but her luck had her matched in the same bracket as him, but the only way she'd see him was in the semifinals.
Kagetoki didn't pay any mind to the vixen's comments and instead did some final stretches, his blade at his waist and ready for use. The mission for the Tokugawa started here with three of them being in the same bracket already with a possibility of two meeting each other in the next round. In the other bracket, the Tokugawa brothers-Kenji and Ryuuichi had a potential of meeting each other in the next round as well. It was every family member for themselves as they stepped onto the battlefield to start the tournament. Saya-the youngest of the four, and the favorite in the family to become the successor, Kagetoki-the second eldest and capable swordsman. Both were faced with skilled ninja opponents, experienced warriors in stealth combat that also were specialists in guerilla tactics. Could their family lineage be enough to get past the veteran ninja? As the whistle blew, that became the question of many people in attendance who weren't sold yet. At the same time, Iono Zukuri kept his glare on Cobalt. Finally, he got the match he wanted by going up against the son of Arosuke himself.
"Young Tokugawa...I will show no restraint!" his said under his breath as he clenched his teeth and fists alike.
