Sonic: The Tournament of Chaos
Chapter 9: The Ninjutsu Detective
With both teams losing one of their strongest fighters, tensions were high within the Tournament of Chaos. Determined to turn the tide, Team Sonic pressed forward to eliminate their opponents. Team Etastie had proven to be worthy opponents. Against all odds, Sonic still couldn't land a single strike on Chax the Wolf. The quiet warrior avoided all his strikes, toying with the blue hedgehog.
Resorting to using his fists, Sonic advanced forward. As the gap between them closed, Chax prepared his defence for another one of the hedgehog's homing attacks. Unexpectedly, Sonic sweeped underneath his opponent's grasp and followed with four devastating strikes directly into Chax's face. Each strike forced the wolf to stumble backwards. Despite the success, Sonic rarely used his hands to attack, lacking the upper body strength to leave any lasting effects.
Sonic prepared to strike him a fifth time, but now Chax was prepared. He caught Sonic's hand within his own and slowly began to apply pressure. The blue hedgehog groaned, forced down to his knees as he desperately tried to pry his hand free. As Chax tightened his grip further, Sonic raised his free hand and struck Chax directly in the neck. The wolf finally let go, but retitailited with a backhanded strike, knocking Sonic backwards. He clutched his hand, shaking it to rid the feeling of anguish.
As Sonic paused to catch his breath, he briefly turned around to check on the rest of his team. Rouge and Tabitha flew past, both girls exchanging rapid strikes between them. Blaze fought vailtinity against Serenity, but the queen proved to be a worthy opponent, her ice abilities allowing her to counter the younger princess with ease. Silver struggled against Ozor, his unique energetic abilities proved to be a challenge. Ozor was an aggressive fighter, willing to engage in close quarter combat at every chance.
To Sonic's further surprise, Shadow seemed to be having difficulty defeating Vath. The pangolin's scales granted him incredible durability. Even Shadow's Chaos Spears had no effect on his armour. The Ultimate Lifeform raced around his opponent, searching for an opportunity to turn the tide in their battle. Knowing no one was going to help him in his battle, Sonic prepared himself for a fight once more. His former rival sped past, avoiding the pangolin's deadly claw swipes. Shadow finally retiliaitled, launching a quick Chaos energy projectile towards him, an attack Vath brushed aside with the aid of his armoured scales. Rushing forward, Shadow launched his fist, simultaneously grappling Vath's own incoming strike as he did the same with the hedgehog first.
A few distressingly long moments passed while they tried to overcome each other's grapples, their fingers interlocked. Vath threw back his hand to strike, intending to slash at the hedgehog's chest. Despite being literally within each other's grasp, Shadow moved his body into the air and avoided the attack, swinging down to land a knee strike into his face.
Vath reared his head back, aiming to strike a headbutt towards Shadow, intending to break the lock and stun him momentarily to land another attack. His plan backfired as Shadow grappled both the fighter's hands as he slid underneath Vath, finally giving him the advantage to throw him over his shoulders, all the while launching a kick to his midsection, launching him away.
Grunting, Vath skidded across the floor of the arena before righting himself up. The Ultimate Lifeform launched towards him, surrounded within his orange streak of energy. With a stretch of his left arm, he zoomed across the arena and landed a devastating blow into his face. Vath stumbled backwards with agony, growling as he threw his own fist in return. Anticipating this attack, Shadow sidestepped the incoming fist, grappling it quickly as he pulled him across his shoulder and landed a double kick into his back. Twirling his body around, Vath grasped Shadow by the wrist and swung him in a ninety-degree angle into the air. Swinging his knee to catch the airborne Shadow in the ribs, he quickly followed up with a vicious elbow strike to his back, sending Shadow toward the ground.
Shadow stopped himself from making impact by placed both hands against the ground, throwing himself onto a handstand and hurling his legs up in a swift vertical kick, striking the pangolin by his jawline. Following up the initial attack, Shadow rebalanced himself and concentrated his inner Chaos energy into a singular position, his left hand trembling from wielding incredible power. He launched from the ground with frightening speed, landing a direct blow straight into Vath's chest, sending him across the area with enough force to fall down and smash into the arena. The impact of his strike created a loud ring, audibly for the others.
Everyone paused briefly from their fight, eyes darting towards the source of the impact. Clouds of smoke formed from the impact, blocking everyone's sight from the finishing results. A single silhouette ascended from the smoke, revealing Vath as he stepped forward, clutching one hand over his wrist, his armour now smeared with smoke ashes. Against all odds, he was unharmed. Sighing with annoyance, Shadow raced forward to confront the pangolin once more.
The one member of Team Sonic who seemed to be having the least difficulty was the detective. He engaged in hand to hand combat with Revon, the martial artist of the opposing team. The two warriors attacked and defended, fighting back and forth, up and down, striking and blocking with expert precision, neither willing to give up the slightest advantage. Espio landed a punch to Revon's stomach, but he immediately countered, striking the side of Espio's head and kicking him backwards. Espio stumbled before he lunged forward, but Revon jumped into the air, kicking him in the head, the force causing him to stumble. Maintaining his composure, Espio jumped back up.
Revon approached, his powerful legs sweeping towards his opponent. Espio moved around behind him with frightening speed, grabbing his tail and hurling him away. Revon mowed through the arena as he bounced along the ground. His hands pressed against the arena's floor, flipping onto his feet and managing to right himself before approaching the edge. He stood up, glancing around for any sign of his enemy.
Sure enough, he spotted Espio charging in the distance. He gripped the ground and blocked the detective's attempt at a punch, countering with a high kick against his face. He fell backwards, performing a flip to land without harm. Revon appeared behind him, but this time, Espio was expecting him, and his leg strike caught Revon off-guard, knocking the warrior into the ground.
From the bleachers, Tails shifted his gaze from his best friend's battle to the detective's. "That gila monster is giving Espio a run for his money."
"His outfit might be out of fashion, but that guy is all business," Amy agreed, leaning back while shifting her gaze towards the quiet guardian. "What do you think, Knuckles?"
The echidna lightly shrugged. "I didn't get the chance to make much of their team. But they all know how to fight. If Espio can't find a way to win, we won't be taking those Chaos Emeralds home anytime soon."
Vector's powerful voice beamed through the audience, catching everyone's attention as they turned around. "You guys are worrying about nothing! Espio can take care of that guy!"
"Yeah!" Charmy agreed, throwing one fist into the air proudly. "Espio's gonna kick his butt!"
Revon rose from the stage, dust cascading off his robes. He recovered once more, humming as Espio rushed towards him. He raised his arm and resisted the chameleon's charge, skidding back through the arena against the force of Espio's impact. They took off again with Espio chasing Revon through the stage. Through their fast movements, Espio eventually lost track of Revon, and as soon as he stopped to try and find him, the gila monster crashed into his back with both feet, throwing a powerful punch that made Espio's vision swim. Against all odds, Espio swiftly recovered and countered the warrior's fists with palm strikes towards his face.
Revon overbalanced from his next attack, and Espio, anticipating this movement, caught him in a headlock. He desperately tried to force Revon's neck down in an attempt to choke him into submission. The gila monster refused to submit and twisted to the side, kicking one of Espio's feet off the ground to destabilise him. Revon pushed away with all his might, and Espio landed flat on his back before Revon jumped down on top of him, driving the detective into the ground with both feet, pouncing off him as he landed against the ground.
Refusing to dishonour himself by attacking a defenceless opponent, Revon stepped back and cupped both hands, allowing the detective to stand upright before continuing their battle. Espio suddenly rocketed into Revon, punching him and snapping his head left, right and then straight backwards. Revon refused to let himself retreat a step, simply skidding back with the force of the impacts, dragging along the rough ground until his feet were beginning to tire. His head hung as he gasped for breath.
He gripped Espio by the sides of his head and rammed his head into the detective's face. The force of the impact knocked him back as Espio skidded to a halt, watching carefully as Espio staggered around. Struggling to stand, Espio swung his fist, but Revon caught it. He gave two quick jabs to the stomach that winded Espio, following up by kicking him into the air, racing ahead to meet and slam him to the ground, and then preparing to land on top.
Learning more about his opponent's abilities, Espio rolled to one side, leaping to his feet. He resumed his stance as did Revon, locking eyes with the other. In spite of their many strikes, boths warriors failed to leave any lasting effect. Revon slowly moved one hand against his gi, rolling both sleeves backwards. Without warning, Espio threw up his hand and placed two fingers firmly against his head. He vanished from sight, leaving no trace of his existence. Surprised yet intrigued by this sudden act, Revon looked around, eyes searching the arena for any trace of his opponent. His opponent was hiding, masking his presence in preparation for a sneak attack. His eyes may deceive him, but his other senses were heightened.
Revon closed both eyes, blocking out the world around him. The crowd's cheers, the powerful determined roars of the fighters and the sounds of energetic projectiles were all pushed to the back of his mind. Nothing else mattered at this moment. Amongst the thousands of sounds racing through the air, Revon detected the smallest of presence. Gentle footsteps pressed softly against the ground, sneaking towards him with caution.
The footsteps were as light as feathers. To the untrained eye, no one would ever know of his presence. But to Revon, a warrior trained to expect the unexpected, he knew his opponent was close. The smallest gust of wind brushed gently against the back of his neck, enough to finally raise awareness of his opponent's position. Revon clutched his hands without looking, preparing to counter the sneak attack.
"Revon, he's there!"
The gila monster's eyes snapped open as energetic projectiles struck and detonated with each impact deafening the air with their powerful explosions. Ozor raced forward, firing small blasts directly behind his teammate. Forced to reveal himself prematurely, Espio turned and avoided the energetic warrior's attacks. This momentary distraction allowed Revon to restrain him, one arm placed firmly around the detective's neck with the other grasping his wrist.
Ozor cackled with joy, raising one fist with triumph. He briefly turned around to catch Silver's fist. The future warrior was infruitated with both his opponent and himself. This was the second time now the jackal had attacked his teammates. Silver hated the jackal for this, but cursed himself for being unable to defeat him. Shadow entrusted Silver with a heavy responsibility. Now he was going to let his team down.
Espio grunted, one hand clenched tightly against Revon's arm. He refused to instinctively struggle, conversing his strength while searching for the right moment to break free. The decision to avoid Ozor's attack may have cost him this battle, a mistake that would forever haunt him. There was little chance of breaking free.
Ozor threw out his leg to kick Silver into the distance, his psychokinesis giving him superior strength. "You got him, Revon! Take him out!"
The gila monster shifted focus towards the detective locked in his grip, his face containing no hint of emotion. No anger, no sadness and no personal vendetta. Without warning, Revon suddenly released his hold and stepped back. Astonished by this kind act, Espio turned around with his mouth hung open.
Ozor slammed his hands to his head in shock. "No! Revon, why did you do that? You had him!"
Revon shot his teammate a warning glare. "I do not recall asking for your assistance, Ozor! Stick to your own battle!"
Awestruck at being scolded by the gila monster, Ozor found himself speechless. This allowed Silver to race forward and tackle him midair, resuming their own battle. Espio resided himself for battle, now being more cautious of his surroundings. If Ozor was willing to intervene with their battle, he wouldn't put it past the rest of Team Etastie to try a similar act. Espio nodded with appreciation. Revon returned the gesture before both warriors shifted into their respective stances once more.
The two eyed the other down intently. One would advance, one would fail. Who would be the lucky winner was a mystery. The warriors meet halfway in the ring once more to engage in their battle. Their fight began swiftly as they used a combination of punches and kicks to try and gain an advantage over the other. They were still equally matched. None showed any interest in gaining the upper hand. Undoubtedly, Espio did not expect such resistance from the gila monster. Likewise, Revon respected the detective's resilience.
As Espio threw another punch, Revon caught him in an arm lock before slamming his face down and delivered a devastating headbutt. The force of the blow almost knocked Espio down. Unfazed, he lifted his head and resumed eye contact. Revon raised his arms and continued his assault against Espio.
Resuming their match, the two began to exchange punches once more. Espio blocked two more of Revon's strikes before leaping back. His current strategy was not getting him anywhere and therefore, he needed to switch up his fighting style. Espio began to circle around Revon while studying the gila monster's fighting style. Revon's style relied on heavy strikes, determined to defeat his opponent with powerful blows. Suspecting Revon would tire out if he continued with the same strategy, Espio readied himself for their next match.
Revon advanced and began his attack again. Instead of fighting back, Espio decided to go on the defensive. If he could just tire him down enough, Espio may be able to knock him out easier. Revon threw punch after punch after punch, but no matter how hard he hit, he couldn't break through Espio's defences. Espio was putting up a good fight and may have a chance of winning after all. His desire to win fuelled his determination.
Revon continued his assault while aware of his opponent's strategy. The detective was seeking to tire him out. Espio moved to counter with a quick strike again, but this time, Revon anticipated his movement and caught Espio in an armlock. Now that he had Espio in his grasp again, Revon was prepared to finish this. With Espio's arm trapped in his own, Revon did not hesitate to apply pressure towards Espio's arm upwards.
Espio grunted with discomfort as the bones in his arm tightened. Refusing to fall from such a cheap tactic, Espio brought up his legs and doubled kicked Revon away seconds before the gila monster could break his arm. Revon stumbled back, grasping his flat feet into the ground to halt. Calmly wiping a small scratch from his face, he dodged to the side as Espio threw the first punch. He leapt over the detective, landing behind him and kicking at his back. Espio jumped forward to avoid the attack, spinning to face his opponent and launching a barrage of brutal attacks. Revon parried each one, getting into the rhythm of the fight. The combatants separated before taking their fight towards the edge of his stage.
Cupping both hands together, Revon reeled back and slammed his fists against the detective. Espio smashed into the ground, experiencing further damage. Admittedly, he was surprised the gila monster had landed a successful blow against him. He bounced forward to throw his fist towards his opponent. Revon raised his hand and caught Espio's fist, applying a heavy squeeze that almost crushed his bones. Espio groaned and threw his knee up to break free, but he was thrown away before he could make contact. Now it dawned on him that the gila monster was finally demonstrating his true strength. After nursing his hand briefly, he charged and swung his foot around, only to miss a Revon sidestepped.
The rest of Team Chaotix watched the battle unfold from their position, now concerned Espio was going to lose. The warriors had started off as evenly matched, but now it appeared the gila monster was fighting more aggressively. Vector twiddled his fingers, anxious to find out if the chameleon would win.
"Vector, is Espio going to win?" Charmy asked with beaming eyes of hope.
The crocodile struggled to answer. He didn't want to get Charmy's hopes up, but he was the leader of Team Chaotix for a reason. His jaws tightened with uncertainty. Espio was his closest friend, someone he entrusted with several responsibilities. The chameleon's skills had helped them several times in the past. It was clear from the start Revon was no push over. He was just as well trained with his own unique fighting style. The victory was going to be close, very close.
Breathing softly to composure himself, Espio knew this moment to unleash his true strength. He cupped both hands firmly, channelling the inner warrior within. "Behold, NINJA POWER!"
Espio raced forward, circling the gila monster with incredible speed. He created multiple illusions of himself. With his opponent moving at such incredible speed, Revon had difficulty anticipating where the detective would strike. His energy was moving too rapidly to see which one was real. Without warning, the multiple afterimages closed in and began a flurry of punches and kicks, most of which were false. However, the real Espio began striking, his enhanced speed and sharp strikes throwing the martial artist off guard.
Espio backed away, continuing to circle around the confused warrior. Revon maintained his composure, refusing to show any hint of concern. His eyes narrowed towards the illusions. One of them was the real detective. Waiting patiently for the right moment, Revon jolted his leg forward, the flat end of his sandals knocking the detective out of his attack. His victory was short-lived as Espio ducked, fist pressed tightly into the gila monster's stomach, winding him.
Without hesitation, he spun around and unleashed a roundhouse kick, knocking the martial arts towards the ground. Catching himself midair, he charged towards Revon. Espio struck the first blow, his fist crashing into Revon's head and knocking him back. Revon recovered his senses and dodged to the left to avoid Espio's next attack and swung his tail towards the back of his opponent's neck. Espio caught his tail in mid-swing, twisting around to face Revon. While keeping a hold of the gila monster, he slammed his fist repeatedly into his face.
Finally snapping his tail free, Revon followed up with a kick to the side. Espio raised his arm and blocked. Revon moved to the attack again, fending off a volley of feet, fists, and strikes with the coordinated attack. Espio broke away, racing around behind Revon, who turned to face him. Espio was on the offensive now. After a few seconds of perfectly-timed strikes and blocks, one of Espio's attacks got through Revon's guard, knocking the wind out of him. Espio grabbed Revon by the shoulders and forced the two of them into the air.
The fighters hurtled towards the floor, but mere metres from impact, Revon swung around and forced Espio into the ground instead, hitting the stage with a sickening thud. Espio, surprised by the sudden interference, endured the attack. Revon took advantage of the distraction, striking devastating blows to Espio's stomach. Revon prepared to deliver the final blow but discovered too late that Espio was only faking incapacitation as the detective pushed him away, striking Revon at point-blank range. The impact knocked the stamina out of Revon, falling through the air as the powerful sensitization hit him hard. Espio followed him, throwing his fist toward which Revon ducked straight under. Revon twisted to the side, dodging between the punches, and raised his hands above his head.
Revon hadn't quite recovered when Espio smashed into him, his fists, feet, elbows and knees finding their targets with cruel precision. Already injured as he was, Revon couldn't stand more than a minute or two under the onslaught and soon his defences dropped. Espio held up his limp body and rammed home a few more punches before hurling him towards the edge of the stage. Barely stopping at the last second, Revon narrowly avoided falling, his feet a mere foot from touching the edge. Panting in exhaustion, his muscles grew thin as he grew tired.
Knowing another great opportunity wouldn't present itself, Espio charged forward. The two grappled, their fingers wrapped around each other. They desperately tried to push the other towards the edge of the ring. Both warriors were so close to winning, yet they couldn't be further from victory. Despite everything they had been through, neither of the warriors could gain an edge over each other.
Revon finally spoke directly to Espio. "I have never encountered a warrior such as yourself."
"Likewise," Espio agreed. "And I thank you for your earlier generosity. Not many would be willing to show such mercy."
"To allow someone to intervene in our battle would be dishonourable," Revon agreed. "Ozor has no restraint. Your friend will be lucky to beat him."
The two continued to converse while their arms trembled with soreness. Espio and Revon gave each other a look of agreement. The full extent of their strengths had been used. Against all expectations, they couldn't possibly overpower the other any longer. Refusing help from their own allies, Espio and Revon both nodded before deliberately throwing themselves sideways, all the while they continued to restrain each other until their feet left the arena. The two hurled towards the water, their combined weight creating a thundering splash upon impact.
"Unbelievable! Espio and Revon are both out!"
Espio and Revon submerged from the water, calmly swimming towards the tournament's staff, who were waiting to assist them. They climbed out of the water without any severe injuries. Holding a newfound respect to each other, they bowed once more before following the staff towards the bleachers. Once more, both teams had lost a member of their team. Ten fighters remained on the stage. Losing members of their teams fuelled their desire to win. Only one team would be awarded the grand prize.
Team Sonic knew they had their work cut out for them.