Games without Frontiers

Games without Frontiers

01 vs. 03

By LadyRivka

As Jashugan and #17 entered the arena, the hyper-space chamber closed around them. All was, in their view, pitch-black; but the audience could see through and watch the match.

Each opponent tried to sense where the goal was; they moved at irregular intervals, in an area that was designated as each player's goal-box.

Then a ball of pure energy, about the size of a tennis ball, dropped from overhead.

"BEGIN" sounded a robotic voice. Jashugan was first to hit the ball, but 17 put up good defense. Being the fighting model he was, he could sense the position of the goal and send the ball flying into it. Again and again…until there was no hope for Jashugan.

Or so it seemed.

Jashugan came back with a blow of brute strength with his racket, sending 17 and the energy ball careening into a wall. Juunana appeared to be not able to get up after the blow…

Oh, please, God, prayed Becky. Please let Juunanagou be okay…

And he was. He had managed to catch the energy ball in his right hand, and prepared for a serve. Jashugan blocked the serve, and sent the ball flying into the goal…quite by accident. Then he fell down, convulsing, from his position in mid-air.

Damn this brain surgery, he thought. Damn it all…

He gathered up enough energy to scream out, "I FORFEIT!"

Such a thing had never happened in 6ixball history; the Judges in the booth above the arena discussed it among themselves.

"I think we should let him lose…He looks as if he's going to die anyway," said one.

The others nodded their heads in agreement. Slowly, they turned a dial tuned to the frequency of Jashugan's brainwaves, which made him grit his teeth in agony.

"EX-PLODE! EX-PLODE!" roared the crowd.

And Jashugan's head did just that, leaving brains all over the hyper-space arena…

"The champion of this match is 01!" announced the judge.

Becky smiled through tears of purest joy. Her Juunanagou had won.

Jashugan awoke from the nightmare to find himself on Ido's couch.

"So…you had another attack again, I suppose," said the doctor.

"Yeah."

"Are you in any condition to take on Alita and her team?"

"I think so." Jashugan smiled. He knew he could beat Alita…but the raven-haired boy in his "dream", that was another story.

TO BE CONTINUED…