Shaman King! Another chappy! I'm working on getting another chapter for Mothers up on Father's day
Disclaimer: Standard
Thanks to all who reviewed!
Onto the chapter!
Anna gasped at the look on Hao's face.
This was it.
He would have to fight Yoh.
And only one could win.
She knew who she'd be silently rooting for.
The Battle Begins
She stood dumbfounded upon the balcony.
This was when Hao noticed her.
"Ah! Anna!" he walked over to her down the walkway. "You'll be pleased to know that I've just recieved word of a Shaman Battle... and you won't believe who our opponents are!"
"Yoh," She choked out, somewhere between disbelief and sobbing.
"Wow, I guess you really could believe," Hao said haphazardly, waving it off. "And soon, the Shaman King title will be mine for the taking, and then you will be a queen, Anna,"
Anna nodded slowly, finding it hard to keep up her act under the circumstances.
"You'll have the place of honor at the stadium, of course, and you'll root for me all the way, won't you, Anna?"
Anna nodded slowly again.
"And so, I shall go and strategize with my team members, if you'll excuse me first,"
He pushed past her.
"Oh, and Anna," he said. Anna turned around.
He quickly pressed his lips to hers. She squealed in surprise, but before she could thoroughly push him off her, he was gone.
Yoh and his friends stared at the Oracle Bells for a long time, pondering in silent thought.
'This is it... will I die? I hope I die rather than Master Yoh,... but what of my hair!'
'Oh, man! What if he dies!... Hey that smells like food!'
'Well, I hope he isn't humiliated. There goes that idiot Indian dreaming about food again, his sister's nothing like him!'
'Hmmm... should I break a joke to crack the silence? Naa, pointy-head wouldn't appreciate it, especially not when he's off in thought. Probably about Pilica,'
'Hey, maybe I'll join Eliza in the afterlife,'
'Perhaps Yoh ought to resign,... but then he'll never get Anna back. Darn me and my logic!'
'Morty looks mad, I hope he'll help Yoh get Miss Anna back, she'd know what to do,'
'Oh, Len looks sooo cool when he's thinking... what should we do to annoy my brother next?'
'Will I ever see Anna again? Will I ever get her back? Will I ever tell her I- love her?'
And so, the group sat in silence, staring into space, or sometimes at people. Then, Yoh broke the silence.
"Noon," he said. "This'll all go down tomorrow at noon. Team Asakura, we have until then to prepare,"
He stood and exited the room.
The next day brought dawning apprehension on Team Asakura. They were in tough shape, having not slept well the previous night. Tamora made sure they had a good breakfast, but what good would it do if all members were asleep on their feet? Yoh looked around sleepily and sadly at everyone in the room. Would he ever see his friends again? But what of his fiancee? Now too depressed for words, he turned back to his breakfast and started eating.
He didn't want to admit it, but breakfast had helped him alot. After the meal, he felt more refreshed, and could think more clearly. He took a morning jog around Dobe Village, trying to get out of his fog and come up with a strategy. His efforts proved fruitless. He returned to the house still in a daze and without any thought of a strategy.
His teammates hadn't had much luck with a strategy that morning either. Rio had taken four cold showers, and Faust had asked his darling Eliza for suggestions.
Noon came too quickly for the Team. They left the house to get to the stadium early, and when they arrived, it was five of. They sluggishly walked into the locker room, with no strategy and no thought.
"Maybe," Rio suggested, "We'll come up with a strategy in the heat of action," he hoped to restore spirit to his other two team members. It didn't wirk much.
At precisely noon, a presider came into the locker room and told them it was time for the match. He heartily wished the team good luck, and told them he sincerely hoped that the team would be able to fend off Hao and his forces. He wanted them to be kicked out of the tournament.
As if this wan't enough pressure, the Great Spirit would be watching the match today, picking his favorite for Shaman King out of the remaining teams. This was the last team battle to be fought-- and then the spirit wiould make his decision
Already sweating from nerves and pressure, Team Asakura walked onto the field, looking as bedraggled and incompetitive as ever.
When Hao saw them he chucked slightly. "Not feeling yourself today, otouto?"
Yoh was too tired to make a remark back, but he put a determined look upon his face and willed his emotions to match the confidence in his expression.
Silva walked out into the stadium. The crowd went wild. Yoh could distinctly hear some of his friends shouting complements and encouraging phrases. Silva raised his hand, immediately quieting everyone down.
"The shaman battle between Team Asakura and Team Star is about to start! Are all Team members ready?" Nods from all three players on both teams. "Good. Then let the match begin, FIGHT!"
Team Star made the first move. Opacho and Mari (who he had chosen for this match) separated and acted to corner Rio and Faust. The said two then engaged in battle one-on-one with the two girls, without oversoul. They had to admit, the girls could fight.
Hao casuallt walked over to Yoh, who's eyes had never left him since the start of the match. He chuckeld again, "Well, dear otouto, aren't you going to make your move? Attack while I'm apparently not ready? Or is your pride too great to openly admit you can't attack me because I am your brother?"
"I can attack you, and I will. But I wanna get a few answers from you first,"
"Go ahead, your colleagues should be able to subdue mine for long enough,"
"Number one, where is Anna?"
Hao pionted.
"Number two, what have you been doing to her?"
"Nothing at all, brother. How could you dare to think so lowly of me? I wouldn't hurt your precious fiancee for the world,"
"Right, that's why you subdued her and seduced her and had your way with her,"
"Oh! Brother knows more than he's letting on!... That's a tactic I would use,"
"If you're saying that we're similar, think again,"
"Well, a bit tempermental this morning, aren't we?"
"Maybe, one might be if their fiancee was kidnapped by their own brother, wouldn't you agree?"
"Well, she also may not be your fiancee anymore-"
"That would also be her choice," Yoh said.
"But maybe not, if her fiancee was... disposed of, she would have no fiancee anymore,"
"Is that a threat, dear brother?"
"Only if you take it as one, otouto,"
Just then, Rio and Faust were sent reeling back from an attack made simultaneously by the girls.
"I believe that's our cue to start fighting," Hao said, making the Spirit of Fire materialise.
Yoh jumped back and performed oversoul.
"Celestial slash!"
"Ring of Fire!"
Yoh's sword produced a red slash that cut Hao's ring of bobbung flames in half, continuing until it hit the Spirit of Fire. By that time, however, the attack had lost its power and barely affected it at all.
Yoh felt it was time to play some hard ball "Giant Spirit Control!"
A giant Amidimaru materialised before the crowd. Yoh smirked. "Celestial Slash!"
The giant sword-wielding Amidimaru made a faster red slash through the air. This sent the spirit of fire reeling back as he made a Ring of Fire attack. Both attacks hit their marks, however, Yoh's was more powerful and should have done more damage.
Both boys were lying on the ground, panting and exhausted.
However, Hao then sprung up.
Yoh stared in disbelief.
"How can you- still stand- after- my last attack?"
"Easy," he snapped his fingers.
A vision of a girl enveloped in red flames appeared behind Hao.
Yoh gasped.
"Anna!"
"How does it feel, Yoh? Knowing that the one advantage you had is now being used against you?"
TBC!
YAY! I'm sorry it'z kinda short. I really need to work on more ideas. But there's some action for you!
Thanks again for the reviews.
Oh, and i didn't happen to remember who the third person on Hao's team was, so i just put mari in.
animebookworm
