Chapter 3: Hao's Fight
In the Shaman Dimension:
"What do you mean you to sick to fight?" Horo Horo yelled at Chocolove, who was lying on his cot with a thermometer in his mouth and an icepack on his head.
"It was that ice cold water… I caught a cold, a bad one." Chocolove said in a sickly voice.
"But we're supposed to help Ren! Do you want him to join Hao?" Horo Horo snapped.
"I can't!" Chocolove said almost sneezing. Horo Horo yanked the thermometer out of Chocolove's mouth and read it. A look of shock rushed to Horo Horo's face.
"A HUNDRED AND THREE! POINT TWO!" Horo Horo yelled.
"Ouch, could you not yell, my head is killing me." Chocolove said putting his hand over the icepack on his head. Horo Horo looked worried.
"What about me and Ren? We are going to get killed out there!" Horo Horo said quieter.
"We'll be fine." Said a voice from the door. Horo Horo and Chocolove turned around to see Ren standing there in his battle outfit with his Kwan Dao in his hand. "We cannot force Chocolove to fight, even if he came with us, there is no way he would have enough energy to fight. He probably won't even have enough for an Oversoul."
"But…" Horo Horo started.
"But nothing." Ren finished for him.
"I'm sorry guys; I would fight if I could." Chocolove said holding the ice pack on his head and sitting up, with some trouble.
"We'll be fine." Ren said inspecting his Kwan Dao for impurities.
"How can you be sure? This is Hao!" Chocolove said, sounding sicker with every word he said.
"I don't know, but I won't lose. I can't. I will not let myself." Ren said angrily clutching his Kwan Dao harder, his hand shaking with rage. Horo Horo and Chocolove exchanged glances, they were both worried.
"Ren? Horo Horo? Chocolove?" Someone said as they ran into the room. "There you are, I wanted to give you guys some granola for good luck."
"Well, now that you mention it…at this time, granola sounds kind of good." Horo Horo said taking a piece from Yoh.
"What about you, Ren?" he asked offering him a piece with a large smile on his face.
"No thank you Yoh." Ren said.
"OK. Oh, and Chocolove, Anna told me to bring you some soup. Here." Yoh reached into his pocket and pulled out a can of soup.
"It's supposed to be cooked, you know." Horo Horo said taking the can.
"What? It is? Oh, sorry." Yoh said blushing at his embarrassment.
"That's fine; I'm not in the mood to eat anyway…" Chocolove said lying back down and rolling onto his side, the ice pack falling off his head. "I think I'm going to take a rest." He said sleepily.
Just then, Jun walked in.
"Hi you guys." She said softly, staring at the ground.
"Hi Jun." said Horo Horo.
"Look, we better be on our way. Where did he say you were going to have the, err, fight?" she said hesitating.
"At the waterfall, where we met with him." said Ren standing his weapon up strait.
"What's wrong with him?" asked Jun gesturing to Chocolove.
"He's sick. We fell, well; we were more like pushed into the water yesterday." Horo Horo said glaring at Ren.
"How come you didn't get sick?" asked Jun.
"Well, I'm used to the freezing cold temperatures." Horo Horo announced proudly.
"Well, he is coming isn't he? Just to watch and support Renny?" asked Jun sadly.
"I guess - ACHOO! - I could watch at least…" Chocolove said wiping his nose with the back of his hand. "Can you carry me?" he asked sarcastically to Ren.
"Pyron will." Ren said.
Pyron appeared from the door beside Jun. "Me?" he asked pointing to himself.
"Yes, you are strong, aren't you Pyron?" asked Ren.
"Yes Master Ren." the corpse replied.
Pyron went up to Chocolove, and threw him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"HEY! Be careful." Chocolove said sniffing.
They all exited the room, and were greeted outside by Anna, Manta, Tamao, Ryu, Faust, and Pirika.
"Pirika?" asked Horo Horo, shocked at the sudden appearance of his little sister.
"HORO HORO!" she exclaimed hugging him. "I came as soon as I heard. You are going to fight Hao?"
"How did you hear?"
"The rumors are all over Patch, everyone's going to be there!" she said letting him go.
"What are you doing here in the first place?"
"I came to watch you compete in the second round, I wouldn't miss it for the world!"
"Hey, you two-" interrupted Ryu. "It's almost Noon."
"ACK! I'M SO WORRIED!" exclaimed Tamao shutting her eyes.
"Don't worry," began Yoh. "They can take care of themselves." He said smiling.
Tamao blushed at Yoh trying to comfort her.
Jun hadn't spoken much about the subject of the fight since she had heard, and she had almost ignored Ren.
"Jun?" asked Ren looking up at his sister. "What's wrong?"
"What's wrong? You are going to get yourself killed out there! Even if he doesn't totally destroy you, you will have to join him…" she said, a tear rolling down her face.
"You don't think I can win?" he asked frowning.
"Well, no actually. Hao is…Hao…" she said wiping the tear away.
"Don't worry Jun, I will not, cannot, lose to him." he said reassuring her.
Jun smiled, but it was forced.
They started to the waterfall. There was a large crowd of people hovering around the fight area, and Ren was a little embarrassed for himself.
As soon as the other shamans realized they had arrived, they all began to clap, shouting out random cheers of encouragement.
"YOU CAN TO IT!"
"KILL THAT CRAZY MAN BEFORE HE KILLS ANOTHER!"
"TERMINATE HIM!" said a man to Pyron.
"Are you speaking to me?" Asked Pyron to the man.
"OF CORSE, YOU CAN DO IT REN!" the man yelled, still to Pyron.
"I am not Master Ren." Pyron said stepping aside, reviling Ren standing with his long weapon. There was a long pause.
"A kid?" said the man.
"We're doomed." A woman shaman said screaming.
A sense of panic struck the crowd.
"Hey! Hao is a kid himself you know!" said Horo Horo pointing to the man.
"But he's like, technically a thousand years old." A girl said.
"Hey! These 'kids' are definitely strong enough to fight Hao! They might even win!" said a familiar voice among the crowd. They turned to see Sharona and rest of the Lilly 5 standing next to Ryu.
"Thanks you guys." Horo Horo said smiling.
"You're welcome." Millie said smiling up at Ryu.
A loud laugh broke the argument. Every shaman turned and saw Hao sitting on a rock among the waterfall.
"Glad you showed up, Ren." He said smiling. Opacho was sitting next to him. "Ready for our fight?"
"Yes." Ren replied stepping out of the crowd. They all spread out to allow a large gap in between them all.
"And I'm fighting with him!" exclaimed Horo Horo stepping behind him.
"Well, I guess that's all right. You might as well make it more fair, no offense Ren. But him, and only him will join our fight." Hao said looking at his brother. "Remember, this is not an official fight, just merely a quarrel between friends." Hao jumped off his rock and landed next to them.
"We are not friends." Ren snapped angrily.
"That's right, show your anger. You fight better when you are enraged." Hao said grinning.
"Good luck Ren." Jun whispered to herself and Pyron, who had laid Chocolove out on the grass to watch.
"You can do it Ren and Horo Horo!" coughed Chocolove.
"Ready?" asked Hao. "Go." Within a second, his spirit of fire had appeared underneath him, Hao was standing on the spirit's shoulder, grinning maniacally. The spirit raised its hand into the air as fire blew from the sharp fingers of its deep red hand.
"BASON, BIG OVERSOUL!" Ren shouted as Bason grew to the size of the ferocious fire spirit.
"KORORO, BIG OVERSOUL!" Horo Horo yelled, as Kororo grew to nearly the size of Bason.
"Hmm…what a waste." Hao said as his powerful spirit slashed its hand down on Kororo, breaking Horo Horo's Oversoul. Horo Horo fell to the ground.
"HORO HORO!" exclaimed Ren turning his gaze from Hao.
"Your mistake!" said Hao slamming Ren's Oversoul. Bason slid on his feet and rammed into the crowd. The people shrieked, and ran out of the giant robot warriors path.
Horo Horo got up. "I'm okay Ren." He managed to say. "A couple of bruises, but nothing's broken…except my ego…"
"Hmm. I'm surprised you can speak, but that will end soon." Hao said as the spirit raised its hand again, effortlessly.
"Oh no you don't." Ren said as Bason stepped in front Horo Horo.
"Oh, you're standing up for him?" Hao said grinning wider. The spirit of fire brought its strong hand crashing down upon Bason, nearly overwhelming him. But Bason managed to stand his ground, for the time being.
"Yes, I am." Ren said with a small grin.
Bason punched the spirit of fire in the stomach, but with no effect. The Fire God grabbed Bason's hand and tossed it aside. Hao grabbed Horo Horo, though he had no Oversoul, and threw him at Ren. Bason caught him just in time, before he slammed into his hard Oversoul body. Hao's timing was perfect, his aim precision. He struck Bason in the chest, causing Ren to lose his Oversoul. Both Ren and Horo Horo plummeted to the ground. Luckily, Bason was quick; he cushioned the impacted of the harsh fall, but barely. Ren slowly raised himself to his feet.
"Well, you are still standing. That is good; I need a strong fighter on my team." Hao said with his smile growing wider than Ren preferred.
"Ha. That's funny. You think I will join you." Ren said smiling a little.
"What are you talking about? Of coarse you will join me. I will win." Hao said.
"I would die before I would join you Hao." Ren said with a smile that led semiconscious Horo Horo to believe Ren had gone mad.
"If you will not be my comrade, you will be no ones!" Hao yelled, as he began to get angry. The fire spirit clenched its hand into a fist and aimed for Ren. Ren's smile was unchanged. "TAKE THIS!" Hao screamed madly.
The fire spirit sent a blow in Ren's direction. Ren closed his eyes and awaited the blow. Time went by, to much time. Ren opened his eyes and saw an alien boy standing there, blocking the attack from Hao.
"Hello, Brother, it looked like you required some assistance."
