We walked near a white line signed on the ground. Giulius was on my right, looking over the road. So, those weird furniture are suppose to be obstacles? Uhm… those walls are very tall… the blocks are much shorter, but spread around the road… and I can even glance a portion of the road, being slippery.
I instinctively look at my right, watching Fara and Tonna cheering from their seats: I'll win this race, even for them!
"Please, become Squids." Mr. Tarfo announces.
Before I transformed into one, there was a container on Giulius's back. It was filled with ink…? Its color, which was green, matches Giulius one.
I become a Squid and stood still. YIKES! Giulius… is transformed into a different kind of Squid!
"There's no need to worry, Hun!" Mr. Tarfo sat down on the chair. "Despite the fact he turned into a Kraken, the rules clearly specified how no attacks are allowed. Focus only on the race, ok?"
"Yes!" I looked the road in front of me!
I still remembered what Tonna told me about, though… so, no room for big errors!
"On your marks…" Uh? What did Mr. Tarfo mean to say?
"Get set…" Ehm… I'm suppose to get ready?!
"GO!"
Oh no! Giulius sprints ahead!
"Ah ah ah! SO LONG, SQUID!" He's taunting me!
I need to pass him! Only one way… with my Squid Charge! It's a technique I learned one day, while I was playing with my sister. I hold my ink, then when I'm about to blow up…
WWHHHOOOOOOOOOOSSSSHHHH!
My ink propels me forward! It's kinda hard to stop… almost impossible to steer! But hey, the road was going straight without any obstacles in the way! In a jiffy, I was almost passing Giulius before the move runs out...
"WHAT?! How did you reach me this easily?!" He was focusing on the road.
"I used my Squid Charge!" I moved sideways, passing a block.
"Squid Charge?! I never heard of that skill!" He jumped a block.
"Ehm, I wish I could explain that to you, right now…" The wall was getting near. "But I have a race to win!"
I swam faster, passing my rival! I slowed down and jumped perfectly on the wall: I climbed it, without losing my speed. On the edge, I jumped out of the wall and precipitate on the other side. UMPF! I shouldn't land on the ground like that… but I'm still able to swim! There is a curve next…
Suddenly, the floor feels different… OH NO, IT'S SLIPPERY! I tried to turn, but I spin around without stopping!
AHIA! I slammed on a block…
"I CAN'T LOSE!" Giulius shouted, while passing me. "YOU'LL NEVER WIN THIS!"
No! I shook my head multiple times and prepared another Squid Charge!
WWHHHOOOOOOOOOOSSSSHHHH!
Perfect timing! I'm almost passing him again… what the?! He's covering my path!
"YOU SHALL NOT PASS, SQUID!"
No matter where I moved, he was always in front of me! I could see the finish line, the crowd was cheering… and I think I'm hearing my sister voice too! I need to find a way to finish first!
"Ah ah ah ah! Too late! I'm almost at the end! VICTORY GOES TO"
BONK!
Giulius crashed against a block! I swim across the obstacles and… YES, I DID IT! The agents were exulting! The claps and whistles grew very loud too! I turned normal, watching all of this… taking a glance at Fara, she almost left her seat trying to move towards me: Tonna was holding my sister, saying something impossible to her.
Mr. Tarfo stood up, doing a handsign to the agents: they immediately become quiet.
"Congratulations, Hun!" Mr. Tarfo applauded. "Now you are ready for the final challenge!"
"Oh… what was it again?" Good question…
"IT'S A FIGHT AGAINST THE CHAMPION, KID!" AAAAH! He was frowning!
The man has also a bump on his head…
"NO ONE DEFEATS GIULIUS AND GETS AWAY WITH IT." He coughed.
Uhm… should I tell him to stop shouting? I think I'm going deaf, if he decides to yell a speech!
"You have five minutes to rest, before we resume." The shark-man rubs his hands gently.
Ah, good! I wonder if I can get near my sister…? Well, it doesn't hurt to try! Some agents were looking at me and the rest of them, were shouting at Giulius. Many of them smiled and someone was showing a collection of white papers and… a type of pen I never seen before!
Hey, I got near my sister without any problem!
"Hun! Ya wer' 'ood!" She was smiling.
"Eh eh, thank you sister!" I caressed her head.
"Let me tell you the same, Hun." Tonna was smiling too, still sitting on a giant stair! "It may be true you got lucky at the end, but your performance was still neat!"
"Thank you, Tonna!" I pulled up my thumb. "I hope to win the last challenge too!"
"You should be careful about the fight against Giulius… he's very good using his Kraken power!"
"Kraken? What's a Kraken?" I looked at him.
He was doing a bunch of different poses… each of them, was making me jump from the fear!
"Well, you saw one in that race."
I looked back at Tonna.
"They are very strong and resistant. In fact, I never saw an Inkling defeating a Kraken…"
"No?!" I gulped loudly.
"No. That doesn't mean it's impossible to defeat such beast. Your skills were incredible, Hun! Where did you learn that Turbo ability?"
"Ah, that? I learned it while I was playing with my sister! Don't remember the exact day, though…" I stared at my sister.
"I don' rememb' too…" She does puppy eyes.
"It doesn't matter the day." Tonna looks at the judges. "The important thing is to receive positive feedback from the judges. Try your best and be careful… ok?"
I nodded, while sighing: she likes to repeat herself, huh?
"Good. Then"
"It's time to begin the last challenge! Hun, please move over there." Mr. Tarfo points over the center of the road.
Wait… why is there a big red square line in the middle? I was thinking about it, while I was walking there.
Once I was inside the red lines, Mr. Tarfo said "I'm going to explain the rules, now. Please pay attention."
There are rules here too? I thought I only had to beat Giulius!
"Send your opponent past the red line to win!"
That's it? It's kind of a weird battle… meanwhile, Giulius walked to the other side of the square line.
"Now the red lines are operative: whoever passes one, a beeping sound is heard and the battle is over. That's all you have to know."
Uhm… I wonder how those sounds appear exactly…
"We are about to start! On your marks…"
Oh! I have to be a Squid!
"Get set…"
Oh-oh… Giulius becomes a Kraken!
"GO!"
The battle started! The Kraken swims at the center of the area.
"Ah ah ah ah! TRY KNOCKING ME AWAY, SQUID!"
Uh? He wants to lose…? All right! I'm sending him away! I sprinted towards him at full speed! I hit Giulius, trying to knock him… but it didn't work!
"Uh? IS THIS ALL YOUR STRENGTH?! HA! THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO WIN!"
Then, I thought about the Squid Charge… and I decided to use it! Giulius was still standing there…
"Ah ah ah! Your special move is weak too! NOTHING CAN DESTROY GIULIUS!"
WWHHHOOOOOOOOOOSSSSHHHH!
BONK!
This time, I send him away! … but it wasn't enough to kick him out of the line! He was breathing loudly…
"IMPOSSIBLE! How can such puny charge move around a Kraken?!"
I charge after him! He was standing still, near the line! OW! He hit me! I was rolling back!
"I HAD ENOUGH! TIME TO FINISH THIS!" He was charging at me now!
I swim away: I didn't want to use the Squid Charge since it takes a while to use fully. I was getting away from him.
"COME BACK HERE, SQUID! FIGHT LIKE ONE!"
Hey! He really thinks that I'm a coward?! I' m not a coward… … no… no, I'm not a coward! I… I…
I made a promise, a while ago… I promised… to not run away anymore… to change into a brave man! I have to keep my promise… if I want to protect my friends… and my sister… my sister…
"YA 'AN DO THI', BIG BRO!"
Fara… I… I WANT TO SAVE YOU, FARA! ALWAYS!
I turned around and dashed against that Kraken! I hit him many times, knocking him back after each hit! He was trying to turn around, but my attacks were too strong for him! Yes! He's almost out of the area! Come on, me! One more hit and… I WIN! I KNOCKED HIM OUT! YEAH! I win…!
… huh…? I… suddenly feel very tired… but, I wasn't tired before… … why is everyone running towards me…? I… couldn't see them very well, though… … Fara… … …