Chapter 14: I'm just going to have to take a chance
MARIANA'S POV
Today, we've woken up extra early to watch this day's match. Hao's match. It's the first one we get to see. I exit my room and go to the guy's room, which is just across from mine.
I knock the door "Ready yet?"
"In a minute!" I hear Horohoro call.
"Ok. I'll go make breakfast" I tell him, before descending the stairs. Bu someone already beat me to it. Predictably, Ren's the first one up and he's already busy in the kitchen "Morning. Want any help?"
"No, I got it" He hastily puts a plate of toasts, butter, sugar and a cup of tea on the kitchen table "There. Eat" He orders.
"Thanks" I grin, take a seat and start eating. He sits across from me and watches me eat. I look up at him "Aren't you going to have anything?"
"I already had breakfast" He says simply.
"Why did you wake up so early?"
"To make breakfast to those idiots upstairs so they don't make me late for the fight" He answers easily. I can tell he's lying though. He has big bags under his eyes and his hair is unusually messy. He looks as though he's been up all night, which he probably has and a couple more nights too. It appears that he's feeling uneasy because of his encounter with Hao. He told me Hao's incredibly strong. Today I'll see it with my own eyes.
"Finally!" Ren snaps suddenly. I look up to see Horohoro and Chocolove entering the kitchen "There're your things" He points to the toaster with cold toasts and the kitchen stove with the cold tea "Eat fast" He hisses menacingly.
Without a word, the two practically choke on the food and, at last, we can go. It doesn't take us ten minutes to get to the stadium. The other guys are already there, but as the place is full, it takes us a while to find them.
"Hey!" I hear Manta calling us, they are a couple of seats above. With some difficulty, we get there "What took you so long? We thought you were gonna miss it"
"Some dim witted pair, with which I think you're familiar, couldn't get their fat asses off the bed" Ren scowls. I grin widely.
"Has it started yet?" I ask anxiously.
"No, but it will any minute now" Answers Ryu.
Right then, the commentator bellows "Let's get on with today's match, then!!!" Hao and two of his companions make their appearance from one side of the court. Three X-laws members come out of the opposite side "The competitors are now on stage! Team Hoshi vs X-III! Let the fight begin!!!"
Hao's two followers climb down the field, letting Hao alone to face the three members of the X-laws. So the match starts. The X-laws fire away their angels.
"This is all you got?" Hao sneers. The Spirit of Fire materializes in the middle of the court, its gigantic size freaking out part of the audience. With it, Hao takes one of the angels down with ease, killing its owner simultaneously in one quick motion "One down" He smirks.
"Fuck!" I close my eyes and turn my head away when I see all the blood pouring out of the body "That son of a bitch!!"
"How the fuck did he do that?!" Horohoro yells with wide eyes "How did he take one of those angels so fast? Those spirits must be unbelievably strong. Is he really that powerful?"
Ren snorts loudly and we all turn to him "Right now, with our strength there's no way we can even estimate how strong he is" He says calmly.
"What?" Chocolove whispers nervously.
"Hao's power is amazing, ladies and gentlemen" The commentator shouts "It looks like team X-III is in big trouble" But bizarrely, the X-laws seem very unperturbed with their colleague's death.
"This wont work this way" We hear one of the two X-III left observe "We must find out his medium"
"What are they doing?" Ryu asks worriedly.
"They're trying to determine the object Hao's using to oversoul" Yoh has an uncharacteristic serious look on him.
Now, the guy who spoke advances speedily and strikes, with no more luck than his deceased companion. The Fire Spirit blocks the attack with no trouble. Yet again, Hao executes his opponent. This is horrible. I turn on my seat to face the others and not the field, deciding I've watched enough.
"When did he oversoul? I couldn't catch it" Horohoro squints his eyes to look more carefully.
"Master! This-" Bason exclaims.
"Yes, just like before" Ren interrupts "My theory's right, his medium is none other than air" This statement make us all go quiet. Air?! How are we supposed to overcome that?!!! The fucker is too skilled!
The last guy on the X-III has come to the same conclusion. But it's no use, in the blink of an eye Hao exterminates his last opponent in the match. As if this is not enough, he ends up ordering his spirit to consume the spirits of his recent victims.
"And the winner of this match is Team Hoshi! What an incredible power!!" I distantly hear the commentator. Three sacrifices in one day. How terrible! Are all of Hao's fights going to end this way?
(6 hours later)
After lunch (very small for me, didn't feel like having much after witnessing three murders), we all go back to Yoh's, except for Ren, who goes back to our place to train. He told me he has to start practicing with his Horaiken, given his Kwan Dao has now no use.
In Yoh's house we all sit in the living room with a few cokes. I sit on the sofa with Horo by my side and Choco on his other side.
"This sucks!" Horohoro complains "What if our next match is against Hao?"
"Well, you may not even have to worry" I say calmly "One of you two is not fighting the next match, remember?" I point at him and Chocolove.
"Yeah" He sighs discontentedly. A depressing silence settles for a minute.
"Hey, Mariana" Ryu calls, breaking it off. I turn around to face him "So? Are you telling Ren or not?"
"Yeah, I thought you'd said you were gonna tell him" Chocolove looks at me pointedly.
"Nooo" I groan and bury my face in one of the sofa's pillows "I can't, I'm not telling him" My voice sounds muffled due to the pillow.
"What?!" Horo snatches the pillow and throws it away "You're chickening out?!"
"Yes! And proudly!" I glower at him for taking away the comfy pillow "Look, it's not that easy, you know? We're talking about Ren here, remember Ren? The guy who always carries dangerous weapons around?"
"He's not going to attack you" Yoh says reasonably.
"I know, but still, it's Ren" I whine "He can't care less about this things"
"But you have to tell him" Yoh insists "You can't live in the same house and hide your feelings all the time. He's not stupid. Even if he knows nothing about this sort of stuff, he'll catch on eventually. You don't hide it that well"
"I know" I sigh heavily "I just don't know how to bring it up, when to say it, how to say it. It's like…." I think for a moment and then turn to Horo "Let's try this out. Be Ren for a moment"
"Ok" He says cheerfully. Then he tries to scowls intimidatingly, screwing up his face, but it looks more like he's trying to defecate "What do you want, idiot?" He says in a hoarse voice.
I fall off the sofa laughing the crap out of me. The others laugh out loud as well. Some mirth tears actually come off my eyes "That-" I gasp trying to catch my breath "That is so not Ren!" I yell from the floor and keep on laughing.
"Yes it is!" Horo protests.
"No, it's not" Counters Choco, still laughing.
"Is so!"
"You looked as though you were shiting" Ryu chuckles repeatedly.
I finally manage to calm down and climb back on the sofa "Come on, seriously" I pant a little "Try to be him"
"Fuck you" Horohoro frowns annoyed.
"There" I nod "That's more like him"
"Ok, then. Talk" He orders.
"Yeah, don't overdo it" I take a deep breath "Hi Ren. I love you" I smile at him.
"Er…." Horohoro looks at me stupidly "It's no use! I don't know how Ren thinks!"
"You're right, it is useless" I say gloomily "I don't know how he thinks either. I'm just going to have to take a chance" I look at Yoh miserably "If worse comes to worse, can I stay here for a while?"
"Sure" He smiles sympathetically. All the others wish me luck before Chocolove, Horohoro and I return to our place. Well, there's no more to it. For better or worse, I'm telling him tomorrow no matter what.