Fyr3Flyt3: Hello Ladies and Gents and welcome to Chapter 10-ish of Gamer Blues. We're on the brink of something that I am very excited for. Anyway, On to the Chapter!
Chapter 10: It's All Fun and Games
"Hit me."
Damn it, a 9! I needed a five or below!
"I'm out!"
"And I win again." Tori sung, pulling my cards over into her growing stack. I glanced at my pitiful excuse for a stack. 4 cards! I don't know what it is! I just suck at Blackjack. And every other card game on the planet. Go Fish, BS, Capitalism, Old Maid, Gin, Sheepshead, and don't get me started Texas Hold'em. I owe Tori so much money.
We're supposed to be playing this to up my LUK, but apparently someone doesn't understand how deals work. I do something for you, you do something for me. Like LOSE! ! ! !
Calm. It's only a game. Just like my life.
I think this Gamer thing is making me really competitive.
Tori and I are currently sitting underneath the big tree in the field, which I recently learned is called the Yearning Hand because it looks like it's reaching for the moon. Apparently, every full moon, the moon appears as though it's cupped between its branches. That sounds impossible to me and I asked how that's possible and she said, and I quote, 'The tree reaches for it'. In essence, the tree moves. I'd say that's insane but that'd be the pot calling the kettle black.
I looked at Tori as she shuffled the deck, getting it ready for the new game. Ya know, I kinda just realized, Tori is a loli. She looks younger than she actually is and she's freaking adorable sometimes. Like when she's sleeping.
That sounded creepier than I expected.
But anyway, back to the loli thing. I've come to grips with the whole 'Gamer' thing, but I also now live in an anime world. I can sweatdrop, I can make that weird dash mark appear on my head, I can comically fall down with my legs in the air. I have a legitimate chance of inexplicably attracting a harem of hot women despite a lack of redeeming qualities! I am the great bridge between game and anime. I'm the Embodiment of Otaku. I am Game and Anime! I am the missing link of nerdom! I Am The Alpha and The Omega! I AM THE END ALL! THE BE ALL! THE GREAT POWER OF THE WORLD! I! AM! GOD! JIKHAKHAKHAKHAKHAKHA! JIIIIIIIIIIKHAKHAKHAKHAKHAKAHKHAAAAAA!
"DANTE!"
"Huh, what?" Tori was holding her cards and giving me a really suspicious look.
"The game's started and you had a really creepy look on your face."
"Sorry, I had a slight bout of megalomania, but I think it's fine now."
"Uh-hu." Tori reached for the cards and pulled one out, still eyeing me like I'm crazy. I'm not crazy. Just slowly dipping into insanity because I'm faced with a possibly never-ending existence with no discernible meaning of why I'm in this situation while crumbling deep inside at the loss of my friends and family, or what little I had of them.
Perfectly fine.
"Hit me." I have a 6 and an 8, all I need is a 7 and this round is in the bag, and I start when I start on a roll, I don't stop. Like a clumsy snowboarder down steep mountain. Just got to believe in the Heart of the Cards. I put my hand over the deck, while humming the opening to Yu-Gi-Oh.
"It's time to D-Du-Du-Du-Duel!" I whispered as I dramatically pulled the card from the top of the deck. And it's an...
8.
Duckmothering Crackerstacks! Every frickin time! It's never a 7! The Hearts of the Cards is BS! Yugi won through plot bullshit!
"I'm out, you win. Again." Tori meekly smiled as she put down a Queen of Heart and an Ace of Diamonds. Perfect 21. Tycho can go screw herself.
"You wanna play chess instead, you're better at that game." Don't you pity me. I'm done playing games!
"No." Tori started, looking at my face. I smiled so wide you'd think I'd been decapitated. "Now, it's your turn." Tori paled, which is pretty amazing as she's already quite pale. I rose up from my sitting position, laughing like a Bond villain. I clapped my hands together and formed the blue construct. "Look into my eyes." Tori flinched away, before I yelled at her. "LOOK AT ME," she turned to look me dead in the eye, "you wanted this, now you're gonna it. JIKHAKHAKHAKHAKHAKHA! [Arena: Tenkaichi]!" The world around us is consumed in a blue construct as Tori whispered.
"Oh no."
She did want this. And you reap what you sow.
A Week and A Half Ago
"Dante!" Tori showed up as I rested under the Yearning Hand. I'd just gotten done running around and strangling a Grey with my bare hands. Which is not easy. She was dressed in a solid baby blue shirt, jeans, and black sneakers. She had her hair tied up in a cute little ponytail with a braid in it. She looks so cute.
"Hello Little Bird, whatcha doing out here?" She came and sat down next to me.
"Nothing, just came to see what you were doing and hang out with you." Awwww, that's nice. But wait...
"Why are you hanging out with me? Why don't you go hang out with the other kids in town? I always see them running around, playing and crap." It's kinda weird that Tori never hangs out with kids her age. Then again, I often try to avoid human contact, so who am I to judge?
Tori's face fell, pushing her knees together and tucking her head into the little nook. She mumbled something I couldn't hear.
"What?" She lifted up her head and stared out towards the tree line.
"I said that the other kids don't like playing with me. They say I'm a bird freak and I should stay away from them."
"Oh!" Goddamnit, this is the second time she's come to me with some emotional hullabaloo. I'm not good with people and their emotions. I only solved the thing with her mom, who I'm pretty sure she still has problems with, by sitting there and listening. What do I do now?
"Damn kid, that sucks." I stood up and patted the dirt off of my clothes. "Well, um, I'm kinda busy right now so, I'm gonna go and I'll see you later. Kay? Bye!" Exit stage left.
"Wait!" Shit! "What are you doing out here? You've been coming out here every day for the past few days. What's going on?"
"Oh, I'm just training. Can't be a weakling if I'm going to the Grand Line."
"You're really going to the Grand Line?"
"Yes indeedy!"
"You're going on an adventure?"
"Yes?" I don't like where this is going.
"Take me with you!" And that where I thought this was going! I can't bring her with me! Not only is that kidnapping and Dad is a cop, she's not strong enough. Oh, but look at that face. She's looking at me those big ol' eyes. I swear she got smaller. I can't say No when she like that. But maybe, her dad can!
"Tori, hun, I'd love to take you with me, but your dad would never allow plus don't you have to go to school or something?"
"School?" Tori tilted her head, like this was a very foreign concept to her. Now that I think about, I don't I'be ever seen a school in One Piece. Maybe Law since he lived in kingdom and is Doctor. Then again Chopper is also a doctor and he learned from Kureha.
"Nevermind, what matters is your dad would never allow you to come with me to Grand Line or really anywhere outside of rifle range."
"Maybe, but Papa did say that I could do whatever I wanted if I really wanted it and I want to go on an adventure with you! So there!" I don't think that's what your dad meant. Doesn't matter, I have a brilliant idea!
"Okay, ok, you got me, but you're still not strong enough. It doesn't matter if you've got a Devil Fruit, you can barely use it. You wouldn't survive a second out on the seas." Tori's resolve visibly faltered. Haha! Success!
"Well, you can teach me." Wha?
"Wha?"
"Yeah! You were already trying to help me transform all the way."
"And that failed miserable and we agreed not to try it again."
"Well, I'll just learn fight in my regular and hybrid forms and you can teach me to be strong, right?" Shit! Shit! No, I can turn this around! I won't let her break me! I like not being shot!
"Okay, I'll train you but you can only come with me if you can beat me in a fight and you have to do something for me." Genius Dante, genius. Tori may have upper body strength of a bear, but she's as naïve as a newborn deer. I can beat her easily! Plus I can have her play games with me to up my LUK and WIS. God knows I need that LUK.
"Sure!"
"Just know, this training will be rigorous! It will be painful! It will be torture!" Tori nodded her head like she didn't believe me. Oh my sweet Little Bird, you don't what's coming. JIKHAKHAKHAKHAKHAKHAKHAKHAKHAKHAAAA! ! !
Inside the Arena: Tenkaichi
"Let's get ready to ruuuuuuummmmmbllllle!" The announcer yelled into his mic as the crowd screamed.
Tori and I stood on the flat, marble arena while the bleachers surrounded us on three sides. A large, stylized building where the annoucer sat was on the open side. It's basically the arena from all the Dragonball Tournaments. I ran around the arena pumping up the crowd of constructs.
"That's right! That's right! The champ is back, bitches! Let me hear it!" The crowd went wild as I egged them on. I was back in my[Heracles] outfit. Tori stood on her side of the arena, looking very uncomfortable. I switched her into light blue gi with the kanji for 'bird' written on the back in black. Tori never likes how I can change her clothes in the [Arena]. I'm not actually changing her clothes. Mine are different because I physically exist within the [Arena]'s plane of existence, she's only here mentally. I don't entirely how it works but it does.
"Tori!" Tori snapped into a fighting stance, arms and hands in front of her face and chest, legs wide and low. "Are you ready?" She simply nodded her head. "Alright, on 3. 1...2...3!" I snapped into a sprint as she stood perfectly still. I could see her chest rise slowly. I punched for her stomach. She caught my arms with her wrist, now covered in bird scales. I looked up at her. Her face was covered in black feathers and her lips and nose curved into a black black. Her solid black eyes stared into my brown ones. She was ready rumble alright.
I pulled my arm back, pulling her with it. I grabbed the back of her neck and smashed her face into the ground. I spun around into an elbow drop, but she rolled away. She got to her feet and ran at me, talons spread wide.
"Two O'Clock Assault!" She slashed her talons at my face, I barely dodged it. For some reason or another, she decided to yell out attack names, probably because I do it. The odd thing is she names them after times, days, and clocks. I dropped back onto my hands and brought my legs up.
"[Alto Foresta]." I kicked rapidly, not as fast or hard as with Paka but still strong enough. She caught a foot to the face and reeled back. She stopped and held her footing. She began breathing in and out rapidly as her feathers seems to grow longer and the scales disappeared. I flipped back to standing to watch.
"Wing Point!" Her talons disappeared completely. Her arms became covered in thick, black feathers. She grew wings in place of her arms.
"What do you think-caw?" She said confidently. She clapped her wings, sending slight breeze my way. She was probably smiling, it's really hard to tell with the beak. I observed her form before noticing something. I dropped into a fighting stance again.
"I think fight is about to be over quickly." She cawed humorously.
"My thoughts exactly-caw. Midnight Rain!" She flapped her wings, throwing off feather at me. They flew through the air, carried by the wind she made. I swiftly dodged between them as I ran at her. She blocked a kick with one wing while trying to swipe me with the other. I wen limp and dropped to the ground, landing with my hands on the ground behind my back.
"[Windmill Wripper]!" I spun into a hand stand and began spinning my body around into a breakdancing windmill. The kicks battered at Tori's wings. She clapped forward, sending herself back. She flew upward, a bit wobbly, and stopped. I stood up and bent down. I tightens my leg muscles, gathering as much power as I could. I released like a coiled spring into the air, aimed right at Tori. She dove at me, spinning like a drill.
"Tuesday Screwshot!" She spun fast enough to create small winds trails around her body. We got closer and closer in the air. I started to slow down in my ascent but strangely, Tori's spin also slowed. I pulled back my arm, ready to attack. "[Bull...]" I hooked my arm back, ready to catch her in the face until I noticed it.
She was turning back to her regular hybrid form. Feathers came off her in droves. I reached my arms out and caught her, sending us both flying into the arena with me taking the brunt of the impact.
I sat up and looked at her. Her feathers had retreated, revealing her sweat drenched skin. Her breathing was ragged.
"[Arena: Disable]" The [Arena] began to fade back into the grassy plain. The stadium disappeared into blue pixels. Tori disappeared out of my arms and back to where we sat before the [Arena] activated. Her body was still covered and sweat and she looked like she was going to pass out. I sat down and looked at her.
"Do you know what you did wrong?" Tori looks at me, obviously noting the disapproving look on my face.
"Yes." She answered meekly.
"Why did you try and use the Point? I told you that they were only achievable through a special drug and intense training. I don't whether mad at you for endangering yourself or proud that you somehow accomplished a Point in a matter of days of knowing they are." Tori smiled a bit.
"You told me how they made Dr. Chopper stronger and I thought that if I could use it quickly, I could take you down before I got tired. I practiced while I waited for you over the past few days and I got it, but it takes a lot out of me."
"So you used your Ace to early in the fight. An Ace you aren't trained enough to use properly. That is some ballsy shit Tor. Don't do it again." We both laughed for a minute or two before petering out. I looked up at the sky.
"Looks like I messed up the Time Dialation again."
"What! What time is it?"
"I'd say about three-ish. I think I'm getting better, that was only two hours this time."
"Crap, Dad!" Tori grabbed her backpack and shoved the cards and chessboard into them.
"What about Jei? What's going on?" She already started running towards the forest.
"Nothing! I'll see you later!"
"Wait, we barely did any training today! Tori!" It didn't matter, she was already gone. "Uggh." I dropped back into the soft grass, staring at the sky through the tree branches.
Training. That's all I seem to do anymore. Train day in and day out. For what? Why I'm I doing all this? I wanted to go out and see the Grand Line, hopefully meet the Straw Hats, but I don't even know if they're pirates yet. I looked in the news paper but there was no mention of any major activity. All I know is that Whitebeard's still alive, so there's that. But why do I want to meet them? Sure, I know more about them than I really should and I think they're amazingly cool but still, what's the point? I'm working myself to the bone so I can meet some jackasses on a boat. Why don't I just stay here? I could bury the hatchet with Jei and live with him and Tori. Maybe I could work at the library or Mrs. Drasil's Bakery. I could keep killing the wolves and sell them to Eadard. I could live a normal life on this island. No Pirates, No Marines, No Constant Threat of Death if I fuck up. It'd like before, nice and simple.
I looked at my right hand. It had a cut from Tori's feathers on it. I traced it with the other hand. It stings.
Ugggh. Whatever. Maybe I should just sleep on it. Yeah, that'll be nice. Just...a quick ...nap.
5:30 PM. Mezza Clearing. Full Moon.
"I don't like Hot Pockets! ...Well, fuck you...Mrs. Prime President, I can have an opinion...In end it doesn't even matter."
GRAWFFF! ! ! !
Slept on the Ground. 25% of HP & MP Restored.
"Fish Fry! Huh? What!" Ah, what's going on? Where am I? Right, Mezza Clearing. Holy Christmas Crackers, it is dark out, what time is it? The sun doesn't go down till like-
HOLY HANDGRENADES, I AM SURROUNDED BY WOLVES! ! ! !
All around me was an entire pack of Greys, at least 12, and right in front of me was my mortal enemy. Clifford, the Red Knight of Moonway Forest. I've killed an Imperial Fuck Ton of wolves recently and even killed the Blue, Green, and Yellow Knights (Water, Grass, and Lightning), but Clifford always escapes my grasps. He'll send his Grey to fight me and stall for his getaway, set the forest on fire, and even chewed off his own tail to escape the Fangs. He's a slippery son of bitch who's always hounding me and escaping. I have to kill him to get to the King. And it looks like he's back for round 11.
"So Clifford, ready to go running back to your King with your tail between your legs. Oh, wait." I'm Clifford can understand me because he started growling then and the stump where his tail used to be wiggled. The Greys leaned back prepared to pounce, just like they always do. They never learn.
All the Greys pounced at me, charging through the tall grass. All 12 arrived at the same time, leaping for my neck.
"[Rasurar]!" I disappeared, reappearing at the base of the Hand. Nggh. Leg cramp. All of the wolves collided into a mess and tried to untangle themselves. I could almost see Clifford rolling his eyes. He barked out orders to the Greys and they soon got into a two-fold lineup of six to six. His little squadron growled and snarled in my direction, raring to come and kill me. I have a better idea, though slightly inhumane.
"Hey Cliff, how about your army fights my army?" Clifford tilted his head slightly, confused. I brought my fingers to my lips and blew out a sharp whistle. All the wolves flattened their ears and covered their faces. O stopped and smiled triumphantly. Any second now, the five wolves I tamed would come racing out to help me.
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Any second now.
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"Sunni! Maxi! Patches! Nepal! Chartreuse!"
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.
Goddamnit, they're not coming. Those lazy bastards! I tamed those bastards while after killing Yellow, who I named Enero, and fed them all those animals I killed, and this is my reward. So ungrateful! All I ask is that they come here and kill their brethren, is that too much to ask? Ugggh. Fine, I'll kill them myself, but they are getting bathes in the river after this, fear of water be damned.
"[Equip: Hades]!" My body glowed turquoise as my regular jacket and jeans appeared. The Moonfangs' chains wrapped around my wrist as their hilts fell into my hands. Ahhh, I love a good massacre at twilight.
I dashed at the wolves as they charged back at me. The lead one charged into my stomach. I wrapped my hands around its body and lifted air above me. "[Bear River Bend]!" I suplexed the Grey into the ground while also flipping over and kicking its shocked body into its compatriots. I threw out the Fangs, letting the chains go wild.
"[Lynx Station:...]" The chains and blades wrapped around the left most wolf and pulled tight. "[Trainwreck]!" I pulled the wolf into all of the others, knocking them over and tripping the ones behind them. I ran at the dog pile and did a quick handstand on the top dog. "[Mana SHOCK]!" The blue pulse pushed into the wolves, burning them or whatever with the Mana attack.
I landed facing Clifford as the dog pile exploded into a blue explosion. +120 EXP. That's right, I'm a badass, killed twelve wolves in three attacks. I also feel like I'm gonna throw up a bit. All those flips and jumps really make ya nauseous.
"So, Cliff, you ready to-HOT! ! !" A giant fireball came tumbling at me. I tumbled out of the way and it ran into the Hand. The tree seems strangely unaffected by the giant fireball. "Someone seems a little hot under the collar. That's a double pun because you shoot fire and are a dog." Cliff's entire body burst into flames. That is new. He charged at me. I charged at him. We ran past each other, slashing each others side.
We went again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
After a minute, we stopped and stared each other down. I rolled my wrist and nodded at him. He flared his flames and nodded at me. We charged once more and passed each other. I stopped after and [Unequipped] my Moonfangs. I dropped to my knees and checked the cut on my ankles before glancing back at Cliff. He stood perfectly still, staring up at the moon. I walked over to him and sat down.
"You know, it didn't have to be like this. I offered you an out multiple times. You could have come with me if you truly wanted." He turned to look at me with his glowing, amber eyes. He slightly shook his head and looked back at the moon. I looked too. In between the branches of the giant tree, the moon sat gently between it's fingers like a flowing pearl. I stared at it, not even looking at the bright blue light next to me. I always liked the moon. In space, everything looks beautiful and was unreachable. The moon was beautiful and even possible to reach, even with One Piece level technology.
*PING*
Hmmm. A new quest this late into the day.
He Huffs and He Puffs
-Get to Celstia Town
-Save Jei and Tori
"Save them? What do you mean save them?"
-Defeat 10 ? ? ?
- Defeat ? ? ? ?
Success: ? ? Belli, A Boat, 5,000 EXP
Failure: The Death of Aō Tori/Loss of Your Right Arm
The Death of Aō Tori! !
The Death of Aō Tori! ! ! !
The Death of Aō Tori! ! ! ! ! ! !
"[RASURAR]!" I popped out of existence and appeared on the path to Celstia Town. I
"[RASURAR]! ! !"
"[RASURAR]! ! ! ! !
I kept going faster and faster, skipping through the path as a blur. I could feel my legs cramping but I can't stop! I can see the hill before the town entrance. I dash over it. There's something going on in the middle of town. There's a group of men dressed in black standing in the middle of a circle of townspeople. A large man dressed in black was holding something up. A body. A small one, I think it's-
"TOOOORRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !" The man looked over in my direction. I jumped and kicked him in the side of the head, sending him flying into a building. I caught Tori's unconscious body. Her body was covered in bruises and ragged, bloody cuts. I pushed back her hair. Someone rapidly crawled at me, pawing at Tori. I pushed them away until I noticed whom it was, Jei. He was beaten up worse than Tori. His nose was snapped sideways and a giant cut crossed his face. His left arm looked bloody and bent incorrectly.
"Is she okay?" He asked me, grabbing Tori from me. "Baby, are okay? Tori, honey? Tori?" He sounded scared. He sounded afraid. He sounded like he did the night he threatened me.
The man I kicked into the building stood up and looked at our little scene. And laughed.
"Beyhahahahahahahahahahahahaha!" He held his stomach as he cackled. I stood up and glared at him.
"Who the FUCK are you?" The man stopped and smiled at me.
"Don't you know? I'm 'Bad Wolf' Wyld Low! The 26,000,000 Belli Man and Head of the 'East Blue Dogma'."
*DOOOOOM*
DEFEAT 'BAD WOLF' WYLD LOW
Fyr3Flyt3: And thus begins Dante's first real fight, against the Bad Wolf of the East Blue. Shit's going down for real. I don't really have much to say after this, mostly because I'm tired. So just on to the reviews!
From Chapter 3: Kombat Training
Selias: "Its like a pair of scythes you can swing around on chains."
That is NOT what a kusarigama is. The chain (kusari) has a weight on the end, that you use to trap your enemy, so you can use the scythe (kama) on them, or you can use the weight as a distance weapon, and the scythe as a close-range weapon. You do NOT use the chain to swing the scythe around.
Fyr3Flyt3: I know! But why would Dante know that? Plus, weapons can be used in different ways. This is Dante's. Sorry the weapon is used incorrectly.
From Chapter 9: In the Jungle
gamelover41592: Nice work on this chapter so will we see the big bad wolf also welcome back :)
Fyr3Flyt3: Thanks. And the Bad Wolf is here. Not exactly big, but bad, definitely.
SCP -788 Entity: I feel Dante should have tamed Paka and I am hoping next chap he will get a few wolves or maybe a pack just my opinion.
Fyr3Flyt3: Well, he can't and also there would be no real purpose in doing so. A tamed Paka would only exist within the [Arena]. He does have tamed wolves but as you can see they are lazy and useless. Don't worry you'll meet them eventually.
Alister131: Well nice fight and honestly I relate to the Dragonball thing...I would do the same. It's pretty mandatory. Nice to see you back at it again too.
Fyr3Flyt3: Thanks. Yeah, I mean, if you could produce and manipulate large amounts of a blue colored energy source, you can't not at least try a Kamehameha. It's only natural.
ews1: Good fight, I'm a little confused about the numbers around his luck though. The numbers don't seem to be explained as 26 luck minus 50% would be 13. At the moment it has 26 - 18 = 18.
Fyr3Flyt3: Yeah, that one was a mistake. I copy and pasted the stats over from another file I have and those where a bit messed up from previous plans. I went back and fixed after I read you comment.
And that's about it. This is the start of an inevitable Dante vs Low fight, which I am very excited for, in Chapter 11: Dante and the Wolf.
However, I'm more excited to get over and done with this arc because I'm SUUUUUUUUUUUPEEER excited for what I've planned next. Up until the last chapter, I've been winging it and now that I have actual plans, story quality should skyrocket. So, If you have any questions, comments, or critiques, leave a review or PM me. Until Next Time, Bye!
P.S.: Thank All of you a whole bunch. Because of all of you support, Gamer Blues has accumulated over 9,000 view, 119 Favorites, 154 Follower, and 50 Reviews! Thank you all so much! ! ! !