Chapter 7
"Fighting is like champagne. It goes to the heads of cowards as quickly as of heroes. Any fool can be brave on a battlefield when it's be brave or else be killed."
Margaret Mitchell
The Gunner's Heaven Dome is based on Pantheon & Coliseum.
Two days after the event on the abandoned mining town, the group finally arrived on the Las Vegas of Filgaia, Gunner's Heaven. Now, Gunner's Heaven is one of the most populous cities in Filgaia. Similar to Las Vegas, the city has numerous casinos resorts and associated entertainment. But of course, the main attraction of the city lies inside the dome in the middle of the city, The Gunner's Heaven Dome which is built like a modern-day Pantheon after being torn during the Genesis War. The building is circular with a portico of three ranks of huge granite Corinthian columns (eight in the first rank and two groups of four behind) under a pediment opening into the rotunda, under a coffered, concrete dome, with a central opening to the sky. The height to the oculus and the diameter of the interior circle are the same, 43.3 meters (142 ft). A rectangular structure links the portico with the rotunda. It is one of the best preserved of all domes, especially with the facilities inside it. And being a hallmark of Gunner's Heaven, it stands out even from the outskirts of the town.
And the Four Garrison has just arrived in the town, a metropolitan filled with crowds, just like any big city would. "So that's the dome?" Alvin is in awe with the building where the supposed 'illegal' tournament is held, "That's huge"
"Usually, the bigger they are the harder they fall" An old saying from Cliff, "But, hey, we're not here to take the dome down…literally"
"So, what do we do now?" Sophia turns to Marilyn, "Go inside that dome and register?"
"I guess…what else is there to do anyway?" Marilyn plays her hand and signal the team to go straight to the dome.
Surprisingly, the dome is rather majestic. The arena itself was 83 meters by 48 meters (272 ft by 157 ft / 280 by 163 Roman feet). It comprised a wooden floor covered by sand (the Latin word for sand is harena or arena), covering an elaborate underground structure called the hypogeum (literally meaning "underground"). Little now remains of the original arena floor, but the hypogeum is still clearly visible. It consisted of a two-level subterranean network of tunnels and cages beneath the arena where gladiators and animals were held before contests began. Eighty vertical shafts provided instant access to the arena for caged animals and scenery pieces concealed underneath; larger hinged platforms, called hegmata, provided access for elephants and the like. It was restructured on numerous occasions; at least twelve different phases of construction can be seen. The hypogeum was connected by underground tunnels to a number of points outside the dome. Separate tunnels were provided for the owner and some VIP members to permit them to enter and exit the dome without needing to pass through the crowds. Substantial quantities of machinery also existed in the hypogeum. Elevators and pulleys raised and lowered scenery and props, as well as lifting caged animals to the surface for release. There is evidence for the existence of major hydraulic mechanism and according to ancient accounts, it was possible to flood the arena rapidly, presumably via a connection to a nearby aqueduct.
The Dome and its activities supported a substantial industry in the area. In addition to the amphitheatre itself, many other buildings nearby were linked to the games. Immediately to the east is the remains of the Ludus Magnus, a training school for the hired fighters. This was connected to the dome by an underground passage, to allow easy access for the participants. The Ludus Magnus had its own miniature training arena, which was itself a popular attraction for Gunner's Heaven spectators. Other training schools were in the same area, including the Ludus Matutinus (Morning School), where monster fighters were trained, plus the Dacian and Gallic Schools. Also nearby were the Armamentarium, comprising an armory to store weapons; the Summum Choragium, where machinery was stored; the Sanitarium, which had facilities to treat wounded hired fighters and the Spoliarium, where bodies of dead fighters were stripped of their armor and disposed of. Around the perimeter of the dome, at a distance of 18 m (59 ft) from the perimeter, was a series of tall stone posts, with five remaining on the eastern side. Various explanations have been advanced for their presence; they may have been a religious boundary, or an outer boundary for ticket checks, or an anchor for the awning.
"Wow, this place is extravagant" Marilyn raises her eyebrows commenting.
"Hard to argue with that" A certain red-haired man quickly agrees.
"A good place to put your life on" Alvin points to the receptionist, where the participants have to register, "Nice, let's see what we can get there"
Without further ado, the four goes to the registration counter with Alvin leading the deal, "Excuse me, mam, we would like to register for the next tournament in Gunner's Heaven, can you tell us the rules of this game?"
"It's simple, sir. You make a group of four to seven fighters. The tournament is being held everyday into three divisions, novice, journeyman, and master. Each division consists of three stages. They type of the tournament is single-elimination tournament where you have to face three different kind of opponents to win the tournament"
"What is the difference between the three divisions you mentioned?"
"Novice is the easiest and has the lowest prize money. Journeyman is the medium, while Master is the highest. Thus, winning the master division will give you the right to earn 600,000 gella"
"600,000 gella?!" Marilyn's eyes turn green in a quick second, "We're in for that one! A group of four!"
"Thank you. The registration fee is 10,000 gella. All you need to do is signing each of your name"
Without giving the other Garrisons the chance to actually say anything, Marilyn applies her group for the tournament and settles out with a schedule paper on her hand, "Let's see…we're going to have our first match in 14.00, that's an hour from now"
"Cannot believe she actually decided just like that" Alvin mutters to himself, but Cliff was aware enough to hear him.
"When Gella is being involved, even The Messenger of Darkness wouldn't be able to stop Marilyn Westerfield" Cliff throws a dry joke.
Despite only listening to the faintest part, Marilyn asks back, "I'm sorry, did you say something Cliff?"
"Yes, I said best of luck for all of us in Gunner's Heaven" A lie, obviously. But who wants to get chopped in the head?
"Hmm…fine, it's not like it's important. Other than that, I think we should grab something to eat first? Anyone care to pick where to eat?"
"There" Sophia, who's been silent ever since entering the dome, points a certain western-styled cafe, "I think that would be a fine place to eat. Something inside me tells me something good will happen to us if we go there"
"Well, don't see a harm in that. Let's go" Marilyn and the other three go to the café to find the place is quiet spacious and rather empty. Only several tables are occupied. They sit before ordering steaks for their lunch. Behind them, a group of three people could be seen enjoying their lunch too.
Both groups finish their lunch casually, keep their seating after it. "Is it just me or the steak gets better in each new town we hit?" Alvin expresses his gratefulness for the food.
"Second that" Sophia answers. But the moment of peacefulness doesn't really last long. On the street, among the crowds someone could be heard shouting, "Heeeeeelp!!! A Pickpocket stole my purse!"
"Eh?" Marilyn glances to outside the door, a man is seen running as fast as he can carrying a purse on his right hand, "Not my business"
"Let me guess….cause it won't benefit you at all?" Cliff takes a wild guess.
"True" And he is right.
But it's not like there is no other way to make someone moves, because the woman suddenly shouts, "Whoever catches that pickpocket and give me my wallet back will receive 10,000 gella"
"That's what I'm talking about!" Marilyn jumps off her chair and activates her Accelerator before running outside, "I'll be back in five minutes, guys!"
"Yeah, yeah. Take your time" Cliff sends her off, but she's not the only one going out. One of the three people sitting beside them, a young golden haired woman wearing a green spencer on top of a white shirt with a pair of denim trousers, runs to the outside chasing Marilyn and the pickpocket. Her hair is styled in middle-sized drill locks and she could be seen wearing a belt which carries a katana on her waist. The other from her group only stares at each other before doing back what they were doing.
"That girl is cute" Cliff takes this chance to steal a stare at the golden haired girl before sipping the remaining of his drink, "And she's quite a fighter too"
"Huh? What makes you say that?" Sophia bests Alvin from delivering a question.
"Cause she is chasing Marilyn on equal speed without using an Accelerator" A good observation from the red eyed man, "My guess is…she's a participant in Gunner's Heaven tournament"
Meanwhile, on the outside the pickpocket is in scare because he could see Marilyn closing from behind. Scary, really, considering she was left far behind. "You're mine!!" Marilyn grabs her sword and hits the pickpocket using its hilt, when the golden haired woman hits the pickpocket using her katana's hilt too at the same time, knocking the poor pickpocket down. Instantly, of course.
"Hey, what are you doing?! You interfered!" Marilyn, despite the achieved result, still speaks her protest to the golden haired woman.
"Calm down, sister. You're not the only one who wants an easy 10,000 gella" The woman replies. Her green eyes stare at the other swordswoman defiantly, "Besides, who are you to say you're the only one entitled to catch that pickpocket?"
"I'm the one who chased him first!"
"Yeah, but I was quicker than you!"
"No, you're not!"
"Oh, yeah?!"
"Yeah!"
"Oh, yeah?!"
"Yeah!"
"Oh, yeah?!"
"Yeah!"
"Um…excuse me?" The woman who shouted for help earlier shows up after taking her purse back, leaving the pickpocket alone, "Like I promised, I'll give 10,000 gella as the reward. Who knocked him down?"
"I did!" Marilyn and the golden haired girl loudly answer at the same time, before staring back at each other and confusing the woman even more.
"Eh…how about this? Here, I'll give each of you 5,000 gella because it seems to me that you two did the job together" The woman hands 5,000 gella to each Marilyn and the golden haired woman before leaving. However, the two girls aren't totally pleased with this.
"What takes her so long?" Alvin grunts waiting for Marilyn to return, "We're going to be late for the match. It'll start in 20 minutes!"
"There she is" Sophia refers to the fact Marilyn is going back to their table, with a very annoyed face, "What happened?"
"An annoying moe woman got in my way and cost me 5,000 gella!" Marilyn sounds really angry, "Let's get out of here!"
After the Four Garrison walks out, the golden haired woman returns to her table. "What's wrong, Francesca? You look angry" One of her companions, a golden haired young man with a pair of glasses wearing a simple pair of jeans and a brown t-shirt, asks with concern, "You met someone annoying outside?"
"Exactly, Ted!" The woman named Francesca replies to the man named Ted, "I met a really annoying woman outside! I only got 5,000 gella thanks to her interference!"
"It's better than not having anything, sister"
"Yes, but I'm still mad at her!"
"Um…guys?" The last one, a man shrouded by an aura of gloominess, dark long haired, dresses in black from head to toe with a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of trousers, calls for the other two, "I'm not…um, trying to cut you off but um…we're going to be late for our match if we don't go um…now"
"Frank's right" Ted agrees with the man named Frank and raises, "Let's go to the dome, sis. There's nothing you can do about that girl"
"Fine! I just hope I don't have to see her face ever again" And with that, the three leaves.
Twenty minutes later, inside the Gunner's Heaven dome…
Upon arriving back on the dome, the Four Garrison is welcomed by a harmless looking brown short haired young girl wearing a green western style business suit. She wears a pair of glasses and displays a smile on her face, "Welcome, drifters. My name is Velma Begucci, I'll be your guide and the umpire for your matches during the tournament for the next three days"
"Begucci? So, you're the daughter of Roberto Begucci? The owner of Gunner's Heaven dome?" Marilyn quickly recognizes her.
"That's right, Miss Westerfield. My father is indeed the owner of the dome"
"Hm…and I guess you knew my name from the registration paper?"
"Correct, Miss Westerfield" Velma smiles, "I'm good at remembering things"
"I see…" Marilyn smirks, "Then, I guess I'll have to question her later about Lord Green"
"Okay, please come this way" Velma guides the group to a hall on the east wing, leading to the arena. The Four Garrison entered the arena for the master's division. Unsurprisingly, since this is only the first match there is no spectator or whatsoever. Only several people watching from the VIP control booth in the above floor. "Wow, this place is surprisingly quite empty" Cliff is the first to note that, "I thought we would see spectators everywhere"
"The spectators are only the VIP members of the control booth on the above floor" Velma explains.
"VIP members? Gotta check on them after the match" Alvin reminds himself of his group's true intention of coming the Gunner's Heaven in the first place, "Anyway, those guys seem to be our first challenge"
From the other end of the arena, at least thirty men could be seen walking out. And trust me; they don't look friendly at all. They look bloodthirsty and ready to fight. "This is your first matchup" Velma explains with an innocent look, "They are thirty prisoners from nearby prisons we hired to spice things up in the first round, mostly murderers and rapists. My father promised them to be released if they can win this round. Good luck!"
What Velma just said literally makes the group stare at her while thinking,
S: I know I'm not one to say this, but this girl is weird...
A: She's creepy…
M: Sociopath…
C: This whole place is insane…
"OK, so who wants to take them on?" Marilyn puts over the weirdness aside and starts being serious, "Personally, them being rapists is a total turning off for me. I'm out for this game"
"Me too, I don't feel like doing it" Sophia seconds the swordswoman.
Much to his understanding, Alvin rolls his eyes, "That leaves the two of us, Cliff"
"Fine, let's get this over with" Cliff pulls out his giant shears, "I feel like sleeping early today"
But without any of them noticing, Francesca and her friends arrive and take seats on the attendance seats. "Hey…what the?!" Francesca notices upon seeing the group on the arena, "It's the annoying girl!! And she brings her gang with her too!"
So, Ted responds, "Oh, they are participants in here it seems. It explains clearly why she got an accelerator helping her to move. Only someone with a capability of fighting would possess such thing"
"How do you know she's got an accelerator?"
"By her movement when she ran outside the café. I think she must have hid her accelerator somewhere around her waist"
"Wow…brilliant deduction" Francesca claps with a pleased face, "Like always, boy genius"
"Humble me, sister" Ted replies, gently, "Now, let me check about them on the information counter. Maybe we could learn something useful. I'll leave Frank and his gloominess with you, okay?"
"Okay"
Back to the arena…
"Actually, you feel like sleeping early every single day" Alvin tells The Crimson as they walk to the arena.
"Don't say that, you know I need to" Cliff waves his shears around as the fifty men closing in, "By the way, I can't use Dreadnaught, right?"
"Yes…cause it will get us kicked out"
"Here? In an illegal place?"
"Well…maybe no, but let's not use Dreadnaught for now. Those rich guys above are friends with WU, you know?"
"So, do you think I should just bomb these rapists away? Bomb isn't illegal here, right?"
"No, I think. But wouldn't it spoil the fun?"
"Spoil what fun? You just want to beat the crap outta them! I need to sleep!"
"Don't be egoistical!! You're starting to piss me off!!"
Seeing the two argues, the prisoners cannot help but wondering and starting to look at each other. Foolishly, one of them yells, "Hey, are you going to fight us or not?!"
"Ah?" Both Cliff & Alvin stare at the prisoners angrily. Their aura of presence is more than enough to suppress the whole gang, "Man, they're asking for it"
"Oh, crap" The prisoner who yelled earlier realizes he just made a big mistake, "We're dead meat"
Without further ado, Alvin and Cliff chase the prisoners to make a quick job. Alvin doesn't waste his breath running towards a group of prisoners and rapidly throws a jab at one of them, starting the massacre. Spinning carefully, the baskar native sends a jump spin hook kick to one of the rapists and causes him to flung to at least three other men. Another on tries to strike Alvin from behind but Alvin outmaneuvers him and dodges it, replying by a direct side kick to the head. When he sees eight of them running for him, Alvin turns his back and leaps, executing a fine flying back kick which smashes one of the prisoners and sends him flying across back to his group, knocking all of them down with one hit. As for Cliff…well, he isn't doing bad at all. Using his superhuman strength, Cliff grabs one prisoner on the neck and throws him to the air, indicating what would happen to the other prisoners when the thrown prisoner landed on the ground, harshly and more than likely dead. The other prisoners look a bit scared to try, giving Cliff the chance to run amok and catches one of them, again throwing him to the air. The red eyed man smashes another prisoner with his shears right to the face before grabbing another one and sending him to the air, following his previous two other friends. And again, he grabs another prisoner and sends him flying to his group, bringing down the lots of them. The other prisoners are quick to tell the guy they are facing isn't the exact same human as they are thus they chicken out and run for their lives. Alvin, however, quickly appears among the remaining prisoners. Using both his arms to support his balance as he lifts both his legs, Alvin grabs one prisoner on the neck using both his legs simultaneously before rolling and strikes anyone near him down in one roll, using the poor prisoner as he executed the scissor kick technique. Now, only eight prisoners left. And it seems anyone with half a brain would know who wins if they fight continue.
"Please don't kill us!!" The prisoners beg for their lives, "We'll do anything you say!"
"Really?"
"Yes"
"Then surrender"
"OK, OK!! We lost this match!! Let us go!"
"Wow, just like that?" Alvin chimes in the conversation, "You hear that, Miss Velma? They surrendered!"
"Yep, I heard that!" Velma happily announces, "The winner of this match is the group of four drifters!! Congrats!"
"So, we go to the next round?" Marilyn wants to ensure things.
"Yes, Miss Westerfield" Velma congrats the group again before takes her leave, "You and your friends moved to the second round, which will be held today. Thanks for the participation today; I shall take my leave now. See you tomorrow!"
"Yeah"
"Glad that was over quick" Alvin stretches both his arms to get limber. Cliff walks back to the girls silently, showing signs of being tired and wanting to sleep.
"Okay, we'll find an inn for us to stay like we planned, Marilyn" A shocking news comes from Alvin as he referred to Sophia and himself.
"Wait…you two? Only you two?" Cliff smells something suspicious. Something he won't like, "What are you planning? When did you plan it? And what does that leave me?"
"We planned this back there at the jeep while you were sleeping. The current plan is for Alvin & Sophia to find all of us a nice inn to stay while you…" Marilyn pats at Cliff's shoulder, "You will be accompanying me watching the rest of the tournament here so we can learn something useful about our adversaries"
"What?! No! I want to sleep!" A familiar protest coming from the ARMs wielder.
"No, no. You're going to seat beside me and watch the matches" Without giving Cliff a chance to rebut, Marilyn grabs his arm and drags him with her. As usual, Alvin and Sophia are left alone to watch.
"Marilyn likes Cliff that much, right Alvin?" And as usual, they still don't understand the term 'soulmate', "When she wants to go here and there, she takes Cliff with him. When she wants to do this or that, she takes Cliff with him. When she wants to plan this or that, she counts on Cliff"
"Yeah, dunno why Cliff isn't that eager to do the deeds with her and always prefers sleeping though" Actually, if the both of you try to at least learn or open your eyes, you'll see they aren't lovers but soulmates. But, that doesn't seem likely for now, "Let's go, Sophia. Let those two enjoy their time together"
"Okie-dokie"
Meanwhile, back to Francesca and Frank…
"So, what do you think of their performance, Frank?" Francesca looks at her companion after asking him.
"Um…I think the dusky skinned guy is a very technical fighter. I bet he's an actual hand to hand combat fighter" A brilliant view, "And um…the red haired man relies heavily on his physical strength. He's not um…technical but really dangerous"
"I agree, it's obvious his strength is greater than most normal humans" The golden haired girl seconds Frank's opinion, "But, too bad that annoying girl didn't even bother to take part on the battle. I would have loved to see what she is capable of doing"
"Your wish is granted, sister. Well, a small part of it" Ted returns with a pleased expression on his face, obviously learning something about The Four Garrison, "According to the information I received, and some recallable parts of my knowledge, they are The Four Garrison, the group of four drifters traveling around the world for an unmentioned purpose, but they are infamously known within World Union and The Society for battling both factions on a small scale whenever they hit the road with either one of them for the last two years. That dusky skinned man is Alvin Clarion, a native from Baskar Colony nicknamed Anhur. His father which also happen to be the chieftain of the current Baskar Colony, Seamus Clarion, is one The Red Swords"
"What?! The Red Swords?!" Francesca raises her eyebrows, "Five greatest warriors in Red Moon directly under The Red Paladin and The Wizard Queen?!"
"Precisely, and that's not all. The Four Garrison is rather an interesting group" Ted deliberately smirks, knowing they are interesting indeed, "The dark haired girl is Sophia LeBlanc, a mercenary from the famous mercenary group Blancruitzer, nicknamed The Sharpshooter. Her father, Jacques LeBlanc Sr., and her brother, Jacques LeBlanc Jr. are both notable members of The Red Moon during the Genesis War"
"What the?! Is it just me or The Four Garrison is actually a group of Red Moon's descendants?"
"Seems so, sister. That's why I said they are interesting. However, the last two members are shrouded in mystery"
"That annoying girl?! What about her?!"
"She is Marilyn Westerfield, also known as The Spider Lily. Not much is known about her origin or her family, but it seems that around three or four years ago she has some altercation with the World Union and ended up killing many of their important scientists. As of now, World Union put a bounty on her head"
"She's got a bounty?! That annoying girl?!" Francesca doesn't really buy into that at all, "How much is her bounty?"
"Sorry, but I don't know that. It's a classified info according to the source I learned the information" Ted shrugs, "And just like you, she is a swordswoman"
"Well…at least now I know something about her" The older Schrodinger sits back beside Frank who's been listening quietly, "And what about the red haired man? Let me guess, he's also some kind of hotshot drifter?"
"Maybe more than that…" Ted's voice turns serious, "Cliff Margester, he seems to be a close friend of Marilyn Westerfield. They have been spotted running around together even before The Four Garrison was formed. Either he was born an adult or he is the second coming of our savior, but this Margester guy has zero info about anything regarding his past. Nothing is known about him with the exception that he's a drifter, that's all"
"The children of legendary heroes, a wanted woman, and a man shrouded in mystery" Francesca notes the uniqueness, "They are one hell of a group, indeed. This is starting to sound like an RPG game"
Noticing the schedule, Frank tells his two friends, "Um…not planning to ruin your fun, guys. But um…our match is next"
"What?! Why haven't you tell us earlier?!"
"Um…I tried but…um…"
"Ow, you're too gloomy to even talk!" Francesca raises and pulls the other two with her, "Come on, or else we will be disqualified!"
Unknown to them, when they take their leave Marilyn arrives dragging the half-asleep Cliff. The two sits down before Marilyn opens up some paper she collected from the information counter to learn a thing or two about the other participants, "These papers contain all we need to know about our possible opponents in the final round. You watch the match with me, okay? Tell me if I miss something"
"Huh? Oh…yeah…" Cliff replies reluctantly, knowing he would fall asleep as soon as possible. Well, if you have to go out might as well go out with a bang.
And when Francesca enters the arena followed by her two companions, Marilyn nearly drops her jaw, "What?! It's the moe woman!"
"Eh? That cutie?" Cliff comes back to life with glittering eyes, "Where? Where?"
And Marilyn just cannot believe this, "Cliff…you…"
"Where is she, Marilyn?!"
"Down there…in the arena…" Still overwhelmed by disbelieve, Marilyn points to the arena when the match is about to begin. Francesca tells the other two to stay back and leave the action for her. On the other side of the arena, a Trask monster enters with dreaded look and dreaded aura. "Heh, this would be a piece of cake" Francesca tells herself confidently. Behind her, Ted watches but doesn't really seem to care. As for Frank, he looks like he's wandering on his own world.
And from the seat, Cliff sounds like a fanboy falling in love, "Oh, will she be okay? That monster looks so eerie! Will she win?! God, don't let that cutie got hurt!"
"Cliff…please stop it" Marilyn pleas, almost choking, "That's too much…you never even said those words to me"
"Because I knew and believed you would win!" That's right folks; Cliff is now officially a fanboy, "Go Francesca!!! I got your back!"
"Wait, how do you know her name is Francesca?!"
"I overheard her friends' conversation back there at the café" Cliff simply explains, "Hey, look! The match is about to start!"
Trask, having only his instinct to move, speeds towards the golden haired girl who prepares her advance with calm. Slowly, she reaches to the hilt of her katana, grappling it with a gentle yet powerful measure. When Trask is only twenty feet away from her, she moves in lightening speed right to the monster's direction. Right before the monster, she unsheathes her sword and strikes downward from above and then instantly strikes again in an upward motion from below, like an eagle climbing again after swooping down on its prey.
She executed all that so fast no normal eyes could follow, and it all seemed like just one slash instead of three. When she sheaths her sword back, the monster falls down into three parts and dies, instantly. More or less, the victory belongs to Francesca & co., leaving Marilyn and Cliff speechless.
"Wow…" Cliff tries to voice something to break the ice, "That looks…just like your…Guillotine"
"Faster…" Marilyn, whether she likes it or not, admits, "Guillotine only require one single slash, so of course its speed its undeniably fast. But she executed three slashes at once with the same speed of executing one…she is insanely fast. That move…it must be Tsubame Gaeshi"
"Tsubame Gaeshi? What's that?"
"Lord Green told me it was a unique sword attack so named because it mimicked the motion of a swallow's tail during flight. This cut was reputedly so quick and precise that it could strike down a bird in mid-flight. Respectively the two involved fierce and swift cuts downward and then immediately upwards. Hence, Tsubame Gaeshi has been reconstructed as a technique involving striking downward from above and then instantly striking again in an upward motion from below. The strike's second phase could be from below toward the rear and then upward at an angle, like an eagle climbing again after swooping down on its prey" The silver haired swordswoman explains. She looks at the papers on her hand afterwards, having no chance to read it before thanks to the show, "Oh, here we can get some info about those three guys"
"I'm all ears, Marilyn"
"That moe girl is Francesca Schrodinger, a drifter from Court Seim, town around south Arctica most well-known for its orphanage. She is the second children of The Schrodinger family. It seems that her family runs the whole town. That boy wearing glasses is her younger brother, the third children of The Schrodinger family, Ted Schrodinger. He doesn't seem to be a fighter, so I cannot really guess his role in the group. And that gloomy looking guy is…Frank Glooms"
"Frank Glooms?!" Cliff chuckles, "He looks so gloomy and his name is Frank Glooms?!"
"Ironic, huh? He used to be one of the orphans living in Court Seim. But as you can see, now he's drifting along his two friends" Marilyn concludes, "Well, let's go for now. We've seen enough"
"Yeah…well…" Cliff however, seems reluctant to go.
"What is it, Cliff?"
"Eh…if possible, can you wait here?"
"Why?!"
"I…want to introduce myself to her"
"No!" Marilyn chops the red eyed man on the head before dragging him with her…again, "You are not going anywhere near her!! You're going back with me and that's final!"
"But…but…"
"No buts!!!"
At the same time, in the control room…
A middle-aged man, with Caesar cut hair wearing a three piece suit, is seen watching the arena. A grin could visibly be seen on his face. Not far from him, a woman, long dark haired wearing dark formal clothing, is seen polishing her fingernails quietly. Velma enters the control room with a cheerful smile, "Father, do you like the show today?"
"Why, yes" The man, who turns out to be Roberto Begucci, answers, "It's been awhile…ever since that Flamberge wielder came here we got such a good show. I'm sure our guests will be pleased for the next two outings too"
"Glad to help! We got two groups standing out today in the master division" Velma titls her head, pretending to remember something, "The Four Garrison and The Schrodinger Family"
"Well, it seems The Four Garrison is here for some apparent reason. But, that's not our concern" Roberto calmly responds, "By the way, didn't we receive Peacemaker Gomez Delphic and Peacemaker Brooke Timmons of World Union's Peacemaker Division are heading here?"
"Yes, we received the information around two days ago"
"Good, Velma. Now, can you do me a favor?"
"Yes, father"
"Inform both Peacemakers regarding the Four Garrison's whereabouts. And send several men to keep our eye on them"
"Very well, father. What about the Schrodinger gang?"
"We can use them for our benefit later. For now, leave them alone"
"Crystal clear, father. Now, I'll take my leave"
When Velma leaves, Roberto turns his sight to the dark haired girl and tells her, "Janie, you might want to prepare yourself. At any given situation, we could have a breakout around here and a battle will ensue"
"I'm already prepared, Mister Roberto" Janie shows him her polished fingernails, "All I need are these lovely nails of mine, after all"
Half an hour later, inside a small inn near the dome…
"Hmph!" Marilyn throws Cliff to their booked room with Sophia and Alvin already waiting inside.
Although the sharpshooter and the martial artist can already tell Marilyn and Cliff bumped into yet another fight, Alvin proceeds carefully to ask, "So…any news going on about the dome and its participants?"
"Here, it's all here" Marilyn hands Alvin the paper before sitting in the bed, not saying anything or doing anything but staring furiously at the red haired man.
"What happened, guys?" Alvin rolls his eyes, perfectly reading the mood, "Don't tell me, another lovey-dovey fight between the two of you?"
"Eh…it's not like that actually…" Cliff slowly rises back, feeling somewhat guilty, "I only wanted to introduce myself to one of the participants but Marilyn beat the hell out of me"
"Be more specific"
"The cute girl we saw earlier in the café. She's a participant in the dome named Francesca" Cliff puts a stupid face telling this story, "After she won the match, I wanted to go down and introduce myself…but Marilyn suddenly erupted and beat the hell out of me"
Since Alvin believes Cliff has been trying to impress Marilyn lately, he slowly face-palms his face, "Why, you idiot…"
"I'm not an idiot! What is the wrong of wanting to introduce yourself?! It's not like I'm going to do something to her" Cliff begins his defense, "Besides, since when socializing is a sin?!"
"Let me tell you something good, dude" Alvin whispers to Cliff's ear slowly so the girls won't hear, "If you want to impress a girl, you don't loudly declare your admiration for another girl. Chicks don't like that kinda stuff"
"Eh? I don't really get what you mean…I wasn't trying to impress anyone…"
"Oh, cut it off!! How many times you're going to deny that!" Alvin starts losing his wrong patience for Cliff and yells, "Well, anyway…let's put that stupid matter aside for now! I'll be going to a certain information source in this town and try if I can find anything related to Leyline tonight"
"To be more exact, where?"
"A bar" Alvin smirks, "You know, just like old war movies. Anyone's coming with me?"
"I'll go" Marilyn responds, "It's better than staying here"
"I think I'll stay in the room" Sophia then admits, "I already forgot where to head if I want to go the dome…"
"That's surprising" A rather sarcastic reply spoken by Alvin, "What about you, Cliff? You're coming or not?"
"Eh…" Cliff glances at Marilyn whom still looks pissed. An old says, don't play with fire, so that's what Cliff is going to do right now, "I'll stay here…I….I need to sleep early today…"
"Knock yourself out, dude" Alvin takes his leave, "Cliff, our's room beside this one. You might want to get there now. Let's give the girls some space"
"Yeah, okay" The Crimson walks out and heads to his room. Now, the girls are alone in their room.
"You're really pissed off?" Sophia tries to ensure the current situation.
"Isn't that clear?!"
"Why?"
"Why?! Why you ask?!"
"Yeah, why? You wouldn't be angry without a proper reason, right?" Is it just me or at times like these Sophia is really cool? "I mean, perhaps Cliff was just trying to socialize. And I see nothing's wrong with that"
"Because he was trying to socialize with that moe girl!!! That's why!"
"And? You were jealous because of that?!"
"What?! I'm not jealous!!" Regardless, a pink blush appears on her face, "It was just…he…he…"
"He? What was Cliff doing? Did he say anything offensive?"
"He…said things about her…things he never even said to me and that hurt my feelings" That's what Marilyn wants to say, but her pride won't allow it. So, she makes up an excuse, "No…he didn't. I just don't want him anywhere near that girl ever again"
"Well…if you say so…" Sophia concludes before returning back to her 'normal' self, "By the way, why are we here? Where are Cliff & Alvin?"
"Good…you've returned to your normal self" Marilyn rolls her eyes, "Anyway, I'll hit the shower first, okay?"
"O…kay"
Later that night…
As they planned earlier, Alvin and Marilyn go to a bar not far from the dome, finding anything they could use to benefit themselves especially regarding The Messenger of Darkness…or anything else to that matter. The bar itself is built like a saloon, with card room, billiard room,. And the saloon itself where for an admission fee or a higher price of drinks, singing, dancing, drama or comedy was performed and drinks would be served at the table. There's even a music hall. Needless to say, the bar is really crowded.
"OK, let me remind you something" Alvin kindly ensures the swordswoman things she can't forget, "You're underage, so you cannot drink. Do I make myself clear?"
"Alvin, within our group you're the only one who drinks. Cliff, Sophia, and I never once drink" Marilyn gazes at the baskar native, whom all of a sudden looks guilty, "Now, let's get going to the business and get the hell out of here!"
"Okay, okay" Alvin takes Marilyn to the pub where they sit in front of a bartender. A middle aged man, dusky skinned just like Alvin. He wears a tidy usual bartender suit. His brown hair matches his brown eyes.
"Good evening, sir and mam" He greets, "May I offer you a drink?"
"There's no need to be so polite, Goyahkla" Alvin politely replies, "Long time no see"
"Please, Sir Alvin, I'm not worthy of your greetings"
"Sir Alvin?" Marilyn quickly reads the page, "Oh, so you must be a member of Baskar Colony"
"That's right, Miss Westerfield. I'm an informant placed in this town by Chief Seamus" Goyahkla accounts the swordswoman, "Upon receiving the news of your group's arrival in this town, I already prepared any information that might help you accomplishing your mission or your journey"
"As expected from one of the best informants in the colony" Alvin escapes a small yet noteworthy praise, "No need to doubt the information coming from him, Marilyn. The informants of Baskar say nothing but truth"
"So, I get the honor to ask first?" Marilyn goes with the flow, "So, what do you know about the millionaires surrounding the Beguccis?"
With a deep voice, the informant politely answers, "Almost all of them are VIP members of The Gunner's Heaven dome. Although usually they're invited only for the final matches. But there's a high possibility they took the chance to held several meetings regarding their business with the World Union"
"What kind of business?"
"Actually, it's more like a mutual understanding. World Union will provide Beguccis and their colleagues with security as well as overlooking their illegal Gunner's Heaven matches. In return, Beguccis and his friends pay 10% of their total income to World Union every month" Goyakhla clears the news in two sentences, "They have been doing that for at least ten years"
"That's a long ass time" Alvin throws a deadpan comment, "And can we assume the money used by World Union for their own need under the label 'donator' in each of their report to avoid suspicion?"
"Precisely, Sir Alvin"
"And as luck would have it, do you happen to know about past winners?" Marilyn seals the chance to dig what she wants to know the most.
"Maybe not too deep on their personal info, Miss Westerfield. May I know the name of the winner you seem really want to know?"
"Before I ask…" Marilyn looks at Alvin with a pleading gaze, "Alvin, I know maybe this is indecent to say and improper to do, but can you please…give me some space? Just for a few moment?"
"You mean…I cannot hear this one?"
"Actually…yes"
"….fine" Alvin is able to understand walks away, "You got five minutes. I need to ask something important too"
"Thank you" The silver haired girl gazes back at the informant and asks, impatiently, "Tell me anything you know about the winner from four months ago. His name is Vold Green"
"Vold Green? Yeah, I remember him. He was a charming man carrying a Flamberge as his weapon" Nice way to start, "He participated as a single contestant in the master division and soundly defeated all his enemies in three rounds, breaking a record for single fighter"
"Uh, yeah. I already knew that. What I want to ask is…do you know anything about the reason of why he was participating? Or did he ever do anything here outside winning the tournament?"
"Hm…" Goyakhla recalls a certain information and speaks, "I heard from a rumor the actual reason of why he was here is to chase a certain target"
"Who's that target?"
"A name this world knew very well, Miss Westerfield" The informant closes both his eyes before escaping the name, "The Messenger of Darkness"
"What?!" Marilyn's eyes are widening upon learning the name, "Lord Green…chased the same target like us?!"
"Miss Westerfield? Did I say something wrong?"
"No, no! Not at all!" Marilyn regains her composure back and asks again, "Do you happen to know anything about why Vold Green was chasing The Messenger of Darkness? Or why he was here in the first place? Could it be that The Messenger of Darkness was also here?"
Unfortunately, Goyakhla has to shake his head, "I'm sorry, Miss Westerfield. But, I don't know the motive behind Vold Green's coming in here. And nor do I know about The Messenger of Darkness. If there's anyone here would know that much, it must be Roberto Begucci himself"
"What makes you say that?"
"Because Roberto Begucci is closer to World Union or underground world than any of us, Miss Westerfield. You were surprised about The Messenger of Darkness because your group found one of his handiworks at Leyline Observatory, right? And that led to your assumption that wherever The Messenger of Darkness is, Vold Green shouldn't be too far away" The informant just exclaims a brilliant deduction, much to Mairlyn's own surprise, "Nice line of thinking, Miss Westerfield. If you wish to know more about Vold Green or The Messenger of Darkness, only Roberto Begucci could give you a hint"
Although Marilyn seems somewhat upset, deep down she feels the lead is more than enough. It's better than having nothing at all, so she kindly thanks the informant, "This conversation has been really educating, Goyakhla. Thank you; I really appreciate your help"
"Don't mention it, Miss Westerfield. May the guardians bless you on your journey" The informant too, gently replies, before Marilyn retiring herself from the chair and telling Alvin she would go back to the inn early. Alvin doesn't mind it and sits back to in front of Goyakhla.
"Sorry, Goyakhla. Did Marilyn trouble you?"
"Not at all, Sir Alvin. She is a fighter" Goyakhla speaks what is on his mind, "I could clearly see her will to move even further although she would have to win The Gunner's Heaven to do so"
Alvin tilts his head a bit, recalling how Marilyn asked him to step away for a moment. It must be something personal, but she belongs to The Four Garrison so there's no way the other three would let her win the dome all by herself. So, with a confident smile on his face, Alvin states, "The good part of that is, she won't do it alone"
"I'm sure she will not" The informant answers with a smile too, understanding the meaning behind those words, "Now, what would you like to know, Sir Alvin?"
"Yeah, can you tell me a thing or two about the letters on this ARMs-smith book I found two days ago?"
Meanwhile, back to the inn…
Cliff is still wandering in his room, thinking whether he should apologize to his soulmate or not, "Should I apologize to Marilyn? But, I didn't actually do anything now, did I? Ow, this is so confusing!"
Right after that, Cliff hears a noise on the corridor outside his room. It's like someone is having trouble finding her room. Since he's particularly good at heart, Cliff goes outside to see what's happening. And outside, he finds Francesca having troubles carrying a bunch of suitcases, "Uh, I shouldn't have let Frank and Ted tricked me into having a bet and lost it!! Ugh, these suitcases are really heavy!!"
"Uh…miss?" Cliff shortens the distance between himself and Francesca before offering his help, "Can I help you with your luggage? It seems to me that you're having trouble with it"
"Oh, yes! That would be really helpful!" Yeah, in this kind of situation there's no way Francesca would say no. In a quick and easy work, Cliff helps Francesca moving her group's suitcases to their room before going back to the corridor, "Wow, thank you! That was a great help!"
"Don't mind it" Cliff tries to act like a real gentleman this time.
Of course, it doesn't take long for Francesca to recognize the red eyed man, "Hey…do I know you? You look somewhat familiar to me"
"Uh, yes. We met before in the café this afternoon" Although Cliff's unsure whether this is a good move or not, he goes on with it, "And I saw you at the dome"
"Oh, you're one of that annoying girl's….I mean, Westerfield's companions!!" Bulls-eye!!! "Your name is Cliff Margester, right?"
"Precisely! And if my memory serves me right, you're Francesca Schrodinger?"
"Yeah"
"Well, if that's the case then I might as well formally introduce myself" Cliff composes his standing and then gently introduces himself, "My name, as you said earlier, is Cliff Margester. It's a pleasure to see you, Miss Francesca Schrodinger"
"You're surprisingly polite, Margester" The swordswoman replies, "A vast difference with your companion"
"You mean Marilyn?"
"Yes, that Westerfield girl. How could you keep up with her?"
"Oh, Marilyn is actually a good person" Cliff states what he thinks, at least as a soulmate, "She can be really hard to handle sometimes, but she is good at heart"
"Hehe, that is something remains to be seen" Francesca brings the conversation to a lighter level, "I saw you participating on the fight today. What's with that strength? Are you some kind of superhuman?"
"You've never seen anyone throwing duds on the air before?" Cliff smartly reads the atmosphere and goes with the flow.
"Nope, never"
"Coming from such a drifter, that's surprising" The Crimson really knows how to impress, huh? "The sword you used in the dome, it's called Shigure, right? I've heard of it before, Shigure is one of the finest katanas in the whole Filgaia. You sure are skilled with it"
"Humble me, Margester. You sure know how to speak things" A sweet respond, "By the way, rather than standing here would you like to go to…"
Unfortunately, their conversation must be put on hold when a certain someone appears.
"Cliff!!!" Marilyn shouts soooo loud it sounds like a gunshot, "What are you doing here with that moe girl…I mean, Shcrodinger?!"
"What?! Marilyn?!" Caught red-handed, the red haired man can no longer make up excuses, "We're just…uh…introducing ourselves to each other! You know, socializing?!"
"Bull!! I'm not going to buy that!" Marilyn puts and angry face, gazing at both young adults, "And what are you doing here, Schrodinger?!"
"Relax, Westerfield. I'm going to stay in the room in front of his room, that's why I'm here" Francesca reveals the truth, feeling somewhat victorious, "With that being said, can you please go somewhere else? I'm not finished talking with my new friend here"
"No chance!!" Okay, we're in for another catfight, "Cliff isn't your friend!"
"Oh, yeah! Why's that?!"
"Because he knew he can trust me!! How does he know he can trust you?!"
"What are you talking about, Westerfield?!"
"What if you actually want to stab him from the back before mutilating him slowly until he dies of blood loss?!"
"What?!" Cliff is the one to react, "That's cruel!! How could you think of something like that being applied to me?!"
"I'm just making an example!"
"A stupid example, if I may say" Francesca continues gaining the upper hand, "Who would do such thing in a place like this where screams could be heard? You're really annoying, Westerfield. Next time, think before you act"
"You…" Marilyn goes in lost words state, getting owned big time here.
"Either way, I'll excuse myself for now. I want to have some rest" Francesca waves her hand goodbye to Cliff, "See you later, Margester. Love our short chat back there. Hopefully next time we can talk in a freer atmosphere with no one's interrupting"
"Uh…yeah, you're welcome" Cliff returns by waving his hand also as Francesca goes inside her room. Now, Cliff is left alone with The Spider Lily. It doesn't take Stephen Hawking to tell Cliff he's in a really deep trouble, so before another chaos ensues he excuses himself, "O boy, how I feel like sleeping early tonight! See you tomorrow, Marilyn!"
"Wait" Marilyn speaks, almost like commanding. She didn't actually shout, but there's a certain feeling on her tone which makes Cliff stop right when he heard it, "I'm not done with you"
"This isn't going to be good…" Cliff gulped and casts his attention back to his silver-haired friend, "Uh…yes? Is there anything I can help you with?"
Marilyn doesn't answer; she's just standing there casting her gaze at Cliff. Even without words, those black spheres on her eyes tell better story than any words could: She's hurt. Cliff cannot really decipher whether she's hurt because of the conversation with Francesca earlier or because of another reason. But when he thinks about it clearly, he is part of what makes her upset. Without escaping any word from her mind, Marilyn opens the door to her room and enters, slamming the door on her way in. Cliff is almost taken aback by her doing, but he knows not what to do.
"Why are you standing there?" Alvin comes from Cliff's behind without him noticing, "Did something happen?"
"Eh?! No, not really!"
"Are you sure? You look pale"
"I'm fine, maybe I'm just tired" The stress today has taken its toll on him, so Cliff goes back to his room, "Good night, Alvin"
"Night…" But Alvin knows something is wrong, "Suspicious, gotta check on it tomorrow"
With all that happened in one night, it doesn't take long for the garrisons to hit their bed and drift away into their dreams.
The next morning, The Four Garrison is ready for their second round of the dome. However, things are a bit different today. There have been an awkward silent between all four of them, probably affected by the other two at first. Entering the dome, even the cheerful Velma couldn't really enlighten the mood, "Hey, guys!! How're you doing today?! You guys got a nice sleep last night"
"Yeah…" Cliff answers it, almost tonelessly.
"Hm? What happened to all of you? You seem kind of…different today"
"No, nothing happened" Alvin, being the one who has always plastered the group together, quickly raises his voice to settle things down, "We're just tired from preparing ourselves last night. That's all"
"Hmm…okay. It's all cool, then. Follow me" Velma, just like yesterday, takes the group to the arena where the second round will begin, "You have five minutes until your opponent comes out. Today's a one on one battle for your team, so please choose one person from your team to enter"
At the audience seat, Francesca and her companions are seen watching the fixture carefully. "You look so happy today, sis" Ted notices the victorious smile on Francesca's face, "Something good happened to you while we were not watching?"
"Not something, two things" The swordswoman makes a peace sign with her hand and shows it with proud.
"Does this have anything to do with The Four Garrison?"
"Precisely, but this is my secret"
"That's all right" Ted smirks, "As long as you looks happy, I don't need to know what your little secret is"
"Very understanding, thank you!" Francesca's attention is soon caught by what is happening in the arena, "Hey, look! They are about to start!"
Down below, Marilyn is walking towards the arena. Earlier, The Four Garrison went in a debate of who should go,
A: Ok…who wants to go?
S: Eh…it's not that I don't want to, but even here, there's a possibility of them making a big deal if I, or Cliff, use ARMs.
C: That's unfortunate, really. But, if you guys agree I can always go with my scissors ready.
M: No need to talk anymore, I'll go.
A: Really?
M: Yeah, I need something to let the steam in my head go.
A: Well, if you say so…anyone objects?
S: No.
C: Eh, (looks at Marilyn who seems to avoid an eye contact with him) no.
A: I don't either.
M: Thank you, this won't take long.
After Marilyn left, the other three regroups and discusses the earlier event,
A: Hey, did you see that?! Marilyn offered her help when it wouldn't benefit her at all!
S: I was surprised too! I believe this has something to do with Cliff!
A: Yeah!
C: What?! Me?
A: Admit it like a man, dude! You're the only one who can make her upset or happy in this turf!
S: Yeah, what did you do to her?
C: I…I didn't…
A: Cut the bull, Cliff!! What did you do to her?!
C: I…she saw me talking with Francesca in front of my room, that's all!! She got mad at me after that!
A: Francesca? You mean the Schrodinger girl?
C: Yes.
A: Are you stupid?! You do know Marilyn got a buff with her just yesterday, right?!
C: Yes, but what's wrong with me talking to her?! We're just introducing ourselves to each other! Just because Marilyn got a buff with her doesn't entitle anyone to stop me from socializing, now does it?!
A: But shouldn't you consider her feeling?! At least if you want to 'socialize' with someone she dislikes you should do it in a place far from her reach!
C: Where?! In the rooftop?!
A: That would be a good idea!
C: Fine!! Next time I want to speak with Francesca, I'll take her to the rooftop!
A: Yeah, you do that!
After the two men settle their buff, Sophia is left wondering, pretty much because she already forgot again, "To the rooftop? What for?"
Either way, the match is about to start when a Grodine comes out from the other side of the arena. Marilyn unsheathes her Iskander Bey and activates her accelerator, preparing to launch her Guillotine. When the Grodine is about to make a go, Marilyn outmaneuvers her adversary by moving rapidly. She moved so fast a clear silhouette of after images run across the arena, past through the monster. Before anyone could realize what was going on, Grodine's body crumbles into three pieces to the floor as its blood sprays everywhere. Around ten feet behind the monster pieces, the dark eyed swordswoman calmly sheaths her sword back to its scabbard.
Sophia, Alvin, and Cliff are left with their eyes widened. Francesca, Ted, and Frank couldn't hide their gasp seeing it. And Velma is left with a confused face, "What did…just happen?"
"Did you see that?!" Alvin cannot contain his surprise anymore and breaks down, "In the name of anything decent, how did she do that?! That was so freaking fast!!"
Sophia, who doesn't even have the energy to shout thanks to the shock, slowly murmurs, "I agree…I know she's fast with her accelerator…but that one was simply breathtaking"
"Cliff?" Alvin gulps and turns over to the red haired man, who's been stay silent.
"Yes?" Cliff escapes a small answer.
"You're in a really, really deep shit"
"Yeah…thanks for reminding me…"
"The…the winner of this match…The Four Garrison…" Velma announces in a slow tone before excusing herself. Marilyn calmly walks back to where her group is.
Pretending like she doesn't actually know, the youngest of the four speaks, "What's wrong, guys? You all look surprised"
"Eh? Us?! No, not really!" Alvin directs a lie to be told for their own good, "We were just amazed!"
"Amazed?"
"Yeah, today you look better than ever!"
"Thank you" A cheerful smile arises on Marilyn's face, "Shall we go back to the inn, now?"
"Eh…I think I'll stay here. The Schrodinger's team is up next and since it's kinda given we'll face them tomorrow, I would like to know their strength" Alvin explains.
"Hmm…that's reasonable" The swordswoman glances at Sophia, "What about you, Sophia?"
"I think I'll stay with Alvin" The forgetful girl quickly answers, "After all, I'm the only one who hasn't been doing anything useful lately"
"Okay, have fun guys!" Without referring to the last Garrison, Marilyn takes her leave. Easily, Alvin and Sophia are left unsurprised by the change.
"She…is really mad at me, huh?" Cliff asks his friends without even looking at them, "She didn't even address me"
"Calm down, bro" Alvin kindly pats Cliff's back to support him, "You should try apologizing. It goes a long way"
"Fine…I'll try that one later" Cliff excuses himself and goes away from the arena.
"Poor Cliff" Sophia slowly shakes her head, "I hope things get better between him and Marilyn very soon"
"Well, if he never experiences any of this problem he wouldn't grow to be a good adult" Why do Alvin and Sophia keep believing Cliff and Marilyn are couples? "But for now, let's go get our seats"
"Yeah"
Meanwhile, the Schrodinger is having a conversation too…
"I couldn't believe it!! That annoying girl is pretty damn good!" Francesca loudly admits Marilyn's capability, "I admit I underestimated her before today!"
"Hm, that move was amazing indeed" Ted nods his head several times while replying, "She complies just fine with her accelerator"
"And from the way she prepares her stance, she is pretty skillful too" Franks adds, "For a body with fairly small stature, she is pretty strong"
"Heh, this is interesting" Instead of showing fear, Francesca shows the face of feeling challenged, "Marilyn Westerfield The Spider Lily…I cannot wait to face you!"
Although Ted can see the urge in Francesca, he still takes the responsibility to remind her of the more important matter at the moment, "Well, our turn is up next. So, we better be going now"
With her spirited expression still on her face, Francesca follows the other two to the arena. Not long after that, Alvin and Sophia arrive and take their seats. "I wonder what kind of show the Schrodinger will display today" Alvin voices his interest of knowing, "I bet they are having good time thinking because they saw Marilyn"
"Saw Marilyn?" Sophia loses herself again, "Doing what?"
"Oh, great…" Alvin sighs and chooses to ignore the sniper because the match is about to start below. On the arena, Frank is seen entering. On the other side, thirty five men are ready much like yesterday. The gloomy man takes out a pair of certain weapons from under his sleeves, catching Alvin's vision, "Hee….how interesting…"
Later that night, at the inn…
In his room, Alvin looks pleased. His smile has been decorating his face ever since his return from the dome today. "Did something good happen?" Cliff feels curious about the behavior of his companion and asks.
"I saw something interesting in the dome today" Alvin quickly lets him know, "Do you know that gloomy like guy from the Schrodinger team?"
"Frank Glooms? I thought he was a goth man, what about him?"
"He's actually a pretty good fighter. Since we are going to go up against them tomorrow I might as well challenge him for a duel"
"Well, since it's you…I don't think you will lose" Cliff throws a small pep-talk for Alvin, "You're the rightful heir of Chieftain from Baskar Colony, after all"
"Oh, please! Don't flatter me! I know you're up to a good thing, but I also know there's a shitload of fighters stronger than I am in Filgaia!" The Baskar native responds to the praise, "Besides, isn't that the beauty of fighting? You don't know who would win before the fight ends"
"That's true, cannot argue with that" The red eyed man shrugs his shoulder.
"Either way, why don't you make up with Marilyn?"
"Tonight?" Cliff rolls his eyes, "She is going to kill me! Didn't you see how she avoided me all day long?!"
"Yeah, that's why you have to make up with her tonight" Now, Alvin acts like the kind big brother he should be, "I think it's pretty clear she's going toe to toe against that Francesca tomorrow, and although we all know how credible Marilyn is…an unstable emotion might hinder her from releasing her full potential. I realized ever since coming here she seems to want to find something…or someone to that matter. I know the buff you got with her wasn't necessarily your fault, but would it kill you to talk to her? I mean, you're the man of steel! You're not going to die even if she tortures you all night long!"
Considering the advice carefully, Cliff casts his eyesight to the ceiling for a second before recalling things back, "True…meant it or not, I was kinda at fault…gotta apologize…"
"So? What's your call, dude?"
"You're right…" Cliff raises and shows a determined face, "I'll go"
"That's the spirit!" Alvin, out of excitement, crosses his fingers, "My fingers are crossed for you, dude! You're going to make it!"
"Thanks" The Crimson opens the door and goes outside. It doesn't take more then five seconds for him to knock on the girls' room.
"Yes?" Sophia opens the door, quickly revealing Cliff on the corridor. Although she has always been forgetful, the dark haired woman already knew why Cliff is here so she chooses to be wise and excuses herself, "Okay, I'll be waiting outside. The room is all yours, good luck"
Unknown to them, both Alvin and Sophia quickly regroup to eavesdrop from outside.
"Yeah" Cliff enters the room and slowly closes the door. Beside her bed, Marilyn is seen reading something looks like a novel. She is pretending Cliff isn't there, obviously. Nonetheless, Cliff does what a man should do, "Marilyn, can I talk to you for a second?"
"Can't it wait? I'm busy as you can see" A quick answer to dethrone the mentality, but Cliff isn't the man of steel for nothing.
"It can wait, but I prefer not to let it wait" The Crimson braves himself and takes a closer step to his soulmate, "Mind having a conversation with me for a moment?"
"I told you, I'm busy" The swordswoman doesn't even bother looking at him, "Save it for tomorrow. Why don't you do something more beneficial for yourself tonight?"
"Like what?"
"Like socializing" Marilyn cynically smiles, "You know, with your new favorite swordswoman"
"I only have one favorite swordswoman" Okay, this will sound romantic, "And that's you"
"Oh, really?" Marilyn takes a slow pace closing whatever book she is reading before putting her gaze on the trench coated man, "That's weird, just last night I saw you having a conversation, in a very friendly manner, with another swordswoman who supposed to be your…adversary"
"Not adversary, that's a strong word. She's just not on our side for now, that's all" A rebuff from the older drifter, "Either way, I'm not here to talk about that. I'm here to apologize"
"Apologize?"
"Yes, if what I did last night made you feel uncomfortable which grew to…anger, I'm sorry. Next time, if I wish to speak with her…I will…"
"You will…" Marilyn urges Cliff to finish his sentence.
"I will take her to a place where no one can see us, and that includes you, so I won't offend anyone" Cliff finishes his sentence in a shocking yet somewhat genuine fashion, "Well…that's according to Alvin, that is"
Of course, Marilyn can do nothing but slowly widening her eyes after listening such weird answer. And just like that, the two eavesdroppers outside cannot hold their laughter any longer. They laughed so hard they crashed into the door still laughing. Cliff and Marilyn are left ti wonder all by themselves. The laugh session lasts for at least a minute, leaving both drifters panting on the floor.
"Oh my…that was…a good laugh…" Alvin is still giggling when he speaks, "Cliff…I have never though you would actually take what I said for real"
"…you two are really cruel" Cliff slowly shakes his head, "Now, my apology is ruined"
"No, not at all" Marilyn ignores the other two and quickly ensures the red eyed man, "It's not…I…although I heard it in a weird way, I get it. I should apologize too for taking everything too serious"
"Then, we're cool?"
"We're always cool" Ah, a cool understanding from a couple of soulmates. Seeing how the problem is now cleared, Alvin and Sophia quickly regain their composure before going to the younger drifters.
"Come here both of you" Alvin initiates a group hug and all four of them joins, ending their night with a good mental preparation for tomorrow.
Meanwhile, in The Schrodinger's room…
"They sound so loud tonight" Frank notes the noise from outside, "I wonder if they are ready for tomorrow's…um, final match"
"Whatever it is, we should be ready for anything they could come up with" Ted confidently says, "We've been planning who should go for each of them all night long, after all"
"Hehe, cannot wait for tomorrow" Francesca taps her sword with a light smile on her face, "We're sooo gonna win this!"
At the same time, inside the control room…
Before Lord Begucci, Velma, and Janie, two persons are standing. Both are dressed in grey ceremonial full dress, with ensign of the letter 'P' on both their left shoulders. The man is a Hispanic man with a crew cut hair. His dark eyes match the stern look on his face. The woman is Caucasian with her brunette hair styled in French twist, matching of her brown eyes.
"Peacemaker Gomez Delphic and Peacemaker Brooke Timmons of the fourth division, I presume?" Lord Begucci addresses both peacemakers from World Union. The two simply nods as their answer. Glancing at her daughter, the older Begucci continues, "I welcome you to Gunner's Heaven. And as we planned it, the raid for capturing The Four Garrison will be executed during their match tomorrow. I hope this will be a grand success for both of us"
With that being said, the final match finally comes.
Next chapter will be another big battle!!! Hope I won't blow this one off, c u next chappy (^^)!
