Eternal Courage 3: Galactic Bonds

Chapter 27: Fighters From Air and Sea

Emperor Ozway stopped pacing and stood in the middle of the overlook podium "Now listen carefully. Normally should you lose, your journey ends here, and your planet is left to fate, but not this round. You see even if you lose, as long as your team-mates win all their rounds, you can still remain to fight in the Grand Celestia"

Ozway now displayed four fingers which everyone saw with VR Screens "As I said this is how many rounds are in this stage. If you win all four rounds, you're golden and through" Ozway dropped a finger "You win three and your sucession is pretty much certain" Ozway displayed only two "You win two...and your fate is uncertain. I am only allowing a rough amount of participants to continue onwards so having two wins...will be awkward. So we'll see how it goes. Any wins lower than this...don't bother coming back"

Ozway put his hands behind his back "So that's the rules of the competition. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask your OSCOM's. Now one last thing, there's a special rule in this stage I call...interference. Each team can once substitute their team-mates for themselves. And each team can... once insert themselves in a battle. However these carry...costs"

Ozway now sounded somewhat serious "If you choose to substitute you will immediately be on 33% of your pain threshold. And additionally if you lose, you'll lose not only the match but a win you've already earned. So make sure you know the risks. As for the members insertion rule...that has a unusual twist. The damage the 'inserter' takes, as the cost for entering, depends on how badly hurt the main fighter is"

Ozway cleared his throat "The 'inserter' will take damage that is equal to the different between the main fighters pain percentage and 100%. To give an example say a fighter is on 35%, then the inserter will immediately be dealt pain to 65% of their threshold you see. So the later you leave it...the less you'll be feel. But be warned, if either you the...interference or the main fighter falls, that you are assisting you lose...end of"

Ozway then grinned "Well there you go. The rules and special conditions of Stage 2. Now then for the combatants, at the bottom of the stadium, gaze upon the VR screens closest to you. On this screen it will display the list the randomly generated order of the teams that will fight" Saku saw a large VR screens before him "When your team is next simply pick a member and have him/her or even it descend to the field. The first match begins five minutes from...now!"

Everyone in the combatants section saw a jumbled list of names come on the VR screen, lined up in two columns. Saku didn't pay much to the other teams instead looking for his own as the left column revealed the names. Aeron was the first to spot it "There's our name...Brave Symphony. We're sixth down the list"

"So we can actually relax for a bit" said Zak'ryon "and watch a few fights"

"And there's yours Leyla" said Emiko pointing "something Eternity isn't it? You're tenth on the list"

"It looks...like it" said Leyla "hey...they're generating the...opponent teams now"

Slowly one-by-one the enemy teams were revealed and Saku saw the name of his time "Assuring Grace. That's our opposing team"

"Some of these names are weird" said Angel "They feel like they copied from novel names in a way"

"They do sound strange" said Emiko "but judging Ozway's character these do sound like the names he'd come up"

"So Brave Symphony, ie us, versus Assuring Grace" said Zak'ryon "all we have to do is find the team, and decide which of us fight"

"Well we've already decided" said an arrogant girl voice behind them "It'll be me that's fighting"

Everyone turned round to a girl, similar to a terran before him. On immediate note her skin was cyan coloured. She was of average height with a flat and almost streamlined figure with dark hair that hung down wildly down her back. She wore only a sleeveless dark long garb, akin to a vest, that covered her torso and hung down her sides to her knees. She did wear black fitted shorts but no other clothing, not even shoes.

The only other items the girl wore were the OSCOM glove upon her hand and a blue oval stone that appeared to be in her skin, just at the bottom of her neck. Other peculiar notes were her dark green eyes, which looked almost like sharp ovals, three thick slits in her cheeks and slightly long fingers and nails.

The girl folded her arms and had an arrogant look to her "I will be your opponent in that round. Call me...Norvica"

"Norvica?" said Zak'ryon "Weird name. So is there any reason why you've presented yourself to us?"

"Because she's full of it, that's why" this came from Angel who had a scornful gaze and tone "she and the rest of her kind are always like this. In fact their famous for it"

"Oh...what have we got here?" said Norvica mockingly "a Felinus Angelis, that's a rarity. That'll make the victory all that sweeter"

Angel stepped over the chair and walked to confront Norvica "So can I help you at all? Or you just merely proclaiming your vanity?"

"Talk it up while you can" said Norvica "for today will be a great day for my ancestors. And the day your kind remembers it lost to our supremacy"

"I'm pretty sure you have it the...other way round. I'm pretty most of my family would like a piece of you"

The tension between the two was thick...very thick. Their eyes were full of anger and hate towards each other. Saku was watching them "These two definitely know each other. And they definitely aren't friends"

"That's an understatement" said Katsia "you can almost feel murderous intent from their eyes"

"Why is that?" asked Aeron "Do these two not like each other?"

"Those two...have probably never met...personally" said the quiet Leyla "but their clans have"

"You mean their families...don't you?" said Saku understanding what she meant "So this could get messy"

As everyone watched Norvica spoke in a low tone "When I step forward for the match..." she prodded Angel with her nail "You will be there to fight me"

"What makes you think I want to waste my time with you..." Angel shoved her hand away "Cattalian?" said Angel

"Well...how often is it we can settle the score? But then you're too much of a coward...like the rest of your pitiful race. I was so looking forward to..." she displayed her nails "tearing you apart"

"Would you mind knocking it off?" said Saku sounding peeved "you're giving me a headache"

Saku stood up and climbed over his chair while Norvica looked at him with a grin "Oh my...what do we have here?"

"Look, whatever your name is" said Saku uncaring "I would prefer you don't kill my team-mate. Angel here...is kinda needed"

"Oh you're a handsome one aren't you? Don't worry your little head...your team-mate is too much of a wuss anyway"

"Who says I'm backing down" said Angel strongly "I'll meet you in the arena"

"It's your funeral, see you there. And handsome...give me a call sometime" an with that, and a wink, Norvica slinked off.

Angel turned to Saku with an odd mix of anger and almost annoyance "I could've handled that on my own Saku"

"I don't doubt you could've done" said Saku folding his arms "But I didn't exactly want blood splattered all over the place"

"You thought she was serious?"

"Very...and so did you" Angel's gaze weakened a little "Look if you're dead set on fighting her...go ahead. Just remember...you aren't by yourself" Saku then turned back and climbed back into his seat. Angel then had a smile

"Is that your way of saying 'I'm here with you'? Or is that just positive thinking?"