Life isn’t so Simple Anymore!
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Chapter 100: Being Summoned to Another World?! (Non-canon)
"This place is a lot creepier on the inside..." Zoey muttered as she followed behind Lindsay and Alexander.
"Where else would a daemon make their hideout if not abandoned buildings?" Alexander briefly chuckled.
Zoey was about to say something before she was shushed by Lindsay. Lindsay pointed her finger down the hallway. All three magjistars could see four glowing eyes staring back at them before it skittered off around the corner. If Zoey couldn't feel the mahna coursing through her body and strength flowing in her muscles, she would've jumped so hard.
Becoming a badass fighter kind of takes a lot of fear out of you, surprisingly. While Zoey wasn't confident in fighting ghosts or something like that. Daemons, she could handle daemons. Lindsay sighed as she stood straight up, no longer bothering to be quiet.
"Now that it knows we're here, this is going to be far more annoying to deal with." Lindsay adjusted her glasses as she lit up her green crocodile plushie to give them light.
"Sorry?" Alexander felt it was somewhat his fault.
"It was most likely going to find us anyway. This daemon seems smarter than the average daemon. Its first instinct when it saw us was to run instead of fight, after all." Lindsay briefly glanced over at Zoey.
She had a feeling it was because of this human-shaped monster next to them that it acted that way in the first place. It has been several months since the last time they've done a case together. She's become famous at school and in the normal world while somehow at the same time becoming stronger in the magji world as well. Ever since Zoey became Victor's apprentice, Alexander and Lindsay have been breaking bones and shredding magji muscles to try and keep up with her growth.
"You think it's a trap?" Alexander asked.
'Oh shit, I didn't even think about if it was a trap or not...' Zoey thought to herself. She was about to dash after the daemon around the corner, only thinking about how confident she was in her speed.
"It's highly probable." Lindsay nodded.
Her magji tool glowing with a bright blue light leading their way through the abandoned hospital. As they walked together up the hospital to find the daemon, along the way, Alexander brought up a suggestion. "Should we split up?" This suggestion was met with consideration by Lindsay, and Zoey could only inwardly sigh.
Now, Zoey wasn't racist or anything like that. She wasn't a firm believer that only certain races do certain things or say certain things. But... why was it when it came to horror stuff or dangerous situations, the lightest-skin of all the races always wanted to split up. It never made sense in the movies, and it doesn't make much sense now!
Now don't get it twisted, Zoey wasn't afraid or anything. But it wasn't like they were in a hurry or anything. What was wrong with taking a little bit more time to investigate and travel together? It was safer too! If there was a trap, wouldn't it be better to face it together instead of separately? But Zoey could tell she was outnumbered.
Alexander chose to investigate the first floor. Lindsay assigned herself the second floor. While Zoey made her way to the third floor. They would meet back up in half an hour with their findings before heading up to explore more floors.
In her solitude, Zoey walked around the ruined hospital with only her phone acting as a light to brighten the way. From time to time, indiscernible sounds would suddenly appear. Either behind her, around the corner, below her, or above her on a different floor. All in all, Zoey was positively spooked.
Why couldn't this daemon just be a daemon that ran at them and tried to kill them with magji? Did it really have to play hide and seek in this creepy ass fucking hospital? Zoey would rather be attacked upfront than teased like this. She couldn't handle fake horror movies in real life!
"Hello."
Zoey instincts violently fought each other in how to respond to the sudden voice appearing behind them. In this clash of fight vs. flight, Zoey's body chose both since it couldn't decide on one. She leaped forward into a room with most of her strength before turning around with her gloves up to face the voice behind her. Her body shivered without her consent as she met face-to-face with absolutely nothing.
Only the sound of a child giggling in the distance could be heard as Zoey frantically looked around her. Her senses raised to the max in preparation to handle any physical threat. After a minute or so of absolute terror, Zoey calmed down and immediately got pissed off. Fighting daemons was one thing. Fighting ghosts was another. But fighting a daemon posing as a ghost... Well. Let's just say, once she got her hands on them, they're going to wish they were never born!
"Stop playing around and come out and fight!" Zoey yelled.
"Follow me..." A wisp of light suddenly appeared in the entryway of the door.
The wisp slowly floated out the door and down the hallway. Zoey cautiously followed behind it as she silently texted Alexander and Lindsay to come to the third floor. The ball of light led Zoey into some sort of luxury hospital room. Plenty of wide space, abandoned medical equipment that Zoey had no clue of what it did, and a giant fat baby-looking daemon staring right at her.
"Play?" It innocently asked in a deep voice, somewhat fitting and not fitting of its appearance.
"..." Zoey wasn't comfortable putting down babies. Daemon or not.
"Play. Play. Play. Play." Multiple smaller daemons came out from behind the big baby daemon. Each one chanting the word, play.
The door violently closed behind her, and Zoey frowned. The ground underneath her lit up in a strange symbol, and Zoey could feel something affecting her. She moved her arms and legs but felt no restriction or anything like that. Then a strange feeling caught Zoey. Zoey looked at her skills and realized a certain skill was rapidly leveling up!
"No play? Go bye-bye!" The daemons yelled in synchrony.
Abnormal Conditions raised from level 20 to level 30 as Zoey's sight was filled with nothing but whiteness.
"Azarath!" Professor Nim shouted.
Dozens of children with brightly colored hair spread apart as this infamous name was called up. Snickers, mocking, and amusement flowed through them. The child called up, ignored them all. Or at least, tried to. The angst and annoyance on his face were hard to miss. It only gave those laughing at him even more reason to do so, seeing him obviously bothered by it.
"Try not to blow this one up, loser." Arth mocked.
"I've never heard of anyone messing up the summoning ritual." Elena pushed up her glasses in interest. This would be a good show.
"Azarath can't even perform the most basic magic missile. Something as complicated as the summoning ritual has to be impossible for him." Cain loudly laughed.
Azarath of Noble House Ruin, stepped up to summon his familiar. Cursed black hair, a weak frame, and desperation filled his eyes. As he walked to the summoning circle, he focused all of his heart and soul on summoning a familiar that would finally give him what he needed. He followed Professor Nim's instructions to the T and wished with everything he had for the perfect familiar.
The summoning circle lit up with a bright light that blinded everyone. Professor Nim's eyebrows furrowed. He's never seen a reaction like this before when a student underwent the summoning ritual. The wise teacher clutched his staff as he channeled his magic in preparation for the creature that might be summoned. Silence took hold of everyone as the light eventually died down and revealed Azarath's familiar.
"Ah, what the fuck?" Zoey was completely stunned as she took in her new surroundings.
'What the fuck!?' Inner Zoey was in agreement.
"What the fuck!?" Zoey saw some old guy pointing a staff at her and nearly violently reacted by teleporting toward him with her ring.
But she was surrounded by these people. There was only one of her, and she didn't know if they were enemies or not. Zoey calmly and peacefully raised her gloves up in a sign of non-violence. The old fucker was still pointing his wizard's staff at her, but there was this strange guy looking at her weirdly. He was around her height and had no meat on his bones.
He said some words to her in a language she did not speak while coming closer to her. She dropped her hands, pointed at her mouth, and shook her head, trying to indicate that she didn't speak his language. But this fucking asshole took it as an indication to suddenly come up and fucking kiss her! Zoey pushed the creep off of her and slugged him across the face with her boxing glove. He went flying off the podium into the crowd of people.
"What's your fucking problem, asshole!? I was saving that for James, you fucking prick!" Zoey yelled.
"Can you understand us now?" The old guy came up to her.
"What? You're not speaking garbled words anymore?" Zoey squinted her eyes at him.
He pointed his staff at the asshole that took her first kiss. His unconscious body floated from the floor and came next to the old guy. The old guy started chanting something, and a green light covered the fucker's body. He then smiled at her.
"My name is Artio Nims, and I'm a professor at this school. You were just summoned by one of my students to become his familiar. I apologize if you saw his actions as inappropriate, but that is the only way summoners can successfully form a pact with their familiars. If you look at the center of your chest, you can see that the pact has been formed." He politely informed.
"Oh fuck no." Zoey looked down and saw some weird ass symbol below her neck. "I did not just get summoned to another world to be some fucking slave!" Zoey violently grabbed the old man's collar. "You're going to tell me how I'm going to get back home, or I'm going to break this world to pieces!"
Zoey saw the old man's staff light up, and as soon as she saw that, she gut-punched him. He dropped to his knees with a wheeze, and Zoey kicked his staff away. Keeping an eye out on the kids to the side of her, she dropped down low to the old man. She kept her voice low and as controlled as she could.
"You think you guys can just summon people and enslave them with no repercussions? I didn't consent to becoming someone's slave. I didn't consent to being summoned. And I sure as hell didn't consent to being kissed by some fucking guy from another world! Now tell me how do I get back home, or else this will get a lot more painful for you and maybe even these kids." Zoey saw some of the students summoning their familiars.
"I-I... can get you a meeting with the principal... Don't hurt the students..." He asked.
"I won't if they won't." Zoey didn't promise him much.
"Stand down, children!" Professor Nim yelled, clutching his stomach. "I'm fine. Please head to lunch now while I deal with this." He instructed.
No one left or de-summoned their familiars. Artio Nim carried the little pervert that was quick to enslave another human being while leading the way to the person in charge of this place. Zoey secretly looked at the impressive school building in awe but didn't let down her vigilance. For all she knows, this old bastard could be leading her to a trap. Maybe she should've punched him some more so he didn't think of doing it.
"Welcome, Artio." A voice greeted them as they walked in the door. "I see this is the first human familiar ever summoned with the summoning ritual. Rumors of you have already spread throughout the school. It's nice to meet you. I am Headmaster Ruben, but you can just call me Ruben, young lady." He politely smiled.
"How do I get home?" Zoey got straight to the point.
"I have no clue." Ruben whimsically smiled.
"Are you telling me I'm stuck here for the rest of my life?" Zoey couldn't accept this.
She had family, friends, a career, and a maybe future husband waiting back home for her! Things were finally looking up for her! There was no fucking way in hell that she was going to give up on all of that to start over in another world. Zoey was going to find a way back home, or this world was going to pay for dragging her over!
Perhaps, her hostile thoughts could be read on her face, but Ruben quickly tried to soothe things over. "Just because we don't know of a way to return you back doesn't mean we certainly can't find a way, but before we discuss that, we have something else we must discuss."
"What's more important than getting me back home?" Zoey was confused.
"Young Azarath Ruin summoned a creature to become his familiar, but if you leave, he will be left without a familiar."
"Just get him to summon another one." Zoey shrugged.
"Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that, Miss..."
"Zoey, and why doesn't it work like that? Can't you just enslave some other creature to do your bidding?"
"The act of forming a pact with another is not slavery or anything of the sort but a partnership. A lifetime relationship between friends. If a familiar does not want to do something, their master cannot force them with magic." Ruben happily lectured.
"What if one of them dies?" Zoey briefly glanced at Azaroth's sleeping figure.
"I wonder?" Ruben smiled. "Instead of wondering about that, I can tell you that gaining another familiar for Young Ruin isn't impossible. Interestingly enough, the pact between you and him is incomplete. The symbol of a successful pact should be clear, but yours is transparent."
"What does that mean?" Zoey wasn't stupid.
She knew this suspiciously young-looking guy just didn't want her to kill the pervert. Not that she would anytime soon. Zoey just filed it as one of the possibilities of returning back home. A girl had to have her options.
"The pact between summoner and familiar grows stronger through each other. This happens naturally throughout their lifetime as they grow, train, and develop together. However, the most potent way of strengthening a pact is by fulfilling each other's wishes. It's just a guess of mine, but I have a small suspicion that Young Ruin's greatest wish is for a strong familiar."
"I am pretty strong..." Zoey felt proud and annoyed.
"Perhaps, if you aid him in finding a creature strong enough to satisfy that wish of his, you may be released from your position as his familiar. Who knows if that may return you back to your original world or not? This is a first for all of us." Ruben's kind smile never left his face.
"So I get the guy a new familiar strong enough to make him happy, and I might go home?" Zoey simplified it for herself.
"Possibly. If that doesn't work, I have some friends who are rather accomplished in the field of spatial magic. By cashing in some favors, I might be able to recruit their help to find a way back home for you." Ruben gave another option.
"Fine." Seeing that he was willing to try, Zoey didn't give him a hard time. "I'm sorry for punching you, but I had a feeling that you were going to do some weird magji to me." She turned to Artio.
"I can understand how frightened you must have been..." Artio didn't say more than this.
"Where do I go to find strong creatures for this guy?" Zoey asked Ruben.
"I'll take you." With a snap of his finger, all four of them instantly appeared in a vast desert.
Hot sandy wind brushed against Zoey's skin. In her vision, there was nothing but an ocean of sand all around her. She looked toward the headmaster, who wasn't smiling as he glanced at her. Then just as it wasn't there, it quickly appeared again as he looked toward her. He whispered something to Artio before facing her.
"This place is known as the Sea of Death. 98% of all summoners lose their lives here in search of powerful familiars to form a pact with. It is unknown why monsters here are vastly stronger than monsters in other parts of the world, but it is rumored that a deity-level familiar once died here. It is because of the immense power within that deity-level familiar that the monsters in the Sea of Death grow so strong. Even after thousands of years, the power in its body is still spreading through this land. Allowing any creature strong enough to survive, to absorb its magical power radiating through the sand, wind, and atmosphere." Ruben lectured.
"So, he should be satisfied with the first monster we find then. Good." That was what Zoey took from that long speech.
"..." Ruben was speechless.
Zoey hefted Ruin over her shoulder and began walking forward, leaving the two adults behind.
"Keep a close eye on that child." Ruben's smile dropped.
"Is there something about her, Headmaster?" Artio asked.
"Teleporting her alone took 35% of my magical power. You don't even add up to 5%. She's either far stronger than her age suggests, or there's something special hidden inside her body." Ruben informed.
"What should I do? Just watch her?" Artio was a little nervous hearing the words of the Headmaster.
Headmaster Ruben was known as the strongest spatial summoner of their generation. The number of summoners that could contend with him could only be counted on one hand. If this young girl was strong enough to force him to use 35% of his magical power, there had to be something special about her. But how was he supposed to contend with someone like that when he didn't even add up to 5%?
"I doubt she harbors any malicious intent toward us or Young Ruin. From what I saw, she's just an innocent child caught up in something that she had no control over." Ruben tried to assure him. "But, she has the potential to cause great destruction. If something bad happens, use this." Artio was given a necklace. "Activate it and flee away as quickly as you can with the boy."
"Understood. I'll keep a close eye on her." Artio was nervous but believed in the Headmaster.
"Good. I'll send a substitute to watch over your class. Keep Young Azarath safe."
"What if she isn't sent home after she gets a familiar for Azarath?"
"Ditch her here and leave with the boy. I doubt she'll be able to survive even with her potential. Not even I in my youth could stay here for more than a day."
"But didn't you say-" Artio was interrupted before he could continue.
"I know what I said. I said that so that she would have hope in case things don't turn out well here. Dealing with someone dangerous that has nothing to lose is far worse than dealing with someone that has something to lose." Ruben answered. "The fact that the summoning ritual can summon creatures from other worlds is something that only we know. All this time, we've thought the creatures came from somewhere on the planet.
"U-Understood, Headmaster... I'll be going now."
"Farewell." Ruben vanished in an instant.
It didn't take long for Zoey to encounter one of the monsters in this world. It saw them before they saw it. In the distance, she saw a four-legged creature speeding across the desert straight toward them. Ruin was still knocked out, so she looked at Artio.
"Is that thing a good familiar?" She asked him.
"Maybe we should wait until Azarath awakens. The familiar will be his for life, after all. Shouldn't he have a choice in the familiar he will be with?" Artio Nims suggested.
"Don't you have a spell or whatever to wake him up? If I wake him up, I don't think I'll be able to control my strength. I'm still upset." Zoey dropped Ruin off her shoulder with little care.
Ruin fell with a groan to the sandy floor below. Zoey stretched as she kept her eye on the super fucking fast monster still racing its way toward them. She doubted the old man was going to be any help at all. After thinking about it, there was no reason why she personally had to help Ruin get a familiar in the first person. The old man could just get one for him, and his stupid wish would still be fulfilled.
'Did we fall into another stupid fucking trap?' Zoey asked herself.
'Probably. You're kind of a fucking meathead.' Inner Zoey responded.
'Erm! We're a fucking meathead. This is a team effort, miss rudeness.' Zoey locked eyes with the four-legged reptilian monster as it got even closer.
As Inner Zoey was about to argue back, The weird fusion between a tiger and a komodo dragon pounced straight toward her without hesitation. It kind of pissed her off and made her feel happy. Out of the three people present, it wanted to eat her of all people first. Like damn, Zoey knew she was a snack, but this was a bit ridiculous, right?
After inwardly laughing at her joke despite the dangerous situation, Zoey met the monster with a ferocious uppercut. It rose into the air as the bones in its jaw shattered from the force of Zoey's uppercut. An uppercut empowered by the first passage of Overdraft. That punch had 100% of Zoey's unrestricted natural body strength behind it.
Zoey spat onto the sand below. Its movements were so telegraphed, she'd be ashamed of herself if she didn't get the first hit. Even though it was her first time facing against an animal, fighting was fighting. Daemons usually fought like animals, just in a shape similar to humans.
"..." Artio was speechless as he saw the Komnom defeated in a single blow without a single spell used.
"!!!" Azarath Ruin looked at the sight in pure awe and wonder.
Artio could perform a similar feat with a high-level spell, but this child didn't give any indication of using any magical power whatsoever. With nothing but her natural strength, she effortlessly subdued an upper-grade monster. Headmaster Ruben was correct about this girl. She's certainly hiding something.
"Do you want this thing?" Zoey asked Ruin. He shook his head.
"Why not?" Zoey thought it looked pretty cool. She would choose it as a pet to ride around on.
"It didn't stand a chance against you. I want a familiar as strong as you if I have to give you up." Azarath didn't give any room for negotiations.
'This son of a bitch! He's lucky that we aren't murderers!' Inner Zoey growled.
'We kind of are. Daemons are people, too, in a way. It's just that they were killed in self-defense because they tried to kill us.' Zoey glared at Azarath, but he didn't stand down. He wanted a strong familiar no matter what, even if he had to suffer for it.
"What's your obsession with having a strong familiar? Are you planning to take over the world or something? Get revenge and kill someone?" Zoey asked as she turned her back to him.
Her question was met with silence. And that made Zoey annoyed. Violent and dangerous thoughts began to sing and dance throughout her head as her fists visibly shook. Just when Zoey was about to say fuck it, the little prick opened his mouth again.
"I want to prove that I'm not a failure and that I deserve a spot at the academy just like the rest of the nobles. I am just as worthy of attending as they are." Azarath softly replied.
'Are we sure we haven't been summoned into an anime?' Inner Zoey questioned.
'Fucking stubborn little asshole wants recognition from everyone around him while I'm not even sure I can return back home. Our struggles are not the same! You will not get sympathy from me!' Zoey audibly snorted.
"You don't think I can do it either, do you?!" Azarath raised his voice before grabbing her arm. "Don't forget, you're my familiar now! You-" Azarath's words were stopped with a boxing glove to the face.
He cried out in pain as he stumbled backward, falling to the ground on his ass. Zoey stood over him and kicked him in the face. She then properly mounted him before giving him blow for blow the attitude he was coming at her with. Inner Zoey cheered in support while Artio was momentarily stunned by the sudden violent assault on his student!
At the beginning, he didn't know how to react. He just thought the two would argue before going about their ways! It seems like wherever this girl is from, violence is way more accepted than peacefully talking things out! Briefly, Artio clutched the necklace before deciding that now wasn't the time. He simply levitated Azarath from beneath the girl and kept him out of range while also healing him.
"We are not in an equal relationship! I will hurt you!" Zoey reminded him.
"It's up to me... Whether you stay as my familiar or not... Don't forget that..." Azarath's face was horribly bruised and swelled while blood leaked from his mouth.
"Do you think I won't kill you?" Zoey's mahna sharply rose as she directly pressured Azarath.
Azarath couldn't breathe. His entire body felt like it was being crushed. His organs, his bones, his blood, nothing was spared. Maybe... Maybe just maybe... He shouldn't press his luck with this girl anymore... Even trying to use his own magical power to resist was helpless.
"I think he's learned his lesson, Zoey..." Artio was sweating as he did everything in his power to help Azarath, but the boy's damned magical power wasn't helping.
Trying to use his own magical power to relieve the pressure only worked on the skin level, but trying to delve deeper inside the boy's body where his magical power cycles throughout his body was impossible. Artio didn't understand why his magical power disappeared when it went past the skin. Is this the reason why he's failing his practical classes at the academy?
"Whatever." Zoey pulled back her mahna. "Next monster we find, he's making a pact with. I don't care what he thinks about it. A truly strong summoner should be able to make any familiar they pact with powerful." Zoey scoffed.
"If that's the only option..." Artio followed behind Zoey, with Azarath being levitated behind him.
"It is."
And with that, there was no more conversation. Zoey and the two traveled through the seemingly endless desert with little rest. Thank to Abnormal Conditions being level 38, this journey through the Sea of Death felt no different than taking a walk on an average day in Summer. There was a blue semi-transparent barrier around Artio and Ruin that she guessed made it more bearable for them.
Hours passed without any signs of another monster, and Zoey was getting suspicious. She assumed that a place called the Sea of Death would be overrun with monsters, but the only damn thing in this place was sand! Was that damn old man scaring the monsters away with his barrier? Zoey was nearing her breaking point.
Luckily, half an hour later, she spotted something in the distance. A group of animals riding together. Her first instinct was to chase after it immediately, but it turns out that there was no need for such a thing. The animals were riding toward them. With a relieved sigh, Zoey dropped to her butt and took a break until they got within attacking range.
"Don't those monsters look rather strange to you?" Artio squinted to get a better look.
"Don't ask me. I don't live on this world." Zoey casually shrugged him off. "The strangest thing to me is why the hell do you look like me. I'm a human from an entirely different galaxy, solar system, and shit. There's no reason why you should look so similar to me." Zoey didn't think too hard about it, though. Maybe it was a parallel world or some shit. In this world, creatures evolved differently with mahna and magji.
Artio had no idea what Zoey was talking about, but he somewhat agreed. This was a girl from a world different than his own, but she looked no different than other girls her age.
"Look what we have here girls... Travelers all out on their lonesome in this scary, scary desert." A deep-voiced monster spoke.
No, wait, Zoey just looked up. It turns out there were people riding monsters. With one big sigh, all of Zoey's excitement and enthusiasm left her body. These women were probably already in a pact with these monsters!
"Hey, my name is Zoey. We're looking for monsters to form a pact with. Do you know where any are at? We've been looking for hours." Zoey didn't want to start any trouble.
"Monsters? Well, sure, little lady! I can show ya where some monsters are at, but it's going to cost ya..." The leader of the group grinned.
"Artio. I know you got some cash or something valuable on you. Give it to them, and let's get on our way." Zoey refused to believe that he was poor schooling at that fancy-ass school.
The professor grumbled something before reaching into his robes and taking out a shiny crystal ball. Zoey wasn't blind to the fact that the eyes of the leader shined when seeing that ball. She happily took it out of his hand and nodded at the other girls. They relaxed their postures, and Zoey was relieved to see they weren't going to try to rob them further.
"Get on. We'll take you to the monster field in no time. If you have anything else as valuable as this, we'll even be willing to bring you back to the closest settlement."
"We can discuss it then," Artio spoke up, being the adult of the group.
"You got moves, girl. How about joining up with us? I can promise you a life filled with riches, adventure, and as many partners as you want." Reia, the leader of the Wandering Desert Wolves, asked Zoey.
Zoey used her mahna to clean the blood all over her body while sitting on the dinosaur-like monster she had just got done pummeling half to death. She looked into the eyes of Reia and smiled.
"I appreciate the offer, but I'm not going to be around for long." Zoey then glared at Azarath.
Azarath sighed as he crouched down low to the monster's head. He kissed it, and a pact was formed between the two of them. The carnivorous monster, on par with a grizzly bear in size, connected with Azarath in both body and soul. Zoey smiled as the translucent mark that indicated her relationship with Azarath shattered apart. A bright blinding light soon exploded from her body, and she couldn't help but laugh in joy. She was going home! She was going to see the people she loved again!
Zoey's laughter was heard by all of the Wandering Desert Wolves, Artio, and Azarath. None of them knew for sure what was happening, but they guessed it was a good thing. Well, Artio kept the necklace clutched in his hand out of fear. If Zoey returned back to her world, that was great. But if she didn't... He knew exactly who she was going to turn her attention to.
The laughter died down along with the bright light. Zoey was still here. She didn't return home. There was absolutely nothing different about her except the pact between her and Azarath was now gone. Just to make sure, she looked over at Artio and Azarath and then at the sand below. Yep, she was still in this world.
Like a bomb going off, Zoey's mahna exploded as the second passage of Overdraft burst open. Sand rose more than 15ft up into the air, and just as Zoey was about to take a step in the direction of Artio and Azarath, an olden voice cut through the blasting sand and wind.
"Don't forget, Zoey! Headmaster Ruben still has his colleagues! You can still return home! I promise you!" Artio Nims shouted with magical power.
This did stop Zoey in her tracks. It wasn't over. She still had a chance to go home! Taking out her rage on these two will only bury that chance! Zoey's outburst of power was halted, and she returned to normal, albeit with sand all over her body.
Then a small beam of light flashed from Artio's direction. Focus activated, and Zoey could see in slow motion as the ray of light was heading straight for her chest. She moved her body, but even if she could see what was coming toward her, she couldn't avoid it. It was simply too fast.
The pain was brief. It was a sharp pain that didn't even last for a second before the light ripped through her chest and exited from her back. Zoey dropped to the ground, confused. Did she just fucking die? No, no, no... That was... impossible...
'I lost? I lost to an old man that couldn't even handle a regular punch from me? No way...' Blood began to puddle from the hole in Zoey's chest.
'I can't lose... I have the box... My potential is infinite... I can beat anyone in the world eventually. I can't lose yet...' The Wandering Desert Wolves were shouting something at Artio and Ruin.
'Mom... Dad... Everett... I can't die here... I still have so much to do... I refuse to lose here... It isn't the time... I haven't conquered the magji world and fighting world...' Ruben suddenly teleported next to Artio and Ruin, who were about to be attacked by the Wandering Desert Wolves, and teleported them away.
'Ah, it was a trap...' Zoey realized she got played.
Then her thoughts came to a stop, and everything went black. Zoey didn't know how long she was in that dark place. It could've been hours, years, or centuries. All she knew was that all she had was herself in that place. Zoey and Inner Zoey stared at one another until they fell into each other. And that was when Zoey reawakened as something new.
She climbed up from beneath the sand burial. A gaping hole should be present through her chest right now, but instead of a gaping hole, there is a magji shard where her human heart should be. The being that used to be Zoey now had clawed hands like a daemon's but other than those two, she couldn't see any other obvious differences. She looked upward and noticed the Box was still here...
"…" She was going to break the world until it shattered apart.
She didn't know why she wanted to do it. But no matter who stands in her way, she was going to come out victorious. Maybe she might even find someone fun to fight against during it. With their world on the line, they would surely fight with everything they had, right? She smiled before taking off into the desert with her star-shaped tail swaying in the wind behind her.
"Where else would a daemon make their hideout if not abandoned buildings?" Alexander briefly chuckled.
Zoey was about to say something before she was shushed by Lindsay. Lindsay pointed her finger down the hallway. All three magjistars could see four glowing eyes staring back at them before it skittered off around the corner. If Zoey couldn't feel the mahna coursing through her body and strength flowing in her muscles, she would've jumped so hard.
Becoming a badass fighter kind of takes a lot of fear out of you, surprisingly. While Zoey wasn't confident in fighting ghosts or something like that. Daemons, she could handle daemons. Lindsay sighed as she stood straight up, no longer bothering to be quiet.
"Now that it knows we're here, this is going to be far more annoying to deal with." Lindsay adjusted her glasses as she lit up her green crocodile plushie to give them light.
"Sorry?" Alexander felt it was somewhat his fault.
"It was most likely going to find us anyway. This daemon seems smarter than the average daemon. Its first instinct when it saw us was to run instead of fight, after all." Lindsay briefly glanced over at Zoey.
She had a feeling it was because of this human-shaped monster next to them that it acted that way in the first place. It has been several months since the last time they've done a case together. She's become famous at school and in the normal world while somehow at the same time becoming stronger in the magji world as well. Ever since Zoey became Victor's apprentice, Alexander and Lindsay have been breaking bones and shredding magji muscles to try and keep up with her growth.
"You think it's a trap?" Alexander asked.
'Oh shit, I didn't even think about if it was a trap or not...' Zoey thought to herself. She was about to dash after the daemon around the corner, only thinking about how confident she was in her speed.
"It's highly probable." Lindsay nodded.
Her magji tool glowing with a bright blue light leading their way through the abandoned hospital. As they walked together up the hospital to find the daemon, along the way, Alexander brought up a suggestion. "Should we split up?" This suggestion was met with consideration by Lindsay, and Zoey could only inwardly sigh.
Now, Zoey wasn't racist or anything like that. She wasn't a firm believer that only certain races do certain things or say certain things. But... why was it when it came to horror stuff or dangerous situations, the lightest-skin of all the races always wanted to split up. It never made sense in the movies, and it doesn't make much sense now!
Now don't get it twisted, Zoey wasn't afraid or anything. But it wasn't like they were in a hurry or anything. What was wrong with taking a little bit more time to investigate and travel together? It was safer too! If there was a trap, wouldn't it be better to face it together instead of separately? But Zoey could tell she was outnumbered.
Alexander chose to investigate the first floor. Lindsay assigned herself the second floor. While Zoey made her way to the third floor. They would meet back up in half an hour with their findings before heading up to explore more floors.
In her solitude, Zoey walked around the ruined hospital with only her phone acting as a light to brighten the way. From time to time, indiscernible sounds would suddenly appear. Either behind her, around the corner, below her, or above her on a different floor. All in all, Zoey was positively spooked.
Why couldn't this daemon just be a daemon that ran at them and tried to kill them with magji? Did it really have to play hide and seek in this creepy ass fucking hospital? Zoey would rather be attacked upfront than teased like this. She couldn't handle fake horror movies in real life!
"Hello."
Zoey instincts violently fought each other in how to respond to the sudden voice appearing behind them. In this clash of fight vs. flight, Zoey's body chose both since it couldn't decide on one. She leaped forward into a room with most of her strength before turning around with her gloves up to face the voice behind her. Her body shivered without her consent as she met face-to-face with absolutely nothing.
Only the sound of a child giggling in the distance could be heard as Zoey frantically looked around her. Her senses raised to the max in preparation to handle any physical threat. After a minute or so of absolute terror, Zoey calmed down and immediately got pissed off. Fighting daemons was one thing. Fighting ghosts was another. But fighting a daemon posing as a ghost... Well. Let's just say, once she got her hands on them, they're going to wish they were never born!
"Stop playing around and come out and fight!" Zoey yelled.
"Follow me..." A wisp of light suddenly appeared in the entryway of the door.
The wisp slowly floated out the door and down the hallway. Zoey cautiously followed behind it as she silently texted Alexander and Lindsay to come to the third floor. The ball of light led Zoey into some sort of luxury hospital room. Plenty of wide space, abandoned medical equipment that Zoey had no clue of what it did, and a giant fat baby-looking daemon staring right at her.
"Play?" It innocently asked in a deep voice, somewhat fitting and not fitting of its appearance.
"..." Zoey wasn't comfortable putting down babies. Daemon or not.
"Play. Play. Play. Play." Multiple smaller daemons came out from behind the big baby daemon. Each one chanting the word, play.
The door violently closed behind her, and Zoey frowned. The ground underneath her lit up in a strange symbol, and Zoey could feel something affecting her. She moved her arms and legs but felt no restriction or anything like that. Then a strange feeling caught Zoey. Zoey looked at her skills and realized a certain skill was rapidly leveling up!
"No play? Go bye-bye!" The daemons yelled in synchrony.
Abnormal Conditions raised from level 20 to level 30 as Zoey's sight was filled with nothing but whiteness.
"Azarath!" Professor Nim shouted.
Dozens of children with brightly colored hair spread apart as this infamous name was called up. Snickers, mocking, and amusement flowed through them. The child called up, ignored them all. Or at least, tried to. The angst and annoyance on his face were hard to miss. It only gave those laughing at him even more reason to do so, seeing him obviously bothered by it.
"Try not to blow this one up, loser." Arth mocked.
"I've never heard of anyone messing up the summoning ritual." Elena pushed up her glasses in interest. This would be a good show.
"Azarath can't even perform the most basic magic missile. Something as complicated as the summoning ritual has to be impossible for him." Cain loudly laughed.
Azarath of Noble House Ruin, stepped up to summon his familiar. Cursed black hair, a weak frame, and desperation filled his eyes. As he walked to the summoning circle, he focused all of his heart and soul on summoning a familiar that would finally give him what he needed. He followed Professor Nim's instructions to the T and wished with everything he had for the perfect familiar.
The summoning circle lit up with a bright light that blinded everyone. Professor Nim's eyebrows furrowed. He's never seen a reaction like this before when a student underwent the summoning ritual. The wise teacher clutched his staff as he channeled his magic in preparation for the creature that might be summoned. Silence took hold of everyone as the light eventually died down and revealed Azarath's familiar.
"Ah, what the fuck?" Zoey was completely stunned as she took in her new surroundings.
'What the fuck!?' Inner Zoey was in agreement.
"What the fuck!?" Zoey saw some old guy pointing a staff at her and nearly violently reacted by teleporting toward him with her ring.
But she was surrounded by these people. There was only one of her, and she didn't know if they were enemies or not. Zoey calmly and peacefully raised her gloves up in a sign of non-violence. The old fucker was still pointing his wizard's staff at her, but there was this strange guy looking at her weirdly. He was around her height and had no meat on his bones.
He said some words to her in a language she did not speak while coming closer to her. She dropped her hands, pointed at her mouth, and shook her head, trying to indicate that she didn't speak his language. But this fucking asshole took it as an indication to suddenly come up and fucking kiss her! Zoey pushed the creep off of her and slugged him across the face with her boxing glove. He went flying off the podium into the crowd of people.
"What's your fucking problem, asshole!? I was saving that for James, you fucking prick!" Zoey yelled.
"Can you understand us now?" The old guy came up to her.
"What? You're not speaking garbled words anymore?" Zoey squinted her eyes at him.
He pointed his staff at the asshole that took her first kiss. His unconscious body floated from the floor and came next to the old guy. The old guy started chanting something, and a green light covered the fucker's body. He then smiled at her.
"My name is Artio Nims, and I'm a professor at this school. You were just summoned by one of my students to become his familiar. I apologize if you saw his actions as inappropriate, but that is the only way summoners can successfully form a pact with their familiars. If you look at the center of your chest, you can see that the pact has been formed." He politely informed.
"Oh fuck no." Zoey looked down and saw some weird ass symbol below her neck. "I did not just get summoned to another world to be some fucking slave!" Zoey violently grabbed the old man's collar. "You're going to tell me how I'm going to get back home, or I'm going to break this world to pieces!"
Zoey saw the old man's staff light up, and as soon as she saw that, she gut-punched him. He dropped to his knees with a wheeze, and Zoey kicked his staff away. Keeping an eye out on the kids to the side of her, she dropped down low to the old man. She kept her voice low and as controlled as she could.
"You think you guys can just summon people and enslave them with no repercussions? I didn't consent to becoming someone's slave. I didn't consent to being summoned. And I sure as hell didn't consent to being kissed by some fucking guy from another world! Now tell me how do I get back home, or else this will get a lot more painful for you and maybe even these kids." Zoey saw some of the students summoning their familiars.
"I-I... can get you a meeting with the principal... Don't hurt the students..." He asked.
"I won't if they won't." Zoey didn't promise him much.
"Stand down, children!" Professor Nim yelled, clutching his stomach. "I'm fine. Please head to lunch now while I deal with this." He instructed.
No one left or de-summoned their familiars. Artio Nim carried the little pervert that was quick to enslave another human being while leading the way to the person in charge of this place. Zoey secretly looked at the impressive school building in awe but didn't let down her vigilance. For all she knows, this old bastard could be leading her to a trap. Maybe she should've punched him some more so he didn't think of doing it.
"Welcome, Artio." A voice greeted them as they walked in the door. "I see this is the first human familiar ever summoned with the summoning ritual. Rumors of you have already spread throughout the school. It's nice to meet you. I am Headmaster Ruben, but you can just call me Ruben, young lady." He politely smiled.
"How do I get home?" Zoey got straight to the point.
"I have no clue." Ruben whimsically smiled.
"Are you telling me I'm stuck here for the rest of my life?" Zoey couldn't accept this.
She had family, friends, a career, and a maybe future husband waiting back home for her! Things were finally looking up for her! There was no fucking way in hell that she was going to give up on all of that to start over in another world. Zoey was going to find a way back home, or this world was going to pay for dragging her over!
Perhaps, her hostile thoughts could be read on her face, but Ruben quickly tried to soothe things over. "Just because we don't know of a way to return you back doesn't mean we certainly can't find a way, but before we discuss that, we have something else we must discuss."
"What's more important than getting me back home?" Zoey was confused.
"Young Azarath Ruin summoned a creature to become his familiar, but if you leave, he will be left without a familiar."
"Just get him to summon another one." Zoey shrugged.
"Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that, Miss..."
"Zoey, and why doesn't it work like that? Can't you just enslave some other creature to do your bidding?"
"The act of forming a pact with another is not slavery or anything of the sort but a partnership. A lifetime relationship between friends. If a familiar does not want to do something, their master cannot force them with magic." Ruben happily lectured.
"What if one of them dies?" Zoey briefly glanced at Azaroth's sleeping figure.
"I wonder?" Ruben smiled. "Instead of wondering about that, I can tell you that gaining another familiar for Young Ruin isn't impossible. Interestingly enough, the pact between you and him is incomplete. The symbol of a successful pact should be clear, but yours is transparent."
"What does that mean?" Zoey wasn't stupid.
She knew this suspiciously young-looking guy just didn't want her to kill the pervert. Not that she would anytime soon. Zoey just filed it as one of the possibilities of returning back home. A girl had to have her options.
"The pact between summoner and familiar grows stronger through each other. This happens naturally throughout their lifetime as they grow, train, and develop together. However, the most potent way of strengthening a pact is by fulfilling each other's wishes. It's just a guess of mine, but I have a small suspicion that Young Ruin's greatest wish is for a strong familiar."
"I am pretty strong..." Zoey felt proud and annoyed.
"Perhaps, if you aid him in finding a creature strong enough to satisfy that wish of his, you may be released from your position as his familiar. Who knows if that may return you back to your original world or not? This is a first for all of us." Ruben's kind smile never left his face.
"So I get the guy a new familiar strong enough to make him happy, and I might go home?" Zoey simplified it for herself.
"Possibly. If that doesn't work, I have some friends who are rather accomplished in the field of spatial magic. By cashing in some favors, I might be able to recruit their help to find a way back home for you." Ruben gave another option.
"Fine." Seeing that he was willing to try, Zoey didn't give him a hard time. "I'm sorry for punching you, but I had a feeling that you were going to do some weird magji to me." She turned to Artio.
"I can understand how frightened you must have been..." Artio didn't say more than this.
"Where do I go to find strong creatures for this guy?" Zoey asked Ruben.
"I'll take you." With a snap of his finger, all four of them instantly appeared in a vast desert.
Hot sandy wind brushed against Zoey's skin. In her vision, there was nothing but an ocean of sand all around her. She looked toward the headmaster, who wasn't smiling as he glanced at her. Then just as it wasn't there, it quickly appeared again as he looked toward her. He whispered something to Artio before facing her.
"This place is known as the Sea of Death. 98% of all summoners lose their lives here in search of powerful familiars to form a pact with. It is unknown why monsters here are vastly stronger than monsters in other parts of the world, but it is rumored that a deity-level familiar once died here. It is because of the immense power within that deity-level familiar that the monsters in the Sea of Death grow so strong. Even after thousands of years, the power in its body is still spreading through this land. Allowing any creature strong enough to survive, to absorb its magical power radiating through the sand, wind, and atmosphere." Ruben lectured.
"So, he should be satisfied with the first monster we find then. Good." That was what Zoey took from that long speech.
"..." Ruben was speechless.
Zoey hefted Ruin over her shoulder and began walking forward, leaving the two adults behind.
"Keep a close eye on that child." Ruben's smile dropped.
"Is there something about her, Headmaster?" Artio asked.
"Teleporting her alone took 35% of my magical power. You don't even add up to 5%. She's either far stronger than her age suggests, or there's something special hidden inside her body." Ruben informed.
"What should I do? Just watch her?" Artio was a little nervous hearing the words of the Headmaster.
Headmaster Ruben was known as the strongest spatial summoner of their generation. The number of summoners that could contend with him could only be counted on one hand. If this young girl was strong enough to force him to use 35% of his magical power, there had to be something special about her. But how was he supposed to contend with someone like that when he didn't even add up to 5%?
"I doubt she harbors any malicious intent toward us or Young Ruin. From what I saw, she's just an innocent child caught up in something that she had no control over." Ruben tried to assure him. "But, she has the potential to cause great destruction. If something bad happens, use this." Artio was given a necklace. "Activate it and flee away as quickly as you can with the boy."
"Understood. I'll keep a close eye on her." Artio was nervous but believed in the Headmaster.
"Good. I'll send a substitute to watch over your class. Keep Young Azarath safe."
"What if she isn't sent home after she gets a familiar for Azarath?"
"Ditch her here and leave with the boy. I doubt she'll be able to survive even with her potential. Not even I in my youth could stay here for more than a day."
"But didn't you say-" Artio was interrupted before he could continue.
"I know what I said. I said that so that she would have hope in case things don't turn out well here. Dealing with someone dangerous that has nothing to lose is far worse than dealing with someone that has something to lose." Ruben answered. "The fact that the summoning ritual can summon creatures from other worlds is something that only we know. All this time, we've thought the creatures came from somewhere on the planet.
"U-Understood, Headmaster... I'll be going now."
"Farewell." Ruben vanished in an instant.
It didn't take long for Zoey to encounter one of the monsters in this world. It saw them before they saw it. In the distance, she saw a four-legged creature speeding across the desert straight toward them. Ruin was still knocked out, so she looked at Artio.
"Is that thing a good familiar?" She asked him.
"Maybe we should wait until Azarath awakens. The familiar will be his for life, after all. Shouldn't he have a choice in the familiar he will be with?" Artio Nims suggested.
"Don't you have a spell or whatever to wake him up? If I wake him up, I don't think I'll be able to control my strength. I'm still upset." Zoey dropped Ruin off her shoulder with little care.
Ruin fell with a groan to the sandy floor below. Zoey stretched as she kept her eye on the super fucking fast monster still racing its way toward them. She doubted the old man was going to be any help at all. After thinking about it, there was no reason why she personally had to help Ruin get a familiar in the first person. The old man could just get one for him, and his stupid wish would still be fulfilled.
'Did we fall into another stupid fucking trap?' Zoey asked herself.
'Probably. You're kind of a fucking meathead.' Inner Zoey responded.
'Erm! We're a fucking meathead. This is a team effort, miss rudeness.' Zoey locked eyes with the four-legged reptilian monster as it got even closer.
As Inner Zoey was about to argue back, The weird fusion between a tiger and a komodo dragon pounced straight toward her without hesitation. It kind of pissed her off and made her feel happy. Out of the three people present, it wanted to eat her of all people first. Like damn, Zoey knew she was a snack, but this was a bit ridiculous, right?
After inwardly laughing at her joke despite the dangerous situation, Zoey met the monster with a ferocious uppercut. It rose into the air as the bones in its jaw shattered from the force of Zoey's uppercut. An uppercut empowered by the first passage of Overdraft. That punch had 100% of Zoey's unrestricted natural body strength behind it.
Zoey spat onto the sand below. Its movements were so telegraphed, she'd be ashamed of herself if she didn't get the first hit. Even though it was her first time facing against an animal, fighting was fighting. Daemons usually fought like animals, just in a shape similar to humans.
"..." Artio was speechless as he saw the Komnom defeated in a single blow without a single spell used.
"!!!" Azarath Ruin looked at the sight in pure awe and wonder.
Artio could perform a similar feat with a high-level spell, but this child didn't give any indication of using any magical power whatsoever. With nothing but her natural strength, she effortlessly subdued an upper-grade monster. Headmaster Ruben was correct about this girl. She's certainly hiding something.
"Do you want this thing?" Zoey asked Ruin. He shook his head.
"Why not?" Zoey thought it looked pretty cool. She would choose it as a pet to ride around on.
"It didn't stand a chance against you. I want a familiar as strong as you if I have to give you up." Azarath didn't give any room for negotiations.
'This son of a bitch! He's lucky that we aren't murderers!' Inner Zoey growled.
'We kind of are. Daemons are people, too, in a way. It's just that they were killed in self-defense because they tried to kill us.' Zoey glared at Azarath, but he didn't stand down. He wanted a strong familiar no matter what, even if he had to suffer for it.
"What's your obsession with having a strong familiar? Are you planning to take over the world or something? Get revenge and kill someone?" Zoey asked as she turned her back to him.
Her question was met with silence. And that made Zoey annoyed. Violent and dangerous thoughts began to sing and dance throughout her head as her fists visibly shook. Just when Zoey was about to say fuck it, the little prick opened his mouth again.
"I want to prove that I'm not a failure and that I deserve a spot at the academy just like the rest of the nobles. I am just as worthy of attending as they are." Azarath softly replied.
'Are we sure we haven't been summoned into an anime?' Inner Zoey questioned.
'Fucking stubborn little asshole wants recognition from everyone around him while I'm not even sure I can return back home. Our struggles are not the same! You will not get sympathy from me!' Zoey audibly snorted.
"You don't think I can do it either, do you?!" Azarath raised his voice before grabbing her arm. "Don't forget, you're my familiar now! You-" Azarath's words were stopped with a boxing glove to the face.
He cried out in pain as he stumbled backward, falling to the ground on his ass. Zoey stood over him and kicked him in the face. She then properly mounted him before giving him blow for blow the attitude he was coming at her with. Inner Zoey cheered in support while Artio was momentarily stunned by the sudden violent assault on his student!
At the beginning, he didn't know how to react. He just thought the two would argue before going about their ways! It seems like wherever this girl is from, violence is way more accepted than peacefully talking things out! Briefly, Artio clutched the necklace before deciding that now wasn't the time. He simply levitated Azarath from beneath the girl and kept him out of range while also healing him.
"We are not in an equal relationship! I will hurt you!" Zoey reminded him.
"It's up to me... Whether you stay as my familiar or not... Don't forget that..." Azarath's face was horribly bruised and swelled while blood leaked from his mouth.
"Do you think I won't kill you?" Zoey's mahna sharply rose as she directly pressured Azarath.
Azarath couldn't breathe. His entire body felt like it was being crushed. His organs, his bones, his blood, nothing was spared. Maybe... Maybe just maybe... He shouldn't press his luck with this girl anymore... Even trying to use his own magical power to resist was helpless.
"I think he's learned his lesson, Zoey..." Artio was sweating as he did everything in his power to help Azarath, but the boy's damned magical power wasn't helping.
Trying to use his own magical power to relieve the pressure only worked on the skin level, but trying to delve deeper inside the boy's body where his magical power cycles throughout his body was impossible. Artio didn't understand why his magical power disappeared when it went past the skin. Is this the reason why he's failing his practical classes at the academy?
"Whatever." Zoey pulled back her mahna. "Next monster we find, he's making a pact with. I don't care what he thinks about it. A truly strong summoner should be able to make any familiar they pact with powerful." Zoey scoffed.
"If that's the only option..." Artio followed behind Zoey, with Azarath being levitated behind him.
"It is."
And with that, there was no more conversation. Zoey and the two traveled through the seemingly endless desert with little rest. Thank to Abnormal Conditions being level 38, this journey through the Sea of Death felt no different than taking a walk on an average day in Summer. There was a blue semi-transparent barrier around Artio and Ruin that she guessed made it more bearable for them.
Hours passed without any signs of another monster, and Zoey was getting suspicious. She assumed that a place called the Sea of Death would be overrun with monsters, but the only damn thing in this place was sand! Was that damn old man scaring the monsters away with his barrier? Zoey was nearing her breaking point.
Luckily, half an hour later, she spotted something in the distance. A group of animals riding together. Her first instinct was to chase after it immediately, but it turns out that there was no need for such a thing. The animals were riding toward them. With a relieved sigh, Zoey dropped to her butt and took a break until they got within attacking range.
"Don't those monsters look rather strange to you?" Artio squinted to get a better look.
"Don't ask me. I don't live on this world." Zoey casually shrugged him off. "The strangest thing to me is why the hell do you look like me. I'm a human from an entirely different galaxy, solar system, and shit. There's no reason why you should look so similar to me." Zoey didn't think too hard about it, though. Maybe it was a parallel world or some shit. In this world, creatures evolved differently with mahna and magji.
Artio had no idea what Zoey was talking about, but he somewhat agreed. This was a girl from a world different than his own, but she looked no different than other girls her age.
"Look what we have here girls... Travelers all out on their lonesome in this scary, scary desert." A deep-voiced monster spoke.
No, wait, Zoey just looked up. It turns out there were people riding monsters. With one big sigh, all of Zoey's excitement and enthusiasm left her body. These women were probably already in a pact with these monsters!
"Hey, my name is Zoey. We're looking for monsters to form a pact with. Do you know where any are at? We've been looking for hours." Zoey didn't want to start any trouble.
"Monsters? Well, sure, little lady! I can show ya where some monsters are at, but it's going to cost ya..." The leader of the group grinned.
"Artio. I know you got some cash or something valuable on you. Give it to them, and let's get on our way." Zoey refused to believe that he was poor schooling at that fancy-ass school.
The professor grumbled something before reaching into his robes and taking out a shiny crystal ball. Zoey wasn't blind to the fact that the eyes of the leader shined when seeing that ball. She happily took it out of his hand and nodded at the other girls. They relaxed their postures, and Zoey was relieved to see they weren't going to try to rob them further.
"Get on. We'll take you to the monster field in no time. If you have anything else as valuable as this, we'll even be willing to bring you back to the closest settlement."
"We can discuss it then," Artio spoke up, being the adult of the group.
"You got moves, girl. How about joining up with us? I can promise you a life filled with riches, adventure, and as many partners as you want." Reia, the leader of the Wandering Desert Wolves, asked Zoey.
Zoey used her mahna to clean the blood all over her body while sitting on the dinosaur-like monster she had just got done pummeling half to death. She looked into the eyes of Reia and smiled.
"I appreciate the offer, but I'm not going to be around for long." Zoey then glared at Azarath.
Azarath sighed as he crouched down low to the monster's head. He kissed it, and a pact was formed between the two of them. The carnivorous monster, on par with a grizzly bear in size, connected with Azarath in both body and soul. Zoey smiled as the translucent mark that indicated her relationship with Azarath shattered apart. A bright blinding light soon exploded from her body, and she couldn't help but laugh in joy. She was going home! She was going to see the people she loved again!
Zoey's laughter was heard by all of the Wandering Desert Wolves, Artio, and Azarath. None of them knew for sure what was happening, but they guessed it was a good thing. Well, Artio kept the necklace clutched in his hand out of fear. If Zoey returned back to her world, that was great. But if she didn't... He knew exactly who she was going to turn her attention to.
The laughter died down along with the bright light. Zoey was still here. She didn't return home. There was absolutely nothing different about her except the pact between her and Azarath was now gone. Just to make sure, she looked over at Artio and Azarath and then at the sand below. Yep, she was still in this world.
Like a bomb going off, Zoey's mahna exploded as the second passage of Overdraft burst open. Sand rose more than 15ft up into the air, and just as Zoey was about to take a step in the direction of Artio and Azarath, an olden voice cut through the blasting sand and wind.
"Don't forget, Zoey! Headmaster Ruben still has his colleagues! You can still return home! I promise you!" Artio Nims shouted with magical power.
This did stop Zoey in her tracks. It wasn't over. She still had a chance to go home! Taking out her rage on these two will only bury that chance! Zoey's outburst of power was halted, and she returned to normal, albeit with sand all over her body.
Then a small beam of light flashed from Artio's direction. Focus activated, and Zoey could see in slow motion as the ray of light was heading straight for her chest. She moved her body, but even if she could see what was coming toward her, she couldn't avoid it. It was simply too fast.
The pain was brief. It was a sharp pain that didn't even last for a second before the light ripped through her chest and exited from her back. Zoey dropped to the ground, confused. Did she just fucking die? No, no, no... That was... impossible...
'I lost? I lost to an old man that couldn't even handle a regular punch from me? No way...' Blood began to puddle from the hole in Zoey's chest.
'I can't lose... I have the box... My potential is infinite... I can beat anyone in the world eventually. I can't lose yet...' The Wandering Desert Wolves were shouting something at Artio and Ruin.
'Mom... Dad... Everett... I can't die here... I still have so much to do... I refuse to lose here... It isn't the time... I haven't conquered the magji world and fighting world...' Ruben suddenly teleported next to Artio and Ruin, who were about to be attacked by the Wandering Desert Wolves, and teleported them away.
'Ah, it was a trap...' Zoey realized she got played.
Then her thoughts came to a stop, and everything went black. Zoey didn't know how long she was in that dark place. It could've been hours, years, or centuries. All she knew was that all she had was herself in that place. Zoey and Inner Zoey stared at one another until they fell into each other. And that was when Zoey reawakened as something new.
She climbed up from beneath the sand burial. A gaping hole should be present through her chest right now, but instead of a gaping hole, there is a magji shard where her human heart should be. The being that used to be Zoey now had clawed hands like a daemon's but other than those two, she couldn't see any other obvious differences. She looked upward and noticed the Box was still here...
[Status]
[Name: None]
[Sex: Female]
[Condition: Daemonic Human]
[Body: 15]
[Mental: 10]
[Magic: 15]
[Skills: 2]
[Victorious Boxing Lv1]
[Embodiment of Victory Lv1]
[Name: None]
[Sex: Female]
[Condition: Daemonic Human]
[Body: 15]
[Mental: 10]
[Magic: 15]
[Skills: 2]
[Victorious Boxing Lv1]
[Embodiment of Victory Lv1]
"…" She was going to break the world until it shattered apart.
She didn't know why she wanted to do it. But no matter who stands in her way, she was going to come out victorious. Maybe she might even find someone fun to fight against during it. With their world on the line, they would surely fight with everything they had, right? She smiled before taking off into the desert with her star-shaped tail swaying in the wind behind her.
Chapter 101: Hm? Did I Get Away With It?
It's been weeks since Zoey's crushed the Hanma Clan, and surprisingly enough, she's been living good. While she may or may not have had night terrors of armies of magjistars suddenly teleporting into her room and then going out in a blaze of glory, fighting them all to her dying breath, nothing has happened to Zoey at all. No interrogations, no strangely dressed magjistars watching her from a distance, no strangers coming to the people around her, or anything. It was only when Zoey was debating whether or not to accept a challenge from an overseas fighter that something worth being concerned about happened.
Hayato was questioned by magjistars working under the Council. After Zoey demolished his clan, surprisingly enough, they weren't that bad a match friendship-wise. As long as she was willing to do as she said in helping him get stronger, he was willing to play along in making friends with her. With her Teaching skill at level 18, Hayato showed monstrous progress under her teachings in no time. After seeing the proof with his own eyes, he was tamed like a puppy by her teaching skills. He didn't even care that she crippled his father and most of his clanmates, just like a certain prince. All he cared about was his own strength and progress.
Just like any good dog, Hayato knew not to bite the hand that feeds. Not that Zoey thought that Hayato was a dog or dog-like in any manner. It was just a comparison... He was too beautiful and feminine for Zoey to picture him that way, actually.
Anyway! Hayato didn't give up any information that would point toward Zoey and told her every detail of how the questioning went down in person. Hayato was one of those people that hated texting and loved to talk. Zoey was the opposite if her introvert battery wasn't overcharged. She loved to text and hated to talk.
It was easier for her to text than it was to talk. The amount of mistakes made during texting isn't anywhere near the number she makes while talking. Like, with a text, mistakes are very noticeable and fixable. But if you're talking, you can't just backspace or auto-correct your mistakes until all the words are done flying out of your mouth!
As thanks for being a good friend, Zoey invited Hayato out with the other magjistars in her Study Group. Alexander, Lindsay, Joseph, and those magjistars she saved at the joint case. He tried to decline multiple times to the point that Zoey was starting to feel self-conscious about it, but she buckled down and told him he had to come so that she could repay him.
"You can repay me by continuing to be my training partner..." Hayato wanted nothing to do with socializing with his peers.
"That's true, but you need to live a little." Zoey was the last person to be telling anyone this, but she was no longer the awkward friendless loser she once was. Now she is just awkward with friends. "There is more to life than training and getting strong." Zoey was also really good at being a lying hypocrite.
"..." Hayato really wanted to argue. What more could there be to life than getting strong?
As magjistars, their only purpose is to kill daemons. That purpose can't be achieved if they are weak! In his opinion, every magjistar should strive to his level of dedication for strength. Especially since he no longer belongs to a clan that held the sole purpose of assassinating magjistars. His strength can only be used toward daemons now.
"Just give it a chance. If it goes absolutely terribly, I'll never ask you to do it again." Zoey wasn't the most social person either, but she was definitely willing to give it a chance. She just had to make sure her social battery was fully charged before they went out.
"Fine." Hayato gave in. It wasn't like she was asking him to cut off his arm or do something completely humiliating.
"Thank you." Zoey really wanted to invite Callie and Katlyn too, but they weren't a part of the magji world.
Zoey refused to force them into the magji world as well. If something went wrong and they had to go all magjistar mode, what the hell was she going to say to them? 'Oh, sorry. I've actually been lying to you this entire time about my part-time job. I was really risking my life fighting to the death with supernatural creatures with magic and boxing.' No! Of course not! She also didn't want their memories wiped either. Or someone to use them as hostages or something to get something out of her! The more Zoey thought about it, the better she agreed it was to keep the magji world and the normal world separate.
"When you invited us to hang out Zoey, this isn't really what I was expecting..." Alexander looked up in wonder at the gigantic roller coasters.
"..." Joseph adjusted his sunglasses as he also looked up with slight hesitation.
"I'm rather excited... I've always heard about amusement parks from the kids at school, but my parents were never interested in taking me to one!" Lindsay spoke with excitement attached to her words.
"Looks fun, right?" Zoey asked.
"Looks like a park full of death traps." Hayato did not share Lindsay's and Zoey's enthusiasm.
"Trust me, it's a lot more fun than it'll be scary. Come on!" Zoey, in a rare moment of excitement, took the lead in socializing.
To start things off, Zoey chose one of the tame roller coasters to start with. For some reason, all three of the boys were terrified to ride the roller coasters. Zoey didn't understand it. They were willing to fight actual monsters, but getting inside a mostly safe ride meant for fun was scary?
"There's a difference," Joseph spoke up, with Hayato nodding in agreement.
"How do I know I won't go flying off?! My inner power doesn't stop me from dying to a fall!" Alexander panicked as they got closer and closer to the front of the line.
Alexander called his magji, inner power because they were in public around normal people. Zoey told them that people wouldn't believe them even if they started saying they could do magji or use terms from the magji world. People would just think they watch too much anime or read too many comic books. Unless they showed actual magji or something, no one would take them seriously.
"They strap you in and lock you in tightly so that something like that won't happen. I've studied before we came." Lindsay spoke up. "There's only a 1 in 15.5 million chance of suffering a severe injury on a roller coaster ride. It's practically impossible for that to be us." She adjusted her glasses proudly.
"Great... Now I know if I die, I was just one of the unluckiest people on the planet." Joseph casually snarked.
"I have to go to the bathroom." Hayato declared.
"We're so close to getting on! Hold it!" Zoey held his arm to prevent him from going anywhere.
"You're crushing my arm! Let go of me! I'll be back as soon as possible." Hayato fiercely protested.
"You're not chickening out, big bad assassin. Something like this shouldn't even phase you!" Inner Zoey teased.
"I think I have to go pee too..." Alexander's stomach was curling in on itself the closer they got to the front of the line.
"Don't worry! It'll be over faster than you think!" Lindsay grabbed Alexander's arm.
Joseph frantically looked around, noticing the girls had their arms full with the other two. Zoey glared at him, daring him to try and escape. With the imaginary visual of a half-human and half-daemon floating behind Zoey's shoulders, Joseph could only surrender to his fate. Hayato and Alexander followed soon after, and all three boys gave in to their inevitable doom.
Their heads hung down as if they were walking straight to their graves. Until the workers came over to strap them into the cart, then their fear revitalized and exploded like a chain explosion. It was only because of Zoey's brief flare of Fighting Aura that they stopped making a fuss. The workers looked over in confusion at their sudden stop but soon shrugged and went along their way. Soon after, the ride started up, and the group of five began their slow descent up the tracks.
"So this is how I die..." Joseph lamented.
"I'm too young... I haven't fulfilled my dreams yet..." Alexander hung his head back as he stared at the flowing clouds.
"You're crazy, suicidal, and insane. I regret ever getting involved with you in the first place, Zoey Winters..." Hayato said his final words as he tried to make peace with his inevitable end.
Lindsay audible squealed in joy as they neared the top of the tracks toward the huge ramp down. Zoey couldn't help the nervousness and excitement building inside her guts either, completely ignoring the boys. All three boys were now panicking in complete terror.
There was a difference between facing your death and knowing it was coming. With one, you had time to think you could prepare for it. You could think about the ins and outs of how it is going to happen, what you're going to do, and how to handle it. But when you're staring death in the face, and it's coming without any way of stopping it or slowing it? That's an entirely different experience.
To the squeals of joy, cheers of excitement, and screams of terror, the roller coaster sped down the ramp.
Hayato was questioned by magjistars working under the Council. After Zoey demolished his clan, surprisingly enough, they weren't that bad a match friendship-wise. As long as she was willing to do as she said in helping him get stronger, he was willing to play along in making friends with her. With her Teaching skill at level 18, Hayato showed monstrous progress under her teachings in no time. After seeing the proof with his own eyes, he was tamed like a puppy by her teaching skills. He didn't even care that she crippled his father and most of his clanmates, just like a certain prince. All he cared about was his own strength and progress.
Just like any good dog, Hayato knew not to bite the hand that feeds. Not that Zoey thought that Hayato was a dog or dog-like in any manner. It was just a comparison... He was too beautiful and feminine for Zoey to picture him that way, actually.
Anyway! Hayato didn't give up any information that would point toward Zoey and told her every detail of how the questioning went down in person. Hayato was one of those people that hated texting and loved to talk. Zoey was the opposite if her introvert battery wasn't overcharged. She loved to text and hated to talk.
It was easier for her to text than it was to talk. The amount of mistakes made during texting isn't anywhere near the number she makes while talking. Like, with a text, mistakes are very noticeable and fixable. But if you're talking, you can't just backspace or auto-correct your mistakes until all the words are done flying out of your mouth!
As thanks for being a good friend, Zoey invited Hayato out with the other magjistars in her Study Group. Alexander, Lindsay, Joseph, and those magjistars she saved at the joint case. He tried to decline multiple times to the point that Zoey was starting to feel self-conscious about it, but she buckled down and told him he had to come so that she could repay him.
"You can repay me by continuing to be my training partner..." Hayato wanted nothing to do with socializing with his peers.
"That's true, but you need to live a little." Zoey was the last person to be telling anyone this, but she was no longer the awkward friendless loser she once was. Now she is just awkward with friends. "There is more to life than training and getting strong." Zoey was also really good at being a lying hypocrite.
"..." Hayato really wanted to argue. What more could there be to life than getting strong?
As magjistars, their only purpose is to kill daemons. That purpose can't be achieved if they are weak! In his opinion, every magjistar should strive to his level of dedication for strength. Especially since he no longer belongs to a clan that held the sole purpose of assassinating magjistars. His strength can only be used toward daemons now.
"Just give it a chance. If it goes absolutely terribly, I'll never ask you to do it again." Zoey wasn't the most social person either, but she was definitely willing to give it a chance. She just had to make sure her social battery was fully charged before they went out.
"Fine." Hayato gave in. It wasn't like she was asking him to cut off his arm or do something completely humiliating.
"Thank you." Zoey really wanted to invite Callie and Katlyn too, but they weren't a part of the magji world.
Zoey refused to force them into the magji world as well. If something went wrong and they had to go all magjistar mode, what the hell was she going to say to them? 'Oh, sorry. I've actually been lying to you this entire time about my part-time job. I was really risking my life fighting to the death with supernatural creatures with magic and boxing.' No! Of course not! She also didn't want their memories wiped either. Or someone to use them as hostages or something to get something out of her! The more Zoey thought about it, the better she agreed it was to keep the magji world and the normal world separate.
"When you invited us to hang out Zoey, this isn't really what I was expecting..." Alexander looked up in wonder at the gigantic roller coasters.
"..." Joseph adjusted his sunglasses as he also looked up with slight hesitation.
"I'm rather excited... I've always heard about amusement parks from the kids at school, but my parents were never interested in taking me to one!" Lindsay spoke with excitement attached to her words.
"Looks fun, right?" Zoey asked.
"Looks like a park full of death traps." Hayato did not share Lindsay's and Zoey's enthusiasm.
"Trust me, it's a lot more fun than it'll be scary. Come on!" Zoey, in a rare moment of excitement, took the lead in socializing.
To start things off, Zoey chose one of the tame roller coasters to start with. For some reason, all three of the boys were terrified to ride the roller coasters. Zoey didn't understand it. They were willing to fight actual monsters, but getting inside a mostly safe ride meant for fun was scary?
"There's a difference," Joseph spoke up, with Hayato nodding in agreement.
"How do I know I won't go flying off?! My inner power doesn't stop me from dying to a fall!" Alexander panicked as they got closer and closer to the front of the line.
Alexander called his magji, inner power because they were in public around normal people. Zoey told them that people wouldn't believe them even if they started saying they could do magji or use terms from the magji world. People would just think they watch too much anime or read too many comic books. Unless they showed actual magji or something, no one would take them seriously.
"They strap you in and lock you in tightly so that something like that won't happen. I've studied before we came." Lindsay spoke up. "There's only a 1 in 15.5 million chance of suffering a severe injury on a roller coaster ride. It's practically impossible for that to be us." She adjusted her glasses proudly.
"Great... Now I know if I die, I was just one of the unluckiest people on the planet." Joseph casually snarked.
"I have to go to the bathroom." Hayato declared.
"We're so close to getting on! Hold it!" Zoey held his arm to prevent him from going anywhere.
"You're crushing my arm! Let go of me! I'll be back as soon as possible." Hayato fiercely protested.
"You're not chickening out, big bad assassin. Something like this shouldn't even phase you!" Inner Zoey teased.
"I think I have to go pee too..." Alexander's stomach was curling in on itself the closer they got to the front of the line.
"Don't worry! It'll be over faster than you think!" Lindsay grabbed Alexander's arm.
Joseph frantically looked around, noticing the girls had their arms full with the other two. Zoey glared at him, daring him to try and escape. With the imaginary visual of a half-human and half-daemon floating behind Zoey's shoulders, Joseph could only surrender to his fate. Hayato and Alexander followed soon after, and all three boys gave in to their inevitable doom.
Their heads hung down as if they were walking straight to their graves. Until the workers came over to strap them into the cart, then their fear revitalized and exploded like a chain explosion. It was only because of Zoey's brief flare of Fighting Aura that they stopped making a fuss. The workers looked over in confusion at their sudden stop but soon shrugged and went along their way. Soon after, the ride started up, and the group of five began their slow descent up the tracks.
"So this is how I die..." Joseph lamented.
"I'm too young... I haven't fulfilled my dreams yet..." Alexander hung his head back as he stared at the flowing clouds.
"You're crazy, suicidal, and insane. I regret ever getting involved with you in the first place, Zoey Winters..." Hayato said his final words as he tried to make peace with his inevitable end.
Lindsay audible squealed in joy as they neared the top of the tracks toward the huge ramp down. Zoey couldn't help the nervousness and excitement building inside her guts either, completely ignoring the boys. All three boys were now panicking in complete terror.
There was a difference between facing your death and knowing it was coming. With one, you had time to think you could prepare for it. You could think about the ins and outs of how it is going to happen, what you're going to do, and how to handle it. But when you're staring death in the face, and it's coming without any way of stopping it or slowing it? That's an entirely different experience.
To the squeals of joy, cheers of excitement, and screams of terror, the roller coaster sped down the ramp.
Chapter 102: Official Debut? Kinda?
"I finally found a fight for your debut in Women's MMA." Coach Scott chuckled as he stood above her.
"Cool. When is it?" Zoey still had her job teaching at the gym.
"You got two weeks to prepare. You're facing up against a young talented superstar!"
"She's good?" Zoey looked up with interest.
"People are calling her the future face of Women's MMA. That's how big she is." Coach nodded.
"And she wanted to face against me?" Zoey was confused.
"Who else would she choose to fight against? If she defeats you, she'll be unanimously the strongest female fighter in the nation!"
"Wait? Are there no adult female fighters famous in our country?" Zoey realized she couldn't think of one.
"There are some, but they are nowhere near as famous as the overseas female fighters. Oh, and before I forget, I also signed you up for a boxing match one week after your MMA fight. You're planning to go to college on a scholarship, right? I know some organizations that are willing to give you a scholarship based on how talented you are. Five hundred dollars for state winners, 1,000 for national finalists, and 5,000 for national winners."
"Oh..." Zoey wasn't expecting any of this today but was very excited for the near future.
"I'm going to have one of the other regulars take over your job teaching the youngins. You focus on preparing yourself for your match, got it, kid?" Coach Scott looked into her eyes.
"Uh, okay." Zoey felt awkward about leaving after he said that, though.
She just finished her training for today and had no reason to stay here any longer. The kids came in the morning and left in the afternoon on the weekends. She could text her friends to hang out or something, but honestly, Zoey's been feeling somewhat mellow lately. The reason was no surprise to her, but it turns out she was more than a little fucked in the head. That Box really did a number on her mentally.
Zoey was craving excitement and an excuse to raise her skills. Ever since The Council failed to investigate properly and even get close to sniffing her out as the true culprit of the Hanma Clan Destruction, Zoey has been looking for something new to pass the time. She felt a little empty inside, and at the same time, Zoey knew this was not healthy at all. If she continued to feel bored and unsatisfied when she wasn't risking her life or looking to cause violence, Zoey would be on a one-way track to getting herself killed, sealed, or caught up in something she isn't ready for.
So, she sunk herself into video games and training. Sometimes both at the same time. Thanks to that, Gaming has been raised to level 13 from level 8, and some of her magji techniques rose as well, including Overdraft, Mahna Manipulation, and Twisting Force. When Zoey got back home, she realized that Coach Scott's words went in one ear and out the other immediately as she booted up her custom-built top-of-the-line gaming pc.
Instead of preparing herself for the superstar MMA fighter girl, Zoey sunk herself into an online platform fighting game. All of her favorite gaming personalities online were playing it with their friends. Although Zoey didn't have any gamer friends, she did have a gaming brother! Specifically, a streaming gaming brother who also was interested in the game.
It was a 2v2-styled game where they could choose from a very diverse cast of familiar childhood characters. As any respectable gamer should, Zoey chose someone so far from herself, the two couldn't even be compared. She chose the small adorable cute furball whose only purpose was probably to sell merchandise for. Video games are an escape for a reason and definitely not a psychological dive into a person's psyche. If anyone asked if Zoey wanted to be cute, popular, and loved by everyone, she would tell them no and maybe punch them in the fucking nose for asking such a dumb question in the first place.
"It's our first time playing, and we're already on a 20+ win streak!" Everett exclaimed.
"Maybe we should sign up for that 100,000 tournament on their website." Zoey wouldn't say no to free money.
Gaming Lv13 and Teaching Lv16 have elevated both Zoey's and Everett's gaming skills to professional levels. Like professional to the point where they could represent their own region as the top gamers. Of course, gaming was just a hobby for Zoey. Fighting was where she planned to make her true mark across the world. As an older sister who, thankfully, doesn't have an annoying little brother, Zoey didn't mind giving up her potential future in the competitive gaming world for her little brother.
The Winters could make their mark on the world in two different fields. Zoey in the fighting world and Everett in the gaming world. If you include the magji world and the streaming world, that would be four different fields! Ever since Zoey spared some time to tutor her brother in gaming, which led to a huge increase in his gaming skills, his viewership for his streams has risen massively. Especially when he signed up for gaming tournaments and won.
No matter what sport or hobby you played. You would always be interested in how the best people in that field do that same sport or hobby. Although some people in his chat gave him shit for being a little kid, it didn't take much for Everett's fans to shit down their mouths. A 12-year-old was richer than them, more accomplished than them, and even had a girlfriend!
Yes, a girlfriend! Zoey was shocked when she learned about it too. Everett basically never left the house unless he was going to a tournament for one of his games. The only opportunity for him to meet a girl would have to be online or at school. It turns out her little studly brother managed to charm some girl gamer at his school after she compared his voice to a streamer she followed. After that, the rest was history. The little vixen sunk her claws into Everett, and he was helpless to resist her feminine temptations.
...
"Zoey!!!" Coach Scott yelled from outside her house.
"Ah shit..." Zoey knew she forgot something! "Here I come!" She yelled out the window.
Zoey rushed to prepare herself for her fight. It took nearly half an hour, and Coach Scott was absolutely furious when she came out. He didn't yell at her, but she could feel the burning heat of his rage wafting off of his round body. As they drove to the fighting venue, Zoey slowly realized that this event was far bigger than she thought it was going to be...
Now she understood why the coach was so pissed. Zoey would be pissed, too, if she had literal thousands of people waiting on her for a huge fight they spent weeks waiting for. Maybe instead of wasting her time and life in video games for two weeks, maybe she should've checked her social media for this event she was personally involved in...
'How could you get excited to fight a regular fucking human after all we've been through?' Inner Zoey questioned.
'I see what you mean, but we still got a couple of skills that could be leveled up with normal fighters.' Zoey responded back.
'I guess we could finally put our Victorious Boxing to the test. Get some exp by farming this girl.' Inner Zoey mischievously giggled.
Coach Scott rushed Zoey throughout the building. Zoey was in such a blur, being dragged here and there, that she didn't even realize she was standing in the ring until the bell was rung. In her eyes, Superstar, the girl she was fighting against, didn't even register in her vision. And, yes, Zoey did not catch what Superstar's name was because she wasn't paying attention at all. All she knew was that she was famous.
Excitement slowly built up within Zoey's body as she looked at the thousands of fans cheering and screaming. Maybe this wasn't going to be as boring as she thought. Zoey never thought of herself as an attention seeker, but hearing so many people cheering her on made her feel quite giddy. Maybe she missed this type of fighting more than she thought. It was different from fighting daemons in a life-or-death battle.
Superstar finally got fed up with Zoey's distracted look. Zoey was surprised it took her so long to attack, though. Zoey didn't even get into any fighting stance when the bell rang. Superstar was just cautiously staring at her, pacing around her, trying to feel her out. It was only thanks to the comments from the audience that Superstar gained the courage to test the waters with a safe jab.
Zoey's head swayed to the side, her eyes finally focused on Superstar.
"Let's have some fun, alright?" Zoey had a small grin.
And with that, half of the audience exploded as their favorite fighter finally came to.
"Cool. When is it?" Zoey still had her job teaching at the gym.
"You got two weeks to prepare. You're facing up against a young talented superstar!"
"She's good?" Zoey looked up with interest.
"People are calling her the future face of Women's MMA. That's how big she is." Coach nodded.
"And she wanted to face against me?" Zoey was confused.
"Who else would she choose to fight against? If she defeats you, she'll be unanimously the strongest female fighter in the nation!"
"Wait? Are there no adult female fighters famous in our country?" Zoey realized she couldn't think of one.
"There are some, but they are nowhere near as famous as the overseas female fighters. Oh, and before I forget, I also signed you up for a boxing match one week after your MMA fight. You're planning to go to college on a scholarship, right? I know some organizations that are willing to give you a scholarship based on how talented you are. Five hundred dollars for state winners, 1,000 for national finalists, and 5,000 for national winners."
"Oh..." Zoey wasn't expecting any of this today but was very excited for the near future.
"I'm going to have one of the other regulars take over your job teaching the youngins. You focus on preparing yourself for your match, got it, kid?" Coach Scott looked into her eyes.
"Uh, okay." Zoey felt awkward about leaving after he said that, though.
She just finished her training for today and had no reason to stay here any longer. The kids came in the morning and left in the afternoon on the weekends. She could text her friends to hang out or something, but honestly, Zoey's been feeling somewhat mellow lately. The reason was no surprise to her, but it turns out she was more than a little fucked in the head. That Box really did a number on her mentally.
Zoey was craving excitement and an excuse to raise her skills. Ever since The Council failed to investigate properly and even get close to sniffing her out as the true culprit of the Hanma Clan Destruction, Zoey has been looking for something new to pass the time. She felt a little empty inside, and at the same time, Zoey knew this was not healthy at all. If she continued to feel bored and unsatisfied when she wasn't risking her life or looking to cause violence, Zoey would be on a one-way track to getting herself killed, sealed, or caught up in something she isn't ready for.
So, she sunk herself into video games and training. Sometimes both at the same time. Thanks to that, Gaming has been raised to level 13 from level 8, and some of her magji techniques rose as well, including Overdraft, Mahna Manipulation, and Twisting Force. When Zoey got back home, she realized that Coach Scott's words went in one ear and out the other immediately as she booted up her custom-built top-of-the-line gaming pc.
Instead of preparing herself for the superstar MMA fighter girl, Zoey sunk herself into an online platform fighting game. All of her favorite gaming personalities online were playing it with their friends. Although Zoey didn't have any gamer friends, she did have a gaming brother! Specifically, a streaming gaming brother who also was interested in the game.
It was a 2v2-styled game where they could choose from a very diverse cast of familiar childhood characters. As any respectable gamer should, Zoey chose someone so far from herself, the two couldn't even be compared. She chose the small adorable cute furball whose only purpose was probably to sell merchandise for. Video games are an escape for a reason and definitely not a psychological dive into a person's psyche. If anyone asked if Zoey wanted to be cute, popular, and loved by everyone, she would tell them no and maybe punch them in the fucking nose for asking such a dumb question in the first place.
"It's our first time playing, and we're already on a 20+ win streak!" Everett exclaimed.
"Maybe we should sign up for that 100,000 tournament on their website." Zoey wouldn't say no to free money.
Gaming Lv13 and Teaching Lv16 have elevated both Zoey's and Everett's gaming skills to professional levels. Like professional to the point where they could represent their own region as the top gamers. Of course, gaming was just a hobby for Zoey. Fighting was where she planned to make her true mark across the world. As an older sister who, thankfully, doesn't have an annoying little brother, Zoey didn't mind giving up her potential future in the competitive gaming world for her little brother.
The Winters could make their mark on the world in two different fields. Zoey in the fighting world and Everett in the gaming world. If you include the magji world and the streaming world, that would be four different fields! Ever since Zoey spared some time to tutor her brother in gaming, which led to a huge increase in his gaming skills, his viewership for his streams has risen massively. Especially when he signed up for gaming tournaments and won.
No matter what sport or hobby you played. You would always be interested in how the best people in that field do that same sport or hobby. Although some people in his chat gave him shit for being a little kid, it didn't take much for Everett's fans to shit down their mouths. A 12-year-old was richer than them, more accomplished than them, and even had a girlfriend!
Yes, a girlfriend! Zoey was shocked when she learned about it too. Everett basically never left the house unless he was going to a tournament for one of his games. The only opportunity for him to meet a girl would have to be online or at school. It turns out her little studly brother managed to charm some girl gamer at his school after she compared his voice to a streamer she followed. After that, the rest was history. The little vixen sunk her claws into Everett, and he was helpless to resist her feminine temptations.
...
"Zoey!!!" Coach Scott yelled from outside her house.
"Ah shit..." Zoey knew she forgot something! "Here I come!" She yelled out the window.
Zoey rushed to prepare herself for her fight. It took nearly half an hour, and Coach Scott was absolutely furious when she came out. He didn't yell at her, but she could feel the burning heat of his rage wafting off of his round body. As they drove to the fighting venue, Zoey slowly realized that this event was far bigger than she thought it was going to be...
Now she understood why the coach was so pissed. Zoey would be pissed, too, if she had literal thousands of people waiting on her for a huge fight they spent weeks waiting for. Maybe instead of wasting her time and life in video games for two weeks, maybe she should've checked her social media for this event she was personally involved in...
'How could you get excited to fight a regular fucking human after all we've been through?' Inner Zoey questioned.
'I see what you mean, but we still got a couple of skills that could be leveled up with normal fighters.' Zoey responded back.
'I guess we could finally put our Victorious Boxing to the test. Get some exp by farming this girl.' Inner Zoey mischievously giggled.
Coach Scott rushed Zoey throughout the building. Zoey was in such a blur, being dragged here and there, that she didn't even realize she was standing in the ring until the bell was rung. In her eyes, Superstar, the girl she was fighting against, didn't even register in her vision. And, yes, Zoey did not catch what Superstar's name was because she wasn't paying attention at all. All she knew was that she was famous.
Excitement slowly built up within Zoey's body as she looked at the thousands of fans cheering and screaming. Maybe this wasn't going to be as boring as she thought. Zoey never thought of herself as an attention seeker, but hearing so many people cheering her on made her feel quite giddy. Maybe she missed this type of fighting more than she thought. It was different from fighting daemons in a life-or-death battle.
Superstar finally got fed up with Zoey's distracted look. Zoey was surprised it took her so long to attack, though. Zoey didn't even get into any fighting stance when the bell rang. Superstar was just cautiously staring at her, pacing around her, trying to feel her out. It was only thanks to the comments from the audience that Superstar gained the courage to test the waters with a safe jab.
Zoey's head swayed to the side, her eyes finally focused on Superstar.
"Let's have some fun, alright?" Zoey had a small grin.
And with that, half of the audience exploded as their favorite fighter finally came to.
Chapter 103: Angelica Myers.
Before Angelica's match with Zoey Winters, she knew that the girl wasn't just any regular opponent. Even before sending out her challenge to Zoey, she had mentally, physically, socially, and emotionally prepared herself. Regardless of if she won or lost, it would be a tremendous change in her current status as an up-and-coming female fighter. This wasn't something she could just do on a whim.
"I don't recommend it." Geoff shook his head. "As your personal trainer, I'd advise you to keep the momentum you have going now and steadily climb your way up the fighting ranking. There's no need to take such an unnecessary risk this early in your career."
"Don't you think you're overestimating that American girl? She's a good fighter, but I don't think my reputation is going to tank just by fighting her, even if I somehow lost." Angelica laughed off her trainer's worries.
"It is you that is underestimating her." Geoff stared into Angelica's eyes. "I've done my research, and Zoey Winter is not a fighter you want to touch at your current stage."
"You think I'm going to lose?" Angelica had a strange smile on her face as she gazed back into Geoff's hesitant eyes.
"I didn't say that." Geoff didn't admit it, but Angelica felt he was unsure she could take Zoey. "I'm just advising you as your personal trainer that now isn't the time to go after big fish like Zoey Winters. Your progress right now is staggering enough in the fighting community in our country. Why put that at risk now before it's even consolidated?"
"Don't you think that Zoey has even more to lose than me, though?" Angelica smiled. "Have you watched that playlist? Zoey Winters's Legendary Debut?" She asked.
Geoff adjusted his glasses nervously before nodding, "Yes... but what does that have to do with anything?" he soon asked. "I don't have a playlist with millions of views even though my fighting career is longer than Zoey's. I've been undefeated far longer than Zoey has. So why is it that she is being praised as the Fighting Devil when she's just started out? Am I doing something wrong, or does she have something that I don't? Where are my top brand sponsors? Where are my millions of social media followers? Where are my invitations to be interviewed and have guest appearances on TV?" Angelica asked.
"..." Geoff wisely stayed silent.
A young girl on the cusps of adulthood and in the prime of her life undergoing envy is not something that can be reasoned with. It wasn't like Angelica Myers was lacking anything in her life, either. She has a great social life at college, well-off loving parents, and supportive friends. Geoff still didn't understand what brought this on, though. Is it greed for more fame? Is she just upset that another girl similar to her is being considered better than her or more popular than her? Or does she just have something against Zoey Winters?
"I'm going to fight Zoey Winters. In preparation for the fight, I need you to invite fighters for me to spar with." Angelica ordered.
"Who should I send the invitations to?" Geoff asked.
"Male fighters." Angelica's lips perked up as she saw Geoff's shocked look. "Don't try to talk me out of it. If I can't defeat male fighters, I won't stand a chance against Zoey."
Geoff understood the reasoning. Zoey has been recorded defeating several male fighters of various types of martial arts. So far, Angelica has only fought other female fighters. It is only logical that Angelica would come to the line of thought that she, too, needed to defeat male fighters if she wanted to fight Zoey and win. It's just that... what man would willingly accept a challenge from a woman?
If they win, they gain nothing. If they lose, they lose all of the rep they've built so far in their fighting career. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Some of the fighters defeated by Zoey Winters didn't fade into obscurity. In fact, some might say that because of their defeat to her, they've realized their faults and begun to work on them. Those fighters were doing well after the YFTL in their own countries' fighting circuits only added to Zoey Winters's reputation as the Fighting Devil. She's a fighting freak in her own right, and these men were not weak because they lost to her. It was only natural that a regular human, talented or not, would lose to a devil.
Whether Angelica could match up to a monster wasn't something that Geoff could imagine, regardless of her parents' line of work. However, no matter his thoughts on the matter, he was just Angelica's personal trainer and childhood friend in the end. The decision to fight Zoey started and ended with her. His job was to help her prepare for this incredibly reckless and foolish decision to the best of his ability. Geoff was going to do everything he could as her personal trainer.
Angelica raised her gloved fist in victory as she stood hunched over, sweating and huffing. Around her laid three male fighters knocked out on the ring's floor. Taking on three professional male fighters at once was something that Geoff thought was utterly suicidal. As he stared at the girl in utter shock, she merely raised her lowered head and smiled at him. I told you so was what Geoff saw in that smile. Determination, confidence, and unrestrained joy.
Geoff could only helplessly smile as he shook his head. While he wasn't actively hoping that Angelica lost in this crazy stunt, a small part of him wished that they could cancel the whole fight with Zoey Winters. Geoff has had to use more money than ever in this crazy training regimen to improve Angelica's strength. He wasn't sure the money could be repaid if Angelica somehow lost in her match against Zoey.
He's had to hire private physicians to stay at the gym as Angelica attempted this hellish training routine, bribe male fighters of various fighting disciplines that no word of them losing to Angelica would get out, or if they won, they wouldn't be implicated in any way at her injuries, and buy new training equipment. Geoff rarely got to sleep for more than 4 or 5 hours during this time. His local coffee place that sells the best damn coffee he's ever tasted was the only reason he's survived so far, keeping up with his superhuman of a fighter.
As the time neared for Angelica's fight with Zoey Winters, she trained to the brink of exhaustion and severe injury. Somehow, she always showed up the next day completely fine and ready to go once again. Geoff was more than a little envious seeing her show up every day with a bright smile on her face filled with energy. He didn't know if it was just her character or because of her lineage.
It didn't take long for Angelica to reap the benefits of her inhuman training. Soon enough, she was completely capable of fighting three grown men at the same time in the ring without any injuries. If Geoff weren't there to witness it himself, he'd say it was nothing more than fiction. Was she possibly a descendant of an ancient race of space monkeys? Could it be that she was just born without a tail? It was the only logical explanation that Geoff could think of if he didn't know her true origin.
"I'm ready," Angelica claimed, filled with fighting energy.
"I'll send the challenge," Geoff replied.
"Thank you, Geoff."
Angelica's popularity boomed in the two weeks before the official match. If she was previously only somewhat known in her country before, now she was known across the world! She was gaining attention and popularity everywhere. Her social media exploded with new followers. Views on videos that included her spiked in numbers. Emails and calls flooded in asking for appearances, interviews, and sponsorships.
Geoff felt a dangerous aura around Angelica during these two weeks as he was taken through the wringer because of all the attention on Angelica. He had a feeling it was because all it took was one public challenge to improve her fighting career significantly. More specifically, one public challenge to Zoey Winters. If it were any other fighter Angelica sent a challenge to, male or female, the situation would be vastly different from how it is now. Perhaps there would be a slight jump in popularity and attention, but both Geoff and Angelica knew that this vast increase in influence was thanks entirely to the massive community surrounding Zoey Winters.
"Focus..." Angelica sat in a meditative pose.
She closed her eyes and delved deep into her inner mind. Rethinking back to every single one of Zoey Winters's fights. Angelica memorized all of Zoey's fights during these two weeks and was using everything she's learned to think of several ways to shut her down in their upcoming match. It was called image training. A technique she's learned from her parents and a primarily useless technique unless the user knows exactly how their opponent fights. Something that is incredibly easy in the fighting world as every official match a fighter is in gets recorded and can be watched over and over again.
Angelica smiled as she stood over Zoey's defeated body in her mental world. This fight will only be the beginning of her career as a world-renowned fighter.
"I don't recommend it." Geoff shook his head. "As your personal trainer, I'd advise you to keep the momentum you have going now and steadily climb your way up the fighting ranking. There's no need to take such an unnecessary risk this early in your career."
"Don't you think you're overestimating that American girl? She's a good fighter, but I don't think my reputation is going to tank just by fighting her, even if I somehow lost." Angelica laughed off her trainer's worries.
"It is you that is underestimating her." Geoff stared into Angelica's eyes. "I've done my research, and Zoey Winter is not a fighter you want to touch at your current stage."
"You think I'm going to lose?" Angelica had a strange smile on her face as she gazed back into Geoff's hesitant eyes.
"I didn't say that." Geoff didn't admit it, but Angelica felt he was unsure she could take Zoey. "I'm just advising you as your personal trainer that now isn't the time to go after big fish like Zoey Winters. Your progress right now is staggering enough in the fighting community in our country. Why put that at risk now before it's even consolidated?"
"Don't you think that Zoey has even more to lose than me, though?" Angelica smiled. "Have you watched that playlist? Zoey Winters's Legendary Debut?" She asked.
Geoff adjusted his glasses nervously before nodding, "Yes... but what does that have to do with anything?" he soon asked. "I don't have a playlist with millions of views even though my fighting career is longer than Zoey's. I've been undefeated far longer than Zoey has. So why is it that she is being praised as the Fighting Devil when she's just started out? Am I doing something wrong, or does she have something that I don't? Where are my top brand sponsors? Where are my millions of social media followers? Where are my invitations to be interviewed and have guest appearances on TV?" Angelica asked.
"..." Geoff wisely stayed silent.
A young girl on the cusps of adulthood and in the prime of her life undergoing envy is not something that can be reasoned with. It wasn't like Angelica Myers was lacking anything in her life, either. She has a great social life at college, well-off loving parents, and supportive friends. Geoff still didn't understand what brought this on, though. Is it greed for more fame? Is she just upset that another girl similar to her is being considered better than her or more popular than her? Or does she just have something against Zoey Winters?
"I'm going to fight Zoey Winters. In preparation for the fight, I need you to invite fighters for me to spar with." Angelica ordered.
"Who should I send the invitations to?" Geoff asked.
"Male fighters." Angelica's lips perked up as she saw Geoff's shocked look. "Don't try to talk me out of it. If I can't defeat male fighters, I won't stand a chance against Zoey."
Geoff understood the reasoning. Zoey has been recorded defeating several male fighters of various types of martial arts. So far, Angelica has only fought other female fighters. It is only logical that Angelica would come to the line of thought that she, too, needed to defeat male fighters if she wanted to fight Zoey and win. It's just that... what man would willingly accept a challenge from a woman?
If they win, they gain nothing. If they lose, they lose all of the rep they've built so far in their fighting career. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Some of the fighters defeated by Zoey Winters didn't fade into obscurity. In fact, some might say that because of their defeat to her, they've realized their faults and begun to work on them. Those fighters were doing well after the YFTL in their own countries' fighting circuits only added to Zoey Winters's reputation as the Fighting Devil. She's a fighting freak in her own right, and these men were not weak because they lost to her. It was only natural that a regular human, talented or not, would lose to a devil.
Whether Angelica could match up to a monster wasn't something that Geoff could imagine, regardless of her parents' line of work. However, no matter his thoughts on the matter, he was just Angelica's personal trainer and childhood friend in the end. The decision to fight Zoey started and ended with her. His job was to help her prepare for this incredibly reckless and foolish decision to the best of his ability. Geoff was going to do everything he could as her personal trainer.
Angelica raised her gloved fist in victory as she stood hunched over, sweating and huffing. Around her laid three male fighters knocked out on the ring's floor. Taking on three professional male fighters at once was something that Geoff thought was utterly suicidal. As he stared at the girl in utter shock, she merely raised her lowered head and smiled at him. I told you so was what Geoff saw in that smile. Determination, confidence, and unrestrained joy.
Geoff could only helplessly smile as he shook his head. While he wasn't actively hoping that Angelica lost in this crazy stunt, a small part of him wished that they could cancel the whole fight with Zoey Winters. Geoff has had to use more money than ever in this crazy training regimen to improve Angelica's strength. He wasn't sure the money could be repaid if Angelica somehow lost in her match against Zoey.
He's had to hire private physicians to stay at the gym as Angelica attempted this hellish training routine, bribe male fighters of various fighting disciplines that no word of them losing to Angelica would get out, or if they won, they wouldn't be implicated in any way at her injuries, and buy new training equipment. Geoff rarely got to sleep for more than 4 or 5 hours during this time. His local coffee place that sells the best damn coffee he's ever tasted was the only reason he's survived so far, keeping up with his superhuman of a fighter.
As the time neared for Angelica's fight with Zoey Winters, she trained to the brink of exhaustion and severe injury. Somehow, she always showed up the next day completely fine and ready to go once again. Geoff was more than a little envious seeing her show up every day with a bright smile on her face filled with energy. He didn't know if it was just her character or because of her lineage.
It didn't take long for Angelica to reap the benefits of her inhuman training. Soon enough, she was completely capable of fighting three grown men at the same time in the ring without any injuries. If Geoff weren't there to witness it himself, he'd say it was nothing more than fiction. Was she possibly a descendant of an ancient race of space monkeys? Could it be that she was just born without a tail? It was the only logical explanation that Geoff could think of if he didn't know her true origin.
"I'm ready," Angelica claimed, filled with fighting energy.
"I'll send the challenge," Geoff replied.
"Thank you, Geoff."
Angelica's popularity boomed in the two weeks before the official match. If she was previously only somewhat known in her country before, now she was known across the world! She was gaining attention and popularity everywhere. Her social media exploded with new followers. Views on videos that included her spiked in numbers. Emails and calls flooded in asking for appearances, interviews, and sponsorships.
Geoff felt a dangerous aura around Angelica during these two weeks as he was taken through the wringer because of all the attention on Angelica. He had a feeling it was because all it took was one public challenge to improve her fighting career significantly. More specifically, one public challenge to Zoey Winters. If it were any other fighter Angelica sent a challenge to, male or female, the situation would be vastly different from how it is now. Perhaps there would be a slight jump in popularity and attention, but both Geoff and Angelica knew that this vast increase in influence was thanks entirely to the massive community surrounding Zoey Winters.
"Focus..." Angelica sat in a meditative pose.
She closed her eyes and delved deep into her inner mind. Rethinking back to every single one of Zoey Winters's fights. Angelica memorized all of Zoey's fights during these two weeks and was using everything she's learned to think of several ways to shut her down in their upcoming match. It was called image training. A technique she's learned from her parents and a primarily useless technique unless the user knows exactly how their opponent fights. Something that is incredibly easy in the fighting world as every official match a fighter is in gets recorded and can be watched over and over again.
Angelica smiled as she stood over Zoey's defeated body in her mental world. This fight will only be the beginning of her career as a world-renowned fighter.
Chapter 104: Zoey Winters vs Angelica Myers!
"Can you believe it, Chuck? We're off to a fierce start from our fighters today!" Announcer Mike smiled.
"I would be upset too after Winters's comment there. Let's have some fun!? Does she think Angelica Myers is nothing but a game to her!?" Announcer Chuck intentionally riled up the audience.
Down in the ring, Angelica could be seen throwing fierce, accurate, and powerful blows at Zoey Winters. Crazed cheers and screams came from the audience as Zoey seemingly danced around the ring, dodging each blow with the swiftness of a cheetah! The two young fighters made their way around the ring, both giving their all in either offense or defense! Not a single hit of Angelica's landed so far, but the crowd was still divided. It was difficult to tell if Zoey was pressured by Angelica and couldn't retaliate back or if she was playing with her.
"Knock her head off, Winters!"
"Break her leg! Show her the strength of the Devil!"
"Beat her little ass, Myers!"
"Pummel that sinner's face in, Myers!"
Alicia sighed as she heard the comments directed toward and for her daughter. All this violence was not for her in the slightest. Although Alicia could handle Zoey being a fighter, did she really have to be a magic person and fight dangerous monsters as well? She'd rather her daughter be a fighter over a magic person. At least as a fighter, her life is in way less danger. But for some reason, the little hellraiser she raised wants to fight her heart out no matter what.
"Go, Zoey!" Everett shouted in support.
"Show her your stuff, Zoey!!!" Callie screamed.
"Woo." Katlyn showed her support by waving a large sign that had Zoey's fighter name in large letters.
It also seemed that she was the only one that was worried in the slightest about it. It made her feel like an outcast in her own family as her children were growing up without her. Bruce was happy to go to any events regarding Zoey and Everett. Alicia could barely stomach Zoey's fights even though she's only been to two while she didn't understand anything at Everett's little video game events. She didn't know what she could do to connect better with her children...
"These fights between regular people are a lot more intense than I thought..." Alexander muttered as the loud sounds of the stadium shook his body.
"Isn't it amazing? We should do something similar in the magji community. It's so exciting!" Lindsay visibly shook with excitement. When encountering something new in the non-magji community, she always acted, unlike her usual stoic self.
"It's loud..." Hayato complained with a frown on his face.
"Agreed... We should never take up something like this in our world. We have enough problems between factions. This will only exacerbate them." Joseph adjusted his sunglasses with his brow furrowed.
"I disagree! This could allow those factions to go all out against each other and release any negative feelings they have against one another! As long as we make rules to prevent deaths, this would be fantastic for learning magji, networking with other talented magji, and getting to know other branches of magji." Lindsay argued.
"People are just going to use it as an excuse to kill each other or bully others." Hayato shattered her delusions.
"If we negotiate with the Star Clan as healers and somehow convince powerful magjistars to act as referees and security, that would reduce any negative effects of the tournament!" Lindsay stood firm in defense of her brilliant idea.
"It would certainly be interesting..." Alexander supported Lindsay.
He was interested in testing his skills against his peers without making enemies. Recently he has hit a hard limit in his training. Alexander had no interest in breaking that limit by risking his life against the growing groups of daemons teaming up together. It would be far safer in that setting described by Lindsay.
"I still think it's a bad idea, but I can see the benefits of it." Hayato gave Lindsay some credit for her idea. His fighting style was still heavily favored in fighting against magjistars.
"Do you think the Council would be willing to sponsor us for this idea?" Joseph suddenly asked.
"It's possible..." Lindsay had a feeling that she knew what Joseph was getting at. "Are you suggesting that we send this info to the Council for a lot of cavons?"
"That's not a bad idea. Ever since they failed to find out that Zoey was the culprit, they've been scrutinized by the magji community." Hayato added.
"A group of young talented magjistars selflessly giving up a very profitable idea would certainly be rewarded in some way if they do decide they like our idea," Lindsay added. "Not to mention if the idea plays out very well. Imagine how much more they would give us for the idea?"
"Zoey is going to go nuts if this all plays out well," Alexander murmured.
"Ouch..." Hayato reacted to what was happening in the ring.
"Sun Valley High School Represent!"
"I sit next to her in algebra!"
"I see her at lunch sometimes!"
"I'm in the student council with her!"
Students, faculty, and parents from Zoey's school also showed up to support their local celebrity. The turnout for this event was massive, considering the relatively unknown fighters. Angelica Myers never had a turnout even close to half of tonight's crowd. Nearly a hundred thousand people were in the crowd tonight, most likely several thousand more watching live from home! To think that all of this was thanks to the huge controversy regarding Zoey Winters that she someone successfully passed through and got even bigger because of it!
...
"Stop dodging and beat her to death, Zoey!" An internet user watching live shared in the chat.
"Maybe she's analyzing her fighting style???"
"DEATH TO ZOEY WINTERS!"
"ZOEY WINTERS IS THE BEST WOMAN FIGHTER IN THE WORLD!"
"Myers has an incredible offensive and defensive game. She may not have landed any hits, but she surely hasn't given any opportunity for Winters to land any counters either."
"The Devil is just holding back like she always does at the start of the match. Just wait, she's going to shatter that blonde cracker into pieces just like Donald."
"Can we get some bans on the racists, please?"
...
"Talent alone isn't enough for someone to have fame like this. I'm telling ya, Chuck! There's just something about how she fights and carries herself that brings both fans and haters to see her. Either to see her get destroyed or do the destroying in the ring! This is what you call a natural fighter." Mike said into the mic.
"It's hard to disagree with you there, Mike, but don't discount Angelica either! It didn't take her long to gain fame and rise up the ladder in the women's MMA world. The young lady known for her bright personality and fantastic sportsmanship, the internet went wild in support of this wholesome fighter." Chuck had to make sure they didn't seem biased.
"Too true, Chuck. Now let's get back in the ring and- My god, did you just see that, Chuck!? Before the end of the first round, we have an amazing knockdown from Angelica Myers! What an incredible upset!"
"I don't think Zoey even realized what happened! She's just sitting there on the mat, completely confused!"
"I'm guessing her body finally caught up to her! With such a strong flashy start with those dodges at the beginning, she must have drained most of her stamina. Which left her open to a textbook cross from Angelica!"
"Angelica said she isn't done either! Like a hungry tiger, she's pouncing to secure her kill!" Everyone in the crowd was going crazy as the match got incredibly tense!
"Has she gotten weaker, or is there something special about that other human...?" Poison questioned softly to herself as she looked at the television screen in the bar.
"Knockdown! Knockdown! Weakling human!" Muscle Brain loudly shouted while pointing at the big screen.
"This is the human you're concerned about?" Polly gazed at Poison with suspicion.
"Yah, she doesn't look so tough! If she can get knocked down so easily by another human, she wouldn't stand a chance against us!" Tiny hopped in his seat.
"..." A masked daemon quietly looked at the screen.
Vio stared at the screen in longing, his attention focused solely on the dazed expression of the dark-skinned female. Poison clicked her tongue in annoyance. "She's stronger than she looks. I don't know how that other human managed to get one over her but don't expect her to lose this human game."
"I see." Polly went mum and continued to watch the strange human game in which they fought each other to prove which was the superior fighter. Although their lives weren't on the line as they didn't fight to kill but to prove who was superior in combat over the other.
"Fight! Fight! Fight!" Muscle Brain cheered.
"I would be upset too after Winters's comment there. Let's have some fun!? Does she think Angelica Myers is nothing but a game to her!?" Announcer Chuck intentionally riled up the audience.
Down in the ring, Angelica could be seen throwing fierce, accurate, and powerful blows at Zoey Winters. Crazed cheers and screams came from the audience as Zoey seemingly danced around the ring, dodging each blow with the swiftness of a cheetah! The two young fighters made their way around the ring, both giving their all in either offense or defense! Not a single hit of Angelica's landed so far, but the crowd was still divided. It was difficult to tell if Zoey was pressured by Angelica and couldn't retaliate back or if she was playing with her.
"Knock her head off, Winters!"
"Break her leg! Show her the strength of the Devil!"
"Beat her little ass, Myers!"
"Pummel that sinner's face in, Myers!"
Alicia sighed as she heard the comments directed toward and for her daughter. All this violence was not for her in the slightest. Although Alicia could handle Zoey being a fighter, did she really have to be a magic person and fight dangerous monsters as well? She'd rather her daughter be a fighter over a magic person. At least as a fighter, her life is in way less danger. But for some reason, the little hellraiser she raised wants to fight her heart out no matter what.
"Go, Zoey!" Everett shouted in support.
"Show her your stuff, Zoey!!!" Callie screamed.
"Woo." Katlyn showed her support by waving a large sign that had Zoey's fighter name in large letters.
It also seemed that she was the only one that was worried in the slightest about it. It made her feel like an outcast in her own family as her children were growing up without her. Bruce was happy to go to any events regarding Zoey and Everett. Alicia could barely stomach Zoey's fights even though she's only been to two while she didn't understand anything at Everett's little video game events. She didn't know what she could do to connect better with her children...
"These fights between regular people are a lot more intense than I thought..." Alexander muttered as the loud sounds of the stadium shook his body.
"Isn't it amazing? We should do something similar in the magji community. It's so exciting!" Lindsay visibly shook with excitement. When encountering something new in the non-magji community, she always acted, unlike her usual stoic self.
"It's loud..." Hayato complained with a frown on his face.
"Agreed... We should never take up something like this in our world. We have enough problems between factions. This will only exacerbate them." Joseph adjusted his sunglasses with his brow furrowed.
"I disagree! This could allow those factions to go all out against each other and release any negative feelings they have against one another! As long as we make rules to prevent deaths, this would be fantastic for learning magji, networking with other talented magji, and getting to know other branches of magji." Lindsay argued.
"People are just going to use it as an excuse to kill each other or bully others." Hayato shattered her delusions.
"If we negotiate with the Star Clan as healers and somehow convince powerful magjistars to act as referees and security, that would reduce any negative effects of the tournament!" Lindsay stood firm in defense of her brilliant idea.
"It would certainly be interesting..." Alexander supported Lindsay.
He was interested in testing his skills against his peers without making enemies. Recently he has hit a hard limit in his training. Alexander had no interest in breaking that limit by risking his life against the growing groups of daemons teaming up together. It would be far safer in that setting described by Lindsay.
"I still think it's a bad idea, but I can see the benefits of it." Hayato gave Lindsay some credit for her idea. His fighting style was still heavily favored in fighting against magjistars.
"Do you think the Council would be willing to sponsor us for this idea?" Joseph suddenly asked.
"It's possible..." Lindsay had a feeling that she knew what Joseph was getting at. "Are you suggesting that we send this info to the Council for a lot of cavons?"
"That's not a bad idea. Ever since they failed to find out that Zoey was the culprit, they've been scrutinized by the magji community." Hayato added.
"A group of young talented magjistars selflessly giving up a very profitable idea would certainly be rewarded in some way if they do decide they like our idea," Lindsay added. "Not to mention if the idea plays out very well. Imagine how much more they would give us for the idea?"
"Zoey is going to go nuts if this all plays out well," Alexander murmured.
"Ouch..." Hayato reacted to what was happening in the ring.
"Sun Valley High School Represent!"
"I sit next to her in algebra!"
"I see her at lunch sometimes!"
"I'm in the student council with her!"
Students, faculty, and parents from Zoey's school also showed up to support their local celebrity. The turnout for this event was massive, considering the relatively unknown fighters. Angelica Myers never had a turnout even close to half of tonight's crowd. Nearly a hundred thousand people were in the crowd tonight, most likely several thousand more watching live from home! To think that all of this was thanks to the huge controversy regarding Zoey Winters that she someone successfully passed through and got even bigger because of it!
...
"Stop dodging and beat her to death, Zoey!" An internet user watching live shared in the chat.
"Maybe she's analyzing her fighting style???"
"DEATH TO ZOEY WINTERS!"
"ZOEY WINTERS IS THE BEST WOMAN FIGHTER IN THE WORLD!"
"Myers has an incredible offensive and defensive game. She may not have landed any hits, but she surely hasn't given any opportunity for Winters to land any counters either."
"The Devil is just holding back like she always does at the start of the match. Just wait, she's going to shatter that blonde cracker into pieces just like Donald."
"Can we get some bans on the racists, please?"
...
"Talent alone isn't enough for someone to have fame like this. I'm telling ya, Chuck! There's just something about how she fights and carries herself that brings both fans and haters to see her. Either to see her get destroyed or do the destroying in the ring! This is what you call a natural fighter." Mike said into the mic.
"It's hard to disagree with you there, Mike, but don't discount Angelica either! It didn't take her long to gain fame and rise up the ladder in the women's MMA world. The young lady known for her bright personality and fantastic sportsmanship, the internet went wild in support of this wholesome fighter." Chuck had to make sure they didn't seem biased.
"Too true, Chuck. Now let's get back in the ring and- My god, did you just see that, Chuck!? Before the end of the first round, we have an amazing knockdown from Angelica Myers! What an incredible upset!"
"I don't think Zoey even realized what happened! She's just sitting there on the mat, completely confused!"
"I'm guessing her body finally caught up to her! With such a strong flashy start with those dodges at the beginning, she must have drained most of her stamina. Which left her open to a textbook cross from Angelica!"
"Angelica said she isn't done either! Like a hungry tiger, she's pouncing to secure her kill!" Everyone in the crowd was going crazy as the match got incredibly tense!
"Has she gotten weaker, or is there something special about that other human...?" Poison questioned softly to herself as she looked at the television screen in the bar.
"Knockdown! Knockdown! Weakling human!" Muscle Brain loudly shouted while pointing at the big screen.
"This is the human you're concerned about?" Polly gazed at Poison with suspicion.
"Yah, she doesn't look so tough! If she can get knocked down so easily by another human, she wouldn't stand a chance against us!" Tiny hopped in his seat.
"..." A masked daemon quietly looked at the screen.
Vio stared at the screen in longing, his attention focused solely on the dazed expression of the dark-skinned female. Poison clicked her tongue in annoyance. "She's stronger than she looks. I don't know how that other human managed to get one over her but don't expect her to lose this human game."
"I see." Polly went mum and continued to watch the strange human game in which they fought each other to prove which was the superior fighter. Although their lives weren't on the line as they didn't fight to kill but to prove who was superior in combat over the other.
"Fight! Fight! Fight!" Muscle Brain cheered.
Chapter 105: Zoey Winters vs Angelica Myers Continued!
Zoey sat flat on her ass after being punched by Superstar. She could feel blood dripping down her nose and the taste of iron in her mouth. A normal human managed to surprise her and even make her bleed? Haha, no fucking way bitch. Actually, Superstar just used mahna in front of all these people just because she got pissed. That sudden use of mahna increased the speed of her punch after Zoey was already used to her regular attacks.
Zoey licked the blood around her lips with a grin as Superstar came rushing at her downed figure. Unlike in boxing, the match doesn't come to a brief stop when one fighter goes down. As taught by her world champion grappling instructor, Zoey leaned on her back and struck out with her feet to prevent Superstar from mounting her. Her eyes locked in as she turned with her feet in any direction Superstar tried to come at her at.
From the audience's perspective, it was an incredibly strange thing to look at if they weren't regular fans of mixed martial art fights. Angelica was unable to press her advantage as each time she got close, Zoey would just push her away with her feet with surprising strength. The huge screaming and cheering slowly came to a halt after Angelica's first successful hit. Now, everyone watched in excited anticipation to see if she could be the first fighter to defeat Zoey Winters or will she end up like the rest of Zoey's opponents.
"Quit playing around, Winters. I know you're holding back." Angelica Myers got out of her fighting stance with a smile as the bell rang, signaling the end of the first round.
"..." Zoey grunted in pain as she forcefully bit her tongue as she was about to say something completely inappropriate.
Talking about being a girl who likes a little foreplay in front of a big ass audience like this would be showing too much of Inner Zoey. She was 17, not 18. Almost an adult, but not quite there yet! And yes, in America, that one-digit difference was a huge difference. Just because 17 and 18 were so close to each other did not mean they were similar in any way.
"How ya doing, kid?" Coach Scott asked from outside the cage.
Zoey grunted in response with a relaxed posture in her corner. Crouching with her arms spread out, legs spread out, eyes staring directly at the smiling face of Superstar. She wondered just how much Superstar could handle. It was the first time facing a magjistar from outside of the country as far as she knew. As a sort of magjistar immigrant herself, she knew very little about the customs, norms, and whatever of the magji world.
Zoey didn't go to that magjistar school every young magjistar went through. They only teach young kids because that's when they go looking for them. Her situation was a first from what Victor told her. People around her age don't suddenly awaken their potential for magji. If they don't have potential when they're younger, they don't have it at all. The OM finds children with magji potential at very young ages. How? She had no idea. Probably some magji tool or something in the hands of the OM.
The one-minute round break was over, and the second round started. Zoey and Angelica started off the second round strong. Both fired off a powerful straight toward each other. Although neither was using their full power, it was enough force that it caused the audience to go crazy as their fists clashed together. Neither fighter fell back from the clash and simply pulled their fists back to prepare another attack.
Zoey smiled as she measured exactly how much power was behind Superstar's fist. She decided to equal it in power and defeat Superstar with skillful technique! Zoey's Victorious Boxing wasn't going to level itself if she just overpowered all of her opponents without giving them a chance to fight back. For Superstar, Zoey decided to go with Regular Boxing Form. The only form in Zoey's Victorious Boxing that balanced offense and defense equally.
Superstar rushed forward with a flurry of powerful punches. Each punch had mahna behind it, giving Zoey little room to handle them safely. Zoey curled up into a defensive shell while weaving her upper body. The blows from Superstar seemed to slide and curve off of Zoey's body somehow. They landed on Zoey's body for sure. However, they didn't impact with the full force behind them. Zoey negated most of the damage from Superstar's offensive rush while also dashing in close.
Angelica had an entire head over Zoey, and it showed through the range of her attacks. When Zoey managed to force her way into Angelica's guard with minimum damage, her options to retaliate were limited compared to Zoey's. Zoey reared her fist back as she broke into Angelica's space. Both fighters knew how devastating Zoey's blows were. Angelica's eyes widened in surprise, but she did not panic.
Angelica knew that she couldn't let this punch go through. Zoey Winters had fists that could down sumo wrestlers. It wasn't an exaggeration to compare her fists to man-made and natural weapons. Utilizing all the energy in her body, Angelica forced herself into moving her body in a way that would definitely injure her. Her body creaked and groaned at the mahna usage.
Zoey couldn't help but stare in shock as her opponent damaged her body just to escape her punch. No, it wasn't just escaping her punch but actually countering her completely! Superstar grabbed Zoey's outstretched fist and, with a perfect textbook arm throw, Zoey's ass was on the mat again. She couldn't help but laugh. This was actually fun!
As Angelica dived down to pummel the downed Zoey with hammer punches, she was met with a sudden fist to the face from the girl on her back. Angelica stumbled backward, holding her bloody nose in shock. Then she heard laughter? Zoey Winters was laughing as she got up off of the mat and then suddenly ran at her.
Angelica kicked out with her foot to stop Zoey's advance. Imagine her shock when the girl came to a dead stop and grabbed her vulnerable leg with one hand. Panic filled her body as Zoey raised her elbow. With a hop off the mat, Angelica kicked the leg she was balancing on toward Zoey's face. Only for Zoey to catch that one as well, much to Angelica's shock.
Zoey grinned as Superstar fell to the mat face-first with both her legs caught. She gripped Superstar's legs underneath her armpits and began to slowly twirl the girl around in a circle. Soon the two girls were spinning in a whirlwind around the ring. The audience went ballistic at the sight of this wrestling move.
"Dear Lord Chuck, what am I seeing right now!?" Announcer Mike shouted into the mic.
"Are we sure this is a match between two teenage girls? You couldn't see a fight as exciting as this if you were watching a match between two professional fighters with a decade-old rivalry!" Announcer Chuck yelled.
The sounds of screaming in the audience peaked as Angelica went flying into the cage after being tossed by Zoey. Everyone could see that she was dazed after being spun so fast. Zoey could be seen laughing as she followed up her toss with a savage pummeling. Angelica Myers could be seen desperately defending her face from the blows of the girl, but Zoey Winters wasn't just targeting her face. She just rained blows down on Angelica's figure for the hell of it!
"Ref, you got to stop the match before she kills her!"
"She's being slaughtered! The Devil takes no prisoners!"
"Stop the match! Stop the match!"
Angelica Myers wasn't down and out just yet, though. Although pain ached from every part of her body, her will to win wasn't something a little pain could stop. With an unknown source of energy, she forced herself up and tackled Zoey Winters to the ground. When she looked down at the American girl, she only saw a devil smiling back at her. For some reason, something about that smile filled Angelica with fury.
'You're not better than me!' The voice in Angelica's heart shouted.
Zoey felt that maybe this friendly match wasn't so friendly as she saw the look on Superstar's face. Superstar mounted her and went for the ground-and-pound finish. Each blow was slowly ramping up in power, forcing Zoey to rely more and more on her defensive technique. Using her guard to block punches to her face, moving her head and face around to dodge and throwing back punches of her own to get Superstar off of her.
Although multiple of her punches landed on Superstar's face, she did not want to get off at all. Zoey couldn't help but laugh at how fun this was. It wasn't as if Superstar was weak, either. If a normal person was hit by these punches, they'd be hospitalized in seconds. Even with Zoey keeping her power equal to Superstar, it still felt like she was being hit with bricks.
Angelica's revenge from being spun around and thrown like a sack was interrupted by the referee. He forcefully put himself in between the two girls and sent them to their corners. The bell for the second round rang, and it was time for their last break before the final round. Angelica and Zoey broke for their corners. Angelica, with a grim look on her face and a slight limp. Zoey with a smile on her face and full of energy despite her injuries.
Zoey licked the blood around her lips with a grin as Superstar came rushing at her downed figure. Unlike in boxing, the match doesn't come to a brief stop when one fighter goes down. As taught by her world champion grappling instructor, Zoey leaned on her back and struck out with her feet to prevent Superstar from mounting her. Her eyes locked in as she turned with her feet in any direction Superstar tried to come at her at.
From the audience's perspective, it was an incredibly strange thing to look at if they weren't regular fans of mixed martial art fights. Angelica was unable to press her advantage as each time she got close, Zoey would just push her away with her feet with surprising strength. The huge screaming and cheering slowly came to a halt after Angelica's first successful hit. Now, everyone watched in excited anticipation to see if she could be the first fighter to defeat Zoey Winters or will she end up like the rest of Zoey's opponents.
"Quit playing around, Winters. I know you're holding back." Angelica Myers got out of her fighting stance with a smile as the bell rang, signaling the end of the first round.
"..." Zoey grunted in pain as she forcefully bit her tongue as she was about to say something completely inappropriate.
Talking about being a girl who likes a little foreplay in front of a big ass audience like this would be showing too much of Inner Zoey. She was 17, not 18. Almost an adult, but not quite there yet! And yes, in America, that one-digit difference was a huge difference. Just because 17 and 18 were so close to each other did not mean they were similar in any way.
"How ya doing, kid?" Coach Scott asked from outside the cage.
Zoey grunted in response with a relaxed posture in her corner. Crouching with her arms spread out, legs spread out, eyes staring directly at the smiling face of Superstar. She wondered just how much Superstar could handle. It was the first time facing a magjistar from outside of the country as far as she knew. As a sort of magjistar immigrant herself, she knew very little about the customs, norms, and whatever of the magji world.
Zoey didn't go to that magjistar school every young magjistar went through. They only teach young kids because that's when they go looking for them. Her situation was a first from what Victor told her. People around her age don't suddenly awaken their potential for magji. If they don't have potential when they're younger, they don't have it at all. The OM finds children with magji potential at very young ages. How? She had no idea. Probably some magji tool or something in the hands of the OM.
The one-minute round break was over, and the second round started. Zoey and Angelica started off the second round strong. Both fired off a powerful straight toward each other. Although neither was using their full power, it was enough force that it caused the audience to go crazy as their fists clashed together. Neither fighter fell back from the clash and simply pulled their fists back to prepare another attack.
Zoey smiled as she measured exactly how much power was behind Superstar's fist. She decided to equal it in power and defeat Superstar with skillful technique! Zoey's Victorious Boxing wasn't going to level itself if she just overpowered all of her opponents without giving them a chance to fight back. For Superstar, Zoey decided to go with Regular Boxing Form. The only form in Zoey's Victorious Boxing that balanced offense and defense equally.
Superstar rushed forward with a flurry of powerful punches. Each punch had mahna behind it, giving Zoey little room to handle them safely. Zoey curled up into a defensive shell while weaving her upper body. The blows from Superstar seemed to slide and curve off of Zoey's body somehow. They landed on Zoey's body for sure. However, they didn't impact with the full force behind them. Zoey negated most of the damage from Superstar's offensive rush while also dashing in close.
Angelica had an entire head over Zoey, and it showed through the range of her attacks. When Zoey managed to force her way into Angelica's guard with minimum damage, her options to retaliate were limited compared to Zoey's. Zoey reared her fist back as she broke into Angelica's space. Both fighters knew how devastating Zoey's blows were. Angelica's eyes widened in surprise, but she did not panic.
Angelica knew that she couldn't let this punch go through. Zoey Winters had fists that could down sumo wrestlers. It wasn't an exaggeration to compare her fists to man-made and natural weapons. Utilizing all the energy in her body, Angelica forced herself into moving her body in a way that would definitely injure her. Her body creaked and groaned at the mahna usage.
Zoey couldn't help but stare in shock as her opponent damaged her body just to escape her punch. No, it wasn't just escaping her punch but actually countering her completely! Superstar grabbed Zoey's outstretched fist and, with a perfect textbook arm throw, Zoey's ass was on the mat again. She couldn't help but laugh. This was actually fun!
As Angelica dived down to pummel the downed Zoey with hammer punches, she was met with a sudden fist to the face from the girl on her back. Angelica stumbled backward, holding her bloody nose in shock. Then she heard laughter? Zoey Winters was laughing as she got up off of the mat and then suddenly ran at her.
Angelica kicked out with her foot to stop Zoey's advance. Imagine her shock when the girl came to a dead stop and grabbed her vulnerable leg with one hand. Panic filled her body as Zoey raised her elbow. With a hop off the mat, Angelica kicked the leg she was balancing on toward Zoey's face. Only for Zoey to catch that one as well, much to Angelica's shock.
Zoey grinned as Superstar fell to the mat face-first with both her legs caught. She gripped Superstar's legs underneath her armpits and began to slowly twirl the girl around in a circle. Soon the two girls were spinning in a whirlwind around the ring. The audience went ballistic at the sight of this wrestling move.
"Dear Lord Chuck, what am I seeing right now!?" Announcer Mike shouted into the mic.
"Are we sure this is a match between two teenage girls? You couldn't see a fight as exciting as this if you were watching a match between two professional fighters with a decade-old rivalry!" Announcer Chuck yelled.
The sounds of screaming in the audience peaked as Angelica went flying into the cage after being tossed by Zoey. Everyone could see that she was dazed after being spun so fast. Zoey could be seen laughing as she followed up her toss with a savage pummeling. Angelica Myers could be seen desperately defending her face from the blows of the girl, but Zoey Winters wasn't just targeting her face. She just rained blows down on Angelica's figure for the hell of it!
"Ref, you got to stop the match before she kills her!"
"She's being slaughtered! The Devil takes no prisoners!"
"Stop the match! Stop the match!"
Angelica Myers wasn't down and out just yet, though. Although pain ached from every part of her body, her will to win wasn't something a little pain could stop. With an unknown source of energy, she forced herself up and tackled Zoey Winters to the ground. When she looked down at the American girl, she only saw a devil smiling back at her. For some reason, something about that smile filled Angelica with fury.
'You're not better than me!' The voice in Angelica's heart shouted.
Zoey felt that maybe this friendly match wasn't so friendly as she saw the look on Superstar's face. Superstar mounted her and went for the ground-and-pound finish. Each blow was slowly ramping up in power, forcing Zoey to rely more and more on her defensive technique. Using her guard to block punches to her face, moving her head and face around to dodge and throwing back punches of her own to get Superstar off of her.
Although multiple of her punches landed on Superstar's face, she did not want to get off at all. Zoey couldn't help but laugh at how fun this was. It wasn't as if Superstar was weak, either. If a normal person was hit by these punches, they'd be hospitalized in seconds. Even with Zoey keeping her power equal to Superstar, it still felt like she was being hit with bricks.
Angelica's revenge from being spun around and thrown like a sack was interrupted by the referee. He forcefully put himself in between the two girls and sent them to their corners. The bell for the second round rang, and it was time for their last break before the final round. Angelica and Zoey broke for their corners. Angelica, with a grim look on her face and a slight limp. Zoey with a smile on her face and full of energy despite her injuries.
Chapter 106: Zoey Winters vs Angelica Myers Concluded!
"Regardless of who wins tonight, this match will certainly be remembered fondly for the rest of their fighting career!" Announcer Mike grinned.
"For the several hundreds of thousands of viewers watching tonight, this match will not be one they'll ever be able to forget. I know I won't be able to forget such an exciting match between two young prodigies!" Announcer Chuck responded back.
"To think they're so young too! Can you imagine their future matches when they're so good now?"
"We have two legendary fighters in the making, Mike. History is being written right now! If you're not following these girls on social media, I would do it right now, folks! I am willing to bet all of the money I have in my bank account that these two will become hall of famers within the next twenty years!" Announcer Chuck excitedly rambled.
"Twenty years?! You're underestimating these two. I'm willing to bet they'll become hall of famers within a decade. One of them will probably be inducted in five years." Announcer Mike replied.
"More magjistars are interested in the normal people's fighting community than I thought..." Alexander was frankly shocked.
"This is why we definitely have to make something similar for our community! They wouldn't go here if they had a magji alternative!" Lindsay excitedly chatted. She felt more assured of her decision the longer the match went on.
"Do you think the Council will listen to some teenagers?" Joseph pessimistically reminded them.
"Have you forgotten who your teacher is?" Lindsay asked, staring into his sunglasses.
"She has a point," Hayato added.
Joseph could only groan. This Lindsay girl... She had a way for words that rendered him speechless. He still thought this entire idea was a horrible idea. Considering he was one of the most talented young magjistars in the current generation, that had to count for something, didn't it? But Joseph knew when he was outnumbered. Even the assassin got convinced by the girl. He knew that Zoey would be 200% interested as well.
"What do I get out of involving my teacher in this and supporting this ridiculous fighting tournament anyway?" Joseph asked just to be stubborn.
"You could create history in the magjistar community! Don't you see what a huge undertaking this could be for magjistars? It'll revolutionize the way we communicate with one another!" Lindsay's energy was overflowing. "Could you imagine if we invited foreign magjistars to participate as well? Maybe we could strengthen the ties between magjistars across the world!"
"Have you forgotten that we'll be selling this idea to the Council? It'll be their grand achievement remembered by history even if this does turn out well. Not ours. If we're lucky, we'll be footnotes if they don't manage to screw up our idea somehow after we present it." Joseph played Devil's Advocate.
"They couldn't catch Zoey after she destroyed my clan. The competence of the Council is rather low, in my opinion. You should be prepared for the possibility that they screw it up somehow." Hayato nodded.
"I'm already in the process of writing the draft for our presentation to the council!" Lindsay showed a text document on her phone with already a thousand words filled on it. "After the celebration tonight when Zoey wins, or another day we could go over it and hash out any details I've forgotten to include."
"That doesn't change anything. What makes you think the Council will accept every idea we propose in this document anyway? What if they think some dumb teens don't know what they're doing and completely change it?"
"Anything is better than nothing! And I'm positive that the Council is smarter than you two are making them out to be. As long as I properly present it to them and explain all the pros and cons of following our idea to every detail, there's no way they'll mess it up." Lindsay held firm hope in the idea.
"Alright, guys, the match is starting up again. Save this for later." Alexander spoke up.
The final round began with more intensity than the last two but somehow with less action. Everyone watching had halted their breathing as they watched in anticipation. Angelica Myers still had a fire blazing in her eyes, but she did not burst like a volcano as the round started. Everyone could tell she was hurting badly, but no one believed the match was won in Zoey's favor just yet. It's said that an injured animal is in its most dangerous state.
Zoey stalked forward like a cautious tiger hunting her prey. Both fighters were waiting for the slightest hint of a flaw or weakness to capitalize on without injury to themself. In Zoey's eyes, she saw nothing but weakness. However, behind all that weakness was an animal willing to give its all to fatally injure or wound its attacker before perishing itself. Zoey wasn't interested in a win that made her look like a loser. She was using Zoey's Victorious Boxing! Not Zoey's Sort of- Kind of- Maybe-A-Win Boxing.
"Flash Fist," Angelica muttered, controlling the magji energy within her body to not show any outward expressions of magji.
Despite how she felt being taken this far by Zoey Winters, she knew that exposing magji to all these people would ruin her family. It wasn't worth it. Yes, Angelica wanted to win no matter what, but not at the cost of those around her. Even if suppressing the magji technique would make it harder to control and possibly waste her mahna, it is better than doing nothing at all and slowly being whittled away!
Zoey's eyes flashed in surprise as she was punched directly in her face. With a grimace of pain, she quickly raised her guard only to feel a similar hit impact her stomach. It only took a brief moment before Zoey was overwhelmed with quick bullet-like punches. Sure, she could see them clearly without any issues, but Superstar increased her strength again. Just after, she perfectly measured her own power to match it. Son of a bitch!
"Fine! Twisting Punch!" Zoey's fist twisted itself back as she fully allowed herself to be battered by Angelica's flash punches.
In the eyes of the audience, Zoey could be seen throwing a regular corkscrew punch. The visual was far different in the eyes of those that wielded mahna within their bodies. In Angelica's view, she saw the very air itself being twisted and constricted by Zoey's fist through pure magji prowess. Angelica realized that no matter how many Flash Fist punches she threw, it wouldn't be enough to combat that ridiculous magji technique. At least, not with Flash Punch...
"Star Smash!" Angelica's fist should've lighted up bright enough to look like the shine of the galaxy. If only they weren't fighting in front of nearly millions of people.
Of course, the clash between the two young girls was anything but ordinary. Their attempts to restrain any magji expression were utterly at odds with their goal of defeating each other. It wouldn't make sense for there not to be something fantasy and magical-like for the audience to witness at the clash of magji techniques. The people in the crowd and possibly those at home saw how the impact from their blows was enough to rattle the metal cage and knock the referee off his feet!
Contrary to belief, the audience went absolutely nuts at the sight of this impossible scene. Cheers, yells, and screams deafened any other sound within the stadium. Zoey and Angelica were both nervous after witnessing the impact of their first clash, but at the sound of the crowd, the two continued their battle. Unleashing as much force from their fighting techniques as they could without entirely outing the magji community.
Zoey's twisting punch landed on Angelica's gut, twisting it something fierce as Angelica landed a star smash straight across her face. Angelica dropped to her knees from the horrific, unbelievable pain of having her skin and organs twisted while Zoey was sent sliding straight to the cage with a swollen eye and multiple purple bruises on her body. Zoey grinned as she recovered and looked down at Superstar. Superstar could no longer hold her smile anymore.
'God! What kind of inhuman sick sadistic magjistar would practice such a technique?!' Angelica thought as she did her best to revert the damage from her insides being twisted in ways they weren't supposed to.
Zoey slowly made her way over to the kneeled Superstar. No matter how much she tried, any movement to get up would result in horrible pain. Even if she used all of her mahna to try and force herself to move, it still wouldn't be enough to help her finish this match without grievous injuries. So, she simply kneeled with a grimace on her face as Zoey stood over her, smiling like a demon. A sharp contrast from the beginning of the match...
Zoey crouched down low and stared Angelica in the eyes.
"It's been fun, real fun. We should do this again sometime outside of the ring. After our punishment from nearly exposing the magji community and all." She whispered the last part.
"I won't lose next time..." Angelica fiercely replied, staring Zoey back in the face.
"Angelica Myers! Can you continue!?" The referee asked.
"I cannot," Angelica answered.
The referee waved his hands, and the match came to an end with a ring and an ear-shattering roar from the audience.
"For the several hundreds of thousands of viewers watching tonight, this match will not be one they'll ever be able to forget. I know I won't be able to forget such an exciting match between two young prodigies!" Announcer Chuck responded back.
"To think they're so young too! Can you imagine their future matches when they're so good now?"
"We have two legendary fighters in the making, Mike. History is being written right now! If you're not following these girls on social media, I would do it right now, folks! I am willing to bet all of the money I have in my bank account that these two will become hall of famers within the next twenty years!" Announcer Chuck excitedly rambled.
"Twenty years?! You're underestimating these two. I'm willing to bet they'll become hall of famers within a decade. One of them will probably be inducted in five years." Announcer Mike replied.
"More magjistars are interested in the normal people's fighting community than I thought..." Alexander was frankly shocked.
"This is why we definitely have to make something similar for our community! They wouldn't go here if they had a magji alternative!" Lindsay excitedly chatted. She felt more assured of her decision the longer the match went on.
"Do you think the Council will listen to some teenagers?" Joseph pessimistically reminded them.
"Have you forgotten who your teacher is?" Lindsay asked, staring into his sunglasses.
"She has a point," Hayato added.
Joseph could only groan. This Lindsay girl... She had a way for words that rendered him speechless. He still thought this entire idea was a horrible idea. Considering he was one of the most talented young magjistars in the current generation, that had to count for something, didn't it? But Joseph knew when he was outnumbered. Even the assassin got convinced by the girl. He knew that Zoey would be 200% interested as well.
"What do I get out of involving my teacher in this and supporting this ridiculous fighting tournament anyway?" Joseph asked just to be stubborn.
"You could create history in the magjistar community! Don't you see what a huge undertaking this could be for magjistars? It'll revolutionize the way we communicate with one another!" Lindsay's energy was overflowing. "Could you imagine if we invited foreign magjistars to participate as well? Maybe we could strengthen the ties between magjistars across the world!"
"Have you forgotten that we'll be selling this idea to the Council? It'll be their grand achievement remembered by history even if this does turn out well. Not ours. If we're lucky, we'll be footnotes if they don't manage to screw up our idea somehow after we present it." Joseph played Devil's Advocate.
"They couldn't catch Zoey after she destroyed my clan. The competence of the Council is rather low, in my opinion. You should be prepared for the possibility that they screw it up somehow." Hayato nodded.
"I'm already in the process of writing the draft for our presentation to the council!" Lindsay showed a text document on her phone with already a thousand words filled on it. "After the celebration tonight when Zoey wins, or another day we could go over it and hash out any details I've forgotten to include."
"That doesn't change anything. What makes you think the Council will accept every idea we propose in this document anyway? What if they think some dumb teens don't know what they're doing and completely change it?"
"Anything is better than nothing! And I'm positive that the Council is smarter than you two are making them out to be. As long as I properly present it to them and explain all the pros and cons of following our idea to every detail, there's no way they'll mess it up." Lindsay held firm hope in the idea.
"Alright, guys, the match is starting up again. Save this for later." Alexander spoke up.
The final round began with more intensity than the last two but somehow with less action. Everyone watching had halted their breathing as they watched in anticipation. Angelica Myers still had a fire blazing in her eyes, but she did not burst like a volcano as the round started. Everyone could tell she was hurting badly, but no one believed the match was won in Zoey's favor just yet. It's said that an injured animal is in its most dangerous state.
Zoey stalked forward like a cautious tiger hunting her prey. Both fighters were waiting for the slightest hint of a flaw or weakness to capitalize on without injury to themself. In Zoey's eyes, she saw nothing but weakness. However, behind all that weakness was an animal willing to give its all to fatally injure or wound its attacker before perishing itself. Zoey wasn't interested in a win that made her look like a loser. She was using Zoey's Victorious Boxing! Not Zoey's Sort of- Kind of- Maybe-A-Win Boxing.
"Flash Fist," Angelica muttered, controlling the magji energy within her body to not show any outward expressions of magji.
Despite how she felt being taken this far by Zoey Winters, she knew that exposing magji to all these people would ruin her family. It wasn't worth it. Yes, Angelica wanted to win no matter what, but not at the cost of those around her. Even if suppressing the magji technique would make it harder to control and possibly waste her mahna, it is better than doing nothing at all and slowly being whittled away!
Zoey's eyes flashed in surprise as she was punched directly in her face. With a grimace of pain, she quickly raised her guard only to feel a similar hit impact her stomach. It only took a brief moment before Zoey was overwhelmed with quick bullet-like punches. Sure, she could see them clearly without any issues, but Superstar increased her strength again. Just after, she perfectly measured her own power to match it. Son of a bitch!
"Fine! Twisting Punch!" Zoey's fist twisted itself back as she fully allowed herself to be battered by Angelica's flash punches.
In the eyes of the audience, Zoey could be seen throwing a regular corkscrew punch. The visual was far different in the eyes of those that wielded mahna within their bodies. In Angelica's view, she saw the very air itself being twisted and constricted by Zoey's fist through pure magji prowess. Angelica realized that no matter how many Flash Fist punches she threw, it wouldn't be enough to combat that ridiculous magji technique. At least, not with Flash Punch...
"Star Smash!" Angelica's fist should've lighted up bright enough to look like the shine of the galaxy. If only they weren't fighting in front of nearly millions of people.
Of course, the clash between the two young girls was anything but ordinary. Their attempts to restrain any magji expression were utterly at odds with their goal of defeating each other. It wouldn't make sense for there not to be something fantasy and magical-like for the audience to witness at the clash of magji techniques. The people in the crowd and possibly those at home saw how the impact from their blows was enough to rattle the metal cage and knock the referee off his feet!
Contrary to belief, the audience went absolutely nuts at the sight of this impossible scene. Cheers, yells, and screams deafened any other sound within the stadium. Zoey and Angelica were both nervous after witnessing the impact of their first clash, but at the sound of the crowd, the two continued their battle. Unleashing as much force from their fighting techniques as they could without entirely outing the magji community.
Zoey's twisting punch landed on Angelica's gut, twisting it something fierce as Angelica landed a star smash straight across her face. Angelica dropped to her knees from the horrific, unbelievable pain of having her skin and organs twisted while Zoey was sent sliding straight to the cage with a swollen eye and multiple purple bruises on her body. Zoey grinned as she recovered and looked down at Superstar. Superstar could no longer hold her smile anymore.
'God! What kind of inhuman sick sadistic magjistar would practice such a technique?!' Angelica thought as she did her best to revert the damage from her insides being twisted in ways they weren't supposed to.
Zoey slowly made her way over to the kneeled Superstar. No matter how much she tried, any movement to get up would result in horrible pain. Even if she used all of her mahna to try and force herself to move, it still wouldn't be enough to help her finish this match without grievous injuries. So, she simply kneeled with a grimace on her face as Zoey stood over her, smiling like a demon. A sharp contrast from the beginning of the match...
Zoey crouched down low and stared Angelica in the eyes.
"It's been fun, real fun. We should do this again sometime outside of the ring. After our punishment from nearly exposing the magji community and all." She whispered the last part.
"I won't lose next time..." Angelica fiercely replied, staring Zoey back in the face.
"Angelica Myers! Can you continue!?" The referee asked.
"I cannot," Angelica answered.
The referee waved his hands, and the match came to an end with a ring and an ear-shattering roar from the audience.
Chapter 107: Zoey’s Boxing Debut!
[Status]
[Name: Zoey]
[Sex: Female]
[Body: 8.0]
[Mental: 2.7]
[Magic: 8.5]
[Skills: 13]
[Zoey's Victorious Boxing Lv3]
[Focus Lv10]
[Teaching Lv20]
[Abnormal Conditions Lv22]
[Endurance Lv28]
[Fighting Aura Lv5]
[Gaming Lv13]
[Mahna Manipulation Lv28]
[Combo Magji Lv18]
[Twisting Force Lv25]
[Mahna Gathering Bomb Lv6]
[Overdraft Lv10]
[Symbiosis Lv2]
[Name: Zoey]
[Sex: Female]
[Body: 8.0]
[Mental: 2.7]
[Magic: 8.5]
[Skills: 13]
[Zoey's Victorious Boxing Lv3]
[Focus Lv10]
[Teaching Lv20]
[Abnormal Conditions Lv22]
[Endurance Lv28]
[Fighting Aura Lv5]
[Gaming Lv13]
[Mahna Manipulation Lv28]
[Combo Magji Lv18]
[Twisting Force Lv25]
[Mahna Gathering Bomb Lv6]
[Overdraft Lv10]
[Symbiosis Lv2]
Zoey listlessly curled a dumbbell weighing over 150 pounds as she sat in her bed studying. Her hair was rising as if the laws of gravity had no effect on them, along with the veins in her body being brought to the surface of her skin. Increased muscle mass, visible magji aura, and reddened skin. This was Zoey training herself by using Overdraft! A technique that allowed a magjistar to forcefully unlock the magji gates within their body and utilize more mahna than they would normally have access to, even in a dire situation that could cost them their life!
By forcing herself to endure the harsh physical, magji, and mental exertion, Zoey could train her body in ways that few other methods could compare! Especially when she was not allowed to hunt daemons for the foreseeable future. While this method wasn't as fun as beating the shit out of people, it still gave her crazy gains, according to the Box. Her Body stat was rising like crazy because of her training with this 'forbidden technique.' The Box didn't show how strong her actual body was while using Overdraft, though. Zoey guessed it was because the power she gains when using Overdraft is temporary, but the strengthening her body receives from enduring and recovering from the strain of overflowing mahna is not.
After the big celebration party with all of her friends, it didn't take long for the Council to visit. They put her on magjistar house arrest, basically. No cases, no daemons, and if they caught her trying to engage in magji work, they would strip her of her rank and seal her magji gates. It was fucking bullshit, but thanks to the convincing but really annoying arguments of her friends, she realized that the Council was actually being really lenient with her.
According to Lindsay, there wouldn't have been any discussion whatsoever if she was a regular magjistar. She would've been stripped of her rank and had her magji sealed no matter what excuse she had. This made Zoey wonder about Angelica. Did that happen to her, or did they have different rules for foreign magjistars?
Sadly, Zoey had no way of contacting Angelica except through social media. She accepted her friend request, and when Zoey sent a smiley emoji Angelica sent a middle finger emoji. A bitch move but understandable. Zoey did kick her ass. So, Zoey planned to give her time to settle down before trying to befriend her again.
In the meantime, her magji friends were getting ready to convince the Council to start up some fighting tournament scene in the magji world. Unfortunately, Zoey will not be able to be at the pitch at the OM, but she would be spoken about during it. She didn't remember what Lindsay said exactly, but she got the gist of it. Her punishment wouldn't have happened if she had a magji fighting league to be a part of instead of being forced to join a normal human's sport.
Zoey mostly agreed, but a small part of her disagreed as well. Zoey would've joined both. She liked fighting, but more specifically, she liked winning fights. The blissful rush after an enjoyable victory was enough to fill Zoey's content meter. Her victory over Angelica kind of dulled her excitement for her debut match in the Global Boxing Organization in a few days.
At least, that's what Zoey thought until she arrived at the venue. As she was being walked to the ring with her team and gym buddies, Zoey was welcomed by the crowd with insane intensity and love that sparked something deep within. The place was filled entirely without a single seat empty.
"Devil!"
"Devil!"
"Devil!"
They cheered for her with crazed smiles on their faces. They wore merchandise that Coach Scott had made after her YFTL debut and held signs supporting her. It was rather enlightening for Zoey as she realized at this moment that she was a huge simp for positive attention. Although it was challenging to keep from smiling, Zoey stayed in her Devil persona as she pushed away any hands reaching out for fist bumps or handshakes. She kept her eyes focused on the girl in the ring with a look of amusement.
As she made it to the ring, the crowd continued to cheer, scream, and shout. Inwardly, Zoey was starting to feel a little bad for her opponent. If this was her first match ever, this was probably going to be an experience she'll never forget especially since Zoey was planning to finish this match in a showy manner for her debut in the boxing league.
Caroline Hines slowly breathed in and out. As she repeated her personal mantra, drowning out the deafening sounds of the crowd. Time seems to have slowed to a crawl as she looked at the monster in human form in front of her. The rumors and information surrounding Zoey Winters truly failed to express just how much of an aberration she was.
The secular world has indeed become as strange as her masters warned her. Caroline wasn't naïve enough to believe that the outside world has converted to casually worshipping the devil or that Zoey was a devil. Although, they weren't far off in their description of her... That Thing was soaked in blood and death with the looks to match.
For some reason, something about Zoey reminded her of a daemon. Caroline would've cast this thought out of her mind as pure nonsense if it wasn't for the feeling she gave off passively. Even as Zoey stared at her while she meditated, she could feel that hair-raising aura challenge her. It was inviting her to fight, to challenge, to destroy. Anything to give in to the lust of battle. Hmph. Caroline kept her mind focused and resisted the pathetic temptation. All the training her masters have given her since she was a child prepared her for far worse than something like this.
She passively released an aura that only those on the path to no redemption could have, but as Caroline channeled her internal energy to her eyes, Zoey's corrupted soul wasn't completely black. It was just as mixed as any other human. This conflicted her. It wasn't a situation she's ever seen or heard of before. When someone is drenched in that much death and sin, there should be no signs of purity within them. Perhaps after this game, she should investigate Zoey Winters to come to a conclusion for herself. Then Caroline will decide whether Zoey can be converted to the light or exterminated for the betterment of the human race.
"In the blue corner! We have Zoey Winters! A young woman that is known across the world for her ferocity in the ring! This will be her debut match in the amateur boxing scene!" The announcer shouted to the shriek of the crowd.
"In the red corner, we have Caroline Hines! The captain of her boxing club in Yorktin High is also debuting for the first time! This is Caroline's first official match and the start of her career as a fighter!" The volume of the cheers lowered for Caroline but was no less impressive.
Zoey and Caroline met in the middle of the ring. The referee spoke to them, "Let's have a clean fight, boxers. Protect yourselves at all times. Touch gloves if you want. Then get to your corners." Zoey refused to touch gloves and simply turned her back on Caroline. Caroline didn't look to be bothered as she turned away as well.
The crowd of Zoey supporters went wild at this as the fight was about to begin. Like someone called, the Devil would be interested in a good clean fight. Zoey's less sane fans demanded blood! They wanted gruesome injuries! While the saner of the bunch were more interested in seeing another victory by their favorite fighter. How was she going to put down Caroline Hines?
Was it going to be over in one punch? Was she going to play around with Caroline before putting her down? The audience went crazy with speculation and anticipation of this match. No one expected Caroline Hines to last long against someone with an official undefeated streak like Zoey. Even if she never participated in the boxing league before this, everyone knew she was a top-tier boxer. Nothing was known about Caroline Hines.
It was as if she was nothing more than a little sacrifice for the devout followers of the Devil. Caroline's essence was only for the sake of nourishing their Devil. Some of the adults casting bets already have Zoey favored to win 10-1. Those who bet in favor of Caroline were considered crazier than some of Zoey's craziest fans. But the real betting for Zoey has changed since she's undefeated. The bookies only allowed bets on how she would defeat her opponent, not if she would defeat her opponent. It took them a while to change things up, and a lot of lost money during that period. As the bell rang to signal the start of the bout, the venue shook from the volume of the audience's cries.
Chapter 108: A Stunning Finish!
Caroline shot forward with a textbook straight punch toward Zoey's face. Much to the surprise of everyone, including Caroline, Zoey didn't bother to dodge or block. She was hit straight in the face, and Caroline pulled her fist back to see if she overestimated Zoey Winters. That monster was just smiling as she licked the blood that dripped down her nose.
Caroline felt insulted and, at the same time, incredibly unnerved! What normal person would do something like that?! The young girl, filled with righteousness, prepared herself to give this fight her all. Whatever Zoey Winters was, it made her feel uncomfortable. What better way to deal with a problem than punching it away!?
"Caroline Hines is starting off the match with a strong start! A perfectly thrown straight right in Winter's face!" The announcer yelled into the mic.
"Kill her, Winters!"
"Are you just gonna take that?! Piece her up!"
"Winters definitely knows how to capture the crowd's attention."
"Show your stuff before it's too late, newcomer!"
Caroline prepared herself to unleash a devastating combo of punches after seeing her first hit land so easily. The faster she proved her strength against this anomaly, the calmer her nerves will be. Her first punch was like a heat-seeking missile with Zoey's face as the target. Just as her gloved fist was about to land, Caroline felt a sudden pain that completely threw off her mental and physical state.
Zoey landed a punch deep in Caroline's gut, forcing her to double over in shock and pain. With her head in such a prime location, how could Zoey stop herself from following up? It would be disrespectful as a fighter not to show an opponent proper respect by putting them down accordingly. When Zoey's fist sunk into Caroline's stomach, almost immediately after, Caroline was sent straight back up with an uppercut.
An uppercut that might've done too much damage as Caroline was leaning backward about to fall with her eyes unfocused. Zoey sent a blazing left to the chest, a deadly right to the right-side abdomen, and a finishing downward smash from above. Caroline was sent crashing to the canvas on her back. She was utterly motionless, with no signs of consciousness in her eyes.
The referee waved his hands frantically, signaling the end of the match. He immediately went to check on Caroline Hines before calling in the paramedics. They brought a stretcher and went into the ring to carefully take her out and get her the help she needed. While this was happening, Zoey Winters watched Caroline being carried out with her arms crossed and a devilish smile on her face. She was playing perfectly into her Devil persona.
"Zoey Winters is the winner!" The announcer yelled.
The building shook from the cries of the audience. They chanted her stage name like a cult ritual. Zoey thought it was kind of cool, actually... Like a bunch of cult fanatics chanting hymns and stuff for their dark lord. As long as she clearly put a divide between her stage persona and her personal life, Zoey didn't see a problem with it. Because of her rising fame, more and more people started to notice her. Coach Scott and her PR manager Angelica thought she needed to participate in more interviews and charity donations. Zoey agreed because all of her fame was definitely not positive. Some people thought she was a figurehead for black rights, feminist rights, and, believe it or not, promoting satanism. She wondered why that was. This was just fighting.
"WE LOVE YOU, ZOEY!!!"
"I'm your biggest fan!"
"You decimated her! No chance of reincarnation when the Devil takes your soul!"
Zoey held back a smile since she was still in her fighting persona. Being liked by thousands of people is really addictive. She had to make sure not to let it go to her head and get drunk off of it. Although she probably already had a thousand problems ever since the Box got to her, not adding more to the list sounds like a good idea.
"Good job out there, kid. We got a reporter coming to give you an interview in about thirty minutes to talk about the fight. Do you think you can do it?" Coach Scott asked for her consent.
"Is Zoey doing the interview or the Devil?" Zoey asked.
"Which one are you more comfortable with?"
"I'll do the Devil. I've been doing it since the start."
It didn't make sense to switch up suddenly. It was her fighting gimmick, after all. Now when she was outside the ring or whatever, then she could be Zoey. Just a regular awkward ass bitch going to school, preparing for college, and stuff like any other regular young girl.
Coach Scott had some of the medical staff at the venue check her out even though she won. They gently swabbed the inside of her bloody nose to clean it and wiped the dried blood off her lips. By the time of the interview, Zoey looked like a winner and felt like a winner. Coach Scott stood behind the camera just in case she needed help, or they asked stupid questions.
"Zoey Winters, AKA, The Devil! How does winning your first debut match in the Global Boxing Organization feel!?" The interviewer was an excited lady.
"It was fun while it lasted." Zoey looked bored.
"Speaking of that! The match was so quick! Do you think Caroline Hines was worthy of an opponent or just a waste of time!?" This was a very dangerous question.
"She's just an example of what happens to those that face me in the ring." Zoey acted as if Caroline and any other future opponent were nothing but a fart in the wind.
"One last question, Miss Devil, before we go! Is there anything you wish to say to all your fans watching from home?"
"Hmph." Zoey looked directly into the camera. "Just keep watching." Then she walked off.
"And that was The Devil! An incredible young fighter that we certainly will keep watching as she makes her mark on the fighting world!"
Coach Scott gave her a double thumbs-up when they met up near the entrance. Zoey gave a breath of relief at the sight of that. She was so damn nervous thinking of what would be the perfect response for her fighting persona. Maybe it was because Zoey didn't even think of the gimmick for herself, and it was given to her by her fans. Now she had to fill in the blanks because she thought it was cool and didn't want to drop it.
"Wanna go out to celebrate with the others or go back home?" He asked her.
"I'll head home. I won, but it wasn't a celebration-type victory." Zoey said.
"Alright, kid. Make sure to rest up well. I'll let you know when your next fight is coming up."
"Got it."
Caroline Hines shot up from her hospital bed. She saw that she was surrounded by a few paramedics and thought back to what she could remember. Frustration, humiliation, and complete anger surged through her body and mind. She lost to that Thing! There's no way! After all of her training by her four masters, there's no way she could lose to someone around her own age! No, wait! It was because she wasn't using all of her strength in the game. That's how she lost.
She only lost because of the stupid rules in the sport. Caroline would've wiped the floor with that freak if it were a real fight! No, no, no! Caroline refused to accept this as a loss. As her emotions were overtaking her spirit, she suddenly took a deep breath.
"My mind is clear."
"My body is healthy."
"My spirit is pure."
"My mind is clear."
"My body is healthy."
"My spirit is pure."
Caroline gathered herself as she looked at the paramedics trying to put her to sleep to calm her. While sitting in her bed, she easily fought off the regular humans and knocked them out. She made her way out of the hospital and focused her internal energy on sensing Zoey Winters. It didn't matter where she hid, Caroline vowed to find her and show that what happened in that ring was nothing more than a fluke!
Even if she had to search this entire city, Caroline would fight Zoey Winters without holding back. Caroline's techniques specialized in purifying daemonic creatures! Against other humans, they were less effective. Considering that Zoey wasn't entirely human based on what she saw before that... fluke, Caroline was confident that she would be able to subdue Zoey completely with her masters' teachings.
Sometime later, Zoey was on her way back home from teaching the kids at the gym. She had her earbuds in with her hoodie raised as she jogged back home. Along the way, she spotted some figure standing on the sidewalk directly in her path. Zoey planned to just jog around them if they weren't going to move out of the way. Which they didn't. But just as Zoey was about to run around them while silently cursing at them for not moving out of the fucking way, the world slowed down to a crawl as level 10 Focus activated for the first time in a while.
Caroline felt insulted and, at the same time, incredibly unnerved! What normal person would do something like that?! The young girl, filled with righteousness, prepared herself to give this fight her all. Whatever Zoey Winters was, it made her feel uncomfortable. What better way to deal with a problem than punching it away!?
"Caroline Hines is starting off the match with a strong start! A perfectly thrown straight right in Winter's face!" The announcer yelled into the mic.
"Kill her, Winters!"
"Are you just gonna take that?! Piece her up!"
"Winters definitely knows how to capture the crowd's attention."
"Show your stuff before it's too late, newcomer!"
Caroline prepared herself to unleash a devastating combo of punches after seeing her first hit land so easily. The faster she proved her strength against this anomaly, the calmer her nerves will be. Her first punch was like a heat-seeking missile with Zoey's face as the target. Just as her gloved fist was about to land, Caroline felt a sudden pain that completely threw off her mental and physical state.
Zoey landed a punch deep in Caroline's gut, forcing her to double over in shock and pain. With her head in such a prime location, how could Zoey stop herself from following up? It would be disrespectful as a fighter not to show an opponent proper respect by putting them down accordingly. When Zoey's fist sunk into Caroline's stomach, almost immediately after, Caroline was sent straight back up with an uppercut.
An uppercut that might've done too much damage as Caroline was leaning backward about to fall with her eyes unfocused. Zoey sent a blazing left to the chest, a deadly right to the right-side abdomen, and a finishing downward smash from above. Caroline was sent crashing to the canvas on her back. She was utterly motionless, with no signs of consciousness in her eyes.
The referee waved his hands frantically, signaling the end of the match. He immediately went to check on Caroline Hines before calling in the paramedics. They brought a stretcher and went into the ring to carefully take her out and get her the help she needed. While this was happening, Zoey Winters watched Caroline being carried out with her arms crossed and a devilish smile on her face. She was playing perfectly into her Devil persona.
"Zoey Winters is the winner!" The announcer yelled.
The building shook from the cries of the audience. They chanted her stage name like a cult ritual. Zoey thought it was kind of cool, actually... Like a bunch of cult fanatics chanting hymns and stuff for their dark lord. As long as she clearly put a divide between her stage persona and her personal life, Zoey didn't see a problem with it. Because of her rising fame, more and more people started to notice her. Coach Scott and her PR manager Angelica thought she needed to participate in more interviews and charity donations. Zoey agreed because all of her fame was definitely not positive. Some people thought she was a figurehead for black rights, feminist rights, and, believe it or not, promoting satanism. She wondered why that was. This was just fighting.
"WE LOVE YOU, ZOEY!!!"
"I'm your biggest fan!"
"You decimated her! No chance of reincarnation when the Devil takes your soul!"
Zoey held back a smile since she was still in her fighting persona. Being liked by thousands of people is really addictive. She had to make sure not to let it go to her head and get drunk off of it. Although she probably already had a thousand problems ever since the Box got to her, not adding more to the list sounds like a good idea.
"Good job out there, kid. We got a reporter coming to give you an interview in about thirty minutes to talk about the fight. Do you think you can do it?" Coach Scott asked for her consent.
"Is Zoey doing the interview or the Devil?" Zoey asked.
"Which one are you more comfortable with?"
"I'll do the Devil. I've been doing it since the start."
It didn't make sense to switch up suddenly. It was her fighting gimmick, after all. Now when she was outside the ring or whatever, then she could be Zoey. Just a regular awkward ass bitch going to school, preparing for college, and stuff like any other regular young girl.
Coach Scott had some of the medical staff at the venue check her out even though she won. They gently swabbed the inside of her bloody nose to clean it and wiped the dried blood off her lips. By the time of the interview, Zoey looked like a winner and felt like a winner. Coach Scott stood behind the camera just in case she needed help, or they asked stupid questions.
"Zoey Winters, AKA, The Devil! How does winning your first debut match in the Global Boxing Organization feel!?" The interviewer was an excited lady.
"It was fun while it lasted." Zoey looked bored.
"Speaking of that! The match was so quick! Do you think Caroline Hines was worthy of an opponent or just a waste of time!?" This was a very dangerous question.
"She's just an example of what happens to those that face me in the ring." Zoey acted as if Caroline and any other future opponent were nothing but a fart in the wind.
"One last question, Miss Devil, before we go! Is there anything you wish to say to all your fans watching from home?"
"Hmph." Zoey looked directly into the camera. "Just keep watching." Then she walked off.
"And that was The Devil! An incredible young fighter that we certainly will keep watching as she makes her mark on the fighting world!"
Coach Scott gave her a double thumbs-up when they met up near the entrance. Zoey gave a breath of relief at the sight of that. She was so damn nervous thinking of what would be the perfect response for her fighting persona. Maybe it was because Zoey didn't even think of the gimmick for herself, and it was given to her by her fans. Now she had to fill in the blanks because she thought it was cool and didn't want to drop it.
"Wanna go out to celebrate with the others or go back home?" He asked her.
"I'll head home. I won, but it wasn't a celebration-type victory." Zoey said.
"Alright, kid. Make sure to rest up well. I'll let you know when your next fight is coming up."
"Got it."
Caroline Hines shot up from her hospital bed. She saw that she was surrounded by a few paramedics and thought back to what she could remember. Frustration, humiliation, and complete anger surged through her body and mind. She lost to that Thing! There's no way! After all of her training by her four masters, there's no way she could lose to someone around her own age! No, wait! It was because she wasn't using all of her strength in the game. That's how she lost.
She only lost because of the stupid rules in the sport. Caroline would've wiped the floor with that freak if it were a real fight! No, no, no! Caroline refused to accept this as a loss. As her emotions were overtaking her spirit, she suddenly took a deep breath.
"My mind is clear."
"My body is healthy."
"My spirit is pure."
"My mind is clear."
"My body is healthy."
"My spirit is pure."
Caroline gathered herself as she looked at the paramedics trying to put her to sleep to calm her. While sitting in her bed, she easily fought off the regular humans and knocked them out. She made her way out of the hospital and focused her internal energy on sensing Zoey Winters. It didn't matter where she hid, Caroline vowed to find her and show that what happened in that ring was nothing more than a fluke!
Even if she had to search this entire city, Caroline would fight Zoey Winters without holding back. Caroline's techniques specialized in purifying daemonic creatures! Against other humans, they were less effective. Considering that Zoey wasn't entirely human based on what she saw before that... fluke, Caroline was confident that she would be able to subdue Zoey completely with her masters' teachings.
Sometime later, Zoey was on her way back home from teaching the kids at the gym. She had her earbuds in with her hoodie raised as she jogged back home. Along the way, she spotted some figure standing on the sidewalk directly in her path. Zoey planned to just jog around them if they weren't going to move out of the way. Which they didn't. But just as Zoey was about to run around them while silently cursing at them for not moving out of the fucking way, the world slowed down to a crawl as level 10 Focus activated for the first time in a while.
Chapter 109: The Vengeful Rematch!
Zoey watched in slow motion as a long glowing staff headed straight for her stomach. She didn't look at the person attacking her, she didn't think about why someone was attacking her, and she certainly didn't care about their reason for doing so. What Zoey did understand was that someone in the magji world was attacking her, and they were aiming for her life. Focus only activated when she was in life-threatening danger or felt her body was being pushed to its limits. It's been a while since she faced off against a magjistar bounty hunter or assassin.
Zoey's Fighting Aura was at max power as she responded to the attacker's ambush. Her bare fist was coated in mahna as it clashed with the attacker's glowing staff. Zoey fought with less than half of her strength. It was restricted by 90%! She was sent sliding back with a nasty burn on her fist.
"Ow. Ow. Ow." She blew on her burning but not burning fist. "You're not so bad if you can take 10% of my full strength and knock me back." Zoey activated her Heart Oath.
By imposing a self-restricted vow on herself with her magji, the Balance of the World would respond to equal out the risks with a reward. If the fight lasted long enough, Zoey had the potential to increase her strength past her normal limit of 100%. She didn't know how far the Balance of the World could increase it, too, since she never had a fight last long enough to find out.
"Underestimating me will be your greatest and final mistake, vile creature." They looked at the wound on Zoey's fist with a strange look.
They rushed toward Zoey. Zoey focused solely on her opponent and blocked out all unnecessary things in the background. She didn't think about the fact that she was in public right now. Anyone could recognize her, and if she was caught by the Council, causing another situation where the magji world could be revealed, no more magji. The only thing she thought about was kicking this person's ass.
Zoey's fists met with the staff skills of the attacker. It burned so damn badly each time she made contact with that glowing staff but training Overdraft was far more painful than something like this. Overdraft taxed her entire body! This only made her fists go owie. Zoey smiled as she realized that getting past the range difference wouldn't be easy.
"My magji technique is called Combo Magji." Zoey's body was engulfed in a thin layer of mahna inside and out. "Combo Volume I: Combo Time!" Zoey's fists continued to match the strikes of the long-ranged staff.
Gradually, Zoey's punches began to throw off the staff user's balance as they were forced to use more strength to keep up with Zoey. "It's not that you're getting weaker. It's just that I'm getting stronger. The more hits I land within a certain amount of time, the stronger I become. My power, my speed, and my mahna all increase together. No part of me isn't strengthened! But if I don't land a hit within that certain amount of time, all my built-up strength disappears into the wind." Zoey explained, activating her second Heart Oath.
By revealing how her magji technique works, the Balance of the World will reward her for the risk she's taken with her magji. Now she could feel her strength rising faster, and the time frame in which she needed to land an attack increased by a single second. It didn't take long for Zoey's attacker to suddenly break off from their repeated clashes and gain some distance. She repeatedly jumped away until Zoey's built-up strength disappeared.
"That would've been the right choice if you faced me a couple of months ago," Zoey smirked. "Combo Volume I: Supreme Trackstar!" Zoey ran at the staff-wielding girl.
By continuing her combo on the ground beneath her feet, Zoey kept her growing strength and could chase after her opponent. Nothing in the manual for combo volume said the only way she could continue her combo was by hitting someone. They could outrun her for a time, but eventually, Zoey would catch up as her body slowly grew in strength! Just like this girl was doing now by running away to ruin her combo.
Zoey caught up to the fleeing magjistar and struck with a sliding, twisting fist. The girl gnashed her teeth as she had to use most of her power just to defend now. It was more damaging blocking this Thing's attacks! She had to change tactics and fast.
"I don't know why you were stupid enough to reveal your techniques and continue to hold back against me, but I will tell you that you will regret it! I'm not going to hold back against you anymore, daemon. I don't know how you possessed that human's body, but for the sake of a better world, I shall exterminate you to purify their soul of your sins."
Zoey looked at her as if she was stupid. She didn't know what the fuck this bitch was going on about.
"A creature as strong and as wicked as you cannot be saved by the light of righteousness. Humanity would be doomed if you were allowed to grow any further. It is my job as the sole disciple of the Four Monks to purify you for the sake of humanity!" She continued to spew nonsense.
Just as Zoey's fist drilled toward the crazy bitch to shut her up, the girl held up her left hand. Her index finger and middle finger glowed just like her staff was earlier. Zoey felt something inside of her start heating up. An instinctive demand for her to get angry. Was this some type of mind control technique or something?
"You started this." Zoey smashed her fist in the grinning girl's face.
She had twenty-two levels in Abnormal Conditions! Wait, it was twenty-three now. It would take a lot more than that to affect her in a fight! A small thought flashed in Zoey's mind about dragging this fight out longer to grind more experience for that skill. She didn't know exactly what was that glowing magji that burned like hell but knew it wasn't any fire magji she's felt.
An unintelligible noise escaped the girl's mouth from the punch. Zoey grabbed her staff and used her built-up strength to yank the surprised girl closer to her. Another punch found itself at home in her guts as Zoey grabbed her hair. With a tight grip, Zoey began to pummel the girl's face in with a mad grin on her face. Each punch grew in strength, and Zoey's inner restraints slowly loosened as she felt herself on the verge of victory.
"H-Heaven's Purifying Light!" The bloodied, bruised, and swollen lips of the girl shouted something.
It happened in an instant. A blinding light engulfed both magjistars and if Zoey thought, the burning from before felt bad. This time she felt like her entire soul was burning! Zoey dropped to her knees from unimaginable pain as something inside her was being erased.
Unknown to Zoey at the time, something was indeed being erased. Symbiosis was erased from Zoey's skills. Caroline's ultimate technique purified the daemonic parasite that found itself at home within her body during the joint case. At the cost of her lifespan, she was willing to do everything to exterminate all of the daemonic presence within Zoey. Unfortunately, the poor girl believed that Zoey's entire body and soul were possessed by a demon. Not that a daemon was hatching a ride onto Zoey's human body and, eventually, soul. Zoey's metamorphosis into a half-human half-daemon was nipped in the bud entirely.
The two girls lay next to each other, completely exhausted. Zoey was forced to her knees while Caroline was completely unconscious. She panted like a dog as all of her built-up power was gone to the wind. Her eyes glanced over to the familiar face with confusion and anger.
"The girl I beat in my first boxing match..." Zoey slowly looked around and noticed that there wasn't a single soul on the streets beside them. "Did I really beat you that badly? You had to do something like this?" She came at her with the intent to kill, and now that Zoey had won, she was a little pissed off.
"Wake up." Zoey slapped her.
It didn't work, so she slapped again but a bit harder. This time, she jolted awake and stared into her face. Then she tried to slap Zoey back, but Zoey caught her weakened wrist. "Mind explaining why you tried to kill me?" Zoey asked.
"You're not dead...?" Caroline channeled her barely remaining internal energy into her eyes. "Your soul is human, after all?"
"What are you talking about? Please explain clearly, or I'll punch you again." Zoey was losing patience.
"I thought you were a daemon possessing the body of a magjistar."
"They can do that?" Zoey had to remember to write that in her journal later.
"It isn't common, but it's possible. I have the rare ability to see into the soul of living beings. With that ability, I use it to purify the earth of those filthy daemonic creatures and help the sinful souls of mankind become pure." Caroline explained.
"So, you're like a nun on a religious retreat?" Zoey thought of the closest comparison that came to her mind.
"I'm not a nun! I'm a monk. A holy monk, the only disciple of the Four Monks." She clarified.
"You're not bald either?"
"I'm not a Buddhist monk."
"Right, right. So, what does my soul look like now?" So, there were religious magjistars, too, huh?
"Still sinful but more human sin than inhuman evil."
"Sounds about right." Zoey nodded.
"I apologize for attacking you and mistaking you for a daemon. I will make up for this one day. For now, farewell." Caroline got up and pulled down the air. The space around them started cracking. Just as Caroline was about to limp away severely injured, she felt a tug on her arm.
"You have to teach me that if you want to make it up to me," Zoey told her.
Zoey's Fighting Aura was at max power as she responded to the attacker's ambush. Her bare fist was coated in mahna as it clashed with the attacker's glowing staff. Zoey fought with less than half of her strength. It was restricted by 90%! She was sent sliding back with a nasty burn on her fist.
"Ow. Ow. Ow." She blew on her burning but not burning fist. "You're not so bad if you can take 10% of my full strength and knock me back." Zoey activated her Heart Oath.
By imposing a self-restricted vow on herself with her magji, the Balance of the World would respond to equal out the risks with a reward. If the fight lasted long enough, Zoey had the potential to increase her strength past her normal limit of 100%. She didn't know how far the Balance of the World could increase it, too, since she never had a fight last long enough to find out.
"Underestimating me will be your greatest and final mistake, vile creature." They looked at the wound on Zoey's fist with a strange look.
They rushed toward Zoey. Zoey focused solely on her opponent and blocked out all unnecessary things in the background. She didn't think about the fact that she was in public right now. Anyone could recognize her, and if she was caught by the Council, causing another situation where the magji world could be revealed, no more magji. The only thing she thought about was kicking this person's ass.
Zoey's fists met with the staff skills of the attacker. It burned so damn badly each time she made contact with that glowing staff but training Overdraft was far more painful than something like this. Overdraft taxed her entire body! This only made her fists go owie. Zoey smiled as she realized that getting past the range difference wouldn't be easy.
"My magji technique is called Combo Magji." Zoey's body was engulfed in a thin layer of mahna inside and out. "Combo Volume I: Combo Time!" Zoey's fists continued to match the strikes of the long-ranged staff.
Gradually, Zoey's punches began to throw off the staff user's balance as they were forced to use more strength to keep up with Zoey. "It's not that you're getting weaker. It's just that I'm getting stronger. The more hits I land within a certain amount of time, the stronger I become. My power, my speed, and my mahna all increase together. No part of me isn't strengthened! But if I don't land a hit within that certain amount of time, all my built-up strength disappears into the wind." Zoey explained, activating her second Heart Oath.
By revealing how her magji technique works, the Balance of the World will reward her for the risk she's taken with her magji. Now she could feel her strength rising faster, and the time frame in which she needed to land an attack increased by a single second. It didn't take long for Zoey's attacker to suddenly break off from their repeated clashes and gain some distance. She repeatedly jumped away until Zoey's built-up strength disappeared.
"That would've been the right choice if you faced me a couple of months ago," Zoey smirked. "Combo Volume I: Supreme Trackstar!" Zoey ran at the staff-wielding girl.
By continuing her combo on the ground beneath her feet, Zoey kept her growing strength and could chase after her opponent. Nothing in the manual for combo volume said the only way she could continue her combo was by hitting someone. They could outrun her for a time, but eventually, Zoey would catch up as her body slowly grew in strength! Just like this girl was doing now by running away to ruin her combo.
Zoey caught up to the fleeing magjistar and struck with a sliding, twisting fist. The girl gnashed her teeth as she had to use most of her power just to defend now. It was more damaging blocking this Thing's attacks! She had to change tactics and fast.
"I don't know why you were stupid enough to reveal your techniques and continue to hold back against me, but I will tell you that you will regret it! I'm not going to hold back against you anymore, daemon. I don't know how you possessed that human's body, but for the sake of a better world, I shall exterminate you to purify their soul of your sins."
Zoey looked at her as if she was stupid. She didn't know what the fuck this bitch was going on about.
"A creature as strong and as wicked as you cannot be saved by the light of righteousness. Humanity would be doomed if you were allowed to grow any further. It is my job as the sole disciple of the Four Monks to purify you for the sake of humanity!" She continued to spew nonsense.
Just as Zoey's fist drilled toward the crazy bitch to shut her up, the girl held up her left hand. Her index finger and middle finger glowed just like her staff was earlier. Zoey felt something inside of her start heating up. An instinctive demand for her to get angry. Was this some type of mind control technique or something?
"You started this." Zoey smashed her fist in the grinning girl's face.
She had twenty-two levels in Abnormal Conditions! Wait, it was twenty-three now. It would take a lot more than that to affect her in a fight! A small thought flashed in Zoey's mind about dragging this fight out longer to grind more experience for that skill. She didn't know exactly what was that glowing magji that burned like hell but knew it wasn't any fire magji she's felt.
An unintelligible noise escaped the girl's mouth from the punch. Zoey grabbed her staff and used her built-up strength to yank the surprised girl closer to her. Another punch found itself at home in her guts as Zoey grabbed her hair. With a tight grip, Zoey began to pummel the girl's face in with a mad grin on her face. Each punch grew in strength, and Zoey's inner restraints slowly loosened as she felt herself on the verge of victory.
"H-Heaven's Purifying Light!" The bloodied, bruised, and swollen lips of the girl shouted something.
It happened in an instant. A blinding light engulfed both magjistars and if Zoey thought, the burning from before felt bad. This time she felt like her entire soul was burning! Zoey dropped to her knees from unimaginable pain as something inside her was being erased.
Unknown to Zoey at the time, something was indeed being erased. Symbiosis was erased from Zoey's skills. Caroline's ultimate technique purified the daemonic parasite that found itself at home within her body during the joint case. At the cost of her lifespan, she was willing to do everything to exterminate all of the daemonic presence within Zoey. Unfortunately, the poor girl believed that Zoey's entire body and soul were possessed by a demon. Not that a daemon was hatching a ride onto Zoey's human body and, eventually, soul. Zoey's metamorphosis into a half-human half-daemon was nipped in the bud entirely.
The two girls lay next to each other, completely exhausted. Zoey was forced to her knees while Caroline was completely unconscious. She panted like a dog as all of her built-up power was gone to the wind. Her eyes glanced over to the familiar face with confusion and anger.
"The girl I beat in my first boxing match..." Zoey slowly looked around and noticed that there wasn't a single soul on the streets beside them. "Did I really beat you that badly? You had to do something like this?" She came at her with the intent to kill, and now that Zoey had won, she was a little pissed off.
"Wake up." Zoey slapped her.
It didn't work, so she slapped again but a bit harder. This time, she jolted awake and stared into her face. Then she tried to slap Zoey back, but Zoey caught her weakened wrist. "Mind explaining why you tried to kill me?" Zoey asked.
"You're not dead...?" Caroline channeled her barely remaining internal energy into her eyes. "Your soul is human, after all?"
"What are you talking about? Please explain clearly, or I'll punch you again." Zoey was losing patience.
"I thought you were a daemon possessing the body of a magjistar."
"They can do that?" Zoey had to remember to write that in her journal later.
"It isn't common, but it's possible. I have the rare ability to see into the soul of living beings. With that ability, I use it to purify the earth of those filthy daemonic creatures and help the sinful souls of mankind become pure." Caroline explained.
"So, you're like a nun on a religious retreat?" Zoey thought of the closest comparison that came to her mind.
"I'm not a nun! I'm a monk. A holy monk, the only disciple of the Four Monks." She clarified.
"You're not bald either?"
"I'm not a Buddhist monk."
"Right, right. So, what does my soul look like now?" So, there were religious magjistars, too, huh?
"Still sinful but more human sin than inhuman evil."
"Sounds about right." Zoey nodded.
"I apologize for attacking you and mistaking you for a daemon. I will make up for this one day. For now, farewell." Caroline got up and pulled down the air. The space around them started cracking. Just as Caroline was about to limp away severely injured, she felt a tug on her arm.
"You have to teach me that if you want to make it up to me," Zoey told her.
Chapter 109.5: A Student’s Dilemma!
"Never fight outside the gym. Never fight outside the gym. Never fight outside the gym..." Jack muttered to himself.
"What the heck are you mumbling, freak?" A familiar voice said as Jack felt someone kick him out of his seat.
Jack fell to the ground with a painful groan, continuing to mutter his teacher's words. He buried the spike of anger that rose inside of him. He ignored how easy it would be to use what he's been taught for violence. Giving in to violence is the same as throwing away everything he's been taught. No, he needed a legitimate reason if he wanted to use what he's learned from Miss Devil.
She never said it out loud, but all of the kids knew there were a few situations when they could use what they learned from her. Self-defense, protecting the weak and innocent, or for sports. Her exact words were, "I'm not here to teach you how to hurt people. I'm here to give you the necessary tools to protect yourself and those you care about." What Jack went through so far didn't need protecting. All he needed to do was endure until they finally crossed one of those three lines. Endure, endure, endure...
"What's wrong, fatso? You mad? You angry? You look pissed off." Morgan laughed along with the class.
It was unfortunate, but it seemed like Jack was the best person to bully in class just because he was a little overweight. If there were at least one person to be bullied alongside him, he'd have a legitimate reason to fight back, but nope, it was just him. What's worse is that they never go too far in their bullying. They go just far enough to infuriate, annoy, or cause him pain but not far enough over the line that Jack would need to protect himself.
"Stop bothering me, Morgan." Jack got up from the ground and got back in his seat.
The teacher was out. Jack was surrounded by people who were more likely to blame him than take his side. Morgan was in one of his moods where he had nothing better to do than to mess with Jack.
"Stop bothering me, Morgan." Morgan mocked in a high-pitched annoying voice that didn't sound like Jack's voice at all.
"You sounded just like him!" Someone loudly laughed.
"He sounds like a girl."
"Fat, ugly, and sounds like a pig. Ugh, no wonder nobody like you, Jack." Melissa said to the laughter of her friends.
"..." Jack ignored them.
Jack's fist tightly clenched his mechanical pencil, but he did not respond to the insults, taunts, and laughter. In the eyes of his classmates, this wasn't fun. How could they have their fun if he just sat there and took their mean words? On behalf of the class, Morgan stepped up to the plate and snatched his textbook.
Jack just looked at him and rolled his eyes. Was he supposed to chase after him and scream, "Give me my stuff! Give me my book!"? Not anymore. Jack learned his lesson after they took his stuff the first few times. He carried nothing but absolute essentials on his body. If they somehow got in his locker and grabbed his book bag, they'd find nothing but books and school supplies. He didn't even carry money with him anymore. Just his phone, and that was the only thing in his pocket.
"Whatever, piggy." Morgan threw his book on his desk and went back to his seat
Just as the teacher came back. Jack was glad. This was the last class of the day, and he only had to put up with his classmates for the next half hour. A small smile formed on his face as he thought about going to Miss Devil's classes after school today.
As school was let out, Jack happily made his way out of the school building to find his bus. Thankfully, none of his classmates rode the same bus as him. He was quite grateful to God for that small price of peace. The bus ride to school and from school was another small slice of heaven for him.
"Where are you going so fast, fat bitch?" Jack heard that stupid voice as he felt someone trip him to the ground.
The fall was ugly and painful. Jack's knees and hands scrapped the ground when trying to catch his fall. He tried to take a deep breath as he heard the laughing of all the other kids. Jack tried to remember Miss Devil's words. Did he need to be protected? Did he really need protection? Sure, this hurt, but it wasn't as painful as training with Miss Devil. It pissed him off but was that enough of a reason to fight back? Would his teacher be upset with him if he fought and hurt the others...?
Jack stood up with tears in the corner of his eyes. He roughly pushed Morgan out of his way as he made his way to the bus. The continuing laughter fell on deaf ears for Jack as he made it on his bus. He needed to find out. He needed to ask Miss Devil personally!
…
Later after boxing classes at the gym. Jack stood around with the other kids who liked to talk with Miss Devil after classes. He didn't speak up but simply waited until the others were done speaking. Some of the other kids' parents had to drag their kids away from Miss Devil, but eventually, Jack managed to talk to her alone.
"..." She looked at his body before focusing on his eyes. "What's wrong, Jack? You looked more tired than usual when training today." She asked nicely. It was far different from how she acted when fighting in the ring.
Jack didn't know how she already knew he had a problem, but he didn't wait all this time just to be quiet now. He told her about everything he's been going through at school. Things he didn't even tell his mom and dad about. Jack shared with her about his feelings, doubts, and most importantly... Asked her what he should do to get it to stop.
"Bullying is a crappy thing, but those who stand by and do nothing while injustice is happening are worse. Jack, you are a strong, smart, and kind boy." She rubbed his head. "I'm happy you came to talk to me about this." Jack felt his heart lighten at her words.
"I would love to tell you something like, tell your parents, have them set up a meeting with the principal, and discuss the issues going on in your class to solve them. But that isn't realistic. You don't need advice from me as your teacher, but I do know someone else who could help you." Miss Devil said.
"Who?"
"She's a real Devil, I hear. Are you sure, you want to hear from her?" Miss Devil smirked.
"Yes!" Jack resolutely stared into his teacher's eyes.
Then with a flip, her entire person changed. Jack didn't know how to explain it, but it was like she had turned into a different person as she wrapped her arms around him and whispered into his ear. She giggled as she explained to him what to do. Jack soon joined her in her giggling as he was infected by her change.
In the eyes of those watching, it looked like the two were laughing about an inside joke that only they knew. A harmless cute moment of a teacher bonding with her student. Then they broke off from their secret whispering. Jack hugged Miss Devil with all of his heart for helping him when he needed it.
"Thank me once you see changes, kid. Now go give 'em hell, Little Imp." She told him.
"Yes!" Jack felt his entire being filled with hope, joy, and excitement.
The next day, half of Jack's classmates were hospitalized, while the other half were traumatized by the brutality of their injuries. When Jack arrived in class after his ten-day suspension for excessive self-defense, he glared at everyone on his arrival. Most looked away, but there was a certain someone who seemed skeptical and kept her eyes on him. Jack smashed his fist on Melissa's desk, startling her horribly to the point where she screamed.
"Shut up unless you want to end up like Morgan and his friends." Jack threatened her.
"..." Melissa covered her mouth as she looked into Jack's frightening eyes.
She knew some girls were even sent to the hospital by Jack. He would hit her even if she was a girl. Melissa was relieved that she didn't join Morgan when he texted her to meet them at the park for their fun with Jack. If she went to the park like all of them, she'd be in the hospital too!
"I would've been happy if you showed up at the park with everyone else, but sadly it wasn't meant to be." Jack left her with those words as he went to his desk.
"I'm sorry!" Melissa blurted out.
Jack ignored her words and the words of the rest of his classmates as they also started to apologize. They weren't sorry. They didn't feel bad for what they did. They were just afraid of him. Afraid of the consequences of their actions. Afraid of being punished for doing something they knew was wrong.
As much as Jack would like to hurt them all as well, he was on thin ice. His parents had to defend him against dozens of other parents trying to sue, get him sent to juvie, or be expelled from school. The only thing that stopped them from succeeding was that Jack was one person. How could one overweight child beat up a dozen kids by himself? There were no weapons used or could be proven to be used during the fight. This defense was strong enough that even the densest of people knew something was strange.
And a strong enough defense could be used as a strong offense as well. Jack's parents countersued the other parents for what Jack had to go through because of their children. Jack shared with his parents the same thing he told Miss Devil, and things started to go up for them. A bullying case plus a self-defense case made Jack's defense impenetrable. A bunch of children bullying one child was a lot more believable than one fat child beating up a group of children with just his bare fists.
'I won't let what happened to me happen to anyone else.' Jack promised himself. His fists were to be used for the innocent, the weak, and for sports. No longer would he stand by and let evil be.
"What the heck are you mumbling, freak?" A familiar voice said as Jack felt someone kick him out of his seat.
Jack fell to the ground with a painful groan, continuing to mutter his teacher's words. He buried the spike of anger that rose inside of him. He ignored how easy it would be to use what he's been taught for violence. Giving in to violence is the same as throwing away everything he's been taught. No, he needed a legitimate reason if he wanted to use what he's learned from Miss Devil.
She never said it out loud, but all of the kids knew there were a few situations when they could use what they learned from her. Self-defense, protecting the weak and innocent, or for sports. Her exact words were, "I'm not here to teach you how to hurt people. I'm here to give you the necessary tools to protect yourself and those you care about." What Jack went through so far didn't need protecting. All he needed to do was endure until they finally crossed one of those three lines. Endure, endure, endure...
"What's wrong, fatso? You mad? You angry? You look pissed off." Morgan laughed along with the class.
It was unfortunate, but it seemed like Jack was the best person to bully in class just because he was a little overweight. If there were at least one person to be bullied alongside him, he'd have a legitimate reason to fight back, but nope, it was just him. What's worse is that they never go too far in their bullying. They go just far enough to infuriate, annoy, or cause him pain but not far enough over the line that Jack would need to protect himself.
"Stop bothering me, Morgan." Jack got up from the ground and got back in his seat.
The teacher was out. Jack was surrounded by people who were more likely to blame him than take his side. Morgan was in one of his moods where he had nothing better to do than to mess with Jack.
"Stop bothering me, Morgan." Morgan mocked in a high-pitched annoying voice that didn't sound like Jack's voice at all.
"You sounded just like him!" Someone loudly laughed.
"He sounds like a girl."
"Fat, ugly, and sounds like a pig. Ugh, no wonder nobody like you, Jack." Melissa said to the laughter of her friends.
"..." Jack ignored them.
Jack's fist tightly clenched his mechanical pencil, but he did not respond to the insults, taunts, and laughter. In the eyes of his classmates, this wasn't fun. How could they have their fun if he just sat there and took their mean words? On behalf of the class, Morgan stepped up to the plate and snatched his textbook.
Jack just looked at him and rolled his eyes. Was he supposed to chase after him and scream, "Give me my stuff! Give me my book!"? Not anymore. Jack learned his lesson after they took his stuff the first few times. He carried nothing but absolute essentials on his body. If they somehow got in his locker and grabbed his book bag, they'd find nothing but books and school supplies. He didn't even carry money with him anymore. Just his phone, and that was the only thing in his pocket.
"Whatever, piggy." Morgan threw his book on his desk and went back to his seat
Just as the teacher came back. Jack was glad. This was the last class of the day, and he only had to put up with his classmates for the next half hour. A small smile formed on his face as he thought about going to Miss Devil's classes after school today.
As school was let out, Jack happily made his way out of the school building to find his bus. Thankfully, none of his classmates rode the same bus as him. He was quite grateful to God for that small price of peace. The bus ride to school and from school was another small slice of heaven for him.
"Where are you going so fast, fat bitch?" Jack heard that stupid voice as he felt someone trip him to the ground.
The fall was ugly and painful. Jack's knees and hands scrapped the ground when trying to catch his fall. He tried to take a deep breath as he heard the laughing of all the other kids. Jack tried to remember Miss Devil's words. Did he need to be protected? Did he really need protection? Sure, this hurt, but it wasn't as painful as training with Miss Devil. It pissed him off but was that enough of a reason to fight back? Would his teacher be upset with him if he fought and hurt the others...?
Jack stood up with tears in the corner of his eyes. He roughly pushed Morgan out of his way as he made his way to the bus. The continuing laughter fell on deaf ears for Jack as he made it on his bus. He needed to find out. He needed to ask Miss Devil personally!
…
Later after boxing classes at the gym. Jack stood around with the other kids who liked to talk with Miss Devil after classes. He didn't speak up but simply waited until the others were done speaking. Some of the other kids' parents had to drag their kids away from Miss Devil, but eventually, Jack managed to talk to her alone.
"..." She looked at his body before focusing on his eyes. "What's wrong, Jack? You looked more tired than usual when training today." She asked nicely. It was far different from how she acted when fighting in the ring.
Jack didn't know how she already knew he had a problem, but he didn't wait all this time just to be quiet now. He told her about everything he's been going through at school. Things he didn't even tell his mom and dad about. Jack shared with her about his feelings, doubts, and most importantly... Asked her what he should do to get it to stop.
"Bullying is a crappy thing, but those who stand by and do nothing while injustice is happening are worse. Jack, you are a strong, smart, and kind boy." She rubbed his head. "I'm happy you came to talk to me about this." Jack felt his heart lighten at her words.
"I would love to tell you something like, tell your parents, have them set up a meeting with the principal, and discuss the issues going on in your class to solve them. But that isn't realistic. You don't need advice from me as your teacher, but I do know someone else who could help you." Miss Devil said.
"Who?"
"She's a real Devil, I hear. Are you sure, you want to hear from her?" Miss Devil smirked.
"Yes!" Jack resolutely stared into his teacher's eyes.
Then with a flip, her entire person changed. Jack didn't know how to explain it, but it was like she had turned into a different person as she wrapped her arms around him and whispered into his ear. She giggled as she explained to him what to do. Jack soon joined her in her giggling as he was infected by her change.
In the eyes of those watching, it looked like the two were laughing about an inside joke that only they knew. A harmless cute moment of a teacher bonding with her student. Then they broke off from their secret whispering. Jack hugged Miss Devil with all of his heart for helping him when he needed it.
"Thank me once you see changes, kid. Now go give 'em hell, Little Imp." She told him.
"Yes!" Jack felt his entire being filled with hope, joy, and excitement.
The next day, half of Jack's classmates were hospitalized, while the other half were traumatized by the brutality of their injuries. When Jack arrived in class after his ten-day suspension for excessive self-defense, he glared at everyone on his arrival. Most looked away, but there was a certain someone who seemed skeptical and kept her eyes on him. Jack smashed his fist on Melissa's desk, startling her horribly to the point where she screamed.
"Shut up unless you want to end up like Morgan and his friends." Jack threatened her.
"..." Melissa covered her mouth as she looked into Jack's frightening eyes.
She knew some girls were even sent to the hospital by Jack. He would hit her even if she was a girl. Melissa was relieved that she didn't join Morgan when he texted her to meet them at the park for their fun with Jack. If she went to the park like all of them, she'd be in the hospital too!
"I would've been happy if you showed up at the park with everyone else, but sadly it wasn't meant to be." Jack left her with those words as he went to his desk.
"I'm sorry!" Melissa blurted out.
Jack ignored her words and the words of the rest of his classmates as they also started to apologize. They weren't sorry. They didn't feel bad for what they did. They were just afraid of him. Afraid of the consequences of their actions. Afraid of being punished for doing something they knew was wrong.
As much as Jack would like to hurt them all as well, he was on thin ice. His parents had to defend him against dozens of other parents trying to sue, get him sent to juvie, or be expelled from school. The only thing that stopped them from succeeding was that Jack was one person. How could one overweight child beat up a dozen kids by himself? There were no weapons used or could be proven to be used during the fight. This defense was strong enough that even the densest of people knew something was strange.
And a strong enough defense could be used as a strong offense as well. Jack's parents countersued the other parents for what Jack had to go through because of their children. Jack shared with his parents the same thing he told Miss Devil, and things started to go up for them. A bullying case plus a self-defense case made Jack's defense impenetrable. A bunch of children bullying one child was a lot more believable than one fat child beating up a group of children with just his bare fists.
'I won't let what happened to me happen to anyone else.' Jack promised himself. His fists were to be used for the innocent, the weak, and for sports. No longer would he stand by and let evil be.
Chapter 110: The Speech!
"Hello, everyone. My name is Lindsay Hoffman, and I'm a graduate of Extraordinary Magji Academy who was given the golden mark for certain to exceed as a magjistar. After only a couple of months of solving cases, I'm already a B-grade magjistar with a 100% rate of success for my cases." Lindsay introduced herself to the council. She heard appreciative noises and saw some nodding, which was a good sign.
"I'm here on behalf of myself and a few others to suggest an idea that we hope the Council will consider is worth investing in for the sake of the magji community as a whole. But before I begin, I must ask, is the Council aware of the recent events of two magjistars nearly revealing the existence of magji to the world?" Lindsay asked.
"Victor's apprentice, right?" Tyson, Head of Magji Defense, asked in a casual tone.
"There was also that foreign magjistar as well." Harper, Head of Internal Defense, added.
"Correct. These two young magjistars are well known within the normal world for their fighting prowess. However, they aren't the only ones. There are many others in the magji community that are secretly involved in the normal world's fighting community. Connie Blade, Cory Mars, Jacky Collins, and Joseph Astor are just a few talented magjistars that are involved in the normal world's fighting communities."
Murmurs of interest were shared by the Council heads. This information was certainly news to them. They had enough on their hands trying to keep up with the rising incident with daemons forming groups. Whatever was going on with the youth of today was the farthest thing from their minds. As long as they were solving cases, the Council didn't care much for what they were doing outside of that.
"This brings up the question of why there are so many talented young magjistars going to the normal world to fight instead of trying to solve as many cases as they can. Surely if it was just fighting, they could get enough fighting by taking on daemons, right?" Some nodded, while others kept silent. "Unfortunately, it isn't that simple. There's an inherent risk in taking on cases, and that risk is the possibility of death! Even if one takes a case that's suited for their rank, it doesn't mean that they can't be killed while solving it." Lindsay went on.
"They're scared of fighting to the death, so they go and play fight with gullys?" Tyson asked.
Ignoring the dismissive and vulgar remark toward people who couldn't use magji, Lindsay continued her speech. "The natural fear of fighting to the death is present in most magjistars. No one wants to die, and no one wants to face death just for the possibility of getting stronger. If there was an opportunity to fight without possibly dying, who wouldn't take it? Fighting is the only way for magjistars to grow stronger. Testing their skills, their physical limits, and learning how to use their spells comfortably."
Lindsay could see it was time to hit home.
"What I'm here to propose is that we add a specialized combat sport for the magji world. Instead of having our magjistars go out into the normal world and potentially risk exposing the existence of magji to normal people, why don't we just give them a reason to stay in the magji world? Let them fight against other magjistars without getting the Council involved to punish them for fighting or their background involved. Just a test of skills between magjistars. The outcome of the match will simply be a learning experience and not an opportunity for relationships to worsen in the magji community. Participants in the sport would be able to freely show their magji skills and improve them regardless of if they win or lose. No threat of death in case they lose, just the understanding that they have more to improve on during their training afterward." Lindsay suggested.
"That sounds kind of fun." Tyson laughed in amusement. "So, we let all the little squirts go at each other with no repercussions afterward, no matter who wins?"
"Of course, there shall be several rules to ensure the safety of fighters, the safety of those in the audience, and the safety to fight without worrying about something happening outside the ring. But for the most part, yes." Lindsay let out a breath of relief.
"This idea isn't bad." Xavier, Head of Magji, rubbed his chin.
"I agree." Daniel, Head of Safety and elder from the Star Clan, nodded in agreement.
"There are also several benefits to making this for the Council." Now that Lindsay had their attention, she had to strike it home why it would be beneficial to them to implement this. "Through this competition, the talents of the current generation would be on display for the Council to see. This makes it easier to find out which competitors had talents worthy enough to invest in or decide to take on as an apprentice. Magjistars will be closer to one another as a result of bonding through fighting. Joining cases with people you can trust and know the techniques of will greatly improve the success rates of cases. For injuries, we could have the Star Clan practice their magji on the injured participants to help them develop their techniques more." Lindsay continued.
"Alright, enough." Xavier stopped her. "Thank you for properly making an appointment and bringing this to our attention. We will get back to you about our decision soon. You may leave."
"Oh, alright. Thank you for your time and for considering my proposal!" Lindsay thanked them as she left.
Lindsay was met with the faces of her friends. She didn't particularly know how to face them. The way the Head of Magji interrupted her confused her. It seemed like the Council was more likely to take up her idea, but honestly, she didn't know.
"That face doesn't look like a success to me," Hayato commented in his deadpan voice.
"How did it go, Lindsay?" Alexander asked.
"I really don't know to be honest. It looked like they liked the idea, but they suddenly cut me off during my speech and sent me out." Lindsay explained.
"Sounds like they hated it and were just being nice because we're kids," Hayato said.
"Or... They heard enough good points about it and already considered accepting it." Alexander gave an opposing viewpoint.
"Guess we have to wait and see who's right and who's wrong." Joseph chuckled.
"I hope it goes well..." Lindsay sighed. "We put a lot of work into this, and if it doesn't pay off, I feel like all of our hard work was wasted."
They spent several days thinking of all the good things and bad things about making a fighting league. They came up with several rules, vending areas, advertising, and different types of battles, with some involving captured daemons or magjistars fighting in a group and loads of other stuff in their proposal pamphlet. If all of that was just thrown away, Lindsay didn't know how she would feel. It just wouldn't make any sense to her.
"Well, we could always make our own secret fighting league." Alexander jokingly suggested.
"The Council will not like that one bit." Hayato reminded him. "If they refuse us and we try and go ahead with it anyway, what do you think will happen to us?" He asked.
"I was just kidding..." Alexander rubbed the back of his head.
"Use your head," Hayato told him.
"No, Lindsay," Joseph said without her even saying anything. "You don't even need to say anything. That look on your face is enough to tell me what you're thinking. We're not making a secret fighting league for magjistars even if the Council turns down our idea."
"I wasn't really thinking that..." Lindsay could feel how weak her defense was as it escaped her lips. "You can't even see my face in the first place with that blindfold on." She tried to strike back.
"Yeah, but I can see your swirling emotions flying around as you think of ways of keeping the idea alive." Joseph retorted.
"It would be so illogical if they don't follow our idea," Lindsay whined.
"I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with you. Just no secret magjistar fighting league." He let her know.
"Fine..." Lindsay knew it was crazy just thinking of the logistics and manpower needed for it in the first place.
"What do we do now?" Alexander asked.
"Zoey said she met a new friend. It's a nun or a monk or something. She taught her something cool and wanted to show us." Hayato pulled out his phone.
"Why did she text you that and not us?" Joseph questioned.
"She asked me if I knew anyone in the magji community called the Four Monks."
"Again, why did she ask you instead of us?"
"My family were assassins. Information-gathering is part of our foundation."
"I guess that makes sense." Joseph nodded. He didn't know any Four Monks and wouldn't know about finding out about them except by asking his master.
"Let's go see what cool thing Zoey has to show us." Alexander led their way out of the office building.
"I'm here on behalf of myself and a few others to suggest an idea that we hope the Council will consider is worth investing in for the sake of the magji community as a whole. But before I begin, I must ask, is the Council aware of the recent events of two magjistars nearly revealing the existence of magji to the world?" Lindsay asked.
"Victor's apprentice, right?" Tyson, Head of Magji Defense, asked in a casual tone.
"There was also that foreign magjistar as well." Harper, Head of Internal Defense, added.
"Correct. These two young magjistars are well known within the normal world for their fighting prowess. However, they aren't the only ones. There are many others in the magji community that are secretly involved in the normal world's fighting community. Connie Blade, Cory Mars, Jacky Collins, and Joseph Astor are just a few talented magjistars that are involved in the normal world's fighting communities."
Murmurs of interest were shared by the Council heads. This information was certainly news to them. They had enough on their hands trying to keep up with the rising incident with daemons forming groups. Whatever was going on with the youth of today was the farthest thing from their minds. As long as they were solving cases, the Council didn't care much for what they were doing outside of that.
"This brings up the question of why there are so many talented young magjistars going to the normal world to fight instead of trying to solve as many cases as they can. Surely if it was just fighting, they could get enough fighting by taking on daemons, right?" Some nodded, while others kept silent. "Unfortunately, it isn't that simple. There's an inherent risk in taking on cases, and that risk is the possibility of death! Even if one takes a case that's suited for their rank, it doesn't mean that they can't be killed while solving it." Lindsay went on.
"They're scared of fighting to the death, so they go and play fight with gullys?" Tyson asked.
Ignoring the dismissive and vulgar remark toward people who couldn't use magji, Lindsay continued her speech. "The natural fear of fighting to the death is present in most magjistars. No one wants to die, and no one wants to face death just for the possibility of getting stronger. If there was an opportunity to fight without possibly dying, who wouldn't take it? Fighting is the only way for magjistars to grow stronger. Testing their skills, their physical limits, and learning how to use their spells comfortably."
Lindsay could see it was time to hit home.
"What I'm here to propose is that we add a specialized combat sport for the magji world. Instead of having our magjistars go out into the normal world and potentially risk exposing the existence of magji to normal people, why don't we just give them a reason to stay in the magji world? Let them fight against other magjistars without getting the Council involved to punish them for fighting or their background involved. Just a test of skills between magjistars. The outcome of the match will simply be a learning experience and not an opportunity for relationships to worsen in the magji community. Participants in the sport would be able to freely show their magji skills and improve them regardless of if they win or lose. No threat of death in case they lose, just the understanding that they have more to improve on during their training afterward." Lindsay suggested.
"That sounds kind of fun." Tyson laughed in amusement. "So, we let all the little squirts go at each other with no repercussions afterward, no matter who wins?"
"Of course, there shall be several rules to ensure the safety of fighters, the safety of those in the audience, and the safety to fight without worrying about something happening outside the ring. But for the most part, yes." Lindsay let out a breath of relief.
"This idea isn't bad." Xavier, Head of Magji, rubbed his chin.
"I agree." Daniel, Head of Safety and elder from the Star Clan, nodded in agreement.
"There are also several benefits to making this for the Council." Now that Lindsay had their attention, she had to strike it home why it would be beneficial to them to implement this. "Through this competition, the talents of the current generation would be on display for the Council to see. This makes it easier to find out which competitors had talents worthy enough to invest in or decide to take on as an apprentice. Magjistars will be closer to one another as a result of bonding through fighting. Joining cases with people you can trust and know the techniques of will greatly improve the success rates of cases. For injuries, we could have the Star Clan practice their magji on the injured participants to help them develop their techniques more." Lindsay continued.
"Alright, enough." Xavier stopped her. "Thank you for properly making an appointment and bringing this to our attention. We will get back to you about our decision soon. You may leave."
"Oh, alright. Thank you for your time and for considering my proposal!" Lindsay thanked them as she left.
Lindsay was met with the faces of her friends. She didn't particularly know how to face them. The way the Head of Magji interrupted her confused her. It seemed like the Council was more likely to take up her idea, but honestly, she didn't know.
"That face doesn't look like a success to me," Hayato commented in his deadpan voice.
"How did it go, Lindsay?" Alexander asked.
"I really don't know to be honest. It looked like they liked the idea, but they suddenly cut me off during my speech and sent me out." Lindsay explained.
"Sounds like they hated it and were just being nice because we're kids," Hayato said.
"Or... They heard enough good points about it and already considered accepting it." Alexander gave an opposing viewpoint.
"Guess we have to wait and see who's right and who's wrong." Joseph chuckled.
"I hope it goes well..." Lindsay sighed. "We put a lot of work into this, and if it doesn't pay off, I feel like all of our hard work was wasted."
They spent several days thinking of all the good things and bad things about making a fighting league. They came up with several rules, vending areas, advertising, and different types of battles, with some involving captured daemons or magjistars fighting in a group and loads of other stuff in their proposal pamphlet. If all of that was just thrown away, Lindsay didn't know how she would feel. It just wouldn't make any sense to her.
"Well, we could always make our own secret fighting league." Alexander jokingly suggested.
"The Council will not like that one bit." Hayato reminded him. "If they refuse us and we try and go ahead with it anyway, what do you think will happen to us?" He asked.
"I was just kidding..." Alexander rubbed the back of his head.
"Use your head," Hayato told him.
"No, Lindsay," Joseph said without her even saying anything. "You don't even need to say anything. That look on your face is enough to tell me what you're thinking. We're not making a secret fighting league for magjistars even if the Council turns down our idea."
"I wasn't really thinking that..." Lindsay could feel how weak her defense was as it escaped her lips. "You can't even see my face in the first place with that blindfold on." She tried to strike back.
"Yeah, but I can see your swirling emotions flying around as you think of ways of keeping the idea alive." Joseph retorted.
"It would be so illogical if they don't follow our idea," Lindsay whined.
"I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with you. Just no secret magjistar fighting league." He let her know.
"Fine..." Lindsay knew it was crazy just thinking of the logistics and manpower needed for it in the first place.
"What do we do now?" Alexander asked.
"Zoey said she met a new friend. It's a nun or a monk or something. She taught her something cool and wanted to show us." Hayato pulled out his phone.
"Why did she text you that and not us?" Joseph questioned.
"She asked me if I knew anyone in the magji community called the Four Monks."
"Again, why did she ask you instead of us?"
"My family were assassins. Information-gathering is part of our foundation."
"I guess that makes sense." Joseph nodded. He didn't know any Four Monks and wouldn't know about finding out about them except by asking his master.
"Let's go see what cool thing Zoey has to show us." Alexander led their way out of the office building.
Chapter 111: Magical House Arrest Sucks.
"Are you guys ready?" Zoey asked.
"We've been ready since you texted us. Let's get this over with already. My excitement is fading." Hayato rested his arm over the park's bench.
"Are you sure it's safe to perform this technique in the middle of so many people? You're already on thin ice with the Council." Lindsay asked with concern.
"Maybe we should take it somewhere more private?" Alexander wasn't doubting Zoey's sanity. He's long since known she lost such a thing, but her potential for using magji disappearing forever? She wouldn't risk that.
"..." Joseph stayed quiet as he watched Zoey's vibrant emotions dancing around.
Pride, confidence, and eagerness. Whatever technique she had in mind was perfectly safe to use in front of normal humans. At least, Joseph certainly hoped so. If it wasn't that, then it had to be a spell that would be hard to notice for normal people.
"Barrier!" Zoey held her open palm in the air.
The group of magjistars looked up as the spell took form through incredible magji control. A burst of mahna shot out from her hand and took form above the park. A black dome-like barrier formed around the entire park. It wasn't until they flowed mahna through their eyes that they realized only magjistars could see this barrier.
Without rhyme or reason, everyone without the ability to sense or gather mahna began leaving the park. They walked through the barrier as if it wasn't even there. Once all the normal people left, Zoey looked at her friends, secretly awaiting praises and/or surprised reactions. Unfortunately, the first to go was Hayato, who simply looked at her with an unimpressed look.
"What's the point of this?" Hayato asked bluntly.
"Now we don't need to rely on magji tools to keep normal people from coming near when we're dealing with daemons or fighting with other magjistars or facing off against assassins!" Zoey excitedly explained.
"What?" Lindsay was in disbelief.
"This would be useful." Joseph nodded.
"Your friend taught you this spell? Why doesn't the OM have this spell? It would make dealing with cases a hundred times easier!" Alexander was just as excited as Zoey.
"Less expensive, too," Hayato added.
"This is how you do it." Zoey began explaining to them the process of how to move their mahna in order to perform the spell properly.
It took more than half the day for everyone to get up to speed and use it proficiently, but eventually, they all learned it. Although Zoey taught it to her friends, she didn't actively teach it to them. Which is why she figured it took so long. She kind of just showed them what to do and then let them go at it by themselves. They were all kind of magji prodigies now that she realized... Huh, what does it say about her that she managed to get all these talented magjistars in one group?
Since it was getting dark out and Zoey was still on magji house arrest, she couldn't go out with her friends to hunt daemons in the city using the new cool spell she taught them. She had to hear all about how much fun they were having solving cases together while Zoey had to stay at home training her skills and studying. Coach Scott couldn't find any willing opponents for her in the amateur fight scene while they were waiting for her professional boxing license to be sent back. After Zoey's explosive debut for her first boxing match, it didn't take long for the Global Boxing Organization to accept her application and take it under review. Zoey thought having an undefeated winning streak would mean that hundreds of people would be willing to try and fight her to steal her clout and fame.
That wasn't the case for the amateur scene. Zoey sighed as boredom quickly encroached on her being. She was sick of studying. She was tired of staying in the house when previously she loved nothing more than staying at home being a slug. If she had the chance to go back, she'd never agree to fight Angelica.
…
Time passed by so slowly that Zoey wanted to blow her brains out. She started up a game on her expensive custom-built pc when it became too much. The near instantaneous speed and seamlessness of the pc made Zoey remember that she was currently magically unemployed thanks to her house arrest as well. No cases meant no big money. Only the money from teaching at the gym. No cavons meant Zoey was a mostly broke-ass bitch that could only rely on the money she's saved in the bank or her parents. While Zoey never directly told her parents that she was receiving money as a magjistar, they all knew she was getting money somehow.
That was because Zoey kept buying new things without asking either of them for money. It didn't take a genius to realize something wasn't adding up. No teenager can afford expensive shit like the stuff Zoey was buying without being involved in something suspicious or being in a rich family. The latest phone, huge gaming set-ups, workout equipment... Zoey was actually surprised they hadn't talked to her about it yet. Did they already know where her money came from?
"Need a little fucking help here! Hello!? Do I have a fucking team?! Jesus fucking Christ, half of their goddamn team is shooting me while my team is jerking off at spawn!" Some guy screamed in her headset.
"Stop crying like a bitch." Inner Zoey responded as she focused back on the game.
She revved up her minigun and began to shuffle her way through the map. One of the balancing features for the minigun to compensate for its high firing rate and damage was to make the user as slow as a turtle while using it. It also took a second or two to rev up before it could fire. So, if Zoey were caught off guard, she'd be dead in an instant. At least, if she wasn't revved up and the enemy didn't have shit aim.
"You stupid fucking bitch. No one is fucking crying. Why don't you go back to the fucking kitchen instead of playing video games? Video games are for men! Not for stupid bitches like you." He continued to whine and screech into the mic.
Zoey's minigun tore through the enemy team, who were greedy enough to hunt down her teammates for kills instead of just planting the bomb. She let the crying baby watch her carry the round for their team by killing the enemy soldiers. Gaming was at level thirteen. This brought her to the top percentage of gamers in the world. Frankly, it was kind of unfair for Zoey to use the best guns, perks, and whatnot in first-person shooters. So, she usually handicapped herself by using the worst possible loadouts in the game.
"What was that? Is the baby done crying, yet?" Inner Zoey laughed as they won the round.
"Fuck you, bitch. You just got lucky the enemy team was retarded enough to ignore planting the bomb." The baby retorted.
"FUCK YOU, BETTERTHANYOU!" Someone on the other team yelled. Zoey's username was Betterthanyou321.
"You're not better than anyone, whore." Another person on the other team added.
"Fucking slut. Shouldn't you be out sucking some cock or something? Why are you on the fucking game?" Inner Zoey couldn't help but laugh as the new round started.
Inner Zoey was conflicted on how she should best show her dominance over these fucking losers. She didn't want to go try hard and start using actual weapons, but going a meme loadout wouldn't be good either. Some meme loadouts were legitimately broken in the right game modes. So, Zoey decided to go with pistols only.
"Hey, grizzly, watch this." Zoey shot the angry guy at the start of the match with her dual pistols and killed him. His username was MONSTER GRIZZLY.
"YOU STUPID FUCKING BITCH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! WHY ARE YOU TEAM-KILLING ME!? ARE YOU EVEN TRYING TO FUCKING WIN!? EVERYONE REPORT THIS RETARDED COCK-GOBLING PROSTITUTE!" He exploded.
Zoey died laughing on the mic as she went on to ace the round once again. She stayed near the bomb, listened for audio cues, and killed anyone she saw with pinpoint, accurate headshots. Grizzly did not like the fact that a girl gamer was laughing at him. Grizzly did not like that the girl gamer was far better than him at the game. His rage was overflowing and spilling to the point that a feminine voice in the background of his mic said something to him.
"Was that your mom? Did your mom just tell you to shut up and stop crying like a little bitch? Huh, was it your mom? It was, wasn't it?" Zoey continued to egg him on.
"You're fucking blocked, muted, and reported, you stupid bitch." His voice was lowered to a whisper.
"Hahahaha! Your mom really did tell you to stop crying! You're like, what, 12? 13?" Zoey didn't stop.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP! SHUT THE FUCK UP! SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
"Jesus Christ... That kid needs to go touch some grass instead of playing this game all day." Someone other than Grizzly spoke on her team. His name was MikeGunna.
"You really think if that kid had a life outside of video games, he would've reacted like that?" Zoey shot Grizzly again at the start of the third round.
"That's it, you stupid fucking bitch. I'm going to find you in real life, and I'm going to rape you. After I'm done raping you, I'm going to torture you, break all your limbs, beat your fucking face in, and KILL YOU!!! YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD!"
"I thought you muted me. What happened to that?" Zoey couldn't contain her snickers. She replied after taking a few seconds to catch her breath.
"SHUT UP! YOU'RE DEAD! JUST KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO DIE SOON! I HACKED YOUR IP ADDRESS! I KNOW YOUR ADDRESS! I'm coming, you dumb bitch." He started cackling like a mad scientist on the brink of a scientific breakthrough.
"This is the first time I've ever witnessed someone actually losing their mind over a video game." MikeGunna sounded like he was in disbelief.
It was a first for Zoey as well. Was it possible Fighting Aura worked over the internet? This needed several more tests with many more gamers. As far as Zoey knew, Fighting Aura projected her fighting spirit outward whenever she wanted. It either made people want to fight with her or run away from her. It honestly matched her personality so well she was surprised it was only level... six? But it was level five, just the other...
'Holy crap, it does work over the internet.' Zoey realized.
"We've been ready since you texted us. Let's get this over with already. My excitement is fading." Hayato rested his arm over the park's bench.
"Are you sure it's safe to perform this technique in the middle of so many people? You're already on thin ice with the Council." Lindsay asked with concern.
"Maybe we should take it somewhere more private?" Alexander wasn't doubting Zoey's sanity. He's long since known she lost such a thing, but her potential for using magji disappearing forever? She wouldn't risk that.
"..." Joseph stayed quiet as he watched Zoey's vibrant emotions dancing around.
Pride, confidence, and eagerness. Whatever technique she had in mind was perfectly safe to use in front of normal humans. At least, Joseph certainly hoped so. If it wasn't that, then it had to be a spell that would be hard to notice for normal people.
"Barrier!" Zoey held her open palm in the air.
The group of magjistars looked up as the spell took form through incredible magji control. A burst of mahna shot out from her hand and took form above the park. A black dome-like barrier formed around the entire park. It wasn't until they flowed mahna through their eyes that they realized only magjistars could see this barrier.
Without rhyme or reason, everyone without the ability to sense or gather mahna began leaving the park. They walked through the barrier as if it wasn't even there. Once all the normal people left, Zoey looked at her friends, secretly awaiting praises and/or surprised reactions. Unfortunately, the first to go was Hayato, who simply looked at her with an unimpressed look.
"What's the point of this?" Hayato asked bluntly.
"Now we don't need to rely on magji tools to keep normal people from coming near when we're dealing with daemons or fighting with other magjistars or facing off against assassins!" Zoey excitedly explained.
"What?" Lindsay was in disbelief.
"This would be useful." Joseph nodded.
"Your friend taught you this spell? Why doesn't the OM have this spell? It would make dealing with cases a hundred times easier!" Alexander was just as excited as Zoey.
"Less expensive, too," Hayato added.
"This is how you do it." Zoey began explaining to them the process of how to move their mahna in order to perform the spell properly.
It took more than half the day for everyone to get up to speed and use it proficiently, but eventually, they all learned it. Although Zoey taught it to her friends, she didn't actively teach it to them. Which is why she figured it took so long. She kind of just showed them what to do and then let them go at it by themselves. They were all kind of magji prodigies now that she realized... Huh, what does it say about her that she managed to get all these talented magjistars in one group?
Since it was getting dark out and Zoey was still on magji house arrest, she couldn't go out with her friends to hunt daemons in the city using the new cool spell she taught them. She had to hear all about how much fun they were having solving cases together while Zoey had to stay at home training her skills and studying. Coach Scott couldn't find any willing opponents for her in the amateur fight scene while they were waiting for her professional boxing license to be sent back. After Zoey's explosive debut for her first boxing match, it didn't take long for the Global Boxing Organization to accept her application and take it under review. Zoey thought having an undefeated winning streak would mean that hundreds of people would be willing to try and fight her to steal her clout and fame.
That wasn't the case for the amateur scene. Zoey sighed as boredom quickly encroached on her being. She was sick of studying. She was tired of staying in the house when previously she loved nothing more than staying at home being a slug. If she had the chance to go back, she'd never agree to fight Angelica.
…
Time passed by so slowly that Zoey wanted to blow her brains out. She started up a game on her expensive custom-built pc when it became too much. The near instantaneous speed and seamlessness of the pc made Zoey remember that she was currently magically unemployed thanks to her house arrest as well. No cases meant no big money. Only the money from teaching at the gym. No cavons meant Zoey was a mostly broke-ass bitch that could only rely on the money she's saved in the bank or her parents. While Zoey never directly told her parents that she was receiving money as a magjistar, they all knew she was getting money somehow.
That was because Zoey kept buying new things without asking either of them for money. It didn't take a genius to realize something wasn't adding up. No teenager can afford expensive shit like the stuff Zoey was buying without being involved in something suspicious or being in a rich family. The latest phone, huge gaming set-ups, workout equipment... Zoey was actually surprised they hadn't talked to her about it yet. Did they already know where her money came from?
"Need a little fucking help here! Hello!? Do I have a fucking team?! Jesus fucking Christ, half of their goddamn team is shooting me while my team is jerking off at spawn!" Some guy screamed in her headset.
"Stop crying like a bitch." Inner Zoey responded as she focused back on the game.
She revved up her minigun and began to shuffle her way through the map. One of the balancing features for the minigun to compensate for its high firing rate and damage was to make the user as slow as a turtle while using it. It also took a second or two to rev up before it could fire. So, if Zoey were caught off guard, she'd be dead in an instant. At least, if she wasn't revved up and the enemy didn't have shit aim.
"You stupid fucking bitch. No one is fucking crying. Why don't you go back to the fucking kitchen instead of playing video games? Video games are for men! Not for stupid bitches like you." He continued to whine and screech into the mic.
Zoey's minigun tore through the enemy team, who were greedy enough to hunt down her teammates for kills instead of just planting the bomb. She let the crying baby watch her carry the round for their team by killing the enemy soldiers. Gaming was at level thirteen. This brought her to the top percentage of gamers in the world. Frankly, it was kind of unfair for Zoey to use the best guns, perks, and whatnot in first-person shooters. So, she usually handicapped herself by using the worst possible loadouts in the game.
"What was that? Is the baby done crying, yet?" Inner Zoey laughed as they won the round.
"Fuck you, bitch. You just got lucky the enemy team was retarded enough to ignore planting the bomb." The baby retorted.
"FUCK YOU, BETTERTHANYOU!" Someone on the other team yelled. Zoey's username was Betterthanyou321.
"You're not better than anyone, whore." Another person on the other team added.
"Fucking slut. Shouldn't you be out sucking some cock or something? Why are you on the fucking game?" Inner Zoey couldn't help but laugh as the new round started.
Inner Zoey was conflicted on how she should best show her dominance over these fucking losers. She didn't want to go try hard and start using actual weapons, but going a meme loadout wouldn't be good either. Some meme loadouts were legitimately broken in the right game modes. So, Zoey decided to go with pistols only.
"Hey, grizzly, watch this." Zoey shot the angry guy at the start of the match with her dual pistols and killed him. His username was MONSTER GRIZZLY.
"YOU STUPID FUCKING BITCH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! WHY ARE YOU TEAM-KILLING ME!? ARE YOU EVEN TRYING TO FUCKING WIN!? EVERYONE REPORT THIS RETARDED COCK-GOBLING PROSTITUTE!" He exploded.
Zoey died laughing on the mic as she went on to ace the round once again. She stayed near the bomb, listened for audio cues, and killed anyone she saw with pinpoint, accurate headshots. Grizzly did not like the fact that a girl gamer was laughing at him. Grizzly did not like that the girl gamer was far better than him at the game. His rage was overflowing and spilling to the point that a feminine voice in the background of his mic said something to him.
"Was that your mom? Did your mom just tell you to shut up and stop crying like a little bitch? Huh, was it your mom? It was, wasn't it?" Zoey continued to egg him on.
"You're fucking blocked, muted, and reported, you stupid bitch." His voice was lowered to a whisper.
"Hahahaha! Your mom really did tell you to stop crying! You're like, what, 12? 13?" Zoey didn't stop.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP! SHUT THE FUCK UP! SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
"Jesus Christ... That kid needs to go touch some grass instead of playing this game all day." Someone other than Grizzly spoke on her team. His name was MikeGunna.
"You really think if that kid had a life outside of video games, he would've reacted like that?" Zoey shot Grizzly again at the start of the third round.
"That's it, you stupid fucking bitch. I'm going to find you in real life, and I'm going to rape you. After I'm done raping you, I'm going to torture you, break all your limbs, beat your fucking face in, and KILL YOU!!! YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD!"
"I thought you muted me. What happened to that?" Zoey couldn't contain her snickers. She replied after taking a few seconds to catch her breath.
"SHUT UP! YOU'RE DEAD! JUST KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO DIE SOON! I HACKED YOUR IP ADDRESS! I KNOW YOUR ADDRESS! I'm coming, you dumb bitch." He started cackling like a mad scientist on the brink of a scientific breakthrough.
"This is the first time I've ever witnessed someone actually losing their mind over a video game." MikeGunna sounded like he was in disbelief.
It was a first for Zoey as well. Was it possible Fighting Aura worked over the internet? This needed several more tests with many more gamers. As far as Zoey knew, Fighting Aura projected her fighting spirit outward whenever she wanted. It either made people want to fight with her or run away from her. It honestly matched her personality so well she was surprised it was only level... six? But it was level five, just the other...
'Holy crap, it does work over the internet.' Zoey realized.
Chapter 112: Sparring with James.
"Ah, shit." Zoey stood over her date's dazed and barely conscious body inside the ring.
"Holy fucking shit, do you got an arm on you, babe." James held his head. Everything seemed to be spinning in the room somehow. "Do you think I'll be able to fall in love with you all over again if you give me amnesia?" He asked.
"Probably?" Zoey fought to stop herself from blushing.
"It'll be just like that one movie I can't remember the name of right now for some reason..." James put on a cute, thinking face.
It wasn't that she was in love with James either. She was just weak to compliments and positive attention. Two things James loved to dogpile her with. The worst thing was that she didn't know if he knew what he was doing to her either. Zoey helped James out of the ring and went to get an ice pack for him.
"Ahaha. I knew it was the right idea to bring you to my private gym. Even though I just got my ass kicked by my girlfriend, I feel like the next time I step into the ring, I'll be even better!" James smiled while looking directly into Zoey's eyes.
Zoey didn't know when they skipped the dating phase and went straight into the boyfriend and girlfriend phase, but since he had a temporary brain injury that was kind of but not entirely her fault, she decided to let it go. The big muscular bastard was sweet talking her while they were in the middle of a spar! It was his own fault she lost control of her strength for a second. It was one of the reasons why Zoey didn't talk much during her fights! It was easier to focus on fighting if you weren't thinking of quips and comebacks. She did not understand how superheroes made that shit look easy.
"Your body is perfect for a slugger, but you fight like a swarmer. Why?" Zoey asked.
Zoey was a boxer-puncher. A combination of all the boxing styles that she could switch between them or use them all together. A slugger was someone who focused less on technique and more on brutally knocking out their opponent with destructive power. While a swarmer focused on sticking to their opponent like glue while avoiding blows and dishing them out when they make an opportunity for it.
"My coach thought it would be better if I had more tools at my disposal than just being big and punching hard," James answered.
"That's a waste of your body." Zoey shook her head as her fighting knowledge reared its head.
Even though their spar wasn't long, she managed to understand exactly what was best for James to grow as a boxer. Zoey didn't know if it was because of her own boxing skill or the teaching skill that helped her do this. But it didn't really matter. Whatever path his coach set him on was not going to help him grow into a better boxer.
"That's what I said!" James shouted. "Well, I didn't say exactly that, but I was like, what the fuck, Coach? All this time, you've been training me to focus on my punches and my body, but now all of a sudden, I need to "diversify" my skills?"
"Not yet, anyway. You still have more room to grow as a slugger." Zoey looked down at the sitting James as she inspected his shirtless muscular body. "A stronger base, better balance, and a lot more endurance. A significant change in diet and..." Zoey placed her finger on her chin. "Willpower?" The word came to her, but she didn't know why.
"You aren't the undefeated champion of the YFTL for nothing." James adjusted his shorts as he gave her another stupid smile.
"I can send you a training plan later when I get home if you want." Zoey looked away while Inner Zoey saved this scene for later.
"That would be fucking fantastic. Becoming the heavyweight world champion in the boxing scene was always a dream of mine growing up, you know? Seeing those big bastards on the screen with everything a young boy could dream of. Women, money, and the power to knock a motherfucker out in one hit. I didn't understand the losers who didn't want that life." James shared.
"It isn't going to be easy," Zoey warned.
"What kind of champion could I be if I pussed out at some hard work? I can handle anything I put my mind to." James confidently claimed.
Zoey and James soon realized it was getting late, and with James slightly concussed, they decided it would be better not to do any more training till he got checked out at a hospital. Health was the number one factor for athletes. It didn't matter how tough they thought they were. The human body was always willing to prove them wrong. They did not decide to split at the entrance of the private gym since James wanted to do the gentlemanly thing and walk her home.
"It's not because I'm worried something will happen to a badass bitch like you walking on her own. I know you can probably knock out any son of a bitch that looks at you wrong. I just want to spend more time with you today." James honestly shared his feelings.
"..." Zoey remained silent, turned away from him, and simply blushed.
This stupidly big candy-mouthed fucker... Did he want her to drop her pants and fuck him in the middle of the street or something?! Shut the fuck up and stop complimenting her! Geez, maybe this dating thing was too soon. Is it normal for one person to be so blunt, positive, and attractive? Zoey was still just getting over her awkward loser phase! That didn't mean she was a social butterfly that could adapt to any situation life threw at her!
Just as Inner Zoey was flooding her with mental images of them fucking like wild animals under the streetlights in some alleyway, a figure wearing a black hoodie walked up to them. They deliberately stood in front of their path and prevented them from walking forward.
"Is there something wrong with your fucking brain, pal? There's more than enough space on this sidewalk for the three of us. Why the fuck are you blocking our way?" James asked nicely.
"Dino sends his regards." The figure began to pull something from out of their pocket.
James's eyes widened as he attempted to grab Zoey and hug her. Placing his huge back as a shield to block whatever this psycho was about to pull out. As the huge lug tried to grab her, the world slowed to a crawl as Zoey locked in on the weapon he was pulling out. Zoey avoided James's grab. Zoey's punch was like a flash of lightning, striking the man with incredible force. She knocked the guy in the black hoodie out in an instant. He fell down to the ground unconscious as Zoey grabbed whatever the hell he was about to pull out.
"This isn't a gun..." Zoey opened up the unlocked phone.
"I almost shit myself." James didn't hesitate to admit it.
"It's showing an address," Zoey told him.
"Wait, you're involved with Dino?!" James asked her, remembering what the guy had said.
"Who is Dino?" Zoey acted oblivious.
There was no way she was telling her potential boyfriend about the antics she got up to in the past. What kind of guy would like to hear that his girlfriend got around in the streets with criminals and gangsters before they met? Sure, Zoey was exaggerating what kind of mess she got into with the delinquents but still. She was no longer the desperate fighting junkie who needed her next fighting fix to keep going in life. Coach Scott was actively working toward giving her fights, and there was the magji world.
Frankly, it was a time of shame and fondness now that Zoey thought about it. The freedom she had in exploring her fighting ability with delinquents. It wasn't anything like the rules and caution when she fought inside the ring. Back then, she just had to be careful not to kill them. Anything other than that was up to her. Although she could still fight the same way with daemons, there was a difference between fighting humans and fighting daemons.
As a fighting addict, it was hard to explain. One fight scratched a different itch than the other could. Maybe it was because some skills could only rise against daemons while some skills had no choice but to rise when fighting humans. Zoey didn't know. Probably only her future therapist knew.
"This..." James hesitated to speak. "Don't worry about this. I'll handle it. Let's get you home safely, alright? Just give me the phone." He held his hand out.
"Okay." Zoey gave him the phone with the address on it.
Zoey wondered if this big idiot was planning to go to the address by himself later on after dropping her off at home. As he continued to walk her home, much less chatty than his usual self, Zoey's gut feeling only grew more certain. Inner Zoey couldn't help but laugh at the idiot. The big strong masculine man had to do everything himself instead of just asking for help.
'Should I follow him to make sure he's safe?' Zoey thought to herself.
Sure, James was strong, but that was only compared to normal people. She had no idea if he was strong enough to face off dozens of weapon-wielding delinquents like Zoey did in the past.
"Holy fucking shit, do you got an arm on you, babe." James held his head. Everything seemed to be spinning in the room somehow. "Do you think I'll be able to fall in love with you all over again if you give me amnesia?" He asked.
"Probably?" Zoey fought to stop herself from blushing.
"It'll be just like that one movie I can't remember the name of right now for some reason..." James put on a cute, thinking face.
It wasn't that she was in love with James either. She was just weak to compliments and positive attention. Two things James loved to dogpile her with. The worst thing was that she didn't know if he knew what he was doing to her either. Zoey helped James out of the ring and went to get an ice pack for him.
"Ahaha. I knew it was the right idea to bring you to my private gym. Even though I just got my ass kicked by my girlfriend, I feel like the next time I step into the ring, I'll be even better!" James smiled while looking directly into Zoey's eyes.
Zoey didn't know when they skipped the dating phase and went straight into the boyfriend and girlfriend phase, but since he had a temporary brain injury that was kind of but not entirely her fault, she decided to let it go. The big muscular bastard was sweet talking her while they were in the middle of a spar! It was his own fault she lost control of her strength for a second. It was one of the reasons why Zoey didn't talk much during her fights! It was easier to focus on fighting if you weren't thinking of quips and comebacks. She did not understand how superheroes made that shit look easy.
"Your body is perfect for a slugger, but you fight like a swarmer. Why?" Zoey asked.
Zoey was a boxer-puncher. A combination of all the boxing styles that she could switch between them or use them all together. A slugger was someone who focused less on technique and more on brutally knocking out their opponent with destructive power. While a swarmer focused on sticking to their opponent like glue while avoiding blows and dishing them out when they make an opportunity for it.
"My coach thought it would be better if I had more tools at my disposal than just being big and punching hard," James answered.
"That's a waste of your body." Zoey shook her head as her fighting knowledge reared its head.
Even though their spar wasn't long, she managed to understand exactly what was best for James to grow as a boxer. Zoey didn't know if it was because of her own boxing skill or the teaching skill that helped her do this. But it didn't really matter. Whatever path his coach set him on was not going to help him grow into a better boxer.
"That's what I said!" James shouted. "Well, I didn't say exactly that, but I was like, what the fuck, Coach? All this time, you've been training me to focus on my punches and my body, but now all of a sudden, I need to "diversify" my skills?"
"Not yet, anyway. You still have more room to grow as a slugger." Zoey looked down at the sitting James as she inspected his shirtless muscular body. "A stronger base, better balance, and a lot more endurance. A significant change in diet and..." Zoey placed her finger on her chin. "Willpower?" The word came to her, but she didn't know why.
"You aren't the undefeated champion of the YFTL for nothing." James adjusted his shorts as he gave her another stupid smile.
"I can send you a training plan later when I get home if you want." Zoey looked away while Inner Zoey saved this scene for later.
"That would be fucking fantastic. Becoming the heavyweight world champion in the boxing scene was always a dream of mine growing up, you know? Seeing those big bastards on the screen with everything a young boy could dream of. Women, money, and the power to knock a motherfucker out in one hit. I didn't understand the losers who didn't want that life." James shared.
"It isn't going to be easy," Zoey warned.
"What kind of champion could I be if I pussed out at some hard work? I can handle anything I put my mind to." James confidently claimed.
Zoey and James soon realized it was getting late, and with James slightly concussed, they decided it would be better not to do any more training till he got checked out at a hospital. Health was the number one factor for athletes. It didn't matter how tough they thought they were. The human body was always willing to prove them wrong. They did not decide to split at the entrance of the private gym since James wanted to do the gentlemanly thing and walk her home.
"It's not because I'm worried something will happen to a badass bitch like you walking on her own. I know you can probably knock out any son of a bitch that looks at you wrong. I just want to spend more time with you today." James honestly shared his feelings.
"..." Zoey remained silent, turned away from him, and simply blushed.
This stupidly big candy-mouthed fucker... Did he want her to drop her pants and fuck him in the middle of the street or something?! Shut the fuck up and stop complimenting her! Geez, maybe this dating thing was too soon. Is it normal for one person to be so blunt, positive, and attractive? Zoey was still just getting over her awkward loser phase! That didn't mean she was a social butterfly that could adapt to any situation life threw at her!
Just as Inner Zoey was flooding her with mental images of them fucking like wild animals under the streetlights in some alleyway, a figure wearing a black hoodie walked up to them. They deliberately stood in front of their path and prevented them from walking forward.
"Is there something wrong with your fucking brain, pal? There's more than enough space on this sidewalk for the three of us. Why the fuck are you blocking our way?" James asked nicely.
"Dino sends his regards." The figure began to pull something from out of their pocket.
James's eyes widened as he attempted to grab Zoey and hug her. Placing his huge back as a shield to block whatever this psycho was about to pull out. As the huge lug tried to grab her, the world slowed to a crawl as Zoey locked in on the weapon he was pulling out. Zoey avoided James's grab. Zoey's punch was like a flash of lightning, striking the man with incredible force. She knocked the guy in the black hoodie out in an instant. He fell down to the ground unconscious as Zoey grabbed whatever the hell he was about to pull out.
"This isn't a gun..." Zoey opened up the unlocked phone.
"I almost shit myself." James didn't hesitate to admit it.
"It's showing an address," Zoey told him.
"Wait, you're involved with Dino?!" James asked her, remembering what the guy had said.
"Who is Dino?" Zoey acted oblivious.
There was no way she was telling her potential boyfriend about the antics she got up to in the past. What kind of guy would like to hear that his girlfriend got around in the streets with criminals and gangsters before they met? Sure, Zoey was exaggerating what kind of mess she got into with the delinquents but still. She was no longer the desperate fighting junkie who needed her next fighting fix to keep going in life. Coach Scott was actively working toward giving her fights, and there was the magji world.
Frankly, it was a time of shame and fondness now that Zoey thought about it. The freedom she had in exploring her fighting ability with delinquents. It wasn't anything like the rules and caution when she fought inside the ring. Back then, she just had to be careful not to kill them. Anything other than that was up to her. Although she could still fight the same way with daemons, there was a difference between fighting humans and fighting daemons.
As a fighting addict, it was hard to explain. One fight scratched a different itch than the other could. Maybe it was because some skills could only rise against daemons while some skills had no choice but to rise when fighting humans. Zoey didn't know. Probably only her future therapist knew.
"This..." James hesitated to speak. "Don't worry about this. I'll handle it. Let's get you home safely, alright? Just give me the phone." He held his hand out.
"Okay." Zoey gave him the phone with the address on it.
Zoey wondered if this big idiot was planning to go to the address by himself later on after dropping her off at home. As he continued to walk her home, much less chatty than his usual self, Zoey's gut feeling only grew more certain. Inner Zoey couldn't help but laugh at the idiot. The big strong masculine man had to do everything himself instead of just asking for help.
'Should I follow him to make sure he's safe?' Zoey thought to herself.
Sure, James was strong, but that was only compared to normal people. She had no idea if he was strong enough to face off dozens of weapon-wielding delinquents like Zoey did in the past.
Chapter 113: A Small Outing.
Zoey chose not to secretly follow James that night for several reasons. The first reason was she didn't have a good excuse to give her mom and dad about why she wasn't returning when she said she was. They'd probably be thinking she was getting her back blown out since they knew she went out with James tonight if she didn't return home. The second reason was being sneaky was not one of Zoey's strong points. Zoey wouldn't know the first thing about sneaking around to follow someone without being caught red-handed.
As Zoey looked at James in the hospital bed, wrapped up like a giant mummy. A spike of anger rose up inside of her. She wasn't angry at herself, no. It wasn't her fault that this happened to the big idiot who decided to try and be a hero. Zoey was upset at James, yes, but more at Dino for doing this to him.
"Aren't you lucky to have such a caring and strong girlfriend like me?" Zoey gently brushed the short, nearly nonexistent hair of the resting boxer.
As far as she knew, she was the only girlfriend in the world to destroy a criminal gang for the sake of her boyfriend. Since Zoey honestly didn't have anything better to do with her time, why not do a favor to the city and clean up some trash? Zoey said her goodbyes to Mr. and Mrs. Johnson outside James's door and left the hospital. First things first, a disguise.
Dino knew of her identity and could use it against her. If news got out that a popular up-and-coming fighter like herself was going around getting involved with criminals, she could say goodbye to all of her sponsors and maybe even her fighting career. Zoey already had hundreds of thousands of anti-fans that would love to see her career get dragged through the mud and destroyed. She didn't plan on giving them any ammo intentionally, though.
Sometime later, Zoey was roaming Delinquent's Row dressed in a gecko costume. While Inner Zoey was laughing her ass off at how ridiculous she looked, Zoey focused on the task at hand to distract her from the embarrassment. On Delinquent's Row, it didn't take much to find a group of delinquents. They were either smoking, playing around in one of the stores, or looking for innocent people to harass, just like now.
"Hey, psycho. I don't know if you know where you are, but I'd advise you to leave this place as soon as possible." A small group of teens that looked up to no good warned her.
"I'm looking for Dino or his crew. Can you help me find them?" Zoey badly disguised her voice.
"You really are a crazy motherfucker..." The delinquent blew out some smoke from his cigarette. "Dino and his boys are where they always stay. The pool place on 15th." He answered.
"Thank you." Zoey made her way to the bar she went to last time.
It was when she got surrounded by all those delinquents. She couldn't forget that memory even if she tried. That was the first time she realized that her skills could merge if they were similar enough. Her boxing skills like Parrying, slipping, and punching combined into a singular boxing skill. Zoey did wonder if her magji skills were going to be filed under a Magji skill eventually. She didn't think they were going to, though. A lot of her magji skills were above level 10. With her boxing skills, they stopped leveling up after reaching level 10.
"Fuck off, weirdo." Two goons stood at the entrance of the bar.
"The freak convention is that way. If you know what's good for you, get out of here."
"Is Dino inside?" Zoey asked.
"One warning was enough. To think this retarded fucker was going to ask questions after I was kind enough to tell them to fuck off." The delinquent sighed as he rolled up his sleeves and walked toward Zoey.
"You think special pussy is tighter than normal pussy?" The other delinquent asked.
"You're a fucking degenerate. Don't talk to me." The delinquent readying to punch Zoey responded.
Zoey rushed into the delinquent's space and wrapped her arms around his waist as she lifted him up. The wind was knocked out of him from the force of being tackled and hoisted up, only for all of the air in his lungs to disappear. Zoey slammed him on the concrete ground, and all the lights inside the guy went out. She didn't hesitate to take down the second guy after finishing with the first one.
He punched the top of her costume in an attempt to stop her, but it wasn't enough to prevent Zoey from knocking him to the ground and mounting him. Her green gecko fists came raining down on the delinquent's face. His arms came up to defend his face, but it was useless against Zoey's strength, which has long surpassed the limits of humanity. Even with the soft materials that the lizard costume was made of, Zoey still hit hard enough to leave the delinquent's face bloodied, swollen, and bruised.
She stopped the hail of fists when she saw the delinquent couldn't even raise his arms to defend himself anymore. Then she got up and strolled inside the bar. Zoey saw delinquents playing pool, playing at the arcade machines, drinking at the bar, and smoking. The place was filled with them, and when she entered, they all looked at her.
Zoey felt that oh-so-familiar fighting urge surge up inside of her. She knew she could knock all of these guys out just by using her regular strength, but where would the fun in that be? If she was going to go on a journey of revenge, wouldn't it be better if she had some fun along the way? After all, the best kind of revenge is the one where you have fun while doing it.
When the first delinquent came up to her and reached out to grab her shoulder, she grabbed his arm and tossed him over her shoulder onto a pool table. He cried out in pain, and once the other delinquents saw that slam, they rushed at her. Zoey only smiled inside her costume and matched their energy by running at them as well! The first delinquent to come at her held a pool stick in his hand to bring down on her head.
Zoey blocked the stick with her right arm, feeling the ache of the hit on her skin before snatching up the delinquent by the throat with her left hand and tossing him into the group behind him. Multiple boys went down from the force of Zoey's throw, and Zoey met the group that got out of the way with her fists. The green lizard mascot fought like a street brawler without any consideration for their opponent.
She grabbed the arm of a delinquent to drag him toward herself before following up with a right straight that instantly sent him into dreamland. As she was doing that, a delinquent snuck up behind her and smashed the back of her head with a baseball bat. Zoey felt blood drip from her forehead, but she only smiled at this. In a second, Zoey turned to face the asshole that got behind her and gutted him with her fist. He dropped to his knees from the pain, but his suffering wasn't over yet.
Zoey kicked him in the face and knocked him onto his back. The joy she felt as she grabbed him by the leg and lifted him up like a weapon was almost godly. Almost, because the fun part was when she used this motherfucker to beat these other motherfuckers! She may or may not have heard his leg snap from how crazily she was swinging him around, but hey, they started using weapons first.
Delinquents fell in droves from Zoey's indiscriminate rampage. The thrill of the fight clouded her vision for the most part until she realized that her costume was covered in blood and there was no one left to fight. All around her were broken, groaning, and crying pieces of garbage. The smile on her face never went away as she went into the back room.
"So, you're the suicidal fucker that's been making so much noise." Dino leisurely played on his phone.
Yep, it was the same guy from before. Pointy yellow hair, bull-like nose rings, and a body that looked great for fighting. Although, he had a new guy next to him that Zoey didn't recognize. He was huge. Like, James huge. This guy had to be around seven feet tall.
He had a shaved head, a dumb-looking face, and a menacing feel to match his dumbness. He got up in her face and looked down at her with a grin on his face. Cracking his knuckles, he only laughed before speaking to Dino. "What should I do with him, boss?"
"After what he did to my men out there, just kill him." Dino casually decided on her execution.
"My pleasure..." He reached down with his palm to grab her head.
Zoey grinned while looking at the big bastard. The core of wrestling was about control. She wondered just how much control could she exert over this giant through pure technique? This was going to be fun to test the limits of her wrestling from her Victorious Boxing skill.
As Zoey looked at James in the hospital bed, wrapped up like a giant mummy. A spike of anger rose up inside of her. She wasn't angry at herself, no. It wasn't her fault that this happened to the big idiot who decided to try and be a hero. Zoey was upset at James, yes, but more at Dino for doing this to him.
"Aren't you lucky to have such a caring and strong girlfriend like me?" Zoey gently brushed the short, nearly nonexistent hair of the resting boxer.
As far as she knew, she was the only girlfriend in the world to destroy a criminal gang for the sake of her boyfriend. Since Zoey honestly didn't have anything better to do with her time, why not do a favor to the city and clean up some trash? Zoey said her goodbyes to Mr. and Mrs. Johnson outside James's door and left the hospital. First things first, a disguise.
Dino knew of her identity and could use it against her. If news got out that a popular up-and-coming fighter like herself was going around getting involved with criminals, she could say goodbye to all of her sponsors and maybe even her fighting career. Zoey already had hundreds of thousands of anti-fans that would love to see her career get dragged through the mud and destroyed. She didn't plan on giving them any ammo intentionally, though.
Sometime later, Zoey was roaming Delinquent's Row dressed in a gecko costume. While Inner Zoey was laughing her ass off at how ridiculous she looked, Zoey focused on the task at hand to distract her from the embarrassment. On Delinquent's Row, it didn't take much to find a group of delinquents. They were either smoking, playing around in one of the stores, or looking for innocent people to harass, just like now.
"Hey, psycho. I don't know if you know where you are, but I'd advise you to leave this place as soon as possible." A small group of teens that looked up to no good warned her.
"I'm looking for Dino or his crew. Can you help me find them?" Zoey badly disguised her voice.
"You really are a crazy motherfucker..." The delinquent blew out some smoke from his cigarette. "Dino and his boys are where they always stay. The pool place on 15th." He answered.
"Thank you." Zoey made her way to the bar she went to last time.
It was when she got surrounded by all those delinquents. She couldn't forget that memory even if she tried. That was the first time she realized that her skills could merge if they were similar enough. Her boxing skills like Parrying, slipping, and punching combined into a singular boxing skill. Zoey did wonder if her magji skills were going to be filed under a Magji skill eventually. She didn't think they were going to, though. A lot of her magji skills were above level 10. With her boxing skills, they stopped leveling up after reaching level 10.
"Fuck off, weirdo." Two goons stood at the entrance of the bar.
"The freak convention is that way. If you know what's good for you, get out of here."
"Is Dino inside?" Zoey asked.
"One warning was enough. To think this retarded fucker was going to ask questions after I was kind enough to tell them to fuck off." The delinquent sighed as he rolled up his sleeves and walked toward Zoey.
"You think special pussy is tighter than normal pussy?" The other delinquent asked.
"You're a fucking degenerate. Don't talk to me." The delinquent readying to punch Zoey responded.
Zoey rushed into the delinquent's space and wrapped her arms around his waist as she lifted him up. The wind was knocked out of him from the force of being tackled and hoisted up, only for all of the air in his lungs to disappear. Zoey slammed him on the concrete ground, and all the lights inside the guy went out. She didn't hesitate to take down the second guy after finishing with the first one.
He punched the top of her costume in an attempt to stop her, but it wasn't enough to prevent Zoey from knocking him to the ground and mounting him. Her green gecko fists came raining down on the delinquent's face. His arms came up to defend his face, but it was useless against Zoey's strength, which has long surpassed the limits of humanity. Even with the soft materials that the lizard costume was made of, Zoey still hit hard enough to leave the delinquent's face bloodied, swollen, and bruised.
She stopped the hail of fists when she saw the delinquent couldn't even raise his arms to defend himself anymore. Then she got up and strolled inside the bar. Zoey saw delinquents playing pool, playing at the arcade machines, drinking at the bar, and smoking. The place was filled with them, and when she entered, they all looked at her.
Zoey felt that oh-so-familiar fighting urge surge up inside of her. She knew she could knock all of these guys out just by using her regular strength, but where would the fun in that be? If she was going to go on a journey of revenge, wouldn't it be better if she had some fun along the way? After all, the best kind of revenge is the one where you have fun while doing it.
When the first delinquent came up to her and reached out to grab her shoulder, she grabbed his arm and tossed him over her shoulder onto a pool table. He cried out in pain, and once the other delinquents saw that slam, they rushed at her. Zoey only smiled inside her costume and matched their energy by running at them as well! The first delinquent to come at her held a pool stick in his hand to bring down on her head.
Zoey blocked the stick with her right arm, feeling the ache of the hit on her skin before snatching up the delinquent by the throat with her left hand and tossing him into the group behind him. Multiple boys went down from the force of Zoey's throw, and Zoey met the group that got out of the way with her fists. The green lizard mascot fought like a street brawler without any consideration for their opponent.
She grabbed the arm of a delinquent to drag him toward herself before following up with a right straight that instantly sent him into dreamland. As she was doing that, a delinquent snuck up behind her and smashed the back of her head with a baseball bat. Zoey felt blood drip from her forehead, but she only smiled at this. In a second, Zoey turned to face the asshole that got behind her and gutted him with her fist. He dropped to his knees from the pain, but his suffering wasn't over yet.
Zoey kicked him in the face and knocked him onto his back. The joy she felt as she grabbed him by the leg and lifted him up like a weapon was almost godly. Almost, because the fun part was when she used this motherfucker to beat these other motherfuckers! She may or may not have heard his leg snap from how crazily she was swinging him around, but hey, they started using weapons first.
Delinquents fell in droves from Zoey's indiscriminate rampage. The thrill of the fight clouded her vision for the most part until she realized that her costume was covered in blood and there was no one left to fight. All around her were broken, groaning, and crying pieces of garbage. The smile on her face never went away as she went into the back room.
"So, you're the suicidal fucker that's been making so much noise." Dino leisurely played on his phone.
Yep, it was the same guy from before. Pointy yellow hair, bull-like nose rings, and a body that looked great for fighting. Although, he had a new guy next to him that Zoey didn't recognize. He was huge. Like, James huge. This guy had to be around seven feet tall.
He had a shaved head, a dumb-looking face, and a menacing feel to match his dumbness. He got up in her face and looked down at her with a grin on his face. Cracking his knuckles, he only laughed before speaking to Dino. "What should I do with him, boss?"
"After what he did to my men out there, just kill him." Dino casually decided on her execution.
"My pleasure..." He reached down with his palm to grab her head.
Zoey grinned while looking at the big bastard. The core of wrestling was about control. She wondered just how much control could she exert over this giant through pure technique? This was going to be fun to test the limits of her wrestling from her Victorious Boxing skill.
Chapter 114: Self-Doubt?
A five-foot woman vs. a jacked seven-foot man. 99.9% of the world would say that in a fight, the man would win. As long as the woman wasn't given a weapon or something, she would lose no matter what. It didn't matter if she learned martial arts or not. There were such differences between the physical contrast of the two people that it didn't matter. The bigger man could take anything the woman could dish out and dish it out even harder. The woman, on the other hand, did not have this distinct advantage. They would have to do everything to avoid being caught or hit because the fight could be over in just one hit based on their physical differences.
In a normal world with a normal woman, this was certainly true. However, Zoey was the furthest thing from a normal woman living in a normal world. She didn't look up at this giant and thought that she stood no chance against him. Her first thoughts were thinking about the best way of taking the motherfucker down and what would be the most fun way to do it. No magji or abusing the high body stat from the system but pure wrestling skills she learned from the former world champion whose core style was wrestling.
After fighting so many delinquents with her Fighting Aura affecting both herself and her enemies, Zoey wasn't in the right state of mind to consider simply ending this by beating up Dino and his giant lackey. Although, she was in the state of mind to wonder about other things relevant to the current fight at hand. Would Twisting Force be too much even without using her full strength? Even though it was level twenty-five, Zoey still didn't know all of the applications of this skill without proper testing.
So, when the big fuck tried to grab Zoey by the head, Zoey ducked down and went for the double-leg takedown. Of course, using a normal woman's strength would make it impossible for Zoey to take down someone as big as this normally. She didn't just use strength to try and bring him to the ground. Zoey reaped his legs while exerting force on his lower body to drag him to the ground. Although it put her in an awkward position, she did manage to get him off his feet.
Just as Zoey was setting up the perfect submission to deal some damage to the big asshole, Dino had to ruin her fun. He stood over them with a gun in his hand as Zoey had the bald fuck in a heel hook. By putting him in a heel hook and fucking up the ligaments in his knee and foot, Zoey would have an easier time controlling him with other submissions. Focus came into play as Zoey stared down the barrel of the gun.
The world went into slow motion, and Zoey knew she didn't have long to react properly. She unshackled herself from the big guy's leg, focused her vision on Dino's trigger finger, and rushed him. As the world slowed to a snail's pace, Zoey could see that he was perfectly willing to kill her. This motherfucker little pussy bitch was pulling the trigger! He really was crazy! And that's coming from Zoey!
Zoey stopped holding back her full strength as soon as she saw the gun. While she wasn't afraid of such a thing after killing so many daemons, it pissed her off that this loser could've killed James. She didn't even know if he could recover and go back to fighting after what this asshole did to him. He could've ended her boyfriend's dream before she could even help him reach the halfway point!
A bullet whizzed past Zoey's face as she struck Dino with a twisting uppercut from hell. Dino's body was lifted off of the ground as he flew in the air like a twirling ice skater. Zoey couldn't feel the bastard's jaw shattering in this costume, but she could definitely hear it. She walked over to his unconscious body to finish the job. However, she wouldn't kill him, even though the world would be better off without trash like this. There were worse things than death.
"You aren't human..." The big guy from before muttered in shock.
"You still want to go?" Zoey looked at him while crouching over Dino's body.
For the first time in Jeremy's life, he felt terror. It was an instinctive type of fear. Everything in his body was telling him to run away as far as he could when looking at that girl in the gecko costume. Even when she was about to twist his leg, he wasn't afraid of her. Pain was pain. It wasn't anything scary. Just some time in the hospital, no biggie.
But when Dino saw that he was losing and pulled out the gun, everything about the chick changed in an instant. Jeremy knew he didn't blink when he saw her move faster than any normal person could. In one moment, she was still wrapped around his leg, and the next, she was suddenly punching Dino?! The fear that took hold of him prevented him from moving or speaking.
When he didn't respond to the monstrous girl, she simply turned back to Dino's knocked-out body and started torturing him. Yes, torturing him. Jeremy looked away, but that wasn't enough to block out the sounds of Dino's agony-filled screaming. He's been working for Dino for a few months but still... The bastard deserved this and more, but why did it have to be when he was working for him today!?
Jeremy was forced to hear the entire process while terror seized him like a broken doll. There was no laughter or sounds of enjoyment from the monster in the costume. She was silent and simply hurt Dino until his body was broken completely. Dino's pleading, begging, threats, shouting, screaming, and everything else had no effect on what she was doing to him. Offering her money, threatening to kill her family, promising never to mess with her again, it didn't matter what he said. Whoever she was, she had one thing on her mind, and that was hurting Dino.
Jeremy wasn't Dino's only follower that heard what went on inside the back rooms. Those that weren't knocked unconscious by Zoey in the bar couldn't help but overhear the screams as well. At first, they thought it was the bastard who rushed in and beat them to hell, but there were a lot of them that got beat up. And the voice of whoever was screaming did not match the grunts and groans of that costumed bastard that beat them up. There were only two options left, Dino or Jeremy. Once this realization set in, many of the gangsters started to leave. Some took their knocked-out buddies with them as they understood this was the end of Dino's gang in the city of Krey.
Inner Zoey stood over her finished work with a darkened expression. Limbs twisted, organs twisted, face pummeled, skull cracked, and probably some brain damage. She looked over at the giant that pissed himself while he stared at the doorway on the floor. He was still here?
"Give me your phone and unlock it." She held out her hand.
He did so without the slightest hesitation. Zoey dialed the emergency services and called for an ambulance so he didn't die. She planned to visit him later in the hospital to make sure she went exactly far enough to prevent him from hurting anyone else again. Tossing the phone back at the big guy, she left the bar. By using her full strength, Zoey crushed the costume into something much smaller and tossed it into a faraway dumpster before making her way home completely satisfied.
It was her first time doing something like that to a human. Zoey was starting to realize that there weren't that many differences between humans and daemons. It was more of a cultural difference between the two species rather than anything else. They were essentially no different from any other human or magjistar. As long as you didn't include their different biology, daemons were just as smart or emotional as anyone else.
This certainly affected her more than she thought it would as she jogged home. While Zoey didn't go out of her way to slaughter daemons like some crazed psychopathic killer, she certainly couldn't remember if there was a time that she killed a daemon that wasn't trying to kill her. Self-defense was fine if someone was trying to take your life, but that would make Zoey a hypocrite. Dino just tried to kill her, but she didn't kill him. If a daemon was trying to kill her, she would've killed them without hesitation.
Zoey didn't like that type of racial bias. If she could give an asshole like Dino a chance a living, she could certainly give that to daemons, right? But how often does someone like Dino kill a person compared to daemons? Wait! Why do daemons even kill? To eat the hearts of people and grow stronger, right? But what about Prometheus? Did he eat people too? Zoey sighed as she thought of all these questions. She had to call Prometheus and ask him a bunch of questions. It didn't sit right with her not knowing more about daemons while she was killing them left and right. It isn't like she has anything better to do now that this Dino saga is over.
In a normal world with a normal woman, this was certainly true. However, Zoey was the furthest thing from a normal woman living in a normal world. She didn't look up at this giant and thought that she stood no chance against him. Her first thoughts were thinking about the best way of taking the motherfucker down and what would be the most fun way to do it. No magji or abusing the high body stat from the system but pure wrestling skills she learned from the former world champion whose core style was wrestling.
After fighting so many delinquents with her Fighting Aura affecting both herself and her enemies, Zoey wasn't in the right state of mind to consider simply ending this by beating up Dino and his giant lackey. Although, she was in the state of mind to wonder about other things relevant to the current fight at hand. Would Twisting Force be too much even without using her full strength? Even though it was level twenty-five, Zoey still didn't know all of the applications of this skill without proper testing.
So, when the big fuck tried to grab Zoey by the head, Zoey ducked down and went for the double-leg takedown. Of course, using a normal woman's strength would make it impossible for Zoey to take down someone as big as this normally. She didn't just use strength to try and bring him to the ground. Zoey reaped his legs while exerting force on his lower body to drag him to the ground. Although it put her in an awkward position, she did manage to get him off his feet.
Just as Zoey was setting up the perfect submission to deal some damage to the big asshole, Dino had to ruin her fun. He stood over them with a gun in his hand as Zoey had the bald fuck in a heel hook. By putting him in a heel hook and fucking up the ligaments in his knee and foot, Zoey would have an easier time controlling him with other submissions. Focus came into play as Zoey stared down the barrel of the gun.
The world went into slow motion, and Zoey knew she didn't have long to react properly. She unshackled herself from the big guy's leg, focused her vision on Dino's trigger finger, and rushed him. As the world slowed to a snail's pace, Zoey could see that he was perfectly willing to kill her. This motherfucker little pussy bitch was pulling the trigger! He really was crazy! And that's coming from Zoey!
Zoey stopped holding back her full strength as soon as she saw the gun. While she wasn't afraid of such a thing after killing so many daemons, it pissed her off that this loser could've killed James. She didn't even know if he could recover and go back to fighting after what this asshole did to him. He could've ended her boyfriend's dream before she could even help him reach the halfway point!
A bullet whizzed past Zoey's face as she struck Dino with a twisting uppercut from hell. Dino's body was lifted off of the ground as he flew in the air like a twirling ice skater. Zoey couldn't feel the bastard's jaw shattering in this costume, but she could definitely hear it. She walked over to his unconscious body to finish the job. However, she wouldn't kill him, even though the world would be better off without trash like this. There were worse things than death.
"You aren't human..." The big guy from before muttered in shock.
"You still want to go?" Zoey looked at him while crouching over Dino's body.
For the first time in Jeremy's life, he felt terror. It was an instinctive type of fear. Everything in his body was telling him to run away as far as he could when looking at that girl in the gecko costume. Even when she was about to twist his leg, he wasn't afraid of her. Pain was pain. It wasn't anything scary. Just some time in the hospital, no biggie.
But when Dino saw that he was losing and pulled out the gun, everything about the chick changed in an instant. Jeremy knew he didn't blink when he saw her move faster than any normal person could. In one moment, she was still wrapped around his leg, and the next, she was suddenly punching Dino?! The fear that took hold of him prevented him from moving or speaking.
When he didn't respond to the monstrous girl, she simply turned back to Dino's knocked-out body and started torturing him. Yes, torturing him. Jeremy looked away, but that wasn't enough to block out the sounds of Dino's agony-filled screaming. He's been working for Dino for a few months but still... The bastard deserved this and more, but why did it have to be when he was working for him today!?
Jeremy was forced to hear the entire process while terror seized him like a broken doll. There was no laughter or sounds of enjoyment from the monster in the costume. She was silent and simply hurt Dino until his body was broken completely. Dino's pleading, begging, threats, shouting, screaming, and everything else had no effect on what she was doing to him. Offering her money, threatening to kill her family, promising never to mess with her again, it didn't matter what he said. Whoever she was, she had one thing on her mind, and that was hurting Dino.
Jeremy wasn't Dino's only follower that heard what went on inside the back rooms. Those that weren't knocked unconscious by Zoey in the bar couldn't help but overhear the screams as well. At first, they thought it was the bastard who rushed in and beat them to hell, but there were a lot of them that got beat up. And the voice of whoever was screaming did not match the grunts and groans of that costumed bastard that beat them up. There were only two options left, Dino or Jeremy. Once this realization set in, many of the gangsters started to leave. Some took their knocked-out buddies with them as they understood this was the end of Dino's gang in the city of Krey.
Inner Zoey stood over her finished work with a darkened expression. Limbs twisted, organs twisted, face pummeled, skull cracked, and probably some brain damage. She looked over at the giant that pissed himself while he stared at the doorway on the floor. He was still here?
"Give me your phone and unlock it." She held out her hand.
He did so without the slightest hesitation. Zoey dialed the emergency services and called for an ambulance so he didn't die. She planned to visit him later in the hospital to make sure she went exactly far enough to prevent him from hurting anyone else again. Tossing the phone back at the big guy, she left the bar. By using her full strength, Zoey crushed the costume into something much smaller and tossed it into a faraway dumpster before making her way home completely satisfied.
It was her first time doing something like that to a human. Zoey was starting to realize that there weren't that many differences between humans and daemons. It was more of a cultural difference between the two species rather than anything else. They were essentially no different from any other human or magjistar. As long as you didn't include their different biology, daemons were just as smart or emotional as anyone else.
This certainly affected her more than she thought it would as she jogged home. While Zoey didn't go out of her way to slaughter daemons like some crazed psychopathic killer, she certainly couldn't remember if there was a time that she killed a daemon that wasn't trying to kill her. Self-defense was fine if someone was trying to take your life, but that would make Zoey a hypocrite. Dino just tried to kill her, but she didn't kill him. If a daemon was trying to kill her, she would've killed them without hesitation.
Zoey didn't like that type of racial bias. If she could give an asshole like Dino a chance a living, she could certainly give that to daemons, right? But how often does someone like Dino kill a person compared to daemons? Wait! Why do daemons even kill? To eat the hearts of people and grow stronger, right? But what about Prometheus? Did he eat people too? Zoey sighed as she thought of all these questions. She had to call Prometheus and ask him a bunch of questions. It didn't sit right with her not knowing more about daemons while she was killing them left and right. It isn't like she has anything better to do now that this Dino saga is over.
Chapter 115: Daemon Interview?!
"Prometheus. I got a few questions for you. Do you mind if we meet up?" Zoey spoke into her phone.
Zoey stared at the comatose body of Dino on the hospital bed. She had a baseball cap and a face mask on to hide her identity for the most part. The beeping of the machine signaled that his heart was still beating, but Zoey couldn't call what she saw in front of her being alive. According to the doctor, it is unclear if Dino will ever reawaken again due to the severity of his injuries. It was good news to Zoey. She didn't regret putting this would-be killer in this state because if it wasn't her, he'd definitely kill someone else if he hasn't already.
"Greetings, Zoey. I'm glad you called. I don't mind answering some questions from you. I'll send you a location. Come visit me there, and we can talk." Prometheus responded.
"Alright, see you then." Zoey sighed, remembering a time when she hated talking to people and setting up appointments.
"Farewell." Prometheus hung up.
The Box was fucking amazing, and Zoey hated how it had both good and bad sides to it. She was addicted to the grind, and that wasn't entirely good. If the Box was taken away from her, Zoey had no idea how that would affect her. Would she still like fighting if she couldn't visibly see or feel herself becoming better? What about training every day when she couldn't see her Body stat going up? How about her mahna and magji gates? Would they lock up, and she wouldn't be able to use magji again? Without a doubt in her heart or mind, Zoey was terrified of being parted from the Box.
As Zoey made her way to the location Prometheus sent her, she thought about how everything she's accomplished so far was thanks to the Box. Her improving social life that was previously non-existent before, a sense of purpose in life, and her fighting career. If it wasn't for the Box, Zoey would still be the friendless awkward fucking loser that did nothing but stay on the internet at home and do schoolwork at school. She didn't know what divine being or whatever gifted her the box, but she prayed that they only took it away when she was dead and gone for good. Not like dead for a little bit, but then got better. She was sure that had to be possible somehow in the magji world.
…
Zoey looked at the building called Monstrous Builders Construction Company and walked inside. It was a very clean, neat, and busy lobby filled with regular people in business suits. Zoey took a seat and waited to go up to the counter until it was her turn. In the meantime, she texted Prometheus that she was here. She was surprised to see that no one here had any mahna. As far as she knew, everyone here was a normal person.
This made Zoey wonder if Prometheus built this company up from the ground up or took it over from the owner. She wasn't going to do anything if he did take it. It wasn't any of her business what he did in his free time unless it involved eating humans. Zoey also wasn't some sort of hero that stuck her nose into other people's business. While she would still stop a daemon from eating someone in front of her even if her skills didn't increase. Zoey wouldn't...
'I guess I am a sort of hero even if I'm not doing it for the right reasons...' Zoey slowly realized one of the purposes of being a magjistar.
While waiting in the lobby, Zoey was rather ashamed it took her this long to realize she was being a superhero! She didn't take the time to realize that she was actively saving lives and making the world a better place by killing those daemons who hunted humans and magjistars. To be fair to herself! It is hard to realize the importance of lives when the numbers on her skills go up and directly make her stronger when she's killing daemons.
'You're a fucking dumbass.' Inner Zoey helpfully shared.
'Listen!' Zoey tried to think of a better excuse. 'I can't.' She hung her head in defeat.
'Does it matter if you're saving lives or not? Sure, it's cool and all, bitch, but it's not like any other magjistars are acting like superheroes, either. They're just like you. More concerned with killing daemons than saving people.' Inner Zoey added.
'Shit. Is it a good thing or a bad thing that I'm so similar to them? Wait, don't answer that. I don't wanna know.' Zoey decided ignorance was best.
"Are you Zoey Winters?" Some older girl came over to her with a notebook in hand.
"Yes, that's me." Zoey raised her head.
"Great, please follow me." She took Zoey to an elevator, and they began to go up together.
She had a smile on her face, but she didn't converse with her. Zoey was inwardly glad for that. Small talk was still something she was absolute shit at. If there was an opportunity to skip it, she was all for it. While she was a little bit curious about how this whole company ran with a daemon in charge of it all, she wasn't curious enough to ask the employees when she was going to meet with the guy in charge right now.
"Mr. Theo is right down the hall." She told her.
"Thank you," Zoey said as she got out of the elevator.
"It was my pleasure." She pushed the button, and the elevator closed.
"My pleasure...?" Zoey kind of liked that response instead of just saying you're welcome.
My pleasure made it sound like she was less of a burden to the workers. You're welcome made it sound like, yeah, you're fucking welcome. You're fucking welcome, you dumbfuck piece of shit consumer. My efforts were all for you and not myself. Are you really thankful? How about you don't come in when I'm working next time? I'll be the one saying thank you, then. Bitch.
"Hello, Zoey. Please, take a seat." A man in a business suit gestured to the chair.
"Hey, Zoey!" A round-bellied man stood next to the good-looking guy. He greeted her with childish enthusiasm.
Whoever the man was sitting in front of her was not Prometheus. While he was just as handsome, had a voice that made her insides tingle just like Prometheus, and dressed just like he was during the Joint Case. This guy was a normal human. The same went for the fat guy, but she knew these two had to be Prometheus and Little Imp.
"Magji Tools." Prometheus made things easier on her.
"They're great, aren't they!? We look and feel like normal humans!" Little Imp did a twirl, his gut took the lead.
"I really can't tell even when I'm using mahna to sense you." Zoey was genuinely surprised.
Mahna Manipulation was at 29. Zoey was sure she was capable of doing almost anything with her mahna as long as she had enough mahna. Her control was close to perfect. The only time she struggled to control it was when she pushed further than the 4th magji gate during Overdraft. Even as she inspected their skin to insides with her mahna, she still got nothing. Whatever magji tool they got was seriously impressive.
"She is a well-known craftsman in the magji world. Eccentric in nature, picky with who she chooses as her customers, and stubborn as a mule. But she has the talent to have such a personality. It took weeks, even with my magji shard's help to convince her to make an order for me." Prometheus chatted.
"What's her name?" Zoey asked. Her knowledge of things in the magji community was still lacking.
"Junko. But most refer to her as The Magji Armory. She's known to carry over a thousand Magji Tools on her person at all times. I think it's because she's helpless without all of those toys."
"I think it's because she's a hoarder!" Little Imp added his opinion. "You should've seen her workshop. Filled with stuff she calls failed products, but she nearly killed me for trying to take some! A hoarder to the bone." He crossed his chubby arms.
"She sounds interesting?" Zoey honestly didn't know what to say.
"Anyway, enough about that. You have some questions for us, right? Go ahead and ask." Prometheus gently smiled.
"Right!" Zoey nearly forgot why she was even here. "Tell me about daemons." She asked.
"About us? Anything specifically...?" Prometheus asked back.
Zoey reached for her journal in her pocket and began to flip through the pages. She wrote down the questions she wanted to ask in case she somehow forgot. Once she made it to the first page, she looked back at the politely waiting Prometheus and the eagerly waiting Little Imp. Now she was feeling a little awkward about the whole thing. Don't ask her how, either.
"Why do daemons kill?" She gave her first question.
Zoey stared at the comatose body of Dino on the hospital bed. She had a baseball cap and a face mask on to hide her identity for the most part. The beeping of the machine signaled that his heart was still beating, but Zoey couldn't call what she saw in front of her being alive. According to the doctor, it is unclear if Dino will ever reawaken again due to the severity of his injuries. It was good news to Zoey. She didn't regret putting this would-be killer in this state because if it wasn't her, he'd definitely kill someone else if he hasn't already.
"Greetings, Zoey. I'm glad you called. I don't mind answering some questions from you. I'll send you a location. Come visit me there, and we can talk." Prometheus responded.
"Alright, see you then." Zoey sighed, remembering a time when she hated talking to people and setting up appointments.
"Farewell." Prometheus hung up.
The Box was fucking amazing, and Zoey hated how it had both good and bad sides to it. She was addicted to the grind, and that wasn't entirely good. If the Box was taken away from her, Zoey had no idea how that would affect her. Would she still like fighting if she couldn't visibly see or feel herself becoming better? What about training every day when she couldn't see her Body stat going up? How about her mahna and magji gates? Would they lock up, and she wouldn't be able to use magji again? Without a doubt in her heart or mind, Zoey was terrified of being parted from the Box.
As Zoey made her way to the location Prometheus sent her, she thought about how everything she's accomplished so far was thanks to the Box. Her improving social life that was previously non-existent before, a sense of purpose in life, and her fighting career. If it wasn't for the Box, Zoey would still be the friendless awkward fucking loser that did nothing but stay on the internet at home and do schoolwork at school. She didn't know what divine being or whatever gifted her the box, but she prayed that they only took it away when she was dead and gone for good. Not like dead for a little bit, but then got better. She was sure that had to be possible somehow in the magji world.
…
Zoey looked at the building called Monstrous Builders Construction Company and walked inside. It was a very clean, neat, and busy lobby filled with regular people in business suits. Zoey took a seat and waited to go up to the counter until it was her turn. In the meantime, she texted Prometheus that she was here. She was surprised to see that no one here had any mahna. As far as she knew, everyone here was a normal person.
This made Zoey wonder if Prometheus built this company up from the ground up or took it over from the owner. She wasn't going to do anything if he did take it. It wasn't any of her business what he did in his free time unless it involved eating humans. Zoey also wasn't some sort of hero that stuck her nose into other people's business. While she would still stop a daemon from eating someone in front of her even if her skills didn't increase. Zoey wouldn't...
'I guess I am a sort of hero even if I'm not doing it for the right reasons...' Zoey slowly realized one of the purposes of being a magjistar.
While waiting in the lobby, Zoey was rather ashamed it took her this long to realize she was being a superhero! She didn't take the time to realize that she was actively saving lives and making the world a better place by killing those daemons who hunted humans and magjistars. To be fair to herself! It is hard to realize the importance of lives when the numbers on her skills go up and directly make her stronger when she's killing daemons.
'You're a fucking dumbass.' Inner Zoey helpfully shared.
'Listen!' Zoey tried to think of a better excuse. 'I can't.' She hung her head in defeat.
'Does it matter if you're saving lives or not? Sure, it's cool and all, bitch, but it's not like any other magjistars are acting like superheroes, either. They're just like you. More concerned with killing daemons than saving people.' Inner Zoey added.
'Shit. Is it a good thing or a bad thing that I'm so similar to them? Wait, don't answer that. I don't wanna know.' Zoey decided ignorance was best.
"Are you Zoey Winters?" Some older girl came over to her with a notebook in hand.
"Yes, that's me." Zoey raised her head.
"Great, please follow me." She took Zoey to an elevator, and they began to go up together.
She had a smile on her face, but she didn't converse with her. Zoey was inwardly glad for that. Small talk was still something she was absolute shit at. If there was an opportunity to skip it, she was all for it. While she was a little bit curious about how this whole company ran with a daemon in charge of it all, she wasn't curious enough to ask the employees when she was going to meet with the guy in charge right now.
"Mr. Theo is right down the hall." She told her.
"Thank you," Zoey said as she got out of the elevator.
"It was my pleasure." She pushed the button, and the elevator closed.
"My pleasure...?" Zoey kind of liked that response instead of just saying you're welcome.
My pleasure made it sound like she was less of a burden to the workers. You're welcome made it sound like, yeah, you're fucking welcome. You're fucking welcome, you dumbfuck piece of shit consumer. My efforts were all for you and not myself. Are you really thankful? How about you don't come in when I'm working next time? I'll be the one saying thank you, then. Bitch.
"Hello, Zoey. Please, take a seat." A man in a business suit gestured to the chair.
"Hey, Zoey!" A round-bellied man stood next to the good-looking guy. He greeted her with childish enthusiasm.
Whoever the man was sitting in front of her was not Prometheus. While he was just as handsome, had a voice that made her insides tingle just like Prometheus, and dressed just like he was during the Joint Case. This guy was a normal human. The same went for the fat guy, but she knew these two had to be Prometheus and Little Imp.
"Magji Tools." Prometheus made things easier on her.
"They're great, aren't they!? We look and feel like normal humans!" Little Imp did a twirl, his gut took the lead.
"I really can't tell even when I'm using mahna to sense you." Zoey was genuinely surprised.
Mahna Manipulation was at 29. Zoey was sure she was capable of doing almost anything with her mahna as long as she had enough mahna. Her control was close to perfect. The only time she struggled to control it was when she pushed further than the 4th magji gate during Overdraft. Even as she inspected their skin to insides with her mahna, she still got nothing. Whatever magji tool they got was seriously impressive.
"She is a well-known craftsman in the magji world. Eccentric in nature, picky with who she chooses as her customers, and stubborn as a mule. But she has the talent to have such a personality. It took weeks, even with my magji shard's help to convince her to make an order for me." Prometheus chatted.
"What's her name?" Zoey asked. Her knowledge of things in the magji community was still lacking.
"Junko. But most refer to her as The Magji Armory. She's known to carry over a thousand Magji Tools on her person at all times. I think it's because she's helpless without all of those toys."
"I think it's because she's a hoarder!" Little Imp added his opinion. "You should've seen her workshop. Filled with stuff she calls failed products, but she nearly killed me for trying to take some! A hoarder to the bone." He crossed his chubby arms.
"She sounds interesting?" Zoey honestly didn't know what to say.
"Anyway, enough about that. You have some questions for us, right? Go ahead and ask." Prometheus gently smiled.
"Right!" Zoey nearly forgot why she was even here. "Tell me about daemons." She asked.
"About us? Anything specifically...?" Prometheus asked back.
Zoey reached for her journal in her pocket and began to flip through the pages. She wrote down the questions she wanted to ask in case she somehow forgot. Once she made it to the first page, she looked back at the politely waiting Prometheus and the eagerly waiting Little Imp. Now she was feeling a little awkward about the whole thing. Don't ask her how, either.
"Why do daemons kill?" She gave her first question.
Chapter 116: Q & A with a Daemon!
"Daemons kill for all sorts of reasons, but from my experience, most kill on based on their desires. They kill for food, they kill for pleasure, they kill for growth, and they kill out of boredom. Many daemons are slaves to their desires. It is rare to find daemons willing to go against their instinctive nature, but not impossible." Prometheus smiled.
"Like you two, right?" Zoey understood.
"Right."
"So, can daemons eat things other than humans, or does it have to be humans? Wait, do they need to eat at all, or can they just run off of mahna?" Zoey asked next.
"Daemons cannot live off of mahna. They must eat just like most living creatures, but it does not have to be humans. Eating humans and magjistars is just the fastest way for a daemon to grow stronger. Growing stronger is one of the core needs for all daemons."
"So, they could eat fast food, vegetables, and candy and be fine?" Zoey wanted to make sure.
"Correct. If a human can live off of it, a daemon can too."
"Why don't daemons just train if they want to get stronger?"
"Why don't humans just exercise if it's better for you?" Prometheus smiled.
"Oh." Zoey realized it in an instant.
Daemons were just as lazy as humans. It's just that their laziness directed them toward eating people instead of getting fat or weaker. Their laziness actually made them stronger! Although, it did put their lives at more risk than it would a human. No one is going to kill a lazy human for being lazy, but magjistars would kill daemons for being lazy and choosing to eat humans to grow stronger. Hell, as far as Zoey knew, magjistars would kill all daemons for any reason. At least the daemons had a legitimate reason for killing people. Not that Zoey was a daemon sympathizer or something. She's probably killed more of them than any other magjistar her age.
"Quick and easy! That's a daemon's motto!" Little Imp pumped his fist.
"So it isn't impossible to get a daemon to swear off eating people..." Zoey muttered.
"As long as you can provide them enticing enough benefits to do so. It certainly isn't." Prometheus answered.
"Is that how you had so many daemons under your control in the joint case?" Zoey suddenly remembered the orderly military-like daemons in Prometheus's hallway.
"Well, no." Prometheus chuckled. "Daemons can be properly controlled through old-fashioned brute force as well. As long as you regularly show them their place, they usually won't disobey you. Of course, you have to give them a reason to follow you other than out of fear. That's the benefits I mentioned just a second ago."
"Do you think there could be a world where daemons and magjistars coexist?" Zoey asked him her final question.
Prometheus didn't answer her question immediately. He looked at her strangely before reaching into his desk and pulling out a flask. Zoey watched him take a deep drink of whatever was inside before focusing his attention on her. He rubbed the bridge in between his eyes and spoke.
"You really want to be a huge factor in changing the world as we know it, don't you?" Prometheus's magji shard was spiking.
"What?" Zoey just asked a simple question. What was he on about?
"My dear, only you would ask such a question in times such as these," Prometheus informed her.
"Is there something going on?" Zoey was totally out of the loop in the magji world.
"Tensions between magjistars and daemons are only rising nowadays thanks to Poison and her group." He shook his head in annoyance. "Because of the huge success of her idea, more and more daemons are teaming up to devour humans and magjistars. You can see how magjistars and daemons coming into contact more frequently is a bad thing when their first reaction to each other is to kill on sight, right?" Prometheus asked a rhetorical question.
"Right," Zoey answered.
"Can you also see how this tense relationship between the two would be impossible to stop without an ocean of blood from both sides? Both sides that see the only way of stopping it is by annihilating the other side?"
"Oooh. I guess so." Zoey was just one person. She was strong, but there wasn't enough of her to get both sides to behave. Probably.
Maybe it was time to get started on making her magji clan. Since she had all of this power, wouldn't it be the right thing or whatever to do what was right? Daemons didn't need to kill people to get stronger. They were just lazy. Laziness could be beaten out of them if it came to that. Magjistars just had no idea about daemons at all. They were just ignorant. Ignorance could be fixed with knowledge. For the most part, anyway... There were some really stubborn, stupid motherfuckers out there.
"The path you are setting yourself on has a 95% chance of failure, Zoey." Prometheus didn't hold back.
"!" As Zoey was about to speak up, he interrupted her.
"That 95% chance includes the blood of millions of innocents and those that you do love or will love. Are you sure you want to bridge the relationship between daemons and magjistars by yourself?" He looked her in the eyes.
"I wasn't going to do it by myself..." Zoey muttered as he shot down her grand ambitions.
"75% chance of failure if you include your allies."
"What if I manage to convince some daemons!?" Zoey felt like she was understanding Prometheus's magji.
"60% chance of failure." Prometheus frowned as even he wasn't expecting this outcome.
"Alright, alright. I won't try to fix the relationship between the two species anytime soon." Zoey got the hint.
She stopped because she realized that a person like her had little fun to be had in a peaceful world. Zoey already accepted that she had a lust for fighting. The more dangerous it was, the happier it made her. While trying to forcefully make both sides understand that they had to get along through force would be fun, what about after? What would a person like her do in a peaceful world? She'd have to handle all of her deep-seated personal issues inside head-on!
"100% chance that Zoey Winters will attempt to make daemons and magjistars coexist within thirty years." Prometheus looked at her.
"Anytime soon! Thirty years is a long time!" Zoey defended herself.
"Within thirty years..." Prometheus corrected her.
"I can't control the future me. She's stronger, better, and probably smarter too. How am I supposed to do anything about that?" Zoey knew she was speaking nonsense, but frankly, she was just embarrassed.
"We're on your side, Zoey!" Little Imp exclaimed. "Magjistars not wanting to kill us for just living is good for us!" He explained.
"Please... When you do decide to start off this insane idea of yours, please get in touch with me first. I'll set the tracks, and you just ride along them." He half begged.
"Sounds good to me. With you supporting me, I don't see how I could fail." Zoey responded.
"Don't take that as a confirmation to start sooner, either. Only when I give the green light for it will give you the best chance of succeeding." Prometheus informed her.
"Thanks, Prometheus! Thanks, Imp!" Zoey got up from her seat now that her questions were answered.
"Ah, before you go. There's a group of daemons causing some trouble for my clientele nearby. I'd handle it myself, but my shard tells me there's a high percentage that you'd rather do it. They're hiding in the half-finished building across the way." Prometheus stopped her before she could go.
"You're right, but I'm on magji house arrest. I'm not allowed to do any magjistar stuff, or they'll seal my magji." Zoey explained to him.
"Ah, I remember now. It was your fight with the foreign magjistar, wasn't it?" He asked.
"Yup." Zoey was surprised that he saw her fight.
"Reckless thing you did, but you are... you, I suppose. Can you pass it along to one of your magjistar friends, then?"
"Yup. I don't know when they'll solve it, but I'll text them about it on my way home from here." Zoey told him.
"Thank you. Don't forget about our deal. My office is open to you at any time." Prometheus said.
"Bye, Zoey!" Little Imp waved goodbye.
Zoey left Prometheus's office with her chest feeling a lot less stuffy. Daemons could be taught to be better. Who knew that knowing more stuff could be better for you? Maybe she should take her studies more seriously in the future. She was about to become a freaking senior, after all. Senior year was the time to buckle down on her studies and prepare for university. Zoey planned on getting a full-ride scholarship through track and field! She could try and get a scholarship for fighting since the school did make a mixed martial arts club in her honor for being a student at their school, but Zoey didn't want that. It was too embarrassing. A track and field scholarship was good enough.
"Like you two, right?" Zoey understood.
"Right."
"So, can daemons eat things other than humans, or does it have to be humans? Wait, do they need to eat at all, or can they just run off of mahna?" Zoey asked next.
"Daemons cannot live off of mahna. They must eat just like most living creatures, but it does not have to be humans. Eating humans and magjistars is just the fastest way for a daemon to grow stronger. Growing stronger is one of the core needs for all daemons."
"So, they could eat fast food, vegetables, and candy and be fine?" Zoey wanted to make sure.
"Correct. If a human can live off of it, a daemon can too."
"Why don't daemons just train if they want to get stronger?"
"Why don't humans just exercise if it's better for you?" Prometheus smiled.
"Oh." Zoey realized it in an instant.
Daemons were just as lazy as humans. It's just that their laziness directed them toward eating people instead of getting fat or weaker. Their laziness actually made them stronger! Although, it did put their lives at more risk than it would a human. No one is going to kill a lazy human for being lazy, but magjistars would kill daemons for being lazy and choosing to eat humans to grow stronger. Hell, as far as Zoey knew, magjistars would kill all daemons for any reason. At least the daemons had a legitimate reason for killing people. Not that Zoey was a daemon sympathizer or something. She's probably killed more of them than any other magjistar her age.
"Quick and easy! That's a daemon's motto!" Little Imp pumped his fist.
"So it isn't impossible to get a daemon to swear off eating people..." Zoey muttered.
"As long as you can provide them enticing enough benefits to do so. It certainly isn't." Prometheus answered.
"Is that how you had so many daemons under your control in the joint case?" Zoey suddenly remembered the orderly military-like daemons in Prometheus's hallway.
"Well, no." Prometheus chuckled. "Daemons can be properly controlled through old-fashioned brute force as well. As long as you regularly show them their place, they usually won't disobey you. Of course, you have to give them a reason to follow you other than out of fear. That's the benefits I mentioned just a second ago."
"Do you think there could be a world where daemons and magjistars coexist?" Zoey asked him her final question.
Prometheus didn't answer her question immediately. He looked at her strangely before reaching into his desk and pulling out a flask. Zoey watched him take a deep drink of whatever was inside before focusing his attention on her. He rubbed the bridge in between his eyes and spoke.
"You really want to be a huge factor in changing the world as we know it, don't you?" Prometheus's magji shard was spiking.
"What?" Zoey just asked a simple question. What was he on about?
"My dear, only you would ask such a question in times such as these," Prometheus informed her.
"Is there something going on?" Zoey was totally out of the loop in the magji world.
"Tensions between magjistars and daemons are only rising nowadays thanks to Poison and her group." He shook his head in annoyance. "Because of the huge success of her idea, more and more daemons are teaming up to devour humans and magjistars. You can see how magjistars and daemons coming into contact more frequently is a bad thing when their first reaction to each other is to kill on sight, right?" Prometheus asked a rhetorical question.
"Right," Zoey answered.
"Can you also see how this tense relationship between the two would be impossible to stop without an ocean of blood from both sides? Both sides that see the only way of stopping it is by annihilating the other side?"
"Oooh. I guess so." Zoey was just one person. She was strong, but there wasn't enough of her to get both sides to behave. Probably.
Maybe it was time to get started on making her magji clan. Since she had all of this power, wouldn't it be the right thing or whatever to do what was right? Daemons didn't need to kill people to get stronger. They were just lazy. Laziness could be beaten out of them if it came to that. Magjistars just had no idea about daemons at all. They were just ignorant. Ignorance could be fixed with knowledge. For the most part, anyway... There were some really stubborn, stupid motherfuckers out there.
"The path you are setting yourself on has a 95% chance of failure, Zoey." Prometheus didn't hold back.
"!" As Zoey was about to speak up, he interrupted her.
"That 95% chance includes the blood of millions of innocents and those that you do love or will love. Are you sure you want to bridge the relationship between daemons and magjistars by yourself?" He looked her in the eyes.
"I wasn't going to do it by myself..." Zoey muttered as he shot down her grand ambitions.
"75% chance of failure if you include your allies."
"What if I manage to convince some daemons!?" Zoey felt like she was understanding Prometheus's magji.
"60% chance of failure." Prometheus frowned as even he wasn't expecting this outcome.
"Alright, alright. I won't try to fix the relationship between the two species anytime soon." Zoey got the hint.
She stopped because she realized that a person like her had little fun to be had in a peaceful world. Zoey already accepted that she had a lust for fighting. The more dangerous it was, the happier it made her. While trying to forcefully make both sides understand that they had to get along through force would be fun, what about after? What would a person like her do in a peaceful world? She'd have to handle all of her deep-seated personal issues inside head-on!
"100% chance that Zoey Winters will attempt to make daemons and magjistars coexist within thirty years." Prometheus looked at her.
"Anytime soon! Thirty years is a long time!" Zoey defended herself.
"Within thirty years..." Prometheus corrected her.
"I can't control the future me. She's stronger, better, and probably smarter too. How am I supposed to do anything about that?" Zoey knew she was speaking nonsense, but frankly, she was just embarrassed.
"We're on your side, Zoey!" Little Imp exclaimed. "Magjistars not wanting to kill us for just living is good for us!" He explained.
"Please... When you do decide to start off this insane idea of yours, please get in touch with me first. I'll set the tracks, and you just ride along them." He half begged.
"Sounds good to me. With you supporting me, I don't see how I could fail." Zoey responded.
"Don't take that as a confirmation to start sooner, either. Only when I give the green light for it will give you the best chance of succeeding." Prometheus informed her.
"Thanks, Prometheus! Thanks, Imp!" Zoey got up from her seat now that her questions were answered.
"Ah, before you go. There's a group of daemons causing some trouble for my clientele nearby. I'd handle it myself, but my shard tells me there's a high percentage that you'd rather do it. They're hiding in the half-finished building across the way." Prometheus stopped her before she could go.
"You're right, but I'm on magji house arrest. I'm not allowed to do any magjistar stuff, or they'll seal my magji." Zoey explained to him.
"Ah, I remember now. It was your fight with the foreign magjistar, wasn't it?" He asked.
"Yup." Zoey was surprised that he saw her fight.
"Reckless thing you did, but you are... you, I suppose. Can you pass it along to one of your magjistar friends, then?"
"Yup. I don't know when they'll solve it, but I'll text them about it on my way home from here." Zoey told him.
"Thank you. Don't forget about our deal. My office is open to you at any time." Prometheus said.
"Bye, Zoey!" Little Imp waved goodbye.
Zoey left Prometheus's office with her chest feeling a lot less stuffy. Daemons could be taught to be better. Who knew that knowing more stuff could be better for you? Maybe she should take her studies more seriously in the future. She was about to become a freaking senior, after all. Senior year was the time to buckle down on her studies and prepare for university. Zoey planned on getting a full-ride scholarship through track and field! She could try and get a scholarship for fighting since the school did make a mixed martial arts club in her honor for being a student at their school, but Zoey didn't want that. It was too embarrassing. A track and field scholarship was good enough.
Chapter 117: Hanging Out with the Girls.
"Gang activity has recently surged within Krey these past few days. While our city has always had its issues of gang activity from time to time, the danger right now is unprecedented. Just within the last week, there have been several violent crimes witnessed, recorded, and reported to our news station. Here are a few clips of the videos trending in our local area." The television began showing violent video clip after clip. Uncensored.
The first clip had a group of youths wielding weapons brutally beating up another group. The group with the weapons had some form of blue on their clothes or accessories, while the other group had green. "Tears! Tears! Tears!" They chanted during the violent act. Then the clip switched to another with the gang in green breaking into some kind of store. "The Sour Gangbangers will rule this city!" "Give us your shit if you don't wanna die!" Then the video switched again.
'Is this because of us?' Zoey asked herself.
'How the fuck is it our fault that destroying Dino's gang would make other gangs wanna take his place?' Inner Zoey was annoyed by the question.
'The only other option would have been leaving Dino completely fine to keep being a gangster.' Zoey thought.
'Unless you plan on becoming a gang leader and replacing him.' Inner Zoey laughed.
'I'm not smart enough to run a criminal organization.' Zoey agreed with Inner Zoey's dismissive remark.
'I said gang leader, not a criminal mastermind. There's a difference between a gang and a criminal organization, fucking idiot.'
'Still!' Zoey angrily retorted.
"I'm so glad I got my gun license near the start of this year." Katlyn lounged out on Zoey's bed.
"I would be too scared to shoot someone." Callie was also stretched out on her bed.
"But you're a better shot than me?" Katlyn was confused.
"Just because I shoot better doesn't make it less scary! You get it, right Zoey?" Callie looked at her.
Zoey was smushed in between the two tall girls. If she wasn't in the middle, she'd somehow get pushed off her own bed when they came over to her room. The sides weren't an option for her five-foot-zero body vs. these two giraffes. It was also safer for her to be cuddled in between the two sometimes.
"I get it." Zoey faced death countless times.
Although she would never freeze up in the face of it, she could understand those people who do. Life-or-death situations weren't for everyone. Thinking about how a happy-go-lucky girl like Callie having to kill someone was difficult for Zoey to wrap her head around. She'd probably break down and need years of therapy to recover. She was too nice.
"Girl, all you gotta do is flash that thang, and they'll be running in no time." Katlyn almost sounded like she wanted some gangsters to harass her.
Callie groaned in frustration as Katlyn just didn't understand. "Getting into a situation where I have to threaten the life of another person is scary for me!" She tried to brute force her understanding into Katlyn's head. "You might need to stay inside until all this gang violence stuff goes down if you can't handle it," Katlyn told her seriously.
"It's not like I can just avoid it, either! You know that some people at our school are in those gangs too! Holy freaking crap, you saw some of those clips. They're even breaking into peoples' homes!" Callie was freaking herself out.
"That's what the gun is for?" Katlyn didn't see what Callie was so worked up about. "You have the tool to protect yourself. It's not like you're going to go out expecting to meet with gangsters, right? That guy you're talking to at school... Tommy, Bobby, or whatever. He ain't in a gang, is he?"
"I'm not talking to him like that, and his name is freaking Greg. Greg's cute, but I'm not interested in him like that." Callie sighed in annoyance as she switched the subject in an abrupt way that even Zoey noticed it.
"Greg likes you, though." Katlyn snickered.
"Eugh. Don't remind me..." Callie let out another sigh. "I ask for his help once, and he freaking falls in love with me. Like, come on, dude! I know I'm pretty and all, but have some self-respect, and don't let me walk all over you!"
"Why wouldn't the nerd fall in love with the popular sporty girl that's friends with everyone? That's how it is in all the movies."
"Wait, did you just ask Greg, a nerd, was in a gang?" Zoey suddenly realized.
"Did I?" Katlyn's voice was monotone.
"You freaking did! I bet you meant Michael, didn't you!?" Callie happily called her out as well.
"So what? All guys are basically the same anyway..." Katlyn, the lesbian, said as she turned her back to them.
"I'd agree with you if you didn't just confuse two entirely different dudes! Michael is like way more popular than Greg. I don't think anyone outside of our class group even knows Greg." Callie laughed at Katlyn.
"Is Michael in a gang, then?" Zoey spoke up.
"Maybe?" Callie shrugged. "He's my type, but he's so mysterious about himself. He invited me out to hang out with him and his friends while I was supposed to bring my girlfriends, but I turned him down. He did not like being rejected and hasn't replied to my texts since."
"What a pussy," Katlyn chuckled.
"Do you not feel safe around him?" Zoey asked.
"That's not it." Callie shook her head. "He just wouldn't tell me about his friends at all. Like, I just asked a few innocent questions about them, and he was acting like I was a cop interrogating him! Am I wrong for wanting to make sure I wasn't inviting my girls to meet up with some creeps or gangsters?! He totally overreacted at some basic questions." Callie stated her defense in the situation.
"Not to mention, Zoey has a boyfriend now. So it'd just be super awkward for her times ten." Katlyn poked Zoey.
"Is James doing better in the hospital?" Callie asked with sympathy in her voice.
"He's doing better. Thankfully, he wasn't injured badly enough that he couldn't continue his fighting career. It's going to take most of the year until he's recovered enough to get back in the ring, but it's better than never being able to fight again." Zoey told them. She didn't know how she'd react if she got injured that badly. Fighting was her thang! How was she going to fight bedridden?
'Fight them books, bitch.' Inner Zoey giggled. Zoey mentally rolled her eyes.
"That's good." Katlyn rubbed her shoulder. "If a huge guy like him can get hurt so badly by gangsters, I'm never going anywhere without my gun again."
"It would be better to have it on you." Zoey agreed.
"The world is so dangerous. It's freaking ridiculous... Why can't we all just love each other and not want to hurt innocent people?" Callie asked.
"Because humans are inherently evil." Katlyn gave her opinion. Zoey was of a similar mind, but she was more about humans being inherently selfish than evil.
"There's no way that's true, and I refuse to believe such a horrible thing about people in this beautiful but sometimes scary world." Callie rejected it.
"Then how do you explain-"
"Lalalalalala, I don't care whatever thingy you're about to say. Lalala, I live in a world where the world is nicer and more beautiful than evil and corrupt." Callie plugged her ears and blabbered.
"You're lucky you're pretty and white," Katlyn told her.
"You're pretty and white too!" Callie shot back her own weaponized compliment before Katlyn could dig deeper. "And Zoey, you're a beautiful black queen." She didn't want to leave Zoey out.
Zoey appreciated it even though she wouldn't call herself beautiful or a queen. Black queens are female figures in the black community that radiate pride and confident blackness in one's self. Zoey radiated neither of those two things. She was less about blackness and more about Zoeyness if she was being honest. Sadly, she never felt much of a connection with her own race because of her mother's upbringing and lack of connection with her peers growing up. Although, Zoey wasn't really bothered by it. She's outgrown needing acceptance from her own race.
"Anyways! Back to what I was saying..." Katlyn was about to continue, but then Callie suddenly screamed as she held up her phone. The screen was lit up with an alarm blaring from it.
"Finding Love in Paradise is airing a new episode right now! I don't want to hear anything other than this! Zoey! Where is your remote!?" Callie took charge of the atmosphere as she groped around Zoey's body in search of the remote.
"I don't have it!" Zoey giggled from being tickled.
"I have it." Katlyn reached behind her and grabbed it from the desk near the bed.
"Put it on! What are you waiting for!?" Callie demanded.
"Alright, Miss Bossy Dictator... Geez." Katlyn followed the dictator's orders and changed what was on the huge TV.
As Zoey enjoyed her girl time with her friends, she thought in the back of her mind if she was going to get involved in this increased gang activity in her city. It was somewhat her fault things became like this, but she didn't think that going out and beating up more delinquents was going to solve anything. If anything, it was just going to make more gangs crawl out and try to be the top gang after Zoey knocked out Tears and the Sour Gangbangers. Could she even do anything about it?
'Hmm, maybe there was one way.' Zoey smiled to herself. There was more than one way to handle problems besides violence!
'Cavegirl can do nothing but beat things with her stick.' Inner Zoey mocked her.
'I'm getting better, okay!' Zoey defended herself. This plan wouldn't be violent at all!
The first clip had a group of youths wielding weapons brutally beating up another group. The group with the weapons had some form of blue on their clothes or accessories, while the other group had green. "Tears! Tears! Tears!" They chanted during the violent act. Then the clip switched to another with the gang in green breaking into some kind of store. "The Sour Gangbangers will rule this city!" "Give us your shit if you don't wanna die!" Then the video switched again.
'Is this because of us?' Zoey asked herself.
'How the fuck is it our fault that destroying Dino's gang would make other gangs wanna take his place?' Inner Zoey was annoyed by the question.
'The only other option would have been leaving Dino completely fine to keep being a gangster.' Zoey thought.
'Unless you plan on becoming a gang leader and replacing him.' Inner Zoey laughed.
'I'm not smart enough to run a criminal organization.' Zoey agreed with Inner Zoey's dismissive remark.
'I said gang leader, not a criminal mastermind. There's a difference between a gang and a criminal organization, fucking idiot.'
'Still!' Zoey angrily retorted.
"I'm so glad I got my gun license near the start of this year." Katlyn lounged out on Zoey's bed.
"I would be too scared to shoot someone." Callie was also stretched out on her bed.
"But you're a better shot than me?" Katlyn was confused.
"Just because I shoot better doesn't make it less scary! You get it, right Zoey?" Callie looked at her.
Zoey was smushed in between the two tall girls. If she wasn't in the middle, she'd somehow get pushed off her own bed when they came over to her room. The sides weren't an option for her five-foot-zero body vs. these two giraffes. It was also safer for her to be cuddled in between the two sometimes.
"I get it." Zoey faced death countless times.
Although she would never freeze up in the face of it, she could understand those people who do. Life-or-death situations weren't for everyone. Thinking about how a happy-go-lucky girl like Callie having to kill someone was difficult for Zoey to wrap her head around. She'd probably break down and need years of therapy to recover. She was too nice.
"Girl, all you gotta do is flash that thang, and they'll be running in no time." Katlyn almost sounded like she wanted some gangsters to harass her.
Callie groaned in frustration as Katlyn just didn't understand. "Getting into a situation where I have to threaten the life of another person is scary for me!" She tried to brute force her understanding into Katlyn's head. "You might need to stay inside until all this gang violence stuff goes down if you can't handle it," Katlyn told her seriously.
"It's not like I can just avoid it, either! You know that some people at our school are in those gangs too! Holy freaking crap, you saw some of those clips. They're even breaking into peoples' homes!" Callie was freaking herself out.
"That's what the gun is for?" Katlyn didn't see what Callie was so worked up about. "You have the tool to protect yourself. It's not like you're going to go out expecting to meet with gangsters, right? That guy you're talking to at school... Tommy, Bobby, or whatever. He ain't in a gang, is he?"
"I'm not talking to him like that, and his name is freaking Greg. Greg's cute, but I'm not interested in him like that." Callie sighed in annoyance as she switched the subject in an abrupt way that even Zoey noticed it.
"Greg likes you, though." Katlyn snickered.
"Eugh. Don't remind me..." Callie let out another sigh. "I ask for his help once, and he freaking falls in love with me. Like, come on, dude! I know I'm pretty and all, but have some self-respect, and don't let me walk all over you!"
"Why wouldn't the nerd fall in love with the popular sporty girl that's friends with everyone? That's how it is in all the movies."
"Wait, did you just ask Greg, a nerd, was in a gang?" Zoey suddenly realized.
"Did I?" Katlyn's voice was monotone.
"You freaking did! I bet you meant Michael, didn't you!?" Callie happily called her out as well.
"So what? All guys are basically the same anyway..." Katlyn, the lesbian, said as she turned her back to them.
"I'd agree with you if you didn't just confuse two entirely different dudes! Michael is like way more popular than Greg. I don't think anyone outside of our class group even knows Greg." Callie laughed at Katlyn.
"Is Michael in a gang, then?" Zoey spoke up.
"Maybe?" Callie shrugged. "He's my type, but he's so mysterious about himself. He invited me out to hang out with him and his friends while I was supposed to bring my girlfriends, but I turned him down. He did not like being rejected and hasn't replied to my texts since."
"What a pussy," Katlyn chuckled.
"Do you not feel safe around him?" Zoey asked.
"That's not it." Callie shook her head. "He just wouldn't tell me about his friends at all. Like, I just asked a few innocent questions about them, and he was acting like I was a cop interrogating him! Am I wrong for wanting to make sure I wasn't inviting my girls to meet up with some creeps or gangsters?! He totally overreacted at some basic questions." Callie stated her defense in the situation.
"Not to mention, Zoey has a boyfriend now. So it'd just be super awkward for her times ten." Katlyn poked Zoey.
"Is James doing better in the hospital?" Callie asked with sympathy in her voice.
"He's doing better. Thankfully, he wasn't injured badly enough that he couldn't continue his fighting career. It's going to take most of the year until he's recovered enough to get back in the ring, but it's better than never being able to fight again." Zoey told them. She didn't know how she'd react if she got injured that badly. Fighting was her thang! How was she going to fight bedridden?
'Fight them books, bitch.' Inner Zoey giggled. Zoey mentally rolled her eyes.
"That's good." Katlyn rubbed her shoulder. "If a huge guy like him can get hurt so badly by gangsters, I'm never going anywhere without my gun again."
"It would be better to have it on you." Zoey agreed.
"The world is so dangerous. It's freaking ridiculous... Why can't we all just love each other and not want to hurt innocent people?" Callie asked.
"Because humans are inherently evil." Katlyn gave her opinion. Zoey was of a similar mind, but she was more about humans being inherently selfish than evil.
"There's no way that's true, and I refuse to believe such a horrible thing about people in this beautiful but sometimes scary world." Callie rejected it.
"Then how do you explain-"
"Lalalalalala, I don't care whatever thingy you're about to say. Lalala, I live in a world where the world is nicer and more beautiful than evil and corrupt." Callie plugged her ears and blabbered.
"You're lucky you're pretty and white," Katlyn told her.
"You're pretty and white too!" Callie shot back her own weaponized compliment before Katlyn could dig deeper. "And Zoey, you're a beautiful black queen." She didn't want to leave Zoey out.
Zoey appreciated it even though she wouldn't call herself beautiful or a queen. Black queens are female figures in the black community that radiate pride and confident blackness in one's self. Zoey radiated neither of those two things. She was less about blackness and more about Zoeyness if she was being honest. Sadly, she never felt much of a connection with her own race because of her mother's upbringing and lack of connection with her peers growing up. Although, Zoey wasn't really bothered by it. She's outgrown needing acceptance from her own race.
"Anyways! Back to what I was saying..." Katlyn was about to continue, but then Callie suddenly screamed as she held up her phone. The screen was lit up with an alarm blaring from it.
"Finding Love in Paradise is airing a new episode right now! I don't want to hear anything other than this! Zoey! Where is your remote!?" Callie took charge of the atmosphere as she groped around Zoey's body in search of the remote.
"I don't have it!" Zoey giggled from being tickled.
"I have it." Katlyn reached behind her and grabbed it from the desk near the bed.
"Put it on! What are you waiting for!?" Callie demanded.
"Alright, Miss Bossy Dictator... Geez." Katlyn followed the dictator's orders and changed what was on the huge TV.
As Zoey enjoyed her girl time with her friends, she thought in the back of her mind if she was going to get involved in this increased gang activity in her city. It was somewhat her fault things became like this, but she didn't think that going out and beating up more delinquents was going to solve anything. If anything, it was just going to make more gangs crawl out and try to be the top gang after Zoey knocked out Tears and the Sour Gangbangers. Could she even do anything about it?
'Hmm, maybe there was one way.' Zoey smiled to herself. There was more than one way to handle problems besides violence!
'Cavegirl can do nothing but beat things with her stick.' Inner Zoey mocked her.
'I'm getting better, okay!' Zoey defended herself. This plan wouldn't be violent at all!
Chapter 118: An Exclusive Interview!
"Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Krey at News! Today we are very excited to have snagged an exclusive live interview with our very own super celebrity! Born and raised in our good city of Krey, We are honored to introduce Zoey Winters! Or, as she's better known across the world, The Devil!" Zoey's face popped up on the television screen.
Zoey gave a weak smile as she felt totally out of her element here. She was wearing a hoodie with Coach Scott's gym logo on it, her hair done, her teeth whitened, makeup, and feeling totally stiff sitting in this chair. Angelica had her go through a lot when she decided to go through with this plan in hopes of reducing delinquency in Krey. It turns out it was a lot more annoying to get shit done, even when she had the money to do so.
"Hi, everybody." Zoey gave her greetings.
"Before we get into the interview Zoey, we have to list some of your accomplishments first. It would be absolutely criminal if people just thought of you as just a famous fighter when you're so much more than that!" The news lady excitedly chatted.
"Alright?" Zoey responded.
It wasn't like there was a script she was given or anything. Zoey had no idea what she was about to say, and to be honest, now that she's brought it up like that. Zoey had no fucking clue what accomplishments she had other than fighting! Does she do something other than fighting? Should she be worried? Zoey nervously looked at Angelica, who was standing by the door. She only gave her a neutral look with a thumbs up.
"Some of you may not know this, but Zoey Winters actually donates more than half of her income gained from sponsors and her fights all to amazing charities across the world! More than half of that income is in the millions, even though she's only seventeen years old! What an amazing, caring, and selfless young woman to donate millions of dollars to those starving, to people struggling to live in countries where basic needs aren't guaranteed day-by-day, and to others needing the help they desperately need to survive." She put Zoey's information on straight blast.
Zoey was embarrassed. She couldn't imagine people thinking of her as some sort of savior or saint because of all the money she donates to charity and shit. It was just that, as a high school student, what the fuck could she actually use millions of dollars on? She still saved a lot of the money she earned from her fights and sponsors in the bank, but she made a lot of cavons when she first started training with Victor. Him taking her out on cases with B-Grade, A-Grade, and S-Grade daemons added up to a lot when converting those cavons to US dollars.
She had the latest phone, the best home gym equipment, a high-end custom-built personal computer, and clothes, like what the fuck else could she buy without stupidly wasting it? Like Zoey was a straight-up middle-class citizen before getting involved in the magji world. She didn't lack necessities, but she also didn't have the most luxuries. Christmas and birthdays were the only days in the year when she could get something expensive like a phone or computer. Now that she had all of this money and could buy all that shit herself, what else could she do with the money?
It was then she thought about the first controversy she got caught up in after breaking Donald's leg. She received a lot of haters from that one fight and still has a bunch from it. Because of her stage persona, she's actually seen as a bunch of stupid shit. Like some people actually believe that she's racist, a feminist, satanic, or a giant fake built up by the Youth Fighting Tournament League. So, why not make things harder for those fuckers by doing unquestionable good shit outside the ring?!
Sure, Zoey may not be doing good things for the right reasons, but at the end of the day, isn't she saving lives anyway? Who cares how petty she may or may not be? Improving the lives of those less fortunate is more important than worrying about why she's doing it. Do you think a blind person would question the person that's helping them see again for the first time ever rather than just being thankful for it happening at all?
"... Those were just a few of the charities that regularly receive donations from Zoey. On top of being a selfless little angel, and yes, I am aware of what I just said." She laughed at her words. "Zoey is also planning to do another act of kindness for us right in Krey! Please tell us all about it, Zoey!"
"Ah, yes." Zoey was brought back into reality. "Since I live in Krey, I've been hearing all about the rising gang activity. It was when I was hanging out with my friends that I thought, why don't I try and do something about it? One of my friends is absolutely terrified about what's going on in the city. I knew that I couldn't do anything by myself, so I looked up online what were some ways to fight gang activity in a city. After that, I decided to make a community center for everyone in Krey." Zoey explained.
"I'm sure many of us feel the same way as your friend. Can you tell us more about this community center? How will it help reduce gang violence and gang activities in Krey?"
"Yes, I can. The core message of the community center is to make a place where people feel like they belong. Some people can't feel like they belong and do whatever it takes to feel that sense of belonging, even if it means joining a gang or hurting innocent people. With this community center, there are a lot of things we plan to tackle. There will be educational services to help those struggling in school, scholarship programs, and tutoring services for those wanting to excel further in their studies. There will be classes on life skills like making a resume, how to do taxes, preparing for interviews, budgeting, cooking, and more. Like things not taught in school. Other than those, there will also be an employment program for those wanting to gain experience in their future career or make money. There's going to be a lot more, but for now, that's all I can say. If you want more information, there will be a website coming up soon. Just search Krey's Community Center, and you'll find it." Zoey didn't want to go on and on and on.
Angelica already had someone making a website for the community center. Everything that was planned for the place would be included on the website. Zoey was sinking a lot of money into this place, considering it happened on a whim. She was grateful she had Coach Scott and Angelica doing all the annoying work for her. If she didn't, she would've said fuck it as soon as she realized how much work was involved with a decision like this. Fighting gangsters would've been a hell of a lot cheaper and way less time-consuming.
"And there you have it, folks at home! But Zoey, there is one question that I know everyone is begging me to ask. Well, two actually, and then we're going to have to say goodbye to our local super celebrity." She smiled.
"Alright..." Zoey was uneasy.
"First question! Will there be any fighting classes at the community center where people can learn from you?"
"Yes, there will be self-defense classes available along with entry into the world of combat sports. I don't know how often I will be the one teaching because I'm still just a regular fighter. I don't have any belts or championships, so I don't think anyone should really be learning from me yet." Zoey lied. "I plan to hire experienced coaches and trainers for those positions."
She would teach the shit out of anyone. She's already taught classes full of children and turned them into fighting monsters. Since Teaching hasn't reached max level, she doesn't plan to stop teaching anytime soon. Although, she has decided to be more careful when deciding who to teach. Those kids she teaches for her part-time job are really something else... Zoey was genuinely afraid for their future opponents if they got into combat sports.
"Okay, and my second and final question. Do you have a boyfriend?" She smirked.
"Uh..." Zoey was completely caught off guard.
"I believe that will be the end of the interview. Thank you all for watching." Angelica appeared behind Zoey and disconnected from the video call.
"Thank you." Zoey did not know if she wanted her business out like that.
"Be prepared for it to happen again," Angelica warned her. "Good work. You did well." She said afterward with a pat on her shoulder.
"My heart feels like it's beating out of my chest." Zoey slumped down in her chair.
"Better that it happens off camera than on camera. I'll be going now and don't forget. My team will deal with answering any questions or direct messages on your social media pages. You already handled the hardest part of this project. We'll handle the rest." Angelica left her with that.
"Thank you." Zoey was grateful Coach Scott hired Angelica. She was so serious about her job. 'Now, what the hell am I going to do?'
Zoey gave a weak smile as she felt totally out of her element here. She was wearing a hoodie with Coach Scott's gym logo on it, her hair done, her teeth whitened, makeup, and feeling totally stiff sitting in this chair. Angelica had her go through a lot when she decided to go through with this plan in hopes of reducing delinquency in Krey. It turns out it was a lot more annoying to get shit done, even when she had the money to do so.
"Hi, everybody." Zoey gave her greetings.
"Before we get into the interview Zoey, we have to list some of your accomplishments first. It would be absolutely criminal if people just thought of you as just a famous fighter when you're so much more than that!" The news lady excitedly chatted.
"Alright?" Zoey responded.
It wasn't like there was a script she was given or anything. Zoey had no idea what she was about to say, and to be honest, now that she's brought it up like that. Zoey had no fucking clue what accomplishments she had other than fighting! Does she do something other than fighting? Should she be worried? Zoey nervously looked at Angelica, who was standing by the door. She only gave her a neutral look with a thumbs up.
"Some of you may not know this, but Zoey Winters actually donates more than half of her income gained from sponsors and her fights all to amazing charities across the world! More than half of that income is in the millions, even though she's only seventeen years old! What an amazing, caring, and selfless young woman to donate millions of dollars to those starving, to people struggling to live in countries where basic needs aren't guaranteed day-by-day, and to others needing the help they desperately need to survive." She put Zoey's information on straight blast.
Zoey was embarrassed. She couldn't imagine people thinking of her as some sort of savior or saint because of all the money she donates to charity and shit. It was just that, as a high school student, what the fuck could she actually use millions of dollars on? She still saved a lot of the money she earned from her fights and sponsors in the bank, but she made a lot of cavons when she first started training with Victor. Him taking her out on cases with B-Grade, A-Grade, and S-Grade daemons added up to a lot when converting those cavons to US dollars.
She had the latest phone, the best home gym equipment, a high-end custom-built personal computer, and clothes, like what the fuck else could she buy without stupidly wasting it? Like Zoey was a straight-up middle-class citizen before getting involved in the magji world. She didn't lack necessities, but she also didn't have the most luxuries. Christmas and birthdays were the only days in the year when she could get something expensive like a phone or computer. Now that she had all of this money and could buy all that shit herself, what else could she do with the money?
It was then she thought about the first controversy she got caught up in after breaking Donald's leg. She received a lot of haters from that one fight and still has a bunch from it. Because of her stage persona, she's actually seen as a bunch of stupid shit. Like some people actually believe that she's racist, a feminist, satanic, or a giant fake built up by the Youth Fighting Tournament League. So, why not make things harder for those fuckers by doing unquestionable good shit outside the ring?!
Sure, Zoey may not be doing good things for the right reasons, but at the end of the day, isn't she saving lives anyway? Who cares how petty she may or may not be? Improving the lives of those less fortunate is more important than worrying about why she's doing it. Do you think a blind person would question the person that's helping them see again for the first time ever rather than just being thankful for it happening at all?
"... Those were just a few of the charities that regularly receive donations from Zoey. On top of being a selfless little angel, and yes, I am aware of what I just said." She laughed at her words. "Zoey is also planning to do another act of kindness for us right in Krey! Please tell us all about it, Zoey!"
"Ah, yes." Zoey was brought back into reality. "Since I live in Krey, I've been hearing all about the rising gang activity. It was when I was hanging out with my friends that I thought, why don't I try and do something about it? One of my friends is absolutely terrified about what's going on in the city. I knew that I couldn't do anything by myself, so I looked up online what were some ways to fight gang activity in a city. After that, I decided to make a community center for everyone in Krey." Zoey explained.
"I'm sure many of us feel the same way as your friend. Can you tell us more about this community center? How will it help reduce gang violence and gang activities in Krey?"
"Yes, I can. The core message of the community center is to make a place where people feel like they belong. Some people can't feel like they belong and do whatever it takes to feel that sense of belonging, even if it means joining a gang or hurting innocent people. With this community center, there are a lot of things we plan to tackle. There will be educational services to help those struggling in school, scholarship programs, and tutoring services for those wanting to excel further in their studies. There will be classes on life skills like making a resume, how to do taxes, preparing for interviews, budgeting, cooking, and more. Like things not taught in school. Other than those, there will also be an employment program for those wanting to gain experience in their future career or make money. There's going to be a lot more, but for now, that's all I can say. If you want more information, there will be a website coming up soon. Just search Krey's Community Center, and you'll find it." Zoey didn't want to go on and on and on.
Angelica already had someone making a website for the community center. Everything that was planned for the place would be included on the website. Zoey was sinking a lot of money into this place, considering it happened on a whim. She was grateful she had Coach Scott and Angelica doing all the annoying work for her. If she didn't, she would've said fuck it as soon as she realized how much work was involved with a decision like this. Fighting gangsters would've been a hell of a lot cheaper and way less time-consuming.
"And there you have it, folks at home! But Zoey, there is one question that I know everyone is begging me to ask. Well, two actually, and then we're going to have to say goodbye to our local super celebrity." She smiled.
"Alright..." Zoey was uneasy.
"First question! Will there be any fighting classes at the community center where people can learn from you?"
"Yes, there will be self-defense classes available along with entry into the world of combat sports. I don't know how often I will be the one teaching because I'm still just a regular fighter. I don't have any belts or championships, so I don't think anyone should really be learning from me yet." Zoey lied. "I plan to hire experienced coaches and trainers for those positions."
She would teach the shit out of anyone. She's already taught classes full of children and turned them into fighting monsters. Since Teaching hasn't reached max level, she doesn't plan to stop teaching anytime soon. Although, she has decided to be more careful when deciding who to teach. Those kids she teaches for her part-time job are really something else... Zoey was genuinely afraid for their future opponents if they got into combat sports.
"Okay, and my second and final question. Do you have a boyfriend?" She smirked.
"Uh..." Zoey was completely caught off guard.
"I believe that will be the end of the interview. Thank you all for watching." Angelica appeared behind Zoey and disconnected from the video call.
"Thank you." Zoey did not know if she wanted her business out like that.
"Be prepared for it to happen again," Angelica warned her. "Good work. You did well." She said afterward with a pat on her shoulder.
"My heart feels like it's beating out of my chest." Zoey slumped down in her chair.
"Better that it happens off camera than on camera. I'll be going now and don't forget. My team will deal with answering any questions or direct messages on your social media pages. You already handled the hardest part of this project. We'll handle the rest." Angelica left her with that.
"Thank you." Zoey was grateful Coach Scott hired Angelica. She was so serious about her job. 'Now, what the hell am I going to do?'
Chapter 119: Gaming is Good for the Soul.
"I hope we have a fun time, everyone. Let's have a good game." Inner Zoey evilly grinned behind the monitor.
Zoey was streaming right now while playing a video game. She was on an alternative account that her brother didn't know about and using a virtual reality avatar for facecam. You'd expect a girl to use some pretty, beautiful, or cute anime girl for a VR avatar, right? But Zoey says fuck you to conventional stereotypical things like that! Her virtual avatar was of a giant robot mech while she was using a voice changer to that of a deep-voiced mechanical man that dripped with testosterone and oil.
Why was she streaming video games on an alternate account while disguising her voice and face? Well, that's because Everett has become very prominent in the streaming world as a professional gamer. He's gained millions of followers with an average of tens of thousands of watchers every stream. Zoey regularly played games with him on his stream with her real face and voice since she was on magji house arrest and wanted to help her brother accomplish his dream of becoming a famous streamer and professional gamer.
People knew about her. Zoey was hesitant to admit it for some reason, but she was undeniably famous. Her voice, and her face, were known to a lot of people. And what she was about to do in this four-player platformer game was not something she wanted, getting out to people and being attached to her name.
Inner Zoey wanted to have a little fun and terrorize innocent gamers online since she couldn't beat the shit out of anyone in real life. No daemons and no fights coming up anytime soon. Zoey had to do something to pass the time. She's done this plenty of times off-camera and found it exciting to use Fighting Aura while doing her best to bait reactions out of innocent people just wanting to relax and play video games.
"Is that a voice changer or something?" greedyhounddawg asked as they stood at the starting line. He sounded like a young adult.
"A streamer! I'm really in a game with a streamer! Is that your channel name?!" FroggySplash saw her username. He sounded like a kid.
"Hey, can you freaking let go of me?" Zoey was currently carrying DemonSquad over her head.
The race started, and as soon as the starting line allowed them to pass, Zoey immediately tossed DemonSquad to the back and in last place.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" DemonSquad didn't hide his frustration at being thrown to last.
There was a feature in this game that let players pick up other players and carry them or throw them. Carried players could jump out of being carried, but that was only when they had enough time to react. It barely took a second for someone to be picked up and then thrown. A player would need to know that they were about to be carried and thrown beforehand or have fantastic reaction skills.
As the group progressed through the level together, Zoey focused solely on her target instead of trying to win the race. Zoey threw items at him that either killed him or made him lose his health and slowed his momentum. She jumped on his head and fucked up his coordination, making him fall down pits to his death or run into enemies. If he ever got close enough to her, she would throw him into a death pit or an enemy.
"What the fuck are you doing?!"
"Hey, you streamer fucktard! You're supposed to be trying to win the race, not fuck me over!"
"WHY ARE YOU WAITING FOR ME TO RESPAWN INSTEAD OF GOING TO THE FINISH LINE?! YOU NO-LIFE LITTLE BITCH! GO TOUCH SOME GRASS!"
"If I want to win, I can't let you beat me." Inner Zoey calmly responded as if she wasn't being the most annoying fucker ever.
"THEN GO WIN! LEAVE ME ALONE! GO WIN!" DemonSquad literally stood still after respawning, waiting for her to run forward and try to win.
"I am." Zoey ran toward him, picked him up, and tossed him off a ledge.
"FUCK YOU! You cock-sucking f***** bitch. I hope you die. I hope your parents die. I hope your friends die." His voice lowered to a whisper as he gave in to his darkest emotions.
"It's just a game." Inner Zoey reminded him.
"YOU FUCKING N*****! YOU STUPID CUNT!" He exploded, and Zoey literally died laughing on her mic.
She muted herself in-game as she laughed her guts out on the mic to her stream. Oh god, if there was one thing raging gamers hated to hear, it was that they were getting so worked up over a video game. You know, something that literally doesn't matter at all? Something that will not affect someone's life in the long or short run at all?
"I'm gonna get your stream taken down, you fucking n*****. I know you can't have certain words said on your stream, or they take down your stream. F*****, n*****. Hey, my address is 47 S. Newcastle Ave. Goose Creek, SC 29445. Try to upload this streamer bitch! I'm taking your fucking stream down!" He started manically laughing like one of those old-school villains.
Normally, this guy would be right. Those types of slurs aren't allowed on the website that her brother streams on. It didn't matter if Zoey didn't say those words. That website didn't care. They only cared if the words were said on your stream, period. If they were, you were banned. A normal streamer would have frantically been trying to mute the guy the second he called her a f*****.
But Zoey wasn't streaming on the most popular streaming website like he thought she was. No, Zoey was actually streaming on Beetube. It was way less regulated when it came to streaming despite being the biggest video-sharing website in the world. If StreamIt was the biggest name in live streaming, then Beetube was the distant cousin that fewer people knew about.
It was probably why she only had about a dozen watchers in her stream. Either that or finding enjoyment in the suffering of others online is a very small market that she planned to capitalize on with her Fighting Aura and Gaming. So far, it seems to be working. One of her small number of viewers has already donated a dollar to her for the great rage.
PonyHorse345: Great rage! Loving the content!
"Settle down, okay?" Zoey responded to the guy while thanking the donator.
"No! No, I'm not going to fucking settle down! What is your goddamn problem?! What did I do to you for you to ruin my entire day!?"
Zoey found it hard to breathe at this point. She thought she was just ruining his match, but here she was, ruining his entire day by doing this! "Relax, okay? It's just a game." Zoey told him again. He couldn't handle it anymore, and rage quit.
Zoey couldn't let such an easy source of content run away that easily. The other two finished the level, with FroggySplash taking first. Zoey sent DemonSquad a friend request while browsing his profile. FroggySplash sent her a friend invite, and she was sure it was because she was a streamer. She sent a few messages on DemonSquad's profile page since it wasn't private.
BTMechGiant: Where'd you go?
BTMechGiant: Did you go to cool your head?
BTMechGiant: Did you settle down?
BTMechGiant: It's just a game, okay? There's no need to rage quit over not doing well.
BTMechGiant: Add me as a friend. Let's have a chat.
Zoey left him with those messages, and sadly her little content farm wasn't as stupid as she thought. He blocked her, and if she didn't know a little trick, that would've been the end of their adventure together. Thankfully, she didn't have to look for a new target as she scrolled through his profile page. While she couldn't comment on his wall anymore or contact him at all while blocked, there was still something she could do. At the top of his profile, there was a funky little green button. Next to the green button, there was the name of the game the user was playing. On that green button, it said the words, Join user's game.
Zoey clicked that green button despite being blocked, and she soon found herself in a lobby with DemonSquad and two others. The countdown was on one when she joined, and the next second, they were loading into the level. Now it was the exciting anticipation of wondering what would set this guy off perfectly if he didn't explode when they loaded in. Zoey's work was done for her as she didn't have to say anything when they loaded into the level.
"YOU STALKING BITCH! YOU FUCKING FUCKER F***** N***** BITCH! STOP FOLLOWING ME! LEAVE ME ALONE! I BLOCKED YOU FOR A REASON!" He screamed into their ears. It was like a heavenly symphony to Zoey's ears.
You just can't get that kind of rage anywhere else but gamers. If someone talked like that in real life, they'd get fucked up. The anonymity of the internet was both its greatest benefit and biggest flaw. People just say anything. Zoey only laughed to her 20 viewers as Fighting Aura leveled up to level 7.
Zoey was streaming right now while playing a video game. She was on an alternative account that her brother didn't know about and using a virtual reality avatar for facecam. You'd expect a girl to use some pretty, beautiful, or cute anime girl for a VR avatar, right? But Zoey says fuck you to conventional stereotypical things like that! Her virtual avatar was of a giant robot mech while she was using a voice changer to that of a deep-voiced mechanical man that dripped with testosterone and oil.
Why was she streaming video games on an alternate account while disguising her voice and face? Well, that's because Everett has become very prominent in the streaming world as a professional gamer. He's gained millions of followers with an average of tens of thousands of watchers every stream. Zoey regularly played games with him on his stream with her real face and voice since she was on magji house arrest and wanted to help her brother accomplish his dream of becoming a famous streamer and professional gamer.
People knew about her. Zoey was hesitant to admit it for some reason, but she was undeniably famous. Her voice, and her face, were known to a lot of people. And what she was about to do in this four-player platformer game was not something she wanted, getting out to people and being attached to her name.
Inner Zoey wanted to have a little fun and terrorize innocent gamers online since she couldn't beat the shit out of anyone in real life. No daemons and no fights coming up anytime soon. Zoey had to do something to pass the time. She's done this plenty of times off-camera and found it exciting to use Fighting Aura while doing her best to bait reactions out of innocent people just wanting to relax and play video games.
"Is that a voice changer or something?" greedyhounddawg asked as they stood at the starting line. He sounded like a young adult.
"A streamer! I'm really in a game with a streamer! Is that your channel name?!" FroggySplash saw her username. He sounded like a kid.
"Hey, can you freaking let go of me?" Zoey was currently carrying DemonSquad over her head.
The race started, and as soon as the starting line allowed them to pass, Zoey immediately tossed DemonSquad to the back and in last place.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" DemonSquad didn't hide his frustration at being thrown to last.
There was a feature in this game that let players pick up other players and carry them or throw them. Carried players could jump out of being carried, but that was only when they had enough time to react. It barely took a second for someone to be picked up and then thrown. A player would need to know that they were about to be carried and thrown beforehand or have fantastic reaction skills.
As the group progressed through the level together, Zoey focused solely on her target instead of trying to win the race. Zoey threw items at him that either killed him or made him lose his health and slowed his momentum. She jumped on his head and fucked up his coordination, making him fall down pits to his death or run into enemies. If he ever got close enough to her, she would throw him into a death pit or an enemy.
"What the fuck are you doing?!"
"Hey, you streamer fucktard! You're supposed to be trying to win the race, not fuck me over!"
"WHY ARE YOU WAITING FOR ME TO RESPAWN INSTEAD OF GOING TO THE FINISH LINE?! YOU NO-LIFE LITTLE BITCH! GO TOUCH SOME GRASS!"
"If I want to win, I can't let you beat me." Inner Zoey calmly responded as if she wasn't being the most annoying fucker ever.
"THEN GO WIN! LEAVE ME ALONE! GO WIN!" DemonSquad literally stood still after respawning, waiting for her to run forward and try to win.
"I am." Zoey ran toward him, picked him up, and tossed him off a ledge.
"FUCK YOU! You cock-sucking f***** bitch. I hope you die. I hope your parents die. I hope your friends die." His voice lowered to a whisper as he gave in to his darkest emotions.
"It's just a game." Inner Zoey reminded him.
"YOU FUCKING N*****! YOU STUPID CUNT!" He exploded, and Zoey literally died laughing on her mic.
She muted herself in-game as she laughed her guts out on the mic to her stream. Oh god, if there was one thing raging gamers hated to hear, it was that they were getting so worked up over a video game. You know, something that literally doesn't matter at all? Something that will not affect someone's life in the long or short run at all?
"I'm gonna get your stream taken down, you fucking n*****. I know you can't have certain words said on your stream, or they take down your stream. F*****, n*****. Hey, my address is 47 S. Newcastle Ave. Goose Creek, SC 29445. Try to upload this streamer bitch! I'm taking your fucking stream down!" He started manically laughing like one of those old-school villains.
Normally, this guy would be right. Those types of slurs aren't allowed on the website that her brother streams on. It didn't matter if Zoey didn't say those words. That website didn't care. They only cared if the words were said on your stream, period. If they were, you were banned. A normal streamer would have frantically been trying to mute the guy the second he called her a f*****.
But Zoey wasn't streaming on the most popular streaming website like he thought she was. No, Zoey was actually streaming on Beetube. It was way less regulated when it came to streaming despite being the biggest video-sharing website in the world. If StreamIt was the biggest name in live streaming, then Beetube was the distant cousin that fewer people knew about.
It was probably why she only had about a dozen watchers in her stream. Either that or finding enjoyment in the suffering of others online is a very small market that she planned to capitalize on with her Fighting Aura and Gaming. So far, it seems to be working. One of her small number of viewers has already donated a dollar to her for the great rage.
PonyHorse345: Great rage! Loving the content!
"Settle down, okay?" Zoey responded to the guy while thanking the donator.
"No! No, I'm not going to fucking settle down! What is your goddamn problem?! What did I do to you for you to ruin my entire day!?"
Zoey found it hard to breathe at this point. She thought she was just ruining his match, but here she was, ruining his entire day by doing this! "Relax, okay? It's just a game." Zoey told him again. He couldn't handle it anymore, and rage quit.
Zoey couldn't let such an easy source of content run away that easily. The other two finished the level, with FroggySplash taking first. Zoey sent DemonSquad a friend request while browsing his profile. FroggySplash sent her a friend invite, and she was sure it was because she was a streamer. She sent a few messages on DemonSquad's profile page since it wasn't private.
BTMechGiant: Where'd you go?
BTMechGiant: Did you go to cool your head?
BTMechGiant: Did you settle down?
BTMechGiant: It's just a game, okay? There's no need to rage quit over not doing well.
BTMechGiant: Add me as a friend. Let's have a chat.
Zoey left him with those messages, and sadly her little content farm wasn't as stupid as she thought. He blocked her, and if she didn't know a little trick, that would've been the end of their adventure together. Thankfully, she didn't have to look for a new target as she scrolled through his profile page. While she couldn't comment on his wall anymore or contact him at all while blocked, there was still something she could do. At the top of his profile, there was a funky little green button. Next to the green button, there was the name of the game the user was playing. On that green button, it said the words, Join user's game.
Zoey clicked that green button despite being blocked, and she soon found herself in a lobby with DemonSquad and two others. The countdown was on one when she joined, and the next second, they were loading into the level. Now it was the exciting anticipation of wondering what would set this guy off perfectly if he didn't explode when they loaded in. Zoey's work was done for her as she didn't have to say anything when they loaded into the level.
"YOU STALKING BITCH! YOU FUCKING FUCKER F***** N***** BITCH! STOP FOLLOWING ME! LEAVE ME ALONE! I BLOCKED YOU FOR A REASON!" He screamed into their ears. It was like a heavenly symphony to Zoey's ears.
You just can't get that kind of rage anywhere else but gamers. If someone talked like that in real life, they'd get fucked up. The anonymity of the internet was both its greatest benefit and biggest flaw. People just say anything. Zoey only laughed to her 20 viewers as Fighting Aura leveled up to level 7.