Chapter 37,
A Man
Third Person's POV
Koshiro went back to his sesnses and realized he's leaning his head on Gin's shoulder who is focused on the battle. This time, it's already two new individuals fighting inside the ring.
The first one is the boy with short grey hair that laughed at Koshiro from before. On his right hand was a big double-edged axe with a blade that is too big for him to carry.
Ok the other side, he's fighting the person who's not really tall and wears a mage's cloak with a green and gold pattern. In his left hand grow tiny flowers with different colors.
"That Ryuki guy have it hard, doesn't he?" Gin sighed.
"Who's that?" Koshiro asked, still not separating from Gin's shoulder.
"Koshiro, straighten yourself," Goro ordered.
"No. I'm staying here," he stayed, offending the two.
Gin cleared his throat before explaining, "The grey one is Ryuki and that shorty's name is Derim. I'm not quite sure, but Ryuki's magic should be a little identical to Maria's. In other words, Self Support magic. In Derim's case, he can hasten the growth of any seeds he touches or within a certain radius and make them obey him. I think the condition in controlling them is by transferring magical powers into the plants he target."
"That's my Gin, observant!" Gin got flustered by Koshiro's compliment, while Goro and Hiruki was in shock.
"O-of course!" Gin tried to played it cool.
Hiruki and Goro thought, 'So easy to read. . . .'
"What, is that all? You talk like being a man here, being a man there, and now look at you being beaten by a kid. Pathetic!" Derim ridiculed Ryuki with his words paired with insulting eyes.
Ryuki didn't gave a reply and just chanted, "Body strengthening, Speed Enhancing."
He became faster, but before he could hit Derim with his big axe, it was blocked by countless thick layers of branches that grew from the ground.
"Shut up and fight me! Kid or what, I can't forgive you for insulting me! What the hell do you know? You talk as if your telling me I know nothing. Yes, I do! But ask that yourself first!" Ryuki is angered.
Derim became more and more angry that the vines threw Ryuki away, "It's not because you're an adult! I am my own God! You don't have the rights to judge me! Stop running away from your responsibilities!" This time, words that doesn't seem to align came out of Derim's mouth.
In Ryuki's case, the last words hit him differently. He definitely heard a voice of a girl saying, "Stop running away from your responsibilities!" and giving him a slap in the face.
*Two Years Ago*
"Why the hell did you do that?!" Ryuki shouted at a women who seemed like a guy.
Her hair is cut short and she has four piercings on both ears. Her hair is dark red and so is her lipstick. Her body is fully equipped with an armor and a sword.
"You're being bullied by them! You can't even fight back! At least thank me!" The woman flicked his forehead with her finger.
"Shut the hell up! I'm already sixteen years old, don't treat me like I'm the past! I'm a man!" Ryuki fumed.
"I'm just cherishing my prescious time with you," her voice similar to a man is not different. Kindness and love can be felt in every word that spilled from her mouth as she ruffled Ryuki's hair.
"You make it sound gross, Meya!" Ryuki was angry, but he never dared to push her hand away and a slight blush is shown in his face.
Before they could get to their destination, Ryuki asked, "Meya, what is a man?"
"Man? What do you mean?" She wondered.
"Actually, I thought it was just an individual's sexuality, but you looked more manly to me. I just wondered." He looked away out of embarrassment.
Meya started thinking for a few seconds before answering, "What makes you a man? For me, it's this! This makes you who you are!" She pointed at Ryuki's chest then curved her lips into a big smile.
Meya started to walk, and Ryuki followed him on the way. After a long walk, they reached a small lake. The lake shows the reflection of the full moon that brightens the dark night. Before they could realize, it was night because of the bright glow of the moon. They were also caught up in spending their time that they lost track of it.
Meya stared at the blue moon as if she's in deep thought before giving her speech, "Children should go to sleep. You should prepare your own food tomorrow. Take care of your health and clean the house properly. And-" Before she could finish, Ryuki's voice covered her statement.
"Why are you telling me a this?! Shut the crap already! I'm going now!" He turned around to walk away and waved at her without looking back and Meya waved at him with a smile.
Father his shadow disappeared from sight, her smiled fated into a sad frown. Her eyes were covered in sadness.
She spoke in a low voice, "Take care, Ryu."
She took a step and disappeared out of nowhere without leaving evidences or traces of her. Ryuki is now alone.
***
Ryuki woke up and did what Maya told him. He cleaned the house, cooked food, and waited for her to come home.
He waited, waited, and waited. For days, weeks, until a year. She never came back nor sent a letter. It was a few days before he knew that her sister went to fight a certain battle and disappeared after the completion of the mission.
Meya is long gone.
*Present*
Ryuki held his ground and started to calm himself down. The flow of his Mana is now stable and under control.
"I don't know what the hell happened in your f*cked-up past, but I'll win. I have to. I don't have time to deal with a kid's tantrums." Ryuki's left foot took a step back to get ready for the incoming attack and swinged his sword cutting the plants in half.
"Do this, do that. You adults are crazy! You think I know nothing because I'm still a child?!" Derim bit his lips as tears flown down from only his right eye, anger in his eyes, and sadness in his heart.
On the other side, Derim could hear the voices from the pasts. They would continuously repeat inside his head and he felt like he's about to lose his sanity.
"He's just a kid, use him however you want to. Just give him a candy or a came for an exchange." A voice repeats inside.
'Use me?! I... I'm not a doll! I'm no tool for you to use!' He screamed inside his head.
"I never told you shit like that!" Ryuki yelled, "Do what?! I don't care about your shit. Don't stand inside this arena just because you think you should fight all adults! Stand here for a more meaningful reason, not crap! It's fine even if you don't know anything. Just try to get to know it!"
Silence filled the arena as if time froze for this moment. Ryuki is still panting after yelling at the poor kid too much.
Derim kept his mouth shut and used his power. He picked seeds from his pocket and dropped them on the ground one by one.
Ryuki braced himself as he wait for the incoming attack. He used his gigantic axe to defend himself from the attack from the front and swinged it around to cut off the plants into bits of pieces.
[Thousand Hits had been met.
"I've been waiting for this moment!" Ryuki rushed forward in an excellent speed.
Attack, defend, attack, defend. Ryuki never stopped to rest for a second and continue attacking without a care about his state. In fact, he has this big smile plastered on his face.
"What are you smiling for, you creep!" Derim fumed as he took a step back.
Ryuki didn't replied a single word. All that's there is silence in the place. The Ryuki that the spectators are seeing now is not caring about anything and enjoying the fight. Adrenaline is filling him.
Ryuki started to go more and more faster and stronger everytime he cuts a plant embedded with Derim's magical powers.
He appeared before Derim in a flash and whispered, "I'm still eighteen years old."
He swinged his sword towards the kid's neck about ten inches apart making Derim fall unconscious from the impact.
"Winner: R-Ryuki!" Deshy announced.
Not long, a nurse came to Deshy to say something, "Ma'am we lack healers since three are on a mission right now. Could you call out to Miss Hela, please?"
Deshy nodded, "Miss Hela, we need your support. Please proceed with the guide right now."
After the announcement, Hela spread her angel wings and went down the arena. Whenever she walks those injured players would have their injuries healed in an instant and left with the nurse.
"Well then, we'll proceed to the next battle. A battle between light magic users, Hiruki and Simon!" Deshy announced after they took Derim to the Treatment Room.
Hiruki stood up and silently went to the ring without any preparations for calming down. His quietness also left the crows silent.
"Well then, start!"
***