Chapter One-Hundred and Twenty-Two: Training Sucks Donkey Nuts.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Alright, I- I can’t anymore ahhhhhh,” Drake gasped, writhing on the ground.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What’s wrong prick? Can’t handle a little ass whooping?” the man said, standing as he sneered down at him.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Apparently not..” Drake huffed, looking back up at the man, “I never imagined people actually trained to kill would be so hard to fight….”


    <em><span style="font-weight:400">I can still beat them in a fight at full power though. Just want to slide that in here…</em><span style="font-weight:400"> Drake thought, trying to nurse his bruised ego.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“<em><span style="font-weight:400">I will say I am impressed with how well they are pummeling you. I did not think that your military was so well trained,” </em><span style="font-weight:400">Natto giggled,ughing at Drake’s expense.


    <em><span style="font-weight:400">I’m going to refrain from saying something very rude, and it’s totally not because I’m exhausted from holding back, while getting my ass kicked.</em>


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake huffed and heaved a breath, drawing in much-needed air as he sat his body back up. He was getting shafted left and right when it came to technique and his self-imposed handicap made it even harder, but he had kept his vitality at its peak for the most part, also allowing his Aura to continually scan the field.


    <span style="font-weight:400">He wasn’t so foolish to believe telling Shigure to control his people would result in them actually listening. The more Drake interacted with the teen the more he questioned if the boy was actually in charge or just a powerful ally people were manipting.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake had noticed quite a few onlookerse and go, but thankfully after witnessing his entrance yesterday as well, Bjorn was camped nearbyughing at Drake being smacked around. They decided against doing anything for now.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“All done buttercup?” the man jeered, again throwing an insult at Drake.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I consider myself more of a Bubbles thank you. Let’s go again, I’m slowly getting it,” Drake sneered back.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You call that getting it?” a woman from the side said, pointing andughing.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake ignored the jab, taking his stance once more.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The man across from him doing the same opting for a more loose form, attesting to his mastery of his MMA style.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake scoffed. Knowing that he was also ying loose because he didn’t respect Drake as an opponent.


    <em><span style="font-weight:400">It is taking all of my willpower to not just put my hand through his head….</em>


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake only knew his fighting styles from shows and anime, the most in detail being boxing.


    <span style="font-weight:400">They both rushed forward meeting in a sh of jabs and strikes.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake kept his arms up doing his best to cover his head as he used his nimbleness to doge as best he could.


    <span style="font-weight:400">But the man was faster. Using his experience and quick thinking to feint for Drake’s left, then quickly swept his back leg. Taking Drake to the ground once more.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The man quickly barked augh, bringing down the heel of his metal boot in an attempt to crush Drake’s head.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Falling to the ground, Drake let out a puff of air, but recovered, tumbling out of the way of the stomp. With his now increased Dexterity, he sprang back up with a handstand from the ground, collecting himself and going in close again.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake moved in towards the center of the man, doing his best to use the same feint the man had, throwing a quick jab to his left. Unfortunately, Drake’s arm was caught in an arm lock, the manughing as he used his kneed to kick upwards.


    <span style="font-weight:400">But Drake wasn’t about to be undone. And wasn’t about to let his Adrenaline Acuity go to waste.


    <span style="font-weight:400">So he cheated.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Seeing the knee strikee in slow motion, Drake pushed himself off the ground and over the man''s right shoulder, taking him into a headlock, then wrestling him to the ground.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Gotchya bitch!” Drake chuckled, holding the man in a tight headlock.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Within a few more struggling seconds the man finally tapped out.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake released him and got to his feet.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“See? Learning!” he huffed.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The man grumbled something and went back to the spectators, another person walking forward.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Not bad rookie, but keep in mind going to the ground in a real fight is death. You won’t just be dealing with one opponent,” the man smiled.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Good to know, then let''s go with two then,” Drake said pointing to the woman who insulted him earlier, “You seem to want to get in on the action so, let’s see what you got, Blossom. Or wait, you are probably a Buttercup in this situation,” Drake said, tilting his head in a momentary debate.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The woman growled and red back at Drake.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I’m goin’ to enjoy kicking your sorry ass kid!” she spat, cracking her knuckles.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drake gasped in faux fright.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Oh no! Mojo Jojo is angry, whatever am I going to do?”


    <hr>


    <span style="font-weight:400">Adam looked from the rampart at the camp down in the field, a group of people sparring and forming a circle around those currently fighting.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Hmmm, at least he''s shit at hand-to-handbat,” Adam mused, “His magic was rather extraordinary but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Adam looked beside the ring of spectators to a smaller group near Bear. There the rest of Shot’s party looked on,ughing and pointing, some still eating, others going back and forth from the tents of their little camp.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t see why they would want to follow an idiot like him when we are obviously the better choice. It’s rather sad that such beauties are wasted on a fool,” he scoffed.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Next to Adam, a small magic circle appeared, from it a pale gangling man rose up from the ground.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, what is it?” he asked.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Master, we were unable to infiltrate their camp in the night,” the Ghoul gurgled.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I can see that… I’m more interested in what you learned, you fucking lesser...”


    <span style="font-weight:400">The Ghoul shrank, bowing deeply.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“We have mapped out their camp. The leader sleeps alone in a tent at the far end, the rest have decided to form pairs orrger in the others. And the man in charge seems to have a perception skill that lets him notice us within a certain distance…” the Ghoul replied.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Adam sensed a but within the pause.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“And what’s the but? Out with it, I don’t want to be seen with something like you. It will ruin my n,” Adam spat.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Yes… There is a woman who is on the edge of the camp, she is far enough away we believe that we can grab her in time, even if we were to alert the leader. But we will suffer great losses…”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Adam waved his hand.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t care, do it. I can always make more of you filth. Don’t fail this time or will be changing employers.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">The Ghoul gurgled a grunt and sank back down into the magic circle.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Adam scoffed, cing a sleeve to his nose.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Filthy lessers… If only I could be with the greater’s where I belong I wouldn’t have to deal with their disgusting stench. And I could have all the pleasures and riches I want…” Adam thought aloud, his eyes moving again to the group below, “But soon… very soon, I will have a very obedient workhorse,” he sneered, a smile creasing his pale lips.


    <hr>


    <span style="font-weight:400">Chelsea moved inch by inch closer to ire, with only one clear goal in her mind.


    <em><span style="font-weight:400">I need to find out what happened! I might have set myself back by being a bitch early on but I won’t be beat!</em><span style="font-weight:400"> She thought, her eyes focusing on the blonde woman who sat across from her, looking at the sparring.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What are you doing…?” Tom asked, chewing on a piece of jerky, his eyebrow raised.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Don’t fucking worry about it Tom,” Chelsea said, snapping at the poor man.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Tom recoiled gulping down the rest of his jerky in one bite, suddenly choking.


    <span style="font-weight:400">ire heard the ruckus and turned her head, furrowing her brows in curiosity.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What are you two doing?” she asked, almost parroting Tom.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“That’s what I would like to know!” Tom said coughing.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“We aren''t doing anything, but what are you doing!” Chelsea huffed, scooting over even closer to ire, “I thought we had an unspoken deal not to get ahead!” she whispered.


    <span style="font-weight:400">ire scoffed, “Hmph, how are we supposed to have a deal if it’s unspoken? Sounds really stupid. And…. I didn’t get ahead…” ire said, suddenly deting.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What? What happened exactly?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Tom inched in closer only to be hit square in the face by Chelsea’s fist. Tom was unharmed but got the message and walked away.


    <span style="font-weight:400">ire squirmed a bit under the intense stare Chelsea gave but eventually folded, spilling the beans on what had transpired between her and Drake.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“He hugged you?!” Chelsea shrieked, her face turning green.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Shhhhh!!!” ire said hushing her, “It isn’t a big deal…! I feel like he almost did it because he felt bad that I tried to kiss him…” she murmured.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah maybe but are you sure you’re alright? After….” Chelsea struggled to find the words ufortably sitting on the end of her tongue, “After, what happened?” she finally said meekly.


    <span style="font-weight:400">ire pursed her lips struggling to answer.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t know… I wasn’t even thinking about that when it happened. I just felt… safe?” ire said her eyes rxing as she dotingly stared out into the field watching Drake get hit in the face for the umpteenth time.


    <span style="font-weight:400">It was Chelsea’s turn to squirm in her seat, feeling awkward now.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Ahhh…. That’s not fair…” she sighed, “I’m happy for you after everything. We all need something like that with what we''re going through, but I can''t help but be jealous…”


    <span style="font-weight:400">ire snickered.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You are surprisingly a pure maiden at heart huh Chelsea? It isn’t like we are dating,” ire said, Chelsea’s eyes brightening at the answer, “At least not yet,” she smirked.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Chelsea shifted again in her seat, pulling her legs up to her chest as she pouted.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I wish I knew how to make things better, I feel awful for all the things I said when I first met him… When he saved us, all I saw was another empty hope and hollow promises. Chris, the guy who used to lead our group…”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What? Was he like Drake?” ire asked.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“No... When I first met him, before I knew him. Chris was honestly better…. The picture of the perfect guy. Charismatic, charming, always knew what to say and when to say it. Firm but soft and always understanding enough to listen first,” Chelsea exined, rattling off details, “But behind it, he was a monster… A real monster. And that’s all I saw behind Drake when he swooped in and gave us a way out of that nightmare. It was wrong, I know, but I was afraid…” Chelsea chuckled lightly, admonishing herself.


    <span style="font-weight:400">ire took a moment, reaching her hand out to touch Chelsea’s shoulder.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I was lucky then… I saw Drake as a monster as well,” ire began, looking again over to Drake and then back to Chelsea, “The only difference was I needed that monster to get back at those Goblins for what they did. I haven’t told even Drake this yet... But my brother died protecting me from them. When we were taken into this insane godforsaken ce, all I had was him. All I had was Jared. But he could only protect me for so long against the hordes of Goblins and eventually they took us….” ire paused, her arm shaking as she pulled it away, her mouth quivering as tears quickly filled her eyes, “They put us against each other in the ring… But he refused to fight me. The Goblins… Those sick animals…. Th-they made me kill him,” ire sobbed solemnly, “It was him or me, and they would have killed us if we both refused. We saw it happen before and Jared knew. So he died… to protect me. I would have ki-killed myself but I was just too scared, too weak…”


    <span style="font-weight:400">ire’s face stiffened as her eyes burned in rage thinking back on it.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Then he saved us. At first, when I saw him, I didn’t want to believe he was real either. Just another light going to be snuffed out by those monsters no matter how strong he appeared to be. So I tried to run. But instead, he stopped me, protected me, fed me, and gave me a reason to keep going… And now. Now that he let me kill not only the Goblin that forced my brother and I to fight but the one that started it, the King. I want him, I want Drake to be my reason to keep going,” ire smiled.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Damn it. Stop!” Chelsea said, wiping the tears from her eyes, “How am I supposed to beat that!? Let me be angry a bit, will you?! Or at least let mepete…!” she sighed, “Now I can’t help but cheer for you too! Why are all the women around here so perfect? I feel so inadequate now… First Harley, then you, who’s next huh?! When’s my turn!” Chelsea roared, throwing her hands into the air.