Monster Hunt NYC 3

by Harmon Cooper

  Whap! Whap! Whap!

  “Fick… you!”

  Whap!

  “He’s beating him with his own arm?” Iris gasped. “He’s beating him with his own arm!”

  Aya beat her fist in the air. “Kill him, goblin! Do not spare his life!”

  “The name… (Whap!)... is fickin’... (Whap!)... Hiccup... you racist… (Whap!)... green… (Whap!)... hobgoblin’s wet dream. Fick!”

  The gong sounded, the witcher dead, his face completely bludgeoned in.

  Hiccup rolled to the side, a blue potion appearing in his hand. Rather than drink this one, he opened it over his head and doused himself in it, licking up as much as he could.

  “That’s the good stuff,” he said as he faded away. “Willmarth Blue. Fick… fick, yeah.”

  ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

  “I can’t believe the filthy goblin actually did it!” Aya took a step forward, her sword still in her hand. She plopped down onto one of the sofas against the wall, her sword coming between her legs as she stabbed it into the ground. “Whew! What a fight!”

  “That was really impressive,” Lady C. said as she sat next to her. “At first, I was a little apprehensive about having two goblins at our dojo, but now that I see what they are capable of, I can get behind it. Besides, Spew Gorge is generally pretty clean. I don’t think his uncle is, though.”

  “Have you seen what he has already done to the mess hall?” Aya asked her as the Metican warrior took a seat next to the Thulean. “It is like a pigsty when he finishes eating. Sun Wukong was royally peeved the last time Hiccup ate, mostly because he left saucy hand and footprints all around his table, but also because he kept calling him Mr. Miyagi.”

  “Saucy footprints?” I asked her.

  She nodded. “I don’t know how he did it. He’s a mess, but he has an interesting fighting style: play the dotard and hobble around like you’re trying to stop yourself from shitting yourself, and then launch an attack. And how clever to keep so many healing potions on hand. Maybe that is something I should do…”

  “It wouldn’t be a bad idea,” Lady C. said. “Because of your fighting style, Lady Aya, having healing potions handy could allow you to be the tank that you have always wanted to be, while taking more damage.”

  “Please, Lady Cassandra, do not call me a tank. I prefer…” Aya looked up at the brim of her hat for a moment. “I prefer lady tank, or tankette. That sounds better.”

  The Metican warrior snickered. “Sure, whatever you want.”

  The frog man appeared, his outfit this time made of gray leather, which looked uncomfortable. He didn’t seem to mind it though as he clapped his hands slowly, and then offered up an incredible pouty frown.

  “You have lost me a lot of money today,” he growled, or possibly ribbited.

  “You continue to bet against us?”

  He scowled at the Thulean. “Who wouldn’t bet against a goblin in a three-way match between a witcher and King Arthur?”

  “Fair point. Since you are standing and I am sitting, fetch me a goblet of the health potion,” she said, nodding her green chin over at the crystal bowl.

  “I’m here simply as your attendant, not as your servant.”

  “Same thing,” she told him. I could tell by the way he was being turned around that Aya was using her ghost limbs to move him.

  “As you wish,” he croaked. “Besides, this is the last time we will meet.”

  “Music to my ears,” Aya said.

  “Lady Aya, be nice to him.” The Metican warrior gave her a playful elbow.

  “You will keep your elbows to yourself, or you will be armless,” Aya said as the frog brought the health potion over.

  “Now, before I’m interrupted again,” he said, his googly eyes locked on Aya as he licked his lips, “this final match, as you very well know, will pit two Alphas against two Alphas, and is going to be a glorious match indeed.”

  I waited for him to release a villainous laugh, and once he didn’t, I took the bait. “Why do you say that?”

  “You won’t believe this, but even with their handicap due to losing the test match, Kingdom Ignis has made it to the final. You will be squaring off against them.”

  “A rematch?” Aya wagged her head as she considered this. “Well, I suppose it is not a rematch, considering they didn’t fight last time. It was two girls, was it not? Flaming hair? Or was this the match where you didn’t see the alphas? I cannot keep track of these things.”

  “You will just have to see,” the frog said, offering up a supervillain laugh. “Sorry, I’ve always wanted to do that. Now, if you will excuse me, and you, before I leave…” He returned his gaze to Aya. “Would you like to share contact information?”

  “Beat it, frog man, and I do mean that. Tonight, beat it, and when you do, think of this.” The frog spun twice, Aya slapping him with her ghost limb. His face red with embarrassment, and what I detected was a hint of pleasure, he immediately faded away.

  “You know…”

  Nope, I didn’t have time to finish that statement.

  Suddenly Iris and I were on the battlefield, the crowd roaring, a glitter of gold in Ray Steampunk’s skybox as he stood, his hands on the railing, looking down at us.

  Magic was going off in the air, an electric feeling moving through the audience. Kingdom Lume was particularly loud, thunder and lightning peppering the air, the bolts striking the invisible barrier protecting us from them.

  Or maybe it was the other way around.

  Standing before us were the twin sisters we had seen in our first fight, their flaming red hair tied off into pigtails. The casual one was in a suspender skirt and Converse, two small blades made of fire now in her hands. The more professionally dressed one wore a dress similar to Iris’, although hers was burning blue, a trident made of blue fire gripped tightly in her hands.

  “We’ve got this,” Iris said. “We will win this tournament.”

  “Definitely,” I told her, my bass taking shape, my fingers on the strings, ready to go.

  The countdown began, Iris and I both aiming our instruments at the twins.

  ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

  Damn, were they fast.

  The Alpha in the suspenders skirt appeared in front of me, swiping her blade at my neck. I had been charging up a blast and managed to get it off in time, but she was already out of the way before it could hit her, my attack going wide and leaving a fiery trail in its wake.

  “Chase, you idiot, guard, guard!” Aya cried from the sidelines. “Guard, damn you!”

  The alpha with flame daggers leapt into the air, swinging her foot around, and connecting with my chin. I fell to the side as she also swiped her weapon, her flaming blade cutting through my sleeve and searing my flesh.

  My vision flashed red as I plucked my strings, a bubble of bass launching me into the air, where I could get a better vantage point.

  I played a few more plucked notes, jumping from bassy bubble to bassy bubble, the Alpha hot on my tail. Fire Pigtails was fast enough that she was able to actually use the energy creations I’d made to her advantage, jumping from bubble to bubble.

  Focusing on my distortion, I cranked it all the way up as I neared the invisible wall separating me from Kingdom Terra. I strummed a power chord that shot forward, immediately blasting me backward once I hit the invisible barrier, where I collided with the female Alpha.

  “You fucker!” she hissed into my ear, her fiery pigtails beating in the air as we sailed backward.

  “I’m not done yet!” I told her just as she started to bring her dagger around. I arced my bass downward and hit another note, using our upward momentum to flip her off.

  She landed on her feet, much to my dismay, and was immediately tossed to the side by a random note from Iris, who was doing a damn good job of fending off the woman with the staff made of blue fire.

  It was weird to be flying, but I was so lost in the moment that I didn’t even second-guess what I was doing, now zipping toward the ground with
the neck of my bass aimed as if it were a spear. I played a couple of notes to slow my fall, righting myself just in time for the female alpha to lunge for me again.

  I caught her fiery dagger with the end of my bass, her blade actually scraping against the strings and creating a terrible noise that sent both of us to the ground, her hands over her ears.

  Seeing her blades at her sides now and knowing that this might be the only opening I would get, I played a slapping rhythm that sent several staccato beams of energy spiraling in her direction.

  “Damn!” I shouted as she grabbed her blades and rolled out of the way just in time.

  “Destroy her!” Aya shouted from the sidelines.

  Her voice caught my attention; I glanced left see Lady C. also cheering me on, her sword lifted in the air as she got all of Kingdom Lume behind her.

  “Chase, Chase, Chase, Chase!” Lady C. and the crowd shouted in unison.

  I couldn’t focus on their encouragement any longer, not with the female Alpha closing in, her blades upside down now as she threw her body to the side and spun, coming in with a whirlwind of attacks.

  All of which connected.

  She was so fast that I had been taken off guard. Even with the fact that my bass was protecting my body somewhat, she managed to get a few jabs in, one of which connected directly with my throat.

  My pane of vision started to go red…

  “Shit…” I whispered, feeling for my instrument, hoping that I would be able to play the same healing tune I had managed earlier.

  I fell to my knees as she stood before me, a wicked grin on her face, her pigtails on fire, her flaming blades at her sides.

  I blasted her away with a deep note that left a crater around us.

  I was starting to lose consciousness…

  Lying in the crater and no longer able to play with both hands, I simply played with my left hand, pressing against the neck board, trying for the same healing music I’d played earlier, putting all my force into the weight of my fingers and vibrating the strings with each note.

  Her eyes went wide as a green energy swirled around me, and in that moment, my pane of vision went from red to normal again, my life bar flashing and replenishing.

  I was eventually able to stand, now using my other hand to increase the strength of the song.

  “Okay,” she said, staggering to her feet. Fire Pigtails spun, throwing both blades directly at me.

  The gong sounded.

  I respawned on the sideline next to Aya, who had drawn her buster sword and was hacking away at the invisible barrier stopping her from going onto the field.

  “You should have blocked!” she roared at me as she continued to cut into the barrier, not able to break through.

  “I… I…”

  “Chase!” Lady C. came forward, her swords sheathed as she fell to my arms, hugging me. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes… I…”

  And I saw in her eyes in that moment that she didn’t care about the tournament, or the fact that I’d lost. She was genuinely worried for my safety.

  In a digital world of all places.

  “Oh, poor little Iris,” Aya said, pacing now, the brim of her hat shielding her eyes. “They are going to fillet her. Iris, do not lose, dammit. Kill them!”

  I looked to the battle to see Iris doing her best to fend off two opponents. She was strumming her instrument as fast as she could, simultaneously throwing shots at one Alpha while she twisted around to blast the other.

  And then Iris broke a string...

  And the act of breaking a string threw her off guard. She started running, her ukulele at her side while the Alpha with two flaming blades chased her.

  Now playing three strings, Iris conjured up a wave of musical energy that swept over her head, knocking the female Alpha to the side.

  Fwwwizzz!

  A blue blast of fire clipped Iris in the shoulder, spinning her around and sending her to the ground.

  “Play healing music!” I shouted to her.

  “Heal, Iris, heal! Play it!” Aya said, cursing under her breath in Thulean. “Duthag dulakh ranakh! Duthag!”

  And Iris tried.

  My God did she try, backpedaling as she attempted to conjure up a soothing tune. But her shoulder was fried, and the female alpha with the two blades was quickly approaching on her right.

  By this point I too was beating on the invisible barrier, telling Iris to watch out, Aya so angry that she was no longer screaming at the fight. The Thulean screamed at the crowd, daring them to do something about it.

  “Please, Iris…”

  A blue blast of fire cut her down, sending her instrument flying out of her hands.

  Iris fell to her side, trying to catch her breath as the double-bladed alpha jumped onto her, stabbing Iris to death.

  ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

  Everything that happened after was a blur.

  I felt incredibly guilty for going out first, wishing I had trained more with Iris, that I had prepared.

  And I knew that Aya would be angry. But I cared less for her feelings than I did my bandmate, my dear friend, who could hardly make eye contact with me as we respawned back in our locker room, a crushed look on her face.

  And you would think that the tournament organizers would give us a moment to lick our wounds, to go over what happened.

  But no.

  Our forms started to dematerialize within seconds, reappearing in the center of the battlefield, a stand already set up with three pillars on it. On the lowest pillar was Kingdom Mortem. Standing at the top, both their pigtails still fiery, were the two female Alphas who had bested us, huge grins on their faces as a stairwell made of brass took shape.

  Gears and cranks appeared in the air, and as they did, the stairwell grew higher and higher, making its way up to the skybox, where Ray Steampunk sat.

  “This is humiliating,” Iris said, still gritting her teeth.

  “So sorry you lost,” one of the Ignis Alphas said. “But you know what they say, may the best team win. Right?”

  Her counterpart laughed. “And the best team won.”

  “We beat you in the test round,” I reminded them, pointing a finger at her. “And we would have…”

  “If what? You could have beat us if you’d had your fierce Huntresses do all the fighting for you?” asked the female Alpha who had slain me. “There’s something you should know about the Monster Hunt app, and becoming an Alpha. You actually have to work for this. You can’t just all of a sudden get the app, and think that you’re something special. We know about you two. We know about all the Alphas in this tournament.”

  “They didn’t release any of that information,” Iris said, still not looking over her shoulder at the women.

  “So? Does your kingdom employ spies?”

  “I don’t know,” Iris admitted.

  “Well, it doesn’t matter now, because technically it’s not illegal to spy considering that it isn’t in the rules. All that the rule stated was that the identities of the Alphas will be kept from their opponents until the time of the tournament. It didn’t say anything about trying to uncover them. And how hard would it be to uncover them anyway? All we would have to do is go to each kingdom and visit the local government to find out.”

  “Whatever,” I told her.

  Her counterpart laughed again. “It’s fun to see him so angry, isn’t it?”

  “You know, you two could just win without being little bitches about it,” Iris said, finally turning to them. “How about that? You won fair and square. What’s the point in taunting us?”

  “And you use instruments as weapons?” the one with two blades cackled. “If only originality was part of your training regimen, at least you would have that!”

  “Whatever,” I said again. “We have enough enemies in this stupid world,” I told Iris under my breath.

  “It’s not stupid.”

  “You know what I mean,” I said, looking to her. “It’s not real. These two are prob
ably some Gen Z Alpha retirees living in Wisconsin who spend all their time in the Proxima Galaxy. It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done.”

  “We could have beat them,” Iris said under her breath.

  “We tried. They were faster, they were stronger.”

  “Such a sore loser,” Pigtails Alpha said. “We didn’t even pull out our best moves and you lost. Get used to it.”

  “Ignore them,” I told Iris, who was now clenching her fists at her sides.

  I turned my attention to Ray Steampunk, who was making his way down the brass stairs.

  The famous Proxima developer was a handsome man with dark hair, a suit of golden armor and a red cape, and as he stepped onto the field, the ground turned to rust, each step bringing with it rust and beautiful brass flowers rising from the soil.

  His voice appeared in my head. I looked to Iris for confirmation and she confirmed it with a nod.

  Congratulations to all the kingdoms.

  And by looking around I could see that everyone could hear him, even though his lips weren’t moving.

  In first place is Kingdom Ignis.

  Medals appeared around the duo’s necks. Their side of the stadium went crazy, and they screamed and shouted for a good three minutes before they died down.

  In second place is Kingdom Lume...

  I looked down to see a medal on my neck.

  It was a large, thick, and heavy in a way that told me that it was very valuable. I caught Iris looking at hers as well, not quite satisfied, but at least less upset that she had been just moments ago.

  In third place is Kingdom Mortem.

  It wasn’t required that Alpha Duos participate; we just happened to go up against some in our rounds.

  Iris had mentioned at some point that if one of these kingdoms made it to the final round and they were represented by a single Alpha, they were able to choose their best mythcrea or hunter to participate alongside them.

  The representative from Kingdom Mortem fit this category. He was a single alpha, a dark-skinned man with muscles and tattoos on his bare chest. His medal appeared and he pumped his fist in the air, his kingdom going wild.

  Thus concludes the EverLife Levels Four to Six Tournament. I thank you all for attending, and I hope you will attend the next tournament for levels seven to ten.