Chapter 18

Tom was immediately dragged by Toby back to their bench. He stood and included himself among his team mates, circling their coach and club adviser, Grandson Emberbright and Ios Android respectively.

"Let's win the next set." The coach finally said.

All of them braced their arms on each other's shoulders and roared.

While taking his spot on the court, Tom suddenly felt uneasy about it. He finally realized what Chronos had said. Every action in this world corresponds to something on the other world. That means every shot of weapons in the shadow world correspond to either spike, receive, block or score. The way Crowfire shot Green Lizard with the gun made their way of winning this first set in this volleyball game. Instead of excitement, he felt scared, despite how he knew this game will end. He gulped all the saliva remained in his mouth.

From his point of view, Tom saw Gecko, Hammer's junior high classmate who will bitterly cry after this game. The team of Green Lizard on that moment was flustered on Crowfire's team, who had their opposing stances and their most serious faces.

"You think that's going to stop me, Crowfire?" Tom heard Green Lizard's voice right above the atmosphere of Green Lizard's team. All of them are on the stances, preparing for battle.

"Don't go easy on me. I have my formidable regalias." he heard on their side of the court, Crowfire's voice.

Tom just felt his torso was grabbed and flew above the air and that everything turned dark as earlier. He felt being pulled over the string.

He heard the whistle of the referee and saw his hand motioned to start the next set.

Then he felt a hard grip on the posterior end of his body. Crowfire was holding him tight over the bow. He was an arrow, pulling the string of Toby on its fullest, pointing over Green Lizard who stood straight.

Then he saw the volleyball swiftly flying above the air on his point of view. His feet moved all by itself on the other side of their court, where no one is guarding, or blocking the way of the ball. His head tilted in a millisecond, watching the ball falling on Toby. And go for a toss.

Tom jumped, springing his feet in the air, then his palm, spiked the ball.

He then felt the string of the bow, thrust him over the air. He flew on the whiz and hit Green Lizard's right shoulder.

The moment he felt himself piercing the muscle was when volleyball landed on the court freely. He killed the ball. He saw the Green Lizard team nailed their eyes on the court where no one actually stood.

"That freak quick technique again!" one team member ranted.

The team Crowfire roared for the score. All team members of Green Lizard turned their heads down on that moment.

While his team mates were roaring, Tom's point of view turned over feeling him inside Green Lizard's muscle. As a metal arrow, he felt the blood congesting, surrounding him as it started to clot. Green Lizard had landed on the floor. He gripped Tom and quickly pulled him over.

"Ahhhh..." he groaned as the arrow bounced on the floor. Blood immediately flowed out of the huge hole in his shoulder.

Crowfire motioned his hand and Tom flew over to him. He wiped him with his clothes and pushed him back on the quiver.

"I am not done yet." Green Lizard whispered in hoarse voice. Then he coughed. He was gripping his shoulder. The blood slowly penetrated his clothes. The green cloth was painted with dark red.

On his left hand was a grenade. He stood slow and staggered. Blood was lining on his mouth. Green Lizard held his future oracle and looked at the message.

10:45 am Crowfire fired another arrow.

10:46 am Green Lizard was shot on the left ear. He moved but Crowfire took his gun and fired.

10:47 am Green Lizard threw the grenade and fell on Crowfire's quiver. It exploded.

10:48 am CROWFIRE DEAD END

"I have to watch if he gets any more arrows." Green Lizard thought within himself while dropping the phone through his pocket.

He saw Crowfire at the same time looking at his future oracle. His face is blank. Crowfire kept his oracle on his pocket, then dropped Toby, the bow and the quiver on the ground. That is when the future oracle let out digital sounds again. The registries are altered.

Green Lizard put his hand on his pocket. A bullet ricocheted above him. He jumped as the bullet landed on the floor. Crowfire was pointing the gun on him, which still smokes.

On his serious face, Crowfire shot the gun many times over Green Lizard. Green Lizard dodged, turned and flipped his body over the air while his hand is on his wound. Along with him flipping was the blood sprinkling around him from his wounds. The sound of the bullets flying, ricocheting around drummed their ears until the smoke from the fire spread across the dark hall.

Crowfire continued sending bullets as he walked towards Green Lizard. Green Lizard was stepping back while dodging, dodging with all his might. He is getting slower and slower.

"This guy's draining my strength. I had underestimated the fallen crow." he whispered within himself. He never got the chance of looking and altering the oracle from his pocket. He thought one wrong move and he will already miss his life.

He had a quick turn of his head. It was about few meters for him to reach the door of the manor, and he hoped to retreat and escape. He thought this game has no turning back.

Crowfire never stopped sending bullets. Few of the bullets scratched Green Lizard's skin.

"Ahhhh..." he felt the bullet slashing his arm muscle as it goes through. Then another, ripped the skin of his cheek.

Crowfire was slightly stunned and both of them stopped moving. The line on Green Lizard's face caused by the bullet immediately oozed out blood.

Green Lizard roared. Crowfire was shocked and staggered backwards. His eyes blurred the moment he saw Green Lizard's hand raised which was holding the grenade.

"Go Gecko!" Green Lizard roared then threw the grenade towards Crowfire. He said so soft despite the moment, "We will never win if we don't believe we can. I might be weak, but I am stubborn."

Crowfire pointed the gun on the flying grenade and buried his feet on the floor. He fired the gun and everything was covered with smoke.

That is when everything turned on the volleyball court. Tom felt the hot air sweeping across him. He saw on the other side of the court, there was, Green Lizard team, huddling together in front of the net. The volley ball took its course high above with the great thrust. Tom's eyes caught Gecko, running from among the people, chasing the volley ball before it falls. He dove down, sweeping the floor with his hand spread before his head.

But the ball just fell on the floor.

And marks another score for Crowfire. Tom gazed the score board and saw the scores:

SET 2

CROWFIRE HIGH 24

GREEN LIZARD HIGH 14

Crowfire had a grip of the gun on his hand. Then while the smoke spread across the atmosphere, he grabbed the bow on the floor then tucked the gun on his pocket. Green Lizard appeared in his front, biting another grenade on his mouth. His face was full of slit wounds. He was damaged by his own attack.

Crowfire was unharmed as he didn't notice Brimstone's force field covered him.

Crowfire stepped back and loaded the bow with an arrow then pointed on Green Lizard. Green Lizard threw the grenade on the bow. Crowfire threw the bow and arrow on the floor and jumped above Green Lizard's head.

"Hammer!" Crowfire shouted, gripping Hammer's handle and fired.

The bullet struck through Green Lizard's nape.

Green Lizard fell on the ground slowly as he vomits his own blood. His limbs twitched while his whole body trembles. His eyes cannot close and the blood continually flood out of his mouth.

For few moments, Crowfire walked and stood in front of Green Lizard's lying head.

Green Lizard lifted his head while shaking. He pushed his body against the ground while Crowfire stood. He said, with his voice cracking, "You are serious. You are taking me seriously. Everyone thought I am a pushover but not anymore because you're serious."

"We don't intend play games to lose." Crowfire replied quietly. Then he looked at his phone.

10:47 am Green Lizard threw Gecko, the hand grenade in the air.

10:48 am Crowfire shot Green Lizard on the neck.

10:50 am GREEN LIZARD DEAD END

"But if we lose, we will learn something from it." Crowfire replied. He looked at Green Lizard straight on his eyes. Seriousness still paints his face. He added, "Your next reincarnation will remember this, Green Lizard."

"There might be lots of guys in the whole country whose last season cuts short. Crowfire, win. Win more for me too." Green Lizard replied while coughing his own blood and lifting his head. He added, "Too bad, we won't be seeing each other ever again."

Crowfire stepped back to what Green Lizard said. As Green Lizard slowly breaths the air in, white beams of light spread and surround him like a little hurricane.

Crowfire shielded his eyes as the wind blew swirling inside his house. He said, "The reincarnation beams. He'll reincarnate again as a young child."

Crowfire thought after losing on this game, the 'reincarnation' will just mean being disqualified to play and that he thought he could make alliances with these mythical beings. But he was all wrong.

Green Lizard's future oracle floated above his body. The light beams swirling very fast until it stopped. The light beams thinned into bright lines. Then the future oracle started to spark and produced small lightnings. The lightnings absorbed all the light beams and flushed inside that phone.

Green Lizard's body hardened like a statue. Crowfire stepped forward as his eyes bulged out. The reincarnation beams were gone.

"Goodbye Crowfire." Green Lizard uttered slowly and gave Crowfire a smile.

Then he was crushed into bright glitter of lights.

"No..." Crowfire shouted. He grabbed Green Lizard's pieces floating in the air. He fell on his knees and punched the ground.

Up above the huge hole on the ceiling was Grandson standing. He bowed his head down and closed his eyes while looking at Crowfire.

"That means all those who were defeated, never reincarnated back and literally faded from existence..." Crowfire uttered while his eyes bulged out. He stammered and the air on his system seemed to clog inside him. "That means everyone will die in this world but one, the victor."

"And by that time, the world will end." Grandson said as he jumped through the hole.

His future oracle, Ios Android reverted and stood in front of him.

"You are right, Crowfire. We will absorb the reincarnation energy to mark you dead. The registry of the dead end means a literal end of someone's existence since beings like you just reincarnate when in grave damage. In the world of your regalias during their past life, it resembled death." Ios Android said.

Crowfire was still in shock, as he tried to absorb everything he just did. He just killed someone. All he thought this game was just simple, but it turns out to be grievous. He thought no one in their world realized the catch of the game. All he thought this was just to play a violent game,that the others reincarnated back. Psyche had played everything nasty after all.

From his point, suddenly, what Tom said gave him goosebumps and thrill and terror he wanted to kill away.

"You will win that Psyche's core. You will win the nationals." as it utters on his mind, the terror rose up, making him tremble that very moment. "I know your greatest secrets, Crowfire. And the future."

And what that meant almost killed him. That he has to kill more, kill everyone else. He has to kill many more and remain the last one standing. And what more terrifying is that there's no way out, that everything was just to happen, leaving him no other choices.

"Rahhhhhhh..." Crowfire's deep loud voice reverberated from the whole manor.

From his point, Tom can't even move his muscles the moment he saw Crowfire wailing. He just thought, things shouldn't be this way. It shouldn't be like this. Taking the road to the nationals isn't this bloody. Playing volleyball isn't about killing someone.

It isn't. It will never be. But now, it is.

Tom had his eyes fully opened while Coal was leading him to the changing room on the municipal gymnasium with their team mates.

"It seems the first win, had that great impact on him. Isn't it?" Thunder remarked and slapped Tom's back.

But Tom didn't respond. He was frozen like statue. Chills ran through him, the moment he saw Lungs, the Iron Wall of Tuberculosis High.

And behind Lungs was Psyche, on a high school uniform, waving a hand on him, on her most cheerful smile.

"Enjoying the game, Tom Dylan?"