67 Stephen

Riku silently applauded Shizu's initiative to use her power. Thankfully, she also managed to draw a card that would most likely have an effect on whoever Champion was attacking them.

With the shimmer of the fortune teller's power, the massive card above her disappeared before quickly shooting deep into the offending sphere. For a brief second, nothing happened. But then, an orange glow suddenly appeared as the waters concealing the enemy Champion began to fizzle and bubble. Whoever it was, they were probably boiling from within as Shizu's power wreaked havoc on their defenses.

"How long does your card last?" Riku asked, his knife still raised in alert in case of a sudden projectile.

"I honestly don't know," Shizu muttered, her head peeking out of the side of their boat as she watched her handiwork. "It'll last for at least a few minutes if it's left to just do it's thing I think."

The former assassin curtly nodded at the information. A full minute of sustained fire would probably kill the Champion inside this ball of water. The fact that nothing was even happening meant that the Champion within was probably either dying a horrible death right now, or he was planning something else-

*FWOOSH!*

Riku didn't even think twice as he ducked down onto the boat. "Hit the deck!"

At his warning, Shizu followed his lead as they both took refuge behind the sides of their ship. Just in time, the boiling hot waters from before quickly shot past them, littering their boat with scalding hot droplets as they both did their best not to get burned.

"A-Ahh.. Hot..." Shizu hissed. "W-What was that?"

"They were forced to dispel their barrier, I'm assuming," Riku postulated with a whisper, his senses still heightened for any other possible movement from their enemy. "If that's the case, we might finally see who exactly this guy is."

His eyes narrowed, Riku silently peeked out of their cover. Scanning the seas, he quickly saw what looked to be a small yacht with literal planets circling around it. The fire from Shizu's power was gone now, but the barrier of water concealing their opponent was now gone as well.

"Ah, I didn't think I'd see fellow Champions out here, let alone two that are actually working together."

A man's voice echoed from the boat. He sounded as arrogant as the gods themselves, and he was clearly an American based on how full of himself he sounded. Peeking out, he looked like a stereotypical professor. Perhaps one with a doctorate based on his age and glasses. He wasn't old by any means, but he wasn't as young as either him or Shizu either.

'Nyx, I have visual,' he told his goddess.

/Ah, I can tell you about him now,/ Nyx breathed out as if she too was finally relieved she could now finally help him properly. /His name is Stephen, Champion of Astra. An astrologer from your time period, actually. You might know of him if you follow his field./

Riku scoffed as he shook his head. Obviously, he had no idea about astrology or any other of the scientist in his time. He didn't care about them, he only cared about other chefs and honing his craft.

/I can already tell you don't,/ his goddess sighed. /Anyway, that's all I can tell you about him. Big Brother Astra's actually on that ship by the way. Not that you have to worry about any interference./

'Appreciate it, Nyx.'

Having gotten all the information he could, Riku quickly took a glance at the enemy in question. This Stephen was still standing menacingly at the deck of his yacht, small planet-like orbs still orbiting around him as what looked like an astrolabe glowed in his hands. His glasses shone against the blue glow of his power, his eyes narrowed as he looked at their own boat like it was nothing more than a bug to be squashed.

"Come on!" the astrologer arrogantly shouted. "Show yourself already so that I can properly see the people I'm about to kill!"

"I really don't like the tone of his voice," Shizu frowned with a whisper beside him. "I know we don't want to handle any fights right now, but I don't think this is one we can avoid."

"With how he's keeping up with our ship, I can see that," Riku whispered back. "We'll have to fight him while on the move. Get close and neutralize him if possible."

"Do you really think I won't just sink your boat and be done with it, Champion of Nyx!?" Stephen taunted with a laugh. "And you, Champion of Tyche, I would've thought someone that has the God of Fate on their side would side with someone that actually knows what their doing!"

While the astrologer's taunts would've worked on any other person, the former assassin wasn't like most people. The insults washed over him like they were nothing as he instead thought about how to approach the situation without sustaining too much damage on their ship. Already, Nyx's power was hard at work patching up the holes they've sustained from the earlier volleys, and judging by the size of the literal planets circling the yacht, he wouldn't want to risk getting hit by one of those if he could help it.

'Nyx, any chances of us outrunning this yacht?'

His goddess visibly hummed before replying, /Maybe? Big Brother Astra's on that other boat though, and this is quite literally his own Realm./

'But didn't you say that you gods can't interfere in fights?' he questioned back.

/I did, but that rule is kind of vague when it comes to us being in our own Realms, now that I think about it,/ Nyx explained with a slightly confused tone. /We're all more powerful in our own Realms, but of course, we're still told not to help our Champions whenever possible./

Riku let out an annoyed sigh at all the vaguery he was being given. Seriously, if these gods had no idea what rules they had to follow in this game of theirs, then they should just go wild and help them in anyway they can in the first place. But then again, what did he expect from gods anyway?

'Just keep us away from any other Champion as best you can,' he relented. 'Get us away from this Stephen if you can.'

If they couldn't run away, then they'll just have to improvise. Again.