Fan Fiction ❯ Endless Power ❯ The Alliance of Three ( Chapter 6 )

Chapter 6

The Alliance of Three

Ali stepped into the ring. Sweat dropped from his hair as blood dripped down his uniform, forming bright red puddles on the once spotless ring. He had been fighting for two hours now. 76 opponents faced, 76 now dead. He was invincible, an assassin from hell, the crowd dubbed. His opponent stood across from him. His figure was menacing, but even from here, Ali could see the fear in his eyes. Their eyes locked together as they stared each other down. Then his enemy made the first move as he charged at full power, but to Ali, he was but merely a little faster than a sea turtle on land. He dodged the attack easily. His opponent looked aghast as he frantically searched everywhere for the whereabouts of Ali. Finally, the assassin from hell cleared his throat loudly from the other side of the ring. His foe spun around wildly, trembling so hard that his sword fell with a clatter. Ali mused at this sight as he pulled out not one, but two Ikari sword handles. The crowd could only watch in amazement as twin swords suddenly appeared with a flash of blazing white light.

"Prepare for your demise!" shouted Ali, as he simultaneously shot forward at his opponent.

His speed was both daunting and incredible and the audience watched in awe as what appeared to be a giant fireball collided with the undefended fighter. But what happened next was even more astonishing. One second, the fireball was about to crush the fighter, but the next, Ali appeared in his regular form some ten feet beyond his foe. Ali held his position, but he knew his job was done. Behind him, the crowd stared at the motionless fighter, who still kept the strange look of awe on his face. Then, he fell into a thousand pieces onto the ground.

The tournament was over, the battles fought, and the trophies awarded, as the crowd let out noisily, still talking excitedly about the match. However, in a dark alley not more than 200 meters away, the atmosphere was surprisingly different.

Ali punched the wall with force, causing a nearby building to sway, but not fall.

"Why?" he whispered.

Why had he lost to General? To Yosho? But most of all, why was he so weak?

He grimaced at the mere thought of the word.

"No," he thought desperately. "I will not lose to General or Yosho I'll show them! I'll train everyday until I'm stronger than both of them… and that Balem! He's going to pay for what he did to me. Who does he think he is? I'm not going to be controlled by anybody but myself!"

"I will be my own master!" he shouted defiantly, throwing a hard jab at the building.

The force of the attack caused the building to sway more violently than ever.

"Why won't you DIE?" Ali shouted.

He threw himself as the wall violently, and the worn building, unable to stand anymore pressure, finally gave out amid a storm of dust and rubble. When the haze cleared, the young fight was nowhere to be seen, but a distinct shape was burned into the ground:

"Lord Balem, I'm not sure if you heard or not…"

"I already have," a voice hissed from the shadows.

"Then, my lord, you are aware that the young one has betrayed us."

THUD! Balem slammed his hand down violently. The officer jumped with shock, but held his ground, not daring to raise his head.

"M-my l-l-lord," the office started shakily.

"Silence!" Balem commander. "He has not betrayed us… yet. The young one is mad, and no doubt confused over why his power does not compare to General or Yosho. He will come after the person he believes is responsible for this, and he will attempt to kill that person."

Balem clenched his fists forcefully. Reaching into his pocket, he produced a small virtual image and handed it to the officer, whose eyes widened in shock as he observed it in detail. Dropping the image, he cowered back with fear.

"M-m-my l-l-lord, but th-that's t-t-the symbol of…" the officer stammered.

Breathing deeply, he started again, "T-that's the forbidden symbol…"

"I know that!" exclaimed Balem.

"B-but my lord, who would he have that much hatred towards?"

Balem smiled sourly as he replied with the answer, "Me."

"Well, what do you request I do, my lord?" inquired the officer, bowing his head in deep respect.

Balem grinned. He had his colonel right where he wanted him. Taking his time to savor the moment, he finally continued. "It is time for you to do your duty as a member of the armed forces. Ali is a traitor and you must stop him from putting the peoples' lives in jeopardy. Do you understand?"

The colonel gulped nervously, but managed to nod.

"Now suit up and get the elite squadrons ready for combat," ordered Balem, "And remember, you are doing this for the empire."

"Yes, my lord," the officer saluted clearly, regaining his composure.

Stepping back, he placed his right first over his chest and recited the honor code in the ancient tongue of the Aviators. Pride washed over him as the words spill out of his mouth.

Bold and smooth…

He was finally given the opportunity to prove himself. He would fight valiantly for the empire, even if it meant giving up his life.

"I will not fail you my lord," he found himself saying. "Ali will be eliminated."

With a quick swish of his cloak, he walked out of the dungeon, with Balem's evil laugh echoing in the background.