Chereads / Tool Assassins / Chapter 24 - Curtain Call

Chapter 24 - Curtain Call

"This way" said the voice "So we may partake in our duel". "And what if I refuse?" asked Zemeki. "I would be very upset" spoke the voice. "Should I run?" thought Zemeki "If I play along an opportunity may present itself, or alternatively it could be a trap" Zemeki glances behind him "Ya ha Hue" the laugh's from the Ant Clowns can heard all around. Zemeki analyzes the balls and they appear to be normal ones. "Yo, what's the deal with these balls anyways?" he asks "It is important we are both armed for the battle to be truely honorable" Zemeki reluctantly picks up the balls. "By all means take as much time as you need to prepare yourself" mentioned the voice. "Fairness, honor, giving your opponent time to prepare?" thought Zemeki "Is this some sort of game to them?" Zemeki has never before encountered an opponent with this perspective. "In combat anyone can die at any moment, you need every advantage you can get to make sure you and those you care about come out alive"

The crack feinds are all lazily shoved back into the clown car having been dealt with by Ramui. Before he leaves to meet up with the rest of the group a hole forms in center stage as a platform begins to ascend in it's place. The moustache guy emerges and cracks his whip "Don't go the show has only just, begun" On the platform are 3 cages containing and elephant in a tiara, a monkey next to a popcorn machine, and a inflatable pool. The whip appears to have broken the lock on the elephants cage. It leaves and folds it's trunk and ears inward before charging at Ramui. Ramui responds by teleporting behind the ringmaster but the elephants tiara glows as it teleports behind him flipping him with it's trunk. The Ringmaster cracks his whip twice more "Have you considered joining the circus, we would love any new additions" Ramui disappears observing through screens around the Ringmaster.

Zemeki picks up the balls and moves a knife into his sleeve "Maybe there's a third option" he begins approaching the voice. A woman in a patchwork cloak begins guiding him to somewhere with her back turned. Zemeki uses the opportunity to attempt to slice her jugular from behind, but Zemeki's stomach makes a noise *grrr*. She turns around and offers him a bar of food and Zemeki begins examining it for poison's or magic. The woman must have realized this "I would never, there is no glory in honorless combat". "Look, I know I'm on cooldown but how do you become this cocky?" thought Zemeki. In the Juggler's mind fighting an opponent at their best is a way of respecting your opponent, in Zemeki's mind it is the opposite.

"I don't know where you are but soon enough you will become a perminant addition" spoke the Ringmaster as motion can be felt all around the tent. Ramui teleports out and sees that the circus has grown chicken legs and is walking in the opposite direction of the tournament. "We don't have much time if we're going to make it to that tournament" thought Ramui. "There you are" the elephant teleported behind Ramui, flipped him and while in the air a laser scope can be seen on Ramui as he is shot by a gun connected to the popcorn machine. The kernals pop on impact and continue to expand. "Act 3" he makes the Ringmaster disappear but the kernals continue to expand obstructing Ramui's movements and vision. He notices someone emerge from the inflatable pool riding an alligator and gets shot again. Elephant noises can be heard coming from somewhere.

Zemeki enters a room full of colorful balls. The Juggler begins juggling the balls. Zemeki wanders the place observing the balls, the Juggler and listening for any ant clowns. "Is that what the balls are for?" Zemeki asked the practicing Juggler. "Yes" she replied "The duel is simple anyone who falls off of the large ball or drops one of the smaller one's will get attacked by my presence" "I see" thought Zemeki "some shaper's choose to bake negative's into a tool for example it also attacking you and if they know what they're doing this can help them acheive more power in other areas, for someone obsessed with honor or fairness or whatever such a restriction probably helps her acheive synchronicity too" Zemeki decides to start practicing juggling, until they get on the large balls the match hasn't started yet. This also buys time for his tool until it is almost ready for use. He gets on the ball and the Juggler follows suit. They both begin juggling the 2 small balls while balancing on the large one.

"Act 2" Ramui waits for impact and gets shoot again. He darts toward the monkey and knee's it's face causing the popcorn on him to vanish and the striped hat to fall off the monkey's head. Ramui turns to look at the elephant and sees it's foot crushing the alligator dude. "What are you doing?" spoke the Ringmaster whipping the elephant. Ramui grabs the popcorn gun and attempts to shoot the Ringmaster, but it doesn't work. "Each attraction is armed with their own magic tool's" spoke the RM. "I might not be able to use the animal's tools but based on what I saw with the elephant they may not be entirely on his side" thought Ramui. "Act 1" he stated tapping the elephant "Let's chat". Both Ramui and the elephant disappeared.