Chereads / Magic Duel: The Dark Chronicle / Chapter 16 - Respect

Chapter 16 - Respect

After completing his first trial, Kamari once again had his consciousness returned to the training facility, looking back to see Tom looking at him with a proud look on his face. "That was fast." Tom told him. "Took me about three or four tries."

"Guess I'm a prodigy too." Kamari spoke sarcastically, chopping it all up to being lucky. However, his sarcasm would fly over the head of Jin Ishiwatari as he walked by the two of them with his hands in his pockets. He didn't look at Kamari or Tom, but he did stop in his tracks.

"Tch." he scoffed. "Know your place, peons."

Both Tom and Kamari looked over at the South Tsundoran with wide eyes and furrowed brows. "What'd you say, mate." Tom said, taking a step forward. Jin, however, didn't even move upon hearing that he roused Tom's temper.

"Your blood is inferior to mine. It doesn't matter how hard you train. This goes for the one with the Dark Chronicle and the one with the dead brother. I will not lose to either of you." Jin started to walk away, and as he did Kamari had to hold back Tom from doing anything rash. "You cunt!" Tom yelled, trying to break free from Kamari's grasp, though Kamari had him outmatched in strength.

"Hey, Jin, right." Kamari asked with a plain, yet curious voice as he was still holding Tom back.

"Ishiwatari." Jin said, stopping in his tracks. He still did not face the two of them as he spoke.

"Sure. Ishiwatari. You're here by your own choice too, from what I've heard. How's it feel to be your big brother's shadow?" Kamari's voice was plain and emotionless, as was his stare. He was pissed, almost reaching the levels of Tom, though for Tom it was a little more personal.

Jin had been read completely, feeling his own heart freeze upon hearing Kamari's words. Regardless of Kamari being right, Jin continued to lie to himself. "I'm no one's shadow." Jin muttered, still not looking at the two boys, standing with his fists clenched in his pockets.

"Wanna know what I think, Ishiwatari?" Kamari's tone, still plain, had a mocking undertone with it. Regardless of whether Jin was going to answer or not, Kamari continued. "I think you're projecting. The only one who feels inferior here is you. Jin Ishiwatari, the inferior child of the Ishiwatari bloodline."

Tom looked at Kamari with a ghastly stare, shocked that such a thing even came from the East African. Just a week ago, Kamari seemed as if he didn't care about what anyone did or what they had to say, but Jin was even pissing him off. Little by little, Tom was seeing a side of Kamari that usually lay dormant.

Kamari's words instantly riled up the usually calm Jin, compelling him to turn around and begin stomping toward both him and Tom. "Who do you think you are, Eswarian!? You're a nobody from nowhere. You better watch how you speak to me unless you want to end up in the infirmary!" Jin's voice was filled with fury as he yelled those words at Kamari, putting his face mere inches away from his.

"Your lineage is meaningless here, Ishiwatari. We're all nobodies. It's been that way ever since we had our minds transported into this place. You know it's true, that's why you're resorting to threats of violence." Kamari showed not an ounce of fear in his face as he glared right back down at Jin who was just a few inches shorter than him. Again, Kamari's tone once again shifted, this time sounding more malicious as he added some final words. "And if you lay just a finger on me or Tom, I'll show you a whole new side of me.

Meanwhile, watching from a display, the Game Master and the Game Mistress spectated their vocal dispute. "Should we stop them?" the Game Mistress asked, looking over at her husband from beneath her blank mask. The Game Master chuckled, sitting next to her with his fingers interlocked as he watched the screen without even blinking. "No..." he whispered. "This is splendid! Yet another storyline for the season!"

"Alright, boys! Let's break this up, will we?" Jason, the UEA's representative, seemingly appeared out of nowhere as he placed a hand on the chest of Kamari and Jin. It wasn't until then that Kamari realized they were being watched. Viktoriya had a cheeky grin on her sharp face, loving the violence. Zheng Changpu, from Lièrì, was on the opposite side of the spectrum, having a sort of worried expression on his face. "I don't believe now is the time to fight... Is that even allowed?" he told them nervously.

"Yeah, what Mr. Rulebook says. Can't have you guys get disqualified and killed." Jason added, still holding the two back with his hands.

"Let them fight!" Viktoriya chanted, watching eagerly as if she were spectating a cage fight. "The loser dies!"

Jin looked around the room, feeling disgusted that he was being reduced to nothing more than free entertainment. Again, he scoffed before turning tail and walking out of the training facility with his hands in his pockets, leaving the duelists behind.

"Yikes!" said Jason, watching with a big grin across his face as Jin fled from the confrontation. "You cooked him."

"Not really. I was just being honest." Kamari nonchalantly mumbled.

"Nah you really did grill him, mate. He's pissed." Tom added, chuckling a little as he stared at the door where Jin made his retreat.

"Definitely cooked him." whispered Usagi, the North Tsundoran, who seemingly came out of nowhere.

"Oh, she talks?" asked Jason, looking over at her with a smile still on his face.

With a plain expression that could compete with Kamari's, Usagi nodded. "When she wants." With her sharp eyes, Usagi looked up at Kamari as she gave him a tap on the shoulder. "I like you. Thanks for saying what we were all thinking."

Usagi walked away, and one by one, everyone else started to disperse as well. "She's right. It was pretty funny to." Jason said as he walked off toward his section of the facility. Viktoriya, for once, smiled at Kamari without any sort of malicious intent and said, "You are not so bad, Yelekal. You have my respect."

As Viktoriya walked away, all that was left was Zheng. He simply nodded before walking away, leaving Tom and Kamari by themselves once again. "Well, anyway. Ready to keep going?" Tom asked.

"Yeah, let's do it." Kamari said with a smile.

However, before the two could begin, Tom had one last thing to say.

"Thank you, Kamari."