Post by Mr. Moon on Sept 22, 2022 15:07:16 GMT -5
Gabriel #16
“Professor Moon! Professor Moon! I am terribly sorry, but they are waiting for you with the start of the celebrations and Mr. Python wants to know if you are going to attend it…”
A gentle female voice woke him up from his sleep, pulling him back into the reality of a sore body and incredible tiredness.
“Hmmmm…puppy…”
He muttered, from the borders between dreaming and reality.
“I am sorry, what?”
The voice asked all confused, forcing him to open his eyes properly.
“Uhhh, yes, I mean…yes, just give me a minute…”
Gabriel muttered when his brain finally realized that the person leaning over him wasn´t his doggo, but one of Katsumasa´s hostesses, a young and pretty fair-haired woman with a shy smile on her face.
“Just…could you help me to change into something clean? I would swear I had a fresh shirt somewhere…”
Raising himself up to a sitting position, the Professor paused as he noticed how red she was in her face.
“Oh…yeah, I am sorry, just wait outside, please”
Gabriel muttered, trying his best to hide the pain in his voice as he was getting up to his feet.
The Professor was trying his best to stay silent, but with his body in such a sorry state he had a hard time coordinating his movements, not to mention Beast that was celebrating his awakening by laud barks, so in the end, they woke up the whole room and so they headed back to the Arena together. And as it turned out, Katsumasa´s people were working hard the whole time as the place changed beyond recognition.
The sand floor was gone, replaced by wooden flooring. There were also many tables with refreshments and a small sage in the middle of it from where a band played one of the currently popular songs of the Soul King.
“There you are, I was afraid you won´t come!”
Standing near the entrance to the former arena, Python greeted Gabriel with a wide smile, taking his champion around the shoulders.
“How are you? Do you even remember anything from your last fight?”
He lowered his voice to be heard only by the Professor himself and the people standing very close to them.
“Not really…I have some flashbacks, but that´s pretty much it.”
The Python erupted in loud laughter.
“Yeah, I figured that much. But don´t tell anyone else, you made lots of people upset with that win and a few very rich.”
Gabriel gently smiled.
“You included?”
Python laughed again.
“Nah, it would look bad when the guy who put this whole thing together was betting on the fighters. But the Ravens will be leaving this place loaded.”
He nodded towards Myra, while leading the Professor towards the stage, gesturing to the band, that it was time for them to leave it.
“Speaking of which do you still remember my proposition? That about our possible future partnership?”
The Professor took a few steps before stopping in front of the stage, shaking hands with Python.
“Sure, I am looking forward to working with you.”
The older fighter smiled in response.
“So do I. I feel this will be the start of amazing friendship and a new era for all martial artists in the four Blues!”
While they were talking the band left the stage and so the two of them could climb on it, Python much faster and easier than his companion.
“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN I AM SORRY FOR THE WAITING, BUT ALLOW ME TO FINALLY START THE LAST PART OF OUR TOURNAMENT, THE CELEBRATION!”
Gabriel took a look around the arena. There were many people, too many for his taste, fighters who took a part in the tournament, their sponsors, and many other people from underworld bosses through businessmen to the local nobility and all of them were watching him and Python.
“If you don´t mind I prepared a short speech for you before we start, but first of all, allow me to introduce you to our champion Gabriel “The Professor” M…”
BANG!
The speech was interrupted by a single gunshot that made the people scream in panic and cover themselves.
Driven by an instinct, the Professor knelt down, to be a smaller target only to see Python to his right as he was falling down with a gunshot wound to the head.