Chương 32: The Hollow Seven

Mochi had rushed ahead instantly"I'm going to fight Hogsthawts first!" He bolted outside before Zeal and the others could even go to the lobby Zeal instantly shouted"MOCHI, GET BACK HERE YOU IDIOT!" However, he was already gone... Ace let out a long sigh..

"Don't worry I'll go after him.." Zeal nodded saying"If you can handle him then sure..." Amelia and I will find a suitable location to wait until his speech is over so we can catch him off guard" Ace nodded as he left. Mochi tore through the streets of Mooresville, his grin stretching from ear to ear as he sprinted past shops and startled pedestrians.

"COMING THROUGH!" He kept running. Behind him..

"MOCHI!" Mochi glanced over his shoulder. Ace was sprinting after him, visibly pissed.

"WAIT UP, YOU IDIOT!" Mochi laughed.

"Oh, you aught up with me.."

"Where's Zeal and Amelia?" Ace finally caught up, grabbing his shoulder and forcing him to stop.

"Unlike you, they're actually going on with the plan.."

".. So, why don't you answer me this?"

"Where the hell do you think you're going?!" Mochi pointed ahead.

"Where do you think?"

"I'm going to take down Hogsthawts" Ace's expression immediately dropped.

"... You're an idiot." Mochi blinked.

"What?"

"Did you even listen to your brother's plan?!" Ace pointed back toward the direction they'd come from.

"Zeal literally explained everything!"

"That guy is so strong that none of us can beat him individually!"

"We're supposed to stick together and coordinate!" Mochi's grin faded slightly.

"I know."

"Then why are you running off?!" Mochi clenched his fist.

"Because we don't have time!" Ace frowned.

"What?" Mochi looked toward the distant road.

"Zeal said Hogsthawt's already making his move."

"If we wait around trying to get everyone together, who knows how many people he'll hurt while we wait?" Ace stared at him. Mochi continued.

"I'm not saying Zeal's plan is bad or anything like that." The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"I'm saying..." He tightened his fist.

"... we might be too late by the time we finish preparing." Ace groaned and rubbed his forehead.

"Of course."

"Of course you'd hear 'this guy is too strong to fight alone' and think, 'better go fight him alone before anyone can stop me.'" Mochi grinned.

"That's pretty much right.." Ace sighed.

"Fine." Ace stepped forward.

"I'm coming with you." Mochi's grin widened.

"Really?"

"Yeah." Ace pointed at him.

"Because if you go alone, you're just going to get yourself killed." Mochi shrugged.

"If you say so." Mochi turned and started running again.

"So come on, let's go then!" Ace sighed before chasing after him. Ahead of them stood their destination. Zeal and Amelia moved through the streets of Mooresville together, keeping a steady pace as the distant sounds of the city gradually faded behind them. Amelia glanced over at Zeal.

"So... Zeal, Do you mind if I ask you something?" Zeal looked toward her.

"Of course."

"Earlier, you mentioned the Sages."

"How many of them are there?"

"I kinda forgot.." Zeal's expression became more serious.

"There's seven in total." Amelia's eyes widened slightly.

"Seven?" Zeal nodded.

"Hogsthawt is ranked #7."

"He's the weakest of us." Amelia blinked.

"He's the weakest?" Zeal nodded..

"I'm ranked #6."

"As for #5 and #4..." He paused.

"... I honestly can't remember their names."

"They aren't that important anyways." Amelia gave him an odd look.

"Right..." Zeal continued.

"But the top three..." His tone changed.

"Those are the ones you should remember."

"At #3..."

"Babu." Amelia listened carefully.

"#2..." Zeal's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Rakai."

"And at the very top..." He paused.

"Hitosen Oni."

"Number one."

"One of the strongest humans in the world to this day." He glanced toward Amelia.

"I couldn't hold a candle to him." Amelia's eyes widened.

"Wait a minute..."

"Did you say Rakai is #2?" Zeal nodded.

"Yeah, I did why?." Amelia stared ahead.

"I've seen him before." Zeal looked toward her.

"What?"

"He was at a tournament from a little while back."

"Mochi and Ace fought him." She frowned.

"... They both lost." Zeal suddenly stopped walking.

"Wait." Amelia stopped too.

"My brother fought Rakai?" He stared at her in disbelief. Then.. He chuckled.

"Would've never guessed he'd done something like that." A small smile appeared on his face.

"Man..."

"He really has changed since I last saw him." Zeal then glanced toward the rooftops.

"Come on." Before Amelia could ask what he meant, Zeal suddenly jumped. Amelia followed. The two landed on the side of a building and quickly scaled upward, moving across the rooftops with practiced ease. They eventually reached a high vantage point. Zeal crouched low. Amelia did the same.

"Why are we here?" He pointed toward the street below.

"Look, do you see him?." Amelia followed his finger. Zeal's voice lowered.

"That's him down there..."

"Hogsthawt himself." Amelia stared. A slender man stood below, his jet black hair hanging around his face. He didn't look particularly intimidating. In fact... He looked rather ordinary. Amelia tilted her head.

"... That's Hogsthawt?" Zeal nodded. Amelia frowned.

"Nothing looks special about him." Zeal glanced toward her.

"Don't be fooled by his appearance alone..."

"Hogsthawt is a strong opponent." He watched the man carefully.

"And unlike some powerful people..."

"... he's intelligent." Amelia's expression became more serious. Zeal continued.

"He's capable of thinking several moves ahead before the fight even begins."

"That's why confronting him directly..." He narrowed his eyes.

"... wouldn't be the smartest thing we could do." Then a voice called out...

"Finally found you.." Zeal and Amelia instantly turned around.. PSSSHHHH! A cloud of burning mist exploded directly into Zeal and Amelia's faces.

"AAAGH!"

"My eyes!" Amelia screamed, clutching at her face. Zeal stumbled back, hands over his eyes, an unbearable burning spreading through them. Their vision dissolved into complete darkness. A slow clap echoed from the rooftop.

"Excellent." Someone in a long white coat stepped out from behind a lamp post, lazily spinning a small metal canister. Thick goggles sat over his eyes, a smug grin stretched across his face.

"So… these are the people trying to inturupt the bosses plans huh?." He bowed dramatically.

"Allow me to introduce myself""My name is Hostle." He adjusted his goggles.

"The esteemed Dr. Hogsthawt's apprentice. I am part of what wed call the Hollow Seven, if the good doctor's little club needed a name."

"The hollow seven huh?" Zeal said..

"Hogsthawts lackys" Amelia wiped desperately at her eyes.

"I-I can't see anything!" Hostle laughed.

"It's pepper spray. You know.. simple inventions are sometimes more effective than magic." Zeal grit his teeth.

"Amelia!"

"What?!" She said..

"Don't use any magic here okay?!" Amelia was shocked..

"No magic?!"

"Why not!?"

"Not only are we on a building multiple feet in the air, we could fall off or aimlessly hit innocent civillians down below.."

"We must be careful which is why I want you to use melee attack only" Hostle chuckled..

"Well aren't you smart. But unfortunately, being smart isn't enough."

"You won't lay a finger on the boss as long as I'm around.."

"If I do that, the boss won't beable to create the ultimate being.." Zeal said"The ultimate being?"

"What do you mean by that?" Hostle sighed..

"The doctor is curently trying to build a cyborg who will be strong enough to seize man kind.." Amelia gritted her teeth"You're sick if you think we're going to let that happen." Hostle laughed"Oh how do you crack me up.."

"You're talking as if you can actually do something about it.."

"Just look at yourselves.."

"Can't even see, so i'd like to see you even survive me.." Zeal drew his blade..

"I may not be able to see but I can still sense your magic energy.." Hostle smiled"Oh so you can sense magic... well that might be an issue but even if you somehow beat me.."

"Which you're not""There's like..." He coutned on his fingers"5 other guys who can take you down.." Amelia then said"Why did you pause when figuring out how many opponents are?

"Can you not count?" Hostle shouted"OF COURSE I CAN COUNT, I WAS JUST MAKING SURE MY CALCULATIONS WERE CORRECT!!"

"Alright enough chit-chat Im going to enjoy tearing you piece by piece!"