Huh Hank poured himself another glass of whiskey
Images are complicated Can you not sometimes feel how its easier to develop your image if you and everyone else simultaneously think the same thing about it Well I suppose you have the benefit of being a very one note character in the eyes of the public
Hank snorted but didnÆt seem to mind her comment Then jus stop lettinÆ the people dictate your image Also why are ya talkinÆ so much tonight
DidnÆt we already cover that IÆm nervous IÆm a human being too Alana said She wrapped her arms around her shoulders
Hank stood up from his chair Then I can
Easy cowboy YouÆve already taken your shot tonight Alana grinned wickedly at him She raised her leg high into the air and jabbed the big toe of her right foot against his chest as he made to stand Hank didnÆt resist and allowed himself to be pushed back into his seat with a dissatisfied expression
Alana turned away and walked back to the window When she spoke again she changed the subject YouÆll tell Dinesh and Tykes during your 3rd place match tomorrow
I reckonÆ theyÆve thought it themselves already Hank nodded They both were still for several minutes listening to the cold wind carrying in the noises of Kharon humming busily with life It was a reassuring soundtrack of peace
Alana hoped Kharon would stay like this for a long time
Chapter 1468
The roars of the crowd were thunderous as the third place match of the duos tournament reached its climax The noise was heavy with expectation and approval it only now wandered about the area as it sought its ultimate target the victor
Once more the entire arena was replaced by a vast reflective pool The duo of Dinesh and Tykes stood opposite one another split by the inverting dividing line by their feat Hank held the reigns of his spectral horse and raised his revolver into the sky his eyes blazing with determination Shadow Ancho pranced sideways clearly unnerved by the oppressive image that Tykes released
As the upper of the reflections Tykes allowed his image to press down over the surrounding area with a brutal cruelty Before that immense sense of weight that he carried on his shoulders all images shuddered and shrunk Against it the slow rise of HankÆs environmental image had been struggling to gain traction But it was obvious that soon that image would finally break free
But the fighters just regarded each other with a scientific intensity DineshÆs image had warped the surroundings but Hank had been steadily dodging TykesÆ attacks for the past several minutes and firing targeted repeater shots Only after struggling for some time Randidly could sense that HankÆs image had started to achieve some tangible influence over the area
Randidly rubbed his chin The one problem with HankÆs image was that once he achieved that influence his hand was then forced toward action he no longer had the excuse to delay His image wouldnÆt allow it In the West you eventually had to stand up for what you believed in or the narrative around you would collapse to dust Whether it was because of the expression on HankÆs face or the shifting images in the air the crowd seemed to sense this change They stomped their feet and waved their hands calling for conflict
The volume increased
Ancho reared answering their cheers even though Randidly suspected that the combatants werenÆt able to make out the noise through the screening of DineshÆs image But perhaps the image horse could sense the audienceÆs will anyway Tykes held his immense iron ball in front of him with both hands his fingers straining with barely suppressed eagerness
When ghost AnchoÆs hooves hit the ground Tykes accelerated forward His body blurred at the edge a blurred reflection of Dinesh following along with him like a ghastly spirit seeking to possess a living body Hank pressed his heels into the horseÆs flanks and they vanished only to reappear a few meters to TykesÆs left
Tykes planted his foot and adjusted his vector with a sharpness that seemed to defy physics The iron ball swung upward Hank lowered the barrel of his revolver and took aim
Bullet and iron ball smashed against each other The bullet screeched and screamed with unwillingness surrounding by a nova of vicious certainty that the bullet would pierce through Tykes weapon But in this case it wasnÆt enough It dug its way into the pounded metal and forced open a hairline fracture but that was it Everything else was suppressed by the weight Tykes continued forward smashing the ball at Hank and Ancho but they leaped away before they were caught
The large metal ball struck the ground and produced countless ripples that radiated outward in DineshÆs mirrored realm With gritted teeth Tykes hooked the chain around the ball and then began to spin gradually unspooling the chain The iron ball whipped around Tykes in steadily growing arcs covering a larger portion of the Arena
He planted his feet and spun in place gradually accelerating
Ghost Ancho whinnied and trotted away warily watching the aggressor Snorting Tykes abruptly twisted the chain and then yanked the ball back toward himself As the metal projectile was shooting back toward him Tykes became Dinesh Dinesh closed his eyes and suddenly Dinesh was a stunned Hank on top of the image Ancho
Well shit Hank swore as he looked at the projectile careening toward him
The ball smashed into Ancho before the image could carry Hank away getting blasted into bits of spectral matter Hank rolled out of the way of danger but then Dinesh was there his fingers fanning outward with poisoned knives
HankÆs repeater flashed up and bucked several times in quick succession as he deflected the knives away with bullets The knives then clattered harmlessly against the ground in a shower of poisonous sparks But before Hank could take aim for a more damaging shot Dinesh covered the distance and unleashed a brutal high kick Hank leaned backward and holstered his pistol he wasnÆt going to shy away from a brawl The influence of HankÆs image in the area steadily grew
He had fired his first bullet experienced a counterattack and survived The momentum began to flow steadily toward him
Dinesh spun and cut sideways at HankÆs waist with his palm Hank accepted the strike with a grunt and unleashed a vicious left hook in response but his fist ineffectually glanced off of TykesÆ shoulder as the larger man replaced the smaller
Hank reacted quickly to the change He jerked sideways and brought his elbow up to smash against Tykes’ face Tykes grinned and leaned forward into the blow using his image to steady himself through the strike and try and grapple Hank Snorting Hank Dodge Rolled backward and then kicked Tykes in the chest when he went to follow
Tykes immediately planted his foot and skidded to a halt but that opening was enough for Hank Howard to draw his revolver The barrel gleamed with a white light in the mirrored world
The bullet whizzed harmlessly past the ribs of the smaller Dinesh ruffling his hair HankÆs eyes narrowed Then Tykes was back yanking on the chain and bringing the iron slamming back into his hand
The cylinder of HankÆs revolver clicked to bring a new bullet before the hammer Both men grinned at each other Then Tykes exploded forward and Hank took aim At the last second Hank Dodge Rolled to the side and adjusted his angle
His bullet struck the other bullet still embedded in Tykes ball With the small pick driven only a fraction of distance deeper the lump of metal exploded into fragments
Ghostworld would be the best Wivanya grumbled as the two waited in the shadowy halls to walk out into the arena proper The frost dragonÆs tail flicked back and forth the appendage moving as though taking out her dissatisfaction by whipping the stone walls Can they not see everything that the Ghosthound has done for our world Naming the planet after him is the natural result of his divine effort for us This is a matter of principle
Alana didnÆt even bother to answer the moody dragon As always before a match her attention was focused on the inspection of her spear She dragged her fingers across the spearhead and felt the skin of her finger easily part The sharpness made her smile Perhaps because she had spoken her worries aloud last night all of that emotion had been churning in her chest for the past several hours and gradually had become excitement She moved her hands down to the spear shaft and waved it lightly testing the flexibility