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Chapter Thirty-Five: The Art of Fishing and the Power of the Heart

  Rufo stood across from Releyanda, a triumphant smirk on his face as he held his fishing rod aloft. "Let me tell you about my art," he began, a showman's flourish in his voice.

  Releyanda's eyes, cold and focused, narrowed. "Sorry, I don't care."

  


  


  "Hey, don't be rude," Rufo retorted.

  


  


  "You may not care, but the readers do! Now, like I was saying, the art of fishing has been around for centuries, in fact, it's arguably the oldest art class. Fishers can use their Fisher's Rod to p ull specific aquatic creatures from an Abi portal, manifesting them directly onto the battlefield. Of course, we have to have seen the creature first before our Abi downloads it into our internal storage. These summoned creatures act as powerful, temporary allies, serving as formidable attacks or diversions against foes. They retain their natural abilities, amplified by a Fisher's Abi."

  "I'll admit that's a cool power," Releyanda conceded, her cyber arm charging with a low hum. "And from my understanding, the ancient world was full of creatures in the ocean, but that world is long gone. Which means your power is limited to what sea creatures lie on Deer Point."

  


  


  Before she could finish, Rufo quickly used his rod to open a portal, and out of it came electric eels, launching like darts. Releyanda evaded them with a series of agile flips and turns. Rufo pulled his arm back again, the rod opening another portal, and out of it came a wave of dirty water, followed by a torrent of large piranhas.

  


  


  


  


  Releyanda dodged the piranhas, while striking them one by one as the launced from the portal, but the wave of foul water caught her, and several of the fish latched onto her cyber arm, their teeth digging into the metal. A couple sunk their teeth into her arm not covered by metal. Her arm dripping of blood.

  Rufo laughed. "I made sure to tell my friends here not to leave any severe wounds, after all, this is just a duel, but they will drain your electro!"

  Releyanda's rage boiling over. She said to herself "Let me show you the power of royal cyber armor!" She flung the piranhas off with a violent jerk. Her arm illuminated with electo.

  


  


  unleashed a massive beam from her hand that vaporized all the piranhas in an instant. The audience was in awe. Rufo, visibly shaken, stood behind a nearly destroyed Abi shield. He was still upright, but his knees buckled and he passed out, collapsing onto the ground.

  "I've never seen a cyborg do that before," Kellix said, his eyes wide.

  "That's Releyanda," Hidikai said with a proud smile.

  "What kind of cyber armor is that?" the Monkey King said, shocked.

  "Looks like the duel is over, Monkey," Nyte Fang said with a triumphant grin.

  "You got lucky," the Monkey King grumbled, but a thunderous applause went through the training ground.

  PARADISE HOTSPINGS

  


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  Later, Hidikai and Releyanda were in the hot springs, the steam rising around them. Hidikai, bubbling with excitement, splashed a little water at her friend. "Oh my god, I can't believe the monkeys have hot springs, its amazing, we should tell Hyte Fang to invest on something liek this for us, I think the coyotes would love it."

  


  


  Releyanda relaxed oin the water.

  Hidikai "By the way, that was so cool! I knew you could beat Rofu!"

  Releyanda gave a small smile, the warmth of the water easing the tension in her muscles. "It was nothing. I just hate losing."

  


  


  Hidikai "Ya know I really wish we didn't have to go to war, I like this, going to others tribes, having duels and just relaxing, I could this everyday."

  Releyanda whispers to herself "I don't plan on staying here, i don't belong inthis place."

  Meanwhile, Kellix and Rufo left the men's hot springs. Kellix, shirtless and pouting, poked Rufo in the chest. "Hey, don't take it personal, I mean, it's not like I couldn't beat her... I guess that means I'm better than you."

  Rufo just laughed and put his arm around a humanoid monkey girl beside him. "It was a duel, loser! You're still a virgin, hahahaha!" The monkey girl, Meemba, smiled sweetly. "It's okay, Kellix. Someday you'll get married to an amazing woman or monkey."

  


  


  Kellix mumbled under his breath "I ain't marrying no stupid monkey I'm going to marry Releyanda she just doesn't know it yet."

  "Come on, babe," Rufo said, pulling her closer. "Don't give him any false promises."

  Kellix, his head bowed, felt a wave of anger. The nerve of him, after he lost to a cyborg! He walked without looking where he was going and bumped directly into Releyanda. She was wearing a bikini, a sight that made him stop dead in his tracks. "Watch where you're walking!" he shouted, but his voice trailed off when he realized who it was. "Oh, Releyanda! I'm sorry, I didn't know it was you."

  He blushed, his mind reeling. Wow, she looks amazing. I mean, if she were a parasite, I would totally still think she's hot.

  "You better not be thinking anything stupid," Releyanda warned, her voice low and dangerous, "or I'll disintegrate you like Rufo's piranhas." She walked past him, a cold stare fixed on the path ahead.

  "Of course not," he stammered, "nothing crazy."

  "Releyanda!" he called out, his voice desperate.

  She stopped and looked back. "What?"

  "Umm, since we'll be going to war soon," he started, his words getting stuck in his throat. "I figured I'd ask you... umm, if you... umm... ya know, wanted to..."

  "Wanted to what? Say it already!"

  He choked on his words. Dammit, why can't I say it?

  Releyanda gave a small, mocking smile. "For someone who's always talking about how brave he is, you seem like a big scaredy-cat."

  "Absolutely not! I am Kellix the Brave, son of Jerix!" he declared, puffing out his chest.

  She just smiled, a teasing glint in her eye. "Well, say it then Mr. Barve." Her intense gaze intimidated him, his heart raced at 100 miles per minute and the words simply wouldn't come out. "That's what I thought," she said, and walked off.

  Kellix hung his head, a single tear tracing a path down his cheek. "Damn, why does this always happen? I just wanted to ask her for a kiss before I give my soul to war." He sobbed comically.

  "I'll kiss you, Kellix," Hidikai said, walking up to him.

  


  


  "Hidikai, wait! Seriously?"

  


  


  "Yep," she said with a bright smile. "I've only ever kissed a man once, I prefer women but I love making out, and considering me and Releyanda will be returning back to our village with Leader Nyte Fang in the morning it'll be a lovely goodbye"

  Kellix's eyes widened. "What? This is awesome! A girl actually wants to kiss me! And she's not exactly as hot as Releyanda to me, at least, but Hidikai is still hot." He looked at her with a newfound sense of purpose. "I accept your offer in the name of Jerix!"

  Releyanda, who had stopped to listen, walked back, a look of disapproval on her face. "Wait, how old are you?"

  "I am 17!" Kellix said proudly.

  She sighed, a long, exasperated breath. "Oh, that's too bad. You're too young. I'm 20."

  


  


  She turned and walked away again, leaving Kellix stunned.

  "I'm going to die in war and never have tasted the mighty power of a woman," he cried dramatically, his theatrical tears flowing. "What would Braxill do?"

  


  


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