Zataria's Last Light
Chapter 47: The New Member, Ohma Xerces

Chapter 47: The New Member, Ohma Xerces

As time passed since Ohma joined the Mavielance Crew, everyone was asleep in their beds except for Ohma, who was resting on the couch. Moments later, Himitsu emerged from his room and made his way to the kitchen.

Himitsu: (whispers) I’m so thirsty.

He quietly approached the refrigerator, opened it, and took out some milk along with a glass. At that moment, Gram stepped out of his room and noticed Himitsu.

Gram: (whispers) What are you doing up?

Gram walked over to Himitsu.

Himitsu: (whispers) I was thirsty. What about you?

Gram: (chuckles and whispers) I got up too because I was thirsty.

Himitsu: (whispers) Care to join me for a glass of milk?

Gram: (whispers) Don’t mind if I do. (smiles)

Himitsu retrieved another glass and began pouring the milk. As he poured, it came out in clumps, but it was too dark for either of them to notice. Himitsu handed Gram his glass, and they raised them in a toast.

Gram: (whispers) To hopes of a new house.

Himitsu: (laughs and whispers) Yeah, I agree.

They clinked glasses, but Himitsu’s shoulder knocked the milk jug to the floor. He bent down to pick it up while Gram took a sip. The moment the milk touched Gram’s tongue, he grimaced as if he were about to be ill. Himitsu stood back up and looked at him.

Himitsu: (whispers) Uhh... Are you okay, Gram?

Gram spat out the unpleasant clumpy milk, splattering it onto Himitsu’s face.

Himitsu: AHHHHH!!

At the sound of Himitsu’s scream, Ohma’s eyes flew open, and he reached for his weapon.

Ohma: (whispers) DIE BY MY BLADE, DEMONS!!

He turned around, spotting two shadows, but it was too dark for him to discern that it was Gram and Himitsu.

Gram: That was some nasty milk!

Himitsu: You got it all over me!

Gram: Sorry, you were in my way when I spat it out.

Himitsu made a frustrated expression as they both turned to see Ohma.

Gram: Oh hey, Ohma, sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.

Himitsu started wiping the milk off himself with a cloth.

Himitsu: Yeah, he doesn’t know how to spit in the sink.

Ohma: Ahh, you know my name, demon?

Gram: What? Yes, of course.

Himitsu: Ohma, what are you talking about? Of course, we know your name.

Ohma: Then I must finish you!

Ohma charges at them, wielding his nunchucks.

Gram: What the—

Himitsu: NO, OHMA! IT’S US!!

Ohma swings at them as they flee, screaming.

Himitsu: AHHHH!! OHMA!! STOP, AHHHH!!

Gram: I DON’T WANNA DIE!!

As Ohma attempts to strike Gram and Himitsu, Zodiac intervenes by using sudoshi to deflect Ohma’s nunchucks with his light sword. Ohma collapses to the ground.

Daru emerges from his room and turns on the living room lights.

Daru: What is happening now?

Kono steps out of her room.

Kono: What’s going on?

Gram is in Himitsu’s arms.

Gram: Ohma tried to kill us!!

Ohma stands back up.

Ohma: I was trying to kill the intruders.

Himitsu: There were no intruders; it was just me and Gram in the kitchen drinking milk.

Ohma: Oh, I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to.

Zodiac: Don’t be sorry; there are a bunch of idiots anyway.

Zodiac returns to his room and shuts the door.

Daru: Gram, go back to sleep!

Gram: Okay...

Gram hops off Himitsu’s arms and walks back to his room. Kono surveys the kitchen, where the fridge is split in half. More than 20 glass cups are shattered, and all the plates are broken, with the ground cracked all around.

Kono: Oh man! First the roof, now the living room. What’s next?

Ohma approaches Kono.

Ohma: Hey, Kono, I’m really sorry.

Kono: It’s alright, don’t worry; I can fix it.

Ohma: You can?

Kono: Yeah! I can fix anything.

Ohma: That’s so cool; no wonder you’re the leader.

Kono: (Chuckles) Anyway, you need to rest; you have a trial tomorrow.

Ohma: Oh right, the trial to officially join your crew, right?

Kono: You betcha!

Ohma: I will sleep the best, MA’AM!!

Kono: (Chuckles) You don’t need to call me ma’am.

Ohma: Yes, ma’am! I mean, Leader Kono!

Kono: Ugh, okay, goodnight.

Ohma: Goodnight, Leader Kono!

Ohma jumps onto the couch and falls asleep instantly.

Kono: He is one weird kid.

Kono returns to her room and shuts the door while Himitsu remains in the kitchen, attempting to clean up. As he tidies the space, Himitsu picks up the milk jug and notices that the expiration date has passed by four years.

Himitsu: Ahh, that makes sense (laughs).

As morning arrives and time progresses, everyone rises from their beds, with Kono preparing breakfast. The entire group has gathered in the living room, except for Daru and Zodiac, whose absence is noted by Ohma.

Ohma: Umm... Where are Daru and Zodiac?

Kono: (while cooking) Oh, they’re outside.

Ohma: Outside?

Himitsu: Yes, they are training.

Gram: They do this every morning.

Ohma: Really?

Kono: Yep!

Ohma: Impressive!

Ohma stands and moves outside, where he observes Zodiac practicing with his katana and Daru engaging in shadow boxing.

Zodiac: Ahh!

Daru: Rah!!

Ohma: (to himself) They are amazing.

Zodiac and Daru notice Ohma watching them.

Zodiac: Are you going to just stand there or say something?

Daru: You alright, Ohma?

Ohma: Who, me? Yes, I’m great! Watching you train is like watching brothers.

Zodiac and Daru exchange glances as Himitsu places his arm around Ohma.

Ohma: Huh...?

Himitsu: Well, it’s because they are brothers.

Ohma: WHAT!!

Gram and Kono step outside.

Gram: Yeah, it’s hard to believe, but they are indeed brothers.

Kono: I was just as surprised as you, Ohma (laughs).

Daru: Yeah, I was shocked too, given how weak he was.

Zodiac: Yeah, and I was shocked to see how slow and sloppy his movements are.

Ohma: I can see that now.

Daru and Zodiac begin to argue while Ohma and the others continue their conversation.

Ohma: I can’t wait to see them in action!

Kono: Trust me, it’s not that exciting.

Ohma: Huh? What do you mean?

Gram: When they work together, it’s a mess; they get in each other’s way and start fighting instead of focusing on the real fight.

Himitsu: Yeah, but there was this one time they teamed up to beat a guy named Ancho. Their teamwork was on a different level.

Ohma: Wow! Why don’t they work together more often?

Himitsu: Well, Daru is hard-headed and doesn’t like bullies and refuses to kill humans.

Gram: Zodiac is a cocky jerk who kills anyone who crosses him or annoys him.

Ohma: Oh... I can only imagine what it will be like when they actually work together.

Kono: Yeah, keep imagining.

Daru: Alright, let’s go, asshole!

Zodiac: Do your worst!

Kono: Here we go again.

As time passed, the Maivelance Crew attended Ohma’s trial, heading into the Order Association building. Upon their entrance, everyone turned to look at them.

Lith: Look who decided to drop by.

Sai: Yeah, the crew that got lucky in the Newbie Event.

Gram approaches.

Gram: Hey! It wasn’t luck! I earned it.

Lith: Of course it was luck. The only reason you won was that this guy (points at Himitsu) shot the flag toward your base, and you just happened to find it on your way back. Pure luck.

Gram: You’re just mad!

Sai: Mad about what?

Himitsu: You’re mad that we won!

Sai steps closer to Himitsu.

Sai: Listen carefully; if I had been in that event, I would have taken you out, and no one would have known.

Himitsu swallows nervously. Daru begins to laugh while Sai and his crew observe.

Sai: Why are you laughing?

Daru: I’m just laughing because I can’t take you seriously with that hairstyle. It looks like a bird’s nest.

Zodiac chuckles as everyone in the room starts to laugh.

Gram: HAHAHAHA!! BIRD’S NEST!!

Sai: Ahhh!! SHUT UP, EVERYONE, SHUT UP!

Reiji: HAHAHAHA!!

Sai taps Reiji on the head.

Reiji: OW! SORRY...

Sai walks away as laughter continues.

Kono: That was a good one, Daru.

Ohma: Yeah, I almost laughed my armor off.

Zodiac smirks.

Zodiac: Let’s just get Ohma’s trial done.

Ohma: YES, SIR ZODIAC!

Zodiac shakes his head. Ohma and the rest approach Fin at the front of the desk.

Ohma: Good to see you again, sir.

Fin: Oh, look who it is.

Fin glances behind Ohma to see Kono and the others.

Fin: Huh? What brings you all here?

Kono: We’re here to watch Ohma’s trial.

Fin: His trial...? WAIT!! DID HE JOIN YOUR CREW?

Kono: He sure did!

Fin: Wow! That’s awesome!

Ohma: Yeah, it’s pretty awesome!

Fin: Haha, well, Ohma, please select your trial.

Fin gestures toward the screen displaying all the new trials for Ohma.

Gram: What the heck? They’re different.

Himitsu: Yeah, I don’t see the defense I chose.

Zodiac: You guys are so clueless.

Himitsu: Huh?

Zodiac: There must be an alternate option because you can have up to 10 members in your crew, and they cannot all undertake the same trial.

Gram & Himitsu: Ohhh... that makes sense.

Daru: Idiots.

Ohma: I chose this one.

Fin examines the trial Ohma selected, which is an escort.

Fin: Ahh, I see the escort trial.

Kono: What’s that?

Fin: The escort trial requires you to safeguard a vehicle from destruction and transport it to the other side of the map.

Ohma: Sounds easy enough. Let’s do this!

Ohma prepares himself, retrieving his nunchucks from his sides.

Fin: Everything is set. When you’re ready, please enter those doors.

Ohma: Yes, sir!

Fin: Haha, he has a good sense of humor.

Zodiac: He’s annoying.

Gram: He’s not that bad.

Ohma enters through the doors and spots the car on the trail.

Ohma: This must be the vehicle he mentioned.

AI Speaker: Hello, contestant. To your left is the car you must reach the other side while maintaining its health above 40%.

Kono: Forty percent? That seems rather low.

Himitsu: I was thinking the same thing.

Daru: Can you guys just stop talking and watch?

Himitsu begins to mock Daru, who glares at him.

Himitsu: Sorry!

Ohma: Okay, let’s do this!

AI Speaker: The trial begins in 3, 2, 1, begin!

As the AI counts down, the car begins to move forward. Ohma moves alongside it, spinning his nunchucks. Minutes pass with no incidents.

Gram: Is something going to happen?

Zodiac: I agree; nothing’s happening.

As Ohma walks, something shoots out from the wall to his right. He swings his nunchucks, striking it as it falls to the floor. Everyone stares in shock to see it was a cannonball.

Daru: A cannonball? That could destroy the car in seconds.

Zodiac: Now you understand why it instructed us to keep its health above 40 percent.

Ohma: That thing is huge. I need to be careful.

As Ohma continues, another cannonball launches from the left side of the car while he is positioned on the right. The cannonball strikes the car, reducing its health to 80%.

Gram: Wow! It dropped to 80%!

Himitsu: This is going to be tough.

Ohma jumps onto the roof of the car.

Ohma: It’s already at 80%. I need to concentrate.

He closes his eyes and quickly opens them, revealing light gold irises, which Daru observes.

Daru: (to himself) Those are the same eyes he used when he fought me; it must help him concentrate.

Ohma spins his nunchucks faster as cannonballs begin to shoot out rapidly. He deflects them with precision.

Zodiac: Hmm... Smart. I guess he’s not as dumb as I thought.

Ohma: I just need to keep this up. Come on, Ohma, you’ve got this.

Daru: Keep it up, kid.

Kono: Yes! Ohma! You can do it!!

Himitsu & Gram: YEAH!!

As Ohma moved quickly, he took a step forward but slipped and fell from the car.

Ohma: Ahh!

As he fell, cannonballs began striking the car, causing its health to decrease to 80%.

Lith: Haha, looks like he failed.

Sai: Looks like you’re going to need a new crew member.

Daru: Come on, Ohma, get up!

Zodiac shook his head.

Gram: No, Ohma!

Himitsu: COME ON, OHMA!!

Ohma pushed himself up and noticed the health drop to 45%. A cannonball shot from the wall, heading straight for the car. Ohma threw his nunchucks, but they broke; one half struck the car, reducing its health to 41%.

Daru: There you go!

Zodiac: He better get moving.

Ohma jumped back onto the car, closed his eyes, and resumed deflecting the cannonballs.

Ohma: I can do this! I will prevail, I will not lose, I will not be defeated! I will pass this trial for I AM A HOLY KNIGHT!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!

Himitsu & Gram: DO IT, OHMA!!!!

Everyone in the building turned their attention to Ohma on the screen.

Daru: Uhhh...

Kono: Ughhh...

Zodiac smirked.

As Ohma opened his eyes, he stood at the end of the trial, swinging his nunchucks and shouting at the top of his lungs.

Ohma: Uhhh... I did it?

AI Speaker: Congratulations, you have passed the trial.

Ohma: HAHAHHH!!! I DID IT!!!

Himitsu & Gram: AHHHHHHHH!!!

Daru: SHUT UP!!!

Kono: He did it!

Himitsu and Gram stopped yelling.

Himitsu: He did it!!

Gram: That’s my boy!! I trained him so well.

Kono: You didn’t train him at all.

Gram: Nah, you just didn’t see the training I did with him.

Daru and Zodiac shook their heads. Ohma exited through the doors and ran to his crew.

Ohma: I did!! Did you see?

Kono: Yes, I saw it; it was amazing!

Himitsu: Yeah, you’re really something, Ohma!

Daru: Good job.

Zodiac: I guess you did okay.

Lith approached Kono.

Kono: Oh hey, Lith.

Lith: Tomorrow at 3 p.m.

Kono: Huh?

Lith: Tomorrow at 3 p.m., we will settle this rivalry.

Kono: Huh? What rivalry?

Sai: Because you think you’re better than us.

Himitsu: What? No, we don’t.

Gram: Even if we did, we’d still beat you.

Sai: What was that?

Gram: Oh, sorry, I meant even if we agreed, we would win.

Ohma: I agree with Sir Gram.

Ohma turns to Daru and Zodiac.

Ohma: Sir Zodiac, Sir Daru, as knights, we never shy away from a challenge. It is not in our blood.

Zodiac: I had no intention of declining.

Daru: (Smiling) Neither did I.

Kono addresses Lith and her crew.

Kono: Very well, Lith, we accept your challenge.

Reiji: Yay!!

Lith: Good!

Gram: Good to hear!

Sai: Indeed.

Himitsu: Super good!

Everyone turns to Himitsu.

Himitsu: What? Did I say something wrong?

Reiji: Wow, so you guys don’t hit him?

Daru: What?

Reiji: Aww, nothing...

Kono and Lith’s crew depart as Lith exits the building. Kono approaches the front desk to register Ohma as a member of her team, making Ohma sign his name on the register list.

Fin: Hey! Ohma, great work today!

Ohma: Thank you! I did my best!

Fin: Your best was amazing! You’ll fit right into Kono’s crew.

Ohma: Yeah, it seems that I will.

Gram playfully grabs Ohma by the head.

Ohma: Uhh, hey!

Gram: Yeah, you’ll fit right in! Ohma, it’s you and me against the world, with you fighting for me while I make the money and get all the women.

Ohma: Yeah!! Wait, what about the rest?

Gram: No, no, no, don’t think about that—it’s just you and me against the whole world!

Zodiac: He is a real piece of work.

Daru: You can say that again.

Ohma: Okay, I can see it.

Gram: I can see it too—just you and me.

Himitsu: Hey, what about me?

Gram: Ugh! Fine, we have Gram the Great, Ohma the Slayer, and Himitsu the Worthy!

Daru: I can’t take this any longer. Let’s go.

Gram: Come on, I was onto something!

Zodiac: If you don’t get moving, I’ll kill you myself.

Gram: I hate when you say that!! Let’s go.

Kono: (Laughs) I love my team.

As they head back to the house, Kono attempts to repair the roof while Ohma steps outside to find Zodiac, who is training.

Zodiac: What do you want?

Ohma: What? I was behind you. How did you know it was me?

Zodiac: You sound like Bigfoot walking in that armor.

Ohma: (Chuckles) I suppose you’re right.

Zodiac turns to face Ohma.

Zodiac: So, what is it that you need?

Ohma: Umm... I was hoping you could train me or teach me a few techniques.

Zodiac: No.

Ohma: Huh? That’s it, just no?

Zodiac: No. If you want training, ask that idiot Daru.

Ohma: But he doesn’t use weapons.

Zodiac: Sorry, I’m not training you.

Ohma: Damnit! Okay, thank you, Zodiac.

Ohma starts to walk away.

Zodiac: You failed lesson one.

Ohma: Huh?

Zodiac: Lesson one: never take no for an answer.

Ohma stares at Zodiac for a few seconds.

Ohma: So does this mean you’ll train me?

Zodiac: I’ll show you a few things, but if you can’t keep up, I’ll call it off.

Ohma: Yes, Zodiac!

Zodiac: Stop calling me "sir"!

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