Day Two: Early Morning

[Yamu]

The fighters took only a brief rest that night, none of them wanted to remain motionless for long. Each had combat drilled into them until it was a reflex, and that reflex told them there was the quick and there was the dead.

Jeice and his new weapon walked out in front, the white haired warrior had nicknamed his saibaman, ?S-man? and was currently trying to teach it a trick as they hiked. Yamu dropped back to the rear, using Kari to swat foliage that hung too far into his path.

His black in black eyes were coals, a frigid death lurked just behind his pupils. He had been on the outs for awhile, dying had a way of doing that to you. He had not been able to keep up with people he had once considered dear friends. Hell, he had not even known that Burter had come back from non-existence. When he killed himself in last year?s competition he had gotten the privilege of actually dying. True, he would never have unlocked Kaioken if that had not been the case, but he had been alive for some time now and none of his old teammates had bothered to look for him. Bra was nowhere to be found, Uub had fallen off the map as had Hellfighter, even BJ didn?t bother to look him up even after the much hyped Dragon Kart and his media covered crusade on Arlia.

The veiny juggernaut felt abandoned, forgotten by those he had stood behind. He did not feel hatred, just a little sadness. The Arlian Guardian felt like the last kid picked, pushed back for those better then he. Yamu was tired of being the sidekick, the support troop for those stronger and better known then he.

Dante was going to change that this year. This was his team this year. He knew he was not a chief or dictator, but he felt his comrades looked to him at least more so then they looked to each other. Fate had lined the game up this year for him, now it was his turn to play it. The end was far away, but Yamu knew there was a chance, at least a chance, that he might at least see it.

Then maybe Big Blue will have the time to at least say ?Hey??




?I?m Raditzu! No one is going to beat me!? Tommy was the biggest kid on the playground so he naturally got to pick who he wanted to be first when the kids played Dante?s Hill at recess.

All of the children would rather be watching the show instead of being in school, who knows what you can miss over an entire day of classes! Most of the teachers at least listen to Abyss Radio and would give their class updates, but there was something missing when you could not see some rip a fist through someone?s stomach.

The children didn?t know what they would do without ?Tonight?s Highlights? that showcased all the high points for that day.

?Loser! I?m gonna be Reijin! He won Friend or Foe which is harder then Dante.?

The ten kids slowly picked the top fighters until they got down to Jeremy, ?I?m going to be YAMU!? He said, striking a pose reminiscent of his behemoth hero.

The rest of the kids broke out into a cruel crescendo of laughter, ?Yamu?? Raditzu, asked mockingly straddling the top of the hill that played a central part in how they played Dante. ?You always pick Yamu. If your going to be a humanat least be Krillin!?

?No! I?m Yamu! I?m going to beat all of you and Yamu is going to win this year! No one can stop the Ki Shotgun!? The tiny Yamu?s eyes held a slight mist. He would never forget how the strange man had saved his life?more then anything else he wanted his hero to win this year. Jeremy wanted his hero to be better then everybody else?s hero. Maybe if he won King of the Hill, Yamu could win Dante?s Abyss.