Ch.23: The Hunter
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Tri sits around in class barely paying attention to his lesson as he takes the occasional glance at the watch on his wrist and Edmond’s coin. He ponders ways to bring Edmond back or how to remove the watch and coin and as always nothing comes to mind. As class ends, he exits the room alongside the other students.

            “I see, so a simple student.” A voice carried by the wind comes to Tri’s attention. “I wonder how you ended up in such a situation to be considered a threat?”

Tri looks around scanning the area as the crowd thins, leaving him alone. “Great, now I’m hearing things. And without Edmond around there’s no way for me to covertly check the area.”

Tri walks on ignoring the voice, and the ever-present sensation of something watching him. But as he does the Hunter stalks his prey keeping bow and arrow ready to give a critical strike and finish this conflict once and for all.

            “But what if…” Tri turns around hoping for some sign of his pursuer only to still see nothing. “Come on Edmond, hurry up and wake up.”

Unbeknownst to him, his pursuer is indeed within his field of view. He stands right in front of him truly invisible to the naked eye, but a feeling exists. A feeling of an uneasy gaze, of ever-present eyes staring down at him.

            “I must be going a little mad,” Tri says walking off leaving the area as he heads off to class.

Jago walks forward following Tri. “I’ll keep observing, there’s no leaving my sights now.”

 

As the day goes on Tri continues with the odd sense, trying his best to ignore it as Jago continues stalking him. As the day ends everyone exits the school building as Tri walks along exasperated from the constant thoughts in his head. As he walks ahead Saffy rushes to his side tapping him on the back to get his attention.

            “No luck?” She asks curiously.

            “None. And I can’t think of anything I could do to bring him back.” Tri says. “I mean a lot of this stuff is just completely over my head.”

Saffy smirks. “Well, there has to be something we can do? Come on, let’s go to your place and figure this out.”

            “What you wanna Google, how to fix your possessed coin?” Tri asks jokingly.

            “No, but I’m sure if we put our heads together I’m sure we can find some way to save Edmond,” Saffy says with a smile.

            “Oh, is your Phantom sick or something? I’ve never heard of Phantoms getting ill before.” A voice says on the wind.

            “Tri?”

            “So, I was being followed all day,” Tri says.

            “Of course, you put a target on your back so we had to come investigate you,” Jago says appearing from thin air staring at Tri and Saffy.

            “What an invisible man?” Tri asks.

            “No, it’s just my sneaking skills are far beyond most others, I am a true hunter stalking his prey until the right moment to strike and claim my prize,” Jago says as he fully appears. “And now it’s time to end you.”

            “End me? What did I do to you guys?” Tri asks.

            “This is about what you did to our agent,” Jago says seriously. “We don’t take kindly to those who hurt our men and killing them is a death sentence.”

            “Killing?” Tri asks confused. “I didn’t kill him, we fought, and we walked out of here just fine.”

            “No words!” Jago yells out.

Jago holds out his hand and calls a large bow to him. He pulls back on an invisible string as the air gathers around the bow and forms into an arrow.

            “What the?”

            “Now, die!” He yells out.

He losses the bow as it shoots forward towards Tri. Instinctually he grabs Saffy and falls onto the ground the arrow just passing over them. It hits the ground behind them and a burst of air shoots up from the ground leaving only a crater from the impact.

            “Hey, cut that out!” Tri yells out enraged.

            “That was a warning shot.”

            “A warning?”

            “I hate hurting bystanders, so I want you to come at me alone.” He says pointing to Saffy and then to Tri. “I’ll wait for you to tell her your last words and then we’ll begin this battle.”

Tri picks himself up and looks at Saffy. “Saffy….”

Saffy grabs onto Tri tightly. “No way. Edmond’s not with you right now, you can’t fight right now.”

            “Remember, that guy said I should still be able to transform even if Edmond’s not here as long as I have the coin,” Tri says cautiously.

            “But…”

Tri pushes Saffy aside and stares ahead at Jago. “Saffy, I have to do this. I have no idea what’s going on, but this guy isn’t backing down, and I have to fight him.”

            “Just be careful,” Saffy says cautiously.

            “I’ll try my best, I don’t know how much I can do without Edmond,” Tri says holding up the watch.

Saffy walks away rushing away from the sight as she hides among the nearby trees to watch.

            “So, are you ready?” Jago asks.

            “As I’ll ever be, but this is a huge mistake,” Tri says seriously. “I don’t know what happened to your agent, but maybe stop sending people out to fight me.”

            “We will when you’re dead, but I’ll wait for you to put your clothes on.”

Tri holds out the watch nervously. “Phantomize!”

            “Well it still works looks like.”

A bright light envelops Tri, and a sword appears in front of him. He grips the blade and the light travels along his body transforming him. With the light fading, Tri stands transformed as he readies himself for battle.

            “Now are you ready?” Jago asks.

            “As I said, as I’ll ever be,” Tri says nervously.

Jago pulls back the invisible string of his bow with the air gathering around into the form of an arrow. “Now die!”

            “I’m trying my hardest not to okay!” Tri yells out.

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