Chapter 13: Cheating… and Still Losing?

Chapter 13:

Cheating… and Still Losing?

January 15th, 2025 (May 3, 2025 revamp)

As Nassap slid the marble over to Amina, she picked it up with steady hands.

“I’ll show you just how good I am… globular,” she muttered, her voice echoing around the room in an eerie, unnatural way.

Gripping the oversized marble, Amina hurled it toward the hole with intense force.

Woosh…

The ball didn’t bounce off the floor like before. This time, it struck the hole cleanly.

Amina exhaled in relief—until it happened.

The ball shot back out of the hole, launching into the air as if repelled.

Her eyes widened. Her mouth hung open in disbelief.

An expression that screamed: “WHAT?!”

Across from her, Nassap wore that same unshakable smirk.

“How ‘unlucky’ does someone have to be…” he said, laughing—somehow snorting at the same time.

“My next shot should take you out for good. No more holding back. Take this, Amina!”

He raised his massive stone fist, preparing to strike with a speed that seemed guaranteed to hit its mark.

But Amina was faster.

She conjured a sword, its blade a deadly blend of blue and red.

Instead of attacking, she held it firm—and let him hit it.

Slice.

His fist was severed cleanly by the sword, which remained so still it looked frozen in midair. Amina’s hand didn’t tremble once.

“W-W-What?! B-But my—”

“What’s with the stutter? Did my sword cut off that cocky attitude of yours?”

She narrowed her eyes.

“Technically, I scored that ball. So by your logic, you have no right to hit me.”

The severed fist disintegrated into ash, drifting into the air before vanishing completely.

“Now it’s my turn to punish you.”

Amina charged with the sword raised high.

Nassap’s expression twisted into a cartoonish frown. He furrowed his rocky brows, raised two fingers on his remaining hand—and nullified her attack.

A small white shockwave pulsed out, followed by a thunderous sonic explosion.

In response, Amina hurled her sword at him. It vanished on contact.

“You’re not someone to underestimate… Fine,” he said coldly.

He reached for his special purple marble and tossed it. The ball began slow—but suddenly picked up incredible speed, ricocheting around the room like a bullet from every angle.

Amina tried to summon a shield, but the ball was too fast. It hit her once—right in the face, drawing blood. Then again—smashing into her knees.

And finally, it ricocheted once more, striking the hole perfectly.

“Now you have no right to attack me,” Nassap sneered. “I’ll put you in this little corner of mine. I’ll kill you—not once, not twice, NOT thrice—but over and over, until I’m satisfied! Die and suffer, Amina!”

He raised his colossal fist to end it—but Amina raised her hand too. In it, something round—another marble.

Nassap’s fist slammed into it.

The force behind his punch was instantly nullified.

Then—light.

The marble Amina had created shone with blinding brilliance. Nassap recoiled.

“Yo, wha—!”

He shouted, but the light had already blinded him.

Through the glow, he heard footsteps—racing in a direction he recognized.

Alert now, he rubbed his eyes, desperate to see.

(Which, for a guy made of stone, raised some questions…)

“Come on… Come on…”

He forced his eyes open.

“Here we go—”

But what he saw cut him off.

Amina, barely standing, her legs trembling, blood dripping. But in her hand—his purple marble.

“W-What the hell are you doing with that?!”

Sweat—literal rocks—began to form.

“I-I can’t finish the game if you’re gonna hold it like that!”

“And what if I say no?”

“Y-You!”

He snapped.

“You don’t get to tell me what to do! Drop it, NOW!”

He lunged—only to feel a searing pain in his back.

“Ugh… Agh…”

A burning sensation—so intense he let out some… questionable noises.

“Oh, right. I forgot to mention,” Amina said. “Earlier, when you nullified my attack, I threw my sword at you. I forced it into a hidden liquid form that latched onto your back. That liquid? It’s burning you alive right now.”

“ENOUGH!” he roared. “You think some little burns can stop me?! I could fatality you like in those video games and walk away fine!”

He charged again.

Amina didn’t move.

She simply raised the purple marble—and crushed it in her hand.

The moment it shattered, Nassap began to melt, his body decaying before her eyes.

“Oh, that’s not all…”

She snapped her fingers.

BOOM.

His back exploded. The pain doubled. His rage turned to horror.

“Maybe next time, don’t come at me with a YouTube comment-tier comeback.”

“N-N-NO! B-B-B-BUT… M-M-MY C-CALCULATIONS—!”

He screamed—then was completely obliterated.

And then the room began to collapse.

The gravity inverted. The very walls crumbled as a force pulled her upward—out of Nassap’s dimension.

⸻

Amina landed—face-first—back in normal Egypt.

She looked perfectly fine. As if the fight never happened.

From a distant balcony, Mutakamel watched her carefully.

His brows lowered, lips tight with irritation.

“That bastard… I knew I couldn’t rely on my first drawing. That’s why I planned ahead.”

He leaned against the balcony, one leg raised casually against the railing.

⸻

Zahra: “So… where’d that guy go?”

Tariq: “Which guy—oh wait, is that Amina?!”

He called out to her.

Amina: “What?! What is it?!”

Tariq: “You vanished for like, five whole minutes!”

Amina: “I… tripped on the floor? Not sure what you mean by ‘disappeared.’”

Zahra: “Uh, Tariq? I was talking about that Harith dude.”

Amina’s ears perked up.

Amina: “Yeah… where did he go?”

Tariq immediately grabbed Zahra from the back, a weird smile on his face.

“Hold on, Amina. We’re discussing something private. Go nap or something. Quick chat!”

He slammed the door shut.

Amina: “Yeah, yeah. I could use a nap anyway…”

She yawned and walked off.

⸻

Mutakamel, still watching:

“After a defeat, I make sure they forget the fight. Keeps my identity safe. Not that they’d figure it out anyway—but I’m not risking it.”

He placed his hands in his pockets and walked off to his office.

⸻

Back to Zahra and Tariq

Zahra: “What the— Dude, what was that?!”

Tariq placed a finger on her lips.

Tariq: “Shh… Today’s Amina’s birthday. August 17.”

Zahra: “Ooh… but that dragging wasn’t—”

Another finger on her lips.

Tariq: “No. I know you’re a snitch. If you snitch…”

He pulled out a cleaver.

“خاروف العيد علطول.”

“I’ll make you feel what it’s like to be the Eid sheep.”

(Eid is a Muslim celebration—Eid al-Fitr after Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha ninety days later.)

Zahra crossed her arms, unimpressed.

Zahra: “So scary…”

Tariq tossed the cleaver away.

Tariq: “Anyway, Harith went out to get her some expensive food she’s always wanted.”

His voice lowered slightly—sadness in it.

Zahra: “Why didn’t you just cook it for her?”

Tariq: “Harith said she should try the original first.”

He leaned in close to whisper.

Tariq: “My cooking’s always better.”

Suddenly, he panicked.

Tariq: “Wait—did I just toss my cleaver?!”

He bolted.

⸻

Amina turned off the lights and collapsed into bed. Fast asleep.

⸻

Back to Tariq.

Tariq: “I can still hear her snoring… Perfect.”

Zahra: “And what am I supposed to do?”

Tariq: “You? Just keep quiet.”

Zahra gave him a thumbs up—with a small, unimpressed frown.

She tried heading back inside—but Tariq yanked her shirt.

Zahra: “Dude—!”

He clapped a hand over her mouth.

Zahra: “T-That wasn’t necessary!”

Tariq: “You’re right.”

He let go.

Tariq: “Even if this house collapsed again, she wouldn’t wake up.”

Tariq: “Anyway, don’t disturb her. Let her sleep…”

Zahra: “Fine, fine… But what happened to your house?”

Tariq leaned against the wall, arms crossed.

Tariq: “I’d love to tell you…”

Suddenly, he pulled out a rolling pin from thin air—WHACK!—slamming it on Zahra’s head.

Tariq: “Tell your clones to stop stealing food! Those orders weren’t for you!”

Zahra’s eyes teared up from the pain.

Zahra: “H-Holy… I forgot about your weird passive…”

Tariq: “Get lost, NOW!”

Zahra walked off, tears in her eyes.

Tariq dusted himself off.

Tariq: “Why can’t people just ask for permission…”

He pulled a mini fridge from nowhere, placing it outside his door and storing the food.

⸻

Back to Mutakamel.

He sat in his office, pencil in hand.

He sketched two shadowy figures—strange, unique forms.

“That last drawing was only the beginning.”

He paused.

“I’ve got plenty more ideas. Nassap? Just a test…”

He picked up the pencil again, the tip meeting paper.

To be continued…

⸻

Character Spotlight

Amina: Who knew arts and crafts could stop a guaranteed hit? Guess earth did drop balance changes..

Nassap: dude cheated and STILL lost… define skill issues.