The next day the six teams were escorted to their respective pitches. The crowd roaring with excitement and anticipation.
"I hope everyone's ready for today's matchup! It's gonna be a tough bout this time around. So really give it your all out there!" The announcer said rousingly
The crowd cheered even more for this. The projector being set up and the matches being selected. Those packed into the taverns and bars watched eagerly, making last minute wagers or doubling down. The crowd even more thrilled for it begin.
The first match was selected. The Garden of Ligeria would facing off against Cole's freelance team. This truly was the most unexpected of matches but the crowd roared with excitement. Cole groaned as he hadn't expected to be up so soon again.
"Tigress, do you want to take it?" Cole asked looking to her
"Cole." Aaron said snapping him out of his gloom "Have faith in your friends." He added cryptically but seemingly meant well as he stared at Cole
Cole beside himself with disbelief at Aaron's boldness. He'd already been beaten yesterday, and yet he was still willing to go again as he began walking off.
The flashes, stills of moments, and images of that day continued to bubble up in his mind. The sand in their toes, the smell of driftwood burning, the crashing of the waves. He was there with his friends...
'No! It's impossible... it just, can't be true.' Cole thought to himself feeling other ideas itching at the back of his mind
The crowd a little confused upon seeing the same boy from yesterday's match but began cheering again. Soon a woman in green robes with sunken pointed hat emerged on the field as well. Aaron just barely able to register her aura, only a slight perfume that seemed to encircle her as she smiled his way warmly, her hands clasped together infront of her. The buzzer sounded off signaling for the match to begin.
"You held your own very well yesterday I must say." She said now as she began to move slowly to the left, her capital accent present "Forgive me, I am Rosa Gardenia." She added bowing her head some
"Aaron... couldn't give you a last name." He said beginning to move to the right now as well, allowing his aura to start swell up
"I can tell you are indeed lost. But that's not always a bad thing, when we don't know where we're going we just might end up somewhere else entirely..." Rosa said her words echoing and distorting in his ear
Her perfume only seemed to become more intoxicating, leaving him hazy and to begin to stumble. Beneath his feet he could feel grass begin to miraculously sprout and grow, flowers pushing up as well and ever so delicately blooming now. Roses, roses of all colors.
"Terra loved many green things. It was said she toiled away endlessly trying make the most beautiful garden. But never learned to quell her temper when her gardens never had true life. Causing massive eruptions of lava and fire." Rosa said as white roses came into bloom first "What will you do in this garden? Will remain lost to its roots, or will you destroy it all?" She asked him now
'That's it.. these roses, they are her magic.' Aaron managed to decipher but was overtaken with a blinding light as he continued to stumble
A memory of old that continued to haunt him forming.. a young girl lay with her eyes closed, he could no longer recall her name or the significance of her, but when he saw this he only felt pain...
Aaron let out a scream as he hit himself. The pain forcing him to snap out of this daydream.
"I will endure, for my friends." He said forcing himself back into a state of concentration
"Hm, you mean well. You do better to keep yourself from slipping away. Why do you resist the Garden's lullaby?" Rosa asked confused now as she moved forward slowly as new roses started to take bloom, these roses taking on a red hue now
Immediately he could feel it, the blood curdling screams and only a filter of red wherever he looked. He could only feel pain, misery, anger, blood.
And as he looked down again, the same girl was there, almost like she was asleep..
Aaron screamed out again and stomped hard causing the sky to roar with thunder, shocking and amazing the crowd. Even momentarily putting Rosa off.
"I can't... I can't remember, but I will not lose myself!" He said as he unintentionally began to make it rain
"Then you will die needlessly, chasing ever after your friends. You could get them hurt, or worse." Rosa countered now as new roses took bloom now, taking on a violet coloration
He could immediately feel the effects of these roses taking to him. Making him weak, forcing him to collapse to hands and knees as he violently coughed.
"These will not kill you. But the more you struggle, the more its toxins will compel you to rest." Rosa warned him now
"I.. will not, give up, so easily!" Aaron groaned forcefully pushing himself again as he stood breathing shallow and rapidly now
Rosa's eyes went even wider with astounded expression, almost finding her feet instinctively moving back. Never had she seen such dark and vicious aura, not even Aquaria's own magic was this deadly. He steadily put one foot in front of the other, with each step the thunder only seeming grow louder and closer, the look in his eyes one of almost crazed nature.
"No more..." Aaron said his voice dangerously low as he outstretched his arms, bringing them up slowly before he brought them down fast, stopping the rain he had caused "I may not know my past, but I know my friends, and the kind of person I want to be." He added defiantly as he stared up at her
With this Rosa gave a gentle smile and sigh as she held up a hand to yield the match. The crowd having been watching with awe and amazement cheered with excitement. The garden Rosa had conjured slowly disappearing.
"You are strong and capable, but don't act too brash. Being headstrong will only take you so far. You must yet find balance." she replied in turn before bowing some and returning to her team
Aaron looked around as the crowd cheered for him, taking in this pride as he walked to his own team's dugout. Cole hugging him and cheering happily, much to Aaron's own confusion, but there was something familiar about it. Like they'd celebrated such victories together before...
Tigress merely shot him a wink only further adding to his own confusion. Still now this woman was a mystery to him, even from her time protecting him and Taiga in the village of Misty. She knew more than she let on it seemed, but would not tell for one reason or another.
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The next match to come was garnering even more excitement as the crowd was roaring with anticipation. Juno Tower up against Manaan Legio. The two contenders from each's respective team now meeting into the middle of the field.
The mage representing Juno Tower was a tall slender woman, her black hair cut short with a ponytail tied behind, her eyes a dark charcoal, as her physique well defined by her form fitting robes, leaving most of her arms and back exposed. Her wrists seemingly clad with thick metal gauntlets that possessed a faint blue hue of aura now.
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"Lisa Utada, and you are one who has done battle already yes?" She asked her opponent lowering herself slowly into a fighting stance
The other a man representing Manaan Legio was well known by his reputation as well. Kai Sennei. Having returned to the arena yet again. Now producing two simple made daggers concealed in his vest, he lowered himself as well, his narrowed eyes watching her sharply.
"I have indeed. Kai Sennei is my name. Sorry if I disappoint you as well with my lack of enthusiasm." He said nonchalantly
"Then we'll just have to see won't we?" Lisa stated at the buzzer sounded for the match to begin
Lisa started by moving her hands and arms as she pulled moisture out of the very air and hurling it at Kai as he jumped and rolled out of the way in time, before landing and skidding back.
She immediately followed it up with a series of well timed kicked unleashing torrents of fire that hurtled towards him. Forcing him to keep up with this rapid onslaught, utilizing explosive tags on daggers to buy him time to further leap out of the way before rolling out a row of smoke bombs making a wall.
Lisa began to gather the wind now, creating large gusts of wind as the clouds above began to stir from the rapid shifts in temperatures and varying degrees of aura being used so swiftly. This wind also disrupting and somewhat dispersing Kai's smokescreen.
Now rain began to gently fall, the clouds above sounding with thunder as Lisa smirked now as Kai came to a stop. With this she inhaled deeply, and expelled a ball of fire from her lips that hurtled towards the storm above much to Kai's surprise and confusion.
Only for his focus to return to Lisa, feeling her Aura rapidly charging and growing, his eyes going wide with disbelief at what she was planning as he prepared two more daggers in his hands now.
"LIGHTNING ROD!!!" She shouted as her voice boomed, a massive torrent of lightning appearing the moment she spoke and striking her immediately
Kai could not believe what he was seeing. He'd heard of such a bizarre magic but not actually seen it before. She was using herself as a lightning rod and absorbing it into her very arms and the gauntlets she wore. Their blue aura cracked with lightning dangerously as she stood with an air of calm that even made him even more cautious.
Disappearing in a flash as a crack of thunder sounded momentarily throwing Kai off as a massive crater was left where she was before. Just barely dodging her attack in time as she appeared infront of in a flash engulfed in lightning now, going in for a killing blow.
But now he could see it as her fists drove into the ground, breaking and scorching the ground, she still did not have proper control. Quickly throwing a dagger with a wire tied to the end and slapping on an explosive tag and pulling the wire the explosion trailed down momentarily distracting her and allowing him to move away.
"Go on, try again girl. Hit me with your best shot." Kai said smiling a little as did Lisa now as she stood her wrists still engulfed in lightning
"Imperial Fists of Lightning." She recited and disappeared in another thunderous leap forward
Her fists collided with the person before her, only for their form to crumble in a puff of shadow. The real Kai further away painting some, having cast some form of a shadow spell.
"You're really starting to piss me off. Kai Sennei." Lisa said taking a slow deep breath gathering her strength again
"I tend to excel at that." Kai smiled a little readying himself as well
Her wrists crackled with lightning once more as she disappeared and reappeared in rapid succession zipping around and across the arena field. All while almost landing every other hit on Kai. Though he continued to evade her strikes by utilizing this form of temporary after image magic with various elements. Though he seemed to favor shadows the most.
Before long Lisa was starting to wear down in stamina and agility. If she kept this up for much longer, she'd start to run the risk of injuring herself. Undiscovered elemental and magical arts always had their risks when not properly researched over a century or more.
She could start to feel her body starting to stiffen. She had to finish this now or her body would give out and become impossible to move, if she wasn't careful with her control...
Her gauntlets became engulfed in lightning again, her gaze locked on Kai. Launching herself in for last attack, she was just about to land the hit, as Kai quickly redirected her aim at herself, punching her arm away from himself at the last possible second. Both engulfed in an explosion of lightning.
Lisa now collapsed to the ground. Completely spent after this attack and having hit herself with her own attack.
'Damn you Kai... damn you...' she thought to herself drifting out of consciousness
The buzzer sounding as the Judges declared the match over as medics hurried onto the field with a stretcher to retrieve and tend to her. Kai returning to his team.
———————————————
The final match of day was soon to get underway. Juni's own independent team up against Castle Tsukuyomi.
The people even more excited cheering even harder now, the thundering of their clapping and stomping making the whole of the stadium rumble.
"Alright, I don't know much about these guys. Just that they're dangerous. Even with magic." Juni warned both Taiga and Eugene
"Let me take this one..." Eugene said surpring Juni some as he began walking off "You're not the only one who knows Dragons and Phoenix's." He added looking back momentarily before continuing out to the field
Juni now shooting an inquisitive stare at Taiga.
"What?! I don't keep track of my dopey brother's activities. Akira used to drone on and on about these ancient stories when she mentored us." Taiga retorted giving Juni a blank and confused stare back
Juni placing a hand over her face she exhaled. This only becoming more infuriated, due to a lack of answers yet again. Everyone around her seemed to know something more that was going on.
But in the back of her mind, she could feel it start gnawing again.
It was eeking in, like a spilled bottle and it's contents flowing out and seeping in. She had worked hard to keep control over this, to put it away, stuff it down, forget about it completely. Just like on Holiday break only a few years ago, when she had lost control...
Pitch black, upside down, cold, emptiness...
Shaking her head of these thoughts Juni returned to focus to the match about to start.
'I can't... not now. Remember to keep yourself in check!' She thought to herself, silently breathing deeply and slowly, though Taiga silently took note of this shifting of her Aura
Eugene knew Castle Tsukuyomi by their reputation. The man who would be his opponent was a Demi human. His skin pale almost translucent, fangs peering out from the corner of his lips, his eyes a dark crimson.
"So you must be the one to represent your guild. I am Eugene Ayanami, though I do not hail from a guild." He said readying himself in a fighting stance
"I am known for many things. But I will soon be known for leading my guild." The man before Eugene said, his tone dull and uninterested
"So you aim to be the Lord of Castle Tsukuyomi." Eugene clarified now beginning to move to the side
"Do not allow your mind to wander. You might end up stepping into a war you weren't prepared for." The man said drawing his large sword from behind his waste
Its large blade radiated an aura of dark and foulness. At its crossguard, a skull connected the guards, blade and hilt.
"Show me this magic you have suppressed so deeply." The man said sternly holding his sword up now with one hand "And to give you a name, I am called, Vladar." He added
The buzzer sounded as the match started. Eugene slammed his foot down against the ground causing a massive rupture of the ground that sped and curved towards Vladar. With one swing of his sword, he batted away the incoming blast of rocks and dirt, seemingly unphased by this attack.
Eugene went through a set of fighting maneuvers as produced and lobbed jets of flames. Something all mages learnt, combining some kind of martial fighting skill with their casting of magic. The movement of the body allowed for more wild elements to be generated or manipulated, a process of becoming one with your element.
With each jet that flew Vladar's way, he rapidly cut at the flames, a black aura dispersing and snuffing out each flame.
"I'm almost impressed. Being able to generate two elemental natures. Almost." Vladar said moving himself back to his original stance
"Then I better not disappoint!" Eugene said slamming his foot down against as he caused another fissure to open rapidly
The ground rumbled as it becoming increasingly hot, lava began pouring out from the gash in the ground now. With a sweep of his arm he caused the lava to spew out and towards Vladar. Bring down his sword with a single powerful slash, the dark aura once more seemingly cut through this lava now.
"Now you seem to be getting serious. You must have had a good mentor." Vladar commented now
"And your sword is no joke. How many hands has it traded to have such a viscous aura." Eugene responded backhandedly as Vladar smiled a little even
"One too many to count, and it gets very agitated when it does not draw blood. We have that in common, this sword and I." He said raising the blade high before disappearing in a flash
Eugene momentarily unable to sense his aura, slammed his foot down and threw his wrists together as a thick rock wall jutted up immediately, only to be immediately obliterated and sending Eugene tumbling back. Vladar stood there having destroyed the wall with a swing of his sword, his eyes starting show excitement.
"Yes.. yes oh yes. I recognize this aura well." Vladar commented allowing Eugene to stand
"So, you know her too?" Eugene asked panting a little preparing himself
"You have no idea boy." Vladar growled almost chuckling now "The lava priestess led many campaigns during the guild wars. She smelted down entire villages. Quite the spark of rebellion in her." He goaded now takingas Eugene formed a mound as it exploded with lava
This caused Vladar to retreat back some, still smiling.
"There it is. That same anger, so easy to get under the skin of one so noble." Vladar said goading him further
"I'm no fighter, but I'll defend myself and the ones I care for with the gifts I've been given." Eugene said sternly
"Then you are no better than myself. What happens if one of your friends is hurt? Will you avenge them?" Vladar asked now
"You will not break me with words alone." Eugene said sternly now
"We shall see lava master." Vladar grinned as his hand formed a gesture then cast his arm out, the field immediately being engulfed dark smoke
Eugene tried cover himself but it was too late. He was still slow to respond, he wasn't back up to the standards Akina normally had. He was better than this.
"One's pride can cost them more than they come to bear. Fear can cloud judgment and drive you away, I and sense much of both in you." Vladar's voice echoed from all around
Eugene could feel these shadows clouding his mind and sight. Threatening to consume him whole; mind, body and soul.
Flashes of times before seem to come into the forefront of his mind. A clear sky, a large concrete building with windows, a place of endless repetition, learning the same things over and over. But in this he could feel something else, he could see others. Taiga and Aaron, he couldn't believe his eyes but could just barely make out the others, all were younger, like they were underclassmen of his, all laughing and having a good time. But of the group he couldn't believe his just barely recognize another, a boy, Cole...
"AHHHHHH!!!!" Eugene screamed out unleashing the full might of his aura as it seemed to burn and eat away at the shadows, the stadium ground quaking as mounds of dirt grew all around and exploded with lava now further dispelling the shadows and creating ash and unbearable heat
Vladar still smiled as he stood back further now, his sword at the ready once more.
"There it is, that pure rage. What will you do now?" Vladar asked grinning
"I will end this." Eugene commanded as he brought up the temperature of the arena, the ground shaking more as more mounds of dirt sprouted up and shot out lava, sloshing around at his command with the waving of his arms as Vladar leapt around avoiding it for now
The people watched on in amazement and some were starting to get worried. The strength of the arena's aura dampeners were being severely strained now, many able to start to really feel the full heat of the lava. The final buzzer for the round went off at last, Eugene forcing the lava down and to simmer as it hardened and cooled rapidly on his command.
The final score was now posted. The match finally over Eugen's name rang through the stadium as he waved walking to his team his sister giddy as she hugged him happily.
1. Garden of Ligeria - 150 points
2. Freelance team J.E.T. - 150 points
3. Juno Tower - 140 points
4. Castle Tsukuyomi - 120 points
5. Manaan Legio - 120 points
6. Freelance team C.A.T. - 110 points
What do you think of this chapter?
