Luckily her Papa was out of town on business for the next week so she could prepare for the duel with Shinobu without worrying about attracting any unwanted attention.   Part of her reason for doing this was to avenge her new friends honor but if she was being honest it was also to wipe that smug smile from her face.

And she had just the tool to do that a bat made of a special iron that she had made it was the first thing she forged for herself and she was exceedingly proud of it.

  Though it stood roughly as tall as she did the special material made it light but highly durable and impactful for striking.    “Come on Irabu we have duel to win”  Mari sang twirling her prized bat around almost knocking a glass vase of her Father’s desk.

The dueling ground’s were down by the Aomori riverbank on the northern outskirts of town.

True to her word their the girl stood leaning against a stone piller and her arms folded still baring a haughty expression.

Can’t look smug if your jaw’s broken Mari approached the girl catching her attention with a brisk clearing of her throat.    “Curious your on time, color me surprised”

Shinobu scoffed flicking strands of ebon hair from in front of her eyes

“A true blacksmith is always punctual”  Mari responded full of pride.

“You’re to young to be a black smith”  Shinobu chided

“Daughter of a Blacksmith same difference”

“You need to forge something first”  

“Ah shows what you know I already have,  look at this specimen” 

Mari held Irabu outward her eyes beaming Shinobu surveyed the bat for a moment before praising it’s craftsmanship.    

“It’s a fine tool I’ll give you that not that it’ll help you against me”  

“My time isn’t cheap fledgling so let’ get this over with”

“I intend to settle the score for Aisha so let’s do this’  Mari said her eyes narrowing and her hand gripping the handle of her bat tighter.  

“Blaming me for another incompetence how very fledgling like”  Shinobu jeered stepping forward and producing her grimoire with a snap of her fingers.  

She felt her chest tighten as the amber glow of her opponents fiery grimoire ignited Mari had always been fascinated with the idea of grimoires and seeing one in action again filled her with curiosity and marvel.  

“It’s unorthodox but seeing how you’re without a grimoire I think the use of a tool, crude though it may be is adequate,  now than let’s begin shall we”

The quilted pages of Shinobu’s grimoire pulsed as she moved from one page to next before launching her fist attack

“Let’s start with the basics,  Firebolt”   

A jet of fire hurried towards Mari who narrowly managed to evade the attack causing it trail far into the distance and out of sight.  

Shinobu continued her onslaught launching bursts of Fire in Mari’s direction with each of them missing the target she was spry and nimble for age but the rapid fire wasn’t leaving any openings for her to close the distance.

“Is running away all you’re capable of?”

“Oh shut up I’m just warming up”  

“Time to put you out of your misery than”  

“Firebolt Melliza”  

Two firebolts launched towards Mari she was able to evade the first one but the latter circled behind her catchng her off guard.

“Oh crap…”  Mari winced bracing for impact.

In a moment of instinctual brilliance she placed Irabu in front of her in a last ditch effort to shield herself from harm.   

 The flames were extinguished the instant they made contact with the ebon bat.   

“Hold on this makes no sense the heat of Firbolt should reduce that toy to a melting mess,  what did you do?”  

Shinobu said her voice mixed parts confusion and vexation.

“How silly of me I forgot,  Irabu is made of Flabriar, lucky me”   Mari smirked caressing her prized creation.

“Flabriar, what’s that??”

A new sense of confidence invigorated Mari as she hurried towards her opponent twirling her bat around her body.

“To bad, now eat this”