Hitto's eyes flared as he winced and tensed from the pain. The calculated and well-timed attack left him with much to decipher going forward. To start, these two were a step above everyone else he had faced thus far—that singular display of teamwork was enough to prove that. Secondly, Nally’s hindrance was finally coming back to bite him. Sure, it was nice to team up with her, but she hasn’t exactly provided any help since the first round.
It’s an uphill battle, the boy smirked while clenching the seeping wound on his back.
Stefon positioned his blade toward him and frowned. “Do you really think you have the luxury to laugh right now? I’m coming right back in!”
And with that last word, he leapt forward with his sword held above his head. Hitto reacted quickly, shifting out of the blades path as his foe came crashing down. Unfortunately for him, however, he landed right into Monica’s path, who was driving forward with her flame sword ready to pierce.
“Hitto, watch out!” Nally screamed.
“I know!” he responded hastily, positioning his body to dodge the incoming blade.
But then, a throbbing pain froze him in place as the wound on his back became aggravated. It felt as though his skin was popping in an attempt to burst. Monica’s stride continued with her blade, ready to strike his rooted position. She came in quickly, the flaming sword inches away from his neck as embers erupted… she halted suddenly.
“It’s over!” she exclaimed. “Forfeit now so you don’t have to spend a long time with the Healers Guild.”
The crowd erupted into cheers at this display as Stefon took up a position behind Hitto. He was well and truly surrounded, with no options. And his teammate, Nally, could do nothing but watch from behind. Powerless. The boy gritted his teeth as different scenarios ran through his head. What could he possibly do to get out of this mess?
“YOU CUT HIM!” Nally yelled.
Monica hesitated for a moment, her blade faltering, which Hitto noticed. The boy quickly shot out an arm toward the hilt, targeting her grip as he fought through the pain. His strike failed to register, but it did force the girl to take a few steps back. Now sensing the incoming strike from behind, the former logger instinctively ducked down while thrusting his foot backward, smashing it right into Stefon’s hand, who fumbled his blade.
“WHAT THE HELL!” he yelled in bewilderment as he stumbled about, losing his hold on the blade.
Hitto took the opportunity to readjust his footing, crouching down in front of Stefon and launching upward with an extended fist. His foe, still focused on reclaiming his grip, had no time to react to the uppercut released onto his chin. The blow was fierce, vibrating throughout the stadium as Stefon immediately slumped to the ground with a thud. The crowd’s cheers deafened the arena as Hitto turned to face Monica with a large grin plastered onto his face.
“You haven’t won yet,” she scowled. “Stefon’s Divine Art is still in effect.” Her eyes trailed off toward the boy’s shoulder on the side he had gotten slashed. “You can’t fool me. I know it hurts,” she smirked.
“It sure does,” Hitto agreed. “But honestly, that doesn’t matter. Pain is temporary.”
He began a fast stride toward her, zig zagging as he went while keeping his head low. Monica was shocked by how quickly he was moving. Was the Divine Art not working? She had no time to think up an answer. Hitto’s fist was right in front of her. He connected a flurry of blows onto her face before finishing with another strike on the chin. Monica collapsed down there and then with the former logger shooting his hands into the air. The crowd reciprocated his victory with cheers and cries of joy.
“Nice! Great job!” Nally squealed as she ran over. “With us in the semi-finals now, we’ve pretty much guaranteed passing the warrior examination!”
“Really!?” Hitto smiled while placing his hands on his hips. “Great! But we still gotta win the final!”
“OF COURSE!” she yelled while thrusting out her palm, motioning for a high five.
Hitto did just that with a grin on his face. Now, only one more hurdle stood in his way. He was almost there.
Back near the healer’s dugout, Rurah and B15 were still sitting against the wall.
“Looks like your little companions made it to the semi-finals,” the healer chuckled. “You might have to face them in the finals!”
“That’s fine,” the titan smiled. “That was always the plan from the beginning.”
“Great, great!” he clapped. “Some good old friendship rivalry, you love to see it! But do you think they can overcome Damon? That’s a tough ask.”
“It is. But I’m confident in them,” Rurah then stood up, letting out a little yawn and sigh as he stretched. “From what I’ve seen, Hitto has already come a long way. He’ll go from strength to strength from here on out. Facing Damon may be the catalyst for other people to notice his potential.”
“What about you?” B15 enquired teasingly. “Does he stand a chance if he makes it to the final?”
Rurah simply chuckled. “Well, we aren’t there yet now, are we? Let’s see him take one step at a time.”
Dr. Scale smiled brightly while stroking his beard. He hadn’t expected the red-eyed boy to overcome two warrior candidates so easily. It was pleasantly intriguing, even confirming the early reports he had heard about him. Hitto was definitely one to watch.
But just then, an invigilator phased into view, kneeling down beside him.
“Guild Master!” he whispered harshly. “We’ve located the Head of the Association… but there’s a grave problem.”
“What is it?” Dr. Scale spat. “Out with it!”
“B-but my lord… It’d be better if it weren’t said here. There are powerful people in the crowds who may have something to gain from this information.”
The doctor let out a heavy sigh. “You’re right; I apologize; I got far too heated. Snowl… Fumie, I’ll leave running the semi-final games to you both. I will be back as soon as I can.”
The doctor swiftly stepped down from the podium and departed for an exit behind them. Snowl gave an awkward bow before assuming his position, with Fumie waving goodbye.
…
Dr. Scale and the invigilator entered one of the many arena break-out rooms. It was a simple space with a lone couch in the middle atop a rug with a desk set snuggly in the corner. The pair took a seat on the couch as tension rose.
“Well?” the Guild Master began. “Speak.”
“R-right, my lord. We located the Head of the Association, but unfortunately, we were too late. We found him unconscious in one of Unity’s hotel rooms. We believe it may be an overdose.”
Dr. Scales’s eyes widened. “AN OVERDOSE? DID ANYONE SEE HIM!? WHERE IS HE NOW? IS HE ALIVE??”
“Y-Yes. Many members of Unity’s staff that we have already paid off, including those ‘models’ that were found with him. We are currently contacting Unity’s board of directors to initiate discuss-“
“WHERE. IS HE,” Dr. Scale repeated fiercely. “IS HE ALIVE?”
“T-Tondon General Hospital. We have no medical report yet, but he is alive.”
“Alright,” the Guild Master sighed. “And sorry again. As long as he’s alive, that’s what matters most. Ensure none of this information reaches the public’s ears for as long as he’s out and get him the best medical staff available in the Association.”
“O-of course, my lord!”
“And also…” Dr. Scale began, leaning in closer. “What do you think? Is there any evidence suggesting someone could’ve done this to him? Maybe poison? And if so, for what gain?”
“We are looking into it,” the invigilator answered. “So far, signs suggest the Assassinations Guild may have played a role. They’ve used Unity’s facilities many times in the past to drug key officials in the city, with some losing their lives. This act seems no different, as the doctors were unable to confirm whether the alcohol was responsible for the overdose-like symptoms. As a result, we’ve put them on our list of prime suspects.”
“That’s what I was thinking as well,” the doctor muttered. “They’ve been a thorn in my side for far too long now, yet they’ve always been able to get away with things. Contact Mollox immediately. I want to hear what he has to say.”
There was a long pause.
“WHAT?” Dr. Scale hissed. “GET TO IT!”
“W-we tried already,” the invigilator whimpered, sinking into the sofa. “We were unable to reach him or any of the top brass of the Assassinations Guild… they’re all unaccounted for.”
“Find those children then. Crystal and Lancer Vargas. IMMEDIATELY.”
Snowl and Fumie stood in silence, awkwardly watching the first match of the semi-finals. The latter of the two was especially jittery. It was her first time overseeing such a grand event, and she didn’t want to make any mistakes. Her actions here would actively dictate how the Incantations Guild was seen, and more importantly, her mother would hear of any incidents of her failure if a problem occurred.
That last thought… sent shivers down her spine.
“Woah~!” Snowl whistled as the crowd roared ballistically.
The fight was reaching its climax, with Rurah and Ned effectively gaining dominance in the arena. Their opponents, Kai and Ponyo, had been reduced to second-class players in the ring, barely holding on for dear life.
“Woah indeed!” Fumie agreed. “I knew Rurah and Ned were strong, but I didn’t expect this kind of one-sided performance in the semi-finals. It’s probably safe to assume they’ll win the whole thing.”
“Sure,” Snowl replied bluntly, followed by no other words.
…
“W-What?” Fumie stammered. “You think Ponyo and Kai still have a chance? I can’t really see that with how things are currently looking… I-I mean if you look at the fight they are completely outclassed physically and in the incantations department. I honestly think the only reason they haven’t lost yet is because Rurah and Ned don’t want to reveal possible tactics for the final… what do you think?”
Snowl said nothing. He didn’t even bother to look in her direction, leaving Fumie flustered as she thought up what else she could say to keep the conversation going.
“S-So, what’s your favourite colour?” she inquired. “Mine’s purple like the foxgloves that grow near the border with the central region. I like their hue and shape.”
“Maroon.”
“Maroon?” she responded, puzzled. “I-Interesting. I always thought you’d prefer a grey or black.”
The awkward silence returned soon after. For Fumie, it was simply impossible to continue a conversation with a person like Snowl. He was far too detached from everything and gave responses that were hard to understand.
Maybe it’s just better if we stand here in silence, Fumie sulked. I’m not even good at holding conversations myself, so it’s probably for the better…
Just then, Snowl whipped his head around quickly, so Fumie did the same. They were greeted by the presence of Dr. Scale, who had a large frown on his face.
“Guild Master!” the girl exclaimed. “Is everything alright?”
“No,” the old man responded irritatedly while stroking his beard. “Far too many problems, but I can't disclose anything here. Fumie, are you aware of how many Guild Masters are in attendance today? I know your mother and Sir Alfonso could not attend.”
“Uh, I don’t think any of them attended the event today.”
“Haah, all right,” Dr. Scale sighed. “No worries. How has the fight been progressing?”
“As you expected, Rurah and Ned will participate in the final. It’s only a matter of time until they win.”
“That’s good to hear, I guess,” the doctor chuckled sarcastically. “Hopefully, the future generation will be more put together than this stupid mess I’m constantly dealing with.”
He then went on a long, mindless rant that Fumie decided not to pay attention to. She was instead preoccupied with the thought of the Guild Masters. It's not often they are assembled, especially with their busy schedules. So, if Dr. Scale plans to bring them all together, something truly big must have happened.
Hopefully, she sighed. It’s nothing bad.
Ned’s fingers coiled tightly around the rapier. His eyes darted rapidly throughout the arena, taking note of Ponyo and Kai, who were preoccupied by Rurah. The giant was easily handling them both, matching—no bettering—their pace and remaining one step ahead of their movements. It was honestly amazing to see. The coordination and experience needed to best two fighters this late into the warrior examination were through the roof, yet Rurah was making it look so simple.
“Ned! You ready?” He heard the colossal yell, calm and composed.
“Yup!” the rapier wielder responded, snapping out of his trance.
Just as they had practiced so many times before, he began circling around the perimeter, patiently bidding his time for an opening that would appear at any moment.
And just then, Ponyo’s footing was loose. The swordsman took a heavier step than necessary, prolonging his extended blade. Ned spotted this immediately, breathing in and exhaling as he darted toward his foe at an insane speed. In a literal second, he blitzed past Ponyo, smashing through his outstretched blade that shattered like glass.
“Perfect! It worked!” he cheered triumphantly as the crowd roared in awe.
“WATCH OUT!” he heard Rurah yell.
The rapier wielder just barely dodged Kai’s advance, stumbling onto his behind as he collapsed to the ground. Kai took the opportunity to raise his arm in the air and yell, “Fire Incantation 1!”
His palm erupted into a ball of fire – yet at that same moment – Rurah came charging into his side, smashing him off the arena with one wild thrust. The boy tumbled and turned as he slammed into the ground.
Almost instantly after this, Ponyo raised his hands, “I forfeit…” he sighed as the crowd cheered one last time.
…
Rurah and Ned were back at the now empty bleachers, waiting for the final round of the semi-finals to commence. The latter, however, was in complete disarray. His face was buried into his palms as he repeatedly rummaged his fingers through his black locks.
“It’s okay,” Rurah said, patting the boy’s back. “You did well, but you shouldn’t get ahead of yourself during a fight.”
“BUT YOU HAD HIM!” Ned yelled. “YOU PURPOSELY LET HIM GET THROUGH AND REACH ME. WHAT’S THE POINT OF US BEING A TEAM IF YOU’RE GONNA SIT BACK AND LET THEM ATTACK ME!?”
Rurah bit his lips and clenched his fists. “Sorry, but I have to do this. It’s not just about the tournament. After this, in the real world, there may be times when we aren’t fighting together. I want you to be prepared for that.”
“So what?” Ned spat. “I can deal with that when I get there… I don’t need babying from you.”
“I know, I wasn’t trying to baby you, which is exactly why I left you to get attacked. Once again, I’m sorry. I promise I won’t do that in the finals.”
…
“It’s fine. Sorry for yelling at you.” Ned exhaled, finally raising his head, and facing the ceiling. “After facing Lancer… I don’t know. I just feel irritated right now, and I don’t understand why. Something doesn’t feel right. I don’t feel right.”
“Don’t think about it too much,” Rurah sighed, leaning back into the chair while crossing his arms. “Let’s just focus on cheering on Hitto and Nally so we can face them in the finals.”
“Sure…” Ned frowned. “I hope they can beat some sense into Damon.”
Rurah smiled. “They will.”
