I walked back into the 'locker room', the waiting room that the contestants were staying. Was it a smart idea to have all of them staying so close together? I couldn't say, but the security only had to watch a single area, so there's that I suppose.
"Oh man, what a difficult fight, I'm exhausted." I loudly declared as all eyes were imdiately on as I walked in.
"Do you have any idea what you did?" The organizer from before looked at with thinly veiled fury in his eyes.
"Won the match." I grinned.
"Not that, you moron." He growled, rubbing his temples. "But that was also infuriating to watch." He cald himself down. "Do you have any idea who 'Lil'Miss Malachite' is?"
"Yup."
He paused, looking at in surprise. "And you still went through with that little stunt? You won't make it past today. The only reason her people haven't gotten you yet is because the tournant."
"I'm quaking in my boots." I rolled my eyes.
There were so murmurs around , so agreeing with the guy, others looking confused at what he was saying.
Yeah, so really sheltered kids here just looked utterly confused.
He just snorted. "Guess we know who got you through the preliminaries now."
Ah, he was referring to dropping Roman's na.
"Your ass." The guy mumbled, turning to the scroll in his hands. "Alright, we go the next match set up." All eyes turned back to the organizer; people eager to get started. "Second match of the finals will be – Rufus Hedge vs Rajah Sun."
Gods, the nas here are just odd.....I know why they did it, just doesn't really make it any less strange in my mind.
Sothing about a dictator in a previous era that sought to eliminate any kind of expression or individuality, so parents started to na their kids after colors in protest. After the regi faded the naming convention had stuck, practically as a reminder.
Don't rember if that was the exact reason, but I think that's about the gist of it.
I watched the two of them exist through the doors I just ca in from. I was a bit excited to see this, but I realized sothing. "Is there a way to watch in person?" I turned towards the organizer.
He didn't deem it necessary to speak to , rely pointing towards another door in the corner.
I just shrugged walking through. I saw a little encove under the stadium where the fighters could peek out to watch those on the stage. It was empty, except for one person at the far end, watching the match with no small amount of interest.
That was so red Hair, could match mine in intensity
She turned to as I walked into this area. "Hey there, red." I greeted the so-called invincible girl.
She looked at in surprise, registering my nickna for her. "Oh, hello." She imdiately replied. "You're...um..."
"Wilhelm." I finished for her.
"Right, Wilhelm." She smiled forcibly, seemingly unsure of how to proceed.
I just shook my head with an amused smile, taking a notebook and pen out of my pocket as I looked towards the arena.
The announcer was doing his antics again, the fighters giving a few words. Much more ta than what and my opponent did, and I could see the hesitance when he put his mic infront of their mouths.
Looking up at the big monitors, I couldn't help but notice sothing I didn't before. There were 'Aura Gauges' marked for each fighter. I suppose it slipped my mind regarding the 'rules' since I wasn't really paying attention.
Once soone's Aura hits a critical state, the match is over, not too surprising in of itself, it was a good way to gauge fights without resulting to possible injury or death.
No. What caught my attention was that they had machines able to asure soone's Aura.
The light of the soul, it was quantified up there for everyone to see, and this was apparently the norm.
Really....Remnant's technology just continues to impress.
I focused on the fight as both Rufus and Rajah took their stances, they were of similar builds and similar styles Rufus of course using his spear, and this Rajah was using a glaive with a design that reminded of China.
"Interesting." I muttered.
"What is?" I forgot I was with company as I turned towards Pyrrha.
"Similar builds, similar weapons, similar stances. Judging by the way they're standing, they both realize this themselves and are reacting accordingly. It'll co down to personal skill with a bit of luck." I vocalized my thoughts.
She tilt her head at , seemingly taken back by my narration. "But the one with the spear appears to be younger."
"That's true." I gave that to her. Rufus was the younger of the two, probably by about a year. "But that doesn't necessarily an less trained. He already took a stance to accommodate his opponent's longer reach, but Rajah is still keeping his weapon high, while good against a spear, it isn't taking into account Rufus's lower center of gravity. I'm guessing Rajah has less actual fighting experience, but more or less equal training."
"That is....a well thought out explanation." She looked at my incredulously. "I had not thought..."
"That I would actually know what I'm doing and not just making a fool of myself on stage?" I offered.
Her lips curled up slightly, amused by my statent. "I would not have put it like that."
"Doesn't make it any less true." I pointed out as the match began.
Rufus was the one to seize initiative, rushing his opponent, forcing Rajah on the defensive. Though the latter was quick to regain so semblance of a defense, not allowing Rufus to push him back too far.
Regardless, Rufus held the advantage, his spear favored over Rajah's glaive with its stabbing attacks at such quick succession.
I saw little bits of Aura clipped away, the screen on top mirroring the sight as Rajah's gauge began to slowly move down.
It should have continued like this for a bit, until Rajah made a mistake and Rufus was about to capitalize on it, a straight pierce to the chest, except, when it would have struck, Rajah moved unnaturally quickly to counter the blow, knocking Rufus back and charging him.
"What?" I voiced quietly.
"His semblance." Pyrrha comnted. "I rember him from last year, he made it to the top 8. He could retaliate against any blow using his Semblance. But I if I rember correctly, if he uses it too much too quickly, he gets fatigued."
"Fascinating." I mumbled, writing down so notes. "I wonder how – "
My eyes widened as Rufus erupted in a torrent of water, a clone of him taking his place as Rajah tried to slash through him. The glaive entered the clones 'body' made entirely of water as the true body of Rufus stepped back and thrust through the fake body at Rajah's chest.
When Rajah tried to step away, the spear burst out in a snow-white color.
Dust.
Ice dust to be specific. It combined with the apparent Semblance usage on Rufus's part, turning the clone into solid ice, locking Rajah in place as a good hit knocked Rajah's Aura down enough for the announcer to declare a winner.
A semblance that generates water and allows him to make temporary clones of himself? That was an amusing discovery. The possibilities there were endless, and I couldn't help but contemplate how such an ability ca about.
And then there was how dust interacted with it. Like his semblance accepted the crystallized mana wholeheartedly and both were greater for it.
And Rajah's semblance as well. I only saw it for a mont, but was that so kind of fate manipulation?
I hesitated to give that theory credence.
Pyrrha said it 'automatically counter attacks', how else would that be achieved? Unless it was more so a focused defense technique, overloading his bodies' basic functions on a sole action. Which perhaps might explain why he supposedly got 'fatigued' easily afterwards.
"A-are you taking notes?" Pyrrha asked hesitantly.
"Huh?" I looked up, lost in my own thoughts for a mont. "Oh. I suppose I am."
"I didn't expect you to take the competition this seriously after..." She trailed off but I caught her aning.
Hah, she's trying to be polite and not call out on my bullshit.
"Actually, I'm doing it more for my own research." I admitted. "The nature of Aura, Semblances, and dust. I thought the tournant would be a good opportunity to see all three up close and interacting, so here I am."
"You an you joined the tournant just to research?"
"Well, among other things." But that was indeed my main reason. "What about you, red? Why're you competing?"
"What do you an?" She asked, seemingly surprised by my question, like she had never put thought in it before.
"Why fight? Do you think its fun, or maybe you want the prize money?"
She paused, looking rather hesitant. "I want to be a huntress." She said after a mont.
"So? Plenty of people do but they don't fight here." I shrugged. "You're famous enough to get into any school on remnant, why keep going?"
"Well, I'm only one win away from breaking the record."
"Glory is it then? Want your na up in spotlights?"
"I....don't care for the publicity, admittedly." She said quietly.
"Ah, that can be a bumr sotis. It makes forming relationships difficult. Are people after you for your fa or fortune, or do they genuinely like you? Makes finding friends really hard." I said idily, but the look on her face says that I hit a very sore spot for her. One which I could barely hold back on wincing from. "Sorry, I didn't an to –"
"N-no...." She kept her expression neutral, but I could tell she was a little depressed by my statent hitting a bit too close to ho for her. "It's fine."
I felt a twinge of guilt in my chest. Perhaps even a bit of sympathy as I rembered where I was a few years ago.
"Alright, red." I turned towards her. "You got a scroll?"
"Huh?" She blinked in confusion. "Y-yes, I have one?" She took it out confused by my request.
I plucked it out of her hands, fiddling with it for a mont, much to her confusion, tossing it back to her which she almost fumbled. "There you go."
"What did you do?"
"Added my number." I replied. "Call , send my ssages if you're bored. I got a lot of free ti usually."
"You an like –"
"Yes, like a friend." I chuckled, heading for the exits. I didn't look at her gob smacked expression, but as soon as I walked back, I felt my scroll buzz with a ssage, a small smile rising on my face.
'Hello.'
Then it buzzed again.
'This is Pyrrha, but I guess you know that.'
And again.
'I wanted to make sure you had my number as well.'
And again.
'If you ever wanted to contact , that is.'
And again.
'Not that you have to or anything.'
It continued buzzing several more tis.
And suddenly, I questioned my choice.
***
Pyrrha makes an appearance, and she is a cinnamon roll.
Anyways, just a reminder, i won't be posting tomorrow, taking wednesdays off. But, if you want to read 5 chapters ahead or support , visit my /astoryforone.
Also, we got a discord, co hang out or ask questions. ht tp s d is cor d .g g/ TRDZTRKfVf
User Comments
0 comments from readers