Shouri's life had been full of twists and turns. He never expected to be a guildmaster, nor date his trio of Resonators, and he certainly didn't expect to be a referee for a match between a fifteen-year-old boy and a forty-sothing-year-old farr from central Lybertera.
They stood out in a small clearing in the middle of the property. Far enough away from any of the buildings or crops to prevent any damage as well as give the two battling Resonators plenty of room to run around. The farmhand Resonators were allowed a break to watch the battle, bets being made between them about who would win.
The farr's choice of Resonator was one Shouri and company had not expected. Hailing from the land on the world's edge, L'ultera, was a long-tailed creature known as a kangaroo. The marsupial man bounced on his legs, his long thick tail resting behind him. He held his fists up like a boxer. Mila, standing his opposite returned the stance in kind.
As Shouri's gaze drifted between the two ready fighters, he couldn't help but think this was a touch bit unnecessary, but all participants were willing. He was glad he sent Taika and Rebecca back to the guildhall to grab the dical bag – they were about to need it. At least Pacifica was still by his side.
Delaying it wouldn't solve anything, at least this way he had so sway in the proceedings. Shouri took in a deep breath before officiating the match. "Maestros!" he bellowed. "This is a one-on-one battle with no substitutions! Goal is fifty percent rhythm remaining!" He stole one more glance between the two fighters – neither wavered for a mont. "Let the battle begin!"
With that declaration, the two Resonators rushed down one another.
"L'Ordine di Gabriele, Lento!" was Vince's first command.
"Colpito da una Roccia, Fortissimo!" the farr answered in kind.
The spells of the two Resonators ca into effect as they t in the center of the clearing. Mila took on a protective glow to bolster her defense, allowing her to recklessly charge in. The fire cat threw a blazing fist at her adversary and the kangaroo threw his back at her. The difference between the two fighters was while Mila was using her ad-Lib, the kangaroo's spell materialized in a way neither Vince nor Mila had expected.
Rather than the boulder of Colpito da una Roccia forming like they were used to seeing, the kangaroo's fist rapidly turned to stone, reaching a large size mid-thrust.
Fist t fist, but it wasn't even close. Mila's flas were re sparks against the massive stone armant she had to punch through. The kangaroo had more force behind his swing and Mila's attack was extinguished, her montum reversed as she flew backward through the air.
"Holy crap," Pacifica gasped.
"Yeah…" Shouri stole a glance at his tuner, showing the damage to Mila's rhythm was minimal thanks to Vince's calling of L'Ordine di Gabriele – without that spell bolstering her defenses that may have knocked her below the goal.
"Mila!" Vince cried out, snapping Shouri back to the battle.
The fist of stone crashed into the ground, Mila's head having only been there seconds ago. The cat was fine, a tily spin of her hips and legs not only brought her to her feet but also out of the trajectory of the devastating boulder.
"Colpito da una Roccia, Fortissimo," the farr called out again. The kangaroo didn't imdiately arm himself, glaring down the fire Resonator while he awaited her move.
"Bastard!" Mila charged him again.
"Mila stop!" Vince cried out, but it was too late as history repeated itself. The fire cat found herself on the receiving end of a stone fist, being swatted away like a pest.
She landed with a sickening thud, but was back on her feet in an instant, dodging another massive rock thrown her way.
The cat spat to the side, baring her fangs as she scowled at her adversary. The blue rhythm in her eyes glowed stubbornly bright.
Again, her rhythm was being chunked, but not nearly as much thanks to her shielding. The glow faded from her body however as the effect wore off.
Vince was sharp enough to recognize that was a problem and began to re-cast. "L'Ordine-"
The farr was already one step ahead of him, however. "Colpito da una Roccia, Pianissimo Staccato!"
-di Gabriele, Lento!" Vince managed to get out.
Mila boosted her defenses again, but not before taking a couple of good blows from smaller rocky fists thanks to the kangaroo's excellent foot and fist work. The cat used her flaming fists to put so distance between herself and the earth Resonator.
Vince ground his teeth, his eyes darting back and forth between his spell list and Mila. This wasn't like fighting Scherzando, and he didn't have the luxury of another Maestro to back him up. It didn't help that Mila was quick to jump into action either; he had no ti to consider his strategy.
The kangaroo didn't allow a mont of reprieve, standing stationary as he shot small fist-shaped rocks at the fleeing cat. The one advantage she had to press was she was much faster on her feet than him. But his fists could match hers in speed and overwhelm her in power.
Vince shook as he continued to pore over his spell list trying to piece sothing together. He didn't want to ss this up; he was representing the guild, Shouri, himself. Inaction was the enemy and Mila needn't say a word; he could feel her screaming at him in his mind.
"DO SOTHING!"
"Tempeste Cenere, Legato!" was his answer.
Gathering the fire and nature magic in her body, Mila raised a hand and shot the orb of brown light into the sky.
Not a mont later, a hot wind kicked up and the distinct sll of smoke filled the air as ash began raining from the sky carried by the heated gales.
"Fuck really?!" Shouri cursed, pulling his jacket over his nose and mouth.
"What is this?!" Pacifica cried out, clinging to her Maestro.
"It's a Fire-Nature Ossia! It makes an ash storm that damages non-fire and nature elents for a little bit!" Shouri explained over the harsh weather gracing the farmlands.
"Bolide, Piano!" Vince shouted.
Within the storm a ball of fire erupted, hitting the Kangaroo at an angle he couldn't dodge from.
"Again! Bolide, Piano!" Vince shouted.
"Down!" the farr shouted in response.
This ti the fireball sailed through the storm, fizzling out on its own, never striking a target.
"Mila now!" ca another cry from Vince.
Then…
BOOM!
The ground shook as an explosion rocked the farm.
"What in the hell?!" the farr could be heard shouting.
The tuners beeped in protest – a result had been reached. As the wind storm cleared the result lay for all to view on the ash-covered battlefield. The kangaroo remained on his feet, but his clothes were charred along with being covered in dirt, cuts, and minor burns.
Mila was sitting on the edge of a small crater ford in the dirt, her glare remaining as stubborn as ever, though her partially white hair told the tale in full. Vince stood eyes wide in horror, he didn't expect this much damage; not to the farm, not to Mila. A tense silence followed as Shouri confird his suspicion on his tuner. He raised an arm in the air, toward the farr's direction.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
"The winner of the match is Liam!" Shouri declared.
"It's what I thought. Can't trust you fire elents with anything," Farr Liam shook his head noting the hole ford on his property. "You city kids should just pack up and head on ho. You ain't gonna make it out here with that kinda foolishness."
Vince had no words, he hung his head, the red tuner in his grasp trembling.
"How about then?" Rebecca chid in. As she walked up she plucked her tuner from Shouri's waist, sliding it onto the side of her skirt as she approached the battlefield.
The farr shot a glare at the second fire Resonator.
"Mila's a bit of a wild child. I'm a professional," boasted the fox while having the cat's glare turned on her.
"Pickin' on soone who is already roughed up?" questioned the farr, looking down his nose at the small fox.
"Use one of your waters. I'll still kick their ass," challenged the fire fox. "In fact, I don't even need my Maestro's help. I'll school you all the sa."
Farr Liam snorted, accepting the provocation. "Olivia! Git over here!" the farr shouted to one of the awaiting farmhand Resonators.
The kangaroo held up his hand. "No Liam, let fight her."
All on the field remained still for a mont, processing the absurdity of the request. "Kai, don't be a stubborn fool, yer in no shape to fight, 'specially after that explosion," Liam scolded his Resonator.
"Taika, heal him." Rebecca motioned to her fellow fox who now donned her dical bag.
"Va bene," sighed the healer, stepping up.
Shouri rolled his eyes but acquiesced to the implied ask. "La Bella Vita, Lento tutti."
One healing later and Kai the kangaroo was ready for round two.
"There, now you'll have nothing to bitch about when you're picking yourself up off the ground," Rebecca said wearing a grin.
"Hope you don't co to regret those words missy," Kai smirked back.
Vince and Mila cleared the way. Shouri caught the two muttering apologies to one another, but he didn't have ti for that. The situation had gotten out of hand in his opinion, however, he trusted his partners. Pacifica and Taika weren't saying a word; in fact, Pacifica was wearing a smug smile while Taika almost wore a look of pity toward Kai.
"Oh no," Shouri mumbled to himself, realizing what was about to happen.
"Sotis you have to prove a point," Taika whispered to Shouri.
The guildmaster wanted to say more, but he was still on ref duty, so he played his part. "This is a one-on-one battle with no substitutions! Goal is fifty percent rhythm remaining!" He shook his head. "Let the battle begin!"
THWACK!
In that single instant, Rebecca had cleared the gap between her and her opponent, beginning with her signature kick to throw her opponent into the air. She followed him, easily clearing the distance he had been thrown and then so.
THWACK! THUD!
Kai t his elent face first, having t the ground in a stunning fashion.
"D-DOWN!" Liam shouted, having shaken off the shock of the fire elent's speed. Kai was no slouch when it ca to matters of dirt and rock, burrowing his way just in ti to avoid Rebecca's devastating axe kick.
The flas at Rebecca's heels extinguished as soon as her opponent was out of reach. She exhaled sharply, her posture relaxing as she steadied her breathing.
A tense silence fell over the battlefield.
"AAAUGH!"
It happened so quickly that it took a couple of seconds for anyone to realize what happened. Rebecca's blazing heel was firmly planted on a hand that had burst out of the ground. The now burnt appendage withdrew into the dirt before Kai popped up a small distance away.
Kai glared daggers at the fox, gripping his damaged hand with his other.
Rebecca just kept her eyes on him, not moving a muscle.
The sweat dripped down the farr's face as he couldn't tear his eyes off the battlefield, the tuner in his hand threatened to slip out of his grasp, but thankfully remained firmly in place. Every ti he drew in breath to call a spell he watched Rebecca twitch.
She was going to attack as soon as he called a spell. She was waiting for him, taunting him.
"Oh, that's not fair," Rebecca sighed. "Go ahead."
Kai's teeth clacked as they slid past each other in their owner's frustration; one could almost hear the enal grinding away in real-ti.
"Colpito da una Roccia, Pianissimo Staccato!" Liam finally called.
"No bitching now!" Rebecca resud her attack.
Kai was allowed to launch his attacks, pulling on his Maestro's rhythm to launch a barrage of stone fists towards the vixen. No matter the angle she danced around him with ease. In fact, she made a ga of it, ignoring approaching him in favor of avoiding his attacks.
The rest of the farmhands watched in awe – Kai was their Maestro's first, the strongest on the whole farm.
And this city girl was just making a complete mockery of him… without a Maestro.
"This was fun," Rebecca vanished. "But I'm bored now," she said from behind him.
Before he could swing on her, she swung first.
THWACK!
The tuners declared the winner, beeping loudly to signal as such. Shouri sighed. He didn't need to state the obvious, so he didn't. A simple motion of his head told Taika she was up.
"There we go." Rebecca dusted her hands off. "You did more damage to the farm this ti than I did," she noted, motioning to the stones haphazardly strewn about the field and the burrows now dotting the landscape.
Liam was silent, just watching as Taika tended to his knocked-out Resonator.
"I swear we're not a bunch of city thugs," Shouri began as he approached the other Maestro.
"Coulda fooled . I didn't miss a new Grand Master being crowned, did I?" Liam scoffed.
"Not at all," Shouri replied.
The farr shook off his stupor. "But still, you only proved yer worth yer tuners. The sa courtesy doesn't extend to yer people." Vince wilted further at the pointed comntary "Any of them," he spoke, his tone now more bitter than anything. "You're welco here. Anyone else ain't. That's final."
Shouri frowned, Pacifica's hand on his back telling him plenty. There wasn't changing this stubborn farr's mind. At least not right now.
"Fair enough. Vince and my other guild mbers won't co onto your land. and my Resonators are fair ga though right?" Shouri confird.
"Yeah, have fun kid. If any of my crops are damaged though I'll be charging your guild twice the market price for the damages," he added as a stipulation.
"Fair I guess," Shouri mumbled.
With that matter settled, Shouri turned to his gathering of guild mbers. "Let's head back for the day everyone."
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