Prisoners of Love's Magic
恋の魔法の虜

The sun was shining, the air was fresh, and though it was hot out, the day was oddly refreshing. The crowded stadium rumbled with all the idle chatter going on in its many seats. One such conversation was a bit more personal than the rest.

"Is this really necessary?!" asked Yuna Miyama, her voice concerned.

"I have to wonder that myself," said Kuriko Kazetsubaki, arms crossed to match her scrunched eyebrows. She sat on Yuna's left.

"What do you mean?" asked Kazuki Shikimori, sitting on Yuna's right... And in several seats behind her. His copies were still around, but much more organized today.

"She's part of a famous family! Shouldn't that be enough to get her a scholarship? Why go through with this?!" continued Yuna.

"It's true that her family is well known, but it's also true that after all the trouble she's caused for the main family they don't want anything to do with her now," said Kuriko, a constant look of dissatisfaction on her face.

"How cruel," said the chorus of Kazuki, heads hung.

Just then the announcement was made, loud enough for the all the stadium to hear.

"The annual Murasaki College of Magic scholarship tournament will begin in ten minutes!"

Tetsuo Gokou looked over the roster one more time. All that was left of his own preparations were to don the mask he'd chosen to wear today. Not to hide his identity, but for the first time to hide his scars. In the fire that had killed his older brother, Tetsuo had been scarred from just above his left ear down to his left hip. Half of his face and his entire left arm was covered in scar tissue, contrasting his tanned skin elsewhere. The skin on his left hand was especially affected, so he wore gloves as well. Normally, he did nothing to hide his scars, as they were a reminder to him and not to disturb others, but today he wanted his opponents free from distraction or pity. Tetsuo slid the mask on, adjusting his coat. There was a knock on his door to notify him it was time to line up. He exited the room... And almost smacked the door into someone approaching down the hallway by accident. She stopped suddenly, her traditional outfit billowing, probably from coming to a sudden stop after running.

"My apologies," said Tetsuo, quickly closing the door and standing aside.
"And mine as well," said the woman, dipping her head before taking off again.

Tetsuo followed, having to go the same way to line up for the tournament. As he took his place moments later, Tetsuo kept an eye out for the representative from the Morisaki clan, Sayumi. At the very least, as a Gokou, he wanted to test his skills against her. Tetsuo's own clan focused on unarmed combat, like the Morisaki clan. However, the Gokou clan was never good with magic. Their count was low and their power was negligible. Tetsuo himself only had about 600 times remaining the last time he'd checked, but he hardly used magic at all so it was no cause for alarm.

"Make sure you're in your proper place in line before we head out. You are to follow the person in front of you and line up on either side of the central platform. This isn't a show, it's a tournament, so no goofing off or you'll simply be sent home. Murasaki College isn't in the business of handing money to bumpkins who can't take even one thing seriously, got it?!"

Tetsuo looked at the back of the person in front of him, confirming that their number was the one before his. He looked back to make sure no one was behind him, as he was the furthest to the left on the bracket. The woman he'd almost hit with the door earlier was right next to him, presumably the furthest right on the bracket. Doubtful they'd meet in the tournament, which Tetsuo was just fine with, seeing she carried a sword to go with her kimono. The line started moving and Tetsuo followed, out into the blinding sun...

"Match #18, Morisaki versus Gokou!"
Tetsuo stood and walked out, his mask and coat still on after his first match. Sayumi Morisaki stepped up on the opposite side of the square platform, sweating from the heat but uninjured in her first match as well. Tetsuo had been born in the summer's heat, and though he was sweating lightly, he enjoyed it. Sayumi, on the other hand, looked irritated with the heat, wiping her brow as she stepped up and again while waiting for the match to begin.

No embarrassment on the line this time... Even still, I need that money... thought Sayumi with a mental groan. The last time she'd fought anyone from a well known clan, it had been in high school. She'd been blackmailed into it then, but had escaped with honor intact. Sayumi had heard the name Gokou before, but the clan was small and not very influential. She had little worry about winning, even after seeing Tetsuo's first match.

"Begin!"
From the starting position, Tetsuo slid forward, his feet scraping over the white stage floor, putting him just out of reach of his opponent. The motion was sudden and quick, but he didn't follow up with an attack. Sayumi took the chance to throw a kick, not flinching as Tetsuo had hoped. Tetsuo blocked and pushed back, throwing Sayumi off balance. To compensate, Sayumi did a back handspring, landing on her feet with her hands alight. Two pulses of magic flew at Tetsuo. He swayed away from the first, but the second struck him square in the chest. He was blown off his feet, hitting the ground on his back. In instinct, Tetsuo slammed his hands down to perform a break-fall technique, flipping back to his feet in the next instant. Tetsuo put his guard up just in time to block straight-arm attacks from Sayumi. Sayumi fired off palm strikes, peppering Tetsuo's arms and shoulders as he tried to block. With her barrage, Sayumi hoped to make her opponent's arms wear out. She continued as long as her own arms would allow, controlling her breathing and watching for Tetsuo's counterattack. When she could swing no more, Sayumi stepped back and kept her guard up.

Tetsuo lowered his arms a bit, showing the eyes of his mask.

"I might not be as strong as you with magic, but if you try to turn this into a battle of endurance, it'll be your loss, Lady Morisaki."

There was an orange flash on the ground as Tetsuo used magic to propel himself forward, loosing a punch. He twisted his hips, turning his chest to face away from his opponent and extending his reach. Sayumi blocked but the force of the punch felt like it would break her arm. She tumbled backwards, rolling over once before stopping herself. Her arm felt numb.

"You aren't very bright, are you? Telling your opponent how to win," said Sayumi, forcing herself to stand and holding her injured right arm across her stomach. Her left hand glowed with magic, sparking.

Tetsuo shrugged, comfortable with the distance between them. Sayumi thrust her arm forward, unleashing a wave of magic force. Tetsuo put his hands forward, trying to block with his own magic. Sayumi's attack blew away his guard, throwing him back and shattering his mask. Tetsuo did another break-fall, rolling to his feet and looking down at the pieces of his mask. Anyone who didn't know what he looked like was instantly shocked. Figuring there was no need to hide any longer, Tetsuo threw off his coat as well. Aside from his scars, his body was as lean as a swimmer and appeared like chiseled stone. He took an Aikido stance, his hands open and hovering in front of him, shoulders square, back straight.

"Hiding weakness?!" asked Sayumi, clenching her fist and feeling a bit insulted.

"No. Just trying to avoid the reaction you're having right now. Can you honestly say you'll still fight as hard as you can against someone who looks like I do? You'll either think to hold back because I appear weak, or you'll attempt to exploit my apparent weakness for victory. Treating me any differently would be another mistake."

Sayumi relaxed, understanding. "So you hid to have a more fair fight. Now that I can agree with. Fine, then, no special treatment. But this means the end of your run here. I'll be the one going home with that scholarship today!"

Magic sparked around Sayumi and she took her own stance.

Tetsuo lowered his shoulders a bit, taking measured steps forward. He controlled his breathing on each step, relaxing into his fighting style.

Sayumi knew Aikido, since it was such a common style, so she stepped in and threw a kick at Tetsuo's ribs. Any attempt at a head-on attack would end with her being redirected and at a huge disadvantage. But if she could stick to attacks from the side, Tetsuo wouldn't be able to redirect her momentum. Tetsuo bent his knees and shifted his torso away from Sayumi's kick, rotating so he ducked under it and came up practically behind her. He stepped in, sweeping his right arm up under her chin and his right leg back under her feet. Sayumi hit the ground shoulder-blades first, her left arm still in the air, her right still over her stomach. Tetsuo twisted on his feet, snatching Sayumi's left wrist and pulling it until she rolled over onto her stomach. From there, all he had to do was kneel and pin her arm to her back. It was over before Sayumi could even flinch.

"...8, 9, 10! The winner of Match #18 is Gokou!"

"Final round! Match #31, Gokou versus Kamishiro!"

The sun was beginning to set on the stadium at last. After a two hour break following the semi-finals, Tetsuo Gokou and Rin Kamishiro finally took their places on the tournament platform. Scorch marks and cracks adorned the platform from all the matches throughout the day, from attacks both physical and magical. With Tetsuo's mediocre magic power, he'd won his matches with skill and redirection. Rin, on the other hand, had been able to power through any and all defense with her magic power and her physical speed and prowess. Rin was in another kimono, after her first one had been shredded during her matches. Tetsuo wore baggy cloth pants and a tightly wound cloth belt, no shoes and nothing to hide his upper body. After his fight with Sayumi, there was no point after all.

"Go get 'im Rin!" yelled the Kazuki copies in unison, fists in the air.

"That's right! We know you can do it!" yelled Yuna.

"She's certainly up against an interesting man, isn't she?" said Kuriko. "To be so weak with magic and yet to make it so far. This hasn't turned out at all like I expected. Still, I just can't see Rin losing to a guy like that."

"Kuriko! You should cheer her on too, you know!" said Yuna.

Kuriko just sighed and smiled.

"I hope we have a good match," said Rin, bowing.

"The same," answered Tetsuo, bowing back. "To be honest, I'm just glad to have made it this far. The fight with Lady Morisaki was enough for me."

"I can't say I feel the same way. Not today. Ordinarily I, too, would be satisfied with a good fight. But my winning today will decide my future, so I cannot afford to walk away without that scholarship. I'm sorry that I cannot face you as a simple fighter today. You deserve better."

Tetsuo shook his head, hands on his hips. "I completely understand. Thanks for at least saying so, though. Maybe another time, then."

Rin started to say something, but she was drowned out by the announcement.

"Begin!"
She flinched, looking over at the announcer with annoyance before continuing. Tetsuo didn't make a single move to take advantage of the opening, as she expected of him.

"Another time, indeed. But that's not to say either of us should hold anything back now. In fact, I intend to give this everything I've got, and if we should meet again I'll be sure to have learned something new to make it worth the match."

Rin settled into her stance, her hand on the hilt of her katana.

"Sadly, I've got far too many tricks to show off all of them in one fight. If only my magic were as diverse as my body. Still, I won't make this easy on you, even though everyone knows you'll be the one to win here."

Tetsuo took his Aikido stance with a modification. His feet and Rin's feet were exactly the same, as Aikido is derived from Kendo. However, Aikido has the hands free and open in front of the body to intercept attacks, while Kendo requires both hands to use a sword. Tetsuo placed his hands near his belt as if he had a sword as well. There was a moment of silence...

Rin bolted forward, still not drawing her sword. With an Iaido technique, the first strike upon unsheathing the katana could use the resistance to come out much stronger and much faster than normal. Tetsuo stood his ground, still keeping his hands near his belt as if holding a sword of his own. With a cry of effort Rin unleashed her blade, the white metal aglow with green energy. Tetsuo swiped his arm out, glowing orange and surrounded with magic as well. Sparks flew as the two magical forces came in contact, forcing both "blades" to rebound. Tetsuo stepped forward and lashed out with his left hand, hand open for a knife-hand strike, both arms now glowing orange with his magic. Rin ducked the stab and sliced upward, barely missing Tetsuo's chest as he fell back on purpose to avoid getting cut. He hit the ground flat on his back and slammed his hands down to mitigate the impact. Tetsuo twisted on the ground to strike at Rin's ankles with his feet, only to have her jump back and raise her sword. It glowed green as she prepared to fire a blast at him.

"OH no!" said Tetsuo, rolling to his stomach and popping up to try and avoid getting hit. Rin's attack blasted the spot where he'd just been laying, exploding and sending Tetsuo flipping through the air away from the cloud of smoke. When Tetsuo landed on his back this time he was too dazed to perform a break-fall. Breathless and dizzy, Tetsuo struggled to stand, coughing. He barely got his guard up in time to avoid Rin's next attack as she rushed in yelling at him. He swayed drunkenly away from her, just out of reach of the first strike. Rin stepped in, pressing the attack, and Tetsuo only managed to avoid three more slashes before Rin faked an overhead strike and instead hit him in the head with the pommel of her sword. Tetsuo stumbled again, landing on his butt. He looked up, his left eye closed from the tightness of his chest. On his next breath, Tetsuo used magic to push Rin away, turning his coughing into a mild shockwave. Rin was blasted backwards, but she kept her footing and slid over the platform. Tetsuo got to his feet, sucked in a few breaths in an attempt to regain his composure, then spread his legs and bent his knees, taking another stance. He pulled his arms back, turning his palms up, and clenched his fists next to his belt.

"You are clearly outmatched! Give up now, before you really get hurt!" yelled Rin, bring her sword up by her face and pointing it at Tetsuo, blade to the sky.

Tetsuo took one last calming breath before he responded. "You're telling the wrong person to give up," he said. His body didn't betray it, but he instantly thought back to his fear-crazed moments as he tried to pull his brother out of a fire, his left hand consumed by the same flames.

"So be it," said Rin, swinging her sword in a wide circle. From the ground up, a green shockwave issued from her katana, ripping up the platform on its path to Tetsuo. Tetsuo slammed his hands together around the shockwave, palms glowing orange. The shockwave shattered, but behind it Rin was charging forward. Hands still together, Tetsuo swayed away from her first slash, pushing her arms aside. Too close, arms uselessly flailing away, Tetsuo used the only available part of his body. He slammed his forehead straight into Rin's as she continued forward, off balance. He'd meant to aim for her nose, but she was too short for him to reach properly. Rin went to her knees, freezing up and dropping her sword. Tetsuo swayed, dizzy as well. The first one to pass out would lose, and they both knew it. To keep herself upright, Rin latched onto Tetsuo's pant-legs at thigh level. Her weight pushed him over and he slammed the back of his head on the floor. Tetsuo went out like a light while Rin had to keep all her focus on not passing out as well. Her eyes were tearing up, but she was able to keep herself together.

"By knock out, the winner of Match #31 is Kamishiro!"

"...kou... Gokou...!"

Tetsuo groaned and put a hand on his forehead. "Agh... Dammit..."

"Gokou! Are you alright?"

It was Rin, shaking him awake, still on the platform.

"Yeah, yeah... Gimme a minute, ok?" said Tetsuo. Eyes still closed, he moved to sit up, only to smack his forehead into Rin's forehead again. He fell back to a laying position, groaning.

"Ow! You moron! Open your eyes before you do something like that!" yelled Rin, both hands on her forehead.

Tetsuo just groaned more.

"Rin!" called out someone. Tetsuo heard footsteps approaching.

"Yuna!" responded Rin. Tetsuo opened his eyes to look around, got dizzy, and closed them again. Unknowingly, just in time to avoid looking up Yuna's skirt.

"Congratulations, Rin! Now we can all go to the same college together!" said Yuna.

"Up ya go," said the same voice three times at once. Tetsuo felt himself being pulled up from the ground. He opened his eyes to see Kazuki in front of him, two of Kazuki on either side of him holding an arm each, and a Kazuki behind him that just let go of his shoulders.

"T... Thanks...?" said Tetsuo, confused how eight people could look so alike. Even twins always had some differences.

"Oh, don't you mind Kazuki," said Kuriko. "We're still trying to work things out with those copies. In any case, you're very creative for being so hopeless with magic. I'll just be up front about this, if you don't mind."

With the good side of his face, Tetsuo smiled. "I'd prefer blunt honesty, yes."

"Since my last... Pursuit... Didn't turn out," said Kuriko, pausing and pointedly looking away from where any Kazuki stood, "I've been thinking about hiring a body guard. And it just so happens that the salary would pay for a year of college here. I've already been here two years, and it would be more of a title than anything. Of course, you'd have to be ready to rush to me if I call you. What'd'ya say?"

Tetsuo crossed his arms. "I say it sounds like an excuse to give me a 'scholarship,' and make a friend. I'll do it. Especially since you seem to be close with someone I'm interested in."

Kuriko tilted her head, a finger on her chin. "Someone you're...?" She caught on. "Ahh, so that's how it is. Well, good luck is all I can say."

Yuna and Kazuki(s) looked back and forth between Kuriko and Tetsuo.

"What exactly does that mean?" asked Yuna, confused.

Kuriko tilted her head up, eyes closed. "I haven't a clue, why do you ask?"

"Kuriko!" pried Yuna.

Tetsuo just looked at Rin out of the corner of his eye. She didn't look as confused.

終わり