Mid‑morning, and the Battlesphere is packed to capacity with an excited crowd eager to see their heroes in action against some of the best fighters in the Origin Kingdoms. For many, the size of the crowd is rather intimidating, but the trio of Team Lilac appear outwardly unfazed, as do Hanna Skarlett and Rob Stiil, the latter having been granted entry to the combatants' areas as Hanna's trainer under the assumed name 'Johnny Tougan'. However, before the combatants step out in front of the expectant crowds, they have one last obligation: media interviews.
As the top seeds and the most famous of all the combatants, Team Lilac are interviewed first, after which the media continues down the seeding order, meaning that Hanna (under the assumed name 'Fiona Asuna') is up next, with Rob alongside her to ensure she behaves in front of the camera, neither wearing their usual scarlet neckwear in order to blend in with the rest of the combatants and their trainers. However, there's a different problem, and it affects Team Lilac.
"All this media attention is getting in our way," Carol complains quietly to Lilac. "We need to figure out how to separate Hanna and Rob so we can tell him what's going on."
"Any ideas?" Milla asks.
Lilac thinks a moment. "I have one," she answers. "Leave it to me."
Lilac approaches Hanna just in time to hear the end of her answer to one of Maria Notte's questions.
"…and I do believe can go all the way, though whether I have what it takes to beat the members of Team Lilac is another matter entirely," Hanna finishes, answering the question about her chances in the tournament in a manner she hopes sounds confident but not arrogant.
And that's when Lilac makes her move. "Fiona! It's so great to finally meet you!" she greets warmly, taking Hanna's hand and shaking it firmly. "When I saw your name on the entry list, I thought, 'No way it can be her,' but here you are!"
"Ah, you two know each other then?" Maria asks.
"Of course!" Lilac answers before Hanna can. "We've been pen pals for almost two years!"
"What a delightfully unexpected coincidence!" Maria chimes. "How did it all begin?"
"Well, as you know, I get a lot of fan mail," Lilac begins. "There's too much for me to personally reply to all of it, but for Fiona I just had to make an exception. I won't go into details: suffice to say that Fiona had an extremely unfortunate start in life, and when I read what she'd been through, I simply couldn't ignore her. I wrote back immediately, hoping that my letter would reach her in time, which it thankfully did. Since then, Fiona's kept me informed of her progress, and I've continued to encourage and support her, helping her become the amazing young lady she is today. Isn't that right, Fiona?"
Hanna does everything she can to hide her rising anger at Lilac's words. "Well, I guess I do have Lilac to thank for that among other things," she replies, her angry blush thankfully coming across as embarrassment.
"Always happy to help," Lilac smiles. "Forgive me for saying, but you look a lot like someone I used to know."
"I… I do?" Hanna replies, having no choice but to play along.
"Absolutely!" Lilac confirms. "She was in the Red Scarves back when I was a member. It's not a time I like to think about if I can help it, but I cannot shake the fact that you look so much like her it's uncanny. Thank the Ancients your personalities couldn't be more different."
"What do you mean?" Hanna asks, dreading the answer.
"You're sweet, caring, and accepting of others' faults, and she's… well, let's just say she's the complete opposite," Lilac answers. "She also had it in for me right from the moment we met. I never understood why, but I think she's just jealous and can't accept I'm the better fighter," she adds with a cheeky smirk.
"She sounds like a total b‑ proverbial. I'm glad I'm nothing like her," Hanna replies, her smile masking the volcano of rage within.
"Me too," Lilac smiles back. "And I'm sorry for interrupting your interview, but I just couldn't help myself," she adds, blushing in feigned embarrassment.
"Nonsense: this has been great!" Maria assures. "I'd love for it to continue, but I must move on: I have a lot of interviews to conduct before the opening ceremony."
"Of course," Lilac replies. "We won't keep you any longer."
Hanna waits for Maria and the camera crew to move onto the next interviewee before fixing Lilac with a volcanic stare. "Nǐ huì wèi cǐ fùchū dàijià," she growls quietly in Mùyǔ.
"Zhídé," Lilac smirks.
As Lilac approaches Hanna and Maria, Carol and Milla watch with a mix of curiosity and concern.
"What do you think she'll do?" Milla asks.
The answer comes when Lilac interrupts the interview with, "Fiona! It's so great to finally meet you!"
"Well, I didn't expect that," Carol replies to Milla. "At least now we can get Rob's attention."
However, they don't need to: the moment Lilac interrupts the interview, Rob notices Carol and Milla watching and heads over to them. "I get the feeling you have something important you need to tell me, and it's something Hanna cannot know," he guesses.
Carol checks no‑one is listening in before replying, "The Fire Crystal was stolen last night."
Rob sighs in frustration. "First the defending champion is murdered, and now this. I can't shake the feeling that something's going on, and we need to put a stop to it before it gets out of control."
"It certainly does look suspicious," Carol agrees. "Any idea what it could be?"
"Not really," Rob admits. "Well, one idea maybe, but it's too outlandish to consider. Unless… Do you know how the defending champion was murdered?"
"A single extremely precise stab wound to the throat," Carol informs.
"Not what I wanted to hear," Rob replies. "It's Leader Julian's signature move."
"Why would he do that though?" Carol asks. "There's nothing for him to gain."
"That's what makes this so outlandish, except he's also been giving Hanna extra training so she can remain in control of her developing fire powers," Rob answers. "Maybe it's all a coincidence, but I'm not letting my guard down."
"Hanna's developing fire powers?" Carol asks, concerned.
"To her credit, it worries her too," Rob assures. "So far, she's only capable of keeping a hot drink hot and drying herself without a towel, but there's no telling if and when the floodgates will open and make her a danger to everyone again."
"We'll make sure that doesn't happen," Carol promises.
"Thanks," Rob smiles, feeling reassured. "Ah, it looks like the interview is over."
Carol notices the thunderous expression on Hanna's face. "I don't know what Lilac did, but Hanna looks like she's about to erupt."
"I'd better get her somewhere quiet and calm her down," Rob decides.
Lilac returns to her friends as Rob returns to his wife. "I enjoyed that more than I should have," she admits. "Did it work?"
"We told Rob what we know," Carol confirms. "Also, he told us that Hanna's developing fire powers, and Leader Julian is giving her extra training to stay in control of them. Thankfully, she can only keep a hot drink hot and dry herself without a towel. For now, anyway."
"Great: yet more to worry about," Lilac sighs. "This could all be a coincidence, but we can't let our guard down."
"That's what Rob said," Carol agrees.
"Then we're all on the same page," Lilac replies.
After an opening ceremony that will undoubtedly receive favourable press despite appearing to the public to be more about Mayor Zao than the B‑MAC, the combatants and their trainers return to the preparation area. With the number of matches scheduled and only three days to complete all of them, the tournament bracket is split into four 'pools', with the first round of the first three pools on the first day and the first round of the fourth pool the following morning.
The result of this schedule is that most of the combatants have plenty of time to prepare for their first‑round matches. However, as the top seed, Lilac is in the first match of the first pool and has just fifteen minutes to ensure she's ready. With Carol helping the dragoness with her warm‑up, Milla takes the opportunity to meditate to ensure the Shade Virus in her blood remains dormant.
When she emerges from her meditation ten minutes later, Milla exits the zen garden and makes her way towards the combatants' viewing gallery. However, before she gets there, she overhears Hanna and Rob talking in private, and it's clear from the tones of their voices that the discussion isn't a smooth one. Hmm… Better listen in, just in case.
Milla hides behind a convenient artificial rubber plant and listens to the young couple.
"But why does he want to meet with you now?" Rob asks, confused.
"How the fuck should I know?" Hanna replies. "All I know is that when a Leader summons you, you go, no questions asked."
"To the current HQ, yes, but not to the old HQ," Rob protests. "That place hasn't been used for over a century!"
"So? It's closer than the current HQ, meaning I miss less," Hanna argues, clearly low on patience.
"So why not meet at a café or something instead?"
"Because he doesn't want to be seen in public."
"Didn't bother him six weeks ago."
"Well it bothers him now! What's your problem anyway?" Hanna demands.
"Something about this whole situation doesn't feel right," Rob explains.
"In what way exactly?"
"I… I can't say."
"Then stop wasting my time."
Before Rob can answer, Hanna storms away, walking right past Milla thankfully without noticing her.
Once Hanna's out of sight, Milla emerges from behind the plant. "What's wrong?"
"Leader Julian wants to see Hanna about something, which wouldn't bother me as much if it wasn't in the disused HQ below this city," Rob answers.
"There's an old HQ beneath Shang Mu‽" Milla asks, surprised.
"It fell out of use over a century ago when the Scarves moved to where they are now," Rob explains.
A secret location right under the noses of everyone… So, that's what déjà vu feels like. "We should follow Hanna down there and find out what's going on," Milla decides.
Rob wasn't quite ready for Milla to be so decisive. She's matured a lot very quickly. "I agree, but we should wait for Lilac's match to be over so we can update them."
"If we do that, Lilac will want to come with us, which means Carol will too, and if all three of us leave, people might panic," Milla informs. "Besides, we can't waste any time: we need to move immediately."
"Are you sure you'll be OK?" Rob asks, concerned.
"I've learned a lot over the last year or so," Milla answers as she quickly summons four miniature Phantom Blocks and juggles them for several seconds before reabsorbing them.
Such impressive skills, especially since they've been developed so quickly… and now I'm even more worried about Hanna. "I'll take that as a 'yes'," Rob accepts. "Let's go."
Twenty minutes later, Lilac returns to the preparation area after securing an easy victory.
"Hey, Lilac!" Carol greets. "So, how much were you holding back?" she asks with a cheeky smirk.
"Tickets weren't exactly cheap," Lilac answers. "Only fair we give the crowd good value for money."
"True, but you were almost toying with him."
"Guess I was a little. Is Milla still meditating?"
"I assume so. I'm surprised she missed your match."
"Me too. Come on, let's find her."
Ten minutes later, after searching everywhere, Lilac and Carol find no sign of Milla.
"Where could she be?" Lilac asks.
"No idea," Carol replies. "This may be an odd question, but are Hanna and Rob missing too?"
"I didn't see them," Lilac answers.
"Nor did I, and that worries me."
"Me too. We should go look for them."
"And possibly cause a panic? No way," Carol refuses. "We need to stay here just in case something happens and we need to help everyone escape."
Lilac sighs in frustrated defeat. "You're right, of course," she accepts. "I just hope she's safe…"
"She will be," Carol assures.
Meanwhile, Rob leads Milla through the sewer system underneath Shang Mu, the pair following Hanna at a substantial distance to minimise the chances of detection. Eventually, after several minutes of seemingly random turns, Hanna arrives at her destination and steps through the open door.
Rob signals to Milla to speed up, but it's too late: by the time they get to the door, it's shut.
"Dammit," Rob curses. "Looks like we'll have to find one of the tunnels. I just hope they haven't all collapsed or been filled in…"
Inside the dimly‑lit former HQ, Hanna is unsure which way to go. "Leader Julian?" she calls.
There's no response.
Huh… Guess he's too far away to hear me. Hanna closes her eyes and focusses on her hearing. Where is he… Water drips… Scurrying rats… Humming power lines… Wait: not all of them are humming. Hanna opens her eyes and heads off in the direction of the power lines that are humming.
A few minutes later, she finds who she's looking for in a room that had been a research laboratory a century ago but is now almost completely empty like most rooms in the complex.
"Ah, there you are," Leader Julian greets. "I'm glad my message arrived."
"I'd have been here a little sooner, but Rob insisted on interrogating me," Hanna explains.
"I assumed as much," Julian acknowledges. "I trust you came alone?"
"Of course," Hanna assures.
"Then we can get down to business," Julian replies, indicating Hanna to take a seat. "Want a drink?"
"The usual," Hanna answers as she sits on one of the two chairs in the room.
"Then I'll be back in a minute." Julian leaves the room, returning a few minutes later with a fresh mug of hot chocolate for Hanna and an oolong tea for himself. "No marshmallows, I'm afraid."
"Thanks anyway," Hanna replies as she takes her drink. "So, what do you want to see me about?" she asks, savouring the scent of her beverage.
"I simply want to ensure you're one hundred percent before your first match tomorrow morning," Julian answers.
"You could have done that over the phone," Hanna replies. "There's something else you want to discuss, isn't there?"
"Yes and no," Julian admits. "There is another matter, but it's part of making sure you're at one hundred percent."
"I'm in the best shape I've ever been, and my skills have never been more developed," Hanna summarises. "And thanks to your training, my nascent fire powers are fully under control."
"Excellent." Julian sips his tea. "Looking at the draw, you'll meet Lilac in the semis."
"Where I intend to humiliate her," Hanna states confidently.
"You'll fail."
"Not this time."
"How sure are you?"
Hanna thinks a moment. "…not sure enough," she admits.
"Want to be?"
Hanna raises an eyebrow. "What exactly are you suggesting?"
"That it's time for you to finally unlock your full potential," Julian answers.
Hanna blinks in surprise. "Do… Do you really think I'm ready?"
"If I didn't, I wouldn't have suggested it," Julian assures.
"But… why now?" Hanna asks, confused.
"If you want to beat Lilac, you need to be at your absolute best," Julian explains. "I can make that happen."
"How?"
"Come with me."
