Day 2's event, the Manticore Strike, took place in Joya's Celesta Forest. The eight teams were all transported to a different location of the forest with one shared goal: defeat the creature known as the Manticore. There were 3 important things to note for this event: there was an hour to complete it, taking out the competition was a valid tactic, and in order to truly win the event, both members of the team had to land the finishing blow. There was surely more than Waltz left out intentionally for it would make the event much more entertaining for the audience to watch.
There was an even bigger shock concerning Pergrande's unlikely team of Elly and Keele. Elly revealed herself as a celestial spirit mage, summoning Loke before everyone's eyes and most importantly Lucy's. The Commandant of Pergrande held a smirk as the Lion was called forth. "Welcome, Loke. I know you and I don't get along well, but I'm really going to need your help on this event."
Loke scowled, keeping a slight glare on Elly. The circumstances revolving his arrival in Pergrande were not pleasant and he was going to ensure that the Commandant knew this. "You may have forced a contract on me with your magic, but that doesn't mean I'll help you."
"Oh, that's cute." Elly's purple eyes gleamed with excitement. She clapped her hands together, a purple aura wavering around her body. This aura began to oppress Loke and forced him to a knee. "But your compliance isn't a factor. You will do as I say, understand? I really want us to get along, you know? If you help me out, I might let you visit your former master. I don't want her to think I've been mistreating you."
"Tch…" Loke couldn't fight against this. He had no options. "Fine…" At the very least, Elly was pretty attractive, so it wasn't a complete loss. "I'd rather be forced to work with a pretty lady than some bland dude."
Keele's arms were crossed, tapping his foot impatiently against the soft soil. "What the hell is the hold up? Why do we need this guy to take down a stupid creature? He's so weak and skinny, I could push him over and he'll snap in two."
Elly smiled, simply motioning for Keele to follow her. But instead of following her, he made it a point to stay a few steps ahead. As if he'd follow behind a girl. Purple eyes rolled in annoyance as the new trio started to make their way through Celesta Forest. "It's simple. I'm a researcher and I've taken the time to delve into many topics; magic, science, humans, animals…"
Keele started yawning. "Get to the point before I go to sleep!"
"The point is…I'm very smart." Elly said. "And I know exactly what type of creature this Manticore is. It's sensitive to light. Thus we will use that weakness to stop its most dangerous quality."
Keele lifted a brow. "Dangerous quality? I'm the most dangerous thing here!"
"Sure." Elly waved a hand. "I'll explain that in a bit. But moreover, the materials needed for the medicine for your sick sister can also be gathered in this forest." Keele's eyes widened at this information, which was hook, line, and sinker for Elly. "I only need a little time to gather them while we take part in this event. However…I can only make the medicine if we emerge victory, understand? So you'll have to follow my orders."
"Tch…" Keele sucked his teeth in annoyance. Damn this woman for using his sister against him!
"…" Loke crossed his arms. This woman was clever.
Elly took Keele's annoyed frustration as a sign of agreement. "I'm glad we're on the same page. Now then, here's everything you need to know about the Manticore…"
Sting and Minerva were cautious while wandering through the forest. There were a lot of gaps in the tree line so a lot of sunlight shone through. "Do you know anything about a Manitcore?" Sting asked Minerva.
"Unfortunately, I do not." Minerva shook her head. "This is my first time hearing of such a creature, however if we simply find it and strike it down before the others, what it is will be a non-issue. That said, be on your guard. We don't know what kind of animals are roaming this forest."
"Yeah, I can sense a bunch of monsters roaming all over the place." Sting's nose picked up all sorts of scents, rendering that sense useless due to all the interfering properties.
"They could be strong." Minerva said, ensuring that Sting remained careful. Right as she said that, a tiny creature that looked like an onion wandered into the sunlight. It was barely bigger than a basketball and stared at the two unfamiliar beings in front of it curiously.
"This thing? Strong?" Sting almost laughed. "This thing looks so cute! It couldn't harm a fly!" The white dragon then crouched down to stare at the creature at an eye level. "Hey little guy. We're just trying to make it through here. We don't mean any trouble."
The creature stared as Sting for a moment before walking forward. It then stepped into the shade as soon as it did, it grew more than five times its size, its appearance shifting into something much more ugly and nearly demonic. "RAAAAAAH!"
Sting and Minerva's eyes widened at this sudden transformation. "W-What on earth!?" Minerva was ready to fight, but she was just as surprised as Sting, if not more.
"W-Why did it transform!?" Sting gasped. In the next instant the onion creature stomped on the ground, sending a wave of darkness towards the two Tigers. Sting and Minerva rolled to the side and the White Dragon was the first one to attack, a white aura flaring around his body. "White Drive!" Sting then charged forward, light gathering around his fist. "White Dragon's Punch!" And so he swung, slamming his fist against the creature's face; it was a direct hit but the impact caused Sting to recoil and shake his hand comically. "Ow ow ow!"
"What's the matter?" Minerva lifted a brow.
"That thing hurts…!" Sting whined.
"Are you surprised?" Count Waltz was speaking directly to the two of them. "That is the Bloody Onion. A creature that transforms depending on if it is bathing in sunlight or darkness. Did you think that the Manitcore was the only creature you had to watch out for during this event?"
"I wish we knew that sooner!" Sting yelped, narrowly dodging an attack from the Bloody Onion.
Minerva swiped her arm to the side, creating a multicolored rift in front of her. From this rift, numerous spikes composed of territory magic launched forward, striking the Bloody Onion, however most of them bounced off and dealt minimal damage. "This creature is surprisingly durable. We don't have time to deal with this as well!" Unfortunately, these two were going to have to make time, because this creature didn't seem like it wanted to let its new prey go that easily.
"Hoo boy." Ken walked around with his arms at his sides. "Can ya feel it, G? This forest is filled with killing intent. We round a tree wrong and who knows what sort of beast will come leaping out at us!"
"I don't know why they're so violent…" G let out a quiet sigh. His large frame was difficult to miss. The two Spriggan were acting casual, but they could sense the killing intent that filled the air all around them. There were numerous creatures just waiting for the chance to pounce on them! G looked around, shrugging his broad shoulders. "The world could use a little bit more love." Right as he said that, numerous wolves lunged out to pounce on him. Just as they did, there was a pulse of magic that stopped them in their tracks. The wolves suddenly backed down and retreated, the violent nature of these wolves replaced with something else entirely. Not fear.
"Aw, did you hafata do that?" Ken sounded disappointed. "I wanted a quick lil warmup. But I suppose the big boy himself will have to do."
"You know how Her Majesty is. We may have an hour, but she expects us to finish this within 10-20 minutes, and I intend to." G said with an aloof expression.
"Fair enough." Ken started rapidly punching at the air, just itching to get a fight in. "I hope this Manitcore is as strong as they're making it out to be! I haven't had a good fight in ages!"
Rondo was leading the way through the forest with Allegretto somewhat trudging behind her. Annoyed, the pink haired knight turned around, glaring at her partner for this event. "What's the hold up, Retto? Hurry up and get moving!"
"Sorry…" Retto rubbed the back of his neck.
"Are you upset that you aren't able to partner up with your girlfriend?" Rondo's words were far from a tease, more like a jab.
"N-No!" Retto waved his hands, almost embarrassed at Rondo's words. "It's just…I'm worried about Beat! I've never seen him so angry before. I knew he had his issues but I've never seen him try to kill someone!"
"And? I wanted to see it." A snicker passed through Rondo's lips.
However, this angered Retto. "How can you say that!? If he went through with it…!"
"It wouldn't have been my problem." Rondo waved a hand, walking forward once more. "You can have your worries about that kid later, but right now, the Count is expecting us to fight a Manticore. Do you know how crazy that is even for us? I know where the damn thing is lurking at least, but fighting it is gonna be a workout and a half."
"I know…" Retto sighed quietly. "A Manticore…what is he thinking? I guess that's why we have 14 other people here. They're all pretty strong so we can use that to our advantage. We both have to get the finishing blow too."
"Yeah, so listen up." Stopping once more, Rondo turned, jabbing her finger into the male's chest. "I'm your superior, so you will follow my lead. The only way we're going to come out on top is if we…work together." It physically pained her to say that. Right after she said it, there was a roar in the distance and the ground started to shake; birds flying off from the trees. "Ah…there it is. Someone must've found it already!"
"Come on, let's go!" Retto started to take the lead, rushing ahead while brandishing his sword.
"Hey! I'm the leader here!" Rondo snarled while following behind Retto.
Makarov and Eileen, a very unlikely combination however they were strung along by Prometheus' whims. The most they could muster in form of resistance was speaking out of turn; otherwise the Grim Reaper's grip on their soul was far too strong for them to disobey his commands. It angered the both of them, being played with like this, but there was nothing they could do but obey, for now. They were currently the only two capable of mustering any kind of resistance. "I refuse to play this game." Eileen said, mostly to herself. "The Grim Reaper…he will pay dearly for turning me into some sort of plaything for his amusement!" Unfortunately for Eileen, Prometheus took the liberty of taking most of her magic for himself, leaving her in a state that wasn't nearly as powerful as before.
"Forced to stand and watch…" Makarov clenched his hand into a fist. "I am aware that they are likely listening in on us at this very moment. I can hear that demon's laughter, but he can laugh all he wants. I will be no victim in this game."
"Your resolve is admirable, you two! It's why I put you together!" Prometheus' voice echoed in their heads. They were the only ones capable of hearing him. "But unfortunately for you, you have to do what I say! Unless you want me to erase your souls from existence!" Right as he said that, a purple fire erupted around the two of them. Prometheus was chipping away at their souls, allowing them to burn into nothingness. This excruciating pain caused Elieen and Makarov to stagger around, using a nearby tree for support.
"Damn you…!" Eileen snarled. If she had even half her magic power Prometheus would be nothing but dust!
"All you have to do is play the game. I don't care if you win or not! But watching Fiore's expressions as I drive your departed souls to agony is such a euphoric feeling! Kyahaha!" With his message delivered, Prometheus finally let up and allowed the two of them to rest.
"Gh…" Makarov groaned quietly. They had no choice but to play this cursed game Prometheus threw them into, but they would be playing by their own rules, somehow, someway. "You've taken far too much, Grim Reaper. Even from beyond the grave, I'll make sure to protect those brats anyway I can! You can't stop a parent's love for their children…!"
Lore took to his wolf form, sniffing the ground to track the Manitcore. "It smells near." He said, leading the way while avoiding the habitats of the other creatures in the forest. They didn't have the time to deal with them.
"It seems we lucked out." Magnus said, following behind his guild mate. "An event that requires hunting. It's your specialty."
"Indeed, the gods have graced Cosmic Star with luck on this fine day." Lore said. "That said, I suppose you are here because you wanted to make up for your pitiful performance yesterday?"
Sweat drop. "A contest of strength is not my forte! I think the only person who could've broken that Damascus from our side is Gaia. That being said my talents are much better used in the field like this. We have to work together to ensure that we land the finishing blow on the Manitcore. It is a powerful creature."
"I am aware." Lore nodded. "Which is why my Animal Control magic will be the key in us winning the event. The beast should not be able to resist me."
"We say that, but we're hoping for the best." The male then glanced at the sky. "We're in last place, so we need this event if we wish to keep up with the others. Still, I cannot help but feel that something is off in this tournament. It feels natural, but I detect some hints of foul play somewhere…"
"Speculations means nothing without proof, you of all people should know that." Lore stopped in his tracks. Just as he did, there was a roar due east of them and the ground shook. "There!"
Two teams found the Manitcore first: Seven and Minstrel: Club Strong, Spark Magnes, Tyson Brock, and Felix Lander found the beast in an opened area surrounded by trees. The Manitcore had a similar build to a lion with a bright orange mane, blazing yellow eyes, and sharp fangs. Realizing it was being hunted; the beast snarled and prepared to attack whoever came at it first. "We found it first!" Strong exclaimed to the team of Minstrel. "So this is our hunt! Back off!" The brute of Dealer reared his arm back, slamming his club onto the ground. "Strong Swing!" The resounding impact of his swing caused the ground to tremble and break apart, numerous shockwaves splitting the earth in two!
Felix, Tyson, and the Manitcore all jumped in separate directions. The first one to act as Tyson, grinning towards the opposition. "The only people who are hunting here are the mages of Chimera Kingdom!" A bright light shrouded Tyson as his magical aura enveloped his body, taking the shape of a bear that towered at least 10 feet high! "Beast Aura: Bear!" Tyson then brought his left arm down; clawing at the ground with such force it left several fissures in the earth! He was aiming for Strong, Spark, and the Manitcore, but only managed to strike the Manitcore directly, causing it to let out a yelp of pain. "Hah!"
The Manitcore tumbled along the ground before shaking off the hit, snarling as a magical aura appeared around its body. Its appearance changed as it started to grow in size just a little bit, now 2 feet larger than it was originally. Strong noticed this and tilted his head. "Uh…did that thing just get bigger?"
"Watch out!" Spark took the lead, taking cues from his older brother. A red and blue magic seal appeared on Tyson and the Manitcore. "Magnet Pull!" The two seals gave off a magnetic pulse that attracted one another, pulling the two together to the point they slammed against each other! The moment they did, the two seals exploded, pushing them away. "And Magnet Push!"
"Ay, Spade would be proud of ya!" Strong grinned.
But it was far too early to rest. When the Manticore went down, it got back up, growing 4 feet this time! Its change in size was hard to ignore. Felix grit his teeth before a light shone around his body. "Takeover: Panthera!" His body turned into that of a large jaguar, just barely smaller than the Manitcore's current size. The 'Duke' of Chimeria Kingdom dashed forward, leaping ahead to claw at Spark, knocking the young boy into a tree. After that he turned, having a little trouble due to being unable to corner well and sprinted at the Manitcore, lifting a claw up to slash at its face! The Manitcore did the same, bringing its own claw down to claw at Felix's face, and the difference in strength was made clear as Felix was sent tumbling backwards after that one hit! But the young man stood up, snarling at the creature before him. "Do you think I'll go down that easily?! Chimeria Kingdom is counting on me and you won't be stopping me with a single hit!" Even if it did hurt like hell!
Growling at the opposing human, the Manitcore started to run, but was quickly stopped as Tyson used the strength of a bear to grapple its midsection, causing it to thrash about violently. "Felix! Finish it!"
"Right!" Felix nodded and started to run ahead, leaping to claw right through the Manitcore's chest. But a vine wrapped round his legs and sent him crashing into the ground. "Oof!? What the…!?"
"Sorry, but I can't let you do that!" Strong grinned, having used his plant magic to restraint both Tyson and Felix. He then used this chance to create a gigantic wallet, clubbing it forward with his weapon to crash into Tyson's head to force him to release the Manitcore. It caused him to stumble and his grip loosened ever so slightly. The Manitcore used this chance to send tendrils of flame out from all over its body, piercing Tyson's beast aura, grazing Felix, and hitting Strong, all of them skidding backwards. The Manitcore roared once more, now growing 8 feet! It was getting better and bigger, now standing at 17 feet tall! "What the!?"
"Hah!" Tyson laughed at this challenge. "You really don't know what you're messing with, do you?" His Beast Aura changed once more, turning into a rhino that was equal in size to the Manitcore. He stood next to Felix, their aura blazing around each other. "We are Chimera Kingdom, the strongest guild in all of Minstrel and the one's to control it!" Tyson then charged forward, clashing head to head with the Manitcore, the two of them deadlocked! "Felix!"
"You don't have to say anything!" Felix used this chance to rush up to the hind leg of the Manitcore, claws shining brightly. "Flurry!" Multiple clawing attacks raked against the Manitcore's hind leg, causing it to growl as blood leaked from the fresh wounds. Just as before, it started to grow in size, 16 feet now, easily overpowering Tyson due to its increase in strength and size.
"What the hell is this thing!?" Strong gasped before he had an idea. "Spark, back me up!"
"Kay!" The young boy nodded as he recovered from Felix's attack.
"Strong Quake!" Club Strong slammed his club into the ground, creating an earthquake that threw the Manitcore off balance. "Now!" Strong propelled himself high into the sky, lifting his weapon into the air above him.
Spark held his hands up, red and blue lightning surging from his fingertips. "Thunder!" A magic seal appeared above Strong, dropping a high voltage bolt of this lightning onto his club, supercharging it.
"Goodnight!" Strong then used his incredible physical strength to slam his club onto the Manitcore with all his might, forcing it into the ground! He then flipped and stuck the landing, grinning at the combination he was able to do with Spade's younger brother…but to his surprise, the Manitcore let out another roar, continuously growing just as it had before. This made Strong's face pale. "W-What the hell…!?"
"It keeps getting stronger every time we hit it!?" Felix grit his teeth. "Not only that, but I don't think our attacks are as effective."
The Manitcore let out a roar, its entire body visible from every possible point in Celesta Forest. It then opened its mouth, gathering a sphere of flame that continuously grew larger and larger. It was so hot the surrounding trees started to catch fire! "Uh…what's it doing?" Spark asked, not liking where this was going.
It was then that Lore, Magnus, Allegretto, Rondo, Elly, Loke and Keele all rushed onto the scene. Rondo was the first person to freak out. "Ah!? How did it get this big this fast!? This is dangerous!"
"It could burn down the entire forest at this rate!" Retto gasped and this got looks from everyone except Elly.
"Burn it down!?" Magnus said.
"Well well…" Count Waltz's voice spoke out to them. "This was an outcome I was wondering if we'd see. I see now that only 10 points for this event will simply not do. I was hoping to save this little surprise for tomorrow, but there's no better time than the present. From this point on, all events will be equal to that of the highest scoring fight of the day. The Bonus Doubler rule is now in effect, meaning that whichever team wins this event will earn 20 points! Now, I hope you can defeat the Manitcore before it defeats all of you."
Keele's lips curved up into a grin at the challenge presented to them. He slammed his fist into an open palm, chuckling at the large beast in front of them that threatened to raze the entire forest. "All we gotta do is take out this small fry? I was expecting a harder fight."
.
.
Next Time: The Proud Manitcore.
