Chapter 43: Torn; Race for the Rivals' Riot

Skirmish in Stralanavia Arc

Disclaimer: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, this is just a Fan fiction.

Featured Music: "Ranked Amongst the World's Best"The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass OST. Chapter Briefing.

"Are You Ready?" - Tekken 2 OST. Scene 2 (First Half).

"My Own Style" - Judgment OST. Scene 2 (Second Half).

"Random Fire" - Judgment OST. Scene 3 (First Half).


In the heroes' extended stay through Stralanavia they are learning many interesting things, including their strict and hard customs, said to be unique to those within their own borders. Having arrived a mere number of weeks prior to the beginning of the 'Stralanavia Skirmish', Impa's group of adventurers soon find themselves entangled within the hardened confrontation of politics and ideals that the people of Stralanavia struggle with to this day; all in one simple, single word.

'Slavery'.

An age-old practice said to have been in use since even the days of the Sorcerer of the Divine Divide himself in many of the nations throughout Aurelia. However, thanks to the intervention of Link and his friends assisting their new companion senator Tarasova, they have successfully and long last banished slavery to the past in the last country of Aurelia to have practiced slavery. In their natural need to meddle in the affairs of neighbouring nations, the group of heroes have changed the history of the very continent they now traverse; an act that sees many in thanks and likewise, many others, in disdain and disapproval.

Change, as anyone wise and old enough to know, is not easily gained but sometimes required in order to progress a country's culture and economy; this, as the taciturn Hylian princess Zelda herself illustrates rather succinctly, is one of those particular situations.

With their grand achievement in bringing down rogue senator Volkova, the remaining members of Stralanavia's panel of judges dub the group of heroes; 'the Volunteer Pioneers' and with it, they gain great standing and honour within the eyes of the general populace of Stralanavia. Something that comes into play with their inevitable participation in the upcoming martial arts national championship; the 'Stralanavia Skirmish'.

As always Link, his two close companions Alwyn and Barkner and even his raven-haired rival Raynard all sign up for the Stralanavia Skirmish, all hoping to snag the title of 'Stralanavia's Strongest'. While Link is still somewhat reeling from his earlier savage fight with Raynard at the outskirts of Morovo snowfield, the surprisingly wise young Hylian opts to adopt the advice of his similarly shrewd-minded mentor and focus his sights instead on the potential of another foe rising to take the title he so covets, having already been denied three times before in three separate competitions.

With his initial match in round one complete, and in a closer victory than he would have liked, Link looks on to round two's upcoming match-up, two of his greatest rivals; Raynard Van Garrick versus Vassia Palashia. Two companions with which he has suffered defeat from at least once and one much more embittered than the latter. Although he is good friends with Vassia and hopes with great fervour that she wins, in spite of her consistent teasing of him, he also can't help but find himself hoping that his hateful rival Raynard raves through the second round instead, as if for the pair to finish their long-standing grudge battle at Morovo.

'Torn'; just like he was at Hyrule's Water Temple...


Scene 1

"Good morning, bonjour and privet to you all here in beautifully-white Stralanavia!"

The voice of Mr. Marshall, chief commentator for the Prima World Tour, filled up Velinsk Arena as boldly as the baritone with which he always spoke so faithfully. The surrounding seated audience of Stralanavians and other Aurelians all let loose with their usually oh-so-excited cheers and bellows of approval, their very voices managing to shake the foundations of the well-laid foundations.

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH

"If you're just joining us here at Velinsk Arena we're back with the Stralanavia Skirmish!" The older man smiled on enthusiastically. "With me always is my partner in crime... Tasty Seth!"

As he spoke, the ever-grinning younger man seated next to him leaned toward him and they exchanged a brotherly fist-bump together before re-facing the cheering crowd of people around them to address them. "'Sup brosef!" He grinned Marshall's way before turning to the crowd again. "We're one round in the Stralanavia Skirmish and we've already had such a fiery match-up!" He called out, drawing the ever-smiling Marshall to open his mouth and respond.

"That's right Seth; in round one of the Stralanavia championship we've seen our fiery favourite, 'Fire Fist Firbrand' go up against the relatively new challenger Egon Kozlov!" Marshall began in reply. "Although he was certainly a newcomer to the Prima World Tour, the match may as well have been a grand or semi-finals set! Thrills, chills and spills!"

The grinning Seth edged a thumb and a head-nod Marshall's way, the result of which drew out a couple of laughs from the surrounding audience. "Yeah, what he said."

Marshall gave the younger man a chiding if, half-smirking look of his own; a sign of amusement. "Don't go away people! We have a dream match itself in the making waiting all for you in just a few minutes!"


"That was off the hook! My boy!"

SLAP

The grinning Link slammed his open-palmed right hand with the similarly joyful-faced Barkner as he caught the young Hylian's extended greeting with his own; a brotherly handshake reminiscent of their original meeting in Hyrule's Death Mountain.

"I don't think I've seen a more hype finish to a round like that!" The grinning Goron explained excitedly. "What was move was that? Shinku...?"

"Tatsumaki," the chuckling blonde replied, pulling both his hands to rest comfortably behind his pony-tailed head; a signature of one of his old carefree habits. "'Shinku' Tatsumaki; it's like a stronger version of the Tatsumaki technique that Impa-sensei taught me." He corrected himself with a half-nervous chortle on his lips.

"'Shinku' Tatsumaki... that's ancient Hylian, isn't it?"

The sound of the inserted baritone made the grinning Link drop his expression as he turned with Barkner, joined now also by his ever-constant group of companions to find his earlier opponent in round one; the smiling-faced Egon, standing by the entrance to the competitor's box.

"It is...," Link began in greeting and another light chuckle spicing his tenor, a kind of half-nervous smile to his face as he responded. "It's one of the moves Impa-sensei gave."

"Impa never named it, though she does teach it fairly well."

The group of men swung their heads 'round only to find their small group joined by the rest of the women of their band of companions; the listening Link re-rose another blonde eyebrow when he found the words spoken belonged to the sheepishly-smiling Hylian princess herself, standing not three steps from her attendant in question. The ever frowning-faced Sheikah stared down stonily at the scene before her, opting merely to remain adamant in her usual eerie silence.

"The Loftwing-style I mean," Zelda amended her earlier-spoken sentence with a light smile and chuckle, drawing out similar smiles from the rest of the listening group. "It's got a lot of history in ancient Hyrule."

"Ahhh!" Egon began, surprised enough to drop his earlier smile into a genuinely-interested frown, placing his hands to rest under his elbows in a light fold as he stepped forward to further join the group. "The 'Loftwing-style', of course... as in-"

"The ancient Loftwings of old, yes," Impa at last answered for the thick-voiced Stralanavian, nodding her silver-shaded head of hair as she did. "They're extinct now obviously, but..."

"Yes I recall reading about them! Truly magnificent creatures," Egon replied, an intrigued smile written across his features. "Native to the land of Hyrule I believe? I can certainly see why your people named your karate after them; you fight as though you were a Loftwing itself." The Stralanavian claimed, directing the last of his words toward the half-surprised form of Link on his lower left. The listening little blonde blinked back at him before cracking a sudden grin on his face, enthused and encouraged by the man's words and compliments.

"I mean I did have a good sensei, let's be real here." The ever-grinning Hero of Time shot back with a dismissive shrug, oceanic eyes briefly shut as he did.

"Wow."

The surprised youth dropped his overconfident grin and swung his newly-formed frown to face the near-dumbfounded Malon staring back at him; clearly the source of the reply. He rose up an eyebrow at her, as if to poke her silently to elaborate and she re-opened her mouth to do just that.

"Feels so weird to hear you give credit to someone else."

The listening Barkner snorted under his breath, head held low as Vassia next to him turned her violet-haired head back and laughed in her usual uproarious fashion. The watching Zelda and Alwyn instead opted for a more restrained form of amusement; merely lowering her deep-blue eyes in her smile and half-smirking on in his usual silent-faced folded-armed stance.

"Hey!" The indignant Link called back, his own grin dropped in favour of an insulted frown, forehead creased together to match it. "I ain't that bad, c'mon!"

Although he spoke in a genuinely annoyed tone to his tenor, it didn't stop the rest of the more talkative members of the group from laughing in response and even some of the others in light chuckles and further smiles on their face. Link slit his eyes to the side and turned his frown into another humorously-agitated one, finding less amusement in the situation.

I gotta stop takin' the bait she gives me, he thought wisely.

"Competitors Raynard Van Garrick and Vassia Palashia, please approach Velinsk Arena!"

Link's eyebrows shot up and he swung his blonde-haired head 'round to his rear only to find the named Palashian princess shooting smirking glares with the contrastingly scowling Raynard standing far-off next to the box's entrance, folded-armed and seemingly already ready for the match-up. Although the easily-angered young Hylian's opponent was Vassia, Raynard's glare very quickly seemed to find a new focus on the firmly-frowning form of his straw-haired rival; a sentiment of animosity the pair of Hylians appeared to be more leaning toward of more recent days.

"Vass...," Link began in light whispering, his oceanic-eyed gaze never leaving the raven-haired Raynard's, his pony-tailed head leaning toward her as he did. "Don't hold back," he advised her with. "He's-"

Vassia rolled her raven-black eyes in response, a confident smirk written across her countenance. "You don't have to worry mon chéri; I'll pound him into the ground, I promise you." She shot back smarmily, drawing out an unconvinced frown from the youth as he turned back to face the halberd-wielding Hylian ahead of him.

"I sure hope you will."

"Now it's time for you to make me a promise."

Her words managed to drag him out of his self-imposed rivalry stare with the glaring Raynard, swinging his blinking curiosity on the smirking princess on his left. "Huh?" He merely blurted back cluelessly.

"If I manage to win this...," Vassia began again, licking her lips a little as she narrowed her ebony-black eyes back at him carefully. "Then I get a kiss from you."

Link's initially curious-faced frown soon took another irritated turn and he narrowed a single eye back at her in scrutiny.

Again, the listening Barkner snorted in amusement, drawing out other sounds of entertainment from the surrounding group behind them. It was the annoyed Malon, however, that spoke up her offence and frowned angrily to match.

"Hey!" She called forward, swiftly ignored.

"No way," he fired back at the Palashian princess, drawing out a rolling-eyed smirk from her in response. "Get a kissin' doll or somethin'."

The listening Malon turned her frown into a light smirk, seemingly satisfied by his very vocally-annoyed response.

"Fine then... a hug?"

Vassia's sudden compromise, so suspiciously reasonable, could only make the listening Link furrow his brow in unsure cynicism.

Could be a trick, he thought.

But it'd be cruel to say 'no' too, so...

He rolled his own oceanic eyes back at her and re-opened his mouth. "Fine..." He moaned back at her, pulling out a satisfied little laugh from her.

"Au revoir l'amour!" She called over her shoulder as she marched toward the entrance to the competitor's box. Raynard, still folded-armed and leaning against its wall, briefly eyed her carefully as she stepped through to the arena before soon stepping off the wall and glowering wordlessly back at the firm-faced Link. Although they stared for what was merely a second or two, it felt much longer for the pair of animosity-filled Hylians and, finally, Raynard turned to leave for his match-up in round two with the Palashian princess.

The time following the pair of opponents' departure didn't make it easier on the watching Link; he took in air heavily before at last expelling it carefully and slowly, allowing the rush of confrontation and anxiety to slip back down his spine before it was soon shocked back up and somehow alleviated as well by the abrupt appearance of the grinning Malon on his left.

"Good boy." She greeted his way, reaching down to grapple at his hanging left hand. He turned his raised-eyebrow on her curiously.

"Uh?" He merely grunted back at her.

"For refusing that evil Palashian harpy," the Hylian farm girl elucidated in her satisfied grin, her fingers roughly squeezing his own in her similarly hardened grip. "I'm not happy about the hug but I suppose you have to be friendly."

"It's just a phase anyway," he shot back, rolling his eyes as he turned his half-bored frown forward after the walking Vassia ahead of him. "She's way too rich for a guy like me; she'll grow out of it I bet."

"She better," she shot back, this time in a hardened frown before soon tracing his stare. "You're mine, not hers."

He rolled his eyes for what felt like the umpteenth time and groaned.

2

"Welcome back one and all to the Stralanavia Skirmish!"

Mr. Marshall's initial greeting caused the similarly excited audience around him to cheer powerfully, their voices reverberating strongly and boldly against the walls of the stadium they sat in.

"If you're just joining us we're already one round in and what a round that was!" He smiled on as always, re-opening his mouth to continue. "We're here at wintry wonderland Velinsk Arena and we have one hell of a match-up in round two for you to watch."

"You betcha Marsh!" The grinning 'Tasty' Seth called back enthusiastically. "We got the recently-crowned Hylian national champion Raynard Van Garrick going up against three-time Palashian national champion... Vassia Palashia!"

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH

"These two are really something else!" Marshall commented on excitedly. "We have two national champions going at it, and all for your viewing pleasure! Our first is one from quite possibly the greatest championship we've had so far... Raynard Van Garrick from the Hylian Hyrax!"

As if on cue, a coloured pictograph of the ever-antisocial Raynard flashed up on one of the arena's pillars, taken early on during the Hylian Hyrax itself. Listed underneath were, as always, an updated list of his more well-known battle statistics.

Raynard Van Garrick

Combination Damage: A+

Aggressiveness: A+

Agility: S

"This kid is fierce Marsh! I still think our boy 'Fire Fist' got robbed in the Hyrax but lil' Ray's no slouch either!" Seth shot back, a light tilt to his head as he spoke. "These days he's been up or down but he's got somethin' that other kid don't."

"That's right Seth; fire!" Marshall responded with, a quirky eyebrow rising up as his smile took a smirking turn. The listening audience, and the suddenly-frowning Seth blinked as they all exchanged unsure glances with one another, murmuring on as they did. "A different kind!" He decoded this time, his grin growing as he did, drawing out chuckles from the knowing audience around them. "Young Van Garrick's emotional turn appears to be a more well-known one these past few competitions; something he brings with extra gumption to the Prima World Tour!"

"Speakin' of 'gumption' Marsh; check it." The similar-faced Seth shot back, nodding his head toward the opposite pillar. Sure enough, a second pictograph flashed up on it showing instead the smirking face of Vassia, looking down on the viewer as per her usual countenance and attitude. The pictograph appeared to have been taken a little more recently than Raynard's; specifically around the time of the Palashian Premier tournament. Underneath were her own statistics.

Vassia Palashia

Agility: S+

Side-Stepping: A

Defensive Ability: A+

"Don't let the royal blood fool you folks; young princess Palashia is one fast little spinning top!" Marshall began in commentating as her statistics flashed up on the pillar. "With techniques known only to those within the Palashian royal bloodline, young Palashia fights like one entranced by dance!"

The listening Seth blinked, briefly dropping his grin. "Dance, Marsh?"

"Dance, Seth!" Marshall opted to grin back for him, nodding before re-facing the laughing audience. "While we have no real access to the information on her secret techniques, one would think they were watching a scene from a ballet show than an actual fight!"

While some in the listening audience chuckled, others merely nodded in knowing, having previously watched the young girl fight. She stepped out from the competitor's box first, a confident grin laden across her doll-like countenance as she made the final steps up to the brown-tiled ring itself, drawing out another excited lull from the watching people in the stands. The firmly scowling-faced Raynard on the other hand opted merely to keep his glare focused forward, following on wordlessly after her; as he stepped up behind her to walk over to the one red tile for his own starting position, they at last made one final turn to face one another, completely contrasting expressions on their face.

"It's nothing personal mon ami... you may be mes amour's little rival... but it is je who shall be taking the battle's day." Vassia at last spoke up, her thick Palashian accent coming through her soprano as she leant her violet-haired head to the side and placed a soft hand across her creamy-white clothes, her confident grin carrying her on as she did.

When the glaring and scowling Raynard opted not to respond to her vocally, merely choosing to scowl hatefully back at her, the watching Vassia piqued up a purple-haired eyebrow and her grin widened a little as she re-opened her mouth to comment once more.

"What's wrong? Are you so... dazzled by my beauty you cannot find words?"

"No..."

Raynard's sudden response, so oddly and eerily calming, could only take the surprised Vassia off-guard; she dropped her grin almost immediately and blinked as he re-opened his mouth, furrowing his brow and slitting his chestnut-brown eyes back at her in hate.

"I just wanted to watch your face before I beat and kill you both."

Raynard's hardened words, so filled with animosity and antagonism, could only make the listening Vassia furrow her own brow and drop her seemingly eternal smirk in favour of a likewise hardened-faced frown.

"Red side, Blue side; prepare to strike!"

The voice of the referee in between the pair did little to ebb their focus; the two kept their eyes fixed primarily on one another, ready to move at a moment's notice. The referee narrowed his own eyes as he shot a chopping hand in between the pair vertically, re-opening his mouth to finish the fight's announcement.

"Now!"


It didn't take long for the pair to start; almost as soon as the referee's last word came out did the firmly-frowning Vassia spin forward with surprising speed, almost as if in dance. As she fast-approached the standing Raynard he suddenly darted his head to his lower right and, like a flash, he was off and vanished from common eyesight. Vassia, unable to alter her trajectory, continued in her initial assault by spinning forward before at last firing forward her seeming attack; a spinning back-hand slap filled with Aegir coloured in a similar shade of purple to her hair.

As she called out in battle cry, having assaulted where the quick-footed Raynard once stood, when she realised where he was it was far too late; he widened his chestnut-brown eyes and advanced quickly forward in a sudden and debilitating sweep that caught the similarly wide-eyed Palashian princess off-guard. When she fell to her lower left side he followed it up with a narrow-eyed athletic spin-kick in mid-air, endless and incredibly quick; a kind of attacking technique that looked similar to another kind of martial art than the one he had seemingly been known for.

SLAM

"Agh...!"

The force of his savage counter-attack saw the poor Vassia's body being sent spiralling toward one of the arena's pillars and ricocheting back off it, heading back toward the glaring Van Garrick. Raynard followed up his next assault by grunting as he shot up his left leg in a darting kick that caught her as she fell over his crown, briefly halting her in mid-air before he continued with a second kick to send her further tailspinning for a final follow-up.

He yelled out in effort as he leapt up to join her in the air, firing her with a series of savage spinning sky-kicks that saw her dropping and tumbling across the brown-tiled arena below them. He didn't waste any time in the okizeme he gained from her knockdown and glared on after her as he pulled back both arms, wind-elemental Aegir rapidly channelling in them.

"Reppuken! Reppuken!"

Like magic two powerful projectiles snaked speedily across the ground, eating up at the tiles as they dove down from their master's burning hands and hungrily chased their target. The fleet-footed Vassia however, as she quickly recovered to her feet and in an angered scowl to match her unsociable opponent's, easily side-stepped and manoeuvred 'round the snaking projectiles with dance-like steps that awed and entertained the watching audience. In no time at all she was past the zoning traps left by Raynard and soon in his face, opting to attack first by lightly slamming up a kneeing kick directed at his face.

He widened his big brown eyes at her, looking for some kind of follow-up and yet she delayed it; with a sudden quick grin growing on her expression the smarmy Palashian princess swayed her body backward to avoid the perhaps predictably panicked punch, before swiftly retaliating with a back-leaning back-kick that saw the wide-eyed Raynard being sent sky-high and screaming both in agony and shock. As the poor young Hylian soared upwards, having been launched, Vassia continued her combination by catching him as he landed with a second brutal back-leaning kick, her athletic body hanging downward as she dangled the grunting youth by his back.

"Ha!"

CRASSSH

In a similarly scintillating move, the firmly-frowning Vassia called out as she spun around her leg carrying the wide-eyed Raynard, slamming him noisily and painfully against the tiles around them. She continued her near-endless aggression by yelling out as she similarly spun-kick the scrunch-eyed Raynard across the air and further squashed into the brown-tiled ground in five assaults, before swiftly carrying over with a high-flying superfast series of air kicks directed down at his fallen form.

Raynard yelled out as she made successful contact with his undefended back before he at last swung his body 'round and caught one of her follow-up kicks; scowling toothily back at her, a light flicker of blood hanging at the corner of his mouth, he growled out hatefully as he yelled out and swung her over his head.

"PreDICTABO!"

SMASSSSH

Vassia's half-surprised, half-pained call was drowned out fairly quickly by the sudden parry she was hit with; a swinging smash that saw her embedded roughly into the ground beneath her. Raynard widened his firm-brown eyes ever further as he swung up a vertical axe kick to presumably finish her with, glaring on and grunting powerfully as he did.

CRASH

Vassia widened her own raven-black eyes as she rolled herself out of the kick's oncoming way, soon pursued on by the glowering Raynard's next axe kick.

CRASH

What followed was a series of desperate rolling evasion attempts as the angry-eyed Raynard eventually just turned to stomping at the ground in which she rolled on, hungrily focused on his enemy. It was only when they reached the entrance's edge of the ring that Vassia at long last retaliated by responding with a grapple; Raynard's eyes widened and his scowl briefly dropped as she suddenly and abruptly caught his vertically-shot leg. The pair stared at one another in what felt like mixed shock before the Palashian princess grunted as she pulled his leg toward her and slammed an elbow in, audibly cracking one of his bones.

"ARRRRGH!"

She followed up by athletically twisting her body 'round like a spinning top up to a standing position, successfully kicking him lightly with her legs as she did to continue her counter-attack combination, before finishing up with a simple shouting forward roundhouse.

"Urgh...!"

As he landed in a pained tumble, rolling across the floor, she leapt forward after him and caught him with both legs in mid-air; as they both landed, she athletically spun vertically once in the air before coming for a second pass and slamming both legs into his fallen form. When the newly-grinning Vassia rose up one of her legs for one last downward kick directed at her fallen opponent, the growling Raynard spun his spiky-haired head to face her and rose up his arms to catch it a second time. Just as before he parried the blow and his form glowed for a split second; a signature of Vassia's attack landing yet only dealing white life, before responding with a roaring roundhouse kick of his own.

SLAMMM

Vassia called out, her grin dropping to convey her shock as she was suddenly sent into a crumpling state, allowing the bleeding-faced Raynard to follow-up his parry with a successful counter-attack; his chestnut-brown eyes briefly turned bright-crimson before he suddenly spun his body 'round in an endless twisting double-kick that saw him lifting her with it into the air. The Palashian princess called out a second time in agony as she was pulled up before abruptly cut back down into the ground with a brutal vertical axe kick.

With incredible speed, the young mercenary shot down before she could even reach the tiles below them and widened his eyes as he slammed up a single fist to catch her lower back, eyes glaring at the entranced audience before him as he leant his body to the side in his position. Time briefly stopped for them and, as Vassia coughed out blood from the sheer ferocity and intensity with which she was wounded, Raynard followed it up further with a screaming spinning back-kick.

3

"HEYT!"

"Agh...!"

As Vassia was sent careering through the air, past the invisible Aegir barrier designed to protect the audience, she was ricocheted agonisingly against the pillar's walls and sent flying back toward the narrow-eyed Raynard. As she flew back toward him, cartoony-like birds floating 'round her head as if to signify her stunned state, Raynard opted to resume his barbaric onslaught of attacks by yelling out as he caught her with a swift roundhouse, halting her flight in mid-air prematurely.

He grunted out as he swung another kick, this time vertical as opposed to horizontal, and cracked her chin so hard he sent her slightly sagging upward from the staggering assault. The raven-haired mercenary slammed her with another couple of quick athletic kicks, sending her over him before he seemingly finished his near-endless domination with another yelling horizontally-spinning series of kicks, his body coated in slicing wind-elemental Aegir.

"God-damn...!" The watching Barkner whispered out from the competitor's box, wincing and cringing for the poor Palashian princess prostrate before him. "He really wants to win this."

"I think that much is obvious... he always does." The ever-knowledgeable Alwyn claimed in nodding agreement next to his close Goron companion, arms folded and his body leant to the side as he watched alongside.

"He doesn't have to be so rough with her," the disapproving Malon spoke up as she narrowed a single eye in scrutiny at the savage scene ahead, her own small arms folded as she did. "What's that guy's problem anyway?"

The listening Link's memory went back to his second incredible beat-down with Raynard at the outskirts to Morovo and how close it had also come to both of them losing their lives; an echo of their original go-around at the Hylian Hyrax and something that, while he was ashamed to say excited his nerves, was also one he wasn't too keen on reliving. The blonde Hero of Time found himself turning his head as Malon finished her sentence to exchange a worried-faced frown with the similarly watching Impa and Zelda behind him. The look in both their eyes told him all he needed to know; knowing and anxious. Finding himself also growing somewhat anxious and concerned for his new companion's welfare, even in spite of her constant and consistent teasing of him, Link stepped forward toward the edge and exit to the box, soon approached and blocked entryway by the two muscled staff bouncers of the Prima World Tour.

"Vassia!"

His sudden and abrupt call, so loud and passionate, could only demand not only the attention of its target but also the surrounding audience and the wide-eyed Raynard himself.

Even as he was pushed incessantly back by the staff members before him, Link's confident-toned tenor remained immaculate as the youth placed both calloused hands to the sides of his mouth; a technique to further carry his next morale-raising sentence.

"You can do it!"

Almost as if sheerly shocked by his words somehow, Raynard's offensive stopped in its tracks, like a wave of water crashing harmlessly against solid rock and he stared back at his blonde-haired rival with a mixed look of hurt and awe.

"Don't give in to him!"

Almost as if she were listening to his very words of wisdom and encouragement, the firmly-frowning Vassia had vanished from her earlier assaulted position and managed to sneak up on the wide-eyed Raynard with a low-sweeping snake edge that successfully connected and knocked the gasping young mercenary off his footing. She followed on up with a series of her own counter-attacks, dazzling and dance-like in nature, almost seeming as if she were waltzing royally 'round him in her aesthetical assaults.

In a similar vein to her older opponent's earlier attack, Vassia began to revolve her body 'round in a robust ringing double-kick before soon flip-kicking him up into the air. He grunted out in light pain, eyes scrunched shut and his teeth grit together as he sagged high up into the sky; she followed by leaping up to pursue and then smashing both legs down on him as if he were grapes to be squashed for wine. The black-haired youth called out in pain as his torso was endlessly assaulted by her stab-like kicks, slowly sending him back down to earth.

It was only when the two youths reached the brown-tiled arena below them that Raynard at long last responded again, this time with another fairly predictable parry attempt; Vassia's eyes widened and she cursed in Palashian under her breath as one of her rapid kicks was caught by the bloody-faced scowling Raynard, shocked and worried. He counter-attacked by quickly rising up his right elbow and slamming it savagely into the back of one of her knees, causing her to scream out in agony and for its bone to cry out in a pained crack.

CRRRRRACCCCK

"That's gotta hurt...!" The watching Seth commented on with a visible wince.

"You said it Seth...," the frowning-faced Marshall agreed on with his younger companion, nodding as he did. "A brutal match-up!"

As Raynard back-dashed to safety, so too did the gasping Vassia in an attempt to recover what remained of her positioning and security. The pair glared at one another, unwilling to lose their position in the tournament before at long last they both reacted; it was the glowering Raynard that pulled his right arm back that made the watching Vassia do the same with her only remaining workable leg; wind-elemental and fire-elemental Aegir rapidly charging within both. They widened their eyes as the watching audience all cried out in half-surprise, having realised this was potentially the end to the crude engagement.

"Sunset WHEEL!"

"Final REPPUKEN!"

FWIP-FWOOSH...

KRRRR...

KERRRRASSSSSH-VRRRRRRRR

The watching crowd of people called out a second time in sheer shock and distress as Raynard and Vassia's powerful projectiles managed to shake the ground area they fought on for miles; a testament to their incredibly-high raising powers. Unnatural wind from the sheer strength of their techniques kicked up, threatening to blow anyone close enough to the battle scene before them far away into the air; the watching Link shut one of his eyes from the competitor's box and gripped at one of the entrance's walls to prevent just that, soon finding the worried Malon grasping at his free left hand as he watched. His curtained blonde hair whipped wildly in the incredible exchange as he grit his teeth together in anxiety, fearing the worst.

VRRRRRRR...

DROOOOOOM

Finally, and soon as well, the two super techniques blew and exploded in a beautiful display of fiery sparks and razor-sharp winds; a bold and earth-shattering quake that saw the very audience's stands themselves shake in sheer fury. The screams of the surrounding people; Aurelian, Goron, Zoran and even Deku all called up to the skies in anxiety, joined by some within the competitor's box and even the match's co-commentators themselves. A bright white-light filled the area as the two powerful projectiles blew apart in brutal collision with one another, leaving none to witness its similarly savage results.


At long last did the light finally dissipate, gifting the murmuring crowd of people watching in the stands with a smoky and near-dilapidated scene before them all; seemingly having destroyed almost everything within its blast radius (bar anything beyond the smartly-projected invisible walls of Aegir), the reckless Raynard and vindictive Vassia managed to somehow both survive the ordeal, in great spite to their seemingly original intentions in both finishing the fight. As Link and everyone else surrounding the scene all darted their eyes 'round in swift search for their friends, they at last located them; Raynard unconscious, bloody and burnt lying on the hard concrete floor of outside the ring's bounds and Vassia in a similar state and a similar position.

Both of the watching Link's eyebrows rose up and his breath caught in his throat.

Would this mean they'd go to sudden death, like I did with Raynard in the Hylian Hyrax, he wondered silently.

"Ring out!"

The referee's sudden call was like a very small jolt of lightning to each person's nervously-handled spine as they watched on, unable to make much sense of the scene. The referee double-took in the direction of the fallen Vassia, widened his eyes and re-rose up his left hand this time to make a second announcement.

"Ring out! Double KO!"

Almost as if cued up by the referee's surprising call, they all screamed out their approval, their voices knocking powerfully against Velinsk Arena's walls.

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH

"Judgement!"

"J-'Judgement'?" The listening Link parroted out as he blinked both oceanic eyes forward in curiosity. "What the-? Why isn't it goin' to Sudden Death?!" He called out angrily, turning his half-annoyed frown on his companions behind him. While the watching Malon, still gripping at his left arm protectively could only shrug back at him in an awkward unsure frown, it was the ever-professional Alwyn that responded for him.

"The reason your match with Raynard in the Hylian Hyrax went to 'Sudden Death' was because it was a grand finals match," the knowledgeable Zoran replied, watching the smoky destructive scene before him, slim arms still folded in his usual stance. He turned his head-fin injured skull 'round to pique an eyebrow up at the blonde boy, curious in his own right. "Didn't you ever read up on the Prima World Tour's rules?"

Finally finding some segue in which she could comment, and cheekily at that, the listening Malon grinned back at Alwyn as she pulled in the grunting Link closer to her, a light chuckle on her lips. "Fairy boy doesn't learn things as quickly as the rest of us." She quipped, drawing out amused sniggers from some in the back and a listening rolling-eyed frown from the standing Link himself.

"So what the hell happens in a 'Judgement' then?" The previously sniggering Barkner spoke up, dropping his grin in favour of a similarly curious frown. The ever business-like Alwyn swung his own frown in the Goron's direction before opening up his mouth to reply.

"The watching tournament judges make a decision on who wins, loses and if someone should progress to the next round, normally based on a hidden point system they use to grade each participating fighter with."

Even the knowledgeable Impa and Zelda both rose their eyebrows as they listened, exchanging an unsure look with one another, almost as if it was the first they heard of it all.

"Wow," the frowning-faced Link blinked back. "I had no idea this martial arts thing was so deep."

"The system is I suppose," Alwyn added, revolving his head 'round back to eye the destroyed arena to his left. "It's always been like this, as far as I've watched them anyway."

Link's brow furrowed as he briefly went over the Zoran's words, his frown deepening as he at last took them all in, soon realising something. "Hey, wait."

"Hm?"

"'And if someone should progress to the next round'?" He asked for clarification, eyebrow raised as he swung his curious-eyed look on the Zoran next to him. Alwyn nodded lightly, prompting the youth to continue. "Does that mean-?"

"Yes," he interrupted briefly, politely, softly and yet firmly to match before he slowly swung his frown back out to Velinsk Arena. "Neither Vassia or Raynard might even progress here," he explained briefly. "It's all down to the tournament judges now."

"What a gyp," Barkner lightly grinned forward, placing his rocky-skinned arms to rest on his hips. "I'd hate to have fought to my last breath and drawing only to end up having finished for nothing."

"Maybe it's a good thing," Impa spoke up from the back, her own armoured arms folded as she did. "It will teach Vassia she can't win every battle she's in... and perhaps do something to help little Raynard."

Link's brow furrowed as he listened on intently to his Sheikah mentor talk, his cerulean eyes narrowing at the mention of his raven-haired rival, only a single thought carrying him on.

"I hope you're right."

4

"What a finish to an incredible set!" The excited Marshall cried out, the area finally growing quiet from the loud murmurings of the surrounding audience. "Two champions in their own rights! Hyrule and Palashia went head on in a death-defying duel of dinosaur-like proportions!"

"But dinosaurs died years ago Marsh." The humorously-clueless Seth responded, a genuinely innocently curious-faced frown attached to his similarly naive-like words. As the watching audience chuckled in light amusement, it was all Marshall could do to stop from rolling his eyes at his younger boisterous companion and reopened his mouth to speak further.

"Okay... so you folks watching this tournament at home on your Gossip Stones are probably thinking: 'Now there's going to be a Sudden Death event, like in the Hylian Hyrax'! But no... you'd be wrong ladies and gentlemen!" The smiling Marshall began, lightly tilting his head as he briefly edged one of his index fingers toward the enraptured audience around him. "In our competitions, a 'Sudden Death' only applies to the grand finals of each tournament; even the world championships!"

"Say it ain't so Marsh!" The sad-faced Seth shot back, his sarcastic baritone doing a good job of conveying further amusement to the listening people in the stands. Marshall chuckled this time and nodded.

"I'm afraid so my party-loving friend!" He replied before re-rising his head. "Today's decision, while not nearly as exciting as a 'Sudden Death', is one just as heart-wrenching for its participants... the 'Judgement'!"

Seth cracked a grin this time, nodding his brown-haired head up at the man as if to prompt him further. "Oh yeah? What's that Marsh?"

"In 'Judgement', a fight's winner is decided by the Prima World Tour's panel of judges! Men and women with former experience in our tournaments, and some even former champions themselves!" Marshall explained briefly in Seth's direction before soon re-facing the front. "In fact... ah, yes! We have a result now I'm happy to say!"

As soon as the excited Marshall called out his telling announcement, all idle chatter within the audience's stands soon grew quiet and even those mildly interested soon found themselves staring in anticipation. Finally, three young women stepped out from the competitor's box, breezing past the wide-eyed and surprised Link and his group of companions, all diversely clothed and carrying small wooden signs.

"Here they are ladies and gentlemen!" Marshall smiled on as he scanned his head over toward the approaching women. "The Prima World Tour judges! Or some of them anyway, representing their whole band," he finished in a well-meaning chuckle. "Women from all over Aurelia passing their knowledgeable judgement upon our illustrious fighters!"

"So what are the signs for Marsh?" Seth batted back curiously, eyebrow rising up as he edged a thumb in their direction.

"You're just about to find out my young friend." Marshall chuckled in response.

Sure enough, almost as if the three young women were listening in to Marshall and Seth's commentary, they all stepped into the annihilated and near-abandoned ring and all exchanged looks with one another. Before long however, one by one, they all rose up the small wooden signposts they held in their hands; the sign on the left contained a small pictograph of the smirking Vassia's face, drawing out an approving cheer within the surrounding audience.

"That's one vote for Palashia!" Marshall commented on in an excited smirk of his own, nodding forward.

As he spoke, the second young woman rose up her own signpost, revealing a pictograph of the scowling Raynard's face, pulling some disapproving boos and yet some cheers to match.

"And one for Van Garrick!" Marshall commented on excitedly, lightly tilting his head as he spoke. "This is all coming down to the very last vote!"

"Money's on the Van Garrick kid Marsh." The grinning Seth shot back jokingly, as if to break the perhaps inevitable tension that began to build over the very last vote; an act that soon saw the entire Velinsk Arena turn silent in genuine curiosity. The woman seemed to take her time before, finally, swinging her body 'round as she cast a smile at the audience in raising the last signpost. Depicted on it however, were not a pictograph of any of the participating fighters, but of two words capitalised and emboldened for all to see clearly.

DOUBLE DISQUALIFICATION

The watching audience, unamused and disappointed, could only call out in complaint; joined by some of the more talkative members of the similarly watching group from the competitor's box.

"Oh come on!" Barkner called out excitedly and irritatedly. "What kind of stupid call is that?!"

"Didn't see that coming... I have to say." Alwyn admitted in a light sigh through his nose, slim arms folded as he leant his body to the side in spectating. The watching Link could only dart his blonde-haired head between his Goron and Zoran companions, unable to make much sense of the situation.

"W-What's goin' on, I don't-?"

"It means neither of them progress to the next round."

Impa's sudden speaking up caused the wide-eyed Link to swing his head 'round in his mentor's direction behind him, his brow rising up as he did before swiftly lowering in scrutiny and disappointment.

"B-But that's-"

"I guess it's kinda anticlimactic...," the frowning Malon commented on next to the folded-armed Impa, resting her right elbow up on her horizontally hanging left arm as she tilted her fire-haired head at the scene, right hand cupping her right cheek as she hung its head to the side. "But at least it means you won't have to fight your friend again?"

Link's hardened, annoyed frown soon turned softer as she spoke and the words sank in; she's right, he thought as he slowly swung his body 'round back to eye Velinsk Arena's outside once more, his pondering carrying him on.

"Maybe it's better this way."

"What the-?" The watching Seth blinked out curiously and cluelessly, unable to make heads or tails of the situation. "I don't get it."

Marshall chuckled knowingly and, in a slightly disappointed small smile of his own, briefly shut his eyes as he nodded before re-rising it and opening them to speak in response. "It's a double disqualification Seth."

"W-What does that mean?"

"It means... that neither Palashia or Van Garrick are proceeding to the next round," he explained knowingly, a kind of saddened smile on his face. "This match ends in a draw."

"A draw?!" Seth exclaimed out disbelievingly, eyes widened. "But why?! They can't do that!"

"If even one judge on the Prima World Tour's panel decides on disqualification based on our set of rules, then we must abide by their judgement my young friend," Marshall cleared up, his smile still strong on his face, a kind of understanding look in his eye. "I can't say it's not disappointing though!" He laughed this time, eyes briefly shut as a grin grew on his face. Seth rolled his eyes, ever the voice of the people surrounding them.

"Got that right...," he murmured out. "I was lookin' forward to that too!"

"Palashia or Van Garrick... both were more than qualified to proceed to our grand finals of this fine national championship!" Marshall responded to Seth, directing his words instead however to the watching audience. "While our former national champions have both ended their Stralanavian journey here we're not done; not by a longshot! We still have round three coming up for your viewing pleasure!" He grinned on, clicking a finger at one of the Gossip Stones he spoke into. "Don't leave that Gossip Stone people!"