A/N: Sorry for the long delay. There's been a lot of things going on so I haven't had much motivation or time to write. That being said, I originally intended to finish the tournament arc this chapter, but this portion was long enough on it's own so I'm splitting it up again. Hopefully, I will finish the Tournament Arc by the end of April.
"Woohoo, I'm feeling like a million bucks right now!"
Amy gleefully proclaimed as she prance through the crowded venue, her hands full of random goodies she bought from the many stalls lining the concrete plaza.
It was the second day of the tournament. After the tense fights the previous days, both duos of Team JAYD managed to make it into the finals, hence Amy's festive mood this morning. Joining them in the finals are Yin and Xeno of Team ONYX, and of course, Jaq and Ace, who no one doubted would win their match easily following their other member's defeat.
"Man, I can't believe we're the only team that managed to get both squads into the finals out of all the groups. Heck, everyone thought Team JAQK would be the only one, but we showed them. Hah!"
She triumphantly punched the air, completely forgetting all the little goodies she was holding, causing her to quickly real back in fear of dropping something.
Meanwhile, behind her, the rest of the team followed along with her a similar upbeat attitude, but not to the same level of animation.
"To be fair, we must give credit where credit is due," Diamon spoke as he eyed a crepe he purchased just moments ago, wondering how to approach eating it. "It was Yin and Xeno who made such a possibility happen. If it wasn't for their stunning performance yesterday, it would've just been our team versus Jaq's team for the finals."
"Yeah, they did great," Jade nodded along. Unlike the rest of her team she did not partake to any delicacies around her, but was content watching her team enjoying themselves. "Speaking of them, I'm glad that they were able to peacefully resolve their issue with Oni and Nero. I was afraid they might start something new from the result."
"Hmm, that's right," Diamon mumbled between a bite, which he quickly swallowed before speaking again. "It is good to know they at least have a shred of dignity. Although the sincerity of their apology is dubious at best, the fact that they were able to admit defeat is a good first step."
"Heh, I know I felt great seeing them all frustrated like that," Amy butted in.
They were all talking about what happened yesterday afternoon after the tournament ended.
When Yin's match ended, he, along with Xeno and Kingsley, were quickly carted to a temporary infirmary set up in a separate building. Jaded wanted to tag along when he was carried out, but was told to stay until the matches were over by the staff. However, immediately after Jaq and Ace won their fight and the schedule for tomorrow was announced, Team JAYD quickly went to the infirmary to check his status.
Now, while fights that cause a party to end up with injuries are rare due to the rules, they do happen from time to time when fights get especially heated, so the small room was cramped with several students, both injured and visiting. Yet, despite this, the whole team was able to fit in.
They were lucky to have caught him when he was conscious, but still too weak to move much. Their conversation was short, mostly just congratulations, and it was at that point where the other two members of their team showed up. At first, the situation was tense as Jade was unsure whether they would start something at the infirmary, but thankfully, they kept their cool and followed through with their side of the deal: an apology and repealing their plans to kick him from the team.
Still, like Diamon said, they still seemed a bit frustrated when they apologized so it may not seem as sincere as they wanted, but Jade felt that it was enough for them to not cause any further trouble.
"I just hope Yin feels well enough to compete today," Jade made one final comment on the subject as they approached the edge of the festival area.
Despite her usual calm expression, she was actually extremely excited. Now that the whole ordeal with Team ONYX is over, she is looking forward to their upcoming fights. Whatever the result, she was happy to have gotten this far.
"Attention students, the finals will be starting in 30 minutes. Those who are participating please come to the main stadium as soon as possible. Tardiness will result in disqualification."
A commanding male voice boomed through the speaker system, briefly quieting the raucous of the crowd for a moment. It wasn't Aki or Glynda who was casting today as the main event will encompass every grade and some of the more senior members of the faculty will be in charge of the narration.
The announcement caused Amy to go into a panic as she was still holding a few foodstuffs that she hasn't finished yet. She quickly stuffed them in her face, much to the displeasure of Diamon, who gracefully finished his little crepe, as the team began moving their way to the stadium.
The entrance to the stadium was jam packed, but, because they were participants, they took a separate route, one that led towards the basement area directly underneath the main stage where they prepared their combat gear for the final performance.
Yes, today was more of a performance than just a straight up tournament. There will be a bunch of different types of entertainment on the main stage other than the fights. And while Jade wished she could take part in some of the other shows, mainly the dance shows, sadly being a finalist in the tournament is too much of a time commitment to do anything else.
Once they were finished getting ready, they moved up to the main stage.
Unlike the satellite stadiums, which could only fill a few thousand people, the main colosseum had nearly 100,000 seats and the performance area was larger than a football field. On top of that, since this was the main event, a lot more people showed up to watch, which nearly filled the massive stadium.
When Jade got to the large open arena, there were already several students present, though most of them she didn't recognize as they were from different years. However, there was one person she did recognize…
"Oh? Looks like the stars of the show finally made it."
Standing noticeably alone amidst the group of team pairs, was the silver-haired boy with the eyepatch: Ace Spades.
"Ace." Jade responded cautiously.
After the event from yesterday, she was a little more wary of him than usual. Despite his team members losing their match even with his "encouragement," he didn't seem disappointed at the result at all. In fact, he didn't have much of a reaction other than his usual cryptic smirk. And it's the same smirk he has now.
"Where's Jaq?" She tried to hide her concern with a bit of light conversation.
Ace merely shrugged.
"She got a little...off-track with her sense of duty. You know her, always ready to lend a hand when it's needed."
"Aren't you worried she might be late and get you disqualified? It wouldn't be much of a tournament if it just ended at the semi-finals."
She was just a little annoyed by his lackadaisical nature and wanted to incite him a bit. However, he responded with a hearty laugh and he took a pose that was all but familiar now.
"Hah, I don't have a shred of doubt in my mind. Our impenetrable bond tells me she will arrive precisely when she is meant to arrive. No sooner. No later."
Then, he returned his usual expression.
"Rather, you guys should be worried about yourself. It would be a shame when your entire team gets wiped out by us."
Amy scoffed. "You think you're already set for the finals? I'll have you know we aren't some pushovers like those you faced yesterday."
"And I'm sure you aren't either. But humor me for a moment."
Meanwhile, Jade's eyes narrowed at what Ace said, for a different reason.
"You say that as if you are certain we will reach the finals."
"Oh? Did you not hear?" He had a genuine look of surprise on his face.
"What do you mean?"
It was now that Jade felt the absence of the other team that was supposed to be here, but before she could voice her concern, the speakers came to life.
"Ahem, I have an announcement to make before we start the finals."
Jade felt a sense of foreboding.
"Due to injuries from the previous day, the finalists from Team ONYX, Yin and Xeno, have decided to forfeit their match, so Jade and Yu from Team JAYD will be seeded into the finals. Thank you."
Jade's mouth was agape. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Yesterday, the doctor's said they would be fine after a good night's rest, but it appears that wasn't the case. She sharply glanced in Ace's direction to gain any information out from him but he just smirked and shrugged with his arms folded.
"Hey, don't look at me. I mean, sure it was my bad that they got roughed up like that, but even I expected those injuries to be easily recoverable. To forfeit the match, even I didn't expect that, but, I must admit, it does play out in my favor."
"Hmmph, likely story. I wouldn't put it past you to do something like this. What, you want to fight us that badly, you eliminated the competition?"
In a strange twist, it was Yu who confronted him. The team was taken by surprise and even Ace paused for a moment before chuckling.
"Heh, come on, cut me some slack. Even I am not THAT tasteless. Besides, I'm pretty sure you also appreciate this outcome as well."
Ace had a sly smile as he prodded Yu with his finger. Yu's expression turned sour and he violently slapped away his hand.
"Don't lump me with you."
Jade was about to intervene, seeing how things were escalating too quickly, but thankfully, the speakers came on again and disrupted them before she could.
"Alright, with everything out of the way, let the second day festivities begin!"
Yu gave Ace one last hateful glance, who only seemed amused by it, before backing off.
"But before we get to the tournament, we have a few words from one of our sponsors and the owner of the convention stadium: Kay Lewin!"
The many large screens surrounding the roof of the arena lit up and a well dressed, middle aged gentleman with white hair and a lavish beard appeared, filling every screen.
"Ahem, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my humble hall. It has been a great pleasure to be able to host such a wonderful event for all of you. I hope everyone has enjoyed the festivities."
A smattering of cheers and applause rang through the large stadium.
"Now, before we get started with today's event, I would like to share some exciting changes to this stadium that I am sure many of you will enjoy. It is something we have been working one for several years now and today will be the grand reveal to the public. Behold!"
With a wave of his hand, there was a sudden rumble on the large open field. Several pillars rose from the field at symmetrical distance forming a large circle that took up most of the field. Then, slowly, the floor itself within the circle began to rise to form a large circular stage, several times larger than the one in the periphery stadiums. Synchronized with the rise of this stage, the screens that once displayed the older gentlemen shifted to a diagram of the stage.
"I introduce you to the Lewin Challenger Arena 2.0. With the cooperation of Atlessian engineers, we were able to build an arena similar to the Amity Stadium used for the Vytal festival right here, in our beloved City of Vale. The proportions are the same and it supports the same holographic terraforming features as the real stadium, albeit not on the same scale, so Huntsman in our magnificent Kingdom can enjoy the same experience as the Vytal Festival a little closer to home. However, rather than let me explain everything, please enjoy a little preview of what to expect in the coming matches."
As he finished talking, the monitors flickered out momentarily and started to play a video - although it appeared like an infomercial - showing the features of the stadium. It covered mostly what the gentleman said, but in far greater details on the engineering and even showed a demonstration of it transforming into two juxtaposing biomes, one with dry, earthy crags and the other a lush forestscape. However, despite the quality of production, it was obvious most of the audience, and many of the contestants, weren't particularly interested in the video. They were here for one thing: the tournament.
After about three minutes, the infomercial finally ended and the screens faded to black. In between the silence that followed it, the speakers returned with the normal announcers.
"Thank you, Mr. Lewin for that lovely presentation. Now, without further ado, let's get the first round of the tournament started!"
A loud ruckus rang through the audience, far greater in scale than the previous day, far greater than anything Jade ever experienced. Before today, the only time Jade witnessed something remotely close to this scale was the concert halls back in the City of Mistral, and that can only house a quarter of this stadium max capacity. Not only that, the type of applause she was used to was tame and formal, while this had the same energy as a raging waterfall. However, she couldn't lie, the energy from the crowd was a little infectious.
"Now, we will be starting with the first year finalist. Will the teams-"
"WAIT!"
There was a distant voice, enhanced by a loudspeaker but still quiet in this massive arena. However, it was loud enough to capture the attention of the announcers and a good portion of the audience.
Heads turned - Jade as well - to face the entrance, which glowed with a strange red color. Then, suddenly, Jaq burst from the entryway like a cannonball expelling from a cannon. She propelled herself over the audience, her oversized coat fluttering wildly behind her like a cape, and dexterously positioned herself to land on the railing alongside the stadium stairs where she started sliding towards the arena. On the way, she tossed the loudspeaker in her hand at a baffled stadium employee and quickly drew her weapon, the scary looking sword Wolf Fang as Jade recalled. Then, nearing the protective wall separating audience and competitors, her sword glowed red before sending a blast of energy at her feet, which propelled her through the air once more, high over the rail guards with a trail of brilliant red like a firework, before landing squarely in the nice little space between Ace and Jade's team.
Jade winced at the plume of dust and gravel from the wake of Jaq's explosive landing, but Ace didn't even flinch.
"Sorry for being late! I was caught up in something!" Jaq yelled towards the announcer's booth, with her hands cupped to her mouth.
Sadly, without the loudspeaker, Jade doubted her voice had the power to reach the front row audience, but thankfully, even if the announcer's didn't hear her say it, they seemed lenient on this minor tardiness.
"Ok, that was a bit unexpected, but we'll forgive it because that was a nice entrance!"
It seems like some of the teachers had a flare for the dramatic.
"Now, where were we? That's right, we are starting with the first year matches, and as it appears that all the contestants have finally arrived, please approach the stage."
Applauses came again as Jade and the five other contestants approached the stage. During their approach, Jade couldn't help but make glances toward Jaq who casually kept pace with not a care in the world.
"Sooo, why were you so late?" Jade leaned over and whispered to her.
Jaq tilted her head towards her and gave Jade a lighthearted smile, but with a tinge of embarrassment.
"Oh, that? Well, there was a bit of commotion and a stall nearby got caught in the mess. So, I broke up the fight and helped repair the stall."
"Wait, that's it?" Jade shook her head in disbelief.
"Heh, believe me, she will step in for a lot less." Ace quipped in snarkily. "Hell, she might even forfeit the whole tournament for some trivial call for help."
"Oh, shush you. I know that you know that I was fine. Otherwise, you would've complained a lot more back there."
"Ouch, seems like you've gotten me figured out."
Jade was suddenly reminded of that moment during the start of school when Jaq went in to help Yin from the hooligans and, if taking that into consideration, she guessed it wasn't beyond her to do something like that.
However, before they could continue their conversation further, they arrived at the arena and lined up at the center of the large arena where several floating robotic cameras circled them, streaming their feed to the large monitors above the stadium for the audience to see. As this was going on, the announcer continued to speak.
"Give a round of applause for our first year finalist!"
The announcer proceeded to call out their names one by one and the cameras would cut to the appropriate contestant. He also gave a little blurb about each contestant - nothing personal, just a bit about their Semblance and school records - and that would be followed by cheers and a round of applause. It was nothing more than a formality so once that was finished, he transitioned to a more serious tone.
"As everyone is aware, the first fight would've been Jade and Yu vs Yin and Xeno, but due to the latter team's concession, we will start with the second match, Diamon and Amethyst vs Jaq and Ace. Before we continue, I just want to reiterate the rules once more. They are the same as the preliminaries: no attacking after the opponent falls below threshold, no attacking with the intent of breaking through your opponent's Aura, and leaving the arena boundaries is a disqualification. However, one change is that the Aura limit is set to fifteen percent. With this change, we will also be monitoring Aura levels more strictly than before. Do you understand?"
Jade raised a fist into the air alongside everyone with her to signify their agreement.
"Good. Now, please exit the arena as we prepare for the first, and perhaps the only, battle for the first years."
The two teams moved off the stage and almost immediately, the pillars surrounding the arena flared to life alongside the tiles of the arena floor. Slowly, terrain was being generated, starting as a lump of meshes in the rough layout of what it wanted to become, then slowly forming textures to create a realistic looking environment. And the environment for the first match was a volcanic landscape on one half and a chilly ice field on the other.
Once the field finished generating, the announcer called for the combatant once more to approach the stage.
However, before Diamon and Amy left, Jade had one thing to say to them.
"Good luck out there." She called out as they took their first steps forward.
"Don't worry about us, we can handle it," Diamon said as he gave a thumbs up while Amy flashed an OK hand sign. His words were spoken with confidence, but there was the lingering feeling of tension around it, too.
"But, if all else fails, I have faith that our defeat won't be in vain. Because this battle isn't just one for Diamon and Amethyst, but for Team JAYD as a whole. So watch us carefully, Jade. What you are about to witness will be our moment of glory or at the very least, the foundation of one."
Jade nodded. She could feel Diamon's conviction, and in the few months that she had spent with the two of them, she understood what he can be like when he was serious, so she won't worry about them further.
The two finally parted ways, and as they reached the arena, amidst loud cheers, Amy quietly whispered to Diamon.
"What do you think the odds are for us?"
A slight grimace formed on Diamon's solemn expression. "Do you really want to know?"
"All I want to know is that it ain't zero."
"It's definitely not zero…"
"Good," Amy sighed, releasing all her pent up stress, and took on a more lively mood. "That's all I need to know."
They stepped onto the arena from the volcanic side and the first thing they felt was the drastic change in temperature. It was blisteringly hot, but not on the same scale as a real volcanic wasteland. And opposite to them, Jaq and Ace came up through the icy field, which they could assume was just as cold as it is hot on their end.
They met up at the line that bifurcate the two biomes and the announcer's called out once again.
"Please bow and set up for the match. It will begin in 30 seconds."
The two sides followed the instructions and bowed.
"I believe this is the first time we fought each other, well, other than that time during the placement exams." Jaq started speaking in a cordial tone.
"I guess it is," Diamon replied with a bit of hesitance as he checked his equipment one last time.
"Great, I always wanted to fight against you two on one to see how strong you guys are. I've already got a good sense of Jade and Yu's strength from the few times we practice against each other, but I haven't really gotten to know the two of you the same way. I'm curious how well the two of you fit into her team."
Jaq continued on happily, without a care in the world, as if they weren't about to beat each other up in a few moments.
"Well, I hope we won't disappoint." Diamon attempted to match Jaq's facetious attitude, but suddenly frowned when he mulled over her words. "Wait, what do you mean two on one?"
"It means exactly as it sounds. I will be fighting the two of you while Ace stands back and acts as support. Naturally, if you were to defeat me, then Ace will concede with me."
"A condition I'm against, of course," Ace let out a reticent sigh as he started to walk away from the group. "But considering she entertained my idea to fight solo the previous day and the mishap with the Yin fight, I had no choice but to accept her condition."
"Aren't you underestimating us a little?" Diamon frowned. On the one hand, the rational side of him appreciated any advantages he could take, but on the other hand, the gentleman side of him felt slighted by her supposed implication.
The monitors started to show the countdown, starting from ten. Diamon and Amy got into their battle stance while Jaq slowly drew her sword from her back.
"On the contrary," Jaq spoke slowly. Her expression turned icy, as icy as the arctic biome she stood in. "I am doing this because I recognize your abilities."
She went into her fighting stance, her sword held high by her cheeks with the blade pointing at her opponent, just as the countdown reached the last few seconds.
"After all, if I was underestimating you two, I couldn't care less about measuring your potential."
As her last words came out, a loud blare signaled the start of the match.
Diamon and Amy quickly leapt back, making some distance between them and Jaq, but surprisingly, Jaq did so as well despite the fact that she was using a close combat weapon.
Using the distance they've made, Diamon threw a ruby charged with fiery energy while Amy fired a few shots from her staff. Multiple projectiles flew towards Jaq, who remained still with her weapon raised. However, just before they reached her, there was a blur of motion as Jaq expertly weaved between the projectiles. It was so quick that it almost appeared as if she just phased through them.
But she didn't stop there. She continued forward, charging directly at Diamon, who went into a defensive stance to receive her.
But the moment Jaq crossed the biome borders, he was hit with a feeling of sluggishness and Jaq's movement started to blur. A quick glance at his partner's tense expression revealed she was afflicted with the same phenomena.
He quickly recognized this as the effect of Jaq's Semblance based on an anecdote from Jade. The sluggishness was the result of being affected by the time distortion field Jaq has placed around them which dulls their reaction time, making Jaq seem faster. Thankfully, he also knew that as long as he was aware of the distortions and focused on a single point, he could resist it to an extent.
"You're not getting us this easily!" Diamon shouted as he put all his concentration in observing Jaq's movement.
It was difficult to pinpoint her exactly as her form appeared like a smear of paint on a canvas, but it was enough for him to see the two hit slash she was going for and raised his shield accordingly.
Similarly, Amy also managed to read her movement and block a follow up sideways jab at her sides.
Immediately following that maneuver, the feeling of extra weight on them lifted as Jaq turned around and shifted into a different stance.
Using this sudden lapse, Amy quickly swung her staff around, transforming it into a spear along the way, and went for a quick swing at Jaq, but she nimbly avoided it with a backflip.
"Impressive, you were able to resist the time field." Jaq lauded them as she landed on the balls of her feet.
"If you think something of that level is going to stop us, then you better think again!" Amy chortled cockily at her while brandishing her spear.
Jaq only responded with a muted chuckle.
"Heh, I would be disappointed if that was all it took. I'm only just getting started." She then gripped Wolf Fang tightly, and flung herself at Amy with renewed fervor, her sword clashing loudly against Amy's spear.
Meanwhile, Diamon took the moment to preemptively charge up a few gems while Jaq was preoccupied. He was trying to find a good opportunity to support Amy with a well placed sapphire to freeze her in place or a garnet to blast her back, but his attention was quickly taken away when he felt a hostile intent behind him. There was a sound of gunshot and it was only thanks to his quick reaction that he was able to deflect Ace's sniper round.
Diamon took a moment to trace the projectile's path and found the silver haired boy crouched on top of a glacier in the distance. He had a smug look on his face as he wagged his finger to let him know that even if he wasn't participating in the fight directly, he was still a threat.
"Oh, it looks like Ace has taken on a support role while Jaq is taking the frontline."
Diamon heard the announcer call out the situation. He almost forgot that they can still hear the announcer and the cheers of the audience since this wasn't the preliminaries. All that concentration on Jaq had drowned out the background noises up till now.
It was also clear that the caster did not hear what was going on before the match started. Well, it was a giant stadium and there weren't any microphones around them so anything they say in the arena will probably stay with the contestants. But now was not the time to focus on that. The audience and the commentary are just background noise and will remain so.
Meanwhile, Amy was struggling with Jaq. While her skill with a weapon is nothing to scoff at, when compared to the near mechanical speed and precision of Jaq's swordplay, she looked clumsy swinging her spear around. It wasn't long before she was forced to retreat out of Jaq's range to take a breather.
"Damn it, I can't get anywhere with her. It's like she's ready for my next move before I even make it." Amy grunted as she wiped away the perspiration on her brow. Just from that quick bout, Amy appeared haggard already but Jaq was perfectly normal.
"As much as I hate to admit it, we might need to synchronize our attack in order to even have a chance at breaking her defense." Diamon whispered back.
"Yeah, I agree."
Thankfully, Jaq didn't have any sign of going on the offensive. She was perfectly satisfied with giving Diamon and Amy all the time they need to throw a counter attack her way. She was just that confident in her abilities.
"Let's go with the good ol' switch combo, yeah?" Amy grinned as she raised her spear.
"No complaints here." Diamon raised his shield in response.
Seeing those two ready for their next plan of attack caused a grin to form on Jaq's cheeks.
With a loud battle cry, Diamon and Amy kicked off at the same time, rushing towards the lone Jaq.
Diamon came in first. He took a few swinging swipes with his shield, aimed at breaking Jaq's posture. However, Jaq easily deflected his attack with fluid-like movement, without a single motion being wasted, but that wasn't the true purpose of Diamon's effort.
While his wild swings dealt no damage, he was able to invade her area of influence, specifically at a distance where the bite of her blade would be weaker without stepping back. Using the advantage, he raised his shield once more and let a pulse of energy discharge from it to throw her balance off, but she mitigated the effect by jumping back.
Seeing the slight break in her defense, Diamon's eyes open wide. "Switch!"
In that one moment, Diamon took a knee and shifted his body to the side, letting Amy, who was directly behind him, leap over him with her spear ready to strike.
She put all her weight on her initial attack, plunging her spear towards Jaq's abdomen, but even still, Jaq somehow managed to twist her sword just in time to divert it.
But Amy wasn't done. She made a series of wide arcing swings, forcing Jaq on the defensive, and finished her maneuver by leaping high in the air and hurling her spear down at her.
Jaq shifted her body so that the spear buried itself harmlessly mere centimeters from her feet before turning her gaze upward to attack the now exposed Amy. But, that was her crucial mistake.
"Switch!"
Diamon rushed forward, pulled Amy's spear loose, kicking up some volcanic soot in the process, and used the same motion for an uppercut at the distracted Jaq.
Unfortunately, it didn't connect as Diamon suddenly felt the sluggishness of Jaq's time bubble weight on him, giving her just enough time to avoid the sharp point. However, just as quickly as the pressure of the time bubble kicked, it quickly lifted when Amy came swooping in to prevent Jaq from taking advantage of it.
From there, Diamon tossed the spear back to the rightful owner and they went on an unrelenting combo.
A spear thrust.
Followed by a shield bash.
Proceeded by a spear slash.
The two of them alternated between their attacks at such a rapid pace, it was almost as if they were attacking as one entity.
Yet, despite their amazing coordination, Jaq managed to keep up with their pace, albeit with a slightly tense expression.
However, at some point, even the seemingly infallible Jaq made a mistake.
Immediately after deflecting Amy's spear, Jaq unconsciously shifted her body to expect another shield bash, but instead, she was surprised to find Diamon standing back, further than usual with his gauntlet raised, pointing at her.
There was a red glow and a flaming red jewel was shot towards her.
Her posture was wrong so deflecting it would be awkward. Instead, she activated her Semblance and caused the flaming projectile to slow to a crawl.
That seemed like the end of it, but then there was a searing heat directly behind her, breaking her concentration.
"Wha-?"
As it turns out, Diamon and Amy's constant barrage had pushed her close to a magma well and what she just felt was a sudden geyser of lava. Obviously, it wasn't real lava, but the heat from it was still blistering.
And in that moment of distraction, the burning jewel struck her, not necessarily doing a lot of damage, but temporarily stunning her.
"You're mine now!" Amy shouted, not wanting to waste this golden opportunity.
She descended from the sky, her spear raised for an overhead slash.
Yet, even when stunned, Jaq's reflexes kicked were sharp enough to hold up a defensive stance.
However, it wasn't needed in the end as a bullet of pure energy came out of nowhere and struck Amy in the back.
"Gah!" Amy cried in pain as blast through her trajectory off, and Jaq, who finally recovered, did not miss a beat for a counterattack.
With a flick of her wrist, she redirected her defensive stance into a spinning horizontal cut. With no way to escape, Amy took the brunt of it and was sent flying.
With her trajectory, she would've collided with a large rock, if it wasn't for Diamon catching her just before the point of impact.
The two of them coughed profusely from all the volcanic ash they kicked up, but Amy quickly recovered and fired an energy shot towards the direction she assumed Ace shot from. However, Ace was expertly hidden so she had no idea if she was correct or not.
"Oh, thank god you're alright" Diamon let out a sigh of relief as he quickly covered his worried expression.
But, Amy caught it and her eyes widened. It was a rare expression that she hardly ever saw him make for her. Not since they were younger.
"Ungh, yeah…"
The sudden flash of childhood memory caused Amy's cheek to grow red and her words to come out shyly. It also made her fully aware that she was still in the arm of Diamon so she jolted up from his lap.
"Arrgh, he's so annoying!" Amy tried to hide her embarrassment by changing the subject.
But, being the dense guy he is, Diamon didn't notice anything wrong.
"Agreed, but even so, diverting our attention to him would be a waste of our resources," he answered, taking Amy's off hand comment way too seriously.
Amy couldn't decide whether to be happy or angry that he was completely unaware of her unusual reaction, but she just chalked it up as Diamon being Diamon and returned her attention to the real threat here: Jaq.
They went to a defensive stance as Jaq approached, but she just strolled towards them without any hostility.
"Impressive," Jaq called to them. "I'm honestly surprised by your teamwork. It was a lot more intense than I expected. How should I put it? It's definitely more fluid compared to that of Jade and Yu's."
At first, Diamon remained cautious, thinking this was a trap, but upon confirming her pacifism to be genuine, he relaxed, entertaining her decision to chat with them.
"Of course our teamwork would be flawless. The two of us have been together for as long as I remember. We compliment each other like a pair of earrings."Diamon boldly proclaimed with a smirk. However, his wording caused Amy to give him a startled glance, cheeks flushed red again.
"Isn't that right, Amethyst?"
Diamon suddenly faced her, but she quickly turned to avoid making eye contact with him.
"Umm, that's right…"
Again, he missed the subtle difference in her behavior.
Or perhaps he did, and didn't want to point it out.
But, he continued on.
"Jade may be more perceptive than us and Yu may be stronger, as much as I hate to admit it, but when Amethyst and I work together, we are not inferior to them in anyway and what we displayed was only a portion of our capability. So, if you were underestimating us, I suggest you not."
"Oh, I had no intention of underestimating the two of you, but I must say I did hold back a little too much, and for that I apologize."
There was a sudden shift in the air, as if a storm was brewing. Jaq's cordial expression disappeared, replaced by a look of pure focus as she brought her sword to the ready.
"Now that I've seen what you two are capable of, it's time for me to go on the offensive."
A thick mass of pressure started building up around Jaq. It exudes such extreme hostile intent that Diamon and Amy reflexively return to their defensive stance with cold sweat suddenly forming on their cheeks.
"And trust me," Jaq continued with a foreboding gravity in her voice. "I won't pull my punches."
The moment she finished speaking, she disappeared.
"Wha-"
Diamon barely got a syllable out before Jaq appeared right in front of him, her sword in the short form in mid-swing.
There was no telltale heaviness or the blur of motion of being slowed by her Semblance. It was as if she just suddenly got faster to the point of disappearing to the naked eye.
But Diamon got no further in his thinking process as he was smashed by the force of Jaq's sword and sent crashing through a pillar of stone.
To Amy's eyes, Diamon was beside her one second and the next, he was replaced by Jaq.
Jaq then followed through with her slash, spinning around and aimed her sword at Amy.
Amy started the motion of blocking her attack, but there was something nagging the back of her mind.
Danger. It wasn't some rational thought, but a primal reaction screaming out to her like a prey when spotting a predator.
Abandoning everything, Amy took to the sky to avoid Jaq's horizontal cut and it turned out to be the right call.
Not a moment later, a cluster of stalagmite located directly behind where Amy once stood was completely obliterated.
"Close quarters is dangerous" were Amy's immediate thoughts as she flew further up, firing a few shots from her spear to keep Jaq away.
Jaq easily dodge her projectiles and the energy blast kicked up a bunch of soot, shrouding the area around Jaq.
Amy clicked her tongue. The last thing she needs right now is to lose visibility on her.
And just as she considered this, Jaq popped from the cloud, propelling towards her using shots fired from her sword.
She tried to fire a few more shots to stop her, but that was the wrong choice. Jaq merely changed her momentum by firing another shot and before Amy could do anything else, she was already next to her.
Luckily, Amy raised her spear in time to block Jaq, but the force of the blow sent her plummeting.
"Ghhh-" It took all of Amy's concentration to redirect her fall to prevent a hard landing.
"Your reactions are good. And your foundation is solid," Jaq complimented her as she landed nimbly on the ground.
"Well, thank you. A few encouraging words is just what I need right now," she replied sarcastically.
"It does make me wonder why you are so skilled even though you don't plan on being a Huntress? If I'm being perfectly honest, you are a lot better than your friend Diamon."
"We being chatty now?"
"Would you prefer the other option?" Jaq raised her sword.
Amy clicked her tongue. Guess she really doesn't have any other choices. But, it was a good opportunity to buy some time.
"Just because I'm good at something doesn't mean it's something I want to do."
"That's certainly true. But you certainly don't carry yourself with that kind of mentality."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Amy shot back with a glare
"There are thirty two students in our class. Most of them intend to become Huntsman when they graduate. They all try their hardest to improve their fighting skills to meet that goal. Yet you train just as hard as anyone else in the class, if not more so. Even more so than your team leader, who's still on the fence about becoming one. If I didn't know any better, I would think you are trying plenty hard to become a Huntress."
"Oh, I see I have a stalker." She tried to play off the uneasy feeling she has with humor.
"I'm just being observant, that's all."
"Well, if you're so observant why don't you take a guess?"
Jaq seemed amused by that prospect and stroked her chin in thought. "Well, if you truly don't want to become a Huntress, then perhaps you want to apply the skills for a different purpose."
It's scary how accurately Jaq could analyze people. She heard from Jade about the time they fought in the Emerald Forest and how Jaq broke through her facade of being a normal Huntress-in-training. It made her shiver just a little.
But, she guesses she'll reward her perceptiveness.
"It's true, I don't intend to become a Huntress. I mean, who wants to stare at those ugly Grimm all day? It's not cute at all. I rather be staring at some cute clothes instead."
"So, I was right?" Jaq seemed a little too excited by this.
Amy shrugged her shoulders with a big sigh, exasperated.
"Close, but there is a reason why I'm trying my best here."
"And what might that be?"
Amy chuckled as she recalled the memories that brought her here.
"You know, I was always a bit clumsy at everything. There's always something I forget to do or something I can just never get right, but if there was one thing that I didn't screw up, it's beating the shit out of Diamon whenever he wanted to spar with me. It's weird right? How could I, who has no intention of becoming a Huntress, be better than him, who needed to become one to take over his family's legacy?"
She briefly paused, clutching her weapon tightly, then meeting Jaq's eyes with a determined look. Jaq, feeling the change about her, also raised her weapon.
Then, she continued speaking, in a quieter tone.
"I didn't originally intend to come here. Like I said, it wasn't something I wanted to pursue, but Diamon was the one that changed my mind. He was always worried about his chances of becoming a Huntsman, always fretting about little details. Even when I tried to encourage him, he was in a constant state of stress. But then, he told me something: 'I need you. I would be a lot worried with you by my side.'"
Amy started laughing.
"That idiot!" She spoke with more volume this time. "He sure knows how to word things in the worst way possible, but you know what, it was all the reason I needed to be here. Since I was young, I felt like I wasn't needed. I can't do anything right and Diamon was always the one taking the fall for my failures. So, when he said he needed me, of course I will try my best to meet his expectations. Isn't that right, DIAMON!?"
She suddenly called her partner's name and from the still lingering cloud from Amy's previous attack, Diamon burst forth, a little bruised, but more determined than ever.
He charged towards the surprised Jaq and threw a glowing sapphire at her. When it got close, it burst into a hail of many ice crystals.
Quick on the uptake, Jaq activated the Dust crystal in her sword, causing it to burst into flames, and quickly deflected the ice projectile with a swath of her blade.
But, Amy used that moment of distraction and went for Jaq's leg. Jaq tried her best to avoid it, but it was too fast to fully avoid.
Amy's spear nawed at Jaq's ankle, making her stumble, giving Diamon the opportunity to plow into her with the full force of his shield. But even then, Jaq was able to hold her own, using her sword to counteract his bull charge.
Amy went at her again. This time leaping over Diamon and aimed at her back.
"Raaagh!" Amy screamed as electrical energy built up in the gem at the spearhead, ready to bring a massive jolt upon Jaq.
But, Jaq was not fazed. "You had your chance, but I won't let you get any further."
Diamon and Amy felt the time bubble warp their senses again. It wasn't enough for Jaq to perform any counterattack, but it was enough for her to make some distance before meeting Amy's spear with her own burning sword.
Flashes of intense energy were sent spewing everywhere like fireworks.
It suddenly became a contest of strength between Amy and Jaq, but if that was all it was, Jaq clearly had the upper hand. She shrugged off Amy's spear, and used that time to build up heat in her blade again.
"What the hell?"
Amy tried to approach Jaq again, but was repelled by an intense heat. The arena suddenly grew frighteningly hot. Hotter than the artificial heat from the volcanic biome. Even the ice biome, a few meters away, showed sighs of being affect as ice mounds began to melt. And from the heat, a swirling wreathe of flame surrounded Jaq and her sword.
Fearing the intensity of what might follow, Diamon desperately beckoned to Amy. "Get over here quickly!"
No time to waste, Amy rolled in behind Diamon just as Jaq unleashed her fiery technique upon the two.
Diamon quickly withdrew the star diamond on his gauntlet and held it aloft. "Star Diamond! Shield us from ruin!"
A dome shaped barrier appeared in front of Diamon, taking the full brunt of the flames and causing it to split on either side of them. However, it was still too much for Diamon to handle and it finally collapsed at the tail end of the barrage.
What was left after all that was a path of fire and destruction.
"Diamon! Are you alright!" Amy coughed through all the smoke.
"Just dandy," Diamon's voice was weak and strained, but at least he was still able to speak.
Amy didn't need to look at the monitor above to know that Diamon's Aura was on the brink of collapsing.
Diamon also seemed aware of that fact.
"Looks like...you need to...go on without me," Diamon huffed, breathlessly.
"What are you talking about? You're still in the match, there's plenty you can still do."
"But for how much longer. We both knew...coming into this...that this would be the end result. And it's like you said...you were always the better fighter among us. At my current status... I will just be a hindrance."
Amy could decide whether to laugh or get angry, so she made a sound that was a combination of the two.
"You heard that? Are you being serious right now? Geez, I can't tell if you're joking or just really dumb."
She then grabbed him by his collar and slapped him across the face. Gently as to not lower his Aura any further.
"If you heard all that then you would know what I said after. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. I wouldn't have tried so hard if it wasn't for you. If you give up now, what reason do I have for continuing this fight?"
Diamon rubbed his cheeks with a surprised look. Not at the slap, but the fact that tears were slowly forming on the edge of Amy's eyes.
"So what if we knew we might lose? You said yourself, the chance of winning wasn't zero. Then, stop doing all the calculation and start actually trying a little. Isn't that why you came? Is that what you promised me? To try your hardest and see where it gets you?"
Diamon blinked twice. How could he forget that? He did make a promise like that to her. With her by his side, he promised to try his best to be the best Huntsman he can be. But somewhere along the line, he returned to the methodical, take no risk self he always was.
He shook his head, clearing the last dredges of shellshock from Jaq's last attack, and patted Amy's head as he stood up, tall and firm.
"Sorry. For making you worry like that."
Amy shook her head with a smile and wiped away the moisture forming in her eyes. "Who said I was worried, stupid."
"Right," Diamon chuckled.
He then surveyed the scene around him with a grimmer look. The wake of the destruction reached all the way to the edge of the arena and a quick glance at the scoreboard showed that both him and Amy's Aura were in the red, while Jaq is still above 50%.
"So, what's the plan now?" Amy asked from behind him.
"Honestly speaking, there is little hope for a turnaround at this point."
"Maybe it's time to use this?" Amy revealed the necklace she was wearing since early on in their school days. Attached to it was a brilliant violet gem: an amethyst. She held it out to Diamon, wanting him to take it from her.
Diamon's eyes grew wide. He looked down at his gauntlet, where one gem was missing in the 12 slots on it. If he took it, it would complete the set, and he can use his trump card. It was something he had planned ever since the placement exam when Amy used the last amethyst to defeat the Nevermore. He certainly was tempted to do so just to defeat Jaq.
But, he shook his head and gently pushed her offering hand back to her. "No. There is a time and a place for that and this is not that time. I will not waste something we have built together over simple pride when it can be used to save lives."
"Then what are we going to do? How are we going to end this?"
He gave her a gentle smile. "I have a plan. Do you trust me?"
She smiled back. "You know I do."
Diamon then marched forward, through the charred carnage to face off against Jaq, who stood there casually like the final boss of a game.
"Oh, you're approaching me?" Jaq called out with a smirk.
Diamon didn't bother to give a proper response to what amount to a challenge, but he did have something to say to her.
"I have to say, standing here, weakened, on the brink of collapse, I am suddenly reminded of a story my grandfather told me from his youth."
Jaq raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Oh? Please do tell. I'm rather fond of stories."
"When he was a child, my grandfather lived in the valleys where the sun rises late and sets early. However, in the winter season, there was a particular tall mountain that would block the sun even on the brightest day. So, he made a vow. He vowed that he would move that mountain so that the sun will one day shine upon the town no matter the season."
"Sounds tough, how did he go about something like that?" Jaq was completely engrossed in the story. She seemed so exposed to a sneak attack, but Diamon knew better than to attempt something like that.
So, he continued his story.
"Every morning, he hiked to the peak of that mountain and pummel the earth for an hour. He did this everyday for the better part of five years. What started as a cleft at the peak soon became a sprawling cavern. And at the end of that fifth year, guess what?"
He paused for dramatic effect.
"He never managed to move that mountain. I mean, how could one man possibly do something like that? But, instead, he discovered a large cluster of valuable gems. And that was how Prisma Jewelry Company was founded."
Jaq shook her head. "Well that seemed like an anticlimactic story."
"The story doesn't end there because after a decade of mining operations and a large workforce, that mountain was drastically altered to the point that sunlight can finally shine upon that small town during the cold winter days."
Jaq clapped, impressed. "I see. A story about perseverance and perhaps a hint about teamwork?"
Diamon merely nodded.
Funnily enough, the audience was growing curious at what was going on and the announcer's weren't too sure either. All they could tell was everyone suddenly stopped fighting and started chatting about something.
At this point, he turned around and nodded to Amy who stood slightly behind him and tossed her an emerald. She looked at it curiously, then understood what he wanted.
Meanwhile, Diamon faced Jaq once more and pointed a finger at her.
"I say all this because I can finally understand the underlying message he meant. You are the mountain blocking my sunlight. I may not be able to move you with just brute force, but someday, with perseverance, I will find my way to reach that light."
Diamon reach his hand out and placed on Amy's spear, right on top of her hands.
"I will find it with Amy by my side alongside Jade and Yu. Because we are a team, and together we can reach farther than we can ever reach alone."
The emerald he handed Amy finished charging and the spear they held together was wreathed in a torrent of wind. Adding the electric sparks from the Dust crystal embedded in the spear, it literally became a raging storm in their hand.
"Looks like you are ready to end things here." Jaq smiled
"Of course. If we are going to fall here, the very least I can do is provide my team a better chance."
"Very well." Jaq took her sword and held it by her hips as if it was a sheathe blade ready to be drawn. "If you wish to end it with a bang I will oblige."
She released the spent Dust cartridge in her sword and replaced it with a fresh one. Immediately, it glowed bright red again and the same suffocating heat returned.
"Show me your resolve and I will match it with mine!"
Both sides let out a battle cry.
"THUNDER CRASH!"
Diamon and Amy jumped up high, propelled by the wind, and then came shooting down like a bolt of lightning.
Meanwhile, Jaq held her burning blade tightly with intense concentration.
"Path of Enlightenment. Fourth style: Path of Void."
She made a quick arcing motion as if drawing the sword into a slash and a second wave of destructive flame shot forth.
Lightning met fire in an intense struggle of domination.
The flames would've encompassed Diamon and Amy completely if it wasn't for Diamon holding up his shield to block the brunt of it. But the effect was still staggering, Diamon's Aura was already flickering, ready to give way, and Amy's wasn't far behind. If the flames continued any longer, they would pass out before even reaching Jaq.
Thankfully, with gravity on their side, Team JAYD was able to push through the flames and slam the spear at Jaq's feet, causing a large electrical surge.
The arena momentarily lost clarity and the monitors flickered.
Everything was distorted by flame, smoke, and electrical sparks.
There was a moment of silence.
Then, everything became clear.
Diamon and Amy were on their knees with the spear buried into the arena floor, which still had electrical surges now and then.
Jaq was several meters away, her sword in a defensive stance, but she was still standing.
Then, the large monitors came into focus once more and the final score was revealed.
"The winner is Team JAQK!"
Diamon and Amy's Aura were completely gone and Jaq's was flickering in the red. It was close, but the result was as expected.
Cheers exploded from the crowd, who at that point were all holding their breaths.
While they were lost in the throes of excitement, staff and the medical team quickly entered the arena to treat the injured.
Jaq didn't have any visible injuries, but when they approached the other two…
They were passed out, hand held, still gripping onto the spear.
