Beurling let out as sigh as she sat in the corner with Sgàil of the waiting room for the competitors with the other students.
"You nervous?" Sgàil asked.
"About the contest, no."
"Hey, the rest of my team are with yours so you have nothing to worry about."
"You didn't need to do that."
"Well Frenda told us about your mother and we agree, besides, they didn't want your team to be lonely."
"Thanks I owe you one."
"No you don't, you'd do the same for us, though if you feel the need to repay me, either here or at Vacuo we have that duel."
"Deal." Beurling smiled as she felt her scroll buzzing.
"Good luck." Beurling read as she checked the message that had just popped up from Sara.
"Thanks." Beurling typed in reply.
"Oh and how did asking Tomoko go?"
Beurling smiled she'd been asked this a few times by Sara and each time it was the same response "I'll tell you when I get back."
"Oh come on that means yes so just say it." Sara repliedbefore then sending an image of Klara holding a banner saying good luck aunty.
"Tell Klara thank you, but don't think you can cute the answer out of me." Beurling replied, then the sound for everyone gathered to make their way to the arena "Need to go keep an eye on the tv in case I'm on."
Beurling followed Sgàil out the waiting room to the stadium and into the cheering stadium 'Bet they are not cheering for me.' Beurling thought with a bit of a grin.
Beurling ignored the announcer as they were talking, all she was thinking was what Matilda had told her.
"His semblance looks powerful but it's not invincible." Matilda smiled "Once he's starting to fire, he can't change their direction, also after the first shot he has a five second recharge."
"Doesn't sound like a lot of time." Frenda said.
"No it isn't, but it's the best you have, your best bet is to dodge the first shot and then supress him while you get close, plus he can only use each of the three orbs beams six times, provided you deal with the chain, with your skills in hand to hand you'll have the advantage provided you deal with the chain."
"Sounds perfect." Beurling commented with a bit of a smile "Though why would you go against your own school?"
"His behaviour here is just like in school, if he wins, he'll be insufferable and I'd rather not have to put up with him, besides your girlfriends not the only one he's picked on and I'd like to see him taken down a peg."
"…so let's see who will be fighting today." The announcer said as two rectangles appeared on screen and went through a load of pictures like a slot machine.
"And first up is…Mistral's Gilles Gold!"
"And facing him is Vacuo's Sabine Beurling, two of the favourites should be an interesting duel."
'For once he's talking sense.' Beurling thought as the other competitors left, Sgàil stopped a second "Take some advice, when you beat him walk away, for good this time." she whispered before giving Beurling a nod before leaving.
"So you ready to lose, crossbreed." Gilles smirked.
Beurling drew her revolver and Kukri and Gilles took his chain from his hip, as the announcer counted down.
"I don't intend to, cousin." Beurling spat and felt a small satisfaction that Gilles looked confused for a second.
"What did you say?" Gilles asked.
"Zero…Go!" shouted the announcer.
Gilles brought up his orbs and fired them at Beurling but the brawler twisted to the side and just managed to dodge them, one just missed her head the second just whizzed past her back. Beurling brought her left hand which held her revolver and aimed and fired at Gilles and hit him square in the chest.
Beurling ran forward her revolver still pointed at Gilles, when he tried to charge up the orbs she fired again and again, before she could fire the fourth shot Gilles swung the chain at her head making her duck, Beurling saw the orbs glow, but just as Gilles fired them, she fired her revolver to hitting the blonde's right shoulder and the beams fired and hit the ground in front of Beurling blinding the pair from each other.
Beurling saw the orbs glow and fired her sixth shot roughly where she thought he might have been, she heard Gilles groan and this time the beams went up into the ceiling Beurling charged through the smoke and shoulder barged Gilles forcing him back.
"You insolent little bi…"
Beurling cut him off by hitting him in the side of the head with the revolver and then ignited her flames and slashed up with her kukri, Gilles was lift off his feet and fell on his back and rolled into his front.
As he got up Beurling put the revolver away and then charged him, just as she was about to close in Beurling saw one of Gilles orbs in his hands, Beurling just managed to dodge back but Gilles followed up by swinging his chain above his head.
"What were you talking about?" Gilles growled.
"Your Aunty runs a little club in the city, doesn't she?"
"What of it?"
"Well I won't be surprised if you're not in the loop but she's my mother, makes us cousins." Beurling growled.
Beurling was sure she saw Gilles face turn then bright red in a millisecond before he swung the chain at her head with a scream "You liar!"
"No way am I related to a cross breeder like you!" Gilles shouted again as she swung the chain downwards and hit Beurling in her left shoulder making her stagger backward, Gilles swung the chain again, Beurling brought her kukri upwards and beat the chain upwards.
Just as she parried the chain away Beurling saw Gilles's orbs appear "You're going to fall!" Gilles shouted before swinging the chain again, Beurling jumped back but Gilles fired his three orbs, the first one whizzed past her head, the second graze her leg making her aura fizzle and spinning her in the air, just as she saw the third one heading straight for her, she felt her aura tingle.
The third beam just managed to miss hitting her and whizzed past her shoulder and Beurling landed with a thump on her back, Beurling groaned as she got to her knees, she could still feel the burning on her leg where Gilles beam had just grazed it.
Beurling looked at the screens and saw the levels she was sitting at twenty five percent and Gilles at seventeen 'He's almost done.' Beurling thought as she turned her kukri around so the blade was facing to the ground.
"This is where you belong!" Beurling heard Gilles shout as she reached into her pocket.
"You filthy crossbreeder, you belong in the ground in the mud," Gilles spat as she spun his chain at his side "Along with that animal of girlfriend of yours!"
"She's not an animal." Beurling growled as she threw her disks at Gilles.
"You…" Gilles started only for Beurling to hit him on the cheek with the pommel of her Kukri, she then ignited her flames and punched Gilles in the stomach making him hunch over, Beurling then kneed him again in the stomach and bringing her fist down on his back, making drop to his knees.
"My girlfriends not an animal." Beurling said before round house kicking Gilles, leaving him sprawled on his back.
Suddenly an alarm sounded and Beurling heard the announcer say, "And our winner is Sabine Beurling of Vacuo."
"You cheated." Gilles growled "You lied to get me mad."
"No, what I told you about your aunty is true, I am her daughter."
"Her daughter died and you blacken her memory…"
"She was five when she said she died, didn't she?"
Beurling saw Gilles face look confused "She left me on the streets in an alley to die and when I found her again, she said she was dead to me."
"That…"
Beurling saw Gilles looking like he'd just had an answer given to him for a long-lost question but that answer seemed to make him madder.
"Leave my girlfriend alone and tell your aunty to leave her family alone to." Beurling said before she turned on her heels and began to walk away.
Just as she was halfway to the exit though she heard Gilles slam his fist into the ground, Beurling turned and saw the blonde had a wild and furious look in his eye.
"You damn cheat!" Gilles roared as she brought the orbs out and fired them Beurling.
The first hit her in the side making her stagger, the second came for her head but she just managed to bring her Vambraces up to block the blast and the third which followed, the brawler could feel the heat through the metal.
Beurling could see the guards rushing into the arena only for Gilles to shout "I'm not done!"
'He only has six shots,' Beurling thought a little lost 'Wait, he only used one beam one time, he still has two left.' Beurling realised as she saw the orbs glow and braced for them to come.
The first hit her vambraces, Beurling could feel her aura weakening under the assault 'Not going to last long.' she thought as second beam hit the top of the left vambrace near her wrists, the brawler could feel her aura flickering and on the verge of giving up.
Just as she thought it might just hold up, she felt it turn to a glass like texture before it shattered and then she felt her hand burn like it had been hit with lava, Beurling recoiled making her lose her balance and she was knocked off her feet on to her side.
"Argh!" Beurling groaned as she grabbed her wrist her hand still burning.
"Beurling!" the brawler heard Sgàil shout as she knelt beside her "Hold still, hey we need a medic here."
Beurling looked at the hand and could see it was blackened on the back of the hand, she tried to move her fingers and the act caused them to sting heavily.
"Keep it still." Sgàil shouted as the medic came over and checked the hand, he then began to bandage it up before he and Sgàil helped the brawler up, Beurling could see two more medics coming up to them.
"I can walk." Beurling groaned as she pushed past the medics.
"Are you sure?" Sgàil asked.
"It's my hand that's burned not my feet."
"You don't need to act tough and do everything alone you know?"
"Come let's go." Beurling sighed as the medic and Sgàil guided her along.