I have the feeling that after this chapter, I'm gonna get some angry rage comments for what I did in this one, especially after months of inactivity due to getting a new jobs and writer's block. *grins* oh well, worth it! I'm gonna enjoy this to the fullest.
Dynamis: Ugh... I'm still hurting from round 2's battle. Thank goodness I get a break after this tournament arc is over.
Uh, Dynamis? You might wanna look at the script. Or did you forget what I had planned for this arc?
Dynamis: *looks at script; eyes widen* WARRIOR!
You know, I should do a total count by the end of this story of how many times Dynamis rages in the pre and post chapter sections. XD
Alright then, let's get into the chapter. Special thanks to my good friend Khione for beta reading these chapters for me.
I don't own MFB, and all OCs belong to their respective owners.
Chapter 18: Finals: Calm Before the Storm
"So in the end, we're stuck without a proper strategy."
Yukina watched Lucas frown as their team tried to work on a strategy. While most of their opponents had either a theme or a weakness, the group had trouble figuring Dynamis' team out. The most they could figure out is that the team often worked in pairs, but could fight together like a well-oiled machine.
Fortunately, Yukina knew that their team was quite the force when they fought together as well.
"The most I can think of is to take down Rosalina and Gingka first. Gingka has aerial advantage with that Pegasus seed of his," Lucas pointed out, "And Rosalina is a distance fighter."
"Then we need to ground gingka and force Rosalina into a close combat fight." Sophie stated earning a nod from the Paladin of ice. "Leave them to me and Wales then. Those plants of theirs won't be able to handle an arctic frost strategy."
"But Dynamis can. Part of a royal's duty is to train to be strong enough to protect their kingdom. Not to mention, he's a strategic member of the other team."
"Then how about we face them strategist to strategist?" Everyone looked at Yukina, who shyly moved back, "I mean that Dynamis knows how to strategically counter our teamwork. Why not use that as a trap?"
Lucas thought for a second, before giving a nod of approval. "That can work. Dynamis will have spotted that we work well in pairs. We'll use that against him as well. Yukina, any defensive spells that we can use to catch him off guard?"
Yukina smiled, gripping her fans. "Leave that to me. I haven't show all my tricks in the field yet."
"Good. Wales, Sophie, keep an eye on Ruka, and ground Rosalina and Gingka's advances."
"Right." Wales looked over at Sophie, "I need to get some supplies before the battle. Wanna come?"
"If that is alright with you Lucas," The trio watched Lucas nod, and Sophie grinned as she and Wales turned to leave.
The second both their guards exited the room, Yukina noticed the Paladin of ice exhale an intake of breath. Now that she thought about it, the male seemed slightly peeved with the two, a bit more so with Sophie, and her thoughts drifted to how she noticed Sophie switching places with Amethysia in his and Wales' dances with the two women.
"Did something happen between you two last night?" she asked.
Lucas snapped out of his train of thought, and he shook his head as he looked over at the other Paladin.
"It's nothing, Sophie was just trying to play matchmaker last night. She seems to think that me and Amethysia are good," He admitted, although a bit hesitant in his answer.
While Yukina could tell he was telling the truth about the situation, she could sense that it wasn't all that seemed to be bothering her teammate.
"Something is bothering you though, besides that though. Is it because of the fact that your father is watching us?" The paladin questioned, and Lucas' eyes widened slightly, confirming her suspicions, "You don't have to hide how you feel Lucas. I've been in your shoes. Not as bad as you, that is, but I know bad blood when it comes to family."
Lucas grew quiet, a frown on his face.
"Why are you so concerned about it anyways? It's none of your business," The ice user pointed out.
"W-Well yes you are right on that, it isn't. But I just can't stand around and see someone in a troubled state of mind. What your father did, even if I don't know what it is, is affecting you to an extent. You can close off your emotions on it and keep it to yourself. But you shouldn't let it affect you in the battle. A little bit of hesitation makes a big impact when it comes to attacks."
"You make it sound as if you've been through similar situations."
"Finally realizing my sister's jealousy for what she caused helped me figure that out."
Lucas was quiet as the door opened, revealing Amethysia panting as if she had just ran all the way here.
"Lady Noir? What brings you here?" Yukina asked.
"Bad news. We got trouble coming during the battle."
Both paladins' eyes widened before Lucas frowned.
"Tell us what you know."
"I'm really nervous Rosalina! Things are really uneasy with the matter of there being death magic sensed!"
Dynamis watched Rosalina comfort her familiar, while Jupiter rested on his shoulder as Gingka and Ruka watched the scene with unease. The group had been talking a strategy to fight Lucas' team when Amethystos and his familiar appeared, the ferret shaking in her arms.
"The more days that pass by, the more the death magic will start to leak. Eventually, it's going to leak into the kingdoms and stay in the air on a more permanent basis." Dynamis pointed out, earning nods from the other members of his team.
"If it's bad enough now though, think of how bad it's got to be when the winter solstice hits at the end of the year." Jupiter cooed slightly, the hawk-like familiar hopping off his shoulder before resting between him and Rosalina, "At the moment we should be grateful that it is only starting to leak heavily in our realm. As frightening as it is, it doesn't affect us on a grand scale."
"That's good. But still very alarming Jupiter. If anything changes, please let us know."
"Of course my dear prince."
Rosalina looked down at her own familiar as it nuzzled the hand she was petting Amethystos with.
"You try to stay alongside Jupiter if you can Amethystos. If it helps, I'll call out for you after the battle is over and you can rest in my bag," the red haired princess suggested.
With those said, and the purple ferret now calm, the two familiars disappeared, and Dynamis sighed as he looked up at the ceiling above them.
"One battle ahead of us, and yet we still have a lot on our plate."
"We'll manage through it Dynamis. We've come this far, and we can make it if we give our all against Lucas and his team." Rosalina declared calmly.
"I wish it was that easy. But something about this battle to come makes me think it won't be as easy as it sounds."
"Wait, how so Dynamis?" Gingka asked.
Dynamis frowned. "No matter how hard it looked, it felt like both teams weren't giving their all. The way i saw it, noir and Shiro held back and allowed Lucas' team to win. But if that's the case, then why?"
"A sign of trust maybe? Noir did pick on Lucas and Yukina a bit when we all met in Vivia."
"That is true…."
"Pardon me for my intrusion, dear thunder prince, but I have important information to share. And it would be wise to hear what I need to say."
Dynamis and the others in the room turned to the newcomer, the avian familiar perched on the open chair.
"Eirlys! What are you doing, spying on us for Lucas' group?" The lavender haired prince exclaimed, all the other members on the team on guard.
"To warn you about this battle. I am not hear to spy on you, but to warn you about what Lucas and Yukina heard from a spy for the rogues of Chaos," Eirlys squawked, earning looks of confusion.
"A spy against the enemy? When did the rulers of Eternity send one?" Rosalina asked.
"They hadn't. This one has been spying without them knowing for years till one person found out. And now we have info of something bad about to happen."
Rosalina looked at Dynamis, who looked to her for some approval. The red haired princess nodded, and he turned back to Eirlys.
"Okay, let's hear it."
"Let's be honest Noir. Even though we warned Lucas and his group, and they warned Dynamis's group, do you think it will be enough?"
Amethysia said nothing to Shiro as they watched the crowds gather in the arena, a look of concern on her face. The duo had returned from Lucas' team's room to a waiting arena after warning them, but it did little to ease her concerns about the battle to come
"We did what we could, Shiro. Now we gotta wait for the signal to fight against the rogues of chaos." Amethysia admitted as Kamui appeared on her shoulder, the familiar looking as concerned as his mistress, "We need to make sure that we get through this without fully exposing ourselves."
"To which side? We've pledged allegiance to the kingdoms, but we still are under the oath of the rogues of chaos." Shiro pointed out.
"Both. We're on thin ice as is with how many know we're spies. And even more so if they warned Dynamis' team. But if Caspian finds out, we're screwed royally. I would hate to see the damage done to us. And to Lucas."
"The ice prince there? He's not a member of the rogues."
"But his father is. And if helping me overthrow Caspian would get me on Lucas' good side, then I'd happily stab the king of Obscure's back when the time comes."
Shiro raised an eyebrow before smirking, "So that's how it is. You got the hots for the ice prince there."
Amethysia's cheeks flushed red. "Well I can't deny he's quite handsome. But I see something in him when I look into his eyes. He's afraid to trust someone close because of how his father treated him. Shiro, he needs someone to open up to, to be there by his side. But as long as his father strikes fear in him, it might be a long time before he can finally reach out and trust someone."
The white haired adult frowned, their familiars appearing on their forms. "You find something Spiria?"
"I have master. Kamui and I gave a look around the capital like you asked. As you feared, we found the whole city looking like a ghost town." Spiria admitted, her master opening a bag of nuts and seeds to feed on.
"Chrona is sticking with that plan then like we predicted. That explains why the stadium is packed tightly today." Shiro frowned, stroking his familiar's feathers, "So then Amethysia, you got a plan for how we're going to deal with this?"
"That depends on both of us." Amethysia turned to her partner in crime, a hand resting on her scythe as she petted Kamui, "Because no matter what happens, we're stepping out of the frying pan…"
Shiro finished the statement as both teams entered the arena below them. "And into the hellfire to come."
Lucas was first to notice the look on their opponents faces as they reached the middle of the stadium, Rosalina stand on Dynamis' right side. Their expressions were emotionless, but it was clear they had gotten the message.
"I had hoped this battle would be a great way to send a warning to those opposing the kingdoms, but from what your familiar told us, that won't be the case," The lavender haired prince pointed out.
"Believe me, this wasn't news none of us wanted to hear. But I think all of us knew it was inevitable," Lucas retorted grimly.
"Indeed. However, I am more curious as to who your spy is, and how you managed to establish a plan like that so quickly."
"Let's just say now isn't exactly the time for that. We don't want potential enemies figuring out that we have a person hidden within their ranks," Dynamis nodded in agreement with the statement, drawing his sword. The other fighters grabbed their own weapons, and Lucas already began charging his magic up, "Well then, let's give them a show."
"Let the final battle of the team tournament begin!"
Lucas was quick to take the initiative, his staff twirling in his grasp. "Icicle Barrage!"
Icicles formed above Dynamis, prompting the lavender haired prince to jump back constantly to avoid the deadly attack from falling on him. An arrow from behind flew past him before being deflected by Lucas' staff, signaling that Rosalina was assisting him. Almost immediately after, Yukina struck, sending the red haired princess flying before Wales and Sophie began engaging her, Gingka, and Ruka in battle.
Leaving himself to face Lucas and Yukina alone.
"You're smart, Prince of Lightning. But there is something I noticed with you. You always have Rosalina act as backup to you, because of how strong she is as a distance fighter. She became your eyes from a distance during this contest. But the coldest, strongest winds can blind that sight," Lucas pointed out, the air growing cold around the trio as he gave a slight smirk. "Cut away the support, and you're a sitting duck. Yukina, I need a boost!"
Yukina nodded with a smile, the wind picking up by a significant amount. "Crystalline Winds!"
"Winter's Wrath."
Dynamis smirked as he avoided most of the combined attack, gripping his sword tightly as he felt frost gathering on his form.
"Do you really think I fall back on support that often? After all, my sister and I have one thing in common. We have more than one trick up our sleeves," The lavender haired male retorted, his magic crackling around him.
"Perhaps you're right, Prince Dynamis," Yukina agreed faintly, as her magic flowed around the trio and mixed with Lucas' cold aura. "But with what's to come, it doesn't help to stay on the side of caution. Surely you sense it like Lucas and I do, right?"
The paladin of lightning frowned at Yukina's words. Now that he felt it, there was a sense of foreboding in the air. The crowd seemed to even lack the energy that it had the past two days. And as each second of the fight passed, an uneasy feeling settled in his chest.
"I have a feeling you are right, Princess Yukina. Something is coming, like a deadly storm. And we're all just the calm before the storm hits."
"Grand Deucalion!"
Rosalina could hear Gingka yelp as she anchored herself to the ground in order to withstand Wales and Sophie's joint attack. Even with a numbers advantage against the two guards, the duo had their ways of countering their attacks. And as the battle raged on between both teams, the red haired princess had begun to notice some things that the others teams didn't seem to have realized.
Wales and Sophie seemed to have a special method to their teamwork. The wind elemental guard used his powers to boost the speed of Sophie's ice element in order to speed up the formation of her defensive spells. And in return, the ice elemental woman's magic increased the deadliness of Wales' offensive attacks. Their elements worked hand in hand with one another.
And that made fighting them even harder. But she knew every team had their weaknesses. She just had to find them.
At the same time though, something just kept sitting wrong in her mind.
"Tell me something. What makes you think the enemy will strike during our battles?" Rosalina asked. The storm in front of her raged on, but weakened to show that they heard her. "Spies are a fickle business. They can be loyal to the fullest, or they can be ever changing at the promise of a high price. The first one seems out of the question due to how recent all of us learned of nocturne's potential revival. So that begs the question: how did you find a spy so quickly?"
Wales gave her an impressed look as he charged towards Rosalina, his sword poised to strike her side. The ginger haired male was close to her ear, and a breathy answer was whispered to her.
"In all honesty, it was one person's accident that sparked a revelation of change. One person discovered the truth of another's identity, and found out from her that all those close to him were in danger. So he swore his silence, in order to continue the facade. They are spies for the enemy. But their loyalties are to their kingdoms and families first."
"And the identity of the first you speak of?"
Wales smirked as he retreated backwards, "Every kingdom has ghosts of their past. Some just never died."
Rosalina's eyes widened in interest, the answer to her question satisfying her. All kingdoms had their dark pasts, some more hidden than others. And with their pasts, came the mysteries that surrounded it.
"I wouldn't let it get to you right now, milady. After all, we still have a show to put on," Wales pointed out as the icy hurricane grew stronger
The red haired teen nodded as she drew an arrow, focusing it at a certain point. She had sensed a change in the air, and knew that time was running out for both of all of them. "I agree. We have to bring this battle to a close."
And without hesitation, she fired a volley of arrows towards Lucas, just as a burst of wind sent her flying into the air afterwards.
"Lucas, watch out!"
Lucas heard the warning just as Yukina pushed them out of the way of the arrow volley coming towards them. A flash of pain crossed his eyes as several arrows flew past his body, the metal tips creating several cuts on his arms and face. Next to him, a cry of pain escaped Yukina, and he looked behind him to see an arrow in the princess' right shoulder.
Well, now he needed to thank Yukina for saving him from dealing with more injuries than what he probably would've gotten if that attack fully connected.
An exasperated sigh escaped the paladin of ice as he looked up at Dynamis, Rosalina landing in a heap next to the paladin of lightning.
"I thought we agreed not to overuse our powers while giving them a show." Lucas pointed out, "Or are your powers not fully under control yet from your flower marking ceremony?"
"We did agree to not overuse our powers. But who doesn't love a good plot twist in a show?" Rosalina asked as Dynamis helped her up, and Lucas gave the red haired teen a glare. "As much fun as this dance between our teams has been, we need to finish this."
"I agree, Princess of Vivia! I think it's time someone cut in on this little dance of yours."
Lucas whipped his eyes in the direction of the voice that cut in, everyone in the arena and crowds above following his action. The battle between teams had stopped, but their weapons were still drawn in case plot was needed. And given what he and the others saw above them, it was going to be well needed for what was to come.
Standing on top of the pillars of the arena were a group of cloaked figures, each cloak pitch black and fitted with hoods that cover their faces. The two that were in front the most had different colored cloaks, one green, one purple. But what really set everyone on guard, was the fact that each cloaked figure was carrying a weapon of sorts.
The green cloaked figure walked forward to the edge of the pillar that they stood on, and not even his resistance to ice could prevent the chill Lucas or anyone else got from the smirk on the figure's face.
"Nice little tournament you're hosting. Mind if we join you for some fun?"
Yep, I pulled a Naruto on you guys. Evil, thy name is cliffhanger! *cackles madly*
Dynamis: More like evil, thy name is Warrior. You know, I'm more mad that you didn't finish the tournament. I was actually certain that I was gonna win.
Lucas (Queen's OC): *pops in* Don't be so sure you would've. I still had a lot of tricks up my sleeve.
Dynamis: Yeah well I'm Warrior's favorite character in the fandom. That has to account for something.
Only in the one-shots Dynamis. You know anything goes in the multi chapters. Be thankful you're not being tortured as much this time around. But keep talking, and we'll see what happens.
Dynamis: *looks worried*
Lucas: *gives a smirk* Ha.
So anyways, next chapter we're gonna be going into a warzone of chaos. And Trust me, what's gonna be going on is so intense, it's gonna have to be split into 2 chapters, possibly 3.But in the meantime, let me just say I am sorry this chapter took so long. Between writer's block on one hand, and my life is going through a lot of changes like moving house and my first job, I had a hard time getting this chapter done. But now it is, and I will hopefully get chapter 19 done as soon as I can. The good news is it's at least a third of the way done. But I will say this: if you hate me know, a good portion of you are gonna hate me for next chapter. XD
For my question of the chapter, how do you think this first encounter between paladin and rogues is gonna go? As always let me know in the reviews, and once again I apologize for how long this took to get up.
That's it for now! Until next update, this is warrior signing out! See you all on the other side of the nexus!