Chapter 4: You Do Not Talk About Fight Club.
Summary: The Wyvern's Flight's Mage Tournament kicks off with a bang. Pre-Eliminations begin.
"This is… Extravagant."
Trace knew that extravagant was an understatement. This was flashy, colorful, extraordinary, showy…
...Dare he say overdramatic.
The small arena in Veritas was decorated with streamers and banners, the guild's mark on most of the decor. Colorful posters covered dull and worn out stone bricks. A light show was visible from the outside, the bursts of magic fireworks being heard over the cheers of the audience.
He had looked at the brackets before he left- Trace was the first up in Eliminations, facing against Gisa. But, since the number of participants were at a measly 10, there were the brief "Pre-Eliminations" before his own.
He hoped that "fireworks show" wasn't actually the fight. He hurriedly made his way into the arena- hoping there'd be a seat left.
"There's the new kid."
Trace waved- nervously, as Lyra of all people pointed out his presence. In response, he was given a small wave from Gisa, a glare from Glave, a wink from Kouga, and a wider wave from Erin.
He was somewhat nervous that the three "sensible adult figures" were missing from the group. To participate, of course, but still.
"Your seat's over there." she said- pointing to the seat behind Glave and Kouga's, adjacent to Gisa's.
"Right! Thank you!"
As he- quite awkwardly- shuffled into his desired seat, conversation sparked.
"You really think you'll surpass me, don't you Boot?" Glave scoffed, the instant Trace sat down.
…"I'm… sorry..?"
"Bribing the Guildmaster to put you in the bracket opposite to mine! Just to make a spectacle facing me in the Finals!"
"...Assuming you make it to Finals." Kouga added.
"Says the one who never makes it past eliminations! Face me seriously!"
Kouga only shrugged in reply.
"Oh yeah…" Erin mumbled. "Kou throws every year. But still, who says Cooked Blue will make it past me?"
"Why are you guys placing bets on me?! Who says I'll even make it past Round one?! Gisa might make it!"
"...Yeah, okay." Erin agreed. "Potion Man has experience on her side! No offense Cooked Blue, but you're kind of a scrub."
"...She's not wrong..." Gisa mumbled.
For a quick second, Trace's eyes widened. They were right- he's been legal for barely a whole 24 hours. These guys- legal for years! He had to throw something back- at least defend his honor!
"Well, yeah, but-"
"It doesn't matter!" Glave shouted, ending the debate. "You'll all be in the loser's brackets soon enough!"
Lyra huffed in exasperation, fixing the hood over her head. It seems this conversation happened before.
"I will not be defeated, especially by some Boot!"
"Whatever you say, buddy." Kouga sighed. Glave quickly redirected his glare from Trace back to him.
"We are not buddies, Mongrel!" he screamed in retaliation. "Face me in the arena and see why!"
Well, it was at least good to know Trace wasn't the only one that Glave gave a rude title to.
"Please don't yell over the fights." Lyra said- firmly, evenly.
With almost a pout, Glave silenced- arms crossed, his leer directed to the show in front of him.
Tora was used to tournaments like these. Humans loved them- loved fighting in them, loved watching them.
The Guildmaster was no different. They always seemed so excited when these tournaments started. Organizing them, watching them… Like a kid with Christmas.
Of course, these were purely friendly. Not a hint of malicious intent…
...Well, from most. Some got too competitive. Others got too into it. But in the end, it was harmless.
Tora at least knew Freya was just looking for a fun match.
'Damnatio ad bestias…' he found himself thinking. This matchup followed the setup, but the competitors- evenly matched.
It seemed she was thinking the same- or, at least similarly. She smiled, walking up to him, shaking "hands".
'Not really hands on both ends, but close enough.'
"Just like old times, isn't it?"
"Something like that."
As they walked back to their corners of the ring, the barrier around them formed- surrounding the pit with translucent hexagons. A simple mechanism, to make sure those watching didn't get hurt.
The cheers of the crowd was the only signal for them to begin.
Tora knew and expected Freya to make the first move. She must've, too- for a few seconds, she watched him. But, quickly, colorful flames burned in her armored hands, sparking with color.
With a cry, she leapt upwards, throwing one of them directly at him.
There it was.
Tora pounced to the side, dodging the flame as it burst against the ground. Though, that's not what he was anticipating. No, it was what came after, what would've been- what should've been a kick straight to his skull. They've faced off for years, he knew her style…
And perhaps, she had finally learned his.
Instead of missing a bludgeoning punt like he expected, she quickly landed and rolled back, throwing the second ball of flames at him. Tora just barely blocked- the small burst leaving a burn mark against his armor.
She smirked, as another flame started up in her palms.
"You're gonna have to fight back, y'know."
He chuckled. A red aura began to form around his body.
"There's no rush, is there?"
Tora dashed forwards, and watched carefully for Freya's next move. It seemed she was planning for once- instead of hopping back or to the side, she blocked- taking the brunt of the charge, barely skidding back.
Then again, it wasn't even too powerful.
"You're going soft, man! Come on!"
She lept back- another colorful flame sparked beneath her feet, propelling her away.
This would be quite the exercise. With a huff, Tora decided to at least entertain her.
It seemed she changed her strategy quite a bit from the times before. Hovering in the air like that, tossing balls of flames towards him every now and again, as he was forced to prance around the ring.
Even when she missed, or if they were blocked, she kept at it…
Was she waiting for him to strike? She'd just exhaust herself out!
...Well, at the Quickly, Tora shifted to the offensive- running towards Freya directly. She grinned- she wanted this, and backflipped, flames dispersing beneath her, floating gently to the ground.
Mid-fall, she threw two bursts of flame towards him- both dodged easily, effortlessly.
Or, perhaps-
He barely got to see the move he had predicted before- Freya using the momentum of her fall for a powerful kick- he almost bit off his tongue as she impacted over his head. Quickly, she lept back,
"Oh, come on! You're throwing!"
"Maybe so…"
Perhaps, he was going a tad too easy on her. Once again, a red aura surrounded him, more powerful than before. She grinned in reply, leaping up into the sky once again.
Though he tried to follow, she had the height advantage. Thinking from a strategic standpoint, it would be better to stay either far away or just beneath her. But, Freya wasn't really the strategic type.
Point proven- the mid range wasn't opted with much resistance. Tora pounced onto the barrier- and began running up the sides, up to her height. The aura around him began to flicker, growing stronger.
As soon as he reached Freya's position, he hopped off the wall-
"Furor Burst!"
And exploded, in a burst of fierce red energy.
They both landed ungracefully- battered and bruised. Tora hated using that move, it hits him just as hard... But it was rather effective.
Freya rolled upwards and sat upright- breathing rather heavily.
"Wanna call it quits?" he asked, approaching her once again.
"Really..? So soon..?"
She looked more exhausted than her words. They both knew this. Freya sighed in defeat.
"Alright, fine."
Once again, they shook hands- and the barrier dispersed.
"H-holy crap…"
Trace was in utter awe from that spectacle. Though short- it was indeed as grand as he'd expect from mages of this caliber.
"Of course the animal throws it." Glave scoffed, turning back to Trace. "The hell are you so happy for?!"
"Lay off the kid, it's his first time." Kouga sighed. "Least, I'd think so…"
"I just think it was pretty cool, y'know? Running up the wall to fight an airborne opponent… Does Tora not have any long-ranged moves?"
"Oh, he does." Erin smirked. "He's just soft."
Blowing Freya up did not look soft. But, he didn't want to argue.
"You think that's cool, just wait until I kick Edgelord's ass."
"Kick the ass of whom?! I bet you won't even make it to finals!"
Trace wasn't going to lie- he felt somewhat tense. Meeting the standards of that first match would be difficult…
"Gisa."
From the other side of the seats, Lyra piped up. Both her and Gisa had remained rather silent- the former likely bored, and the latter just quiet.
"Ah, right… I'll head down."
She didn't take the way through Trace, no. She went above and around their row, then back downstairs.
"She helps with medical." Kouga quickly explained. "Magic is kinda really the only way we can do this all in a day."
"Ah…" Trace mumbled to himself. It made sense. They do stuff like that in the GMG's- getting out as many events as they can within the timespan. Though, the GMG was a rather long ways off… Plus, this was a whole different format…
"Quit acting so dumbfounded!" Glave swiftly yelled at him, snapping him out of his train of thought. "Why go through the trouble of challenging me like this if you have no experience in a competitive environment?!"
"I don't!"
"LIAR!"
For a moment, Trace was tempted to lose his match on purpose, just to get Glave's attention off of him.
But, it would look pretty bad on him- his first fight, and he throws it.
"Lay off the new kid." Lyra said, curtly. With another huff, Glave turned back around.
Perhaps, this next matchup wouldn't show him up too hard…
Onyx has fought through plenty in his life. A horde of angry Vulcans. A clan of rabid Lycanthropes. An army of experienced Rune Knights.
But, someway, somehow, fighting Avalon unnerved him more than any of those. He felled a wyvern without much of a falter- but someway, somehow, the glint in her eyes as they shook hands unhinged his very core.
"May the best mage win." he said, reaching up to grab her hand.
"Good luck~!" she had wished him- letting go and turning to her setup. There was a certain edge to her gaze, like an amused predator watching prey.
It was because he was short, wasn't it?
As Avalon lifted her guitar, hefting the strap on her shoulders, Onyx entered a fighting stance, taking a slow, deep breath in… and out.
"Come on!" he yelled, and surrounded himself in a cyan blue glow.
He was eager.
With somewhat of a flair, Avalon focused on her song- though, this wasn't a gentle tune. This wasn't what played in the background of an inn run by a kind lady. No- this was the song of a war march.
The Aria of Knights...
As her song continued, a golden glow rose up from her song, forming and blending into a humanoid shape. A suit of golden armor, almost holographic, hefting an impressive broadsword.
It was big, but lacking. Being controlled by the rather pacifistic Avalon, it shouldn't be hard to fell.
...Or, so he thought.
With a sharp group of notes, the knight charged forwards in her stead, slashing upwards with its massive golden blade. With little effort, he caught the blade with energized hands, crackling at the touch. He quickly moved to kick the hulking warrior to the side- nuclear energy bursting against its helmet.
The most it did was skid back.
Fueled by an intense melody, it lifted its massive blade again- with a wide, arcing swing. Onyx hopped back- preparing himself for a strike downwards.
Quickly, the song dipped, and the warrior stopped.
It was silent, for a moment. Onyx looked back over to Avalon, behind the massive knight.
There was a certain gleam in her eyes as the song started again, and the warrior kicked forwards- knocking him over, sending him towards the barrier.
He reached down on the ground and skidded to a halt, charging two balls of atomic energy within his hands. The volatile substance sparked within his hands, burning with heat, vibrating with energy.
"Nuclear Bomb!"
Quickly, he threw the first one below him, the explosion recoil sending him up into the air. The second, he threw at the knight itself. As it made impact, bursting against its golden armor, it skidded back, flickering in form.
Avalon seemed to glance at the knight, and the tone of her song changed. While it was first monotonous, it quickly sped up in tempo, turning from a minor key to a major key. The golden aura around the knight shifted to a burning red.
Ah… Siege Rhythm. Sticking to supporting her knight, even as it began to falter.
Its strikes would hurt a lot more now. Onyx had to be careful. He returned to his neutral fighting position- breathing in… Then out…
Avalon's knight made the first move, running forwards, spinning around in place, like a murderous tornado. Though Onyx attempted to strike at it, the blade quickly made contact with him, throwing him against the barrier.
Hard.
As he limped up from the wall, a cut on his chest and a wound on his head, his aura began to fade.
"Do you want to call it quits?" Avalon asked, with concern.
"No!" Onyx yelled back in response, getting back in a fighting stance. "It's just getting started!"
In… and out…
His aura strengthened, and another set of bombs charged within his hands. He used the first to throw himself into the air, and kicked down on the armor with a powerful kick, sparking with energy. The force alone started another explosion, throwing him back up in the air.
Onyx's eyes darted to Avalon- she began to panic, playing with a bit more of a struggle- off-key every now and again.
He threw the second one in-between the two, knocking the knight over, and causing Avalon to recoil and drop the guitar in her hands. With the source of the song depleted, the knight's form flickered, and faded into nothing.
"Come on! Round 2!" Onyx cried, getting back into his neutral position- still bleeding from his wounds.
"O-Onyx, you're bleeding out!"
"I can take it!"
"Please, Onyx, you're hurt..! We should treat your wounds first."
He scoffed, the aura around him fading away. "Fine…"
As they shook hands, Onyx saw that dangerous glint in her eyes once again. He shivered.
At least she didn't use the Inferno Solo…
"Ah."
Trace was next, he had realized. Already, he felt like this match showed him up. Both of the matches showed him up!
He was beyond nervous, that was for sure.
"Tch… The dwarf will meet me in Semi's." Glave scoffed, arms crossed.
"What if Lyra makes it?"
Lyra didn't even seem to want to be here, none the less be involved in this conversation.
"Please. She threw last year, she'll throw this year." he declared, leering at Trace beneath that massive collar. "And focus on yourself, Boot!"
"Ah, yeah. Gotta kick Cooked Blue's ass too…" Erin muttered. "But, besides! Edgelord has to face off against my boy Kou first!"
"Eh?"
Kouga turned back to Erin, somewhat dumbfounded. It seems he wasn't even prepared.
"Even he knows he'll throw our match!"
"We got matching shirts and everything! Kou, come on!"
Trace had to double-check- sure enough, on the front of both of their undershirts: "ふぁいとくらぶ!" He didn't even notice the detail…
"Eh… I don't know. Maybe."
"You'd damn well better! It's not a win if you throw it!"
For a moment, Trace swore he felt queasy. The most he could do was his best! If he got too intimidated, he could just give them the match!
He glanced towards Gisa- nervously. She seemed nervous- if not more so than he was. Perhaps, for a different reason.
She quickly broke eye contact, and got back up. Presumably to head out to the miniature infirmary.
For some reason, Trace saw it as her own way of saying: "Good luck."
A/N: I honestly was stuck on this one- right before Freya v. Tora for a week, and someway, somehow, binged this all out in the span of a couple hours total. This is a little late [Bi-weekly? I don't know her,] but I'm somewhat proud of how it turned out.
The format of fight/commentary/fight/commentary will likely stick throughout the eliminations. It'll change up later, but… I won't go into it so early.
Anyways, the chapter!
I'm gonna be honest, I'm not very confident in my fight scenes. That's kinda why this took so long. But, despite the fights being short, I think they turned out good..!
...Maybe.
The Onyx v. Avalon fight was originally going to be twice as long, but man, would it have dragged on. But, Avalon forcing him to take the W at "round one" kind of shows off their interactions better.
At first, I thought I'd hate writing Glave's dialogue. But, he's actually very fun to mess with.
I realize the brackets might be a bit confusing, without showing it off directly. I have it written down, but it might be hard to visualize. So, I'll break it down very quickly…
Pre-Eliminations
Round 1, Tora v. Freya.
Round 2, Avalon v. Onyx.
Eliminations
Round 3, Trace v. Gisa.
Round 4, Erin v. Round 1's Winner [Freya].
Round 5, Round 2's Winner [Onyx] v. Lyra
Round 6, Kouga v. Glave.
Because of the member shortage, there's not exactly an even amount for a full pre-eliminations. So, it follows a basic 10-man bracket.
Anyways, for the Question of the Chapter: What makes a good conflict for you? Not technically a physical conflict. Maybe a dispute between characters, guilds, factions… Things like that.
Do the good stuff from before. Favorite. Follow. Review. This story has gathered a pretty big amount of views. More than I expected- I think 150-ish..? Thanks for everyone reading- accountless or not.
In Response…
Firefly OwO
The dream team is warming up to the masses, I see…
That's understandable- I haven't showed off many skills beforehand. But, Trace getting his ass handed to him is the safest bet you could make. Even if he somehow manages, Gisa will not hold back.
Svane Vulfbad
Ah, this is a lengthy one. When I first read it, your review did give me a lot to think about…
This AU is planning to be a completely clean slate. Whole new world, but just with basic similarities in the lore. Well, mostly...
Ah. Yeah, I get that problem. I struggle a lot with describing characters- I feel like it breaks my pacing a lot. Just a big awkward clunk of "he pushed his brown hair away from his green eyes, with hands covered in white gloves…" But, I'm trying to improve.
They're short..? Huh, I thought they were all rather average-sized. Especially since most of them are young adults. I'll think about it for the next set.
That's fair, that's fair- it was only the 2nd chapter. We'll see if you so happen to change your mind once this arc ends.
These guys are nowhere near best guild ever, but not the worst guild in the world, either. They're just kinda average. But, for now, beating the crap out of each other for now is top priority.
Plus, the income from all of those tickets? Easy money!
Hm… I wasn't exactly planning exact cameos. Maybe vague references, but I don't think I'd reference a character or guild by name. But, I get your point- you wanna at least keep it grounded in Fairy Tail, right? We're still very early on. I'll see if I change my mind.
As for Onyx's magic, I see where your thought process was. Though, really, my only thought process for naming it "Nuclear" magic was that it was really the only thing that described "cool highly-reactive explodey energy" without literally saying "cool highly-reactive explodey energy". It's not necessarily "tearing-apart-atoms-to-make-massive-blasts" sort of energy, as you so saw in this chapter. I couldn't really think of anything better.
And speaking of technology- though this wasn't necessarily a question, it was a topic. I would say that, vaguely, it's mostly magic-assisted. Lacrimas that can broadcast into a TV, or what have you not. I wouldn't think that weapons such as atomic bombs would exist- because there's not much of a need for atomic bombs to exist.
If that makes much sense.
Thank you for the follow!
Inkwell Princess
I do feel bad for poor Trace. I can't even swim, being dumped in a freezing-cold river would be the death of me. They'd at least jump after him if he didn't get back up...
Kouga and Erin are two opposite ends of the spectrum, I feel. Kouga wants to do nothing, and Erin wants to do everything. But let's be honest, they both agreed on matching shirts.
A fair prediction. We'll see if Kouga doesn't throw the match against our favorite little edgelord first.
Guildsy is honestly a dork. But, they'll show up again soon in this arc.
I hope this chapter meets your expectations!
Synopsis…
Furor Divinius. An ancient magic- it could even be considered lost. The magic channels the user's inner rage to do potentially catastrophic damage. The "rage" is expelled as a violent red energy. Despite how fast and damaging it may be, it lacks any sort of defensive moves.
Mystic Song Magic. A magic based upon music. The user can play different songs to various effects. Changing the tempo, key, or notes of a song can change the effect, as well. Though this may sound potent, it's mostly a support-based skillset. The songs leave the user open, as well.
Next Chapter: The Eliminations go down- and they go down hard.