Chapter 5: You DO NOT talk about Fight Club!
Summary: The Eliminations go down…
And they go down quite hard.
"How goes the festivities?"
Somewhat of a smirk formed under the Guildmaster's cloak, as he walked into the makeshift infirmary. He had been onlooking from his study- but he always made a point to come down to the stadium at least once.
Though, normally, it would be right towards the end of the finals.
At his announcement, the other five members perked up- to a somewhat mild reaction. Understandable- these were the ones used to his presence.
"Ah, it's you." Freya huffed, stretching out dormant muscles. "Come out of your hole for once?"
"Harsh…" he sighed. "I just wanted to check up on you all."
"Or watch the rookie get his ass kicked." Onyx perked up- leaning on a wall to the side. "It's a free 2,000 jewel."
"...Yeah, sure. That too." he shrugged, sitting down in one of the seats, crossing his arms. "No one's hurt too hard, right?"
"...They should be fine." Gisa muttered, with a nod.
"You sure?" Tora asked- somewhat softly. "Don't rush yourself."
"It's fine."
She hopped off the stool, and made her way out the door.
"I wonder what's up with Gisa…" Avalon puzzled- not losing tone on her soothing guitar song. "She's been more quiet than normal."
"Jitters, probably." said the Guildmaster in reply. "You really think Trace is something to be nervous about?"
He struggled to hold back a laugh. The kid was like a puppy! She was fretting over nothing, he was sure.
Trace could feel wasps in his stomach.
Butterflies didn't even begin to describe his nervousness. He had nothing to worry about, really- what was he trying to prove? What were the stakes?
(Erin had described the stakes as "If you win the eliminations, Kiwami and Edgelord owe me two thousand jewel each, so…")
(Really, if he would only impact a betting pool, there was nothing to fear.)
As he walked up into the ring, the crowd burst into cheers. His only response was to nervously wave, an awkward smile stuck on his face.
Gisa was on the other side, avoiding eye contact with Trace at all costs, as they slowly walked towards each other.
They grabbed hands, awkwardly shaking them up and down…
…
...
For a while.
"Good luck!" Trace yelled, far too loudly.
"Thanks, you too…" Gisa mumbled, all too quietly.
After they finally broke the handshake, walking back to opposing sides of the arena, the barrier formed around the stage once again. They could start at any time.
Trace tried to remember to breathe, reaching into his shirt, grabbing the pendant around his neck.
Well, it was rather… sloppy to be a proper pendant. Just a white string connecting a dog-tag and the small, blue-colored crystal. His "artefact".
Better than nothing. He grabbed the crystal gently- as if anything less than the softest touch would shatter it.
"One-Star Transformation!"
As the blue aura surged around and through his body, covering him in a sturdy, flexible armor, replacing his more casual clothing. Energy flowed through his veins like adrenaline.
"C-come on!" he yelled, getting into the form's "natural" fighting position.
'Nailed it!' he thought to himself, triumphantly.
Gisa's expression remained stoic, watching his little "sequence".
…
…
…
"...Aren't you impressed..?"
"Not really…"
She sounded disappointed too! What was with this guild?!
"O-oh..! Well, that's okay!"
Without the flair he'd seen from the rest of the guid, Gisa pulled up a small vial from her utility belt- it was a bright, passionate orange. She drank it down without hesitation.
For a quick moment, Trace expected her to light on fire or something- but she didn't. Instead, she pressed her hands down on the ground- likely some sort of transmuting ritual.
"Y'know, I wanted to study Alchemy for awhile! It's a cool practice!"
She didn't reply.
The wasps in his stomach were gone- he just felt sad.
The floor began to vibrate like some sort of quake- the white stones in the arena raising upwards with a white glow. The stones and dirt began to form a massive, humanlike shape- towering over Trace himself.
"...Ah."
A Golem. Held together only by the unique magic used. Gisa, expertly, climbed up to the top of it's hunched back, keeping an even balance so easily.
Well, if his challenge was to break this thing down, it should be easy! Bigger they are, and whatnot! He could take it without breaking a sweat!
"C-come on!" he yelled, in a vain attempt to hype himself up.
"...Okay."
The hulking beast stomped- slowly towards him. It leered down with glowing eyes, raising a fist of dark stone and earth as it walked forwards.
It was gonna punch him, eh? Not a problem! He was much faster than this massive thing- he'd dodge it with ease!..
..Or, maybe…
Before he had the chance to think it over, the golem kicked Trace with one of its stubby legs. He was sent skidding back, barely managing to avoid falling over.
"So, that's how it's gonna be, huh..?" he muttered to himself.
He had two options- take out Gisa, or take out the Golem. But, it didn't seem like she wanted to give him that opportunity to think.
Of course not- they're legals! They have to think in the heat of the moment; he has to adapt to that!
The golem, go for the golem!
He rushed to one of its legs- dodging a slam of its massive arms. Knocking it off-balance should turn this in his favor! An aura of green surrounded his metallic glove, pulsating with wind.
"Wind Gust Fist!"
With his shout, Trace punched at the golem's left leg- breaking through the stone. Though, he didn't break the leg entirely, like he hoped.
It'd take a couple more punches- something Gisa wouldn't allow him to do. The beast's stone hand came down to crush him.
"Crap!"
Trace hefted his arms up, stopping the fist for a moment. It was heavy-pushing down on him with all it had… Perhaps, he could use that momentum!
"Hurricane Suplex!"
With a sudden burst of strength and energy, he flipped the golem and its rider over. Gisa rolled over to the side, and a few new cracks formed in the stone creature's body.
"Alright!" Trace yelled. He was hype! He could do this! He could win!
Gisa pulled herself back up, motioning at her golem to do the same. As it complied, she pulled a different vial from her belt- this one dark purple.
As she drank it, a metamorphosis began to occur. Dark blue fur sprouted on her body, her hands turning to sharp claws. Her face turned animalistic, monstrous.
"Wait, you're a werewolf?!" he yelled in surprise.
She shook her head "no", and muttered something too quiet for him to hear.
And then she charged, claws brandished. The golem hulked after him, as well.
He dodged a claw to his helmet, and a kick to his shin. She was fast, in this form, much more than he expected. Well, he should learn to expect the unexpected- he was a legal!
"Storm Ki-"
He couldn't even finish his spell, before he backed into something.
The golem.
Trace had forgotten about that.
"Tornado Kick!"
With wind sweeping around his leg, Trace pulled himself into a rotating roundhouse. He knocked off the remainder of the golem's left leg, and then kicked Gisa away.
He should focus on the golem. Dealing with Gisa's new form would be a hassle with this big hulk.
"Skyward…"
Wind swirled around his fist, creating a spiraling tornado. Energy surged throughout his body.
"PUNCH!"
He leapt up and uppercutted the golem. He rammed straight through its chest, creating a massive, gaping hole. Skidding against the barrier, he dropped to the floor, just in time to see the stone creature collapse, the magic energy fading away.
Gisa's eyes widened, in surprise. But, it faded, as she walked up to him, calmly.
"Good match?" she asked, extending a hand (claw? paw?) to him.
"Yeah! Good match!"
They shook hands, signifying the end of the match. Trace's armor faded away.
…
…
… Did he just win?
"... Did Trace just win?"
The guildmaster asked himself this, dumbfounded, as he watched the screen in front of them. Though, he didn't need the screen to hear the roars of the crowd.
"Damnit..." Onyx swore to himself. "I can't be mad, though. The rookie has skill."
Soon enough, Trace and Gisa walked into the infirmary themselves. Trace's armor had dispersed, but Gisa remained in her Werebeast form. It seems it didn't wear off, yet.
"Well, well! First day, first win, huh?" Freya greeted him first, with a wave.
"Congratulations, Trace!" Avalon chirped.
"Aw… Thanks guys…" Trace smiled, bashfully.
"You've earned it, kid." said Tora, in agreement. "Gisa's no slouch."
"You didn't go easy on him or anything, right?" Onyx asked- mildly sarcastically.
"Come on, be nice…" the guildmaster mumbled.
He was quite lucky to pick up this recruit… Though, he'll wait to see whether or not Trace could pull through further.
"AHAHAA!"
A third person entered- a triumphant Erin. A stack of jewel bills were in her hands. Kouga, of course, was close behind.
"We're eating out tonight, Cooked Blue! You should've seen the look on Edgelord's face!"
"Glave's probably going to scream at you, once you're back on the bleachers." Kouga said to Trace, bluntly.
"Yeah, I… figured." Trace sighed, dejectedly.
Erin snickered, and passed the money to Kouga. "I'd keep talking with you guys, but I have a W to get. Kou, get the rest for me."
Kouga nodded, and took a nearby seat. "Good luck."
"I'm only 10% luck! Then it's 20% skill! And 15% concentrated power of will!"
Though, she walked out, presumably to the arena.
"She talks a big game…" Freya scoffed. "Let's see if she improved since last year."
She hopped off her own seat, and made her way out.
"Alright! This is what I'm talking about!"
Erin, as per usual, was excited. Already, she was air-hopping and shadow-boxing, before Freya even stepped foot into the proper zone.
"I'm winning this time!" Erin swore, as she approached her senior. "Fireworks-Senpai, I am going to win this time!"
For the last three tournaments Erin was a part of, Freya could remember easily overpowering Erin, as she swore these exact same things. They shook hands, and the barrier formed.
"Do your best, Erin! No holding back." Freya called. A colorful flame sparked to life in her hands.
"Oh, bet?!"
Erin grappled onto the red crystal on her neck, tied as a sloppy pendant.
"One-Star Transformation!" she shouted.
A burning aura formed around her body, replacing her clothing with a sturdy armor. Two pistols were attached to the armor's sides- which she promptly drew.
"Let's dance!"
Freya jetted towards her direction, meeting her immediately with a flaming fist. Close range was Erin's weakness, that she knew.
Though, she didn't expect her to block it.
"Same start from last year! You're throwing!"
Erin shifted one of her pistols to Freya's chest- firing a single, flaming shot just as she leaped away.
"Explosive Shot!"
Freya dodged the bullet again- only to watch as it burst against the barrier. That would hurt quite a bit…
"Explosive Shot! Explosive Shot! Explosive Shot! I need more dakka!"
The explosive bullets turned rapid. They both knew she couldn't dodge them forever.
"Fireworks Barrage!"
A flame met each bullet- exploding in both color and destruction. Slowly, the fireworks began to overtake the black and red bursts.
"Ah, shit! Flame Fusion!"
Erin shoved both of her pistols together, melding into a single, large cannon. She pointed it to the ground, quickly firing a stream of flames, sending her upwards.
Freya liked going airborne. She wasted no time jetting after her junior.
"Caught ya, now!" Erin snickered, slyly. She quickly split her guns apart again, drifting to the ground as she did so. Mid-fall, she pointed her pistols up, towards her opponent.
"Hellfire Blaze!"
A barrage of bullets were sent her way. Erin, using a trap? Must've learned it from Kouga...
Freya tried to zip around them- but Erin was relentless. A few of them grazed at her body, scalding and burning. Her landing was rough, hissing, holding her burned arm.
"Hey- that looks pretty servere… I didn't go overboard, did I?"
Erin asked this, genuinely.
"Nothing Gisa can't patch up. Good game?"
She would keep going, but this was her dominant arm. Better not risk further injury using her left.
"Wh- huh..? Y-yeah! Yeah!"
Erin's armor dispersed, as she jogged up to shake Freya's hand. The left hand, she made sure.
"Erin 1, Freya 3! Small victory!"
The guildmaster was rather certain that Erin liked to make her presence known. Of course, not like he had much of a problem, with that.
"You did good, kid…" Onyx huffed. He, dejectedly, slid Kouga another 2,000 jewel.
"I'm taking the W from you next, Cooked Blue! And if I lose, Kiwami's paying me, so I still win!"
"I didn't think there'd be another artefact user here…" Trace said, in awe. "That's a pretty big coincidence, isn't it?"
"Glave uses one, too." Tora explained. "Surprisingly, the third one is the least annoying."
"I don't want to hear that from a talking, oversized cat, Tusk!"
"I think you're all rather endearing." Avalon offered, nicely.
"Yes, quite." the Guildmaster added on. "No matter how edgy you are, or how big of a gremlin you are."
"Please, you're getting in on the teasing too!" Erin smirked.
Such a diverse cast. Who knew where the results would take them, next?
A/N: Bi-weekly updates, I said. Monthly updates, I said.
I am really sorry for being so late with this chapter. A lack of motivation, school, depression, other projects, and all of those other good things stopped me from updating when I should've. But, from here, I will try my best to update whenever I can.
Enough wallowing in my own sorrow, the chapter.
I somehow binged out 3/4ths of this chapter in one session. How? I don't know. But activity! Action!
I really love writing this guild. I missed doing it. They're so good.
For the Question of the Chapter, what's your favorite magic, so far? I'd say I've showed off enough to ask this question.
Something something, read and review and favorite and knuckles. Do that good stuff. And again, I'm really sorry for getting this out so late. I'd like to thank you all for your patience.
In response…
InkwellPrincess
Ahh, I'm so happy you liked my fights! That really means a lot to me, that you hold my humble little series to such a regard!
Let Onyx fight, damnit! He's a very cool character; a man unwilling to back down. His passion makes up for his height.
I still really love Glave. He didn't show up this time, but just know he was still screaming in the stands.
He's an edgelord who has to go alone and can't really detect sarcasm! He has to be the best!
FireflyeOwO
Hey, don't worry about that, man. And hey, that's fair. I try and make all of my conflicts at least somewhat justifiable, even if the reason isn't very obvious at a first glance.
Synopsis…
Alchemy. The practice of bending the elements of the world to suit your needs. It involves both potion-making and transmutations, allowing for the user to create a variety of different effects without having very strong magic reserves. However, each spell requires necessary supplies. You can't make something out of nothing, after all!
Fireworks Magic. A variation of Fire Magic, using colorful and explosive fires to the user's advantage. However, there's not exactly a lot of variety in their spells, because of this.
Next Chapter: The Eliminations continue, with many surprises ahead!