"I'm hoping those were your newest recruits, Elder-san," Setsuna commented to him when she passed him.
Truth was, they weren't…they had been informed only the previous day that they were to fight a single person as a regiment. At the time, they were cocky and arrogant, so the elder was certain they would be able to put up a fight. But after seeing the opponents, his troops seemed to have lost their nerve, whether it was from fear of hurting their opponents or from doubting their abilities…they were proving to be an unreliable force. In a way, he was worried that his fighters were incapable of putting a single scratch on his new allies; in another way, he was baffled by Asuna and Setsuna. How could two as young as they were be so powerful?
"Regiment three and Konoka!" the elder called out, thinking his people may stand a better chance against the young woman. He was wrong.
As the troops and Konoka took their place on the battlefield, Konoka pulled out her two fans and held them in front of her body, one facing the left, and the other facing the right.
"Those are healing fans…" one of the soldiers commented to the others.
The man's words had a dire effect on the group. They felt relieved to be fighting someone that was resigned for nothing but healing.
"Don't think that I'm just a healer, now!" Konoka smiled cheerfully, closing her eyes and slightly cocking her head, "Even we healers have other magical spells."
The call was made to begin, and neither the troops nor Konoka made a move. For nearly a minute, Konoka stood there smiling…but the troops refused to make the first move. At least, not until one of them, tired of the wait and wanting to get the battle over with, rushed her.
He was fast…much faster than most opponents that Konoka had been forced to face…but he was still charging rather blindly. With one quick movement, Konoka shut the fan in her left hand and swung the one in her right. The simple wooden fan hit the man across the cheek, and he was sent flying. The others looked at her stunned. How could such a meek woman be that strong?
"Combat spell," she answered, reading their minds and walking towards them.
There were horrified looks coming from the group and many had started backing up.
When she finally stopped she smiled and cocked her head again, "This wasn't the most fun I've had in a battle, but at least you judged me wisely. If you'd all attacked me at the same time you would have been gravely injured. Sure, I'd heal you…but it would still hurt a lot."
The soldiers were confused…had they lost? They started looking around when they noticed that they were backed against a wall, and the healer they were facing was getting closer and closer.
The elder grit his teeth from the stands…how could seasoned fighters like them get so scared that they could be backed into a corner?
"It's because they've never seen anything like this," Yue explained, now standing beside him. He gazed at her ears a moment and she continued, "You warned them that they were facing a powerful opponent, yes? Well, we're something they've never seen before. The bird tribe casts a specific sort of magic and has warriors that follow specific fighting routines. They're predictable…we're not. We're humans, just as they are, but they had no idea we could be this powerful."
"I know…" the elder replied in flummox, "I find it hard to believe myself. I'm not entirely certain the most seasoned in our village could bind together to beat even one of you."
Yue eyed the man for a moment, "You could."
The elder put his gaze upon her for a moment, ignoring the fight, "After witnessing what your healer did and having felt the power of both Negi and Kotaro, I'm not so sure you're right about that."
"You have the experience," Yue replied, "We've all got over ten years worth of battle experience, but that's only one sixth of yours…in the very least."
"Are you calling me old?"
"Indirectly, yes, I supposed, but that's not part of the subject."
The elder smiled. He was glad he had met the group…they were a sight for sore eyes. So many different people from different backgrounds joining together for a common cause…it brought him hope that the world was not such a bad place and that its fate was not that of destruction.
"Umm…elder-san?" Konoka called out.
The elder looked over to where Konoka was standing and at all the unconscious people laying around her.
"I think they're spent."
It took a few moments to gather the unconscious soldiers…time that brought Haruna forward to request the next challenge. By the time the soldiers had gathered and everyone was down in the pit of the coliseum, a storm had begun to move in. Dark clouds were swirling overhead, and the elder knew this was going to be one vicious storm. All the more reason to continue the fights.
"Regiment four versus Haruna," the elder commented, curious as to the girls abilities.
With a flash of light, Haruna's artifact was conjured.
"A quill and pad?" the elder asked, completely baffled.
"This is going to be interesting. Haruna's never been in a fight on her own…" Yue commented idly.
"No…?" the elder replied, "Then this will be a learning experience for us all."
By the time the battle was commenced, the elder thought it was over. Hundreds of creatures had erupted from the pad of paper, many of them unknown to the older mage.
"What is that?" he found himself asking in bewilderment.
"Haruna's artifact. It allows whatever she draws to come to life…though I will admit that her drawing speed is much more impressive than that artifact. Most of those creatures didn't exist on her pad a moment ago."
The elder gave Yue a glance.
"Why are you telling me all of this? You're giving me all sorts of information about your weapons, and Asuna even told us she has absolute magic cancelling abilities…why do you trust us with this knowledge?"
"Because Kotaro and Negi came back alive from here, and with good news. You've trusted us, and so we're trusting you," she replied matter-of-factly.
The man couldn't help but wonder how such a girl came to be…she was blunt, but full of emotion at the same time…and yet, at times it was impossible to tell if she was feeling anything at all. So many curiosities about his new companions that he was wanting to resolve. But he knew that time would tell, eventually her would start understanding her and the others…all in due time.
When the elder turned his head back, not a single one of his soldiers was unconscious…no, they were in a much worse predicament. Apparently Haruna thought it would be funny to create thirty two creatures, the same number as the soldiers, with whips for arms. Apparently, the other creatures had overwhelmed the soldiers, and many were tied together with ermine golems. They were all sitting in the seiza position with their feet, knees, and hands tied together. The creatures with whips for arms were taunting the soldiers and pretending to begin a strike, only to stop midway, or purposely miss.
"Haruna, you dominatrix, stop that, you've won!" Negi called out to her.
Haruna was obviously enjoying herself, you could tell be the disappointed look on her face when Negi called out to her.
She looked over to the elder and couldn't help but ask him, "Should I begin the torment and interrogation or would you like to forfeit them?"
The elder had a difficult time deciding that one. If they were tormented, it might make up for them having lost to a novice. Though it wasn't what he was wanting, he went ahead and forfeit the regiment.
"Next up, Regiment five and Nodoka," the elder called.
When the group was down on the battlefield, Nodoka couldn't help but give them fair warning, "You don't want me to get this spell off," she commented before the battle began, "You'll want to rush me and force me to lose my concentration."
The battle was commenced, but the troops didn't rush her, believing it to be a rouse. She heaved out a sigh, knowing she had given them fair warning and began her incantation. While the soldiers watched in amazement as she began to recite her spell, many realized that it had been a warning. They had to stop that spell…they'd never seen one so powerful that it leaked enough magic to cause the user to levitate.
By the time they reached her, they didn't have a hope. She was already hovering ten feet in the air, and even the elder was watching with awe. He had felt a strange energy about her before, it was true, but he hadn't expected anything this spectacular. With all the magic power radiating from her, he had to wonder why it was that Kotaro warned him that Negi was the most powerful magic user in the group. Could that red-headed youth truly show more power than this?
He noticed his troops had stopped attempting to attack her, and they were all staring at her. It was a spectacle, true, but there was something unnatural about their silence. None of them were moving…it didn't even look as though they drew breath.
The elder couldn't help his curiosity, but soon, Nodoka had finished her spell, and the troops were returning to normal. At least he thought they had, but while the troops that had remained behind stood battle ready and waiting for the spell to be unleashed, the troops standing hear Nodoka didn't do anything at all, until the finally began to move.
They didn't attack Nodoka at all; rather, they began a steady march back towards their comrades: weapons drawn. Their slow trot steadily turned into a jog, and then a full out sprint…all this time, the troops that weren't under Nodoka's control were confused as to what to do. One by one they each dropped their weapons and got on their knees. There was no way that they could fight their own colleagues.
"Mind control?!" the elder nearly screamed, watching the young woman in action, "What in the world is going on?"
"You're right," Negi answered, now standing opposite of Yue on the elder's right side, "She has to ability to manipulate the minds, bodies, and even the space around her enemies. She can stop their breathing, freeze them in time, or even make them kill each other…or themselves, as you no doubt have noticed."
"And yet you're supposed to be the most powerful among them?" the elder replied, slightly curious.
"Most powerful mage, yes. I don't posses the most raw magical energy, that's Konoka; I don't posses the ability to control opponent's minds like Nodoka," the mage replied, "You'll get to see what I can do when I'm up."
The elder felt a chill in the air when Negi made the last remark. He couldn't explain why, but on the inside, he knew that Negi was the most powerful mage in the group…he could see it in his eyes. But
how he could compete with mind control…that, he was desperate to see. So desperate that he decided that he couldn't wait.
"Very well then," the elder mage responded, a mischievous idea obviously crossing through his mind, "I've decided that we should up the next matches."
Negi gave the elder a curious look.
"Since you say that you are the most powerful mage in the group, I suppose you wouldn't mind testing that theory on a powerful enemy, right?"
"What is it that you have in mind, elder-san?" Negi asked, knowing what was coming next.
"You're opponent will be the most powerful mage in this town."
Negi gave a smile that many had seen on Kotaro over the years: a smile of anticipation…the only shown part of the desire to fight an opponent of incredible power.
"And for your friend Kotaro, I've decided he should fight our most powerful fighter…" the elder commented, "he's around your age, I do believe…perhaps younger."
Negi gave the man a curious glance, "What's his name?"
"Shinmei Ru."
