Chapter 17: The Rookie Tournament (Part 2)
Upon returning to his room with the blob, Meta saw Kurabe waiting for him.
"Oh, Meta?" She then looked down at the blob. "You should've told me beforehand if you were going to bring someone back for the night."
"Oh sensei, shouldn't you still be at the arena to watch the rest of us in action?"
"Everyone from our division has already fought so there's no real point in me staying. I sincerely doubt there'd be any ties that need disputed."
The puff only blinked. "I see..."
"Now, what about this little guest you have here?"
"...It's Fetty. I touched her and suddenly... this happened."
His mentor looked at him in shock. "Did you touch her core?"
"No, she was getting stressed thinking about failing Erhard, so I hugged her to calm her down, just like how you do with me."
Kurabe stared at him for a moment, but then burst out laughing.
"Huh? Was it something I said?"
"I'm... I'm sorry, Meta, I'm not laughing at you..."
"Then what are you laughing at?"
"Oh... how do I explain this...?"
"While you think of that I'll just put Fetty down now."
After placing the blob on the bed, Kurabe calmed down and cleared her throat. "Well to put it simply, she really loves getting hugged by you and was caught off guard when you did it this time. She's simply just embarrassed."
"I see... do you know when she'll turn back to normal?"
"Not at all. It depends entirely on her."
"Ok... but she's fine, right?"
"Oh definitely. She's just being silly. But now you have a surefire way to beat her." She said with a wink.
"...I'm not winning a fight with a hug."
Kurabe pouted. "Well, do you have any other ideas of how to win?"
"...When she leaves, can you teach me how to flirt?"
His mentor stared at him, and Meta was afraid to hear her response.
"Of course I will."
"Really?"
"It's to fight her at her own game, correct? Then yes, I'll teach you."
"...thank you, sensei."
"Besides, it's not as if you'd ever use what I teach you for anything bad. I've raised you to be a good man after all."
"Thank you for trusting me, sensei."
"Of course. Now go get a glass of water."
The puff looked at her in confusion for a moment then nodded and walked into the bathroom, coming out with a glass of water a few seconds later.
"Alright, dump it on her, Meta."
"All at once? Won't that freak her out?"
"That's the idea."
Doing as he was told, Meta dumped the water on the blob. As expected, the blob regained her usual color and slowly went back to her normal human-like look.
"Huh? What happened?"
"Um... I hugged you to calm you down and then you suddenly changed color to pink and turned into your blob form."
"Oh." She said, her face becoming pink again. "Well, I should really get going, I'll see you later bye!" She said as she ran out of the room.
Kurabe shook her head and chuckled. "Youth."
Meta looked confused, but then turned to his mentor. "So, sensei, will you teach me about flirting now?"
"Sit down and pay close attention." She said, with her usual no nonsense tone.
Her student sat down and kept his attention solely on her.
"First of all, you need to have a basic understanding of the person you're trying to flirt with. What they like, how they respond to certain phrases, stuff like that."
The puff nodded. "I know she did react to certain phrases when I said them."
"Excellent, we already have a lead. What phrases did she react to?"
"When I asked if she was squishing my cheeks as an excuse to touch me was the first time. The second time was when I said she could handle a rough time."
Kurabe quickly suppressed her urge to laugh at the last one. "So she's embarrassed by the act or thought of physical interaction. Is there anything else you can think of before we begin brainstorming?"
"Those are the only ones I can think of off the top of my head."
"Alright. Now this is important, tell me everything you know about her, and be as opinionated as possible. The more I know how you think, the better advice I can give."
"So, tell you honestly how I feel about her?"
"Essentially. Feel free to omit anything you'd rather not say."
The puff nodded. "I think she's very nice and hyper. It sometimes brightens me up even in my worst mood. I think she's also pretty."
Kurabe smiled, glad her student had a good friend like her. "I see, then here's what you do, Meta. Be honest with her. Say what naturally comes to your mind. Call her pretty, compliment her personality and attitude. I guarantee you will see desirable results."
"But when I did that, she laughed at me."
"What exactly did you say?"
"...I bet you like being with a handsome person..." He uttered, his face turning a deep red as he looked down.
"You see that's your issue, you used yourself as an example. Assuming she called herself pretty, what you should have said was "Not just a pretty lady, the prettiest lady." That would have really gotten her."
"What if she calls her herself the cutest?"
"Then agree with her. She expects you to get flustered and stutter like a fool. If you respond with agreement, it will catch her off guard."
He nodded. "Any more tips?"
"Yes, when you say these words to her, do it with your cocky grin you get during fights. Trust me, it'll strengthen the impact of your words."
"How do you know that it will?"
"That's simple. During your first match I saw her blush the moment you started grinning."
"Not that I don't trust you, but how do you know so much about this?"
"Even I was a young lass interested in romance once upon a time Meta. I know how a young maiden's heart works."
"...but aren't you still that?"
"See? Keep saying kind things like that and you'll be golden."
"Is that why you're blushing, sensei?"
"Precisely." She uttered, wrapping her cape around herself.
"...I don't get it."
Kurabe chuckled at her student's innocence. "You will eventually, but for now it's fine if you don't. Do you feel prepared for tomorrow?"
"I do. Thank you, sensei."
"Of course. It's my duty to help you."
The puff nodded. "Sensei... is it..." He blushed. "Is it fine if I have a hug for good luck?"
"As if you even need to ask." She said, hugging him for a solid minute before letting go. "Now go get some rest, I'm sure you're exhausted."
"I am. Thank you, sensei, and good night" The puff uttered with a yawn as he laid down in his bed and pulled the covers over himself, falling asleep almost instantly.
"Good night, my little knight." She chuckled with a smile before heading to bed herself.
Night soon turned into morning, and it was now time for the main event. Main event as far as Meta was concerned at least. That's right. It was time for him to face Fettuccine.
"Nervous?" Kurabe asked, already having a good idea as to what the answer is.
"No, I can handle it."
"Good, I was hoping you'd say that. I would say break a leg, but that would be in poor taste. So instead, I'll just say good luck."
"Your hug from last night is enough of a good luck for me..." He uttered with a slight blush.
His mentor gave a slight giggle at that. "Now, get going, my little knight."
"I know, I know." He said as he teleported to the arena's center where Fettuccine was already waiting.
"You sure do love those flashy entrances, huh?"
He gave a grin. "I like to make a good impression."
"I'm pretty sure you've made your good impression back when we first met." She said while rolling her eyes.
Meta did see however see that she was slightly blushing. "Yes, but not everyone here has met me, have they?"
"Yeah, but you aren't fighting everyone, you're fighting me. Unless you think the audience is more important than me?" She teased.
"Right now, no one's more important than you."
Fettuccine's face lit up like a light bulb and turned her away. "Can we get this fight started please?" She yelled to no one in particular.
General Z laughed as he turned to Momo, who activated the field-changing magic. The field this time was the forest, in which Fettuccine wasted no time in blending with her surrounding, becoming practicality invisible. Almost immediately, Meta put his guard up.
"Hmm... I need to find out where she is..." He then cleared his throat. "What's wrong, Fetty? Afraid to show your pretty face to me?"
"There's no way that'd work." Was a shared thought most of the spectators had. That was until Fettuccine fell out of a nearby tree.
"Now's my chance!" He thought as he ran towards her location.
"Oh no..." Fettuccine said as she stood up. "You wouldn't actually hit me, would you?"
"What's the matter, Fetty, I thought you liked it rough?" He said, giving the grin that he normally had during battle.
Fettuccine stopped, unable to say anything in response. With a small "sorry" Meta punched her, but to his shock his fist was stuck inside her. Now Fettuccine was the one grinning.
"Not exactly how I thought this fight would go but oh well." She said as she picked him up and performed a suplex on him. "Well, Metty, want to keep going?"
"Do you?" He replied as he shot a bolt of lightning at her, causing her to yell in pain. "Sorry, Fetty."
Meta then picked her up by the legs and started to swing her around as fast as possible. With a mighty throw, Fettuccine was sent flying and soon was out of bounds. Almost immediately, the arena returned to normal, and Meta let out a sigh of relief.
"Alright!" Fettuccine suddenly shouted, much to Meta's confusion.
"Alright?"
"Yeah, I was the first one to hurt you in this entire tournament!"
The youth took a moment to think. "...oh, you're right."
"Yup! Plus, according to Reedy it's actually rare for an intelligence member to reach the third round. Usually, we just wipe out in the second round. So, I consider this a victory on my part, that said, you better win this whole tournament, Metty."
Once more, he grinned. "Bold of you to assume I don't plan to, Fetty."
"G-good."
"You ok?"
"Y-yeah, I'm fine, just still recovering from that electricity."
"I'm really sorry for that, Fetty." He said, reaching out a hand to help her up.
"Oh, don't be. It was a fight, getting electrocuted is bound to happen." She said while taking the hand.
With a heavy tug, he pulled her up to standing. "You sure it's fine?"
"Man, you're such a worrywart sometimes, Metty. You're fine."
"Well, it's only natural to worry about someone like you."
"Alright you two, that's enough of that." Kurabe said as she floated down from the stands. "Get moving you two, there's still plenty of matches to get through."
The puff nodded in response as they left the arena.
"So, about the stuff I said during the fight..." Meta started to say.
"Don't worry, I know you were just saying those things to trip me up. Normally, I'd be mad about losing at my own game, but I'll make an exception for you." She then pouted. "Though that does mean you don't think I'm pretty..."
"No, I did mean everything I said."
"...huh?"
"Sensei told me to say what I naturally thought about you. While I'm admittedly terrible with talking, those words are what I think of you."
Almost immediately, Fettuccine's entire body turned pink.
"Oh no, it's happening again! Wait here, Fetty, I'll go get you some water!" Meta said as he ran off.
After Fettuccine was properly brought back to her senses, she decided to go talk to Erhard to hopefully get some information. While Meta wanted to go with her, she told him to stay behind and watch the other matches to help keep up appearances. Begrudgingly he agreed and was now sitting back with his squad. Dully, he stared at the arena, not really invested in any of the fights.
"Meta, I know you'd rather be helping your friend right now, but do try to pay attention." Kurabe lightly chastised.
"I am..." he mumbled.
"Then who are you fighting in the next round?"
Meta grinned. "Stealth division member. A cat like lady named Satsuki. Dressed in clothing usually suited for thievery, fights by stealing her opponent's weapons and uses them against their original owner." He answered.
"I see. So, you have been paying attention."
"I'm bored, not lazy." He responded, only to feel his feet become frozen solid. "Sensei?"
"This is to make sure you remain attentive. Also, for mumbling."
"Sensei!"
"What?"
Meta opened his mouth, but he couldn't really think of anything to say. "...I'm sorry for mumbling."
His mentor gave a smile and patted him on the head. "I forgive you, Meta."
"...Can you unfreeze me now?"
"...no."
"Fine, I'll just think of it as training." He then noticed Mercury wasn't around at the moment. "Sensei, I'm sorry if this isn't my place to ask, but why does Mercury seem so jumpy whenever Erhard is mentioned?"
"That's not exactly something I should answer. You should ask her yourself. I will say this, she doesn't hate him if that's what you're worried about."
The puff looked towards Mercury and spoke up. "Excuse me, Mercury? Is there a reason why you're so jumpy whenever Erhard is mentioned?"
"I just come back from getting a drink and I'm already getting questioned, huh? Fine, I guess there's no harm in it. I'm... scared. Not of him as a person but... you remember what happened to me a few months ago right?"
The youth's eyes widened. That's right. Mercury was attacked by a hivemind just a few months ago. But there was one problem with that...
"Don't those things feel different from regular Limets?"
"Yes. I know Erhard isn't a hivemind, he wouldn't be able to stay in a fridge for that long if he was. But... I simply don't feel comfortable around Limets I'm not familiar with right now."
"And I assume that would be all of them except for Reedy and Task Force Zetta?"
"Any Limet I don't personally know."
"Even if they're as gentle as Erhard is?"
Mercury seemed to glare at him. "Meta, I'm going to be blunt with you. He can be the kindest person in the world, my brain won't let me be comfortable around him. Not now at least."
"Then you just have to get out of your comfort zone, don't you? Unless you want to keep running away forever."
"Meta, that's enough." Kurabe chastised.
"It's fine, Kurabe, he's not entirely wrong. Except for one thing, what exactly am I running from? I'm completely willing to speak with him, I just won't feel comfortable around him for a while. I'm not running from anything, if I was running, I would be denying even having an issue."
The youth let out a sigh. "I understand you're not comfortable, but you have to get over it. Mercury, I hate to say this, but if you refuse to interact with other Limets, wouldn't that just mean the hivemind won?"
To his surprise, Mercury started laughing. "I'm sorry, Meta, that was a great speech, and you aren't wrong. But did you miss the part where I said I'm willing to talk to Erhard and other Limets?"
"I-I didn't! You still have to get over it!"
"Yeah, I know. But just like it took time for you to get over what happened to you, it'll take me time as well. People heal at different speeds. I appreciate you trying to help, though."
"And the best way to do that would be to actually interact with other Limets, don't you think?"
"Again, I already said I would."
"When?"
"I mean it's not like I've really had a chance to speak to any. Plus, I have to stay here the whole time because someone likes to leave because it gets boring." She said, staring at Kurabe.
"Oh please, we've never had a tie during this tournament."
"That doesn't mean you can just leave whenever you want."
"I'm sure it means I can! I'm the strongest in the Organization and no one can stop me from leaving!"
"You're also a division commander, you're supposed to stay put and watch. One of these days a tie will happen, and you won't be around to see it."
"They can handle it."
"Why are you the most stubborn woman I've ever met?"
"Because you seem to enjoy attracting stubborn people to you."
"I had no choice with Reedy."
"You had a choice to move out sooner, don't you?"
"Yeah, but that wouldn't change him being my brother."
"Yes, but you wouldn't have to deal with his stubbornness, would you?"
"Kurabe, I barely see him that often nowadays and I still have to deal with him."
The warrior only chuckled. Meta sighed, knowing that there was no way he was going to get them to switch topics. Still, Mercury was right, something like this could not be rushed. He was glad at least thar she seemed willing to talk to other Limets. He turned back to the arena. Currently in the arena was Vul and Crate, his two newest comrades.
"I have no idea who to root for."
"Then don't." His mentor replied.
"But they are my comrades, shouldn't I root for at least one of them?"
"Or both of them."
"But they both can't win."
"So?"
"...Right, it doesn't matter who wins. Then I'll cheer both on."
Kurabe smiled. "So, who do you think will win?" She asked, wanting to see Meta's ability to perceive the course of a fight.
The youth closed his eyes and focused his thoughts. "I think it will be Vul."
"Oh ho? Would you care to explain why?"
"While Crate is seemingly physically stronger than him, she also hasn't been able to land a single hit, while Vul has damaged her repeatedly with his arrows. Look out how out of breath she is, she doesn't have much left in her."
"Good analysis. Let's see if you're right."
As if wanting to prove him right immediately, Crate collapsed onto one knee and surrendered.
"Good job."
"Thank you. Honestly if Crate managed to hit him, she probably would have won."
"Indeed. Not only that, but I think Vul would have been seriously injured."
"Do you think she was holding back because of that?"
"...perhaps."
"If she was holding back, that was kind of her."
"Indeed. But she has to remember that won't work in actual combat."
"That's if she was holding back. It's likely that Vul is just a bad opponent for her."
"It is, but you think she would be able to close the distance."
"No, there's not much she can do when Vul stays in the air for the majority of the fight."
"So, you're saying she'll always lose to someone that can fly?"
"No, not always. It's a combination of Vul flying and fighting from a distance. Crate has no way of fighting long distance."
Kurabe then put a finger to her chin. "The best option would be for her to use this experience to create some kind of long distance attack."
"Yeah, but that's where you come in, sensei."
"No, I want you to help her with that when we get back to the GranEssex. Consider it training for when you take on a leadership role."
"But there's no way of knowing if I'll take on a leadership role!"
"There will be times on a battlefield where someone gets appointed a leader on the fly. Sometimes the someone in question doesn't have a choice in the matter. With your skills there's not a single doubt in my mind that you'll end up being made a leader of a group. And even if wrong it's important to learn skills that can be useful in different situations. Leadership skills being one of them."
"Fiiineeee..."
"Besides its only for when we go back home. You don't need to worry about it for now."
"I know."
"Good. And now everyone from our division has fought so you don't need to stick around." Kurabe said with a wink.
Meta knew that was her way of saying go find Fettuccine. In response to this, he silently nodded and headed out. It has been sometime since they separated, and with everyone from the combat division leaving, no one would consider what he was doing suspicious.
After an hour of searching, having severely underestimated how large this building was Meta finally found Fettuccine who was standing in a flower garden.
"Ah, Fetty, I've been looking for you!"
"Metty? I thought I said to stay at the arena? Wait, what time is it?"
"Five in the evening."
"It's already been four hours!?"
"Apparently. So, what are you doing out here?"
"Looking for flowers." She responded in a way Meta knew she wasn't being sarcastic.
"I see... do you need help?"
"Yes." She said throwing a book at him. "I'm looking for the Blue Rosalia. It's a rare type of flower used for making poisons. Apparently, a ton of them were found at the crime scene. If I can find one and show it to Erhard, it might jog his memory."
Meta opened the book and turned to the page. "Alright, I'll get to looking." Then he did a double take and noticed that she seemed to be holding something else... a bouquet of roses. "Fetty, what's that?"
She immediately jumped. "Oh, this? It's a gift for winning the tournament!"
He tilted his head. "...But I haven't won it yet."
"Keyword being yet. I was planning on surprising you with them."
"But won't they be for nothing if I don't win?"
"Of course not! A gift's a gift, even if the original meaning of it changes the feelings behind it stay the same."
"I suppose that's fair."
"Yup! But since you saw them, you can have them now."
"Are you sure?"
"Duh. I wouldn't be handing them over if I wasn't."
"But-"
"Just shut up and take them!"
"O-ok. Thank you, Fetty."
She smiled and handed him the flowers. "Now let's get back to searching."
"Wait. How do you know it's here Fetty?"
"I don't. But according to my research this garden has common and rare flowers from across the galaxy. So, I say it's worth a shot looking."
"...yeah, so there's a chance."
"Exactly."
"Why not just show him a picture of the flower? Wouldn't that work as well?"
"Maybe, but it's better for amnesiacs to feel an object. Our memories and our senses are linked. So, if he touches it and the sensation feels familiar to him..." She said, waiting for Meta to finish the sentence.
The youth nodded. "It should trigger a memory."
"Correct. We'll use a picture as a last resort if we need to."
"Ok. I'll look in this section of the garden while you look in the other one."
"Ok, just be careful."
Meta looked confused. "Careful about what?"
"Allergies."
"I don't have any allergies, though."
"That you know of."
"I think I would know by now if I was allergic to something."
"Including flowers, you've never encountered before?"
"Probably."
"Right, well if you start sneezing up a storm don't blame me." She said as she went back to looking.
He nodded and began his own exploration. "You'd think a blue rose would be easy to spot, especially when most of these flowers are red or yellow." He sighed as he began to look around. He then came across yet another group of flowers.
"...well, these are purple and pink, but not what I'm looking for." He then continued on.
"Brown, green, ones with eyes. But still no blue."
Then he came across a group of blue flowers and looked down in the book.
"...these aren't the right shade of blue. They don't even look like the image."
He sighed in frustration. "No wonder she lost track of time searching for this flower."
It was at this point that almost all the flowers began to look the exact same.
"...I should see how Fetty's holding up." He uttered before heading towards his friend.
"Heeeeyy! Fetty! Have you found anything yet?" He shouted.
"Nope! But there's still one area left neither of us has checked."
"Let's check there together."
"That's the plan. Let's go!"
He nodded and followed his friend to the final area. "Oh no." Meta said, seeing the final area for himself.
Every single flower was blue, and very similar shades at that.
"Well, get to looking. Use your observation skills to find the small details."
"Got it." Meta said as he took flight. "My eyesight is good enough that I can look from up here just fine."
"Ok, let me know if you find anything!"
"I know!"
Fettuccine appeared to give a giggle before she went back to searching.
"I guess I should be thankful for all that vision training sensei made me do. Hey wait, is that?" He landed in front of the flower he spotted. "Is this it?"
Fettuccine came running towards him. "Let me see!"
"Um... here you go." Meta said as he moved out of the way.
Fettuccine took a look at the flower he was referring to. "Yup! This is what I've been looking for! Hopefully anyway. Let's go visit him and see if our efforts pay off."
The puff nodded as they headed off to the medical ward.
On their way there, Meta decided to make some conversation with his friend.
"Hey Fetty, correct me if I'm wrong. But couldn't you have transformed a part of yourself I'm the flower and have him touch that?"
"Oh, I definitely could have, but since I've never seen or felt one in person until now, I wouldn't have been able to replicate its texture. Only its appearance."
"I see... that makes sense."
"Yup. That's the funny thing about us Limets. We can become anything but only if we fully understand it."
"Is that why Limets tend to be curious? To learn and literally grow from learning?"
"Yup! It's pretty neat, don't you think?"
"I'd be lying if I said no." Fettuccine gave a giggle in response. "Say, why are Star Warriors so obsessed with snuggling?" She then asked.
"The only one obsessed is sensei." He said with a huff. "For a serious answer, we thrive on positive emotions and physical bonds. They quite literally keep us alive and kicking."
"So, if you stop snuggling, you will die?"
"Not exactly and it doesn't just involve snuggling. For most of us, simply being around those we trust is enough. As for dying, no. We just become tired, both physically and mentally."
"Awww... that's adorable! The idea of loving to simply being around others is great." She then giggled. "I think that Limets can be the same way."
"That wouldn't surprise me." He said, thinking back to the various times Mercury seemed happy just sitting next to Kurabe... or Fettuccine with himself for that matter.
"Hey Metty, you grew up on the death trap planet, right? How did you survive?"
"The animals."
"...the animals, huh? Was that how you had any positive emotions or interaction?"
"Yes. Some of the weaker, less violent ones came to me whenever I made beef jerky and I would feed them. In turn, they would keep me company. It wasn't much, but it was enough to survive."
Suddenly, he felt himself being picked up in a hug by Fettuccine. For a moment, he blinked in surprise.
"Not that I don't like this, but why are you hugging me?"
"I'm sorry that's just... so sad..." She uttered, beginning to cry.
The puff silently tilted his head. "What is? My life back then? I guess it is... but honestly I wouldn't change anything about it."
The woman wiped her eyes and looked at him in confusion. "What? Why?"
"Because it led to where I am now. I have a home and people I care about. Like you."
Fettuccine's cheeks became a bright red.
"Plus, those animals are the only positive things on that planet, so I don't mind talking about them at all."
The woman then suddenly shook her head. "We should just head to where Erhard is."
"Right. It's not too far from here, right?"
"Yeah, so let's go." She said, carrying him the rest of the way there.
Soon, they reached the medical ward.
"Alright, we made it." Fettuccine said as she put him down. "Let's go show that flower to Erhard then."
Thankfully it didn't take long to find Erhard, who just got done checking up on a patient. "Ah, it's you two again. Anything I can help you with?"
"Do you mind holding onto this flower for a moment?" The woman asked, holding it out to him.
"I suppose I can." He said, taking the flower.
"You wouldn't happen to recognize what this is, do you?"
The kind doctor stood still and silent.
"Is he ok?"
"He might be in the process of remembering something. Let's just wait and see."
The duo took a seat and waited to see if the doctor would say anything.
"Rosalia. Blue Rosalia. I remember someone making something with them, but I can't clearly make out who or what."
"Even if it's the smallest fraction of something, that's at least good."
"I'm grateful for this. I'll hold onto this Rosalia for the time being. Hopefully, I'll remember more in time."
"I hope so, too. Thank you for your cooperation, Erhard."
"Of course. Is there anything else you need?"
"Nope, just try to see if you remember anything else!"
"I'll try." He said with a hopeful expression. It seemed as if the idea of regaining his memories was giving him hope.
"Now we have even more of a reason to try and uncover the truth..." Meta thought upon seeing this.
"Fetty, I haven't asked yet, but how do we open up the case? I guess we have to go the legal division ourselves?" He then asked his friend.
"Yep. We have to go there with solid evidence that the case needs to be opened back up."
"And do we even have any yet?"
"Let me see..."
"From my own investigation prior to even coming to this planet, I managed to find security footage from that incident. And the kicker is, it's been edited. A large portion of it has been cut out, but it's been edited in a way that it's unnoticeable to an average viewer."
"I see... will that be enough evidence?"
"I don't know. It's up to the head of the division to decide if it is or not."
"Then should we gather more just in case?"
"The only thing we can do now is hope that Erhard regains his memory and to come up with a convincing argument when we talk to the division leader. There's only so much we can do until the case gets reopened."
"But we're doing this so the case gets reopened, right?"
"Yes, but until we get it reopened, we can't do much. We can't go to the scene of the crime. We can't get access to private records about the case. All the evidence I've already gotten is literally all I can get on my own without breaking the law. Right now is the best and only shot we have."
"So at this point, it's all on Erhard..."
"No, it's on me to convince them with a good argument. Erhard remembering something will be incredibly useful, but it won't mean anything if I can't convince the legal division."
Meta sighed. "You'll have to do that on your own. I'm not good with people."
"Uh duh, why do you think I keep saying me? I know your strengths and weaknesses, Meta, no way am I going to make you do any talking."
The youth gave a smile. "Thank you."
"I'll need you to come with me though. You may not realize it, but you are a very well-known figure. If they see I have your support and by extension Kurabe's support, they might be more inclined to listen."
"Ok, I understand." He then looked at her once more. "I assume we need to get them to open the case again before sensei can use ESP to unlock his memories?"
"Yup, legally she can't do it until the case opens up."
"I see..."
"It's fine if a lot of this is confusing to you Metty. Legal politics suck so much. I only know so much because it's my job."
Meta only nodded. Truth is, all of it was giving him a headache. This was why the combat division was the only division for him. No politics, no boring research. Just missions involving his own strength. Fighting to survive, it was all old instinct to him at this point and that's how he preferred it.
"Can we talk about anything other than politics?" He asked.
"Sure, you ready for your next fight?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"Got any strategies? Apparently, your opponent is great at stealing weapons."
"I just have to be able to fight without a weapon."
"Well, you are good at kicking. Honestly I think you'll be fine."
"Yeah, same."
"Well on that note, you better go rest then. I'm sure your brain is exhausted by now. I know mine is."
"It is. Well, good night, Fetty. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yup! And take good care of those roses you hear me!" She jokingly threatened.
Meta chuckled in reply. "I will, Fetty. I'll take great care of them."
"Good! Later Metty!" She said as she walked away.
The youth gave a smile before heading back to his room for the night.
The next day came, and Meta immediately headed towards the arena, ready to get this round over with quickly.
"I believe the finals are after this round." He thought as he waited in the arena.
As expected, Bio Sting was in the other semifinal match and was fighting Vul. Now the question was... where was his opponent?
"Sorry I'm late, my partner's pep talk took longer than necessary." A cheerfully playful voice said.
Meta looked to his left and saw cat like figure walk towards him. "Are you Satsuki?"
"I do believe that is my name."
"Then let's get started."
"Straight and to the point. I like you." She seemed to grin.
"Ok?"
"If you two have gotten the introductions over with, it's time to spin the wheel." The two competitors turned towards the general, who spun the wheel to decide on the field they would be battling on.
"You'll be facing off in the desert heat. Momo if you would be so kind?"
The mage nodded and cast a spell, transforming the entire area into a desert.
"Man, don't you just hate sand? It's quite a pain to move around in, wouldn't you say?" The thief said in a relaxed pose.
"I guess."
"Yeah, it's so cumbersome." Suddenly she disappeared and was now behind Meta. "Except for me." She as she went to attack him from behind, only to hit nothing as Meta had already teleported behind her, much to her shock.
"You'll need to be faster than that." He said as he kicked her across the desert, almost resulting in an immediate ring out.
"Man, fast and strong. Sting was right about you." She said as she stood up.
"I see. So, she told you about me."
"Of course. At first, I thought she was being her usual overprotective self, but nope. She certainly wasn't exaggerating. I wasn't even able to grab your sword." Then she smirked. "But I did get something else." She said, holding Meta's cloak.
"Hey, I need that!"
"I know you do. You can't teleport without it, I've seen how you always cover yourself as you do. Obviously, you need it for that."
Meta smirked. "Is that really what you think?" He said as he disappeared from sight.
"What!?" Satsuki said in shock, her calculations all wrong.
Meta was now in front of her, lightning in his palm. "Thunderclap!" He shouted, palming her in the stomach.
The impact of the strike made her drop the cloak and go out of bounds. The puff retrieved his cloak with a smile. The arena turned back to normal as Meta started to walk away. Glancing back, he saw Sting comfort her partner, even though the thief didn't look that upset about her loss. He gave a slight smile before returning to the stands.
Shortly after this, the puff returned to where his mentor was sitting.
"Well, Meta, you made it to the finals. Who do you think you'll be fighting?" Kurabe asked.
"Honestly? Probably Bio Sting."
"You don't think Vul could win?"
"He'd need a miracle from what I've seen."
"Or lack thereof. Considering she's defeated all of her opponents in less than a minute."
"Right, no one's seen everything that she's capable of."
"The same applies to you, Meta. Most of your fights have also been short and I know you haven't used every technique you have yet."
"I guess that will mean both of us are at a disadvantage in that sense."
"You can look at it that way, but I prefer to view it as you two being on a even playing field. You two have the same knowledge as each other and the fight will take place on the standard arena. This will be a very close, even match."
"I see..."
"When it comes to perfectly even fights it all comes down to one thing Meta. Skill. I believe you have the skills to win. It won't be easy, she very well might be the strongest opponent you've faced so far in your life. But I believe in you."
"...thank you, sensei."
"Of course that's if she wins."
"I surrender!" They heard Vul's scratchy voice yell.
"You mean like that?"
"Precisely. Good call on Vul's part, he looks ready to collapse."
Meta himself looked towards his ally and that was indeed the case. The moment that Sting stopped her attack, he actually did collapse. "Don't worry Meta, I can tell nothing is broken. In fact it's quite clever how she won."
"Sensei, did you already figure it out?"
"Remember my lessons about pressure points?"
The youth looked concerned. Admittedly, he didn't really remember it.
"Quick refresher course then. Most creatures have spots on their body that when pressed with enough force will cause that part of the body to temporarily shut down to put it simply."
"I didn't say I didn't remember it, sensei, but thank you."
"Your confused expression told me everything I needed to know."
He only pouted, making Kurabe chuckled. "I guess you're not completely mature yet."
"Yeah...I still have room to grow, don't I? Thank you, sensei."
For a moment, it looked like his mentor was about to reach out to pat him on the head, but stopped herself and withdrew her hand into her cape.
"You're welcome, Meta."
The youth blinked at this in slight confusion, but decided to ignore it before he asked yet another question. "Sensei, I have to ask, do we have pressure points?"
"No, actually. We are one of the few species that don't."
Her student scratched his head. "...I guess that makes sense. I don't think anywhere would be considered a good pressure point for us."
"Our bodies are too squishy to have any. Limets are much the same. Anyway, you won't have to worry about her exploiting what you don't even have."
Meta knew the part about Limets all too well. However, something still didn't exactly seem right about it. "Wait, but wouldn't the core technically be considered one for a Limet?"
"Technically, I suppose." His mentor replied with a shrug.
Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by a loud voice.
"Attention, everyone." Everyone turned to see that the voice was none other than General Z. "There will be a two-hour break to allow our final competitors to rest. During this time both competitors are to remain alone until it's time to fight. Meta, Bio Sting, head to your rooms immediately to begin resting and planning for the fight to come."
Kurabe gave a slight pout, clearly annoyed by the general's words. It was almost obvious what she was irritated by.
"I guess I'll see you all later." Meta said as he stood up to leave. Not hearing anything in response, he left to return to his room.
Upon returning to his room, the youth was in deep thought.
"Two hours, two hours to think of a strategy. Hey sensei do you-right. This is something I have to figure out on my own."
Not only that, but he was the only one in the room right now.
"Well, I guess I should start somewhere. What do I know about her skills? She's fast and fights primarily with kunai. She uses pressure points but that's useless against me."
He turned over in his bed.
"Come on... think! Wait, she'll have no place to hide. If I can make it so she can't dodge, then I should manage to take her out. I guess now is the time, for my Mach Tornado."
Mach Tornado... it was a move he had been practicing for several months now. It was a move meant to cover an entire area. The only issue was that it drained more than half of his mana, so effectively he only had one shot.
"...Though I do have that mana storage seal Tam gave me. With that I have at least two uses of Mach Tornado." He then sighed. "But even so, I should use treat each use of it like I have only one... and treat it as a last resort. Preferably I want to take her out before I need to use it."
He looked down and noted that his hand was shaking.
"...why am I so nervous?"
Was it because it was the final match? Possibly, but there was more to it.
"I don't want to disappoint sensei. I'm scared of betraying her hopes."
He once more turned over in his bed.
"...what would she tell me?"
Maybe something like... "Relax, there's no shame in losing. Just give it everything you have." He gave a small smile.
"...yeah, that's it."
He then chuckled.
"I bet Sting is freaking out just like I was. Well, I guess I should sleep for now."
His mentor probably would wake him up just before the match starts.
Those two hours came and went and Meta was slowly walking to the arena.
"Well, this is the moment of truth." He sighed.
Once there he found him standing face to face with his opponent.
"Steel."
"Wasp."
Almost instantly, the random wheel began to turn.
Kurabe giggled. "Turning a wheel with only one option on it. Father always did love theatrics."
The wheel landed on the normal arena as expected.
"Are you two ready?" Z asked. Both soldiers nodded in response. "Then begin!"
For a moment neither of them moved, standing still like statues. Then before anyone in the audience could blink, two were suddenly right next to each other, Meta's sword clashing with Sting's kunai. Both delivered a flurry of strikes before needing to back away from each other. After creating some distance between Sting threw thirty kunai, all landing near Meta. Meta was initially confused but then noticed all of them had explosive seals on them. Meta flew into the sky, narrowly avoiding getting blown up. But then, he felt something go through his chest from behind. Tilting his head, he saw she was behind him now, running a sword through him. To her surprise and worry, he smirked.
"Thanks for giving me a conductor." He remarked, sending electricity through the sword and into her body.
With a pained gasp, Sting let go and both of them fell back down on the arena. Meta stood up and pulled the sword out of him, coughing up some blood in the process. Sting got up too and performed a series of hand signs. What came next made him nervous. He was now surrounded by twenty Bio Stings.
"Clone technique." They all said at once as they charged at him.
Meta raised sword and prepared to fight back. The clones were strong, managing to cut Meta with each attack. For every clone Meta defeated, three of them would strike from behind, drawing blood in the process. Soon it all became too much handle. He could barely stand and his left eye was swollen shut due to getting punched repeatedly.
"Any last words?" Asked the real Bio Sting as she got ready to deliver the final blow.
Then to her surprise, Meta began to laugh.
"Yeah, I have two in fact."
Using the last of his energy, the youth jumped up and started spinning as fast as possible. Wind and lightning began to swirl around him. The force was so strong that the Bio Sting clones were starting to get sucked towards it.
"What is this!?" She yelled.
"MACH TORNADO!" Meta roared, summoning a large vortex that swallowed the entire arena.
After a few seconds the tornado disappeared, and there was only one Bio Sting left, and she was barely standing. The youth himself had barely any energy left as well. Wordlessly they both drew their swords and ran at each other. As soon as they got close, they slashed at each other. After a moment of silence, Bio Sting dropped down to the ground, unconscious.
"I won? I... won... I won!" Meta roared above the thunderous applause before succumbing to his injuries and falling unconscious as well.
When the youth regained consciousness, his eyes were still a bit blurry, but he could feel an all-too-familiar hugging sensation and could smell an all-too-familiar mint scent right beside him.
"Sensei? Fetty? What happened?"
"You won!"
"...I did?"
"You sure did. It was close, but you won."
"I know you two are excited to see that Meta is doing well, but please restrain yourselves a bit so soon after his treatment." Another voice in the room said.
"Treatment? Was I really hurt that badly?"
"You were stabbed through the body with a sword. It would be ridiculous to think that you wouldn't be treated from that."
Meta blinked his eyes a few times and could now see that the person speaking was, of course, Erhard.
"The guards are waiting outside the room for me." The doctor explained, as if already knowing what he was going to be asked.
The youth nodded in understanding. "Were my injuries that bad?"
Erhard stared in questioning for a moment. "Yes, they were. I recommend that you don't move too quickly or without assistance for the next few days."
Meta let out a sigh. "Alright. How's Sting?"
"She fainted first, so that's how you were given the win. However, she was in a better condition than you were." He explained bluntly.
The youth laughed upon hearing that. "Of course, I win and yet I'm in worse shape."
"Indeed. Those two ladies beside you were worried."
"Really? Sorry about that."
Both Kurabe and Fettuccine seemed to hug him tighter.
"Don't worry about it. We're just glad you're safe."
"...Sensei, are you proud of me?"
"...Meta..." He then heard a few soft sobs. "Words cannot describe how proud I am of you..."
"I... see..." He said with a smile as he fell back asleep.
Kurabe smiled and hugged him tightly.
"Will he be fine?" Fettuccine asked.
"After a couple days of rest, yes."
"Will he be able to walk around?"
"Yes, as long as he doesn't do anything too intensive for the rest of the week."
"Good!" The woman exclaimed as she hugged the puff once more.
"Please refrain from doing that. We don't want the wound to reopen."
Both seemed to glare at him and reluctantly let go.
"It's rude to glare at the doctor..." Meta mumbled in his sleep, somehow subconsciously aware of what's happening.
Everyone blinked for a moment, but then giggled at the sight.
Three hours later, Meta was deemed healthy enough to walk around. The first thing he did was deciding to visit Bio Sting.
"I believe this is where her room was..." He mumbled to himself as he approached her door. "Hey, you in there?" He asked awkwardly.
"Which you are you referring too?" Two female voices said at the same time. One was obviously Sting, while the other was his opponent from the semifinals.
"Um... Wasp." He replied in an even more awkward manner.
"I'll be right there." She replied.
"Ok..."
"What do you need, Steel?" A voice said from behind him.
"...Couldn't you have just used the door?" He asked.
"Perhaps..." She chuckled.
"It's because it's a woman's room, isn't it?" He thought.
"So, do you need something?"
"I came here for two things. First, thanks for the great fight. I haven't had a fight that fun in a while."
"I'm of the same opinion. Normally, I despise losing, but today's fight shall be an exception. What's the second thing?"
"Are you ok? I didn't injure you too badly, did I?"
Suddenly, the kunoichi let out a laugh. "I appreciate the concern, but I'm sure I should be asking you that question. I remember hearing that you were in a worse condition than me."
"Oh, me? I'm fine." He said, not really caring about being stabbed through by a sword.
"Even with how you were stabbed?" She uttered, clearly shocked at his casual response.
"Yeah, I barely felt it. The wound doesn't even hurt anymore."
"I see... though that might be because of our doctor friend."
"Yeah, that and sensei's endurance training. I'm a lot more durable than I look."
"I see... it appears I may have underestimated the teachings of the Lady of Shadows in that case."
"Maybe, but your grand uncle is certainly a great teacher judging by your skills. I've never encountered someone who uses actual clones and not just illusions."
"Indeed. He is not considered the greatest shinobi of all time for nothing." She then looked at him curiously. "That technique you used... the Mach Tornado I believe you called it. Did the Lady of Shadows teach that to you? I thought she didn't use lightning or wind magic."
"No, it's a technique I came up with myself."
"You made it yourself!? No wonder I've never seen anything like it before. And here I was hoping my clone technique would be enough to overwhelm you. Had I known you had a technique that swallowed the whole arena I would have been more careful."
Meta smiled. "To be fair, I didn't show it in case I had to use it as a last resort."
"That makes sense. I could tell that technique drains a lot of mana."
"Yeah, I was asleep for a while."
"I'm sure that's more because of me stabbing you."
"Probably a combination of both."
"...Are you sure you're fine?" She asked, not used to anyone acting so unbothered by a lethal wound.
"I'm alive and that's all that matters. No point in making a big deal about it."
"I see...it's just so unusual to see someone acting so calm in such a situation."
Meta shrugged. "Since you did your research, you should be familiar with the planet I was born on right?"
"...the death trap, correct?"
"Then that's why the idea of my own death doesn't really bother me thar much."
The ninja seemed to look at him sadly. "This might sound strange coming from a ninja, but don't you have people that you care about?"
"Of course."
"...don't you think they would be upset if you died?"
"You're right, which is why I won't die. While my death doesn't bother me, I don't want to see them upset. That's why I train so hard. I know my life has value and I know it was them that gave it value in the first place."
Almost instantly, Sting's mood seemed to pick up. "I see. I believe I've told you who is most important to me. What about yourself?"
"The most important. That's difficult honestly, but if I had to choose one. My sensei, but Fetty and Mercury aren't too far behind."
"I see. So, they are the people who you want to live for the most."
"Yes, they are. Among others."
"Indeed. For that reason, please don't think anything less of your life."
"Trust me, I know. Which is why I prefer to focus on living rather than worrying about dying."
Sting seemed to smile. "Don't forget that."
"I won't."
"Good. Remember that."
"...I will."
"Good, now there is another matter I'd like to speak about." Sting said, her expression becoming serious.
"What's that?"
"First look behind you."
Doing as told he saw a clone of Bio Sting walking up to him. "What?" He involuntarily uttered, causing the kunoichi to chuckle in amusement.
"After I agreed to help you and Candy, I created a clone. I sent this clone to the headquarters of the legal division. It finally returned shortly after we finished our battle."
Almost instantly, the puff turned back towards he in interest and surprise. "What did it find?"
"The identity of the one who was in charge of the original investigation. In other words, the one who imprisoned Erhard."
"Well, who is it?"
"A man by the name, Veno. He is the second in command of the division."
"The second in command?"
"Correct. Even more distressing is who he is, or rather was, related to. Remember how Erhard was the assistant of a doctor?"
"Yeah, I believe that was mentioned to me when Fettuccine and I met him."
"My clone dug into Veno's past. He was step-brothers with the doctor Erhard worked for."
"...does this mean that the doctor was the one who committed the massacre, and he was covering up for him?"
"That, unfortunately, I do not know. However, this information should at least help find the truth."
The puff nodded. "I see. If anything, it gives a motive for why Erhard would be locked up."
"Yes... oh, I suppose I should mention the doctor's name as well. His name was Dru. I could not find out what happened to him. There's no record of death but it's like he disappeared from the galaxy itself. It's possible he's dead, but it's possible he could be in hiding. We have no idea."
"Is that so? I think Fettuccine and I can investigate that."
"The best place to start would be talking to Erhard directly. Perhaps the name of his mentor will bring back some memories."
Meta thought for a moment before giving his reply. "I'll ask him about it first."
Sting nodded. "Is there anything else you needed?"
"No, I just wanted to check on you. Thank you for the information."
"You're welcome. And next time we fight I will be victorious." She said as she held out her hand.
Meta only chuckled. "We'll see about that." He took her hand and shook it.
"Yes, we will." She said as she teleported back into her room.
With this new information in hand, the puff began to return to his room, hoping that Erhard was still there.
Upon returning to his room, he called out inside.
"Excuse me, Erhard are you still here?"
"Yes, I thought I would wait until you returned." The Limet replied as the youth entered the room.
"Good, Fetty you'll want to hear this too."
"What is it, Metty?" The woman asked as she tilted her head.
"Sting found something important. Well, two things..." Meta said. "The first is the identity of who was in charge of the original investigation. Veno."
"Veno? The second in command to the legal division?"
"Oh... I've heard of him." Kurabe uttered.
"By your tone, nothing favorable, I imagine?"
"Honestly, he always seemed to be a bit of a shady character to me."
"Well, she learned that he was the stepbrother of the doctor Erhard worked for."
"...as if he wasn't shady enough."
"And Erhard, the name of the man you worked with, is Dru."
"Dru..." The doctor became silent.
"I think he's remembering something."
Erhard then slowly put a hand to his head.
"Quick sit him down on the bed." Kurabe ordered.
With a nod, Fettuccine did just that and the group allowed him to sit and think for a moment.
After five minutes of allowing him to process his thoughts, Kurabe spoke up. "Erhard, what do you remember?"
"...give me a moment."
She only silently nodded. "Take your time."
"...I remember the doctor and his two other assistants. His children, a man and a woman. I also remember why the doctor was researching the Rosalia. His wife was sick with an unknown disease. He thought that maybe the poison of the Rosalia could be used as a cure. Beyond that, my memory is still fuzzy."
Quickly, Meta turned to his friend. "Fetty, can we use this information for something?"
She nodded in response. "Yes, actually. The original report made no mention of these other assistants. They weren't among the dead. So that means there's another unsolved mystery."
"In other words, more potential suspects."
Fettuccine turned to the doctor. "Erhard, can you recall the children's names?"
The man clenched his head once more. "Wade and Rebecca Forde. That's their names."
"Does that trigger any more memories?"
"One of them seemed to argue with the doctor frequently, but I can't remember which sibling or what the arguments were about."
"I think that can still be helpful information." Meta said.
"It will be. Now... Kurabe, will you allow Meta to accompany me for this?" Fettuccine asked.
"Permission granted."
"Thank you." The woman replied, surprised by how easy that was.
"Oh, don't look so surprised. I did say I would help you, wouldn't I?"
The interrogator blinked in puzzlement. "Well, yes, but with his injuries-"
"I trust him to not do anything stupid." She then grinned. "Not only that, but I also trust you to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."
"Oh, well, thank you."
"There shouldn't be any fighting, right? Then I'll be fine." Meta added.
"Ideally not. I also trust that you won't do... other things." Kurabe uttered with a suggestive tone.
Fettuccine blushed while the blue puff looked clueless. "I have no interest in drugs, sensei."
"I wasn't talking about drugs." She uttered bluntly.
"Alright? I'll just focus on helping Fetty, I'm not interested in anything else."
She patted his head. "Good. Keep it that way."
"Ok... oh, sensei. Is there a prize for winning the tournament? Meta asked, more out of curiosity than of greed.
"Bragging rights and experience." She replied bluntly.
Her student had a blank expression. "Bragging rights, I couldn't care less about. The experience though I'll gladly take."
His mentor smiled. "Buuuut... just for my little knight, I can reward you with something else!"
Meta tilted his head in questioning, slightly cautious about what she meant. "That being...?"
"Well, what would you like?"
Her student took a moment to think. What exactly would he want as a reward? Suddenly, one came to mind. "...I haven't had a parfait in a while."
She then clapped her hands together. "I'll make you one then!"
"Thank you, sensei." She then turned to the other people in the room. "Now, I guess you two should return to your rooms now."
"Room may not be the best name for it, but yes I should return." Erhard said as he stood up.
"Hopefully, you'll be able to get out of there soon, Erhard." Meta said.
"Hope, I'm starting to like that word more now."
"Probably because it now has meaning to you."
"Perhaps." Was all he said as he walked out of the room. If anything, that only made Meta more determined to prove Erhard's innocence.
"I'll see you tomorrow then Fetty!" "Yup! And I'll see you tomorrow as well, Metty!" She said with a giggle.
"Yeah, good nigh-" He tried to say before falling asleep.
Kurabe let out a chuckle. "I guess he was more exhausted than he thought." She said while picking him up and carrying him to bed.
"Are you sure you don't mind letting him come with me? You might not see him for a bit."
"Yes, I'm sure. You two are doing a good thing and he's starting to truly stand on his own two feet. Besides, he'll come back to me safe and sound, I'm sure of that." The puff then smiled as she turned towards her. "Besides, I said I trusted you, didn't I?"
Fettuccine blinked for a moment, but then gave her trademark smile. "...Thank you." She then stood up and gave a long stretch. "Well, I should be going now."
"Indeed. The next few days for you will be busy."
"Oh, I know. It'll be headache after headache, but I'll handle it."
Kurabe gave a chuckle. "I don't doubt that at all. Good night, Fettuccine."
"Good night. " She said as she left, leaving just Kurabe and a sleeping Meta.
"You did an amazing job, Meta. You're growing so fast. Maybe a little too fast." She joked. Despite the joking way she said that, she looked at him sadly. "...Why am I acting like this? I've never felt like this with any other student. I should be happy that he's improving."
She then shook her head. Maybe that feeling will go away if she ignored it.
"I should go to sleep..."
As she laid down, she couldn't help but look at Meta one more time.
"Good night, my little knight." She uttered.
Kurabe turned the lamp to its lowest setting and soon fell asleep.
And that is the end of the tournament arc.
If it took really long to finish this chapter, I'm sorry and I hope you enjoy it.