"Why are there so many people here?"
The seats of the practice arena were almost full. It wasn't as big as Sentinel Stadium, sure. But the students packed into the handful of rows circling the arena were more than enough to put Caspian on edge. Why were there spectator stands in the practice arena, anyway?
Most of his friends, Caspian knew, were watching. Lazula had probably made time after training to watch the show, just to point out every little mistake the next time she saw him. Lilly, luckily, was busy. Whatever she had gone to do with Aspen seemed important. Caspian didn't mind, as long as it meant she wasn't watching. Then of course, Noxis.
"This is an official duel between Team CRLN's leader, Caspian Skye, and challenger, Noxis Orion!" the officiator announced. A wave of applause rolled over the crowd, and subsided. "Safety parameters for this match have been set at ten percent. The first combatant to decrease their enemy's aura level to the safety parameter, or the combatant with highest aura level after five minutes, will be declared winner." He turned to Noxis, then to Caspian. "Are you ready?"
"Oh, yeah," Noxis confirmed.
"...Yeah," Caspian managed.
The announcer pinched his Holoscreen, and flipped it up to the metal workings suspended from the ceiling. Caspian and Noxis's pictures and aura levels displayed to all in the stadium. "The match will begin after a ten second countdown."
Caspian looked to the weapon in his hand, trying to tune out the premature hoots and cheers rising from the crowd. The metal workings of his gun twisted into place, until "Undertow" glowed just above the trigger. He held it at his side. If he held down the trigger a bit, Undertow's loaded shot could shoot straight at quite some distance- easily to the other end of the court.
At the tone, Caspian ran.
He fired a handful of shots before making it to the edge of the arena, and began to run in a wide arc around his opponent, firing off more. Noxis initially pursued, but stopped after a couple of shots made contact. He squared his shoulders, swinging at each shot as they flashed toward him.
"So, you even fight like a coward?" Noxis taunted, face taking on a potent mixture of anger and excitement. "Get over here!"
Caspian pulled back his shot as his finger began to tug on Undertow's trigger. He started with fear, realizing Noxis was rapidly closing in on him. By the time Undertow had transformed back into a cutlass, Noxis was on him, bearing down with Renegade.
Wind whipped through Caspian's hair as the blunt edge of Noxis's weapon careened by. Caspian spun on the balls of his feet and lashed out, but his strike was stonewalled by Noxis, who pushed back and swung. Caspian's vision cut out for a split second as the bat smashed into his forehead. He yelped in pain and staggered back, before feeling a second strike to the gut. Agony radiated through his body, clutching at his chest with a searing hand every time he dared try breathing. Somehow, he still stood. Unable to see through his teary vision, Caspian swung Undertow feebly.
He felt Renegade's handle smash the back of his head, and his knees finally gave out.
Caspian could see Noxis's boots standing half a foot from his head. The tip of Renegade rested on the ground next to them. Slowly, Caspian's breath came back to him. He flicked his Holoband on next to his head. His aura still held at fourteen percent. "Ten percent safety parameters, huh?" He thought. "Not a big fan."
"Get up," Noxis demanded. "I'm not done with you."
Caspian's arms shook, and his muscles felt as though they threatened to tear. One foot caught hold, then the other. Still sputtering for breath, head bruised in two places and ravaged by a pungent, dull ache that travelled down to his stomach, he pushed himself upright.
Noxis waited for Caspian to right himself. Then, he swung.
Caspian lashed out with Undertow, but couldn't match Noxis's force. With blade and chestplate, Caspian barely managed to block the blow. He freed his weapon and slashed twice, finally landing a hit. In his moment of victory, Noxis swung again and Caspian was dropped to the floor by another bash to the head.
All the lights in the arena flashed on. Gods, they were bright. The crowd began to cheer.
"Caspian Skye's aura has dropped below the safety parameter," the officiator announced. "Challenger Noxis Orion is victorious!"
"Of course he is," Caspian thought. "I was lucky to get one hit in." Noxis still stood over him. "Is he helping me up? Maybe he's satisfied..." He raised his chin, glancing up to the wolf.
Renegade was raised to the side. Before Caspian could realize what was happening, a backhanded swing slammed into his cheek. Caspian shouted in pain as the bat crashed into his face with a crack. Waves of blue sparked around his body as he curled up. The audience gasped, then was quiet out of shock.
"NOXIS ORION."
His sister's voice.
Caspian looked up, raising a hand to shield his eyes from the light. There was no need. All had been turned to Lazula, who strode down the rows of spectator seats with cape billowing behind her. The golden accents of her armor took on a shimmering splendor, threatening to blind the gawking onlookers to each side.
Noxis turned, grin of ecstasy tracing across his lips as a half-crazed look flashed in his eyes. "Well look who's come down from her fucking pedestal!" he shouted in glee. He held one arm in front of his chest and one behind him, addressing Lazula with an exaggerated bow. "To what do I owe this honor?!"
"You have every right to challenge my brother, and every right to defeat him," Lazula asserted. "But to strike after you've already won isn't something I can so easily forgive."
"Come on! I'll take you right now!" Noxis welcomed. He planted a boot on the kneeling Caspian's back. "Your baby brother made a damn good warm up!"
"You speak when I tell you to," Lazula snapped. "Same time tomorrow, Sentinel Stadium." She raised her gaze, sweeping her arm across the stands. "All of you are invited! Bring your friends and family!" her glare once again fixed on Noxis. "You may be strong, but it's time someone showed you just how far it is to the top."
The stands broke out into deafening cheer. How this many people could make that much noise, Caspian had no idea.
Noxis's boot pushed Caspian back to the concrete, and he slung Renegade over his shoulder. "I'll be waiting."
Word of a "grudge match" between the celebrity Lazula Skye and another first year spread quickly, throughout campus and into the city of Port Cyrreine. Just about every student from Sentinel filled the stands, by Caspian's estimate. The student section was full, as were the first several rows lining the arena. The stadium was nowhere near capacity, sure. But it was built to house the Vytal Tournament, and all the thousands who would inevitably flood campus once it came around again.
"Man, I'm ready to see Noxis get destroyed!" Rowan revelled.
"I know Lazula's strong, but Noxis is too," Ichigo reminded. "It might not be as one-sided as you would expect."
Laurel shrugged. "He beat me, too. That semblance of his is... kind of ridiculous."
"Awakened, right?" Rowan replied. "Didn't Lilly's mom have the same one?" he looked to the side. "Also, where is Lilly?"
"I thought one of you guys knew," Ichigo responded.
"She hasn't answered any of the times we've knocked at her door, I'm not even sure if she's there," Caspian commented.
"I tried to message her earlier, haven't heard anything back," Laurel added. "And it's odd for her to miss one of Lazula's matches. I hope she's alright..."
Caspian opened his Holoscreen, checking Lilly's aura for what must have been the twentieth time. "Her aura's still full, so nothing too bad could have happened to her..."
The lights dimmed. A brunette woman in expensive-looking clothing stepped between the two. She ran through the usual pre-duel monologue in a flat, almost bored voice contrary to the crowd's excited chatter. Finally, she turned to both combatants. "When both parties are ready, the match will begin after a ten-second countdown."
Lazula nodded, and began to pull Impetus from its sheath. She looked down to it, then to Noxis, who held bat over his shoulder and cocked his head back in an attempt to intimidate her.
"I don't think I'll need this," Lazula assessed, sliding Impetus back into its sheath.
The tone blared, and Noxis charged toward her. Lazula strode forward with Aegis at her side. Gods, it would feel good to wipe that damned smile off his face.
Lazula raised Aegis into Noxis's ferocious swing, stepping forward and activating the full extent of her semblance at the moment of impact. A vigorous surge of raw energy coursed through Lazula's body and released through her arm. Renegade was flung back into its owner, the power behind Noxis's swing getting blocked, added to Aegis, and multiplied countless times over.
The air around the collision was deceptively still for a second, before bursting forth with wanton fury. The audience screamed in a mixture of cheer and terror as the winds crashed into the hard-light barrier, lighting it up from floor to ceiling and shaking the entire stadium with their roaring force. Noxis was flung back, flying for what must have been twenty feet before smashing into the ground the first time. He bounced and continued to roll back as he attempted to gain footing against the gust, to no avail.
"What was that?" Rowan shouted, grasping his seat and leaning forward with eyes wide open in awe.
"Lazula holds back most of the time," Caspian noted. "This is the full extent of her semblance."
When the winds finally began to settle, Noxis was on all fours. Lazula smirked with satisfaction, seeing the grin on his face replaced with a wide eyed stare as his hair broke from its tie. She continued forward at a brisk walk, still keeping Impetus in its sheath.
Noxis grasped Renegade's handle, which he had miraculously managed to keep. He lunged forward, swinging at Lazula's ankle. She took the attack into her boot with gritted teeth, transferring its force into her other leg and whipping him across the jaw with a brutal kick that sent him rolling once more.
He put a hand behind his head, and adjusted his neck. He began to get up, eyeing his opponent.
"What the hell is that grin for, now?" Lazula questioned.
She shielded her eyes against a violent burst of fog that expanded from Noxis like a cold explosion to obscure the area. "This must be what Laurel warned me about," Lazula recalled. She was surprised the faunus still had enough aura to spare after the two hits, but gazed into the mist. There, in the center. Two red eyes near the ground. Lazula trudged forward. The crimson glow flashed, and sprung at her.
Lazula punched through the murk to slam Aegis down on Noxis's head. The shield rang with triumphant vibrato. He fell limp across the floor, all traces of his semblance fading away with the mist.
Lazula stepped over him on her way to the exit. She paused, looking down at Noxis. He was on his stomach, just beginning to stir. He held a hand to his head, pinching his eyes shut.
"Don't ever try a little stunt like that again," Lazula growled. "I will find out."
"So, you were in the infirmary for quite a while!" Rowan teased. "You got a concussion, or what?"
"Piss off," Noxis retorted. The door to Team CRLN's common area closed behind him and he continued to his room. He paused after opening his door, pointing to Caspian. "I'm surprised he managed to stay conscious yesterday."
"Lazula didn't even unsheath her sword, dude!" Rowan goaded.
Caspian snorted, the sip of water he had just taken to avoid responding to Noxis threatening to slip out.
Noxis cocked his head, and approached the table. He slapped both hands down next to Caspian, causing him to start. "I know you aren't laughing. Right?"
Caspian was silent, rotating his glass back and forth between finger and thumb on the table in front of him.
Noxis huffed in amusement. "Lazula beat me pretty badly, true."
Caspian winced as he felt a hand on his shoulder. "But you? You could barely touch me, even without my semblance. Hell, even without my gun." He leaned in. "How about some simple logic? If I beat you with no more than a scratch, while pulling my punches if anything, and Lazula beat me using only her shield, what does that say about you?"
Caspian swallowed hard, though he found it difficult. He felt his hands beginning to tremble. Why. Why did they always tremble the moment someone challenged him? Why could his heart be seen beating out of his chest?
It always happened, and he had always despised it.
Noxis pulled back, apparently satisfied.
"It's almost sad, the difference between you two!"