Chapter 8:
When Mikoto woke up the morning of the tournament, she felt remarkably relaxed. There were no nightmares, no sleepless night, and no fits of sickness from her anxiety. Perhaps it was the fact that she was going to be fighting in an arena again. The event was nothing new. In fact, the spectacle of it all seemed to be a lot tamer than what she was used to. She also expected a lot less death. When she looked out the window, she saw that the sun had already risen and Haruhime had already left the room. Mikoto busied herself by getting changed into her battle gear, loading up her weaponry, and finally putting her hair into its usual large braid. She finished by putting in her signature hair loops and left to go find the others.
When she got to the dining room, she found breakfast already prepared and Haruhime bustling around with a pot of tea. The fox girl seemed to be entranced in her work, so Mikoto made her presence known by coughing into her fist.
Haruhime whirled around and gave a bright smile, "Miss Mikoto! You're awake; I made your favourite tea and breakfast! Please sit down; the others will be joining us shortly!"
Haruhime rushed around to her friend a cup. Mikoto tried to help her, but the renard refused. Her reason was, "Everyone else has been working so hard for this tournament. One such as I must do what little that they can as well!"
Haruhime refused to listen to any of Mikoto's reasons for why the fox-girl was useful. Eventually, Mikoto gave up and settled down to enjoy breakfast. Slowly, the rest of her familia filed in. As everyone finished eating, Lily began their morning meeting.
"Alright, time to go over the schedule for the next week! First, no dungeon crawling! If you're not fighting, then you're going to be supporting those who are! Also, Lily wants every eye possible to scout the competition. Now, today is the level two's doubles and singles melee. Lily and Mister Welf will be in the morning, and Miss Mikoto will be fighting in the afternoon.
Hestia nodded, "All you have to do is make it to the last 16 standing. I'm sure you'll be fine!" Hestia made a dismissive gesture and returned to her oatmeal.
Lily scowled, "Please do not be so lackadaisical, Goddess Hestia! These are intense battles!"
Ryuu nodded, "Not to mention the dangerous opponents you'll be facing in the melee."
Lily cast an eye to Ryuu, "So, Miss Ryuu has heard of the competition then?"
Ryuu nodded.
Otohime looked between the two, "What competition? I thought Freya Familia wasn't allowed to compete?"
Ryuu looked to the former princess, "Yes, but there's still Loki Familia and Freya's proxy Familia…"
Elwin frowned, "Proxy Familia? What do you mean?"
"Baldr Familia," answered Hestia, "Hephaistos told me about them. Ever since Freya was barred from the rank-up tournament, she found a Familia to compete for her. She's been helping them train and taking them down of expeditions deep in the dungeon. Then, if any of their members began to show promise and become strong, she snatched them up. Now, they'll be competing for level-ups for her. Before, Baldr Familia were a bunch of nobodies. Like Apollo Familia, they had a lot of members but no one of worth. Then Freya's executives started to train them how to fight. They lost last year, but now they'll have a year's worth of training with Orario's best. Not to mention, I'm sure Freya has outfitted them with the best equipment."
Those that were competing let the information sink in. Bell sat there quietly, looking between Lily, Welf, Urashima, and Mikoto. The growing silence was interrupted by Ryuu.
"That's not the worst of it. Aisha told me that Hermes is submitting Lulune for level two single's tournament," said the elven warrior.
As the old Hestia Familia members cast nervous looks at Mikoto, the new members were left confused.
"I do not understand. Who is Lulune? Why are they a problem?" asked Urashima.
Mikoto spoke up, "Hermes Familia lie about the levels of the members. While Lady Lulune might be registered as a level two for the tournament, the truth is that she's a level three adventurer. Her skill and experience are miles beyond mine," Mikoto looked at her plate, "There is no path for victory."
Haruhime reached out to Mikoto, but the samurai did not respond.
"That's not true!" exclaimed Bell, "It might sound like a lot, but I know it can be done!" Bell placed his hand upon his chest, "I was able to defeat the Captain of Apollo Familia, and he was a level above me."
Otohime nodded, "Yes, Lady Mikoto! You cannot doubt yourself!"
The others piled on their encouragement, except for Hestia, who just sat there studying her child. All the good wishes did little to raise Mikoto's spirits. When everyone else calmed down, Hestia turned to Haruhime, "Would you mind cleaning things up?" Then she turned to the rest of them, "And why don't you lot start getting ready? I'm going to update Mikoto's status one last time before the battle."
Mikoto followed Hestia to her room. The Goddess let her child in first and then shut the door. Instead of getting ready to update Mikoto's status, Hestia faced the young samurai, crossing her arms in front of her chest. It reminded Mikoto of a similar scenario from over a year ago…
They had just fled the city. The battered and broken Hestia Familia had stopped in a nearby town. Hestia was taking the time to update everyone's statuses and check in on the well-being of her beloved children. It was now Mikoto's turn. While the young girl had not faced betrayal like the others, she had been just as quiet.
As Hestia updated her status, she asked, "Anything you want to talk about?"
Mikoto sat there, but then tears started to fall, "Lady Hestia, why do you let an adventurer as worthless as I continue to be a member of your Familia?"
Hestia sat there in quiet shock, unable to comprehend the information. Eventually, she said, "You think you're worthless?"
Mikoto thanked every God and Goddess there was that Hestia was staring at her back. Her cheeks got very wet.
"I am, aren't I? Compared to everyone else… there's nothing special about me. I do not have the brains of Lady Lily nor the ability to make magic swords. I do not have powerful magic like Lady Haruhime…and I will never be able to match Master Bell's abilities," Mikoto's hands gripped her thighs, "All I am is a weak little girl, pretending that she can protect people!"
When Freya Familia attacked the Xenos, Mikoto knew she failed. Never before had she felt so hopeless. As Lily devised strategies and Welf blasted away their enemies, she was forced to stand around and watch. She watched as the Xenos were slaughtered. As Ray and Gros…
She had failed to protect her friends. Just like how she had been unable to protect Chigusa, and Haruhime, before them. Her weakness always put the lives of others in danger… which was the sum of Mikoto's life, in her eyes. As she cried, she felt a pair of arms encircle her, gripping on tightly.
"Well, then you'd be right where you belong. I mean, you've got a pretty useless Goddess here to help you, right?"
Mikoto's shocked face whirled to face her Goddess, "Goddess Hestia! You are so far from useless! You are the beloved Goddess who forgave me! Master Bell would be so lost without you! You are nothing but kind and good!"
Hestia nodded, "And you are nothing but persistent. That is what you are. When faced with adversity, you keep working. You're not like Lily, who considers debt and other consequences. You're not like Welf, who lets his pride stand in his way. You're not even like Bell and Haruhime, who let their decisions change based on what others need or feel. You make a decision based on your beliefs, and you stick to it. You get incredibly stubborn about it," Hestia started to play with Mikoto's hair, "It's what I like about you. Most people would say you're adaptable and versatile, but I think they're wrong. You've just worked so hard that you're always prepared. You're a stubborn little girl, and I am so proud that you chose to become my child."
The tiny Goddess leant forward to press a gentle kiss to Mikoto's forehead.
Mikoto's eyes kept watering, "Goddess Hestia…"
"I'm proud that you're a member of my Familia, Mikoto. I think that you're plenty strong, but I'm guessing you'll still think that you're weak no matter what I say?"
Mikoto looked away and nodded in shame.
Hestia sighed, "Honestly, all you children are the same," Hestia clapped her hands together, "Ok, I've already started to help Little Miss Supporter get in contact with an old friend of mine. She's going to go train and learn strategy from the Goddess Athena in Altena. Apparently, in the same city is a large arena run by the Goddess Nike. If you want, I can ask Athena to get you a spot there. To help you train."
"You would really do that?" Mikoto's face was lit up with hope.
Hestia nodded, "If you really think you need to. But it might take a while to set up, and more importantly, it means that you'll be leaving Haruhime alone."
"Lady Haruhime doesn't need me. She hasn't for a long time now…"
That was the saddest thing that Hestia heard.
"Maybe she doesn't need you, but she will miss you. You're one of the most important people in her life Mikoto."
Mikoto wouldn't look her Goddes in the eye, "I need to get stronger."
Hestia looked to the heavens, "Now, where have I heard that before?"
Back in the present, Hestia shook her head at her child, "I guess all that training wasn't enough for you, was it?"
Mikoto didn't respond.
Hestia sighed before sitting down on her bed. She patted the spot next to her, and Mikoto sat next to her Goddess. Then, before Mikoto understood what was happening, Hestia had pulled the girl's head onto her lap.
"Honestly, you silly children. Always acting like the fate of the world is resting on your shoulders. Always thinking that you have to be heroes," Hestia ran her hand down Mikoto's braid, tugging it a little when she got to the end, "I'd be happy with you just coming home."
Mikoto hated that she enjoyed this. Having a Goddess who would take care of and pamper her felt good.
"No one will hate you if you lose," Hestia grinned down at her, "That said, even if Lulune is a level three, I don't see one of Hermes's kids beating mine." Hestia continued to play with Mikoto's hair, telling her how much she believed in her Familia. These weren't words of idle encouragement. Hestia wasn't coy enough to lie; all she knew how to do was speak from her heart. Eventually, the Goddess decided it was time to leave.
Mikoto nodded, trying to muster some enthusiasm. When the two of them left Hestia's bedroom, they ran into Haruhime, waiting outside. Hestia left the two childhood friends to check in with Lily and Welf, who would probably need a pep talk.
Haruhime was blushing in front of Mikoto, playing with what looked like a scarf.
"What is it, Lady Haruhime? Anything I can do to help?"
Lady Haruhime looked at the floor and held out the scarf.
Mikoto tilted her head, "Is this for me?"
Haruhime nodded, "Yes, Lady Mikoto. This is a token of my favour," Haruhime lifted her head to meet Mikoto's eyes, "I was just thinking…when heroes are about to go on an adventure; they are usually given a token for good luck…" Haruhime's tail twitched.
Now it was Mikoto's turn to blush, "Lady Haruhime, I would have thought Sir Bell was your hero?"
Haruhime shook her head, "Sir Bell might be a hero to me," Haruhime reached out to take Mikoto's hands, "But so are you. Ever since I was little, you've always protected me, Lady Mikoto. When I thought that I was a worthless prostitute, you came to lift me up. You've always been my hero." Then Haruhime smiled.
For the second time that day, Mikoto felt her eyes water.
After preparations finished, Hestia Familia left their house together. Lily wore a set of light armour over her blouse and pants, while Welf wore chainmail armour. Mikoto had her usual set of light plate armour, as well as even more knives and other weapons tucked away on her person. She also had Haruhime's scarf tied around her waist. Tucked into its folds was her most prized possession, Chizan.
As they drew closer to the stadium, those that would be competing today grew quiet and reflective. Lily made a point of fussing with her arm-mounted bow and her extra ammunition. Thankfully, Welf was able to finish all of his projects for the big day. Including the sizeable new sword strapped to his back.
As they neared the coliseum, the same one used for Monsterphilia, a voice like broken glass called out.
"Ahhh, Hestia Familia! It's been so long!"
The voice sent a chill down all the old members of the Familia, freezing them to the spot. The new members were quick to catch on. They knew that only one Goddess could cause such a reaction; they had heard the stories. The old members were too paralyzed to look, but Otohime felt no such fear. She whirled in the direction of the voice and saw the most beautiful creature in the world, the very image of perfection. That thing disgusted her.
The Princess drew herself up to her full height and placed herself as a bulwark against Freya Familia's pressure.
Behind Freya was the rest of her familia, Ottar on her right and Allen on her left. The Gulliver siblings stood out behind them, as did Hogni and Hedin. Freya stood out, though, the poise in her body showing off her overwhelming grace. Her silver hair seemed to shift to an invisible wind.
Otohime ignored that, though. Despite her carefree attitude and airheaded tendencies, she was still the third princess of the Nakamura Empire. As she glared down at Freya, she felt the Goddesses followers stare at her. However, no angry glares from sycophantic Familia members compared to the hatred she had felt from her brothers and sisters back home.
"You need to leave," said the Princess. Allen stepped forward, rage contorting his face at Otohime's ignorance. However, Urashima matched him. Whatever obsession Freya's chariot felt could not compare to the devotion of the bodyguard. They were horribly outclassed, but these two far-eastern warriors would stand their ground against this force. Next to them, the half-elf made to start chanting under his breath, a magic circle forming.
Seeing their new members stare down their enemies, the rest of Hestia Familia jumped to action to stand with them. Immediately, Lily and Welf pulled their captain behind them. Haruhime took up position behind Bell. Mikoto moved up to stand with Otohime and Urashima, next to Elwin. Finally, Hestia and Ryuu stood in front of them all, very protective of their Bell.
The tiny Goddess had to look up to see Freya, but that didn't make her glare any less intense. Freya was too busy smiling at Ryuu, though.
"Ryuu! I am overenjoyed that you're well!" Freya reached out to run her hand along Ryuu's arm, but the elf jerked away.
"Don't you dare touch me!" spat out the elf. Ryuu's voice was laced with venom and hatred. So intense was the malice in her voice, and disgust so evident on her face, that Freya stepped away in fear. A look of profound melancholy spasmed across the Goddess's face, but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared.
Before Freya could speak to her former friend, Hestia spoke up, "What do you want, Freya?"
Freya gave Hestia one of her small smiles, "Why Hestia, I've come to speak to my champion, of course. Where is my hero?"
"Ha!" barked Hestia, "Like I'd let you speak to my Bell!"
"Oh, is he really yours?" Freya gestured behind her, "Ottar."
The great Boaz stepped forward, "Yes, Lady Freya?"
Before Freya could order her most devoted servant forward, a small voice rang out, "Wait!"
Bell Cranel came running out. He presented himself in front of the Goddess of beauty, "What can I do for you, Lady Freya?"
Freya gave him a predatorial grin, "Be mine, of course."
Bell shook his head, and all of Freya Familia turned their glare to the boy. How dare he defy the will of their Goddess? Then Bell looked at Lady Freya, and her eyes flashed. The Goddess smiled, and Bell felt pulled forward. A deep primal lust almost took over, but then she arrived.
Just as Bell was about to step forward, Ottar pulled his Goddess a step back. An incredible force landed where Freya had been standing, cracking the cobblestones upon impact. Ais Wallenstein had arrived, sword in hand. She placed herself in front of Bell and stared down Orario's King. Ottar shifted his hands up to the blades upon his back. The rest of his Familia followed suit. The tension was thick, but it broke with the arrival of a mischievous, flat-chested Goddess.
"Aizu! Slow down, why don't you!" cried out Loki.
The rest of Loki Familia came with their Goddess and took up position around Hestia Familia. Orario's two top Familias faced each other down. In the front was the Braver. While his face smiled, his body was ready for battle. He stood face to face with Ottar. Riveria and Lefiya raised their staffs against their fellow elves while the twin amazons faced down the prum brothers. That left the wolf and the cat to scowl at each other.
Meanwhile, the Sword Princess stood in front of her bunny…no, that was wrong. Bell wasn't some pet. Bell was Bell…he was her Bell. She wouldn't let anyone take him away ever again.
The two great forces were on the brink of combat. Thankfully, before violence could break out, another woman that cared deeply about Bell intervened.
"Excuse me! The Guild will not tolerate violence in the streets!" proclaimed Eina Tulle. Behind her was the full force of Ganesha Familia, who was in charge of security for the event.
For a second, Bell saw Freya consider it, and it made his stomach churn. This Goddess was so obsessed with having him, with owning him, that she was willing to put her whole Familia in harm's way just to get him. The entire thing made Bell sick to his stomach.
Thankfully, Freya chose not to fight; she had other methods at play after all, and changes had to be made. Things weren't…perfect…yet.
She didn't say anything as she turned and left, her followers behind her. She walked away from the coliseum, seemingly bored by the whole event, except for her smile. Her smile spoke to the fact that she had seen the effects of charm. As they left, Ottar gave one last nod to Bell before he brought up the rear. As Freya Familia passed from view, Loki let out the breath she had been holding.
"She's one fickle bitch that's for sure," Loki turned to Hestia, grinning, "Looks like you owe me one itty-bitty."
Hestia pouted but nodded, "Yeah yeah, the next round of drinks is on me."
Loki nodded and started walking into the coliseum, "Sounds good! Why don't you lot come and sat with me and my adorable children! Gareth's getting us a box to watch the event!"
Hestia Familia merged with the executives of Loki Familia then. Mikoto, Lily, and Welf left to gather with the other competitors, guided by Eina. The guild worker gave a quick wave to Bell before she left. Elwin fell into conversation with Lefiya while casting furtive glances at Riveria, who pointedly ignored him. Otohime was chatting happily with Tiona, and Tione was right behind them, talking with Urashima. Near the front, Ryuu spoke with Finn. This left the boy with the girl, walking in side by side at the back.
Eventually, Bell said, "Thank you. For dropping in to protect me."
That made Ais's chest warm. She smiled and replied, "I promised you I would remember?"
In the face of Ais's smile, Bell could only blush and look away. That made Ais even happier. Not wanting to lose private time with Bell, she tapped him on the shoulder.
"Would you like to go buy some food before the fighting starts?"
Bell nodded, happy for the excuse, "Yes please," now Bell smiled, "Let me guess though, we're getting Potato Puffs, aren't we?"
Ais nodded and led Bell away by the hand. Since this was Ais, she was unaware of how her actions appeared. So, Bell was greeted by angry scowls from hundreds of adventurers. He was the envy of every man, and many women, within Orario. Finally, the two heroes reached their destination and bought their food of choice. As they began making their way back, Ais realized that she didn't know where Loki Familia was sitting. The poor girl started wandering around, trying to find her Familia, when she bumped into Lefiya and Elwin.
"Lefiya, why aren't you with the others?" asked Ais, tilting her head.
Elwin blushed as Lefiya replied, "Mister Elwin seemed like he was uncomfortable around Lady Riveria, so I offered to go sit somewhere else with him in the stands."
Bell looked to his Familia member, "Are you doing ok Elwin?"
The half-elf nodded, "No need to worry, Bell. I'll just stick to Thousand-Elf for now. You guys should head to the others." He couldn't look Bell in the eyes, ashamed of his cowardice.
He was saved from further explanation when Ais said, "Oh! Actually, we don't know where Loki and the others are sitting. Where are they?"
Lefiya explained where the Loki Familia executives' box was and then left with Elwin. The elven mage waved goodbye to Ais and made sure to send Bell a menacing glare. As she walked by, Bell thought he heard her whisper, "You hurt her, and I will end you, Bell Cranel."
After receiving that ominous threat, the two adventurers joined their Familias at the box near the top of the coliseum. Hestia glared a little at Bell walking in with Ais, but she said nothing. Looking over the arena were Gareth and Ryuu, with Gareth occasionally glancing over at the elf.
Eventually, the dwarf spoke, "I think I know you. You were that little elf lady that used to hang around with Alise."
Ryuu's shoulder blades rose and replied, "Yes, that was me. It is good to see you again, Gareth."
Gareth chuckled sadly, "You know, I always did worry about what happened to you. I knew Alise cared a lot. Every time we drank together, she would spend a lot of time fretting over you. I know it's a bit late to ask, but how have you been?"
Ryuu looked at Bell and gave him a soft smile, "I'm doing much better these days."
That smile made Bell blush, but then he felt a shiver down his spine. He turned to look for Freya, thinking she was the most likely culprit, but instead, he found Ais glaring at him. Bell left to escape and sit at the other end of the room, but Ais grabbed his shoulder, keeping him next to her. Her Bell was not getting away.
Down in the sandy pit, the adventurers started to walk in. Hestia Familia cheered and pointed when they recognized Welf and Lily. The smith had tied up his hair into a ponytail, and the prum had donned her adventuring cloak. They took up positions at their designated spots on the edges of the arena.
There were fifty sets of adventurers here, meaning one hundred in total. Even in the large and spacious arena, things were starting to get packed. The center was still clear, thankfully, as each familia's starting position was against the edge of the stadium along the wall.
"What do you think our chances are, Lil' Bit?" asked the smith.
Lily checked her arm ballista, "If Mister Welf's new weapons work the way they're supposed to, then we should be ok. That said…"
"What do you mean everyone's going to gang up on them?" asked Otohime up in the stands.
Finn shrugged, "You're all celebrities at this point. Which means that whoever targets you is going to become famous as well," the prum's eyes narrowed, "Also, I'm sure Freya's encouraged some other Gods to jump in on the action."
Down in the pit, Welf scowled, "So that's how it is then, huh?" He readied his newest magic blade, the double-edged blade changing colours in the sunlight. This was the sword that would change everything.
Lily nodded, glancing side-to-side at their opponents, "Yes, which is why Lily recommends hitting hard and fast from the get-go. Keep moving and sow confusion in the enemy."
"At least that's what I would do," said Finn, "None of their opponents have any teamwork. If they all try and mob them, all looking for the glory of defeating Hestia Familia…"
"Then that's when we can set our greatest trap," finished Lily. Eventually, all the contestants finished filing in. All guild employees left, leaving the adventurers to stare each other down.
"Good morning, everyone! It is I, your announcer Ibri Achaa of Ganesha Familia, here to bring on the spot commentary!"
The loud voice rang through the coliseum and passed through pubs, where the competition was shown by the magic of the Gods.
Ibri's voice ran out again, "Here to help bring the best play by play commentary is the Combat God Takemikazuchi and the God of Mischief himself, Hermes!"
"Why, hello there. Thank you for having me, Ibri!"
"Why yes, thank you, Ibri," said Hermes, "And just to let everyone know, I'll be keeping an eye out for any would-be cheaters."
"Speaking of which, I think it's about to time we laid out the rules," said Ibri, "The rules are: no killing, no dismembering, no using poisons or potions, no leaving the area of the stadium, and the only equipment that you can use is the stuff in the arena, no outside weaponry! Other than that, all's fair in love and war! The games will begin when Lord Ganesha rings the gong!"
Standing on the highest point of the coliseum with his elephant mask on was Ganesha. Behind him was an oversized gong, for which he held the mallet.
"I am Ganesha!"
With that proclamation, the elephant god brought his mallet around in a great swing. As the sound of the massive metal plate reverberated around Orario, the weeklong competition of the Rank-Up Tournament began!
Just as the two master tacticians had predicted, a third of Orario's teams converged on the duo from Hestia Familia. That was their mistake, though, as a great gout of flame swept over them.
"There it is, ladies and gentlemen! Welf Crozzo has returned to Orario and his magic swords are stronger than ever!"
Welf swung his blade in long arcs, the heat and flames keeping opposing teams at bay. Adventurers tried to get in-between the timing of his swings, but Lily was there firing arrows with pinpoint accuracy.
"You know I don't think we saw a lot of magic swords last year, did we, Take?" said Hermes.
"No, we didn't. Most Familias didn't want to use their easily breakable magic swords for battle. Between the expenses, the storage space it would need, and how easy it would be to counter, most Familias opted out of using magic swords. After all, the only thing one needs to do is wait till the power of the blade breaks." replied the God of Combat, "That said, what Welf Crozzo wields is no ordinary magic blade."
Ibri spoke next, "What do you mean, Lord Takemikazuchi?"
"You could say that what Welf wields is the next generation of magic weapons. That sword won't break from constant usage; as long as he has the mind, he can keep swinging indefinitely."
At that, the crowds in Orario made appreciative sounds of awe. Down in the arena, adventurers finally started to get through Crozzo's flames. As that happened, Welf had to stop his constant barrage and engaged in close-quarters combat.
The mind-powered flames of his sword became more contained. Thankfully, the sudden change left many of the other contestants flat-footed. In their rush to take down the Crozzo, they started to attack each other and get in one another's way. It didn't help that there was a little prum girl darting to and fro.
"There's Arde! Her speed and dexterity are certainly on display, right Lord Takemikazuchi?" asked Ibri.
"No, what Lily's showing off is her spatial awareness," replied Takemikazuchi, "She knows exactly who's attacking and from where. She's then using her smaller frame to redirect attacks."
Just as the God finished speaking, Lily jumped out of the way of a spear thrust. That same thrust hit another adventurer who was about to bring his blade down on Lily. While the swordsman recoiled, Lily knocked his sword into the face of a third adventurer. Then the prum moved on, leaving the three fighters to take each other out in frustration.
After the first phase of battle passed, there were fewer and fewer Familias to take care of. Unfortunately, in the chaos, Welf had lost track of Lily. He was alone among a throng of hostiles. He was saved a need to search for her when he heard a tiny voice boom over the battlefield.
"Mister Welf! Lily is over here!"
Using her command-call skill, Lily gave away her location, which allowed Welf to join her. That also meant that many of the remaining Familias were able to track the two of them down. There were thirty teams left. These were the smart ones, the ones that had hung back. Among them was a pair of Loki Familia members and a pair from Takemikazuchi Familia. Baldr Familia was also there, staring down Welf and Lily.
One Familia made a show of walking up to Welf, pulling up their shirt to reveal red cloth.
"Ohohoho! It looks like some Familias expected to face Crozzo flames! They've armed themselves with Salamander Wool for the fire! What will Hestia Familia do next?" asked Ibri to the crowd.
Down in the arena, Welf smirked.
"These magic swords of yours? How far have you tested their limits?" asked the God Ptah. Welf had only received arrived in the Kingdom of Magic and this was his first lesson.
"What do you mean?" asked Welf. He knew that they would have to start with magic swords, but already he could feel his skin crawl. He was still getting used to forging the damn things; he didn't want them to be the only thing he worked on.
"In the past, you have been so blinded by your anger that you never considered the possibilities that your swords presented," replied the tanned God, "This is your first lesson, dream. Dream of new ways to utilize your magic swords."
"And after that?" replied the skeptic smith.
Ptah smiled, "Then, we make your dreams a reality."
In the arena, Welf smiled; this sword was the first dream. It was something he had thought of as a boy, a childish fantasy that his father and grandfather had said would be impossible. Welf reversed his grip on his blade, flipping it so that the blade's other edge was facing out.
The smith smiled like a madman, swung his sword, and cried out, "Tatsumaki!"
In answer, the other side of the blade whipped out the wind. A great gust spilled forth, throwing adventurers back into the wall. Welf Crozzo had made his childhood dream of a dual element blade a reality.
The cheers in Orario were extreme, to say the least. They were witnessing history in the making now. However, the ones cheering loudest of all were his Familia waiting up in the stands. They knew the importance of this moment, how long Welf had struggled to make his own path.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! I hope that you're all paying attention! Welf Crozzo has just unveiled the first-ever dual-element magic sword!" cried out Ibri.
Welf smiled like a child, using his blade like a toy as he created tornado after tornado. Those same Familias that had been so proud of their salamander wool were now running in terror at Welf's abilities. Not that they could get very far. Wherever they ran, Lilliruca was there to stop them. Her shots were spot on, hitting adventurers left and right. The teamwork and trust of the two were evident. Lily and Welf bickered like cats and dogs, but all that bickering just hid a deep foundation of trust. The two of them worked in tandem, not needing to communicate.
Welf aimed low and knocked adventurers into the air. Then Lily was able to jump and attack, slamming them into the ground. They even did the reverse, with Lily knocking adventurers off their feet; Welf would follow up with a gust that blasted them into the wall. Anybody left standing after that was soon peppered with arrow bolts.
As soon as the battle started, it ended with the sound of another reverberating hit from the gong.
All Familias stopped battling, surrounded by the unconscious forms of their comrades. When everything was settled, there were sixteen remaining teams. Among their numbers were Takemikazuchi, Loki, and Baldr Familia. Of course, Hestia Familia stood out the most. The most considerable amount of unconscious bodies was scattered at their feet, a testament to the battle they had faced.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! You saw it here first! Hestia Familia's climactic return and the unveiling of the newest Crozzo blade! We will now take a short break for lunch and return for this afternoon's singles tournament!"
Orario's cheers could be heard beyond its own walls. The incredible excitement was something else. As Welf and Lily made their way out of the arena, the poor smith was immediately swarmed with demands and requests. Thankfully, before he could lose his temper, Tiona and Tione arrived to lead him up to the stands.
When they got to the box, they found the rest of their Familia waiting for them with broad smiles. Before anyone could say anything, though, Tiona tapped Welf on the shoulder.
"Hey, Mister Smith! You wanna make me a big magic Urga?"
The sheer audacity of Tiona's claim made Welf break out in laughter.
The smith smiled and said, "Sure, we'll consider it part of the payment for this alliance." He would always make swords for his friends.
The rest of Loki Familia jumped at the opportunity to pile on their own requests. The smith was swarmed but accepted all orders and ideas happily.
Eventually, Loki and Hestia regained control of the situation. Bell was there to give his big brother a big hug in congratulations, "Congrats, Welf! That sword was amazing!"
Bell turned when he heard a "humph" behind him. He smiled down at his first ally, "You to Lily, you were incredible!"
Bell ruffled Lily's hair, and the prum girl thought she would explode in happiness. Finn also congratulated the prum girl, complimenting her on her planning and on-the-fly thinking. Gareth left to get food for everybody, and they had a mini celebration for their first victory. The celebration ended quickly, though, as the next round was starting to take shape.
Hestia Familia cheered when they saw Mikoto stride in, her movements poised like a spring.
"She looks calm," commented Tione.
"If I had to guess, the sense of familiarity gifted to her by being in an arena is helping her nerves. The context is giving her reassurance," replied Ryuu. Tione hummed in agreement.
Down in the arena, Mikoto kept herself busy by checking her armour and equipment. The ritual had a calming effect and helped her ignore all the deadly stares she received from the other contestants.
"It seems like target number one is going to be Hestia Familia again," said Ibri.
The crowds heard Takemikazuchi hum while Hermes commented, "Right, Take, Mikoto's kind of your adopted daughter, isn't she?"
"She is, which is why I can say with a certain amount of certainty, don't take your eyes off of her."
"Oh, that isn't your own personal bias coming through?"
"Maybe it is, but I stand by it."
"Thank you for the commentary!" Interrupted Ibri, "Now folks, we fight at the sound of the gong! Take it away, Lord Ganesha!"
"I am Ganesha!" called out the God.
The sound of the gong went, and Mikoto was off. Her katana in one hand, a long knife in the other, she whirled through the battlefield. The girl was never in one place for long, keeping her opponents on their toes.
It was the end of Mikoto's first day fighting as a gladiator. She was with Goddess Nike, who took her in to train off a letter from Goddess Hestia. Apparently, the two of them had been neighbours up in Heaven.
"You fight well, Yamato," said Nike, "That said, you must work on your approach to multiple opponents. Combat will not always be a duel. Often, you will be forced to fight off many opponents."
"And how do I accomplish this, Lady Nike?" asked Mikoto, hoping to glean whatever knowledge she could from her new mentor.
Nike gave the samurai a grim look, "Before, you learned how to wield weapons. You used them well. Now, you will become the weapon. I cannot promise that this will be easy, and you might hate yourself at the end of it. Knowing all that, do you want to continue?"
Mikoto nodded, "Please, I will do anything!"
Nike nodded, "In respect for your determination, I will help you. Tomorrow you will begin training with my right-hand man, the God Horus."
Mikoto smiled, happy that she was finally able to find her own path.
Mikoto didn't bother with these thoughts anymore, though. Instead, she hacked and slashed through rival Familias.
In the middle of a spinning strike, her blade got caught by an enemy's guard. The adventurer in front of her grinned.
"I've got you now, you lit-AHH!"
Mikoto didn't bother with the taunt. Instead, she let go of her primary knife and stabbed her opponent in the hand with a spare blade. As he reeled back in pain, Mikoto gave him a jump kick to the head. The adventurer's body flew into three others and fell to the ground, limp. By the time he landed, though, the shinobi had already acquired her next target. She used and discarded blades with fervour. Eventually, she started picking up and using other adventurers' weapons.
"I don't believe it! The Eternal Shadow is a force of nature, folks! She is carving her way through adventurers like a baker would a cake!" cried out Ibri.
"Is this another instance of spatial awareness, Take?" asked Hermes.
"No, this is some sort of sixth sense. She knows instinctually when attacks come and where to be to make the proper counterattack."
"Oh, any idea where she could have learned such a thing?" said Ibri.
"Yes, from what I understand, she spent six months in the Arena of Nike. If I had to guess, she's feeling right at home right now," replied Takemikazuchi.
In the arena of Orario, Mikoto's experience was one full display. Currently, she was using an adventurer's spear to beat its owner into submission. As soon as he started to fall, she used the spear to vault into a knot of other adventurers.
"Of course, she's not the only one making an impression. Your own Lulune is certainly making a good showing Lord Hermes," said Ibri.
"Yes, I'm quite proud of her!"
The adventurer called Lulune was dispatching enemies with ease. While she didn't have Mikoto's brutal finality, her blows were definitely the most powerful of anyone around. The dog-girl also made sure to keep herself on the opposite side of wherever Mikoto was. The crowd was gnawing at the teeth to see a confrontation between the two top competitors of this tournament. However, Lulune was under strict orders not to fight the Eternal Shadow yet.
Between the two of them, they had quickly laid waste half of their opponents. For their work, though, they had begun to suffer cuts and bruises. One adventurer had cut into Haruhime's scarf. Mikoto made sure to break one of his legs.
"You know, the Eternal Shadow is quite a brutal fighter…" said Ibri. He sounded afraid.
"I'll say. If I didn't know any better, I'd think I was watching one of Loki's amazon twins" replied Hermes.
Take spoke next, "Well, Mikoto did train with some of Orario's most dangerous women upon her return."
Said women began cheering from their respective spots. Their cheers came from Loki's box, the stands where a group of waitresses were enjoying their day off and from Hermes Familia itself.
Mikoto heard none of it, though. The cheers meant nothing to her. Right now, the only thing that mattered was victory. The only thing she heard was the screams of her enemies, just like Lord Horus had instructed her. The only thing she saw was her foes lined up in front of her. She left a gash on one person's stomach and dislocated the shoulder of another. When one adventurer got a grab on her, she bit their nose.
Mikoto was fighting another adventurer, unaware of how long she had been in combat. She brought him to the ground and stomped his head. Her eyes were feral, and her body was vibrating. With that final stomp, the gong rang, and the battle was over. When the sound came through, Mikoto blinked and started looking around. She didn't seem to know where she was. She looked down at her boot on top of another adventurer's head and jumped away. Then she realized that she had lost all of her weapons. She ran around the stadium, searching for her numerous knives and other assorted weaponry.
Up in the stands, Tione whistled, "That was one of hell of a match, wasn't it, Tiona?"
Tiona was hopping in excitement, "Yeah, that girl was awesome! She was all over the place!"
Ryuu smiled, "At this point, a match like this is trivial. None of these adventurers know what it means to fight in a crowd. Mikoto was able to use that to her advantage. As expected of my personal apprentice."
Finally, Mikoto found her last weapon and left the arena. Among the remaining adventurers from the single tournament was Lulune, an adventurer from Baldr Familia, one from Loki Familia, and one of her childhood friends from Takemikazuchi Familia. She nodded to the remaining fighters in a sign of respect. She had a moment of solitude before she was bombarded by her fellow Familia members.
"That was incredible, Lady Mikoto!"
In the front was Haruhime, who had launched herself into a hug. Mikoto stumbled under sudden weight increase and the force of impact but remained on her feet. Welf was next, clapping a hand on her shoulder. Her Familia herded her out of the arena into the street. Waiting for them was Loki Familia.
The sun was just starting to go down; the day had passed much faster than anyone thought. To celebrate their overwhelming victory today, Hestia Familia left for the Hostess of Fertility to go get drunk and have dinner.
When they got to the bar, they found Miach Familia, and Ouka and Chigusa, waiting for them with a table. The large group got to eating, and then came the drinking. Tomorrow was the official double's tournament, which meant that if Welf and Lily made it all the way, they'd have four long battles tomorrow. Mikoto got a break, so she could rest and recuperate. Since the Guild wanted this event to go perfectly, all injuries gained today were healed by the Dea Saint of Dian Cecht Familia. The Guild spared no expense for this larger-than-life event.
Loki Familia was there too, down one elf. It was the same for Hestia Familia; their half-elf was nowhere to be found. The two were walking together, wandering the streets of Orario. Lefiya was giving an impromptu tour of the city, pointing out her preferred shops.
"Lefiya, not that this isn't all interesting, shouldn't we be getting back to our respective Familias? They might be worrying about us," said Elwin.
Lefiya turned a deep shade of crimson, "I, umm, told Lady Riveria that we would show up later…"
Elwin pursed his lips, "Why would you do that?"
Lefiya summoned up her courage, "Because you're fun to talk to…"
Now it was Elwin's turn to blush. The boy pulled his cap down on his head, fiddling with the ends. He replied, "Oh, I…think you're fun to talk to as well…"
The two of them then remained in a perpetual state of embarrassment then, but they both refused to leave each other's company.
Back at the bar, Loki and Hestia had already passed the point of no return. Hestia had kept to her word, paying for drinks the whole night.
Both Goddesses were in the middle of debating their favourite children.
"No way itty-bitty, my Aizu's the best around!"
"Ha! That was a laugh, Loki, because the thought of your Sword Princess being cuter than my Bell is laughable!"
The others had left Riveria with babysitting duty, the high elf being forced to sit there between the two of them. As she drank water, she sighed, pinching her nose. Every once in a while, she had to slap the Goddesses' hands away. The two of them kept reaching out, trying to throttle each other.
The rest of the Familias were busy drinking and making merry. Except for Bell, who was stuck between Ais and Helun, who wasn't on duty apparently.
The ex-Freya member bared the full weight of the Sword Princess's glare. Every time she tried to even look at Bell, she felt the killing intent in the room rise. Bell was useless, unaware of what he should say in this situation.
Finally, the first to speak was Ais, "You're not one of them anymore, right?"
Helun shook her head, "No, no, no! I was kicked out of Freya Familia. As of right now, I'm not a member of any Familia. I'm just a regular old waitress! I swear!"
Ais's glare softened then, but she also placed a hand on Bell's shoulder, "Good, because she threatened Bell again."
Bell couldn't look anyone in the eye. Helun blinked, "How did you resist her?"
Ais tilted her head, "What do you mean resist her?"
"Freya's charm is legendary. When she makes eye contact with someone, she can convince them to do almost anything. How did you not fall for it?" replied Helun, directing the question at Bell.
Bell looked to the floor, "I won't say I didn't feel anything, but then Ais showed up. She came down and broke Freya's line of vision."
Ais felt her heart warm then, happy to have done something right for once.
After the hostilities were cleared and the confusion was removed, conversation between the three of them came much easier.
With that, the first day of the Rank-Up tournament came to an uneventful close.
And another one down! The tournament has officially begun! For these arcs, certain characters definitely get more focus than others depending on what I'm telling in the story. The central supporting characters for the entire tournament arc are Mikoto, Urashima, and (to a lesser extent) Otohime. They're feelings and decisions are the focus. Obviously, Bell and Ais are still at the forefront, but these supporting characters are the most important right now. Mikoto especially has a lot of focus because of her set up to fight Lulune, I'm wondering if people have been paying attention to crumb trail I've been setting...
