The Vytal Tournament's team round would take place over the course of three days, and neither CRLN nor LSLI were scheduled for the first. Caspian hadn't seen Lazula since the opening ceremony, and assumed she was keeping up with her training. He considered doing the same, but the prescribed training gauntlet and heavily-regulated sparring matches were little help compared to the last year of Grimm and Red Claw. He was still nervous, of course– every time he thought about facing another team, bathed in spotlight and watched by millions, he felt his stomach turn.
He instead spent the day wandering the tournament grounds with his team– exploring, browsing a dozen rows of vendors, and indulging in some fresh and authentic South Vacuoan street food. Because try as they might, the restaurants in Port Cyrreine were never quite the same. Even Noxis tagged along. Yet the whole time Caspian felt as though he was missing something. When Moka messaged him, he realized why; she was in a hospital bed two thousand miles across the ocean rather than by his side.
In the early evening, CRLN filled into the southern quarter of Northwind Stadium, toward the front of Sentinel's Student section. The penultimate match of the day would be between ASHN and WDDN– a team of third-years from Haven. ASHN put up a good fight, and Noriko proved to be a threat once she broke free of their leader's electric whip and into the jungle that sprung up behind WDDN. But despite their best efforts, the more experienced third-years edged them out.
CRLN stayed for the next match, and though most of Sentinel's section drained, Atlas's filled to capacity. To one side, Team BRYK. The little-known first years from Shade. And on the other, the reigning Vytal Tournament champion led his team into the spotlight. STLG won the match so quickly and handily, Caspian couldn't help but wonder if it had been set up to appease the home crowd. Judging by the explosion of noise from the far end of the stadium, it worked. Either way, he felt a twinge of sympathy for Team BRYK as they limped off to stage left.
Rowan stood to leave, but paused above his chair to check his Holoband. "Oh hey!" he remarked. "Tomorrow's bracket just dropped."
"Who do we have?" Caspian asked.
"We have…" he trailed off, taking a second to scroll down the list. "Damn, really? We're against Team INKK again."
"That… might be the best case scenario," Caspian considered.
"In what world? They destroyed us last year."
"Inko's illusions were a pain to deal with, sure," he acknowledged. "But I hadn't unlocked my semblance back then. There's almost no way they'd know about it, so if I can mirror her, we can catch them by surprise." He pursed his lips, and cast a thinking gaze toward Sterling before he left the arena. "The trick will only work once though, so we'll need to make it count." And he nodded, because his words at least assured himself. "We're more cohesive than we were last year, too. We can do this. Just let me think it through tonight."
No matter how far he traveled down the road of growth and self-esteem building, standing at the center of the colosseum, watched by ten thousand within and untold millions across the world, Caspian's heart still pounded against his chestplate. INKK faced them at the far end of the center platform. Rowan bid a nod, smile, and wave to Kanjiro, who hardly acknowledged his presence. Caspian kept busy steadying his breath, running through the plan that kept him up for half the night.
"Welcome to the third match of the day; between Team INKK of Haven Academy and Team CRLN of Sentinel!" The announcer– not Rowan's mom, as an Atlesian duo was hired for the tournament– introduced. "If you're thinking this is deja vu, nope! These two teams did compete against each other in the first round of last year's tournament. Team INKK came out on top then, but we'll see if CRLN has some new tricks up their sleeve now that they're in their second year."
"Keep in mind, Blanche, that Team CRLN is one of the teams from Sentinel that has been tangling with Grimm and keeping the city safe," a second voice chimed in. This one was deep and powerful. "That kind of practical experience hardens a person, so I wouldn't be surprised to see them come out on top."
"Very true, Brock. But we can't count Team INKK out! Nila Samudir placed third in Mistral's Nikos Tournament just a couple months back, and her teamwork with leader Inko Rorschach carried them into the singles round last year!"
"Well said. Whoever comes out on top, I'm sure this will be an exciting rematch."
Every screen in the stadium flicked through two dozen pre-set stages before settling on two. An acacia-dotted sea of six-foot grass rose behind Team INKK. And a mountain behind CRLN, three platforms nestled between crags and made slick by simulated rain. The countdown began.
As soon as the starting horn blared and the audience's drone of anticipation burst into cheer, Kanjiro stepped into an acacia's shadow. Inko stirred up shadows to enshroud him and he vanished, reappearing as an illusory quartet that disappeared into the grass in four places.
"Noxis, take Klem!" Caspian ordered. And to his relief the faunus complied. He pointed at the grass. "Lilly, burn it! Rowan, with me!"
As Caspian and Rowan charged at Inko and Nila, Lilly took on her signature stance. Left foot forward, right foot at an angle behind, Elysian Bloom folded and parallel to her leg. She whipped it across herself twice, buried its tip between her boots, and from her violent grace a firestorm was born.
Undertow slashed, halted, and turned halfway to another strike in the time Inko needed to respond once. With each swing and each block Caspian pushed forward, searching for a free half-second to clutch her arm. As he swatted one strike away with his armguard and lunged palm-forward, she corrected and skewered his ribs. He pulled back out of instinct, fingers a couple inches short. Inko skipped back the last few feet into shadow.
A buzzer sounded.
"CRLN Takes the advantage! Ring-out for Klementine Rodier!"
He nodded at Noxis, who leapt down from the mountain and shook stone shrapnel from his hair. But Noxis nodded behind him. "Watch it!"
Caspian spun around, eyes wide and fixed on a chokuto poised for his neck. He raised his shield, hard-light plates sprung forth, but he felt no impact, and shadow dispersed around him. He felt a spray of Nila's bullets against his back. From the grass, a cracking, a tearing, and a flash of heat. His eyes whipped over his shoulder to see a sharpened branch, bathed in inferno and bearing down on him like a great spear. He tumbled aside, felt the flame on the back of his neck, but lost no aura.
He stood again to assess his situation. Three Inkos faced him down. Only one Kanjiro at the edge of the fire, with a halo of grass blades trained on Caspian like two dozen archers at the ready. And Nila, still trading with Rowan but trying to break free. INKK seemed to be focusing on him. He'd find time to be flattered after the match.
Inko's semblance was the deciding factor in his plan, so he nodded to Lilly and pointed ahead. "Fire and ice!" he shouted, and flame washed out her illusions. Nila's blades cast Rowan to the ground a couple feet to his side. Caspian offered his hand, and as Rowan took it, their auras melded and mirrored. "Noxis, take Kanjiro!" he shouted next. Before he followed the order, Noxis's semblance spread across his chest and arms, and he became Caspian's shield against a hail of sharpened grass.
Caspian flicked his head in acknowledgement. Aura coursed down his legs and near-doubled his speed, and he fired a grappling hook into stone at her side. He baseball-slid a patch of ice Lilly spread before him, tripped Inko up with his cable and planted his feet on a boulder. Rowan's semblance swirled around his hips and surged down his legs, and on a cobalt flash he shot into Inko's shoulder. Pitch black coursed up to his elbow, and faded to blue. His legs felt heavy and her rapier shoved him back, but mission accomplished.
Another buzzer. "Another one down from Team INKK! Kanjiro Hanada eliminated by aura level!"
"Noxis Ezokami is on an absolute rampage this morning!"
Caspian looked again at the screen. Rowan's aura hovered under 50%. Nila caught his blade in her chakram, cartwheeled aside and landed two more hits for another 10%. He was essential to the plan. It had taken longer than expected for the pieces to fall into place, but the picture they created had begun to form. If he didn't act fast he might lose a piece, and the whole puzzle would pull apart.
"Regroup! It's time!" Caspian called out. His shield blocked Inko's rapier, and Undertow forced her back.
Rowan swung his blade at Nila, parallel to the ground. She sprung backward under it, onto her hands, back to her feet, straight into a bolt of lightning. Rowan's next swing took a chunk of aura, and flung her to her leader's feet. CRLN faced down the two remaining members of INKK. The fire still raged to their left, casting shadows to their right.
Caspian nodded at Lilly. She matched his nod and twirled, tearing a C-shaped wall of stone from the ground. To the front and the left, it protected them, obscured them. And to the right, a canvas of shadow. Caspian closed his eyes, conjured the mental image of himself charging Undertow, Rowan charging Sanguine Storm, and sparks dancing across Elysian Bloom, all three building until the weapons could hold no longer. The illusions stepped out to the right.
And behind the wall, Caspian charged Undertow, Rowan charged Sanguine Storm, and sparks danced across Elysian Bloom, all three building until the weapons could hold no longer.
"Now!" Caspian shouted through his double.
Noxis shattered the stone wall with an obsidian fist. The rest of CRLN leapt out and released, assailing Inko and Nila all at once with a storm of dust and energy.
Two buzzers.
"Would you look at that! In an instant, Inko Rorschach and Nila Samudir both eliminated by aura level! What a show by Team CRLN!"
The audience erupted, and only then did Caspian realize how nervous he still was. But Rowan clapped him on the back, Lilly smiled at him, and he figured it was something he could get used to.
A sweaty handshake, a few waves to the crowd and the cameras, and Caspian retreated to the locker room. He had just unclipped his sheath from his back and opened his locker when a call came through his Holoband. He stepped off to the side a few feet for an illusion of privacy in the concrete echo chamber, and answered.
"Cas!"
"Moka!" he mimicked.
"I watched your match from the hospital. You killed it! I mean, all of you did, of course. But you've grown so much, it's so cool to see!"
"Thanks," he returned, and with the hand not holding his Holoband steady ruffled the hair behind his ear. "All thanks to you. Well, and Noxis. They barely scratched him, and he took out two."
"Gotta give yourself some credit, too!" she insisted. "You've been working so hard, and it shows." The briefest pause. All Moka needed before jumping onto her next topic. "But! I have exciting news. Guess who's being transferred up to Atlas tonight?"
Caspian tried to mask the excitement budding and blooming within. "Hmm… no idea. Can I have a clue?"
"She's got a big, bushy squirrel tail and was sad when she thought she couldn't see the Northern Lights? I'll probably be in the hospital for a few more days, but I'm almost back to normal."
"I'm so glad to hear it. And… I can't wait to see you," Caspian replied with a sheepish smile, hoping it wasn't too forward. "I do want to talk more but we only get like five minutes in the locker room, so I'll call back later."
"Oh– right! Talk to you then."
As soon as the call ended, Rowan was at his side. "So, when's the wedding?"
"There isn't one. And there probably never will be one."
"There's really still nothing going on between you two?" he prodded.
"Nope. Just friends." He mumbled his next words as an afterthought as he unstrapped his armguard. "Gods, I wish..."
"Dude." The single word paused Caspian. "Go for it."
"I mean, I want to, but... I don't know," Caspian admitted. "She's a good friend, it would just make things weird if she isn't into me."
Rowan only replied with a cocked head, raised eyebrows, and a flat smile.
"What? I don't wanna make things weird."
Rowan's head cocked further, and his eyebrows raised higher.
Caspian's eyes darted across the locker room, as if Moka hid around one of its countless corners. He scanned the bathroom doorway for good measure and lowered his voice. "...Has she told you anything?"
The expression shattered and Rowan turned back to his locker. "Nope! Nothing about you, or how much you make her laugh, or your eyes, or your smile. Nothing at all!" He worked off his shirt. "And she definitely never told me she's waiting on you to make a move, because you told her you needed time before dating again."
Caspian turned away too, because he knew he must be beet red. "Anyway, what about you and Noriko? That's still a thing, right?"
"Well, we're going to the dance together, so I'm pretty sure it's still a thing," Rowan gloated. "Why don't you ask Moka? Double-date?"
"Maybe..." Caspian pondered. "She'll probably still be in the hospital, though. And to be honest, I wasn't planning on going in the first place." He shook his head, and unlatched his chestplate. "We have like, a minute left in here. Let's keep changing."
For Caspian the roar of the stadium was novel– a vacation into the unknown and the uncomfortable. But Lazula felt like she was home. The stands– especially Sentinel and Haven's student sections– had filled to capacity for the last match of the evening. The main event.
"Welcome to the final match of the day, between Team LSLI of Sentinel, and Team CHRY of Haven!" an announcer boomed. "The triumphant return of the 'Indomitable Girl' to the Vytal Tournament, you can tell she's out for blood!"
"And of course, Team CHRY was just shy of qualifying last year. Now they're better than ever, and representing the Kingdom of Mistral!"
Lazula analyzed the competition. Their leader was enough of a threat to represent Mistral. She'd have to be first to go. Hanako Himawari. A slight build, under her floral kimono. It didn't look like it offered much in the way of armor or mobility. Long, straight purple hair covering an eye probably gave her a blindspot. The poor girl looked like the audience was making her sick. Lazula would leave her for her teammates. Rosemarie Lavinge, despite her heavy eye makeup and gauge earrings revealed by an undercut, rubbed her arm to comfort her. A coiled whip rested at her hip. Could be annoying to fight, but not particularly dangerous on its own. And Yarrow Bylbie, still waving to Mistral's student section in her yellow tights tucked into combat boots, bottle green shorts, and suspenders crossed over her yellow crop-top chestplate. Lazula wondered if her outfit was intentionally garish, a tactic to distract or blind her opponents. She had to be over six feet tall– even taller with her rabbit-like ears. And built strong enough to wield a hammer that must have weighed fifty pounds.
An old-growth pine forest grew behind CHRY, and a dense fog hugged its branches. A muddy trail, punctuated by boulders and rotted-out stumps, switchbacked three times up to the far end of the arena. Behind LSLI was flatter– a frozen hellscape to match the tundra five miles from town.
Lazula drew Impetus, and an excited murmur rippled through the audience. The starting horn drowned it out.
"Minesweeper!" Cerise called. Hanako started, composed herself in half a second and spread her hands. In a puff of purple fog, all four members of Team CHRY vanished. Cheap tricks, of course. Because otherwise, they had no chance. Lazula ordered her team on standby, raised Aegis, and waited. The mist parted and swirled up the slope. Every few seconds, a reddish orange glow was born in the fog, each about the size of a grapefruit. Lazula took tentative steps forward, and paused on the edge of the forest.
"Laurel. Can you see them?"
The faunus closed her eyes. When they reopened, their golden glow lit a halo around her head. She smirked and pointed to a cluster of boulders near the forested hill's summit. "No. I have no idea where they are."
Lazula indicated Snow then herself, then CHRY's hiding place. She pointed Laurel toward the only boulder on higher ground than their target, and Ichigo to cover halfway down the slope. "Damn. Thank you for trying," she replied, but she knew her robotic tone was less convincing.
"Hold on, though," Laurel advised. She moved her finger toward the nearest lantern. "Those run hot." She rolled a rock onto her boot, kicked it into her hand, and lobbed it toward the glow. For a second it grew brighter, whistled like a kettle boiling over. Then an explosion of fire and force that splintered a tree trunk and knocked Lazula to her back foot. Smoking bark and hot clumps of dirt rained on Aegis.
She shook a smoldering twig from her hair. "Right. So let's avoid those."
LSLI spread across the forest in their cautious approach, like a pride of lions spreading to flank their prey. Lazula called out a target. Ichigo fired a tracing bolt. Safe detonation. Advance, repeat. An impatient murmur rose from the audience, but Lazula toned it out. She'd rather win than appease them. But when she and Snow made it to the base of a pine, a couple dozen feet from the cluster of crags Laurel indicated, she stopped and nodded at Snow.
"Open fire."
Absolute Zero formed in Snow's hands, and hard-light dust shredded the mist. Rainbow haze appeared first– red, purple, green, and yellow. Then Team CHRY, shrieking in surprise and shielding themselves from the hail of bullets.
"Fan out!" Cerise yelled, and she sprung to her feet, lashing out with a burst of fire dust. Snow flipped aside to dodge it, but it interrupted her barrage long enough for the team to disperse. Cerise took the lead on Lazula, riding another burst of flame into Aegis. She struck twice more with white-hot tonfas, and each time a flash of heat spilled over the top of Lazula's shield.
Lazula forced back the last strike and followed with Impetus, meeting once across her shoulder and a second time at her opposite arm. Cerise pulled away from the third, twirled on one leg to kick Lazula's blade aside. But Lazula blocked her follow-up, aside from heat that singed her eyebrows, and they locked until a warcry split the fog. Lazula's head cocked, eyes snapped to where a two foot wide hammerhead bore down on her.
"Yarrow, NO!"
Too late.
Lazula pivoted to raise Aegis into the blow– which to Yarrow's credit, would have flattened anyone else. But she took in its force, felt it swell and build within her, and the stone beneath her boot cracked as she pushed against it to swing her blade.
In a single strike and explosion of force, two buzzers blared. The three boulders making up CHRY's hiding place shattered, old growth trunks cast splinters against the hard-light barrier, and three toppled. The mud surrounding Lazula cleared a foot deep, revealing the hard-light base the stage was built upon.
"What a blow! Lazula Skye reminding us exactly why she's a household name– that's two down for CHRY– including Mistral's rep!"
As Team CHRY scattered, Hanako took off down the hill and met Ichigo on the way. Her naginata twirled in front of her, Ichigo's bullets rattling into the dirt, but still she flinched as a handful skimmed off her aura. She leapt at him, vanished, and Hack n' Slash transformed. Ichigo held it as steadily as he could, eyes darting across the forest in front of him. But she reappeared at his side. She struck down it from shoulder to thigh, reversed for a stab in the back, and Ichigo flailed his hatchet at the third to knock it away.
Snow stopped firing on Rosemarie, and turned her head to the two. Absolute Zero grew thinner, longer in her hands, and as soon as the tip of Configuration E fixed, she flung it. Hanako's eyes shot open. She ducked to the side with a split second to spare, and Snow's spear lodged a foot deep in a tree trunk instead.
She vanished again from behind her own raised arms. A hard-light cord linked to Snow's wrist reeled her weapon in and she watched, waited, until the underbrush shifted and three footprints lodged in mud. Snow cracked her whip and it bound the air before Hanako appeared within it. Snow stepped, flung, and Hanako smacked flat against a boulder atop the hill. She crumpled to the dirt, and Laurel peeked out from her hiding place.
"Oh. 'Sup?" she greeted, and raised her axe above her head.
Another buzzer. Lazula stared down Rosemarie, and as she gathered her whip in both hands she looked like cornered prey.
"Another one down for Team CHRY! It looks like LSLI is well on their way to the doubles round!"
Rosemarie looked to the splintered husk of a felled pine, and back at Lazula. "So unfair," she spat, and cracked her own whip.
Lazula wrangled it with Aegis, planted her feet, and pulled Rosemarie toward her. In seven slashes, she secured the win. Impetus returned to its sheath, and Aegis to her side. She took in the din of the audience. Thunderous applause. Deafening jeers.
She smiled, because she knew it wouldn't be the last time.
