It took Miss P. a few seconds to regain her composure. Despite her confident demeanor, it was overly clear that the Bicorn’s sudden attack had shook the woman to her core. She had underestimated Aja and treated her like a child she knew instead of the talented Summoner that she’d grown up to be.
The housekeeper cracked her neck and motioned at her Kitsune. The Fire Summon instantly jumped back to its feet and shook its wet fur. Once dry, it let out a voracious growl and began circling around Aja and her Bicorn.
“Looking for a weak spot? Why don’t you come here and see if I have one,” Aja asked mockingly, following the Kitsune with a disgusted glare. Her Bicorn produced an angry snort as it lowered its muscular neck, priming its dual horns for an attack.
Watching the two Summons face off, Elem swore he could feel the air thicken with tension. For a brief moment, he thought of joining his friend in battle but ultimately decided not to intervene. Aja had always been secretive and avoidant regarding her family but it was obvious that this was an emotional altercation for her. This was Aja’s fight- unfinished business that she had to take care of- and Elem was nothing more than an interloper.
The flaming orbs surrounding the Kitsune began rapidly orbiting its body, creating two blazing rings. It waited until it was fully engulfed by the inferno and then dashed at the Bicorn without warning. The fox’s fire hissed and flashed as it seared over the pool water. The move was a spectacular sight but Aja and her Void Summon remained undeterred. She shouted a command at her Bicorn, causing its horns to take up a purple glow. The beast then rushed at the incoming fox, aiming to slash through the fire with its moon blade attack.
“I gave you the chance to do this peacefully, but you wouldn’t listen to me, Aja dear,” Miss P. cackled while her Kitsune narrowly dodged the moon blade and launched a pack of fireballs at the Bicorn.
The Void Summon staggered as it took the hits, loudly neighing like a distressed horse. Smoke rose from two smoldering marks on its fur.
“You won’t win this easily. I only need one good hit to knock you out and I will!” Aja grunted. She was trying to sound confident but Elem noticed how her voice wavered and how she clenched her teeth.
The housekeeper pursed her lips into a satisfied, smug expression. Ignoring Aja’s words, she gestured at her Kitsune to launch another attack. Motivated by its Summoner’s direction, the Kitsune’s eyes flared up and its bare teeth revealed a sadistic grin.
The flames engulfing its body raged even harder, synchronizing with the fox’s hunger for carnage. However before the Fire Summon could even move a muscle, the water surrounding it and its summoner randomly froze solid, locking them into place.
“Yes it’s them! None of them had a reservation!” called a sudden voice.
Elem immediately recognized the unpleasant receptionist from the day before. While the Aja and Miss P. had been occupied with the duel, she along with a cohort of Spring of Rebirth’s security officers had rushed into the garden.
“What do you think you’re doing?” the woman barked as she pointed her manicured index finger in their direction. “Did you really think you could just sneak into a luxury resort and start Summoning duels? At an establishment like this? Have you lost your damned minds?”
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As she spoke, a massive arm made of icicles emerged from the water and promptly took hold of Miss P. Seconds later, the owner of the frozen hand, a towering Frost Giant, rose out from the pool and grabbed the Kitsune by its scruff. The fox tried to resist, launching a few of its flaming orbs at the Frost Giant but the projectiles had little effect on the robust collection of ice crystals that composed its massive frame.
“I saw the entire thing kick off and this one’s the instigator,” explained the woman who had meditated beside the pool the entire time. “The others were trying to get away from her. I suggest that we hand the woman over to the authorities and kick those young summoners out.”
Elem gasped when he realized what had just happened. It appeared the Frost Giant had been laying on the bottom of the pool the entire time, cooling the water while its summoner had been quietly cultivating on the side. The woman had been so quiet, Elem had completely forgotten she even existed.
“Fine. Whatever, just get them out of here,” the receptionists agreed with a sigh, her tone suggesting that she’d rather have them all arrested instead.
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Elem and Aja were handed their belongings, got dressed in the employee locker rooms away from the hotspring’s actual customers, and then were promptly ejected through an inconspicuous exit hidden in one of the exterior walls.
Outside, they decided it was best to move on to their next destination as fast as possible. The Unagi Peninsula was less than a day away and if they hurried, they could still reach it before nightfall while also properly shaking off Aja’s insane housekeeper.
They fetched their bicycles and continued their journey east in silence, racing down the winding mountain paths and small dirt roads. Elem couldn’t help but feel sorry for his friend. She had been so excited to visit the Spring of Rebirth but it seemed the visit brought her nothing but expected pain and frustration. For as long as he’d known her, Aja had always been a good-humored and especially upbeat person but now he began to worry whether that had all been a facade.
“So are you gonna tell what that was all about?“ he finally dared to ask after a few hours.
“That little fight at the resort?” Aja casually raised her shoulders. “There isn’t much to say about it. It’s just some family drama. That’s all.”
Elem didn’t believe a word coming out of his friend’s mouth. “Your father’s housekeeper was trying to kidnap you. How can you call that ‘just some family drama’?”
“Well my father is used to getting his way. That’s what happens when you’re the president of the Prometheus Group.”
“The Prometheus Group?” Elem nearly fell from his bike. “You mean the energy company? Your family owns the largest energy company in the Continent? Why have you never told me that?”
“Why do you even care about all this crap?”
“Because I care about you!”
Aja let out a groan as she stepped on her brakes. Her bike came to a squeaking halt.
“Listen Elem, I don’t need your freaking sympathy okay? I don’t want you to feel sorry for me because I come from a rich, demanding family while your father just got murdered. Let’s focus on the important stuff first.”
Elem’s body tightened with frustration. Aja wasn’t being fair to him. How could she shower him with all the support in the world while she wouldn’t accept his sympathy? Was their friendship just a one way street?
“Aja…” he said quietly, unsure how to properly share what he was feeling- but before he could say another word his friend threw her arms around him.
“I am sorry for bringing that up again,” she told him, pulling him close. “But can we please not talk about this right now? I promise we will eventually, just not now...”
Elem wrapped his arms around Aja. It felt good.
“Yes. Of course.”