“Prelinsa, ya did it! Ya did it! Ya made the finals!” Missus B. hugged her tightly in celebration.
“Thanks, mom!”
“Also, I heard from Corynn – ya got into a fight earlier. But ya held back.” She ruffled Prelinsa’s hair. “You did real good this time. Marianne would be super proud of ya.”
“I sure hope so.”
Camilla approached the two of them.
“Hey,” she said. “Uh. Sorry to interrupt.”
“Who’s the fluffy now?” Missus B. asked. “Oh right, Camilla. Prelinsa’s talked about ya before. Nice to finally speak with ya!”
Camilla bowed slightly, keeping eye contact. “Missus Brunswick. It’s nice to meet you, too.”
The two shook hands.
“Hey, so. Prelinsa,” Camilla said, turning to face Prelinsa. She still looked conflicted. After all, she’d just watched her sister lose to the half-pokkit in a completely one-sided match. “I’m still mad that we didn’t get to fight, but… you beat Mira. And I’ve never beaten Mira. So, uh. That’s good enough for me, I think. Good job.”
“Thanks,” said Prelinsa.
Camilla did that thing with her teeth and fists. “I’m still mad though! That jerk Electrum! He was just toying with me. He knew I couldn’t win, so he was just making a show for the crowd!” She was referring to the 1 seed, Electrum Radiance. As the 16 seed, Camilla had fought Electrum in the first round and lost badly. “Beat him up for me and get revenge, okay?”
“I’ll try. But we have a third place playoff to watch, right? Let’s go cheer for your sister.”
“Yeah. I know you won easily, but don’t look down on Mira, okay? If it weren’t for you, she could’ve won this whole thing!”
Prelinsa nodded. She had watched Mirabelle’s previous matches, and they all ended decisively. Even so, a third place match was a different story. Her opponent was going to be good too. She did wonder if Mirabelle would really win.
“Combatant Mirabelle Leclerc. Combatant Arlan Whitemane. Please make your way to the Main Ring for your third place match.”
“That’s your cue!” Missus B. said.
----------------------------------------
Prelinsa watched eagerly from the VIP box, along with Missus B. and the other Silvermoons. Next to them, the Leclercs – Camilla and Marchioness Leclerc – were observing. Camilla watched with bated breath, while her mother the Marchioness was much calmer. With her white hair and pointy ears, the Marchioness strongly resembled Mirabelle. The father, Marquess Leclerc, was not present, as he was busy caring for the youngest member of their family.
“Combatants, stand by!” The referee instructed.
Down in the Main Ring, Mirabelle once again shifted into her wolf form, and howled. Her opponent, Arlan Whitemane, also shifted. He become a white lion – much bigger and stronger than Mirabelle – and roared intimidatingly. His armor was significantly heavier and bulkier than Mirabelle’s, and looked like it would be difficult to break through. Mirabelle didn’t flinch at Arlan’s bravado, instead growling back at him.
“In the orange square, we have Arlan Whitemane!” The announcer introduced. “Your four seed, and the eldest son of Duke Whitemane! Channeling the noble power of lions and the Sun’s Flare, his power is plain to see! He’s won every fight in under twenty seconds! In the semifinal round, he took a tough loss to Electrum Radiance, but he looks just as ready as ever! Aaaaand in the blue square, we have Mirabelle Leclerc! The two seed, with the Ocean’s Blessing, the eldest daughter of Marchioness Leclerc! In the previous round, she suffered a fiery upset at the hands of the three seed, Prelinsa Silvermoon-Brunswick! These two young warriors, each representing a noble house, have fought before in a previous tournament, where the Leclerc Marquisate pulled off a convincing win! But has their time finally come to an end?!”
“Of course not! Mira’s going to kick Arlan’s tail, like she always does!” Camilla hissed. “He’s a nerd, not a fighter! I still can’t believe he-”
“Calm down, Cammy,” her mother advised. “Duke Whitemane is also here.” Indeed, Duke Whitemane sat next to them. The big, dark-skinned lion-ailuran watched expectantly, stroking his silvery beard. If he was offended by Camilla’s words or nervous for his son, he did not show it.
“Orange square, are you ready?” The referee asked.
“I am,” Arlan said. His voice sounded deep and booming.
“Blue square, are you ready?”
“I am.” Mirabelle looked serious and ready to go.
“This match will begin in three. Two. One. Begin!”
Arlan roared, and fired a vast beam of light from his mouth, trying to end the fight before it even started. Mirabelle was ready for him – she stood her ground and diffused the beam with a wall of water, causing the light to scatter harmlessly and create little flashes on the barrier. Arlan growled, and used the opportunity to leap at Mirabelle and crush her with his armored claws. It looked scary since he was big and heavily armored. But he was already low on magic, and Mirabelle was way faster. Before he could even really get going, she used water to blast herself forward, slamming one of her spikes directly into Arlan’s head like a big water jet powered javelin. Even though she was against a helmeted target, the attack was effective enough that the match end sound went off.
“Cease! Winner by knockout, the blue square! Mirabelle Leclerc!”
“Wow!! 6 seconds by knockout! It’s a new tournament record!!” The announcer exclaimed. “Seems like the age of Leclerc is far from over! Give it up for Mirabelle Leclerc!”
The combatants bowed their heads to each other, transforming back. The crowd cheered. Prelinsa clapped. Missus B. clapped. The Silvermoons clapped, except the Matriarch.
“Yes! Go Mira!!” Camilla cheered and clapped. She was super hyped – her tail was wagging quickly with excitement.
Duke Whitemane sighed and shook his head as both Mirabelle and Arlan shifted back, bowed, and shook hands. He looked at Marchioness Leclerc. “Once again, you win,” he said. He sounded resigned, like he knew this would happen. But he wasn’t really upset. It was as if this just kept happening, and there was nothing he could do about it.
“Arlan isn’t weak,” Marchioness Leclerc said. “Fighting Mirabelle is also unfavorable for him. Light cannot easily defeat water.”
“Arlan is strong, very much so. That strength alone has carried him far,” Duke Whitemane commented. “But he lacks both talent and skill. He is not like a dragon or a Silvermoon, who can make up for such weaknesses.” He glanced at Prelinsa, before turning his attention back to the Marchioness. “My son is much more intelligent than I was at his age. With time, he will make a competent leader. But he cannot defend himself from harm, which concerns me greatly.”
“I’ve heard that your daughter shows great promise,” Marchioness Leclerc commented. “Perhaps she can serve as his personal guard.”
“She is indeed talented,” the duke agreed. “But she is very young, and her future remains to be seen. It is possible to hit a wall in one’s progress.”
“Indeed. Even so, I believe she represents hope for the Whitemane Duchy.”
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
“Mmm.” Duke Whitemane closed his eyes.
----------------------------------------
Not long after, Mirabelle dropped by the VIP box, confidently swaggering into the room. She pulled off her helmet, which revealed her pixie cut hair.
Camilla gave her a high five and hugged her.
“Mira! Third place, and a new record! Good job!” She said, pulling back. She was absolutely beaming with delight.
Mirabelle smirked. “After my bad showing earlier, I couldn’t just lose to Arlan now, could I? I had to remind everyone that I’ve still got it.”
“Mira. You’ve learned well,” the Marchioness said. “I know third place must be a bit disappointing, but don’t be discouraged. I’m still very proud of you.”
“Yeah, well. I’m okay, Mother,” Mirabelle replied, putting her free hand on her hip. “Prelinsa’s just a tough one. I need to keep improving, so I don’t disappoint you all!”
The Marchioness stood, and ruffled Mirabelle’s hair. “For now, you can just rest.”
Mirabelle’s tail wagged – she really enjoyed the headpat. She then looked over at Prelinsa, waving and grinning. She truly didn’t seem too bothered by her loss anymore. Prelinsa waved and smiled back.
“Congrats on your record,” she said.
“Thanks!”
Arlan followed Mirabelle in shortly after. He removed his helmet, and bowed to Duke Whitemane.
“Father. I regret that I have disappointed you once again,” he said. Although he didn’t show it in his expression, he couldn’t have been pleased with his performance. After all, he lost so quickly and decisively.
“Fighting has never been your strong suit, Arlan,” the duke reassured him. “Despite that, you have placed fourth through cleverness, willpower, and strength. You have used your power efficiently to make up for your shortcomings, in ways that I never could at your age. Do not be disheartened. You are not a fighter, but you are a much more intelligent man than I am. I can rest easily knowing that you will become the next head of the family.”
Arlan bowed again. “Thank you, father. I will continue devoting myself to my studies.”
“Contestant Prelinsa Silvermoon-Brunswick. Contestant Electrum Radiance. Please make your way to the Main Ring for your finals match.”
“Prelinsa, that’s you!” Missus B. said. “Go get ‘em!”
----------------------------------------
Prelinsa stepped into the ring for the final time that tournament. The crowd roared and cheered. Stepping in from the other side was Electrum Radiance. He looked a lot like an elf, with his pointy ears. But he wasn’t an elf, Prelinsa could feel it. He had a different scent to him – it wasn’t that of an elf, or even one of the mammalian races. Prelinsa could also sense that he had not one, not two, but three mana hearts. He was an Eastern dragon – different from the Western race that shared the same name. This was Prelinsa’s first time seeing one up close, and she shivered in anticipation.
The matchup would be hard – the hardest yet. Eastern dragons were naturally strong, and resistant to attacks that would be debilitating or fatal for other races. That meant Prelinsa’s tactic of flooding the ring with phoenixfire would not be so effective against Electrum. The dragon was also skilled, winning most of his fights without even using his true form, and simply overwhelming his opponents with superior ability. Prelinsa hadn’t seen him struggle the whole tournament. In fact, she hadn’t even seen him struggle in past video footage that she had studied.
Except once. Years ago, Electrum had fought Corynn in a tournament just like this, and she had beaten him even when he used his true form. Prelinsa had studied that video over and over again, and while she could learn from it, there were simply some things that didn’t apply. Electrum Radiance was less skilled back then, while Corynn was more experienced than Prelinsa currently was. She never had to rely on cheap tricks like Prelinsa did, she won in a head-on fight. As a result, the reality of the situation was very different.
Electrum bowed respectfully to Prelinsa. “I watched your previous fights. You’re good, but I don’t think you’re quite good enough,” he opined. “Even so, I won’t take you for granted. You defeated Mirabelle, whom I consider a worthy opponent. You’re a wildcard, and a Phoenix Warrior. Therefore, I will leave nothing to chance, and fight you with everything that I have.”
Prelinsa bowed back. “Thanks. I hope for a good fight too.” Hearing that Electrum would go all out was a level of respect that tickled her inside. Despite her lack of experience, he was treating her as a serious contender who could actually beat him if he wasn’t careful. It was a small victory for both her and the Path of the Phoenix.
“In the orange square!” The announcer began. “It’s Electrum Radiance! The one seed and defending junior champion, completely uncontested in this tournament so far! With his rival Mirabelle Leclerc out of the picture, there’s only one match left for a repeat title! Standing in his way, in the blue square, is Prelinsa Silvermoon-Brunswick, your three seed! After winning an upset victory in the semifinals, she now stands here as the challenger in the finals! Everything comes down to this! Will the dragon defend his crown, or will the young Silvermoon claim it from him?!”
“Combatants, stand by!” The referee shouted.
Prelinsa took her ready stance, drawing her sword. Electrum roared, and with a blinding light, his body grew until he was about 6 meters long. When the light faded, he had assumed his true form – an Eastern dragon, with a flowing mane, a long body, and four legs. Like his namesake, his scales shone a brilliant silvery-gold in the sunlight. Unlike Arlan or Mirabelle, he didn’t let out any kind of war cry after shifting. He just looked down at Prelinsa – his presence alone was enough to be imposing.
“Most races grow quickly, but dragons do not. That’s why the world fell into the hands of others. First Goldensun, then Silvermoon,” he mused aloud, closing his eyes. “The Path of the Phoenix is indeed the strongest. You’ve already come so far in such a short time. Very soon, you’ll be much stronger than me. Once that time comes, I won’t stand a chance of defeating you.”
He then reopened his eyes, his focus now on the fight.
“But that time is neither here nor now!” He declared. “I may be a young dragon, and you may be a Phoenix, but you’re still just a fledgling! To lose to you would be a great dishonor! I will crush you, and show everyone that dragons must still be respected!”
“Well, that’ll just make my win even greater!” Prelinsa retorted.
“The rules remain the same as before!” The referee explained. “The time limit is three minutes! If a combatant deals a blow that is judged to be debilitating or lethal, they win the match! If a combatant surrenders or steps outside of the ring, they are disqualified! If the time limit runs out, judges will decide based on shows of aggression! Now! Orange square! Are you ready?”
“Yes,” Electrum said.
“Blue square! Are you ready?”
“I am,” Prelinsa said.
“This match will begin in three. Two. One-”
“What’s that in the sky?!” Someone yelled. Everyone looked up.
Something flew through the air over the arena, making a terrific noise. It was a huge flying metal object, big enough to carry people onboard. Prelinsa didn’t know how it had gotten here without anyone noticing – it was so loud. Several figures fell from it and plummeted towards the fighting ring, using jets of water like wings to slow down. Prelinsa couldn’t feel any mana coming from the ground to power the water magic – she wondered how this was possible.
One of the figures landed softly between Prelinsa and Electrum. A crystal in her left hand disintegrated into thin air. She was a pokkit, with silver hair and fur, deep ruby-red eyes, and red whisker-like markings on her face. Her expression was blank, with no signs of emotion. She glanced at Electrum, then looked at Prelinsa.
Then, more figures landed. All of them looking exactly the same. They landed in various places around the stadium, each one with an equally blank expression on her face.
The crowd gasped and murmured.
“Who are you? Why have you interrupted us?” Electrum asked. The figure ignored him, continuing to stare at Prelinsa.
A terrible feeling of dread, horror, and illness washed over Prelinsa. The figure looked and smelled just like Corynn. But Corynn was in her late teens. Meanwhile, this person looked younger than Prelinsa – surely no more than twelve or thirteen years old, physically. Corynn also didn’t have eyes that looked this dead inside. And she didn’t have a mana heart that resonated with water.
“Prelinsa! Get out of there!!” Corynn yelled, leaping out of the VIP box and rushing towards the combatants.
Prelinsa didn’t have to be warned twice. Feeling the mana flow, she ran as hard as she could by using blasts of phoenixfire to propel her footsteps. As she ran, fights broke out between security and the clones. The clone fired cutting arcs of water towards her. The mages around the ring did their best to contain the clone by adjusting their barrier, but more clones attacked and forced them to give it up, destroying several camera robots in the process. Prelinsa realized quickly that staying in the ring would only be problematic, and decided to use the ample space around her to evade as well.
Electrum Radiance lunged at the pokkit assailing Prelinsa, pinning her down.
“A clone! The Magic Freedom Fighters have attacked!” He exclaimed.
The clone looked up at him blankly, then raised a hand and blasted at one of his legs. Electrum recoiled, the water leaving a deep cut behind.
Suddenly, blindingly white bolts of fire descended upon the arena and struck the clones, each one creating a brilliant flash of light and heat. They were so fast and thorough that nearly every single clone was incapacitated perfectly – the concussive forces were enough to to knock them out without killing them.
There was one clone left, which Corynn had engaged in battle with. She wouldn’t make the same mistake as last time. As the clone tried to blast her with water, the Silvermoon princess yelled, vaporizing the water with a shield of fire and chopping the clone on the neck, knocking her out.
Prelinsa looked up at where she felt the bolts of fire come from. They came from the VIP box. There, the Matriarch stood, her staff outstretched. From here, her expression was unreadable beneath her mask. The Matriarch then slammed her staff on the ground, her voice projecting through the speaker system.
“People of the East Realm! This is a clear act of terrorism against our land!” She announced. “We will investigate, and root out the evil that has perpetrated this attack! Until further notice, this tournament is postponed!”