Chapter 12
The Battle
We’re going to send a message.
Her sword cut through the air, jabbing forward. With a breath in, and an exhale out, the air heeded her command, its soul resonating in rippling waves.
All you care about are appearances.
Hands gripped tighter, and her foot pressed into the floor, spinning the sword and plunging it down. A bulwark of stones surrounded her. With a single swipe, those stones broke apart and were scattered about the empty room.
What I want is what he wants!
The blade switched hands, and she swung it backwards, blocking the imaginary projectile from behind before swapping it back and sending the blade screaming downward. Her breath came in short gasps, and the sweat rolled off her forehead. Outside, the remnants of rain persisted in a drizzle.
All else was silent.
“Damn it…Why do they have to make this so difficult?” Meredith breathed. No one heard her, but she preferred that. The day’s fatigue was beginning to creep in, and she dropped to a knee, the Earth-Splitter falling to the side. Her hand raised up, wiping away the hair that was falling in her eyes, its length starting to annoy her before she tied it back up. Her vision was growing a little blurry with the perspiration dripping down, and she rubbed her face, only to find herself back in that realm of white.
“You’re improving,” Terrill said. She looked at him, unable to stop the panting of her breath. He was sitting across from her, cross-legged. “Just a bit ago, you could’ve never done that.”
“Yeah…it’s a step forward,” Meredith said, puffing out at her bangs.
“But you don’t think it’s enough. Not enough to prove she doesn’t need her father’s ideals.” Terrill’s truths made Meredith’s lips twitch. He breathed loudly at her silence. “You’re so like them.”
“Who?” Meredith’s question went unanswered, her mentor lost in the reveries of his past. It made her face twitch, but she chose to pull away from the Soul Realm, back into reality. “I won’t do it…I won’t let Vivian be beaten by her own demons.”
Why do you care? The echo indicated that she was successful, her fingers closing around her sword and pulling it up. I’ve seen the way she treats others around you, and yet you wish to save her. Do you think she wants saving?
“I don’t care!” With both arms behind her, Meredith swung her blade, rending the air with a cry. “I hate her! I hate the way she thinks! The way she acts! Her stupid ideals! She’s an annoying brat who thinks the world needs to cater to her, and she doesn’t understand what it means to be a teammate.
“But…she still helped me. She still got up. And I made a promise to protect her.”
You can’t help someone by diving into the abyss after them. Over time, it only breaks you.
“Well, I can try! And if that means proving Victor Lacroix wrong. If that means showing Viv another path, then I’ll do it. I’ll…” She stopped just shy of saying it; of declaring that she’d take on whatever burdens were before her. Terrill wouldn’t approve, and she knew she was getting carried away. “Damn it!”
“Mera, are you, uh…okay?” She whirled around, seeing Eddie there with two plates of food in his hand. He was soaked in water, but the plates appeared just fine, and she had to wonder just what sort of magic he’d used to make them so. Her attention moving up to his face made her also realize the state of the room, with various cuts and the damaged floor. It made a sheepish expression rise on her face. “I brought dinner.”
“I’m guessing Emil and Vivian never came back.” He shook his head, and insisted on holding a plate out to her. She took it and the fork, stabbing into the meat on her plate. Her hand let go of the Earth-Splitter, and she walked to one of the benches in the training room, seating herself with Eddie. He was quiet, allowing her to take a few bites of her food. It didn’t take long for her to sigh. “What are we gonna do, Eddie?”
“About Vivian?”
“About Vivian…Emil…this team,” she said. Absentmindedly, she placed her plate on the bench and stared at the harsh light hanging overhead. “We’re barely hanging by a thread. We’ve hardly been a team to begin with and I…I don’t know what to do…I just know I want to win.”
“Then just be you.” She had a hard time believing that. “You were really amazing today, Mera. The way you took charge. Reminded them what we were on that field for. I think if you keep doing that, we can come together. Sometimes people just need that reminder that they’re not alone. That they don’t have to feel burdened. That there are people who they can just be themselves with. No expectations; just acceptance. For a moment, you reminded them of that.”
“Hmm, maybe you’re right,” she said, nodding her head. Taking another chunk of meat in her mouth, she chewed while mulling over Eddie’s words. It took her no time to reach over and ruffle his hair. “What would I ever do without you, Eddie?”
“Be a crappy leader is what. You need other people to curb your impulsiveness. I honestly thought Vivian’s father was going to eviscerate you earlier!” She let out a barking laugh at that, and Eddie joined in.
“Nah, my best friend would’ve never let that happen.”
“You’re right about that. We’d walk through hell for you, and you’d do the same.”
Meredith blinked at the assertion. Her lips parted, the thought taking over her faculties. A finger raised, beginning to tap her chin, and it wasn’t until Eddie shook her shoulder that she realized how far gone she’d been. “You’re right…We’ve all been through hell together. Maybe that’s all she needs. You’re a genius, Eddie, as always!”
“Sure. About what, exactly?”
“No time for that!” With reckless abandon, Meredith picked her plate up and tipped its contents into her mouth, shoveling the rest. With a couple rough chews, she finished eating after an audible swallow and grinned. “For now, we need to rest! There’s no telling what tomorrow’s competition will bring, and we have to be ready. This team is climbing to the top.”
Eddie was confused, but shrugged all the same. Outside, the sound of trickling water had faded away, indicating an end to the rain that had persisted through the evening. Feeling lighter, Meredith took the Earth-Splitter and re-sheathed it. Terrill had nothing to say, and that suited her just fine, her mind back on the future, and the sleep that was waiting. Hooking her arm with Eddie’s she began to drag him back out of the coliseum, and towards the glittering and luminescent Metropolis, where their inn and beds awaited them.
To neither’s surprise, their companions were absent when they arrived, but Meredith fell asleep nonetheless, determination back inside her.
Tomorrow, they’d take victory. She was going to make sure of that.
----------------------------------------
The next morning, the crowd in the coliseum seemed even larger than the day before. Meredith had to wonder if the midpoint of the tournament had made it swell in size, but there were a lot of other things capturing her attention.
Suppressing a yawn, she looked towards her fellow competitors. Each rival team was present and accounted for, each in their own little balconies. Lacardia was running simple exercises for their bodies, and when Conrad caught her staring, he winked. The Home Guard was giving a cheer, led by the boisterous Edgar. Meredith snorted at that; Brynn, for all her leadership qualities, looked ever like a cheerleader in that moment, painting a very different image for her.
It didn’t take long for Meredith’s sweeping eyes to locate her parents and Matthew, chatting with jovial expressions in the crowd, before locking eyes with Rico. Their encounter yesterday wasn’t forgotten, and she wondered if he planned on making his statement today. Not that it mattered, for her gaze moved on, and Meredith looked right at Victor Lacroix, seated with the diminutive Max. Vivian’s father didn’t even register her as there.
Nor did his exhausted daughter. Or Emil.
Like the day before, both sat silently with bags under their eyes and an air that warned away any that would come near. It was frigid, but Meredith was having none of it.
“All right, peons! Today’s the day we win this!” she shouted. The two jumped, throwing their heads about and shielding themselves like Amelia was about to rain blows upon them. Once they realized it was just Meredith, she laughed. “Oh, come on, lighten up! Yesterday was our first step towards victory, but we can’t let Lacardia keep winning forever. Commander Amelia would kick our asses if we did.”
“Speaking of the sadist, where is she?” Emil asked, his voice groggy. A small smile returned to his face, but Meredith frowned that Vivian wasn’t joining in. Only a part of her mind was devoted to realizing that their sponsor wasn’t nearby, and in fact, hadn’t been seen since the previous night.
“Guess she’ll miss out, but that’s no reason to slack. Let’s do this together today, as a team!” She only got affirmation from Eddie.
She did get an answer from Chapman, though.
“Hello, hello and welcome to the fourth day of the Alliance Games!” The commentator’s voice rang out, resulting in the now-predictable cheers. “We’ve reached that hill. The bump in the road that is the midpoint of this tournament. Will the tide shift in another team’s favor, or will Lacardia continue riding the wave to victory? Judging from earlier events, today’s might prove quite the position-shifter. So, without further ado, let’s begin! As always, I’m Freddy Chapman.”
“And I’m Commander Royston Masters,” drawled the Flame Commander. He was annoyed, or not his usual public persona. There was something different in his voice and face, and the panning-over of the camera to the woman next to him made the reason evident. Meredith’s mouth dropped, with Eddie and Emil mimicking her. “I’m not the only commander in attendance today, however. With us is the Corps’ very own master of battles, Amelia Chavez.”
“Let’s see some hot-blooded battles, folks!” Amelia called, waving from the box with a wide grin. It gave way to a scowling insistence. “And my team better win or you’re dead meat.”
“How is it she can be scary even on the other side of the coliseum?” Eddie asked.
“Yes, let’s see battles that bring out the best in our competitors, because that’s the event today: battles!” Chapman cried out. With that cry, the screens changed, revealing all sixteen members of the teams, each separated by groups. The coliseum began to shake, and with a light snap, the floor below split in two, revealing a pair of mini-arenas. “Each team will have three members chosen for them and be paired against a member from another team. From there, the rules are the same as our first day for the tag battles, but each member will fight alone. Of course, two battles will be fought simultaneously so there’s double the excitement!”
“Even better, due to the chaotic frenzy of a battle, each battler may have to deal with debris or stray attacks from the other battle!” Amelia cheered, leaning over her podium, only to have Masters drag her back down.
“This is true,” Chapman said, talking over the laughter from the crowd. “It will be an exciting bout of battling from all sides. Magic is allowed. Weapons are allowed. A true test of power in a one-on-one! The first to run out of their ‘health’ is the loser. The winner gets a point for their team. If you both deplete your bars or time out after thirty minutes, each team will tie and get one point! So, let’s see those matchups!”
The pictures flipped over. They began to swirl around, and Meredith could hear the crowd discussing potential matchups. Lines and sparkles scattered across the screens, each person waiting on tenterhooks to see the result. Eddie was saying something about preventing ties, but couldn’t finish before the pictures stopped. Four of them dropped off, and the remaining twelve flipped over.
“Up first, Emil of the Guardian Corps against Theodore of the Home Guard, and Conrad of Lacardia against Maria of the Renegades! Come down to the battlefield, folks!”
“Guess I’m up, then.” Emil rolled his shoulders and cracked his knuckles, departing for the exit. Meredith craned her neck back at him and he chuckled. “Don’t you worry, Mera. I’ll bring us a win. You focus on your own battle. Look who you’re up against.”
His words returned her attention to the screen, where her picture was linked with that of Summer’s. Opposite them was Rico and the one named Edgar. It made her curious, knowing Rico would be battling just on the opposite side, and she lamented the fact she wouldn’t be able to just watch him. With a sigh, she moved down, with a stellar matchup of Brynn and Felix, before it finally closed off…at Vivian against Lovelia. The worry at Vivian’s state returned.
Meredith opened her mouth to say something of encouragement to the girl, but closed it just as quickly. Eddie filled the space.
“I’m not too concerned about Emil, but Conrad might have a tough time against a woman, don’t you think?” Meredith shook her head, responding with a laugh before leaning over the edge of the balcony. The two sides were already beginning to take their places.
“Womanizer he might pretend to be, but that Maria might be his exception,” Meredith commented. Vivian had nothing to add behind them, not bothering to watch the battles. The duo surveyed the field, separated by the gap that designated each side. From their vantage point, Conrad could be seen stretching, while Maria mimicked him perfectly. Their own side was more reticent, with the timid Theodore taking deep breaths and Emil yawning. The matchup gave Meredith reason to look over to Brynn. “Shame we’re not facing off, huh?”
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“I’ll just kick your ass another day.” The girls shared a laugh, with Eddie shaking his head. Moments later, the referee stepped forward.
“These are one-on-one matches. All weapons are allowed. All spells are allowed. No outside interference is accepted. No direct interference with the other side is accepted. Time limit is thirty minutes.” He raised his hand high, and the crowd’s demeanor changed. “Begin!”
No sooner had the chime rang throughout the stadium, than Theodore had dropped to his knees, both hands touching the surface of the stadium floor. Shimmering heat encased the arena, the floor becoming wobbly, pieces of its edge melting off into the underground. The gap allowed the spell to not transcend to the other side, where Conrad had perfectly multiplied himself against an ever-smirking Maria. Emil had other plans, floating into the air.
“Good, he’s focused,” Meredith said, her fingers beginning to drum along their balcony. The crowd cheered, but she could only guess that the confusion of Conrad’s copies had gotten him a strike on Maria. Meredith was more interested in Emil, who spun through the air, his blades jutting out from underneath his sleeves. “Yeah! Hit him hard!”
Emil twisted, nearly upon Theodore. The member of the Home Guard was about to stand as his opponent’s blade flashed in his direction. Meredith leaned forward, but Emil pulled back, his legs twisting around to land a kick on Theodore’s head.
“He pulled back from a blade attack?” Eddie asked. Meredith bit her lip, eyes raking up and down the field. She briefly made note of the over-populated battlefield that was Conrad’s, but the observation fled at another one: Emil’s blades looked a little more flexible than normal.
“He has to play it safe. That melting power is no joke,” Meredith said. She puffed out, watching Emil sail back. His hands began to glow.
“You don’t want me to get close? Fine! Gravity Impulse!” The forceful orb flew forth. After a few seconds, it broke apart into numerous orbs. Some peppered the stadium walls, and others made deep gouges in the floor. The most important ones sailed for Theodore, but the Home Guard fighter sunk down, the floor melting with him.
“Whoo, a matched and even fight between the Renegades and Lacardia! And a rather interesting war of attrition between the rivals that are the Corps and Home Guard! Commanders, what’s your-”
“C’mon, Baroné! You call that hustle! Speed it up!”
“Stop shouting, Amelia. You have a microphone.”
The crowd laughed, yet Emil wasn’t one for distractions now. He pulled his scarf tighter and angled his body. Gravity increased upon his figure and he blazed towards Theodore. The melting boy never had a chance before Emil’s fingers clasped upon the back of his clothing and dragged him upwards, straight into the air. Straight into his domain.
“Fall.” With a deft spin, Emil threw his opponent downwards. His own body slipped in altitude as the gravity on Theodore increased with each foot. The stadium floor turned to mush before he hit, and the mud of the melted floor splashed upwards. Meredith looked away, noticing Conrad and Maria exchanging a boring flurry of punches and kicks. It seemed so to the audience, as well, who were crying out support for one of their two teams. Brynn and her other teammates were just as invested.
“Let’s go, Theo! You got this!” Brynn cheered. “Melt away the opposition!”
“Emil, this is your match! Win it all! We’re heading for the top!”
“Shut up! You guys put so much pressure…” Emil said, scratching behind his ears. Theodore was beginning to stand. Meredith looked up, noting that while Emil had a sliver of his health bar shaved off, Theodore’s was quite down. Not to mention that Emil was smiling. “All right. You want a win, you got it! Gravity Force!”
“Magic Melt!”
Emil’s crackling, black orb clashed with the steam of Theodore’s hands. The attack remained suspended before disappearing into wisps, bits of black glitter dripping on the floor. The resultant wind sent Emil tumbling backwards, though he righted himself. With quick aim, his blades fired from his sleeves. Theodore stepped back to dodge them…and was locked into place.
“Oh no…this is why I hate fighting…Hey, can you, uh…” Emil was falling, his body angled right for Theodore, his fist outstretched, and his grin wide. It was rough, and definitely not the perfect precision with which he’d once been trained, but Emil was unafraid to get his hands dirty.
The full-force of gravity fell behind his fist before it landed on Theodore’s head and sent him crashing through his own holes. The ground broke apart, dust rising, and Theodore flew threw the air until he landed against the wall, knocked out. The first bell rang.
“We have our first victory! The Guardian Corps takes it! Emil defeats Theodore and the rivalry continues!”
“You’re damn right it does. What was that, Theo?” Brynn shouted down. Her companion stirred, but only when Emil landed at his feet, helping him up.
“Brynn…” the curly headed boy whined, “you know I’m no good at fighting like that!”
“Extra training for you, then!”
“Don’t do it! Edgar begs you not to…”
“Oh, quiet, Edgar. You’re up next, anyway.” That statement was proven true within moments.
With the attention shifted to Conrad and Maria’s battle, they were all able to look, just in time to see a copy of Conrad, presumably the most “real” one, appear behind Maria and land a final kick that knocked off the last of her health bar. His own looked just as dangerously low.
“And Lacardia takes the second win of the day!”
“Whooo! Go, Conrad!” the twins yelled from Lacardia’s section. Their cheers led to deafening ones from the crowd, excited over both victories. Conrad stood tall, winking up at his friends before offering a hand to Maria. The young woman slapped it away.
“You put up a good fight, but just ‘cause you can copy me, that doesn’t mean anything! I’m the only me!”
“Whatever, pretty boy. You keep thinking that.” Conrad’s comedic expression upon hearing that gave Meredith a good laugh, but she soon stretched and turned to face the exit.
“All right. Time for a second win!” She cracked her knuckles and ran for the stairs, Eddie’s luck echoing after her. She swiftly jogged, with Chapman and his fellow commentators’ excited voices detailing the battles they had just witnessed. They were of little import, as was Emil, who she traded a high-five with on her way to the stadium floor.
You sure you’re ready for this? Terrill asked. She stopped short, looking into the light, where the floor was being fixed with all the rapidity the working mages could muster. A smirk came to her lips.
“Bring it on!” She stepped forward.
“All right, folks, we’ve had an exciting first bout, but that’s only the appetizer for what’s to come. It’s time for round two, with the same rules applying! Raise your voices and scream for Meredith versus Summer, and Rico against Edgar!”
“Yeeeeaaaaah!” The cries were deafening, though a few stood out as Meredith placed her feet on the dusty battlefield and stared across it. The ever-cool Summer watched her carefully, but offered a nod. There would be no hard feelings at the end of this.
“Meredith put on a show for us yesterday with her inspiration, so one has to wonder if she’ll pull a repeat performance now that it’s time for a direct battle,” Chapman wondered aloud.
“You can have no doubt of that. Our Corps might have gotten to a rocky start, but with Miss Childs’s quick thinking yesterday, there’s still a fighting chance.”
“Yeah, kick her ass, Childs!”
“Go Mera! That’s our girl!”
“Ugh, they’re so embarrassing…” Meredith said, rolling her eyes and scratching at her cheek. Terrill chuckled inside her blade, and she took it out of its sheathe. Across the way, Summer quirked an eyebrow. “Sorry, Summer. I know you’re a good friend of Eddie’s, but I have a lot of people rooting for me. This fight you lose.”
“We’ll see. I have my pride as a mage on the line, as a Season Sister.”
We all do…Meredith thought. She spared a momentary glance to Rico while the referee explained things, the leader coiled like a beast before the hunkering Edgar. Above him, as if providence, was Victor Lacroix. She scowled. It was about pride. Pride for all of them. Pride of the Corps. Pride for their very existence. We’re not losing today.
Clang!
Meredith held her sword aloft, her Soul Vision switching on. The lights of the souls surrounded her, but the distinctly mixed soul of Summer’s was directly visible to her, as was the shifting magic inside it. Her skin rippled with goosebumps, and then heat, and then a plunging temperature that made Meredith’s teeth chatter. Summer’s strategy was already obvious from the beginning.
“It’s beginning to get quite chilly in here! I know we’re near the mountains, but this might be ridiculous!”
“We saw this on day one,” Masters was saying. Meredith only kept one ear open for it. White puffs began to fall from the sky, a blizzard forming inside the stadium walls. Many were shivering, but Meredith didn’t falter. “Miss Summer’s ability appears to be manipulation of temperature, which, of course, leads to an affect on the weather. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see quite a few storms inside this stadium today! Miss Childs will need to be careful, with that kind of draining effect on her health.”
“It won’t stop me!” Meredith called. Her legs pumped full of blood, and the heat of battle rising, Meredith ran through to where Summer’s soul was and slashed with her sword. The girl barely dodged, a nick being delivered on her arm. Another soul became apparent in that of the screen nearby, flickering with dim electricity. Her own reached out, connecting, and with another yanking swipe of her sword, lightning flew forth, conducted to her blade.
Meredith, what are you..? Terrill’s voice went unheeded as she stabbed her blade forward. The electricity surged outward, arcing along Summer’s side. The girl flipped back, much like her sister, and frowned. Meredith felt her body get warmer in mere seconds before the temperature once more plummeted. Next time, don’t shock me. I may be a soul, but I still have-
“Stone Strike!” Meredith’s soul connected with Terrill’s, her companion’s soul sighing, but letting the issue drop. With a heave of her blade, the spires of earth raced along the ground for her opponent. Summer cartwheeled away, only for a slash downward to create yet more stones. These ones nearly made contact, but the temperature was still shifting. Crackles of lightning and the threat of a tempest appeared above them. Across the field, Meredith noted Edgar charging down his foe, but Rico dodged with pinpoint accuracy, striking the man across the back.
“My turn! Summer Strike!”
“You made that up just now!” Meredith shouted. The twin grinned, and her feet were lifted up by a sudden gust of air. It wasn’t much, but enough for her to make a punch towards Meredith. Slamming her foot down, a small stone shield was erected, blocking the attack. The storm above flashed downward, the lightning impacting where Summer’s fist had been and breaking it into pieces. Now, she was aiming a kick.
“Summer Storm!” Meredith would’ve found it funny, the way the girl was naming attacks after herself, but the imminent downpour and flurry of attacks Summer was now aiming at her put her focus elsewhere. With every kick and lightning strike, Meredith continued swinging her sword, bringing up a line of shields with every stroke. “Now, downpour!”
The temperature took an obvious dip, and the storm was unleashed. Lightning cascaded on the battlefield. The sound of a bell rang out, but Meredith couldn’t see anything for the white sheets of rain falling about the entire battlefield. She reached up to mop away her wet hair as Summer came and struck her across the face. Meredith slashed outward, only for the twin to dodge behind one of her shields.
She breathed in, her Soul Vision locating Summer, and then she struck. The Earth-Splitter jabbed forward and broke through one of the shields before making another attack. Once again, Summer dodged, making Meredith narrow her eyes. There was no way the girl quite knew where she would strike next…unless…
“I see you now, Summer. You don’t have anywhere to hide!” Holding tight, Meredith whirled around, her sword going with her. All of the stones around her broke apart and flew in a multitude of directions. Some harmlessly hit the walls, while others tinkled against the floor. A great many battered Summer in the stomach, sending her back. The rain cut out. “Now it’s over!”
On the screen above, her health had been depleted a significant amount, but so had Summer’s, their attacks causing fatigue. Meredith took a deep breath, casting her eyes to where Rico was standing over a dazed Edgar, the battle already over. All that was left was her own. She ground her foot in the mud left behind and dashed for Summer.
“I won’t let you win that easily, Meredith! For Lacardia!”
“Yeah, go, Summer, go!”
“You go, Mera!” Meredith’s speed increased, emboldened by the cries of her friends and teammates. Her sword flashed out, but Summer once more dodged.
I knew it…You’re mine, Summer! It was a thought easier said than done. Another wave of cold was setting in, and Meredith’s limbs were slowing. There was no doubt that Summer would read where she would strike. Her blade traveled forward, left to right, ready to make the attack. Her reaction time on that end was slowing, and everything else with it. Meredith could see, could know just which way her enemy was moving. Everything became clear to her.
“Is this it, folks? Is Lacardia’s winning streak about to come to an end?!” Chapman yelled, his voice distorted by how everything was slowing down in her mind. Meredith’s fingers twitched. Summer’s fists were ready for another blow as crystals formed from the water droplets left behind on Meredith’s body. There would only be one shot at this. “Who will win?! Lacardia?! Or the Guardian Corps?!”
Meredith didn’t tell them.
All she did was show them.
As Summer prepared her dodge, Meredith let go of her blade, the sword dropping as she twisted. The position of the blade changed, Meredith grabbed its hilt, now pointing the offending edge backwards. Summer’s eyes widened, realizing her folly; realizing that Meredith had an entirely different style up her sleeve. Continuing to read her movements would do no good.
Then Meredith swiped, the strike glancing off Summer’s hasty block. It was all the edge she needed.
“Soul Scream: Stone Fist!” An earthen aura flared around her, Terrill feeding her strength as she punched forward. The fist socked Summer into the stomach, and then sent her flying into the air. She spun about, and then landed in the mud with a thud and a groan.
Ding ding ding!
“And it’s over! Round two results in an almost unexpected turnaround! The Renegades’ Rico takes a flawless victory. So flawless, we didn’t even see it amidst that rain! While Meredith puts an end to Lacardia’s winning streak with a quite vivid victory.” Meredith grinned at Chapman’s description, but her feet moved over to Summer, kneeling at her side.
“Hey, you all right?” The girl groaned, clearly having little strength to stand. Her teammates were expressing concern up above, but Meredith allayed their fears when she gripped Summer and held her up. “Sorry, but I told you I’d win.”
“Yeah…” the girl said, a glare on her face. “Didn’t have to hit me so hard, though…”
“Sorry, sorry.” The apology was accepted, and Summer had no more words for her. With a wave and bow, the girl made her way from the field, alerting Meredith that she should do the same. First, she took another quick breath to steady herself.
Nice job, Meredith. Seems you finally nailed it. Just give me a little forewarning about any lightning stunts next time. Meredith shook her head, laughing to herself as she approached the edge of the arena. Rico was already gone, though Edgar remained in a daze, mumbling to himself as medics approached him on the field.
“So…tough…but Edgar…is the toughest…” the man continued to utter, slowing Meredith’s steps. “How…how did he take Edgar’s strength so easily? It was like Edgar…was soft?”
The ramblings turned nearly incoherent, and Meredith frowned; just what had Rico done to him? It was a mystery, and one soon shrugged off at the glare of Victor Lacroix in the crowd above. Meredith’s fist clenched. She knew what was to come next, so she whipped around and sped down the hall in front of her, to the expected sight that awaited her.
“Viv…” She stopped, barring the blonde from further progression.
“Move aside. I have a battle to win.” Vivian’s voice was cold, as usual, yet wavered. Her body was shaking, and Meredith could only guess with what. “I’m going to show everyone who’s the best.”
“And what happens after?” Meredith said. Vivian pushed her aside, making her way to the bright light that was the stadium arena. “Where do you go from there, when you’ve pushed yourself to the end?”
“That is the end. Now shut up and leave me alone, trash.”
“Damn it, Viv! Stop it! This isn’t about your pride! It’s about us! It’s about your friends!” Vivian halted, and Meredith could swear she was trembling. “You’re not alone! Understand that! You don’t need to prove yourself to anyone, because we’re a team! We’ll always be there for you, even if you’re going through hell! That’s what it means to be part of the Guardian Corps!”
For a second, Vivian looked ready to turn around and agree. To finally give in and understand.
That second passed, and her body straightened with the same rigid fury exhibited around her father. She walked forward.
“I have a battle to dominate.”
Each of her steps forward was like the closing of a door, leaving Meredith behind, at a loss for words. No matter the outcome, Meredith knew: victory or defeat, Vivian was ready to lose herself for her father.
“So, ladies and gentlemen, get ready! The final bout for today is ready to begin! Felix and Brynn! Vivian and Lovelia! Who will come out on top?! The final round begins now!”
And Vivian took her final step over the threshold.