"Your mom makes magiteck? No kiddin'." Did that explain why Ariel's magic is so weird? She'd never seen or heard of anything like what Ariel had going on, and she'd seen more than one body doubled up on souls. "You'll have to let me see her designs, too. We can swap notes." It'd been a while since she'd done anything more complex than locomotion. These last two years have really helped her sharpen her design edge, but the requests are never very complex. She kind of wanted a challenge.

She was busy hugging a tail and rubbing her face on it when Ariel stopped. She peeked up, not taking very long to spot D'Angelo. She hid briefly among the tails, realizing that her wardrobe was, perhaps, vaguely compromised. Quick fix, no problem.

She only recognized D'Angelo because it was hard not to. She hasn't spoken to him at all, or had any interaction with him, but he was certainly recognizable. "You were in the guild hall. I'm Trinity. What'd you do to Nolan to make him so mad, I didn't see? I just saw you on the floor."

~~~

Trinity had been so caught up in the fluff and the relaxation of body and mind that she didn't even notice where they were going. Maybe it was selfish, but she couldn't get excited about the match. Part of her did want to watch, it was true, but... that part of her that missed her own magic... The words of encouragement from earlier that day echoed in her mind, from Mark, Jarvis, and Niel. Yeah, no, she shouldn't be so down on herself. She was still capable of great things, even like this. But, even reminding herself of that...

Joshua looked around at the crowd as he followed after Cody and Amaya. While he was feeling uneasy about Cody being so close to Amaya for reasons he didn't understand, he was happy to see she was trying to get through being in a crowd, something he wasn't sure she could do without the help of a friend or two. To him, such an effort deserved some sort of reward so he quickly moved over to Amaya and Cecelia and gently tapped both the dragon-slayer and the exceed on the shoulder.
"Mind if I borrow Cecelia for a few minutes. I promise to return with her as quickly as possible. Assuming Cecelia will deign me worthy of her time of course." He said, assuming a respectful tone when talking about Cecelia.



"Well, we're going to Hargeon. It would be an absolute shame to go to a port town for food and not go to some place near the ocean. Of course, such a place will be fancy and expensive but you said that wouldn't be a problem. So, let's see if we can get a table at such a place without a reservation. Unless you think you can make one quickly." Pyrrha said, smiling up at Jake. She was presently wearing a rather large jacket. A rather unusual choice of attire but she had done some prettying up before they had gone to the train station, so maybe she was hoping to surprise him.

---

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"I am certain that it would be a very lovely visit- of course, you might find the curiosity of a six year old to be rather.... enlightening. That is, of course, if my daughters are allowed to come as well." Visiting other guilds, while something that Jamie was interest in, knew could be daunting for smaller guilds. There might be friendliness, but many people found a powerful mage, without ties, visiting could be hackle raising. But it could also be educational- seeing different guilds, how they lived, existed, the magics.... It was becoming explicitely clear that magic was growing, old, forgotten magics coming back, but also different branches of magic. Witches. Wixards. Mages. And then there was science and technology, grown so much in the last few decades...

Well, Jamie wanted to leave the world a bit better then she had come into it. She hoped she instilled that into her members, her family. And She hoped to give that to the people, in this time of tentative magic, the return of it in the open... and hoped to stop it ever breaking again, like it had. There was so much Jamie wished to do. And part of the ability to do so was here, with Jack and Priscilla. She glanced between them, a small smile on crossing her features, before she gathered some papers, her satchel and slinging it over her shoulder before stepping towards the door, and into the main foyer of the guild building.

Next time, she knew, it would be better to meet at one of the other guilds. Sharing the power, it was something Jamie was becoming accustomed to. Trusting her friends, once more, was something Jamie embraced. For without trust... the world was a dreary place. SHe looked back at Jack's words, couldn't help the smile turning into a grin. "I thought you'd be excited, and while I wish I could take credit, other then paving the way, i nevertheless have no issue passing the condemnations onto my guild. And this is something the town needs. To have faith in magic again is something that will take time, but... it's good to bring positive vibes once more."

---

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"Perhaps after the fight, we can help access what level you would be." Jarvis said, shifting and grabbing a lacrima, setting it in place where it couldn't be seen, taking a few seconds to adjust it so it couldn't be seen. "Yes, you are. If we don't get to access your level before you decide to go on a job, there are some rules. You must have someone of the appropriate level- if it's a B level job, you need B level or above to accompany you." He said, "For now, go enjoy your first activity with the guild"

---

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"I... N-no luck?" Michael asked Gabriel as he drew closer, overhearing the conversation between his brother and the Celestial Spirit. A flash of guilt flashed through him, knowing that he ought to help- but he'd reached a dead end. There was only so much connection between their various spirits. He shifted slightly, looking to Gabriel, who sighed heavily.

"Might have a line on Virgo." Gabriel said, "Got some things to go through" He ran a h and through his hair, wearily. "Loki says I need to find another key soon... But I'm going to need sleep before I do anything. And to make sure I'm not going to get myself killed."

"Well... I... um... I-i-I... I'll t-t-t-t-try to h-h-h-h-h-h-help... I... m-m-might b-be on a j-job though... " Michael grimaced, looking away, hurrying to explain, feeling guiltier by the second. Gabriel gave a shurg, "It's okay, Mikey. I'll be fine- plus it isn't like I'll be helpless. Go."

---

---

Michael ran down the street towards the train station, pack slung over one shoulder, awkwardly trying to get the other strap over his other shoulder. With a bit of uncordiantion, he managed to trip, landing heavily on one arm as he came flying towards the ground. Grunting, he rolled onto his back, taking a few seconds to let breath come back to his lungs before he struggled up, slidding both arms through the straps and taking a slower run towards the station, feeling more than a little embarrassed as he did so.

Ah, of course, serving people individually or in the same manner as a waiter during a ball wasn't Mark's style at all. Too much effort. Not that she was calling lazy or anything of the sort of course, just that he preferred the methods that caused less fuss and didn't involve more effort than needed. Though of greater importance to herself right now was the bowl of food that was offered to it by Markovis at this moment in time. "I-I see. Thank you." Gratefully accepting the much-required sustenance with a quick bow of her head, the blonde had to physically refrain from drooling all over it. Though the exceptional aroma that wafted from it made it quite a task indeed.

"W-well if there's anything I-I can do to help, please don't be afraid to ask." Jasmine watched as Mark left to go find and serve some food to Trinity, eager to begin eating her own portion of the dish and brought a spoonful of rice up to her lips and blew gently on it.

Sometimes food never tasted anywhere near as nice as what they smelled, though this certainly wasn't one of those times as she took a moment to appreciate and savour the taste, as any cook or food lover, in general, would when indulging in a good meal. Not that she ate it slowly, oh no. If anything, she ate it the opposite of slowly. It hadn't even been a minute yet and she had already devoured more than half the bowl, part her current starved state and part because the food was that good.

Though a thought occurred to her as scooped out the last bits of the rice from her bowl. How long had she left Rajah unsupervised?

---

Shiro watched unfazed, if not a little annoyed, as Hagar rose back to his feet. "Tch." Guess it wouldn't be that easy huh? Oh well, if he wanted some more punishment then the young woman was more than happy to dish it out. "I've been called such, and worse, but ruining the fun of some lowlife poacher scumbag worries me about the same as your bathing abilities." To make her point known, she covered her nose though without changing from the cold, deadpan look she gave him.

Not even the activation of his spell seemed to cause any change in her body language, the only reaction it brought forth was a glance around as her eyes actively studied their movements. Henri's feeble attempt to disperse some of the blades was surely noted, or rather the reaction of the swords. It was of little concern to her, she was confident of being able to blink back out but thought against it as she glanced over to Henri as he took a stance.

"No need to take this worm so seriously Mr Baptiste, we'll-no, I'll wrap this up in under two minutes, maybe three at most." Even more brazen than the words that left her mouth was the way she started walking towards the poacher, no guard, no intent coming off of her at all. Just a casual little stroll. Then, in the blink of an eye, she was gone. Almost instantly she was within his guard, her forehead crashing against his with a sickening thud as her sudden movement no doubt left him startled, Shiro hardening her skin already in the inevitable event of a counter-attack as she began to deliver a series of six or seven punches aimed at his chest, neck and head before moving to start deflecting the blades to minimise the damage she would take when he began to get his bearings back.

Hopefully, while she did this, the no-good squid over there could capitalise on the opening she was trying to give him.

---

While she didn't seem convinced this was the best course of action for Zhulie's sake, Manami couldn't fault sending her to help the stressed out other younger girl. Especially with only Bullet there to try and help comfort her. Manami wasn't quite as...dismissive of Bullet as others, namely Shiro, but for as much as he tried...he uh was a bit brash.

"If you say so...but I'm honestly out of my field of expertise here." Healing medicine she was at least familiar with, but not all of... this. Not that it was going to stop the former dark mage from helping, she could at least follow and listen to Meredith's instructions after all. Though she looked now at the small copper cymbals that the older woman gave to her uncertainly. What was she meant to do with these exactly? Suppose there was no harm in her trying though right? If there was, surely Meredith wouldn't hand an amateur these right? So after a moment of watching the older woman movements around the two younger witches, Manami took a deep breath before stepping forward.

She wasn't entirely sure of what her actions were doing, but the soft glowing that seemed to intensify with each successive clang from either herself or Meredith lead her to believe whatever they were making required some magical energy input, which this step must be about. She seemed hesitant again at the thought before quickly shaking her head. This didn't count, no it certainly didn't. Besides she was only offering magical energy to help someone in need. A worthy cause if nothing else. After the brief moment of hesitant, she went back to clanging the cymbals, hoping it went unnoticed.

---

A smile spread across his features as Amaya accepted his outstretched arm to hang onto, making sure not to walk too fast for the shorter slayer as the other two followed after them shortly after. That and he wanted to enjoy this simple little moment. "Well anything I can do to help, I'll gladly do Amaya. Everyone has their own flaws they have to work through after-all, it's what makes us human." These were words he himself was trying to apply to his own mindset when he went about doing things. Everyone had their own strengths and weaknesses, but weaknesses were less of an issue with friends as they could cover for them and offer their own strengths. Like actually having a reasonable build to not be trampled by crowds, his training certainly improving his physical attributes.

As they moved through the town, it was inevitable the crowd would seem begin to form. And that was before the festival and subsequent exhibition match were taken into the equation, especially as they got closer to the newly built stadium. He couldn't help but laugh at the antics of the fiesty little furball atop his head, looking down with a grin at Amaya. "When isn't she bossy I suppose huh? Every time I've seen her she seems to be telling someone what to do." Now he was teasing the exceed slightly, but honestly it wasn't far off the mark. But he also did understand she was doing it to try and give the ice slayer some space, which he was more than happy to let the exceed do if it made Amaya more comfortable.

"I don't know, she seems quite comfortable up there." Glancing up atop his head as Joshua came over as he spoke, Cody looked around as they entered the stadium for a place for their group to sit at. Upon spotting a good little row of seats that weren't too crowded yet were also in a good vantage spot to watch the event, he would lead the others over there but not before letting Josh know where they were sitting in the event he broke off from their group.

It would seem they turned up at a good time though, with the introductions beginning shortly after they sat down. Seemed like it was showtime.

He drifted along atop Nimbus a short distance behind Ariel and the woman who he didn't know as he didn't want to be rude and interrupt their conversation. Being distracted anyway with thoughts on why Nolan would cut their grand meeting so short when it was the first time finally seeing each other all these years. Sitting there, arms folded across his chest; body tilting left and right slightly and cheeks puffed up in the same manner of an angry child while his right foot rocked against the golden cloud beneath him." Tch, can you believe the nerve of him? And after all that traveling and epic speech making I did for our reunion? ....I may not be able to remember said speech, but it was going to be legendary...legendary I tell you!" He stated boldly while pointing a finger down at the cloud which he could of sworn shifted like one giving an exasperated sigh and roll of the eye.

" Hmph, well I hope he doesn't expect to get another hug from me again next time we run into each other...or at least won't be a big hug....fine I will just give him an even bigger hug!" Scoffing while giving a nod of his head after making this promise.

Turning his head to see that the pair had taken notice of him or should he say trio since Ethel was there too, swimming within those thick, fluffy alluring tails. That pouty expression turning into his ever warm big smile as he floated over to the group, momentarily distracted by those tails again having to fight the urge to dive into them...again that he missed Trinity moving to hide herself behind the fluff which he figured just to enjoy their fluffy goodness more." Hey there again, Ariel. And that I am seeing cuz rather go fight than give his dear old cousin a minute of attention." Turning away briefly to mutter his annoyance under his breath before turning back." So hope you don't mind my tagging along and I'd certainly love to hear some stories of his time with the guild." Nodding with that grin widening with an almost cheeky hint to it.

Tilting his head upon having the other woman introducing herself as Trinity who asked him how he made Nolan mad which only made him confused." Mad? Not sure what you're talking about, it was just a friendly headbutt greeting. Guess that's just his way of greeting others..not much of a hugger probably." Tapping at his forehead twice which was still a bit red from the strike." And hey there, I'm D'angelo Schultz! Good to meet another friend of cuz. So going to this exhibition yeah?!" Leaning forward on the cloud; still very much annoyed at Nolan but how could he pass up a chance to watch him fight and show off his awesome skills and in person this time?

While he remained curious as to why she was wearing a bulky coat, for the time being, Jake didn't dig, instead pulling out his phone to see where was available for them to eat on the coastline. "Well, seems that the Mermaid's Song is till available. Sound good to you?"




Once all the S-Class mages had given their showing, or lack thereof in the case of Nolan, the announcer’s excited grin could be heard as he spoke the next sentence. “And with all our players on the field and their positions spoken for, LET’S GET READY TO RUUUMMMBBLLEEE!” Damian moved first, jetting forwards at an unanticipated speed towards Rose, the black bladed Ares Blade remaining in a sheathed position until the last possible moment, when it flashed out towards her abdomen, fire coating the blade.

”Infernal Opener!” The blade itself only lashed out momentarily, but the fire shot out like a spear as Damian pivoted and brought the katana down towards Rose in an overhead strike that was controlled and powerful.

While that was going on, Nolan’s eyes fell upon Penny. Well, they were supposed to put on a show so he better get started. Four spheres of red light, vicious, violent spirits formed behind him which was followed by tendrils of inky black ash swirling around the slayer and then the spirits. ”Ashen God’s Vengeful Bombs.” He held his hand forward and those spheres flew straight towards The Phoenix, but she would be in for a nasty surprise; as soon as she would move out of the way of the attack those spheres would follow her. Those vicious spirits were actively chasing her while Nolan was closing the distance between them.

“Oh Damian you shouldn’t have, I feel so special.”Teased Rose seeing Daimen being the first to attack her. She wasn’t a bit surprised, she was one of the newer one and her magic wasn’t exactly the best matchup against him. Her shadow darkened and expanded around her as he darted towards her. She bent a foot back before kicking it forward, allowing herself to fall backwards into the depth of her shadow that covered the ground he dashed on, avoiding the spear of energy and the strike before she reformed behind him holding her scythe over head “I got you now!”She said striking downward towards his back with full force in her swing.

Penny flicked her gaze around at the others, meeting Nolan’s eyes, she shifted and didn’t take her gaze from him. Watching. Ready. Waiting. As the four spheres of red light appeared, Penny was already settling herself into a defensive stance, fire once more rising from her as she watched them come straight towards her. She had no doubt that if she moved, they’d follow. She couldn’t help a slight smile tweak the corners of her mouth. No doubt Nolan was using them as a distraction- often a sound tactic.

Well, best to let him underestimate her.

Penny began to move- graceful, smoothly, through the air. The skies were hers, and she claimed them. Not for long. As the orbs missed her, she came back down smoothly, spinning and letting fire launch out in a whip, attacking the orbs as they came back towards her. She shifted slightly, letting her body turn towards Nolan once more, raising an arm.

Damian had to admit, he wasn’t expecting Rose to step into her shadow to avoid the attack, but then, she was a Shadow Magic user, so he should have expected something of the sort. Pivoting as she attacked, the katana that was his Ares Blade vanished to become the long handled Hercules Blade which he used to block the scythe blade and push the Shadow Mage back. Thanks to the boosted strength effect from the blade, Damian had created a fair amount of space and he used it to summon a Blade Rain, the many blades falling directly towards Rose’s position as he charged the wind element of his blade for another attack.

Well, Penny was not exactly right that he was trying to distract her; he was judging her reactions, testing how she would handle it while also applying pressure on her. The last thing in the world was that he was underestimating her; he was well aware of who she is and Nolan was certainly no fool.

Small bursts of ash released from the soles of his feet, propelling him further and further quickly until she was in blade’s reach. Ashes swathed around the sword and he swung upward from a crouched position though she should have noticed something was off; there was no actual intent on hurting her.

Rose expected as much from Daiman, figuring a simple swing to the back wouldn’t work, but it never hurt to actually try to confirm her theory. Rose held tight to her scythe allowing the strength of his push to open some space between them as she slid backwards, managing to keep on her feet. She looked up noticing the rain of blades before she raised her shadows in a dome around her to block the attack as well as sight of her, preparing for her next phase.

Penny shifted her stance, and in a swift maneuver, she removed her dagger from its sheath, raising it to meet Nolan’s sword- she could simply let the blade hit and cut her, let it heal, but she wasn’t one to waste her energy. She did nothing more than block it, knowing the dagger was no match for a sword. Part of her was amused- it was so easy to get distracted with Phoenix Song inside her- Fire and Ash. Was it intentional that they were facing each other, or a coincidence?

She stepped back, putting a bit more distance between them.

Magnolia was a large city, growing as its population did, the merchant city never seeming to end if you looked in any direction. It's ordered chaos was something Sasha loved- even if it meant having to keep a close eye on the very curious toddler of hers. In recent times, the city had seemed to gain back something it had lost, the unease around magic seeming to fade away into the background in the face of tolerance. In the face of science and technological development, the city had prospered, as humans found a way to adapt without magic. But Magnolia had always been known for its Magic, and the loss of that…. Well, Sasha was happy to see the development of the city and the way it seemed to be healing. Just like them all.

Grabbing Faith’s arm before the girl could dash off, Sasha gently guided her towards the festival grounds. As they walked, the buildings of Magnolia slowly seeming to transform from more medieval to modern ones, Sasha couldn't help the feeling of peace slowly washing over her. The Central path had never had its named changed, and Kardia Cathedral seemed to dominate the area. “Remember last time you ran off, Faith? You nearly had an icy bath in the river. You will hold my hand, and stay close.” She said to her daughter- a part of her still couldn’t fathom that. Daughter. Her child. Shaking her head, she continued towards the Cathedral. “Come on, lets go see your Aunt fight. See her kick some butt”

Faith giggled, tugging at her hand, and Sasha nudged their way gently through the crowd, letting the crowds cheer and wonder at what was going to happen wash over her, and fill her with happiness. The general festivities, merchants taking advantage of the crowds, many foods stalls and the magic vanders were astounding to Sasha, and she took it all in with pride.

As they neared the cathedral, Sasha slipped in through the crowd, scooping Faith into her arms to ensure she wasn’t hurt by the jostling crowd. Shifting, she moved over towards where the rest of the guild was sitting, settling Faith just as the battle seemed to be getting underway.

---

Among the crowd of adoring fans Priscilla observes the spectacle fight with more than a mild sense of awe and wonder. She’d heard many tales of the strength of Phoenix Wing’s mages but to see it in person was something else entirely. Her eyes dart from one combatant to the next, unsure where best to hold her gaze to take in all of the action. Stalwart steel clashes against elusive shadow magics, their respective wielders deftly parrying each other's blows. The other side of the ring sports an ardent display of fire and ash that piques the flame witch’s curiosity somewhat.
Priscilla outstretches a hand to catch a falling ember from the clash. Both the flames and the ashes held an energy unknown to her. She rubs the soot between her fingers.
“Those two,” She begins, addressing Jamie without averting her eyes from the combatants. “they are no ordinary elementalists, correct?” She didn’t expect much of an answer, for she knew better than most how essential it is to safeguard one’s secrets - especially where peculiar magics were concerned.
The mages continue to clash and the crowd grows more and more uproarious at their showcase of skills.
Priscilla’s lips curl into a smile.
Peculiar magics indeed.

---

“That’s it, love, you’re doing great.” Meredith found Manami’s contribution to the ritual to be more than stellar; even if the young lady was unsure of its purpose. The two witches lift their veils and gaze into the cauldron. The mixture had bubbled away, absorbing the blessings of all those present and becoming something more than the sum of its parts. A calming draft that would see a startled familiar to rest.

Meredith sat herself down on a stool while her companions prepared the final touches, offering a seat to Manami.
“Our practices can be a little more delicate than the magic you’re used to, but they’re rooted in traditions that span back thousands of years. We draw inspiration from the old ways not because it is necessarily more effective than modern magic, but out of respect for our ancestors and the struggles they endured to freely practice their craft.” Meredith wasn’t quite sure how a history lesson would go down with Manami, but far be it for her to pass up the opportunity to enlighten someone from a different walk of life than her own.

---

Shiro’s confidence in the heat of battle brought on a low chuckle from the older man. Hopefully she wasn’t just all talk. Her sudden disappearance caught both Henri and Hagar off guard, but the latter was sent reeling by the sudden headbut. He spat out a curse, leveraging himself against Shiro’s successive blows by digging his back foot into the dampened soil. His dancing blades struck against her hardened skin to little avail, prompting a grunt of frustration from the brute.

Meanwhile Henri was already in motion, enveloping his arms in their watery appendages once again. Two directed blasts of water saw the dancing blades struck from the air as they landed in a muddy pile. Henri plunges his fists into the soil once again, the tentacles emerging beneath Hagar’s feat and enveloping themselves around his legs and then up his waist. Henri pushes clenched palms even further into the earth, corresponding with Hagar beginning to be dragged into the earth. He figured Shiro would appreciate a stationary punching bag.
Though it would seem Hagar had other plans.

“You slippery brat.” He snarled, his hands suddenly reaching out to clasp the side of Shiro’s head. “Keep still a while, would ya?” Hagar heaves Shiro a few feet from the ground whilst a few of the blades surrounding them turn to point towards her.
“Sword Magic: Four Point Binding” Four beams of ethereal energy burst forth in an attempt to pierce Shiro’s limbs. Rather than slicing or dealing damage, they would instead lock onto whatever they struck in an attempt to keep it bound in place.
"Look out!" Henri bolts forward in a desperate attempt to bowl down Hagar to aid in Shiro escaping the spell, but as a result finds himself taking two of the swords in his left arm and leg. A sudden numbness overcomes his left side, his limbs no longer responding to his commands as they are suspended from him.

Hagar looks to capitalize on his partially trapped opponent, raising his arms into the air before thrusting them forward.
“Sword Magic: Vorpal Blade” A few more of the swords comprising the arena release sudden flashes of light that bend and twist at sharp angles to slice at the pair from all manner of directions. A couple slashes release Hagar from Henri’s tentacles. Henri uses his right arm to deflect as many of the slashes as he can, but his left side sustains a few gashes in the process. He redirects his tentacle to strike at one of the swords binding him. It’s grip falters slightly at the impact, but not quite enough to release him.

---

Talos snapped and swiped at Regan as she danced circles around the beast, taking cursory swipes while taking care to avoid the serpent’s head. The serpent lays low, it’s eyes fiercely keeping track of the woman's movements. Talos whimpers at Regan’s slices, but they are of little effect mostly in part to her purposely holding back. The serpent hisses towards it’s wolf head, prompting a low growl as though the two are communicating with one another. When Regan stops her assault Talos leaps forward to take another swipe at her, though this time there is a strange hesitation to the attack as though the beast is attempting to feint her. Sure enough the attack purposefully misses and Talos bows low, revealing the open jaws of the great serpent lashing forward towards Regan once again.

At this point the beast has revealed itself to be of a higher intelligence than the average monster, it’s wolf head bowed low whilst magic gathers inside it’s throat. The serpent continues to reel itself back and lash out in a series of bites against Regan, but immediately pulls away when the crack of electricity fills the air. Talos let’s out a howl that is accompanied by a crack of thunder, a beam of lightning bursting forth from his gullet directly at Regan.

While most people in Shiro's shoes might be concerned, the only outward emotion on show was her growing irritation and annoyance at the situation. Why wouldn't this dredge just go down already?! Feeling herself launched into the air, she blinked as four beams shot out on a crash course with her. While Henri managed to bodyblock two of them, she twisted her lithe frame midair as one of the others whizzed past and took a small slice out of her jacket along with it. The last bolt hit home though, her right arm going numb and limp at her side as she landed. Looking down at the blade lodged there, her eyebrow twitched slightly as an almost hiss-like sigh escaped her.

Ok, now she was mad.

Without even bothering with the magical blade and as the cascade of swords began, she made seemingly little to no effort to avoid the strikes and advanced. The look of annoyance on her face not once fading despite the various cuts some of the attacks made, even as blood slowly fell down her cheek from one particular slash to her face. Making minimal evasive maneuvers, only taking the time to focus on the more immediate, dangerous strikes, she moved towards Hagar. An occasional step to the side, or deflection of a blade aside she took attack after attack though unlike before these found some purchase unlike before when they were deflected. By now she was covered in a variety of wounds but had closed the gap back between her and Hagar, which was all that mattered. There was a reason she was taking these blows after all.

Now all she needed to do was wait for the right time to land this finishing blow she was preparing so she had to be patient and wait for the right moment. In the meantime, even without the use of her right arm she swung a series of fast left jabs and high kicks aimed at his chest the moment she came within range of doing so. She didn't care how many blades she took in the process now, an almost burning hatred in the gaze levelled at the poacher.

---

Even with Meredith's praise on her performance, Manami seemed hesitant, unsure about something as she just returned the kind words with a forced smile. It still didn't sit right with her, but it had to be done right? It still didn't count! At least, that's what she would tell herself. Taking up Meredith's offer to sit beside her, Manami did so, tucking the skirt of her dress under her as she listened to the older woman's words. If it was someone like Shiro, then her words would've been wasted but the young woman was always one for learning whenever she could. Even if she wasn't sure of the reasoning behind this sudden little history lesson, she could appreciate the sentiment behind their actions. In fact, the reasoning seemed to resonate with the mage.

"To respect those that came before and their sacrifices....I see. I suppose in this case, that would be appropriate. I wonder what I can do to that effect as well...." Musing out loud, her mind had drifted elsewhere as she stared at the ground for a moment in thought. Realising she was voicing her mind out loud, she shook her head and smiled again at Meredith. "Oh sorry about that, just got me thinking was all. I would love to hear more though if there's time, if not at a later time. There's always much to learn upon reflecting upon past events and even peoples actions during said events."

The beast wasn't going to submit to her partial effort. She'd have to fight this seriously. The fact that the two heads seemed to communicate caused her concern, but she didn't have much time to dwell on it before Talos came at her for an attack. She stepped aside from the initial lunge, what turned out to be a feint, before she started to deflecting the snake strikes, striking the vicious fangs to keep the open mouth away from her.

She formed her shockwaves into a sword in her hand, using two blades to deflect against the two fangs repeatedly striking at her. She heard the crackle just in time, the snake head rearing back as the wolf head let out a howl and a magic blast. She was able to bring her ethereal sword to bear, the shockwaves of it forcing the blast to split and diverge around her.

Despite her efforts, the electric blast caught her arm. The shockwave sword dissipated as her arm now hung, shocked out of its strength. "Tch. If that's how you want it, here's your Hell Sentence." She held the Yawarakai-Te steady in her right hand, stilling herself for just a moment before launching into action.

With a shockwave to launch herself, she got herself into the air and with her feet on the side of a nearby tree. She needed the right angle, and here it was. With another shockwave, she launched herself down the length of Talos's body, delivering a long slice down the spine, to trigger every last pain receptor. That should stun the beast. The bounty hunter caught herself on a tree and went back for seconds, diving for the snake head and attempting to pin it to the ground with her sword through its head.

Not the way she wanted this fight to go, but this transformation really pushed things out of hand. "Might I suggest you not fight me."

Nyssa blinked. “Fight?” She blinked again, but smiled a bit wider after a look around. “Oh, right. The fight. Your guild is putting on a show. That will be interesting to watch. Ariel said they have lots of different powers. Others are going there now, right? I know what a few of them smell like so at least I can find them that way.” She grinned.

“It was nice meeting you, Jarvis, Dalton. I look forward to future talks.” With a cheerful wave, she hopped off the barstool and headed off after the rest of the group leaving the guildhall for the show.

She wandered for a bit, occasionally stopping to admire some display in a store window. Every time she stopped, she put her nose to the air and sniffed. This human form didn’t catch all the scents in the air though. It couldn’t separate them the way the fox could. So she stopped at a relatively empty section and transformed with a little flip. She’d almost trotted away when she remembered the dress again. A bit of maneuvering, and she managed to get it looped around her neck like a scarf.

There, she thought. Another sniff, and she was on her way tracking Ariel’s not-lifemate-mate, Nolan. She’d spotted him leaving with the one that shouted about a fight, and that meant he was one of the ones fighting since he left before many others. But he was the one that she was tracking and if he turned red from a kiss by his not-lifemate-mate then he would surely turn red if he saw someone naked. People seemed uncomfortable about nudity.

Once more, she trotted off, sniffing the air every now and then until she finally found her way to the arena.

---

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“Of course,” Markovis nodded. Was he surprised by Jasmine’s offer? No. Would he likely take her up on that offer? It was uncertain. He didn’t truly see anything she could help with, but then again, if she wanted to help he could figure out something. Like just letting her serve while he just made sure he kept everything the proper temperature. Not a hard task, and certainly one she would likely do well.

He stepped out of the kitchen with the food for Trinity and headed over to where he’d last seen her, only to stop a few feet short. Had he been in the kitchen that long? Where did she go? She wouldn’t have just left knowing he was making her food.

Neil noticed the stoic member of their little trio step back out of the kitchen, and looked over to see a touch of puzzlement in Markovis’ eyes. “Yeah, she’s gone.”

“Where?”

Neil shrugged. “I don’t know. She got abducted.” He put a hand up almost instantly. There wasn’t any real shift in Markovis’ features, but the look in his eyes definitely suggested dark thoughts. “Sorry, poor choice of words. Ariel - you know, Nolan’s girlfriend? - showed up and grabbed her. She had something she needed Trinity to look at, and I think they’re likely going to end up at the event.”

Markovis nodded. “I see.”

Neil glanced back at Perry for a second. “Oh hey -” By the time Neil turned back to catch Markovis, the man had already disappeared back into the kitchen. He shrugged and turned back around to face his guildmate. “Well, it was going to be a long shot getting Mark to work with you anyways. But...” He offered Perry a smile. “My schedule is open. Sounds like a lark. So, how about you and I work together for this, hmm?”

Markovis stepped back into the kitchen and placed the dishes down on the counter. He looked at Jasmine. “Trinity is no longer here. Neil suggested she will be at the event. It appears most have left for it already. Were you planning to attend? I can escort you, and - if you would like - you could assist in serving the food, but there is no obligation.”

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The witch and the lion had just left the diner when Anthony paused in his tracks. At the far end of the street, where the fruit vendors set up, a lilac haired woman caught his eye. She moved and smiled and certainly looked a lot like - it couldn’t be. What were the odds? For a long moment, he stared at the woman as she unloaded fruit from a cart. Maybe it was just one of his hallucinations. He’d thought he saw Astoria a month ago in the valley near Mt. Hakabe. A few months prior, it had been on a job that took him to the border of Seven. Before that, and before that - hell, there’d been the time last week he thought he saw her in the guildhall. At least that time he hadn’t drawn too much attention to the specter since she’d been arguing with her brother; if he knew for a fact one wasn’t there, then the other wasn’t either.

But here...there were people - townsfolk he saw on his trips through - that were talking with her, responding, interacting. Was it just that he didn’t come to this side of town so early in the morning? Perhaps it was just a partial illusion. Someone with a similar facial structure just getting superimposed with her hair and eyes. Yeah, that had to be it. But the longer he watched her, the more uncertain he was.

Kyros nudged him. Anthony blinked and looked away. It felt like for a second but when he looked back, the girl was gone. “I -” The witch looked back out at the crowd, searching for a trace of the girl he’d been watching only to spot a cart heading out of town from the market. He looked back at the lion beside him. “Look, I know they’ll probably be wondering where I am, but...” He started walking off in that direction. “I have to make sure.” This wasn’t the first time he’d chased a mirage, but maybe...maybe it would be the last.



Ria hummed to herself as she finished putting the cart away. Zek had been just as sweet as ever with little Cassidy excitedly chittering away about the latest cute cat she’d seen. This time, it was a grey tabby no bigger than her fist - or so she said. Perhaps it was good Cassidy was talking so much, though. It meant she didn’t get distracted by Ellie being at the stand to show off baby Xavior instead of unloading the latest batch of fruit and getting paid; Zek would have made sure she didn’t get too distracted, but it would still delay what should be a quick delivery. She’d have to mention that to Minerva, but that would have to wait for a bit.

She swayed with each step, in rhythm to the tune she hummed, as she headed into the gardens. If she hadn’t set out first thing, she would have already watered the garden. Right now wasn’t too late, yet. A few small clouds formed where she motioned, and drizzled controlled amounts over the rows of plants and bushes with very little effort. If any spell should come naturally to her at this point, it was one that she used almost exclusively for the past few years.

“Astoria?”

The rain stopped and clouds dissipated almost instantly. Her mismatched eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. She stopped moving, and stood stiff as stone. You’re just hearing things. How long had it actually been since she last slept? Surely not that long. She had trouble falling asleep last night. Usually -

“Astoria Ocenade? I-is that you?”

She almost didn’t want to turn around. Her head refused to turn initially, so she forced her whole body to pivot. But there, on the other side of the fence, stood an apparition from years ago. “Y-you’re d-...I-I saw...” Tears pricked in her eyes before she closed them and shook her head.

Anthony vaulted the fence and picked his way around the plants to get to her. He hesitated to touch her. After a tentative withdraw of his hand, he wrapped his arms around his long lost friend and pulled her into a tight hug. “Shh, hey. It’s okay. I’m not dead, see? You don’t have to cry,” he whispered against her head. Of all the places, of all the times, he found her here? How was it possible he’d lived nearby for this long without ever discovering this?

“A-Anthony...I - you - how -?” Ria pulled back enough to look up at him. Her eyes sparkled as she sniffled and fought to choke back the tears.

“It’s...complicated. Here, come on, can we go inside? You should dry those eyes and calm down a bit. Then we can talk.” He offered her a soft smile.

She nodded, and smiled back, before leading him inside. “Here, um, ha-have a seat...” She motioned to the couch as she headed for the kitchen section of mostly open floor plan of the house. “I - You still drink tea, right? Because I need some tea. I think that will help.”

Cody and Cecilia @Lunarlord34 and Joshua Tamashii @Joshua Tamashii,James Avelin @Zarkun

Amaya kept her guard up holding fast against the urge that was telling her to run from crowds, run from everyone and thing that was closing in around her. She could feel the excitement of the festival, the renewed life of the sleepy town. This Battle royal was what the town needed to maybe have faith in its guild and in magic once again, maybe there will be a day where no magic is ever feared that maybe it will be life bringing. She felt a tap on her shoulder, looking behind her at Joshua "You don't need my permission. She tends to choose where she is going or what she is doing, regardless of my opinion."She admitted "What do you think Cecilia. Mind going with Joshua for a while? It will be a good team-building exercise"she spoke trying her best to persuade the exceed to listen.

"Hm? I guess I can maybe help the mother-hen out with whatever task he is needing help with."Spoke Cecilia in her mighty then thou attitude getting up floating backward to Joshua "Save us a seat alright." she called before turning to Joshua "So what is it you need help with? seems rare for you to ask me of anything?"she asked folding her arms looking towards him
"We will"spoke Amaya keeping up with Cody heading into the roaring stadium, finding her seat next to Cody, getting comfortable while watching the battle royal start. She was excited to see one of her first team members ever actually fighting as a newly appointed S rank along with motherly rose against Penny and Daimen. Amaya might hate fighting with a passion, but if she imagined it as a dance, it tend to make her heart soar with the excitement of the moves and strategy to taking down the opponents. Who knows how that will end.

"Sure thing. That's why I wanted to talk with you since I figured you'd understand it better than anyone else." She would explain to Trinity. Now that things had settled down just a bit, and had more or less had a captive audience, Ariel set Trinity back on her own two feet. "I'll try not to break anything. _{No promises.} She would whisper that last part. Still she would guide the little group in the direction of the exhibition.

Looking back to D'Angelo a big grin would work across her face. "I might have a few stories." One crossed her mind and she paused for a second. No, she wouldn't be that much of a minx and reveal that. Just because she was mischievous didn't mean she was cruel. Mmm, better to ask. "What would you like to know?" Until such time that Ethel would protest, the woman would just leave the girl where she was. She reach over and lightly pet Chu.

"I'm sure you'll do fine. I'm just wondering what this magic entails." Trinity gazed at the case, unsure of what it would mean for her friend. Whatever it meant, Trinity doubted she'd do anything that couldn't be fixed. She found her feet set on the ground and the dimension of fur she'd been surrounded by suddenly retreated, "_Aww..." but D'Angelo's dismissal of her offhanded accusation stunned her out of whatever dissatisfaction she had.

"That's a n..normal thing for you, is it?" It was really quite a stunning thing to hear, just a casual headbutt between friends, but somehow this ludicrous notion had a feeling of nostalgia to it.

The words she heard came echoing back to her, "Not much of a hugger," he'd said.

"You tried to hug him?" Her voice cracked, she thought it was easy to see from 1000 paces that you maybe shouldn't hug Nolan. But maybe that was just because she knew him? "And you say it's been a long time since you've seen him last and you gave little to no introduction? Y'know, strange surprise hugs are scary..." She certainly wouldn't want a surprise hug from a big stranger, even if it was in the middle of the guild hall. The surprise aspect has a lot of influence, here. "Sounds like you've got your own story about Nolan already, though."

Damian grinned as Rose erected her dome. True to form, the magic would keep her from seeing what he was doing just as much as protect her and keep him from seeing what she was doing. But that was fine. After a few more seconds of focusing the wind magic in his blade, he attacks, swinging the Hercules Blade vertically and unleashing a Vacuum Slash. Coming from any other of his blades, the attack would have hit the dome and been blocked, but the Hercules Blade packed the power to slash through spells, offensive and defensive, with relative ease and while the Vacuum Slash would hit head on, Damian dashed to the right of the dome of shadow and then towards it, using a horizontal slash to create an opening from another direction.

If this was supposed to be a show then Penny needed to step it up, but hey, if she wanted to keep on dancing about then who was he to stop her. He didn’t bother closing the distance between and instead, Nolan held his hand out, his palm facing toward the Phoenix Slayer. ”Ashen God’s Wrath.” It was followed by violent streams of ash like black sable blades circling around her, meant to restrict her from moving from where she was standing while also cutting her up if they caught her.

Inside the dome Rose stood and waited. She might not be able to see outside it but she could still sense and hear all that was happening. “Coming at me huh? Smart”she said moving back into the dome falling back into the shadow on the ground as the dome was slashed, revealing no one there before a shadow moved and went underneath him. The shadow became like liquid trying to encase his feet as other bits of shadows broke off and formed holes of their own as rose came out of one part way, resting her elbows on the ground around “Do you like my rabbit holes Damian, I recently figured this one out, took a lot of time to form it but it works well yes?”she asked as the hole under him trying sinking his feet, trying to trap him in place

Penny didn’t panic. What was there to panic about? She shifted her stance as Nolan sent forth his attack, trying to restrict her. Well, she had other ways of fighting back. As she let the blades draw in around her, Penny quietened her flames, letting them draw in closer and closer. Finally, at what she judged was the last minute, Penny sent a large amount of flames around her, forming into her Phoenix shape but in a larger form.

She drew out the sword that had found its way to her, despite rarely using it. The note that had come with it stated that her father had used it, and was resistant to flames- although Penny rarely worked with blades, she had picked up a thing or two. Enough to defend herself against whatever blades survived her inferno- although she wasn’t certain that the blade could fight the ashen ones.

So, with that thought in mind, Penny shifted and leaped back into the air- her domain, something she had, while not conquered, certainly claimed. Slashes from blades were nothing to her, the pain something she used to fuel her flames, knowing that eventually, her body would heal the wounds automatically.

”Phoenix flame: Fiery wrath” While Penny disliked using Phoenix abilities as an offensive, she would give the crowd what they wanted. The vortex of flames formed in front of her, guided in part by her hands as she twisted one through the air, the spinning of the vortex growing more violent before she expelled it towards Nolan in an accelerated force.

Damian grinned as he pivoted his Hercules Blade tip first into the ground and lifted himself vertically, though the summoned weapon was still slowly sinking downwards. ”Well played Rose. Have to admit, I wasn’t expecting a sinkhole spell. But you’re not the only one with tricks up their sleeve.” Pushing himself up and into the air while releasing and dismissing the Hercules Blade, Damian summoned and landed on a Striker Blade, hovering in the air. Summoning his Hermes Blades, he spins the twin short swords around before soaring over an unaffected spot near Rose’s rabbit holes and leaping off. Slamming the blades into the ground, Damian unleashes a Field of Blades, the attack moving in a cone shape towards Rose and her shadows. However, this is a distraction to allow Damian to take advantage of his speed boost and dash to one side of where he hoped Rose would appear to attack from a blind spot, otherwise he’d attack head on.

Boring, this was absolutely boring. There were no stakes at all, no hot blooded action between those fighting with the desire to win; it was all just a show. It was painted all over his face as he just watched Penny perform her maneuvers when caught up in Nolan’s spell. How was this entertaining to watch at all? Well, they all had their roles to play; if Penny was the blazing heroine of this fight then he simply will be its villain.

Black, divine ash seeped initially from his mouth and then from the rest of his body, swirling and merging together to form a rather unsettling human skull of large proportions. It had three eyes and looked as if it was grinning from ear-to-ear. ”Ashen God’s Appetite.” He stretched his arm out forward. ”Devour.” The skull launched towards the flaming projectile that Penny shot towards him, its jaw stretched open abnormally longer as it was going to quite literally bite down on what it was targeting.

Rose's rabbit holes wiggled and moved as if on their own towards Rose as she ducked back down into one only to form from one allowing him to strike her. Or her shadow allowed a strike as she became a hard black goo sucking the blade into the hole as one from his shadow formed allowing her scythe to come up swinging down

Penny couldn’t help the slight smile crossing her features. Alright, then. She followed up her attack with a, she hoped, controlled blast of flame, falling back onto her fire magic, instead of the Phoenix Magic. She couldn’t risk harming the crowd with that, couldn’t risk it when this match was about showing an exhibition of magic from them. No need to give more reason to bring back the fear of magic.

She moved fast, pushing off the ground and letting herself soar through the air, flames dancing around her, twisting faster and faster as she closed the distance between herself and Nolan. A giddiness bloomed inside her, the freedom of the wind striking through her flames, against her skin, the pure energy, chaotic and volatile of fire pushing her to act a little rash.

He wanted to eat flames, well, she’d give him all and more than he could take. She shot balls of flame without a concern for if they landed or not, one after the other in quick succession. With a few hand gestures small, Phoenix-like figures sprung up around her as she continued her dash towards Nolan, each with a few brief seconds of Phoenix song- spurring her to even more chaotic depths. They soared towards him, four flame built creatures that were nothing more than a distraction diving in and away from Nolan, around, spinning faster and faster around him.

”Fire tornado” The spell whipped up around her as she twisted away from crashing into Nolan, building into a fiery twister of energy that she built up around Nolan and herself.




Jack was almost entranced by the show as Phoenix Wing's four S-Class mages danced about each other, trading blows and flashing their spells where they can. Hearing Priscella's question, he spoke up so Jamie could focus on the match. "Nolan Waltz and Penny Hoft are, like myself, Slayers. Nolan wields Ash God Slaying magic while Penny wields the magic of a Phoenix Slayer. I myself am a Fire God Slayer." Glancing at where the bulk of the Phoenix Wing mages are, the Wizard Saint frowns.

"Sadly, it would seem their Poison Dragon Slayer hasn't returned yet, but they have a Dragon Slayer as well. Dragon Fang is home to a Jade Dragon Slayer as well, but they should, Gods willing, be on their way to deal with a problem..."




As the match went on and Damian fought, James lightly nudged Cody with his elbow and pointed to the clash between Damian and Rose. "She's not the first scythe user we've seen, though thankfully she is on our side. However, when facing someone with a Scythe, what should you always try to-" Before James can even ask, Damian is knocked away. "Well...that was unexpected...Anyways, what is the best way to counter a scythe?"




Jane was entranced by the fighting, seeing the four powerful mages going toe-to-toe as they were and after a few minutes, she turned to Belias. "I'm telling ya, Nolan's gonna have the best spells, him or Penny. Shadow magic and Damian's stuff just can't add up for the amount of flashy."

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Jamie watched with satisfaction as her mages began to fight, showing off their skill, and just how far they had come- while she knew the other guilds had their own powerful mages, these four had really embodied the heart of S class mages, in their own way. And even if they hadn't been home as often as she'd like, she couldn't deny the pride she felt watching them. Her children, although she was more than certain all her members would blanch at that. Well, they'd live with it. She had watched them, helped them, trained and shared blood and tears with all of them, in one way or another. They were her children.

"Slayers, Phoenix and Ash God. I find it amusing that they both found there way to Phoenix Wing, but perhaps it was fate. And Rose, is a darkness mage, not certain she's the only one in the world, but she's the most skilled I've come across at using shadows. And Damien... the blade of Phoenix wing. His skill with his blades is, and I do not say this lightly, near my own. And perhaps even nearly surpassing me" Jamie took comfort in the fact that when she and Jarvis were gone, the guild would be in good hands. "There are many slayers returning to the world, and it makes me wonder just why those powers are returning"

D'angelo leaned back on the cloud in a pondering manner tilting his head.' Normal thing? Well, I wouldn't say headbutting to be normal for me, but I can definitely say it was a top grade headbutt." Pursing his lips in thought for a moment then broke out in an amusing laughter but it was cut short upon hearing Trinity's next statement that made him gasp while looking as if he was offended." Stranger? I can assure you that Nolan has always loved my hugs and if us cousins can't hug then I don't see the point in being related." The pudgy male stated still looking a bit hurt though perked right back up with a brimming smile." Oh, you bet I have stories!" Floating over to Trinity and leaned close to whisper." Like one that involved asking to cover up for him at a sleepover we had regarding a...wet accident." His tone suggestive and a bit mischievous as he pulled away with a cheeky snicker." But, I will save that for another time. And once again, it's great to meet'cha Trinity!" Raising his right hand giving a friendly thumbs up.

His ear twitching at hearing Ariel mention stories regarding Nolan causing stars of excitement to sparkle in his eyes as he jumped up landing to rest on his stomach on Nimbus. Rushing over to Ariel's left as the sudden motion nearly made him skid off the golden cloud." Any and everything that you're willing to tell, of course!" How could he not be eager to hear about the adventures Nolan has been on these past nine years and the people he has met and gotten close to? One thing he certainly wanted to hear about was how Ariel and Nolan wound up in a relationship but figured that one to be a little too personal tell to a stranger though before long he hoped to be good friends with Ariel. Tilting his head to and fro trying to think of something more appropriate." Hm.....Oh! I'd like to hear the story of how the two of you had met, if that's alright?" Asking with that overly bright grin, smiling like a excited child while his feet gently swayed in the air, Nimbus rumbling gently beneath him as if annoyed at all his moving around.

Placing his sword atop a spare seat to save it for Josh, Cody settled in beside Amaya to watch the spectacle about to unfold before their eyes. The fight was truly a clash of powerful magics and exquisite swordplay. Even Penny was using a sword now! Though he himself was less of the violent type, he could appreciate the skills and power on show by their S-Ranks. Though his attention was now grabbed by his mentor's elbow lightly pressing against his side. Though even that was enough to bring a slight grimace from the young man. He really had been training too long this morning hadn't he....

"A scythe user?" He asked, confused for a moment as he looked towards Amaya before snapping his fingers. He felt like a lightbulb had just been switched on in his head. "Oh right! Her....well umm the best way to counter them would be to get within in close and personal no? Then they can't swing their weapon without leaving themselves open. It's a weapon that gives you extra reach but is difficult to swing and use up close with an opponent."

---

When Mark returned, she was already beginning the washing up of her dish along with the ones he had been cooking with. Hearing his voice startled the girl for a moment, causing her to nearly drop one of the pans and juggle it for a moment before sighing in relief as she managed to stop it from crashing onto the floor. He had caught her while deep in her thoughts, so any sudden voice was bound to startle her. It was a common occurrence for the water dragon slayer to be daydreaming or otherwise preoccupied with the inner workings of her own mind. Sometimes people even caught her talking to herself, not that this was one of those times.

"O-oh r-really?" Trinity had already left for the event? Seemed odd she would leave without Neil and Mark, the trio seemed almost inseparable at times, but maybe something had come up? She wasn't privy to the details so suppose there was no point in thinking too much about it. While she didn't care much for the prospect of a fight, let alone watching one, she was however excited to see the magic involved in said fight. Penny with her Phoenix Slayer magic, Rose with her shadow magic, Damian with his sword magic....even Nolan and his God Slayer magic, as much as he terrified her she adored the prospect of seeing such exotic and powerful magics on display. When was the last time she had ever seen some of them in use after all?

"Yeah I plan on going! I can't wait to see Penny in action after all this time! Her magic is so warm, comforting and pretty to watch! It's been two years so I'm sure it's become even more elegant and beautiful than before, oh-oh maybe she's even developed a few new spells to show off! Admittedly I've not seen Rose in action, but from what I've heard her magic is some form of darkness magic? I can't wait to see her take on such a often misunderstood magic! Oh and can't forget the cool-headed Damian and his sword magic. I saw a bit of him during the Grand Magic Games but I can't wait-" Starry-eyed, she excitedly grabbed Marks hands as she began to ramble on and on, speaking a mile a minute before she seemed to realise what she was doing.

"O-oh sorry Mark...I um...got a little excited...." Burning bright red, she looked down at the ground. Could someone strike her down please? Pretty please? She just wanted to curl up in a corner somewhere and die. Whenever she thought about magic in action she always found herself becoming so childish over the prospect. She needed to change the subject...uh what had he just asked again? Oh right, helping him serve! "I-I would love to help you....b-but I may get a little distracted with the show....so um if that's ok..."

---

Damn, she had beaten by Hunter after-all. She had been hoping since she always travelled light she could beat him here, but suppose he wasn't just S-rank in strength but preparation as well. Catching the parcel tossed her way, she glanced it over as he talked.

"Eh I'm sure we'll wrap it no problems, but doesn't hurt to be prepared." Tossing the parcel from hand to hand for a moment, she slid her backpack off her shoulder and shoved the rations inside before turning back to Hunter. "So I know it's a mysterious beast and all, but any idea on what to expect boss? Don't think I've ever been to this desert so like, any particular monsters we gotta keep an eye out for or anything else I need to know?"

---

Meredith delighted in Manami’s eagerness to hear more of her culture and traditions. An inquisitive soul was truly a rare find nowadays; especially in such a young lady. Young comparatively, anyway. The assistant witches finished bottling up the calming draft, pushing a cork to seal the shimmering concoction before bringing it before the older woman.
“Very good ladies. I dare say we should make haste and bring this potion to Talos.” She fastened the vial to her belt, drawing her olive green traveling cloak over her shoulders and fixing her satchel of various herbs and reagents to her hip. She reached for a few spare flasks, just in case she came across the sorely missed treant sap on their way to the battle, when a loud crash and bang from downstairs startled her to attention. Could it have come from the guild hall? No, it was too close. They were quite a considerable distance up in the canopy greenhouse. Then realization hit her.
“Karla!” She turned to the two witches, offering a curt nod. They responded in kind, rushing past Manami and heading down the stairs towards the commotion. “We must make sure the others are safe. From what? God knows. Let’s go.”

Meredith took the steps two at a time, surprisingly spritely for her old age. She clutched at the moth brooch securing her cloak, letting it trail behind her as the door to Priscilla’s room came into view. Standing before it, there was no mistaking this was where the disturbance had come from. A palpable malignance wafted from the room, one that was unmistakable to Meredith in its nature. A witch’s curse.

The two accompanying witches entered first, their hands at the ready to conjure any defensive spells should the need arise. Meredith felt a shiver down her spine as she entered the room. She looked around in disbelief. Priscilla’s quarters were almost unrecognizable, despite no physical difference aside from the gaping hole across the room. The sensation was, regrettably, familiar to her; a witch’s curse. Curses had a way of afflicting the physical spaces they were cast in, an eerie feeling of disjointment that sapped one of all positive emotions. She approached the hole blasted through the side of the great hollow, lamenting the damage of their home for a brief moment before a figure caught their eyes far below in the glade. A young man that she almost instantly recognised as Bullet. Was he responsible for this damage? He didn’t look well at all. Another figure a few meters in front of him was crumpled in a small pile, though unmistakingly female.

“Karla, she’s hurt. We have to get down the-” Meredith stopped in her tracks, watching as Karla’s lithe figure began to lift from the earth. Her torso raised first, limbs dangling as though an invisible claw had just plucked her from the soil. Soon her arms and legs followed suit, rigidly straightening themselves up as though the young lady were a string drawn puppet rather than a living being. Standing at her full posture, Meredith could clearly see the physical deformities that her curse had inflicted upon her.

Panic gripped her and her gaze shifted back to Bullet, lying helpless before Karla. Sure enough, the witch lunged forward and made a charge for the unconscious man with sickeningly sharp claws at the ready.
“Stop her! Quick! Meredith ordered, one of her witches leaping into the fray from the tree, a conjured magic circle beneath her slowing her descent enough to land safely. The other grabbed onto Meredith and leapt alongside her, helping the older woman down to the soil. The pair rushed forward to protect Bullet, arms outspread as ephemeral chains burst forth from their sleeves, linking them to each other. Stepping between each other, weaving their bonds over and under each other in an intricate dance of quick steps to create a makeshift net that quickly found itself wrapped around Karla. The two witches reeled their magical chains back, pulling them taut and keeping the rampaging witch in place.

Meredith stepped forward, unfastening the calming draught from her satchel. She stared down at it, momentarily thinking of Talos and their allies caught afield. If she used the draught here, there was no telling what could happen to Karla’s familiar. A blood curdling screech brought her attention back to Karla, fighting against her restraints. She could see her two companions struggling to keep hold of the binding spell.
At that moment she knew there was no other option.
Karla had to be stopped here and now.

Meredith moved forward a few more paces, reeling her arm back in preparation to pitch the vial at the rampaging witch. Her aim was poised to hit her mark, if not for the sudden tightening of what she assumed was some sort of barbed rope around her ankle. She winced in pain, looking down to find her leg ensnared in a thorny vine that had sprouted from the ground. The realization spread across her face as a look of pure panic.
Plant magic was a specialty of Karla’s.

“Watch the ground!” Meredith called to the other two, but it was too late. Their bindings faltered as both witches found themselves ensnared in a thick bramble of thorns. Karla burst free of the chains, her form twisting into the sky atop an ascending thicket of enlarged plantlife. The vines that had ensnared the three of them were connected to the main plant, lifting them from the ground and letting them dangle like baubles as Karla cackled maniacally.

The calming draught slipped from Meredith’s grasp, landing on the soft earth below and rolling a few feet away. She tried to spin around to find Manami. As far as she was aware, the young lady hadn’t descended with them and was still free to move about. Despite her efforts, her position was too inconvenient to spend much time looking for her.
“Get help, Manami!” She called out, hoping that the commotion would have drawn the attention of any stragglers at the Guild hall. She prayed that not everyone had departed for the battle.

---

Hagar watched Shiro approach him with a bemused smirk, his arms folded over his chest. He was almost a little too cocky, which didn’t bode well with Henri. Yet it seemed as though Shiro was winding up for something big, so he’d do what he had to to make an opening for her. He drew a magic circle in the air with his spare hand, pressing it into the dampened soil beneath him with a quick whistle. The circle made a noise reminiscent of a single drop of water falling into a vast ocean, sending ripples across the watery surface of the arena. Henry watched the ripples encircle his position, a large dorsal fin emerging for a brief moment before disappearing back beneath the surface and silently making his way towards Hagar.
Now all he needed to do was deal with these bindings.

Focussing his power into his spare arm, a mass of three watery tentacles encased themselves around the limb; twisting around each other to create a singular appendage that was as thick as Henri’s torso. He whips his arm around, twisting the rest of his body to add to the momentum. The tentacle mass crashes into the two swords that were binding the left side of his body, the sheer weight behind the attack enough to disrupt their bonds and free him. He looked over to Hagar who was busy deflecting Shiro’s blows, almost delighting in her enfeebled state. Henri made note of the two swords from his previous spell that were still channeling their bindings onto his companion before letting himself slip into the soil as though he were diving beneath the waves.

Hagar chuckled to himself, directing his dancing blades to parry Shiro’s attacks with nonchalant hand gestures. He only needed a single hand to direct them, whilst the other conjured a magic circle at his side.
“Step off, love. I don’t need some annoying brat in me face.” said Hagar, twisting the magic circle anti-clockwise by about a hundred and eighty degrees. The blades that were linked to Shiro’s bound limbs lit up, following the motion of the circle. Shiro would find herself being dragged away from Hagar by the bindings. Hagar had aimed her towards the location he remembered Henri being, only to find that she had just been shoved to the center of the arena; where she stood alone.

“Hah! You’re mate ditch you, eh?” Laughed Hagar, failing to hide the dumbfounded look on his face. Yet before he could wonder where the larger man had escaped to, a sudden tremor at his feet brought his attention to the ground. Just as Hagar looked down to investigate, Henri burst forth from the depths, blanketed in a churning current of battering water.
“Abyssal Torpedo!” Henri landed a devastating uppercut against Hagar’s chin, the additional force behind the attack enough to send the brute flying. The swords that comprised the arena shifted to ensure they did not harm him.

At the same time, a similar ripple of the currents appeared near Shiro; the massive head of a great white shark constructed entirely of water launching up from the ground and into the wall of swords. The shark’s size was so great it would have pushed Shiro to the side slightly to make room for it’s sudden entrance. It’s gargantuan jaw clasped down around a large portion of the arena, shattering a myriad of swords; including the two that kept Shiro’s limbs bound. Then as quickly as it had appeared, the shark disappeared beneath the depths.
The gaping hole in the sword arena was a parting gift.

---

The battle between Talos and Regan raged on, the sword women's graceful movements and strikes proving too much for a beast, even one as intelligent as he was, to keep up with. On top of that, it would seem as though his master’s concentration was waning. Karla was being kept from properly channeling the enchantment that had morphed Talos into the beast he was now, and the power that sustained him was lacking compared to before. The serpent’s tail hissed a hasty command, and the beast looked to take on a more defensive stance.
Yet Regan had already disappeared from view. Talos was able to quickly identify that she had leaped above them, but not before that sword came driving down into the skull of the boa constrictor tail. Pinned down by Regan’s strike, Talos made every attempt to claw himself away, howling in pain as the animated appendage fell silent. Though it would seem the damage wasn’t as devastating as one might think. The great wolf seemed to be able to easily release himself from the grip of the sword, turning to stare at what he assumed was a dismembered serpent's head.

Though when Regan’s blade struck the serpent’s head, she would find it to be far more hollow than one would intend. Then the head began to heat up rapidly, little patches of flame melting away what was now obviously a molted snakeskin. The snakeskin grew hotter and hotter, large chunks of it beginning to burst into flame before the entire thing erupted in a large explosion. Talos leapt away, a familiar hissing from behind him catching the wolf’s attention. Slowly, a pink, soft fleshed serpent writhed it’s way from behind the wolf. Left in it’s vulnerable state, the serpent seemed content to remove itself from the battle, hiding behind the great wolf as it began snarling and snapping at Regan once more.

That hasn't knocked it out. Most targets would lose consciousness to the full-body pain from that technique. The body and mind would react, convinced of a terrible wound. "You're rather tenacious. And smart enough to talk to each other." This was her rescue target, right? Pain wasn't doing it, and one seeing through her sword to realize it was only pain, and not wounds, was a serious disadvantage to her.

It would be best to stop their fight. She was losing ground to stand on and would have to up her ante, unless she could reason with these... Two? Beasts? "I'm not here to fight you, and if you can talk to each other, maybe you can understand me. I'm here to rescue you, y'know? How about you calm down, and we fight off these poachers together? I really would rather not have to get rough with you..." She sheathed her sword, slowly. Somehow, her presence felt more threatening. She did not initiate, but would wait to counter. "C'mon, now. You've got someone to go back to, haven't you?"

A crash behind her, some sound she couldn't recognize, grabbed her attention and she turned, to see a chunk of ground missing. A soft groan escaped her, she worked hard to reverse things like that...