Chapter 27
Out of the Feathers
The day of the tournament arrived slowly for Tokiya. He assumed it was because of the grueling training he had to go through, but even when he wasn't training, the days felt miserable and drawn out. He tried to keep himself busy by exploring Ardston with Karasune. That was enjoyable for him, for it reminded him of his time with the kids from his hometown.
On the day of the tournament, Tokiya, Karasu, and Karasune met with Mr. Gaynes outside of the colosseum. They were shocked to see how much of a crowd was gathered there. The crowd was so bad that it took them almost ten minutes to find Mr. Gaynes. When they met up, Mr. Gaynes seemed like a completely different person. His eyes were brighter and he generally had more energy.
"Looks like the star of the show arrived."
Tokiya chuckled nervously at such a glamorous title.
"Yup, I'm here. But there are a lot more people here than I expected."
Mr. Gaynes glanced around at the crowd.
"They're all here to see you, Tokiya. I was able to use some of my old connections to spread the word, and with the right advertising, public interest boomed. Turns out people are very excited to see the person who claims to be able to take down that brat, Nemu."
Patting Tokiya on the back, Karasu giggled.
"You have a lot to live up to, Tokiya."
She directed her attention to Mr. Gaynes as Tokiya rudely ignored her.
"But don't worry, Mr. Gaynes, my training has adequately prepared him. He's like a new person."
"Let's hope so. There are a lot of people expecting to see a victory from you."
Tokiya nodded, reassuring the man that he understood how important this promise was to the both of them. However, his calm and somewhat confident exterior was betrayed by his tumultuous thoughts.
"I know I'm certainly more capable than before, but compared to someone like Berserker or even the Gate Keeper, I'm basically nothing. To be fair to myself, I've only been training for a week, but that's still no excuse! I took on the burden of this promise knowing full well the time I'd have to prepare. Maybe it was stupid of me to take something like this on in the first place."
He really did want to have confidence in himself, and through most of his training, he was sure that he'd be able to uphold his promise. However, he supposed that it was just the high of getting stronger that made him think in such a way. That high seemed to be wearing off as the moment he would step into the arena approached. After all, it takes more than just willpower to uphold a promise.
Karasune gave his arm a reassuring squeeze. Lately, Tokiya felt that their connection had become stronger. He began to feel some of the things she felt, and the reverse seemed to be true as well. When he told her about this strange phenomenon, Karasune explained that it was a result of the mana link they shared now that his mana was inside of her.
With Karasune's reassuring gesture, Tokiya was able to ease his mind a bit. So, with his wavering thoughts pushed to the back of his head, Tokiya was ready for battle.
"Is there somewhere I should go right now, like a special entrance for participants or something?"
Mr. Gaynes motioned for the three of them to follow him.
"Yes, follow me. Your first battle starts in about an hour and a half, so don't feel rushed."
Tokiya raised an eyebrow.
"First battle? Am I fighting Nemu more than once?"
His wavering thoughts began to resurface.
"No, you'll only be fighting her once, but that'll be tomorrow. You do remember when we looked at the sign-up sheet a week ago, before you signed up, there were two names including Nemu's. Therefore, there are three people in the tournament: you, Nemu, and the third person, Tobias. Although your fight with Nemu is the main attraction, I couldn't kick Tobias from the tournament, so you'll be fighting him today."
Instead of displaying his usual negative attitude towards this new piece of information, Tokiya seemed quite excited by it. He clenched his fist in front of him.
"That's actually perfect. It'll give me a chance to test my new capabilities before fighting Nemu."
Karasune looked up at him, still holding his hand.
"That's double the burden, Toki, so I'll do my best to put in twice the effort."
Tokiya scoffed, not disrespectfully, though.
"Don't expect me to rely on you too much, Karasune. The burden may have doubled, but so has my determination."
Clapping his hands together, Mr. Gaynes smiled.
"That's the spirit! I hate to add more to your plate, but I do have another request. Make this an entertaining fight. Eh, think of it as a hype battle for tomorrow."
When Mr. Gaynes wasn't being all depressed and lifeless, his true nature as a businessman became very apparent. Tokiya chuckled nervously.
"Damn, I'm a farmer turned fighter, not an entertainer."
His grip on Karasune's small hand tightened.
"But I'll try my best."
Mr. Gaynes nodded.
"I'll be out there on the side of the arena. I act as referee for these tournaments, but all I do is make sure nobody dies. Remember, only knockouts are allowed. Although I'll be the mediator, I'll also be secretly cheering for you."
They reached the special entrance that was blocked from the public by two security guards. Mr. Gaynes motioned for them to enter, claiming that he couldn't go with them because he had to deal with the large crowd up front. Karasu and Karasune went in, but Mr. Gaynes held Tokiya back by the arm.
"Tokiya."
He looked back.
"There's something else you need, Mr. Gaynes?"
Mr. Gaynes smiled.
"I don't know what you are to Karasu. I certainly won't make the mistake of calling you her husband again. But you've changed her. For the whole time she's been coming to my tournaments, she's always had this air around her. An air that was dangerously inhuman. But all of a sudden, she's with you and the kid now, and she's a brand new person."
He took a reflective pause.
"I could say you've done the same to me. I don't know what your trick is, Tokiya, but you're a good guy. So, thank you."
Tokiya began to blush. However, he quickly realized that he should take none of the credit for what Mr. Gaynes just said. If only the man knew the truth behind Karasu. But perhaps Tokiya could take the credit for helping Mr. Gaynes. Tokiya spun around, waving his hand as he walked into the special entrance.
"Don't thank me yet, Mr. Gaynes. Only when the task has been carried out."
*****
Tokiya arrived in one of the participants' prep rooms where Karasu and Karasune were waiting for him. Karasu waved at him.
"What happened? Did Mr. Gaynes want something?"
Tokiya answered her dismissively as he sat next to Karasune on one of the benches.
"No, he just wanted to thank me."
Karasu blushed and held her cheeks with her hands.
"Aw, that's so cute! You really have to do your best now!"
He sucked his teeth.
"I already planned on doing so."
"Yup, I should've known. You always bring your best to everything you do, Tokiya. Although, it is a shame that you weren't able to get the hang of your secret technique. It would've been so cool to see you popping out of Karasune's feathers to attack your enemies."
Tokiya didn't respond. Karasu leaned forward.
"What's wrong? You don't seem pumped for this fight?"
Tokiya launched himself to his feet, causing Karasu to immediately step back.
"Just shut up!"
Karasune's hands twitched, for she didn't know what to do or who to stand with. So, she remained seated. Tokiya glared up at Karasu.
"Could you give it a rest? Just close your damn mouth! I'm sick of hearing you spew words that don't even mean anything! There's no point in trying to put on this stupid facade! I already know what you are!"
Staring down at him with a blank expression, Karasu said nothing. After a bit of tense silence, Tokiya heard small sobs coming from behind him.
It was Karasune, who was sitting on the bench with her face in her hands. His hands began to shake. He sat back down and wrapped his arms around the little girl, holding her close and tight. Through their mana connection, Tokiya felt a tumultuous swirl of confusing emotions.
"I'm sorry, Karasune."
He turned to Karasu, who remained still. Did he know what she was?
"Just let me focus, ok? The tournament will start soon."
Karasu finally sat on the bench opposite of them. She crossed her legs and arms.
"Very well then, I'll stay silent."
*****
About fifteen minutes before the start of the battle, someone came to escort Karasu to the stands of the colosseum. Karasune was allowed to stay, for weapons like swords and daggers were perfectly acceptable in the tournament. This included regalia, but they were required to stay in their regalia form for the whole fight.
The time came for Tokiya to walk out into the arena. However, he couldn't go out without asking something first. He looked down at Karasune.
"You don't have to fight with me right now if you don't want to. I'll be fine. I have my animal summoning magic and above-average strength. This Tobias guy is going down either way."
He shot Karasune a reassuring smile, returning the many gestures she did towards him. The small girl shook her head.
"Mother would never cry like I did, and she certainly wouldn't back out of a fight at the last second. I will fight as your regalia, Toki."
Karasune transformed into her dagger form in Tokiya's hand. Warm mana flowed between Karasune and Tokiya's hand.
"Ok, then, Karasune. Let's do this."
Tokiya left the prep room and walked down a long corridor. At the end of it was a blinding light, certainly the entrance to the arena. He stepped through the light, and was blinded as his eyes adjusted. His ears also needed to adjust to the loud roar of the crowd. Everything needed to change, for if it didn't, he'd get crushed by the force of a cruel fate. To some extent, Tokiya was proud of himself for making it even this far. But more needed to change before he could earn full self-confidence.
His eyes finally finished adjusting, and Tokiya was immediately overwhelmed by the size of not only the space, but also the crowd. The arena was much bigger than the lobby of the Library of Ajax, and Tokiya doubted anyone would need this much space to fight. He took a much-needed deep breath to collect himself.
"Are you going to just stand there, Tokiya? If so, I'll just have myself moved to the next round and fight Nemu like I was supposed to."
Tokiya looked to the center of the arena where the voice came from. Standing there was a young man, about his age, of medium height with neatly combed black hair, glasses, and a zipped, tight, black jacket with tight, black pants to go along with it. His arms were crossed and so were his ankles.
Tokiya stepped towards the man.
"Sorry, I'm ready now. You're Tobias, right?"
The man pushed up his glasses.
"Well, of course. Who else would I be?"
Tokiya frowned.
"Damn, this man is annoying."
He held Karasune in front of him just like Karasu taught him. Tobias unfolded his arms and pointed the palms of his hands towards the ground. The silent agreement between the two was certain. The battle started now.
Tokiya rushed towards Tobias. He could've stayed back and attacked from a distance with Karasune's feathers, but he wanted to refrain from using as many of his techniques as he could. In the event that Nemu was watching from the stands, this secretive method of fighting became essential.
Tobias scoffed.
"Tokiya Hara, you are an idiot."
Suddenly, water geysered out of Tobias' palms, soaking the ground. Tokiya's eyes widened.
"That's water magic! From the looks of it he can shoot it like a projectile, so close range is definitely the way to go. But why is he aiming at the ground?"
Tokiya continued his advance when he was suddenly taken by surprise. The water on the ground made it slippery, causing Tokiya to slip.
"Shit! No way!"
As he fell, his forward momentum slammed his face into Tobias' foot that was moving towards him. Tobias kicked Tokiya away, and blood sprayed from his nose as he fell on his back. There was a collective gasp from the crowd that was watching. Karasu, who was watching from the stands, pinched the bridge of her nose and cursed under her breath.
Tokiya quickly recovered and wiped the blood from his nose. However, more just came oozing out.
"Shit, shit, shit! What the hell was that, Tokiya?"
His thoughts began to scramble, but he was brought back to his senses by Karasune.
"Thanks, Karasune."
Tokiya reassumed his fighting stance and strengthened his resolve.
"This is the first time I've directly fought a magic user, but Tobias isn't even close to the scariest thing I've faced. The gap in our strength isn't that big. I just have to clear it!"
Tobias crossed his arms.
"Can I tell you something, Tokiya?"
Tokiya frowned.
"What?"
"I hate my water magic. It's so free and flowing. It can mold itself to fit any container, and don't get me started on how versatile it is."
Tokiya stared at him with a blank expression. He was totally expecting Tobias to degrade him or gloat about how he would win. No, this was certainly a distraction. He had to stay alert. Tobias continued his rambling.
"I hate it! It's not uptight at all! Everyone thinks being uptight is a bad thing, but it provides the foundation for a healthy lifestyle! My magic has no structure, no discipline, no anything! Why did I have to get stuck with a magic path like this? I wonder every day if this is some cruel joke made by fate!"
Tokiya scoffed.
"Fate? This guy knows nothing about fate."
"Are you done?"
Tobias let out a giant exhale and pushed up his glasses.
"Yes, I think so. Thank you for listening to my dilemma."
"Don't thank me because I really don't care about anything you just said."
Tobias gawked. It seemed like he was ready to go into another fit, but Tokiya was ready to get back into action. He focused on the mana that he had inside Karasune. Five small purple feathers appeared above his head. They shot themselves towards Tobias.
Spreading his hands wide apart, Tobias took a steady stance as if he was going to intercept the projectiles. The feathers swiftly approached him. At the last moment, a flowing barrier of water formed between his hands. Tokiya's projectiles shot into the shield, causing it to stretch towards Tobias as it took all the momentum from the feathers. Within seconds, Tokiya's attack had been completely stopped.
"Damn it."
Tobias released the shield, and the water and the feathers fell to the ground. He gagged.
"Utterly disgusting. This technique has no form. No form at all."
Tokiya stared at him blankly.
"You realize that technique is the only reason why I haven't beaten you to a pulp, right?"
Dramatically wrapping his body in his arms, Tobias entered another monologue.
"That's the worst part! Being forced to rely on this unstructured technique is worse than death. That's right! I'd rather be dead than use this technique!"
Tokiya smirked.
"Fine, if you hate using your magic that much, how about you just let me win."
He charged at Tobias. As he approached, he materialized more small feathers, which traveled alongside him. Tobias tapped his chin.
"That's not a bad suggestion."
Tobias created another water barrier.
"However, I've already decided that I will win, and it would outrage me even more to see my fixed plan be disrupted."
The feathers around Tokiya shot at Tobias, but they were quickly stopped by the water shield. Tokiya launched a follow-up attack by slicing through the water barrier with Karasune. However, the water was so strong that he could only slice two-thirds of the way through the barrier. Suddenly, the water encased his entire arm and began crushing it with monstrous pressure.
"Damn it!"
His left arm would certainly be shattered if this kept up. Tokiya stared at his trapped arm. Not only was his arm enclosed by the water, but so was Karasune, whom he held with his trapped hand. His eyes widened. If she were to be crushed...
He thought back to the shattered state of the Library of Ajax.
SHING
A sudden outburst of basic mana erupted from Karasune as Tokiya swung his arm down and cut through the water. Tobias was completely taken aback. His shocked eyes stared deep into Tokiya's red eyes, which seemed brighter than before. Tokiya took a forceful step forward and swung his right arm at the now vulnerable Tobias.
BAM
The punch connected with Tobias' face, sending him flying backwards. The crowd exploded in an excited frenzy. Tokiya's heart began to beat faster. They were cheering for him. He shook his head, for he didn't have time to think about things like that. He directed his attention towards Karasune.
"Are you ok, Karasune?"
A warm influx of mana was sent through his arm, a clear affirmation of her wellness. Tokiya let out a sigh of relief and then directed his attention to his opponent.
About thirty feet away from him, Tobias was now standing, but his face was drowned in an immense amount of blood. Tokiya stared at his own right arm. He knew he was naturally strong, but this amount of strength was crazy!
Tobias adjusted his glasses, which now had both of their lenses missing.
"That was impressive, Tokiya."
He began to softly chuckle. Then it became louder before turning into full-on laughter. Tokiya frowned at him.
"What's so funny?"
Tobias wrapped his arms around his body.
"S-Sorry, it's just that all of my problems have just been solved. If you'll allow me to borrow your ear one more time, I'll tell you how. You see, as I was crushing your arm, I could feel my water getting more and more condensed. It was taking shape. Ha! My magic almost had form! It's so beautiful. I love it so much!"
Tokiya continued to stare at Tobias as he laughed to himself.
"This guy's level of obsession is eerily familiar."
Tobias continued his monologue.
"My magic is finally for me, finally something I'll be able to control. However, that is unfortunate for you, Tokiya. It appears I'll be the one fighting Nemu."
Tokiya scoffed.
"You talk way too much. I might actually prefer listening to Karasu or Gremory over you. At least they make me laugh sometimes."
He took an offensive stance. Now that he had learned how to cut through Tobias' barriers, it was safe for him to resume close combat. One more good hit would certainly be enough to knock out Tobias. He bolted towards his opponent. This time, Tobias only held out one hand. A large glob of water formed in his palm, and he placed his other hand on top of it and began smushing the water. Somehow, the water eventually shrank into a compact sphere that seemed to be struggling to maintain its shape.
Faster than Tobias expected, Tokiya was upon him. Tokiya swung Karasune, but Tobias just stood there and scoffed.
"Tokiya, let me show you the power of form."
Tobias thrust his palm with the sphere of water into Tokiya's stomach. The sphere could no longer stand the pressure, and it blasted Tokiya back in the form of a concentrated ray of water. Spit flew from Tokiya's mouth, and all his breath was instantly knocked out of him. Tokiya landed on his back, and his body slightly twitched. His grip on Karasune loosened. No matter how much mana she sent to him, he didn't get back up. He just stared at the sky.
"It hurts so much. I just want to get up. In fact, that's the only thing I want to do. The only thing I want to do is get up and beat the shit out of that guy, so I can keep my promise to Mr. Gaynes. But it hurts so much. I'm not ready to give up, but my body already has."
Tokiya's view of the sky was getting more blurry with each passing second. If he didn't get up soon, Mr. Gaynes would surely call it a knockout. And then he'd stare at Tokiya in disappointment and walk away. Karasu would probably walk away too, and Tokiya wouldn't blame her either. Just moments before this he was a complete asshole to her. Even after she saved his life on multiple occasions, he couldn't even show an ounce of appreciation towards her. Karasune would leave with her mother. Good for her. She'd never be able to accomplish her goals with a hopeless mess like him dragging her down.
This situation was very familiar to him by now. Even once he gained power, he was still powerless. He still couldn't change anything. Karasu was right, failure didn't get easier the more you experienced it. With more exposure to it, failure, like an avalanche, only amplified. The frustration that this predicament brought burned in him. It felt as if it would burn him to death from the inside out. His frustration wasn't just a simple fire; it was a blaze fueled by every failure he ever made, every person he ever met, every promise he ever sealed. Tokiya's whole life and self blended into this flame.
He supposed this flame wouldn't be as strong as it was if it weren't for his past failures. That was the part Karasu had failed to mention. Tokiya's past failures didn't just make his current ones hit harder, but they also fueled his internal flame. However, Karasu was right in claiming that the people around him would help in these times too. After all, everyone he knew, both good and bad, Karasu, Berserker, Karasune, Eien, Mr. Gaynes, and many more also blended into his internal flame. Despite the intensity of the blaze inside of him and the fact that it felt like it might've completely consumed him, it didn't hurt. He was certain that this was a relative of a feeling he had felt many times before. Cousins would be too distant. Siblings seemed right. Probably an older sibling though, for the strength of this feeling warranted nothing less.
Yes, this was raw determination.
Tokiya's fingers twitched.
The fingers of his left hand slowly curled around Karasune's handle.
The flow of mana between them resumed.
He could feel Karasune's worry. At that moment, he couldn't quite speak, so he sent her a small influx of mana to settle her. Tokiya coughed and staggered as he slowly crept to his feet. Tobias raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"Wow, you were down for a while, Tokiya. I certainly didn't expect you to get back up. Your tenacity and resilient form are infatuating. I hope you'll bear no ill will against me after you lose, for I will always admire your display here today."
Tobias let out a soft moan as he wrapped his arms around his body once again.
Tokiya stared at him with eyes that reflected nothing but a fiery desire for victory. He silently pointed Karasune at Tobias. With his left arm extended out in front of him, he could now see that the mark of the Divine Root Blessing was glowing a bright blue color. Blood slowly dripped from the thorns of the mark, but it was substantially less than from his encounter with Mors or in the Library of Ajax.
There was certainly something different about him now, and he was sure it was due to the Divine Root Blessing. His mana flow had been increased, and the connection between him and Karasune grew. He glared at the mark on his arm.
"Just this once, I'll work with you."
Suddenly, a burst of dark purple mana sprung from Karasune.
"Karasune, let's do our best, and win."
With near perfect synchronization, Tokiya and Karasune worked together to form a storm of feathers around them. The small, sharp projectiles darted around Tokiya, forming a tornado-like structure. Tobias could hardly see Tokiya. Then, the storm of feathers began to expand, and Tobias found it hard to see anything at all. Occasionally, a feather would shoot past Tobias, leaving a small cut.
Tokiya felt as if he were one with Karasune, as if she were an extension of his arm. Every facet of her power became not just clear to him, but accessible too.
"I see it now, Karasune. Our secret technique."
All of the feathers collapsed on the floor, leaving the arena scattered with the small, purple things. Tobias, with his vision cleared, stared in front of him. Tokiya was gone. He glanced to the sides and then behind him. There was nothing. The crowd began to murmur in confusion. Even Mr. Gaynes bore an expression of bewilderment, for he was unsure of how to call the match. Tobias returned his gaze straight ahead.
"Did he perhaps kill himself? Is my new love gone so soon? What a shame."
He shook his head and crossed his arms.
"However, if this is the price for victory, I'll accept it. After all, I only need one love, my perfect, condensed, and rigid magic."
Tobias looked around one more time for good measure. There was still nothing but the small feathers scattered on the arena floor. He looked up. Nothing. He looked down. There was a small feather right beneath him. He stared at it, for he swore it moved just a bit. Then a glint came from it. Tobias' eyes widened. Before he could react, something emerged from the feather. It was Tokiya!
BAM
With a forceful uppercut from his left arm, Tokiya sent Tobias flying backwards. He poured every last drop of his energy into that punch. Tokiya needed that to be the punch to end it all. Tobias landed on his back with a thud. For ten seconds, there was no movement from him. Another ten seconds and still no movement.
Tokiya stood in place with his legs shaking. The fire inside of him died down. He began to feel a warm feeling comparable to Karasune's influxes of assurance. However, what made his current feeling so strange was that this time, it was coming from himself.
Mr. Gaynes raised his hands as the crowd waited in anticipation.
"Tokiya Hara is the winner!"