Kasumi Mahô Minarai Teiruzu Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2, Hellsing, Darkstalkers, and any other characters mentioned in this storyline belong to their respective creators, so don’t bother me. < >: Thoughts Chapter 5 Second Round, Shamanistic Magic! Diary Entry May 9th, After an exhausting and exciting first round, I must admit that I was quite surprised at my own performance. Even though many say that I had done the impossible, I cannot take full credit. In fact, if I had never met my friend... my Soul-Friend Meala, my participation in the Apprenticeship Games would have ended yesterday. I did some research and I learned that Magikats treasure their friendships and a Soul-Friend is considered the most dearest to their hearts. Though I am not certain if I deserve such an honor, I do consider Meala as a friend that I hold close to MY heart. In my past life, friends were scarce and I intend to make many more in both the Makai and on Earth. I am also glad to hear that my other friends Jason, Clea and Serena will also be participating in today’s events and I wish them all good luck. Hopefully, their challenges won’t be as trying as mine were. It’s still quite a shock to learn that Meala and I had the most difficult course in the entire Gold Griffin Division during that first day. If that was the hardest course of the first day, Heaven only knows what today will bring. Fortunately, the start of the second round will not begin until noon, so I have some time to prepare. According to the messenger who came to my room this morning, today’s competition will be using shamanistic spells. Furthermore, magical artifacts and equipment will be permitted. I will be able to use my magic cloak and the other gifts that the Grimbard Sisters had supplied to me. However, as they say, fortune favors the prepared, so I will be doing a little shopping before the start of the competition. ---------- The Elder Council of Wizards... Lucius nodded to his colleagues as they took their seats in the Main Conference Room. “My fellow Wizards, Sorcerers and Magicians; I must say that we’ve gotten off to an exciting start to the Apprenticeship Games this year.” There were several murmurs of agreement among those gathered as Master Wizard Kalan spoke out. “Indeed it was a very exciting first round.” “And what are the overall standings for the contestants as of now?” The Primary Gold Griffin Judge nodded as he read the report. “Out of the two hundred in the Gold Griffin Division, eighty-six have made it to the second round, including the heir to the Val Karas Family and a few others of note.” “That’s less than half!” Sajaki pointed out. “It seems that your much-vaunted Gold Griffins aren’t as hardy as they were in the past.” Kalan shrugged his shoulders while nodding. “I must admit that it was a pity that a quarter of the Gold Griffins panicked during that first challenge. However, I am also proud to say that the remaining contestants showed some fine teamwork and TWO were able to complete the hardest course WITHOUT using a Token Spell!” “Well, there aren’t any whiners in MY division!” The Warrior Mage stated. “I am proud to say that one hundred and twenty-six Ruby Dragons are ready to compete today! That includes the Son of Argus Blackstorm!” “Yes, I read the report that it took Jason Blackstorm nearly the entire hour to defeat three Giga-Golems. He may have inherited his father power, but he’s still quite green when it comes to strategy and skill.” Sajaki shrugged. “If he had them, then he wouldn’t be able to compete. Ah, if only Lord Blackstorm would allow me to train the boy!” Iliane the Philosopher nodded as she gave her report. “According to the latest count, ninety-six of the Jade Sea Serpent Division managed to pass the first round. The ones that didn’t make it either spent too much time fighting each other or were too sloppy with their statues to make it under the 1% error tolerances.” “Sometimes I think you nitpick too much on details.” Sajaki commented. “If I didn’t ‘nitpick on details,’ then I wouldn’t be the Top Alchemist and Master Potion-Maker that I am today.” Iliane countered. “It is that attention to detail that makes a good magician. Skipping important steps or taking shortcuts without considering the consequences is just BEGGING for trouble.” ---------- On Earth... “Achoo!” “Bless you, Akane.” “Thanks Daddy. I wonder that came from?” The short-tempered girl wondered as she schemed to get at her sister’s Beginner Spellbook. Even after a harrowing escape from the Kuno mansion and an equally embarrassing trip back home in the nude, Akane still hadn’t learned her lesson. Ditto with her father and his friend as they still planned to break into the Grimbard’s bag. This meant more future entertainment for Happosai. ---------- Back at the Council... “What about you, Ordorlon?” The Philosopher asked. “How many of the White Pegasus Division made it through?” “It’ll be a miracle if at least fifty made it through, if any did.” The Warrior Mage commented. Sajaki and Ordorlon were on opposite sides of the spectrum, as were their expertise in magic and divisions. The Ruby Dragons focused on attack and using greater force, while the White Pegasus was more defensive and conserved power. However, always being on the defensive meant that novices in Ordorlon’s division were usually the first to be eliminated from the competition. However, the humanoid turtle brightened up as he replied. “I’m very impressed with the strength of my division this year. Seventy-five managed to pass the first round.” “Let me guess, at least one of them made it through on sheer dumb luck... or should I say the Ultimate Fool’s Fortune?” “I’m certain that Conrad Blanchet will heal from those burns... eventually. Though I do hope he has rid himself of that stench before the Games begin again today.” Lucius nodded as he wrapped up the morning meeting. “As of today, out of the eight hundred who had qualified to compete, the number of remaining contestants has been whittled down to three hundred eighty-three.” “That first day certainly thinned out their ranks.” Kalan commented. “Expect that number to get even smaller. Yesterday, we tested them on the basics of physical magic, namely the Elements. Now we shall test them on the metaphysical or spiritual magic. Divination shall be allowed, as well as the usage of magical items of the non-Elemental-type. At noon today, the Second Round of the Apprenticeship Games shall begin!” ---------- Outside of the Wizard’s Coliseum... The marketplace bustled with crowds of buyers and spectators, even though it was very early in the morning. Among them was a group of nonhumans who were the Makai equivalent of a news crew. At the head was a tall, slender female who had traits of a female dear, including small horns, ears, and a fluffy tail protruding out from a hole in her skirt. She spoke into a microphone while her cameraman, a lizardlike humanoid, taped her with a mystically- powered camcorder. “Good morning to you all in the Makai and for those of you watching from the Other Realms. I’m Tayla for the Makai News. We’re here in the city of Ala Maron, just outside of the Grand Coliseum, where the annual Apprenticeship Games are currently taking place. It’s been an exciting event so far after the first round of competition. This morning, we shall try to interview a few of the remaining contestants as they prepare for the second round. Ah! There’s a very familiar face!” The news crew headed toward a certain Demon Lord’s son as he waited for his mother to finish with her negotiations with a shopkeeper. “Excuse me! I’m Tayla reporting for the Makai News. You’re Jason Blackstorm aren’t you? You made quite a bit of excitement in the Ruby Dragon Division yesterday. Would you be able to answer a few questions?” Blood Eyes considered the reporter for a moment and shook his head. “No comment.” WHAP! Jason rubbed the back of his head after being lightly swatted by his mother. “Jason! I told you to mind your manners.” Shidori chided her son. “Sorry Mom.” The former Miko then nodded to the news crew. “Please forgive my son’s momentary lack of courtesy.” “Not at all, Lady Shidori. It’s an honor and a privilege to interview two members of the Blackstorm Family.” Tayla said. “So would mind telling me what you thought about your son’s performance yesterday?” Shidori cocked her head in thought for a moment before responding. “My son performed admirably, though it was quite rough in some places. He has a long way to go but I believe he is up to the challenge. Now if you will excuse us, we need to prepare for today’s games.” The news crew then moved on to interview other contestants. The mother and son went off to purchase items and other means to protect Jason from any spiritual attacks, in which his demon side may be vulnerable to. ---------- In another part of the marketplace, Kasumi looked in awe at the array of magic brooms and other flying devices that were for sale. Since her training with the Grimbards, the brown-haired girl had been thinking about getting her own personal mode of transportation. Her magic cloak could only levitate herself safely toward the ground. Her only experience with flying was limited to practice rounds with wind spells carrying herself aloft for short distances, and a few rides on Tyselli’s broom. Therefore, it made sense to purchase an alternative means of flight that didn’t strain her mana stores. And there was a very wide selection to choose from. The owner of the lot smiled as he approached the young sorceress-in-training. He was a satyr with the lower half in the form of a goat and small horns on his head. His human half was dressed in a smart, green sport coat. “Good morning, young apprentice! Welcome to my place of business! I am Fitzger! Are you in the market for a means of transportation?” Kasumi nodded as she turned to face him. “Hello. Actually I am looking to buy something. I’m...” “Ah! I know you! You are contestant number 437, Kasumi Tendo, are you not?” “Uhm... yes, I am. How did you know?” “In the words of that fictional human detective Sherlock Holmes, elementary my dear.” He pointed to Kasumi’s Gold Griffin Badge. “First of all, here is your badge number. And I did watch your performance during the first day of the Apprenticeship Games. I must say, you and your partner caused quite a stir with that display. I certainly hope to see more of that kind of ingenuity and skill today.” “Well, I’m not all that skilled, but I will do my best.” Kasumi said with a bit of a blush on her face. “However, right now I think I need to buy something to get me around.” “Say no more!” The satyr gestured the rows of magical brooms and other flying devices. “My lot has the BEST in personal transportation for the up-and-coming wizard, sorceress, priest and witch! Can I interest you in a magic carpet? I just got a new shipment from Baghdad.” “Thank you, but no.” Soun’s daughter replied. “What I’m really thinking is something a bit more practical. I’ve only flown on a magic broom a few times, lent to me by one of... my teachers, and I think that would suit me best at this time.” “Ah well then, we’ve a good selection of brooms. And I do agree that a broom is easiest to learn magical flight. Now then, let us see what we can do for you.” ---------- Ten minutes later... After bidding the salesman farewell, Kasumi walked into the streets with her newest acquisition. She was very thankful for the Lifetime Pass she had won at Henry the Halfling’s Shop. With it, she was able to purchase things at half the price. And her new broom did cost a pretty penny. The broom was about five and a half feet long, with its wooden handle made from enchanted oak. The general design was that of a traditional besom, with the bristles made from mystic straw, found in the Plains of Archeli. The flying and cleaning apparatus was considered to be very sturdy and would provide her with years of service. It was rated as a Class A magical product and would adapt to her personal aura. Looking about, she decided try it out. Finding a clear spot, she laid down the broom and remembered back to her training with the Grimbard Sisters. ---------- Flashback... “Now then, to first activate the broom’s flying ability, you must begin with a firm, commanding tone.” The third Grimbard Sister instructed. “I have released the safeguards on mine so that you may practice. Normally, it would only respond to my voice, but for now it will listen to your orders. Being with the command ‘up’ and hold out your hand with the palm facing downward towards it.” Kasumi nodded as she took a deep breath and did as she was told. “Up.” The broom simply remained on the ground without responding. “Remember Young One; you must use a FIRM tone to command it.” The witch reminded. Kasumi tried again. “UP!” The broom trembled a bit before immediately shooting up into her palm. The force of the response almost knocked her over. She maintained a good grip as she felt the power emanating from the flying device. Tyselli nodded as she continued with instructing her. “Now there are two ways of mounting a broom. Normally you would do so as if you were mounting a horse, with one leg on either side. However, if you prefer, you may also ride the broom side-saddle, but I find that to be extremely strenuous on the back and awkward. For all novices, the first position is best.” Nabiki’s sister did as she was told and prepared for her first flight. However, no sooner did she mount the broom, it suddenly took off like a rocket. She let off a scream and held on for dear life as she suddenly found herself riding the mana streams of Henry’s Pocket Dimension. Tyselli looked up in amazement as Kasumi darted about in wild, circular patterns. Parelle and Girella’s sister immediately made another broom appear and went up to bring her apprentice safely down. ---------- End of flashback... Remembering back to how she had put too much of her own mana into her teacher’s broom, Kasumi took a deep breath and held out her hand. She released three of her limiters, and then called out. “Up!” The broom immediately shot up into her hand as it began acclimating to her aura. Eventually, it would respond only to her commands as a safety measure against others who would try to steal or use it. She mounted the broom and slowly began feeding it some of her power. The magical artifact began to rise up and stopped midair, with the tips of Kasumi’s toes about six inches above the ground. Taking another deep breath, the novice sorceress willed her broom forward. At a slow and easy five miles per hour, she easily maneuvered around the crowds and stands. She then decided to pick it up a notch and began gaining altitude and speed. Before long, she was cruising along at about 30 mph and at an altitude of 150 feet. She didn’t worry about falling off since every broom had a protection spell that acted like a seatbelt. She was also wearing her cloak, which would save her from any fall. Kasumi looked down in delight at the sights and crowds below and marveled how beautiful things looked from above. She absolutely loved flying and felt freer in the sky than she ever had on the ground. Up in the air, nothing could hold her back and she could do as she wished. She drank deeply in the beauty of the sights below her. However, she was so engrossed with the view that she forgot the one universal rule that all pilots and fliers obeyed. This applied to those who flew planes, helicopters, gliders... and magical artifacts. Always keep your eyes forward. As she gradually made it to an altitude of 5,000 feet, the gentle girl inadvertently wandered into the flight path of a transport dragon that was coming in for a landing. This huge beast of burden was one of the fastest in the Makai, with some having top speeds of over Mach 1. She barely managed to avoid a midair collision as the silvery beast thundered past her. However, she got caught in the resulting jet wash as the funnel of air currents swamped her. This caused her to panic and lose control. She began to spiral down toward the ground as she desperately attempted to pull out. Already her cloak activated itself to try and slow her down. However, the ground was coming up fast and she didn’t have much time left. Then a gentle voice called out beside her. “Calm down, Kasumi. Don’t fight the momentum. Just move with it and straighten out.” Almost immediately, the brown-haired girl felt a sensation of calm wash over her. She began to regain control and the broom leveled off. At less than fifty feet from the ground, she came to a complete stop and hovered. Letting off a deep sigh of relief, she looked to her side and was surprised to see Lady Shidori floating beside her. The former Miko was also perched on a magic broom. “Well, now that was a close one Kasumi.” Shidori remarked. “Lucky for you, I decided to go for a little broom-time myself.” ---------- Flashback... “Yes, I think that will do.” Shidori said as she finished the spell that would protect her son from any attacks against his demon-side. “We’ve still got some time left before the start of competition, Mom.” Jason remarked. “You want to check out some of the shows?” Argus Blackstorm’s spouse was about to agree when she absently looked up and saw a certain someone pass by on a broom. “Actually Son, I think I’ll take a quick spin around Ala Maron, if you don’t mind. I just saw someone I’d like to talk to right now.” Blood Eyes shrugged his shoulders. “Sure Mom, no problem. I’ll meet you at the coliseum.” With that, Shidori reached into her robes and brought out a tiny broom, which was about five inches long. While tossing it out in front of her, she snapped her fingers. The broom immediately grew to its full size and floated before her. In less than five seconds, Jason’s mother was aloft. ---------- End of flashback... “It’s a good thing I decided to check up on you.” Mrs. Blackstorm commented as she and Kasumi flew side by side above the city. “I’m very grateful.” The eldest Tendo daughter said. Shidori noted the newness of her broom. “I must say, that is a very fine broom you’ve bought. I can tell that it was made by the craftsmen of Archeli.” “Thank you.” “So let’s get it broken in, shall we? Do your best to keep up!” With that, Shidori put on a bit of speed and shot out ahead of Kasumi. The novice sorceress smiled at the challenge and urged her broom to accelerate. However, she was going to have quite a run. In addition to being an expert Mana Flyer pilot, Blackstorm’s wife was also a five-time champion in the Makai Cross-Country Broom Races. ---------- Meanwhile... “It is reported that you were the FIRST to finish in the Gold Griffin Division yesterday.” Tayla asked. “Why yes, I was.” Alexis said proudly as she was interviewed by the Makai news team. “That’s quite an achievement for a novice-level competitor. Then again, since you are from the Val Karas family, that’s to be expected. And if I understand, you did it all yourself and only used one Token throughout the first round.” “Indeed, it was quite a difficult run.” “Of course the biggest news was the fact that two contestants actually made it through the hardest course, WITHOUT using a Token.” Alexis’ left eyebrow twitched slightly as she remembered how Kasumi showed her up. However, that flash of anger disappeared immediately as she responded to that observation. “I will admit that is quite an achievement, especially at novice-level. However, I must point out that BOTH contestants needed each other’s assistance to get through that course. I’m pretty certain that if they had done it individually, they might have used all of their tokens, or not have gotten through at all. I myself might have used all my tokens to pass such a trek.” The deer woman nodded. “You raise a good point, Miss Val Karas. So tell us, do you see either of those contestants as your primary rival in the Apprenticeship Games?” The rich blonde sorceress thought for a moment and shrugged her shoulders. “Regardless of their past performances, I consider ALL of the remaining contestants in the Gold Griffin Division as my primary rivals. It doesn’t matter if they’ve used all of their Tokens or none. I shall defeat them all!” “Well, thank you for your insights on the rest of the competition, Miss Val Karas. And now...” The reporter was cut off in mid-sentence as a device on her left ear began to beep. It was the magical equivalent of a Bluetooth, but was in the shape of a gemstone earring. Tayla turned toward her cameraman excitedly as she received the news from one of her scouts. “We have some breaking news folks! I’ve just been informed that Shidori Maseraki-Blackstorm has been sighted outside of the city of Ala Maron, riding at high-speed on her broom! What’s even more amazing is that some other competitor of the Games is racing with her!” “That’s insane!” Alexis exclaimed. “A novice challenging a FIVE-TIME champion of the Makai Cross-Country Broom Races?!” The deer woman nodded as she spoke into her mike in front of the camera. “Yes, we’ve just confirmed that Argus Blackstorm’s wife; sometimes known as Supersonic Shidori, is currently flying across the Gemstone Valley, and that her opponent is doing a fair job of keeping up with her. We’ll be going LIVE to that area to get the full story!” ---------- Some five miles from the outskirts of Ala Maron... Shidori was leaning forward on her broom and riding it like a professional jockey as she sped along the ground at 150 mph and at an altitude of only 15 feet. Although the landscape was littered with various crystalline formations, she swerved and maneuvered around the obstacles with almost no effort. She then sent a telepathic message to her opponent behind her. Trailing some fifty yards behind her and traveling at a lower speed, Kasumi was having a bit of difficulty keeping Jason’s mother in sight. She was starting to have flashbacks to her harrowing ride through the underground mines of the first round of competition. It was taking nearly all of her concentration to keep her broom going as fast as it was. Noting that the apprentice was having trouble, Shidori began psychically guiding Kasumi on the proper methods of high-speed broom handling. Kasumi managed to catch up with Shidori within two minutes and they were speeding along side-by-side at well over 170 mph. Both were creating a protective field around themselves to shield them from air friction and allow them to breathe normally. With those thoughts, Shidori made a graceful loop and turned back toward Ala Maron, with Kasumi in hot pursuit. Soun’s daughter put all she had into her new broom and for a brief moment, she managed to pass Shidori and take the lead. However, at that moment, she learned why Jason’s mother was nicknamed Supersonic Shidori. When they were less than one mile from the city limits, the Miko priestess used the magical equivalent of an afterburner. Focusing a concentrated burst of mana behind her, she seemed to momentarily slow down in midair, then elongated before shooting forward with mind-boggling acceleration. Though Kasumi was traveling at over 250 mph; that was almost considered as standing still, compared to her opponent who had just broken the sound barrier! Going at nearly Mach 1.2, Shidori left her best friend’s daughter in the dust. By the time the sonic boom she had created faded away, she was standing at the front gate of the city. A minute later, Kasumi caught up and came to a complete stop. She got off her broom and stood in awe at what she had just witnessed. She bowed with the utmost respect to her broom-flying instructor. “Lady Shidori, you are clearly the master!” At that moment, there were several hundred cheers from the city walls as the pair had gained an unexpected audience. At that moment, Tayla and her news crew came running up toward them. “Ladies and gentlemen! We have just witnessed one of Lady Shidori’s signature maneuvers, the SONIC-BROOM! It was this very tactic that allowed her to win prestigious Gemstone Cup of Sileon! It’s also the reason why she was nicknamed Supersonic Shidori!” Kasumi looked upon her mother’s best friend with even more awe at that revelation. “Supersonic Shidori? Gemstone Cup? Are you some kind of expert racer? You never told me that.” The Miko shrugged her shoulders. “You never asked. And I didn’t think it was anything important.” “Not important?!” The reporter exclaimed. “Pardon my intrusion, Lady Shidori; but winning FIVE Intercontinental Cross-Country Broom Races in a row is hardly what anyone would call ‘not important!’ If it weren’t for the fact that all champions who win five of the titles must retire from competition, you’d be burning the bristles off all of the other broom racers today!” Tayla then turned toward Kasumi. “In addition to seeing Supersonic Shidori in action, we are also fortunate to be with one of the two novices from the Gold Griffin Division, who passed the hardest course without using a Token!” She held out the microphone. “You’re Kasumi Tendo, aren’t you?” “Er... yes I am.” “Despite your very impressive display during the first round of competition, one might ask why a novice would challenge Supersonic Shidori to a broom race. Would you mind giving our viewers your thoughts on your experience with going against such a famous racer?” “Well... I...” Before she could go any further and admit that she didn’t even know that Argus’ wife was a famed broom racer, Shidori held out a hand and rescued her. “I’d like point out that Miss Tendo did NOT challenge me to a race. I was simply giving her some pointers on high-speed broom handling. That’s all. Although she did do a fair job of keeping up with me and that slight lead she had was a bit of a surprise.” She addressed Nabiki’s sister with a smile. “Perhaps in a few years, YOU’LL be in the Winner’s Circle of the Gemstone Cup.” Kasumi blushed a bit as Tayla continued with the interview. “Even though it was impossible for a novice to beat Supersonic Shidori; to have been given personal instruction from her speaks a lot about your potential. Due to your incredible performance on the first day, you are considered one of the early favorites to make it to the final eight. Any thoughts on that?” “Well, to be perfectly honest,” Kasumi said, “I really can’t take all the credit for what happened yesterday. In fact, if it weren’t for my good friend Meala, I would have never made it past the first round. I’m just grateful that we were both able to help each other out and will be competing today.” “Speaking of which, I’m afraid that we must cut this interview short.” Mrs. Blackstorm pointed out. “She will need to report to the Coliseum soon and she cannot afford to be disqualified by arriving late. Good day to you. Come along Kasumi.” Both women took off on their brooms toward the Grand Wizard’s Coliseum for the start of the second round of the Apprenticeship Games. ---------- A little later... Kasumi and the rest of the remaining members of the Gold Griffin Division sat in the same room as they did in the first round, as Master Wizard Kalan stood on the stage and explained the rules of the second round. As before, he used an intricate illusion spell to show the place where the competition will take place. “This is the Mystic Maze of the Malicont! Throughout this mountain range are numerous systems of tunnels and caverns. The entire area is steeped in magical stones and ores. Keep in mind that many of these ores can affect your Elemental spells. You can use them, but it is advised that your refrain from them. This shall be a test of your Shamanistic abilities; divination, astral projection, spiritual energy, shadow, light, and artifact manipulation. The equipment you have brought with you has been deemed as novice-level and therefore is allowed. Furthermore, any leftover Tokens you have from the first round shall be carried over the second round, in addition to the two Tokens you shall receive for this day.” In her seat Kasumi nodded as she looked down at her badge and noted that it now had four Token symbols. Sitting nearby, Alexis was slightly irritated that she had only three. Then both girls got an additional surprise as their badges began to glow with a blue light. As they looked about, other contestant badges were lit up with different hues as Kalan continued. “You will notice that your badges are now lit with different colors. This shall indicate your grouping. Once you are transported to the field, you shall each be randomly partnered with another with the same color. This shall also be a test of cooperation, for this trial cannot be achieved individually. The goal is to reach the exit in four hours.” Sitting nearby, Meala noted that her badge was glowing with a yellow light. She looked over to where her Soul Friend was sitting and was disappointed that Kasumi’s badge was blue. In this round, she would not be the Magikat’s partner, and she wondered who would be paired up with her. On the other side, Alexis was getting more annoyed as she noted that her peasant rival’s badge and her own were glowing with the same color. However, she noted that others had blue badges as well. She nonchalantly dismissed the possibility of being forced to work with Kasumi as the statistical odds were small at best. “I bid you all good luck! Let the second round begin!” With those words, Kalan began the spell to transport the competitors to the Mystic Maze. Just as they disappeared, Kasumi’s belt buckle of Leprechaun Gold flashed. ---------- A moment later, Kasumi found herself standing in the middle of a huge cavern that was lit with magical gemstone torches. She looked about and saw that the area was littered with numerous tunnel openings. She wondered where she would start, as well as who would be her partner in this round. Her second question was answered as another individual appeared before her. However, her would-be cohort was not happy as soon as she saw her. Alexis Val Karas VIII groaned. “Oh no! I have to work with YOU?!” Kasumi was also in a bit of a shock as she found herself paired up with the haughty heiress. She had been hoping to be reunited with her Soul Friend Meala, but it seemed that Fate was not about to give her an easy way through this round. She quickly composed herself and bowed to Alexis. “Greetings Miss Val Karas. It seems that we are to work together this day.” “This is intolerable!” The blond girl exclaimed. “I demand to be reassigned a new partner!” “Sorry, but that won’t be happening.” Both girls turned toward the new voice as a ghostly figure appeared before them. The field judge was dressed in elaborate Chinese-style robes with long sleeves. She wore a fancy hat with a paper talisman on the front. Her skin was blue and she emitted a kind of ghostly aura about her. She bowed to them while holding out her arms. “Hello, my name is Hsien Ko.” The talisman on her hat glowed and disappeared, as a similarly-dressed girl in brown and yellow robes appeared beside her. “And I am her sister Mei Lin. We shall be your spectral field judges for this part of the games.” Both of the contestants relaxed a bit as Alexis recognized the type of spirit beings they were. “Ah yes... you are Kuang Shi, aren’t you?” “Kuang Shi?” Kasumi asked. Alexis gave her a bit of a condescending glare as she replied. “Kuang Shi are Chinese spirits or ghosts. Don’t you know anything?” She then addressed the two sisters. “I suppose since this will be an exercise in shamanistic magic, it is fitting that the judges are spirit beings like you, correct?” The blue-skinned girl nodded. “Indeed. Lord Belial called us from our Chinese Amazon village to be the field judges for this part of the Apprenticeship Games.” ---------- At the Nekohanten, both Shampoo and Cologne were watching Apprenticeship Games, courtesy of a magic mirror enchanted by the Grimbards. “Aiyah! Shampoo not know that Sister Amazons Mei Lin and Hsien Ko in games.” The aged Matriarch cocked her head to one side in thought, and then nodded. “Ah yes, I remember getting a letter from home, saying that two of our Amazons were chosen by Lord Belial himself, to be field judges in the Makai; a very great honor indeed. They’ll do us proud.” ---------- Back at the games... “Excuse me, did you say Chinese Amazons?” Kasumi asked. “Are you from the Joketsuzoku village in the Bayankala Mountain Range of the Quing Hai Province, next to the Training Grounds of Cursed Springs, Jusenkyo?” “That is correct.” Mei Lin. Alexis gave her unwanted partner a look of disbelief. “Wait a minute! You DON’T know about Kuang Shi, but you DO know about an obscure place of chaotic magic like Jusenkyo? And while we’re at it, how do YOU know about the Joketsuzoku? Only a handful of people, (myself included), even know that they exist!” Soun’s daughter shrugged her shoulders as she replied. “I met up with one of the Matriarchs of the Joketsuzoku. She gave me this.” She reached into her handbag and showed Alexis and the Ghost Sisters the bracelet that Cologne had given to her at the end of her basic spellcasting training. “Ooh! An Honorary Amazon Bracelet!” Hsien Ko remarked. “Those are only given to a chosen FEW outsiders, and only from the highest-ranking Elders! You must have really impressed her to receive such a great honor!” The more Alexis heard about Kasumi’s achievement, the more confused she became as Kasumi put away her gift from Cologne. However, before she could ask about that fact, the field judges reminded them that they still had a challenge to complete if they expected to move on to the third round of the games. “Now then,” Mei Lin began. “Let us explain what you must do.” She gestured to the multitudes of tunnel passageways. “From this starting point, the two of you must choose a path and begin making your way to the exit at the far side of the mountain range. As you can see, there is a colored panel above each passageway, corresponding to the color of your badges.” Both novice sorceresses noted that eight of the tunnels had a blue panel, thereby indicating that they were possible ways to get to the finish. “However, take note that only HALF of those tunnels will eventually lead to the exit. The others will only come to dead ends or will lead you back to the start.” Hsien Ko pointed out. “So what you’re saying is that our first task is to find out which tunnels will take us in the right direction?” Alexis surmised. “Correct.” Both Ghost Amazons said simultaneously. “Well, that’s simple enough. Allow me.” Kasumi said as she stepped forward and unsheathed her dagger. Releasing two of her limiters, she invoked a spell that she had become very familiar with. “Seek!” She sent out her Echolocation Spell and waited for the result. However, she took on a perplexed expression as she received... nothing. “I... don’t understand. It didn’t work.” The rich heiress smacked a palm on her forehead and groaned. “Of course it didn’t work, you silly twit!” “Pardon?” Kasumi turned to her partner in confusion. She wasn’t used to being insulted. Alexis took a deep breath to calm down as she explained. “Don’t you remember what Master Wizard Kalen said? This mountain range is filled with magical stones and ores that can affect Elemental Spells. Using that type of magic is virtually USELESS here! That Echolocation Spell was cute during the first round, but it won’t help you now!” Hsien Ko and her sister nodded as the blue-skinned girl explained. “She’s right. This particular cavern is filled with Silence Stones and Echo Rock.” “Your Echolocation Spell works just like sonar which uses the sound of your voice to bounce off and reflect back to you.” The blonde girl continued. “Those ores will either absorb the sound waves or bounce them in totally random directions. In other words, you can’t discern what is ahead if you don’t get any feedback. We have to use Shamanistic Magic, remember?” “Oh... I see.” Kasumi replied in understanding as she re-sheathed her dagger. Alexis gave another sigh of irritation as she stepped forward and reached into her own handbag. “Let me show you how it is done!” She took out a roll of parchment and laid it down on the cavern floor. She unrolled it until it was flat. To the normal observer, it was a blank square of parchment with an area of about three square feet. Kasumi immediately recognized it with her mystic senses. “Ah! A Divination-Direction Map.” “Indeed. Now watch as I show you MY Shamanistic skills!” She knelt down and began whispering an incantation. The Tendo girl noted that Alexis didn’t use a wand or a mystic bracelet to focus her power. She saw that the ornate ring on the heiress’ middle left finger glowed with power. The finger jewelry was a simple, wide band of gold, inlaid with sapphire-colored Rune Symbols. The parchment responded to her spellcasting as lines of white light appeared on its surface in an intricate pattern. Kasumi knew that Alexis was reaching out with her spirit energy to plot out the surrounding area. However, her confidence turned to puzzlement as she tried to discern the correct path from the mystic map she had created. “What’s going on? I’m getting a reading on all the tunnels, but I can’t discern the ones that will lead toward the exit. They’re all giving me the same psychic feedback. I can’t tell which way is the correct one.” “I’m not surprised.” Mei Lin commented. “What do you mean? I’m using Shamanistic Magic, just as Master Kalen told us to.” “Yes you are.” Hsien Ko agreed. “However, you’ve also forgotten the other part he said about this round. Kasumi’s spell failed because she used Elemental Magic. Your spell is failing because you are trying to do it by yourself. He did mention that you won’t be able to pass these challenges individually. To ensure that each contestant works with his/her partner, Kalen cast a set of blocking spells to foil any individual attempts. You must COOPERATE with your partner.” “So how are we supposed to find the correct path if I can’t divine it on my map,” Alexis pointed angrily at Kasumi, “And her Echolocation Spell is worthless here?” At that point, Kasumi nodded as she came up with an idea. “Excuse me, but I might have a solution.” “And what would that be?” The rich girl asked in irritation. Kasumi kept a cool head, despite the insults and angry words being thrown at her. “If I understand correctly, you are able to get a feel for the surrounding area by plotting out the psychic vibrations and drawing them on your map.” “That is correct. However, I cannot discern which tunnels will lead to the exit since they’re all giving off the same psychic impression. I cannot tell which ones are dangerous or which direction they are going off in. Right now, my map is no better than a cheap road map at the local petrol station!” “I believe the reason why you cannot tell the difference is because of those blocking spells our Kuang Shi judges had mentioned. So here’s my idea. We must cooperate for our divination spells to work. Now what I need you to do is to maintain those psychic patterns, while I use another spell to find out which way is correct.” “And what spell are you going to use now?” Kasumi reached into her handbag and pulled out a five-yen piece with a length of string threaded through the center hole. She held out her hand and let the coin dangle above the parchment. She closed her eyes and concentrated, while releasing her third limiter. Alexis looked at the simple device and snorted in disbelief. “Dowsing?! You’re going to use THAT crude method of divination? I’ll tell you right now that it’s not going to...” WHOOSH! “...work.” A sudden gust of magically-induced wind was summoned as Kasumi’s eyes opened and glowed with a soft blue light. The Divination-Direction Map also glowed with light, as did the coin as it swayed back in forth. The two items synchronized their mystical wavelengths as four shafts of light were emitted from the map and pointed toward four of the eight tunnels with blue panels. Kasumi came out of her psychic trance and nodded to her partner. “Those four tunnels are the correct ones.” Both girls turned toward the field judges as they nodded in agreement. “You have passed the first trial.” Mei Lin announced. “You may proceed.” Hsien Ko added. “We will keep watch on you throughout the rest of this round.” With those words, both Kuang Shi disappeared from sight. Alexis gazed upon her unwanted comrade for a long time before finally ending her spell and put away her map. She then stood up and composed herself before finally speaking. “You do realize that your Dowsing Spell only worked because I drew a perfect psychic pattern for you to divine.” “I suppose.” Kasumi shrugged as she put away her coin. “Shall we go?” Alexis could only nod as they randomly went down one of the four correct tunnels and on to the next trial. As soon as they were out of sight, the Kuang Shi sisters reappeared as they looked down the pathway the contestants had taken. “Those two are like oil and water.” Hsien Ko observed. “I guess it was bad luck for the both of them to be partners in this round.” “I’m not so sure about that.” Mei Lin remarked. “Did you not notice how easily their psychic auras synchronized? Their personalities may be incompatible with each other, but their magical wavelengths seem to work very well together.” “Only time will tell.” With those words, the two field judges faded away as the challenge continued. ---------- At the Tendo home, three witches were also watching the Second Round of the Apprenticeship Games from an enchanted mirror in the guest room. Simmering nearby, a cauldron had a magic ladle stirring the brew within it. After finally obtaining the ingredients needed to break the bad luck hex on the Tendo family, the Salem Sisters had begun preparing the counter-spell. However, they didn’t trust Akane Tendo to stay out of the kitchen, so they had to prepare the potion component in their room. “Of all the people our apprentice had to be partnered up with, it was THAT brat.” Girella commented. “Let’s not be too judgmental Sister.” Parelle said. “Though it is true that Alexis Val Karas was unsuited to be our disciple, it does NOT mean she has no magical talent.” “Far from it.” Tyselli agreed. “She is after all an heir to Merlin’s Legacy. That old codger had spells and potions that even our family line have yet to decipher. Iliane the Philospher is STILL trying to unlock the final secrets of Merlin’s first spellbook.” The Grimbard Family’s magical roots actually dated back to the late 13th Century and had only come to providence in Salem during the mid-1600’s. Some of their magical lore had been derived from a few pages of Merlin’s spellbooks. Much of his magical knowledge had been lost when King Arthur’s Camelot fell. However, it was the Val Karas Family that had access to the bulk of Merlin’s remaining legacy. According to ancient lore, in the late 12th Century, a descendant of one of Merlin’s apprentices had discovered a hidden cache of scrolls and spellbooks, as well as a dragon’s horde of Makai gold and gems. From that treasure, Alexis’ family was elevated from the peasantry to among the highest ranks of the nobility, both on Earth and the Other Realm. Gaining the knowledge of Merlin also boosted their magical skills to rival those of the higher tiers of demon nobles. “You know,” Parelle mused, “I think it may have been a good thing that Kasumi has Miss Val Karas as her partner for this round. What Alexis lacks in raw magical power, she makes up for it in precision and accuracy. And she’s certainly not deficient in the knowledge department. She could very well teach our apprentice a few things about the Makai.” “That reminds me.” The middle Salem sister brought up. “Why didn’t we teach Kasumi all the general Makai knowledge that a novice magician should have?” “May I remind YOU that we barely had three months to finish Kasumi’s basic spellcasting training?” Tyselli pointed out. “We just didn’t have the time. We were just lucky that Kasumi was a quick study.” “That was the main reason why we gave her Google.” The eldest witch said. “That Almanac Sprite should be able to bring her up to speed on all the basics about the Makai.” “Yes, but she can’t consult her almanac all the time, especially now. She’s got less than four hours to finish this round.” “Then I would say that it’s fortunate that she has a ‘walking almanac’ for a partner. Their personalities may not mesh very well together, but Kasumi’s going to need the knowledge that Alexis possesses, and Alexis is going to need the raw magical potential that Kasumi has. Remember that flash we saw on Kasumi’s belt buckle? I’d say that Leprechaun Gold that Shamus donated also foresaw that situation.” With nods from her siblings, Parelle turned back to watch the progress of their student. The other two witches followed suit. ---------- Somewhere deep within the maze... Kasumi held out her wand, which glowed with a soft, white light at its tip. Using a simple spirit luminescence spell, she had turned her wand into a makeshift torch to illuminate the path before her. Walking beside her, with her left hand held out, Alexis lit up the sides and the area behind them with her magic ring. “Do you have ANY idea what direction we are going?” The wealthy girl asked with irritation. “It seems like we’ve been going around in circles.” Nabiki’s sister cocked her head in thought, and then nodded. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to take a bearing. If you would please bring out your map?” Alexis let off a sigh of annoyance, but she had no choice. None of their shamanistic spells would work unless they were done in cooperation with each other. She quickly took out her Divination-Direction Map, unrolled it and set it on the floor of the passageway. She knelt down and began reaching out with her psychic powers, drawing out a spiritual map of the surrounding area on the parchment. The gentle Tendo girl then invoked her own spell, this time using her wand as the direction-finder. She levitated the instrument above her palm, until it floated horizontally above her hand. Then it began to spin like the needle of a compass, until it suddenly stopped with the tip pointing in a specific direction, aligning its energy with that of the Direction-Divination Map’s. “Hmmm, if that way is north, then if we continue on this passageway, we would be heading in a southwestern direction.” The Val Karas heir cocked her own head in thought and nodded. “Well, at least you know which way is which. As I recall from my studies of this area, the exit to the Malicont Maze is located ten miles from the Gate of Kilaga, which is east of the Pillars of Rydoon. So if that’s case, I would put us... right about here.” On her map, a bright red dot appeared near the center, indicating their current position. By using Kasumi’s orientation spell as a guide, Alexis was able to discern their approximate coordinates and how far away from the goal they were. Kasumi was very impressed by her partner’s knowledge. “Oh my! You know this place very well.” Alexis gave her another annoyed glare. “This ISN’T my first trip to the Makai, you know. The Val Karas family happens to have many connections and business arrangements with the nobility of the Other Realm.” She paused for a moment to think and then gathered up her map. “Come on! Let’s get this over with! The last thing I need is to be slowed down by you!” The eldest daughter of Soun Tendo didn’t really like her partner’s harsh behavior toward her, but she did raise a valid point. They couldn’t afford to dawdle. Unlike the first round, Kasumi didn’t have the entire day to finish the round. Time was of the essence and she may not be able to pass this time without using her Tokens. It was at that point that the two girls reached another large cavern and saw their next challenge. Kasumi only had one thing to say. “Oh my!” Both female apprentices could only stare at the huge gorge that was before them. It was hard to believe that they were still underneath a mountain range, since the gap was so vast that it made the Grand Canyon look like a pothole. They could just barely see the opposite side and several colored lights blinking from it. When they looked down, they could not even make out the bottom, as it was covered in thick layers of fog. There were several huge pillars of stone projecting out from those billowing clouds and the girls noted that there were dozes of other contestants riding on thin, oddly-shaped platforms on top of the fog. Each platform carred two people. Alexis stood for a long while, not saying a word for a long while, before deciding to test out waters, or rather the fog so to speak. She bent down, picked up a baseball-size rock and nonchalantly tossed it over the edge. She and Kasumi listened for the piece of stone to hit the bottom of the gorge. However, they heard nothing but silence. “Maybe it’s bottomless? I don’t hear anything.” Kasumi remarked. “And you won’t hear anything.” A new voice said. Both novice sorceresses turned around toward the new voice and beheld their two Kuang Shi judges standing nearby. “Welcome to the second phase of this round.” Hsien Ko greeted. “Also, welcome to the Five-Day Drop.” Her sibling added. “THE FIVE-DAY DROP?!” The blonde girl exclaimed as she pointed at the gorge. “THIS IS THE FIVE-DAY DROP?! No wonder we didn’t hear anything!” Kasumi cocked her head in thought at their words, and then began to understand their meaning. “You mean... this gorge does have a bottom?” “That’s right.” The aqua-hued ghost replied. “There’s a bottom, but it’s so deep, that if you were to fall off the edge, then it’ll take you about five days to hit the floor of the gorge. If you’re lucky, you’ll die of thirst before you reach the bottom. If you’re not... well, let’s just say that you don’t WANNA know what’s at the bottom!” “The goal is simple.” Mei Lin assured as she pointed to the opposite end of the gorge. “Just make it to the other side. You see those colored lights? They show which tunnels you are allowed to go through. Since your color is blue, you must make your way toward that tunnel.” “Sounds easy enough.” Alexis said as she reached into her bag to pull out her personal magic carpet. Kasumi was about to do likewise with her new broom, but they were both stopped by the ghost Amazons. “Whoops! You’re forgetting the Number One Rule for this round.” The blue- skinned sister reminded. “Remember that this is a JOINT effort. Individual riding on your own transportation for this challenge is NOT permitted.” “So does that mean we’ll have to ride on the same vehicle?” The brown-haired Tendo girl asked. She assumed that Alexis would have to ride double on her broom, or she would have to join the rich girl on her carpet. “Well, yes you will have to ride on one vehicle,” Mei Lin admitted. “However, it WON’T be a vehicle that belongs to either of you. As my sister stated, you must WORK together and therefore, you will ride on THIS!” She pointed toward the edge as a large object suddenly rose from the fog and floated before them. It was flat-shaped platform that was similar to all the others, but was colored blue and had some winglike projections at its base. “This is a specially-modified Mana Skiff.” Hsien Ko explained. “It will only respond when two sets of mana are at the helm. Therefore, it will require the two of you to work in sync in order to get to the other side. Too much conflict between your magical auras will cause it to tip over. Mind you that since cooperation is CRUCIAL to this test, Master Kalan had decided that this challenge will be ALL OR NOTHING.” “What my sister means,” The other ghost girl explained, “Is that should one or both fall off the skiff, it will be counted as an AUTOMATIC Concede, regardless of how many Tokens you have remaining. You will both be transported back to the Coliseum, in which your participation in these games will end. Six pairs have already been eliminated. However, should you make it to the other side, then the number of Tokens will be DOUBLED! You can imagine how much help that will be in the much harder challenges that lay ahead.” “Of course, you are allowed to use one of your Tokens to skip this challenge, but it is advisable to save them for the more difficult events that have yet to come.” “So what will be your decision?” Both girls gazed at each other, as if they were reading each other’s thoughts. Technically speaking, they could do so with a telepathic spell, but each had her own reasons why she didn’t do so. For Kasumi, she had already decided to take the challenge as it wasn’t in her nature to leave a task unfinished. Even if she wasn’t with her Soul Friend Meala this time around, she would still press on. That was her way. As for Alexis, it was a matter of pride. She didn’t want to concede in front of anyone, especially to this peasant girl. After being shown up so many times, Alexis was going to prove to Kasumi Tendo that the Free Study wasn’t the only talented novice in these games. Simultaneously they gave the Kuang Shi judges their response. “We’ll take the challenge!” The two Amazons nodded as the Mana Skiff was guided toward them and hovered for them to mount it. As soon they stepped on it, two pairs of railings came up from it, indicating that they were to hold on to them while riding the skiff. Alexis and Kasumi adjusted their handbangs so they wouldn’t get in the way as they examined their craft. Both noted that the skiff had two circular control panels on its surface, each of which had a set of Rune Symbols etched around them. The Val Karas girl gave the skiff an appraisal and commented on it. “Hmmm, from what I can see, this skiff has been modified to be dual-driven. One person can’t drive this alone. From what I can tell, the steering and altitude controls are in the front, while propulsion, acceleration and braking are in the rear.” Alexis then gave her compatriot a suspicious look. “I TRUST that you have SOME basic instruction in Mana Flyer-Type piloting? At least you have a Learner’s Permit, correct?” Kasumi could only sheepishly shrug her shoulders and reply. “I... only know how to fly a broom.” “In that case, YOU are going to be in the REAR!” Alexis didn’t even give Kasumi a chance to argue as she immediately took the front position. Twin levers came up to fit themselves in her hands. The panel glowed with light as she stepped inside it. The magic runes glowed softly as they began to synchronize with her aura. Kasumi let off a quiet sigh as she walked over the rear of the skiff and took up her position. ---------- In the Blackstorm’s private observation booth... “Now that wasn’t fair!” Nabiki exclaimed. “Actually, that was fair.” Shidori said as she took a sip of her beverage. “What do you mean? She had no right to just decide who gets what position on the skiff!” “Well, actually I do agree with Lady Shidori.” Henry pointed out. “Why?” The middle Tendo daughter asked. “Riding a broom and riding a Mana Flyer-Type are completely different.” Argus’ wife replied. “Take it from a veteran Mana Pilot like myself. It’s a LOT more trickier. The control surfaces are extremely sensitive and require a great deal of concentration. Even a small misjudgement can result in overcompenstion and you could lose control. Alexis Val Karas DOES have a Magical Learner’s Permit for a Mana Flyer-Type. Kasumi only knows how to ride a broom so this is the best option for the both of them.” “However, I do think that this is still going to be troublesome.” The Halfling remarked. “Considering how Kasumi’s mana output tends to overflow when she tries too hard, it’ll be like hooking up a jet engine to the Wright Brothers plane.” “The Wright Brothers?” Nabiki wondered. “I was there in disguise at Kitty Hawk in 1903.” ---------- Back at the gorge... As Kasumi stepped into the control circle and took hold of the railings for support, the Rune Symbols activated as the second part of the skiff attunded itself to her aura. She was fascinated by the patterns of mystic symbols all placed about in a specific order. She wondered about a certain image of a star and stepped on it. At that moment, the Kuang Shi sisters were about to mention something important about the challenge. “Oh, and there is something we should tell you about this challenge and the remainder of the games...” Hsien Ko began. She never got to finish as the skiff suddenly powered up and shot forward like a rocket, taking the ghosts and Alexis by surprise. Kasumi had unknowingly ‘stepped on the gas.’ Hsien Ko and Mei Lin stood with their mouths open for a moment, then turned to each other. “They didn’t give us a chance to tell them about the Free-For-All Rule that’s now in effect.” Mei Lin commented. “I’m pretty sure they’re going to find out very soon.” Her sister said as they merged into their combined form. Mei Lin disappeared in a puff of smoke and reappeared as a strip of parchment on Hsien Ko’s hat. She then flew off to the other side of the gorge to await the girls’ arrival... provided that they would be able to make it. Out over the gorge, both girls let off screams of terror as the skiff sped off at more than 175 mph. It left a huge wake in the surface of the fog as if it were like water. As they passed by, two nearby skiffs were swamped by sudden drop in air pressure, knocking off four competitors from their perches. They disappeared from sight before they could fall too far down the gorge, indicating that their Concede Spells had activated, disqualifying them from competition. Alexis found it nearly impossible to turn as they headed toward a huge pillar of rock. At this rate of acceleration, any sudden change in direction would cause them to spin out of control. She began screaming at the top of her lungs. “SLOW DOWN! SLOW DOWN! FOR PITY’S SAKE, SLOW DOWN!” “How do I do that?” Kasumi cried back. “TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR RUNE, YOU NITWIT!” Nabiki’s sister immediately understood as she moved her foot off the Rune Symbol and began to taper back her aura. In response, the skiff began to slow down as Alexis managed to make a sloppy, but serviceable turn, narrowly missing the pillar by a mere five feet. As the skiff slowly drifted along, the rich girl angrily turned toward Kasumi. However, before she could give Kasumi a piece of her mind, a blast of lightning suddenly shot over their heads, impacting a nearby pillar and sent rock fragments flying. Both girls turned to where the lightning came from and paled as they saw about 10 other skiffs accelerating toward them. On each platform, the novices were powering up their auras... to attack them! Kasumi Tendo and Alexis Val Karas were now in the crosshairs. ---------- In the Blackstorm’s Booth... “What are they doing?!” Nabiki cried out. “They can’t do that! It’s against the rules!” “Actually... they can.” Matthew admitted sadly. “What?!” Jon patted her on the shoulder to calm her down before explaining. “My son and I have seen this happen on previous Apprenticeship Games. It looks like the Free-For-All Rule is now in effect.” “Free-For-All Rule?” “After the first day of competition, the games will allow for the contestants to attack each other during the challenges. Think of it as another method to ‘thin out the herd’ so to speak.” Jon’s son remarked. “The competitors all have the right to try and knock each other out of the running, provided that they still complete the challenge.” Jon pointed out. “This is one of the ways in which novices are tested as they not only have to deal with the events, but also against each other. In this case, the goal is to reach the other side. There were no restrictions cited against attacking your opponents. Cooperating with your partner to control the skiff is only part of the challenge. Now they must also deal with those who will try to stop them.” “Of course, the referees are there to make certain no one is seriously injured or dies.” Matthew continued. “Keep in mind however, that Kasumi did make quite a splash during yesterday’s event. That alone has made others see her as major competition.” “Alexis Val Karas is also considered as a huge threat. And in this particular challenge, if they can manage to throw them off their skiff, they’ll be killing two birds with one stone. At this point, Alexis Val Karas and Kasumi Tendo are on the top of everyone’s hit list in the Gold Griffin Division.” ---------- Back to the games... As the opposing skiffs came speeding toward them, Alexis could only say one thing. “STEP ON IT!” Kasumi immediately complied as their skiff roared to life again. The girls now found themselves in a race against time, and for one of the most intense battles of their lives. Unfortunately, their skiff was exactly the same as the others in terms of top speed and performance, which meant that they would have to outthink their foes. This would prove to be quite difficult as it was taking much of their concentration to keep their own craft stable at such a high speed. At that point, the other competitors started using them for target practice. Three skiffs made a wide turn on their right and let loose with a volley of shadow energy projectiles. Since Shamanistic Powers were the emphasis of this round, they focused on using dark and light-based magical attacks. Alexis had to work hard at the controls to dodge the first barrage, but then saw another wave coming from her left. She knew that their skiff wouldn’t be able to swerve out of the way in time, so she briefly raised her left hand and invoked a quick protection barrier spell. The magic ring on her middle finger glowed as a spiritual wave of energy just barely deflected the attacks. This was extremely draining on her mana reserves and concentration as she had to divide both resources to guiding the skiff and defending them. She shouted back at the skiff’s ‘engine.’ “DON’T JUST STAND THERE LIKE A NINNY! FIGHT BACK!” “WHAT?!” Kasumi cried out. At this point, she was hanging on for dear life as she continually fed magic into the propulsion system. “I CAN’T KEEP DODGING AND DEFENDING FOREVER! YOU’VE GOT TO GET AT LEAST SOME OF THEM OFF OUR TAIL!” “BUT...!” Kasumi began as she was still reluctant to initiate an attack against someone. “NO BUTS! WE EITHER FIGHT BACK OR WE LOSE EVERYTHING HERE AND NOW! SO HELP ME, IF I LOSE IN THESE GAMES BECAUSE OF YOU, I WILL MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOU WILL REGRET IT FOR ALL ETERNITY! IF YOU ARE TRULY WORTHY OF WHOEVER TAUGHT YOU MAGIC, THEN DO THEM PROUD AND GET OFF YOUR ARSE!” For what seemed to be an eternity, Kasumi was in her own little world as she thought about all she had endured with Henry and the Grimbards Sisters. Every hardship she had endured, every moment of pain and suffering she had taken, every magical lesson she had ever learned, flashed before her. Through it all she had persevered. They all had faith in her, and her reluctance to use what they had taught her to defend herself was not only shaming them, but also herself. Despite the insults that her partner was giving her, Alexis did raise a valid point. It was time for Kasumi to fight back. Turning about and making certain that she was still feeding mana to the skiff to propel it, she raised her wand and took aim. She released all three of her intial limiters and began throwing a barrage of lightning strikes at those who were chasing them. She aimed low as she wanted only to incapacitate their skiffs. However, it was quite a difficult task, especially when firing from a moving platform at moving targets. The first few blasts either fell short or overshot. The task was made even more difficult with Alexis violently throwing their vehicle about to avoid incoming attacks. Kasumi remembered back to watching old World War II documentaries and how fighter pilots had to lead their targets. She began anticipating her opponents’ movements, then fired off a spread of explosive spirit balls. Two of the enemy skiffs were knocked off-balance as they swerved to avoid the attack, but the resulting explosions were enough to overturn them, thereby causing their riders to fall off. They were instantly transported back to the Coliseum. The other competitors backed off a bit as they realized their intended prey now had a tail-gunner. However, two of the skiffs got the idea to outflank the girls as they split off and charged at them from both sides. Alexis had to think fast as she knew that Kasumi wouldn’t be able to stop them. As the opposing novices powered up to fire off simultaneous blasts, she got a crazy idea that just might work. “GIVE ME ALL THE SPEED YOU’VE GOT!” Kasumi immediately turned about and pumped a huge amount of mana into the skiff. Alexis then began adjusting the altitude controls. The two opposing skiffs had anticipated the move and opened fire at the same time. One beam was pure white while the other was a dark purple. It seemed that both attacks would strike their target and crush it. However, all those present were shocked as the skiff Kasumi and Alexis were riding on rose above the fog bank like a flying fish coming out from the waves. Time seemed to move in slow motion as the two beams passed beneath the skiff, just barely scraping its bottom and continuing on. The dark purple beam shot out and took out the skiff that had fired the white beam. By sheer irony, the white beam took out the skiff that had fired the purple beam! With a single move, Alexis had made two teams take each other out! However, as those individuals were sent back to the Coliseum, that still left six more skiffs chasing after them as they headed toward an area littered with stone pillars. Kasumi had no choice but to slow their craft down in order for Alexis to steer around those obstacles. That allowed their pursuers to shorten the gap between them. As they rounded about a huge column of rock, they began to open fire on Kasumi and Alexis. The heir to the Val Karas Family was putting all of her Mana-Flyer lessons to their fullest, as she guided the skiff through extremely narrow gaps and around massive walls of stone. She also had to avoid the smaller shards of rock that would shred the bottom of their skiff like paper. And with other contestants trying their hardest to knock them out of the competition, the task was made all the more difficult. Behind her, Kasumi was trying her best to force their attackers to break off their pursuit. Though she didn’t like the idea of firing at another person, she wasn’t given much choice. After lobbing a few explosive spirit balls, she managed to take out two more skiffs. The remaining four skiffs however, suddenly split off in different directions, making it harder for Kasumi to track them. All the racers soon found themselves speeding around a winding course among the rocks, each taking shots at the lead skiff. It was only a matter of time before the Val Karas girl and Nabiki’s sister were eliminated from competition. Kasumi desperately tried to think of a way out of this mess. She looked down at her controls, and noticed a certain Rune Symbol that she hadn’t seen before. She activated it, and was surprised to see a circular image appear before her with a red blip in the center and four white blips racing around it. She immediately recognized the image as some kind of magical navigational radar. She made some quick assessments of the surrounding area according to the image and came up with an idea. “BEAR TO THE RIGHT, ALEXIS!” “WHAT?!” The rich girl cried out as she fought hard to keep control at such a high rate of speed. “YOU HAVE TO TRUST ME! BEAR TO THE RIGHT! NOW!” For one long, agonizing moment, Alexis hesitated before making the skiff turn hard right. The move proved to be a good one as they narrowly avoided a volley of dark energy arrows. “MAKE A ONE-EIGHTY AND GUN IT!” Alexis wrenched the controls hard, causing the skiff to turn about before shooting off in the opposite direction down a narrow straightaway. “Steady... steady...” The blonde girl’s heart was pounding hard as she wondered just what Kasumi was up to. She looked ahead and saw what appeared to be a multi-channeled crossroad. As they approached it, she heard a shout from her partner. “JUMP IT ALEXIS! NOW!” At that moment, Kasumi once again pumped a huge amount of mana into the skiff’s engine. Her compatriot hit the altitude controls, causing the vehicle to rise up over the fog and high up into air. Then it happened. KA-BOOM! As their skiff came back down on the fog bank, both girls looked back and saw that three of the skiffs had crashed into each other at the crossroads. Thanks to Kasumi’s guidance, the other contestants had been maneuvered into a three- way collision trying to catch them. With the six novices being sent back to starting line, there was only one team left to beat. “I must admit,” Alexis began. “That was very... impressive.” Kasumi smiled at the reluctant compliment. Perhaps things weren’t so bad after all. KRA-KOOM! Her brief moment of triumph was immediately forgotten as the last and most persistent of their pursuers came roaring at them with lighting strikes. These would prove to be the most cunning of their adversaries as they had not been tricked like the others. Alexis blanched a bit as she got a good look of who was on the enemy craft. The two female novices were humanoids with grey skin and had short horns. They were dressed in identical navy blue and white sorceress outfits that were similar to Kasumi’s. Their eyes were solid blue with no pupils. One girl had brown hair, while the other had red hair. Both had their hair done up in long braids. Each sported an ornamental bracelet in which they used to focus their powers. The one big difference between them and the other novices was the fact that they could BOTH attack while piloting their vehicle. They demonstrated this ability as they swerved about and gave Alexis and Kasumi a broadside. Both the pilot and the navigator let loose with a volley of light-arrows, in which Alexis managed to deflect. However, they didn’t stop attacking as their skiff sped beside theirs and began sideswiping and slamming into them. Each hit threatened to knock them off as Alexis tried to outmaneuver them. However, every move was countered as they neared the other side of the immense gorge. The barrier Alexis had put up was weakening, and Kasumi was being pushed to her limits countering whatever attack spells was being thrown at her. As she looked down at her control panel, she saw that the skiff was taking lot damage and was in danger of shutting down or fall apart. On Alexis’ control panel, she saw that everything was about to redline and she needed to get them some breathing room. As their opponents came in for another attack run, she immediately dropped her barrier spell and threw out a surprise. “Pectus pectoris of oriens orior oriri ortus!” (2) She let loose with an intense light-burst spell that went off like a huge magnesium flare. Both of their opponents screamed out in pain and surprise and veered off as their vision was temporarily impaired. Alexis took this opportunity to guide her partner and their battered and heavily damaged skiff out of immediate danger area. Unfortunately, their last two opponents quickly recovered and looked about for their prey. However, they saw no sign of their quarry in all directions. Had they been thrown off their skiff and were disqualified? They quickly dismissed that notion as the opposing skiff or its wreckage was nowhere in sight. That meant that Alexis and Kasumi were still in the game. The question was... where were they? Now the two hunter girls had the option of continuing on to the exit, but that would leave them open to an ambush should Alexis and Kasumi suddenly reappear. They began to use their scrying spells to locate their prey. However, they could not find even the slightest trace of their opponents in the nearby maze of stone pillars or the surrounding fog bank. ---------- Unbeknownst to them, their prey was actually closer than they believed. Had they thought to scan the fog bank itself, they might have detected their targets hovering some 100 feet below them. The thick fog obscured them from sight but it was only a matter of time before they would be discovered. After throwing the light-burst spell, Alexis took the only option and had her skiff dive down like a submarine. Though the vehicles were able to skim across the thick fog like water, it didn’t mean that they had to stay on the surface. As long as they remained on their skiff, they were still active in the challenge. Both looked up at the menacing shadow that was circling above them. To keep their pursuers from hearing them, the girls were using their telepathy spells to communicate. Kasumi thought. Alexis remarked with a harsh expression. Alexis cocked her head in thought for a moment before responding. After a long pause, Kasumi nodded as they began putting Alexis’ plan in motion. ---------- On the surface of the fog bank, the Hunterions continued to search for their quarry with their scrying spells. They were about to extend their search for the depths of the fog bank when the red-haired girl caught a signal and pointed toward in the direction of the exit. They immediately gunned their skiff into overdrive as they chased after their objective in their mad dash to victory. The Hunterions started to throw a tremendous barrage of light and shadow projectiles at the Alexis and Kasumi’s skiff. Several pieces were blown off as the skiff started to give off a large plume of smoke. Just one hundred yards from the exit and the magical vehicle was struck hard with a direct hit. Both girls were thrown off the skiff and were magically transported back to the starting line. The hunt was over, and they had defeated the top two competitors of the Gold Griffin Division. There was nothing left but to head to the exit and move on to the next stage. As there were no other challengers, they could take their time. As a result they let their guard down. That would prove to be their undoing as two heads rose up from the fog bank some fifty yards behind them. Then they let off twin blasts at their target, just below the surface of the fog. The projectiles looked like torpedoes as they streaked toward the enemy skiff. The Hunterions barely had time to scream as their skiff was shot out from beneath their feet. They were immediately sent back to the Coliseum, leaving the TRUE winners of the match left standing as their skiff fully came to the surface. “I can’t believe that worked!” Kasumi remarked as she powered their nearly- broken skiff to the other side of the gorge. “Of course it worked! It was MY PLAN after all.” Alexis said arrogantly, though inside she was quite relieved that her strategy had been successful. Just as they reached the other side and stepped off the skiff, the magical vehicle finally gave up the ghost and broke apart. Hsien Ko appeared beside them and her seal transformed back into her sister Mei Lin. “How did you do that?” The blue skinned ghost-girl asked. “We saw you get blown up.” “Actually, what you saw was an illusion of us being defeated.” The Tendo girl corrected. “It was Miss Val Karis’ idea to use an image spell to draw our rivals away from our position, while we sneaked up on them.” “Indeed.” The blonde novice concurred. “Miss Tendo cast the illusion while I steered us into position to ambush them. Simple really.” Both Amazons nodded as they agreed that both contestants had used Shamanistic Spells in conjunction, and therefore were free to move on to the next phase. However, even tougher challenges awaited them. ---------- In the Blackstorm’s Booth, Nabiki let off a sigh of relief as she sat back down in her seat. “Whew! For a minute there, I thought Kasumi wasn’t going to make it!” “Yes, I think she did well for herself.” Shidori agreed. “However, we must also give Miss Val Karas her due.” “Why? She kept on insulting Kasumi all through the match!” “And that was actually a blessing in disguise.” Henry pointed out. “The Grimbards and I had noticed that Kasumi was quite reluctant to initiate any attacks, and that puts her at a distinct disadvantage. The challenges will only get harder and she will need to step it up.” “And I must say that she certainly showed that she has what it takes. Perhaps we may even see this rookie go all the way to the top.” Argus’ wife commented as she changed the channel on the main viewer. “But for now, I believe we should look in on how my son and Kasumi’s friends are doing. We’ll check back on her in a little while.” ---------- The Ruby Dragon Division... Jason frowned as he looked over the spectral map of the battlefield. Though he preferred to work alone, the second round of his division focused on group effort and as soon as he was placed, the entire team unanimously nominated him as the leader. Why? Because he was the son of Argus Blackstorm of course. In addition to having immense Hellfire powers and destructive ability, the Blackstorms were also considered to be among the premier war leaders. Belial greatly appreciated having such a powerful and commanding general like Jason’s father on his side. Jason was of course, schooled in battle tactics, and had even studied the wars waged on Earth throughout history. He was very familiar with the stratagems of Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Julius Caesar, and Sun Tzu. His personal favorites were Ulysses Grant, William Sherman, Robert E. Lee, Admiral Yamamoto, and George Patton. Since many of the contestants in the Ruby Dragons were planning on attending the military academies, or join up with the Makai armies, Warrior Mage Sajaki had decided to get the novices inaugurated in the basics of warfare. The remaining one hundred and twenty-six competitors had been split up into six teams of twenty-one and were placed in the mountainous regions of the country of Kilagia. There they would wage a magical version of Capture the Flag. Each team was given just six hours to invade each other’s territories and capture one of the other team’s banners. Those who had two banners would be able to move on to the next round. The team that lost its banner at the end of the round would be disqualified. In this scenario, it was a fair bet that at least half of the competitors would not make it to the third day. So far, there had been nothing but small skirmishes and such as each side was testing out their opponents. No one had captured a banner yet, but Jason soon found out from his scouts that two of the teams had decided on a joint attack against his group, which meant that he was outnumbered two-to-one. At that point, his number one scout entered the cave he was using as a base of operations. The lizard girl Clea was lucky enough to be assigned to his team and her tracking skills were quite useful in following enemy positions. “Report.” The reptilian girl nodded as she pointed to the spectral map. “Teams C and D are moving toward this ridge from the north.” “They’re heading toward the high ground.” Jason remarked as he pointed to another section. “And what about Teams B and E?” “They’re too busy fighting each other to worry about. Team F has just lost their banner to Team C.” “They lost to Team C?” “Yeah. It looks like they got help from Team D and double-teamed them. Now they’re planning to do the same to us.” “How many of our forces are left?” “Counting me and you, we’ve got fifteen. Four of us got tagged out during an ambush and two decided to defect over to Team D.” “Which two decided to play Benedict Arnold?” “I think it was the Skalardian and the Kilgoton.” “So it’s a sure bet that they told Team D about the location of this cave.” Jason shrugged as he closed off the spectral map after memorizing it. “Oh well, it doesn’t matter now. I was planning to move out anyway. C’mon, we’ve got three banners to collect.” “Three?” Clea asked in confusion. “Yep. Team C has their own and Team F’s. So we’re going to take both and Team D’s, all in one fell swoop.” “How are we going to do that? They outnumber us!” “That’s what THEY think. I happen to know a couple of things about the terrain that they don’t. I also know where we can find some extra reinforcements.” “Reinforcements?” “You’ll see. This will be the last day in the Apprenticeship Games for everyone in those teams, including those two traitors. They should be grateful that I don’t like skinning people alive like my Dad used to do.” Clea shuddered as she followed her team’s leader out of the cave. She then asked him the following. “So what do you plan to do against Teams C and D?” Jason gave her a whimsical smile. “Once they get past that ridge, I’m going to introduce them to a battle tactic I learned about when I was five. I believe it was called a blitzkrieg.” ---------- Meanwhile in the Jade Sea Serpent Division... Serena groaned after fighting off the latest attacker who tried to steal her collection bag. Ever since the Free-For-All Rule came into effect, the competition had gotten a lot more intense. Fifteen members had already been knocked off the playing field. For the second round, Iliane the Philosopher had announced a magical scavenger hunt in which all contestants must collect various and relatively rare items within 5 hours. Each item was worth a certain amount of points. The lowest scoring and common items were worth only 100. The higher the points, the more difficult the object was to obtain. The goal was to amass a minimum of 5,000 points before time ran out. The remaining members of the division had been scattered about the forest and mountainous areas of Kilargo. So far, the young witch had amassed about 1,500 points, but she still had 3,500 to go and less than 3 hours to do it. As a result, she had no choice but to go for a higher-scoring item. She didn’t have the time to collect 350 items only worth 100 points each. Serena took out the list that was given to her and scanned the items that were available in her vicinity. She grimaced as found that there was only a few things that was worth over 1,000 points. Her best bet was certain plant that was found in a nearby grove. She made a face as she read out loud. “Obtain the core of a Dodor Stink-Bomb Plant. The slightest odor will disqualify it. Point value... 1,200 points. Oh boy!” The Dodor Stink-Bomb was infamous for having one of the smelliest odors ever found in the Makai. It made even Hellhound excrement preferable to be nearby. And it wasn’t called a stink-bomb for nothing. The plant was also notorious for exploding like a pipe bomb and releasing huge clouds of noxious fumes. The smell itself was indescribably horrid, and many claimed that even the fiercest species of dragons steered clear of it. What made things even worse was the fact that the smell magically bonded to a person’s aura and it would take at least 20 years before it finally wore off. So far, no one had come up with an antidote to neutralize the odor. Serena wasn’t all that certain that she wanted to handle something like that and wondered if she should go for another high-scoring object. At that moment, two competitors passed by her while arguing. She couldn’t help but listen in on their conversation. “Aw! Why don’t we try for that? It’s got the highest point value!” “Are you out of your mind?! I am NOT going into that cave for something like that!” “But it’s worth over four thousand points!” “We’re NOT going! End of story!” As the two moved on, Serena decided to check out what they had turned down. She backtracked their footsteps and soon found herself at the mouth of a cave at the base of a mountain. She looked about and noted many more footsteps on the ground, indicating that others had considered going inside, but eventually changed their minds. She wondered why anyone would turn down a chance to get over 4,000 points. Getting this item would certainly clinch her spot for the third round. Before entering the cave, she took out her list and looked for an item that was worth four thousand. When she found it, her face turned pale. Then almost on cue, a monstrous roar was heard, which was accompanied by a huge blast of hot air. It also crackled with enough static electricity to make her hair go all frizzy. Her magical aura briefly became unbalanced as she made a quick about-face. “Oh well. Time for me to go after that Stink-Bomb Core.” ---------- In the Blackstorm Booth... “Why did she change her mind?” Nabiki asked as she was checking out the Jade Serpent division. “Well, let’s have a look at her list.” Jon said as he called up a copy of Serena’s scavenger list on his monitor. After scanning it, he nodded in agreement. “All things considered, I don’t blame her for not wanting to try for that item.” “What item was that?” “It’s a whisker.” “That doesn’t sound too hard to get.” “Actually, I can see why it’s worth 4,000 points. The whisker happens to belong to possibly, the MOST ill-tempered beast found in the Makai. According to the list, she would get 4,000 points for obtaining a whisker from a Danzellian Thunder Beast.” “A Thunder Beast? What’s that?” “Something you hope you will NEVER encounter.” Mathew pointed out. “That is one SERIOUSLY dangerous animal. It has claws and teeth that can rip open a tank! It’s also got one the shortest tempers ever.” “What makes it especially dangerous is the fact that it can generate massive amounts of mystical lightning.” Jon added. “This isn’t the same variety of lighting or electricity you are familiar with. Insulation material like rubber will NOT stop it, and most magical auras and even ki will be disrupted by it. That makes them extremely poor choices as familiars.” “Of course, getting the core from a Dodor Stink-Bomb plant is no easy task by itself.” Shidori pointed out as they continued to watch Serena’s division. ---------- Back to Serena... The young witch gulped as she entered the Stink-Bomb Grove. She managed to navigate her way between the rows of huge, bulbous plants that were the size of RVs. She made her way toward a fully matured plant, which had a reddish crown of thorns on top of the bulb. Only when it was fully matured, was it possible to remove the core. At the bottom of the plant was a network of vines that acted like tripwires. A slight pull on those vines will trigger the Stink-Bomb to explode. The first obstacle was to cut those vines in the correct sequence. Trying to cut through the outer layer without doing so would instantly set the plant off. Fortunately for Serena, she had extensively studied potion-making, botany and the effects of herbal ingredients. She knew the method of removing Dodor Stink-Bomb’s core, but she had never practiced on one before. This was truly going to be a trial by fire. She took out a pair of pruning shears from her handbag, and took a deep breath as she carefully sidestepped around the vines until she got to the base of the Stink-Bomb. She carefully reached for the first green vine and cut it. When there was no explosion, she continued on. Since this was a mature plant, there were fifty vines and more than a quarter of them were green. After cutting off the immature vines, she focused on the red vines. When the final vine was cut, she relaxed as she began digging down towards the root with a small trowel. As soon as she saw the image of a red star, she immediately punctured it with the point of her trowel. This caused the whole plant to shudder as its outer husk loosened from the inner part. This made it easier for Serena to peel them away and expose the core. After pulling down all the layers, she noticed several fluid sacs. If the plant had been disturbed in any way other than the correct way to disarm it, the sacs would have broken and mixed their contents together, expelling the fluids as a noxious cloud. The novice witch carefully put the husks aside, while being extremely cautious not to break open the very fragile sacs. Now came the hard part. She looked closely at the inner areas and noted that there was a blue-colored sphere in the center that was about the size of a tennis ball. She also noted that two sides of the orb was connected to a large, fibrous tube. From what she remembered, cutting one of those vessels would allow her to safely remove the core. Once extracted, the core would permanently harden, thereby making it safe to handle. However, cutting the wrong one will cause the core to expel the concentrated fluids inside of it. As dangerous as the fluid sacs were, the core was FAR WORSE. The main problem was the fact that there were two varieties of Stink-Bombs that existed. One species had the safe vessel growing on the right and the other had it on the left. There was just no way of visually telling which variety she had. Serena gulped as she realized that this was one of those ‘leap of faith’ moments. Knowing that she didn’t have much time to spare, she chanted a short spell in order to boost her psychic sensitivity, and reached out toward the left vessel with her shears. Just as she was about to snip it, her eyes suddenly flashed and she immediately switched to right vessel and snipped it. After a long moment, she finally let out a quiet and relieved sigh. Since there was no explosion, she could only assume that she had cut the correct vessel. As she pulled out the core, the ball immediately became as hard as a rock, making it safe to handle. Just as she put her new prize into her collection bag, she heard several footsteps behind her. She turned about and was confronted by a trio of competitors with unscrupulous looks on their faces. “Well, well, looks like somebody managed to get a Stink-Bomb core.” “We’ll be taking that!” “Hand it over!” As the three prepared to attack her, Serena had to think fast as she glanced down at the ground. She spotted the discarded husk of the plant she had just disarmed and got an idea. “Choke on this stink, you stinkers!” Using her wand, she made the husk levitate and threw it at her attackers. The fluid sacs burst open, dousing her would-be robbers in a disgusting torrent of icky liquid, which then created a thick cloud of vapor. Serena then used a short-distance teleportation spell to get her out of the immediate area before she was caught by the foul odor, leaving the three novices choking and gagging on the horrid smell. Some one hundred yards away, Serena reappeared and smiled in satisfaction as she saw a plume of green smoke rise in the distance. She then remembered that she still had 2,300 points to collect as she headed off to find another high- score item. ---------- Meanwhile, in the White Pegasus Division... “BLEEEEEEEEAAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHH!” Conrad Blanchet shuddered and pulled back, after his brunch decided to make a return appearance and went over the side of the train. Fortunately for him, the train was speeding through a murky swampland, and therefore his vomit wasn’t going to make the surrounding environment any more disgusting than it already was. Kasumi’s would-be suitor was still a little woozy from motion-sickness as he and the other contestants were jostled about at high speed on the tracks. He thought back to the beginning of the round and wondered just how he ended up in such a predicament. ---------- Flashback... Ordorlon the Shield pointed to a large projection of a swampy area which had network of railways running through it. “Here you see the Mynock Swamp Lands, where a great deal of cargo is ferried to the distant towns and settlements. Due to fact that the mana fields here are unsuitable for airships, the transport of these goods is done by railway. As a result, those who ride these trains are charged with protecting their shipments at any cost, even at the cost of their very lives. They are the lifeblood for many communities. The couriers not only must deal with the harsh terrain, but also contend with the wild beasts and the nearly-impossible-to- predict weather patterns. To paraphrase the motto of the mailman on Earth, ‘neither sleet, nor rain, nor snow, nor invading swamp beast, shall keep him from his rounds!’ And now, it is your turn to experience the perils of their duties!” There were numerous murmurs and groans among the remaining members of the White Pegasus division. Many of them knew about the hazards of being a Mynock Courier and some were already planning to drop out the moment the round started. Ordorlon continued on with his explanations. “Each of you shall be given a package, in which you will do your utmost best to protect from these dangers as you ride the Express Train to the town of Morlia, on the southwestern border of the Mynock Swamp Lands. Should you lose your cargo or should it suffer even the slightest damage, you will be immediately disqualified from the Games! Furthermore, you are required to remain in contact with the train at ALL TIMES! Should you be thrown off or use any flight spells, then you will be eliminated from competition! As always, you CANNOT use any forms of attack, either against the dangers you encounter or each other!” With a bit of a flourish, he made a train engineer’s cap appear on his head. “And now, as they say on Earth... ALL ABOOOOOOOAAAAARRRRD!” ---------- End of flashback... Before long, Conrad and the other competitors, (minus the ten who immediately bowed out of the Games), found themselves behind one of the high-speed Mana Locomotives that frequently pulled over a hundred cargo cars during a run across the Mynock Swamp Lands. Like the Mana Flyers, a Mana Locomotive was powered by the surrounding mana fields of the Makai. It required an experienced engineer to guide these vehicles as they sped across the hostile territories. And ironically, it would be Ordorlon himself who would be steering this particular train. He was a licensed engineer and had at least 20 years of experience on the Mynock routes. Each contestant was given a sizeable box to protect. Each box was colored white and was about five feet high, two feet wide and four feet deep. Each had a number corresponding to the novice it was assigned to. For Conrad’s case, his box was number 744. Due to the special qualities of their contents, the boxes could not be stored within an enclosed space. Therefore, they were placed on flatbed cars. Unfortunately, that left them exposed to the elements and whatever dangers they would encounter. Their protection was up to the novices who rode along with them. The entire trip was going to take 4 hours, and the competitors would be busy defending their packages every step of the 600-mile journey. During the first hour, seven had already been eliminated when their cargo suffered damage or when the novices fell off the train. Now a lot of very unflattering things could be said about Conrad Blanchet and would be considered as true, but he did have one redeeming quality. He was able to create considerably strong barriers. The main problem was properly motivating him to do so. Another limitation was the fact that he couldn’t maintain those barriers for very long. His defensive powers were pushed to their limits as a barrage of slime projectiles from a swarm of Bog Bats were thrown in his direction. He immediately put up a magical wall against the first volley, which splattered like a mass of heavy mud balls. However, his shield quickly lost strength as the assault continued. One particularly large blob punched through and was about to hit his cargo, when he deflected the shot... with his face. SPLORTCH! “ARRRRRRGGGGGHHH! DISGUSTING!” Standing nearby, (while leaving the engine on auto-pilot), Ordolon the Shield noted Conrad’s rather unorthodox method of defending his package. At that point, the humanoid turtle looked ahead. ---------- The Ruby Dragon Division... The groups of judges were in a state of shock as the Apprentice War Games came to an early and most unexpected end. With one masterstroke of strategic brilliance, Jason Blackstorm had eliminated more than 40 rivals from competition. The majority of Teams C and D were frozen in a massive glacier of mystic ice a hundred yards away. Leaning nonchalantly against the trunk of a dead tree, Shidori’s son stood with his arms crossed over his chest. Beside him were his second-in-command Clea, and the leaders of Team F. “You might as well say the War Games are over.” Jason told the head field judge, who happened to be a centaur. “The War Games aren’t over until three teams capture the other teams’ banners. We gave you six hours to do so. You still have two hours left.” The judge pointed out. Jason gestured to the lizard girl, who was holding his team’s banner and the one belonging to Team D. He also gestured to Team F’s leaders, who had gotten their banner back, plus Team C’s. “As you can see, my team still has its banner plus Team D’s. Team F has their banner plus Team C’s. From what my scouts have confirmed, Team E has Team B pinned down, so they’re done.” He gestured with a thumb at the frozen contestants behind them. “And as you can see, these guys are NOT going anywhere. Unless I use my Hellfire, that magic ice spell isn’t going to start melting for at least a day. So there’s no point in waiting a couple of hours. We won, they lost, end of story.” The half-horse being cocked his head in thought, and nodded as he took out a large conch shell, and blew through an opening at one end. The mystic horn sounded with a loud blast, signaling to the other field judges that the second round of the division had ended. After confirming the victors on their notepads, the judges departed, as the leaders of Team F confronted Argus Blackstorm’s heir. The contestants bowed their heads in respect as one of them; an elven warrior trainee spoke on their behalf. “We thank you for leading us to victory, son of the Great Devastator!” Jason waved it off as he shrugged his shoulders. “Ah, don’t mention it. Keep in mind that this was a one-time deal; an alliance of mutual benefit. Sooner or later, we’ll be competing against each other.” The elf nodded as he still held Blood-Eyes in very high esteem. “Indeed. And I will look forward to facing off against you in the future. Until then.” After they departed, Jason and Clea began making their way back to Wizard’s Coliseum, while the field judges took care of those who had been disqualified. “That was a really clever plan of yours.” Clea commented. “I never would have thought of joining up with Team F and ambushing Team C and D.” Jason shrugged his shoulders again. “Ah, it wasn’t really anything special. I figured that Team F would be willing to join us to get their banner back. Not to mention give them a chance to deal out some payback to Team C. Nobody was expecting Team F to fight back after losing their banner, so that played in our favor. The rules were to get the other teams’ banner before the six hours were up. That didn’t mean that a team COULDN’T get its own banner back before the deadline.” “So that’s what you meant when you said you knew where to get reinforcements.” “Yep. And those dopes in Team C and D were too cocky and easy to read. I just used our team to blitz through their ranks, lead them into that marsh, and have Team F’s magical ice-users freeze them up.” “So that leaves... “ Clea briefly counted on her fingers. “... less than sixty of us left in the division!” Before Jason could respond, they came across two individuals who were arguing with a field judge. His crimson-eyes narrowed as he recognized the pair. “Hey! How come we're not included in the third round?” A novice with blue skin and purple hair demanded. “Yeah! Our team won!” A black-skinned, humanoid lizard added. The field judge, who happened to be a fairy, shook her head as she replied. “You were with Team D and they lost their banner.” “We were assigned with Team A and Jason Blackstorm!” The lizard boy protested. “Yeah... er, we were... double-agents! We only PRETENDED to switch sides!” His partner-in-crime said quickly. The reptilian apprentice nodded. “In fact, if it weren't for us, Team A would have never had won!” “We were Blackstorm's most trusted allies!” At that point, the half-demon in question came up from behind and spoke in a quiet and DEADLY tone. “Oh really?” Both boys gulped and soiled their pants as they turned to face Blood-Eyes. The judge winced as the son of Argus Blackstorm showed the two traitors just what he thought about their so-called loyalty. WHA-BOOM! ---------- Blackstorm Castle... The Number Two Demon Lord nodded in satisfaction after seeing the results of the second day of competition, for the Ruby Dragon Division and his son’s progress. Not that he had any doubts that his heir would have any difficulties in such a situation. Jason had been schooled by the best military minds the Makai could offer, including his own father. Argus Blackstorm was not only feared for his overwhelming power and savagery, but also for his cunning in times of war. If compared to the greatest military minds of Earth, Jason’s father was like combining the strengths and brilliance of George S. Patton, Erwin Rommel, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Tzun Su, and others. To declare war on him was almost considered a death sentence for the opponent. In nearly all cases, those who were foolish enough to challenge him outright were obliterated. At that point, a Dark Elf servant entered the room and bowed to her master. “My Lord Blackstorm.” Argus turned to face her. “Yes? What is it?” “I did not mean to intrude, but I have come to inform you that you have a visitor.” “Who?” “The Lady Vendira of the House of Ariato.” Argus pondered for a moment before nodding to the dark-skinned elven girl. “Very well then. I shall meet her in the Great Hall. Show her in immediately.” ---------- Meanwhile, in the Gold Griffin Division... Alexis nodded as she looked down at her badge and saw not three bright Token Lights, but six. She then frowned as she glanced at Kasumi’s badge and saw eight dots. True to the judges’ words, their Tokens had been doubled after completing the last challenge, though it still irked the rich girl that her rival had yet to use a Token. She couldn’t be THAT lucky, could she? Just as she was about say something unkind, she and her unwanted partner came to the next phase in the competition. Kasumi looked upon the next challenge and could only say the usual. “Oh my!” And for the life of her, Alexis couldn’t disagree with that statement. The two had entered a huge cavern that was constantly shifting with numerous shadows moving about. It was nearly impossible to judge distances and they could barely make out the outlines of the surrounding areas. In front of them was a large sign, written in an unfamiliar language. “I can’t read this.” Nabiki’s sister remarked. Though she had studied ancient Latin and Celtic Runes under the Grimbards, she did not recognize the symbols on the sign. “I can’t read it either.” Kasumi’s partner said while shaking her head. “Although, I do recognize the dialect. It’s ancient Valurian.” “Valurian?” The eldest sister cocked her head to one side in thought as she recalled reading about it in her Almanac. She then took out her book and called forth her Guide Spirit. “What would you like to know?” Google asked. “Can you translate this?” Kasumi asked as she pointed at the sign. The Guide Spirit glanced at the dialect and shook her head. “I’m afraid that Ancient Valurian is not in my database.” ---------- On Earth... As they were watching the Games, Tyselli snapped her fingers as she realized something. “Darn it! I KNEW I forgot to add something to that Almanac when we gave it to our Apprentice! I loaded it up with all the current dialects of the Makai, but I neglected to add some of the more obscure ones!” “No sense crying over a cauldron of spilled potion.” The middle Grimbard Sister commented. “It’s obvious that this is to test their ingenuity.” Parelle nodded. “I’ve got a feeling that they already have the means to figure out this challenge.” ---------- In the Makai... “So what can we do?” Kasumi asked. “I’m pretty certain that this sign has something important to say about the challenge, but if we can’t read it...?” The rich apprentice was deep in thought as she considered the problem. Despite her family’s vast resources, even she did not have the means understand the ancient tongue of the Atlanteans from 100,000 years before the Great Sinking. So far, only a handful of people could translate that ancient dialect, which included the Grimbard Sisters and Iliane the Philosopher. As she contemplated, she glanced back at the cave and shivered a bit. Thought she was considered quite talented in terms of manipulating Shadow Magic, that didn’t mean that she enjoyed that side of spellcasting. The user always ran the risk of losing one’s soul to the darkness. The shadows that drifted about were obviously being restrained by a shielding spell; otherwise they would have been overwhelmed by them. They were low-level shadow spirits, but even they could fool the best senses and... “That’s it!” Alexis declared as she clapped her hands together. “What is it?” Kasumi asked. “The sign is NOT WRITTEN in Ancient Valurian!” “But my Almanac says...” “Don’t you see all the Shadow Spirits flying about? They’re well-known for casting illusion spells and such! Think about it! Why would the Games give us instructions in a language that virtually no one, let alone novices, would know of?” “So... what you are saying is that those Spirits... are trying to trick us and my Guide Spirit?” “Yes! Shadow Spirits feed on negative emotions, especially on confusion and despair. What better way to get those feelings than to bar our way with a seemingly impossible obstacle?” “If that’s the case... then we must an illusion-dispelling method to read the sign.” “And since we must cooperate this round...” Alexis reached into her handbag and pulled out what appeared to be an ornate monocle. It had a crystal lens in its center, with silver highlights and Mystic Runes etched on its rim. It reminded Kasumi of an eye of a falcon. She then brightened up as she remembered reading about such a device. “Oh! A Phoenix Eye! That would be perfect!” The blonde girl nodded as her ring glowed in sync with the runes on the artifact. “I should be able to peer through the illusion to properly read the sign, but I will be vulnerable to the Shadow Spirits, especially since I must lower my mental defenses in order to activate the Phoenix Eye. Therefore... I will need to depend on you to keep those Shadow Spirits away from me.” “Me?” “I don’t see anyone else around here that could do the job, do you? It shouldn’t be too difficult a task. These are low-level Shadow Spirits. Even a bare novice could keep them at bay for at least a few minutes, and I only need ONE minute to read that sign. Now let’s get started. We’re running out of time.” Before Kasumi could reply, Alexis placed the device on the left side of her face. The Phoenix Eye instantly adhered to her skin as the mystic lens glowed with a rainbow aura. The heiress began chanting to allow her psychic awareness to attune to the Eye’s frequency. Her mental strength began to drop to allow the Eye to take control of her visual perceptions. She began to step forward, allowing the Phoenix Eye to guide her through the darkness and see through the illusions. This decrease in mental defense immediately caught the attention of the surrounding Shadow Spirits. As the Val Karas girl entered into their territory they began to swarm around her. Just as they were about to engulf her in a cloud of ebony, the eldest Tendo daughter let out a shout, and then a burst of blinding light from her wand. “LOOK OUT!” The sphere of light went off a magnesium flare, causing the Shadow Spirits to flee like a flock of startled pigeons. However, this also had a detrimental effect as Alexis screamed in agony. She sank to her knees and clutched at her face. She continued to whimper in pain as Kasumi ran to her and dragged her partner out of the danger zone and behind the protective barrier again, before the dark entities could regroup and follow. It took several minutes before Alexis finally shook her head to clear it, and then snarled at Kasumi as she stood up. “YOU BRAINLESS BUFFOON! WHAT POSSESSED YOU TO THROW OUT A SUNBURST SPELL?! ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE ME BLIND?!” Soun’s daughter was taken aback by the sudden burst of rage. She swallowed nervously as she answered. “Isn’t that... the correct method of battling a shadow-based entity? You use light...?” Alexis let off an exasperated sigh as she explained the problem in a harsh tone. “For battle, yes it is normal to use light-based spells against creatures of darkness, but we are NOT IN BATTLE RIGHT NOW! I simply wanted you to keep those spirits away from me, NOT BURN OUT MY RETINAS!” She angrily pointed at the Phoenix Eye. “Do you not realize that I am extremely light- sensitive while wearing this? Not to mention that with my mental barriers down, you could have caused some damage to my psyche as well!” “I... I’m... I’m so... sorry! I didn’t know... what else to use against those spirits...” “Why didn’t you use your shadow-manipulation powers? I can tell by your aura that you’ve had some training in that field. You could have simply commanded or guided those shadows away from me! That would have been the most logical move and certainly less destructive than throwing a blast of blinding light.” “Well... to be perfectly honest... I don’t like... using the Shadow Element. It’s just so... dark and... evil...” Alexis continued to glare in anger and disbelief at her unwanted partner for several minutes before taking a deep breath to calm down. She then gave Kasumi a stern expression before speaking her mind. “Well of course it feels dark and evil. What did you expect? It’s called balance! It’s what completes magic as a whole! You can’t have light without shadow. You didn't think that the Apprenticeship Games were going to go easy on you, did you? They WILL test your ability in ALL ASPECTS OF MAGIC! Like everything else, there is a DARK SIDE and you will either adapt... OR YOU WILL FALL! And unlike the first round, I do NOT have the option of using a Token to skip a challenge and LEAVE YOU! Every challenge in this round we must do together, and if one of us fails, then the other will fail as well! I WILL NOT BE ELIMINATED FROM COMPETITION BECAUSE MY 'PARTNER' COULDN'T DO WHAT WAS EXPECTED OF HER! Now... we can just stand here like idiots and lose this round and the rest of the Games, or we pass this challenge and move on. Well? What will it be?” Kasumi took in her words and thought long and carefully before finally nodding. The two girls grudgingly shook hands and turned to face the Shadow Spirits once again, though neither was looking forward to the experience. Alexis thought. ---------- On Earth... Girella winced after seeing how their intended apprentice failed on her first attempts. “Ouch! That has got to hurt!” Parelle shrugged her shoulders. “Well, we can't expect our apprentice to come up smelling like roses all the time. She's talented but she's still got a lot to learn about the ups and downs of magic if she's to eventually master it. Think of this as a learning experience. The best lessons are learned from failures, not successes.” Tyselli nodded. “Come to think of it, she was kind of reluctant to learn how to manipulate the Shadow Element during her training with us, even more so than using Attack-Type spells.” The second Grimbard Sister then remarked, “That's going to hurt her in the long run, especially now that she has to keep those Shadow Spirits away from her partner. She can't use any Light-Based spells since that will end up harming the Val Karas girl.” “Too bad those girls can't switch places.” The youngest witch sister said. The Eldest shook her head. “Not possible. A Phoenix Eye Lens attunes its magical wavelength to its owner, so it cannot be used by anyone else. That particular Lens belongs to Alexis and therefore, only she can use it. As a result, she has to see through the illusions while Kasumi must defend her. All we can really hope for is that she has learned from her mistake and do better this time around.” ---------- The Blackstorm’s Booth... “That wasn't fair! It was an honest mistake!” Nabiki declared. “ A potentially costly mistake. And I would have to agree with your sister's partner on this one.” Shidori pointed out. “What?” “In all fairness, Alexis Val Karas had every right to be angry at Kasumi. Some spells are just not suited for certain situations. Using a Sunburst Spell in the same area as a person wearing a Phoenix Eye Lens is equivalent to throwing a flash bang grenade at someone wearing night-vision goggles. Luckily she didn't get the full force of the flare.” “But still...” “Lady Shidori is correct.” Henry pointed out. “Kasumi may have talent but she doesn't have the chops. And I did notice when I was training her that she seemed to some compunctions over certain subjects of magic.” “I sensed those mental blocks in her psyche as well.” Blackstorm’s wife agreed. “She's going to have to overcome those blocks if she is to achieve her true potential as a sorceress.” “Still, that Alexis girl didn't have to yell at Kasumi like that.” Kasumi’s sister pointed out. Jason’s mother then made another point. “Actually, I think it is a much-needed object lesson that was long-overdue with your older sister. She has to experience both constructive and harsh criticism if she is to learn. As the Grimbards are often fond of saying, ‘It is not the successes that shape a person, it is the failures.’ You learn more from not succeeding, because once you succeed, you have very little incentive to keep on going. You stop and say that what you did previously was enough.” Nabiki began to consider her mother's best friend's words and nodded. She thought of Akane who had previously never had tasted defeat or a challenge to her so-called martial arts. Therefore, she always stayed at the same level and never improved, thinking that her current skills were enough to be the 'BEST MARTIAL ARTIST IN NERIMA.' Of course by this time, Nabiki's skills had already surpassed Akane's. “But isn't the goal of trying is to succeed?” “No, the goal of trying is to overcome the previous FAILURE. Success should be seen only as a stopping point. Then when a new challenge comes about, the previous 'success' becomes a failure, because now you are saying, 'I only got to this level and therefore I must try to overcome it and reach THAT level.' This, my dear Nabiki, is called GROWTH. And it is especially true when you have to do something that you don’t WANT to do.” ---------- The Jade Serpent Division... Serena gulped as she slowly sneaked her way toward the phoenix’s nest. It had taken her quite a bit of time to climb the cliff and get close enough to the magical bird’s home without detection. However, time was a commodity she could ill-afford as the deadline to the second round of her division was fast approaching. Normally, one would consider her as insane for trying to get a crest feather from a Blue-Flame Phoenix, though the apprentice witch had no other option. She was still four hundred points short of the 5,000 point goal of the Scavenger Hunt. With only five minutes left, she HAD to get that feather! It was only by sheer luck that she had spotted the bird in the first place. ---------- Flashback... Serena couldn’t believe her luck as she extracted a small amount of sap from a Melody Fruit Tree. She had caught the sound of the wind as it whistled through the branches and made a harmonious tune. Luckily, she had a small syringe with a drill bit to get through the tough bark without harming the tree. After filling up a vial with the sap, she checked off the item on her list. She then glanced up and decided to pick off some of the fruit for an afternoon snack. Melody Fruit were shaped like peaches, but were colored aqua-blue and had a shiny outer skin that crunched when bitten into. They had a refreshing juice that was popular in the Makai and the ones that grew on the Blackstorm’s lands were considered the highest quality. After putting two of the fruits into her bag to save for later, she took a bite out of the third. She savored the flavor, which was a combination of apple and kiwi with a touch of strawberry. As she continued to eat, she contemplated what she had amassed so far. At that point, she heard a gong being struck in the distance, warning all the contestants that the Scavenger Hunt was about to end in 15 minutes. At that moment, she heard a screech overhead, accompanied by a flash of light. Serena looked up in awe at what she saw flying high overhead. The bird was larger than most transit buses and was giving off a blue-white fiery glow. It blended well with the blue sky and only by its shimmering outline was the young witch able make out its shape. She gasped as she recognized the species. It was a phoenix, and not just any phoenix. She then glanced down at her Scavenger List. ---------- End of Flashback... Serena now found herself on a ledge overlooking the nest and was currently staring down at her intended prize. The Blue-Flame Phoenix had returned and was currently sitting on a clutch of eggs. The crest feathers on its head shimmered with sapphire-colored flames. Estimating that she had less than two minutes left, she took a deep breath and prepared to get that feather. With that thought, the apprentice jumped. ---------- Back to Kasumi’s division... The eldest daughter of Soun Tendo shivered as Alexis emerged from the shadows. It had taken much of her concentration, but Kasumi had kept the Shadow Spirits away from her partner long enough for her to see through the illusions and read the sign. “Were you able to find out what the sign said?” Kasumi asked as she composed herself. Even though it had only been a short period of time, the Shadow Spirits had sent a cold, clammy feeling throughout her body as they threatened to overwhelm her soul. It was like being dipped in an icy-black pool of muddy water that was filled with leeches. Alexis took off her Phoenix Eye Lens and nodded, though her expression was a mixture of harshness and disappointment. “Oh yes, I read the sign and came across some very bad news. It explained the rules to the challenge and thanks to your blunder; we just LOST a total of four Tokens!” “What?” “Take a look at your badge.” The brown-haired girl did so and was shocked to see only six Token lights instead of eight. She also noted that Alexis’ badge was missing two of its Token lights as well. She looked back to her partner in puzzlement. “Let me explain.” The blonde said sternly. “Apparently, we are at the final leg of this round, and the finish line is on the other side. However, we must pass this final challenge which consists of four checkpoints. That sign was the first checkpoint, and we initially FAILED the test with that Sunburst Spell of yours. Each checkpoint has a challenge that must be passed by using the right method and spells. If one of us makes a mistake or uses the wrong spell, then BOTH will lose two Tokens apiece. And if one loses more Tokens than she could afford, then BOTH are automatically eliminated from the Games!” Nabiki’s sister caught on to Alexis’s meaning. “So that’s why our Tokens were doubled from the last challenge. It was to prepare us for this one. But that means...” At that moment, the Shadow Spirits behind the barrier parted away, revealing a pathway. Alexis nodded. “Since we have completed the first checkpoint correctly, we are allowed to move to the next one. I only have four Tokens left. Should we make two more mistakes, my number will drop to zero and the next mistake WILL eliminate us!” ---------- Back to Serena’s Division... It was less than 30 seconds to the end of the Scavenger Hunt as Iliane was looking over the last group of contestants and their bags. Just as she was finishing up the final tally, there was a huge commotion heard overhead, causing everyone to look up. What they saw left everyone speechless. “AW C’MON! I JUST WANTED A FEATHER! I WASN’T GOING TO HURT YOUR EGGS!” Everyone was surprised to see a Blue-Flame Phoenix thrashing about in the sky. What was even more surprising was that an Apprentice Witch clinging to its neck and grabbing at its crest. The mythical bird bucked and dived to get rid of its unwanted rider. Finally, it let off a flash of blue-white light, temporarily blinding Serena and forcing her to let go. It immediately sped off into the distance and back to its nest as the young spellcaster fell toward the ground. Luckily for Serena, Iliane was more than capable of casting a levitation spell in a pinch. The young witch floated gently down and made a touchdown, though her body was full of bruises, cuts and burns. She was on her back and in a daze as the Philosopher came up to her and assessed her collection, as well as casting a healing spell. “Let’s see now... second-degree burns on the arms... Melody Fruit Tree Sap... sprained right wrist... Stink Bomb Core... large bruises on the thighs... Drylot Scales... for a while, you’re going to be sore when sitting down... hmmm... adding all these items... congratulations are in order for you, Serena Ravenwing. You have qualified for the Third Round.” Though she was still in serious pain, Clea’s friend sat up and proudly held up the crest feather that was clutched in her right hand. “I DID IT!” Iliane nodded as she continued with her healing spell. “Yes indeed. Quite an achievement to get a crest feather from a Blue-Flame Phoenix. Although in your case... it was also quite unnecessary.” This immediately put a damper on Serena’s joy as she stared back in shock and disbelief. “What?” The main judge of the Jade Sea Serpent Division shrugged her shoulders. “Even without the crest feather, you STILL would have qualified for the next round.” “W-What do you mean?” The young girl stuttered. “I was still four hundred points short! That’s why I had to get the feather and...” “I think you better double-check your math and take another look at your scavenger list. There’s another entry for Melody Fruit Trees besides its sap that’s worth points.” Serena took out her list and scanned it. Her eyes widened as she looked at a section near the bottom and there was indeed another listing for Melody Fruit Trees. “Melody Fruits themselves?” “Yes.” Iliane concurred. “Sap from a Melody Fruit Tree is worth a thousand points, but that’s because it is much harder to get the sap from the tree than the fruit. One Melody Fruit is worth two hundred, and I count two in your bag. There’s your four hundred points.” “But... the time limit...?” “The gong only warns the contestants that the time limit to SEARCH for items is almost up and they should return to the starting point. I would have STILL judged the collections of any stragglers, but as luck would have it, you were the last to come in.” “Then... I went after a Blue-Flame Phoenix... for nothing?” “Well, as they say, haste makes waste and I’m guessing that you panicked when you heard the gong and missed that section about the Melody Fruits. Still, going after a Blue-Flame Phoenix and getting a crest feather is nothing to sneeze at. Be proud of that.” At that point, Serena fainted. ---------- Back in the Gold Griffin Division... Both girls came to another sign as they followed the pathway to its end. Beyond it was a large set of double doors. They were massive and imposing, but didn’t seem to be locked. This time Kasumi was prepared as Alexis put on the Phoenix Eye Lens. As the Shadow Spirits began to approach her, they were immediately led away as the Tendo daughter used her psychic powers to persuade them. Though she hated to let her soul energy mingle with dark entities, it was the only method she knew of to take control of the spirits and keep them from attacking her partner. A minute later, Alexis took off the Phoenix Eye Lens, allowing Kasumi to disengage from the Shadow Spirits. “So what did the sign say?” “It said that our next challenge is beyond those doors. Our task is to make the guardians move away from the exit to the chamber on the other side, without any Attack Spells. We cannot force them. We must persuade them.” “So it’s an exercise in diplomacy?” “I suppose you could put it that way. Well, shall we go?” “We don’t have much time left. After all we’ve been through so far, nothing could surprise me at this point.” Alexis shrugged as she and Kasumi approached the doors, which automatically opened up for them. However, as they stepped into the chamber... “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!” To Be Continued... Author’s Notes Sorry about the cliffhanger, but this is the end of the chapter and I had to end it somewhere. Next we’ll see the end of the round, and have a bit of history with some of the other characters, as well as see some more intrigue with the upper nobles of the Makai. See you then! 1) The Ruken is the monetary unit of the Makai and is worth about $100. The coins are made of an alloy of precious metals and has some minor magical qualities, hence the reason why they’re so valuable in the Human Realm. 2) Heart of Morning Rise! (incomplete)