First Fight

It's been a couple of days since then, with Tarou steadily doing a good job in trying to prove himself, mostly doing random good deeds here and there, sometimes with me or anyone from the Watchdog Club keeping him company. In all this time it's also been calm, with no fights happening.

It's now Saturday, and I'm getting ready to go out on a walk, partly to go check up on Tarou, and partly to see if any fights finally happen.
'Wonder if anything is gonna happen today. It's also been a few days, how much longer will he need to be doing this before he hears if he passed?'

I keep thinking about that, distracted, before finally setting off.

...

I half-minded walk around, not seeing much of anything, until finally encountering Tarou holding some bags.
"Hey there, 'Snowball'."
"Hey Kazu.
...Snowball might have been a weird choice huh."
"You only realizing it now? Well, you're stuck with it."
"Yeah, but I still don't regret it. I guess it'll just be a tribute to coach Gaia for as long as I'm a hero!"
"I bet Gaia will love that."
"You think?"
"Honestly? I don't know, I was just teasing you. Anyway, what are you doing?"
"Oh! I'm currently helping cleaning out a house for an old lady, she's too weak to do it, so I figured I'd step in."
"So those bags are..."
"Full of trash, I finally bagged up all of it and I've just now started carrying it to the dumpster."
"Cleaning a house for an old lady, I'll admit that's very nice of you, how much more do you have to do anyway?"
"No idea, but I'll keep going as long as I can!"
'Sometimes his determination is blinding...'
"I'll tag along then."
"Cool! It's right this way."

As we turn a corner towards the dumpster we spot a familiar face searching for something in it, having made a mess of the area.
'What the...'
"Light Show! You villain!"
"HUH? WHO ARE YOU?!"
'What is she doing here? This isn't good, I can't let Tarou fight her.'
"Tarou, let's run, quick! We can call thi-"
"Yeah, you go ahead, I'll stay back and fight."
'Huh?!'
"No, you don't understand, you can't take her on! Let's go!"
"You should listen to your friend, before you get hurt little guy!"
"It doesn't matter, a hero can't run. Kazu, get yourself to safety."
'You absolute fool.'
"...Fine, I'm calling it in then."
'...! No... There's no way.
...I forgot my phone...'

"Kazu?"
"HAH! Looks like your friend isn't calling anyone today! Or ever for that matter."
As she says that, she holds out her hand towards the dumpster, and lifts it off the ground using magic, causing it get a whiteish glow around it, before sending it full force towards us.
It happens so fast I instinctively teleport away, as Tarou quickly dodges out of the way. The dumpster then landing behind us, turning into a mess.
"You ok man?!"
"Y- Yeah."
"What happened? Weren't you going to call it in?"
"I forgot my phone, we need to run!"
"No way, you stay safe here, I'll go in."
"Tarou, no!"
"Don't worry, I got a plan."

Despite my protests he goes in regardless, I have no option but to keep watching him, and to try and help in anyway I can.

"Your friend... What an interesting power."
'Damn it, now she knows too.'
"How about you worry about yourself!"
As he says that he throws both of the bags full of trash towards her, letting them get close to her before screaming.
"SNOW STORM!"
Both bags then explode with force, making it rain garbage all around her.
"EWW! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"
"Heh, something I realized just now, now the backpack wasn't imaginary."
"HUH? ARE YOU JUST CRAZY OR SOMETHING?! I'll come over there and BEAT YOUR ASS PERSONALLY!"
Suddenly she starts sprinting towards him.
'No you don't.'
I quickly create a portal, grabbing her ankle and successfully tripping her.
"Pff. You actually tripped? I guess my attack had an aftermath I didn't realize."
"QUIET!"

'I'm glad he's now able to use bags to attack, that's good. But what's Light Show doing? Only physical attacks? What about the mind control?'

"Just give up, I'll defeat you no matter what."
"YOU'RE EXTREMELY ANNOYING. DAMN LOSER!"
"I may not be a full fledged hero yet, but I'll make sure you never forget the name of the one that defeated you, SNOWBALL!"

With that she stops and stares, both of them now silent.

"...Ha."
"Ha?"
"HAHAHA, YOU SERIOUS? THAT'S your name?!"
She starts cackling uncontrollably.
"It's a tribute to my coach! Stop laughing!"
"A TRIBUTE? HAHAHA! WHAT IS HE? A LOSER BUNNY?"

'Even laughing she's loud.'

"That's it! I'll teach you a lesson to not underestimate me! And most of all, for daring to insult my coach!"
I suddenly feel a wave of power coming from him, with him starting to focus. Light Show seems to have felt it too, as she slowly stops laughing and stands up.
"I don't know what you're planning to do, but you better do it fast."
With that she starts sprinting again, but before I can trip her up again Tarou clasps his hands together and then spreads them apart, as if slashing the air horizontally towards her, before speaking.
"Air Blast."
'Huh? That's-'
But before I can finish my thought, and as she was about to connect her fist with him, as if a cannon had just shot right down this path, she suddenly gets blasted back, as the walls from fences all around us start cracking, and slightly breaking apart, with some debris being launched her away, along with anything else that may have been on the ground, clearing everything with it until finally everything lands in a big pile, with her in the middle of it, having been knocked unconscious.
'-new... Woah.'
"Did you... Did you just win?"
"I did...? I did. I ACTUALLY DID! MY FIRST VICTORY!"
"Tarou... Wow, that was a new spell! That was amazing!"
"No, I just... It was a variation of my usual one, that's all."
Tarou then whispers to himself.
"...Honestly, I wasn't even sure if that was gonna work at all..."
"What?"
"Nothing!"
"Anyway, you should be proud! Congrats!"

Before we can keep celebrating however, someone joins us, scoffing upon arriving.
"Hmph."
We look to see who it is.
"Neptune?"
"WOAH! IT'S NEPTUNE! I'm actually meeting Neptune!"
"Some worried person complained about the noise, I was close so I got sent. Was she the issue?"
"Oh, yeah for sure, let's go grab her."

They quickly go off together to grab her. After doing so they start talking, too far away for me to hear. Though a different thought comes to mind, as something else catches my attention.
'Wait, didn't she have something on her back last time? Right now she's got nothing...
...Thinking back, those lights were coming from whatever it was too. Did she lose it and can't use that magic anymore?'
As I'm thinking, the two finally return.
"I'll take her now, bye."
Just like that, Neptune takes off with Light Show in tow.

"Congrats again on your first capture."
Tarou was looking into the distance, distracted, until finally seeming to force a smile, before looking at me.
"...Huh? Oh yeah, no problem."

'Hm? That was odd.'

"Well I'll go back for the other bags and then return home, cya Kazu."
"Sure, bye now."

...

I walk all the way back home, ready to go back to relaxing after the unexpected victory from Tarou.
"Hey mom, I'm home."
"Hey Tarou! Come check this out!"
"Hm?"
"Breaking news, it interrupted my show, but this is about your friend, look!"
'I know I take my time getting home, but sometimes I wonder if the people sourcing these news also have some extremely rare omnipresent magic that can automatically find these things super fast...'
"Breaking news, the villain that previously robbed a bank, Light Show, has been apprehended.
This happened earlier today, when Neptune arrived just in time saving this new, what I can only assume, Intern from her fury."

'What?'

"Reports say that he had just been throwing trash at her, seemingly doing more harm than good, running from her when Neptune arrived to save the day, quickly making short work of this villain.
One can only wonder who let this clearly unexperienced hero out on the streets, hopefully he will go back to training before starting again."
"Wow... I guess Tarou still has a lot to learn huh?"
"...That's not what happened..."
"Sorry, what did you say?"
"That is NOT what happened!"