Chapter 4: Predatorial Rivalry

“Such garish bravado; who do you think you are, mutt?”

“I’m the Greatest Fuckin’ Rockstar in the World, bitch.”

The crowd of onlookers began chattering amongst themselves about this newcomer’s arrogance. Here was a baron’s daughter challenging the daughter of Duke Myst, one of the country’s head houses. Even if Starlight Academy did not discern between ranks, that did not mean one could afford to be so brazen against a noble of higher standing; especially against a duke’s daughter.

“Fine then,” Sylvia barked through gritted teeth. “I shall accept your challenge, ‘Rockstar’. Let us see how far that uncouth attitude of yours remains once I leave you begging for mercy.”

“Lookin’ forward to it. Let’s get a move on then; our stage will be the cafeteria. I’m gonna put you into the ground, you stuck-up prick.”

“I’d like to see you try, dog.” The snow-white vulpine strutted past Ashura, a cold wind following close behind. The rockstar scoffed as she followed suit, walking side-by-side with the kitsune as they made their way through the halls. “Must you always disrespect rankings? You are below me, so walk behind me; you have not earned the right to walk beside me yet.”

“Please, if I wanted to, I’d walk ahead of you. If anything, it’s you who’s got no business being right next to me. Have you ever thought that maybe me standing next to ya is my way of showing ‘courtesy’?” Ashura grinned smugly as Sylvia clenched her teeth; her anger at the blatant disrespect was growing stronger. It took all of her willpower not to blast the other girl through a wall that instant.

‘Temper, temper; you will prove your superiority soon enough, Sylvia…’

The duo made their way to the cafeteria, the very same stage where Ashura held her first concert. A crowd had already formed due to word of mouth, garnering a large audience to see the duel in action. A lot of students were cheering in Sylvia’s favor; it seems like she had subjected others to this trial by fire before, and they had all paid the price. Although there was some scattered praise for the newcomer, most believed that she would be thrashed the moment Sylvia pulled out her Focus.

They made their way up to the stage; a single glare from the fox made the student council workers shrink back, allowing the duo to walk up to their respective corners. Shooting daggers at each other, Sylvia and Ashura stood proud as the crowd’s uproar became chaotic.

“This is your last chance; back down now or else.” Sylvia commanded, tired of this upstart that insists on barking up the wrong tree. “Retain at least some of your dignity and I shall forgive your transgressions against me.”

“Oh my God, do you ever get your head out of your own ass?” Ashura rolled her eyes, tired of this schoolyard bully that hides behind her father’s name. “I ain’t backin’ down; not now, not ever. I’m gonna beat you so bad you’ll be thinkin’ about it for the rest of your life.”

The rivals circled around each other, getting to their respective spots before taking a deep inhale. For Sylvia, it came naturally; as easy as moving one of her limbs, she conjured up the aether and manifested her Focus. An ornate piano appeared before the girl, stark white in color with gold trimmings; a truly high-class Focus for a high-class lady. She played a few test keys, golden Musica pulsing from each note played.

Ashura held out her arm as she recalled the feeling of Rottweiler’s cold steel that would grace her palms. Magic coalesced in her open hand before the familiar black-and-blue metal guitar made itself known once more. Ashura smiled as she hoisted it upon her neck and got into a stance that had graced the big stage many-a-times before. She gave it a test strum, letting the blue wave of Musica rift through the arena.

“I will make you regret ever looking in my direction, dog. If you think being a Muse is only about playing your Focus for fun, you are sorely mistaken. It seems I must educate you on how a Muse truly battles.”

“Keep fuckin’ yapping, fox; I don’t give a shit about whatever magic bullshit you got going on. There’s only one thing I know best, and that’s my Music. You keep lookin’ down on my craft and I’ll burn you to a crisp; watch it.”

The atmosphere around the duo was tense and the crowd was getting excited to see the match. As they continued to size up one another, a member of the student council ran up to the stage, microphone in hand. He was sweating nervously; it was evident that he did not want to get caught between the two of them.

“O-Okay, ladies and gentlemen! It seems like we have a spur-of-the-moment duel on our hands! W-We are currently getting a proctor to oversee things so it does not get out of hand, but it should be fine! In the right corner, we have the Elegant Pianist, Sylvia Myst! And on the left, we have the unlucky challenger with her strange choice of instrument, Adora van Rockett! Who will come out on top, we shall see! And uhh… please do not cause a mess, it is such a hassle to clean up…”

“Ready yourselves in Three… Two… One…!”

Ashura gripped Rottweiler tightly, a feral look upon her face as she got ready to shred. Sylvia meanwhile kept herself calm as she flexed her fingers, getting them in position to command her keys. The room was silent, the only sound either of them could hear now was each other’s heartbeats. And as if a pin had dropped, the rep at the stage’s base swung his arm down.

“PLAY!!!”

Immediately, the crowd was blown away by the massive surge of Musica as the competitors hit their first note. A ferocious clash of blue and yellow cascaded over the cafeteria as the girls began their match. Sylvia was the first to gain the advantage, overpowering Ashura’s Musica with trained precision tempered by years of practice. Each key’s melody was a beautiful combo that struck against the tomboy’s aura, threatening to wipe it out before it even had a chance to shine.

However, this advantage was short-lived; Ashura grinned as she hunched over and began madly strumming on the guitar; a steady yet exponential rift of Musica booming from the instrument. Her fingers danced feverishly along the chords, sending out shockwave after shockwave of deep blue magic. The force beat back the fox’s assault as she evened out the rhythm, forcing them back into a bitter stalemate.

The crowd grew wild as the chaotic melody of Piano and Guitar dueled against each other, the instruments vying for control of the battlefield. However, as they continued to play, Ashura began to notice something: Sylvia’s music… it was lashing out at her! Sapphire eyes widened as she started to dodge incoming barrages of musical notes aimed at her person. Skidding across the stage, she barked out a chuckle as sweat beaded from her brow; this was starting to get interesting!

“Heheh, so this is what a musical duel’s like, eh? This is getting me all fired up!” Ashura shot her head up at the incoming barrage before slamming down onto her guitar; the blast of Musica acting as a nullifying barrier to the attacks. “But I ain’t gonna let some party tricks ruin my flow. I’ve got a whole crowd to please, y’know?”

“You…!” Sylvia snarled, her eyes growing fierce as she glided her fingers along the keyboard. Each stroke was another well-crafted note that followed her command. Her movements were calculated as she shot a glare at her opponent. “You still think of this as a game, don’t you? Well try dodging this, you incorrigible mutt!”

A pentagram formed over her piano as she played a sequence of precise notes. Each one lit up a point on the sigil, moving her fingers quickly to light up the whole star. Once it was complete, Sylvia slapped the floating symbol, shattering it as magical glass shards flew out from the impact.

[STARFALL RONDO]

Stars erupted from the Piano as they fired at Ashura. The tomboy watched as they began to streak past and anchor themselves into the air around her. Within moments, the rockstar was surrounded by several magical stars. Before she even had time to relax, Sylvia had slid her hands across her keys, creating a beautiful melody that echoed through the hall. Immediately, the stars whirred to life, firing off several staves of Musica at Ashura. The beams slammed into the blue-haired girl, rocking her body and making her cry out in pain.

“W-What the fuck was that?!” Ashura coughed up some blood, looking down at her hand in shock before snapping her gaze to Sylvia, who gave a smug grin in response. “You sneaky bitch; are you trying to kill me or something?!”

“What’s wrong, I thought you said you were not going to let a few ‘party tricks’ ruin your flow? Was that all just mindless bluster?” Sylvia’s smile faded as she struck her keys once more, launching several more staves at Ashura. The girl’s screams were music to her ears as she deftly orchestrated her melody. “You should have backed down when you had the chance! But no, you just had to prove that you were worth something, and look where that landed you! I will not stop until you are a stain on the ground!!!”

“HAAAAAHHHH?!?!?” Ashura’s warcry reverberated from the smoke and debris; bright, blue Musica pulsing out in a sparking rhythm. Each twang of the guitar strings broke another star as the dust cleared, revealing a battered tomboy with a manic look on her face. She opened her mouth again, her wild expression reminiscent of a wolf howling. “SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!”

For the entire fight, Sylvia held a visage of a regal, snow-white fox overlooking its hunting grounds. It snobbishly turned its nose up at what it assumed to be a barking stray dog that wandered too close to her territory. It was her job to remind it of its place; under her foot. That was, until it kept getting back up; the mutt kept coming back after each attempt to knock it down. And now that it had finally clawed its way up to the hill where she resided, the fox’s eyes widened as she bore witness to the stray’s true form: A black timberwolf approaching her hilltop with a dangerous glint in its sapphire-blue eyes.

Ashura rose up from her hunched state and was shredding her guitar in defiance, Musica bursting forth from her Focus in a brutal fashion. It was messy, unorthodox, and jagged to touch, but it was effective; booming past the elegance of the piano and slicing through its troves of finely-tuned scores. It violently thrashed about the arena, shaking the very core of every single member of the audience. The rhythm made the students stomp and cheer in tune to the beat, adding a supporting beat akin to a barbarian’s war rally.

All the while, Ashura was singing. Not just mindlessly spewing whatever garbage came to her mind, but belting out a structure only a master musician can improvise on the fly. She howled out her frustrations against Sylvia; being looked down upon, getting her music stolen, and being assaulted by her music. Her rough vocals combined with the thrashing of the guitar turned her Musica from small and harmless to an unstoppable force of Rock and Roll.

Sylvia was being beaten back by this unknown form of Musica. She had thought she had seen it all; the more unrefined the Music, the weaker it was. That was a common law all Muses have come to understand. It was common knowledge that the more elegant a melody, the stronger it became, and the finer control a Muse had over it. But here comes an upstart with the most unrefined Musica she had ever seen… and she was pushing her back. The raw power she forced into her aura focused it all on maximum damage over precision, making Adora van Rockett a dangerous Muse.

Blow after blow, beat after beat. Each violent chorus struck Sylvia dead-on. Soon, her pristine white hair and her perfect piano were stained with splotches of red. Cuts and bruises littered the noble girl’s form as she nearly lurched over her keys. She stole a glance at her opponent and her eyes grew as wide as saucers. Adora van Rockett was not only just as roughed up as she was, but she was smiling like a madman. Like she lived for this kind of thing… like she was possessed.

Such thoughts nearly made the kitsune girl falter, but she wouldn’t. She couldn’t. She was the daughter of the Great Duke Kairos Myst, and she would not lose to a… a… bitch like her! Sylvia screamed at the top of her lungs, attempting to drown out the overwhelming cacophony caused by the baron girl’s mysterious Focus. She reinforced her hands with Combatica as she began to play staff after staff, working herself into a frenzy as she tried to put the rabid wolf down.

Ashura wasn’t stupid; she understood what was happening. As unfortunate as it was, Sylvia was simply far more experienced at using Musica than she was. But Ashura had something that a blue-blood like her could never have: The Hunger to Stand On Top. The rockstar could tell that someone like her never had to scrape their way from the bottom to get to the peak. And she was about to display that difference in mentality, whether she liked it or not.

She strummed on her guitar, aiming to ramp up the intensity to force a checkmate. However, Sylvia’s outrage was proving to become too much for Adora’s limited Musica Reserves. Even if Ashura had the stronger output, he was still working on a smaller pool. This meant that he was at a risk of burning out too quickly, something that Sylvia had been taking advantage of from the start. Sensing weakness, a deft swipe of the keyboard sent a sharp, icy Clef to Ashura's left hand. She barely dodged, but that lapse in concentration was just enough to make Ashura drop her pick.

“I admit, you had me worried for a moment; I truly thought I would be done in by trash like you.” Sylvia panted, her face caked with sweat as she kept up her crescendo. “But at the end of the day, the greater Muse will prevail. You never had a chance; KNOW YOUR PLACE!!!”

“GO TO HELL, ASSHOLE! I don’t need no goddamn pick to keep playing!” Ashura roared, wiping the blood off the corner of her mouth. She placed her hand on the raw chords, ready to get back into gear. “Rock n’ Roll ain’t just about my guitar; ROCK N’ ROLL IS ALL ABOUT ME!!!”

KRA-KA-DOOOM!!!

The noise rumbled throughout the cafeteria, making the spectators cover their ears. One final Musica clash commenced; Fortepiano versus Electric Guitar. Gold collided with Royal Blue as the two musical waves vied for control. The pianist organized her Musica to a precise, biting blizzard; like a localized tornado attempting to tear a hole through the sea wall. Meanwhile, the guitarist’s mass of raw Musica united and threatened to consume the maelstrom whole. Both girls screamed at the top of their lungs, attempting to drown out the other within their climax.

Ashura’s Musica reserves were running low; if this kept up for even a second longer, she would crash out and burn. She clenched her teeth and grinned madly; there was no way she was going to lose! She was the Greatest Rockstar on Earth! No amount of magical bullshit was going to change that fact. With her back against the wall, she began shredding; Faster and faster. Harder and harder. Bloodier and bloodier. Ashura’s left hand began flicking blood all over the strings as she played her heart out, making her Musica wave grow to an overwhelming size. With one final push, Ashura leaned back and let out an intense howl.

[BLOODSTAINED SHREDDER]

The bloody strings hummed with Musica as it amplified the wave of energy, intensifying its rage. This compounded with Ashura’s own staggeringly high Musica output led to the monstrous wave of energy to mutate. Red and Blue currents spiraled into one before expanding itself into a giant burning wheel. The wheel spun violently, swallowing Sylvia’s Musica Typhoon in an instant before continuing its warpath towards the fox girl.

“My Musica… failed? Impossible…!” Sylvia looked up in horror as the tidal wave of Musica came crashing down upon her, engulfing her in its torrent of flames. She cast one last hateful glare at Ashura, who flashed the meanest grin she had ever seen in her life. Such a disgrace would be the last thing etched into Sylvia’s mind before her consciousness faded into darkness. “AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!”

Ashura swiped her hand upwards, finishing her solo with glee. Her face was caked with sweat as her head hung low. Adrenaline rushed through her veins as she then threw her head back, letting out a powerful roar deep within her chest.

“MY NAME IS ASHURA THE WHEELBREAKER, THE GREATEST ROCKSTAR IN THE WORLD! YOU BETTER FUCKIN’ REMEMBER IT!!!”

The crowd erupted in applause, cheering for the victorious Muse. Ashura laughed coarsely, her throat sore as she relished in the praise. With trained precision, the rockstar spun herself and landed on a stomp, shooting her bloodied hand up with a flying ‘Peace’ sign. The crowd roared to life, shaking the walls of the cafeteria as they celebrated her victory.

Ashura felt like he was on top of the world, and that nothing could stop his flow. Smoke lingered upon the stage and the noise of the crowd drowned out anything else Ashura had to say. He gave a menacing grin as he retreated into the cloud, making his way towards Sylvia’s defeated form; he was not done with her just yet.

“How’d ya like that, bitch?! That was all ME! That’s my Rock n’ Roll! I couldn’t give a shit about all that hocus pocus bullshit you pulled on me, because look where that brought you– lying at my feet; where you belong!” No response. Ashura snarled as he grabbed Sylvia by her collar, bringing her up to his face.

“You hear me?! I’M the one on top! I’M the one who beat your ass! I’m the best there ever is; don’t you EVER fuckin’ forget!!!”

Ashura laughed viciously as he held up the girl he just defeated. But at that moment… he was kicked out of his body. Adora’s hair fettered down as her bangs covered her eyes. She immediately dropped Sylvia’s body, letting her fall unceremoniously. Ashura glared at his host; standing back up on his feet and began stomping towards her.

“What the fuck, Adora?! I was in the middle of showing her who’s the boss! Don’t you fucking take this from-”

Ashura stopped dead in his tracks. His host was shaking; bad. Adora was staring down at the body of Sylvia Myst. She was breathing, thankfully, but her condition was awful. Cuts, burns, and bruises littered her body. Her clothes were torn and a long line of blood trickled from her head and mouth. Adora fell to her knees before shakily bringing her hands up to her face. Her left hand was torn open, raw muscle and bone being visible as blood gushed from the fingers and palms.

Adora immediately shot her other hand to her mouth. She couldn’t hold it in, vomiting off to the side. Adora was left an inconsolable mess, sobbing and shaking on the floor next to her defeated rival. Ashura tried walking towards the girl, but what she did next made his heart drop.

The broken girl hurriedly spun around and desperately tried to back away from him. Her ruby-red eyes were filled with terror as she clutched her bloodied left hand with her right. Tears pooled viciously down her face as her lip quavered, gasping to try and speak her next words.

“W-W-Who… No, what even are you…?”

x-x-x-x-x

Truesdale was in the middle of a conversation with one of his students, a redhead teenager with serpentine eyes and scales adorning the sides of his face. He held a calm demeanor as he listened to his teacher’s grievances; nodding along as the man groused about his newest student. One of the boy’s pointed ears flicked in the direction of the door before a knock erupted from behind it.

The professor took a glance at his student, who merely shrugged and gestured to the door. The scruffy man groaned as he flicked at the door with a hand, letting it swing open.

“W-Whoa! T-Thank you, Professor Truesdale!” A nervous wreck of a student council member exclaimed.

“What can I do for you? Is it something you couldn’t have gotten any other teacher to handle?” Truesdale sipped on his coffee, ignoring the exasperated look his student gave him.

“Well, you see… two Muses have agreed to a duel in the cafeteria, and we kinda need a proctor to make sure nothing gets too crazy…” The professor spat out his coffee and nearly fell out of his chair. The boy across from him also stood up straight, now invested in this turn of events.

“What in the- who the hell was stupid enough to do that without consulting me? The godsdamn Music Teacher?!”

“U-Umm… they said their names were Sylvia Myst and Adora van Rockett, sir.”

“...Of course it would be those two, why wouldn’t it?!” Truesdale threw up his arms as he got up, hoisting his coat over his shoulders. “Valius, get up; we’re going to stop those two before they get too far.”

“Right.” The two men ran out the door, with Valius turning towards the student council member that followed after them. “How long ago did these two begin this match?”

“It was… 2 minutes ago?”

“Two minutes?! Valius, pick up the pace; we gotta go.”

“On it; Expedience!”

The tall man made a sigil in the air with the symbol of a feather, punching it as the glyph shattered across his body. Combatica coated his body, bolstering his speed immensely. The serpent boy followed suit, casting a glyph for himself before grabbing the younger boy by his collar. The student council member was dragged along for the ride as the two Muses flew down the halls.

“WAAAAHHHHH!!! Why are we going so fast!? It just started!”

“And if we get there fast enough, we can prevent them from getting hurt!” Valius’s eyes narrowed as he recalled his junior’s attitude. “Sylvia is a proud girl; she will not take any offense lying down, especially from someone she believes is beneath her. And from what the professor has said about our newcomer, she is someone too headstrong to ever get along with our vulpine friend.”

“Which means that it was only a matter of time before they came to blows. I had just hoped it was in a more controlled environment… Gods, I should have kept a closer eye on that dumbass.”

“Which one, Professor?”

“Both of them.”

BTOOOOOOOMM!!!!

A loud booming noise rang out as they approached the cafeteria. Truesdale and Valius rushed forward, only to be met with a massive surge of Musica cascading out into the halls. It nearly sent them flying, with the smaller boy that accompanied them was sent spiraling away. Neither of them paid him any mind as they powered through and ran into the cafeteria.

The first thing they saw was the crowd that had gathered cheering for a victor up on the stage; Adora van Rockett. They saw her showboating for a bit before seeing her retreat into the cloud of smoke behind her.

“Sylvia’s probably in there too; grab both of them and take them to safety.” Truesdale commanded, Valius nodding in agreement. The Muses ran past the crowd, students moving out of the way of the Music Teacher. They eventually made their way upstage, careful not to dispel the smoke so they may hide whatever happened from the others. Truesdale eventually spotted the two girls huddled next to each other. As he approached, his blood ran cold; Adora was clutching her bloodied hand as Sylvia’s body lay still behind her.

There was no hesitation; The two men dove in immediately and snatched up the two girls. Casting Expedience once more, they quickly departed; the dust settled, leaving no traces of either Muse behind.

Valius held an unconscious Sylvia in his arms as Truesdale carried Adora, dashing through the halls. The girls’ breathing were even, yet they were not waking up any time soon. Truesdale furrowed his brow as he looked down at his newest student, a pang of guilt striking his heart. He turned to Valius as they made their way to the medical wing.

“How is Myst holding up?”

“I can stabilize her, but she looks bad. We will need to bring her to Doctor Airendale as soon as possible.” Valius turned to look at the curled up form of Adora, her cheeks wet with tears. “And that one…?”

“Her hand is all mangled; it looks like someone cut it up like a fish. Also something else for Litchi to look at. Gods, that woman is going to kill me…”

They arrived at the medic’s chambers within minutes, wind howling through as they stepped in. Several nurses on duty were about to reprimand the duo until they saw the girls in their arms and screamed. The head doctor snapped, instantly hushing the panicked nurses.

A middle-aged satyr woman walked into the room, her hooves clacking along the tile floor as her long, pink hair flowed behind. She wore an orange long-sleeve under her lab coat as her belt hooked a well-worn tome littered with various colored tabs. Atop her head sat a black witch’s hat adorned with odd-eyed goggles as her antlers poked through the fabric.

Her ringed magenta irises landed upon the two disheveled girls that were brought in. Giving them a once-over, the woman shot a dirty look at Truesdale, who turned his head to the side and began whistling nervously.

“I expect a full explanation on what happened here, Lexi.”

“Y-Yes, ma’am.”

x-x-x-x-x

Doctor Litchi Airendale was an old doe, which meant she’s seen a thing or two at this school. Duels between students were no exception; especially ones that erupt between two Muses. Giving the girls a small ‘tsk, tsk’, she placed a hand on the head of one of the medical beds they were laying on. Litchi’s eyes began to glow a calming green as she activated her Bloodline Arcanum.

[MERCIFUL MIRACLE WORKER]

Activating the spell manifested a small fairy with a flowery ringlet hovering above her head. Its hands were clasped in a fervent prayer as it was encased in a pulsating, green orb. Wires stretched from it before injecting themselves into the spines of the nurses, making their eyes glow in the same green hue as the orb. Litchi’s familiar functions as an Arcana Battery, allowing the nurses to borrow from its reserves so they can perform higher-tier healing without loss in efficiency.

Due to this, Doctor Airendale cements herself as one of the best healers in the country. Her experience and command over the finer points of her magic make her an excellent Arcanist, and one that should probably be on the back lines of an army instead of an academy. Why such a talent decided to remain at the academy is anyone’s guess.

“So, let me see if I understand this correctly… You allowed the two most hotheaded Muses in your care to duel and only stepped in after the fight was over?” Truesdale shrunk in response to the woman’s question. Valius cleared his throat, inching away from his professor as he did.

“Actually, ma’am, we did not hear about this duel until after it had already begun.” Truesdale’s face paled in terror as he looked back at his star pupil, betrayal in his eyes. Said student merely closed his eyes and did his best not to laugh. The doctor’s face darkened as she held a very dangerous smile.

“Oh, thank you Valius. So, Lexi, it turned out even worse; you decided not to supervise your new Muse, even though you knew she was going to another problem child!”

“I-I-In my defense, I-I didn’t think they would interact so soon?” The scruffy professor fumbled with his words before adjusting himself, desperately trying not to upset the older woman. “Look, my idea was simple; send Adora on her way, she attends class like normal and then goes home. When she comes back, I would introduce her to everyone and we would have had a controlled duel between these two, because of course it was bound to happen!”

“You are not making the case for yourself any better, boy…”

“Listen, gran-” A death glare shut him up instantly, making him clear his throat before continuing. “Litchi, if I had known they were about to duel sooner, I would have stopped them right then and there. Here, I assume full responsibility for this incident, how does that sound?”

“You better; the last thing I need is for both of their families to come crashing down upon us. Find a way to remedy this, or else I will throw you to those two rabid animals named Kairos and Artemis. Do I make myself absolutely clear?”

“Y-Yes, ma’am…”

“Good. Now, as for these brats,” Litchi held the two girls in beds under a stern gaze, her hand gripping the headrest of Adora’s bed hard. “I am going to give them a proper earful the moment they awaken. Why are all the Muses you take under your wing so foolish, Lexi? Except you, Valius; you turned out pretty alright, my dear.”

“Your words flatter me, madame.”

“Your words hurt me, granny.”

Valius got a loving pat on the head while Truesdale received a Combatica-infused punch to the gut. The older man doubled over in pain as his student accepted the praise cheerfully. Dr. Airendale sighed once more as she took another look at her newest patients. The woman let her thoughts wander as her eyes slowly traced over their injuries, brow furrowing as she did.

‘For both of them to leave each other in such a state… Their Musica must be quite remarkable. I wonder, just how far will they go?”