Littleroot Versus Doehunter

As the opening ceremony continues outside, I limber up and run through the combat strategies I’ve been developing over the past week. The tournament roster was kept private until an hour ago, when the brackets were randomly decided, so none of us could prepare for our opponents. Thanks to my time in the stables, however, I should have a thorough understanding of most of their summons, as well as which strategies will work best against them.

It’s hard to believe it’s only been a couple months since I arrived here. After all the training and trials I’ve endured, I feel like a completely different person from the insecure, naive little witch who set out with Vincent. Now I’m within an arm’s reach of finally proving to my classmates—to everyone—the potential of a society where humans and monsters work in harmony, as equals.

For the sake of my dream…

I have to win this!

“So without further ado, it’s time for our first match!” Super Grandpa proclaims, serving as both the tournament’s announcer and referee. He speaks into some sort of crystal-based device that amplifies his voice.

I step out of the dark hall and into the bright arena, momentarily blinded as my eyes adjust. A shimmering magical barrier domes the field, separating us—and our attacks—from the audience.

“Nora Littleroot!”

Thousands of spectators erupt into cheers, all here to see us, to see… me.

“Versus!”

I gulp. Can I really do this? With all these people watching me? This is all so—

“Jane Doehunter!”

My head swivels. “Jane?!”

“Hi, Nora!” She waves, running up to me. Her Quill Boar, Pineapple—which I may or may not have named myself—follows beside her, wearing the armor she requested from Lucas.

“Woah, Jane, you never told me you wanted to enter the tournament!”

“I didn’t… at least, not at first. But… well… you inspired me, Nora. Seeing a fellow country girl work so hard to keep up with all these talented nobles and persevere through so much adversity—I couldn’t just mope around any longer. I had to give it my all too!”

“How come you didn’t mention it to us?”

“I didn’t know until today that I’d be participating. Someone dropped out and I got humped into their spot.”

“Well, not that I want to fight you, but it’s kinda comforting in a way, knowing my first opponent will be a friend.”

She giggles. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”

“Ahem. Will the contestants take their positions?” Super Grandpa interrupts.

“Oops, guess it’s time!” I head for my position.

“Um… Nora?” Jane asks.

I turn. “Yeah?”

“This tournament’s really important to me… so I hope you’ll forgive me for going all out—even against a friend.”

I smirk. “I wouldn’t have it any other way!”

Once we’re both in position, Super Grandpa shouts, “Let the match… begin!”

“Charge! Needle!” Jane yells.

Pineapple fires a small volley of needles as it rushes toward me alongside Jane.

Pudding hops forward and bodyblocks the needles.

I reach into my satchel. “Heh, you’re gonna have to do better than—Pudding?!”

He goes limp.

I gasp. “The paralyzing thing-y Lucas suggested!”

Jane smirks.

Pineapple fires another volley while Jane chants shortened incantations, launching boulders from her wand.

I flick my wand, raising a sturdy earth wall.

I quickly scoop up Pudding and tuck him safely under my hat.

I have to be careful—if even one of those needles hits me, I’m—

BOOM!

An explosion sends me flying into the arena wall, knocking the wind out of me.

I look up and see Jane reloading a crossbow. There’s a tall bag strapped to her back now too…Was that under her—

Before I can get a better look, she disappears behind smoke, and I notice a cracked vial by my feet.

Suddenly, Pineapple bursts from the smoke, barrelling toward me. I dodge to the—

”Gyah!”

Pain shoots through my foot and I lose my balance. The ground’s been littered with little metal spikes—caltrops!

Before I can crash into them, I blast myself sideways with wind magic and skid onto a clear patch. I knock the caltrops off my shoes and—

“Needle!”

I raise another—

”Hrk!”

A boulder slams into my back, crushing me against my own earth wall.

Jane swings a dagger at me, but I dodge just in—

My satchel hits the ground, its straps sliced clean through.

“Wha—”

“Like I’d give you a chance to work any miracles with those herbs of yours!”

I can’t believe how aggressively she’s fighting! She hasn’t given me a single chance to stop and think—

Wait. Why’s she wearing goggles—

“Argh!”

My eyes burn and my vision disappears as something splashes across my face.

“Needle! Charge!”

I hit the ground as needles whistle overhead, followed by Pineapple’s rapidly approaching stomps. I can’t fight like this—I have to get away!

I narrowly avoid getting trampled, flying high into the air where she can’t—

”Urk!”

I FORGOT ABOUT THE FRIGGIN’ CROSSBOW!

I blast my face with water, wash out my eyes while flying as erratically as I can to avoid taking another arrow to the shoulder—

”Urk!”

If I get hit by one more goddess-forsaken arrow I’m going to lose my—

”Urk!”

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?” I scream. “Shooting me for fun!? How many more times are you gonna hit me before you put me out of my misery!? Don’t these arrows have the paralyzing thing-y too!?”

“Wow! Why didn’t I think of that?” she replies. “Thanks, Nora!”

“NO!”

Finally able to open my eyes, I see her coating her arrowheads with something from a vial.

I frantically hurl boulders at her, but she throws down another smoke vial and disappears from view. I redirect my attacks toward Pineapple, but they bounce uselessly off her armor.

“Why don’t you try fighting me like a real summoner, Jane?” I shout.

“Sorry, Nora, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned from you, it’s that when you’re fighting a stronger opponent, you gotta use whatever tricks you can—”

A net flies out of the smoke and wraps around me. I plummet from the sky.

“—to win!”

IS THIS WHAT I’VE BEEN DOING TO PEOPLE?! WHY DIDN’T ANYBODY TELL ME I’M THIS HORRIBLE?!

Unable to wriggle free from the net, I call on my connection with Pudding, begging him to fight through the paralysis and hit the net with acid, but I get no response.

As the ground rushes toward me, I pour mana into putting up a defensive aura and blast myself diagonally away from Jane and Pineapple to soften the impact.

I hit hard… but avoid any major injuries.

My hat flies off on impact, sending Pudding tumbling out.

Jane and Pineapple are already bearing down on us, mere moments away—

Ptoo! Ptoo! Ptoo! Ptoo!

Acid splatters across the net, eating through the ropes.

“...Squee.”

“Pudding!” I cry out.

“Needle!” Jane commands.

I tear free and dodge just in time, scoping up Pudding and my hat as I somersault away. I tuck him safely back underneath it. “Don’t worry, Pudding! We’re still in this!”

I fly away from Jane as fast as I can, keeping to the opposite side of the arena—weaving between her arrows and staying away from any surfaces she could detonate an arrow against. All it takes is one well-timed paralytic or explosive shot and the match is over.

I can’t believe how hard it is to fight another summoner without your summon. No wonder summoners are considered so much stronger than normal mages and warriors.

I can’t hit Jane without getting close, but Pineapple makes getting near her impossible.

But there’s nothing I can do against Pineapple without attacking their underside. Man, if I had just learned how to launch earth attack magic from the ground, I could—

An arrow whizzes past my face.

“Why are you running away, Nora?” Jane giggles. “Scared?”

“Yes! Terrified! Where did my sweet little Jane go?”

“Sorry, Nora. A girl’s gotta defend her dreams, no matter the cost.”

I gasp.

I don’t need offensive magic. Defensive is plenty!

“I don’t think I like that smirk on your face, Nora.”

“Thanks for the idea, Jane! You’re the best!”

“What—”

I dive toward Pineapple, weaving between Jane’s arrows. The instant I touch down—

“Oink!”

I raise an earth wall under Pineapple, launching her off the ground. Before she can fall, I blast her higher with wind magic.

I soar upwards, repeatedly blasting Pineapple higher and higher until we’ve reached the top of the arena.

And then…

…I let her fall.

“Oink! Oink! Oink!”

“No!” Jane yells.

Jane desperately sprints beneath Pineapple and starts conjuring a bed of soft dirt to break her fall. But before she can make much progress, I pelt her with a boulder, sending her tumbling across the arena.

Pineapple crashes into the ground, de-summoning from the impact.

I dive after Jane. She rolls to a stop and reaches for her crossbow, but it’s too late. With a flick of my wand, earth surges up around her, completely trapping her in place.

“And the winner is…Nora Littleroot!”

The crowd roars.

I let out a huge sigh of relief. “Wow, Jane. I don’t even know what to say. That was incredi—Jane? What’s wrong?”

Tears gently stream down her cheeks.

“I… really thought I had a chance to go far in this tournament.” She sniffles. “ But I got eliminated in the very first round.”

I dispel the earth and take her hands.

“Jane, are you kidding me? You started this year near the bottom of a class of over three hundred students. But you practiced and practiced, dueled and dueled, until you made it all the way to the edge of the top sixty-four. Do you realize how amazing that is?

I gesture toward the crowd. “Look at them! You couldn’t have given them a better first match. I barely escaped losing like half a dozen times. This could’ve easily gone the other way.”

I smile softly. “You should be proud.”

Jane hugs me. “Oh, Nora, you’re a good friend. Never change.”

“Uh, I hate to break it to you, but you kind of just covered me in dirt. I think we both need to go change.”

Giggling as we get up, I de-summon Pudding, and we head for the infirmary.

Maybe Petra’s right—what’s a little bloodshed between gal pals?