Reunion and Celebration at the Tarasque Tavern!

Sasuke entered the Tarasque Tavern with a subdued smile. Outside, everyone was gathering to watch the tournament that will signal the end of the Three Lords Festival. Because of this, the tavern was completely empty. It was a very medieval looking tavern with dark wooden walls and furniture. The only light source inside came from lighted lamps hung on the walls and placed in the center of every table. But since it was still midday, the light from the sun leaked into the tavern and brightened it up.

Sasuke took a seat at the bar. He ordered a bottle of soma on the rocks and three plates of fried Cetus tentacles. The bartender brought his order and then returned back to washing the mugs and cups of previous customers. He was an old Naga with long stringy blue hair and a silky light blue-grey beard. Thick blue eyebrows hid his eyes and his nose was scrunched up, no doubt from an earlier accident in his life.

“Say, Barkeep, I have a question for you,” said Sasuke with a tentacle sticking out of his mouth like a toothpick or a blade of grass.

“Yes sir?” came the barkeep with a very quivery voice—a sign of his advanced age.

“I know that you get a lot of customers here,” began Sasuke, “I mean, the Tarasque Tavern is one of the biggest hotspots in all of Jaculus City. I’m pretty sure you even get nobles and royalty here too, am I right? It doesn’t matter how elite or aristocratic they are, no one no matter their status can deny good liquor when it’s staring them right in the face.”

“To be honest, I don’t make it my business to learn the status of my customers,” said the barkeep.

“Would you consider yourself a discriminatory man?” asked Sasuke.

“I’m not a perfect man,” answered the barkeep with a shaky laugh. “I admit that I am ashamed of what I’ve done in my younger years. Back then, the world wasn’t as equal nor open-minded as it is today.”

“Say, you don’t have to answer this if you don’t want to, but were you Tainted or Pure?” asked Sasuke with an intrigued smile.

“I used to be Pure,” admitted the barkeep. “And I still believe in it. However, I also had to adapt to the changing world, so I keep it to myself these days and try to treat others as equally as I can while I work.”

“Are you Pro-Superum or Pro-Equitas?” asked Sasuke.

“I don’t know if I should be answering that,” said the barkeep with a throaty chuckle.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” apologized Sasuke with a sheepish smile. “I didn’t mean to pry into your personal beliefs. I’m way off track with what I wanted to ask you in the first place. Back to my initial question, can you tell me about a certain patron of yours?”

“I can try, but I get a lot of customers here everyday,” said the barkeep.

“He’s a Druk like me,” began Sasuke. “I don’t know if he uses an alias whenever he comes here or not, but he’s very popular among certain circles. Some even call him the Yellow Emperor.” He said that name with a little distaste, but tried hard to keep a very neutral expression. If this barkeep is one of them, he must do everything he can to avoid alienating him. This is imperative for finding the answers he needs.

“I can’t say that I’ve heard that name before,” said the barkeep. “Why do you ask?”

“He’s someone really important to me,” answered Sasuke with an unassuming smile.

At that moment, the bar door opened and another customer walked in. The customer took a seat right next to Sasuke and ordered the exact same drink and food. He didn’t pay Sasuke any mind at all and kept to himself. Sasuke couldn’t really tell who the customer was because of the large cloak he wore that covered much of his face, but he sensed a familiarity about him.

After a few minutes passed, the customer called the barkeep over. “Say, barkeep, can I get another drink and a plate of fern flower chips?” asked the customer.

“I’ll pay for him!” announced Sasuke brightly.

The customer had his hand frozen on his cup when he heard the former’s offer. Once the shock went away, he proceeded to take a sip from his cup. “Thank you,” he told Sasuke after putting his drink back down.

“Anything for a fellow Druk,” said Sasuke.

“It’s pretty rare to find chivalrous people like you these days,” said the customer with a hoarse chuckle.

“Oh, I’ve been taught by the best,” replied Sasuke. “These values have been instilled in me since childhood. My dad was a Blitzkrieg Knight and they live by a very chivalrous code. I eventually joined up too, but it wasn’t to follow in my dad’s footsteps. You see, I had another person I really looked up to.”

“Oh?” came the customer a little disinterestedly.

“Say, were you a Blitzkrieg Knight?” asked Sasuke. “Pardon me for asking, but I remember it being every Druk’s dream to become one.”

“I can’t say that I wasn’t,” replied the customer. “A man’s worth is proven with his sword and not with his words.”

“That’s the Blitzkrieg Knights’ precept, isn’t it?” said Sasuke.

“It’s a pretty good precept,” agreed the customer, “but I prefer a different saying myself: ‘A man’s sword is only as strong as his conviction. If he is filled with doubt, his blade will be dulled. If he is filled with confidence, his blade will be sharper than diamonds.’”

“That’s a direct quote from historic Blitzkrieg Knight Lunario Oghr,” recalled Sasuke. He had never thought that he would ever hear these words again. They felt like a flood of spikes as painful memories began to fill his head. The connections between these bittersweet words and the memories were so intertwined in his subconscious that he couldn’t help but shed a tear. He brushed it away and regained his composure. It seems that his instinct was correct. There was only ever one person he knew in his entire life that loved, lived, and breathed that quote like air. “Sorry I wasn’t able to attend your birthday two months ago,” he said. “I was too busy trying to find where you were after you went into hiding.”

“Oh? And who may you be referring to?” asked the customer. “I appreciate the thought, but I don't know who you are.”

“Really? Are we really going to go with that line?” asked Sasuke with a smirk.

“I wonder, what gave away my identity?” asked the customer, intrigued.

“There’s only one person I know who dedicates their entire life around that very quote,” revealed Sasuke.

“It looks like you remembered,” said the customer with a sigh. “I guess that was a little miscalculation on my part.”

“Looks like the information I got from my friends were right,” said Sasuke. “How often do you come here, big brother?”

The customer immediately stood up from his seat and placed his hand around Sasuke’s throat. “Don’t act familiar with me,” threatened the customer. “I’m not anyone’s big brother. I am the Yellow Emperor!”

“Do you really think it’s smart to announce your name like that in public, Ino?” asked Sasuke cheekily in a strangled voice.

Ino threw Sasuke across the bar. Luckily, there wasn’t anyone else in the establishment except them. The Yellow Emperor threw off his cloak, revealing the bright yellow and white full-face wolf mask he wore, and said, “When I saw you here at the bar, I decided to keep my mouth shut and let you go without any trouble. But it looks like you still have a big mouth on you, Samson.”

“My name right now is Sasuke,” said Sasuke with a glare. “Nanami Sasuke.”

Ino’s eyes became filled with rage and his hands began to generate electricity. “If you say that disgusting name one more time, I will end you with my very own hands right here. The fact that we’re tied by blood is no problem for me.”

“Why are you doing this?” asked Sasuke. “This isn’t like you at all!”

“Shut up!” commanded Ino. He mercilessly shot out a bolt of lightning at Sasuke. Sasuke managed to dodge it by rolling over on the ground. Ino took a deep breath and regained his composure. “You know what? I don’t give a damn anymore. If you want to mingle with those self-righteous insects, then you can do as you please. I have no brother.” He then put his cloak back on and opened the bar door.

Sasuke took this opportunity to tackle his brother and the both of them were now on the floor. “I’m not letting you get away again!” declared Sasuke.

“Let go of me you worthless scum!” shouted Ino. “Your hands have already been tainted by them!”

Sasuke forcefully dragged Ino backwards and turned him over. With his fists clenched tight, he slugged his brother’s face a couple of times. “Don’t! You! Dare! Speak! Of! My! Friends! That way!” he yelled with each strike. He raised his right hand for the final blow and brought it down with a warrior’s shout.

Ino, however, was way stronger than Sasuke and simply blocked the punch by grabbing the fist like it was nothing. His face was now ridden with bruises, but he didn’t feel any pain behind them at all. “Is it true?” asked Ino hoarsely. “Is it true that you’re friends with the Dragonborn?”

“What does that matter to you?” asked Sasuke suspiciously.

“I also heard that one of your friends is a half-blood,” said Ino. He then let out a very hoarse laugh. “Oh, how far you have fallen, Samson. To think that you would associate with a half-blood!” His laughter became one big wild howl that echoed throughout the entire tavern.

“Shut up!” shouted Sasuke furiously. With his other hand, he landed a hard strike across Ino’s face. “Ouroboros’ extremist agenda can go to hell. You tainted the holy name of a Celestial Dragon with your evil activities and you dare to call your actions righteous? Is it really for the good of the dragon realm? Your egos make me sick!”

“What’s his name?” asked Ino.

“What?” came Sasuke in a spiteful voice.

“Your friend’s name. Not the half-blood, the Dragonborn,” clarified Ino.

“As if I’ll tell you that,” scoffed Sasuke. “I thought that maybe I can come and take you back, but it seems that you’re already too far gone.”

“I’ve never been gone,” said Ino. “But I have been awakened.” A small smile then crept onto his face and he asked, “Why don’t you join me?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?” came Sasuke in an aggressive tone.

“Come join Ouroboros and I’ll tell you everything you want to know,” offered Ino.

“Do you really think I’ll fall for that? Stop talking crap already!” demanded Sasuke.

“Don’t you want to know how and why I joined the organization you dreaded so much? Don’t you want to know about our plans?” tempted Ino.

“I-I-I,” stuttered Sasuke.

“We can be brothers again,” said Ino seriously.

Sasuke couldn’t believe it. Those words suddenly brought back the wonderful and happy childhood memories he kept lock away deep inside his heart. He could now see and experience the very scenes of his youth. There was the day during their early years when his brother helped him after he had fallen and scraped his knee. Then there was the day that Ino graduated from the Knight’s Academy and became a full-fledged Blitzkrieg Knight. Lastly, there was the day that Ino left for his very first mission as a Blitzkrieg Knight and had promised to return home. And that was the end of it. After this, no more happy memories followed. Sasuke’s entire body shook and tears began to stream down his eyes.

Ino raised up a hand and caressed Sasuke’s face. “Let’s be brothers again,” he cooed. “If you join me, I will acknowledge you as my brother once again. However, you must discard that disgusting name and retake your birth name.” Sasuke stayed silent. “It’s been a long time since we were together, isn’t it, brother?” Hearing Ino say the word “brother” almost made Sasuke choke up with tears. “What do you say?” tempted the Yellow Emperor.

“I can’t betray my friends,” was Sasuke’s answer.

“Family is more important than friends, is it not?” argued Ino logically.

“I….” Sasuke didn’t know what else to say.

“Listen, I know that you don’t fully agree with Ouroboros’ ideals,” began Ino, “and that’s fine. I’m not asking you to discard your humanity and succumb to the darkness. You don’t have to hold the same values as us or take part in our missions. But regardless of your position, you still have value to us. You are friends with the Dragonborn, the one who dealt a very big blow to our organization. I just need you to tell me everything you know about him. That’s all I ask. I will protect you from the darkness and those who would want to take advantage of you. I won’t let this change you. I want us to go back to being brothers again. This is our chance to reconnect.” Ino’s voice had taken on a very drastic change from before. All of the anger and rage that fueled him was now gone and replaced with calmness and familiarity. It was as if the big brother inside of him has now returned. “What do you say?” he asked Sasuke with a brotherly smile.

Sasuke’s face had darkened the entire time he listened to Ino’s words. “Do you really expect me to believe you?” he asked in a quiet, trembling voice. And then, in a louder voice filled with rage, he shouted, “You already decided to cut ties with me and not acknowledge me anymore, but when it becomes convenient for you, you decide to rebuild back our brotherly bond?! Do you really think that I’m an idiot?!”

“You’re right,” said Ino in a forceful voice, “I didn’t want to acknowledge you anymore. You were nothing more than an insignificant insect, a pain in the ass that always annoyed me in the back of my mind. You had no value to me and I had severed our bonds years ago. But now, you do have value to me. I’ll tell you right now, I’m an opportunist. I have always been this way. My reason for joining the Blitzkrieg Knights wasn’t to bring honor to our family or to follow in our father’s footsteps. I only did it to satisfy my own ego. My goal then was to become the best warrior among the Druk tribe. I wanted my name to go down in history. Even now, even after I abandoned my old self and goals and devoted my time to this new and more glorious goal, I still do whatever I can to claw to the top and remain there. With the appearance of the Dragonborn, my status is threatened. I want to use you for my own personal gain. With your knowledge of the Dragonborn, I can defeat him and secure my position. It’s true that I’m only using you, but I’m not lying either when I said that I want to reconnect with you. We can do this together as brothers.”

“If betraying my friends means getting you back as a brother—,” Sasuke immediately stopped himself. What was he thinking? Is the prospect of rebuilding his relationship with his brother really that important to him? He didn’t know anymore. He had spent so long trying to search for his brother, and ever since learning of his brother’s involvement with Ouroboros through information he received from friends, he had done everything he can to locate him so that he can bring him back. But it looks like everything he had done was all in vain. Even after all of this, should he still try to reclaim his brother from the dark side? ‘What should I do?’ he asked himself.

Ino was his own flesh and blood, but the bond that they had was severed long ago and they’ve both grew up to become very different people. The only person that Sasuke could actually say was like a brother to him was Tatsuya. Suddenly, images and memories of his best friend began to flash in his mind. Smiling at the answer to all of his questions, he looked at his brother right in the eye and said, “I’m sorry, Ino, but I already have a brother.”

Ino let out a disappointed sigh. “This could’ve been a win-win situation for both of us,” said the Yellow Emperor. “But now that we know of your connection to the Dragonborn, you will be targeted by my people. I was trying to help you, Samson, to protect you like a true big brother.”

“I already told you—,” said Sasuke.

“It would also be in your best interest to know that you would be protecting your friend too,” continued Ino. “Sure if you were to join us, we would be using you for information on your friend, but in exchange you would also be protecting your friend from us. Your connection is now known and it won’t be long before it is exploited by the organization whether you join us or not. But if you were to distance yourself from him, his chances of being found out is significantly reduced to his own advantage.”

“What do you mean?” asked Sasuke, confused by his brother’s contradicting words.

“There is a war coming, Samson,” said Ino darkly. “A plan to destroy two of the most powerful tribes in the dragon realm is already in play. More tribes will join and more of them will cease to exist. I believe that your little friend will be called upon to stop this war in any way possible. This is actually what we are hoping for. It is our plan to draw out the Dragonborns and take them down with the tribes.”

“That’s what you’re planning?!” exclaimed Sasuke in horror.

“And now that you know, you have no choice but to join me,” said Ino with a sly smile. “You can risk being a target of Ouroboros for as long as you live, or you can save yourself and your friend.”

“How will I be protecting my friend?” asked Sasuke with a spiteful tone.

“Think about it,” said Ino, “if you were to go back to him while you’re a giant target for Ouroboros, who’s to say that he won’t die a quick death alongside you? You’ll be responsible for his death.”

“And if I join you, won’t it be the same thing?” reasoned Sasuke.

“There are many people who wants to destroy the Dragonborn,” said Ino. “If you join me, I can do whatever I can to abate their bloodlust and hatred with my authority. I would also prefer if he gets killed by our plan rather than by a random member of ours. I hate it when things don’t go as planned.”

“So you’ll basically make sure that he’ll die on your own terms and not anybody else’s,” concluded Sasuke.

“Correct,” confirmed Ino with a nod of his head. “You should know by now the number of people who despise and hate the Dragonborn and wish for his death. You would be a huge target yourself, but if anyone finds out about your relationship here, you better be careful and pray that they are not his enemy.”

With this knowledge beaten into him, Sasuke knew now what it is he should do. “I….” He was afraid to answer back. Countless thoughts and voices buzzed in his mind as he tried to reason with himself. Was this really the right choice? He steeled his nerves and wore a grim expression. He then bowed his head and said, “Please take care of me, brother.”

“Welcome back, brother,” said Ino.

The tournament had ended and a big celebration party was being held for Regus the Indomitable at the Tarasque Tavern. All of his friends, family, top fans, colleagues, and associates joined in celebrating his win. This included Tatsuya and his group, who, despite only having been acquainted with Regus for less than a day, were invited by the champion after the tournament had ended. Mr. Urushihara’s quick acceptance of the invitation brought them to where they are now.

Tatsuya now found himself in the middle of a drunken revelry in the Tarasque Tavern. He didn’t partake in any drinking himself, but the stench of alcohol that permeated the atmosphere made him a little tipsy. The girls were all drinking beverages with very low amounts of alcohol. But even with less than three percent alcohol in her drink, Sunaji was quick to become more drunk than a sad, old salaryman after work. Shurai, on the other hand, went through her drinks like they were nothing, yet her face only became slightly flushed after downing about forty full glasses. Kanjomizu quickly went to sleep after about three glasses and Arashi became quite aggressive and flirted with the other people after finishing her fourth. Takara had drank one and a half glass of her drink and became quite immersed in herself, talking and laughing to herself like some drunken weirdo. Aika, after downing about six cups of her own beverage, simply joined in with the revelry and loudly sang songs and participated in the merry dances that the other people were doing. Along with her, Mr. Urushihara also became quite intoxicated from the atmosphere and the five mugs of mead that he downed in just the first hour, and made himself another member of the jolly group.

“Wha kinda dancin’ ya think yer doin’?” shouted Sunaji like a grumpy old miser. “Ah ‘aven’t seen dem dancin’ dat bad since the rehearsal fer my birthday partay se’en years ago!”

‘She’s just like a drunken uncle,’ thought Tatsuya to himself.

Regus’ jolly laughter filled the tavern. “Say, little lady, how about joining us then?” he asked Sunaji.

“Nah, Ah’m ter tired ta show ya how ta do it right,” said Sunaji with a scary scowl.

‘How did I find myself in this situation?’ wondered Tatsuya miserably.

“Ah, Darling!” shouted Aika at the top of her lungs, running up to Tatsuya and tightly grabbing hold onto his body. She rubbed herself on him with a dumb smile on her face. The stench of alcohol coming from her burned Tatsuya’s nostrils. “Darling, want to come dance and sing with us?” she asked him while giggling like a schoolgirl.

“I-I’m fine,” Tatsuya told her with an attempted smile.

“Eh? You’re no fun at all,” said Aika with a pout.

Suddenly, a mug of beverage was thrust in front of Tatsuya, surprising him and making him take a step back. “Tatsu-kun, drink,” came Shurai. She had held up to his lips one of her own mugs. “It’s only fun if you join in too.”

“I don’t drink,” Tatsuya told her. ‘In fact, I don’t need to drink at all. The amount of alcohol in the air right now is enough to make an elephant drunk and wake up with a hangover in the morning!’

“Sir, it’s common courtesy to partake in at least one drink in a bar,” said the barkeep.

“Sorry, but I don’t drink at all,” apologized Tatsuya.

“I have a few non-alcoholic options too,” said the barkeep.

“Really?!” exclaimed Tatsuya in surprise.

“We sometimes get a few customers who do not partake in alcohol at all,” revealed the barkeep. “Our most popular non-alcoholic beverage is fern flower extract with Amalthea’s milk.”

“I guess I’ll try it,” said Tatsuya. The barkeep nodded and proceeded to mix the drink. When he was done, he presented it to Tatsuya. The drink was white and smooth like milk with tiny green swirls. It had a very refreshing scent that reminded Tatsuya a bit of cool Summer lemonade. He took a drink and his tongue was immediately covered in a very creamy, velvety texture. It was sweet like freshly picked strawberries and had a cooling effect like peppermints. He could also taste the freshness of the fern flower, which was like breathing in a fresh summer breeze. “This is delicious!” he declared with a big smile. “And this drink has no alcohol in it at all?”

The barkeep answered back with a shake of his head.

“Amazing!” exclaimed Tatsuya.

“Owatatsumi Tatsuya!” called Regus heartily. The champion walked over to Tatsuya and gave him a very hearty pat on the back. Tatsuya could feel his organs shaking around in his body from the impact. “Your friend here,” he said, pointing to Mr. Urushihara, “just told me the most amazing piece of news! You know, when you told me your name before, I thought to myself that I heard of it before. But from where, I wonder? It wasn’t until your friend told me your,” he leaned in to whisper the word ‘secret’, “that it all began to click! You’re the Dragonborn, aren’t you?”

That announcement shook Tatsuya to the core and he began to drown in his own perspiration. “Um-um-um-um-um…,” was all he could mutter.

“That’s great news!” declared Regus. “You know, I’ve always wanted to meet you. You’re a hero! You’re a living legend! I was there in the audience during your ceremony too. How foolish am I to not recognize you when I was there on the same day you were on stage before everyone?”

Tatsuya didn’t know how to respond to this unforeseen situation and just laughed nervously. ‘Mr. Urushihara, why do you have to be such a loudmouth when your drunk?!’ screamed Tatsuya internally. He was mentally consumed by both panic and fury. His anxiety in trying to find a way out of this compromising situation almost tore his sanity apart, while his anger at the carelessness of his teacher boiled hotter than the flames of hell he was imagining to punish him with.

“Hooray for the Dragonborn!” shouted Regus. Everyone cheered and raised their glasses in celebration. Maybe it was because of the alcohol or probably the fun and happy atmosphere, but everyone’s reaction to Tatsuya’s safely-guarded secret wasn’t as dangerous or threatening as he had expected. Then again, Regus didn’t actually tell everyone that he was the Dragonborn. It could be that everyone else just assumed that he was praising the Dragonborn in general.

‘Is this really something I should be grateful for?’ he wondered logically to himself.

Mr. Urushihara quickly walked over to Regus like a drunken monkey and pushed his finger onto Regus’ lips while making the ‘shush’ sound. “D-Dats suppose ta be a secwet!” slurred the teacher in a whisper-like voice.

“Oh, right,” agreed Regus, nodding his head. Mr. Urushihara nodded his head along with the champion and made a serious face to show that he meant business. Tatsuya couldn’t help but pray for lightning to strike him right now so that he can escape from this farce. Regus then called for everyone’s attention and shouted, “Everyone, what you just heard was a secret! Owatatsumi Tatsuya’s identity as the Dragonborn is a s—!”

Tatsuya immediately tackled the champion and used his hands to cover the champion’s mouth. “Ha ha ha! That was a very funny joke! Regus the Indomitable is also a champion at telling jokes!” shouted Tatsuya with a very forceful laugh. Everyone else, who had initially stopped their merrymaking after seeing or hearing the man of the hour getting tackled onto the ground, immediately burst into wild laughter and shouted their agreements to Tatsuya’s statement about the champion. Seeing that he had just barely escaped danger, Tatsuya wiped away sweat from his temples and released a sigh of relief.

Suddenly, the ground below him began to shake and he fell down onto the floor. The cause of the shaking was Regus’ jolly laughter, which quickly filled the air and echoed throughout the block. The champion got onto his feet and grabbed his tummy. “That was a fine tackle!” he shouted in praise. Tatsuya rubbed his head and got back up. “Say, little friend, how about we go at it, hmm?” suggested the champion.

“S-Sorry?” came Tatsuya in confusion.

“How about we have ourselves a little match?” clarified the champion.

“Um, I don’t know,” replied Tatsuya slowly.

“Ooh! Ooh! I’ll take y’on!” shouted Mr. Urushihara like a little child. His face was redder than a ripe tomato, his eyes were bloodshot to the point that his veins were highly visible and bulging, and his bodily movements were more or less functional…for a drunk.

“Goody!” exclaimed Regus happily. “But before we start, what’s your name again?”

“Jon Ursha,” answered Mr. Urushihara with a drunken smile.

“No way! You aren’t Jon Ursha from the United Front, are you?” asked Regus in surprise.

“I am!” announced Mr. Urushihara grandly.

“I’ve heard so much about the one they call the Wildfire of Justice!” said Regus with a laugh. He then put up his fists and said, “Come! Let’s battle!”

“You said it!” agreed the teacher.

Before anyone could stop this bad idea from going any further, both Dracos clashed and grappled each other on equal footing. They were like two unmovable mountains. Regus laughed heartily to show his enjoyment in fighting a very strong opponent. Mr. Urushihara was beyond delighted to take part in a fight against one of his idols. When it became apparent that their standstill wasn’t going to change anytime soon, they both pushed away from each other. And then, like a pair of loose cannonballs, they both rushed forward with their fists drawn and they each landed a successful punch on their opponent.

The other party goers were quick to form a circle around the two combatants and cheered them on. Tatsuya found himself among the front row and watched the fight with fear. He was afraid of the fight’s quick escalation and the obvious danger it posed to the establishment and its patrons. But as he watched them go at each other, his fear slowly transformed into awe. Both Regus and Mr. Urushihara exchanged calculated blows of epic proportions. They each received their opponent’s attacks and shook them off like they were little scratches. Tatsuya knows of Regus’ strength after watching his many magnificent battles in the arena, but to see Mr. Urushihara holding his own against the champion was a sight he had never expected to see in his entire life! He had never knew that the teacher was this strong!

The fight became a flurry of attacks between two monsters. Their quick and precise offenses were inhuman. Their open acceptance of potentially harmful and dangerous attacks from their opponents showed just how fearless they were in this fight and how much they enjoyed testing their opponent’s strength. All forms of defense was absent in this battle. It was a contest of endurance, and both combatants were pushing themselves to the brink to see who could hold out the longest.

It finally came down to the final blow. Both Regus and Mr. Urushihara got into battle stances and stood a few feet away from each other. And then, just like a scene from a shonen anime, they both suddenly encased their bodies in a sea of flames. Like living comets, they both then rushed forward with their fists drawn just like before and struck each other in the face. A bright light immediately filled the room and the atmosphere became hotter than the inside of a sauna. Tatsuya and everyone else had to shield their eyes away from the epic impact in order to protect themselves from becoming eternally blind. Once the light cleared away and the air around them gradually returned to normal, everyone looked at the two combatants and was dumbfounded to find a giant black circle of burnt earth surrounding them. Pieces of wood littered the ground around them and smoke rose up from the earth. Both Regus and Mr. Urushihara were still standing and wore very satisfied smiles on their faces.

“You’re pretty good, my friend,” said Regus with a short laugh.

“As expected of Regus the Indomitable,” said Mr. Urushihara breathlessly.

And then, without warning, both combatants fell to the ground with a thud. Everyone quickly rushed up to them with panicked expressions. Aika was the first one to approach their bodies and she bent down and placed her head on each of their chests. She received her answer and let out a sigh of relief. “They’re okay,” she told everyone, “They’re just asleep.” Upon closer inspection, everyone could now see that both Regus and Mr. Urushihara’s chest were rising and lowering in a steady manner. Their breathing could be heard and everyone was relieved to know that they had just passed out from exhaustion and intoxication.

The party came to an end then and Tatsuya picked up Mr. Urushihara. The sun was now very far in the western sky to signal that evening was very near. Tatsuya carried the teacher on his shoulders and, after saying farewell to Regus’ colleagues, walked with the girls back home to the inn. When they arrived, they were greeted by the servants. Ingrid came to Tatsuya’s aid and helped him carry the teacher to his room.

“Thank you Ingrid,” said Tatsuya once they arrived at his door.

“It is my pleasure, Owatatsumi-sama,” said Ingrid. “Still, it is very unbecoming of a teacher and high-ranking member of the United Front like him to become this intoxicated and to get into a fight with the festival’s champion.”

“Though I agree with your statement, the fight wasn’t really a fight and more of a sparring match,” clarified Tatsuya.

Ingrid looked at him with a raised eyebrow and said, “That still doesn't make his behavior anymore acceptable.”

“Well, you’re right about that,” agreed Tatsuya with a nervous smile. He opened the door and, with Ingrid’s help, placed Mr. Urushihara on his bed. Once they were done, Ingrid excused herself and Tatsuya closed the door behind her after she left. He then turned back to the teacher and heaved out a heavy exasperated sigh. “This is such a pain,” he groaned to himself. He walked over to his own bed and sat on it. “Then again, I’ve never seen Mr. Urushihara fight before. Seeing him fight on equal footing with Regus was unexpected. I wonder how strong he really is.” And with that thought in mind, he looked at his teacher’s sleeping face and wondered about his true strength. This went on for quite some time before he got bored and hungry and went down to have dinner. "Well, it’s not like it’s important anyway. I’ll just have to see him in action for myself. Maybe I can see him in action tomorrow when we leave for the Draco tribe?"