Chapter 6

SWISH.

Eight targets down. One more is in the shadows…

"ROAR!"

A humanoid creature slowly emerged from the final cage. Its claws dug into the concrete floor as it made his way towards the sole warrior. His ragged, short-intakes of breaths swore to ravage the figure in front of him. A low growl resonated from his throat as he attempted to intimidate the lone figure, his new prey. As the cage that contained the creature clamped its gate down, the creature let out a battle cry and lunged forward.

The warrior gripped the sheathed sword in her right hand and turned to face the monster. Her left hand aided her right as she blocked the demon's attack with her sword. The demon lashed out with his claws and a fury of its teeth, but the fighter held her ground. She easily swung her sheathed weapon to parry the creature's every attack. Despite his size, the smaller swordswoman was easily forcing the grotesque creature back.

There!

Spotting a soft side of the creature's underbelly exposed, the fighter prepared her stance. With unusual grace and agility, she drove the sheathed blade across the underside of the creature's stomach. She watched as dark, crimson blood splayed from the creature's belly and oozed along the concrete floor. But instead of collapsing, the monster growled a bizarre growl of insanity. Its eyeballs rolled out its whites, blinded by the distinct odor of blood. Its own blood.

The monster lowered its head and allowed its tongue to swivel around a pool of blood, as if oblivious that it was tasting its own fluids. The swordswoman took an anticipating step back, knowing the dangers of attacking a monster that becomes mad from the stench of blood.

With an unearthly grin, the monster launched forward again.

This time, its bulky body managed to keep up with its speed, as it lashed and clawed at the sole fighter. The swordswoman continued to block and parry the blows, but the monster seemed to detect her increasing fatigue and anxiety. With a final battle cry, the monster raised its humanoid hand, preparing to finish the duel with one final strike.

The swordswoman, however, did a quick flips backwards, leaping away from the monster's attacks. Gripping her sheathed sword vertically, she slammed the hilt to the ground. A sly grin was marked against her lips as her eyes narrowed victoriously at the beast.

There was a pause. Suddenly, the floor and ceiling above began to crack. The beast flared its nostrils out in distaste, fearing the something inevitable was bound to come its way.

All too unexpectedly, the creature was flung harshly against the ceiling, its lolling tongue plastered against the concrete wall. Gravity seemed to reverse, leaving the miserable beast cramped against the ceiling with no ability to defend or attack. The mage closed her eyes in satisfaction, knowing that the battle has long ended. To finish it off, she implied more power into her sword, until the floor began to crack from the pressure. The beast was then flung deep into the floor, with a sickening crack. Upon impact, its body was matted into a deep crater.

The swordswoman flung the bloodied side of the sword to the side, flicking the blood to the ground. Slowly walking to the creature, she wondered if it survived the fully impacted blow. As the smoke dissolved, she made her to the massive figure. As long as its head was pressed to the floor, she assumed that it was safe to approach it. With her sword in hand, she crouched near its head to check for the code on the side of its neck, which was why she had to fight down the urge to finish it off immediately by slitting open its throat.

As her hazel eyes traveled to the creature's neck, she frowned when she couldn't find the branded code anywhere. Strange, she thought. I never knew the council was so reckless as to release an unauthorized and incomplete experiment from the laboratories. How do they expect me to write them a report when I couldn't even identify this…creature. But if it wasn't the council, then –

A managed grunt escaped from the creature's throat. The female mage snapped out of her train of thoughts as she brought her attention back to the beast, which lay struggling on the ground. Her stoic, narrowed eyes widened as she noticed something shiny trickle down the side of the creature's right eye. She thought that perhaps some inner pity she had for the beast disillusioned her. It wasn't until she noticed the other eye begin to leak; she realized that it was true.

Don't tell me…those are tears?

As her brown eyes bore into the onyx ones of the creature, she noticed a mix of emotions – sadness, terror, anxiety, and pain. But there was a desperate plea in the beast's eyes that irritated the swordswoman. There was no other emotion that irritated the mage more than self-pity, a cowardly act of fear for weaklings who are unfit to face defeat.

Furrowing her elegant eyebrows in distaste, she muttered, "No one can save you. If one is unfit to survive, then the stronger one will prove to be dominant. There's no such thing as 'luck' in this world. The world we thrive in is a dark place, where the strong will always devour the weak. The only one that could save you is yourself. If you want to live…you have to find your own destiny."

Her words slowly diminished as a sudden furry of memories took over. A certain voice echoed in her mind. "Live on." She couldn't remember exactly what his face looked like, probably since it was years since that incident. But she could never forget the dazzling, toothy smile and the powerful strength that resonated in the one remaining eye he had to live with.

What about the boy? He was so reckless and determined. I lived since that day, because of him. Did I rely on luck to live that day? Did fate decide that I was to live while he had to die? What does it mean when weak strives when the strong falls? Maybe my presence to live was a mistake... No, I was capable of surviving because I knew I would grow strong someday. I will continue to forge my destiny until I walk in the light he had.

A new strength surged in her veins, making her clutch her sword even more. She watched the fatally wounded creature heave one last breath before its entire body stilled. The arena regained the calamity and silence, despite being wrecked and nearly torn into pieces.

No…there's something…breathing…behind me!

In the blink of an eye, the swordswoman appeared in front of a figure that lingered in the shadows. Sword gripped in her hands, she forced the figure to the ground with the backside of the sheathed blade. Then, without a paused, she pressed the tip of the sheathed blade to the figure's throat. Triumphantly, she stood above the figure, her eyes narrowed and unforgiving. She could see the small figure shake slightly. From fear or surprise, she couldn't tell.

"I-Impressive as always…M-Mikazuchi-san. Y-Your swordsmanship never fails you…"

The swordswoman immediately drew back, irritated. She knew the voice much too well. "Eve–Tearm-san," she corrected herself, crossing her arms below her impressively large bosoms. "Why are you here?"

The figure shakily got up to his feet and stumbled out of the shadows. The swordswoman frowned as the blonde-haired boy eagerly rushed forward and gave her a ninety-degree bow. His bowl-cut, neat hair only emphasized his round, childish face. Raising his head, his large, dark eyes stared at the swordswoman with admiration. The female mage continued to frown stoically at the rune knight trainee. She couldn't believe that she would have to consider him as her equal or senior if she was never promoted. His appearance looked no older than a young child, despite being sixteen already.

"I want to congratulate on your recent promotion to squad captain, Mikazuchi-san!" the blonde-haired boy grinned, his eyes sparkling gleefully. However, the swordswoman's eyes darkened. The fire in her usual amber eyes immediately vanished, leaving them somber and lifeless. The grin on the boy's face fell as he realized that the young captain's grip on her sword shuddered, a rare sight to see.

"M-Mikazuchi…san– "

"Tearm-san, are you suggesting that our captain's death is a glorious matter to celebrate?" The fire slowly reemerged in the swordswoman's eyes. But this time, the fire seemed to be of mock and hatred.

Eve slowly took a step back, clearly intimidated by the swordswoman. "W-What do you mean, Mikazuchi-san? Why would I ever – "

Suddenly, he felt pain pierce across his right cheek. Following the pain, he felt something wet and warm oozed down his face and rested at the tip of his chin. It took him a moment to realize that he had been cut. His breath hitched as he glanced down from the corner of his eye. The blade was sheathed, yet it had made a long, clear cut across his face just below his cheekbone.

"M-Mikazuchi-san…"

The boy could only gasp at the damage the swordswoman did to his face. He couldn't believe that in such a short time since she received the sword from their master, she had already mastered wielding his sheathed sword. Their mentor used to strap the sword on his back whenever he traveled with them. At first, they couldn't understand why he refused to use the blade of the sword. He would use the sword to parry monsters during combat, but he would never unsheathe the sword. Or to be more precise, he couldn't unsheathe it.

The master's two favourite pupils were told that the Archenemy was a sealed sword, rumored to contain tremendous powers unlike any other. However, it was also a sword that never drew blood with its blade. In the history of swords, the blade was considered a cursed weapon. Though very few swordsmen in history got ahold of the Archenemy, only one actually succeeded in breaking the seal. But he failed to properly manipulate it, ending his life in misery the moment he removed the blade from its sheathe. Towns and villages were destroyed, the land tore open, and finally – the user himself had realized too late that he had dug his own grave. Therefore, the sword had passed down from generations to generations in fear that the seal would someday be miraculously broken once again.

But what frightened Eve more was his unmistakable intuition that the blade may have found the one person to unlock its secret potential.

"Tearm-san," the raven-haired girl said, her hazel eyes glowered at him. "Don't you dare lie to me. You purposely released that mutated Vulcan from its cage, despite knowing the council's orders to handle it with extreme caution."

Eve's blonde bangs hid his darkening eyes from the swordswoman. His usual kind grin dissolved into a stern frown. "That's right…Mikazuchi-san. I wished to see your potential at its fullest."

"Even with its blood-driven instinct, it's too weak to force me to unsheathe the sword," she answered. "You already broke protocol, Tearm-san. If you wish to continue your training, I advise you to reconsider you actions."

Eve bit his bottom lip in annoyance, hating the swordswoman's aloof attitude. Something inside him stirred uncomfortably, encouraging his anger to rise. I don't get it…why would Captain give his position to her? There are experienced rune-knights under his command, yet he had to choose an inexperienced, sixteen-year old trainee as the next Captain. Just what was he thinking?!

"Or perhaps you still haven't figured out how to unsheathe the sword," Eve chided bitterly, pushing his luck further. Fighting back with words couldn't feel better at that moment. The female mage stared at the shorter boy in utter confusion. She had never seen him bare his fangs at anyone before, much less even attempting to ridicule someone. Especially not to her.

"Do you hate me for being promoted to Captain?" the girl asked, her stoic voice seemingly shook, much to the blonde-haired mage's surprise. When he looked into her eyes, he saw a different form of hurt. Normally, he would've considered her feelings with utmost care. He had kept his happy-go-lucky nature like that for as long as the female captain could remember, which irked and annoyed her to no end. Yet now…she couldn't help but recognize the loss she never cherished. And perhaps she'll never see the smile or be leapt on into embrace by the one friend she had.

None of this would've happened if our commander never died.

The swordswoman watched as her comrade opened his mouth. She waited for a retort, but was pleasantly surprised when he only took a breath in. After taking a moment to reconsider his words, he broke the hanging silence.

"Mikazuchi-san, I sincerely apologize for my words and actions from earlier. It was improper of me to speak to you in such a manner and to disrupt you combat training. It was also wrong of me to go against the council's wishes. If you may, I wish to be excused," Eve said with that fake, polite smile the swordswoman knew he used whenever he talked to a superior. She watched as he gave her a small bow and retreated down the dark aisle.

Just as the blonde mage rested his hand on the knob of the steel door, a sincere voice stopped him. "If you came here for a purpose, you should finish your purpose. If you wanted me dead…at least do it with your own hands!"

Eve's dark green eyes widened for a moment as he tried to comprehend what he just heard. Swiveling his heard around, his eyes met furious brown ones that lingered in the shadows. That's right…why did I come down here again? Wasn't it because I wanted to fight Kagura-san? To prove to sensei that he was wrong – that he allowing his favourite pupil, a mere child, to take over as a commander…is a mistake.

Frustrated, he clenched his fists. But…what was I thinking? I tried to kill her, my closest friend. Why did I want her to fail and to watch her resolve break in despair? What is wrong with me? Why couldn't I bring myself to tell her…anything? Why did I have to trick her, lie to her, and –

"Tearm-san," the swordswoman's voice rang out in the dark, breaking the blonde's concentration. "Despite the circumstances, I don't see myself fit as being squad captain either."

"Then why – "

"However," she continued. "It's only right to carry out the commander's final request. Even if it was a mistake promoting me, he had already chosen me as his deputy. Even if I am inexperienced, I am willing to carry out this new responsibility, for our master's sake…and ours."

Eve gritted his teeth at her words. For…our sake…huh…

"How could you be so sure of yourself?! There's no way you are able to carry this heavy burden!" Eve said, slowly raising his voice as he gradually made his way to the female mage. "You-you're not strong enough to – "

"To beat you?"

Silence took over once again as the blonde mage came to realization. His eyes widened slightly as they bore into amber ones. Those orbs flickered challengingly at him, edging him to challenge them back. He remained emotionless for a moment, pondering on the words.

Could it be? Maybe…I was riled up because of how sensei always favoured Kagura-san. Maybe it's because I trained under him for over eight years while she trained half that time, but achieved her status as commander nonetheless. There's no way our abilities are that far apart! That's just not possible!

"Kagura-san, I want to request…a bet."

Kagura remained stoic, but a dangerous gleam appeared in her eyes. "A bet, you say?"

Eve nodded as he approached her. "Yes, a serious bet. I want to see for myself who is stronger."

The swordswoman bit the inside of her mouth. She truly hated bets, because she knew that once a bet was made, you either win or lose. There could only be one winner who dominates over the will of the loser. The loser could lose all – dreams, future, everything.

"You don't know what you're putting yourself into, Tearm – "

"I know what I'm talking about, Kagura-san!" the boy interrupted impatiently. "I'm willing to put down all I have for a duel. A match that will prove if you're truly capable of being the captain, or if our master had mistaken you, Kagura-san."

The raven-haired girl closed her eyes and slowly nodded. "If that's your true desire, then I'm afraid I couldn't refuse."

"Very well. If I win, Kagura-san, I'll have to ask you to resign from your position."

Kagura nodded. It was only fair of her to agree to that. "But if you lose, you will forfeit your training as a rune knight."

Eve's heart pounded anxiously at the thought of losing the wager. Kagura knew that his loss would weigh a lot more than hers. She was tempted to cancel the bet for her comrade's sake, knowing how much he relied on his dream to become a rune knight. But she stopped herself, reminding herself that since the trainee was the one who suggested the bet, he has to be responsible for his actions. He would have to accept defeat even if it wrecked his pride.

Taking in a breath of unease, the blonde mage nodded. "Alright. The first one who falls to the ground or surrenders, lose."

Kagura nodded as she made her way to opposite side of the arena, around the inner ring. Eve bent forward, fists clenched. For a few, brief seconds, the swift clang of combat boots were the only noise present. Reaching her desired spot, Kagura faced him, eyes closed, as she slid her right hand to the hilt of the Archenemy. She took a step to the side and lifted her sword, paralleling her weapon to her body. Slowly her eyes opened to stare into Eve's. A sign that both sides were ready.

"Come."

-oOo-

"Katon: Fire Dragon's Roar!"

A burst of flames roared across the vast forest, fueling on the fir trees and everything that stood against it. A small feline was carried by its wings above the fuming smoke and ashes. It was a race between flight and fire, as the cat dodged the waves of flames that tried to hinder his movement. He grimaced as the flames began to pick up speed, the tips of them licking the ends of his fury tail.

Faster…I have to go faster!

His heartbeat thudded against his small ribcage as adrenaline pumped through his veins, forcing him beyond his limits. He felt curtains of sweat pour from his forehead, from the intense heat or fear, he couldn't tell. With a boost of magic to speed forward on his wings, the feline managed to escape the chaotic laps of flames and ashes.

Just as he was about to relax, he suddenly felt a burst of pain erupt from his backside. He quickly glanced back from the corner of his right eye, resulting in an inaudible gasp. The flames erupted and flared as they came in contact with his miniature wings. The feline understood that his sudden burst of energy was probably perfect for attracting the dense, fire-magic particles that had nearly engulfed him whole.

N-No…not there! Anywhere but there!

In mere seconds, the blue feline felt his final source of energy dissolve into thin air. Realizing that his supply of magic reached its limits, he could only watch as his small body began to plunder downwards. He felt his small body shake involuntarily, his eyes wide with fear. As the blood pounded in his head, he glanced downwards, across the vast forest and the distant mountains to…a lake stretched wide below him.

Just by looking downwards nearly caused the cat's stomach to flip, forcing him to cover his mouth with his tiny paws before actually throwing up last night's fish. His eyes were fearful, reflecting his inner anxieties of dying in many gruesome and inhumane ways. His throat ached painfully as he tried to shout out in desperation. However, only a weak whimper managed to pass his lips.

"N-Natsu…"

No, I can't call for Natsu. He'll think that I'm weak if I always have to rely on him. I-I won't die, right? There's just a lake beneath me. Oh…a lake. Wa-water…WATER! I-I can't swim! What if I drown?! N-No…I can't drown! Got to think positive…got to think positive…there will be fish! That's right…at least I'll die happy surrounded by lots and lots of fish –

Closing his eyes as the sound of gurgling water reached his ears; the feline flattened his ears and braced himself for the impact. However, the first thing he felt flat against his face wasn't water. In fact, his face stung horribly after being slammed so hard into something that seemed to rival the strength of rocks. It wasn't until two large, very human and gentle hands pressed to his back, the feline finally understood who it was that saved him, as always.

"Natsu…"

Just as the cat began to talk, he chocked as his eyes widened to gaze below him. The ground still seemed far below him, but the scenery was barely a blur as he was carried across the ground, a rather familiar feeling he identified as…flying.

The person with his arms wrapped tightly around his partner also glanced downwards, noting that something was bothering his partner. He was about to ask the small feline what it was, when his own eye drifted to his feet, to which he let out a small chuckle. Surprised, Happy's gaze snapped upwards, meeting his pink-haired partner's sole eye that sparkled with amusement.

Pouting, Happy asked, "How are we flying, Natsu? I don't see you grow any wings, unless this is some new ninjutsu you learned – "

Natsu interrupted his partner with his dark, signature chuckle. "Just look behind me, Happy."

Happy swiftly tilted his head to the side, eyes widening when he saw a trail of purple flames left in a tangled mess behind them. Suddenly comprehending what was going on, his abnormally large eyes glanced to Natsu's feet, which had spiraling twirls of purple flames igniting beneath his black, shinobi sandals. His eyes widened even further, realizing where this new magic came from.

"That's right. This is the type of magic that flashy, ignorant idiot used. I was kind of surprised that he actually called such a feeble and useless magic, fire magic. His magic is so weak, the flames themselves taste and reek of his foolish pride," Natsu stated with a frown.

"But how?" Happy asked, not understanding how Natsu copied a different form of magic. "If you copied the magic with your Mangekyou, you should be able to copy mine too, right?"

The pink-haired dragon slayer shook his head slowly. Happy then noticed that they reached the place near their campsite where the training initially began. As if sucked up by the ground, the swirl of purple flames swiveled and dissolved below the dragon slayer's feet. Both of them landed gently on the floor, before Happy quickly detached himself from Natsu's arms and leapt down.

"The Mangekyou does copy some forms of magic," Natsu reasoned, furrowing his eyebrows in deep thought. "But it seems to differ from being able to copy ninjutsu, which Madara states that the Sharingan had the ability to copy and utilize all ninjutsus, tailjutsus, and genjutsus, except for a few kekei genkais."

Natsu heard Madara scoff in approval at his explanation. Happy, however, gazed up at Natsu, still dazed and confused at his partner's explanation. Natsu stared down at his furry friend as he continued, trying to allow his friend to comprehend with ease. After all, shinobi related topics would always be hard to understand for anyone who never experienced the strength of chakra.

"Well, you could say that almost all jutsus of ninjutsus branch from five elements: fire, water, wind, earth, and lightning. Ninjas with chakra have an affinity for one element or two, if lucky. However, Sharingan users can use their ocular power to copy a jutsu of any of those elements, even if it isn't their affinity. While memorizing the hand seals, patterns, and form of the chakra, the user would then create a replicate of the same jutsu, using their opponents' power against themselves," Natsu explained, trying to fill in gaps of details.

Happy nodded. "I see. But what does it have to do with copying magic?"

Natsu resumed, chewing on his lower lip in thought. "The first part of copying a jutsu is to read the hand seals that the user uses. You see me utilize it when I add a chakra base for my fire dragon slayer moves." As an example, the pink-haired mage pushed his index fingers together into a tiger seal.

"However," he continued. "In Earthland, I copy a spell by first memorizing the magic circle that appears the moment the user uses his or her magic, which is similarly to copying the user's hand seals." To reference, he took a step back to secure his footing before bringing out his fists, slamming them together to form a purple, ornamented fire seal. Happy's eyes widened at the sight, before gleefully praising his partner, who frowned, unimpressed at his own work.

"Tsk, I never knew this stupid bastard's seals cost so much magic. What a waste," Natsu muttered, dispersing his hold of the seal immediately. "All the seals and attacks that guy used were mostly for show, I guess. Even the fire transportation wasn't worth all the magic it took out of me. What should I expect from such a low-life criminal anyways? The way he uses magic is a stain to the name, 'wizard'."

"But at least you found another way of transportation without feeling sick," Happy grinned, trying to crush the heavy negativity present in the atmosphere.

Upon hearing his comrade's words, Natsu scoffed. "I don't see the point of using it then when I could've already used the Shunshin no Jutsu to teleport."

After a short silence took over, the blue feline broke it when he asked, "Natsu, why couldn't you copy my magic then?"

The dragon slayer lazily scratched the back of his head. He was expecting a harder question from his partner, but he supposed he still had to go through the differences between copying jutsus and magic first. "You were born to use form wings with magic, Happy. I could say that you couldn't probably learn any other magic, because your one and only a magic affinity is Aera. Since you were born with it, only your kind probably knows how to utilize it without even learning. Therefore, my Mangekyou would read it and recognize it as a kekkei genkei, something that couldn't be copied as a natural element."

Happy began to bob his head vigorously, finally catching on the specks of detail his partner was spilling out to him. "I see…so your Sharingan could copy almost all other magic except the one I use, right?"

Natsu nearly gave his partner an exasperated expression, but instead decided to further explain. "No – not in this world. In the elemental world, the Sharingan could only copy any jutsu of the five elements. Clans that possess unique chakra or jutsus are known as kekkei genkais, which couldn't be copied by any ocular power. In this world, however, magic comes in many complex forms; the bounds are endless in fact. The expansive variety of magic just gives the Sharingan a hard time to copy both seal and form, deeming most magic as a strange kekkei genkai. As of far, only magic properties that branch from fire, water, wind, or lightning are easily replicable."

Happy began to nod, more certain this time. "I get it! So that's why you could copy that fake Salamander's magic, since he uses a type of fire after all."

"Yeah yeah," Natsu muttered, slightly rolling his eyes. "It really annoys me how rare it is to finally find another fire user, but disappointingly a weak one. Anyways, we chatted long enough. Let's get on the road to our next destination. I need to retrieve some materials to forge into weapons, so we should better get moving – what's wrong, Happy?"

The small feline wore that anxious look he had last night when he confessed his fears of being weak to his partner. Upon seeing that face, the pink-haired dragon slayer couldn't help but feel annoyance get the better of him. "Just what is it? We don't have all day to sulk around! If something's on your mind, just spit it out Happy!"

The magic using cat flinched slightly at the anger fused in his partner's words. "I-I'm just wondering why I couldn't outrun your flames today. I was sure I was faster than your flames when you pulled the same trick at the flute's hide-out. Yet…I almost got myself burned and drowned today."

Natsu's face darkened slightly, noting that something did seem slightly off about his flames when they were retrieving the flute. But as he felt the heat of the rising sun scorch his back, his worries immediately ceased. Setting his partner's worries aside, he muttered, "Don't fuss about it, Happy. Who knows – perhaps my flames just happened to burn faster on trees. You'll have to train harder, but for the moment, we need to worry about leaving the forest and heading to the nearest populated town."

"Is your leg alright though, Natsu?" Happy asked, newfound concern written over his furry face. "We shouldn't be moving when your leg is – "

Natsu shrugged it off with a quick wave of his hand. "I'm fine, Happy. My leg completely healed overnight."

His feline partner was doubtful of how his partner was healing when he saw the bandage wrapped painfully around Natsu's leg.

But before Happy could protest, Natsu ordered, "Pack your things and take the smoked fish from the campfire. Make sure you don't burn yourself. We're heading out the moment we're done our preparations here."

That's right…I couldn't even protect Natsu even if he was in trouble. How could I protect him when I couldn't even catch up to him? The feline thought as he released a sigh."Aye sir."

The dragon slayer inwardly sighed, knowing that he was too tempted to leave the forest than to consider his partner's worries. He does worry a bit too much though. But that's why he's my partner. My only partner.

You're forgetting about your master, another voice rang in the mage's head. I need to set some ground rules before I let you do as you please this time.

Natsu snorted in annoyance as his hands slid into a shinobi pouch strapped onto his outer pouch. He hated it when Madara began to set his 'rules' again. It was simple to ignore the older shinobi, but that gesture would only persuade his other self to continue his exceedingly long talks. So deciding to get over with dealing with the persistent voice in his mind, he inwardly hissed. What is it now? If you want to say something, say it already.

My my…what's with the rash personality recently? There's no need to be snap at your companions like that, brat. You should especially control that tongue of yours and give your mentor some –

" – respect," Natsu blurted out all too suddenly, causing Happy to momentarily pause and turn to give him a perplexed look. "I love you too, Madara-sama, from the bottom of my heart. Now, with all due respect, please leave me in peace."

The mage could hear Madara groan in irritation inside his conscious, which pleased him greatly. But knowing Madara, he knew that keeping quiet while being ridiculed was not a plausible option.

Listen, you useless brat. Natsu noticed the sudden shift of tone, his deep voice becoming sincere. You know you mustn't risk revealing your Sharingan in public, yet you did it again. Don't you know how troublesome it is once you reveal the secret of your eye? People everywhere will come to take this power I granted you, and soon you will dig yourself a hole you cannot escape. Once word of your eye gets out, nothing can stop others from seeking power the Sharingan. By then, your infamous title as "Salamander" would be nothing compared to this new peril.

Alright, I get it. I would rarely reveal the eye bedded in my right socket, but when I finally recognized a fire magic, I was immediately interested. Be at ease, Madara. You're greatly underestimating me if you really believe that I would carelessly use the eye. Even if I have to use it in combat, I would make sure I kill anyone who witnesses this eye. I won't allow anyone to live, knowing that the power it holds could very well bring the world to its knees.

The dragon slayer felt an absent pause take over his mind. Madara?

I'll watch you carefully, child. If you dare to cross any boundaries that bring unnecessary risks, I will have to take control of your body. Even if you struggle, I will also fight against you for the goal. Don't take me so lightly just because I lack a physical form, for I am still more experienced than you. The power I lend you is still mine, and it will always be. Keep that mind.

Natsu gritted his teeth; his onyx eye flickered dangerously, as if warding off anyone who dared to approach him. His nails unconsciously dug into the scroll tied inside his shinobi pouch, the tension nearly crumbling the delicate weapon in his hold. He wished that he could have the strength to crush Madara like the scroll he held, but he knew that cursing would bring him nowhere.

Hearing soft footsteps approach, the dragon slayer murmured, "Let's go, Happy. The faster we kick those bastards' asses, the sooner we could get ahold of the flute."

-oOo-

I-Imposible!

"White Fury!"

Miniature snow storms burst out from the center of his palm as the blonde mage skittered across the combat zone. His hand ached as he felt his bursts of magic claw at his skin, the snow biting and chewing it raw. Finally certain that he had buried his opponent deep in the mounds of snow that covered most of the arena, his took a deep breath and allowed his right hand to drop to his side. Despite of relief that he managed to suppress the swordswoman, he suddenly felt his heart jump with unease. What if she died? What if she's suffocating in the snow?

Despite the throbbing in his legs and his frostbitten hands, the blonde boy urged forward, making his way towards where he last saw the female mage. Observing his surroundings, his cracked lips whispered, "M-Mikazuchi-s-san…"

However, his lone whisper wasn't answered. In the dark arena, he couldn't see any trace of the warrior, which caused his heart to clench and a shiver to creep up his spine. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if it was a trick, but he pushed the thought down, knowing too well that Kagura wasn't someone who would use such tactics in battle. Even if he held something against her, he still considered her somewhat as a comrade he should look after. Believing that the battle has ended, he had to find her.

Biting down on his bloodied and dried lips, he forced his legs forward, wincing slightly at the cuts that managed to rip at his thighs. The battle had been harsh, as the ice mage knew that he nearly lost, the last few attacks used up the remaining bits of magic he could muster. Struggling to move forward, he felt his hopes rise, knowing that despite all that happened, he remained victorious in the end. I should apologize to Kagura-san afterwards. I think I went a bit too far this time…

The blond mage heaved heavy gasps as he made his way onto the sheets of snow. A trickle of blood crept down the side of his pale arm, which revealed an opening gash beneath his blood-stained, white garments. I should get Kagura-san out of there before I freeze here myself, not to mention that both of us need to be treated soon. I'm sure Kagura-san is hurt too.

The sound of metal meeting metal echoed through the combat field.

Eve flinched. But before he had the chance to locate the source of the sound, his hands were forcefully pulled to the ground. Gasping, he fell to his knees, his entire body crashing down with the impact. Widening his eyes, there was only one person he knew who did it. Kagura.

From the far corner of the arena, the blonde saw the swordswoman slowly approach him. With the gravity rendering his body helpless, he could only stare, wide-eyed at her. As she drew near, the boy felt his voice caught in his throat. He couldn't believe what he saw, and he didn't want to believe it at all. But the evidence was clear and simple in front of him. There wasn't a scratch or bruise anywhere on the raven-haired mage. The snow clung to her robe-like garments, resting there as harmless as fallen feathers. As the female mage approached him, the blonde trainee strained his neck to defy the heavy pull of gravity. Gazing down at the strained face, the swordswoman saw an emotion cloud his features.

It was despair.

Still manipulating gravity, the girl pulled her lips into a grim line. Her face shadowed the boy's, whose eyes were hollow and dead with disbelief. She had never seen him so hurt before, but she knew that there was never a chance for him to defeat her. Her swordsmanship was enough to nearly bring him to his knees. She knew that the battle would end the moment she laid her gravity magic against him, something he inevitably couldn't dodge. But to save her older comrade some dignity, she urged herself to stay on defense, therefore giving him a temporary burst of satisfaction.

But she immediately regretted her decision the moment she trampled the genuine worry and care the blonde had. Despite the battle, he still put my safety before winning or anything else. Considerate as always, aren't you, Eve? But this is a lesson that you mustn't ever forget.

"You must never allow your emotions to win over the battle, Tearm-san," Kagura murmured stoically, her amber eyes reflected into his. "This is a mere loss for you, one that I hope you will never forget. If you go into any battle like that, you would get yourself killed, regardless of the opponent. But I suppose the advice won't be necessary, since you'll resign from your position as a trainee, as promised."

She immediately saw a flicker of life burst back into those large, forest-green eyes. The swordswoman knew she was forcing the boy to desperation, but she knew he couldn't do anything even if he fought with his dying will. Narrowing her eyes, she knew that she would have to show him the cruel reality.

She watched as the blonde shakily stood up onto one foot, before edging his shoulders forward to drag his body upwards. After a few grunts of pain and unease, the raven-haired mage was quite surprised that her opponent actually managed to stand, though he did it with sheer will power. Giving her a confident grin that he seldom showed, he weakly chuckled, "I…I can't lose now. My dreams, my life…everything that kept me from being a helpless orphan…they push me forward. I can't even imagine what life will be like without those dreams. That's why I can't lose now. And I refuse to."

"That's why you'll always be a fool," Kagura replied, watching as the shorter boy lunged forward at her, now that they're an arm-length away from one another. "You never should've asked for a bet. The small satisfaction wasn't worth the sacrifice you had to pay. You turned a blind eye to reality even though you knew the truth. I will always be stronger than you, and you can never change that."

Eve watched as his finger brushed across the other mage's pale chin, but the mage still stood a bit further from his grasp. Drawing her head back slightly, Kagura strengthened the grip on her sword, drastically increasing the drop of gravity in front of her. This time, the boy's legs completely gave way as he was mercilessly hurtled against the cold ground. All four of his limbs were forcefully slammed to the floor, bringing his body into a submissive pose of defeat. Kagura, now reaching her limit of sustaining the gravity magic, decided to end her rival's misery. Her hand ached and she swore one of her veins had popped from the tension. But glancing back at her opponent, she knew that she had to hear it for herself. She had to hear him admit to defeat.

However, his green eyes gave away nothing to her. The blonde mage's face contorted of the pain he was experiencing, but he tried to mask it. It hurt how he was stripped of his pride in this one battle, but being forced down to his knees by one he once considered a younger sister was beyond embarrassment.

"W-Wait," he managed to choke out. "I-I – "

The swordswoman noticed his change of attitude and frowned. "You lost already. I'd hate to watch you suffer more, but if that's what it takes to knock you unconscious, don't hate me afterwards."

It doesn't matter anyways. I doubt we'll ever see each other afterwards.

Kagura curled her fingers deeper until she felt her nails bite into her palm. The blonde mage gasped as his head was shoved to the floor, his forehead meeting the floor in the most unpleasant way. The pressure was devastating to his skull, but it only got worse as it increased. Eve bit back the pain, but he finally broke into a desperate cry when a small crater was beginning to crack from where his forehead collided to the floor. The female mage continued to pull his head downward, not stopping even when she saw a pool of fresh blood spread across the cracks of the crater.

After another minute that seemed to edge by painfully slowly, she relaxed her hand. She watched the mage's body go limp, crumpled onto the floor like a ragged doll.

Heaving deep breaths, the swordswoman fell to the floor, dropping her sword in the process. Her right hand bled uncontrollably while thick, visible veins protruded from her skin. She directed her gaze back to the boy that lay silently on the floor, blood coating his bare arms and legs. For a moment, he looked like a dying child, sprawled defenselessly on the hard cement. It pained the swordswoman to stare at him like that. She hated how she had to defeat him in such a way and to cause him to suffer. Master's final words were to have us protect each other. Yet we had childishly fought one another to prove who is stronger. Is this really what I wanted? Is this really how I wanted to win?

Kagura's cold, calculating eyes softened as she gazed at the boy. Whether it was because of care or pity, her hand unconsciously reached forward at the sight of the mage's tousled and blood-stained, blonde hair. Her fingers were about to sweep his bangs to the side, when the snow mage turned his face away from her. His eyes were hidden beneath his matted hair, coloured by the blood that streaked down his face. The swordswoman immediately drew her hand back as she noticed that the blonde's frost-bitten lips were trembling.

Maybe he's cold, the raven-haired teenager thought as she slowly got up. She couldn't blame him for shivering in the cold with parts of his garments torn. Leaving him injured and frozen in the arena didn't seem like the right choice to make, so the female mage sighed and used her left hand to remove the clasp secured around the cape that rested across her shoulders. Dragging the cape of her, she laid it gently on the blonde-haired teenager.

Bending down, she gripped his shoulder slightly. Her heart felt heavier than when their mentor died. She opened her mouth to apologize, but the words were caught in her throat. What is there to apologize? Would apologizing change anything? This is something we both agreed to, so we should've known that it would end like this. But why can't I accept what I did? Why do I feel regret?

Suddenly, a sight caused her narrowed eyes to widen. A stream of clear fluid ran down cleansed the blood that stained the boy's face. The blonde mage seemed to shake even harder than before, his pale, blue-tinted lips trembling as the thin stream of tears rested at the corner. Kagura then understood that he was trying to hold back his tears, but he was still incapable of hiding them from her in the end.

An awkward silence passed the two. The raven-haired mage got back on her feet and glanced one last time at the blonde she once called, 'friend'.

"I have a private meeting with a wizard saint today. I'm afraid I couldn't stay with you any longer. As the rules of the bet abide, I, as captain, have recognized your efforts and all you had sacrificed for the council and for justice. I wish to thank you for the invaluable service you had provided. But as promised, I expect a signed resignation report to be handed in before you leave your position. If you don't report to the council in a few minutes, I'll have to inform them that you need emergency treatment."

With that, the mage picked up her sheathed sword and made her way to the exit. Glancing at the half-torn building, she grimaced at the thought of being summoned to the council while coming up with an adequate reason of why she had trashed the arena again. But the thought of annoyance was nothing compared to the conclusion of duel. As her fingers grasped onto the doorknob, she looked back into the darkness, her eyes searching one last time for the individual. Feeling a rush of sadness swell in her chest, she turned away.

"Farewell…Eve."

-oOo-

Why am I so weak? Why didn't I ever realize that our differences are so great? Why…WHY?!

Silent tears continued to fall from his eyes as they dripped into the small pool of blood beneath his forehead. Dried blood and tears stained his pale face, but he was too distracted by his thoughts to care about his condition. All he could do was cry, and he hated himself for being so weak. He knew that he lost, yet he still couldn't admit to it. They grew up together, relied on one another, protected each other in desperate times.

I really am the child here. Did I have to hate her because I refused to believe that she was stronger? Just when did I let jealousy get the better of me? When did I allow myself to be so distracted to my selfish desires? But I can't change anything now. I'll have to leave here soon. I won't ever live another day as a mage. Maybe I'll find a job somewhere in town and forget everything. Yes – I want to forget this. Those useless years trying to prove myself, only to be looked down at in the end. I want to forget about the hate and humiliation. I want to forget about her.

Memories began to flood back into the blonde-haired mage. Memories of his childhood with a timid raven-haired girl flashed briefly before his eyes. Those were such beautiful times. Do I really want to forget all this? Do I really want to forget her?

His nails dug into the white cape that was laid across his body. I thought I hated her…then…why?

Tears forced out of his eyes once again as he clutched harder to the white material. Burrowing himself in, he cried out, "D-damn it…damn it all! Why am I the only one who always cries? Why can't I ever be stronger?!"

The mage's voice echoed in the empty arena. Still kneeling in his feeble position, he finally released his pent up frustration as he slammed his fist against the floor. He watched as blood broke through the surface of his knuckle, but he didn't feel a thing. In fact, he felt a strange source of satisfaction and relief through the empty punches. He kept ramming his now bloodied hand hard against the floor, realizing that it felt right. As he continued doing so, increasing the strength with each stab, he heard a voice behind him.

"If you continue that, you'll break your hand."

Eve suddenly stopped his fist in momentum. Dropping it lifeless to the floor, he wondered who the stranger was. Slowly, he heard heels clip against the cold floor, making their way to him. The blonde didn't even bother to look up, caring less about a stranger who appeared out of nowhere.

"Who are you?" he asked, uninterested. He no longer cared if anyone witnessed his embarrassing ramble or his humiliating defeat in the fight. He will be leaving anyways, so he doubted anyone would remember him even if they had a good laugh at him now.

But instead, there was a dark chuckle. "I am your ticket to hope. If you follow my instructions, not only would you get to stay with the council. You'll be recognized as a hero, redeeming yourself while gaining the recognition you never received."

Green eyes widened in surprise and confusion. Slowly, Eve turned his aching neck toward the voice, trying to catch a glimpse of the stranger's face. "W-What are you – "

"Will you do it?"

A/N: Wow. I finally finished this chapter! Woah, 8,000 words. I was really unsure about this chapter and all, because I wrote half of them before the break and half after the break, so this chapter might've sounded choppy and strange. I admire all the readers who read through all the chapters and are now reading this note. You are all amazing, and I don't think I would have the patience to read through this story myself (or maybe I couldn't read long stories.) It was a long time since I updated, so I hope you all still look forward for the next chapter, even if you don't remember this story. Sorry for the updates that take forever. Was it good, alright, boring – something? Please review and continue to ask questions (I think I'll answer questions by adding details in chapters, so I hope your answer will be answered as you continue to read on.) Anyways, thanks for the follows, favourites, and reviews. REVIEW PLEASE!