As the next hour chimed, Nick led his clan out onto the sands. The crowd was louder than before as they cheered for the Eternal Flame, and some even called Shun and Argon by name. All nine members of the clan waved and walked as if they were already accepting their championship.
“This fight will likely be short...” Gregory grumbled.
“We’ll see. They have to fight Franco and his two clanmates,” Jenn said. “I was shocked that all three members of the Hardened Fist had signed on with the one clan.”
“If they paid enough for it, I believe it,” Yukiko said. “That would’ve been the only way for it to happen. I was surprised enough that the Green Leaf clan had their alchemist in the tournament.”
“Only one loss, and they’re here,” Jenn said. “Maybe we’ll face them?”
“One can hope,” Gregory said. “I wonder how they plan to deal with the Eternal Flame’s tactics?”
Franco Ichor led his clanmates and the alchemist for the Green Leaf clan out of the tunnel. The crowd cheered, but not as loudly. Franco glared at them as if they were insulting him.
“Oh, that’s got him riled up,” Jenn chuckled. “Good. He’ll want to take it out on them.”
“I wonder how they plan to protect the alchemist?” Yukiko asked, looking at the slight woman.
“Maybe an enchantment?” Gregory suggested. “The Green Leaf clan isn’t poor, and that’s their only apprentice.”
“There is that,” Yukiko agreed. “We’ll find out soon.”
The two groups came to a stop next to Yunlo, who was speaking to them. He had them back up, then bow. The tension in the arena climbed as the apprentices finished bowing.
The alchemist of Green Leaf backed all the way to the wall and knelt while the three members of the Hardened Fist stood together, their weapons out and ready. Gregory wondered what Parks would do, as the kneeling alchemist was well behind the others. He wouldn’t be able to put a back barrier up if he wanted to get all four of them inside a box.
When Yunlo’s arm came down, a barrier started to form and Nick threw fire. The three Hardened Fist members ignited their aether and dashed forward, then out. Jason hesitated, as he could see them already out of the box and running as a unit.
Nick yelled orders to his clan as he turned, trying to catch the opposition in fire. Petak joined him, though Petak’s fire was obviously weaker. Gina gestured and a small pit opened up in front of the apprentices, but they all broke away from it. Parks slammed a barrier in place to try catching them, but all it did was make the last of the three spin to the side to get away.
Gregory glanced at the alchemist, who was covered in a hazy white dome. Wonder what the hell that is? He shook his head and looked back at the fight.
The trio of physical enhancement magi were closing the distance in a zigzag pattern, making it hard for the Eternal Flame to pin them down. Nick was shouting more and seemed to be growing angrier the closer the others got to them.
Earth spikes shot out of the ground and small wind blades swept at the oncoming apprentices, but they just broke apart and came in from different angles. Jason shook his head and began to shout commands. Nick’s mouth snapped shut and he stopped throwing fire as he glared at Jason.
“Ah, a lover’s spat,” Jenn giggled.
“Actually, that’s bad. Jason’s the smarter of the two,” Yukiko said.
With Jason directing them, they focused on one of their opponents. Parks began hemming him in while the others threw everything they could at him. Nick went back to trying to pin down one of the others, and Jason rushed Franco, the last of the three.
The next couple of minutes was chaos, as the split attention cost the Eternal Flame. Jason stopped Franco, and was fighting him while the others tried to get their targets taken care of, which had mixed results. The mass of them finally pinned down their one apprentice, who got just close enough to batter Fureno before he got stabbed with two earth spikes and Yunlo teleported him to Klim.
The magi Nick was trying to handle was able to rush past him, letting him slam into the others from behind. Gina, Petak, Michelle, Zach, and Oscar all went down hard, with Zach and Oscar catching fire balls from Nick. Parks finally smashed the man flat and was about to crush his head with his maul when the apprentice screamed out. Yunlo teleported him into the tunnel, declaring him out.
Nick and Parks turned back to find Jason flying at them. Nick ducked and Parks got slammed flat. Franco, dripping blood and grinning like a madman, rushed Nick. Nick threw another ball of fire and Franco did the near-impossible— he slapped it aside with his odachi, making Nick’s jaw drop.
Franco drew back his weapon as he closed the last few feet and Nick screamed as a ring of fire flew out from around him. The fire caught Franco, who dropped to the ground, rolling and trying to put the flames out. Parks and Jason had been behind Nick, so they had to do the same.
Yunlo stopped the fight and called for the healers. Mindie and Klim rushed out to help the three burning magi. Nick motioned, and the fire on Jason and Parks vanished. Yunlo barked something, making Nick sneer, but the fire disappeared from Franco a moment later.
“Well, that’s good and bad,” Gregory said. “They got injured that time.”
Yunlo was announcing the Eternal Flame the winners, explaining that the alchemist had told him to call the fight if the three Hardened Fist members were taken out.
“Damn... I doubt Franco and the guy who got spiked will be fighting Hayworth, which gives them just one to deal
