102 A Walk on Water
Again in the starry void, Queen Bee adjusted her armor for the fifth time. The announcers must have been taking extra time building up the finale.
'I wish they would hurry up and get on with it!' Bee resisted the urge to pace back and forth. She tapped her fingers impatiently against the [Fraudulent Facade].
'I know it is strange coming from me, but you have to calm down,' Fire smiled. She too felt anxious, but her friend was downright jittery.
'This is the reason I hate tournaments. I hate the waiting. Let me get into the action and get things started.' Bee was relieved when the voice of the Dreamscape interrupted her incoming tirade.
"Prepare to enter dream."
'Here we go!' Fireshing squeezed her partner's hand quickly.
The void faded and the final dream of the Dreamscape team tournament took form. Noble half expected it to be some semblance of the House of Night's citadel, but what came into view was not a giant floating ship.
Below her feet, a large, lustrous crystal platform was surrounded by a golden sea, like it was reflecting a perpetually setting sun.
The glassy floor also looked yellow, but Bee guessed that it was only taking on the color of the water below.
The crystal was so clear that the participants actually looked like they were standing on the shining sea itself.
'Walking on water for the final battle? Seems fitting.' The Queen could not help but approve.
Her only real concern was the edge where the crystal floor met the water. It was a nearly invisible seam and could prove problematic for anyone who couldn't just float over it.
The Librarians manifested beside the Blazing Bees. Clad in a kimono and lightweight tunic respectively, Iza and Laundry took in the scene with expectation.
All around the arena, mighty ships housed spectators. They looked like the luxury liners of old, with balconies for people to enjoy the spectacle. The roar of the crowd was deafening.
Docked at one end of the crystalline island, a lone yacht bobbed. This ship looked much more rustic and grand.
It had very few occupants, but Noble recognized one of them easily. It was the Saint who created the Dreamscape.
Thane was on board. Noble had seen the Saint only a handful of times before, but the flamboyant silk garments and thick make-up made Thane hard to forget.
Next to the Transcendent, a man not far from Noble's age stood and waved amicably to the crowd. The Master's indigo eyes and dark hair with tinges of blue starkly contrasted the other member of the House of Night.
"There you are," Unorganized Laundry muttered under his breath ominously.
'Of course, he would try to psych me out knowing I cannot talk back.' Noble smirked.
Nickel had gone to some trouble to get her to enter the tournament and it had taken even greater effort to get to this point. Even before the battle had begun, the Librarian was using mind games.
The Queen turned her head slowly toward him to give an aloof stare, but he hadn't bothered to look her way to gloat. Nickel was looking steadily toward the platform, unwilling to spare her a glance.
'I don't know whether to be impressed or insulted…' Bee studied Laundry's face.
His resolute expression did not match the emotional spikes she sensed inside him. The man was very good at hiding his feelings.
Was Unorganized Laundry nervous about the fight or about being under the Transcendent's gaze? This was Thane's kingdom, and all of them were merely visiting.
'Has Nic not seen the Saint before?'
The Librarians had won the tournament the year prior, but the Queen did not think that Thane had attended the group finale. Bee wasn't sure if the pair had been at the opening ceremony either. Perhaps it truly was his first time seeing a Transcendent up close and personal.
'Never figured Nic would be the starstruck type,' Bee shrugged slightly. It was none of her business who Laundry idolized. To be fair, that kind of power should give every Awakened at least some pause.
On the raised deck, Thane stood slowly. The voice of the Dreamscape welcomed the teams and launched into a solemn speech. "On this day we are gathered to witness the making of history..."
When it was complete, the two teams faced each other and acknowledged the match.
"May the best team win," Fireshing said pleasantly.
"As long as that team is us, I agree." Iza nodded with a playful grin.
Unorganized Laundry and Queen Bee simply stared at one another. Neither of them had anything to add.
With the pleasantries past, all four duelists summoned their weapons. For a moment, the crystal platform reflected the flurry of sparks.
A familiar estoc and spear appeared in Bee's and Fire's hands. The [Unlikely End] and [Aching Ember] had gotten them this far. It seemed unfair to trade them in for the final battle.
Izayoi_Nii must have felt the same, for her weapon, which Bee knew was called the [Curious Cutlass], manifested in her delicate hands. The two-handed sword could become a spear at a moment's notice, making it ideal for both short and long-range attacks.
Unorganized Laundry was the last to call forth a weapon. With a smirk, he summoned a steel scimitar.
The perceptive duelist could have brought out any number of weapons in his arsenal. The curved sword meant he was seeking close-range combat. His message was clear: this was personal.
Queen Bee stood opposite the man, wondering at how he wore no armor. In addition to camouflaging the Awakened, the tunic surely had some protective quality. However, the garment would be no match for the Unlikely End.
'All I need is one good hit.'
The Queen sent a look toward their illustrious hosts. The contingency overseeing the event was now sitting back comfortably in their seats on their yacht.
Nothing more remained to be done. The duelists were welcome to proceed at any time.
'Fire?' Queen Bee sent a final message.
'Let's do this.' Fireshing lit the tip of her spear. The metal glowed white-hot.
All at once, the four Awakened jumped into action like a sprung trap.
The outbreak might have looked like chaos to those watching, but to the four seasoned duelists, it was only the opening act to an intricate dance.
Queen Bee struck out with her estoc while Laundry's scimitar sliced through the air at her abdomen. The two weapons collided and spat sparks onto the crystal floor. With neither blade gaining the advantage, the two were forced apart by the sheer power crash.
Beside them, Fireshing shot her fiery tip at the lavender skirt of her opponent's kimono, hoping to disable Iza before she could become mobile. However, the well-read Awakened had memorized the move from one of Fire's previous battles and had already studied seven different counters.
The one she settled on was a downward motion with her cutlass while pressing her shoulder into Fire's chest.
The move not only stopped Iza from being impaled but also prevented the fiery Awakened from following up with a ball of flame when the two weapons clashed.
Around them, the crowd roared.
The battle was just beginning.
