Siren's Elegy Volume 1: Orphans of Ashen Earth

Chapter 39: Smoke and Mirrors

September 19, 4021 09:40 [Matriarch 04- Sun Rock]

Kuvira watched as the spear arced towards Xiāoshī's final line of defense. She grinned as the weapon shattered his barrier and impaled him in the shoulder, continuing to spin. He screamed in pain as it bore through his flesh, eviscerating bone, muscle, and tendon. Blood sprayed outward, painting the field in red. By the time the spear had dissipated, Xiāoshī had already passed out from a combination of pain and blood loss. He was swiftly removed from the field, and taken to the infirmary on a stretcher by two Crows standing by.

"That is it, folks! Match one is over! Kuvira wins with flying colors!"

Kuvira's teammates had made their way down to the ground floor, waiting for her at the entrance to the pitch with wide grins. She returned a gleeful smile as Indra and Garou congratulated her, though her expression faltered when she caught a glimpse of the next two candidates being led down by the Crows.

"Nice job. I'm looking forward to seeing you in the second round. You better put up a good fight." Prasanna smiled at her mirthlessly, maintaining a cold gaze.

"Count on it," Kuvira replied, standing firm.

Prasanna dismissed her with a scoff, turning to Indra and addressing him warmly. "Watch me, okay?"

Indra nodded, his ears turning slightly red. He looked at Kuvira inquisitively as Prasanna left. "What's the deal between you two? She's not usually like this."

"I don't know," Kuvira said, shrugging her shoulders. "And I doubt I'll get a concrete answer from her."

"Did you do something to her?" Garou asked.

"Of course not! I'm not that petty. I lost and that was that. I can accept defeat with dignity," she huffed.

"Hmm." Indra watched Prasanna as she walked onto the pitch, wondering what was on her mind.

They quickly returned to the announcer's booth before the second match started, just as Grisha began to introduce the next pair of fighters.

"Next up, match two!! Our first candidate is a master of spatial manipulation and a favorite for the top spot in this tournament! Put your hands together for Prasanna!!"

The crowd roared wildly, raucous whistles coming from the stands.

"Our second candidate is a master of toxins and smoke! Don't get too close, or else you'll enter into a deep slumber! Please welcome, Chōuyān!!"

The cheering continued as they walked onto the pitch. Chōuyān's eyes darted around nervously. His gaze paused momentarily on the announcer's booth before fixating on his opponent. In contrast, Prasanna seemed relaxed, unconcerned about her immediate surroundings. She stretched her arms, yawning as she did so, making it seem like this was just a routine part of her day.

"Candidates, ready yourselves!" Grisha paused for dramatic effect. "Aaaaaaaand begin!!"

Chōuyān leaned forward, sweating apprehensively. Indra sympathized with him. Thinking back to the first time he saw Prasanna spar against Tengri, he was reminded of the level of destructive force she was capable of outputting. There was a good chance he would be facing her in the later rounds. Indra made a mental note to watch the match closely, hoping to glean some insight into her weaknesses. Who knows though? Chōuyān might pull off an upset.

"This is quite unusual folks! It appears that we have a standoff! Who will make the first move?!" Grisha stood up from her seat, eagerly leaning over the balcony, microphone in hand.

Prasanna didn't budge an inch. Indra waited with bated breath, curious to see who would bite the bullet.

"At least take this seriously!" Chōuyān called out, releasing smoke from his hands. The acrid fumes traveled quickly across the field, reaching Prasanna in seconds. Just as the cloud of poison was about to make contact with its target, Prasanna lazily swatted away the smoke, returning the wave back to Chōuyān. A veil of repulsory particles layered over her body, so thin in its design, that Indra doubted anyone except other Homunculi could detect its presence.