Tales of a Ninja Magician: Of What Defines Us

The Best Kind of Spirituality

As the smoke from the detonation of the gunpowder cloud cleared it became evident what became of Mana and Staeg, the leader of Team Eurydome of Getsugakure who chose to make it his personal responsibility to keep Mana and her valuable secret in his hands. An orb of purple chakra flames had enveloped the two, created by Harpalke of Residual Release style ninjutsu at the last moment, keeping the two from harm.

Looking around, Mana was surprised to see that while the flames did appear flame-like in texture and appearance, they were not quite hot when their user did not intend them to be harmful. The magician could only speculate as to why they appeared that way. It could have been because chakra was very flame-like in its purest form, it took the appearance of bland blue flames when visible and unenhanced. Or maybe it was because Harpalke's own Fire Release elemental affinity that the Residual Style appeared this way, taking some of its signs from its user.

Staeg landed on the ground before placing Mana down and looking up at the battle that erupted between the two Getsugakure teams - Team Eurydome of his own management and Team Adrastea and the attacking two teams.

Without waiting around too much, Mana dashed further away from the hectic battlefield but Staeg jumped in between her, the forest thickness, and the nearest tall tree.

"Your team is fighting right now, they could use your leadership", Mana uttered as she lowered her face making her hair slip over her eyes so her enemy couldn't read her distress and see her sweating forehead. To a ninja such details would be a clear indicator that Mana was tricking him and trying to avoid combat by all means which might have been taken for weakness.

"They are fighting Team Pahlavi of Sunagakure and Team Quartz of Iwagakure, Team Pahlavi lacks a member which makes it five on five. I'll manage watching you just fine", Staeg bravely responded raising his buckler to his strong and broad chest. Despite not being able to see the man sheathing his short sword, Mana could hear the sound of steel rubbing against the sheath – he was ready to punch her out if needed but her life needed to be preserved.

Up above a fierce battle was in its early stages. It was unusual to see teams from two different villages working together like Team Pahlavi and Team Quartz did. Needless to say, the desperation of a lost team member combined with ages of common history being abused by the larger ninja villages and ignored in the grand political scale made Iwagakure and Sunagakure grow a little bit closer than most other ninja villages would've. With those two elements combined, believing in the cooperation of the two was not that tough.

Fulgasa of Team Quartz, the young man who used the ash cloud technique earlier pulled out a strange long reaching weapon comprised of a long steel rod and a plough-like tip. Aiming to strike at the enemy team the young man charged diagonally down, aiming at the slightly worn out Harpalke who was beginning to hunch over the strain caused by her techniques. Luckily for Staeg's team Iuteb managed to clock Fulgasa straight in the nose using the same overplayed light-bending trick again.

"Partial Expansion Axe Handle"! Choroina yelled out leaping into the air with her hands raised over her head, aiming to smash her attackers into the ground. After a brief fraction of a second her hands expanded dozens of times, inflating in size and increasing in weight drastically.

As her arms drove down, however, they met a powerful resistance from the enemy as Fulgasa's female teammate with shaved sides of her thick, shoulder-long, maroon hair jumped in to assist him. In mid-leap rocks and dirt rose from the soil beneath Mana's feet and covered Fulgasa's teammate in an innovative rock, dirt and mineral armor technique allowing her to block Choroina's strike, however the immense force from the impact still cracked and shattered the Earth Release user's armor.