by Billy Wong
The next day, he headed straight to the library after dinner but found only Patrick there. "Good evening," he said, making the rugged boy look up from the book about sport fighting he perused. So they probably were quite early in the planning, if they were doing that kind of research. "Reading up to get ideas for your tournament?"
"You got it. Meg wants this to be a pretty big deal, so we should make it seem respectable rather than just a bunch of mundane spars."
"Trying to make it something of a spectacle, I see. By the way where is our president?"
"She's on her way. Probably just taking some time to fix herself up, to be more presentable when we meet the instructors." Instructors? He supposed it would be difficult for students to organize a big event all on their own.
When Meg arrived, Rupert saw she had applied a touch of makeup to reduce the visibility of her scars, as well as brushed and oiled her hair to make it less unkempt. "You look like a woman for once."
She frowned. "I'm not sure if I should take that as implying I'm manly, that I seem more mature or what."
"I was just saying you look good. You seem taller, too."
"That's because Meg the Mouse is wearing high heels to come off that way," Patrick said.
"And what if I am, it's perfectly normal feminine wear... and it's Diamond Fang!"
Rupert chuckled. "What's the agenda for today?"
"We'll go around campus, check out some places that might work for having the fights and talk to the faculty in charge to see if they'd be willing to let us use them."
"Will I be of much use following you around, then? If you're just thinking to use me as a referee or judge, I don't know that you'll gain much from taking me along to look at potential venues."
Meg smiled. "Oh, don't try to weasel out already! It never hurts to have another set of eyes and working brain. Being the knowledgeable fighter you are, I'd think you could have insights about a location that could slip our minds."
They first visited the music hall, housed in a slightly smaller building by the library, but found the teacher responsible for it not there. They weren't going to waste time waiting for her to come back, if she even did tonight, but decided to take a quick look around. "The built in seating would be convenient," Rupert commented, "but the stage seems a little narrow. Would it be a good space to have fights in?"
Patrick walked forward and climbed up on stage to reveal he looked quite small on it. "It just looks small from where you are, but is rather spacious up close. It's enough to host a good sized band, after all. As long as neither combatant uses a particularly mobile style it should more than suffice, and in that case most possible locations in school would pose similar issues."
"Besides," Meg added, "no environment can be perfect for every style of fighter. Our best bet is just to find a reasonably versatile one that won't disadvantage any too much."
Hearing them reaffirmed Rupert's suspicion he might feel useless coming along. They had clearly put more thought into the qualities one should consider in a fighting venue, and he doubted the likelihood of him noticing things they overlooked. On the other hand, it might not be so bad if he might be able to learn from their observations. "I guess we shouldn't rule this place out as a possible arena, and should return to talk with the professor later?"
"That would seem prudent. Well, on to the next one."
They made their way to a basement storage area which wouldn't be the most glamorous or well lit, but large enough to support a makeshift fighting ring while leaving some room for an audience. That is, if not for the crates filling it. Rupert was skeptical, but Meg found the custodian's adjoined office and asked the white-bearded hulk there whether they could possibly borrow the room in the future. "You'd be asking a lot of these old bones to move all that," the barrel-chested man said.
"We wouldn't expect you to do that work by yourself," she replied. "If you gave us permission, we'd certainly help you move this stuff somewhere else."
"You don't say? You hardly look fit to be lifting anything heavy."
She smirked. "Don't let the glamorous looks fool you, Diamond Fang Meg is easily the match of most men in strength. Hell, I've manhandled people as big as you, don't think I can be daunted by a few boxes."
"Is there anyplace they could be readily moved?" Rupert asked.
Her voice grew less assured as she recognized the issue. "Where they would be safe and out of the way? Not sure... we'll move this one down the list, but might come back to it."
The trio stopped by more locations, some of which proved too cramped or they were outright denied use of. Rupert noticed Meg often found the opportunity to stand on things like elevated parts of furniture or the floor to mitigate her appearance of shortness, on top of already wearing heels. She must be quite insecure about that, a slight surprise given how strong and otherwise confident she was.
"Well," Patrick said at her pout after the caretaker of a courtyard garden blew her off, "you shouldn't really have expected to be allowed to fight in a garden."
"It has stone paths! The plants would be fine as long as the fighters stayed on them, and we could have special rules to reward that if we do use a point system. But you're right, I only considered it because it might've been novel while not likely practical."
"After seeing all these places," Rupert asked, "have you come close to deciding on one yet?"
"I've actually been thinking, maybe we should have the matches held in multiple locations. That could increase visibility, and hopefully drum up more interest."
Patrick said, "Good point. I guess we could rotate between the suitable places for which our use is approved."
There was one more room on their list. They headed to the mini-theatre in the main building used by a few classes and the acting club, which featured a stage at the front. Without having seen it, Rupert suspected it would prove too small for their purposes, but Meg still wanted to at least check. When they arrived, to his surprise since it was fairly late, they found the acting club there. A few dozen students watched while on stage, a girl with a spear chased around two others pretending to be a dragon underneath a painted canvas.
"Come back here, you cowardly worm!" the spear-wielding heroine said. "For all the frightful spines on your back, do you not have the spine to face justice at the hands of Princess Charlona of the Leone kingdom?" At that moment Rupert realized the actress to be Charlene, and the spear she waved about was probably real and hers. She pursued the dragon for a lap around the stage, which seemed bigger than he'd expected again, then noticed them standing in the door as she turned and stopped. "What are you doing here?" The rest of the club shifted their gazes towards them.
"I don't think we've met before," Meg said, "though others have mentioned you. You're Charlene Lyonesse, aren't you? Good to have the daughter of such a reputable family which supports martial preparation join our school."
"You can forgo the flattery, but who are you?"
"The makeup and heels must make me look less like my description, I suppose. I'm your student council president, Diamond Fang Meg."
If she sought to impress Charlene, it didn't seem to work as the latter's eyes narrowed. "You're her? And what business would you have here, Madam President?"
"We're looking to hold a tournament," Patrick said attempting to break up the already palpable tension, "and this room was one of the candidates we thought might work. So we were hoping to talk to whoever's responsible for it and get permission to use it."
"The professor is not here at the moment. But you wish to have a fighting tournament in school, so soon after its atmosphere was disrupted by violence?" She focused on Rupert. "And is that boy not the very one who maimed you, yet you saved him from punishment and recruited him to your side? This all seems very reckless of you, and makes me question if you might not be as much of a brute as him."
Meg looked about ready to retaliate with harsh words of her own, but Patrick grasped her arm and said, "I hardly think forgiveness is a trait indicat
ive of being a brute. In any case, it would probably be better to come back another time. We will respectfully take our leave, Miss Lyonesse."
After exiting the room, Meg grumbled, "Darn noble snob, jumping to conclusions..."
"She had a small point about it maybe not being the best time for a tourney," Rupert said, "after many were recently shaken by a violent incident."
She rolled her eyes. "Are whose fault is that?"
"True, I may not be one to speak, but it doesn't change the fact."
"It's not as if the tournament fights should be as dangerous and bloody as our impromptu duel. If it goes well, it could even help repair the damage we did by making our schoolmates view the warrior arts positively again."
"I can't say you're wrong," he agreed. "It'll all be in the execution."
At the next meeting of the Fighters Club, Meg had barely started going over their planned activity—a debate on what traits were most valuable for a warrior—when someone knocked on the door. "May we come in?" a soft but mature male voice asked.
Meg's eyes widened, probably with recognition. "Yes." A squat middle-aged man with kind features walked in, followed by Charlene. "Director—I mean, Chairman William? What are you doing here?"
Charlene pointed at her, jabbing her finger aggressively forward. "These people are trying to disrupt the peace of the school by holding a barbaric fighting tournament here! You need to put a stop to this."
"Is this true, Meg?"
She fidgeted anxiously while the rest of the club looked on, but said, "Barbaric is rather strong hyperbole. We're just going to have a sparring tournament basically, only it'll be designed to draw eyes so more can come to appreciate the fighting techniques on display."
"Will the matches be with live weapons?" Charlene asked.
"That was the plan, yes..." At William's doubtful look, she tried to reassure him, "Real weapons will be used to bolster the sense of spectacle and excitement, but everyone will have a clear understanding that they're not to seriously hurt much less kill each other. It's a demonstration of skill first and foremost, and we'll ensure the contestants are fighters with sufficient control not to stray from that."
"I expect you won't have such strict aversion to injuries and blood, though."
"Any proper warrior is more than ready to endure minor injuries in the course of training, let alone competition." She looked to Charlene. "Why are you so against this anyway? Considering your family's position, I would have thought you'd approve of spreading the admiration of martial skill."
"I'm all for being able to defend yourself, and teaching others to," the noble said with a stern expression. "But this is a school. It's a place to prioritize learning, not turn into a glorified arena as you want, to the point of involving the likes of the savage Breastslayer over there. Your clubs are just acceptable, giving an opportunity for those more advanced than defense class accounts for to develop further, but this attempt to make combat the highlight of the school goes too far."
"Has that awful nickname for me already been popularized?" Rupert muttered under his breath.
Meg scowled. "Don't disingenuously twist things around. He's not going to fight, I was just thinking to use him as a referee or judge. And how can you form such a firm opinion of him based on one incident you've heard of when you haven't even talked to him? I'm the one he axed in the chest, and I don't think he's so bad. He can go overboard sometimes, yes, but that's probably just something he needs help with as we all do from time to time."
"Tsk, nobody is fooled by your good girl act! Chairman, order them to desist at once."
William took on a bemused look. "While some aspects of this are concerning, I see nothing so alarming as to forbid it outright especially when Meg has already shown herself to be a steadfast person. I'll have my people monitor the situation and inform me if there are any negative developments. I hope I can trust you not to let it get to that point, little Diamond Fang."
He departed the room and Charlene followed, but not without glaring back at Meg. "Don't think this is over! I will absolutely not allow you to have your crude way."
Meg brushed it off and club proceeded as usual, albeit with some uneasiness in the air. "I guess Peggy isn't going to join," Elliot said to Rupert.
"I told you she was busy."
After the meeting, he told Elliot to go on ahead figuring Meg might want to speak with him in private. Left alone with her after the others left, he asked, "Who was that man?"
"Oh, you don't know? Most everyone probably did except for those who are new. It was Director William, the head of Ostuh City's magical researchers and also a member of the school board. He's the one I and Pat are supposed to work for after we finish our stint here, and our friend Gavin already works for. Charlene must've thought her name could persuade him to crack down on some students, but luckily we've already met and his subordinate painted a positive image of us."
"So he's one of those in charge of the university? Regardless of her not quite succeeding in her goal, she has some push to get him to personally visit us."
"Indeed. Hope she'll back down and not bother us too much from here on."
"By the way," he said with a smile, "I appreciate how you stood up for me. You really are generous."
"What, because I don't hold a grudge over you cleaving my chest open? That's in the past, we've gotten on well since. If anything, I should be grateful for you giving me another impressive scar."
"Really?"
She giggled. "No. But I don't mind much either. I'm an iron wall, scratching me up a little isn't enough to make me hate someone forever."
"You didn't seem to hate me for any amount of time. I like that about you."
"Well, I saw potential in you. I only have a few months left in this world, after all."
He started. "Are you saying you have a fatal illness? But you're so lively, you don't seem at all like..."
"What? I was being overdramatic, of course I'm not dying... I thought you'd figure out what I meant from the context. By this world, I was referring to college. I and Patrick aren't going to be here for the full two to five years, but just one to have some passing degree of formal education—and half of that one has already passed. The potential I saw in you, which I hope to find in some others before we leave, was to carry on our legacy of promoting the combat arts."
It still sounded strange. "Your legacy of starting some school clubs? I'm just a guy who can fight better than most but isn't even sociable like you, hardly the best to put your hopes in."
"Hey, school clubs can be serious business! And 'potential' is just that, I didn't say I'm counting on you to be my successor. Besides, you wouldn't be doing it alone. Under ideal circumstances, we'll have a bunch of students ready to take over leadership of the clubs by the time we go."
"You seem to invest more in me than others you're grooming."
"You mean because Pat and I invited only you to our tournament planning?" She shrugged. "You have a point, but I suppose it's just your ability and maturity as a warrior that makes us view you differently. We have plenty of other friends, but you stand out for putting up a better fight against me than anyone else who joined our clubs probably would."
He bowed his head sheepishly. "Ability maybe, but I don't know if I would call it maturity given my problems with restraint. Not surprising that it's due to you feeling we're similar, though."
"Do you think we're similar?"
"You're a lot more outgoing and confident overall than me. We're only similar in fighting skills perhaps, and even then you crushed me once you got serious."
"You might be selling yourself short, you did give me a serious wound." He had surprised her too, however. "Anyway, outgoingness and confidence can be developed. Besides your fighting, I find it admirable you were willing to help a relative stranger—even though you knew it might get you in trouble. That's a more compelling trait to me than the ones you say you lack."
"Thanks," he said softly. "I've rarely been seen
or implied to be a good person, so to hear this from the one who gave me the Breastslayer moniker is pretty special. I don't know how well I'd fit as future club leadership, but I won't rule out having a part in it."
"That's all I ask. Just let things develop naturally, and you can make up your mind later."
"The longer I know you, the less worried I am that I'm being strung along by some crazy girl."
"Glad to hear it. But then, it does take a certain measure of craziness to leave home to become a monster hunter as a teen. Maybe that's why we get along."
Rupert grinned. "In that case, maybe I should hope to meet more fellow crazies. Be seeing you soon, Diamond Fang." She raised her brow as if questioning whether he used her self-given nickname ironically, then gave a hearty nod.
#
The next time Rupert was to meet up with Meg and Patrick, he arrived early at the unused classroom. He heard some shuffling sounds inside, but didn't think much of it. Probably one of them was already in there, organizing their backpacks or something. He walked inside—and took in the sight of Meg with her shirt off.
"Oh no!" His eyes had gone wide to behold her small, firm breasts, ravaged with scars along with the rest of her bare upper half.
She snatched up her shirt and quickly whipped it around her chest, but what had been seen couldn't be unseen. "What are you doing in here?!"
"What are you doing half naked?"
"I didn't expect you and Pat to be here until after dinner, so I thought I could look at something..."
He averted his gaze. "I only ate a bit because I was full from some food Elliot gave me, sorry. You were still pretty careless, somebody else could easily have walked on you with the door unlocked."
"Eh, I don't mind that much, so it's no big deal." She put her shirt back on, allowing him another glimpse when she moved it from in front of her.