saudade; raiden ei

xʟ. battle

Y/n missed Ei.

That was a thought becoming increasingly frequent throughout her stay in Natlan. Her lover inhabited her mind like a parasite, ensuring it was purple-hair, purple-eyes all day, twenty-four-seven. She thought of Ei during the second match and thought of Ei upon their rendezvous. She had generally assessed the state of her student and praised his efforts. She'd informed him that the crowd had begun to root for the underdog, all whilst seeing desserts and kimonos. Oh, how she longed to be in her arms.

The second round had been harsher than the first. The opponent in this round had already worn a hideous grin before its start. He was severely injured, one of his arms missing as a token from his previous fight. It didn't appear to bother him in the slightest. He expertly avoided Carlos's blade time after time, once even doing so with an unnecessarily flashy backflip: a sickening sadist and a mutant at acrobatics. By its end, both were exhausted. Her student was thoroughly soaked by sweat, and the other was littered with slashes and scrapes. There was no outmatching this competitor in agility.

The man spat blood to the side and unexpectedly lunged at Carlos with a strike. He hadn't wasted a moment and allowed her student to breathe, instead generating a false sense of security and demonstrating his immense tolerance for pain. Despite this, the strike remained powerful and clean. Y/n was highly impressed.

The blade dashed straight towards the boy's heart with the highest degree of accuracy, and from the soldier's palm danced a thin layer of ice that instantly enclosed his chest like a cocoon. With its deflection, the ice shattered into thousands of minuscule crystals and created a dazzling show of light. The crowd murmured curiously, and Murata raised her chin in approval. This round, her dear pupil won both the battle and the onlookers' hearts.

They'd spoken after the second match. Not only was this chat thick with praise, but Y/n reminded him of her purpose: to ensure his survival. By all means, she had agreed not to make him a winner but to save his life. Foul or fair, it was simple as that. She explained the actions that had kept him from harm, and he decided to let them continue; the time had come for round three.

And Y/n still missed Ei.

It amazed her how much she missed the woman. This sort of longing was unlike her, and it was weak. Yet, after briefly acknowledging the enemy and forming an analysis, she lost herself to this fantasy and delusion. Such was a common effect of love's compelling vice. Subconsciously, she raised her palm and released tendrils of Cryo into the arena.

Y/n didn't notice other people heading her way until she was violently ripped from her imagination. A hand fisted the scruff of her outfit and extinguished all half-baked dreams, dragging her away by the collar as she made a scene.

"I knew the little brat wouldn't have made it this far alone!" Her assailant spat. "He's a fraud! Dishonour to Natlan! I found the bitch with the fancy tricks; let her have it!"

Too intent on the fight below, not many noticed Y/n's predicament. She kicked and protested, trying to squirm free from an iron hold as the barrier she'd built for Carlos threatened to burst. He yelped as a blade's tip pierced the ice, creating a crack and slitting the flesh of his shoulder. He countered the sword before it tore off his arm, heaving it upward with all the strength he could muster. He was laden with a new injury and oozing with blood.

"Let me go!" The soldier hissed, burning the attacker alive with a glare. He only cast her a callous laugh, hauling her far from the battleground under the Archon's watchful stare. Her eyes bore no insight into her thoughts. Neutral and judging, they were the last to meet Y/n before she was removed from the scene.

Murata was a lone witness to the conflict.

"Where are you taking me?" the soldier inquired, her lips curling with her sullen mood. A response came in the form of a thrust, her face eating the hot and infertile ground.