Isher Notra

Capt. Tash:

This scene brought back memories. Good and bad.

She sat at the edge of Pantsti's sacred arena: a towering plateau where Pantsti's more important sporting battles were hosted, including every young Wolf's eira exam, which involved proving themselves against a trained guard in front of the village's elders to determine if they were worthy of wandering outside the province without supervision.

Of course, Tash went through some trials here, which may or may not have included fierce duels with her own brother. Some of those may or may not have ended with her face dug deep into a crater.

However, this wasn't the event of today, although it included a particularly promising non-eira pup. Tash would personally request that the elders allow her to face her own daughter when the time came, if she wasn't an apparently "biased" choice for the role.

Eh. Tash'd give it a shot, anyway.

Back to the battle at hand, her dear pup and her Human packmate were warming up at one side of the arena. Meanwhile, Hanaken sat on a makeshift rock bench at the opposite side, psyching herself up with the help of her comrades, who were treating her as a bona fide star athlete with hot towels on her forehead, cucumber slices covering her eyes, and gallons of water to hydrate ten families of Bears before the fight even started.

Hm. The trio of goofballs' fate was still undecided. The captain heard whispering pieces of the elders' discussion thus far. Some were VERY upset that Gentō's short-sightedness was the catalyst for the almost disastrous battle in Chikukei. However, others, including Hōkō, were very impressed with him and his partners' actions throughout that wintry hell, becoming essential pieces for the resistance against Yuki-onna to the very end.

Personally, Tash opted for the more lenient side. In fact, she had a couple of ideas on how they could... put those delinquents in line, lest their potential is used against the law once more.

Heh. Now, the Baku and the Amikiri were working together to massage her shoulders as if they were her underlings. Tash appreciated the pre-show entertainment.

...Well, if only it wasn't for her seat neighbour.

"COME ON, GIRLS! YOU ARE STAR PUPILS OF JUSTICE PERSONIFIED! SHOW THAT BRUTE WHAT YOU'RE MADE OF!!!"

Yep. The Silver Knight was right beside her. Not her choice.

Five rows of smooth, rocky stands comprised the contour of the plateau's top, courtesy of none other than Hōkō himself, whose earth clone stood immobile at the center of the arena. However, practically everyone in Pantsti came to see what was basically this Human's goodbye to their village.

When she first saw this, Tash was genuinely surprised. Stella's name came out of everyone's mouths like an infinite swarm of bees stinging her ears. Nonetheless, when the chatter had quelled and her mind was clean enough to ponder, it made slightly more sense. That child from the outside lands kept herself useful by helping Buth with errands, alongside taking on more casual jobs and requests from all sorts of villagers between her already busy training and studying schedule under Hōkō and the Knight. And that was before she started hanging out with most of the Lycan Squad.

If anything, Tash respected the restless productivity of the tiny Human. Just silently admitting that to herself already disturbed her.

Right, the stands. There was only one seat for the captain, which was awfully close to the one nobody would dare approach because of the risk of his eccentric cheerleader moves flying straight to their faces accidentally.

Not an exaggerated notion, in Tash's experience.

"Would you cut it out? It didn't even start," the captain groused, clutching her ears while her eyes reveled in the only advantage of her seat, which was the ample view of the arena as their row was the highest.

The Knight's fists narrowed, and his arms trembled from the sheer willpower needed to contain his emotions. Tizohi almighty, was Stella his daughter or something?

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Oh, Captain! This is it! The culmination of my abilities as a teacher!" He turned back to face her, his dumb helmet since fixed and producing more of their childish expressions. "Isn't your heart blazing with anticipation as your daughter faces a fully-fledged warrior?!"

He wasn't wrong, mostly. Tash could feel an anxious thrum from her heart, ready to escalate into an intense cacophony at any moment.

"Still, your shouts are nails on a chalkboard to everyone here." Her tail lashed on his leg. "Take a damn seat and wait until everyone else's as excited as you."

With a frustrated, dramatic groan, the allegedly adult Human deflated back to sitting awfully close to her. Her comfort was utterly forfeit, no matter what.

Well, at least the Knight kept himself quiet for the minutes that lasted, until...

"It is time." A voice echoed deeply from the unmoving maw of Hōkō's rock lookalike, reverberating over the fur, feathers, and scales of the audience, sending a strange yet undeniable thrill down Tash's spine. On the Oni's side, the Baku and the Amikiri quickly jumped off the red behemoth to take their seats.

"Finally..." The Silver Knight muttered, his visor producing wide, quivering circles for eyes as his clenched fists were placed over his "mouth."

The construct referee opened its arms. "May the combatants stand before the center of the battlefield."

Stella, Lien, and Hanaken promptly complied. Hōkō's avatar stood between the opposite sides. The crowd chatter, once a cloud of murmurs, was burgeoning in anticipation, almost reaching the heights her Human coworker did by himself.

That was, until the referee's voice boomed louder, drowning the outside shouting mercilessly. Yet, his tone was as solemn and patient as ever. "To everyone who took the time of day to witness this confrontation, thank you." Its volume decreased after successfully quieting the masses as it clasped both paws close to its chest. "Today is the day the heroic Human, Stella, who fiercely fought and brought down Yuki-onna, leaves us for the foreseeable future, as it is our queen's will."

The captain caught the Human child's awkward smile. Lien was still less cheerful than usual. She hoped her pup wouldn't let this self-consciousness hinder her combat prowess too much.

"This is also the fulfillment of a promise made between these young girls and dear Hanaken here." It gestured at the giantess, who puffed up her chest in pride. "Let the anticipation for this battle season your performance and grant us a worthy presentation of the skills you've obtained in these past few weeks."

Once the pseudo-Wolf slid out of their way, the three combatants assumed their fighting stances. Stella's was pretty solid for a beginner, more sturdy and reliable on her arms and closed knuckles, while flexible enough on her lower limbs. The way her bare feet restlessly shifted around reminded the captain of her fellow Human.

Lien's stance, however, was visibly sharpened since they had fought weeks prior. Every muscle on her battle-ready body stiffened and relaxed seamlessly, adapted to the always chaotic rhythm of high-level combat.

She was about to bring her A game, that was certain.

"As per usual, the rules are fairly simple. Either knocking down the opposite side or flinging them out of bounds will bring you victory," the elder explained. "Of course, I shouldn't explicitly tell you this isn't a battle to the death."

Tash leaned forward, her face supported by her closed paws while her elbows rested on her knees. Her tail gradually reflected the hastening blood coursing and pumping in her veins, lashing at ever-shortening intervals.

"Pst." The Knight's elbow on her arm broke her out of the trance. "How do their Saniya compare?"

Tash blinked twice, her shifting eyes betraying her confusion. "What? Of course, Hanaken's is much-"

"No, no!" His helmet produced two X's. "Between Stella and Lien, I mean."

"Oh." Her gaze returned to the girls, her focus peeling the physical layer to peer elsewhere. She did notice a stronger energy emanating from the younger Human since they briefly crossed paths yesterday, but how much?

...

......

"Oh, my..."

"What?!" the hero asked in an attempt to whisper.

"As far as their Saniya goes..." Her eyes widen. "They're evenly matched."

"Yes!" he excitedly murmured, his arms jerking uncontrollably. "That's Stella for you!"

Of course, sheer Saniya potency was only one factor to consider among the two young girls. Battle experience and martial arts expertise were key in interactions such as these. And her Lien had those in spades.

...A pesky urge to brag about it to the loudmouthed Human poked her conscience. How tempting...

And just before the captain could act a little childish, the elder's voice returned, filled with contagious excitement.

"Pray the spirits of our ancestors, of the ones who fought and died in the war to ensure a future for our people, are relishing in this fight as the fruits of this generation's hard work and potential are about to entwine!"

A faint tremor was felt under Tash's bottom as the three female fighters' Saniya subtly flared, even if still invisible to the eye.

The construct's blueish light flashed from its eyes and the imperfections on its structure.

"It has begun!"

Stella and Lien sprinted forward, ready to collide directly against the wall of Oni muscle! Would they really commit to attack such a muscle behemoth in such a direct manner?! Or were they holding a trick up their sleeve?!

Discover next time, on Dragon Ball- Wait, wrong show.