>>5143834“All the more reason we should pay close attention. We need to know how they fight… but at the same time, I can see missing the forest for the trees. Bigger focus is on seeing how they gel together as a team, not what specific moves they can use.”
Keli nods in agreement. “Yeah.” Her eyes focus intensely as the teams take positions, Tien and Tagoma facing one another.
“Something else is bothering you, isn’t it?” you ask. Keli scratches the side of her head, unsure how to answer. “Well, there’s something that’s bothering me. Equivalent Exchange?”
She laughs. “All right. What’s on your mind?”
“Fighters ready? BEGIN!”
You look at the circular shape of the ring, then briefly glance at Izzy, before returning focus there. Then, you telepathically tell her, ‘The Promised Day. Whatever those working with Towa are up to, I don’t like it. Fu and Basilea are here for… some reason, possibly related to it. But we have no clue as to what it actually is, who it involves, nothing other than the name. Could they be trying to gather energy for something? Trying to condense it into some form? …Create something like Hirudegarn?’
Keli rubbed her chin. ‘The Dragon Balls could be involved in it. But yeah, that’s something that’s been in the back of my mind too.’
As you see Tien carefully swerve and dodge around Tagoma’s attacks, more testing out how his opponent fights. ‘So, is that all you’re worried about?’
She shakes her head. ‘I’ve been training as a Crane School student for so many years now. I’ve been through so much, especially recently. And… now I’ll be facing Master Tien again. This time, I even feel like I can win.’ Her shoulders slouch slightly as Tien finally goes on the offensive, delivering Crane Strikes to Tagoma that leave him reeling. ‘…But what does it mean when it comes to that?’
You glance at her and tilt your head. ‘You mean when we win?’
She smiles a bit. ‘Yeah. I would guess it means I “graduate” as a Crane School Master. Yet… I don’t know if I really feel like I’ve earned that yet.’
‘...Because you’d be winning with my help?’ you ask hesitantly.
(cont.)
