Blitzball was a popular game that had first been invented in Mordheim. It isn't as popular outside of the land of swords, but some people have heard about it.
It's also a brutal game. The arena is a massive arena of water, and the ball lets out a powerful zap. Players have to coat their entire body in mana, or else they'll be fried alive. Since combat is also allowed, the game is known to lead to fatalities due to how easy it is for a person's mana to be lowered in the heat of combat.
It was the perfect sport for a place like Mordheim. One where the weak died and only the strong had a right to play.
This dangerous game was the one Olivia Lot now had to play.
"Blitzball, huh?" She had never heard of it, but she knew that after this game, she'd never be playing again.
Her team consisted of her, Clause, Ghost, and Pock. Pock was the strongest, followed by Clause, Ghost, and then finally she came in dead last. Across from them, on the enemy team, she'd have to deal with Whisper, Battery, and then the two Squires, Sera and Max. Battery might be equal to Pock, but was likely stronger with Whisper being even further above. The only advantage she could even think of was the fact that Battery was used to using two swords, but weapons were prohibited in this match.
Olivia's mind raced as she tried to think of a solution, but there was really only one she could come up with.
"When the game begins, we have five minutes to score as many points as possible." Olivia hummed and looked down at her hand. "Could it work?"
"Could what work?" Ghost asked.
"I need the ball," Olivia stated. "No matter what, we have to stop the enemy team from scoring a point. I might have found our winning solution."
Clause nodded. "I trust you. I'll get you that ball."
"Same!" Pock laughed. "You can count on me!"
Her group turned to look at the ball that floated in the center of the arena. The enemy team did the same, finishing their own planning. They all waited for the signal.
A loud horn buzzed through the water, shaking the entire arena, and all at once, mana exploded out of each person, rising to its full state. The water shifted into all sorts of colors as every mage powered up to their limit, and they all surged forward.
Mana Step was impossible to use due to the fact that they were all swimming, which meant it became a battle of speed to see who could get to the ball first. Water-Walking was a move that allowed someone to stand on the water, but it didn't help with being in the water, so as soon as the game started, everyone swam as fast as they could toward the orb.
Of course, Whisper was the first to reach it. She was the fastest and seemed right at home in the water. Battery was right behind her, ready to guard his vice captain, with Sera following a bit behind, and Max was all the way in the back, serving as a goal protector to his side's hoops.
Whisper made a grab for the ball and managed to get her fingers on it. It was heavy and made of metal, yet floated and seemed to ignore the water. It also had ridges all along it; her fingers were able to dig into and get a good grip. Now that she had it, she'd need to rush to the opposite side of the arena and throw it into one of the Phoenix Flight hoops so she could score a point.
Her plan was pretty simple. Once she scored a point, she'd just guard the ball and wait for time to run out.
Whisper got ready to swim forward but stopped when she saw the formation of the enemy team. Pock was in the lead, swimming toward her, but he wasn't going as fast as he could. One of his hands was holding Ghost, dragging the girl with him. A bit behind them, Clause was struggling to keep up, and all the way in the back, Olivia waited, guarding her team's hoops.
Pock brought the hand that wasn't holding onto Ghost up and swam even faster, ready to punch Whisper in the gut. The woman just laughed and cocked her head to the side. "Seriously? Is that your best plan?"
Battery appeared in front of her, ready to use his body as a shield. His mana was incredibly dense and coated his skin like a layer of armor. "Good luck getting past me." The man announced. "Whisper, I'll defend; you get the orb to the hoop-"
"Take this!" Without warning, Pock suddenly twisted his body and threw Ghost, launching her through the water with incredible speed. The pale girl laughed like a madwoman as the water twisted around her and she approached Battery.
The red-haired man sneered and brought his arm up, prepared to crack her skull open once she reached him! Ghost was about to connect right as he brought his arm down, and it went right through her head! Literally!
Battery's eyes widened in shock and horror as ice sprang up around his limb, which phased through Ghost's skull. The water around him suddenly dropped in temperature, and his teeth clattered together. It only got worse when Ghost's momentum didn't slow down, and she phased right through his body, ice growing across his flesh, and the chill got even worse.
"W-What? B-But spells aren't allowed!" Battery roared.
Ghost laughed as she went all the way through his body and appeared in front of a stunned Whisper. "It's not a spell! That's just something I can do with my mana!" Her hands shot out, and she wrapped them around the orb Whisper was holding, the two of them wrestling for control over it.
"Cheeky bitch." Whisper smirked and began to easily overpower Ghost, the poor girl doing everything she could to keep herself stuck to the electric ball. "That was almost clever. Almost."
Battery roared in anger and swung around, about to rip Ghost off of Whisper, but the ice caused him to move a fraction slower than he normally would. With his back turned and his movement slowed, Battery was unable to react in time as Pock smashed into him, knees first. Pock then wrapped his arms and legs around Battery, grappling the man.
Like Whisper and Ghost, Battery and Pock began to wrestle, with Battery overpowering Pock and getting the better of him, but it still slowed him down, allowing Ghost to enact her next plan.
With a smile, Ghost simply phased through the ball and Whisper. The temperature dropped again, and Whisper stifled a gasp. Ghost appeared behind her and wrapped her up in a choke hold, but the Pantheon member remained calm. She was about to elbow Ghost and knock the girl out, but Clause reached the two of them right before she could, and with a mighty roar, he swiped his hand down directly onto the ball.
Clause was an old man. He was frail and weak-looking with a body that showed off his bones. Despite the fact that he was exceptionally strong, something Whisper just now learned as the Blitzball was easily torn from her grasp. Her eyes filled with anger, and with a growl, Whisper jammed her elbow into Ghost's side, knocking the other woman back, right as Battery tore Pock off him and tossed him away. Sera also caught up, and the three of them got ready to jump Clause, who now held the ball.
All three of them floated before him, ready for whichever direction he'd go. After all, if he wanted to score a point, Clause would have to make it past all of them, then get past Max, and then throw it through one of the hoops. The progress Whisper had made earlier was also a lot, so they were all currently closer to the Phoenix Flight goals, meaning he'd have to do all of this while swimming quite a bit away.
At least, this is what Whisper assumed, but she was instantly proven wrong when Clause did something that shocked her entire team.
Clause didn't swim forward. Instead, he spun around and, without warning, tossed the ball back toward his own goal as hard as he could!
"Why the hell is he doing that? It'll score a point for us?" Whisper asked in shock.
"Has the old man gone senile?" Battery laughed. "Fine, let him make us win."
"I think they have to have a plan-" Sera was cut off as Olivia appeared in front of the hoop Clause had thrown the ball to, and she caught it. "The witch girl has it!"
"So what?" Battery shrugged. "She still has to swim through all of us. She has to swim even further now."
"Wait?" Whisper frowned. "Why would they give her the ball? That makes no sense-" Whisper suddenly cursed and swam forward as fast as she could, but it was far too late.
Olivia held the ball in her hands. Lightning zapped through her flesh, but it wasn't actually that bad. This was because it hadn't gone through a hoop yet, and so the effect hadn't been increased.
In a long-term game, winning just wasn't possible. Like Cinder, Whisper was just way too strong and fast. Even stalling out the time limit wouldn't be possible, since the moment Whisper got locked in for the win, she'd take them all out. That meant there was truly only one way she could win and beat Whisper at this game.
Keeping the ball was impossible, scoring points was impossible, and stopping Whisper was also impossible. The only way to win at Blitzball with a foe this strong was to simply not play.
Olivia activated her mana right as Whisper reached her. The vice captain made a grab for the ball, but it was already too late. Olivia's hands lit up, and a golden flash began to overtake the orb.
"I never tried this before, but it has mana, so it's worth a shot," Olivia announced. And she used Polymorph on the ball! "We'll win by not playing the game! I'll get rid of the ball entirely and keep it gone until the time limit runs out! We win-" The golden light faded, and Olivia blinked as she stared down at the unchanged Blitzball in her hands. "Aw nuts. I can't use Polymorph on it after all." She had assumed that because it had mana within it, she could change its form. Her father had used it to affect things like trees, and even a version of herself in one of her visions used it on an inanimate object. Perhaps if she had been stronger, but she wasn't. "Darn."
The next thing Olivia knew, she felt a blinding pain as Whisper rammed a fist into her stomach as hard as she could, and everything went black…
Down below, watching the games take place, Ken winced. "Crap. Looks like they lose."
"Looks like it." Falco winced and watched as Whisper scored a point. "Dang. That was a smart idea if it worked, but it looks like Olivia can only affect people with that skill."
"Mine can only affect myself," Sieg noted. "Her being able to use it on others at all is impressive. Dragons are able to bend all of reality and alter it, so I'm sure if she got stronger and leveled the trait up, that plan would have worked. She's just not there yet." Sieg grunted in annoyance as Whisper scored a second time and then a third time, easily knocking out the other Phoenix Flight members. "Looks like game two is also our loss."
"Just like that?" Susie seemed annoyed and folded her arms, huffing. "Surely there is something they can do?"
Falco shook his head. "No. I don't think there is. Don't get me wrong, we're not bad, but that team is just crazy."
"How is that fair?" Susie demanded. "The game was totally rigged."
Falco nodded. "Exactly. The Enforcer games aren't meant to be fair. They're meant to be entertained. The people here like Pantheon. They enjoy seeing Pantheon win. We're not some underdog. We're the faceless goons the other team can dunk on to show how cool they are. The Licht-Fulk eat that crap up. That doesn't mean we have to sit by and take it, though." Falco smirked and pointed a thumb back at himself. "The moment I get the chance, as soon as I can play in one of the games, I'll do my best and get us our first win! I bet you'll do the same, right, Davi?" Falco waited for an answer but got none. "Davi?"
Everyone turned and found that the spot Davi had been standing was now gone. "Where the hell did he go?"
Away from the arena, within the walls of the colosseum, tunnels twisted and turned. Murals were placed alongside them showing off famous warriors throughout history, and every now and then, a statue would also appear, depicting a powerful person who had helped shape the world.
Davi walked these halls, his eyes tracing over the history before he finally found the place his scar was leading him to. One of the tunnels opened off into a dark room, similar to the one Sunny had taken him and Ken to. This one was unclean and covered in webs and only contained a single statue. A figure stood in front of it, quietly staring up at the statue's stony face.
"What brings you here?" High didn't bother to turn when Davi came to stand next to him. "Don't tell me you can't resist my charms?"
Davi stayed quiet and gazed upon the figure of stone. The statue depicted an elf. One who wore a suit of armor and had a belt that contained a heavy-duty pistol strapped to it. The elf's face was young, and his hair was tied back into a ponytail. The most striking thing about him was the smile that he had on his face.
"Who is this?"
"Himvel," High said casually.
"Himvel? That's the guy Sunny talked about. I heard he's important." Davi hummed.
"He was." High shrugged. "He was an inventor—an elf who disliked combat. The right hand of King Sylas, it was he who created the Titans. They were these powerful weapons. Suits like Z.E.U.S. or H.A.D.E.S. Of course, I doubt he knew King Sylas was a mad fool who wanted to bring about the end of the world. Perhaps that's why he created the heating machine of this land. Do you know about it?"
"Just a little bit," Davi admitted. "Sunny told me some."
High nodded. "When Sylas died, the giant who created the elves, the All-Mother, also died. She gave her own life up and pulled her light source out of her body. Haru took this source, and she gave it to Himvel. I guess she trusted him, and she told him to build a machine using the spark. Something that could seal a great calamity. Many people, myself included, always wondered why she did this. After all, Haru is… Well, she's Haru. Surely there's nothing out there she couldn't beat, yet she didn't. She sealed it away and left the Licht-Fulk, Sylas, and Himvel's final creations to stay behind here."
"Why did you come down here?" Davi asked bluntly.
"Why did you?" High shot back.
"I sensed you."
"You sensed me?"
"It's a bit odd, but lately, ever since I've gotten here, things have been a little odd." Davi glanced toward his hand and frowned. "My flesh has been tingling, my ears are ringing, and I keep hearing this voice. Sometimes, if I close my eyes, I find myself somewhere I'm not."
"How odd." High tapped his chin. "It's truly bizarre. I have a question for you."
"Yeah?"
"If this dungeon were to be in danger, would you try to defend it?"
"Like, would I try to keep the people safe?"
"Yeah."
"Sure? Why wouldn't I?"
"They're monsters, you know." High chuckled. "Most mages wouldn't protect the Licht-Fulk if it came down to it. They only go along with the games that Himvel created to keep the machine running. Someone willing to come to the aid of the Licht-Fulk would be pretty rare."
Davi shook his head. "Nah. Being good isn't rare. All my friends would help your people out in a heartbeat. I'm sure of it."
"Why did you help me?" High asked suddenly.
"You mean when you were out in the snow?"
"Yeah."
"You needed help?"
"See! No one would actually do that, though." The man shook his head. "People might say they will, but to actually help someone out? Well, that talent is super rare. Or if they do it they want a reward yet you haven't done anything like that."
"I don't know what to tell you? If someone needs help and I can help them out, then I should. My dad taught me that. Even if I want to be lazy or don't want to, it's the right thing to do, and it didn't cost me anything either. I think that's just how most people are, and you're not considering the nature of the human spirit. Humans are social creatures. We have to help each other so we can stick together in this world. People should all be willing to offer a hand when the time comes, or at the very least try."
Was that really an odd thought process?
High let out a louder laugh this time and slapped Davi on the back. "Truly, you are funny. I wonder if you're the one."
"The one?"
"Don't worry about it. It isn't important."
"It sounds important…"
High shrugged again. "I have to keep some secrets, you know. Got to make myself look mysterious somehow." His tone suddenly changed, and he became serious. "I'm a bit glad you were the one who found me out in the snow. I've seen several people over the years all enter and leave this place playing the games. None heard voices like you, and I'm certain none would truly help the Licht-Fulk out if the choice popped up. Being good shouldn't be rare, but it is. It is…" High clapped Davi on the back again and turned about to leave. "Come on, the second game will soon be ending. Oh, and remember what I told you? The thing with the princess."
Davi nodded and was about to follow, but he stopped. He glanced back at the statue of Himvel. The elf who helped King Sylas. The elf whom Haru trusted to build a machine for her to seal something away. "Why did she do it?"
"Huh?" High glanced back.
"Why did she kill the elves?" Davi reached out and placed his hand upon Himvel's chest. "It makes little sense. You said she came to Himvel. We're told the elves were all killed off shortly after the death of Sylas, but from the sounds of it, that wasn't true. They survived a bit, and Haru worked with one? Why? Why did she decide to kill them all?"
High hummed and thought about it for a moment. "Well, I guess if you really wanted an answer to that question, you'd have to ask an elf."
"But they're all dead?"
"Are they?" High tapped the side of his head. "I saw that sword you have. Maybe there's one close by. She might have undergone the Rite of Sealment, but she still seems conscious. Give her a good shake next time, yeah?"
"Rite of Sealment?"
"You don't know about that? Never mind then. Come on, seriously, the games are starting back up soon."
Davi glanced back at High, watching him walk away. He was starting to think this High guy knew more than he first thought.
Davi went to follow, and he only managed to take one step before the world around him faded away! Suddenly, he found himself in a new location. An old iron tomb, and before him, hundreds of swords filled rows of stone, in which they were impaled in.
No.
Not swords.
Davi felt his scar burn, and he could feel the souls within each one.
Elves.
Then, suddenly, he was back in the stone room with High. "You good?" The masked figure called out to him.
Davi blinked and shook his head. Then he grunted. "Yep. Just fine."
He was not fine. Then again, he wondered if he was ever fine.