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It happened once a year, in the middle of summer, when the sun hovered in the sky late into the night, and the studious academic town of Makai Royal was transformed into a festive metropolis. Final exams were over, the summer vacation spread invitingly before the students of the academy, the day filled with games and special events held by the local shops, booths hosted by varying students and teachers from the academy...and the night was when the duels were held, and the fireworks spewed from the mouth of the school's guardian beast, the Lichbone. Every year, the gargantuan, alchemical creature showed itself, curled around the highest tower of the school, spewing forth blue-electric sparks to heighten the experience of the festival.

Long, white hair glimmered in the sunlight as it was caught in a stray breeze, as the Ancient Incantations teacher exited the large, rustic iron gates of the academy, a semi-worn, leather-bound book skulking after her in the air, occasionally opening the pages of its maw and gnashing at passersby. Her name was Miusa, and she had been teaching at the Makai Royal for as long as anybody could remember...even the oldest of teachers. Her age (and weight) was a mystery to all, and she had developed an overly keen talent for disappearing or changing the subject when either of those two subjects arose. It was rumored she was really a hag who had completely mastered age reversal, or body renewal. Hogwash.

She was kind and wise, and taught arts from ancient times as if she had been there herself, and always encouraged experimenting. Still, she had a calculating air about her, something mingled between brooding and haughty. Honey-colored eyes caught reflections of festival baubles which hung between the streets, and she had to dodge out of the way of a few wayward enchantments given life by celebrating students.

The sight of the dueling stage came into view, set up specifically for this festival. It was a chance for the students to show each other their stuff, and for everybody else to flaunt their developing and seasoned magic. She could see a few students gathered around it interestingly, and gave them a curt smile and casual wave as she strode towards the stage, taking a seat upon the edge and watching the happenings of the festival. The scent of delicious sweets and salty goodies hung invitingly in the air, and her stomach rumbled. However, delicious festival treats would have to wait, as the dueling would begin within the hour.

Orpheus took a deep breath, stretched and yawned. He was up during the day, and apart from classes, that was rare. Exams were over, so... ideally, he wouldn't be up and out like this. It was the festival that had him up. He did like the partying environment, and even if he wanted to sleep, he'd never manage it with so much going on outside. The large alchemia made him nervous, too. He frowned and ran a hand through his hair, staring at it. Orpheus, with some effort, looked away. Well, he had no one to meet and wasn't particularly sure how to participate in the festival. Instead, he adjusted his guitar and wandered over to the dueling stage, leaning against it. When was that going to start? He'd have to figure out how to sign up.

Even though he'd been at the Academy for a while, now, he hadn't really made any friends. No one he would, by default, seek out in the crowd. It was abnormal, for someone like him; back home, he had always had friends. There had scarcely been a moment when he was alone, whether he wanted to be or not. That was the nature of couch-surfing, he supposed. But here... he had his own room, his own things, and the occasional group project was hardly enough motivation to get to know others.

So for now, he would just watch the festivities, leaning against the dueling stage.

Salem treated daylight with something that was not quite hate or fear, but rather something that was closer to distaste and mistrust. The rays kicked off by that ever-burning, never-blinking eye, suspended high above those who loved it and those who didn't, illuminated everything in a way that irritated him a great deal. Perhaps the 'everything' was what bothered him so much. The way it spared nothing its scrutiny, laying all out for all else to see. Though this was no real problem for Salem on most occasions, it could make things... more than a little complicated on others, especially when reapers or prospective witches were involved.

Especially on days like today.

But the school holds the midsummer festival in the daytime, so what choice did Salem have? The festival was the perfect place to scout, what with the witchling and graduated witches alike so lacking in experience yet so brimming with blossoming magical power, young and fresh, like the first ripe fruit that fall from the tree from their own weight. This place was like an orchard, with the choicest picks hiding among the snarls of people that gathered around the booths and the stalls, so engrossed in the joys of their festivities that they were unable to sense the wolf that stood hunkered and hiding at the edge of their thoughts, ready and waiting. Watching.

Hiding, too. Salem sat in the shade of a large old tree, one hand draped across his lap, the other resting to his side. The look on his face was so peaceful, the look about him was so placid, and surely he looked harmless to any that passed, but the singular eye that roamed among the festival-goers was cold and hard. Eventually, his gaze rested on a boy who leaned against the stage. The instrument he clutched in his hands fascinated Salem, and he made a note to find out what it was later.

[[ Ready for the first two rounds of the dueling mini-game. :> The first round will be Orpheus VS Marek, and the second round will be Requiem VS Ruria. When the the first two players are ready, please let us know in the thread! ]]

Miusa stood to her full height, striding into the middle of the stage. She cleared her voice for a moment, before producing a soundstick from her pocket. Speaking into it, her voice was loud enough to draw attention to the stage. "Good afternoon, festival-goers! Makai Royal Academy is proud to be hosting our annual dueling competition again this year, for the seventeenth year in a row! We're about ready to begin with our first contestants, two academy students who recently graduated, Orpheus and Marek~ When ready, please report to the middle of the stage to shake hands."

Ruria quickly consumed the pastry in her mouth in two giant bites, shocking for a girl of her stature to even consider to do, and dusted the sugar granules from her lips. She dropped her bag by the stage, trouncing up onto the middle to wait for Orpheus, extending her hand to him when he walked upon the stage. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Orpheus~"
she said. She had an excited, anticipating look on her face. Her first duel, and it would be with a freshly graduated Makai student...she like the challenge. "I hope I have what it takes to vanquish you. Good luck~"

Miusa smiled at the two eager duelists before her. It always pleased her to see developing witchlings and witches excited to show their skills. She took a few steps back, onto a raised part of the stage. "Remember children, no eye-poking, no groin-shots, and stay in the dueling area. You may begin now~!"

[[Dice roll... Heads =1.5, tails = 6-10. Face claims heads! ]]

What a horrible sound! Ruria covered her ears, clenching one eye shut. She'd put a stop to that audible pain by breaking the instrument of her peril - literally. Her legs attempted to move forward, but felt like they were weighed down by cement. Illusion magic, be it visual, audible, or sensual, was not her strongest suits to fend off, but she'd give it her best.

She couldn't move very well while the music was playing, and to be this vulnerable so quickly seemed to stir a bit of a temper in her, which was perfect fuel for some of her darker spells. The Festival of Ghosts spell should do the trick.

Ruria straightened herself out as much as she could, raising an arm above her and then pointing directly at Orpheus. "Have at you!" Upon her words, a torrent of small, cackling, ghostly little creatures manifested, charging at him and over the stage in an angry, meddling tirade. They seeped into the crowd, harassing people's belongings and flipping up benches as they went. The ones mauling Orpheus seemed content to swarm him and jig angrily over his body, trying to tear his guitar from his hands, before disappearing silently, as if they had never been there at all..... But alas, that was how that spell was. They come and go as quickly as ghosts.

2/5

Salem had settled in to watch the bout, curious to see which of the two was more powerful, and, by that logic, a better prospect for the majin to take as a quarry. On top of that, the dark witch who sat against the tree was VERY curious to see what the instrument Orpheus held sounded like, and even moreso to see how he would apply the thing in battle. Surely it was a catalyst on top of a pretty thing to play, like a focal point to magic, and that appealed to Salem a great deal.

He was sold the second Orpheus played that first note, the one filled with despair and dread. To think music was capable of portraying such emotion! Such terror! Such power! Yes, Salem was thinking he liked that guitar a great deal. When Orpheus was finished with the bout, win or loss, Salem would find a way to palaver with the boy on stage.