Spirit Gathering (2)
Mulsuja rose from her seat and approached them.
"Welcome. Operator of the Fire Spirit User Community."
The fire spirit user at the front burst into hearty laughter and shouted,
"I'm no operator! I'm the captain of the Flame Squad!"
Fire spirit users were all like that, but this was some next-level concept play.
Mulsuja smiled and asked, "Here for another round of the Song of Water and Fire?"
"Song of Fire and Water!"
Sparks flew from Mulsuja's and the Flame Squad captain's eyes.
The Song of Water and Fire was a simple mini-game showdown to decide the winner—a small-scale sports day, basically. It was an event meant to entertain undines and salamanders, but it always ended up as a matter of pride for the spirit users.
"Rules stay the same?"
"Same as always. If we win, this outdoor café and fountain are ours. If we lose, we'll call in the catering buffet."
"Sounds good. Better collect some cash from your fire spirit users in advance."
"Hahaha! Quite the humorous joke!"
Mulsuja and the captain exchanged fierce grins before turning back to their respective groups.
By now, the water spirit users and fire spirit users had split to either side of the outdoor café.
The café owner's lips were practically touching his ears at this sudden boom.
Aqua looked up at Mulsuja and asked.
"A fight... yeah, you could call it that."
Mulsuja's face was deadly serious—the kind that anyone could instantly tell was a joke. But to pure-hearted spirits, it was the most effective expression imaginable.
Aqua clenched her fists, tense.
"The Flame Squad always shows up at our meetup spots—somehow they get the info—and challenges us. Lose, and we can't use the fountain anymore."
As Mulsuja finished, it was the undines' turn.
They'd ended up playing together anyway, but I kept that unhelpful observation to myself.
The undines puffed their cheeks, vowing victory.
Swept up in the mood, Aqua puffed out her chest like a general marching to war, glaring at the enemy.
The spirit users watched their united undines with warm smiles.
I asked, "What's the rules of the fight?"
I'd skimmed the community posts a few times, but this was my first time joining, so I wanted the details straight from her.
"We alternate proposing games—one from their side, one from ours. They pick stuff that favors them, so it usually ends 1-1. Then we agree on a third to break the tie."
I recalled seeing tug-of-war and scavenger hunts in old posts.
"You have our game ready?"
"Of course."
Mulsuja grinned like this was routine.
* * *
The first game was proposed by the water spirit users.
Mulsuja pulled out two pairs of bowls she'd prepared. One pair had narrow necks like bottles; the other was wide and ordinary.
The spirits' attention locked on instantly.
"These bottles and bowls are filled with cola. First to empty them using spirit power wins."
The spirits huddled in their contractors' arms, listening intently. Aqua was in mine.
"This game's called 'The Fox and the Crane.' One day, the fox invited the crane over..."
Mulsuja smoothly recounted the fable. The crane could eat from the tall narrow bottle but struggled with the plate; the fox had it backward.
"The lesson I take from this is that every problem has its own solutions."
I nodded unconsciously—not at the fable's moral, but at the setup. Focus them on the game, then slip in a lesson. Seamless education.
The spirits leaned in, hunting for win hints. No wonder the Song of Water and Fire had such history—fun and learning for spirits? Perfect.
"Ready to play?"
Mulsuja and the captain set two café tables by the fountain, placing one bottle and one bowl on each.
Salamanders and undines gathered around their tables.
Mulsuja scanned both sides and raised her hand.
"Go!"
Water and fire spirits dove for the bottles at her shout.
At Aqua's command, the undines easily manipulated the cola from the bottles. The bowls were simpler—sweep with water, done.
Under three seconds, and the undines had cleared everything.
Crash!
The salamanders were a mess. They'd managed the bowls somehow, but the bottles shattered from the heat.
'No surprise—the proposing side always has the edge.'
Mulsuja raised her hand without a second glance.
"Water spirits win!"
The undines hugged each other and piled onto Aqua in joy.
The larger lizard-like salamanders flicked their tongues quietly, looking glum.
The Flame Squad captain stepped forward, thrusting his hand skyward.
"Don't get down, kids with dragon potential! Flame Squad fire burns twice!"
Their tongue flicks sped up—they were pumped again.
* * *
Tables and shards cleared, the second game began.
"Our proposal: 'The Sun and the Cloud'!"
The captain crossed his arms and told the tale. Undines listened to win again; salamanders, to finally take one.
Classic fable: Cloud's winds failed to strip the traveler, but Sun's warmth did.
"Lesson: Sometimes softness beats strength!"
He snapped his fingers. A fire spirit user brought two thick fur coats.
The captain donned one and handed the other to Mulsuja.
"I'll stand with the undines; Mulsuja with the salamanders. First to remove the coat wins!"
Mulsuja suited up amid the salamanders; the captain amid the undines.
"No hurting us, obviously! Remember—softness!"
The undines tilted heads, puzzled by "soft removal."
Salamanders flicked tongues confidently.
'Definitely favors salamanders.'
The fable held the answer.
Aqua chuckled knowingly.
"Got a plan?"
"...?"
I tilted my head. That interpretation?
Before I could ponder Aqua's creativity, the captain started.
"Go!"
Salamanders ringed Mulsuja in flames.
Undines stamped, clueless.
Aqua stepped forward, asking the captain,
Intrigued, he bowed to Aqua—he'd noticed her unique look from the start.
"A-rank, if that's what you mean."
Aqua counted on fingers slowly.
"...Missing a letter there?"
"...?"
Aqua spun her arms.
"What...?"
Before he finished, fountain water erupted skyward.
Whoosh!
Everyone gaped—the fountain flowed upward like a reverse waterfall.
Aqua pointed at the captain. The water arced down on him.
"Wha—?!"
He conjured a massive Flame Pillar.
Useless against Aqua. She split the water around it, then roped him tight before he could react.
Smooth, advanced control—I couldn't help but admire.
'Even advanced undines couldn't manipulate that fast.'
I knew Aqua was strong, but this strong?
The captain's salamanders—advanced ones for an A-rank—blasted fire at Aqua, sensing danger to their contractor.
Roooar!
Dragon-breath level power; distant spirit users' faces flushed red.
Aqua just waved lazily.
Half the water rope flared out like a shield, slicing the flames and blocking solid.
"Wh-what? What're you—?!"
Full-body restraint for the first time—his eyes shook. The ropes spun him around; he whipped his head trying to see Aqua behind.
Aqua approached step by step. He jerked his head side to side in fear.
Behind him, her hair extended, forming hands that gripped his coat's collar.
She yanked down hard.
Riiiip!
Coat and red shirt tore; his bare back exposed.
Silence.
Then undine cheers erupted.
Undines leaped into Aqua's arms.
Aqua rubbed cheeks with them, squishing jelly-like faces.
Spirit users were silent, staring at Aqua, mouths shut.
One fire spirit user muttered blankly,
"...Did that spirit just solo an A-rank user? Even with an advanced salamander joining...?"
Speaking for everyone.