Pruned Trees Re-Sprout!! ~ Ragazza Volpe Magica ~

Shouri and Rebecca idly chatted about random stuff they found on the internet while they rode in the back of the cab. Guy, the truck driver, listened to an audio cast to pass the time.

“Huh, Jo got eliminated already,” Rebecca noted. “All that fuss and he just ended up dropping,” she spoke with disappointment in her voice.

“I’m sure he was shaken up. I was reading about the investigation procedures in accidental deaths during battle.” Shouri paused, keeping his gaze fixated on the tuner in his hand. “It’s not pretty, even if you’re innocent,” he spoke quieter.

“I… see.” Rebecca too kept her head down.

The pair fell quiet, the hum of the truck’s engine and the chattering of Guy’s audio cast breaking up the silence. Their contemplative moment was broken up with both Rebecca and Shouri perking up suddenly.

“Sho-!” before Rebecca could relay her thoughts to Shouri – chaos struck.

First a loud popping sound, then the entire forty-ton vehicle suddenly and violently jerked to the right, straight off the road.

It all went black. When Rebecca came to, she was hanging on her seatbelt by her waist. “Ggahh…” she grunted. The entire cabin was on its side, both her Maestro and the truck driver were totally unconscious. Thankfully rhythm-based engines like the ones used in trucks and automobiles didn’t have the capability of exploding or even catching fire for that matter, not like they were commonly depicted doing in movies.

However, the violent collision they were just in couldn’t have been good for their bodies. Rebecca counted her blessings that she was born a Resonator, as she was much sturdier than a Maestro. Bracing herself, she released the seatbelt digging into her abdomen, and dropped down, pivoting herself around the still-extended table between her and Shouri.

Speaking of her Maestro, he seemed to be outwardly okay, with no blood or injuries. Just knocked unconscious by the shock… hopefully.

“Sho! Sho!” Rebecca shook him, also allowing her rhythm to flow from her fingertips into him. For a moment Shouri remained still. Rebecca trembled, her heart racing. “Not again…” she whimpered. “You’re not allowed to die on me!” she barked, intensifying her shaking of him.

He began to stir. “Nn Re… Rebecca?” Shouri gradually came to.

Rebecca wiped away the gathered tears, relief flooding her. “Careful, we were just in an accident.” Reaching over, she unclipped his safety belt and helped him sit up.

“What even happened?” he asked, taking in the scene around him.

Rebecca sat silent for a moment. “I think-” She paused, gathering her thoughts. “-right before we crashed, someone cast a Feroce spell.”

“What the hell? Are you sure?” Shouri gasped, sobering up in an instant. She nodded slowly. This wasn’t just a random accident – they had been attacked.

Grasping Taika’s tuner at his waist, he pulled on her rhythm – he needed her stubborn willpower right now, even if she was an hour away. The small wisps that came through her connection with the device were enough to spur Shouri into action: “Come on, let’s get Guy and get out of here.”

Shouri attempted to stand up but found his sense of balance not working with him. “Ough, this is…” He swayed a bit but was thankfully caught by Rebecca.

“Easy there bossman, we got shook like a mixed drink.” She wrapped an arm around him.

Through her touch, Rebecca’s emotional state was being broadcast to him loud and clear: she was scared witless. Even so, she wrestled her feelings into place - they had to prioritize their safety first and then she could have a meltdown.

And honestly, Shouri was in the same camp. Adrenaline was a hell of a drug.

Rebecca naturally ensured her own Maestro escaped first. They made their way to the front of the overturned vehicle, finding the driver still safely in his seat, though unconscious and bearing several fresh cuts from the windshield shattering.

Speaking of, the force of the collision had blown out the front glass entirely, giving them a way to get out of the truck without having to fight gravity one-on-one. “Come on Sho.” Rebecca urged her Maestro over the seat.

“What about him?” Shouri fearfully looked at the still unmoving driver.

“I’ll get him after you’re out, go!” she demanded.

Hesitantly, the Maestro obeyed his Resonator, climbing out of the truck, being extra careful to avoid the jagged edges of the shattered glass. Rebecca then unbuckled the driver and hoisted him up. It took her a couple of minutes to maneuver the man’s body around given he was dead weight. Finally, she was able to get herself and the driver out of the overturned vehicle. Shouri rushed over and helped her with the load she was carrying. They laid him out on the grassy knoll, away from the overturned vehicle.

It was around that point that the local emergency services arrived on the scene, starting with the police. An officer and their partner Resonator rushed over and immediately dropped to their knees to check on Guy.

“What happened here?” was the first question the officer asked of Shouri.

“We were attacked; my Resonator sensed it right before we crashed,” the Maestro replied.

“Yes, we saw it, never seen a spell like it before,” the officer’s Resonator replied while checking the driver’s pulse.

“Wait… you saw it?” Shouri and Rebecca shared a glance.

“Yeah, it’s still on the road. Never seen anything like it. Though we got some healers on the way to dispel it.” The officer pointed back down the road while rising to their feet.

Along with the thick black tire marks where the truck had skidded off the road, several other vehicles crashed with popped tires, the drivers and their passengers also leaving their vehicles in a daze. Finally, Shouri and Rebecca’s eyes fell on them.

Littering the road with the vehicle debris were black glowing caltrops, radiating that similar lightless energy that the Feroce spells gave off.

With the paramedics being called over to tend to Guy, Shouri felt confident enough to get a closer look. Rebecca took hold of his arm, her eyes locked on the menacing spikes that littered the road. “Fuck…” Suspicions confirmed, Shouri grabbed one of his tuners and dialed a number from his contacts.

Rebecca raised a brow, wondering who he was calling.

“Colette? It’s Shouri.”

For Rebecca’s nosiness, she closed her eyes and focused her hearing on the receiver.

“Where the HELL did you go?!” was the first thing she heard from the other Maestro.

“Oh whoops, we went to Naiza – Mr. Klein invited us to be tournament staff.”

“Some WARNING would be nice!”

“Yeah my bad, anyways, we got attacked by a Feroce Resonator down here.”

“Wait what really? What happened?” Colette’s tone noticeably shifted to curiosity instead of righteous indignation.

Shouri quickly recounted the day’s task along with the events leading up to the crash, and finally, the strange spikes set in the road.

“Ah, that sounds like Grave Rischio, it spreads caltrops out, a tool usually used for escape, but the user can alter the size of them when casting turning them from a stealth tool into just a blunt force object for striking the opponent with,” Colette explained.

“Less being impressed, more strategy – why were we attacked in broad daylight?” Shouri demanded of his fellow Maestro.

A thoughtful hum from Colette’s end followed. “I’m not entirely sure – that is concerning though.”

“Yeah, it’s fucking concerning!” he barked back.

“Sho.” Rebecca rubbed his shoulder closest to her, imparting some serenity into him.

“Sorry, kinda stressed,” he mumbled into the tuner.

“Let me see what I can find out from my end. I’ll call you back.” Before Shouri could get another word in edge-wise, Colette hung up.

The Maestro let out a sigh. “Fuck.” He rapidly began to lose strength in his legs, thankfully Rebecca was right there to keep him propped up.

“Hey folks, come have a seat.” The first officer they spoke with directed Shouri and Rebecca to one of the ambulances on the scene.

“Yeah, probably a good idea, come on Rebecca.” Shouri heeded the officer’s order for nothing else but to make sure he didn’t have a concussion.

He stole a glance at Rebecca’s vitals while they walked over

Status: Rush

Rhythm: 54%

Heart Rate: 142 BPM

Oxygen Saturation: 89%

Hydration: 41%

Last Sleep Efficiency: 92%

Actual Sleep: 5hrs 4mins

Time since Last Sleep: 4hrs 22mins ago

Yeah, getting checked out by the paramedics on the scene was looking quite appealing to Shouri after checking on Rebecca.

Rhythm: 54%

The accident chunked her for forty-six percent of her rhythm. God only knows what it did to his body. In fact, with that in mind, it was a miracle he was even walking right now. He didn’t feel bad, maybe a little achy but not like he was just in an overturned eighteen-wheeler.

Either way, the paramedics would be able to find out if he was incredibly lucky or if something else was horribly wrong with him that he just wasn’t feeling.

Meanwhile, back at the stadium, Taika and Pacifica carried on with their duties as medical staff.

“Something’s wrong,” Pacifica mumbled to herself while she poured water into a basin for a singed Resonator.

“What’s that?” Jess questioned the otter, having caught her muttering.

“N-nothing.” The water element frowned, not believing herself.

Taika suddenly came over to their side of the tent. “Paci, can I borrow the tuner?” the fox requested.

“Hm?” Dr. Miya raised a brow.

“Something is wrong, I can feel it,” Taika admitted quietly.

Pacifica nodded in agreement. “I’m not crazy! Something really is wrong with Sho!” She nodded, handing off her tuner to the lunar fox. Taika furrowed her brow as she tried to call the other tuners on Shouri’s person, but didn’t get an answer.

“Where did they go again?” Taika asked.

“Uhh, I dunno, they were supposed to be guarding some trucks?” Pacifica hummed in thought.

“Yeah, I don’t remember anyone mentioning specifics of where they were going.” Taika’s gaze was locked on the call screen – she wanted to keep calling until Shouri picked up, but also what if he was in the middle of something dangerous and needed the concentration?

“If that’s the case, focus on your work here for the moment, there’s nothing you can do about it,” Jess advised the two fretting Resonators.

“I-I guess,” Pacifica acquiesced, returning to working on the singed Resonator before her.

“I don’t like it,” Taika grumbled.

“Never said you had to. But there’s people hurt here in front of you – focus on them until you get more information,” Jess told the pair, before returning to her work.

Taika and Pacifica shared a glance. “He’ll be fine, Rebecca is with him,” the lunar decided. With their trust in their fellow Resonator, they obeyed Dr.Miya’s orders and tended to the injured Resonators occupying their tent.

Back at the scene of the accident, Shouri just got a clean bill of health from the paramedics after accepting minor healing from the healers they brought onto the scene. He also took the opportunity to update the group chat he had been forced into, earning lots of astonished replies that he ignored.

It was fairly impressive that he survived all of that without so much as a bruise. The paramedics said so themselves, comparing Shouri and Rebecca’s condition to that of Guy the truck driver. Though no one was arguing with two fewer people to care for, so they let the pair go.

Though, now that he had a moment to think about it, right before the crash he could have sworn he felt another presence in the cabin with them. Rhythm had washed over him like he was being affected by a spell. Or at least that's what he thought he had sensed. Either way, he couldn't feel anything now (outside of the minor achiness he picked up due to the impact).

“Well, now what?” Rebecca asked, snapping the Maestro out of his thoughts.

“Good question. We’re kind of stuck here now, aren’t we?” Shouri turned back to the overturned eighteen-wheeler they had crawled out of.

“Hey folks!” The officer that they first encountered after the accident ran back up to them. “You’re Shouri Tomoshibi, correct?”

Shouri stepped back a little, his hand grasped around Taika’s tuner at his waist. “I am,” he replied uneasily.

“I’m supposed to take you back with me,” the officer informed the pair.

“Why?” Rebecca instinctively put her arm up in front of her Maestro.

“Orders from HQ, they want you brought to the… what was it, that fancy hotel downtown?”

“The Villas Fairingway?” Shouri guessed.

“Yeah, that’s the one!” the officer exclaimed; glad he had the name down.

Shouri nodded slowly as the math suddenly added up. Elijah had way too much sway, he decided silently.

“That works out,” Rebecca told her Maestro. “We can just have that guy bring Taika and Pacifica back when they’re done for the day,” she added.

“At least he’s useful for something.” Shouri rolled his eyes. “Besides almost getting us killed on the daily,” he mumbled that last part as an aside.

The return trip to downtown Naiza was much easier than it had begun. No attacks, not even any trouble with the police officers they rode with. Shouri and Rebecca were dropped off at the hotel without any fuss – they weren’t even brought in for questioning.

Given the events of the morning though, it wasn’t any surprise that the two of them were exhausted.

Making their way up to their suite, the pair trudged in, kicking off their shoes.

“Wait, Sho,” Rebecca spoke up.

Before Shouri could ask what was up, she pinned him against the wall. “R-rebecca…” he squeaked in surprise.

“Shhh…” She drew close, pressing herself against him before laying her lips against his. “You scared the hell out of me…” Her breath washed over him as her eyes filled to the brim.

“I’m sorry Rebecca.” He wrapped his arms around the small of her back, before returning her kiss with one of his own.

“You’re forgiven.” She smiled through her tear-soaked face. “Just… hold me for a little bit… ‘kay?”

“Of course…”

“They were WHAT?!” Pacifica screeched at Elijah.

It was around six in the evening. Taika and Pacifica had calmed down throughout their shift, but their collective heart rates shot right back up when the Klein heir came to pick them up from the medical tent and revealed the fate of Shouri and Rebecca’s guard duties.

“I knew something happened!” Taika hissed, similarly ready to fight their employer. “Why did you keep this from us?!” she demanded.

“Oh dear, I should have expected this.” Elijah chuckled nervously. “Zino, a hand please?”

“If you can’t handle a couple of mammals, I’m not wasting my time.” The dinosaurian looked over the cuticles of his nails, sitting in one of the chairs.

“Oh me oh my,” Elijah continued his chuckling, which did not mollify the two angry women towering over him.

“Speak,” Pacifica growled.

“Or else,” Taika added.

“If you must know, Mister Tomoshibi did not want you to worry and take away from your duties,” Elijah offered.

The two girls studied him for a moment. “He’s telling the truth,” Pacifica told her fellow Resonator.

“Hmph, fine,” Taika grumbled. “We’re watching you,” she decided as an afterthought.

With that matter settled, they took their usual ride back to the hotel: Alfred the butler picked up the group and took them directly back to their lodgings for the week.

Elijah sighed in relief as soon as they arrived back at the suite. Taika and Pacifica immediately rushed off to find their Maestro and fellow Resonator, freeing him from their crushing rhythm. He shot a glance at Zino, who wandered off on his own, uncaring of what his Maestro was doing.

“Hmmm…” Elijah pulled a small book from his coat pocket and jotted something down.

“What the FUCK happened Sho?!” Pacifica shouted upon finding Shouri in bed with Rebecca – they were watching TV, nestled up under the covers.

“Oh, welcome back.” Shouri waved to the two.

“Shhh, we’re watching a movie.” Rebecca pointed at the television.

Pacifica and Taika exchanged an annoyed glance with one another before stepping in front of the TV.

“Hey!” Shouri and Rebecca cried out.

“Tell us what happened!” Taika demanded.

“Fine fine.” Shouri sighed, turning the volume down on the television.

Rebecca and Shouri brought the rest of the party up to speed on what happened with the truck, as well as the Feroce spell they encountered. Pacifica and Taika grew quiet, digesting what had happened.

Taika quietly took out her medical equipment and following some instructions on her tuner performed a quick physical check-up of Shouri and Rebecca, despite being told several times they got the same lookover by the paramedics on the scene.

“You’re completely fine,” Taika hummed in thought. “You lost how much rhythm Rebecca?”

“Forty-six percent according to Sho,” the fire-fox replied.

“That’s a lot for a crash,” the healer mumbled.

“What’s wrong?” Shouri raised a brow.

“Well, I’ve seen a few Resonators now who lost that much rhythm, and usually they got pretty beat up to get to that point…” Her gaze shifted from Rebecca to Shouri. “If she lost half her rhythm, why are you perfectly fine?”

Silence

“I dunno.” Shouri shrugged after a moment. “Luck?” he offered.

“I guess I just don’t know enough about Maestros yet.” The fox wilted, ears flattening against her head.

Shouri reached over and placed a hand on her head. “It’s okay Taika, you’re still learning. I appreciate your concern.”

The vixen smiled warmly. “Sho…” Her tail swished back and forth contentedly.

“This whole thing is scary though,” Pacifica spoke up. “Someone bold enough to use a Feroce spell in broad daylight to cause an accident like this.”

The group fell silent – they were all thinking about it. There was nothing they could do about it though. Nobody saw the suspect, the only thing they had to go off of was Rebecca sensing the initial casting and the Grave Rischio left at the scene of the crime.

Pacifica shot a glance at their Maestro. There was something Shouri wasn’t telling them, she could sense it.