Takeru drew Gladion from his back and held it in front of him. He lowered his knees and glared at his target. Megrez flicked her fingers towards her. A plume of water burst from the ground and blasted Takeru far into the sky. It traveled beneath his feet and quickly froze into a single path leading straight to Harper’s blasted face. He was still focused on the challenging pillar of water before him. Bits of metal—Kenshin’s doing—swatted at his eyes. Harper hadn’t noticed Takeru at all.
And for some reason, that really irked him! This stupid, idiotic, rampaging, good-for-nothing, mother-flipping arsehole! Takeru was going to save Harper if it was the last flipping thing he did on his final gods-forsaken day on Eyuth!
…But why was that? Why was he trying to save someone he’d sworn to defeat? Someone who ought to be no more than a pebble on his way to greatness! Harper was no more than a stepping-stone on Takeru’s quest to be Aupuniotiaki’s strongest warrior. So then why was Takeru flying through the air at breakneck speeds to save a complete and utter bastard who’d done nothing but get in his way since arriving here in the Poseidon Islands!?
“Y’know, Takeru, at this point, I gotta ask… Do you hate Harper?”
Takeru nearly spat out his medicine. He looked at Mira incredulously.
“I— Wha— Huh— W-What kind of a question is that!?”
“I thought it was pretty straightforward,” Mira said with a shrug, mind-bogglingly unfazed. “So? Do you hate him or not?”
“There’s nothing more I want than to bury Rags ten feet under the sand,” Takeru growled, slamming his cup on the table. “If I do that, there’ll be nothing stopping me from becoming Aupuniotiaki’s strongest warrior! I’ll have that bastard groveling at my feet when I’m through with him! That’ll teach him not to mess with me! That’ll show `em all! The next time we meet, Rags is going down for sure!”
[the rest of the infirmary scene]
“What!?” Takeru was outraged. “I refuse to be on the same playing field as Rags!” he roared, slamming the table with his fist and rattling his half-empty cup of medicine. “I have to be better than him! And if I’m not, I’ll train until I am!”
“And what if he does some training of his own to keep up?” Mira sassed back with her hands on her hips. “Admit it: you don’t like Harper because he’s just as strong as you are! But isn’t that okay? Look, Takeru, I think you’d lose something very, very precious if you continue trying to force your ego on him.”
“And what would that be!?” Takeru scoffed.
“I think you’ll figure it out soon enough,” Mira said slyly. She winked. “And with due time, I think Harper will too.”
That mysterious precious something… Takeru didn’t understand what it was back in the infirmary when Mira first mentioned it to him. He did now.
Harper was the only one worthy enough to call himself Takeru’s rival. The two were destined to butt heads over and over and over again. And there was only one reason for that: because they were equals. It was a concept foreign to Takeru; he’d never had someone to call his equal before. It was his goal to crush all those who opposed him and reign supreme over those who dared to challenge his might. He lorded over all with his almighty power. That was how it was until Harper arrived.
Harper… That sniveling, masked jerk! He was the first to stand up to Takeru and issue a challenge that didn’t end in a single-sided beatdown. They’d fought and there was no victor either time. And that was why Takeru had to save Harper now. Who gave a hippocampus’ arse if they couldn’t beat each other!? There was fun in fighting itself. There was fun in training together. There was fun in challenging each other. Life was more fun with a rival and an equal. Takeru could only go so far defeating weaklings left and right. But with a friend walking by his side, it was a completely different story.
Yet that future was about to disappear entirely right before Takeru’s eyes. That flipping Rags wouldn’t let something like this get the better of him, right? Right!? That had to be the case if he was Takeru’s equal! And the honor of saving his sorry arse was reserved for Takeru and Takeru alone. He wasn’t about to lose his very first friend.
Takeru threw Gladion over his shoulder as violet lightning crackled around him, coursing through his veins. He’d save Harper or die trying and he always kept his flipping word. Harper roared and reared his humongous scaled head, still focused on Kai’s and Kenshin’s magic. Megrez’s ice bridge continued to stretch out before Takeru. Harper’s flank was wide open. Takeru had a clear shot of Harper’s head, just below his eyes and right above the long part of his jaw.
The purple electricity flared and a jolt sizzled down Takeru’s arms. A harsh hiss ran up and down Gladion’s blade. Takeru slid on Mira’s ice before putting all of his weight into his legs. He leaped forward, causing the ice to crumble to bits and pieces. Takeru raised his sword high over his head. He was now right on top of Harper.
“Calm…
“DOWN!!!”
Takeru brought down Gladion. Lightning flared and exploded, piercing scales and flesh as he cleaved through Harper’s cheek. The resulting pained shriek that escaped from Harper’s jaws reverberated through the air as his blood spurted everywhere, blinding Takeru. A boom resonated throughout the islands as Harper was brought to his knees. He tipped over. A bright light enveloped Harper’s body and within seconds, he morphed back to his human form, unconscious on the Tiakian market floor. Takeru breathed a sigh of relief. He’d done it. He’d actually done it! He saved Harper! It was a moment later he realized he was falling straight down.
Oh, hippocampus dung, I didn’t think this far!
The descent was so tall there was no way in gods’ names Takeru was emerging from this unscathed. Maybe if he planted Gladion in the ground at the same time as the impact, he’d just be left with two broken arms? Well, it was worth a try and it wasn’t like he had very many options! Takeru brandished Gladion before him and stared at his rapidly encroaching impending doom.
“Wagh!”
Water surrounded Takeru’s entire body, enveloping him in a large sphere. A bubble around his head supplied him with breathing air. When he looked down, he saw Kai and Megrez combining their water magic to maintain the bubble and slowly bring him down to earth. Oh, right, they could do that, couldn’t they? Takeru had totally forgotten. Flipping magic. It didn’t get any less fascinating or weird the more he saw it used. Behind them stood his father, twiddling his thumbs worriedly. It only took Kai and Megrez a few minutes to retrieve Takeru from the sky. The bubble popped as soon as it hit the ground, drenching Takeru with a sudden blast of water. He spat it out in distaste just as his family tackled him in a bone-crushing hug.
“Oof! You’re welcome!” Takeru choked out, his voice muffled.
“Oh, praise be the merciful gods! I thought you wouldn’t make it!” Kai sobbed.
“Good job, Takeru,” Kenshin said quietly. He kissed Takeru’s forehead. “You did… You did very well. Are you feeling quite alright? Nothing different about yourself? Anything… Magicky?”
“Uh, no?” Takeru frowned. “You know I can’t use magic, Old Man! All I did was whack Harper really hard on the head.”
“I… I see.” Kenshin cleared his throat. “I’m so proud of you, Son.”
“Aw, thanks, Pops.”
“You kept your promise,” Megrez whispered between tears. “Oh, gods, you did it. You really did it.”
“Like there was any doubt!” Takeru retorted. “How’s Harper? Don’t tell me you guys forgot to check on him. What do you think the entire flipping point of this was!?”
“I retrieved him just as Megrez and Kai began your descent,” Kenshin reported. He gestured behind him. Harper lay on the floor next to Sandra. Takeru noticed that his rival’s cheek bled profusely. “I don’t believe he’ll be changing forms any time soon. Even so, I recommend we exercise caution. I hate to think there might be some claim to the Shining Tiger’s words but after this display, I’m afraid I simply do not know what to think.”
“We will monitor both Sandra and Harper until they wake,” Kai declared. “Though it pains me to say this, we have no choice but to interrogate them once they regain consciousness. There must be an answer to this phenomenon. I just hope it doesn’t confirm the worst.”
“Ay…” Takeru muttered.
Despite himself, he felt his heart slowly sink into his stomach.
Hello! Didn't have much feedback earlier, but after thinking about it for a minute, I think this could benefit from a little more sensory detail to highlight the magic (how it looks and works). Could elevate your action sequence