[center][h2]Kochiya Sanae[/h2][h3]Aventon[/h3][/center]
A big, showy match between a bunch of mercenaries and the people who had saved the town of Aventon (or those who had joined a bit later besides) was more than enough reason for a few of the more excitable townsfolk—Millie and Alvin included—to want to watch the spectacle play out. News spread quickly when a majority of the town was shopping around, and with everything [i]still[/i] not quite sorted out after the Raven Heralds' attack, a bit of grandstanding like this was sure to occupy those who hadn't lost the taste for martial skill in the wake of the battle.

Even if they didn't, though, the respect for those who [i]had[/i] fought to protect them meant that there were those that wanted to watch their skill on the battlefield present regardless... And that made it ever so slightly disappointing when it was made clear that among those that [i]had[/i] saved the town, only one wanted to fight.

But maybe that was for the best.

By the time the otherworlders had made their way to the south entrance as directed, the mercenaries had prepared the area more or less as directed. Some had made sure to clear a large enough space—one that, in Sanae's opinion, [i]might[/i] need to be expanded sooner rather than not—while others seemed to be simply eyeing them for a distance.

"Glad to see you didn't back out," the older mercenary from earlier remarked as the group approached. "If you're all ready, then let's get started with the rules here."

"Well, I'd have thought we would've sorted things out [i]before[/i] preparing the area, but I don't mind if it's a bunch of duels or a free-for-all," Sanae replied, at which point the man simply shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know what you're used to, but duels make sense if you're trying to gauge the strength of the individual. While I could go on about how a group should cover for their teams' weaknesses, that's not the point of this exercise. You understand?"

"Uh... Yeah. Then about how we should be conducting things..."

The back-and-forth between Sanae and the mercenary went on for a few minutes; given how quickly the young girl had gotten used to spellcard rules back in Gensokyo, establishing what limits existed and how they should be enforced was fairly simply. It wasn't like there needed to be anything overly specific, either; a simple match, nothing lethal, and the first to surrender would cede.

Given that there were five people on their side—herself, Mokou, Youmu, Joker, and Fran—wanting to fight, the mercenaries agreed to send five of their own to match.

Before long, the pairs had all scattered about the area, preparing to fight their opponents. 

To Sanae, a young woman in the quintessential mage's outfit, large-brimmed hat and all.
To Youmu, a swordsman wielding a simply bastard sword and a shield.
To Mokou, a rather burly man donning a pair of knuckle dusters.
To Joker, a lithe lady wielding a pair of daggers of her own.
To Fran, a stout dwarf brandishing a hammer of his own.

While the duelists all gave their introductions to one another and handled the usual pleasantries (and trash talk), the remainder of the mercenaries—the man who had started all this up included—had congregated off to the side near the other townsfolk and otherworldly travelers who opted to act as referees instead.

"Miss Anne," Millie began to speak as she tugged on the older woman's coat to grab her attention, "aren't you going to fight, too?"

"Yeah! If anyone should be out there, it should be you!" Alvin chimed in, which seemed to draw a few furtive glances from the other mercenaries present with them.

For what it was worth, the two siblings had good reason to play up the person who had saved them, but whether or not it was a good thing or not was a different question unto itself.

Either way, those who chose to remain on the sidelines were free to speak among themselves or even ask the other spectators questions of their own... Provided they didn't accidentally stir the pot a bit more.

This bunch, at least, seemed to be enjoying the spectacle more than they were directly antagonistic towards what could easily have been misconstrued as grandstanding.

[@VitaVitaAR][@EchoWolff][@Izurich][@Lugubrious][@Drifting Pollen][@Raineh Daze][@DracoLunaris][@Rezod92]