As they walked out of one of the castle, Natsumi tilted her head as she looked towards their destination, which was a large, flat field with four stone towers and a stone wall, "So, that is the dueling field, Harry-Chan?"
With a slow nod, Harry hummed, "Hai, that's the dueling field, Natsumi-Chan, it's a pretty old part of Hogwarts honestly."
Eyebrow raised at that, Hamakaze turned to look at him, "It is, Harry-Chan?"
Very slowly, the teenage wizard nodded with a small smile, "Hai." Gesturing at the field, Harry continued, "What you need to remember, Hamakaze-Chan, is that Hogwarts has, since its construction, been pretty much the center of the local area. That meant that things like tournaments besides the Triwizard happened on her grounds. So, you would need a place to function for such tournaments. "
Realization crossing her expression, Shinano nodded, "So, the dueling field was where that happened?"
Grin appearing on his face, Harry gave her a nod, "Got it in one, Shinano-Chan. It was originally constructed for tournaments to be held on and continually upgraded over the years." Pointing at the towers, he continued, "Those towers were added during the Tudor years for viewing the tourneys and such from above. After the Statute of Secrecy, the field was mostly used for dueling competitions when the weather was nice outā¦ as well as more unofficial duels."
Cocking an eyebrow, Natsumi looked towards him in interest, "Unofficial duels?"
Very slowly, the wizard gave a small nod, "Hai, remember how Malfoy challenged me to a duel in my First Year?"
Nodding, the Kitsune frowned at that, "Hai, I remember you telling me about it."
With a nod, Harry motioned towards the field, "Well, that sort of thing has happened relatively often, and sometimes they don't want an official duel as such can come with rules." Pausing for a moment, he shook his head, "According to my parents diaries? More than a few duels happened that were unsanctioned and got relatively nasty. Mum, my birth one, apparently had a few duels out here that ended pretty dirtily."
Just considering that, Natsumi slowly nodded, "I suppose that actually does make some senseā¦"
Then, the green-eyed fourteen-year-old pointed at the walls and such, "There's also spells and the like to help keep any dangerous spells and such inside. Like with Hogwarts, they've been added to over the centuries by people, not just the Headmasters and Headmistresses, but dueling teachers and the like. So, it is probably the safest place to actually be when watching the exhibition matches."
Ren had a small smile on her face as she continued to walk alongside them, "That is a good thing then, Harry-Kun. Considering things, that means that I don't need to concentrate as much on those watching to make sure that they do not get hurt."
Upon reaching the dueling grounds, the group split apart with Harry and Natsumi both giving Ren a hug, but no more as people were watching before she bounded over the stone fence where some people were watching and entering the dueling ground. Entering the door to the tower, which had Gryffindor flags flying from it, they walked up the staircase. When they poked their heads through the doors, they could see that said area was mostly open with large, open windows where various people were gathered to look out.
Spotting some familiar faces, the teens grinned and walked over with the green-eyed boy waving, "Seamus! Dean! Neville! Ron! Hermione! Lily!"
Greeting him alongside the others, Neville grinned a bit as he clapped Harry on the shoulder, "Was wondering when you would show up, Mate."
Eyebrow slowly raising, Harry gave him a knowing look, "You should and look about as excited as I am to see the matches."
A grin tugging at her lips, Lily leaned towards him, "You're not exactly wrong, Harry, Neville is extremely excited to see this."
With a shrug, the Longbottom Heir laughed a bit as he shook his head, "Can you really blame me all that much? From what I know, this Musashi is a master at the sword, and Ren is one at martial arts and such. Not to mention we get to see Flitwick fighting and Gran always talked about him doing so." His grin then widened a little bit, "And considering what we saw the other day withā¦ I think her name was Tokunotakai and Sae?" Getting nods from Harry, Neville continued, "Well, that whet the appetite."
Quirking an eyebrow, Harry's voice became rather dry, "Don't let either Musashi-San or Ren-Sensei hear you call them 'Masters', Nev. Both of them will deny such as they see such a title as a goal to reach for, one that they have not yet reached and will never truly reach."
Intrigued look on his face, Neville hummed a bit, "Really?"
Very slowly, the green-eyed Gryffindor nodded as he leaned forward, watching as the three combatants went through stretches and warm ups, "Really. Both Ren-Sensei and Musashi-San see true mastery as an impossible goal, though one to continually reach for. For to reach such a state means that they will have nothing more to learnā¦ and there is always something new to learn."
For several moments, Neville did not comment, merely rubbing his chin some before nodding, "Thatā¦ is an interesting way to look at it, Harry." Then, he turned a thoughtful look onto his fellow Heir, "Musashiā¦ isn't that the name of that Japanese warrior that you talked about?"
Lips twitching, Harry nodded, "Miyamoto Musashiā¦ he is considered one of the finest, if not the finest, swordsman to ever walk Japan. Most of his life was spent fighting across Japan, first in the final battles that heralded the end of the Warring States Era, and later doing duels as well as fighting various monsters to protect the average person. When he died, he had himself helped up, tightening his belt with his Wakizashi placed into it. Then, seating himself with one knee vertically raised, with his sword in his left hand and his cane in his right, he passed from the world."
Blinking rapidly, Dean's eyebrows shot up, "Okayā¦ that is a pretty damn badass way to die."
A laugh escaping from him, the Japanese raised British boy nodded, "Believe me, it certainly was." Then, he nodded towards where Musashi went through the motions of drawing herself and sheathing over and over, "Musashi-San there is in fact the spirit of his swords, a Daisho. A pairing of Wakizashi and Katana forged by the legendary Masamune school of sword making."
Murmuring softly, Neville focused in on her, "Interestingā¦"
Seamus leaned forward some with a slight frown on his face, "Feel bad about Ren thoughā¦ I mean, don't get me wrong, she's one heck of a fit birdā¦ but, compared to what we saw the only day? What could she do without a wand with her fists."
Unknown to him, for a brief moment, Harry had a flash of anger before he calmed it down, "Seamus? Remember how I fought that Each-uisge underwater? Who exactly do you think taught me how to do so?" Eyebrow very slowly raising, he then continued, "She's someone who literally beat Abyssals to death using her hands and feet. She doesn't need swords or wands."
Jaw dropping, Lavender who had wandered close spoke up, "Wait, waitā¦ she beat an Abyssal to death?! How?!"
Grin tugging at his lips, the green-eyed teen noted how a number of the Gryffindors were listening in, "Ren-Sensei has trained her body and is extremely skilled at making use of Qi."
Confused, Seamus looked at him, "Uhā¦ Qi?"
With a slow nod, Harry gestured towards the grounds, "It is kind of likeā¦ life energy, similar to magic but both magicals and non-magicals can use it. One who is skilled in using Qi can boost their strength and speed to super human levels, make their skin and bones as hard as iron, and so on. They can even use their Qi to, heh, bend the elements."
Rapidly blinking some, Parvati raised her eyebrows, "Okayā¦ that is impressive and I hope that we can see it."
If anything, that made the grin on the Potter Heir's lips widen, "Oh, I am actually relatively sure that you'll be able to see it considering things." Then, he watched as down below, almost as if she could feel his gaze on her (and knowing her, she could), Ren pulled one leg in close against her chest before straightening it with the tips of her toes pointing towards the sky. Following that by switching and doing the same thing with the other foot, she then bent back, her spine arching as she went to touch one of her toes, 'Dammit, Ren-Chan! If not for the fact that we are hiding our relationship, I'd be right down there!'
Beside him, Natsumi was in much the same boat as she shook her head a little bit, 'ā¦ Stupid, sexy, foxy Senseiā¦'
Very much wanting to distract himself, Harry glanced around (even as every stretch caused his gaze to go back to Ren), he soon blinked as he noted a group of young women off to the side.
Most of them were Japanese, though there was one or two who looked like they were likely half-Japanese. It wasn't the fact that they were also rather tall for Japanese girls, the youngest also being the shortest and being just a few inches short of six feet tall. A number of them could actually rival Shinano in height as a matter of fact.
And it wasn't the fact that it was obvious for most of them that they exercised a lot, what with their toned legs and arms on display. Some of them had more the physique of a runner, built for speed and endurance. Others looked like they spent a lot of time lifting or doing other forms of hard work. Noā¦ that was not what had caught Harry's attentionā¦
Rather, it was due to the fact that on their heads were a pair of horse ears and a horse tail swished behind them .
Blinking slowly as he took them in, Harry raised an eyebrow, "Huhā¦ didn't expect to see Uma Musume here. Wonder why?"
Utterly confused, even as she glanced at the girls in question, Lavender raised an eyebrow, "Umaā¦ Musume? Is that what they are?"
Parvati nodded a bit, "We were wondering about that, thought maybe they were from Saint Brendan's?"
Only shaking his head, the green-eyed teen chuckled, "No, they're from Japan. In fact, they're a type of Yokai. As for the name, it translates as 'Horse-Daughter' or 'Horse-Girl'."
Looking one of the Uma Musume up and down, Dean snorted, "Well, they definitely got the girl part down."
Deciding to just roll her eyes at that, Lily then became thoughtful, "If I may askā¦ is there a story around them?" When they looked at her, she motioned with her hand, "Itā¦ feels like they have two spiritsā¦"
Now lost, Ron frowned a little bit, "ā¦ Two spirits?"
Arms crossed, Urakaze nodded a little bit, "Ya wouldn' be wrong abou' tha'."
Seeing the confusion, Harry shook his head as he decided to explain a little bit, "See, in Japan, you have an all female clan of Shamans and spiritualists who specialize in allowing for them to be possessed by spirits in order to get information, like divination. Due toā¦ some factors, one group of them became the Uma Musume." He motioned a little bit towards the group of Uma Musume, "They're all female and, until their fifteenth or sixteenth birthdays, look like any other girl. Then, on their birthday, they begin to channel the spirit of a horse, sharing their body with it, and transforming into a Uma Musume."
Very much weirded out, Seamus looked at him, "Uhā¦ no offense, butā¦ what the bloody hell? How the hell did that happen?"
With a shrug, the green-eyed teen shook his head, "Stuff."
Frown on her face, Hermione turned towards him, "Does it come with any benefits to them? I mean, besides obviously hearing." When they looked at her, she blushed a bit and motioned towards her ears, "Considering that they have horse earsā¦"
Nodding slowly, Harry smiled a little bit, "As a matter of fact? Yes, there is benefits to them." Motioning with one hand, he hummed a little bit, "For one thing, they become much stronger, having all the strength of a horse. They can also run as fast as a horse, combined with human endurance. From what I have heard, those who decide to go into races often have their personal trainers on motorcycles or brooms beside them in order to keep up with their speed."
Confused, Dean wiggled a finger in his ears with an odd look on his face, "Wait, waitā¦ races? What?"
Very much amused at the looks that he was getting, the Japanese-raised Gryffindor nodded with a grin, "Dess! Apparently, some of them bonded with the spirit of a race horse and feel themselves driven to run and race others. So, in Magical Japan, they have races involving them where the Uma Musume race against one another for the top spots." He then gave a small shrug and shook his head, "Pretty cool to see really."
It went without saying that got him stares from the non-Japanese there before Natsumi pulled out the planner and scanned through it. Then, she nodded and pointed at one spot, "Oh! Here we go! Apparently as part of the exhibition, the Japanese Ministry is going to hold a race with them in Hogsmeade. The winner of the various races will be getting a special, Hogwarts Cup."
Leaning over to look over her shoulder, Harry slowly nodded at that, "Makes sense, and no wonder there's a number of them, though that's being held this Saturday and Sunday." Then, he pointed at another bit, "Oh! And they're holding concerts as well at the end of the races!"
Disbelief on her face, Lavender slowly blinked as she stared, "Iā¦ concerts? What?"
Grin on his face, the green-eyed wizard nodded, "Dess! A number of them are also Idols and like to put on concerts after the end of their races as well! Naka-Nee has signed some on her label as a matter of fact?"
Pinching her nose, Hermione took a deep breath before slowly releasing it, "Because of course she actually did that."
Quickly shaking his head, Dean glanced over, already some of his thoughts going to if he could possibly get some of them to pose for him to draw, "Any other, uh, benefits?"
With a small shrug, Harry shook his head, "Just the usual extended lifespan Yokai get. Some of them are around eighty years old, but look no older than their twenties, thirties at worst."
Slowly, Lavender blinked at that before looking over at the Uma Musume, "ā¦ That'sā¦ kind of tempting as a matter of fact. I meanā¦ considering things." Then, she shook her head a bit and looked behind her, "Though, the tail is likely a bit of a pain considering things. I mean, my hair takes me long enough as it is, I do not want to know how long it would take to get tails of that length into good condition."
Natsumi frowned a little bit as she muttered under her breath, "Oh, trust me, you have absolutely no idea how long tails takeā¦"
Unnoticed by her, some of those there heard her, including Lavender herself, but simply kept it to themselves. More than a few had some guesses about her, but they were not going to say anything until they had to. After all, they were all friends and fellow Gryffindors.
All of a sudden, Hamakaze snapped her fingers some, "Waitā¦ I recognize one of them!"
Eyebrow raised, Harry glanced at the Uma Musume before humming a little bit, "One of the racers?"
Much to his surprise, however, the silver-haired Destroyer shook her head, "No, not from the races." Then, Hamakaze pointed at one of the ones who looked half-Japanese, and were more muscled than the others, "Right there, that is Nakahara Emiri. She actually is part of MYFYS as a matter of fact."
Interested, Harry glanced between Hamakaze and the Uma Musume in question, "She's a member of MYFYS?"
Very slowly, Hamakaze nodded with a slight smile on her face, "Hai, though not in their mixed martial arts group." Seeing the interest increase, she shook her head, "Rather, she is part of their 'Historical Fighting Matches'."
Rubbing his chin, Neville raised an eyebrow at that with intrigue in his eyes, "Historical fighting matches? What are those, Hamakaze?"
Very briefly glancing at Harry and blushing, the Destroyer shook her head, "Basically, it is when you have Yokai, and even some wizards or witches, put on historical armor and make use of historical weapons before they have matches against one another. Originally, it was a way to allow for weapon spirits such as Musashi-San to participate in MYFYS, but it expanded since then." Then, Hamakaze nodded towards Emiri, "Emiri-San has been involved since the late 1990s, and specializes in European historical combat."
After a minute or two, she pulled up a picture from the MYFYS website which showed Emiri in full plate armor with a shield that had a Coat of Arms on it with one hand and a heavy mace in the other.
Eyes wide, Ron looked at Hamakaze in disbelief, "Wouldn't that be dangerous?"
However, Hamakaze shook her head, "Not really, apparently the armor is specially enchanted to help protect those making use of it and also keep track of 'Damage' taken, with the match being called when it reaches a certain amount. Alongside Medi-Wizards and Medi-Witches, it is pretty safe for those involved."
Frown on her face, Hermione pulled out her own phone and took a picture before humming, "I wonder what Coat of Arms she is using? Iā¦ don't recognize them so they must be an old oneā¦ though there's a baton sinister on them, odd..."
Looking through the program planner, Harry then shook his head, "Well, next week she is apparently due to be involved in some exhibition matches, so you could ask her then when she is in armorā¦"
That got him nods before their attention was grabbed as Jin stepped out onto the field as the announcer of the first matchā¦
