An Unexpected encounter at the beach. ( Cerbera and Haruka )

Cerbera glared from Asteria back to Haruka, twitching a few times and yelled out.

" She MIGHT be my rival and IS my friend but still.. To say something that.. That.. That. Grr! "

Cerbera turned, not finding the words to yell at Asteria and stormed off to the Ocean to do something.

Asteria glared at her silently, then back at Masato and blinked once.

" Hard to say. Thanks to Haruka Cerbera is pretty much done with her but Sisi has something Cerbera wants sooooo, I better watch out if I were you. "

Asteria suddenly looked serious, mumbling.

" There's great darkness residing in Cerbera that shouldn't be brought out, IF Sindel keeps trying to control Cerbera, things won't end well. Even I am shut out from that part in Cerbera's mind, every time I try to see what this darkness is, She shuts me out, She needs people like you two. "

Asteria then hopped over to Haruka, staring into her eyes quietly before poking her forehead.

" Should be proud of her. The first and only friend Cerbera found in that federation. "

Masato nodded at Asteria's solemn advice. "I see. Thank you for the warning, Asteria-san. I'll keep it in mind."

This complicates things...

Haruka was doing a good job of wilting in place. She was sure Cerbera didn't think of her that way, but it was still... unnerving.

So when Asteria hopped over to her, she let out a small "Eep!" and stumbled back a few steps before eye contact with Asteria froze her in place, like a small bird confronted with a cobra. The following poke knocked her on her butt, she was so nervous even when entranced.

"A-arigatou," she stammered, glancing at Cerbera with a renewed sense of shyness and also a realization of her responsibility.

" I think you have to beat her anyway. "

Asteria said while looking down at Haruka, leaning down to take her hand and gently pull her up on her feet.

" You two are my friends too, if you two want that. "

Asteria smiled very kindly kindly at Haruka before turning to Masato and nodding at him.

" Let her fight Cerbera right here, I think that's best for both of them. "

Cerbera was kicking small pebbles against the ocean, kneeling down to pick up a sea shell and glaring at it, staying silent.

"I think you have to beat her anyway."

"Haii..." Haruka agreed sadly, looking at where Cerbera wandered off on her own.

"You two are my friends too, if you two want that," Asteria said.

That brightened up Haruka. "Really? I mean- haii! I'm glad to be your friend."

"Same here," Masato agreed.

"Let her fight Cerbera right here, I think that's best for both of them."

Masato looked to Haruka. Haruka nodded vigorously, and made her way towards Cerbera.

"Cerbera-san?" Even if the dark-haired girl didn't acknowledge her, Haruka continued. "Cerbera-san, let's have a match here!" she challenged. "Please!" she added, bowing.

Asteria nodded back at the two before standing besides Masato, watching Haruka head to Cerbera.

" Are you okay with this? "

Asteria was curious because it seemed Masato took really good care of Haruka, something Asteria is only familiar with with Cerbera.

Cerbera was staring at a small crab heading for the beach, crossing her arms against her chest and started to follow it untill Haruka said something to her. She turned to glare at her, blinking only once.

" .. What kind of match. Knockout, Pinfall, submission... "

Cerbera seemed slightly fired up all of a sudden, like she had heard something she wanted to hear.

"Yeah," Masato softly agreed. "Whatever it is that Haruka wants, I'll support her in it. Because seeing her happy makes me happy, too..."

He seemed peaceful and even dream when he rattled off his explanation, smiling at his ward.

"You decide," Haruka told Cerbera. "I challenged you. So you can pick whatever kind of match you want."

" Guess I'll just go for a knock out match again! "

Cerbera didn't wait for a reply, immidiatly running out towards Haruka and suddenly attacked in a different style then she would be used to seeing from Cerbera. She spun around once, making it look like she was about to fall but instead her leg sweeped out towards Haruka's stomach.


Asteria nodded, watching the two quietly before turning to walk away.

" I should be going, I don't like violence. "

Haruka was just about to agree to the terms when Cerbera appeared to fall backwards. She instinctively took a step forward to helpfully grab at her friend-

"OOF!!!"

-and dropped to her knees clutching her stomach, fairly doubling over in pain.

Ugh... sneak... attack, the anguished Haruka managed to realize, too late.

Masato was working to push his gaping jaw shut when Asteria bid him farewell. "Ah... all right, then, Asteria-san... I hope to see you again..."

I'm lucky I brought the first aid kit with us... it looks like I'm going to need it...

Cerbera did not let Haruka get up, seeming merciless as she immidiatly tried to pick up Haruka by her arm and go for a kneeshot towards her stomach once more, it seemed Cerbera was alot more violent then when they were having fun.


Asteria merely waved Masato off before hopping away.

" Will be back when this is all over. "

"Uh... yeah," Masato weakly confirmed as he watched Cerbera pull Haruka up for a knee strike to his ward's already hurting gut.

Haruka screamed in pain as Cerbera smashed into her. So hard, spittle flew out of her mouth, her throat constricting.

Reflexively she grabbed at Cerbera's thigh, to try prevent another attack from that direction and- when she had recovered enough breath and fought down the pain- to counterattack if given the proper preparations.