Tsubasa explained.

Marth closed his hands, cutting off the summoning circle's presence along with Resonant Wave. Marth blinked his eyes and put one hand to his chin.

"Sensei, that can't be right." Marth considered the new information. "I have seen the direct effects of my own projections on other people's personal realities. How then does your explanation make any sense?"

"Good question." Tsubasa nodded her head. "Many people don't make any distinction between shared reality and personal reality; They simply accept shared reality as their own. Such a mindset would be vulnerable to your every projection. However, an Esper proficient at combat must excel at one defensive ability, Reality Rewriting. Reality rewrites are in essence, acceptance, or rejection, of shared reality. Just now, I rejected the reality that Resonant Wave affects atoms in my personal space, thus rendering your attack useless."

"I still don't get it." Marth's eyebrows lowered. "If Reality Rewriting is so prevalent among Espers, how then do any Esper battles ever take place?"

Tsubasa smiled. "The question you should be asking is this. If I can't attack a personal reality, what reality can I attack?"

"Shared reality!" Marth's eyes widened. "You mean to tell me that most Esper Attacks are indirect?"

"Precisely." Tsubasa nodded with a smile. "For example, a common practice is to project an attack close to your target, followed by translating or scaling the projection until it makes contact."

Marth took a step back, lowering his hand from his chin. Resuming his crouching stance, Marth dashed forward towards Tsubasa. As he ran, he blinked, creating a one meter summoning circle in front of his right hand.

"Resonant Wave!" Marth cried out, as he projected a spherical field of the resounding attack out in front of his palm. Marth continued sprinting towards Tsubasa and her doll, leaving a trail of dust behind him.

Tsubasa bent her knees, placing both hands at the ready on her card pouch.

"A counter-attack?" Marth reasoned as he sped closer. "She's really not making this easy for me."

Tsubasa threw a card quickly drawn from her card pouch. Responding immediately, Marth abruptly pushed his summoning circle forard, throwing his Resonant Wave field towards Tsubasa as his summoning circle dissolved. Marth dove to the left, tumbling into a summersault as Tsubasa's Place Card emitted a percussive burst of red hot flames, Marth narrowly avoiding it's path.

Tsubasa reacted as well, jumping laterally to her left to avoid the Resonant Wave field, simultaneously adding more distance between she and Marth.

Marth concluded his roll, transitioning smothely to his feet as he stood up and came to a stop. Breathing deeply, Marth stared at Tsubasa, reconsidering his method of attack.

"Resonant... Wave!" Marth called out the projection, creating a 50 centimeter summoning circle in front of his right hand, and producing a Resonant Wave field of equal size. Marth pushed his open palm forard immediately, launching the sphere at Tsubasa.

"Trying that again?" Tsubasa reached for her card pouch.

"Resonant Wave!" Marth followed up with the identical projection from his left hand, sending another Resonant Wave from that side.

Tsubasa dodged to the left again, gracefully jumping into the air and landing on her feet with a thud. In unison, her doll did the same, tucked almost out of view as it shadowed Tsubasa.

"Resonant Wave!" A third projection came from another 50 centimeter summoning circle from Marth's right hand which was sent flying towards Tsubasa. Marth took a step forward, beginning a slow jog as he continued rapid firing Resonant Wave fields.

Tsubasa dodged again, jumping with her doll to her left as each volley neared.

"She's fast." Marth thought to himself as he jogged and fired. orb after orb of Resonant Wave fields. Tsubasa's jumps were nimble, and covered lots of ground. "How can she jump so far? Even if I run, I can't close this gap!"

Marth came to a stop, feet sliding on the hard dusty ground. He took a moment to catch his breath.

"Ready to give up?" Tsubasa jested as she flicked some dust off her shoulder.

"As if." Marth snapped back. "Resonant Wave!"

Marth restarted his rapid fire attack, thinking to himself as he threw another orb.

"I can't speak the words fast enough to project as quickly as I want." Marth felt hindered. "If I had place cards, I might be able to achieve the firehoze effect that I'm looking for. I'm at a major disadvantage here, Tsubasa jumps to avoid my first orb, and my second is way off target. She's way ahead of me."

Marth thought to himself some more, watching the Resonant Wave fields make contact with the surrounding environment as Tsubasa jumped out of the way at the last second with a grunt. The orbs touched boulders, pebbles and dirt, disintigrating with a fizzle of steamy hot particulate.

"Resonant Wave!" the orb flew through the air, seemingly on-course above the plain brown rocky surfaces. With every other projection, Tsubasa jumped backwards to her left, landing safely and increasing the space between Marth.

"Wait a minute, every jump is the same." Marth had an idea.

Marth fired another Resonant Wave orb towards Tsubasa, but waited a moment before following up with another shot. Tsubasa flew through the air to her left, and Marth saw a golden opportunity.

"Resonant Wave!" Marth threw his next attack at the spot on the ground where Tsubasa would likely touch down. Mid-air, Tsubasa descended, unable to change course as the Resonant Wave field accellerated towards her future path.

"Ahhhhhg!" A shrieking cry of pain was heard as Tsubasa's body made contact with the Resonant Wave field just before she touched down. She crashed backwards, charred by the intense vibration the wave had caused her atomic structure.

"Tsubasa!" Marth was shocked that his plan had worked, but shocked that he had done harm. Marth dissolved a summoning circle still at the palm of his hand, and ran towards his fallen teacher.

"Sensei!" Marth approached Tsubasa on the ground. Her Hakama had burned to ash in many places, revealing her hard bare legs below. Her blouse was the same, burned and tattered showing her tone arms. Her chest plate remained intact, although it's finish was melted off as smoke rose from it's exterior. Place cards were scattered, burned at the edges and giving off scentless smoke. Tsubasa's body shook as she tried to sit up, her blonde hair messy and burnt, face covered with second degree burn blisters.

Marth grabbed Tsubasa, helping to hold her upright.

"Sensei, don't try to move, I'll get you help!"

Marth was traumatized by what he had done as he held Tsubasa. Her normally muscular shoulders felt weak and featherweight. Her chapped lips moved as if to speak, but no sound was heard.

"Sensei, sensei, just stay quiet. I'll get you help." Marth tried to hold back tears as Tsubasa's shaking arm reached up to Marth's face.

Tsubasa's laugh sounded behind Marth, as the real Tsubasa's steel toed boot pressed down on Marth's back. Marth was forced to the ground as the burnt Tsubasa doll in Marth's arms flattened into a dark lifeless liquid.

"Sensei?" A tear rolled down Marth's cheek. Once again, he had been played.

"Ha ha ha ha! You should have seen the look on your face!" Tsubasa blurted out, laughing loudly with her hands on her hips. The real Tsubasa had been completely unharmed.

"What the hell, Tsubasa!" Marth yelled with his hands planted in the planet's regolith. Tsubasa's foot still rest on his back. "I really thought you were hurt!"

"Ha ha. I'm sorry, I just got so bored!" Tsubasa composed herself, wiping a tear of joy from her cheek. "I wasn't sure if you'd ever figure out how to lead your shots!"

Tsubasa stepped off of Marth, who promptly stood up.

"So you planned all that?" Marth inquired as he brushed off the dust.

"Of course! One lesson at a time!"

"Gee, thanks, Tsubasa. Preparing me for the time I accidentally roast a friend. Lesson well done, 10 out of 10." Marth's sarcasm was palpable.

Tsubasa looked into the distance, smiling.

"Marth, I like you." She spoke.

Marth was caught off guard.

"Uh, I... Like you too? I mean as a teacher. At least when you're not teasing me anyway." Marth struggled with his response.

"The truth is..." Tsubasa looked at the distant rolling hills which seemed to go on forever. She seemed relaxed for once. Tsubasa didn't finish her sentence.

"What's that, Tsubasa?" Marth looked at his teacher as her long hair blew in the wind.

"It's nothing." Tsubasa shook her head.

"Ok then." Marth changed the subject to a burning question. "Would you mind telling me how you weren't actually hit by my Resonant Wave?"

Tsubasa turned to Marth, smiling. "It's a secret!"

"Gosh, I thought you were here to teach me!" Marth waved his hands in the air. "At least tell me if I'm wrong then." Marth tried to negotiate.

"Alright. Tell me what you think." Tsubasa agreed.

"You were with your doll until right before the contact." Marth used his fingers in a walking motion like the legs of tiny people to illustrate his theory. "I could tell that much because every time you jumped, the sound of your boots against the ground was audible. Right before Resonant Wave hit you, you somehow disappeared and translated out of the way, leaving your doll to take the full strike of the Resonant Wave."

"That's not wrong. Tsubasa crossed her arms with a smile."

"That's all I need." Marth crossed his arms as well. "Now, how about teaching me how to make place cards? I'm starting to see the benefit."

"I suppose I can do that, but only on one condition."

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