Chapter 59
It's the day before the battle . We begin packing for our journey west past Elbar, to Xantho . Out of the four away teams going to other kingdoms for their Rising Champions battle, our group travels the farthest . One of our transports carries our food supply during the journey . Supposedly, it has enough provisions to feed Sigma 3, 4, and Omega 7 during our round-trip to Xantho .
I wish we weren't the lucky group . There's nothing to do on the wagon on our way there . And I thought the route to Aramore was long . This journey will take over a day of travel according to Captain Albius because of the snow . That's two to three days on the road including the way back . We'll spend only a fraction of that time fighting the battle .
We often traveled during our short adventuring days, but we never left Drosera . The atmosphere was different . We were hanging out with our friends . But here, I'm shoved on the back of one transportation with Jetia, Garen, Laud, and four members of Sigma 3 . Of course, Ada is one of them . Since none of Captain Albius' members are riding with us, I can't hold any exchange between us against her .
She hasn't bothered me, yet . It's not entirely surprising . She didn't win a single duel against me over the last two weeks . They were close during the first few days, but I adapted to her fighting style rapidly . I'd give her an 'A' for effort . I know that she takes training very seriously, which I respect, unlike those in my platoon . She has an intense desire to win . I'm sure for the main event today too . I could irritate her right now to throw her off her game .
Crushing her pride and self-confidence isn't enough, not after what she did . I'll rub more salt in the wound . I smile and ask, "So, I guess you never ended up winning a duel, huh?"
She doesn't answer, staying completely still . Is she asleep? Her eyes blink now and then, so clearly not . I wave my hand in front of her face and try again . "Hello?"
She turns her head toward me, still expressionless . "Shut up . I'm saving my energy . "
"Well, I'm bored outta my mind . Just trying to have some conversation . I'll fall asleep otherwise in this silence . "
She goes back to her previous position, staring at the ground . I poke the side of her face . I push her head back slightly and wait for it to drop back into place before repeating .
"I think that's enough, Kai," Aisha says . "I understand Ada hasn't treated you all that well, but don't you already see you've trampled her spirit already? Normally she's very energetic and competitive . Be mature and take the high road . Otherwise, you're not allowing the rest of us to obtain any rest either . "
She doesn't understand what Ada's done to me . If she'd knew she'd understand . I can't ever bring it into the light so that she won't understand . I can't push it any farther than this . I'm starting to look like the bad guy here . I sigh and answer, "Fine . "
"Thank you," Aisha says with a smile .
Whatever . Normally I like nap time whenever the chance arises, but this is a bit much . We're not allowed to stop and stretch until the designated break times every six hours . Allows us to eat and relieve ourselves . Even if there's a monster attack, we're supposed to let Captain Albius' platoon take care of it because we have to conserve our energy and Mana for the upcoming fight . Understandable, but no fun .
Eventually, we arrive at our location in Xantho . A group of 16 people is waiting near the edge of the cliff . This can't be the exact place the fight takes place because it's just on the top of a cliff . Captain Albius informs us that he'll be discussing with the other overseer before leaving to meet them . The battleground has already decided and is beyond the cliff .
I walk over to the edge cliff and widen my eyes . There's a distinct geographic region amid a withered white forest . Completely different than any mountain or forest I've seen . It's a hilly area that covers an enormous amount of space . Way too spacious for just one battle between 32 people .
There are many overgrown trees in the area; they have a thickness ranging from a small house to a large building . The setting here looks almost unnatural of the presence of elevated landscape and those ancient looking trees . Some of the hilltops are plateaus with few trees . All the trees are still lush with greenery despite the season because the snowfall covers only the top of gigantic trees that umbrella the area . Inside the abnormal growth remains clear of snow .
This battle will be interesting . I've never fought in a setting like this before . We don't know the rules of the battle yet either . According to Captain Albius, there can be several different rulesets . He's going to try to lead the conversation to a ruleset that favors the main strategy we've prepared .
This battleground is a bit unsettling . I can't help but have an ominous feeling . Monster hazards are normal during the Rising Champions every year . From Captain Albius' experience, usually, the place of battle is somewhere with a low density of monsters or ones that are not as dangerous . This region, however, spells danger . Something tingles throughout my body . I think a part of me wants one of those monsters to appear .
I remember the red eyes . The ones that send shivers and fear down my spine . Not those . But something formidable . Marin walks over and asks, "Isn't it beautiful?"
Her eyes sparkle with interest as she breathes out a mist of breath .
"I wouldn't exactly call this beautiful . There's no color variety other than different shades of green and brown . "
"You're not amazed?"
"I am, but…I don't know . It'll be exciting to see the match unfold in this place . "
"It's always about fighting for you… "
"Well, we are about to fight in a large-scale battle for the first time . A bit change of pace from what we were trained to do in the old days . "
"Is that what excited you back then? Fighting monsters?"
"Well…yeah . Exploring the world and hunting monsters . . . alongside friends . Honestly, I still want to do that, but… Well, what about you? That doesn't excite you?"
"You're weird… Witnessing beautiful sights like these is part of exploring the world . I wanted to see grand views like this . Well, I still do," Marin says with a smile . "When my parents visited, they would often tell me stories of these grandiose views they observed throughout their journey . I wanted to experience it for myself when I became an adventurer . "
"Is that what inspired you to take up archery? Because you can see things from far away?" I ask .
"No, of course not… What kind of stupid reason's that?"
It was stupid . She continues, "I wanted to feel closer to my mom…because she was an Archer too . I thought I would feel connected to her more . "
Her expression darkens . A mistake on my part . I shouldn't have shifted the conversation this way . But she smiles again and asks, "What about you, Kai? You could've chosen anything, but you went with Light . Did someone inspire you?"
I smile skeptically . "Well, I guess you could say that…"
"Was it Emdos?"
"No…" I answer, still unsure if I should make something up . Marin wanted to feel closer to her mom, but my reason was petty . We decided we wouldn't keep secrets from each other . I'll tell the truth . "It was Sitos . I hated the way he was acting toward me on our first day . I knew that picking the same role as him would piss him off the most . "
"Oh…" Marin answers with little energy . She's probably disappointed . "So, that's why you took on the same weapon choice as Sitos . "
"No, not exactly . I stumbled upon someone dueling with two swords against someone with only one . The way he chained one attack with another was like an art . It was a sight to behold . That's what truly convinced me to take on dual-wielding . "
"That's romantic . I wonder what everyone else was thinking when they signed up to be an Adventurer and chose their role . "
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"Well, I bet Hiro just thought it would be fun and Drugo followed whatever he chose to do . Hiro obviously determined that the Heavy role would be the center of attention . His weapon literally goes boom when he smashes the ground . Drugo wanted to cover everyones' backs and protect . Sitos probably was pressured into it by his dad and chose Light because that's what his trainer specialized in . Luna… I have no idea, and we'll never find out . "
"Whatcha talkin' 'bout?" Ruby asks abruptly from between Marin and I . It almost makes me lose my balance . A bit dangerous while overlooking the edge of a cliff . That reminds me, Ada could push me down to my death if I'm not careful . That's the real reason she looks defeated . Just to get me off my guard . I look around, but she's not lurking behind me . What a relief . "Did I scare ya?"
"Yeah, don't jump out of nowhere like that . Especially not while we're by the edge . "
"I'm sorry, Kai . I hope yer not mad . "
"I'm not mad . "
"'Kay, that's good . "
"Ruby, we were talking about why we wanted to be Adventurers and how we decided our roles at the Academy . Did you go to the Academy before joining the army?"
I glare at Marin with narrowed eyes .
Ruby answers, "Yeah I went ta the Academy . I wanted ta be an Adventurer 'cause I love cookin' . I'd be able ta discover all kinds of ingredients fer cookin' while completin' requests… The white-masked people killed everyone on my team . We went on so many adventures together fer over a year after graduatin' the Academy too . I wanna get revenge, so I joined the army . It's the same fer ya guys, right?"
"Yeah…except we only went on adventures for less than three months . We lost everyone but each other…" Marin answers .
It's good that Ruby didn't mention age . Otherwise, there would be a discrepancy in her story because older people could enroll in the same year . Because she went on adventures for at least a year, it means that she enrolled at the Academy as an Adventurer a year before us . She's our senior by a year . That means she's at least seventeen years old . I nod my head multiple times .
"Attention!" Captain Albius exclaims as he regroups with us . "We've finished our discussion regardin' how the Rising Champions match will be played . "
"You'll be fightin' in the Panoramic Grove over yonder," he informs while pointing toward the overgrown garden . "The location was non-negotiable . It looks like they're set on battlin' in there . They're goin' to have something planned in that case . But we'll have an attacker's advantage . The enemy's platoon's stationed near the entrance in one spot . They aren't allowed to move or attack until you've determined their location . Not much of an advantage, but you won't have to risk an ambush . You'd be able to execute our main strategy without issue if you're able to locate them without them noticin' .
"The rest's pretty standard . No killin' if someone surrenders and blah, blah, blah . . . Any questions?"
"Will there be monsters in there?" Garen asks .
"Probably . But remember, they're as hazardous to our opponents as they're to you . We're stronger, so don't worry . That's probably why they're insistent on fightin' in there . Stick to the plan, and you'll be fine . You've got ex-adventurers with you . We'll be watchin' from afar . Probably on the apex of one of the hills over there . If things turn for the worst, we'll intervene . Anyone else?"
"Will we get inta trouble if we kill someone befer they surrender?" Ruby asks . I'm curious about that too, considering our game plan . The battle could end without as much of a fight if they're on the level of our typical Soldier .
"You're free to go all out without consequence . They should've prepared something already since they knew of our capabilities before settin' up their team . Anyone else?"
I'm tempted to ask if he knows if the other team is comprised of ex-adventurers as well . That would be something that would change everything . And explain why they chose a dangerous setting that could be filled with hostile monsters . But at the same time, if they are, it could break our team morale . Especially the lesser skilled ones . I'll stay quiet about that . But there's one thing that worries me . I ask, "What happens if a monster kills someone?"
"No consequence to either kingdom, unless a direct action from someone causes a monster to kill someone . "
"What about Conjuration magic? We won't know if a monster's summoned by someone or not . "
"That's something we report if someone has that capability . There weren't any reports, so if you suspect anything, make sure to let me know . I'll take the proper next steps . "
"I'll keep you updated . "
"Anyone else?" Captain Albius asks . Silence follows for five seconds . "If that's it, we'll start headin' down to the base of the location . "
Everyone makes their way back to the wagon . Ruby, Marin, and I linger a bit . Ruby exclaims, "Good luck, Kai! I'm gonna do my job properly, so ya don't hafta worry . Marin's there too . "
"I'm not worried . You have the support of the entire team . I'm sure you'll be able to separate them, so that it'll be easy for Ada and me to pick them off," I say . "How do you think you'll do, Marin? Have you gotten more used to Aisha and the others Archer's combat style?"
"A little bit . But my role's slightly different than theirs after the initial strategy . I'll be primarily supporting unless they need me on offense . "
"I see, that's more suited toward your strengths . Well, I might be a bit paranoid, but stay wary . Our opponents might be ex-adventurers too . I didn't wanna bring it up because it could've damaged our morale, but be careful . "
Marin nods .
"'Kay! I won't hold back . "
I'm not sure what she means by that, exactly . All I know is, she and Aisha are responsible for our initial attack on our opponents . Their role is to hit them with a head-on attack in the middle that forces them to separate left or right . It takes time to prepare, so the rest of the team turtles and create an opening for their Mana to be able to materialize and activate .
"Well, we'd better get going . Good luck," I say and then jog back to the same wagon I was on previously . We leave shortly afterward .
Eventually, we arrive outside the Panoramic Grove . The other overseer platoon is waiting . There's a symbol on the front of his armor . It's hard to see from here, but it looks like a lion baring its fangs . Is their leader a Captain too? Although, I'm not too sure of their military structure . Captain Albius mentioned they had multiple generals . We only have one, so it can't be all that the same .
Captain Albius meets with them for a few minutes before they split . The enemy overseer group walks into the Panoramic Grove while our overseer platoon returns to us .
"The battle's goin' to start soon . Xantho's overseer platoon will go into the Panoramic Grove to inform their combatants that the battle starts as soon as you're ready . I have the utmost faith that you'll come out on top of this clash . Remember the strategy and your role . We'll be observin' from afar . Good luck," Captain Albius says and then goes into the battlegrounds with his men .
Aisha hops off the wagon and announces, "With that said, I hope everyone remembers their roles in this battle . "
I don't like how she assumed the role of the leader for the entire team . Probably thinks that she's above me considering that she won against me during the mock battle . Then again, I'm part of a two-man unit with Ada that operates separately from the rest of the team . I wouldn't be able to lead anyone as part of the battle, so whatever .
"Once we've located the enemy, Ruby and I will make our preparations based on the terrain . Each member of the defense team will create barriers of Mana serving as our first line of defense . Kai and Ada will standby until Ruby, and I have released our attack . Everyone else will put everything into assault, forcing the other team to stay together as a group . Ruby and I will unleash our attack to separate them into two . The offensive team will continue to focus on separating the enemy platoon .
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"In the confusion, Kai and Ada will into one side of their split forces to distract them until backup arrives . The rest of us will stay in a group and utilize our numbers advantage to focus on the other half . I'll take command in case things don't go our way mid-battle . Now, are you ready to show them what we're made of?"
"Yeah!" everyone cheers with hands and weapons raised in the air . I stay silent, though . I can't be the only one .
"Show the results of our training!"
"Yeah!" The cheers grow louder . Even Jetia, Laud, Garen, and the other two goons are playing along .
"Let's do this!"
"Yeah!"
"Defense team, forward!"
"Yeah!" everyone cheers one last time .
The defensive team marches forward while the rest of us follow in formation . I can't help but think to what Hina keeps telling me that I need to inspire everyone as the leader . It makes me feel like I've lost in that aspect . But what good would come of inspiring the goons? It's only artificial . It won't take much to shatter it . I haven't witnessed it, but they've trained seriously for one week at most . If I hadn't funded the initial Mana training seminar for them, they wouldn't have much of a role in the battle .
We step into the Panoramic Grove, walking in a straight path toward the center . This place looks empty, devoid of any life other than these various plants and trees . It's a big place so that the monsters could be deeper inside . The bigger question is if those monsters are docile or hostile . In a place like this, I would find it strange if there weren't dangerous monsters ranked 'C' or higher roaming about in a place like this . They could be hibernating because it's winter .
We're a few minutes deep in here, but still no signs of the enemy or anything . It also feels warmer, like it's spring, but it's clearly winter . Are these trees giving off heat? I hope the temperature doesn't increase much more than this . Otherwise, I'll be a bit uncomfortable with these armor warmers installed . My joints will be less stiff, though, in this warmer weather . Should be easier to move around in these conditions .
Hopefully, Xantho's team isn't too far into this jungle . Captain Albius mentioned they would be near the entrance . He didn't mention where, but it has to be in an open area . They aren't going to station on the middle of an upward-slant . If we're supposed to find them fairly easily, there has to be some kind of landmark .
The top of this hill up ahead seems like a strong contender . This hill looks larger compared to a previous one we passed . It extends in the distance from the left and right of our view . If the bottom of the slope is the ground, the top has to be at least the third or fourth floor . From down here, it doesn't look like the area is secluded by smaller trees either . Just the massive ones that curve and twist above us .
The best thing to do would be to play it cautiously from here and use this terrain to our advantage . Aisha and Ruby could prepare their magic ahead of time and wait to activate it . Don't make too much noise and try to glimpse what's on top of this hill, minimizing movements . I don't want to bring it up since the enemies could hear me . If anything, it would be Aisha's job to call it out . No one seems to say anything as the defense team starts their climb up the hill .
It would be too confusing to bring up the matter, anyway . Everyone's already had the strategy drilled into their brain . A new one would confuse them . I'm thinking too hard because our opponents might not be pushovers, but it should be fine either way .
I reach the top of the hill shortly after our frontline . A complete flat area from what it appears . Looks like a round mound . The grass goes up to my waist, so it's hard to tell . There are a few small stray trees around, but isn't a major obstacle . The enemy is positioned right across as I thought . They're grouped up closely together . It's hard to tell how many there are since they're far as well, but there should be 16 . Captain Albius mentioned all of them had to be there .
"Everyone, it's showtime!" Aisha exclaims . Everyone rushes forward to move into their positions . Ada and I don't have much of a role to play now . Jetia, the four goons charge forward releasing a short stream of Scrap Mana from their palms in front of them . A bit of a waste in my eyes, but it's not like they know how to use magic . The only purpose is to stop them from moving any inactive Mana in the area in front of them . We all follow them because we want to settle down in a better position .
They stop and create several vertical walls of Scrap Mana . It's to protect Aisha and Ruby from a direct line of sight attack by the enemy . If anything strong breaks through, Ada and I are backup . But, they should've moved farther in before barricading there . Otherwise, they'll have a longer time to react to Aisha and Ruby's big attack . Amateurs .
Everyone besides Aisha, Ruby, Ada, and I continue dashing forward . The enemy hasn't moved much, thankfully . There are a few things they can do that would be problematic for us . Running away is an issue, but it's also dishonorable at the start of the battle since it doesn't count as a tactical retreat at that point, so that's out . Splitting up right from the start and charging at us in a full-on assault would be the worst case scenario . If they're smart, they would go around the bottom of the hill instead of right across . Otherwise, even if they split up, Ruby and Aisha's magic would still be largely effective .
That's why everyone charges in from the start . To stop our opponents from splitting up if they do . Their attacks aren't meant to do any damage to them . Going all-out isn't the goal either . Because that might alter the landscape and create conditions unfavorable for us, they only need to distract them for a moment as it won't take long for Aisha and Ruby to prepare, especially in a flat area like this .
The enemy lines up in an arrow-shaped formation and charges at us . Strange that they decide to do this now . Maybe they came up with a strategy on the spot . Unrefined Mana appears around them, cloaking them inside . It's like a smooth wave of slow-moving Mana moving toward us . That settles it . They must be ex-adventurers . Or at least have several members responsible for creating that . All of them are running fairly fast while in sync too . Faster than Jetia and the goons run .
They're going full-force down the middle . The enemy can't possibly know about our plan, so I don't see why they would think we can't stop them . We can't stare and do nothing since Aisha and Ruby won't be ready in time . Several from Aisha's group could easily deter them from this strategy . The enemy must think little of us if they thought otherwise . Unless we collide with them head-on, they'll end up a bit separated .
The sledgehammer user from Aisha's team aligns himself with their charge and jumps into the air . He slams the ground in front of him . The enemy team is still a way's off . I suspect the only purpose is to send Mana into the ground . He'll use a trigger word to activate the magic when the time is right . They can't defend from an attack from under with their current strategy .
Four of our Archers shoot arrows at them . That's one thing they can't defend against with their Mana barrier . The Mana surrounding the enemy disappear, and their frontline blocks the projectiles with their shield . Their backline must have alerted them about the incoming attack . It doesn't slow them down . They slow down suddenly, coming to a stop . It must be Deniz' Wind magic; the grass around them shift away from us . The two army recruits from Aisha's team shoot magic at the enemy too . Balls of fire and water . With the combined assault of our attacks, they can't defend against both physical and magical attacks at once .
A stone wall seems to extend from their shields at the front of their formation . Or so, they can defend against both . Since the grass is in the way, it's hard to tell if the shields cover their lower half, but their upper body is covered . I would assume they would cover any gaps with Unrefined Mana . They continue their charge forward but slightly slower than before . I'm sure the weight of the stone wall slows them down .
Aisha's team could attack more aggressively by going around their blindspot, but they would have to travel farther out . Since they'll have to fallback eventually, it's not a good idea . A stone platform rises from under the enemy quickly . It launches them into the air . It was wide enough to include over half of their members . The stone wall disappears shortly afterward .
Two of our archers shoot one arrow each right under them . A puddle of water appears from under them . The second arrow adds Lightning magic to the mix . Dropping from that height would already be problematic, but now they have to deal with the trap too . A dirt cube appears right underneath them that falls a short distance down . A thump resounds as it hits the ground . It effectively neutralizes the trap and reduces their fall time . To have written instructions for that on the spot is impressive .
Everyone on our team on the frontlines falls back . The enemy seems to stop their advance forward and drop from behind the cube . A dirt bridge appears over the puddle next to the cube . They cross it and then charge down the middle with the same formation . That's good for us since we don't have to expend energy to force them to regroup . At this point, Ruby and Aisha should be ready before they reach us .
"Are the preparations done?" one of the Archers asks as she rejoins us .
"Just about . Defense, fall back!" Aisha exclaims . Jetia and the four goons run back to us . Their Scrap Mana barrier disappears soon after . The enemy Is still a bit far from us, but that's what we want . Somewhere not too close and not too far . I'm surprised our plan has worked so well . They haven't tried attacking us at all . That would've challenged our strategy a lot if they focused on attacking instead of closing the gap . "Are you ready, Ruby?"
"Yep!" Ruby exclaims .
"Everyone, stand back!" Aisha warns . A giant mist of her Dark magic appears in front of her . It forms a large square-wall shape that extends forward . The mist travels quickly toward the enemy who stops their charge and puts up a wall of Unrefined Mana . That won't work . From what I heard, Aisha has Runic magic too, the same as Marin . She most likely converted the mist into a physical object so that it would easily bypass the wall of Mana . As a physical object, it also won't weaken Ruby's attack .
Ruby walks farther up and points both of her palms forward .
"Everyone, get ready for stage two of our strategy!" Aisha exclaims . The mist has almost reached our opponents who are standing ducks out there barricaded . They haven't realized that the Dark magic isn't a magical object .
"Infernal rush!" Ruby exclaims . The sheer size of her attack catches me off guard . It covers a greater area than Aisha's attack, and it's not over yet . It has to cover nearly I gape as this monstrosity of an attack rushes forward quickly toward our unsuspecting opponents . All of this is Rich Mana too . I've used my Rich Mana fireball enough times to know .
The fire from her magic seems to interact with Aisha's Dark magic too . It ignites the mist causing small explosions . At this point, I can't see our enemies anymore . Ruby's Fire magic is too massive . And it's still coming out . She mentioned she wasn't going to hold back . Does that mean she means on using all of her Fire Affinity with entirely Rich Mana? This is on the level of Hina's ridiculous amount of Water Affinity . If she used this attack in the cafeteria… I'm sure Hina wouldn't be here right now .
Holy shit… At this point, I'm not sure if Ada and I will have a role to play here . Our enemies might be completely toasted at this point . Dead . They're completely dead . No wonder Ruby asked that question earlier . No one moves or says a word .
Fire finally stops appearing in front of Ruby . No sight of our enemies on the right side of this attack . It either means, they're inside or on the left side .
"Not yet…" Ruby says . Two seconds later, Ruby exclaims, "Explode!"
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The smooth, giant stream of fire expands almost twice in size instantly, covering almost half of the length of the mound . A gust of wind erupts from it that blows outward . The flames continue to expand outward from every direction except behind toward us . The stream of fire breaks apart quickly into parts forming smaller waves of fire that shoot outward in every direction except behind toward us . The flames ignite all the grass and trees on fire . Ruby laughs manically, her magic still active, wreaking havoc in front of us . Some of her magic is still present in the middle, so the enemy is nowhere to be seen .
"Firewall!" she exclaims and then continues laughing . The flames that spread outward return to the original location forming a wall of fire in the middle . She turns to me and smiles . "I did good, right Kai? It's yer turn now!"
My turn? I don't have a turn . That was complete overkill . The grass has already burned away . I charge forward, not knowing if Ada is following me . I'm not following the plan anymore . I want to know if there are any survivors, though I know the answer . I'm expecting Captain Albius and the other overseer group to appear at any moment now . There isn't a match if everyone is dead .
But they're ex-adventurer, right? I'm not sure myself what I would've done in their shoes if I got caught in the middle of that . I would end up using my Mana to surround myself . In their case, they would need to surround themselves in a lot of Rich and Unrefined Mana to survive .
I reach the point next to the fire where we last saw our opponents . I don't see anything . Even if they were dead, there should be some armor left behind . They've got to be smart enough to avoid staying too long in the middle . If the fire burned them, naturally, the response is to run from it . Unless they're still in there protecting themselves with Mana .
"Where do you think you're going?" Ada asks . She came with me after all .
"Following the plan," I answer . "Stage two, remember?"
"It's obvious we don't need to follow the plan anymore . "
Several on our side yell in the distance behind us . Too far to hear them . Our team is shuffling about . The enemy must still be alive . Are they all on the other side?
"You were saying?" I ask and turn around . "There's nothing here, so let's regroup . "
"Don't tell me what to do . "
Before I have a chance to run back, something erupts from the ground in front of us . A man dual-wielding two short swords surfaces . He smiles and says, "Surprise . "
Damn! Were they underneath Ruby's magic this entire time? He doesn't appear to be hurt at all . I unsheathe both of my swords immediately . A strong gust of wind knocks Ada and me back .
This is bad . We're flying farther away from the team . Worst of all, Our trajectory is away from the mound . It's going to hurt if we hit the ground from this distance . The man from earlier runs toward us . There doesn't look like there's anyone else . There could be more inside the mound that hasn't come out yet .
I'll hit a tree before hitting the ground . I turn around and reverse the grip on my swords . I impale the trunk of the tree with both of my weapons . I climb down slowly taking one sword at a time while putting another one in until it's completely safe to free fall .
"Took you long enough," Ada says . Easy for her to say .
"Shut up . I don't have Wind magic like you do . " There doesn't appear to be any other enemies coming out . I lost track of the other guy . This place we're at is not an ideal place to fight: trees, big boulders, and tall bushes . There are too many obstacles in the way . The ground isn't even either . "Where'd that guy go?"
"I'm right here," he says behind me . I jump forward and turn around . He's not there . "Just kidding . "
Again, his voice came from behind me . But he's not there . I say, "Cover my back, and I'll cover yours, Ada . We're gonna need to work together on this one . "
"Don't have to remind me," she answers and places her back to me .
"Hope you'll entertain me," his voice echoes around us .
Since I don't know where he is, there's not much I can do in preparation . Blindly running in isn't a good idea either . There could be an ambush set up .
This guy needs to attack us already if he's going to . Or is his plan only distraction? Once he shows himself, I won't lose track of him .
A spinning blade glides through the air from my right and another one from my left . They curve toward my path, but I easily parry both of them . What's he planning? He threw both of his weapons away . Adding a bit of Wind magic on them isn't going to make them exceptionally hard to avoid . Metal clangs resound behind me . I take a quick look . Ada parries these small star-shaped blades .
More of those small star-shaped blades are speeding toward us from every direction . They're not much of a problem to deal with . I don't need to put pressure into my swings . I move my blade in its path which knocks them away with their own momentum . He'll run out of stuff to throw eventually .
One after another . It's been at least a dozen of them . A branch rustles above me . The man falls toward me with his two weapons raised above him . I'm tired of all this running . I'll challenge him head-on . I raise my swords above me to meet his attack . His descent quickens suddenly . Our blades clash .
He's strong . Lightning magic appears on both of his blades . He presses harder into me . I grit my teeth, and he slowly pushes my blades back . It won't be good if he breaks my guard and hits me with his magic .
I move Scrap Mana to my arms and exclaim, "Strength!"
I push back but not too hard . Ada is moving behind him, and this position will do just fine . Suddenly, his push is getting stronger . How is he so strong?
I can't make this a contest of power . I angle my blades toward my left and step to the right . His weapons slide off mine toward the ground . I strike him with a follow-up attack . He jumps back . Ada isn't close enough to catch him . She throws two daggers toward him while he's still in the air, not slowing her charge . She exclaims, "Light cone!"
A cone of light that projects forward appears around both of her thrown daggers . She grabs another pair of weapons from her belt . I dash forward too . Best not give him too much breathing room .
He closes his eyes and parries both of the daggers toward me . Oh, shit .
"Ah!" I exclaim as the light blinds me . I close them immediately, but it wasn't fast enough . I won't be able to see well for a few seconds I stop running and jump to my left to avoid the daggers . "Damn it, Ada!"
Fighting with a Light user on your side is annoying . It might work well with her team since most of them are Archers, but to fight together in close-combat is difficult . It was easier to fight against her .
I open my eyes, my vision blurry . Pain radiates from both of them . I try to focus my vision, despite it . Metal clangs quick succession in front . A burst of wind knocks me back . I reverse the grip of my weapons and dig them into the ground before getting knocked too far . Four swords are flying toward my direction . I have double vision, so that's probably two .
I pull my weapons from the ground, switch my grip to normal, and then jump over to the left . That should be good enough to avoid his swords . They suddenly change trajectory toward me . Wind magic?
Fine . I parry both of them . It's not that hard to figure out their general location even though my vision is not perfect . I move Scrap Mana into my legs and exclaim, "Haste!"
I dash back to where I was . His decision to throw his weapons away is questionable . It only buys him a few more seconds . How many swords does he have?
My eyes are back to normal . I sheath my left sword and move Rich Mana into my left palm . I can't leave Ada alone for too long without help . She won't have a chance against his strength . I was able to exploit that during our duels, but this guy is stronger than I am . She can't handle a head-on battle with him .
I follow the sounds of metal clashing . Ada strikes with one attack after another . Left dagger, right, dagger, left foot, right foot . The enemy effortlessly blocks every attack with his Lightning covered blades . Those look like the last of his blades, so he can't throw any more of them away . He could easily overpower her if he wanted to . Why isn't he?
I don't think about it too much and point my left palm toward him . "Fireball!"
A ball of fire comes out of my palm and flies toward him . He and Ada jump backward . The enemy jumps on a tree trunk and jumps to another tree . I keep my eyes on him .
"Hey! Watch it!" Ada exclaims .
I regroup with her . "That wasn't anywhere close to you . At least he can't redirect my magic toward you unlike someone's…"
"You should've knocked them back at him . Not my fault you didn't react fast enough . "
"Listen, there was no time . He was precise with his strike and it perfectly aligned with my sight . "
"Okay . Next time . You'll reflect it back . "
"I'd prefer it if you didn't do stupid things like throw weapons with Light magic on them that he can easily turn in his favor . "
"What do you want me to do then? If I'm in your way, you can fight him alone . "
"No, I can't take him alone . He's strong . He hasn't gotten the slightest bit serious yet . Knocking us around with Wind magic is the only magic he's used so far .
The enemy jumps around from tree to tree like a monkey . He's agile like a monkey . But what's his purpose? He doesn't have any remaining weapons left to throw . At this point, it might be better to leave him and regroup with the others . Hope they're fine .
He throws both of his weapons at us while continuing to jump around . I don't know if I've overestimated this guy, but they completely miss their mark . They go right over our heads . He doesn't have anything left . But the first two weapons he threw earlier is near him . He's planning to pick those up . I won't let him .
I dash toward those weapons . At best, he'd be able to pick one weapon up but not the other . I'll use that to my advantage and continuously attack him, so he doesn't have time to pick up the other one . He'll regret playing around with us .
He jumps to a branch that collapses immediately . He falls . Unlucky for him . I'll be taking this chance . Ada is right behind me . I cover myself with a layer of Unrefined Mana so that he can't knock me back with Wind magic anymore . We surround him before he has a chance to run .
"Wwait! I give up!" he exclaims with his hands raised above him .
I sigh . This was way too easy . This guy is just an idiot . He might be strong, but his strategy is awful .
We need to regroup with the others . I look around . Hmm . Which way did we come from? I walk forward a bit in the direction I think the mound is in, but it's not there .
Something roars in the distance . I turn toward the direction . Oh, shit…
A monster . From the sounds of it, it could be a lion . I'm not sure if that's in the direction we came from . Why did I hope for a monster to appear? One really did . Ruby's attack might have attracted it here . We shouldn't waste too much time here and regroup .
"Kai, stop wasting time and come on," Ada says, turned toward another direction .
Well, at least she's good for something . I turn toward her but notice something strange . The enemy has Lightning magic surrounding his both of his hands . He smiles as he gets on his feet, still crouched down . What's he doing when he's already given up? There are no monsters nearby .
He lunges forward toward Ada .
"Ada, watch out behind you!" I warn and dash toward them . What's that guy thinking? Doesn't he know that he can't fight after giving up?
I won't get there in time . Ada starts to turn around . She won't realize in time . The man grabs the back of her neck with his left hand and puts his palm on the back of her armor with the other . Ada screams as she's shocked by his magic and falls . She lets go of her daggers .
The man takes one of Ada's daggers . He covers it in Lightning magic and stabs her through the shoulder . She screams . She's still conscious but probably paralyzed .
"What the hell are you doing?!" I exclaim . This could disqualify their whole team . "Hey, Captain Albius! Do you see this?!"
The man laughs . "There isn't anyone here . Just us . Rule number one of fighting . Never let down your guard . "
I knew something was off about this guy . He made himself look stupid by throwing his weapons at inopportune times . There's no way he didn't recover from that branch breaking . Or was he the one who broke the branch? He must've planned to pretend to give up and use a cheap trick to take out Ada from the start . He could've done it without cheating if he wanted . But he chose this underhanded method . Where the hell is Captain Albius or anyone from the overseer team?
He jumps away from as I rejoin with Ada . Attacking him feels wrong despite what he did . I can't kill him . We'd probably get into trouble for that . But maybe, if we explain what happened, it would be fine . At least injure him enough so that he can't move, but he won't die . That would be best . But I can't leave Ada . Who knows what else he's going to pull .
I could get my revenge against her now by leaving her, but if she dies, I'm sure they would end up blaming me for it .
"C'mon, let's dance!" the man exclaims . I don't move from my position . I'll wait for Ada to recover from the Lightning magic . "Leave the girl . No one's watching . "
Several seconds pass . He smiles and then says, "Suit yourself . Rise! Activate!"
He runs off somewhere . Were those trigger words?
"Kai, over here!" Ada exclaims .
I turn around, finding all the initial weapons he threw in the air flying toward us . They're each covered in Lightning magic . There must be Wind magic too for them to be flying toward us . I'll stop the source of their power first . I form a thick wall of Unrefined Mana in between us and the incoming small star-shaped blades and the two short swords . It won't stop the Wind magic from coming out or the momentum of the weapons, but the Wind magic will stop propelling the weapons . The blades will fall and miss their mark .
The weapons appear past my wall of Unrefined Mana, but the trajectory and speed didn't change at all . What?!
Putting aside what just happened, I'll have to stop them manually . I stand in front of Ada with my blades ready .