Fighting with a Teammate III — Ambrosya

"NO!"

A roar burst out from the last remaining swordsman. But Aventine's poison restricted him. His movements were sluggish, and he was very much unlike the E ranked second-year I had fought before.

He could do nothing to save his vanguard partner. All he reached was a fierce wave of mana that scratched against his skin. He thus had to resist being thrown off his feet with all his might.

The two spellcasters and one mage behind him needed his protection. If he fell here, there would be no more hope for victory.

Lily and I knew this fact all too well, and so it became a fight for the last piece of the puzzle.

Three layers of Mana Shields appeared to protect the swordsman, deterring Lily's unwavering assault. It was only when I stepped up did these shields evaporate into nothingness.

Vwhooom—!

A stream of mana brushed past my ear, striking the swordsman in the gut and forcing him into the air.

Lily thus gave me an opportunity.

My eyes flashed as I lunged forward. I watched as three more shields were put up in a panic. They still didn't know how I could pierce through their Mana Shields like they were nothing.

Unfortunately, they had no other way to deal with me.

The next best thing would've been to use offensive spells to prevent my approach, but it seemed like they did not have the confidence. They could not execute attacks with pinpoint precision and perfect timing.

Now that Lily and I were in a CQC dance, they were fearful of friendly fire.

A green glow suddenly flew into the swordsman at this moment. Instantly, his speed increased by a noticeable amount.

It broke into the ranks of E, and the swordsman's figure blurred before my very eyes.

[ Haste ]

A basic speed-enhancing spell. It was probably cast by the mage who stood at the very back.

I retreated in a hurry as a sword nearly cut my hand off. I weaved through the chaotic rapids until I arrived back at Lily's side.

There was then a lull in the battle.

Winning against a group of spiritual mana users really was a challenge, especially if they knew how to coordinate their spells. I watched as Lily narrowed her eyes in thought. She eyed me with a sideglance as if she was trying to communicate something to me without talking.

A crooked smile appeared on my lips.

'If you want people to understand you, speak!'

But that was how Lily was. Talk less, act more. She was the ice queen who adored strength and skill.

Nonetheless, I got what Lily was trying to say. How could I not? I was the one who crafted her thought processes. I knew exactly what her likes and dislikes were. I knew everything about her.

I thus allowed myself to breathe. To calm my beating heart. The excitement of battle was as outstanding as ever. Dancing on the edge of the knife gave me a sense of thrill like no other.

I was falling in love with fighting.

And so, Lily dashed forward while I lingered in her shadow. We closed the distance with the swordsman whose body had been augmented by a supportive spell.

As usual, Lily struck first.

But her strike this time did not aim to defeat. Instead, it was to move and knock back.

A thundering wave of mana thus blasted the swordsman back several steps. Lily had chased after him with all her swiftness so that she could slash in a wide arc. A curved blade of mana was birthed from her sword, completely hidden from the naked eye.

To me and anyone with Mana Vision, it was a crescent of blue that flew out of the tip of her weapon. Elegant and beautiful, but deadly nonetheless.

Three Mana Shields appeared to protect the swordsman, nullifying Lily's efforts once more.

But it was at this moment that I appeared out of Lily's shadow. I made a mad dash towards one of the nearby spellcasters.

It was time to tear down one of the swordsman's pillars of support.

An explosion was birthed from the tip of my dagger, evaporating a sphere of water that had been sent my way. I ran through the steam without any hesitation. Mana Vision still allowed me to see despite the obstruction.

Thus, I dodged three more water-based projectiles and blasted two into nothingness.

'This spellcaster's talent in creating mana programs is surprisingly high,' I noted down such a fact as I appeared before my foe, bathed in flames and steam.

I targeted his limbs first, slashing out three times and drawing blood. I then went in for the kill, sending my blade straight for the heart. A Mana Shield once again appeared in all its futility.

It shattered under my precise dagger play.

And my stab thus continued without hindrance until a thick Mana Shield announced the spellcaster's elimination.

I turned around and returned to the main battlefield.

From here, things were simpler. Lily and I repeated the same strategy. She held back the swordsman and I went to assassinate the spiritual mana users. In the process, Lily sustained a few wounds, but none of them were of any concern.

On the other hand, I was more or less unscathed given my unusually viscous mana.

We were an excellent duo. It felt good to fight with a good teammate. Our dance was beautiful, and I was able to learn a few more things.

A bit of Lily's Mana Swordsmanship now influenced my fighting style.

"Riding the flow of mana and dancing with its movements," I muttered as enlightenment flashed past my eyes.

Just like that, the duel ended with our victory.

The silent wizard thus cleansed and healed the wounded students and we went down the stage.

I then watched as Virion and his group rose to the arena and faced off with a five-man group. My eyes gleamed.

This match was going to be an interesting one.

Although Virion may be Rank 3, was generally weaker than Lily, and also had lesser tricks up his sleeve compared to me, his [ Bloody Halo ] shone in a group battle. He was a berserker. A menace within a bloody battlefield.

This was going to be a guaranteed steamroll.