Chapter CXV - Two Versus Two (part 1)

While the others are battling on the platforms, me and Lemillia had a slight conversation about our strategy.

 

"I'll be acting as defense, and you will go as the offense. This should be perfect for the both of us who are currently in the middle of a training, don't you think?"

 

I said to Lemillia before our turn came. She was pretty scared that her lightning magic might hurt someone, and because of that, she is having issues attacking.

 

But, if she wants to reach her goals, she needs to do more than that. She needs to be able to hurt. Otherwise, it's her who will be hurt.

 

Lemillia knows this, and she agrees. So, we decided to use that plan.

 

.

 

"Winner, Lemillia and Rize."

 

The teacher announced our win, and Lemillia looked quite satisfied. She did this cute 'Yes!' gesture with her right hand silently. And just seeing her do that, somehow made me freeze.

 

Ah… cute.

 

"R-Rize?"

She called me, and was able to snap me back to reality.

 

"Right. Let's go."

We left the arena and joined the others in the crowd. The class continues and it's time for the next rounds.

 

Once all the teams have battled in the arena, it's time to move on with the battle, into the semi-finals.

 

There are thirteen teams, but the teacher was able to make the list of plays pretty quickly. He wrote it on a paper, and then showed us the list.

 

Me and Lemillia will go on to the third battle, and if we manage to make it to the finals, we will fight Manda and Jericho, who is on the other section of the list.

 

And in that section, those two have the highest probability of winning. Suddenly, I became slightly excited about these battles.

 

"Okay. Then, let's begin!"

 

The battles then started once again. 

 

Team after team battled, and when it's finally our turn, we fought to our best and won. 

 

All the way… until the finals.

 

Standing in front of us are Manda and Jericho, both looking very eager for this fight. Meanwhile, Lemillia looked pretty anxious facing the strongest duo in the class. 

 

I went ahead and patted her shoulder. She got slightly jumped when I did that.

 

"Don't worry. If they are better than us, then they will win. But, they're not."

I said that quite loudly, that both Jericho and Manda can hear.

 

I can clearly sense the bloodlust coming from them, and tried really hard not to turn my gaze to them.

 

Luckily, Lemillia is snapped out of her anxiety. She glared at her opponents with confidence, which took Jericho and Manda aback.

 

"Okay. This is the final. Winner will get the highest score. Ready..."

 

The teacher actually did something before starting. I mean, previously he just casually said begin, but now… he is raising his hand.

 

"... Begin!"

 

WOOSH!!!!

 

If only I didn't have my ultimate reflex, I wouldn't be able to dodge that.

 

Jericho was the first to strike, and she was fully ready with her wind slashes.

 

WOOSHH!!

WOOOSHH!!!

 

More wind slashes came at me, but I had formed a shadow wall in front of me to block the wind slashes. I dodged the first two and managed to completely block the third one despite having my shadow wall cracked, which means Jericho had to use a different form of attack now.

 

Jericho closed her palms and placed them together. By the time she opened it, a small tornado was formed. It's small, yet it felt so powerful. 

 

Jericho faced the tornado at my shadow wall, and the tornado quickly turned into a horizontal wind tornado blaze. The tornado blaze crashed into my shadow wall at high speed and immense pressure that my shadow wall couldn't hold out.

 

CRACKK!!!

 

My shadow wall is cracking even further.

 

"Lemillia! Any time now!"

 

I had to shout at Lemillia, because this powerful wind force coming from Jericho's attack is actually deafening everything around us. I had to say it loudly, otherwise she wouldn't be able to hear it.

 

The wind force also affects everyone else who is watching. It was so powerful, the teacher was also pushed back a little despite being far away.

 

And before long, the cracks finally became bigger and bigger. Until it finally went through.

 

"Now!"

 

As I got swept by the tornado shouted, Lemillia shot her attack. A horizontal lightning chain clasps through the air, forcing its way through Jericho's wind blaze and going straight for them.

 

But, Manda had already mastered her creation magic. With a single slam on the ground, a wall of stone quickly formed in front of them and blocked the lightning strike.

 

She was quick… and lightning is the second fastest magic too…

 

BZZTTT!!!

 

Damn you, creation magic…

 

The lightning bolt exploded the wall to smithereens, capturing Manda and Jericho in havoc, but at least they are standing and well.

 

After rebalancing myself, I quickly used this chance and shot a small firebomb at each of them. The firebombs exploded on their feet and threw them off the platform.

 

Or… so I thought.

 

"Oh come on! That's cheating..."

I shouted at my opponents, because the two of them are now flying in the air.

 

I forgot that both Jericho and Manda are both wind mages, and that the two can actually fly.

 

Jericho might actually fly fast, because she had wings on her back. But for Manda who is still a newbie, she can barely float. But, it's enough to not get her annihilated from the game.

 

"Hey! Our strengths are our advantages!"

 

Jericho answered my shout with a grin as she quickly formed more wind slashes. Manda also had gone on the offensive and formed her own fireballs around her.

 

And before long, those magics were launched at us.

 

"R-Rize?"

"This much is fine."

Lemillia panicked when she saw the attacks, but I stayed calm. 

They were launched at high speed, but then I conjured a wall of shadow that loomed in front of us.

 

Not enough, I created another shadow wall behind it with only thirty centimetres of gap.

 

Again. I made yet another shadow wall behind it.

 

Three shadow walls versus Manda and Jericho's combined attacks. If they can't penetrate this, then they lose.

 

The magic assault that Jericho and Manda sent is flying at my shadow wall at high speed, and finally crashing into it.

 

BLARRR!!!

 

WOOSHH!!!

 

Multiple explosions from Manda's fireballs, as well as the wind force from Jericho's wind slashes came in contact with the shadow walls. The explosion and wind force affected the crowd too, and this time, the teacher was completely lifted from his feet and got thrown back.

 

Everyone else too, got thrown back. Jericho and Manda did not hold back at this at all.

The explosion was able to cause a crack on my shadow wall, and the wind slashes were able to push through from those cracks.

 

Not bad for a duo...

This is the fruit of their training.

 

I grinned as I pushed Lemillia out of the way when the first wind slashes and fireballs came through the final wall.

 

WOOOOOOSHH!!!

 

"R-Rize!!"