NOVEL NEXT Chap 214: Are u alone?
"Almost there, you just need a bit more practice." Brendu yells, cheering me on.
It's already the fifth day of the week; tomorrow is the friendly match against Areci in the final of the championship. Today was declared a holiday so students can enjoy the huge fair set up outside the gigantic coliseum. When I went this morning I felt like an ant in front of that complex — it's even bigger than the one in the marquisate and laid out much better.
This tournament also allows outsiders into the venue; many locals and people from nearby towns come to spend time with their families for these dates. According to Brendu, people save up a whole year to treat these tournaments like a little vacation — tickets to the cheaper sections are affordable for them.
I practiced all morning until the afternoon trying to get the new movement skill; now I manage to come out unscathed 7 out of 10 times. Brendu hadn't told me at first, but she has a movement skill similar to the one I'm trying to learn.
Her skill lets her move to anywhere within her field of vision, and when she activates an ability like a little forest around her she can move in any direction inside that area. Her family has always had a good affinity with space; they trained and practiced it since the amethyst rank, and only a few months ago she managed to obtain it.
"I know — the problem is time and motivation." I don't think I'll have enough time to perfect it before tomorrow. We agreed to meet at the fair for half a day and I'll spend the whole day with her, except for the moment I have to face Areci.
It's not about motivation to train — I love training and I'm having fun doing it. The feeling of improving and almost acquiring a skill I've been chasing for months excites me. The problem is my cube isn't receiving any boost to improve; I need to be in a situation similar to that lord ogre in the dungeon.
I walk over to where Brendu is to grab a cold drink. "I understand. It's impossible to get it by tomorrow, but don't feel bad — you're already far ahead of any sapphire rank." She stops and hugs me. "Shower and change your clothes, you smell like sweat and blood." Brendu is wearing very expensive clothes; the idea of hugging her crosses my mind, but I stop when I see her expression.
"As you command, Your Majesty." I dodge two wooden needles enhanced and aimed at my legs with a small jump. I turn just in time to plant a kiss on her; Brendu has already created eight more wooden needles — she stops and dispels the constructions.
"Hurry up." She tries to sound bossy and angry, but that little smile on her lips gives her away.
We head to the building where Brendu's apartment is; she has a meeting with two noble friends from her kingdom tonight. I'll go to the fair outside the coliseum for a while. Security is heavy at the boundaries — no one not belonging to the school can cross into the dorm area.
There have been incidents before where some idiots managed to sneak in because security wasn't enough; in the end none of them got away, but some students had an unpleasant surprise. Security has increased at that boundary, and entry checks have become strict.
When I arrive at the fair my mouth opens in surprise — there's a ridiculous number of people. Huge lines for some rides, lots of people waiting at food stalls, groups of all ages walking everywhere; this fair is on another level.
I have fun on some games, only the basic ones because those massive rides that make you feel like you'll fly aren't my thing. I try every food stall where there's a huge queue; if people bother to wait in line it's because the food's good.
I end up going home with one plush I won in a mana-control game — it's a little yellow bunny that I'll give to Brendu tomorrow.
"This feels like a different place." I'm on my way to the meeting point where Brendu is waiting; the fair looks almost empty and many stalls are closed — everyone's inside the coliseum watching the final stages of the tournament.
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Luckily I find some food stalls still open; those people probably don't care much about the tournament. I'll eat with Brendu there before going in for my friendly match; I'm not very interested in the other emerald-rank participants, only the top four.
I see Brendu sitting on a bench in a full yellow dress, two perfectly styled pigtails. Something feels odd — I didn't see many people on the way here, but this feels different, like there's nobody around the perimeter. What's going on?
I activate my Personal World immediately when I'm a few meters from Brendu. I sense three presences hidden by some kind of skill or item; two are closer and the last one is a bit farther away — that one seems the most dangerous; I feel a slight bloodthirst coming from that person.
I'm surprised they almost evaded my tracking ability — I notice them very fuzzily, as if they were camouflaged with the ambient mana. I force myself enough to penetrate that skill or object a bit and finally distinguish a cloak surrounding the two closer ones.
"You arrived early." I step forward and kiss her on the forehead.
"Yes, I left a little earlier to cool off — this is my favorite weather." We're moving from winter to spring, perfect weather according to her; I still feel cold unless I cover my body with mana.
"Are you alone?" I ask the princess; she looks at me oddly, not understanding my question.
"What? What do you mean?" Brendu seems a little worried by my question.
"I just want to know if you came alone or if someone else is with us." My voice is almost a whisper.
"No, I came alone and no one else will join us." That's all I need to know. The two closest ones are sapphire rank and the other is ruby rank; I'll try to take the two nearest by surprise.
"When I disappear from your sight, run to the coliseum entrance." She tries to mimic me; when I look straight at her she nods. I already checked that path — there's no one else hidden there and it's the farthest place from the ruby rank.
I charge my mana along with my Imra, Laws and Banner around my body as prudently as possible. I move my mana to activate my abilities, leaving them half-loaded; I only need a fraction of a second to finish. I feel the ruby rank shift uneasily — he seems to have noticed something strange.
"Run." I shoot off at full speed while activating a burst of my electrifying steps. I appear in front of the two sapphires; the weight of my Crushing Zone falls on them to immobilize them, my body is encased in armor and my Thundersnow Fangs appear in my hands.
In that moment Brendu has managed to move a few meters at full speed; luckily the ruby rank hesitated about chasing her or helping his companions — that slight doubt gives me the necessary time.
I drive a sword into each of their stomachs, breaking a light resistance at first; their basic defenses won't stop a sword charged with all my power. I feel the skills they were charging disappear; the robes tear and they are revealed. Both wear black clothing from head to toe; I can only see a little of each of their eyes.
I pull the swords from their stomachs to cut each of their legs with a fluid movement; I don't want to kill them without answers — they came after someone dear and a princess. Just as I'm about to cut the other leg I have to retreat with another burst to avoid being impaled in the chest by a spear filled with some dark mana.
I must use another burst immediately to avoid spears that appear beneath my feet. While I move side to side avoiding being skewered by spears I check on the others; it seems they've fainted from blood loss. I direct all the pressure of my Crushing Zone toward the ruby rank — the pressure surprises him and he must place the tip of his spear on the ground so as not to drop to his knees.
He must have activated some body-reinforcement skill because now he moves almost normally. He stops sending dark spears at me to look after his comrades, pulls an object out from somewhere and tries to drag his dying allies away.
"As if I'd let you, idiot." I shout to draw attention while I create twenty Joyeuse — ten thrown at him and the other ten at his companions. The ruby rank builds more spears to direct my attacks at him and forms a small dome of that dark mana to cover his friends after breaking my constructs with his spear.
Now he's more cautious; he doesn't take his eyes off me and I can feel a stronger bloodthirst. Did these idiots try to do something to the princess with only three people? I understand it's almost impossible to sneak in a diamond or obsidian rank unnoticed, but they could have sent more ruby ranks.
I dart toward the only conscious person when I see him step back a few paces to approach his comrades; I feel him inject a bit of mana into that spherical object. I arrive just in time to try to cut his throat with my right sword — he manages to block my attack with his spear; my other sword aims at his stomach and is also halted.
All my abilities are powered up, my gravity is exerting the most pressure it can on him, and I'm still a little weaker — I've realized this in these small exchanges. Still, I won't lose; I have a few cards saved that can take him by surprise.