"..." I want to run. This smile is seriously giving me the creeps. Apprentice? What kind of apprentice? No. No thank, I'll gratefully decline.
I gather my courage(put on a brave facade),"Thanks but no thanks, I'm my own boss." I quickly skim through the items in the shop, before he can answer back I say,"Hmm, it's looks like you don't have anything I need."
"Ar-" Before Nars could finish what he was saying, the magical timer started to beep and I felt a cold rush of air next to me.
Perfect timing! "Cold-kun, are you ready?"
He looks at me with a seemingly indifferent attitude and nods but I can slightly see the hidden resentment in his eyes. Is it the nickname? Or is he mad about me sticking to Nars earlier? If it's the ladder, trust me, I'll never do it again.
...probably.
I pretend not to see the resentment and turn to Nars,"Then let's start the game."
It looks like he still has something he wants to say but instead sighs,"Then I'll start the countdown..."
"3"
I face Cold-kun on my side of the area.
"2"
He also looks at me with slight killing intent."
"1"
I only have one chance at this. I subtlety reach for the bottle I obtained from Magi-kun lab.
"GO!"
Focusing my gaze on Cold-kun, before I had the chance to touch the potion, the person in front of me blurs before completely disappearing.
"Wha-!" Before I had a chance to react, Cold-kun was already gone. I spin around with my guard up, waiting to see if he's planned a sneak attack. 30 seconds pass without anything happening. I hear Nars chuckling next to me and I turn to look at him. The moment my attention was drawn to the laugh, that's when he pounced. I could roughly sense something coming from my blind spot.
It's now or never! I whip out the potion, using it to block the incoming attack. The glass shatters and the contents splatter on the two of us. Before the glass can cut through my skin, it disintegrates into thin air, as expected of Magi-kun.
Nows the moment of truth. I originally planned to throw the bottle at a distance so the purple goop wouldn't hit me, because I didn't know if Magi-kun's experiments would effect me or not. But Cold-kun made me throw that plan out the window. I took the risk hoping the purple sludge was made with magic and wouldn't effect me.
And...it looks like that risk paid off. I turn my body to face the frozen Cold-kun and back up a couple feet from the the magic-infused knife that was an inch away from me. Hmm, I also used the bottle to defend against the unknown attack, but seeing as its magic-infused, is probably be fine even if it stabbed me. Well, I'd rather not risk it though.