The heat of the summer sun raged on as two first year Trinities carried on, but even that was not enough to stop the spectators to go into euphoria. It was because the battle burned furiously hotter, both in its metaphorical and literal sense. Two unexpectedly well matched teams slugged it out with each other, as the mages of both exchanged spells.
"But that's no use..", thought Seijurou, as Kazuma relentlessly hurled elemental spells towards Kasumi to separate her from Kanae. "The caster of the 'Holy Aura' will only nullify anything with malicious intent."
All of Kazuma's offensive spells were efficiently dispelled by Kasumi. However, the residues that Kasumi's "Aura of Protection" deflected only burned the already burning platform. It was slowly becoming suffocating in the middle because of the smoke. And since the flames continue to engulf the octagonal stage, they were running out of space.
"Duck!..", yelled Chizuru, at the same time, pushing Kazuma down with her, as a small arrow almost grazed them. "Kaguya-chan! I see you!"
Shooting with a crossbow instantly voided the invisibility potion's effects, which revealed Kaguya's position. The time between nullifying the illusion and the arrow being shot was enough for Chizuru to react. Although a sharpshooter herself, detecting an incoming projectile and its trajectory was also Chizuru's specialty. However, right after that, Kaguya vanished again.
Kanae's sword sliced through the floor suddenly, as Chizuru and Kazuma rolled out of the way. Barely even upright, Chizuru pushed herself from the ground to strike with her dagger, only to hit Kanae's shield. And right before she even landed a foot, another arrow went straight for Chizuru. Fortunately, wielding a dagger allowed mobility and quick reflexes to block the very sharp looking threat.
"The Predator Princess, Sendou Kaguya..", said Seijurou to himself, while he observed Kaguya's movements. "Her name is such an irony for her build.. named after the legendary 'Rabbit Princess Kaguya'.. that cunning hunter's instinct makes her no rabbit.."
Kaguya, once again, vanished, while Chizuru and Kanae engaged in a melee battle, only to appear in another spot to take a shot at Chizuru. But the "Ranger in training" dodged again while the "Predator Princess" took another invisibility potion.
At just about the same time, Kazuma casted a massive Blizzard Spell on Kasumi, which practically passed her unharmed. Kasumi simply continued shadowing Kanae to keep the Aura spell in effect after that. However, Kazuma began to pursue her to take a closer shot, while casting Earth spells to protect himself from Kaguya's arrows.
Kazuma snickered. "Let's see if you block physical attacks, Priestess!"
A resounding bang followed right before Kazuma was able to land a hand on Kasumi. He was knocked to the ground abruptly. A silhouette of multiple braids of black hair and sniper goggles slowly took shape on top of him, as the rest of the sniper's body revealed itself. Toho Kazuma was all of a sudden, at "gun point".
"Just like that alien hunter sci-fi manga I've read the other day..", Seijurou thought, as Kaguya aimed her weapon at Kazuma.
"Game over..", said Kaguya, while she pulled the trigger of her crossbow.
In that split second before the deadly projectile left the mechanical shooting device, Chizuru threw her dagger towards Kaguya. As the arrow left the crossbow, the dagger effectively deflected it keeping Kazuma safe. It left Chizuru unarmed though, causing her to retreat with a few acrobatic flips.
"Download seventy two..", chanted Kazuma without the Download gesture and the spell incantation. Then, he placed his palms flat on the ground causing Kaguya to retreat and vanish. "Volcanic Eruption."
An enormous fountain of magma spewed out from where Kazuma was causing the crowd to cheer louder after witnessing a magical spectacle. Twice the audience thought that the duel was over, but it still pressed on. As of the moment, more people poured in the stadium after getting news of the freshmen's showcase.
After the spell finished wreaking havoc all over the place, Chizuru appeared out of the smoke and rubble to check on Kazuma. "You alright? That was close. Good thing that bunny girl showed herself too long."
"I took damage from that shot..", Kazuma referred to the dent on his chest plate caused by Kaguya's arrow. "It's pretty strong even if I have this armor."
"That's obvious with the way you were floored..", replied Chizuru, while she helped Kazuma up. "Anyway, we need to regroup. Where the hell is that hentai?"
Kazuma chuckled. "He's probably having his time of his life getting roasted."
"I doubt it..", Chizuru frowned and pouted. "If I know.. that fool."
"You want me to put the flames out?"
Chizuru thought about Kazuma's proposal. However, she quickly declined, as she shook her head. "No. That'll give more space for Kaguya-chan to utilize."
Meanwhile, at the other side of the raging fire, Jax sat down as if meditating on the ground with his axe planted. The spectators basically have ignored him since they thought that he was trapped in the flames. However, being the strongest fighter on the Octagon as of the moment, that was not necessarily the case.
"Dammit. Why does it have to be 3K?..", Jax thought, as he blushed. "There's no way I can harm their tender skins and adorable faces."
Xi Jae-jin, or more commonly known as simply Jax, could be a ruthless boy to those he stepped on, especially to those he hated most. Being gifted with size and strength, he knew very well of his capabilities and how to flaunt it to display his superiority. However, he always had one weakness, chivalry, in which he could not harm in any way the opposite sex.
"I have to think of something before the fire burns out, or else, I'd be forced to do something..", Jax looked at a small reddish mushroom after. "No, that's too much. God knows what horrible things I'd do to those kawaii little faces."
"Oi! Baka-Xi!..", Chizuru yelled in irritation, immediately getting Jax's attention. "Are you done pondering on your perverted thoughts?!"
A drop of sweat rolled down on Jax's head as he realized Chizuru had given him a new name. "I can't get through the fire, Taneda-chan! Maybe a little help?"
"Bullshit! You and I, and everyone else know that you can do something about that yourself!..", an enraged Chizuru nagged even more to Jax's fear. "Hurry up already and finish this up!"
Besides being a complete mismatch when it comes to build to build comparison even if Jax had a higher "PC level", Taneda Chizuru was the only girl in school who could tame Jax's superiority issues. With her being a member of the female population, which was Jax's weakness in itself, she had an overwhelmingly nasty mouth to begin with that Jax could not possibly fight back.
"Dammit all! That wench really scares me to death..", Jax said to himself, while he stood up to pick his weapon and dashed towards the wall of flames. "Why did I have to team up with her?"
The moment Jax cleared through the massive bonfire, 3K came into view, who seemed to be planning their next course of action. It caused Jax to freeze and blush at the sight, as all three of the girls stared at him. Although it seemed like a perfect opportunity to take him down, a gigantic hand made out of rocks suddenly grabbed him. It was Kazuma's "Earth Spell" with the intent to bring him back to his teammates.
"Toho! You baka! I was about to get personal with 3K!..", an irritated Jax was about to beat a helpless Kazuma up, but he was stopped by Chizuru by whacking him back to his senses.
"Okay, while we're hidden behind all this mess, let's change strategy..", said Chizuru commandingly, while a small lump appeared on Jax's head. "Even if we're much ahead in PC levels, their builds are a nuisance to ours. Any suggestions?"
"That Priestess is completely immune to my magic, though technically, she's the squishiest of the bunch..", replied Kazuma with a snicker, while the other team began to move. "So, I tried attacking her with a physical attack. Maybe we can focus on that?"
"No, you'll only hit a wall if you have any intention of harming her."
Suddenly, the two came into a realization, as they looked at Jax with a smirk.
Looking clueless, Jax pointed to himself, as they begin to hear footsteps around them. "What are you both looking at?"
"Let's move. They're already starting their next offensive..", Chizuru said, as she stood up and looked around. "Stick close, I'll explain while we have a go."
Cheers around the Octagon began to roar louder once more, as the combatants started to make their move. The air felt stickier because of the influx of more spectators, but it did not stop them to go in a state of hysterical joy. As Seijurou's view became more obstructed due to everyone standing up, though a little irritated, he found himself doing so as well.
"How are you going to overcome this, Saru-san?..", Seijurou thought, as he dreaded the hour that he would be rooting for his arch nemesis because of being in Chizuru's Trinity. "Don't you be wasting my efforts in working on your stupid axe."
"Now, now, I didn't expect it would turn out great..", a husky and familiar voice spoke out of nowhere to Seijurou. It was the first years' homeroom teacher, Hayama.
"Hayama-sensei..", Seijurou looked at his teacher in an awkwardly surprised way.
"I was the one who suggested that Taneda, Toho, and Xi to form a team.. thinking that it would be best to have the right mix out there to showcase our class's talents..", said Hayama to Seijurou, as Jax's Trinity began their pursuit on the fighting platform. "It was unexpected that they drew the right team to counter them."
Seijurou could not agree more to his sensei's words since Chizuru and her teammates were having a tough time from the beginning. However, the key to shift the tides of the battle all boiled down to one individual. And this realization, no matter how true, came to his annoyance.
"If Xi-san finds a way to overcome his weakness, it'll all be over..", Hayama reiterated, which caused Seijurou to frown afterwards. "His player character level is miles ahead of the rest of the combatants.. especially in combat skill."
"Then, if it all depended on that, it's hopeless, sensei."
"The match isn't lost yet, Erida-san..", said Hayama almost at the same time Chizuru split from her teammates. "There is a reason why I put Taneda-san with those two."
As Chizuru veered away from the pursuit of Kanae and Kasumi, a look of reluctance engulfed Jax and Kazuma's faces. They had a plan in mind, but it seemed that the two were not in complete agreement with it. However, there was not much time, as the enemy approached.
"Eh?!..", Jax exclaimed, while they continued the pursuit. "Take Kasumi-chan out? I can't do that! Where are you going?!"
"Figure something out, ero-saru!..", yelled Chizuru, while she went to a different path.
And then, a hesitant Jax finally took the courage to take a swing but with the axe's blunt side. "Buki no Jutsu (Weapon Art).. Axe Handle Bash."
At the same time, while chuckling to himself due to the series of events, Kazuma sprayed flames towards Kanae to distract her. Blinding the "Shieldmaiden build" momentarily, Jax was able to follow through with his weapon. Or so he thought.
The gargantuan weapon simply bounced back causing Jax to trot backwards clumsily. It made Jax come to a realization that he still had the intent to hurt Kasumi since the "Holy Aura of Protection" worked against him. He immediately turned pale and bowed in apology, as he figured out what he had done.
"I am terribly sorry, Kasumi-chan.. I intended to hurt your fragile and delicate body..", said Jax apologetically, while he blushed and bowed multiple times.
"It's okay, it's okay. No worries, we're in a duel, after all..", Kasumi replied shyly, while she bowed repetitively herself.
Droplets of sweat rolled down on the spectators and combatants' heads for a moment.
Just a second later, a stinging sensation struck Jax's shoulder. It quickly brought him back to his senses and reached for his back to find out what it was. He realized that he had been shot when he plucked out a small arrow that came from above.
However, right after that, Chizuru shot an arrow towards the perpetrator who stood on one of the boulders that Kazuma created earlier. It grazed Kaguya a little to her shock, as she evaded on the last possible moment. It caused one of her braids to be cut and her neck shallowly sliced.
"Time to hunt some rabbit for dinner..", Chizuru said with a smug look on her face, as se began her pursuit of the "Rabbit Princess".
Hayama-sensei smirked, while he observed the final stages of the battle. "With Jax's large amount of 'HP' due to his build, and with his overwhelming advantage in 'PC levels', that crossbow arrow might've felt just like a bee sting. So, Taneda used him as a lure to find her prey."
"But is she still at a disadvantage with Sendou's build, sensei?..", asked Seijurou, as he too never took his eyes off the Octagon.
"No, and Taneda-san made sure of that by keeping the battleground small by keeping the fire burning, eliminating the only advantage a sniper has, distance..", Hayama pointed out, while he observed Chizuru and Kaguya's movements. "Without it, a 'Ranger build' has more experience in stalking. Now, the hunter just became the hunted.. the predator is nothing more than a rabbit in a hole."
A loud clang followed after the two markswomen finished their swift exchange. Jax had been bashed by Kanae's shield making him stumble backwards. A sword stab followed, which Kazuma blocked with an "Ice Shield" to Jax's rescue.
"Enough of the flirting..", Kanae said, while she raised her shield and sword. "Let's fight, Jax-kun."
With the way Kanae addressed Jax, he flushed wildly but was still able to react with a block when she swung her sword. Kazuma shot another ice spell but was countered by Kasumi's barrier. All that followed was Jax being on the defensive, while Kazuma desperately continued to hurl in some spells. But the battle of magic would ultimately be in the Priestess' favor because of requiring much lesser "MPs".
"We need to stick to the plan now and switch targets..", said Kazuma, as he continued to spray wind, water, fire, earth, and some combination spells in intervals. "I'm going to run out of 'Magic Points' soon if this continues."
"Easier said than done, loser!..", growled Jax, while he continued to defend from Kanae's sword flurries.
"We'll all be losers if you don't make things right..", Kazuma shot back, as he retreated a little to take a short 'MP' recovery. "It just looks wrong to see a 'two-handed Berserker' be on the defensive against a 'sword and board'."
For some reason, the thought of being put together as one of the losers, ticked Jax off and woke something up in him. With that, a breakthrough in him happened, as he was able to disarm Kanae and threw her shield off with one swing of his axe. But again, realizing what he had just done caused him to bow and apologize.
"I am terribly sorry, Kanae-chan.. I got carried away..", said Jax while he bowed repetitively.
Hayama and Seijurou looked on, as the two warriors moved on to the final phase of their melee combat. Seijurou was a little surprised with the turn of events, but Hayama was not fazed at all.
"That explains the difference in their levels..", Hayama pointed out, as a faint smile formed on his face. "It was just a glimmer of him being serious, but Xi-san was able to neutralize Fukuoka-san."
While Jax continued to prostrate himself in front of Kanae, a blankness seemed to form in her expression. An inexplicable grudge began to burn inside of her, as she took something from her pocket. She shot Jax with a look of anger, while she took a bite out of a reddish looking fungus.
"You had your chance to take me out of the equation..", said Kanae to Jax, as the aura around her transformed into red. "Are you mocking me, Xi Jaejin-kun?"
Jax smiled sheepishly and blushed with how Kanae called him, but it immediately disappeared, as he saw her pupils gradually disappearing. "Uh.. Kanae-chan, please tell me you didn't just eat some red mushroom."
Kanae ignored Jax and just simply drew hand axes with each hand, while she approached him. "Is it because I'm a girl?!"
"Okay.. this changes things..", Kazuma blurted, while he began to retreat in horror. "Run!"
With the significant turn of events, the audience roared, as Jax desperately held his own with blocks and dodges when Kanae unleashed an unending flurry of decapitating chops. It was as if she did not tire out with the relentless assault. Even if Jax fought seriously, he would not have room to make a counterattack.
"Fukuoka's second form, a dual wielding 'Berserker'..", pointed out Seijurou, while he watched intently. "Although almost defenseless, her successive quick strikes prevent her opponent from attacking."
"However, she isn't completely defenseless..", Hayama argued, while he observed Kasumi's movements. "Shinazugawa-san continues to shadow her to share the aura's protection, but from a greater distance this time for good reason."
"What reason, sensei?"
The sound of metal banging against metal continued to echo throughout the stadium, as Jax continued to be in the receiving end. The surprise left by Kanae eating the "Berserker mushroom" still lingered inside him, while he tried to think of the next course of action and deflect Kanae's unmerciful blows at the same time.
"I cannot stop doing this. I'll need to hold out..", thought Jax, as he barely avoided another decapitating. "She's not herself. If I retreat, she'll attack the next person she sees."
Jax shot a glance at Kasumi as if begging her to get away. However, giving signals towards an opponent was something out of the question since they would not understand each other. But he still did not give up on trying to relay his message to Kasumi.
Then, Jax realized something, as Kasumi still followed Kanae from a distance. It was not that Kasumi did not understand him. It was simply because of her not willing to abandon her teammate.
"Kasumi-chan! Please!..", Jax yelled at Kasumi, while he got Kanae into a lock of weapons, which he was slowly losing. "Hide! She'll kill you too."
Hayama gave Seijurou a quick look before putting his attention back to the match. "Amanita muscaria's disadvantage is that it cannot be used in team battles.. because it will only make you a mindless beast that will kill anything moving.. including your friends."
Translation Notes:
Rabbit Princess Kaguya - the protagonist of the Japanese folklore narrative, "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter". However, in this chapter, Seijurou refers to her as the "Rabbit Princess" which is a nod to the main antagonist of the fictional universe of "Naruto" by Kishimoto Masashi. Whether Seijurou cited the old "monogatari", or Kishimoto's classic, it will remain unexplained due to copyright issues.
Baka-Xi - a wordplay by Chizuru with Jax's family name this time which means "Stupid Xi".
Ero-saru - a wordplay by Chizuru again which means, "Perverted Monkey".
Honorifics Guide:
Saru-san - literally means "Mr. Monkey".