"They aren't even together.", Archer was murmuring while beating his living puppet. "I need to find some good ones. What am I saying? I need to find people with improvement space. If they can improve they can be useful.", he did a spin and with the end of his spear sent Lapis away with a chest thrust. And this mean time while waiting the puppet come back he realized. "Wasn't I supposed to do this already?", he waved to the puppet as he started to looking to partners.
There were some quite individuals using all kind of weapons there. Except for Archer's puppet battling another human was much more effective. So this ones he crossed out of his search as they were already could be on a team.
He stopped before a boy almost same height as him but with a round face and structure. He had gray bowl hair and hazel eyes. The boy was practicing with a halberd. This was a little longer spear with a blade made to slash and pierce while Archer's were only focused on piercing. His movements were simple and some of others were mocking his always horizontals slashes. So Archer approached.
"Hey.", the boy returned with a greet with his head and kept training. "Can I train with you? By the way, I'm Archer."
"Thomas.", the boy extended his hand and Archer shake it. "I won't be a good partner for you.", he sadly smiled.
"Why? Your movements are very clean and precise. I could learn with you and you can learn with me. How about it?"
"I don't know.", he looked at Archer and after a little around. "You're too much for me.", he whispered.
"Oh.", he understood the situation. "I'm not here to bully you. Actually I'm without a team for the mid semester simulation. So I'm looking out for some people and see you here.", he smiled to the boy.
"ME?", the boy thought that Archer was lying.
"You don't trust me?", the boy felt pressure at Archer's words. "Lets spar a little and then you can say if you want or not. I won't force you."
"Okay.", the boy raised his weapon and took stance to defend.
Archer needed to know how his partner would act on instinct. So he did the only thing a spear can do and a halberd can't. He threw it. Thomas was scared but the training paid off. As he did a simple horizontal slash to redirect the attack and did a spin to keep his opponent on the side.
"That's enough for me.", Archer said. "I lost.", he raised his hands. He wanted this boy on his team. His fundamentals could be on the same level or higher than Archer's.
"What?", Thomas didn't understand. "You can fight yet, don't you?", that was right but.
"Only weapons.", miss A said approaching them. "He lost the moment he threw his weapon.", she understood very easily what Archer wanted and she noticed that the boy had potential. "Consider joining Archer, Thomas.", she said and left looking at the other students fighting. She couldn't help to enjoy seeing a hopeless boy being raised to the top.
"Do you need time?", Archer asked him.
"No, I don't.", but he couldn't answer.
"Look I don't need your answer right now but I need to keep looking out for the rest of the members. So when you come to a decision let me know, okay?", he said and left.
"You are going to find more people?", Thomas asked and Archer agreed with a nod. "I'm in.", he panicked and accept it. He could easily regret later but this chance could be lost in a couple of minutes if he let Archer go. At least that was what went through his mind.
"Oh. Nice. Welcome to the team, Thomas. Come with me then.", Archer was happy for the answer.
"Okay."
"Can you tell me about your mutation and spells?", he wanted to start looking for strategies.
"Well it's not that great as the others.", Thomas was afraid of being left out of his team because of it but he chose it to speak up. "I can transform into a elephant hybrid and my spell affinity is water."
"Seriously?", the boy made a sad face hearing this words. "That's great. I don't need to find another frontline then."
"What? Did you find this good?", the boy was a little worried.
"Your slashes are very good so while mutated you can increase the strength behind them. As well you have a trunk. The possibilities of using it is very wide. Water magic goes well with your transformation too. So you are a very good match for a protective frontline.", Archer explained.
"Really?", while this was clear for Archer for others could be very strange. This was due to his high Intelligence.
"Yeah.", he approached the ranged weapons stand. "Lets look for a ranger now."
"Oh.", Thomas noticed one friend. "My friend is over there.", Archer felt a little worried as he wasn't after friends but good companions. "Verns."
A beautiful girl turned to them. She was a little taller than both of them. Long and straight black hair down to her waist. She had a katana sheated on her waist. While using a longbow on the puppets away. Her eyes were light purple like a gem and her ears were a little point. A half-elf.
"Hi, Thomas and his friend.", she sounded like a angel even if Archer didn't have listen to one.
"Archer, pleasure to meet you.", he extended his hand and she looked a little strange at him.
"She is from a different culture. So don't mind this.", Thoman lowered Archer's hand.
"Oh. I'm sorry."
"Don't be.", she was a little sorry as well. "What are you doing here?"
"Archer is building a team. How about you show him your skills?", Thomas was a lot more excited now than before. But she looked to Archer as she was reading his soul.
[A entity is trying to read your mind. The system will block it.]
"Are you a mental type?", Archer asked as he read the message.
"Yes but I can't read you.", she said. "I don't trust you."
"He's trustworthy, Verns. Show your skills to him. He won't force you to join. He didn't with me.", the boy explained to her.
"Everyone can see. So there isn't a problem.", she started to shoot.
Her form as her quickness were impecable. It was almost like a normal rifle that others were using on another stands. But she lacked something at Archer's eyes. Her power was low and this couldn't help at all on battle. So he looked at her another weapon. She could use both was a good addition even for a low attack. Of course her mental mutation was one thing that Archer was looking for but she wasn't so friendly.
"Can you use it?", he said pointing at the katana.
"Of course.", she said. "Do you want to try?", she evil smiled at him and this is what he wanted from the beginning.
"Yeah.", he smiled back.
This half-elf was hiding something but he couldn't read her. She holded the blade by its hilt but still on the sheath. He on the other hand was holding his weapon carefully into his fighting stance. Holding with his right hand on the middle of the staff and his left hand over it a little after the blade that was pointing at her.
From afar miss A started to take interest into this fight. Verns was a half-elf and she didn't show much of her skills on the training grounds. She was hoping that Archer was able to sprout her out of the comfort zone.
"Battle.", Thomas said and gather some attention from the students on the area.
Archer wasn't thinking of throwing the weapon again. This method was better with shy and expontaneous people. She was the type to hide things. So she could easily handle the throw without worrying and leaving him clueless. She kept the blade on the sheath so probably she was a quick draw user.
She can read minds. This was easily on the ground. On a normal battle she was the perfect emboydment of counter attack. But she couldn't read Archer's thoughts because of the system but yet she was in the stance. So she was fast and confident on her skills to keep going.
It was like a eternity this few seconds of thoughts. They could draw the combat over and over again having everytime one different winner. But what was troubling Verns was that only in a few she could win and much conditions would have to happen.
So he started with a great leap towards her. Her stance lowered and the sheath point was to the sky. He lunged his spear attack holding the end of the cable with his fingertips. The distance between him and the blade was over six feet. She started to think on her actions as this movement wasn't on her calculations.
"DODGE.", she heard Archer screaming.
Not after doing the lunge he spinned and kicked the weapon's end for more impact. As she was immerse on her thoughts she had a delay on action. A great crack was heard and she passed out for a few seconds.
When she woke the place was a little higher and she was on Archer's arms. The spear crossed his whole left shoulder. All of his body and clothes were in blood. She panicked but couldn't yell. He left her on her feet and knelt down on the floor unconscious.
He used the Sixth Gear to protect her but this would destroy his own body as this was over his limits. From Fourth Gear above he had consequences using it but she could have died if he didn't act. Miss A was too far away and while entering this state he looked at her so she warned him that she couldn't help.