Lily was definitely the best teammate for me.
Mana Vision worked wonders when paired with Mana Swordsmanship. Any wizard, spellcaster, or mage would love fighting with Lily.
With Mana Vision easily accessible, we would be able to keep track of Lily's movements even if we did not look directly at her. We can then set our spells in advance to trigger when the mana in the area was just right.
The only problem would be opposing spiritual mana users. If they had Mana Vision and had enough combat experience, they would be able to counter Lily with their planned-out spells.
Any high-level Mana Manipulator would also be able to disrupt Lily's movements if she was too weak and timid.
Thus, as the silent wizard announced the start of the battle, I closed my eyes and cranked up the output of Mana Vision. I made use of all the mana programs I had engraved into my optic disc.
When I reopened my eyes, I saw the swirling blue tide that was Lily's attack. What should have been an invisible strike was clear for me to see.
The mana followed a circular path, moving counter-clockwise and swallowing all five of our opponents in a torrent of pure force.
I watched them all stagger, but this single move was not enough to defeat them all.
It seemed like Lily discovered that just now. She looked down on her peers a little too much.
Thus, she suddenly switched to a single target. With a flick of her sword, she sent an arc of sharp mana flying outwards.
Thud—!
The attack did not connect with her target. A thin mana shield had blocked it all.
"We can win this!" Seeing their successful defence, one of the students yelled, "They may be at the top of the rankings, but we have numbers!"
"Rush them!"
A ball of water came flying towards Lily at this moment, and the two sword-wielders broke into a sprint. Lily indifferently continued her dance of mana, determined not to falter no matter what came at her.
The ice queen cared for nothing but results. But she couldn't win all on her own.
As such, it was time for me to act. Mana Vision showed me an image of the battlefield with mana chaotically moving in between each and every one of us. There was mana flowing into the bodies of martial artists and mana being pulled into programs by the mages.
There was also the large tide that Lily manipulated with every movement of her sword.
I sprinted forward like a rushing shadow without hesitation. I followed the path left behind by Lily's manipulation of mana.
As the wave of mana crashed into the two swordsmen in front, I ran past them, meeting the ball of water in midair.
[ Explosion (Conical) ]
Flames burst out from my blade, swallowing up the projectile. A burst of water showered the arena and steam rose from the area I had blasted.
I then turned around just as Lily pulled her sword back. The flow of mana pulled me in, and I used that force to spring forth. My dagger was aimed straight at the heart of my foe.
"Behind you!"
I heard one of the students yell out. A Mana Shield appeared, seeking to protect the swordsman I was aiming for.
But in the depths of my eyes, a blue light flashed.
The weakest point of the shield became clear for me to see. I thus pushed my dagger straight through it and turned my stab into a rabid slash.
Crack—!
The Mana Shield broke into pieces as Aventine drew blood.
—Hissss!
The sound of a snake's hiss rang throughout the arena. The taste of blood was pleasing to the serpent in my hands.
Then came Lily's rush of mana, pushing the two swordsmen off their feet. I leapt up and rode the waves, landing right beside Lily's blade. We stood shoulder to shoulder for a moment as we gazed into the souls of our foes.
They gazed back at us with unyielding expressions.
There was still much to do.
So I crouched back down and waited. My dagger pointed forward, ready to snatch victory the moment it would show itself.
Lily nodded at me without a word. It seemed like I had proven myself to her through that flashy display. So, she rushed forward, with turbid mana coating her blade.
I followed her closely from behind, acting like the shadow I trained to be. I was a blur of movement that sprung out whenever she made an attack.
The battle truly began at this moment.
...
I supported Lily with all of my abilities. Everything that she could not completely avoid, I was there to meet with an explosion or parry. I even took several attacks head-on and still emerged unscathed.
The power of viscous mana was not to be underestimated. It coated my skin, bones, flesh, and even my cloak. None of these F rank attacks could faze me.
As Lily danced with grace and beauty, I surfed the battlefield and struck wherever the waves brought me.
The great depths of my eyes had given birth to a star of blue that shone with every flashy spell that was unleashed. I was like the chaotic mana that littered the arena. Free-flowing and without blockage.
Yet, out of our collective blind spot, a sword suddenly came flying towards Lily's neck.
Clang—!
Luckily, my dagger was there to stop it. I leered into the eyes of the one who attacked. That was a close one. If not for the presence of my Foresight, I wouldn't have seen it coming.
I frowned, and the swordsman flinched from how fierce my expression was.
[ Explosion (Conical) ]
I cast another spell and forced another Mana Shield out. My mana was being drained at a rapid rate with all these spell casts.
Crash—!
Suddenly, a pillar of mana slammed the swordsman down into the floor. Lily had found an opportunity and used it well.
I then stabbed at the swordsman's heart. A thin Mana Shield appeared in the air, but they should already know that such a move was a futile effort against the point of my blade.
I pierced through the shield, shattering it into pieces. My blade continued forward until another, thicker Mana Shield appeared.
This time, I wasted no energy to pierce through the shield. I sprung to my feet and rejoined the flow of the tide.
That swordsman was already eliminated.
It was now two against four.