[Scarlett's POV]
He's... a little different from what I've heard. Geralt—my brother—said he's a jerk and warned me to stay away from him. It's true that during the early weeks of the second semester, his attitude was extremely annoying.
If I'm not mistaken, things started to change when that new guy—Brian—began hanging around Ariel, who used to be close with him.
"Piers, how did yesterday's scouting go?" he asked one of his team members.
"There's a large group made up of 10 teams. They've taken control of the northern part of the island," replied the guy named Piers. "Captain, why don't we form alliances with other teams to boost our combat power?"
Piers had a point—why doesn't he team up with others for better protection against stronger teams?
"I've considered it," he said, explaining his stance on alliances, "but I think teaming up will cause more harm than good to our team."
"First, it'll be harder to move with so many people," he added, raising a finger. "Second, coordinating during a fight will be nearly impossible if both sides have different chains of command."
I guess he has a point. Decision-making would take forever if we always had to consult with other teams. For now, there's nothing wrong with his decision.
"And lastly," he smirked, raising three fingers, "I'm not interested in sharing the spoils with anyone else."
Piers nodded, seemingly satisfied with that explanation.
"So, what's our next move, Captain?"
"For now, we're going to observe the other teams and see how things develop," he replied. "Piers, go gather more intel on the groups we should be cautious of."
Piers nodded again. "Understood, Captain."
Then he turned to me, probably about to give me orders.
"Scarlett, guard the basecamp while we're gone. I'm heading to the west side of the island to search for a red crystal."
I simply nodded, acknowledging his command.
Both of them left, and I was alone again.
I leaned against a tree, staring up at the clear blue sky.
It's only day two. We've still got five days left until this exam ends. I wonder how Geralt is doing. I'm sure he's fine. He's been eager to fight Brian ever since losing to him in that duel a while ago.
When he heard that Brian defeated the bear monster that killed a student, he became even more motivated to get stronger and beat him in this survival exam.
Speaking of duels, Brian also defeated that man last month.
There was something off about their fight. He had been dominating Brian so easily, reading all his moves and countering effectively.
Even in yesterday's battle against another team, he displayed impressive fighting techniques and control.
So, why did he suddenly lose to Brian with just one blow? I don't know. I have a feeling he had some reason for intentionally losing to him back then.
---
[Raul's POV]
After taking down two teams last night, our team earned 12 yellow crystals and two blue ones, bringing our total to 20 points today. But that's still not enough to guarantee us a spot in the next stage.
In this game, the average team will have around 150 points by the end of the first round. I predict that today, on day two, teams will start forming large alliances to avoid getting knocked out early.
A group with more than 10 teams forms a clan. Typically, they'll establish a perimeter around their controlled territory.
The weakest teams within the clan end up in a tough spot. They'll only get a small share of the crystals, which lowers their chances of advancing.
But they don't have much choice. If they don't join a clan, stronger teams will hunt them down.
This afternoon, I'm heading to the western beach to retrieve one of the red crystals located about 30 meters underwater on a coral reef. I hope the currents aren't too strong this time.
When I arrived at the beach, the sea looked calm. Finally, I could dive for the red crystal.
I stripped down to my underwear and dove into the water.
Swimming to the reef, I began searching the corals in the area.
There are seven red crystals scattered across the island, with three remaining around the coast. It's going to be tough to find any in the center of the island without getting spotted by the remaining teams.
I surfaced to catch my breath. Searching for a crystal in the deep ocean isn't easy. I took a deep breath and dove again.
A faint red glow caught my eye near a large coral about 100 meters away.
I swam toward the coral.
From a distance, I could see the red crystal wedged in a narrow crevice. However, I had to circle around to reach it from the other side.
But as I approached the other side, I noticed a blonde woman reaching for the same crystal.
Elena?
Not a great idea to fight her underwater right now. She hasn't spotted me yet, so I'll wait for her to grab it and then snatch it from her hands.
I slowly moved closer, preparing to use Axio, my leap spell, to spring toward her when the time came.
This is it… Elena had the crystal in her hands.
Axio!
A burst of energy shot from my feet, propelling me toward her. Elena turned around, realizing something was heading straight for her.
Her face showed surprise when she saw me appear out of nowhere.
But it was too late. I grabbed the crystal from her hands and shoved it into my mouth. Then, I swam as fast as I could to escape the water.
I looked back to see Elena chasing me with an annoyed look on her face.
Faster ...
This'll get ugly if she casts a spell while we're still underwater.
Soon after, I surfaced from the water. I hurried run toward the forest, attempting to escape. But then, I sensed a large flow of mana behind me.
"Raul, do you know that stealing from others is not a good thing to do?"
Hearing Elena's voice, calm yet icy cold, I halted my steps and turned around. Her hands were now sparkling with yellow lightning.
"Blitzkrieg!"
She's so fast!
Elena dashed toward me, launching a punch that I managed to block with both hands. But, thanks to her momentum and strength, my body was flung backward.
"Hand over the crystal, Raul," Elena said, now walking toward me with deliberate slowness. "Or are you more interested in playing with me?" She gave me a wicked grin.
"Hehehe~ It's been a while since I've had a proper fight with someone. Do you know why, Raul?" Elena continued, her entire body now covered with yellow lightning. "It's because no one in the academy dares challenge me."
Well... That makes sense.
Elena is the strongest student at the academy. She's ranked second in our year, losing only to Valeria because that green-haired woman excels academically. But in a real fight, I doubt Valeria could defeat Elena, who wields her Almario Del Relampago magic.
"Are you ready, Raul? I've always wanted to test just how strong you really are."
Once again, Elena dashed toward me, launching another punch, which I barely blocked with both hands.
Ughhh... Her strikes left my arms numb from the electric current flowing through her body.
Elena didn't stop there. She aimed a kick at my head, and I quickly ducked, retaliating with a sweep kick toward her legs. But the blonde-haired woman gracefully leaped back, avoiding my attack.
Elena muttered something, and soon after, a bolt of lightning formed in her palm.
"Double Lightning Bolt!"
Two bolts of lightning shot toward me. I leapt to the side to dodge them. The spot where I had been standing moments before exploded, sending sand from the beach flying into the air.
But Elena wasn't done. Before my feet even touched the ground, she was already upon me, aiming a flying kick at my torso.
I blocked it with both hands again, sending me tumbling backward.
Elena wasn't giving me any chance to breathe. She activated Accel magic, closing the distance in an instant. She aimed a left hook, her fist charged with electricity.
Once more, I blocked it with my hands, enduring the numbing shock from her lightning-enhanced attack.
She followed up with a left uppercut, but I swiftly sidestepped to avoid it, countering with a kick aimed at her head, reinforced with my own Temper magic.
Elena blocked it with her right hand. My attack was powerful enough to push her back slightly.
"Heee~ That was a strong kick, Raul," Elena said, flashing a smile at me. "But can you still entertain me after I use my real fighting techniques?"
After saying that, her stance changed. She looked like a Muay Thai fighter from my previous world. She had learned this combat style from Count Raymond de Chatelon, her mentor since childhood.
"I'm coming!"
Elena shot toward me, her arms and legs glowing as she used Temper magic.
I sharpened my focus, preparing for her next attack.
She launched a left jab. I dodged by tilting my head to the left, but Elena immediately followed with a right kick. I raised my left arm to block it.
Not stopping, Elena spun around, aiming a spinning back fist with her right hand. I ducked to avoid it and attempted to punch her stomach.
But Elena blocked my punch with her left knee. Her reflexes were incredible.
She then leaped back to put some distance between us.
"You... read all of my moves," Elena murmured.
Of course, I designed all your combo attacks. It's only natural that I know what you'll do when you move.
But I couldn't say that out loud.
"It's a shame the instructors don't allow us to bring swords," Elena said, sounding disappointed. "I wanted to try my new combo attack and see if you could withstand or dodge it."
The attack combo Elena was talking about is her signature 20-hit combo. She used this move in the game to defeat a noble vampire, one of the Demon King's army generals.
"I guess I can't ask for more." Elena resumed her fighting stance. "I planned to defeat you without using this magic, but your abilities are forcing my hand."
Damn, she's getting serious now.
"Almario Del Relampago..."
As soon as Elena said that, her entire body was enveloped in a yellow glow, with lightning dancing around her. Her golden hair lifted into the air. She now resembled a character from Dragon Ball transforming into a Super Saiyan.
Suddenly, Elena vanished from my sight.
She reappeared in front of me, launching a kick.
I was sent flying, unable to block in time. I landed on both feet, trying to regain my balance. But Elena was already closing in again.
She aimed a right punch at me. I hastily raised my left hand to block, but once again, she disappeared from view and reappeared at my right.
"Dragon Fist!"
I quickly activated Repel magic to minimize the impact of her attack.
-Bam!
Her punch landed squarely on my right ribs. I was sent tumbling across the sandy beach.
Ughh... Her speed increased manyfold when she activated her signature magic.
I struggled to get back on my feet. Elena was walking toward me, likely taking a moment to recover from the cooldown of her speed burst.
I had two ways to defeat Elena in this fight.
First, I could use the Nature mana within my shadow to surprise her. But I was reluctant to reveal my secret magic so early in the exam.
The second option was to use Reject Impact on Elena. Anyone hit by this spell would be unable to use magic for several days. But, casting it would paralyze one of my arms for days as well.
A high-risk, high-reward spell.
However, I didn't want to use it now. It's only the second day of the first exam stage. I'd be in trouble if I had to go through the remaining five days with only one arm.
I had planned to save this technique for the final day, but I hadn't expected to face someone as strong as Elena today.
"You still haven't used your Nature Mana, Raul," Elena said, preparing to attack again. "I'm not an opponent to be taken lightly. Use all your strength!" Elena dashed toward me once more.
If I couldn't beat her using either of those two methods, there was only one way left to counter her insane speed.
-Bam!
Her attack hit me again. This time, I could only rely on my Repel magic to reduce the damage.
-Bam!
She struck my head, arms, ribs, and stomach. I was doing my best to endure it. I had to memorize her attack patterns and execute a quick counter to take her down.
I saw Elena disappear from my view again.
-Bam! Bam! Bam!
She pummeled me with her fists and kicks.
My whole body ached. But I managed to memorize her pattern. Left, left, right, then left again. That had been the order in which she appeared to strike me. She'd likely attack from my left side this time.
However, I remembered her personality. Elena wasn't the type to let her opponent easily predict her moves.
"I'll finish you with this final attack!"
Elena disappeared from view once more.
I took a step back, and her fist missed me. Her face showed surprise that I had dodged her attack this time.
I grabbed her arm and slammed her into the sand.
I quickly mounted her to prevent her from vanishing again with her speed. But Elena swiftly reversed the position.
Now, I was the one pinned beneath her, and she was on top.
Both her hands gripped mine as she straddled my waist.
"No other student has ever dodged my attacks in that mode," Elena said, smiling at me. "Hand over the crystal, Raul. I know you're hiding it in your mouth."
We were locked in a stalemate, our hands gripping each other. Her face was so close to mine, I could feel her warm breath tickling my skin.
"Leader Elena! Where have you been?"
I heard footsteps approaching. Glancing to the side, I saw several students coming our way from a distance. It seemed they were members of Elena's team.
"Open your mouth, Raul," Elena said, leaning even closer. "Let's continue this fight another time."
I shook my head in response.
"Fine, I guess I'll have to take the crystal from your mouth by force."
Her lips drew nearer to mine. I struggled, but she had my hands pinned down, and her body weight made it hard for me to move.
Something soft and wet entered my mouth as Elena's tongue explored, searching for the crystal I had hidden. I held my breath, experiencing an odd mix of emotions in this difficult situation.
I felt the crystal lift from inside my mouth.
Elena pulled away, revealing the red crystal she had taken from me.
Her grip on my hands loosened. She then jumped back, creating some distance.
I quickly stood up, ready to resume the fight. But Elena's teammates were closing in. Fighting her with other students interfering would make things more difficult.
"Hey Raul, let's continue our fight another time," said Elena who put the red crystal into her pocket and give me a naughty smile. "I enjoyed our fight, you know." She then licked her lips, making me a little embarrassed about what had happened.
I hurriedly left the beach area before Elena's colleagues attacked me in this condition.
Damn! I searched so hard for the crystal but in the end, I could only return empty-handed.
Well... No matter, I guess I'll have to come up with another plan to increase our points later.
Upon my return to Basecamp, Scarlett and Piers looked surprised to see me.
"Captain...Why do you look battered like that? And where's your uniform?" asked Piers.
"I left it in the west coast area. I'll be back later tonight to pick it up."
After saying that, I flopped down onto the pile of leaves and closed my eyes to rest.
I was so tired today...