"But you?" I started to complain, then noticed her sword had gone dull. She'd already stopped infusing it. "Oh." My ears twitched in embarrassment. "Sorry, I didn't notice you stopped." I quickly pulled back my mana as well.
"It's fine. I decided we should change just now. However," she giggled lightly, smiling like this was all some fun lesson, "always observe your opponent."
"I do, though," I said with a raised eyebrow. I was observant. Wasn't I?
"Did you see how I dodged you?" she asked, tilting her head.
"You moved to the left," I said, frowning. It was obvious, wasn't it?
"Did I? Or did I jump to the left?" she countered, her lips curving into that irritating smile.
"Why would you?" I muttered, replaying the moment in my head. Then I remembered that strange flash-her height had shifted for an instant. "Why the fuck did you jump?" I asked, staring at her like she'd grown two heads.
"Observe, okay," she said firmly. "You have a good memory, but it doesn't help you in a new fight."
"Hmm. Observe, alright." I muttered, relaxing my stance again, and in my head I added, "I have good eyes as well."
"Okay, let's go again," she said.
[10 minutes later]
"How the fuck do you do that?" I yelled in frustration, sweat dripping down my neck. My chest rose and fell with ragged breaths. I hadn't landed a single solid hit. "You have perfect control over your body even though you jump around like a frog."
"Hey! Don't call my movement technique "moving like a frog"! she snapped, glaring daggers at me, her cheeks slightly pink with irritation.
"I'm sorry, but the closest thing I can think of that moves so weirdly is a frog," I said, shrugging helplessly. Her jumps weren't bad-they were infuriatingly effective-but still weird as hell.
"Tsk," she clicked her tongue, annoyed. "No one likes my movement technique. Even my daughter thinks it is dumb."
"Well, that's understandable," I said with a chuckle. "Many people don't have your flexibility and control over mana." I meant it as a compliment, though she scowled.
"Oh, do you want to learn it?" she asked suddenly, her tone sly.
"No, thank you," I said quickly, shaking my head. "I like trickery and illusions to be my main thing. So being a common movement technique helps put their guard down against me." I shrugged, though in the back of my mind I considered if I could adapt parts of her style. It would be hard, but maybe...
"Right, you're a fox," she said sarcastically, clearly unimpressed.
"Yeah, so jumping around isn't my style," I replied with a grin.
"Alright then, get up. Let's go on." She sighed, gesturing for me to start again.
"Okay, let me just clean up a bit," I said, raising my hand to smooth the floor.
"Hey, don't make the floor out of ice," she warned, her eyes narrowing.
"Why not?" I asked innocently, tilting my head.
"Do I need to answer that?" she said flatly.
"No, I just wanted a small advantage, okay?" I admitted with a shrug. I'd been planning to clear some blood and rocks, but leaving the terrain broken worked in my favor.
"Now that you tried it, all I was thinking was, do you ever slip on ice? Or more specifically, can you slip on ice or water at all?
"Nope," I said proudly. "It's not possible anymore. Anything that contains liquid cannot make me slip. I grinned at her baffled look.
"So, you broke your ice down to liquid manipulation?" I asked, almost flabbergasted.
"Yes, same for air, but it's sadly not strong," I admitted, shrugging.
"Hmm, and your other skills?" she pressed.
"Well, the fire can't go down any further. The same goes for lightning," I explained with another shrug.
"Yes, but you store stuff and teleport around?" she asked, raising an eyebrow now.
"Space manipulation?" I said slowly, tilting my head. The idea hadn't really clicked until she spelled it out.
"Yes, you should be able to get it out of those two skills," she explained.
"I guess I never thought about it," I admitted.
"Well, whatever. Think about that later. Now attack me."
"Alright," I said with a grin. I took the other two swords, slashing both down as I sent an arc of fire at her.
"Good move, but easily dodged or destroyed," she said, casually swiping her sword to erase the fire arc.
"Cool to know," I said from behind her, swinging both blades in a downward strike.
"You're good at using your teleportation, but you use it very predictably."
"Hmm, is that what you think?" I hummed with a grin.
"Wow, that was close," Marquis Anabald said, her hand snapping up to block, just barely missing three thin needles that appeared from thin air aimed at her wrist.
"I know multiple ways to use it," I said, lowering my blades. "But all of them are more deadly and not something you do in a spar where you are trying to figure out how your swords work."
"Fair point. Sorry."
"No worries, but thank you for trying to help me."
"I did help you," she said matter-of-factly.
"Yes, I didn't know you could split up any skill into its basic form."
"My pleasure," she said with a smile.
Boom!
We both froze. I looked down at the handle of my right sword; the blade was shattered and smoking. "It exploded?" I muttered, confused.
"Now, why did that happen?" Ann asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Hmm, I tried to put fire and lightning into it, and it exploded," I admitted sheepishly.
"Weird. Did you maybe overload it?"
"Nah, it has shitty durability. That's probably the case," I said, shrugging.
"Hmm, might be the grade of it," she suggested.
"Ah, right. All my elements are race-related," I said, scratching the back of my head. "Hmm, I will have to do some more tests, huh."
"Yeah. Now come test your things out. We have a week," she reminded me.
"Heh, you're right," I said, grinning again. I grabbed my remaining weapons and charged back at her.
[The day of opening]
[Unknown POV]
"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen." Welcome to the tournament of the year-something we all have been waiting for," Kayda said over the mic to the entire stadium. Her voice boomed, amplified across the massive arena packed with people.
"Boo!! Do a better job!" someone yelled from the stands.
"That fucking fox," Kayda muttered under her breath, shoving the mic into my hand.
'Guess she knows the red-haired fox,' I thought, clearing my throat as the crowd buzzed with excitement.
"Alright, ladies! And gentlemen!" I shouted into the mic, drawing the crowd's attention instantly. "Today, we have another battle royal on for all your entertainment!"
"Yeah!!! Let's go!" one girl yelled, louder than the thousands already cheering. Her voice carried above them all like a thunderclap.
"Kitsuna!!!" Shut up." another voice yelled back from the stands, making the crowd laugh.
"..." Kitsuna didn't reply, but her tail was likely swishing smugly somewhere among the crowd.
"Alright then," I continued, grinning at the chaos. "It's time to explain how the tournament will work. The first round will consist of four battle royals. Don't ask me how many are in one because I don't know, although I do know that there will only be eight winners."
'And the crowd goes wild,' the commentator whispered into his mic, watching the audience erupt in cheers and stomping. His eyes flicked toward the row where Kitsuna sat, noting her silence now. 'I guess the girl isn't going to say anything.'
"With the boring stuff over," I roared, raising my arm to the sky, "let's start this tournament."
The crowd exploded, the stadium trembling with their excitement, the roar of thousands marking the beginning of chaos.
avataravatar
chapter 176: Angels are mentally ill
[Kitsu POV]
As I glanced up at the commentators' booth, where Kayda and another guy were sitting comfortably above the crowd, I muttered under my breath, "Guess commentators are still a thing here." My ears twitched with every roar of the audience, and I wondered if Kayda had volunteered for this or if someone had forced her into it. She looked far too invested, eyes gleaming with that smug grin of hers as if she'd been waiting for this moment all day.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, please give a round of applause to the first group!" Kayda exclaimed, her voice carrying clearly across the arena thanks to the enchanted crystals surrounding the stage. The cheer that followed was loud enough to shake dust from the rafters, kids stomping their feet and waving banners as if the game were some kind of national holiday instead of a bloodbath disguised as sport.
"Hm. I wonder if killing anyone will disqualify you," I said idly, letting my gaze sweep over the crowd of children gathered in the arena with me. The group was massive, easily filling the circular battleground like ants swarming over crumbs. My tail flicked lazily behind me as I studied their nervous stances, their overexcited expressions, and the faint glow of mana that leaked from some of their weapons. A few looked confident, most were terrified, and the rest were trying too hard to look like they belonged.
"Let's get into the rules first," the other commentator announced, his tone sharp and commanding. "Rule number one: We will not tolerate spells that pose a risk to spectators." He let that settle for a moment before continuing with a deliberate pause. "Rule number two: Killing is permitted. Good luck, people."
The shift in tone-from strict to almost gleeful-earned a ripple of noise from the crowd. Gasps, cheers, and even a few worried cries mixed together, feeding the hungry energy of the stadium.
"Well, that answers my question," I muttered, lips curling into a grin. "But wait, wasn't this tournament supposed to be for kids under sixteen? Did something change?"
"Of course it's only children," came a voice beside me. I turned my head slightly and found a boy, maybe fifteen, standing with his arms crossed. His armor looked polished but too big for him, like he'd borrowed it from an older brother. He puffed his chest out as if that would make him seem braver. "This tournament is exclusively for those under the age of sixteen."
"Then why," I asked, tilting my head, "do we have the right to kill people?"
He smirked, leaning closer as if he had the perfect comeback. "Terrified, you'll kick the bucket, huh?"
A snort escaped me before I could stop it. "Pfft, nah. That just makes it way funnier." I grinned back at him, flashing my fangs, and he actually flinched. His bravado cracked, and that alone made this conversation worth it.
"Don't listen to him." Another voice chimed in, higher pitched and matter-of-fact. I shifted to my left and spotted a small girl dressed in what could only be described as a witch costume, complete with an oversized hat that wobbled every time she moved. She stood no taller than my waist, clutching a crooked staff carved with glowing runes. Her eyes were sharp, though, far sharper than her adorable appearance suggested. "No one will actually die. There's a special barrier around the stadium to keep everyone safe."
She puffed her chest with pride as she explained, clearly pleased to be the knowledgeable one.
"Alright then," I said, creating two chakrams in my hands with a casual flick of mana. They weren't anything fancy-just circles of ice with razor-sharp edges and a simple cross handle in the center to balance the weight. They gleamed faintly in the light, humming with cold energy. "So I can go ham."
The air buzzed with anticipation as the commentator shouted again. "Alright, ladies and gentlemen, let's get this show on the road!" Bells rang out across the arena, their chimes echoing like war drums, marking the official start of the battle.
"Get the fox first!!" someone shouted. I turned just in time to see the boy from earlier pointing directly at me, rallying his little squad to target me first.
"Good decision," I said calmly, eyes narrowing as I raised one chakram, "but you guys are far too weak."
Before they could even lunge, I hurled one of the spinning disks at him. It cut through the air with a vicious whistle. But I didn't even watch it connect. My focus was already on the small witch girl, tracking the direction her mana flared. She'd started chanting, her staff glowing dangerously.
"Sorry, Senpai," she said suddenly, her voice filled with a strange respect. "But you are too strong."
"Thanks," I replied, flashing her a sharp grin. "By the way, you're older than me." I moved in a blur, feigning a step before flickering behind her and making a mock chopping gesture at her head. The illusion of her body split, vanishing into sparks.
Not bad. Not perfect, but not bad.
'Not a terrible spell,' I thought as a shadow passed over me. I looked up, my eyes widening slightly as a massive fireball descended from the sky, still active even though I'd "killed" her illusion. 'But it's slow.'
"Kill her now!!" someone else screamed, and suddenly three kids leapt at me from behind, weapons raised. My tail whipped instinctively, striking them with a heavy blow. Steel clashed, sparks flew, and when the dust settled, only the severed tip of my tail lay on the ground. The rest of me was fine.
I let out a sigh. "Now, where are those angels?" My eyes scanned the crowd. I'd caught a glimpse of shining white wings earlier, and my instincts told me they'd come for me soon enough.
"What is this?" someone muttered, just as my tail swung wide again, smashing a few overeager attackers aside like broken dolls.
There had to be around twenty-five hundred kids in this first group. Even just running around and picking them off would take too much time. But if I went wild... if I really cut loose, I could flush out the ones I was looking for. The angels wouldn't be able to hide.
"Hey, brother, can't we kill this disgusting thing first?" A clear, young female voice echoed from above.
I tilted my head back, spotting them. Two angels, their radiant wings glowing faintly in the dim arena light, flew low to the ground, glaring at me with disdain. Their golden hair caught the light, and their pristine white armor looked untouched by the chaos below.
"I agree, sister. She looks and smells foul," the other angel-her brother-said with a sneer.
I grinned, baring my teeth. "I suppose the sentiment's mutual. You two practically drip arrogance."
"And you're not arrogant?" Another voice rumbled from behind me, deep and steady. I turned slightly, catching sight of a much larger boy pushing through the crowd. His presence was heavier than the others, and the way the children parted around him made it clear he wasn't just another weakling. His armor was dented and scarred-he'd fought plenty before.
