Chapter 52: Load of Hot Air

WHAM! A cloud of smoke burst from the corner of the room. Kaede, who's latest plasma bolt had just sent a Boobot crashing into the far wall, flashed me an eager grin. I gave her a thumbs up in approval.

It was just another day at the gym. My friends and I were deep into another intense training session, pushing ourselves as always. We’d reserved a room specifically designed for Ability practice, equipped with mechanical training robots—known as Boobots. These bots had adjustable difficulty settings, and my friends had been cranking them up little by little, growing more confident with each round.

“Nice shot!” Jonah called out.

“Thanks! But there’s still a lot I need to work on,” Kaede panted.

“Whatever you guys are doing, wrap it up soon!” Scarlette’s voice rang out from across the room. “Our session’s almost up!” She followed up with a massive wave of flames, briefly illuminating the room.

The gym had been packed lately, which wasn’t a surprise given the rapidly approaching tournament. However, I noted several students with Abilities that seemed unlikely to qualify them as class representatives training here as well.

I had heard that ever since the camp incident, people had felt motivated, or pressured, to improve their self-defense skills. With these factors in mind, we had been fortunate enough to even book a slot today.

“Cadel! Ready?”

I turned to see Scarlette raising a glowing palm, her eyes fixed on me. I nodded in response.

Without warning, a torrent of fire surged my way. A quick flick of my hand was all it took to stop the flames, which veered off to the sides as if colliding with an invisible wall. Another swift motion sent the fire roaring back towards her.

Scarlette quickly crossed her arms before sweeping them outwards. In an instant, the flames were extinguished.

“As cool as ever, huh?” she smirked at me, brushing the sweat from her brow.

“Cool? That was pretty hot, actually,” I replied, causing her to roll her eyes.

“Lame. Whatever, we gotta pack up now. Time’s up,” she replied.

We quickly powered down the Boobots and stowed them in their designated compartments before heading out. The next group of students, already waiting outside, filed in hurriedly and shut the door behind them.

Scarlette frowned as we walked down the hallway. “They really need to add more training rooms. It’s getting ridiculous.”

Jonah chimed in enthusiastically, “Maybe they’re planning to! You know about the arcade they’re building at the top of the mall, right?”

The top floor of our school's shopping mall had been undergoing renovation ever since we arrived on campus. Numerous posters and banners around the area clearly indicated that an arcade was being integrated, claiming to be an entertainment hub that would enhance student life.

“Yeah, what’s up?” Scarlette asked.

“Alright, check this out. I heard rumours that they’re gonna be adding a whole bunch of DreamPods in there!” Jonah exclaimed.

The rumours were something that I was aware of, and it would certainly be an interesting installment if they were true. DreamPods were cutting-edge technology, the latest marvel in mixed-reality systems. From what I understood, espers were able to simulate Abilities within their programs. They offered a safe, immersive environment for combat practice, skill development, or even duels against AI or other players.

However, I found it a little weird. We were in District 4, at the bottom of the barrel. Sure, the school itself was relatively modern, especially compared to the schools on the mainland, but it would be a surprise if the Administration was willing to invest a reasonable number of resources in our arcade. In the first place, I figured they were only adding one just so they had an excuse that they weren’t neglecting our school. Therefore, I tried not to get my hopes up.

“Well, it would be cool if they actually added those,” Scarlette admitted.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

As we turned a corner, she changed the topic. “Anyway, we’re supposed to meet at the foyer at… what time was it again? Six, right?”

I nodded. Along with the other class representatives, we were to attend the tournament briefing at 6 PM. I glanced at my watch. We still had about half an hour to go.

“It’s still a little early, but we might as well make our way over now. Maybe we can scout out the competition,” I offered.

“Good idea,” Scarlette agreed.

We waved goodbye to the others and headed toward the foyer. A light breeze drifted by, and the warm glow of the setting sun bathed the campus in gold, casting long shadows across the ground. How serene.

“Say Cadel, do you think you can win the whole thing?”

Scarlette’s question caught me off guard. I glanced at her. “What do you think?”

“I think you can.” She was being surprisingly firm. “…that is, if everything goes smoothly.”

I tilted my head curiously. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I mean, you’ve made quite a name for yourself… and quite a lot of enemies as well. I’m worried someone might try to play dirty, you know?”

I tried to get a glimpse of her expression. She was about half a head shorter than me, and her long hair was masking her face. However, I could just about make out a hint of concern, if it wasn’t obvious enough from her tone.

“I’ll be fine,” I said, trying to reassure her. “Besides, it’s not like I haven’t dealt with worse.”

“I guess.”

Based on past competitions, there should be a total of 64 participants from our school. However, given our massive campus, we had about 40 classes, which meant there would be some leftovers from today’s briefing. I had a rough idea of how the school would filter them out, but I was sure they would clarify everything later anyway.

Upon arrival at the foyer, I did a quick scan of our surroundings. Only about 10 students were there, and I recognised a couple of them.

“Cadel Ren. Scarlette Falcon.”

I caught Scarlette balling her fists in my peripheral vision.

I raised my hand in greeting. “Hey, Zara. And you’re Kerri, right?” If memory served right, Kerri was the girl with enhanced speed and reflexes. During our team battle with Zara’s group by the beach during the camp, she had been a minor threat, darting around and landing gut punches on my friends.

Kerri responded with a cautious nod. “Hey.”

Zara laughed. “Why am I not surprised to see you two?” She must have sensed the tension, because she quickly added, “Come on, we’re friends now, right? Let’s ease up a bit.” She extended a hand to Scarlette in an attempt to break the silence.

I could tell why Scarlette looked like she had just seen a ghost. Zara, a master of air manipulation, had clearly bested Scarlette in their previous encounters. Still, she should have expected to see the air-powerhouse participating in the tournament. Aside from me, she was probably the strongest in the grade.

I was a little worried about how Scarlette would respond, but she didn’t disappoint. She snapped out of her trance and shook Zara’s hand in response.

“If we meet in the tournament, don’t expect the same result as last time,” Scarlette said, smiling faintly.

Zara gave her an approving pat on the back. “That’s the spirit.”

“What about you?” Scarlette shot back. “Shouldn’t you be wary of Cadel?”

Zara smirked. “I’ve studied his abilities. I’ve already thought of ways to counter him.”

“You—what? No way. You’re bluffing,” Scarlette said, unable to hide her surprise.

Bluff or not, I wasn’t concerned. While Zara was undeniably a formidable opponent, I didn’t see myself losing to her—or anyone else here, for that matter.

“No reaction at all, hmm?” Zara observed my face closely.

I frowned at her. “Isn’t it a little early to start the mind games?”

She laughed again. “It’s never too early to mess with people, don’t you think?”

Ignoring her, I let my eyes wander around the foyer. More students were trickling in, but no one in particular had caught my eye. High rankers were a rarity in this school, but since the class representatives for the tournament were supposed to be the strongest students from their respective classes, I estimated the majority of us here to be 4-Stars, with maybe a couple of unlucky 3-Stars mixed in. For all I knew, there was also always the slim possibility of other hidden 5-Stars among us.

As the room continued to fill, we were eventually led to a nearby auditorium, similar to the one used during Orientation. Arriving early gave us the advantage of snagging the better seats. Naturally, I aimed for a corner seat near the back, but Scarlette slipped past me at the last second and claimed it for herself, leaving me no choice but to sit between her and Zara.

“Sorry, but I need you as a buffer,” Scarlette whispered, clearly uncomfortable. I didn’t really care either way, so I obliged.

Almost immediately after everyone got seated, a familiar man took the stage. He had been our teacher in charge of our Combat Fundamentals module, but ever since the incident at the camp, a substitute teacher had replaced him, possibly because of the sudden increase in workload he had to deal with.

“Ugh,” Scarlette groaned softly.

Dr Connor’s voice carried easily across the room. “Good evening, everyone. I hope you’re all doing well. Welcome to the first briefing for the Intra-District Games.”

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Administration Notes:

School: Waning Crescent

Name: Zara Terminus

Gender: Female

Year: First-year

Rank: 5-Star

Division: Combat

Ability: Zara possesses the Ability to manipulate and control air with exceptional precision. Her mastery enables her to command anything from gentle breezes to powerful gusts. Additionally, she can disrupt oxygen levels around her opponents, potentially suffocating them. This versatility makes her a highly formidable adversary in combat.

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