I started my stretches and took a nice deep breath to relax. The class typically switches gears frequently depending on the goal for the month. If a big test is on the horizon, we focus on the academic side of the course. If a physical examination is around the corner, we move towards a more physical base regimen. Professor Garrison, of course, doesn’t shy away from either of these sections; even if we are studying for a big test, we are still training at least once or twice a week as a class.
I’ve also been maintaining my daily routine of working out and training. Wake up, work out with Sylvia and Ren, go to class, leave class to head to the library for an hour or so, then train in swordsmanship and magic with Sylvia later in the day. This has essentially been my routine since I arrived here.
My magic training has… gotten slightly better overall. I can’t say I’ve been focusing too hard on this aspect, but I’m at least improving in my mana control. However, with my body getting stronger and the increase of my mana pool, my overall strength with mana enhancement has begun to take a noticeable rise.
I’m faster, stronger, and more agile than I have been in years. I might not be where I was before, well… before my death, but that’s to be expected. I’m not on the level of a War God either, but maybe I’m on the cusp of a breakthrough that I just don’t know yet.
And speaking of War Gods, Professor Garrison has kept good on his offer to teach me swordsmanship. Although I’m not particularly good with a sword, having a teacher that can explain things simply and straightforwardly is a huge boon. I’d say I’m at least comfortable with a sword now, although I would prefer to be using a spear. Of course, it’s not that Sylvia hasn’t been teaching me in our afternoon training sessions… it’s just that she isn’t cut out to be a teacher.
Not that I would ever admit that to her face. I know she is trying her best, and I’ve already learned the hard way.
In the last few weeks since my conversation with Bowen, we have switched to a more physical regimen in preparation for another physical test, considering the last one was a bust. This has led to Sylvia and I not receiving a class ranking just yet. Both of us have completed a written exam but we still need to complete a physical examination that isn’t cut short by a botched assassination attempt.
I am also not sure if we are even going to get ranked in the class. I could easily see a world in which Bowen placed us into this class just as a diversion. Our skills and accomplishments leak out to the general student body, which adds even more prestige to class Onward and Forward University. Then the two of us disappear into the night when my father shows up, and nobody's the wiser.
At least I can see Bowen doing something like that. Maybe I should just ask him? I did enjoy our conversation, if I was being honest…
Regardless, it doesn’t matter. Bowen isn’t forcing either of us to do anything, so I don’t care if he uses our accomplishments to boost the reputation of his school and this class. It’s the least we could do for him.
“I hope you are ready to lose,” Sylvia said playfully.
I looked up slowly at the Vampire, who was standing tall above me. I could just imagine the grin on her face as she looked down at me with her hands on her hips.
“Uh-huh…” I mumbled.
“What’s with that attitude? Don’t think I’m letting this go a second time,” Sylvia hissed.
Second time? Oh… the dungeon exam… she did want a competition.
“What attitude… I’m just stretching, and I don’t even have a team, so I might not compete,” I complained.
Sylvia’s one blue eye narrowed at me. “That attitude,” she said with a sigh. “You know, if you just went up to people and talked to them, you could form a team with anyone in the class.”
“You think so?” I asked honestly.
Sylvia let out another deep sigh as her arms dropped to her sides. She was about to say something else until she was interrupted mid-breath. “That won’t be necessary. He can join us,” Lauren said proudly.
Sylvia looked over her shoulder at Lauren and then back to me, only giving me a slight shrug that I didn’t understand the meaning behind. Lauren strolled over and offered me a helping hand so I could get off the ground, which I accepted.
“Do you really want me on your team?” I asked her. Lauren didn’t let go of my hand as she brought it to her chest.
Too soft. Too dangerous. What the hell is she doing?
Sylvia let out a low growl that she suppressed quickly by staring off into the distance. Lauren either didn’t hear her or didn’t care. “I love the fact that I don’t need to see your face to know that you are blushing. And of course, I did, Voker. I knew I wanted you on the team from the beginning. Not many people can play the role of Skirmisher like you can. Not to mention…” Lauren spoke in a sweet voice as her words trailed off.
It’s just a natural reaction. Please refrain from teasing me. At least that’s what I wanted to say.
“Not to mention… what?” I asked while slowly snaking my hand away from her grip and rubbing my hot ears.
“Oh, nothing…” Lauren said with a giggle. “So, does this mean you will join me?”
I looked back over at Sylvia, and she just let out a small scoff. “Don’t look at me. You don’t need to ask for my permission to do things.”
Using my own words against me? I mean, if it was going to anger her, I didn’t necessarily want to do that… but why do I feel that way?
Lauren let out another giggle and looked up at me meekly. “Seems you got permission. We are going first, so… I’ll see you in a bit?” the princess said with a wink.
“Sure…” I said weakly.
Why do I get the feeling I’m missing something? And why is Lauren acting like this? Come to think of it. She has been a little different since our rooftop conversation.
I looked back at Sylvia, and I could see her smiling with her eye as her ears twitched slightly. Her gaze quickly snapped to me, and she let out an evil chuckle. “See you in a bit…Voker.”
Ah…man…
—
“I will explain the rules one more time, so pay attention,” Professor Garrison stated. The War God looked down from his pedestal at the class. It sounded like everyone was trying to hold in their breath, so they didn’t breathe too loudly.
“The rules for Three Goal Bastion are simple. Teams of five are to split into Legionnaires and Shields. You can also have a single Skirmisher on your team if you so desire. Each team starts in its designated zones. Legionnaires are in quadrant one and can’t pass the centerline or into quadrant two, which is the Shield’s quadrant. Shields can’t cross the backline or the line of quadrant two. If a team employs a Skirmisher, then a third quadrant is created in between quadrants one and two. Skirmishers can’t cross to quadrants one or two and must stay in their designated box. Stepping out of your quadrants or off to the sides constitutes a knockout, understood?” the professor asked, checking for confirmation.
Everyone nodded or grumbled in agreement which only made the Professor let out a strained sigh. “That's the movement covered… now roles and rules. Legionnaires can not use magic, only mana enhancement. Legionnaires and Skirmishers can remove enemy players from the field by throwing a direct hit at the enemy, causing a knockout. Knockouts only happen if the ball connects with the body of the target and then hits the ground or hits the body and goes out of bounds. If the enemy catches a Legionnaires or Skirmishers' ball, it is not a knockout, and neither side is knocked out. However, Shields can use magic, but they can only use it defensively to defend the goals. Shields can not knock enemy players out. Shields can not make persistent barriers to block goals, such as using Earth magic to create walls that last more than a few seconds. If barriers persist for too long, the Shield will be warned once, followed by a forced knockout. Skirmishers are allowed to use magic in the same way as Shields and are allowed to knock players out the same way Legionnaires are. Skirmishers, however, are locked to their quadrants and therefore can not retrieve balls from the center. Balls may only be passed forward and laterally, not backward. A Shield can pass a ball to a Skirmisher and to a Legionnaire, but a Legionnaire cannot pass the ball back to a Skirmisher. Also, no infusing the balls with magic! No Fireballs! No Waterballs! No Earthballs! If you break this rule you are out, instantly, and don’t even think about complaining.”
A student raised their hand. “Professor? Why would any team not have a Skirmisher if they can do everything?”
“Good question. Skirmishers are powerful yet weak at the same time. You are either removing a Shield from your lineup that could defend a goal easier or removing a Legionnaire that could retrieve one of the seven balls in play. If a team lost all of their Legionnaires in a single round that team wouldn’t be able to retrieve any balls the following round. Not to mention both Shields and Legionnaires lose space to maneuver because of Skirmishers creating a new quadrant. Skirmishers also can’t join the initial ball rush, so they can only get balls passed to them by Shields. Also… good luck using magic while you are that close to the enemy. Shields get a few extra seconds to see the ball coming… Skirmishers don’t,” the professor explained. The student gave a nod of understanding and he eyed us to see if he could continue talking.
It makes sense… being a Skirmisher sounds like a job for someone who can use mana enhancement and magic at similar levels. Someone like me.
Nobody seemed to have any as the Professor explained the goal of the game. “Now, to win, you must score either twelve points or eliminate all five players from the enemy team. If you are knocked out from the game, you are not allowed back in at all, even at a round restart. There are seven balls in a round. Balls are removed from play by either being destroyed, going out of bounds, or being used to score. If all seven balls are destroyed or used, a new round begins. For goal scoring, the central goal is worth three points per ball, while the two side goals are worth two points per ball. Knocking a player out counts as one point. One more thing, it’s a gentleman's rule that whatever team has the most balls or players at the time is to be on the offensive. And that’s pretty much it…”
So if you technically got four balls into the center goal, you could win in a single round or any combination of that really. But the odds of that happening seem to be relatively low. And what’s this talk of balls being destroyed?
Jen raised her hand and waved it around. “Yes, Miss Icebreaker?” the professor asked.
“What happens if like… there is only one player left on a team at a round restart, Professor?” the young Half-Dwarf asked.
The Professor gave us a grin as his dark green eyes bore into us through his glasses. “Then that player becomes a Praetorian. All movement restrictions are removed besides out of bounds at the center, side, and back lines. Praetorians can utilize the power of all three roles with none of their restrictions, besides the Shields’ magic limitations. Also, the persistent barriers and magic infusion rules are still in place regardless of a player becoming a Praetorian. Sounds good?”
“Sounds good,” Jen said with a friendly wave.
“That should be everything… honestly, most of you have already played this game before, and for those of you who haven’t, it’s the type of game you just need to play one round to understand,” Professor Garrison assured us. “Lauren and Terstus, your teams are up first.”
This announcement caused a few muffled oohs and ahhs from the crowd. It was no secret that Terstus and Lauren were not exactly the best of friends seeing as the two were competing for the head position on the student council. The school has sort of formed around the two as they are the up-and-coming stars, considering the current student council is about to graduate.
Terstus is essentially the face of a majority of the Elves and Dwarves. He is apparently the future Shadow Clan Chief if I'm to take his word. I learned that the Chief’s position isn’t necessarily guaranteed from my reading. It’s a combination of birthright and martial prowess. Considering the Shadow Clan was a nomadic clan until recently, it makes sense that they would prioritize strength over blood. In theory, even I could challenge Terstus for the position of Chief regardless of Dad’s status in the clan.
But uh… Half-Dark Elves aren’t exactly included in the list… so maybe I’m not eligible… and I sure as hell don’t want that responsibility anyway. I’d rather disappear into the mountains than become a Chief or King of anything.
Then there is Lauren, second in line for the nation's throne. She has essentially the entire Human vote as well as a vast portion of the Beastmen. And it’s not hard to see why.
Lauren is not only potentially the next ruler of the nation, she's also loved by a considerable amount of the general public. Her social reform policies have garnered attention and admiration from people while she battles against her warmongering brother for the crown.
This isn’t even considering Lauren herself. The first princess is charismatic, and she has the air of a Queen around her. Lauren exudes that kind of energy most of the time while also managing to be personable. The side I see of her at school is probably a side people don’t even know exists. And, of course, it helps that Lauren is a very beautiful young woman.
The thing is, it’s not that Terstus is inherently bad or not well-liked… it’s just that he doesn’t have that same type of energy. He seems to lack that air of importance that Lauren exudes. When I look at him… I just can’t imagine him leading anything.
Is that bad of me? It might be. Perhaps it’s some deep-seated High Elf bias in my blood telling me this? No… personally, I just don’t think he has what it takes.
“Voker,” a quiet yet serious voice called out from behind me.
I had to look down somewhat at her. Dark Elves tended to be the biggest Elves around and on average, were as big as most Humans. But there were always outliers, and Sededa was one of those.
The young Dark Elf was short for her age, and I hadn’t had much time to speak to her considering she was always around Terstus who was her cousin. I had initially thought her to be a meek girl. It turns out she just doesn’t talk very much.
“Sededa.”
“I never did have the chance to apologize for Terstus’s behavior that day in the cafeteria, and for that, I’m sorry. But, please don’t hold it against him,” she asked of me.
“Don’t worry about it. He hasn’t brought it up or pestered me about it since, so it’s not a problem,” I assured her.
She gave me a faint smile and looked out towards the field. “This is…a weird team the princess has assembled.”
“Yeah… that’s for sure…” I agreed.
Looking out across the field for who would be our opponents, I saw Ren, Sylvia, Linnetia, Terstus, and Varnir. Which made me wonder why Ren wasn’t with Lauren…
“Lauren, why isn’t Ren on your team?” I asked.
The princess gave me a shrug and a playful smile. “I could ask you the same about Sylvia or why Sededa agreed to be on my team instead of a certain idiot’s team.”
Sededa just let out a defeated sigh. “That… doesn’t answer my question…” I grumbled.
Lauren gave me a serious look as her green eyes bore into me. “If Ren were on my team, she would spend the entire time trying to protect me instead of winning. I’d rather win, even if it’s just a practice match.”
“Why aren’t you with Sylvia, Voker?” Sededa asked me.
“Because she wants to beat me,” I stated simply. “Why aren’t you with Terstus?”
Sededa just stared blankly out at the field. Her long black hair was tied into multiple buns at the back. “Because I want to beat him. Besides, it’s just for fun,” she said in a deadpan voice.
Ah… reminds me of me. We could probably get along, Sededa.
“I have high hopes for you, Voker!” Parker said while giving me a friendly pat on the back.
The young man was smiling brightly at me, which showed off his perfect white teeth. “I wouldn’t put too much faith in me. I’ve never played this game before,” I told him.
“Ah, don’t worry about it. It’s pretty easy, and you have all the right skills for it,” Parker reassured me while moving the curly hair out of his face.
“How long do these games typically last… I mean, you can technically win in a single round, right?” I asked.
“You could, but it’s pretty rare. I think I’ve only seen a team lose in the first round once or twice. I’d say games tend to last about three to four rounds, depending on the teams. If a team goes super defensive with three Shields and two Legionnaires, the game can really drag on,” Parker explained.
Sededa let out a small grunt of confirmation and nodded her head. “Games can also go quickly if a team goes with three Legionnaires, a skirmisher, and only one shield.”
“You’ve played before?” I asked.
The Dark Elf gave me a side-eye. Her swirling smokey gray eyes watched me for a moment as if trying to discern a deeper meaning behind my words, but then she shrugged. “Yes. We were taught this game at a young age in order to better blend in with the nation.”
I see… so it was a decree from the clan.
“Think fast!” a deep voice shouted.
I heard it coming and extended my hand out towards the object. Something wet and rubbery smacked into my open palm as I gripped it. My fingers sunk into the ball for a second but were pushed out as it became more solid.
What the hell is this?
I tried squishing the ball, but it wouldn’t budge. Running my fingers along the shiny yellow and orange surface gave me the impression of glass. But just a second ago, when I first caught this thing, it felt like it was somewhere between a liquid and rubber. Even a bit of residual orange chunks on my fingers had hardened.
“What is this?” I asked the professor.
“It’s a game ball, pretty cool, huh? It’s made out of sap from a tree mixed with a bunch of other stuff… not sure how it works, but it does,” Professor Garrison said in his usual friendly voice.
The ball was bigger than a grenade… uh… maybe I shouldn’t think about it like that. It’s significantly larger than a baseball but not so big that I can’t grip it with a single hand. I was more worried that I would kill someone with this thing. The ball weighed quite a bit, and with a mana-enhanced toss to the head…
The Professor let out a chuckle. “I know what you are thinking, but don’t worry about it. The faster you throw the ball, the softer it becomes, so don’t worry about hurting someone. It will only return to its original shape and hardness when it slows down. At worst… you will give someone a nasty bruise. Word of advice as well, you can throw this ball too hard.”
I see… very interesting indeed. You know, this ball being like glass, I wonder if I just squeeze hard enou—
Crack.
The ball of hardened sap cracked and crumbled like a window being broken. Much to the Professor’s enjoyment as he just laughed at me. But at least I understand how balls can be “destroyed” now. If this hits the ground hard enough, it will break and become unusable.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Jen ran over from the center of the field with a satisfied grin. “I’m doooneee!”
She was the last member of our team and had lost the quick game we played to decide who would help set out the balls in the center of the field. The seven-game balls were spread out evenly across the centerline. I believe it would be challenging to grab two or more of them very quickly without committing heavily. Snatching one and moving to safety is probably the best bet.
However… it was… amusing yet awkward watching Jen run. Her Half-Dwarf proportions sort of just made everything look… unnatural. Long arms on a short torso. Legs that are just a bit too short… a more muscular frame than Humans should have, yet still managed to be petite.
I see why she is self-conscious about it now. However, I don’t think she has much to worry about despite this. It’s not like Jen is some kind of abomination that people would wince at just by looking in her general direction.
If anything, she is sort of cute… like a small animal… man I can definitely not say that out loud.
“Hey, Voker… are you okay? You look a little red?” Jen asked.
“Just fine,” I answered back quickly. She gave me a confused look in return that I ignored.
"Alright, everyone, get behind the line and be ready to run to your designated quadrants. Just wait for the clap to start. Legionnaires, good luck on getting those balls,” the professor said while walking over to the other side of the field.
With that, we lined up on the backline of our goal. The stadium used for our mock battles had been retrofitted for Three Goal Bastion. Behind us was the smaller central goal worth three points and to our sides the two larger side goals worth two points. I can see how going for the center goal was not so easy…
The center goal was simply a metal rod stuck into the earth with a circle at the top. It was only a tad bit bigger than the balls, and it was set further back than the two side goals. This meant that to score in the central goal, you had not only to throw a precise ball, but you also had to contend with the Shields having extra time to defend it.
Challenging indeed.
Professor Garrison finished his final words with the opposite team and then moved to the pedestal that looked over the arena. I felt a gaze digging into my skin and caught Sylvia watching me. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end for a second as I imagined her feral grin behind her mask.
She is going to try and kill me… isn’t she?
“Parker! Go, Parker!”
“You got this, Parker!”
“Go, Princess Lauren!”
“Sylvia is going to crush you!”
What’s with that last one? And did I just hear someone say my name?
The stands exploded with a quick burst of cheers for Parker, followed by some follow-up cheers for Lauren and, surprisingly, Sylvia. Parker gave a friendly wave to the group of girls calling his name, and Lauren flashed them a brilliant smile. Sylvia didn’t even blink as she continued staring at me from across the field much to the dismay of her fans.
Wait, does Sylvia have fans? Did I miss something, or have I just not been paying attention? Why am I getting flustered over this? Why do I even care? This is… new. Not the time for this.
The coliseum-styled arena went quiet as we watched the professor’s movements closely. He grinned faintly, and everyone tensed, ready to spring forward only for him to relax again. Lauren let out an annoyed scoff, but as soon as the sound of her scoff hit Professor Garrison’s ears, he clapped loudly.
The five of us bolted off towards our positions. Our shields, Lauren and Jen, were at the back as they didn’t have very far to go with me in the center. Parker and Sededa forced mana into their legs and pushed them towards the center. The two of them fanned out towards the balls on the edge, and I nearly choked on my spit at what I was witnessing.
Sylvia wasn’t holding back at all.
By the time Parker and Sededa made it to the center of quadrant one, Sylvia was already at the line, rolling one ball behind her and going for a second. And much to my surprise, Linnetia was only a few steps behind Sylvia.
Instead of going for another ball, Linnetia picked up the one Sylvia had rolled backward and tossed the ball straight at me with one fluid motion. It was nothing more than an orange blur moving toward my chest, and if I had blinked, I would have lost track of it.
Mana pulsed through my body from the center of my chest. The warm water feeling of mana coursing through my limbs empowered my body and gave me just enough time to dodge the ball narrowly. The orange game ball smacked into the dirt hard and bounced up into the air.
By the time I looked back at the center of the field, the balls had been distributed. Sylvia’s team had collected five balls in total and tossed one at me already while we only had two.
“Voker!” Jen yelled. I turned around and caught the rubbery ball as it began to harden once more.
Did she catch it? Well… that’s nice.
Now we were at a stalemate as the two teams glared at each other from across the centerline. All Legionnaires were armed with a ball, and Sylvia’s team had one extra, which she was holding in her other hand. Sylvia’s team’s Legionnaires were her, Varnir, and Linnetia, while their Shields were Ren and Terstus.
Suddenly the enemy Legionnaires moved. Sylvia and Varnir aimed at Parker while Linnetia wound up for a long throw at one of the goals. Seeing an opening, I tossed the ball straight for Varnir while he was still mid toss. Parker managed to dodge Sylvia’s ball by dropping to the ground, but Varnir’s clipped him in the shoulder. The ball bounced off Parker with a wet thud, it hardened quickly, and as it hit the ground, it shattered.
“Ahhhh….” a course of voices rang out from Parker’s removal.
“LIN! LIN! LIN! MY WONDERFUL SISTER!” Sylas screamed out into the arena.
My ball was inches away from taking Varnir’s head off. The Dark Elf’s pink eyes went wide in fear as it closed in on him, but I let out a small grunt of annoyance and admiration. Linnetia, ignoring her brother’s praise, stuck her hand out and grabbed the ball from the air. She twisted her body around with an acrobatic move and used the ball’s momentum to throw it back at us.
She’s a monster. She caught the ball, and she managed to toss it back in the same motion.
The orange ball soared over my head towards the center goal. I glanced over my shoulder to see a tendril of turquoise water snake out from Lauren’s hands and engulfed the ball right before it entered the goal. The ball slithered down the tendril and into Lauren’s hands as she gave me a quick smile and tossed it towards me.
“Parker Ruse is out! Sylvia’s team has one point!” Professor Garrison's voice boomed.
Parker gave us an apologetic smile as he jogged off the arena floor. Sededa wasn’t sitting on her thumbs during that time as she managed to get past Terstus’s wind barrier and scored a side goal that secured us two points, which put us at two points and down to only a single Legionnaire while the enemy team was at 100% with one point. So our side has two balls now as well as theirs.
You know… this is kind of fun. I’m having fun. Maybe I should try a bit harder?
“Sededa on you, aim for one of the goals,” I told her. Since we were down to only one Legionnaire, I figured it would be prudent to protect Sededa while taking out their two shields. If we remove Ren and Terstus, we can score free goals over time and play defensively, even if it takes a long time.
Besides… aiming for Sylvia and Linnetia seems like a mistake. They are both way too strong for their own good.
She gave me a quick nod and reared back for a throw. Sylvia and Linnetia both aimed at Sededa but I could see their eyes looking at the goal behind her. Sededa’s ball raced off towards the side goal that was being protected by Terstus and I couldn’t help but chuckle at her choice of targets. While that was happening Sylvia and Linnetia both threw their balls at our goals.
I followed her up with my own throw and this time the ball was moving way faster than before. Terstus raised his hands up and a gust of wind knocked Sededa’s ball off course, sending it out of bounds. He barely managed to give me a scowl as Ren yelled at him to dodge but he was too busy maintaining his spell as my ball smashed against his face, bouncing off with a boing.
Terstus let out an unmanly yelp as he fell onto his back, rubbing his red face. He tried wiping away the tears, but I didn’t miss them, and neither did Sededa as she let out a snicker.
Double-checking behind me, Jen had managed to block Sylvia’s throw for our center goal, but Lauren missed, which allowed Linnetia to score an additional two points.
“Terstus Shadowstorm is out! Round over, reset! The current score is three to Lauren and four to Sylvia!” Professor Garrison bellowed.
With that, the field would be reset. Parker and Terstus began replacing the game balls while the remainder of the team gathered for a short meeting. A student used water magic to clean the field of broken ball debris, which probably meant the balls could be reformed and reused.
Both teams were down one player, but we were hit the hardest. Only having one Legionnaire to gather balls at the initial rush would severely hinder our offense capabilities. But on the flip side, the enemies' defensive capabilities were crippled. Ren might be highly skilled, but she can’t defend three goals simultaneously.
“So, what are we going to do?” Jen asked everyone.
Lauren was staring into the ground as her eyes rapidly darted around. Finally, she let out an annoyed sigh and looked right at me. “Do you think you can destroy the balls aiming for our goals with fire magic?”
“Yes, I didn’t want to interfere with your defense too much, but I should be able to maneuver around and defend the goals,” I told her.
Both Lauren and I looked straight at Sededa, which made her frown slightly. “What? Why are you looking at me…”
“They will aim for you. I can almost guarantee it,” Lauren said.
“Agreed,” I added.
Jen tilted her head. “How do you know that? Maybe they just go for the win and try to overwhelm us with scoring?”
“Jen… if they take out our last Legionnaire, we can’t get any balls outside of defense. They can just force a round restart by purposely breaking the balls and then have a brand new round with seven balls at their disposal. Voker is good… but I don’t think he can dodge three balls at once while Ren also attempts to score on us,” Lauren explained.
Sededa gave a weak shrug, seemingly accepting her fate. “Then what do you want me to do? I can’t outrun Sylvia and Lin… I could beat Varnir, but that’s risky if those two aim at me.”
“You only need to get one ball. Don’t throw it, just retreat with it. Pick whatever side is safest,” I told her. “We are going to destroy a majority of their balls. I imagine their three Legionnaires are going to target you regardless of what happens, so we are going to play around with that guess. If you dodge two… then take one hit… can you possibly redirect the hit high?”
“I can try…” Sededa grumbled.
“Then that’s what we are going to do. Let’s go.” With Lauren’s stamp of approval, we headed back towards our starting line.
The crowd gave another round of support for Lauren and Sylvia, while the pro-Parker group was awfully quiet this time around. Finally, Professor Garrison gave everyone a quick glare, and the entire class ceased their conversations. He took a deep breath and, with a single clap, round two began.
And it went just as we imagined. Sededa managed to snatch one ball from Varnir’s side. Sededa was surprisingly fast for someone who was supposed to be a mage. Perhaps that’s the Dark Elf blood doing its job… or maybe her mana enhancement is just that good. Nevertheless, her tosses were nothing to scoff at either.
It was four vs. four, and we only had one ball to their six. Things were not looking good for us, but we had a plan. Sylvia, Lauren, and Varnir all aimed at Sededa. Ren in the backline began aiming for the goal, but to our surprise, only Sylvia threw a ball at Sededa. Everyone else aimed for a goal.
Sededa took the hit straight to the chest, but it was a calculated move. Sylvia had thrown the ball too hard, and it looked more like a fast-moving puddle than a ball as Sadeda held the goop tightly to her chest. The ball quickly reformed to its original shape.
Lauren erected a wall of turquoise water and blocked two balls to our side goal. Jen’s ice block destroyed another ball, but Linnetia’s toss flew true. It was about to go directly into the center goal before a streak of yellow lightning left my hands and went straight for the game ball. It was reduced to ash in the blink of an eye. Of course, everyone just stared at me afterward.
Where are my cheers… that was a good play…
“Well… that’s not what I was expecting, but good job, Voker!” Jen yelled.
“Yeah… thanks…at least somebody cares,” I mumbled.
Lauren tossed me a ball which put us at four balls, and Sylvia with one. Sylvia was seething from across the field at her failed attempt to knock Sededa out. While she gripped her own game ball a little too tightly, Varnir tried giving her some words of comfort, but she wasn’t having it.
Now then. Time to take out Ren and score some goals.
It was simple. Lauren tosses a ball into the goal. Ren attempts to defend, allowing Sededa and me to attack her for free. It should go perfectly.
Lauren launched her ball, and Ren grunted in frustration as she defended the center goal. Sededa and I both fired our balls off immediately after. The two orange balls went straight for Ren, but I was not expecting Sylvia to intervene the way she did.
Sylvia dropped her ball and literally tossed Varnir into the ball's path, and Linnetina used Sylvia’s back as a springboard for the second.
Varnir managed to catch one of the balls aimed at Ren using his chest, and Linnetina snatched the one aimed at the goal out of the air with ease. However, Sylvia wasn’t quick enough to stop my ball from smacking Ren in the stomach, knocking her out of the game.
The crowd erupted into a cheer at the display, and quickly capitalizing on their sudden influx of ammunition, Sylvia and Varnir tossed their balls straight for Sededa. Sededa got caught in her leg as she dodged the first ball. The ball ricocheted off of her and shot off towards the corner of the arena.
It was on the opposite side of me, and there was no way I could reach it in time. But there was one person who could stop that ball from hitting the ground. Jen ran as fast as her little legs could carry her and slid through the dirt face first. Her braided light brown hair mixed into the cloud of dirt, but Jen managed to barely hold onto the ball with hands outstretched, saving Sededa from being knocked out.
Jen was grinning ear to ear as dirt covered her entire body. She didn’t even bother moving her dirt-matted hair from her face. “I did it! I saved— ughag” Her cheers were cut short with a loud boing as Linnetia sniped Jen in the face, leaving a massive red mark on her forehead.
“Arene Maxwell and Jyngwyn Icebreaker are knocked out! The score is four to Lauren and five to Sylvia!” Professor Garrison announced.
This is it. We have a chance to pull ahead right here. Two balls in the center goal, and we all but win.
Lauren once again tossed me the ball Jen had saved and gave me a determined nod. Sededa gave me a glance but quickly turned back to face her opponents. There were no rules saying Legionnaires couldn’t defend the goals using their bodies… they just couldn’t use magic to protect the goals.
So… do we aim for the center goal knowing they are going to sacrifice someone or at the very least deflect a ball? I think we can manage it…
I went first, expecting that they would probably put more effort into stopping my attempt than Sededa’s. My ball flew through the air straight for the center goal, and as expected, Linnetia jumped up for it. Sededa’s throw wasn’t far behind mine as Sylvia tried throwing Varnir again but this time, she put a little too much strength into her throw.
Also… why is she throwing him? I’m pretty confident that Varnir is athletic enough to do the same thing Linnetia is doing. Does she just have a grudge against Varnir or something?
The crowd let out a groan of unison as Varnir landed onto the dirt rather hard, but that wasn’t the only thing they were groaning about. Much to our despair… Sededa had missed… barely. The ball bounced off the metal ring of the goal and right back to the enemy Legionnaires.
Did she… miss on purpose? I… no… maybe it was just an accident…but…
I also couldn’t do anything as Linnetia threw the ball back immediately. She had caught it mid-air and threw it before she even landed, right at Lauren. The princess dived for the ground but it wasn’t enough as the ball smacked her in the ribs, knocking her out of the game.
“Laurena Maxwell is out! The score is four to Voker and six to Sylvia!” the professor announced.
Sylvia had scooped up the ball, and she was out for vengeance. The orange and yellow sap ball wobbled in its flight path but didn’t break apart wholly this time. Sededa tried to dodge it, but the ball wrapped itself around her thigh with a wet smack, knocking her out as well.
She… she wasn’t even trying? Is she just pretending to be tired? I… there is no way Sededa is purposely doing this all of a sudden, right?
“Sededa Shadowstorm is out! Four to Voker and seven to Sylvia! Round reset!” the professor announced once more.
Well… this wasn’t supposed to happen.
Sededa quickly marched off the field without saying a word while Lauren gave me a concerned look. “Did… something happen to her?” she asked me.
“I wish I had an answer to that….” I responded.
“Well… good luck?” Lauren said with a weak smile.
“Yeah… I’m going to need it,” I mumbled.
Since there was nobody to strategize with, I just returned to the backline. With nearly everyone out, the resetting of the arena went quickly, and the destroyed game balls were swept away by Lauren’s water magic. It was now me versus Sylvia, Linnetia, and Varnir.
What a pain. But either way, win or lose… this was fun. Too bad I don’t plan to fail.
The arena was utterly silent besides the footsteps of my retreating classmates. Both teams were lined up, and the odds were not in my favor… once again. But that’s okay. I have a plan.
“Voker Winterheart is the last remaining player and has been promoted to Praetorian! The current score is four to Voker and seven to Sylvia!” Professor Garrison shouted. “Now then, go on the clap,” he said in his usual voice that still managed to carry across the entire arena.
Was he just yelling for fun as well? He is grinning ear to ear… he is having way too much fun watching a bunch of kids pelt each other with magic rubber balls.
Clap.
I sprinted straight down the center of the field, right towards Sylvia. I was far faster than everyone as my muscles pulsed with mana. Sylvia kicked it up a notch as her thighs grew in size. I could never match her speed, but I didn’t need to.
I wasn’t aiming for Slyvia.
With a quick step, I changed directions and bolted straight for Varnir. It slowed me down a bit, but I still beat him as he reached down to grab his ball. He looked up at me, mortified.
“No wait, pl—gah”
The ball slammed directly into the top of his head and sent him face-first into the dirt, cutting his pleas off. I moved further away from Linnetia and Sylvia to retrieve another ball. I deftly dodged Sylvia’s first toss, and Linnetia couldn’t toss hers because Sylvia was blocking her along the line.
I grabbed the first ball and went for a second, knowing I had a few seconds before Linnetia moved into position to make a throw. By the time I had my second ball Linnetia had thrown her ball straight for the center goal. I didn’t even bother defending it as she successfully scored.
So they are just going to try and distract me with one while the other scores? Not bad.
I rocked off another ball straight for Sylvia’s legs, but the Vampire spread her legs wide, and it flew underneath her completely. But with her legs split apart that far not even Sylvia, with her immense speed and strength, could recover in time for my second ball. I aimed at her legs again, and my attack flew true, hitting her in the shin and bouncing off into the distance.
I turned quickly in time to launch a Lightning Bolt from my hand, destroying the ball headed straight for the center goal. I was prepared to collect another ball, but I blinked in surprise. Linnetia had somehow managed to get two balls in the same amount of time, and she had already thrown the second one at me.
How? Did she move even faster than she was before?
I tried snaking my body out of the way, but it wasn’t enough. Simply put, my shoulders were too big, and I couldn’t move out of the way in time. The rubbery ball hit me straight in the arm. I made an attempt to catch it as it bounced off of me, but I grasped at air. The orange and yellow ball hit the ground and shattered, which ignited the crowd’s cheers.
“Sylvia’s team wins by a knockout!” the professor yelled enthusiastically.
The class erupted into a roar of applause at the spectacle. Although, I was both surprised and somewhat embarrassed to hear people shouting my name. I just returned a friendly wave to the class as my team ran up to me.
“Nice try, Voker,” Parker said with a warm smile.
“You were so close, Voker!” Jen said excitedly, the red mark still on her forehead.
“It can’t be helped… perhaps next time, we will just put you at Legionnaire. Good work, Voker,” Lauren said with a wink and playful smile.
“Ah…yeah…thank you. Sorry, I couldn’t win it,” I said, trying to hide my embarrassment.
I’m not used to this…but I could get used to it.
“Hey! Don’t worry about it!” Parker said while patting me on the back. “I mean, I was the first one out, so it’s not like I did anything…” he grumbled with a weak smile.
“Mhm,” Jen hummed.
“Hey… what happened to Sededa?” I asked.
Everyone just gave me weak smiles. “We don’t know… she left the arena immediately,” Lauren told me.
“Ok… I sort of— ouch. Hey, what are you doing?” I rubbed my arm from Sylvia’s playful punch. She was very clearly angered and was red to the tips of her ears, and her swirling dark blue eye was glaring at me from behind the slit in her bronze mask.
“You… when I beat you…you will beg me to stop!” she proclaimed.
“What does that even mean… you did beat me…” I groaned.
“It doesn’t count!” she yelled while pointing a finger at me. Much to everyone’s enjoyment as they all laughed at us.
“Okay…”
I feel like I somehow lost twice today.
“Good work, Voker. That was a valiant last attempt,” Linnetia said with a kind smile.
“Thank you. You are pretty amazing. You know that Linnetia? I never knew you were capable of such moves,” I told her.
The young girl gave me a proud smile that reached her ears. “I learned from the best.”
Linnetia is an interesting person…maybe even more interesting than her twin brother.
“I see even you have recognized my sister’s talents!” Sylas said proudly after jogging over to us. He was flaring his nostrils with his hands at his hips. I swear I even saw a small tear rolling down his face. Linnetia just sighed weakly.
Ren stood very close to me and looked up into my mask. Her face was hard to read, and I didn’t quite know how to explain it. “Did you have fun, Voker?”
“Yeah, yeah, I did.”