30TH GEAR - PANDAS ARE BACKWARD-COMPATIBLE
“Your back is wide open! Sonic Jump!”
Beep!
Another blue magical circle point indicator was made yet again, and the score is now 2:5, largely in favor of President Levi!
“Gah!” Cruzo cried as he was launched once again by the repelling effect. He almost tripped on his feet but managed to regain his balance.
“Keep on running, Cruzo!” I shouted.
“Easier said than done!” Cruzo complained. “I’m not gathering enough determination and guts!”
My favorite panda man is now sweating due to the pressure of the fight. There’s no problem with his mana, it’s just his stamina that I’m looking out for now. Every time Levi scores a point, it shaves off Cruzo’s endurance and mental fortitude.
Cruzo’s speed is his only advantage in this battle, and we cannot change tactics! His way to go must still revolve around Checkpoint Towers!
“Touch!” Cruzo cried as his fingertips tapped the 1st Checkpoint Tower!
Beep!
Point for Cruzo, now at 3:5, with Levi still in the lead!
Cruzo drifted by using his heavy boots as an anchor again, and then he revved forward with his Earth Accel. Just behind him is Levi who is now ready to touch the 1st Checkpoint Tower!
Six minutes left. I know nothing of Cruzo’s spells that would help in this situation, except for Earthshatter, which will be able to counter Levi’s Sonic Jump. However, using it is a big risk as it slows the user after casting the said spell. If Cruzo becomes slower, the opponent will catch up and they will engage in a tag fight.
As a Speedster Class Speedmage, that is the one thing we should avoid. We should stick to touching Checkpoint Towers while figuring out how to defend his back.
“It sucks to have a huge body for Cruzo,” Ericka commented beside me. “That’s the reason why he hardly wins in Speed Battle. He has a huge target on his back.”
I gritted. Cruzo’s huge back is mainly the problem here. If only his body is a little bit slender, he can easily avoid Levi’s strikes. This is a one-sided match from the start.
Wait, if Cruzo’s back is the problem, then all we have to do is to hide it!
“Cruzo!” I yelled at the mic. “Have you tried running backward with speed boost?”
“Backwards?” Cruzo asked.
“Yes! Try doing that once Levi touches the 1st Checkpoint Tower!” I immediately said. “Don’t worry about not looking in front, I will guide you with my own eyes!”
A split second later, Levi has finally reached the 1st Checkpoint Tower! He tapped it with his heavy hands and scored!
Beep!
Point for Levi once again, 3:6!
Levi gave a devilish grin. He charged mana through his soles, and used a sonic boom to launch forward!
“Ha! Stupid fatso and his huge back! Sonic Jump!”
“Now!” I shouted through the mic.
Hesitantly, my favorite panda man twisted his body and started to run backward. His face looked at the opponent who is rushing towards him! Their heads almost collided, but the magical barrier around them made a repelling effect!
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Bzzzzt!
“Grah!” Levi groaned as he was launched backward.
“Guh!” Cruzo also cried, but he was launched towards the 2nd Checkpoint Tower!
“Cruzo, touch the checkpoint!” I cried.
“Got it!”
The moment Cruzo turned forward, he was already a meter close to the Checkpoint Tower. He tapped it with his hand, drifted, and then launched towards the next tower again!
Beep!
Point for Cruzo, 4:6!
“Keep on running backward!” I advised.
“Roger that, coach!” Cruzo beamed a smile and a thumbs up. He turned around once again and continued kicking the ground as he runs in reverse.
“D-Damn that panda!” Levi yelled as he started revving his Sound Accel once again. He was left behind because of the sudden collision of their magical barriers, and now he has to build up his speed!
It took three seconds before Levi was able to touch the 2nd Checkpoint Tower!
Beep!
Another point for Levi at 4:7!
Levi may be at the lead but is losing momentum and focus. He snarled as he focused mana on his feet once again and blasted forward with a sonic boom!
“Sonic Jump!”
Swoosh!
However, Cruzo was already one step ahead of his opponent. He was ready to intercept Levi with his hand spread out, so when their magical barriers collided, Levi was again launched in the opposite direction!
“Gah!”
On the other hand, Cruzo was launched nearer to the 3rd Checkpoint Tower! When he felt that it was close, he turned forward and touched the checkpoint!
Beep!
Point for Cruzo, at 5:7!
At this point, the gap between Cruzo and Levi is about 500 meters wide- or two Checkpoint Towers. He will not be able to strike Cruzo if he goes full speed ahead. We will now have to do what Cruzo does best!
“Cruzo, give them a hell of a speed!” I shouted.
“Roger that, coach!” Cruzo beamed a smile and gave me a long-ranged thumbs up.
Mana gathered around our favorite panda man’s feet, legs, knees, and buttocks. Earth shattered around him as he channeled mana toward his feet!
“Bulldoze!” Cruzo roared!
Every step Cruzo made shook the ground a little. He is exerting all his remaining mana in this one last spell in a race against time. And the result was an overwhelming speed that was able to break the sound barrier!
Swooom!
“He’s fast!” Most of the audience commented.
Bulldoze is a speed spell where the Speedmage continuously burns out his mana while converting it to raw speed. It is a spell used by Speedsters only when the opponent is far away and they decide to finish the Speed Battle in a form of a race. Its main weakness is that it can be interrupted if the spellcaster was struck on the back. Also, it is hard to control and only used in a straight line.
Beep!
Cruzo touched the 1st Checkpoint Tower, giving the score of 6:7!
At this point, Cruzo is thrice as fast as his opponent Levi. There’s no way Levi can catch up to him now, and yielding the checkpoints to ambush him this late in the game will just be throwing the points down the drain. It is a checkmate for Levi.
Beep!
Cruzo touched the 2nd Checkpoint Tower, and now the score is tied at 7:7!
Cruzo once again drifted and continued his Bulldoze spell until he dried out of mana!
“Hraaaaaaaaaagh! Guuuuuuuuts!” Cruzo cried as he reached for the 3rd Checkpoint Tower!
Beep! Cruzo touched the 3rd Checkpoint Tower and gains the lead with a score of 8:7!
Fweeeeeeeet!
The whistle was blown right before Levi was able to touch the 1st Checkpoint Tower. The referee raised his hand and then shouted out loud.
“Match Over! The winner of this Speed Battle is Cruzo Laprazi!”
The audience made applause. It was a nail-biting Speed Battle with the players having no certainty of winning. It was only the last minute when Cruzo made an epic comeback!
As soon as Cruzo went to our bench, Ericka and Flu (who appeared to be woken up and watching the Speed Battle since the start) greeted our favorite panda senior.
“Nice fight, Panda!” Ericka slapped the fatty back of our senior.
“Congratulations, Sir Cruzo!” Flu pumped her fists.
“Thanks!” Cruzo beamed a smile. Then he turned to me and offered a fist bump. “And thanks to you too, Coach! I would have lost if you didn’t figure out a strategy for me! Who would have thought that running backward will give me determination and guts!?”
“Of course!” I bumped a fist with my senior panda man. “Nice fight!”
While we were celebrating, Eaglecrest President Levi Armstrong the Great (Loser) and Vincent the Teleporter walked past us. Levi had this disgusted look on his face and stared at the whole Merry Knights while cursing.
“Tch! I can’t believe that I was defeated by a lowly big fat panda! Ptoeey!” Levi spits on the other side.
“Serves you right, sore loser.” Ericka grinned.
“Hmph!” Levi crossed his arms and exited the scene.
Meanwhile, Vincent is just giggling on the side of his president. He seemed to be laughing at his president's defeat. Is he even on the Eaglecrest’s side during that Speed Battle?
Ericka flicked her hair and then smiled at us.
“Well, one Eaglecrest down. Now I have to take down one of the Cool Escape.” Ericka said.
“Captain Tezza Flaschk, right?” I asked.
I don’t think it was my imagination when Ericka shivered and shook. Flu and Cruzo noticed it too.
“U-Um, Prez? Are you alright?” Flu worriedly asked.
“C-Can you get me a sick bag?” Ericka hugged her tummy.
I cringed and spoke my mind. “You have to be kidding me.”