31ST GEAR - FRIENDLY FIRE TRASH TALK
Our useless president has finally come out from the restroom, and now she is equipped with her new Speedmage Suit. Unlike her old Speedmage suit which has a white and blue motif, this time she is wearing a black bodysuit with white detachable sleeves and a white magician’s upper robe. The black bodysuit shows her exquisite slender body shape of a supermodel.
If only she was not wearing that “USELESS PREZ” nametag, she would be a real head-turner, at least in a good way.
“Ugh, do I really have to wear this?” Ericka groaned.
Cruzo, Flu, and I smiled at each other. We know the rules of the punishment. Prez is supposed to wear that name tag until the end of the joint training camp. It’s beyond the power of us three to remove it for her.
“You can remove it for this match if you want.”
When we looked at the source of the familiar voice, we saw the tall dark woman with silver eyes. Captain Tezza made her appearance and approached us all set with her blue Speedmage Suit.
“You see, I wanted to fight the president of the Merry Knights on her full strength. I can’t have you getting a handicap just because you are wearing that absurdly huge nametag.” Captain Tezza held her hips and smiled.
“Don’t mind if I do then,” Prez said as she removed the nametag and passed it to Cruzo. Then she stretched her arms with relief. “Aaah! This feels good!”
“Let’s get to our starting positions, shall we?” Captain Tezza said.
“Yes.”
As soon as we heard Ericka’s affirmation, the two competing Speedmages immediately went to the 1st Checkpoint Tower. The referee talked to them for a bit before the two senior Speedmages went to their ready positions.
“Will Prez be alright?” I worriedly asked.
“I dunno. If she ends up dueling a high-profile Speedmage like Captain Tezza, she might lose it in the middle of the match.” Cruzo said those words with a defeated smile. “All we can believe in her now is her determination and guts!”
Judging from her last Speed Battle with Vincent the Teleporter, she will definitely last at least five minutes before vomiting out of pressure. She’s lucky that Flu was there to take the spotlight while she puked her breakfast on the side. This is not good.
“Prez will be alright!” Flu pumped her fists then she shouted out loud to cheer our President. “You can do it, Prez!”
I saw Prez gulp when she heard Flu’s cheer. I don’t know if that cheer adds to her confidence or pressure, or maybe both. She’s afraid of being humiliated in front of so many people.
The referee finally raised his hand. Both Speedmages went to their final ready positions. Captain Tezza seemed to be composed, but Ericka seemed to be trying hard to remain calm.
“On your marks… Get set… Go!”
Fweeeeeeet!
“Lightning Accel!”
“Ice Accel!”
Both Speedmages dashed forward with their speed spells, racing towards the 2nd Checkpoint Tower! Captain Tezza’s contrail streaks are blue lightning, while Prez’s contrail streaks are light blue ice!
Since Captain Tezza is a Speedster Class Speedmage, her superior speed makes her lead the way!
On the other hand, since Prez is a Striker, it would be foolish if we turn it into a drag race. We have to do the standard practice once they both touch the 2nd Checkpoint Tower!
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
“Prez, yield and ambush the 3rd line after touching your first checkpoint!” I said through the mic.
“I know!” Prez said as she continued to dash forward.
Beep! Point for Tezza, 0:1!
When the lightning captain touched the 2nd Checkpoint Tower, she drifted and went straight to the next Checkpoint Tower! She ventured towards the 2nd Line at full speed!
Beep! Point for Ericka, with a score of 1:1!
As soon as the scores were tied, Prez yielded touching Checkpoint Towers and immediately charged towards the line between the 3rd and 1st Checkpoint Towers!
Since Captain Tezza has the speed of lightning by her side, she was able to touch the 3rd Checkpoint Tower with extreme precision and quickness!
Beep!
Point for Tezza, and she is now leading at 2:1!
Here comes the real fight. Captain Tezza was at the 3rd Checkpoint Tower, while Ericka was waiting before the 1st Checkpoint Tower. Captain Tezza boosted once again with her lightning-speed enhancement, ready to face the opponent before her!
“You won’t beat me just by charging forward!” Ericka shouted as she gracefully drew a circle on the floor with her ice skating boots! “Freezing Field!”
A wide area-of-effect magic converted the floor into solid ice! It was a good plan coming from Prez, as the natural weakness of super speed is a slippery floor. Unless they are champion-level Speedmages like Vincent the Teleporter, a normal Speedster cannot do well under the Freezing Field!
However…
Captain Tezza has already thought about it beforehand. Just before her first foot steps on the area of the Freezing Field, she made a detour towards her right! She’s planning to avoid the Freezing Field all along!
“You won’t be able to touch me as long as I stay out of your Freezing Field, is that correct?” Captain Tezza smirked.
“Darn you!” Ericka lost her cool as she immediately tried to intercept the lightning captain along her path.
There was something weird about Captain Tezza’s route. She is not running in a straight line, but instead, she is running in a semi-circle- a perfectly round curve. That’s when I realized that something big is going to happen!
“Prez, let go of her and yield to the next Checkpoint Tower!” I cried.
“Huh!? Are you an idiot!? Tezza is just right in front of me! I will strike her back, you’ll see!” Prez said arrogantly.
“Stay away from her! Don’t engage in a tag fight just yet!” I yelled.
“Shut up!”
The stubborn president still went on and closed in. She spread out her right hand, her fingertips about to touch Captain Tezza’s back!
But then-
“Lightning Whirlpool!”
Lightning blasted towards Captain Tezza’s back as her speed became five times more! The powerful magical burst drove Ericka away!
“Kyah!”
Captain Tezza swirled outside the Freezing Field at an extraordinary speed. Only the lightning contrails can be seen on the Lightning Whirlpool, and now Ericka is trapped in the eye of the storm!
“Darn it! I almost got her!” Ericka cried.
“You useless president!” I burst out loud. “I told you to stay away, you stupid crap!”
“You knew that she was going to use Lightning Whirlpool?”
“Of course, you fool! We’ve fought her before; her form was the same as when Flu dueled against her! All the signs are there, yet you rushed like a hard-headed stubborn donkey!”
“Well, I’m sorry for that,” Ericka said as she pouted. “And you don’t have to call me a fool! I’m your president!”
“You are a useless president!” I shouted.
“What did you say!?” Ericka roared madly.
Meanwhile, the Lightning Whirlpool’s friction and heat melted half of the Freezing Field nearby. All ice on the ground turned into wet soil, and it is now a chance for Captain Tezza to strike! The Lightning Whirlpool became faster and faster until the spell caster saw an opportunity to attack!
“Are you done quarreling yet?” Captain Tezza said as she boosted towards Ericka’s back.
“Ah!”
Beep!
A blue magical circle indication point materialized on Ericka's back, giving Tezza a score of 1:3!
“Darn it!” Ericka cried as she was launched by the repelling effect.
Meanwhile, Captian Tezza used the repelling effect of the magical barriers colliding to jump-start her speed once again. By repeating Lightning Accel, she went closer to the 1st Checkpoint Tower and reached it!
Beep!
Point for Tezza with an overwhelming lead of 1:4!
“Gah! Now she scored a point again! This is your fault, Jonathan! If you did not scold me, I would have tried to chase and block her!” Ericka yelled.
“How is it my fault!? You’re losing focus and quarreling over your coach during the Speed Battle!” I yelled back.
“It’s your fault, you magicless dwarf!”
“No, it is your fault, you useless president!”
Our harsh words kept being thrown at one another and we were already making a scene. We are now focused on trash-talking our teammates and forgot that we are in the middle of the Speed Battle.
“Oh boy…” Cruzo shook his head and slapped his palm on his face.
“Tahahaha…” Flu was so helpless in this situation that all she managed to do was to give a sorry laugh.
It’s been six minutes, and I noticed something peculiar. Ericka was able to hold out that long without getting pressured. There’s no indication that she will vomit anytime now. She’s not even nervous or trying to hold her emotions either.
She’s just mad… mad at me.
Maybe our quarrel is a good way to divert her mind from getting pressured. That’s a good thing, but…
We’re still losing.
I have to somehow divert her attention back to the Speed Battle.