44TH GEAR - FLASH STEPS AND ICE SLIDES
Golden white contrails were left by Locke as she boosted forward with extraordinary speed! Although she is a little bit slower than most average Speedsters, she is fast enough to leave Ericka in the dust!
“Ice Accel!” Ericka boosted forward with sky-blue contrails, leaving snowflakes and ice terrain on the field.
“Come on, Useless Prez! Step up!” I scolded through the mic.
“Aaargh! Stop ruining my concentration!” Ericka complained.
I am indeed ruining her concentration. I have learned from Cruzo that Ericka might focus too much, and that focus leads to pressure. If she gets too much pressure, she will puke. I have to distract her mind into thinking that this is just a friendly Speed Battle even though this might be one of the most important races of her career.
Just when Locke was about a hundred meters away from the 2nd Checkpoint Tower, I heard Vincent beside me mutter.
“Do it.”
“Flash Step.” Locke kicked the ground, and then she almost teleported towards the 2nd Checkpoint Tower! She immediately touched it!
Beep!
Point for Locke, at 0:1!
I was mesmerized by the speed spell Locke just did. Her Flash Step is much more refined than Flu, which gives away that she has practiced it a lot. It was also precise and concise, like those Speedmages in world tournaments.
After touching the 2nd Checkpoint Tower, Locke used her Photon Accel to run towards the next checkpoint!
“Hey, Useless Prez! You’re getting left behind!”
“I know!” Ericka groaned.
“After getting the 2nd Checkpoint Tower, yield and go to the line between the third and the first! Forget about the 3rd Checkpoint Tower!” I said.
“Huh!? Why would I give her the 3rd Checkpoint Tower!?” Ericka complained.
“If my hypothesis is correct, you would not be able to block her on the next line. There’s something strange about that girl.” I muttered.
“You are underestimating me, aren’t you?” Ericka groaned.
“Yes, because you’re useless.” I made a smart-aleck remark.
There were about a few seconds of silence between us. Ericka has managed to close in the 2nd Checkpoint Tower and then touched it!
Beep!
Point for Ericka, now tied at 1:1!
“Now go guard the 1st Checkpoint Tower!” I said.
“Hmph! Fine!”
Ericka obeyed as she circled the 2nd Checkpoint Tower to secure a speed momentum and went back to the 1st Checkpoint Tower!
While Prez is on the way, Locke is already one hundred meters away from the 3rd Checkpoint Tower! I saw Vincent having this poker face while hearing him say “You know the drill.”
“Flash Step,” Locke said in a monotone, and then she dashed at lightspeed!
Her precision is top-notch as she was able to stop right in front of the 3rd Checkpoint Tower! All she had to do is to touch it to score a point!
Beep!
Locke is now in the lead once again with a score of 1:2!
The real Speed Battle begins now. Locke has no choice but to go against Ericka who is guarding the 1st Checkpoint Tower. Since Locke is a Speedster, her only way of scoring is to get past the Ice President.
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“Go, Locke. Use it once you heard my mark!” Vincent said.
“Roger,” Locke said in a monotone as she dashed forward with photon particles, ready to face Ericka who is guarding the line like a goalkeeper.
“Here she comes!” I advised.
“I know!” Ericka said as she raised her hand and created a giant snowflake on her palm that burst into a rain of snow! “Snowpoint!”
A wide area of effect was now buried in thin snow. As the Snowpoint spell continues, the snow all around will thicken and clump together. The freezing air around will slow the opponent’s movements, which is usually a perfect counter for Speedsters.
Usually is the word. Locke is unusual.
When Locke finally entered the area of effect of the Snowpoint, her speed considerably dropped up to 40%. It was a perfect opportunity for Ericka to strike!
“Hraaaah!” Ericka dashed forward and pushed the opponent with her hand coated with a magical barrier! Due to the barrier’s repel effect, both Speedmages were launched in opposite directions!
Even if she was launched away, Locke does not react. Most girls of her age would shout “Kyaaaah!” or “Gaaaah!” but she is just… silent. She is like a ragdoll that does not care if her body gets tossed around.
“Your back is wide open!” Ericka said as she arched towards the back of the homunculus and then gave a magnificent strike!
Beep!
A sky-blue magical circle point indicator was made, and the point goes to Ericka! Now the score is 2:2!
“Don’t bother! Get to the position!” Vincent said.
“Roger,” Locke said in a monotone as she used Photon Accel again towards the next Checkpoint Tower. She does not care even if Ericka is just on her tail!
“You’ll pay if you keep on ignoring me!” Ericka roared as she made a U-turn once again and then readied her fingers to strike the opponent’s back!
But then-
“Do it.”
I heard Vincent mutter when Locke was already a hundred meters away from the 1st Checkpoint Tower. In that instance-
“Flash Step.”
Locke boosted once again at lightspeed, only stopping right in front of the 1st Checkpoint Tower! She immediately tapped it, scoring her a point!
Beep!
Point for Locke is now in the lead, at 2:3!
In this instance, I now know Locke’s game plan. Locke is a Speedster who focuses on touching Checkpoint Towers to score while avoiding the ambushes of her opponent. It was a simple strategy to ward off Strikers like Ericka.
To make her touch Checkpoint Towers fast and to compensate for her below-average speed as a Speedster, Locke uses Flash Step to almost immediately score a point. It is also a protection as Flash Step will also serve as an escaping tool against Strikers.
Locke’s maximum distance for Flash Step is one hundred meters, and she limits it at that distance because Flash Step spends a lot of mana. Vincent will just tell her to do it if the distance is exactly one hundred meters away from the next Checkpoint Tower.
It was a one-trick game plan, but it is a good counter against most Strikers and Counters. Unfortunately, I know how to play against it.
“Useless Prez!” I shouted through the mic.
“What is it!?” Ericka groaned. Her voice hinted that she was about to complain.
“Forget ambushing her and go for the 3rd Checkpoint Tower and score a point! Then stay on that tower!”
“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I will trust you, okay?” Ericka said as she gave up on chasing the opponent and made another U-turn.
It was like a separate race. Locke is racing towards the 2nd Checkpoint Tower, while Ericka is going towards the 3rd Checkpoint Tower. Since Ericka yielded scoring the 3rd Checkpoint Tower, the option of scoring the same checkpoint becomes available for her.
“Flash Step.” Locke dashed at one hundred meters and then touched the 2nd Checkpoint Tower!
Beep!
Point for Locke, at 2:4!
After half a minute, Ericka finally reached the 3rd Checkpoint Tower and touched it!
Beep!
Point for Ericka, at 3:4!
Ericka stopped running and turned off her Ice Accel spell. She looked at Locke, who is still about three hundred meters away from her.
“I’m in position. What now?” Ericka asked.
“Use Freezing Field with the 3rd Checkpoint Tower as the epicenter! Do it now, you useless shit!” I shouted.
“F-Fine!” Ericka drew a circle with her feet, and then chanted her signature spell! “Freezing Field!”
The soil turned to solid flat ice in a wide area of effect. The ground around the 3rd Checkpoint Tower is now too slippery to step into, but it does not cover over a hundred-meter radius. Locke will still be able to use Flash Step once she gets into position.
When Locke finally reached the 100-meter mark, I heard Vincent call once again.
“You cannot traverse through slippery ice. Stay on the plan.”
“Roger.” Locke nodded in a robotic voice. “Flash Step.”
The homunculus kicked forward, and she was able to dash at light speed once again! The precision was top-notch, and she stopped at the 3rd Checkpoint Tower!
But-
Just before she could touch and score a point, she slide away from the checkpoint!
“Oh. I missed.” Locke was surprised but she was still talking like a robot.
I grinned. Everything fell under the plan the moment Ericka used Freezing Field on the Checkpoint Tower. This is also where the opponent’s plan goes to Shitsville.
Countering Locke’s tactic is simple: I just need her to stop touching Checkpoint Towers. She’s scoring by doing precise dashes toward the checkpoints, so all we have to do is to disrupt her and make her aim slightly off. And that downfall comes from the use of Flash Step.
Flash Step is a dash spell, not a teleport spell. It is just dashing with light speed. Since it is a dash spell, the speed that was built up due to running will be kept after the spell has been cast. The moment Locke stepped on the ice, the momentum and acceleration she built up will be preserved if she steps on a slippery surface.
It is the same principle as those ice skaters on slippery ice where the strength of their first kick will determine how far they can go from their starting position.
“Ah.” Locke reacted lazily as she tried to reach out to the Checkpoint Tower which is rapidly getting far away!
“Now you’re mine!” Ericka shouted as she skated through the solid ice and went to the opponent’s back to strike!