48TH GEAR - THE MERRY KNIGHTS' RITUAL TO SUMMON CRINGE
Once a Speedster is trapped in a tag fight, there is a very low chance that they can break free. A Speedmage will be disoriented if they got struck by the back and got launched away by the repelling effect of the colliding magical barriers, and since Speedsters have poor control stats, they will have a hard time evading the opponent’s next strikes.
That statement is more true than ever in Flu’s fight against Kiryu. Once you are caught on Flu’s combo of Air Trampolines and Phoenix Arrows, you will never be able to recover. Flu kept the pressure and struck the opponent where he least expected it, and now the match has been decided.
Fweeeeeeeeeet!
“Match is over! The score is 7:3! The winner is Fluonessia Asahime!” The referee announced.
“Yes!” I pumped my right fist. It was the first victory for Flu, and I couldn’t contain my excitement.
Flu’s Speed Battles are also my battles. I was there when she started as a Speedmage, and I was there when we conducted all our training. This win is way different than Ericka’s as I feel like Flu’s improvement is a testament to my growth as a coach. I feel like a proud father who raised an awesome daughter.
Flu immediately went to the stage with a slumped shoulder. She is also weakly gasping for air as her stamina has been drained out. She also almost depleted her mana due to the excessive use of Air Trampolines.
“Way to go, Flu! You are a raging phoenix out there!” I said.
“Tehehehe.” Flu shyly laughed without energy. All of a sudden, she lost all her strength in her legs and fell!
“Oh watch out!”
I immediately caught her exhausted body before she kisses the ground. I felt the heaves of her breasts on my chest, and her sweat even drenched me.
“Hey, you overdid it again. You should have-”
I wanted to scold her for working too hard on that Speed Battle, but I realized that she was already asleep. She spent all her strength just to do that stupidly numerous Air Trampolines to match the Dragon Dance. I wouldn’t want to disturb her in her sleep for now.
“Zzzzzzzz…”
Her sweet breaths fanned my neck. She sounded like a whistling puppy while she is sound asleep.
“Good game.” The beautiful blonde lady with a rich dress and white parasol approached me.
“Yeah, nice fight,” I replied to the lady.
According to the readings of my Mystic Glasses, this woman’s magical circuits are top-notch, maybe the highest grade of them all. Her body is flowing with rainbow-colored mana signatures. There is also a divine aura I can feel from her that I couldn’t explain.
“My name is Guinevere Arcaliburn, the princess of Avalon.” The woman in the parasol said. She reached out for a white calling card that has the name Cathedral Exa in it.
I have never heard of or seen her before, but I know the last name Arcaliburn. I think they are the chosen ones that guard the Archonlight, but I wasn’t so sure. I’m not fond of studying royal magics anyway as I am not a mage, but I can say that she is a big shot. She just said she is a princess of Avalon after all.
I reached for the calling card and looked her in the eyes. Her crystal-blue eyes shone with magic.
“Once the time is right, we will reach out to you.”
All of a sudden, the woman who was introduced to be a princess of a faraway kingdom turned into white petals. When a gust of wind came, these petals flew up into the skies until they completely vanished from my eyesight.
I looked at the Triangle, and Kiryu was no longer there. Did they just teleport away? I don’t know. Mages are really weird.
But they are not as weird as the pink-haired idiot whom I’m giving another free piggyback right now. She’s sleeping safe and sound that I wouldn’t even want to wake her up.
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I brought Flu to the rest area where Ericka and Cruzo are waiting. I also bought stamina and mana potions for her to drink once she wakes up. Conveniently enough, after thirty minutes, she woke up with a minuscule amount of energy she usually had.
“I’m sorry. I was looking forward to today. And then I started to get nervous so I couldn’t get a wink of sleep.” Flu said as she rubbed her eyes.
“So that’s why you’re so hyper than usual, huh?” Ericka held her hips. “Jeez, you will retire early if you keep doing that. What are we going to do with you?”
“Come on, Prez! It was Flu’s official debut match! It’s natural to get excited!” Cruzo said.
“That’s right. And Flu handled it way better than some useless president. At least she didn’t puke- aaaaaaargh!” I cried out loud when I felt a freezing heel stomping on my feet.
“Hey, I did not puke in my match!” Ericka roared. Then she immediately blushed and pouted. “It’s all thanks to you though, for keeping my mind distracted. I wouldn’t have lasted halfway if it weren’t for you.”
Hearing Prez gets shy like that made it contagious for me to blush like that too. I turned away and crossed my arms.
“It’s nothing. Just part of a coach’s job to guide his players. That’s right.” I nodded.
“Look! Look! Coach is blushing already!” Cruzo pointed at me in a teasing manner.
“I’m not!” I cried.
“Heeeh?” Ericka now shifted to a teasing smile. I am envious of our useless president’s mood swings as it changes whenever it is beneficial to her.
“Let’s just go home already. We have to prepare for our next match tomorrow.” I said to end the conversation and abruptly change the topic.
“Go home already? Why won’t we grab a bite and buy some bacon shawarmas?” Cruzo groaned.
“You’ve been eating bacon shawarmas even before your match started, panda.” Ericka scolded.
“Oh, so you have been eating before the match! That’s why you lost! Ten thousand Triangle laps for you tomorrow, Mister Laprazi!” I shouted jokingly.
“Noooo! I can’t do that many!” Cruzo cried.
This three-way free-for-all dialogue between Ericka, Cruzo, and I became an entertaining show for Flu. She has slowly recovered her energy and she started to laugh at our verbal criticisms against each other.
“Tahahah!” Flu chuckled.
We three stood silent when we heard Flu’s cute laugh. It felt like hearing a newborn baby’s first words.
“I just realized that I am so happy to participate in a Speedmage Tournament with you guys. I have never been in a club before, so I was so glad to be with your acquaintance.” Flu stood up jollily.
Ericka, Cruzo, and I went silent. We do not have any reply to Flu’s cheesy words, and we are not emotionally invested in her speech either. It is just Flu who is just simply giving her gratitude to us.
“Oh, that’s right,” I muttered as I suddenly remembered what I should say to Flu earlier. I slowly approached the pink-haired idiot and patted her head.
“Huh?” Flu tilted her head.
“Congratulations on your first win, Flu,” I said.
“Thank you very much!” Flu bowed down with a smile.
It was just a simple dialogue full of worthless greetings and gratitudes, but somebody was so touched that he could not hold his tears.
“Uwooooooogh! This is a happy start for the Merry Knights! This is the first time in five years that a Speedmage from our guild won the first round! And it's not just one winner, but two!” Panda clenched his fist. “This calls for a team-up hype energy chant!”
“Team-up hype energy chant?” Flu and I tilted our heads in confusion.
“Let’s have a group huddle and cheer!” Cruzo said as he put his hand at the center. “Merry Knights! Hrrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhh!”
It took about three seconds of Cruzo giving a weird noise before Flu got what Cruzo is implying.
“O-Oh, right!” Flu put her hand on top of Cruzo's.
Then, Cruzo looked at me with his determined gaze. “Hrrrrggggggggh!”
“H-Huuuh?” I cringed.
I don’t know what this is all about, but it must be some kind of ritual old Merry Knights used to do. Cruzo is telling me with his stare that I should follow his lead, so maybe I should join their boat.
“Okay, fine.” I sighed as I put my hand on top.
Cruzo beamed a smile when he saw me accepting the group huddle. Then, our fat panda looked at our president. “Hrrrrrrrrggggggghhhhh!”
To his surprise, Ericka was not impressed. Our president is giving a deathly staredown at Cruzo who is determined to continue this huddle. Never mind that Ericka’s crimson-purple eyes looked like it was about to unleash an ice beam to freeze us three!
“Hrrrrrggggggggghhhhh!” Cruzo continued to stare at the president.
“...”
The president has this disgusted gaze at Cruzo! She should be thinking what I am thinking: that this group huddle is cringe! No, it is beyond cringe! This thing is only done by kids!
“Hrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhh!” Cruzo refused to give up with his determination! In fact, the panda’s eyebags are even getting blacker and charred as his flaming eyes continue to melt the president’s icy cold glare! This is the most epic staredown in all history!
“Gah.” Ericka relaxed her shoulders as she admitted defeat. “Fine, fine.”
As Ericka put her hand on top, the Merry Knights are physically united! And we all now inherited the cringeworthiness of the past members of the guild!
“Hahahahaha!” Cruzo made a deep manly laugh and then beamed with a set of perfectly white teeth. “Fight with determination and guts, Merry Knights!”
“Yeah!” Flu energetically shouted.
“Fight!” Cruzo roared again as he pumped our hands.
“Yeah!” Flu replied.
“Fight!” Cruzo’s voice cracked.
“Yeah!” Flu replied once again. Doesn’t she notice that she’s the only one replying to Cruzo’s hype?
“And one more! Fight!” Cruzo cried as he pumped deeper!
“Yeah!” Flu cried.
Ericka was right! This is really cringe, and I want to kill myself just by joining this group huddle!
“Merry Knights, fight to win the Speedmage Tournament!” Cruzo released our hands up in the air!
“Yeah!”
Flu shouted out loud with all her remaining strength! Right then and there, Flu fell on the bench like a leaflet dancing in the wind.
“Zzzzzzz…”
“...”
“...”
“...aaaaand she’s asleep again,” I said.
She must have unnecessarily spent all her remaining energy on that cringe Merry Knights team huddle.
Totally not worth it.