Volume 3 Chapter 10 Team Battle Tournament I
"Hmm...???"
Elk got up from bed, tilting his head.
He had a bad dream. No, maybe it was a good one.
Strangely, he was curious about the dream's content and thought about it while eating the breakfast that was brought to his room.
"Pipina, right? ...Now that I think about it, it's strange."
At first, he didn't care.
He was only thinking about the team battle, but for some reason, it started to bother him now.
"Seven people with crazy skills. A group that worships Pipina. Hmm...?"
But even if he thought about it, he couldn't find an answer.
There was something more important.
"Well, whatever. More importantly... today is the final day of the team battle. I can't lose to Rosho and the others. I need to get focused."
To avoid any cheating, he had to go to the venue alone.
He wonders if Gambo and Fine are eating breakfast alone too.
Elk finished his meal, washed his face, and changed into his battle outfit.
Then, there was a knock on his room door, and an upperclassman guide said, "It's almost time to head to the venue."
"Mask, eye patch... I still don't want to reveal my identity."
He put on a mask that covered his mouth and an eye patch over his right eye, hiding 3-quarters of his face. If he wore a hood too, no one would recognize him as Elk at first glance.
Elk steeled himself and left the room.
Then, the upperclassman guide (a girl) was waiting for him.
"The team battle tournament announcement will be held soon. Here you go."
"...What is this?"
She handed him a palm-sized crystal ball.
"Here is the 'Teleportation Ball' filled with magic. You might not understand it here, but outside, they are introducing the teams and giving a brief introduction about you all. After the team announcements are done, you will automatically teleport to the arena."
"What? We can't talk to our team members?"
"That's right. Since there was cheating before, team contact is not allowed until the very end. The tournament is a round-robin format, so the teachers decide who you will fight."
"What!?"
This was unexpected.
There was a chance he might not get to fight with Rosho and Sarissa.
Also, the team they are about to face might not even be Rosho's team.
Elk gritted his teeth... then, the 'Teleportation Ball' in Elk's hand started to glow softly.
"Looks like you're lucky. It seems you've been chosen for the first match of the first round in the team battle!"
"Oh, I'm fighting?"
"Yes. You won't know which team or member you will face. There's no way to cheat; it's a pure test of skill... do your best."
"...I guess I have no choice."
The 'Teleportation Ball' in Elk's hand shone───Elk was teleported.
* * *
'Team Gambo VS Team Papriko!! First match, from Team Gambo, we have Elk!! From Team Papriko, we have Raios!! Now, neither of you knows anything about each other, it's a completely equal, fair, and honorable fight!! Are both of you ready!!'
It was sudden.
Elk was teleported to the arena and saw a male student standing about ten meters away.
The boy was holding whips in both hands, and upon closer inspection, the whips were wrapped around his body.
"I see..."
Elk got into position.
There were a few things he understood.
The opponent's name was Raios. Team Papriko. His weapon was a whip... which meant this opponent was not from Rosho's team. That alone made Elk feel a bit relieved.
The opponent, Raios, swung his whip around and got into a fighting stance.
'Well then... let the match begin!!'
And so, the match started.
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"Telekinesis training, number 1258. Stone dodging~."
"...Huh?"
'In the world between life and death'
Elk was training hard with Pipina.
The Telekinesis training was extremely tough. Pipina would give tasks, and if Elk completed one, there would be another task, but... clearing these tasks took at least a year each.
Thanks to the crazy training with Telekinesis, Elk gained a bit of confidence, but... he tilted his head.
"Dodging stones?"
"Yep. Moving things with Telekinesis is important, but physical strength and martial arts are just as important! Well, I don't think you can match a professional, but you still need to be strong to some extent!"
"And, what's stone dodging?"
"It's simple. I'll throw a stone, and you dodge it."
Lightly, a stone floated in the air thanks to Pipina's Telekinesis.
"Here it comes."
"Huh?"
Then──at an incredible speed, it was launched and hit Elk on the head.
In this world, you can't die. But if that stone had hit his head, it would have definitely blown his head off... it was that powerful and fast.
"...Huh?"
"Oh no, you didn't see it? Come on, get up, let's try again."
"W-wait!! I... I didn't see it, I swear!?"
"Well, if you could see it, it wouldn't be training, right? Let's see... if you dodge ten in a row, I'll stop. So, do your best!!"
"......"
Elk's stone dodging training ended 700 days after that.
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"Yes!!"
Raios's whip snapped and moved like a snake.
It had a biological movement. Moreover, the tip of the whip was shaped like a snake's head.
Elk took a stance, ready to use his Manipulation skill.
"I'm coming!!"
"───."
Raios's whip lunged at Elk.
Two whips came down in an arc from above, while another approached from the side.
One was distracting him from above, while the other came from the side.
Raios manipulated the whip further, making it twist in a complicated way to make it harder to dodge.
"───I can see it."
"What!?"
Elk rolled forward to dodge the whip.
Raios clicked his tongue and alternated the two whips to attack Elk.
Elk stretched out both hands and deployed his blade, cutting off the tip of the whip.
"What!? Can you really see it!?"
"I trained a lot to dodge!!"
Still, he didn't want to stand out.
Elk decided to use his Telekinesis minimally to take down Raios.
He dodged the whip, cut it with his blade, and closed in. He was just a few steps away from Raios. Getting close, he placed his right hand on Raios's chest────and activated Telekinesis.
"Ggh!?"
Bam!! His palm struck Raios, sending him flying.
Using Telekinesis, he delivered a shock to Raios's entire body, launching him away.
At first glance, it looked like Elk's palm had knocked Raios out.
Raios crashed into the wall of the audience area and fainted.
'Winner, Elk!!'
"Yes!"
The audience erupted in cheers.
Elk waved lightly in response, and then───the 'Teleportation Ball' he had in his pocket activated.
Once again, he returned to the waiting room where the upperclassman guide was.
"Huh...?"
"Good job. And congratulations."
"Oh, thank you."
"Your team won the first match. Next, it will be one of your teammates' matches. If you win this match, your team will advance to the finals."
"The finals, huh..."
"The finals are in the afternoon."
"Wait... we're doing it today?"
"Of course. There are only 4 teams, and there will be individual matches next."
"Individual matches..."
"The individual matches start tomorrow. Are you participating in the individual matches too?"
"Yeah, I will. But... it's a disadvantage for the students who are in the team matches. Fighting hard today and then having individual matches tomorrow..."
"That's okay. After the match, Lady Nightingale will treat you. She'll help with injuries and recover your stamina."
"Oh, that's great."
"Hehe. The individual matches in the new student martial arts tournament, how nostalgic... oh?"
At that moment, the upperclassman who was guiding Elk covered her ears.
Then, she smiled at Elk.
"Congratulations. Your team won... and you're going to the finals."
"Wait, we won?"
"Yes. The team leader, Gambo, knocked out the opponent with a single lariat."
"That sounds like him..."
Elk smiled wryly.
But... this means they are going to the finals.
"But, are you okay? I don't want to show favoritism, but... in the finals, you'll definitely face the team of Crown Prince Elwood, who is rumored to be the strongest in the grade."
"I'm fine."
"Good. Then, do your best."
That's what I wanted... Elk thought, refocusing his determination.
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