Chapter 16: Slych's Speed VS. Ichiro's Lance
Time Attack.
Is the first event and instantly stadium grew louder and louder.
I looked around me and I saw every team trying to decide who is the one who will participate in the first event.
Some teams will choose their strongest, while stronger teams will choose their weakest, but even that is good enough to easily get past the first event.
But I really wanted to participate in the first event, because it looks so fun!
I was trembling with excitement.
Anything I did in my previous life, can't come even close in terms of the excitement I am having right now.
''Chill bro, don't go around breaking that puppet now, it's expensive,'' Lucas told me while looking at me shaking in excitement.
''Yeah, but I am so excited!'' I said and looked at the arena.''I wish that puppet would be a little bit stronger, it is a shame.''
''Dude, middle martial soldier level is already quite a high rank in those weaker schools, some schools has only one Peak Martial Soldier as their strongest student.''
''Oh, I see.'' I nodded with understanding.
''But don't go around playing with that puppet or we might get eliminated in the first event,'' Lucas said with a smile but wasn't feeling worried.
The puppet which is in the middle of a martial soldier is one of the training equipment's made by the government.
There are puppets even in Martial Leader rank, but not in Martial Captain or above yet.
Puppet is closely guarded secret about how it was made so that no one with ill intentions could make it and wreak havoc.
1 Martial Leader might not be anything dangerous.
But hundreds of them are formidable power.
''Alright, the event is starting.'' I heard Lucas say next to me and I looked towards the arena, and I saw a white puppet standing there, it resembled human, but it was in the color of white completely.
There were 30 puppets, in 30 different arena's and 30 schools were doing the event at the same time.
Our school wasn't called to do it yet, so we have to wait and see.
*Cheer!*
Suddenly thunderous cheers resounded in the stadium and Lucas pointed at one of the arena's and I saw the reason.
A young man about 14 years old was climbing the stairs towards the arena, he had long black hair with grey eyes with a cold look on his eyes, but it didn't lessen the pressure he gave to people around him.
He didn't instantly look strong with his slim build, but the pressure he gives is close to Martial Captain!
Slych Raften was competing in the first event!
''I didn't expect this,'' Lucas murmured next to me.
''…'' I looked closely at Slych, trying to find out just how fast he is.
''First event start!'' The referee yelled and loudly declared for time attack so start.
Everyone was looking at the arena where Slych was standing calmly.
Once he makes his first move, time will start.
No one in the other arena's started either, they also looked at Slych.
Slych was still standing calmly with his black hair floating gently in the air and his grey eyes looking sharply towards the puppet in front of him.
But then…
He leaned forwards and the floor below him started cracking and his legs started creating powerful impacts to the ground.
Slych focused all his strength on his feet and was preparing for the attack.
Slych closed his eyes and took a deep breath and opened it with a fierce look on his eyes!
*CRACK!*
The floor cracked to pieces once Slych moved from his spot.
Slych arrived at the white puppet and moved his leg towards the head of the puppet.
[Tomahawk!]
Slych kicked towards the puppet's head, which made the head fly straight towards the ceiling of the arena.
And the white puppet blankly stood in the arena without the head.
Slych landed behind the puppet calmly, behind him, the puppet slowly fell to the ground without its head.
The puppet is programmed that if puppet receives fatal damage, it will shut down completely.
And that is what happened right now.
''…''
The stadium was quiet…
Slych was standing calmly with a boring look on his face.
He started walking towards his teammates, ignoring the commotion he caused.
''…'' Referee looked towards Slych with wide-open eyes and looked timer in the screen and it showed 0.98.
Slych finished the fight in 0.98 seconds!
*Cheer!*
Then some people woke up from the shock and started crazily cheering until the whole stadium was shaking.
''…I couldn't see.'' I murmured to myself after seeing Slych's performance.
''Show off.'' Lucas muttered next to me while looking towards Slych and then took a glimpse towards me and asked.''You alright?''
''…Yes, I am now even more motivated to defeat him!'' I said with determination and Lucas blinked towards me and roared in laughter.
''Man you crack me up, usually, people would feel despair in this situation, but not you.'' Lucas then showed his finger towards other fighters and said.''Most of them have already given up.''
I took glimpses towards people he pointed and he was right, most of them had hollow looks on their faces filled with despair.
''Slych is indeed strong, but that just makes it even more enjoyable to defeat him,'' I told Lucas and looked at him.
Lucas looked at me as well with determination and he looked at his other teammate Liam and other backup fighters and shook his head in disappointment
I looked behind me and I saw Liam and others looking at the Slych like he is some kind of god.
They have already given up before the tournament even started.
I also shook my head and I gave up on them, well doesn't matter because only Lucas and I matter in this team.
''…What are we even doing here…'' I heard Liam mumbling behind me and I started having a headache.
''Easy now, even though we might not win, we can still do well.'' The club advisor tried to calm the situation, but it wasn't any use.
I sighed to myself and then Lucas and I looked at each other and we only shook our heads.
Time Attack continued for another 5 minutes until all of the fighters finished their time attack and some of them even got injured, which were from weaker schools, who probably won't make it past the first event.
Stronger schools did the time attack easily and most of their times ranged from 10 seconds to 30 seconds.
Then after 10 minutes of replacing puppets that were destroyed or broken in some parts.
The next 30 schools which were going next to be showing on the big screen and it showed our school!
Middle School of Irio.
''Good luck,'' Lucas said and we high-fived, I didn't even take glimpses towards my other teammates.
*Crack*
I cracked my knuckles and walked towards Arena Nr.18, where I will do my Time Attack test.
I quickly reached the arena and walked the stairs to the top of the platform.
My heart started beating and I started shaking while being nervous and also excited.
*Phew*
I took a deep breath and looked white puppet who was 30 meters from me.
''Time Attack Round 2 start!''
I heard the referee yell and my demeanor changed to one of seriousness…
…
(In Irio)
''Brother you can do it!'' Ayako yelled loudly while holding her mother's hand.
''…'' Kurogami Eiji looked at the TV in front of them and clenched his hands trying to calm his heartbeat.
''…'' Ichiro's mother looked at the TV with a nervous expression, but then remembered his son's word 3 weeks ago and eased his nerves and looked at the TV with a proud look.
…
''Look! It's my handsome brother!'' Leia said loudly and walked close to the TV looking at the screen with almost her face touching it.
*Crack*
Leia's father destroyed the TV remoter which he was holding in his hand while looking at her precious daughter fawning over a boy.
*Giggle*
Leia's mother looked at the scene with amusement and giggled.
…
(Back to Stadium)
I ignored all the sounds around me which was the result of multiple people fighting the puppet.
I emptied my thoughts and looked calmly towards the puppet.
I clenched my muscles which made cracking noises and put my right arm in a spear-like stance.
I put all my remaining strength into my leg muscles and the floor below me started making slight cracks.
Now!
*Crack!*
The floor below me cracked to pieces and debris started flying from my previous spot, but I was already moving towards a white puppet.
I rushed towards the puppet and I managed with my initial burst to make only 20 meters until the puppet realized that I started attacking.
The puppet quickly put his hands as a guard.
But I ignored it.
I arrived at the attacking distance and I clenched my muscles in my right arm, preparing to make my strongest attack since reincarnation.
[Iron Lance!]
I used my right arm as a spear.
And I attacked with fierce momentum.
The puppet was guarding his head area, but before the puppet could realize what I was doing, I was already attacking his stomach area!
*Crack!*
My spear-like hand pierced the puppet from his stomach.
My arm was fully inside the puppet's torso and I can clearly feel all the wires inside of the puppet.
The puppet stopped moving…
*Diiiing*
It was sound that I finished my time attack.
I took my arm from the puppet and looked at the big screen and there my time is shown.
Kurogami Ichiro - Middle School of Irio - 2.11 seconds!
*Cheeers!*
The whole stadium started shaking in cheers.