22 Academy Year 4 – Tricksters (1/2)

Our match ends a little before 11:00 AM. The referees inform us that the details about the next game will be determined once the other teams have finished their matches tomorrow. We spend the remainder of the current day resting.

By next midday, we learn that we are fighting team seventeen in the second round of the tournament. All of the teams participating in the second round meet right outside the dormitory with Moria present. After drawing lots, it is determined that our first game will take place in the Forest. Moria instructs us to meet in this exact location at 8:00 AM tomorrow. I continue about my day while completing my standard training regimen.Finally, the next day arrives.

Our team stands still, facing the other team in front of us. I knit my eyebrows as I focus my attention on the two dual-wielding identical large shields. One of them has a pair of large, circular shields with a diameter of about two feet while the other one has a pair of tall, elliptical-shaped shields that measure about 1.5 by four feet.I recognize the boy wielding a two-handed axe beside them; the guy who pushed me off the platform with his Wind magic during the preliminaries. The two standing to the right of him are the only two girls on their team. The one who is unarmed, I assume is their Mage, while the other girl appears to be using a spear measuring around seven feet.

That guy will be using a spear like this too… This will be good practice. The last member of their team wields a bow. Not too much time passes before the referees arrive.

”The game you will play this time is called 'Convoy Escort.' The rules are simple. There is an offensive and defensive role. The defensive role involves leading this convoy over here to the finish line or as far as possible,” a referee explains as he points to two convoys by the entrance to the Forest. There are two horses attached to each of them.

”The team in charge of offense may enter the Forest ten minutes earlier than the defensive team to devise a plan. The goal is to either damage the dummy located inside the convoy or immobilize the convoy to the point that it can't be moved anymore. If the time passes 30 minutes from the start of the game, then that will also mark the end for the defensive team. When any of these three conditions is met, the distance from the finish line will be marked by us, and then teams will switch roles. Are there any preferences on who wants to escort the convoy first?” His question is met with several seconds of silence.

”Alright, then Team three, you guys will be on the defensive team. Team seventeen, you may enter the Forest now.” The Wind user from before turns his head to me and smiles before he and his group go into the Forest.

”Your ten minutes starts now.You may want to get into your positions now. I assume at least one of you knows your way around a horse?” Everyone except Hiro and Drugo is nodding their heads. I haven't had any experience, but I've seen other people do it. I assume it's the same for everyone else. ”Good. I'll let you know when you can begin.”

We head to the convoy in question and then discuss our formation. We decide to put the girls on the roof with Sitos in charge of the reins. Drugo stands in front next to the horses while Hiro and I are diagonally behind the vehicle on different sides. The referee says, ”You may begin.”

Sitos snaps the reins that cause the horses to start running. They're moving faster than the speed we had previously planned.

”Ah!” Marin interjects as she flails her arms around while tipping backward. Luna, who is behind her appears to be in a similar situation. The horses stop. Marin manages to retain her balance. Luna lets out a soft scream as she falls backward. I immediately drop my weapons. I run over while holding my arms out, catching her. Our eyes meet.

”I heard Luna scream, is she okay?!” Sitos asks as he runs toward us along with Drugo.

I look away from Luna and say, ”Uh, yeah… She's fine,”

I let her down, blushing lightly. My heartbeat is racing. Luna exclaims, ”I'm fine thanks to Kai!”

”I see… Sorry about that. It was my fault; I used too much force,” Sitos apologizes. ”I will be more careful next time. I will help you up there again.”

”No, I don't trust you anymore,” Luna answers, crossing her arms and looking away with a frown. Sitos opens his mouth but doesn't say a word.

”Come on, Lunaster. This is no time to be acting petty,” Drugo says.

”He's right, Luna. We need to get going, or we're gonna give the other team more preparation time,” I say.

”I guess you're right…” Luna responds with a conceding voice as she turns toward Sitos.

”Great, come over here, and I will give you a boo—”

”I want Kai to do it.”

”Why do I have to…” Luna stares at me with a pout. I sigh and then say, ”Fine…”

I walk over to the front of the vehicle. Luna follows me and interjects, ”Yay!”

Sitos frowns with slightly parted lips. He's gritting his teeth. What's with him? He doesn't have to be so upset over something like this… I'm the one who should be upset in this situation.

I climb onto the front of the convoy behind the horses. I bend over slightly as I make a platform with my palms. Luna steps on them as she grabs my face for balance. I slowly lift her up. She lets go of my head and then climbs on the roof of the carriage. Afterward, I go back and then pick up my weapons. Sitos signals the horses to move again. This time, they move at a snail's pace.

We move along the trail in the Forest for several minutes with no encounters. I constantly look around my surroundings to see if anyone is there. Only a referee atop a tree is in my sights.

”Someone is up ahead!” Sitos alerts. There are two tanks standing side by side with their shields in front of them. Their Mage and spear user are behind them. The Archer and Wind guy are nowhere to be found.

”Be careful guys! There're still two people unaccounted for,” I warn as I join up with the others are the front.

”Hiro!” Sitos exclaims.

”I'm on it!” Hiro answers while swinging his hammer around, letting it rest on his left shoulder while supporting it only with his left arm. He points his right palm toward our enemies. ”Water ball!”

A sphere of water comes out of his palm that head toward the middle between the two Tanks. Sitos jumps off the convoy and then sprints toward them. In the split second before Hiro's magic lands, the skin color on the Tanks' faces turns bluish. Hiro's magic bursts upon impact, clearly drenching the shields and the ground below them in water.

”Volt thrust!” Sitos yells while thrusting his right blade toward the Tank with the circular shields. His sword stops short about two feet from him, but Lightning magic envelops his weapon, also filling the gap between his blade and him in the shape of his sword. None of them move a muscle, when suddenly, the spear user thrusts her weapon at Sitos between the two Tanks. The tip pierces Sitos' right arm. He jumps backward before it goes through completely. Drops of blood fall on the ground.

”Sitos!” several of us exclaim.

”I am fine. More importantly, what was that?”

”I think they covered themselves in Abjuration magic before Hiro's magic landed. It looks like it's the reflective type,” I say.

”I see. It looks like it covers their entire body… Luna and Kai, hit them with concentrated attacks,” Sitos replies.

I start preparing an ambush with my magic. I focus on having multiple very small-sized versions of my fireball that would converge on them from various angles.

”Enemy attack from behind!” Marin's warning interrupts my focus. I turn around, finding a volley of arrows covered in fire falling from the sky. It would land on the roof of the convoy if left unchecked. Marin shoots several arrows that collide with the enemy's arrows, knocking them away from their path. I raise my eyebrows. I look at the wall the two Tanks have created.

So that's why they're in a defensive position right now… I need to hurry. I continue programming instructions for the ambush.

”Marin, do ya see the enemy?” Hiro asks.

”No…the arrows were lobbed from the Fo—wait there's someone behind us! It's the axe user!” Marin warns as she shoots more arrows.

”Hiro, come with me,” Sitos says as he disappears from my sights.

”I'm already on it! Water ball!”

”Whirlwind!” the axe user yells from behind me. The sound of wind blowing resounds.

”What the hell is that?!” Hiro yells.

”Pay attention, idiot! Just stop him with your weapon!” Sitos responds.

Alright! My magic's ready. Now all there's left is to send out my Mana…

As I'm sending out my Mana, Hiro interjects, ”Gah!”

”Ah!” Sitos interjects at the same time. I turn my head around to check out the situation, dropping my jaws in response. The Wind user spins rapidly in a circle while slowly approaching us. There's some dirt rotating around him. It looks like a miniature tornado. Hiro's Water magic is in the vortex, rotating in the same direction as the Wind user's blade.

”You two, get back! I'll stop him! Hiro, hurry and disperse your Water magic!” Luna exclaims as she sits on the edge of the roof and then drops down.

”What?”

”Shout your magic anywhere except at that axe guy, you moron!” Sitos exclaims.

Hiro points his palm toward my direction and shouts, ”Water ball! Water ball! Water ball!”

The water in the vortex has disappeared. I smile and face forward. Good, my magic's just about to activate… Hiro's magic will weaken—

I widen my eyes and drop my frown. The two Tanks are charging at us. Hiro's magic bursts on their shields like before. Damn, a second too late!

My magic activates. 20 miniature fireballs in total fly from various angles toward the two girls behind the two Tanks. Drugo steps in front of me as the Tank with the circular shields rushes toward me. Meanwhile, Luna shouts, ”Bonfire!”

”Barrier!” the unarmed girl yells.

”Ahhh!” the Tank with the circular shields yells as he bashes one of his shields against Drugo's shield. The impact knocks Drugo on the ground.

What?!

I jump back and point my right elbow toward the two in front of me.

”Fireball! Fireball! Fireball! Fireball! Fireball! Fireball!”

I shoot out my usual flaming balls of fire out of my elbow, alternating my aim between the two Tanks in front of me. They stand still while holding their shields near each other. My magic bursts into shapeless forms of fire as they make contact with the shields. Some of it makes its way past the shield, but the protective Mana around them pushes it away. The skin on their faces turn to a normal color as the last of my magic fades away. I break down my Mana from Rich Mana to Unrefined Mana to prepare for a second volley.

”Dirt arrow!” Marin shouts. An ordinary arrow flies past me toward the Tank with the circular shields. ”Scatter!”

A cloud of dirt appears all around the arrow. The Tank squeezes his eyes shut and flails his arms around while moving backward. Hiro and Sitos sprint past me. Hiro swings his hammer and then knocks away the shield on his right. Sitos follows up with a vertical slash on his right bicep. He lets out a scream of pain.

My attention shifts to their teammates behind the guy with circular shields. The other Tank stands by the unarmed girl, not affected by Marin's magic. I don't know how the unarmed girl escaped my magic unscathed. The spear user is missing.

I find her near the convoy about to thrust her spear into the horse. I immediately throw my right sword at her. Both of our attacks land simultaneously. She lets out a shriek of pain and distorts one side of her face as my weapon slashes her left shoulder. It stays in her flesh for a moment, but it falls and drops to the ground. She takes back her spear and falls back.

Meanwhile, the horse has been screaming and furiously running forward. It pulls the convoy with so much force that one horse alone moves the wagon at a speed greater than our pacing before. Marin shrieks softly as she falls from the roof. The other horse starts moving too. I immediately cut off the reins that tie the injured horse to the convoy and then pull back the reins of the other horse. The injured horse gallops off in a random direction as the vehicle comes to a stop.

”Retreat!” one of them yells as they run back into the forest. I turn around, finding the axe user on the ground with an arrow in his chest.

”Are you okay, Marin?” Luna asks, giving a hand for Marin to grab onto.

”That was so unexpected… I think I have a bruise, but otherwise fine,” Marin responds as she grabs a hold of Luna's hand and then stands up. I walk over to where the Wind user lies.

”Is this guy unconscious?” I ask.

”Looks like it. He is injured enough to not be a threat anymore,” Sitos says.

”We took out one of 'em and injured two!” Hiro exclaims. ”Let's win already.”

We take some time to refresh our formation before continuing forward. We move at a slower pace than before since we only have one horse tied to our vehicle now. We pass several turns. I recall that after the next U-turn, it's a straight path to the exit. There's a wall blocking the straight path measuring about 20 feet high and 5 feet wide. The enemy isn't in sight.

”I will move the convoy a bit closer before stopping. Everyone watch out for their ambush,” Sitos cautions. I keep my eyes on the right side of the woods.

”There's no need to stop. I'll go knock down that wall right now!” Hiro exclaims as he quickens his pace.

”Wait,” Sitos says. Hiro stops and turns his head around. ”It looks like you do not have to. They are showing themselves.”

The Tank with the elliptical shields comes out from the left side of the woods. The convoy comes to a stop about 25 feet away from the wall. A volley of arrows covered in flames is launched from the other side of the wall. I raise my eyebrows. So that's how their Archer knows exactly where to hit us…

”I'll take care of the arrows as usual!” Marin informs as she shoots her own arrows toward the enemy's arrows. Her arrows disrupt the trajectory of the arrows flying toward us. I focus my attention the side I'm covering. There are no noises or sight of any enemies. It feels like the convoy has moved closer to the wall, but I know the convoy hasn't moved. I knit my eyebrows as I stare at the wall.

I shift my gaze toward the Tank with the elliptical shields. He's standing still while making no movements. Drugo and Sitos are not doing anything other than keeping their stances up.