Volume 6 - CH 8

Location: Atlantis

Time: 9:30 AM

Uhh… basically, I’m someone who is bad at using adjectives.

But the scene on the screen can really cause one to feel very shaken.

After the huge sandstorm, I saw a hand that looked like it was spreading curtains apart. The sand clouds dispersed with the movements of his hand, and then slowly disappeared. Behind the dust, Yido’s face appeared, totally unharmed, however, Leido and Yado didn’t move position, they were still standing at their previous spot, their palms holding onto the hilt.

“How could this be possible!” Jia Qiao’s expression became extremely ugly.

“Why is it not possible.” The person who spoke was Leido, his face had a looking-for-a-beating kind of arrogant smile, giving me a huge illusion of the five-coloured rooster head possessing his body. You really have been assimilated, dear student, “Just now that big sister above had already said that this is a huge array from eight hundred years ago, and has long been out of fashion, in this eight hundred years. Who knows how many people had already come out with hundreds of methods to break it.” He pulled out the sword from the ground, waving it to get rid of the sand and rocks.

“Sorry, we are from an astronomical school that specializes in researching the theologies of spells.” Yado’s sentence was even shorter, but it’s straight to the point.

After listening to what they’d said, Jia Qiao’s face was alternating between being green and white.

He heard whisperings coming from the audience seats, and also the sounds of some people snickering at them.

“Alis Academy surprisingly stopped Evil Spirit Academy’s attack easily. From this, it looked like it was completely effortless. According to the General Assembly, as the black array descended, Alis Academy’s representatives simultaneously used a counter curse array to stop the black curse. Should we say that they are bold but cautious or they are confident in winning!?” The announcer in mid-air immediately analyzed the method used in that sand storm. The surrounding audience started to write it down on their notebooks, and continued discussion about it.

Turning his wrist, Leido pointed the tip of his sword at the black robe opponent in front, “By the way, I’ll let you know this, Yido is actually not the weakest person among us. You are an idiot. You really don’t even realize that? I really suspect that your Black Robe is a fraud!”

Jia Qiao was so angry that his face started twitching, “Bastards… go and kill them now!”

As soon as he spoke, the two Purple Robes by his sides kicked at the floor. One on the left and the other on the right, attacking the twins, “Let me see your skills, you White Robes who are of the lowest level.”

In just a short moment, there were three places where three groups of people started fighting.

“Evil Spirit Academy used a divide and conquer approach to attack, this seemed to be rather effective towards Alis Academy who has always been used to attacking as a team!” The announcer’s sound echoed throughout the stage.

Yido, who was going against Jia Qiao, didn’t even have a weapon.

I was rather worried for him. Although I don’t know how he avoided the attack just now, since the opponent is a high-level Black Robe, I don’t know if he would be able to cope with him.

Speaking of this, I realized that I’ve seen Leido and Yado duelling with others, but I seemed to have not seen Yido fight before.

“Water clan, mirror’s messenger, reflection and reality, time and its countercurrent, with me as the assigned successor, move according to fate.”

Just as Jia Qiao was about to attack, Yido clapped his palms together in a prayer form, a huge array immediately appeared below his feet, the words on the array slowly flowing and emitted thin silverish-blue light, “The one who signed a contract with us, please allow the player to witness your nobility and supremacy.”

Two lines of incantations? I know that the last one was a contract ballad for illusionary weapons, but what’s with the first line?

“The first line is the chant for the foretelling mirror.” Senior who was beside me, glanced at me and said, “I’ve told you about this before, the water fairy’s foretelling mirror.”

So to say, Yido is planning to use the water mirror?

But why did he say out the chant for the illusionary weapons at the end? Wasn’t the illusionary weapons already taken by Leido and Yado?

Could it be that there’s a third one?

My question was soon answered.

The lights of the huge array below Yido’s feet spread out to the surrounding, just like water floating, the entire sandy and rocky area was filled with extremely dreamy blue points of light.

“The one who signed a contract with me, allow the useless person to be completely eliminated!” Jia Qiao drew a black-red broadsword from his waist, and directly hacked at Yido, who didn’t even dodge his attack.

But his sword didn’t hit its target.

Yido dexterously move aside, without any extra movements as he dodged his attack.

He closed his eyes, and opened it again. His original brown eyes turned silverish-blue, just like the water’s light, “I can see your actions, what you’re about to do…” He said, his voice was very low, so low that it was as if he was chanting an incantation, “Foretelling mirror, capturing starts.”

The points of light on the ground instantly gathered around the three players of Evil Spirit Academy.

“What mirror! Go and die!” Ellya, the Purple Robe girl who was fighting against Yado, shouted and in her hand was a similar sword that was mercilessly and rapidly slashed about. It was so rapid that I could only see shadows.

Unexpectedly, Yado who would still sometimes use his sword to block the attacks, actually didn’t even move his sword, and very easily dodged all of Ellya’s attacks.

At the other side, Leido was the same.

Are they suddenly possessed by ghosts?

With a “bang,” senior smacked me behind my head, “Take careful notice of the things happening on the stage.”

After being reminded by senior, it was only then that I noticed the blue points of light surrounding the players from Evil Spirit Academy. As soon as they moved, the points of light will also move, no matter where they moved, the point of light would move at that location in advance. It was as if it could predict their actions. Even when they used magic, they would make similar movements and indicate the range in advance.

“Is that the water mirror’s capturing prediction?” Senior Gasai looked at the stage, curving up an extremely interested smile, “This is very interesting.”

Jia Qiao was unwilling to give up. He lifted up his sword together with an explosive fire technique and attacked Yido; a big change occurred on stage.

A loud explosion rang. The explosive didn’t damage the water mirror nor even the person inside. Instead, they seemed to be shielded by something. Then, Jia Qiao together with his weapon was being fiercely bounced back a few feet away.

Yido stretched out both his hands, and appearing on all the screens in mid-air, on the part of his hands that weren’t covered by his sleeves, we saw little bit of silverish-blue totem slowly moving around on his hands. It looked extremely strange, but also very beautiful, causing one to be unable to shift his sight away from it. Following the appearance of the totems, the space around the huge array distorted, I seemed to have seen one huge round transparent item shielding in front of the array, protecting it.

On surface of the round item, similar totem appeared.

“Illusionary Weapon, Mirror Reflective Shield.”

* * *

An uproar occurred on the stage.

There’re shield-types of illusionary weapons?

“Illusionary weapons comes in all shapes and sizes, depending on what was determined during the time one formed the contract, and of course there are instances where defending items were formed. Thus, not all of them would be weapons.” Senior crossed his arms, staring at the stage, while helping me to clear my doubts, “It all depends on how the person wanted to use it.”

“Oh.” I see.

“This way Alis Academy will certainly win the fight!” Causing me to worry for nothing, since they could predict the movement of their opponents and they are also very strong in combat, I think they will definitely win.

Senior narrowed his red eyes at me, “You really think so?”

“Ah?” Then they are still not able to win after all?

“The water fairy’s foretelling mirror… I remember hearing someone mentioning this. When activating it, the first essential factor is to have water. The water mirror uses water as its power. However, this time the stage is a sandy and rocky area, I guess the current situation wouldn’t be able to last for long.” Gasai pointed out the very subtle changes on the stage, “Look, the negative effects are starting to appear.”

I don’t know if I was seeing it wrongly, but on the stage, the blue points of light seemed to be gradually getting dimmer.

“Sand absorbs water, so it wouldn’t be able to withstand the impact of the sandy and rocky stage and would soon disappear.”

Not long after senior Gasai finished saying that, the silverish-blue array on the stage suddenly disappeared. At the very first moment, Leido and Yado extricated themselves from their opponents and went back to stand in front of their brother.

But looks like the thing that happened earlier had dealt some damage. At the very least, both the Purple Robes were hurt, not very serious but not too mild either.

Yido slowly stopped his attacks, obviously he had achieved a little of his desired result.

“What kind of little tricks are you playing at, struggling to avoid death!” The Purple Robe, Ellya rebuked, “Flames, sand and rocks, the stone devil, grant me the command to open up the road of killing!”

The sandy and rocky ground issued a loud crash. It seemed like something created a road from below the ground as it rushed towards Yido and the others. The sandy and rocky ground was flipped over as it scattered all over the place.

At the same time, just a few steps in front of Leido, a huge sand person suddenly appeared from below, attacking the top of Leido’s head.

“Piece of cake.” Leido didn’t panic at all. Inserting his sword into the ground, just like the stance I’ve seen before, “Surging falling rain of fire, dispose of the obstacles on stage. Thunder king obey my command, sixteen thunderbolt.” A loud thundering sound could be heard, directly hacking at the sand person.

After receiving such a huge attack, the sand person’s palm burst open in the air before it could attack.

I don’t know if it was because it’s too easily resolved, I saw Yido, who was controlling his shield, seemed to have been stunned for a moment.

Grabbing onto this opportunity, Yado and Leido, who had seamless understanding, wielded their swords, kicked off the ground, and used breakneck speed to rush out. This caused me to think of the speed they used other day when they came to our school and had a match with senior. It was so quick that I could only see white figures. In the next second, Ellya, who was simultaneously attacked by both of them, issued a scream as she was abruptly being sent flying backwards.

Not slower than their movements, Jia Qiao caught Ellya before she fell on the ground.

At the same time, Raidel brandished his sword as he moved forward to attack Yado.

With a loud thunderous sound on the sandy ground, a dust explosion was set off in the surrounding area. I don’t know what kind of magic or the like that was used to attack the opponent, but both Yado and Raidel were simultaneously blasted backwards. At one side, Leido moved back extremely quickly as he grabbed onto his brother.

And then, the dust that filled the entire area gradually subsided.

Both sides were injured.

Just as Leido and Yado seemed to continue on with their next movement, the opponent’s Black Robe suddenly lifted his hand.

“Evil Spirit Academy calling for timeout!”

On the stage, the announcer’s voice could be heard. She seemed to be rather puzzled with his sudden action, and the judges stand at the middle put their heads together to discuss. However, I don’t know what they were discussing about, “Please give a reason for that, Evil Spirit Academy.”

Jia Qiao stood up, and then he patted off the dust from his body, completely different from his heavy murderous aura, as he seemed to have completely calmed down in an instant.

Very strange. It really was extremely strange, but I couldn’t point out the part that was strange.

“Our Purple Robe, Ellya, has lost consciousness and couldn’t continue the match, so Evil Spirit Academy is giving up this match.”

The whole situation took a sudden turn for the worse. I could even hear some of the people’s shouting and cursing in the audience seats.

That’s right, they called a halt too suddenly, so sudden that it seemed like they just casually looked for an excuse to prevaricate.

“I don’t know what Evil Spirit Academy is playing at again this time.” Senior Gasai narrowed his eyes, with a I-don’t-believe-that-they-would-give-up-the-match-so-easily kind of expression.

“In this competition, assessing my team’s condition and also including the scoring system, I think that the current team is not suited to continue the match, since it would only drag out to be a lengthy ferocious battle. And based on the above considerations, we would like to voluntarily give up advancing to the next match for the first sports competition.” Jia Qiao ignored the chaos in the stage, as he selfishly finished his speech.

There was a brief commotion at the judges stand.

After about a few minutes, Lucia raised her hand, “Jia Qiao’s request has been granted,and the second match is won by Alis Academy.”

In that second, I saw Leido’s face and his eyes were crimson.

Then, he indignantly shook his head, and went down the stage.

“Yido didn’t feel like they won.”

After we’d eaten our lunch, senior who went out for a while returned to the resting area, and told us.

I see, he must have went to meet up with Yido and the others.

“If the General Assembly approved of this, then there’s nothing we can do about it.” Gasai shook his head, “But I never thought that Evil Spirit Academy would suddenly use this method to give Alis Academy the victory for nothing in return. They let them win without allowing others to question their behavior… In the end, what are they trying to do?”

“Only god knows.” Senior shrugged.

I also felt it was very strange. In that situation, it was obvious Evil Spirit Academy didn’t look like they would lose. Although it’s not certain that they would win either, why did they voluntarily throw in the towel?

I don’t know, could it really be that there was some kind of conspiracy?

“Continue to observe, later if a problem arises, there’s still the General Assembly to deal with it.” Senior said in conclusion.

That’s also true. Anyway, if there’s any problem, there’s still the General Assembly who would think of a solution.

“Umm… Can I go and find Yido and the others?” I don’t know why, but I felt I should go over to take a look, not to comfort them but I felt that maybe I could do something…

Senior glanced at me, “Don’t worry, they can quickly adapt to this, so there’s nothing much for you to worry about. Compared to them, I think you’re obligated to watch the next match, because your friend is participating in it.”

That’s right, Ryan is participating in the next match, I’d forgotten about it.

But Ryan is the backup member, it wouldn’t be so easy for him to go on the stage, right?

“No matter if he goes on stage or not, you still need to watch it. This is your responsibility as a friend.” Senior’s tone wasn’t heavy nor light, but he seemed to be trying to tell me something.

“Alright.”

I could only nod. What senior said wasn’t wrong at all.

After all, I already missed the last match during the preliminaries. If I didn’t carefully watch his match this time, I wouldn’t be able to face Ryan.

Just as lunch time has ended, the second match began, and the five-coloured rooster head has yet to return to the resting area.

The second hand is pointing towards the last second.

“Dear audience, hello everyone, it’s two sharp in the afternoon. I’m the announcer, Lucia and I’ll first announce the results for the morning matches. At the first arena, it’s Alis Academy’s win. At the same time, at the second arena, Seven Hills Academy is eligible to move on to the next match.”

Seven Hills Academy moved on to the next match?

I suddenly remembered that they were a school that has no robe level?

Were they very strong?

“Starting at two in the afternoon, the last battle would be Atlantis Academy’s first team versus Clear Wind Academy’s second team. Atlantis Academy headed by Black Robe, Randall, followed by Purple Robe, Romi, and a non-robe level, Geng. Clear Wind’s Academy’s second team, headed by Black Robe, Leinuola, followed by Purple Robe, Xiao Tong Lei and Purple Robe, Saiyas. A total of six players would conclude today’s matches.”

Wait a minute! I seemed to have heard an extremely familiar name, so familiar that it reached the highest point.

Senior Geng?

Appearing on stage standing side by side with Randall, was that certain senior who was always smiling.

She’s a representative player? A non-robe level?

What the hell! Her appearance was a very gentle big sister who didn’t seem to have even any lethality at all!

“Don’t look down on her, she is the successor of Snake Eyes.” Senior pointed at his own eyes, “You’ve seen it before, although it wasn’t very obvious.”

I’ve seen it before?

“Ah!” I remember now!

The first time I met senior, I noticed that her eyes was vaguely tinged with a little green. However, I kept thinking that it was just my imagination.

“That’s the one.” Senior nodded his head as if he was agreeing to my thoughts.

“But, what exact are Snake Eyes?” Although I’ve seen it before, it was a completely different matter from knowing what it was.

Gasai curved up a smile, “Snake Eyes are the absolute eyes, you should have heard before, a frog being stared at by a snake wouldn’t be able to move. It’s an eye that has absolute control on one’s will. Other than that, it could cause others to hallucinate and the like. It’s something very difficult to learn. In the past, Icy Flame was very interested in it, but he couldn’t learn it no matter what, so he gave up.”

Senior glared at him, as if he wanted to say that the last few words were unnecessary.

Ignoring his glare, senior Gasai was still smiling, “And also, the snake eye teacher even asked Icy Flame if he wanted to consider learning beast eyes, since it was more suitable for Icy Flame’s ferocious eyes. Snake eye’s enchantment and hallucination is really too difficult.”

“Enough, shut up.” Black lines appeared on Senior’s head.

This made me feel very fresh, because I always thought senior was really omnipotent.

While they were bickering, Clear Wind’s players have also appeared on stage.

I glanced around, over at the opponent’s resting area, and I saw a girl, “Senior!” That’s the person who placed the XX intelligence insect on me.

“I got it.” Senior seemed to casually glance at the opponent’s instructor, and faintly responded with those words.

Just as Clear Wind’s players went on stage, I suddenly had a kind of extremely oppressed and familiar feeling.

The kind where the air was tightly stagnant, where I was completely unable to speak kind of feeling.

Where did I experience this before?

“Gasai!” Senior’s expression wasn’t quite right too, as he instantly grabbed onto Gasai’s hand. I don’t know what the both of them talking about, but then Gasai nodded, and in the blink of an eyes, a teleportation array immediately appeared beneath his feet.

Senior Gasai left, and but I had no idea of the reason why.

“The third barrier and the silent realm, draw out an area according to my specification, activate.” Senior pressed his hand on the floor of the resting area. The inside of the resting area vaguely brightened up for a moment and then disappeared. He then stood up, turned around and looked at me, “Chu, you also feel that the person on stage gave off a kind of feeling?”

I promptly nodded.

it seems like after senior chanted a barrier, I felt that the oppressed feeling wasn’t so great anymore.

“I’ll only tell you this here, and you’re not allowed to mention this to any other person.” Senior exhaled. I have never seen him being so tense before. Only once, when we were at the construction site and met the underling of the ghost king…

The construction site?

I suddenly realized that the oppressed feeling was almost the same as the other time.

I lifted my head only to see senior nodding in a dignified manner, “I guess, someone probably already infiltrated Clear Wind Academy, because we’d come across the person. Although it wasn’t a direct meeting, that feeling will remain in our body. Currently, we are still unable to determine the person. However, from now onwards, you’d better stay as far away as possible from Clear Wind Academy’s people.”

The ghost king’s underling!

My head is buzzing.

No wonder Clear Wind got attacked in the beginning. No wonder when Chifuyu used his tracking spell, we got attacked.

Suddenly, many things that I didn’t understand, became clear due to a certain string of clue.

Was it because it had something to do with the ghost king’s underling?

“Want to go and inform Randall and the others?” The first thing I thought of was the people who were ready to start the match on stage.

Senior shook his head.

“When the official match starts, the player’s area can’t be connected to one another.”

I wanted to ask senior if we could just directly notify the judges.

But, it seems to be a little too late.

A huge explosion could be heard from the field, and then the entire white surface of the arena was split into two.

The second arena was a normal to the extreme, with nothing above, just a regular flat arena made from white stones.

Randall and the others were split into three different areas.

Different from the movies, I saw the horrifying part of a real life member of the Night Traveller clan (Vampire).

Randall’s black fingernails became very long, just like a beast’s claws, tough like an eagle’s talon. Then, sharp and pointed teeth could be seen protruding out of his lips. His whole pale bloodless face was tense up and looked horrifying. His hand had already penetrated one person, one of the opponent’s Purple Robe, who looked like his blood was completely sucked dry, so dry that even his eyes turned white as if it was about to fall out. His blood vessels and bones could be seen clearly, as if they would slip through his skin and get dragged out.

Their attacks only lasted for a moment.

A Purple Robe was also standing in front of Geng with glazed eyes, not even moving at all.

But clearly our side weren’t without any casualty. Purple Robe, Romi was on the ground wounded by the opponent’s Black Robe, his chest seemed to be blasted open, a huge bloody wound. The whole floor was filled with bright red blood, as it kept on spreading.

“Dear audiences, please look attentively. Both schools’ players are actually speed-based players, and their attacks only lasted for a short moment, so fast that one didn’t even have the chance to blink!” Lucia’s voice could be heard, again and again as she announced the happenings on stage.

To be honest, I felt that the stage looked more like a murder crime scene.

The first two matches… were extremely, extremely overly peaceful.

Throwing the dry corpse, Randall glanced at the Purple Robe companion that was lying on the ground, and then he exchanged sights with Geng.

Clear Wind’s Black Robe kicked the corpse beside his feet towards the side. Extremely provocative, he looked at the similar Black Robe, Randall, and then he lifted his thumb and drew it across his neck.

I don’t know why, but my heart suddenly started beating very fast, as if something was about to happen.

Accepting the opponent’s provocation, Randall stretched his hand muscles, issuing a strange sound, and disappeared in the next second. One could only vaguely see a black figure passing by.

At the same second, a loud sound could suddenly be heard from the stage. The white stone arena was suddenly flipped over, and screams could be heard from the audience seats.

Under everyone’s eyes, the white stone arena was being broken into pieces. Gathering together just like a blade, sand and rocks that wanted to attentively deal with the enemy in front, penetrated through the defenceless Randall’s chest and also the back of the Purple Robe player, who was being controlled.

The huge sand person that was supposed to be eliminated during the previous match, suddenly broke through the white stone arena, and resurrected at the second match.

I seemed to have seen Jia Qiao and the others’ smiling faces on the stage.

There was a kind of feeling where it-dawned-on-me started to spread out in my mind.

Rather than eliminating three White Robes, their actually target was the Black Robe who was going to participate in the next match of the first arena?

Bright red blood flowed out of Randall’s mouth.

In the first representative team’s resting area, I saw who Nile wanted to rush on stage and save his master, but he was being held down by Ryan.

The battle headed towards the direction where no one would have expected it to go.

“Suspending the match!”

Lucia’s voice resounded throughout the whole General Assembly.

“The matches are all suspended!”