It had to be admitted that Victor possessed a deceptively charming appearance, which was usually completely overshadowed by his manic behavior, crumpled school uniform, and perpetually tousled hair.
Now, dressed in a well-fitted black competition uniform, his lithe and upright figure was on full display. His messy hair seemed to have been haphazardly tousled, adding a touch of wildness instead.
That face with its sharp, almost perfect features was fully exposed to the sunlight, his jawline clean and defined, the corners of his mouth naturally upturned as if ready to spout a quip or shocking statement at any moment.
Only when his eyes darted about, the flickering, leaping light within them and the madness barely concealed in their depths, did they remind people of the true nature beneath that handsome exterior.
Even Wednesday had to admit—with the most objective, anatomical perspective—that his bone structure and muscle definition were indeed a masterpiece.
This caused that disobedient organ in her chest to stir restlessly once more.
Damn it, perhaps she really should go for a thorough check-up at the infirmary after the race.
"Hey, what's up?" Victor obviously noticed the sudden silence and the focused gazes. He looked down at himself, then flicked the small golden bell hanging from his uniform collar. The bell emitted a crisp 'ding~'.
"Doesn't it look good?"
Enid's face flushed bright red instantly, her gaze darting away, unable to meet his eyes. She stammered, "I-It's amazing!"
"Thanks for the compliment~ Meow~" Victor winked at her, deliberately acting cute, his lips curling into a brilliant yet wicked smile.
"Pfft—" A spot of bright red blood instantly trickled from Enid's nostril.
She frantically tilted her head back and covered her nose.
Wednesday clenched her fist tightly, forcing herself to look away. She took a deep breath, trying to suppress that sudden, illogical, and abnormally intense heartbeat with sheer willpower.
Arrhythmia, it must be. It had to be dealt with immediately after the race.
"On your marks!" The Headmaster's voice boomed through the loudspeaker, shattering the strange atmosphere.
All teams immediately sprang into action, boarding their respective boats.
Wednesday, feeling as if granted a reprieve, was the first to agilely leap onto the 'black cat', taking her position at the stern as the helmsman. Her icy gaze swept across the lake surface, instantly shifting into combat mode.
Victor followed with a grin, jumping onto the boat and standing in the position in front of her.
Next was Venom. Although it appeared large, its actual weight might have been lighter than Wednesday's.
Enid boarded last, still pressing a tissue to her nose, her cheeks flushed as she stood at the bow.
Directly to the port side of the black cat was Bianca Barclay's the golden beetle.
Their boat was predominantly yellow, with black beetle patterns painted on the hull.
Bianca herself wore a tailored yellow uniform.
She glanced back at the 'black cat' and its crew, a smirk of undisguised mockery curling her lips.
Wednesday's gaze instantly sharpened like a blade.
"Listen," her voice was low, just loud enough for the three on board plus the symbiote to hear.
"We have only one goal: crush the golden beetle team and be the first across the finish line. Anything that happens along the way... is an accident. Understood?"
"Understood, Captain!" Enid nodded vigorously, finally shaking off her shyness as the werewolf's combative blood began to boil.
"For chocolate!" Venom growled.
Victor shook his neck, the bell emitting a clear ring.
He looked back at Wednesday, those beautiful eyes burning with a dark excitement that was perfectly in sync with hers.
"Let them hear our bells, Captain."
The starting pistol fired.
As if a switch had been flipped, several canoes shot forward, slicing through the water, rowing furiously towards the island in the center of the lake.
The echo of the starting pistol still lingered over the lake.
Shouts, curses, and the sounds of hulls colliding instantly churned the tranquil Black Lake into a pot of boiling porridge.
The 'black cat' moved like a black specter, inconspicuous amidst the initial chaos.
Wednesday stood at the stern, hands firmly gripping the steering oar, her cold eyes scanning the front like a general seeking a weak point on the battlefield.
"Hard to port! Avoid that herd of charging rhinos!"
Wednesday commanded coolly. Her voice, though not loud, was piercing, instantly cutting through the surrounding clamor.
Enid rowed fiercely at the bow. The werewolf's strength gave each stroke immense thrust. Her golden short hair was damp with spray, clinging to her flushed, excited cheeks.
Victor was in the middle section. His rowing technique... was quite unique.
It didn't rely on pure muscular strength, but rather a strangely rhythmic motion, sometimes swift, sometimes slow, as if playing a mad concerto on the water's surface, yet it was incredibly efficient.
Venom simply merged the lower half of its body with the hull, extending over a dozen black tendrils, churning the water like a biological motor, abruptly elevating the 'black cat's' speed by a notch.
"Whoa! This feels awesome!" Venom growled excitedly, its huge white eyes fixed on Bianca's 'the golden beetle' ahead.
"Like stirring a giant lake of chocolate milkshake! Though the taste is a bit off!"
Just then, a canoe named 'trap and pendulum', painted purple, made a sharp turn and moved towards the 'black cat' with malicious intent.
With a sharp 'click', two gleaming long-handled axes suddenly sprang from both sides of its hull! Using the centrifugal force from the boat's swing, they swept horizontally towards the 'black cat's' crew like the pendulum of death!
"Duck!" Wednesday shouted sharply, bending down herself first.
Enid reacted with lightning speed. The werewolf's agility allowed her to almost instantly flatten herself against the bottom of the boat.
Victor let out a strange cry, dramatically leaning back until his back nearly collided with Wednesday's embrace.
Without a second thought, Wednesday bent her knee, precisely planting it against the small of his back, halting his approach.
"Maintain distance, Victor!" Her voice carried a trace of barely perceptible gritted teeth.
She didn't understand why, every time this human heat source got close, her body's precise physiological systems would malfunction like a virus—arrhythmia, elevated body temperature—utterly absurd!
"Ura! So thrilling!"
Victor, pushed back, wasn't annoyed in the slightest. Instead, he roared excitedly and, from his reclined position, wildly swung his oar, nearly hitting Enid's head.
"Hey! Watch it!" Enid exclaimed, dodging.
"Enid! Port mechanism! Activate the lance!" Wednesday ordered swiftly, trying to override the momentary chaos with tactical command.
"Wait! Let me!" Venom's voice was filled with barely contained excitement and wildness. Its huge white eyes were locked on the two still-swinging axes as if they were coveted toys.
It abruptly separated more mass from Victor's body. A thick black tendril rapidly coalesced, morphed, hardened—
Under the horrified gaze of the crew on 'trap and pendulum', Venom's arm instantly transformed into a massive, dark, menacing battle-axe larger than their entire boat! The axe blade gleamed with an ominous matte finish in the sunlight.
"Hahaha!" Venom let out an earsplitting, maniacal laugh, its voice brimming with pure, destructive joy. "An axe—it's gotta be swung vertically to pack a punch!"
It didn't even use any technique. With the most primitive, most savage force, it raised that giant axe high and brought it straight down upon 'trap and pendulum'!
"No—!!!"
The faces of the opposing team's members instantly turned as pale as paper, their screams distorted.
CRACK—!!!
A sickening sound of splintering wood.
The giant axe cleaved through 'trap and pendulum' with the ease of a hot knife through butter, splitting it cleanly in two from the middle!
Water rushed violently into the breach, the wreckage sinking rapidly.
Several fallen contestants floundered, coughing and whimpering in terror, their eyes looking at the 'black cat' as if gazing upon demons crawled out of the abyss.
'trap and pendulum' was instantly eliminated from the race.