[Scarlett PoV]
He is... a bit different from what I've heard. Geralt—my younger brother—told me he was a total jerk and advised me not to go near him. It's true that during the first semester of the second year, the man's attitude was extremely annoying.
If I recall correctly, it started since that new kid, Brian, began approaching Ariel, who was originally quite close to him.
"Piers, what are the results of your scouting yesterday?" the man asked one of the team members.
"Well... there is a large group consisting of 10 teams; they control the northern region of this island," replied the man named Piers. "Captain, why don't we form an alliance with other teams too, to increase our combat capacity?"
The man named Piers was right; why didn't he cooperate with other teams to be safer from attacks by larger groups?
"I have considered it, but I think joining other teams would only have a greater negative impact than a positive one on our team," the man said, explaining the issue of allying with others.
"First, it will be harder to move with so many people," the man said while raising one index finger. "Second, it is very difficult to organize and coordinate during combat if both parties have different chains of command."
I suppose he has a point; making decisions would take a long time if we always had to ask for another team's opinion. For now, there was nothing wrong with the decision the man had made.
"And finally," he then smiled as he raised three fingers on his hand. "I don't want to share the results of my hard work with other teams."
Hearing his explanation, the man named Piers then nodded as if he understood something.
"So, what is our next plan, Captain?"
"For now, we will not fight other teams to see how things develop," the man replied. "Piers, try to find more information about the groups we should watch out for."
The man named Piers nodded. "Understood, Captain."
The man then glanced toward me; it seemed he was about to give me an order.
"Scarlett, guard our basecamp until we return. I'm going to the western side of the island to look for a Red Crystal."
I only nodded in response to his command. The two of them then left, leaving me here alone. I leaned against a tree, looking at the clear blue sky.
It's only the second day; there are still five days left before this exam ends. I wonder how Geralt is doing? I think he'll be fine. He's always wanted to fight Brian to avenge his defeat in their duel a while back. When he heard Brian defeated the bear monster that killed a student, he became motivated to become stronger and defeat Brian in this survival exam.
Speaking of duels, Brian also defeated this man in a duel that took place last month. I saw their fight, and something felt off. Previously, that man was able to dominate Brian very easily. He could read his attacks and counterattack very effectively. The fight with the other group yesterday also showed great technique and combat composure from him.
Then, why did he suddenly lose to Brian with just one attack? I don't know; I think he had a specific reason for intentionally losing to Brian back then.
***
[Raul PoV]
After defeating two teams last night, our team obtained 12 yellow crystals and two blue crystals, bringing our total to 20 points today. However, these points are still not enough to ensure we pass to the next stage.
In the game, teams would average up to 150 points by the end of the first exam period. I predict that on this second day, teams will start forming large alliances so they don't get eliminated easily. A group consisting of more than 10 teams will form a Clan. Usually, they will create a perimeter around the territory they control.
The weakest teams within such a Clan will be in a difficult position. This is because their team will only receive the smallest share of crystals, making the possibility of them not passing even higher. However, there is no other way for them. If they don't join a Clan, they will be hunted by stronger teams.
This afternoon, I was heading to the western beach to get one of the Red Crystals located in a coral reef 30 meters below the sea surface. I hope the current isn't too strong this time.
Upon arriving at the beach, I saw that the ocean looked calm. Finally, I could dive and search for that Red Crystal. I took off my uniform and began to swim into the sea wearing only my undergarments.
Diving to the seabed, I started searching around the reefs in this area. On the island, there are 7 Red Crystals scattered about, and the remaining 3 are in the coastal areas. Currently, it would be very difficult to look for Red Crystals inside the island without being noticed by the remaining teams.
I returned to the surface to breathe. It's quite difficult searching for a crystal at these depths. I took a deep breath and dove back down. A faint reddish glow appeared on a large coral reef about 100 meters from where I was.
I began to swim toward the reef. Yes... from a distance, I could see a Red Crystal wedged into a narrow crevice in the middle of the reef. However, I had to circle around it first to be able to grab the crystal from the other side of the massive coral.
But, when I reached the other side of this reef, I saw a blonde-haired woman reaching for the crystal stone stuck in the crevices.
Is that Elena? Bad decision to fight her in the water right now. I don't think she's noticed my presence yet. Fine, I'll wait for her to take the crystal and then steal it quickly from her hand. I began to approach her slowly and prepared the jump magic—Axio—to launch myself toward her when the time was right.
Here it is... Elena successfully got the crystal in her hand.
Axio...!
A thrust emerged from the soles of my feet, sending my body gliding rapidly toward Elena. The woman then turned around, realizing something fast was heading her way. Her face looked shocked to see me suddenly appear in front of her.
But it was too late; I snatched the crystal from her hand and shoved it into my mouth. I began to swim as fast as possible to get out of the water. I looked back and saw Elena chasing me with a visibly annoyed expression.
Faster! It'll be bad if she unleashes her magic while I'm still in the water.
Not long after, I reached the surface. I rushed toward the forest to escape. However, I felt a massive flow of mana from behind me.
"Raul, do you know that stealing from others isn't a very nice thing to do?"
Hearing Elena's voice, which sounded calm yet incredibly cold, I stopped in my tracks and turned around. I could see her hands were infused with yellow lightning.
"Blitzkrieg!"
So fast!
Elena dashed toward me and launched a punch that I blocked with both hands. However, thanks to her momentum and powerful attack, my body was pushed far back.
"Hand over that crystal, Raul," said Elena as she began to walk slowly. "Or are you more interested in playing around with me?" Elena gave me a terrifyingly mischievous smile.
"Hehehe~ It's been quite a while since I've fought someone. Do you know why, Raul?" said Elena as her entire body began to be coursed with yellow lightning. "It's because no one dares to challenge me to a duel within the academy."
Well... that's only natural. Elena is the strongest student in the academy. She holds the NUM 2 rank in the second year and only lost to Valeria because the green-haired woman is superior in academic fields. But in a real fight, I don't think Valeria would be able to defeat Elena when she uses her Almario Del Relampago magic.
"Are you ready, Raul? For a long time, I've wanted to test just how strong you really are."
Elena dashed toward me again and launched another punch which I managed to block with both hands.
Ughhh... Her attack made both of my hands go numb from the lightning stings flowing through her body.
Elena didn't stop her assault and tried to kick my head. I quickly ducked and launched a Sweep Kick toward Elena's legs. However, the blonde woman jumped backward, evading my attack. Elena then muttered something. Not long after, lightning appeared in her palms.
"Double Lightning Bolt!"
Two bolts of lightning released by Elena sped toward me. I quickly jumped to the side to avoid them. The two bolts struck where I had just been standing, the explosion sending beach sand scattering into the air.
However, Elena didn't stop there. Before my feet could even land, she had launched herself to land a Flying Kick on my body. I blocked her attack with both hands again, causing my body to be thrown far back.
But Elena didn't let me catch my breath at all. She activated Accel magic and chased me down quickly. The woman launched a left hook infused with lightning. Again, I blocked it with both hands, making them go numb again from the lightning-infused impact.
Elena prepared to attack with a left uppercut, but I swiftly tilted my body to evade. I launched a kick toward her head reinforced with Temper magic. However, Elena was able to block it with her right hand. Her body was pushed slightly to the side by my reinforced attack.
"Heee~ Your kick is quite strong too, Raul," Elena said, smiling at me. "But can you keep entertaining me after I use this fighting technique?"
After saying that, Elena's combat stance visibly changed. She looked like a Muay Thai fighter from my original world. She learned this fighting style from Count Raymond de Chatelon—Elena's mentor since she was a child.
"Here I come...!"
Elena dashed toward me, her hands and feet emitting a glow signaling her use of Temper magic. I increased my focus on the attacks she was about to launch.
Elena launched a left jab; I shifted my head to the left to avoid it. But Elena immediately launched a kick with her right leg. I quickly placed my left hand beside my head to block it. Without stopping, Elena spun her body and launched a Spinning Back Fist with her right hand. I ducked to avoid it and tried to land a punch toward Elena's stomach.
However, Elena managed to block my punch with her left knee. Incredible reflexes. Elena then jumped back to maintain distance from me.
"You... could read all of my attacks just now..." Elena muttered.
Of course, I was the one who designed all your attack combos. It was only natural that I knew which attack you'd use once you started moving. But I couldn't say that to her.
"It's a pity the Instructor doesn't allow students to bring a sword," Elena said, sounding regretful. "I wanted to try my new technique and see if you could block and avoid it."
The technique Elena was talking about was her relentless 20-hit combo. She used this attack in the game to defeat a Noble Vampire, one of the Demon King's generals.
"Well... I guess I can't ask for more." Elena resumed her stance. "I planned to defeat you without using this magic, but your abilities have forced my hand."
Damn, Elena is getting serious this time.
"Almario Del Relampago...."
The moment Elena uttered those words, her entire body was enveloped in a yellow glow with lightning surrounding her. Her blonde hair lifted into the air. Her figure now looked like a Dragon Ball character turning Super Saiyan.
Suddenly, Elena's figure vanished from my sight.
Elena then appeared in front of me and launched a kick. My body was sent flying; I didn't have time to block that kick. I landed on both feet, trying to regain a stable stance. But I saw Elena dashing toward me again.
She was about to launch a right punch. I quickly raised my left hand to block. However, Elena suddenly vanished from my sight again and appeared to the right of my body.
"Dragon Fist!"
I quickly activated Repel magic to minimize the impact of Elena's attack.
— Bam!
Her fist hit my right ribs dead-on. My body was sent flying far and tumbled across the beach sand.
Ughhh... Her speed increased manifold when using her signature magic.
I tried to stand up. Elena was walking toward me; it seemed her burst of speed had a cooldown before it could be used again.
I have two ways to defeat Elena in this fight.
First, I could use my Shadow Nature Mana to give her a surprise attack. However, I was reluctant to use it as I didn't want to reveal my secret magic too early in this exam.
Second is to use Reject Impact magic on Elena. Anyone hit by this magic would be unable to use magic for several days. However, after using this spell, one of the user's hands will experience paralysis for several days. A high-risk, high-reward spell.
However, I didn't want to use it now. It's only the second day of the first stage. I would be in trouble if I had to go through the remaining 5 days with only one hand. I had planned to use this technique on the final day of the exam, but I didn't expect to fight a strong opponent like Elena today.
"You haven't used your Nature Mana at all, Raul," said Elena, preparing to attack me again. "I am not an opponent to be taken lightly; give it your all!" Elena dashed toward me once more.
If I couldn't defeat her with those two methods, there was only one way left to counter Elena's insane speed.
— Bam!
Again, my body was hit by her attack. This time I only relied on Repel magic to reduce the impact.
— Bam!
She attacked my head, hands, ribs, and stomach. But I had to endure it as best as I could. I had to memorize her attack pattern and perform a quick counterattack to bring Elena down.
I saw Elena vanish from my sight again.
— Bam! Bam! Bam!
Elena beat me mercilessly with her fists and kicks. My entire body was aching. But I successfully memorized her attack pattern. Left, left, right, and left. That was the pattern of positions where Elena would appear to attack. Most likely, she would appear to my left to attack this time.
However, I remembered her personality. Elena is not a character who lets her enemy read her movements easily.
"I will eliminate you with this final attack!"
Elena vanished from my sight again. I then took a step back, and Elena's fist whizzed past my body. Her face looked shocked that I had managed to avoid her attack this time.
I grabbed her hand and slammed her body into the beach sand. I immediately mounted her to prevent her from vanishing using her speed again. But Elena quickly flipped my body over.
This time, I was on the bottom and she was on top. Elena's hands pinned my hands down; her body was sitting on my stomach and waist.
"This is the first time a student has been able to avoid my attack in that mode," said Elena, smiling at me. "Hand over the crystal, Raul. I know you're keeping it in your mouth."
We were in a locked position. Both my hands and Elena's were pinning each other down. Her face was very close to mine; I could feel her breath tickling me.
"President Elena! Where have you been?"
I heard the sound of footsteps from several people. Glancing to the side, I saw a few students heading this way from a distance. It seemed they were members of Elena's team.
"Open your mouth, Raul," said Elena, moving her face even closer to mine. "Let's continue this fight another time."
Responding to her offer, I only shook my head.
"Fine, it seems I have to take that crystal from your mouth by force."
Her lips moved closer to mine. I tried to struggle, but both my hands were pinned by Elena's, and my body was hard to move because she was pinning me down.
Something soft and wet entered my mouth; Elena's tongue began to explore and search for the crystal I had hidden in there. I held my breath, having an erotic experience in this difficult situation.
I felt the crystal stored in my mouth being lifted. Elena raised her face away from mine; she then opened her mouth, showing the Red Crystal she had snatched from mine.
I felt Elena's grip on my hands begin to loosen. The woman then jumped backward. I quickly stood up to continue the fight. However, Elena's teammates had already approached. It would be harder to fight her with other students in the way.
"Hey Raul, let's continue our fight another time," said Elena as she put the Red Crystal into her pocket. "I enjoyed our fight just now, you know." She then licked her lips, making me a little embarrassed by what had just happened between us.
I quickly left the beach area before Elena's colleagues could attack me in this condition.
Damn it...! I went through all that trouble to find that crystal, but in the end, I could only return empty-handed. Well... no matter, I guess I'll have to come up with another plan to increase our point stash later.
When I returned to the Basecamp, Scarlett and Piers looked shocked to see me.
"Captain... why do you look so beaten up? And where is your uniform?" Piers asked.
"Well... I left it at the western beach area. I'll go back tonight to get it."
After saying that, I collapsed onto a pile of leaves and closed my eyes to rest.
I am so incredibly tired today...