Chapter 19: CHAPTER 18 - Unveiling Strength in Shadows (3)
Before Ichiro, in the battle arena, stood a mechanical lion of awe-inspiring grandeur. Crafted from glistening, enchanted metals, its eyes glowed with fiery emerald light. Each joint and sinew moved with fluid precision, and its razor-sharp claws gleamed with deadly intent.
"That's the cube?" Ichiro exclaimed, momentarily awestruck by the magnificent mechanical lion.
"Stop standing there and run!" Emi shouted, snapping Ichiro out of his stupor. She swiftly issued a command to the mechanical lion, directing it to engage Ren, who was charging toward them.
Ichiro finally realized that the mock battle had begun. His lapse in awareness was due to his earlier preoccupation with his thoughts. Now, he needed to focus on the situation at hand.
Not far from him, Ichiro noticed Shin, one of their opponents, wielding an enormous longsword. The weapon was too large for someone of Shin's size to carry, but he effortlessly lifted it as if it weighed no more than a feather.
"An aura?" Ichiro marveled, impressed by Shin's display of power. It had been a while since he had seen someone manifest such a skill. In the previous mock battles, none of his classmates had showcased this level of ability.
-An aura is a radiant, often invisible, energy field that surrounds individuals or objects, manifesting as a vivid, colored glow. Auras are intimately linked to one's essence, emotions, and magical or mystical abilities. These colorful halos might reveal a character's affimility.-
"So, Matsumoto's affinity is water?" Ichiro asked as he continued to evade Shinji's relentless pursuit.
-Precisely.-
The system confirmed.
"Does he have magic ability as well?"
-His arcane energy is low.-
Ichiro nodded in understanding as he weaved through the rocky battlefield. Ren's earth manipulation skills made the terrain a formidable obstacle course. Ichiro needed to act like a weakened opponent to avoid drawing too much attention, even though he could outpace Shinji Matsumoto.
Shinji, meanwhile, was growing impatient. His aura surged, enveloping his sword and giving it an otherworldly glow. With a single swing, he cleaved through the boulders as if they were mere sheets of paper.
"Yo, loser, stop hiding and wasting my time!" Shinji taunted, his powerful aura radiating intimidation.
The battlefield was now filled with chaos and excitement. As the boulders collapsed, Shinji frowned, realizing that Ichiro had disappeared.
"Where did he go?" Shinji muttered in frustration.
Meanwhile, Emi was effortlessly defending herself and attacking multiple opponents simultaneously, displaying her exceptional skills.
"Yo, Sato-san. How long can you keep this up?" Ren mocked as he decided to confront her directly.
Emi regarded him with disdain. "Can you even stand against me?" Her confidence was evident, and Ren's arrogance only fueled her determination.
"Why you—" Ren began to conjure small arrows of rocks, launching them at Emi. However, his efforts were in vain as she was protected by an invisible shield.
"Ah, run, you idiot!"
"Destroy that thing already!"
The remaining three students were too occupied with running for their lives or defending themselves against the mechanical lion. Their focus on survival left Ren without any support. The spectacle unfolding in the arena captivated the onlookers, as they watched the intense battle with a mix of amazement and awe.
'I didn't expect Sato to fight at all.'
Senpai Fujimoto couldn't help but be impressed by the appearance of the mechanical lion in the arena. He knew that the Sato family had affiliations with Metal and Technology, and they were renowned for their prowess in weapon invention. Thus, the sight of Emi controlling a mechanical beast didn't come as a surprise to him.
In this world, controlling mechanical beasts or humanoids was a skill exclusive to those with technological affinity. They had the unique ability to manipulate these creations using their minds. However, it was important to note that destroying such constructs would exact a significant toll on the wielder. The pain they experienced was threefold compared to any regular injury, even though it was only a brief, mental agony. Someone with a weak mental constitution could be overwhelmed by this pain, potentially leading to fatal consequences.
Nao, an adept in nature magic, focused her energy on the ground beneath her. Vines erupted from the earth, swiftly growing and entwining around the lion's metallic limbs. They acted like natural restraints, momentarily halting the beast's advance.
Akira, the wind magic specialist, summoned a gust of swirling air. The lion roared as the blades left deep gouges in its metallic hide.
Ryo, armed with a powerful gun and a formidable aura, aimed precisely at vulnerable joints in the mechanical beast's structure. With each shot, the projectiles struck with pinpoint accuracy, chipping away at its integrity.
"It looks like your little pet is down?" Ren mocked, laughing at the sight of the defeated mechanical lion on its knees.
Emi's eyes sparkled with excitement, and she snapped her fingers, capturing everyone's attention, including Ichiro's, who had momentarily paused in his flight to see what was happening.
In the blink of an eye, the mechanical lion that had been brought down by the three slowly materialized once again. The broken parts were covered by what seemed like liquid metal, hardening to patch the holes.
"Impossible."
"This can't be."
The three students exchanged glances and realized that, at best, they had expended all their energy and still couldn't prevail. As they stared at Emi, who hadn't broken a sweat, it became painfully clear that the power disparity was substantial.
"You—" Ren seethed with anger as his plans began to unravel. However, he quickly devised a way to finally bring Emi down.
In the blink of an eye, Emi was shocked to see Ren vanish right in front of her and reappear in front of Ichiro.
"Surprise," Ren declared, and without warning, he punched Ichiro in the stomach.
Emi lost focus due to the unexpected attack and failed to notice that Shinji had already launched an assault on the mechanical lion. The pain she felt mirrored what the lion was supposed to endure.
"Darn it!" Emi clenched her teeth as she struggled with the unexpected pain from a seemingly simple attack.
Emi now found herself facing four opponents who were all targeting her mechanical lion. Despite all the reinforcement spells she had cast on the mechanical beast, it seemed futile.
Ichiro, after being sent flying into the arena wall, coughed up a significant amount of blood. He hadn't anticipated the sudden attack and was slow to react.
-Warning! Due to the powerful punch, you are currently losing a significant amount of blood,- the system alerted him.
"You didn't have to tell me that," Ichiro groaned as he fell to his knees, his head bleeding profusely. "Ah, I have to do something."
-Report: The human is experiencing a significant amount of pain.-
"You mean Emi?" Ichiro turned to check on Emi, who was currently turning pale for some reason. "How come?"
-Destroying the beast means experiencing the pain.-
"What? Why didn't you say anything earlier?" Ichiro got up, realizing that the situation was far beyond Emi's control. Despite her command for him to run and let her handle everything, he couldn't stand by and let her bear all the pain.
"Oh? So you can still stand?" Ren acted nonchalant and unsurprised, but deep down, he was taken aback to see Ichiro standing defiantly in front of him. Ren had unleashed a significant amount of force and even formed a rock-like armor on his hand when he punched Ichiro earlier.
"Get lost," Ichiro stated coldly, his eyes showing a hint of determination. Although it was subtle, he could sense that Ren was not pleased by his defiance.
"Oh, this is getting interesting," Senpai Fujimoto remarked, his initial worry about Ichiro's safety replaced by curiosity when he saw Ren attack Ichiro with such force and then witness Ichiro standing back on his feet. "I guess it wasn't an illusion back then."
Senpai Fujimoto observed the situation with keen interest. He couldn't deny that Ichiro's speed was on par with his own, but he remained uncertain about Ichiro's physical strength. Nevertheless, it was abundantly clear that Ichiro's body was far from weak, considering how he had withstood Ren's powerful attack.
Ren's fury reached its boiling point as he watched Ichiro spit out blood, yet still, meet his gaze with an ice-cold, unwavering stare. Never before had he felt such humiliation from a supposed loser, someone who had been the target of relentless bullying throughout their school life dared to challenge him.
"Get lost."
Ichiro's voice cut through the tension like a knife, commanding Ren to leave. Ren's rage only intensified as he charged towards Ichiro, determined to teach him a lesson he would never forget.
However, Ren's determination was short-lived as he witnessed Ichiro charging back at him without a hint of fear. In the blink of an eye, Ichiro's hand covered Ren's eyes, and with a sudden surge of strength and blinding speed, he sent Ren hurtling towards the arena wall. The impact was deafening as Ren crashed into the wall, leaving everyone in the vicinity utterly stunned, unable to comprehend the incredible display of power they had just witnessed.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone