Chapitre 20: Chapter 20: Gotta Catch ‘em All!
"Let's see... uhm, Hachirou-kun is it?" At his affirmation, I spoke, "You're up!"
"W-wait you can't really expect me to fight by myself, we haven't even learned anything yet!" Hachirou's shrill voice was less than manly as he nervously fidgeted with his flak jacket, his eyes looking out into the dense forest with barely hidden fear.
"Oh hush you big baby! There's no way I'd send a student to die like that. Fumiko take point and make sure nothing happens to him. Akari you're in charge of watching the other five!" As I spoke geist was expelled from my body into the air, and like the smell of a juicy steak the wolves came running.
"Yes, Da—I mean Sensei!"
"Yes, sensei."
"H-hey you've got to be kidding me, there isn't a chance in hell she can protect me. Look at her she's nothing but a stupid slu—!" Another benefit of the flak jacket was that the collar made for great hand holds as Hachirou found himself dangling in the air. His eyes met mine as he trembled like a leaf in the wind.
"Listen here you little shit I know you're probably some hot shot clan kid used to getting his way, but if you think I care whose balls you came out of you're sadly mistaken! As of right now, you are an exorcist in training, the lowest rank in the organization, and as your superior, you have no right to question my order! Do you understand!?" I yelled, spittle flying from my lips.
"Y-yes." His face was ash white, tears streamed down his face as deep sobs racked his body.
"I can't fucking hear you!" I yelled again not caring for the gawking audience or the boy's terrified look. No one calls Fumiko a slut except for me!
"Yes!" He cried.
"That's more like it, now please stop wasting my time." I dropped him and let him fall on his ass, the boy scrambling to his feet in record time. Fumiko's lips quirked up at the pathetic sight before our eyes made contact. Her lips mouthed the words 'thank you' before she winked at me.
"Gachi, Gachi, meat ripe for slaughter!" The thundering charge of another Gashadokuro filled the air. The thing was unreasonably quick for it's size and it caught the crybaby by surprise as the thing was right on top of him.
"W-What do I do!?" Hachirou screamed as the creatures giant hand tried squashing him like a bug. Fumiko standing right beside him pulled her [Bubble Blower] from in between her bountiful cleavage.
"[Bubble Shield]!" Placing the pink mouthpiece on her lips geist poured through her lips as a pink bubble grew around the two. The Gashadokuro's skeletal hand slammed into the barrier, but unlike a normal bubble it didn't pop and the phantom's hand slid off its slippery surface.
Boom!
The skeleton's hand crashed into the ground right next to the pink bubble. A mini earthquake sent dirt and rocks flying as spider web cracks grew from the place of impact. Hachirou hadn't sat idly by surprisingly, in his hands a orb of water grew.
"[Water Prison Chains]!" The swirling ball of water in his palms flew like like a basketball chucked across the court. The ball of H2O nailed the phantom in the chest. The hiss of rain dousing fire filled the air as the Gashadokuro roared. Water beats fire at least in the case of opponents with equal geist reserves. The liquid coiled around the skeleton's chest and arms like a snake putting out any flames it came in contact with.
"O-open up your shadow!" Hachirou had to go ahead and ruin any chance of me complimenting his technique by being so damn needy. Geez, kids these days!
"Do you really think that bind is going to hold?" As I spoke one of the water chains snapped off the creature, the suppression the water had on the Gashadokuro's fire ectoplasm giving way. The phantom raised one of its legs and brought it down with colossal force.
Sensing the danger Fumiko blew another two bubbles as they made a layered defense. The skeletal foot slammed with earth-shattering force as the first barrier popped like a balloon, and the second one's fate was similar. Just as I was about to step in to help Fumiko she did something amazing.
"[Flash Freeze]!" Her breath took on an arctic chill as the last pink bubble was frozen solid. The Gashadokuro's foot crashed into the icy bubble, cracks forming on it as the weight of the creature bore down on it. The effort by Fumiko was just enough however as it gave them time to move.
"Dodge!" They both rolled in the opposite direction as the pink bubble shattered like glass, flecks of pink foam raining down like snow. Fumiko rolled into a kneeling position with one knee on the ground. In her lips the pink bubble pipe blew a bubble packed to the brim with arctic air, the thing leaking a cold mist like liquid nitrogen.
"Spread your water all over it's body!"
"B-but the bind will be too thin!"
"Just do it!"
"[Water Prison Veil]!" I was kind of impressed he came up with a name for a technique on the fly like that. The chains dispersed into a sheet of water that covered the Gashadokuro's entire body. The hiss of steam filled the air as the phantom screamed, the pain driving it mad. The weakening effect of the water faded as it charged at Hachirou, who looked like he wanted to piss his pants.
"[Ice Bubble Bomb]!" The pink bubble filled with foggy arctic air barreled into the turned back of the phantom. And when it burst the creature was covered in a white mist as it's body froze while it was mid-stride. Like a towering tree brought down by a lumberjack the phantom fell.
"Aaaaaaah—!" Portaling behind the screaming Hachirou I grabbed him and dragged him to safety. His scream of terror was replaced by a confused look as he probably wondered why he wasn't dead yet.
"You both did good." Laying on the ground was a still-alive frozen statue of a phantom. Two down three to go.
***
(Charlotte Kraus POV):
"Hahahaha, run!" I flashed right in front the fat pig Takahiro before putting my elbow right in his gut. The fat bastard gagged and before he could puke on my beautiful figure I used [Sun Step] to flash away.
"P-please no—ughrk!" I didn't give Miura Chizue any mercy as a kick swept her feet under her. Just as she face-planted a dark grey fist came sailing at me from behind.
"Tsukasa the whole point of this exercise is to kite me, not engage in a fistfight." I chided the girl as I faded into light particles before reappearing behind her. My fist met her metal-strengthened back with lightning-quick speed. The meatheaded girl grunted before delivering a donkey kick I quickly dodged.
"How in the hell can I kite someone moving at the speed of light!?"
"Uh... fair point, I guess I'll tone it down." I felt a little embarrassed as I realized how badly I'd been bullying them. Hopefully, Garridan doesn't find out cause I'll be so embarrassed if he does!
"Good, but I have one more question?" The tanned-skinned tomboy raised up a finger as she spoke, "How can I move faster with my Eukrasia?" Ah, I remember Garridan mentioning this, that for metal element users their biggest drawback is their lack of speed. And the solution he said...
"Keeping it active all the time isn't how you should use it. Think of it as a something only necessary when striking and blocking. Any other time you should be using [Geist Release] to increase your speed or when we get to the point in your training where you can learn [Reinforcement] or [Force Multiplier] you should use those." I gave the lecture Garridan desperately wanted me to give this meathead as he said that if I didn't do it the girl would never change.
"I see." She released her metal aura before a white haze of geist surrounded her body, the telltale sign of geist release. She stepped in the ground so hard the earth split as she brought herself right in front of me. A smile grew on my face as I dodge a hasty jab of hers, the metal grey sheen covering her fist told me she took darling's advice.
"I'll make a killer out of you yet!" I released my own geist in a golden haze as I channeled light aether through my circuits. My fist crashed into her hastily metal-infused guard as the girl was knocked on the back foot. But before I could capitalize on her vulnerable state a pair of sharp claws tried raking at my throat. Flashing away I landed a distance away from Tsukasa and the ambusher.
"Do you mind if I join in Tsukasa?" A bead of crimson blood dripped down my neck as her sharp claws gleamed in the midday sun. Chihara Yuzuki had revealed her phantom form as her long tail lazily floated in the air. Black cat ears peaked out from underneath her sable hair and her canines extended into sharp little fangs.
"I do actually, this is my fight!" Tsukasa growled and Yuzuki simply shrugged before bounding toward me.
"You'll have to get to her before me then I guess." Her claws made another swipe at me as I dodged underneath. The black tail swaying behind her lashed out like a whip every now and then probing my defenses.
"Hmm, Tier 2 isn't bad. Just know I won't be holding back now." Flashing behind her my hand wrapped around her tail. A startled scream escaped the girl's lips as I used her tail like the string of a yoyo pulling her close. My arm wrapped around her neck and I turned her body like a shield into the hurtling fist of Tsukasa.
"W-wait—ugh!" The girl dropped on her knees from the strike. Her face turned green as she threw up right in front of the startled Tsukasa. Before the tan tomboy could even respond my hand chopped the back of her neck. She went limp as the both of them lay on the ground unconscious or in Yuzuki's case wishing she was unconscious.
My eyes looked out at the other three students of the Red Team still standing as they stared on at the other four downed members. Their faces grew pale when they saw my predatory gaze.
"Don't think I forgot about you three." Their screams were so delicious as I tore through them. The first day of Team Red's training went swimmingly.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone