= Hypercon | A Fantasy Story =

【 Episode 7 - Mix and Match 】

= Recap =

Though the unexpected incident hadn't caused any severe effects, it was certainly an unforgettable experience to be faced by an unwelcome guest of a giant robot. As the group was brimmed with much confusion, Nova the owl had Izzie's attention as she seemed to be linked to what happened that night.

Kssssht!

A sound was heard in a pitch-black void. It was followed by low, cranky muttering so faint it was impossible to completely decipher.

"...Kssht! Contest... plan... desire!" The voice echoed. "Going to... Kssht! work...!"

"...Not doing...Kssssht! anymore." Another voice answered.

A lone, red shadow appeared in the boundless darkness. It appeared to be a leopard. It was on its knees screaming for help.

Then everything fell silent.

"Ŵàĸ3 ųp!¡"

—

Izzie woke up with a gasp.

She looked around her. The clock had just struck eight thirty. It was time for the contest again. She rubbed her eyes, not remembering anything about what had just happened. She put aside the matter and bounced off her bed.

—

The stadium slowly filled up fifteen minutes before the game. Curious audiences gathered to share their opinions.

"Man, the audience is still as huge as yesterday." Ren muttered to himself nervously, gazing at the monitor inside of the resting rooms. A red wolf spirit was with him, circling him.

The other contestants were busy preparing for the next game. Bianca was next to her best friend as usual, stretching her legs.

"Duo team race today," Scarlett said as she held a piece of paper in her hand, scanning through the schedule.

Bianca shot a glance towards Ren and Chase. "If I were to team up with either of them, I would totally freak out."

Chase, who was taking a quick nap on the couch, opened an eye, closing it again shortly afterwards.

"...Yep, he definitely heard me."

Izzie was holding her crossbow, wiping it clean with a towel. She shivered as she felt a sense of chilliness. She slowly turned her head, body hard as stone, realizing Nova had sat next to her.

Reminded of the incident the night before, she glared at Nova with a suspicious look. What is she doing next to me? What should I do, question her about yesterday? All kinds of thoughts occupied her.

After a moment of silence, Nova reached out her hand. Izzie jumped, her gaze shifting from Nova's hand to her cold face.

"W-What does that mean?"

"Looking forward to working with BunnyRace." Nova blinked, her lips moving in the slightest way possible.

"Oh, I look forward to it too!" Izzie's eyes widened as she reached for Nova's cold hand, escaping from her sight. "It's Izzie, by the way."

She looked at her hand. It certainly felt funny hand-shaking with Nova.

Contestants, please get ready. The next game starts in five minutes.

Chase was woken up by the noises of the speaker in the room, rubbing his eyes. It sounded like one of the HyperBots.

"At final last!" Chase bounced off the couch, his tail swishing from side to side.