Shinoa's mood is so light as we proceed to the Gymnasium where Protect the Kingdom will be placed. She was even bouncing on her walks. . . or let me say jumps? And there's a big smile plastered on her face.
Bakit? It was because she saw our Seniors topless after they won the game, and after that, she's already like this. Pakiramdam ko nga ay buong week itong good mood.
“Shinoa Achylls, mukha kang tanga,” ani Mika ngunit lalo lamang lumaki ang ngiti nito.
“Zhymir Mikaela, if only you appreciate our Seniors' body, those muscles on the right spots, biceps, and triceps flexing with every move. Their tight rectus abdominis. . . 8 fucking packs!” Her grin widened. “Kanin na lang ang ulam, idagdag pa ang matigas nilang dibdib na pwede kong higaan— aray!” Bigla nitong sigaw nang kurutin sya ni Mika sa braso.
“Stop fantasizing about them! Shinoa, everyone could hear you, I hope you're aware of that.” Masungit nitong pangaral na ikinairap lang din ni Shinoa.
“And so what? They should fantasize our Seniors too since it's only once in a blue moon where we would see perfect bodies like them. . ” As she goes back to her mood earlier with her smile so big as if fantasizing again. Napailing na lamang ako.
Hindi na namin ito pinansin at nagtuloy na lamang sa Gymnasium. Today is Sophomores' fight, and I admit, I was kind of excited for this one— how many times have I mentioned this already? Basta, makikita ko kung paano maglaro si Calixus.
After all, I'm a big fan of my brother.
He's my savior, so it's natural for me to be proud of him.
Pumwesto kami sa pinakamalapit sa harap kung saan nakalaan talaga para sa amin. Paano ba naman kasi, nilagyan namin ng pangalan ang napili naming pwesto na may babala na, ‘You'll see your greatest fear once you sit here’ that Shinoa even put dark aura on the paper which is part of her ability to be a succubus.
Nang maupo kami ay mabilis na naglaho ang papel. Malaki ang ngiti ko nang makita si Calixus na cool na cool habang naglalakad.
“The game, Protect the Kingdom, is just simple. Capture the enemy contestants to your base as many as you can in just 15 minutes. The school who captured the higher, with a maximum of 10 people, will be announced as the winner,” said the MC. I couldn't help but smirk since Calixus' ability is suitable for everything, which is why he was chosen to participate in this game, I think.
The game started. Magkakalayo ang base nilang lahat at sa dami ng nasa ibaba at kasama sa laro, ay masasabi kong mahirap ito. Maybe that's why the cage's so big, enough for 20 people to fit.
Well, there are 8 people per group. As for Calixus' group, they divided themselves into half, for offensive, the one who will capture, and for defensive, the one who will defend their base.
Calixus, Kobe, Acheron, and someone who turned invisible is assigned for capture, while Nate that was surrounded by women of their group was left for defense.
Their strategy is good, the capture team is capable of capturing people based on the abilities they hold and Kobe's the one leading them to the enemy's base with his wind ability.
My eyes found Nate where snowflakes came plummeting right after he turned their cage into a block of ice as the other woman placed liquid that keeps bubbling as if boiling. . . which I think is acid. They would make the best defense for caging people based on what they've created. For sure, no one could get out of it.
Everything was good. They are capturing people as fast as they can and truth to be told, they captured almost all the contestants in just five minutes when the game started. It's all because of their president's orders, that I realized his ability is Super Mentality, where equations and formulas are being formulated above his head, floating, and he's the one who's calculating their every moves before they attack, as if everything's in order. From the man who turned invisible, Calixus' dark magic and Kobe's wind made them the best capture team. Their teamwork is the best and they seemed to know each other.
However, another group from other schools just met them halfway as if they're waiting for our group to be there, which made us gasped. Since all of that group is altogether in that place, Nate has no choice to go as well as the Acid woman to support the capture team, which only left in the cage is those two women guarding it.
But something is wrong.
Especially at the way of how Calixus is holding back. I know it because I'm his sister and I know him more than anyone else.
I couldn't hear what they're talking about, but I know that there's a foul play that's happening. I could feel it. The guy is talking to Calixus, where I could his hands moving at his back. Calixus noticed it, the reason why he brought back his darkness around him, but the man's smirk grew wider from the action that Calixus just created.
I have a bad feeling about this.
The darkness that Calixus created slowly becoming huge, and I was shocked when our group jumped backward, that's only when I've noticed a huge black hole that appeared right from Calixus' darkness earlier.
There's a guy who could control darkness?
Nate covered that hole with his ability as ice conquered that black hole, which Kobe created some air spear that slice through Nate's ice, where those ice shards are focused to the enemies, their sharp edge ready to shrunk deep through their skin, only to be stopped in front of those people without someone moving from that group.
Noticing that the people fighting in the middle are now only a few, my eyes sought our base and gasped when I saw three enemies are facing the cage that was protected by two women. Chains appeared that attack those enemies but a man captured both of his companions using his Super Speed, heading towards the cage but before they could touch it, ice shards came rushing towards their place where some of them suddenly liquified due to the enemy's ability, yet they disappeared and was teleported into somewhere far from our base.
My eyes found my brother and suddenly, my heart started pounding, looking at a guy who's playfully smirking at him with a dangerous glint on his eyes. But what made me confused is why Calixus looks so frustrated despite his stoic expression. It's the first time I saw him in this state.
And why do I have this feeling that it's because of me that they're losing?
THIRD PERSON'S POV
“Based on the data I accumulated, Nate's ice and Yuri's acid is enough to cover this cage. As long as they wouldn't touch it, we're safe.”
Acheron Vossen, the Sophomore with Super Mentality, an ability the one which enables a person to manifest supercritical thinking that allows the holder to analyze everything with the range of knowledge they contain. He is classified as a genius and one of the pride of Lockéhart Academy.
Calixus who's listening carefully, with the determination to win this game, agreed at Acheron's words. He is their key player, and based on Acheron's calculation, they will be able to finish the game in less than five minutes only with him as their ace player.
His calculations never failed, not even when he's with them.
However, for the first time in his life, they will lose the game and it's because his idea is the one that brought them to that state.
“Fix yourself and think of a solution, Acheron! Nate, Yuri, go back to the base and defend it. Brandon, follow them. I got it alone.” Utos ni Calixus nang hindi inaalis ang tingin sa lalaking nakangisi sa kanyang harapan.
Sumunod ang kanyang inutusan at alam nyang nakasuporta pa rin sa kanyang likod ang kanyang natitirang kasama, ngunit hindi nagtagal nang marinig nya ang boses nitong nahihirapan. Mabilis syang gumawi ng tingin sa kanyang likod at nakitang namimilipit ang mga ito sa sakit habang nakahawak sa kanilang leeg na alam nya kung bakit.
A shadow that feeds on his darkness.
Nagtagis ang kanyang ngipin at muling ibinalik ang tingin sa harapan nang marinig ang mala-demonyong pagtawa ng lalaki.
The evil glint on his opponent's eyes couldn't be mistaken, with greed to win that they're willing to play dirty. The type of people he hates the most.
Demonic laughs from his enemy conquered the place. “Calixus, who would you choose? Your pride or your sister's life?”
There was a shadow that crawled on her sister's place, who remained ignorant and weak, and the one he swore to protect is now facing the danger and it's because of him and his carelessness.
The shadow is clearer when the light's dazzling brightly, and the sun his opponent chose is his beloved sister.
And he never became this frustrated in his life. It could've been seen at the darkest shade of aura coming from him, expanding to everything and even beyond his might. The aura that completely secluded their academy brought terror to the people around, even to the officials.
The aura of a raging demon.
The aura that woke up the sleeping beasts outside the Forsaken Expanse.
He felt raged. He badly wanted to behead this man in front of him even killing is forbidden and a sin. However, instead of fighting, he chose to turn off the switch, with his darkness that slowly shrinking, is the bittersweet taste of defeat that the Demon's Crown Prince savor from that fight that ended it.
Kaellus knows that something's wrong but he just couldn't pin it out. Calixus is one of the top students, and he knows that this man could do anything, winning this fight is basic for him. But looking at him right now who looks thorned even though their Seniors made sure that they must win every battle to remain to be at the top.
This is something that confuses him.
Calculating the possible ideas of why Calixus got pinned by his opponent, there's only one reason, one weakness of Calixus that's present in this arena.
As his eyes seek for Calixus' sister, it was too late. The Crown Prince already gave up before he could even expose the foul game that their academy's rival just did.
Harold, Calixus' opponent, has no other choice but to proceed to their plan. He's the shadow manipulator who's showing his smug expression to the Prince of Darkness who's glaring sharply at him, that if eyes could kill, his soul may already being pulled through the deepest part of the abyss.
He wants to back out from the fear that slowly engulfing his body. The view of the real demon with blazing amethyst eyes, swearing of haunting him in his sleep for the next following days, and keeping his soul in the torture room is something that's making him trembled that he hides with his demonic laughs. Thankfully, he got a talent for acting, but from the terror, he's feeling, he doesn't know if his acts could last any longer.
The pressure here is making him bow his head in fear and just run towards the corner, erase his existence. This darkness is different from what he usually controls. It's too powerful that he's trembling, and as the seconds pass by, he doesn't know whether he could continue more.
This is why he sighed in relief when the darkness disappeared and the calmness was replaced as if the calamity didn't appear earlier. However, this calmness is making him tensed.
And he knows that his feelings weren't wrong especially when he heard his opponent speaks a promise and a warning at the same time.
“I expect all of you at the last game. Even one absent, and your whole clan will turn into dusk. In the name of the future Demon King.” Work marked with finality, with an oath that he will get his revenge on the last game that will happen, Calixus started marching away, with shoulder slumped, much different from the confident and proud Prince of the darkness.
Not knowing that those people were lucky that they wouldn't be able to feel fear from seeing the furious face of the future demon king.
Calixus punched the wall in frustration. Everyone in that room knew what happened at how their enemies played dirty by targeting Calixus' weakness, and Kingston, the leader, already reported that. The point was counted since Calixus gave up, however, deep inside him is hoping that this frustration that Calixus is feeling would bring them victory.
“It's just one point, bro. It's okay. We're still tied.” Kingston approached the scary prince since his co-Seniors said he should be the one to comfort him since he's their leader.
“It's my fault. Forgive me,” Calixus whispered, looks like a command to Kingston who just smirked, seeing the bloodlust that could be felt in the room that brings tension in the air. He knows that Calixus wouldn't forgive someone who dared to harm his sister.
“It's fine, just make sure to get your revenge at the last game. We'll get the remaining points, don't give up, Your Highness. We have our aces and you are part of it.” Kingston looked at the three, to Kaellus who just stayed in his place and leaning on the wall, and Xavier who's sitting with his earphones on; in his mind, with the Demon Prince's frustration, added the academy's top student and the addition of the Third, no one will be able to defeat these Sophomores.
“Yeah, sorry again,” Calixus whispered as he stormed out of their designated room.
However, they didn't get the next point since their enemies were powerful enough for Kierra to outwit them. She's the strongest Valkyrie who was loved by mana, but with those people teaming up to turn her down, despite her classmates' efforts of helping her, she wasn't able to stop them from getting their flag was taken which gave the points to the Silverleaf again.
Both Protect the Kingdom and Capture the Flag's points are on Silverleaf, and if ever Lockéhart loses to the last match, which will be Blades and Bows, the number one school of magic in this realm will be the Silverleaf Academia de Mahika.