After Alysha agreed with my suggestion, she walked out of the arena. I followed.
The crowd booed, disappointed that we didn't fight. We ignored them.
"Alright, I'll head to the area near the lake. You go other side. You're better at tracking than I am, so I'll deal with groups."
We checked the map just outside the arena, and I pointed to the split routes.
Splitting up was the fastest way. I trusted her. With her advanced hearing, she'd be more effective than I would. My reflexes were better, sure, but her awareness gave her the edge in this kind of search.
"Leave it to me."
And with that, we split up.
Not long after, I spotted Vain, the head of the Discipline Committee, getting a drink from a vending machine. He was alone.
I'd originally planned to fight him here and now, but it didn't seem like the right time.
He's strong. He'd definitely make it to the next round. I'd fight him later. No point wasting energy here.
I changed course to avoid him.
Before parting with Alysha, I checked the arena's big panel to locate Violet. She was still at the same spot as before. Probably just waiting for enemies to come to her.
I wasn't headed to her just because I missed her. I was after the people around her. If these magic fanatics were serious about protecting her, they'd likely be nearby.
Eventually, I found her from a distance and stopped. She is sit on a roadside bench, while the forest around her.
"Looks like Vio's fine. Now, where are the others…"
I scanned the area.
They wouldn't use magic around Violet, or she'd sense it immediately.
There! I spotted someone across from me, hiding behind a tree and peeking around.
He hadn't noticed me yet. Good. That gave me the first move. I checked his emblem on his right shoulder. Bright and easy to spot.
Looking around again, two more. On the right side, not too far from each other. If one made a move, the others would react. Their pins, one in the front pocket, one on the lower leg.
Alright. Time to go.
I stretched, letting my muscles relax. Unlike usual, I'd need to use more strength for this. Three enemies meant more effort.
I circled around Violet, staying low and quiet. Thanks to years of playing hide-and-seek as a kid, I was pretty good at this after training more than needed. I was grateful now for my childhood curiosity. I also knew basic survival skills. Helps in forest movement.
'Hit and run' was the plan.
The first person I targeted was the one with their emblem on their leg. I approached slowly, trying not to make any sound.
Once I felt close enough, I dashed toward them. I drew my knife and slashed through their emblem, cutting it clean. I also tripped them, causing them to fall before I ran off in another direction.
At that point, they should've been out of the match. But as expected, it wasn't going to be that easy. Some of them clearly didn't care much about the tournament. Maybe this was also payback for punching that fat guy in the face earlier with full force.
Still looking shocked, the student reached for the magic staff on their right hip, pointed it at me, and began chanting a spell.
Ignoring them, I moved on to the next person. They reacted as well, pulling out their staff and starting a chant, but they weren't fast enough before I closed in. Without minding their magic, I slashed the pin in their right pocket.
The spell that was being cast earlier must've finished. I quickly moved away from where I stood.
The person in front of me cast a spell too, but the one from earlier had already arrived! A gust of wind magic hit them, causing a small explosion, and they went down.
Because of the sound of the explosion, the last person must've noticed too. They turned toward the source of the noise, pulling out a wand and a piece of paper. Maybe it won't be fatal, but it's definitely going to hurt.
I tried to get as close to them as possible before realizing they had already activated their talisman. Thankfully, it wasn't an attack; it looked like a simple buff.
At the same time, the magic circle behind them looked almost complete.
Judging from the state of the circle, it seemed impossible to approach, so my only option was to throw the knife in my hand, along with a few from my belt. A bunch of blades flew straight toward their chest.
From the start, these were throwing knives, so it wasn't too hard to throw them. Since I was running through a forest, I wasn't confident in aiming at something small like the pin. But since the situation had changed, I had no choice.
They managed to block a few of the knives with their wand, but the last one hit their emblem and shattered it.
They looked slightly in pain. I had thrown the knives with full strength; if they hadn't been wearing their uniform, they probably would've been stabbed for real.
If they were just regular students without another objective, they would've surrendered by now. But that wasn't their goal. Their goal was to eliminate threats. But since their pins were destroyed, it was time to run. Ending the tournament was my top priority.
I ran away from that spot. Violet definitely knew where we were by now, thanks to all the noise. I sprinted full speed, trying to make sure they couldn't catch up. A few spells flew in my direction one by one, but luckily, I was able to dodge them all by weaving between trees.
Soon, I couldn't see them anymore. That was another advantage for me—since they were magic users. In general, Espers have better physical enhancements than mages. Their stamina wouldn't last long in a chase.
"Remaining participants: 67. Only three more eliminations before the round ends. Good luck!!"
The announcement rang through the speakers, echoing across the forest.
That was faster than I expected. Just three more people. It shouldn't take long now.
While running randomly, I heard the sounds of a battle up ahead. If I could take out both of them, it'd be over. The last person would probably be handled somewhere else.
I stopped at a distance, hiding behind a tree as I watched the battle ahead. Observing the situation, I saw an Esper fighting a Mage. Aren't those the representatives from Class 2-A and 2-B? Electromaster and Talisman, if I'm not mistaken?
I had forgotten to ask Putri earlier why Arthur wasn't representing Class A, but it looked like he was representing a different extracurricular group instead.
For now, I decided to watch the battle between the two second-year reps.
Seeing a Talisman user in action would help me understand how someone like that might fight. If I could get used to how Talismans worked, it'd make things easier.
I also wanted to see how strong the Electromaster was. Could they sense my position? High-level Electromasters could detect nearby positions by sensing the electrons around them. Basically like sonar, but with electromagnetic waves.
They faced each other directly. The Talisman user reached into a small pouch and threw a few papers toward the Electromaster, which exploded.
Not because the spell was activated, but because the Electromaster's lightning struck them, scattering the mana in the talismans.
The next batch of paper was thrown, this time several at once. Unlike before, just as lightning was about to strike again, the papers dispersed into a thick cloud of dust.
Why is it that every time I try to focus on watching a match, someone throws out smoke or mist? Do people just really like using stuff like this?
"Remaining participants: 65! Only one more elimination before the tournament ends! This is the final announcement!"
That announcement came out of nowhere. The previous one wasn't even that long ago.
Well, guess it's time to go wild. I don't mind using my ability here. They're the last ones.
Earlier, I didn't attack because I didn't want to deal with two opponents at once. But if I focus on just one, it won't be a problem. Besides, it didn't look like their fight would end anytime soon.
From what I had observed, the Talisman's pin was in their bag, while the Electromaster's was in his shirt pocket. I could just go for the pin without having to fight either of them.
Electro-type abilities can detect people around them, and see through electrons presence around them. It's not the most accurate way to identify individuals, but with the electricity the Electromaster was emitting, it was easy to tell them apart.
I moved straight for the Talisman, faster now thanks to my ability. Electricity surged through me, reducing wind and ground resistance.
With a throwing knife in hand, I tossed it at close range through the fog. I wasn't confident enough to throw it from afar; I wasn't used to this power yet. But I trusted my sense of positioning now more than before.
"Match over! All remaining 64 participants, please return to the arena."
The pin I was aiming for shattered. Right after the Talisman's pin broke, the announcement played.
Both of them stopped what they were doing and looked toward the source of the announcement. The dust began to clear, and visibility returned to normal. The Talisman looked shocked when she saw me. The Electromaster seemed to faintly sense me.
"Student Council rep!?"
"A power just like mine?"
They each gave their own reaction.
The Electromaster didn't seem too thrilled about someone having the same ability.
"Sorry for interrupting your fight, but this match was never just yours alone."
Anything can happen on the battlefield. That's what I wanted to say.
"Anyway, it's over. Let's head back to the arena. …And sorry about your bag, Talisman."
She looked surprised when she saw the hole in her bag.
When I threw the knife with lightning earlier, it didn't just break the emblem, it tore the bag too. That wasn't on purpose. Looks like his bag is not the same material as our uniform.
Her face looked gloomy at the damage, while the Electromaster let out sparks, clearly annoyed.
What a coincidence, might as well refill my slot. My Electromaster usage was down to one last charge.
Now I could use Electromaster three more times.
After that, I returned to the arena.