Chapter 35
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Snatching the Tail
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After Abel accepted the proposal, Daniel and May gave the same response.
-Yes! We'll do it!
Daniel answered energetically without a moment's hesitation. It was exactly as expected, so there was no surprise.
What surprised Abel was May's response.
-I'll do it too.
He had thought her personality would lead her to refuse outright, but like Daniel, she accepted without hesitation.
Kaul smiled, pleased that all three had chosen to take on the challenge without backing down.
“That's fortunate. Three should make for a proper match.”
-We're facing the senior all at once, the three of us?
“Exactly. If even one of you grabs the tail, that's your victory.”
Answering Abel's question, Kaul continued in a loud voice.
“Alright, first, take a 10-minute break! You can rest in your Gigants or dismount if you like.”
-Yes!
Abel saw no need to dismount from his Gigant.
Though resting on the ground would be more comfortable, he knew maintaining tension was better.
The others seemed to feel the same, as no one dismounted.
-Abel. Should we skip making a plan?
During the break, Daniel approached and asked.
Abel gave a simple reply.
-Yeah. An improvised plan would just get in the way.
-Is that so?
-If you want, you can make one with May.
At those words, May quietly shook her head. She had no intention of planning either.
The reason for skipping a plan was simple.
‘Against someone like this, an improvised plan won't work—unless our skills were evenly matched.’
Just look at Karyan, who had charged in with a hastily made plan earlier.
It wasn't a bad plan, but it had ended in utter failure.
If they hadn't focused on targeting Abel from the start, they might have caught either Daniel or May.
Trying to face Claire with a half-baked plan would likely just trip them up.
“Better to rely on individual creativity. The expected value is much higher that way.”
Lupus voiced agreement with Abel's mutter.
-I agree. Being boxed in by a framework stifles personal ability. Proper training would change that, of course.
“They'll probably do that kind of training later. This place is basically a training ground for the Empire's Gigant riders.”
-That should be worth watching.
Thud-!
In the midst of his conversation with Lupus.
A Gigant approaching from the distance came into view.
It was one of the academy's communal training Gigants, but its fluid, natural movements made the pilot obvious.
It was Claire's machine.
-Hoo.
Lupus let out a small sound of admiration.
Even the usually picky Lupus seemed impressed by the skill on display.
“Time to focus.”
-Got it, Master.
Abel cut off Lupus before the questions could start and concentrated on resting.
For Abel, who piloted with consistently high Sync Rate, mental strength was the most crucial stat.
When resting, he preferred to empty his mind completely, thinking of nothing.
Giving his brain a true break.
“Suuuuuuh. Haaaaaaah.”
Lately, he had added breathing exercises to the routine.
It wasn't as efficient as meditating in complete silence, but it was quite effective for mana recovery.
Just like that, the rest time flew by, and Kaul shouted in a booming voice.
“Break's over! Everyone, return to your positions!”
It was time for the second round.
* * *
Claire stood alone with the tail attached to her back, while Abel, Daniel, and May stood opposite her.
The formation wasn't much different from before, but the tension in the air was on another level.
The seven cadets who had dismounted for a proper break unconsciously clenched their fists in anticipation as they watched.
“Time limit is 10 minutes. Rules are the same as before.”
In the midst of that atmosphere, Kaul spoke in a solemn tone.
“Begin-!”
The moment the word "begin" pierced everyone's ears.
Thud-!
Daniel moved first.
He dashed forward swiftly, arms spread wide and body slightly leaned forward, aiming straight for Claire's machine.
Rather than actively dodging, Claire extended her hand toward him.
Boom!
With a roar, Daniel's machine was flung to the left.
Abel narrowed his eyes at the sight.
It looked like she had repelled him with raw power, but that wasn't the case at all.
‘She used Daniel's own force against him.’
The instant their machines touched.
Claire had redirected Daniel's power in a bizarre motion, sending it off in a completely wrong direction.
In other words, Daniel had been flung by his own strength, not Claire's.
In that moment, May, who had tried to exploit the opening after Daniel's attack, was visible retreating hastily.
‘Not easy.’
Abel heightened his tension even further. He had known it wouldn't be easy.
Claire wasn't letting her guard down like before, and simply knocking her down once wouldn't end it.
But that didn't mean he lacked confidence.
He himself had grown far more since then.
Rumble-!
Abel kicked off the ground aggressively.
Instead of holding back, he mobilized all his abilities and weapons, charging at Claire at max speed.
Claire turned toward Abel, who was closing in a half-beat late.
Abel thrust his fist forward first.
Whoosh!
Claire responded with the same bizarre hand motion she had used on Daniel.
Abel felt the power in his extended fist twist in an odd direction.
Using such a technique with a Gigant was no easy feat.
It required satisfying numerous conditions: machine control, mana operation, technique mastery, and more.
But Abel had no intention of just admiring it.
Whiiiiiish!
He used Wind's Blessing in reverse to forcibly anchor his body, which was about to be flung away.
‘Double Attack.’
Adding the skill on top, his fist, which had been veering off course, roughly corrected its trajectory and flew toward Claire's torso.
Claire hurriedly extended her other hand at the unexpected situation.
But Abel didn't stop there.
‘Heavy Strike.’
He activated the skill he had gained after finishing off the Blade Tail not long ago.
Whoooosh!
Mana surged into the core in chunks as the Gigant's fist ignited red.
Just before Claire's hand reached Abel's arm.
Kaaaa-BOOM-!
That fist slammed into the chest of Claire's machine.
For a brief moment, Abel felt joy at his aim hitting true. Then his expression hardened.
Claire's machine had merely staggered back three steps.
-She deflected it. Bizarre body movements.
“I know.”
Claire's judo-like techniques weren't limited to her hands.
The moment the attack landed, she twisted her body to deflect most of the impact.
He would be lying if he said there was no regret.
If that blow had landed properly, the fight would have been much easier.
But since he had accounted for the possibility of failure, Abel could immediately follow up.
Whoooosh!
Abel closed the distance again with Wind's Blessing.
Thinking he would attack the same way, Claire extended both arms from the start.
She clearly intended to block any close approach outright.
‘Should I use Lupus's power?’
For a split second, Abel considered it.
Using it would surely land a big hit.
But he quickly decided it was too early to reveal that card and stuck to the original plan.
Thud!
Just before entering Claire's attack range.
Abel's machine came to an abrupt halt.
He had used reverse Wind's Blessing for an emergency stop.
Claire's arms, poised to counter, sliced through empty air.
Seeing that, Abel activated Sage's Insight and extended his leg.
Whooooosh!
In the briefly slowed time, his kicked leg targeted Claire's exposed lower body.
Claire, apparently unable to deflect this one, had no choice but to leap upward.
It was an evasion that exposed an opening, but she must have thought she could handle the follow-up.
If it had only been Abel and Daniel, that probably would have been the case.
But Claire wasn't facing just those two.
Swipe!
May, who had been waiting for an opening the whole time, shot forward like lightning the moment Claire was airborne.
May's specialties were intricate dual-wield swordsmanship and ‘speed.’
She swung her arms at blinding speed, enough to fluster even Claire.
Kaaa-BOOM-!
Claire deflected the attack with her bizarre arm motion once more.
But she couldn't prevent gaps from forming in her otherwise ironclad defense.
On top of that, Daniel, who had charged back in unnoticed, grabbed one of Claire's wrists.
Abel didn't hesitate and thrust his fist forward.
Kaaaaaaa-BOOM-!
The roar echoed out.
Claire's machine, struck on the left shoulder, couldn't withstand the force and spun around.
And Abel hammered her now-exposed back with another Heavy Strike.
Bang!
That blow sent Claire's machine flying, unlike before—it couldn't absorb the impact.
Yet, somehow in the midst of it, Daniel's machine, which had been gripping her wrist, was flung sideways.
‘She said her main focus was swordsmanship.’
Abel couldn't help but be exasperated.
Claire's specialty was swordsmanship, with body techniques merely supplementary.
Yet her taijutsu was at such a high level that even Abel struggled to read it.
Thud!
Moreover, Claire had only taken the one hit; after flying back, she immediately got up and reset her stance.
Even after the three of them combined for a decisive blow, they had inflicted only minor damage.
Now that she seemed intent on a full fight, her aura was fiercely menacing.
“Stop-!”
But at that moment.
Kaul shouted in a loud voice.
Claire, who had been shifting to offense after regaining her stance, froze.
Meanwhile, Abel, breathing heavily, wore a smile.
Kaul spoke to the puzzled Claire.
“The match is already over!”
Hearing that, Claire seemed to remember something and hurriedly checked her back.
She realized her ‘tail’ was gone.
Abel said to her.
-The tail's right here.
-Ah.
Only then did Claire understand why Abel had attacked her back.
In the heat of being pushed harder than expected, she had focused solely on the ‘fight’ and forgotten about the tail for that instant.
If it had been a straight fight for victory, even three against one, Claire wouldn't have lost.
But for this tail-grab game, her defeat was clear.
“Abel, Daniel, May! Victory for the three of you!”
Kaul's booming voice confirmed it.
And Abel confirmed that the outcome was decisively settled.
[You've exceeded expectations, capturing not only Kaul's heart but Claire's as well!]
[You've completed the Kaul's Disciple quest!]
[Reward: A-grade Body Technique granted.]
[Your affinity gauge with Claire increases.]
[Fame increases.]
It was truly a barrage of messages.