Fairy Dancer Noktia (2)
“W-What the heck is that?!”
Darvin's hand trembled violently as he pointed at the creature he'd never seen before in his life.
Of course, no one around could answer him.
Naturally, Skala and Darvin's gazes turned to the only one who knew—the one who called herself the fairy dancer, Noktia. To Harné, who was slowly rising by grasping the hand Noktia extended.
But Harné just flashed a slightly mischievous smile.
“I'll explain later. For now, we need to deal with the problem right in front of us.”
“...Hah, fine. But you better explain properly.”
Skala shook her head, as if too exhausted to be surprised anymore. As she reached for her bow with trembling arms, Harné raised her palm to stop her.
“Please rest, Skala. You've pushed yourself too hard, so we'll handle the cleanup.”
“I'm not tired at all? Whatever, do what you want.”
She actually was a bit worn out. Grumbling a retort, Skala obediently lowered her bow.
“...Wait, you're fighting too?”
Then she spotted Harné stepping forward alongside Noktia and looked flustered. Hadn't Harné been on the verge of collapse just moments ago?
Yet Harné, holding Noktia's hand, seemed to have steadied her breathing somewhat. Like she'd recovered some energy. With color returning to her face, Harné lightly lifted the corner of her mouth.
“Of course. A dancer needs a partner, after all. Now then...”
Whoosh—
Before she could finish, the dual-wielder lunged in. A perfectly timed ambush exploiting the lull in conversation.
But Noktia was already moving. Pulling Harné inward and wrapping her protectively, she swung the weapon from her waist.
Clang! The dagger's trajectory twisted futilely.
What Noktia had drawn was a circular blade—a chakra. The same weapon that had taken out the warrior moments before.
"How rude. Interrupting a conversation."
“!”
Noktia's chilling rebuke dropped the battlefield's temperature in an instant. The dual-wielder gulped and leaped back, and Noktia released Harné's hand, assuming combat stance.
That served as the signal. The enemies snapped to attention and charged as one.
“Attack all at once!”
Magic missiles streaked in green trails. The spearman followed, closing the distance.
Noktia spun gracefully. At the rotation's end, a chakra flew, bursting the green light streams.
Not an arrow, yet its accuracy sent chills down spines. The mage recoiled in shock, but the spearman exploited the opening, thrusting forward.
Harné stepped in front, fluidly deflecting the strike with her taedo.
As Harné crouched, Noktia used the momentum for another spin, slamming a back kick into the spearman.
Bam!
The spearman's body flew into the wall. Meanwhile, the dual-wielder rushed Harné from the side—targeting the summoner, figuring her the main body.
But Noktia was faster. Embracing Harné, she wrapped her massive wings like a shield.
Crunch! The daggers halted against the wings.
Before the dual-wielder could react, Noktia's fierce wing flap struck.
Boom!
Wind pressure scattered black powder from her wings, and the dual-wielder was flung back, covered in it.
“Fireball!”
No respite—a flaming orb hurtled toward Harné. But Noktia, arms around Harné's waist, leaped skyward, the fireball passing harmlessly below.
Noktia's feet touched down. The spearman charged again.
But his spear tip was deflected by Harné once more. Noktia's chakra then slashed twice across his vest.
The thrown chakra had already boomeranged back. As the spearman staggered, Harné's taedo drew a white arc.
Crack!
The spearman collapsed, face drained of fight.
Just 10 seconds. The time needed to tip the battle decisively.
Only then did Darvin gasp. Skala had forgotten to close her mouth.
Their movements meshed like clockwork, fantastically synchronized. As if sharing each other's innermost thoughts. Dancing elegantly across the battlefield, they turned it into a stage.
And the performance atop that stage still had its climax to come.
“Hold out for 5 more seconds! I'll end it for sure!”
From the first magic missile, the mage had already assessed them. Normal attacks wouldn't pierce those two.
So she'd been channeling mana into her staff from the start. For one chance.
The dual-wielder, sensing it, gritted his teeth and threw himself forward. Or tried to.
“Urk...”
Covered in black powder, he couldn't steady himself, dizziness plaguing him. His slowed strike whistled through air, and Harné's taedo slipped through the gap.
Slash—
Another vest tore open.
Meanwhile, Noktia closed in on the mage. Base restrictions meant nothing to her.
“Raaah!”
Another mage blocked her path, spewing flames at close range. Too slow. Noktia was already airborne. The fire scorched nothing; she plummeted, crushing the foe.
Chakras crossed, another tear echoed.
Before Noktia, the enemy's ultimate spell unfolded.
“Tempest Cutter!”
Countless green wind blades ravaged walls and floor, surging forth.
Noktia kicked the fallen mage out of range. Too late to fully escape herself, but she'd never planned to dodge.
Folding her wings, she plunged into the gale.
Her lithe, elongated limbs grazed blades artfully. Allowing non-lethal strikes, parrying unavoidable ones with chakras.
Against the storm, her body inched forward.
“...”
The tempest ceased. Walls and floor were wrecked, but Noktia bore only scratches.
The mage dropped her staff blankly, will broken.
Chakras crossed in an X.
“This is Noktia. My summon and Heart Manifestation.”
“Whoa! First time seeing a Heart Manifestation user in person! That super rare ability! And a summon type, no less...”
"Human. Don't touch."
“Eek, sorry!”
The battle ended. The losers were dragged off by TAs like fish on hooks.
Finally relaxing, I leaned into Noktia like an embrace and introduced her to the team in that state. As a summon from my personal unique ability, Heart Manifestation.
Well, not exactly true.
“...But seriously, you okay? Your face looks pale again.”
Skala, who I'd expected to fuss most about Noktia, frowned and raised an unexpected concern.
“Thank you for worrying, but I think it's time you got used to my appearance. I'm fine as long as it's not too extreme?”
“W-Who said I was worried? Just checking for team losses.”
Skala crossed her arms, cat ears twitching. Her tsundere cuteness was nice, but sadly, no time to tease.
Of course, saying I was fine was a lie. I felt like dying. Sweat soaked my test suit, sticky and gross.
I wanted to rip off this clingy, uncomfortable outfit and flop on the floor.
But the world wouldn't grant me that luxury.
Mystic Beauty Module: Unstable facial muscle movement detected. Auto-adjusting.
Mystic Beauty Module: Frivolous behavior detected. Auto-suppressing.
My inner scowl was epic, but my face stayed serene. My posture impeccably restrained.
...After a decade of this pain ignored by nearly everyone, I was half-enlightened anyway.
Still, my body screamed, so I leaned deeper into Noktia's embrace.
Ah, my mind's fogging. I crave full surrender to comfort.
But maintaining the summon wastes mana, making it worse. In this absurd bind, I tearfully grasped her hand once and unsummoned her.
“Ah, she's gone...”
Darvin pouted like a kid losing a toy. I felt the same, but survival demanded it.
“Can you bring her back out? She's not as strong as me, but pretty damn good.”
“Need at least 5 minutes. And only 1-2 more times after.”
Then a childish girl's voice echoed in my head.
"Harné! How could you cancel the summon like that? You should've let me exit with flair. No style!"
'You'll be out again in minutes. Plenty of chances.'
"Still! It was my debut!"
Show Skala or Darvin this voice, and it'd be hilarious. The solemn tone from before and this noisy mental chatter? Same girl. Her true self was this playful. Summoning just locked her into character.
“Cough, cough.”
I half-ignored the whining, feigning a cough as I brought a hand to my mouth. Slipping in the jelly-like medicine Noktia had given me.
Good, natural. The bitter taste slid down, and I swear my condition improved already.
Right on cue, the runes on our vests glowed faintly.
“Ooh, looks like we've maxed this outpost's points!”
Darvin poked his vest in awe, beaming.
Crisis aside, it was the perfect start. To not waste it, we hurried on.
“Next outpost, right away.”
Steadying my ragged breath, I led into the maze's gloom again.
Thankfully, no presences nearby. Lighter-hearted, I navigated the living labyrinth.
About 5 minutes in, Skala started repeating dissatisfied looks, like something didn't add up.
A bit more time, and she couldn't hold back.
“...Harné. I've been thinking, but aren't you finding the way too easily?”
“No way. Just lucky, right?”
“Nah, luck doesn't explain it! Hardly any dead ends?”
“Hmm, so are you saying I'm cheating? Sneaking past everyone's eyes?”
Sharp. Technically not cheating. Just memorized the maze as an original player, knew all trigger points to shift walls.
"Harné, so shameless!"
'Heh. Call me the top student who best grasps the headmaster's intent?'
She'd placed them for us to use. Focus, and suspicious floors/walls appear. Tiny, shadowed, unnoticeable.
"Still, overusing it looks suspicious, no?"
'Not obvious. And who memorizes the whole layout?'
So I faced Skala confidently. My aggrieved expression auto-swapped to enigmatic smile. Backfiring into more suspicion.
Even Darvin eyed me warily now.
Then, mercifully(?), we hit a dead end. A bit unusual.
This one's dangerous.
“What's this?”
A wide clearing with three long walls fused into a '' shape. Seemed like wasted space; Skala tilted her head.
“Backtrack. Even the headmaster's human—accidents happen.”
“Hmmm... You know what this is, don't you?”
“Funny joke. Flattering, though.”
I hustled them back. No desire to linger in that deathtrap.
Soon, we pierced through smoothly to another outpost.
Skala's suspicious gaze lingered briefly. But she nocked an arrow, focusing on the fight ahead.
I raised my trembling taedo. Immediately stopped by Skala.
“Hmph, knew you were tired. Slower pace, still shaking. Rest, Harné.”
“Hah... hah... No, looks worse than it is...”
“Rest.”
“Yes.”
The second outpost fell anticlimactically. Another team held it, but we had strategic weapon Skala. She'd looted dropouts' gear, upgraded further. No bad luck like before, so we maxed 40 points here too.
“Wow... 80 points plus kills? Top ranks even if we quit now!”
Darvin grinned hugely, hands shaking in disbelief.
Kills: 4 points to the eliminator, 2 auto-shared to teammates. Skala's kills fed us scraps nicely.
Our vests bore high kill runes. Team luck matters.
No complacency, though. Needed highest rank for long-term plans.
Last outpost too far time-wise. Optimal choice clear.
Perfect timing—an announcement boomed from the maze ceiling.
24 minutes since match start. Central outpost opens in 1 minute.
“...Hmph, central, huh.”
Skala muttered, smirking. Her reaction said it all. She'd go as I wanted.
Her goal: top-class assignment. Early on, low team power meant outposts. Now with margin, mindset shifted.
“Ahem, Harné. Wanna hit the central outpost now?”
Unexpected. Thought she'd order; instead, she glanced at me hesitantly, suggesting.
Worlds from her bossy first meet. Canon took a month to dent her pride. And lately, calling me by name.
'No big feats, no hierarchy set. Why to a barely-2nd Hierarchy?'
"...You asking 'cause you don't know?"
Who knows, but good is good—I chuckled.
“Skala asking my opinion? Honored.”
“W-What? Who do you think I am? ...Your summon's useful, so new plan.”
“Sounds good. Risky, but definite points.”
“Straightforward—I like it.”
Skala shouldered her bow, nodding toward the depths.
“Hurry, though. Central's unopened points, but chaos already.”
Grinning impishly, she nudged my shoulder.
“Lead again, suspiciously competent guide.”
“...Leave it to me.”
“Um, my opinion...? Isn't central super danger—”
“Shut up and follow.”
“Y-Yes...?”
Skala cut Darvin off mercilessly. He shut up, trailing sadly.
New destination: central sector. Maze heart, central outpost. Main stage where confident predators swarmed. The exam's true arena.