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The Opponents from Snow Country
Time: 12:30 PM
“Yang~~”
Just as the assembly finally finished introducing all the principals, and the participating competitors from other school, we entered the legendary rest time. The surrounding students quickly scattered, and this made me realize why some people didn’t want to watch the opening ceremony; there wasn’t anything particularly exciting. If I am forced to say something positive about it, it was the appearance of the school director. Strictly speaking, the morning was probably just the start of it all.
As soon as I stepped out of the audience seat and was heading to the sales department to find something to fill my stomach, someone immediately called out to me. When I turned around to see who it was, regretted it instantly.
“Very hungry, I’m starving to death.” Running directly towards me, the five-colored rooster head naturally rested his arm on my shoulder, while thinking there was absolutely nothing wrong with his action. However, I was already sensing the sidelong glances of the people around us, “I was still wondering if after they finished the opening ceremony we would start with the fight straight away, but fortunately they didn’t. Otherwise, the first person I would kill would be the host who tried to starve me to death.”
You’re willing to assassinate the host just because of one meal? The five-colored rooster head’s expression was too serious, I absolutely thinking that he wasn’t joking.
“Don’t you players need to get together?” Outside the arena, there were already a portion of the people forming a circle. Each team probably had to discuss things such as strategies. The atmosphere felt rather heavy and serious, causing others to be afraid of disturbing them.
“Nope, Senior said after going up the stage, I just need to fight, and winning the fight will do and then we disbanded, so neat and simple!” The five-colored rooster head smiled, and straightforwardly said.
It was really something senior would do.
After immediately being dragged outside, I realized that the sales department was filled with people.
However, was the sale department really this huge when I first got here?
According to my impression, when I followed my class and entered the arena earlier, I only saw about a dozen vendors. Now, what was right in front of me was some kind of night market. Something like a festival of some sort. A very long line of vendors on both my left and right. Goldfish scooping and shooting the balloons games; even these kind of things have emerged! Is this really the divine big sports competition!?
This is probably more of a large-scale festive banquet.
“I want to eat this.” Completely ignoring my wishes, the five-colored rooster head rested his arm on my shoulder, and dragged me to a stall that seemed to be selling hot-dogs. As for whether those really are hot-dogs, I’ve no idea, “Boss, give me ten.” He took out his money… was my ears hearing things just now?
He spoke too fluently, making me think I heard him ask for ten instead of one.
That’s probably what it was. I mean, the size of that hot-dog is almost twice the size of the normal ones, so how can an average person eat all of them in one sitting. Just as I was comforting myself, the voice of a hellish evil ghost could be heard beside my ear, blowing away the effort I made to comfort myself in an instant.
“Also give me ten boxes of takoyaki, and ten boxes of these clumps of things.” The five-colored rooster head started his super huge shopping spree, so straight-forward that one could equate his stomach to a bottomless pit, “Oh right, put more sauce, or else eating it would be tasteless.”
The other students in our surrounding who came to our school had expressions as if they were looking like a monster to gaze at the five-colored rooster head, and then they took a detour. This suddenly made me feel extreme regret for following him around. Dear passer-bys, the monster with a big stomach is just him, so please don’t include me!
A huge crowd came and go, the people in our school and the people from other schools, felt like the number of people suddenly increased by ten folds. Especially after seeing some things that don’t even look like humans walking around, I really had an illusion of a real night market taking place, and the only thing that lacked was some seats for roadside stalls.
“Yang~~ You’d better eat before it becomes cold.” The five-colored rooster head folded the empty boxes before throwing them into the recycle bin, and then he started to urge me.
You really have a concept of being environmentally friendly, actually knowing that empty boxes should be recycled… Wait a minute!
Empty boxes?
I saw the five-colored rooster head throwing the last bamboo skewer into the trash.
You’ve already finished eating? A monster who only took a few seconds to finish eating?
I remembered him buying about ten boxes of those clumps of things, and he’s already finished everything?
Ghost! He’s a ghost!
I once again acknowledge this five-colored rooster head as an ancient monster. We humans wouldn’t be able to understand him nor are we able to be compared to him.
Lowering my head, a small box of glutinous rice balls was pitifully lying on my hands, releasing a faint heat. It’s something I bought from the roadside stall. I haven’t eaten one bite, and while I was hesitating, the five-colored rooster head had already gone off towards the next stall.
“Yang Yang!” A second person called out to me from behind.
What’s the problem now? No matter where I went someone would call out to me.
I actually don’t know that many of a people who would call out to me on the street.
I don’t know where Leido appeared from, and directly rested his arm on my shoulder. Just now the five-colored rooster head had also rested his arm on my shoulder, and now even before it cooled down, it’s your turn? Have you been assimilated by the five-colored rooster head with a steel brush head?
I just knew it!
No wonder your manners were getting more and more similar to a certain someone. Your twin brother would cry, boss.
“Are you alright?” I remembered separating while we were escaping yesterday. In the end, I went back to the dorm and didn’t get to see if he was dead or alive, so I don’t know if anything happened to him.
Leido raised his eyebrows, “Do I look like I’m not alright?”
Nn, no matter how I look at him, he was alive and kicking, so he is probably alright.
“But yesterday, it was fortunate that I met Yado, otherwise that thing would have chased after me till the end of the world.” Leido sighed, taking out a coin, he bought a cotton candy from one of the stalls (this really is a night market), eating while he said, “The thing that chased after me had great destructive power. While it was chasing me, I coincidentally met Yado, who came to look for me, and the two of us repelled the thing, otherwise I wouldn have been finished.”
Listening to him, it sounded like it was quite tough to deal with it.
But instead, I have a question. Since that thing was already chasing after him, then what’s with the thing that appeared at the Purple dorm?
“Oh right, I realized that the thing seems to be able to split, but the situation was very urgent so I wasn’t sure if it split and chased you guys with another avatar. After repelling it together with Yado, I used a tracking insect to counter-chase after the attacker.” Leido very quickly answered my question, “But I failed to counter-track it. The opponent is very strong, I think we should pay more attention, and as for your friend, ask him to be more careful these few days.”
Nn, Chifuyu… I didn’t see him at all today. Could it be that something happened to his injury?
Yikes, should I go and find Gasai to ask about it?
I’m totally unfamiliar in this field.
* * *
“Why is it you again!?”
While I was in distress thinking if something had happened to Chifuyu’s injury, another voice came from the side, “So annoying, believe it or not, I’ll kill you without knowing it for free!” Carrying a big bowl of shaved ice with multicolored ingredients that mutually reflected the color of his head, the five-colored rooster head issued a hostile warning.
He still extremely hates Leido.
That’s strange, why is he happy to find someone who appreciates his steel brush head? Maybe in the entire world, only Leido would treat the five-colored steel brush head as art. The both of them should try and get to know one another in a different angle, and they probably would become really good partners.
“I came to look for Yang Yang today.” Leido was biting into his cotton candy while resting his arm on my back, as if he was implying that if he was to die, he would drag me along with him, “And also, to have lunch. I’m starving to death.”
You guys are really good partners.
I escaped from under Leido’s arm, changed my direction and headed towards the general assembly.
Involving myself with these two people for a long time would cause me to become unlucky, involving myself with these two people for a long time would cause me to become unlucky, involving myself with these two people for a long time would cause me to become unlucky…
Within a second, my collar was immediately being grabbed, “Yang~~ Where are you going?” Apparently still eating, the five-colored rooster head’s mouth had a kebab hanging on it, he then narrowed his eyes and asked.
“Uh… I was going to go back to the audience seat and wait for the event to start.”
In fact, as long as I’m far away from the both of you, I don’t mind going anywhere.
“Come on, there’s still a long time before the event starts. You should follow me, and I’ll take you to the players’ resting room, it’s more comfortable over there.” The five-colored rooster head said while hugging onto the piles and piles of things.
“It’s okay, you don’t have to.” I mean it, you really don’t have to.
Completely ignoring my wishes, the five-colored rooster head dragged me away, and very happily left through the entrance of the night market.
Leido probably still had something to do, since he didn’t follow us, and just waved before suddenly disappearing within the crowd.
Disregarding the surprised looks from the others, the five-colored rooster head walked past the huge field to the perimeter on the other side, passed through multiple huge corridors, and then stopped in front of a door a short while later.
“This is our resting room.” Pushing the door open, the five-colored rooster head suddenly stopped moving, revealing a rather stunned expression.
I secretly glanced inside. It’s a very large room with tables and chairs, beds, a small refrigerator, and what-not. It was a perfect example of a suite.
The thing that caused the five-colored rooster head to be stunned wasn’t those furniture.
In the room, Gasai was standing beside the window looking outside, and there were two people who randomly pulled a chair and took a seat beside the table.
One was senior whom I’m most familiar with, and the other one was actually Director Jin, who made a speech at the huge field not too long ago. Looking at him at such a short distance, Director Jin looked even smaller, that roundish sharp face looked so cute, and he is actually one of the directors?
It was really hard to believe this.
“Hello.” Suddenly seeing someone who shouldn’t appear in the room, the five-colored rooster head was stunned for a second, immediately respectfully bend down, paying respect to Director Jin.
When did the five-colored rooster head become so polite?
I’m a little scared, so quickly followed suit and bent down. To be able to turn the five-colored rooster head into someone so polite, this person is definitely not any normal person, since he is this world’s most thick-headed rooster.
“Don’t have to be so formal, I purely came here to have a chat with him.” Director Jin revealed a very cordial smile, and then he looked at senior, “It has been a long time since I sat down and had a chat with you, the other person also misses you dearly.”
Gasai looked at the two of us, beckoned the two of us to close the door and come in, and to not be too concerned about the two of them.
“…Master missing me is enough, no need for the other person to miss me.” As soon as the door closed, I immediately heard senior’s extremely simple and polite reply.
“Haha, before coming to school, he kept on telling me to bring something for you, but in the end, I’d forgotten about it.” Director Jin very elegantly lifted his long sleeves, picking up the canned drink, and pulled the ring open, “You also know, this kind of competitions always had us spending our time on lots of troublesome jobs. As soon as I became busy, I often forget this and that, and I’m different from the others who have such good memories.”
“Thank you for forgetting it.”
Sounds like senior seem to really dislike a certain someone?
At the same time I was thinking so, senior suddenly used a kind of very low speed to turn around and rolled his eyes at me. It felt like I was being glared at by an evil ghost at a very dark corner. I immediately shrunk behind senior Gasai seeking political protection.
“He would be sad if he heard you say that. If it wasn’t because there was something they had to personally deal with, they probably would have come to see you.” Director Jin was still exposing that same smile. It felt very intimate, “Since this is considered as a rare major affair.”
Senior snorted.
They really look very close.
In the end, Director Jin chatted for a few minutes, and then he stood up to leave.
“Oh right, Student Chu.” After walking two steps, he suddenly turned around and called out to me. I wasn’t mentally prepared at all, and was completely stunned. The director actually knows me, whose existence is almost tinier than an ant?
“Is there anything I can do for you?” Under senior’s glare, I bit the bullet and asked.
Director Jin was still curving up that cordial smile, “You’ve always been holding onto the royal water weapon. Try and find an opportunity that will allow it awaken, the time is almost ripe.”
“Ah?” My current condition could be considered as “at a loss.”
“That’s all, then. I wish all of you would be able to obtain victory this time.”
After throwing baffling words at me, Director Jin turned around. Without using his hands, the door automatically opened in front of him, and at the other side of the door wasn’t the corridor that we came in from just now. In that second, I seemed to have seen some kind of a large gorgeous Imperial Palace from China. Then Director Jin exited the room, the door automatically closed again, and the interior of the room immediately became quiet.
“Being petrified after seeing some very important person.” With a cold laugh, senior walked towards the refrigerator, opened it and took out a mineral water. I feel that I had every reason to believe that the refrigerator leads to a different dimension, “You’ll meet with all the three directors sooner or later. If just one would cause you to become petrified, if you meet all three of them, you’d probably have a heart seizure.”
Speaking of the Director, just now I seemed to have heard him addressing him as master?
Senior’s master? A high echelon Martian, a fire-breathing Martian?
With a swish, the mineral water bottle turned into ash in front of me.
“Uh… can you just pretend you didn’t hear that?” Woowoo~ I’ve already said that if you don’t like it, then don’t listen to it…
The five-colored rooster head placed the snacks he bought from the vendors on the entire table. I didn’t see him buying so many things earlier, so where did these come from!?
“There’s not much time left to rest, if you guys are tired then go and take a nap.” Gasai glanced at his wristwatch, and then he said this to everyone, timely breaking the tense and silent atmosphere.
In fact, I wanted to take a nap, but if I say it out loud here, I probably would receive a group beating.
“I’m fine. If you and Ziray want to rest, then go ahead.” Senior glanced at me, not saying anything, and then he stood up and walked towards the small bookshelf (such perfect preparations). He conveniently took out a book and sat on one side of the sofa.
“I’m hungry, and still eating. Senior, do you want some too?” While biting into a fried chicken chop, the five-colored rooster head took out a pile of kebabs.
Senior shook his head.
Really asking nonsense, the whole world also knows that when senior is at work, he doesn’t eat. Not that he’s at work now.
But I realize a problem. If he has matches for a few days straight, then wouldn’t that mean he won’t be eating for a few days?
Secretly looking at senior who was sitting on the sofa, no wonder he was so thin. So it turned out that in my previous class, when those girls went on hunger strike, it wasn’t without a reason.
“Chu, don’t force me to beat you up.” Senior was looking at his book, and without moving his eyes away from it, senior’s devilish voice rang out, “If you want me to treat you as a warm-up exercise, then continue thinking.”
I definitely don’t want to!
“Uh, I also want some barbeque.”
Changing the subject in a split second.
I’m sorry because I really am very spineless. Sometimes it’s better to not do something when you know what’s going to happen after it’s done.
This way you’ll be able to live a little longer.
* * *
Forty minutes past one.
“There’s a guest outside.”
Just as I finished eating, had nothing to do, and almost fell asleep, Gasai suddenly broke the silence. The five-colored rooster head was very cooperative as he immediately opened the door.
Outside had turned back into the previous walkway.
The moment the door was opened, the room temperature seemed to have suddenly drop, causing me to have an illusion of the air-conditioner being overworked.
A girl was standing outside at the entrance, wearing a snow white long clothing with thick white furred collar, totally looking extremely warm. I recognise her by the way she dressed. She was Barbulis’ representative player, the snow people of the snow country.
There was a number of something that should be school badges embroidered on her chest, and on top was an ice crystal imprint.
“Everyone from Atlantis Academy, hello.” The girl formed a fist, placed it on her left chest, making a salute, bowed, and stood up straight, “I’m Barbulis’s representative, Felicia. Because Tenli was called by our the staff of our school to confirm the final order, I came in her stead to greet you before the match.”
Felicia kindly smiled at all of us. It felt like she is similar to the ordinary girl next door, giving a very comfortable and refreshing impression.
Gasai went up, and spoke on our behalf, “You’re too kind, would you like to come in and talk?”
Smiling while shaking her head, Felicia refused his good intention, “It’s our school’s tradition and custom to greet our opponent before the matches, and politely inform them.”
Inform?
I was attracted to that word.
“Excuse me, when you say inform, what do you mean by that?” Gasai asked the question in my mind.
“That is, to inform the opponents of our abilities.”
The same time Felicia finished speaking, the entire room suddenly became cold. I heard strange crackle noises, and then I felt that the soles of my shoes became really slippery…
I lowered my head, and was stunned.
The entire room suddenly turned into ice, even my feet were stuck to the floor. My shoes completely turned into ice together with the floor, and the top was covered with frost.
Aurora… there’s aurora!
When did I offend anyone!? I would even get caught with a mishap just by standing at the side-line!
“Sure enough, you’re worthy of being someone from the Snow Country.” Gasai looked at the floor and walls covered with frost, and then he smiled and clapped his hands, “Extremely beautiful.”
“You flatter me.” Bending her body, Felicia curved up a smile, looks like she was very satisfied with Gasai’s praise, “Well, we will be looking forward to the match later.”
“Same here.”
After Felicia left, Gasai closed the door, and then looked at the room that was entirely covered with frost, “Really, quite spectacular indeed. No wonder as a non-robe level, she was able to enter the finals, and she also has a Black Robe as her partner. Judging from her level, she should have been eligible to take the exam already.”
Very fierce, the iron horse’s power is really very fierce.
But for now, the most important thing is, “Excuse me, is there anyone who can help me get my feet off the ground?” I’m currently in a crisis.
I feel the bottom of my feet starting to get numb.
This is bad, if there’s frostbite, I would be amputated!
Save me!
“But, I think if it’s only this level, it still shouldn’t be considered as a threat.” Gasai curved up an enigmatic smile, completely disregarding my plea for help, “In comparison, people from ice should be stronger than people from snow.”
As soon as Gasai speaking, the frost in the entire room suddenly broke apart. WIthin the next second, it immediately turned into white smoke and evaporated without leaving a trace.
My feet are saved, so touched!
“This kind of trick, I’ve already known how to use it a long time ago.” Putting down the book he’d finished reading in his hands, senior stood up from the sofa, not putting off the incident where the entire room was frozen in front of his eyes. From his attitude and action, one can tell that the one who dispelled the ice was him, “It’s not that difficult.”
I know, you don’t even need to use spells. Since you can just glare at someone, and the whole room would just freeze.
Red eyes looked at me, ferociously glaring for a moment, and goose bumps immediately appeared on my body.
“Ah ah, I also want to fight on stage.” The five-colored rooster head lay down on the table and started to mumble, “Later I’ll go to… and fight, that would be fine, too.”
What’s with the “…”!?
“Chu want to follow us to the player resting area? Watching from there would be clearer.” senior Gasai suggested a well-intended invitation.
“Uh, it’s fine, I better go back to the audience seat. Since I didn’t tell my teacher, running around would be bad.” In fact, I really wanted to go, but it’s better if I refused.
The teacher was considered as an excuse.
Probably due to staying at the Black Dorm, and also being rather close with senior, Gasai, and the others, I could vaguely feel the people from the same grade weren’t too friendly. Although it’s not too obvious, I think it’s better not to be too ostentatious.
“If you don’t want to go then we wouldn’t force you.” Senior joined in, and faintly said, “But you have a lot of nerve, I never thought you would still mind about those stuff.”
I think it would be best if I treat those words as a word of praise.
“It’s almost time.”
With Gasai’s words, I subconsciously looked at my wristwatch; seven minutes to two.
“Chu, I’ll send you back to the audience seat, see you later.” Senior said to me, and in the blink of an eye, a Shifting Array appeared on the floor, “You need to remember the matter that Jin told you just now.”
Ah?
Before I was able to ask what that matter was all about, the array of light on the floor had already started to activate.
Then, I returned back at the entrance of the audience seat.
“Dear student, don’t stand in the middle of the road!”
I was suddenly being picked up. It was only then that I found out a bald person was standing behind me… no, I mean, our bald homeroom teacher, who was holding on to an extra-large cup of strawberry sundae which was very inconsistent with his appearance, “It’s going to start soon, so go back to your seat.”
He dragged me back to my seat, stuff me in, went back to the seat behind, sat down, and started eating his huge sundae.
Teacher, can it be that you’ve been eating since just now?
The people on both sides started to fill the seats one after another.
“Yang Yang, you disappeared for a long time earlier.” Olivia smiled as she looked at me, and then said.
“Haha… I found a place to take a break.” I felt that if I said I was resting at the player resting room just now, I don’t know what the homeroom teacher behind would do to me.
“Is that so.” Olivia didn’t press me, and handed me the cup in her hand, “This is for you.”
It was only then when I realized there were two cups in her hands. One was a strawberry sundae, while the other was a chocolate sundae. I suspect it bought from the same place as the sundae in teacher’s hand.
“Uh, thank you.” I took the strawberry flavored one. It was filled with the juice’s richness, different from artificial flavourings.
“No need to thank me, it’s the teacher’s treat. He lost the bet twice earlier, and I couldn’t finish eating them.”
You guys made a bet again!
And what’s with the teacher losing the bet again?
I felt that my head was being resentfully stared by an always-losing gambler.
In fact, he was actually being eaten to death by his own student.
Just as the audience seat was almost filled with people, a huge sound from a clock announcing that it’s already two could be heard from the stage.
“The first competition officially starts!”