Chapter 327
We are playing ping-pong with the Misis Pleroma.
It is easy to predict that Treptower Park—and the surrounding area—is favorable to them. Pleroma deliberately created a situation we could suspect, and as can be seen here, they knew the 'proposition' cklenburg ntioned. After all, since it is true that they need to find an uncontaminated place first to take prisoners anyway, they must be thinking that we would see through that. They expected us to narrow down the zero-star clean zones and deliberately contaminated the clean lakes.
At this ti, where our calculation and theirs differ slightly is that there is a possibility they decided the portal location first and carried out the diversion in a place far from the portal. In other words... our calculation was excessive. However, they might have selected the portal location and the diversion location hoping our calculation would be excessive from the start. Since it is better not to underestimate the enemy, this side is a bit more rational.
The conclusion is this.
From our perspective, Treptower looks like a quite rational place for Pleroma to choose, but rather because of that, if we consider it from Pleroma's actual perspective, places other than Treptower appear as better options to them.
Now the options increase. We have to narrow down areas that initially had zero or one star. Just this yields about nine places.
But, despite that, the reason I had to co to Treptower instead of going to search those places is....
BOOOOM—!!
I shook off Leo's hand and exploded Magic Power. Along with a roar tearing my ears, I felt the person in front of leaping to another place. Perhaps expecting my move from the mont he grabbed my collar, plant stems rushed at from all directions even before I got up from the spot. I pushed Magic Power out to every part of my body touching the ground and gripped the staff.
[Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble—]
THUD— ROAAAAR—!!
[He brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.]
The grass rushing at stopped and sank to the floor in an instant. As I stomped the floor with my foot, the grass settled down quietly from there.
I, who was lying down, now stood on two legs again, and Leo, who was at close range, disappeared. From far away, the sound of Leo landing in a place less affected by my Magic Power was heard. Leo did not contain any complaint on his face. He just maintained his usual coolness and swung his wand. His calm voice was heard.
[For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made.]
CLANG—! SCREECH—
I blocked his sword from below and grit my teeth. When did he change the wand to a sword and rush in; that speed was admirable. Leo looked straight into my eyes beyond the two lights sparking on the sword and continued chanting the spell.
[So that people are without excuse.]
For a mont, I paused seeing nature rushing at from all directions. It seed Leo's Magic Power lted in the plants and the Magic Power floating in the air only now ca into view. Everything flows slowly as if ti stretched long. The appearance of sunlight leaking through the Vitriol darkly covering the midday sky and the cool Magic Power mingling together felt just like standing in a garden at dawn. The fierce movent of the grass did not feel like an attack.
It was exactly as the spell he chanted. My gaze was stolen for a mont by the plants I felt were only annoying. And, such monts were always the signal just before losing one's life.
BOOOM—....
[My people have been lost sheep.]
Do you think I don't know that? Who did I learn from? The mont I opened my mouth low, the strike bursting from my sword pushed Leo's sword away. He jumped back with skillful movent. His sword pushed to the upper right will now move to the left to block my sword rushing to his chest. If that happens, it's a standoff again.
BANG!
Before that.
I had to utilize the mont. I unfolded a curtain in the air, leaped, and landed on his opposite side. The sword I held changed into a staff, and the green leaves tangled at the sword tip fell off weakly. From under the foot I stomped, a red light unmatched with this nature spread to the end of my vision.
[Their shepherds have led them astray and caused them to roam on the mountains. They wandered over mountain and hill and forgot their own resting place.]
I feel the ground wriggling. Leo is continuously trying to activate his unique ability, but the spell I continue chanting blocked it. If I get caught by Leo's grass, there is nothing I can do. Even though I am giving shocks to his core even now, whether he is enduring the pain, he retreated without agitation and repeated swinging his sword at to chase.
'Enemies on all sides....'
Every plant looks like a blade. In that situation, the magic he used earlier was a quite successful strategy. As the plants reaching out to felt more harmonious than ever as soon as he used that magic. I don't know if he interfered with my mind even faintly with general Magic Power, or if he disturbed my vision with Magic Power making it feel fantastic. Now I have to deal with him before the expiration of the suppression spell I stacked from earlier ends. Instead of stomping the staff, I stood still and looked at everything in my vision. The Magic Power flowing through my legs seed to resonate with all the Magic Power of this land. Exhaling according to my heart beat getting faster with elation, I lifted the staff to the sky.
[In an instant, suddenly, you will be visited by the Lord of hosts with thunder and with earthquake and great noise, with whirlwind and tempest, and the fla of a devouring fire.]
THUD— ROAAAAR—!!
[And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, all that fight against her and her stronghold and distress her, shall be like a dream, a vision of the night!]
The world was dyed red. Looking at the sky or the ground, all colors have changed as if a red film was put over my vision. Grass leaves look black. The light blue Magic Power rising like electricity from far away allowed to guess Leo's location, but soon flas swallowed it along with an explosion sound.
WHOOSH—
[...Brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds....]
Sothing like Leo's voice was heard from afar, and soon that voice beca clear.
[Consider it pure joy.]
BOOOOOM—! WHOOSH—
"...!"
He dismantled my magic. His Magic Power surrounding my Magic Power manifested in fire form in the shape of arrowheads flew at from all directions. Although not uttered as a spell, guided magic formulas are applied. It was enough to be certain that blood vessels wouldn't be intact if hit, and here I couldn't even lay a curtain as Leo taught and I taught Leonard.
BANG— BANG—!
I changed the staff to a wand and ran while striking away dozens of attacks flying from all directions. One of them embedded in my forearm, but it wasn't the ti to be distracted by one or two.
The difficult point when dealing with Leo is, firstly, that he welcos my attacks.
I know well that he observes every single fragnt of light flying from breaking my attacks without missing one, and that he actively utilizes it without fearing it. While Leo fills his academic satisfaction, I was hit hard by his Magic Power for the past few months, so I can't help but know well because I'm pissed off.
Secondly, that he already knows too well.
BANG—
"......."
Damn.... I tried to laugh but clenched my teeth.
Weight is felt on my back. Even in the situation where he pressed down on my back, Leo spoke in a strangely displeased tone rather than being happy.
"If you had the skill to handle attacks like this without effort, you would have been able to sense the third attack."
Where I fell face down was around the warp point in the center of this park. Warp point. I understood at once how this happened.
CRACK—
He tore off and broke the communication artifact hung along my ear.
When others hear it, it would sound like Leo is scratching saying my skills are lacking.... Actually, it's not that but scolding with a teacher's mindset.
And I had sensed long ago that Leo disappeared from afar. I just couldn't defend within the 0.1 second difference of him warping in. It's always a hair's breadth that is the problem, and just that prevents from crossing the teacher's wall. Securing just that is also skill, and since it is achieved with over ten years of effort, I have no intention to complain.
I feel grass pressing down on my wrist blood vessels. Whether trying not to repeat the mistake of the 3rd test, now he was blocking even the Magic Power passage of my legs properly. I looked at the white gloves that didn't feel like my hands. The sensation as if blood vessels were burning continued, then now beca numb.
"My blood vessels will burst like this."
"They won't."
"What won't. Have you tried wrapping your wrists with grass too?"
Whether concerned that I might absorb it if he crushed using Magic Power, he didn't move from the spot. It ans Leo put his weight and pressed down on my legs although I tried to kick the ground and get up.
"......."
Leo's expression I checked by turning my head was cold. I can feel well that he won't let run until I answer. Rather than that, I was dumbfounded in another part. Although there were many tis I got thrashed by Magic Power or unique abilities during training, it was rare for soone to press down directly to hinder my movent. At least after becoming an adult, I haven't been pushed by soone physically, so experiencing this after coming to this world is absurd.
'...Is this also... a strategy.... No.'
I should be the one thrashing Leo's ntal strength, not having my ntal strength thrashed here. I had the intention to continue using the thod I used when robbing cklenburg's ntal strength storehouse.
So I will make a negotiation unlikely for my current situation.
"Let go."
***
"......."
cklenburg ran like crazy. An unlucky junior is a junior, and a test was a test.
[Since I have to look before I leap, and... since there is more to do, I will move to Treptower Park. Instead, Senior must move imdiately to another place, not Treptower Park. There is a most likely area, so please try finding it.]
This was what Askanian said.
Unlucky bastard. More unlucky than his brother.
However, I had no intention of saying anything. There was no justification, and I didn't want to do useless things during the test. Since we departed at a ti when 2 minutes had already passed from the start, the ti remaining for us is exactly 5 minutes. Unless the two split parts and search for Space Magic, 5 minutes for one person was insufficient. No matter how much I warp.
So eventually, I had no choice but to yield the seat entirely to Askanian for the 1st round strategy eting, where the button was fastened wrong from the beginning.
'Damn it....'
WHOOSH—
cklenburg felt his Magic Power being pushed far away to an unseen place and flipped through the coordinate book quickly. Since nothing was caught, he had to warp to the next coordinate and check if Space Magic was laid.
'...I shouldn't have been swept up in that Askanian's nonsense.'
I don't know how many emotions raged at that mont. That human called Askanian's brother is not a human who says he respects others. He is a human who is respected. But he says he respects with a face like his brother?
It's funny. How can it not be funny? However, what shocked more than anything was that I felt an indescribable sentint from those few trivial words, and also....
"......."
The anxiety that I must not make a mistake since the opportunity ca assaulted . If only he hadn't spat out the words that he respects verbosely with that expression, no, if it were another junior, I wouldn't have cared about such words, so what on earth was the problem?
'As expected....'
I don't like him. No matter how I look, there was no corner to get attached to.
Nevertheless, I felt impatient. Although I ruined everything, the desire to prove that the judgnt Askanian made was not wrong even now surged. More than anything, I couldn't stand that point. I, not anyone else....
'Why .'
Minutely more strength went into cklenburg's staff touching the ground. There was no Space Magic caught this ti either.
Why do I have to be recognized by such a kid? I know in my head that it doesn't make sense, but my heart didn't flow as I willed. It felt like the sensation when dealing with my friend Askanian was reviving too.
'...Sothing is wrong.'
Although I was swayed by Askanian in this 1st round, I just need to make up for it from the next. I can do that. Regaining composure is sothing I've always done. Even if the past of being pushed countless tis by another Askanian suddenly pops up in my head, I won't be pushed by his younger brother too. Whatever happens.
WHOOSH—
To do that, first, whatever happened, it was essential to coordinate with Askanian and beat the opposing team. cklenburg reviewed his words.
[Here are nine places that showed zero-star and one-star contamination levels at 10 AM. It is realistically impossible to go around all these places. We have no choice but to point out the most likely place and stake our lives on it.]
He said while simply putting check marks on the 10 AM status table.
[ Tiergarten ★☆☆ / Alexanderplatz Bahnhof ★☆☆ / Gethsemane Church ★☆☆ / Berlin Cathedral ★☆☆ / Berlin Havel River Southwest ★☆☆ / Langer See-Müggelsee ☆☆☆ / Blankenfelde ☆☆☆ / Tegeler See ☆☆☆ / Karower Ponds ☆☆☆ ]
And 12 PM.
[ Tiergarten ★☆☆ / Alexanderplatz Bahnhof ★☆☆ / Gethsemane Church ★☆☆ / Berlin Cathedral ★☆☆ / Berlin Havel River Southwest ★★☆ / Langer See-Müggelsee ★★★ / Blankenfelde ☆☆☆ / Tegeler See ☆☆☆ / Karower Ponds ☆☆☆ ]
Among the 9, the 4 from Tiergarten to Berlin Cathedral are bases in Old Berlin, which are evacuation warp points constantly being purified. And the remaining 5 are places in the outskirts of Berlin. Tegeler See and Havel River Southwest are located in the upper and lower west of Berlin respectively. In other words, they have the central Spree River as upstream. The contamination level increased by one star is due to the Spree River.
Rather than that, there were points that caught the eye imdiately. There are as many as two places not contaminated at all at 10 AM nor 12 PM. Blankenfelde and Karower Ponds. The reason must be that they are in the northern outskirts of Berlin, far away from the river.
Askanian urged less than 10 seconds after finishing speaking.
[You must have found it.]
Unlucky bastard.
Though unlucky, his judgnt speed calculating the most rational choice the opponent can make was indescribably fast. He absolutely did not lag behind cklenburg himself. His words that would follow now would be exactly the sa as the answer cklenburg himself thought of.
[Senior must go down in a straight line from Tegeler See to Havel River Southwest. Within 5 minutes.]
***
"Let you go?"
He repeated my words in a chilly tone. Is he treating coldly considering it will be shown on the screen? That is not it. Leo was always serious about given tests. I glared and answered.
"Yeah. Go do your job. I'm saying this for you."
"......."
"I'm giving you a chance right now, don't you get it? Where is the ti for you to hold here?"
"There is no ti indeed. In a situation where 1 second is precious."
Leo shrugged and recited sarcastically. I wonder where he learned the skill of sarcasm calmly. I tried to turn my head to look at him and answered.
"You must not believe . When did I only deceive you?"
"No. What you say right now looks true even to . More than that, less than 1 minute 30 seconds left."
Leo smiled faintly and stood up from his seat. At that ti, plants began to cover my whole body beyond hands and feet. I frowned briefly at the unexpected words and stared at him. Leo said with a face not even surprised.
"So your words, to put it simply, are this. You ca here knowing this is not the answer."
"......."
"Seeing that you expected I would be here, we must have reached the sa conclusion. You probably tried to confuse by showing yourself here to , right? aning... you are probably hoping I leisurely converse while continuing to confront you right now. You were sarcastic asking if you had to go around looking for , but actually.... You really went around looking for on purpose. To hold back by making this place look like the correct answer. Wrong?"
Leo stroked his chin and continued in a dry tone.
"So from your position, I must continue to play with you. Only then can you prevent from joining my team mber."
"Ha...."
Hahaha. I burst into light laughter.
'He sees through this imdiately.'
Everything is correct. I ca to hold his feet, and fighting him without running away until now was also to not give search manpower to the 91st Class representative Mage. Not because Treptower was the correct answer so I was here.
Surprisingly yet unsurprisingly, he already knew how I would act, and ca here to use the sa strategy as . Although I never underestimated Leo, really.... The best colleague is indeed the worst as an enemy.
Now I couldn't lift my knees even a little because of the grass tangled all over my body. I felt vividly the plants climbing up my skin and clothes. Surely plants are not things that can move—grow—this fast, but seeing such things wasn't enough, it was creepy as they were traversing directly. Putting aside personal impressions, for now, I already knew well what he was trying to derive through this.
Leo looked around in a circle and looked down at and said. A model smile he used to wear as class president rose on his face standing with his back to the faint sunlight.
"Sorry but I have to go. Isn't it not bad to lie down on the grass and rest occasionally?"
He intends to tie my feet here and leave alone. Right, there is no ti to hold . Leo also knows that knocking on zero to one-star areas together with the 91st Class representative Mage is the correct answer.
If we confront, both our feet are tied. So he will leave here, no, precisely leave to the plants and go do his job alone.
At least until Leo broke my artifact, I didn't hear sounds of cklenburg eting anyone else. The destination is clearly set, and cklenburg passed through warp bases at trendous speed to offset the delay, but he hasn't t the 91st Class representative Mage. That doesn't an the notification that the 91st Class representative Mage won is heard either. With this much ti difference, the 91st Class representative Mage should have found it and then so.
That ans, our way of thinking and approach matched up to Treptower Park but showed a difference after that. Of course, coming to this point, that difference is not great. It might be so slight that victory or defeat could be decided by just a few seconds difference.
So....
I said to Leo, who was chanting coordinates to warp sowhere.
"It would be better not to go."
The mont Leo looked back at , pure white light burst out in the sky and letters were engraved. A voice not bad to hear anyti was heard.
BEEP—
[Round 1, Team B Albert cklenburg-Lukas Askanian won.]
"...!"
It's over. As he, who was looking up at the sky, hurriedly turned his gaze to look at , I smiled and said.
"I was a bit faster."
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