Chapter : 193
Chapter : 193
Jasmin sighed, shaking her head. "I don't know, Mom. But if he embarrasses our family on live television by tripping over his own shoelaces, I am never talking to him again."
Back inside the massive arena, the crowd noise was reaching an absolute fever pitch. The giant digital clock on the stadium screens reset to exactly five minutes.
Ken Eliot was entirely unaware that his family was currently having a meltdown over his wardrobe choices. He was still standing in the far back corner of the field, leaning comfortably against one of the tall, glowing blue stone towers. He had his hands shoved deep into his pockets, and he was letting out a long, lazy yawn.
"This grass is actually really soft," Ken mumbled to himself, tapping his cheap shoe against the ground. "If there weren't thousands of people screaming right now, this would be a fantastic place to lie down."
A few yards away, Naomi was bouncing lightly on her combat boots. She spun her twin daggers, her green eyes locked onto the 15th Unit across the field. The fierce vanguard leader did not look stressed. She looked incredibly focused and totally ready for action.
She glanced back at Ken and offered a bright, confident smile. "Hey, Ken! Wake up! The round is about to start! Do not mess this up!"
Naomi didn't yell at him with disgust anymore. Her tone was playful, treating him exactly like a lazy, naughty friend who just needed a little push to get moving.
Ken gave her a goofy, completely relaxed salute. "I am totally awake, boss lady! I am ready to do absolutely nothing but point my finger!"
Elma, standing right next to Naomi in her spotless white and gold uniform, quickly looked over her shoulder at Ken. The moment she saw his goofy smile, her cheeks turned a very bright, vibrant shade of pink. She instantly snapped her head back around, gripping her silver swords tight.
"Stop distracting him, Naomi," Elma stammered, her voice pitching up slightly. She tried to sound strict and arrogant, but her blushing face totally ruined the act. "He needs to focus! If he forgets to shoot his little magic sparks, we are going to be in a lot of trouble!"
Laxmi laughed out loud, popping a spark of orange fire between her knuckles. "Oh, please, Elma. You are just worried he is going to get a speck of dirt on his nice suit. You have been staring at him all morning!"
"I have not!" Elma shrieked, her face turning even redder. "I am just observing a teammate! It is basic tactical awareness!"
"Sure it is," Zinia chuckled, stepping up to the front of the formation. "Get ready, everyone. Here they come."
BZZZZZT!
The loud, blaring buzzer echoed through the massive stadium. The giant red numbers on the clock started ticking down. 5:00. 4:59. 4:58.
"Round two has officially begun!" Bob the anchor shouted.
On the opposite side of the grassy field, Prince Hades stood perfectly still. His pale face was totally expressionless. He simply raised one finger.
His elite servants moved instantly. Adrian, the leader of the 15th Unit's vanguard, pointed his glowing magical staff forward.
"Execute Pattern Delta-Seven," Adrian commanded in a cold, robotic voice. "Target the middle three towers. Do not waste energy on the side flanks. The math dictates a direct, concentrated assault on the center."
Alexander, Carlos, and Isabella dashed forward. They moved with terrifying, absolute precision. They didn't run wildly; they moved in a perfect triangle formation. They were calculating the wind speed, the distance to the targets, and the exact magical output needed to break the towers.
"They are coming straight down the middle!" Sayma warned, pushing her thick glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Zinia, put a wall up! We need to slow their momentum!"
"You got it!" Zinia roared. She slammed her strong hands flat onto the grass. Massive, thick pillars of solid rock shot out of the earth, creating a jagged barricade right in front of the center towers.
But Adrian had already anticipated that exact move. He smiled a cold, arrogant smirk.
"We have the data," Adrian said smoothly. "Carlos, jump."
Carlos didn't even break his stride. He leaped high into the air, using the rising rock wall as a stepping stone. He flew right over Zinia's barricade, soaring gracefully through the sky. He raised his hands, gathering a massive, devastating ball of dark purple explosive magic. He aimed it perfectly at the glowing blue tower standing right behind the rocks.
His calculations were completely flawless. The angle was perfect. The timing was absolute.
But Carlos did not know about the new addition to the 13th Unit's strategy.
Standing in the back corner of the field, Ken Eliot lazily pulled his right hand out of his pocket. He didn't get into a combat stance. He just slouched his shoulders, squinted his left eye, and pointed his index finger directly at the flying enemy servant like a tiny toy gun.
"Pew," Ken said out loud.
A tiny, incredibly fast cyan bullet zipped across the battlefield. It was completely silent and almost invisible in the bright stadium lights. It flew right past Naomi, soared over Sayma's head, and tapped Carlos directly on the shoulder while he was still suspended in mid-air.
The results were instantaneous.
---
The moment the cyan spark touched Carlos, there was no loud explosion. There was no physical impact. Carlos did not feel any pain at all.
But his physical coordinates in reality were abruptly, violently altered.
In the absolute blink of an eye, Carlos’s entire body was instantly teleported exactly three feet to the left. He didn't glide or slide; he just popped into a brand-new location in the sky.
Because he was suddenly three feet to the left, his entire flawless calculation was completely destroyed.
"What the—?!" Carlos yelled in pure confusion.
He threw his massive ball of dark purple magic, but because his body had shifted, his aim was completely wrong. The explosive spell sailed far wide of the glowing blue tower. It crashed uselessly into an empty patch of grass, blowing a large hole in the dirt and sending clods of mud flying everywhere.
Carlos landed awkwardly on the ground, totally off balance. He stumbled and fell to one knee, staring at his own hands in absolute bewilderment. "My math was perfect! I had the exact angle! Why am I standing over here?!"
Naomi burst out laughing. She dashed forward, her green wind magic swirling around her boots. "Nice shot, Ken!" she cheered playfully.
She didn't waste the opening. While Carlos was distracted and confused on the ground, Naomi spun her daggers and delivered a swift, powerful kick to his chest, sending him rolling backward onto the grass.
"Do not break formation!" Adrian shouted from the backline, his cold, arrogant smirk completely vanishing. He looked totally shocked. "Isabella! Alexander! Attack the right flank! Correct the trajectory!"