Chapter 115: Shade’s New Game
As Mr. Blade’s voice, amplified to a deafening roar, thundered across the field – "Okay. The game will start in three... two... one... RUMBLE!" – he punctuated his countdown with a flamboyant wave of his hand in Eirin’s direction. The gesture, a direct acknowledgment, made Eirin feel a strange mix of self-consciousness and a flush of embarrassment. All eyes seemed to turn her way, a sudden, unwanted spotlight.
Pierre stood firm at the center of their human base, his muscles tensed, his eyes darting across the vast, open field, watching the other teams, anticipating their moves. But his vigilant calm shattered almost immediately. From all directions, a torrent of bodies, a kaleidoscope of colored headbands, converged on them.
Almost everyone was after the white team. Eirin’s eyes widened, panic in her depths, as she registered the coordinated, almost predatory advance. Every team, save for one, had focused their aggression on them.
Shade, perched atop his red team’s formidable base, seemed to revel in the unfolding spectacle. He smirked, a faint, almost imperceptible curve of his lips, as he watched Eirin’s team being swarmed, ganged upon by the relentless assault. He sat there, unmoving, radiating an aura of detached regality, as if he were a king sitting on his throne, observing a meticulously planned execution orchestrated by his silent command. His dark eyes, usually shadowed, held a glint of amusement, a calculated enjoyment of the chaos.
"They’re after us! Run!" Pierre bellowed, his voice raw, snapping the white team into action. His powerful legs tensed, ready to push through the obtruding circle of opponents.
Calixta groaned, a sound of strained effort as she channeled her Flair, a shimmering blue aura briefly enveloping their base. With a surge of icy power, she lifted the four of them from the ground, creating a temporary hover. Their human pyramid, momentarily defying gravity, floated just above the grasping hands of their attackers. But the break was fleeting.
Someone, a rider from the green team, immediately followed, leaping with surprising agility, attempting to snatch Eirin’s headband.
"Shit! They must have realized they wouldn’t be able to fight Shade head-on," Calixta spat, her voice tight with frustration. "These cowards!" She moved, evading every attack using her ice, sending sharp, defensive shards spinning outwards, forcing opponents to pull back.
Naya responded instantly, a swirling mist coming out of her palms, blanketing their team in a dense cloud. It spread, obscuring vision, disorienting attackers who stumbled, swinging blindly. But it was a trick the other teams had grown accustomed to.
Naya had used her mist too much in the Manhunt, and their opponents, though momentarily hampered, quickly adapted, relying on sound and intuition to track them. Her effectiveness was waning.