83RD GEAR - SLEEPYHEADS CAUSE SPEED BATTLES

There are less than three weeks left before the promised match between Fluonessia and Vincent. We dedicated most of our time to practicing and mastering the Stardust Accel and its other spell variants. Flu and I even had our nightly training until past midnight, and we often do some lovey-dovey couple stuff after that so it is almost empirical that our early morning English classes would be like this:

“Now class, when you look at the next page of the chapter… Hold on for a sec.”

Professor Azure noticed somebody dozing off in the middle of the class. I saw her lock unto Fluonessia who is dumbly sleeping in her textbook, her drool falling from her lips like silent waterfalls.

“Flu! Flu!” I panicked as I tried to gently kick her chair in my front. But she is still asleep!

“Mmmm…” Flu ignored all my efforts of waking her up as she just adjusted her sleeping position on the desk. “Zzzzzzz…”

“Miss Asahime! Miss Asahime at the back! Miss Asahime!”

Professor Azure got pissed off as to how laid back Flu is in class, so she immediately threw the chalk straight at Flu’s forehead!

Whack!

“Owie!” Flu immediately screamed as she held her aching forehead.

“There you go, you dipshit! No sleeping in my class! It’s in the syllabus!” Professor Azure scolded.

“I-I’m sorry!” Flu bowed apologetically.

“Good.” Professor Azure said. Then she started to read once more from our textbook. “So you see in this metaphor written by our lord and savior Cthulhu that the dangling participle…”

Meanwhile, Flu is starting to doze off. Her head slowly bobs up and down until her left cheek hit the desk once again. And for the second time, Miss Terror noticed Flu lazing about!

“Miss Asahime! Miss Asahime, stand up!”

“Y-Yes!” Flu immediately woke up, panicked, and stood stiff.

“Am I boring you?” Miss Terror showed her fangs with her menacing smile. “I’m boring you, huh!?”

“N-No ma’am!” Flu answered like a military cadet. “Y-Your teaching is awesome, ma’am!”

“This is not sleeping time! This is English time! You don’t come to my class-”

“Zzzzzzz.” Flu snored while still standing.

“Oh my goodness, you fell asleep when I’m scolding you, huh?”

Miss Terror finally inverted her menacing smile, and now it is a frown of anger! This is the first time I saw her showing a legitimate facial expression of madness!

“WAKE YOUR ASS UP!”

“Eeeeeek!” Flu cried in fear. “I-I’m awake! I’m awake, ma’am!”

“What did I say?”

“Y-You said it’s Speed Battle time?” Flu nervously asked while being confused. Her brain must still be half-dead.

“It is nine in the morning, which is the time for your academics! Why are you talking about Speed Battles!?”

“A-Ah! I-I’m sorry!” Flu scratched her head. Sweat is now starting to crawl from her face like an ice-cold glass of smoothie getting melted in the middle of the summer sun.

Miss Terror slightly changed her expression from a frown to a menacing smile. She is still showing her fangs though, and I can read from her crimson-purple eyes that it’s about to shoot lasers and blast Flu’s head.

“Let’s talk after your last period.” Professor Azure said calmly.

“Awawawawa! I’m getting sent to the Student Affairs Office again!” Flu cried.

“No, not the Student Affairs Office. We will meet at the Merry Knights Guild Building.” Professor Azure smirked, and then she shifted glances to me. “You too, Mister Wardenorth.”

“M-Me!?” I pointed at myself. “W-What did I do wrong?”

“You are the reason why Miss Asahime lacks sleep, is that right?”

“W-Well.” I scratched my sweating nape. 

I cannot deny that Flu is getting more sleepy in the morning because of our late-night practice and some spooning, but I cannot admit it either because it might aggravate my situation.

One thing is for sure. The fact that Professor Azure is bringing this matter to our guild means that we are fucked.

<>

“Uwuuuuuu!”

Flu cannot stop crying even after class. She’s just laying on her desk, vibrating like a broken robot.

“Don’t worry, Flu.” I patted her shoulder. “This can’t be that bad.”

I lied. I know it is that bad. If Professor Azure went ahead to the Merry Knights Guild Building, then she might be talking to our Useless Prez and imposing some sanctions on the club! But I have to man up for my girlfriend, or else both of us will be depressed! There is no other way but to lick each other’s wounds!

I held Flu’s hand and gently pulled it. Flu’s adorable innocent eyes stared at me.

“Let’s go, Flu. Let’s meet those scary sisters.”

“O-Okay… Uwuuuu…”

We left the classroom and immediately proceeded to the club building. While on the way, I can feel Flu’s sweaty, vibrating palms rubbing on my hand. She must be nervous about how it will turn out.

When we arrived at the guild building, we immediately saw Ericka and Professor Azure at the front desk. They seem to be discussing so calmly that they are telling stories and laughing in the process.

“Hahaha! Did Flu really do that?” I heard Ericka’s chuckle, but she immediately settled when she saw our faces. Professor Azure also stopped talking and noticed that we were there.

I also saw Cruzo together with a man I would immediately recognize. It was my father, and he is busily checking Cruzo’s triceps, quadriceps, and hamstrings that make the big buff panda. They seem to be in their world of muscles so they did not notice me and Flu.

“Oh, the couple is finally here.” Professor Azure menacingly smiled.

Cruzo and my father immediately shifted their attention to both of us. Ericka also had this serious look on her face. For some reason, the easiness of the atmosphere transformed into something full of tension.

This feeling is like something you can see in a lively party, and then all of a sudden when you make your entrance, they will settle down and look at us with disdain. Are we that of a party pooper?

“Uh… What’s going on here?”

“Big Sis- I mean, Professor Azure would like to talk to you two,” Ericka said.

“I already know that. But why is my father here?” I asked.

“I asked him to come. Why, is there any objection?” Professor Azure said as she stood up and held her waist.

I gulped and chose the safest set of words for the answer. “N-None ma’am.”

“U-Um!” Flu immediately raised her hand and started to talk nervously. “M-Ma’am! Y-You’re not going to suspend anyone from practice, right?”

“I will not.” Professor Azure said.

“You’re not going to punish our guild because of my violations, r-right?” Flu nervously asked again. “M-Ma’am!”

“I will not. If I wanted to punish you for sleeping in the middle of my class, then I should have chosen the Students Affairs Office instead of your club building.” Professor Azure said.

“S-So why did you decide to meet us here, ma’am!” Flu squealed for being too confused.

“It is because I want to see how much have you improved, Miss Asahime.” Professor Azure said as she removed the white coat she has been wearing. “Since you have been practicing non-stop until you’re too tired to go to my class, certainly you have already mastered Stardust Accel, is it not?”

“Fueh?” Flu exclaimed with her round wide eyes open.

All of a sudden, I saw my father walking right behind Professor Azure. He crossed his arms and stood tall as if he was trying to intimidate me with his gaze.

“You too, my foolish son. I want to see how much you improved since I taught you my secret tactics.” My father said.

There were about five seconds of silence before the situation sunk unto my brain. Flu reacted a little bit earlier than I am as she is now pumping her fists excitingly. Just to be sure, I have to ask what is on our minds right now.

“Are you challenging us to a Speed Battle?”

“You’re goddamn right.” Professor Azure and my old man answered in unison.

<>

This might be our biggest Speed Battle yet. The legendary Speedmage Comette Azure of the old Merry Knights and Coach Flint Wardenorth of old Eaglecrest have reunited once again to dominate the Triangle.

I remember their tandem ten years ago. Comette Azure was the national champion of the Speedmage Tournament, and my father was designated as her coach as per Saint Crusade Academy’s request. They dominated in the world championships until the finals where they lost for only one point. Nevertheless, it was the greatest feat Saint Crusade has ever made.

Having a Speed Battle against them is music to Flu’s ears. We might never get a chance like this again, so there is no reason to refuse. Besides, both Professor Azure and my father have taught us a lot already.

My father and Professor Azure have long been retired in the world of Speedmage Tournaments. They may have been rusty, but the fact that they are the most powerful Speed Battle tandem of their time still makes them a force to be reckoned with.

Professor Azure has no Speedmage Suit. She is only wearing her punk rockstar black T-shirt and jean shorts. However, she is wearing a relic from the past of a Speedmage Shoes- Triceratops, which is about ten years outdated gear suited for Strikers.

Flu and Professor Azure have taken a position on the 1st Checkpoint Tower. The referee for this bout is Cruzo. I am standing side by side with my father, our telepathic headphones worn on our heads.

“Let’s see if my foolish son and his girlfriend can hold a candle to the tandem that is dubbed to be the greatest of all time.” My father chuckled.

“This is the future, old foolish man. Your glory days are over for ten years already.” I chuckled back.

When we both noticed that we are laughing at one another, we gave a fist bump as a sign of sportsmanship.

Meanwhile, on the 1st Checkpoint Tower…

“Miss Asahime! If you lose this battle, I will flunk all your subjects for this semester!”

“W-Whaaaa!” Flu cried. “Please forgive me already, Miss Terror- I mean, Professor Azure!”

“Hehehe.” Miss Azure chuckled.

Cruzo stood up next to the two Speedmages. He raised his hand and readied the whistle.

“Fluonessia Asahime versus Professor Comette Azure! Get ready!”

Both Speedmages went to their unique starting positions.

“On your marks… Get set… Go!”

Fweeeeeet!