84TH GEAR - IT’S A BIRD! IT’S A METEOR! NO, IT’S MISS TERROR!

As soon as the whistle was blown, Fluonessia and Professor Azure used their respective speed spells!

“Stardust Accel!” Glittery pink contrails followed Flu’s trail.

“Crystaldust Accel!” Sparkling blue contrails tailed Professor Azure all the way!

Just before they reach the 2nd Checkpoint Tower, we can see both Speedmages overtaking each other! Flu got the lead for a few seconds, but Professor Azure took over, and then Flu caught up and recovered her position as the faster of the two!

However, when there is only fifty meters left, Professor Azure overtook Flu once more and touched the 2nd Checkpoint Tower!

Beep!

Point for Comette, at 0:1!

This is nuts! Professor Azure is a Striker, and she can still compete in terms of speed against a Counter like Flu! That’s a world contender for you!

“Go for it, Big Sis!” Ericka can be heard cheering in the background.

Flu was just a little bit late to touch the 2nd Checkpoint Tower by one second. She swiped her hand on the tower, and it glowed pink!

Beep!

Point for Fluonessia, at 1:1!

“Good work, Flu!” Ericka cheered in the background once again.

“Wait, are you cheering for Professor Azure? Or are you cheering for Flu?” Cruzo asked.

“I am cheering for them both!” Ericka angrily answered.

"Make up your mind, dammit!" I cried.

All of a sudden, I saw Professor Azure no longer chasing the hologram line leading to the 3rd Checkpoint Tower. She made a U-Turn and immediately boosted towards Fluonessia who was caught by surprise!

“Eeeek!” Flu cried.

Bzzzt!

Both magical barriers collided, launching the Speedmages in opposite directions due to repelling effect. After doing that, Professor Azure went ahead and made chase to the 3rd Checkpoint Tower!

“Heh!” Professor Azure chuckled.

That was a simple but effective technique to gain a huge lead and push the opponent further away. I think that technique is called Knock-Off, an old-school tactic that only requires skill and experience to pull off. There's no mana cost in using that trick.

“Flu, make chase!” I said through my mic.

“Roger!” Flu said as she immediately created a Stardust Trampoline and used the repelling force of the Knock-Off to boost in the opposite direction! “Here I go!”

Thanks to the Stardust Trampoline triplicating her speed, she managed to catch up, no, overtake Professor Azure by over ten steps! She is taking the lead!

“Oho? This kid has a talent.” I heard my father mutter with a smirk.

“I told you, Old Coach. Miss Asahime has what it takes.” Professor Azure said to her navigator with a satisfied smile. And then she boosted once more with a stronger Crystaldust Accel!

A glittery blue streak chased after the pink sparkling contrail. The two-toned rainbow full of glitters made it an eye candy to look at.

“Yaaaah!” Flu swiped her hand on the 3rd Checkpoint Tower!

Beep!

Point for Fluonessia, at 2:1!

“Keep it up, Flu! Leave them in the dust!” I cheered.

“Roger!” Flu said as she drifted and set her eyes on the faraway 1st Checkpoint Tower!

I looked at my opponent's navigator to see his next move. My father still had this poker face of a smile, and I cannot read his emotions. I do not know if he’s happy or scared or laid back behind that smile of his. I guess I cannot apply my father’s teachings about gestures against him.

“You dare use my techniques against me, my foolish son.” My father said calmly.

“...”

I gulped as I went back to view the Triangle. I just felt chills when my father said those words as if I am going to get an ass whopping!

My father pressed the mic on his headset and finally talked. “Let’s show these kids, how Speed Battles are conducted on our time.”

“Heh! Of course, Old Coach!” Professor Azure yielded the 3rd Checkpoint Tower and went to the center of the Triangle.

It takes no genius to conclude that our opponents are going to have a change in playstyle. Maybe they are getting serious after all as Professor Azure is now shifting her tactics to a Striker.

Professor Azure stopped the moment she stepped to the center point of the Triangle. It is the same tactic we use when using Phoenix Arrow, and Flu is playing like a Speedster-based Counter for this match. They are planning on striking Flu’s back!

“Flu, brace for an incoming strike! But focus on touching the 1st Checkpoint Tower!” I advised.

“Roger!” Flu nodded with a smile as she continues to run towards her goal.

All of a sudden, Professor Azure used her feet to draw a circle, the same way how Ericka casts a Freezing Field. However, the magical circle formula is different, as it was more akin to trampoline-based spells!

It was a Snow Trampoline, but welded completely to the ground!

Professor Azure tapped the center of the Snow Trampoline, and she was immediately launched up into the air! No, scratch that! She is soaring even higher that all I can see now is a single star in the middle of the afternoon skies! Did she reach the stratosphere in just one big jump?

“Look at this, my foolish son. This is the ultimate spell of Comette Azure that won the National Speedmage Tournament ten years ago.” My father said as he looked up in the skies.

All of a sudden, a gargantuan blue magical circle engulfed one-fourth of the sky! It was an absurdly huge Snow Trampoline!

“A-Awesooooome!” Flu stopped in her tracks to see the light show from above.

“This is what we call Orbital Strike.” My father muttered.

And then…

Swooooom!

A sound breaking the wind and sound barrier roared. A meteor fell straight to the Triangle! No, it was not a meteor! It was Professor Azure, her magical barrier caught in flames of friction! She was so fast that it almost ripped through the planet’s atmosphere!

“Eeeeeeeeek!” Flu cried like a pig as she cannot do anything but watch the falling meteor straight to her!

Professor Azure struck Flu’s back, and it made a blue magical circle point indicator!

Beep!

Point for Comette, now draw at 2:2!

It did not stop right after that! Since the crash site was halfway near the 3rd Checkpoint Tower she yielded, Professor Azure went back to the tower and tapped it!

Beep!

Point for Comette, now at 2:3!

Meanwhile, Flu was recovering on her feet. She is rubbing her head because of the impact of the Orbital Strike.

“Ouchieeee.” Flu cried.

“Can you still go on, Flu?” I asked worriedly through the mic.

“Y-Yes! I am just surprised that Miss Terror can pull out that amazing move!” Flu said with enthusiasm.

“Same. Well, they are Speedmage Champions of their generation so we cannot complain.”

“I am not complaining! I’m even more fired up than ever!” A glint sparked in Flu’s blue eyes as she pumped her fists.

Seeing Flu’s heart lit aflame inspired me too. My eyes glinted in the same manner as I smirked with fangs shown.

“Let’s show them the product of our nightly training then!”

“Yes, Coach!” Flu said.

Flu spread her arms outward and focused fire magic as she continues to run unstable using Stardust Accel. Normally, she should be using wind magic to control her speed, but shifting it to fire magic makes her velocity more unpredictable.

However, Flu has it all covered. She intensified the flames until it was now a pink aura around her body! The aura shaped itself into a huge flaming garuda as she continued to surge forward!

“Phoenix Drive!”

Flu boosted forward with extraordinary speed, and immediately reached the 1st Checkpoint Tower!

Beep!

Point for Fluonessia, at 3:3!

Meanwhile, Professor Azure has already reached her previous position at the center of the Triangle. She created another Snow Trampoline and jumped toward the stratosphere! Another gargantuan magical circle manifested that almost covered the whole sky!

“Flu! Orbital Strike inbound!” I shouted out loud!

“Y-Yes!” Flu nodded as she continues to chase the 2nd Checkpoint Tower!

All of a sudden, a twinkle in the afternoon skies manifested. Professor Azure once again made herself a human meteor as she rips through the atmosphere and crashes with extreme precision!

“Ah!”

Professor Azure struck Flu’s back as soon as she crashed, creating another blue magical circle point indicator!

Beep!

Point for Comette, at 3:4!

“Kyaaaaah!” Flu cried as she was launched away due to the repelling effect!

I slightly glanced to look at my father’s expression, and he just have this smile as if the match has been decided.

“No matter how fast you can go, it is futile, my foolish son.” My father scoffed. “Orbital Strike is the most accurate Striker spell for Speedmages. Even if Miss Asahime is the fastest Speedmage alive, it won’t matter as long as Comette can predict your location.”

“I know.” I finally grinned with my head held up high. “We are not trying to evade it. We are planning to get hit by it.”

All of a sudden, my father erased the smug on his face. Sweat dripped from the side of his cheek. This simple reaction from him made me sure of one thing: I finally beat him in his mind games.

“What are you-”

Before my father could finish his sentence, both of our gazes went back to the Triangle.

There was a thick smoke due to the Orbital Strike that Comette Azure made, but all of a sudden, the wall of dust cleared out!

“Chain Trampoline: Triforce Mirage!”

Three Stardust Trampolines became visible at about four meters above ground, and three Fluonessias appeared! With flames on their feet, she boosted forward and used Phoenix Arrows at point-blank range!

“Yaaaaaah!” All three Fluonessias roared as they surged forward to strike Professor Azure's back!