103RD GEAR - HOW TO APPLY THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP!

“Stardust Accel!” Flu blasted forward at full throttle with her pink stardust contrails following her!

“Shadow Accel!” Lilith followed a split second late as streaks of darkness tailed her every step!

Both pink and black Speedmages race towards the 2nd Checkpoint Tower! However, since Stardust Accel is vastly superior to Shadow Accel, Flu is gaining the lead one step at a time!

There was this smirk on Lilith’s face. Even Gaylord looks confident. This scenario is the same as when we faced them in the Regional Speedmage Tournament. Pure speed will not defeat Lilith, as we have seen during the semifinal match against Liri and the Regional Championship match against Vincent.

However, we will still stay on the same tactic.

“Step on the pedal, Flu!” I advised.

“Right!” Flu said as she enchanted more stardusts on her shoes. “Stardust Accel Exceed!”

With a 20% additional boost in her speed, Flu dashed forward as she went to the 2nd Checkpoint Tower! She managed to close in and prepared her hand to swipe it, but then-

Lilith smiled. Her golden eye glowed with mana.

“Aether Switch!”

In an instant, Flu and Lilith swapped places! This is the same as the Regionals back then!

Gaylord chuckled as he shook his head. He must be thinking “These losers do not learn.” He even looked at me with a smug. However, we are already expecting this result.

That is why we have come prepared!

In a fraction of a second, just before Lilith was able to score her first point, Flu’s blue eyes glowed.

“Chronoshift!”

Everything became black and white. Time was utterly stopped. Lilith was one molecule away from touching the 2nd Checkpoint Tower, but she was frozen. Everything and everyone was frozen by the stoppage of time… except for Flu who rushed towards the 2nd Checkpoint Tower!

“Yaaaaaaaaah!”

Flu tapped the 2nd Checkpoint Tower, and then she twirled around and touched Lilith’s defenseless back!

After one more second, everything regained colors and time resumed its flow!

Beep!

First point for Fluonessia, at 1:0!

Beep! A pink magical circle point indicator manifested at Lilith’s back!

Point again for Fluonessia, at 2:0!

“Ghhh!” Lilith groaned as she was pushed away from the 2nd Checkpoint Tower!

“W-What the hell happened!? Is that time magic?” Gaylord exclaimed due to shock and awe.

“This is my version of the Time Freeze Blitz magic I learned from Prez! It is way inferior to her spell, but I have made it my own! I call it, Chronoshift!” Flu happily explained.

Flu has been studying time magic back when she was defeated by Ericka. And since Flu is the star player of Merry Knights, Ericka trained Flu to the bone until she can finally cast time magic. However, Flu can only use Chronoshift and stop time for three seconds, unlike Ericka, who can use it until she is exhausted. Therefore, Flu made the Time Freeze magic into a Speedster-slash-Counter variant that can be used at the right time.

“Nice one, Flu! I know you can use my ultimate!” Useless Prez’s cheer can be heard from the audience's seat. She clenched her fists and shouted out loud. “Now Deadlock is out of the picture!”

“Thank you, Prez!” Flu waved her hand.

“Stop celebrating and go for the 3rd Checkpoint Tower!” I roared to the mic.

“Y-Yes! Sorry!” Flu boosted forward with her Stardust Accel Exceed to make a beeline toward the next tower!

“Grrrr!” Lilith showed her fangs as she expressed her disdain. She used her Shadow Accel once again to go back to the 2nd Checkpoint Tower and score a point!

Beep!

Point for Lilith, at 2:1!

I looked at Gaylord with a confident smirk and started trash-talking.

“You know, Flu would have used Deadlock tactics to block Lilith for the whole Speed Battle and give you a taste of your own medicine. But we wanted this to be a fair and awesome fight. So consider that first point a charity.”

“That overconfidence will give you a humiliating defeat, Jonathan-boy.” The vampiric duke scoffed.

Gaylord did not mull over my words. He instead talked to his mic to give Lilith his instructions.

“Lilith, go for Deadlock Second Amendment.”

“I know.”

Lilith said as she swerved to the right and took a position at the center of the Triangle. I saw the witch gathering shadow energy all over her tummy, and she glared at Flu who was focused on chasing the 3rd Checkpoint Tower.

“Shadow Influx.”

All of a sudden, Lilith puked out a black shadow ooze to the ground, and this shadow chased the unaware Fluonessia!

“Flu, show what Cruzo has taught you!” I immediately advised!

“Determination, guts, and love, right!?”

Flu jumped up to evade the initial shadow’s attack, but then the shadow unleashed tentacles ready to wrap Flu! However, Flu has already come prepared as she has already charged stardust energy swirling around her right foot! The stardust energy took shape in a form of a drill and with it, Flu plunged into the shadow!

“Stardust Drill!”

Boom! The shadow was blasted into smithereens, and there was a human-sized hole where the shadow was! Flu disappeared on the playing field!

“Lilith, she used a drill underground! Make chase to the 3rd Checkpoint Tower!” Gaylord said.

“Right!” Lilith turned serious as she boosted towards the 3rd Checkpoint Tower. For her, that is a lot of distance to cover as she is currently positioned at the center of the Triangle.

To all spectators’ surprise, Flu reappeared right next to the 3rd Checkpoint Tower! She has dug underground and drilled all the way to score a point!

“This one is mine!” Flu swiped her hand to the 3rd Checkpoint Tower!

Beep!

Point for Fluonessia, at 3:1!

“This is the Stardust Drill I learned from Sir Cruzo! It shows the power of determination, guts, and love!” Flu happily explained.

“Uwooooooooogh! You took the words right out of my mouth, Flu! Well said!” Cruzo cried from the audience's seat with a beam and a thumbs up.

However, Gaylord did not contemplate their disadvantage. He continued to give sound advice to his Speedmage. “Go take a shortcut and block her path towards the 1st Checkpoint Tower.”

“Got it!” Lilith said.

I have to counter their tactics so I gave my advice to Flu as well.

“Flu, go straight to the opponent. We will try Captain Flash next!”

“Roger!” Flu said with a smile.

Lilith was able to take her position a bit faster than Flu because of the shortcut. The witch then coated her heels with sticky gooey shadow energy and a dark magical circle manifested on her feet!

“Shadow Serpent!"

Lilith jumped upward with her sticky shadow serving as an elastic spring! She spread out her hand trying to catch Flu, but Flu was able to dodge it at hair’s breadth!

“Eeeek!” Flu yelped. But she continued to charge through.

“Now!” I shouted out loud.

Flu immediately made a detour to the right with her standard Stardust Accel spell. She made a full circle turn around Lilith who just sprung back to her original position, and then ran around and round until there is a storm of pink glitters around Lilith!

“Stardust Whirlpool!” Flu shouted out loud.

Now the opponent is surrounded at the center of the eye of the pink storm and she does not know what to do! She tried attacking from the east, south, west, and even to her north, but she cannot catch Flu!

“Darn, it!” Lilith whined.

“I’m right behind you!” Flu shouted out loud as she dashed forward with extraordinary speed, reaching out her hand toward her opponent’s back!

A pink magical circle point indicator manifested!

Beep!

Point for Fluonessia, at 4:1!

“This is the Stardust Whirlpool that Captain Tezza taught me! I made a faster version of it!” Flu happily explained.

Meanwhile, Captain Tezza can be seen standing up in the audience seat. She had her arms crossed and her silver eyes glowing. She can’t help but smile at the pink-haired Speedmage in the Triangle.

“Fluonessia Asahime, you are a fool and a genius.” Captain Tezza muttered.

I looked at Gaylord’s expression. He is still maintaining his smile, but I can see some signs that he was not as calm and confident as he used to be. He is crossing his arms, and I saw his impatient fingers tapping. The shape of his grin changed too, as if he is now forcing himself to stay cool. His red eyes are now flaming with emotions of mixed nature: anger and fear.

“Lilith, it’s time to end these petty tricks. Use your ultimate.”

“Yes, Father,” Lilith said.

Lilith detoured back to the center of the Triangle. I know that they are going to use their trump card at this rate, so we have to act fast! They are planning to activate Gravity Field! If the opponent managed to use her Alternate Reality magic, Flu is done for!

“Flu, time to give them terror in the skies!” I shouted.

“Yes, Coach!” Flu said with a happy face.

Flu, using her feet, gracefully drew a big magical circle on the ground with the formula of a trampoline spell. Once the huge Stardust Trampoline glowed, she hopped on it and boosted up in the air! Flu rushed up until she stopped in the middle of the stratosphere and then created a humongous pink magical circle!

This is Fluonessia’s version of Comette Azure’s Orbital Strike! This is-

“Orbital Starfall!”

Flu dived down burning in pink flames like a falling phoenix and then crashed unto Lilith’s unaware back! A pink magical circle point indicator manifested!

“Graaaaaah!” Lilith cried.

Beep!

Point for Fluonessia, now at the overwhelming lead of 5:1!

“One more!” Flu said as she jumped back in the air and created three Stardust Trampolines! And then, she blitzed and bounced back and forth from the trampoline to Lilith’s back, creating speed clones in the process! “Chain Trampoline: Triforce Bullet Barrage!

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

Five points for Fluonessia, now at 10:1!

“What the!” Lilith muttered in awe. “How did you get this strong!?”

“These are the speed spells of the previous Speedmage Champions Comette Azure and Vincent Shadowseek! I have made my versions of it with their guidance!” Flu happily said.

“Impossible!”

“There is no impossible, as long as you know how to apply the power of friendship!” Flu beamed adorably as she clenched her fists.