105TH GEAR - THE SHOUT OF TERROR AND THE PINIONS OF BRAVERY

The ground of the Triangle turned abyssal black, and at the center of the field is a flat dark hole that sucks every matter and energy and keeps them pinned on the ground. Not even the Checkpoint Towers, which are immune to magic, are safe, as those devices started to crack due to the extraordinary gravitational pull.

“Ghhhh!” Flu gritted as she forced herself to stand up. Her shoulders, head, arms, and knees are heavy and kept on magnetizing to the ground. Flu is already exerting stardust energy all over her body to counteract the Gravity Field’s pull, but all she can do is struggle in standing up.

Sweat started to flood the side of my face. I clenched my fists and bit my teeth. This is the worst-case scenario I have been avoiding all along. We never trained for anything to counter the Alternate Reality Magic that Lilith made. All we practiced is to prevent her from using it.

And now that the Gravity Field is active, it is too late.

“Awooooooooooooooo!”

The Vampirewolf howled once again!

“Kyaaaaaaaah!” Flu cried as she covered her ears. It’s not just Flu, everybody else was affected by that howl.

Even Count Gaylord Draculus, who is supposed to be one of the most powerful vampires in existence, was not able to resist the vampirewolf’s howl.

“Ghh!” Gaylord cried as he also covered his ear.

“What the hell is that?” I asked my fellow navigator.

“That… is the Terror Shout. It is a spell commonly used by werewolves to show dominance and fear. Normally, I am immune to a werewolf’s Terror Shout. But for some reason, my Lilith’s howl is in a league on its own. She is a half-vampire and half-werewolf, so it is expected for she to have the best magical circuits of all elemental beings. But still…”

Hearing Gaylord grit out of fear and pain made me realize that this is the first time it happened. They never planned for this. But this weird succession of events is making a big favor for them.

“Awooooooooo!” There was it again! The Terror Shout!

“Kyaaaah!” Flu hollered in pain once more. Since she’s the nearest person to the vampirewolf, she is catching 100% of the pain and fear of that specific spell!

Seeing this opportunity, Lilith teleported right behind Flu who is still staggering, and her sharp claws struck the poor pink-haired Speedmage’s back!

Beep! A black magical circle point indicator was created!

Point for Lilith, at 11:7!

“Guh!”

Flu was forced to make three steps forward because of the repelling effect of the magical barrier. Normally, it would launch both Speedmages a couple of meters away from each other, but the Gravity Field makes the friction so tight that the repelling force is greatly weakened.

“One more!” Lilith roared as she teleported right behind Flu once again!

“Flu, guard your rear!” I shouted.

The pink-haired Speedmage managed to turn around in the nick of time and defended by making an X guard with her arms. So the moment the vampirewolf’s claws were about to hit her, they were both pushed three steps backward due to the repelling effect!

Bzzzzt!

“Ara, ara! Resisting is futile!” Lilith smiled which looked like a gnarl. Then she shouted upwards once again. “Awoooooooooooo!”

“Kyaaaaaah!” Flu covered her ears in pain.

Not letting this opportunity go, the Vampirewolf teleported behind Flu and struck her with feral claws!

Beep! A magical circle point indicator was made behind Fluonessia!

Point for Lilith, at 11:8!

Shit! I have to think fast, or else Lilith will catch up!

Not being contented, the Vampirewolf used Terror Shout once again!

“Awoooooooooooooooo!”

“Kyaaaaaaah!” Flu trembled in fear. Her knees shook as her body was about to fall.

However, Lilith has teleported once again to her back, and then two additional werewolf claws spawned on her back!

“Quadferal Blink Strike!”

Lilith stuck behind, and then teleported once again to make a follow-up strike, and then again, and again! Four black magical circle point indicators stacked off Fluonessia’s back and manifested!

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

Four consecutive points for Lilith, now in the lead at 11:12!

Time was frozen from my perspective. I looked at the clock, and there are only ten seconds left! Once this time has passed, Fluonessia will lose! I have to figure out what’s our best course of action in this time frame!

“Awooooooooo!” There it is. The Terror Shout once more.

This time, Flu’s eyes are filled with tears yet devoid of any soul. She was ready to fall, her spirit in shambles. Her skin is pale white, and her mana signature is fading. She cannot fight the fear and pain anymore.

“Flu! Flu! Flu!” I cried out loud.

Fluonessia is not responsive. She slowly went down on her knees, her eyes only looking at Lilith who is smirking at her defeat. Lilith has won the battle of mental fortitude as she has successfully broken Flu’s mind beyond repair.

All Lilith will do is just look at her losing opponent as she inflicts maximum emotional damage and despair. Her gold-and-crimson eyes glowed, signaling the ultimate terror she has become.

Flu’s spirit may have been broken, but I am still standing. I am immune to the Terror Shout’s effect, maybe because I am magicless or because I am a mutant. Or maybe both. Therefore, it is up to me to defeat Lilith!

I ramped up the volume of my telepathic headset and mic to the max and then shouted out loud that my voice cracked.

“Fluonessiaaaaaaaaa!”

Flu’s blue eyes regained their glow as she heard my overwhelmingly loud voice inside her brain.

“J-Jonathan!?” Flu muttered.

“Follow my voice, Flu! Never pay attention to anything you hear! Only focus on my commands!” I cried.

“R-Roger!” Flu immediately stood up using her stardust magic all over her body. Her movements are sluggish due to the gravitational force of the opponent’s Alternate Reality Magic, but she was able to go back on her feet nonetheless!

I found out how to counter the Terror Shout. All I have to do is to speak louder than the howl and make Flu focus on my voice. If my voice overlaps with the howl, then the effects of the Terror Shout will not activate. And since I am using telepathy via headset and mic, I have the upper hand in overpowering that roar!

“Ara ara, you still have a fight in you, huh?” Lilith smirked, then she opened her wide mouth once again. “Let’s see if you can still resist this! Awooooooooooooooo!”

“Follow my voice, Flu! Follow my voice!” I shouted out loud.

“K-Khhhh!” Flu covered her left and right ear as she contained the pain inside her brain. “I-I feel like my head is exploding!”

“That’s okay! Endure it for now!” I shouted.

Five seconds remaining. I checked the status of the Triangle and saw an opportunity for a draw. Because of the earlier clashes and tag fights, both Speedmages were unaware of their surroundings and never realized that their battlefield is now near the 1st Checkpoint Tower. The approximate distance is just fifty meters!

“Flu, touch the 1st Checkpoint Tower! Make a run for it! Go!”

“Yes, Coach!” Flu’s blue eyes glinted as she boosted forward, focusing all her energy on her feet! “Stardust Accel Exceed!”

Even with pushing the pedal to the max, Flu was only able to muster a fraction of her total speed because of the intense Gravity Field. But she will be able to reach it in just three seconds!

“Go, Flu, go!” I cried.

“Yaaaaaah!”

“I won’t let you!” Lilith dashed forward and teleported right behind Flu! Her feral claws were about to reach the pink-haired Speedmage back, but then she realized something was on the floor!

Right at the ground where Flu was standing is a Stardust Trampoline! As Flu stepped on it, she jumped overhead and made a backflip!

“What the!”

“Yaaaaaaaaaaah!” Flu cried as she struck the opponent’s back!

Beep! A pink magical circle point indicator manifested!

Point for Fluonessia, now tied at 12:12!

Flu swiped her hand to create a Stardust Trampoline right on Lilith’s back and then jumped on it to gain considerable distance! She was supposed to be launched up in midair, but the Gravity Field sucked her and made her roll to the ground!

“Gah!” Flu cried.

It was a valiant attempt to get away from the opponent, but the distance between them is just fifteen meters. At least Flu can have a breather for a few seconds with that distance.

At that moment, the whistle was blown three times!

Fweet! Fweet! Fweet!

“We will now proceed with the overtime! This is now a Sudden Death Match, and the next Speedmage who scores the next point wins!” The referee announced.

“Phew! That was close!” Flu laughed as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. Then she sat down on her knees to preserve energy as the Gravity Field is still in effect.

“It doesn’t matter, Fluonessia Asahime. Making it to overtime is just prolonging your agony. You will still lose and you will break.”

“You’re wrong, Miss Lilith Nightshade.” Flu gave a confident and determined smile. Her blue eyes are filled with flaming spirit. “I will never lose, and I will never break.”

Lilith started to walk forward, her clawed hind legs cracking the ground. “Ara, ara. You are at your last mana. You barely made out of my Terror Shout. But you are still confident that you will win. Why is that?”

“It is because I love everyone. The sweet breeze of the air, the scent of mana trails, and everyone’s voices are giving me the courage to win this fight.” Flu said.

The pink-haired Speedmage slowly stood up once again, exerting her remaining mana on her legs to focus. Then she inhaled softly and spread out her hands like a saint praying for divine intervention. Once she’s steeled up her mind, she glared at Lilith with cemented resolve!

“I have already shown to you the speed spells my friends, rivals, and professors taught me. And now I will show you the greatest thing my Coach taught me! The greatest spell of all: Courage!”

Flu removed the winged hairpins on her head, and then all of a sudden, pink stardust wings manifested as a replacement! Not only that, but the pink stardust wings also materialized on her wrists and her Speedmage Shoes! Pink glittery energy swirled around her, and then a blast of shockwave echoed all around the Triangle, and then to the whole arena!

“This is the only Alternate Reality Magic allowed to Fluonessia Asahime,” I muttered to myself. “The power to modify oneself to her whim: from a weak clumsy girl into a Goddess of Speed. It is the ultimate gallantry that only she can achieve.”

Fluonessia smiled as her divine force breezed upon her long pink hair. Soon, she started floating, disregarding the effects of the Gravity Field! With a smile full of courage, she muttered her ultimate spell out loud.

“These are my Pinions of Bravery!”