In accordance with Endorsi’s ‘plan’, the rest of Team B gradually formed small groups of their own before promptly splitting up the moment the test officially began. The only person to stay behind was Rachel, as, for reasons nobody could quite understand, she had somehow earned more than enough points to move on to the next floor. As a result, she had the option of completely ignoring the test, but, rather than refuse to participate, she opted to provide support from within the Safety Area. This meant she wouldn’t obtain any points from the test, but, so long as she remained inside, neither Quant nor the other Regulars were allowed to harm her.
With Rachel’s safety all but ensured, Baam ultimately chose to follow after Endorsi. He also had the opportunity to sit out for the remainder of the game, but, ever-eager to help his friends, Baam was unable to sit still while others were working hard. At the very least, he wanted to help Endorsi fight against the Ranker. He knew she didn’t have many points due to purchasing a pair of compressed needles so she would need the 2000 bonus points in order to guarantee a passing grade…
—
Though he wasn’t happy about the arrangement, Hatsu had agreed to team up with the two Spear Bearers on his team: Mauchi and Parakewl. Everyone else had avoided the duo after they proposed the idea of their so-called Spear Bearer Revolution. They seemed to believe that Spear Bearers were the most superior Position due to their ability to deal considerable damage without ever needing to approach the enemy.
Hatsu obviously didn’t agree with the idiotic duo’s doctrine, but, if it could increase their chance of victory by even a marginal amount, he was willing to work alongside them. He had enhanced spatial awareness due to his unique style of swordsmanship, so, even if they were to bombard his position with spears, he was confident in being able to dodge them. Thus, so long as he could hold down his Instructor’s movements for even a brief moment, there was a chance they could land a blow against him.
Surprising the duo of Spear Bearers loudly chanting ‘revolution’ while linking arms around each others’ shoulders, Hatsu’s expression became serious as he said, “He’s coming. Quick, move to a higher position. I will do my best to hold him here and create an opportunity for the both of you. When the time comes, show me the might of your revolution.”
Seeing the seriousness contained within Hatsu’s eyes, the ‘leader’ of the peculiar Spear Bearers, a tall and lanky man with sickly green skin that almost made him appear like a zombie, stroked his chin in admiration before saying, “Oho…it seems you understand your place. Very well, while you hold him back, we’ll make sure to find the best possible position to hit him from above. If you do well, I might just have a place for you on my team. Together, we will bring about a grand revolution the likes of which this Tower has never seen!”
Resisting the urge to punch the man’s smug face, Hatsu just nodded as if he agreed before drawing his katana and adopting a defensive posture. He would have liked to have two swords, but, with the average price of a Katana being greater than 1000 points, he didn’t really have the funds to replace the one Gandr had shattered. Because of this, he now spent equal parts of his time on mastering a single blade, and, most importantly, himself…
With the Spear Bearer duo wasting no time to retreat further up the stairs, Hatsu began regulating his breathing. He was well aware of how fast his Instructor was, so, if he wanted to have any hope of achieving victory, he would need to focus his mind beyond its limits. He needed to be ‘sharper’ than even the blade of his katana, sharp enough that his intent, alone, could cut through his opponents.
Feeling as though the world around him had started to slow down, Hatsu exhaled one final breath before manipulating the flow of Shinsu to fill his lungs. This caused a cold feeling to spread through his body before rapidly consolidating within his mind, drastically increasing his mental acuity. In the very next moment, he perceived a swift figure running low to the ground, their eyes meeting for a brief moment as Quant’s expression morphed into a vicious smile.
Demonstrating speed he had never shown during class, Hatsu took a half-step forward, a motion that actually carried him several meters in an instant. In the same motion, he swung his sword in a graceful arc towards Quant’s shoulder, but, as could be expected from a Ranker, the latter was able to take a quick step back, spinning around before moving into the vacancy left by the blade’s arc to strike Hatsu in the chest.
Since there was no air in his lungs to expel, Hatsu just felt a sharp pain radiating through his body as the cooling sensation in his mind became more prominent. This earned him an approving look from Quant, who, realizing what Hatsu had done, smiled viciously before saying, “Though I feel like you would have been better suited for the position of Fisherman, I’m constantly impressed by your talent and adaptability. Come, let me see how much you have grown…”
Following his complimentary words, Quant fearlessly entered within the range of Hatsu’s sword, a calm smile on his face as he gracefully evaded each blow with less than a centimeter to spare. This filled Hatsu with indignation, but, remembering his efforts of the last month, he managed to remain calm as his strikes became noticeably faster, sharper, and more refined. Then, just as his self-taught Shinsu breathing technique was about to wear off, a gleam flashed across his eyes as he sliced at an upward angle, the very tip of his blade catching a few of his Instructor’s hairs.
Though he felt a bit of rage bubble up inside of him, Quant couldn’t help feeling a little proud of the fact that Hatsu had managed to go beyond his limits. This was exactly the type of mentality a person needed to climb the Tower, so, even if the journey wouldn’t be easy for someone walking the path of a swordsman, Quant knew Hatsu had what it took to become a Ranker. Unfortunately, now wasn’t the time for sentiments, so, the moment Hatsu began gasping for air, Quant grabbed the boy by the face and slammed him into the wall, saying, “It isn’t the duty of a Scout to hold the enemy…”
Quant was preparing to lecture his student further, but, before he could so much as utter a single additional syllable, a dry laugh escaped Hatsu’s throat as he gripped the man’s outstretched arm. Then, with the look of someone who was willing to face death, Hatsu stared directly back at Quant as he said, “I’ve been training in swordsmanship since the day I was born…once I get my hands on something, I don’t let go…now, Spear Revolutionaries, hit him with everything you’ve got…!”
Surprised by Hatsu’s conviction and subsequent outburst, Quant instinctually used his single Baang of Shinsu to enhance his senses. He could easily break from Hatsu’s grip, but, out of respect for the boy’s impressive conviction, he intended to evade the coming attacks while allowing the former to continue gripping his arm. What he never would have expected was for absolute silence to descend upon the stairwell in the moments immediately following Hatsu’s outburst…
Realizing what had happened, Quant slammed Hatsu into the wall a second time, knocking the boy out as he cursed, “Those f****** bastards…” before charging up the stairs at supersonic speeds. His Shinsu-enhanced senses allowed him to sense the Spear Bearer duo running up the stairs, so, rather than assume Hatsu had tricked him, Quant came to the conclusion that his allies had both betrayed and abandoned him. This caused him to, quite literally, see red, as, more than anything else, Quant hated when Scouts desperately fought on behalf of teammates who would readily abandon them…
—
With their plan revolving around fighting the Ranker directly, Endorsi, Baam, Chunhwa, Full Black, and Des Lion were idling about within an isolated yet open section of the arena. The atmosphere between them had become pretty tense after several minutes of silence, so, in the hopes of easing tensions, Des Lion took advantage of Baam’s closeness to justify invading Endorsi’s personal space as he asked, “So, Princess, what are your goals in climbing the Tower? Are you aiming to become a High Ranker…?”
Feeling a sudden and intense urge to stab something, a smile blossomed across Endorsi’s face as she ceased twirling the pen-sized needle in her right hand. Then, before the man could react, she elbowed him in the diaphragm hard enough to send him rolling backward several meters as she plainly remarked, “You must have completely lost your mind. Do you think I’m some hussy from the red light district you can just saunter on over to at your leisure?”
Unable to even gasp for air, there was no way for Des Lion to actually answer Endorsi’s question. The most he could do was rapidly shake his head as he attempted to use Shinsu to treat the severe bruising on his chest. If she had hit him just a little harder, he might have died on the spot from the shock alone. Now, he needed Shinsu just to prevent himself from suffocating due to the erratic and painful contractions of his injured diaphragm.
Deciding now was just as good a time as any, Endorsi didn’t even try to temper her rage; surprising both Full Black and Chunhwa when she spontaneously used her compressed needle to destroy both their Lighthouse and Observer. The weapons in the Tower could be manipulated by a person’s mind with enough practice, so, almost immediately after Endorsi tossed out her needle, she guided it to make a swift return, piercing through Full Black’s chest in the process.
With the pained sound of Full Black echoing through the darkness, Chunhwa very quickly realized that Endorsi wasn’t ‘just’ angry. He had actually been suspecting her from the very beginning, so, in response to the sudden attack, he quickly leaped back while tossing out a series of Observers and activating his Reel Inventory. This allowed him to see Endorsi smiling rather viciously at him while Baam cowered behind her, clearly confused by everything that was happening.
Saving Chunhwa the effort, Baam eventually gained enough sense to shout, “Ms. Endorsi! What are you doing!? Why are you attacking our allies!? Our friends!?”
Though she felt a pang of guilt the moment she heard Baam’s words, Endorsi forced herself to keep smiling as she twirled her needle around and plainly stated, “Only four Fisherman will be allowed to move on to the next Floor. Because of my fight against Anak, there is no guarantee I will pass even if we manage to defeat the Ranker. Anak is also struggling due to the debt she accrued during the Crown Game so this is the only way to ensure we both move up the Tower. The Admins don’t allow Regulars to game the system by transferring points, so, even if she received handouts from others, her score is, by far, the lowest in the Fishermen class…”
Hearing Endorsi’s excuse, Baam’s expression showed extreme conflict, his brows furrowed deeply as his pupils rapidly expanded and contracted. He understood the point she was trying to make, but, even then, it just didn’t feel ‘right’ to betray people like this. Chunhwa was even part of their group of friends, not some stranger that they could just discard for their own benefit.
Feeling even worse after seeing the conflict in Baam’s eyes, Endorsi was unable to prevent her own brows from furrowing slightly as she did her best to ignore him, pointing towards Chunhwa as she said, “Sorry about this…I’ll make sure your injuries aren’t too severe. If you go to Phae later, I’m sure she will treat you without asking for compensation. If you’re lucky, the injuries sustained by Green and Dede will be too severe for them to move on. I don’t actually have anything against you…there are just other things I want to protect…”
Having expected something like this to happen the moment Endorsi suggested that all Fishermen stay together, Chunhwa just released a tired sigh, saying, “Do what you must…” before shifting his gaze to Baam and adding, “We all climb the Tower for our own personal reasons, Baam. You are no exception to this rule so do not avert your eyes or cast blame unto others. Instead, face forward and remember these moments when it comes to making your own decisions. I’m not sure why, but I feel like you have what it takes to bring about change to this Tower…even if I succumb here, know that I will always be willing to call you my friend…”
Finished with what he had to say, Chunhwa adopted a confident smile before meeting Endorsi’s gaze and musing, “Thanks for giving me a chance to say my final words.” Then, with his sword firmly clasped between his hands, he shouted, “Ignite! Narumada…!”
(A/N: Alternate Titles: ‘Viva la Revolution!?’,’Quant is not amused’,’When both sides are fighting to protect something important, there is no right or wrong…only tragedy…’)
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