Reag a little to the new mood, Yuki flexed his hands and stretched them out. “There we go! I’m feeling the iy now!” He took a step out from the group to reaffirm his standoff with Vangelis. His eyes sed the group behind Vangelis to get a better look at those in their path.

  The remaining four soldiers were divided into two men and two women, with simir appearing ages iwenties. They all had tense and anxious expressions as if they wao fight, but had something that left fear inside. However, they all looked strong enough, at least physically. Yuki, also, knew better than to judge on physical appearance, knowing that they wore the white uniform.

  However, the numbers bothered Yuki a little. He focused ba Vangelis. “It seems you out number us by one. How this going to work?”

  “We were expeg a rger group, but since you’ve split up there’s nothing we do about ges.” Vangelis roughly rotated his arm to point with his thumb at Iole. “She’s not going to be fighting anyway, so we’re even.”

  “That does even things up. I’m guessing we split up into pairs and fight apart from each other. If my impression of you is right, you’ve already got in mind who you want to pair off with.”

  A small ugh came up from Vangelis, pleased by Yuki’s insight. “I khere was a reason I liked you.”

  Saki appeared in front of Yuki, interrupting the versation. A stern and annoyed expression filled her fabsp; “What do you think you’re doing, Yuki! Don’t agree to this! I finish this easily myself and we keep going!”

  Narrowing his eyes a little at Saki’s shouting, Vangelis interjected into her protest. “That’s rather arrogant little miss.”

  Yuki caught her before she turned her gre upon Vangelis. “They might be the enemy, but they are wanting to fight with us. You should respect the honor of two people wishing to test their strength.”

  A sp echoed across the field as Saki’s haurned back to her side. “Does he look like he wants an honorable fight?! This isn’t a dojo or one of your street brawls! These aren’t teenagers looking to punch out their frustrations! These are soldiers under orders! And we aren’t here to indulge your desires for a fight!”

  “I uand your wish to test yourself, Yuki,” added Ayumi. “However, I agree with Saki as well. We should end this quickly and keep moving on.”

  Snickering more through his smirk, Vangelis enjoyed watg them fight. However, he couldn’t hold himself back from iing himself bato the versation. “That y of yours is going to be fun to crush,” he mocked. He gestured out with his arm to point in a taunting ma Saki. “You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, little miss. You see reality better than your friend does over there. However, don’t think you defeat us alone. That arrogance will be your undoing.” He took several steps back, almost giving her an opening as a taunt.

  Saki pulled away from Yuki and stepped forward to face Vangelis. Aarted to build up in her body. “It’s nance if it is true.” Finishing her words, Saki suddenly disappeared from everyone’s sight. A moment ter, an ear pierg noise ripped through the area, nearly bringing everyoo their knees (minus Haruo).

  It didn’t take long for Yuki to know what happened. He strained his eyes to focus through the pain in his head. Saki stood less than a meter away from Vangelis pounding with her fists at an invisible surfabsp; She disappeared repeatedly trying to find ways around it, but then suddenly came to a halt. Her body colpsed to the ground gasping in pain for air. “Saki!” shouted Yuki, as he broke free from the ground. A ripple expanded from his feet as he ran towards her.

  Arriving at Saki, she already looked ier shape than a moment before. She still panted heavily as though out of breath, but no longer looked to be in severe pain. Yuki k down to lift her up to his side to get a clearer idea of what happened. He g her and the Vangelis, who remained unmoved during the eburst. ‘He must have done something with his Field…’ Seds tio pass, improving Saki’s dition until she pushed him off her. “You alright?”

  “I’m fine…” She gred over at the Atntean, his bloodthirsty smirk only enraged her more. At Yuki’s insistence, she withdrew back to their side while she finished rec. ‘What was that? It felt like there was no oxygen in the air, as though I was being suffocated…’ Saki widened her eyes in surprise as her mind realized what happened. It turned her expression into aurned upon herself for her impulsive act.

  Vangelis remained casual about the entire affair, as though asphyxiating Saki was no more different than walking. It brought a cold chill to the air that even with all of his violence-loving grinning never carried. “So it was just arrogance,” he remarked, still taunting Saki.

  Saki felt a tight hold csp around her wrist. It didn’t hurt, but she turned up to see Yuki. “…Yuki…” The fun loving brawler in Yuki pletely disappeared. A dark, serious shape cut through his faove any sign of softness. ‘He’s different now, but I ’t tell if it is food or bad…’

  Chapter 177 – Polite Violence

  The st two minutes repyed through Vangelis’ mind, abs what he learned from his provocation. It turned out better than he expected, but left him with heories. ‘She still had her speed or whatever it is, but succumbed to my Field effects. Which means her power wasn’t active. Only two options remain, she using real devices to simute her power or she’s different from us and use her power without needing a Field active. This must be the strange feeling he spoke about.’ His mind turned baonides’ words.

  Simourned back, halting in step. A grave expression grew into the edges of his fapart the seriousness of his words. ‘I said before, don't be cocky, but don’t uimate them.’

  Remaining casually pyful about the mood, Vangelis hardly gave a rea to him. ‘W about me notain?’

  The Captain turned away to resume his walk away from him. He finished his words as he parted pany. ‘There’s something different about them. Don’t assume them to be like any other MP you’ve seen.’

  ‘…hrmph…’ Vangelis watched the Captain disappear from sight. He already stopped to keep their versation going several times. He waited until he was pletely gone before turning away. ‘They’re all the same. Nothing will surprise me other than the level of their childish y. I’ll crush everything about them!’

  After witnessing the acts by Saki, he felt he had to admit a little to the Captain. It was bothersome, but Vangelis could see what had him so ed about their intruders. ‘If they fight without Fields this will actually be even easier though. However, mine, Yuki Hayashi, he is normal.’ Gng back at Yuki, he picked up on the seething desires ing from him. ‘He looks ready to fight…’ Ign the fact, Vangelis tio speak casually to Yuki. “Now that it’s settled. Let’s get things started.”

  Yuki walked out to meet Vangelis, staring him down away from the rest of his friends. Only timeters stood betweewo of them. The proximity did nothing to affect either of them. “I don’t care what sort of pn you have set up anymore. The two of us are fighting.”

  Spinning around violently at their feet, Yuki’s Field cshed with Vangelis’ Field. It seemed to mirror the resolve of them in their unwillio back down or show a sign of weakness.

  Vangelis gave him a smirk, pleased with the situation. “I’ll be looking forward to it.” He motioned over to his team t them forward. ‘Pns ge…the only one we have nothing on is the bulky kid that’s said nothing.’ His eyes sed the three others in Yuki’s group, quickly making judgments from his information. “Chariton, you’ll fight Ismene. Kallias, you take the little miss. Ligeia, you’ve got the st ohe silent one back there.”

  “Right,” firmed Ligeia. She took a step out and strolled over to Haruo. His size did little to impress or intimidate her. She actually came out marginally taller than him, by a few timeters.

  Kallias strode out taking wide steps with each pace as though stretg himself. “Yeah, this should keep me from getting bored.” He had the fidence built up from Vangelis' dispy of shutting Saki down. So he made full use of his height differeo create an imposing figure. Unfortunately, Saki seemed only more angered by him.

  Crag his neck a little, Chariton bounced out on his feet. A little bit of sweat dripped down his face as he approached Eudokia. “Hello, it’s been a while, Eudokia Ismene.” He worked up a nervous grin to mask his uledness.

  She easily picked up his fear. “Chariton, surprised you’re still at the South Gate, with how much you bounce around postings. You’ll regret not transferri.” A wicked smile painted over her lips with a darkened shadow cast over her eyes.

  Saki wasn’t willing to let the fighting devolve into something as simple as breaking off to fight, while they all pretehere was something noble or honorable. She immediately struck out at Kallias to end the fight, but found a jet of water pressing against her fist rather than his fabsp;

  A momehe water sprayed around her hand dreng her utterly. The cold water did little for her emotions. She charged through the water expeg to find Kallias oher side, but only found it empty. ‘Where the hell did he go?’ Her eyes darted around trying to see through the blurred vision of water dripping off her eyebrows.

  W down his ughter, Kallias’ voied through the area. “I figured you’d probably act first. This is the first ce I’ve had in a very long time for something iing. I’m not about to let you spoil it by trying to end things quickly.” Water colpsed bato the ground revealing Kallias to Saki. His appearance ged with a skintight bck suit c him leaving only his hands, feet and head exposed.

  Foiled twinoyed Saki. It was the first time since she had her prao her that she didhe flict with a sirike. She hated it. Everything she was given was supposed to allow her to create the path she desired. ‘Water won’t be enough to stop me. I’ll put ao this pointless fighting myself!’

  Saki's first step spshed water under her foot before she disappeared from sight. Water divided from her path and then exploded as a wall of water came in front of her. ‘So thick…’t…’ Taken by surprise, she tripped, uo keep her ba the speeds. Saki appeared sliding over the thin yer of water before falling out of the Field and kig up dirt from her speeding body.

  A dirt cloud covered up Saki’s path, but Kallias didn’t remain in wait for long. The cloud ripped apart from a powerful force passing through left only trails as the sign. However, he already had things setup for Saki’s return. Water rose from the ground to enough of a height to trip her. It broke her out of her speed and dropped her down into the wide puddle of water. For Saki, the water didn’t allow her to slide away again. A bubble of water scooped her up, imprisoning her within it.

  Kallias motioo the others with the situation secured. “I’ll be departing now.” He walked away from the group, keeping the ball with Saki inside floating in the air nearby him. Her futile efforts to punch at the water did little more than make holes that immediately sealed back up before she could act.

  With things calmed down, everyoared off at their respective partners for the ing fight. Haruo made no words. He simply walked away from the area as though leaving the fight. Ligeia felt a little slighted by his ck of a rea, but followed him anyway. Chariton motio Ayumi and they walked off to get out e of Yuki.

  Yuki gnced around at his friends keeping their positions in his mind. He held off on activating his power until he was certain that they were beyond his range, which meant a long wait. His eyes stared back at Vangelis, the image of Saki in his mind ignited fire in his muscles. Both of his hands tightened into fists.

  “Stay awake, kid!” called Vangelis already appearing on his left. He only granted Yuki enough time to see him before a bst suddenly enveloped him.

  In their part of the Field, Chariton and Eudokia squared off. Eudokia revealed her Field first, with the snow field and her simple sword and -attached chakram. Stretg again, Chariton didn’t appear to be taking things too seriously and the hints of fear disappeared from him. After he finished, he fixed his sights on her. An eyebrow rose for him as he caught sight of her. “I don’t remember you using a snow field or wearing something sn before.”

  Eudokia narrowed her eyes at Chariton. Her hand tightened around the hilt of the sword. “I don’t remember anything about you. And I don’t expect to after this fight.” She threw out the chakram as he activated his power.

  The ripple through the earth revealed massive mushrooms, floating trees and upside down flowers with their roots exposed, as though reverse pnted. Chariton stepped out from around the rge trunk of a mushroom with the chakram caught on a wooden pole. As he stepped out more, it was revealed to be an ordinary broom in his hands. “Hopefully, I leave a little more of a sting impression on you.”

  Ligeia stood opposite of the silent wall, Haruo. She still waited for him to actually do anything besides stand around. An annoyed vein popped on her forehead. “Are you going to do anything?!” Silence persisted for him. Ripples burst from her feet as her respoo his ina. “Fihen! Just die where you stand!” Metallic pieces gathered in a pyramid emitting a bright light moments before a wide beam erupted from them. Light washed over Haruo, pletely engulfing him.