Underneath the Silhouette
Chapter 108: Manhunt Madness

Chapter 108: Manhunt Madness

Mr. Blade stood on the stage, swaying his body along with the thumping music, his gaze sweeping over the students as they gathered around their respective team colors. A festive, almost chaotic energy crackled in air.

"Now that everyone’s getting along," he boomed, a wide grin stretching across his face, "shall we start this party now?"

A roar of enthusiastic cheers erupted from the crowd, the volume surprising Eirin. It was a sound so different from the polite murmurs earlier, a raw, unbridled excitement.

"For our first game," Mr. Blade announced, his voice soaring above the noise, "you all are aware of it, of course, Manhunt!"

Eirin’s eyes widened at the loud screams that followed, a wave of frenzied enthusiasm from the students.

"To explain this game," Mr. Blade continued, his voice adopting a more serious, yet still playful tone, "we will be choosing one representative per team. This representative shall survive until the time’s over—and by survive, I mean..." He paused for dramatic effect, then dipped his hand into a vibrant can of red paint, revealing a sticky, crimson glove. "If the representative’s shirt is free of paint, then the remaining members of their team will move to the next game."

Everyone familiar with the game cheered, understanding the simple, brutal premise. "To make this more fun and interesting," Mr. Blade’s smile widened, a mischievous glint in his eye, "everyone should attack everyone, isn’t that right?" Another wave of cheers. "Anyone that gets paint on their shirt is immediately eliminated. Our bots here will remove you from the game, no questions asked." He gestured to a series of mechanical figures hovering silently at the edges of the field, their optical sensors glowing faintly.

Mr. Blade waved his hand, and another set of small, glowing balls appeared in the air, shimmering with the colors of the different teams. "These balls will choose each team’s representative," he announced. He swayed his hand, and the balls immediately rushed towards the students, unerringly finding their targets.

As the magical orbs darted through the crowd, choosing each team’s representative, Eirin wondered who would be picked for their white team. Her eyes soon met Mr. Blade’s, and the young professor smiled, as one of the white balls descended and landed gently in Eirin’s outstretched hand.

"Oh no," Link muttered, his voice low, a worried crease forming between his brows as he stared at the ball in Eirin’s palm.

Eirin’s hurt lurched. "Is this bad?" she asked, a hint of panic in her voice.

Pierre, ever the reassuring presence, patted her back gently. "No, not at all, Eirin. All we have to do is protect you, that’s all," he smiled, his handsome features radiating calm, reassuring the teenage girl.

However, if that’s all it was, Eirin wondered why Link had reacted with such immediate alarm. She followed Link’s gaze. It turned out, Link wasn’t worried after staring at the ball in Eirin’s hand at all. Instead, his eyes were fixed on the small, red ball hovering above Shade Cromwell’s head.

"Shade’s a tough opponent," Link said, his voice grim, as he began to huddle with the other members of the white team, gesturing for them to gather close. "We have to strategize on how to avoid him. He’s fast."

Eirin tilted her head, confusion clouding her expression. ’Avoid? Isn’t he their representative? Shouldn’t we plan on how to attack him too?’ she wondered, her eyes wandering to the red team, where Trixtan stood beside Shade, both now sporting their red headbands.

The white team members formed a tight circle with Eirin in the middle. "Trix is with them too. He’s crazy," Pierre said, shaking his head, a visible shudder running through his body. He massaged his arm, as if he could already feel goosebumps. "We have to think of ways to attack those two. They’re a dangerous pair when they’re together."

Calixta raised her hand, her expression thoughtful and pragmatic. "We don’t necessarily have to go attack them. If we just keep Eirin safe, if her shirt remains clean, then we’ll pass to the next round," her words were smart and logical, cutting through the initial panic. "Link’s good at thinking strategies, let’s not waste that on offensive planning. We need to focus on defense."

"I will be giving everyone 30 minutes to strategize before we start this chaotic game!" Mr. Blade’s voice boomed again, marking the official start of their planning period.

Link glanced in the direction of Shade. The young man was already chilling on one of the outdoor chairs, looking unconcerned, as if he didn’t have a care in the world, his posture radiating casual brazenness. "I don’t think Shade will participate much in the attacking. His team doesn’t need him to. And honestly, he doesn’t need any protection at all himself. He’s a walking fortress."

It was true. Everything that came out of Link’s mouth, especially regarding Shade, was nothing but the brutal truth. Shade’s power was overwhelming. Too much for them to handle.

"The whole academy is our battleground, and there’s no place safe from our enemies," Link continued, addressing the rest of the white team. "So instead of just defending, we also have to minimize the danger for Eirin, by taking out as many opponents as possible." Link shifted his gaze to Pierre. "Since Pierre uses wind magic with such power, he’ll be our main attacker. He needs support from everyone, so anyone confident in attacking should join him and sweep through the field, eliminating opponents."

Eirin looked around the circle. There were several students she was unfamiliar with, now joined together in one big, temporary team. She felt a little left out, despite everyone else’s attempts at inclusion, mostly because she was the one who needed constant protection, unable to actively participate in the attack.

Link pointed at Calixta. "Cali’s good at defensive magic. She can create a huge wall of ice if Eirin gets discovered and they need to run away. That’s our primary escape route."

One of the students in the circle, a girl with sharp, intelligent eyes, raised her hand. Eirin looked at her, and her forehead creased in recognition. It was Naya Oswin. "I’ll accompany Cali and Eirin," she said, her face blank, betraying no emotion but absolute resolve. "My mist can provide cover."

Link nodded. "Okay, Naya can help protect Eirin. I think it’ll be good to surround Eirin with only a few, agile protectors. I’ll go with them too, in case Trixtan approaches Eirin. I’ll possess him and keep him out of the game." His proposal was met with a few gasps.

Calixta’s forehead creased. "Wouldn’t that be dangerous to you? Even if we pass through this first game, you wouldn’t be able to move for the next game, effectively eliminating yourself."

Pierre agreed, nodding his head. "This is just the opening of the sports week. We have plenty of time to gain points for the other games anyway. Your sacrifice might be too much for just one round."

Link smiled, a rare, almost mischievous glint in his eye. "It’ll be fine. I’m just using it as a precaution. This might be just one of the games, but you know, I actually hate losing. And Trix is too much of a wildcard to leave unchecked."

Hearing Link’s determined words made Eirin smile. A strange, almost giddy excitement bubbled within her. "Then we just have to hide and run, right?" she said, her eyes bright. "I’m good at hiding and running. I’ve had practice."

Pierre ruffled Eirin’s hair. "Alright, we trust you in that. And you don’t have to worry either, we’ll do our best to protect you." His handsome appearance, combined with his earnest words, genuinely reassured Eirin.

"And I think that’s it. Everybody ready to rumble?" Mr. Blade’s voice boomed across the field, signaling the end of the strategizing period.

"Three... two... one... GO!"

Chaos erupted.

Naya, with swift precision, released a thick, swirling mist from her palms, blanketing their immediate area and hindering everyone’s sight and senses. Calixta created a huge, shimmering wall of ice from the ground, propelling the four of them—Eirin, Link, Naya, and herself—upwards, lifting them quickly from the field and into the sky, away from the initial fray.

"Whoa! Cali starting the game with a chill! What an ingenious move!" Mr. Blade’s voice, full of excitement, commentated over the loudspeakers.

Link scanned their surroundings from their aerial vantage point, the academy grounds sprawling beneath them. "Good. Keep it going till we reach the garden."

However, their clever plan halted. A fiery blast erupted from the ground below. Shade, propelled by jets of flames from his palms, blasted himself into the air. He immediately controlled the wind, creating powerful currents that followed the four, closing the distance with terrifying speed.

"Oh? What is this? Shade Cromwell chasing after the white team’s representative already? This is getting exciting, folks!" Mr. Blade kept screaming, his voice almost hoarse with enthusiasm.

Link’s mouth widened. "What are you—Shade, you don’t have to do this!" he yelled, trying to persuade his friend. Shade was supposed to be the representative, not the attacker.

Shade’s dark eyes, burning with an intense focus, landed on Eirin. "You have to make this event more exciting," he said. A challenging glint in his gaze as he rushed directly at Eirin. The teenage girl instinctively got into her fighting stance, her hands rising, ready to defend herself, but everything happened so quickly, a blur of motion.