Chapter 35: Playing with Fire "Hey! Aren't you guys coming? I'm bored to death over here!"
I held a stick to my mouth like a microphone and taunted them, but there was no response.
I knew they were there, though.
Well, I didn't sense them myself. Yukina was the one who told me they were lurking nearby.
The bastards were hiding and spying from spots where the trees blocked the Eye of Yullat, and since the surroundings were so quiet, it looked like no one was there to my untrained eyes.
If Chika or Yukina weren't with me, I'd have to stop coming out past the entrance.
Where the hell was Akito? I wished he'd show up and sweep away these pests loitering around.
Judging by the occasional explosions and loud noises in the distance, the fighting was still going on. I wondered how many people were left.
According to Yukina, now that a day had passed, the number of presences spying on the cave had increased.
Don't those guys fight each other?
From their perspective, this place must look like a total goldmine.
Once you're marked with a Red Spot, your location is exposed to everyone else. Since we had a lot of people, we took turns getting the Red Spot, so they could probably guess roughly how many of us were in here.
Maybe it was because there weren't many people left to eliminate, but we were constantly suffering from the spots. Those guys were probably just waiting for Chika or Yukina to get marked.
Currently, there were two people who had wandered in recklessly and ended up as "spot cures."
Yoshihiro was caught while infiltrating, so that made sense, but what was that girl Christina thinking, trying a frontal breakthrough when she wasn't even a heroine?
To the naked eye, it might look like a simple cave, but this was a stage meticulously built for Chika and Yukina.
The passageways were narrow, making it awkward to use swords or other weapons, which gave Chika—who fought with her fists—the advantage.
About halfway in, there was a section where the cave walls had been entirely reinforced with magic. We temporarily dubbed it the "Chika Zone," and there was almost no one who could beat her in a brawl there.
If you pushed further in, you hit the "Yukina Zone," where you had to face her Ghost Fire blasting down a straight line.
You either had to endure it with a barrier while advancing or get roasted because you couldn't retreat through the long tunnel. That was the core of our defensive strategy.
Christina, who had drawn her sword in the Chika Zone, couldn't even swing it properly because of the narrow, reinforced walls and got pummeled by Chika.
Since the people who went in weren't coming out, and I was out here acting all relaxed and taunting them, the others seemed to be getting cautious.
It would be nice to have one more "cure," but oh well.
I even brought out a chair to sit comfortably, and eventually, even I managed to spot a presence or two.
Hey, your legs are gonna fall asleep if you crouch there that long. It's tough waiting, right? Don't aim for us; go after the guy next to you.
I ostentatiously munched on some smoked meat and gave a thumbs-up toward where I sensed someone.
"Not that way."
"Huh? No?"
"No. About 60 degrees to the side, by that tree with the rock."
Yukina, who had come out as my bodyguard, quietly corrected my aim.
So I was just acting like an idiot toward empty space? How embarrassing.
"He's here."
Just as I was getting bored and tired of teasing them, Akito approached from a distance.
Yukina tensed up, summoning Ghost Fire into her palms, and Chika came running out from inside.
Ah... I could feel the sense of betrayal radiating off her.
Akito wasn't just with his own team.
Shiori and the Samurai, who were always with them back at Yggdrasil, were by his side.
They had always been together, but now Chika was the only one left out in the cold.
She was happy to see Akito, but the current situation was painful. Chika's expression darkened with hesitation, and she turned her head away.
"Chika... this is..."
This bastard is trying to play the "good guy" again!
How petty of you, Akito, trying to lure Chika back with pity!
"I guess you just didn't want to be with me. You should have just told me then."
That wasn't Chika's line. It was mine.
I looked down with a gloomy expression, speaking like the tragic protagonist of a drama.
"No... Yeon-woo, this is..."
"No, you don't have to say anything else. I see... I was the only one who thought we were friends..."
"It's not like that..."
How do you like a taste of your own medicine? Making the other person out to be the villain.
You're always acting like the only nice guy, playing the victim to make everyone else feel guilty.
Try being on the receiving end for once. Caught off guard by the first strike, aren't you?
"It's laughable that my brother is friends with a man like you."
"Did you really think Lord Akito would associate with someone as despicable as you?"
Yes, keep it coming. Pile it on.
I'm already the victim here~ The more you ignore and push me, the more people will pity me~
Go ahead. Insult me more, curse me more. You're only making yourselves look like the bad guys.
Look—even Angelica is looking at me with pity and concern.
I forced a bitter smile and met Akito's eyes.
"You're right. I'm a petty guy. It must be nerve-wracking to hold hands with someone like me."
"No. Yeon-woo, you're not petty."
"THEN WHY!!"
I channeled Chika's inner feelings and screamed.
My voice echoed and spread in all directions, followed by a heavy silence that settled over the area.
"...Stop making me feel so miserable. Is it not enough to just show me, right in front of my face, that everyone else is okay but I'm not?"
"..."
Crap—did I get too into it? I'm about to accidentally confess my love at this rate.
Come on, eyes. This is the part where the tears are supposed to come. Can't you squeeze out some water?
I guess my "method acting" wasn't quite there yet; not a single tear fell.
So, I just hung my head, hiding my eyes, and turned my back to them.
"Who... who am I to... sniffle... to blame you... It's all my fault. Please... just go back for today. I don't want to see you."
"Did he just literally say the word 'sniffle' out loud?"
"I think I heard it too."
Ugh—don't pay so much attention to the details.
I did my best to ignore Shiori and the Samurai's comments and headed back into the cave.
"Chika..."
"Chika-onni, the teams don't matter anymore. Leave that trash of a man and come with us."
Please... Chika. I just gave the performance of a lifetime; are you really going to abandon me?
I forced my heavy feet to move, praying fervently that Chika would follow of her own volition.
I can't look back. I have to trust Chika just this once.
"...I'm sorry. I'm on Team 4 right now."
YESSSSSSSS—!!!
I did it! How's that, Akito? Doesn't feel great being cast as the bad guy, does it?
Chika ultimately chose to stay with me, and since I'd piled a heavy burden of guilt onto Akito, it would be hard for him to attack me now.
I've bought myself another lease on life.
Yukina followed me inside while keeping a wary eye on Akito's team, and soon Chika followed with a somber face.
"You don't have to stay for my sake. You'll have to see Akito back at Yggdrasil once the exam is over anyway."
Though if you actually left now, you'd be less than human.
Chika looked at me and gave a small laugh.
"An exam is just an exam. I can see Akito all I want at Yggdrasil. Right now, I'm on Team 4. And... I'll apologize on Akito's behalf for what he did. I'm sure he didn't do it on purpose. Akito has a soft spot for Shiori..."
Instructor Derek!! Are you watching?!! I've finally united Team 4 as one. Please give us tons of extra points!
I gave a bitter smile, said a brief thanks, and turned away.
They say it looks cooler to just give a short "thanks" instead of rambling in moments like this.
Now that I've blocked Akito, do I only need to worry about the other heroine teams?
If we're talking about strong heroines in the early game, there's Shizuka...
If it's Shizuka, the reinforcement magic our extras worked so hard on won't be much of a hindrance, will it?
She'll slice through the cave walls like tofu while fighting Chika.
Maybe it's better to position Yukina and Chika front and back for a pincer attack.
Besides Shizuka, there's also Park Yu-jeong and Jessica.
It would be best if they just fought each other.
With Shizuka's personality, she'll probably just attack without a word, so if I can just get them to meet, it might work.
I told Toby and Rio, who were on guard inside, to hang in there a bit longer and entered the living area at the end of the passage.
"How's... the situation outside?"
"Probably better than in here."
"Ehehe—don't I look sexy even when I'm hurting?"
Mary gave a weak laugh.
The penalty was so harsh that everyone with a Red Spot looked like they were dying.
Mary, Mio, Luis, and everyone on Team 5 except Yukina and Jade were marked.
"Random," my ass. It felt like half of us were always suffering from those damn spots.
"Phew... I feel like I'm gonna die. Let's swap."
Masayoshi emerged from a tunnel dug into one side of the living area, looking exhausted as he set down his pickaxe.
"How much did you dig?"
"I'm not sure exactly, but I think we're about two-thirds of the way there."
"Faster than I thought."
"But we have to dig carefully as we get closer, so the progress will slow down."
"I'm counting on you."
"I'm not omnipotent, you know."
Masayoshi sighed and swapped places with Jade, who had been managing the "cures."
Perhaps because it was manual labor, Jade had taken off her top and tied it around her waist, showing off her sports bra as she picked up the pickaxe.
Her messy hair tied back in a loose ponytail, her large breasts that the sports bra couldn't quite hide, and her easygoing vibe actually suited her quite well.
I wasn't sure if telling a woman she looked good doing manual labor was a compliment, though.
Jade noticed my gaze, gave a smirk, and headed into the tunnel.
That one... she's surprisingly sly. She acts all tomboyish, but then she'll catch your eye and walk past with this subtly sultry atmosphere.
Our God Sayoshi, despite his exhaustion, went to get food and water for the "cures."
Since the two of them were tied up, someone had to look after them.
"Despicable bastard."
Yoshihiro cursed at me as I approached.
"Hey, don't give this guy any more food or water."
"What?! You're going to be that petty?"
"You called me despicable. I should act the part."
"...You're planning to use us to remove Chika and Yukina's spots, aren't you? Do you really think that'll be enough to stop Akito or Shizuka?"
Well, I stopped Akito for today, at least.
From tomorrow on, I'll have to rely on his conscience, but if there's no one else left to catch, he'll definitely attack me using the exam as an excuse.
"And I think you're mistaken about something. You guys... or at least, you are a cure for someone else."
"...Do you have another collaborator?"
"Are you trying to dig for info?"
"..."
"Tie him up tighter, and make sure at least two people approach when giving them food. And while one person is doing that, the other should have a knife to his throat."
It might be overkill, but he was an infiltration expert; he probably had tricks for escaping.
If Yoshihiro and Christina caused a riot here, it really would be game over.
Those two needed to stay alive until 18 hours before the end of the exam.
After a nap in the cave, the next person to get the spot was Chika.
Even though she was drenched in sweat, she insisted she was fine and tried to force herself up.
Of all people... I thought, but there was nothing I could do. At least it wasn't Yukina, who I needed for the plan right now.
After stopping her and telling her to rest inside, I headed out with Yukina.
They still weren't fighting.
I guess everyone who was going to be eliminated already had been, as the loud noises I used to hear in the distance had died down.
It was about halfway through Day 6.
I was glad nothing had happened in the meantime.
Well then, shall we get started?
I heard the Deathmatch had rules that forced or induced people to attack each other.
I wasn't in a position to set the rules, but I could certainly mimic them.
When I nodded, Yukina spread her arms and fired Ghost Fire in both directions.
Startled by the sudden magic, the students who had been hiding stood up and took combat stances.
Whew—there were five of them?
And there were probably others who hadn't stood up, which meant there were even more.
We were definitely a popular "hot spot," but since the entrance defense was so strong, everyone had just been spectating.
The Ghost Fire spreading to both sides began to burn the forest a short distance from the cave, and Yukina continued to spray blue flames.
She was smart enough to aim for uninhabited areas so she wouldn't draw immediate aggro.
Did you think we only dug a cave?
Of course not. We had scattered dry firewood all over the place... well, not the whole island, but all around this area.
The fires, weak at first, soon began to consume everything around them, turning into a literal inferno.
The sun had set, but the area was blindingly bright.
Wow—now I understand what they mean when they say fire is mesmerizing.
The sight of the flames dancing and spreading in all directions was incredibly captivating.
Am I going to become a pyromaniac at this rate?
I grinned brightly and used amplification magic to shout at the top of my lungs.
"THE FIREWORKS SHOW HAS BEGUUUUUUN!! What are you doing?!! If you don't want to burn to death, run to the beach or come here!! I said run, don't just stand there gawking!! Ahahahaha!"
Even without a Mana Barrier, they could probably endure it if they wrapped themselves in layers of magic, but that would consume a massive amount of mana.
But everyone out there was an enemy, right? They needed to save their mana.
It would be even better if our hero, Mr. Akito, used up his mana trying to suppress the fire.
The inferno that started in the forest around the cave began to spread as if it would cover the entire island.
"There's plenty of room in the cave, so come in if you want!"
I waved goodbye to the students who were paralyzed in confusion and headed back into the cave with Yukina.
Now then, I've narrowed down the stage for you, so have fun killing each other.
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