It was the 7th and final day of the training week. Yeoui, with a familiarly smug expression, stretched at the center of the reservoir.
"Looks like you all made it to the final day! If you don't make it past me now...I'm sure you know what that means, yes?"
"Of course we do, but we have no intentions of failing today."
"Oh? And how will you manage that?"
"All we need is thirty seconds. In that amount of time, we will win the rights to participate in the expedition."
"Pftt.." Yeoui tried his best to hold it in, but his hysterical laugh broke free from his lips,
. He howled and cackled and sneered in sheer amusement, creating echos throughout the Underground Chamber.
"Thirty seconds is all it takes? Really? Okay then…come at me, all of you!"
[Time Remaining - 00:30]
Without a moment's hesitation, I closed my eyes and focused on returning to my inner world, recalling that familiar feeling. To dive within oneself; a sensation akin to inverse gravity, to reverse the exterior and interior.
"Eh? Just gonna stand there? Are you too scared to challenge me, or have you merely given up?"
Mephi and Yin rushed in without a word, the cheap provocation having landed on deaf ears. Meph's graceful fighting style, assisted by Yin's tactical and efficient style, complimented each other perfectly. The torrential downpour of attacks from his left side, and calculated strikes at his right.
They were our aces in the hole.
[Time Remaining - 00:25]
Though his juvenile exterior tried to hide it, anyone could tell that Yeoui was struggling to keep up with the duo, especially given his right arm restriction.
However, I had no time to observe their fight. My role was far to important to be delayed like this, because in the next twenty five seconds, we would win.
___
Yeoui was a 3rd class Fixer with more than eight years of experience in the field. In those long, grueling years, he had faced countless victories, defeats, tragedies, and miracles. Over and over, he would crawl his way out of hell and fight another day.
The 3rd class ranking was proof of his worth more than anything else.
His power was his pride.
His meaning.
His reason for existence.
So why...
Why were these green-horned brats giving him any trouble?
Even though he was held back by numerous restrictions, he could still deal with them all without much difficulty. And yet…he was being pushed back!
It was true that each of them held an exceptional talent in there own way, but this was simply absurd.
That irrationality vexed him beyond belief. It was ludicrous, absurd, ridiculous!
In that moment, he had decided that the game was over. He would end this in twenty seconds seconds.
[Time Remaining - 00:20]
With the flick of a wrist, Yeoui twisted Yin's arm off before delivering a crushing elbow, shattering his ribs like brittle porcelain. In the same instant, he fully intended on ripping out Mephi's heart, but Barrel had appeared behind him, pulling his right leg back with all of his might.
"Kgh!"
He overshot his attack massively as his body flung forward, giving Mephi the time to fall back and swap out with the regenerated Yin.
[Time Remaining - 00:18]
"You've gotten a bit better with your Mang, Barrel, but its still not enough!"
He performed a front handspring, tearing Barrel's head clean off. This moment of respite would prove to be useless, and Yin would immediately press the attack once again.
Shin attacked Yeoui's restricted right side with his uniquely painful Mang, forcing a wince out of Yeoui.
[Time Remaining - 0:14]
They've gotten used to the sensation of death and pain…their reactions aren't nearly as dull as before.
I see…so they're swapping out between a set of attackers and stallers by abusing my pseudo-resurrection ability. They're clearly trying to restrain me…but for what? Brute force alone won't let them pass. Something about this doesn't feel right.
His instincts had told him that he needed to create distance. Using an advanced movement technique, [Reverberation], Yeoui blasted away at the speed of sound, darting across the battlefield while creating sonic booms with each step.
"You're first."
Yeoui had successfully identified Mephi as the primary fighter in the group. With one stomp, he crushed her spine, along with any internal organs, killing her instantly.
It wasn't enough though. In just a few seconds, she would revive and become a nuisance once again. He would instead slaughter everyone here before that could happen.
Yin took the initiative, striking at Yeoui. However, what he felt was merely an afterimage as his instructor delivered a devestating kick infused with Reverberation.
"Kwah!"
The pain ripped through his midsection like a high-speed train, but this was all within Yin's expectations.
"…You're one tricky bastard."
Yin was not an amateur with Mang like the rest of his partners. He was a 4th Class Fixer for a reason. Although it wasn't anywhere near the level or his idol, Jhin Anderson, it was more than enough for now.
[Reinforcement] - the allocation of Mang into a particular body part.
With his own application of Reinforcement, he could stall and allow Mephi time to revive.
[Time Remaining - 00:10]
No! Don't waste time with him! If he's giving me trouble, I'll go for the rest.
With another step of Reverberation, he rushed towards Shin and Barrel. They were the main irritants who were interfering with his movements, so taking them out of the equation would be a massive advantage.
[Time Remaining - 00:09]
Unbelievable…
[Time Remaining - 00:08]
All of you are truly unbelievable.
[Time Remaining - 00:07]
The wounded pride he clung to had blossomed into an entirely different emotion.
Fear, regret, anxiety, and distress were common emotions that newbie Fixers experienced. Death was an even more common facet of a Monster Hunter's life style. It wasn't at all unreasonable to see them quit in the face of such a terrifying reality.
And yet…these kids stood there ground, even in the face of death! They've died countless times, enduring the pain of each revival, persisting in the face of a truly unbeatable opponent.
Deep down, he saw himself in them. The helpless boy who had once survived hell was now facing his very own students.
One day…you will all surpass me, my brilliant students, but that day will not be today.
Yeoui, having fully acknowledged the students, stopped holding back and ended them without a moments hesitation.
[Time Remaining - 00:05]
The Underground chamber was silent, unsettingly so.
Something is off…
Wait, where is Derrick?!
The combination of his heightened emotions and his general lack of regard for the group abilities had completely blinded him to the fact that Derrick never participated in the fight.
Something's wrong!
Yeoui's body was trampled under the weight of a sickening Mang. It crept under his skin, pricked at his body, and gnawed at his mind.
He didn't think.
It was a move in sheer instinct.
The Mang emanating from Derrick was far too dangerous to be called human.
No…
It may have been enough to strike a 1st Class Fixer!
The burst of Reverberation torn through the ground, propelling him at an unquantifiable speed.
[Time Remaining - 00:01]
Derrick had skimmed the door within The Divine Throne, reawakening the power he had once lost during his awakening.
During the past week of training, Derrick felt unusually sluggish compared to his awakening. It was like taking a run without warming up. The body could instinctively feel that something was wrong.
Now that the seal has been lifted ever so slightly, his body felt lighter than air. It was as though he had become vapor itself.
Yeoui…were you always this slow?
He unleashed a devestating right fist charged with maximum output. An enormous dust cloud covered the area for a few moments, leaving the outcome of the fight a mystery.
"Did…did it work?" Mephi said with an uncertain expression.
"…" Shin let out a tiny grin amidst the silence.
One second…two seconds…five seconds had past, and the dust had finally lifted.
Yeoui had used his right hand to block the attack.
Derrick, who's mind was on the verge of collapse, spoke his final words before passing out. "I told you…it would only take…thirty seconds."
The boy broke down, utterly exhausted as his mind drifted into sleep.
"…"
"Ha…"
"Haha…"
"Hahaha!"
Yeoui, who's right arm had been broken by his own student, couldn't help but laugh all to himself.
"I'll admit it kids, you've won. You beat me, fair and square."
There was a brief moment of silence, then an uproarous celebration.
"WE WON!"
Mephi and Barrel cried while hugging each other tightly, proclaiming "WE WON!" with every passing moment. Shin had cracked a smile once again, and Yin couldn't hell but sigh.
They could truly rest at ease after proving themselves worthy of the Venizuma Job Center.
Yin got up, dusting his pants as he approached the unconscious Derrick. "What a mess. I never thought you'd be able to pull that off, Derrick Foster."