Hat Trick

BANG! BANG!

BANG! BANG!

BANG! BANG!

'Shouldn't he be out of ammo by now?'

[He would be if you weren't giving him time to reload]

Hunter sighs, looking at the watch around his wrist, he rarely wears watches but needed to know the time because he had somewhere he needed to be; his date with René.

"18 minutes," he noted.

'I haven't heard from my opponent in a while' he thought.

[He's probably reloading]

Hunter glanced at the watch again as an idea popped into his head. He gathered the twigs around him and began throwing them around causing the battlemage to fire the twigs thinking they were his opponent.

Hunter picked up another twig and toss it toward the battle mage, "... That's thirteen," he says, "you're out of bullets!" He claimed, jumping out of his hiding spot and surging forward towards the gun wielder knowing that he had exhausted his ammo.

Hunter noticed a smirk on the battlemage's face, his eyes move down to the gun in his hand, and saw the man's finger pull the trigger.

"Crap."

BANG!

Hunter raised his hand swiftly, he had never moved as quickly before, well aware that that shot was enough to eliminate him, he uses his left hand to catch the bullet before throwing a right cross that lands cleanly on the face, causing the battlemage to stagger backward and drop his guns.

The battlemage picks up one of the guns and lunges forward, attempting to strike Hunter with the now empty gun. Hunter steps to the side of the series of attacks, dodging them before taking a step forward and tripping the battlemage.

The battlemage gets back up to his feet and throws some sand in Hunter's face before quickly swinging his gun at him. Hunter rocks backward to avoid the blow.

The battlemage jumps and tries to hit a roundhouse kick but Hunter ducks out of the way. Hunter bends his knees slightly, giving himself the mobility he needed before launching himself at his opponent like a pouncing tiger, throwing him to the ground.

The crowd cheers as the match ended with Hunter declared the winner.

"Ladies and gentlemen, The first battle mage has been eliminated, he would now be replaced with the next battlemage!" The announcer revealed.

Hunter looked at his watch again, 15 minutes before his date.

The next opponent entered the stage, holding two axes. He stepped forward, ready for the match to begin.

The bell is rung and the axeman charges forward, Hunter checked the time once more, he had 14 minutes more.

[You know this would end faster if you engage in close combat]

'You read my mind'

The axeman swings his axe at Hunter who dodges by sliding underneath. He stands up to his feet before turning with a right jab that the axe-wielding battlemage avoids by crossing both his axe and using them to block the attack.

Hunter clenches his fist, pink energy forming around it as he throws another punch that destroys the axes.

The axeman tries to kick him but Hunter catches the leg and swings him to the other side of the battle stage before running after him and throwing successive punches to his face.

The match ends with Hunter announced as the winner yet again.

"Hunter Heffernan has eliminated another battlemage!" The announcer exclaimed, "can he achieve a hat trick?"

The crowd cheer as the final competitor in the group challenge for the battlemages enters the stage.

The competitor had an above-average height with a slender, curvy figure and ample chest. She had dark brown skin, gray eyes, and straight dark brown hair reaching her waist. She held a lance in her hand.

"Hi, I'm Ishani, Ishani Parmar," she stated

"Ugh ... Nice to meet you, Ishani," Hunter said, looking at his watch.

"You keep checking the time, do you have somewhere you have to be?" She asked.

"Yes, actually," he replied, "I have a date in 10 minutes."

"Good for you," she said with a smile.

"Thanks?"

"Nice job knocking out Moukoko and Iqbal ... They needed some humbling," she said

"Can we just get started?"

"In a minute ... I noticed you don't have any defensive techniques," she stated before raising her index finger. "During the first battle, you made Iqbal exhaust his ammo instead of just forming a barrier around yourself and approaching him head-on. In the battle with Moukoko, you avoided all his strikes, I wondered why, but now I know; You can't form a shield barrier."

Hunter frowns, "I'm confused."

"What I'm trying to say is your avoid and evade tactic might have worked for you today but against a faster opponent, you'll lose," she stated.

He raised an eyebrow, "I take it you're the faster opponent then?"

"Aha," she nods, "I'm willing to teach you how to make one though, what do you say?"

"No, thanks," Hunter looked down at his watch, "I'm running out of time."

"Very well," she smiled.

Hunter charged forward, throwing a left hook, followed by a right and another left. Ishani looked to still be in the same position but none of his punches made any impact.

"What in the world?!"

[She's fast]

'Very fast, I didn't even see her move!'

Ishani raised her left hand to his chest and Hunter felt a wave throw him back. He turns in the air and land on his feet. "Did she just--"

Ishani swings her lance around her head and a large, serpentine creature with the eyes of a hare and the horns of a stag emerges from the ground, flying towards him.

'What did hell? She can also conjure monsters?!'

[That's not a conjuring ... It's an attack]

The creature swims through the air at full speed towards Hunter who raises both arms to block. The attack hits him, sending him flying several feet away.

[Bet you're wishing you took up her offer of learning how to form a shield barrier]

Hunter looked at his watch, the clock was ticking, and he was running out of time and fast.

He got back up to his feet, "She's so much faster than I am ..." Hunter said thoughtfully.

[What are you thinking?]

'I know how to beat her.'

Hunter charges forward, throwing a left cross that Ishani easily dodges, he throws a right hook coupled with a left uppercut but speed was not on his side and the brown-skinned girl avoids the pair of attacks. She turns her lance around her hand and uses the under to slap him in the side of the head.

Hunter moved forward again, he had no time to waste. Ishani shoots some energy beams from her hand, creating some distance between them.

Hunter rolls and twists to avoid the offense.

'I see ... She's like Yui'

He runs forward again, she swings her lance toward him and he ducks out of the way. He attempts a quick foot sweep but Ishani stepped back avoiding the takedown technique.

He saw it. He saw her move.

[Wow]

A small smile appears on the side of his lips, "Heh."

He stepped forward but she steps back and swings her lance around. Another serpentine beast appears, thrusting forward. Hunter clasps his fist together. The attack hits him again but this time, he absorbed it before it could do any damage. "What the --" she said shocked.

She throws a left jab which Hunter deflects with his right hand, sending it over his shoulder. He delivers a left jab of his own but she throws herself to the ground before there's any impact.

Ishani got back up, her eyes wide open, now realizing how he is suddenly able to keep up with her. "How are you able to increase your speed in such a short time?!"

He looked down at his watch, he had 8 more minutes. She raised her left hand to shoot another energy beam. Hunter slaps the hand aside and aims his hand at her chest. Ishani felt a wave hit her backward.

Hunter bolts forward, moving so fast Ishani could barely see him. Pink energy with a bit of purple forms around his fist. He fakes a left and throws a right uppercut that knocks her out.

"He did it!" The announcer shouted elatedly, "Hunter Heffernan scores a hat trick! He earns an additional point for the feat and the Sprites win the match in advance! 13 minutes and 42 seconds ... That was the time it took him to defeat all three of his opponent: the fastest in the history of the inter-order competition!"

Hunter helps Ishani up to her feet, "You good?"

Ishani rubs her chin, "I think so ... You didn't have to hit me so hard you know, my delicate body can only take so much."

"Huh?"

Ishani taps the watch around his wrist, "aren't you running late for something?"

"Right," he said before jumping out off the stage and heading straight to the Sprites bench.

"That was amazing, bro!" Alex commended, he turned back to the other Sprites. "Get up, everybody get up, let's give him a guard of honor."

"There is no need for that," he waved.

"Nonsense! I think you deserve a guard of honor" Lauren chipped.

"A word please?" He said to Lauren and the two of them move away from the others, "Is it okay if I leave?"

Lauren raised an eyebrow, "what?"

"Don't get me wrong; I'd love to stay and get that guard of honor ... That last part is a lie but it's just that we've already won the match and I thought today's competition would finish an hour ago so I made plans that I'm starting to run late for ..."

"You can go."

"Please just let -- really?"

"Yes," she smiled

"Thanks!" He said. He turns and waves at Zoe whose eyes he just met before dashing out of the arena in search of a taxi.

"The one time I urgently need a ride, there are no cabs around." He looked down at his watch, he had 4 minutes left before looking at the road ahead and sighing.

[Are you thinking of running there?]

"Got a better plan?"

[You're talking to me out loud also no, I don't have a better plan]

'Thought so'

Hunter exhales deeply before starting his race to the place he was supposed to meet René.

.

.

.

"Hi," he pants, "sorry I'm late," he apologized

"It's fine, I just got here," says René. She was wearing a plain white shirt, dark shorts, and a backpack. "Did you run here?" She asked

"Kinda ..." He replied.

A smile flickers on her lips and Hunter could see her cheeks starting to turn red, "let's go?" He said, giving her his hand.

She takes his hand and they walk past the gates and into the university. René turned back to look at the campus security stationed by the gates, "Why didn't they ask for any identity card?" She asked

Hunter shrugged, "Not sure but the university has over 3000 students, they can't check every student's card."

"So you planned this date around the hope that the overworked security men would be too lazy to check whether or not we are students?"

"What's life without a little gamble?"

She smiles, "good point," she agreed. "Where are we going?"

"Depends ... If you were in a university, what would you study?" he asks

"Hmm," she hummed as she thought for an answer, "chemistry," she stated.

Hunter nods, "then we are going this way," he says, making a left and leading them into the school's Biochemistry department and to a lecture hall inside of said department.

"Have you been here before?" She asked

"No."

"You seem to know your way around this huge maze," she stated.

"Oh, I may have spent last night studying the campus map," he said with a smile.

They made their way to the end of the lecture hall, sitting in the last seats in the class. "Are you nervous?" He asked her.

"A bit ... This is just so surreal, I always imagined what it would be like when I see students in movies," she replied.

Soon, the class was filled with students and then the lecturer appeared and gave a lecture on the molecular orbital theory of simple molecules, a lecture that left Hunter glad he wasn't a science student.

Once the lecture was over, they filed out of the hall and headed to a small market in the school where they both had lunch after which they embarked on a small tour around the school. It was evening when they decided to leave the school.

"Today was fun," Hunter stated.

"It was, it really was," René agreed with rosy cheeks, "thank you for bringing me here."

"Honestly, I wouldn't have wanted to be here with anyone else."

René smiles sheepishly, "say Hunter ... Would you be interested in enrolling?"

"Huh?"

"Seeing this place ... It made me realize I want to be in a university," she stops and her cheeks visibly redden as she continues, "I want to enroll ... I want us to enroll together. Do you want that Hunter, would you like to attend this university with me?"

"... I'd love nothing more ... But, I have never been to a high school so I don't think they'd accept me here," he explained.

"I've never been to a high school either but that couldn't stop us. All we'll need to do is write and pass the final high school exam and the university entry test. We can study together and prepare for the exams."

"That would be great but I don't think I could concentrate with you around."

René attempts to wear a frown but the blush on her cheeks betrays her, "I'm serious Hunter," she said.

"So am I," he said, closing the distance between them and wrapping his hands around her waist. René looks downward avoiding his eyes as her cheeks heat up. "You are so pretty it's distracting ... That outfit shouldn't work but you wear it so well it should be a crime --"

"Hunter ..."

"Want to hear a secret? I can't remember anywhere we went after we left the class."

René looks up at him, a smile flickering on her lips, "I--" she began but she is interrupted by ringing from her phone.

"... That's my roommate, she's having dinner at her parent's today. She probably wants to hand me the keys before she leaves."

"You're going then?"

"I ... I wish I didn't have to ... I loved the direction our conversation was headed."

"Too bad all good things must come to an end."

"Yeah ... Let's do this again ...?"

"Of course. I'll call you."

"Please do," she replies before stepping away from his embracing hand as a cab pulls over next to them. "Good night," he waved as she slides into the car.

"You too," she replies before the car drives off.

'See that? ...'

[Don't say it]

'You shan't silence me'

[...]

'...'

[...]

'Hunter Rizz-ernan back at it!'

[I hate you]

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