Forming the Pair

"Waiting again, Naozumi?" While I was casually walking to the Arena, someone suddenly put their arm around my shoulder from behind.

It startled me. Luckily, I recognized your voice; otherwise, I might have reflexively thrown you.

"Oh, Kyle. Good thing I know your voice. If not..." I gave a bitter smile. "By the way, what's up?"

"You know," Kyle began, his tone light but oddly purposeful, "Cheryla asked me to keep an eye on you."

I arched an eyebrow at him, surprised by his sudden openness. "She did?"

Kyle nodded, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. "Yeah, something about your aura being... unusual. Shifting, or whatever she called it. I'm not great with the details."

I see. The threatening feeling he sensed can change. Maybe it was because I was watching Cheryla waryly during the introduction because of her gaze. When I'm not watching her too closely or doing anything weird, I turn into a normal person. Maybe that's what Kyle meant.

I sighed, shaking my head. "And you just decided to tell me this now?"

"Well, I'm not good at keeping secrets," he admitted, laughing awkwardly. "But hey, don't take it the wrong way. She's just cautious, you know?"

"Right." I didn't press further. Cheryla's suspicions weren't exactly surprising, but Kyle's transparency about it was unexpected.

The trek to Arena 1 was a journey into a new world. The massive structure loomed ahead, its towering walls giving way to an expansive interior that could rival a professional sports stadium. Inside, the space was divided into carefully marked zones, each equipped with shimmering energy barriers for duels.

We went straight to the arena changing room, changed clothes, and went into the arena. Like before, I was the last one out of the changing room.

The inside looked like a soccer field. It's vast, with barriers around it to prevent impacts on the spectator seats.

My attention shifted to my classmates, who were already in their combat attire. The outfits were as varied as the individuals wearing them, reflecting a mix of practicality and personal style. It looked like clothes often used in fantasy stories if I had to say.

There were wizards with round hats, wizard robes, and, of course, wands. Some wore light clothing similar to academy uniforms in illustrated novels or comics.

"An assassin aesthetic? Subtle," I remarked, slipping into the gear. By the way, my outfit wasn't far off from that. The fabric was light but firm, clearly designed for both mobility and protection.

The additional items I received were gloves, shoes, a belt for weapons, and throwing knives, though there were no weapons in it for now. I even had my cloak. I looked like an assassin in the stories I often read with it. All of this was black with a blue tone in it. For now, I decided to leave my cloak behind. It was too flashy and useless for now.

Our outfits were chosen according to what we requested. I wouldn't have cared even if my outfit was just a T-shirt and pants like everyday clothes if there was protection. But Alysha wrote the clothing report for me. It's indeed nice. I also like this kind of thing. But it has a bit too many accessories. Although I think it's cool.

I approached the other students who were starting to gather on the side of the field. It looked like Mr. Alan was already there too.

"Oh~…. It suits you well. I knew my choice wasn't wrong!"

As I arrived, I was greeted by Alysha's admiration and pride in the outfit she picked for me.

"What do you think of mine?" Alysha smiled and twirled to show off her outfit.

She wore an outfit like a gray dress and a white skirt with a long jacket. It might be a bit hard to understand since I don't know much about types of clothing. In my mind, the jacket she wore looked a bit like a pirate's coat. Its color was dark blue with red on the inside.

Alysha's outfit looked normal without the jacket. Maybe like a usual dress. But when she wore the jacket, she seemed like a stern commander. I thought she wanted to be a war princess. Even with that thought, I couldn't mock her because I liked her appearance too.

"War princess, huh?" I examined her outfit from bottom to top.

"Yes. How is it? Nice, right?" She smiled excitedly, waiting for my answer.

"Yes, it's nice," I smiled and answered honestly.

It suited her. She also used abilities that didn't require much movement. The impression was perfect.

I slightly touched my outfit to check it. I felt a bit confused as I felt the difference when I touched the fabric of the clothes.

"What's the benefit of these clothes?" I asked while carefully examining my outfit.

"It's for defense. These clothes aren't made from ordinary fabric. It's almost like an armor layer because it's very strong," Alysha explained. 

"By the way, it was discovered last year."

So it's very strong. I couldn't believe it because if you just looked from afar, you wouldn't notice.

Last half year, I missed a lot of things. I can't believe there were so many discoveries in one year. There might be other things I missed. I guess I have to catch up on the information I missed in the past year.

I looked around. I was curious about where Kyle was because he was with me earlier.

As I looked around, I saw him with a girl. She was Cheryla Ciconia. "So he's reporting," I chuckled and stopped watching them.

"Alright, everyone, listen up! Divide yourselves by power types—Wizards on the left, Espers on the right."

Mr. Alan's booming voice cut through the chatter as the students gathered near the arena's center. He seemed to have also changed clothes like ours. A brown uniform resembling a military uniform.

The group quickly split, forming two distinct lines. As I joined the Espers, it didn't take long to notice a problem: there was no one left for me to pair with.

There are 22 students in our class. Eleven are Espers and the other eleven are Wizards. Given the situation, I guessed I would be paired with a Wizard because on the Esper side is only me left.

I tried to ask Alysha or Chris to pair up with me before, but they both declined. Alysha told me to team up with someone else, and Chris seemed to have been instructed by Alysha not to pair up with me.

Whether this is a good thing or not, it's just how Alysha is. Although this is for my own good, it feels more like she's isolating me rather than helping me. Even though Alysha knows this, I think she would still do it. 

Huh~

What I can do to respond to her action is sigh and do it.

"Is everyone paired up?" Mr. Alan checked.

"I don't have a partner yet, sir." I raised my hand. Looking over at the Wizards' group, I saw someone else raising their hand as well.

"In that case, you two remaining will be a team," Mr. Alan directed, looking at both of us.

Suddenly, Mr. Alan jumped down from the podium, landing in a crouch to absorb the impact. He walked towards us as if it was nothing. Although this wasn't as surprising as previous shocks, it might be a bit startling for ordinary people. The podium was one and a half stories high. An ordinary person might hurt their legs. I've never tried it, but I think I could manage. This is the perk of being an Esper.

"Each group can take a number for their turn."

Since I didn't know my partner well, I walked up to her. She was a girl who seemed like a loner. She slightly lowered her head as I approached her. If I'm not mistaken, her name is...

"You are Putri, right?"

"Yes," she answered briefly.

I changed my impression of her. She just doesn't think much about her surroundings. I felt this was good for me because I wasn't paired with someone troublesome, at least for me.

"Do you want to take the turn, or should I?"

"Either way is fine," another short answer.

"Then I'll do it. You can wait here."

"Thank you." 

The arena buzzed with anticipation as the students jostled for their positions to draw lots. Mr. Alan stood at the center, maintaining an authoritative air despite the crowd of eager participants around him.

I volunteered, walking toward the group. But as I neared the throng of students, I stopped short, deciding to wait for the others to finish. Crowded spaces weren't my thing, and I preferred to avoid the unnecessary noise.

While waiting, something peculiar happened.

<X-ray >

The word flashed in my mind. It was an automatic reaction, a product of my passive ability. Someone had used their power in the vicinity, likely unnoticed by the others.

I glanced around subtly. No one else seemed aware of the power being used, and I decided to keep it to myself. Calling attention to it would only lead to unnecessary trouble, and the last thing I wanted was to be dragged into a prolonged discussion.

As the crowd finally began to thin, it was my turn to approach Mr. Alan and draw my number.

I reached into the box and pulled out a slip of paper. Unfolding it, I read the number written in bold: "11."

"Of course," I muttered to myself. "The last turn."

With 22 students divided evenly between Espers and Wizards, being paired last meant I'd be watching a lot of matches before stepping into the arena myself. Though I disliked waiting, the thought of observing my classmates' duels piqued my interest.

Returning to where Putri was seated, I informed her of our position in the lineup.

"Our turn is last," I said, holding up the slip.

She responded with a simple nod. "Okay."

That was it. No complaints, no further questions. Just a single word. Her straightforwardness was oddly refreshing.

Once everyone had drawn their numbers, Mr. Alan stepped forward with his usual energy.

"Since everyone has their turn, let's begin!" he announced enthusiastically. "Pair number one, step into the arena! The rest of you, take your seats in the spectator area."

The students shuffled into position, taking their places in the spacious stands surrounding the dueling zone. The atmosphere shifted as the first pair stepped forward.

"Kyle versus Nick," Mr. Alan declared, gesturing for the two to enter the arena.

Kyle strolled confidently into the dueling zone, his easygoing demeanor slightly tempered by the focus in his eyes. Opposite him, Nick moved with precision, his hand already glowing faintly with magical energy.

A murmur of excitement rippled through the spectators.

From my vantage point, I observed their contrasting styles. Nick seemed relaxed, his movements fluid and unhurried, while Kyle appeared meticulous and calculated.

"Let's see what kind of magic you've got," I mused to myself, leaning forward slightly in anticipation.

The arena's energy barriers shimmered to life, enclosing the combatants in a protective dome. Mr. Alan raised his hand, signaling the start.

"Begin!"

And with that, the duel was underway.