CHAPTER 90 — A WINK

Galahad activated the projection sphere again.

First, he looked at Percy.

Then at William.

William noticed.

“Why are you looking at me?”

Galahad smiled.

“Because you're next.”

Nathaniel spoke immediately.

“My condolences.”

William looked at him.

“Why?”

Nathaniel chewed his mouthful.

“Thought you were fighting Percy.”

Percy raised an eyebrow.

“Why is everyone fighting me?”

Arthur shrugged.

“You've got a punchable face.”

Percy looked at him.

“Green.”

Arthur grinned.

“Grant.”

Charlotte shook her head.

“Stone Man's at it again.”

Arthur's grin vanished.

“What did I do?”

Galahad clapped his hands.

“You two are on the same side.”

William's expression changed.

Percy grew serious too.

“Opponents?”

Galahad enlarged the projection.

Four creatures appeared.

Two Nevr.

Two green-eyed werewolves.

The werewolves stood in front.

The Nevr behind them.

Nathaniel lowered his food.

“Two close-range, two long-range.”

William answered immediately.

“Yes.”

Galahad nodded.

“Simple.”

Percy looked at him.

“You said that yesterday too.”

“Today it really is simple.”

William adjusted his glasses.

“That didn't reassure me.”

Galahad pointed to the field.

“You two.”

“Begin.”

Percy drew Blaze.

William kept his hands empty.

They walked onto the field.

They didn't stand side by side.

William stayed three meters back.

Percy moved slightly to the left.

Arthur laughed when he saw it.

“The old setup.”

Charlotte looked at him.

“What?”

Arthur pointed at William.

“Brains in the back.”

Nathaniel nodded.

“Always.”

William heard it.

He didn't look back.

Percy, however, laughed.

Galahad turned to the class.

“That's exactly what you're going to watch.”

Everyone looked at him.

Galahad pointed at William.

“At camp, it was always the same.”

“When William went down, your formation collapsed.”

Arthur's expression turned serious.

Clara nodded.

Even Nathaniel put his food down.

Galahad continued.

“Because he was the one calculating the battle.”

“The one reading the field.”

“The one setting up the next formation.”

William stood as though he couldn't hear any of it.

Galahad pointed at Percy.

“Today, watch this.”

“Not how he protects William.”

“Watch how he makes that protection invisible.”

Percy smiled faintly.

William looked at him.

One second.

Percy winked.

The corner of William's mouth lifted.

Galahad lowered his hand.

“Begin.”

The first werewolf launched itself forward.

Its speed brought Nathaniel to his feet.

“SHIT.”

Percy didn't move.

Neither did William.

The werewolf headed for Percy.

The second veered toward William.

Arthur leaned forward immediately.

“William.”

Percy was still watching the first.

The second creature was closing on William.

William put up no defense.

Clara frowned.

“Percy?”

Percy stepped forward at the last moment.

The first werewolf's claw came at him.

Percy slid beneath it.

But didn't retreat.

He slipped past the creature.

The second werewolf leaped at William.

Percy didn't step between them.

William still hadn't moved.

Nathaniel's eyes widened.

“It's going to hit him.”

Galahad stayed calm.

“No.”

Percy planted his foot.

Touched the first werewolf's shoulder.

Redirected it.

All the creature's momentum swung around.

It collided with the second werewolf.

BAM!

They crashed into each other.

William took only half a step.

Nathaniel's mouth fell open.

“Does that count as protecting him?”

Galahad nodded.

“The best kind.”

“William didn't have to abandon his plan.”

William raised his hands just then.

“Ice Orbit.”

Six shards of ice formed.

They didn't fly straight.

They spread along paths encircling the field.

Percy didn't look at a single one.

The Nevr began attacking.

Two Orin strikes came from a distance.

Percy moved right.

William looked left.

An ice shard approached Percy.

Clara tensed involuntarily.

The shard passed Percy and rose.

Struck the Nevr's attack.

Deflected it by a few degrees.

The Orin strike swept past Percy's shoulder.

Percy didn't slow down at all.

The second attack was heading for William.

Percy didn't look at him.

William didn't look at Percy either.

William closed his fingers.

“Frozen Field.”

The ground turned white.

But only a narrow strip.

The werewolf stepped onto it.

Its foot slipped for a moment.

Just a moment.

Percy was already there.

This chapter's source is the author's NovelPhoenix posting; it was reproduced here without permission, and reading there supports the author.

He touched its elbow.

Changed the angle of its shoulder.

The werewolf's own attack missed.

Percy moved past.

Arthur frowned.

“He's not hitting it.”

Galahad answered.

“He's buying William time.”

William's eyes scanned the entire field.

The Nevr's hands.

The werewolves' feet.

The positions of the ice shards.

Percy's movement.

But...

He wasn't calculating Percy's possible moves.

Galahad saw it.

Smiled.

“There.”

William moved his right hand.

Percy veered left at that instant.

Clara frowned.

“How did he know?”

Nathaniel looked at Percy.

“William didn't say anything.”

Arthur hadn't understood either.

Marcus watched quietly.

William moved his hand again.

Percy didn't change direction.

William winked.

Percy stopped instantly.

The werewolf passed in front of him.

Percy moved behind it.

Ice Orbit began closing in.

Three shards moved in front of the werewolf.

The other three behind it.

The creature dodged sideways.

Percy didn't follow it that way.

William dipped his head slightly.

Percy ran the other way.

A Nevr released its attack.

Percy didn't retreat.

He advanced toward the werewolf.

As the Orin strike approached...

Percy ducked at the last moment.

The attack hit the werewolf.

The simulation shook.

The first werewolf was out.

Nathaniel looked at William.

Then at Percy.

Then back at William.

“What the hell did they do?”

William didn't hear him.

Percy winked.

William winked back.

Galahad turned to the class.

“You don't understand.”

Arthur answered.

“No.”

Charlotte shook her head too.

“Not at all.”

Galahad smiled.

“William isn't calculating Percy's moves.”

William's hands were moving.

Percy kept fighting.

Galahad continued.

“He used to try.”

“Percy goes right.”

“Goes left.”

“Stops.”

“Attacks.”

“Puts up a shield.”

“William would consider all of it.”

Clara remembered the old days.

William knocking Percy down.

Twelve times.

Seventeen times.

Over and over.

Galahad looked at Percy.

“Percy learned that from him.”

“Then I took it a little further.”

“Don't predict a single possibility.”

“Know every path.”

“Decide when the movement begins.”

William redirected an ice shard.

Percy changed direction at the same time.

Galahad's eyes shone.

“But now...”

“William isn't doing that with Percy.”

Arthur frowned.

“Why?”

Galahad answered.

“Because Percy hasn't decided yet.”

Clara's eyes widened.

Galahad nodded.

“Master of Probability.”

“He sees the starting points.”

“But he can also leave his own move...”

“Undecided until the last moment.”

Nathaniel held his head.

“Then what is William doing?”

Galahad smiled.

“Following.”

Silence.

Arthur looked at the field again.

“Percy?”

“No.”

“His movement.”

Arthur didn't understand.

Galahad didn't explain.

He waited a little.

Percy dodged a werewolf.

William immediately changed the field.

Percy used the new opening.

William closed off the new route.

Percy never took the closed route.

Galahad finally spoke.

“Percy moves.”

“William plans after the move.”

“William plans.”

“Percy follows that plan.”

Clara slowly smiled.

“They're not predicting each other.”

Galahad nodded.

“They're listening to each other.”

Nathaniel pressed a hand to his forehead.

“My brain hurts.”

William shouted from a distance.

“It's doing something yours isn't used to.”

Nathaniel's mouth fell open.

“DUDE, YOU'RE IN A FIGHT.”

William didn't answer.

Percy started laughing.

The second werewolf leaped at William.

William formed two ice lances.

“Ice Lance.”

He sent them in different directions.

The werewolf dodged the first.

Shattered the second with its claw.

William didn't retreat.

Percy was very far away.

Clara's face tightened.

“He won't make it.”

Galahad looked at her.

“Says who?”

William drew his right foot back.

The werewolf closed in.

William didn't look at Percy.

Percy didn't look at William either.

Percy ran toward a Nevr.

Arthur stood up.

“Wrong way.”

Galahad laughed.

“Watch.”

Percy stopped before reaching the Nevr.

The Nevr gathered its attack.

Percy raised his hand.

Chaos fire formed.

The Nevr locked onto Percy.

The werewolf in front of William leaped.

William closed his fingers.

Ice Orbit changed.

The shards around Percy accelerated.

Then...

Percy threw the fire upward.

The Nevr tracked him.

Sent its Orin attack at Percy.

Percy stepped aside.

The attack struck the ice shard behind him.

The shard shattered.

Its broken pieces fell.

Onto the ground in front of William.

William spread his fingers.

“Frozen Field.”

The ice fragments spread instantly.

The werewolf slipped as it landed.

William stepped aside.

The creature overshot him.

Percy closed his hand from a distance.

A small fire sphere turned.

Dropped in front of the werewolf.

The creature changed direction.

Straight toward the spot William had prepared.

“Ice Lance.”

Three lances rose.

The simulation flashed.

The second werewolf was out.

Nathaniel sprang to his feet.

“HOW IS THAT PERCY PROTECTING HIM?”

Galahad pointed at William.

“William never once abandoned his plan.”

Then pointed at Percy.

“And Percy didn't carry him.”

“He gave him room to fight.”

Arthur fell silent.

So did Charlotte.

William was no longer alone.

But he didn't look as though he was being protected either.

He stayed in the fight.

Thinking.

Deciding.

Percy was simply...

Buying time for those thoughts.

Two Nevr remained.

Both at a distance.

William steadied his breathing.

Percy came to his side.

For the first time, they stood side by side.

Percy looked at him.

William looked back.

Percy winked.

William didn't respond.

Percy raised an eyebrow.

William finally winked.

Percy laughed.

“You're late.”

“I was measuring.”

“A wink?”

“Yes.”

Percy nodded.

“You haven't changed at all.”

William looked at him.

“You have.”

Percy's smile faded a little.

William continued.

“But in the right direction.”

Percy said nothing.

The Nevr attacked together.

Two large Orin spheres formed.

William broke away immediately.

So did Percy.

This time, William went right.

Percy went left.

The Nevr switched targets.

Percy saw it.

So did William.

They didn't look at each other.

Percy laid his fire on the ground.

William formed his ice beside the fire.

The ice didn't melt.

The chaos fire didn't touch it.

The two elements advanced side by side.

Olsen wasn't here.

But Galahad's expression changed.

“Interesting.”

Clara noticed too.

“The fire isn't burning the ice.”

William formed a line.

Percy walked beside it.

The Nevr's attack came.

Percy stepped onto the line of ice.

William lifted it at that exact moment.

Percy rose.

The Orin attack passed beneath him.

Percy spun in the air.

Chaos fire spread behind him.

The Nevr looked up.

William was advancing below.

The Nevr didn't notice him.

“Ice Orbit.”

Six shards surrounded the Nevr.

The Nevr spread its arms.

Scattered the shards with an Orin blast.

William smiled.

Percy saw it.

He smiled too.

The Nevr had broken the wrong thing.

William closed his fingers.

The scattered ice didn't stop.

Tiny fragments spread across the field.

“Frozen Field.”

The ground beneath the Nevr froze over instantly.

A one-second delay.

Percy was above.

He raised Blaze.

“Rise of Fire.”

Dark red fire erupted.

A giant flame rose from the ground.

Wings began to form.

Percy frowned.

Something was wrong.

The fire was rising.

But Percy...

Wasn't looking up.

William noticed.

“Percy.”

Percy didn't answer.

The flame was trying to take shape.

The old firebird was emerging.

But the chaos flames resisted.

Percy gritted his teeth.

William looked at him.

Six years ago, Percy had looked at him.

“How do you know?”

William's old answer...

“I don't.”

“I think about what you could do.”

Now William simply said it.

“You can do it.”

Percy's eyes turned to him.

For a moment...

They were seven.

William had beaten him twelve times.

Percy had gotten up again.

“Again.”

William had agreed again.

Now Percy laughed.

“I remember this from somewhere.”

The corner of William's mouth lifted.

“Me too.”

Percy closed his eyes.

Stopped forcing the fire.

Stopped making it rise.

Rise of Fire...

Had always traveled from below to above.

This time, Percy lifted his head.

The sky was a simulation.

But the fire above him wasn't.

The chaos flames didn't rise.

They vanished from around Percy.

Clara stood up.

“Percy?”

For one second, nothing happened.

Then the sky reddened.

Everyone looked up.

Even William.

A vast ring of fire opened above.

Wings appeared within it.

But it wasn't a bird.

Its shape was closer to human.

Long wings of fire...

Spread across the sky on either side.

A ring of fire stood behind its head.

Dark red flames gazed down.

Nathaniel dropped his food.

This time, he didn't care.

“What the hell is that?”

Galahad stood up.

Clara forgot to breathe.

Text appeared before Percy.

[ABILITY EVOLUTION DETECTED.]

Percy's eyes widened.

William heard the message too.

[NEW ABILITY SYSTEM ACTIVATED.]

Everyone in the classroom froze.

Arthur slowly stood up.

“New what?”

Galahad didn't answer.

The message continued.

[EXISTING ABILITY EVOLVING.]

[RISE OF FIRE.]

It paused for a moment.

Then the name changed.

[ADVANCED-LEVEL ABILITY.]

[DESCENT OF THE FIRE ANGEL.]

Percy looked up.

The fire angel looked down.

Its wings spread once.

The entire field was bathed in red.

Clara's mouth fell open.

Then pride filled her face.

“That's my man.”

Percy's head snapped toward Clara.

“What did you say?”

Clara blushed.

“Nothing.”

Percy was about to grin.

The Nevr attacked.

BOOM!

The Orin strike hit Percy.

Percy flew forward two meters.

Rolled across the ground.

Silence.

Clara lasted two seconds.

Then giggled.

Percy lifted his head from the ground.

“Clara.”

Clara covered her mouth.

“I'm sorry.”

Percy stood up.

“You're done for.”

Clara laughed harder.

“What did I do?”

“You distracted me.”

“Did I hit you?”

“You're the reason.”

William closed his eyes.

“Percy.”

“Hm?”

“Battle.”

Percy turned to the Nevr.

“Right.”

Galahad shook his head.

“He hasn't changed at all.”

The fire angel was still above them.

The Nevr gathered another attack.

This time, Percy didn't look at Clara.

Clara called from a distance.

“You can look!”

Percy shouted.

“SHUT UP!”

Clara burst out laughing.

Even William's mouth twitched.

Percy raised Blaze.

The angel's wings folded.

The fire began to descend.

Rise of Fire...

Carried an attack upward.

This...

Brought the sky down.

The Nevr tried to escape to either side.

William raised his hands.

“Ice Orbit.”

Eight shards closed off the field.

The Nevr went left.

William didn't block it.

Percy didn't attack either.

The Nevr turned right.

Again, they let it.

Nathaniel frowned.

“Why are they letting it go?”

Galahad smiled.

“Because they're the ones who chose the path.”

The Nevr took the third path.

William winked.

Percy smiled.

The fire angel descended.

Its wings closed on either side of the Nevr.

The simulation trembled.

The Nevr vanished.

Half the field darkened.

One Nevr remained.

Percy exhaled.

William looked at him.

“New ability.”

Percy nodded.

“Looks like it.”

“Control?”

Percy thought.

“Terrible.”

William nodded.

“The answer I expected.”

Percy laughed.

“Still worked.”

William adjusted his glasses.

“On the first try.”

Percy looked at him.

Remembered his old words.

“If I did it once...”

William finished.

“You can do it twice.”

Percy's smile widened.

The last Nevr had wised up.

It targeted William.

Directly.

It prepared two Orin spheres.

One from above.

One along the ground.

William would have to move.

Percy wouldn't let it come to that.

The Nevr released the attack.

Percy didn't run toward William.

Didn't run toward the attacks either.

He ran toward the Nevr.

Clara's eyes widened.

Arthur leaned forward.

William didn't move.

The first attack was approaching.

So was the second.

Percy was closing on the Nevr.

Pride spread across Galahad's face.

“Now watch this.”

William raised his right hand.

An Ice Lance formed.

But it didn't go toward the Nevr.

It went toward Percy.

Nathaniel shouted.

“WILLIAM!”

Percy slid aside.

The lance passed beside him.

The Nevr had to defend against it.

Its focus on the first attack broke.

Percy didn't close in on the Nevr.

Instead, he stopped.

William saw it.

Spread his fingers.

Frozen Field expanded.

The ground beneath the Nevr froze over.

The Nevr jumped upward.

Percy was waiting.

Chaos fire gathered around his fist.

The Nevr changed direction in midair.

William sent an ice shard.

Percy stepped onto it.

William raised the orbit.

Percy was carried into the air.

Arthur's mouth fell open.

“He's carrying him.”

Galahad shook his head.

“No.”

“Giving him a path.”

Percy leaped off the ice shard.

The Nevr attacked him.

Percy let the attack pass.

But didn't strike back.

William turned his hand from a distance.

Percy turned at the same time.

A single wink.

Another plan.

The Nevr pursued Percy.

Percy descended.

William withdrew Frozen Field.

The ground returned to normal.

The Nevr landed right there.

William suddenly froze it again.

The Nevr's foot slipped.

Percy reached out.

The chaos fire was small.

Very small.

The Nevr turned its defense toward it.

William's Ice Lance came from behind.

The Nevr had to turn.

Percy extinguished his fire.

The Nevr's eyes turned to Percy.

Percy smiled.

“Too late.”

William's second lance...

Touched the Nevr's undefended side.

The simulation faded.

The last Nevr was out.

The field went completely dark.

Percy and William stayed where they were.

No one spoke.

Not even Nathaniel.

Then Percy turned to William.

William turned to Percy.

Percy winked.

So did William.

Percy laughed.

William smiled too.

Arthur finally exhaled.

“I didn't understand a thing.”

Charlotte nodded.

“Me neither.”

Then looked at the two of them.

She was quiet for a while.

“Their brains are dancing.”

Arthur turned to her.

Charlotte was smiling.

“It looks beautiful.”

Arthur answered without thinking.

“Like you.”

Silence.

Arthur's face froze.

Charlotte's eyes widened.

Arthur looked away.

His ears had gone red.

Charlotte blushed too.

But she smiled.

She took a step closer.

“Say it again.”

Arthur didn't look at her.

“What?”

Charlotte spoke very calmly.

“Stone Man.”

Arthur slowly turned to her.

Charlotte waited.

Arthur sighed.

But this time, he wasn't annoyed.

“I think I'm getting used to that nickname.”

Charlotte's smile widened.

“Good.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow.

“Why?”

Charlotte started walking.

“It suits you.”

Arthur froze for a few seconds.

Nathaniel appeared beside him.

“My condolences.”

Arthur looked at him.

“Go eat something.”

Nathaniel considered it.

“Great idea.”

And left.

Galahad walked to the center of the field.

Percy and William stood before him.

Galahad looked at the class first.

“What did you see?”

Arthur answered.

“Nothing.”

Nathaniel spoke from a distance.

“I saw a fire angel.”

Galahad closed his eyes.

“That's not what I'm asking.”

William smiled.

So did Percy.

Galahad looked at them.

“Taking William down used to be enough.”

The class fell silent.

“Because you'd have taken down the brains.”

William dipped his head slightly.

Galahad pointed at Percy.

“Percy protected him today.”

Nathaniel nodded.

“I saw that.”

Galahad continued.

“No.”

“He didn't become a shield in front of William.”

“He didn't carry him out of the fight.”

“He didn't make decisions for him.”

Percy looked at William.

Galahad continued.

“He gave William a battle to think through.”

“And created time for him to think.”

Then pointed at William.

“And William didn't calculate Percy's moves.”

William nodded.

“I couldn't.”

Galahad smiled.

“No.”

“You didn't.”

William paused.

Then he smiled too.

“True.”

Percy raised an eyebrow.

William looked at him.

“Six years ago, I calculated your moves.”

“Now I watch your movement.”

Percy fell silent.

William continued.

“I don't need to know what you're going to do.”

“Seeing what you do is enough.”

Percy's expression softened.

“You taught me.”

William shook his head.

“The beginning.”

Percy laughed.

“Big brother said the same thing.”

Galahad cut in.

“And I was right.”

Percy looked at him.

“Don't praise yourself, Professor.”

Galahad smacked him on the head.

THWACK.

“YOU MOTHER—”

Percy turned.

“Oh.”

“Was that you, big brother?”

The entire class burst out laughing.

Clara came over to Percy.

Percy narrowed his eyes when he saw her.

Clara tried not to laugh.

“What?”

Percy moved closer.

“My man, huh?”

Clara blushed.

“I thought you hadn't heard.”

“I flew two meters.”

“That can't be how you heard it.”

Percy moved a little closer.

“You're done for, Clara.”

Clara backed away.

“What are you going to do?”

Percy smiled.

Clara's eyes widened.

“Percy.”

Percy reached for her hair.

Clara turned and ran.

“YOU CAN'T CATCH ME!”

Percy ran after her.

“YOU'VE BEEN SAYING THAT FOR SIX YEARS!”

Clara was laughing.

So was Percy.

William watched them go.

Nathaniel came to his side.

“Who did we beat today?”

William adjusted his glasses.

“Four simulation targets.”

Nathaniel shook his head.

“No.”

Percy shouted from a distance.

“CLARAAAA!”

Nathaniel pointed at them.

“I think the real battle just started.”

William watched for a few seconds.

Then smiled a little.

“I'm not calculating that.”

Nathaniel looked at him.

“What?”

William started walking.

“Just watching.”

Behind him...

Percy's voice filled the entire field.

“CLARA, I'M NOT LETTING GO OF YOUR HAIR!”

Clara shouted.

“CATCH ME FIRST!”

William shook his head.

Some things had changed.

Others...

Had never needed calculating at all.