THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

"Hm... so, who will shoot today?"

"I think it is Judy. Her team is the attacker after all."

In order to get used to teamwork, the teacher in charge of supervising this training, Linos Dalton, proposed that we all switch teams while keeping the same team leader. As such, four team leaders have been chosen: Cordel, of course, Keltia, Samson, and Shalim Italus. The guy who seems to be the representatives of the beta students.

Although he is not using elemental Angas and his physical Angas is weak, I must say he has a gift for commanding. I was on his team only twice and both times, we won easily, even against Cordel's team. The reason? This guy is super intelligent.

He was able to read through Cordel's tactics and easily counter them. We have been keeping the same system as during the test, nobody can talk to his teammates during a fight. But you are allowed to establish a tactic beforehand.

Shalim's tactic is based on touch. Depending on the places he touched you, he explained what he wants us to do. It is easy to understand but he almost lost his hands because he touched Germinia's butt by accident yesterday. That girl is nerve-wracking, I swear.

Anyway, today I am in Keltia's team. Together with Peter, one of the alpha students, Amulius Júpiter, and a gamma student as well, Derkheil VALS. The game we are playing…The training we will have today is aim and shoot. Though it is more accurate to say that one person shoots while the others are simply evading.

The principle of the game is simple: in turns, different teams will be defending their catcher while an attacking team will try to shoot him down. The attacking team will have its catcher shoots wooden bolts from an oversized crossbow, meanwhile, they attack the defending team as well and must distract them, opening the path to their catcher.

So far, the only team that hasn't recorded a single loss is Shalim's team. Like I said, that guy is good. Whether in attack or defense, he knows what to do. Thankfully, it is not its team that will shoot today but Samson's team, with Judy as the shooter.

While we are preparing, I can already see her getting on the crossbow. The princess has changed, if even a little. Her eyes are more determined now. She is a bit stronger as well. That's how it should be. You can't just rely on other people's strength and stay weak by yourself. You will just hurt yourself and those people, just like I did to Excafol and Selene.

***

"Okay, guys. I think you all understood, right? It's not really different from usual anyway."

"Yes, we did."

Keltia's tactic is the same, she rarely changed it even though it fails every time she encounters Cordel or Shalim. It is based on numbers. From zero to five, there is a specific command we must execute. Zero means we all regroup around our catcher. One means one person protects the catcher while the other two attack. Two means a member needs help.

Three is in case there is a gap in our defense, in that case, anyone who feels too pressured must show the number two with his fingers, indicating that he needs help. Four is used to tell us it is an all-out attack. So, we all pounce on the enemy without a care for our catcher, that's generally where we lose.

And five is used when one of our members is down. If anybody shows five, we all rush back to the catcher and defend him, it's pretty much like zero but with the slight variation that a member needs to be down.

"Let's go. Today, we don't lose!"

In Samson's team, aside from Judy, there is Germinia today together with a beta student. You could think we have the advantage since it will be three against four but only catchers can touch each other, therefore, our catcher, Amulius, cannot fight. and if he is as much as grazed by another team's member, we have lost. So it is actually a three-vs-three.

"Are you all ready?"

We are all wearing the same leather armor, protecting our chest, arms, waist, and legs. Of course, we are using wooden weapons as well. Using Angas is the only thing that's allowed. Though the teachers were surprised the first time I used the crescent bullets and almost prohibited me from using it.

"YES!!"

"Then…START!"

As she says that, Germinia immediately jump forward, Keltia shows the number one with her finger and Samson aims towards our catcher together with Judy. Derkheil and Keltia also advances and confronts Germinia, which means I must protect the catcher.

Samson's arrow and Judy's bolt comes at the same time but I shoots them down with two bullets, which creates a smoke cloud while exploding, allowing me to see a concealed knife thrown by the beta student and grabbing it in midair. I wonder If I would have grabbed it if it was a real one. Anyway, I throw it back in the cloud but I don't think anybody got hit. Its path was pretty clear.

The cloud dissipates, thanks to Germinia's whip-sword which slashes through the air with madness. Keltia blocks it with her spear multiples times and each time she does, the shock from the clash between their weapons imbued with Angas resonates like a small explosion. Derkheil, on his side, has reached Samson and engaged him in close combat. Surprisingly enough, Samson handles himself really well in close combat as well.

He is using two daggers, just like Judy, though he is more competent than her in that aspect. While Derkheil is using a flail and a shield, he still manages to strike him, getting through the shield without great effort. If they were using real weapons, I think Derkheil would have lost some fingers already.

I guess being an omega isn't just for show. Though Velvet and Judy's case are an exception. I wonder what was Frankher thinking.

"Argh!!" Derkheil receives another knife on his knee from the beta student, who accurately waited for a moment when he would be too distracted by Samson's attacks.

At the same time, another bolt comes, shot by Judy who must have thought that I got distracted as well. But I easily fend it off. The main problem with this training is that we, of the defending team, aren't allowed to attack the catcher of the attacking team. We can only defend until time runs out.

After I blocked the bolt, Keltia raises her hand with a two. I immediately create a bullet and send it on Derkheil's side. But, like they were waiting for it, Samson jumps back and like an acrobat, takes his bow in midair, and shoots my bullet.

I could say it is surprising but I knew it would turn out like this. This is the second time we have this situation and we lost last time because I switched with Keltia after that. Creating a gap for the attacking catcher, it was Velvet that time, to shoot our catcher.

I take advantage of the explosion and send another one towards Keltia. Thankfully, she ducks down and the bullet hits Germinia who disappears on the smoke of the explosion. I have reduced the strength of the bullet and learned to control the output a lot more than before so I am pretty sure she won't be too hurt from it.

"Fuck!" Yup, she can even scream like that after it. 

Surprising enough, however, another knife comes out of the cloud, and while I block it, Derkheil appears from it and blocks an arrow that was aimed at Keltia's position. She was still face down so I am sure she would have been hit by it. Well done, Derkheil.

He then raises a zero and they both come back, standing on my sides. Soon after that, a bolt, a knife, and an arrow come at the same time. Samson's ability to coordinate his team is great. But Keltia has improved as well. No, we all have.

We each block one of the projectiles, but Germinia reappears. She jumped above us, more precisely, above Keltia who tries to catch her but receives an arrow from Samson.

"Shit!"

"It's our win!" She aims towards Amulius with her crossbow but I launch my raizen at her. It hits her ribs and destabilizes her. She wasn't even far from me so doing that might have been unnecessary.

"Argh!"

"Rah!!" As she screams, Keltia also grabs her foot and slams her to the ground. Or she tried at least.

"Not so fast!!" Germinia manages to place her hands on the ground and cushions the strength of her fall. Keltia also didn't apply enough strength into it so I guess it played a role as well.

In the midst of all this, I hear Judy's shooting a bolt again. And by the time I look, I see both her bolt and another knife coming already. That beta student is not bad at all, he manages to throw a knife right between Germinia and Keltia. I won't be able to block that and the bolt at the same time. So, Derkheil, you better do your part.

I grab the bolt in midair while jumping forward and seeing as the teacher doesn't say anything, I guess Derkheil caught the knife. That was a vicious situation though.