Scarlet

Unlike the last time the brackets were shown, this time my image’s frame, along with my name and information is glowing with a radiant golden light, meanwhile Abigail’s is faded out, representing who won and lost in our match. And the zigzag line between our frames is gone.

A short buildup of intense music plays for a few seconds before a zigzag line appears between Shifter’s frame and the frame of a different time magic using Guardian known as Clockwork. Someone who I haven’t actually studied all that much beyond knowing that his time magic involves rewinding time. A rather powerful magic, albeit a limited one. Since time magic has a hard cap on it, making it impossible to rewind time more than a day for any time magic user. And that’s for high leveled Class V time magic users.

Because apparently reality does not like the past being changed. So while looking into the future is fine, reversing time is not. And going to the past is impossible.

They’re still quite powerful despite that limit though.

I think Clockwork can go back about three or so seconds into the past. Which just goes to show the difference in strength between a Class I and a Class V.

“Who do you think will win?” I ask Allen out of curiosity while sitting down once again with Aria in my lap. Although this time she isn’t burying her head into my chest and is actually staring out at the brackets.

Allen responds right away without a hint of hesitation, “Shifter.”

I glance at him before focusing on the center of the stadium again as an arena appears. This one being a large clearing in the middle of a forest at night with a bunch of fog around the trees.

“Why?” I ask out of further curiosity.

“Because Clockwork uses time reversal focused time magic, and that isn’t all that good at the early Classes,” Allen answers as we both watch Shifter immediately sprint towards the man known as Clockwork, who is standing off to the side of the clearing without moving while wearing some sort of armor made out of gears and normal looking metal with a large clock on his shoulder. “Meanwhile Shifter is one of the strongest Guardians of your generation. I don’t really think there will be much of a competition between the two.”

“Why?” I repeat the question, since ‘isn’t really all that good at the early Classes’ isn’t much of an answer.

Allen glances at me before focusing on the screen again where Clockwork finally begins to move after some sort of glitchy looking action where the moves forwards, only to appear backwards again. He then says, “A time reversal skill costs a significant amount of mana. So much that a Class I Guardian should only be able to use it about ten or so times before draining all of their mana. And even then, the skill only reverse time up to three seconds with each use.”

Oh. That’s expensive.

“And that’s assuming the Class I Guardian is at the peak of Class I like you are,” Allen continues as we watch Clockwork and Shifter fight, Shifter not really having much trouble with him beyond his occasional confusion when the man appears to glitch out. Which if I had to guess is just him reversing time.

Time is such a confusing subject. I really hate it.

“Really? Why?” Tar asks, sounding curious.

Well, it’s more like I hate the idea of anyone messing with time. If something happened, then it should stay like that. There are no second chances. So the idea of time magic doesn’t really sit well with me.

I don’t have anything against Clockwork or anyone who uses time magic though. Just the magic itself.

“Interesting,” Tar mutters as I continue watching Shifter gradually beat Clockwork to a pulp.

Poor guy.

Eventually Shifter beats Clockwork, and the time magic user is sent out of the arena. Then Black descends down to interview Shifter. And the interview goes just about as I expect, with Lucas – almost forgot he told me to call him that – bluntly answering every question he is asked. Including the one about when he mentioned my scent in the last tournament, which has me blushing slightly. Especially when I notice Allen narrowing his eyes at the man out of the corner of my own.

Wait, is Allen protective in that way? I didn’t realize that.

“Well, he did give Belle and Arthur a scolding when he heard they’d done it,” Tar comments, and I guess that makes sense. He also had quite a few words with them when they got together in the first place. Or rather, words with Arthur. Because he can never beat Belle in a verbal spar. The girl always wins.

Poor guy. Again. But for Allen this time.

Also a good thing I don’t ever plan to get in a relationship in the first place.

“A very good thing,” Tar mutters, making me frown slightly.

Why? Because Allen would be overprotective?

“No,” Tar answers. “Because your grandfather and father would probably tear them apart limb by limb.”

My mouth parts slightly at that before I decide not to respond to that particular bit of information.

I do find Allen’s response rather amusing though, despite how embarrassing it is for me. Not to mention that it was a nice distraction from the blunt answer that Lucas gave for what he was talking about when he mentioned my smell. Which wasn’t much of an answer. More just repeating what he said before.

That guy… I don’t think he really understands the nuances of anything he says or hears. The tiny details that are supposed to be left unspoken or the meaning behind the phrase ‘too much information.’

Absolutely not someone you want to be telling a secret to.

And surprisingly, the audience seems to love Lucas’s personality as they cheer for him.

Normally they don’t tend to like that sort of Guardian, so why do they like him? Is it because of his battle strategy being rather berserker in general? Or his strength?

“Why don’t you check the livestream chat to see?” Tar suggests, making my eyes widen slightly as I’d forgotten about that.

Good idea.