NOVEL SIMPLE Second Test – Overdrive
Albert was sweating, climbing out of the two meters deep hole Charlotte left behind. She had already finished two laps before the people who were stuck in the hole climbed out.
Albert was a Beast Hunter, who operated in the Balkans. He dealt with monsters, beasts of all kinds— but never human.
Charlotte in his opinion would be a great Hunter with her strength and instinct. But knowing her from her streams, she would likely not join because of two reasons.
One, Abigail Sillarco, the Sentinel of the West Coast would not want her adopted daughter (the "adopted" part is important) to join an Association sponsored by the EU, which includes the U.K., it is an open secret that she hates Britain. Especially when the first thing she did at the dawn of the digital world was burn the photos of the royal family, in the Buckingham Palace no less.
Two, Charlotte is too unpredictable and unstable to be one. He saw how she completely gave in to her Devil, the trust between her and them must be great for her to be able to use Anima Pactum
As far as Albert knew, there are two ways a Gem Holder can achieve Anima Pactum. The first is what Charlotte did, having trust and forming a bond with the spirit inside. The other way is the more... common one, to beat the Devil into submission.
In his case... he had to beat an old man, Jean-Henri Fabre, because they did not work too well together.
He then realized he had enough time to analyze Charlotte, he clapped his hands, "Alright everyone! Gotta go fast! You don't want to be beaten by that girl, right!?"
Hearing that, the Gemini duo disappeared at the speed of light, going after Charlotte... Albert hopes nothing bad will happen...
Alucard approached him, "Al, we should keep an eye on Miss Silvi. She just hospitalized two students because they tried to prank her."
Albert was about to speak up, but thought about it and left his mouth wide open for a bit, "That's... what I expected from her."
Alucard frowned, not really seeing what he meant, "What do you mean by that?"
"Her guardian is Abigail Sillarco, an Immortal of America, who is well-known for her brutal approach to things. And Immortals are known to be strange.", he chuckled, "Being cared for and living with such a woman, you are bound to have loose morals and screwed-up logic. As long as she doesn't straight up kill anyone, things should be fine."
"Don't mention that bitch.", Alucard groaned, "That cunt lost her screw completely."
"Pot calling kettle black, I see~", the Beast Hunter teased, smiling at the First Vampire Lord, "All Immortals lost their screw a looong time ago."
"Ugh, I can't really deny that. But she should be punished for being so violent.", he walked away, going back to observe the race, which was originally meant to be a marathon.
=0=0=
WOOOOOO!!! LET'S GO!
I ran and ran! Each step engraved my footprint deep~ into the ground! Hehahahahaha!!! I also dug my hand into the wall, dealing property damage! Yay for property damage!!
This place looks so much like Rome!! Romulus! Fuck your empire!!!
While also leaving some Euphoric Dust~ less potent than what I did last night! Hehahaha!! Such potent drug... at my fingertip...
"Let this CLIMAX NEVER END!!"
I was running an running~ but I felt some just went past me— ah~ the Gemini! Gods of Light and Travel~ Hehaha~ such an interesting duo!
They are faster than me, FASTER! HEHAHAHAHA!!!
That won't do.
"DO YOU REALLY THINK I WILL LET YOU BEAT ME?!", I was on my fourth lap, yet I cannot beat the speed of "light"~, "HYSTERIA!"
AH~ I can see them!! I poked my leg out— tripping them!!
"You can't have the first place! That is rightfully mine to take! Hehahahaha!", I laughed before speeding up more.
Sixth lap! Only four more!!!
"Hi Hoa!", I waved at my dear friend, "Bye Hoa!"
Run and run~ like a predator chasing it's prey. This moment of excitement kept at the climax for as long as this power is active...
Hehahahaha! The condition for Euphoria is... there is no condition! I can activate it anytime I want! But~ I can only use it for~ eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight seconds.
"Hehahahaha!!", my laugh echoes, "Let us dance to my tuuune~ let your body loose and your soul soar~!!"
The Euphoria Dust gathered on my back, forming a pair of feathered wings. I lift myself off the ground, flying past the Gemini duo who are still trying to stand up.
I grabbed their hands, making them go with my flow!
"What are you doing?!", the boy yelled.
"Stop it!", the girl followed.
"Just having fun!! Hehahahaha!!! You want to win against me, right?! I won't allow it! But I'll let you feel my~ INSANITY."
Through my touch, I inject a tiny bit of Euphoric Dust into them. Their pupils dilated, and they cannot contain their smiles.
Mass Hysteria, what I can give people and make them move to my will. Not to the same level as actual hypnosis, which is illegal, it's more like having them high to the point they would do anything according to the mood!
I am a terrible person, am I not~?
But it lasted for only a moment. Seems like being a Gem Holder helped.
Hah~ boring.
I let them go, attempting to make them fall and hurt themselves. But my attempt failed, as they took each other's hands and light enveloped them to speed up.
This is fun!
I stomped my foot down, shattering the ground. I leap through the air, flapping my wings.
Seventh lap!
Oh, they passed me. Good~ but I can finish before them!!
"OVERDRIVE"
With that simple word, the world around me came to a halt. They say time stops and your entire flash before you die, this is just a recreation of it. But with countless drugs in my entire body, I can move— while everything was frozen in time.
I finished my eighth lap. Then my ninth.
And finally, my tenth just as Overdrive stopped. The ground of the area blew up, a backlash from my power.
Everyone else was caught in the explosion— but they appeared in the center of the arena the next moment. Seems like magic was used.
I was fine, by the way.
Well, that's done so I came back to the center. There are two more teachers from the look of it, one was that woman with a very flat chest. And the other... well, the exact opposite with a very large chest.
"W-What happened.", one of them wondered.
The flat-chest woman turned to me with a scowl, "You, explain what you did."
"Hehaha~ I wanted to win, so I did what I must to achieve my goal.", I laughed, dancing around with a whimsical tone.
"You could've killed someone.", she glare at me even harder.
"True~ but do I care? No, of course not. I only care about myself, no one else matters to me.", as long as I'm having fun~
"How can you expect to study and make friends with such an attitude?!", she was getting angry. She reminded me a bit of Athen.
"I'll manage~ you don't have to worry about me. You should be more worried about what I can do, and what I would do."
For one, with Euphoria active... I probably could shatter Mu right at this very moment~ But I won't. I am still a member of Babel, those who protect humanity.
"So? What is the winner's prize?", I ignored her and turn to Albert.
"Oh, you get to be exempt from the last test.", he said, also ignoring the woman.
"Hey! Don't you two dare to ignore me!", she yelled.
"But I want to fight~", I whined, walking towards him, "I want to be violent! I want to kick ass! I want to~be~HUMAN!"
Be violent, be greedy, be prideful, be malicious, be kind, be lovely~ having fun with those I like...
"I will accept nothing other than our agreed duel.", I stomped, creating yet another hole.
"Alright, but from the look of it.", he raised his hands, surrendering, "I am not strong enough to give you a good enough time. So... Orin?"
The flat woman frowned, "Fuck it, I'm in! I swear on my name, Tachibana Orin, I will fucking destroy you!"
Yup, this feels like Athen.