The S-Class Mage is a Gyaru!?-Chapter 57: Rising Star, Part Eleven

{Akari}

First up, that "dance" thing.

Of course, it isn’t actually dancing. it’s about making your mana flow match up with your teammates. We tried hard as shit to practice this for the last week and... I don’t think we got that much better, to be honest. Between Lily being a total bitch about everything and Reina going out of her way to call her boring ass boyfriend every five minutes, we barely got any real practice in.

Plus...

[Yeah, my mana still feels like it’s doing the macarena right now.]

"Crescent Moon team, please step aside," the announcer calls. "Honda Guild, you’re up first!"

We move back, giving them the stage. Those floating platforms start arranging themselves into this spiral pattern while magical spotlights dance across the arena.

[Okay, that’s pretty sick.] I look over at the excited, buzzing audience. [Feels like I’m at a concert or something right now.]

Up in what I can only assume is some sort of VIP section that the university strategically set up the last few days, I spot some faces I recognize from magical magazines. Guild leaders, corporate bigwigs, even a few celebrities I’ve seen on ManaGram.

[No pressure.]

The Honda trio takes their positions. Silver hair, hot guy, and thicc redhead start forming a triangle in the center. The way they move, it’s like they’ve done this a thousand times.

Then the music starts.

It’s this sick, heavy orchestral piece that makes the whole place vibrate. The kind of music you’d hear in those fancy car commercials where they’re trying way too hard to be epic before they sell you some shit that can go like 200mph that you’ll only ever use to go 40, at best.

And holy SHIT.

Their mana explodes outward in perfect sync, creating these waves of pure power that ripple through the air like the world’s most expensive light show. Silver hair’s magic is this deep purple that weaves through the others like silk, while the guy’s golden energy pulses like a heartbeat.

It’s like watching the northern lights have an orgy with a fireworks show.

But it’s the redhead’s magic that really gets me to do a face like I’m making a thumbnail for a reaction video. Deep red and absolutely wild, like she’s barely containing it.

[Man... They really aren’t screwing around.]

"Magnificent control!" The announcer’s going nuts. "Look at that harmony! That precision!"

They move like they’ve been practicing this for months, practicing for a spot on New Tokyo’s Got Talent. Their mana even forms a few patterns that have the crowd gasping. Dragons made of pure energy, phoenixes rising from magical flames, the whole nine yards. To be fair, that part isn’t terribly hard to do, it’s just visual, after all. No real, tangible effect. But, this is a dance, and that sure as shit does look pretty.

At one point they actually spell out "HONDA" in the air with their combined magic, which is... okay, that’s just showing off.

Meanwhile, my own mana feels like it’s doing the cha-cha slide in my veins. Left foot two stomps, right foot two stomps, except it’s my fucking magic power acting up.

[Something’s definitely wrong.]

"You okay?" Reina whispers beside me. She’s got one brow raised, looking me up and down. "You look a bit..."

"Pssht. Me? I’m fine," I lie, watching as the Honda team’s finale sends actual shooting stars across the ceiling. My head’s spinning and I swear I can taste something sweet in the back of my throat. "Just... focusing."

The crowd erupts as they finish, their mana settling back into their bodies. Even Chen looks impressed, the crusty old bat. She’s probably already planning how to steal their routines for next year.

"ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR!" I swear to god, the announcer’s practically having an orgasm up there. "Now, Crescent Moon team. Show us what you’ve got!"

[Right. Okay. Focus.]

We take our positions as the Honda team struts off stage, looking way too pleased with themselves. That redhead actually winks at me as she passes and, I have to say, if there’s ever been a moment that proves dicks have minds of their own, it’s now, as mine basically starts feeling a gravitational pull toward this bitch. I have to actively fight it to keep walking.

[NOT. NOW.]

"Good luck up there, cutie," that same redhead says.

I blush.

[... FUUUUUCK! Keep walking!]

I look over at my teammates, trying my hardest not to keep staring at the devil with a nice booty. Lily gives me this cocky look. And not in the good "I want to rail you" way, more like the "oh, something’s gone wrong for you? What a shame," way.

"Ready?" Reina asks as we form our triangle. "Come on, ladies. Just like we practiced."

I try to gather my mana, but it feels... slippery? Like trying to grab water with chopsticks, or like trying to catch jello with your bare hands. What the actual fuck?

[That kiss. What did she-]

"BEGIN!"

[Oh shit. Never mind. Focus,] I calm myself down. [You’ve got this, Akari. Give ’em hell! And sparkles.]

I reach for my mana and it’s like trying to grab a wet bar of soap in the shower (slippery as fuck and probably gonna end with me falling on my ass). But I’ve worked too hard to let some sneaky trick stop me. Besides, getting my ass kicked by the Honda Guild in front of all these people? My dick would literally never recover from the shame. Erectile dysfunction, for the rest of my life, I swear.

Our routine starts simple. Three streams of power flowing together like braided hair. Reina’s ice-blue magic, cool and precise as a surgeon’s knife. Lily’s white light, pure as her fake-ass innocent act (and probably about as real). And my power...

[What the fuck?]

I meant to put out these cool, golden sparkles (again, all of this is visual, so I can change my usual blue and pink to something more eye-catching), but my magic comes out looking... different.

Kinda like if you applied the idea of uncanny valley to mana. It’s mine, but it doesn’t feel "mine", ya know?

Still, it seems impressive enough.

"Holy shit," I hear someone in the crowd whisper. "Look at that!"

The music (literally just a song I had downloaded that is now playing from a nearby radio, at our request) swells and we keep going through the routine, our mana bouncing off each other and moving around. Sure, all of the audience can probably immediately tell it’s not as... focused or refined as the Honda Guild’s, but it’s still impressive.

Something starts to happen, though. Lily pushes herself. Her magic starts to glow brighter, stronger. It starts to overshadow Reina’s and mine, even though she’s still technically doing the routine.

Reina doesn’t seem to give a shit.

I do.

I start pushing my own magic. Harder, faster. What, am I supposed to just let this reject who didn’t even start the year out in Class 1 outshine me? Hell nah, fuck that.

But, whereas ordinarily, my power would effortlessly sit Lily’s down for sure, I’m actually struggling to match it.

[Oh, great,] I sigh. [Lily’s probably using some amplifier again, like she did in that duel against Reina.]

I narrow my eyes.

[I don’t care, though. I’ll still win!]

And, yes, even though we’re on the same team, make no mistake, there are winners and losers here. For sure.

So, it begins, with both of us trying to outshine the other. Poor Reina gets pushed to the sidelines as we turn this whole thing into a magical dick-measuring contest.

Her magic tries to keep up. No, it does more than keep up. It’s matching mine, moving just as fast, just as potent.

[Bullshit,] I glare up at our mana in the air. Neither of us are trying to make a shape right now, so it just looks like a white comet and a golden comet circling and moving around each other. [She’s not going to outperform me.]

"Um, guys?" I hear Reina mutter, but we’re both too far gone.

Lily sends a wave of pure white light spiraling up? I match it with what’s basically a golden tsunami.

Some corporate type in the VIP section actually drops his champagne glass. The sound of it shattering mixes with gasps from the crowd.

She splits her mana, making it almost look like a flock of doves. I spread my mana and try to wrap them up in a golden sheet of magic and she moves her doves away.

"Absolutely incredible!" The announcer’s losing his mind. "Such power! Such control!"

But I’m way too focused. The rest of his words barely register in my mind. My head’s spinning and my mana feels like it’s trying to escape through my pores, but fuck if I’m gonna let this scheming bitch outshine me.

And, I can see it. Lily’s mana’s starting to struggle. She’s definitely not got much left in the tank right now.

[Hell yeah,] I smirk up. [Amplifier or not, bitch, we both took that Mana Endurance test. You know my magic’s got more stamina than yours.]

So, just as she’s getting weak, I pour everything I’ve got into one final burst of power. Golden light explodes from my body like a supernova having an orgasm. The air literally crackles with energy as my magic paints the ceiling with what may as well be swirling galaxies and shooting stars.

"Is... is that even possible?" Someone in the crowd whispers.

"Her power level’s insane!!!" some otaku yells from the back, and I can’t help but grin.

Lily’s trying to keep up but her white light looks dim as fuck compared to my golden show. Even through my magic-drunk haze, I catch her expression. Pure shock.

[What’s wrong, bestie? Thought you dampened my power or something?]

The music hits its final crescendo and I pull out all the stops. My magic spirals up into this massive golden dragon that puts the Honda Guild’s show to shame. It soars up before exploding into a shower of golden sparkles that rain down on the crowd.

And, that’s I’ll I’ve got. Lily stopped trying a few moments ago. I drop to my knees.

Dead silence.

Then the place absolutely ERUPTS.

"UNPRECEDENTED!" The announcer’s practically crying. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I KNOW WE ALL HAD CRAZY EXPECTATIONS FOR THE S-CLASS MAGE, BUT THAT’S PRETTY DAMN GOOD!"

I’m swaying on my feet, exhausted as fuck, but I manage to throw up a peace sign. Haruka’s screaming something from the sidelines but I can barely hear her over the roar of the crowd.

The redhead from Honda Guild is fanning herself. The silver-haired girl’s jaw is on the floor. And the hot guy? He’s actually smiling now.

Lily looks like someone just told her Santa isn’t real AND kicked her puppy.

And then the world starts spinning and I nearly, nearly, faint.

[... Okay, might have overdone it, hehe,] I laugh softly as I get to my feet again. [But, I think it’s safe to say Round 1’s secured, eh?]