Chương 175: Chapter : 175

"Training is canceled!" Ken declared lazily, slouching all the way back down into his chair and crossing his arms.

"I am already fully prepared to be a massive nuisance. I am going to take a nap to store up my annoying energy." Elma stood near the back of the room, watching the messy boy joke around with the strict vanguard leader. Her face flushed a very light pink, and she quickly looked down at her polished boots, totally unable to understand how someone so incredibly lazy could be so effortlessly charming. The strategy meeting officially wrapped up on a high, energetic note. The roster panic was totally over.

With their nine-person unit completely solidified, the elite girls felt a sudden surge of confident excitement. They had a plan, they had a full team, and they were completely ready to step into the arena and drive the 15th Prince totally out of his mind.

The morning sun brightened the stone courtyard of the 13th Unit's estate. After securing their full roster, there was absolutely no time to waste. They needed to integrate Elma into their combat formations immediately. Princess Iris watched from the sidelines while Naomi took charge of the joint training session. Elma stood in the center of the yard, holding her twin silver swords. She wore her pristine white and gold uniform, looking perfectly polished.

She was used to practicing with the 16th Unit, where every movement was a flawless, calculated dance. However, training with the 13th Unit was a completely different experience. It was loud, chaotic, and totally unpredictable.

"Step to the left when I dash right!" Naomi called out, spinning her daggers.

"We need to cover each other's blind spots!"

"I know how to cover a blind spot," Elma replied, her cheeks flushing a light shade of pink. She was trying hard to maintain her arrogant attitude, but being the new girl on a rival team made her feel incredibly awkward.

"Just do not get in my way when I swing."

"Nobody is getting in your way," Laxmi laughed loudly from the sidelines. She was tossing a bright orange fireball between her hands.

"We are just trying to see how fast you are!" Ken Eliot was sitting on the grass a few feet away, watching the girls practice. He was wearing his usual dark blue uniform, though his shirt was completely untucked and his tie was loose. He leaned back on his hands, letting out a loud, highly exaggerated yawn.

"You guys are doing way too much cardio," Ken announced, completely ruining the serious training atmosphere.

"All this jumping and slashing is making me tired just looking at it. You need to learn the true art of combat. You need to learn how to do absolutely nothing and still win." If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Elma stopped her practice swing and glared at him.

"Doing nothing is not a combat strategy, you idiot. It is called giving up."

"False," Ken argued happily, pushing himself up from the grass. He dusted off his pants and strolled right into the middle of the courtyard, standing right between Naomi and Elma.

"I have actually been working on my skills. I spent a lot of time thinking about it during breakfast. I proudly present to you my brand-new, completely improved dodging technique." Naomi let out a soft, amused sigh. She crossed her arms and shook her head, looking at him exactly like someone dealing with a ridiculous, naughty friend.

"A new dodging technique? Ken, your old technique was just diving onto the floor and screaming."

"That was the prototype!" Ken bragged, puffing out his chest and pointing a finger toward the sky like a cartoon hero.

"This new version is completely flawless. It is smooth, it is stylish, and it requires maximum laziness. I challenge anyone here to land a single hit on me!" Laxmi's eyes lit up with pure excitement. She loved a good challenge. The fire in her hands flared brighter.

"Oh, you want a challenge? Are you absolutely sure about that, slacker? Because I am not going to hold back."

"Bring it on!" Ken shouted, dropping into a wildly goofy, completely unbalanced fighting stance. He squinted one eye and stuck his tongue out.

"My reflexes are sharper than a tack! Do your worst!" Luna, who was resting against a stone pillar nearby, slowly blinked her tired eyes open.

"Can I play too?" she mumbled lazily. Tiny yellow sparks of lightning popped around her fingers.

"I want to see if I can zap his shoes."

"Yes! Team up on me!" Ken challenged, waving his hands to goad them on.

"Fire and lightning! Let us see if you can break my ultimate defense!" Elma stepped back, crossing her arms. She looked at Ken as if he had entirely lost his mind.

"He is actually going to die," she muttered to Naomi.

"Laxmi and Luna are going to turn him into a pile of ash." Naomi just chuckled quietly, leaning her weight on one leg.

"Just watch. You will see why he is still alive."

"Ready?" Laxmi yelled, pulling her arm back.

"Here it comes!" Laxmi threw a rapid-fire burst of three roaring orange fireballs straight at Ken. At the exact same moment, Luna lazily flicked her wrist, sending two quick, jagged bolts of yellow electricity zipping across the courtyard. The attacks were incredibly fast, totally lethal, and aimed right at the center of Ken's chest.

"Ahhhh! So bright!" Ken screamed at the top of his lungs, entirely abandoning his cool stance. Right as the first fireball was about to hit his face, Ken suddenly gasped and looked down.

"Whoa! My shoelaces are untied!" He violently threw his upper body forward, bending entirely in half at the waist to grab his shoe. The fireball sailed harmlessly over his back, missing him by a fraction of an inch. Before he even stood back up, Luna's first lightning bolt cracked through the air. Ken let out a comical yelp, intentionally losing his balance.

"Whoops!" He tripped over his own feet, stumbling to the right in a massive, exaggerated flail. The lightning bolt zipped past his left shoulder, smashing into the stone wall behind him.

"Stand still!" Laxmi laughed, throwing two more fireballs in a wide arc to trap him. Ken kept moving in a totally ridiculous, clumsy panic.

"I dropped a coin!" he shouted, diving straight down onto the stone floor to pick up a completely imaginary quarter. The second fireball and the final lightning bolt crisscrossed right over his head, missing him entirely. He popped back up, dusting off his knees, and threw his hands in the air.

"Missed me! You guys need to get your eyes checked! I am basically untouchable!" Laxmi didn't stop. She unleashed a continuous, rapid-fire barrage of small flames, filling the courtyard with bright orange light.