"Haa…haa…haa…ugh!" My lungs heaved as I took deep breaths to stop myself from throwing up. I had immediately turned off the external speakers after I made my declaration once I felt my stomach doing wall jumps.
Your chosen method of locomotion was quite inspired and extremely effective. Please make sure to use it in moderation in the future, the Getter Pilot Suit is not rated to prevent motion sickness.
"Urgh…noted." I swallowed some spit, thankful that neither idot decided to take advantage of my momentary sickness. "Urk…what, they scared or something?"
You were successful in eliminating the majority of their team in under a minute. They have good reason to be cautious of you. They may even think that your current immobility is some form of psychological warfare.
"They're giving me too much credit then. Man, I'll need some apple slices after this." I muttered before taking one more deep breath and switching the external speakers back on. "So, let's start with the easier one. Jilk, I have a question?"
"And why should I entertain anything that comes out of your mouth?" He asked just before taking another shot, this time at Black Getter's head. I didn't even bother to dodge. The round hit and exploded but, aside from some magic dust covering my screen for a bit, there was no other effect.
"The longer you keep me talking, the longer you keep yourself from getting crushed by me." Jilk and Julius were silent as I let the threat linger.
"Speak." Man, way to still sound so imperious even though you're the ones with your backs against the wall. Jilk was supposed to be the nice one too.
I spared at glance at where Clarice was sitting and saw her staring right at Black Getter's face, as if silently asking me what I was doing. "Why didn't you just up and tell Clarice that you had fallen in love with another woman and couldn't be with her anymore? Do you understand what she's been through since you kept avoiding her? She's been up the wall with uncertainty. Hell, she had to learn about it from other people."
That definitely wasn't what anyone expected me to ask as they went from silence to whispering to each other. I couldn't see Jilk but from the way his Armor was twitching, this was a surprise for him too. "She didn't need to know."
"The hell she didn't, she's your fiancée!" I immediately hiss back at him.
He countered by pointing a finger at me. "In the first place, this is none of your business!"
"She's a friend. With how close you and the others are, I'd think you'd understand sticking with your friends no matter what. You'd do the same for them, right?" The silence from him was telling. They were all idiots, but even I could admit that they were idiots who stood up and supported each other no matter what. It was almost admirable.
"I had hoped to spare her the pain of knowing." He said haltingly. "I had planned on breaking off our engagement during the summer break through a letter."
My eyes wandered back to Clarice and saw her crying on Angie's shoulder as she was being held by her two friends. Shit.
"Jilk." Huh, even Julius didn't sound onboard with that plan.
He didn't even flinch at the disappointed tone and just answered. "I am serious about Marie, your highness. Just as much as you and the others."
"So what, you just throw her away? Did you even care about her?" I said through gritted teeth, trying to keep my anger in check. Last thing I needed was for the Getter Rays to make me do something rash while I'm inside Black Getter.
"I do admit that I have a fondness for her, but the only woman I truly love is Marie. Not even threatening me with the monster you are in will make me change my mind." I guess that was it then. There was only one more thing to do.
"I want to add one more bet. Just between the two of us." I declared while pointing at Jilk's Armor. "Man-to-man."
"I am done entertaining any more of you–"
"If you're successful, then I'll surrender my Black Getter to you. It's yours, and I leave the Academy forever." That got everyone's attention as they all went silent. Aside from Jenna, who I could actually hear screaming at me from the stands.
"Wha–just like that? What kind of man are you?" Black Getter just shrugged at Julius' question.
"I've been told that I'm a pretty strange one. How about it Jilk?" I just echoed what Clarice called me and turned back to Jilk.
"What must be done?" He finally asked.
"You hit me, once. You win. I hit you once, I win." I laid it out. There was no way he'd pass that up considering how they should know that they couldn't beat me. It was an offer he couldn't refuse.
"And what do you get if you win our bet?" Oh yeah, I hadn't gone through that part huh?
"You stop being a coward, talk to Clarice privately, lay all your cards down. Even if you can't accept her love anymore, you can at least give her closure." I declared. Oh look, all the talking in the audience started up again.
"I was wrong about you, Leon. That you would go that far for a friend." Jilk actually started speaking with what I could kind of even consider as admiration. Felt really weird. "I still don't like you for standing against his highness, but I respect you as a man."
I just sighed at how I didn't even want his respect in the first place. I decided instead to turn to Julius. "You mind giving us the signal, your highness? This isn't exactly part of the regular rule set."
"...very well." He reluctantly agreed and moved his Armor to the side of the arena.
While I understand your desire to help Clarice in her time of need, I have to ask why you thought this would be an appropriate time to try to resolve the issue.
I muted the external speakers and rubbed my hands together.
"Think about it, Control. Most of the Higher Studies students in the Academy are in this arena. Jilk will have no choice but to abide by the condition I set, his pride won't allow anything less." I pointed out. With this many people as witnesses, his reputation would crash and burn if he flaked on this.
And you are certain that you will be successful? Betting Black Getter F was inadvisable.
"Don't worry, Control. I know Jilk's fighting style. I know exactly what he'll do at this range with the limitations of that Armor. I'll have to apologize in advance though."
Why?
"I'll need to do something stupid with Getter Wing." The sigh I heard from Control sounded like someone who had heard that sentence being said a few times before.
"Are both sides ready?" Julius asked after Jilk and I moved to equidistant parts of the arena. "BEGIN!"
As I had hoped, Jilk immediately threw a smoke grenade at me. I was already jumping back to avoid getting hit while it was in the air. By the time it landed and detonated, I had reached around behind Black Getter and swiftly ripped off its cape. I immediately threw it up in the air and over the smoke. I grinned when I saw a magic round hit it.
"A decoy?!" I was already bursting through the smoke by the time he realized his mistake. He was lowering his rifle, trying to get a bead on my Getter Robo. Too bad.
"Tomahawk!" I yelled out, grasping the handle that shot out of Black Getter's shoulder. "Boomerang!"
Jilk fired another shot but it hit the thrown tomahawk instead. It continued its trajectory and, because of how Jilk angled his Armor to shoot effectively, sliced off both of the Armor's arms. True to the name, the tomahawk looped back to Black Getter just as it slid to a stop in front of Jilk. Unfortunately, I still sucked at catching those things so it just sailed past Black Getter's shoulder and embedded itself on the ground. Black Getter's falling cape on the other hand was as easy as raising a hand and snatching it from midair
I then proceeded to hang it off the Getter's shoulder, held on by the same hand, because I didn't know how to reattach it.
If you wish for the Getter Wing to be reattached, please simply place it back on the back armor and I will initialize the reconnection process.
I gave Control two thumbs up and did as they suggested.
"Leon Fou Bartfort has won the wager." Julius declared and the crowd went nuts. At this point, I wasn't even sure for what reason anymore.
"I will abide by our agreement." Jilk said as his armor sat on its haunches.
"I know. Don't be an ass to her when you talk, Jilk." I warned while turning away from him and walking towards Jilius. "I'll know."
"So it comes down to us then." Julius declared as he readied his shield and pointed his sword at me. The crowd then started cheering for Julius to defeat me. They must have remembered all the money they had riding on this whole thing.
"We both know that you can't win." I pointed out as Julius stepped to the middle of the arena, right between me and the Getter Tomahawk that was still on the ground.
"Perhaps. But my love for Marie will see me through, regardless of the outcome." His Armor the charged right at me, shield forward and sword ready to strike. I sighed and Black Getter just zoomed behind him. I was about to punch him when blue flame-like wings erupted on the Armor's back. That's right, Julius' Armors all had the special ability to increase its performance for short bursts. It drains the energy like crazy but it has saved me a bunch of times in critical moments in the game.
Faster than any of the Armors I'd faced, it spun around and delivered an upward jumping slash that hit Black Getter right on the forehead. It didn't actually hurt the Getter Robo, but the crowd cheered on anyway. Julius ducked under the punch I still attempted and his Armor quickly jumped back, the wings on the back disappearing.
Julius and his Armor were definitely a cut above the rest. Made sense considering who he was.
"Tell me, have you ever truly loved someone, Leon?" The sudden question made me pause. That was pretty random, but okay.
"I'm assuming you mean romantically?" I clarified and received a nod. "Not really. Never really felt that way about anyone and no one has ever really given me the chance to try."
"Though, I do know a couple of girls who do." I couldn't resist the snipe.
Julius seemed to pick up what I was talking about and his Armor shook its head. "I cannot speak for Clarice, but Angelica does not love me. She is just the same as all the women in the court. They all see me as the crown prince, and not as who I am."
"How the hell are you so sure about that?!" I asked, getting impatient at how stubborn he was being.
"She claims that she loves me because that is what everyone has told her for years. She is expected to love me, conditioned by those around her. That is not real love." He began to ramble.
Julius continued and I could hear his frustration in his voice. "You have no idea what it is like. It's all the same! I've seen it play out over and over again my whole life! Why should she be any different?! Only Marie sees me as Julius and not the crown I am expected to wear!"
He laments the artificiality of the Royal Court. He might not even hate Angelica and only despises what he sees that she represents, another shackle. He likely feels like he does not have the right to choose.
"How can someone like you, who is free to live and love as you choose, can possibly understand how hard it has been?!" Dammit, man. I was just starting to sympathize with you and you just couldn't keep your mouth shut.
I grit my teeth but I couldn't hold in my anger anymore. "Hard? HARD?!"
"You want to know what's hard?! Being called a noble but being poor enough to have to do farmwork yourself! Being told that you'll be married off to an old hag so they can send you to the frontlines and collect the money from your death!" I started my own rant while pointing at Julius. "To be forced to risk your life on an impossible bet just to find the means to escape that hell."
"Don't you know how hard it's been for the rest of us? To be constantly compared to the five of you? To attempt Tea Parties to catch the attention of a girl only for them to insult your effort for not being good enough for them, if they even show up? To want so desperately for a girl to acknowledge your efforts and see you for who you are and not by what's written at the end of your name?" Black Getter stomped its foot and the ground broke beneath it. Julius stepped back, hopefully understanding how the hardships with women for us regular nobles echoed his own in a way.
"Who here understands that struggle?" I asked while looking around in the audience and receiving a roar of approval from nearly all the men there. That was probably the first time the crowd actually cheered in my favor.
"You keep complaining that no one understands you, but have you made the effort to try to do the same? Did you even give Angie the same courtesy you wanted from her? Have the two of you even talked about this without any posturing or pretense?!" Black Getter spread out its arms as if daring Julius to respond.
He did so by activating the wings of his armor and making his sword shine with power. "I will admit, my way of thinking may have flaws. That things could have been different. However–"
"–you only love Marie?" I tiredly finished his thought. He nodded and I turned to pick up the discarded tomahawk on the ground.
"You and your friends were supposed to be the best of us. The kind of men we all should have aspired to be. Hell, you're supposed to be the paragon above everyone else. You're going to rule our country one day." I pointed out as I started to slowly walk towards my final opponent.
"I never asked for any of this." He bitterly said.
What a coincidence, neither did I.
His Armor shot forward and desperately struck at Black Getter, landing hit after hit. It didn't do any damage. I raised the arm that held the tomahawk and Julius braced to defend it with both his armaments.
"Good talk, your highness." The tomahawk swung down and broke through the shield, sword, and the left side of Julius' armor. Black Getter pushed at the Armor and it fell on its back.
"Leon Fou Bartfort is victorious!" The referee announced but I didn't really care anymore at that point.
I put the tomahawk back in Black Getter's shoulder as it turned around and walked back to the tunnel entrance I walked out of earlier. I ignored the voices around me as I went. Control took over as the screens went dark and the cockpit opened up.
Slipping out and onto the offered hand, I looked around and squinted at how everything looked a bit blurry. Control slowly lowered me to the ground but I couldn't help feel like the world was spinning.
I jumped off of Black Getter's hand and stumbled onto the ground. I felt the gust of wind as it flew back into the sky but I just wanted to get back to the changing room. Staggering into the hallway, I had to brace myself against the wall when my vision swam. I guess that took more out of me than I thought. Pressing my back against the wall, I slowly slid to the floor and closed my eyes as I lost consciousness.