378 Chapter 378: Eve of the Knock-out Rounds (1/2)
Bu Fan was finally released from jail after a couple of days, thanks to Sacha pulling some strings. As an aside, Rottsfield really was fired and blacklisted from the police force. I would pity him, but he totally deserved it. I still remembered how he beat me up and kicked me just to force a false confession from me. All so he could close the case early.
Bloody corrupted cop. I heard that he was even going to have to serve a jail sentence for a few years at least. All the false confessions and acquittals were happening now, across the Federation as a result of Rottsfield and his colleagues forcing false confessions and dishonestly imprisoning prisoners just so their job could be easier. It had become quite the scandal.
Not that I cared. The police had nothing to do with me now. I was more concerned with the upcoming tournament.
Bu Fan, as you would expect, returned to the hotel in a foul mood. He was absolutely fuming as he stomped through the lobby. However, the moment he caught sight of Xin Chun, he brightened up and rushed over to hug her.
\”I'm so glad you're all right!\”
\”Brother! They finally let you out! I hope they didn't abuse you in jail…\”
\”Hah!\” Bu Fan scoffed. \”Who do you think I am? They don't dare to touch me in my cell. I had the whole group of inmates serving me throughout my two days there!\”
As I expected, he really became the prisoners' boss. Wow.
\”I made you guys worry as well,\” Bu Fan said when he caught sight of the team gathering around his sister, scratching his head sheepishly. \”Sorry about that.\”
At a glare from his sister, who was reminding him something, he lowered his head. I was startled when I realized he was bowing to me.
\”Thanks for helping me save my sister. I really appreciate it.\”
\”No, I only did what other people would have done if they were faced with the same situation.\” I raised both of my hands.
\”You're way too humble,\” Yue Chu mocked me, throwing an arm around my neck. \”Oh, and make sure you inform us before you pull this kind of stunt in future. It's not fair to leave us out of the fun! We want a share too!\”
\”That's right!\” Craig hollered. \”How dare you leave us out of a scrap?!\”
\”Okay, okay. I'll call you guys in future when I go pick a fight with assholes and idiots dumb enough to kidnap my sister.\” Bu Fan raised both of his hands and laughed good-naturedly. I doubted he would actually do it too, and honestly the chances of his sister getting kidnapped again were low. Not unless her mother was as much of a prime target of revenge as my dad was, and so scum of the underworld from all over the globe decided to converge upon her and kidnap her to enact vengeance or blackmail her mom.
I still had no idea who her mother was, and why they were so fixated on drawing her attentions. Not that it turned well for the previous batch of abductors, who were nothing more than dust now. If only I had suit of armors, I could entomb the dust inside those power armor and revive them as automatons. Then have them moan, \”All is dust\” as they marched forward.
Rubric Marines are awesome.
\”Anyway, I'm glad you're back. You should get some rest, and I'll update you on our plans going forward tomorrow.\”
\”You included me in your plans? I'm flattered.\” Despite Harrison's sincerity, Bu Fan's tone dripped with sarcasm. He looked apologetic when Xin Chun sent him a harsh glare, and he forced a smile. \”I'll do my best to live up to your expectations.\”
\”You will,\” Harrison assured him. \”For now, take a rest.\”
\”What, already?\” Craig complained. \”That's not right! We should celebrate his release tonight! Let's go eat somewhere!\”
Oh, yay. Food. I couldn't wait to eat. For some reason, I was feeling slightly hungry, and this sounded like a great chance to…well, eat.
\”Hmm, this sounds like a good opportunity,\” Bu Fan remarked with a nod. \”Might as well brief me over dinner instead of waiting until tomorrow. What do you say, Harrison?\”
\”I say yes, zutto!\”
Why was Harrison quoting the name of an ending song from a relatively old 2000s anime?
With that settled, all of us left for the nearest restaurant.
*
After dinner, we returned to our rooms to…well, rest, but obviously I spent it training. I had reached a breakthrough of sorts with my ice magic, particularly with several ways of applying it to my summoning magic. Several of my Constellation spirits benefited from the ice spells, and I made sure to improve Canis Major's Sirius spell – even though it was still ice type, I made it a lot more destructive so that the targets would disintegrate and crumble apart when the ice shattered, rather than them being trapped for a minute or so.
To put it simply, I increased the potency of Canis Major's Sirius. Of course, I could adjust the output of the spell, so if I chose to incapacitate my opponent instead of kill him, I could just ensure he gets frozen for a very long time. Obviously, the more powerful the opponent, the higher his resistance toward magic, and thus the likelier he would be to break free of frozen spells, but I had to learn to let it go. I mean, I had to learn to roll with it and adjust my strategies accordingly. Right now, ice-type Sirius should be just as destructive and powerful as the original Sirius, but more versatile in that I had the option to immobilize my foes rather than kill them outright.
\”Good.\”
Satisfied with my progress, I moved on toward the rest of my magic, until I was done for the night. Completing the last routine of my training, I returned to my room, only to run into Harrison. He nodded at me right outside the door of the training facility that the hotel provided.