The city came into view as we cleared the forest at the end of that fierce struggle. Perhaps because it was a frontier town, the clock tower was the only tall building in sight, which made the checkpoint easy to spot.
However, based on the direction of our goal at the lake, the course required us to pass the clock tower by swinging around it to the right, using the structure like a pylon.
"Just a little longer... Once Black Muscat starts their turn, I’ll hit the acceleration," Aoi said.
"Got it. I'm ready."
"Our altitude looks good where it is."
This was the deciding moment. Success depended on whether I could maintain solid control while we surged forward. I waited for the signal, focusing every fiber of my being. We weaved through the air above the city, my attention locked onto Black Muscat ahead of us.
Then, I saw them. Black Muscat began a wide right bank, heading for the checkpoint.
"Kaito-san! Now!"
"Right, I'm counting on you!"
Aoi manipulated our speed, and the flying board accelerated all at once. I couldn't afford to take the turn wide; I had to whip us around as tightly as possible at this speed.
I threw my weight into the right side of the board, making micro-adjustments to our heading to match the changing path. Somehow, I managed to keep us under control, and our surging board pulled up alongside Black Muscat.
"What?! They’re making their move here?! Do they really intend to clear the turn at that speed?!"
Even the veterans on the Black Muscat team were caught off guard; this high-risk maneuver was clearly beyond their expectations. To be sure, at this velocity, a single mistake—even the slightest wobble in the wrong direction—would mean missing the checkpoint entirely.
It was essentially a gamble, but given our angle, I knew we could make it.
As if in answer to my prayer, the flying board stayed true, passing through the checkpoint at the exact angle I had envisioned without any unexpected shifts. We overtook Black Muscat in the same breath and seized the lead.
"Alright, let's keep this momentum! Aoi, how’s our magic power?"
"We're still okay. Most likely, Black Muscat—who passed us earlier—and Scarlet Blue—who made their move in the rocky mountains—are at roughly the same level. At this speed, we should just barely be able to reach the finish line."
"Kaito-senpai, I’m dropping our altitude slightly... Ah, the other two teams are speeding up as well!" Hina shouted.
I didn't have the luxury of looking back while focusing so intensely on the controls, but according to Hina, the two trailing teams were giving chase.
This was surely the final showdown. From here to the goal, it was a pure battle of technique. The winner would be whoever could control their board the best and keep it flying in the straightest line possible.
I felt good, though. It was as if I’d entered a state of flow; I found myself manipulating the board with near-perfect intuition.
"Hina, how are we looking behind?"
"We’re pulling away little by little! Kaito-senpai, you’re flying much straighter than they are, with almost no wobbling!"
"Kaito-san, I know it’s a lot to ask, but please keep it up!"
"Yeah. Aoi, keep managing the magic power. Hina, stay on the lookout behind us."
"Yes!" the two of them replied in unison.
Since our altitude was already set for the final approach, I let Hina focus on the two teams behind us while I kept my eyes fixed forward, pouring everything into controlling the board. I trusted Aoi's magic management implicitly; we were definitely going to reach that goal without losing our speed.
"Wait! Kaito-senpai! Gust coming from the right!"
"Got it!"
Reacting instantly to Hina’s warning, I banked hard to the right to counter the wind. The timing and the force of my movement were spot-on. In fact, by using the wind to our advantage, I was able to keep our flight path perfectly straight with almost no side-to-side sway.
I felt a surge of pride at my own control, but I knew Aoi’s magic management and split-second judgments had been equally vital. Hina’s intuition had saved us time and again, too. If any one of us had been missing, we wouldn't have reached this point.
This victory belonged to all three of us.
"The leader has just crossed the finish line! It’s decided!"
Our flying board shot across the goal without ever yielding the lead, and a massive roar of cheers erupted from the crowd.
"We... we did it."
"We really did it, didn't we?"
"We did it! Senpai! We won!"
Hina lunged from behind, wrapping her arms around both me and Aoi. Even without seeing her face, I could tell she was beaming with joy.
And so, our first ever entry into a flying board tournament ended in the best possible way: a hard-fought victory.
Serious-senpai: "I-Impossible... I am the Incarnation of Seriousness... Ah, t-that’s it! While I am the Incarnation of Seriousness, I am also the Observer of Seriousness! That makes sense, doesn't it, Omniscient God?! Right? Tell me I'm right!!"
Machina: "............That is so."
Serious-senpai: "Why do you sound like you don't believe it?!"