It was undeniable that Vic had a captivating appearance, usually overshadowed by his manic behavior, rumpled school uniform, and perpetually disheveled hair. Now, clad in the sleek black competition uniform, his agile and upright figure was on full display.
His messy hair seemed to have been tousled randomly, adding a touch of wildness instead. His face, with its sharp and almost perfect features, was fully illuminated by the sunlight, his jawline clean and firm, his mouth corners naturally curled as if ready to spew out a witty remark or a shocking statement at any moment.
Only when his eyes darted about, flashing, leaping with a light within them, and with madness barely concealed in their depths, did they remind people of the true nature beneath his handsome exterior.
Even Wednesday had to admit, with the most objective anatomical perspective, that the structure of his bones and the definition of his muscles were indeed a masterpiece. This realization caused the rebellious organ in her chest to flutter once again.
Damn, she might really need to undergo a thorough examination at the hospital after the race. "Hey, what's up?" Vic clearly noticed the sudden silence and focused gazes.
He looked down at himself, then flicked the small golden bell hanging from his uniform's collar. The bell let out a crisp 'ding~'.
"Don't I look good?" Enid's face instantly turned bright red, her gaze darting away, unable to meet his eyes.
She stuttered, "A-It's amazing!" "Thanks for the compliment~ Meow~" Vic winked at her, deliberately acting cute, his lips curving into a brilliant yet wicked smile.
"Pfft—" A bright red blood droplet suddenly dripped from Enid's nostril.
She panicked, tilting her head back and covering her nose. Wednesday clenched her fists tightly, forcing herself to turn away.
She took a deep breath, trying to suppress the sudden, illogical, and intensely abnormal heartbeat with sheer willpower. Arrhythmia, definitely.
It had to be dealt with immediately after the race. "Get to your positions!" The Principal's voice thundered through the loudspeaker, shattering the strange atmosphere.
All teams quickly sprang into action, boarding their respective canoes. Wednesday, feeling as if she had been given a reprieve, was the first to agilely jump into the 'black cat', taking her position at the stern as the helmsman.
Her icy gaze swept across the lake's surface, instantly shifting into combat mode. Vic followed with a grin, leaping into the canoe and standing at his position in front of her.
Next was Venom, who, despite appearing bulky, was probably lighter than Wednesday. Enid boarded last, still pressing a tissue to her nose, her cheeks flushed as she stood at the bow.
Directly to the left of the 'black cat' was Bianca Barclay's golden beetle. Their canoe was dominated by the color yellow, with black beetle patterns painted on the hull.
Bianca herself wore a customized yellow uniform. She glanced back at the 'black cat' and its crew, a blatant sneer curling on her lips.
Wednesday's gaze instantly sharpened like a knife. "Listen," her voice was low, just loud enough to be heard by the three of them plus the symbiote.
"We have only one goal: to crush the golden beetle team and be the first to cross the finish line. Whatever happens along the way... is an accident. Understood?" "Understood, Captain!" Enid nodded enthusiastically, finally shedding her embarrassment as the aggressive blood of the werewolf began to boil.
"For chocolate!" Venom growled.
Vic flicked his neck, the bell emitting a clear ring. He gazed back at Wednesday, his beautiful eyes burning with perfect, dark excitement that resonated with hers.
"Let them hear our bell, Captain." The starting pistol was fired.
As if a switch had been flipped, several canoes shot forward, slicing through the water, paddling furiously toward the island in the middle of the lake. The echo of the starting pistol still lingered over the lake.
Shouts, curses, and the sound of colliding canoes instantly turned the tranquility of Black Lake into a boiling mess. The 'black cat' moved like a black specter, unobtrusive amidst the initial chaos.
Wednesday stood at the stern, her hands firmly grasping the steering oar, her cold eyes scanning the horizon like a general seeking a weak point on the battlefield. "Hard to port! Avoid that charging rhino herd!" Wednesday ordered calmly.
Her voice, though not loud, was piercing, directly cutting through the surrounding noise. Enid paddled fiercely at the bow.
The werewolf's strength gave each stroke a tremendous boost. Her short golden hair was damp with spray, clinging to her flushed and enthusiastic cheeks.
Vic was positioned in the middle, his paddling technique... quite unique.
He didn't rely on pure muscle strength, but instead used a rhythmic motion that was sometimes fast, sometimes slow, as if playing a crazy concert on the water's surface, yet extremely efficient. Venom simply merged the lower part of his body with the hull, extending over a dozen black tendrils, churning the water like a biological motor, suddenly increasing the 'black cat's speed with a jerk.
"Wow! This feels amazing!" Venom growled, his large white eyes fixed on the 'golden beetle' in front of him.
"Like stirring a giant lake of chocolate milkshake! Although it tastes a bit off!" Just then, a canoe named 'trap and pendulum', painted purple, made a sharp turn and moved towards the 'black cat' with malicious intent.
With a sharp 'click', two long-handled axes suddenly appeared on either side of its hull! Using the centrifugal force from the boat's swing, they swept horizontally towards the 'black cat's crew like pendulums of death!
"Duck!" Wednesday shouted sharply, bending down first.
Enid reacted with lightning speed, her werewolf agility allowing her to almost instantly flatten herself on the bottom of the boat. Vic let out a strange cry, dramatically leaning back until his back almost collided with Wednesday's embracing arms.
Without hesitation, Wednesday bent her knees, precisely planting them on his small back, stopping his approach. "Keep your distance, Vic!" Her voice carried a hint of gritted teeth.
She didn't understand why, but every time this human heat source approached, her body's physiological system would malfunction like a virus—arrhythmia, increased body temperature, utterly illogical! "Whoa! So thrilling!" Vic, pushed back, wasn't annoyed in the least.
Instead, he roared with excitement and, from his reclined position, wildly swung his paddle, almost hitting Enid's head. "Hey! Watch out!" Enid exclaimed, dodging.
"Enid! Harbor mechanism! Activate the spear!" Wednesday ordered quickly, trying to set aside the momentary chaos with a tactical command.
"Wait! Let me!" Venom's voice was filled with excitement and wildness that was barely contained.
His large white eyes locked onto the two swinging axes as if they were coveted toys. Suddenly, he separated more of Vic's body mass, the thick black tendrils quickly merging, transforming, hardening— Under the horrified gaze of the 'trap and pendulum' crew, Venom's arm directly transformed into a large, dark, menacing battle-axe, bigger than their entire boat!
The axe blade gleamed with an unpleasant matte coating under the sunlight. "Hahaha!" Venom let out a deafening, crazy laugh, his voice filled with pure, destructive joy.
"An axe—it must be swung vertically to deliver a blow!" It didn't even use any technique.
With the most primitive, most brutal strength, it lifted the giant axe high and brought it down directly on the 'trap and pendulum'! "No—!!" The opposing team members' faces instantly turned as white as paper, their screams distorted.
CRACK—!!! The sound of splintering wood was nauseating.
The giant axe sliced through the 'trap and pendulum' with the ease of a hot knife through butter, cleanly splitting it in two from the middle! Water gushed into the gap, the wreckage sinking quickly.
Several fallen contestants flailed, coughing and whimpering in fear, their eyes staring at the 'black cat' as if staring at a devil crawling out of the abyss. The 'trap and pendulum' was immediately disqualified from the race.