SSS Talent: From Trash to Tyrant Chapter 563: Do Not Let It Fall

Xavier plunged into the water first, his entire being recoiling as if the ocean itself had personally offended his lineage.

"What the hell, this water is colder than a witch's kiss!"

He froze mid-stride, shoulders rigid, glaring down at the water lapping around his legs as if it had committed a grave betrayal.

"My balls are about to freeze solid."

Cynthia strode past him, her expression devoid of sympathy.

"You were the one who insisted we go in first."

"I wanted the sea, not this icy torture. I didn't sign up for this."

Zafira waded in a bit deeper, the water swirling around her thighs as she casually swept her hair back over her shoulder.

"You complain far too much."

Xavier turned his head, his expression wounded.

"I'm in agony."

"You're being theatrical."

Trafalgar followed them in, the frigid water sluicing over his skin. It was sharp, undeniably, but entirely manageable. He observed Xavier, caught in a silent battle between his pride and his immediate discomfort, and let out a snort.

"Are you done negotiating with the water?"

Xavier pointed a finger at him.

"No. Give me a moment. A man has his limits."

Bartholomew had only made it to ankle-deep and already wore the look of someone regretting every life choice that led him to this point. Cynthia noticed his plight and leaned in slightly.

"If you linger there any longer, Xavier will start claiming he's braver than you."

Barth shot her a look of utter betrayal.

"That's emotional blackmail."

"And it's working."

With a sigh, he finally moved further in, a hiss escaping his lips as the water climbed higher.

"I hate all of you."

"No, you don't," Cynthia countered.

"Right now, I really, really do."

That statement elicited a chuckle from Xavier, who finally forced himself deeper, his expression akin to a man condemned to march towards his execution. Zafira rolled her eyes at the display, though a faint twitch at the corner of her lips betrayed her amusement when Barth nearly yelped after encountering a particularly frigid current.

Further out, where the water reached their waists, Xavier retrieved the ball and bounced it once against his palm.

"Alright. New game."

Cynthia crossed her arms, her gaze skeptical.

"When you say that, it never ends well."

"This one's simple. We keep it in the air."

Barth frowned, confusion evident on his face.

"In the water?"

"Yes, genius. That's exactly what makes it challenging," Xavier retorted.

Zafira tilted her head, a question in her eyes.

"And when it falls?"

Xavier grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Whoever misses gets mercilessly mocked."

Trafalgar arched an eyebrow.

"That was going to happen regardless."

"Precisely. So, the rules are straightforward."

Before anyone else could voice an objection, Xavier tossed the ball directly towards Trafalgar.

Trafalgar snagged it with a single hand and promptly sent it towards Cynthia. She tapped it upwards with ease, angling it towards Zafira, who returned it with a swift, precise motion of her forearm. Barth received the next pass and nearly fumbled it, but managed to recover and push it back towards the center.

"There," he declared, a mix of pride and disbelief in his voice. "I didn't mess it up."

Xavier caught the subsequent pass.

"Pull that off five more times, and maybe I'll have a sliver of respect for you."

"You say things like that and then wonder why Cynthia constantly threatens to beat you."

"That's because she's excessively violent," Xavier shot back.

Cynthia responded by smacking the ball with enough force towards his chest that he had to brace himself to prevent it from hitting the water.

"Shut up and play."

The tempo of the game escalated naturally from that point onward.

Initially, the mood remained lighthearted. One player would send the ball high, another would stretch to reach it, and laughter would erupt when Barth nearly lost his footing attempting to save one of Xavier's particularly erratic passes. The water undeniably slowed their movements and introduced an element of clumsiness, but this only seemed to fuel Xavier's amusement. Cynthia, however, became fiercely competitive the moment Xavier started his incessant commentary. Zafira joined the fray without a word, and once she did, the ball began to fly back with considerably more velocity.

It wasn't long before the use of mana began.

Not full-blown techniques, but enough of an enhancement infused into their limbs and bodies to make the passes swifter and far more formidable. What had started as a simple game in the water quickly transformed into something far more intense.

Xavier intercepted a pass near his shoulder and sent it across to Zafira.

Zafira received it with the side of her hand and flicked it towards Cynthia.

Cynthia moved through the water, channeling mana into her motion, and returned it with such velocity that Barth had to throw both arms up to keep it airborne. He barely succeeded, but the ball remained in play.

"There," Barth panted, his breathing noticeably heavier. "That was pretty good, right?"

Xavier let out a derisive snort.

"It was... adequate."

Cynthia shot him a flat, unimpressed look.

"You seriously have no idea how to speak like a normal human being."

"My speech is perfectly fine."

"You speak like someone actively seeking a beating."

Trafalgar caught the next pass and returned it with a touch more force than strictly necessary. Xavier managed to get both hands on it, but the impact still drove him back half a step through the water.

Xavier's eyes widened slightly.

"Oh, so that's the way we're playing now."

Trafalgar merely raised an eyebrow.

"You were the one who initiated this escalation."

A faint smile touched Zafira's lips. "Do not complain if you cannot keep up."

Xavier let out a short, sharp laugh. "That is amusing."

The tempo of their game escalated once more.

Now, the ball sliced through the air rather than floating serenely. Mana was sharpened with every return.

Cynthia's seemingly fragile frame concealed a formidable power, far exceeding common expectations. Once she committed, the ball erupted from her hands with a palpable sting. Zafira's exceptional control only amplified the difficulty of dealing with it.

Xavier found himself relishing the challenge. Barth, swept up in the escalating intensity, abandoned his cautious approach and began to meet the ball with genuine intent.

Trafalgar, too, refused to be a passive observer.

One player sent the ball with force; he returned it with even greater power.

When a pass arrived awkwardly, he effortlessly corrected its trajectory before driving it back with such speed that it splashed Xavier in the face as he reached for it too late.

Xavier wiped the water from his face, his gaze fixed on Trafalgar. "You scoundrel."

A ghost of a smile touched Trafalgar's lips. "Was that not the objective?"

Barth chuckled softly below his breath.

Cynthia overheard and glanced at him. "See? You're enjoying this."

The subsequent exchanges escalated in a most delightful manner.

Xavier channeled more mana into his shoulder, launching a powerful shot towards Cynthia.

She let out a muffled curse, positioned herself beneath it, and sent it soaring back towards the center.

Zafira moved in swiftly, striking it back with a clean, decisive blow.

Barth attempted to intercept, misjudging its path for a fleeting moment. He ended up slapping it upwards with both hands, stumbling somewhat through the water.

"It stayed in play!" he exclaimed.

"Barely," Xavier replied.

"It stayed in play," Cynthia repeated, her voice carrying more conviction this time.

Trafalgar intercepted the next pass, sending it directly at Xavier's chest. Xavier caught it a fraction too late, wincing as the impact vibrated through his palms, and looked up at Trafalgar with undisguised accusation. "Oh, come on, seriously?"

"You requested stronger passes," Trafalgar stated.

"I wanted a challenge, not attempted assault."

Zafira brushed damp strands of hair from her shoulder. "Your exaggerations are constant."

"And you are reveling in this far too much."

"I am winning. That naturally improves one's disposition."

No one altered their pace.

By this juncture, the game had transformed into a fierce battle of pride, with the ball merely serving as a pretext. The water now erupted in sharp bursts around them. Mana flowed through each pass, not enough to ignite a full-blown conflict, but sufficing to render the ball hazardous for anyone momentarily losing focus.

Xavier caught a return, spun towards Trafalgar, and flashed a grin – that peculiar expression that invariably signaled an impending act of recklessness.

"Alright," he declared. "Face this one head-on."

He imbued it with excessive force. Mana surged through his arm, and the ball rocketed from his hand as if he intended to pierce someone. It skimmed low across the water, struck an unfavorable angle, and ascended at precisely the wrong moment.

Trafalgar managed to get a hand on it, but the contact was imperfect.

The ball slipped from his palm, bounced once upon the surface, and continued its trajectory towards the deeper waters.

Xavier threw his hands up simultaneously. "You made the last contact."

Trafalgar turned to face him. "You struck it like an imbecile."

"It was a powerful pass."

"It was rubbish."

Cynthia crossed her arms. "Retrieve it, Xavier."

Xavier immediately pointed at Trafalgar. "He was the last to touch it. I don't establish the regulations."

Barth mumbled, "You literally just did."

"And they were exemplary rules."

Trafalgar clicked his tongue and began to swim away.

‘What a character. Now I am obligated to go.’

As Trafalgar moved away, Xavier's voice carried back, "Don't perish chasing a ball. That would be truly pathetic."

Cynthia responded before Trafalgar could voice his own retort. "Your existence is the pathetic aspect."

The water grew progressively deeper the farther he ventured. The sounds from behind gradually receded, leaving only the elements: the sea, the wind, and the gentle lapping of waves. The ball drifted onward, rising and falling with the ocean's swell.

Trafalgar reached the ball just as a wave lifted it slightly.

He extended a hand towards it. Something ensnared his leg.

‘Ugh… Is it seaweed? I detested this sensation even before arriving on Earth.’

The tug was forceful, yanking him underwater with immediate effect. Icy water surged over his head, the surface vanished above, and whatever had ensnared him dragged him down into the depths. ‘Damn it, this is no ordinary algae.’