Chapter 57

Mash Burnedead and You Look, You Lose Your Life is the fifty-seventh chapter of the Mashle series and the fourteenth chapter of the Divine Visionary Selection Exam Arc.

Summary
After accepting Kaldo's offer of a game, a small circle appears on the ground around Mash. Kaldo explains that they will be playing a variation on the game You Look, You Lose. He says that once he points in a direction, he will count down from three, and for those three seconds, Mash cannot look in the direction he is pointing. Additionally, he cannot step outside of the circle. Finn thinks to himself that the game is heavily weighted in Mash's favor, expecting some sort of catch. Kaldo says that they will play three rounds, and if Mash can avoid him all three times, he will win.

After saying this, he begins the game, pointing up. As soon as he says this, he attacks Mash from below. However, Mash is able to dodge it with relative ease, as he leans to the side.

For the second round, Kaldo uses both hands, pointing to the right and left. He uses magic to attack Mash from the right and left, trying to get Mash to look. However, without moving his head, Mash glances to his side, before punching both attacks and putting his head down. After seeing this, Kaldo says ''' 'How Quaint. How very quaint and draws his sword. He says that the sword is enchanted with black flames and that anything it touches will burn until it is destroyed. Meaning that Mash won't be able to block like he did last time.

For the third and final round, Kaldo points left, right and up, meaning that Mash can only look down. Kaldo then proceeds to run towards Mash and start a barrage of sword swings. Mash is able to dodge them, however with only one second left, Kaldo forces Mash to duck under the sword, before swinging at Mash from below. Mash is able to dodge this attack by digging his feet into the floor and jumping up. While doing this, he manages to look down the whole time, but as soon as he lands, an owl appears and steals one of Mash's cream puffs, causing him to look right.

After a moment of silence, Mash says that he lost, however Kaldo says that the last round didn't count, so they'll call it a draw. Mash seems confused by this and Kaldo says  'It's only fair'  but at  '[his] current level, Macaron is going to be a challenge for [him].' He then apologies for bothering Mash and leaves the room. Mash says that he would have been in trouble if he hadn't hesitated and points out that he didn't chant a single spell.

 

While walking away, Kaldo thinks to himself that Mash is  'off the rails' as he was prepared to block the sword with his forehead. He wonders what reason Mash could have for becoming a Divine Visionary that is worth dying for. He then smiles and says that he would make a useful ally, and he will be waiting for Mash to reach his level.

The commentator announces that the final round is about to begin. It is a one-on-one round with the simple rules of knocking out your opponent, or getting them to yield. The first match-up is shown to be Mash vs Margarette. Margarette says that he knows Mash has got his heart set on winning, but it won't happen. Finn thinks to himself that Mash cannot lose, as he and his father will lose everything. Wahlberg says that even in Easton's storied history, Margarette's talents are a rarity and that, for Mash, everything comes down to this. Margarette says that Mash's one purpose in life is to provide him with the thrill be seeks. Mash replies by saying  'That's a funny joke'.

Chapter Notes

 * This is the first chapter title not to feature the word 'the'.
 * Kaldo Gehenna's sword is shown to be enchanted with black flames.
 * Round Three of the Divine Visionary Selection Exam begins.
 * The first match-up is shown to be Mash Burnedead vs Margarette Macaron.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Kaldo Gehenna
 * Mash Burnedead
 * Finn Ames
 * Margarette Macaron
 * Wahlberg