novelCooperation Attack (1)
| ← Ch.067 | Ch.069 → |
May 15th.
Finally, the curtain to the battle election was raised.
The first venue of the battle election was located on the Magic Division's grounds and the second venue was on the Sword Division's grounds. Four matches would be conducted in the first venue throughout the morning and then the four remaining matches would be conducted in the second venue in the afternoon.
All the students were obligated to watch the matches. It looked like there was a great number of students for whom this was their first time ever setting foot onto the other division's grounds. The aim was to make the students of both divisions interact with each other even from the start.
The stands that surrounded the grounds in a circle were packed full with students. Tents were constructed at both ends of the grounds, those became the waiting rooms for the teams that would come out for the match.
"I, I'm nervous..."
Inside the tent, Kazuha-senpai's fingertips were trembling (gatagata) while sitting on the pipe chair.
For the purpose of diverting her from the nervousness, Kazuki made idle talk.
"Now that I think about it, did Kazuha-senpai not learn any kenjutsu from your father?"
Kazuha-senpai's father was Tsukahara Hikitada. He was a teacher of the Sword Division.
It wouldn't be strange even if she had received a genius education since she was a child.
"My father was against me becoming a swordsman you know? Because he was a former knight, he understood that swordsmen are nothing more than an existence that is to be discarded after being used."
Tsukahara-sensei was a teacher that worked together with Kohaku to change the system of the Knight Academy. It looked like his motives were based from his experiences in the past from the time when he was a knight.
"But in the end I liked the sword! It doesn't have any relation to how swordsmen are treated. I didn't even attend the dojo; but I read the textbook alone. Even though father ignored me, I kept training with self-instruction for a long time. At that time when I met with Futsunushi no Kami, I even passed into the Sword Division."
While sitting on the pipe chair, Kazuha-senpai gripped her trembling hands tightly.
"I have to make father recognize my sword. But...if I don't become strong, I become scared when I think, "what if I don't become strong"...somehow everything doesn't go well at all..."
"Even before thinking of having confidence in yourself, senpai is burdened with too many things. Though in reality, it's the contrary."
"Eh?" Senpai raised her voice."What are you saying?"
"This is vague, but...'If I don't win' 'I mustn't lose', I think if senpai burdened yourself too much with such things, then your sword and heart can't become pure. Senpai can't swing your sword skillfully while being afraid of failure. When your swing doesn't go well, it becomes a burden in senpai's mind. Then senpai loses confidence and completely falls into a vicious cycle."
"To swing your sword with a pure feeling...I want to be recognized by my father, I don't want my classmates to make fun of me, certainly maybe I kept thinking only those kinds of thoughts and became nervous..."
"Then, it's fine for senpai to not get nervous this time."
"W, why is that?"
"Because this time is a team battle after all. If something happens, Kohaku and I will help senpai for sure, so please be relieved and let out your own strength."
"..."
"Putting me aside, senpai believes in Kohaku right?"
"N, no, for the moment I believe in you too. But if I just weighed all of you down then it's even more inexcusable, or how should I put it...sorry..."
"There's nothing to worry about. Senpai just needs to have fun with kenjutsu today!"
"To have fun, with kenjutsu..."
"I will also help with magic too after all, senpai!"
Mio who couldn't hold herself back from the heavy atmosphere also cut into the conversation.
"Of course this one will also provide help! Please remember it, that enjoyment when you first wielded the sword!"
Kohaku also encouraged Kazuha-senpai. From Kazuha-senpai's chest, a small heart mark flew to Kazuki.
"Thank you, everyone! Somehow I think that my feelings have become lighter!"
Right at that time, the broadcast for the team's entrance resounded. The excited cheering from the audience stands could be heard from inside the tent.
"Well then Kazuha-senpai, let's go!"
"...Right! Leader!"
For senpai to give an unusually honest reply was surely thanks to the benefit of the atmosphere there.
"...Come to think of it Kazuki, this is the first time you'll see this one wearing the swordsman's battle uniform isn't it!? How does this one look!?"
When Kohaku stood up from the pipe chair, Kohaku turned round and round as if to show off her appearance.
In exchange of the nonexistence of Magic Dress like the Magic Division, a battle uniform was specially prepared in the Sword Division. It was made with the uniform's design as its base and easy to move for real battle.
Until now Kazuki had never seen anything else other than her figure when she was fighting while still in her uniform, but she was wearing this battle uniform when she was undertaking things like quests and the like.
Kazuha-senpai who was wearing the same uniform was also taking a glance at Kazuki.
"Both of you look gallant and cool....I'm the only one that's still wearing uniform, I'm envious."
"Fufufu, look cool right? It spontaneously makes you want to take this one as your wife, doesn't it?" Kohaku puffed her chest while boasting.
"No, it's a different story if it's marriage."
When Kazuki said so, Kohaku became dejected.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
When they got out onto the grounds, they were surrounded by loud cheers that shook the earth. Kazuki and his team were surprised and looked around at the stands. Thereupon, he heard some familiar voices.
"OTTOUTO-KU―N! DO YOUR BEST―!" That was Kaguya-senpai's voice.
"Kazuki, do your best." A voice so small that he almost missed it, Koyuki's voice.
"Onii-san, do your best desu!"
"Kazuki, do your best!"
Lotte and Hikaru-senpai's voice.
"NII-SAMA―! PLEASE DO YOUR BEST―!" Of course Kanae's voice was also there.
Kazuki was dumbfounded. The front row of the audience stand was colored gorgeously.
"Do your best, do your best, Ot-tou-to-kun!"
With Kaguya-senpai at the head leading the others with a strange tune, everyone was―transformed into cheerleaders.
The bottom of their necks were decorated with a necktie. A tank-top that exposed their navel and a miniskirt. Both of their hands had pompoms attached. Everyone was dancing in the front row while scattering their lively charms.
"Kazuki, do your best, do your best." Even Koyuki was dancing energetically.
Their white thighs that looked bright were moving with lively motions, their rather short skirts were fluttering and the underskirts peeking through in a glance, those figures were something that he had to see with his eyes reinforced with Enchant Aura.
Kaguya-senpai's chest who leaped up with noticeable liveliness was bouncing around staggeringly.
To prepare something like this for him...
When Kazuki's eyes were stolen by the cheerleader figures of everyone, Mio was pouting.
"Kazuki, I'll do that too! Look here! Kazuki, do your best! Kazuki, do your best!"
"This one will do it too! Kazuki, do your best! Kazuki, do your best!"
Mio and Kohaku both placed their arms around each other's shoulders and began to break into a dance while swinging around their feet, unexpectedly they had a good relationship.
"No, it's not just me, you guys have to do your best too you know!"
From the opposite side of Kazuki and his team, the enemy team also made their entrance.
The leader was the Magic Division second year, Miyamoto Reina. The next was a fellow second year of the Magic Division, Nagasaka Yuka.
He had heard that both of them were second year rank-B, that was why it could be said that they were fairly formidable opponents.
And then the Sword Division second years, Ishida Jussei and Sagawa Tsuyoshi. Both of them were male and their real strength was unclear.
"Shem ha MeforashI know thy name...Thy name is [Phoenix]...poet that is namely a magician! O poetic bird that played reason with sweet tongue, in accordance with my life show that strength!"
Mio transformed her body into her Magic Dress, her appearance was that of a gallant female magician.
"It's a little embarrassing but...if there is this much distance then they couldn't look really well too."
Mio felt bothered and kept glancing at the guest stands where the boys from the Sword Division were mixed. But putting aside someone like Kazuki who had been piling up training that put importance in looking, a normal swordsman wouldn't be able to see them other than something as small as grains from that distance.
"I know thy name. Thy name is [Focalor]. O fallen angel that applauds thieves, steal the provision of the people opposing me, become the hand that carry out the glory of victory!"
Miyamoto-senpai was contracted with Focalor, while Nagasaka-senpai was with Valefor, each of them performed Access respectively, their bodies were wrapped in Magic Dresses.
―Finally the election battle began!
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
...The matter they thought of before, so that they wouldn't carry any damage to the next fight was, let's [move defensively].
In this team there was Kohaku who was able to evade simple attack magic with wild instinct.
Because of that if Kazuki protected Kazuha-senpai with defensive magic, Mio didn't need to protect Kohaku and could freely attack with offensive magic. This was a big advantage.
Even in the off chance that the opponent attempted to use a large scale attack magic that even Kohaku couldn't evade, Kazuki would sense it and he could immediately give instructions to Mio to obstruct the opponent's chanting.
If it looked like it was impossible to stop with just Mio's Barrett, he would give instructions to Kohaku to follow up Mio's obstruction.
If they did this then as long as the enemy didn't employ any peculiar tactics, they should be able to seal the enemies' attacks without much difficulty.
The reality of things also seemed to go that way.
"O gryphon that crossed over the ocean, those wings give rise to the wind of north pole, raise upsetting raging waves...Storm SurgeNorthern Wave!"
With fast chanting, Miyamoto-senpai invoked her level 1 magic. The gryphon Diva, Focalor, gave rise to cold winds and tsunami with those wings and attacked Kazuha-senpai.
"O rejection of absolute zero, protect that person and become the armor of isolation! Freeze Barrier!"
Kazuki Foresighted that action and protected Kazuha-senpai with the matching element.
Kazuha-senpai's body was wrapped inside the freezing protection and rendered the incoming attack powerless.
The other enemy Magica Stigma, Nagasaka-senpai, was in the state of beginning to chant higher level magic. Most likely they had already investigated beforehand that Kohaku was able to evade simple attack magic.
"Mio, focus on Nagasaka-senpai!"
"Got it! ...The wings danced scattering sparks. Trailed the spiraling wind, become life-gouging bullet! Flap your wings, shoot out! Barrett!!"
In order to obstruct the opponent's chanting, Mio invoked a level one magic. The flame bullet immediately scored a direct hit at Nagasaka-senpai. The damage disturbed her concentration on the spell chanting.
Kazuki was relieved, he turned his eyes toward the battle between fellow swordsmen.
At the front line was―Kohaku who was overwhelming her swordsman opponent, Ishida-senpai.
Looking at it, Ishida-senpai was by no means weak. However even without using Sacred Treasures Kohaku was strong enough to deal with him. She dodged her opponent's attacks smoothly and counterattacked precisely with unrefined movements from her wild instinct made Kazuki, who was the theoretical type, retort with [how could you dodge like that?].
It looked like she would be able to overpower her opponent with mostly no damage even if he left her alone.
On the other hand, Kazuha-senpai was having a hard battle with Sagawa-senpai as her opponent.
"U, uuu..."
Kazuha-senpai was obviously making an expression that was losing to her nervousness. She was cornered into a one-sided defensive battle and was overpowered by the opponent's strong single blows, slowly she was being pushed back.
"Quack Tsukahara! For someone like you to come out to the battle election, don't you feel guilty for your candidate!?"
Sagawa-senpai was hurling jeers at Kazuha-senpai. Both of them were second year at the Sword Division, so it looked like they were acquaintances. That voice made Kazuha-senpai increasingly shrink into herself.
Kazuha-senpai couldn't be allowed to be made even more faint hearted than this!
"Mio, I'm going to back up Kazuha-senpai!"
"Got it!"
Kazuki headed to Kazuha-senpai as reinforcements. Because of the rule, Kazuki didn't bring his katana.
However if he fought barehanded then no one would be able to fault him.
He cut in as if covering for Kazuha-senpai, Kazuki repelled the opponent's slash with his fist.
"What!? How could a Magic Division student strike my sword!?"
Sagawa-senpai yelled. If he really said those words seriously, then there was nothing he could say except that his preliminary investigation was insufficient. Even barehanded, the Instant Positioning could still be performed.
"Northern Wave!" Miyamoto-senpai turned to this direction and invoked an attack magic.
"Freeze Barrier!" Kazuki who kept his alert and grasped Miyamoto-senpai's chanting dealt with the attack using defensive magic.
"Ku―!" Miyamoto-senpai leaked out a frustrated voice.
"Ha, Hayashizaki..." A heart mark flew from the dejected Kazuha-senpai.
Even like this, she was also happy huh?
"There is nothing scary here senpai, let's just fight without care, okay!"
"...O, ok!"
The nervousness was finally gone from Kazuha-senpai's swordsmanship. And then just like what she showed when they were training, that swordsmanship that was polished persistently from long repetition of training was for the first time displayed in a real battle...!
"Wh, what!? Even though you're just quack Tsukahara!?"
Sagawa-senpai who immediately sensed the change in Kazuha-senpai was falling into a panic.
"If she lets out all of her real strength, Kazuha-senpai easily outclasses you, you know!"
With Kazuki's yell pushing her, Kazuha-senpai increased her momentum even more. In contrast, her opponent, who was pushed back by someone that he looked down on as his inferior, became faint hearted in return.
―At the same time, Kazuki sensed a rise of magic power.
"Kazuki, sorry, I might be unable to pin her down!"
Mio called Kazuki to attention in panic. Nagasaka-senpai who was contracted with Valefor finally began to knead her magic power to a great height. There was no more time until she activated it.
There was no doubt that most likely she was aiming for one shot of high level magic that could turn the situation around.
"Kohaku, position change! Go to Nagasaka-senpai's position!"
What he meant by position change was a sign for Kohaku to go stop the Magica Stigma's chanting after Kazuki took over the swordsman that she was currently facing.
Kohaku turned her back on Ishida-senpai and dashed at full speed toward Nagasaka-senpai.
Looking at that movement which lacked any hesitation, Ishida-senpai showed a surprised expression (gyo―).
Kohaku had no fear of exposing her back towards an enemy swordsman....Because she had already memorized the timing of Kazuki coming in to assist.
Ishida-senpai's sword that was heading at Kohaku and cut at her back was blocked by Kazuki who cut in from the side. Kohaku went and cut at Nagasaka-senpai fiercely.
It was a large-scale magic that was on the verge of being activated, but with Kohaku's assistance it was dispersed barely in time.
Unrest ran in the enemy team. When the high level magic became a failure, the compensation for that was big.
Kazuki continued to become the opponent of Ishida-senpai with barehanded techniques.
"Self Burning!"
While defending against the opponent's attacks by repelling the sword with his fist, he also chanted the flame defensive magic. However his objective was not for defense. Immediately he concentrated the flame on his whole body into his fist with Psychokinesis.
"Y, you, what kind of Magica Stigma are you!?"
Kazuki socked Ishida-senpai who raised a scared voice with all his strength.
That hit was the finishing blow for him who had been accumulating damage from Kohaku.
"Ishida Jussei, that's the end!"
The referee teacher judged that Ishida-senpai's magic power had been whittled away to a dangerous amount, he urged him to exit the grounds. If this decision was late for even a little, an incident that affected his life might have happened.
With one opponent exiting the stage, the equilibrium of the fight was crumbling.
After Kohaku slashed at Nagasaka-senpai she slashed at Minamoto-senpai...she wreaked havoc as she pleased. In continuous motion she kept chipping at the opponents' concentration, a disagreeable way of fighting. Right at that time Kazuki was also participating in the fight.
"O undying bird soaring from the twilight to the dawn, grant those wings of hope on my back! For the sake of resurrection, right in this place the destruction...! Blazing Wings!"
Right now there was no opponent that could obstruct Kazuki's spell chanting. With composure he chanted a high level magic, then he mowed down Nagasaka-senpai and Miyamoto-senpai all together with wings of flame.
"Miyamoto Reina, Nagasaka Yuka, that's the end!"
With both of them leaving the stage together, the only one left was just Sagawa-senpai.
Mio and Kohaku turned to the last opponent and they were going to pour concentrated attacks on him.
―Kazuki stopped them with his hand.
At the end of Kazuki's line of sight, Kazuha-senpai was fighting against Sagawa-senpai one-on-one.
Kazuha-senpai didn't notice that the other enemies had been annihilated. Concentrating only on swinging the sword, her swordsmanship was perfectly clear.
If they attacked four-on-one, the match would be decided in the blink of an eye. By all rights they should go with all their strengths, it might even be a courtesy for their opponent. However, this was discourteous for Sagawa-senpai, but Kazuki would have him as the stepping stone for Kazuha-senpai to take off her veneer.
...Mio and Kohaku too guessed that intention, they took a posture of observing the fight.
A large commotion was running throughout the stands. Surely it was from the students of the Sword Division. Kazuha-senpai, who was known as a quack swordsman, for the first time displayed her true strength on this grand stage.
"E, even though you're just quack Tsukahara!"
Kazuha-senpai's single minded fierce attack made Sagawa-senpai raise a scream.
"Senpai! Please believe in yourself!" Kazuki was sending a yell of support even more.
"UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAA―!"
Kazuha-senpai shouted, she repelled Sagawa-senpai's sword with all her strength!
Toward the opponent who staggered from his loss in the contest of strength, Kazuha-senpai inserted a beautiful single stroke of her katana that fascinated everyone who was watching. The blown away opponent's magic power was finally used up.
"The match is decided! The winner, Hayashizaki Kazuki's team!!"
The referee teacher handed down the ruling, the field was wrapped in a loud excited cheering.
"I, I won...I won!?"
When Kazuha-senpai first returned from the world of the sword, her eyes were looking around restlessly as if she couldn't believe the situation that surrounded her. All of the loud cheering from the guest stands was mostly directed to Kazuha-senpai.
"Senpai, congratulations!"
"Ha, Hayashizaki, I..."
"Senpai, you were strong, don't you remember? You gained a complete victory in a one-on-one fight."
When Kazuki approached her, Kazuha-senpai's eyes were filled to the brim with tears from the overwhelming emotions and she flew into Kazuki's chest.
"...Wait, who do you think would do something like crying in your chesttttt!"
Kazuha-senpai returned to her senses in a moment, she jumped back in a fluster. And then "D, don't misunderstand, you!" she yelled again and this time she leaped into Kohaku "Hi―n!" and cried.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
Continuing, the second match was started by Kaguya-senpai's team. When Kazuki and the others went to take a seat in the guest stands, they passed each other as Kaguya-senpai and her team entered the tent that was also the waiting room.
"Kaguya-senpai, what kind of fight will she show I wonder."
"Probably it would be the cooperation attacks just as I predicted, that's what I think."
Kazuki knew about Kaguya-senpai and Koyuki's magic. He knew how terrifying this team was from long beforehand. Moreover Kaguya-senpai and Koyuki's chanting speed was faster even compared to Mio and Kazuki.
"The second match, teams enter!"
In accordance with the voice of the referee teacher, Kaguya-senpai and her team entered the ground from the tent.
"We too have to root for Kaguya-senpai."
"But we didn't prepare anything like cheerleader costumes."
"Even if we had prepared it, how could I show myself as a cheer girl?"
Kaguya-senpai would explode in laughter and become happy for sure, but he had a hunch that Koyuki would look at him with total disappointment.
That was why Kazuki would at least yell with a loud voice.
"Kaguya-senpai, Koyuki, Kanae, Torazou-san!! Please do your best!!"
Mio and Kohaku and Kazuha-senpai who were at his side immediately covered their ears.
"Ka, Kazuki, what's with that loud voice..."
"I reinforced my throat with Enchant Aura."
Kazuki's extremely loud voice reached them and Kaguya-senpai's team was looking back in this direction.
"Otouto-kuuun! Look closely okay!"
"Nii-sama―! Please look at my performance Nii-sama―!"
Kaguya-senpai and Kanae were hopping around (pyonpyon) while waving their hands at them.
The match's curtain was first opened with a textbook clash between the swordsmen.
Kanae and Torazou-san who were in the strongest level at the Sword Division immediately stood in domination against their opponents.
"Everyone, Freeze Formation!"
At the same time Kaguya-senpai gave out such directions.
The flow of the match moved drastically after Koyuki who received that direction invoked her magic.
"O mermaid's divine protection, stop the steps of the hated enemy, hasten the steps of the chosen people... O ice blade, run! Moves in the Field!"
As expected, they used that!
"It really developed just like Kazuki said." Mio raised a surprised voice.
With the rules of this match, there was no doubt that [Moves in the Field] was an effective magic for this battle. The cold that was produced from Koyuki as the center froze the ground's surface in the blink of an eye. The swordsmen from the opposing team were slipping on the frozen ground.
In contrast ice boots were created for the feet of all the members in Kaguya-senpai's team. They began high-speed movements by sliding on top of the frozen ground.
Kanae and Torazou-senpai glided with their feet and ignored the enemy swordsmen, they assaulted the Magica Stima at the rear in a straight line.
Moreover Koyuki also ran with her ice boots and joined the fight. Koyuki, who also equipped the ice boots became able to fight directly. The boots that were attached with ice blades released a fierce kick.
The panicked expression in the opposing team's Magica Stigma were plain to see. Because their opponent was that Kaguya-senpai, it seemed those girls were aiming for a sink-or-swim and both started to chant high-level magic at the same time when the match began. However even faster than them, Koyuki had already invoked the [Moves in the Field] completely and decided their victory and defeat already. Kanae, Torazou-san and Koyuki, the three tore the opposing Magica Stigma into shreds with katana and ice blades. The magic that they were preparing was dispersed.
The two swordsmen couldn't move directly on the frozen ground, they couldn't go to help their teammates from the disastrous scene. They really were becoming useless in their function as the vanguard.
If it turned out like this, then this was mere bullying.
"S, sheet!"
Groaning, the opposing team's leader showed her spirit and forcefully melted the ground using Pyrokinesis. Part of the ground started to melt, finally the vanguard swordsmen regained their freedom of movement somewhat.
However, in the field where some ice was still left, aiming for Kanae and the others who were moving around at high-speed was not a simple matter.
Kaguya-senpai on the other hand, stood imposingly at the rear.
The two swordsmen slashed at Kaguya-senpai just barely in the critical moment.
"Suicide Black."
The moment both of them brought their katanas down, Kaguya-senpai chanted that with a calm and composed face.
'Just as he thought huh', those who thought that weren't just Kazuki. Everyone on this venue knew about that nastiness of Kaguya-senpai's as the Nightmare Bringer.
The two swordsmen who completely brought their katanas down on Kaguya-senpai whose whole body was covered with black mist were writhing about from the phantom pain of having their flesh split in two.
"Desire Tentacles."
Kaguya-senpai summoned countless tentacles and restrained the writhing swordsmen.
While Kaguya-senpai was doing that, Kanae and Torazou-senpai and Koyuki were beating their opponents senseless in close range combat and finished dealing with them. It was the pitiful end of Magica Stigma who didn't receive the protection from swordsmen.
And then the two swordsmen who were restrained by the tentacles were surrounded by four people.
It was evidently a complete victory without anything being a hindrance to them.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
The third match turned into a strange showing.
That team of the Takasugi brothers and Ryuutaki sisters were fighting, so Kazuki was being attentive, but―
The Takasugi brothers were desperately protecting the Ryuutaki sisters, and then Ryuutaki Miyabi-senpai invoked her magic.
"O eternally pale full moon, forget the waxing and waning of yourself, become the mirror that illuminates the world! Rise right here O moonlight, disturb the human's heart...Lost Moonlight Night PalaceLunatic Labyrinth!!"
The moment that magic was invoked, a strong light (ka―) covered the ground completely.
When the light disappeared, a strange scene where the eight people in the ground remained unmoving could be seen.
"Mind Encroachment MagicMind Hack is it? It seems like the heart of all the people in that place were dragged into the mental world of Ryuutaki Miyabi. Right now, those eight people are fighting in that mental world. To affect a large number of people with this magic at the same time is supposed to be extremely difficult though...as expected of her huh."
With a tone that was mixed with a shocked feeling, Kaguya-senpai was commenting from the side.
The magic power of the eight people who were stiffening like an image that was paused temporarily were beginning to decrease. Just as Kaguya-senpai said, those eight were fighting in the mental world. They were fighting in the mental world, that was why they wouldn't bear any wounds on their flesh, but it seemed like if they bore any wounds in their mind it would shave off their magic power.
The opposing team's magic powers were decreasing very fast before their eyes. He completely didn't know what kind of fight was unfolding in there but it was obvious that Miyabi-senpai and her team was dominating overwhelmingly.
Before long...when time was moving once more, the four people from the opposing team were falling down with their magic power just barely on the amount of almost falling into magic intoxication. The Takasugi brothers were breathing roughly (zeezee), but the Ryuutaki sisters' expressions were looking calm and composed.
"The match is decided! The winner, Takasugi Shūsui's team!" The referee teacher gave his verdict.
That [Lunatic Labyrinth] was a magic that dragged both ally and enemy into a particular battlefield. If the person had a high skill in Telepathy then it was most likely possible to resist being dragged inside, but putting aside those like Lotte or Kaguya-senpai, it was likely impossible for Kazuki and his team.
What kind of fight Miyabi-senpai and her team were having...that would become clear if it turned out that Kazuki had to fight them in the future.
| ← Ch. 067 | Ch. 069 → |