Published at 25th of March 2019 9:54 pm

Volume 4 Chapter 4 - Cooperation Attack Part 5

May 17th. The day of the second round of the matches had come.

What was conducted first was the decisive match where Kazuki was challenging Kaguya-senpai. The degree of attention from the other students was also high.

“How are we going to fight?”

Inside the temporary tent which was turned into a waiting room, Mio asked Kazuki with a serious way of speaking.

“What’s important is to constantly cooperate and never let it get cut off. We are the ones that are losing in terms of individual strength. If the fight develops into one-on-one fights in four different places, I think we absolutely won't be able to win.”

Kazuki, who didn't bring his katana, would surely lose if he was careless against Kaguya-senpai.

If Kohaku, who didn't have her Sacred Treasures, was careless against Kanae, Kanae would surely win with almost no injury on her.

Mio and Koyuki were even; but against Torazou-san, even if he was careless, it would be severe for Kazuha-senpai.

If someone got defeated somewhere and their team fell into numerical disadvantage, just like that, the outcome would be decided already.

“It’s painful when Kazuki said it so clearly that our own strength is inferior, but…have you discovered a chance of victory somewhere?”

Kohaku who had her own differences with Kanae pointed out, made a bitter face and asked.

“Kaguya-senpai and Kanae have [absolute individual strength]. However, I don't think that those two’s strength is necessarily suitable for team battle. All of us are going to cooperate with each other and fight in the way that shaves off the strength of those two. If we can shave off their strength, we should be able to see a chance of victory.”

“How do you think we are going to do something like that?”

Kazuha-senpai inserted her hands into the pockets of her Sword Division’s battle uniform and said impatiently.

“Kaguya-senpai’s weak point is as the person herself said as well, the lineup of magic that she can use is too showy. And then Kanae’s weak point is…”

And then when the time came for the players to enter the stage, Kazuki and the others came out from the tent.

“How about we decide the conclusion, Otouto-kun!”

Coming out to the grounds, Kaguya-senpai made a declaration of war with a loud voice. Coupled with that Magic Dress form of hers, it was impolite, but he couldn't hear it with the mood as anything other than the speech of an evil female top echelon from a masked hero show.

“What conclusion? It’s not like there's any fate particularly at work here.”

“Not that! Otouto-kun might have had the belief of winning against me, who lost my sanity at that time, however I don't remember it so it’s a no-count―! I am the big sister, the student council president and the master. I will teach those facts to Otouto-kun! Right, Kana-chan!”

Kaguya-senpai moved the talk to Kanae who stood directly next to her.

“Such things are trivial!” Saying that, Kanae curtly threw away Kaguya-senpai’s words.

“However, I will block Nii-sama’s path right here by standing as the strongest enemy! Before Nii-sama spreads his wings as the leader of this academy, I’m going to become your final ordeal! If we talk about a conclusion that has to be reached, then it’s surely about the years long rivalry between Onii-sama and me! Come, it’s time to carry out the promise!”

Promise―the promise between him and Kanae at the school enrollment.

The strongest Magica Stigma and the strongest swordsman were, right now, standing in his way as the [Swordsman of the Magic Division].

““Now is the time to decide this academy’s strongest!”” Both of their voices overlapped together.

Against the statements of the two representatives of the academy, excited cheering that deafened the ear welled up from the stands.

“Even though this is only the quarterfinals, the atmosphere really feels like the climax of a last battle, doesn't it?”

Torazou-san scratched his head with a dumb face.

“…That’s true but I don't have any intention of losing against Kazuki either.”

Koyuki too glared at Kazuki with a composed look.

“This is not a personal battle you know? …Everyone, let’s ignore those overly hot-blooded people. We are going to fight with the bonds between us!!”

Kazuki called out to his comrades at the back. His comrades replied back to him “OOO―!” all together.

And then, the Magica Stigma from the two teams stepped back at the same time toward the rear and formed the Heaven and Earth formation.

Opposing Kohaku was Kanae and Torazou-san stood opposite Kazuha-senpai.

And then all the Magica Stigma performed Access at once, their forms were altered into their Magic Dress.

“Then the quarterfinal first round―begin!”

The referee teacher announced the match. The eight people started to move at the same time…!

“Everyone, Formation Dark!”

Kaguya-senpai gave some kind of instruction. A different tactic from the first match was coming… this was according to his prediction. Even its content was following his guess faintly.

“Begone Kohaku! Don't be a nuisance in my contest with Nii-sama!”

Kanae slashed at Kohaku with force that was filled with more than enough spirit!

“Here I go! Year in, year out, I’m always only getting made fun of by all the girls, I can’t keep getting looked down like that!”

Torazou-san too slashed at Kazuha-senpai!

““Self Burning!””

Kazuki and Mio matched their voice and chanted the same magic.

That changed the state of two battles in a big way.

First was the fight between Kanae and Kohaku―

Against Kanae’s high speed sword dance, the situation immediately developed against Kohaku where she was being pushed back. However after Kohaku held out and a slight time had passed after the start of the fight, the flame armor that Kazuki had chanted immediately wrapped itself around Kohaku.

“What impertinence!”

Kanae ignored the defensive magic and slashed down on the flame armor.

Kanae’s Enchant Aura extended to her katana, enveloping it with aura that turned it into a magic sword that destroyed all magic phenomenon. That aura and the flame armor clashed against each other, offsetting the other.

The aura of the magic sword vanished. If the aura of the blade was erased, Kanae’s sword attack would have no attack power behind it except the original strength of a powerless girl. For Kohaku on the other hand, beneath the flame armor there was the girl’s own defensive magic power.

Kanae’s sword whose attack power was killed by the flame armor inflicted almost no damage on Kohaku.

“There!”

In contrast, Kohaku didn’t even think about dodging and swung her sword with first-class timing for a simultaneous strike. Moreover Kohaku was using Psychokinesis to move the flame to her own blade. As a flame sword, it was adding to its attack power.

“!?” Kanae leapt back in panic. She was unable to avoid it completely and got grazed by the flames.

“Freeze Barrier!”

From the rear Koyuki chanted a defensive magic for Kanae in a panic. The protection of the ice prevented the flames of the sword from reaching.

The two took some distance for the moment and glared at each other.

Kanae concentrated the cold that enveloped her body into her blade and attempted to increase her own attack power.

However, she failed. Compared to the flame that was visible to the eye, the cold in her blade was hard to sense; psychokinesis manipulation was hard. Seeing that, Kohaku laughed provocatively.

“Even after receiving the chant of defensive magic…from the beginning the powerless Kana-nyan-senpai’s attack power is zero anyway.”

Kanae, who secretly held an inferiority complex against her own powerlessness, distorted her eyebrows in irritation.

“Then I won't bother with someone like you!”

Kanae ignored Kohaku and slipped by Kohaku’s side.

“This one won't let you! Absolutely!!”

Kohaku barely Foresighted Kanae’s [next movement] in time and threw her own body in front of Kanae. Without even thinking about defense or offense, only obstructing the direction of Kanae’s travel mattered.

“Sheet, you're annoying!” Kanae, whose path was blocked, swung her katana. She hit the defenseless Kohaku; but thanks to the flame armor, there was no damage to Kohaku.

Kohaku spread both her arms and blocked Kanae’s path. A swordsman like Kanae, who could release a great number of attacks, was the natural enemy of Magica Stigma. Consecutive attacks had higher effectiveness in disrupting the spell chanting when compared to a single powerful blow.

Therefore, Kohaku resolved herself to be the wall intently and exclusively.

On the other side, Kazuha-senpai and Torazou-san’s fight was―

“Don't you dare think that degree of flame armor could block my sword! TORAZOU SMAAAAAAAAAAASSHHhh…huh, wha, what’s with this flame’s force!?”

Torazou-san, who brandished his powerful sword with all his strength, raised an utterly astonished voice looking at the situation right in front of his eyes.

The flame armor that covered Kazuha-senpai blazed violently with the force several times the original power.

“I don't want to admit it but…I have talent in the way of magic―! I'm not really happy with this, but…I'm the same, a [Magic Swordsman] like Hayashizaki Kazuki!!”

Kazuha-senpai collected the oxygen in her surroundings beforehand. Within the highly-concentrated oxygen, the flame armor burned up beyond its usual fierceness!

―[Self Burning] with oxygen incited reinforcement. Perceiving the invisible oxygen and controlling it with Psychokinesis was a fairly high-level technique.

However, Kazuha-senpai showed that she did it within only a moment right after the start of the match.

“Yamada Torazou, I will do away with you too and elevate my name! And then become a popular person for sureee!!”

“I, I don't really get it, but you are incredibly burning up with tenacity! How can I looseeee!!”

Kazuha-senpai’s katana that was clad in fierce flame clashed against the Torazou Smash.

The flame drowned out Torazou-san’s aura and even melted the body of the blade. Torazou-san’s magic power was converted from Enchant Aura into Pyrokinesis, stealing the heat from the katana and cooling it down for protection.

The result of such magical counterbalancing was the loss of Enchant Aura’s effect on Torazou Smash, turning it into just a mediocre slash. (GIIN!) The sword of Kazuha-senpai, who was just a greenhorn and often made fun of before, magnificently repelled back Torazou Smash that was feared as the strongest attack in the Sword Division.

Torazou-san’s posture was broken; Kazuha-senpai immediately pursued him to keep attacking.

“Whoaa!” Torazou-san desperately rolled around to dodge.

“…This is looking bad. I won’t get any help from anyone in this Formation Dark.”

“I’ll win…and become a popular person for sure!”

Torazou-san was forced into a one-sided defensive battle by the fierceness of Kazuha-senpai, who was driven on in a trance. Kazuha-senpai, who had separated herself from her nervousness, turned into a flexible beast and stood in overwhelming domination.

The two [Self Burning] shook the two battle states greatly.

―Of course at the same time with that progress, the rearguard had also began the offense and defense of magic.

“Barrett!”

Kazuki checked Koyuki who protected Kanae with [Freeze Barrier] using attack magic.

Koyuki couldn't defend against the attack in order to protect Kanae; her defensive magic power was scattered.

“O nihility of ancient times, become the freezing deep breath that resides in the vacuum of this chest. In the flowing stillness of rejection, freeze and be silent…Glacier Wind!”

Koyuki invoked a magic for counterattack. However the one it aimed for was not Kazuki.

The target was Kohaku. Kohaku could dodge a simple attack magic, but she couldn't do such things while she was fighting Kanae. The wind that contained chilling air erased the flame armor that enveloped Kohaku’s body.

When it happened, Kanae’s high speed sword dance once again became a complete threat.

“Self Burning!”

With the swiftness that was accumulated from training, Kohaku was attached with defensive magic.

“Mio, Kaguya-senpai is preparing her chant!”

At the same time, Kazuki sensed a stimulation of magic power. He had anticipated this beforehand.

That was why he had given detailed instructions to Mio of the countermeasure for that. The problem was the difference in speed between the two.

“O formless mute shadow, become the fish that swim in the darkness that’s pregnant with obstructive thought! Origin of nightmares, vicissitudes of materialism, bite in answer of terror and hope…! Deep Specter!”

Kaguya-senpai invoked a level 5 magic with surprising speed.

The shadow behind Kohaku swelled up greatly, became a huge monster, and attacked her!

However, Kohaku had heard from Kazuki beforehand about his guess that Kaguya-senpai would chant this magic. The girl evaded the shadow monster’s surprise attack as if she had an eye attached on the back of her head.

In the middle of that offense and defense, Kanae finally slipped by Kohaku’s side. And then she headed to the rearguard, Kazuki and Mio, dashing at full speed. There was no doubt that this move was something that they had arranged beforehand.

The Formation Dark that Kaguya-senpai instructed was to create a numerical advantage with the use of [Deep Specter] and directed Kanae to the Magica Stigma. There was no mistake that this was that kind of tactic!

However, he had read their move beforehand- that Kanae might be coming to them like that. The magic Kaguya-senpai could use that was orienting towards teamwork was around something like [Deep Specter] after all.

Even how Koyuki might not use [Moves in the Field] also could be predicted. Because there was the flame magic specialist Mio on this side, this side could melt the ground's surface immediately. Kazuki could also chant the same [Moves in the Field] and affixed his teammates with ice boots to oppose them.

Kanae, who became free, rushed to his position. To protect Mio, Kazuki made an interception against her.

Currently, Mio is chanting, so a disturbance against her Summoning Magic must not be allowed.

That’s why I'll stop Kanae…with this fist!

“Are you saying that you'll stop me bare-handed, Nii-sama!”

“If I can’t do that, then we won't be able to win!”

This match was about how he would fight to protect the Mioprincess.

This was because Mio was that kind of child, so it couldn't be helped.

“My wicked thoughts are filled with curses, I beseech for thy pain… I have no shame for my ominous thinking! Feel Pain!”

Kaguya-senpai who had finished chanting Deep Specter sensed Torazou-san’s disadvantage and launched a shooting magic of pain illusion to Kazuha-senpai. Unfortunately, Kazuha-senpai didn't have the perception power to just dodge that attack.

“UGUU! …No, no way I'll loseee!”

However, Kazuha-senpai’s talent in general magic was a cut above other people. She had already learned the Trance technique through training in order to soften the pain as the countermeasure for Kaguya-senpai.

Her inherent will-power should be enough to endure around two or three shots of [Feel Pain].

“Nii-sama, prepare yourself!”

Kazuki foresighted Kanae’s slash and repelled it away with his fist. However, Kanae was fast at any rate. Moreover, in order to prevent her from heading towards Mio, Kazuki had to constantly move in a way that blocked Kanae’s path. But…,

“Without hesitation even if cursing, thou also wounded myself…shared pain is my joy! Cry and shout in the mirror's reflection! Suicide Black!”

While Kazuki met Kanae right from the front, he invoked that magic.

“Wh!? For Nii-sama to do such a dreadful thing!?”

The Storm Cat couldn't press the emergency brake even when the red light had turned on. The swing of the katana that was moving toward the black mist fell. It resulted in a raised scream of “NYAAA―!” from the reflected pain.

“Kana-chan!?”

The one who reacted towards that scream was Kaguya-senpai. Kaguya-senpai, who struck Kazuha-senpai with several shots of [Feel Pain], was undoubtedly aiming for [Ultra Violence] next.

However, if she made the evil sound that doubled the pain resound right now, then Kanae would also get affected with its effect. There was no function of allies and enemies identification in [Ultra Violence] after all. …Though now was not the time, was Mio’s chant still not finished yet!?

The magic power of Mio who was advancing her preparation for high level magic, swelled up on a grand scale.

―Koyuki sensed that situation. Noticing that Mio hadn’t invoked any magic since she chanted the [Self Burning] in the opening of the match, she had strengthened her vigilance without doubt.

Koyuki invoked her magic preceding Mio.

“O singing voice of the mermaid, manifest the freezing thought of yours. Sadness to ice flower, loneliness to light snowfall, cover the world with cold white…White Album!”

The invocation rewrote the space itself with the world of a blizzard that was attacking, a large-scale magic that was impossible to avoid.

Besides Kazuki and Mio, Kohaku and Kazuha-senpai too were also locked up completely inside the alternate dimension of blizzard.

“Freeze Barrier!”

Kazuki had to protect Mio at the very least; he chanted defensive magic to Mio.

The other three people ate the damage of the blizzard completely.

“…Resist…!”

Still inexperienced in its usage, Kazuki desperately attempted Resist. Even so Kazuki’s defensive magic power was shaved off by a lot. The flame armors that enveloped Kohaku and Kazuha-senpai were also extinguished and they bore the damage directly.

When the freezing world used up its energy completely and collapsed, Kazuki and the others returned to the previous space.

Koyuki distorted her expression. Due to Kazuki’s [Suicide Black], the phantom pain was reflected back to her.

[Suicide Black] also exerted its influence toward Kanae’s aggression. It was very useful in this match.

“Only this much pain! …For Kaguya’s countermeasure, I secretly trained the Trance technique to reduce the pain! I'll show you that I can endure this much!!”

Kanae came slashing at Kazuki with an expression of pretended endurance.

Is Mio’s magic still not ready yet…! He couldn’t hold out for too long anymore!

“Blooming flower of blood tearing the skin, eternally resounding scream…awaken the hell right here and fell the betrayer! Cochytus!!”

Didn't your [Ultra Violence]’s chanting get interrupted just before this!

With a speed that made Kazuki spontaneously scream inside his heart, Kaguya-senpai invoked her level 4 magic.

Wide scope offense magic―In the area where Kazuki and Mio were standing, wind of freezing hell was raging mad.

“Freeze Barrier!”

Kazuki immediately chanted a defensive magic. The target was of course Mio.

“Even like that, you will still keep protecting Mio-chan!?”

Kaguya-senpai who had the pain of freezing reflected back to her yelled while grimacing.

“Kohaku, Kazuha-senpai, now!”

Sensing that Mio’s magic was in the verge of getting invoked right at this moment, Kazuki gave out his instructions.

Going along with those instructions, Kohaku led the shadow monster into a straight line between Mio and Koyuki.

Kazuha-senpai guided a lot of oxygen towards Koyuki with Psychokinesis.

“…Don't tell me!?”

Noticing what would happen next, Koyuki chanted a defensive magic in panic .

“The light of heaven residing in that body, O bird of paradise, following my accusation reduce to ashes the sins on the earth! Israel Judgment!!”

The highest level of magic that Mio could use, the level 6 magic was invoked!

Light element offense magic―lasers poured on the shadow monster who was weak against the element, it was vanishing like an evaporated shadow. With momentum that showed no sign of declining at all, the laser charged Koyuki!

“Freeze Barrier!”

Instantly Koyuki defended herself with defense magic, but―around the girl’s surroundings was a gathering of highly-concentrated oxygen.

With the laser pouring down on that area, a terrible flame explosion was bursting out. The ice defensive magic was immediately torn apart, Koyuki was blown away to the corner of the ground while the blue light of her defensive magic power was scattering everywhere.

“Koyuki-chan!” Kaguya-senpai shouted.

With the shadow monster obliterated, Kohaku, who became free, charged with the intention of pursuing Koyuki.

“I won't let you!” Kanae left Kazuki alone and dashed away in panic to protect Koyuki.

However, he mustn't let Kanae protect Koyuki. They had to defeat Koyuki with this momentum and obtain numerical superiority.

Kanae and Kazuki, who was pursuing, traded blows of fist and katana while running.

“Kuu…although every bit of the pain is reflected back to me, how could Nii-sama compete with me using only fists!”

Kanae groaned in frustration. In actuality, the state of the battle was not even. Kazuki was accumulating damage again and again from Kanae’s sword that he couldn’t block.

However it was fortunate that he had seen the example of how to repel a katana with a fist before from Katsura Karin. Owing to the reference from that, he could do something like this even more than he thought!

“Five stars shining in the interval of life and death, turning, turning, pillaging on the god of death’s shim, become the silently wretched clay doll…”

At that time, Kazuki sensed an awful spell being chanted.

“Near Death Roulette!!”

Kaguya-senpai brandished the god of death’s scythe and assaulted Kazuki from the side.

…Senpai, isn't your chanting just too fast!?

Striking at the opening in his high-speed sword dance with Kanae, the scythe was swung down at Kazuki.

[Near Death Roulette]―it steals one of the human’s five senses with each hit, in the sixth hit it would sever the entire magic power of the target.

The moment he got hit with that scythe, Kazuki felt the pitch black magic power flowing into his brain. Sparks were scattering in his brain, some kind of sense was destroyed!

Just like when a breaker was halted, Kazuki’s sight was shut inside total darkness. What was stolen was his sense of sight.

Kaguya-senpai fluttered the long blade of the scythe, the returning bladed tore apart Kazuki even further.

This time, Kazuki became unable to feel anything on his whole body’s skin. His sense of touch was stolen too!

Kazuki couldn't see anything already, even the sensation of the ground beneath his feet was lost. It was a sensation that felt completely like there was no earth or sky and he was drifting around in outer space.

“The match is decided! Prepare yourself Nii-sama!!”

Kanae came lunging at him with the total conviction in her victory.

However, Kazuki was able to sense her action.

“With that confident voice believing in your victory, hasn't your sword become extremely rough instead, Kanae! Even when I can’t see I still can see you know!?”

Kazuki poured his whole force of will into Extra Sense and took in the magic power in his surrounding area. As if looking at a thermograph image completely from the difference of strength between magic powers, he was able to grasp the situation around him.

The human model silhouette that was covered with Enchant Aura on its whole body and was coming at Kazuki thrusting with a kodachi―Kanae was thrusting at him in a large swing that was really sloppy for her.

Kazuki dodged it with a paper-thin difference. Moving like that, he grappled with Kanae who was leaping at him from the side.

“Heya!”

Lifting up Kanae, he looked for the silhouette that was holding magic power in the shape of a scythe in its hand―and he threw Kanae, who crashed into Kaguya-senpai.

“Funyaa―!?”

“Kyaa, Kana-chan!?”

The voice of the two falling into pandemonium could be heard.

Koyuki was…which way!? Had she been brought down just by Kohaku already!?

“Moves in the Field!”

Koyuki was running from place to place with wounds all over her body even with Kohaku assaulting her. She invoked the magic that made it possible for herself to fight the close range. However that was just a desperate move.

“Barrett!” Kazuki fired a flame bullet aiming at those ice boots.

When Koyuki shook violently and her balance was broken, Kohaku came assaulting.

“O immortal bird soaring from dusk to dawn, grant those wings of hope on my back! Destruction for the sake of rebirth right here in this place…! Blazing Wings!”

Furthermore Mio fluttered her wings of flame, she headed to Koyuki and took a nose dive.

“At the very least, the conclusion will be given by me who is the rival!”

He could hear the voice of Mio who got really carried away, Kazuki breathed out in relief.

“Hiakari Koyuki, that’s the end!”

The whistle of the referee was sounded, pronouncing the exit of Koyuki whose magic power had been shaved to dangerous levels from the stage.

―How is it going with Kazuha-senpai?

Kazuki magnified the range of his sensing power and peaked at the state of battle in the far away.

“Win…with this, becoming a popular person…”

“I don't get what you're saying at all, but to lose against a female again…”

Kazuha-senpai, who was clad in a flame armor that Mio newly chanted, was getting the better of Torazou-san.

“Yamada Torazou, that’s the end!”

And then, Kazuha-senpai too finally came this way.

“This is four against two now you see, senpai.”

Although those two were almost uninjured, this difference in numbers was big. If they tortured these two severely with a large number of attacks, as expected, even for Kaguya-senpai she wouldn't be able to freely chant her spell in this situation.

“…I never thought that we would get cornered this far.”

Kaguya-senpai took a deep breath in resignation.

“That’s why I told you already, that in any case it’s better to aim for [one shot instant annihilation] with you chanting [Galaxy] while everyone protected you to the death.”

Kanae was grumbling incessantly with a dissatisfied face.

Certainly, if she invoked [Galaxy], with one shot the four people in his team might bear catastrophic damage.

But even at that time when they defeated Nyarlatoteph, even while everyone was in anguish from [Psycho Noise], they protected Kaguya-senpai desperately from the fierce attack of the tentacles. Only with that the grand magic was finally activated. In a team battle where both sides were in equal conditions, they had no intention to let that long chant succeed.

“Even if we win using that reckless way of fighting, the damage would still remain in the semifinals right!? Didn’t Kana-chan also agree with that!?”

“Trying to win against Nii-sama without taking any damage is just too greedy! Besides, don't you just keep chasing the ideal too much and keep failing all the time!!?”

Even though they were in the middle of a match, Kaguya-senpai and Kanae began to shout at each other unanimously.

Kaguya-senpai simply couldn't be stopped from chanting her spell. In addition, she put a counter attack using [Ultra Violence] and [Desire Tentacles] after invoking her [Suicide Black]. That combo would create a dreadful strength when facing Kaguya-senpai one on one. That was why to defeat her there was no other way than to gang up on Kaguya-senpai with a large number of people and beat her senseless.

Kanae had astounding evasion ability but her attack power was low. If someone challenged her one-on-one imprudently, then they would be played around with mercilessly and get slashed continuously in a one-sided battle. But in truth, as long as one put up tight defensive magic, they wouldn’t receive any considerable damage even if they left her alone.

That was why the strategy was to not attack these two until the very last minute.

And then from there on, Kazuki stood in Kanae’s way while Kohaku, Mio, and Kazuha, attacked Kaguya-senpai simultaneously.

“Otouto-kun you idiot―!”

“Otonashi Kaguya, that’s the end!”

Kaguya-senpai’s scream, which felt like incomplete combustion, echoed. Kaguya-senpai left the stage.

And then the four people headed to Kanae’s direction altogether. Kanae twitched with a startle like a cornered kitten, but even Kanae would be unable to escape when she was chased by four people.

“Nii-sama you moron―!”

As expected, Kanae’s scream, which alsk felt like incomplete combustion, echoed. Kanae had also used up her magic power.

“Match over!”

The referee teacher blew his whistle and proclaimed Kazuki and his team as the winner.

“…We lost.”

Right in the middle of the grounds, Kaguya-senpai’s shoulders dropped dejectedly.

“Even though this side is using a few magics to get by somehow, Otouto-kun had predicted everything and came up with countermeasures for all of that. It’s really not fair. How dirty. I totally feel that I'm only spinning my wheels uselessly.”

“Even if we clashed against senpai’s team right from the front, we understood that we wouldn't be able to win, that’s why.”

‘Thud’, suddenly Kazuki felt a light impact on his back.

When he turned back, Koyuki was lightly poking Kazuki with reproachful eyes.

“…Isn't it fine even if you take it easy in that match?”

“Is, is it really that vexing? But it’s strange to take it easy in a serious match right?”

With a pout (pui), Koyuki turned her face to another direction.

“Arara, Koyuki-chan is sulking. Or perhaps I should say, 'how spoiled.' Koyuki-chan has pride in her fighting skills after all, so she is really shocked, see.”

When Kaguya-senpai pointed that out from the side, Koyuki’s shoulders twitched with a start but she kept her expressionless face.

“There is no such thing. …But I won't like it if Kazuki doesn’t give me something as compensation.”

Compensation. She really couldn't say strongly that she wouldn't forgive him, but how very Koyuki-like.

“Puu.” After muttering a word, Koyuki was walking to the guest stands.

Suddenly, Kaguya-senpai was staggering in her posture.

“Senpai, are you okay?” Saying that, Kazuki immediately supported her body.

“…I'm fine, it’s just that my body became a little hot.”

“Ha? Your body is hot?”

“Because, I fought using Asmodeus’ magic until all my magic power was used up. But I'm okay…I will be patient until tonight.”

“…In other words, senpai is planning to come to my room tonight, is that it?”

“You won against me after all; so take responsibility, okay Kazuki-kun?”

‘Ufufu’, leaving behind a mischievous laugh, Kaguya-senpai was also returning to the stands.

…Kazuki-kun, is it?

Suddenly Kanae was passing by beside Kazuki wordlessly.

“Kanae…?”

Against that unexpected behavior where she said nothing, Kazuki called out to Kanae.

“…As I thought there is a limit…in my powerlessness… Even though Nii-sama became a Magica Stigma, I have to succeed the Hayashizaki-style, but with someone like me…”

While she was looking down with a gloomy expression, Kanae muttered some words out gravely.

“Oi, Kanae. Don't brood over it too much. This time, that lack of attack power only stood out because of the rule’s limitation in this strict team battle, right? You have that personality that couldn't really get serious like this…”

Kanae stopped her steps like it was the first time she noticed Kazuki, then she turned back.

“Nii-sama! Nii-sama, Nii-sama, you are strong!! Your promise, it certainly has been fulfilled already. This time, I will recognize my defeat, but…next time it cannot be like this again―!!”

Kanae pretended with her usual bright expression and then she ran to the guest stands.

“…She is really seriously injured huh.”

In any case, the next match was being prepared, so Kazuki and his team returned to the guest stands too.

“Fufufu…with this, my friends too will increase…”

When returning back to the guest stands' seating, Kazuha-senpai leaked out a suppressed laugh.

“The Sword Division follows the doctrine of strength. …Now that I have beat the number four of the Sword Division, Yamada Torazou, it’s not an exaggeration to say that every student excepting the top three of the Sword Division have become my friend!”

“Kazuha-senpai. Senpai’s definition of friend is quite sinister somehow. What’s with that brute force theory?”

“Eh!? It, it’s not like that right!? What I'm saying is normal!?”

Against what Kazuki pointed out, Kazuha-senpai was shocked speechless and fell into panic.

Next, the match of the Takasugi brothers - Ryuutaki sisters team began.

However, their second match reached completely the same development as their first match, inviting the sigh of the spectators.

“Lunatic Labyrinth!!”

When Miyabi-senpai invoked that magic, all the movements of the participants on the ground was stopped―

―The moment they started to move again, the opposing team’s state had become unable to continue the fight.

If he had to say what was different with the first match, it was only that the Takasugi brothers’ degree of fatigue had been even more pronounced now.

“This battle election tournament is a place to show a way of fighting fitting for the Chief Student Council President, right? Even if they keep winning like this, there will be no one that would vote for them, would there?”

Kazuki spontaneously couldn't help but harbor such doubts.

Putting aside the Takasugi brothers…those Ryuutaki sisters might have a totally different objective.

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