Since there were only two of us, we naturally had a strategy for approaching the duel. That strategy was: [never fight alone, no matter what].
In terms of individual power, the opponent who had been exposed to supernatural powers for a longer time had the advantage. So we placed at the core of our strategy the idea of always sticking together as a pair. That said, coordination isn’t something that comes so easily. That’s why we repeatedly practiced coordination in advance.
Of course, it didn’t go well at all at first. The reason was that I couldn’t keep up with Touji’s movements. Though we were both amateurs, Touji had acquired and polished his ability even before enrollment.
On the other hand, I had done nothing but raise my rank in the game A○EX since my enrollment was decided. It was the natural result.
So I stopped trying to follow Touji’s movements with my eyes. Rather than following with my eyes, I followed with my heart. By focusing on sensing Touji’s every move before thinking about it, I found myself able to match Touji’s movements before I knew it.
The combination between Touji and me, polished this way, now felt like we couldn’t lose to anyone. I’ll show you! The magnificent brilliance of Touji and me—!
Just as I was psyching myself up and about to go back-to-back with Touji—
“Oops, sorry Yukiharu. Your opponent is me.”
“—Huh?”
Yagawa casually wedged himself between Touji and me. Ah, wait, that’s bad.
While I panicked, Yagawa took out something like a talisman from his pocket and tossed it into the air. Then, centered on that talisman, a hole opened up.
Not metaphorically—literally a hole opened in midair. And from that hole emerged a giant shark that had to be over five meters long. What the heck…….
“Nothing special, just a simple familiar. Though for an outsider student, it’s probably a shocking sight.”
The shark that appeared naturally floated in midair, and its beady eyes were definitely directed at me. This is bad, isn’t it?
The moment that thought surfaced, the flying shark opened its mouth wide toward me like a movie poster and flew straight at me in a single line.
“Aa As*lum……!”
tlnote : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Asylum
I ran. To escape from the Flying Shark, in the exact opposite direction from where Touji was.
At this moment, in my panic, I didn’t notice. That Yagawa had muttered something quietly.
“……Well then, show me. Your true power—Touji.”
Meanwhile, at the same time—
Akabana, who didn’t have the slightest idea that Yukiharu and the others were engaged in a duel, was organizing her belongings as usual and about to leave the classroom.
But just then—
“Eh, Akabana-san!? Why are you here!?”
A female student who happened to return to the classroom saw Akabana and reacted with extreme surprise. That in itself didn’t particularly bother Akabana. She was well aware without being told that she was a conspicuous presence.
However, the words “why are you here” caught her attention.
“Why? This is my classroom, so it’s natural for me to be here.”
“—!?”
Perhaps not expecting a response, the female student showed surprise at Akabana’s reply and hurriedly squeezed out an apology.
“I-I-I’m sorry! I just thought Akabana-san would be participating in the duel at the Second Arena……”
The female student was about to leave the classroom just like that, but Akabana grabbed her shoulder as if to stop her.
“Wait…………what duel are you talking about?”
At this moment, Akabana became aware for the first time of the events occurring around her.
“Why……!? I told them not to get involved……!”
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.GITHUB.IO
After that, Akabana hurriedly left the classroom and ran at full speed to the Second Arena. According to what she heard from that girl earlier, [the two outsider students from Akabana’s same group are engaging in a duel over breaking off Akabana and Narumiya’s engagement].
When she first heard that story, it made no sense. Even now, after some time has passed, it still makes no sense. That’s precisely why Akabana could only run. To confirm with her own eyes the truth of what was actually happening.
Arriving at the Second Arena and desperately running up the stairs inside the building, Akabana emerged at the very back of the spectator seats. From there, she could clearly capture Yukiharu and Touji, both of them, in her field of vision. Especially the figure of Watagaya Touji, battered and beaten one-sidedly by Narumiya.
“Yeah, this is what I figured would happen. When he instantly defeated that lackey, I thought maybe……but……”
“I heard that if they lose they become slaves—is that for real? It’s just a verbal promise between students, they could back out of it anytime, right?”
“They probably made a blood oath contract beforehand or something.”
“Ah, the kind where you get penalized if you break the promise?”
“Yeah, that kind. But those outsider students are doing something really reckless. Challenging that Narumiya to a match, and if they lose they become slaves.”
The conversation of spectators watching nearby entered Akabana’s ears without her even trying to eavesdrop.
“Idiots……”
The words leaked out unintentionally. As time passed and she regained her composure, properly grasping the current situation before her eyes, that feeling grew stronger.
No one asked for this—and yet, they’re doing something foolish like a duel under terrible conditions. They can only be called idiots. Idiots, idiots, absolutely idiots—
And yet, somewhere in her heart, there was a part of her that was happy about it, and despite it being about herself, Akabana couldn’t hide her confusion.
“Actually, isn’t this supposed to be 3-on-3? Why are there only two on the outsider students’ side?”
“Right? It’s already tough as it is. If at least Akabana-san was there, it might have been a proper match—thinking about that makes it feel like such a waste……”
Hearing those words, Akabana suppressed her body that was about to break into a run.
What would she do by going? Participating in the duel here would be tantamount to going against the Akabana family’s policy. The relationship with the Narumiya family would undoubtedly worsen as well.
Akabana stopped herself from moving without thinking ahead by lining up objective facts. Then, at that moment, the loud voices of those fighting in the arena echoed throughout.
[Enough already! With my poison, you can barely see anymore, right!? Your body should be barely able to stand! So why do you keep pushing yourself like this!? For a woman you just met, why would you go this far!? What’s your reason!?]
That voice belonged to Narumiya. Just as Narumiya said, Touji was already unsteady just from standing. The other outsider student, Yukiharu, was being chased by a shark familiar, so help didn’t seem likely.
Still, Touji didn’t look away and continued to face Narumiya as his enemy.
Why go so far—Akabana couldn’t help but wonder that herself. They were just in the same recreation group. Moreover, the attitude she had taken there was far from good, to put it mildly. Even when they tried to communicate with her, she had taken a cold attitude as if to say “don’t get involved.” Despite all that, the two of them were fighting for Akabana under unfavorable conditions.
“Why—”
[Because she was crying!!!!!]
Akabana’s muttered words leaked out unintentionally. As if to paint over them, Touji shouted.
[A classmate! An acquaintance! A member of the same group! She was crying without being able to voice her complaints to anyone! That’s reason enough to stake everything!]
Even as his consciousness should have been fading, Touji still manages to clearly hurl his defiant words at Narumiya. When Akabana heard those words, she found herself shedding tears without even realizing it.
No one would listen to her. Everyone said that her engagement to Narumiya was something to celebrate, something wonderful. Even her parents didn’t take their daughter’s words seriously. All the students at the academy kept their distance, looking at her through the colored lens of being the young lady of the Akabana family. Yet in the midst of all that—
[Say it, Akabana-san]
Only the person she’d treated so coldly listened to her with serious eyes. Only the person she’d caused so much trouble actually understood her true feelings.
The two people who should have had nothing to do with this, Yukiharu and Touji whom she’d just met, were fighting for Akabana’s sake until they were battered and broken.
How could she not be happy? Someone had noticed the SOS she’d kept pressed down in her heart, never intending to let it show. Happy, happy, happy—that was Akabana’s true and honest feeling.
“Ah, this is bad!”
At the spectators’ scream-like shout, Akabana wiped away her tears and looked up. There was Narumiya, trying to finish off Touji with a powerful technique.
She breaks into a run. The chains that bound her are gone.
Visit the request page If there’s a Japanese Light Novel (LN) or Web Novel (WN) you’d like me to translate
When the donation goal progress bar above hit 100% one novel will be chosen for translation
| Table of Contents | Next* |
Support the Author by Buying the Original Books!
