「Please
don't move. We don't have much time」
Kamishiro
is sitting cross-legged on the floor, and Hana is laying her hand gently on his
body.
From
her hand, a warm light leaks out and heals around the spot where the light
hits. This is the well-known [Healing] ability of Aika.
After
the first round of the first event, Hana dashes to the audience seats and ask
Aika to borrow her [Healing] with [Looting].
『It
can't be helped. Although it is a disadvantage that the range of the stock
becomes narrower』
Deciding
that it was more important to improve the winning rate in the second round, she
immediately started to heal Kamishiro.
It
is impossible for Kamishiro to recover completely during the five-minute
interval, but everything is being done to make his recovery as much as
possible.
During
this time, there is nothing Chihiro can do.
At
least, he tried to stay out of the way and took a few steps away, when he
noticed Aika walking toward him from the audience seats.
When
his eyes met with hers, she smiled and winked at him.
Then
she walks up to Minamoto, who is resting.
**a
「You
lost」
Minamoto's
face lights up with happiness for a moment when he is called out, but then
quickly tightens up.
「Yeah.
I showed you my bad side...」
「No,
you looked good」
「Oh,
really? Then I have a chance」
「I'm
sorry, I don't think so」
Aika
dismisses Minamoto's reaction with a curt.
Then
she looks back at Chihiro, runs up to him, and puts her lips to his cheek.
「Huh!?
I envy you」
Minamoto
screams at the kiss, which only touches Chihiro's cheek for a moment.
Again,
Aika looked at him and smiled mischievously.
「I'm
not going to break up with him」
「...Damn.
You normie!」
He
glared at Chihiro irritably.
Apparently,
he can't tolerate people enjoying their youth, though he seems to be a youthful
fighter.
（Isn't
Aika-anesama becoming more and more devilish?）
（...haha.
I guess so...）
After
smiling at Chisato's muttering, Chihiro walked up to Minamoto to say a few
words to him as well.
「If
you want to have a private match, I'm always open to it」
「Heh?
Are you sure you can win?」
「...Well,
I think it would be tough, to be honest」
At
least at this stage, he has no idea how to fight an opponent who can beat
Kamishiro to a pulp like that.
Aika,
who has been following Chihiro, tilts her head and says.
「But
Chihiro-kun beat Kamishiro-kun once」
「What!?」
「A-Aika」
It
seems that these words were rather unpleasant to hear.
After
that, Chihiro had a hard time because Minamoto became strangely enthusiastic.
He was afraid that he might really challenge him to a match if they did not
have a chance to compete in the rest of the events.
And
so, five minutes passed.
Although
it was a short time, the effects of the rest and [Healing] were clearly
effective. Kamishiro stood up again, and this time he did not waver but stood
firmly.
Yotsuba
asks calmly but seriously.
「Kamishiro-kun,
what are your chances?」
「Honestly,
I don't know. But it should be an opponent that is definitely not impossible to
beat」
Kamishiro
replied and turned his attention to the members of Shibatsuru Academy. Among
them was Shirahama Saki, who was stretching with a relaxed expression.
The
difference in fatigue and damage is obvious. In addition, her ability is――.
Lucille
tells it with squinting eyes.
「Yuuki.
I've been watching their game from the side, but she seems to be [Disappearing]
as I thought」
She
beats the students of Shibaryuu Academy to a pulp while she disappears.
It
seems that without any countermeasures, the student was knocked out without any
chance to recover from the attack.
「I
understand. I'll be careful」
Kamishiro
smiles softly and nods his head.
Maybe
a vague warning won't do anything, but who knows?
Just
as Chihiro was pursing his lips in a tight line, he saw Hana standing up at his
side.
「Now...
then. Izumi-kun, can I borrow your [Sleep Enhancement]?」
「Yes.
But why?」
「Are
you stupid? I'm trying to recover my strength by getting some sleep during the
game」
Well,
Aika's [Healing] is quite consuming.
It
is a small price to pay for fast healing of injuries, but Hana's body will not
be able to keep up with it if it is used too often. She should rest as much as
possible when she can. Even five minutes of sleep would return triple the
effect.
Chihiro
nods, and then finishes the [Looting] with Hana.
They
looked at each other for five seconds.
Surprisingly,
he hasn't done this since the first time he was stolen his [Mind Reading].
Thinking of this, he saw Hana's cheeks were slightly tinted, and he felt embarrassed
too.
「...I'm
done. Well then, I'm going to sleep in the corner」
「Okay.
I'll tell you the result later」
As
he watched Hana walk away, the second round match was just about to start.
Kamishiro's
face tightened.
Saki
stands calmly with a wooden sword in her hand.
『Another
weapon user』
Marika
mutters.
Saki
is probably meant to compensate for her lack of strength. Even if not, the
power of a wooden sword is very different from that of bare hands. Unless she
is more familiar with bare hands like Kamishiro or Fuwa-senpai, there is little
reason not to use it.
It
can compensate for the reach, especially in the case of Saki's strategy.
**b
「Second
round, Shibahou Academy, Kamishiro Yuuki vs Shibatsuru Academy, Shirahama Saki.
Start!」
Kamishiro
moved instantly.
He
did not have as much energy as he had in the first round. He may have been
aiming for a short term battle, but before he could make a move, Saki's body,
including her wooden sword, disappeared in a puff of smoke.
「Damn!」
It
would have been easier if he had landed a blow.
But
Kamishiro immediately changed course and launched a wide-range roundhouse kick
into the seemingly empty air. If Saki was within the range of his attack, he
could inflict damage, and in some cases, she might even appear.
However,
the attack ends in an empty shot, right after that.
Bang!
「Kuh!?」
There
is a heavy sound, and Kamishiro frowns.
Probably,
Saki's wooden sword hit him somewhere in his body.
「Just
like before, she doesn't come out at the moment of attack... She's really a
nuisance...」
Lucille
muttered in a cold voice.
「Yotsuba,
are you sure it's just that it's [Invisible]? Not like a some kind of ghost」
「Probably,
I think so. But I don't know for sure」
According
to Kaito, this is not the same as Suzu's [Cognitive Obstruction].
The
fact that she was invisible even at the time of the attack suggests that it was
not some kind of instantaneous movement.
If
this is the case, it would be more reasonable to assume that she simply became
invisible.
「Maybe
we should have brought some flour or something...」
「...I
doubt if it's effective when the clothes and the weapon are gone...」
『Either
way, this place is too wide. If we're going to bring it, we might as well bring
some paint or something』
