Chapter 74: The Battle of the North Route

『’School’ side, player Shion Blitz, ‘Academy’ side, player Carrolina Liette, both players mutual kill. Both sides’ map data will be released.』

“Eh?!”

At the sudden announcement from the referee, I instinctively brought Lucifer to an emergency stop.

Carrol lost?! A mutual kill…?!

The map data is transferred. The second of the nine enemy maps was released. …Wait, it’s here.

The map containing the North route, which I had just intruded into, was released.

Unfortunately, neither the ‘Crown’ nor the ‘Home Base’ is there. A dud, huh…

This data, obtained even at the cost of Carrol’s sacrifice, doesn’t feel rewarding.

To think the first casualty on the ‘Academy’ side would be Carrol. Even though she worked so hard in training…

As I felt a bit downhearted, three pop-up messages pokon, pokon, pokon jumped in.

Rizlet, Hatoba, and Pearl started combat…! Has it started on the South route too…?!

Let’s think positively. At least we defended the Central route to the death. Furthermore, they lost two machines. We still have the advantage.

『Nero, can you hear me?』

“Carrol…!”

Carrol’s voice came from the speaker inside the cockpit. Originally, a defeated player becomes unable to communicate, but only the ‘Commander’ can issue instructions to the remaining players even after exiting.

『Sorry, I lost.』

“…What are you saying? You didn’t lose, did you. You properly defended the Central route.”

That’s right. She didn’t lose. It’s a mutual kill. She properly fulfilled her role. She can be proud.

『…Yeah, that’s right. But we don’t know where the substitute player who replaced their ‘Scout’ is heading. If he’s heading for the wide-open Central route, he’ll pass right through. For now, I sent Lumiel, who was on ‘Home Base’ defense duty, to head there. Nero, hurry and secure the North route.』

I see… If the Pale Gourd who substituted for the Flashy Guy comes to the Central route, it’ll be bad. I think sending Lumiel was a nice judgment.

It’s the same Titan Frame, so she won’t let him pass easily.

What’s left is the North route I’m heading towards, but… Koto has already passed the mountain pass. Koto’s machine is also a Lightning Frame, after all… Her invasion speed is fast.

However, by process of elimination, the rank number one Kokonoe Kojuro and the rank number three Mariette Lily should be heading for that North route.

I display the data of the two on the sub-monitor.

■ Kokonoe Kojuro

・From the Divine Kingdom Eashen

・Boarding Machine

Ritter Frame ‘Kusanagi’

・Position: ‘Commander’

■ Mariette Lily

・From the Gardio Empire

・Boarding Machine

Mystic Frame ‘Jewel Moon’

・Position: ‘Striker’

Of all things, one of them is a Mystic Frame… If Koto runs into these two machines poorly, it might be bad…

I should have Koto temporarily halt her invasion and stand by until I arrive…

Just as I thought that, another pop-up message pokon flowed onto my smartphone.

Koto started combat…?! Damn it, I didn’t make it in time…!

Looking around, the sun had already mostly set, lost its orange light, and the curtain of night was beginning to fall.

Once it gets like this, ‘Phantom’ and the Hide Cloak are already meaningless.

I turned off ‘Phantom’, threw off the Hide Cloak, and made Lucifer light.

With this, I can fly at full speed!

“[Zero Gravity]!”

Bringing Lucifer’s weight to almost zero and fully opening the back thrusters, the scenery flowed by with tremendous momentum.

The operation limit of [Zero Gravity] was one minute, but due to Lara’s machine improvements, it can be operated for up to a minute and a half. Even if I use half of that, I will definitely catch up!

“Make it in time…!”

Inside the cockpit of the continuously accelerating Lucifer, I kept gripping the control stick as if in prayer.

       ◇ ◇ ◇

“Kuh…!”

Koto was being pushed back by the attacks of the black and silver machine in front of her, the Frame Gear piloted by Kokonoe Kojuro, ‘Kusanagi’.

He is an opponent she has sparred with using bamboo swords more times than she can count. It is not difficult to read his habits and sword lines.

However, that applies to him as well, and all of her attacks are being read.

The attacks of ‘Tsukuyomi’ piloted by Koto were dodged by Kusanagi without even grazing it.

He is a Ritter Frame and she is a Lightning Frame. She should have the advantage in speed, yet he still matches her. This is nothing else but because he is moving by anticipating Koto’s movements.

“[Kokonoe Shinmei Style Secret Technique, Purple Lightning Flash (Shiden Issen)]!”

『[Kokonoe Shinmei Style Secret Technique, Purple Lightning Flash (Shiden Issen)]』

Kusanagi intercepted the sword flash unleashed by Tsukuyomi with the exact same technique.

It’s the same technique, but the power is different between a Lightning Frame and a Ritter Frame.

Losing out in the sword clash, Tsukuyomi lost its balance.

The tip of a sword thrust straight there approached, but Tsukuyomi daringly dodged by seemingly falling backwards, while kicking that arm upwards.

This time, while Kusanagi lost its balance, Tsukuyomi stood up and jumped backward.

In a battle where she couldn’t relax her guard, Koto’s fatigue was only accumulating.

What bothered her more than anything was the white Mystic Frame that looked down on this side from atop the rock wall and hadn’t made a move.

Ten to one, she was probably instructed by Kojuro with something like “No interference necessary.”

Right now she is watching quietly, seeing that Kojuro has the advantage, but if he gets into a pinch, she will probably intervene. In this situation, for Koto, she is completely checkmated.

『It seems you have improved your skills a little.』

“Because I’ve been fighting relatively strong opponents, you see.”

While feeling a little annoyed by the condescending gaze of her childhood friend and fiancé, Koto did not avert her gaze.

Taking distance, she sheathed the katana she had at the ready, took the naginata on Tsukuyomi’s back in hand, and readied her stance again.

Realizing she couldn’t win by competing with a katana, Koto decided to switch to the naginata.

For the katana, Koto has mastered the Kokonoe Shinmei Style, but for the naginata, she learned her grandmother’s family’s style.

In close-quarters combat, narrow indoors, or forests with lined-up trees, the katana has the advantage, but in an open place like this, the naginata, which can utilize its long reach, has the advantage.

Also, because it can utilize weight and centrifugal force, it can compensate for her lack of power.

『Even if you change weapons!』

Tsukuyomi swept at the legs of Kusanagi as it tried to step in. Reading that, Kojuro made Kusanagi jump, nimbly dodging the naginata.

“[High Wave (Takanami)].”

The naginata that passed under his feet snapped up at a sharp angle kyu!, and its shaft forcefully struck the flank of Kusanagi floating in the air.

The naginata is capable of techniques like ‘slashing’, ‘thrusting’, and ‘striking’, but originally, the technique just now was supposed to have the blade enter under the armpit and sever one arm entirely.

The speed of returning the blade was delayed, and instead it hit the flank of Kusanagi, which had moved forward by that much.

『Kuh…!』

“…!”

Since Kusanagi tried to hold down the naginata’s shaft that hit its flank, Koto pulled the naginata back before that, moving Tsukuyomi backward to take distance.

Needless to say, the advantage of a polearm is the length of its reach. She must constantly pay attention to the distance to the opponent. The moment he enters her guard, the situation will likely reverse.

『Oh my. Shall I lend a hand?』

『Unnecessary meddling. If you have free time, leave me be and go ahead.』

Kojuro answered bluntly to the white Mystic Frame looking down at them from atop the rocky mountain.

『No, no, I can’t do that either. Well, if you look like you’re going to be defeated, I’ll intervene even if I have to force it, though.』

『Suit yourself.』

It seems the relationship between the two of them is not very good.

It might be weird to say this about her fiancé, but Kojuro is too serious and stiff.

Because of that personality, it can’t be said that he is fundamentally sociable. He has exceptionally poor compatibility with people with so-called ‘light’ personalities.

Conversely, it’s easy for him to form relationships of trust with similarly hard-working or serious people.

Suddenly, Kusanagi sheathed the katana it held, lowered its hips, and readied a stance.

“Sword-drawing technique (Battoujutsu)…?”

Looking at Kusanagi projected on the monitor, Koto found it suspicious.

There are sword-drawing techniques in the Kokonoe Shinmei Style as well. However, that stance looked quite different from them.

『[Sonic Blade]』

A blade of wind from an instantaneous sword draw attacked Tsukuyomi. Koto was surprised by the sudden attack, but somehow managed to dodge it by making the machine lie prone.

However, Kojuro would not overlook such a defenseless state, and tried to thrust his katana towards the back of the prone Tsukuyomi.

Tsukuyomi barely avoided it by rolling. Sweeping the naginata in hand, it stood up while keeping Kusanagi in check.

In a situation that was truly a close call, Koto’s heart was screaming baku-baku.

“What was that just now…?!”

『A Gear Art that fires a vacuum wave, [Sonic Blade]. A senior at the ‘School’ taught me.』

No wonder it was a technique she had never seen. To think he had mastered a new technique only about three months after enrolling.

At the sword-obsessed idiot who hadn’t changed, Koto was exasperated and speechless. He absolutely must have persistently begged that senior to teach him.

However, what should she do? To think he had become able to use such a technique. At this rate…!

『[Sonic Blade]』

“Kuh!”

She jumped to dodge the vacuum wave that flew horizontally. Looking at the front monitor, Kusanagi had sheathed its sword and was about to draw it again aiming at her floating in the air.

『[Sonic Blade: X Cross]』

Instantly slashing down from the opposite side with the katana drawn as if slashing upwards, a vacuum wave shaped like an X flew towards Tsukuyomi, unable to move in the air.

Koto tried to escape by firing the back thrusters, but because it happened in an instant, her reaction was delayed.

She was completely had. At least protect the cockpit, she thought, and reflexively crossed her arms in front of her chest while still holding the naginata.

And, at that moment.

『Asterisk, [Shield Mode]!』

Along with a somewhat childish voice, snowflake-like [Floating Swords] ‘Fragarach’ flew in front of her, instantaneously deploying a defensive wall and completely blocking the two vacuum waves.

Looking up in the direction the voice came from, Koto found a monotone-colored Lightning Frame floating in the night sky, where the twinkling of stars was beginning to be visible after the sun had set.

“You’re, extremely late!”

『I had various things going on over here too!』

At the reassuring reinforcement, Koto finally had the leeway to show a smile.