Chapter 75: Wizard of Light and Water

The black and silver Ritter Frame confronting Koto’s Tsukuyomi.

Is that the ‘School’s’ first-year rank number one, Kokonoe Kojuro’s Frame Gear, ‘Kusanagi’?

And the white and blue Mystic Frame standing atop the rocky area is the rank number three, Mariette Lily’s Frame Gear, ‘Jewel Moon’.

It’s a Frame Gear with a characteristic form, its shoulders spreading out like wings.

Its limbs are also large, and looking closely, what is wrapped around its waist like a belt are small arms. Four arms, huh.

Something like large crystal balls can be seen on the shoulders, the backs of the small arms, and the insteps of the feet. Are those Magic Stones?

While I was observing the enemy, a vacuum wave [Sonic Blade] flew from Kusanagi below. That was close?!

I stopped the injection of Lucifer’s thrusters, dropping just like that to let the vacuum wave pass over.

To think you’d suddenly launch an attack like that, you…!

“Asterisk! [Barrel Mode]!”

Six gun muzzles from each of the two Asterisks were aimed at Kusanagi.

The moment the spinning Asterisks fired magic bullets into Kusanagi,

“[Earth, Come Forth, Earthen Defensive Wall, Earth Wall]!”

Suddenly, the ground in front of Kusanagi rose up, becoming a stone wall and completely blocking all the magic bullets.

『If it’s not a one-on-one, there’s no problem if I join in, right?』

『It is no longer that kind of situation, after all. Suit yourself.』

Jewel Moon, who was atop the rocky area, held staves in both hands and freed the small arms on its waist.

『Then, I will take you up on those words.』

When Jewel Moon gave the staff with a blue Magic Stone a single swing, a large water sphere formed in an instant and floated in the air. The [Water Ball] magic?

『[Water, Spread Forth, Bewitching Dense Fog, Mist Veil]』

With a buwa, the water sphere turned into a gas as if evaporating, enveloping the surroundings in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, our surroundings were enveloped in a dense fog where we couldn’t even see a few meters ahead.

『Magic that creates fog…?! It’s applying Mana Jamming as well. I can’t search for enemies either.』

Without saying anything, I moved Lucifer so it was back-to-back with Tsukuyomi.

I can’t see the figure of Kusanagi that was in front of us just a moment ago due to the dense fog. Even though it’s already gotten hard to see because it’s night.

I switched the cameras to night vision mode, so it’s not like I can’t see completely, but it’s not sensing heat, so…

Suddenly, a vacuum wave flew out from within the fog. I thought you would come like that!

“Asterisk, [Shield Mode]!”

The Asterisk that deployed an invisible shield blocked the flying vacuum wave.

Damn it, isn’t this the exact same pattern as the Flashy Guy’s smokescreen!

Don’t tell me they ran away too?!

As if to deny that, with a bot!, Kusanagi pierced through the fog and revealed its figure in front of us.

It swung down the katana readied in a high stance, and Tsukuyomi caught it with the naginata in its hand.

Aiming at Kusanagi whose movement had stopped, this time I slashed at it.

However, before my Kodachi could reach, Kusanagi disappeared back into the fog again. Damn it, this fog is troublesome!

With a fut, this time Kusanagi appeared behind us.

Koto’s Tsukuyomi thrust out its naginata towards it, but Kusanagi’s figure wavered with a yurat and dissipated into mist.

『An illusion…?!』

“They’re projecting images onto the magic-infused fog. I’ve seen magic beasts that use that kind of magic.”

Like Phantom Foxes or Sirens. That was annoying. But it’s not like they can’t be distinguished.

Two Kusanagis are charging from the left and right in front of me. This is…!

“It’s this one!”

『Guh!』

I blocked the katana of the Kusanagi attacking from the right with my crossed Kodachi in both hands, and kicked away the opponent’s waist with my right foot just like that.

Kusanagi disappeared back into the fog just like that.

『How did you know the position?』

“Sound. Illusions don’t produce footsteps or machine driving noises, you see.”

『I see…』

Two Kusanagis also slashed at Tsukuyomi, which was back-to-back with Lucifer.

“Left side!”

Reacting to my voice, Tsukuyomi dodged the slash from the left side. The Kusanagi on the right vanished into mist with a waver.

We can’t stay on the defensive forever. I’ll blow away this bothersome fog!

“Asterisk, [Shield Mode]!”

Invisible shields extended from the Asterisks.

These shields, just like my Null Magic [Shield], can freely change their shapes.

I deployed the shields extending in six directions, angling them one by one, and spun them at high speed.

The angled invisible shields spun like the blades of a fan, blowing away the fog around us in the blink of an eye.

Finding the white and blue Frame Gear in the footage on the main monitor where the fog had cleared, I launched a charge.

Fully opening the thrusters on Lucifer’s back, I slashed at Jewel Moon, who was atop the rocky area. I won’t even give her the time to put up an [Earth Wall].

『Wait…?!』

Jewel Moon caught Lucifer’s Kodachi with the staff in her hand.

This time I swung the Kodachi on the opposite side. She also caught it again with the staff on the opposite side.

The two staves and the Kodachi clashed. Here, I’ll utilize the Lightning Frame’s performance and attack with a high number of moves.

“I leave that side to you!”

While aggressively pushing Jewel Moon, I sent a transmission to Koto.

Koto, who likely knows Kojuro’s repertoire, can bring it into a war of attrition.

If I clean up this one in the meantime…!

『Tch, you…! [Force Shield]!』

When the small arms on Jewel Moon’s waist crossed, the jewels on their backs sparkled, creating a barrier of light right before my eyes.

[Force Shield]?! It’s magic that creates an invisible shield, just like my Asterisks. Though that one has the Light attribute. Are the jewels on those small arms equipment that generates magic?

While I was blocked by the shield of light, Jewel Moon took distance and fled deeper into the rocky area.

This shield is in the way!

When I swung my Kodachi in a single flash, the barrier of light shattered with a parin just from that.

Fragile. No, [Force Shield] is a shield that defends against any physical attack only once, wasn’t it. The strength of my attack doesn’t matter.

『[Light, Come Forth, Shining Barrage, Light Arrow]!』

Countless arrows of light appeared from the staff held in the right hand Jewel Moon swung, and were fired aiming at Lucifer.

“Kuh!”

I barely dodged the flying light arrows.

Among Arrow-type magic, [Light Arrow] is the fastest. Even with Lucifer’s mobility, dodging it takes a lot of effort.

『[Water, Come Forth, Shocking Bubbles, Bubble Bomb]!』

That girl…! She has two attributes, Light and Water…?!

This time, several things like large soap bubbles appeared from the staff held in her left hand. What is that? I don’t know, but I have a feeling it’s dangerous…!

Intuitively sensing danger, I stopped trying to slash them with my Kodachi and decided to shoot them down with the Asterisks’ magic bullets.

At that moment, one of the soap bubbles caused a massive explosion.

“Wha…?!”

An explosion?! Even though it’s Water attribute magic…! Don’t tell me that’s Ancient Magic?!

This is bad, before I knew it, I was surrounded by the soap bubbles!

『[Light, Come Forth, Shining Barrage, Light Arrow]!』

Light arrows were fired into them. At this rate, it’ll cause a chain reaction and all the surrounding water bombs will explode?!

“Kuh!”

I fully opened the downward thrusters on Lucifer’s back and escaped into the night sky.

The ground I escaped from by a hair’s breadth caused a massive explosion, and Lucifer was blown away in a tailspin state by the close-range blast. Ooooh?!

Due to the auto-balancer, the inside of the cockpit is kept as level as possible, but even so, there is a limit.

Spun around guru-guru, I felt dizzy but somehow restored Lucifer’s posture. If I didn’t have a seatbelt, I would have been thrown out…

Does the Frame Unit reproduce even this perfectly…?

“Huh?”

Jewel Moon isn’t here.

Where did she go?

Even looking at the search monitor, there are only reactions from Tsukuyomi and Kusanagi.

I landed on the site of the explosion. Only rocky areas and scattered trees could be seen in the surroundings.

Is she hiding in the shadow of a rock? Does she perhaps have equipment similar to a Hide Cloak? Like, if you move, your location is exposed, that kind of…

In the next instant, I saw something shine kirat out of the corner of my eye, and reflexively made Lucifer jump backward.

‘That’ crossed right in front of Lucifer and pierced into one of the rocky areas.

A sharp, large needle of ice was piercing the rock wall.

“[Ice Needle]…!”

[Ice Needle] is magic that flies needles of ice. Its speed is fast, and normally it flies multiple small needles all at once, but if concentrated into a single one, the power also increases.

I aimed the camera in the direction it flew from, but as expected, there was nothing.

Is she hiding in the rock shadow after all? No, earlier she was projecting Kusanagi’s illusions in the fog. She’s probably camouflaging herself with Light magic.

I focused all my nerves, spreading my magic power thinly as if to let it seep into the surroundings.

Diagonally forward to the right. I feel a strange fluctuation. Only there is a slight movement of magic power.

“Right there!”

When I fully opened my thrusters and slashed at the suspicious location, Jewel Moon’s figure emerged in a place where there had been nothing.

Crossing the staves held in her left and right arms, she blocked my slash with a gakin.

『You’re kidding…! How did you find out?!』

“Because even if you can erase the Frame Gear’s magic power flow with equipment, the magic power of the person riding it was leaking all over the place!”

In that case, she had to completely erase her own magic power as well.

Completely erasing one’s own magic power is quite difficult. Especially for magicians who unconsciously circulate magic power within themselves.

Feeling that kind of magic power flow is my absolute specialty. Because I was thoroughly trained by my Master.

…Oh no, the hellish special training is flashing back. Let’s stop remembering it. It’s fine, I didn’t die.

Now then, let’s start over.

The ‘School’ and the ‘Academy’. Both fellow rank number threes. Let’s battle it out and see who is superior.