Chapter 79: Cross Game

『Eat this!』

The Colossus piloted by the Pale Gourd detached both of its arms from the elbows and flew them at me. So both arms were [Floating Swords] Fragarach.

I dodged the fist, which was about twice the size of Lucifer’s head, as if slipping through it. It’s a [Floating Sword] Fragarach with that much weight. The speed itself isn’t a big deal. With Lucifer, dodging it is easy.

Hah, what does he plan to do after flying off both his arms?

I swung down my Kodachi toward Colossus, which had nothing past its elbows.

In the next instant, two gun barrels popped out from the ends of Colossus’s elbows, and those muzzles were aimed this way. This is bad!

I crouched down and barely dodged the fired magic bullets. This guy…!

While slashing Colossus’s flank, I slipped through to its rear just like that.

Does this guy actually have a lot of magic power? Even if rotten, he’s a Vampire… and a Vampire Lord at that. It’s fully possible.

Almost no damage was dealt to its flank. That thick armor really is troublesome.

Colossus pulled back the arms it had flown off and docked them to both elbows.

This might be a bit of a hassle. With his speed, it’s hard to catch me, but on the other hand, my attacks don’t penetrate his thick armor.

To begin with, Lightning Frames and Titan Frames are a bad match.

I might be able to manage somehow if I use [Zero Impact], but considering the battles after this, I can’t just use it casually.

As expected, I have no choice but to land a [Penetrating Wave] that destroys the internals. I have to touch the opponent for that, so the danger level increases, but it can’t be helped.

While I was thinking such things, Colossus, having returned its arms, drew a greatsword from its back.

Huge…! When a Titan Frame holds a weapon, it really does have impact…!

『Hmph!』

Colossus forcefully swung the greatsword down. I dodged it to the side without difficulty, but the ground where the greatsword struck split wide open. What power.

If I take a direct hit, I’ll be done for in one shot…! If I take a direct hit, that is!

I made Lucifer step in, closing the distance to Colossus, and placed my right hand, having sheathed the Kodachi, onto its abdomen.

Making the magic power clad around my right arm draw a spiral together with the fighting spirit kneaded through the Ether Liquid────.

Gan, a dull sound of mere metal striking metal echoed.

No good, it failed! Damn it, it really is difficult?!

I temporarily broke away from Colossus as it tried to grab Lucifer.

As expected, the timing is more difficult with a Frame Gear than with an Armed Gear…!

It’s like the fighting spirit doesn’t ride the magic power well…

It’s said that Duchess Elze, one of the Nine Sovereign Duchesses, freely manipulated fighting spirit and went around smashing enemies with her personal Frame Gear, ‘Gerhilde’.

It’s not like it’s impossible. Didn’t Sophie-sensei say so too? Movements that the person themselves can perform are also possible with a Frame Gear.

It’s timing. I can do it as long as the timing matches.

While assessing Colossus as it attacked, I waited for my next chance.

◇ ◇ ◇

The blade of a [Sonic Blade] vacuum wave was unleashed from the one-armed Kusanagi.

Tsukuyomi somehow dodged it and tried to step forward to swing the naginata in its hand, but was hindered by another unleashed vacuum wave.

Koto was certain that Kojuro had realized the malfunction in her leg.

She had been forced into movements that placed a burden on her leg since earlier.

Most likely, he intends to go on the offensive after rendering her immobile.

“You’ve become quite petty in the short time I haven’t seen you.”

『What?』

Koto threw words intended to intentionally provoke Kojuro.

“Doing things in dribs and drabs since earlier… Are you satisfied with that as someone supposed to be a direct descendant of the Kokonoe Shinmei Style?”

『…Aiming for a certain victory benefits my allies. What is wrong with that?』

“There is nothing wrong with it. It’s just that I thought you’ve learned nothing but superficial tricks and are neglecting your mental attitude as a Samurai. Wasn’t Bushido finding one’s way in death? Haven’t you grown conceited after becoming the first-year rank number one?”

『Say what you want!』

Kusanagi broke into a run, stepping forward and slashing at Tsukuyomi. Reading that, Koto firmly caught it with the shaft of the naginata she held in both hands.

“Did I hit the mark? You say it’s for your allies, yet you say selfish things like letting you fight Nero-san. Don’t you think you’re contradicting yourself? That’s what people call ‘getting carried away’, you know?”

『You…!』

Out of anger, Kojuro swung back the katana in his single hand, intending to unleash a vacuum wave from point-blank range.

However, Koto had been waiting for that timing.

“[Star Wave (Hoshinami)].”

『Guh?!』

Matching the swung-down katana, she flicked it from below before the vacuum wave was generated. Then, with the returning blade, she slashed Kusanagi diagonally.

In an instant, Kusanagi jumped slightly backward, and it only resulted in a shallow damage without reaching the point of slashing through the cockpit.

Koto tried to step in further, but stopped her movement at the word [WARNING] flashing Biit! on the sub-monitor.

The damage level of the right knee joint had exceeded 80%. If she pushed it any further, it could end up snapping with a bokiri if she was unlucky.

If she became unable to stand, let alone move, winning would become nearly impossible.

Now that it had come to this, she had no choice but to finish him with a counter when the opponent attacked.

Also, the thought crossed Koto’s mind that if the match dragged on, she might be able to expect Nero’s assistance.

Kojuro was probably suspicious that she didn’t pursue. Her leg’s condition had also been exposed.

The other side had lost an arm, but she still thought her own situation was more disadvantageous.

How will the opponent act in this state…

Kusanagi took the stance for the vacuum wave [Sonic Blade] again. In response, Koto accepted it with no surprise, thinking, ‘Well, of course you’d do that.’

Jumping at an opponent clearly aiming for a counter is the height of folly. Attacking from a distance is standard tactics.

However, Kusanagi remained in that stance without unleashing the vacuum wave, unmoving. While Koto found this suspicious, Kusanagi eventually slowly lowered its stance.

“…?”

『…It’s true, there might have been a kind of arrogance within me. Having learned a new technique and becoming rank number one, I might have somewhat treated this ‘Inter-School Match’ lightly as playtime.』

Perhaps Koto’s words had struck a chord, Kojuro confessed his inner thoughts.

Koto thought that his ability to immediately reflect once convinced, despite being stubborn, was one of his virtues.

However, in this current situation, it would have been more helpful if the blood had rushed to his head. Did she provoke him too much and make him strangely calm?

『Even so, I must win for my comrades in the ‘School’. It seems your leg is broken, but I won’t hold back. As a minimum apology, I will end it in one strike.』

Saying so, Kusanagi readied its katana in a middle guard stance (Seigan). She didn’t know what change of heart he had, but this was exactly what Koto wanted as well.

Because if he had just kept chipping away at her with long-range attacks like that, she would have had no choice but to launch a suicidal charge, prepared for her leg to break.

Koto didn’t have the thought that this might be a trap.

“Are you sure? Even though you might win easily if you took your time?”

『It would be meaningless if Arc lost while I was taking my time.』

For Kojuro to say that, it seems he also thinks Nero has the advantage in that battle.

Certainly, if she lost, Nero might be forced into a difficult battle with Kojuro’s reinforcements.

Conversely, even if she won, she realized she wouldn’t be of help to Nero with this leg.

In that case, in order not to drag her down, she had to defeat Kojuro here no matter what.

Resolving herself, Koto readied the naginata in a high stance. A one-hit sure-kill stance using the naginata.

“You might suffer a counterattack and be the one defeated by me, you know?”

『Bring it on. If you can do it, show me.』

Jiri, an atmosphere of tension drifted between the two Frame Gears.

In terms of reach, Koto had the advantage, but looking at current mobility, Kojuro had the advantage.

Kojuro read that how he dodged the naginata Tsukuyomi swung down would be the deciding factor of the match.

It’s obvious, but a naginata cannot cut unless it’s with the blade portion. In other words, as long as he steps forward past that blade, she cannot cut him.

Even if he is struck by the shaft portion, it wouldn’t be enough to render him unable to combat. By that time, his own blade would be able to reach as well.

Under the moonlight, both machines gradually closed the distance.

Who will move first?

Will Koto determine he has entered her reach and swing down the naginata, and Kojuro dodge it?

Or will Kojuro move first, and Koto unleash a sure-kill blow at that timing?

Unexpectedly, Tsukuyomi twisted the shaft of the naginata it held, and slowly pulled it. Then the naginata slightly extended, making its reach even longer.

『Tch! A trick shaft!』

Kojuro’s Kusanagi broke into a run. Due to the extended shaft, he was already within reach.

In that case, the only way to seize victory was to jump into her guard.

“[Wave Splash (Namishibuki)].”

The naginata with its extended reach held by Tsukuyomi was swung down from a high stance.

Its naked blade aimed at the armless left side of Kusanagi, assaulting it diagonally.

Kusanagi dared to lower its head and charge right in there.

The tip of Tsukuyomi’s naginata grazed Kusanagi’s head.

Slashing the horn of the helmet on the machine’s warrior armor-like head, Tsukuyomi’s naginata passed through.

I won…! When Kojuro slipped through Tsukuyomi’s sure-kill blow, he was certain of it.

Now that the naginata had been dodged, there was nothing more Tsukuyomi could do.

All he had to do was swing his katana through Tsukuyomi’s torso as is… just as he thought that, he noticed the movement of Tsukuyomi reflected before his eyes was strange.

It wasn’t the follow-through after unleashing a technique. It was as if it was still in the middle of unleashing a technique…

By the time Kojuro noticed it, it was already too late, and the pommel of Tsukuyomi, which had spun a half-rotation kururi with the momentum of swinging down the naginata, was closing in right before Kusanagi’s eyes.

『So this was the main attack from the beginning…!』

The sharp tip of the pommel pierced Kusanagi’s throat like a spearhead, blowing its head off. Even if he dodged the large wave, he couldn’t completely avoid its splash.

『Kuh…! Even if the main camera is destroyed…!』

Kojuro swung his katana relying only on the footage from the sub-camera, but Tsukuyomi easily dodged it.

A diagonal slash from Tsukuyomi, which stepped in there, was unleashed, and this time it splendidly slashed through Kusanagi’s cockpit.

Having lost an arm and its head, and slashed diagonally, Kusanagi slowly fell.

“Carelessness is one’s greatest enemy, you know.”

『…You really said it.』

The fallen Kusanagi’s movement stopped.

Simultaneously, an electronic sound Pi────t echoed throughout Tsukuyomi’s cockpit.

『’Academy’ side, player Koto Nakazawa, has defeated ‘School’ side, player Kokonoe Kojuro. Map data will be released.』

At the same time as hearing the referee’s announcement, the machine jolted with a gakun, and Tsukuyomi dropped to its knees as if falling.

When Koto looked at the sub-monitor, the right knee had completely malfunctioned. It might not be impossible to walk if she dragged it, but fighting like this would be difficult.

Looking at the map data, the map on the School’s side right next to where they were had been released.

Nothing this time either. As expected, did they gather their Home Base and ‘Crown’ in the central area just like we did?

Academy School

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However, with this, we have defeated four machines. They have defeated two. This is quite an advantage—just as Koto felt a little relieved, an announcement began to flow in the cockpit once again.

『’School’ side, player Balanga, has defeated ‘Academy’ side, player Hatoba Mil Laze. Map data will be released.』

With that announcement, the central map on the ‘Academy’ side opened, and the position of the ‘Home Base’ placed there was exposed to the ‘School’ side.

From the advantageous situation from earlier, it suddenly became disadvantageous; even Koto was at a loss for words.

“This is… a little tough, isn’t it…”

Muttering that, Koto turned her main camera towards her comrades who were still fighting.