Chapter 19: Dosukoi! Armed Gear

Thanks to the Principal, I managed to become capable of magic control, but I came to learn that there is a huge difference between ‘being capable’ and ‘mastering’ it. If I’m just sitting down and lighting a fire like a lighter on my fingertip, I can do it. However, if I stand up and walk, or run, or have unnecessary thoughts interrupt like “What was on the dinner menu today?”, my concentration gets disrupted, and in the blink of an eye, the fire flares up bou! According to the Principal, “You can only puff out your chest and say you have ‘mastered magic control’ when you can keep it stable in an unconscious state.” It’s harsh. Since it seems such high-level magic control isn’t necessary if your magic capacity is low, I feel somewhat irritated thinking that I’m the only one going through this hardship.

“That’s a luxurious problem to have. If you have a lot of magic, there are that many more things you can do, so I’m actually envious.”

“That’s right. If you have that much magic capacity and can perfectly handle magic control, you might be able to master many Flying Swords ‘Fragarach’. I heard that even that Zelda [Sword Empress] has her hands full controlling just two Flying Swords ‘Fragarach’.”

When I was grumbling during breakfast with everyone, Sherry and Carrol said such things. Flying Sword ‘Fragarach’, huh… That certainly sounds a bit attractive.

“Are there many people in the academy who use Flying Swords ‘Fragarach’?”

“No, I don’t think there are that many. Probably not even twenty percent? Moreover, the majority of them are users of only a single sword. I hear Sharon [Witch of the Blue Storm] controls seven Flying Swords ‘Fragarach’ though…”

“Sharon [Witch of the Blue Storm]?”

“It’s the alias of the Sequence Rank 3, Sharon Pallerius. The story goes that she got that name because she uses a blue machine based on a Mystic Frame to manipulate seven Flying Swords ‘Fragarach’ freely like a storm.”

So the Sequence Rank 3 is a Flying Sword ‘Fragarach’ user. I wonder if that number is possible because of the Mystic Frame which excels in magic warfare, or if it’s due to her own skill. If I become better at using magic control, will I be able to use multiple Flying Swords ‘Fragarach’ too?

“Come to think of it, the next class is Armed Gear practice, and rumor has it we’re finally going to do mock battles.”

“Finally. I understand it’s safety guidance, but I was getting fed up with nothing but simple practical exercises.”

When Sherry said that, Carrol and Lirisha nodded slightly as if to say, “I know, right?” These three are high-ranking nobles, so they’ve been riding Armed Gears since they were small. When it comes to Armed Gear battles, those with experience have the advantage. I’ve gotten used to moving it, but I’ve never fought.

“Have you guys fought in an Armed Gear before?”

“Sherry and I have. We’ve even played against each other. Our family homes were close, you see.”

“I have as well. I had the knights of the castle in The Kingdom of Elfrau be my opponents.”

Everyone has combat experience. I’m the only one lagging behind.

“I don’t think that’s necessarily true. Unlike Frame Gears, Armed Gears don’t have that much difference in machine performance, so ultimately it depends largely on the person’s combat sense. Since you’ve been active as an adventurer since you were small, Nero, I think you’ll be able to fight well.”

While receiving such consolation from Carrol, we changed into our gym clothes and headed to the training grounds where the practice would take place. Instead of the usual beat-up Armed Gears, shiny new machines were lined up in the training grounds. There are twelve in total. The numbers painted on their shoulders and chests gave off a distinct ‘training machine’ atmosphere. The other students were also deeply interested in the new Armed Gears, gazing at the machines or touching them a little until the teacher arrived. There are a little over eighty students taking this lecture and practice. That’s about half of the first years? Most appear to be commoners. If they are nobles like Carrol and the others, they have already operated and fought in them, so they probably don’t need to rush to take it. Carrol and the others taking the class are actually a bit unusual.

“No, no, opportunities to ride a new model of Armed Gear don’t come around often, you know? It would be a waste.”

“Is that how it is?”

“It is! Any girl aspiring to be a [Meister] would take this!”

“Ooh… Lara, you were here…”

Breathing roughly funsu-funsu, Lara was standing behind me and Carrol before we knew it. Are you here for the Armed Gear instead of the class…?

“This is the new model machine, ‘Terpsichore’, which inherits the lineage of the masterpiece ‘Calliope’ developed by Musa Industry! I had heard rumors, but it really was adopted by the academy! To think I can ride it! Ah, what a wonderful form…! I could eat three bowls of rice just looking at this!”

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

Why do you have to eat rice while looking at an Armed Gear? Did you not eat breakfast? Just when I thought only Lara was weird, there were several others with similar looks in their eyes, holding up their smartphones and snapping photos kasha-kasha. Are they of the same species…? I wonder if these kids are aspiring [Meisters] too?

“Alright, everyone, line up. We’re starting the class.”

Oops, the teacher has arrived. It’s the Dragonkin, Professor Flare Paralem. Dragonkin are a combat race living in the Great Tree Sea of the south, and their bare-handed strikes are amazing. I saw a Dragonkin adventurer fighting once a long time ago. They took out a Stone Golem with one punch. According to Sherry, Professor Flare is also a participant in the [Mecha Great War: Ragnarok], just like Professor Sofie.

“Today, I will have you perform mock battles using these machines. Since it would be difficult to suddenly tell you to punch each other, we will do ‘Sumo’ to make it easy to understand.”

“Eh?”

Sumo? Sumo is that martial art practiced in Eashen… right? While we stood there blankly, Professor Flare began explaining Sumo. We fight inside a large round ring drawn on the ground with chalk, and if you get pushed out of the ring, you lose. If any part of you other than the soles of your feet touches the ground, you also lose. Then there were a few fouls like no punching or kicking. Essentially, you just have to get the opponent out of that circle. Won’t this turn into a contest of power?

“Basically, these machines have limiters attached, so the same power comes out no matter who rides them. Therefore, what decides the match is how you move the machine. Reading the opponent’s movements and how well you manipulate your own machine to compete. Once you understand how to move, it’s surprisingly deep.”

Professor Flare said such things, but is it really? For the time being, the rings were divided into three and the matches began. Four machines for each ring. Two machines fight, and the remaining two do a trial run beside them in preparation for the next match. The other students watch until their turn comes. Once it started, Armed Gear Sumo was surprisingly interesting. If they grapple firmly, since the power is the same, it becomes a staring contest. Watching how they parried and took down the opponent from there was educational just to watch. Mostly, they tripped them up, or conversely relaxed their force to make the opponent lose balance and fall. What surprised me a little was a student who repeatedly unleashed palm strikes and pushed the opponent’s machine out. It was a kid from Eashen, and apparently, that was a Sumo technique called Tsuppari. I see. So that’s allowed as long as you don’t punch with a fist.

“Ah, it’s Sherry’s turn.”

Carrol and Lirisha were in different rings, but I was in the same one as Sherry. Sherry boarded the machine marked ‘7’, and her opponent was number ‘8’. Simultaneously with the start of the match, number 8 charged in like a shoulder tackle. Sherry’s machine dodged it nimbly while tripping the legs, and the opponent fell over easily. Ah—ah. Charging in blindly like that won’t work. Sherry was lucky. In the meantime, my turn came around. I boarded the machine marked ‘6’ and checked the movements. Crouch, jump, twist, turn; checking the range of motion. Yup, it’s fine. The previous match ended, so I enter the ring. Unit 5 is my opponent. If I go for a head-on collision, I might get taken down easily like Sherry’s opponent, so let’s observe first.

“Nokotta!“

With Professor Flare’s starting signal, I step forward and grapple with the opponent. Gashin! An impact comes, and it turns into a shoving match with the other side. Force is applied sideways gu, but I plant my feet and withstand it. Since the power is the same, I can’t push them back. I instinctively want to unleash a body blow and separate for a moment, but punching is a foul. Ah, a palm strike is okay, right? I separate one hand slightly from the opponent’s machine and wrap that arm in magic and ‘Ki’. I stomp my back foot into the ground as if kicking it, and riding that momentum, I unleash the magic and Ki from my palm strike all at once. With a flashy sound, Gogan!, the opponent’s machine is blown away. Well, even so, it didn’t fly two meters. Hmmm, the power really drops when it’s through an Armed Gear instead of my own body.

“Tch, [Toukiho]…!”

“Eh?”

Turning toward the small voice I heard, Professor Flare was there with a surprised look on her face.

“Silhoueska, you, you can use [Toukiho]!? Who taught you!?”

“Eh? Umm, a weirdo who lived in my neighborhood… an adventurer?”

Professor Flare knows [Toukiho]. Ah, come to think of it, isn’t the Hakkei used by Dragonkin of the same lineage? I think Master said something like that.

“P-Professor, the body is crushed and the hatch won’t open…”

At the words of the student who rushed to the fallen opponent’s machine, I turned my gaze there, and the flank area was dented greatly, warping the front hatch. Oh crap, did I overdo it…? I hurriedly got off my machine, rushed to the fallen Unit 5, and put my hands on the hatch.

“[Boost], and there.”

Making a dull gakyo sound, I forcibly pried the hatch open, and the student inside was staring at me with a surprised face. Thank goodness, they seem unharmed.

“You’re kidding…”

“Freakish strength…”

Such voices from the surrounding students reach my ears. Freakish strength… I just used body enhancement, you know? The student crawls out of the fallen machine. Just in case, I apologized saying “Sorry”, but the opponent just nodded slightly with a twitching smile.

“Ouch… The arm on this side is warped too…”

Professor Flare said that while looking at the right arm of the Armed Gear I was riding. Looking at it, the palm parts are subtly warped, and some fingers are hanging loosely, about to fall off. Professor Flare’s exasperated eyes are directed at me. Eh, is this the flow where I get scolded…?

“The limiter is broken too. You… destroying two new model machines is unprecedented, you know? Or rather, do not use [Toukiho] in class. The burden on the machine is too great. If it’s in [Star Duel] and you pay the repair costs later, I might permit it, but…”

“Eeeeh…?”

Unreasonable.