Chapter 42: Training, Training, and More Training

“What are you doing, Nero…?”

After the lecture ended, Sherry came over to me. However, as soon as she saw my notebook, she made a dubious face. That’s because my open notebook had circles drawn all over the right page and triangles all over the left page. When I explained the situation, she got angry and told me to listen to the lecture properly. Fair point.

“Practicing [Floating Swords] ‘Fragarach’, huh… I guess I don’t really need that~.”

“Sherry is aiming for a sniper style, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Though right now I only have a mid-range rifle.”

Frame Gears that focus on long-range sniping exist in certain numbers in every country participating in the [Magical Great War: Ragnarok]. In the vast fields of [Magical Great War: Ragnarok], a sniper type picking off targets from a distance is a very troublesome existence. However, in the [Star Duels] here at the Academy, it’s difficult for a pure sniper type to win. That’s because if the combat stage is a place that doesn’t obstruct vision, like grasslands, wastelands, or deserts, the machine is completely exposed. Even so, if one wants to win, they have to force a function cessation before the opponent gets close. But if the opponent is a machine with heavily fortified defense, or a mobility-focused machine specializing in high-speed movement like mine, the sniper type is at a considerable disadvantage. Conversely, if it’s an urban area stage or a forest stage, it can sometimes be their unrivaled territory… In fact, Sherry’s machine was equipped not only with a mid-range rifle but also with handguns and knives.

“It would be nice if I could get ‘Stealth Coating’, though~. Too expensive, can’t afford it.”

Sherry made a gesture of giving up. ‘Stealth Coating’ is that thing, right? Applying mirror armor to the machine’s surface to create recognition inhibition and optical camouflage functions to blend into the surroundings. Certainly, if she had that, she would become harder to spot even in fields like deserts or grasslands, but isn’t that high-rank equipment? Right now, it’s asking for the impossible. Sherry’s current style is to maintain mid-to-long range and finish the opponent in a gunfight. When I fought her before, I was taken out before getting close, but what about with the current Lucifer? Hmm… I feel like if I take one counter hit from the front while moving at super speed, it’s over… Maybe if I hold a shield? No, if I had shield-type [Floating Swords] ‘Fragarach’…

“Come on, next is Armed Gear practice, right? Have to change.”

“Eh? Ah, that’s right.”

Urged by Sherry, I put my notebook and textbooks into the [Storage] on my smartphone. Following the rushing Sherry, I left the lecture room.

◇　◇　◇

『Nero, coming from the right!』

“Eh?”

The moment Carrol’s shout reached my ears, I received an impact from the right and rolled on the ground. The enemy team’s Armed Gear stole the spike-covered ball I was holding and dribbled away. You bastard! I made my Armed Gear stand up and quickly scanned the function check. Yup, okay. No function cessation anywhere. Currently, we are in the middle of a match of ‘Stinger’, a practical skill class for Armed Gear practice. Stinger is, simply put, soccer played with Armed Gears. However, what differs from normal soccer is that any attack is possible against the ball carrier. You can punch or kick to steal the ball. So basically, you don’t hold the ball for long, connecting passes to score points. I guess I held the ball a little too long just now.

『Ball is up!』

The ball went up over my head from in front of the goal. Heading… well, Armed Gears don’t have heads so it’s not called heading, but I have to jump up and keep the ball. As I lowered my hips to jump, the enemy team’s Armed Gear was also trying to jump up in the same way. Like I’d let you! I intentionally let the opponent take the ball in mid-air, and at that timing, unleashed a flying kick from the side to blow them away. Then I snatched the ball.

『Nero! Over here!』

I launched a centering pass towards Sherry, who was running up the opposite side. It went a bit off, but somehow reached Sherry, and a pass connected from her to Carrol who was in front. Defenders swarming Carrol. Dodging the first, punching the second, kicking away the final keeper, Carrol scored a goal. There, the whistle blew for the end of the match.

“That’s it! 3-2, Winner, Black Tortoise Dormitory!”

The referee teacher’s voice echoed across the ground, and I collapsed on the spot. We won… No, this sport is exhausting… Running constantly, never being able to let my guard down. The fact that you can attack the opponent holding the ball means if you hold the ball, you can freely counterattack too. So the ball gathers around players with high combat ability. That’s where one-vs-many battles start. The matches were divided by dorms, and our Black Tortoise Dormitory ended with a result of two wins and one loss. Since it was an impromptu team, it felt like the timing didn’t match with anyone other than Carrol or Sherry. I mean, because of the Zelda Onee-sama matter, I’m kind of isolated within the dorm, or rather among the first-years… In contrast, Carrol is becoming like the leader of the first-years in the Black Tortoise Dormitory thanks to that sociability.

“Good work! Want a drink?”

“Woah, thanks.”

As I crawled out of the Armed Gear and collapsed on the spot, Lara came over with a water bottle. I gratefully accepted it. Lara also participated as a player for the opponent, the White Tiger Dormitory. The White Tiger Dormitory has one win and two losses since they lost to us. The Azure Dragon Dormitory and Vermilion Bird Dormitory currently playing both have one win and one loss. Whichever wins, the Black Tortoise Dormitory will be tied for first place.

“I thought this when we had the match earlier too, but there are many students not used to Armed Gear battles, right?”

“That’s true. People aiming to become [Troopers] tend to look down on Armed Gears a level lower… The basic movements are the same, so if you become able to manipulate it like your own limbs, it comes alive in Frame Gears too, though.”

Ah, I get that. Since changing Lucifer’s magic path to Mystic specifications, I understand that better. The Principal said it too, but you can move an Armed Gear more smoothly if you move it with the sensation of ‘wearing’ it rather than ‘riding’ it. That applies to Frame Gears too, so training with Armed Gears also serves as training for that sensation. Well, this might be limited to pilots of Frame Gears that engage in close combat, though. As we headed to the dorm to change out of our jerseys after finishing the practical class, I spotted Lirisha in the training ground open to students.

“Self-practice?”

“Looks like it.”

Lirisha rarely attends Armed Gear classes. Since her [Star Duels] are Frame Gear only, she probably doesn’t view Armed Gears as important. She spends that time training like that. Well, it’s similar to my morning practice with Chiba-senpai or piano training. Lirisha seems to be training to deploy multiple magics simultaneously. It appears she’s been training for quite a long time, as signs of fatigue are clearly visible. Seeing Lirisha fail a few times, Carrol asked me.

“We can’t use magic so we don’t really know, but is that difficult?”

“I don’t really know, but isn’t it difficult? I can do it though.”

“Wow… Bragging ‘I can do it’ is uncool, Nero.”

“No, mine isn’t ‘Simultaneous Chanting’, it’s Null Magic. I’m not deploying two magics simultaneously with right and left hands like Lirisha; it’s magic that can deploy multiples from the start.”

Null Magic [Multiple]. I can use Null Magic that can deploy magic simultaneously. If Lirisha is throwing balls simultaneously with her right and left hands, I am throwing while holding a box containing two balls. The result is that two balls fly in both cases, but the process is different. So even if asked ‘Is throwing with both hands difficult?’, I can do the same thing, but I can only say ‘I don’t really know, but isn’t it difficult?’.

“Or rather, Nero, you can use a lot of Null Magic, can’t you…? [Boost], [Gravity], [Shield], and [Multiple]? Normally it’s one or two, right?”

“Duchess Leen of the Nine Duchesses could apparently use four Null Magics. Principal Quun can use even more than that, I hear.”

Hmm, I’m keeping [Recovery] a secret, so I have more than four too… Master told me that looking only at magic aptitude, I’m completely a mage… or rather, nothing but that. Though she also said my personality is unfortunately unsuited for a mage. Opposite of a mage who requires calm composure. Surprisingly rude, isn’t it.

“I thought magic I couldn’t master was meaningless even if I had aptitude, but coming here, I realized it can be utilized in Frame Gears too. I’m thinking of working hard in that direction as well.”

I’m continuing magic control training too. Little by little, I’m becoming able to release magic with appropriate amounts of magic power. If I become able to master magic, the range of strategies should expand. It’s not something that can be done overnight, so I just have to do this steadily.

“Huh? That Dark Elf girl behind Lirisha is…”

Suddenly, at the voice Sherry leaked, I turned my gaze there. Behind where Lirisha was training, two students were having a mock battle. One student was unilaterally attacking the other. However, the defending Dark Elf girl held a shield and blocked those attacks without wavering in the slightest. She was catching all the striking sword attacks with her shield. That skillfulness was beautiful, as if she were dancing. No matter what attack the opponent unleashed, all were blocked. As if predicting where the attack would come, the shield moved there in advance. Truly a perfect defense. The opponent’s stamina was completely running out. There, the Dark Elf girl stepped forward in an instant and blew the opponent away with the shield. Shield bash. She thrust her sword at the fallen opponent’s throat. Match over, huh. I asked Lara next to me about something I had been curious about for a while.

“By any chance, is that girl…”

“Yes. Current grade ranking number one, Pearl Frennel-san from the Demon Kingdom Xenoah.”

I thought so. So that’s the top of the current first-years. Suddenly noticing, the long silver-haired Dark Elf girl turned her gaze towards us. Golden eyes, neither hostile nor intimidating, but observing, were staring at us. Looking away felt like losing somehow, so when I returned a sharp look cultivated in the adventurer business saying “What, punk? You wanna go, punk?”, she looked away pui and turned on her heel, leaving just like that. Hmph, I won. While I was triumphant in my heart, my head was lightly slapped. Ouch.

“Don’t do stupid things. She left in amazement, didn’t she?”

Eh? She left in amazement?! I was strangely shocked by Sherry’s words.

“It felt like a small animal trying to look fierce, kuwa!“

“It was kind of cute.”

Carrol and Lara also said such things. Mmm, I don’t get it…