Chapter 60: The 'School's' Principal and the Send-off Party

Since then, we representative members continued our training toward the ‘Inter-School Match Bifrost’.

We repeatedly ran simulations against a pseudo ‘School’ team created from past matches, learning adaptability in how to get through the situations on the spot.

Separately from that, we also have to handle [Star Duels] on a daily basis.

Most representative members temporarily shelved raising their rankings and merely kept their positions. Because if we lost big or weirdly broke our form, it would be bad…

Three days remaining until the ‘Inter-School Match Bifrost’.

Lucifer’s equipment has already been renewed, and all that’s left are final adjustments.

Finish it up in the next two days, and rest plenty on the final day to recover from fatigue.

As I was making such plans in my head, a large, swinging punch attacked me.

I dodged it by taking a step backward, and unleashed a left hook from the side at the opponent’s fully extended elbow.

With a gaki!, the opponent’s Armed Gear screamed, and the right arm I struck hung down limply.

Oh? Did the joint break? Lucky me. Then I’ll just finish it like this.

Stepping forward strongly, I simultaneously slammed a ‘Battle Spirit Method’ palm strike into the opponent’s body.

Because I’m holding back using what I learned in magic control training, there’s almost no worry about breaking the Armed Gear.

The opponent’s Armed Gear was blown away about a meter and fell out of bounds.

“That’s it! Winner, Nero Silhoueska!”

Alright, I won.

Basking in the afterglow of victory, I returned the Armed Gear to the hangar and came out triumphantly, only to see the Principal coming from the other side.

Along with Paula, the usual Bear Golem, and a strange man in tow next to her.

What’s strange is that he’s wearing a pure white muffler right in the middle of approaching summer.

With pure white hair and red eyes, dressed in a black jacket and black pants, the man, who looked to be in his late twenties, had a suspicious smile floating on his face.

“Oh my, Nero. On your way back from a [Star Duel]?”

“Ah, yes.”

If she was guiding a guest, I intended to just bow slightly and pass by, but since she called out to me, I stopped and bowed my head slightly.

The suspicious muffler-wearing old guy next to her looked at me and showed a slightly surprised expression. …What?

“Ah, let me introduce you. This is Principal Ende of the ‘Brunhild Magitech School’.”

“Eh?!”

The Principal of the ‘School’?! This person?!

No matter how you look at him, he just looks like a suspicious old guy!

“You just thought, ‘No matter how you look at him, he just looks like a suspicious old guy!’, didn’t you?”

“Ugh?!”

“You know, what you think shows on your face, so you shouldn’t gamble or anything.”

Principal Ende laughed hahaha. Does it show on my face that much…?

“Nice to meet you. You’re the rumored Nero-kun, huh. I’m Ende. Nice to meet you.”

“What do you mean, rumored…?”

“Well, because you’re the expected rising star who cornered that [Sword Empress Princess], manifested a [Gear Spell] in your first year, and even became a representative for the ‘Inter-School Match Bifrost’. It’s natural you’d become a rumor. Well, only a few people know about what happened with the [Sword Empress Princess], though.”

I glanced toward Principal Quun.

Does this old guy know about that part-time job? Well, there were students from the ‘School’ there too…

The development of that Frame Gear itself is probably something Brunhild is moving on at a national level.

“Man, even so…”

The old guy Principal stared at me rudely jiro-jiro. Somehow, this person’s red eyes have taken on a golden-ish light. He’s a weird old guy after all…

“Haha, just as Quun said, I see, this is interesting!”

“Right?”

Don’t find it interesting. You’re a full-grown adult… or rather, Principal Quun doesn’t look like an adult, but.

“Yeah, it’s interesting. This is the first time I’ve seen two characteristics manifest so remarkably. That being said…”

“…?”

“Ah, sorry. It’s nothing. By the way, did you ever have a high fever that lasted for days when you were a child?”

“Eh, how do you know that?”

I think that was shortly before my grandmother passed away. My body was incredibly hot, and I suffered from a fever that felt like my whole body was burning. If Master hadn’t come, I might have died.

I feel like Master did a lot of things to me back then, but since I became healthy as a result, it was probably a good thing.

“…I see. No, sorry for asking a boring question. I’m looking forward to your performance in the ‘Inter-School Match Bifrost’. Do your best.”

“Haa…?”

I bowed slightly to the two of them and left the spot.

So that’s the top Principal of the ‘School’. He was a weird old guy. Maybe it was a good thing I failed the ‘School’s’ exam.

◇　◇　◇

“Why did ‘our School’ reject that child, I wonder. We missed out on someone good.”

“Fufu, it’s too late for that now. ‘The fish that got away is big’, as they say. Uncle Ende.”

When the two of them were alone, Quun spoke in a more casual tone than usual.

To Quun, Ende is a relative. To be precise, he is the father of her younger brother’s wife. So she has known him since she was born. That indicated he was also a long-lived species.

“A double ‘Lineage’ (one who draws the blood), huh. I thought perhaps someday, but maybe it was unexpectedly early? But that thing on that child…”

“Did you notice?”

“Well, of course I did. What is that thing? A fairly strong ‘Curse’… no, a Divine Protection? Even I have never constructed such an overprotective spell formula.”

That’s doubtful, Quun thought. This person was overwhelmingly sweet to his daughter. The word ‘doting’ is too lukewarm. How much her younger brother suffered.

“Perhaps her latent ability is even higher. Her power probably awakened quite early. The high fever was the price for that. It’s sealed with a considerably powerful ‘Incantation’. Well, it’s a common occurrence for too strong a power to bring misfortune to oneself and those around them.”

“Sealing that is something an ordinary spellcaster could never do, right? …And there’s one more thing that bothers me.”

“Something that bothers you?”

“She uses ‘Bushin Style’.”

“Wha…?!”

Ende opened his eyes, showing his greatest surprise of the day. To tell the truth, he was also a practitioner of ‘Bushin Style’. ‘Bushin Style’ is a school founded by his master, and its practitioners are few. It’s a school that is already considered half-legendary.

“Who did she learn it from?”

“Apparently from the master who took her in when she had no relatives left. Perhaps her restriction was also applied by that person…”

“Wait a minute, does that mean… that guy?”

“Most likely.”

Realizing who Nero’s master was, both of them let out a big sigh. Together, they showed indescribable expressions.

This might be something they can’t handle by themselves. Quun thought she should try consulting ‘the top’ once.

◇　◇　◇

Finally, tomorrow is the ‘Inter-School Match Bifrost’.

Since the last one was held at our Academy, this time it will be held at the School. Therefore, a send-off party was being held for us representatives.

The twelve people per grade raised onto the stage, a total of sixty people across five grades, will clash sparks with the representatives of the School side as the Academy’s representatives.

In addition to that, five people per grade are added as the machine support team, though.

By the way, last time the second and third years won, and the first, fourth, and fifth years lost. Although they lost the grade-level matches two wins to three losses, I heard we won the comprehensive match where everyone from first to fifth year fights. So a draw, I guess?

Because of that, the seniors are breathing fire, saying this year we will definitely achieve a complete victory.

Just looking out over the stage, in the fifth year are the ‘Twin Flash’ Sana-senpai and the ‘Hundred Thunder’ Rimiera-senpai, in the fourth year the ‘Witch of the Azure Storm’ Sharon-senpai, and in the third year, the immovable rank number one, the ‘Sword Empress Princess’ Zelda Onee-sama.

…Come to think of it, who was rank number two? Number one is Zelda Onee-sama and number three is Sharon-senpai, right? Number four is Rimiera-senpai. I think they were a fifth-year, though.

At the send-off party, there was encouragement from Principal Quun, and the rank number one, Zelda Onee-sama, gave a safe greeting to the students on behalf of everyone saying, “We will do our best,” received a bouquet of flowers, and it ended simply.

We who were on the stage were also dismissed, and we plan to rest slowly today.

“Yo, Nero. So you made it into the representatives too.”

Released from tension, Rimiera-senpai called out to me from behind as I was stretching lightly.

“Congratulations to you too, Senpai.”

“Yeah. This is our last year, after all. We will definitely win!”

I see, the fourth-years who lost the previous year are Rimiera-senpai’s grade.

Thinking carefully about it, leaving the comprehensive match aside, unless there’s a huge replacement in the grade-level matches, there’s a high possibility of clashing with the students of the ‘School’ who fought last year.

We’ll be meeting guys who might become rivals for the next five years.

Well, I hear there’s quite a lot of turnover in the first and second years, so there are probably students we won’t see anymore, though.

I have to put my spirit into it so I don’t become one of those either.

“About the comprehensive match, don’t cower just because you’re a first-year, alright? Go all out! If there’s any upperclassman who tells you not to do unnecessary things, tell me. I’ll tell them not to act high and mighty if they can’t even look after their juniors.”

She’s saying the same thing as Flare-sensei. I’m grateful. I get along well with Rimiera-senpai.

“Understood. If I have the chance, I’ll land a hit on Kou Shirogane.”

“On their rank number one?! Haha, interesting! That’s the spirit!”

Rimiera-senpai vigorously rubbed my head all over. Uwah, stop it! My neck is going to break!

Just as I tried to escape, hands were placed under both my armpits, and someone lifted me up.

“What are you doing. Nero dislikes it, doesn’t she?”

Uea. It’s Zelda Onee-sama. Ah, Sharon-senpai and Sana-senpai are here too.

“What, you’re overprotective. Just because she’s your younger sister bounded by a sisterly vow, if you coddle her too much, she’ll hate you, you know?”

“Hate…?! Is, is that true, Nero?!”

“No, no, I don’t hate you, I don’t hate you.”

I hastily denied it to Onee-sama, who looked terribly shocked.

Showing a relieved expression, Onee-sama hugged me tightly gyuh, then glared at Rimiera-senpai next.

“To try and steal Nero from me…! What a trap…!”

“No, why would you think that. Your character has changed too much…”

“Zeru-chan, you love Nero-chan too much, don’t you~.”

“Well, I kind of understand it, though.”

I don’t know why, but I’m surrounded by seniors and treated like a rare beast…

I saw Carrol and the others in my field of vision, so I sent an SOS signal with my eyes saying ‘Help me!’, but they waved their hands in front of their faces, replying ‘Impossible!’.

Ignoring the seniors who were noisy and chattering over my head, I became unsure whether entering this school was a good thing or a bad thing.