Chapter 66: 'Inter-School Match' Start

“It’s time. Please enter.”

A ‘School’ student came over, and we stood up from our chairs.

Carrol erased the strategy written on the whiteboard.

Even though we call it a strategy, it’s something that changes depending on the place and time, so in the end, we have no choice but to adapt flexibly, but there are tentative roles.

Among them, my role as a ‘Scout’ is an important duty in the early stages. By grasping the opponent’s information and conveying it to everyone, we can steer the battle situation to our advantage.

I slapped my cheeks with both hands, psyching myself up. Alright! Let’s do this!

“Alright, then everyone, go have fun!”

“Utilize what you have learned in training and clash with all your might. Surely victory lies beyond that.”

“””Yes!”””

Seen off by Flare-sensei and Sophie-sensei, we headed towards the match venue stage again.

Unlike before, only we first-years are heading there.

“Huh? What about the second-years?”

“The second-years are at a different venue. The first-years will have our match at the place from earlier.”

Pearl, who was walking in front, answered my question. Ah, so not all grades do it at that match venue.

Thinking about it, if two matches were broadcasting side-by-side on monitors at the same time, it would be hard for the spectators to watch. I guess it’s set up so they go to the match venue they want to watch.

Since it’s the first-years’ first match, it seems they yield the main venue to us. Does that mean next year we’ll be at a different venue?

As we approached the flower path heading to the stage again, we were welcomed with applause just like before.

From the entrance on the opposite side, the students of the ‘School’ were taking the stage.

Eventually, the first-years of both the ‘School’ and ‘Academy’ lined up on the stage faced each other.

The only opponents I know are the Flashy Guy and the Pale Gourd.

Assuming this line-up is in order of rank, the first person on the side opposite to where the Pale Gourd is. The boy diagonally to my left. Is that Kokonoe Kojuro?

He has his long black hair tied in a ponytail. That’s a hairstyle common among boys of the ‘Shizoku’ (warrior clan) noble class of Eashen.

His height is average for a boy his age, and he’s a dignified, serious-looking boy.

Come to think of it… I glanced at the student at the very end on the far right among the line of ‘School’ students, the exact opposite of Kojuro.

Next to the Pale Gourd who is glaring at us the whole time. The last person among the reserve players. If I recall, was it Pim Lauri?

Only this one has absolutely no information on them. Apparently, she’s a player who moved up because one person above dropped out, so she was completely unmarked.

The girl named Pim was yawning widely, perhaps unmotivated or sleep-deprived.

Greenish, messy hair, brown skin, and the paint unique to the Great Sea of Trees clans applied to her face.

Since they said she’s from the Great Sea of Trees Union, I had imagined someone large like that Dread-senpai, but her height is normal. About the same as Sherry in front of me? Or is she a little taller?

Since she just moved up to become a representative, I suppose I don’t need to be that wary of her…?

『Now, this moment has finally arrived! The promising rookies who enrolled this year! The legend of these twenty-four youths is about to begin right now!』

The one doing the live commentary on stage with high tension and a microphone is Yoshino-sama in her disguised form. Apparently, Yoshino-sama will be doing the live commentary for the first-year match. Seriously, what is this person doing… The people from Brunhild should stop her, too…

『The decided stage is ‘Mountains’! In this land where steep mountains are lined up, invading enemy territory is difficult, and since invasion is limited to specific routes, it is also a stage that easily becomes a front-on clash! How well you can utilize the lay of the land will be the key to the match! And the time of day is the fading ‘Twilight’! It is a time zone that will change from sunset to night! Will the victory be decided in the darkness?! Or will the match be decided before it becomes night?! It is also a battle against time!』

Images of the mountain region flowed onto the giant monitor on the stage, and the sunset sank into those mountains in fast-forward. And then the moon rises, and it becomes night.

With Lucifer’s high-output thrusters, it probably wouldn’t be difficult to cross the mountain without using the invasion routes, but it consumes magic power and is visible from far away, so…

On the other side, they have a Clock Frame sniper type like Sherry. They probably have telephoto cameras installed, too. I don’t think it’ll happen, but if the ‘Home Base’ is on the front lines, it’ll be sniped immediately. I’d like to avoid that.

As expected, it seems better to intrude into enemy territory from the three mountain road invasion routes.

With Lucifer’s speed, I might be able to ambush them before the enemy side comes.

『Now, let us determine the positions of the ‘Crown’ and ‘Home Base’. Representatives, step forward.』

Carrol and Kojuro stepped forward and input the positions of the ‘Crown’ and ‘Home Base’ into the tablet handed to them by Yoshino-sama.

Naturally, we don’t know the positions of the opponent’s ‘Crown’ etc., but it seems the people in the venue here will be able to see them. Of course, only once the match starts.

『Then, athletes, head to your respective Frame Units! I wish you a good fight!』

We headed toward the twenty-four Frame Units installed at the back of the stage as if spreading their wings.

Since we are lined up by rank, I am the unit between Pearl and Hatoba.

It’s a little different in shape from the ‘Academy’s’ Frame Units. Well, appearances don’t matter.

I opened the unit’s hatch and slipped inside smoothly. And I set my smartphone into the center console.

The hatch closed. A small kacha sound, and the sound from the outside was completely shut out. Lucifer’s data was loaded from the smartphone, and the download bar progressed. At the same time, the sub-monitors and console inside the unit began to harbor a pale light.

The seat adjusted to my size, and it displayed that everything was without problems.

Now then, shall we go? Let’s rampage, Lucifer.

Light filled the all-surround main monitor, and the scenery of the mountains spread out.

There are trees and grass growing here and there, but mostly it’s rocky ground. Large rocks are scattered, and it seems like we could hide.

And straight ahead, a high rocky mountain towers like a wall. Beyond that is the enemy territory.

When I turned Lucifer’s head left and right, I could see everyone else’s machines.

Looking back, Frame Gear hangar decks were lined up inside a large facility like a hangar, and the machines of the three reserves were installed there.

Only Pienetta’s Night Stinger was too big and wasn’t in the hangar deck, though.

I checked the map. Is this the ‘Home Base’? If the machine gets destroyed, I have to manage to return here to switch with one of the reserves.

Deciding who to switch with depending on the situation at that time will also be important.

Incidentally, the ‘Home Base’ cannot be caught by searches, but can be discovered by visual confirmation. If this is destroyed, you cannot switch with reserve personnel, and you must fight it out with the remaining members. Conversely, once you use up the three reserves, you can abandon it.

『Login confirmed for everyone. The match will start in five minutes.』

The announcement, likely from the referee, flowed from the speaker inside the machine.

At the same time, a countdown from a timer began on the front of the all-surround monitor.

The ultramarine Frame Gear piloted by Carrol, Siegfried, took a step forward.

『Alright, then as planned. Nero, head ahead to enemy territory for scouting. Liseclair, guard the ‘Crown’. Lumiel, standby here. Everyone else, divide into three and head for your respective routes. Nero’s information might change the routes midway, so be careful.』

There is a possibility of narrowing it down to one route and launching an all-out attack, after all. In that case, we must also narrow it down to that route to intercept them or set traps.

Either way, the information I relay will be the key. Now then, shall I prepare for departure?

I had Lucifer equip the ‘Hide Cloak’ I procured from Lara.

This equipment, which completely covers the machine like a cloak, also covers even the head with something like a hood.

However, the thrusters on the back inevitably stick out.

According to Lara, by using it in combination with the ‘Phantom System’, a considerable stealth effect can be expected.

However, since the machine inevitably glows, the bottleneck is that it’s easy to be discovered even from far away visually… I hope this cloak can prevent that a little, though.

When I looked toward the sun, the day was already beginning to set, and the western sky was turning red. If it goes on schedule, it will be sunset in thirty minutes, and the curtain of night will fall.

Fortunately or unfortunately, since our territory is on the west side, we will have our backs to the sun. I wonder if the sunset will be dazzling enough for them to miss Lucifer?

While everyone was also fine-tuning their weapons and equipment, the timer on the main monitor hit zero and disappeared.

『Then! The first-year “Inter-School Match” starts!』

Along with Yoshino-sama’s match start announcement, I flew out like an arrow in Lucifer, faster than everyone else.

“Then, I’m going ahead!”

I fully opened Lucifer’s thrusters and distanced myself from the ‘Home Base’.

『Count on you, Nero!』

『If you get taken out, I won’t forgive you!』

While listening to the communications from Hatoba and Rizlet via the speaker, I flew through on top of the highway at low altitude.

I should still be fine even if I fly at full speed. I’ll activate ‘Phantom’ once I enter the foothills of the mountain.

I want to save [Zero Gravity] as a trump card, so I can’t use it for movement. Even so, I think I can go faster than their scouts, but that information is from before the ‘Inter-School Match Bifrost’.

Hypothetically, if there’s a Lightning Frame equipped the same as me (although on their side it’s only the Flashy Guy), they would be able to output the same speed.

“Well, if they placed the ‘Home Base’ on the front line, that’s a different story, but…”

According to Koto’s information, Kokonoe Kojuro wouldn’t make such a gamble, though. There are no absolutes in anything.

Whoops, it’s about time I should activate ‘Phantom’.

I activated the ‘Phantom System’ in front of the mountain that was approaching close at hand. At the same time, I also began searching.

The route I chose for scouting is the South-side highway where Hatoba and Rizlet will come later. My plan is to search for the opponent while entering their territory, and then head North toward the Northern highway I am in charge of, but…

This area doesn’t seem to be that hard of a mountain-crossing route, either…

Judging from the shape of the mountain range, I think the South route is the easiest route. Is it that the further North you go, the tougher it feels?

Eventually, I crossed the mountain pass and intruded into the enemy’s territory. From here, I have to lower my speed and proceed cautiously.

There’s no reaction yet… As Carrol suspected, they wouldn’t place the ‘Home Base’ or ‘Crown’ on the front lines, after all. If there were Frame Gears gathered around here, it would have been easy…

“Well, if the ‘Home Base’ were in a place like this, I would have bumped into the opponent’s scout before then…”

When I muttered that to myself, a red dot of light appeared on the map for just an instant.

“!!?”

I emergency stopped Lucifer and hid in the shadow of a nearby rock.

What was that just now? Red means enemy? But it appeared and immediately disappeared. Why?

The distance isn’t that far. If it was equipment that completely prevents searching—for example, stealth coating—it shouldn’t have appeared even for an instant.

Which means its stealth effect was cut off only at that moment. In other words, it’s an active-type concealment equipment just like my ‘Phantom’.

My ‘Phantom’ constantly consumes magic power, but aside from that… I remember there was a defective item in Lara’s catalog that had unstable magic circulation and the concealment effect would occasionally cut off, but don’t tell me it’s something like that?

I personally thought it was dubious that the concealment effect would appear and disappear, so I passed on it.

But if you actually fight against it, it might be quite troublesome. Your location is exposed occasionally, but until then, you don’t know it.

Where will the light point appear next… wait, it appeared! Close?!

When I realized it, a Frame Gear had appeared on top of the rocky area.

A flashy red crest head, and a whole-body bling-bling gold color. It’s the Flashy Guy’s Lightning Frame, ‘El Dorado’.

“So you really are their ‘Scout’…”

Illuminated by the setting sun, the Flashy Guy’s golden machine was shining in a copper color.