Chapter 67: First Combat of the 'Inter-School Match'

『So their ‘Scout’ really was Nero-chan, huh.』

“Don’t call me Nero-chan. It’s gross.”

Being called that by a man I’m not even close to gives me goosebumps. Are you mistaking being friendly for being overly familiar?

Well, fine. Since we’ve encountered each other, there’s only one thing to do.

“Asterisk!”

From both sides of Lucifer’s waist, the snowflake-like [Floating Swords] ‘Fragarach’, Asterisks, flew out spinning.

『Whoops!?』

“Tch.”

I aimed for the face with the main camera and the cockpit, but it was dodged skillfully. Even if it’s rotten, it’s still a Lightning Frame; its reaction speed is faster than other Frame Gears. However…!

“[Barrel Mode]!”

The Asterisks dodged by El Dorado, piloted by the Flashy Guy, transformed behind it. Six barrels stood up on each of the two, taking aim at El Dorado’s back.

『Kuh…!』

Blasting its back thrusters babat!, El Dorado evaded the Asterisks’ gunfire. Damn, it’s faster than I thought?!

Since we’ve encountered the enemy, the Hide Cloak gets in the way, so I threw it off on the spot. Thinking it might get torn up in the battle, I threw it far away on purpose. Of course, I also turned off ‘Phantom’. Now that I’m found, I won’t use useless magic power.

『No holding back from the start, huh?!』

“I struggle to understand why you thought I would hold back.”

I have no reason to do it, nor do I want to. You’re an enemy, you know.

I fully opened the back thrusters and drew two Kodachi from both shoulders.

I slashed at him with momentum, but he also drew a short sword from his waist and caught it.

I slashed again with the Kodachi opposite to the one that was blocked, but that was also blocked by a dagger with a large guard.

We exchanged several slashes just like that, but all were caught.

Very hard to fight. Especially that dagger with the large guard in his left hand, the Main-Gauche, is more troublesome than I thought.

While catching my attacks, he shifts to attacking, and before I know it, I, who was supposed to be on the offensive, am put on the defensive.

『Seems I have the advantage in sword skills, huh.』

Tch…! It’s frustrating, but it can’t be helped that there’s a difference in skill between this guy, who was born into royalty and probably received first-class instruction since childhood, and me, who only learned from Senpai for about a month as a makeshift measure. But!

I parried the short sword El Dorado thrust with its right hand using my Kodachi, and stepped forward about half a step.

“Bushin Style – ‘Swallow Kick’ (Hienkyaku).”

Like a swallow flying low and then ascending from there, Lucifer’s left leg exploded into El Dorado’s waist. You might have the advantage in sword skills, but in close-quarters combat, I have the advantage, you know?

『Guh!?』

Even while being blown away, El Dorado regained its posture and pointed the tip of its sword to keep Lucifer, who was trying to pursue, in check.

The scabbard of the Main-Gauche on El Dorado’s right waist shattered into pieces and fell to the ground.

Damn, did the damage not reach the main body because of that?

『You have bad manners with your feet, huh…! You should learn some etiquette, you know?』

“No need.”

『When you become a Trooper, you’ll meet important people, so it will become necessary… hup!』

The armor on El Dorado’s shoulders popped open, and small missiles were launched.

“Asterisk!”

The Asterisks that flew in front of Lucifer fired a rapid barrage of magic bullets, splendidly shooting down both incoming missiles.

Then, in the next instant, a massive amount of white smoke blew out from the missiles, enveloping the surroundings in the blink of an eye.

Eh, what is this?! A smokescreen?!

My vision turned pure white, and El Dorado’s figure became invisible.

I ran my eyes over the search monitor, but El Dorado’s reaction was gone. Kuh, is this a smokescreen that includes that Mana Jamming thing Lara was talking about?

They probably have equipment loaded that allows them to move freely even inside this smokescreen. Would it be bad to move from here…?

As I returned the Asterisks to my waist and prepared for an attack, a slash from the short sword suddenly flew from within the white smoke. I somehow dodged it and retreated just like that.

As if mocking me, who had been thinking ‘If I just get out of the smoke’, Lucifer’s back hit a rock wall, blocking my escape route. Damn, hard to move!

Then upward! I fully opened the downward thrusters on the back and jumped big. Passing through the range of the white smokescreen, the evening sky was projected on the main monitor.

While I was searching for El Dorado, missiles were launched again from below towards me.

I won’t repeat the same mistake. This time I didn’t shoot them down, but just confined myself to dodging the missiles coming from below.

However, this was a mistake. The instant after I dodged, there was a popping sound like pan!, and something fell onto Lucifer with a basaat. This is… a cast net?! A net launcher?!

『You fell for it!』

El Dorado jumped out from within the white smokescreen. Killing the mobility of a Lightning Frame to render it immobile before hammering in attacks. That’s standard tactic, and a net launcher is effective equipment. But I’ve already prepared countermeasures for that!

“Asterisk, [Blade Mode]!”

Shakin! The Asterisks, with their Mithril blades popping out, tore the net to shreds just like during the match with Pearl.

“Asterisk, [Shield Mode]!”

Freed from the net, I deployed [Shields] on the Asterisks against El Dorado coming from below. Stopped by the invisible shields, El Dorado bent backwards for an instant, stopping its movement.

I’m not naive enough to let that opening slip by.

Firing the verniers in the air, I spun kurun as if falling, and landed that heel on El Dorado’s left shoulder.

“Bushin Style – ‘Heaven-Crushing Heel’ (Tentsuishou)!”

The instant it took Lucifer’s axe kick, El Dorado defended with a small Round Shield attached to its left arm, but couldn’t stop the momentum and just fell like that.

Did I get him?

The smokescreen is still spreading below. Going down into that as is would be bad. I’ll land on that rocky area over there.

Gliding Lucifer, I landed on the rocky area and waited for the smokescreen to clear while staying vigilant.

If I could use Wind attribute magic, I’d blow away a smokescreen like this, though.

Within the white smokescreen, I saw a single shadow running towards the right.

“There!”

I flew an Asterisk and attacked the moving shadow. Then, a weird sound like pan! was heard from inside the smokescreen.

What was that sound just now…? It wasn’t a metallic sound, but a sound like a balloon popping… Don’t tell me.

“Return, Asterisk!”

An Asterisk returned spinning from within the smokescreen. O・n・l・y・o・n・e.

A gust of wind blew hyuu, clearing the smokescreen. There, entangled in something like humanoid birdlime, was the figure of the other Asterisk unable to move on the ground.

“Wha…?! A balloon-type decoy?!”

While I was surprised by that sight, a wind blade tore through the smokescreen from a different direction and flew at me.

I moved Lucifer from atop the rocky area, dodging the wind slash. Is this, [Wind Cutter]?! That guy uses magic too!

As if aiming for the opening when I dodged it, El Dorado jumped out from the smokescreen.

I somehow caught the blow of the swung-back short sword with the Kodachi in my left hand.

“You really do some cheap tricks…!”

『I’d prefer you call me an intellectual type.』

I’m the one who fell for a decoy with birdlime, but I don’t think it’s enough to call you an intellectual type. Trying to make yourself look big, you really are a cheap guy.

El Dorado slashed at me continuously. I parried it with the left and right Kodachi, but he didn’t have the same brilliance as before. Especially the movement of the Main-Gauche held in his left hand was sluggish.

Probably the damage from the ‘Heaven-Crushing Heel’ he took earlier remains.

Come to think of it, he blocked it with the shield on his left arm. Even if the shield defended to some extent, did the damage penetrate inside?

The function of his left arm is probably degraded. With this…!

I focused on his sluggish left hand and repeated a barrage of Kodachi strikes. Eventually, unable to block entirely, the Main-Gauche was flicked away from his left hand and fell onto the rocky area with a clatter. Chance!

I was about to slash in, but I felt a strange flow of magic power from El Dorado in front of me. From the left shoulder to the arm…?

Sensing danger by intuition, I instantly made Lucifer crouch.

In the next instant, a wind magic stronger than the [Wind Cutter] from earlier was unleashed from the knife-hand of El Dorado’s swung-through left hand, tearing through the space above Lucifer’s head.

That was close…?! This guy, was he aiming for that?! Was dropping the Main-Gauche also a lure?!

『Eeeh, you dodged that at this point-blank range…?! What kind of reflexes do you have…?!』

“You really are a cheap guy!”

This guy…! He’s the type who excels at surprise attacks, underhanded tactics, sneak attacks, and foul play. His fighting style is similar to the guys in thieves and dark guilds.

Is it okay for a prince of a country to be like that?! In a way, the Pale Gourd was more prince-like! In the sense of being an idiot who doesn’t know the world!

To try and trick me. You’re pretty good. But I’ve fought guys of this sort several times, too.

That’s why I can read it. Including the fact that the discarded Main-Gauche is actually a [Floating Sword] ‘Fragarach’!

『Wha…?!』

I blocked the Main-Gauche, which had circled behind me without my noticing and was about to fly in and pierce me, with an Asterisk’s [Shield].

Even if he dropped it on purpose to make me let my guard down, letting go of a weapon oneself is high risk. But what if he can still utilize it even if he lets it go? Thinking like that naturally leads to the answer.

Having prevented the Main-Gauche’s surprise attack, I instantaneously activated [Zero Gravity], and simultaneously fully opened the back thrusters and slashed into El Dorado.

As expected, even for a Lightning Frame, a high-speed charge from this point-blank range cannot be dodged.

My slashed-in Kodachi tore through the flank of El Dorado, who somehow tried to evade.

Kuh, shallow?! I thought I completely caught him off guard, but he has sharp intuition.

If I had slashed in a little deeper, I might have been able to cut the main Ether Line running down his back.

『Oh dear, this might be bad, huh… It can’t be helped, I never thought I’d end up using my trump card from the very beginning.』

Pachi, Pachi, Pachin.

What is it? A strange sound coming from El Dorado…?

In the next instant, with a loud noise like Bon!, the golden machine was blown to pieces.

Eh, self-destruction?!