Episode 137: Intervention
Two shadows darted across the battlefield with reckless abandon.
In the wake of their incredible speed, only the remnants of angels were left behind.
“Lutra, three swings.”
“Hahaha! You think I can be caught with such swordwork?!”
Rokuhara laughed as he stopped Tourak’s blade mid-swing.
An explorer of average skill wouldn’t even have the option to block such an instantaneous draw.
But this was precisely why Rokuhara could easily handle it – the mark of an S Rank.
“Too light. Too weak. Boring.”
“……”
As Rokuhara dismissed the blocked blade, Tourak vanished before his eyes.
The next moment, Tourak reappeared at Rokuhara’s flank, a blind spot.
“—Got you.”
Tourak had not aimed his two strikes at Rokuhara but rather the distance between them.
He utilized the concept of instantaneous teleportation through cutting space.
This third strike would be his true intent, his all-out attack.
“Sorry, but that’s already old news.”
However, it was effortlessly intercepted.
Rokuhara had anticipated the move; his dual blades deflected Tourak’s sword.
Then, using Tourak’s incoming momentum, Rokuhara pulled him into an armlock.
“Einaaaa!”
“Geez, initiating emotion conversion now~!”
There are two ways to deal with a Demon’s Gear or its user going berserk.
One is suppression by another stable Demon’s Gear.
If that fails, the activation of the Star Reader’s Staff aims to freeze the entire Celestial Program.
Thus, each Demon’s Gear possessed attacks effective against others.
“This is the first time actually using emotion conversion on another Demon’s Gear~ It feels great to beat Lutra into submission properly!”
“Shut up and do it.”
Given the many students present on the battlefield, deploying magic circles was impossible.
Therefore, Rokuhara triggered the emotion conversion through physical contact alone.
“…Gah, aaaah!”
“Ah, stop flailing, idiot. Just stay still and it’ll be over soon.”
“Lu…tra! One swing!”
“!”
The sword was drawn with force, unleashing a chaotic storm of slashes around the area.
Trees were shredded to pieces, and angels turned to dust and scattered. Fortunately, there were no other students nearby.
“Oh, he got away~!”
“Can’t you absorb emotions more effectively?”
“While dodging potentially fatal slashes aimed at me, Rokuhara complained to Eina.
“Handling this alone wasn’t part of the plan. We need at least Solfi-nee or Ciel-nee here! Ideally, everyone should come! My role is supposed to be supporting from the backlines~!”
“Huh? Then why are you a melee weapon?”
“It’s because the Leader keeps breaking me unnecessarily~!”
Sighing at his complaining partner, Rokuhara glanced at Tourak.
Unlike before, Tourak kept his distance, seemingly wary of the emotion conversion.
(Well, naturally. Now, how do I get close again to use the emotion conversion…)
Rokuhara readied Eina.
Still, neither side moved.
(My invincibility can withstand slashes, but his technique that cuts through distance is troublesome. If I miss for 12 seconds, it’d be meaningless. This is my trump card, so I want to use it when it’s sure to hit.)
Behind his ferocious grin, Rokuhara logically constructed his battle strategy.
His advantage stemmed not just from his own abilities but also from having witnessed Star Slash beforehand.
“Guess I should thank Nameless for being such a crap amateur. Thanks to her, things are much easier now.”
Compared to the situation where numerous abilities were used alongside Star Slash, the current opponent’s actions were predictable since they only had the ability to cut.
“Lu-tra! One swing!”
Tourak drew his sword, slicing through the void.
Simultaneously, countless slashes flew toward Rokuhara.
“You’ve changed it to a long-range three-slash combo. Good call. But can you cut me with those toy swords?”
Rokuhara swung Eina with all his might.
At that instant, a red energy wave obliterated everything.
“That’s your emotion-derived shockwave. How does it feel to be protected by your own emotions?”
Without reacting to Rokuhara’s words, Tourak once again prepared Lutra.
There was no trace of hesitation in his stance.
“Lu-tra! One swing!”
Pouring all his magical power into one strike, the slash headed straight for Rokuhara.
Witnessing this, Eina screamed.
“No emotional reserves left~ Shouldn’t we call for backup!? Towa and Shiyaku are nearby, so let’s call them! Towa must be standing by close by just in case!”
“There’s no way she can enter the battlefield during the territorial war, idiot.”
Rokuhara positioned Eina.
Having expended all his emotional energy, he aimed to physically deflect the incoming slashes.
“The only ones who can intervene here are either someone who prepped this place beforehand or…”
“—Someone like me.”
A voice rang out.
Suddenly, a magic circle appeared before Rokuhara and Tourak.
All the slashes were shot down by artillery fire, enveloping the area in black smoke.
“Th-this reaction…!”
“Wow, what a flashy entrance, huh?”
Rokuhara exclaimed in delight.
“Heheh, I didn’t intend to step onto the stage, but…”
The black smoke dispersed with the wind of magical power, revealing a single girl.
Clad in black robes, her azure-silver hair flowing, she stood wielding a large scythe.
Her name—
“I’ve missed you, Solciera!”
“I haven’t.”
The star of judgment had manifested here.
■
I really didn’t want to meet her…
She might get excited and attack me too.
‘Surely, I don’t lose even in a two-on-one fight against Eina and Lutra?’
That’s because the wielder is a monster!
So, I request Mr. Rokuhara to leave! Seriously!
“I understand the situation. You should go.”
Turning my back on Rokuhara is as dangerous as turning it to an enraged grizzly, but there’s nothing to be done.
We can only rely on the sane side of this person.
“What? Leaving? Don’t joke around—”
“Tourak, I will stop you… Please.”
I seriously pleaded with utmost sincerity.
How about it, Mr. Rokuhara? As a man of sentiment, you’re weak against these kinds of appeals!
“…Tch, do as you please.”
Look at that!
Star Reader’s Staff, this is what heart control looks like. People are just rolling over in the palm of a mysterious beautiful girl!
“By the way, let’s have a match later, just you and me.”
“…Yes, of course.”
‘Is she also rolling over in your palm?’
No, that’s unexpected.
Mr. Rokuhara seems completely under her thumb.
Worst-case scenario ☆
But, it can’t be stopped now.
Because from here on, I alone will shine brighter in this battle.
“Whoa! We’re about to see a girl fighting with great sacrifice!”
Whose perspective is that?
Officially, aren’t you the cause of that sacrifice?
“One more thing, would you destroy the angels for me?”
“Of course, no problem. Killing angels gives bonuses after all.”
Eh, really?
So those deer earlier were super bonuses!?
Nice one, everyone at Factom General Academy!
Tonight’s dinner will be a grand barbecue~
Let’s celebrate with a happy party commemorating the victory over the angels and the territorial war!
“Clam alone seems gloomy all the time.”
Why is that?
“Have Eina track my magical power. I’ve granted it to my collaborators. Ask them for details.”
“Everything’s taken care of, which kinda pisses me off. …But fine.”
It seems Mr. Rokuhara accepted, starting to detect the surrounding magical power using Miss Eina.
These collaborators who’ve been granted magical power are none other than Miss Rinka and Clam’s heavy-duty duo.
Mr. Rokuhara, head over to these two now.
Go ahead and enjoy yourselves hunting angels together with the three of you.
“…There.”
Fast detection.
That Demon’s Gear really has capabilities you wouldn’t want in enemy hands.
“If you’ve found it, hurry up and go. We don’t have time.”
“Don’t give me orders. …Tch, Eina, let’s go.”
In the next instant, Mr. Rokuhara disappeared.
Eh, did that guy just vanish using his raw speed without any special shoes?
You can move that fast without glass slippers?
Maybe he’s gotten stronger again?
“Next time, I don’t want to lose either~”
Next time, Mr. Rokuhara will combine his 12-second invincibility with Eina, making him overwhelmingly strong.
…Yeah, let’s not think about that.
“…Did I keep you waiting?”
Finally, I addressed today’s main character, Tourak, who’s usually the straightforward and refreshing protagonist.
“I don’t mind. Waiting for you seems more meaningful than cutting through that thing.”
Though he’s covered in blood right now, what happened to make him end up like this?
Where’s Mihaya, this boy’s guardian and main heroine?
Your boyfriend is about to have his emotions shattered by a mysterious beautiful girl!
Are you okay with that!?
“To end all tragedies and save you, I obtained this power.”
With that, Tourak aimed Lutra at me.
Lutra seems to be glowing in a color I’ve never seen before…
“If so… then I shall respond with all my might.”
After wildly swinging my scythe, I took my stance.
Style points go to me.
“Soul Ciela’s invasive version is ready! Let’s go whenever!”
My partner says she’s ready, leaving only the unveiling of our new form during the fight.
“—!”
Tourak and I simultaneously charged forward.
Come on, Star Reader’s Staff!
Let’s start the event scene where ‘two people who are supposed to be important to each other end up hurting one another’!
“Should we determine whether it’s Tou x Sol or Sol x Tou here?”
Don’t decide anything, focus seriously.
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