Chapter 127 - Transfer Student and Christmas [4] (1/2)

Chapter 127. Transfer Student and Christmas [4]

Claude-san and I held up our swords and quietly stared at each other.

(It’s a little different from last time…)

When we exchanged swords at the arena in Vesteria Kingdom, she rushed at me with attacks as soon as the duel began.

(Judging from the aggressive nature of Claude-san, I thought she would come at me right away…)

Do you have some strategy in mind or have you changed your fighting style?

At any rate, my prediction was a miss.

When I was thinking about that, Claude-san, with beads of sweat on her forehead, started to slowly circle around me while maintaining the same distance.

「Ki, Kisama… You seem to have improved quite a bit…」

「Is that so…? Thank you.」

I never imagined she would praise me… How rare.

「Exceeded far above my expectations, huh… then I would be at a disadvantage in close combat.」Claude-san murmured something, and quickly swung her long sword thrice, slashing the soil in the schoolyard.

A crest appeared there, casting a pale light.

Following that, the soil changed shape with every passing second.

「CHI-CHICHICHICHICHICHI!」

「GUWA–!」

「FURORORORORORO…!」

It transformed into fist-sized swallow, raven, and a barrel-sized owl.

The swallow and raven perched on Claude san’s shoulder, whereas the big owl flew overhead.

(…It’s out.)

Inorganic material which is cut with her soul dress transforms into a bomb and is manipulated at will.

It’s the fearsome ability boasted by Claude san’s soul dress -〈Avio Troop〉.

Six months ago, I was tormented by that ability.

「Fuu, if you think it’s going to be the same as before… You’re in for a world of pain.」

As she swung her long sword with a confident look,

「CHICHICHICHICHICHICHI!」

The swallow cried out in a high pitched noise, and flew in the completely wrong direction. It slowly dropped its altitude, and the moment its body came into contact with the schoolyard, a large explosion sounded, producing a huge crater.

「!?」

Everyone who was watching the scene unfold suddenly began to buzz.

「O-Oi, are you serious?」

「What a power in such a small swallow…」

「As expected of a person originating from the Royal Vesteria Academy…」

Claude-san was not interested in the reactions of our classmate at all, as she looked straight into my eyes, with a fearless smile on her face.

「How was that? Are you surprised?」

「Yeah, that power can’t be compared to before…」

「Fuu, of course. After losing to you that day… I’ve been doing hellish training every single day!」she said, putting on a belligerent smile.

(…No matter how you look at the explosion just now, it’s the power of the old『owl』class.)

It is necessary that I be cautious of it.

While keeping Claude-san at the edge of my sight, I glanced at the big owl that was glaring at me from the sky.

(Even a small fist-sized swallow produced such a big explosion.)

If that barrel-sized owl explodes, it will surely be an enormous explosion.

As I analyzed Claude-san’s power,

「Now, show me your power, worm!」she exclaimed, quickly slashing the soil in the schoolyard.

「「「CHICHICHICHI!」」」

「「「GUWAAA, GUWAA! 」」」

Ten bombs made from swallows and ravens each were produced; a total of twenty.

(…The number has also increased.)

If I remember correctly, previously there were only ten or so of them in total.

(It’s twenty at a time now, huh…)

That’s a fearsome growth.

「Fufu, are you so surprised that you became speechless? Then, get blown away where you stand! Now, dance!」

At the same time as Claude san’s orders, the twenty bombs rushed at me.

(…They’re kinda fast.)

By the time I noticed, they were close to my nose tip.

「Burst!」

The moment she cried out, dazzling light filled the whole area and an explosion of unprecedented scale occurred.

Clouds of dust rolled up, and momentary silence dominated the place.

「Fuu, I definitely caught you…!」

Together with Claude-san’s voice, who was convinced of victory,

「Doesn’t this look really bad…?」

「If you get hit with something like that directly, there won’t even be a trace remaining…」

「O-Oi, Allen… Are you alive?」

I heard the uneasy voices of my classmates.

「-Aa, of course.」

I answered briefly, and swept away the clouds of dust with darkness as proof.

「That’s Claude-san for you. Power, quantity, speed, everything is remarkably different. But, I’ve grown a little too, you know?」

The output of the dark robe seems to be much higher than her swallow and raven.