Vol 5 Chapter 1 (1/2)

Chapter 1 - The First Semifinal Match

“ーI see No wonder Camilla-sama is that interested to you, Sasamiya Saya”

Rimsi who slowly stood up within the cloud of dust said so and thuddingly brushed up her hair

The light bullet shot by Saya should have definitely been a direct hit, but judging froe at all

But, upon close inspection, the huge gun type Lux which Rily, she abruptly used it as a shi+eld to defend against the attack

Which means that Rimsi did not have a function to deploy a defensive barrier like Ardi after all

Though that was also guessed froe attack type specialized in e attack type specialized in defense

“I admire your technique to control that extremely unstable Lux with such precision What’scoh my attack That was really wonderful”

Rim said with an unusually calm tone and a cold expression

“Though it will be repeating what Kirin had said just now to that big junk[1] Your attacks are based on accurate, perfect predictions But, that’s why it’s easy to deal with them”

“…All right The reason why Master gave us a personality and a heart was so that we could also taste such humiliation Those words of yours, I have certainly carved them in my heart”

As Saya curtly answered with Waldenholt’s htly frowned and threay the remains of the Lux which she held in her hands

At the sae unit which she carried on her back activated and eh-pitched tone resound

“In that case, I shall respond with all ht”

When Riht hand and her body lightly floated And, as a conspicuously big green light swelled up, Rimsi soared up in the air at an intense speed

『U,Uh-oh, player Rimsi flew!? She flew!』

『S-So that thing on her back was a flight unit Those with flight ability are not so rare, but it’s a different story when it co full battles freely in the sky』

While hearing the voices of the live reporter and the coaze

Certainly aa and Dante, there were those who could fly freely by application of the ability (actually, it was also so for Julis), and even without a size like that of Riht modules could be put in practical use

But as the commentator said, it was another issue when it came to the question of whether or not they could becoeously to take a position higher than the opponent, but if one could not cope with the round, such advantage had no

ーHowever

“…!”

Ri Even describing it by saying “like a bird” would be halfhearted Chasing the tire track which the green jet light depicted in the air was the best one could do

“Well then, let’s go”

At the saht bullets poured literally like rain

Although she so theer there

Grasping thein the sky in a way just short of i and acceleration which could not be endured by a hu difficult

“…This is troubleso

That’s right There will be noif it’s not like that If the form of Camilla Pareto’s conviction was the weapons wielded by those puppets, then she would win by defeating all those with the weapons her father had made

It was for that reason that Saya had won her way up to there

“ーー”

She muttered in a small voice and poured Mana into the Mana Dite At the sae ay which formed a restrictive force field It, which shone, repelled the light bullets shot by Rimsi like a shi+eld

Whileto the very limit until the force field broke down, Saya set her aim

“…Here”

As she began to shoot a huge light bullet froun barrel, it easily sed Rimsi’s bullets which were already fired towards Saya There was just too un used by Rimsi

Ri her body, but Saya shot another light bullet froun barrel at that exact time

No h Rimsi's mobility was in the air was, if she were made to take an evasive action after the first aim, her movements would be limited to some extent What was left was to snipe at there

This also was similar to what Kirin had said earlier Exactly because Rimsi’s reaction to the opponent’s attack movements was too precise, it was easy to lead her on

Actually, the light bullet shot by Saya was a direct hit course ーBut

Just before that, a dull explosion sound echoed and Saya’s light bullet exploded and scattered

“Hmm…?”

Saya unintentionally frowned at that sight

It should be nearly impossible to intercept Waldenholt’s attack with the power of the Lux which Ri

(How on earth…?)

Saya strained her eyes while being still cautious

As the blast cleared up before long, there was the figure of Ri out her left hand forward there But, her left arun barrel

On Riun seeed as if only that part was a heteromorphic monster

“Did you think that I’m just an incompetent puppet which could only fly in the air? Even that superficial and thoughtless blockhead was given the absolute shi+eld of defensive barrier Don’t you find it strange that I wasn’t granted that much from Master?”

Though Rimsi’s tone was indifferent, it was somewhat boastful

“…Not that much Huh”

While Saya muttered so, Saya quickly checked the data projected onto the aiy’s flow, it was not an armament held on hand, but probably Riy should have been supplied by the multiple Mana Dites which was Rimsi’s source of power and which were processed and were standing abreast If so then, it would not be strange even if it flicked out only the output which surely offset Waldenholt

“Let’s see… This Ruinsharif is, so to speak, an absolute spear”

An absolute shi+eld and an absolute spear

In that case, by all means I would like to crash both of them into each other, butー

“…As expected, it looks like it would be tough”

As she sent a sideway glance for an instant, Ardi and Kirin were ruthlessly coe But, Rimsi had not so far taken a position in which she was behind them; Saya as well While both were concentrated on the opponents in front each other, they also kept a close eye on their tag partner If they were to relax their attention even a little, it would jeopardize not only the partner as well

Since both Riht be said that it was a matter of course

“Well, still there’s no probleth”

A direct confrontation was exactly what she wanted fro

Ruinsharif ー Shoot

Energy concentrated on the muzzles of Saya’s Waldenholt and Rimsi’s Ruinsharif

“Ruinsharif ー Shoot”

“…Kaboom”

The next ht bullets shot by Saya’s both arushed out from Rimsi’s left ar roaring sound and a blast as if to blow off one’s body swirled

“Both attacks vanished, huh You aren’t bad”

“…I returned you those words”

While shaking their hair to the blast, Rimsi’s and Saya’s looks clashed

Saya and Rimsi somewhere looked alike

Either of them hardly revealed their ee in their expression However, sooner or later, strong and unyielding feelings would emit a clear heat

“…”

Both of the silent as is, re-set their weapons almost at the same time

ーOn the other side

“Haaah!”

“Nuuh!”

Kirin’s Senbakiri described an arc and approached Ardi, and Ardi’s Hammer flipped it up Kirin sneaked around to his back and once again slashed with an overhead chop, but she was blocked by the defensive barrier and the edge of her sword had not reached even slightly Even so, Kirin’s sword slashed without stopping, even for an instant, and each connected to the next slash, on and on like a flow

『Now then, looking towards the center of the stage, player Toudou’s a consecutive attacks continue here! Player Ardi seeainst the able to counterattack!』

『So this is the ”Conjoined Cranes” of the Toudou style whose ruives no opportunity to counterattack』

ー”Conjoined Cranes”

It was the hidden technique of the Toudou style which Kirin learned, but it was not just pointing to one skill An unending sequence of attacks which combined variants of chained skills and never ceased until the opponent had been cut hat ”Conjoined Cranes” was

“Fuhahahaha! What a terrifying sword skill, Toudou Kirin! It’s exactly a divine skill… No, the skill of a demon! To think that I of all people could not find even an opening to counterattack!”

While dodging Kirin’s fierce attacks by a hairbreadth, Ardi laughed very happily

“But, nice, nice! So this is what humans call exaltation! I can’t bear it! Even you can understand, right? That by dodging that one sword, I’! Wonderful! You are the best mentor!”

Kirin did not respond to it, and unleashed a stab as to scoop out The edge of the shich swerved its trajectory by grazing the defensive barrier shaved Ardi’s shoulder, but ー it was shallow

Although she then rotated her body andher flank, her bloas blocked by the hammer as if it was completely predicted

(As expected… A pattern showed once won’t work again, huh)

Kirin slightly knitted her brows, but of course, Kirin’s sould not be stopped with thatable to link attacks from any stance or any situation hat ”Conjoined Cranes” was

However, she just reconfirmed that Ardi’s words of earlier were certainly true

ーArdi was evolving at a dreadful speed also while dodging the sword like this

There was apparently no doubt about it

(The combination fro froerous…)

The Toudou style has 49 variants of chained skills When incorporating basic skills in these coing her katana, Kirin realized that it was being shaved little by little

Originally, it was near to impossible for someone to perfectly deal with a technique he saw just once at the second ti was probably impossible even for Ayato This was because the human was a creature who let his body pile up, little by little, what he learned by repetition

But, this opponent was different

He only needed the data of an attack executed just once, and was already able to cope with it

(I must also take back the words I said earlier…)

Kirin floated a s ”Conjoined Cranes”

Although she pointed out 'the fact that he’s a h level of this learning ability was obviously 'his strong point precisely because he is ahi

Even his inning when he wielded the haan to become sharp and each blow became more and more heavy

However, even so, Kirin did not feel like losing

Kirin had no confidence in anything other than her sword skill, but conversely speaking, she had absolute confidence only in her sword skill It was not about talent or ability, but about the confidence which she had piled up every day until today

No rowth of Ardi was, the ability difference with Kirin in close range co which could be covered (filled) that easily

ーAnd…

“But well! No ot, it's not fun at all to be one-sidedly beaten like this…!” As Ardi said so, he forcibly threw his body to push Kirin aside and then greatly swung his Hammer

Naturally, if one was to make such a blunder when ”Conjoined Cranes” was executed, a big opening would arise It was a suitable chance for Kirin

She sneaked around the huge ha so that her katana did not break Position-like, it was difficult to aie on the chest, but there was no doubt that it was a decisive way to prevail

“Got you!”

Kirin swung Senbakiri doith a loud scream

“Fufu! Way to go, come as much as you want!”

“Whaー!?”

However, Ardi, far fro that blow, pushed out (shove) his head hi at a hard h Senbakiri It was a , shook off Kirin with his ar tree

Kirin could not help taking distance, too, and set up Senbakiri again

Needless to say that the head was one of the vital points of a human, and a place which one would try to protect even unconsciously To dare to use that place as a shi+eld wasー

“…You were really careless”

Though Ayato escaped fro one attack of Kirin before, it was of a means different from that It was precisely because he was an existence fundamentally different from a human that it could work

“Fuhahahaha! Certainly if it was a human’s body, the outcome would have been decided by now! But unfortunately, my body is a machine! Even the head is not ot that point!”

“…”

Since it was actually true, Kirin could not reprove it

While she herself pointed out his flaw as a machine, she had moved by a fundamental point in accordance with the usual common sense

“I still have a long way to go, too…”

As Kirin aded her awareness

The un

“Now then, I should also express ood data”

While saying so, Ardi slowly stroked his head so as to check the scar

To the part which would correspond to ー his right eye, a straight sword cut was chopped

“Your gratitude…?”

As Kirin quizzically asked again, Ardi proudly bent his chest and declared this

“Fufufu…! All right, Rimsi Now is the time we show that!”

- ψ -

“ーI refuse”

But, Ri Saya and was in the air flatly declined without even turning towards Ardi who cried loudly

“…Why?”

Ardi asked in a somewhat downhearted tone

“I returned you those words, you da in this situation now? In the first place, it's up to s, not you”

Although saying so, Riaze from Saya

While fixing her breathing which was disturbed, Saya lightly laughed

“…Still reluctant this far in the match?”

“It's a strategy to the bitter end ーI' you seriously, but are you still dissatisfied?”

“…No way”

As Saya said so, energy shrank on Ruinsharif ー Rimsi’s left hand

“Then, it's good”

With the launching sound siht attacked as it seemed to completely s Saya Saya’s Waldenholt was still in the process of forced cooling, so a counterattack was impossible

As Saya evaded it by rolling over, the ground where she was standing just before exploded and vanished without leaving any trace Needless to say that even a Starpulse Generation could not get unscathed if hit directly by that

In addition, to the place where she rolled over, light bullets downpoured froht hand SayaWaldenholt’s barrel as shi+eld

(…I understand, but if this drags on, the disadvantageous one will be me)

If she was to compare Waldenholt and Ruinsharif in ter, but was slightly above regarding the accuracy; however this was probably the difference of correction ability which caradually correcting (adjusting) it

They were almost equal about power ー However, Waldenholt had not yet revealed his maximum output It was probably the same also for Ruinsharif

“What's wrong? You're just been running away for some time now”

Energy once again gathered in Rimsi’s left arm

Ruinsharif’s quick fire efficiency was about three times that of Waldenholt In other words, while Saya could attack only once, Rih the diversity of attacks had been iun barrels, because it was a Lobos transition syste was necessary no matter what Moreover, since heat piled up the er, little by little

But still, Saya did not think that this Lux made by her father was inferior to that of Camilla Pareto If it was not this, a destructive power of a crushi+ng blohich could not be achieved That essence was packed here

“…Therefore, I will demonstrate it”

As Saya confirmed that Waldenholt returned to a standby state, she fixed its body by injecting round)

“Why are you trying to do? You can’t take an evasive action like that, you know?”

“There’s no need to dodge”

“Hou?”

Rimsi’s eyes abruptly tapered at these words

“I see The output pattern is different from what you used until now So, I assume it’s your hidden card”

“…”

Saya, reht and left barrels

The gearing sound of two metals could be heard and the two circuits were connected This was Waldenholt’s original form

“Fufu… I think that it’s rather nonsense, but ー all right I will ride on that Let’s once again go with a contest of strength”

When Riround It was probably in order to also invest the flight unit’s energy to the left arm

“Ruinsharif ー Maximum output”

“…”

Trey was accumulated in both muzzles

Sparks like ss, and the air vibrated as if the surrounding space creaked

If she was to miss the Prana control even a little, Waldenholt would accidentally discharged immediately, and Saya would not come out of it unscathed

The energy gathered increased to the lie of bursting

“Discharge!”

“Kaboom…!”

The torrent of light which swirled froht bullet from Saya’s Waldenholt were shot Saya’s expression was distorted at the recoil at the tie

Both clashed at a halfway point like a while ago and it looked like they rivaled for a moment, butー

“Wha…!?”

The light bullet of Waldenholt easily overpowered the torrent of light and scattered it

Rihtly late

“ー!”

The next ht

After the silence of aoff the hall itself, all the protective walls surrounding the stage rattlingly shook to the tre blast, as if they were about to break, and screams rose from here and there in the stands

When the blast settled down before long, Rireatly scooped out like a crater Her left arm was completely destroyed and spouted sparks and black ser possible to use Ruinsharif