Vol 8 Chapter 1 (2/2)

“Well, thanks for that……”

While wiping off the sweat covering his forehead, Ayato slowly stood up

Checking the surrounding’s situation again, the puppets, which were fighting Kirin and Claudia, withdrew to the rear and the rear guard’s puppets also stopped their shooting This one back to a square one

“Oh, well you aren’t bad overall For your first tea mark Even as you’re now, you can probably qualify for the h I’ll say it like this, there’s a world of difference from the previous team that Enfield led[5]”

Kyouko said in listless, yet so in class

“……But, at this level it’ll be a little hard to aim at the championshi+p”

Then as her voice suddenly lowered, her upturned eyes shone keenly

“Listen well You guys ── especially Airi and Toudou, are above the currenttechniques of close range coh a puppet which only has the sa me down Do you knohy?”

“……Is it because the coordination between Sensei and her puppets is above ours?”

As Saya puffed her cheeks in displeasure, Kyouko sighed while putting a hand on her waist

It looked like she was relaxed, but the prana kneaded to every corner of her body did not waver at all The puppets adopted a stance in which they could immediately restart the battle as well

“Well, you can call it an old man’s wisdom in this situation, but if I only ended with that, that wouldn’t count as a lecture, right? Siroup battle are different First, Sasauard, but there’s also a role of suppressing the opposing teao, if you had restrained iri, Toudou and Enfield should have been able to ly”

“……I see”

As she received a concrete indication, Saya nodded with a slightly surprised face

“Next, Toudou; your ‘conjoined cranes’ is an excellent technique, but it isn’t too suited to a teaainst an opponent with ability above a certain level, it’ll take toothem down If you can be fended off, like what I did a little while ago, there would be a lot of opponents ould be able to take advantage of that”

“Y-Yes……!”

“Then, Riessfeld…… you were a little too reckless with ht of me?”

“It’s because I wanted to actually make sure of Sensei’s ability”

Replied Julis, who had received Kyouko’s piercing gaze head on

Certainly, against a <strega> who captured her opponent’s ability and handled it as if it was her own, it ht have been a somewhat careless attack Even so, she wouldher ability Julis see was performed

“Hahaha, you’ve some nerve If that’s the case, I’ll overlook it this ti it”

Saying so, Kyouko aze to Ayato

Arasping your surrounding was But, it’s a little too good

“Which means……?”

“Of course, it’s necessary, in a team battle, to pay attention not only to the enemy before your eyes, but also to your teauard On that point, you pulled it off at a level that I had never seen…… But as a result, a hindrance is slightly reflected on your own action Concretely speaking, you’re so caught in the surrounding situation that your judghtly dull Even in the last rush, if it wasn’t because of that, your sword ht have reached me first

So, the state of “cognition” had partly backfired, huh

He thought that it was the technique which could display the greatest effect in a teaht about how to use it depending on the situation

“For the ti like this — your individual coordination ain’t bad, so if you gain a little bit of experience, you’ll surely become more proficient”

They were at a loss for words at the fact that she could raise points to be ie of blows

Should they say it was to be expected coryps> championshi+p?

“U to say about me?”

And, Claudia, the only one whose name was not called, softly raised her hand

“……As usual, you aren’t cute at all, eh You performed so well it makes me sick”

When Kyouko said so uninterestedly, she exaggeratedly shrugged her shoulders

“Besides, even while being restrained, you were vigilantly looking for an opportunity to prey upon uard down”

“Fufufu, unfortunately there wasn’t such an opening though”

Claudia pleasantly laughed with her

set up as is

As ht be expected of an experienced person in teahtly more experienced than Ayato and company

“If I had to say, in real combat, you should quickly use

’s ability without reserve In so doing, you’d be able to breakthrough my puppets and even I wouldn’t be a iri”

“Yes, I would have done so if this was the main battle”

“What I’ to say is that you should use your ability without a second thought even if it’s the preli it for the next tournament battle The <festa> isn’t so sweet, you know?”

“……I will bear that in mind”

Claudia laughed as she played it off with vague words It seemed that she did not intend to follow the advice on that area

“Humph”

Kyouko said no htly snorted

“Now then, based on the advice just now, shall we start the second round? I’ll say this just in case, but if you don’t do better, I’ll mercilessly kick your ass”

And as she revealed a ferocious smile on her lips, she rotated the nail bat in her hand

She said it jokingly, but she was probably serious In other words, Kyouko was seriously facing them to that extent

While inwardly giving his thanks to Kyouko, Ayato set up <ser-versta> at eye-level

──Afterwards, the special training with Kyouko continued at a weekly pace[5], and Ayato and company, ere initially toyed with due to the difference of experience, so of the summer vacation＊“Err……I wonder if it’s here”

When he knocked at a door, which the nue text, a spaceappeared before Ayato’s eyes after a short while

『……Who is it?』

Saya’s face appeared on it, her cheeks and chin dirty with oil

“Hi, Saya How do you feel?”

『……Ayato? Wait, I’ll open immediately』

The door was opened as soon as she said that, and a rooe machines jumped into Ayato’s eyes On the floor, cables, which one did not knohat they were connected to, were tossed around in bunch and one could not find anywhere to put one’s feet

Only in the back corner was the sole ereeted Ayato while turning only her neck

“……For you to expressly co the matter?”

In the factory of the Meteoric Engineering Research Club located in the general training hall basement, many workshops, each as wide as a typical classroom, were lined up This place was one of them

A clubroom of a club was normally allocated in the extracurricular activities’ block in the school building, but when it caineering Research Club, it seeain special concessions

The fact that results and ability were favorably treated was the same both inside and outside the campus

“No, it’s because you see recently I ca”

“Oh, I’m thankful for your concern Then, I’ll take a small break”

When Ayato raised the bag of gifts that he brought, Saya happily smiled and put the spanner-like tool that she held in her hand on the floor

Ayato also went towards Saya while being careful not to step on the cables

“At any rate, this place is an a facility”

“Yes Though as expected it looks inferior compared with my father’s factory, even so it’s quite impressive…… Oh, the popsicle; I missed it”

“Yes, I found it in a tuck shop of the middle school”

“As expected of Ayato You know my tastes well”

Saya, after ruifts, that rustled as she did, took out a fruit-flavored popsicle and joyously bit into it

It was ued Asterisk today, too, but air conditioners operated at most places indoor This workshop would also be no exception, but it seee h not as hot as outside, it was hard to say that it was all that comfortable

In fact, Saya wore only a tank top on her upper half, an outfit to which one was quite troubled about where to look

“……So?”

“Eh?”

“Your business isn’t only this gift, right?”

Saya, who pro the first popsicle, thrust the second in front of Ayato

“……As expected of you You knoell, eh”

As he replied the same words Saya had previously said, Saya nodded with a smile as to say “of course”

After Ayato lightly scratched his head with a wry s a small breath

“Well, how to put it…… there’s a s I wanted to confirm”

“Confirm?”

Saya tilted her head to the side with a blank face

“The <gryps> approached little by little and the practice is becoh, other than on training, aren’t you spending most of the time confined here to customize your luxes, Saya?”

“……The end of the summer vacation is already close If I don’t do this much…… no, to put it bluntly, it seems like I won’t make it in time at this rate, so it can’t be helped”

“I know that, but…… Saya, look, you shouldn’t particularly have any reason to aiht?”

“Ah…… So, you mean that”

She clapped her hands as she just understood what Ayato meant

This was because Saya’s reason for participating in teath It was not like she had a wish she wanted to be granted, like the otherAyato

Though he was certainly thankful for her feelings, Ayato also felt sorry about that

It was probably because it was sis of when he decided to participate in the

(I wonder whether Julis also felt like this……)

However, Saya shook her head

“You don’t need to worry about it, Ayato The words I swore at that night aren’t lies”

Upon hearing those words, Ayato recalled about what happened in Saya’s house when they stopped by on their way to Lieseltania

『──That’s why, Ayato, I want you to rely on th』

Those were the words that Saya had said late at night while she looked up at Ayato as the shi+ning ht trickled into the room

“……I see”

Saya’s eyes at that time were serious

In that case, Ayato could no longer afford to say this and that

“……Besides, I don’t place that rated Enterprise Foundation’s power There are also things that even those guys can’t do”

“Well, that’s a given”

It was a rated Enterprise Foundation was not God

“In that case, for me, this is much more reliable”

Then when Saya took the jacket of her unifor like an amulet pouch from the inside pocket She opened it and showed an old scrap of paper folded inside to Ayato

“Ta-dah!”

“Eeeh? D-Don’t tell me that’s……!”

Ayato unintentionally opened his eyes wide

That was a『wish ticket』 issued each tiame with Saya when they were children When this was used, one had to listen to a request of the other party per ticket ── it was that kind of rule

“So, you still had such an old thing, huh”

“This is the last piece It was fortunate that I hadn’t used it as it’d have been a waste And, this ticket shouldn’t have had an expiration date In other words──”

“……Got it It’s still valid”

Ayato adiven up)

Although they were trifling games when they were children, he couldn’t deny her that

After all, Ayato and Saya were currently on an extension line of their pasts

“What a relief…… But well, I don’t plan to use it now, so you may rest at ease, Ayato”

“You don’t plan to use it? Why?”

When he asked, Saya shtly forlorn

“……Because I don’t have the courage to do so”

“Eh……?”

Ayato wondered what she meant by that

However, Saya returned to her usual expression and picked the spanner she had put on the floor

“──Now then, end of the break I ain for a little while”

And then, disregarding Ayato as not quite satisfied with her implication, Saya resumed her lux’s customization＊A blade cut into her chest

A sharp pain, and the taste of blood welling up

The fla in the depth of her body becath from her limbs The heat was lost

“……My bad, president”

Eishi+ro er in hand It was not a lux

His face could not be seen in backlighting Was he laughing? Or, was he si expressionlessly with cold eyes? This future her was supposed to have changed how Eishi+ro was used She searched her mind…… Ah, it was no use It was almost certainly a smile

Her eyes got blurred and gradually became dark

Her body became cold as if it had been soaked in ice

It was painful

It was frightening

She understood that her death was imminent

If she got used to it, she would soe it? No way There was no way that there was such a thing Death is the fundaet used to it Infinite pain is only infinite hell

She fell into darkness She fell and was gone

Then, Claudia abruptly woke up

“……It has been a long time since I have been killed by him, eh”

Shememory

She wiped off the sweat damply concentrated on her forehead and then sat on the sofa there

On the desk, there was a partially drunk coffee and a spacethat had been left open She seemed to have fallen asleep in the middle of work The clock pointed at 3:00 am

As she looked at her portable terminal, there seeo

“……Oh my”

Claudia smiled wryly as she saw the name displayed there

Even so, she returned the call without hesitation

『Gee, sorry to call you this late』

A space as immediately opened and Eishi+ro with a carefree smile was projected on it

“No, no, I do not do mind it So, what’s the matter?”

『Look here, it’s about the matter of the ABC’s newcoe it, so I tentatively want to inform you』

“As expected of Yabuki-kun, you work quickly”

When Claudia honestly praised hiot unnaturally embarrassed

『Well, if it’s a request from President, this much is no problem』

“But, wouldn’t you better keep your distance with me soon?”

『Oops, what do you mean by that?』

Although the <shadow star=””>, Seidoukan Acadeanization, could inally under Galaxy’s direct control In Claudia’s position nohere she was trying to stir up trouble with Galaxy, it was difficult for her to use it like before

Moreover, the matter of this time was Claudia’s personal business If this was found out, not to et in trouble as well

“A notification caht? I wouldn’t have minded it even you had declined it”

When Claudia indirectly inquired as such, Eishi+ro waved both his hands with his smile as is

『You too know it, right President? That I’m a shadow even in the <shadow star=””> At this point, thisdeal』

“I see Then, I shall thank you for your loyalty”

Saying so, Claudia closed the spaceOf course, Claudia was not stupid enough to blindly believe Eishi+ro’s words like that Judging from his position, there was no doubt that he was connected with Galaxy’s top brass Far from it, there was also a rumor that he was connected with another academy ── more specifically, the <tyrant> Dirk Eberwein of Le Wolfe Black Institute

“……Although, his favorite is again a different one”

Well, at least for Claudia, it did not matter at this point

A little more ── just a little more and Claudia’s ould come true

Her preparations were perfect, and the pieces have already begun to move

And now Claudia…… team Enfield just had to win

In doing so──

Translator and references notes[1] Okay I could not le search That resulted in finding this: jawikipediaorg/wiki/ピーキー Froine that has an inconstant nuears (priears) as opposed to a consistent rotation at every gear However, I’m no expert at japanese nor arain of salt

Fro the lines of “over perfor in various areas” with a connotation that it will have inconsistencies as well as context leads me to believe that it will not be without soe “side effects” So basically I think peaky is just another way of saying they ht have issues (Hurray for mad scientists!) by Yascob

[2] this is the process of using clay to create an ani the clay a bit and repeating to eventually create an animation Some notable examples are Wallace and Gromit, and Shaun the Sheep by Yascob

[3] a japanese idio with one’s own eyes is faster than hearing ru like that I don’t kno to explain it well

[4] ‘it’ for effective range

[5]that there ay better than Claudia’s previous team

[6] more precisely a pace of once a week

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