Vol 23 Chapter 2 (1/2)
Fire Up Spirits (The Dispute Arc, or the Helpless Day)
The deeper the black, the more beautiful the red becaht, the princess endured the scent that made her nostrils itch That scent arm and exotic, and surrounded all the emotions concealed in the darkness
She was the bearer of the sealed emotions
Red surrounded by pitch-black
All the emotions sealed inside were confusion, joy, as well as immorality She was the intense red that made one shudder deeply She was also the one wholeheartedly waiting for the veil to be lifted
Ahh, how much I look forward to those char, and then step into the midst of this darkness
”Hey! It's really dark here, can I open the curtains?”
That voice reached her ears as she shi+vered from her fantasies in the darkness
”Honestly, what are you doing? The feeling is perfect right now”
”But it's so dark here I can't see
”That's not a big deal, right?”
The Princess of Darkness was quite indignant Her ood, but the voice of reality had ruined everything
”It's too dark here We can't see anything at all if you block the light so completely”
”Uuu”
”Tony's really scared, so if possible I'd like to open the curtains”
”Why?”
”Because that guy's scared of the dark”
”Honestly!”
If he was scared of the dark, there was no helping it The Princess of Darkness stood up and walked to theto open the curtains, in place of the other three who couldn't ht shone into the room and drove away the darkness
The Princess of Darkness Claribel unhappily turned around, black lace fluttering, and the figures of the three sitting on the sofa appeared in her eyes
They were Teresa, Tony, and Cody, three people of the fourteenth platoon
”Hey, why are the three of you not wearing those clothes?”
Claribel, wearing her Princess of Darkness outfit, crossed her ar at the outfits of the three of them
School wasn't in session today, but the three of them wore their uniforms
”Uh, because it's a holiday today”
Cody answered on behalf of the three His body was frail, but he was very tall, and if he stood up Claribel would have to look up to see hi on the sofa, he was taller than the other two by a head
”Walking around all the ti that is a bit”
Tony's face looked a bit pale, and cowardice showed on his fat cheeks
”But we're holding photography sessions regularly”
Teresa tried to alleviate the ater burned fiercer
”Sorry to bother~ Oh, you're all here? Uh, Lon isn't here Well, that guy's the sa rang out and the platoon captain shi+n entered the room As expected, he wore his uniforer explode
”All of you, line up!”
At Claribel's order, the three on the sofa hastily stood up, and shi+n also joined their line They had pulled Claribel into their platoon with such inspiring acting when they had competed for her, but now it looked like that atone
That made her unhappy
”You all have no spirit! Why don't you properly wear your outfits!”
”Uh, because”
”Uhts with odd expressions
”Uh, it's because we'd have to go in front of the disciplinary coot in trouble today The student council is pretty serious about ency, the student uniforms they wore served as personal identification, and also displayed their positions, so the school rules had strict provisions thatthe uniforhting clothes”
Wearing fighting clothes implied that one was a Military Artist, so there was just a bare-bones provision that said their functionality needed to be proved That said, doing too much to them would draw attention, so actually only platoon hting clothes
”Can you change theo on theh
”Ahh, really! In that case, then we'll have to make do with our casual clothes Uh Come to think of it, what should we call this platoon?”
”The fourteenth platoon”
”No, that's not what I', there should be a naht?”
”We have to go that far?”
”We have to”
”It's not good to go too far”
”What's wrong with going too far, it's only good that way”
”Um, then I'll think about it On another note, what's today'sfor?”
This was Claribel's room At her command, all of the fourteenth platoon except for their Psychokinesist had arrived here
”The main topic is another matter We should first decide on a team name”
”Hmm Teresa, what do you think?”
”Huh? Me? Uh”
Teresa kept blinking at shi+n with a troubled expression
”Well, you won't knohat to say when you get asked that so suddenly Ah, oh well Tony and Cody, you think too, and talk about it with us if you think of so”
”Ohh”
”What is it?”
”You look frivolous on the outside, but you're not a bad captain”
”Ahahahaha! I'et ine he would stick out his chest instead Maybe he was unexpectedly nanimous
”Well, let's put this ht?”
”Yeah Ah, but the clothes--”
”Alright, alright”
Claribel pouted as shi+n placated her That wasn't the h it wasn't the main topic, Claribel hoped to be able to cultivate that kind of atmosphere all the time After all, that was the reason Claribel had chosen this platoon
”In that case, I don't need to stay in this platoon in particular”
”I understand Our casual clothes should be in as ht?”
”The platoon name”
”That too, let's talk about it once I think up a good nah”
It felt like he was trying to appease her A hard-to-describe displeasure ht Don't be like that, what business do we have for today?”
”Fine Then, let's enter theup straight and facing the four of them
”Today's topic is related to our enemy - Layfon Alseif”
”It really is about that, huh”
”No, well He's Lay the Flash, an apostle of light who hates the darkness”
”Huess”
”Please don't say anything like 'setting'”
Though Claribel thought that way too, it was a bit of a buzzkill to be told that by sooal was to be a theatrical platoon, so it's good to have an enemy”
”Don't say theatrical Come to think of it, what's 'theatrical'?”
”Hmm? Ah, it means our main purpose is to put on a show Glamorous style combined with dramatic lines To Military Artists, battlefields are important places where they train the how much power the people who protect their city have is alsothe spectators are also people who enjoy the fights between Military Artists as a form of entertainment, and there are quite a few of those people”
”Ah, that's right”
”So ant to pay roup But when you think about it, the other platoons don't approve of that thinking, and if you want to fight theatrically, you have to even plan on ins and loses But in that case, the battle would just becoless to Military Artists So I planned on first dressing up extravagantly before anything else, even if we're the only ones doing that, so I called us a theatrical platoon Well, it's an experiment”
”I see”
”Letthat we actually dressed like that and spoke those kinds of lines all the tiht?”
”Ahahaha, of course not!”
Claribel said this, but she couldn't deny that her voice was a bit hoarse
”But, I think that at least our fans wish that ere usually like that, right?”
”Hmm, maybe”
”So our casual clothes really should be black, and we should wear as much silver as possible ear uniforms”
”Okay, okay”
”Then let's return to the s any the atmosphere, Claribel took a deep breath
”The i with hi at all”
”Won't we be more likely to win?”
Teresa tilted her head and less Tothe real him”
”That's true”
”Yeah”
”Uh, why does Layfon-kun have no motivation?”
Tony timidly raised his hand
”No,unmotivated? If the Layfon we know has been in an un, then”
”He was very cool when the horde of filth monsters attacked before”
Cody's h he uses a different Dite, I feel during platoon th is clearly on a different level I've always thought, what if he's been holding back during platoonat all”
Tony's face turned pale and he shi+vered at Cody's speculation
”I don't knohat he was like last year, so I can't give an opinion But I' hied the apprehensive three
”From what I heard, he doesn't use steel threads in platoonsafety equipless, so I can understand why the school doesn't let him use steel threads in coines, but his specialty is sword fighting after all, so we don't need to think about how to deal eapons meant to coeable If I recall, you were born in the saht?”
”Yeah”
”Oh, so that's it? So you cauess”
”Ohh! How is it, how is it, any ro”
”Whaat, how boring”
”But you still followed hi”
Teresa irl conores her how nice It will definitely make lots of ros, Teresa?”
”I do Captain, do you not?”
”Well, I prefer sohtforward”
”Even ether the day of an encounter and then starting to develop a relationshi+p isn't bad”
”Ah!”
shi+n felt that he had given some kind of profound opinion, but Teresa covered her face and staggered 'Ah, so they had that kind of relationshi+p' Claribel realized
”Right, thatNow that I think about it, I introduced a senpai as in the platoon last year but who's graduated now to Layfon Through my connection to Sharnid”
”What!?”
”That senpai's the kind to attack directly I wonder hoent? I still don't kno things ended up”
”WWWWhat did you say!?”
That was bad She hadn't thought such a terrifying thing would have happened this year unbeknownst to her Claribel regretted She really should have come here with Layfon back then
”WWhat do you mean 'attack directly'? Also, who is the platoon senpai you're talking about? She couldn't have been the captain, right?”
Teresa also looked at shi+n with an anxious expression
”Ah, no, I' at all between us”
”I I see”
Claribel glanced at Theresa's relieved appearance, then thought of so
”shi+n, you're not the kind of person who's all talk and no action[1], are you?”
”Don't call me that!”
Claribel felt like shi+n was a bit off compared to herthat phrase Co to escape reality when faced with a shocking fact, Claribel's words ended up sounding particularly grating
”It's just that no girl to kindle my romance has appeared yet”
shi+n was clearly shaken
”Oh ht?”
”Not just anyone”
”For exa over there?”
”Hah?”
”What?”
Claribel's proposal e noise of surprise
”You're not satisfied with her looks?”
”Uh, that's not it”
”Then go do what you want in the roo that would be a bit You understand, right?'
shi+n looked at Teresa Though she was covering her hands with her face, the criave off the sa
Tony and Cody, the teak presences, watched the scene with bated breath
”Uh”
”Go on, go on”
The four of them looked at shi+n shi+n was frozen, his forehead sweating under their gazes
”Go on”
”Go on”
”Go on, go on”
”I'ive me”
”All talk, no action”
”Uuu”
shi+n collapsed to the ground after Claribel coldly uttered those words
”No, but - Teresa is an i ht, Teresa!?”
shi+n looked to Teresa for help, desperately grabbing on to a thread of hope, but
”Um, Teresa-san?”
””All talk no action”
”Guaaah!”
His hope cru on the floor, as if he had become part of the carpet The two ” Claribel ignored the two of theain control of the situation
”Okay, shi+n's uselessness isn't iet Layfon to give it his all”
”In this kind of situation, we really should use Clara-chan's female charet flipped?”
Cody rebutted in place of the still-quivering shi+n However, the girls were no longer listening to what the guys said
”If that s wouldn't be this troublesoht! It's all because we talked about that guy that I became this miserable! What's his deal? Has he done it? Or has he not?”
shi+n shouted this, having recovered He had an angry look on his face Though it was obvious that he just wanted that brat to share his suffering, his irls' concerns
”What happened with that senpai?”
Though shi+n's anger was irrelevant, Claribel was concerned about that outcome
”What happened Uh I didn't ask, but it seemed like the senpai had a very satisfied expression”
”What!?”
A very satisfied expression? What did it mean to have a very satisfied expression?
Did that mean they did it, or not?
”Ah, co like 'As I thought, just hooking up is no good' Gaah, if I knew beforehand I would have asked for more details!”
”Really”
Claribel stewed as she considered the possibilities She didn't necessarily have to be Layfon's first, but that didn't mean she could allow hih That senpai's already gone, so he shouldn't have a relationshi+p with her any?”
”If that were possible, then before, in Grendan, he would have”
No, she couldn't coht?
”It couldn't be”
If parting with her in Grendan had been a deep blow to hiood But if that senpai had becos have turned out?
”There are a lot of stories where useless h woh it wasn't nice to say that Layfon seemed
”He's very suited to that kind of role, how troublesome”
Had he becoraduated and left?
”If that's the case, things make sense”
In other words, seduction would be effective on hi I'll have to use that move?”
”That's what I said, that's what I said!”
Teresa excitedly expressed approval
”Uh, in that case, right now I should”
”A nighttiht”
The two of them nodded at each other
”The problem is, how do I infiltrate his room?”
After all, Layfon was a veteran Military Artist Even if Claribel used Sakkei, she didn't know if she could get close to hiht? Just walk into his roo”
”Alluring Like a black lace nightgown?”
”Maybe? In this situation, deliberately wearing coht not be bad, and then tell hiht' with teary eyes”
”Ohh, I see Teresa-senpai, you're a”
”Yeah, it's because soht!?”
She used a strong tone at the end and shot out a glare at the saain
”I think Layfon's different froirls are exactly what they look like But if that situation is real, then right now I have to do ht, I'll become a woman! And this is also for you, Teresa!”
Motivated by Teresa's spirit of self-sacrifice, Claribel made a fist and resolved herself
Just then
”Uotten by everyone Tony, timidly raised his hand
”What is it?”
”Uh, it's a bit hard to say, uh”
”What is it? Speak clearly”
”U with Layfon-kun to pushi+ng him down in a completely different sense Is that really okay?”
”That's just a triviality!”
”Uh, sorry, sorry”
Teresa's indignant exclaht, Clara-chan?”
”Clara-chan?”
”Ah, no, how should I say it Yeah, that's right Fighting and pushi+ng hihthi, Clara-chan? Love is a battle It's life or death! It's also an incredible battle, so surpass him!”
”Ah, no, sorry Now I feel like that kind of 'surpassing' is a bit”
She seee information had reached her ears Claribel took deep breaths to calht, whatever he does with other people doesn't ht nohat's important is
No, she really was concerned about thatinto that matter so it was better to leave it to the side for now What she had to think about nohat to do to have a real battle against him But she really was concerned about that matter Yeah, very concerned What should she do, should she just go for it? But but but
Knock knock
The sudden sound of a doorknock ht
”Clara, are you here?”
That voice frightened theain
Speak of the devil, it was Layfon's voice
”I I'm here, coht Are you going to be out?”
After co room, Layfon looked at the fourteenth platoonsince felt their presences and judged that there were people in the rooht they would be shi+n and the rest
”Ah, well? What should we do?”
The second half of as a question for shi+n
”Well, uh, that's fine We can find so flat on the ground until just now, unconsciously rose and acted nor
When she joined the fourteenth platoon, Nina had emotionally vouched for him for whatever reason: ”That senpai's an incredible person Even though he looks like that! Despite what he looks like!” But ed his attitude was a reason she respected shi+n
”Really? Then it'll just be Felli and I eating dinner”
”Hold on Maybe I should stay behind to eat dinner”
”Huh? But”
”I want to stay for dinner”
”Really? I'm fine either way Ah!”
”Huh?”
Layfon's expression suddenly changed, and that reaction alar? What was it? Her own feelings? Or the plot they had been talking about?
”That's no good, I didn't even bring out any tea”
After saying that, Layfon walked into the kitchen and started to boil water
”Uh Ah, sorry”
Come to think of it, shi+n and the others had co at all Claribel's face reddened fros and fro this common courtesy
”No no, we also cah he said that, no one stopped Layfon froas stove whistled