kscans

Chapter 734 - Ignition of Battle

"—And then, without a moment to breathe, it's back to the main stage…"

"Fufu, you've worked hard. …But you seemed quite used to it by now, didn't you?"

"If that's how it looked, then I'm more than happy with that…"

Ten minutes for the match, twenty for the replay analysis with guests, for a total of thirty minutes each. The Triangle Duo's semi-finals were structured with two of these segments.

And so, at 5:30 PM, the second match of the semi-finals was upon us.

Despite having one quiet member, the 'downtime' had been incredibly lively, thanks mostly to the announcer who was as boisterous as ten people combined. And now, having survived that… we had arrived at our fourth stage.

Has it really only been a little over seven hours since the first program started? The thought was enough to make a strange laugh bubble up, considering the sheer density of the event. But the true finale, where I could finally let my guard down, was still nowhere in sight.

And so, this was the third battle, which we had somehow managed to win our way into.

"—Alright, alright, it's our turn! We've kept you waiting, everyone, so get hyped!!!"

"—Mmm… hhh…………"

Bathed in a massive cheer, as if the audience had been waiting for them since the first match, were two small figures on the opposite side of the stage. One was bouncing around energetically, the other stretching languidly.

Semi-finals, match two. Our tag team, [Acrobat & Heat Gaze], was facing the renowned 'Arcadia's Strongest Artillery Cannon,' the great Eastern Wings. As I'd said during our earlier meeting…

"What are we supposed to do…"

"Fufu… Just try doing what you want. I'll watch your back."

My older sister figure's encouragement was incredibly reassuring, but to be honest, I had never been so unsure of how to win. The two of them were already 'anything goes,' 'chaotic,' and 'outrageous,' and I couldn't even begin to imagine how they would try to corner me as an enemy.

I knew I was one to talk, but that's precisely why—because our builds were both so crazy, I had absolutely no idea how the match would unfold.

Would they think they couldn't let me run wild and try to seize the pace from the very beginning?

Or would they put on an air of 'great senior'余裕 and wait and see?

Or perhaps, with their excessive expectations, they might just come at me with intent to kill from the get-go.

My opponents were magic users who could do anything… No matter how much I stretched my imagination, everything I came up with was a possibility, so the path forward—

"Hey! Mister's scared!"

"Thinking carefully is a good thing."

The path forward… I can't narrow it down—

"Who cares, just charge in with all your might! C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!"

"From the front, the side, the back, or from above is fine, too."

Narrow… it down…

"We're all ready to go over here!"

"You don't have to worry about what ifs."

"We are your true great seniors!"

"We'll take on anything, you know."

……………………

Ah, right, I see. So the opening move has been left to me, then.

Okay, okay…

"Hinayo-san, if by some one-in-a-billion chance I get taken out at the start, I'm leaving the rest to you."

"I would rather you didn't…!?"

But after being provoked this much, I had no choice but to go.

Holding their 'Feather Brushes' in each hand, they were in a battle stance with relaxed expressions. Their 'domain (canvas)' must have already been established; the little squirts were ready and waiting, just as they'd said.

In that case, very well.

"Suuuu—… …Alright, here I go."

"Yes, whenever you're ready."

Outer Force Output 'Spin'—Critical Convergence.

Just you watch, you younger, smaller great seniors. Just as I can't quite imagine your firepower because I've never experienced it firsthand… the reverse is also true. For you two,

"Shifu Itto, First Strike—"

"Eh, bad news."

"Did we provoke him too much?"

…the speed of the [Acrobat] is an unknown territory, isn't it?

"—Hayate."

Right hand in a forward grip, left in a reverse. The rigidly fixed blades drew an arc, and in an instant, I closed the distance and cut.

And so, leaving behind the tens of thousands of eyes and voices in the stands… the blade, delivered so fast that even the sound of the wind slicing through the air could not keep up, produced a resounding impact, as if the severed air itself was oblivious.

That, and the indescribable 'feedback' transmitted to my hands, indicated—

"That scared the daylights out of me!!! So fast! So scary!?"

"…Can't see him at all."

—that my jade blade, which had moved faster than sound, had been met head-on by a wall of light. My opponents, completely protected by a translucent magic barrier, were two unharmed figures.

Judging by their reactions, it seemed I had succeeded in startling them as planned… but, ah, wait, they're not as surprised as they're letting on—!?

"—KABOOM!"

"—kaboom."

The moment our eyes met, theirs dyed in similar shades of emotion—vermilion and light blue—despite the difference in temperature, the high-tension and low-tension voices echoed, and a storm of explosions dyed the stage.

My last-second retreat (Rocket) was just in time. But the flames that had singed my cheek and HP bar were no mere illusion like the one I saw that day. It was as if they were stealing the show from the [Heat Gaze]… no, it was because they had actually stolen her show that they were ranked so high. Transcendent magic raged, illuminating the world.

"…………Fufu, isn't it incredible?"

"Yeah, it really, really is…"

I retreated with all my might to reset. I had rushed back to my partner's side, thinking I might have to become her legs if they pressed their attack, but fortunately, the flames remained on the other half of the stage.

And from my side, the voice of Hinayo-san, filled with what must have been a mix of emotions—the [Heat Gaze] who had relinquished her title as the strongest long-range firepower with the rise of the 'Eastern Wings.'

There was no hint of dark emotion, but I could feel her frustration overflowing.

Today, fighting alongside her, I understood deeply. This person was also truly of the Eastern Faction, Istia. In that case, I could surmise that those who stood above her were nothing more than a source of motivation.

And so,

"Now… let's do our best, Haru-kun. Honestly, this is a rare opportunity. Let's show those little ones what we're made of, shall we?"

Even if she threw such a playful remark at me with a smile, I wouldn't be surprised anymore. In that case, I would brace myself and give my all in this dance.

"[Trance]—Hinayo-san."

"Yes, leave it to me."

I transformed, and called her name in a higher-pitched voice, receiving an immediate acknowledgment. From the muzzle of one of the twin pistols drawn from her holster, [Nova Rescellerate, Mirror Illuminating Six Stars],

"[First Bullet, Awakening Blink]."

…a crimson cannon blast, taking me who had stepped in front of her along with it, shot forth in a brilliant flash.

From there, three abnormalities manifested in sequence. First, at the destination of the flame that tore through the other flames, a giant metal wall was instantly erected. Second, as the wall melted but still blocked the heat ray, a massive tornado began to swirl upwards, scattering all the 'flames,' both enemy and ally alike.

And finally…

"These guys are seriously nuts…"

"I don't want to hear that from someone who's actively engaging in friendly fire!!"

"…So that's a valid way to use it."

A single 'ember' remained on the stage, unswayed by the roaring wind—me. Or rather, a single burning fool who had survived the aforementioned heat ray with a matter-of-fact look on his face.

—[Hellgread Ignis (Crimson Red Hellfire Seed)] Awakened Form, Ver. [Heat Gaze].

Now that not just my heart, but my body too, had been physically warmed up,

"Alright then… friendly fire is off, so do as you please."

"Oh, I will. I'm going to let loose and run wild."

Together with my big sister figure, let's begin this war against the magic users.