"Well, well, it's begun, hasn't it?"
"Yes, it has."
"I thought Commander Yagami would eventually bring them in, but I didn't think it would be so soon."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Outside the barrier of the training ground, which was now a mock combat arena, three women were seated in the best seats, watching the inside using cameras placed everywhere.
One was Hayate Yagami, the commander of Special Section 6 and the very person who invited the protagonists to this unit.
Another was Tatenashi Sarashiki, one of the patrons of Section 6, who held a strong sense of wariness towards the protagonist, Shou.
The third was Claudia Enfield, who, contrary to Tatenashi, had an unusually strong trust in Shou.
It was like a gathering of the evil executives. Of course, they belonged to a righteous organization, and their intentions were honorable.
"Still, I didn't think even outsiders like those kids would be participating this time. Isn't this a bit too much personal use, Commander?"
"Now, now, don't say that, Tatenashi. We've had exception after exception, so what's a little more at this point?"
"But that doesn't change the fact that you're creating unnecessary vulnerabilities. I think you should refrain from such things in the future."
The resentment felt towards those with special authority is the same in any world.
And if that authority is backed by a powerful figure, the opponents you face aren't just enemies but allies as well.
In that sense, Section 6 met all those conditions.
"Yes, yes, I'll be more careful from now on."
"You say that, but you're also quite biased towards Shou Yoizuki, aren't you?"
Tatenashi turned her attention to Claudia.
"Do you think so? I just thought he was a good person with great ability."
"For someone who thinks that, you haven't done much background research on him. There are unnatural points in Kōhei Shintani's testimony, and the two of them have something in common."
An ordinary person would notice the strangeness but quickly forget it due to the world's self-correcting forces. But Tatenashi was different. She resisted this by theoretically collecting evidence.
And the women present here had abilities comparable to hers.
"You're right. The part where 'his name suddenly started becoming known around a certain time' is particularly intriguing."
That "certain time" was, of course, when Shou and the others came to this world. The records were corrected without issue, but the sense of unease remained.
"But Shou-kun hasn't done anything wrong, right? You can't just arrest him."
Hayate said it lightly, but Tatenashi continued.
"Are you keeping him close to observe him?"
"It's not that obvious... but there's no way we can just let him go, either. If he's an ally, then great, and if he's an enemy, then we'll deal with it."
"Honestly, you two. If you look at the people around Shou-kun, you'd know he's not a bad person..."
What Claudia said was reasonable, but they were talking about something that would affect future lives and were moving based on theory. Her opinion was disregarded.
It was because of statements like this that Claudia was said to be biased toward Shou, but she didn't seem to mind.
"Well, let's forget about all the difficult talk for now and enjoy this mock battle."
The three women ended their work-related conversation and turned their eyes to the monitor. On the screen, each person had scattered to their respective positions, and the battle was about to begin.
---------
The center guards, the backbone of the team, were Nanoha Takamachi for Team A and Tiana Lanster for Team B.
They both specialized in mid-range support and were charging their mana while thinking.
"If Nanoha-san unleashes a big one in the final stage, we might be completely wiped out. The single blow that will decide the match is..."
"Tiana's steel sniping bullet is faster and heavier than mine. If I fire a cannon shot indiscriminately, a counter might come flying back. The single blow that will decide the match is..."
They both formulated a strategy by anticipating the other's strengths, but they arrived at the same conclusion.
"The moment the balance of numbers is broken!"
---------
The sole sniper for this match, Tina, was lying prone on a rooftop, not facing anyone. It was the tallest building in the corner of the field. From here, she could cover most of the field.
"Tiana-san, I'm in position."
"Can you see Nanoha-san from there?"
"Yes, I can."
She looked at the woman in a white barrier jacket through her scope.
"Don't fire indiscriminately. I'll give you the signal at the critical moment."
"Understood."
A sniper becomes weak as soon as their position is revealed. In this small field, effective sniping points are limited, so they can't just fire aimlessly.
It had to be a precise shot, just as Tiana said.
"I'm the one who's going to win the date with my brother."
She declared, holding a sniper rifle that was taller than she was.
---------
The unsung heroes of the team, the fullbacks, were Lutecia Alpine for Team A and Caro Ru Luscy for Team B.
They rarely came to the front lines but were in a position to oversee the entire team, like a catcher in baseball. Their importance was the same as or even greater than a catcher's.
"Well, well, which of us can support the team better?"
"I'm not going to lose!"
The two were eager.
Lutecia was approaching the match with an air of pure enjoyment.
"For me, winning and losing are more important than for anyone else, right? So, the gamble starts now, Shou-kun ♪"
---------
Soaring leisurely through the sky while keeping an eye on her opponents was Fate T. Harlaown of Team B. She was in the guard wing position, using her mobility for both offense and defense.
Erio Mondial of Team A was in the same position.
Curiously, it was a battle between a son and his adoptive mother.
"It's been a while since I've had a one-on-one with Erio. If I'm not careful, I might get shot down."
"Here I come, Strada! I'm going to shoot you down today, Fate-san!"
With high spirits, the two clashed.
---------
"Ooooooooooh!!"
Fists and kicks collided, sending sparks flying.
A battle had already begun here. These were the two front attackers, Subaru Nakajima for Team A and Nove Nakajima for Team B.
If Fate and Erio's was a mother-son battle, this was a sisterly showdown.
Their equipment was also similar. Both wore shoes with wheels like roller skates on their feet, gliding at high speed on paths in the air.
Subaru had a drill-like rotating part on her right hand, and Nove had them on both feet. The spiral energy generated from them enhanced the power of their blows.
"You're good, Nove...!"
"Of course I am! I'm always training with the kids!"
Nove pushed through the deadlock.
"In work, maybe, but when it comes to hand-to-hand combat..."
"But I'm a big sister, too..."
"I won't lose!!"
The sound of metal clashing echoed through the field, a testament to the weight of their blows.
---------
A hail of magical bullets poured down. They weren't just simple mana bullets; some had flame and lightning attributes.
The ability to use multiple spells at once showed a talent that was overflowing.
However, the barrage was completely repelled by the opponent's spear.
The one wielding the spear was Yukina. Her beloved spear, Yukihana-rō, which was woven with a special spell to neutralize magic, was precisely nullifying the attacks.
"Corona-chan! How's the preparation!?"
"Just a little more! Just a little more and...!"
"Kasukabe-san! If you're slow, Corona's magic will be complete!"
"I'd kind of like to see that, though."
This was Team A's Rio Wesley and Yō Kasukabe, versus Team B's Corona Timil and Yukina Himeragi.
Due to the nature of Corona's magic, it required some preparation. If completed, it would be a powerful force, but the opposing team, knowing this, wouldn't just stand by and watch.
That was why Yukina was there as her guard.
"In the name of the Creator Corona and the Magical Device Brancelle!"
She would freely assemble the substance, which was kneaded with mana with a crystal terminal as its core, into the desired shape. That was Corona's Golem Creation.
"Strike and crush, 'Goliath'!!"
With that call, a 15-meter-tall giant appeared.
The terminal crystals embedded in the road and surrounding buildings reacted and kneaded the body. The golem's body was a block of concrete. It was easy to imagine what would happen if a person were hit by it.
But even with the spell complete, Yō and Rio were not intimidated at all. In fact, they even smiled.
"Here I go, Corona! Twin Dragon's Round Dance!!"
Dragons of fire and lightning appeared behind Rio.
"I'll attack from the shadows, fair and square."
"Let's just be fair and square about this!"
Corona rode on the shoulder of the golem, Goliath.
"Then let's go, Corona-chan!"
"Yes! Please be careful not to get caught in the attack!"
---------
"Lately, I feel like my presence has become a bit thin."
"Do you think so?"
"I do."
Facing off against Team A's Sakura Matou was Team B's Kurumi Tokisaki.
Kurumi was standing with her arms crossed, clad in a special dress, a spiritual outfit woven from dark light.
Sakura was not in her Bureau uniform either. She was wearing a special outfit, different from a barrier jacket, that was woven from her mana.
To those in the know, it could be described as a cross between a Kyudo uniform and BB's outfit, or perhaps the 'Imaginary Around' outfit from FGO.
The base was a Kyudo uniform, but the parts from the shoulders down were black with red lines. The part from the shoulder to the elbow was baggy, but from the elbow down, it fit snugly to her body and covered her index and middle fingers. The black parts formed a large collar.
"I thought Kurumi-san was secretly doing things and being all lovey-dovey. You even went to a cat cafe, didn't you?"
"I did go... but I got so caught up with the cats..."
"Ah..."
Sakura smiled wryly, remembering how much Kurumi had freaked out when she secretly shared pictures and videos of her playing with cats.
"This time, I'm going to be serious... Zafkiel, Emperor of Time!!"
A giant clock appeared behind Kurumi. The long and short hands each became a gun in Kurumi's hands. But this time, that wasn't all.
"!? This is...!"
A black substance began to spread from Kurumi. An unknown pressure weighed on Sakura's body as she stepped on it.
"I see... This shadow is your domain...!"
"That's right."
'Castle of Time Eater'. This was another ability Kurumi had in addition to her angel. By spreading her shadow, she could absorb the time of anyone stepping on it. It was an essential ability for Kurumi, who consumed 'time' when using her Emperor of Time, Zafkiel.
"Don't worry, Sakura-san. I have no intention of killing you by draining your lifespan. Just think of it as a little bit of a difficult handicap, an aid to our battle."
Kurumi's expression was grim. Luring her opponent into her hunting ground, from here on, it would be a one-sided attack. Kurumi was being serious; she intended to completely annihilate the opposing team.
"But..."
That's when Kurumi also noticed something was wrong.
"Don't underestimate me, Kurumi-san?"
Unbeknownst to Kurumi, Sakura's body was now free from the effects of the 'Castle of Time Eater'. On the contrary, the 'Castle of Time Eater' was being invaded.
"Using shadows isn't just your exclusive right, Kurumi-san. It's my specialty too."
While she couldn't completely take over the field, it was a complete stalemate.
"(To be able to fight head-on against the power of a Spirit like me... My pride is a little wounded.) You're an extraordinary one."
"Haha, you might have forgotten, but I came to this island with a recommendation from Section 6, you know?"
Sakura said it as if it were nothing, but it was extraordinary. Sakura, who was able to fully develop her rare talent, had been selected as an ace of Section 6's operational unit.
"As expected, it seems you are my greatest obstacle."
"I think the same of you, Kurumi-san."
Kurumi aimed her gun at herself and her opponent, and Sakura directed a blade of shadow at Kurumi.
---------
Compared to the other members on the battlefield, the weapons held by these two were ordinary. They didn't use powerful abilities, summon giant golems, or carry weapons larger than their bodies.
On their hips were just a single katana and a rapier.
Team A's Kirin Toudou and Team B's Asuna Yuuki were facing each other.
The two of them simultaneously drew their weapons from their sheaths. The weapons were different, but the same dull silver gleam reflected the light.
"Asuna-san, please have a match with me."
"Yeah. I look forward to it, Kirin-chan."
Their movements as they sized each other up were those of very ordinary swordsmanship. But the next moment, the swordplay they exchanged was a super-speed that a normal person could not follow.
The two's weapons, which tore through the air and created holes in space, finally became visible to ordinary people when they clashed.
"May I ask you something...?"
"What is it...?"
"Are you also dating your senior?"
"...'Also' dating? Huh, did you ask someone else too?"
The word "also" could be interpreted in two ways. It could refer to someone not present, or it could include the person asking the question.
Asuna gave a noncommittal answer, but she wasn't so slow on the uptake.
"I've started dating my senior!"
"I knew it!"
She put more force into her blade and quickly distanced herself.
(I already knew Kirin-chan liked Shou-kun! But when did it happen? We've been together all the time recently, and we even trained together on the weekends... Could it have been then?)
She had to win the match, for the sake of her pride as a senior, her position as the one who became his girlfriend first, and the stakes of this match.
And on top of that...
(I'll have to ask Shou-kun for the details when this is over, won't I?)
---------
"Vivio-san, and Kuro-san, too..."
"Einhart-san! Please have a match with us!"
"Sorry to interrupt the two of you."
Facing Einhart were Vivio and Kuro. Even with the two of them in front of her, Einhart's expression didn't change.
"It's no problem."
Einhart quietly took a stance. All she had was the Haō-ryū style inherited from her ancestor. In contrast, Kuro projected Kanshou and Bakuya, and Vivio created a sphere of mana in her palm.
(You know what to do, Vivio.)
(Of course!)
Kuro and Vivio exchanged glances and nodded.
(I'm still no match for Einhart-san in hand-to-hand combat... but I won't lose in a magic battle!)
(No matter how good Einhart is, can she handle both of us when anything goes!!)
The first to move was Vivio. The other two didn't move.
Seeing the numerical disadvantage, Einhart chose to parry her opponent's attacks. But Kuro was different. She was waiting for something, moving like someone with a plan.
That didn't change Einhart's way of fighting, though. She would just take down her enemies one by one.
The distance between Vivio and Einhart was now zero. The unique steps combined with feints were the result of practice.
It was so fast that even Einhart lost sight of her for a split second.
"One Flash, Certain Hit!"
Vivio had gotten above her.
She released the mana she was holding. Einhart, feeling the surge, quickly chose to evade.
"Divine Buster!!!"
A torrent of rainbow-colored mana, the same color as her mother's magic, was unleashed toward Einhart. It was the same spell her mother used, but Vivio had arranged it, focusing on speed rather than power.
(High-speed cannon--!!)
The magic grazed her barrier jacket, shaving off a small amount of her life.
"(Just a graze is a success!! I'll press on from here!!) Kuro-chan!"
"Leave it to me!!"
Two swords flew towards her, aiming for her landing spot. They were, of course, the twin swords of black and white, Kanshou and Bakuya, which Kuro had been holding.
"This attack!!"
Einhart quickly judged what was about to happen from her past memories, but even though she understood it in her head, there was no way to defend against it.
She had learned enough about defending against swords from fighting Mikaya and Kirin. But she couldn't deal with the attack that followed.
The skeletal structure of the sword she had parried with her arm changed in an instant. The mana stored within the weapon itself exploded, a technique that caused a blast of damage to the surrounding area—in other words, a bomb.
"Broken Phantasm."
It detonated.
The sword didn't shatter into pieces. This technique, which converted the mana that made up the Noble Phantasm into a bomb, purely damaged the opponent with the shock of the explosion.
"!!"
It was a re-enactment of what happened at the park before. While it didn't knock her unconscious, it took a significant chunk out of her life.
Immediately, a follow-up attack hit her floating body.
"Haaaaaah!!"
It was Vivio's beautiful high kick. However, she managed to block this as well.
After the series of attacks was over, Einhart's barrier jacket was in tatters. However, with the help of her support-specialized device, Rio, the damage was instantly healed back to zero.
"Huh!? What is that, that's not fair!"
"I didn't think it would heal that much..."
"But the plan worked well enough."
"Right! Let's keep pushing!"
As if they had planned it, there was no hesitation in their teamwork. This was the result of Kuro getting a little serious. Kuro had a lot riding on this match. She wouldn't spare any effort.
Unaware of this, Einhart recovered and, with a lighter body, took a stance again. However, this stance was slightly different from her previous one.
(I see. This strategy was probably made by Kuro-san... She's making good use of Vivio-san's straightforward magic. But halfway-baked magical shots won't work on the Haō-ryū style.)
"Einhart-san took a stance? From this distance!?"
"She might have a mid-range attack! Don't charge in recklessly, attack while keeping your distance!"
"Yes! Sonic Shooter!"
"...Haō-ryū, 'Whirling Impact Wave'."
The girls' battle had just begun.
--------------------------------------------
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