”Are the two of you ready?”
”Yes.”
”I’m ready.”
As soon as the teacher received their confirmation, she gave the signal.
”Then, begin!”
The words had barely left her lips before the air erupted with gunfire. I started moving before she had even finished pulling the trigger, narrowly slipping past the opening volley. The magic bullets carried less raw power than a standard spell, but they flew faster and came at a relentless pace. It made no physical sense, but that was the nature of sorcery.
In this facility, combat between sorcery users usually began at mid-range because of the fixed starting positions. Whether someone chose to engage in a ranged exchange or force a close-quarters fight depended entirely on their strategy.
During training, Naruse-san had been testing my reaction speed. I had won by closing the distance instantly and exploiting the limit on how many magic bullets she could fire in succession. It seemed she had learned from that defeat. Her answer was heavier weaponry with a higher rate of fire to keep me at bay.
(Does she really think that’s enough to stop me?)
While weaving through the barrage, I raised a defensive barrier and pushed toward her. The moment I entered her effective range, however, the force behind her bullets increased sharply. My barrier buckled under the pressure, forcing me to abandon the charge and evade instead.
Naruse-san retreated while firing, steadily widening the distance until the strain on my barrier disappeared. Her weapon seemed specifically designed to punish anyone who entered her personal space, delivering tremendous stopping power up close while rapidly losing effectiveness at longer ranges.
”……”
Once the gap widened, Naruse-san maintained suppressing fire with her sidearm while reaching for the heavy weapon slung across her back. Turning her body slightly, she drew the long, slender barrel from beneath her left arm.
A sharp pressure suddenly gripped my heart.
The muzzle flashed, and a magic bullet tore through my barrier before whipping past the space where my heart had been a split second earlier.
Too close.
Click.
The crack of her rifle echoed through the facility.
(I see. It needs a “charge” time to produce that kind of output.)
She was using the machine gun to stop me from closing in and the rifle to deliver the killing blow.
(Fine.)
During our previous training session, I had not used a single ranged attack. She probably assumed I was incapable of them, or at the very least not particularly skilled with them. I would play along with that assumption and beat her at her own game. There was something deeply satisfying about crushing an opponent with their preferred style.
As a test, I conjured a flaming arrow and launched it.
”Hmph!”
A burst from her machine gun intercepted the projectile, and the remaining rounds tore it apart before it could reach her.
(I see. So it’s for interception.)
I tried again, sending two arrows from different angles. One was intercepted by the machine gun, while the other was stopped by a quick draw from her sidearm.
(Very well. Let’s see how you handle five.)
Five arrows appeared around me, each following a different path toward the same target. She managed to intercept four of them, but the fifth slammed into her back. It was not a lethal hit, but the impact landed cleanly.
”Gah…!”
Naruse-san groaned.
At this rate, victory felt certain.
I summoned five more arrows, but just before releasing them, that same chilling pressure touched my forehead. Instinct took over, and I dodged.
A rifle round tore through the space where my head had been, while my own arrows struck home almost simultaneously. Four hits—her right thigh, both shoulders, and her back.
The damage was starting to pile up.
I could keep this up until she collapsed.
Let’s see how she adapts.
Holding back, I watched. Naruse-san suddenly broke into a sprint while firing her machine gun at full power.
(She’s gambling everything on a close-range finish. She knows my hand-to-hand combat is better, so she must be hiding something.)
Looking closer, I spotted it. Her left hand, concealed behind her body and rifle, was gripping a grenade. She intended to wear down my barrier, create an opening, and throw it directly at me.
Just as expected, she threw it.
I caught the grenade in midair and tossed it well away from us. A moment later it exploded in the distance, and I raised my guard against the flying fragments.
(It’s not even a dungeon item.)
It was standard military equipment. Even with the facility’s damage reduction, it was dangerous.
I backed away. Staying at point-blank range under that kind of pressure was not worth the risk.
At last, she stopped firing. Even with her mana reserves, maintaining that level of suppression had to be draining. Her face had gone pale, and the signs of mana exhaustion were beginning to show.
”……”
”……”
I waited while she caught her breath.
Anger flickered in her eyes.
She was furious that I had been toying with her, letting her believe she still had a chance.
”Haaah…!”
After taking a deep breath, she charged again.
Same strategy.
At least, that was what I thought.
She went for another grenade toss, but before I could catch it, the grenade exploded in a blinding flash and deafening roar.
I blinked.
(Too slow.)
The world turned white.
Then a heavy impact slammed into my chest and hurled me backward. As I tumbled across the floor, I felt the pressure of magic bullets striking my temples and neck.
”Yes!!”
Kibe-san’s voice rang out.
She thought she had won.
”Teacher, the match is over!”
The teacher remained silent.
Of course she did—I was still standing.
(I let my guard down.)
It had been a stun grenade. It looked exactly like the others, and I had fallen for it completely.
Hinoki’s voice echoed through my mind.
’Aye, thought ye called me out to be a shield, not a bleedin’ punchin’ bag.’
(My apologies.)
’I’m yer servant, brother. It’s fine. So… that lass got the drop on ye?’
(Something like that.)
’Complacency’s a killer, mate. The weak are desperate. They’ve always got a trick or two up their sleeve.’
(You’re right about that.)
The moment my vision went dark, I had summoned Hinoki. Thanks to her natural resistance to magic bullets, she absorbed the entire attack for me.
I rose to my feet and brushed the dust from my clothes.
”Wh-why?”
Kibe-san’s voice cracked with disbelief.
Naruse-san stared at me, her expression hardening.
”Whoa… I’m impressed.”
”……”
”No, really. You got me there. I didn’t think you had that in you.”
Color was already returning to Naruse-san’s face. She had used mana restoration, saving a Majo’s Tears potion for one final push.
She had even worked Kibe-san’s share into the plan and bet everything on that single opening.
I could not help admiring that level of tactical ruthlessness.
(I want her even more now.)
Naruse-san leveled her rifle at me, her gaze sharp and unwavering.
”Why… are you unscathed?”
”That’s a secret. But since you worked so hard, I’ll tell you.”
My shadow stirred, and Hinoki emerged from it, nearly two meters long, placing herself between us.
”This… that thing from before. It was your familiar?”
”No. I made it my familiar after that.”
”I see. You were the one who exorcised it, so you were able to turn it into a shikigami.”
Hinoki clicked her mandibles.
”Let’s end this. If you have any more tricks, go ahead and use them. Provided you can do it while dealing with her, of course.”
She skittered toward Naruse-san.
There was not much left to say. Against an Apparition like Hinoki, Naruse-san’s bullets were useless, and her explosives lacked the power to stop her. She could not even get close to me.
Before long, Naruse-san was pinned beneath Hinoki’s weight, struggling to break free. Sweat clung to her skin as she fought against the centipede’s hold, and the sight of her desperation stirred something strangely erotic inside me.
The giant centipede lowered its head toward her face.
”Eek!!”
Naruse-san froze, likely imagining those mandibles tearing into her.
”Teacher, match over.”
I stepped forward.
”…Naruse-san, do you surrender?”
”…… Ugh… Uuu… Yes.”
The teacher’s declaration echoed through the facility.
”Ah…”
Kibe-san let out a defeated groan, while Chifumi watched with a satisfied, wicked grin.
(Thank you.)
’Anytime, mate!’
I dismissed Hinoki and offered Naruse-san a hand. After a brief hesitation, she accepted it.
I pulled her to her feet, then acted on instinct and drew her into an embrace, my hand settling against her hip.
”Ah.”
She stiffened.
Her waist was slender, her hips firm beneath my hand, and the thought that she was now within my reach sent a thrill through me.
”Hey, hey, this is not the place for a victory lap,” the teacher chided.
Only then did I finally let her go.
Summary:
Tatemiya faces Naruse-san in a simulated combat training session. Naruse-san uses a variety of firearms and tactical tricks to push Tatemiya to his limits, eventually scoring a surprise hit with a stun grenade. Tatemiya recovers by using his familiar, Hinoki, and ultimately wins the match.
Trivia:
Naruse-san prepared for the rematch by anticipating Tatemiya’s previous victory.
The facility has a damage reduction system that keeps training matches safe.
Tatemiya did not use any ranged attacks during their previous training session.
Naruse-san managed her mana consumption by using a second Majo’s Tears potion.
Hinoki is highly resistant to magic bullets, which are the main weapons of Naruse-san.
Translation Notes:
1 ↩ A restorative item that replenishes the user’s magical energy (Mana).