Volume 4 Chapter 3 - Secret Special Training and, Secret Assault and, Secret Sweet Night Part 1
Once school was over, every team began preparing for the battle election and perform special training.
Although there were a great number of schoolyards and gymnasiums in the Knight Academy, with sixteen teams trying to do special training for plans that couldn’t be shown to each other, the space was insufficient. Kazuki who was still a first year was reserved against the other candidates and gathered everyone in the garden near the Witch’s Manor.
The visibility of the place was a little bad, they must be careful not to damage the surrounding forest.
“How should we train our cooperation specifically? I’m always by myself so I don’t really understand.”
Kazuha-senpai crossed her arms as she inquired while pointlessly acting high-handedly.
“This one and Kazuki still haven’t gotten married, so we couldn’t hope for cooperation like a couple that has been husband and wife for many years. That’s why Kazuki, first let’s get married.”
“I won’t do it. Kohaku, how could you repeat that stupid line so many times with that serious face?”
“I, it's not a stupid line, this one is serious that’s why…”
“Whether it's a stupid line or a serious face, right now is not the time for that kind of talk.”
Kohaku’s shoulders dropped despondently from Kazuki’s scolding.
“If we are talking about cooperation then it is the Heaven and Earth Formation right?”
The honor student Mio stated the model answer. Heaven and Earth Formation―with the swordsman as the vanguard to protect the Magica Stigma, the Magica Stigma would prepare a powerful Summoning Magic from the rearguard, it was that kind of formation.
“The foundation is like that, but…the Heaven and Earth Formation has the premise that the swordsmen would be sacrificed. I think that formation is not suitable for this battle election that's going to decide the Chief Student Council.”
Hearing Kazuki’s words, Kohaku, who wished for the improvement of the swordsmen’s position, was nodding repeatedly with great enthusiasm while humming ‘right right’.
In this battle election, voting would be conducted after the tournament. For the sake of the voting, not just winning, they had to show to everyone a way of fighting that could be recognized as appropriate for the Chief Student Council as well. Liz Liza-sensei called it, not a [manifesto] but a [battle pledge].
“Moreover the interval between each match is really hard on the participants, so I think we shouldn’t fight in a way that would concentrate the burden on someone and also to focus on the next match. If we take damage that couldn’t be healed in each fight, then when it’s time for the finals we might fall into magic intoxication.”
“In that case we aren't going to chant attack magic while sacrificing the frontline swordsmen, it’s better to chant Summoning Magic that supports the front line swordsmen isn’t it? For example something like [Self Burning]!”
Mio clapped both of her hands. Kazuki nodded at that.
“If we chanted [Self Burning] to the frontline swordsmen, they could defend against the enemy’s attack with the flame that covers their whole body while also using Psychokinesis to move the flame into the sword to increase their attack power, such a way of fighting is possible. It’s necessary for such a scheme to be shared with everyone beforehand.”
“I see, using that kind of tactic straight off the bat in that place, and doing it after practicing beforehand, there is a big difference in results between the two. Moreover as a swordsman, this one is not good at Psychokinesis. It’s necessary to train beforehand if this one is to use that way of fighting. So this special training also included something like that.”
Kohaku reached an understanding and nodded once more. The swordsmen typically piled up training specializing in Enchant Aura. Even if they were told to suddenly use Psychokinesis, most of the swordsmen would get bewildered for sure.
“Eh, something like moving flame can be done easily even if you have to adlib it right?”
Kazuha-senpai said such a thing nonchalantly, making Kohaku startled.
Kazuha-senpai loved swords very much, however she was a peculiar person whose magic proficiency was far better than her kenjutsu.
From what Kohaku said, it seemed that her magic proficiency was at the level of a genius.
“It’s better for me to train beforehand to apply defensive magic to other people though.”
The spell chanting of Summoning Magic was divided into four stages of process, they were: [Accessing], [Ordering], [Targeting] and [Casting].
There was no need for [Targeting] when casting a defensive spell that was targeted on the user’s own body. Because of that there are a lot of defensive spells that could be cast quickly. But in the case that it was not targeted on one's own body and rather to other people then there would be a need for [Targeting] just like with other Summoning Magic. For Kazuki who still couldn’t be said to have general magic as his strong point, this small twist became a not so small hurdle.
If he performed the special training, guessed how his allies would move beforehand, and changed his own pattern towards how it would relate to his own position, the [Targeting] too would become absolutely smooth.
“Summoning Magic that could be used to cooperate with swordsman isn't limited to only [Self Burning]. For example…I think Kaguya-senpai’s team will use this kind of cooperation.”
Kazuki knew roughly about the magics that Kaguya-senpai and Koyuki use. …When Kazuki conveyed his own prediction to everyone, all his team members tightened their expressions in understanding of the threat right then and there.
“If we challenge them with a normal Heaven and Earth Formation with no plan at all, there is no doubt that we're going to lose to an advanced cooperation attack. I think it’s better for our side to also prepare several patterns and increase our proficiency with them.”
This tournament would develop to a point where the team that created a new way of fighting would trample the team that kept clinging to the old Heaven and Earth Formation, that was how it would be.
All of a sudden, Kazuki noticed how Kazuha-senpai was staring at him from the side while fidgeting.
“I, is there something wrong?”
“No…just thinking of how serious you are considering this tournament. You are an unexpectedly direct person, huh.”
A small heart flew from her chest, it was sucked into Kazuki’s Solomon’s ring.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
With the goal of the battle election, even one second was precious, but to overdo it the special training for magic cooperation until exhausted was also not allowed. Early morning and evening became free time slots.
When the special team training was over, Kazuki did not only do his usual early morning practice, but he also did the kenjutsu practice together with Hikaru-senpai and Kazuha-senpai diligently during the evening too.
With the addition of the third member in the training, the things they could do also increased. So that Kazuki could see the two’s real strength objectively once again, he had both Hikaru-senpai and Kazuha-senpai exchange blows with each other.
“…Ooops…wawawaa!”
The one who immediately let out a panicked voice was Hikaru-senpai.
Kazuha-senpai swung countless varied slashes with smooth movement like flowing water and cornered Hikaru-senpai.
“Kazuha-senpai, you have become very strong compared to when you fought me, haven’t you?”
“Really!? I've become strong!?”
Kazuha-senpai turned back after hearing Kazuki’s words and her expression turned bright.
The origin of her change was from her total lack of unneeded strength. Her swordsmanship was not flabby like before but serene and resolute like a falling star.
That smoothness was none other than the product of her persistent practice-swings and form practice.
That swordsmanship of hers clearly told the story of how hard she worked everyday.
“…But while I can fight like that when practicing, but in a real fight I'm completely no good.”
“Was it because senpai thought of absolutely not wanting to lose against those guys in class, or senpai didn’t want to show an uncool side of yourself that you strained yourself in fights?”
“Y, yes! That’s right! That kind of feeling!”
“There's a problem psychologically with senpai, perhaps? But in reality senpai is strong so please have faith in yourself.”
“…In reality, I am, strong…? Even though everyone made fun of me…”
Hearing Kazuki’s words, Kazuha-senpai’s cheeks were slightly colored by a hope called [by any chance].
“I too thought that I'd learned the forms and beat those movements properly into my body, however…”
Hikaru-senpai tilted her head looking like she was unconvinced.
Hikaru-senpai too had Traced Kazuki’s movements using telepathy, the forms of the kenjutsu had been mostly beaten into her body.
“Even though senpai has learned the forms, but to know how to move your body in various kinds of situations really effectively, experience means everything for that kind of situational assessment. Moreover not only simply Tracing the movements, when you strongly persevere in your practice-swings and form-practice over and over, your movement will become purely serene. Whether in body’s physique or the optimization of the body movement's kinks…in those aspects, Kazuha-senpai’s sword is above.”
The swordsmanship that was polished to its utmost limit wouldn’t be able to be predicted even with Foresight. When Kazuki fought against Yagyuu Nyounsai, even until the end he still couldn’t see through that master swordsman’s <Tengushou> perfectly.
Even if Hikaru-senpai's learning ability was really excellent, the depth of kenjutsu was even deeper.
“So it’s like that? A perfectly clear swordsmanship…that’s super cool! Understood, then I’ll do even more practice-swings just you watch! I’ll show you!!”
“But that’s not something that could be achieved in a day, so for now let’s polish our sense of discernment. You two, how about exchanging blows with me, this time in turn?”
Kazuki also drew his sword from the sheath. The practice of the Hayashizaki-style used real swords. Even if they used real swords, as long as the defensive magic power was still there it would be safe. It would be more economical in magic power if they used bamboo swords, but it would create a large gap in their senses.
When she faced against Kazuki who drew his sword, Kazuha-senpai froze in surprise.
“It’s okay, I'm not thinking of something like returning the resentment of being unjustly accused at all. Fuffuffu.”
“Stoo―pp! Are you actually an S―!?”
“…But to learn swordsmanship from the enemy team, for some reason it might be unfair.”
Hikaru-senpai was laughing while taking a stance with her katana.
“Hikaru-senpai doesn’t really feel like an enemy. Besides, the students of the Magic Division can't use a sword by the rules at any rate.”
“That’s not the case you know, my Baal has a magic that can create a weapon after all.”
Is that so, using weapons created from Summoning Magic was not a problem in the end.
Hikaru-senpai’s Baal had a lot of magic that increased a person’s close range combat ability that was to Kazuki’s liking. Kazuha-senpai’s Futsunushi no Kami was also identical.
If he raised these two's positivity levels, then he could become even stronger…
A calculating thought was crossing his mind, Kazuki quickly shook his head in a fluster.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
When both senpais became completely exhausted, the color of the sky had completely become the color of night.
“By the way Hikaru-senpai. Where is an area in this academy that is located in the blind spot of the security cameras?”
Just before they returned to the Witch’s Manor after the training was over, Kazuki glanced at Hikaru-senpai and asked.
“Why are you asking that kind of thing? Well, I don’t think Kazuki will do anything bad so it doesn’t matter though.”
She didn’t even have a shred of doubt toward Kazuki, Hikaru-senpai obediently taught Kazuki about the here and there of such areas.
Kazuki was nodding while he was listening thinking that so far, the situation was good.
Of course he didn’t plan to do anything bad. Though if Mio or Kaguya-senpai knew, they would get angry.
“I understand. Sorry, there's something that I really need to do tonight, so is it okay if I take a rain check on spending time together in my room?”
“Ok-kay―, it’s fine. In a friendship between men, there's no such thing like prying too deeply into a friend who is having circumstances after all!”
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