Chapter 32

The body craves a post...

The first match ended as everyone had predicted, but the process was something no one could have anticipated.

The result was Shoko's loss, with her cockpit crushed in a single strike.

Incidentally, all Keita did in this match was jump, search, and shoot when he found her.

That's all.

It took three seconds, but that was because it took some time to spot Shoko's machine from above. If she had been right in front of him, the match would have ended the moment it started with a shot.

The result left Shoko, who had braced herself for a battle with an ace, and Nana, who was trying to gather detailed data from a third-party perspective, speechless.

"Basically, 5000 meters is too short for the Tachibana, which was designed for long-range shooting. I want to see a close combat match, so can we do it in the arena?"

This was the words of Saigo Takafumi, who, for some reason, was acting like a mentor in Keita's garage. While Takafumi's words reflected Keita's own thoughts, there was a clear difference between the two.

What was it?

Their perspective on the match.

Keita, who could earn 100,000 yen in one hit, and Takafumi, who could only gather data on a simple penetration, naturally had different levels of enthusiasm for the match.

A match in the arena would, of course, be very welcome, but before that, Keita wanted to complete at least two matches in a wide area and two in a normal battlefield. Not wanting to give up after just one match, Keita decided to play a small trick.

"Want to go again?"

Surprise! It was a provocation disguised as a confirmation!

If she were asked in a way that clearly said, "I'm not satisfied," what would Shoko, who had a strong personality, answer? It was a certainty.

(Come on. Come on.)

She would take the bait. Keita was confident of this, but the realistic burden of 100,000 yen per match was a concern. So, in the simulator, he was praying, "Please, please, take the bait!"

But Shoko's response was...

"Of course! I'm definitely going to do it!"

(Yes!)

Keita's worries were unfounded. There was a girl declaring the continuation of the match with a somewhat irritated tone.

---

Takako Nana.

"I'll continue the match, but wait a moment."

"Got it."

(Hmm.)

Kaito Kawakami showed an unusually obedient side when dealing with Shoko Igo, but it wasn't because she was paying him.

It wasn't love or affection either.

If anything, it was similar to indulging a younger sister's whims.

How he managed to get into that boy's good graces was a mystery. When asked, Shoko would only say, "I don't know."

(I thought a girl like her would be disliked by guys.)

The attitude she took, which she herself found to be somewhat manipulative, was to gain favor and induce complacency from men. She believed that men, to some extent, would be fond of her, and while she had received lecherous looks from men around her, she had never been guarded against. Except by Kaito Kawakami.

Of course, there were adults who smiled but whose eyes didn't, but being guarded against by a peer was a first for her.

Did Shoko Igo whisper something to him? It seemed like Kaito had been wary of her from their first meeting.

(Hmm.)

What did he see in her attitude?

It was meaningless to be liked by everyone if Kaito Kawakami, the key person, disliked her.

(I should change my attitude. But if I change it too obviously, it won't work. Hmm, maybe I should change it gradually to make it seem like I'm adapting to Shoko Igo?)

"Nana, I was taken down without even understanding what happened. What exactly did he do to me?"

(Oh, I'll change my attitude gradually, but first, I need to deal with the immediate issue. If I lose Shoko Igo's favor, I'll lose everything.)

"Heh, you seem calm, but you're actually quite composed. I thought you'd be shouting, 'What the hell was that?'"

(But I can't be too obvious in my approach. Kaito Kawakami is troublesome, but this girl is also quite a handful.)

"I'm not calm, I'm just confused."

"I see."

Ah, I understand. Of course, if you start looking for cover and get hit right away, there's nothing to be angry about.

"...So? You saw it, right? What did he do? I can't figure out how to counter it if I don't know."

"You're right."

Normally, you'd have a post-match discussion, but the other side had no impressions to share.

"..."

Oh, if I drag this out too long, she might get upset and I won't get anything from her. I should tell her the truth.

"What he did was simple. He used the full power of the quadruped's legs to jump high, spotted your machine using the height advantage, and then hit you. That's all."

There was no waste in his movements.

"Jump? But wouldn't it break on landing if it reached that height?"

"Normally, it would. That machine weighs 30 tons, which is twice the weight of the Kusanagi and three times the weight of the Yatsufusa."

"I heard it's 35 tons with equipment?"

"Oh, is that so?"

How could it jump so high? It was clear that magic was involved, not just the leg power.

"Even if it can jump that high, what about the landing?"

Landing? In a simulator, you can set it to end the scenario when the enemy is defeated, but usually, the situation continues for a while after winning. This often leads to mutual destruction due to complacency, especially in real combat.

So, Shoko Igo was concerned about whether the landing was a failure.

Normally, you would think so. A 35-ton machine jumping high would likely break on impact. I thought so too, but unfortunately...

"He used those things from his legs and back to cushion the landing, it seems."

"...Can he do that?"

"Yes, he can. More precisely, he used them to provide thrust during the jump and to slow his descent before landing."

"What is that?!"

"Yeah, I can understand why you'd say that. It's unfair, isn't it? But that's what we wanted to see, right?"

"That's... right. That's true."

It was worth the 100,000 yen, even if it only lasted a few seconds. The concern was that it might be deemed unproductive training and the matches would be stopped, but since he asked, "Want to go again?" at least one more match was possible.

Whether it was a provocation or a consideration, it was truly appreciated.

"Okay! Let's do it again! Same field! But this time, wait 10 seconds before attacking!"

"Got it."

"Interesting. So that's how it is."

It's reasonable to set a time before attacking to avoid being sniped immediately. But...

"Is 10 seconds enough?"

I had a vague idea of what would happen, but it would still be valuable data. I wasn't going to miss it.

But it seems Kaito Kawakami is softer on Shoko Igo than I thought.

"Thump!"

"I see it! That's his jump!"

Right after the start, jumping without being able to attack is pointless. So, he must have done it on purpose to show her.

After all, jumping to search means being visible to the opponent. Especially with the Tachibana, which uses magic to enhance its jumping power, it looks like it's wrapped in light and can be seen from a distance.

However...

The Tachibana, designed for long-range combat, carries 120mm smoothbore and 155mm howitzers with a range of over 10 kilometers. In contrast, the Kusanagi, designed for close and mid-range combat, lacks long-range attack capabilities. So, even if the opponent is visible, there's nothing you can do.

Of course, both Shoko and I know this. So, the key to fighting him is how to avoid being sniped and close the distance...

"The smell of napalm in the morning is especially delightful, and the smell after school is even better!"

"Huh?!"

"Well, that's to be expected."

A 155mm howitzer firing incendiary shells. The opponent burns to death.

---

Second match, over.

Time taken: 16 seconds.

Shoko's machine: heavily damaged.

Pilot: dead.

---

"Hmm. So that's the massive incendiary shell rain that killed a large number of medium and small monsters in a single attack."

Indeed, hiding can avoid being sniped. If the sniper is visible, you just need to hide from the line of fire. However, the Tachibana's attack isn't just a single-target sniper shot. It also has area-of-effect attacks.

(If you can't defend against a single attack that burns everything in the area, you'll end up roasted. It's a dirty way to fight, but it's very effective against monsters, so it's not right to criticize it.)

"Hmm. A large monster might survive, but the Kusanagi definitely can't. Do I have to admit that it's no longer a match for a single rider?"

As a rider of the Kusanagi, which is considered the star of the battlefield, I have my thoughts, but with such a clear difference in skill, there's no choice but to admit it. However, I want to find some way to win. According to rumors, he's weak in close combat, but I doubt he'll agree to it.

"...Want to go again?"

(At least one more match. That's good.)

"I'll do it! But I need a moment to prepare!"

"Understood."

"Hmm. She's energetic."

"Nana!"

"Okay, okay."

It's not just her business. I'll cooperate without hesitation. If possible, I'd like her to find some weaknesses for when it's my turn, but that's probably too much to ask.

I hope we get some good data...

Thank you for reading.