Chapter 53

"Sure is tough!"

In the midst of classmates preparing for the cultural festival or open campus, I, who was not given any specific task—more accurately, was given a standby duty—spent the day training on the simulator.

"Close combat, I can win! But it's not that easy... I can do it!"

My opponent, who I might get scolded for calling "the usual," is indeed the usual Fiftygawa-san. However, recently, we have been engaging in battles in a different kind of situation.

"Ch!"

"Too soft!"

What is this different kind of situation?

It turns out that recently, I have been training with the same Kusanagi-type as her, albeit in a simulation. The content is restricted to using only the initial data of the mechs.

As a result, not only the mech, but also the magic power stored in my magic crystal, which I have accumulated so far, is unusable.

In this situation, what determines the outcome of the battle is purely operational skill and familiarity. And in both of these, I fall short compared to Fiftygawa-san.

"There!"

"Close call!"

I managed to avoid the thrust of the naginata, but my stance was completely disrupted. And Fiftygawa-san is not the type to let such an opening go.

"Got you!"

"Ugh!"

As a result, I couldn't withstand or evade the naginata's sweeping attack, and my right arm, which I had extended awkwardly, was taken.

"Huff. Do you want to continue?"

"..."

Here, Fiftygawa-san gave me a suggestion to surrender.

Given that I am already unfamiliar with the mech and without my right hand, it's clear that the battle is already lost. So, it could be considered a reasonable time to surrender.

My answer, of course, is...

"I surrender."

"Very well."

If this were a real battle where losing means death, I might say "Not yet!" and try to turn the tide. But even I don't go that far in training.

Moreover, it would be rude to refuse to admit defeat even when I'm in such a tight spot, especially since Fiftygawa-san hasn't let her guard down.

So, by surrendering easily, Fiftygawa-san doesn't take the unreasonable stance of urging me to continue the battle with "Why are you giving up here? Get more fired up!" and instead slowly lowers her guard.

--- Situation End ---

This is how the training ends. In the real world, there are monsters that pretend to surrender or feign death to create an opening, so even in a simulator, the concept of not letting your guard down is very strict.

That said,

"Well, as expected, I can't win."

My record against Fiftygawa-san under these conditions is 5 losses out of 5 battles. Of course, the win rate is 0. This result clearly shows the insurmountable gap in skill between me and her.

No matter how much I think I've trained, I lack experience in human combat, and the way I move the mech is completely different, leading to wasted movements.

And that is a clear opening from Fiftygawa-san's perspective. Once she exploits it, I have no way to resist.

However, all of this is under the condition of "these conditions."

"Of course. Unlike you, I'm used to this mech. If I lost under these conditions, I wouldn't be in Class A."

From Fiftygawa-san's perspective, this makes sense.

In my case, I have taken down 14 large, dozens of medium, and many small monsters in battle, while Fiftygawa-san has never been on the battlefield, so she hasn't taken down any large or medium monsters—maybe a few small ones, but that's it.

In the end, my mech and my magic crystal have accumulated magic power, while hers have none.

Moreover, I have become accustomed to using magic power for posture control and movement boosts. If I can't use what I usually use, the result is clear.

I feel as if all my actions are constrained, and as a result, there is a lag in all my movements.

In other words, I am at a significant disadvantage from the start, being in a state where I can't use magic power.

This is the downside of relying on brute force with high-performance mechs. I might think it's a bit skewed, but since I've survived this way, I have no complaints.

And Fiftygawa-san is well aware of this.

"In fact, just by releasing the magic power in your magic crystal, the battle time increased several times, and I wouldn't remain unscathed either. Winning against you in a completely raw state wouldn't be something to boast about."

Not being able to win even with a handicap would undermine her position, and this is a genuine statement, not a humble or sarcastic one.

"Ah~"

Of course, from my position, I can't just say, "Yeah, you're right."

In actual combat, it's impossible for both sides to have the same equipment or the same level of damage. In fact, it's rare to start a battle in perfect condition. Given this premise, it's safe to say that I would never engage in a battle under the restriction of not using the magic power I've accumulated or the Miki-type mech.

Of course, there's a possibility that the mech could malfunction or be out of service, which is why we are doing this training with other mechs, but this is just for that purpose.

However, I don't think this training is meaningless. On the contrary, I believe it has value.

Because I've relearned the general truth that "you can't know until you actually try."

What I particularly noticed when using the Kusanagi-type was the movement.

A basic action like jumping puts a strain on the entire drive system, starting with the knees, and running also puts a strain on it. This means I can only move slowly.

I heard that rolling or taking a breakfall can help dissipate the impact, but it also means that you can't dissipate the impact unless you do that.

I can't roll every time I jump during combat, and with my skill, trying to shoot while jumping results in the recoil of the machine gun disrupting my balance, making it impossible to shoot or land properly.

Just knowing this is a significant gain.

Elite units can close the distance while dodging monster attacks, but I can't do that.

In the footage of the previous interception battle, I saw how Lieutenant Sato cut through a monster's attack and charged forward, but I can't imagine doing that.

I can only avoid the attack or use a magic shield to block or deflect it.

So, I even think that using the enhanced exoskeleton created by Miki-san would be better than using the Kusanagi-type.

When I said this, Fiftygawa-san looked at me as if I were some unbelievable creature, but this is probably due to the difference between me, who sees the mech as a "machine that moves with buttons," and her, who sees the mech as a weapon, an extension of her body.

The enhanced exoskeleton can be recognized as an extension of the body, unlike a mech, so the biggest reason is that there is no lag between movement and thought.

In fact, when I fought Fiftygawa-san with the enhanced exoskeleton—without any restrictions—I was able to win from the start.

I lost the next two times, though.

Oh, Fiftygawa-san was scary back then.

Of course, she has her own pride.

Losing to an enhanced exoskeleton while using a mech would be humiliating.

I won't say it, but it would just pour oil on the fire.

"Hmm. It's good that you can win against me, but this doesn't help my training."

While I was thinking about such pointless things, I received another communication from Fiftygawa-san.

"Is that so?"

I can't help but feel like she's goading me, but it's the truth. After all, I think the same way when I'm in the Miki-type.

"From now on, stop using the Kusanagi-type and use the enhanced exoskeleton instead."

"Whoa."

I didn't expect her to suggest it.

"It will be better for my training, and you prefer the enhanced exoskeleton over the Kusanagi-type, right?"

"That's true, but..."

I do have some reservations about changing the training content so easily.

"Also, this is just my personal opinion."

"Hmm?"

"I think it's better for you not to get half-familiar with the Kusanagi-type."

"Hmm?"

Yeah, that's true. It might sound like giving up, but the resources a human can allocate are limited. So, if you can't use it, giving up isn't necessarily a bad decision.

Especially when considering my survival rate, it's more efficient to be able to use both a mech and an enhanced exoskeleton rather than two different mechs.

At least that way, I can do both.

The only issue might be what the homeroom teacher and the chief mechanic think.

Well, I can guess what the chief mechanic thinks, but I should confirm, right?

"By the way, what does Miki-san think about this?"

"Ah, well, I think what Fiftygawa-san said is right."

"Is that so?"

Yeah, I knew it.

Because Fiftygawa-san's opinion, in other words, is to "use Miki Heavy Industries' mechs and enhanced exoskeletons." Of course, Miki-san wouldn't disagree with that.

"What does the... Lieutenant think?"

Since I've heard Miki-san's opinion, I'll also ask the homeroom teacher, who has been silently observing the training.

No matter how much Fiftygawa-san and I think changing the training content is better, if the superior officer, the Lieutenant, says no, that's the end of it.

Superior orders are absolute. It's written in the military regulations.

"That 'Bo' you keep using is a bit concerning... but it's fine."

I can't call her "Boss" to her face, but I say it in my mind, and it slips out in a pinch. I'll try to fix that eventually (I haven't said I will fix it).

"Regarding the mechs, I agree with Fiftygawa. The Kusanagi-type doesn't suit you, and there's no need to force yourself to get used to it. I'm having you do various things now, but it's just a precaution in case the Miki-type can't be used and to gather close-combat data. Also, the enhanced exoskeleton from Miki Heavy Industries, which was recently unveiled, is attracting attention from Far Eastern Russia and reorganized units. Naturally, we want that data. So, if you're willing to gather it, I have no objections."

"I see."

Not only as a homeroom teacher, but also as a Lieutenant of the First Division, this is her opinion.

Reorganized units are seeking stronger equipment, and especially with Far Eastern Russia involved, it's not easy to reject it.

For Miki-san, who originally has connections there, it's not a bad export market. If they can gain practical experience and accumulate various data and records that can only be obtained through actual use over a certain period, there's no need to go through the trouble of testing and presenting it to domestic entities.

It seems that both Miki-san and I are being resented by the Third Division, which had its reconstruction plan frozen, and the policy department that originally brought up the issue, so it's better to seek markets abroad for a while.

So, if we're going to export, it's better to improve the precision. That means I need to work hard as the tester.

Of course, there are benefits for me too.

Not only do I get a kickback for my efforts, but if they develop a certain level of combat capability, there's no need to deploy as reinforcements.

It might be nice to go on a trip occasionally, but I don't want to go frequently, especially since it's getting colder.

Worse, being called a hero is the worst.

Why? Because the title "hero" is given to someone who is betrayed and killed in the end.

And if they try to retain me by making me a knight or marrying me to a noble's daughter, I'd rather they stop calling me a "pervert" first.

What's with a "pervert hero"? It's definitely not a compliment.

If I were killed at this stage, I'd probably be labeled as "killed for being a pervert," and what about that?

That's why I don't want to go to Far Eastern Russia until the heat dies down.

So, I'll take the tests seriously for a while.

---

"Did you hear? Since Miki-san and the Lieutenant have given their permission, I'll take their advice and focus on the enhanced exoskeleton from now on. Of course, there will be no handicap."

"Exactly what I wanted to hear!"

"... Fighting with an enhanced exoskeleton against a mech is already a significant handicap."

"President Miki, that's enough."

"... Let's go!"

"... Come on!"

I didn't hear anything.

Of course, neither did Fiftygawa-san.

Thank you for reading.