Chapter 63

"......"

It's the match between Watanabe, the chairperson, and Fujita, the vice-chairperson. Normally, this would be the battle to determine the strongest of the year, but despite the excitement in the audience, the atmosphere in the officials' seats was surprisingly cold.

This is probably because Watanabe is from the Third Division.

People who saw the farce performed by Kobata and Kasahara, also from the Third Division, can't help but look at Watanabe with a critical eye.

They probably believe that if the Third Division hadn't caused a commotion, Fujita would have been the chairperson. There might also be a desire not to let the Third Division shine.

Of course, the Third Division members don't want her to stand out more than Kobata, so it's not an exaggeration to say that Watanabe is expected to lose by everyone around her.

The only exception might be the school officials who admitted her as the chairperson.

"......To avoid any misunderstandings, Watanabe Sae has the strength to be the chairperson."

The boss seems to be speaking to himself, responding to the "Is she going to be okay?" looks from the surroundings.

But this makes it seem like I'm also looking at the boss with suspicion.

"No, I don't think anything in particular."

I have no intention of going against the boss. It's unimaginable to do so over something as trivial as rankings.

"......I see."

With that intention, I firmly stated, but the boss visibly deflated.

It seems I made the wrong choice.

(But it's not over yet! It's not over!)

If you realize you made a mistake, you should recover like an adult.

"However, I am concerned about the two's strength. It seems the audience thinks Fujita has the advantage, but do you, Lieutenant, think Watanabe has a chance to win?"

"Umm, yes. That's right! First, Fujita is excellent in close combat. His skills are on par with Taguchi."

"That's impressive!"

Indeed, Taguchi completely shut down Hirose in the previous battle.

Even if the general audience can't tell, the officials can see that Taguchi has a very high level of skill.

"Yes. And he's better at shooting than Taguchi. In a sense, he's an upgraded version."

An upgraded version of the sixth-ranked student.

"I see, he's definitely worthy of being the vice-chairperson."

"Yes."

And he can also handle written exams. He's truly remarkable.

"Now, about Watanabe, the chairperson..."

"Yes."

Oh, this is the main topic.

"First, Watanabe became the chairperson largely due to her written exam scores. Naturally, her close combat skills are inferior to Fujita's."

"That's right."

If Fujita's skills are really on par with Taguchi's, and Watanabe, who has publicly stated she can't beat Taguchi, then she has no chance against Fujita.

"But her shooting skills are better. And she has the eye of a commander."

"Eye?"

"Yes."

As a commander, huh. Honestly, I don't understand, but I think she's from the Chief of Staff's family, right?

She might be the type who traps the enemy with strategy, but doesn't that mean her direct combat power is low?

"If she honestly engages in close combat, she'll lose. But if she knows that, she can choose a way of fighting that doesn't allow it."

"Like Igarashi?"

She can dodge and defeat her opponent even though she's not bad at close combat herself.

"Yes. That battle will definitely influence Fujita."

"......Could it be that being beaten by Igarashi first was a blow to him?"

If a surprise attack succeeds, it can end in an instant.

If Watanabe's goal was a surprise attack at the start, then her means were nullified by Igarashi.

"Well, that's how I see it. I think it's a bit painful and frustrating for both of them."

"What do you mean by that?"

I don't quite understand.

"Fujita knows that Watanabe and Igarashi have some interaction. So he probably doesn't think Watanabe will use the same tactics as Igarashi."

"Yes, that makes sense. But doesn't that mean Watanabe is at a disadvantage because one of her options was nullified?"

"No, it's not. How should I put it... Fujita now has a choice, do you understand?"

"Choice?"

Isn't having more choices a good thing? I was puzzled.

"If you have some combat experience like you do, and your tactics are somewhat set, then having more choices, or means, isn't a bad thing. But they are still students who haven't accumulated much experience outside of training. For them, choices mean hesitation."

"I see..."

Not means but hesitation, I'm starting to understand.

"It dampens their momentum, right?"

"Yes. Although Watanabe's close combat skills are not as good as Fujita's or Taguchi's, she can still handle it. Moreover, Fujita probably never thought about switching to a shooting weapon. So Fujita will think, or rather, can't help but think: 'Maybe she'll dodge like Igarashi did,' 'Maybe she'll pretend to dodge and then launch a close combat attack,' 'Maybe she'll stay put and shoot.'"

"I see. On the other hand, Watanabe has the idea of changing her weapon from her interaction with Igarashi, and she knows Fujita is good at close combat, so she doesn't need to hesitate."

"Yes."

(It seems I didn't miss this time.)

Seeing the boss nod in satisfaction, I let out a sigh of relief.

"Therefore, the flow of this match is with Watanabe from the start. Now, if Fujita had no prior knowledge, would he fall into the same trap as Fukuhara?"

"It's a bit of a toss-up."

It depends on Fujita's skills... If he's a bit faster in reaction than Fukuhara, even if a surprise attack is launched, he might be able to dodge while maintaining his momentum. At least, I would do that.

"Yes, it's a bit of a toss-up."

I see. So that's what you mean.

"Watanabe was able to grasp the flow of the match by having her surprise attack nullified. That's why it's a bit painful and frustrating."

"Yes, that's it."

Watanabe, who has the flow of the match, wants to crush Fujita without letting him use his full strength.

On the other hand, Fujita, understanding that he has been outmaneuvered, is thinking about how to create an environment where he can use his full strength. What a situation.

"They're thinking about a lot of things even before the fight starts."

An old wise person once said, "A battle is always fought by reading two or three moves ahead." It's exactly that. For me, who repeatedly moves horizontally and vertically to break through an overconfident enemy, it's quite difficult.

"The others are doing it to some extent. Don't think it's just someone else's problem."

"......I'll handle it."

That's all I can say.

---

"......"

The scene shifts to the arena modeled after the "Duel Arena."

Watanabe Sae and Fujita Issei, who are unaware of the commentary and earnest support being given in the officials' seats, are silently glaring at each other.

It's somewhat unnatural for Watanabe, who is thinking about maintaining distance, and Fujita, who wants to close the distance and bring the fight into close combat, to be glaring at each other, but there are reasons why they can't do otherwise.

(Careless movement is dangerous.)

According to the usual way of thinking, Fujita should charge forward with his shield. Even if Watanabe wants to maintain distance, this is a "Duel Arena" with a radius of only 50 meters. If he can't close the distance in one go, he can gradually close it and win.

Fujita initially thought so, but after watching the previous match between Fukuhara and Igarashi, he changed his mind. The biggest reason is the 32mm anti-material rifle that Watanabe is openly displaying.

"You have one too, huh."

"Yes. If it can take down medium-sized monsters, it can also take down a Kusanagi-type. It's a simple matter. I'm ashamed that I didn't realize it sooner."

"Tch."

This is truly enlightening. Watanabe says this, and Fujita responds with a tongue click.

(I didn't think enough. I admit it.)

In fact, the shock Fujita received from the battle between Igarashi and Fukuhara was not light.

What Igarashi showed was the simple fact that a 40mm machine gun is not necessary to take down a Kusanagi-type.

(A 32mm can be completely avoided with a shield, unlike a 40mm. But if it hits the torso or head, it's still a one-shot kill. So I can't afford to break my defensive stance.)

Ideally, if I can dodge the first shot, I can survive because reloading takes time. But I saw Igarashi carrying one 32mm in each hand in the previous battle.

(I should assume I need to dodge at least two shots.)

It would be great if this is an overestimation. But if I rush in without being cautious and get hit by the second shot as expected, I'll be scolded after the match, "What did you see in Fukuhara's battle?"

(I can't afford to look that foolish.)

Fujita and Fukuhara didn't anticipate that Watanabe or Igarashi would switch to a 32mm anti-material rifle. Any further unexpected moves would only add to their shame.

(But... even so...)

Fujita, who has undergone numerous training sessions, has never trained against an opponent wielding an anti-material rifle in one hand.

(But Watanabe must have trained against an opponent who goes on the defensive. So she must have trained for what to do if the first shot is dodged. If I hesitate, she will reload and get back into shooting position. In that case, dodging the first shot is meaningless.)

So it's a stalemate. Fujita, who can't move easily, looks at Watanabe, but she isn't that relaxed either.

---

(Thanks to Igarashi's results, I can keep Fujita in check, but if I keep this up, it will only be seen as a copycat.)

The order of the matches was decided from the beginning, and I wasn't sure Igarashi would use the same strategy. This situation just happened to be the same.

(But the audience won't see it that way.)

It's too similar to the situation with Igarashi.

After all, Fujita, Watanabe's opponent, is from the same Seventh Division as Fukuhara.

(If this continues, they might say I planned a strategy to trap the Seventh Division.)

From a third party's perspective, it might look like Watanabe and Igarashi targeted the Seventh Division specifically.

This could be seen as "They are wary of the Seventh Division," but if the ones doing it are the Third Division, which is already losing reputation, the situation changes.

(Probably, the Seventh Division will think the Third Division is trying to tarnish their reputation. And their anger will be directed at me and Igarashi... or rather, at me alone.)

Igarashi defeated Fukuhara, who is Fujita's subordinate. He's not the main target. So the one who trapped the main target, me, is the one who will likely face the Seventh Division's hostility.

(Of course, this method isn't bad. By controlling the flow of the match without fighting and successfully restraining Fujita, I've already proven my flexibility in thinking and minimum skill level. If I can win without making any mistakes, my evaluation will improve from the worst.)

Conversely, if I lose in this situation, the Third Division's evaluation will be in serious trouble.

(I can accept being disliked by the Seventh Division. But I won't give up the win!)

Watanabe, who is watching for any moment of weakness, and Fujita, who is trying to throw off the aim, are in a tense standoff.

One is trying to maintain a certain distance, while the other is trying to close it. Although it's not as flashy as the second match, even a layman can feel the tension.

"Hmm."

"This is quite..."

"Interesting."

"Yes."

The officials in the audience, seeing the subtle maneuvers and checks happening beneath the surface, recognize that both have the strength worthy of their rankings.

However, there are those who can't enjoy the lack of movement from the start.

"Ah, this is taking too long!"

A shout echoes through the arena modeled after the "Duel Arena."

"Who!?"

"Who is it!?"

If it were just heckling, the two would have ignored it.

But the voice was filled with clear malice.

Especially if it was something that both, who are only students, could sense and instinctively look away from their opponent to identify the source, it was even more serious.

"What!?"

And the shock is not limited to the two combatants.

The third party's voice that echoed in the 1-on-1 arena. The first to react was Kuwahara Shizuka, the teacher of both and an excellent mech pilot herself.

"Your fight isn't a real fight! I'll teach you kids what a real fight is!"

At the same time the voice was heard, a shadow suddenly appeared.

It looked like a Kusanagi-type at first glance.

But it was different.

As if saying "I won't run or hide," it appeared boldly, wrapped in clear malice...

"Is that... a monster?"

"Impossible!"

Indeed, what appeared on the monitor watched by Keita and Shizuka was not a person, but a creature 6-7 meters tall.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

The creature that suddenly appeared in the arena, which should have only contained Watanabe Sae and Fujita Issei, was undoubtedly a demon-type monster.