Chapter 52

2019/3/17

Since I made significant changes to the content, I replaced episode 49.

I apologize for the inconvenience.

The class representative, who had returned from the bathroom, joined us, and we all silently made pottery and stone tools, bringing the first day of the overnight recreation to a successful end.

For dinner, we ate curry in the dining room of the youth center—

“Takigawa, here’s your curry!”

“Mm, it’s not bad.”

—then we went to the large bath—

“Takigawa, I’ll wash your back!”

“Mm, it’s not... Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! That’s too strong!”

—after that, Ishida and I praised Takigawa’s efforts and headed to our assigned room.

“Ishida, we’re in room 207 on the second floor, right?”

It seems everyone is in the same room.

“Pretty impressive, isn’t it?”

“Really? It looks quite simple to me...”

Takigawa and Ishida had completely opposite impressions.

When we entered the room, it was a simple interior with a double bed and a single bed, each about six tatami mats in size, and three small fixed desks.

Hmm, I can’t really say either way.

“Alright! Let’s play Big Two to decide the bed positions! We also have a board game!”

“Takigawa, you’re well-prepared.”

“Always be prepared!”

“Huh, what did you say?”

Ignoring Takigawa’s comment, we immediately started playing Big Two.

“Draw!”

“I’m out too!”

“Gya!”

The results were: 1st place me, 2nd place Ishida, 3rd place Takigawa.

“I wanted the top bunk!”

“Huh? The top is more inconvenient, so I thought I’d take the single bed.”

“I also wanted the bottom bunk for the same reason.”

“Then, can I take the top bunk?”

““Sure, sure.””

The bet was meaningless, so I ended up with the single bed, Ishida with the bottom bunk, and Takigawa with the top bunk.

“Let’s play again! This time... the loser has to reveal their crush!”

“Takigawa, you’ve been losing all day, yet you’re so confident.”

In response to my words, Takigawa gave a determined look.

“Hmph. If you lose in spirit before the game even starts, it’s meaningless, right?”

“That’s not what someone who keeps losing would say.”

As Ishida’s comment hit home, the game continued.

“Revolution!”

“Whoa!”

“What!?”

Takigawa is in top form. For now, I’ll focus on the game and ignore Near and Uru.

◇

“I’ve gathered... a lot of iron sand.”

In the forest within Asahikawa City, at the youth center’s parking lot, a girl in a black robe stood amidst a large, undulating mass of iron sand.

“With this, I can use... ‘The History of Ironmaking’... to the fullest.”

Ferm. As her name suggests, she is a magician who manipulates iron. Despite only possessing the C-rank ability ‘Metal Manipulation,’ which can only slightly move metal, she has the spell formula for ‘Ironworks’ etched into her body, allowing her to manipulate and process iron within her range. Like Io, she can use the spell ‘The History of Ironmaking’ by fusing two powers that should not coexist through a fusion spell formula, enabling her to manipulate and process iron within her range.

“Golem... refinement.”

As Ferm spoke, the large amount of iron sand transformed into human-sized iron golems. There were 200 of them, each with a high level of autonomous combat ability.

‘The History of Ironmaking’ can manipulate iron that has already been processed by infusing it with magic, but Ferm prefers to use the iron sand in the ground for its ease of processing.

“Finding the target... is troublesome. I’ll restrain everyone and... search for the fairy seed... slowly.”

In response to Ferm’s will, the iron golems quietly moved towards the youth center where Kousuke was staying.

“Wait!”

However, two figures appeared from the darkness, blocking the path of the iron golems.

“It’s a relief you came from that direction.”

“Good thing we were on guard. It was the right decision.”

“...!”

The figures were Aul and Junna, who had detected Ferm’s presence through a large detection barrier created by spirit magic and rushed to the scene.

“Second daughter of the Mizukami family and Lady Aul... a bit troublesome.”

Ferm, who was about to send the iron golems towards the youth center, increased her vigilance.

“So, you were the ones who stole the fairy seed. Ferm!”

Aul’s voice grew harsh as she glared at Ferm, who was dressed in a black robe.

“Do you know her, Aul?”

“She’s a member of the ‘Twilight and Dawn Group,’ but she’s a hardliner with different ideals from us.”

“The hardliners, right? They’re the group that wants to kill the gods, aren’t they?”

“Yes. They are a dangerous group with radical ideas.”

As Aul answered Junna’s question, she quietly increased her own magic power.

“That’s... wrong. I want to destroy the gods... to eliminate the unfairness that permeates the human world... and create a world not governed by the gods’ will...”

Ferm increased the magic power she infused into the iron golems, shifting into a combat-ready stance.

“Peaceful resolution seems impossible.”

“We’ve finally found a lead. We must capture her here!”

Junna and Aul channeled their magic power into their fairies and prepared their spirit magic.

“‘The History of Ironmaking’!”

Ferm made the first move, transforming the surrounding iron sand into countless swords and launching them at high speed. At the same time, the golems surrounding Aul and Junna began their advance.

“Dine, ‘Great Wall’!”

“Sanda, Gran, ‘Grenade Shot’!”

Junna blocked all the iron swords with a wall of rushing water, while Aul destroyed the approaching iron golems with exploding thunder and earth projectiles.

“Now it’s our turn. Sanda, Gran, ‘Blast Lance’!”

“Dine, ‘Lance’!”

“Gah... ‘The History of Ironmaking’!”

Ferm blocked the numerous lances of three attributes with an iron wall made of iron sand. However, she had to gather iron sand from the surrounding golems as well, reducing their number by half.

“Lady Aul’s techniques... are troublesome. The second daughter of the Mizukami family’s magic power output... is also troublesome.”

Ferm grumbled, having failed to land a single blow and having her offensive capabilities reduced.

Aul, who can simultaneously use two types of spirit magic with high skill, and Junna, who can enhance the power of her spells with a massive output of magic power, were formidable opponents. Ferm, despite being one of the top combat magicians in the UK, was evenly matched against the combination of these two spirit magicians.

“This prolonged battle... is not good.”

As Ferm muttered, a prolonged battle would mean her defeat. She had already consumed a considerable amount of magic power by moving and gathering iron sand to this location. In contrast, Aul and Junna, as spirit magicians, could draw magic power from nature, making the longer the battle, the more advantageous it would be for them.

“I’ll decide this... in a short battle.”

Ferm concentrated her magic power into the remaining 100 iron golems. At the same time, black soil mixed with iron sand began to adhere to the golems.

“Are you combining the surrounding soil with the golems?”

“Combining... I can’t believe it!”

Aul, who could perform earth-based magic, saw through Ferm’s intentions from the scene.

“Even if you realize it... it’s too late. Go!”

“Gah, ‘Grenade Shot’!”

Aul intercepted the golems as she had before, but they quickly regenerated after losing parts of their bodies.

“Dine, ‘Great Wall’!”

Junna, surprised by the golems’ increased strength, created a wall of rushing water to block their advance.

“What’s going on? They’re clearly more durable than before?”

“Probably, she combined carbon from the ground with iron in a certain ratio to create steel. She’s also infusing more magic power into them.”

“That’s impressive. So, their movement, durability, and regeneration speed are completely different from before.”

While holding back the advancing iron golems with a wall of rushing water, Junna muttered with a bitter expression.

“Being able to simultaneously enhance nearly 100 golems is incredible, but it must require a considerable amount of magic power. Ferm must be pushing herself to the limit.”

As Aul analyzed, Ferm’s magic power had dropped below half after enhancing 100 golems. Additionally, the precise magic power control required to maintain the steel golems was putting a significant mental strain on her. The two of them didn’t realize that the outcome of the battle hinged on whether they could withstand the attack of the 100 golems.

“Go...!”

“‘Great Wall’!”

“‘Blast Lance’!”

Junna held back the steel golems from multiple directions, while Aul intercepted them. Despite the high magic power consumption, they gradually reduced the number of steel golems with their high-powered spirit magic, but the offensive momentum did not wane.

“This isn’t good. Dine, ‘Great Wall’! ‘Lance’!”

“I could use ‘Golden Giant Soldier’ to turn the tide, but I don’t have time to construct the spell formula. Sanda, ‘Blast Lance’! Gran, ‘Grenade Shot’!”

In the deadlock, as the number of offensive steel golems decreased, Ferm calmly observed the situation without showing any signs of panic. Then—

“Dance... ‘The History of Ironmaking’.”

—she quietly activated her magic.

“What!?”

“The iron sand is rising!?”

With her current level of concentration, Ferm couldn’t create new iron golems or iron swords, but she could easily make the scattered iron sand rise.

“The vision is bad! Wash it away with water... Aul, watch out!”

In the intense battle where a momentary lapse could be fatal, Ferm had been waiting for this one moment. She used the iron sand to blind them and sent a steel golem, which she had enhanced with more magic power, on a special attack.

“I’ve got you...”

As the steel golem’s fist approached Aul, Ferm was confident of victory. The dull sound of the iron mass colliding with something echoed through the parking lot of the youth center.

“...!?”

However, the scene that unfolded before Ferm’s eyes after the blinding effect wore off was not what she had expected.

“Why... are my golems... fighting each other...?”

One of the steel golems Ferm had sent on a special attack was being punched down by another steel golem. Neither Aul nor Junna had anticipated this, and they, like Ferm, were shocked.

“A blue sparrow... shikigami?”

Noticing the blue sparrow-shaped shikigami perched on the head of the steel golem, Ferm’s face contorted in shock as she realized the situation.

“Could the control... have been taken over!?”

Control takeover. A high-level technique that forcibly connects magic threads to seize control of another’s shikigami or golem. While there were other magicians in the ‘Twilight and Dawn Group’ who could perform this technique, Ferm had never seen anyone do it as quickly as this.

“A blue sparrow-shaped shikigami... that must be the Mizukami family’s spell formula... could it be?”

From the sight of the sparrow-shaped shikigami adhering to the iron golem with magic threads, Ferm recognized the magician. At the same time, Junna, recognizing the familiar shikigami, was certain